Summary: Raising Albus is turning out to be a challenge. Raising a child that is extraordinarily magically talented is difficult enough, but when the child is the subject of several prophesies the task can be daunting. Harry feels it may have been easier being a child subject to prophesies than raising one. Teddy wants to be an Auror, not the safest occupation. James and Lily pose their own challenges. This story will take us up to Albus and Rose train ride to Hogwarts.
Rating: R
Categories: Post-Hogwarts
Characters: None
Genres: None
Warnings: None
Challenges: None
Series: Almost Happily Ever After
Published: 2015.03.19
Updated: 2017.07.06
Index
Chapter 1: The death of Vernon Dursley, and reflections on Marriage
Chapter 2: Ch 2 The Attack at the Funeral
Chapter 3: Ch 3, Albus's First Battle
Chapter 4: CH 4 Celebrations Big and Small, 2008-2009
Chapter 5: CH 5 Teddy in School, Albus in Trouble
Chapter 6: CH. 6 Christmas of the Magi
Chapter 7: CH 7 A Mother and Son
Chapter 8: CH 8 Al Travels and Speaks Out
Chapter 9: CH. 9 Baptisms and the Malfoys Guest
Chapter 10: CH 10 Christmas at the Weasley and Malfoy Households
Chapter 11: CH 11 Harry’s New Elves
Chapter 12: CH 12 A New School Year and Albus’s Old Nemesis
Chapter 13: CH 13 The Evolution of the Magical World
Chapter 14: CH 14 Muggle Music
Chapter 15: CH. 15 The Fifteenth Anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts
Chapter 16: Ch 16 The ICWW
Chapter 17: CH 17 The New Guitar, and a Duet
Chapter 18: CH 18 Kreacher
Chapter 19: CH. 19 Buzzing Maps and Decorating Dollhouses
Chapter 20: CH. 20 House Elf rules and Potions
Chapter 21: CH 21 Summer Quidditch and Fall Reorganization
Chapter 22: CH 22 Emergency Map Making
Chapter 23: CH 23 A Difficult Christmas Eve
Chapter 24: CH 24 Christmas Morning, 2014
Chapter 25: CH 25 Promotions
Chapter 26: CH 26 Something Wicked this Way Came
Chapter 27: CH 27 Harry Potter and the Crystal Ball
Chapter 28: CH 28 Problems between Goblins and Elves and Wizards
Chapter 29: CH. 29 Luna Rolf Scamander
Chapter 30: CH 30 Wrong Place, Wrong Time
Chapter 31: CH 31 Thirteen Privet Drive
Chapter 32: CH 32 James goes to Hogwarts
Chapter 33: CH 33 Charlie Weasley Comes Home
Chapter 34: CH 34 Fame for James and Albus
Chapter 35: CH 35 Getting Albus ready for Hogwarts
Chapter 1: The death of Vernon Dursley, and reflections on Marriage
Author's Notes: I want to thank my beta FriendofMolly for some critical work on this chapter.
As you can tell, I don’t like Vernon Dursley. At all.
Wednesday December 3, 2008, before Harry left for work, he got a call from Dudley. “My dad just died, we suspect of a massive heart attack,” said Dudley. “He died last night.”
“I’m sorry,” said Harry, wondering if he really was sorry.
“Yea,” said Dudley. “He felt terrible and refused to go to the hospital. He went upstairs to the bedroom, and when my mother got up there a couple of hours later he was dead. You are his closest living relative, other than mum and me. Well, Aunt Marge Dursley, his sister. His business partners were really second cousins, and not that close to us. I do not really know any of their children, and I don’t think any of the children will come to the funeral. I would like you with me when we meet people a couple of days from now.”
“Just me or the family?” asked Harry.
“I would like to see your family there,” said Dudley. “These types of affairs are about family after all, and you are the closest family I have.”
“Not Aunt Marge?” asked Harry.
“I guess someone will have to tell her,” Dudley said. There was a pause and Harry could hear a big sigh. “I guess we are going to have to put up with her at the funeral. It is her brother, after all.”
“I’ll clear the next days and help you, Dudders,” said Harry.
“I would really appreciate that,” said Dudley. “There is apparently a fair amount to do.”
Harry called his office. Mary Lou was already there, and Harry told her that his uncle had died, and he was going to be spending much of the next four days helping his cousin and aunt.
Harry then went and found Ginny, who was getting the three children ready to go to school. Al usually went next door until about noon, when Jean took the children over to the New Burrow so they could play with their cousins. Getting permission for Jean to use the floo network, and then arranging the magic so she could, was another exercise that blurred the lines between the magic and Muggle world, something that worried Hermione, even as she was one of the main facilitators in blurring the lines. Ginny usually took the other two over to the New Burrow between 8:30 and 9:00 AM for lessons for James.
Harry went back upstairs just as Ginny was finishing getting the three children dressed in their coats. They were going to let Al go out the front door and run over to Roses house, and when he was inside Ginny (and Mitzi), James and Lily would go to the kitchen and take the floo to the New Burrow. Before Al had time to leave Harry told Ginny, “Vernon Dursley died last night.”
Ginny said, “I should be sorry he’s dead? He’s the one who locked you in the closet under the stairs. He was a mean man.”
“He was still Dudley’s dad,” said Harry. “I’m going to be helping Dudley and Aunt Petunia, my mother’s sister. Dudley wants the whole family at the funeral, if we will come.”
“I’ll come for you, and for your mother,” said Ginny. “Oh, I like Dudley. I’ll come for him too. Do we need to get new Muggle clothes for this?”
“We probably ought to get little dark suits for the boys” said Harry. “They’ll look cute dressed up like little Muggle bankers.”
“Your job,” said Ginny. “Out the door, Al.” Albus went out the door, and took the familiar path down his front steps and up the front steps to where Rose and Jean were waiting.
At 10:00 AM Harry was at the funeral home. The family had to pick out a casket for Vernon. He had let it be known that he did not believe in cremation or any of this scattering of ashes. He wanted to be buried in a casket like his parents and grandparents before him. Of course finding a casket big enough was not easy, but the funeral home had photographs of ones that they could have by the weekend.
Then they had to figure out just how many people were going to come. There was not really going to be any kind of religious service. Vernon hated anything to do with religion. The original plan was to have visiting from 2:00 to 4:00 PM on Saturday, and then just the immediate family was going to go to the cemetery to plant Vernon. Dudley and Belinda were going to have a few people over to their house after.
Harry quickly realized that he was going to have to deal with security. He and his family were going to be in unfamiliar Muggle space.
Dudley and Belinda pointed out that there were only about forty people who worked for Grunnings, most of whom would come, but there were over two hundred people who worked in the other divisions of Dursley Potter & Weasley, not counting goblins and elves.
For someone who had to deal with as much death as Harry, this was something he had never dealt with, a large Muggle funeral service. Hugo Granger’s funeral was the only Muggle funeral he had ever attended, and there were not all that many people there, and there was no publicity linking Harry Potter to Hugo Granger. All of the Muggle born people killed at the battle of Hogwarts were buried while Harry was still at Hogwarts and otherwise totally tied up with urgent tasks right after the battle.
Petunia was in shock. Maybe she should have been prepared for Vernon’s death; he was grossly overweight and his father and grandfather had died early, but the reality of it was still overwhelming to her, and it fell to Dudley and Belinda, and Harry, to plan the funeral service.
Belinda went back to DPW to see if she could get some idea how many people would come to the funeral home. Dudley took his mother back home. Harry went to see Bill Weasley.
“Bill,” said Harry. “Do you know what to do at a Muggle funeral?”
“You’ve asked the wrong person, Harry” said Bill. “Since we started DPW I have been more involved in the Muggle world, but a funeral is something new. I suppose the whole Weasley family ought to make at least a token appearance, though.”
“I suppose so,” said Harry, “but security is going to be tough enough without trying to keep track of all twelve of Arthur and Molly’s grandchildren.”
“Maybe we could come and be gone before the general public,” said Bill.
“I need to talk to Kingsley and my staff,” said Harry. “This is more difficult than I thought.” Harry went back to the Ministry called his staff together. After talking to his staff he met with Kingsley. Before they were done Harry found out that this was a great more difficult than he had hoped.
Thursday Harry met again with Dudley and Belinda. They agreed to have a “magical family only” time between 1:00 PM and 2:00 PM, with the official visitation starting at 2:00 PM until 4:00 PM. At 3:45 Dudley was going to say a few words about his father. The problem with planning a memorial service was that the best any could think to say about Vernon was that he knew his drills. Technically he was very good, but in just about every other way he was a rather miserable example of a human. Dudley said at one meeting that, “The trouble about finding nice things to say about dad is that he wasn’t a very nice man.”
Belinda asked around to see if anyone could remember when at Grunnings Vernon had done anything nice to help one of the employees. No one could remember any incident of niceness that was anything but doing what was expected, and no more.
Harry and Ginny met for lunch at a Muggle restaurant that their guards could secure. Harry said, “I always knew that Vernon was a bastard to me. I’m just sorry for Dudley and Petunia that he seems to have been a bastard to everybody. How do you say something nice about someone who has never been nice?”
“Does Petunia have any nice things to say about Vernon?” Ginny asked. “She married him. He must have been nice to her.’
“There wasn’t a lot of love in that house,” Harry said. “In some ways all the things they gave Dudley were bribes, trying to make up for lack of love. I think Petunia tried to love Dudley, but instead of emotional comfort she gave him food and things. In some ways what little attention Vernon gave Dudley was directed as much at making me feel bad as it was at really caring about Dudley. It was a pretty dysfunctional family.”
“I’m sorry for you, and I guess Dudley too,” Ginny said. “I don’t know how to feel about Petunia.”
“I don’t either,” Harry said. Harry and Ginny spent the better part of an hour talking about family. As they were getting ready to go Ginny got that combination of snarky and sexy look that Harry knew so well, and said, “I have an hour free. If you are free there is a bedroom back at Grimmauld Place that we could use.”
“You want to do it three times today?” Harry asked.
“I have a reputation to uphold,” Ginny said. “Sexy Ginny Potter gets it a lot, but not near as often as some people think.”
“With three children and busy jobs we do very well. I am delighted having to keep up with sexy Ginny Potter,” Harry said.
Thursday afternoon Aunt Marge Dursley showed up, furious that she was not the first notified, announcing her intention of, “Staying with Petunia until Sunday, at least.”
Thursday evening before dinner Belinda asked if she could come over. Everybody was in the kitchen getting ready for supper, and Belinda said to Harry and Ginny, “I don’t know what we are going to do with Aunt Marge. She is every bit as against our world as her brother, but if she sticks with Petunia she will see the whole parade of witches and wizards between 1:00 PM and 2:00 PM, and if she comes over to our house after the burial there will be goblins and elves present. What will we do?”
Harry said, “Memory management.”
Belinda said, “That’s fine after the fact, but do you have any idea how bad she can be in the meantime.”
Harry said, “I was the subject of her attacks for years, Belinda. I think the only person in the Muggle world who hated me more than Vernon was Aunt Marge. What can we do? It’s her brother.”
Belinda gave Harry a very frustrated look and left.
Teddy asked, “What’s a funeral?”
Harry answered, “It’s when someone dies, and everybody gets together to remember them, and then they put them in a grave.”
“Did my mummy and daddy have a funeral?” asked Teddy.
“Yes, Teddy. I was at your mummy and daddy’s funeral,” said Harry. “It was very sad.”
“Who is going to be at this funeral?” asked Teddy.
“All the cousins are going to be there for a little while, but just mummy Ginny and I and our children are going to stay,” said Harry.
“Am I one of your children?” asked Teddy.
“Of course, you are, Teddy!” Harry said. “Do you want to come with us to the funeral?”
Teddy nodded yes. No one said anything for a brief time, and then Teddy said, “I would like to be with you.”
Friday morning Harry had to go to work, but he promised Ginny that he would take the boys shopping for suits in the afternoon.
Harry went to the Ministry for another meeting with Kingsley and couple of top aids. “I’m worried,” said Harry. “I saw an announcement of the funeral in this morning’s Daily Prophet. It included the fact that there was going to be a family by invitation only greeting from 1:00 to 2:00 PM, followed by an open visiting from 2:00 to 4:00 PM. Any dark wizard will be able to plan when they want to appear. The funeral home is in a totally Muggle neighborhood, and I am worried about defending it.”
“There was an obituary in the Muggle press as well,” Kingsley said. “You were listed as one of the survivors, Sir Harry James Potter-Black, O.B.E.”
“Oh great, more notoriety,” Harry said.
“Can we at least put anti-apparition spells around the funeral home and protect the perimeter?” asked Kingsley.
“I was going to ask for four Aurors, and I still will have four on the inside, plus Dobedo, but I would like a couple more on the outside maintaining security,” said Harry.
Kingsley agreed to the plan, and he was going to come to the funeral home as well. If there was any trouble plenty of DMLE witches, wizards, and elves were prepared to apparate to the funeral home.
Ginny told the family that Harry was going to get the boys suits. Fleur was horrified. “Arry does not care how he looks!” said Fleur. “Go with him!”
“What should I wear?” asked Ginny.
“I will go with you,” said Fleur. “We will change the color of one of your dresses.” The rest of the family looked after the children, and Ginny, Lily and Fleur went back to 12 Grimmauld Place, where they found a good dress, modest but with slits for nursing, that they changed to black for the funeral. Lily was going to be wearing a very pretty pink dress.
That afternoon Ginny accompanied Harry and the 3 boys as they shopped for suits. They found 4 matching suits, well almost matching but with some magic they made them all match, black with a very subtle stripe, white shirts, fashionable ties. Friday night Teddy ate dinner with the Potters, and when it was time for the boys to go to bed he slept in his bedroom on “the boys’ floor.”
Arthur Weasley woke up the morning of the funeral, and saw that as usual Molly was also waking up. There was really nothing scheduled until the visiting for Vernon Dursley that afternoon. He reached for his wand and did the quick little spell that gave him and Molly fresh breath, having no idea how delightful that little bit of magic would have been to most Muggle couples, and did a quick shaving spell as well. Because they had time he took off his pajama top and rolled over to lie against Molly, his fantastic, sexy, and still beautiful despite her weight Molly. She had lost a lot of the excess weight the last few years, and was really looking good! As he pulled up her nightgown and ran his hands down her back and over her hips and bum he marveled at how that rounded, feminine shape could still excite him. They opened their mouths and started exchanging the lover’s kisses that had been a stable of their relationship for all those years.
Molly saw Arthur waking up and did the little spell that gave her and Arthur fresh breath. She thought of Petunia Dursley, without a husband to hold her and make love to her, and was immensely glad that she still had Arthur. She saw that he had taken off his pajama top and got a warm feeling; it was going to be a good morning. As he lie against her she could feel him go for her bottom, just the back side for now, and just enjoyed him feeling her.
Molly’s stomach was sort of in the way, but the children had been encouraging her to lose weight, and she had made progress. The breasts were smaller, but she had always been sort of busty, and she still had a nice pair to push against Arthur’s chest, something that felt good and sexy to both of them. She put a hand down into his pajama bottom and felt his bum. She always enjoyed feeling Arthur, and not just the front. His bottom was cute and nice to hold.
Molly relaxed in the safety and comfort of Arthur’s arms.
A short time later she started to pull Arthur’s pajama bottoms off, knowing after years of sleeping together and love-making that he would finish the job. As Arthur took off his bottoms she was removing the night gown. They went back to holding, naked now. Arthur was feeling her femininity, and Molly was feeling his masculinity.
Eventually Molly rolled over on her back. Arthur did a spell for endurance, and Molly did one for enjoyment and one that gave her more of the lubrication that you lost as you got older. All these little care that you took to give your partner the most enjoyment possible.
Arthur was sucking on her breasts. ‘No milk there now,’ thought Molly. It was enjoyable nursing a baby, but when she was nursing and Arthur was, well, she told him there was no reason to stop just because she was nursing. They just needed to be careful when they did it. Right after you nursed and the baby was sleeping was best.
How many of her daughter-in-laws had let their husbands at their breasts when they were nursing? Ginny had; she and Molly had talked about it. Molly was pretty sure all her daughter-in-laws had, except for Audrey. Bodies were fantastic things, if you were not ashamed to enjoy them.
Arthur was gently touching that part of her that got her beyond pleasure.
It was working.
Oh, OH, OH it was REALLY WORKING!
Arthur was sucking on those marvelous breasts, those breasts that nursed all those children, those breasts that were just so enjoyable to touch, especially when he touched her and sucked on her and saw her get more and more turned on. He gently went down to that other part of her that REALLY turned her on.
He waited until he could tell she was way beyond ready, and then.
It seemed to be working. He could tell that she was beyond excitement, and using all the self-control he could muster, plus the spells, he kept at it until Molly’s intense excitement died down. Oh, he had gotten a lot of pleasure out of the sex act, but Molly was beyond enjoyment.
It felt really good to give Molly that kind of pleasure.
They stayed coupled together after.
“I hope Vernon and Petunia enjoyed moments like this,” Arthur said.
“I hope every married couple enjoys moments like this,” Molly said. They were a couple, coupled together in a physical way, but that physical coupling just a symbol of the deeper coupling of the hearts and souls of two people, two people but one marriage, one couple.
Bill looked at Fleur coming out from the Loo. There was a lot magical about a Veela, but she still had to use the loo.
Somehow every time a friend or acquaintance lost a spouse it touched them deeply. The house elves were taking care of the children this morning so they could have a little lie in and just celebrate their marriage in that marvelous physical way that couples were blessed to enjoy.
Fleur was just beautiful! Bill hoped people could see that her mind and heart were just as beautiful as that incredible Veela body. Perfect face, incredible hair, the most winning and loving smile. Two breasts that were, just spectacular. Not small, but not overwhelming large. There was some Veela magic kept them firm, high, and young looking even after three children. Bill had seen Fleur’s Veela grandmother, her breasts, her body, still young looking. Somehow the Veela magic brought her body back to the way it was before children after each pregnancy, not that he would not have loved her, anyway. The tummy, the hips, the legs, everything was as perfect as it could be.
Men who didn’t know focused on the body; that was the least important of the Veela magic. He could smell the perfume, and he knew she has done the magic, the spells, that would increase their pleasure. He had done the spells a man needed to do as well. Veela magic made it easy to love Fleur, but just to love the body was a hollow thing. The bible talked about sex as ‘knowing’ your spouse. It was knowing that Fleur was just as beautiful inside, loving, giving, smart, as outside, that made ‘knowing’ her, loving her, so fantastic.
Bill knew that he would get pleasure out of the sex act, but the thing he never talked about was how much pleasure Fleur got out of their physical coupling. She had told him that it was similar to the pleasure that most women experienced, but maybe an order of magnitude more. There was some magic too, that made her overwhelming pleasure somehow flow back into him, and he could feel at least a little of what she felt, almost as if it were Legilimency.
Bill felt his face. He was really hard to look at, and despite this he was married to one of the most beautiful and sexy women in the world. How did he get so lucky! What a blessing.
Fleur came out of the loo and looked at her fantastic husband. She knew, after talking with the group of Veela that she knew, that it took a patient and loving husband to give her the pleasure she experienced. A couple of her Veela acquaintances had rather brutish husbands, and although they put up with sex, it was hardly loving.
When she was raped she thought her life was ruined, and she could never love a man again, or let a man near her body. But Bill was so patient, so willing to understanding what she was going through.
Some people called her a hero for marrying Bill, despite his scarred face. His face was just a surface thing. He had saved her life, given her a life back again, and here she was married to the most beautiful man inside where it really counted, with three beautiful children.
She would gladly spend the rest of her life trying to give Bill as much pleasure as she could. Love making was just that, a loving sharing of their bodies, and their lives. And when Bill patiently made love to her, used her body in all the ways she taught him, she felt like no words would ever describe her ecstasy, and what made the ecstasy even better was that she could project back into Bill at least a little of it, something that gave both of them great joy.
How did she get so lucky, so blessed?
She hoped that Petunia had experienced at least a little of the type of joy that Bill had given her.
Percy looked at Audrey coming out of the loo, dressed. That was their routine; first one of them would go to the loo so they could dress in private, then the other one. He would get dressed, and they would get the girls up.
Tonight, most Saturday nights except for her monthly period, he would take a shower, put on his pajamas, and go to the bed they shared. He would take the pajamas off under the bed and wait. Audrey would shower, come into the bedroom with her pajamas on, and get into bed. She would take off her pajamas under the covers too.
They would kiss and eventually make love. He tried to be patient, and she had gone from being really uptight to at least somewhat relaxing.
They did love each other. They did kiss and hold each other even when they were not having their weekly encounter. Percy knew that his parents and, he thought, Audrey’s father were glad that they were affectionate. They shared much more, too. He and Audrey were partners, sharing goals, sharing raising their daughters. He thought briefly about the visiting they were going to. He guessed that Petunia was going to miss the kissing, the holding, the physical and mental things you did as a couple.
Audrey’s mother was a case, though. She had voiced her horror at the thought that Audrey was still letting “that man” into her body. No wonder Audrey was so shy about sex. Percy felt sorry for his father-in-law. Audrey’s father had to be living a celibate life, and he could not ever remember Audrey’s mother being affectionate to anyone.
“Cuckoo, Cuckoo, Cuckoo,
Wake up, George, Angelina.”
“Stupid clock,” a groggy George Weasley said.
“CUCKOO, CUCKOO, CUCKOO,
WAKE UP, YOU LAZY WEASLEYS.”
“I hear you! Who charmed you to be so bloody cheerful in the morning?”
“You did, George. ‘Weasley’s Wonderful Wake-up Wonders, the best of an old world Cuckoo Clock with the refreshing wake up calls we custom charm for you. Wake-up calls can be changed for a modest additional fee.’
“You haven’t charmed me off yet, George.
“Cuckoo, Cuckoo, CUCKOO!”
“Off, you blasted clock,” George said as he waved his wand at the Cuckoo Clock.
“Touchy, touchy,” the little bird said as it went back into the clock.
“Good Morning, George,” Angelina said.
“I hate funerals,” George said. “I don’t care if the world is better off without old man Dursley, I still hate funerals. I’m going to be in a grumpy mood all morning!”
Angelina took off her nightgown and stretched out on the bed, spread her legs, showing just about as much of her front as she could.
George laughed. “Damn it’s hard to stay grumpy when your beautiful body is tempting me. You know I’m no good at resisting temptation, not this kind anyway.”
“I’m horny myself, Georgie Porgy, even after last night, but we’re going to have to get up.” She then started singing, “Tonight, tonight, you’re shagging me senseless tonight, and tonight you’re going to sleep bloody exhausted.”
“Damn Muggle Musicals,” a laughing George said as he kissed his wife, and then headed to the loo, in much better spirits.
‘That’s better,’ thought Angelina. ‘I’ve got to stop the moodiness before it gets too bad. Merlin I love that man!”
Hermione thanked Winky, the house elf that was helping her take care of Hugo, and put Hugo on her breast. Ron gladly volunteered to change nappies at night, just like Harry and Bill, but when Ron was sleeping it was easier transforming a pig into a princess than trying to wake him up. So, much to her surprise, but to the delight of the house elves, she had house elf help.
Hermione looked at her small breasts; unlike Fleur and Ginny, who noticeably swelled when they were pregnant, she didn’t think she added more than a millimeter to her modest bust. The same could not be said for her waist and hips; she was just a little heavier and more middle aged motherly. Ron didn’t mind. Everybody talked about her lists, but Ron seemed to be developing a list of things he loved about her, and that list included body parts. Intimate body parts.
Ron was astounded by all the names for sexual parts and positions. He was eager to try them all, and their getting good at everything was, as Ron would say, the best homework assignment ever, except when she got too carried away with learning. If she got too upset, too focused on trying something new, too frustrated to enjoy herself, Ron would jump in with “Sod the new position, sexy wife. This is supposed to be FUN!”
She was so lucky. Tall, lanky, handsome, funny, self-depreciating and not always serious Ron Weasley was perfect for her.
Hermione wondered how Vernon and Petunia did it. He was so big! Maybe woman on top? Could they still do it as he got heavy? Hermione knew that excess weight could interfere with your love life. Maybe Vernon was as unpleasant to Petunia as he was to everybody else.
Ron was waking up. He was looking at her. She slid the nightgown off so he could see the other breast, and waited for him to say, “Bloody beautiful.” She wondered what his next words would be. With Ron you never knew, one of the delights of being married to him.
Ron woke up to the slurping of Hugo nursing. Hugo wasn’t the quietest feeder. Hugo wasn’t much of a quiet anything, unlike his Rose. Hermione was a little reluctant to get pregnant, and then after that first miscarriage she was panicky at the thought that she could not carry a baby. And now they had two, a girl and a boy, and Ron was satisfied.
He saw her slip off the nightgown, showing off her shape. “Bloody beautiful!” Ron knew Hermione would slip off the nightgown and smile that sexy, come hither smile at Ron. Ron knew that Hermione knew what he would say, too.
“How in the world did Vernon and Petunia do it, Hermione? We have done it all sorts of ways, and, when you were in your last months with both Rose and Hugo, the baby sort of got in the way, but he is just way way WAY bigger than you ever were.”
“I have no idea, Ron,” Hermione said, laughing. “I was just thinking the same thing.” As she laughed Hugo let go of her nipple and looked at both parents. Hugo smiled a milky smile, and Ron took Hugo and started to pat him on the back.
“Time to wind you, little boy,” Ron said. “Then back to mum and that what only mum can give you. Meanwhile I can see both of them, and I have to say it’s just a delightful sight.”
“We’ve got time this morning, unlike last night, Ron.”
“If you’ve got the time, I’ve got the equipment,” Ron said.
“Equipment?”
“George says you are ruining me by giving me all these scientific Muggle terms for things. He almost lost his coffee when I said you were in your third trimester with Hugo. ‘She’s got a bun in the oven; she’s in a family way! Trimester, my god Ron she’s ruining you.’”
Hermione laughed. How she loved being married to Ron. You never knew what he would say. Ron and his whole crazy family.
He was a good lover too, not that she had anyone else to compare him too, but he sure made her feel good.
Ron and Hermione both thought, ‘Am I lucky.’
Harry woke up first; he almost always woke up first. After using the loo he went and got Lily Luna. He changed her nappy, which was just a little wet, and smiled at her as she woke up. “Lovely lady Lily Luna, lovely lady Lily Luna,” Harry sang as he brought her to Ginny.
Ginny woke up enough to put Lily on her breast. Harry had time this morning, and there was nothing sexier, or more paternal, than relishing in the sight of his beautiful wife feeding their daughter. Ginny said it was a pleasurable sensation. How did he get so lucky, marrying this fantastic woman? She felt bad because of the damage her Quidditch injuries had caused, but she was still the brave woman he fell in love with at Hogwarts and at the Burrow, that tough girl who would fight through anything.
Harry felt that deep down his image of marriage life, a good married life was Arthur and Molly. He really didn’t mind that Ginny looked more like Molly every day.
Wind the little one, and then back to Mum.
Not Hungry? Sleepy? OK, back to bed.
“Harry?”
“Yes, Love?”
“We have a good hour before we have to get up.”
“I know. What do you want me to do?”
“Finish what Lily started, so I don’t leak all over when we make love, and then pretend that I used the Touch-of-Lust spell and RAVISH me!”
“Sexy Ginny Potter.”
“You’d better believe it! I can still shag,”
“That you can!”
Lying against Ginny, touching her all the places she loved to be touched, Harry hope Petunia and Vernon had at least some happy times early in their marriage. Harry couldn’t remember ever seeing them physically affectionate. Poor Petunia. Poor Dudley, with such poor role models.
How did he get to be so lucky?
As Ginny came down from the intense emotions of another incredible sexual climax, Harry had played with her body, knowing all the ways to excite her. He touched her empty breast, playing with the nipple as it got firm, placing his other hand down between her legs at the spot that was the most sensitive and sensual, and then played with the other nipple with his tongue as milk leaked out, driving her right into a climax, and when she had come down from that emptied the full breast, and then went into her and did ravish her, went at sex with just the right amount of speed and pressure and tenderness, moving against her and bring her into ecstasy over and over, as she rose up to meet him and pressed her body against his. Bodies were the most fantastic thing!
Ginny loved the touch of a mostly naked baby nursing. She loved it when all the children were in bed with Harry and her reading a story, everybody snuggled against everybody. Nothing, however, could compare with making love. The nursing would end, the children would grow up, but she knew her parents were still intimate, still enjoyed each other’s bodies. She could look forward to a lifetime of Harry making love to her.
Despite all her injuries, despite looking way too much like her mum and not the cute little girl Harry had married, despite all of it, Harry was still deeply in love with her, and she with him.
What kind of a love did Petunia have? Ginny didn’t think their last years were happy ones. She hoped that Petunia had some happy memories from early in their marriage to hold on to.
Ginny looked at Harry again, and smiled the most loving smile she could. The reality of being married to Harry Potter was so much better than her childhood dreams, despite her injuries, despite her scars, despite looking like her mum. How did she get so lucky?
Dudley Dursley woke up that morning with a sick feeling in his stomach. All the day before, he had gone to everybody who had known and worked with his father, looking for something nice to say about him.
He got anger.
He got bitterness.
He got scorn.
He had a lot of people saying they were very glad he had not been like his father. Dudley was told that he seemed much happier, and he was sure much nicer.
Harry Potter, who he had abused so much when they were children, Harry Potter and “those people” like him were the best thing that had ever happened to him, and the time they were in hiding and he had to go hungry, had to help find food and keep people safe, that was the first time he had really been happy.
Dudley felt guilty about the bad things he had done to Harry, and grateful that after all that Harry could forgive him and be his friend.
“What’s on your mind, Big D.?” Belinda asked.
Dudley said. “I just don’t know where Harry gets the, gets the just plain GOODNESS to be friends with me after all I did to him when we were growing up.”
“You’ve changed, Dudley,” Belinda said. “I know sometimes it’s hard for you, but you really are trying to be a good person.”
“I am curious to see if Mum will change now that Dad’s dead,” Dudley said. “Aunt Marge, she’ll never change. I’m sorry you have to put up with her.”
“I’m sorry I have to put up with her too, to be perfectly honest. I had to make at least some effort to put up with your father, especially since he was still working at Grunnings. Well, we didn’t feel we could start a family as long as your father was alive.”
“Any time, as far as I’m concerned. And we can have that big magical wedding in California you wanted, and Mum and Aunt Marge can come or stay home for as much as I care.”
“My Mother and I have already talked about a magical welding. And, as soon as I heard your father was dead I threw away the birth control potions.”
“You WHAT?”
“I threw away the birth control potions. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Bloody good show, my big Belinda, wife and friend. Your parents are good grandparents to your brother’s children, and ours will at least have one good set. So when can we start trying?”
“We’ve done a pretty good job of it over the last three days, but of course it will be some time before I know if anything took.”
“I survived being raised by that son-of-a-bitch; I guess I can survive burying him.
“You threw away the birth control potions as soon as you knew he was dead? Bloody good show.”
“I’m sorry, Dudley. I wish I could say that your dad was nicer, but he wasn’t and I’m sorry for you.”
“I love you, B.”
“I love you too, you know it, Dursley.”
Marge Dursley woke up the morning of the funeral mad at just about everybody. Petunia certainly didn’t act like she was going to miss Vernon, and after all he had done for her. Petunia never had to work outside the home. All she had to do was to let Vernon use her the way men used women until she was pregnant with Dudley, and then even that stopped.
When her mum described what men did to you she got sick thinking of it, and she never got over it. Boys wanted to touch your body, to put their lips on yours and their tongue in your mouth and touch all your body parts. If you got married and sometimes even if you were not married they wanted to put that thing into you. It made her sick. She had never put up with any of that. Oh, she’s kissed Dudley and she and Petunia had touched, sort of, but other than that shaking hands was the most she had ever done, and she wasn’t sure she always liked shaking hands.
Potter and that girl he married sure touched enough; it made her sick and mad at the same time. And Dudley, he ought to know better, but he and that Belinda girl were touching each other too. He thought Dudley was probably doing it to her too. MEN.
Dudley was getting thinner too, not nice and plump like Vernon. Not right being thin like manual laborers. Plus Dudley never wore a tie and suit to work. He had a work cloak he put on when he went out into the shop that said “Dudley” on it, not “Mr. Dursley” or even “Dudley Dursley” but just “Dudley” like the hired help. No sense of his position! He actually worked with the machines, got his hands dirty. That was for the help, not for an owner.
Harry Potter and his kind had ruined Dudley. Bunch of lying bastards all of them.
Petunia Dursley woke up the morning of the funeral after a fitful night of sleep. After years of putting up with Vernon’s snoring the quiet in the bedroom woke her up. She knew he was unhealthy, and needed to lose weight. She blamed herself for his death, even though if she tried to fix him healthful meals he yelled at her. He yelled at her a lot. He yelled at everybody. Vernon had not been a happy man.
The only family member representing the Dursley side of the family was Marge, and Harry and his witch wife and those three bratty little children were going to be representing Lily’s side of the family. Petunia couldn’t win. Not even when her husband died. Lily had won again. Petunia was very unhappy, and Marge Dursley was furious. Lily had won, and Marge, who wasn’t any nicer than Vernon, had been mad that, “That boy that your dear husband hated and his hateful little family were going to be there. If you had died Vernon wouldn’t let that trash anywhere near the funeral.”
Dudley had insisted that Harry be there. “If Harry isn’t welcome then Belinda and I won’t feel welcome either. They are my only family, my only cousin and his family, and they are friends besides.” Petunia knew she ought to be friendly with Harry, but she just couldn’t face him after all the horrible things they had done to him. She hated Harry for how guilty he made her feel.
Several neighbors and acquaintances had offered their sympathies on the death of her “loving husband.” One even talked about missing the kissing, the sex.
Petunia had read the women’s magazines about how wonderful sex was supposed to be. It was certainly never that way with Vernon. It felt more like rape, him taking his pleasure and not caring how she felt. After they were married kisses were just a way of saying that he wanted it that night. They had not had sex since she was pregnant with Dudley. He was already getting too fat, and she didn’t miss it. They got separate beds and she was free from him. She wasn’t sure how long it had been since they had kissed, but at least today she felt that the last loving kiss was, maybe on their honeymoon? Maybe, maybe, maybe he was always just using her.
Petunia didn’t know how she was going to say anything to anybody. She sort of knew Vernon knew his drills, and people respected him for that, but Petunia also knew people well enough to know the looks on the faces of people who worked for him when they saw him on the street. Nobody liked him. If people said nice things about him she was going to know they were lying. Dudley had tried to find some charity, some nice things, that Vernon had done to talk about. Dudley couldn’t find anything nice that his father had ever done, anything other than the minimum required.
She was ruined. She had never had any great desire to volunteer for any charity, but any even halfhearted suggestions towards kindness were met with scorn, from Vernon and Marge. No one was going to like her, and it was Vernon’s fault, and Marge Dursley, and Lily and that son of Lily’s.
Some marriage.
And she was supposed to be sorry he was dead, and she didn’t know how she felt.
Or if she felt.
Or if she could ever feel again.
But she was going to have to get dressed, and go through the motions.
And pretend that she and Vernon had been happily married.
Damn.
And it really wasn’t her fault.
Vernon Dursley was dead. He knew he was dead, and he knew he didn’t believe in religion or life after death, or any of that unnatural superstition. He KNEW he was dead, but despite that he didn’t believe it. He saw his body being carried out. He saw Petunia frustrated, upset, and blaming herself, but not really sorry he was dead. She was HIS wife, and it was her DUTY to feel sorry that he was dead.
Dudley and that witch he married were not even pretending to be sorry. It was their DUTY to be sorry. Dudley had NO BUSINESS marrying a witch, and then they never told him that she was a witch. They lied to him. All lies.
Time was all messed up. THEY were showing him stuff, but they were not revealing who they were. It must be a really bad dream, all caused by that Potter, except he KNEW it wasn’t. Stuff like in that horrible Christmas Carol story. He hated that story. Tiny Tim would have been better off dead. Vernon hated all that sentimental claptrap.
Vernon thought he had spent a year looking at times when THEY probably wanted him to be like that stupid Scrooge after he had gone all soft in the head. Vernon was a successful business man because he was never soft. Charity, bah humbug.
We are back at the present. That’s Arthur Weasley! That must be his fat wife. Why are they showing me sex? She’s got big knockers. All that playing around. More female crap. Just get to it? She’s moaning and trying to make a big show of how good it is. Petunia never did that. She just put up with me, but I got rid of my urges, like a man should.
It’s like an X rated movie. Now they are showing me more Weasley. She’s a real looker! Why are they showing me her being raped? What’s the point? Yes, yes, she is making a big show of enjoying it with that Weasley.
My god, there is another Weasley, and he’s doing it to a black. She has a big fat black ass. You would expect one of THAT savage sort to get into sex.
I recognize that Weasley. He is Potter’s friend. He’s watching his wife acting like an animal feeding that kid. We didn’t put up with any of that. Petunia wanted to animal feed Dudley, and so did that female excuse for a doctor, but my family insisted that she use bottles like good modern people do.
Now we are at Potter and that little bimbo he married. Yes, yes, she is curvy, but she’s a little fat too. Petunia always stayed thin. They are a bunch of sex fiends, that’s what they are. She’s not using a modern bottle either.
Why are they showing me and Petunia doing it? I DID NOT RAPE MY WIFE? Just because I didn’t do all that soft stuff that is in those woman’s books? I wanted sex, and I had sex with my wife. There isn’t any need to make a big deal, get all soft and mushy and do all that other stuff first. It wasn’t Petunia’s duty to like it, just to do it. She is MY wife, and if I wanted it her duty was to let me do it to her.
Vernon’s anger was beginning to overwhelm him. If he didn’t change there would be nothing left but rage, and in the eternal scheme of things that rage would turn in on itself and any semblance of a person would disappear.
There were two spirits that were attempting to show Vernon scenes that could make him sorry for at least some of the things he had done. One said to the other, “I remember what Harry Potter said to Tom Riddle, ‘Try for a little remorse.’ Neither Riddle nor Dursley are the least but sorry for how they treated others. It’s really sad.”
Chapter 2: Ch 2 The Attack at the Funeral
Saturday morning Harry and Ginny made sure they were downstairs before breakfast. The boys had a chance to play, rammed around with their brooms for a brief while, and then got cleaned up and dressed in their new suits. Ginny looked at her four men. Harry had put on a few pounds the first year when he was starting to be an Auror, partly making up for loosing weight when they were on the run and partly muscle, but had not put on a pound since. He was still very thin and very good looking, she thought, with a few strands of gray in his messy black hair, giving him a little gravitates to counter his still youthful appearance.Ginny looked at herself. She was about 135 pounds, heavier by 35 pounds than when she was married. She still had a moderately thin waist, sort of back again after her third baby. She was significantly bigger around on top, mostly because she was nursing, but most of the weight was on her hips and on the tummy that looked like she was a woman who had born children. She remembered what she was told when she found out she was pregnant with James; she was never going to look like a teenager again.
They met Dudley and Belinda, Petunia and Aunt Marge, and the two Dunning cousins and their wives for lunch. They were also joined by Belinda’s parents, which was a surprise, and the four Aurors plus Dobedo.
After they arrived Aunt Marge looked at Harry and Ginny and the family critically. “Still a skinny little thing,” she said as she looked at Harry. “Is this your wife? She’s a little thing. How old is he?” pointing to Teddy.
“Teddy is ten,” said Harry.
“Got your little wife pregnant before you were even out of school? Does not surprise me,” said Aunt Marge.
“Teddy Lupin is my god-son,” said Harry. “Both his parents were killed when he was less than a month old, and we have been a big part of his care since.”
Ginny looked at Aunt Marge Dursley and said, “No one made him sleep in a cupboard or wear badly fitting hand me down clothes, like that brother of yours did to SIR Harry Potter, O.B.E”
“Balderdash, all this Lord and honors, bunch of lies,” Marge responded. “Breeding like flies,” she said as she looked at the children.
“Your aunt is every bit as charming as you told me she would be,” said Ginny. “I had no idea she would be this much of a bitch.”
“Don’t you call me a witch!” said Aunt Marge.
“Belinda and her mother are witches. I would not honor you by calling you a witch, I called you a BITCH,” said Ginny.
“Ginny, Aunt Marge, stop it!” said Harry. “You two need to at least be civil to each other. Aunt Marge, be careful getting on Ginny’s bad side. Her brothers were scared of her ability to curse them, and in the Ministry they are scared of her for cursing a witch who tried to make time with me.
“Ginny, behave yourself.”
Both women looked at each other with distain, but at least stopped talking to each other.
All the people sat down for lunch, and Dudley stood up. He and Harry had gone over what he was going to say. “Thank you all for coming,” said Dudley. He then introduced everyone, introducing Harry as ‘Sir Harry Potter, O.B.E.’. After the introductions he said “Grunnings was started by my great grand-father. He had three children, two sons and a daughter. My cousins are the sons of his sons, and my grandfather married Mr. Grunnings’ daughter. Grunnings was passed on to the next generation with one sibling buying out the others. My father followed this pattern and bought out Aunt Marge.
“Neither of my cousins had family that wanted to become part of Grunnings, so we needed to buy them out, and neither dad nor I had anything near enough money. Meanwhile we had a hidden division of Grunnings that was making a lot of money making parts for the Wizarding world. I approached Sir Harry, who has plenty of money, and his management company purchased two-thirds of Grunnings.
“Shortly after that Harry, his brother-in-law and business partner Bill Weasley and I started a company, Dursley, Potter, and Weasley, to make a lot of other parts using magic as well as non-magic technology. I need to tell all of you that because a lot of the people who are going to be coming to our visiting are employees of Dursley, Potter and Weasley.
“Aunt Marge, be nice to Harry. Bill Weasley and I are minority partners, and Harry is the one who owns over half of all the companies.
“Sir Harry O.B.E. is also a hero who has enemies, which is why the four security people are here. The only way into the funeral home is through the front door, and everybody is going to be checked.
“From 1:00 P.M. to 2:00 P.M. Harry’s family and a few other witches and wizards are going to be here. Public visiting starts at 2:00 and about 3:45 Aunt Marge and I will be saying a few words. At about four we will leave for the grave yard, just the people here, except for the cousins who want to go home, and when we are done we will be coming back to our house for a light dinner.”
Petunia did not visibly react when Dudley spoke, but inside her stomach was churning. Dudley was as much as saying that the success of the company, the success of HER son, was as much due to Lily’s son as to HER husband. She was never going to escape Lily.
Aunt Marge looked at Harry when she learned that he owned two-thirds of Grunnings, and if looks could kill Harry would have been dead. As they were getting up from lunch Marge said to Harry, “Is that the gratitude Vernon got from you after he sacrificed all those years taking care of you, no thought of any return. He gave you clothes and food and a place to sleep and what did he get? Nothing! Nothing, but an ungrateful nephew in return.”
Harry looked at Marge and said, “He got seven hundred pounds a month from the first month I was there until I turned eighteen, even when I wasn’t living with them. That is eight thousand four hundred pounds a year, one hundred and forty two thousand eight hundred pounds over the years. I know. I saw the figures. And he deposited the money every month! And what did I get in return. Hand me down clothes, and a closet under the stairs to sleep in. I never had enough to eat. Did he keep the funds separate? Did one farthing of that one hundred and forty two thousand eight hundred pounds ever come back to me?”
Harry glared at Marge, who responded with, “It’s a lie. I don’t believe you.”
“It’s true,” Petunia Dursley said, and she hated Harry even more for letting someone know how much of Harry’s money they had gotten over the years. She wasn’t about to give any of it back. She needed it, and Harry didn’t, and if some of it was Lily’s money Lily owed her that. Here Harry was being magnanimous and she and Vernon looked greedy and Lily had won again.
Dudley said, “Gee, Harry. I didn’t know that. Thank you for everything you’ve done for our family. I’m really glad you are here. Mum, Aunt Marge, you ought to at least thank Harry for not trying to get some of that money back. His family really was generous to us.”
Aunt Marge was just going to ignore the Potter’s generosity. All she cared about was that Dudley was family and Harry was not and she hated Harry and his whole family.
Aunt Marge knew how she wanted everyone to stand. She was going to be first, as Vernon’s sister, then Petunia. Dudley was next, and she was going to have to let that Belinda person stand next to her Dudley. Dudley insisted that Harry and Ginny, Ginny wearing Lily, the boys standing around, stand next to him. The cousins and their wives were not going to be in the formal reception line, but would still be there, at least for some of the visiting, although they did indicate they would probably leave before the very end of the visiting.
The Weasleys’ arrived promptly at 1:00 PM. First in line were Arthur and Molly Weasley. They introduced themselves. Aunt Marge looked at Molly and said, “Strange outfit.” Molly was wearing a nice witches robe. Arthur was wearing what seemed to be a nice Muggle suit, although it did not hang quite right on him. Aunt Marge just gave Arthur a disdainful look.
Arthur and Molly were holding hands as they approached Petunia. Molly said, “We are sorry for you that Vernon has passed away.”
‘Sorry for me,’ thought Petunia. ‘Not sorry for Harry. I can’t escape being judged by this awful’ looking at Arthur’s suit ‘lower class bunch of people.’
Molly gave Dudley and Belinda a big hug, and Petunia could see the physical signs of affection being exchanged between the couples. It struck her as both lower class and … she wanted to be touched and she hated being touched. She did not like how this visiting was starting out.
Bill, Fleur and their children were next, Victoria, eight, Dominique, six, and Louis, four. Bill had a really sharp looking dark blue suit on that he wore when meeting with Muggle bankers and business men. He still had an earring (although one of his less flashy one) and the suit was moderately flashy. Fleur was wearing one of her more modest white dresses, so she only looked spectacular, as did the girls. Louis was one of the most handsome four year olds you could ever see, with beautiful blond hair and a face that reminded Harry and Ginny just how much Bill lost when his face was shredded.
Marge took one look at Bill and said, “What happened to you?”
“My face was shredded by a wolf,” said Bill.
“He was protecting uzzer people,” said Fleur, a slight French accent still audible. “He is a hero!”
“Married a foreigner. English girls not good enough for you?” said Marge, giving Fleur a disdainful look. “Looks like a slut to me.”
Bill briefly looked shocked, then he stated, said, “Harry warned me about you, but I had no idea.”
“I see you are raising your girls to be the same type of woman,” said Marge with the same look on her face.
“I would hope they would be as nice as their mother, and excellent students like their mother, who was first in her class at school,” said Bill.
Fleur swept her children around Aunt Marge with the kind of distain that you would expect from a noble French woman, Fleur went directly to Petunia, introducing herself. “I am Fleur Weasley. My husband is partners with your son Dudley and with Harry Potter, and we enjoy working with Dudley and Belinda. You are very lucky with your son and daughter-in-law.”
Petunia just nodded, but did not make any motion to hug Fleur or shake her hand. Fleur lingered just the proper amount of time, and then went to express her condolences to Dudley and Belinda.
Bill just said, “Bill Weasley, Mrs. Dursley.” When he didn’t get an answer he just went on to Dudley and Belinda.
Percy, Audrey and their girls were next, all dressed in their finest wizard robes. Aunt Marge just kind of looked at their outfits in distain.
Charlie was next. Marge asked “What kind of an outfit is that?” looking at Charlie’s dragon skin clothes.
“Dragon skin,” said Charlie. “I’m a dragon keeper.”
“Don’t lie to me,” said Aunt Marge.
“Delightful woman” said Charlie to no one in particular.
Next in line were George and Angelina and their two children, Fred, nine, and Roxanne, seven. They were dressed in WWW outfits; the family had come from the shop and was going back after the visit.
“What kind of an outfit is that?” asked Aunt Marge.
“Always better to be noticed than ignored,” said George. “Uniforms for the store, letting everybody know who we are. George Weasley, proprietor of Weasley’s Wizarding Wheezes, my lovely wife Angelina, and our delightful children Fred and Roxanne, who are also good sales people I might add.”
“My god she’s black!” said Aunt Marge.
“Black and beautiful!” said George. “She’s not a pasty little floozy; she’s my beautiful black …”
“George!” said Angelina to George, then, “Sorry about your brother,” to Aunt Marge. Aunt Marge looked another way and refused to touch Angelina.
As Angelina maneuvered the children around Marge to Petunia George said to Marge, “That woman is the best wife, mother, and business partner I could ever have! Prejudice bastard!”
Petunia wasn’t shaking anyone’s hand or holding anyone. At least she acknowledged Angelina, not being any ruder to her than to anyone else.
Finally Ron and Hermione appeared. Ron was leading Rose, holding her hand, and Hermione was carrying Hugo. Hermione’s mother Jean Granger was with them. They were dressed in very appropriate Muggle clothes. Ron let Hermione take the lead, and she said, “Our sympathies at the death of your brother.”
Arthur and Molly were sitting down, and most of the grandchildren were around them. Rose said something to Ron and then sort of ran over to her cousins. Other than the Potters only the two babies and Teddy were not with Grandma and Grandpa.
Aunt Marge asked Hermione “Is this all one family?”
Hermione said, “Harry’s wife Ginny, her brothers and their wives, and all the grandchildren, all one big and I have to say happy family.”
“That riff-raff my brother hated, having lots of nasty little brats, and you pay your respects to my poor brother by bringing all of them here to bother us,” Marge said.
“Your brother was the one who kept Sir Harry James Potter-Black, holder of the Victoria Cross, locked in a closed under the stairs,” Hermione hissed.
There was a little “wah-wah” from the front of Hermione, and she looked at Hugo and saw the mouth motions that indicated he was hungry.
“Hungry, time to nurse?” Hermione asked.
“WAH-Wah-WAH” said a suddenly very wiggly Hugo.
“Excuse me, this one won’t wait,” Hermione said as she went over to where the rest of the family was sitting, quickly opened the slot in her dress and let Hugo latch on. When Hugo was hungry he would wind up quickly unless he got his food right away.
Ron looked at Hermione, who indicated that he should continue down the line, so he paid his respects to Petunia, leaving Jean Granger standing there. Ginny went over to sit next to Hermione. When she heard Hugo Lily decided she wanted to nurse too.
Jean told Petunia, “I lost my husband just a few years ago. I am very sorry for your loss. It’s a very hard adjustment.”
Petunia looked right at Belinda and said, “Ever since my Dudley married that witch I almost never see him. I never get to see him alone. She’s stolen my son. Now I don’t have a husband or a son.”
Marge said, “Vernon was never like that. He and I used to visit our parents alone. Once Petunia had Dudley she went along some of the time, but Vernon never felt he had to take Petunia along, and she never complained.”
Petunia looked like she was not all that happy with what Marge said, but she didn’t say anything.
Marge looked at the two mothers nursing their children. “Dudley was never fed by that primitive way savages were fed. He was always fed with a modern bottle. He was never as skinny as those poor babies either. I guess that riff-raff just doesn’t use modern healthy ways of feeding babies.”
Jean jumped in with, “For at least two generations the medical establishment has agreed that breast feeding is by far the best way to feed babies. I am surprised that Petunia’s doctors didn’t advise her to nurse.” Jean looked right at Petunia when she said this.
Petunia quietly said, “They did, but everyone in the Dursley family was against it. When we went over to see the grandparents grandma Dursley insisted on feeding Dudley like I wasn’t good enough.”
Marge looked at Jean and said, “You primitive people have your primitive ways, but us modern people know better.”
Jean indignantly said, “My husband and I were dentists, he an oral surgeon, and we were always up to date with the latest medical advances. I still get two medical journals. DON’T YOU TELL ME I DON’T KNOW WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT?”
Marge was having none of it. “They are EXPOSING THEIR BODIES. It’s not proper. It’s not ladylike.”
Jean replied, “It’s the most natural thing in the world!”
Marge said, “If you are a proper British Lady you don’t put up with any more of that animal stuff than necessary to have children, and you sure don’t do it after you have a child.”
“Have you ever been married?” Jean asked.
“I’ve never let a man violate my body,” Marge said. “I know that Petunia and my brother eventually saw the light and got separate beds.”
“Thank you for coming, Mrs. Granger,” Dudley said, and then quieter said to her, “See why Belinda and I don’t visit Aunt Marge more often. Even Mum’s not really accepting of Belinda.”
“My sympathies to you both,” Jean said.
Harry was standing next to Dudley and Belinda, and he heard the entire conversation.
Following this several other magical families came to pay their respects. About one forty five all the people who were there left, and the group waited for the bulk of the people to show up.
The first hour and fifteen minutes of the open visiting went well. Aunt Marge was as insulting as ever, and many people indicated to Harry that Marge and Vernon seemed to have been cut out of the same cloth.
One of the early visitors was an old man who recognized Aunt Marge. “I’m sorry about your brother, Miss Dursley,” he said as Ginny listened.
“His brilliance supported you and your whole family,” Aunt Marge said. “I hope Grunnings survives his tragic death.”
“Grunnings is surviving, actually doing better than ever,” the elderly man said, “but the real money is in Dursley, Potter and Weasley. Sir Harry Potter is the best thing that ever happened to Dudley, with his investment and brilliant advisors and helpers. How well do you know Sir Harry Potter-Black? He is something of a legion around DPW, even though we don’t see all that much of him.”
“Who?” asked a confused Aunt Marge.
“Harry, Sir Harry Potter-Black? I know he grew up with Dudley. Was he that brilliant as a child?”
“There was nothing brilliant about him as a child,” Aunt Marge said sullenly. “It must all be due to other people.”
“He does have excellent advisors,” the man said. “Did you meet Bill Weasley and his beautiful wife Fleur?”
“Who?”
“Horrible scared face, the most beautiful wife you’ve ever seen. She’s brilliant in finance and runs the Harry and Ginny Potter charities as well.”
“That floozy?”
“She’s no floozy. She’s a brilliant financial mind, one of the smartest people I’ve ever met, she and her husband.”
“Balderdash,” Marge replied. “I don’t believe all this Sir Harry bosh. It’s All Lies.”
The old man left Marge and went down the row of people expressing his condolences.
At very close to 3:15 the All Auror Alert sounded. Harry pulled out the map he had made of the area. Just outside the door there were a large number of both Aurors and dark wizards, and from the symbols on the map he could see a huge number were rapidly becoming injured. The four Aurors that had been inside immediately went outside to help, along with Dobedo.
Suddenly about fifteen of the Dark Witches and Wizards came pouring in through the door to the room where the Potter and Dursley families were.
Harry and Ginny both tried to put up shields, and then Harry tried to disarm what he could see was a dangerous and close witch who was pointing a gun at him. Harry disarmed the witch just as he felt a bullet hit him.
Chapter 3: Ch 3, Albus's First Battle
Author's Notes: Thanks to FriendofMolly for help with the last chapter and this one. Her title is better than my “Albus, What did you Do?”
Harry felt the bullet hit his magical Kevlar vest. It HURT. He was going to have a bruise, that was certain.
Harry saw that Belinda had won a duel with one more of the fifteen attackers before noticing that the rest of the witches and wizards were confused, all without wands. Harry did a quick binding spell on all fifteen of the enemy that had gotten inside.
Harry took a quick look at his map. There were a large number of Aurors and several house elves outside, and the situation seemed to be under control.
Ginny was healing one person in the room with Sectumsempra cuts.
Outside the door the wizards confronted at least thirty dark witches and wizards. Fifteen disappeared inside the building. Just after they did the defenders heard "Crack, Whack, Crack, Whack, Crack, Crack, Crack, Whack, Whack, Whack, Crack, Crack, Crack, Whack, Whack, Whack, Crack, Crack, Crack, Whack, Whack, Whack."
Meanwhile Aurors and the dark witches and wizards were throwing spells. In a couple of minutes everything was over. About a dozen witches or wizards had tried to throw the killing curse, and first Dobedo and then two other elves had brutally severed wizards' legs and taken their wands in a blinding attack, leaving nine without a leg and one without either leg. Meanwhile, because one of the wizards was using the Sectumsempra curse and not throwing an unforgivable curse, the elves had not taken him out. He had cursed eight Aurors and four other people who had just come to pay their respects, giving especially nasty cuts. Finally two of the Aurors had taken him out, and the large number of other Aurors had finished securing and Disarmed the other dark witches and wizards. Kingsley Shacklebolt was one of the injured, although he was also one of the two wizards who had taken out the wizard throwing the Sectumsempra cuts.
Fawkes had appeared as soon as the attack was over, and he was some help in healing wounds, but he was no use in healing Sectumsempra cuts.
By the time Harry got outside everything was over. Harry had the Aurors modify the memories of any Muggle standing around, and made sure all the wounded were transported to St. Mungo’s as soon as possible. Ginny came outside to start to cure Sectumsempra cuts, but she was pretty rusty from not practicing the spells for years. Harry called Hermione and Sidney Stanford and asked them to go to St. Mungo’s to heal the Sectumsempra cuts, since both of them had practiced recently.
Harry went back inside to see what had happened. All fifteen of the attackers were still bound. Harry had two wands. He looked around for the other wands. As he did he saw that one of the attackers was dead.
“I countered an Avada Kedavra curse, and it must have backfired and killed her,” Belinda said.
“My sympathies,” Harry said. “You didn’t have a choice, but killing is not something most people are proud of, even if it was just a curse that backfired."
“There will be loads of paperwork to fill out, especially when a death is involved."
“Where are the other thirteen wands? Who disarmed these witches and wizards?” asked Harry.
Over in a corner, behind a chair, Albus peered out.
“Where are the rest of the wands?” Harry asked again.
Albus toddled out from behind the chair and dumped thirteen wands at his feet.
Harry walked over to Albus and sat down so his face was even with his son’s. “How did you get these?” Harry gently asked.
“I take wands,” Albus said, looking straight at his father. “They going HURT people. I hide and take wands.”
By this time Teddy and James were standing next to Harry.
“You hid?” James said. “You so are sneaky. You are going to be in Slytherin for sure.”
“AM NOT,” Albus said.
“How did you take the wands?” asked Harry.
Albus held out his hand. A wand levitated from the floor, flew to the other end of the room, then back to the pile on the floor again.
“I take wands real fast! I is real scared!” Albus said.
About this time several people rushed into the room, including Ginny, Kingsley who was limping but not bleeding, a couple of Aurors, and two witches from the Department for the Control of Underage Magic.
“How did you capture fifteen of these?” Kingsley asked. “Who was here to fight?”
“Belinda, Ginny and me, and the children,” Harry said. “It helped that thirteen of the fifteen were disarmed within a minute or so of getting in.”
“Whoever did that deserved an Order of Merlin, that’s for sure!” Kingsley exclaimed.
“I have to?” asked Al, looking for all the world like he was terrified he was going to be punished. “Is it a bad thing? I is scared.”
“Do you have to what?” asked Harry.
“Order Merlin, is bad for doing magic I is not supposed to do?” asked a very concerned Albus.
“You took thirteen wands?” Kingsley Shacklebolt, Ginny and the two people from The Department for the Control of Underage Magic said at the same time.
“I sorry,” Albus said.
“I’m not the least bit sorry, Albus!” Harry exclaimed. “You probably saved all of our lives!”
“From being dead?” asked Albus.
“From being dead,” Harry said.
“But he’s underage!” one of the witches from the Department for the Control of Underage Magic, Ursula Umbridge, said.
Ginny exploded with, “AND I SUPPOSE YOU WOULD RATHER HAVE SEEN IN THE PROPHET ‘POTTER FAMILY KILLED, BUT AT LEAST NO UNDERAGE MAGIC WAS USED! GET OUT OF HERE. YOU ARE NOT WELCOME AT MY HOUSE AND YOU ARE NOT WELCOME HERE. GO! GO!”
Ursula said, “I know Albus has been doing underage magic since he was born. He was just too young to correct. IT HAS TO STOP!”
“WE WOULD HAVE BEEN KILLED IF ALBUS HADN’T SUMMONED THOSE WANDS!” Ginny yelled as she waved her wand inches from Ursula’s nose.
Kingsley turned to the two witches from the Department for the Control of Underage Magic, and said, “It is probably best if you go. This is hardly a case for your department.”
Two fuming witches went back to the Ministry.
Ginny started to pace, trying to control her anger, Mitzi frantically trying to keep her from falling. Everybody gave Ginny plenty of room.
“You disarmed thirteen wizards?” Kingsley asked Albus.
“Not arms, just wands,” Albus said. “Just wands,” pointing to the thirteen wands at his feet.
Only fifteen minutes had transpired between the start of the attack and the bulk of the witches and wizards clearing the scene. Kingsley and the Aurors took all the captured witches and wizards, and at about 3:40 visiting commenced as if nothing had happened. It took the better part of the next week to heal the Muggle with the worst Sectumsempra cut, and get an explanation for why she had this nasty looking scar on her arm.
Harry stayed with the boys at the funeral home, not in line but aside for the rest of the hour talking with his staff. Teddy and James stepped up and stood in line where Harry had been, letting everybody know that Harry was busy with important business but that they, his godson and oldest son, were standing in line for him. Teddy was almost old enough to carry it off, and James was always proud to be Harry Potter’s oldest son, and all things considering they did a good job. Many people remarked on how cute they were. Albus stayed by Harry’s side, quietly listening to everything going on.
In all the confusion 3:45 PM passed and before they knew it 4:00 PM had arrived. Dudley said to Harry quietly, “I would just as soon not say anything,” and Harry and Dudley arranged for everyone but the immediate family to be escorted out.
Once all non-family had left, Harry took Dudley aside. “Dudley, I understand not being able to find words to say about your dad. Just remember he gave you life; be thankful for that and that if you do everything opposite that he did, you’ll be a good man, awesome husband, and loving father.” Dudley looked at Harry, smiled and just nodded. They looked at each other, and then the cousins hugged.
It was just after 4:00 PM when Ginny, Lily and an Auror escort arrived back at the funeral home. The family plus two Auror escorts got into Harry’s car and joined the half hour drive to the grave site, in line with the other cars and the vehicle carrying the body.
Ginny said to Harry after they were in the car, “We did not lose anyone, but I am very glad you had Sidney, Hermione and I go to St. Mungo’s. They needed all of us. The wizard who caused the cuts modified the spell so they are especially nasty and hard-to-heal cuts, and they will leave scars. Everyone will have scars, some real nasty ones. At least I understand they caught the wizard who caused them.”
Harry said, “France and areas surrounding France have had a continual problem with this wizard, and they are glad he is caught. The wizards came from all over Europe, so the number of wizards that dark must not be that large. We hope we have a significant number of them.
“Dobedo and the other two house elf Aurors have been practicing defending against the Avada Kedavra curse, and with a lot of both practice and some magic, they have it so if more than one witch or wizard is trying to use it all of them appear at the same place, and as soon as the spell is started they appear next to a leg and whack it real hard. It is more than practice, although there is a lot of that. From what I understand none of the witches or wizards even finished the first word of the Avada Kedavra curse before they were down.”
“I’m still shaking, Harry,” said Ginny. “I hoped we were through fighting dark wizards.”
“It’s been years since we have had an attack, but I’m glad I was worried and had extra security,” said Harry. “We are never going to be totally free of bad people. Albus, you really did save lives when you took those wands.”
“Did the Aurors help save our lives too?” asked Teddy.
“Yes they did, and some of them got hurt,” said Harry. “It’s dangerous being an Auror, but it is a job that needs to be done.”
“I’m going to be a brave Auror, just like you and my mum, when I grow up,” said Teddy.
“I’m going to play Quidditch and be famous,” said James. “What are you going to be, Al? With a middle name like Severus you will probably be in Slytherin, cause you’re sneaky.”
“Will not,” said Al. “Want be good and brave.”
One of the Auror escorts drove, and Harry spent about half the drive conferring with people working on the attack.
In the end no one said anything over Vernon when he was lowered into the ground. Teddy asked if that was what they did to his parents, and Harry said not in exactly the same way, but yes, his parents’ bodies were placed in caskets and buried in the ground.
Everybody then went back to Dudley and Belinda’s place, where there were several house elves serving people but other house elves and goblins attending the little gathering. Harry parked his car in the garage and the family went over to the party from their house because it was in the same block. Harry had been told that there was really nothing he could add to the investigation right then, but they did want him in the office the next morning.
.
Aunt Marge and Petunia were in a corner of the living room. The floor had been changed so it was all a big living room, with no dining room. A house elf came up to them and said, “Sorry Mr. Dursley, Dudley’s father, dead. Dudley is good boss human, gives us moneys not just work.”
Petunia didn’t say anything, although with her gestures she acknowledged the little creature.
Marge said, “What kind of an ugly creature are you?”
The elf looked at Petunia, who said, “He is an elf.”
Marge said, “PETUNIA, you cannot believe in all that balderdash, elves and goblins and wizards. Vernon would have none of that, and I won’t either. He’s a dwarf, an ugly human being but a human.”
Petunia saw food and drinks being levitated and rather obvious magic all around, but apparently Marge saw none of it.
Early on Dudley got up and said, “We did not have anything religious, because of my father’s beliefs, or lack of believing in anything. However, since we are at our house and not at a funeral home or in public, I would like Fr. Jack Lewis to say a brief prayer.
Fr. Lewis started, “Lord, we thank you for this food and hospitality. Please …”
Before Fr. Lewis could get any further Marge yelled, “STOP THIS SUPERSTISIOUS NONSENSE! DURSLEY’S DON’T BELIEVE IN THIS CRAP!”
Several wands were waved in Marge’s direction, and her yelling died within inches of her mouth.
“Stop this praying crap!” Marge said to Petunia, who was the only one who could still hear Marge.
“Why?” asked Petunia. “I went to church with my mum and dad.”
For the rest of her time at Fifteen Grimmauld Place Marge was haranguing Petunia about Dudley and how she had failed to educate him and how dumb it was if he was going to church.
One person after another complimented Dudley and Harry, saying how much better the company was running and how they could see Vernon was getting less healthy. A number of people said the same thing to Petunia or Marge, which both women took as attacks on themselves.
As quickly as he could Harry took both women back to Petunia’s place. Petunia did make an effort to tell Harry they should have treated him better, but this caused another huge argument between Petunia and Marge.
After Harry left with Petunia and Marge, Dudley announced that they were going to be having a proper magical wedding in California.
The next morning the headline in the Daily Prophet read ‘ATTACK AT POTTER FAMILY FUNERAL. Little Albus Severus Potter saves his family.'
The story of a little boy with so much magical power that he could summon thirteen wands spread quickly throughout the magical world. All the older cousins were very aware of the stories, and they said just enough while James was around to make him even more jealous of Albus.
There was no way to deny the story, because it was true. The Potters and everybody close to them just didn’t say anything more about the attack or Albus, and eventually the public furor died down.
Harry did find out which Auror told the story to the Prophet. She and all the Aurors were reminded to keep any details about the personal lives of any of the Ministry officials, especially the Potter and Weasley families, private.
That afternoon Harry and his staff met. Joey Middy said, “Harry, they were after Albus. No wonder he was scared.”
“They were after Albus?” Harry asked.
“Dennis Creevey said, “Three of the attackers could pick out Albus from a group of photographs, and they had been given instructions to kill him. One of them said some ‘King of the Dementors’ character was behind it.”
Joey said, “I found out that several of the attackers had been in prisons guarded by Dementors. In looking at their histories it seems that every one of the attackers was at one time or another in a prison guarded by Dementors.”
Harry instructed not to tell anyone that the attack was aimed at Albus. He didn’t want to give any dark wizards any ideas.
Later on that week Kingsley had Harry come into his office. Harry was surprised to find Carrow and Warwick Croaker in the office.
Kingsley said, “The Croaker brothers are in the Department of Mysteries. There is a certain amount of mystery surrounding the Order of Merlin. It has to be voted on by the Wizengamot, but it also has to be confirmed by the Department of Mysteries. The Order can be confirmed first in the Department of Mysteries, and then the Wizengamot just votes to award it.
“Albus’s name has appeared as a candidate for awarding the Order of Merlin. We do not think it is proper to give such a young child the order, despite what he did at The Battle of the Funeral. However, if he ever does get awarded The Order of Merlin for something else, his actions at The Battle will show up, and any new Order will be his second.
“We are asking that you agree with our decision, and to keep this secret.”
Harry asked, “Can you disagree with the Department of Mysteries?”
Carrow said, “Sometimes, but not in this.”
Harry said, “I will tell Ginny, but no one else.”
Warwick said, “Thank you. This is a most unusual situation.”
Harry did tell Ginny, and they both pondered what this might mean. Albus was an unusual child.
It was a week after the Battle at the Funeral, as the Aurors were calling it. Harry had gathered all the Aurors together, along with a substantial part of the rest of the DMLE, and they were going over what had happened. Hermione and Angelina were also there.
“One of our Aurors was hit by a bullet,” Harry said. “Would the magical Kevlar Armor have prevented his injury? It kept me from getting more than a bad bruise.”
Angelina said, “Of course, the armor would have prevented more than a bruise.”
“Was everyone using their armor?” asked Harry.
There was an uncomfortable silence around the room.
“Raise your hand if you wore your armor,” Harry said. Most of the Aurors raised their hands, but just over half of the other people in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement did. Kingsley did not raise his hand.
“Do we know what spells were cast?” asked Harry.
There was a fairly exhaustive list of spells thrown. Finally Harry asked “How many of these spells would have been deflected by the armor?”
Hermione and Ron were the experts on the Armor, as well as Seamus Finnigan and Angelina Weasley from WWW. All three said that most of the spells including the Sectumsempra spell would have been either shielded or at least reduced if the Aurors had been wearing the armor. Seamus said that they were still working on improving the armor. Harry talked to Arthur and Kingsley, and they immediately issued an order that everyone in the DMLE would be issued magical Kevlar Armor and that anytime they were going to arrest or protect anyone they would be wearing armor. “I am certainly going to do what I am ordering you to do,” said Harry. “From now on my armor is going to be going home with me, and when I am in the office or out my armor will be on.”
Kingsley Shacklebolt announced that in the future he would have armor on under his robes or as part of the Muggle clothes he would be wearing.
There was then some discussion on how they were going to implement a Magical/Muggle radio system like some of the police and army units used. This was more of a work in progress, but they were making progress on it.
After everybody else was gone Harry, Hermione, Ron and Angelina had a meeting. Ron said, “Harry, we need to keep George away from supplying Auror equipment.”
“Why?” asked Harry.
“He likes fun and jokes too much,” said Angelina. “He is a lot of fun to be around, but when you need to be totally serious he can be infuriating, very hard to keep on track.”
“What do you suggest?” asked Harry.
“We want to start another company,” said Ron. “We want it owned by and run by Angelina. I am going to become a partner, if it is OK with you, and I want to be a part time Auror so I can spend a lot of time on this. I am not going to work at WWW except maybe a little on a couple of the busiest days of the years. I’m still going to watch the profit margins, though! We have talked to Bill and we all agree that because of who you are it is probably best if you do not have any of the ownership. Actually Hermione and I are going to both be owners so she can work on spells.”
“That makes sense to me,” said Harry. “What does George say about it?”
Angelina said, “He told me, ‘I don’t really like serious stuff anyway’ when we proposed it. I think he is OK with it. We will keep both operations at the same place, with my store in a hidden area that you can only get into when you show that you are an Auror or someone else authorized by a legitimate Ministry of Magic.”
“What are you going to call it?” asked Harry.
“Angelina’s Angel Armor,” said Hermione. “We intend to do a lot more than the armor. Who owns the bulldozer?”
“Granger and Grunt,” said Harry. “They use the bulldozer for normal construction. It’s only been used for getting into areas guarded by hard to penetrate wards a couple of times. Forget the bulldozer.”
Chapter 4: CH 4 Celebrations Big and Small, 2008-2009
Author's Notes: I want to thank my Beta for the chapter title, as well as her valuable help with Christmas.
Christmas morning, about 6:30 AM, Harry Potter heard the wail that announced that Lily wanted to eat. There was nothing tentative about Lily. She woke up hungry, and usually was very vocal from the time she woke up until she was on Ginny’s breast, not always crying but always loud. Ginny said there was nothing tentative about her nursing either. She grabbed on and nursed like she needed to get as much milk out as quickly as possible. 6:45 Harry was just about back to sleep when two little heads popped into their room. “Is it seven yet?” asked James?
“What does the clock say?” asked Harry pointing to a digital clock next to his side of the bed.
“Six Four Six,” said James. “Is that close to Seven Zero Zero? Can we wait with you?”
“Come on up,” said Harry as he let the two little boys clamber up into the bed, putting one on each side of him. “Love you, boys. Snuggle in.” Al began to snuggle into Harry’s side on the outside of the bed, but James was almost jumping up and down on the inside, bothering Ginny and attracting the attention of Lily. “Switch places, boys,” said Harry as he put Al next to him in the middle of the bed and moved James over to the outside of the bed where he could watch the digital clock and bounce without disturbing anyone but Harry.
“Six Five One,” James said rather loudly.
“Quiet,” said Harry in a hushed voice. “We need to be very quiet until seven in the morning.”
About this time there was a little wail from Lily. “I have another one, you little piranha,” said Ginny, as she moved a temporarily panicky Lily to her other breast. “You don’t need to try and suck my insides out. Have a little patience.” From the sucking noises coming from Lily it was obvious that Ginny’s entreaties had fallen on deaf ears. Harry had the biggest smile on his face.
“I love you, Ginny,” said Harry. “I’d give you a kiss but I’ve an obstacle in my way,” pointing to Albus, who was snuggling into Harry’s side quite content.
“There is another obstacle in the way as well,” said Ginny as she pointed to Lily, who was on the breast closest to Harry and was both sucking hard and looking around.
“Six five three,” announced James.
“Teddy is supposed to be here about seven,” said Harry. “As soon as we hear Teddy we can get up.”
“We have to wait for Teddy?” asked James.
“I’m sure he will be here quickly,” said Harry.
“Six five four,” said James. “Make it go quicker, daddy.”
“I cannot make it go faster, James,” said Harry.
“Why?” asked James.
“There is no way to make time go any faster,” said Harry.
“Why?” asked James.
“I like it when you hug me James. Do you want it to go faster?” asked Harry.
“I want Christmas to come. I want Teddy to come so we can open presents,” said James. “It’s boring waiting here.” … “Six five five.” James wiggled and squirmed, wiggled and squirmed some more, the there was a big sigh, he wiggled and squirmed some more, heaved another big sigh again wiggled and squirmed. Another big sigh erupted from the excited little boy. James finally announced, “BORING, BORING, BORING.”
Harry took his wand and made a duplicate of the display of the map of the house, so he could see when Teddy arrived. Just about this time Lily was done nursing and started make noise. Ginny laid her down on the bed and she wiggled over to Al and started to wave her hands at Al. Al grabbed her hands and wiggled them, gave Lily a little kiss. Lily said something like, “Ah da da ah ah fweet,” as she dribbled milk out her mouth and onto Al and the bed. Ginny buttoned the top of her night clothes, leaned over and kissed Harry who was surrounded by the three children.
“Six five seven,” announced James.
“Go to the loo, boys,” said Harry. James and Al ran to the bathroom. James climbed up onto the large loo, and Al sat on the little potty chair.
“Wash your hands, boys,” said Harry. The boys washed their hands and came running out of the bathroom. James looked at the clock and said “Six five nine!” Harry saw the sign on the map that said Teddy had come through the floo down in the kitchen, and saw him running up the stairs. Everybody heard Teddy as he came flying up the stairs to the level of the master bedroom and nursery, then run up the next set of stairs. They heard one door slam shut, then another, as Harry saw on the map Teddy opening first James door and then Al’s door. Down the stairs came Teddy, and he came flying into Harry and Ginny’s bedroom, out of breath and panting.
“Here you are,” said Teddy, panting hard.
“Ah da da ah ah fweet fweet fweet,” said Lily waving her hands and feet, trying hard to get into the conversation.
“Seven zero one!” said James. “Time to wake up!”
“Like anybody has been able to sleep,” said Harry, laughing.
“Time for Christmas!” said James excitedly.
You could see Albus count on his fingers, concentrating real hard. “Been Christmas seven hours,” said Albus, who was rather literal about things.
“You know what I mean, Al, time to get up and go downstairs and open presents. Come on! Time to get up!” said James.
Harry and Ginny both got up and put on bath robes. “Take Lily,” said Ginny as she headed to the loo. So Harry tromped down stairs surrounded by the three boys, Lily in his arms.
In the middle of the drawing room was the doll house that Ginny had received from her brothers, the one that had replaced the one destroyed when the old Burrow had been destroyed around the time of the Battle of Hogwarts. There was also a fireplace against one wall, part of the always changing arrangement of furniture that allowed the room to be changed to suit the needs of the Potters, with stockings on the fireplace. The room really was magical the way it could be changed to do so many things so well. Once Harry was down stairs he pointed his wand at the fireplace and a nice fire was burning in it.
The boys immediately got into their stockings, and when Ginny came down, not in her night clothes but dressed, they opened presents. Finally Ginny showed the boys some little dolls. “There have been Harry and Ginny Potter dolls for years,” said Ginny, “but this year we were asked if they could make a Potter family doll set, and we allowed them to make it.” There was a set with 6 dolls, Harry Potter, Ginny Potter, Teddy Lupin, James Potter, Albus Potter and Lily Potter, all sized for the doll house.
After all the presents were opened the family sat down for breakfast. Harry said, “I want all of us to give thanks for something.” He then said, “Lord, I want to give thanks for my family, for Ginny and all the Weasley family, and how I feel so much part of a large and loving family, and for my children Teddy Lupin, James Sirius, Albus Severus, and Lily Luna. Mum and dad, Grandma and Grandpa Potter, I am so sorry you cannot be here to see these fantastic grandchildren, but I will always be thankful that you sacrificed to save me.”
Ginny said, “Thank you for this family. Thank you for sending Harry back to me from the dead. We are so lucky. And thank you that I recovered from getting hit by that bludger. I may have lost Quidditch, but I got so much more in return.”
Teddy Lupin had one of two sets of the Potter Family dolls, and said, “Thank you, Lord, for giving me a family, a mum and dad, when mine were killed. Help me take care of Grandmum Tonks. Mummy and daddy Lupin, see,” showing the doll set, “I may be part of the Potter family, but I will never forget that you are my real mummy and daddy, and that I am Teddy Lupin. Thank you that I was born.”
Teddy then looked at Harry and Ginny and said, “I think it’s real important for my mum and dad that I’m Teddy Lupin. Thank you for not making me Teddy Potter. I love you, mum and dad, but I need to love mum and dad Lupin too, don’t I.”
“Your mum and dad were good people, just the best,” Harry said. “I am sure they still love you, and are very happy you are growing up to be such a fine young man.”
Harry then turned to James and said, “Your turn to give thanks, James.”
James said, “Thank you for mummy and daddy and for presents.” James was not exactly a deep thinker.
Albus said, “Thank u for Cissmas, Mummy and Daddy, new Lilylu and Teddy part our family. Help me be good.”
James said, “What about me, Al?”
Albus said, “Help me nice to James, even James not nice to me.”
Harry looked at the two boys and said, “James, thank the Lord for Al and Teddy and Lily, and Al, thank the Lord for James.” He then looked right at James.
James said, “Thank you Lord for Teddy and Lily, and,” with a big sigh, “even Albus.”
Albus said, “Sorry bout James, Lord. Thanks everybody.”
Harry looked at Albus, who was trying to look sweet and innocent. James was not protesting Albus’s prayer, so Harry decided not to say anything more.
Christmas 2008 was another milestone, not that Arthur and Molly were any different. Arthur was almost identical, just a little older and a little bit balder, but the hair that was left was as red as ever. The biggest difference in Molly was the ever changing Christmas outfit, with Teddy and now twelve grandchildren on it. It was the first of many Christmas’s with twelve Weasley grandchildren, plus of course Teddy, without the confusion of the next generation of spouses and great grandchildren.
Teddy was ten. That April Teddy was turning eleven, and that fall he was going to be the first of the children going to Hogwarts. Of course the next year Fred Weasley was going to be going, and the following year Molly and Victoire. This was the last Christmas for a very long time without a Hogwarts student. Teddy was a beautiful child, self-confident, usually happy, and always well dressed. He had decided that he was going to be an Auror, a good one, he would tell anyone who asked, and he was very vocal about how he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his mother and father and godfather Harry Potter.
Harry and Ginny had talked about Teddy often. They thought that Teddy always wanted to be well dressed because his father was always so shabbily dressed. He was trying to take care of his grandmother and not leave her while still being somewhat part of the Potter family, and he was always very aware that he was different.
Fred, nine, had calmed down a lot, but he was still the exuberant outgoing salesman and prankster son of George Weasley. He had a full head of the very red Weasley hair, although he had inherited the kinky texture of black hair, and he wore his hair very short. He usually wore WWW robes.
Roxanne, seven, was in a very pretty dress. She was a little less outgoing than her brother, and although she would fight with Fred or anyone she was a little more eager to find her own way. Wearing a dress and not WWW robes was a way she could show that she was not just part of the WWW group, but an independent person in her own right. She had less kinky hair, really beautiful darker red with lots of waves, coming down to her shoulders.
Molly, eight, was as shy as Fred was outgoing, by far the shyest and most subdued of the children, but she had opened up some since she was little, and could hold her own in the chaos that could be the Weasley family gatherings. She and her sister shared their father’s Weasley red hair, and both were thin nice looking girls. Lucy, just seven, looked almost identical to her sister, but she was not quite as shy.
Victoire, eight, and Dominique, six, looked very different. Dominique had the same blond hair and blue eyes, the same fair skin and fine features as Fleur. Victoire shared her father’s brown eyes, and her hair was a wild mix of darker blond and red, never the almost orange red of the Weasley family but a lighter version of the pretty red of the Prewett side of the family. They were both beautiful, and were always dressed the part, never more than at Christmas. You could see that Victoire was going to be heavier than Fleur, and Dominique a little lighter.
Louis, four, was extraordinarily good looking, blue eyed with a little of the beautiful auburn hair of the Prewett’s mixed in with lots of Fleur’s blond. The older Louis got the more he looked like the photographs of Bill before his face was shredded, and the more he reminded the family just how much Bill had lost when he lost his face. He was a studious but self confident boy, as interested in learning as in flying. He admired his father, and wanted to learn what his father did, something that was not easy to explain.
Rose, just three, was what Harry and Ginny thought Hermione must have been like as a young child, serious and precocious. She was beginning to get the overly thick hair of her mother, and her brown hair had red highlights.
If Rose was in some ways an easy child Hugo, four and a half months, was beginning to become Hermione’s nightmare, a boy with bright red hair, just as wild as Rose was calm. Molly said Hugo and Lily reminded her more of Fred and George than any of her other grandchildren, except for young Fred of course. Ron was delighted, but Ron was not the one trying to nurse this wild boy and at the same time hold down a full time job.
Harry looked at his own family. He felt amazingly settled, head of the Auror department and so involved in the affairs of the Wizarding world. Other people seemed to treat him like they treated Kingsley Shacklebolt or Al VanLente or all the other major figures in their world, something that still surprised him sometimes.
Ginny! After all these years Harry was still amazed that, after he thought that he would die, after he reluctantly resigned himself to losing Ginny forever, then after almost losing Ginny to the Quidditch accident, here he was married and with three, Three, THREE beautiful children, plus of course always Teddy, not fully their son but still in some way so much their son.
Ginny! Beautiful red hair, a little heavy but not too heavy, well not as thin as when they were married and no where near as thin as when she was playing for the Harpies, but with a very feminine shape. Beautiful hips, still thin enough in the middle, despite the belly that she could never get rid of, and delightfully busty because of the nursing. Still passionate, still the fiery and passionate red head. Harry was always afraid of being out of control. Almost none of the various responsibilities he had could tolerate him being at all out of control. Ginny, on the other hand, she occasionally showed that she could still be someone to be feared. It was not wise to get on her bad side.
James, four years old, was plenty bright enough. Ginny and the other people teaching him had to reassure Harry that James was really doing well enough in school. What James really wanted to do was to fly, play Quidditch, and for four years old he was good at it. Bright Weasley red hair, great big smile, and very outgoing and confident, he had some idea that his father was a hero and a well known person, and he was very comfortable being the oldest child in the family. James Sirius Potter was very comfortable in who he was.
Albus, two and a half, was another case. Al was maybe the smartest and most complicated of all the twelve grandchildren. He liked to fly, but was not as passionate about it as James. He was extraordinarily good at the kind of magic a small child or experienced wizard could do without a wand, and worked at magic harder than any small boy could be expected to. He was obviously from what he said and how he reacted much more aware of all the dangers in the world than any of the other grandchildren, but courageous enough to do anything he wanted or needed to do anyway.
James was jealous of how easily learning came to Albus, and Albus was, if not exactly afraid, at least concerned, very aware that James was bigger and stronger than he was. It did not help that Al was small for his age, small and fine boned and almost pretty, with the same kind green eyes of Harry and his mother, and black hair just like Harry and his father, but for the first time in three generations neatly combed. Harry and Ginny thought that there was going to be some tension between Albus and James for years, and hoped that they would grow out of it.
It was beginning to look like Lily was going to be every bit as wild a girl as her mother was. She was already rolling over and getting anywhere she wanted to go, grabbing at things. She had a temper, and when she did not get her own way she could throw quite a temper tantrum. Ginny was alternately amused and frustrated. Molly occasionally thought Ginny and Lily together were hilarious, just revenge for all the problems Ginny has caused Molly when Ginny was a little girl. Lily was going to have the darker prettier red hair of her mother and not the shocking red of James and so many of the Weasley children and grandchildren.
Dudley and Belinda were going to get married the middle of February in California, and the entire Potter and Weasley Family were invited. Harry was trying to figure out how to get all the family over there safely. Dudley wanted the whole family, but the only ones who really knew Dudley and Belinda were Bill and Fleur, Harry and Ginny. Ron and Hermione sort of knew them, but the rest of the family did not live in the intersection of Magic and Muggle like those three couples, so it was decided that only those three families would go. With the children it was still fifteen people, a lot to travel by floo and then the closet network if you were worried about security.
Harry went over to California to case out the wedding site, and the California Auror department met him. They were going to provide an extra security detail for Harry and his family, and Harry was going to bring over a couple of Aurors and a couple of the Auror house elves as well.
Harry and Ginny went on their usual Caribbean vacation, for the first time with three of their own children and, for the first time, Teddy. Teddy really wanted to go to the Caribbean with Harry and Ginny. Harry and Ginny took two pair of Aurors with them, and also Mitzi and Dobedo. Harry and Ginny had been told by Bill that, “Three children are six more than two,” and there were times when it felt like it. Having four children in tow was certainly a lot more than having two very small children, even when one was a very responsible ten and a half year old.
Harry was getting more and more concerned about the evil that he could sense in the Caribbean, but also felt he needed to continue to come and become familiar with the area. Teddy was fascinated by the Caribbean; it was so different than England.
It was impossible to wear armor when you were in a bathing suit, but for the first time Harry was in armor whenever he was fully dressed. He also had a suit of armor for Ginny. She hated that she needed to wear it, but from then on whenever she was not in ‘safe space,’ even if she was at Diagon Alley, she wore her invisible armor under her regular clothes.
When Harry got back from the vacation he met with Dudley and Belinda about the wedding. Harry said, “Bill and Fleur, Ron and Hermione, Ginny and I and our families are the only ones from our world that are going to your wedding. Who else from here is going?”
“It’s not like I have many relatives,” said Dudley. “The distant cousins that were my dad’s partners sure do not want to spend the money to go to the United States West Coast, and in all honesty we barely know their families. My mother and Aunt Marge are the only people who we are inviting to the wedding.”
“How are your mother and Aunt Marge going to get to the wedding?” asked Harry.
“We will probably fly with them,” said Dudley.
Harry was still concerned about getting everybody to California. He went over to North America and talked about security some more. Everybody knew of the attack at Vernon Dursley’s funeral, and it was reasonably common knowledge that Dudley and Belinda were going to get married, and when and where. It was also reasonably well known that Harry Potter and his family were going to the wedding. In some ways it would be easier if they could get everybody except Dudley and Belinda, who needed to go over ahead of time, over at the same time. It was awkward to take a large group of magical people by commercial airplane. It was especially awkward because you had two infants who could not control their use of magic at all. Then you had Albus, who always tried so hard to be good, but who seemed to use such powerful magic so easily that he could accidently do something that would be a problem. Going over via the floo and closet networks with Petunia and Aunt Marge was no better. People would be too spread out, and you really should not take Muggles like Petunia and Aunt Marge via magical transportation.
Finally it was suggested that they could charter an airplane. The only problem with chartering an airplane was the expense, but Harry could easily afford it. It was much easier to take wands and house elves on a chartered airplane, and you could fly without having to announce to the world when you were leaving.
So that is how, on Thursday evening February twelfth, two thousand and ten, Harry found himself leading a large contingent of people onto a private, chartered airplane that was going to fly north out of England direct to California. The airplane had been charted out of California, and had brought some machines over with it. Dudley had explained that it was difficult to bring partly magical machines into or out of the United States and the United Kingdom, and they were taking the advantage of the airplane to move several large machines and machine parts around. You could shrink the machines only so far, but you could shrink them and make them light enough to bring several over each plane trip. More machinery was being loaded into the airplane for the trip back to California.
The airport was a large noisy place, with lots of airplanes moving about, and of course many little vehicles of all kinds. Very few of the people, none of the children, had ever seen anything like it. Of course, as an Auror Harry and Ron had been at airports, even if they had not personally flown in an airplane. The cars carrying the people had magically been waived through customs after the most cursory inspections of everybody’s passport.
Two Aurors entered the plane first, followed by Harry. Harry was met by two stewardesses. They both had wands stored in the uniforms, and it was obvious they were witches. “Has anyone told you that you are flying with three families with small children?” asked Harry.
“We had no idea who or what we were flying with,” said the one stewardess. “We were only told that this trip was very confidential, and that until you were back in England we were going to be on duty and could not contact anyone.”
“Are you ready for us?”
“Yes, Mr. Potter,” said the lead stewardess.
Harry waved, and the first car pulled up. The first to step out was Ginny, carrying Lily, Mitzi helping Ginny, followed by Teddy, James, and Albus. Harry’s family got into the airplane. They were led up to the front of the airplane, where in the first row of seats there was provision for a crib for Lily. Ginny and Mitzi took the front two seats on the right, with Lily in the crib. Harry and James took the next two. Teddy wanted to know if he could sit with Victoire, and he was put in the next seat. Albus got into the next seat and waited for the rest of the people.
Ron and Hermione with Rose and Hugo came next. Ron and Hermione sat in the front left hand seats, with a crib for Hugo. Rose took the seat right behind them, and Albus came and sat next to Rose. Bill and Fleur came in next, with Bill and Louis behind Rose and Albus, Fleur and Dominique behind Bill and Fleur. Victoire sat next to Teddy. Petunia and Aunt Marge sat behind Teddy and Victoire, and at the rear were two more Aurors, Dobedo and Winky, and a couple of people from DPW. The Aurors sat in the back.
Petunia was wide awake, but Aunt Marge seemed in some sort of a daze. Harry told his Aunt Petunia that, “Marge will remember taking a private plane that I have chartered to San Francisco, but she will not remember many details. I have insisted that no one modify your memory.”
Petunia looked like she wanted to say something, but she didn’t say anything.
About two hours into the flight Ginny said to Harry, “I have never really talked to your Aunt Petunia. I really ought to.”
“Good luck with that,” Harry said.
Ginny got up and by holding onto the seats was able to work her way back to where Petunia and Marge were sitting.
“Drunk, I see,” Aunt Marge said as she saw Ginny wobble a little as she walked back.
“My balance has never come back after a sporting accident,” Ginny said. “I’m not happy about it, but it has not kept me from having a fantastic marriage and great children. I’m pretty happy.”
“The children are running all around, not sitting quietly like they should,” Marge said.
“They are just acting like normal children,” Ginny said. “This is the first time any of them has been in an airplane.”
“They ought to sit quietly in their seats and not bother the rest of us,” Marge said.
“They have not been back here to bother you,” Ginny said, getting irritated. “I would think you would be grateful that you are getting a free ride to Dudley’s wedding!”
“He’s not marrying a proper English girl. She is an American! And she gets dirty with the machines just like Dudley! Petunia went in to see then and both of them had greasy WORKMAN coveralls on, and little parts in their hands, holding on to them like they were jewels.”
Ginny said, “They might as well be jewels. I’ve seen how much money Dursley, Potter and Weasley is making, and it is a bloody fortune! Belinda is a very bright, degreed engineer. Dudley has found a perfect bride.”
“She has him helping with the cooking, and they eat rabbit food. Vegetables hardly cooked, and a little fish. No good boiled meat, no gravy, just awful food. And they eat in the same room they cook in; they should have a formal dinner in the dining room!”
“How often have you been to Dudley and Belinda’s house?” Ginny asked..
“Just once,” Marge said.
“Aunt Petunia,” Ginny asked, “how often have you been to Dudley and Belinda’s house?”
“Once, with Marge and Vernon,” Petunia said. “They have visited me couple of times since Vernon died. I would rather they visited me. I just don’t feel comfortable at their house.”
“Are you looking forward to grandchildren?” Ginny asked.
“I guess one nice, quiet one would be acceptable,” Petunia said. “The house is nicer since Dudley moved out. I’ve been able to get some pretty things. I don’t want little brats running around breaking things.”
Ginny took her leave of the two women, horrified at Dudley’s relatives. The New Burrow was always child friendly, without any delicate breakable things around for small children to break. Her mother and father welcomed even the wild grandchildren.
The airplane trip was uneventful, well as uneventful as it could be with seven excited children looking out the windows, asking questions, moving from seat to seat and generally having a grand time. The stewardesses were very willing to answer as many questions as they could.
Everybody slept during the middle of the flight, but they were wakened up shortly before the airplane landed in California.
The airplane was met by Aurors when it landed, and again using magic the group was shepherded through customs after cursory inspections of everybody’s passport. The group was taken to a magic hotel in San Francisco where Harry and Ginny had stayed at before. Everybody took a nap, but by noon everyone was up, and the group took a magic tour in a magical bus around the San Francisco area, visiting mostly Muggle sights but a few magical ones as well. Petunia and Aunt Marge stayed in the bus when everyone else got out at a couple of the magical sights. Aunt Marge was not in a particularly good mood, but she seldom was. Petunia seemed to be putting up with it, as long as you kept the little children away from her. Everyone ate at good restaurants Friday noon and evening, and the children were as good as could be expected for their ages, and all very excited. Petunia Dursley and Aunt Marge had to leave the group the middle of the afternoon to go to the wedding rehearsal and then rehearsal dinner.
Saturday morning everybody had to get dressed in their finest robes for the wedding. It was decided that the safest way to go to the wedding was to all go together in a magical bus. Since the bus drove at normal speeds it was going to take about two hours to go to the church where the wedding was being held, and Petunia Dursley as mother of the groom had to be there a little early.
There was nothing unique about Dudley and Belinda’s wedding. Belinda wore a wedding dress instead of a robe. She had never been exactly flat on top, but Ginny looked at her and said to Harry, “I bet she’s pregnant.”
What no one but Harry and the people involved knew was that everybody Harry was concerned about was wearing armor, except Belinda. It was really tough to add armor to a wedding dress.
The trip back was similar to the trip over, and within a short time everything was back to normal.
In April Harry found out that Ginny was right; Belinda was pregnant and due the end of September, so she was pregnant just as Ginny had though at the wedding.
Harry looked at his schedule. It was Friday, the second week of June, and the first week back after the International Conference of Witches and Wizards. It was a quiet week day with very little going on. He had interviewed the wizard they were going to hire for trauma counseling, and other mental health issues, for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Gray Blackburn had been in the same healing program as Lavender Brown. When Harry had asked if Gray knew Lavender he said he did, but did not volunteer any more information. Harry wondered how well Gray knew Lavender, and how she was doing. It had been a couple of years since he had contacted Lavender’s parents. At the time they said she was healing, and things seemed to be going as well as could be expected.
Arthur came over to Harry’s office, Gray and Gray’s house elf companion Lumos at his side. Gray had been almost killed in a bombing in the Middle East when he was twelve, and he was thirty two. During most of the last twenty years his body was being rebuilt. They had recreated and restored everything but his sight. Nothing could replace the lost eyes.
“I’ve invited Gray and his wife to come over to the pond this afternoon,” Arthur said. “It’s a good way to get to know them better and a good excuse to leave work early.”
“I would love to get to the pond early,” Harry said. “I expect most of the children and quite a few adults are there right now.”
So shortly after Arthur left, Harry left work too, leaving well before four in the afternoon, an hour to hour and a half sooner than his normal quitting time.
Gray took the floo network to the Brown house. “I’ve got the job,” he announced.
Violet Brown said, “Fantastic! Now you and Lavender can move to England, and I will be able to see my grandbabies.”
“I’m only expecting one, Mum,” Lavender said. Lavender was expecting a baby in two months, the middle of August 2009, and it was obvious at a glance that she was very pregnant.
“Oh, one at a time is fine,” said Violet. Lavender squeezed Gray’s hand, and he squeezed back, indicating that he knew. Gray was more than willing to give Grandmother Brown more than one grandchild, but he didn’t have to go from sort of big to huge every time.
Gray said, “Arthur Weasley has invited us over to the pond on their property. There will be time to swim. He and Harry Potter thought that all the wives and grandchildren and many other people would be there.”
“I haven’t seen most of those people in years,” Lavender said.
Gray replied, “Several of them offered to see you, but the only people you would see were your parents and your brother. It’s time to meet all the people you knew again.”
“I know,” Lavender said. “It’s just that I’m not only pregnant but big! I’ve gained more weight than I should have, a lot more.”
“Get your swimming suit on, Lavender,” Gray said. “We are going.”
Lavender put on a two piece, Tankini style swim suit. It showed huge breasts, swelled from her gaining weight as well as her pregnancy, and large hips. Lavender was still very curvy, but there was a lot more of her, including a belly swelled by more than just pregnancy.
Lavender, Lumos and Gray took the floo network to the New Burrow, where they were met by Arthur. He promptly took them out to the big deck by the pond, and seated them in some comfortable chair. “Everybody should be here shortly,” Arthur said. “I’ll tell you who they are, and introduce them if they come over.”
“I should recognize most of them,” Lavender said.
The first group to walk out of the New Burrow towards the pond consisted of Fleur and her three children. Lavender looked at Fleur. From the silvery blond hair to the perfect bosom, from the waist with no stretch marks to the nice sized hips, Fleur was spectacular.
Lavender looked at herself. Although functionally she was totally healed, you could see by the lighter coloring where her big scars had been. Pregnancy, plus the extra weight she had gained, had made the situation worse. Fleur had little covering her breasts and not a lot more covering her bottom, and nothing in her shape or skin coloring gave any hint that she had born three children.
“Fleur, the Veela wife of Bill Weasley, is coming towards the pond,” Lavender said to Gray. “She doesn’t look like she has gained a pound or changed at all since having her three children. She has long, silver blond hair. She is average height, and the breasts are not too big, but they are big enough. Nice size hips, a narrow waist, and a happy smile.
“The oldest girl looks like Molly Weasley’s granddaughter, with red hair with just a little of Fleur’s blond in it. She is heavier than her sister, but a beautiful girl. The youngest looks like a thin clone of her mother. And the little boy is well behaved just like his sisters, and good looking as well.”
Gray said, “You are beautiful to me, Lavender. Don’t compare yourself to anybody else. You have had a very long and hard healing process.”
Arthur said, “That is Audrey, our daughter-in-law, married to Percy, and her daughters Molly and Lucy.”
Lavender said, “They are all thin, pretty, and well behaved. They’re just the perfect family.” Gray could feel how inadequate Lavender was feeling.
Audrey wore a swimming suit that covered just about everything, as full and modest as Fleur’s was skimpy, but you could see that she still had a thin figure. Her two girls were pretty, and seemed to be well behaved as well. Lavender was beginning to think she would feel pretty inferior to the perfect Weasley/Potter family.
Angelina followed. Freddy ran ahead of his mother, screaming. Angelina had a reasonably skimpy bathing suit on, and it showed a modest belly. At least Angelina was a little less than perfect.
“That’s Fred Weasley, the wild one,” Arthur said, grinning.
“George Weasley’s wife Angelina has put on a little weight,” Lavender said. “At least she’s not perfect. She is a big black girl, with a reasonably well behaved little girl who does look like a cross between Angelina and George.”
Then Harry and Ginny appeared. Harry looked like he did when he defeated Riddle, but Ginny had changed, a lot. She was heavier and unsteady on her feet. She was holding Harry’s arm, and a house elf was helping to support her.
Lavender took a long look at Ginny. The face and arms were heavier, and the bosom was not only much larger but somehow looked matronly. There was a modest belly, and her hips and thighs were significantly heavier. She actually looked pretty sexy for a chunky young mother.
There were five children and a house elf accompanying them. The oldest boy was holding the hands of the young boy and girl, but the one boy was running ahead. The house elf was holding the baby.
Harry and Ginny went to the deck, and Ginny plopped down on a chair next to Lavender. The baby went, “WAAAAA. MaMaMa. WAAAA.”
“Calm down, LilyLu,” Ginny said. She peeled back the swimsuit top from one breast and Lily clamped on hard. “You bite me again and you are going to stop nursing, Lily,” Ginny said. Lily gave Ginny a worried look. “You know what I mean, little Lily,” Ginny said.
Lily let go of the breast, looked at her mother, and you could almost see the battle of wills.
“NO BITING,” Ginny said.
“NO,” Lily said. “NO, NO, NO, NO, NO.
“Mulk, Mum.” In a tiny voice, “Mulk.”
“You may latch back on, little, girl, but no biting,” Ginny said.
Lily went back to her mother.
“May I take Albus and Rose to the pond?” asked Teddy. “All the Aunts are there.”
“Yes, but make sure the Aunts know you are there,” Harry said. “I see James didn’t wait. I will be at the pond shortly.”
Harry looked at Gray and said, “Gray Blackstone, this is my wife Ginny and our youngest, Lily Luna. The boys are Teddy Lupin, my godson, and Albus Severus. Hermione’s daughter Rose is with them.”
“I believe you know my wife, Lavender,” Gray said.
“LAVENDER!” said Ginny.
“WAA wa WAA MA WA,” went Lily, waving her hands and looking at Lavender, oblivious to her mother’s need for modesty, before latching back on again, dribbling milk all over in the process. Lily proceeded to find some of the spilt milk and rub it on Ginny.
“At least it’s just milk,” Ginny sighed. “I left Hermione and Winky fighting with Hugo, and he had managed to pee and poop all over everything. Hermione was at her wits ends. She was planning on nursing Hugo and letting Winky get everyone and everything clean before coming over.
“Grandmother Jean Granger went to her room. Hugo wore her out today!”
As they were talking a very harried Hermione came out, Hugo on her breast. Hermione was also a little heavier, with a modest belly and bigger hips. Unlike the rest of the women she had very little shape on top. Hermione plopped down next to Ginny, and said, “Winky threw me out. Told me not to worry about the mess, just go.”
Just then Hugo let go of Hermione, a look of distress on his face. Hermione put Hugo up to her chest and started to pat his back, not bothering to cover herself. “No wonder you get air bubbles, Hugo,” she said. “Stop screaming and you won’t get so many big air bubbles.”
Hugo responded by letting go with a big, and very milky, burp. He then looked at his mother like he was desperate for more food, and Hermione put Hugo back on the same breast.
“I never thought I would walk away from my child’s mess and let a house elf clean up, but I am so grateful for Winky,” Hermione said. “I’m just not up to THIS baby, not without help.
“Lavender? Lavender Brown?”
“I’m married to Gray Blackburn now,” Lavender said. “I was beginning to think all the Weasley family was perfect, and I was the only one who had put on weight.”
“You saw Fleur and Audrey,” Ginny said. “Fleur would be disgusting, except she is so nice. I sure don’t have Veela genes, just my mother’s.”
“I did have the perfect little girl,” Hermione said. “Hugo was breach, and he has never stopped being trouble. OUCH!” Hermione held Hugo’s nose and he let go of her breast. “You are going to stop biting me or you are going to stop nursing, Hugo! No more right now.”
Hugo started to scream.
“I can take him, Hermione,” Harry said. He picked up a screaming Hugo and took him over to a nearby table. “Do you want milk, or do you want to play?” asked Harry, somehow getting Hugo’s attention.
“Eel, Eel,” Hugo said.
“Here you go,” Harry said as he conjured up a two handled cup. Harry held on to the cup as Hugo grabbed hold of the two handles and tried to drown himself. After about four minutes of very messy drinking Hugo seemed to have drunk his fill.
“I was feeling so inadequate,” Lavender said. “At first you looked like the perfect family.”
“James has been picking at Albus,” Ginny said. “I think Albus got his revenge, though. James ran into the wall downstairs and hurt himself, and I do not think it was just an accident.”
“Did you catch Albus doing anything?” asked Hermione.
“No,” Ginny said. “I hate to agree with James, but Albus IS sneaky, and smart. James had better watch out. Al gets his revenge, and no one ever catches him.”
“Where does Albus get his sneaky streak, Ginny?” Hermione asked.
“At least he inherited SOMETHING from me, and not Harry,” Ginny said, her trademark smirk evident. “I didn’t have to teach him to be sneaky either!”
About this time Hugo was on his feet, unsteadily standing, waving his hands, and saying to Harry, “Ide, ide, up ide dow sploo. Oosh.”
Lily was done nursing, and also standing on unsteady feet, looking at her father and cousin. “Sli … sli … soo…oosh,” Lily said.
“We will climb up to the big slide, and I can make it so we sploosh into the water,” Harry said.
“How did Harry know what they were talking about?” Lavender asked.
“Harry has always been real good at understanding what babies want, what they are trying to say,” Ginny said. “He will make them climb the stairs, and when they are done with a few slides the babies will be worn out.”
“Hugo will take a long nap, and then wake up in the middle of the night,” Hermione said. “Ron, for all his good intentions, will sleep right through it, but Winky will change Hugo and bring him to me. She is trying to get him to drink out of a cup in the middle of the night, but it isn’t going well. NOTHING is easy with that child.”
Hugo and Lily were madly talking baby talk as they climbed up to the top of the tower with the big slide. Harry did something, and the slide grew and went out over the water. The two toddlers yelled with joy as the three of them went down the slide and splashed into the water.
“Harry is having the childhood he never had when he was growing up,” Ginny said. “He loves little children.”
“Sometimes I think Ron still is one,” said Hermione. “Except for the little belly. All the eating is finally catching up, and he has to watch what he eats.”
“Ron has to watch what he eats, like he is on a diet?” asked Lavender, astounded.
“He’s not a bit happy about it, either,” Hermione said. “He is getting just a little bald on top too. He is going to look like his father in another ten years.”
Lavender spent a delightful couple of hours at the pond, introducing Gray to many members of the Potter/Weasley family, and meeting a lot of people she didn’t know. When they went back to the Brown residence she felt much better about moving back to England. Ginny looked more like Mrs. Weasley than she did the cute little girl Lavender knew at Hogwarts. Lavender didn’t have to compare herself just to Fleur. When Ron finally showed up it was obvious that he was getting a little belly, and he was beginning to look like his father. Gray was thinner than Ron! Maybe she wasn’t perfect, but not too many people were. She was going to be able to enjoy being back home; life would be good again.
Chapter 5: CH 5 Teddy in School, Albus in Trouble
Author's Notes: Thank you to all the reviewers who take the time to let me know what works and what does not. FriendofMolly and I appreciate you.
Harry and Ginny were talking to Arthur, Molly and Andromeda. These meetings took place reasonably regularly. Teddy was actually a very good boy, and there were seldom any major problems.
“Teddy got his letter from Hogwarts today,” said Harry. “I never realized when I was going to Hogwarts that parents were so involved.”
“Your situation was always awkward,” said Arthur, “because of Vernon Dursley. Normally parents are very involved.
“Since you became legal guardians of Teddy when you took him to San Francisco you have stayed his legal guardians. Congratulations, Harry, Ginny. Your first child is going to Hogwarts this fall.”
“I’m not even 30!” said Ginny, with a look of mock horror on her face. “I’m too young to have one going to Hogwarts. Parents are grownups, they are old people.”
“How old were you when you decided to nurse Teddy, and I might add, got engaged, young lady?” asked Molly.
“Sixteen,” said Ginny. This was not an unfamiliar conversation. “Way too young. Our children better be A LOT OLDER when they get married!”
“It looks like we are going to take a trip to Diagon Alley,” said Harry.
“This would be a good shopping trip for just Teddy and the two of you,” said Molly. “I’ll watch the children for you.”
So a week later Harry and Ginny took Teddy to Diagon Alley to get his supplies for Hogwarts.
First Harry and Ginny took Teddy to a stationary shop, to get parchment, pens and quills. Hogwarts was gradually being modernized, but all beginning students were expected to learn how to write essays with quills and ink on parchment. As they moved into the upper grades they could begin to use laptop computers and printers, along with magic, to produce their essays. Since this was Teddy’s first year they got him a book bag to hold all of his paper and writing instruments.
Madam Malkin’s Robes was still in business, and Harry and Ginny took Teddy in to get every day and dress robes. Harry was an occasion customer; he had to get dress robes for the Wizengamot sessions. He and Arthur had all the law enforcements officials, and in fact anyone who occasionally had to come in contact with Muggles, wearing Muggle clothes, but robes were still worn by many of the more conservative witches and wizards.
They then went to Ollivander’s. Ollie Ollivander was the great grandson of the Ollivander who had sold Harry his wand. He had been traveling learning from other wand makers at the start of the problems with Tom Riddle, and had not come back until after the Battle of Hogwarts.
Young Mr. Ollivander had the tape measure with silver markings, and started to measure Teddy. Harry was amused to see that, just like when he got his first wand, the tape went on measuring Teddy long after Ollivander went to get wands. Young Ollivander seemed to go at the business of finding a wand with a little more science than his great grandfather had. He had two wands out of each of a large number of woods, and had Teddy try each of them. He seemed to settle on mahogany right away, and then went to the various magical substances inside. He finally had several wands made of mahogany with dragon heart strings inside, of various lengths. Teddy liked several of them, but all at once he picked up one, twelve and a half inches long, a little thicker and heavier than the normal wand, stiff not flexible at all. “Wow, dad,” said Teddy. “This feels right!” Teddy shot sparks out the end. He waved it up and down.
“It will take a lot of practice to control that wand, Teddy,” said young Ollivander.
“I’ll spend as much time as it takes,” said Teddy. “This wand feels right!”
“That’s what we are looking for,” said Ollivander. “You have a very powerful wand.”
Old Mr. Ollivander came slowly into the room. He was obviously very old and not in very good health. “I had to see Harry Potter again,” he said. “Mahogany! Reminds me of your father’s wand, Harry, but this is stiffer, more powerful but harder to control. Good for Auror work, if you can learn how to control it. Good for duels.”
“Satisfied?” asked Harry of Teddy and both Ollivanders.
“I’ll work hard to learn to control this wand, dad,” said Teddy. “I want to be a good Auror, and I want to make you and mum and my dead mum and dad real proud of me.”
The went and purchased a cauldron, scales and a telescope, then went to the Apothecary to purchase the standard set of beginning ingredients for first year Hogwarts students. Harry and Ginny had all the ingredients and more in the basement potion room, but not so neatly packaged. While they were there Harry purchased a couple of ingredients that he used for making the mapping papers. There were only two other wizards in the world that were equal to Harry in making mapping papers, one in North America, one in China. Harry was still making some of the mapping paper, for any real difficult maps. Harry knew he they needed to train a few more people to be good at making the mapping paper, but for some reason it was not easy.
They finally went to Flourish and Blotts to pick up school books. Teddy knew that Aunt Hermione was helping to update the text books, but he was surprised when they actually went to purchase the books. There was “ Beginning Defense against the Dark Arts” by Sidney Stanford and Hermione R.G. Weasley, “Beginning Potions” by Hermione R.G. Weasley and T.T. Chang, “Beginning Transfigurations” by Minerva McGonagall and Hermione R.G. Weasley. The charms text book had not been updated, but the Muggle studies book was a paperback book, with a ‘preliminary’ on the front, by several people including, of course Hermione R.G. Weasley.
Ginny asked, “Have you changed your mind about a pet?”
“No” said Teddy. “My life is already too confusing. I can use a school owl to write to you. I don’t really want a pet.”
The morning of September First Harry, Ginny and their children got up early, ate breakfast, and then piled into Harry’s car to drive to the New Burrow. Once they were there they picked up Teddy and his trunk. Teddy kissed Arthur and Molly, then hugged and kissed Grandma Tonks. Ginny watched as, after Teddy got in the car, Andromeda Tonks turned to Molly and broke down in tears. Ginny found out later that the tears were a mix of joy and sorrow, joy that Teddy was growing up to be such a fine young man, mixed emotions as she remembered sending Dora off to Hogwarts, and sorrow because she was going to miss his presence, his giving her a little “Good Morning Grandma” kiss in the morning, his giving her a little “Good Night Grandma” kiss at night.
Teddy was of course excited, but Harry and Ginny thought that their boys were almost as excited. Harry and Ginny took their crew through to platform nine and three-quarters early, got Teddy on the train before the bulk of the families had come, and had left before most of the families had come, mostly for security.
“I was sorted into Gryffindor,” Teddy’s first letter read. “I think a third of the students were born outside England. Some had families that left because of the troubles, and others came because of all the good things that are happening here.”
One letter started with, “Some of my classmates think I am lying when I say I am part of your family. Everybody knows who you are, Dad, and I get kidded a lot about making up things about you and the rest of the family.”
Harry was at the Dumbledore’s Army meetings six to eight times a school year. Almost all of the new Aurors and many of the other law enforcement type employees of the Ministry of Magic came from the students who were members of the DA club, and Harry wanted to encourage the members. You could not join until your fourth year, so of course Teddy was not at the meeting, but one fall day Harry came to Hogwarts early enough to have dinner with the staff, and then went down to greet Teddy, who was sitting with the other Gryffindor students.
“Hello, Teddy,” Harry said.
“Hello, Dad,” Teddy said.
“How do you like Hogwarts so far?” Harry asked.
“I really like it, but I miss James, and Al, and Lily,” Teddy said.
“Mum and I read all your letters to them, after we have read them first,” Harry said. “We want to make sure you are not writing anything inappropriate for young ears.”
“Like the things he writes to his girlfriend,” one of the other students said. “BEAUTIFUL Victoire!”
“She’s a cousin, sort of,” Teddy said, getting real red. “She is just closer to my age than most of the other cousins, and she is sort of my best friend.”
Most of the students knew that Teddy was connected in some way with Harry Potter, but Teddy was grateful that Harry met him and talked to him, in full view of the other students.
The middle of September Ginny and Hermione and the entourage that usually accompanied them, including Sue Shook and her daughter Sheryl, plus another Auror couple at a distance, went to a Muggle park with the children. There was a big pond, and a lot of little boats in the pond.
One young boy was having a lot of trouble with his boat, and eventually it floated away from him and he had no way to get it back. There was no wind, so it would not drift to shore. He was getting quite upset, and but finally you could see the boat slowly drift towards the nearest shore, almost as if magic was pushing it.
The boat was almost where the little boy could touch it when Ursula Umbridge showed up, walked up to Albus, and said, “STOP IT!”
Albus sat down, folded his arms, and shut his eyes.
“STOP IT!” Ursula shouted again. By this time the little boy had gotten his boat.
Al looked at Ursula and asked politely, “Stop what?”
People were starting to look at Ursula. Ginny went up to her and said, “Just who is making a scene?”
Ursula whispered, “You have to stop your son from doing magic.”
“I didn’t see any magic, Mssssssss Umbridge,” Ginny scowled.
Ursula Umbridge left, but the next day they received an official looking parchment about Albus’s use of magic.
When Ginny showed Albus the parchment he said, “No one could tell! The boat just sort of drifted back.”
“I know,” Ginny said. “You need to be careful, but as long as no one can tell that someone is doing magic I do not see what their problem is.”
Albus Potter was continuing to get more and more capable of manipulating things at a distance. He started to work on light switches. He needed to be very subtle to turn lights on and off without messing up the electricity. Before he was three he could easily turn lights on and off. He could also pass almost anything on a table using his mind and levitating things. There did not seem to be any problem with Al using magic in and around Grimmauld Place or at the New Burrow property. The problem was in Al using magic in Muggle space.
In October of 2010, when Al was just over three years old, the Potter family had another run in with the Department for the Control of Underage Magic. They were in a Muggle restaurant, and Al ended up using magic to pass food several times. He also turned the lights up with magic. Ursula went to the restaurant as soon as she realized that underage magic was being done, but instead of a confrontation she just carefully recorded everything that Albus had done.
The next day Ursula demanded a meeting with Albus, Harry and Ginny. That evening Ursula and her assistant came over and read the riot act to Albus and the Potters, detailing all the magic that was leaking out of Albus, and all the little things he had done in the restaurant.
Albus sat quietly listening to all this. He then turned to his parents and said, “I try to be careful.”
“Do your best to control your magic in Muggle spaces, Al,” Harry said.
“He is not allowed to use ANY MAGIC at his age!” Ursula shouted.
“We are not stifling his talents, Ms. Umbridge,” Harry said. “We will make sure he confines any intentional magic to well shielded spaces.”
“He DOES do magic that he is not allowed to do,” Ursula shouted.
“Pure blooded children have been allowed to do magic in their own homes for as long as anyone could remember,” Harry said. “The reason for the law has more to do with keeping magic hidden from Muggles than anything else.”
“THAT’S NOT HOW THE LAW READS!” Ursula shouted.
“That’s how it has been interpreted,” Harry said. “This meeting is over.” Harry got up and escorted a fuming Ursula and her assistant to the fireplace so they could floo home.
For the next two months Ginny received a letter every week from Ursula complaining about Albus and his use of magic. Sometimes there was an incident mentioned, and about half the time Albus had done some magic, but never outside the family property in front of a Muggle. The letters were always addressed to Ginny, and every time she read them she became angry at the pettiness of the letters.
Harry was in his office at the Ministry when Mary Lou Creevey ran in and said, “Ginny and Ursula Umbridge are having a big fight in the atrium, and they want you down there RIGHT NOW!”
Harry ran down to see the two ladies yelling at each other. Ursula had little bats coming out of her nose, but she was still yelling at Ginny. Someone was physically restraining each of the two enraged women.
“GINNY!” Harry yelled. “CANCEL THE BAT BOGEY HEX RIGHT NOW!!”
“NO!” yelled Ginny.
“DON’T LET HER WIN, GINNY. SHE WINS IF WE HAVE TO GET SOMEONE ELSE TO CANCEL THE BAT BOGEY HEX!”
Ginny waved her wand and the Bat Bogey hex was canceled.
“SHE CANNOT CONTROL HER MAGIC ANY BETTER THAN THAT SON OF HERS!” Ursula yelled. “ALWAYS DOING MAGIC IN FRONT OF A MUGGLE.”
“Where?” Harry asked. “Where does Albus do magic in front of a Muggle?”
“JEAN GRANGER!” Ursula yelled. “It’s not natural for a Muggle to teach a witch and a wizard. The houses are so shielded that I don’t know what is going on, but I know it’s WRONG!”
“It doesn’t seem to be doing Albus much harm,” Ginny said.
“It is ALL WRONG!” Ursula said. “He’s the son of a half-breed and a sports bimbo, and he has more magic in him than any of the other children we are watching. IT’S WRONG!”
SPORTS BIMBO??!!” shouted Ginny.
Harry squeezed Ginny’s hand and whispered rather loudly, “Let her rant! She is hurting herself.”
Ginny looked at Harry like she was about to explode, her face almost as red as her hair. “Sports Bimbo, Sports Bimbo,” she silently mouthed. Ginny tried to breathe deeply to control her temper, but she was so angry she was shaking.
“Where is Lily?” Harry asked.
Mitzi said, “Harriet has. Is too dangerous two angry witches fighting. Gets Harriet to take.”
“Thank you, Mitzi,” Harry said. He turned to Ursula and said, “If you are still spouting this Pure Bloods nonsense you had better stop. We just fought a war about that, remember.”
“My family has been Pure Bloods and worked for the Ministry for as long as anyone can remember, and … OTHER … witches and wizards are becoming our bosses. It is not FAIR.”
Ursula turned to a young wizard that was trying to calm her down, very similar to the way Harry was trying to calm Ginny down. Ursula turned to him and yelled, “YOU! You were going to get a big promotion, and instead you are still just a patrolman for the DMLE! Working for that WEASEL! GETTING MARRIED IS TAKING FOREVER! IT IS NOT FAIR!”
The young man said, “It is not the Ministry that is keeping us from getting married. It is that both families want us to live in a Pure-Blood neighborhood, and neither the Crabbe nor the Umbridge families have been exactly above board when it comes to some of their financial dealings over the last few years, so getting us a house is taking time.”
Ursula glowered at the young man. “Charley Crabbe, do you want to live in poverty? Do you want both sides of the family mad at us? It is bad enough that the sports bimbo is mad at me. I don’t want our mothers and aunts mad at us too!”
By this time Arthur was in the Atrium of the Ministry. He looked at Ursula and Charley and said, “Both of you are dismissed for the day. Charley, stay with her. That’s an order from your boss. Ursula, stay with Charley and listen to him. That’s an order.”
Harry saw Charley quietly mouth, “Thank you,” to Arthur as he escorted Ursula to a floo.
Harry said to Ginny, “Let us pick up Lily and head home.” He looked to his father-in-law for confirmation, and Arthur nodded his affirmation.
The next Sunday at the family gathering George asked Ginny, “How is the Sports Bimbo doing?” That got him ten minutes of Ginny yelling at him while bat bogeys were coming out of his nose. No one from the family ever called her a Sports Bimbo again.
The letters slowed down to less than once in two weeks, but did not stop. The Potters went to a Muggle restaurant about twice a month, and for the next year there were continual discussions with the Department for the Control of Underage Magic as Albus learned how to control his magic in Muggle spaces.
Chapter 6: CH. 6 Christmas of the Magi
Author's Notes: I have seen the word Magi used in more than one story. I think it is a natural to call witches and wizards Magi. This chapter goes all the way to the fall of 2010, and includes part of my “Tiny Tim, a Shaggy Kneazle Story”, from Harry’s point of view.
December 24, 2009 Harry and Ginny with their children Teddy Lupin, James, Albus, Lily and Ron and Hermione and Jean Granger with Rose and Hugo went to a children’s Christmas Eve church service. Ron almost never went to church with Hermione and Jean, but Christmas Eve was an exception. They arrived about fifteen minutes early, and went over to look at a rather large Crche set with the baby Jesus, Mary, Joseph, shepherds and a variety of animals, and at a distance the Three Wise Men. Albus looked at the scene and asked “Where are the elves?”
“I did think there were elves at Jesus’s birth,” said Harry. “I’ve seen paintings of elves at Jesus’s birth.”
“The elves have dolls like this, and there are elves there,” said Albus. “And Magi came from the east. Dad, we’re the Magi. The elves use the same word for the wise men and for witches and wizards. We’re all Magi.”
Jack Lewis, the priest that had been pastor of the church in London since Harry and Hermione had first started to go, was there and said, “Albus is right. Our church traces its roots back to a group of wizards, Magi, who visited Jesus within about a year of his birth. There was a lot of confusion because Jesus did not become a powerful king, and there were no Magi at Calvary, but the Magi, the ones who visited Jesus, did become Christian within the first century after Jesus’s death.”
After the church service and putting the children down to bed Harry went up to the house elf area. Kreacher and Dobedo were there, still living right above the Potter house, although the area was bigger with both of them having children. There in the common space, what served as a living room was a little Crche set with, in addition to the usual creatures and people, several elves. Harry asked, “Are house elves Christians?”
“House elves is not allowed to go to a church service unless with a master,” said Kreacher. “Not allowed to have different beliefs.”
“How can masters dictate what you believe?” asked Harry.
“Is part of being a house elf,” said Kreacher.
“But what if you do not believe what a master believes?” asked Harry. “What if they want you to do horrible things?”
“Is a problem” said Kreacher. “Is also a problem having to make up own mind. Is a problem being responsible for own choices.”
Kreacher looked at Harry. Harry was sitting on the floor in the house elf area, since the roof was too low for him to comfortable stand, and Kreacher and Dobedo were standing so their faces were at his level. Harriet was holding Dobedo’s hand, but Azalea was standing close to Kreacher but definitely in the background. There was concern on all their faces, and mixed emotions that Harry was having a hard time reading.
“You were at the birth of Jesus?” asked Harry.
“Not us!” said Kreacher. “Some house elves. A few.”
“Were elves at Calvary?” asked Harry.
“A couple,” said Kreacher. “No Magi. Jesus the stonecutter* was a good and holy man. He knew house elves, could see us and talk to us. He was maybe not a Magi, but more than a Magi. We do not know.”
“And some of you became believers?” asked Harry.
“Laws that ruled house elves did not allow,” said Kreacher. “We was worse than slaves. Slaves own, own mind. House elves has own mind but is not allowed, because of magic. Is a problem. Keeps own history, but is hard. Tries to stay true to law, obey master, but not do horrible things if master orders.” Kreacher looked concerned, and there was a quick conversation in elfish between Kreacher and Harriet. “Law is not right word. Hard to say.”
“And now you are becoming independent,” said Harry. “I think it is a good thing for you to be allowed to make up your own mind.”
“A good and terrible thing,” said Kreacher. “Still have to obey master, but also must know good and evil, like Adam and Eve. Curse of Adam is to know good and evil.”
“So now that you are getting your freedom you have to choose what to believe?” asked Harry.
“We is talking about choosing to believe or not,” said Kreacher. “Is very difficult.”
“But you knew Jesus,” said Harry.
“Only a couple,” said Kreacher. “Paul sent the slave Onesimus back to Philemon, but told Philemon to love Onesimus as a fellow Christian. All elves know Paul’s letter to Philemon. If Magi would love house elves like Paul talks about in Philemon would not be a problem. Maybe we could believe.”
“Would you like to believe?” asked Harry.
“Yes,” said Dobedo and Harriet together.
“Is not allowed,” said Kreacher.
“We is liking to be baptized, but is no history of baptizing house elves,” said Harriet. “If we is allowed to be baptized both Magi and elves would have to realize house elves have souls, live on after death like Magi. No throwing bodies away, no stuffing bodies like trophies.”
“Kreacher?” asked Harry.
“What, Master Harry?” said Kreacher.
“What do you want?” asked Harry. “Do you want to join a church?”
“Kreacher wants to do what Master Harry wants,” said Kreacher. “Is being subversive and doing what Master Harry wants, but is old house elf and all changes is very very hard.”
Harry took another long look at the four house elves. Azalea was staring at Kreacher like she was feeling very sorry for him. Dobedo and Harriet were holding hands still very uncomfortable, acting like they wanted this conversation to continue but knowing that it was a very difficult conversation for all of them. And Kreacher was beginning to cry. Harry was more aware than every how difficult ‘do what is best for house elves and the Wizarding (or Magi) world’ was for Kreacher. He said, “Kreacher, thank you for everything you are doing. You have done everything I could ever have asked and more, and I appreciate it.”
“Is what house elf do,” said Kreacher.
“Cannot say except in elfish,” said Harriet. “Cannot say spells, curses, laws, except in elfish. Very advanced magic. Should not even talk about it.”
“Is that why Albus and Rose are learning elfish?” asked Harry.
“Is not allowed to have said what we have said,” said Kreacher. “Please leave, Master Harry.”
By this time all the house elves were crying. Harry was getting very close to something very important, but he could see that he needed to back off. How many years had they fought Tom Riddle? This was magic much older and more powerful than Tom Riddle had, and undoing the “curses,” if that is what they were, was going to take a very long time.
Christmas 2010 was the first Christmas with a Hogwarts student, even if it was Teddy Lupin and not one of the biological grandchildren. Fred was ten, and would be going to Hogwarts next September, and from then on there would be many years when there would be a Weasley at Hogwarts. Molly and Victoire were both nine, and would be going the next year. Roxanne was eight and would be going the following year. Lucy was just eight and would be going the year following Roxanne. Dominique was also just seven and would be in the year following Roxanne, then Louis, who was five but would be in the year following Dominique.
James was five, but because he was born in October he would be going to Hogwarts the year following Louis, then Rose at four and Albus at three and a half, would follow. Then there would be a year gap, followed by Lily and Hugo. Sixteen years, until 2026, at least. Harry had once talked to Molly about the grandchildren, asking if she thought this was the end of the grandchildren. Molly said “The only one who had made sure she cannot get pregnant again is Hermione. Ginny and my other daughter-in-laws are, from what I understand, just taking birth control potions, not quite ready to give up any chance for another child. I cannot complain. I am certainly satisfied with twelve, thirteen; Teddy is and is not.”
Harry thought ‘Teddy is and is not.’ That sort of summarized Teddy. He had a grandma but she was fragile, and in some ways Teddy had indicated that he felt responsible for his grandma, needing to stay with her instead of being part of the Potter family any more than he was. Harry and Ginny were and were not his parents, only godparents and not where he lived although still with legal responsibility because grandma was and was not able to exercise legal custody.
Harry had talked to Ginny, saying, “I understand from your mother that only Hermione is certain she never wants to be pregnant again.”
Ginny looked at Harry sort of pensively. “I did not mind being pregnant, except at first with James. It took me a while to resign myself to looking like a mother and not a Quidditch star. I love nursing; there is something fantastic about having a baby on your breast. Mum is right. It’s hard to say you are certain you never want to be a mother again, especially with a loving husband and all the money and help you could ever need.”
“I’m not the one who has to carry a baby for nine months, and then push a Quaffle out my bottom,” said Harry.
“It’s not being pregnant,” said Ginny. “I really do not need another little one running around while I have our three, three and a half, maybe … running around.”
After Christmas, Harry approached Hermione about the house elves and religion. “Kreacher and Harriet say that house elves are not allowed to have any religious beliefs, except maybe what their owner believes,” he said.
“That’s really not so unusual, Harry,” said Hermione. “In many parts of the world for much of history there was a state religion, and everybody had to belong to it. How much they were supposed to believe is another question, but they were sure not supposed to believe anything different than the state religion.”
“But that’s not fair!” said Harry.
“No it’s not,” said Hermione. “I’m having a very hard time finding out how many of the rules the house elves operate under are laws passed by the Wizengamot or the International Confederation of Witches and Wizards. Not a lot. More of it is very old magic or tradition, some of it way before we have any records of it. We need to go back to the oldest records and history we can find.”
“Many of the oldest storage caves in Switzerland have hidden areas in the far back of the caves,” said Harry. “I can find them with the mapping program, but we cannot get to them. We are beginning to think that much of the history we are missing is hidden back in those parts of the caves. No one seems to know how to get back there, but there is some belief that the wizard who will rule the valley after me, not as regent but as chief wizard, will be able to open those areas. I’m sick of waiting for some prophesied figure!”
“Harry, you were the child destined to confront Riddle, the prophesied figure,” said Hermione.
“A very uncomfortable position to be in,” said Harry. “You end up feeling responsible for everything that goes wrong, for every death that could have been avoided. Your life is constantly threatened. I think the only thing worse than being in that position would be to be the parent of someone in that position.”
“You worried one of your children going to have adventures like you had?” asked Hermione.
Harry had to ponder this question. “I have a hard time imagining it being James,” said Harry. “He just wants to play Quidditch. Lily is too young to know what she will be like.”
“Albus?” asked Hermione.
“Albus is one strange child sometimes,” said Harry. “He and the Department for the Regulation of Underage Magic seem to have a running battle going on. He tries to control his magic, or use it so it cannot be detected. He’s not going to stop doing magic, but at the same time he really does not want to cause us any problems.”
“Have you told him to stop doing any magic?” asked Hermione.
“Those people in the Department for the Regulation of Underage Magic are a bunch of petty dictators who could not make it in a real important department. I certainly would not want them as Aurors, and Arthur sure does not want most of them in the important departments,” said Harry. “So they harass the young children who have natural abilities. It’s stupid.”
“So you help him break the law?” asked Hermione, with a smile. She knew Harry would never want Albus to violate any serious law, or do anything to expose the Magi community.
Harry looked at Hermione but did not say anything. Of course he was helping Albus learn how to use magic and not get caught. It was good training. Harry did not want to tell Hermione about the prophesies, but it was sure looking like Albus was the subject of prophesies, powerful scary prophesies.
Harry, Hermione, Kingsley and the rest of the staff made significant progress in modernizing the Ministry during 2010. None of the progress was dramatic by itself, but the cumulative result was impressive.
When Harry first became an Auror the British Auror department was one of the more backward Auror departments, especially backwards for a first world country. The whole Department of Magical Law Enforcement was backwards. Harry was not interested in supervising most of the activities of the department, since they were not matters of serious concern to the safety of what he was beginning to call Magi, the magical people under the government of the Ministry of Magic. He and the rest of the departments did work together, and the longer they worked under Arthur and Harry the better they worked together.
Arthur was never very good at the Magical/Muggle things they were doing to modernize the Ministry, but he had an excellent assistant, a Ravenclaw graduate who wanted to be an Auror and knew everything, but who was not very good at dueling and reacting quickly to difficult situations. Being Arthur’s assistant was ideal for both of them.
Harry had started to refer to magical people as Magi, and when he explained to Hermione why she did as well. He had to explain to so many people why it was better to say Magi than to say witches and wizards. In addition to it being shorter it had positive or neutral connotations, where witch was still a word used for women who had sold their soul to the devil, and had very bad connotations in English and in many other languages. It turned out that Magi, or a word that translated to Magi, was used by some of the magical communities in the world.
Harry and Hermione, both having been raised in the Muggle world, had to explain why it was better to say Magi than witch. Some of the other Muggle born and Magi that lived in both the Magical and Muggle worlds joined in the discussion.
Harry took his family, including Teddy, to the Caribbean for Teddy’s spring break, a week away, with some mapping that both Al and Teddy were very interested in. While they were mapping James sometimes flew with his dad, just for the fun of flying. Harry also had Albus up with him, and Albus seemed to be as interested in the magic of the mapping as in the flying.
The first of April Fred got his magic wand, at eleven, for his birthday. Then he had to find some place he could practice using it. There was a basement magical workshop under WWW, hidden from most attempts to see what was going on down there including the Department for the Regulation of Underage Magic, that Fred used sometimes. The other area was the sub-basement area under Grimmauld Place. Fred would ask if he could come over and use that space, and both Ron and Hermione and Harry and Ginny allowed Fred to come over some of the time.
Albus found out, and loved to go down the sub-basement under his aunt and uncle’s house and watch Fred practice with the wand. Harry found out that Albus did more than practice. Albus could Levitate things, and Fred could Levitate things with the wand. They would use a ball or something else, and see who could push it one way or another, almost like football or Quidditch played with a ball and Levitation. If was fun to see the ball being pushed back and forth, Fred at one end of the room, Albus at the other, the ball skittering back and forth between them. Of course all this playing with magic was sort of illegal, but the room in the sub-basement was thoroughly hidden from the Department for the Regulation of Underage Magic, hidden from anybody in the Ministry actually.
The middle of April Harry was going to be over at DPW all day. Rose was going somewhere with her grandmother, doing something special, and Albus was really not invited along. He asked if he could go with Harry; Albus wanted to spend as much time with his father as he could and always wanted to be with Harry instead of playing with his cousins if given the chance. Albus and James were a little like oil and water. They could play together at times, especially if Harry or Ginny was watching closely, but James was jealous of Al’s magical ability, and James was always bigger and physically stronger. Al was not exactly afraid of James, but they were hardly best friends.
James was hardly alone. There was a group of boys about the same age, all part of the ‘home schooling’ group around the New Burrow property, that included Louis Weasley, Fabian and Gideon Prewett, and Abraham Stanford, that played together. Sometimes Albus was part of this group, and sometimes he was busy doing his own thing, alone, or with Rose, or with Martin or with both of them.
For some reason Dobedo was going over to DPW Ltd. with Harry, and he had Martin with him. The house elf Martin and Albus really were best friends, something else James was jealous about. As they were going through the factory they came upon the area that had goblins and a few house elves living there. Martin knew one of the house elves, and asked if they could stay with the young house elves and goblins. When it was time for them to go Albus asked if he and Martin could go over to visit the house elves and goblins from time to time, maybe every other week for a half a day or so. Harry said he would see what he could do.
When they got home and Harry was alone with Albus he asked, “Why do you want to visit with the house elves and goblins?”
“To be friends with more people,” said Albus.
“Are you going to become friends with goblin children as well as elf children?” asked Harry.
Albus looked at his dad for a long time. “Some things hard to say in English,” he finally said. “Much harder to become friends with a goblin in English. Much easier in Elfish.”
“Why?” asked Harry.
“I can’t say it,” said Albus. “I do not know enough. I’m sorry.”
“Are you glad you are learning elfish?” said Harry.
“I think it’s real important,” said Albus. “It’s hard. Not always nice being a wizard, a Magi, when you are talking or listening in elfish. Even very nice wizards not always nice. Dad, can I grow up more and learn more before we talk about this?”
“Just keep on learning, Albus. You are still very young. I am very proud of you,” said Harry. He pondered what Al had been telling him for a long time.
Harry finally told Hermione about the discussion. It was so important that he pulled out the memory and he and Hermione looked at the brief discussion exactly as Harry had experienced it. When they came out of the memory Hermione said, “I know there is some deep magic in the relationship between Magi, elves and goblins. I don’t really understand it, and I’m not sure you can understand it unless you know elfish. I have asked Rose to teach me some elfish, but it is really hard to learn if you do not start very young. You have to be painfully careful about relationships, who is over whom and in which way. You almost have to know two or three generations of relationships.
“I think anyone who was friends with house elves and was in a position of power would have a big advantage over anyone else. He would know much more about who was really in charge, and in which of many subtle ways he was in charge or not in charge.”
“Why do the elves want Al and Rose to learn elfish?” asked Harry.
“I do not think we are going to get a simple answer to that question,” said Hermione. “I’m not sure they know.”
“I’m beginning to think Al is me and I am Dumbledore, except Dumbledore knew what he was doing and I don’t,” said Harry.
“Do you think Dumbledore always knew what he was doing?” asked Hermione.
“I’m beginning to think he didn’t always know, and that scares me,” said Harry. “At least Dumbledore knew I was supposed to confront Riddle. I have no idea what Albus is being prepared for.”
“Neither do I, Harry” said Hermione. “Neither do I.”
Harry of course shared as much of this with Ginny as he could. She was a little anxious, being a mother, but really did not get why Harry was so concerned. She was much more confident of Harry’s ability to solve any problem than Harry was.
The only unusual thing at the spring meeting of the International Confederation of Witches and Wizards was Ginny noticed that Al had quite a discussion with Nausicaa Scheria, and that after church Sunday Al was talking to Nausicaa and Apollo Scheria. Al was only three and a half old, so the discussions were pretty basic, a lot of ‘what’s that,’ but Al was really trying hard to figure everything out. The Wizard Christian Church allowed people to become affiliated, members of a local church, even if they had not been baptized or, like Harry, had been baptized but never had a formal faith conversion. It was one example of the awkwardness of the Christian/magic relationship. Harry went to church about half of the time; Ginny accompanied him only occasionally. Al was also beginning to go with Harry. Church bored James.
Summer! It was the summer of 2010. Teddy and Freddy both had wands, and as long as they did not do anything too wild they could get away with using them around the New Burrow property. For a variety of reasons Harry and Hermione had strengthened and modified the wards around the New Burrow property. One reason was they were tired of being hassled by the Department for the Regulation of Underage Magic. Since the Department for the Regulation of Underage Magic knew full well that underage magic was being done on the property there was an uneasy standoff. The law really did not and could not say that an underage Magi could not do any magic, just that they could not do it in front of Muggles and be noticed or get caught doing underage magic. Underage full blooded Magi had practiced magic as children for as long as anyone could remember, and the law was chiefly used for egregious violations and, to Harry’s disgust, to hassle Muggle born or children of Muggle/Magi relationships.
Harry noticed that Teddy and Freddy frequently engaged in duels on the top of the towers, of course floating down to the ground when one or occasionally both of them lost the duel. He was fascinated by this; Tom and Cinnamon Appleleaf said that this kind of duel had been going on since they were children but since Harry’s nieces and nephews were not involved he just did not notice.
“When are you going to be done with school?” asked Harry of the couple.
“We are done going to school to learn,” said Tom, “Although I hope I never stop learning. I’m going to be teaching the beginning Transfiguration courses at Hogwarts in the fall. Cinnamon is better at Transfiguration, and is going to be teaching the older grades, but I’m better at teaching beginners. Cinnamon and I are looking for a house in Hogsmeade, but we are also talking to Minerva about building a house within the Hogwarts grounds.”
“There is something coming up about that at the Hogwarts board meeting” said Harry. “Making it easier for married couples to be teachers at Hogwarts and not have to be away from their young families for weeks at a time.”
Harry and Tom talked more about Hogwarts, and the changes that Minerva and the board were planning.
Lily and Hugo were almost two, and Ginny was watching them and talking to Cinnamon. “Where are the babies,” asked Cinnamon. Lily and Hugo were the youngest of the children; after years of babies there were no babies, no pregnant witches, in sight. This generation seemed to have finally stopped having children. Of course from the way Cinnamon talked there could be another baby by next summer; she and Tom had been married for 4 years and they were ready for a child.
Shortly after Cinnamon asked about babies Belinda Dursley walked out of the Burrow with her nine month old daughter Perri. “Hi, Ginny” said Belinda. “Dudley said that Harry said that I should bring Perri over to the play area here during the summer.”
“You are very welcome to be over here,” said Ginny. “Belinda, this is Cinnamon Appleleaf. Her husband Tom is talking to Harry. They moved to this area into one of the first new houses right after the Battle of Hogwarts. Cinnamon, Belinda is a witch married to Harry’s Muggle cousin Dudley, and they live at the end of the street where we live.”
“I’m very pleased to meet you, Mrs. Dursley,” said Cinnamon.
“Please, call me Belinda. You’re not that young,” said Belinda.
“I’m twenty-one and just graduated from the Wizarding College in Switzerland,” said Cinnamon.
“Well see, you are twenty-one and married and a college graduate. You’re a grownup,” said Belinda.
“I’m not sure I feel like a grownup yet,” said Cinnamon. “When do you feel you are a grownup?” By this time Harry and Tom had come over to join in the conversation.
Everybody had heard the question. Harry said, “I had to grow up too fast. The fall after the Battle of Hogwarts people were already looking to me as a leader. I had to act as a grownup. I’m not sure I felt much like a child the last years at Hogwarts, certainly not the last year we were on the run.”
“It was a lot different for me,” said Ginny. “Even after I was married I was in school for a year, and even as a married student at Hogwarts it is hard to feel you are a grownup. Playing on a sports team, where you have curfews and rules, hard to feel you are a grownup there. I sort of felt like a grownup when we were taking care of Teddy, but he was not our son so I sort of felt like I was an imposter, playing the role of a mother.” Ginny was quiet for a moment, and then exclaimed “I know! Donna Lionheart was over here at the pond, and I was looking at James and her daughter Erica, and I thought how nice it would be if those two fell in love and got married, and … and had children so I was a grandmother … and … grandmother … and I thought ‘Oh my I really am a grown up mother.’”
Everybody laughed at this. “Children first!” said Tom. “You have to have children before you get to be a grandparent. I’m ready, and I know mum and dad are ready to be grandparents. And I’d better act as a grownup to my students if I am teaching at Hogwarts.”
Hogwarts was continuing to grow. There was a fifth house, for foreign students and students who for some reason were not going to be sorted in to a house. This included some older students who started not as first year’s but as third or fourth years, and who in previous years would not have gone to Hogwarts at all. There was some magic in who was accepted, who the sorting had sent to one of the four houses and who the sorting hat sent to the other house. It appeared that a lot of students worldwide wanted to spend the last two years at Hogwarts.
There were also so many things that needed to be taught that the school was going to have an optional eighth year, and many of those students but not all were going to be in the new fifth house.
Because of the increase in the size of the school much additional staff was needed. One of the biggest obstacles to recruiting staff was housing, or lack of housing for married couples with small children. There were plenty of apartments that were comfortable for a couple, but none really good for raising a family.
In the end, and with Harry’s encouragement, they added an apartment complex to the castle, looking very much like the rest of the castle, apartments around a courtyard that could serve as a secure playing area for young children, one story high at first but with plans to grow it to as many stories as they needed.
By the time they started teaching Cinnamon was pregnant, and she had a baby before the school let out for the summer. The apartments were done before the end of the 2010-2011 school year, and Tom and Cinnamon were among the first to move in.
There was quite a crowd of students going to school in the fall of 2010. Frank Longbottom II had started school with Teddy Lupin, so they were second year students. Going to school as first years were Freddy Weasley, Elisa Williamson and Jonathan Appleleaf. For several years the crowd of students belonging to Harry and Ginny’s close friends going to Hogwarts was going to grow.
The end of August 2010 ended up being rather frantic. Two weeks before the Quidditch season started Ginny told Harry, “I’ve lost a third of my first stringers. Too many women with small children, men with other things they have to do. I need some new people to report on these games in a hurry!”
“Don’t you have quite a few people looking for these jobs?” Harry asked.
“The last couple of years I have always had a lot of candidates,” Ginny replied. “I always try to have backups. I have to do a lot of interviewing, have all the candidates give me a sample of their writing. I am asking in the next two columns for more help. It’s just going to be a little frantic.
“Mum and Fleur are going to help with the children, and Jean Granger is going to have Albus for a few more hours a day. I have asked Mum to take Teddy for his shopping for Hogwarts.”
Harry didn’t see a lot of Ginny for the next week. She even missed a couple of dinners, something very unusual, as she interviewed people.
The morning of August 30 Harry got out his maps of the Hogwarts Express. He always had Aurors check the train a couple of days before it was due to leave and then keep a watch over it. This year he gave the job to Susan Cooper, one of his newer Aurors. She and her husband Greg were only in their second year of being qualified Aurors. Susan was pregnant, so she was on restricted duty. Scanning the Hogwarts Express would be an ideal job.
Just after lunch Susan was back, and with her was the most battered boy Harry thought he had ever seen, except maybe right after the Battle of Hogwarts.
“Who are you?” Harry asked.
“Timothy Evans, sir,” the boy said. “I have my Hogwarts letter right here! Can I stay there? I don’t ever want to go back to my father!”
“May I see your letter?” Harry asked. He looked over the letter, and saw that everything was in order. The map of the Ministry on Harry’s desk showed that a Timothy Evans was in his office, so the boy was telling the truth, at least about his name.
“What happened to you?” Harry asked.
“My dad is a real bad man, and he doesn’t like me. He wants me dead, but somehow he has not been able to kill me or mam. She’s hiding and I escaped.”
Harry listened to Timothy’s sad story, gently questioning him until he was satisfied. Then he said, “Timothy, we need to get you over to our hospital, St. Mungo’s. I want them to examine you before we do anything else.”
Late in the day Madam Pomfrey walked into Harry’s office, accompanied by Timothy. She had Timothy sit down, and then she said, “We have given Timothy some pain medicine so he can go on the train September 1. Someone needs to get him books and supplies, and I would expect it would be best if someone would accompany him on the train. Can you get that done for me?”
“We are already taking Teddy, and we can take Timothy too,” Harry said. “I’m sure we can arrange for his supplies.”
“We are going to have Timothy in the infirmary every weekend and over breaks healing him,” Poppy said. “The internal injuries are worse than the ones you can see. He should be mostly healed by the end of the school year.”
Timothy was a little groggy. The pain medicine they gave him really kept him from hurting, but it made him woozy as well. “I am used to pain, Madam Pomfrey, mam,” he said. “I don’t like being so groggy. I need to know what is going on.”
“Just take one potion every six hours, not two,” Poppy said. “It’s all right to take two before you go to sleep.
“Harry, where is Timothy going to stay until he gets on the train, and who is going to get him his supplies?”
“I don’t know, but will figure it out,” Harry said.
Harry called Ginny. “I have a young man that is going to need a place to stay for a couple of days, and to get his Hogwarts supplies. Have you gotten all your stringers for Quidditch lined up? I thought you said you had it all taken care of last night.
A rather frantic Ginny said, “Call Mum. I would but I had a couple of stringers quit at the last minute, and I’m frantic trying to get coverage for all the Quidditch games. The season starts Saturday. Between that and three demanding children even with house elf help I’m probably not going to have time.
“Mum has to take Freddy shopping tomorrow. That idiot brother of mine has been so busy selling things to other children that he’s forgotten to get Freddy his things.”
Harry hated to keep imposing on Molly, but could not see a better choice. He called and explained the situation to her, but before he was halfway through Molly said, “You bring that poor boy over here RIGHT NOW! The stores at Diagon Alley are open late tonight, and I can give him a good meal and get him some clothes. Now, Harry, now.”
“Yes, Mum,” Harry said.
“Was that your mother?” Timothy asked.
“That was my wife’s mother,” Harry said. “She is the closest thing I have to a mother. Mine was killed when I was just a year old.”
“I’m sorry,” Timothy said.
“I’m real sorry too,” Harry said. “Let’s get you to Mum Weasley.”
Harry locked the door to his office, leaving it in more of a mess than was usual for him, and took Timothy to a private Floo. In no time Harry and Timothy were in the kitchen of Molly Weasley. Molly looked at Timothy and said, “Let me hug you, young man. Tell me if I am hugging you too hard.”
Molly hugged Timothy until she could see that it was beginning to hurt him, and then got him to sit at a big kitchen table. “When was the last time you have anything to eat, Timothy?” she asked.
“I had a sandwich at the hospital,” Timothy said, “but before that it was yesterday afternoon.”
“I told the house elves to get dinner ready for us about 8:00 PM. Before we go shopping I have fruit, sandwiches, and a salad for you.” Molly pulled out serving dishes with everything on it, and a very hungry Timothy had a big salad, two sandwiches, and took two apples to put in his pocked.
“I have to go home,” Harry told Molly. “Ginny is frantically trying to hire a couple additional reporters before Quidditch season starts, and I ought to be home with the children.”
“I will take care of Timothy,” Molly said. Very quietly she said, “The Harry and Ginny Potter foundation is going to get this boy some nice clothes and good school supplies! Thank you, Harry.”
Harry went home to spend some time with his family. Ginny was at dinner, but she had an appointment right after, and Harry put the children to bed. Teddy came over to dinner, as was his custom. Harry told Teddy as much as he could about Timothy. Teddy said, “Gran Weasley is going to take Freddy and me shopping for our Hogwarts supplies tomorrow. We can take Timothy with us, and make sure he gets some stuff from WWW.”
There was nothing particularly different about the fall of 2010. All the children continued to learn. Al kept getting into trouble with the Department for the Regulation of Underage Magic, always for the most trivial things. A couple of the members of the department really were upset that Al could Levitate things and do other magic without a wand, something that only a very few Magi could do, and they seemed to have a personal vendetta against Albus.
Harry had all of the Aurors and most of the other Magi in the DMLE wearing armor, and the armor was getting better. All of Great Britain was almost too peaceful, but the time Harry spent supervising teams of International Aurors was giving him enough excitement. Life was good.
(*The word that has been translated “carpenter” in the bible could refer to any of a number of tradesmen. Nazareth in Jesus time had very few trees, but was renowned for stone work, including millstones. If you read the bible Jesus refers to millstones and stone work but never talks about making chairs or tables.)
Chapter 7: CH 7 A Mother and Son
Author's Notes: If you have read my stand alone story “Tiny Tim, a Shaggy Kneazle Story,” some of the dialogue is lifted right from that story. As usual some minor but critical changes after input by my beta FriendofMolly. In the north of England you call your mother “mam” instead of “mum.”
December 23, 2010 Harry Potter was working long hours again, trying to help so the Aurors with young families would not have to spend as much time right before Christmas away from their families. He always was on Holiday from Christmas Eve on for a couple of days, and then again in the Caribbean for a week or two in January.
Harry was accompanying the Coopers in patrolling Diagon Alley. By this time Susan was visibly pregnant, and she was spending most of her days accompanying other DMLE officers on rounds. They went into the Wheezes to say hi to George and Angelina and see how things were going.
Just as they were getting ready to leave Timothy Evans approached Harry. “Mr. Potter,” Timothy said. “Can I talk to you privately? It is important!”
“No problem, Timothy,” Harry said.
“It is about my mam,” Timothy said. “I wrote to her, send her a message on a half-kneazle cat. When the half-kneazle came back without the message her owners said that my mam had gotten the message but she didn’t write back.”
“Do you know why she wouldn’t write back?” asked Harry.
“She is probably afraid my dad will try to kill her,” Timothy said.
“Is there anything we can do to help?” Harry asked.
“Can you find her?” he asked. “I told her to call the phone of Ronald and Hermione Weasley, and I asked Mr. Weasley if they had received a call from mam, but they had not.”
“They don’t have landline phones, just these wizard mobiles,” Harry said.
“Freddy said he saw phones connected to wires at their house,” Timothy said.
“That’s listed in Hermione’s Mother’s name, Jean Granger,” Harry said.
“WE’VE GOT TO FIND HER!” Timothy said. He was beginning to get frantic. “I told her I’d be back for Christmas.”
“We know about your, whatever he is, David Evans,” Harry said. “He is known to the law enforcement officers, and he is a real bad man. We have not tried too hard to find your mother because as soon as we do we are probably going to have to hide her. Let me see what I can do.”
Harry called together all the staff he could. After telling them the story of Timothy he said, “We have to find Lilly Evans. We are almost sure that is not the name she is using, but someone should know where she is.”
Harry and his team used all of their contacts with the Muggle law enforcement officers, contacts that had grown in number and sophistication since Harry and Arthur had been in charge of Magical Law Enforcement. Finally, after almost twenty four hours, they had a break. They found a female officer who knew where Lilly Evans was living. It took magic and memory management to get her to reveal what she knew. She knew where Lilly worked and where she lived. So mid-morning December 24 Harry and his team went to Lilly’s work. She had the day off. They went to the rooming house where she rented a room. She was not there.
Harry made a map of the rooming house where Lilly was renting a room, and the area around it. If Lilly showed up her name would appear on the map. They also made a map of the small illegal restaurant where Lilly worked part time. Harry picked up Timothy and had him show Harry and the Aurors where he thought Lilly might be. The drove around until 5:00 PM, and finally Harry took Timothy to his house.
“I think we are going to miss Christmas Eve services this year,” Harry told Ginny and Timothy. “I think this year we need to do all we can to find Timothy’s mother.”
“Mr. Potter,” Timothy said. “The weather is just horrible. You have to find her!”
Timothy was right. It was that kind of blowing wet almost snow type of rain that is way worse than snow. It was just a terrible day or night to be out in. Harry kissed Ginny, saying, “I’ll stay at this until after midnight if I have to, Love. If she’s out in this weather we really do have to find her.
“At least if she goes home I will spot her on the map.”
It was ten o’clock. Harry finally spotted Lilly Evan’s name on the map, moving toward the building where she lived. His driver pulled the black Range Rover that Aurors and other DMLE staff used up to the front door. Harry got out, and Dobedo and another Auror followed at a discrete distance. Harry approached the wet bedraggled figure and softly said, “Lilly,” but she didn’t seem to hear. He put his hand on her shoulder, and she jumped.
“Lilly Evans?” Harry asked. He had a hard time holding back tears. His mother’s name was Lily Evans, and she was dead. Here he was, being given a chance to rescue a Lilly Evans. Harry said, “I’m sorry, but my mother’s name was Lily Evans, and this is hard for me.”
“If you have to kill me do it quickly and painlessly,” Lilly said, admitting a final and futile defeat. “It is Christmas Eve after all.”
“NO, NO, NO,” Harry said. “I haven’t come to kill you. Are you the mother of Timothy Evans?”
“Who are you?” she said. “Is Timothy all right?”
Harry had been abused as a child, but not like Timothy. He had been agonizing about telling Lilly ever since they started looking for her. He could not tell her that everything was fine, and then let her see her battered son.
“He is worse for wear, but he is healing. I think he is going to be all right,” Harry said.
“Where is he?” Lilly asked.
“At our house, hoping we would be able to find you,” Harry said.
“Who are you, and why do you have Timothy?” Lilly asked.
“My name is Harry Potter, and I am in law enforcement. There is a lot that I have to explain to you. If you come with me we can see your son. Why don’t you get some things so you can stay with us and your son for a few days?”
Harry took the key and put it in the lock.
Harry was shocked when he saw how little Lilly had in her room. Everything she owned fit into one battered suitcase. He thought he had never seen such a defeated woman. Her son had spirit. He was in Gryffindor, and he had been working tirelessly to find his mother. Considering Timothy’s upbringing, and especially the last four years, it was no wonder that he didn’t trust anyone, and maybe hadn’t gone about finding his mother the right way.
Lilly accompanied Harry to the car, and when he opened the back door she got inside. There was a young man driving. Harry said, “We’re done for the night. Take the car to the Ministry and I’ll take Lilly to our house where her son is.”
“Yes sir, Head Auror Potter, sir. Thank you for letting me spend Christmas Eve with you,” the young man said.
“Your son is an unusual young man,” Harry said to Lilly. “Did you ever notice him doing things that were hard to explain, that were, well, magical?”
“Yes, and then David would beat him, or me, or both,” Lilly said. “I think several times David was going to kill one or both of us, but it never worked out right.
“He sent a man to kill me once. The gun misfired a couple of times, so he pointed the gun at himself and almost like magic it fired just as it was pointing at his head. When the Bobbies came I talked them into changing my name and going into hiding, but they found me again and once more stole everything I had.”
“Maybe Timothy protected you,” Harry said. “There is real magic in the world, although most witches and wizards work hard to hide the fact. There was too much persecution of witches and wizards a few hundred years ago, and magical society went into hiding.
“Lilly, your son is a wizard.”
Lilly looked at Harry like she was trying to process what he had told her, but she was obviously exhausted, and she looked terribly cold. He pulled out his wand to examine her, and saw the terrified look on her face. He put her to sleep before examining her with the basic medical scan that all Aurors knew. Lilly’s bodily temperature was close to being dangerously low, and her hands were very close to being frostbitten. He did a warming charm to get her body temperature back up to a safe level.
“Wake up, Lilly,” Harry said.
Harry called Ginny. “I have Timothy’s Lilly, Ginny,” he said.
“Praise Merlin,” Ginny said. “I will be in the kitchen waiting for you.”
They got out of the car, and Harry thanked his staff and took Lilly into the Atrium of the Ministry. “We are going to walk through that fireplace, and end up at my house,” Harry told Lilly.
Lilly looked terrified. She grabbed hold of Harry’s hand tightly, and reluctantly followed him into the Floo.
“Is this Lilly, Harry?” Ginny asked as Harry and Lilly came thru the Floo.
“Lilly, this is my fantastic wife Ginny,” Harry said. Ginny stood up, and Harry and Ginny kissed. “We found her,” Harry said to Ginny, and he broke down in tears. “We found her.”
A very blond boy came noisily down the stairs. He sort of hobbled to his mother.
“Mam, mam,” he said. “You must have gotten my letter. I sent it by, one of the Ravenclaw girls has a half-Kneazle cat, and when you give a letter to the cat it can usually find you, and I, well, they agreed that I didn’t have to go home to dad because he beat me so badly but I was going to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas but I really wanted to find you so I snuck home with Freddy Weasley, his dad owns the joke shop and I worked there to earn some money, but we couldn’t find you, and finally Freddy said I should talk to Harry Potter because he was a hero and he could do anything.
“Mam, we learned all about it at school, how Harry Potter fought the wicked wizard and killed him in a duel at Hogwarts and there is a place on the Floor of the great hall showing where it took place, and that FAMOUS Harry Potter is Freddy’s Uncle, and early yesterday morning he came to the Wheezes and I asked him to find you.
“Well, when I said that I had given the half-Kneazle cat a letter to you they said they needed to find you, because you were probably worried to death, and, did you get my letter?”
“Are you ever going to have to go back to live with your Dad?” Lilly asked.
“NO!” Timothy shouted. “I don’t think he’s my dad anyway. I don’t look anything like him.”
“I got the letter on the cat, but I thought it was some sort of a cruel joke,” Lilly said. “I moved several times because David, I hate to call him my husband because we were never married, although his name is on your birth certificate, well I think he was trying to kill me. You are right. He is not your father.
“Then I was off work Christmas Eve, and I thought that if you tried to find me I wasn’t where we lived before, and I spent most of the day around the old neighborhoods asking if anyone had seen you, and I’d, … I’d, … I’d given up.” Lilly was exhausted and she broke down in tears.
Timothy hugged his mother tightly, and said, “It’s all sort of like a fairy tale. I was on crutches and much worse when I got to Hogwarts but Madam Pomfrey and some healers from St. Mungo’s have worked on me and I can walk without crutches and I don’t hurt ALL the time and things are getting better.
“I don’t have as many nightmares either. You are not supposed to see the Thestrals unless you have seen someone die, but I didn’t have any trouble because when I was with, he’s NOT my dad, that man, I saw people killed.”
“Timothy,” Lilly said, “I’m exhausted, and I don’t have any idea what you are talking about most of the time. Let’s go to sleep and we can get to know each other tomorrow.”
“You both can sleep in the guest bedroom,” Ginny said. “Mabel, one of our house elves, will show you.”
“Do we have Christmas presents for them?” Harry asked Ginny when the Timothy and Lilly were gone.
“I have conjured up a couple of extra stockings, and Fleur has gift certificated for both of them,” Ginny said. “What kind of shape was Timothy in when you found him? If that battered little boy is healed he must have been in terrible shape when you found him.”
“He was,” Harry said. Harry and Ginny both cried, sorrow for the two poor guests, and joy that they were reunited, mingled.
Teddy came early Christmas morning, and all the children including Timothy, eagerly went for their stockings. Inside Timothy’s was a gift certificate for one hundred pounds for “clothes and necessities” and another one, this one for twenty five pounds, “not to be spent on necessities, but must be spent on things you want.”
Lilly looked at the Potters. “We can’t accept these gifts from you,” she said. “We don’t have anything to get you, and it’s not like we are family or anything.”
“Lilly,” Harry said, “I grew up in a household where my aunt and uncle gave my cousin lavish presents and never gave me anything. My first Christmas present was a jumper from Ginny’s mum when I was eleven. I get immense pleasure in giving presents to people who really need them. Don’t deny me this little pleasure.
“Look in your stocking. There are presents for you as well.”
Lilly looked in her Christmas stocking. Inside were three envelopes, with instructions to open them in order. The first envelope had a gift certificate for two hundred pounds for “clothes and necessities” and another one, this one for twenty five pounds, “not to be spent on necessities, but must be spent on things you want.” The gift certificates looked like credit cards. The letter was from “The Harry and Ginny Potter Charitable Trust, and it was signed, in the most elegant and fancy signature Lilly had ever seen, Fleur Isabella Delacour Weasley, trustee.
Lilly looked at Harry. “We have already gotten Timothy clothes,” Harry said.
She opened the next envelope. The certificate said that they had rented an apartment for her in a building in London, and gave the address. Lilly was almost sure she could not afford an apartment where this on was.
“I can’t afford to live there!” Lilly said.
Harry said, “Now look in the third envelope, Lilly.”
The third envelope contained a brief letter saying that on the next Monday she had a job interview with Bill Weasley and Michael Appleleaf.
“Between the job and the apartment we can keep you safe, Lilly,” Harry said.
“Mum, everything is going to be all right,” Timothy said.
Lilly broke down in tears again, but you could tell they were tears of joy.
“Everybody needs to get dressed to go to the New Burrow for Christmas,” Harry announced. “Timothy and Lilly, you are going with us.”
All the children were thru the Floo when Harry took Lilly. Right after Ginny and Mitzi went thru. Molly gave Harry a hug, then Ginny, and then turned to Lilly. She held Lilly, her hands on Lilly’s shoulders, and said, “You must be Lilly, the mother of Timothy. It is SO GOOD to see that they found you. You are safe and loved here.” Molly pulled Lilly into one of her patented hugs, and Lilly felt suddenly welcomed.
Lilly sat down next to Ginny, surveying a rather large and noisy group of people. Timothy had a boy and girl by the hand, and pulled them over to his mother.
Timothy said, “Mam, this is Freddy Weasley. His parents own a store that sells all sorts of fun magic things. Freddy is in class with me, and we room together. Frank Longbottom is also in our class and room, and his dad is one of the professors! It’s real strange rooming with the son of a professor. They call Professor Longbottom “The Snake Slayer,” and he is some sort of real hero.
“Oh, and this is his little sister Roxanne.”
“I’m not THAT little, Timothy,” Roxanne said, and she left.
“Teddy Lupin is also at Hogwarts,” Timothy said. Teddy came over to see Timothy and Lilly, pulling a pretty girl along.
Teddy said, “Timothy, this is Victoire Weasley. She is going to Hogwarts next year.”
A man with a terribly scarred face and maybe the most beautiful woman Lilly had ever seen followed Victoire, and two more children followed.
“Timothy, Mrs. Evans,” Victoire said, “I would like to introduce you to my mother and father, Bill and Fleur Weasley, and my LITTLE sister and brother Dominique and Louis.”
Dominique said,” Little!” with distain, turned and walked away.
Bill and Lilly spend a little time talking.
George and Angelina came over and introduce themselves. George did say that Timothy was very helpful at the shop, and he was glad he could pay Timothy for the help.
By the time dinner was done Christmas Eve it was obvious to Harry, Ginny and Molly that the Evans were exhausted. Lilly had finally started to take notes, about the people, and about magic. She kept looking at the notes and shaking her head, like there was WAY too much new information to learn. Lilly’s eyes were beginning to glaze over, so Timothy and Lilly were sent back to spend Boxing Day alone getting to know each other.
This year Christmas was going to be a two day affair. Boxing Day was on a Saturday, and for once all the Diagon Alley merchants had agreed to be closed on Boxing Day. It had been a very good year for almost all the merchants, the ones specializing in dark magic being the only exceptions.
All the cousins wanted to stay over at Grandma and Grandpa’s house. There were eight bedrooms upstairs, so this should be easy. Five bedrooms for the parents, as long as Charley went back to tending his Dragons, and then you had three bedrooms for all the children. If all the boys slept with Teddy, that is, Freddy, Louis, James, Albus and Hugo, then you could put the seven girls in two bedrooms. Harry was worried about the age difference, although hopefully the older two boys could watch over the younger four.
That was too many children in one room, really. And seven girls would not really fit in one bedroom, and the children were just old enough you did not want boys and girls sleeping together and of course none of this would work if Charlie stayed. None of the adults really wanted a child in their room. They hoped to sleep in, or not sleep but take advantage of the holiday for other activities in their bedrooms. None of the adults really felt that they could be back at their homes while their children were the only unsupervised ones. In the end there were six boys in the one room, with three bunk beds.
Saturday at dinner Fred said “The cousins have gotten together, and we want to stay another night! It is fun being together.”
“Ze house is not quite big enough for everybody, children,” said Fleur, looking at Molly.
“This house is huge,” said Grandmother Molly. “I love having my whole family around. We may have to do something about the number of bedrooms if this happens very often.”
“Like next summer,” said James. “I would love to spend some of the summer here so we can fly together.”
“That would be great,” said Teddy. “I need more practice if I am going to become a first string player on the Gryffindor Quidditch team.”
“Flying!” said Lily jumping up and down.
Victoire said, “It would be nice for the older girl cousins to get together more often without school work. Sundays are nice, but they are always too short. We love it when we come over here in the summer, but we always seem to get here too late and leave too early.”
“I’d like to have a chance to stay here,” said Roxanne. “I’ll work at the store when I have too, but I’d rather be here, even doing lessons some days.”
“We can walk here in the summer” said Lucy, “but it’s a really long walk, and it’s not the same thing as sleeping in the same room or same house as your cousins.”
“What if we want to bring a friend over?” asked Teddy. “Six people are already too many in my room.”
“A boyfriend or a girlfriend?” asked Ginny.
Teddy got a little red. “You’d better not have a girl sleeping in your room, Teddy,” said Victoire, getting a little red herself.
“Then don’t sleep with Teddy,” said Freddy to Victoire, and both Teddy and Victoire had daggers in their eyes as they looked at Freddy.
“Let’s see how the adults feel about this,” said Harry. “If there were enough bedrooms would you like to spend more of the Christmas Holiday and part of the summer living here?”
“The children love playing around the pond,” said Bill. “If they are all together they can come to our house on the shore together easier than if they are in separate houses.”
Audrey thought of her mother Phyllis, who was always glaring at the two girls whenever they loudly ran out to visit the pond and the cousins. “In some ways it would be easier being closer to the pond, so the children could come and go more easily, in the summer,” she said.
“If Charley was here we would lose another bedroom” said Molly. “I’m just not sure I want a bigger house.”
“We could build one right next door,” said Harry. Turning to the children he said, “Would that be good enough?”
“Like you could go from one house to the other without having to get your winter coat on, like that close?” asked Victoire.
“Make the place where we fly in bad weather bigger, daddy,” said James.
Over the next few weeks the parents continued to talk about making a second house next to the New Burrow. Harry said he would build the house. He felt that the first house he ever felt at home in was the old Burrow, and he was delighted to be able to have a place where all the cousins could experience not only visiting but living in such a magical place. Potter’s New Burrow was constructed in February and March of 2011. It was very similar to the New Burrow, almost a mirror image. There were about 20 feet between the end of the L that housed Arthur and Molly, and then a very similar L downstairs for Harry and Ginny, and another kitchen. The front of the house was laid out the same way, and on the other end downstairs was an L for Ron and Hermione. Upstairs over Harry and Ginny was the L for Percy and Audrey and over Ron and Hermione was the L for George and Angelina.
Bill and Fleur took the L over Arthur and Molly’s room, and their three children slept at the New Burrow, mostly, although there was a lot of moving around sleeping in different bedrooms. That left nine children for the six bedrooms in Potter’s New Burrow. Molly and Lucy usually slept together, and Al agreed to sleep with Hugo. No one wanted to sleep with Lily all the time, and Rose was too serious for and too young for Roxanne, but somehow Roxanne was able to room with Lily. Sometimes some of the children slept at the New Burrow instead of next door at Potters New Burrow, and there was a lot of moving back and forth between the houses.
Although the houses were not physically connected they were magically connected. Even in the worst weather it was like there was a glass wall over the two houses and the space between them, and you could walk outside between the houses in shirt sleeve comfort.
Chapter 8: CH 8 Al Travels and Speaks Out
Author's Notes: Chapter title by FriendofMolly. Thank you.
Saturday March twelfth Harry woke up at 6:00 AM as usual. He glanced at Ginny; she was sound asleep, which was normal. Harry then glanced at his advanced Wizards cell phone and communicator. It was blinking orange, which meant “call as soon as possible” not “emergency call right now.” Harry was looking forward to a relaxing time with his family, and he worried that he was going to be working another Saturday. Mostly these were minor problems, and Harry had taken enough command of his own schedule that he made up the time, but he liked Quidditch, and here on the second game of the season he had a call to take. Harry went to the loo and got dressed, went down to his private and hidden office, and made the call.
Willimena Van Lente was on the other end, and she answered, “Al Van Lente’s phone, Willimena speaking.” She then proceeded to fill Harry in on the earthquake in Japan, and why they needed him. They got on the magic mirrors with a small group in Japan. Just before 7:00 AM Harry came back up to the kitchen got himself a cup of coffee, and sat down with some notes.
Ginny woke up at 7:00 AM, alarm ringing, no Harry in the bed. She liked, especially Saturday and Sunday morning, to have Harry gently wake her up. Sometimes she would find herself in Harry’s arms. Frequently Harry would find a way to thoroughly turn her on, and they had to take care of a little private couple business before getting up. Harry not in bed was a bad sign; usually when that happened it meant some Saturday or Sunday emergency would interrupt their weekend plans. Ginny got up in not the best mood.
About 7:10 AM Harry decided that he had better wake up the children, or Ginny was going to have to, and it would start her day out worst that waking up without him in bed was probably already making it. He started with Lily, never the easiest to wake up. “Up, little one, if you do not want to miss Quidditch,” he said, as he picked her up out of bed and deposited her on the loo. That usually woke her up and kept her dry as well. She was on her way to being potty trained, but took that as she took most of life, like she was the precious little girl of her parents who could get away with anything, not like it mattered. Of course, as far as Harry and Ginny were concerned it did matter, which is why there were spells on her knickers that rang if they detected the slightest wetness or the very start if a bowel movement.
When the knickers rang James, who kidded everyone, not just Albus, would if he could say, “LilyLoo, LilyLoo, Lily is on the loo,” making fun of her name. That sometimes started a fight, which did nothing to help potty train Lily.
Harry left Lily on the loo while he went down stairs and woke up James, then confirmed that Albus indeed was up. Albus was usually up at 7:00 AM without anyone having to wake him up, and indeed this morning Albus was through in the loo and getting dressed. Back upstairs Harry made sure Lily wore what her mother had put out for her the night before. She hadn’t, but Harry made her change, and brought her down stairs. Harry met Ginny and Albus on the stairs. “I’ll check on James,” Harry said, putting Lily down. Lily sat down on a stair, and Harry said to Ginny “I’ll take care of her.”
James was well on his way to being ready; he did not want to miss a Quidditch game. Harry scooped up Lily and went down to the Kitchen.
Once everybody was seated around the table Ginny said, “What is going on, Harry, that you were busy first thing this morning?”
“There was an earthquake in Japan yesterday,” said Harry.
“There are revolutions going on in North Africa and the Mid-East, a lot closer to us, Harry,” said Ginny, “and you have told us that the Wizarding community, the Magi, have managed to avoid too much involvement in that. The International Auror Association is not involved at all.”
“Well, not much in the Mid-East,” said Harry. “The earthquake and tsunami is real bad, one of the worst in recorded history, but that’s not the problem. There is a big complex of nuclear power plants badly damaged, and the Magi badly need to know what is going on inside, as do the managers of the plant. They need my mapping program to do that.”
“I thought you had someone in Japan that knew the mapping program,” said Ginny.
“The best Magi is three month pregnant, and the other two are both young women in their childbearing years,” said Harry. “There is a little radioactivity now, but if things go wrong there will likely be more. I need to train some more Magi, probably men, as soon as possible.”
“Isn’t anyone else able to do it?” asked Ginny.
“No one is as good as I am,” said Harry.
“What is radio activity?” asked Albus.
Harry had to think how to answer this question. It was typical of Al to ask tough questions. “Radioactivity is invisible, but it can go through buildings and people, and it can hurt people if there is too much, Al,” said Harry.
“Is it dangerous to Muggles too?” asked Al.
“It’s actually a little more dangerous to Muggles,” said Harry, “but there is a lot that I don’t understand either. I’m supposed to go over to Switzerland to learn more about radioactivity and nuclear power plants, and then to Japan to train a few people. I should be back in a couple of days.”
“Can I go with you, Dad?” asked Albus. “You can send me home if anything gets dangerous, and I will be very good and not cause you any problems.”
Harry looked at Ginny, who took a moment, then said, “If you foolishly let Albus get exposed to any of this radio whatever stuff, if he gets hurt because of doing this, you might as well sleep with Al for a few months. Send him home the moment there is any danger, you hear!”
“I’ll take you to Switzerland, Al, but you may have to go home at any time,” said Harry.
“Yes, Father,” said Al. “I’ll do anything you say. Thank you!”
Ginny gathered James, Lily and Mitzi the house elf and left to see if she could interview any of the players or coaches of the Harpies game that were going to be playing that late morning.
Harry packed a couple of days clothes for himself and for Al, and took the Floo network to Switzerland. There he learned about the design of the GE reactors in the Japanese power plant. With the design in hand he was going to be able to tell what was still as it should have been and what might have been destroyed. It was clear that he needed a good way to tell if water was in some tanks; this was not something the mapping program was designed to do. Harry pondered changing the spell to reveal water. Through all these discussions Al kept his mouth shut. He tried to focus on the reaction of the people around the table. He could read everything, but reading and understanding were two different things, and a lot of what was said was way beyond anything he had knowledge of.
Finally Harry wanted to know, “Where are the Chinese? They have a few real experts in mapping.”
The Auror in charge said, “There is a family that is really good at mapping, so good that members of that family do most of the mapping in China and a fair amount in the rest of Asia, the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of WJ Tong. WJ is over one-hundred years old, and was present in Nanking when the Japanese took over the city in one of the worst instances of genocide during World War II, the infamous Rape of Nanking. Over three hundred thousand people were killed, brutally tortured, over half the city. WJ and his family have never gotten over it, and they hate the Japanese. You’re not going to get any mapping help out of them.”
That afternoon Harry met three young Japanese Wizards at a plant with the same type of GE boiling water reactors that were in the plant in Japan, and they practiced mapping them. They also practiced mapping the water levels in the reactors, something very difficult to do. Just like the presence of Wizards could mess up electricity, radioactivity could mess up the magic in the mapping program. The information Harry’s team was going to be able to get was going to be better than nothing, but not as good as they would like.
Harry and Albus ended up in a wizard hotel in Japan. Before they went to bed Albus asked, “What is rape?”
“It’s doing violence to another person’s body,” said Harry. “It’s much worse than hitting someone. It’s hurting them inside as well as outside.”
“Is that what the Japanese did?” asked Al.
“Yes, Al, that is what the Japanese did,” said Harry. “They did not just kill people, although that would have been very very bad. They made them hurt inside and outside first.”
“But why?” asked Al. “Why aren’t people good to other people?”
“I don’t know, Al,” said Harry. “Why are some people good, others bad? Some seem to care about others; other people seem to care only about themselves. It does not make you happy, you know, just trying to be happy. It makes you happy trying to help other people. But some people just never figure that out.”
“I want to be a good person,” said Al. “Just the best person, and best wizard, like you, Dad.”
“You have been very good on this trip, Al,” said Harry. “I’d explain more, but we need to get to sleep so I can work tomorrow.”
The next day Harry worked with the three Japanese Wizards mapping the complex of nuclear reactors, flying around the complex twice but mostly letting the Japanese do it. The Magi had set up a little command headquarters in one of the big buildings that had escaped damage, being too far inland, and Al stayed in that, with his father most of the time and with the staff, quietly reading, when his dad had to be gone. They were actually able to get home very late Sunday night.
After Al was in bed Ginny asked how it was. Harry explained about some of the difficulty they were having getting an idea what was going on in the reactors. Harry also explained about the problem with getting the Chinese to help. “And then that night Al asked me what rape was,” said Harry.
“What did you say?” asked Ginny.
“That it was hurting people inside as well as outside,” said Harry. “I did not want to explain the sexual facts of life to him with rape as the background.”
“There were a couple of rapes under the Carrows,” said Ginny. “Snape was furious. Did I ever tell you about the Carrows bodies?”
“I know,” said Harry. “As an Auror I had to try and close all the open cases from the Battle of Hogwarts. I do not think the person or people who let the Carrows hang in the dungeon realized that they were suffocating them. They died the same way people executed by crucifixion in Roman times died. Their feet were just touching the floor, but not supporting them. That must be why some people went after their private parts. We closed that file without ever trying to find out who had hit them. No one wanted to prosecute anyone who, just after the heat of battle, went after those two. Mercy not justice, I guess.”
“That’s what you try to do on the Wizengamot, isn’t it Harry?” asked Ginny.
“Even as an Auror we have to make judgment calls,” said Harry. “You can violate a law and be trying to do well, and you can be careful to follow the law and be a very bad person. We try not to punish the good, but we have to tolerate some of the bad. Not perfect. Just the best we can do.”
“You are a good person, Harry Potter,” said Ginny.
“Al told me he wants to be a good person, and a good Wizard,” said Harry. “Evil really bothers him.”
Potter’s New Burrow was finished the end of March, and the adults spent the next month furnishing it. They furnished the house so it was easy for it to hold adult or child guests as well as the family.
The summer house ended up being vastly more popular than anyone had expected. Fred ended up inviting Frank Longbottom to stay one night, and before long Teddy had invited a Hogwarts classmate to stay a night. All the parents agreed that this was going to be a good way to get to know their children’s friends. There were even a few adults that spent a few days at the New Burrow and Potters New Burrow, including Professors Tom and Cinnamon Appleleaf and their new baby. They spent most of the summer at their parents’ house, but took a little vacation from the parents one week. Molly told Ginny, “It just doesn’t seem like summer without a baby around somewhere.”
There was so much traffic around Potters New Burrow that Harry decided he needed to find out how the VanLente clan handled all the people who came to their lake property. When he did Al said, “I can show you better than tell you. We are having another meeting the end of July, in addition to our usual Fourth of July meeting, to talk about a few new people as guests, and clarifying a couple of rules or guidelines. Come on over and bring your wife and children.”
So the end of July Harry took a vacation week with his family, and spent a delightful week on the shore of Lake Michigan with the VanLente clan.
James quickly found children to fly with, and that in addition to swimming and the other activities kept him very busy. Lily did some flying as well, although it was a lot harder finding people to fly with her. She also managed to fall down the stairs leading to the lake more than once, breaking bones once in the process, which healed within a few hours with magic but not without some pain. One of the mothers had a magic life jacket that kept Lily from drowning a couple of times. Lily had a fantastic time! Ginny was slowly learning to take it all in stride; that was Lily, and there was not a lot you could do about it.
Al did enough flying and playing, but he also discovered old Bert VanLente. Al found Bert fascinating, and he wore Bert out with his questions. The old man was delighted, and old enough and wise enough to tell Al that his time was up when Al had received enough information and needed a break.
Harry decided to go to New York Saturday afternoon to meet some people, and take the closet/Floo network back Sunday after church. Harry wanted to go to church in New York, partly because he was going to church more often than not, and partly because he always liked seeing different churches and hearing different priests preach. He almost always went to Wizard churches, because he was much more comfortable there than in other churches. Harry could also ask questions of a new person, usually the priest.
The church in New York City they went to was a reasonably large church for a Wizard church. The 10:30 AM service, the largest service, had about 750 people, and with a Saturday night, early Sunday and very late Sunday service the total number of people going to church any weekend approached 1500, about 700 families or individuals as members.
Harry did not remember the first reading, but the second reading was from St. Paul’s letter to Philemon, sending a slave back to his owner. Harry thought that if witches and wizards loved their house elves like Paul loved the slave Onesimus and like Paul was telling Philemon to love Onesimus, the problems between house elves and wizards would be half way towards being solved. Harry knew the house elves were very familiar with this passage of the Christian scriptures.
The gospel was a speech of Jesus from Luke Chapter Fourteen, telling people that if they wanted to follow him they had to hate father and mother, brother and sister, wife and children. It was certainly not an easy passage.
Finally the priest was ready to give his sermon. He got down from the pulpit and started to roam the congregation, something that Harry had seldom seen done.
“This is one of the more challenging set of readings,” said the priest. “How can Jesus say you have to hate your parents, hate your brother and sister, your wife and children?
“Of course the Bible is at times more poetry than prose, more parable than history, but still what might Jesus be trying to tell us? What is St. Luke trying to tell us?
“I think you can get some idea by seeing how Jesus treated his mother. There is no doubt that Jesus loved his mother; she talked him into his first miracle, and that was at a wedding. But when someone said that she was blessed because she bore him and nursed him, He said blessed are those who hear the word of God and follow it. It must have broken Mary’s heart to see her son tortured and crucified, and Jesus must have known that it would break her heart, yet Jesus allowed himself to be crucified anyway.
“What does that have to do with us? Who sacrifices themselves, breaking the heart of their family in the process? I would like to suggest that anyone who has to make a decision to do what is right, even though it may break the heart of a loved one, is following Jesus’ example. Making a decision to do something that you feel is right, even if it may go against what your family wants, or if it may break the heart of someone in your family, is hard. Maybe we would not call it hating your family, but it certainly may not seem like a loving or proper thing to do to your family.
“It is hard to put ourselves in the time of Jesus, but take the example of Harry Potter, who although he had close friends, an adopted family who loved him, still for the good of our world freely walked to his death. He has said that although through deep magic, a miracle we still do not fully understand, he was able to live, he thought, in his mind, he was losing everything dear to him, his school, his friends, and his adopted family. He thought he was losing the girl who would become his wife? Harry must have known that his death would break her heart.”
Harry and Ginny were not ready for this sermon. They were both emotionally remembering the battle of Hogwarts, but both were also concerned about the boys. Lily was bored and not really listening, but Teddy, James and Albus were intently listening. James would probably try and see how he could bask in the reflected glory of his father, but Albus took anything moral very seriously, and you could see him thinking about all that he was hearing. It was hard to tell what Teddy would make of the sermon.
The priest continued, “You all have heard that we are children of God, probably heard it until it does not mean anything anymore. God is distant; Jesus is a picture of a bearded man hanging on a wall, and not a current Wizarding picture with a talking Jesus who can give you answers. What if you are Teddy Lupin, knowing that your parents fought and were killed for the Wizarding world, leaving you an orphan? They did what was best for the Wizarding world, and are honored for their sacrifice. At the same time Teddy Lupin is an orphan. That has to be hard! Did they hate him? I think not, but it has had to hurt Teddy and all the other children of people who died at that battle, all the children of people who have died trying to help someone else.” Teddy was sitting on one side of Harry, and he was squeezing Harry’s hand so hard it hurt!
“Just imagine you are a child of Harry Potter, and you have heard that your father walked to his death, not for you, but for the entire magical world, sacrificed himself for people he did not know. You know that your Grandmother and Grandfather went to Hogwarts with their whole family, knowing full well that all of them, all their children, could be killed, knowing that one of your uncles did die at the Battle of Hogwarts.”
The priest was getting close to the Potter family. They were sitting towards the center isle in about the center of the church.
The priest said, “YOU are that child, and YOU are faced with a moral question. You have to either do something that you know is right, but may cost you your life, may even cost other members of your family their lives, or not do what is right but save your family.”
The priest was warming up, talking louder, more urgently.
“But my family has never done anything that bold, you say. If you cannot visualize yourself as a child of God, just visualize yourself as a child of Harry Potter, someone who is alive today. YOU ARE THAT CHILD.” The priest was right next to the Potter family, and he started looking across the aisle and as he finished his sentence was looking right at the boys. “WILL …YOU… DO…WHAT… IS … RIGHT,” speaking very softly, “even though it is hard? WILL YOU SAY YES TO THE HARD DECISION?”
Al thought the priest was looking right at him, and he said loudly, “YES!” and then grabbed for his father held on tightly.
The priest was startled for a moment, and then he said, “One person says yes? Making the right decision is hard. We are not an evangelical church that asks for an altar call, but maybe we should?
“We ought to be saying that, just as so many people said ‘yes’ at the Battle of Hogwarts, and we know some of them paid the ultimate price, we like this small child ought to say ‘yes,’ yes to doing good even if it is hard, even if it may cause pain to our family, even if it seems hateful to someone close to us.
“I’m sure that Arthur and Molly Weasley still grieve for their dead son. I’m sure that Teddy Lupin still grieves for his parents.” As the priest was saying this Teddy had started to tear up, and was quietly crying. “All the choices we have to make are not easy. In another place Jesus says that we may have to sacrifice our hand or eye, in this passage we may have to sacrifice our family, we may have to sacrifice our own life, just like Harry Potter, the Lupin’s, and so many others have done in fighting for the good. But just like that small boy who said ‘yes,’ we must say ‘yes’ to the Lord, ‘yes’ to doing right.”
As the priest went back up to the altar James whispered to Al, “You’re in trouble now, Al.”
Harry and Ginny put James as far inside as they could, themselves and Lily between the boys, Teddy next, and Albus on the outside as far away from James as possible and where he could see what was going on. They could see that James was trying to pick a fight, and Al was worried.
When the church service was over Harry and Ginny looked at each other. The priest had proceeded out to the entrance of the church, and was greeting people. Harry and Ginny thought that the priest would probably want to talk to the young boy who had spoken up in the service, although they were not sure if Al wanted to draw attention to himself. Several people did come up to the family and complimented Al, who held on to Harry tightly and silently acknowledged people’s comments. This was so typical of Al, so shy, yet in some ways as bold as anyone in the family.
The Potter family finally left their seats and walked together towards the waiting priest. He caught their eye, and waved them over. He reached out and shook Harry’s hand saying as he did, “Are you visiting? I do not believe I know your name.”
“Harry Potter,” said Harry. “I believe you have already met my son Albus Severus. This is my wife Ginny, oldest son James Sirius, daughter Lily Luna, and godson Teddy Lupin. Also, this is Mitzi who helps Ginny, and Dobedo who is an Auror and my personal bodyguard.”
The priest’s mouth dropped open, and his eyes almost bulged out of his head. “I had no idea,” he said.
Several other people said, “Harry Potter?” and a couple said, “THE Harry Potter?” The Auror couple who was accompanying the Potter family immediately went into the standard plan when the Potters were in a large crowd of people and had been identified. They activated their Auror lights on low so everyone knew there were Aurors present. Also according to standard arrangements active throughout most of the Wizarding world three other Aurors, a couple and a very young girl, also activated their Auror lights and looked Harry’s way.
One of the refinements Harry and Al VanLente had put in place was a series of stars above the highest light bar indicating everybody’s rank, so it was immediately clear who was in charge. Harry was one of the very few Grade Ten Aurors in the world. The Auror couple guarding Harry, Ginny and family was Grade Six Aurors, an extremely high grade for people doing guard duty. The couple from the church was Grade Five Aurors; they had children, a boy and a girl, in between Teddy’s age and the age of Harry and Ginny’s children. The very young girl was a no rank trainee.
Harry excused himself. “I apologize,” he said. “Protocol says that when I or my family is spotted in a large unfamiliar crowd that Aurors are alerted, in case of people who may be likely to harm us. I think that very few people who would want to harm us would go to church, but,” Harry shrugged his shoulders. “As ranking Auror I need to meet with the other Aurors; Ginny, please stay here with the children.”
Years ago Ginny would have been upset at having to stay with the children, but with four children and the advantage of maturity she realized that she needed to be the adult and herd her crowd of little people. Ginny held on to Mitzi as Harry separated himself from the family.
All the Aurors approached Harry, and everybody else stood back from them. Harry said, “We will be leaving shortly, and when we do everybody can just go on their way as if nothing had happened. Meanwhile we should treat this as an exercise in being alert to potential trouble all the time.” Harry then introduced himself and got the names of everybody else, shaking hands not only with the Aurors but also with the parents of the young trainee, who was in awe and having a hard time not shaking, and the children of the Auror couple plus his mother. Meanwhile when they were not meeting Harry the other Aurors had their wands out and were making a show of surveying their surroundings, even the poor trainee who was swiveling her head around and terrified at the idea that she was in some way responsible for the safety of THE Harry Potter and his family. (She went on to become a very competent Auror, not easily rattled.)
Meanwhile the priest and Ginny were talking about their trip, and what brought the Potters to New York City. He was also interested in Teddy’s living arrangements, and Teddy filled him in on Hogwarts and how his bedroom was at the New Burrow with his grandmother, who was not all that well mentally, and Mrs. Potter’s parents, but that he ate with Harry and Ginny and their family all the time and sort of lived both places. “Thank you for talking about my parents,” said Teddy. “I’m proud of them being heroes and all, but sometimes I wish I had living parents. Sometimes it’s hard.”
“I’m sorry about your parents,” the priest said to Teddy.
Harry came back as the priest turned his attention to Albus. “You must really want to do good,” said the priest.
Al was still clinging to his mother. He looked up at the priest and said, “I want to be a really good wizard, but I also want to be a good person, do good things like Daddy does.”
“It’s very good to make up your mind to be good so early, Albus” said the priest. “I look forward to hearing that you have done great things someday.”
“I want to be an Auror and work for the good too,” said Teddy.
“The world owes a great debt of gratitude to your parents and everybody who risked their lives working for the good,” said the priest, talking to all the children.
“I don’t think my family will forget this sermon any time soon,” said Harry.
“I really had no idea you were here, and had no intention of embarrassing you or your family, Harry, Ginny,” said the priest. “Thank you for saying yes, Albus,” said the priest looking right at him and shaking his hand. “Do not be embarrassed. Maybe everybody else in the congregation should be embarrassed that they did not say yes.”
As they walked out of the church James looked at Albus and said, “Show off.”
There was so much discussion about what happened that very quickly the North American news organizations for the Witches and Wizards were alerted, and the sermon (which had been recorded, and had caught Al’s ‘yes’) and the aftermath were in the papers or on the news for a couple of days. Of course the news flew back to England where it was on the wizard radio and in the Daily Prophet. Try as they might Harry and Ginny and their family could not escape being newsworthy.
That night Al asked his dad at the family dinner, “What would have happened if you did not come back to life?”
“We do not know,” said Harry. “I hope someone else would have killed Riddle. After Professor Longbottom killed the snake anyone could have killed him.”
“I though your dad was dead,” said Ginny “and I wanted to kill Riddle, even if I died in the process. Grandpa told all of us that whatever it cost we had to kill Riddle. I think everyone in the family would have died if we could have made sure Riddle was dead.”
“If you had stayed dead we wouldn’t be here,” said Al.
“No,” said Harry, “you would not be here if I had stayed dead.”
“Except for Teddy,” said Al.
“If Riddle had won I’m not sure Teddy would have survived,” said Harry.
“What would you have done, Mum, if Dad had stayed dead but you were alive?” asked Al.
“Cry a lot,” said Ginny. “I don’t know.” Ginny looked at Harry. “All my dreams were wrapped around your dad. He was my happily ever after. Except my brother was dead, and Teddy’s mummy and daddy were dead, and right after the battle even though I had your Dad I was not sure we were ever going to be happy again.” Ginny looked at all the children, then said, “Don’t every let anyone tell you that doing the right thing is always fun, or easy. Right after the battle it was so hard. There were so many sad stories. Teddy is not the only orphan, the only person who lost both of their parents. Grandmother Tonks is not the only one who never really recovered from the war.”
“There was someone whose name was two colors,” said Teddy.
“Lavender Brown,” said Harry. “She was in pain for years after the battle. That is certainly another one of the sad stories. You saw her at the pond, and she is healed now, but she had a lot of very hard, difficult, painful years. But you children,” he said looking at the four children, “are one of the happy stories. Everyone who died at the Battle of Hogwarts or before it died so we could have happy children.”
“Are you happy too?” asked Albus.
“Yes,” said Harry with a big smile on his face. “I think we are coming pretty close to living happily ever after.”
Ginny smiled at the ‘happily ever after’ reference. She had been very young and nave to think life would be that simple, but it was pretty good at the moment.
(No stars, trainee, one star, just released, OK to do field work with supervision, two stars, able to do field work alone, three stars, team leader, four stars, experienced Auror, five, six, seven and eight stars indicated increasing responsibility and experience, with nine stars being the head of a fair size countries Aurors. Many smaller countries had head of Aurors who were only eight stars, unless they had distinguished themselves in some way. Only a few very large groups of Aurors, like North America with over 1,000 Aurors or China with over 3,000, had nine star people in their ranks. There were fewer than ten, ten star Aurors in the world, including the head of North American Aurors, the head of Chinese and Asian Aurors, the rotating head of all European Aurors, Al VanLente as head of the International Aurors, and Harry Potter with his responsibilities at the International Council of Wizards in Switzerland and his increased responsibilities in the International Auror Association. 1 *; 2 **; 3 * *; 4 ***; 5 * **; 6 ****; 7 * * *; 8 *** *; 9 ** **; 10 *****)
Chapter 9: CH. 9 Baptisms and the Malfoys Guest
Author's Notes: Important chapters, and it has taken me a little while to get these ready. Thank you to Friend of Molly for her help.
Harry was just back from the little vacation, and rather too well publicized sermon in New York, when he was approached with another concern.
“We have a couple of recordings of Lucius and Draco Malfoy you should listen to,” one of the guards told Harry. Recording conversations was another one of those Magic/Muggle things Harry liked. It consisted of a variation of the Extendable Ears connected to a Muggle recorder. Prisoners and their visitors had no idea that their conversations were being recorded. So Harry listened to the recordings.
Lucius said, “You have the list of teachers?”
Draco said, “Half of them are dead or in prison, and half of the rest were known supporters of he-who-must-not-be-named.”
Lucius said, “Those are the ones you want, the known supporters of us true, Pure Bloods.”
“I remember a couple of them, Father. They are not nice people.”
“I’m not looking for nice. I was too soft on you, and you went to school too soft and too nice.”
“So what happens when Scorpius goes to Hogwarts?”
“Who says he is going to Hogwarts? If he and his bride are together he can get her pregnant when they are teens. As soon as she is pregnant and back home I get out of here.”
“I still say that is a crazy plan, Father.”
“Do what I say, Draco.”
“Yes, Father,” a dejected Draco said.
A couple of weeks later Draco had a list of teachers, and went over them with his father.
“She should be there soon, Draco,” Lucius said.
“I will believe it when I see it,” Draco replied.
“Jezebel is counting on us to succeed, and to train up her great-granddaughter to be a supporter of the Pure Bloods and against all the phony goodness of Potter and his supporters.”
“Potter has the upper hand right now,” Draco said. “I have no great desire to follow their narrow goodness, but I have to appear to play by their narrow rules.”
“Why don’t you have more children, Draco, if you have your doubts about Scorpius? You never should have let your mother raise him. She’s gone soft. You need to get some of those hard teachers in to teach the children that they are better than other children. They need to learn that Malfoy’s do not have to follow the rules of lesser people.”
“Astoria is not sleeping with me.”
“She has a duty to let you,” Lucius said, giving an obscene gesture. “Take your pleasure with her. It has nothing to do with love and with what she wants.”
There was a period of silence. The guard said that Draco was looking pretty uncomfortable after what his father had told him.
“If Scorpius is not the person we need to keep the Malfoy name unsullied by people like Potter and Kingsley then you need another potential heir, Draco,” Lucius said. “Two thousand years we have been in England, blond northerners. Go to the farm and get a bastard son of mine or yours if you need to. It would not be the first time the Malfoy family had to pass over someone who was not strong enough.”
“I can, if I have to,” Draco said.
“You have no idea of the powers against Potter, Draco. It is up to us to raise Scorpius to be on our side, not on the side of that blasted Potter.”
Harry asked his staff if anyone knew what Lucius was referring to when he talked about “The Farm.” He was finally referred to Kingsley and Kingsley brought Hermione into the discussion. Kingsley said, “The elite of the Pure Blooded families still have some secrets. We guess there are secret, hidden farms, but we don’t really know any more.”
“Do you have any idea how many of the Pure Bloods have these farms?” Harry asked.
“The best guesses range from four families to ten,” Kingsley said. “We are reasonably sure the people who work the farms are enslaved. The magic that keeps the farms hidden seems to be very powerful, however.”
Harry brought copies of the recordings to the prophets in Switzerland. Steve and Valerie Bushman said, “We have been in consultation with prophets all around the world. Things are happening. I wish we could tell you what exactly is happening.
“If the person going to the Malfoy house is Jezebel Nukpana’s great granddaughter, she is the other person who is the subject of prophesy. It is hard to believe her great granddaughter would end up in England.”
“I find it difficult to imagine that Scorpius will not end up at Hogwarts,” Harry said.
Harry had joined the Wizarding Christian Church. Harry had been baptized as an infant, and found out that the Potters had been members of the Wizarding Christian Church for many generations. Before the incident in New York they had scheduled a baptism for the three Potter children. Ron and Hermione were at the Potters talking about the upcoming ceremony.
Hermione said, “You are really going to baptize your three children, Harry?”
Harry said, “We are trying to schedule it now. Al really wants to be baptized, and if Al is going to be baptized then James does not want to be left out. I’m not sure it is such a good idea to be baptized just to keep up with your younger brother, but I figure it cannot hurt.”
Hermione said, “I will be Godmother to your children. Thank you for being Godfather to Rose and Hugo . I feel good about that, and about my mother as their Godmother as well as their Grandmother.”
Harry said, “You are welcome. I really do not mind taking Rose and Hugo, and your mother, to church when you are busy. I appreciate your help with our three when I am busy.”
Ginny said, “I still don’t see the point of becoming Christian, after all the bad things they did to witches. It is nice that the children are gone Saturday evenings, though. It helps me finish the Sunday Quidditch column.”
“I know a number of the families that go to church, but none well enough that I would want them as godparents,” Harry said. “Jack Lewis says he cannot be both the person baptizing and a godfather, so it looks like the ceremony is going to be in Switzerland Sunday afternoon, with Hermione as godmother and Jack Lewis as godfather.
“Apparently Apollo Scherica, the Patriarch, is going to do the baptisms. More Magi are Christians than any other religion, I guess, although most do not belong to any organized religion. I do know that the Patriarch has anointed some of the ruling family.”
Being baptized by the Patriarch was a big deal. In addition to the three Potter children there were twenty-one other children, seven more from outside Switzerland and fourteen from inside Switzerland.
The Potters were the last to be baptized. As part of the ceremony Apollo anointed each child with oil. He anointed Lily first, and then James stepped up to be anointed and Apollo anointed him. Then Albus came up, and instead of standing like all the other children he knelt down and stretched out his hands. This must have rattled Apollo, because he ended up not touching Al’s head with a finger dipped in oil, but spilling the entire jar of oil all over Albus.
The photographs from that day make it look like Albus was anointed. It made the papers again, although not on the first page. The headlines were mostly about the Patriarch spilling oil on Albus, but a few people at the scene and who looked at the photograph were curious if there was more to the incident.
Albus did spend a little time after the baptism talking to Nausicaa, but he did not tell anyone what they were talking about.
Early in September 2011 Molly and Narcissa met for what turned out to be a long lunch. Molly took one look at an obviously upset Narcissa Malfoy and said, “Narcissa, what happened?”
“I’m so mad I could spit fire like a dragon,” Narcissa said. “I do not know what that idiot husband of mine, and our son, were thinking.
“Someone is at the door, and the house elves have me come. There is this five year old girl, terrified, and what I guess are her parents. There are documents giving US legal guardianship over her until she and Scorpius are MARRIED! The documents say that they need to be educated together, and by some of the nastiest tutors there are. I won’t stand for it!
“The poor girl has had her memory wiped. She doesn’t remember anything from before. She seems bright enough. Scorpius seems to like her, and I know they talk to the house elves. She even goes down to the kitchen to help cook, and then comes up with the food to eat with us.
“Both grandmothers seem to hate her, as does Astoria. They call her ugly and fat and I know it is hard on her. She is dark, and rather round, but she is not exactly fat.
“I want to keep home schooling Scorpius and home school Cleopatra at the same time. Draco called in the first of the Tutors on some list he and Lucius had. What a disaster! He wanted to torture them until they obeyed him. I threatened to call the DMLE on him. The children went upstairs and hid, and refused to be in the same room with him. Astoria and the grandmothers wanted him as a teacher, but the children and I refused!
“Is Draco still on probation? Tell Harry. See if we cannot get some sort of order keeping these horrible people out of Malfoy Manor.”
“Why don’t the grandmothers like her?” Molly asked.
Narcissa answered, “Godiva Greengrass Malfoy, my mother-in-law, seems to sort of accept her. She doesn’t like her, says she is fat and ugly, but that we are stuck with; she won’t call her by her name, Cleopatra or Cleo. Godiva just calls her ‘that ugly thing.’ I feel so sorry for Cleo.
“My mother, Druella, did a scan with her wand to see if Cleo is a Pure Blood. I guess she is over half Pure Blood but less than three-quarters. If you are seventh-eights Pure Blooded you are only a little tainted, from what I have been told. Mum is furious.
“Astoria almost acts like Cleo is a bastard child of Draco’s. She calls Cleo fat and ugly too. Cleo is dark skinned, but she is not black. She’s a little heavy, but mostly in the hips.
“Scorpius has been defending Cleo, like it is the two of them against the world, and as much as possible I have been on their side. The house is very tense, I tell you.”
“Draco tolerates everything because he does not have the guts to confront anyone. At least Scorpius and Cleo seem to get along. I know that Scorpius and Cleo are friends with the house elves too, although they do not know I know. I guess that is a good thing.”
Molly though of how well her family got along. Even the trouble makers were loved. All the children had not only two parents but grandparents and plenty of aunts and uncles to help them grow up. Even Teddy had Harry and Ginny as parents when he needed them, and Arthur and her as well as Andromeda. Narcissa was very isolated, with Molly Weasley, of all people, the only friend she could confide in.
Molly and Narcissa had a long talk that afternoon. Narcissa was in tears through part of it.
That afternoon Molly went over to Harry’s office. She told Harry what had been going on at Malfoy Manor.
The next day Harry had a meeting with Hermione, Kingsley, Arthur, and other staff that was or had been involved with the Malfoy family.
“Draco is still on probation,” Hermione said. “Neither you or I had any trust in the worm. Now, after hearing the conversations between him and his father, I have even less trust in him.”
“Can we require that any teacher of the children be vetted by us first?” Harry asked.
“I do not see why not,” Hermione said.
“I do not want to get Narcissa in any more trouble than necessary,” Harry said. “How do we approach this?”
“I have been very involved in setting up the home schooling program,” Hermione said. “I do not feel the least bit guilty working on the home schooling program while working at the Ministry. Kingsley and I feel it is critical to raising the next generation of Magi that we have a good educational program in place, and one that does not discriminate between Pure Bloods and other Magi.”
Harry said, “You could go over to the Malfoy Manor and to talk to Scorpius’s parents and grandmothers about his education, and tell them that the only approved curriculum is the one that you and Molly and others have developed.”
Hermione said, “I could say that if they wanted to use anything else it had to be approved by the Ministry. Even a tutor would have to be approved by the Ministry.”
The next day Hermione went to Malfoy Manor, accompanied by an Auror that was well known to be Muggle born. Hermione knew she should not hate Draco, but she did. Hermione was always surprised at how visceral her hatred for Draco was.
Narcissa greeted Hermione warmly, and had her come into their study. Draco and Astoria were sitting there, seething. Neither of them greeted Hermione, nor did they do anything to make her feel welcome.
Hermione said, “The Ministry has created an approved curriculum for teaching young Magi. Although we cannot impose it on everyone, we are strongly encouraging it. We feel any student who is taught using this curriculum is doing a good job of preparing their student for Hogwarts, and for life beyond Hogwarts.”
Narcissa said, “I have been using it to teach Scorpius and Cleopatra.”
Hermione feigned surprise and asked, “Who is Cleopatra?”
Narcissa looked at Draco, who said, “She is a girl Scorpius’s age we are taking care of.”
Hermione looked at Narcissa, and then at Astoria. Hermione focused on Astoria to see if she would say anything, and eventually Astoria said, “She is this big, black, ugly thing that Draco and his father want to have here.
“We are going to find OUR type of teacher for Scorpius, and for the ugly one.”
Hermione said, “Draco is still on probation, and we are going to insist that any teacher or curriculum you use will have to be approved by the Ministry.”
Astoria said, “When does Draco get off probation, so we can teach our child the way we want to teach him?”
Hermione responded, “NEVER, if I have anything to say about it.”
Astoria said, “We will just send them away for educating in OUR ways.”
Hermione said, “No, you will not. They are forbidden from leaving the country.”
Astoria said, “So we are stuck with this pap of lessons that come from…,” and for the first time she read the names on a couple of the documents.
Hermione Granger Weasley
Molly Weasley
Audrey Weasley
Orpheus Smith
Nada Bloom
Winifred White
Astoria said, “White is a second cousin of the weasels, and she is married to a Muggle. One of their Mudblooded daughters was in my class. The weasels have taken over educating OUR children.”
Hermione smiled and said, “As long as Draco is on Probation, I will insist on it.”
Astoria stomped out of the room.
Draco sat there and did not say anything.
Finally Narcissa said, “Your curriculum is excellent. Both Scorpius and Cleo are learning fast. I will continue to use this.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Malfoy,” Hermione said.
Toward the end of September Harry Potter told Ginny that he would have to go down to the Potions room after dinner, and as usual Al wanted to go with Harry.
“I have to make more map parchment,” said Harry. “How do I make it?”
“You make a potion and put it in a big glass pan,” said Albus, “and then you do some spell over the potion. Then you make another potion and put the parchment in it and do another spell.”
“You have helped me measure the ingredients” said Harry. “Do you want to do it again?”
“Yes, please,” said Albus. When they got to the part where Harry did the spell Al asked, “Can I learn to do the spell, please.”
“You have to use a wand to do the spell, Al,” said Harry.
“I know,” said Al. “Can I learn to do the spell, please?”
“You are not supposed to use a wand before you are eleven,” said Harry.
“I’m not supposed to do a lot of magic, but I love magic and I’m good at it and I really want to learn. I will not do anything outside of the basement. Please, may I learn how to do the spell?” pleaded Al.
“Al, you’re 5 years old!” said Harry.
“I know, dad. You’re just the best dad, and I know you want me to be a good wizard, and I promise you I will try to be so good,” said Al.
Al looked at his father with a pleading look, and just kept at it. Harry though that Albus could be the most frustrating of his children. James was wilder, Lily would already fight with her mother, but Al, who tried to be so quiet and fit in most of the time, would quietly use magic that he was not supposed to use until he was in trouble. Finally Harry said, “Try this spell,” and loaned Albus his wand.
Albus tried the spell once, and said, “This is your wand, dad. It feels like your wand. Is there another wand I could use?”
“It’s not like I just keep spare wands everywhere, Al,” said Harry. Then he remembered that there was a spare wand, Draco’s old wand, in a drawer in the potion room. He said the spell to unlock the drawer, and drew out the wand. “Does this wand feel any better, Al?” asked Harry.
Albus took the wand, waved it around, and said, “You said that a wand chooses the wizard, dad. This wand does not feel like it has chosen me. It does feels better than using your wand, dad. May I use it? Please.”
Harry let Al use the wand, and showed him the spell that you had to use to make the potion. Al did not do the spell correctly, but Harry thought he came closer than some very experienced wizards. Harry then took the wand and put it back in the drawer, and said the locking spell. Harry then looked at Al and said, “Can you get the wand out of the drawer, Al?”
Al levitated the wand in the drawer and said the unlock spell, and the drawer came open and the wand flew into his hand.
Harry looked at Al and said, “Don’t tell anyone you can do that!”
“Yes, daddy,” said Al.
“If that wand is ever out of the basement you are in so much trouble you will wish you had never been in this basement. Is that clear, Al?”
“Yes, daddy,” said Al.
“Who are you going to tell about this wand?” asked Harry.
“Nobody,” said Al.
“Not even Rose,” said Harry, because he knew that Al and Rose were best friends, and were rapidly learning together.
“Not even Rose,” said Al.
From then on if there was nothing else going on Al would disappear down the basement to practice magic with Draco’s old wand. Within 4 months Al was able to do the spell to make the parchment. Harry never talked to Al about the wand, and Al never talked to his father, but they both knew that Al was practicing with the wand.
A few evenings after Al first used Draco’s wand he was in the sitting room with the rest of the family. Al had found a guitar that had apparently belonged to Harry’s father. Harry had brought it back from his parents’ house, but he never tried to play it. None of the Weasley family played a musical instrument, although it appeared that James had courted Lily by singing to her and playing the guitar.
Al was fooling around with the guitar, and Harry asked, “Al, would you like to learn to play the guitar?”
Al said, “I would like to. Rose is taking piano lessons with a Muggle teacher, and I know they have guitar lessons there too. Could I go to lessons with Rose?”
Harry looked over at Ginny, and when she indicated she wanted to talk went over to her. They did a quiet spell so no one else could hear. Ginny then said, “Maybe if Al has to practice with that guitar he will not want to spend quite so much time in the basement.”
“It cannot hurt to have him learn music, and going into a Muggle environment every week is probably good for him too.”
So, once a week Albus and Rose went to music lessons.
A month or so later Ginny told Harry, “Al is still going to the basement to practice, and I know he is taking the first year text books down there.”
“Has he said anything to you about what he is doing?” Harry asked.
“Well, not exactly.” Ginny said. “He has pointed out spells in the books a couple of times, and indicated that he did not quite understand how they were done.
“I sort of feel like I did when my brothers did not let me use a broom. I had to sneak a broom to learn how to fly. So I have been telling him what he wants to know, but emphasizing to him that I had better never see him taking a wand and doing any of these spells. I do not know if I am teaching him magic, or how to be sneaky.”
“You are probably teaching him a little of both,” Harry said.
“Are we doing the right thing?” Ginny asked.
“I wish I knew,” Harry replied.
In November at one of their usual meetings Narcissa told Molly, “Cleo never stops surprising me. We have a pipe organ in the big ballroom, and Cleo can play. She can sort of read music. She asked for music lessons, and I have hired someone to come in once a week to teach her.
“It is not like it is costing us any money. We get a stipend a month for her, and all her expenses are paid for out of an account at Gringotts.”
Later that fall Nausicaa Scheria and Steven and Valerie Bushman were looking at several large maps of the world. Each showed growing or shrinking dots in various colors, with various colored lines connecting them. The magic that controlled the charts had been refined over 4,000 years, but it was still almost impossible to predict the future reading them. You first had to learn to see some of this magic in a crystal ball, and the best crystal ball to use was the one in Switzerland in the map room area. Once you could see this magic in the crystal ball you could see it on the map and on your own crystal ball if you had one. It was hard to discern a pattern; books had been written on how to interpret the charts. It was possible, however, to encourage something that looked good. That was one of the things that encouraged Dumbledore; the lines and dots around Harry Potter were way more good than evil.
Something was going on. Something that reminded Nausicaa about the map changes before the Battle of Hogwarts, not right before but in the years leading up to it. The major evil that had been in the Caribbean for over five hundred years was still there, but something even bigger was growing, and whatever it was the good was much bigger than the bad. Something big and complex was being woven to confront a major evil. There were lines leading to the Caribbean and strong lines leading to Switzerland, but there was a lot of activity in England, and even more than before the Battle of Hogwarts the house elves were involved. Kreacher had been over a couple of times asking about the house elves.
It was almost impossible to teach elfish to a grownup. Dumbledore tried to learn, but the subtleties of interpersonal relationships that the language conveyed were terribly complex. The house elves were teaching nineteen people, ten in North America, four in China, two in Switzerland, and three in England. A fourth was just being added in England. Nausicaa Scheria and Steven and Valerie Bushman looked at the four dots in England. Albus and Rose made sense, but the young Malfoy? The only reason they knew it was Malfoy was because the house elves told them. And now there was a girl living in the Malfoy Mansion, and there was a line leading back to one of the most evil beings and places in the world, but the person with young Malfoy was not evil, and young Malfoy was not evil either.
Nausicaa looked at the four dots, all close to the same age. The same patterns that brought Harry Potter together with Ron and Hermione, and eventually Ginny, was being repeated with these four. “Cleopatra Desiree Slytherin?” asked Nausicaa, who had been given the name by the house elves. “Rose Weasley and Scorpius Malfoy?” She looked at the Bushman’s. “Great opportunity but great danger” said Nausicaa. “We need to pray. Pray and watch.”
Chapter 10: CH 10 Christmas at the Weasley and Malfoy Households
Author's Notes: More Molly and Narcissa, more help from my Beta FriendofMolly
The first of December of 2011 Narcissa asked to meet with Harry and Molly. They met at the same restaurant where Molly and Narcissa first met, in a little private room.
After their usual greetings Narcissa said, “I think we are being oppressed by dementors.”
Harry replied, “We have been getting reports that dementors are around Malfoy Mansion.”
“Astoria and Godiva say it is because we are not letting tutors teach the children, and we are not using the text books they want us to use. The text books they want us to use are horrible!”
Harry asked, “What about your mother, Druella? Is she taking a stand?”
“Mum does not seem to care a lot about the education. She just keeps saying Cleo is ugly, and refuses to talk to her. She is livid about Cleo not even being a full three quarters pureblood, just a little less. Blood purity is everything to her. If Cleo was a full three quarters then any grandchildren would be seven-eighths, which in her sight is just acceptable. I am so sick of all this pureblood nonsense. I almost wish Scorpius would marry a Muggle and get this pureblood nonsense finished with.”
“Is anyone paying any attention to what Scorpius and Cleo want?” asked Molly.
“I am,” Narcissa said. “Draco and that demented husband of mine cannot force me or the children to become vile, evil people. I am not sure what Draco even wants, except to do the impossible, and please Lucius.”
“Can you cast a Patronus?” Harry asked. “That will drive dementors away.”
“No,” Narcissa said. “Will you teach me?”
So Harry did.
A week later Harry, Molly and Narcissa met again
“Did you cast a Patronus, and drive away dementors?” asked Harry.
“I cast a rabbit, and I feel like a little rabbit surrounded by predators who are waiting to tear me apart,” Narcissa said. “It works, but only for a while. I cannot stay awake casting Patronus all hours of the day and night.”
Harry promised he would see how they could keep dementors away from Malfoy Manor.
Two days after Teddy came home from Hogwarts for Christmas break he asked to talk to Harry privately. They went down to the sub-basement where everything was well shielded. Harry asked Teddy, “What do you need to talk about, Teddy?”
Teddy asked, “Can I teach Albus how to use a wand, Dad?”
Harry said, “I do not know. Do you know enough to teach him?”
Teddy said, “Well, I did well with wand work in all my classes, so I guess I sort of know how.”
Harry didn’t say anything.
“So,” Teddy said, “It is fine if I teach Albus to use a wand? I have your permission?”
“You are never going to get my permission to teach Albus,” Harry said.
“You don’t want me to teach Albus?” Teddy asked.
“That is not EXACTLY what I said,” Harry said. “I said I could not give you PERMISSION to teach Albus.”
Teddy looked at Harry, and he back at Teddy. Finally Teddy said, “Thank you. I think I understand.”
Harry smiled, and said, “I don’t ever want to CATCH you teaching Albus to use a wand.”
“Yes sir!” Teddy replied.
Harry fretted. Albus was obviously learning how to use a wand, and he was only five years old. He and Rose were far ahead of where they needed to be, learning subject matter usually taught to eight or nine or ten year olds. Jean said Albus did not seem to have to work as hard at it as Rose. How could you tell Al he could not learn?
Besides, Albus had saved all of their lives with his magic when he was only three. Still, allowing Albus to learn magic secretly was, strictly speaking, not proper. Good but not exactly legal? Too close to what Harry and his friends did when they broke the law to fight Riddle? Harry fretted, and prayed, and worried.
2011 was the first Christmas at Potters New Burrow as well as Grandma and Grandpa’s New Burrow. This year Boxing Day was on a Monday, so WWW was going to be open in the afternoon. Fred was going to work with his parents; he really did like the retail business. He was getting better grades partly because he was told that unless he graduated he was not going to be able to be a partner in the business.
Harry was on the Hogwarts board, and one of the advantages of being on the board was meeting all the professors and getting a good insight into all the students from his expanded family and friends.
Teddy was thirteen and a half, and in his third year, one of the best students in the class. He was a hard worker, and a popular student. Fred was holding his own, getting acceptable grades and really learning a lot of magic.
This year both little Molly II and Victoire were at Hogwarts, both in Gryffindor but in different dorm rooms, there being enough students for two rooms with four girls each.
Rich Hudson had also started this year. He and Molly had sort of known each other, because they were the same age, but had not really played much together at the pond. However they gravitated towards each other at Hogwarts, each of them being a friendly face when they were both a little shy, Molly more than Rich.
Victoire was a head turner, and lots of boys wanted to talk to her. The idea that she was a pretty face with naught behind was quickly dispelled once she got into the classroom, however. Her mother had been Tri-Wizard Champion, and she was a ferocious competitor in the classroom. She was not really satisfied if she had any less than the best grades in the class. She was generally kind to everybody, and had used her beauty and the ease she had in attracting the attention of the opposite sex as a way of helping some of her classmates who could not meet a boy so easily meet someone they wanted to meet, gaining the friendship of girls as well as boys.
Older boys who were condescending, however, or tried to move in on her, would be put down brutally.
Lots of people were trying to figure out what the relationship was between Teddy and Victoire. They were cousins, sort of. Sometimes they were more like boyfriend and girlfriend, and at other times they were like brother and sister. Teddy and Victoire delighted in keeping people guessing, including the staff. Of course the staff asked Harry, and Harry answered that he was as much in the dark as they were. Teddy did talk to both Molly and Ginny about relationships sometimes, and they shared what they had said with Harry. Harry also talked to Bill about Victoire. The general conclusion was the reason that no one could figure out quite what the relationship between Teddy and Victoire was had a lot to do with Teddy and Victoire not really being sure what their relationship was.
Roxanne was eager to go to Hogwarts. She felt that in some ways she was pressed into working at WWW instead of Fred because he was away at school, and sometimes she was right.
Lucy was getting to be a very good student. She was never in the shadow of her older sister, but she was not having any problem being the only child in the house. Dominique, a year younger, was by far the least studious of Bill and Fleur’s three children. The contrast between Dominique and Louis could not be any greater. Louis had a stated goal of becoming head boy, and he was working hard at his studies to earn it.
Then you had the children of Harry and Ginny, Ron and Hermione, bringing up the rear.
James was seven, and adequate student of everything but Quidditch, and a fanatic student of Quidditch. Harry could not complain; James was a good boy.
Rose was just the same Rose as always, impossibly bright and sort of a clone of Hermione.
Albus was as much of a puzzle as ever. Good and evil worried him. Maybe it was because of his run-ins with the Department for the Control of Underage Magic, but Albus was very concerned about the difference between being good and following the law. He had learned that Jesus had been crucified for violating laws of the Jews or of the Romans, but at least according to the Christian Church, Jesus was the good guy. His dad had broken laws fighting Riddle. Albus was continuing to try and understand everything his father did, and why. Harry and Ginny also knew that Al spent a lot of time practicing magic with Draco’s wand, but that Albus felt pretty guilty that he was doing something forbidden.
Hugo was very much the same, not a bad student and someone you could work with, fascinated with WWW and games and jokes and puzzles. Sometimes you just had to give Hugo a reason to study, and point out how he might need it at the store or to develop a magic game, to have him work hard at it.
Lily was Lily; very affectionate and loving even to her mother and certainly to her father, when she was not driving both of them crazy. “I think Lily is going to spend more time in ‘time out’ than all eleven of the other cousins combined,” said Ginny one day. “She will deserve every minute of it too.”
“Someday somebody is going to fall in love with that wild red head,” said Harry. He thought of Ginny’s temper. Harry had married his own sometimes wild red head.
“Merlin help him,” said Ginny, giving Harry a snarky smile.
The combination of the New Burrow and Potters' New Burrow worked as well for Christmas as it had for the summer, and by the time the holiday was over and everybody was back home Harry and Ginny were very glad they had built the place.
One of the advantages of having more room was that, for the first time Charlie came to Christmas with somebody, two somebodies actually. One was a man about his age, Stribog Romanoff. “Many of the dragon keepers work in pairs,” Charlie said, “and Stribog is my partner in work, plus we live together. Normally if you are very close emotionally to someone it is easier watching out for them. Dragon keeping is a very dangerous business, but fewer partners are killed than dragon keepers who do not work with a partner they know intimately.
“The little girl is our adopted daughter, Ivana Romanoff, who has just turned four. Her parents were the exception; they were both killed in one horrible incident. Stribog is her uncle, but we both have adopted her.”
Turning to his parents Charlie explained, “Dragon keepers with children are usually safer than ones without children. If one half of a partner is seriously hurt or worse both partners retire from the dangerous business of dragon keeping and take up much safer work, and Stribog and I will quit dragon keeping if one of us is hurt.”
Molly’s clock showed Charlie in some danger every time he was at work, and this revelation was not all that reassuring. The clock was a lot bigger than before, because Molly had all the spouses and grandchildren to put on it. She decided it was big enough for her son’s partner and child, and that Christmas Stribog and Ivana went on the clock.
Harry noticed Stribog and Ivana on the clock, and pointed it out to Ginny. He said, “Your mum’s heart is as big as the names on the clock. She just keeps adding people to love.”
Ginny said, “One day our children will marry, and we will have grandchildren, and I expect they will all be on the clock. I love you, and I love this big, wild, loving family.”
There were Christmas stockings with names on them for everybody. The Christmas stockings did not contain much, a couple of packs of Chocolate Frog Cards, some small gift from Weasleys Wizarding Wheezes, for the adults sometimes a very small booklet or pamphlet with some magic spell. It was the symbolism of having a stocking more than what it contained that showed you were part of the family. Harry and Ginny noticed stockings for Stribog and Ivana alongside Charley’s, as well as jumpers. There was something in the Charlie and Stribog’s jumpers that subtly indicated that they were a couple.
Ginny asked Stribog, “Do you and Ivana have other relatives to visit this Christmas?”
Stribog looked around to see if any of the children were close. When he could see that he and Ginny could have a private conversation he began. “My sister-in-law was a Muggle, and her family thought that a witch was an evil person, in league with the devil. When they found out she was a witch they wanted her to renounce anything to do with magic and spend the rest of her life in a convent repenting. If not they were willing to have her burned at the stake, something that has not been done for centuries in our part of the world. They do not even know Ivana exists.
“My parents are very traditional purebloods. They never accepted Ivana’s mother, and never accepted her as a grandchild. We would visit occasionally, but never at Christmas because the other grandchildren would get presents and Ivana would not. When my brother was killed they made it very clear that they did not want Ivana.
“I also learned never to talk about Charlie when I went home. So when Charlie and I adopted Ivana, and it was clear that I was Charlie’s partner, I was told ‘never to darken their doorstep again.’
“So right now the only grandparents Ivana has are your parents. We explained that to them a couple of months ago when they came over to visit. Actually Ginny, the closest thing to parents I have right now are your parents. Arthur and Molly are the most accepting, fantastic people. I look at how Teddy and Andromeda are just part of their family, and how they have accepted us, and I’m amazed and grateful.”
“That’s Mum,” Ginny said. “I hope I can be as good as Mum when my children bring home partners. Welcome to the family.”
Christmas day Molly got an owl that said, “Floo, two AM. Narcissa.” So Molly set an alarm and got up at quarter to two, and went to her Floo. Right at two AM Narcissa’s head appeared. Narcissa said, “Can we meet tomorrow afternoon, three in the afternoon, at the Hogs Head. I will reserve the room so we do not have to be seen talking. I have to vent.”
“Not a good Christmas?” Molly asked.
“I’m ready to kill my daughter-in-law, except then Draco would be in charge of raising the children.”
So Molly agreed. When they were alone the next day Narcissa said, “Astoria volunteered to get Christmas presents for the children this year. She does so little I really felt I needed to take her up on her offer.
“What a mistake!
“When the children went down Christmas morning there was a large Christmas stocking, gaily decorated, with his name on it, for Scorpius with all kinds of candy and small toys. There was an old sock with Cleopatra’s name on a piece of paper pinned to it, and inside was a pair of socks and a pair of knickers, both in a kind of disgusting gray.
“There was what seemed like boxes of books and games for Scorpius around the tree. There was one present for Cleopatra, a dress, one of the most unflattering dresses. Molly, I have a hard time shopping for Cleo. She is just shaped so differently from all of us, with that round bum and hips, but I don’t buy dresses that ugly.
“Scorpius was furious. He immediately gave Cleopatra half of his candy and half of the rest of the stuff that was in his stocking. He announced that all the books were going to be shared books, and she could pick out which ones she wanted to read first.
“Cleopatra was so stunned her emotions left her. She just stared at the scene before her. She thanked Scorpe for what he was trying to do. When she saw Astoria coming down the stairs she could not stand it, and she ran up to her room, nothing in her hand. When I saw her run upstairs I ran up after her, and knocked on her door. I heard her bawling, but she said, ‘Stay away. Everybody hates me, except Scorpius. I know when I’m not wanted, when most of the house hates me.’
“She came down for dinner that night. I found out later that the elves had given her some sort of present, and she had watched some sort of play or something on it. I don’t understand what it was, but later I heard her singing, ‘The sun will come out/Tomorrow,’ some song about tomorrow being a better day. I cannot say she was happy, but it was better.
“Late in the evening I went to Cleo in her bedroom and said, ‘I was worried about what Scorpius’s mother would do, Cleo, but I wanted to give her the chance to be kind to you. I made a terrible mistake, and I’m sorry. It will never happen like this again, I promise you! Is there anything I can do right now?
Cleo and I looked at each other for a long time, and finally she said, “I want a hug.”
Narcissa started to bawl. It took a long time for her to regain her composure. Finally she said, “I don’t know why I hadn’t hugged that lonely little girl before. I said, ‘Please come here and sit in my lap.’ She came over and sat in my lap and I held onto her and she started to cry. Eventually we were both bawling. I think the crying did us both some good, and I kissed her good night before I left.
“Molly, I’m going to hug and kiss that girl every night and Scorpius too.”
Molly said, “I bet you need a hug too.” The two women hugged and cried for some time.
“I feel a little better,” Narcissa said before they parted.
A few weeks earlier, Harry and Ginny were in the Harry Potter Estates offices going over some of the charitable work the foundation was doing. One old elf who had become very involved in the distribution of gifts to children said, “We have a five year old girl who is going to get only a couple of pieces of ugly clothes for Christmas, and the boy living in the house is going to get lavish gifts. It will not make the boy happy. We still want to give the girl something from the elves.”
“Please,” said Harry, remembering his childhood at the Dursley’s. “Anything the elves want to give, within reason.”
“But it is very expensive,” said the elf. “We have never been able to use Muggle recordings since they became electrical. We destroy tapes and magnetic things. But Compact Disks are totally mechanical. They just have lots and lots of very very tiny dots on them. The goblins have been working hard for years, and finally have a somewhat reasonably priced player. It is only,” and the elf gulped, “only … only seven thousand five hundred Galleons.”
“Seven thousand five hundred Galleons?!!” said Harry and Ginny together. That was half as much as her broom. Ginny still remembered when she first told her Harpies team mates, and one of them had screamed, “$100,000 for a broom!”
“It will be cheaper next year, and probably cheaper the year after that,” said the elf.
“Does this little girl really need this?” asked Harry.
“She needs hope,” said the elf, “and the movies we are going to be giving her are to give her hope. Christmas is going to be a very hopeless time for her. Three ugly presents that are worse than no present at all.”
The elves showed them the magical CD player, with three movies, Annie, The Sound of Music, and Cinderella.
“I can think of times I thought things were hopeless,” said Harry, looking at Ginny with the kind of somber look he got when he was remembering the hardest of the hard times he had been forced to endure. “I remember years of Christmas’s with Dudley getting lots of presents and me getting nothing.”
“I can remember times when I thought things were hopeless,” said Ginny, as she began to tear up. She remembered when, at the Battle of Hogwarts, she thought Harry was dead. For some reason this little girl touched their heart. “Seven thousand five hundred Galleons is a lot of money for a toy, but not very much money for hope,” she said. “Of course you can buy this device.”
Chapter 11: CH 11 Harry’s New Elves
Author's Notes: Thanks to FriendofMolly for encouragement and helpful tweaks.
Two thousand and twelve started out as a reasonably normal year for Harry and Ginny. There was progress on all fronts with the Auror Department, and progress with all the other responsibilities that Harry was carrying. Oh, there was drama in the Middle East, but little of it involved danger to the Aurors under Harry’s supervision. Drama in the Muggle world was not always drama in the world of the Magi.
Ginny’s Quidditch column was popular, and she was doing some editing of material being submitted by what they called ‘stringers,’ Magi who were mostly avid fans of one team, who knew their favorite team much better than Ginny ever could. The best stringers could get articles published in their own name, and although Ginny had a very flexible schedule she was close to working full time. During the Quidditch season Ginny put in long hours on the weekend getting her part of the paper put together.
Harry also learned that Donna Lionheart was helping Ginny with the column. It seemed that Ginny had a hard time remembering what she had written before, and the further back it was the harder it was for her to remember. Donna had a fantastic memory for Quidditch, although she was no great writer.
“There is a good reason Bill and I were in Hufflepuff,” said Donna. “Neither of us was smart enough to be in Ravenclaw or had the bravery to be in Gryffindor.”
Most of the teaching of the children was being done by other people, including Molly and Audrey, and Jean Granger in the case of Albus and Rose. Ginny did put in a reasonable number of hours with the home schooling, but of course she did not have to clean the house or make most of the meals, because of the house elves. Harry and Ginny took turns standing over Lily trying to get her to finish her homework. They had to do very little of this type of supervision with James.
Albus had to be watched for other reasons. He and The Department for the Regulation of Underage Magic had continued their battle. Albus was caught performing magic for the most trivial of reasons. He never came close to revealing anything magic to Muggles. He never got mad when they asked him what he was doing, and tried to be reasonably honest. Often enough Albus had no idea why the Department Inspectors were mad at him, and often they would not tell him. Harry and Ginny emphasized to Albus that he had to keep magic secret from Muggles, except Uncle Dudley and Grandmum Jean, of course, but otherwise supported him, and if Albus did not get mad and Harry only got mildly annoyed, Ginny on occasion exploded at one of the inspectors.
Since music lessons were in Muggle space it was one, regularly scheduled place where The Department for Underage Magic could try and catch Albus at magic.
Toward the end of January Albus was at a music lesson, and the door to the studio opened and everybody’s sheet music blew on the floor, except Albus’s. One of the other students asked, “Al, what kind of magic did you do keep your sheet music from flying?”
“I guess the wind just didn’t catch it,” Al said, as he made one of the pages flutter to the ground. He picked the music up and put it back on the music stand.
The teacher said, “We usually use clothes pins, these things with springs, to hold music when it is windy.” She brought out four clothes pins and pinned her music to the music stand.
Al realized that he had been holding music onto the stand with magic, and that he would have to stop.
That night there was a letter from Ursula Crabbe, again, this time not only complaining something had happened but saying that, “Albus used magic to hold his music on his music stand, and other people noticed.”
When Harry came home Ginny waved the letter at Harry, saying, “Another Merlin blasted letter from that crabby Umbridge witch.”
Harry read the letter. He called Al, and asked, “Al, did you realize that you held your music on with magic?”
“Only today, when someone noticed it,” Al said. “I am going to have to use clothes pins to hold my music.” Al had gone to the interned, and had a photograph of what a cloths pin was. “I’m sorry. I messed up this time.”
Harry looked at Ginny and said, “I guess you have better get some clothes pins for Albus.”
Ginny looked at the printout of the clothes pins with disgust. “Look at this letter!” Ginny said her voice just barely under control. “’This was a blatant use of underage magic. Muggles were present, and noticed the magic. This is an egregious violation of the Statue of Secrecy!’ For one little incident!”
“Mum, I did mess up,” Albus said. “I’m glad she pointed out the problem, even though I recognized it too.”
“Albus is going to make a few of these mistakes,” Harry said, trying to sooth his agitated wife. “Don’t let Ursula get to you.”
It helped that Al was usually calm, as was Harry. Al tried to learn what was causing the problems with the Department, and with Mrs. Crabbe (since she had gotten married), with modest success. The tension was mostly between Ginny and Ursula, and it continued all year.
Most of the turmoil Harry was aware of, at least in Great Britain, seemed to revolve around the Malfoy household. Harry had brought Al VanLente and the International Aurors into listen to the arguments taking place as Draco and other members of the Malfoy family visited Lucius.
Right after Christmas Draco and Astoria were visiting Lucius, and they heard him say, “You two have to take over educating Draco and Cleopatra!”
Astoria said, “I didn’t marry Draco, as disgraced as the family is, to lower myself to become a working witch. Hire a teacher!”
Draco said, “We’ve talked about that. As long as I am on probation we don’t have much choice in the matter.”
Lucius said, “There will be Dementors haunting the house if you don’t start teaching those children soon. Draco, you have to teach the children if this worthless wife of yours will not help.”
Draco said, “I have tried! They will not listen to me. Mother says she will call the DMLE on me if I beat the children, and they just don’t listen to me. There are already Dementors haunting the house, although Mum seems to be able to drive them away.”
Lucius strained against his restraints. A verbal fight followed, with everybody mad at everybody else.
The next time they met Narcissa told Molly, “The house elves are helping to drive the Dementors away. I am not sure how they are doing it, but I guess it is not strictly legal. You had better tell Harry.”
When Molly told Harry he had Hermione and the Prophecy Department in Switzerland both look into it. How house elves could drive out Dementors was a real mystery for some time.
The middle of March Kreacher wanted a meeting with Harry and Ginny and Albus, Ron and Hermione and Rose, to talk about house elf issues. Kreacher had hoped that Albus and Rose could help because they were learning elfish. They met in Harry and Ginny’s drawing room. In addition to Kreacher the house elves included Dobedo and Harriet and their son Martin, and a new house elf couple Solon and his mate Sojourner Truth.
After they were introduced Kreacher said, “Kreacher is getting old, master Harry. Kreacher needs someone who can help, if he is sick, someone to take over after he is gone.”
“How old are you?” asked Harry.
“Many years past one hundred,” said Kreacher. “Old, even by house elf standards.”
“Too old to wait for your son?” asked Harry.
“Is not fated to have son serve Harry Potter,” said Kreacher. “Needs someone wise and capable now.”
“Is that why Solon and Sojourner are here?” asked Harry.
“Solon has the abilities and temperament to do my job, to do it better,” said Kreacher.
“Fine, let him work for you and learn from you,” said Harry.
“Is not so simple” said Kreacher. “What I do for you is not allowed, no, not allowed, except that I your house elf, I bonded to you with old magic, so I have to obey.”
“Is Solon a P/W house elf?” asked Harry.
“Is, but is not enough,” said Kreacher. “I is, but I is also bonded to you by belonging to this house and those in it, and by the bond of,” Kreacher turned to the three students, Albus, Rose and Martin, and talked to them, then turned to the room, “Bond of love?” Kreacher shook his head a little and talked to the three students again, then said, “It is love, but it is also relationship, is what each owes each other.”
There was a flurry of talk in elfish. Rose said “It’s not just love the feeling, it’s mutual obligation. It’s being responsible for the wellbeing of a person or a place belonging to a person.”
Albus said, “The English word ‘love’ is not very …” he looked at Rose.
“Precise,” said Rose, “accurate, no, that’s not right. Precise, has too many meanings, and ‘love’ in elfish is many words with many different meanings.”
“I can do what I do because I head house elf of this house,” said Kreacher as he waved his hands around the room. “This physical house owned by Harry Potter, and now Harry and Ginny, and also Harry Potter has respect and trust for me because he thinks he knows me, we know each other. Many things tie …bind…us together.”
Kreacher looked at Albus and Rose to see if he had said the right word. They both sort of indicated that he had. “Elfish is real hard when it comes to relationships like this, dad,” said Albus. “I’m still little. I think I know what Kreacher is saying, but I do not know how to help. Elfish is changing too … because… there are no words to talk about some stuff, no … it’s more than words dad, but I don’t have the words to talk about it.” You could almost see the strain in Albus as he tried to relate the complexity of what was going on.
Kreacher said, “Solon needs to become your house elf, like me. How? No way. But now, with Potters New Burrow, and need to do a better job of managing your property, Solon and Sojourner can become head elves there. Is important, but is also important that you know, and together you manage the property, to develop relationship and …” again he looked to Albus and Rose, and they had a brief discussion in elfish.
Albus said, “Friendship, love, respect.”
Rose piped in with, “Mutual respect.”
Al said, “Moving into the attic of Potters New Burrow, with nice rooms, is very important.”
Harry had kind of taken the property for granted, but he was going to have to learn what he owned, and, with Solon’s help, manage it. Harry had learned to delegate, and life was reasonably easy right now. Harry did make sure he was involved in any potentially dangerous activities, and occasionally having Fawkes the Phoenix along was very handy healing injuries. The armor and more modern communication were helping, and Harry was reasonably happy with the state of the Aurors and the Magical Law Enforcement Department.
Early one spring day during the first part of May Harry met Solon to survey his property. Although it was May and it could still get cold, the sun was shining, there was only a very light breeze blowing, and it was about 43 degrees (75 degrees F.) Harry had never walked around all the property he owned. It was about a mile wide by two miles long, if you were looking at all the property from a magical point of view. It was more like half a mile wide by a mile long if you were looking at the property from a Muggle map, or Google Earth, because a lot of it was hidden. It was on the bank of the Otter River, closer to the mouth than to its origin. The Otter River was not exactly a large river. In some places a modest stream like the Otter would not even be called a river, but it did empty into the sea, so it was not a branch of another river.
Potters New Burrow faced south, and Harry and Solon walked out of the front door and turned west and walked to the river. From there they turned north and walked along the banks of the river. In the middle of the river was an island that Harry also owned, with no buildings or anything on it. The island was a scrubby looking piece of property, swampy with gnarly trees and bushes, but it was green and full of animal life. To their right as they walked was the green lawn in front of the New Burrow, then the pond and climbing play thing. There was a little stream leading from the pond to the Otter, but it was small enough that Harry and Solon could just step across it. A couple of hundred feet beyond the pond a field of grain started. “The Muggles see the grain,” said Solon, “but not the pond.”
Finally they came to the northwest corner of the property. Running right up to the river was a Muggle road, almost more a path, two tire tracks with grass in the middle, ending at the river. This hint of a road continued for about two hundred feet, and then there was a paved road, going north more or less parallel to the river. Muggle homes were along the river. On the east side of the road was the start of Longbottom property. The road turned so it was heading east along the border of Harry’s property, all a grain field visible to Muggles. About half way towards the north east border of the property, across the street from ;Harry’s property, was Longbottom Mansion, a very large English Tudor style house three and a half stories, with several fireplaces, all brick, with a very interesting complicated tile roof. It looked like a large house if you were a Muggle, but if you were magical you could see that it was far larger than it looked to Muggles. Next to Longbottom Mansion was a smaller house and some farm buildings. You could see a couple of greenhouses if you were a Muggle, but there were far more hidden greenhouses. The Longbottoms were farmers as well as Aurors, and when times were good you served twenty or thirty years as an Auror and then came home and helped with the family farm. Neville came by his love of plants naturally. The Longbottoms raised enough Muggle vegetables and fruit to more than pay the Muggle taxes on the property, and a variety of magical plants as well. Like Harry’s property less than half of the Longbottom property was visible to Muggles, the rest hidden.
“Longbottoms very good at raising magical plants,” said Solon. “Need much more help, many other farmers to help, and all can make lots of money. Magi need the plants, too. So do elves and Goblin. Good for all.”
Harry asked, “Frank and Alice, the older ones, do they help tend the plants?”
Solon answered, “Working in the greenhouses good therapy. Not so much help but some.”
Still further north, at the boundary between the Longbottom property and Muggle property, totally hidden from Muggles, was the Lovegood hill and house. The land along the Otter was reasonably flat, and the Lovegood hill was by far the highest, and strangest, piece of property for miles around.
At the northeast corner of the property they turned south along another paved road. To the east was all Muggle, a couple of farm houses, farmland. To the west was the boundary of the Potter property, was an all grain field as far as Muggles were concerned. Harry and Solon could see the back of houses that had been built on the property. They reached the path that led into the property, a modest gravel roadway, but kept on walking down the road.
To the left, on the Potter property, were two modest houses and some farm buildings. The two houses were occupied by the grandchildren of one of Arthur Weasley’s brothers. Arthur’s brothers were older and their grandchildren were grown up. Solon said “Weasley brothers’ needs to be better farmers. Needs to be better marketer of crops.”
Harry knew that some of the property had been farmed by Arthur’s family, and that to maintain the property the Potter Estate had hired the two brothers. He had heard a little grumbling that while they were hard workers they were not always the smartest of workers. “Needs to get them to use house elves,” said Solon. “Work with their father and uncle.” Harry and Solon had a discussion on how the Weasley family could and should capitalize on the fame of Harry Potter and their Weasley relatives to market their Muggle crops to Magi better. They could also start raising magical plants, but they would need house elf help, and occasionally help from the people living on Harry’s property. Right now the brothers were a cost to the estate, a very modest cost, but they could be an asset instead of a liability if they did things right.
After the farm houses they passed a modest section of wooded land, then a significant sized grain field, on the Potter property. At the southeast corner of the Potter property they turned west again. “Land to the south Weasley, brothers of Arthur. You hold a mortgage. With house elf help they could pay off mortgage,” said Solon. “Growing magical plants they could be well off not poor.” Harry and Solon had several discussions on this matter in the previous weeks, and Solon was just reminding Harry, and making conversation. They came to the two houses, and Harry went up to see if they could see Anthony the father of the boys tending his property, and the father’s brother Adrian. Both brothers were out in their fields planting, and their wives were planting a large vegetable garden. Harry asked if they could please meet with him and talk about financial matters. They knew that Harry held the mortgage on the farm, and they did not feel they had any choice but to meet with him, even if it interrupted their planting.
Harry got right down to business. “The property you are farming has been mortgaged for well over 100 years. Right now you owe more than the property is worth.”
“We’ve had a run of bad luck,” said Anthony.
“If you had house elves you could plant more and more valuable crops,” said Harry.
“We can’t afford house elves,” said Anthony.
“I’ve offered to give you the house elves, several times,” said Harry.
“We cannot accept that kind of charity from you, Harry,” said Anthony.
“Did it ever occur to you that it was less charity than wanting the mortgage paid?” said Harry. “Let’s look at the numbers.”
Harry was no financial wiz, but Solon was. Solon went through several scenarios showing how having first two pair of house elves, then getting more into magical plants and truck farming, that is planting produce to sell, could bring the farm from marginal to solidly profitable in three years, and pay off the entire mortgage in another ten.
“One of the keys is working with your sons and the Longbottoms on magic plants. Neville is an expert in magical plants,” said Harry when the brothers said they did not know much about raising magical plants.
“Another way you are going to get more money for your crops is by selling them at local magical markets. Be sure to let the Magi know that the crops are being raised on Weasley, Potter and Longbottom land.”
“We cannot take advantage of your fame, Harry,” said Anthony, “and Arthur and his children’s fame.”
“It’s your good luck to be farming right next to Potter/Weasley land, Anthony, Adrian,” said Harry. “I know you have had some bad luck, but I am getting the feeling that you could not recognize or take advantage of good luck if it tried to knock down your door. You seem to have a talent for turning a Unicorn into a Thestral. We are going to turn your bad luck into good luck if I have to force good luck down your throats.
“Look at the numbers, brothers. It’s the only way I am going to have my mortgage paid. Solon and I are going to go over to your boys’ houses and do something similar with them this afternoon. Tonight we are all going to have a meeting, you are going to meet your house elves, and we will get started making these changes. Are you with me, ready to get lucky and become prosperous, or do you want me to foreclose on the farm and find someone else to farm the property.”
“Yes sir, Mr. Potter, sir, Sir Harry Potter, sir,” said Anthony. The two wives had very small smiles, but both Anthony and Adrian had stony faces, trying to contain their obvious resentment.
When they were back on the road Harry looked at Solon in frustration and yelled, “BOGGARTS! Stupid stiff necked Weasley brother. AAAAAhhhhhh, Boggarts.”
“Good job, Mr. Potter, sir,” said Solon, with a grin that reminded Harry of Kreacher’s “Subversives.”
“It is not going to be easy, is it, Solon?” Harry asked.
Solon said, “Sojourner is farm elf. Taking orders from female house elf going to be very hard. We need you back often, I fear.”
“Subversive?” Harry asked.
“Very hard, very subversive,” Solon said.
They walked west to the river, then back north past the end of the grain fields and a big orchard, until they were where they started, then headed east past Potters New Burrow to the houses of the Weasley brothers. There Harry and Solon put on a similar presentation. The big difference was that the younger Weasley brothers were Harry’s employees, and he just told them about the changes. Solon had worked out the numbers so that if the farm became solidly profitable they would share in the increased earnings, and become, if not wealthy, at least in Wizarding terms solidly middle class, and not poor farmers.
When they were done with the brothers Harry was mentally tired. Negotiating with the Weasleys was not easy. They were set in their ways, and responsible for way too much of their ‘bad luck.’ He and Solon wandered over to the New Burrow. Outside some kind of lesson was going on. Ginny was talking, then Fleur, then Audrey. Harry just watched, fascinated. He was seldom there in the middle of the day when teaching was being done.
Despite the help of the house elves with housework, Ginny really did work hard. She had almost a full time job as Quidditch columnist, and although she was only a part time teacher she did plenty of teaching in the middle of the week between columns.
For some reason it was just the Potter and Weasley children at this lesson. All of the boys were in short sleeve cotton shirts and shorts, including Martin the house elf. Harry thought that Martin was with Albus and Rose a lot. Roxanne was also in shorts. She was very comfortable in pants as well as in a dress. Lucy was in a reasonably conservative cotton dress. Dominique was also in a dress, but like almost everything Dominique wore it was frilly and feminine and just on the edge of showing too much skin. Rose was in shorts; they were practical. Lily was in a dress; it was not near as skimpy as Dominique’s dress but it was hardly a lot more practical, and Harry was almost sure Lily and Ginny argued over the dress that morning. Harry knew that they spent more on clothes for Lily then for the two boys combined, and what Lily wanted to wear and what Ginny wanted her to wear was the occasion of frequent battles.
Ginny was wearing a sleeveless cotton blouse and a pleated skirt that came down to just above her knees. The cotton blouse was white with flowers on it, had a scooped neck that almost showed some cleavage, and did show the start of her scar. The blouse looked like it had been woven to fit Ginny exactly, and was charmed so although it never looked painted on it showed off her shape and moved with her. She was a little bigger around on top since having the children. You could see the wisp of a bra under the light weight cotton. Ginny had told Harry that she could not see how Muggle women put up with the bra’s they wore. “It’s like wearing a band around your middle,” she said. Witches bra’s held you up by magic, levitation spells and the like. “Besides, the size is infinitely adjustable. I’m a size bigger than before I got pregnant.” Harry knew that a lot of Ginny’s bras were almost transparent, very wispy little garments. He was almost sure that she was wearing one now, because of how much you could see through the white cotton. Harry though the dress was very sexy.
Harry had to admit that Ginny was more cute than beautiful. She had the light freckled complexion of a red head, and had worked to keep her complexion youthful. Not only was her face freckled but her arms and legs were as well. Harry knew some very old witches who had kept the freckled complexion. Magi aged much slower than Muggles, but they still aged. There was no reason Ginny would have to lose the freckles.
Ginny had never been able to lose the thirty pounds she had put on after having James, nor all of the extra ten that stubbornly stayed on after Lily. “I’m not moving as fast as I was,” said Ginny, and that was true. Every time they went for a check up on her head injury the specialists told them that the injury was better, but that they could still see evidence of the trauma, and that Ginny would have to be careful. “I have to keep Mitzi with me, or even if I’m careful I can lose my balance,” Ginny said. “It is just hard to be vigorous and exercise now.”
Audrey wore a short sleeve dress that went down to well below the knee, conservative but not inappropriate. She was obviously a thin pretty girl, but you never could see anything through any dress she wore.
Fleur in contrast had on a pastel dress made of some silky sort of substance. It was not exactly transparent, but it was not totally opaque either. She must have relied on charms and spells for support. There was no evidence of a bra, and was low cut enough to show some cleavage. Unlike Ginny Fleur had lost all the weight she had put on when she had been pregnant. The bottom of the dress whipped around Fleur’s legs in a most sexy manner. Fleur had the slightly smaller than normal waist and slightly larger than normal hips she had when she was married. She was blond hair blue eyed, and although she had a fair complexion it was not a pasty white but a very luscious touchable appealing flesh tone, just dark enough to show that you had been in the sun without being tanned. It had a sheen that Audrey’s skin did not have. Ginny may have been cute, but Fleur was classically beautiful.
Molly had on a witches robe that was short sleeved and came down to below her knees. Molly was the biggest around on top, and when she gave you one of her big hugs you found yourself surrounded by her ample bosom. Molly was also reasonably thick in the middle, with very large hips. She was still hourglass shaped, but the middle of the hourglass was pretty big.
Harry must have looked at this scene for twenty to thirty minutes, just enjoying the ... Harry was searching for a work or phrase. The goodness, the normalness, the ‘this is what life should be ness’ of the scene. He found out that what he was looking at was French lessons, with the group coming together to talk in French, then breaking apart to do lessons age and skill appropriate, then back together for more talking.
As they were taking leave of the class Harry said to Solon, “This is what we were fighting for at The Battle of Hogwarts. I think this is why I work so hard to do the right thing, for moments like this. To know children, and not just my children, are growing up free of fear. I do not think Tom Riddle ever knew any moments like this.”
“Is what House elves wants for their children,” said Solon. “Too late for old house elves like Kreacher.”
“Is that what you want?” asked Harry of Solon.
Solon looked at Harry pondering for a moment, and then said, “If I is going to want this for myself I need to be ordered to want it. I still old style house elf. Is not really allowed to wish anything for one’s children but that they faithfully serve a master.”
“It’s not fair to deny house elves hope, hope for self and hope for their children,” said Harry. “Can I order you to have hope for your own future, and the future of your children?”
“I think you just have,” said Solon. “Thank you Harry Potter, friend of house elves and goblins.”
That evening Harry and Solon went over the changes in the farming with a group of people that included Neville Longbottom and his farm supervisor, all the Weasley farmers, and also one or two people from all the households on the Burrow
The problem with magical plants is that some of them needed to be transplanted over a time window of a few hours, or harvested over a time window of a few hours. When that happened you needed a large number of people right away. This usually kept the number of plants down to some small multiple of the number of people in a household that were not otherwise working. However, all the school children who were old enough and many of the house elves were recruited for the rush of transplanting and harvesting, earning money in the process. It taught a lot of young Magi the value of hard work, and that money was not something that magically appeared when you needed it.
Harry and Solon had to keep selling the idea that relying on other people to help you was a good thing. They spent hours that spring and summer encouraging the Weasley’s. By the end of the fall, when everybody realized how much money they made that year, everyone was eager to listen to Solon as he worked on the plans “Harry” had for the next year. Harry and Solon meanwhile were building that kind of relationship necessary when you are going to trust each other.
From the first year the combined marketing referred to the farms as The Farms of the Potter-Weasley Community. Neville did not feel the Longbottom name needed to be mentioned, but Magi knew that the Longbottom family was part of the group. Eventually there was a formal marketing co-op, managed by Solon, but that would take a couple of year.
The evening meeting was after dinner, and by the time Harry got home all the children were in bed. Ginny still had the blouse and skirt on that she had been wearing that afternoon. “I think I spent half an hour just looking at you in that dress this afternoon, Ginny,” said Harry. “You sure are cute. You are still the bouncy delightful cute little girl I fell in love with.”
“I’m a middle age mother of three children,” said Ginny, looking at herself. “Maybe a young mother, but I’ve extra pounds on me.”
“They went to nice places,” said Harry.
“You like it because I’m a little bigger around on top?” asked Ginny, with a gleam in her eye. “It’s not because of the belly.” As she said this she put her hands first up to her breasts and then down to the little belly.
“If it is the price of children then I love the little belly,” said Harry. “Ginny, you are beautiful.”
“You’re not a bad looking man yourself, Mr. Potter,” said Ginny. They went to bed early, and for the first time in a very long time said the spells for endurance and made love for a long time. When they were done, snuggled in bed with nothing on (although with three young children night clothes were always close at hand) Ginny said, “I love my life. I love being the mother of small children, and watching them grow up. I love writing the Quidditch column. I love being able to spend so much time with my family. More than anything I love making love to my husband. Sometimes I want it to continue like this forever. I’m not sure I’m ready to have them all grow up just yet.”
“No way to stop them from growing up, and you would not like that either,” said Harry.
“I’m not sure I am done being a mother,” said Ginny. “No, that’s not what I mean. My mum is still a mother. It’s just that I always want it all, and I loved it when I had an infant nursing. It feels so good. I’m not sure I’m quite ready to give that up. For all the problems Lily has been, when she goes to school I’m going to be lost. James goes in four years, then Al the next, then two more and…,” Ginny let the final sentence hang.
“Whatever you decide,” said Harry.
The middle of May Nausicaa Scheria asked to meet with Harry and Ginny, Ron and Hermione, and Dobedo and Harriet. They all met in the Potter’s drawing room. After introductions Nausicaa said “There are ten house elves being brought up with Magi, in all cases being brought up with and teaching a boy and a girl elfish, twenty Magi children. Twelve of those children are at least tri-lingual with two languages besides elfish. Albus and Rose speak French very well, due to Fleur’s teaching. They have spent just enough time in France in the summer to really be fluent in it. We have one pair in North America fluent in English and French, one pair fluent in English and Spanish, and one pair fluent in English and Korean. There is a Chinese pair fluent in Mandarin and Cantonese and English. Finally we have a pair in Switzerland that are fluent in English, German, French, Italian, and two other obscure Swiss dialects.
“We think language is very important in what we are trying to do to improve the condition of the house elves. All the children are about the same age, four to six, and they all still have the ability to learn languages very fast. What we want to do is to bring these twelve of the twenty children together for all of this summer and next, mostly in Switzerland but rotating around to everybody’s home. We think they all need to learn the logic of and some of French, Spanish, German, Chinese and Korean. It is interesting that they all seem to know English as well as Elfish. We would love for everybody to spend a week at Potters New Burrow. I know it is taking your youngsters away from you for a long period, but they will be home every other weekend, and you can go over and visit. We feel this is going to be a two summer long program, with shorter sessions after that to keep these twelve from losing their language skills. ”
“That is only six of the ten pair,” said Hermione.
“I know that,” said Nausicaa. “I do not know why.”
After no little discussion all the parents agreed.
Albus and Rose were thrilled to be learning all these languages. Toward the middle of the summer they were back home for the weekend, and both families were eating together at Potters New Burrow. Dobedo and Harriet and Martin, plus Martin’s little sister Oprah were eating with them.
Albus said “There are some things you cannot say in one language but you can say easily in another. We started with Korean because it is a language that is very aware of who is the superior, and very deferential to the superior.”
“Would Lily be more deferential to me in Korean?” asked Ginny.
Lily got a sour look on her face. Albus answered, “Yes, she probably would be.”
“It would be a good thing if we were all a little more obedient,” said Ginny.
“Would it have been a good thing if Daddy had obeyed the Ministry instead of fighting Riddle?” asked Albus. “You cannot choose to be deferential in one situation and not in another. For example, do you know anything about Muggle airplanes? Remember we went to Uncle Dudley’s wedding in one. They have two people flying the airplane, a pilot and a copilot. One of the jobs of the copilot is to point out to the pilot when something is wrong. In Korean the copilot cannot tell the pilot he has to do something right now, even if the airplane is going to crash. He has to speak to the pilot in the deferential, and the pilot does not have to listen.”
“How do they keep the airplane from crashing?” asked Harry.
“They don’t,” said Albus. “We heard the conversation between a pilot and copilot before an airplane crashed killing over a hundred people. It was real hard to listen to. In Korean there was no way the copilot could stop the crash, even though he could see it coming.”
“What do Korean Pilots do? Are they still having fatal crashes because of the language?” asked Harry.
“Korean pilots fly airplanes in English, and they practice in … you know what a Muggle video game is … a sort of video game in a pretend airplane … the thing pilots sit in … one of those. And they practice the copilot telling the pilot and the pilot listening to the copilot until they can do it.”
“Is elfish like that?” asked Hermione.
“Not exactly,” said Albus.
Rose said “There are things you cannot say in Elfish, but there are also assumptions about relationships between Magi and house elves that are buried deep in the language. Some deep magic also connected to the language.”
“Korean and Elfish are very deferential languages. English is not,” said Albus. “English and American people also are not deferential. Here’s another example. Muggle Naval services have boats they land airplanes on. In English the name for this kind of boat is an aircraft carrier. In US aircraft carriers they land very fast very powerful airplanes on a very small flat space. The airplanes have a big hook on the bottom of the airplane and it catches the plane very fast. After each catch all the crew members walk the flight deck that is what they call that little flat part of the boat the airplane lands on. If anyone sees something wrong they have to let everyone else know, and no one else can land until it is fixed. Everyone from the newest least experienced sailor to the most experienced person has the authority and the responsibility to stop the next airplane from landing if they see anything wrong, and they all use the same words. No apologies and deferential language. In Korean or Elfish talking this way is … I do not know how to say it. Not wrong, because wrong says you can say it and it is just not proper, like a word we know but should not say, swear words, naughty words. You just cannot even talk that way because the language does not allow it.”
“And Elfish is like that?” asked Hermione again.
“Some of the changes needed in treatment of house elves is like that,” said Harriet. “Not bad words you can say but should not, but no way to say in Elfish. Need to understand the language because deep magic buried in the language, and then need to change the language to change the magic. Only a wizard that knows the language and more, much more, can change the magic.”
There was much more discussion about language. Harry was glad he was not going to be the one to change the relationship between house elves and Magi. He was all in favor of it, but the details were making his head hurt.
Chapter 12: CH 12 A New School Year and Albus’s Old Nemesis
Author's Notes: Both FriendofMolly and I have been taking a little break. We should be back to more regular posting. The title is again by FriendofMolly.
For my American readers, all the rest of the world calls what American’s call Soccer by its proper name, “Football.” Albus is English. He doesn’t play American Football, but Football.
The first of September Harry and Ginny again took Teddy to the Hogwarts Express. Molly again had Fred, but to Harry and Ginny’s great surprise Roxanne was not with her.
“Where is Roxanne?’ Ginny asked her Mum.
“She was at our house, but asked if she could walk over to the Longbottom Mansion to go to the train station with Frank Longbottom,” Molly said. “I think those two spent most of the summer together.”
Ginny said, “I know George has been complaining that Roxanne hates to work at the store. She wants to spend all her time over at the New Burrow.”
Molly said, “Roxanne loves to garden. I like gardening, and it has been fun to see Roxanne with Frank II. They both like the feel of dirt in their hands, and seeing things grow from seeds to mature plants. They are pretty good sales people too, when it comes to produce. I think Fred Longbottom has inherited his father’s way with plants.
“They like to duel too. I know Roxanne said that Frank wants to become an Auror, like his father, and then retire to tend plants after fifteen or twenty years. Roxanne has mentioned that she might like to do the same. I’m not sure if it is the career or Frank.
“It is not like Roxanne comes over to the New Burrow to see me! Either she goes over to the Longbottom Mansion or Frank comes over to the New Burrow. They are good workers, so neither Solon nor I can complain. Sojourner, she is really the farmer elf, she is delighted when those two are working on the farms.”
About this time Neville and Hanna Longbottom showed up with their three children, Frank II, who was walking with and talking to Roxanne Weasley, Alice II, who was going for the first time, and Dolly, who was going next year. They also had the oldest of Professor Sprout’s rather large brood, Rose, who was in Victoire’s class.
Ginny whispered to Harry, “I think Pomona likes raising children as much as she likes raising plants.”
“Farmers frequently have large families,” Harry said. “The Sprouts do have quite a brood of children. After a girl every other year they had a boy this year. They have a house on the grounds now, on the other side of the greenhouses. After their children are sorted they have to stay in the dorms, but they do get home, and bring friends over, for brief visits on the weekend.”
Ginny looked around, trying to see who else she knew that was going to Hogwarts. They spotted Joan Joy Prewett, Gala Appleleaf and Mark Lionheart. As Ginny saw the crowd that was going for the first time, she turned to Harry and said, “They were all babies, Harry. What happened?”
“I expect they grew up,” said Harry, laughing. “Your mother tells me you were a baby once too, a fiery baby redhead. Now you’re a mother. It happens.”
Four more years, thought Ginny, and they would put James on this train. She was not sure she was going to be ready for that.
Teddy has three more years of school, thought Harry. He wants to be an Auror, and from his grades, and how well he did his first year in the DA club, he will be a good one. Really good young Aurors get the dangerous assignments. It was starting to worry Harry.
It was good to have Albus back, after close to four months mostly away. The week when the whole class was at Potters New Burrow and the New Burrow was nice, but Harry and Ginny did not get to see a lot of Al even then. Now every month, for two to four days, the class would spend four to eight hours in front of big magic mirrors practicing their language skills with each other, but at home, not away. Next summer there would be a three and a half months long language training session, with monthly refreshers thereafter.
Ginny was enjoying her life. Harry thought in some ways she even enjoyed the fights with Lily. Those two really loved each other, despite the occasional (well sometimes more than occasional) fireworks. They both loved Quidditch, as did James. The only one of the children really interested in all that Harry did, not only the Auror work but everything else, was Albus.
The first week in September Molly asked Harry to meet with Narcissa again. They met at the restaurant in Ottery St.Catchpole where Molly and Narcissa frequently met, in a small private dining room.
“We had a visit from Cleo’s grandmother, Lilith,” Narcissa said. “She is furious that Draco and Astoria are not teaching Cleo and Scorpius. She met with everyone in the house, well everyone except the house elves. Somehow I think that was a mistake. Most witches and wizards don’t pay much attention to house elves, do they?”
“No, they don’t,” said Harry. “I think not paying attention to the house elves is a big mistake. Don’t suggest it to others in your household, please.”
“Scorpe and Cleo are already real good friends of the house elves, and sometimes I even teach the house elf children as well as Scorpe and Cleo,” Narcissa said. “No one else in the family knows that I have the house elf children in some of the classes. I know that the children are learning Elfish, although I don’t think they know I know. I do not think anyone else in the house knows.”
“Do the grandmothers help with the teaching?” Harry asked.
“Godiva tries. She is better at talking to Cleo, and does call her by name and tries to be friends. She has taught the children about the Malfoy family history, glossing over some of the nastier parts of it. All in all she is a little help.”
“Is Cleo’s grandmother happy with the job Godiva is doing?” Harry asked.
“Not really,” Narcissa said. “Godiva and her house elf Gritrude are just not very good at being mean and nasty, and I get the feeling that Lilith wants tough teaching that will make the children unhappy in some way.
“Godiva also has a lot of contempt for Muggles, and is trying to teach that. It hasn’t seemed to work. Both Scorpius and Cleopatra are fascinated by Muggles. They know enough history to know that your mother’s parents were Muggles, and Hermione’s parents were Muggles. Besides, Draco hates Muggles, and Hermione especially, and that seems to make the children want to like Muggles.”
“Your mother Druella?” asked Harry.
“She still has not gotten over Cleo not being Full Blooded,” Narcissa said. “She can hardly look at Cleo. She may be my mother, but she is not being a nice person right now.”
Harry asked, “Are the house elves still helping with the Dementors?”
Narcissa said, “Yes, and I know there are other house elves, ones not from the Malfoy household, involved. House elf society seems to be a lot more complex than I was taught.”
Harry said, “It always was, but things are also changing. I am very glad the house elves are keeping Malfoy Manor safe from Dementors.”
Molly asked, “How are the children holding up?”
Narcissa said, “If Cleo’s family thought that living with the Malfoy family would break her spirit, they were badly mistaken. She bounds up and down stairs, a big smile on her face. I think she speaks in exclamation marks and underlines. She flails away at the organ once she has learned a song, putting more emotion into her playing than I knew you could. She is absolutely, utterly irrepressible.”
Narcissa looked at Molly, and said, “I think she would fit into your family. She is not exactly a Malfoy.
“Scorpius is doing all right. He is a lot more studious than Cleo, although she seems to know almost as much as he does. He reminds me a little of Draco’s descriptions of Hermione, actually. He is a lot quieter, but ever since I started hugging and kissing those two before bed we have has some sort of understanding, and all three of us are doing all right.”
Harry asked Narcissa, “How are you holding up, Narcissa.”
Narcissa said, “Did you know that Andromeda and I have been seeing each other? Molly brought Andy along one meeting, shortly after Andy came back from San Francisco, and we meet about once a month with Molly. We have even met at this restaurant without Molly, and I know we will do it again.
“I just hope that I can have Andy over at Malfoy Manor, and she will feel welcome, some day. I know I am welcome at the New Burrow, but the situation at home is tense enough. I don’t dare try that yet.
“I feel very good about the boy Scorpius is growing up to be, and it is real hard to be too down around Cleo. I am going to be all right.”
One Sunday in September Albus asked his Aunt Hermione, “How can I get Mrs. Ursula Umbridge Crabbe from bothering me and Mum?”
Hermione asked, “Is she still accusing you of underage magic?”
“About twice a week we get a letter from her,” Albus said.
“Are you doing underage magic, Albus?” Hermione asked.
“I never do anything that shows magic to Muggles,” said Albus. “I guess sometimes when I am handling things, lifting them, I use some unconscious levitation, but it is not anything that shows magic to Muggles.
“I’m pretty good at playing my guitar, and a couple of the other students have accused me of having ‘magic fingers,’ but it’s just a lot of practice. Every time I am teased about my ‘magic fingers’ we get a letter from Mrs. Crabbe. It is STUPID! She is stalking me!”
“Have you documented this?” Hermione asked.
“What do you mean, document?” asked Albus.
“Do you have all the letters Ms. Crabbe has sent you?” Hermione asked.
“I think Mum throws the letters away,” Albus said.
“That is not helpful,” Hermione said. “I need to talk to your Mum. Maybe we can make this a lesson for you.”
Hermione got her mother, Albus and Rose, as well as Harry and Ginny, together and laid out a plan. “I would like you to keep all communication you get from Ursula Umbridge Crabbe,” Hermione said. “I would also like Albus to write a paper on what he had been doing at the time he is accused of something, each time you get a letter. Mum, you and Rose should read the papers, and Rose, if you were there, I want you write a paper about what you saw as well.
“I want you to build a documentation file to prove that Ursula is obsessed with you, and that you have done nothing wrong.”
“I set off magic meters unless I work real hard to suppress it,” Albus said. “It is hard to reach for something without doing a little summonsing. I’ve got to be real careful when I play catch with Muggles, to make sure I don’t summons the ball when I am catching it.”
“That is another reason you all need to document what you do for me,” Hermione said. “We cannot keep you from being a Magi, or from having more than a normal amount of magical power. And Albus, you do need to work even harder than most to keep your powers hidden. The only way we can prove that you are being unfairly targeted is to build a carefully documented case against Mrs. Crabbe.”
Later that evening Harry and Ginny met with Hermione and Jean. Ron was at the store.
“Writing is a lot to ask of a six year old,” Ginny said.
Jean said, “Hermione was reading young adult books, and some very adult books, at six, and writing at way above her grade level. She skipped two years ahead in primary school, and was still the best student in her class. We were not sure what to do with her. In some ways the letter from Hogwarts was a relief.
“Rose and Albus have been taught from a very young age. They were both reading well at two, and are way ahead of most six and seven year old children. Having them write is pushing them, and especially Albus, but it is good for them.”
“Was primary school really that bad?” Harry asked.
“You have no idea how bad it was,” Hermione said. “I do not know if you noticed, but I did not invite a single boy or girl that I went to primary school with to my wedding,
“I had no idea how to make friends with people my own age, until a couple of my fellow classmates thoroughly corrupted me.”
“And now you are just a mild mannered Ministry employee,” Ginny said.
“That is not what I hear,” Harry replied.
“House elf controversies are heating up again,” Hermione said. “Between what is going on in North America and Europe, and the discussions our children are involved in, we are looking at a big controversy at the International Conference of Witches and Wizards next spring.”
“Still a troublemaker?” Ginny asked.
“Your brother and your husband corrupted me,” Hermione said with a laugh.
The documentation of Ursula’s harassment of Albus went on all autumn. One autumn day Albus was out at a Muggle park with the whole family, and ended up in a game of football with the boys in the area. He scored a goal, and it looked like the ball curved into the goal.
Albus realized that the ball had some spin on it, but he had probably made it curve a little more by magic. Rose saw the goal, and both of them carefully watched to make sure that no Muggle attributed the goal to magic. None of them did, although they did see it curve more than it normally would have.
The family had just gotten home from the playground when Ursula showed up at the Potter’s front door.
“More blatant underage magic, and in front of Muggles, Albus,” Ursula said on the front steps.
Ginny pulled out her wand.
“Mum, please stop it,” Albus said.
“Please, Aunt Ginny, don’t hex her,” Rose said. “Just let us inside so we can write out what happened.”
Ginny opened the door, let everybody else inside, and then slammed the door shut in Ursula’s face. Mitzi led Ginny to a nearby chair. Jo, the other house elf who helped shadow Ginny, watched at the door, making sure that Ursula didn’t make a scene.
“We need to write about this,” Albus said. Rose nodded her agreement. “I think we should each go to our own bedroom, and write what happened in our own words,” Albus said.
Sue Shook was on the outing with Ginny, along with her children Sheryl, Christy, and Marvin. They were all the same age as the Potter children, and Sue was credited with being only a part time or extra Auror when she accompanied Ginny with her children. “I will write what I saw, or didn’t see,” Sue said. “I will write down what my children saw as well.”
For three days the next week Jean Granger worked with Albus and Rose to help them compose their stories of what happened. Those reports, and others, about one a week, were added to the complaints from Ursula that Ginny was now saving and handing over to Jean.
The first part of November the Potter children were again in the park, with Rose and Hugo, and also the Shook children. The older children choose sides and started a game of football, and Albus was again kicking the ball. Albus and James were on opposite sides, a not uncommon occurrence. The ball took a bad bounce as it headed towards James, and Ginny spotted Ursula writing something down. Sue had a Muggle video camera, and she was recording the game.
During a pause in the game Ursula went up to Albus and said, “I have seen you change the direction of the ball. That HAS to Stop!”
“Just because the ball takes a bad bounce does not mean I did it,” Albus replied.
Sue walked over to where the confrontation was taking place, recording everything.
Ursula sat down, put her face right next to Albus, and whispered, “You are a wizard. You have no business playing with Muggles.”
“You should not be saying that word HERE,” Albus said.
“DON’T YOU DEFY ME?” Ursula yelled.
One of the Muggle mothers came over and said, “Is this lady bothering you?”
“She bothers me all the time,” Albus said.
By this time Sue was right on top of the confrontation. She said something to one of the other Aurors who was watching the group, and the other Auror took Ursula by the arm and led her away. They had just entered a nearby building when they heard Ursula cry out, and before the door closed a bat flew out of the building.
Sue said, “GINNY!”
Ginny looked a little ashamed. When they could talk privately Ginny told Sue, “I stopped it right away.
Sue said, “You had better tell Harry and Hermione as soon as possible. No Muggle saw it, but that was close, and you have already been in trouble for your Bat Boogey Hex.”
When Hermione heard what had happened she told Ginny and Albus, “We need to file charges against Mrs. Crabbe as soon as possible, or Ginny, you are going to be in big trouble. You may still be in trouble for your Bat Bogey Hex. It is not a good idea to keep Bat Bogey Hexing a Ministry official, no matter how unfair they are being.”
Ginny didn’t say much. She knew she had lost her temper, and this time it could get her in trouble.
Ginny and Ursula were both called to a hearing before a prosecutor, to see if either of them had violated any law.
Ginny did point out that no Muggle had any idea what had happened when she cast the Bat Boogey hex, although she did not dispute that she had cast the spell.
Jean and Albus, with the support of a large number of other people, had carefully documented Ursula’s harassment.
Ursula was told that she could no longer have anything to do with Albus .Ginny was also reprimanded. The prosecutor let her know that she was very close to being put under house arrest for the Bat Boogey Hex, and she was on informal probation.
Ginny was relieved that she was let off with a warning. She was thrilled that the target for the hex was being forbidden to have contact with Albus. Ginny could reserve the use of the Bat Bogey Hex for her brothers if they gave her a hard time.
Chapter 13: CH 13 The Evolution of the Magical World
Author's Notes: The Swiss Elfish names are all taken from the Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien. The elves bear no or only a superficial resemble to their namesakes, but using them was quite intentional.
I answer every review, and my Beta FriendofMolly and I would appreciate more.
Harry was almost sure Albus was practising a lot in the basement with Draco’s wand, but Albus was never caught. Harry thought he knew why; Albus was very good at making the mapping papers, and Harry thought Albus probably had a map that told him if anyone was coming. Harry had no idea how sophisticated the maps Albus was making were becoming.
One day when they were in the Potions Room Harry asked Albus, “Have you made any of your own maps?”
Albus nodded yes.
“May I see them?” Harry asked.
Albus took out a couple of maps of Twelve Grimmauld Place. One map was of Twelve to Fifteen Grimmauld Place and Twelve to Fifteen Newbright Street. The map of just Twelve and Thirteen Grimmauld Place was reasonably small, and it looked like Albus could carry it in his pocket.
“What is special about this map?” Harry asked.
“It vibrates when someone is coming down to the lower levels,” Albus said.
“So no one catches you practicing?” Harry asked.
Albus didn’t say anything; he didn’t have to.
Harry put the maps back in the drawer with Draco’s wand, and Albus locked it.
Al and Rose, along with Martin their house elf friend, started to scheduled time at DPW. Every other week they spend a good part of the day at DPW with the house elves and Goblins. Sometimes they went over with Uncle Dudley. Dudley had a delivery truck with two rows of seats that he drove often, although he also had a car, and Albus and Rose really liked riding in the truck.
Harry asked Albus after one visit, “What are you doing at Dursley Potter and Weasley?”
“Talking to the Goblin children, and elf children,” Albus said.
“Are you speaking in English?” Harry asked.
“Some in Gobbledygook,” Albus said. “But also in Goblin Elfish.”
“The Goblins speak Elfish?” Harry asked.
Albus said “They have their own version of Elfish, but please, do not tell anyone. They want to keep it secret. The Goblins are not all that happy that Magi know they have children. They never talk about their families to others.”
Molly, Rosemary Appleleaf, and Hermione held meetings with parents and grandparents who were home schooling their students every September, November, February and May. There were quite a few grandmothers home schooling and several grandfathers as well. Sometimes Ginny was at these meetings, sometimes Audrey was, and often both of them were.
Ginny was at the November meeting. As usual Hermione started by passing out a list of all the approved learning materials. Every meeting the number of books with lesson plans grew. Hermione tried not to run the meetings, but to let Molly run them. Molly tried to have at least one and usually two of the other witches talk about their experience home schooling.
Molly and Rosemary then took public questions, and afterwards there was quite a bit of time to talk and share privately.
Narcissa Malfoy was at most of these meetings, although she seldom spoke. Rosemary took Ginny over to Narcissa and said, “Narcissa, you have met Ginny Potter. Ginny, Narcissa Malfoy is teaching her grandson. Scorpius is going to be in Albus’s class.”
Narcissa put out her hand to shake Ginny’s, and Ginny did shake her hand. Narcissa asked Ginny, “Do you teach your children, in addition to writing the Quidditch Column?”
Ginny said, “I help some, but Mum and the other teachers around Ottery St. Catchpole do most of the teaching of James and Lilly. Jean Granger is doing a lot of the teaching of Albus and Rose.”
“Isn’t Jean Granger a Muggle?” Narcissa asked.
“You have a problem with that,” Ginny fired back, her temper beginning to flare.
“No,” Narcissa said. “I’m just a little surprised. That’s all.”
Narcissa was at most of these meetings every year until Scorpius was at Hogwarts.
Harry could not believe how quickly the Christmas of Two Thousand and Twelve seemed to sneak up on his family. The evening after Harry had picked up Teddy from the Hogwarts Express he spoke to Ginny about the students.
“Teddy is still growing,” Harry said. “He is fourteen, and he is going to tower over our children. He is also very handsome. Minerva says he has a lot of girls pining after him, and he seems to be making a special effort to be good looking for all his admirers.”
“How is that going over with Victoire?” Ginny asked.
“Teddy talks to other girls, and Victoire talks to other boys, but they always go to dance lessons and dances together,” Harry said. “I guess there is quite a bit of frustration at the school because no one has been able to be more than friends with either of them.”
“Victoire is beginning to develop some shape,” Ginny said. “Maybe she just does not want to fight off the boys yet. Is she still a good student?”
“One of the best,” said Harry. “I am not supposed to know how well everybody is doing, but all the teachers can see that Victoire would like to be Head Girl. She may make it, if her temper doesn’t get the better of her.”
Ginny said, “Molly may have her grandmother’s name, but Victoire inherited her temper.”
“It must go with the red hair,” said Harry, staring at Ginny.
“Are you referring to ME?” asked Ginny. Harry and Ginny both laughed at that.
Ginny said, “Molly is also growing up. Roxanne still looks like a little girl, but there is always something different about you once you start going to Hogwarts. You can almost tell by looking at a child if they have started or not.”
“Lucy starts next year,” Harry said. “Then you have Dominique, then Louis, then James. One a year until Albus and Rose start, then a year gap and Lilly and Hugo go.”
“They are growing up, Harry!” Ginny said. “No more babies. I LIKE babies, I’m just really not ready to have another yet.”
Charley, Stribog and Ivana were at the New Burrow for Christmas again. Ivana ended up staying with Lily Luna, and the two of them seemed to get along well.
Christmas afternoon Lily asked Ginny, “May Ivana stay until after the first of the year? I told her about the Christmas party we always give for any child that has to be at St. Mungo’s or, well; I told her some of the sad stories. Ivana would like to help.”
“You really enjoy that party, Lily,” Ginny said.
“I ought to be nice to the children that are hurt,” Lily said. “How many times have you had me at St. Mungo’s because I got hurt?”
Ginny put her head in her hands, and just shook her head.
“It’s HARD to be careful!” Lily said.
“If Stribog agrees, Ivana may stay until after the first of the year,” Ginny said.
“Let’s TELL your Uncle,” Lily said to Ivana, starting to run out of the room.
“ASK!” Ginny yelled to Lily. Ginny laughed as the two girls ran to find Uncle Stribog. Lily Luna was basically a good person, but Ginny thought Lily was going to end up being more trouble than her two sons put together.
Shortly after Christmas, Molly got together with Narcissa again.
“How was this Christmas this year?” Molly asked.
“A lot better than last Christmas,” Narcissa said. “I made sure that I got all the Christmas presents, except for minor single presents from the other members of the family. Draco didn’t get any special presents for anyone, and neither did Astoria. Godiva got a small present for both Scorpius and Cleopatra. My Mum Druella only got a present for Scorpius, but that was only a minor problem.
“I asked Cleopatra what she wanted for Christmas. Cleo said she did not have any girl toys, and she really wanted a doll, a baby doll. ‘Am I too old to have a baby doll, Mrs. Malfoy?’ she asked.
“‘I do not think you are too old’,” I said. I made sure that there were equal stockings for Scorpius and Cleopatra, and similar presents. I did get Cleo a baby doll, with clothes, little nappies, and a little toy baby bed. I notice Cleo holding the doll while reading, or sometimes while just sitting in a chair, thinking. Once in a while she even pretends to be feeding or changing the baby. Cleo found a book in the library about mothers and babies. Every night before she goes to bed Cleo kisses the little baby doll and gently puts it to bed.
“I have been tucking both Scorpius and Cleo into bed at night, and giving each of them a good night kiss. Scorpius is grateful for the kiss. There has never been a lot of touching and hugging around Malfoy Manor. The first time I kissed Cleo I was shocked at how grateful Cleo was. She thanked me over and over, with tears in her eyes. I promised Cleo that she would kiss her every night. That first night I walked out of the bedroom, gently closed the door and went to my bedroom, struggling to maintain control. Once I was in my bedroom I lay on my bed and bawled. It is so easy to make Cleo feel good. A few kind words, a little touch. Cleo gets none of that kindness from Astoria or Draco, or the grandmothers, and even Scorpius really never got enough loving touch from them. The only people who hug me are Scorpius and Cleo, and you, Molly.”
“I hug just about everybody,” Molly said. “Certainly if they are a friend they get a hug when they come to our house.”
Narcissa said, “I am so very grateful I can talk to you, Molly. I am sorry but I still felt that I have to keep these meetings secret. Scorpius and Cleo seemed to be thriving under my care, with the help and love of the house elves.
“Malfoy Manor is a very tense place. Draco has business associates but no friends. Draco still seemed to be under the thumb of his father. That worries me! Draco tolerates Cleo, but he is very awkward around her. It would help if Draco could say he was sorry that Cleo was in the situation she is in, and tried to be nice to her.
“Astoria loathes Cleo, and does not hide it. She is at odds with everyone in the family. The only good thing is that she was not passing her attitude on to anyone else in the family.”
The middle of January Hermione asked to have a meeting after dinner with just Harry and Ginny, Ron, Jean her mother, Albus and Rose. James and Lilly were not in the meeting, and neither was Hugo. Harriet Tubman P/W and her son Martin (Luther King) P/W were there, however.
Hermione said, “We are trying to schedule a meeting of Elves at the end of January. All the Elves who are learning languages with the Magi children, and their parents, will be there. There will be a very large contingent of Elves, and a fair number of Magi.”
Harry asked, “What is this meeting going to be about?”
“The Elfish language,” Hermione said. “They need to add a lot of new words and phrases, even some, I don’t know, adjectives but Rose and Albus say there is more to it than just words, to the language, to talk about new ways of relating.”
Albus said, “There is no way for an Elf to be an employee, or to work for a group of people that is not a family. Even the Hogwarts Elves work for the headmaster of headmistress, not the school. But that doesn’t work for the P/W house elves, and for many other house elves. Trying to use Muggle words is just wrong, and they need Elfish words and phrases and tenses and a neutral gender to go along with the masculine and feminine gender to describe some relationships. It’s really complicated.”
“How do they do it now?” Harry asked.
“Not very well,” Albus said, “and it always sounds like you are swearing, saying naughty words, and even then the meaning is not clear. Some of the words Goblins use, and to say you are swearing in elfish you say you are ‘talking like a Goblin.’ The problem is that the elves need to learn how to talk like a Goblin, without the anger that is part of Goblin elfish and Gobbledygook.”
“The magic that governs the house elves is mostly how we think, and how we think is because of the language we use,” said Harriet.
“Just business language?” asked Harry.
“The elves do not have a good way about talking about love and sex between elves,” said Rose. “Mating has always been more a question of obligation than of love, although it seems to be enjoyable.”
Harriet smiled, and said, “Most enjoyable, but not such good words for what elves do. Is mated, not married. Maybe more enjoyable if elves could marry.”
“They are very explicit about what humans do, and some of the language is real physical,” said Rose. “What people do doesn’t sound very sanitary to me.”
“Sanitary?” asked Ginny.
“Putting your tongue in someone else’s mouth?” Rose said. “Some guy putting his … thing … into you? I guess it is fun, because Mum and Dad do it, but it doesn’t seem like it would be. It seems like it would be very personal … and … messy … and, unsanitary.”
Hermione and Ron looked at each other, and grinned.
Rose said, “Elves do something similar, but their bodies are different. Elfish makes fun of how long some people do it. I know that Mum and Dad spend a lot of hours once or twice a month doing it lots of different ways, because the elves know that. There are words or phrases for that. Elves are surprised humans waste so much time at it.”
“It is very enjoyable,” Hermione said, looking very embarrassed. “Besides, we are learning all sorts of ways to do it.”
Ron smiled at Hermione, and the said with an exaggerated look of suffering, “We are just sacrificing for the sake of science and education.” Ron then laughed.
“I do not think so,” said a puzzled Rose. “The elves don’t think so either. But it still seems unsanitary to me.”
Harry and Ginny both looked at Albus.
“Don’t ask me!” Albus exclaimed. “I’m just a little kid. I don’t want to think about that type of thing. As long as I don’t have to do it to anyone it doesn’t bother me one way or another.”
There was a lot more discussion about language, and what Hermione, Harriet, and many other Elves were trying to do.
The end of January was the big meeting. All of the students learning Elfish, their parents, and many others were there. It was held in the room the International Council of Witches and Wizards met in.
Hermione and Harriet were part of a team leading the meeting, along with John and Mary, the head house elves from Switzerland, and a number of other people Harry did not know well.
Harry and Ginny were there with Albus.
Ron was accompanying Rose, since Hermione was busy helping to run the meeting.
Dobedo accompanied his and Harriet’s son Martin.
Albus and Rose were some of the first people in the big council room and Rose said, “I can tell you about the people who we study with, and their parents.”
Harry said, “I think I know some of them, but that would be good.” He thought back to how Hermione was always trying to fill his and Ron’s head with facts. Rose was sure her mother’s daughter.
Rose said, “The first couple is Gary and Sara Edington, and their daughter Luta. Mrs. Edington is Korean, and she’s teaching her daughter and the other children in the extended family to speak and read Korean.
“The next couple is Kevin and Lisa Edington, and their son Henry. Gary and Kevin are brothers. Their grandmother is the North American Minister of Magic.
“The older elves are Joseph and Josephine Freeelf. They work for the Edington family. Their son is Peter Puck Freeelf.”
Rose looked at her father, Harry and Ginny, very pleased with herself. Just then a very Native American looking couple with two children walked in. All four of them, man and boy as well as woman and girl, had long braided black hair, and colorful clothes.
Al waved and said as they walked pass, “Hi, Maria, Jesus,” pronouncing Jesus like the Spanish do, “Hay sues.”
Rose said, “They are Eduardo and Juanita Rios, and their two children, Maria and Jesus. Juanita is president of the large Los Angeles School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Eduardo teaches there, and has several notable spells he has developed. The LA school is partly bi-lingual. The Rios family tries very hard to make sure everyone in the family is fluent in Mexican Spanish as well as in English.
“The older elves are Robin and Rose LAWW. The younger elf is their daughter Sprite. LAWW stands for the school, and is the same sort of surname that P/W is for the house elves owned by the Weasley and Potter families.”
Two couples came in together, with their children, dressed in classical, expensive Muggle clothes. You could tell they were from wealth. Both of the witches had a number of rings, including diamond engagement rings with huge solitaire diamonds.
Albus said something to the two children in French, and they answered back. Meanwhile Rose was saying, “That couple is Jean-Paul and Melissa Felion. Their son is Jean-Louis. I have read that Jean-Paul is a very prominent French Canadian politician.
“Accompanying them are Emilie and Joseph Marie DuMonde Jr. Their daughter is Gabrielle. When we were in Canada we read a little about the DuMonde family. They have been prominent and wealthy members of French Canadian society for over four hundred years.
“Emilie is Jean-Paul’s sister, so Jean-Louis and Gabrielle are first cousins.
“The older elves are Yves and Astrid de-Fey. Their daughter is Lucie. The de-Fey house elves are all related by their history of service to the wealthy French Canadian families. Some are serving as traditional house elves, but over the last fifty years, and especially over the last twenty five, more and more are taking on roles more akin to some of the roles the Potter/Weasley elves are filling.
“I’ve asked Yves and Astrid what they do,” Rose said, “but I have not gotten a good answer. I’m pretty sure they are not traditional house elves. Maybe if we change the language they will be able to tell me. It is FRUSTRATING not having the words to talk about some things.”
Another pair of Native American looking couples came in, darker in skin tone. Both the men and the women had long hair. They all wore very casual Muggle clothes, and sturdy looking outdoor type shoes.
Albus greeted the children with gestures and strange sounding words. He turned to his parents and said, “American Indian sign language. It is not at all like the American Sign Language of the deaf. We said hello in Navaho and Hopi too.”
Rose looked at Albus with some apparent frustration, like he was stealing HER show, and then said, “That couple is Victor and Rosalyn Firewalker. They are joint presidents of the New Mexico School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Their daughter is Sarah.
“The other couple is Bishop Jacob Qaletaga, perhaps the most prominent bishop of the Wizarding Christian Church in North America, and his wife Mary Muna. Their son is Joshua.
“Bishop Jacob is also a noted shaman, and Mary Muna is well known as a prophetess.
“Sarah and Jacob are cousins, and they both grew up at the school. They are native Hopi speakers, and can speak a little of a couple of other Native American languages.
“Ashkil Dighin and his wife Tsintah are the elves. They are the only ones I have met who are married. I think Bishop Qaletaga married them. Their son is Naalyehe ya Sidahi. His nickname is ‘Trader.’
“If you are ever in an argument you want ‘Trader’ on your side. Be a little careful if you are buying something from him or selling something to him. He can talk you into trading a Unicorn for a unicycle. The elves are fluent in Navaho as well as Hopi. They teach languages at the school.”
Another native looking couple with two children came in. Rose said, “These people are Native Americans Inuit from Canada, Ujarak Harry Eseven, and his little sister Nukka Senda Eseven. The Canadian government gave Inuit letters and numbers as a substitute for last names to distinguish families, and so originally their grandfather was E7-121, but he adopted the last name of Eseven as a kind of a joke, sort of mocking the Canadian authorities.”
“I am John Eseven,” the man said. “My wife is Jane. We gave our children Inuit names. It was not acceptable for our parents to give our children Inuit names and speak the native language.”
Rose said, “Mr. & Mrs. Eseven are the only Inuit active and well known everywhere there are Inuit Magi, Russia and the northern countries of Europe, Greenland, as well as US and Canadian in North America. They write books, and are very involved in studying the various Inuit languages and cultures, as well as the much smaller group of Inuit Magi.”
John said, “And Rose here is a vacuum cleaner for facts. The house elf studying with the children is Tink. Her parents are busy at home, and she often travels with us when we travel with the children.”
After the Inuit left Rose said, “Ujarak and Nukka are home schooled. Both parents help, and they use some of the Canadian books the government has for Inuit children, and some of the school books Mum has developed.”
“It’s not just your Mum,” Albus said. “Grandmother and Aunt Audrey and other people have helped.”
“WELL, Mum manages it,” said Rose, looking a little annoyed. “They will not tell us how Tink got her name. I think it stands for Tinkerbell, and there must be an embarrassing story behind it, but I cannot find out what it is.”
Ginny said, “Rose, some stories are better left untold. You do not have to know everything.”
“Everybody is from north of the Equator,” Al said. “I see Fred Weasley over there with that little black girl, and I know there are some African and Mid-East people here, but none that go to school with us.”
“That little girl is as old as Fred,” Harry said. “They know each other because her father and his tribe work closely with Uncle George and Lee. The whole tribe is small and very thin.”
“Do you know why there are not any people from south of the Equator going to school with us?” Albus asked his father.
Harry said, “In Africa most of the tribes that have people who might qualify are smaller, and speak obscure dialects. I think that may have something to do with why.
“There are no students and elves from the area around India and the Mid-East either. Abolishing slavery in the Wizarding community is a hard sell there, and they have other problems.
“South and Central America have ongoing problems with the Pirate Witch Queen of the Caribbean, and that may be part of the reason why they do not have children in your group. There are some elves and Magi from that area of the world here.”
A group of Chinese came in, and four children were with them. The four children came over to Albus and Rose, and exchanged a few words in Chinese. Albus kept talking quietly to the children.
Rose said, “Dad, Uncle Harry, Aunt Ginny, this is the Wong family, Mr. and Mrs. Paul and Patricia, and their children Harry and Ginny. They were named after you, Uncle Harry, Aunt Ginny.”
“We are honored,” said Harry.
Paul said, “When my grandfather WW Chang came back from Switzerland after meeting you he was very impressed, not only by what you did to defeat Volde…”
Harry jumped in with, “TOM Riddle.”
Paul said, “Excuse me, Tom Riddle. I do know that you feel it is important that we use his given name, and I agree. Well, Patricia and I wanted to use you and your wife’s names for our children’s Western Names.”
Rose added, “WW Chang is the Chinese Minister of Magic.”
An amused Harry said, “I know, Rose. I know WW quite well, and have met most of his family.”
Rose turned to the other couple, and said, “JR and Flower Chang have been to our house with Grandpa TT Chang working on the Potion’s text books with Mum. Their children are John and Marcy. The elves are Jiao Xian Jing and her cousin Jia Xian Jing. She is usually with the Wong family and he is usually with the Chang family, but they all live in the same large apartment building, so everybody is together a lot.”
Harry noticed that the Chinese Elves were smaller than the normal elf, which made them quite tiny. They were also very good looking little creatures. It was obvious which the boy elf was, and which was the girl, a little more obvious than with most other elves.
Finally some of the Swiss, who had been busy in the front seating people and making introductions, broke away to say hello to Harry, Ginny and Ron.
Harry said, “Brandt’s, I would like to introduce you to my brother-in-law, Hermione’s husband Ron Weasley. Ron, this is Freda Brandt, the daughter of Gerhard Richter, and her husband Wilhelm. Their youngest children are Adele and Hermann.”
Freda said, “I was the youngest of my mother’s children, and Adele and Hermann are the youngest of my children. I wasn’t really planning on having children in my fifties, but we witches are very strong and long lived, and it worked out well enough.”
Ginny gave Harry a longing look and squeezed his hand Harry thought that there was certainly a chance that their family was not finished.
As the Brandt went back to their seats John and Mary, the chief elves of the Swiss, came up with a small group of Elves and one Goblin.
John the elf said, “Greetings, Regent and family. My mate and I have adopted the surname Rivendell. I would like to introduce my daughter and her mate, Arwen and Elrond Lothlorien, and their daughters Galadriel and Luthien.”
Rose said, “Galadriel and Luthien are older than the other elves learning with students, but they have been working with Adele and Hermann, and all of us.”
Galadriel said, “The young Goblin Thorin has also been working with us.”
Thorin the Goblin shook everyone’s hands, a happy but proud look on his face and in his bearing.
When they went back to their seats Ron whispered, “Don’t tell Hermione, but Galadriel is the prettiest being I think I have ever seen, and her sister Luthien is almost as pretty.”
Harry said quietly to Ginny, “Ron’s right. She is prettier than Fleur.”
“Prettier than ME?” asked Ginny.
“You are cuter than any female I have ever met,” Harry quickly replied. He gave Ginny a little kiss, that seemed to last quite a long time.
Rose whispered to Albus, “Kissing still seems unsanitary to me.”
There were a lot of older elves there as well. Harriet Tubman seemed to know all of them.
A very large document was being prepared. A lot of it was a huge list of words or phrases in many languages, and finally elfish words or phrases, with explanations. Most of the elves seemed to have read the document. Most of the words were accepted with little dissent, but some caused quite a bit of discussion.
It was interesting to Harry, but Ginny and Ron were bored to tears. All the children who had been taught elfish, however, were very excited.
After two days the meeting broke up. Rose told everyone that, “This document is going to be submitted to the International Council for Witches and Wizards for their approval.”
As they left for home Hermione and Harriet seemed to be in a good mood. Ginny said, “What is going on? You are just adding words to the elfish language.”
“We will talk more when we get home,” Hermione said.
Before splitting up Hermione had everybody meet in the Potter’s Drawing Room.
Hermione said once everybody was sitting down, “Most of the document is pretty clear. There are lots of modern ways people relate that have no easy way to talk about in elfish. In elfish you could only work for and obey a person. If you worked for a family it had to be clear who was the ultimate boss. If you are serving a child, for example, you had to know the relationship between the child and its father. There was no way to work for an institution, a thing instead of a male or female person. So as Harriet has explained it to me they have had to construct, or re-discover from some very old documents, a neutral tense to go along with the masculine and feminine.
‘Harry, between now and the ICWW in June you are going to have to go over the document with Harriet and me, with Rose and Albus also translating, so we can defend it.”
Harry reluctantly agreed, and for the next few months Harry spent one or two evenings a week with Hermione, Harriet, Albus and Rose going over all the document so he could understand and defend it.
Most of the words and phrases were just adding words for modern items and concepts. There was one section that caused quite a bit of discussion. “High Elf” or “Wand Carrying Elf.” “Archaic terms, from old and just discovered documents, for some of the first elves. There are drawings and documents that make it clear that at one time elves did have wands. Nothing in this document implies that elves are asking for permission to use wands.”
Harry had seen the elfish wands. He knew the Swiss elves and some Chinese elves had elfish wands. Harry felt that these wands were being used, in secret, and without permission. He did not say anything about that, however.
Harry knew he was letting things happen, and he hoped by not interfering he was doing the right thing.
Chapter 14: CH 14 Muggle Music
Author's Notes: Music credits at the end of this chapter. If you have never seen the Abbot and Costello skit “Who’s on First” it is worthwhile to Google it before reading this chapter.
To the person who nominated me for a comedy award on SYIE, thank you. I hope this meets your expectations.
The end of January Jim Shook met with Harry. Jim was still in charge of the family security. “Harry,” Jim said, “I am worried about the children when they go to music lessons. We have everything under control when they have individual lessons, but when they practice in their band I am worried that bad things could happen.”
“Why?” Harry asked.
“They have to practice in a more public area, and more and more people are coming in and out. They are getting reasonably good for as young as they are. Remember, two of my children are in the band too.”
“Rose takes piano lessons,” Harry said. “Is she in the band?”
“Have you heard Rose play?” Jim asked.
“No,” said Harry. “Is she any good?”
“I’m not sure there are any charitable ways to describe her playing,” Jim said. “She hits all the notes, but she has no sense of rhythm, and the result is stilted at best. She does not like the Rock and Roll from the Fifties, Sixties and Seventies I grew up with and play. I corrupted my children with that music, and they have taught it to the rest of the band.”
“The band could practice at our house,” Harry said. “Are there Muggles in it?”
“Cal Glenbell is the other guitar player, in addition to Albus and our oldest, Sheryl. Our Christy plays the drums, and the bass player is Mac Paul.
“Mac Paul is a Muggle, and is probably the least talented in the group. Cal is a little out of place. He likes a softer type of song, but he can rock with the best of them.”
Harry said, “We have what we call our Muggle Switch, a set of spells that changes the Drawing Room so it has the same furniture arrangement each time, keeps the pictures from moving, and has Muggle Repellent Spells on everything but the Living and Dining room on the Main Floor and the Drawing Room on the First Floor.
“Have the band practice in the Drawing Room.”
A couple of weeks later Harry and Ginny were in the Drawing Room listening to the band during their normal Saturday practice session. It was the first time Ginny had heard the band.
“Is that Christy Shook?” Ginny asked as she saw the tiny girl attack the drums. Christy had long hair that she was constantly fussing with, and liked dresses that made her look even younger and smaller than she was. It’s hard to sing a raucous song when all the voices are sopranos’, but Christy was equal to the boys.
Ginny was very confused. She had never really listened to any Muggle Music, and this Muggle Rock and Roll had her totally baffled.”
“Shake it up baby?” she asked. “You don’t shake a baby!”
“I think the boy is telling his girlfriend to shake,” Harry said.
“Why?” Ginny asked. “Twist and shout? What are they twisting?”
“I think they are twisting their bodies,” Harry said.
“Like when you apparate?” Ginny asked. “Maybe they are shouting because they are splinching themselves.”
“It is a Muggle song, Ginny. I am sure they are not referring to apparating.”
“Work WHAT out?” Ginny asked.
“It,” said Harry, laughing.
Ginny punched Harry in the shoulder. “That was NOT a helpful answer.”
“What is a Beatle Tribute Band?” Ginny asked.
“A band that plays mostly Beatle songs,” Harry said. “They are playing a lot more than just Beatle songs, although the Beatles covered ‘Twist and Shout.’”
“Beatles, crickets, grasshoppers, they are insects, not band names.”
“I don’t know about grasshoppers, but the Beatles did name their band as a tribute to the Crickets.”
“Now you really are kidding me, Harry,” Ginny protested.
“Honestly, Buddy Holly, one of the early pioneers of Rock and Roll, had a band called the Crickets.”
“Rock and Roll, like stones, like a rolling stone?” Ginny said.
“Oh, the Rolling Stones are a famous Rock and Roll band.”
Ginny looked at Harry like he was crazy.
“Want to try a little Do-Wop?” Al asked the band. They started in singing.
Ginny looked at Harry. “Do wrap a diddy diddy dumb diddy dumb?”
“It’s Wop, not wrap, Ginny.”
“Well, I guess if you cannot wrap a diddy you might as well wop it,” said Ginny, throwing her hands up in utter frustration. “I will never understand Muggle music. I guess I am just too dumb to know what a diddy is.”
Then band had moved on to another song. Al sang to Christy, “The purpose of a man is to… love a woman.”
Christy sang back, “And the purpose of a woman is to… love a man.”
“I understand THOSE lyrics,” Ginny said.
“Do they?” asked Harry.
Ginny looked at Al and Christy. “Merlin, I hope not!”
Sunday the family met as usual. Ginny told her mother, “I listened to Al practice his Muggle music and I just do not get it. Wrap a diddy dumb diddy dumb?”
“Oh, I like that song,” Molly said. After you left Arthur got a recording player that works with the Muggle Electricity in this house. He repaired a lot of old Muggle plate like things, records. There are these little one song forty five records, and these thirty eight special big records.
“Muggles also record music on something like black Spellotape, called magic net tape. Too much magic ruins it. Arthur and a couple of others had to Oblivate a whole family, and in the process they ruined all the magic net tapes. They had to call in specialists from North America to fix them.
“Muggles also have music on seedy disks, but we cannot play them yet.”
“Accio ‘Do wah diddy diddy’ single,” Molly said. “You push this little round thing in the middle of this big round thing, and it pops up. You push it again and it stays down. No spells, just Muggle magic.”
Molly played the “Do wah diddy diddy’ record,” bouncing around. “It is good exercise,” Molly said. “One reason I’ve lost a little weight.
When the song was done Ginny said, “I just cannot believe the band names. Beatles and Crickets, Rolling Rocks.”
“The Crickets are not British,” Harry said.
“Who?” asked Arthur?
“Oh, they are British too. The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and The Who, three of our British bands,” said Molly.
“Who is the third British band?” asked Ginny.
“That’s right, Ginny,” said Molly.
“You haven’t ANSWERED ME?” said Ginny, shouting at her mother. “WHO is the third British band?”
“You have just told me,” Molly said, “WHY are you upset?”
“Because you haven’t told me who the third British band is.”
“I did tell you The Who is the third British band.”
Harry had seen the famous “Who’s on First’ skit by Abbot and Costello on the telly, and he realized that something just like it was going on. He wondered if Hermione had ever seen it, so he said to Hermione, “Abbot and Costello.”
Hermione got a look of recognition on her face, and said, “Who’s on First?”
Harry said, “What’s on second.”
Hermione said, “I don’t know.”
Harry answered back, “Third base. Got It!”
“YOU ARE ALL CRAZY!” Ginny said.
“We’re in trouble now,” Harry said.
“I don’t have to go home with her,” Hermione said. “You explain.”
By this time Ginny was red with anger and frustration, and all the family knew that an angry Ginny was a dangerous thing. All the children had disappeared, and Percy and Audrey were close to leaving.
“Do you have a record by ‘The Who’?” asked Harry.
“Accio, ‘The Who” records,” Molly said. A number of disks came flying towards her hands.”
Harry took one of the records, and pointed to the label. “The band is named “The Who,” Ginny.”
Ginny just looked at the label in disbelief. She said, “I thought Quidditch was dangerous. I don’t know if I am going to survive Albus playing this rolling rock music.” She looked at the record jacket again. “The Who!” Ginny sort of giggled. “I guess it was pretty funny.”
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Harry had never really wanted to be a farmer, or even a gardener. The house elves made sure there were house plants in the house, which was nice. Ginny didn’t mind occasionally helping at the New Burrow property, but Harry avoided it when he could.
It was the spring of 2013, and Harry and Solon again had to work with the Longbottoms and the Weasleys on farm plans. Mostly Harry just had to make sure everybody did what Solon and Sojourner said It sure looked like 2013 was going to be more profitable than 2012. If the Weasley men farmers sometimes complained about all the changes, their wives were delighted that they had a little more money to spend, and that they would not have to live on the edge of poverty for the rest of their lives.
After one of Harry’s meetings with Solon and Sojourner he asked, “Where is Kreacher? I do not think I have seen him in months.”
Solon said, “Kreacher has not left the houses on Grimmauld Place in over six months. He is getting very old, and has to be taken places in a chair with wheels, or in a magic chair.”
“Azalea?” asked Harry.
“Not so bad body, but mind not so good. Very hard on her to watch Kevin, but she will not let anyone else do,” Solon said. “Very sad. Eves doing all they can. Best for Harry not to see or notice. Kreacher embarrassed.”
Not trying to comfort Kreacher was hard for Harry, but he recognized that Solon was probably right.
Music Credits
‘Twist and Shout’ was written by the Americans Phil Medley and Bert Russell. It was originally recorded by the Top Notes, and then covered by The Isley Brothers. This author saw the Isley Brothers sing it. It was covered by The Beatles on their first album, Please Please Me.
‘Do Wah Diddy Diddy’ was written by two Americans, Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich. It was originally recorded by the American vocal group The Exciters. The most famous group to record it was the British group Manfred Mann, and their recording of it was #1 on both British and American pop charts.
“The purpose of a man is to love a woman’ is from a song called ‘Game of Love’ by the British group Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders.
Chapter 15: CH. 15 The Fifteenth Anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts
Author's Notes: Five more years before Albus and Rose attend one of these as students, and only four and a half before Albus starts Hogwarts. Thanks to everybody who has been reading so far, and especially to FriendofMolly who has been my beta for most of the saga.
Reviews are always appreciated, and I need book covers if you have any skill in that area.
It was the last Sunday in April, and Harry was talking to the entire Weasley clan, except for the children who were at Hogwarts.
Harry said, “Is the whole family going to be at the memorial of the Battle of Hogwarts on May Second?”
Molly said, “Charlie said he is not coming. They think Ivana is too young.”
Lily said, “I would like Ivana to come.”
Molly said, “We have to let her father’s decide.”
Lily said, “She has two fathers and no mother. I think she should live with us so she can learn important things, like girl things, and Quidditch.”
Harry said to Lily, “We are talking about the Memorial of the Battle of Hogwarts this coming Thursday, Lily. We can talk about Ivana later.” He then turned to the rest of the family and asked, “Who is coming?”
Everybody there raised their hands or otherwise indicated that they were coming.
Bill said, “We all want to see Victoire. Dominique is going next year, and she is anxious to see her sister and Hogwarts.”
Percy said, “We want to see Molly and Lucy.”
George said, “I would like to see if the school has survived Fred.”
Angelina said, “I want to see if Roxanne and Frank Longbottom are still as close as they were. She is too young to be serious about a boy.”
Hermione said, “Kingsley said Ron and I have to be there too. He said something about ‘The Golden Trio.’ I told him that if I ever heard him refer to us that way I would curse his bits off! I’ve heard a couple of people refer to us as the “Golden Trio’ or ‘Golden Four.’ It’s really obnoxious.
“Rose wants to see Hogwarts when the students are there. She reminds me that the next time there is one of these memorials, in May of 2018, she and Albus will be at Hogwarts.”
James said, “What about me, Aunt Hermione?”
Hermione said, “You will start the year before Albus and Rose.”
James said, “But a year AFTER Louis. He’s not that much older.”
Louis had a big grin, enjoying his position as the oldest of the boy cousins after Fred.
“I have arranged for a special floo connection to take us to Hogwarts,” Harry explained. Harry was always worried about travel when others would know where his family was. “Very early Thursday morning, before breakfast, we leave for Hogwarts through the floo at Grimmauld Place. We have arranged to have it connected to the floo in the study of the rooms Ginny and I stayed in next to the Gryffindor dorm. The whole extended family will go through the floo. We will all go to the Great Hall for breakfast.”
Thursday morning everything went as planned. Once they got to the Great Hall Albus said, “The Great Hall is a lot bigger than I remember.”
Rose explains, “The great hall has been magically expanded so the parents who have children at Hogwarts can come and eat with their children.
“Mum and Dad do not have any of us at Hogwarts YET, but they made a special exception for US.”
“It sounds like you are bragging,” Harry said to Rose.
“It’s TRUE,” Rose protests.
Everybody headed over to the Gryffindor tables. Neville and Hanna were already there. Neville was not sitting at the head table, but with Frank II, Alice II, and their youngest, Dolly, a first year.
Rose said, “All the teachers with students attending Hogwarts are at their house tables. I see Professor Sprout. How many children does she have, Uncle Harry?”
Harry said, “Pomona and Perry have quite a brood. Their Rose is in her third year, and Aster is in her first year. There are four more girls, and then a boy, I think.”
A particularly nasty looking couple, dressed in Slytherin colors, came in with their four children. The oldest, a girl, said as they passed by the Weasley family, “They are still letting in Mudblood trash We even have a few in Slytherin.”
After they passed Victoire said, “That is Tanya Gudgeon. She is not all that bright, but she is really obnoxious, with all her talk about how much better the Pure Blooded witches and wizards are. She and her kind do still have a following in Slytherin.”
“We have tried to stamp it out, but it is hard when the parents keep spouting that nonsense,” Harry said.
Victoire said, “There is a lot of conflict in Slytherin. There are children of mixed blood, and others who seem to be there because their parents are important. They do not seem to have any good leaders, either. All their prefects are obnoxious.”
Lily stood on a bench, and then stood on the table. “Lily, get down!” Ginny said.
“Mrs. Appleleaf had another baby!” Lily said, still on the table sort of bouncing up and down, pointing at the Ravenclaw table.
“I can take her over there, Aunt Ginny,” Victoire said.
“Please!” said Ginny.
Harry saw them go. Somehow Fleur could look elegant no matter what she was doing, a skill that Dominique and even Louis seem to have inherited. Victoire had managed to miss that talent, and the two girls with long red hair awkwardly dodged people as Lily rushed to get to the Appleleaf family.
“Tom and Cinnamon have two boys,” Harry said. “Tom is the head of Ravenclaw, and teaches the younger Transfigurations classes. Cinnamon teaches the more advanced classes. Professor Flitwick still teaches some classes, especially after Cinnamon has just had a baby.”
“I thought Flitwick taught Charms,” Ginny said.
“He did, but they have a couple of new Charms teachers now,” Harry said. Harry saw Professor Flitwick at the Ravenclaw table, talking to older students, and some of the adults.
“Where are the Charms teachers?” asked Albus.
“They are both over at the Slytherin table,” Harry said. “Urban Umbridge is the brother of Ursula Umbridge. I guess he is a stickler for following rules, and doing the charm spells exactly the same way as you are taught. He is a good teacher for younger students, even though not many like him.
“Olivia Ollivander teaches the upper grades. She really knows wand lore, and she allows her students more freedom. She wants each student in her upper grade classes to develop some skill in making your own charms.”
“Is she related to the wand making Ollivander family?” Ginny asked.
“She is,” Harry said. “I am not sure exactly how. She is also the head of Slytherin.”
When breakfast was over Fred asked, “Do any of you know where my Uncle Fred died?”
Percy said, “I was with him. I can show you.” He got up, and proceeded to lead the way to the hall where his brother had been killed. George was trailing the rest of the family, and Angelina was right by his side.
Percy was in the middle of a long winded explanation of just what happened when George lost it. George hugged Angelina and, with tears flowing, said, “I wasn’t there. I wasn’t there. We were almost always together, but when Fred needed me most I wasn’t there. I’m sorry, Fred. I failed you.”
Ginny saw Percy ponder if he should start talking again, and went over to him and whispered, “Percy that’s enough, now isn’t the time for talking.”
The group worked their way back to the Great Hall, where George slowly pulled himself together.
Professor McGonagall had an announcement. “We have remodeled a room near to the Great Hall into a common room for students to use for recreation or study. On the walls we have photographs or paintings of most of the people killed in the Battle of Hogwarts. Since most of them have been dead fifteen years now the paintings do not have as much of the personality of the person as would a painting done from life, but it is the best we can do.
Of course Teddy had to point out his parents, and George had to point out Fred. Fred was right next to Teddy’s parents. The Appleleaf children had to point out the mother and father they had lost. Mary Lou Creevey came with Dennis and their son Colin and daughter Roseanne; Mary Lou was job sharing with another witch who had become a mother the year before she had, an arraignment that was working well for them, and for Harry. Dennis showed his children the painting of his brother Colin, with a magic camera around his neck. Thursday night at the banquet they were going to honor all the students or teachers who had lost parents or other loved ones at the battle.
Many young children had their first experience of Hogwarts coming to one of these every five year remembrances. Harry and Ginny thought that almost all of their time was spent in meeting classmates and their children, and of course their children meeting other people who they may have heard mention, or who may have been in one of the bigger books about the battle, but who they had never met. It was always a fun but confusing time.
On this day, even more than at the tenth year anniversary it was obvious how the world of the Magi had moved on from the battle, and how different the world was. One example of change was more and more of the witches and wizards were referring to themselves as Magi, something that Harry Potter encouraged. Most of Harry and Ginny’s classmates carried a Magi cell phone, and lots of them were straddling the boundaries between the Magi and the Muggle world. Almost everybody was aware of the ever increasing number of surveillance cameras and the huge increase in computer processing power that was making hiding from Muggles ever more difficult. In many ways Muggle magic was challenging the magic of the Magi. Fewer and fewer of the Magi were living totally outside the world of electricity and the internet.
Someone listening from the outside would notice how much of the progress in England was connected in some way to what Harry Potter and Bill Weasley were doing. DPW was directly or indirectly employing over three hundred Magi, at excellent wages, making huge profits while doing it. Harry had given away well over half the money he had inherited, and he had more assets than when he started. Bill was richer than he had ever dreamed he could be, and even though Fleur was able to buy the finest clothes and jewelry, for her family as well as herself, she did not make a dent in the family assets.
The ball that night was a celebration of how far they had come.
After the ceremonies honoring the Magi who were killed Professor McGonagall said, “We also want to honor the elves who lost their lives at the Battle of Hogwarts, and the Elf who led them.
Kreacher was let in. He was in a wheelchair, an obviously confused Azalea pushing the chair. Kevin was wearing a little harness, and followed along behind his mother, who kept one end of a line in her hand while the other end was on the harness. It was obvious Kevin had no idea what was going on.
After the ceremony Kreacher spoke to Harry. “Mr. Harry,” Kreacher said, “Where are the heads of my ancestors? They are not at Grimmauld Place.”
Harry answered, “I am almost positive I put them in my vault in Gringotts for safekeeping. Do you want them?”
Kreacher said, “When I die will you please bury them with me.”
Harry said, “Of course I will.”
Kreacher looked at Azalea and Kevin. “I may die before them. Take care of them, please.”
Harry answered, “Of course, I will give orders that Azalea and Kevin are to be taken care of.”
Kreacher had tears in his eyes as he said, “Is not house elves position ever to ask master to take care of his children. Is to serve, not be served. Very subversive, very changing. Is so sorry is making you do.”
Harry said, “But you are becoming honored Elves, not slaves and subject house elves. You, Kreacher, deserve honor for your part.”
Kreacher said, “Is right thing to do, but not always simple. Is simple being slave.”
Harry said, “Professor Dumbledore always said, ‘Do the right thing, not the easy thing.’ You have been doing the right thing for me and for all the Elves for a long time now. Thank you!”
Chapter 16: Ch 16 The ICWW
Author's Notes: Very critical additions and corrections by my beta FriendofMolly.
As always, reviews make both of us very happy.
Harry was worried as he and Albus, Ron and Rose came through the floo in Switzerland and started towards the auditorium where the ICWW was meeting. The first subject was the document from the Elves, and there were large groups from several countries opposing the document.
“Everybody, be on guard,” Harry said as, surrounded by Aurors, they made their way thru the streets. The crowd was getting thicker, and Harry could sense some jostling that seemed to be separating Albus and him from the others.
“Albus,” Harry said. “Be on guard!”
“Yes, father,” Albus said. Albus was usually a little paranoid in crowds anyway, but he too did not like what was happening. All of a sudden Al saw a man take a gun out of his robe and start to point it at him. Al did the only thing he could think of to do. He levitated the gun out of the hands of the person, above his head, and pointed it down. The trigger of the gun had been locked on, and as Al levitated the gun three of the bullets hit his Kevlar and magic robe.
Al could sense that the gun was locked on, so he pointed it the only place he could and not risk an innocent getting hurt. With great effort he kept the gun firing right at the head of the person who pointed the gun at him.
When the gun stopped firing there was no more force holding it from coming down, and gravity and Al’s magic pushed the now hot gun right into the bloody mess that at one time was a person. Except for the arms the wizard just looked like hamburger, sizzling hamburger, like the illustration from one of the worse horror movies you could ever see.
It was later figured out that the gun held sixty bullets, and that all but the first ten had pierced the head of the wizard who had quite obviously tried to kill Albus. The wizard also had a Kevlar robe, that contained all the bullets that hit the wizard inside his robe.
Albus tried to take a breath, and almost collapsed. The first three bullets had taken his breath away, but the whole attack was over in thirty seconds. Now he had to breathe. Harry grabbed hold of Albus as he collapsed, shaking uncontrollably. A healer was there almost immediately, doing a quick scan. Before he was finished blood started to spurt out of an artery in Albus’s neck. The healer put his wand on the place where the blood was coming out, and called for help. Harry backed away as three healers started working on Albus.
Harry scanned the room, which was in utter chaos, with a number of other wounded people. He spotted someone intently looking at Albus with malevolence in his eyes. The wizard’s wand was out and pointing at Albus and Harry heard the Avada Kedavra curse. He deflected the curse, as he watched Dobedo take out one of the wizards’ legs with his cleaver. Somehow the wizard stayed standing as Dobedo took out the leg, and then stood suspended in midair as Dobedo took out his other leg. Meanwhile two other Aurors were helping Harry deflect the curses. Dobedo then jumped up and severed the wizards’ wand arm, which continued to try and throw curses. The wizards other arm came over and grabbed Dobedo by the neck. Dobedo waved his cleaver arm around severing the wizards’ head, but the hand would not let go. Finally two other Elves appeared, and they pulled Dobedo free.
Harry looked around for any more trouble. He spotted one dead witch who’s head was almost missing it was so damaged, and a large number of wounded, but no more evidence of attacks. A number of people threw up at the gory site, as Swiss and British Aurors rushed to secure the scene.
Gerhardt Richter appeared, and said, “Please clear the area. If you saw anything that may be important there is an Auror station there.” Gerhardt pointed to a sign in the air, with several Aurors standing under it talking to people. “If you did not see anything until after the attack, please leave, and let the Swiss staff take care of this crime scene.”
Harry turned back to Albus, who had a bag of something attached to an arm, and a nasty scar on his neck. The healer said, “Blood replenishment potion. It only needs to be on him for ten more minutes, and then we can use potions.”
“Is that all?” Harry asked.
“Magic core needs a little rest. If he was not so young we would say not to use a wand for a couple of weeks,” the healer said.
Albus looked at his father, and said, “I think someone doesn’t like us.”
Harry nodded.
“Is everybody going to be OK?” Albus asked.
“Both of the attackers are dead. I need to ask a few people, Albus. You did a fantastic job!”
“Not good enough, if other people are hurt,” Albus said.
Harry looked over to where the dead witch lay. “A Chinese Auror took a bullet protecting one of her charges,” one of the Aurors told Harry.
A small Elf healer came up to Harry and said, “Dobedo needs a few days’ rest. We would take him home, but his mate is here. He will rest in bed they share here, with a healer there the rest of the day. He will be fine in a few days, but is very weak. Magic cursed hand.”
Another Auror came up to Harry. “All the bullets were cursed, Auror Potter, sir. That is why they did so much damage. There were powerful curses on each one. You and your son saved a lot of lives today.”
Harry looked around, and thought that if he and Albus had not been in the middle of this big crowd there would not have been this damage. They would have to be even more careful.
The second in command of the Swiss Aurors told Harry, “Go with your son. We have everything under control here.” Harry accompanied Albus as they took him to a hospital, and put him in a private room. Two healers were with him, one keeping tabs on him, a wand touching him every couple of minutes. The healer explained, “We are looking for delayed curses. In another two hours we should be able to let Albus go, but we will be checking him every few hours for another week.”
Albus said, “D…D…Dad, I just k…killed someone. The bible says, says, says not to kill. I…I… feel sick. I feel, I feel ... dirty, like I did something terrible.”
Harry said, “You defended yourself, and you saved a lot of other lives today, Albus. I really don’t see what else you could do. I know of nothing in the bible that forbids you from defending yourself.”
Albus said, “Do…do…dad…do you want me to feel GOOD that I killed someone. I feel awful.”
Harry shook his head before he murmured, “No I don’t think you should feel good, I never felt good about being the cause of Tom Riddle’s death, but he was trying to kill me. I did what I had to do. But I felt horrible about ending his life.
“I have worked as hard as I can so that there is very little killing in Great Britain. I try to make sure the Aurors and other people in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement only kill as a last resort, when they themselves are under imminent threat. That is one reason we got rid of Hit Wizards and merged them into the DMLE. But Albus, we just cannot get rid of all violence when people are doing violence to us.”
Albus was all but crying. “I’m just not sure God will forgive me. Killing is really bad.”
Harry sat on the bed next to across from his son, taking him in his arms, while he hugged him. Harry said, “Would it help if I had one of the priests talk to you?”
Albus nodded yes, so Harry tried to contact Apollo Scherica. Bishop Scherica had heard of the attack, and he and a couple of his priests were consoling people. He immediately took the call from Harry.
“Albus feels terrible about killing the attacker, Apollo,” Harry told the Bishop. “He is not sure if God will forgive him.”
“I will come right over,” Apollo said. A short time later he was in Albus’s room.
“Hello, Albus Severus Potter,” Apollo said.
“Hello, Bishop Scherica,” Albus said.
“That was a very brave and noble thing you did, Albus,” Apollo said.
“But I killed someone. That’s against a commandment,” Al said.
“The proper translation of that commandment is not ‘do not kill’ but ‘do not murder.’ You may have killed that wizard, in self-defense, but you did not murder him. What you did saved many lives, and was the furthest thing from murder.”
“Should I feel good about it?” Al asked.
“I think every taking of a human life is a tragedy, even if it is absolutely necessary,” Apollo said. “You need to forgive not only others, however. You need to forgive yourself. You did the best you could do. Humans are never perfect, and often the best we can do is not enough to fix all the ills of the world.
“We will be judged on if we tried or not, not if we succeeded, Al.”
“So it is alright to feel bad about it?” asked Al.
“It is better to feel bad about it than to glory in it,” Apollo said. “We should never be proud that we killed, even if we had no choice.”
Apollo and Al talked for another hour, until the healers said Al could be discharged.
As Albus was being discharged Apollo said to Harry, “I cannot believe Albus is not quite seven. He is as knowledgeable, and as mature, as most of the teen-agers I talk to.”
“He and his cousin Rose Weasley have always been scary smart,” Harry said. “It is a concern. He could start Hogwarts tomorrow, and handle the course work.”
“He needs to be home until he is eleven,” Apollo said. “He is emotionally mature as well, but he is still a child. I will pray for your family, as I already am praying. You do not have an easy road ahead of you.”
“Thank you,” Harry said, grateful that they had survived another attack, but very worried that they would continue.
Instead of starting before lunch, the International Confederation of Witches and Wizards started at about two in the afternoon. Everybody who was originally supposed to be there was, even a rather shaken Albus. When Harry and Albus walked in many of the Magi and Elves rose and applauded. Albus tried to make himself invisible, but finally had to acknowledge the applause.
The fights started right away.
“We are not trying to change anything,” Harriet would insist.
“We have just discovered some of our history,” John Rivendell, Harry’s head elf in Switzerland explained. “We have words that translate into Wand Carrying Elf or High Elf or something like that. We need English and French and German and Chinese and other Magi words for the Elfish words.
“You cannot tell us not to translate the words, and to tell us to translate them wrong is neither honest nor helpful to you or to us. We are just trying to deal with some of our history.”
“You are trying to become Wand Carrying Elves,” one of the opposing wizards said. “I know there are not enough votes for you to get what you want.” A roar of approval went up, along with some vocal dissent.
Harry finally said, “I propose we accept this document only as a first attempt to translate elfish words into contemporary languages. We will ask any Magi who know Elfish to help in the translation.”
You could not really ask someone who did not know any Elfish to help translate the document, so after much discussion and dissent it was approved. Of course the only Magi who knew the Elfish Language were the students studying the language with the elves. Hermione and Harriet had the students sitting with their parents, not in a block, partly so that the opponents of the translation document would not imagine the students as a block for change and against them.
As soon as the ICWW was over Al and Rose started language classes with the other students.
As the students were gathering Jean-Louis Felion said, “Did you see Albus kill that wizard? It was fantastic magic! Great job, Albus! How did it feel?”
“I killed someone,” Albus said. “It felt terrible!”
“He was trying to kill you and other people!” Jean-Louis said.
Sarah Firewalker said, “I’m glad Albus won, but it’s not like killing someone is something you should get happy about.”
Rose asked, “How do the elves feel about what Albus did?”
There was a lot of talk in Elfish, not all of it understood by some of the children. Albus did understand most of it. Finally the Elves told the children that it was a sad necessity. There was a lot of emotional talk that is very hard to translate from the Elfish to another language.
Finally Jean-Louis said, in English, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry you had to kill someone, and I’m sorry I thought it was a good thing. I guess I just didn’t realize how bad it could make you feel.”
The students went over the document that had been submitted to the ICWW again, and worked with Harriet and, occasionally Hermione, to refine the language of the document. They left it as a work in progress before they ended the meeting that started their language training, but came back to it several more times over the course of the summer.
Harry and Ginny talked to Al on the phone or using the mirrors almost every night, but it was not the same thing as having him home. Harry and Ginny knew that Ron and Hermione, and usually Jean Grainger, were also talking to Rose every night, but that they missed her too.
The children were meeting in Switzerland, and this year every parent of each one of the children was also in Switzerland at the International Confederation of Witches and Wizards. Harry and Hermione were trying to get the conference to change its name to the International Confederation of Magi, but were not making a lot of progress. The parents of the children were all either very high officials or children of very high officials or otherwise prominent Magi in the various regions of the world. If you had wanted to get together the powers that were going to influence the world of the Magi for the next generation or two or three you could do a lot worse than to start with the families represented by these children.
Chapter 17: CH 17 The New Guitar, and a Duet
Author's Notes: Reviews are always appreciated.
The summer of two thousand and thirteen, George complained that they could not get Roxanne to work in the store. She really wanted to spend all of her time at the farms. No one was sure if farming or Frank Longbottom was the main attraction; although it was obvious she liked both.
Ginny really missed Albus, but she was plenty busy with James and Lily. Both loved to fly, and Ginny spent part of the summer coaching home Quidditch games. James played with the practice snitch every chance he had, and Ginny though he would make a very good seeker. Lily did not have the patience to be a seeker, but she had the accuracy and guts to be a good chaser. She was not big enough to be a beater or a keeper, and it was looking like she would not be any bigger than Ginny when she grew up.
Ginny also spent some time coaching Ivana Romanoff, Charley’s adopted daughter, to fly better and to play Quidditch. It looked like Ivana was going to be spending part of each summer at the New Burrow property, rooming with her ‘cousin’ Lily Luna.
Molly mentioned to Ginny, she thought Lily was an exact copy of her, at this age, but maybe with a little less common sense. Lily was still very impulsive, getting injured because of it. Her impulsivity was also continuing to get her into trouble.
The week that the language class spent at the New Burrow would start other changes. Harry noticed the Magi and house elf children playing around the pond, and asked Solon why the other house elves never used the pond. “We’ve never been asked,” said Solon. “No one ever told us we could. Elves never ordered to have fun.”
“I order you to have fun, then,” said Harry with a grin. “Work out a time when house elf families can take a day off and spend it around the pond. In the middle of the summer, on real hot days, have Magi and house elf spend some time cooling off around the pond.” Gradually over the summer P/W house elves, first ones that lived on the farm and later from all the various places where there were P/W house elves, would spend some time at the pond relaxing.
One very hot summer day the pond was crowded with Magi and house elf, with a large mixture enjoying the pond. To Harry’s great surprise he found Kreacher and his family there. Kreacher was in a wheelchair, obviously very old. Kreacher was on the deck, but Azalea and Kevin were down by the pond, in bathing suits.
Harry said to Kreacher, “I see Azalea and Kevin are enjoying the pond.”
“Has to spend more money, waste lots more money, renting bathing suits,” said Kreacher, sort of grumbling. “Fun! We is ordered to have fun!” Looking at Harry with a frown, he said, “Major subversives. Major subversives.” Kreacher looked back up at Harry, and the frown turned into a big grin.
There were many more guards, Aurors and others, guarding the children and Elves that summer. Harry and all the parents and students were quite shaken by the attack.
Albus was nominated for both the Order of Merlin First Class from Great Britain and the Wizard of Wizards award from the ICWW for what he did to save everybody by levitating the gun. The prophets and people in various Departments of Mystery said he had earned it. So one night Harry and Ginny had Albus come to Harry’s private office to talk to him.
“We have been approached about giving you the Order of Merlin First Class, and the Wizard of Wizard’s award, because of what you did protecting people when we were attacked in Switzerland,” Harry said.
“Because I killed someone?” Albus asked. “I was just scared for my own life. I don’t feel I did anything heroic to save anyone else.”
“You didn’t just turn the gun away from yourself into the crowd,” Harry said.
“I am not sure what I would have done if that had not worked,” Albus said. “Besides, I don’t want to go to Hogwarts having to sign my name with the OM behind it. That’s no way to make friends. That’s just bragging about something I feel awful about.”
“Giving you an award is one way people thank you,” Harry said. “Sometimes the nice thing to do is not to object but to say ‘you are welcome’ by accepting the award.”
“Is that how you felt when you got all those awards?” Albus asked.
“Sort of, I guess,” Harry said.
Ginny said, “Albus, your father was no more eager to be honored in public than you are. Keep that attitude.”
They talked some more about honors, and how to gracefully accept compliments. It made Albus feel some better, but from the time of the attack he was eager to go to church and pray, because he had killed someone.
The end of August, after the language classes were over, Albus asked if he could get a good electric guitar. The one he had been using was magical, but based on an inexpensive and not very good Muggle guitar. So Ginny took Albus to the Magical Music Menagerie in Diagon Alley.
There were about thirty electric type guitars on the wall. Al played several, and finally hit on one that felt right.
The proprietor of the store said, “This is a nineteen sixty Gibson Les Paul Standard, the same type of guitar that Paul McCartney plays. This one was damaged beyond repair, but with magic we totally rebuilt it. Of course this is a right handed version. Sir Paul’s guitar was an unusual left handed version. It has all of the usual magical additions to allow it to be played without electricity. It comes with its original electrical amplifier, also modified to allow it to be played without electricity.”
“Who is Sir Paul?” asked Ginny.
“He was one of the Beatles,” Albus said. “He and John Lennon wrote most of their songs.”
“Beatles and Crickets!” said Ginny, still baffled by Muggle band names.
“You are not going to find a finer guitar to play Rock and Roll,” the proprietor said. "Do you want to take it into one of our practice rooms and play it?”
Albus excitedly went into the practice room to try out the guitar.
In the next room was Cleopatra Smith. The Goblins had insisted that Cleopatra’s parents were Smith, and that calling her Slytherin did not change her last name. Narcissa knew not to argue with a Goblin when it came to names and inheritance and legal things.
“Thank you for allowing me to buy a portable organ, Mrs. Malfoy,” Cleopatra said. “I like this one!”
The salesman said, “You unroll it like this, and then push this button if you want two ranks of keys. It is based on a couple of the newer Muggle electronic keyboards, but is actually a magical combination of several different designs.”
Cleopatra was trying out the organ when she heard a guitar being played, and someone singing. She opened the door.
“Stay in the room, Cleopatra,” Narcissa said. “I do not want the publicity we would have if you met the wrong people.”
The door to the other room was also opened, and Cleo heard, (to the tune of “Kansas City),
“I’m going to Hogwarts Castle, Hogwarts Castle here I come,
I’m going to Hogwarts Castle, Hogwarts Castle here I come,
They have some curvy little witches there, and I’m going to get me one.
I’m going to be standing on the staircase, first floor to nine,
I’m going to be standing on the staircase, first floor to nine,
With my curvy little witch, and a bottle of vintage elf wine,
Well I might apparate, and I might take the train, but if I have to walk I’m going just the same…’
At this Cleo started playing the organ, adding to Albus’s playing.
Without missing a beat, the two went into an impromptu duo.
When they were done Narcissa closed the door and said, “If you want this we need to finish buying it.”
Cleo asked, “Who is in the next room?”
“Albus Potter,” the salesman said.
“I think I’m in LOVE,” Cleo said. She looked at her hips, hips that had not gotten any smaller since moving in with the Malfoy family. “I hope I’M THE CURVY WITCH Albus was singing about.”
Narcissa just rolled her eyes. Cleopatra and Scorpius were like brother and sister, and she was almost certain that the idea of them getting married was the last thing on their minds, but to have Cleo marry Albus Potter was almost as strange as to have Scorpius marry … Narcissa tried to think of the strangest pairing she could think of. Rose Weasley! Draco hated Hermione more than anyone else, and Ron came in a close second. Albus and Cleo was not as strange as Scorpius and Rose.
Albus Potter asked, “Who was that?”
The proprietor of the store said, “Our client wants to remain anonymous.”
“I hope I meet whoever plays that organ!” Albus said. “I hope she is in my class at Hogwarts. Maybe she is the curvy witch I am supposed to meet. I hope so!”
Ginny thought that Albus was way too young to be thinking in those terms. She wasn’t sure about this Muggle music.
“Is this the guitar you want?” asked Ginny.
“Mum, this is the best guitar I have ever played! It is like a valuable antique that is as good as new. May I have it?”
“It cannot be that expensive,” Ginny said.
“The guitar and the amplifier are less than a third of what a Muggle shop would charge for the guitar alone, without the magical modifications which add another thousand Galleons to the price. I have it listed for thirty thousand Galleons, but for the Potter family, the total for the guitar, amplifier, and all the magical modifications is only fifteen thousand galleons.”
“That’s as much as my Firebolt!” Ginny said.
“I can show you on the Internet where people are selling guitars of this model and year, not in this condition, which is excellent, and without the amplifier, for two hundred thousand to three hundred thousand US dollars,” the proprietor said.
“I need to call my husband,” said Ginny, horrified at how much this guitar was going to cost.
Harry called Bill, and Bill confirmed that this was a very rare and valuable guitar that really was worth at least fifteen thousand galleons, and strictly comparable guitars were selling for up to thirty thousand Galleons. So an hour later Albus walked out of the Magical Musical Menagerie with his precious nineteen sixty Gibson Les Paul guitar and amplifier.
“I would have sold that guitar to Muggles, except that there is a record of that serial number being destroyed,” said the store proprietor. “The Potters got a real bargain, but I’m glad to finally have it sold.”
His salesman said, “That is the most expensive of that type of organ we have ever sold, and I am sure I can sell Cleopatra some new magical modifications they are coming out with.
“Albus and Cleopatra are the same age. I would like to be there when they meet and realize she is the keyboard artist, and Al plays that guitar and wrote the song lyrics.”
The next day Harry was contacted by the Prophet office in Switzerland. He was told to bring Ginny, and together they met with Steve and Valerie Bushman, Nausicaa Scheria, and, to their utter shock and surprise, Goblin Zefenslot.
Steven spoke first. “There are spouses that are soulmates. You see it on your tapestry when there are gold lines between the spouses. Usually that is something that develops over time. Once in a great while there are two people who are destined to be together. Once they meet the connection is immediate and powerful. Trying to keep them apart is a recipe for tragedy, like Romeo and Juliet. We have one Chinese couple who have been soulmates for over a hundred years. They met when they were six, and within the year the girl had moved into the bedroom of the boy. They did not have a child until she was fifteen, and Chinese women did sometimes start a family that young back in that era.
“Albus has a soulmate, and it looks like they sort of met.”
“What do you mean, sort of met?” asked Ginny.
“We do not know,” Nausicaa said. “Only some of the omens and signs are complete.”
“They have a joint bank account,” said Goblin Zefenslot. “Albus Severus Potter and Cleopatra Desiree Smith.”
“Has Albus ‘sort of’ met anyone?” Steven asked.
“Only a girl he heard play the organ when we purchased his latest guitar,” Ginny said. “I think he said he was in love with that girl, but then they closed the doors, and she was gone before we got out or the practice room.”
“They didn’t meet?” Steven asked.
“No, but they played a duet together,” Ginny said. “It was real strange.”
“What do we do?” asked Harry.
“Let us know as soon as they meet,” Steven said.
“I think I can keep them apart until Hogwarts,” Harry said. “I know who Cleopatra is, although I have never met her. Albus is way too young for this sort of thing.”
“I think it might be a good idea trying to make sure they do not meet before Hogwarts, Harry,” Steven said.
“We should talk to Narcissa,” Ginny said. “This is too strange, and I don’t want some strange girl moving into Albus’s room before they are older than we were.”
“You think we got married too young?” Harry asked Ginny.
“I was more than ready,” Ginny said, “but I don’t want OUR children to get married so young. I sure do not want Lily to learn that Touch of Lust spell.”
“I do not think we want this Cleopatra girl to learn the Touch of Lust spell either,” Harry said.
“Oh Merlin no,” said Steven. “From my study of soulmates keeping them apart, once they meet, will be almost impossible.”
Later that week they met with Narcissa. Molly was also there.
“Did you get Cleopatra an organ at the Magical Musical Menagerie?” Ginny asked.
“Yes,” Narcissa said. “Albus was right next door, and they played an impromptu duo. Cleo is obsessed with Albus now. She tells me she is in love with him. I am sure it is just infatuation, but I do not know what to do.”
“Don’t let them meet,” Ginny said.
“Maybe she will realize that he is just a little boy,” said Narcissa. “It’s not like they could get married or anything.”
“The Goblins say they are soulmates, and the Goblins have already set up a joint account at Gringotts,” said Ginny. “From what I know of the magic, at least in magical terms they ARE married, which is wrong and scary and just strange, especially since they have not even met. Keep them apart. We need to communicate so they do not meet until they go to Hogwarts!”
“Married? That’s crazy!” said Narcissa.
“No kidding,” Ginny said. “It’s terrifying.”
“What do we do?” asked Narcissa.
“Pray,” said Harry. “There are a lot of things going on, and it is not as simple as when I had one enemy, Tom Riddle. We hope and pray.”
Chapter 18: CH 18 Kreacher
Author's Notes: Again, much thanks to FriendofMolly. This was a hard chapter for her to read, and she was much help in a couple of key areas.
Before they knew it fall of two thousand thirteen came around. Harry and Ginny again put Teddy on the train. Teddy had a group of friends his own age, boys and girls. Victoire had her own group as well. Victoire was spending time with a group of boys and girls her own age. Teddy had friends a class ahead as well as two classes behind. Both were excellent students and leaders. They saw a lot less of each other the end of the school year, and it looked like that would continue. They still went to dances with each other, because as Teddy would say, “Otherwise I would have to choose a girl to go with, and that would break too many hearts.” Teddy could say that partly in jest, and get away with it. Lots of girls did view Teddy as an excellent catch.
Victoire tried not to be a flirt, that was just her manner, but there were several boys that she did spend time with, never kissing but at least talking to them one on one.
This year Lucy Weasley was going for the first time, as well as Bob Hudson. Lucy was not near as shy as young Molly, although she did sit with Bob Hudson on the train ride, because he was a familiar face.
Harry’s biggest problem was the attack at the ICWW. They still had no idea who wanted Albus dead, although the Lord of the Dementors was a good guess. Dementors were less of a problem in Great Britain and much of Western Europe because of the reforms Harry had advocated, but there were parts of the world where they were a huge problem.
The fall of two thousand and thirteen it became clear that the reforms in the farming that Solon and Sojourner had made were going to make the farms very profitable. There was enough money in what they were doing to employ a couple more families, and more house elves, and Harry purchased one of the Muggle farms across the road and another one a little further away. There were a couple of displaced families still struggling over fifteen years after the Battle of Hogwarts, but by moving them onto the farms, with lots of support and help, he was able to get them employed and at least closer to being healed.
Solon was a business elf, but Sojourner was the real farmer. Sojourner was pregnant in fall, with a baby due in February, but being pregnant didn’t seem to slow her down much She and Neville became the key people determining what to plant and how to organize the farms. Young Frank and Roxanne tried to learn all they could from Neville and Sojourner all summer, and at school they would talk to Neville from time to time, getting one on one teaching about how to raise magical crops.
Meanwhile Solon was spending time at the Potter Estate Offices with Kreacher, and was spending quite a bit of time in the evening once or twice a week telling Harry what was going on with the Potter Estates, DPW, and the farms. Solon and Sojourner were also head elves at the whole Potter compound, taking charge of all the things between elves that the Magi never saw, and being the host and hostess elf for any parties in Potter’s New Burrow or on the property, and since fall had also been the head elf family at Grimmauld Place when needed.
The first week in September Solon came to Harry and said, “We have a problem with Kreacher. He needs to retire, but there is no word for retire in Elfish.”
“Can they invent a word, or just use the English word?” Harry asked.
“Maybe your son Albus can help us,” Solon said. “He understands the subtleties of the Elfish language as well as any Magi.”
So Harry, Albus and Solon went upstairs to the apartment where Kreacher, Azalea and Kevin lived.
Albus said, “Tell Kreacher he deserves an honorable retirement. Honor is not quite the right work, but it is as close as I know how to translate it. Dad, I still have a LOT to learn. Elfish is not easy.”
Harry sat on the floor, and Albus and Solon stood next to him. Kreacher was in his little wheelchair. Harry said, “Kreacher, it is time for you to have a well-deserved and honorable retirement.”
“Is no honor in not serving your master,” Kreacher said. “Is not possible to think this way.”
Albus and Kreacher talked, and Solon joined in. Finally Solon said, “You and Kreacher had many long talks when you were working with Mr. Bill Weasley to get Tom Riddle’s money. He feels he really knows you, and knows what you want. It is just hard, it is so different than the ways Elves, and especially old house elves, think.”
Harry said, “I do not want you to feel bad, Kreacher. I would never banish you, throw you away. You will always be a most loved house elf.”
Kreacher said, “Is here because of Kevin, and Azalea, need me. Azalea’s mind not so good. Kreacher knows you want Kevin to live, and he needs Azalea, and she needs me. Is all I can do. Is no way to stop being your head house elf, but I must.”
Harry said, “Then I order you to stop being my head house elf. Turn over all your duties, responsibilities, all that you have to leave to someone, to Solon. Your job is to take care of Azalea, and Kevin, and to love them as I love them.”
Kreacher said, “I die to my job as your head elf, and accept my new job.”
Albus said to his father, “Tell Kreacher what you are doing you are because you love him, and you are still his honored house elf. Tell him he will never be thrown away.”
Harry said, “Kreacher, you know I love you.”
Kreacher was crying, “To love a house elf is so subversive, so changing. Is so humbled and small to be able to accept such love. Thank you, Harry Potter, most noble friend of house elves and Goblins.”
Harry said, “You may not be my head house elf, but you are still my most honored house elf, holder of the Order of Merlin first class, hero of the Battle of Hogwarts.”
Kreacher nodded his head.
Harry said, “Please stay here, under my roof, in my house, always welcome and never thrown away or sent away, until the day you go to be with your ancestors.”
“Thank you, Harry Potter,” Kreacher said. “I tired. I need to sleep now.”
As the three left Kreacher’s room, Harry heard “Kreacher loves Harry, Thank you for being my not Master but friend family”
Harry, Albus and Solon went down the little staircase into the main part of Grimmauld Place.
The end of October Lily was flying over the pond, having for once gotten all her homework done. She spotted two people at the pond, and flew down to look closer. As she got closer she noticed a small body face down in the pond, and someone on a chair right next to it
She flew to the pond and pulled the cold body of Kevin, the elf, to the shore. She held Kevin upside down and hit his back. A little water came out. She breathed into his mouth, but there was nothing. She shook Azalea, but got no reaction. She flew as quickly as she could to the New Burrow, ran in the door, and said, “Grandmother, anyone, something horrible has happened by the pond. I think Kevin P/W is dead. Help!”
Molly came running, saying, “elves,” as she ran, and together they ran to the pond. Before they could get to the pond several house elves were there. Within a few more minutes Eliza Doolittle and Florence were there.
Florence examined both bodies, and then said, “It looks like Azalea has been having small strokes, and she just had a big stroke and it killed her. I guess that Kevin just drowned when he was not being watched.”
“We need to call Harry,” Molly said. “We need to get Kreacher here.” Molly sent a Patronus to Harry, who immediately dropped what he was doing and apparated to the pond.
“They are both dead,” Molly said.
Florence said, “Azalea died of a stroke, and Kevin drowned.”
Harry said, “Solon. Sojourner.” The two elves appeared.
“We get Kreacher,” said Solon, and he and Sojourner disappeared with a crack.
“Daddy, Daddy, Daddy,” said Lily, bawling. “Daddy, this is just horrible. Both of them. Oh, Daddy, I flew over the pond, and saw Kevin, and I tried to make him alive, and I shook Azalea, and Ohhhhhh, Daddy, Daddy, Daddy, I want my Mummy.”
Lily had not cried for her mother like that since she had been a very little girl.
“You found them?” Harry said.
Lily nodded yes, but just hung on to Harry and kept on crying, occasionally looking in horror at Azalea and Kevin.
Ginny appeared shortly after, walking out of the house with Mitzi by her side, moving as fast as she could. Lily spotted her and ran towards her, yelling, “Mummy, Mummy, oh Mummy, I found them, but I couldn’t do anything. They are DEAD.”
“You found them?” Ginny asked Lily, who was holding on to her and crying. Lily nodded yes. Harry led Ginny and Lily over to a bench, and Ginny sat down, Lily next to her with Lily’s head on her shoulder. Harry had a flash back to Ginny resting her head on Molly’s shoulder after the Battle of Hogwarts, and it was like another stab at his heart on what was becoming a tragic enough day.
There was a crack, and Solon and Sojourner were back, with Kreacher in the wheelchair between them. Kreacher was mumbling something to Solon in Elfish. By this time Albus had arrived, and he listened for a few minutes, occasionally saying something.
Albus came over to his father, crying, and said, “Kreacher says his job is finished. No more Kevin and Azalea to take care of. He wants to die and be buried next to Azalea and Kevin. He says he is many years older than his oldest sire, and it is way past his time. But he does not know how to ask. He says you have such a tender heart, you are such a good man, and he does not know how to ask.”
Harry said, “Tell Kreacher that at this terrible time I would grant him anything he wants, even this. My heart will break no matter when he dies, and it is better to die at the right time than to fight for length of life for no purpose. I do not fear death, for myself, or for him.”
“Does this mean we are going to lose Kreacher too?” Albus asked.
“Is that what Kreacher wants?” Harry asked.
“Yes, Father,” Albus said.
“How can we deny him this?” asked Harry.
“I will tell him, in Elfish, in love, with loving words beyond what English can say,” said Albus. And Albus went over, and told Kreacher, and Kreacher cried, and cried, and Albus cried with him.
Solon told Harry, “Albus is such a good person, good beyond the ability of English language to tell. What he told Kreacher; he told with such love, makes all the Elves cry.”
Albus came back to his father. “Go and hug Kreacher, Dad,” Albus said.
Harry went over to Kreacher. “Best master in the world,” Kreacher said. “You give us permission to cry. You order us to have fun. It is hard, but we is better for it. Thank you.”
“It is your day, Kreacher,” Harry said.
“I say good byes now,” said Kreacher. “We all cry, because good master gives us permission.”
Harry saw a long line of Elves, and at their head John and Mary Rivendell and several generations of their family. A number of house elves from Hogwarts followed, and finally many of the house elves of the Potter/Weasley family. The whole procession took almost three hours.
Lily held on to Ginny, crying, for most of the time. Harry sat next to James, who had tears near the surface. And Albus stayed next to Kreacher, listening to everything that was said, and shared in many tears as the house elves came by.
Rose went over to Albus for a time, but finally came over to Harry, and said, “I don’t see how Albus can stand it! So much love, so much tragedy, so much joy and sorrow. My heart is not big enough for what I am hearing.” Rose sat next to Harry and James, and cried and cried.
Finally Albus came over to Harry. “Kreacher has one more favor, Daddy. Pick up Kreacher from his wheelchair and lay him next to Kevin, so Kevin will have his parents by his side.”
Harry went over to Kreacher and picked up the little elf, a much lighter elf that the one he had known. He lay Kreacher down beside Kevin, and Kreacher said, “Thank you, Harry Potter, I go now.” The little elf closed his eyes and stopped breathing.
Florence went over, touched her wand to Kreacher’s chest, and said, “He is gone.”
Solon went over to Harry and said, “Elves plan for Kreacher’s death. Never we think it will be so tragic. We bury him tomorrow. Today, private. Tomorrow, public. Get all the papers.”
A rather subdued Potter/Weasley family went back to the New Burrow for dinner. After dinner Solon came back with plans for the next day.
“The Potter family come with Elves, to Hogwarts,” Solon said. “We get Fletcher and Lily. We get the heads of Kreacher’s ancestors. Then we go to Shell Cottage Shrine, and we bury Kreacher and his family next to Dobby.
The next day Harry and his family was at Hogwarts as the Hogwarts house elves reverently unearthed the two little bags containing the bodies of Kreacher and Azalea’s first two children. They then went to Shell Cottage, the original Shell Cottage, which had been turned into a shrine to Dobby, and to Harry and Bill and their families.
Behind the original tomb stone for Dobby was a much larger monument, with words on it in English and Elfish. The Elfish was much longer than the English.
Next to it was a much larger stone with the names of all the elves buried next to Dobby, and a much larger monument, because Kreacher’s story was longer, and he had a family. All of the heads were buried, and their names were mentioned. The elves took care of the heads, and dug the grave. After they put Kreacher, Azalea, and the three children in the grave Solon came over to Harry and said, “Throw in the first dirt, please.”
Harry took a handful of dirt and threw it in the grave, saying, “Good bye for now, Kreacher. We meet on the other side, with my parents, with Dobby. It is your time to be happy, and have fun.”
After the funeral service was over, after a large dinner, Harry, Ginny, and Albus, Rose and Hermione went over to the site. There were a number of elves there, but they stood aside so the Magi could come close and read what was written.
Albus asked his father, “Dobby was your house elf?”
“I don’t think so,” Harry said. “He was a free house elf.”
“Where would he have lived if he had not died?” asked Albus. “I bet you would have let him live at Grimmauld Place, if he had asked.”
“Of course, I would have,” Harry answered.
“Your love was what changed Dobby from ‘free, abandon,’ which is one phrase in elfish, to ‘free to be with owner who love/like, people to serve.” He served you out of love, but only because you loved him back.”
They went over to the other stone. Albus said, “I didn’t realize that Azalea had six miscarriages trying to have a child for Harry. She lost her health trying to serve her master.”
“We had no idea!” a horrified Ginny said. “Poor Kreacher, poor Azalea. They could never tell us all their troubles.”
And Harry hugged Albus, and Rose. “Thank you for being friends with the Elves. Your knowledge of Elfish is very important.”
Hermione said, “I am so grateful that Magi are beginning to understand Elves, and Elves are being treated better. It is all just a lot more complicated than I thought when I wanted to just free the house elves.”
Chapter 19: CH. 19 Buzzing Maps and Decorating Dollhouses
Author's Notes: Dis and Frerin are Dwarf names from the appendix of” The Lord of the Rings” by JRR Tolkien.
The chapter title and other help from FriendofMolly, my faithful Beta.
Harry was very glad he was very involved with the International Aurors Association. They were tracking the people who were trying to kill Albus. It seemed that the same people were beginning to focus on Cleopatra as well, and Harry was worried. He asked Narcissa to come to the Ministry the first of November.
“We are hearing threats on the life of Cleo,” Harry said. “I would like you to tell us when you are taking Cleo out of the Malfoy Manor area. I have already added to the number of Aurors guarding the Manor.”
“I had another visit from Cleopatra’s grandmother,” Narcissa said. “These meetings have gotten tenser and nastier. She and her mother really want us to employ the worst of the Pure Blooded teachers. Since we are not doing what they want, could Cleo’s family want her dead?”
“I don’t know,” Harry said. “I think it is more likely to be the Lord of the Dementors, but I do not have any idea if the two of them communicate, or if they want anything close to the same thing.”
“I will tell you if we are leaving Malfoy Manor,” Narcissa said. Two weeks later Narcissa took Cleopatra shopping, and Harry had two Aurors follow them. The Aurors detected four individuals who seemed to be following Narcissa and Cleo, and asked for one of the Aurors who could make a quick map to identify the Magi.
When Narcissa and Cleo were safely back at Malfoy Manor one of the Aurors, Max Maximillian, told Harry, “As soon as we thought there were people following Cleo we increased the obvious protection, with four clearly visible Aurors and another four hidden. Two of the Magi left, and the other two did not get too close.”
“Do you know who the Magi were?” Harry asked
“No,” Max said. “From the names they seemed to be Oriental, but I cannot be sure they are Chinese. They were not common Chinese names.”
Harry said, “I think we are going to have to get both Albus and Cleopatra more protection.”
Max said, “Dobedo does a pretty good job of terrifying most Magi who would want to attack you. Maybe you can get each of them an Elf.”
Harry said, “I still want Aurors shadowing each of them when they are out of safe space, but an Elf shadow cannot hurt.” Harry thought that maybe shadows would also help to keep Albus and Cleopatra apart.
That evening, after dinner, Harry was again talking to Solon. After the normal business was done Harry asked, “Do you think we can find a pair of Elves to shadow Albus and Cleopatra Smith. I think the same people are after both of them, and I want extra protection. I also want to keep them from meeting for as long as we can. If they both go to Hogwarts I expect they will meet.”
Solon asked, “What are you going to do then?”
Harry said, “I have no idea. I think some of the decisions will be out of my hands, and it terrifies me. I never want anyone to have to go through what I did.”
A week later Solon was again meeting with Harry, and he said, “I have a brother and sister from Hong Kong who should be ideal. They are twenty years older than Al and Cleo, but are still very young for Elves. The female elf is named Dis, and the male elf is Frerin
Harry said, “I thought the attack at Vernon Dursley’s funeral was the last gasp of the death eaters and pure blood fanatics in England. Because we caught almost all of the attackers they were able to find out whom they were, who their friends and associates were, and clean up the remnants of the Magi who wanted to harm me and my family.
“Now we seem to have a totally new problem, with Magi from outside England and even outside of Europe trying to kill Albus, and maybe Cleo too. I would like to meet, and if we all agree, hire, Frerin and Dis.”
A week later Harry, Ginny and Narcissa met in a hidden room at The Leaky Cauldron. After they were in the room Solon appeared, and with him appeared two reasonably large Elves. You could almost mistake them for Goblins. Dis was dressed in a female Malfoy house elf dress, and Frerin was dressed in a Potter/Weasley outfit, one that looked very much like the one Dobedo usually wore.
Harry said, “You know you are to protect your charges. Dis, you need to make sure Cleopatra is not attacked, and if she is defend her. Frerin, your job is to do the same for Albus. It is better to grab them and apparate away from a fight than to risk your charges life fighting.”
“We understand,” the brother and sister said together.
“Albus and Cleopatra are subjects of prophesies, and because of that we want you to help us keep them from meeting,” Harry said.
Frerin asked, “How are we going to do that if they both go to Hogwarts?”
“That is probably not going to happen,” Harry said. “There is probably not much you can do, but do what you can, and let us know what is happening.”
About a week later, after dinner, Harry was down in the basement with Albus, and he said, “We have rounding up a lot of individuals that were Death Eaters or other supporters of Tom Riddle. We have also rounded up many common criminals. Many of them are now on probation, or are going on probation soon. I wondered if any of them had anything to do with the attack at the ICWW.
“I wish we had something like the bracelet connected to the GSP system that some Muggle police agencies use. The mapping programs can keep track of people. I just wish I could put some sort of alarm on it.”
“What do you want to do?” asked Albus.
“Have an area that a person had to stay in, with an alarm ringing if they moved outside of the restricted area.”
“Like make sure Lily stayed in her room if she was sent there?” asked Albus.
“Something like that,” said Harry.
“Can you get your map of the house dad, please?” said Albus. He went upstairs and got Lily. “Help us develop a spell, Lily,” said Al.
“Why?” said Lily.
“It is fun,” said Albus. “Plus dad needs the help, and it may help us stay safe so you won’t have to have someone watching over you all the time.”
“What do I have to do?” asked Lily.
“Come down stairs,” said Albus. Lily came down, a little unsure of what was happening. Harry had the map of the houses. Albus looked at the map. He touched Lily and said a form of sticking spell, and some other stuff, and touched the map at Lily’s spot. The spot turned red. Then he drew a red line around the basement room, and said another spell. He then asked Lily to go upstairs. Lily went to the door of the room, and as she stepped over the threshold of the room the map went “zzzzzzzzzzzzzz” and something on Lily went “zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz”
,
“STOP IT, ALBUS!!” said Lily. She went back into the potions room, put her pointer finger right on Al’s chest, and said “YOU TAKE THAT CURSE OFF ME THIS INSTANT!”
Albus looked at Lily and his father and said, “I probably should have figured out how to get rid of the buzzing before trying this out.”
“I CAN’T LEAVE THIS ROOM? ALBUS, YOU IDIOT!” Lily was stomping around, waving her hands, and getting red in the face.
Albus erased the red line. Lily’s spot was still red. “That should work,” said Albus. Lily left and stomped upstairs. She went into the drawing room where her mother and James were.
“Let’s see if I can confine her to the drawing room,” said Albus. He drew the red line around the drawing room. Harry called Ginny and said, “Can you send Lily back down here, please. Stay on the phone while you are doing it.”
They heard Ginny and Lily talking, and Lily stomping out of the room. As soon as her dot crossed the boundary that Albus had drawn Harry and Albus heard the “zzzzzzzz” on the map and on the phone, then “ALBUS SEVERUS POTTER, YOU TAKE THIS BUZZING OFF ME THIS INSTANT OR I WILL WRING YOUR NECK.”
Albus removed the line again. Lily came stomping back into the Potions room. Albus touched Lily with the wand and said something, and then, “Thank you for your help, Lily.”
Harry said, “Thank you for helping, Lily. Tell mother that Al and I will be down here for at most another hour.” Lily stomped out of the room, and Al and Harry went over what Al had done several times.
Before they left the potions room Harry said, “It would be real handy if you had a map that buzzed if anyone crossed a boundary or got too close.”
“It sure would be handy to have a map like that,” said Al. Harry was reasonably sure Al did have a map like that, and developing that map helped Al with the confinement map.
Over the next weeks Harry and Hermione further developed the spell. It was released only to law enforcement departments, and you had to get special permission to teach someone about it. The confinement spell was one more tool that Harry and the worldwide Aurors and other law enforcement personnel used to make the world of the Magi safer. Harry would have liked to give Albus some of the credit for developing the spell, but to do that he would have to reveal that Albus was good at wand work at just 7 years old.
The whole issue of the awards for Albus was put on hold, both because of his age, and because Albus was very reluctant to get the awards.
One of the times Cleo got to leave Malfoy Manor was before Christmas. Narcissa took her Christmas shopping, so she could get a present for Scorpius. It was also a chance for her to visit the Magical Musical Menagerie. Narcissa told Harry when they were going to be going. That evening Harry said, “Narcissa is taking Cleo to Diagon Alley tomorrow, for much of the morning. Dis the house elf will be with them, and I have a couple of Aurors that will also be close.”
“I was going to take Albus tomorrow,” Ginny said. “Do you think I should reschedule our trip?”
“Do you want Albus and Cleopatra to meet, and have her move into his room before they get to Hogwarts?” Harry asked.
“Bollox and Boggarts,” Ginny said. “NO. I will suddenly have to work on my Quidditch Column for next week, and will postpone our shopping trip.”
Ginny had to call Hermione and Jean Granger and explain the situation. They knew about Albus and Cleopatra, and were glad to cooperate.
The day after Cleo was at Diagon Alley Ginny went with Harry and the three children, plus the house elf guards and again a couple of Auror guards.
Weasley’s Wizarding Wheezes was close to being a toy store as in Diagon Alley, and they had a much larger store, and a wider selection of just plain toys, than when they first started. This year they even had a Santa the children could visit.
Harry and Albus were in the back room of the store talking to George and Freddy when the Santa came in for a break. Harry knew the Santa, a retired DMLE officer who was heavy enough, and had a white enough beard, to be a natural Santa.
“Do you have a domestic violence unit yet?” the Santa asked.
“Arthur has one witch who works on that type of case,” Harry said. “We could use three more.”
“Are you aware of the Colburn family?” he said.
“Phil beats his wife, and we are worried about their daughter,” Harry said.
“The little girl, she can barely talk, ask if I could make Daddy stop hurting Mommy and her.”
“I will let Arthur know,” Harry said. “I wish we had better laws about domestic abuse, and more staff to handle it. Most Magi just pretend that it doesn’t happen.”
“The wife is pregnant again, due this winter from the looks of it,” Santa said.
“What can you do, Dad,” asked Albus.
“I wish I knew, Al,” Harry said. “Aunt Hermione and I are working on changing some laws, and adding staff, but there are a lot of Magi who think we should never interfere in family things, no matter what is going on.”
“Even when bad things happen?” Al asked.
“The problem is that frequently we get called only after a really bad thing has happened,” Harry said. “You have met a couple of children at the annual After Christmas Party who were taken away from parents after horrendous abuse, either by one of the parents towards the other, or the parent abusing the child. I just wish we could intervene earlier.”
Harry again worked Christmas Eve, in fact sixteen hour days the two days before Christmas Eve and until seven on Christmas Eve, before coming home and going to an eight PM Christmas Eve service at the local Wizarding Christian Church they attended.
Christmas morning, the entire family, as usual, showed up between eight and nine for the usual breakfast. Rose was as excited as Harry and Ginny had ever seen her. “I got a doll house!” Rose said. “You should see the magic doll house I got! I can decorate the doll house! It’s like our house, and I can make it pretty!”
The whole conversation was so unlike the Rose that Harry knew that he asked Ginny, “Is that Rose? Home decorating?”
Ginny grinned. “Rose is not her mother. Rose has asked me about decorating Grimmauld Place and Potter’s New Burrow.”
“She’s interested in home decorating?” asked Harry.
“Ron and Hermione’s house is sort of plain,” Ginny said. “Neither Hermione nor Ron are all that interested in making their house look pretty. I don’t think Hermione has done anything to the house, except for furnishing the children’s rooms, since they move in. She just buys more books.”
At breakfast, because of the size of the family, the children ate at one table and the adults at another. Harry and Ginny were sitting next to each other and right across from Ron and Hermione, so Harry asked Ron, “Are you going to tell me about this doll house, Ron? Or am I going to have to ask Hermione?”
“I never thought I’d spend so much money on a bloody doll house!” Ron explained.
“Why?” asked Harry.
“Bloody duplicate of our house, with a wand that will allow an underage witch to ‘decorate’ it. Change the bloody furniture and walls and stuff. All kinds of stuff.”
“Your house is sort of plain,” Ginny butted in with. “There’s nothing on the walls. It’s sort of institutional.”
“I really should have done more to make it look pretty,” Hermione said, “But somehow I was always too busy. Rose finally told me that our house looked like a dentist office! She saw some photographs of Mum and Dad’s old dentist office, and said our house looked like a dentist’s office, but plainer.”
“So you bought her this fancy doll house?” asked Harry.
“Well, we went over to Tabitha’s Terrific Toys, because Rose wanted a doll house,” Hermione said. “I thought that maybe if Rose had a doll house she could decorate she’d leave me alone. We saw all these doll houses, and finally there was one that had a special limited purpose wand, and you could change the style and color of all the furniture, and change wall colors. They even had wallpaper samples, and you could touch the wall paper and then walls and put the pattern on the walls. Really fantastic! It’s excellent practice magic, real interesting.”
“It was bloody expensive!” Ron said. “Expensive enough that the owners came over.”
Hermione said. “The shop is now owned by Merlin and Miranda Merryweather. Miranda is the granddaughter of the owner who sold both of Ginny’s doll houses. Merlin was Merlin Greengrass, Astoria’s brother. Merlin said that the Greengrass name was associated with dark magic, and he did not want Tabitha’s Terrific Toys to be associated with the Greengrass name, so he changed his last name. Besides he is estranged from his family.”
“I hope it wasn’t just sales talk,” Ron said, “but Merlin doesn’t think much of his sister Astoria. I know Hermione feels the same way.”
“It doesn’t take much to get Ron mad at the Malfoy family,” Hermione said.
“SOB should never have been allowed to go free,” Ron said. “Whole family is bad news. Draco should have been sent to Azkaban, like his dad.”
“The doll house, Hermione,” said Harry.
“You could not believe how excited Rose is with the doll house,” Hermione said. “‘Oh Mum, if it was only our house,’ she said. Of course Merlin said, ‘That can be arraigned too,’ so we ended up getting a duplicate of our house for Rose to play with.”
“Yea, for twice as much money. Rose is worth every Galleon, but I can’t believe we spent all that money on a doll house! And now Rose can tell us we ought to spend more money on our house!” Ron exclaimed. “It’s going to be the most expensive bloody present ever.”
“Ron!” Harry called out, “Stop moaning about the cost. You can afford it. If it makes Rose happy, that’s all that matters, you git.”
“Do you need a piano?” Ron asked Harry and Ginny. “Rose has stopped taking lessons. She never got any good, unlike Albus. She is good enough at drawing and visual things, but it was painful listening to her practice.”
Ginny asked Albus, “Would you like it if we had a piano in the Drawing room?”
Albus said, “That would be great! Now I only need that girl who played keyboards with me at the Magic Musical Menagerie.”
Ginny kept her mouth shut, but inside there was more than a little panic. Periodically Albus would mention the girl that played the organ, like she was someone special.
Harry prayed a lot about Albus, about his whole family really, worried about their safety. Ginny was worried enough, even though she was not really interested in religion, she started to pray too. .
Chapter 20: CH. 20 House Elf rules and Potions
Author's Notes: Ginny gave Harry a funny look. She was trying to figure out if this was a compliment, or what. FriendofMolly and I spent a week on a small section of this chapter.
At the start of two thousand and fourteen Solon, Sojourner, Harriet and Dobedo asked to have a meeting with Harry, Ginny, Hermione and Ron. When they were all together Sojourner started, saying, “Kreacher was far more influential in changing house elves into Elves than you will ever know, Harry. He was able to do this because he was your chief house elf, living in your house and serving you. Even when none of his time was spent actually waiting on or personally serving you, Harry, he was, because of where he lived, and what he did, serving you.
“Living in the master’s house is important. It is part of what a house elf is. If I am going to be the new Kreacher I need to live in his old quarters above twelve Grimmauld Place. Just being able to spend the time we have been spending together, but being in the same house, is important.
“We need larger quarters, because we have three children, two of them older. This means that Harriet and Dobedo have to move so only Harriet and Dobedo’s bedroom is above thirteen Grimmauld place, but that is fine.”
Harry said, “I didn’t realize you had children. What are their names, and how old are they?”
Solon said, “Harry is fifteen, and Ginny is thirteen. Hermione is almost two. Sojourner is pregnant again. Farmers like to grow lots of things, including lots of children.”
Ron rolled his eyes, and said, “I hope you are not going to name a boy Ronald. Young wizards come into the store, and their parents say, ‘I named him Ronald, after you, Mr. Weasley,’ and for the next week George says, ‘I named him Ronnie’ or, ‘I’ll let the FAMOUS Ronniekins take care of the little boys.’ Merlin knows what he will say to me if I have an elf named after me.”
Solon laughed, and then said, “Elves are learning to laugh. More of Kreacher’s ‘Subversives.’ We do not always understand Magi humor, and I do not understand you and your brother, Mr. Ron Weasley, but we will not name a son after you.”
“Thank you,” Ron said. “I’m thrilled you named a daughter after Hermione, though. There are a lot more Harrys and Ginny’s, and even Ron’s, than Hermione, and she was the brains that kept the three of us alive.”
“Well,” said Hermione, like she was beginning to start lecturing on something.
Ron cut her off with, “What do you say when someone gives you a compliment, Hermione?”
“Thank you,” said Hermione. “Thank you, Solon and Sojourner, for naming a daughter after me.
“And thank you too, Ron, for the compliment.”
“You are welcome,” said Ron.
“You are welcome,” said Solon and Sojourner together.
Solon said, “We would like to add an elf story to twelve Grimmauld place.”
Harry said, “Please, feel free to add an elf story to the top of Grimmauld Place.”
Solon said “With your permission, I would like to have Harry P/W learn what I do. It is always the greatest honor, for a house elf to have a child serve the same family, and Harry P/W wants to learn to understand what the great Harry Potter, friend of house elves and Goblins, wants.”
Harry said, “What I want is house elves to become Elves, honored equal partners with the Magi. It wouldn’t hurt if they would stop piling on titles. I’m just Harry.”
Solon said, “Calling you Harry instead of Mr. Potter is very very subversive, Harry.”
“Yes, I guess it is, Solon,” Harry said. “Keep being subversive. What does Ginny P/W want to do?”
“She wants to learn with Galadriel and Luthien Lothlorien,” Solon said.
“I guess they are my house elves too, although I find it very strange,” Harry said.
“Until the chief witch and wizard come,” said Harriet. “Many magics changing.”
“Is that a good thing?” asked Harry.
“Maybe, we hope so,” said Harriet. “Very dangerous. Much risk. Scary times for many peoples.”
They talked all evening about what the Elves were doing. Solon was spending about ten percent of his time going around the world to visit other house elves. Harriet was accompanying Solon part of the time. John and Mary Rivendell were leading the effort to write down the rules and standards that house elves followed. The house elves had determined that before they could change any rules about how house elves related to Magi and others they had to write them down, and there was powerful magic in writing them down. They were in the process of doing that, and the first part of the document would be ready for the spring International Council of Witches and Wizards. The house elves were going to write down, in elfish, what rules they operated under, what their standards of conduct were, and how they were going to relate to the rest of the magical world. Rough translations were going to be made in English, French, German, and Chinese. The parts that pertained to house elves relationship with the Magi were going to be confirmed by the ICW.
Nothing else unusual happened, the first part of two thousand and fourteen until it was almost time for the June meeting of the International Council of Witches and Wizards.
At the ICWW there were three main factions when it came to what the house elves were doing. Almost a majority was for it, and a very small but persistent group was against everything including the house elves even meeting. There was a modest sized group, less than a quarter of the body, that was agreeable to anything if the “chief wizard” would agree, but would only vote for what was happening with the house elves provisionally, with the reservation that the coming “chief wizard” would have to ratify, or turn down, any of the things they were voting on. This group kept the body from agreeing with the three fourth’s majority that was needed to make binding changes.
The house elves met for a week before the general meeting, with Hermione, Albus, Rose, and Martin there before the house elf meeting began until after the end of the general meeting. Most of the other Magi and house elves that were learning languages were also there those two weeks. Harry was at the meeting a couple of days early, but was not as involved in the details of what they were doing.
Eighteen of the twenty children who were being raised to speak elfish were there; the only pair missing was two of the four being raised in England.
Albus was of course the son of Harry Potter and Ginny Potter. Everybody knew of Harry Potter, and had read at least the children’s version of “Harry Potter, the boy who lived, the hero of Hogwarts.” All of the other parents and most of their parents knew Harry Potter because of his current activities, at the International Council of Wizards and as one of the most important Aurors in the world. It was always a little amazing to Albus how many knew of his mother, both because of her days as a Quidditch player, even though none of the children had been alive when she was playing, and his mother’s columns in the Daily Prophet. Ginny’s columns were quoted in other publications, and sometimes even carried whole in the other Magi publications.
This year for the first time Harry was elected Chief Mugwump of the International Council of Witches and Wizards. Harry was thirty three at the start of his term, the youngest Chief Mugwump in well over a thousand years. Harry would not take the job unless there was a successor already in place. Cindy was going to take over the next year, and the year after that BD Wong, the person who was probably going to succeed WW Chang and had become part of the small but expanding group that was leading the ICWW, was going to serve a term.
Harry was able to push through a preliminary reading of the house elf rules and the translations of all the new Elfish words, but not without reservations.
Once everybody was home Harry told Ginny, “I’m sure glad Al and Rose are not going to be gone another summer.”
Ginny looked at Al, who was reading some book that was written for fifth and sisth year students at Hogwarts. “Has Al ever been a child?” asked Ginny. “James is, from what I am told, just right for his age. Lily, we will be lucky if she ever grows up. But I can hardly remember a child, like Albus.” She looked at Harry. “Maybe it’s the name, Albus Severus. Maybe it’s Snape cursing him, that’s causing him to be so serious.”
“He is a very kind person,” said Harry. “Albus more than his brother and sister is aware of other people, and wants the best for everyone. Maybe,” Harry had a little twinkle in his eye “he just needs a wild redhead to give his life a little excitement. It worked for me!”
Ginny gave Harry a funny look. She was trying to figure out if this was a compliment, or what. She finally said, “It will be interesting to see who they marry. Look at my parents’ daughters-in-law, Fleur, Angelina, Audrey and Hermione. How different could four daughters-in-law be?”
“At least I’m just your average son-in-law,” said Harry.
“If Audrey had a brother maybe I would have had a little excitement in my life,” said Ginny, laughing. “Life is actually pretty quiet right now. I’d probably be bored without Lily causing problems. Even the Quidditch season last year was quieter than average.”
Early in July Hermione asked Rose and Al if they wanted to help her re-write the beginning potions book. Hermione wanted to watch students make all the potions in the book. Al and Rose eagerly agreed. So a couple of days later they were down in the potions room. Early in the lesson they came to a place where a wand was needed. Hermione said, “I’m not sure we can use a wand down here without being caught by the Department for the Regulation of Underage Magic.
Al said, “Dad and Uncle Ron have this room and the one under your basement shielded so no one can tell of any magic, underage or any other kind, is done. I’ve helped my dad with mapping potions, using this wand.” Al then looked in the direction of the drawer and the wand flew out of it and into his hand.
“We can use this wand down here, and no one will know,” Albus said.
“And you know this, Al?” Hermione asked.
Al nodded yes. Al and Rose used Draco’s old wand in their lessons from then on.
A couple of weeks later Hermione asked Harry, “Just how much does Al do with that wand?”
Harry answered, “I don’t know, and I don’t want to know. I’ve never caught him using it except for making the mapping potion.”
“If he’s not caught you will let him get away with it?” asked Hermione.
“I kind of think that’s how Dumbledore treated me,” said Harry.
“Riddle is gone,” said Hermione.
“There is still evil in the world,” said Harry. “People are trying to kill Albus. I think we need to teach our children to be good more than we need to teach them to be safe.”
“And just how are you going to feel if one of your children gets hurt or killed fighting dark wizards?” asked Hermione.
“Terrible,” said Harry, “But how would you feel if there was another dark wizard, and instead of fighting, your children, your family, ran away.”
“I hope we never have to face anything like that again,” said Hermione.
“England is pretty safe right now,” said Harry, “but there is still serious evil out there.”
Chapter 21: CH 21 Summer Quidditch and Fall Reorganization
Author's Notes: I am writing a story about Albus at Hogwarts. Some of the below is background, and we will see the children of Cho and Seamus at Hogwarts. If you have any children of Potter characters you would like in my story, let me know. I may use your back story, if you have one, and give you credit.
Summer was the time the family got together at the New Burrow property, and of course there were family Quidditch games. The middle of July Charlie brought Ivana Romanoff over to spend about four weeks with Lily. Ivana was going to learn how to play Quidditch, and spend some ‘girl time’ with Lily Luna.
“It looks like you have two teams just in Mum’s grandchildren, Ginny,” Charlie said. “I know Ivana is in between Albus and Lily, but I am not sure how old everybody else is. They all seem to be about a year apart. I have everybody’s name written down, but not when they were born.”
Ginny said, “They are not exactly a year apart. Teddy is sixteen, and is always included in the count. Freddy is fifteen, Molly and Victoire are both fourteen, Roxanne is thirteen. Lucy is twelve and a half, Dominique is eleven, Louis is almost ten. My James is almost nine, Rose is eight, and Albus is almost eight. Lily Luna and Hugo are almost six. That’s thirteen children, but Rose almost never plays, and she is not very good when she does play. Of course there are other children in the neighborhood who often join in the games.”
“What positions do they play?” asked Charlie.
Ginny said, “Teddy and Fred usually guarded the goals. Louis and Roxanne usually hit the the bludgers, youth bludgers that will not seriously hurt you, but that you do have to avoid. Occasionally they will switch places, with Teddy and Fred doing the bludgers and Louis and Roxanne guarding the goals.
“James has always wanted to be a seeker. The only one of the other children who has the patience to be a seeker is Albus. So my sons are competing. Albus takes losing in stride, but James gets real upset if Albus beats him. The cousins have found out that it is better if the two brothers are not on the same team, so having them as competing seekers works well, usually.
“James likes to tease everybody, but the teasing is usually friendly. Our biggest problem is that James constantly kids Albus that they’re practicing for when he, James, is going to be seeker for Gryffindor, and Albus is going to be seeker for Slytherin. Al doesn’t blow up or anything, but James kidding galls Albus.”
“So if you were Albus, James would have Bat Boogies flying out of his nose?” asked Charlie, grinning. “You were never famous for being patient when we were kids growing up.”
“Probably,” Ginny ruefully admitted. “Albus can be amazingly patient.
“The other six cousins are chasers. You have some of the older children with Molly and Victoire, and the youngest with Hugo and Lily. Victoire is a better chaser than Molly, and Lily is a better chaser than Hugo. Neither Lucy nor Dominique are very good, so they are well matched. Everyone enjoyed playing, even if they are not all that good.
“Harry spends some of his free time training James and Albus as seekers. I do the best I can, training the rest of the team from the ground. Not being able to fly REALLY frustrates me, but I still know Quidditch.”
“What happens when other children come?” Charlie asked. “I know Ivana would like to be considered one of the cousins, even though she is not biologically related.”
“Charlie, since when does blood relation mean anything to Mum?” Ginny asked. “Ivana is your daughter, since you and Stribog adopted her. I think the cousins consider her just another cousin, and they will make sure she can play with the other cousins.”
“I’m just very grateful Mum and the whole family has accepted Ivana. Everyone has accepted Stribog and me as well,” Charlie said. “His family doesn’t.”
Ginny said, “When other children show up, usually the oldest or the youngest sit out the games, or does other things. James and Albus are usually the seekers, though, if Albus is playing. Albus really is a good seeker, and James is exceptional.
This particular summer seemed to just fly by. There were lots of Quidditch games. Schooling, although a lot less intense, continued over the summer. Al and Rose spend two to three nights a week on the Potions textbook with Hermione.
James and Lily loved to fly, and Ginny had a hard time not allowing them to fly as much as they wanted to. Ginny remembered how she had to sneak into the broom shed to learn to fly on her brothers’ brooms, and how she loved to fly until she got hurt. The medical staff at St. Mungo’s had introduced her to a couple of Magi who really had severe brain damage, to make sure she knew what she was facing if she hurt her head again, and Ginny put up with the restrictions, but she did not like them. In some ways Ginny was enjoying flying through her children.
The farming was still going well. Everybody helped with the repotting of Magical Plants, even the older children when they were home. Young Frank Longbottom and Roxanne Weasley were even more of a pair; George complained that he could not get Roxanne to work at WWW even during the busy season, but she worked hard around the farms and greenhouses, and made some money doing it, so George really could not complain. Freddy had retail selling in his blood, but Roxanne was far more interested in green growing things, and Frank.
Shortly after the start of the school year Harry was meeting with Minerva McGonagall. After discussing business they started to talk about other things.
“Anything I can do to help you, Minerva,” Harry asked.
“Tell that thick godson of yours to claim Victoire before we have half the boys in the school fighting over her.”
“What does she want him to do?” Harry asked.
“From what I understand, she has told several of her friends that when she and Teddy grow up she is going to have lots of his babies,” Minerva said. “The problem is that when Teddy is asked he says she is sort of a cousin, and doesn’t get more specific. I’ve got a whole school of adolescents going through puberty, hormones aflame, and we haven’t had a girl so nice and still so overtly sexy since Molly Prewett almost caused a couple of riots years ago.”
“Molly?” asked Harry.
“Let me show you some photographs,” Minerva said. There was Molly, looking just about as sexy as you could imagine. Harry had been hugged, captured between Molly’s big bust, since he was eleven. He never thought back to what she must have looked like before having all those children, and putting on weight.”
“Arthur fought several duels over her,” Minerva said. “He didn’t win them all, but he won Molly. Eventually it was clear that Molly had picked Arthur, so that particular trouble spot disappeared.”
“I will try to talk to Teddy over Christmas break,” said Harry. “Is he getting good enough grades to become an Auror? Teddy told Ginny and me that in some ways he feels that he needs to succeed, since his parents had their chance to make a mark on the world of the Magi cut short”
“An Auror and a Prefect, but probably not Head Boy.”
“Is that the only problem you are having with the cousins?”
“Merlin no, Harry,” said Minerva. “Freddy is George Weasley’s son. What more do I need to say?”
Harry asked, “Do you have the same problems with Roxanne?”
Minerva said, “The only problem Neville and I have with Roxanne is trying to make sure Frank II and Roxanne don’t start another generation of Longbottoms too soon.”
“I never noticed anything like that when I was at Hogwarts,” Harry said.
“You were, and maybe still are, a little nave, Harry,” Minerva said. “More often than not one of our seventh year girls is pregnant before she leaves school. I’m just glad when none of them show before they graduate.”
“And then you have three nice Weasley girl cousins,” said Harry.
“Molly and Lucy are nice, good but not outstanding,” Minerva said, “Dominique Weasley was sorted into Gryffindor. I’m not quite sure why, except that all the Weasleys’ seem to end up there. She looks like her mother, unlike Victoire.”
“So you shouldn’t have any problems with Dominique?” Harry asked.
“She’s half Veela, unlike her sister. She is still has a little girl figure, and boys are already fighting over her, Harry. She has been taking dancing lessons, and I think she already has a date, with a third year boy, for the Christmas Ball. We generally discourage more than two years difference in Dance Dates and other couple activities, at least for the first three or four years.”
“How did Dumbledore handle this type of thing?” Harry asked.
“If you look at the history of Hogwarts, the top two administrators have always been a witch and a wizard. I deal with the girls and Neville deals with the boys, and every week we get together, along with Hanna, and have a good stiff drink.”
“Does Neville do a good job with the boys?” Harry asked.
“Generally,” Minerva said. “The first two years he was the Wizard in charge of the boys he had three gay boys, and over the two years every one of the three had a turn to be the odd one out, with the other two paired up. I’ve never seen Neville so frustrated! I thought girls could be catty. He doesn’t very often have boys coming to him crying because some girl broke up with him, but he has other problems to deal with.”
“I don’t think I would make a very good Headmaster,” Harry said. “I have enough problems with my own three, four including Teddy.”
Although he did not say anything to Minerva, Teddy becoming an Auror worried Harry. England and almost all of Europe had been almost eerily safe since the battle at Vernon’s funeral, the attack at the ICWW being the only exception, but there were still very dangerous places in the world, parts of Asia outside of China and the Caribbean among the most dangerous, and every year there were seriously wounded young Aurors in the International Auror Association. All too often one or two would die.
That fall Harry, after conferring with Kingsley and his father-in-law, had reorganized the Auror office. Magi who had fought at the Battle of Hogwarts were always given a little extra respect, but the real surprise was Dennis Creevey. Within a year of the battle at least four Magi had carefully researched the battle and written books on it. All of them found that right at the heart of the battle there was a circle of influence where the number of deaths and injuries was a fraction of what it was elsewhere. Eventually they all learned that right at the heart of the circle was little Dennis Creevey, who had made himself invisible and who with a couple other underage students working under him were throwing extremely effective shield charms at a furious pace. The two Magi who tried to put a number on it felt that Dennis and his team had saved between fifty and seventy five lives, had by his actions saved more lives than the number of Magi killed. Dennis had not said anything; at the time of the battle he was young enough that he really should not have been there. When Dennis graduated from Hogwarts Kingsley awarded Dennis an Order of Merlin First Class for his efforts.
Dennis became an Auror, and an excellent one. He was not only well respected by everyone but he knew the politics of the ministry as well as anyone. Sometimes Harry thought that Dennis knew the inside politicking better than he did. Of course Dennis’s wife was one of the two administrative assistants, and there was enough management and politicking that, even though Mary Lou Creevey was job sharing with another witch, both were putting in about thirty hours a week. Dennis had become a supervisor reasonably early, and Harry promoted Dennis to second in command, with an office right next to Harry’s. There was a good second level of supervision, all of whom were capable of taking charge if Harry and Dennis were gone, including Cho Chang, who had gotten married and had two children, but who had kept her maiden name, and Seamus Finnigan, also married, and two younger Magi, another witch and wizard.
Well, everyone sort of knew that Cho Chang had gotten married. She had gotten what looked like an engagement ring, and never denied that it was one, and about six months later she took two weeks off and came back with what looked like a wedding ring, and never denied that it was a wedding ring. It was just that it was almost impossible to get her to talk about her personal life. Her first daughter was born eight months after what they assumed was the wedding, and she took three months off, and for the next three months her maternal grandmother Lee would occasionally show up with the daughter so Cho could nurse her. Two years after the first daughter was born there was another one, and again she worked right up to her due date, was in labor when she left the office before she gave birth, and then three months later was back. After her second daughter was weaned she might as well have been single as far as anyone in the office was concerned, except for the rings, and the fact that she was obviously off the market for a spouse. The daughters were born just before Albus and Lily, and Harry wondered if they would be in class at Hogwarts with his children, and if so maybe he would find out a little more about Cho’s family.
Everyone knew Seamus’s wife, wild Molly Mary MacCarthy. Molly Mary would come flying into the office with something on her mind, her long strawberry blond hair flying all over the place. She and Seamus did not know how to talk quietly, and he would always try and take her into one of the offices, as they both loudly talked with their hands and whole bodies. They both seemed to enjoy a little chaos. Molly Mary complaining loudly that it was un-Irish and unnatural to have to give up drinking, even if you were pregnant, although she did refrain from alcohol when she was pregnant. Despite this she had managed to have five children, the oldest already at Hogwarts, the youngest just two.
Harry and Dennis spent much more time out in the field than in their offices. One or the other of them were always at any raid, always close at hand when anything serious was happening. Both of them spent a lot of time with the new Aurors, and none of the other Aurors would escape having Harry or Dennis with them for a significant part of a shift at least once a year. The weekly management meeting usually included not only Harry and Dennis and the next level of supervisors but also Arthur Weasley at least once a month, occasionally Kingsley, and more often than not Gawain Robards. Gawain was included to give a little historical perspective, but also because he was still a most capable Auror.
Harry was really glad to have an excellent second in command, because he was still being pulled in many different directions. Being chief Mugwump was taking a little more time, maybe twenty percent of every week, and more time once a month. Harry was not going to escape having to spend time in the Magi valley in Switzerland until there was a new ‘chief wizard.’ Being one of the people in charge of the International Aurors also took time, and both took Harry out of the country from time to time. Harry also was on the Wizengamot, and that took time. Bill Weasley managed the Harry Potter Estates, so that took only a very little time but it still took some time. Harry figured that fully twenty five to thirty percent of his time was spent on things other than being Head Auror when he was not Chief Mugwump, and that he was acting as Head Auror only a little over half time the year he was Chief Mugwump.
Harry did his best not to skimp on family time, but it was hard. One of the really great things about being a Magi was the ability to travel quickly from place to place. Harry slept at home most nights even when he was working in Switzerland, and a few time Ginny and the children spend a couple of days in Switzerland so they could spend time with Harry. When Harry had to be gone he made sure that he used the Wizard Mobiles to talk to all the children briefly every day, and have a private call with Ginny every night. Harry was very glad that he would only be Chief Mugwump for a year.
Chapter 22: CH 22 Emergency Map Making
Author's Notes: We had a computer problem at work that delayed this chapter.
Thanks as always to FriendofMolly, who contributed a few key phrases, and caught at least one big, dumb spelling mistake.
One October late morning Harry was out in the field when he received a call on his cell phone, from Mary Lou, with the urgent ring tone, one level short of the Patronus ring tone. The message on the screen said “Caroline FM VanLente is here and needs to see you, Floo speed.” Harry quickly took his leave from the people he was with. It was not all that unusual for Harry or Dennis to be out and suddenly be called away. Harry quickly apparated back to the office.
Caroline greeted Harry warmly and said, “Remember the group of wizards that the Asian Aurors have been trying to capture, the ones involved in human trafficking and major thefts of Muggle property among other things.”
Harry said, “They seem to be a large and nasty group of Magi. I know that Dan, Willie and Bill have been spending a lot of time helping the Chinese and Asian Aurors on this case.”
“They are getting close to capturing a significant number of them, Harry,” said Caroline. “Al is with them now. We could use a couple of the Aurors that have International experience right away and please let everybody know that a level three or four all Auror alert is not out of the question.”
“I can do that,” said Harry. “Dennis my second in command and I will see if we can get a couple of the younger Aurors who have just come off their two year assignments as International Aurors and send them over to help right away.”
“Thank you,” said Carrie. “We also think we are going to need your personal assistance with mapping at some point. Could you please have about fifty parchments ready to go, and a bag with personal items? I asked Al how long you would be involved personally, and he said he hoped a week or less, but it was hard to predict. He said if you had any potions you take every day take a month’s worth. Al doesn’t really think there is anything that will occupy you for a month, but this there are too many unknowns with this operation.”
“I’d better tell Ginny as soon as I have things taken care of here,” said Harry. “I should be able to have the mapping papers ready in a day.”
“Thank you, Harry,” said Carrie. “When they call you they are really going to appreciate the help.”
“You’re worried,” said Harry. “I can tell from your voice.”
“Not so much for Al, and if you are at a distance doing mapping you should be safe enough, but Bill and Dan and even Willie are going to be too close, right in the middle of the action,” said Carrie. “My reflexes are not good enough anymore, so they don’t let me close to the danger areas, but I’ve had my own close calls, and I’ve seen enough death and damaged people to last a dozen lifetimes.” Carrie slowly got up from the chair across from Harry and shook his hand, and before they were through they had hugged. Harry could see that Carrie was worried. This was the biggest and most dangerous assignment in some time.
Harry called a special meeting of his management team for that evening, and called Ginny to let her know that he was going to be home after dinner. He briefly filled her in on what was happening. At the dinner meeting they picked the four Aurors who might want the special assignment. The first two were a very ambitious witch and wizard; more wizards than witches wanted the excitement of the foreign assignments but this witch was exceptional. Both of them were relieved of their duties and transferred to the International Aurors “for the duration.” The other two were called in and told that if a level 3 all Auror alert was called they were going to have to respond immediately, with no time to get ready, and everybody who had any international experience was notified that if a level 4 all Auror alert was called they would have to go. Harry was going to take the next day off to make mapping papers, and then be ready for when he was called. Dennis was usually ready to take over for Harry anyway, and they were just going to be a little more ready for Harry to be gone.
Harry got back home a little before ten PM. Ginny was upstairs in the drawing room, working on a column on her laptop. She took one look at Harry and said, “Worried?”
“A little,” he said. “Maybe more than a little, but not for me. I’m usually not that close to the line of fire when I’m mapping. But I’m worried for our Aurors who are going to be there, and I’m worried for the VanLente family. I love being an Auror, except once in a while when I hate it. It’s what I should be doing, and I’m making a difference, making the world a better place, which is what I always wanted.”
“You would not be happy if you were not trying to make the world a better place, Harry,” said Ginny. “That’s one of the reasons I love you. If I was selfishly trying to keep you all to myself you would not be happy, and neither would I. I’m talking to a healer again, once a month. I’m trying to understand why I’m so insecure. Part of it is being small, and the youngest, and the only girl, and never quite getting over that position in the family. Part of it is all the women who wanted you after the Battle of Hogwarts, not that you ever gave me the slightest reason to be worried, but all those letters did upset me. They still come once in a while, and I see women look at you like you are quite a catch, and part of me is proud I yessed you into marrying me, and part of me is still a little scared. Part of it is knowing that I’m not perfect, or even what I was, and wanted to be. I still have the scars, not only physical but mental, from the war, and from the bludger hit. I still cannot wear high heels, am still unsteady on my feet. And I’m heavy, not at my ideal weight. So I get a little upset whenever you are gone, and I shouldn’t. It’s not your problem, it’s mine.”
“I love you, Ginny,” said Harry. “The last thing I want to do is to make you sad or upset.”
“I know you do, Harry,” said Ginny. “I really want you to keep doing what you are doing. You are making the world a better place, and in the end you and I are going to be happier if you keep doing it.”
“I’m sure my eyes are not the best,” said Harry, “but I look at you and still think you are the most beautiful woman in the world, and the best thing that has ever happened to me.”
“Well then you’d better keep wearing those rose colored glasses,” said Ginny with a sly smile. “You are the least vain person I know, and I’m still vain, want to look not good enough but spectacular. More insecurity.”
“Shall we go upstairs?” asked Harry.
“And make love, like we do most nights, because I love to make love to you, and also because I am still insecure, and need reassurance most nights,” said Ginny. “Unlike Ron and Hermione, who do not do it all that often, maybe once a week, but then occasionally spend most of the day in one of their marathon sessions.”
Harry got a smile on his face and said, “And then Ron is so tired and sore, and has such a silly grin on his face.”
“Hermione too,” said Ginny. “They’re funny!”
Harry and Ginny got up in the morning as usual. At breakfast Harry asked Al, “Do you think you could help me with mapping papers this morning?”
Albus said, “I’ll let Rose and her grandma know, and then I’ll help you.”
James said, “Getting out of school work again? Do it too often and you’ll be in Hufflepuff for sure.”
Al laughed. “At the worse I won’t be smart enough for Ravenclaw, and will have to be in Gryffindor instead.”
“Aunt Hermione was in Gryffindor,” said James, rising to the taunt, “and she’s the smartest witch in the world.”
“It’s going to be decided by the sorting hat at Hogwarts, not by you two arguing over breakfast,” said Ginny. “James, Lily, we need to get going to the New Burrow for lessons.”
“More lessons,” said Lily with a sigh. “Why do I have to wear trainers instead of pretty shoes? And pants and an ugly shirt, just because we may be potting plants. Life just isn’t fair.”
“Lily ought to wear the kind of clothes I had to wear when I was her age, all ugly gray clothes that did not fit me,” said Harry.
“Oh Dad,” said Lily, “Not that old story again.”
It only took a couple of minutes for Al, taking the shortest route out the front door to Rose’s house next door and back, for Al to say he would not be there this morning. Jean Granger usually had a backup lesson for Rose for when Al was not there, and even had a couple of backup lessons for Al for the rare case when Rose was gone with her mother or less often her father and Al was over.
Harry and Al spent the rest of the day making fifty of the special mapping parchments.
Two days later the Level Three All Auror Alert was called, and Harry and all four of the other Aurors were on their way to Asia, to the Himalayan Mountains.
Harry arrived at a totally hidden village within sight of K-2, the second highest mountain in the world. There were a very large number of Aurors there, but to Harry’s surprise there were also a modest sized contingent of Goblins, most of them armed with swords or wicked looking war hammers. There were also a fair number of Elves, most with the Magi but some with the Goblins.
“The Goblins and Magi around here are mostly allied with the Lord of the Dementors, Harry,” Al VanLente said. “It really helps to have Goblins fighting Goblins, and helping us in the caves and tunnel that surround this area.
“What is this fight about?” Harry asked. “Have you captured the Magi involved in human trafficking?”
“We have rescued some of the captured people,” Al said. “That is just the start of the evil going on around here, Harry.
“The Magi and Goblins around here have destroyed several of the close villages, and are threatening more. We need to map their hiding places and push them back. There is modest size battle going on here,” and Al pointed out a place on the map. “We need you to map this area first,” and Al pointed out another area.
Harry started to map tunnels and caves where Al had directed him. As soon as he did there were a large number of Dementors and a significant size group of Magi attacking. Shortly after the attack started some Goblins joined in the attack. Harry was reasonably well protected, but the attack continued. Finally Harry noticed a large number of Patronus fighting the Dementors, jointly led by a wizard and a Goblin with a wand. The Goblin with the wand had eleven Goblins with swords with him, and about six armed Elves. Two Goblins were injured. Each time one of the Elves would disappear with the wounded Goblin, and bring back a healthy Goblin to take his place.
Harry had Americus Tong, the best Chinese map maker, helping him. Americus said, “Your mapping papers are still better than mine. I would like to use only your parchments.”
“I have fifty. I hope that is enough,” Harry said.
Eventually someone had to go into a cave to map the rest of it, and before Americus went in there was a bloody battle, with significant causalities on both sides.
Towards evening there was a lull, and Al announced that they were going to hunker down until the next morning.
“Is there any chance of winning this battle?” Harry asked Al.
“We will have had a successful battle if we can map some of the hiding places of the supporters of The Lord of the Dementors,” Al said. “We need to do a better job of keeping them under control.”
“How long has this been going on?” asked Harry.
“The beginnings of this evil are lost in history, Harry,” Al said. “I am not sure if the Lord of the Dementors is gaining power, or if he is just getting more desperate. The Magi around here say that there is a desperation and fury about the supporters of the Lord of the Dementors that they have not seen before.
“We feel we need to map the caves and tunnels around here before any big battle comes.”
“Is there going to be a big battle around here?” Harry asked.
“Probably,” Al VanLente said. “The Lord of the Dementors has one of the three original Crystal Balls, and we will not have full control of the magic of the Crystal Balls until all three are back under the control of The Witch and Wizard to come.”
“And the Wizard to come is going to be a descendent of mine?” Harry asked.
“And the witch his wife, Harry,” Al said. “You have skin in this game. It is your descendent that we are preparing to protect.”
The next day Americus Tong had two assistants, as they pushed deeper into some caves and tunnels. They were not sending Harry into the tunnels; that was far too dangerous. They were beginning to run out of mapping parchments, and the mapping parchments that Harry and Albus made were far superior to any other mapping parchments.
Harry sent a Patronus to Al asking him to make twenty more mapping parchments, then another twenty, and keep making them until he was told to stop. Then Al had to tell his mother, “Mum, dad asked me to make 20 more mapping parchments as soon as possible.”
Ginny looked at her watch; it was lunch and everybody was over at the New Burrow for lessons in the afternoon. Ginny had seen Harry’s stag talking to Albus, so she figured Al was telling the truth. She took Albus home, and before she let him go down to the potion room said, “You have to use a wand to make those parchments.”
Al said, “Dad needs them. Maybe we should not talk much about how I am going to make them.” Ginny let Albus go down stairs without saying anything else, but she worried. Albus for his part worried too. This was probably the most obvious case of breaking the rule against under age magic so far, using a wand, and for critical Auror business. He was going to have to give the parchments to someone, and not tell them how they were made. He did not think he was the only underage person practicing magic with a wand, but he sure felt alone. Maybe he was the only Magi in Britain, or even all of Europe, engaged in such egregious violations of the law. Well, his father Harry Potter had asked him to, and it was for a good cause.
When the parchments were done Albus had his mother get in touch with his father, and Harry had an Auror come over to the house to pick up the parchments.
The Auror said, “How come your father didn’t take these with him?”
Al answered, “He was only asked to take fifty.”
“How many more are there downstairs?” asked the Auror.
“You’ll have to ask my dad that,” said Albus. “Dad only allows me to say so much about the potions room and what goes on down there.”
Al VanLente did ask Harry, “How did you get more mapping parchments so fast?” Harry said, “My son Albus has helped me make them, and he did these for me.”
“I thought you had to use a magic wand to make the mapping parchments,” said Al.
“Don’t ask,” said Harry. “Forget what I said, and don’t ask. Be grateful we have the mapping parchments.” Al did not ask Harry again, but he did not forget.
For the next week Albus made twenty of the mapping parchments in the morning, and another twenty in the afternoon. The same Auror was send back and forth with the mapping parchments. Ginny eventually had to buy more supplies to allow Albus to keep making the parchments.
It took a week and a half for the bulk of the dark wizards to be captured or killed, and they were sure many of them got away. Two of the Chinese Aurors were killed, even though they were wearing armor. Seven of the other Aurors, mostly local ones, none of them wearing armor, were killed. Of the well over one hundred Dark wizards, about fifty mostly lower lever wizards were captured, and about fifty were killed.
Most of the Dark wizards were, as far as Harry could see, wizards, and not witches.
Ten Goblins fighting alongside Al and the International Aurors were killed, but none of the ones guarding Harry. When a Goblin died his body disappeared. Goblins were very hard to capture.
Harry thought he recognized the Goblin with the wand. He asked, “Did I meet you in China, when we found that wand and Elfish wands?”
“Thorin Oakenwand, at your service, Harry,” the Goblin said, bowing just enough to be polite without being subservient. “I have been at your pond with the Magi and Elves learning Elfish and other languages.” Then very quietly he said, “Tell Albus hello from me, Thorin Oakenwand, and thank him for making the mapping papers. Subversive, very subversive.”
Harry was not sure why having Albus making mapping papers was subversive, not subversive in the way Kreacher used to talk about it. He was worried that Thorin knew.
Harry showed up back at Grimmauld Place at 3:00 AM on a Tuesday morning. Ginny had slept reasonably well for Harry being gone, and was actually at a good point in her sleep cycle to be awake for an hour. Harry was tired, sore, and upset. He had been up for more than 24 hours, and the two days before had gotten about 4 hours of sleep a night. He had taken stay-awake potions, but he urgently needed to take the antidote and get to bed. Ginny went in the shower with Harry mostly to get him washed and make sure he did not fall asleep in the shower, and as soon as she could she got Harry into bed and let him fall asleep.
Usually Harry was the first to wake up, but this morning Ginny was awake first. She called Mitzi the house elf and had her get the children ready, and sent a text message to her mother and Audrey Weasley telling them that James and Lily would be coming over with Mitzi, that Harry had just gotten back and she needed to stay with him. By seven fifteen Ginny was back in bed, waiting for Harry to wake up.
Albus could probably function without anybody else there, thought Ginny. He will get up and eat breakfast and go over to Rose’s house, no matter what. James will probably be all right too. He knows that if he gets his school work done he will have a chance to fly this afternoon. Merlin knows what Lily is wearing. Mitzi is good at almost everything else, but she has almost no control over what Lily wears, and given her own devices Lily usually wants to wear something inappropriate. If it’s too bad grandma Molly will take her right back here and make her change, thought Ginny. Thanks mum, I’m not sure I could raise Lily without a little help from a lot of the family. Mom and Audrey will stay on Lily to get her school work done too.
Ginny looked at herself, and thought of the conversations with the healer. The healer pointed out that she was not really that insecure. She was just upset, and a little at odds, because her life was not quite like she had imagined it would be. Harry was the most faithful possible husband. She had a successful Quidditch career, and good career as a writer. She had even won the Order of Merlin 1st class! It was just that Harry knew what he was going to be doing for years, heading the Auror department, involved with the Wizengamot and the International Confederation of Wizards, and helping to manage the International Aurors Association. She wasn’t sure what she wanted. She wanted to continue to write the Quidditch column, that she knew. Oh, she remembered, and she called the Prophet and told them that her Wednesday column might be ready Thursday instead, that Harry had just gotten back from an exhausting overseas assignment.
Where was she? Oh, what did she want, well besides the Quidditch column? Besides what she could not have, no scars inside or outside, back to her body as healthy as when she was playing Quidditch but 100 pounds so she would not be so skinny, with breasts a little more like Fleur than her two own perfectly adequate pair, and no little belly where the babies had gotten rid of her narrow waist. That’s not very realistic. James was nine already! In less than two years he would be off to Hogwarts, and a year later Albus would go. Ginny was not really sure she was ready not to be a mother. Nursing felt really good. Little babies felt good. Hermione was more than willing not to be a mother again. She had made sure that Hugo was their last. Ginny was not sure. Besides if she got pregnant again there were potions and spells that would let her keep some of the increase in bust size, so she would be a little less cute, and a little more spectacular, just a little, because she was a little vain, and she liked being looked at. They noticed what she looked like in the papers, but more importantly Harry noticed.
Harry looked the same. He was waking up. They had sort of gotten control of his hair; well it was still all cowlicks and stuck up at odd angles but they had gotten it cut shorter, so it was about an inch on top and tapered down towards his sideburns, and looked a little less wild. It took some reasonably powerful barber spells to get the hair to obey, but they finally did it, sort of. Harry’s dad had the same kind of hair, but Albus’ hair was always neatly combed. At least her hair had not changed, but of course she went to the Cover Witch Cosmetics store and beauty salon once every other week to make sure the gray was colored. She did a Cover Witch Cosmetics spell every day to make sure the roots were colored. Harry’s gray at the temples looked good. There was very little gray, just enough that he looked less like a young man not old enough to be head of the Auror Department.
“Good morning,” said Harry. “What time is it?”
Ginny said “Just before 8:00 AM, and you have only had four hours of sleep. The children are gone and you are going to enjoy the day, and you are going to get plenty of sleep. You’re going to get plenty of me today, too, because we both need it.”
Harry went to the loo, shaved, and came back to bed. He and Ginny made love, and Harry almost immediately fell back to sleep. Ginny put on a nightgown, got her laptop, and went to work on her Quidditch column, sitting next to Harry on the bed and watching him sleep while she was writing. Harry woke up about noon; they made love again, and then came down for lunch. Ginny made lunch. Harry was still a little shaky. “Tough week and a half?” asked Ginny. “Tough, mentally and physically,” said Harry.
“You have a good second in command, and you need to take advantage of it,” said Ginny. “Unlike right after the Battle of Hogwarts, you can give yourself a day or two to recover. It’s better for you, and it’s probably better for everyone else in the Auror department too. I’m sure the four Aurors you had in Asia with you will have some time off.”
“Two days at least, and the rest of the week preferably” Harry said. “I need to be in on Thursday, and we have a Wizengamot session on Friday, but today I’m yours.”
“Me and the bed, Harry,” said Ginny. “You still need some more sleep.”
“No better way to get to sleep than to have a couple of hours of you first,” said Harry with a lopsided grin on his face. Even with the spell for endurance, however, Harry was still exhausted. Less than half an hour into what could have been a two hour love fest Harry was asleep. Harry and Ginny were in a rather awkward position when Harry fell asleep. Ginny got them separated; if they had just been married it may have upset or concerned her, but after so many years of marriage she just enjoyed it. Ginny actually finished the Quidditch column that afternoon, and then went back to bed and lay next to Harry, just holding on to him lightly and enjoying the physical closeness.
By Thursday Harry was back to work and everything was back to normal. Harry and Albus talked a lot about what he had done, and the part the mapping program was playing in capturing dark wizards. At one point Albus said, “Did I do the right thing making the maps? I know that if the Department for the Regulation of Underage Magic knew I would be in big trouble.”
Harry said, “Al, I really needed those maps.”
“What would you have done if I could not make them for you?” asked Al.
Harry said, “I don’t know. Maybe see if I could get somebody else to make them, or come back and make them myself. You were not the only way to get more mapping papers, just the quickest. At the time I needed them quickest was by far the best.”
“But strictly speaking it was still illegal, or at least irregular,” said Al. “How do I know if I can do something even if I am told not to do it, like disobeying all those laws and regulations when Tom Riddle was in charge?”
“How do you know the difference between right and wrong?” asked Harry.
“Is it always easy to know the difference?” asked Al.
“No,” said Harry. “It’s not always easy to know, and sometimes it is very important to know. Maybe that’s why I go to church, and read about moral decisions, and think hard about some things.”
“Are you ever wrong?” asked Albus.
“Yes, Al, I’m wrong sometimes. It feels real bad when you are wrong,” said Harry, “but in many cases you can apologize, or you are wrong because you do not have all the facts but when you get all the facts you can change your mind and make a wrong right. What is worse is when there is no right decision. Sometimes you have to choose between something bad and something worse, and choosing something bad, even if it is better than the alternative, it still feels bad.”
“Like when I killed that wizard who tried to kill me?” asked Albus.
“You did what you had to do, but to your credit you did not feel good about it,” said Harry.
“Have you had to make that kind of decision, dad?” asked Albus.
“Yes,” said Harry, “but I’d rather not talk about those things yet.”
“I understand, dad,” said Al. “I just want to be good, and the older I get the more complicated being good becomes.”
“Do you know Thorin Oakenwand?” Harry asked.
“Yes, Dad,” Albus said. “He is always with the Elves when we are studying.”
“Do you know why he does not have a sword?” asked Harry.
“Yes,” Albus said. “I promised Thorin I would not tell anyone else.”
Albus knew he had to practice writing with quills on parchment. For the first two years all the Hogwarts students had to use quill pens, and hand write their assignments, although the upper grades were allowed to use the portable computers that were becoming so common in the world of the Magi. So Albus wrote to Teddy, who as a prefect had problems with a few students. Teddy wanted to make a map of Hogwarts, and Albus agreed to help teach him. That Christmas vacation they worked on the mapping a lot. Most of the time both of them were free Al and Teddy worked on mapping. What was great for Al was that Teddy could use a wand on the Potter property, so they mapped the entire Potter and Weasley and Longbottom and even the Lovegood property. When they had the map done they showed it to the house elf Sojourner. She was fascinated, and wanted a copy, which they gave her. “I wish I could tell what someone was doing, if they were working or not,” said Sojourner.
Albus said, “The tapestry at our house shows what someone is doing!” So Sojourner went with Al and Teddy to Grimmauld Place, and looked at the map. Al asked his friend Martin if he knew any house elf who knew the magic to make the tapestry, and if they could use some of the same magic on the maps. Martin got his parents, and they got other house elves. There was a tremendous amount of discussion in elfish, and more elves were called in to look at the tapestry and parchment. Before they were done Aristotle had come over from Hogwarts.
Albus understood most of what was being said, but of course Teddy did not understand any of it. Finally, after everybody had left, Teddy asked Albus, “Well, what did they say. Can we duplicate the symbols?”
“That is a very good question,” said Al. “A very good question. Right now, no, but later on, maybe.”
“That’s it?” asked Teddy.
Al looked puzzled, and it took him a while to sort of answer. “It’s tied into some very old magic, and into the … I don’t know how to say it … contract or magic or rules that house elves operate under. Some of it’s hard to say in elfish, and you sure cannot translate it.”
“Can you find out?” Teddy asked.
“I will try,” Albus said.
Later Albus talked to Martin P/W, and his mother, Harriet P/W, about putting the magic that showed what a person was doing on the maps. Harriet Tubman P/W said, “We work on that after the holidays. Very difficult, very changing, very subversive.”
Chapter 23: CH 23 A Difficult Christmas Eve
Author's Notes: We have a couple more chapters close to being ready. As always, FriendofMolly and I love reviews.
Harry and Ginny always went to the Hogwarts Christmas Ball as chaperones, as did Bill and Fleur. From her first year at Hogwarts Victoire went to every dance with Teddy, but they made it obvious that they were just going as cousins.
This year Teddy and Victoire were among the first to enter the great hall. They went right over to Bill and Fleur, and Ginny whispered to Harry, “Something is going on between those two.”
Teddy cleared his throat, and then said, “Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Sir, Mam.” This was unusual; he always called them Uncle Bill and Aunt Fleur. “Victoire has always been my best friend, but, well, it is like this.” He looked to Victoire for support. She squeezed his hand. “Well, Rose Sprout talked to me …”
Victoire stared at Teddy and said, “It’s NOT about Rose Sprout, it’s about US.”
Teddy said, “It is just that if I want to be an Auror and go on an overseas assignment, Victoire might have to wait and wait, and I’m just worried that maybe something will happen to me while I am on assignment, and that wouldn’t be fair to her, and, but, …” Teddy turned to Victoire again, and said, “Torie …”
Victoire said, “Teddy is worried that he may be hurt if he is in the International Aurors. He may not be as pretty as he is now, or something else may happen. And I told Teddy about how, after Daddy had his face shredded, Grandmother Molly did not think Mum would want to marry Daddy, but Mum said she would just have to be pretty enough for both of you. I told Teddy that if he comes back to me I would just have to be pretty enough for both of us, and I didn’t care what would happen to him in the International Aurors.”
“We are not engaged, or anything like that,” Teddy said, “but I did let everyone know that I was inviting my girlfriend, my one special girlfriend, to the Christmas Ball this year.”
“And I made it clear to everyone that I was not in the market for another boyfriend, because my best friend in all the world was my boyfriend now,… too, …as well, ….so there!” Victoire said.
“I am so grateful for your mother,” Bill said. “I often marvel at us, the prettiest girl in the world married to one of the ugliest men.”
“You are beautiful inside, where it counts, my hero,” Fleur said to Bill, and she kissed him. She turned to Victoire and said, “Your father gave me my life back. I do not think I ever told you the story. Sit down. It is time.”
“Why?” Victoire asked as she and Teddy sat down.
Fleur said, “My last year at Beauxbatons I was raped, publicly, in front of a small crowd. I was abused and humiliated. I filed charges, and the SOB had to pay a dowry price as a fine, like I was a piece of meat that could be purchased. I was angry and humiliated. I thought I was ruined, and that no self-respecting wizard would ever want someone as ruined as I was. My boyfriend at the time did not know how to handle it. I fled to England, but hid my shameful secret. I went out on a few dates, but I was always too angry and ashamed to want to go out with a boy a second time.”
Harry and Ginny knew the story, but Victoire and Teddy were horrified.
‘Oh Mum,” Victoire said. “I had no idea.”
“It is not exactly something you tell a young child,” Fleur said. “Then I met your father. He was so patient with me. He let me rage. He let me tell him just how I felt. He let me cry, and eventually, one night, I cried and cried and cried, and he cried with me, and something broke, or healed, and I saw that I could be loved again. I saw that I could love that amazing man who listened to me, and loved me, and didn’t judge me.”
Fleur was crying now. “The face, that’s a little thing. Your Daddy, Victoire, your Daddy gave me back my LIFE.”
By this time everyone was crying. “I’ve made you ruin your makeup,” Fleur said. “We had better go to the ladies room and fix up Teddy’s beautiful girlfriend.”
“I’ll help you, Aunt Ginny,” Victoire said. Ginny’s house elf was not with her, and she was still unsteady on her feet. Together the three women left for the ladies room, Victoire helping her Aunt Ginny with her balance.
“She is always so nice, so helpful,” Teddy said, as he watched Victoire helping Ginny.
“I’m still Uncle Bill, Teddy,” Bill said. “Is it different when she is your girlfriend?”
Teddy’s hair color changed to the ‘I am really embarrassed’ shade, and he nodded yes.
Bill said, “She is only fourteen. Keep your pants on. I know she wants to have your babies, but we don’t want any babies until after you are married, I hope nine months after you are married.”
Harry said, “You do not get overseas Auror assignments if you are married, OR if you have a child.”
“Don’t start, or you will not be able to stop,” said Bill. “And don’t even think of asking me about birth control before you are married. I’d throw you out of the house. Ask Uncle Harry.”
“Thanks, Bill,” said Harry. Harry was not looking forward to Teddy being an undercover Auror. He sure was not looking forward to teaching him about birth control before Teddy and Victoire were at least engaged.
Teddy sat there with Bill and Harry waiting for the girls to come back.
Meanwhile the Fleur, Victoire and Ginny had arrived at the ladies room.
Ginny sat down and started to fix her makeup, and listened to Fleur and Victoire.
“How did this happen, you and Teddy?” asked Fleur.
“It really was Rose Sprout,” said Victoire. “She told Teddy that lots of boys wanted to date me, and lots of girls wanted to date him, and if we were not dating each other, it was past time to go to the Christmas Ball with other dates and announce that we were available.
“I think Teddy thought about it overnight, but he said it just didn’t work. Except that he is worried about how long I will have to wait, and he is worried that he will get a dangerous assignment, not that he doesn’t want one, but he is worried what that will do to me, to us.
“You heard what I told him, Mummy. I will wait for my Teddy.”
Fleur looked at Victoire’s dress. “You are showing a lot of bust.”
“I have a lot of bust,” Victoire said, pointing out the obvious. “It’s not like Teddy doesn’t see more of me when we are at the topless beaches in France.” Victoire was obviously a little embarrassed, but she was not about to change the way she was dressed.
Fleur said. “I want a wedding before grandchildren, and not a last minute wedding. I like Teddy, but I would hope you would graduate from Hogwarts a virgin.”
“Teddy said the same thing, Maman,” Victoire said. “He said the alternative was to ask you and Daddy about birth control, and he could not see doing that.”
“I cannot imagine Teddy asking your Daddy about birth control, so he can bed Daddy’s oldest daughter,” Fleur said.
“I’ll just ask Aunt Ginny,” Victoire said, trying unsuccessfully to imitate a Ginny Potter smirk. When she saw the expression on the faces of her mother and aunt the grin was gone.
“You are fourteen, Torie. Keep your knickers on,” said Ginny.
Victoire said, “Do Dominique and Louis know about you getting … Oh Maman, it must have been so horrible. Do they know?”
“I do not think so. We will have to tell them over Christmas break,” Fleur said.
The three women went back to the table where Bill, Harry and Teddy were sitting. People were still coming in, and the music had not started.
“I think you can join your friends, Teddy, Victoire,” Ginny said. “Us old people will just watch you, and gossip about you.”
Teddy and Victoire left to dance, as did Fleur and Bill. Harry and Ginny joined for a couple of slow numbers, and then sat down.
Ginny said, “Fleur is elegant even when dancing the very fast numbers.”
Harry looked at Teddy and Victoire, who were quite vigorous, but not exactly graceful, when the music and dancing became very fast. “I think Teddy inherited his dancing skill from Tonks. He knows how to do it, but he is not the smoothest dancer out there.”
About this time Teddy and Victoire bumped into each other, and then into another couple, almost falling, and laughing. Ginny said, “Teddy and Victoire dance well together, but Victoire is about as coordinated as Teddy, not as elegant as Fleur. Between that, and her shape, and the red hair and freckles, she is a very different creature than her mother.”
“Look at Dominique,” Harry said. Despite Dominique only being a first year, and obviously still a little girl, she was already quite elegant, and an older boy had asked her to dance.
As the children had gotten older and more of the younger Aurors had children Harry had adapted the difficult Christmas schedule, and this Christmas of two thousand and fourteen Harry was working Christmas Eve. Because Bill and Fleur, George and Angelica went to the wives families Christmas Eve, Harry decided that he could work on Christmas Eve, getting out of work an hour or so before the late church service. The Magi Church that they usually attended had at five PM service for young children, and a more adult eight PM service, plus one instead of two services on Christmas Day. The Potter and Ron Weasley children were old enough that they were going to go to the eight PM service, and this year the Christmas Eve shift change was going to take place at about seven PM.
Harry woke up as he usually did at six AM, put on a pair of boxers, and went to the loo. He did a shaving spell, and turned back to the bedroom. Ginny was stumbling out of bed, wrapping a bathrobe around her. Although the children were older, and not in the bedroom without warning, and the Potters had gone back to sleeping without any bed clothes on, they still needed something close at hand for when the children did want to come in. Ginny came over to Harry, opened the bathrobe, and rubbed against Harry, saying “Time for a little me before breakfast?” Harry needed no more incentive, and delayed his getting dressed for a brief interlude of lovemaking before getting down to the kitchen at about ten to seven. Harry was the only one there, but before seven AM Albus and Teddy had appeared at the floo. “I went over to get Teddy,” said Albus.
Mable, the old house elf, was making breakfast for the three of them, and Harry said. “Prayers before breakfast, boys?” The three held hands, and Harry said, “Thank you for my family. Help me with my work this day before Christmas.” Teddy said, “Thank you for Grandma and all the family that has adopted me.”
Albus said, “Thank you Lord for Teddy and his grandmother, for my family and all the Weasley family. Help keep daddy safe at work, and all the Aurors. Help dad with … a … problem.” Al stopped holding hands, looked at his father, and said. “I have a feeling, like I sometimes get. Something about a three year old girl, her one or almost one year old brother, something real bad. Something about their mummy and … and daddy but … something you may have to do today. I don’t know, dad. I just get these things in my head.”
Al had said things like this four times before. Twice it was very obvious that something that had happened at work was prophesied or foreshadowed by what Al had said, and a third time Harry could see what Al’s prophesy, if that was what it was, was talking about, but only later as he was reviewing what had happened that day. The fourth time was just a mystery. So Harry said “I’ll remember that, Al.” After breakfast, Al and Teddy went back to the New Burrow property to map some more.
Harry went into work. Both of the department’s Administrative Assistants were working from home, having set up a couple of virtual offices using the best Muggle and Magi technology. This both allowed them to spend a little more time with their small children, and gave Harry and the staff access to some of the information at odd hours that otherwise may have been hard to find. Usually one of them was in the office most of the working day, but the department was going to be short staffed over the Christmas Holidays. For most of the day very little happened, and Harry and Jeanne, the young female Auror, just a year out of training, spent most of the day visiting various retail establishments run by Magi, just to show that the Auror Department was still staffed the day before Christmas.
They were back at the Ministry of Magic about six thirty PM when the receptionists gave them a call. An older Witch and a very young girl were asking for the Aurors. Harry though of Al and his prophesy, and got worried. When they got down to the entrance the elderly witch said, “Melody Colburn ran outside in the snow with her story. Colburn’s again! I’m leaving.” She turned on her heels and left, leaving the little girl behind.
Melody Colburn was a very scared little girl, about three years old. She was wearing a thin shabby dress, quite dirty and with at least a little blood on it. Her feet were bare, blue and cold, and she was shivering. Harry took her in his arms and said, “What’s the problem, Melody?”
“Daddy’s mad and drinking and Mummy is asleep and can’t wake up and baby Philly and I hungry and scared,” said Melody.
Harry had run into the Colburn family before. If there had been a domestic violence unit at the Ministry the Colburn family would have been one of the chief concerns. Although last Christmas was quiet, both of the previous Christmas holidays the Aurors had problems with the Colburn family. Beth Colburn, Harry knew, was an orphan, one of the many who lost all their family in the last war, and was traumatized by the experience. She grabbed onto Phil Colburn like a lifeline, even though she sort of knew he had a temper. It was hard to tell if she regretted the marriage. Phil’s heritage was bad, with at least one relative in Azkaban, and more documented cases of spousal abuse, and even murder. Harry had to get Melody somewhere quickly, and then get to the house before something happened to Philly, Phil Jr. All of the usual support staff was gone, and the only one Harry could think of was Ginny. He had Jeanne, the other Auror, stay at the Ministry, while he took the floo home with Melody in his arms.
Harry ran upstairs, and found Ginny and the children in the drawing room. Harry said, “I need you to take care of Melody Colburn until we can find someone to take her. Get her cleaned up, take her to church. I need to get her little brother. Bad things, I’m scared, Ginny that we are going to find bad things.” Harry put Melody in Ginny’s hands, went downstairs, and took the floo back to the Ministry. He took Jeanne along by side along apparition to right outside of the Colburn house. They could hear Phil Sr. yelling drunkenly inside, and a baby crying inside. Harry told Jeanne, “Cover me,” and he peered inside, stunned Phil Sr, and did a spell to tie him up. He told Jeanne, “Stay with Phil,” and went over to pick up the baby, but as he did he saw Beth lying on the floor. He went over to check, and almost immediately saw that Beth had been dead for some time.
Little Phil was in much worse shape that Melody, with nappies that were dripping wet and messy, and the filthiest shirt that Harry had ever seen on a baby, with mess from the nappies all over everything. Harry quickly took little Phil over to his house. Ginny looked in horror at little Phil. Harry looked at the two children and said, “I’ll get help.” He sent a Patronus to Ron and Hermione, asking them to come over right away, with Jean and the children, that he and Ginny needed help. When they appeared at the front door Harry said, “I need everybody, Jean, Rose and even maybe Hugo. I have a big problem. It looks like one of our problem couples, the Colburns, well, Phil Colburn killed his wife Beth, and I have a crime scene to secure, we need to find a home for the two children, and Ginny needs urgent help cleaning up two filthy and scared little children.”
“We’ll all help,” said Hermione, and all five of them followed Harry into Harry and Ginny’s house.
Harry led them all up to the drawing room, and said, “Could I have Ron help me at the crime scene? Hermione, could you find a place for these two,” pointing at Melody and little Phil. Ginny said, “Jean, could you and Rose and Lily clean up Melody and get a pretty dress on her. Please use Lily’s bathroom.” Jean took Melody’s hand and led Melody upstairs with the girls.
Ginny picked up little Phil and headed to the boys bathroom. “I’ll see you at church if I can make it,” said Harry.
Hermione said, “I’ll go over to the ministry and see who I can find who might take the two little Colburn children.”
“Come with me to the Colburn house,” said Harry to Ron, and together they apparated to the house. Jeanne was standing around sort of stunned. Harry said, “Ron, take Phil to the jail. If you can, get some sober up potion in him and see if he can tell you what happened. Jeanne, you and I are going to test these wands and see what we can find out, plus take photographs of the house and see if we can find any other evidence.”
It took almost an hour, but they had plenty of evidence to prove that Phil had used the Crustaceous Curse on Beth until her heart stopped. Ron had less luck with Phil, who, even when mostly sobered up, was not very cogent. Hermione had absolutely no luck finding any relatives. The only ones were a couple of Phil’s less desirable relatives, one locked up, the other with old domestic violence complaints that would keep her from ever getting custody of any children. Then the question became who else could take the children. There was one family. Burton and Rose Berry had one eight year old daughter. Rose had almost died having Xenia, and could not have any more children. They had taken in a few foster children over the years, but Magi children did not come up for adoption very often. Everybody was almost done about nine PM, just in time to meet the families at the end of church services, except that Hermione had still not been able to contact the Berry family.
Jean Granger took Melody up to Lily’s bathroom, along with Lily and Rose. They gave her a bath, and found one of Lily’s old dresses that Ginny eventually shrunk to fit. All Melody could say was, “Daddy hurt mummy bad.” There was a lot of hugging, and a lot of crying.
Ginny and Albus washed up little Phil, which was quite a job. They found some small clothes that Ginny had put away. James watched Hugo while Ginny and Albus were taking care of little Phil. Harry called just before eight PM to say that they would be maybe another hour, but hoped to get to church before it let out. So the group that took the floo to the church for Christmas Eve services were Jean Granger with her grandchildren Rose and Hugo Weasley, Ginny with Teddy, who appeared at the last minute, James, Albus, Lily, Melody and Philly.
Xenia Berry told her parents before they went to church, “All I really want for Christmas is a new brother and sister. I am going to pray real hard tonight.” Her parents had seen this prayer for three Christmas’s now, and there was going to be a fourth Christmas of disappointment. Not being able to have any more children was hard sometimes, but somehow it was harder around Christmas. Rose Berry found that she was spending most of the time before Christmas praying that Xenia’s prayer, and to be honest her prayer too, would be answered. There were enough songs and stories about Christmas miracles; maybe they could have one.
There was a big pew in the back of the church, and the Berry family slid in one side of the pew. They noticed this big family coming in, with lots of children. It looked like a grandmother and mother with eight children. They really were not looking too closely. The two adults and eight children slid into the pew next to the Berry family, led by Albus who indicated that they should take this pew.
Ginny sat down next to Rose Berry, holding on to a now sleeping Philly. You could see Ginny was tired and upset, with tears right on the surface. All the children looked more tired and concerned than happy. Rose asked if Ginny needed any help, and Ginny gladly gave Philly to Rose. Xenia edged over to Albus, who was holding Melody on his lap. They did not say much, but just having Rose, Lily and Xenia around, Albus with Melody on his lap in the middle, seemed to help somehow. Ginny did not see how this group of children had come together, but even in the silence of watching a church service something was happening.
Albus was very aware of everybody’s emotions that night, and felt like he was almost reading minds. He knew that he was projecting comfort to Melody, and projecting something to this new little girl next to them. Albus worked real hard trying to read Melody’s mind, and projecting comfort and peace to her.
Just as the church service was ending Harry, Hermione and Ron showed up. They sat at the end of the pew until the service was over. Rose Berry was still holding on to a sleeping Philly, and she was almost falling asleep, just thinking how nice it was to hold a little child again. As the pew in front of the Potter Weasley Berry pew emptied Hermione walked in, looked over at the Berry family, and then did a quick double take. There were photographs of the Berry family in the documents she had been reading, and there was no doubt this was the family she had been looking for. The mother Rose, (same name as her daughter,) was already holding young Phil; this was good, Hermione thought. She started right in with, “I see you are holding Phil already. I have a copy of his birth certificate and one for his sister Melody. I see she has already met her new sister Xenia. I also have temporary custody papers until we can get all the legal issues worked out. If you want we can sign them right here.”
“Who are you?” asked Burton. “What is this all about?”
“You are Burton and Rose Berry?” said Hermione.
“Yes,” said Burton.
“You have been looking to adopt a child or two. I have just talked to several people who said you seemed quite anxious to adopt.”
“Who are you?” asked Burton again. “Just as church starts this rather large family that we’ve never seen sits down next to us, and when the church service is over, before we even know who anybody is, a new group comes in and starts talking like we know what is going on.”
“Didn’t Ginny tell you?” asked Hermione, looking at Ginny.
“Are you Ginny?” asked Rose. Ginny nodded yes, and then said, “I came into church exhausted after getting Philly cleaned and ready to go. He was very thirsty and gulped down some milk. By the time we got here I was exhausted. This nice lady next to me offered to take Philly, and I just handed him over, and he has been sleeping ever since.”
“You haven’t said anything to them?” asked Hermione. Ginny shook her head no.
“Who are you, and who are these people,” said Burton again.
“I’m Hermione Granger Weasley, and I am a department manager at the Ministry of Magic, and have been involved in … never mind. This is my husband, Auror Ron Weasley. My mother Jean Granger is over at the end of the pew. Then we have Teddy Lupin, James Potter, Hugo Weasley, Rose Weasley, then Melody Colburn sitting on Albus Potter’s lap, then your daughter Xenia, next to her Lily Potter,” said Hermione.
“I’m Ginny Potter,” said Ginny, “and my house elf Mitzi. The man talking to the children is my husband, Harry Potter. Maybe he ought to explain everything.”
As Hermione and Ron were heading over to the Berry parents Harry sat down on the pew in front of Albus. “I’m Harry Potter, Melody,” he said in a quiet calming voice. “Do you feel any better now that you have clean clothes on?”
“Is mummy going to wake up?” asked Melody.
“No,” said Harry.
“I didn’t think so,” said Melody. “I have to go back Daddy? He hurts people. He hurt mummy all time. He hurt me.”
“No” said Harry, “we will make sure your daddy never hurts you again.”
“Can I stay with you?” asked Melody to Harry.
“She can stay with us!” said Xenia. “Would you like to have MY mummy and daddy and ME to take care of you?”
“Does your daddy hurt you?” asked Melody.
“No,” said Xenia, “but if I’m bad I have to sit in the corner some times. No one hits at our house.”
“I guess I could come stay with you,” said Melody. “I’m Melody. What’s your name?”
“I’m Xenia Berry, and I’ve wanted a sister for so long, and prayed, and … Melody, that’s a pretty name” said Xenia.
“What’s your name?” asked Melody again.
“Xenia” said Xenia.
“Zeen ya” said Melody. “Zeen ya.”
Xenia clambered over the pew to the one Harry was on, with a little help from Harry, and ran over to her parents shouting “Mummy, daddy, I have a new sister! Her name is Melody and she is going to be living with us and she is … come over and meet her! God heard my prayers and I have a new sister and everything!”
“A new brother too, it looks like,” said Rose Berry, looking at little Phil, who was waking up.
Xenia ran back to look at Melody over the pew, and asked, “Is that your brother?” Melody nodded yes. “He’s coming to live with us too. Isn’t this exciting!” said Xenia.
“I want MY mummy,” said Melody, the tears starting to pour. “I want my mummy to wake up and be happy.” Melody looked at Harry again and asked, “Is mummy going to get better?”
“I’m afraid not, Melody. Daddy hurt your mummy so bad she died,” said Harry.
“Does dead mean she is never going to wake up and love me?” asked Melody.
Teddy Lupin started to cry, thinking of more children without a mother or father, and said, “My mummy and daddy are dead too, and sometimes it’s real hard. Even though they are dead I know they still love me, and I’m sure your mummy loves you.”
“NO!” Melody cried. “I WANT MY MUMMY!”
Teddy held on to Melody and said, “You can cry for your mummy and I’ll cry for mine,” and then he sobbed and sobbed, and Melody held on to Teddy and the tears and sobs came and came. They held each other for several minutes before they both regained some composure.
Xenia looked at Teddy and Melody, and then looked at Harry with concern on her face and said, “Is it my fault that Melody’s mother is dead, because I wanted a new brother and sister?”
Harry said, “No, Xenia, none of this is your fault. We have been having problems with Melody’s daddy for years.”
After Teddy and Melody had stopped crying Harry said to the assembled crowd, “Do you all want to come to my house. I can tell the adults as much of the story as I know, and Hermione and Ron may be able to add to it. We have enough room for the children, and I will have the house elves make sure they have a little to eat and are taken care of.”
Burton took a good look at Harry and realized who he was. “You’re the famous Harry Potter, the head of Aurors.” Burton stood there with his eyes wide opened, amazed at what was going on.
Harry chuckled and grinned, and said, “I can’t escape it. I’m the famous Harry Potter. Being head Auror is one of the best jobs in the world, except sometimes like tonight it feels like the worst. Domestic violence cases are always hard. Come on over to our house for a brief time.”
“Lead on,” said Burton, and the assembled crowd walked out of church. In the narthex of the church there was a modest size meet and great area. There were two fireplaces so you could go to and leave church via the floo. Ginny led the way, holding on to Harry for support. Harry saw Father Jack Lewis and asked, “Do you know the Berry family?”
“Real good people,” said Jack. “I hope they find a couple of children to adopt.”
“We have a couple for them,” said Harry “but it’s a real tragic case, dad killed the mum. I’m sure they are going to need your help.”
“Thanks for letting me know,” said Jack.
Al and Rose’s house elf friend Martin, and his parents Dobedo and Harriet, were waiting for the crowd coming into the Potter’s large kitchen and eating area.
“We’ll watch the children,” said Harriet.
Al was already doing a juggling trick using his ability to levitate things. Al could keep up to twenty tennis balls in the air, using much more levitation than normal juggling skills although there were some of those as well.
The adults went up to the drawing room, and Harry told everybody what he knew of the situation. Ron did not have much additional information, but Hermione went into the Colburn’s family situation. If they wanted the children, and it sure looked like they did, then they would have custody starting right away, and permanent adoption within six months.
Finally Harry said, “At least we got the children before they were hurt.”
Jean Grainger said, “Harry, Melody has scars all over her body, just not on her face. She even walks a little funny. I am sure that she needs to see the healers as soon as possible.”
Ginny said, “Little Phil has some scars too. I’m sure those children have suffered.”
Hermione said, “I’ll document what we have heard here, from Jean and Ginny, so there is a record of the children’s injuries before Burton and Rose even saw them. You,” looking at Burton and Rose, “need to get the children over to St. Mungo’s for a thorough evaluation as soon as possible after Christmas.” Both of the Berry’s nodded in agreement. The meeting broke up, and the Burton and Rose took their, what had suddenly become three children home.
Albus was getting ready to go to bed. He looked around his bedroom. His bedroom was a comfortable place, one place in the house that was uniquely his. He had been given a chance to decorate the room any way he liked. It was a light green, almost an off white, with some darker green accents. Al thought the green accents were similar to the dark green that was one of the colors of the Holyhead Harpies. The woodwork was all light, and any metalwork, sconces for light, door handles and the like, were chrome. James called anything that looked like chrome “silver” and said that Albus’ room was decorated in Slytherin colors, although that was certainly not Albus’ intent. Albus had charts on the walls, things that he could know with certainty. He had a periodic table of elements, a chart of all the kings and queens of England, another chronology of English history, and still another chronology of world history. Albus had a lot of maps, of England, of Europe, of North America, of the world. There were maps and charts and lists from some of his magical books too, including a large chronology of Magi history going back almost 6,000 years. Anything he could put on the wall that was certain helped Albus feel like he could control his world, or at least know what was in the world. There were also lots of books, a good working desk and a couple of different comfortable reading chairs, with lots of light. It was about as different from James Red and Gold room as possible, no Quidditch posters on the wall, nothing about Harry Potter or Ginny Potter on the wall. Lily’s room was, Al knew, pink and white and looked like a pampered little girl’s room.
Albus knew he was smart and an unusually good wizard for his age. He also knew he was doing things that he really should not be doing at his age. As new skills came to him they were not only a source of great satisfaction but a worry. Al was worried about his future; why was all this happening to him. This fifth incident of prophecy was not exactly welcome. Al was not looking forward to being a prophet, although he liked talking to the prophets in Switzerland. Al was always good at reading people, but he knew the difference between a natural reading of people and legilimency. What he did in both reading the minds of Melody and little Phil and in calming them down was legilimency, not just a natural sympathy. This was a very handy talent this night, but it was a scary talent. It wasn’t just that he could almost read little Phil and Melody’s mind, and calm them down. He saw more than before how worried his mother was, and had some additional insight into Teddy’s awareness that he was different. Al was going to have to talk to his dad about this new skill. This was something else to worry about, being a legilimens at such a young age.
Al knew that his father was upset that the Auror department and the Department of Magical Law Enforcement that his grandfather was head of could not do anything about the Colburn family until Mr. Colburn had killed Mrs. Colburn. Al knew that was not right. Al just did not understand why people could be mean, would want to hurt anyone. It just wasn’t right! And then what about the Colburn children? From what Albus could sense little Phil would probably be all right. His mind was full of a lot of confusion, but his memories were not all that clear. Al hoped he would be all right. Melody was another matter. She remembered her mother as the one who tried to save her from her father’s beatings, and saw her mother’s death. She was going to have a much harder time getting over what she had seen and experienced. Albus knew there was really nothing more that he could do, but he still felt bad for the children.
Harry and Ginny put the children to bed and kissed them good night in reverse order, youngest to oldest. When Harry and Ginny went into Albus’s room this Christmas Eve Albus asked his dad, “Could you come back and talk to me. Please!” Harry could tell it was important and agreed immediately, and as soon as he and Ginny had finished with James Harry was back in the bedroom of Albus.
Harry was upset. They knew about the Colburn family, but no one was responsible for that type of problem until someone was hurt, and they could prove it. He knew that one area he had made very little progress with might be called “family law.” No one in the Ministry of Magic was really paying much attention to families in trouble. There was one healer working out of St. Mungo’s, who had about 50 families she was working with. One family took a day every week; the parents had their own problems, and both children were having a hard time. There were a couple of other families that she tried to see for part of a day each week. Before she was done with the people who she felt she had to see there was way too much left to do and way too little time left to do it. Harry and Arthur had tried to recruit more people, and have a liaison with the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Harry was beginning to think he was going get Cindy Hudson to tell the story of the Colburn family. Most of the families that needed help did not want to have publicity, and most family matters were confidential, so getting any publicity was difficult. Harry always had a hard time getting to sleep whenever he felt that there was a failure of any kind in the Department of Law Enforcement, even when he was not officially in charge, and he felt the Colburn family was a major failure. All this was on his mind as he walked into Albus’s room that night.
“Tough night, dad,” Albus said.
Harry looked at his son; he didn’t know what to say.
“It’s not your fault, is it?” Albus asked.
“Domestic violence cases are hard, Al,” Harry said. “You don’t want to take children away from their parents, but some parents are not good to their children.”
“Mr. and Mrs. Dursley weren’t nice to you, were they, dad?” Albus asked.
Harry looked at his son and the big bedroom Al was in, and remembered going to bed one Christmas Eve and Christmas night after another not letting the tears show until he was in his closet under the stairs, and then bawling because life seemed so unfair.
“I’m sorry, daddy,” Albus said, sensing the pain in his daddy’s past, and Al started to cry, going over and hugging his father hard. “I’m sorry you didn’t have nice Christmas’s when you were a little boy. I hope I can grow up and make sure everybody has a nice Christmas!”
Harry started to cry too, and he was not sure why. Albus was such a good boy. “You are a good person, Albus,” Harry said. More than any of the other children Al was worried about good and evil, and, maybe like his father, Albus was upset that the world was not a nicer, fairer place for everybody. “We can’t solve all the problems of the world, Al. Remember. It feels awful when you think you should have done something but you couldn’t or didn’t, but you just have to do your best.”
“I’ll try, dad,” Al said. “I love you and mum.” Al gave his father a big hug, “I just needed more hugs from my dad tonight,” he said. He would talk more about what had happened later; his dad had enough on his mind. How come the bad guys were always men? Albus wanted to ask his dad, but he could sense that his dad was having a really hard time this Christmas. He was just going to have to ask later.
Ginny was worried about the Colburn children, but she was also worried about Harry, who she knew was going to have a hard time over the next few days. She was also a little concerned about Albus, who seemed to be taking the situation of the Colburn family quite personally. It was amazing how he seemed to be able to help calm down both of the children.
“What did you and Albus talk about?” Ginny asked Harry as they were lying in bed.
“Al said he was sorry I didn’t have nice Christmas’s when I was a little boy,” Harry said, tears in his eyes. “That was long ago, and it shouldn’t affect me now.”
“It still does, doesn’t it, though,” Ginny said. “Time for another good cry?”
Harry pulled Ginny into him and he started to bawl. He was hoping that for the Colburn children there would be sort of a happy ending, with loving parents to take the place of their dead mum and drunken dad. At the same time, every time something like this happened he was reminded of the ten awful years with the Dursley family.
Ginny did her best to comfort Harry. She was not sure if she believed in a Heaven and Hell, although she did believe in an afterlife. If there was a hell she was sure Vernon Dursley was in it, and she didn’t know if there was enough torture in the afterlife to make up for the meanness he had shown her poor husband. And Petunia had never really apologized. Dudley had, over and over. Dudley was why you forgave people, even if it was hard, but Vernon, NEVER!
Chapter 24: CH 24 Christmas Morning, 2014
Author's Notes: In the USA what the British call a Jumper is called a Sweater.
Albus had a hard time getting to sleep. He was usually up between 6:00 AM and 6:30 AM, but today, Christmas morning, James woke him up at 6:45. Al quickly used the bathroom, got dressed, and precisely at 7:00 AM met Lily at the stairs and went downstairs. They met their parents at the door to their bedroom, and Harry and Ginny followed their children down the stairs. Waiting for them was Teddy, who had come over via the floo network. Teddy usually got a little Christmas present from his grandmother on Christmas Eve, and then received the usual Christmas jumper from Grandma Weasley on Christmas day. He received any stocking presents and bigger presents on Christmas morning with the other Potter children, and had since he had gone to North America with the Potters.
This Christmas morning Teddy’s thoughts were not on Christmas presents, though. As soon as he saw the family he went over to Harry and said, “Daddy Harry, is being an Auror always as hard as it was last night?”
“Last night was particularly difficult,” said Harry. “A husband killing his wife, or a wife killing her husband, is thankfully pretty rare.”
“Other killings?” asked Teddy.
“Some fights or other things,” said Harry. “Criminals, dark wizards, die a violent death much more often than the innocent. In all honesty Teddy, it’s sometimes hard to feel too sorry when a couple of real bad wizards, and it’s usually wizards and not witches, get into a fight, and one of them or sometimes both of them are killed.”
“So little children are usually pretty safe?” asked Teddy.
“Usually,” said Harry, “but we do not do as good a job of protecting children as I would like. It’s hard to take children away from their parents, but it’s also not always the best to leave them in a violent situation. That’s one I do not have any easy answers to.”
“There’s got to be a way to protect little children,” said Albus. “There’s got to be a way.”
“You would think so,” said Harry. “You wouldn’t think it would be that hard.”
“Is it always the men who are bad?” asked Albus. “All the Death Eaters were men.”
Harry had to think about that. “Bellatrix Lestrange was a Death Eater, but she was the only woman Death Eater I know of,” Harry finally said. “Most of the criminals we confront are men, but not all of them.”
“So it’s mostly men who are bad?” asked Albus.
“It’s mostly men who are violently bad, I guess,” Harry said. “I am going to have to think about that, Albus.” Harry thought about Alecto Carrow, but he did not want to talk to Albus about Alecto without talking to Ginny first. Harry was reasonably sure that Alecto was partly responsible for the scar on Ginny’s breast.
Harry and the two boys joined the rest of the family in opening their Christmas presents, their spirits rather subdued.
At 9:00 AM they went over to The New Burrow. The whole family arrived within about ten minutes, and ate a big breakfast together. About 10:30 presents were exchanged. All the cousins received something from each family. George and Angelica always had WWW toys for everybody. Percy and Audrey usually had books or something like books, as did Ron and Hermione, although Ron and Hermione could surprise you sometimes. Ron would occasionally give every child a Muggle toy to see if they should develop Magic variations. Bill and Fleur usually had some type of clothing, always high quality and appreciated more as you got older. Charlie frequently had dragon skin gloves or boots or something similar. Harry and Ginny tried to find out what the children wanted, and make each present special. Maybe half of their presents over the years had to do with Quidditch, except for presents to Rose who really did not show any interest in Quidditch.
Albus tried to open his mind to practice legilimency. He though there was enough chaos to prevent anyone from catching on what he was doing. There was so much going on that Al was having a very hard time getting anything, until he decided to focus on the jumpers grandma Weasley was handing out, and see if he could tell what everyone thought about them.
The first two handed out were to Bill and Louis Weasley. They were matching jumpers, and both had the DPW logo on them. Bill was thinking something like ‘ideal to wear when Louis and I walk through the DPW factories. Fleur will think we could go in more stylish garb, and we could, but these are perfect. Mum sort of expects them to be used, and no one will complain too much if they get dirty.’ Louis was thinking ‘just like daddy!’ Al knew that Louis wanted to grow up to be like his father.
Next was a pair for Fleur and Dominique. Fleur was thinking ‘another ugly jumper from the hands of Molly Weasley. I’d rather have the love this represents than all the stylish clothes in the world,’ as she looked at the jumper that really clashed with her stylish dress, and then put it on. Dominique was thinking something like, ‘I can’t wait until I can live somewhere more fashionable that this place. The jumpers are ugly, and the whole Weasley clan is so (basic)lower class. I’d rather be in France at the Chateau of the Delacour family, or Aunt Danielle’s Chateau.’ **so basic class? I am not sure what you are suggesting.**
Next Grandmother Molly had a pair for Teddy and Victoire. Teddy was thinking, ‘grandma Weasley already has us married, all paired up. I’ve got a year and a half of school, then two years Aurors training, then probably two more years of a foreign assignment before I should get married to Victoire. Can’t think of anything I’d rather do than my part in getting Victoire pregnant with all the children she wants, though.’ Albus quickly withdrew from Teddy’s mind as his thoughts got a little graphic.
Victoire was thinking ‘Now that we ARE dating, I hope Teddy is happy we have matching jumpers. I love this family! Someday I want to make lots of jumpers, for Teddy and my children, and grandchildren.’ Albus noticed that Victoire’s hair was very close to the same shade as grandma Weasley’s hair, except there was no gray in Victoire’s hair. As Victoire had developed she had also gotten just heavier than her mother, and she really looked like Grandma Molly’s grand-daughter.
The only thing that changed from year to year for Uncle George, Aunt Angelica and Fred were the colors of the jumpers; they always had the WWW theme. George was very hard to read, and his thoughts seemed to jump around a lot. Fred was not a lot better. Aunt Angelina was looking at Roxanne’s jumper. It had a gardening theme, not a WWW logo, and Aunt Angelina was thinking ‘Roxanne is not going to be a shopkeeper. Grandma can see that.’
Roxanne was thinking, ‘I hope Frank Longbottom likes my jumper. I hope to see him before we go back to Hogwarts.’
Uncle Percy was just analyzing the colors of the jumpers his family had received, and trying to remember the colors of the last few. Aunt Audrey was thinking, ‘Mum Weasley knows everybody and tries to make everybody, every jumper special, even with all these people, children and spouses and grandchildren. I’m lucky I married into this family.’
Little Molly was just pleased with her jumper. Al could not read any special thoughts. Lucy was close to tears for some reason. She seemed to be thinking, ‘grandma Weasley makes a jumper special for me, my colors, things on it that I like. Grandma Baker does not even know my name.’ That could not be true! Grandma and Grandpa Baker only had one daughter, Aunt Audrey, and they lived right next door. How could Grandma Baker not know the name of her younger granddaughter? He decided that he would have to find out.
Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron got matching jumpers, with little white outlines of a father, mother, bigger girl, smaller boy, and a cat. Grandma Weasley had seen something Uncle Ron had seen in North America, and then duplicated on the back window of their car, a sort of generic white outline of a family, mother, father, daughter, son, and a cat. Aunt Hermione thought it was really sort of stupid, Al could tell, although it was sweet that Uncle Ron was proud of his family. Grandma Weasley thought the family on the back of the car window was cute as well, and had put the same white outline on the jumpers. Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione were looking at the jumpers and trying hard not to laugh. Aunt Hermione finally said, “The jumpers are unique to our family and uniquely Molly Weasley creations. Thank you mum.”
Grandmum Jean Granger got a jumper too, something that looked very grandmotherly.
Rose’s jumper had as usual book and learning themes, and with Uncle George’s and his father’s permission Grandma Molly had given Hugo a jumper almost identical to the ones she had knitted for Uncle George and his family, with the WWW theme.
James got a jumper that said JAMES POTTER on it, with Quidditch themes. He was pleased, Al could see, although Al could not quite get James attention and could not read his thoughts. Lily received a very frilly girly jumper, and she put it on and started prancing around like she was the cutest little girl you could imagine. Lily was cute, thought Al, but not that cute. Al went to get his jumper, a practical one with similar bookish themes. For some reason Al’s father had a jumper similar to the DPW jumpers of Uncle Bill and Cousin Louis, his mother one with Quidditch themes, one that his mother could wear to any of the colder training camps.
Charley Weasley and his partner Stribog Romanoff, plus their adopted daughter Ivana Romanoff, all received jumpers with dragon themes on them. Al sensed something sexual between Charley and Stribog, almost as if they were married. He was going to have to ask his father about that.
Grandma Tonks and Grandpa Weasley also got jumpers, and then, for the first time, (but not the last), Victoire Weasley gave grandma Weasley a jumper that Victoire had been working on since last summer. Victoire was very proud of herself. The theme knitted into the jumper was of Grandma Weasley knitting all the jumpers, and Molly Weasley was moved to tears. After all those years of knitting jumpers for other people, this was the first time someone had knit one for her. Victoire was thinking, ‘I’m going to be like you someday, grandma.’
Al stopped trying to use legilimency. Trying to read people’s minds was a lot of work, and Al was worried that it was too personal, almost like undressing someone. He made up his mind to talk to his father about it as soon as he could.
Late that evening, when everybody was through with dinner and getting ready for bed at the New Burrow or Potters New Burrow Al asked his parents if he could talk, and they took him into the little library or office in the middle of Potters New Burrow.
Al said, “I’ve read about legilimency, and sort of could what I thought might be more than normal reading of thoughts, maybe legilimency, over the last few months, but then with Philly and Melody I really could read their thoughts, and calm them. So today, this morning, I tried to see if I could use it again, and I read a lot of thoughts, not all but a lot. It’s scary, and I’m not sure I should be doing it.”
“It’s scary for a lot of reasons, Al,” said Harry. “Sometimes you catch a person just as they are thinking something they are ashamed of, and by just catching that thought you are getting a totally wrong idea of what the person is like.”
“Like Dominique thinking we are lower class, and the jumpers are ugly?” asked Albus.
“There’s a little snobbery in Dominique,” said Ginny, “but if that is all that you get you do not have a true picture of her. She’s happy to play Quidditch, or exploding snap, with her lower class cousins. She’s just at an age where she looks at her Grandparents and Aunt and their grand Chateau, and envies their different lifestyle.”
“I guess she’s still a cousin and friend,” said Al. “Lucy Weasley does not think that her grandma Baker knows her name. That can’t be true!”
Ginny replied “It may be. I know Audrey and Percy are furious that Grandmother Baker ignores her younger granddaughter. She is not much more than polite to Molly, but she seems to be as hurtful as she can be to Lucy. It’s sad, and I’m sorry for Lucy that it hurts so much she is even thinking about it Christmas morning.”
“So should I practice legilimency?” asked Al.
“Just enough to not lose the skill,” said Harry, “but not too much. I’ll talk to a couple of people at the Ministry and see if we can get you some training. Good legilimens are hard to find, and I do not think the Ministry would want to lose a natural legilimens.”
“Can Albus really read minds? Legilimency at this young an age?” asked Ginny as she and Harry were getting ready to go to bed.
“Sometimes traumatic events can reveal a latent talent,” Harry replied. “Albus has talent for prophecy and legilimency, and I expect he will get better and better at it over the next few years.
“He’s scary sometimes. I wonder what he will end up doing. We are letting him grow up fast, and I think that’s the right thing to do, but I worry sometimes.”
Chapter 25: CH 25 Promotions
Author's Notes: FriendofMolly again caught a couple of embarrassing mistakes, and contributed to the story. As always, thanks.
The Ministry of Magic would like to announce the following promotions.
The newly created position of Vice Minister of Magic is Hermione Jean Granger Weasley. Mrs. Weasley is also appointed to the newly created position of Chief Judge, supervising two additional judges as part of a major reformation of the Magi justice system. Taking over Mrs. Weasleys former position is Nora Geissler, one of her Hermione’s assistants.
Harry and Arthur Weasley had known about Hermione’s promotion and the reorganization of the Ministry, as had Ron, but they could not talk about it or let anyone else know what was going on. . Harry did not keep secrets from Ginny, but Ginny never violated Harry’s trust by sharing with anyone information that might be confidential. As far as Harry and Ginny knew, the rest of the couples in the family handled confidential information the same way, even within the family. The official announcement was made Friday, the second of January, 2015 and Hermione had been working almost full time Friday, and Saturday till 5:00 PM since the announcement. Harry and Ginny took Rose and Hugo after church Saturday Evening so Hermione and Ron could celebrate, and even Jean Granger left and spent the night at Potters New Burrow, leaving the house to Ron and Hermione.
Sunday morning everybody but Ron and Hermione were over at the New Burrow by 8:30 AM, sitting down to the usual Sunday morning breakfast. Percy was talking about the changes that were taking place at the Ministry, about Hermione in particular. “Hermione has a new office next door to the Minister of Magic,” said Percy. “I’ve been in it, of course, and it is the same size as the Ministers! Ministry jobs have always had a lot of prestige, but they have never been the most lucrative jobs, except for the Minister of Magic. The Minister has always been very well paid, and I understand Hermione is getting about eighty percent of the Minister’s salary. Although she will have to be formally elected by the Wizengamot, almost everybody I know thinks Hermione will be the next Minister of Magic, when Kingsley retires.
“Hermione has made it clear that as soon as possible she wants to have the Wizengamot appoint a new chief judge and make the judicial side of the ministry really independent of the executive or legislative parts of the ministry. A Muggle married to a witch is her chief advisor in setting up a legal system more like the English Muggle system.. He is working full time for Hermione now, but of course as a Muggle he cannot become a judge. Some of the older members of the Ministry and of the Wizengamot are complaining about all the changes, but most of us realize we need to join the 21st Century.
“Maybe the most capable person in Hermione’s old department is Eloise Urquhart. She kept her maiden name after getting married to a Muggle who did not know her history. She has a couple of young children. Her reputation for bedding members of the Ministry kept her from getting the top job, even though it looks like she is painfully careful not to give anyone the idea that she is still available. I think Eloise will always be in an assistant position.”
Remembering the story of how Eloise had tried to entice Harry to have sex with her made Ginny feel more confident in Harry all over again, but also fed her insecurities. Having all these women after her Harry made Ginny nervous even though she knew it should not. Harry and Arthur, who knew more about the reorganization than Percy, were quite content to let Percy pontificate about the changes.
About 9:00 AM Hermione and Ron came stumbling in through the floo, silly grins on both of their faces. “More celebration?” asked Ginny.
“Absolutely!” said Hermione. “Ron can make me forget about everything but how sexy he is. Once in a while I just have to submerge myself in physical pleasure, the pleasure of my sexy husband.” Ron got a lopsided grin in his face at this. Harry and Ginny both thought of how different Ron and Hermione’s sexual relationship was to theirs. Ginny wanted sex every night, and sometimes when the opportunity presented itself, more than once a day, and occasionally when there was very little time a ‘quickie’ now and again. She really was not into all day affairs, and that was fine with Harry. Harry was just amazed that Ginny was almost always ready; he knew from talking to other men that this was unusual, although Minerva McGonagall had said that Ginny’s female ancestors were a ‘randy’ bunch, and Harry got the impression that Molly and Arthur continued to be very sexually active. Ron and Hermione by contrast did not do it all that often, but when they did occasionally they spent a lot of time doing things a lot of different ways.
Hermione and Ron did not realize that their children were listening; they had been out of sight of Ron and Hermione when they came in, although they were in the same room and were intently watching their parents. Hugo turned to Rose and said, “Do you know what mom and dad have been doing?”
“I’ve read about it,” said Rose. “It’s not something you do until you’re older.”
“Like when you go to Hogwarts?” asked Hugo.
“No way!” shouted Ron, who had heard his children’s conversation. “You’ve got to be a lot older than in Hogwarts. Most smart Magi are going to college, and you ought to be at least out of college and in your twenties and married before you even think of having sex.”
“You and mom were not even twenty when you got married,” said Rose, with a determined look on her face. She learned just about anything she put her mind to, but no one would answer all her questions about sex, and it frustrated her. “Aunt Ginny got married on her seventeenth birthday and before she started her last year at Hogwarts. I just don’t see why everybody is so secret about sex. It’s just like putting a Lego axel into a Lego wheel. What’s the fuss all about?” Ron loved buying Muggle toys and letting the younger generation play with them, to give him ideas about new toys for WWW. He never in his wildest dreams thought that someone would use Lego’s to describe sex! Rose’s analogy brought a lot of snickers from the adults.
“It still seems unsanitary to me,” Rose continued. “I just don’t get it.”
Albus could feel the tension in the room. Reading people’s thoughts was a lot more complex than reading a book. There were emotions and things people were seeing as well as thoughts you could write down as words. He had not practiced a lot of legilimency since Christmas, and he knew that people wanted to keep their thoughts about sex somewhat private, but he was curious, and if it was maybe prying too much it was just too tempting to resist.
Albus could see the tension in Uncle Ron. Uncle Ron was at the same time frustrated at Rose’s questions and proud that she was so tenacious in asking them. Albus always knew that Uncle Ron was proud of Aunt Hermione, but Al could see the amazement Uncle Ron had that he was married to someone who could wear him out in … Al was beginning to get a glimpse of what they did …OH! That was private and personal … Oh My! Al withdrew his mind to catch his breath. There WAS a lot more to sex than in the books he and Rose had read.
What was Aunt Hermione thinking? How tenacious Rose was, and I’m not going to explain …OH! No, Al could see why Aunt Hermione would not want to describe THAT either. I’d better not go into either of their minds for a while. Oh My!
Rose was stomping away disgusted, leaving all the adults to their thoughts. Al’s dad was looking at his mother and thinking something like ‘the most beautiful, sexy, best for me female in the world.’ Dad was looking at mom’s curves, and mentally undressing her, and again Al was probably seeing too much. Sex was something dad did to mom because she liked it, and he liked it, and they did it every day because mom wanted it every day. Mom was … Al was having a harder time describing it, but for mum sex was not something you did but who you were, a more internal thing.
There was a different vibration, a different ‘something’; Al could feel when someone was thinking about sex. Al decided to sit next to the adults and sort of read a book and keep his mind open to sexual thoughts. He found out a lot over the next two hours. First, usually the men thought about sex a lot more than the women. Aunt Hermione had everything categorized anyway, and when she was not thinking about it she just was not thinking about it. Uncle Ron had a hard time seeing his wife and not having his mind wander off to thoughts of what they had done, and how his brilliant wife was also his sexy wife. Uncle Ron was also a little sore in places Al didn’t know you could get sore, inside.
His dad was usually busy talking about the changes in the Ministry, or listen to what other people were saying. He did occasionally look at his mom, and sometimes when he did he was just very grateful for his mother. Mum’s thoughts were a lot more scattered, and she was the only one of the grown up women whose thoughts would turn to sex very often; she really liked to make love to his father! What confused Al was that his mother’s desire was part sensuous, something he sort of knew, and part an insecurity that Al didn’t realize his mother had. Al always thought his Mother and Father were as self-confident and secure as possible.
Both Uncle George and Aunt Angelina were thinking of the store when they were not taking part in the conversation. Uncle George did occasionally look at Aunt Angelina with a spark of lust, looking at her hips and thinking of the end of the day and maybe if they were not too tired …
Uncle Percy liked to look at Aunt Audrey, and hoped he could do it more often. Aunt Audrey never thought about sex as far as Al could tell. When the other grownups were talking about sex she was embarrassed.
Grandpa Weasley was still thinking about sex! Al had never imagined that his Grandma Weasley was sexy; she was a little heavy, well maybe more than a little heavy, and beside she was his grandmother! Finally grandfather caught grandmother’s attention, and they touched and grandmother seemed to be thinking that tonight would be delightful. Al had never thought that his grandparents were, well, he really did not think about sex much. Rose was frustrated because she wanted to know more, but Al was definitely getting the feeling that he was too young to really understand what the adults were thinking.
Uncle Bill was easy to read. He thought that his wife was one of the most beautiful and sexy women in the world, and objectively he was probably right. Aunt Fleur was a little harder to read. It was not that she thought about having sex with Uncle Bill all the time, but the way she moved, everything she was, was when she was with Uncle Bill sexy.
Al was not sure how he could share any of this with Rose. He knew he ought to talk to his dad about his experience with legilimency, but somehow he thought he would be in real trouble if he told his parents he was trying to read the adults thoughts about sex. ‘I tell everybody including myself I want to be good,’ Albus thought, ‘but sometimes I think I do not want to be good so much as just not get caught.’
Meanwhile the adults were continuing to discuss the changes in the Ministry.
Albus had practiced becoming invisible, not by magic but just by sitting in a corner with his head in a book, not saying anything nor doing anything to call attention to himself. It was handy when James or Lily or both were in trouble, or when the cousins were together and something had happened that caused the adults to take notice. Albus was seldom punished not only because he was generally a good person, but also because he knew how to keep quiet and not be noticed. So for the next four Sundays Albus spent as much time as he could just listening to the adults and trying to understand the adults. The first Monday in February Harry was home a little early, and Albus asked if he could talk.
“I’m trying to understand the family,” said Albus, “and there are a lot of things I don’t understand.”
“You’re using legilimency and getting confused,” said Harry. “I can see you sitting in the living room pretending to be reading, and you’re listening with your ears and your mind. What people are thinking isn’t always what they are saying.”
“When you’re a kid you think grownups are all kind of the same,” said Albus, “but maybe with different jobs. They’re a lot different!”
“It doesn’t take legilimency to know that,” said Harry.
“I’m just eight years old, dad,” said Albus. “I know I’m reading books for sixteen year olds, and doing some schoolwork that we are going to get in Hogwarts. Rose and I are way ahead of where we should be in math and Muggle science and reading. But there is a lot I just don’t understand.”
“What do you want to know?” asked Harry.
Al said “Well, about money. Some of the grownups are worried about money and think about it a lot, and some don’t, and it sounds like some are richer than others. I’ve never worried about money, but Uncle Ron is always a little worried about money. I didn’t think he was poor. Is that why both he and Aunt Hermione work, because they are poor?”
“Uncle Ron grew up poor, and it was always harder on him than the other members of his family,” said Harry. “Ron is not poor now, but he had never forgotten being poor.”
“Is Uncle Bill the richest?” asked Al. “New Shell Cottage is the biggest house, the prettiest, Aunt Fleur has spent more money on it, it looks like it, plus they have the house in France.”
Harry looked at Al and said with a very serious look on his face. “I want you to keep what I am going to tell you secret. All the grownups know most of what I am going to tell you, but if some of the children knew there could be problems. We really do not talk about family money to the children until they get much older. You will all know much more before you graduate from Hogwarts. Promise me, Al.”
“Nobody knows about using the magic wand, except Rose and Aunt Hermione, and they only know I use it to make potions,” said Al. “I can keep a secret, unlike Lily and some of the cousins.”
“All right,” said Harry. “Grandma and Grandpa Weasley were poor, and all their children, all the Weasley uncles and your mother grew up poor. My father was moderately rich, and when I went to Hogwarts I always had money. Then I inherited all my Godfather Sirius Black’s money, and the house on Grimmauld place. Then when I killed Tom Riddle in a duel I inherited all his money, millions of Galleons that he had stolen and killed for.
“Uncle Bill went into banking after Hogwarts, I think to earn money. When I inherited all the money from Tom Riddle I needed someone to manage the money, and hired Uncle Bill to do the job. We have given over half the money I inherited to the Ministry, or to Ministries in other countries where Tom Riddle had stolen money. Most of the rest of the money was put in trusts to take care of people who were hurt in the war. And Uncle Bill has managed the money so well that we cannot properly give away money fast enough to keep from having more. It’s my money, I guess, but I don’t feel it’s something for me to play around with. With money and power comes the duty to do good works with it, and that’s how I feel about it. Uncle Bill has become partner in some of the businesses, and yes he is very well off. Aunt Fleur spends about half of her time helping Uncle Bill. She trained in finance too, and although she still tries to keep up her healing skills, and do some teaching, she is interested in and is good with money.”
“Uncle Bill manages your money?” asked Al. “You’re that rich? You don’t act rich.”
“I want all of my children, all the nieces and nephews, to be able to do what they want, within reason, but I hope none of you ever act rich,” said Harry.
“Is everybody in the family rich?” asked Al.
Harry smiled and said, “Uncle Charley really does not care about anything but dragons and being outside at a job he loves. He’s not poor, but he is probably the poorest of your uncles. Uncle Percy has a good job at the Ministry, and I know he saves some money from what he makes, and what Aunt Audrey has made from teaching school they have saved. He’s not rich, but he’s not poor either.”
“He resents a little everybody else’s success, but he does not want to leave the Ministry to do anything else,” said Al.
“Uncle Percy and Aunt Audrey live a carefully controlled life, one without much danger, but without much excitement either. Sometimes I think they would like to break free,” said Harry. “Uncle George and his brother Fred were always good at making money, and the store is very profitable. Uncle George owns more of it than anybody else, although less than half. Aunt Angelina owns enough so that together they own over half. Uncle Ron and Mr. Lee Jordan also own some of the store, and I even own a small fraction, about five percent, which is worth more by far than the little money I put into the store to help get it started.”
“You own some of Uncle George’s store?” said Al with a very surprised look.
“Don’t tell anyone!” emphasized Harry, “and never hint to Fred and Roxanne that their dad does not own the entire store. They will learn what they need to know soon enough. I am sure that Fred already knows; his dad told him that he needs to get good grades and graduate from Hogwarts if he is going to work at the store, and he will have to earn the chance to own part of the store.”
“Uncle Ron owns part of the store too?” asked Al again.
“Yes, and Aunt Angelina and Uncle Ron own a separate business that sells armor and other things to Magi in law enforcement, Angelina’s Angel Armor. Not a lot of people know that business exists, and you must never tell anyone, but Angelina’s Angel Armor is a surprisingly large and profitable business.”
“Aunt Hermione does not have to work?” asked Al.
“At this point she does not have to work so the family has money,” said Harry. “Neither do I. She has to work because it’s not in her nature not to work, and work hard. That is how she has risen to be second in command at the Ministry, and find the time to publish textbooks, and help develop home school curriculum, and work on new laws for England and the International Confederation of Witches and Wizards, among other things.”
“And she spends some time with Rose and Hugo,” said Al, “but not near as much time as mum spends with us.”
“Aunt Hermione is doing the best she can,” said Harry. “She is lucky she has her mother to tutor Rose, and it is working really well that Grandma Granger is tutoring you and Rose, and your mother and grandmother are trying to teach Hugo.”
“Are Grandmother and Grandfather Weasley rich now?” asked Al. “I know Grandma Weasley sometimes thinks she is richer than she ever imagined she could be. Do they own all the property around the New Burrow?”
“Grandma Weasley remembers trying to raise all her children with very little money, and now they have enough money to have money in the bank, and for her to buy almost anything she could want. Her feeling rich is more being satisfied with what she has than having a lot of money,” said Harry. “Again I’m going to tell you something that you must not tell anyone else. I own all the property between the River Otter and the Muggle roads that surround the New Burrow property. The Weasley cousins that live in the two houses by the road work for me. The houses that other people live on are owned by them, but I retain a partial ownership of the land, and we are setting up a trust to take care of the pond and the rest of the property. I own the New Burrow and Potters New Burrow, and take care of them, and no one else has to pay anything to live in or stay in either house. That’s something I can do for the family. And if you ever hint in any way to Grandma and Grandpa Weasley that maybe they do not own all the property you are in big trouble, do you hear me, Al!”
“Yes, daddy,” said Al. “You like helping other people! That’s part of being good?”
“Helping other people, and not giving them too much help, is harder than you might think,” said Harry. “That’s why if I have anything to say about it all my children, my nieces and nephews, are going to have to work, and work hard. I’ll help them work at what they want to do, within reason, but I don’t want anyone to feel that they do not have to work. That is why I like having you all help with transplanting plants to earn a little money.”
From then on Al would try to talk privately to his father about the family, who did what, who thought what, at least once a month.
The first of February Harry had to go back to Switzerland, and Albus asked to go with him. “I want to talk to the prophets again,” Albus said. “I’m worried.”
Harry knew that Albus was often worried, about why people seemed to be trying to kill him, and about why he seemed to have all these abilities.
When they were coming back Harry asked Albus, “Did you find out what you wanted to know?”
“What was it like when you found out you had to fight Tom Riddle?” Albus asked.
“Scary,” Harry said.
“Were you ever afraid that Tom Riddle would kill you?” Albus asked.
“All the time,” Harry said. “At the end I thought I was going to have to be killed or Tom Riddle could not get killed.”
“How did you find the courage to do what you had to do?” Albus asked.
“I don’t know,” Harry said. “I really don’t know. Good friends helped, and the example of good people like Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, my parents, and so many others.”
“Sometimes I’m scared, Dad,” Albus said. “I hope I have good friends helping me, just like you did.”
“I hope and pray so too,” Harry said.
The middle of February Harry took Al to the Ministry to have him learn more about legilimency. It was decided by Kingsley and Aunt Hermione that no one except a very few people with the need to know would be told of Al’s new powers. From then on, until he went to Hogwarts, about twice a year Al would be put in the same room with someone who’s mind the ministry wanted to read, and about half the time Al got at least some of the information the Ministry was after. No one ever suspected that this small boy, and Al was always small for his age, and looked younger than he was, could read minds. Al got training about once a month, as often as he could spend at the Ministry without raising suspicion.
Harry was worried. Al was too good at too many things. So far, except for the run-ins with the Department for the Regulation of Underage Magic, nothing much had come of Al’s extraordinary abilities, but Harry did not think that could last. Harry did not share his worries with anyone. He just bottled up this low level of anxiety along with all the others in his life. Some, like ongoing issues with the Ministry and the International Confederation of Wizards, he shared with Ginny rather freely. Harry’s concerns about Albus, and Teddy, he did not share very often, because any hint that Teddy or Albus may have adventures, and be in danger, worried Ginny a lot.
The end of January Harry finally had recruited his Domestic Affairs Unit. He was in a meeting with Hermione and Arthur Weasley, talking about the unit. “Pamela Pomfrey was the only healer specializing in what we are calling our Domestic Affair’s Unit. We do not want to have a name with ‘trouble’ or ‘problems’ in it. We want Magi to feel free to call on this unit for any problem.”
“Is Pamela related to Poppy?” Hermione asked.
“She is married to Poppy’s grandson,” Harry said. “He is also a healer. Poppy’s family has a lot of healers in it.
“Gray Blackburn really does not have a full time job with the Aurors and other people in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, so he is going to be in the unit, at least part time. Lavender has spent the last six years training as a healer, specializing in mind and emotional problems as well. She also has recertified as an Auror.”
“Doesn’t Lavender Brown Blackburn have two little children?” Hermione asked.
Harry said, “Her son Blue is almost six, and her daughter Lilac is almost three. Grandmother Brown is taking care of the children when Lavender is working.”
Hermione said, “I am surprised that Gus Gudgeon is the other Auror assigned to the unit, but I don’t know him.”
Arthur said, “I’ve seen his reviews, and he has turned into an excellent, and compassionate, Auror.”
Harry said, “He has dealt with trauma, his at the death of his wife, and the horrors when they were captive, and with his new wife Missy Mulciber. Missy’s father and husband were killed in the horrors surrounding the Battles, and I do not gather that many of the Death Eaters had what could be called happy marriages. I think Gus will make an ideal Auror for this unit.”
Chapter 26: CH 26 Something Wicked this Way Came
Author's Notes: Thank you, FriendofMolly, for the title, and helpful tweaks for a hard chapter. The title is, of course, a play on the famous Ray Bradbury novel “Something Wicked This Way Comes.”
The third week in February Harry received an owl from Teddy. It read,
“Dear Head Auror Potter,
“I don’t know who to talk to, but I don’t feel comfortable with Gary Ohio, the new Charms teacher. Victoire told me that when she had private lessons with him she felt uncomfortable about the way he touched her.
“He seems to want to spend too much time with girl students. Prefect Victoire Weasley has talked to several other girls, and other girls are uncomfortable around Professor Ohio, and some look ashamed and do not want to talk to her.
“I don’t know what to do. You are on the Hogwarts board. Maybe you know what to do.
“Your foster son,
“Prefect Theodore Lupin”
Harry read the letter four times, getting more worried each time. Even the signature, “Theodore,” was an ‘I’m a grown up writing a serious grown up letter’ type of signature. Teddy had never signed a letter that way before. Harry did what he usually did when he was puzzled; he went and saw Hermione.
Hermione read the letter and said, “Harry, you and I are going to Hogwarts, RIGHT NOW.”
When the Vice Minister of Magic and the Chief Auror show up, you make time to see them, and Minerva rearranged her schedule to meet with Harry and Hermione. After some polite greetings, Harry showed the letter to Minerva, and said, “What do you know about this Gary Ohio?”
She said, “We urgently needed a Charms teacher this January, and he applied. He taught at three of the magical schools in the North America, for two years each. All of the schools said he taught Charms, but nothing else. Before that he taught for ten years at a Muggle school, teaching English and Social Studies. We don’t have any information about that job. He said it was not really relevant to what he taught at the magical schools.”
“Did you speak to anyone at the schools?” Hermione asked.
“They are pretty far away. We had letters from a few students who gave him high praises. We also interviewed him, and he met with some of our students, and made a very favorable impression.”
Hermione had one of her famous lists. “No personal interviews. No telephone interviews. Minerva, is there a reason you didn’t use your mobile to talk to the other schools?
“They are in North America, across the ocean,” Minerva said. She picked up her mobile. “Can these things reach someone that far away?”
Hermione sighed. It was hard to teach someone used to the problems really long distances posed to witches and wizards that the world wide phone network could almost instantly connect you to almost anyone anywhere in the world who had a telephone. “You could have used your mobile and called the schools as easy as you could call me. You have to dial a few more digits. You also have to keep in mind the time difference. I know it feels a little strange to use a Muggle mobile, but I talk to T.T. Chang in China two or three times a week when we are working on a Potions Textbook.”
“I usually visit the previous school of a teacher before we hire them, but this was at the last minute, and it just seemed so far away,” Minerva said with a sigh.
“No personal visit, no long phone conversation,” Hermione said to herself as she made some notes on a list she had. “Can I see the letters from the schools?”
Two of the schools had curt, “yes he worked here,” answers that almost begged you to call them for more information. The third, Salem Academy, verified the years of employment, but said that, “any records concerning a teacher’s performance at Salem Academy are confidential.”
“No letters of recommendation, just verification of employment,” Hermione noted.
“I thought if he was a bad teacher we would find out right away,” Minerva said, “But he is an excellent teacher.”
“I’d like to see how often he has girls in his classroom alone,” Harry said. “Do you have your copy of the map?”
Minerva brought it out. There was a female student alone in his classroom at that moment, but shortly afterwards another class came in and the first student left.
“I can’t watch the map all the time,” Minerva said.
The portrait of Albus Dumbledore said, “I can ask the paintings in the castle to watch Gary’s classroom and keep track of him.”
“I’ll ask a couple of the ghosts as well,” Minerva said.
Dobedo spoke up. “Dobedo ask the Hogwarts Elves.” When the rest of the people in the room nodded “yes” Dobedo disappeared.
Hermione said, “Do you mind giving us copies of all the information on Gary? I would like to have Harry and his Domestic Affairs Unit go to these schools and find all they can about this Gary Ohio. I would go myself, but I am too busy the next couple of days.”
“Why the Domestic Affairs Unit, and why the rush?” asked Minerva.
A grim faced Hermione said, “Because I think there is a good chance Gary is sexually abusing some of the girls.”
A horrified Minerva copied all the documents, and gave Harry and Hermione a letter saying that there were some concerns about Gary, and to please cooperate.
“Do you think there is anything to this?” Harry asked Hermione as they left.
“Too many cases of sexual abuse have been hidden by institutions trying to protect their reputation, and much more of this goes on than most people believe,” Hermione responded. “Gary should NOT be meeting alone with female students, and the fact that he made even one female uncomfortable is a cause for concern.”
When they got back to the Ministry Harry and Hermione called the Domestic Affairs Unit into Hermione’s office. Hermione rather publicly canceled or delayed a couple of appointments to host the meeting, to demonstrate just how important Hermione thought this meeting was. Hermione spent a couple of hours going over all that she could find about sexual abuse by teachers and other’s in authority, and how they could find out more about this Gary Ohio.
Lavender volunteered to go with Harry. The next day they were at the Los Angeles School for Witchcraft and Wizardry, where they met with the Principal Juanita Rios.
After introductions Lavender said, “Harry is on the board of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. We have some questions about our new Charms teacher, Gary Ohio.”
Juanita’s eyes got big and she said, “You didn’t hire him, did you?”
“We didn’t, but the school did. We just received this letter from one of our students,” Harry said, as he showed Juanita the letter. “Teddy is my foster son, and Victoire is a niece, and this is not something they would make up.”
“Somebody from the staff said they had gotten a letter from someone in Scotland asking if Gary had worked here. We said yes, he had. We were waiting for someone to contact us and ask for more information, but no one did, and we assumed that he had not been hired.”
“Why?” Harry asked.
“Gary was fired for inappropriate behavior with some of our female students,” Juanita said. “I don’t know all that happened, but one of the girls that he had in his room alone committed suicide last year, and after that happened we found a number of other girls had been seeing him alone. We have put windows in all the rooms and Muggle video cameras in some. We’ll never let a teacher make a habit of meeting with single students alone again. I don’t ever want to see something like this happen in any school.”
“Why didn’t you tell Hogwarts?” Hermione asked.
“Nobody asked!” Juanita exclaimed. “We assumed that if you got serious about hiring someone you would at least call and talk.”
“Minerva still has a hard time understanding that she can use her mobile to ring someone all over the world,” Harry said. They spent a couple of hours going over all the information that the school had on Gary;
That afternoon they went to the New Mexico School of Indian Magic.
Roslyn and Victor Firewalker were the co-heads of the school in New Mexico. Roslyn met with Lavender and Harry.
“We are investigating Gary Ohio,” Harry said.
“Do not even think about hiring him, and if someone did, fire him,” said Rosalyn. “He wouldn’t follow our rules. We have rules to prevent teachers from being alone with students. They are either with a group of students, or there is more than one adult there, or they are in a very public place. We were always fighting to keep him following the rules.”
“Is there any evidence he molested any students?” Hermione asked.
“Just a couple of incidents of inappropriate touching,” Rosalyn said. “He didn’t have a chance, though. We have some pretty good rules on that sort of behavior. I don’t know why we didn’t pick up the danger signals from the Salam Academy. They are not very good at this sort of thing, though.”
Harry and Lavender went to Salem, but it was not until the middle of the next morning that they could speak to anyone there. They met with some middle level person. “What do you know about Gary Ohio?” Hermione asked.
“He worked here for two years, but he has not been here for over four years,” the lady said.
“Any complaints?” asked Harry.
“That sort of information is confidential,” was the reply.
Hermione showed the lady the letter. She read it, and then handed it back to Harry.
“Any comments, now?” Harry asked.
“No,” they were told.
“May we speak to the head of the school?” Hermione asked.
“No, he’s busy right now,” was the reply.
“WHEN can we speak to him?” Harry asked.
“Just because you are reported to be some big hero does not mean that you can order us around,” the spokesperson said. “Go. We don’t want to talk to you.”
“I wonder what they are hiding,” Harry said as they left the school.
Lavender spent a little time on the phone with Minerva. Without making a big fuss everybody was trying to make sure Gary was watched, and they tried to discourage students from going into his room alone.
They contacted the Muggle School and explained the situation. A meeting was arranged for the next morning. They were led into an office and were met by five females, three teachers, a police officer and a lawyer.
One of the teachers said, “He raped at least two of the girl students, but we think he did a lot more evil over the years. Evidence against him seemed to magically disappear. We are all very frustrated that he escaped prosecution.”
“I’ve never seen evidence that I spent a couple of years accumulating just vanish,” the police officer said.
“It looked like some of the girls were brainwashed,” said the lawyer. “It’s not unusual to have people not to want to prosecute cases like the ones he was involved with, but this was even strange by the standards we are used to. The only good thing is that we have no evidence he has been teaching.”
“He’s been at private schools,” Harry said. “There are some people who I know who might be able to help you. They have a headquarters in New York City, and I’ll have them get in touch with you.”
After they left, Harry said to Lavender, “I’ve heard enough. He needs to be fired at least.”
“Hermione sent me copies of some good policies so Hogwarts never again puts students at risk,” Lavender said.
Harry and Lavender walked through the North American closet network and the European floo network as fast as they could, and ended up at Hogwarts in the early evening. They went into the school, sat down at Minerva’s desk, and reported what they had found out.
“I want that man out of this building tonight,” Lavender said, shaking.
“I agree,” Harry said.
“I’ve never dealt with anything like this.” Minerva said. “I guess you are right. Let’s see where Gary is.”
Gary was not in his classroom, but in his private quarters, in his bedroom. There was no one in the bedroom, but Harry felt something when he used the map. He went over the map several times with his wand, and finally you could see a faint shadow of another person in the room. Gary was with one of the girls whose family had been tortured during the war, and everybody in the family, even the children born after the battle, were dealing with some trauma.
Harry looked at it and said, “We need to stop whatever he is doing right now!”
Dobedo, who of course was almost always with Harry on these trips, said, “I get Hogwarts elves.”
When they got to Gary’s private quarters everything was tightly locked. Neither Minerva nor Harry could break the spell. Dobedo appeared before them and just as quickly disappeared. A short time later a female elf wearing a Hogwarts uniform came out and said, “Come in.”
Both the girl and Gary were naked. Harry looked away, and Minerva quickly ran over and put her cloak around the girl, and then took her to another room to get dressed.
Gary was lying face up on the bed. Dobedo was holding up Gary’s privates, and had his meat clever right there. “Dobedo say if Mr. Gary move Dobedo cut them off,” Dobedo said.
“I’m a Pure Blooded wizard from an unsullied line of Pure Bloods,” Gary said. “You have no right to treat me like this.”
“You are a Merlin blasted child abuser who is fractions of an inch from being a Pure Blooded eunuch,” Harry said.
“I demand my rights as a Pure Blood,” Gary said.
“Pure Blooded bastards are treated the same as any other bastards,” Lavender said. “I would like to take your male organ, cut it off, and feed it to a dragon, but I wouldn’t want to give a dragon something so vile.”
Harry was horrified by the violence that had come out of Lavender’s mouth, but at least after hearing the rage in Lavender’s voice, Gary shut up.
Harry called the jail at the Ministry and said, “I have a naked child molester coming in. I’ll put the handcuffs on, and he will be there shortly.” He put the cuffs on and Gary was gone.
Lavender was still shaking. “Let me sit down, and calm down,” she said. Lavender sat down, and took a potion. She took a number of deep breaths. Then she said, “I think I know what it is like to be raped. When I had my sexual organs, down below, so badly damaged that I thought I could never lie with a man or have a child, I had rape victims say that my disfigurement was better than to have been raped.”
Finally Lavender said, “I’ve learned to control the anger, the rage. I wanted to tell Dobedo to go ahead and castrate Gary, but I didn’t. I guess I just feel safe enough with you, Harry, that I can let the rage out. Thank you.”
“Thank you for your help, Lavender,” Harry said. “Let’s see what kind of a case against Gary we can make.”
Gary had worked very hard to conceal what he was doing, but after several curse breakers were through with his rooms they found plenty of incriminating evidence. Some of the photographs dated back to his years at the Muggle School. Harry though the oldest photographs could easily convict Gary of crimes in North America.
A month later Ginny heard on the news that Gary had been sentenced to thirty years in Azkaban, and that the North American Aurors were going to prosecute him before he could start serving his prison sentence in Azkaban.
When Harry came home from the trial Ginny said, “Well, that case is over with, as far as you are concerned.”
“I wish,” said Harry. “There are four girls at Hogwarts that are going through counseling because of that man. Lavender says they are all in pretty bad shape, and she hopes that they can recover. Fleur has been helping, because they are all rape or molestation cases. The girl who was in his bedroom is in treatment on the continent. I don’t think she’s ever going to come back to Hogwarts.
“Victoire has a number of other stories of close calls, girls who Gary made feel very uncomfortable.
“It also looks like there were other teachers at Salem Academy over the years who had abused students, and it was always covered up. This isn’t part of law enforcement, or being on the board of a school, that I ever thought I’d have to deal with.”
“How is Lavender handling it?” Ginny asked.
“Fiercely, but successfully,” Harry said. “The North American Ministry was not eager to deal with Salem Academy and the Muggle School, but Lavender insisted. It really helps that she is a certified healer, and Auror, and survivor of her own injuries. It also helps that she has a loving husband, who supports her
“The North American Aurors did find plenty of evidence at the Muggle School. The only reason Gary got away with what he did for so long is because of memory charms and other magical ways of hiding his tracks. They are going to try him right away, and they think they can lock him up for two hundred years or more, time to be served after he has served his time here. Using magic to conceal a Muggle crime is a most serious offense.
“The cover-ups at Salem Academy were revealed when Lavender took Cindy Base Hudson over, and she partnered with a couple of reporters at the American Magical Times to do a story on Gary Ohio, and the cover ups at Salem Academy. A number of former students, boys and girls, told how they thought they were alone, and that the wizarding institutions were all against them. I’m very proud of what Lavender and Cindy have been doing.”
Ginny said, “There were a couple of Slytherin boys who would have raped every girl in the school if Snape had not prevented it. As bad as it was, I guess we are lucky that it wasn’t worse.”
“I hope we have policies in place to make sure nothing like this ever happens again at Hogwarts.” Harry said. “Once is one time too many.”
Chapter 27: CH 27 Harry Potter and the Crystal Ball
Author's Notes: FriendofMolly and I have been struggling to come up with a better name for the Domestic Affairs Unit. Suggestions would be appreciated. As always, reviews are most appreciated.
Harry Potter was sitting in his office at the end of the day, frustrated. It was the end of March, and he was going to have to make some decisions. Everybody was always complimenting Harry on how good he was, how he always rose to the occasion, how he balanced family and Ministry and other duties so well. Harry sure didn’t feel like he was doing a good job with everything.
They were still trying to come to grips with the whole “family law” thing, and Harry knew of too many sad stories, things the Ministry should have known about, in too many cases did sort of know about, and should have been able to prevent children from getting hurt or traumatized. This despite having four Magi working on family counseling in the Domestic Affairs Unit instead of one, and a concentrated effort to find out how other Ministries in other countries handled “family law” issues. It didn’t help that Lavender had been spending half her time in North America, but that was going to end soon.
Neither Harry nor Lavender were happy with the name of the Domestic Affair Unit. They were struggling to come up with a better name, and maybe even a better description of the mission. They did not want to wait until a family or person was in trouble to offer assistance. One thought was to call it the Department of Magical Family Health and Welfare, and to include at least as observers all healers. The unit was going to have to overcome the longstanding tradition that held that anything, including violence physical or mental, within a family, was private.
The Prophesy Department in Switzerland had been asking him for a year and a half to get some training in some sort of fortune telling, some ‘lines of power’ something, in Switzerland. He would just refuse, except that he was told that this was one of the reasons that Dumbledore knew what to do with Harry, knew who the good guys were and who were the bad guys, knew where he had to focus his attention.
Three weeks! It could take two to three weeks go get the training, to learn how to see the ‘lines of power,’ and he would have to be away from his family the whole time. He’d be away from the children. They were used to him being gone occasional evenings, and even for two or three days, but three weeks! They would survive, he was not happy about it.
Almost worse, well maybe totally worse, was being away from Ginny. He always appreciated being able to share with her. Even when he was gone he called her almost every night, or used the mirrors so they could see each other. They would probably not be able to talk much if Harry was as involved in learning this stupid prophesy thing. She sure would not be able to come over there, and he would not be able to take the floo back home. Harry was not looking forward to that.
They shared more than conversation every day. Ginny was always eager for sex, far more eager than most women. Part of it was her insecurity. They had been in some family counseling, and they had been told that they could try and cure Ginny of wanting sex every night, or just enjoy it. Both of them had decided to just enjoy it, and in all honesty Harry was not eager to be celibate for three weeks. It was pure selfishness on his part. He enjoyed the physical part of marriage. The fact that they averaged well over once a day, vastly more than normal, was just something that Harry enjoyed, something extra special about his marriage, and although Harry hated to admit it he was reluctant to do something that the community of Magi needed partly through pure carnal desire.
Ginny was even more insecure since putting on an extra ten pounds the last two years. Harry had to admit that the last ten pounds went mostly to her middle and hips, and she just looked a little more middle age mother and a little less young and cute, although she still looked spectacular as far as Harry was concerned. It sure didn’t dampen her over the top sex drive, as upset as she was over her shape.
Of course her balance was still horrible, and she still could not hear out of the one ear without the magical/Muggle hearing aid, but these were just constants in Ginny and Harry’s life, that and the fact that Mitzi was almost always next to Ginny, except for intimate times.
Harry knew what he had to do, and he was going to tell Ginny that he was going to be gone in for three weeks in April, but he was not happy about it. Harry thought that he was pretty selfless in most areas, other than his family, but when it came to Ginny and enjoying her he had gotten to more than one meeting late, or left a little early, not only to talk to her but to enjoy marriage relations. Well it was time to go home and talk to Ginny.
“I’m home,” Harry announced as he came in through the floo. He was met by silence, although he knew that if he had any unfamiliar person with him he would be met by house elves guarding the floo. Harry went upstairs; usually someone was in the drawing room, and today Harry did find Ginny, James and Lily in the drawing room. They were talking about the upcoming Quidditch match. Al was missing, and Harry though he was probably in the basement practicing magic, or maybe upstairs with Martin the house elf. Harry listened to the conversation, and when everybody was done said, “Ginny, I’d like a private conversation with you. “We’ll make ourselves scarce,” said James as he pulled his sister up from where she was seated and dragged her upstairs.
“I can’t put it off any longer,” said Harry. “I have to go to Switzerland and learn this prophecy thing. Three weeks! They are warning me that it may take three weeks away from everybody.”
“I hate it when you’re gone,” said Ginny. “I imagine all sorts of bad things happening to you. I remember the year you were gone, that horrible year before the battle.”
“We were apart quite a bit when you were playing for the Harpies,” said Harry.
“Somehow it wasn’t as hard when it was my fault,” said Ginny, shaking her head. “Sorry.”
“I’m sorry too,” said Harry. “I just feel that I have to do this. They are telling me that there are things out there some of the children may be involved with. I’ve told you this before. I’m going to regret it if I don’t.”
“I know, Harry,” said Ginny. “When are you going?”
“Monday, April 6” said Harry. “I want to be home for as many weekends as possible.”
That night they told the children. James and Lily did not seem to have any problem with dad being gone, but Albus was still trying to process what had happened at Hogwarts. Albus knew too much, and all the evil in the world really bothered him. Albus needed to talk to Harry often.
Harry had an excellent team at the Auror department, and he was not going to be needed over the next weeks at either the Wizengamot or the International Confederation of Wizards, so he was able to clear his schedule.
Tuesday evening Harry was calling Ginny from Switzerland.
“Hello, Ginny. They are letting me make a few phone calls, at least until I get really into this prophesy thing.”
“How is it going, Harry? Are you learning this prophesy thing?”
“So far I’ve spent two days looking into a crystal ball, seeing nothing. I feel like I’m back in Trelawney’s class. How are you doing?”
“ “Lily has decided that she is going to see how far she can push me while you’re gone. Other than that life is all right, I guess.”
“They’re telling me I have to keep these conversations short, but if we do I should be able to call every other night. They’re really brainwashing me here. I love you.”
“ “Love you too, Harry. Miss you terribly.”
Thursday, another phone call.
“Hello Ginny love, miss you terribly.”
“ “Miss you too, Harry. Are things going any better?”
“Today I actually got something. Not much, but at least I saw something.”
“ “What did you see, Harry?”
“Just colors and … well not dots but areas and colors … at least something.”
“ “Great! I knew you could do it. Do the people there help?”
“Not as much help as I would like. I asked what the colors mean, and they told me that everybody is different, that I would have to figure out what the colors meant. We talked about them, but I have a lot more work to do.”
“ “I know you can do it! You haven’t failed yet.”
“I don’t think I’ve always succeeded. I can think of a lot of people who have been hurt because I didn’t do things right or quickly enough, but thank you for your trust.”
“ “That’s what wives do for husbands. That’s what you did for me when you bought that expensive broom. You told me you knew I could become a Harpy. And when I was hurt you kept encouraging me to become a columnist and a mother.”
“Of course I encouraged you. I love you. How are you doing?”
“ “Oh, about the same. Lily is still being a pain, but otherwise everything is OK.”
“I should be able to call you again in two or three days. Love you and miss you.”
“”Love you and miss you too.”
Sunday morning, Ginny was at the New Burrow for the regular morning family brunch when Harry called. Ginny saw Harry’s name on the phone ID and said “ “Hello Harry. I missed your call last night.”
“Sorry, Ginny love, I was really making progress yesterday afternoon and evening. They had to make me stop, and told me that I needed to call you this morning and talk before we got back into this crazy prophecy thing.”
“ “They made you call me? Why? I thought you were supposed to be somewhat isolated so you could learn this.”
“Well I guess I’m learning almost too well. They tell me that I need to avoid getting too lost in this. I’m still having a problem being sure who I am seeing. The people here are no help at all when it comes to what colors mean what, and I’m seeing more colors, more stuff, than almost anybody. I think I know what some of the colors are and who a lot of the people are, but there are some things that are still a real mystery.”
“ “What do the people there say, Harry?”
“Oh, they’re thrilled at all the things I’m seeing, but there no help at all when it comes to telling me what it means. They ask a lot of questions, and some of them are good questions, but still I have to figure out all of this, mostly by myself.”
“ “Why would they be worried, Harry? Can this be dangerous? I’m not happy if you are putting yourself at rink. You’ve sacrificed enough for our world.”
“I don’t see how much risk I could be at. It’s not like I’m dueling someone, or facing dark wizards. I’m just learning how to see some hidden things about people. It’s strange, and the prophecy department tells me it’s real useful in the end, if you can learn how to interpret it and control it. I guess anything can be dangerous, but I’m not sure how this could be that dangerous.”
“ “You be careful, Harry!”
“No one wants to be responsible for the loss of the famous Harry Potter. I’m sure we’ll all be careful, love.”
“ “I love you. Don’t want to lose you.”
“Love you too. I’ll call again in a couple of days.”
“”Good bye, Harry. Miss you.”
“Good bye, Ginny.”
Wednesday night, finally, Harry called again.
“Ginny, it’s just fantastic! I can see all sorts of things about people, and I thing I’m beginning to understand them too. When it comes to relationships, it mostly confirms what I thought about the family, and just being part of your wonderful fantastic family has been so much help. The really helpful thing is I can go from people I know to people they know too, well, to other people. I’m not always sure where I’m going, and we’re working on that. There are some really important things we’re working on, and I really need to know this.”
“ “That’s fantastic, Harry. You’re just a fantastic wizard. I knew you could do it. We all miss you. The children are really beginning to miss you, and I miss talking to you every day and it’s getting harder and harder to go to bed alone.”
“I’ve asked the people here if I’m making enough progress to maybe go home early. They’re telling me not to push it too hard. It’s getting too easy to get into a trance and see things and get lost in what I’m seeing, but Ginny it’s just fantastic and everybody is thrilled with what I’m seeing.”
“ “Harry, you be careful! I want you back as bad as anything, but don’t you do anything dangerous.”
“I want to come back to you, Ginny. I didn’t want to learn this, but I’m beginning to see how it helped Dumbledore know what to do. The worst part is that there are prophesies that our family is not done with, well that maybe our children will have things they have to do, prophesies they will have to fulfill. It’s not just Albus, either, although he is in the center of a lot of prophesies. Teddy is also involved.
“It’s hard enough supervising Aurors. Teddy is going to be an Auror, and he’s like our son and, Oh Ginny I don’t want to be a Dumbledore to one of our children’s destinies like me.”
“ “Oh Harry, can’t you stop it!”
“Tell our children to be safe and not good? Tell them to run away from doing the right thing if it’s dangerous? Is that what you want?”
“ “Harry, what are you saying? I don’t want our children in any danger! I don’t want Teddy in danger!”
“Are you going to tell Teddy that he can’t be an Auror and do a couple of years in the International Auror Association? Knowing Teddy, and knowing what we need, I’m sure he isn’t going to be given the safest assignment, but that’s what it’s going to take for Teddy to prove himself.”
“ “Harry, we’ve already lost Tonks and Remus! Can’t you keep Teddy safe?”
“Why did everybody let you play Quidditch, knowing how dangerous it could be?”
“ “Harry, this isn’t about me, it’s about Teddy, and it’s about James and Albus and Lily!”
“I’m trying to learn this so I can protect them as much as I can, but there is only so much anyone can do. Eventually the little bird has to leave the nest and fly on their own. I’m just trying to learn how to watch them, and maybe keep them a little safer.”
“ “Am I going to wish I was a mother of little children when we have older children?”
“Would you really want them to stay small?”
“ “No.”
“This isn’t just about our children, Ginny, any more than Tom Riddle was only about me.”
“ “You come home to me, Harry Potter, as soon as you can.”
“I’ll will, as soon as I can, Ginny love. I’ll call you as soon as I can.”
“ “Call soon. Love you and miss you.”
“Miss you too, Ginny.”
Sunday morning Harry had been gone for almost two weeks. He finally called again in the afternoon. Ginny was still at her parents, needing a little support. Lily had been a problem, but Ginny’s mother was talking to Lily, and Arthur and James were in the shed talking about something. When all of the cousins had gone home Albus had disappeared, with his mother’s permission going back home. Ginny was almost sure Albus was going down the basement to practice with the wand, practicing doing magic that he really should not be doing for another three years at least.
Finally Harry called. “Hello Ginny,” Harry said breathlessly. “I’ve a lot to tell you! They want you to come over the middle of next week. Make sure you have made arrangements so the children are taken care of, so Wednesday you can come over, Wednesday or Thursday.”
“ “Just me? They don’t want the children to come over?”
“Well everything is pretty intense. They’re still a little concerned about me, and I guess that’s partly why they want you over here.”
“ “Oh Harry, be careful! I’ll come over as soon as you want me to come.”
“I’m learning so much. All the colors mean something, and I’m learning what they mean. I can get a good idea of the personality or inner life of people by seeing all the different colors and intensities and lines between people. It’s going to help me manage the Auror department and understand the politics of people. It’s not given me any surprises about the family, well not a lot, but I’ve had a few other surprises.”
“ “You told me that no one could help you figure out what the colors meant.”
“Yes! It’s really fantastic. And it’s so much more than just color. White is smarts, intelligence, Hermione type smarts. What’s interesting is that Hermione not only has a lot of smarts, but that she is very organized, and I can almost see how organized she is. Everybody in your family is smart, but some are more organized than others. Lily, as you might guess, is maybe the least disciplined.
“ “White is intelligence? What else, Harry?”
“You know how Albus has complained that ‘love’ in English is not a very precise word. There are two different colors for ‘love,’ gold for a general love of everybody, and red for romantic love of a man for a woman. I’m not sure if red would be the color for romantic love of a man for a man or a woman for a woman. I’m almost sure Charlie and Stribog are connected by a red line, which is not really a surprise. You’ll be happy to know that we have a lot of red! You’re as red as anybody I’ve seen.”
“ “Thank you, I think, Harry. What else?”
“Well there are lines of power, or relationship, or something, and some of these colors are also part of them. Green is friendship, with different shades of green meaning something, I think, but I’m still not sure what. Blue is more formal relationships, and there are different colors, different shades, that mean different things. Family relationships are one type of blue, one shade of blue, and work relationships a darker, more formal blue. I sort of think I can figure out more stuff, but I need a lot of practice.”
“ “All of this sounds good, Harry. Are there any bad colors?”
“Well red if not focused on one person but, like married but looking elsewhere, or involved in more than one relationship, that’s bad.”
“
“You’ve seen that?”
“Well, only one, but that’s bad. And sometimes I think, I’m not sure, what is bad is less any color than a lack of color. Black can also be bad, but not always. It can really be confusing some time.”
“”So far you’ve just talked about our family, Harry. Anybody else? Or are you just analyzing the family?”
“No, I’ve gone quite far afield, but I’m not always sure of whom I’m seeing, and some of it is real important. We’ve talked about what to do next, and the general consensus is to spend a few more days, and then have you come out for a day or two, and then go back and follow up with things and try and make sure that I’m figuring things out correctly, more or less.”
“ “I can’t wait until I can come over there and see you, Harry. Love you.”
“Love you too, Ginny. I can’t wait till you’re here.”
Tuesday night at about 10:00 PM Ginny’s wizard cell phone rang. ‘Stupid mobile,’ though Ginny. ‘It’s not Harry either. Don’t recognize who is calling. Who calls after 10:00 at night?’ “Ginny Potter”
“ “Ginny, this is Nausicaa Scheria. Can you come over here right now?”
“Why? What’s the matter with Harry?”
“ “He’s having a hard time getting out of his trance. Can you leave your children with the Elves and come right now?”
“Sojourner, can you come here right now!”
Sojourner appeared with a Crack and with a concerned look asked “Yes, Miss Ginny?”
“I need to go to Switzerland, to Harry, right now!” said a very concerned Ginny.
“We take care of the children,” said Sojourner. “Go!”
Ginny got back on the mobile and said, “I’m coming. How do I get there?”
“ “Take the floo to the Ministry. Apollo will meet you there,” said Nausicaa.
Ginny called for Mitzi, went down to the kitchen and took the floo to the Ministry, where Apollo was there waiting. It only took 15 minutes to get to the Prophecy Department, where Harry was in a room with his hands on a crystal ball, apparently in a trance. She shook Harry and tried to talk to him without much effect.
“How do I get him out of the trance?” asked a horrified Ginny.
“You’re his wife,” said Nausicaa. “Get him to pay attention to you!”
“How?” asked Ginny.
Nausicaa said, “From what I have read, it usually works well, and is easier on everybody, if you can seduce him. Knowing your reputation, I thought you had a pleasant way of getting his attention.”
There were three other people in the room. Ginny looked at Nausicaa, and with a questioning and somewhat horrified look replied, “Not in public?”
“OUT” shouted Nausicaa to the other people.
Mitzi said, “I leave too. Mitzi knows what you do.”
Nausicaa went to the door, and Ginny turned towards Harry, took a good look at the chair and how Harry was sitting, and then looked around the room again. The door was closed, and she could not see anyone else in the room. Ginny thought of the ‘Touch of Lust’ spell, and used it with two flicks. ‘I’ll use it with more flicks if that’s what it takes to get Harry out of the trance’ she thought. Then Ginny thought of the charms they used when she met Harry for a quick lunch and shag in his office. She said a spell and her clothes were all off and in a neat pile in the room, and then said almost the same spell and Harry’s clothes were in a similar pile next to hers. Ginny forced Harry’s hands aside and sat on his lap, held him as tight as she could, and said, “Seduce me Harry! Make love to me.” Ginny then kissed Harry, holding the kiss a long time.
Harry finally answered the kiss, and Ginny did the charm that turned a chair into a bed, Ginny on the bottom Harry on top. “Turn me on, Harry,” said Ginny. “Start at my toes and work up to my forehead, and turn me on.”
Harry shook his head to clear it, and thought, ‘Real Ginny is here, and I need to please her! Everything I’ve been seeing collapsed onto real Harry and Ginny. Start with the toes.’ Harry untangled himself from Ginny and went down to her tiny feet, kissed them, and then started working up her legs. They were still freckled, with the finest red hair, not much, not enough to shave, but when you were kissing them and working your way up it was there. There was another patch of red hair, and as Harry worked his way up her middle he left a hand down there. Ginny was encouraging him, and when he got to her navel said “Use the spell for endurance! We have all the time in the world right now. Use the spell for endurance.”
Harry summoned his wand and used the spell for sexual endurance. ‘It’s been too long since we’ve made love,’ thought Harry, ‘and Ginny wants sex, a lot of sex! I’m horny too! Take your time. Take your time!’
An hour and fifteen minutes later Harry could feel a little strain inside. They hadn’t has such an intense session for a long time! Fifteen minutes, a half an hour at most, but this was a long time to be so actively involved in the marriage act. Harry looked at Ginny and said what he was feeling, “You’re still the most beautiful woman in the world, Ginny, and the best thing that ever happened to me.”
“I may be the best thing that ever happened to you, Harry,” Ginny replied looking very happy and more than a little self-satisfied, “although I sure don’t feel that beautiful.” Ginny was feeling the extra padding around her middle, patting her middle with her hands and frowning. Objectively she was still a very good looking woman, despite the extra padding on her lower half, but she was very aware of the extra weight she carried.
“It might be a good idea to get dressed, Harry,” Ginny said looking around the room. Both of them put clothes on, and Harry went over and opened the door to the room. Apollo and the Bushmen’s’, who were still heads of the Prophesy Department, came into the room.
Harry greeted them, saying, “Got a little carried away. I’m going to have to be careful not to get too into this and lose myself. Thank you for getting Ginny here to bring me back to earth.”
“Thank you for coming right away,” a breathless Valerie Bushman said, hugging Ginny. “Harry is seeing more than any of us, but it is dangerous stuff getting too into a trance. You are just what Harry needs to keep him from losing himself.”
“WHY DID YOU RISK HARRY’S LIFE ON THIS?” yelled Ginny. “Like he hasn’t done enough for our world already.”
“Ginny, Ginny,” said Harry “There are still threats out there. I have to do this! I think I’m the only one who can.”
“Damn, boggarts, Oh Harry,” said Ginny halfway between anger and tears.
“The rings said we would not always have happy times,” responded Harry.
“It should get much easier for Harry,” Valerie interjected. “Having a little trouble getting out of a trance when you are first into something like this, actually into any real intense prophecy type magic, is not unusual. There are plenty of ways of making sure Harry, or anyone, gets out of a trance, but having a spouse interrupt us probably the easiest and most pleasant.”
Harry and Ginny turned to each other, hugging tightly and passionately kissing. “It was sure more pleasant that being shaken,” a grinning Harry agreed.
Harry and Ginny spent a pleasant night together. Harry spent one more day working on the ‘lines of power’ crystal ball, with Ginny at his side, before going home.
Chapter 28: CH 28 Problems between Goblins and Elves and Wizards
Author's Notes: Occasionally my Beta tells me I need some major changes in a chapter, and she is almost always right. Thank you, FriendofMolly. Reviews are always appreciated.
Harry had just been back from Switzerland a little over two weeks. It was the second week in May, and Mary Lou’s voice came over the phone intercom, “Harry, you have a phone call from Gerhard Richter.”
‘Sometimes I think this combination of magic and Muggle technology is just a little too intrusive’ thought Harry ‘although it is a lot easier talking on the phone than over the floo. “Put him through.”
“Hello Harry.”
“Hello Gerhard. How are you?”
“ “I’m fine. We have an issue with the Goblins, however. I’m going to be sending over a formal complaint we have just gotten from the Goblins.”
“I think it’s in Goblin’s nature to complain. What are they bitching about now?”
“ “Some of the ways we are treating the house elves, and some of the freedoms we have been giving them, seem to be against some of the treaties signed at the end of the Goblin wars. Free house elves in North America and elsewhere, including here in Europe, are a real issue. Clothing house elves is another problem. The way you have organized the Potter/Weasley house elves, with them in many ways controlling their own money, is driving the Goblins crazy. Several other groups around the world have copied the Potter/Weasley organization, including a couple of groups in Switzerland, and it sure looks like more groups of Magi and house elves want to organize like the Potter/Weasley house elves.”
“How big is this complaint?”
“ “Merlin, it’s a lot of pages, 1,500 tightly written pages, in 500 year old German. It totals maybe 2,500 pages of detailed complaints once we translate it into English. We are translating it into all the common Magi languages, and will have it in both an electronic file and a written version that you can edit with Magi means.”
“Maybe I’d better read this, or at least the portions that concern us here, and have Hermione read it too.”
“ “I’ll forward it to you, Harry. And Harry, there is more, and it concerns Goblins. Have Albus and Rose talked about the science project they are doing with my great grandchildren Adel and Hermann. I think there are a couple of children from North America and China involved too.”
“I know Al and Rose have been gone a day a week last month, and Al seems excited about something. We were going to have dinner with Ron and Hermione tonight or tomorrow night and Al and Rose were going to tell us what was going on.”
“ “Well worth listening to, Harry. Give me a call after you hear the results of their little science project. Bye.”
“Thank you for your call Gerhard.”
Early afternoon Harry and Hermione were meeting in Hermione’s office, with Bill Weasley and Solon from the Potter Estates office and Plato from Hogwarts.
“Has anyone seen these treaties that the Goblins refer to?” asked Harry.
“They exist,” said Hermione. “It is going to take someone other than me to translate them. Like a lot of things dealing with Goblins and house elves, there is probably a lot more to this story than just violating the treaty.”
“Goblins can be the most frustrating beings to deal with,” groused Harry.
“It’s not just what the Harry Potter Estates is doing,” Bill interjected. “It’s a lot of things going on in North America and all over the world, changing the lot of house elves.”
“Complaints about Hogwarts elves as well,” Plato contributed.
“Law or tradition very clear,” explained Solon. “All drafts from wizard to bank must be signed by Magi. House elves not to handle finances on own, not to have own monies. Harry Potter Estates and DPW computerized accounting, all checks computer generated, checked by accounting office. Any going to goblin banks have hand written amount and signed by a witch and wizard working for Harry Potter estates, but the witch and wizard that we hired are not in charge Magi but just do what house elf say Magi. Just at edge of law and Kreacher said is ‘subversive.’ That drives Goblins nuts.”
“On which side of the law, or is it tradition?” Harry asked.
Solon grinned and said “Subversive.” Harry and Hermione laughed. It was pretty obvious from what Solon said that they were definitely pushing, beyond, maybe well beyond, what strictly speaking was allowed. No wonder it was driving the Goblins nuts.
Plato interjected again, “Even at Hogwarts house elves housing changed from all in public spaces to every family having a little own space, a few own possessions. Much subversives, all over.”
“That’s what we’ve been working for!” exclaimed Hermione. “How come the Goblins have problems with it?”
“Long history of conflict between house elves and Goblins,” said Plato. “Start of battle lost in prehistory.”
Harry said, “I’m going to tell the Goblins that we are going to have to translate the treaties, but that we will look into their complaint and will work on it after the International Council of Witches and Wizards. I’m not going to be Chief Mugwump after this session anyway, and maybe I can avoid being in the middle of this controversy.”
As everybody was leaving Hermione said “There are some very interesting things happened in Magical DNA analysis, and some of them are relevant to this discussion, Harry. I’ll call Ginny to arrange dinner together, and have Rose and Al tell you about some of the things they are finding out.”
“Gerhard said something about that,” said Harry.
After dinner that night both families went up to the large upstairs office at Hermione and Ron’s house. Rose and Albus had cleared off one wall and were getting ready to project things up on the wall. Hermione was going to do the magic part, but Rose and Albus had the material ready.
Rose started, “I assume everybody knows at least a little about DNA, the blueprint for life. There are four bases or letters that make up the DNA alphabet, adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine, usually abbreviated as A, G, C and T, and they are in pairs, A with T, C with G. It turns out that there is another pair, a magical pair that is very different in construction and in where it is. The magical pair seems not to be in line, but residing in magic space, sort of off to the side and you can only see it with a magical sequencer that can sense things not in the Muggle three dimensions. They have labeled these base pairs Psi written Φ and Omega written Ω because they cannot be mistaken for anything else.” When she said this Rose displayed A-T, C-G and Φ- Ω on the wall.
Rose continued “Some Muggles have a few of the magical base pairs. Most Magi have about 100, and the total possible base pairs Magi have are less than 200, we think. Most magical animals have about 1,000 magical base pairs or more. Thestrals have as many magical base pairs as any animals, about 10,000. We think that is why you cannot see them.”
“You can see Thestrals if you have seen someone die,” Harry remarked.
Albus responded with, “The soul goes off to another dimension. I’ve talked to the Prophecy Department in Switzerland and the Department of Mysteries here. We don’t even want to talk about that now.”
“It turns out that house elves have over 1,000 magical base pairs,” Rose continued. “All humans have over 99% of their DNA the same, and Magi are no exception. And Mitochondrial DNA all comes from the mother, and by tracing minor variations in it you can tell how old a species is. For example it looks like modern humans are about 30,000 years old. It is harder to tell how old Magi are because there are Magi in all of the races of humans, but it sort of looks like Magi are about 10,000 years old.”
“Have you examined Goblin DNA too?” asked Harry.
“We’re getting to that, Uncle Harry,” responded Rose. “Let me talk about house elves first.
“Over 99% of the DNA in humans, including Magi humans is the same. There are some racial differences, but they are minor, and there is more variation in the DNA within a race than there is between the races. Race turns out to be a harder thing to define than you might want. It turns out that human’s closest relatives in the animal world, the great apes, share most of the human DNA.”
Rose had her mother put up charts of human DNA showing some of the differences, and how similar everybody was.
“There are only about 200 areas in our DNA that are different from the Neanderthals,” Rose continued, showing a chart. Then Rose had her mother put up charts of house elf DNA, saying “House elves DNA doesn’t look at all like human DNA. House elf and dragon and some other animals have DNA that might as well have come from a different planet.
“What about Goblins?” asked Hermione?
“We’re still just on house elves,” Harry reminded everybody.
“Goblins refused to let anybody examine their DNA,” said Rose, “until Al got involved.”
“You just have to know how to ask,” Albus rejoined. “First we got DNA from the young Goblins at the DPW factory, and then we got DNA from some other young Goblins in North America, Asia and Europe. Then we found out that Goblin women are not all happy with their very much subordinate role in Goblin society and got a lot of female Goblin DNA.”
“Al is the first being of any kind to get DNA, or that much information, from Goblins,” Rose said. She then put up charts showing Goblin DNA on the wall. Goblin DNA was very similar to House Elf DNA.
“How many house elves know about this?” asked Harry.
“Subversive,” whispered Plato. “Hard to keep secret.”
“It’s more complicated than Rose is saying,” Al said. “Female house elf and Goblin are more similar than male house elf and Goblin. We don’t have enough information to say a lot, but it sure looks like house elves and Goblins came from the same ancestor 5,000 to 10,000 years ago.”
“Do the Goblins know about this?” asked Harry. “Is this why we got this big complaint, because they think Magi will start treating Goblins like house elves?”
“A lot of Goblins know about this,” said Al. “Everybody who gave us DNA has been given copies of the reports.”
Harry shook his head. “So now we have a revolution on our hands, because Al got some Goblin DNA?” he asked.
Al said. “It is not just the DNA. It is the friendship between Goblin children and Elf children and the children of the Magi. It’s Goblins working with Magi as partners, eating with them, becoming friends.”
Harry said, “Something like this was sure to come out sooner or later. Facts are stubborn things. It’s hard to argue against scientific facts. Are there any Goblin we can talk to about this?”
“Goblin Titanium and his family?” asked Albus of Rose, and she nodded her head.
The two families continued to discuss the DNA testing, and how Al had gotten all the samples, and how Al had gotten friends from the group learning elfish to help.
Finally Al said, “You have met the Goblin Eniac. His daughter Jamie Francis was one of the key developers of the Magic DNA Sequencing Machines. There is a whole group of Magi, Elf including Metal Working Elf, and Goblins working on this DNA thing in Switzerland. It is driving the old fashion Goblins nuts.”
“Just because all the races are working together?” asked Harry.
“House elf society is very egalitarian. Male and female are equally repressed and oppressed, except they are getting freer, less repressed and less oppressed.
“Male Goblins like to think they are freer than elves, but they are bound by other obligations. At least Male Goblins have been freer than female Goblins, who have been almost as bad off as house elves. Goblin Titanium’s family and Goblin Eniac’s family and many other families are breaking down the Male Chauvinism of Goblin society.”
“That’s not the worst part, Al,” Rose said. “We have begun to be able to get into some of the oldest records. Al and Galadriel and Thorin can get into areas no one else has been able to get into.”
“I don’t have time to read much of what Galadriel and Thorin have been finding,” Al said. “Besides there are still a lot of areas we cannot get into. We have the male and female High Elf, we think, in the Elf Galadriel and the Goblin Thorin, Their parents know, but not many other people. Please do not tell anyone! Galadriel and Thorin are in enough trouble already.
”We are missing the female Magi. I am also not the head wizard, although the prophets say I am the best substitute for the head wizard they can come up with.
“I wish I could meet the girl from the music store. Maybe she and I can get places that I cannot.”
A couple of days later Al and Rose introduced the Goblin family that they were friends with to their parents. Al had arranged a dinner with the Harry Potter family, the Ron Weasley family, and the Dobedo elf family consisting of Dobedo, Harriet Tubman and their children Martin Luther King P/W and Oprah W P/W.
After introducing the humans (including of course Jean Grainger, a Muggle) to the Goblins, Al introduced the Goblins. “The head of the family is Goblin Titanium. His wife is Precious. His oldest two children are boys, Zeek and Wayne, and his daughters are Ariel and Beth.”
“Those are unusual names for Goblins,” said Hermione after everyone had shaken hands and met everybody else.
“Please sit down,” said Ginny. A couple of other P/W house elves started to serve dinner, and while dinner was going on there was a lot of conversation about what all the parents did, where the children were in school, and what happened when Al and Rose and Martin visited the DPW factories.
Harry told Titanium, “You are the first Goblins I have ever shared a meal with. I was told that Goblins do not like Wizard food.”
“Goblins told from very young age that eating with Wizards is dangerous, that Wizards put magical things in your food and try to pretend that they are your friend,” Titanium responded. “‘Never, never believe a Witch or Wizard when they say they want to be your friend’ is a saying we are told over and over. I think we miss much good food and companionship that way.”
“Bill has shared a few meals with Goblin Greenshade of TTMB,” Harry mused.
“Same sort of problems,” said Titanium, chuckling. “Makes way too much Muggle money, that Goblins need, but consorts with Wizards. Not a proper nasty hard bargaining Goblin.”
“You know how Magi are governed, by the International Council of Witches and Wizards,” said Harry.
“Headed by Chief Mugwump Harry Potter,” replied Titanium.
“Only for rest of my term, ending this summer,” Harry quickly added. “House elves are almost always governed by the local Magi governing body. We are trying to get some laws that apply to every country and group, but that is hard and it is going very slowly.”
“Gringotts is more than a bank,” Titanium explained. “The head of Gringotts is nominal head of all Goblins. Goblins pretty good at collecting taxes and making money. Not so good at some other things, because is always fighting and not trusting anyone. Have always been some Goblins working closely with Magi, but not common, and Goblins have nasty words for a Goblin who has sold out to Magi. Goblin governing is not democracy, but partly aristocracy, golden rule, he who has gold rules. Greenshade and I get away with what we do because we make good money.”
“I understand that Goblin men are usually much bigger than male house elves, but Goblin women are about the same size, and even look similar to house elves,” Hermione interrupted with. “You call your mate ‘Precious.’ Is that her given name?”
“Tell them, Precious” Titanium said to his mate.
“Goblins not want to show their wives because wives treated like property,” said a glowering Precious. “Females given a letter or, if lots of females a pair of letters instead of a name, and if too many the same letter name can have name changed by parents or mate. No better than a house elf, no better than a slave. Tie gave me my name, and named our daughters. Goblin registry for names still fighting over it. Stupid Goblins.” Turning to her mate Precious said, “Thank you, Titanium, for my name, the names of our daughters, and the names of our sons.”
“So now you’re outcasts in the Goblin world?” asked Harry.
“About as welcome as a Malfoy at a Weasley Christmas, I would expect,” joked Tie. “I know your history. I have plenty of free time, something else Goblins not supposed to have. Children learning to be brilliant metalworkers, but also good happy beings.” Titanium grinned, spread out his hands to the assembled group, and said, “Trouble in Goblin land. Goblins being happy! Terrible terrible subversive things, being happy.”
“So do you know what is going on in Goblin land?” asked Harry.
“A growing group of Goblins are on our side,” replied Titanium.
“Many unhappy wives want names and respect,” added Precious.
“All my Goblin girl friends call themselves by a name and not a letter,” Ariel said, waving her hand and bouncing up on her seat. “A couple even fights with their parents, and refuse to come unless called by their name and not a letter.”
“So how many Goblins know about the DNA tests?” asked Harry.
Martin the house elf jumped up and said, “Almost all house elf children know, and are trying to tell Goblin children as quickly as possible.”
Precious added, “Goblin women do talk to house elf females, not all the time but enough, and is spreading that way as well.”
“So is this massive complaint about how Magi are being nice to house elves partly a response to this?” asked Harry.
“Stupid Goblins always unhappy,” said Titanium. “Way they are raised. Hope it’s not genetic, don’t think it is. Doesn’t help when Magi like Tom Riddle and his nasty allies treat Goblins bad.”
“What would happen if I had Cindy Base Hudson write articles about the DNA in the Daily Prophet, and see if it could be picked up around the world?” Harry asked rhetorically. “I could also have her write about the happy Goblin family.”
“Have them over to the pond next summer,” said Al. “Have Mr. & Mrs. Hudson show them in bathing suits along with house elves and Magi frolicking in the pond, climbing on the Hogwarts climbing castle, having fun.”
Everybody in the room started to laugh, and one after another they said, “Frolicking Goblins?” The whole idea was so ridiculous, and at the same time so subversive. Hermione finally said, “Precious, when the weather is right, sometime in July or August, we are going to invite you and any other Goblin family from DPW who wants to come out to the pond and the New Burrow and Potters New Burrow property.”
“I am sure we would be delighted to come,” said Precious as her mate nodded in agreement, then with a gleam in her eye, “and frolic.”
The meal was followed by various discussions, the children breaking off to play and talk, and the adults talking much more about Magi, house elf and Goblin relations and traditions.
The usual house elf meeting that took place before the ICW meeting every year was full of excitement about the DNA discoveries, and what they implied. There was a great deal of discussion about what if anything to do about the discoveries. Finally a North American house elf got up and addressed the assembled group of mostly house elves along with a few Magi, mostly the children who knew Elfish and a parent or other relative of the children.
“We need respect,” she said in elfish. “Look at what Magi call themselves, Witches and Wizards, or Magi.” On the wall she had the three capitalized words written in several languages. “Goblins are Goblins” and again she had the word used for Goblin in several languages written on the wall. “We are house elves or” and she went on to write all the various ways house elves were described. “Notice that in many languages Magi and Goblin are capitalized, but we are small letters. In other languages we are described with words or cases that imply the diminutive, that in some way we are lesser beings. In fiction when we are described as pretty, powerful, good beings we are,” putting the words up on the wall, “Elves, not elves, not house elves, not” going on to describe several other ways they were called, “but Elves. Let us start calling ourselves Elves, and ask all the other beings to start calling us Elves as well.”
There was a lot of discussion, but in the end most of the house elves agreed that from then on they would be Elves. They asked Harry Potter, who was at the meeting with Albus and Rose, to bring their request to the International Council of Witches and Wizards and to the Wizengamot in England.
Harry and Ginny walked into the New Burrow late the last Sunday in June. They had attended the dance at the end of the ICW meeting, going to bed very late there, and had just gotten back from Switzerland. As they walked into the New Burrow everybody in the room applauded, and it seemed there were 30 or 40 Elves applauding as well. The Elves quickly made themselves scarce.
“All we got was permission for Elves to be Elves,” said Harry, “and we got that by one blasted vote! We never politicked so hard. Stupid ICW factions. Had to have a clause that the next chief wizard could revoke or would have to confirm, and the Elves are going to have to fight language by language and country by country.
“Of course part of the legislation was an acknowledgement of the request of the Elves Council, the first recognition or even permission for an Elves Council. We lost a few votes on that detail, but it’s important.”
“I think it’s very important,” said Hermione. “We have legislation ready for the Wizengamot, and when it passes, and it will, we will not use ‘house elf’ but refer to Elves as ‘Elves.’ I assume the big Goblin meeting is still scheduled for the end of August.”
Harry grinned, saying, “Goblins are getting more and more upset, and not only at Magi and Elves. There is more and more open or semi-open discussion among the Goblins. Cindy’s articles in the Prophet were picked up by Magi newspapers and radio around the world, so even in areas of the world where the Goblins and Magi would like to hide the information they cannot.”
Albus, who was sitting close to the adults listening, addressed his dad saying, “You said ‘facts are stubborn things,’ dad.”
“Facts are the least of our problems, Al,” Harry responded. “What is most important is how we respond to the facts. There are even groups that will not admit to the facts. When we were fighting Tom Riddle there were large groups that did not want to admit he was back. I’ve heard comments that this DNA testing doesn’t change anything, that in our world it is just irrelevant.”
“Frolicking Goblins”, the headline in the Daily Prophet read. Harry was showing it to his family around the breakfast table.
“It was a lot of fun,” Albus said.
“Not enough Quidditch,” said James. “Why can’t Goblins and Elves fly on brooms?”
“Elves can,” Harry responded. “They’re pretty small to play Quidditch against Magi. House e…Elves are so good at apparating that maybe they just don’t see the point in flying on a broom.”
“Elves and Magi together can apparate further than either alone,” said Albus.
“In North America they are doing experiments to move large objects with Magi and Elves,” Harry said. “They are having some success, but it is dangerous. Elves and Magi have been hurt and even lost their lives in these experiments. Albus, can Goblins apparate?”
“I don’t know, dad,” answered Albus. “We never talk about it. Elves never use things to make magic, like wands, although they do use potions, and of course cook. Goblins use and make things all the time. I think they apparate, but I know they also have something like the floo network that they use but that they do not let anyone else use. They do not want anyone else to know about it, although it’s not all that secret. That is how Goblins move money around, and other treasures.”
“Can you ask?” Harry inquired.
“Why don’t you ask Goblin Titanium, dad,” Albus replied. Turning to his mother Albus asked “Do you think we could have the Goblins and Martin the Elves’ family for dinner again?”
Ginny turned to Harry and said, “I don’t have any problem with that.”
Harry replied to the whole family, “I think it would be a good idea to have Goblin Tie and his family over here again, especially after the articles about ‘frolicking Goblins.’”
Cindy Hudson thought there was a whole lot more to the Frolicking Goblins that what she saw, and after talking to Albus and Rose she wanted to write about all the DNA some more, and about the part that Albus and Rose had in getting DNA samples. It took a lot of persuading, but in the end Harry and Ginny, Hermione and Ron agreed. Cindy agreed to write the article in such a way as to promote the ideas of equality that they all were fighting for.
The same group of Elves, humans and Goblins was at a meal later that week. Cindy and her husband were at the meal documenting it; she had agreed to let Harry and Hermione go over the story before it was published. There was a lot of discussion about the ‘frolicking goblins’ article, and the good time that was had by all.
Harry finally asked, “Do Goblins apparate like Elves and Magi?”
“We can, but most of us don’t,” Tie replied. “We can use wands, but we are not supposed to. Some of the devices that Goblins use are not exactly wands, but they are devices that focus magic, so they do some of the same thing.”
“Would you like to use wands?” asked Harry.
“I can hardly speak for all the Goblins,” said Tie. “There are Goblins who are talking to me or getting messages to me, however. They know I’m talking to Harry Potter. Using wands helpful but not necessary.”
“How would you suggest I approach the Goblins when we have our big meeting?” asked Harry.
Tie got a twinkle in his eye. “I think I’d say Elves and Goblins and Metal Working Dwarves all the same anyway. I have DNA samples here,” and he handed Harry some DNA samples, “and Metal Working Dwarves really just partly Goblin and partly Elves. Always good at metal working, but hated by too many Elves and Goblins. Stupid.”
“How many Metal Working Dwarves are there?’ asked Harry.
“More than Leprechauns,” said Tie.
“Leprechauns just little free Elves,” said Dobedo.
Harriet added, “Like to pretend are different, but just like a whole big family of disobedient children.”
“So I just mention to the Goblins that they aren’t a different from Elves?” asked Harry.
“And get Goblins fighting among themselves, if you’re lucky,” Tie replied.
There followed a long discussion about the various branches of the Goblin/Elf family, including the mixed blood Metal Working Dwarves, and some history of the problems mixed beings had. The parts of the discussion that Harry and Hermione wanted to be out in public were in the series of articles Cindy wrote.
Scorpius and Cleopatra were reading the Daily Prophet and talking among themselves and with the house elves. Scorpius said, “I bet my Dad and especially my Mum are furious about these articles.”
Cleo said, “Your mum really does not like anybody, except a few of her Pure Blooded friends, does she?”
“No,” Scorpius replied. “I don’t think she even likes me much. Grandmum kisses me good night, but Mum doesn’t even touch me.”
“And they want me to marry you?” asked Cleo.
“Granddad wants us to get married,” said Scorpius, “and dad does everything granddad wants, even though granddad is in prison. It’s stupid. I really like you, Cleo, but more like a sister. I hope we are always friends, but thinking we’ll get married is just wrong.”
“Albus and Rose are the same age as we are,” said Cleo. “They have done so much, and they are parts of big wonderful families. I wish I could be part of that family instead of this one.”
“I’ll be in Slytherin and they will be in Gryffindor,” said Scorpius. “I’d like to be friends with people like them, but I’m worried that there is too much bad blood between the families. Roses’ mother was tortured in our house! Rose will probably meet me and hate me as soon as she knows my name.”
“Do you think I could meet Albus and Rose?” asked Cleo. “Do you think there is any way I could be sorted into any other house?”
“Probably not,” said Scorpius. “We’re doomed!”
Cleo asked the house elves, and they gave Cleo copies of all the Prophet articles about the Potter family and Albus Potter or Rose Weasley.
Although Harry had been replaced as Chief Mugwump of the International Council of Witches and Wizards, the Goblins still wanted him to chair the big meeting that was finally held the end of August of 2015. Galadriel and Thorin met with Harry the day before the meeting, at the request of John and Mary Rivendell and Goblin Zefenslot.
Harry did ask Goblin Zefenslot, “Which side of this controversy are you on?”
“Officially, I am keeping my mouth shut, and my power intact,” the old Goblin said. “My youngest grandson is up to his neck in Dragon Dung over all he is doing to promote this, and I am not ordering him to stop.”
“And your wife?” Harry asked Zefenslot.
“Mutnesut is keeping her own consul, but working behind the scenes,” the old Goblin said, a twinkle in his eye. “Listen to our children.”
When Harry met with Al and Rose, Galadriel and Thorin, Galadriel said, “It is important that we all are at this meeting, advising you, and that Albus is our spokesman.”
“Are you all right with this, Albus?” asked Harry.
“Magic comes from the female,” Albus said. “I do not feel comfortable doing this.”
“Your queen is not yet at your side,” Galadriel said, “The Goblins will not listen to me.”
“I have yet to prove myself,” Thorin said. “The time is coming, as we all know.”
“I feel neither comfortable not happy to be the spokesman, father,” Albus said. “All the Elf Friends, those of us learning the languages, have appointed me to this task, however. I have no choice but to do my best.”
The assembled group spent a long time talking about the document, how different it was in Elfish, in Goblin Elfish, and in Gobbledegook, and why it was important.
That night Harry told Ginny, “People are asking a lot of Albus. I am proud of him, but also worried.”
The Goblins presented a summary of their complaints for two days. It seemed like at almost every point Albus and the rest would argue over how to translate certain words, and then get into massively disputed interpretations of the history of the wars between Goblins and Elves and Magi.
At one point Harry could tell that Albus was arguing about the history of magic. “Magic came from the Elf Queen, not her consort,” Albus said. “Read the old myths. It was given to the witches before the wizards.”
Harry thought there would be a revolt.
Albus presented DNA evidence, historical evidence based on certain books currently published, and documents they had found from the archives to back him up. Galadriel and Thorin argued the point.
Finally, after a debate that almost became a fight, Goblin Zefenslot got up and for the first time spoke, saying something in very harsh Gobbledegook, and two Goblins were taken from the hall.
“What did Zefenslot say,” Harry asked.
“Threatening to kill his grandson and his grandson’s friends was going too far,” Albus said. “The most vocal of the Goblins are not particularly happy.”
“NOT PARTICULARY HAPPY?” Rose said. “Like Tom Riddle was not particularly happy that he could not kill your father. They want to KILL US!”
Al said, “Unknown to all these Goblins, the whole of these sessions is being broadcast live to all the Goblin wives we can find, and transcript of the sessions are going to be published within a week in all the languages the Goblins speak. There are going to be some very unhappy Goblins very soon.”
At the end of the two days the chief spokesman for the group of unhappy Goblins asked for many of the recent changes in the treatment of Elves to be rolled back. They also wanted to forbid fraternization between Goblins and the other races.
“More Goblins need to frolic, and not argue,” said Harry. “You act like you’re a different race, but the only thing that seems to make a Goblin a Goblin is you’re never happy. Better to be an Elf.”
“Goblins not Elves!” the most vocal of the opponents of changes yelled, to a chorus of approval. About half of the hall did not join in the chorus, however.
Harry held up a thick report that was going to be distributed to all attending the session. “This report goes over both DNA and historical arguments for you all being the same, Goblin, Elf, Metal Working Elf, even Leprechaun. Read the report and get back to us,” said Harry. He then got up and led the Magi and the rest, all but the Goblins, out of the room.
For the next year there were discussions, small arguments, controversy and the like between Elves, Goblins, Magi, with the half breed Metal Working Dwarves and even a couple Leprechauns joining in. There were no more formal complaints from the Goblins, however. Whenever anyone told Harry that ‘the Goblins are not happy,’ Harry would respond that, ‘Goblins are just unhappy Elves. It’s in their nature not to be happy.’
Albus and Rose continued to go over to Switzerland, to work on the DNA project, and, as Albus said, with a gleam in his eye, to ‘Frolic.’
Eventually Harry asked Ginny, “Is Albus really the leader of the Magi children studying with the Elves. I will never get a straight answer out of him. Maybe you could ask Rose.”
Ginny would occasionally spend time alone with Rose, giving her some “female” attention. Rose liked going clothes shopping with Ginny and Lily, something that Hermione found extremely boring and time consuming. One evening Rose was over, and Ginny said to her, “Uncle Harry and I would like to talk to you about you and Albus. Just how important are you two?”
“I’m not all that important, Aunt Ginny,” Rose said. “People sometimes ask if I am as smart as my mother, and I just don’t feel that smart. Albus does not need me like people say Uncle Harry and Dad needed Mum.
“You really need to talk to Mr. and Mrs. Brandt, Adel and Hermann’s parents, about Albus. I am Albus’s cousin, but I am not part of the leadership. Because the Brandt’s are in Switzerland, and talk to the Elves and everybody, they know.”
So Harry and Ginny arranged a meeting with Wilhelm Brant, the grandson of Gerhardt Richter, and his wife Freda. Gerhardt was still the head of the Swiss Valley. They took Rose along.
Wilhelm said, “The three beings really at the head of the group learning all the languages are Galadriel and Thorin, plus Albus. It is hard to think of Galadriel as a house elf. Other Elves treat her almost as a princess, one who will be the Elf Queen someday. Thorin is everything good a Goblin is, but is almost more like an Elf King than a Goblin. Those two are a pair, which is against everything Elves and Goblins are. It is real strange”.
“More and more they are saying that Magic comes from the female. We are missing a female Magi to Albus.
“Albus is always careful to say that he is not the King of the Magi, and that there is a good chance that someone else, maybe even one of your or his decedents, will become the next king. Most of the children I talk to think Albus is just being humble.”
Ginny asked Rose, “What does Albus think he is? Does he think he is the leader of your group? Does he think he will be the next King of the Magi?”
Rose said, “Albus has accepted the role of head of the Magi children. Albus tries very hard to listen to good advice, and to understand what we want to do as a group, and what we need to do. As to being the next King, the most Albus will ever admit to is, ‘maybe, if I survive.’ He is very aware that there are people out there trying to kill him.”
Wilhelm Brandt said, “Albus is a natural leader. He is a consensus builder, and all of the children learning with him like him and respect him. To Albus’s credit, I think it frightens him some time. He asks me, and many others, how to be sure he is a good person, and is doing the right thing.”
Ginny asked, “Are there Goblins who would kill Albus?”
“Not many,” Wilhelm said, “but Goblins have their outlaws and evil people too. There are Goblins who serve the Lord of the Dementors.”
After these discussions Harry and Ginny were even more worried.
Chapter 29: CH. 29 Luna Rolf Scamander
Author's Notes: I hope you enjoy this as much as FriendofMolly did. I enjoyed writing it.
The summer of 2015 was not all about Goblins and Elves.
The first Saturday in June Albus came back from band practice and said, “We have lost our bass player. Mac Paul wasn’t very good, and he quit. I have agreed to learn how to play bass, but I need a bass guitar.”
After more discussion about the band, Ginny and Albus, plus of course the Elves Mitzi and Frerin, went to the Magical Musical Menagerie. As soon as they entered the shop they spotted a Hofner Violin Bass, one very similar to the one Paul McCartney played on the early Beatle records. This one was a fraction of the cost of the guitar, and so Ginny gladly purchased it, a special bass amplifier, and even some magical enhancements.
The second Thursday in July, (it was after midnight, so technically it was the second Friday in July), Ginny got a phone call about three in the morning from St. Mungo’s. The witch on the other end of the phone said, “Do you know Luna Lovegood? She wants to talk to you.”
“That’s fine,” Ginny said, getting curious and hoping that Luna was all right.
“Hello Ginny, how are you?” a breathless Luna said. “Rolf and I, Oh, Ginny, I’m here with Rolf Scamander. He and I have been having the most fantastic time in South American finding and sketching magical animals. We have a whole chapter of interesting animals to add to his grandfather’s book and I can’t wait …”
Ginny heard a male voice in the background say “Luna, the wedding.”
“Oh, … yes, … well, Rolf and I want to get married, and we want to know if you could find someone to marry us right away because we really …OH …”
“Ginny,” a male voice said, “I’m Rolf. As Luna was going to say, we want to be married before we have children, and we thought we had a little time, but I think she’s in labor right now, so, is there any way you could find someone to marry us right away?” There was a pause, and then Rolf said “We are in England. Should we come to your house, or stay at St. Mungo’s? I have no idea how long it takes to have human babies, so hurry please!”
Ginny heard a voice in the background saying, “There is NO WAY you are leaving now, Luna, Rolf!”
“How long does it take to have a human baby, Ginny?” Luna sweetly inquired. “I’ve only been having this tightening for about a day, and they have only gotten this hard the last couple of hours. Am I really in labor?”
“Let me talk to the midwife,” Ginny said.
Ginny heard Luna say, “Ginny Potter wants to talk to you.”
A voice on the other end of the phone said, “Ginny?”
“This is Ginny Potter.”
“I delivered Lily Luna. Was she named after Luna Lovegood?”
“Yes, Lily was Harry’s mother’s name, and Luna is after the Luna you have at St. Mungo’s right now. How far along is she?”
“Eight or nine centimeters, and she is progressing along nicely. She will probably have the first baby in an hour or so, two at the most, I would guess.”
“The FIRST baby?” Ginny asked.
“Luna is pregnant with twins,” the midwife said.
“Let me tell Luna to stay right there!” Ginny exclaimed.
“I would, unless you want another baby delivered in your drawing room,” the midwife said, “like some idiot mother I know. Here is Luna.”
“Stay at St. Mungo’s. I’ll meet you there, and try to find someone to marry you,” Ginny said.
‘I’ll never live down having Albus in the drawing room,’ Ginny thought.
“Luna wants you and Harry to be our witnesses, although we are going to try and get in touch with my parents, and her father,” Rolf said. “I think Luna is having another contraction.”
“I’ll do my best,” Ginny said as she ended the phone call. The first person to come to mind was Hermione, so she called her and said, “Luna is back from South America with Rolf Scamander, and they are pregnant, and she is in labor at St. Mungo’s, and they want to get married, so can you marry them, like, right away!”
“Right now?” asked Hermione.
“Right now!” Ginny exclaimed.
An obviously exasperated Hermione said, “Ginny, it is three in the morning!”
“Luna and Rolf want to be married before the baby is born, and she’s at eight or nine centimeters already,” Ginny said.
“BLOODY HELL,” said Hermione, and then, in a much quieter voice, “Well, that proves that I’ve lived with Ron a long time.”
“Can you marry them?” asked Ginny.
“I AM the Assistant Minister of Magic, so I think I have the authority to perform marriages,” Hermione said. “I’ll get the book with the ceremony and documents and be right over.”
Ginny said, “Harry and I need to go over to St. Mungo’s to be their witnesses so, if you can, you ought to be able to marry people, I’ll meet you over there right away!”
Ginny terminated the call, looked at Harry, and said, ‘“We are going to St. Mungo’s right now to witness Luna’s marriage to Rolf. She’s in labor so we need to hurry.” Harry slowly got up, and Ginny said with more urgency, “HURRY.”
Harry threw on some clothes, and looked for Ginny. Mitzi was there, helping Ginny get some clothes on. The three of them went down to the kitchen and took the floo to St. Mungo’s.
Old Xenophilius Lovegood arrived at St. Mungo’s almost immediately after Harry and Ginny, followed by a witch and wizard that looked almost as frantic as Xenophilius.
“Luna,” said Ginny.
“Lovegood,” said Xenophilius.
“Scamander,” said the witch.
About this time a middle age wizard with wild gray hair came rushing into the room. “Everybody is here but, who is going to marry us?” he said.
“I expect you and Luna are going to marry each other, Rolf,” Xenophilius said.
Rolf looked at his soon to be father-in-law, and said in an exasperated tone of voice, “I know THAT! Who is going to perform the ceremony?”
Ginny said, “Hermione is trying to find the proper spells.”
Rolf said, “Follow me,” and took off at a run, followed by everyone else. “Who are you, and what are you doing?” the witch at the desk shouted at the small crowd of people running past her.
“Harry Potter, THE Harry Potter, and these are my friends, and we are taking care of some urgent business,” Harry replied. Once in a while it was very good being Harry Potter, and from the shocked way the witch at the reception looked at him, recognized him, and then allowed all these frantic people to go rushing into the hospital, this looked it was one of those times.
The small mob trouped into Luna’s room. Luna was half sitting up, her legs spread apart, with a witch midwife down between her legs. “You are fully dilated, Luna,” the midwife said. “It won’t be long now.”
“Oh, hello Ginny, Harry,” Luna said. “Daddy! Rolf, your parents are here! This is going to be SO MUCH FUN! Giving birth is really fascinating! It’s like your body knows what to do even when you’ve never done it before. I‘ve just found out the most interesting thing, Muggle women let men deliver babies! I think midwives are much better.”
“Have you seen one?” the midwife asked.
“A man delivering babies?” Luna asked. “I have never seen any human babies being born. Rolf and I have seen lots of animal babies born, though.”
“Have you seen a midwife?” the frustrated witch midwife asked.
“I’ve taken all my potions,” said Luna. “The last time I saw her she said the twins were doing fine.”
“When was that?” asked the witch midwife.
“Forty three days ago,” said Luna. “I probably should have listened to her when she suggested coming back here a little sooner than we did, but everything was going so well, and I thought having twins might be a problem for field work.”
“The wedding,” Rolf said. “Please!”
“Oh, well we’ve been engaged for over four years, Rolf show the Potters your engagement ring,” Luna said as she held out her hand. Both Luna and Rolf had the most unusual engagement rings on. They almost looked like bouquets of the tiniest flowers, multicolored covering a full joint of each finger. Somehow when you looked at them you could see they were a pair, and that Luna’s was feminine and Rolf’s was masculine.
“Luna,” said Rolf with a little panic in his voice.
“Well, we both knew we wanted to get married before we had any children,” said Luna, “but the research was going so well, and we just kept putting off coming back home.”
Luna got a look on her face that Ginny had no trouble interpreting as a labor pains.
“Could you and Mr. Potter be our best man and maid of honor, please,” pleaded Rolf.
“That’s why we are here,” Ginny said. “Although I have to be a matron of honor. After three children I can hardly claim to be a virgin.”
Ginny looked at Harry, and said, “I wasn’t all that thrilled to be a virgin even when I was one.”
Luna said, “It was obvious at your wedding that you wanted to have sex with Harry. Was it fun? I like having sex with Rolf.
“What are we waiting for? I think we ought to be married as soon as possible now.”
Ginny said, “We are just waiting for Hermione.”
“Oh. Ohhhhhhhhh,” Luna said as she grabbed onto Rolf’s hand.
“It’s time to push,” the midwife said.
“I think I ought to wait until I’m officially married,” Luna said in a sweet and rather unconcerned voice.
“You cannot stop labor NOW!” the midwife said.
“If I do not push will it slow labor down a little?” Luna asked. “I did tell Rolf that we would be married before the babies were bor … OOOOhhhhh.”
A harried Hermione appeared with a large book in her hand. Ron struggled along behind, carrying a bag that apparently had more potentially needed things.
“Do you have the wedding spells?” Ginny asked.
“Yes,” Hermione said. “It’s Luna Lovegood and who?”
“Me,” Rolf said.
“Who ARE you?” Hermione asked.
“Rolf … Rolf Scamander,” Rolf replied.
Hermione had opened the book in her hand, and said, “Do you, Rolf Scamander, take Luna Lovegood to be your wife, to … in good times and bad, until we are parted by death?”
“I do,” Rolf said.
“Do you, Luna Lovegood, take Rolf Scamander to be your husband, … in good times and bad, until we are parted by death?” she asked Luna.
“I do,” Luna said.
Hermione muttered “That was about as short as I could make it.”
Luna was not having a contraction at the moment so Hermione pushed a piece of parchment in front of her, and said, “Sign here.” Luna did. Then as Luna’s next contraction started Hermione turned to Rolf and said, “Sign here.” Rolf did as he was told.
“You are officially married as of 3:25 AM,” Hermione said, waving her wand over the couple. Usually gold or silver stars sprinkled over the couple, but what came out of Hermione’s wand was a riot of colors. Hermione looked at her book again. “I do not think we need to say the spells for fertility. You seem to have succeeded in that department.” She then said, “Harry, Ginny, we need to sign the certificate. Then I have to finish filling it out.”
Hermione, Ginny and Harry signed the certificate as the midwife said, “I can see a head, Luna. Time to push.”
“Ohhhhhhhhhhh” Luna said.
“Push. Love you. Push,” Rolf said at the same time.
“This is so exciting!” Luna said. “Did you have lots of people with you when you gave birth, Ginny?”
“No, just Harry,” Ginny said.
“I’m just so happy everybody is here!” Luna said. “Ohhhhhhhhhhh!!”
“Push,” the nurse midwife said.
Ginny whispered to Harry, “I didn’t want to give birth to a big audience.”
As soon as her contraction stopped Luna said, “They gave me something for pain, but I told them I wanted to feel everything. This is so interesting! The babies aren’t moving much. I think sometimes they were fighting in there. Oh, I can feel another one starting. Ohhhhhhhhhhhh.”
“Push,” the nurse midwife said.
Rolf didn’t say anything but held on to Luna’s hands and kissed her cheek.
Everybody except Hermione, who was trying to fill out a parchment, introduced themselves. Hermione quickly introduced herself, and got some biographical information from Rolf and Luna’s parents, while Luna had a couple more hard contractions in quick succession, and then the midwife said, “We have a boy, born at 3:31 AM.”
“Six minutes to spare, Rolf,” Luna said. “I told you we’d be married before I had the boys. I thought we’d have a little more time, though. Isn’t this exciting!”
“Bloody Hell,” Ron whispered, as Hermione turned toward him, her face a combination of total exhaustion and incredulity.
“Bloody Hell indeed,” Hermione whispered, pushing her head into Ron and holding on to him. Ron kissed her head and put his arms around her.
“Name?” asked one of the witches assisting the midwife.
“Lorcan,” Luna said. “L-O-R-C-A-N. And his twin is Lysander, L-Y-S-A-N-D-E-R Ohhhhhhhhhhhh.”
“I think Lysander doesn’t want to leave his twin,” the midwife said. “He’s coming fast. Push again!”
A couple more quick pushes and Lysander was born.
“Lysander came out easier than Lorcan,” Luna said.
“Small, just under 5 pounds each, but they’ll be all right,” one of the assistants said. “Time for their first feeding.”
Luna threw off the gown that was over her and let the two witches holding the two babies help position one on each breast. One of the witches quickly covered up what she could of Luna. It took Luna a little while before both babies were firmly latched on and she was comfortable holding them. Then she looked at the babies like she was pondering the situation, and said, “It’s a good thing I’ve got two breasts, so there is one for each baby. I wonder what you do with triplets; charm another one in the middle? That would be interesting.”
“Triplets is six times the work of twins,” one of the witches said. “You get help if you can.”
“Oh, that is an interesting sensation,” Luna said. “It feels like, like it’s more than just an animal thing, like maybe some of your spirit is being fed to the babies, but not like you are losing anything. If anything it feels like the more I give the more I will get back.” Luna looked at both babies hanging on her breasts. It was hard enough to nurse two babies, and no attempt was made at modesty. “It’s a good thing I’ve got two of them,” Luna said looking at her breasts, “or someone would be hungry.
Ginny said, “My mum said that the hardest thing to give up when she decided not to have any more children was the nursing. It does feel good, and sometimes, when I think maybe Harry and I ought to have another one, the pleasant feeling when you are nursing kind of makes me want to get pregnant again.”
“First you’re pregnant for nine months, and then they grow up. I’m not ready for another Hugo,” said Hermione. “No more for me! I finally filled out the marriage certificate. It is a little irregular filling it out after the ceremony, but everything is legal.”
“You wouldn’t have another Hugo!” said Luna.
“No, I guess not,” Hermione said. “I just had the perfect daughter. It would be bad enough if Hugo was a clone of Ron, but I think he is trying to be a clone of George.”
Ron grinned at everybody. “That’s my boy!” he said.
Hermione looked at Ron and just shook her head. “Hugo is why there are not going to BE any more.”
“Do you want to change your name?” Hermione asked Luna.
“I’ve always wanted a middle name,” Luna said. “Rolf. Luna Rolf Scamander. I LIKE that. Rolf, you can be Rolf Luna Scamander. The boys can be Lorcan and Lysander Lovegood Scamander. Oh this is exciting, having babies and getting married and changing our names and everything!”
A horrified Hermione looked at Rolf, who said, “It HAS been an adventure.” Then, very quietly, he said to Hermione, “It will be a lot easier to register the names than to argue with her.”
Hermione wrote down the new names on the marriage licenses, and gave Rolf two copies.
Hermione said, “I will file the original Marriage Certificate at the Ministry.”
“We are both going into work late tomorrow,” Ron said to Hermione. “You need your beauty sleep.”
“Thank you, Hermione, for doing this for us. It really means a lot to Luna, and me,” Rolf said. “Thank you too, Mr. Hermione.”
“You are welcome, Mr. Luna,” Ron replied, as he ushered Hermione out of the birthing room.
Rolf looked at Luna nursing the babies. “It’s like she’s in a different world,” he said. “I think she is going to be a good mother.
Soon the boys were cleaned up and had nappies on them. Luna was sitting up in bed, and they had finished cleaning up the afterbirth. “It will be a little messy down there for a while yet,” the midwife said, covering everything up. “For your first, and twins, everything went surprisingly well.”
For about twenty minutes, while Luna nursed the boys, delivered the afterbirth, and was cleaned up, she continued to talk animatedly with the assembled crowd. All of a sudden she said, “I’m tired. Good night.” She promptly fell asleep. Rolf’s parents and Luna’s father excused themselves, saying they would be back in the morning.
Rolf sat down, obviously exhausted. Harry and Ginny sat down beside him. “Since grandpa Newt retired no one has revised his book, and it really needs to be done. Dad says I can do it, that he is interested in other things and has no skill at editing.
“Xenophilius is in bad health. He should,” Rolf took a deep breath “He really should stay home. We are going to live there, in the tower, maybe add a room or two, and take care of him too. Luna and I agreed that we would stay here until the twins go off to Hogwarts.
“I really don’t make friends all that easily,” Rolf continued. “Luna was not worried about you at all. ‘Harry and Ginny and Hermione, and even Ron and Neville, they’d do anything for me, and me for them,’ she said. I can’t imagine good friends like that. Could you be my friend too?”
“Any husband of Luna is our good friend,” Harry said.
Rolf said, “Thank you, Ginny, and Harry, for coming.”
“I haven’t heard much from Luna for about four years” Ginny said. “Is that how long you two have been together?”
“Luna likes to classify things,” Rolf said. “Her categories can be quite unique. I think she would say we were partners in research for a year, on two field trips. I’m a good naturalist, but no artist. Luna is excellent at art and drawing, and observing. After our first field trip Luna set up her art studio in my apartment and slept in there. When we were finished, after the second trip, well, it was like we talked about what we would do next, sort of like we knew we wanted to do it together. We’d held hands, but never kissed or anything.
“I was trying to figure out if she liked me as a boyfriend, and tried to hint around at it, but Luna just does not catch those kind of clues. So finally I said to her ‘Luna would you like it if were not just business partners, but were boyfriend and girlfriend?
“‘Oh, instead of just holding hands sometimes we kissed?’ she asked. ‘I guess we’d better kiss to see if we like it.’ So we did. And we did like it. I think after the first time she said something like ‘Oh, that’s pleasant! I like that. We’d better practice some more.’ Then she considered us boyfriend and girlfriend, and decided we needed to experiment with what that meant. Very peasant experiments!
“Luna’s pretty uninhibited most of the time. One time she was walking around the house naked and I got really turned on, and she saw it, and said, ‘Oh, that must be what Hermione meant when she said you could tell if a guy was turned on. Can I see it?’ almost like it was an academic question, and not a sexually loaded one. So I took off my boxers, and she examined me quite thoroughly. Then she said, ‘Are we going to stay together?’ and I said something like, ‘I’ll marry you, and we can stay together for the rest of our lives.’
“‘I probably ought to get some birth control before we go any further,’ she said. ‘It’s good to know we are going to get married before we have, well, kissing and the rest is sort of sex but it isn’t really, like,’ well, you know Luna. She was trying to articulate just how the relationship had changed, and she’s not always good at human dynamics.”
Ginny looked at Rolf. “Is that how you asked Luna to marry you?”
Rolf looked at Ginny like he was trying to figure out something, finally saying, “Well, sort of. After that we talked like we, well after that we both knew we were going to get married, eventually. And we intended to get married sooner, but the research was so productive, and being together so pleasant, that we kept putting it off.
“Then we went on a field trip, and ran out of birth control potion long before we ran out of things that we had to do, and Luna was pregnant by the time we got back. We tried to wrap up everything and get back, but it wasn’t until this past week, when Luna was seven and a half months along, that we were able to get away. I think as we went through all the pathways to get here Luna was in labor, but she just wanted to get home. So we hit England, and Luna said, ‘We need to see the Potters,’ but I said, ‘Luna, it is two thirty in the morning, and we really need to go to St. Mungo’s to have you checked out first.’ You know the rest.”
“I’ll be back to visit Luna tomorrow morning,” Ginny said. “Where are you staying?”
“In Luna’s room at first and then eventually we are moving in with Grandpa Newt, and will be taking over the house and his collection of animals and documents,” Rolf said. “Grandpa is not in the best of health, and he cannot concentrate well enough to edit his book anymore.”
Harry said, “Get some sleep, Rolf.”
Ginny followed up with. “We will be back in the morning.”
Late the next morning, after some much needed rest, and after clearing her calendar, Ginny was back at St. Mungo’s. Harry drove, and he was going to take everybody to Luna’s house. As they were entering the hospital Ginny asked Harry, “How would you feel about having another child? I like babies!”
“They don’t stay babies, Ginny,” Harry said. “If you want to have another one, I have no objection to doing my part.”
“It is a lot less work for you than it is for me, Harry. Still, after Albus goes to Hogwarts, but before Lily goes, I just might. I cannot see having all the children at Hogwarts and no one home. Maybe by the time our last one is at Hogwarts we will have grandchildren.”
Harry asked, “Do you have the car seats for the twins?”
Ginny took the car seats out of the back, and handed one to Harry.
When they got to Luna’s room everybody was sleeping. The witch on duty said, “Everybody fell asleep about an hour ago. Could you wait a couple of hours? I don’t think anyone got much sleep last night.”
Harry and Ginny took the floo home, with a promise to come back as soon as the Scamander family was waking up. A couple of hours later a healer called them, and they took the floo back. Luna was nursing the twins again, and Rolf seemed to be sleeping.
“Ginny, how do you get a good night sleep when the babies want to nurse every three hours,” Luna said.
Ginny said, “You don’t get a good night’s sleep. The first few weeks you may be constantly short of sleep, so you sleep when you can. It does get better.”
Rolf stirred, and said, “We have a lot of luggage to take back to Luna’s house.”
Harry said, “We can take it to the car while the babies nurse.”
Eventually Harry and Ginny got the new little family to the Lovegood home. Luna and the babies slept in the car, and Rolf was almost asleep most of the time.
“Let me check and see if Luna’s room is ready,” Ginny said. She and Mitzi got out of the car and went into the house. A short time later she came out, got back into the car, and said, “To the New Burrow, Harry. I don’t think Luna’s room has been cleaned since she left for South America. It looks like Xenophilius has been using Luna’s room as a storeroom.
“I’m not sure Xenophilius has cleaned much of anything since Luna has been gone, Harry.
‘We have a problem, Harry.”
Harry thought back at how Vernon and Marge Dursley always complained if anyone was charitable towards anyone else. Vernon mocked The Christmas Carol story by Dickens. He was a disciple of Ann Rand, believing in nothing but selfishness. It didn’t make Vernon a happy person. Responding to people’s needs and helping others seemed to be the secret to happiness.
“I will call Fleur and Solon, and see what we can do for Xenophilius, and for the Scamander family,” Harry said.
“I’m sure Mum will let the Scamander family stay with her for a few days,” Ginny said.
Luna, Rolf and the twins ended up staying almost four weeks, as they arranged for Xenophilius to move to Newt Scamander’s house, and expanded the house.
An Elf couple was acquired to help take care of the two old men. The Elves could have been owned by the Scamander family, but instead they were part of the Potter/Weasley house elves, and were just hired by the Scamander’s. The Goblins objected to the arrangement, but couldn’t do anything about it.
Chapter 30: CH 30 Wrong Place, Wrong Time
Author's Notes: Another chapter title by FriendofMolly. Thank you for reading this far. Reviews make both of us happy. .
It was the end of August, 2015. Louis Weasley was going to Hogwarts, James Potter was not, and James was not happy.
“Louis is only a month older than I am,” said James for about the hundredth time. “It’s not fair that he gets to go to Hogwarts this year and I have to wait a full year.”
“All the complaining in the world isn’t going to make a bit of difference,” Ginny told her oldest son. “You were born in October, and you have to be eleven in September to go to Hogwarts.”
“Why couldn’t I have been born earlier?” James complained.
“I would have been very happy for you to come early,” said Ginny. “You were by far the hardest labor I had, three days of the hardest work I ever did, and you were two weeks late besides.”
“So I’m stuck taking classes with babies for another year,” grumbled James.
“Another year of broom practice,” said Ginny with a twinkle in her eye. “Your dad was the only first year to make the Quidditch team in many years. Maybe you can follow in his footsteps and be a first year seeker too.”
“Do you think I could?” said James. “I’ll practice real hard! Al, will you help me? We can play seeker with the practice snitch so I can get real good!”
“I’ll help,” said Al with a sigh.
“Great,” said James. “That will be good for you, too, when you get to be seeker for Slytherin.”
“James!” said Ginny. “Stop teasing your brother.”
James shrugged his shoulders, Al shook his head, and Ginny let the subject drop. James teased everybody some, but he really had it in for his younger and smaller brother. It didn’t help that James was taller, reasonably tall for having short parents, and Albus always looked shorter, smaller and younger than he was.
Molly and Narcissa continued their every other week meeting. The middle of September Narcissa said, “I just had another real nasty meeting, this one with Lilith Nukpana, Cleo’s grandmother, and two other people from their home. They insist on having me hire these horrible teachers, and have left me with a number of just terrible books to use in teaching the children. Godiva, my mother-in-law, and Astoria both are pushing us to defy the laws and Draco’s probation and use these books and one of the teachers.
“I told everybody that we cannot do anything other than what we are doing now. Draco is still under probation. For my part I told Lilith, and Astoria, that these books are junk, terrible prejudice Pure Blood trash.
“My Mum, Druella, got mad at me for that. She still believes all the Pure Blood ideas, although she isn’t exactly on Godiva and Astoria’s side. I’m not sure what happens in the upstairs that those two old women inhabit, but it has to be tense. They are not exactly friends.”
Molly asked, as she almost always did, “How are you holding up under the pressure?”
“Our house elves, and their allies, have kept the Dementors away,” Narcissa said. “I am friends with all the house elves. Even my Mum’s elf Rapier and Godiva’s house elf Gritrude get along with me, as do the rest of the house elves. That helps.”
“Is Draco still as passive as always?” Molly asked.
Narcissa said, “I threaten to report him, privately of course, if I ever hear him or see him trying to violate his probation. Debby, the house elf who is Dobby’s sister, is, from what I hear, rather blunt in telling him that she would personally report him if he tried to violate his probation. I think Draco tries to undermine me, but so far it has not worked very well.
“Draco gets mad at Scorpius, and I have seen them fight. I think Draco does some of it because that’s what his father did to him, and some of it because of what Lucius is telling Draco to do.
“Draco has also tried to verbally abuse Cleo, but it does not seem to work. She calls a house elf, for protection, but then she just laughs at Draco. It drives him nuts. She will walk away, and go to the organ, and play some bombastic tune, mocking his yelling.
“Two more years, and Scorpius and Cleo will go to Hogwarts, even if Lilith and Draco do not want them to go.
“How is your family?”
Molly answered, “They are all doing well at the moment. Louis Weasley went to Hogwarts this fall. The only grandchildren left at home are Ginny’s three and Ron’s two. James Potter starts next year, and then Albus and Rose will be in class with Scorpius and Cleopatra.”
“I wonder when they will meet?” Narcissa asked.
“I wonder?” Molly repeated.
Early in November Harry told Ginny, “I have to spend another week in Switzerland, mostly working on prophecy, but also meeting with a variety of people. Can you get away and come with me?
Ginny replied, “I can get away Sunday afternoon, right after I submit the scores of the Quidditch games.”
Harry said, “I know Albus and Rose want to spend a little time with the science people in Switzerland. Maybe you could take them along.”
Ginny replied, “They are usually very busy when they are there. We could certainly take them.”
Harry spent a productive week with various people. Some of it was with the Crystal Ball. Harry told Ginny and the prophets that he could see things being put in place, with Albus and Cleopatra in the center of some of it. He was reasonably sure that he knew who Cleo was in his Crystal Ball, and who her parents, grandmother, and great grandmother were. It was a lot harder finding out who the Lord of the Dementors was, and Harry was not sure he had traced any lines back to The Lord of the Dementors.
Nausicaa Scheria and her granddaughter, Sibylla Papadopoulos, had some information Harry could not find on his own. Nausicaa said, “The Lord of the Dementors wants Albus dead. He feels that all of the Prophesies about the Wizard to Come are pointing at Albus. Albus wonders if that is true, and so far we have told him that it is possible, but it is also possible that the fabled wizard is a generation or two further along.
“When Albus asks us what he should do, we tell him to keep doing what he is doing. Prophesies are not an instruction book, and overly confident people have a way of letting hubris cause them to fail. So far we think Albus is doing just what he should be doing.”
Ginny asked, “What about this Cleopatra girl?”
Nausicaa said, “I am very anxious to meet her. We are having a very hard time understanding the Prophesies about her.”
Ginny asked, “Do you still think they are going to get married?”
Nausicaa said, “I think there will be a ceremony, but when the marriage documents are signed they will backdate to when they sang a duet at the music store. As far as the fates are concerned, they are married.”
Ginny said, “I keep hearing that. It’s CRAZY? What if they meet and don’t like each other?”
“If they are successful, great evil will leave the world, Ginny,” Nausicaa said. “I wish I could tell you something to make you feel better, but I am very nervous too.”
Ginny asked, “Well, how about something easy. How many grandchildren am I going to have?”
“Are you finished having children, Ginny?” Nausicaa asked.
“I’m not sure,” Ginny said.
“If you have more children you will have more grandchildren. Should I count Teddy’s children?” Nausicaa asked. “I think you are going to be grandparents to Teddy’s children.”
“Are Teddy and Victoria really going to have a dozen?” Ginny asked.
“It is not impossible,” Nausicaa replied. “The future will take care of itself. Take care of yourself, Ginny, so you can live to see your grandchildren and great grandchildren.”
Albus spent some time alone with Bishop Apollo Scheria. After some talk about what Albus and Rose were doing, Albus said, “I’m still haunted by killing that wizard. I know I really didn’t have a choice, but I wish I would never have to kill anyone ever again.”
“If you confronted an evil being trying to kill you and others would you rather many other people died?” asked Apollo.
“I guess I would have to kill the person, but it’s a lousy choice,” Albus said. “Dad says sometimes you only have a bad choice or a worse one. I sort of understand that, but it still feels bad.”
“As long as you are doing your best to be righteous, your soul is in the right place, Albus,” Apollo said. “I would only worry if hurting and killing people didn’t bother you.”
“So I’m only a good person if I feel bad about some of the things I do?” asked Albus.
“You can regret that you have had to make some choices, and not feel you are a bad person, Albus,” Apollo said. “From all I have seen, you are a very good person.”
The discussion continued along this vein for some time.
Albus and Rose continued to work with the scientists analyzing magical DNA.
From analyzing the Mitochondrial DNA of the Magi it looked like Magi may have originated about 5,000 years ago, and they appeared in most of the races of humans at about the same time. This was a very curious result. It also looked like there were about two hundred special magical genes. No single Magi had more than one hundred and fifty magical genes, at least as far as the current analysis went.
The scientists had a much harder time analyzing the Elf DNA, because it was so different from any earthly mammal. It was clear that only a few genes separated the Goblin males from any Elf, and there were even fewer genes separating the female Goblins from any of the females of the Elf family.
As everybody was getting ready Harry said, “I have a real treat for you, Ginny, Albus, Rose. We are going to Paris for a brief one day holiday on our way back to England. After a nice dinner at a local Magi restaurant we are going to take the Chunnel train home.
It was a beautiful evening in Paris November 13, 2015. All of a sudden the restaurant where they were was under attack by Muggle gunmen and Magi throwing curses. The magical part of the restaurant was hidden from Muggles, but the Muggle attack hid the chaos of the magical attack.
Four wizards appeared first. Albus’s Elf Frerin tried to apparate away with Albus, but Albus was summoning wands, and you could not apparate when someone was in the midst of casting a spell. Frerin immediately attacked one of the four wizards. By the time Frerin got back to Albus there were a number of other Magi, mostly wizards but a couple of witches, attacking. Between the Elves and the other Magi with Harry and Albus they were able to disarm or shield against all but two wizards who were protected behind the rest of the attacking Magi. Albus used two of the wands he held to force each wizard to point to the other one. Albus, in fact everybody, saw the telltale green sign of the Avada Kedavra curse, and although one of the curses missed the other one hit, causing the one attacker to kill the other one.
By the time this was done a large number of Aurors, other Magical Law Enforcement personnel, and Elves had appeared, and the situation was under control.
French Aurors acknowledged Harry as the senior Auror on the scene, and began to secure the scene. The attackers who had suffered the loss of their legs were transported to the local magical hospital to have the legs reattached.
Shortly after the Aurors appeared another couple of people appeared. One announced, in English, “It appears that an English minor has used powerful magic. We have a summons for this young man to appear in court. Blatant, powerful underage magic is not allowed in France!”
Harry said, “My son was attacked, and he was just defending himself.”
The French wizard said, “He used a wand. He is not to be carrying a wand,”
Harry said, “He summoned the wands of the first four attackers, and used one of those wands to shield himself from the other attackers.”
“No underage wizard can summons wands unless they have a wand, and have practiced with a wand,” the wizard said, waving his wand. The wand left his hand, slowly moved over to Albus, and then moved back to the wizard.
“STOP IT!” the wizard said.
“Would you rather I was killed?” Albus asked mildly.
“We are not talking about the attack! We are talking about underage magic,” the wizard said.
“If the Elves had been quick enough I would not have had to summons the wands, nor use two of the wands to shield myself from the curse,” Albus said. “Would it be better for me to have died?”
“This is very irregular, not normal at all,” the wizard grumbled.
“I was born in our drawing room, unlike my brother and sister, plus all my cousins. This is not the first time I have been attacked, and had to defend myself. My whole life has been irregular. I am sorry if that bothers you. It bothers me, but it seems I cannot do much about it,” Albus said.
The wizard looked hard at Harry, then at Albus and Rose, and finally at Ginny. “Potter!” he said. “House elf and Goblin DNA, I should have known. Get out of my jurisdiction before anything else happens. We have enough of a mess here.”
After some more debriefing, the Potter family did take the train home that evening.
Albus talked to Jack Lewis and Bishop Scheria several times over the next few weeks. The Prophesies indicated that if he stayed paranoid he would probably survive and fulfill his destiny. He just was not at all happy that battles, and killing, seemed to be part of it.
The attack was in the papers, and Cleo kept the newspaper articles in her scrapbook along with everything she could find about Albus Potter. Scorpius sort of knew what Cleopatra was doing, and thought it was really stupid, but he didn’t say anything. They had enough problems with his great-grandmothers, and his parents.
The Department of Mysteries wanted to award Albus the Order of Merlin, but he wanted nothing to do with it. Harry and Albus talked a lot about how Harry felt when he was at Hogwarts, and when he and Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione were trying to find the things to bring down Tom Riddle.
Dad was living sort of a charmed life, Albus thought, but he sure went through Hell to get here. Albus was excited about his future, but terrified at the same time. Harry was excited about Albus’s future, and equally terrified.
Chapter 31: CH 31 Thirteen Privet Drive
Author's Notes: Teddy wanted to go to the Caribbean, to help take down a family of witches that had been terrorizing the Caribbean for over five hundred years. … And if you were lucky enough, or unlucky enough, to go undercover on the Caribbean island your changes of escaping unharmed, if you took the record of the last five hundred years, was exactly zero percent. Half killed or missing and never heard from again, the other half seriously hurt.
Damn.
It was the first week in June, 2016. Harry was in his office when Peggy Todd, a professor from Hogwarts, asked to see him. Harry knew that Peggy helped teach Muggle Studies, but also was the primary contact most Muggle parents had when they found out that their child was a witch or wizard and could go to Hogwarts, free of tuition and room and board, with scholarships available for books and other supplies if the family could not afford it.
“I have a student I think you will be interested in,” Peggy said when she was let in. “Daniel Rodgers is an eleven year old boy who lives with his grandfather at Thirteen Privet Drive. His parents and grandmother are dead, and in all honesty his grandfather is overwhelmed, still working part time trying to get enough money to stay in the house and raise Daniel.
“Daniel is obviously magical, and is on the list of students to go to Hogwarts next year. From what Mrs. Figg has told me Daniel has always been unusual, and has had a very hard time fitting in at school. He is a good student, but has no close friends outside of school, although he has several students in his class he is friends with during school time.
“After classes he goes to the classroom of a former teacher, Gretel Coombs, who it seems has let a steady stream of misfit children stay in her classroom between the time school lets out and the time she leaves for home at about six.”
“Mrs. Coombs is still there?” Harry asked.
“Mrs. Figg says that Mrs. Coombs let you stay in her classroom so you would not have to face Dudley, and encouraged you. She thinks Gretel would be delighted to see you, and meet your family, and see how one of her former misfits has turned out. Maybe by doing that you could encourage Daniel as well.”
“I’d love to!” Harry exclaimed. He and Peggy talked more about what Harry would have to cover, and how to arrange to visit the school.
That night Harry told the family at dinner, “I would like you to come with me and visit a former primary school teacher of mine, Mrs. Coombs. She encouraged me when I was little and scared and I didn’t think I had a friend, and from the time I got to her class at six until I left that school at ten she was one adult I could always count on to love me and encourage me.”
“I would really like that, Harry,” Ginny said.
“I’d like to see a Muggle school,” Albus said.
That Friday it was arranged. Mrs. Todd was going to meet the Potter family Friday at 4:00 PM close to the primary school, and they were all going to go to the school in a big black Auror Range Rover, a second Range Rover following with additional Aurors, since the school was not ‘safe space.’ Harry picked up Teddy from Hogwarts so he could come along; Harry and Ginny really did consider Teddy one of their children, even though he slept at the New Burrow.
Daniel was watching out the window as the big cars arrived and all these people piled out, his eyes wide open. Not only were these the most important looking vehicles he had ever seen arrive at his school, but somehow he knew that these people were important, and he hoped important to him.
Mrs. Todd went into the school and talked to the head, who was expecting them. She led the group to Mrs. Coombs room. Harry opened the door and peeked in. Mrs. Coombs was sitting at a table working with four students, and there were eight more engaged in their own tasks in the room, all ranging in age from six to ten. It reminded Harry of all the hours he has stayed in the same room, with the same much younger teacher, feeling safe and loved for a few hours most weekdays.
“Mrs. Coombs?” Harry tentatively said.
“Come in, come in,” Gretel Coombs said. “I don’t bite.”
Harry walked in, Ginny holding onto his arm for balance, the four children trooping in after.
Gretel stood up and said, “What do you want?” Then she recognized Harry. “Harry? Harry! HARRY POTTER! My god it’s been a long time. It’s been a very long time since you sat at one of these tables dreading going home. How are you?”
While this was going on Jim Snook came in and stood in a corner watching the proceedings. Gretel Coombs looked at him, and Jim said, “Sorry, Mrs. Coombs. I work for Harry, and I’m supposed to stay close to him.”
Gretel looked at these two men in their gray suits, looking very professional. Ginny was wearing a beautiful dress, her unbound red hair down to her waist, looking very striking. James was trying to look important and like a big boy, but Albus had his head on a swivel trying to see everything. Teddy was on the other side of Ginny watching her, and Lily was holding on to Teddy’s hand.
“This is my family, Mrs. Coombs,” Harry said.
“Call me Gretel, Harry. You are quite obviously a grown up now, with this family.”
Harry laughed. “Somehow when I walked into this room I was back to being a scared ten year old boy again. Ginny, Mrs. Coombs, Gretel, she believed in me and loved me when no one else did. My wife Ginny,” introducing Ginny. Gretel went up Ginny, looked at her, and asked, “Should I shake your hand or hug you?”
“If you loved Harry when those awful Dursleys’ didn’t, I ought to hug you,” Ginny said. “My balance isn’t very good since a sports accident before the children were born, so just don’t let me go suddenly.” The two ladies hugged. “Thank you for loving Harry,” Ginny whispered. “His childhood was so awful. Sometimes something comes up and I just feel so bad for Harry.”
“There wasn’t much I could do, but I did what I could,” she answered.
“I can’t begin to tell you how much your love and encouragement meant to me!” Harry exclaimed. “I think you and Mrs. Figg were the reason I didn’t end up hating everybody and everything.”
Ginny gave Gretel another big hug and said, “Thank you!”
Teddy grabbed onto his godmother’s arm as the women separated.
“Harry,” Gretel said, “Do you remember a drawing you must have spent a month working on, Knight Harry and the dragon head and the princess?”
“I think I have the drawing you are referring to,” Ginny said.
“And you’re the redheaded princess,” Gretel said
“She sure is my redheaded princess,” Harry said, pride shining in his eyes. “She’s the best thing that ever happened to me, my beautiful, fantastic, brave, and tough bride.”
“Our godson and foster son Teddy Lupin,” Harry said, introducing Teddy. “I’m going to have to start calling you Ted instead of Teddy soon.” Teddy nodded.
“James,” Harry called, and James stepped forward. “This is my oldest son James Sirius, and my younger son Albus Severus. And we can’t forget the youngest, Lily Luna.”
“And what are you doing, other than producing beautiful children?” Gretel asked.
“I’m a government worker,” Harry said.
Jim broke into laughter. “That’s like the head of Scotland Yard or M5 saying they are just a government worker, Harry,” he said.
“Dad’s real important!” James said. “Here and in Switzerland and all round the world real important!”
“Don’t brag,” Albus said. “It’s not nice to brag.”
“But he is!” James said.
Harry put a hand on both boys and they glared at each other and shut up.
“I have somebody you need to meet, Harry,” Gretel said. She reached for a phone that was in her room and dialed. “Nannette, I have someone here you need to see! … Sure, bring your husband and children!”
A moderately tall lady came into the room. Two little children, Ginny guessed about five and three and a tall good looking man followed. Nannette was thin, with a good figure, but she was not what you would call a beauty. Nannette’s face was not balanced, and her hair, although neat, was thin and an undistinguished brown. One side of her body was obviously a little smaller than the other, and she looked unbalanced. She was wearing hearing aids, and had glasses on.
Harry and Nannette looked at each other. Harry spoke first. “Your glasses, they are not those thick ug…”
“They were thick and ugly, Harry,” Nannette said. “I almost had to go to a special school for the blind. Laser surgery and newer lens material took care of that. The hearing aids are much better and much smaller too.”
“And you’ve grown up to be a beauty,” Harry said.
“That’s very kind of you to say so, even if it’s not totally true,” Nannette replied.
“I think she’s a beauty,” the tall man replied.
Nannette looked at the five very small stars on the top of Harry’s lapels. “The people dressed like you have these stars, just not so many.”
Harry nodded yes.
“It’s binary, isn’t it? The arrangement of the stars gives you a number, with your five stars being grade ten at least.”
“You always were good at math, Nannette,” Harry said.
“Are there any people with more than five stars?” Nannette asked.
Harry shook his head no.
“Can you tell me what this is all about?” Nannette asked, looking at the stars.
“Top secret,” Harry replied. “You already know more than ninety nine percent of the people who meet us.”
“I’m just a school teacher, Harry, with a husband, Willis, his, now our, two girls, and our two small children, Daren and Karen,” Nannette said. “I am trying to be a kind and caring teacher like Gretel, and am thrilled to be teaching in the same school she is teaching in.”
“I would like to introduce you to my wife, Ginny,” Harry said. “Teddy is our godchild, and our children are James, the oldest,” James stepped out to acknowledge himself, “Albus and Lily.”
“We have to go, Harry, but it was FANTASTIC meeting you,” Nannette said. “It’s always good meeting some of Gretel’s successes.”
“You are obviously another success story,” Harry said to Nannette. “After all the horrible names some of the students called you, it is so good to see you a successful grown up mother and teacher.”
“And wife!” exclaimed the man, giving Nannette a passionate kiss.
Nannette melted into her husband’s arms, coming out with tears in her eyes. “Primary school was so AWFUL. Even the University wasn’t easy. I wake up in the morning with Willis beside me, and get up and look at my children, my family, and I can’t believe it!
“Even after school, when I started teaching, I was lonely. I didn’t know how to date. I didn’t get the really good hearing aids until my second year in college, and by then it was just that Nannette didn’t date.
“I got a job teaching here. It was good. I felt I could sort of have a good enough life. Then I met a man whose wife had died, leaving him with two little daughters to raise. I had one in class, and we met, but I was too shy to say anything to him about how good he was with those girls, what a good man he seemed to be. Then two years later I had his other daughter, and he asked me to dinner at his house with his girls.
“Harry, I know you grew up unloved. I lived with a grandmother because I never knew my dad, and mother was a piece of work, and grandmother was, well she put up with me because she had to, she wasn’t as bad as those horrible Dursleys’, but it wasn’t good.
“I hope you found love like I did. It looks like you did!”
“Ginny is just the perfect woman for me!” Harry said. “I can’t begin to tell you how brave she is, and what she has done. Her family is my family now, with all her brothers and their wives and her mother’s dozen grandchildren, plus Teddy.
“Just look at you, Nannette! Ginny, doesn’t she look beautiful, and happy. There are Happily Ever After endings.”
“Yes there are, Harry,” Nannette said, and she gave Harry a big hug, and then hugged Ginny.
Nannette and her family took their leave, saying they really had to go.
“Is this just a social call, or are you here for a reason?” asked Gretel once Nannette had left.
“When I left this school I went to a boarding school in Scotland, where I learned to handle some unusual abilities I had. I made friends there, good friends, and learned what I needed to know to grow into the responsibilities and position I have today,” Harry said. “I have been told that there is another little boy in this classroom who has unusual abilities, and who might like to go to my school. Is Daniel Rodgers here?”
Daniel was just a little taller than James, skinny. He wasn’t ill dressed, but the clothes on him were a little too small and obviously well worn. “Grandpa can’t send me to no expensive school,” he said in a small voice.
“Grandpa won’t have to pay for anything,” Harry said. “We can even cover books and incidentals, and give you a little spending money. We would like to take you home and talk to your grandfather, and see if we can make sure you go to school where I went to school, when Teddy is going now and where James will start with you next year.
Daniel looked at the Potter family, not sure what to say or think.
“Why don’t you send the children out to play,” Gretel said. “All of you can play with each other. Just let someone know if anyone tried to cause trouble.”
“We’ll have three or four adults watching, Mrs. Coombs,” Jim Snook said. “No one will cause any trouble.” Gretel looked outside at the four sharply dressed Aurors, two men and two women, obviously standing guard, and wondered just how important Harry was.
The children all put their homework away and trouped out.
Ginny had noticed some family photographs on Gretel’s desk and said “Is that your family?”
“My husband, two married daughters and three grandchildren,” Gretel proudly said, and proceeded to tell Harry and Ginny a little about her family. Finally she asked Ginny “You’re not an only child like Harry?”
“The only daughter, but mum had seven boys before she had me,” Ginny said. “She has twelve grandchildren now.” Ginny had photographs on her mobile, and had to show Gretel some of them.
“Whatever happened to the Dursley family?” Gretel asked.
“Vernon died, pretty much un-mourned except for his sister,” Harry said. “I’m not sure how Petunia felt or feels about it, but Dudley has a little hard time because he found out how bad a man his father was, and that’s hard.”
“How is Dudley?” Gretel asked.
“Married, prosperous. He had a few real life changing experiences about twenty years ago, and has really changed,” Harry said. “He is surrounded by the right kind of people, and he and I are friends now. He is always apologizing for how badly he treated me when he was younger. He doesn’t see any of the friends he had in primary school, and he thinks Smelting’s, where his dad went, and where they sent him, is perverted.”
“Petunia?”
Harry pondered a moment. “I’m not sure how often Dudley sees his mother. She’s not comfortable with his wife, or around his children, and they know it. The grandparents and cousins in North America are much closer to them, despite not seeing them much.”
“Your uncle was just a nasty piece of work, Harry,” Gretel said. “I can see the good in most people, but it was hard to see any good in that man. I don’t know if he just ruined Petunia or what. She wasn’t always mad at you, and in some ways I think she was embarrassed by how she had to treat you.”
“I’d like her to be nice to me and the children, but so far that hasn’t happened,” Harry said. “She’s kind of withdrawn inside herself, I think, which isn’t good for her or for Dudley’s children.
“What can you tell me about Daniel?”
“I think Grandma and Mum and Dad died in a car accident,” Gretel said. “Grandpa was driving and was belted in, as was baby Daniel. The rest did not have seat belts on and were thrown from the car and died. It took a while for grandpa to recover, and he never could go back to work full-time. He has been trying to raise Daniel for the last ten years.
Daniel reminds me a little of you, not the abusive parents, but the unusual abilities. He’s a serious child too. I do hope you can get him to that school.”
“He will go to the school I went to,” Harry said. “The school can offer a full scholarship, even an allowance for clothes and spending money.”
“That’s how you went?” Gretel asked. “I can’t see Vernon Dursley paying for you to go away to a boarding school.”
“I learned that the Dursley family was getting seven hundred pounds a month to take care of me, was getting it until I turned seventeen. I never saw a farthing, nothing. There was some family money, though, that I used.”
After some more talk Harry took Daniel Rodgers home, so he and Peggy could talk to Grandpa Rodgers. The rest of the family was taken home.
“Mr. Rodgers,” Peggy started in after grandpa opened the door. “I represent a private school in Scotland that is prepared to offer your grandson Daniel a full scholarship, including a clothing allowance and spending money. We would like to talk to you about it.”
“Why?” Mr. Rodgers asked, still standing in the doorway.
“That’s what we want to explain,” Harry said. “I grew up on this street, with the Dursley family, and I went to that school.”
“You’re not that big good for nothing Dursley bully,” Mr. Rodgers said.
“No, I’m his cousin, the one he was always beating up,” Harry said.
“He still a bully?”
“No, he’s changed, and he seems never to tire of apologizing for how he treated me when we were growing up.”
“That bastard of a father of his?”
“Vernon never changed.”
“I hope he rots in hell! I guess you can come in. I’ll listen to anyone who made an enemy of that bastard.”
Harry and Peggy went inside. Daniel stayed close.
Peggy said, “Daniel is a wizard, Mr. Rodgers. So is Harry, and I’m a witch. I grew up in a household that was not magical, and I was the first person in our family, as far as anyone knows, who has magical abilities.”
“We don’t have no money to send Daniel to no fancy foreign school,” Mr. Rodgers said.
“The school offers free tuition, room and board, and a stipend for books and supplies, for children who need it,” Peggy said.
“Can you see Vernon Dursley paying good money to send me to some fancy school?” Harry asked. “Everything will be paid for.” Harry did not mention that his generosity, and the scholarship funds he had set up, was the reason that poor parents no longer had to struggle to send their children to Hogwarts.
After much more discussion it was agreed that Daniel Rodgers would accompany James to Hogwarts in the fall.
“I feel ancient,” said Ginny as she looked at the parchment informing ‘the guardians of Theodore Remus Lupin’ that he had graduated from Hogwarts. “I thought all the parents who had children graduating from Hogwarts were really old!”
“Ever since we took Teddy to San Francisco we have been his legal guardians,” said Harry, “and you did nurse him for those first 3 months after the Battle of Hogwarts, but I don’t think thirty three is old at all.”
“James starts in the fall,” said Ginny. “We don’t have any babies! They’re growing up. And I’ll be thirty four by then. I’m getting old!”
“Donna Lionheart was older than you when she started having babies,” Harry replied. “It’s not uncommon for a witch to start having babies in her thirties or even forties. You are still very young. You’re young and beautiful, still cute and freckled, and the best thing that ever happened to me.”
“Maybe if I had a baby I’d feel young again,” Ginny mused. “I do still have the freckles and the long red hair, well I work hard at looking good, but I can’t get rid of the extra pounds. The Quidditch column keeps me sort of busy, but I want more.”
“What do you want?” Harry asked.
“I want to play in an adult Quidditch league,” Ginny sighed in reply. “I know, I know, I can’t even play in family games. Damn. Boggarts. Bollocks and Boggarts. My balance isn’t any better than the day I was hurt; I’ve just learned how to compensate better. But right after I was hurt I started having babies.”
Harry grinned, saying “I’ll change more nappies.”
Ginny looked at Harry with the trademark intimidating stare of hers saying, “You don’t have to be pregnant for nine blasted months.” Ginny sort of mumbled, “Being pregnant isn’t so bad. Pushing a quaffle out your bottom’s no fun, but nursing feels good. Ties you up. Nine months of having a baby inside you then a year of having one sucking on you. Still I do miss babies.” Ginny looked at Harry again. “I just don’t know.”
They had a party at the New Burrow for Teddy’s graduation, and it was a lot of fun, thought Harry. Excellent grades, second best boy in the school, and just missed being Head Boy. Teddy had made everybody who had a hand in raising him proud.
They gave essay tests to prospective new Aurors, asking them how they would handle certain situations. They were not really pass/fail tests. Some of the questions were designed to see if you were suited to become a foreign Auror for a while, and if maybe you could handle some of the more dangerous assignments. There were also performance tests, given by Aurors not from your country, Aurors who did not know the candidate.
Harry was given the results. One prospective new Auror stood out, one who could probably do any task he was given, but one who would excel in the dangerous work of the International Auror Association, one who liked the Caribbean and could probably make a major contribution to bringing down the hidden Island of Horrors in the Caribbean, if he survived. One Theodore Lupin. Teddy. Damn.
DAMN! DAMN! DAMN! DAMN!
Damn.
Two years of training. No beginning Auror had ever been seriously hurt since the Battle of Hogwarts. Teddy was safe for two years.
Teddy wanted to go to the Caribbean, to help take down a family of witches that had been terrorizing the Caribbean for over 500 years. Every year 200 or so Aurors on assignment, and an average of one or two seriously hurt or killed. Sounded bad enough, but 90% were safe assignments, The 20 or so on dangerous assignments were almost always among the one or two hurt. And if you were lucky enough, or unlucky enough, to go undercover on the Caribbean island your chances of escaping unharmed, if you took the record of the last five hundred years, was exactly zero percent. Half were killed or missing and never heard from again, the other half seriously hurt.
Damn.
How was Harry going to tell Ginny, or Andromeda? No way, until Teddy was on a dangerous assignment. If. No, when. Harry knew Teddy. When.
Damn.
Harry was listening to a whole series of recordings of Lucius Malfoy talking to members of his family.
Harry asked, “How often is Astoria seeing Lucius alone?”
“At least four times a year,” the bailiff said.
“Are there always these arguments?” Harry asked.
“Normally Astoria gets along well with Lucius, but he is getting more and more agitated about Narcissa’s teaching. He does not want the children going to Hogwarts! He is afraid that Hogwarts will corrupt Scorpius.”
“He might become friends with Albus, or even Rose,” Harry said. “Does he fight with Draco?”
The bailiff said, “Draco and he fight every time they are there without anyone else present. Draco wants Scorpius to go to Hogwarts. I do not think either Draco or Lucius care what happens to Cleopatra, except that her great-grandmother has promised to get Lucius out of prison if Draco and Cleopatra marry.”
Harry asked, “Does he fight with Narcissa? None of these recordings show more than a strained, polite conversation with his wife.”
The bailiff said, ‘I think she is beginning to intimidate him. If he begins to raise his voice she just walks out. I’ve heard her yell at him once, and I think she has taken lessons from Molly Weasley. I went to school with the twins, and heard plenty of Molly’s Howlers to the twins.”
“I never have trusted Lucius, and never will,” Harry said. “Keep making these recordings, and let me know if there are any I should hear.”
Chapter 32: CH 32 James goes to Hogwarts
“Mum, how important was the broom when you were in your last year at Hogwarts?” James asked for maybe the 50th time.“I know you want a broom, James” Ginny replied. “After we get the rest of your supplies we will get you a broom.”
“A good broom! I need a good broom to become a seeker,” James implored.
Harry told James, “When I went to Hogwarts they did not allow first years to bring their own broom.”
“They do now!” implored James. “I need a really good broom!”
Harry answered back, “Patience, James. You need patience to be a good seeker, and you might as well as practice patience right now.
“We need to find a wand. James. Let’s see if young Ollivander can work his magic on you.”
Harry, Ginny and James went into Ollivander’s. Young Ollie and Olive Ollivander had the tape measure with silver markings, and started to measure James. As before the tape continued to measure James long after Ollie was off finding wands, and as with Teddy young Ollivander settled on a wand wood rather quickly, a very light and pretty ash. The choice of a center was a little harder, but Dragon heartstring seemed to be the obvious choice. They eventually settled on a wand that was thirteen inches long, thinner and more flexible than the normal wand. James seemed to be happy with the wand. “Feels good, Dad,” said James as he swished the wand around. “I should be able to learn magic with this wand!”
Before they left, Ollie asked Harry, “Could I get some Phoenix feathers? I know you have Professor Dumbledore’s Phoenix, and I really need a few feathers.”
“I will see what I can do,” Harry said. “I have never seen him shed a feather, but maybe if I ask Fawkes will give me a feather or two.”
Finally they went to the broom shop.
James went right to the Firebolts. There were several different Firebolts, at very different prices. They were still selling the Firebolt Special Edition, and it was still just as expensive. “We would have to down-charm it to even allow a student to fly it. The best broom for a student seeker has to be the standard Firebolt,” Hudson Harrison said. “When I heard that Harry Potter’s oldest son wanted to be a seeker and play professional Quidditch I wanted to be here to help pick out the best student broom for James.”
“You just want me to buy the second most expensive broom in the store,” said Harry. “It’s as expensive as an automobile.”
“Is it really as expensive as one of our cars?” asked James.
Harry thought ‘James must figure the Range Rover I have at my disposal at the Ministry and sometimes take home is my car. The broom isn’t as expensive as that fully outfitted Range Rover is before we double the cost with magic. Not as expensive as the Mercedes SUV we have as a family car either, before I doubled the cost by adding all the magical refinements to it.’ “No, it’s not quite as expensive as the family car,” Harry replied to James, “but the family car is a very expensive car. This broom is dear enough.”
James pleaded, “Mr. Hudson said this really is the best broom if I want to learn how to become a professional Quidditch player.”
Harry looked at Ginny.
“Don’t ask me,” said Ginny. “The broom you bought for me was one of the best presents I ever got, and probably led to my Quidditch career. I got Hell from the other novice players when they found out how expensive it was that I’d been flying the premium professional broom at Hogwarts.”
“You want me to buy James the broom,” Harry declared, looking at Ginny.
“Do you want it to come out of my money?” asked Ginny.
“No,” said Harry, laughing. “We can certainly afford it.” Turning to James Harry said, “Just remember, this is an extremely expensive broom. Take good care of it.”
“Yes, dad, mum,” said James as he reverently touched the brand new Firebolt he was going to be taking to Hogwarts.
The morning of September first Harry, Ginny and their children got up early, ate breakfast, and then piled into Harry’s car to drive to King’s Cross Station, to put James on the train to Hogwarts. Harry remembered his first trip, and the first time they put Teddy on the train. They had put Teddy on the train for seven years, and the year after Teddy graduated they started with James. By the time Lily was through they would go seventeen years putting someone on the train.
Harry could not help but reflect on his trips to Hogwarts, and all the adventures he had lived through. So far his children, starting with Teddy, including nieces and nephews, had not had the adventures he and his classmates had to live through. Maybe the world was not safe, but Britain and Hogwarts were safe. That’s what they had been fighting for.
Harry could pretty well tell walking through the station who was heading for platform 9 . It cost a small fortune to keep the surveillance cameras from revealing the secret of the Magi. Oh, platform 9 was hidden well enough, but the movement of so many strange people, who would suddenly disappear, with only some of them reappearing, was impossible to hide. They had already put in one floo for the use of Magi who could not get to King’s Cross Station any other way, or who were just too magical looking or strange looking to allow to come through the station. Harry was going to ask that they put in another floo and move even more people to the station through the floo next year.
Harry wanted his children to have the experience of driving to the station and walking through the pillar to platform 9 , but how long he was going to be able to do that was not clear.
Harry made sure no one noticed his family until they got through to platform 9 , but once they were through the platform it was hard not to be noticed. James immediately saw someone he knew, and yelled “Jordan! Hamilton Jordan!”
“James Potter!” Hamilton Jordan yelled as Hamilton’s father Lee looked at Harry and Ginny smiling. Lee’s wife was holding on to a young boy who looked about Albus’s age. When Hamilton Jordan yelled ‘James Potter’ people turned around to stare at the Potter family. “You have a broom!” Hamilton yelled. “We’d better be sorted into Gryffindor together. I know your reputation as a seeker. Come on, let’s get on the train!”
James looked at his Mum and Dad.
“You were going to wait for Daniel Rodgers,” Harry said.
“I guess,’ said James, impatiently waiting for Daniel to show up. A couple of minutes later Daniel and his father appeared, having entered through a doorway some distance from Platform 9 that had been installed for Muggle born.
“Lo, James,” Daniel said
“Come on, Dan. May we get on the train now?” James said.
Harry and Ginny said “Go ahead,” together.
James jumped on the train, new broom in hand. “By Mum, Dad,” yelled James. “See you Christmas, or at the first Quidditch game. I hope I make the team!”
Daniel waved at his grandfather, and then hurried after James.
“I told you I wouldn’t be the only one with my own broom,” said Erica Lionheart. “If Potter can have a broom, I can! I’ll beat the snot out of him!”
“Only if you’re on different teams, I hope,” said an amused Donna Lionheart. “Hello, Ginny. You’re an old hand at this.”
Erica interrupted with, “Hello, Mrs. Potter, by Mum,” and jumped on the train, saying just loud enough for Ginny and Donna to hear, “I’m still going to beat the snot out of Potter.”
“Hello Donna,” answered Ginny, looking at and laughing at Erica. “Yes, seven years of putting Teddy on this train, and now ten years of putting our own children on the train.”
Donna reflected “I had seven years of putting Tabitha on the train, and then a brief break. Now it’s back to more years of sending children off to Hogwarts.”
Harry thought that for eighteen years going to Hogwarts had been uneventful, one Defense against Dark Arts teacher but no horrible defense against dark arts tasks, no students killed or hurt. Tom Riddle was dead, and although there were parts of the world that were not safe, England and all of Europe were reasonably safe.
“Mum, Dad, I did it! They picked me as the new seeker for Gryffindor! I did it!” James letter read. James was sending a little letter every second or third day, never very long.
“I think James just wants us to remember him,” said Ginny. “It’s not like he says much, or asks much. He just wants to know we’re still thinking about him.”
“I wish Mum was here to coach us,” another letter read. “I know more about tactics than anyone else on the team.”
“I’ve listened to Mum, and read her columns, and gone to games with her, and it really helps,” another letter read.
“Are you learning about anything except Quidditch?” wrote Ginny after thinking that Quidditch was all that James wrote about.
“We’re learning lots of magic,” James wrote back, “and I have to get good grades to stay on the Quidditch team. Don’t worry.”
Harry was still on the Hogwarts board, still very good friends with the longtime headmistress of Hogwarts Minerva McGonagall, and so he asked her one day after a brief board meeting “How is James doing?”
“You think with all my responsibilities I would pay special attention to one little first year boy?” asked Minerva with a twinkle in her eye.
“If that little boy was the son of one of the board members, and the first seeker to be on the Gryffindor team his first year since one head of Gryffindor house put his father on the team twenty six years ago, probably,” a grinning Harry replied.
“He is far more carefree than his father or grandfather was,” Minerva said, “although still a good student. He’s actually a little better than average, except at Quidditch. He’s more passionate about Quidditch than even his mother, if that’s possible.”
“And the only first year playing Quidditch?” Harry inquired.
“There is actually one other student, Erica Lionheart, playing chaser for Hufflepuff,” Minerva replied. “Ginny and Donna were chasers together for the Harpies.”
“It’s not surprising that one of Donna’s children would be an excellent Quidditch player,” Harry remarked.
“Tabitha wasn’t fond of a broom when she was here,” Minerva volunteered, “but of course she’s not the biological child of Donna and Bill.
Saturday October 8th 2016 was the first Quidditch game of the season at Hogwarts. Ginny had arranged to have a couple of stringers cover the Harpies game for her so she could go to her son’s game. To Ginny’s surprise, the Prophet had another reporter there as well, reporting on the son of the famous Harry and Ginny Potter following in his father’s footsteps as a first year seeker for Gryffindor. Ginny did not notice the reporter for the Witches Weekly, getting information for a human interest story on James Potter. Ginny thought that they could not go two months without something about the Potter or Weasley families in Witches Weekly; they tried to avoid as much publicity as possible, but the Magi public never seemed to get tired of stories about the Potter and Weasley families.
Harry, Ginny, Albus and Lily went into the Gryffindor family stands, and waited until the two teams were introduced. Gryffindor had a good team, and were way ahead when James caught the Snitch. The Slytherin Quidditch team was horrible; there was no other way to put it.
The newspaper article by Cindy showed James and the entire Gryffindor Quidditch team, and also photo of entire family. In the article it mentioned that Albus would be attending next year.
The Witches Weekly article also had photographs of the entire family. The article mentioned that Albus Potter was also a seeker in family games, and speculated about Albus being sorted into a different house. It was pointed out that Albus Severus Potter was named after two Hogwarts Headmasters, and one was in Slytherin. What a matchup that would be, the paper speculated, James in Gryffindor against Albus in Slytherin.
Several students at Hogwarts pointed out the article, and James wrote to his parents “Erica Lionheart saw the article in Witches Weekly, and showed it to me. I told you Al Severus was going to be in Slytherin!” Harry and Ginny did not share this letter with Albus or Lily; the constant kidding about being sorted into Slytherin really galled Albus.
November Nineteenth was the third game of the season, but only the second game for Gryffindor.
This time Gryffindor was playing Ravenclaw. Witches Weekly was there reporting on James, as well as a European Quidditch magazine. This was a much closer game, with the score tied several times, the lead going back and forth. Finally both seekers spotted the Snitch, and what ensued was a classic battle of seekers. There were spells on the brooms to keep the seekers from ramming into things, but it was still all too easy to get hurt.
Finally the snitch headed straight into the ground, and both seekers flew almost directly at the ground. James somehow timed everything just right, grazing the ground and getting filthy, but coming up with the snitch! The Ravenclaw seeker took the more conservative route, and did not get filthy and almost crash, but also did not get the snitch.
Again all the magazines had to get photographs of not only James and the Quidditch team, but also the entire Potter family.
During the mingling after the game Ginny saw Donna and Erica, and waved. They came over to see the Potters. Erica said to James, hands on her hips “You’re an idiot, James Potter! It was a magnificent catch, though!”
James responded with “If you were smart enough to be in Gryffindor I’d have you on my team. You were by far the best chaser flying during the Ravenclaw Hufflepuff game.”
“Thanks Potter,” Erica responded. “It was still an idiot stunt!”
“Hey, you rammed into someone so hard you had to go to the infirmary after the last game,” James said.
“That’s just tough play! I didn’t almost kill myself,” Erica replied.
“Are they always like this?” Ginny asked.
Henrietta Hooch-Hepplewhite, her mother’s assistant in teaching flying, had heard the conversation, and said “Those two are always ready to learn more about flying, and Quidditch. They are always on each other too.”
“Witch’s Weekly says Albus Potter might be in Slytherin,” Cleo told Scorpius.
“Albus Potter doesn’t even know you exist, Cleo,” Scorpius told Cleopatra. “You will be in Slytherin with me and Albus will be in Gryffindor, like his father and grandfather before him. Stop obsessing over Potter.”
Chapter 33: CH 33 Charlie Weasley Comes Home
Author's Notes: Sometimes I think I hate Dragons.
I want to thank FriendofMolly for a couple of critical edits and rewrites.
Harry and Arthur Weasley were heading out of the Monday management meeting November twenty first when Arthur received a rather frantic Patronus from Molly. “Charlie has been badly hurt, and we need to go to Romania right now!”
Arthur turned to Harry and said, “When Molly uses a Patronus it’s serious!”
“We’ll cover for you,” said Harry. “Let us know what is going on, when you have time.”
Harry then went into his office and called Ginny. “Arthur just got a Patronus that Charlie had been hurt, badly. I think he and Molly are going to Romania.”
“A healer from Romania showed up at the New Burrow,” Ginny briskly replied, “while I was bringing Lily over here. I need to talk to her. I’ll get back to you after I talked to her.”
Ginny hung up; leaving Harry wondering what was going on.
Harry had not heard anything for two hours, and it was driving him crazy. Finally he received an e-mail on his phone from Fleur, addressed to all Charlie’s brothers and all the in-laws. It read,
“Early this morning Charlie and Stribog were attacked by a dragon. Stribog was killed, incinerated to the point that there is nothing left, just a couple of bits of melted metal from his clothing. Charlie has lost his legs and one arm and that is only the easiest to describe of his injuries. He is in very critical condition. Mom and Dad are with him, and will probably be with him until they know if he will live or die. It’s bad. I cannot begin to describe how bad it is. I am going to stay over here until we know more.
“Ivana is terrified, and has been holding on to Ginny, crying. I am sure Ginny will want to stay too. It really does not make much sense for anyone else to come over right now for Charlie. I will keep you informed, and let you know if anything changes.
“Please pray for Charlie
“Fleur”
Mary Lou Creevey saw Harry read the e-mail, and guessed that it was about Charlie, and that the news was not good. She stood at the doorway to Harry’s office and they exchanged glances. “Bad news?” asked Mary Lou.
“Probably as bad as it could get, and not have Charlie dead,” said Harry. He sighed, and sort of steeled himself for more bad news.
“You are probably not going to be very productive around here,” suggested Mary Lou.
“Better get your husband in here,” said Harry.
A short time later Dennis Creevey appeared, and Harry explained, “My brother-in-law Charlie was critically hurt by a dragon this morning, and my wife is trying to console the daughter that he and his partner had adopted. Ivana has already lost her parents, and now her uncle, to dragon fire, and she is in danger of losing her other dad.”
“I think we can handle everything here, Harry,” Dennis said.
“Thank you Dennis, Mary Lou,” Harry replied. “I’m going to sit here and try and figure out what I’m going to do for a few moments.” Harry went into his office and closed the door. He walked over to a wall and leaned his head against the wall. ‘Why’ he thought ‘does my stomach always get this big pit in it whenever something like this happens? What do I have to do now? I need to talk to Al and Lily, and let them know what is going on, at least be there for them. No use sticking around here.’ Harry took out his maps of the Grimmauld Place buildings, and saw that Al, Rose and Jean Granger were at 13 Grimmauld Place, and took the floo over there.
“Hello Jean, hello Al and Rose,” said Harry.
“Dad, did you hear what happened to Uncle Charlie?” asked Al.
“Yes, Al,” Harry replied.
“Does it make your stomach hurt when you hear about something like that?” asked Al. “It feels like I’m sick, like, oh, like being on a broom and suddenly swerving and leaving your stomach behind.”
Harry responded, “I think I know what you feel like. It’s not a good feeling. Better than not caring, though.”
“You’re going over to be with Mum,” Al declared. “She needs you, and it sounds like Ivana needs help.”
Harry nodded his head.
“I’ll stay here, Dad,” Al told his father. “Between Grandma Granger and the house elves I’ll be fine. But you ought to see if Lily wants to go to be with Ivana. They are good friends, and I think Ivana will need a friend.”
“I’m going over to the New Burrow to talk to Lily and the rest of the people over there right now, Al,” Harry told his son. Looking at Jean Granger he said, “I’m sure you will be getting regular postings from someone telling you what is going on. I’m leaving Albus in your capable hands.”
“Not a problem,” Jean Granger responded. “Albus is easy to take care of.”
Harry took the floo to The New Burrow, looked at the little map he had, and saw that Lily was in a room with Audrey and a couple of very small children. Harry was not sure where Hugo was. He went to the room and said, “Hello Audrey. Where is Hugo?”
“Hugo is at Weasleys Wizarding Wheezes,” Audrey replied. “His father has him doing something with pricing, practicing his math. Hugo really likes the practical side of learning, and if you can get him to do something productive and learn from it he learns a lot, and likes it. Hugo really likes being at the store with Ron. It’s too bad about Charlie. I know Ginny and Fleur both went over there this morning, along with Mum and Dad.”
“I’m going to go over too,” said Harry. “I found it impossible to concentrate on work, and nothing much is going on. I know Ginny is with Ivana.”
“How is Ivana doing, Dad?” asked Lily.
“She probably is feeling very scared herself, Lily. Uncle Charlie is not doing very well, from what I understand,” Harry replied. “I think she’s feeling scared, confused, and probably a bit lost.”
“May I come with you?” asked Lily. “If Ivana does not want me around I will go right back home, but if she wants me around I want to be there for her.”
Harry thought ‘for all her wildness, and for all the problems she has been, Lily Luna really does have a good heart. I can see that she is hurting for Ivana.’
“Yes, I’ll take you along, and we will see how it goes,” Harry told Lily. “You can stay over there as long as you are helping Ivana, but promise me that if you being there is a problem at any time, you’ll go home without a fight.”
“Promise, Dad,” a very serious Lily replied. “I promise. I just want to help.” Lily’s eyes were pleading and sorrowful at the same time. ‘This was going to be hard on Lily too’ thought Harry.
“I’ll let the family know that Lily is with you,” said Audrey.
“Albus is with Rose and her grandmother,” Harry told Audrey. Harry took Lily’s hand and they took the floo back to Grimmauld Place. Harry called Ginny, asking, “Do you need anything? I’m not sure how quickly you left. I’m coming over, at least for a little while.”
“We’ll talk when you get here,” Ginny replied, obviously distracted.
“I’m bringing Lily, for Ivana,” Harry said.
“Oh. … Bye,” Ginny said as she hung up.
Harry thought that Ginny’s quick answer meant that she really wanted Harry to come. He got together his travel items, basic clothes. He went up to Lily’s room. Lily had the toiletries she usually traveled with, and had some dresses lain out on her bed. “I have a couple of jeans and blouses,” she said, “but I want a couple of dresses, and I don’t want Mum mad at me for what I brought.”
Harry thought, ‘Lily really is being responsible, for a change’ as he indicated two dresses he thought were appropriate. “The dress you have on is fine as well,” he told his daughter.
Harry called Dobedo, who was there immediately. “Did Ginny take Sue Shook with her, or just Mitzi?” he asked.
Dobedo said “Just Mitzi, plus Jo and Mo. They still guard the Potter family.”
The Elves Jo and Mo had been guarding the Potter family since the time Harry and Ginny spent in San Francisco, but they stayed so much in the background that Harry often forgot that they were seldom too far away from the family.
Harry called Jim Shook, and explained what was going on. “I’ll go with you,” Jim said. “Dobedo and I should be plenty of protection for the family, and if we have any concerns we will take care of it. I’ll meet you at the Ministry in 15 minutes.” After so many years of guarding Harry and his family Jim had a travel bag ready to go. Jim was almost invisible, but he or his wife or both shadowed Harry, Ginny and family whenever they left ‘safe space.’
Harry thought a little. Had he forgotten anything? He remembered one thing, and called “Fawkes.” Immediately the large scarlet Phoenix was flying towards him. “We’re going to Romania, Fawkes,” Harry told the bird. “Maybe you can help heal Charlie.”
After about 15 minutes Harry, with his and Lily’s travel bags shrunk and in his pocket, walked out of the floo at the ministry. Jim was waiting for them, and with Jim leading the way they took the floo network to Romania, and from the ministry there to the hospital where Charlie and the family were.
Harry and company were led up to a modest size waiting room. Inside were Ginny and Ivana, sitting next to each other, holding hands. It was obvious that Ivana had been crying and was distraught; Ginny was better but even she was having some trouble holding it together. When she saw Harry Ginny stood up, and when Harry got to her she hugged Harry like she wanted their bodies to merge. “Thank you for coming, Harry,” she said very quietly. “It’s real bad.”
Harry and Ginny turned to look at Ivana and Lily. They were standing up just inches from each other staring at each other. Finally Lily turned to her mother, without words asking her mother what she should do. “You don’t need to do anything, Lily,” said Ginny. “Just be here for Ivana, if that’s what she wants. Ivana, would it help if Lily stayed with you too? I will be right here for you too. I’m not leaving”
Ivana strongly nodded yes, and then burst out in big sobs and put her arms around Ginny. When Lily went to hold on to Ivana’s hand Ivana grabbed onto Lily’s hand and held on tightly. They stayed that way for some time as Ivana gradually calmed down.
A short time later Fleur came into the room. She noticed Fawkes the Phoenix right away, and said, “Fawkes! Fawkes to Sharls, ze burns, ze fire, Fawkes tears maybe heals.”
Harry responded “That’s why I brought Fawkes. Fawkes, go with Fleur.”
Fawkes accompanied Fleur out of the waiting room. Only Fleur was back, about half an hour later. “Sanks sank you Arry” Fleur said. “Iz maybe a leettle better.”
Harry noticed that Fleur, who normally had very little of an accent, had reverted back to a very heavy French accent. Harry thought that Fleur must be under a lot of strain, and wondered just how bad Charlie was.
“I’m hungry,” whispered Lily.
“Az anybody ad lunch?” asked Fleur. “Eet’s almost two!”
Everybody shook their heads.
Fleur said, “Arry, we get lunch for,” and Fleur spread her hands out to indicate the assembled group. Fleur and Harry looked at each other, turned and left the room.
“I’m glad to talk to you alone,” said Harry as he and Fleur walked towards the cafeteria, “without Ivana and Lily in the room. Is Charlie really that injured?”
“Eet’s real bad! All burned,” replied Fleur. “No much left, what left all burned.”
“How are Mum and Dad Weasley holding up?” Harry asked.
“Maybe as hard as Fred, maybe worse,” Fleur responded. “Oh Arry, ere is so little left and what is left is so bad shape. Maybe easier, if Sharles dead.”
“That bad,” Harry said, not as a question but just as an affirmation.
Fleur nodded. They did not say much as they picked up sandwich platters for everybody, and drinks. Just before they got back to the special waiting room Harry asked, “Should we call the family? If Charlie is dying his brothers would want to be here.”
“Dangerous,” Fleur replied, shaking her head no. “Infection. I go to outer room, only sterile Ealers inside, and Mum and Dad. Stay ere for Ivana, not Sharles, Arry.” They stopped right outside the waiting room and Fleur repeated “For Ivana, and Ginny, and Lily. Ze need you.”
Harry and Fleur brought the food in. Lily finished her sandwich plate promptly, obviously famished. Fleur and Harry also made short work eating. Ginny ate, but spent a fair amount of time looking at Ivana. And Ivana ate very slowly, between sighs, obviously close to tears the entire time. When Ivana finished eating Lily and Harry surrounded her with their arms, as Weasley/Potter hugs helped in most situations.
Neither Harry nor Ginny could ever tell you exactly what they did the rest of the afternoon and evening. Not much. They had another light meal at about 9:00 PM.
About 10:00 PM Harry had an e-mail message that was obviously sent to everybody from Fleur; Harry could see Fleur composing it, and she asked Harry about it before she sent it.
The e-mail read;
“Charlie is doing a little better. Harry and Ginny and Lily are over here for Ivana. Ivana does not need any more people over here. No one can go into the room to see Charlie because of the danger of infection. Mum and Dad are inside, but they cannot easily leave. I do not go into the restricted area, just talk to Mum and Dad through the window, and talk to the healers. I will send another e-mail twice a day.
“Keep saying prayers, please.
“Fleur”
After she sent the e-mail Fleur told Harry and Ginny “I get otel so we can sleep.” About 11:00 PM Fleur came back in saying “I ave otel rooms for us. Sharles is doing better. We sleep.”
They took a floo to a small Magi hotel. There were adjoining rooms, one for Harry and Ginny and next to them, with a door between the rooms, one for Ivana and Lily. Fleur had gone to Ivana’s house and gotten a nightgown and new clothes for the next day. Fleur had her own room (although Mitzi, Ginny’s house elf shadow, also slept there), and there was another room that Jim Shook and Dobedo were going to be sharing. After they had changed, Lily asked Ivana, “Should we sleep in separate beds? Do you want me to sleep with you?”
“With me,” Ivana said.
“I’ll be your sister, forever,” said Lily, hugging Ivana for maybe the 50th time. “Even if Uncle Charlie and you live somewhere else I’ll be your sister, just like Teddy Lupin is sort of a brother. You’re family.”
“You’re all I have left!” said Ivana. The two girls hugged again, and got into opposite sides of the bed.
Neither Harry nor Ginny could go to sleep until they knew that both of the girls were sound asleep. “I need you to make love to me, Harry,” said Ginny. “Then we need to open the door, but I need to feel you, know you’re alive.” They made gentle love, put on night clothes, and re-opened the door between the rooms.
The next morning Harry woke up first as usual. He went to the loo, did a shaving spell, and got dressed. He quickly made a little map of the hotel. It looked like Fleur was in bed. Harry saw that Ginny and Lily were still sleeping. He could not see Ivana in the bed, but then the door to the loo opened and he could see Ivana come out. “I’m not sure if I can go back to sleep, Uncle Harry,” she whispered.
Harry motioned for her to come over to the other room, and they sat down on a sofa that was in the hotel room. Ivana leaned close to Harry and whispered, “Uncle Charlie’s real bad. I’ve seen people missing an arm or leg or eye or worse. Some of my classmates have a parent or a relative that was hurt by dragons. Uncle Harry, I’ve never seen anyone missing both legs and an arm! I’m scared! Is Uncle Charlie going to die?”
“We don’t know yet, Ivana,” Harry quietly answered back. “We just don’t know. He’s a little better since Fawkes tears touched his wounds, but he’s still in real serious shape.”
“I have a classmate,” Ivana said, sort of looking off in the distance, “my only relative, sort of a distant cousin, who’s dad was, is, real bad. She feeds him sometimes, and they have to do everything for him. Her mother has to change him just like a baby. I’ve not ever seen him, but it is real sad.” Ivana looked right at Harry with panic in her eyes saying, “Am I going to have to take care of Uncle Charlie like that?”
“No, Ivana,” Harry replied, holding her and patting her on the back. “We will get Uncle Charlie all the help he needs. You will be able to help as much as you want, but nobody will force you to do any more than what you really want to do.”
A panicky Ivana squeezed Harry’s hand tightly saying quite loudly, “Where will we live? Who’ll take care of me? I don’t have anyone!”
“You have us,” Harry said firmly. “I promise you that you and Uncle Charlie will always have a place to live, and enough to eat, and you will be well taken care of.”
“I’m going to have to leave here,” Ivana said sadly. “When classmates have a parent hurt and they go home, the children have to go back with their parents. At least I know you and your family, Uncle Harry, but I have to leave everyone here. Leave my home, my school classmates and friends, everyone and everything.
“Uncle Harry, I don’t even remember my mum and dad anymore. I see photographs and I sort of remember, but only a little. I’m afraid I’ll forget Uncle Stribog, forget how happy we were here.” Ivana looked at Harry, tears obviously very close to the surface again. “How can I ever be happy with all the bad things that have happened to me? What’s wrong with me, that I’ve lost everybody I ever loved!?” At this she burst into tears.
“Nothing is wrong with you, Ivana,” Harry promptly replied. “You have us. You have met Teddy Lupin. He was just a week and a half old when both his mother and his father were killed in the Battle of Hogwarts. Aunt Ginny nursed him for three months, and she was only 16. Then when she had to go back to school Grandma Molly took over, and between Grandmother and Grandfather Weasley and Aunt Ginny and me, plus Teddy’s grandmother Tonks, we have raised and loved Teddy, and he is pretty happy most of the time. He knows his parents died, and he is not happy about that, but he is still happy.
“I lost my parents when I was one year old, and for the next ten years was raised by an Aunt who was not nice and an Uncle who was one of the nastiest persons you could ever meet. It was not fun at all, but the Weasley family loved me, one beautiful red-headed little girl in particular, and I’m pretty happy.”
“Harry’s red-headed girl will love you too,” Ginny tenderly said. She had awakened and was sitting at the end of the bed listening.
“I thought I was your red-headed little girl,” said Lily standing at the door between the rooms.
“See Ivana,” Harry beamed, “Another one! I started out loving one red-headed girl, and now I’ve got another one, plus a red-headed boy plus a boy with dark hair like mine and one whose hair keeps changing color. We have room for a tall leggy blond girl too. It’s not like there is less love with more people. Love just keeps growing and growing.”
“Is it all right if I’m not happy now?” softly cried Ivana. “Thank you but … Oh thank you for telling me it’s all right to be happy someday.”
“Go and get dressed, girls,” said Ginny. “I need to get dressed too. Open the door when you are ready.”
The girls went next door and closed the door.
Ginny quickly took off the nightgown she was wearing and put on a dress, took her wand which helped her with her balance, and went into the loo and took her medicine. Harry followed her as Ginny scarily wobbled towards the bathroom.
Ginny did a quick makeup charm, looked in the mirror, and said, “Good enough for today.” She charmed a piece of paper and wrote down a few things. “You need to go back to Grimmauld Place and get a few things for me, Harry,” she said.
“When?” Harry asked.
“Mid-morning,” Ginny replied. “Whenever you can get away for an hour or so. I really want to keep Mitzi with me in case I have to walk any distance.”
“Being here for Ivana, and your parents and Charlie, there isn’t any way to have anyone else do it,” Harry said.
“Maybe because we have had so much joy as well as sorrow I know we will laugh again,” said Ginny, “but keeping vigil like this is hard. Thank you for being here for me.”
“I’m glad I brought Lily,” said Harry. “This is going to be very hard on her, but good for her too.”
“Tears heal, Mum says,” Ginny replied. “I think maybe the shared tears will help Lily and me as well as Ivana. Sometimes in the middle of fights I forget she really is good deep down. She is impulsive, careless, and willful, but not evil, not bad. Maybe this will help her grow up; she has a lot of growing up to do.”
“So some good will come out of even the worst situation,” said Harry.
At this point the door between the rooms opened and the girls peered into Harry and Ginny’s room. Harry called, “Dobedo,” and the Elf was standing there. Ginny called, “Mitzi,” and the little Elf that was almost Ginny’s shadow was there helping her mistress walk without losing her balance. “We are going to breakfast,” Harry said. “Mr. Jim and I will be there with you,” said Dobedo as he disappeared again. When Harry opened the door and looked out Dobedo was standing in the hall, and Jim was just closing the door to their room.
Harry noticed the Elves Jo and Moe at opposite ends of the hall. One or the other must have been on guard all night. It was easy to forget that Jo and Moe also were always helping guard the Potter family.
There was a modest restaurant on the ground floor of the hotel, and they all had breakfast. Harry got a copy of the Daily Prophet from England. On the front page was a prominent article with the Headline “Charlie Weasley (OM2) critically injured by a Dragon.”
Below an old file photograph of Charlie was an article that read “Early Monday Charlie Weasley (OM2) was critically injured by a dragon. Charlie had over twenty years working with Dragons in Romania before he was injured. Charlie’s partner, Stribog Romanoff, was killed in the same incident. Stribog is survived by his niece Ivana, who is also Charlie’s adopted daughter.
“Charlie’s parents Arthur Weasley (OM2), Head of the Magical Law Enforcement office, and his wife Molly (OM2), famous as the witch who took down the notorious Bellatrix Lestrange, are with their son. Also in Romania are Head Auror Sir Harry Potter (3OM1, O.B.E.), and his wife, the former Quidditch star and current Quidditch editor of the Prophet Ginny (OM1), who are watching over Ivana Romanoff.
“All communication is being handled by Charlie’s sister-in-law Fleur Delacour Weasley (OM2) through the Potter/Weasley family reporter Cindy Base Hudson.” Harry folded the paper and shrunk it; he was going to give it to the rest of the people to read later.
Before they were done Fleur greeted them. “I ave food at zee ospital” Fleur said, as she obviously took charge and whisked them all to the floo to go to the hospital.
Once they were there they all went into the private waiting room, and Fleur disappeared to the rooms where they were treating Charlie. A short time later she was back with Arthur Weasley. Arthur sat down rather heavily, and said “Charlie is resting, what is left of him anyway. The healers expect him to survive, although something could still go wrong. It will probably be a day or two before anyone else can see him.
“Harry, the healers want to keep Fawkes for another day at least. I need to go back home to get some things for Molly and me; it looks like we are going to be here several more days.”
“I have to go back to get some things for Ginny” said Harry. “We can go together.”
Jim Snook said “I’ll come with you and leave Dobedo here.” Harry nodded his OK and gave the Prophet to Ginny.
Arthur noticed that Ivana and Lily were standing next to each other, holding hands and listening. “Thank you for coming over for Ivana, Lily,” said Arthur.
Lily, who did not earn a lot of compliments from her grandfather, in a small shy voice very different from her usual boisterous self, whispered, “You’re welcome, Grandfather.”
As Harry and Arthur were walking towards the floo to start their trip back home Harry said, “Charlie is a lot worse than just losing limbs, isn’t he.”
“Yes,” Arthur replied. “They were having a lot of problems with the dragons, and had gotten some extra help. When Charlie was burned they had someone apparate him to the hospital right away. It was only that, and that they have had so much experience with this kind of traumatic injury, that saved Charlie’s life. Good thing, I guess.” Arthur looked at Harry and shook his head in a way to indicate that he was not all together sure it was a good thing.
Harry volunteered, “Ivana said one of her classmates has a dad that cannot do anything for himself. They have to feed him and everything. Is it that bad?”
“With luck Charlie will be able to feed himself,” said Arthur. “His left arm is pretty bad, not from this accident but from other ones. After seeing the arm and hand I realized that we had not seen Charlie in short sleeves in years. They had a couple of major rebuilding’s of it, but it works, more or less. Charlie never wanted us to know just how dangerous Dragon Tending is.”
“More than legs?” asked Harry.
“Everything below the waist, Harry,” Arthur responded. “Both hips are gone, a couple of bags for urine and solid waste, spells to hold everything together. The Phoenix has really helped heal the right side, but it will never be right. They have sort of rebuilt the skin, put the face back. It is going to take a couple more weeks before his face even begins to look normal. They could not save the eye; the optic nerve is too damaged for an artificial eye. No hair on that side either. They’ll build an ear, but it won’t function.”
Harry asked, “Can Charlie talk, can he communicate?”
“He can sort of talk, although it’s hard to understand what he is trying to say,” Arthur replied. “The healers say that will get better, although he will probably be hard to understand if you don’t know him. The magic of the healers has done major work rebuilding his vocal cords and airways, but they will never be back to normal.”
“Does he know that Stribog died?” Harry asked.
“Oh, we’re almost positive he knows,” Arthur answered. “I think he saw it. I think he saw Stribog get burned up. He only asks about Ivana, and when we have told him that Ginny and Lily and you are taking care of her he was very happy.”
“I am glad I brought Lily over,” Harry said.
“Can you get in touch with Granger and Grunt, Harry,” Arthur asked. “We are going to be bringing Charlie back home, and Ivana, and we have been told that he will need a full time person to help take care of him. That’s three more rooms, including a reasonably large one for Charlie. We need to add another floor to the New Burrow.”
“I will take care of it, Dad,” Harry said.
By this time they had gotten to the Ministry in London, to the floo section, where they were going to part ways. “Meet you back here at ten,” Arthur said. “I need to get a few things, and I may want to just sit in our bedroom and think for a few minutes. I don’t cry, Harry, but this sort of thing is hard. It takes something out of you.”
“So far our children have been safe,” said Harry “but I worry about Teddy, and Albus.”
“It’s harder seeing your children get hurt, or going through hard times, than it is to be hurt yourself, Harry,” Arthur replied. “You will have your moments; it’s part of being a parent. I hope not like this, or Fred, or …” Arthur could not finish the sentence, and briefly had a terrible haunted expression on his face.
As they parted Harry thought that they still could not talk about baby Fabian.
At about ten both were back, and the trip back to Romania was uneventful. Nothing of note happened until late in the afternoon. Two people entered the waiting room, a middle age witch healer, and a girl they learned was about thirteen. The girl was tall, big boned but reasonably thin and curvy, the same long blond hair as Ivana. “Hello Ivana,” said the girl. “I’m sorry about your uncles.”
The two girls hugged, and then Ivana turned and said, “This is Olga Romanoff. We have three common great-grandparents, so we’re some sort of cousin. Her dad is the one they have to feed. Is he missing arms too?”
“No,” Olga replied. “A dragon broke his back, and he cannot move anything below his neck. Even his head is messed up. Mother and I can sort of understand him, but no one else can. He communicates by looking at a Muggle computer setup and moving his eyes.” Olga looked at everyone, took a deep breath and fidgeted a little, like she was trying to get something out. “I miss my dad’s voice. It’s like he is sort of there, but only sort of. Sometimes I think maybe I hate dragons.”
Ivana started to introduce people. “This is my cousin Lily Luna Potter, and her parents Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny. Aunt Fleur Weasley comes in and out, and Uncle Charlie’s mum and dad are in the room with him.”
The three girls spent about half an hour talking, while the healer spoke to Harry and Ginny. For the rest of the week Olga was over for a while in the afternoon, sometimes with other classmates who knew Ivana.
Thursday afternoon Fleur came into the room and said, “We go and see Sharles. Tomorrow we take him to St. Mungo’s.” Fleur led the way to a room, and when they went in they saw that it was sort of a waiting room or outside room. They all had to have a healer go over them several times with his wand to clear anything that could be a problem, and wash their hands and face in a sink with special soap, before they could go into the room with Charlie.
When they were ready the curtains in the room were opened, and they could see the bed with Charlie in it. Harry was shocked. He looked to see how Ginny, Ivana and Lily were holding up.
Lily was over at the sink trying to keep from throwing up, not totally successfully. She looked at her dad in embarrassment, and over a few minutes gradually got control of her emotions.
Ivana started out holding on to Ginny, and gradually became able to look at her uncle. Ginny was working hard to control her emotions, gradually able to look at Charlie over about fifteen minutes. And Harry divided his time between looking at Ginny and the children and looking at Charlie, trying to get used to looking at what was left of Charlie.
Charlie’s right side looked as if it had been melted, all hairless skin generally conforming to a head, neck and upper trunk. The left side was raw but looked like a person. The right arm was not only missing but it looked like part of the shoulder was as well, and it was just shocking seeing how little was left of the bottom part of Charlie, with his body ending not where his legs started but just above his missing hips.
After fifteen minutes everybody could look at Charlie, but the healer with them had them stay in the room another fifteen minutes getting used to Charlie and talking about him before going in.
Ivana walked up to where Charlie could see her and said “Hi, Uncle Charlie.”
Charlie voiced a barely understandable “Hi.” You could see he was trying to smile.
“Aunt Ginny and Uncle Harry are here for me,” Ivana told Charlie, “and Lily too. Lily’s been great. We’re all going back to England, and Lily will be my sister, so I’m not all alone, even if we live at the New Burrow, and she lives with her family, because we will see each other every day, and we’ll be sisters and cousins, and at least I’ll have a family to love me. You too, Uncle Charlie, you’ll have a family to love you, and we’ll be happy, and I’ll love you, at least what’s left of you, and I’m sorry you got hurt so bad, but Lily and Aunt Ginny have …” Ivana was hyperventilating, losing it.
Ivana turned to Ginny and held on to her, grabbed Lily’s hand, and tried to catch her breath. “I’ll be all right, Uncle Charlie,” she finally got out, tears pouring out.
Lily was crying too, almost as much as Ivana. Ginny was holding her emotions in check, but just barely.
Harry went over, and looking at Charlie said, “Thank you for living, Charlie, for Ivana at least, and for us. We’ll make the best of a bad situation.”
Charlie tried to say something that may have been; “Thank you for Fawkes,” although it was hard to understand what he was trying to say.
Harry mouthed, “Fawkes,” and the big scarlet Phoenix was on his shoulder. “Time to go?” he asked and Fawkes nodded. “Fawkes at least thinks you’re better,” Harry told Charlie.
They left a very short time after; having visitors was very hard on Charlie.
Friday they moved Charlie to St. Mungo’s in a big box carried by four Magi, with a couple of healers inside the box. This way they could use the floo network, with special floo powder because of the size of the box. Grainger and Grunt were in the process of adding another floor onto the New Burrow, more bedrooms. There was a special wing for Charlie and a full time healer, plus a room for Ivana, on the remodeled second floor. The rest of the second floor and the third floor were more rooms for the children and grandchildren who stayed at the house in the summer and over Christmas. The Attic area was expanded as well, so the house was three full and two half stories, the small windows in the upper half a story for the five foot high bedrooms for Elves, with the attic also being an Elf area.
Grainger and Grunt built the story and a half addition on the ground next to the house, and then by magic raised the roof and slid the addition in place. It only took them a couple of weeks, but they had a lot of their staff working hard to get so much done so quickly.
Friday morning December sixteenth the addition to the New Burrow was finally done, and Friday afternoon they moved Charlie to the new Burrow. Charlie and an unnaturally cheery never married witch healer by the name of Caroline Fawcett came through the floo, Charlie suspended in a special wheelchair. The wheelchair was built on the framework of one of those special Muggle battery powered wheelchairs, but it had magical additions to it. Charlie was learning how to control it with his ‘good’ left hand and arm, but it was like a baby learning how to walk; pretty wobbly and rough right now. Although Charlie was getting stronger he could only be up for an hour at most before he needed a couple of hours rest.
“Good afternoon, everybody. We’re here!” announced a bubbly Caroline as she and Charlie came through the floo. “Charlie, let’s see the rooms they have for us.”
Ivana and Lily were there to greet Charlie and Caroline, and of course Arthur and Molly were there as well. Andromeda Tonks had not seen Charlie before, but she did introduce herself to Ivana and Caroline, before disappearing into her rooms. Ginny was there with Ivana and Lily, with most of Ivana’s possessions. They had cleaned out the house that Charlie and Stribog and Ivana had been living in, with most of Ivana’s possessions shrunk and stored in Lily’s room while they were waiting for the rooms to be done at the New Burrow, and for Charlie to come home. Albus and Rose were also there; Albus indicated he wanted to be there for Uncle Charlie, and also for Lily and Ivana.
There had been a couple of additional articles about Charlie, never near as much as the Magi press wanted. Cindy was there to give what she said to the people getting her news feed was, “The last update on Charlie.”
“Welcome home, Charlie,” said Molly. “I’m sorry you’re moving home in these circumstances, but welcome.” Molly knelt down to give Charlie as much of a hug as she could, then turned to Caroline and said, “Welcome to our house, Caroline.” Molly gave Caroline one of the big Molly Weasley hugs, and Caroline hugged her right back.
“Charlie and Caroline have to take the elevator,” Ginny told the girls, “but we can go up the stairs.”
Caroline maneuvered Charlie to the middle back of the house, where a new elevator had been installed. It was just big enough for two people, if one of them was in a cumbersome and rather large wheelchair, normal looking except that the inside elevator doors were built sort of like a Dutch door, with bottom doors just under five feet high and then top doors. The elevator went up all 5 stories, and the doors had to be much smaller for the two Elf areas. Of course the size of the elevator shaft was way too small for the size of the elevator that ran up and down inside it, but that was common magical construction.
Ivana, Lily and Rose went into Ivana’s new bedroom, along with Ginny. Rose loved to decorate rooms, and she helped arrange the room to feel as at home as possible for Ivana. Before they were done Ivana was very pleased with her room.
Albus was not all that interested in decorating and arraigning Ivana’s room; this was obviously going to be a girl thing. He went into the room with Charlie and Caroline, Arthur and Molly, and the Hudson’s who were getting ready to write an article about how severe Charlie’s injuries were, the marvelous job that the healers in Romania and St. Mungo’s did in saving Charlie’s life, and the adaptations including the wheelchair and more that were going to allow Charlie to function. Albus was fascinated by all the technical stuff, magical and Muggle, and as a consequence ended up in several of the photographs, and with his name in the article and identified in photographs, to his great embarrassment.
Molly and Narcissa met the next Tuesday. Andromeda Tonks was with Molly.
Before they sat down Narcissa said, “I am so sorry about Charlie, Molly.”
“I never thought I would say someone was better off dead,” Molly said. “I am glad that Charlie is alive, but sometimes I look at what is left of him, and what shape what is left of him is in, and I wonder.”
Molly and Narcissa hugged. Then Narcissa said, “Good to see you, Andy.”
Andromeda said, “Good to see you again, Cissy. I am glad we could meet when Molly was in Romania.”
Narcissa said, “How are you handling Charlie, Andy.”
“I am handling it,” Andromeda said. “When I am with Charlie, or after when I am with the family, I am handling it. I just spend some time in my room crying, and Charlie isn’t even my son. I cannot believe Molly. She seems so strong.”
“I cry too,” Molly said, “But you cannot live in the tears. You must remember the happy times in the past, and build … and build … happy times for the future. Happy times for Ivana and … and …Oh, there is just so little left of Charlie, and what is left is in such bad shape.” By this time Molly’s tears were starting to come, and you could see Molly was having a hard time.
The women spent a good hour and a half, sharing a meal, and sharing the emotions of the part weeks. After they got home Molly realized that, for this time, Narcissa was there for her, and not the other way around. It was good for both of them to have the roles reversed occasionally. Molly was very grateful for Narcissa’s friendship.
Molly did think it was a shame that neither Andy nor Cissy felt that they could visit the other publicly.
Chapter 34: CH 34 Fame for James and Albus
Author's Notes: Second to last chapter. I'm hard at work on the Albus at Hogwarts story, and we will not forget Harry and Ginny during that story.
Saturday, December seventeenth, Harry and Ginny went to pick up James from the Hogwarts Express. Harry and Ginny were eager to talk to him about Hogwarts. As they walked through the station James was busy talking to what seemed like a huge crowd of students. James seemed to know a lot of the students, or they him.
When they got to the car Harry and Ginny made sure that Lily Luna was sitting between James and Albus in the back seat of the car, as James tried to tell Lily about all the Quidditch plays they were practicing.
The Elves had dinner ready for the family when they got home. At dinner Harry asked James “Are you enjoying living in the dorm? Any special friends?”
James answered, “Hamilton Jordan and Gideon Prewett are both in my dorm room. Hamilton wants to be the Quidditch commentator next year. Almost everybody knows me! Lots of people ask, ‘Is Harry Potter really your father?’ Some want to know if Ginny Potter is my mother. It’s easy to make friends. The only problem is that no one wants to talk about of Quidditch as much as I do. The only one I can always get to talk to about Quidditch is that Hufflepuff girl, Erica Lionheart. She’s a really good chaser, on the team as a first year. Her mum works with Mum on the Quidditch column. I kind of knew who she was, but never paid much attention to her. She’s all right, but she’s not a guy.”
“Is that a problem?” asked Ginny.
James beamed, replying, “Not really. Not at all, really. A lot of girls want to be friends with Harry Potter’s son, but lots of them are all fluttery and silly. Some of them know a little about Quidditch, but Erica knows a lot, and she is really a good flyer! I wish she was on our team.”
Al said, “Do people really ask you all the time if you’re Harry Potter’s son?”
James sort of puffed out his chest and replied, “It’s like I’m some kind of hero! It’s kind of neat.”
“What if you don’t want all that attention?” asked Albus.
“Why would you not want the attention?” asked James. “I think it’s great!”
Al implored, “You’re no big hero, James. Dad did that stuff. Mum n dad.”
“I AM the Seeker of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, and as a first year. The last person to do that was Dad. So I am kind of following in his footsteps,” James said.
“What do people want to know?” asked Lily.
“If dad is really brave,” answered James. “I tell them that he is, that he isn’t afraid of anything!”
“Not being afraid is stupid, and dangerous,” Harry quickly interjected. “You’ve been told that. Courage is being afraid and doing something anyway.”
“They want to know if dad really has scars,” said James trying to change the subject. “I tell them you can’t really notice them, except for the one on Dad’s forehead, not that much, except when Dad takes off his shirt. They also want to know if we’re really rich. People keep telling me that I’m lucky, that I got the Firebolt, and can get anything I want. I tell them I don’t know, you make us transplant plants to make money. Lots of the students don’t believe I don’t have all the money I want.”
“What do they ask about Mum?” asked Lily.
“If she’s really as pretty as the pictures of her,” James replied. “I tell everybody that she’s much prettier in real life!”
“Thank you, James,” said Ginny, giggling.
Harry thought that James was smart telling his mother how pretty she was. Harry then asked James, “How are your classes, James?”
“Oh, they’re OK. I’m getting good enough grades,” said James/
“Are you learning anything?” asked Ginny.
“I’m learning enough,” said James. “The classes are all right. So far I have been able to do all the spells.”
“I want to go to Hogwarts to learn magic, not to play Quidditch,” Al interjected.
“You’ll never get to be Gryffindor seeker, not as long as I’m there,” James promptly said.
“There are much more important things than being a Quidditch player,” Al replied.
“Maybe you can be the Ravenclaw seeker, if you’re so smart,” James said. “Na, you’ll be the Slytherin seeker, cause you’re sneaky. I know you sneak down the basement to practice magic.”
This remark left Albus speechless; he did sneak downstairs to practice magic, almost every day. He hoped this sneaking did not mean he was going to be put in Slytherin.
“Did you see pictures of your Uncle Charlie in the Prophet?” asked Ginny of James the next morning. It was Sunday December eighteenth; a week before Christmas, and the family was getting ready to go to the New Burrow.
“Everybody asked me about it,” responded James “but I tell them I don’t know much more than what is in the paper. You haven’t told me anything I haven’t read.”
Ginny said, “You’ll see Charlie this morning. I think you’ll find that he looks worse in person than he does in the paper. He really is in bad shape.”
James shrugged his shoulders. He had more important things to worry about.
Albus noticed as he met Charlie, then watched other members of the family try to talk to him, that Charlie had a very hard time communicating. Albus had been reasonably careful about how often he practiced legilimency, and whose minds he tried to read. It was hard work, not always precise, and sometimes it felt like he was undressing people. But just maybe, Al thought, he could combine legilimency with trying to understand what Charlie was saying to better communicate with him.
Albus went back to Charlie and asked, “Is it hard to talk to people.”
Charley said, “Yea, is reel har o omm,” and kind of gave up in frustration.
Al could read what Charley was thinking and repeated back, “It’s real hard to communicate?”
Charley sort of nodded yes. Al then said, “I have some minor skills in legilimency. Maybe I can interpret for you?”
“Tha wo be fan, al,” said Charlie.
“That would be fantastic! Good” Al replied.
Al spent some time with Charley interpreting for him. From then on, whenever Charlie had a hard time communicating he would ask for Al, and Albus added being Charlie’s interpreter to his responsibilities.
James asked his mother and father at dinner, “Can I invite someone to come over here and fly with me tomorrow?”
“What about your cousins?” asked Ginny?
“None of them want to fly all day,” said James. “Lily will, but no one else will.”
“And what kind of practice can you do with three people? And who do you want to invite over anyway?” asked Ginny.
“Erica Lionheart will fly all day, and her brother Billy wants to fly too. May I invite them over? Please!” James implored. “We can play two on two in the space between the houses, and if anyone wants to join us we can play three on three or whatever.”
“I’ll play seeker, or any position, but not all day!” said Albus.
“Do you want me to call Mrs. Lionheart?” asked Ginny of James.
“Could you, please!” James replied.
Ginny called Donna Lionheart. “Hello Donna.
…
“James wanted to know if Erica and Billy could come over here and fly.
…
“You’re right, Donna,” Ginny laughed. “You don’t ask to be invited, you wait to be invited. I’m inviting Erica and Billy to come over, and bring their brooms. How about 9:00 A.M., after breakfast. We’ll feed the children lunch.
…
“I’ll let you know how it’s going the middle of the afternoon. “
The next morning Donna brought Erica and Billy over. The two children ended up staying until about 8:00 PM, eating lunch and dinner at Potters New Burrow. They even wangled another day out of Ginny and Donna, spending Tuesday flying as well, before both sets of parents put a stop to it.
About half the time Albus and some of the other cousins were flying with them, but the only four to fly all day were James, Erica, Bill and Lily.
Monday December nineteenth Harry and Hermione were among about a dozen trustees of Hogwarts meeting with Minerva McGonagall. She started out saying, “I am pleased to announce that our upper grades Charms teacher, Cinnamon Appleleaf, has delivered another child, their fourth, a daughter Daisy. Both mother and daughter are doing well.”
Wendell Wilkes, a trustee, asked, “Is being a new mother interfering with her duties as a teacher?”
“Not really,” answered Minerva. “I think the baby would be a little more distracting in the lower grades, but Tom Appleleaf does a fantastic job with those. He may be the better teacher, but Cinnamon really knows the advanced charms better, and I could not be happier with the job she is doing.
“Of course they have an Elf to help take care of the young children when one of the parents cannot, and the Appleleaf parents say that their Elf is a big help.”
The same trustee asked, “Is Cinnamon going to have eight children, like Pomona Sprout?”
Harry responded with, “It’s really none of our business. Grandpa Michael Appleleaf did say something about Tom and Cinnamon thinking that four was quite enough, at least for a while.”
“How is the search for a new Potions teacher going?” asked Hermione.
“I have the perfect candidates, I think,” responded Minerva, “Elessar and Arwen Wong. The problem is that she is committed to her current position next year. They are newly married, and don’t want to spent the first year of their marriage apart. I have another Chinese candidate, Dragon Chen, for the early grades, and Slughorn will continue on for the upper grades, but he really is getting old, and a little forgetful, and we need to replace him as soon as possible.”
Wendell Wilks was a Pure Blooded wizard whose family had never been connected to Tom Riddle. He was still very conservative, and he said, “I expect this Wong couple is going to be raising children at Hogwarts too.”
“That’s almost a certainty. It was one of the things that attracted them to Hogwarts,” Minerva said. “We really have a good primary school program at Hogwarts for the students from Hogsmeade and Hogwarts.
“I have another issue. There are ten Elves that have been raised with Magi. Each Elf is associated with two Magi children, some the same age, some one year younger, a couple two years younger. Harry’s son Albus Severus and Hermione’s daughter Rose have been raised with an Elf by the name of Martin. All the Elves would like to be taught here next year; we do have a really good program for teaching Elves. The cost to Hogwarts is minor. The Harry Potter Estates is going to cover the modest increase in cost of food and other minor expenses.
“I have been informed by Magi and Elves who know the whole program that the following year they want all the Magi children raised with Elves here at Hogwarts. The politics in Switzerland make it impossible for all the students to go there, and there are other problems with the other schools.
“We will have enough teachers, but our problem is where to put the extra students.”
“You have foreign students now, and a foreign student house,” Hermione reminded them.
“That’s really for older students, starting third year,” Minerva said. “Usually first and second year students end up in one of the four houses, usually one they chose although some of them want to be sorted, and the sorting hat does its best.”
“Do the houses have enough room,” asked Hermione.
“Only Slytherin,” responded Minerva. “Bennett Davis may be sorted into Slytherin, but I don’t have another student on the list for that year that I think will be sorted into Slytherin.
Hermione asked, “How welcoming would Slytherin be? From what you have said, the non-Pure Blooded students in Slytherin have been having a very hard time.”
“I’m not happy with Slytherin. By tradition the Head of House picks the Prefects, and the Prefects sort of set the standard for the house. I’m not sure how they pick the heads in Slytherin. None of the Professors associated with Slytherin will tell me. I’m not happy with their choices,” Minerva said.
Hermione said, “I know Professor Sanford’s children were sorted into Slytherin. I know that they agreed to be in Slytherin to be change agents. What do they say?”
Minerva said, “They tell their father that changing Slytherin is going to be very difficult. We let them go home some weekends just because living in that House has been so hard on the students. Some other non-Pure Blood students have also spent a little time with the Sanford family, just to get a break from the tension and prejudice.”
Wendell Wilkes said, “Slytherin, like all the houses, has its own proud traditions. I doubt you will change the character of the house easily, and you should not try. There ought to be at least one house for us few true Pure Blooded witches and wizards.”
There was more discussion about Slytherin, but no one had any good ideas how to change the character of the house.
Other than Charlie, there was really nothing too unusual about the Christmas of 2016. Teddy was the only one of the next generation out of school. Fred Weasley would be graduating in the spring. The older children were beginning to talk about what they wanted to do after graduation. Fred was going to start working for Weasleys Wizarding Wheezes, and he was going to be traveling with Lee Jordan, and spending some time in Africa learning some new spells, as soon as possible. Fred had already spent a couple of weeks each of the last two summers in Africa, and this Christmas he had a girl from the African tribe Lee and he had been working with visiting. Her name was Miriam, and she was as short as Ginny, reasonably curvy, and as black as you could be.
Victoire was going to try and become a healer. Molly wasn’t sure, but Roxanne wanted to be either an Auror or a farmer, or maybe both. Frank Longbottom was going to see if he could train as an Auror, but keep working on the farm part time. Even though she was only fifteen, (as her parents kept reminding her), it was hard to get Roxanne to talk about her future without having Frank Longbottom somewhere in the conversation.
James Potter and Erica Lionheart talked their parents into letting them fly a couple more days between Christmas and New Year Day.
Late in the week between Christmas and New Years the Potter family held their usual after Christmas party. Harry, Ginny and their children were in the front hall, waiting for the modest contingent of pediatric patients from St. Mungo’s, plus a few other needy children, along with siblings and parents, plus a couple of healers for a couple of the more seriously sick children.
“I’m glad we got another tree, for the front hall,” Harry said. “The main tree was getting rather overloaded with ornaments.”
“Aunt Fleur’s tree is a lot prettier,” Lily said.
“Each one of these ornaments represents a year, and a needy child that we were able to help in some small way,” Harry said. “They are not all very pretty, but to me they are the most beautiful ornaments you could ever have.”
Ginny gave Harry’s hand a squeeze, to confirm what he said. She was so lucky to be married to this generous, loving man. Life was very good indeed.
In January Witches Weekly started a series on “The Tragedies’ of the Potter and Weasley Families.” They took a couple of weeks to go over the Weasley family history, then the third week went into the tragedies’ of Arthur and Molly’s family, Molly losing her two brothers and then two sons. The fourth week they went over the Potter family tragedies’. Then they spent a week on the post Hogwarts time, going over Ginny’s tragic accident and Charlie’s accident. Somehow the last articles ended up spending a moderate amount of time on Albus Severus Potter; going over the conflicts he had with the Department for the Regulation of Underage Magic, the attacks he and his family had survived, and speculating about what problems he was going to face next.
Albus was mortified. He wanted to be able to hide, very much like his father, and not have to face being ‘royalty’ like James apparently was.
Scorpius read all the articles, but Cleopatra devoured them. “Do you think we’ll meet Albus Potter at Hogwarts?” she asked Scorpius. “Maybe I could room with Rose Weasley?”
Scorpius replied “The Potters and Weasleys’ are the closest thing the Magi community has to royalty, and the Malfoy name is dirt. I don’t expect they’ll even want to speak to us.”
By February it was becoming clear that Charlie was having a harder time talking. The healers told Charlie that trying to talk was putting too much strain on his throat. The Magi in Romania suggested a Muggle computer with a good word processing program, hooked up to a one handed keypad made for totally one handed typing. So Charlie started to use that. There was also a program that spoke what Charlie was saying, and shortcuts that, if you learned them, could make it easier to talk.
One day Albus walked in to Charlie’s room and asked, “How is talking with the keyboard coming?”
F R U Charlie typed, and when Frustrating appeared on the screen he chose that. “Frustrating.”
“Why is it so frustrating?” asked Albus.
I C A “can” T H I N “think” M U “must” F A S “fast” T H “than” T H “this” M A C H “machine,” Charlie typed, as the computer program tried to guess the world Charlie wanted.
“You can think faster than you can type?” Albus asked. “I can understand that. Would it be faster with magic?”
Charlie typed “?”
“Do you have a wand?” Albus asked.
“NO,” appeared on the computer screen.
“Could you use a wand?” Albus asked.
“? Tired” appeared on the computer.
Caroline, Charlie’s nurse, told Albus after Charlie had closed his eyes, “Charlie is working hard on learning how to type and communicate, but after about half an hour and he is exhausted.
Albus thought that you ought to be able to type faster with magic, but he had no idea how. So he started asking people. His parents were no help. So he asked his Aunt Hermione.
“Charlie is having a hard time typing on that one handed keyboard he is using,” Albus said to his Aunt. “Is there some magical way of making it easier for him to type?”
“I would think that would be more in the province of healers,” Hermione said. “Don’t his fingers work very well?”
“I will ask him,” Albus said. “I can listen to him using Legilimency, so it’s not so frustrating for him to talk to me.”
“Technically, you are not to be using Legilimency at your age, so I would be very careful who you told that you are using it to communicate with Charlie,” Hermione said.
Albus responded, “Technically you and Uncle Ron and my Dad should not have been doing what you did to defeat Tom Riddle. If I had not summoned wands when I was underage I might not have done anything illegal, but I would be dead.”
Hermione said, “I am just reminding you to be very careful what you tell people, especially if it might suggest that you are doing something that is not allowed.”
Albus Potter did not need any encouragement to be careful, and more than a little paranoid.
Albus went back to Charlie, and asked, “Uncle Charlie, are you having a hard time moving your fingers, or just a hard time learning to type.”
Charlie typed back, “?”
Albus said, “So you are not sure which it is. Maybe both?”
Charlie nodded, “Yes.”
Albus asked, “Do you still have your wand?”
“Burned,” Charlie thought to Albus.
“All burned up when you were hurt,” Albus said.
Charlie nodded.
“We ought to get you a wand,” Albus said. “I will ask Grandmother about getting you a wand.”
Caroline, Charlie’s nurse, said, “Most healers do not want someone as badly injured as Charlie using a wand. It is too hard to lose control of their magic.”
“There ought to be some way to help you, Charlie,” said Albus. He spent more time with Charlie, but did not make any progress figuring out how to make it easier for Charlie to communicate.
April 8th was the first Quidditch game of 2017 at Hogwarts, between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. James and Erica were going to be flying against each other for the first time. Both teams were good, although Gryffindor was a little better. James again caught the snitch, three games his first year at Hogwarts and he caught the snitch each time. The Quidditch magazines all had a story on James. The only column not to focus on, “the next generation of Potter superstars,” was Ginny’s column, although even she had to have a write-up on the game.
Finally it was the middle of June, and the Hogwarts Express brought all the children home for the summer vacation. Fred Weasley II was one of the first students off the train. He was met by his parents, and another family. The girl, Mariam, kissed Fred, and then he hugged his mother and the other woman, and shook hands with his father and the other man.
Ginny said, “We are having a graduation party tomorrow at the New Burrow, and Mariam and her parents are going to be there. Monday Fred is leaving for about six months of study with Mariam’s tribe, learning some different spells, and trying to get a supply of some hard to procure magical plants.”
“How serious are Fred and Mariam?” asked Harry.
“Too serious, at least per Angelina,” Ginny replied. “She doesn’t want to become a grandmother too quickly. She’s worried about Frank Longbottom and Roxanne as well.”
About this time Frank and Roxanne came out of the train together. There was a large crowd of students with Frank, all children of teachers at Hogwarts. Neville and Perry Sprout were there to meet them.
“Frank has been accepted into Auror training,” Harry said. “Roxanne has two years of school left, so they will not be together all that much for the next two years. Roxanne is taking courses to allow her to join the Aurors as well.”
Roxanne reluctantly parted with Frank, and joined her parents, and the George Weasley family and guests departed via the floo connection.
Neville had a list, and eventually, when all the students were together, he said, “Raise your wand when I read out your name. I need to make sure all the students who are going back to meet their parents at Hogwarts are with me.
“Seventh year, Frank Longbottom, Elisa Williamson,
“Sixth year, Rose Sprout,
“Fifth year, Alice Longbottom,
“Fourth year, Dolly Longbottom, Aster Sprout,
“Third year, Ruth Sanford,
“Second year, Violet Sprout,
“First year, Abraham Sanford.”
Neville led the students through the floo, and Perry Sprout followed behind the students.
James finally came out, along with a small crowd of students. Erica Lionheart was with the group, and Harry was almost sure most of the students played Quidditch for one of the houses.
Victoire was one of the last out of the train. She was a Prefect, and rumor had it that she was going to be Head Girl next year. Harry knew that Teddy wanted to meet the train, but his Auror schedule did not allow it.
The next Tuesday Molly, Andromeda and Narcissa met for lunch again.
“What is Fred Weasley going to do, now that he has graduated from Hogwarts,” Narcissa asked Molly. “Is he still going to Africa?”
Molly said, “Yes, and neither his mother nor I are happy with how close he is to the daughter of the couple with some of the magical plants. She is a couple of years older than he is, and as far as his mother and I are concerned she is far too interested in settling down.”
“Molly,” Narcissa said, “I thought you would be eager for great-grandchildren.”
“I expect they will start coming soon enough, but I hope not for a few years,” Molly said.
“I think I will try to get wands and supplies for Scorpius and Cleo close to the time they leave for Hogwarts. There is still a lot of fighting in the house, and Godiva and Astoria really do not want Scorpe and Cleo going to Hogwarts.” Narcissa said. “My Mum Druella wants Scorpe to go, because that is what Pure Blooded Magi do. She is hoping Scorpe will end up finding a Pure Blooded wife, and not marry Cleo.
“Amazingly enough Draco agrees. He is defying his father, and wants Scorpe to go to Hogwarts too.”
Chapter 35: CH 35 Getting Albus ready for Hogwarts
Author's Notes: “She began to wait and worry, so they wedded in a hurry,” is a direct quote from a poem by Robert Service.
I promised a nineteen year story, and it is finished, but I am not. The story grew on me, and having finished book 1 of 4, 2 of 4, 3 of 4, and 4 of 4, I am hard at work on book 5.
Thank you for reading. Thank you, FriendofMolly, for being my Beta for most of this series.
The end of June there was the annual party for Aurors and their families. There were at least six children of Aurors going to Hogwarts for the first time the next year. They included Albus and Rose, Christy Shook, Patty Finnigan, Colin Creevey II, and John Nott They all got together with Teddy Lupin, who had graduated, and who was in training to become an Auror. Somehow during the discussion Albus was asked about the battles he had fought, and finally John Nott asked, “Did you really win the Order of Merlin for those?”
Albus said, “I do not have the Order of Merlin.”
Teddy said, “Albus, you know the situation is more complicated. I was at the funeral when you were three, and Minister Shacklebolt said you ought to be awarded the Order of Merlin for summoning thirteen wands.”
“I was only three,” Albus said. “It would be stupid awarding the Order of Merlin to a three year old.”
“What about the attack in Switzerland?” Teddy asked. “I know they wanted to give you an award then.”
Albus said, “And draw attention to myself? Can you imagine handing in a parchment with Albus S, Potter, (OM) on it?”
Christy Shook said, “I do not see any problem. Don’t be so humble, Al.”
Patty Finnigan said, “We read about the attack in France. Did they want to award you an Order of Merlin for that one, or for all three?”
“The papers exaggerate,” Albus said. “Although it WAS scary!”
James Potter had wandered over to the discussion, and he said, “I think it would be great to have the Order of Merlin. It sure doesn’t hurt that we have famous parents.”
Albus said, “Some of us want to make our own way, and not just act proud for things we didn’t do. None of us was even born when the Battle of Hogwarts was fought.”
Teddy said, “I was, but I was just a week and a half old.”
Patty Finnigan said, “I just got my wand, but my Mum will not let me use it yet. Have any of you used a wand?”
Rose eagerly volunteered, “Albus and I have helped my Mum write the new Potions textbook for the last two years, and we have had to use a wand for that. I’ve only used a wand in the basement of the Potter house. Al, you have used that wand a lot! Will you tell us how long you have been using a wand?”
Albus said, “No.”
Christy Shook said, “Albus, you will be able to use a wand legally from on. Just how long HAVE you been sneaking around using a wand?”
Albus didn’t say anything.
Rose said, “I think Albus has been helping Uncle Harry make potions with a wand since he was five. I know Teddy has been working with Albus for years.”
Christy said, “Teddy, how long has Albus been using a wand?”
Teddy said, “I would get in big trouble if I admitted I had anything to do with Albus using a wand when he was underage. You are not getting any information out of me.”
John Nott said, “Albus, just how long have you been using a wand?”
Albus said, “Can we please talk about something else.”
The discussion continued, with Albus not saying much. It was obvious to everyone, however, that when Albus said something he knew what he was talking about.
Albus wanted to get a wand as soon as possible, so the very first part of July Harry and Ginny took Albus to get his school supplies. Albus was measured, and prodded, and then Ollie Ollivander brought out about a dozen wands, all in different woods. Albus picked the first one up, waved it, and stars came out. He levitated a heavy chair.
“Excellent wand for you, Albus,” Ollie said. “You are doing more with that wand than any young person I have ever seen.”
Albus went to the next wand, and did the same thing.
Ollie looked at Harry and Ginny, more than a little wonder in his face. About this time his grandfather Garrick came out.
Harry said, “Let Albus find a wand.”
Albus went down the entire row of wands, doing the same levitation with each one. Plenty of sparks came out as Albus waved each wand. He finally looked at his father, and then at young Mr. Ollivander, and then back at his father. “They are all good wands,” he said. “None are any better than the one I have been using. None are really MY wand.”
“Can you call YOUR wand?” Ollie asked.
Albus held out his right hand. He waved it back and forth. “I feel something. I will try.”
Albus turned to the window, and summoned the very unusual wand in the window. He held it, and said, “I can see using this wand! I … Oh my, I cannot say it.”
Albus put the wand back, his face very red.
“You don’t like that wand?” Harry and Ollie said together.
“It is a feminine wand, most wands are pretty neutral, but that wand wants a female owner. Oh, I like that wand a LOT, but it is a female wand. I,” Al was very red and obviously embarrassed. “I … I hope I get to meet the girl who buys that wand!”
“It is not like you are going to marry the girl who buys that wand,” Ollie said.
Al got real red. He raised his hand over the wand again. It was almost like something was telling him that he WAS going to marry the female who wielded that wand.
Harry looked at Al, but did not say anything.
“What wand have you been using?” Garrick Ollivander asked Albus.
Albus looked at his father, and Harry said, “Albus has been using Draco Malfoy’s old wand.”
“The wand that defeated Vold…” Garrick looked at Harry, who had started to say “Tom.”
“Tom Riddle,” Garrick said. “Albus has been using the wand that defeated Tom Riddle.”
“I still want to find the right wand for ME,” Albus said.
The next week Harry spent a day in Switzerland, where there were two wand stores. One was the original Ollivander’s, in business since, “About 2,000 BC.” They were not any more successful in finding a wand for Albus. They spend another day traveling to four more wand shops, all the good wand shops in Europe, without finding a wand.
“I am sorry I am causing you so many problems,” Albus said.
“You have a wand you can use,” Harry said. “I promise you that, if you do find a wand that chooses you, I will do anything I can to get it for you.”
“Thank you, Father,” Albus said.
A couple of weeks later Draco took Scorpius to find a wand. Scorpius quickly settled on a wand made of Hawthorn. Ollie had numerous Hawthorn wands, including some with Unicorn hair. Scorpius was waving a couple of wands back and forth, one about eleven inches long, the other nine inches. Finally he said, “I think I could use either of these.”
By this time old Mr. Ollivander was out, and he said, “Draco, your first wand was almost identical to these, but ten inches long. Do you know what became of it?”
“I think Harry Blasted Potter still has it,” Draco said, scowling. “He never gave it back to me after stealing it.”
“I think that wand has passed its allegiance on to someone else,” Garrick Ollivander said, not mentioning that Albus Potter was using it. “Does your new wand work for you?”
“It works, but it feels like a replacement wand,” Draco said. “Nothing has felt right since Potter killed Voldemort.”
“I will take this one, Father,” Scorpius said, holding the 11” wand.
Within a week Narcissa was in Ollivander’s with Cleopatra. Cleo again had no problem getting sparks out of the end of any wand, but none seemed to be special. Cleo finally asked, in a small voice, “May I see the wand in the window?”
Olive Ollivander brought the wand out. Cleo waved it, and sparks flew. She pointed it and said something and a big fire was burning under her hands, but burning down not up. The fire stopped almost as soon as it started. She held it up to Narcissa, and then Olive, and then Ollie.
“YES!” she finally said. “Oh Mrs. Malfoy, will you please buy THIS wand for me! PLEASE!”
Ollie said, “The wand is mostly Bamboo, but the Bamboo is attached to a Sandalwood handle, and the tip is the tip of a dragon tooth. It has a woven core of Unicorn, Thestral and Centaur hair. It is usually too hard for people to control.”
Cleo indignantly said, “You just have to SHOW HER who is the BOSS.” It was obvious that the wand was the “her” Cleo was referring to.
Ollie said, “Ten years, and no one has felt comfortable with that wand, and two people come in this year and can control that wand! This is amazing!”
Cleo sort of waved the wand over young Ollivander, and then Narcissa. Old Mr. Ollivander came out, and Cleo waved the wand over him as well. Finally she waved the wand over herself. “The wand can tell the difference between male and female,” Cleo pondered, waving the wand at waist height sort of pointing towards everyone’s private parts. She quickly put the wand down, chagrin on her face. Cleo thought that she could almost feel the history of the wand. It had seldom been touched by a male, and she could only find one male who could use it, the one who had touched it last. Only females had used this wand. So she asked, “Who did you say could use this wand?”
“Albus Potter did a little magic with it, but said it was a female wand, not a male wand,” young Ollivander replied.
“Albus Potter, THE Albus Potter?” asked Cleo in amazement.
“Albus Severus Potter, the son of Harry and Ginny Potter,” young Ollivander replied. “He could not find a wand, though. He had been using an old borrowed wand.”
“That was Draco’s wand,” old Ollivander interjected. “That’s the wand that defeated Voldemort, Tom Riddle.”
Everybody was quiet for a bit contemplating that. Cleopatra KNEW that Albus being able to control HER WAND was very significant, and important! YES!
“How did you get this wand?” asked Cleo, holding out the dragon tooth tipped wand.
“I did a favor for the witch who owned it, and when she was dying she gave it to me, sold it actually, and ordered me to find it a good home. She told me what I needed to charge for it. It is by far the most expensive wand in the shop.”
“THIS wand feels good, REAL good, in my hand,” Cleo said.
“I am certain this wand has chosen you,” young Ollivander affirmed.
“The money is available at Gringotts,” Narcissa said.
“Take the wand, Miss. I know Mrs. Malfoy will get us the money soon enough,” old Ollivander said.
Albus Severus Potter came down to breakfast 7:30 AM the morning of his eleventh birthday, August 8, 2017. Waiting for him were his parents and a richly dressed goblin.
Harry said to Al, “This is apparently your first birthday present, Al. We were supposed to wait until you came down for breakfast. Goblin Chainmail has the present.”
Al looked at the goblin, went up, looked him right in the eye with great warmth and affection, shook his hand, and sat down. Most 11 year olds were afraid to touch a goblin, especially one dressed to be intimidating, and the warmth with which Albus looked, and touched him, obviously surprised the goblin, and it took him a minute to recover.
The goblin took out a letter and read.
“From Severus Snape to Harry and Ginny Potter and their son Severus,
“I have written many wills, with all but one to be destroyed. This will, and this letter to Severus Potter, is the one I most wanted to be read. I hope by this time Harry knows that for most of my life I was deeply in love with his mother, Lily Evans, and wanted the best for her and any offspring she might have. Harry has heard, I know many times, how kind his mother was, and also that she was an extraordinary witch. What he may not have heard is how high spirited she was, what a commanding figure she was in her own right.
“James Potter was always a leader, and he dominated most groups and situations. He did not dominate Lily, however. She was the only one who I saw who could put him in his place. She eventually turned the supremely arrogant first year James Potter into a somewhat kinder and less arrogant person, at least towards most people.
“I am writing this letter at the end of my first and I expect last year as headmaster of Hogwarts. Everything is coming to a head, and I do not expect to survive. I want to let Harry and Ginny know that I fervently hope at this time that you two do survive, and marry, and have children. There is only one witch at Hogwarts right now that has the high spirits and competence of a Lily Potter, one that can be an equal partner to Harry Potter and that is Ginny Weasley. Potter, Ginny is going to be a challenge. You deserve it.”
The goblin paused. At that last remark Ginny had gotten the “I got away with it” smirk on her face.
“I did not have the magnanimity of spirit to be nice to you, Harry, although I did always want the best for you. That you would respond by naming a son after me, even if it is a middle name, is humbling, and shows that you are a better man than me. You more than me deserved to live after confronting Tom Riddle. I know that if this letter is read Tom Riddle is dead, and I assume you have defeated him.
“Severus, your parents are extraordinary people. Love them, but also respect them. I expect great things from you. Make them proud of you.
“I have left most of the money I saved in trust for you, Severus. If you need it for schooling, or any other urgent needs, it is available. Otherwise, it is yours when you become an adult. Use it wisely, and listen to your parents before you spend it.
“The other gift is to be given in private, with only Harry and Ginny and Severus present.”
The goblin looked around. For some reason the rest of the families were not down to breakfast yet, so he continued.
“This ring and the goblin held out a very small band with a tiny red stone in it, “has been charmed to protect your mind from being read by others. If you want you can let someone in a portion of your mind and keep them from other parts, without them knowing. It takes practice to use this ring. Once you put it on it will disappear. There are other potentially useful charms on this ring. Instructions are included with this gift. Please open this bag with the instructions in private.
“Charm it to go somewhere else if something happens to you. Give it or leave it to someone else who needs it. Use it well.
“Happy birthday,
“Severus Snape.”
Albus took the ring and put it on. It immediately disappeared, but Al could feel that it was on. He took a little bag with instructions on the magic of the ring. If felt like there was more in the bag. Albus kept the bag closed until he could look at the contents in private. Albus could be very secretive and sneaky. He then looked at his mother and father and said, “Why me? I cannot find the wand I am supposed to have, but I get this ring?”
“I will get you the right wand, Albus Severus,” Harry replied. “If it is in my power to give you the wand that choses you, I will, if it is before you go to Hogwarts, or much later. It’s not like you cannot use another wand. You’re already good with a wand.”
Goblin Chainmail took his leave. Almost immediately other people started to appear, and no one mentioned the visit of the Goblin and Albus’s first visitor.
A couple of days later Al finally got a good private look at the instructions in the bag. There was an identical ring, with instructions to give it to your soulmate so you could share thoughts, and keep sharing even as you were blocking other people out. If you used the right spells there was also some power to keep you from losing control to a powerful magical person or object.
Ginny had a key to Albus’s vault at Gringotts. She kept it in a secret compartment in her jewelry box. It was obvious when you went to the vault that it was for Albus and this Cleo person they had never met.
The middle of August Minerva McGonagall received a visitor from Switzerland, Nausicaa Scheria.
“Good afternoon, Nausicaa,” Minerva said. “Why would a prophet be visiting me?”
“Omens say you are going to have interesting times the next seven years, Minerva,” Nausicaa said. “I wanted to give you a little advanced warning, and ask you to keep an eye on two of your students.”
“Just watch them and keep my observations to myself?”
“Well, no, report anything unusual to me, please, and to Harry Potter.”
“And who are these two special students?”
“They are Albus Potter and Cleopatra Smith.”
“Not Albus and Rose?”
“No, Rose and, there are quite a number of students that will probably be of some interest, but the Prophesies are very strong on these two.”
“Does Harry know?”
“Harry knows as much as anyone, but that doesn’t mean he knows all that much.”
Minerva took a deep breath. Life had been very peaceful, interesting but not dangerous and dramatic. The eight years starting with Harry arriving at Hogwarts had been exciting enough. She could do without any more of that type of excitement. “Thank you for the warning, Nausicaa.”
It was the Wednesday before the last weekend in August, and Harry had just come home. Ginny said, “I hope you can free up this weekend, because the family is invited to the marriage of Fred Weasley to Mariam, in Africa.”
“It seems rather sudden,” Harry said. “Is there a baby on the way?”
“She began to wait and worry, so they wedded in a hurry,” Ginny replied, the snarky smile on full display. “SOME couples don’t wait until their wedding night.”
“Are you going to teach that ‘Touch of Lust’ spell to your son’s girlfriends?” Harry asked.
“Merlin no,” Ginny said. “Lily Luna better not find it either, or we will have a grandchild on the way, marriage or no marriage.
“Everybody likes everybody else, and it seems to be a good match. Sometime early in September George wants Fred back in England, and Mariam is coming back with him. The baby is due the middle of April, so she is just pregnant.”
“Who is invited?” Harry asked.
“I guess the whole family, all the cousins,” Ginny replied.
Harry had a reasonably large contingent of Aurors shadowing the family, but in the end there were no problems. They even had time to look at two more wand shops for a wand for Albus, but without any more success. Harry did keep telling Albus that if he found a wand that chose him that Harry would do anything he needed to do to get Albus the right wand for him.
That Sunday night Ginny looked at her bottles of birth control potions. She could not remember taking them this August. She tried to remember when her last period was. It was about the first of August, but she was not certain when. This Summer had been so busy that maybe she forgot.
If she wanted Lily to see how much work a baby was, and to get her help in taking care of one, it would not be the worst thing in the world to get pregnant in August. Ginny did not take a potion. In just a few days they would take Albus to the train to go off to Hogwarts. She was really too young to have all her children off to school.
She wondered when Albus would meet this Cleopatra person. Albus was small, and Ginny thought she would probably be a little girl, maybe taller than her but shorter than Harry, another thin little Luna. Ginny was anxious to meet Cleopatra, but not anxious to have Albus meet her.
Well, the next few years would be interesting.
Ginny had no idea just how interesting the next few years would be.