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Albus Potter and the Deathly Hallows By JetLaBarge
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Category: Post-Hogwarts
Characters:Harry/Ginny, Other
Genres: Action/Adventure, Drama, Humor, Romance
Warnings: Death, Intimate Sexual Situations, Violence, Violence/Physical Abuse
Story is Complete
Rating: R
Reviews: 77
Summary: Albus has his challenges during his first year. Cleopatra is obviously his soulmate, and has brilliant insights into magic, except she cannot do it like anyone else. Albus has to help her while keeping peace between the two brightest and most competitive students at Hogwarts, Scorpius and Rose. It doesn’t help that people are out to get Albus. Harry is not sure he can keep everyone safe. Then you have Ginny and Cleopatra.
Hitcount: Story Total: 145951; Chapter Total: 4635
Awards: View Trophy Room
Author's Notes: Thanks to my fantastic Beta Arnel, I now know that what Americans call a “ball point pen” is a “biro” in Great Britain. As usual, both Arnel and FriendofMolly contributed to this chapter. We have all been busy, but several additional chapters are getting close to being ready to publish. Thank all of you for reading. We would really appreciate reviews.
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Tuesday morning January second was the second time no one could go to platform 9 from the Muggle part of the train station. There were special Floo connections set up, and special Portkeys. No one was going to be allowed to Apparate into or out of the station. Security was tight.
Harry insisted his extended family, plus Scorpius and Rose, arrive early and get on the train before most of the students were there. He went into the compartment that Albus, Rose, Scorpius and Cleopatra were in, made sure the Elf guards were also there, and checked the compartment and the whole train. Harry was again going to personally ride in the engine of the Hogwarts Express, with his mapping programs, surveying the train and the countryside.
As soon as the train pulled out of the station there were Dementors following it. Harry sent his Patronus to the Ministry asking for four additional Aurors, to help him and the four other Aurors already on the train, so they could keep Patronuses shadowing the train, keeping the Dementors well away from the students.
Once the train started moving one student after another found the compartment that Albus was in, and asked to see the Elder Wand. Al politely refused them all. Some students wanted to talk to Cleo about the attack on her, which was in the Prophet. She refused to talk about the attack.
Meeting the train were Professors McGonagall, Longbottom, and Professors Mr. and Mrs. Stanford and Mr. and Mrs. Appleleaf. Between the Aurors, the Professors, and some Elves the Dementors were kept well away from the children, but everyone was aware they were there.
Despite the somewhat scary ride to Hogwarts, the school term started without incident.
*
Later that evening Al VanLente, the head of the International Aurors, and Nausicaa Scheria, the head prophetess in Switzerland, asked Harry to come to meet them the next day, and to bring Ginny. When they arrived, there were two more beings greeting him, Mary, the older Elf who was, with her mate John, the senior Elves in Switzerland, taking care of the castle, and her daughter Arwen, the mother of Galadriel and Luthien, the two Elves currently attending Hogwarts. They went into what Harry knew was a very secure room. Waiting for them were Minerva McGonagall and Hermione Granger-Weasley. Shortly after they sat down Sibylla Papadopoulos, Nausicaa’s granddaughter entered the room, along with Caroline VanLente, Al’s wife.
Harry looked around the room, noticing that he and Al VanLente were the only men in the room.
Nausicaa started spoke first, saying, “Prophecy is not an exact science. We, the heirs of the Prophetesses of Delphi, know to read the signs of the times as much as we depend on the mysterious foretelling of the future. For many reasons we are at a critical time in the history of magical beings, not only the human Magi, but all magical beings.
“Harry, you know much of this, but I want Ginny and everybody to listen to some of the history, so we all can start to agree on where we are.
“Harry and Ginny are the Regents in Switzerland, exercising ownership of the entire magical Swiss valley of the Magi until the heirs come into their own. We know that every five hundred years or so another couple appears who could be the head witch and wizard, or who are for a brief period until something happens. The Prophesies say that Harry and Ginny are the last Regents.
“Harry, we know that you became the Regent when you defeated Tom Riddle, one on one in a duel, and that the duel, and the way you defeated Tom Riddle, was critical to why you inherited all the property that Riddle had accumulated by killing families. Riddle could not inherit the Swiss Valley, despite killing the last Regents, because he could not father children.”
Harry said, “His male organs had shrunk until they were smaller than a child. He wanted personal immortality, not immortality through children. As far as we know he never had any children.”
Mary the Elf said, “Harry, you did much more than just defeat Tom Riddle. You let the Elves investigate our own history. The Elves attached to the Palace were not pressed into slavery for your good, but encouraged to work for the good of the Magical world.
“The Elves have always had prophetesses, but the knowledge of it has been hidden for centuries. The prophetesses of Delphi always had Elf help. When you killed Tom Riddle, and became the regents for the eventual rulers in Switzerland, many things changed. Your treatment of house-elves, burying Dobby, arranging for a marker for the Elves who served Hogwarts for as many years as it has been in existence, having the Elfish names on the monument, and many other things, have changed who we are and what we can become.
“Elves and goblins are a sundered people. The work Albus and Rose did, along with others, on magic DNA proved it. Prophesies say that when the eventual queen and king of the Magi come there will also be a queen and king of the High Elves, and we will be reunited.”
Harry said, “I know Magi have two additional magical base pairs, Psi (Φ) and Omega (Ω), in addition to A, G, C and T. You can only see the magical pair with magic. They do not seem to exist in the Muggle world.”
Mary said, “Totally magical beings like Elves and merpeople do not have the same DNA at all. We are more different on the inside than on the outside. What is important is that magic, and magical creatures, came from outside.”
Harry said, “Where outside? How?”
Mary said, “We do not know. For the first time in centuries we are looking at the oldest records. Big changes are coming, and we are trying to prepare.”
Harry asked, “Does all this have something to do with the Elder Wand.”
Nausicaa said, “The first wand came from the outside. It is the wand of she who will inherit the first place among the magical people of the world. It is prophesied that she will pay a heavy price when she becomes queen, but, God or the Powers Beyond willing, she will govern with wisdom. The first High Elf made a wand for her consort. Both wands are being used for the first time in centuries, by the eventual heirs of the first rulers of the High Elves. Galadriel has the first wand, and Thorin the goblin has the wand of her consort.”
Al VanLente said, “The third wand, the female wand, the first wand made for humans, is in the hands of The Pirate Witch Queen of the Caribbean. She is Cleopatra’s great-grandmother.”
Harry said, “I already know that Cleo is probably going to have to fight her great-grandmother for the wand.”
Nausicaa said, “Cleopatra and Albus, at least. I do not know how it will happen, but at some time it will.”
Ginny said, “They are going to win, aren’t they?”
Nausicaa said, “There are no guarantees, Ginny. Prophesies about a person die with that person.”
Ginny said, “So when they have both wands are they king and queen?”
Nausicaa said, “There are objects that are critical to their success. There are three Chrystal Balls, the first three of the Magi. We have one here, the Pirate Witch Queen has one, and the Lord of the Dementors in Asia has one. The wands are important. There is also a ring that is important.
“I understand that when they have five of the six they will be something like crown prince and princess.”
“What else?” Ginny asked.
“There are many prophecies and not all of them are trustworthy. One of the most trustworthy is also one of the most troubling. Before they become the heads of the Magi one of their children is supposed to die protecting them.”
Ginny said, “That’s horrible! No one wants one of their children to die. Parents are to die for their children, not let their children die for them. Does Albus know?”
Nausicaa said, “He knows, and it is one of the things that haunts him.”
“What do we do?” asked Harry, wanting to move away from that particular prophesy.
Nausicaa said, “Ginny, we know your friendship with Cleopatra is going to be very important. It is very important to encourage their faith, to encourage them to be good people.”
Ginny said, “Is that religion, or something else? Christians burned witches at the stake! I’m not in favour of that!”
Nausicaa said, “Most of the modern religions stress charity and goodness, doing unto others as you would have them do to you. They have all had bad moments, and people perverting their values, but they all distinguish good from evil, and expect people to try to be good.
“The people we are talking about are devotees of an older style religion, where the gods were not always good, and sometimes the most powerful god or gods were evil. You had to sacrifice to the god or gods to keep them from working their vengeance on you.
“The Aztec people sacrificed hundreds or thousands of captured people during their religious ceremonies. Jezebel Nukpana, the Pirate Witch Queen, and her ancestors, have the glass knife of the Aztec, and she has sacrificed, we figure, over four hundred humans a year for her one hundred year reign. That is over forty-thousand human beings she has tied to her alter, and then cut out their beating heart.
“The island is an evil place, and her presence in the world is evil.”
Ginny said, “That’s Cleopatra’s great-grandmother?”
Al VanLente said, “Yes. She and her ancestors are an evil we have been fighting for centuries.”
Hermione said, “The Lord of the Dementors is the other axis of evil in the world.”
Nausicaa said, “The prophecies say that Cleo and Al have to fight Jezebel first. We should be able to keep the Dementors at bay until then.”
Ginny asked, “Do I have to become Christian?”
Al said, “No. If Albus and Cleo want to practice their faith, encourage them and encourage them to be humble. They both will have tremendous power, and the power has corrupted most of the previous kings and queens of the Magi. They need to be willing to share power with Galadriel and Thorin. Albus will probably be their spokesperson, but he needs to acknowledge that he is only one among equals, even the least among equals. If he takes the lessons in humility in the Christian faith to heart it will help him and all the magical world.”
Minerva McGonagall said, “Are you going to want us to have chapel at Hogwarts?”
Nausicaa said, “I expect next year Al will want a regular service of some sort. If all the students who learned Elfish come, they have several different faiths. I doubt if the services will all be Christian.”
Minerva said, “I will know not to interfere if Albus and his friends want to have a regular meeting.”
Harry said, “We know that both Albus and Cleopatra will face challenges, but we do not know what they are.”
Minerva said, “Firenze says Albus and Cleopatra are destined to become friends with the centaurs, and maybe the merpeople as well. We have no idea how and when that will happen. They are not allowed in the Forbidden Forest, so how they will meet the centaurs is a puzzle to me.”
Ginny said, “Albus is in Slytherin for a reason. He can be very sneaky. He avoids trouble as much by not being caught as by always being…as by always being… Oh, help. How do I say this?
“Albus really always tries to be good. He is as good a person as I know. He is just way too like Harry in that being good does not always mean following rules. Do you agree, Harry?”
Harry said, “Albus is real good at not getting caught. Much better than I ever was.”
“Boggarts!” Minerva said, “Thank you for letting me know.”
Nausicaa said, “Albus and Cleopatra are going to want to meet all their fellow Magi who have learned Elfish at the next International Confederation of Witches and Wizards. This is important.”
Harry said, “We plan on being there, of course. Should we plan on taking Cleopatra and Scorpius?”
Nausicaa said, “Yes. We have no idea what will happen, but we know enough to know that it is important.”
Ginny said, “Can you keep them safe?”
Everyone looked at Al VanLente, who said, “We will do our best. Albus and Cleopatra cannot just hide.”
*
A couple of hours later, when the meeting was over, Ginny said to Harry, “I’m worried. I probably feel like my mother did before the Battle of Hogwarts. I am worried that more bad things are going to happen to our family.”
Harry said, “I am worried too. I know we will all do our best to protect Albus and Cleopatra, and everyone. I just cannot promise that we will always succeed.
No one protected James when he was scarred,” Ginny said. “I am worried about him too. Have you made any progress in finding out what caused his scarring?”
Harry said, “We have found two spells that could have caused James’ scarring. The problem is that the antidote for one of them can kill you if the other one was used, and the antidote for the second one isn’t much better. Neither works well if it has been a long time between the accident and when you try to use the antidote.”
*
The scents of the Weasley cousins were subtle but distinctive. Within the first week word had spread that Cleo and Albus were responsible for the shampoo and soap. One day Patty Finnigan asked Cleo, “Could you make soap and shampoo for me?”
Cleo said, “All my supplies are in the Potions Room at Al’s house. Let me examine you, and see what we can come up with.” Cleo went over Patty with her wand, but wanted some sample scents to make her job easier. One by one other girls asked Cleo, and a few boys even asked her. Albus was also asked.
Saturday morning, fifteenth January, Albus went up to the head table and asked Professor McGonagall if he and Cleo could meet with her. She said, “After breakfast you may come with me up to my office.”
When they were in the office Albus said, “Cleopatra and I have been working on scents, soap and shampoo that are customized for each person. Cleo does the final mixing, but I do a lot of the record keeping. All the Weasley cousins have their own soap and shampoo, and many other students are asking if we can make some for them. We wanted your permission before we did anything.”
Professor McGonagall said, “I do not see anything wrong with making soap and shampoo for other students.”
Albus said, “Some of the ingredients are quite expensive. If a student really does not have any money we will, of course, give them the soap and shampoo. If they are poor we can charge them a pittance. We really ought to be able to charge three galleons for soap and shampoo. Cleo and I have made some perfume as well, but we ought to charge ten galleons for that.”
Professor McGonagall said, “I do not have any problem with you charging students who can pay.”
Albus said, “Thank you! We really did not want to do anything without getting your permission first.”
Professor McGonagall said, “Are you sure you are related to Fred Weasley, the son of George Weasley?”
Albus said, “I do not intend to cause you any trouble. We do have one other little problem, though.”
Professor McGonagall said, “I could guess this was coming. What is your little problem?”
Albus said, “All the scent making supplies are back in the potions room in Grimmauld Place, and it would be real hard to move them here and set them up here. Is there any way we could go to Grimmauld Place this afternoon to make some shampoo?”
Professor McGonagall looked at Albus and Cleopatra, trying to figure out what to do. She said, “Wait at the bottom of the stairs. There are chairs in the corridor you can use.”
Al and Cleo went down the stairs, sat on two chairs, and waited.
*
Professor McGonagall looked at the portrait of Albus Dumbledore and said, “Albus, have you been listening? What would you do?”
Albus Dumbledore said, “Considering Albus’ family history, I think I would encourage someone who asked politely instead of sneaking around. It is your decision, however, Minerva, not mine.”
Professor McGonagall used her wizard/Muggle mobile and called Ginny, still amazed that she found it easier to use this contraption than make a Floo call. Ginny answered, “Hello, Minerva.”
Professor McGonagall said, “Hello, Ginny. Albus and Cleopatra want to go to Grimmauld Place this afternoon and evening to make soap, shampoo, and perfume. He very politely asked my permission. I felt I had to talk to you first.”
Ginny said, “Can they take your Floo over and back? I will make sure to call you before sending them back, so you can keep your Floo closed until they are ready to come back.”
Professor McGonagall said, “I will send them by my Floo to your Floo. Call me when they are ready to come back. Let them know they have to be back before nine, so they have plenty of time to get to their rooms before curfew.”
Ginny said, “I will make sure they are back soon enough.”
*
The gargoyle at the bottom of the stairs opened the door and said, “Professor McGonagall will see you now.”
Albus and Cleopatra ran back up the stairs. When they arrived Professor McGonagall said, “Mr. Potter, your mother and I agree that you may go, but both of you must be back before nine.”
“Thank you, Professor McGonagall,” Albus and Cleopatra said together.
Every two to three weeks Al and Cleo made more soap, shampoo, and perfume at Grimmauld Place. The scent business was thriving, and Albus and Cleopatra were making money. Meanwhile Rose and Scorpius were working with Bathsheba Babbling trying to read some of the oldest histories at Hogwarts. Some of the histories were in a very Old English, and others were in even older versions of other languages. Their hobby seemed to be doing research in the library.
Saturday, the Seventeenth of March, Victoire held another meeting of the cousins and friends. She said, “Who is going home for the Easter holiday. You leave March twenty-three, on a Friday, and come back April second, on a Monday.
“I am staying here revising. My NEWTS are in three months, and I have a lot of revising to do.”
Molly Weasley said, “I am staying and revising too.”
Roxanne said, “I’m going home.”
Louis said, “Home or the Longbottom Mansion?”
Roxanne made a face at Louis.
Louis said, “I am going home.”
James said, “The first Quidditch game of the spring, between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff, is April seventh. I am going to stay here, with as much of the team as I can talk into staying here, and practice.”
Albus said, “Cleo and I are going. We have some things we need to do for the scent business.”
Rose said, “I am going to stay here.”
Scorpius smiled at Rose. Albus knew that Scorpius was also staying, and that they were going to spend some serious time with Professor Babbling on the oldest of the histories.
Victoire said, “Has anyone found out any more about Professor Chen, or why James was scarred?”
No one said anything.
Victoire said, “Roxanne and Louis and I are going to be watching Professor Chen during the next Quidditch game.”
*
Harry again rode on the Hogwarts Express as it went back to London March twenty-third. This time only four Aurors were on the train. There were no Dementors. After the train was safely back in London Harry called Minerva McGonagall, and she sent Albus and Cleopatra to Grimmauld Place via her private Floo.
Albus and Cleopatra spent the first part of Saturday working on the scent business. They went to church Saturday night, and arranged to talk to Father Jack Lewis the next Tuesday morning. Ginny went along with Harry and the children, bringing Lily Luna as well. Ginny seldom went to church, but if it was going to be important to Albus and Cleopatra she thought she ought to go.
Ginny knew that Harry had only ‘sort of’ joined the church, contributing and going to services, but never making the commitment that he needed to make to receive bread and wine. Ginny had no idea why this was important. The whole Christian religion seemed bizarre to her. Harry seemed closer to making a commitment, though.
Sunday, Albus and Cleopatra went to the usual Weasley Sunday morning breakfast gathering. That afternoon, after they were back at Grimmauld Place, Albus said to his parents, “We have sold over three-hundred and fifty sets of soap and shampoo. We have collected about three-hundred Galleons, because we sell some for a very much reduced rate, and with a few of the really poor students we have given them away. We have sold over thirty perfumes as well. We have six hundred Galleons. We want to buy about one hundred Galleons of scent making material. Cleo and I would like to have some spending money, but we should put four hundred Galleons in some sort of joint savings account.”
Ginny said, “I can take you to Gringotts tomorrow.”
Monday morning Ginny contacted Gringotts. She and Harry were very reluctant to have the children wander through Diagon Alley, so they arranged a private Floo connection from Grimmauld Place directly to the inside of Gringotts. Frerin and Dis, the elves shadowing Albus and Cleopatra, came along. Ginny came with Mitzi, but Molly, Ginny’s mother, also accompanied them. Ginny, being eight months pregnant, was very big and very awkward.
When they arrived they were led to a private room. There Grabhook and another goblin met them, and had them all sit down.
Albus said, “Cleopatra and I need to set up an account for money we are earning from our scent business.”
Grabhook looked at some records. Then he said, “You already have a joint account, and it has a fair sum of money in it. All the money Professor Snape left to you is in a joint account. It has to be. Soulmates are not two different people. All accounts are shared.”
Ginny said, “I have my own account.”
Grabhook said, “Not the same. You and Mr. Potter are two people, legally. According to the law of the Magi, and goblin law, Albus Severus Potter and Cleopatra Desiree Smith, although clearly two different people physically, are only one person financially. It is part of being soulmates.”
Ginny said, “What if they marry someone else?”
Grabhook said, “It cannot happen. They are already married. Marriage may not be consummated, but are as tied together as is possible for two unique souls.”
Ginny said, “There is apparently some sort of account set up to pay for Cleopatra’s clothes and school supplies. Can we still pay for her personal supplies out of that account?”
Grabhook said, “As long as the account is funded, and the Malfoy family agrees, you may.”
Ginny said, “We can continue to pay for Albus’ books and clothes.”
Grabhook said, “Yes, I would treat Albus as your minor child, with no hint to the outside world that he is different. I would not publicize the existence of this account, or that Albus and Cleopatra have more money than what they have earned.”
“Yes, sir,” Albus said to Grabhook. Cleo nodded her acceptance as well.
Grabhook waved his hand, and said, “I see you have the rings.”
The rings became visible on Albus and Cleo’s hands.
“One of the teachers was trying to get into our minds,” Albus said. “The ring from Professor Snape prevented him from getting into my head.”
Grabhook asked, “Did you give the other ring to your soulmate?”
“Not exactly,” Albus said, knowing he had to be truthful. “I showed Cleo the ring, but she put it on herself. I knew she had it on, and I approved, afterwards.”
Cleo looked ashamed. “Was I supposed to wait until Albus gave me the ring? I know I’m a little, somewhat, pushy sometimes. I’m sorry. It’s just, Professor Chen was messing with my brain, and I didn’t like it, and Albus said this could help, so I really didn’t want to wait, and, besides, we are soulmates, so, so, so I wasn’t worried. Should I have been?”
Molly grinned, and said, “I understand that a woman should wait for a man to give her a ring before saying yes.”
Ginny smirked. “I just said, ‘yes’ a little early.”
Cleo said, “YES!”
Ginny’s face fell, as she contemplated the excited ‘yes’ from Cleo. Ginny remembered how eager she was at sixteen to get Harry into the marriage bed, even before the wedding ceremony. A world of worried expressions flew across her face.
Cleo looked at Ginny, and was at the same time worried, ashamed but only a little, and excited about being Albus’ soulmate. She returned a world of conflicted emotions back to Ginny, as the two of them looked at each other.
There was a very awkward two minutes of silence.
Finally Albus said, “As far as anyone else is concerned, we have to pretend we are just best friends. We still have to wait years before we can be married in the eyes of anybody else.”
Ginny said, “I do not know why I am so worried, Cleo, Albus. So far you have handled this being soulmates with a maturity way beyond your years.”
Ginny wished she felt as confident as the words she had just said, and her bearing told of her conflict.
Albus said, “We do need to go to buy more scent making supplies. Are we done here?”
Grabhook said, “Yes. Everything is in order.”
Albus and Ginny both left Gringotts a little uneasy, feeling like there was a lot left unsaid.
Cleopatra was happy, however.
Albus, Cleo and the rest walked directly from Gringotts to the shop where they purchased more scent making supplies. An Auror and two other officers from the DMLE approached them, and one of them said, “We have seen people looking at you, and are concerned.”
Ginny asked if they could use the Floo at the shop. They were given permission; shop Floo connections were normally very restricted, to prevent theft. They took the Floo back to number twelve, Grimmauld Place.
Cleopatra put all the scent making supplies down on the kitchen table, and started to excitedly talk to Albus about what she was going to be doing with the supplies. Albus watched, made occasional comments, and even started writing down notes on several pieces of paper. As Cleo waved her arms and talked with her whole body Albus smiled, and occasionally kidded Cleo.
Finally Ginny said, “How about saying ‘Yes’ to lunch.”
Cleo looked at the ring on her hand, and then at the rings on Ginny’s hand. “Did you really say ‘yes’ to Mr. Potter before he asked you to marry him?”
Ginny said, “If I remember, I not only said yes, I said, something like, ‘engaged, I cannot believe it. Thank you, thank you.’ I was scared to death that I had pushed too far, but I really wanted to marry Mr. Potter.”
Albus said, “What did Dad do?”
“Say we were engaged,” Ginny said. “After he got over the shock he was very happy.”
“Do I ever shock you?” Cleo asked Albus.
“Shock, not really,” Albus said. “Surprise, wonder, absolute delight, and amusement, all the time. I think Uncle Ron keeps Aunt Hermione from being too serious, and I think you do the same for me.”
“I’m usually pretty happy,” Cleo said. “I’m happier now than I have ever been. It’s not just Albus, any more. Well, it is sort of everything, but Mum Potter, you make me happy too. Thank you.”
Ginny put her arms around Cleo, and said, “You are very welcome, Cleo. Now let is make some lunch, before you and Albus disappear into the Potions Room.”
It was hard to feel sad around Cleo, Ginny thought. Overwhelmed, yes, but sad, not really. Well, if she wanted a quiet life she wouldn’t be married to Harry Potter, and she wouldn’t be pregnant again. Ginny had to laugh too.
Tuesday, Albus and Cleopatra spent a couple of hours talking to Father Jack Lewis. Cleopatra was eager to do anything Albus wanted, but this joining a church, deciding to believe certain things, do some things, and not do others, was different. She could not just do it to please Albus. It was almost like a transformation, and she needed to transform. Cleopatra knew she was willing, but she doubted that she was ready.
Wednesday, the band assembled for practice. They spent a good portion of the day practicing and arranging music. Albus had taught Cleo how to get what someone played to appear on sheet music. It was a power spell, not a transformation. The paper and pens were already there, and as you played the pen would write down what you played. Albus had found that biros were a whole lot less messy than quills, and paper was available with musical staffs already on it, and was a lot cheaper than parchment.
Ginny watched some of the practice. She had never been all that musical, and seeing the way the musicians all worked together to make a piece of music special was enjoyable. Albus could certainly play, but he was nowhere near as good as Cal Glenbell. Cleo was usually very good, but once in a while, as she was working out a new arrangement in her head, she just lost it while they were playing. Whenever someone made a horrible mistake, or lost their place, Cleo would throw up her hands, and laugh, causing everyone, including the person who made the mistake, to laugh as well.
Cleo was also very good at telling the others when to be quiet, and when to be loud. Christy Shook, the drummer, could get carried away, but Cleo had some very sparse drum arrangements that everybody agreed were much better for the music than the occasionally way too loud and frenetic arrangements that Christy gravitated towards.
The whole family went to church Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and to the Easter Sunrise service. Lily Luna complained. Harry was obviously very moved. Cleo tried hard to understand. And Ginny was confused, because she really felt that she didn’t need any of this religion stuff, but it was obviously very important to some people, including Harry, and especially Albus.
The children went back to Hogwarts without any problems, but like before, Albus and Cleo went by Floo to Professor McGonagall’s office.
After the children were back at Hogwarts, Harry asked Ginny, “Do you like Cleo? You spent some time with just her, and more time with Cleo and Albus.”
“I’m not sure I have much of a choice,” Ginny said. “After we had signed the engagement documents, but before we were married, Bill was your ‘brother-in-love.’ I think Cleo is already our ‘daughter-in-love.’ “
“Do you LIKE her?” Harry asked again.
“LIKE is too little a word for Cleo,” said Ginny. “I have accepted that our lives are going to be a good deal more exciting because of Cleo. She has a fierce love for Albus, and I can see her beginning to have a fierce love for the whole family. I love her like a daughter. Somehow like is too trivial a word when it comes to her.”
“Not easy, but good,” Harry said.
“Something like that,” Ginny said. “Boggarts.”
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