Chapter 180

"Wait... what?" asked Cuffe. "Potter's not attending the Yule Ball?"

"Well, his not attending is just one example, of course," he replied. "With the School Board having already sent most of the students home, there will be a great many who won't be attending, won't there?

"No; I fear―"

"Are you sure about Potter not attending?" demanded Cuffe, again cutting in.

"Well, as sure as I need to be," he replied. "Now, as I was saying―"

"No, no!" interrupted Cuffe, suddenly standing up. "I'm afraid something very urgent has come up. Sorry, Albus... if that is who you really are... but, I must be going."

"Oh, dear," he replied. "Well, needs must, I suppose. I shall leave you to it."

Withdrawing his head from the flames, Dumbledore climbed back to his feet with a smirk fixed on his face. Satisfied with a job well done, he returned to his desk to continue with his developing plans to regain all that he had lost - and more.

_‗_

―==(oIo)==―

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While Dumbledore was busy in his office with his manipulative shenanigans, another meeting was taking place in the Headmistress's office. She had called Professors Sprout, Babbling, Sinistra and Vector to her presence by the simple expedience of sending a house elf with a note to each.

As they each arrived, she greeted them, gestured to a chair before her desk and asked them to wait until the last one arrived. The last to arrive, Sprout, was just asked to take a seat.

As soon as Sprout sat she saw who else was present and knew her new 'boss' had made her decision regarding Headships of the Houses.

"Thank you for joining me, Professors," said Marchbanks. "If you do not know why I have asked you four to join me then you are undeserving of the positions you are being offered.

"Straight up I'm informing you all, with the exception of Pomona, that your application for the acting positions as Heads of your respective Hogwarts Houses is accepted. I am going to announce those appointments at dinner, even if it is to a nearly vacant Great Hall. Your appointments will become effective as of that announcement.

"Of course, they will be Professor Babbling as Acting Head of Gryffindor, Professor Sinistra as Acting Head of Ravenclaw and Professor Vector as Acting Head of Slytherin. If either of you three... or even you, Pomona... want to withdraw, let me know now; otherwise I'll be going ahead with those announcements, this evening."

When no one seemed anything but pleased it was a moment before Babbling asked, "Headmistress... about the Deputy Head slot?"

"Still being discussed, dear," replied Marchbanks. "That's one post I will not fill without discussing the matter with the Board. After all, I could drop dead at any moment." And smiled back.

Babbling couldn't help but smile along with her. She nodded and replied, "Thank you."

_‗_

―==(oIo)==―

ˇ

After going through records relating to share holdings in the wizarding world, with Hermione and he switching out with taking extensive notes, they decided to call a long break. It was nearly lunch time and Harry was yet again hungry.

Rising from the chair and taking a few long stretches, he said, "Well, I feel like making lunch. How about I prepare something that'll―"

"Uh-hmm," he heard a little verbalised throat clear from the end of the kitchen counter.

Turning it was to see Dobby standing there, arms crossed, one foot tapping and scowling back.

Hermione gave a snort of amusement.

"Dobby?" asked Harry.

"Master Harry be workings hard on wizard things, he does," snipped Dobby. "Master Harry be doings Lordy works. Now Master Harry be wantings to be takings house elveses, Dobby's, works again. Master Harry not be takings Dobby's work. It be being unfair!"

Raising one hand to push his glasses higher up his face and massage the bridge of his nose with his thumb and fingertips, Harry developed a pained look.

"Master Harry and Miss-tress Herm'nee be tellings Dobby what theys wants and Dobby be gettings it for them," declared the little elf.

When Harry turned a hopeful look on Hermione she laughed and said, "Oh, no! He's your elf. You have to tell him if you're going to deny him the chance to work."

"Hermione―" he whined.

"Nope!"

With a sigh, he turned back to Dobby and sulked, "Fiiiine!"

Dobby's scowl instantly turned to a satisfied smile as his arms dropped away and he shifted to stand evenly on both feet.

"We need some brain food, Dobby. That is, something that won't sit heavy in the stomach. Fish... salad... I know!"

Turning to look at Hermione he asked, "How does a fish burger sound?"

"No, but a salad roll with a couple of kippers on the side sounds good," she replied.

"Sounds good to me , too," he smiled.

Turning back to the house elf he said, "Dobby..."

With a look of glee on its face, the little elf chirped, "Right away, Master Harry, Miss-tress Herm'nee." And ducked back into the kitchen.

She missed it the first time, but she caught it that time.

"Mistress Herm'nee?" she asked, confused.

"Oh, yeah," he replied. "I forgot about that. Since you're now my betrothed, the elves will treat you as the Lady Presumptive of my House. That means, to Dobby and all other house elves, you're now also part of the House of Potter. To Dobby, you're no longer Miss Granger, but Mistress Hermione."

"Are there any more little surprises, like that, included in what being your betrothed means?" she asked.

"Probably," he replied. "If I knew or remembered what they were I'd have already told you, though."

_‗_

―==(oIo)==―

ˇ

After eating lunch and taking a short walk out and about the backyard talking about friends and acquaintances, what they might be up to, the weather, and other things, the two teens returned inside and to the parchment work. So far, they'd not even gotten about a third of the way through it. It was back to it, they headed.

The afternoon was quiet, with the two working steadily through the documents of the House Ted seemed to think Harry needed to know about.

With a sigh, Harry finally sat back and asked, "If this is what Ted thought was important enough to send now; what is the rest of it going to look like?"

Hermione chuckled and asked back, "You're asking me?"

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