Chapter 196
Rising he muttered, "Time to go read the Charter and what it says about aiding a House. Maybe the answer is there."
As he strode from the dining room and determinedly headed for the Hall office, he thought, 'You're being overly circumspect in telling me what's going on, Harry, but providing me clues. That's not like you and I need to know why.'
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―==(oIo)==―
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At Gringotts, Frank continued to read the letter Harry sent him as he ate his breakfast.
The covering letter was only that; a letter that just hoped he was doing well and referred to the 'attached'. He was reading that 'attached' now.
He wasn't the only one. As he'd read each sheet he'd passed it over to Alice, who then read it for herself.
They were only partway through the 'history lesson' when they had to take a break. They were put through an hour of in-bed physical therapy, then given a series of questions to answer about their own backgrounds to check their memories, more physical therapy and finally they could get back to Harry's letter before dinner.
"I can't believe this," said Alice. "Dumbledore put Harry with the Dursleys. With the Dursleys, Frank!"
"I know," he replied, still reading. "I read it before you, remember?"
"But, why would Dumbledore do such a thing?" she plaintively asked.
"An even better question is, why would Mum allow it?" he asked right back.
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―==(oIo)==―
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"I can't keep this from them, Harry," said Hermione. "I just can't."
After setting up the Christmas decorations on the upper ground floor, that morning, the two were now sitting outside on the play-set 'jungle gym' Hermione once had a great deal of pleasure playing on when she was a little girl. For many years now, though, it remained unused - until today. The two were sitting on side by side swings, just rocking back and forth.
"Hermione, you know there are things that my House is going to be involved in you cannot tell anyone. And by 'cannot' I mean just that; not that you're not permitted," he explained. "This is a project of the House of Potter and the House of Black working in an unofficial alliance. If you tried to tell anyone you would just choke on your own words. If you tried to push through it, you risk losing your magic."
"Then I need you to tell them," she firmly said. "I never thought I'd be required to keep something like this from my own parents. I feel kind of evil, Harry. I feel like a criminal."
Harry sighed and said, "Alright. We'll go tell them. But they need to know, first, that there's a specific document, the alliance Charter, that not only allows me to do this, it pretty much requires me to do this."
Hermione's obvious relief told Harry he needed to do this. However it also told him he could not involve her in something like this again. At least, not until she'd shown she'd be more comfortable with it.
When they returned indoors Hermione asked her parents to come sit with them in the dinette, that they had something to tell them. As soon as they sat, Harry threw up a privacy charm so any listening aurors would not hear what was said.
He then called Dobby, had him bring him his copy of the alliance Charter and make teas for them all.
Once ready he indicated the book and told the Granger parents what it was and that he couldn't open it in their presence without the approval of all other alliance charter members.
"Then why ask Dobby to bring it?" asked Wendell, a little confused.
"So that you're aware of its existence," he replied. "Now, this is what Hermione feels you need to know..."
He told them about the section within the Charter that requires all members of the alliance to provide succour to all other alliance members in certain circumstances. He explained how the other of the two named Houses, Longbottom, had at that time a warhorse matriarch of a Regent because the rightful Lord and Lady of the House were incapacitated.
He then went on to explain how it was his duty and responsibility, as per the Charter, to step in and act in the best interests of the House of Longbottom, whether the Regent of the House wanted it or not.
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