Chapter Thirty One - Re-warding, Taps and Pops
Disclaimer: The Harry Potter universe belongs to the proverbial Duchess of Magic, JK Rowling, Scholastic, Bloomsbury, Warner Bros and some other high falutin' companies. No matter how much I whine about not owning anything related to the HP universe, other than a few fanfic plots, I do not profess to own - and would never dream of making any money off - JKR's wonderful world... Damn it!
Chapter Thirty One - Re-warding, Taps and Pops
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
Arriving via floo in the Leaky Cauldron, Dumbledore ignored all the glares aimed his way, wished the room in general a good morning and made his way out the back and through to the Alley.
He was just about to walk up the steps into Gringotts, when he noticed the looks of glee the two 'security' goblins standing either side of the main doors aimed directly at him.
'Oh, bugger!' he thought. 'I almost forgot. I'm currently persona non grata in the bank.'
Instead, he smiled in amusement at both goblins and changed course. He headed direct to Twillfit and Tatting's.
Inside, he was seen by a clerk. "Professor Dumbledore," said the young man.
While he was shown professional courtesy by the young man, that was all he was shown. There was no true welcome in the man's voice or demeanour.
"I will speak with Terrence Twillfit, please," said Dumbledore. "I always deal directly with him."
The young man gave a curt nod and went to find his boss.
Twillfit came out about three minutes later. The time wasn't long enough to be properly considered rude, but there was a distinct lack of 'alacrity' in his attention.
Terrence, my good man," smiled Dumbledore. "I'm in need of three sets of robes. The full set, of course."
"Certainly," nodded Twillfit. "Any need for remeasurement?"
"No, no," replied the old man, lightly and softly chuckling. "I'll just need to see your colour and style selections, please."
Twillfit just gave a short nod and indicated for Dumbledore to follow him to where the styles catalogue could be found.
"Here are our latest styles," gestured Twillfit. "Of course, Madam Marchbanks has already informed us you'll be needing three robes in the Professor's basic black. However I'm sure―"
"No, no!" Dumbledore was quick to interject. Then chuckled again. "While I'm sure that is the information Griselda passed to you, I won't be needing those styles of robes. I'm looking for something a great deal more flashy that that. I'm sure you understand."
"Well, Headmistress Lady Marchbanks alerted us you would be coming in this morning and informed us that, due to your greatly reduced... shall we say... financial position, you were to be supplied three sets of basic black professor's robes before you were allowed the purchase of anything else," said Twillfit. "Once those three sets are purchased, I'm more than happy to see to you acquiring what else you seek to purchase. I currently have a lovely chartreuse that's just come into stock."
Angry, Dumbledore demanded, "You allow yourself to be dictated to by Griselda? Why!?"
"Multiple reasons I'm not at liberty to discuss with you," replied Twillfit. "Part of that was the hint that word will be spread by the two main alliances that we ignored her... request.
"The business we would lose far outstrips what business we receive from you."
Without a word, Dumbledore spun on his heel and stormed from the shop.
Twillfit just watched him go, sighed, closed the books he had opened for Dumbledore and shook his head.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
Neville's interview was nowhere near as long as Harry's, or even Hermione's, lasting less than an hour. But, at the end of it, he felt as if a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders.
When he told his mother that, she replied, "Because you have unburdened yourself of it, dear. It will also no longer haunt memories of your childhood."
As soon as they were done, the two aurors escorted the three back to Bones's office.
As soon as Fleming passed Bones the Dicta-quilled statement, Frank firmly said, "I'll have a copy of that, thanks."
Bones simply nodded and created a court-approved copy, before handing it to him.
"Thank you," he said, tucking the scroll into an inner pocket. "Now, I want Algernon Rosier arrested and charged with two counts of attempted murder of a wizarding child; and two counts of attempting to end the line of a Noble and Most Ancient House."
"I've already got the parchment drawn up and completed for all four," she said. "With the statement taken under DMLE truth tonic I can now go to the Chief Warlock and have him sign off on it. Rosier will be located, arrested and in a cell before midday."
"Good," said Frank firmly.
Turning to Neville he said, "Now that your necessary part in this is out of the way, how about you head back to the Hall?"
Neville winced and said, "Errr... I'd... rather not do that."
His father frowned and asked, "Why not?"
"It means I'll be there... alone... with Gran," he quietly replied.
"Ah!" said Alice. "Then what do you wish to do?"
"I'd like to go visit Harry and Hermione," he quickly replied.
"It will take time to get an owl to them―" started his mother. She stopped when she noticed his grin.
"Alright," she carefully said. "What am I missing?"
Neville's grin widened further. "Watch," he said.
Turning back to Bones he asked, "Madam Bones, may I borrow parchment, ink and quill?"
Quickly offering them across the desk, Neville moved closer to her desk and used the 'public' side of it to write a quick note.
Once he was done, he passed ink and quill back, blew the note dry, folded it and grinned at his parents.
"Dobby!" he called.
When the little house elf appeared within seconds, he offered the note to him and asked, "Would you mind passing this note to Harry for me?"
Dobby gave a quick bob and, while reaching for and accepting it, replied, "Dobby be honoureds to, Mister Neville, Sir."
With the note in hand, Dobby popped away.
Then Neville sat back, grinning. "Something Harry taught me," he chuckled.
While his parents looked back in surprise, Bones raised her off-hand to use her finger tips to massage the bridge of her nose yet again. "I'm really beginning to hate that boy."
"Actually," said Alice. "Lord Potter wrote to us while we in the time dilation chamber and told us he'd used that method to send Neville a note to alert him he knew Neville was worrying and he shouldn't."
"He did," nodded Neville. "That's what made me think of it now."
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
After settling his betrothed down as to how much he was actually worth, Harry finally got them started on going through the finances. Of course, one of the first documents they read was Ted's analysis of his shares in the muggle stock market. He gave that to Hermione to have a good look-over before he'd be telling Ted to go ahead with his recommended changes.
After she determined she could not tell if Ted was wrong on any of them, Harry gave them a quick glance through, shrugged his shoulders and signed off on the recommendations. That sign-off was set aside to be sent back with the rest of what they managed to get through that day later in the afternoon.
There was a short break while Harry answered a mirror-call from Sirius. He was in Ted's office.
After a quick explanation from Ted, Harry was quick with instructions. "Have the goblins, as soon as possible, move in and secure the property. If it's mine I want it secured from any further damage and or vandalism.
"Then, as soon as the goblins move in to secure the property, I want Madam Bones informed it's been done. I don't want her to be caught flat-footed when someone alerts her to how the cottage has been secured. Then we'll sit back until someone visiting the place reports it to the Ministry.
"While Madam Bones might not have had anything to do with the Ministry effectively stealing the property from me, she is still now the Acting Madam Minister; and, as such, responsible for the actions of the Ministry."
"It'll be done," Ted immediately replied. And grinned.
After recovering the documents on the rental properties they'd gone through a few days earlier, Harry and Hermione then compared them with the income the properties were generating. Each property was making a steady profit, but Harry could see a couple of warning signals within the documentation that Ted must've missed, due to the two piles being dealt with separately. He recommended changes there and set that aside.
The two teens were discussing what else to do about it when Dobby turned up and handed Harry the note from Neville.
"From Mister Neville, Sir, Master Harry," said Dobby.
Harry immediately said, "On the table, please, Dobby. And, thank you."
Dobby popped the letter onto the table and popped away.
Casting his detection charms on the letter and finding nothing, Harry picked it up and unfolded it.
~ # ~
Harry and Hermione,
Mum and Dad have to do quite a bit of work with the Ministry and Gringotts to get started on getting their lives sorted out and I don't want to be at home alone with Gran.
Does Hermione mind if I pay a visit? I don't think I've ever been in a muggle home before and I think it'd be interesting.
Do you like how I asked via 'house elf express delivery'? I think it'll really shock my parents that I thought of calling Dobby, when I do.
I'm currently in Madam Bones's office in the DMLE awaiting your reply.
Neville
~ # ~
Knowing it was more her permission than his, Harry handed it straight off to Hermione without a word.
After she read it, she said, "That'd be great!" And grinned.
Harry grinned back and said, "I think it'd be best if you replied. That way he'll know, as it's your home, he actually does have permission."
Still grinning, Hermione gave a short nod, pulled over a small blank sheet of parchment and quickly began to write a reply. Stopping after the first line, she asked, "How will he get here?"
"Portkey," he immediately replied.
He then suddenly had a thought.
Excitedly, he said, "No, not a portkey! I've got a better idea. Write this..."
As he dictated to her what to write, Hermione wrote it down. When she'd finished, she looked at what was written and stared in shock.
"Harry, you know what this means?" she asked.
"Of course, I do. If it works, it'll show a huge security hole in everyone's wards, especially at the Ministry," he grinned. "But, this will be an excellent way to prove it to Madam Bones."
"She's going to hate you even more," she giggled. "She's going to half panic."
"Meh!" he said with a shrug. "It's not as if I caused the problem. I'm just pointing it out. And who else should I point it out to, if not her? Besides, if I just told her of it, I doubt she'd believe me. This way, she'll see it happening."
He hesitated a moment before he said, "Add a postscript, if you wouldn't mind."
"Yes?" she asked, readying her quill.
"P.S. Harry says, please tell Madam Bones I'm sorry for her to see this happen before I warned her. But, I don't think she'd believe me if she didn't see it with her own eyes," he dictated. "I think that should do."
Once the note was written and breath-dried, Hermione called Dobby and told him what was going on.
He was all for it and popped away with the note a few moments later.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
Seeing Dumbledore walk into the shop, one of Malkin's shop assistants immediately summoned her over and quietly said, "I do not wish to deal with the old fool and, if you force me to―"
"No," Malkin just as quietly sighed, "He's my responsibility."
Madam Malkin's was a store Dumbledore would not usually be caught anywhere near, other than to pass it by. However, needs must.
When the dumpy little woman approached him, she politely greeted him, "Good morning, Professor Dumbledore. Here for your three sets of Professor robes, are you?"
That question, of course, alerted him to the fact Marchbanks had also already contacted the woman. He just didn't realise that was exactly why she asked it.
With an initial frown at her that was immediately masked again, he politely replied, "Yes, actually. However, I'm looking for something a lot more colourful than just the plain black. After all, I have an image to maintain. I'm sure you understand." And gave a light self-deprecating chuckle.
However, she had already been made aware he would try this.
"Certainly," she immediately replied. "I'm sure we can dress it up with some nice colour piping, or maybe something understated at the cuffs or hems."
After hearing the first word, Dumbledore thought he was in the clear. The follow-up, however, shut him down again.
He never saw the amusement on the face of the shop assistant, who had moved to stand out of his peripheral vision and look to Malkin.
"Errr... yes," he quietly said.
The next forty minutes in the store were almost painful for the man who hadn't worn anything darker than a muted pastel in almost thirty five years.
Eventually, he left with the best he could hope for. He'd pushed and pushed for brighter colours and larger areas but was neatly shut down every time.
"I'm sorry, Professor Dumbledore," she would say. "That exceeds the limit of coloured material you are permitted to have in the specifications I've been given. I'm afraid we're just going to have to reduce that.
"No, Professor Dumbledore; I'm afraid the piping and external material panels, together, exceed the limits as stated in the specifications. I'm afraid you're going to need to choose between the piping and panels. Perhaps if we use some silk to highlight, instead? Black, of course.
"I'm sorry, Professor Dumbledore, but I simply cannot exceed the limitations as laid down by Headmistress Lady Marchbanks. She is using fitting you for Professor's robes as a test to see if I am willing to rigidly meet the specifications. If I exceed them, then she will inform the rest of the staff that Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions is not an approved retailer. I simply cannot afford to lose the business.
"I believe all clothing retailers the length of wizarding Britain have been given the same specifications and instructions."
Frustrated at every turn he fully intended to just dump the lot into the nearest bin until Malkin said, "I will, of course, be sending the specifications of the robes you purchased, together with a copy of the receipt, to Headmistress Lady Marchbanks... Why? So she knows I met the requirements to outfit you for your Professor's robes, of course!"
Actually, that last was not an instruction Marchbanks had given her. However, she really didn't want the man to have to return when he returned to Hogwarts without them. She decided she'd immediately floo the woman with what she'd said so her bum was protected from any backlash later.
Besides, she was enjoying tweaking the man over it; especially after what he did to Lord Potter. It was just her sense of satisfaction and 'revenge by proxy' by blocking him at every turn that drove her on.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
Neville was getting a little antsy Harry and Hermione weren't going to get Dobby to give him a reply before his parents wanted to go. However, before that happened, the little elf returned.
"Mister Neville, Sir," said Dobby, handing him the note.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Neville accepted the note and read it. As he did so, he grinned and then laughed.
"I take it you can go?" asked his father.
"Yes," he chuckled.
"In that case, I'll organise a portkey for you," said Madam Bones.
Neville snorted in amusement and said, "I trust Harry."
"Oh?" she warily asked.
"One moment," he said.
A quick kiss and hug from his parents, Madam Bones then said, "Young man, you cannot apparate or portkey out of the Ministry, unless it is with Ministerial authorisation granted in advance. And, even then, portkeys can only be made by certain people within the Ministry; and I'm one of them."
Neville just grinned and said, "I won't be using a portkey or apparating, Ma'am. Harry really is smart."
"Hermione said to tell you," and here he read direct off the bottom of the parchment, "'Harry says, please tell Madam Bones I'm sorry for her to see this happen before I warned her. But, I don't think she'd believe me if she didn't see it with her own eyes'."
As Bones looked suddenly very wary, he grinned, looked to Dobby and said, "Okay, Dobby. I'm ready to go."
Dobby immediately took hold of Neville's hand and, near-instantly, both popped out of existence with a white-flash of elf magic.
All three adults sat stunned for a few moments before Madam Bones quietly said, "Awww... shit!"
Frank gasped, "Sweet Merlin! Did he just do what I think he just did?"
With both elbows now on her desk while she used both sets of fingertips to massage her brow, Bones replied, "That he just used house elf apparation to bypass the tightest security wards in the Ministry, including those on the Minister's office, with barely a thought? Yes... dammit!"
Alice asked, "Would you have believed him?"
"No," she sighed. "Why would I? No one, to the best of my knowledge, has ever done it."
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
Down in a Fidelius-charmed small office within the Department of Mysteries, a junior Unspeakable charged with monitoring what was happening throughout the Ministry was sitting back with his feet crossed at the ankles and propped up on a desk. He saw what had occurred in the Director of the DMLE's office, gave a start and exclaimed, "What the Hell?!"
As he yanked his feet off the desk, he stared more intently at one of the large mirrors before him.
"Shit!" he quietly exclaimed, before quickly activating the Dicta-quill on the desk before him and began dictating an urgent short memo for his supervisor.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
With a crack of apparation, Neville appeared right in the middle of the dinette room a little apart from the table.
Hermione suddenly exclaimed, "Well! I'll be damned!"
With a sudden shout from downstairs, there was a thundering of running feet running up the stairs leading up from the lower ground floor.
Harry had his wand out, pointed at his mate in a flash and said, "Best put your hands up, Neville."
Neville immediately did just that as Harry grinned at him. The boy was looking back in shock. "H-Harry?" he squeaked.
"Just saving you from―"
"Freeze! Aurors!" suddenly snapped one of that morning's auror coterie.
"... getting stunned, Nev," Harry finished.
Neville gave a yelp, but didn't move. He looked half-terrified.
As the other two aurors came running in from outside - one from out front and the other from out the back - Harry put his wand away and snickered.
"What the hell?" asked the youngest of the three.
"Harry?" Neville asked again.
"It's alright, aurors," said Hermione. "It's only Neville Longbottom. Harry was testing an idea to get past the wards. It worked."
"How?" demanded the senior auror. He didn't look happy.
"Side-along apparation via house elf," she immediately replied.
"A house elf can side-along apparate someone?" asked the youngest.
"Yep!" laughed Harry.
"Please don't do that again," said the female Auror First Class. The one who was 2IC on site.
"You might want to let Madam Bones know he's here," snickered Harry. "Dobby 'side-alonged' him right out of her office."
"WHAT?!" asked the senior.
Harry snorted and said, "Neville... was side-along elf-apparated... right out of Madam Bones's... DMLE office."
Neville, trying to be helpful added, "Right in front of her."
"Oh, crap!" exclaimed the youngest.
The senior pulled out his badge and appeared to be trying to figure out how to send her a message via badge-taps, or something.
Hermione grinned. "If you can send her a messenger Patronus, try that."
The senior gave her a pained look and sent one. It looked something like a possum or a squirrel.
Neville, who by this time had lowered his hands, watched in confusion. "You can do that?" he asked.
"Yeah, Nev," replied a still grinning Harry. "If you can cast a Patronus, that is."
Hermione stood and gave a still confused Neville a hug. "Welcome to my home, Neville."
Finally giving her a hug back, Neville said, "Err... yeah. Thanks for allowing me to come... I think."
Harry laughed.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
Bones was still trying to get her head around the fact Lord Potter, with the help of Heir Apparent Longbottom, yet another fourteen year old boy who hadn't even sat his OWLs yet, had just demonstrated a massive hole in their security, when the Patronus form of an opossum leapt into the office from the wall.
In an ethereal voice of one of her senior aurors, it said, "Madam Bones, Neville Longbottom has appeared in the middle of Golf Romeo. Straight through the wards. We have a security issue."
As the Patronus faded away she frustratingly threw her hands in the air and exclaimed, "No shit!"
Frank and Alice looked to one another in amusement.
Tentatively, in case he further upset the supposed Head of wizarding Britain's security, Frank asked, "How often does Lord Potter pull stunts like that?"
With a sigh, she replied, "With much too often regularity since the First Task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament a little over three weeks ago. He keeps referring to us all as daft morons; then goes and proves it by doing crap like that.
"You saw what he did with the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Statute yesterday, didn't you?"
After both Longbottoms grinned and nodded back, Frank asked,
"Were there ever anti-house elf apparation wards up anywhere? Including the cells?"
"Nope!" she emphatically replied.
"So, all those folks we used to arrest and bring back here―" he began.
"Could have simply called their house elves, if they had them, to apparate them directly back out again," she finished. "Yep."
Alice asked, "What about Azkaban?"
Bones stared at her for a long moment in horror before she replied, "Well... shit!"
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
As soon as Marchbanks was assured Dumbledore was out of the castle - and, therefore, out of the way - the Ward Masters from the Ministry came in.
They immediately set to work analysing the wards. It took them time, but they eventually had them all.
For what was listed at the Ministry for the wards on the castle and lands surrounding it, there were quite a few significant changes. Those added included:
◊ - A general secrecy charm ward that subtly blocked staff and students from talking about any event out of the ordinary;
◊ - A loyalty ward to instill loyalty towards the Headmaster or Headmistress of the time;
◊ - An enhancement ward designed to cause aggravation between the Houses of Gryffindor and Slytherin;
◊ - An avoidance ward directed at one individual - like Potter - that would cause a general desire to stay clear of a person (who is also likely to be the person);
◊ - An almost hidden link to an artefact that was currently off the school grounds and located in the direction of London that was linked to a location ward keyed to all those on the grounds; and
◊ - A magical power tap that was keyed to one individual - likely, Dumbledore.
Wards that were in place, but deactivated, included:
◊ - A monitoring ward designed to monitor bullying;
◊ - An intent based ward designed to suppress bullying;
◊ - A monitoring and recording ward against dangerous artefacts;
◊ - A monitoring and recording ward against the use of dark magic; and
◊ - A monitoring and recording ward designed to block sexual assault by stunning all involved until woken by someone carrying a DMLE badge.
When Marchbanks was given the report she was, of course, furious.
"How soon can you rectify all this?" she demanded of the Team Lead.
"With control of the wards and we can drop the full ward scheme for the time, it can be done in mere minutes," he replied. "However, it's going to take about an hour to prep. I'd rather have everything in place and ready, before I drop the wards.
"Without doing that it's likely going to take us weeks. And that's beside it putting things at risk with a ward cascade failure.
"If we do the lot together... when they drop, they'll all drop. That includes the muggle notice-me-not and avoidance wards. Then we bring the whole lot back up, together, as an integral set. It'll also mean that if anyone wants to change anything by doing what Dumble― by whoever did all this did, they'll have to take everything down again to do it. The other way, that protection won't be there.
"However, I'd also like your permission to add to the wards if we're going to go that far."
Marchbanks frowned and asked, "What additions?"
The Team Lead handed her a short list:
◊ - A combined monitoring and notification ward for under-aged magic used outside of dormitories, the Great Hall and classrooms - such monitoring will immediately be entered into a book designed to accept them;
◊ - A dark mark notification ward keyed to the Head, the Deputy and the four Heads of Houses;
◊ - Redoing the hidden location charm ward and keying it to an automated map of the school - such map to be provided ASAP; and
◊ - The location charm will also be tied in with the other notification charms.
Marchbanks read through it and asked, "When you say 'mere minutes', how long are we talking about here?"
"Three, maybe four," he immediately replied.
Surprised, she said, "I was expecting you to tell me about ten times that amount."
He just smiled. "That's what the prep work is for."
Nodding, she asked, "If I was to include these four you suggest we add, how much preparation time do you need, then?"
"One hour fifteen," he promptly replied. "I've never seen that location ward before and I want to study it. Whoever did it was bloody brilliant. I want to analyse it because I think the Minister should be made aware of it and what it could mean for the Ministry. I'm thinking it could be useful for places like Diagon Alley, Saint Mungo's and places like that."
She didn't even hesitate. "Do it. You have my authorisation. Come and see me when you need control of the wards and I'll hand them over to you. I'll be here in my office.
"I'll also be needing a full written report of what was there that should not have been; what wasn't there that should have been, or was deactivated; and what you've added. I'll need it for both my records and for the Acting Madam Minister."
"Yes, Ma'am," he replied. "However, that report would have been provided, anyway."
With a slight bow of respect he left.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
After leaving the office of Madam Bones - with the woman frustrated and trying to figure out a way to engineer stopping house elves side-along apparating people through the wards of everywhere, without letting the 'secret' out it was possible first - the Longbottoms began the process of getting their lives back in order in official records.
Bones suggested only one true stop was needed and that was the Minister's Administration Office one floor below her own. She even gave them both her written authorisation to put 'her' staff in that office to work on getting it all sorted out for them.
"Officially, you're still employees," she'd told them. "You were never stood down as aurors. As such, I'm authorising my staff in the Minister's Office to reactivate everything for you, as it should never have been deactivated in the first place."
After Frank handed over the note from Bones to the senior Office staffer, he read it and said, "We'll get right on that. It should all be done before close of business, today. I'll send an owl when it's done, so you won't have to worry about it."
After thanking the man, that allowed them to head directly to Gringotts. They needed to find out just what his mother, as regent, had done with the accounts.
As they walked in, they were immediately greeted by the concierge goblin available for the Seven. He gave a short abbreviated bow to them both and said, "Lord Longbottom, Lady Longbottom; on behalf of Axe Lord Ragnok, we at Gringotts rejoice at your recovery. May your enemies once again tremble in fear of your presence and gold overflow your vaults."
"Thank you," said Frank. "If the Longbottom Account Manager is free, whoever that is these days, please inform him we seek a meeting with some level of urgency."
"Account Manager Irontongs expects your presence, this day, and has cleared his schedule for you," replied the goblin. "Please follow me."
When the goblin immediately spun on his heel and began to stalk deeper into the bank, the two Longbottoms followed.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
As the time neared 11.00am Sirius had already been into the Leaky to check the place out for his meeting with Remus, then moved into the Alley proper. His initial idea for a couple of elves to clean Black Manor was shelved when he found out the initial cost and time it would take.
Instead, he contracted with a private company that combined curse breaking and cleaning to go in and do the work. He'd then organise for a house elf or two to be bonded that would then maintain the place.
While he was discussing that with the reps of the company they told him they also had a subdivision of their company that would do interior decorating as the teams worked.
"By us providing a full service, it will cut down on your costs; but, for someone like you that we believe doesn't care so much about the cost, it will also drastically cut down on the time," explained the sales rep. "As I said, though, our analysts will have to go in first to give you both a cost and an estimation of the time involved."
Sirius came away from the meeting happy to have contracted them and a time when he would meet them at the townhouse.
His next stop was in Flourish and Blotts adults only section. He found the book he needed and quickly purchased it.
A quick Tempus and he realised he'd have to hurry to the Leaky to make his meeting with Remus, so hurried back up the Alley. Unknown to both him and Dumbledore, though, he just missed the man heading down the Alley from Malkin's and heading back to Twillfit's carrying his brown paper-wrapped parcel of three black robes.
Once in the Leaky it was to see Remus sitting in a booth at the back, partially in shadow and looking as shabby as ever.
With a sigh at the appearance of his friend, Sirius adopted a light smile and casually walked over. He drew his wand as he walked, ready to erect privacy wards.
As he slid into the seat opposite, he said, "Hi, Moony."
Surprised by the appearance of his friend, Remus's face lit up. But there was still a strong hint of wariness in his expression. "Pads!" he greeted back.
"Give me a minute to put up some wards," said Sirius, bring his wand up.
He did, however, notice the twitch of Remus's hand as he raised his wand. It showed the werewolf was definitely on edge about something.
He threw up the wards - subtle masking ward that blurred their appearance, a muffling ward that turned sound coming from their booth into indistinguishable conversational noise and a very minor notice-me-not ward - before turning back to his friend.
"Going for subtlety, Pads?" asked Remus. "That's unlike you."
"That's unlike what I used to be like," he corrected. "I've changed. Now, why are you so 'twitchy'?"
Remus sighed and seemed to slump a little. "As I was passing through the mountains near western Austria some... mongrel began hunting me. I had to stay moving for three days and I was deep into Southern Germany and across the Danube before, whoever it was, backed off."
Sirius winced. He hated the fact there were still those 'illegal hunters' out there who liked nothing better than to hunt werewolves. It was great when they decided to go after someone like Greyback, but going after his friend was a different matter.
"Then I had to spend a few days working the docks in the Netherlands before I could get passage across to the Isles," his friend continued. "I arrived in Felixstowe early yesterday."
"But, you made it," he nodded.
"I made it," smiled Remus. "So, I didn't get much news in Italy that was more than just 'general'. What happened?"
"Drinks, first," he replied. "Light ales, though. This will take a while."
Once Sirius collected the drinks and brought them back, he took a few sips before sitting back in a way he could watch the room.
"Let me start back to the ninth of June," he began. "That's the night we were all in the Shrieking Shack."
That then began a very long tale of what had happened, really starting with him heading for the unplottable Island of Black in the southern part of the North Atlantic to clear out of wizarding Britain for a while.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
The Team Lead of the Ministry ward masters was doing a final check of the preparation of taking down the Hogwarts wards. Everything had to be perfect as they really only had one cast at this.
Seeing something he thought not quite right he barked, "Johnson!"
A young man perked up and hurried over, "ET?"
Gesturing to what he felt was a mistake, the Team Lead asked, "What, in Merlin's name, do you call that?"
"Ah!" said Johnson. He then went on to explain the slight differences he made and why. It took a little while, too.
"Interesting," said ET, the Team Lead. He stared at it for a few long moments before he said, "Yes. That will work. However, never make such a change without getting authorisation in advance, in future. Someone might have initiated a change somewhere else in the matrix that could have conflicted. Do you know what would have happened if it conflicted?"
"Errr... we... could have died?"
"More important than that, you numbskull," snapped ET. "I could have died. If you died it would have been your own damned fault. However, killing me would have been a true tragedy.
"I do not want to be a tale of a true tragedy. I want to live to a ripe old age. I want to die of old age from exhaustion brought on by having too much sex with a pair of Scandinavian identical twins twenty... even thirty... years younger than me!
"Got me, Johnson?"
"Yes, ET," the young man muttered.
"Good!" snapped ET. "Lesson imparted and learned. Go away."
Once he had checked it for a third time he cast a quick Tempus away from the matrix.
"Right," he declared. "I'm going to see Marchbanks and take control of the wards. When I do, I'll send a red flare out the window. That's the signal to activate.
"Johnson! Since you've been the clever little monkey, you get the privilege of activating the matrix. Don't dawdle!"
"No, ET!"
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
After purchasing his... Uurgh!... Professor's robes at Malkin's Dumbledore headed back to Twillfit's to get the robes he really wanted. And that chartreuse yellow sounded divine.
Walking in, this time he had to wait a few seconds after five minutes before Twillfit came out to see him. It was Twillfit's way of showing he was displeased with you.
When he finally arrived, Dumbledore smiled and said, "Terrence, there was no need for you to get 'huffy' I had to go elsewhere to buy those horrid black robes. If I was being forced to buy them, I did not want you having to sell them to me to infringe upon our creative designs."
Twillfit chose to ignore all that and asked, "Do you have your receipt? As long as I sight that I can sell you anything you can afford."
Dumbledore sighed and produced the receipt from Malkin's.
He gave a harrumph and muttered, "Cheap, worthless garbage."
"Of course," nodded Dumbledore. "I have little intention of wearing them anywhere, but in the classroom. The less I have to, the better. I much prefer your sartorial splendour, which is why I've come back.
"Now we can finally get on with the real reason I'm shopping."
It was while he and Twillfit were discussing what colour to pair with the chartreuse that Dumbledore felt the ward tap at Hogwarts he had his predecessor install suddenly release.
As Twillfit was recommending a dark forest green for trim, Dumbledore suddenly stiffened and cried, "Noooo!"
He quickly blurted out, "Terrence, my good man. I apologise. I must hurry back to the castle. I'll be back as soon as I can." He suddenly spun on his foot and raced out of the clothier. He needed to get back to find out what had happened to his ward tap.
In his haste to leave, he left his bundle of 'Malkin' robes on the counter.
As Dumbledore fled out the door, Twillfit took one look at the brown paper wrapped bundle, stared at it with distaste and gestured for his shop assistant to come over.
"Sir?" the young man asked.
"Send that to Marchbanks, would you, Peter?" asked Twillfit. "Add a note that Dumbledore left it here when he suddenly and rudely took off. There's a good chap."
With that, Twillfit left the young man to it. After all, little issues like that were the reason he and his partner hired the man. That, plus he looked delicious in robes that fit well at the hips, upper arms and shoulders, as a well-tailored robe should.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
Sirius was telling Remus a few of the more public stuff Harry had been up to recently, his winning of the case for Sirius against the Ministry and the stripping away of the Statute of Misuse of Muggle Artefacts together with the sudden appearance of the Longbottoms right at the beginning of the Wizengamot General Meeting, when Remus spotted Dumbledore suddenly hurry into the Leaky.
"Hey, there's Dumbledore," said Remus, beginning to rise.
Sirius immediately hit Remus with an underpowered banishing charm, knocking him back into his seat as the old man raced for the fireplace just past them. And before Remus could snap at him for the banishing charm, he hit him with a silencing charm.
A few moments later, Dumbledore barked, "Transfiguration Office, Hogwarts!" He stepped in and was gone.
Sirius immediately lifted the silencing charm as Remus surged to his feet.
"What the hell, Pads?!"
With a sigh, Sirius said, "Sit down and calm down, Moony."
"Why?" the scarred man angrily asked.
Both knew what he meant.
"Because I cannot have Dumbledore use the excuse of bumping into me in the Alley to stick me with tracking, compulsion, loyalty charms and the like," he replied.
"Why would he do such a thing?" snapped Remus.
"Because he has this very unhealthy focus on Harry," he replied. "I know why, but I cannot tell you. I'm under oath. All I can tell you about it is that it makes perfect sense."
Moony scowled back and said, "I cannot believe Dumbledore would get up to all that sort of nonsense."
Starting to lose his temper back, Sirius said, "And I really couldn't care any less than I do right now that you don't!"
Surprised by the almost sudden vehemence in his friend's words, tone, posture and demeanour Remus sat back and stared back in not a little shock.
A few moments later, he'd calmed down enough to give a pointed look to his friend, who had also calmed back down. "What aren't you telling me, Padfoot?"
"It's what you haven't told me that's the issue, Moons," Sirius snapped back.
Leaning forward and staring intently at his last remaining school time friend, he asked, "During that near nine months you were at the school as a Professor, why didn't you ever tell Harry about his true heritage? You had plenty of time to do it; so, why didn't you?"
Shocked at the vehemence at the question, it was a few moments before Remus replied, "Errr... because Dumbledore asked me not to?"
Sirius sat back and stared back in fury. And it was obvious from his expression that the answer was nowhere near acceptable.
Remus's inner wolf was recoiling in fear.
It was a few long moments before Sirius quietly, angrily, vehemently stated, "We're going to get you checked out by a Healer. If there's no traces of compulsions, loyalty potions or the like in your system... then, we're done. Do you understand what I'm telling you?"
"Padfoot! What the Hell?"
"You don't know the full story of what that man did to our boy," said Sirius. "But, it's not for me to tell you. You clearly won't believe me."
He pulled a couple of galleons from his pocket and dumped them on the table. "Go to the Daily Prophet and ask for back-copies of the paper. The specific days you're looking for are the twenty fifth and twenty sixth of November; and the week starting Monday, the thirtieth of November. Hell, get the ones in between, too.
"You need to read them. You won't believe me, otherwise. Then, once you've done that, talk to a few people to get their views of what happened and contact me again. I expect to hear from you within the week.
"Then, when I do, I'm taking you to see my cousin, Andi. She's a Master Healer and very well trained in detecting lingering traces of potions within your system."
Then he rose and said, "Take care of yourself until then, Remus." And spun about and left.
Remus was left sitting there wondering what had just happened. The two galleons remained sitting on the table for almost a minute before he scooped them up as he rose. He made his way out to the Alley, heading towards the offices of the Daily Prophet.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
By the time Dumbledore made it back to Hogwarts and hurried up to the Headmistress's office, the ward master team were just completing their work and the wards were coming back up. He hadn't even noticed the gargoyle had immediately stepped aside for him, or what it meant.
Almost bursting into the office he saw Marchbanks and 'ET', the Team Lead. He recognised the man, immediately.
"What the Hell have you done?" he demanded.
Marchbanks snapped right back, "Professor Dumbledore, mind your tone!"
ET smirked and replied, "The school's wards have been reconfigured. Your power tap has been removed."
Still angry, but now also quite fearful, the old man snarled, "Do you realise what you've done?"
"I am a Ward Master with over forty years experience," replied ET. "Of course I know what I've done. And I resent the implication―"
"I need that tap!" yelled Dumbledore. "When Voldemort comes back, that tap is the only way I'll have enough power to again fight him!"
"Albus Dumbledore; that is enough!" snapped Marchbanks.
When Dumbledore just glared back in fury, she practically hissed at him, "You and I will be having a long talk, later, about you siphoning power from the Hogwarts wards for your own ends. An act which, I will point out, is clearly illegal."
Turning a glance to ET she said, "Though, by his own admission to having committed this act has practically rendered the idea moot, please check."
ET gave a nod and, like a striking snake, quickly raised his wand and lashed out with a charm at Dumbledore.
Dumbledore, still with most of his attention on Marchbanks, was not even prepared to fend it off. It made him immediately glow green for a moment.
"It's confirmed," he said, still staring at Dumbledore and prepared to react. "The power tap was, indeed, linked to Dumbledore. It was feeding him the power."
"Thank you," she nodded, also still staring at Dumbledore; her eyes fixed upon him just as intently as ET's. "Professor Dumbledore, you are dismissed. Leave my office, now."
Dumbledore, his wand gripped in his hand in white-knuckled anger where he'd suddenly drawn it from his belt without even realising it, stared back for a few moments before he suddenly spun on his foot and stormed out.
As he stormed out, Marchbanks snapped, "And, due to your behaviour, your leave to attend to your shopping in Diagon Alley is now hereby revoked!"
Ignoring her, he clawed his hands into fists and stormed out the door. Marchbanks banished it shut and sealed it.
Not until a few seconds after he had gone did either Marchbanks or ET relax again.
"I think you'll be leaving via my floo, Edward," said Marchbanks. "I take it your people are waiting for you out in Hogsmeade?"
He gave a nod and replied, "They are."
"Then I recommend flooing to the Three Broomsticks and meeting up with them there," she suggested. "And I expect a copy of that report within three days."
"You'll have it tomorrow," he said. "You'd have it this afternoon if I didn't have to go and talk to the Acting Madam Minister, first."
"Thank you, Edward," she nodded.
As suggested, as soon as he exited the floo in the Three Broomsticks ET collected the rest of his team and headed directly back to the Ministry. After he gave a verbal report to the Acting Madam Minister he'd be able to go and celebrate with his team. The report could wait until after that.
In her office, Marchbanks carefully listed in her ongoing report concerning Dumbledore's actions this latest 'shenanigan'. However, his siphoning power from the castle's wards, on its own, she already knew to be enough to fire him.
Now she just needed to consider when she would do precisely that.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
While Harry was still working through a lot of the financials regarding the House of Potter, Hermione had taken Neville on a tour of the house.
She first took him to the top floor and showed him her suite and the other two guest bedrooms located up there, then down to the first floor with the Master Bedroom suite and Harry's suite. She next took him on a tour of the upper ground floor (main floor), where they tended to spend most of their time. And, finally, down to the lower ground floor with its access to the double garage, the laundry, the media room and the servants' quarters which the aurors had taken over.
Coming back up to the main floor she led him back into the dinette.
Knowing the tour would soon be over when Hermione led Neville down to the lower ground floor, Harry had decided to pack away what he was working on for the time being.
He had just entered the kitchen and was already arguing with Dobby about what to have for lunch.
Harry was all set to make snacks, while Dobby was insistent he have a proper meal.
Hermione took one look at the stance of the both of them and said, "Harry, stop arguing with Dobby. Dobby, Harry needs a mid-morning snack."
"Master Harry be cookings dinner," the little elf declared. "Dobby be cookings brekky and lunch!"
"I was just going to―" Harry started, until he saw the look on Hermione's face and the shock on Neville's. He sighed and grumbled, "Fiiiine."
"Harry, we have a guest," she said. "Between the two of us we need to come up with how to keep the three of us occupied."
"We could always―" he stopped as he had a sudden idea and his face lit up in happiness. "Hermione; you have a video player, right?"
Surprised at the idea, she said, "Ah! That is a good idea."
Rounding on Neville she asked, "What do you know about the muggle entertainment medium known as 'television'?"
Neville looked back in confusion and replied, "Nothing?"
As both other teens grinned back, Harry snapped out of it and said, "Hermione, take him down and get things set up. See if you can find something that gives a halfway decent showing of modern muggle Britain. I'm going to teach Dobby how to make... popcorn!"
As she began to lead Neville out again, she said, "Don't worry about drinks. There's a small bar fridge down stairs that we use to store the fizzy drinks in!"
As they left, Harry wheeled on Dobby and said, "I'm about to show you something muggles snack on when they're at, what they call, cinemas. It's really quick and easy to do and only has three ingredients - butter, dried corn kernels and salt. The secret is in the timing and heat."
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ