Chapter Thirty Two - Ron's Wobbly
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!
A/N: I'll also use this time to address a couple of points I noticed raised when scanning reviews or PMs:
A. The Dursleys - Harry wants to have the 'privilege' of dealing with them and will do so in the fullness of time. There's no hurry. That's why he made the claims before the Wizengamot he did. He didn't want them taking his chance to personally deal with them out of his hands.
B. The muggle Government's programme on installing the surveillance cameras and what the wizarding world needs to do about it - It takes a lot of time to write a proper new Bill/Statute and very few purebloods believe it, anyway. According to people like Ogden, there are more important things to deal with, first.
C. Dumbledore looking inept - It's been less than two months. In that time; he's lost his power (political), all positions of authority except as a professor have been stripped from him; he's lost his power (personality), very few people trust him any longer and no one seems prepared to provide him any assistance; he's lost his power (informational), he's being deliberately kept in the dark by Marchbanks and the rest of the Hogwarts staff and his information sources outside the school, other than via the untrustworthy information source known as the Daily Prophet, no longer provide him any either and he can't get out of the school and use his power of personality to regain what else he's lost; he's lost his power (financial), with his money sources extremely curtailed he can't 'buy' what he needs to regain his powers/authorities; he maintains his power (magical), but has lost the power boosts from Fawkes and the power tap. Being very used to having all that and now losing it, every time he tries to get back to his 'feet' he's being knocked down again before he can stabilise things in his favour. Is it, therefore, any wonder he appears inept?
C. Bones (or, Things Harry has raised, but have not yet been dealt with or have apparently been missed) - Bones is currently having to do the work of two important positions effectively on her own, Minister and Director of the DMLE. She's good, but even she can only accomplish so much in such a limited amount of time. Give her time. There are things she knows she needs to get done, but there are other things that need to get done right the Hell now! The trouble is, Harry and his people keep hitting her with more and more to do so she, too, is being constantly knocked out of her comfort zone and having to scramble to achieve anything. That's why she commented to him, 'I hate you.' There was no spite in it; just frustration. She has not (yet?) figured out she needs to delegate more of the work of the Director onto her 2IC to give herself more time.
D. Harry himself - He's had years to plan what he's now doing and part of that is to keep people mentally off-balance. He did that to Hermione straight away to get her to think things through and is now giving her time to regain her inner equilibrium, all with a new way of thinking and new knowledge. It's what he keeps doing to Bones and knows is being done to Dumbledore. If you keep people off-balance they cannot formulate an effective counter. He's also spacing out what he wants to accomplish to both keep people off-balance for longer and also give them some time, if they scramble, to get done what needs to get done. He's being strategic. In that way he has some measure of control; people have to react rather than act proactively. He still has other things to do/use yet to maintain that state. And Ted Tonks is (unknowingly?) proving to be a godsend in helping him with that.
E. Marchbanks - She's already figured out what Harry is doing and, besides, she thinks it's something that should have been done decades earlier. She also thinks herself too old to get all excited/frustrated about it, anyway. If anything, she's amused by it all. In her mind a bit of excitement, every now and then, is good for the soul.
F. Voldemort - He knows he's vulnerable. His power (magical) is curtailed by his 'Babymort' form; his power (informational) is curtailed to the Daily Prophet and what Pettigrew can carefully gather; he can't risk Pettigrew to go out and get him more information/intelligence as he needs him, else he will die without the rat making the potion for him; and things are happening that don't fit with what he was expecting to happen. He doesn't know who else he can trust and knows that, if he calls the wrong follower or loses Pettigrew, he could easily die again. And he doesn't want to risk reverting to a wraith form for yet another thirteen or more years. As such, he's being both reticent to act and is taking his time to gather what little information he can before he plans what to do next. He's 'not a bloody Gryffindor'.
Anyways, on with the drama!
Chapter Thirty Two - Ron's Wobbly
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
Because of the almost 'express' service in both the Ministry and Gringotts in getting things back into order, Frank and Alice spent longer in Gringotts than they originally planned. They took a look at the actual finances of the House.
A quick review of the books of the House showed that Augusta had not been a poor regent when it came to the finances. If anything, she actually did a better job than Frank, if he was honest about it, could do.
Sitting back with a sigh he said, "So, Irontongs, there was no activity related to Gringotts, on her part, that you would consider suspect?"
"None," the goblin immediately replied. "She did well by the House. And was even ruthless in a couple of the business dealings."
Alice frowned and asked, "Were any of those dealings against a House in the Alliance?"
"No," replied the goblin. "She made no financial moves that would be considered against the intent of the alliance."
Frank finally nodded and looked to his wife. "Alice?" he asked. "Anything else you can think of?"
"Yes," she immediately replied. "Remove her from full access to the accounts and re-establish the stipend for her. That's missing."
Frank quickly checked and noticed she was correct.
With a nod he looked to Irontongs and said, "Recreate the vault for Augusta Longbottom and re-establish her familial stipend to the same amount as prior to her becoming Regent, increased by... ten percent. The stipend is to be deposited into that vault, as per the previous arrangement. When I release her to do so, she may come into the bank and collect her key. That may be a while, however."
Alice, still looking at the financials, said, "There's no vault for Neville."
"What!?" asked Frank, leaning over to see for himself. Once he did he snarled, "Damn that woman!"
Straightening back up he was a moment to centre himself again before he said to Irontongs, "Create a similar vault for my son and Heir, Neville. Place within it one thousand galleons. Have it refill back to the thousand galleons annually. Make the first of December the anniversary of that."
As Irontong nodded and began to write on the parchment before him, Alice quietly sighed and said, "Neville must have no idea how to manage his own finances. That's yet another thing we're going to have to teach him, fast."
Once Irontongs was ready again, Frank continued, "Next, we need to adjust our Wills with an addendum. I want to remove the line regarding Regency and replace it with my Heir Apparent being granted immediate emancipation, together with self-regency of the House both actual and fiscal. He will, as of the moment of our passing, be considered Lord of the House."
Irontongs nodded and replied, "I'll have the addendum written up and ready to be signed for when you next visit."
"Then, I believe we are done," said Frank, standing. His wife was only a half heartbeat behind.
Irontongs said, "I shall have the vault key for young Heir Primary Neville Longbottom ready by this afternoon, at the latest."
"Thank you," said both adults.
Irontongs gave a nod, closed the folder in which he was taking notes and said, "May your ventures prove fruitful and your conquests be overwhelming. Fare thee well."
"Fare thee well, Irontongs," Frank replied, as he and his wife made their way out.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
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Dreading the meeting for almost the entire morning, Arthur Weasley and Clifford Perkins were finally summoned to Amelia Bones's office about an hour before lunch.
As both men entered, she was muttering something about ward masters, smart-aleky young men and manipulative old gits.
She took a look at the pair of them, indicated the pair of chairs before her desk and said, "Take a seat, gentlemen."
As Weasley and Perkins took seat, Bones was moving one small pile of documents before her off to one side and bringing another pile into its place.
As soon as both were seated she said, "Right... gentlemen... You know of what happened regarding the Statute for the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts yesterday, yes?"
"Yes, Ma'am," replied Weasley for them both.
"Good; Because that very statute is at the heart of what we need to talk about today," she said.
Forty minutes later, Weasley and Perkins left the office of 'The Boss' and returned to their own. Neither noticed the intervening distance or time from when they left one office and returned to the other.
As both sat, Perkins finally spoke. "Merrr-lin!"
"Yeah," said Weasley. "We need to find a bigger set of offices."
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
Dumbledore was sitting in his office, wondering what to do next, when a house elf appeared and dropped a package on his desk. Of course he immediately recognised it as the package he'd forgotten on Twillfit's counter.
On top was a note.
~ # ~
Albus,
Mister Twillfit was nice enough to forward your package you left on his counter.
Now that you have the replacement robes you were sent to purchase, there will now be no need for you to go to the Alley for the foreseeable future.
Headmistress Marchbanks
(NOT Griselda)
~ # ~
Screwing the note up in his hand, Dumbledore flung it across the room and, with a snarl, fired an Incendio charm at it. He overpowered it.
In so doing he nearly set the other of his two armchairs alight in the process.
However, he did manage to burn the slip of parchment, this time.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
On his return to the Tonkses' home, Sirius sighed in somewhat disappointment at the end of his meeting with Remus. Though the old man did not even know they were there, he had to resort to blocking his 'old friend' from getting the man's attention.
He wasn't yet ready to directly interact with Dumbledore. And was even amazed the old man had not yet tried to get hold of him to use him as some sort of 'cat's paw' or 'stalking horse' against Harry.
However, he was certain of one thing; the old man would definitely try to use Moony that way. As a werewolf, if Dumbledore succeeded in turning him into one or the other, Moony would not be protected by law.
He needed Remus to get those old copies of the Daily Prophet, read them and come to the right conclusion himself. If there was any one in their group other than Lily who could have been a Ravenclaw, it was Moony. If he read those copies of the Prophet he would figure it out for himself.
After raiding Ted's liquor cabinet, he came away with a small glass of muggle whiskey. He dropped into one of the chairs in the lounge, kicked his feet forward and lounged back with the small glass in his off-hand. He needed to figure out what to do next. He needed to think.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
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Arthur, still stunned with the news Perkins and he received from Bones, asked for and received permission to 'floo home for lunch and speak with the wife'.
As he popped out of the floo, Molly took one look at who it was and her face fell. "Oh, no, Arthur."
"No, Molly-wobbles," he quickly said. "It's not like that."
Indicating the kitchen he said, "I can only stay for a little while, but I have some rather surprising and outstanding news."
Once in the kitchen and with a plate for lunch before him, Arthur began to speak between mouthfuls of food as he told her what 'Madam Bones' had told him and his partner was to happen to his office.
"So," she said. "You and Cliff have to see to probably at least quadrupling your Office to seven or more people. You have to find the staff to staff it who are all muggleborn or at least muggle-raised, as they need that grounding and understanding of muggle artefacts to properly do that job. And you and Cliff both have to attend the DMLE auror muggle-awareness course - both basic and advanced - within the next three months."
"Yes, Molls," he replied with a nod. "On top of that, once we get the muggleborn staff started, one of the jobs of the new Office will be designing a new set of muggle-awareness courses. One that, according to Madam Bones, will have to include things like living for three days non-stop in a purely muggle home, information on 'vidya' recordings and cameras and things like that.
"Madam Bones is organising for a new 'Muggle Instructor' who will be a muggleborn. That person will be working with Cliff and I to design the new courses and will then be the new instructor for the courses.
"It's all pretty exciting. However, it seems it might just be all too much for Cliff, as he's already said to me he's thinking about retiring. So, that'll be another member of staff I'll need to replace."
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
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After watching two different movies and somewhat over-indulging in sampling both popcorn and fizzy drink for the first time, Neville was almost bouncing off the walls in a combined excitement and sugar high rush.
He was exuding so much magic from it Harry and Hermione had to rush him out of the media room, lest he cause the electronic equipment to short.
Back up in the dinette Harry was almost giggling at Neville's enhanced 'enthusiasm' for what he'd seen and tasted.
"That was a-maz-ing!" the boy was gushing and speaking overly quick. "Who knew muggles could do that? That was like a stage play and a portrait and a pensieve all rolled into one! Brilliant!
"Neville!" said Hermione. "You need to calm down!"
"How can anyone be calm after watching that... viewing that... doing that... whatever!" he enthusiastically retorted. "Brilliant!"
Hermione turned her glare on Harry and softly said, "His parents are going to kill you."
"It'll burn off soon enough," he tried, speaking just as softly back.
Neville was still practically bouncing off the walls.
"I have to come back again and do that some more!" declared the sandy-blonde haired boy. "That was... wow!"
Harry sighed and pulled a sheet of parchment out and wrote a quick note on it.
~ # ~
Frank and Alice
Please forgive Neville. He's 'suffering' from imbibing too much sugar and popcorn. Think of it as a short-term overcharged Pepper-Up Potion, but muggles call it a 'sugar high'.
When it wears off he's likely to very quickly fall fast asleep with no ill effects. Muggles call coming off a sugar high as 'crashing'.
Harry
~ # ~
He quickly folded it and attempted to get the attention of his still very much currently hyperactive friend.
"Neville!" he firmly said, finally getting the boy's attention.
"Hunh?"
Holding the note forth he said, "When you go home... as soon as you see either your Mum or Dad, hand them this note, alright?"
"Yeah! Right-o, Harry!" declared the other boy, taking it and practically ramming it into his pocket.
"Don't forget!" Harry firmly ordered.
"I won't!" he declared.
Hermione just looked at the pair of them in exasperation. But, she was also trying not to laugh at it all.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
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Eventually, as Neville was finally starting to get over the effects of the sugar and popcorn, plus the excitement of watching a movie for the first time, a house elf popped in and handed Neville a note.
"Thank you, Fluxy!" he happily replied, taking the note and opening it.
After a few seconds he said, "Mum and Dad are back home at the Hall. I hafta go! See ya!"
Before either Harry or Hermione could say a word, Neville held his hand out for the elf. A moment later they were both gone with a crack.
Harry gave a snort of amusement and said to Hermione, "Well, I certainly hope he remembers to give them that note."
"I still think they might want to kill you," she smirked.
"Maaaay-be," he replied. "However, as Frank's declared me his personal hero, I can't see that happening."
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
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With Neville gone, Harry was able to return to what he was working on. But, first, he wanted to write a few letters and get a few things happening before he properly returned to it.
His first was instructions for Ted.
~ # ~
Ted Tonks
Law-wizard of Record
for the Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter
Diagon Alley
London
Ted,
First, I need you to look into whether or not the floo can be connected to the home of the Grangers. Now that Hermione is both the magical ward of the Lord of Black and the betrothed of the Lord of Potter, I wanted to see if this would get around the law against muggle homes having the floo connected.
Second, I need you to set up an anonymous donation to pay for a mind-Healer to help Luna Lovegood get over her mother dying in her arms and to help Ginny Weasley get over being partially possessed by the spirit of Tom Riddle for most of her first year at Hogwarts.
I do not want either of them or their families finding out I paid for it and I do not want either of their families deciding the monetary donation could be 'put to other uses'. Claim, for instance, it is from a wealthy witch who did not like the idea two young innocent pureblood witches have suffered such mental trauma and nothing was done for either of them.
As an aside, I got your second stack of documents you deem to be both urgent and important enough for me to go through and make decisions. Are you trying to bury me in parchmentwork, or something? Sheesh!
Harry
~ # ~
With the note written, Harry was going to hand it to Dobby to take, but knew he hadn't made much use out of Hedwig for what she was designed to be, a mail owl, for the past couple of weeks.
Rising from the dinette table he went and opened the window and was just in time for her to glide in. Once in through the window, she performed a tight bank to bleed off speed and landed on the table before turning to him.
"Prek."
"Yep," he replied. "A letter to be delivered."
Walking back to the table and sitting down he was quick to tie the letter to her leg.
"For Ted Tonks in his office in Diagon Alley, girl," he told her.
She quickly checked for herself the letter was secure, gave him another muted Snowy bark and took off back out the window.
Thinking, he quickly checked the time and smiled.
'If I start dinner now,' he thought, 'I wonder what I can come up with?'
So much for working on House documents.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
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The Unspeakables update that evening was that the Dog had met with the White Wolf. Leo and Lisa were working on getting their parchmentwork sorted, now they're back in the land of the living. Little Old Lady got one up on White Beard. Apparently White Beard had been a naughty boy and set in place a power tap on the Hogwarts' wards, among other things. The wards are now back to what they should have been, plus some extras, and―
"He did what?" asked their team warder.
"The White Knight decided we all needed another example of why we're all daft morons... his words, not mine... and figured out a way to get through practically any ward, in and out, that everyone else missed," replied the reporter, ignoring the warder's shock. "Apparently, a house elf can side-along apparate a witch of wizard and, since there are no wards I'm aware of that block a house elf apparating through them, it now means witches and wizards can get through practically every ward."
"Oh, sweet bloody Merlin!" the warder exclaimed. "Do you know what this means?"
"Wards to block witches and wizards from getting through via portkey or apparation are now pretty much useless?" asked another.
"No, you git!" exclaimed the now exasperated warder. "It means... all those pureblood witches and wizards who own house elves and are in... say... Azkaban? Can get out whenever they bloody want to! All they have to do is call their house elf to come and take them out!"
"Oh!" said the other, suddenly realising.
"Yeah... oh!" snarked the warder.
"That's not good."
"No, it bloody well isn't!" grumped the ward expert, who felt as if his very world was crumbling around him. "And the Knight's not supposed to be making people like me feel like I'm one of those daft morons of his!"
That had others snickering at their team member's heightened annoyance.
"Well," continued the reporter, "Monocle has already been in contact with Croaker to develop a way to block it. Croaker's not happy because, as you know, we use a very similar method to get through wards when and where necessary."
"And so we ward and charm masters are going to have to come up with an idea that allows the blocking of side-along elf-popping the Knight has figured out, while also allowing our special method of apparation through," snarked the warder. "Merlin damn it!"
Again his fellow section members showed him their empathy for him by laughing at him.
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―==(oIo)==―
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Harry had prepared another slow-roast, lamb this time, and talk was somewhat lively around the table at dinner, that night.
Sirius had told them about his meeting with Remus Lupin and how it didn't end so well; and about organising a cleaning crew for his old family home on Grimmauld Place in Kings Cross, inner south London proper.
"That's a pretty run down area," said Wendell.
Sirius shrugged and said, "With wizarding forms of travel and warding it really doesn't matter what the area is like. A wizard could have a high class mansion in the area and it still wouldn't stick out for the muggles. Muggle Notice-Me-Nots take care of that."
Hermione asked, "Do you think Professor Lupin will read those old editions of the Daily Prophet?"
"I hope so, yes," he replied. "He'll want to know what's going on and, since I wouldn't tell him, he'll go read those back issues."
"Why have him read the back issues and not just tell him?" asked Monica.
"Because, he won't believe me," he replied. "He'll just think I'm trying to prank him.
"With everything that's happened over the past three weeks I probably wouldn't believe it either, if someone had just told me."
After dinner, Monica pulled Sirius aside into the kitchen and told him about her fears about Harry's education.
Sirius heard her out and said, "Alright. I got your letter this morning and I'm going to ask you a question. Don't get upset with me about it, as I'm just doing my duty both as Harry's godfather and Hermione's magical guardian."
When she nodded back he flat-out asked, "Is your endgame here to have Harry and Hermione sleep together, have sex and for your daughter to fall pregnant, so it activates the binding portion of the Betrothal Agreement?"
Monica, at first shocked by the question, scowled and replied, "No. And I don't know how you could think I wouldn't get upset by that question."
Sirius nodded and said, "I'm sorry, but whether or not you got upset about it is not really my concern. My primary concern, here, is the protection of those kids and Harry's familial legacy. However, you've answered the questions and I believe you. I just needed to hear it out of your own mouth."
Monica, still frowning, asked, "So, does this mean you're going to talk to Harry or not?"
"Actually," he said, reaching into his robes and pulling out the book he purchased earlier in the day from Flourish and Blott's, "In the short time I've known him, it's already easy to understand he learns more by reading about it that listening to someone else talk about it.
"Besides, I have a very well-known reputation for pranking people; sometimes, unfairly, quite inappropriately. While the first part is true the second is not. However, that's what I'm tagged with.
"Therefore, I'm giving him this book and will impress upon him he and I will be talking about it once he's finished it."
Monica took the book and began to thumb through it a bit. "This is actually... surprisingly quite informative. It is not the sort of book I would expect to be found in the wizarding world.
"There's actually similar books in the muggle world, but this one seems a great deal better than those."
"The purpose of this book is not to educate kids on sex," said Sirius. "It's for kids to understand what it is and how it can lead to them being trapped in a loveless marriage. It's to protect Heirs, like Harry, from some witch with delusions of getting herself pregnant and trapping the heir into marrying them as a way to lift her standing in our world; or just putting the family of the father in a position where her family has to be 'paid off'.
"Actually, that second one is probably the main reason of the two, if I was being honest about it."
Monica gave a huff and said, "I shouldn't be surprised. Anyway, when do you want to give it to him? I think the sooner, the better."
Sirius gave a nod and said, "Now, then. How about you send him to me?"
Monica gave her own nod and said, "I'll go get him and send him in." Then she stopped and said, "Actually, to keep Hermione out of this, how about you go into the office and I'll send him there?"
"Good idea," he replied.
As the two separated, Sirius headed via the hallway into the office and sat at the 'discussion' table and waited. He put the book on the table and thought about how to broach the subject.
Less than a minute later, Harry came in. He appeared a little confused. "You wanted to talk to me?" he asked.
"I do," nodded his godfather. Indicating the other chair he said, "Take a seat."
Fifteen minutes later, Harry came out almost red with embarrassment and had the book tucked up inside his windcheater. He quickly went up to his room and put it there, stuffed between two of the folders of the stuff he received from Ted. There was no chance in Hell he wanted Hermione to see he had it.
When he came downstairs after giving his face a wash, Hermione immediately asked, "What's up?"
"Nothing," he was quick to mumble.
Sirius, realising Harry made a poor liar for Hermione, said, "Business between the Lord of Black and one of his Heirs, Hermione. Nothing for you to concern yourself with."
"Oh," she replied, "Alright then."
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
At just after breakfast the next morning, Harry received a letter back from the aurors. It was from the twins.
"When you're next in contact with Misters Frederick and George Weasley," he said. "Please impress upon them not to try to attach charms designed to prank the recipient to their correspondence. Depending on what it is, it can be seen as attempted assault."
Surprised, Harry said, "I'll do that."
With a mental sigh, he thought, 'Idiots. Trying to prank a Lord of one of the Seven? That can get you discovering what the inside of Azkaban can look like from the point of view of a prisoner as a prisoner.'
~ # ~
Harrikins,
Something is worrying Mum about what happened at the Wizengamot yesterday. We suppose that'll be two days ago for you. And it's worrying us that she won't tell us.
Since you should've been there, we were hoping you could let us know. Just in case it was something that we should know about, yeah?
Hope to hear back from you soon,
Gred and Forge
P.S. Don't get upset about the donkey ears. We don't want to see you make an ass of yourself. Ha!
~ # ~
With a sigh, he thought, 'Well, at least I know what the prank was meant to be.'
Thinking of what to write in reply, he called Dobby and asked him to bring down the stack of documents he was working on the previous day, plus fresh parchment, ink and quills. With the visit from Neville very little of it got done and he really needed to put some effort into it today.
With the documents set aside, he pulled parchment, ink and quill before himself and began to write his response.
~ # ~
Fred and George,
Firstly, please be aware that my auror 'shadows' are still with me. They go through my mail before I get it. That's because Dumbledore tried to slip me an auto-portkey in a letter and, if it wasn't for Dobby grabbing it first, I'd have been portkeyed right out of Hermione's home.
Yes, I'm staying with Hermione at the moment. But, I'm sure you guys had figured that out ages ago.
The aurors have requested of me to ensure you two are made aware that a prank, even a harmless one, can be seen as assault when it's directed towards a Lord of a Noble and Most Ancient House. You also need to be made aware that sending a wizarding prank into a muggle home can be seen as a breach of the Statute of Wizarding Secrecy, Code 13. It, too, can lead to you getting into serious trouble with the DMLE.
So, guys; knock it off, in future - please. I don't want to see your trying to pull a prank on me being the reason you both find yourselves serving a bit of time in Azkaban.
Warning delivered. No more needs be said.
Next bit of news for you. Hermione and I are now betrothed through a Betrothal Agreement. That's something I'm surprised the Daily Prophet hasn't picked up on yet. The reasons are quite a few and not something I or Hermione are discussing with anyone outside of the immediate families. I can tell you one of them is not because Hermione is pregnant, or anything. (In case you were wondering.)
The second point of note is that Sirius Black, Lord of Black, is also now her magical guardian.
The advantages, you should know, is so that Hermione is now protected. If anyone tries anything to interfere with the Betrothal Agreement, such as loyalty or - dare I say - love potions, both the Noble and Most Ancient Houses of Black and Potter, along with both alliances, will be brought to bear on anyone who tries. NO exceptions!
So, please don't try to aim one of your pranks in her direction, either. Sirius has already sworn he will be very protective of his magical ward; and the Potter-Longbottom Alliance will be the same. Anyone trying to even look with disdain on her or the Agreement will very quickly be wishing they could find a hole under a secrecy charm somewhere and hide.
As for what happened two days ago. For the three days leading up to the Wizengamot meeting I was working on two projects.
The first was getting Frank and Alice Longbottom cured of their afflictions that had them in Saint Mungo's for the past thirteen years. Yes, you read that right, curing Frank and Alice Longbottom. Both are now healthy and hale and back to their best. During the initial part of the meeting of the Wizengamot, Lord Frank Longbottom took back control of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Longbottom from his mother, Dowager Lady Augusta Longbottom. We both then took our Seats.
This means the Potter-Longbottom Alliance will soon, once again, be a force to be reckoned with, within wizarding Britain. Very soon the Potter-Longbottom and Black Alliances will be working together to sort things out.
The other thing that happened occurred just before the start of the General Meeting of the Wizengamot and is why your mother was probably worried. That was the trial of Sirius for a Breach of the Statute for the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts.
I and Ted Tonks, law-wizard, were the defence team for Sirius. I was actually quite ropeable with the Ministry attempting to do that, because of the following muggle artefacts that are also blatant breaches of the Statute and nothing's ever been done about them. Hell, three of them were where the Ministry itself was responsible for the breaches.
The Hogwarts Express - stolen muggle artefact. Stolen during the height of the second world war (War with Grindelwald) from the rightful muggle owners - by the Ministry!
The Knight Bus - stolen muggle artefact. Stolen from the rightful muggle owners in 1939 at the beginning of the second world war from the rightful muggle owners - by Ernest Prang under direction from, you guessed it, the Ministry!
The current building housing St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries - purchased muggle artefact. Purchased from the muggle company Purge and Dowse Ltd in 1962 - under direction from the Board of Directors of the Saint Mungo's Hospital Fund.
A K6 Model telephone kiosk & the Automatic Electric payphone model 233G within - stolen muggle artefacts. Stolen from the muggle Government-owned British Telecom sometime shortly after 1955 - by the Ministry!
Those are the four I was going to present as evidence in Sirius's trial. However, there's a lot more than that I wouldn't have presented but made the Wizengamot aware of many of them.
Acting Madam Minister of Magic and Director of the DMLE, Madam Director Amelia Bones wears a monocle that is of muggle construction, thereby meeting the definition of a muggle artefact, and has been enchanted. This would have breached the Statute.
Ex-Chief Warlock and Ex-Headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore wears spectacles of muggle construction and he has enchanted them. This, too, would have breached the Statute.
Current Headmistress of Hogwarts, Lady Griselda Marchbanks, makes use of a muggle constructed cane, which has been enchanted. This, also, would have breached the Statute.
The enchanted entranceway between the muggle side of Kings Cross Station and Platform 9¾ is also such.
So, too, is the hiding of the Leaky Cauldron behind Notice-Me-Not and anti-muggle wards.
The memorial to my parents in Godric's Hollow is actually an enchanted muggle war memorial. That one was enchanted under the direct orders of the Wizengamot.
And that's just some of the stuff I figured out in a single day! Later, I also remembered about the Ministerial cars that picked us up from the Leaky to take us to the station at the beginning of my third year - your fifth - but didn't remember for the trial. Those, too, are illegal under the Statute (though I do believe they were probably purchased, rather than stolen).
Because of that I proved that the Statute, in what was its current form, was both unworkable and utterly unenforceable. So, the Wizengamot had no choice but to strip it from the books until it can be rewritten into something that actually makes sense. I would not have been satisfied with anything else and would have forced Madam Bones's Head Auror, Rufus Scrimgeour, to arrest the lot of those who were involved; including his own boss.
However, because I knew this would have negatively impacted upon certain Ministry employees - How's your father these days, boys? - I ensured Madam Bones will be redeveloping the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office and the Statute into something that actually properly works. I'm not positive but, if I've read the play right, your father is about to get a 'promotion' out of it.
Anyways, that's all the news I've got for you I can pass along. I hope this alleviates your worry over why your mother is worried. I do not believe she needs be.
Oh, and my betrothed, Hermione, says, 'Hi!'
Harry.
~ # ~
Harry was just finishing writing the letter, drying it by blowing on it and folding it ready for Dobby to deliver it when he noticed Hermione was reading a book.
"I haven't seen you with a school text in your hand for a while, Hermione. What gives?" he asked.
She turned an almost evil smile on him and over-nonchalantly replied, "I found this inside the stack of documents for the House of Potter." And indicated the stack with one hand while closing the book and holding it closed with her other hand.
As Harry started to develop a sense of dread, he asked, "Ummm... What's the name of it?"
"'What a Young Wizard of Good Standing needs to Know'," she grinned.
"Oh... crap," he moaned, turning away and blushing.
"Something you want to tell me, Harry?" she sugary sweetly asked him.
"No," he quietly replied.
"Why do you have it?" she asked.
Mumbling, he replied, "Sirius gave it to me last night and said I had to read it. He said..."
"He said, what, Harry?" she pressed.
With a sigh, he muttered, "He said he thinks my education in... stuff... was lacking."
"Stuff?" she asked. "Harry. I want an honest answer, please. I'm your friend and... Hell... I'm your betrothed. Do you know where little witches and wizards come from?"
Shocked at the question, he snapped his head back around to look at her and stammered. "Y-yes! Of course!" Then blushed and turned away again.
"Alright," she slowly said. "Do you know how they're made?"
"I... think so," he mumbled.
"Ah," she said. "That explains the book, then."
He just shrugged.
"Is Sirius going to quiz you on what's in it?" she asked.
"Yes," he quietly muttered.
She thought for a long moment, nibbling her bottom lip, and said, "Then you really should read it, anyway. And, if you're uncomfortable talking to Sirius about what's in it... then you should come and talk to me... as your betrothed."
He gave a short nod and mumbled, "Alright."
Satisfied, she said, "In that case, I'll set this aside for now. You should start reading it tonight before you go to sleep. And even when we take a break from all this." And gestured to the documents.
Then she deliberately picked the book up and placed it on the other side of the table. "There! We won't talk about it for now."
With a sigh of relief, it was a long moment before Harry gave his throat a bit of clear and called Dobby to deliver the letter to the Weasley twins.
"Same as before, Dobs," he stated. "Charm it so only the twins can read it."
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
Harry had forgotten that, because he was now 'homed' in Wimbledon rather than Scotland, Hedwig took nowhere near the time to fly between locations. This meant his letter to Ted actually arrived the previous evening. Which then gave Hedwig plenty of time to get back and deliver the Daily Prophet that morning.
Even so, Ted could only manage to start on Harry's requests that morning. And he got right to it.
First, he pulled out the laws regarding the connection of floo's in muggle homes. Then looked up what precisely was meant by a 'muggle home'.
With those pieces of law fresh in his mind he then sat back and tried to figure out a way to legally get the Granger residence connected to the floo network.
The main issue was that there was no way for an 'arriving' floo traveller to know whether or not an 'unauthorised muggle' was in the same room as the floo. Which would then be a breach of the Statute for Wizarding Secrecy, though an accidental one. So, the way to ensure that breach would not occur would be for the floo point to be somewhere an 'unauthorised muggle' could not be.
Secondly, there would need to be authorisation from a person in the Ministry with authority to grant it, followed by the application to the Floo Network Authority within the Department of Magical Transportation.
The big problem was the definition of 'muggle home'. If he could―
That's when he had it. He quickly pulled out the official Ministerial definition of why a home was determined to be a muggle home, even if a witch or wizard lived there.
Then pulled out the exemptions that applied to the Noble Houses and the Most Ancient Seven.
Reading them all, his frown of concentration slowly changed into a smile.
'Sirius,' he thought. 'You're going to love this.'
Writing down what he needed in his notes he then sent an 'Express' letter to Sirius, 'Harry-style'. He summoned his house elf to take it and leave it in Sirius's spot at the dining table. He knew the man had a late night, the previous night, and would be late to rise, this morning.
That done he turned his attention to finding a way to have the young Lovegood and Weasley lasses receive mental health assistance without it pointing back to Harry.
He thought Harry's idea of a donation from an anonymous wealthy pureblood witch to be both simple in approach and brilliant, so decided to run with it.
But, how to implement it would be his problem to solve.
"Alright," he muttered. "Paying in cash from a vault won't work. Harry wants to make sure both families can only spend the gold on the treatment. That means I have to pay for the treatment in advance.
"So, I need a qualified mind-healer, preferably with experience dealing with young female witches. I'll need to put them under contract. And such a contract needs to be written in such a way the anonymity will be maintained and with a Healer's Oath considered.
"Time to find out if a Mind-Healer's Oath differs from a normal Healer's Oath. If it does, I'll need the wording of it. Actually, I'll need it anyway, as I don't know if it will be the same as Andi's, even then."
Taking down his book on Healer's Oaths he flicked through it looking for the ones that might be specific for Mind-Healer's. He, of course, had it 'on hand' because of what those Oaths meant when a Healer was a witness on the stand.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
The twins were again in their room and working on prank potions - what else could they do with their time in the middle of winter when it was too cold to play or practice Quidditch? - when Dobby popped in with a letter for them.
First casting a detection charm of the twins' own design on the letter, Fred then accepted it.
"Letter from Harry, Fred," he declared, opening it as Dobby popped away again.
"I thought that was obvious, my less intelligent brother," replied George. He was already coming around to read the letter side-by-side with his brother.
After reading the first couple of paragraphs both, together, said, "Oops!"
Getting roughly to the fifth, Fred said, "Well, my even less intelligent brother, Lord Harrikins is now 'hands off'. Agreed?"
"Agreed," his brother immediately replied.
After reading about the betrothal and that Hermione was now a magical ward of Lord Sirius Black, George gave a low, quiet whistle and said, "And so's Hermione."
"Agreed," said an equally surprised Fred. "This is going to shock the rest of the family."
"Ginny, for a start, is going to be gutted," said George
As they read down George suddenly exclaimed, "Sweet Merlin!"
"Harry woke the Longbottoms!" exclaimed Fred.
Both looked to the other and said together, "Harry Potter is a god!"
When they turned back to the letter, it took them a little while to read through about the stripping of the Statute and why.
"So that's why," said George.
"Yep," said his brother. "Shall we take this down to the kitchen to read?"
"Of course!" said Fred. "I'm sure the family will love to hear Harry's good news!"
"Except Ginny," added George.
"And possibly Ron," added Fred right back.
"Ah, yes!" sighed George. "His infatuation with the lovely Miss Hermione."
"But we still read it?" asked Fred.
"Of course!" said George.
Again knocking on doors - though, due to it being a weekday they only needed to knock on Ron and Ginny's - the twins first charged up the stairs before charging down again. This time, all the way to the base of them.
Walking into the kitchen, the twins plonked themselves down at the table and, with Fred holding up the letter, both said, "Letter from Harry!"
Spinning from doing whatever she was doing at the kitchen counter, Molly asked, "Really?"
As soon as she saw the letter in her son's hands, she immediately began wiping her hands.
"I wouldn't bother, Mum," said Fred.
"Harry'll have just put privacy charms on it again," said George.
Molly immediately stopped and sighed. "Read it to me," she demanded.
The twins glanced at one another before Fred said, "Are you asking us to read it to you?"
"It's a letter to me and George," said George.
"Maybe we don't want to read you our private correspondence," said Fred.
"Don't be disobedient!" she snapped, starting to get angry.
"Don't be rude!" both twins snapped back.
That shocked their mother into silence.
By then, both Ginny and Ron had joined them.
"What's going on?" asked Ginny, before Ron had a chance.
"Fred and I have received another letter from Harry," replied George.
"And Mum tried to demand we read it to her," added Fred. "Now, we will."
"Because we planned to, anyway," said George. "And not because Mum tried to demand we do."
"And now that everyone's who's at home is here..."
"We shall begin." they both said.
Same as last time, the twins took turns reading the letter, a paragraph each.
After the first paragraph, before George passed to Fred, Ginny exclaimed, "Dumbledore tried to kidnap Harry?"
As Ron blurted in anger, "Harry's at Hermione's??"
Dong!
"RON!" his mother screeched.
Ron immediately winced and, a moment later...
Ding!
Everyone relaxed again. And Fred took up.
Back to George and he and Fred exchanged a glance. They skipped the next three paragraphs.
As soon as the first two lines of where they next took up in the letter were read, Ginny exclaimed "Noooo!" And immediately burst into tears as Ron exploded with rage and exclaimed, "NO!―"
Dong!
"I won't have it!" he ranted, surging to his feet. "Hermione's mine! I planned to ask her to go out with me as soon as we got back to Hogwarts! Bloody Potter! BASTARD! I'm gonna kill him!―"
DONG!
"RONALD BILIUS WEASLEY!" screeched his mother. She quickly ran around the table and laid a huge smack across his face.
"STOP IT!" she screamed, red in the face.
"Look at the clock!" exclaimed Ginny, who had now stopped, frozen in place. With tears prickling her eyes she looked horrified, staring at the clock face.
That had everyone, including Ron, looking at it. Seeing it, Ron near wet himself, right there.
His hand was pointing to 'Mortal Peril'.
Getting herself back under control, Molly hissed, "Ronald Weasley! Go to the shed... right now... and stay there until your father comes for you."
As she said that, his hand moved back to 'In Danger'.
Dong!
He stared at his mother in shock until she yelled, "NOW!"
He quickly ran out the back door.
With him gone, the room settled again. Ginny, still sniffling with tears, suddenly ran back upstairs to her room.
George and Fred glanced to one another and sat again.
Fred said, "I think we better finish reading this when everyone else gets home."
"No," his mother sighed. "I want to know what else he has to say."
"Mother," said George, all serious. "If you want us to keep reading our private letter from Harry to us to you..."
"You're going to need to politely ask," added Fred.
Almost instantly getting angry again, Molly managed to control it and release it again with a sigh.
"Please read it to me," she said in a more normal voice. "I'd like to know what else he has to say."
Both twins nodded and George took up again where he'd left off when their two siblings jumped up.
When George read the paragraph about coming after anyone applying potions, Molly winced. The threat of what would happen if anyone tried was also not lost on the woman.
When it got down to what happened at the Wizengamot, she again winced.
When Fred started with listing the four enchanted muggle artefacts Harry had mentioned, Molly was shocked. 'The Hogwarts Express? The Knight Bus? The others? Why did Arthur not think of those? Shouldn't he have acted?' she thought. 'I'll have to ask him when he gets home.'
She could see exactly why Harry had chosen those artefacts and now understood better why the Statute had been revoked.
When George, this time, started listing the items on the persons of Bones, Dumbledore and Marchbanks, she sighed and massaged the bridge of her nose. 'Oh, Arthur,' she thought.
But, when Fred read about how Harry knew Arthur's job might have been in trouble and had immediately acted to ensure it wasn't, she was very relieved.
Fred finished with, "Oh, and my betrothed, Hermione, says, 'Hi!'"
Both then said, "Harry"
Fred folded the letter back up and slipped it into an inside pocket of his robes.
"Sorry, Mum," said Fred. "We knew Ron and Ginny might get a little upset..."
"But, we didn't think Ron would act like that!" said George.
"Better he act like that here," said Molly. "Than he act like that in front of Lord Potter or his Lady Presumptive, Hermione.
"At least, here, we have some hope of him getting it under control before they meet again."
She seemed to remember where she was and who she said that to before she seemed to shake it off and glare at the twins.
"Not a word of that to anyone!" she snapped. "And how is young Harry getting mail through to you, anyway? All mail is supposed to come to me!"
"All owl mail, Mum," said Fred.
"Harry doesn't use an owl to send mail to us," said George.
With that, the twins rose and headed back upstairs.
Back in their room, Fred asked, "Do you think we should write to Harry and let him know about Ron and Ginny?"
George shook his head and replied, "That part about potions? I think it was directed to both of them."
"And Mum," added Fred. "You didn't see her wince when that was mentioned."
"Quite."
"So, we write to Harry... and Hermione?" asked Fred.
"Not yet," said George. "We may be seeing only what we think we're seeing."
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
When Sirius flooed Ted's office and said he'd read the note, Ted invited him straight through.
"So?" asked Ted. "What do you think?"
"It's one way to get around the legislation," grinned Sirius.
Ted nodded and said, "Will the Grangers agree, though?"
Sirius shrugged and replied, "We can only put it to them."
"It also depends on where a floo can be put in their house," said Ted. "Do you know if they have any fireplaces? I thought their home was central-heated."
"One can easily be created," said Sirius.
Ted nodded and said, "Then we'd best go over there to see if there are any suitable locations before I take this to the Ministry."
"You want to do this right under the noses of the aurors?" asked a surprised Sirius.
Ted shook his head and said, "I just want to see if there's a suitable location, first."
"Fair enough," said Sirius.
"Then you're going to do it right under the noses of the aurors. I'm just putting the parchmentwork through."
He laughed at Sirius's shocked expression.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ