Chapter Sixty Eight - The Tapestry Circle

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 Sixty Eight - The Tapestry Circle

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―==(oIo)==―

ˇ

Over the next few days, including the weekend, Harry had been able to visit most of the other 'Heirs'. The only one he couldn't was Justin. Justin didn't have access to a floo and Harry was not yet proficient in Apparating. Besides which, he did not know the apparation co-ordinates.

It wasn't until the Tuesday he figured out what he already knew from many months earlier and 'decided' he needed to find a sufficiently robust wall for him to go bang his head against - repeatedly.

Writing a short note he called for Dobby. The little elf popped in with only the very lightest of cracks.

"Yes, Master Harry?" asked the elf.

Harry handed his note over and asked, "Can you take this to Justin Finch-Fletchley and hand it to him when he's alone or only his immediate family is present and can see you?"

"Yes, Master Harry," he replied, before popping away.

Ten minutes later, Raggy popped in and handed him a note back, before popping away again.

~ # ~

Harry,

Sure! Only me and my immediate family here, at the moment.

I take it you're going to have an elf side-along apparate you over, right? Tell it to bring you to me.

Justin

~ # ~

Harry gave a snort of amusement that the Hufflepuff boy figured it out in only a couple minutes what he had forgotten. 'Definite signs of not being a daft moron there, after all,' he thought.

Once he was done he called Dobby and asked if the elf knew how to pop him to Justin Finch-Fletchley.

"Yes, Master Harry," he replied. "Dobby knows because Raggy be a Potter elf. Dobby knows where Raggy knows where young Mister Finchy be."

Harry couldn't quite figure that out. Instead, he focussed on the answer of 'yes' replied straight up. "Great," he replied. "I need to get changed into muggle and I'll be right with you."

Once changed, he called Dobby and offered his hand. "Ready when you are."

A quick slight squeeze of elf-popping and Harry popped into what appeared to be a high ceilinged room. Modern houses had ceilings at about eight/nine feet; houses from the beginning of the century had ceilings at about ten/eleven feet; Hogwarts had ceilings, for the most part, at about thirteen feet; this one had ceilings at about sixteen feet.

Dobby had popped him into what appeared to be a somewhat modern lounge from the furniture, in a building a few centuries old. Justin was just standing up from one of the sofas and smiling. Like Harry, he was wearing jeans and a polo shirt.

"Thank you, Dobby," said Harry, as the little elf popped away again.

"Hello, Lord Potter," said Justin, giving him a slight bow. "Welcome to Bedford Castle."

"My Lord of Lonsdale," said Harry, in return, dropping into an over-done courtly bow. "Thank you for allowing me to visit."

Then both boys grinned at each other and chuckled.

"So, Harry," said Justin. "What brings you to visit this muggleborn?"

"Boredom," replied Harry. "That, plus I've also visited the others of the Heirs and not you, as of yet. How could any of us consider you an equal and yet allow that to stand?"

Justin gave him a considering look before he said, "Thank you."

Harry just gave a slight shrug back.

"Come on," said the other. "I'll introduce you to the rest of the family."

After meeting Justin's father again, meeting his younger sister and mother for the first time and spending some time with his peer Harry reminded Justin that Raggy could side-along apparate him and likely a few more to wherever he needed to go.

"Just make sure it's either to and from a private area of the castle and to and from a wizarding home or area," he explained. "Though you now have a familial seat on the Wizengamot, it does not excuse you from the International Statute regarding wizarding secrecy."

"Right-o, Harry," said Justin. "It had slipped my mind a house elf could take us where we needed to go in the wizarding world."

Harry grinned and said, "Trust me; it slips the mind of just about every other wizard and witch, too. However, it comes in handy getting to and from Diagon, that's for sure.

"Oh! And if you need to pick up any supplies from the Alley, Raggy can go and buy those for you. No need to make such a trip for not all that much, right? Tell Raggy he can take the funds from my accounts as galleons and you can pay me back later; I don't mind."

Justin nodded back. "Thank you."

Harry nodded back with a grin and said, "Time for me to go. Thanks for letting me visit."

"You're welcome," replied Justin. "And I may have news for you when we get back to Hogwarts." And grinned.

Harry thought the boy was up to something, but didn't feel the need to push it.

"Right; well," said Harry. "Alliance meeting on Saturday. See you then." Nodded and was elf-popped away by Dobby.

_‗_

―==(oIo)==―

ˇ

At the July meeting of the alliance, Harry was surprised when Frank pulled him apart for a quick chat and for him to provide answers to a very specific set of questions.

Harry was both surprised and not a little annoyed, because it was something he'd also been thinking about. He just didn't want to push it, too soon, because of asking for the alliance to both accept Finch-Fletchley as a House member and aid young CeeCee a week earlier.

This time the meeting was held at the Ogden residence and Miles chaired, as per tradition.

When he asked Frank to table his 'business', Frank did so. It had most other members gasp in shock.

However, the few among them who didn't immediately flatly deny it also thought about it. And Frank put forward the arguments in a logical and hard-to-counter manner.

"Damn it," Harry grumbled.

"Problem, Harry?" asked Frank.

"I was going to suggest the exact... same... thing... until the issue with CeeCee came up," he grouched.

"And your reasons?" asked a somewhat surly MacMillan, always the negative.

"Like with how House Malfoy can no longer be considered Dark, neither can House Black. Lord Black, while always trying to show a contra-indicative 'bad boy' image, is about as light as they come. Yes, there are still those born of House Black I would consider Dark; Bellatrix née Black comes to mind. However, who else is left? The Tonkses are of Black, yet all three are Light. Narcissa Malfoy is turning out to be more Grey than Dark, from my recent observations of her. And that, as they say, is it. With the exception of Narcissa, all existing members of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black are firmly of the Light.

"So, yes, I'm supportive of bringing the House of Black into the Alliance. However, as the House of Black is of equal rank to Potter and Longbottom, if Lord Black brings his House in, I'm recommending a change to the name of the Alliance."

"To what?" demanded MacMillan.

"The Grand Alliance," he calmly replied. "The Potter-Longbottom Alliance has become a great deal larger than when it was first formed of six Houses. With Black and, I hope, Malfoy joining, we'll have reached a total of more than triple that original number.

"We now number eight voting members of the Wizengamot. Bringing Black in gives us nine. I'd also like us looking towards getting Davis the noble status it should have been given decades ago."

When he saw Eugene's eyes widen in surprise, he smiled and said, "We might not have been able to get it through when it first came up, but it's something we have a decent voting bloc for now. It's more than time. And it will give us ten votes.

"Yes, it will mean a fair bit of politicking. And, where necessary, I'm fully prepared to offer deals in return. But, I believe we can get it done."

That had them all thinking. Frank was almost beaming at him in happiness.

Looking at Frank, he gave a wry grin back and asked, "I take it you approve?"

"Damned straight, I do!" Frank immediately replied. "A Grand Alliance, like you're suggesting, is what your grandfather and my father planned for, right from the start."

Surprised, Harry returned, "I did not know that."

After debating it out for a while longer, the Alliance was almost unanimous behind the idea of inviting the House of Black to join. If Sirius accepted, then Frank would speak with his own law-wizards and Ted Tonks about drafting a new alliance charter document based on the existing one.

Things were moving ahead.

_‗_

―==(oIo)==―

ˇ

When the meeting broke up, Harry was expecting to return to the Black Townhouse on his own. However, he was disabused of that belief, quite quickly. Both Fleur and Daphne would be joining him straight from the meeting.

Thankfully, Sirius had already recognised them as 'family' and adjusted the wards to reflect that. But, more than that, they were considered like Harry considered family, rather than how Sirius considered family. That meant they were added to the wards as 'residents', not 'semi-welcome visitors'.

Hermione was going to come, but was dragged aside by both Alice and Adeline. He found out later that both had set up a schedule for Hermione to begin her Lady of the House 'etiquette' lessons. They'd be starting on the Monday with a revision of what she knew, or thought she knew.

For the time being, she was staying with her parents and would continue to floo over to Longbottom Hall each day, once her parents had headed off to work.

With admonishments to stay safe from both their sets of parents, Fleur and Daphne followed Harry through the floo to the Black Townhouse. And Harry immediately went in search of Sirius to let him know both girls were, for the time being, residents. Besides, they also needed to find out which room was Fleur's.

Going to the office first and not finding him there, he went down to the kitchen next. And that's where the old dog was; chatting with Dorothy.

"Hey, Sirius, Dorothy," he said.

"Hey, Pup / Hello, Harry."

"Sirius, it appears Daphne and Fleur are joining us," he declared. "I got outvoted. And, apparently, so did you."

While Sirius laughed, both girls told Harry off.

Daphne said, "We didn't, as you put it, 'outvote' you."

"Non," declared Fleur. "We simply informed you we would be moving in."

Smiling at Sirius, Harry said, "As I said - outvoted."

"Oh! You are so sleeping on the couch―" said Daphne.

He quickly interrupted, "I have my own bed."

"It can be vanished," said Fleur.

"Wait!" said Dorothy, suddenly realising what their threats meant. "You actually sleep together?"

"Ah!" said Harry. "We haven't explained to you what it means for Fleur to owe me a Veela life debt, have we?"

"No," she frowned.

"Okay," sighed Harry. "This just got uncomfortable."

Thankfully, Sirius stepped in and 'rescued' him. "Because Harry saved Fleur's life, without any thought on his part of getting something out of it, Fleur's magic has deemed that she must... well; she has to be with Harry, that way, regularly.

"If she isn't, magic will force her more and more to seek him out. If she tries to fight it, or Harry doesn't do the right thing by her, she will slowly go insane before, eventually, dying."

Dorothy gasped in shock. She stood there for a long moment before she finally said, "Oh, you poor dear!"

Fleur gently smiled back and said, "It is, as they say, alright. This is one of the risks of being a Veela. And 'Arry has been wonderful to me. In that, I am very lucky. I know of some who are not, or were not."

"Which brings up why we've sought you out, first, Sirius," said Harry. "Which room is Fleur's?"

"Not solved yet," said Sirius. "Do you think Hermione would mind if Fleur has her room, for the time being?"

"No, of course not," said Harry. Glancing to the girls, he said, "I'll take them upstairs so they can unpack."

After he led both girls out, Dorothy asked Sirius, "You're okay with this?"

"Yes," said Sirius. "Harry will do right by all three of his girls. Mind you, he begged both me and Samuel Greengrass to make every effort to try and find a way out of Fleur having to bond with him. The pity is, there was no way without the girl dying. And Harry would have none of that.

"He claimed, he went to all that trouble in saving the girl's life, he wasn't about to let her up and die anyway.

"And, in case you were wondering, that is why there are connecting doors between his bedroom and each of theirs. That way, they can move between the bedrooms without the rest of the house knowing what they are doing or when."

"All three girls sleep with him?" she asked.

"According to Moony, at least Hermione is," he replied, with a shrug. "We also know Fleur must be, otherwise she wouldn't still be here. We don't know about Daphne."

"How does Remus know?" she asked.

Sirius smiled, tapped the side of his nose and said, "As a werewolf, Moony's nose is quite sensitive. He could tell when both dropped over on the day after the train trip back from Hogwarts and the day Harry moved in."

"Ah!" she blushed.

He twinkled a grin back at her.

What he didn't know was that she already knew about Harry and Hermione. Hermione had told her. However, that was told to her in confidence; and she would not breach that confidence.

_‗_

―==(oIo)==―

ˇ

When Harry showed Fleur into Hermione's room, she took a quick look around before walking into Harry's room through the connecting door.

"This 'as to be 'Arry's room," she declared.

"It is," he replied. Then, indicating the other connecting door, he said, "And, through that door, is Daphne's."

Both girls walked through the door before Daphne asked, "Does Black Townhouse have a female house elf?"

Harry thought about it and replied, "Giggles must be one. She wears a skirt."

Daphne gave a nod and called, "Giggles?"

One of Sirius's three elves popped in and Daphne asked, "Are you or another of the Black elves female?"

"Giggles is female," she, for it was now clear she was, replied.

Daphne gave a nod and pulled a shrunken trunk and pair of bags out of her pocket. "This is the room Lord Black has assigned me. Would you mind unpacking these for me?"

"No, young mistress," replied. "Giggles can do."

The elf snapped her fingers and both she and the shrunken trunk and bags disappeared. Within moments, there were little flashes of light about the room and from the ensuite as Daphne's things were unpacked and put away.

Both girls nodded and smiled to each other.

When the flashes stopped, Fleur said, "My turn. Giggles?"

"Yes, young mistress?"

Indicating back through the connecting door to Harry's room, she said, "My room is on the other side of Lord Potter's." Then she removed her own shrunken luggage from her pockets and held it on the palms of her hands. "As with Miss Greengrass, please unpack my effects into that room. Thank you."

Moments later, both elf and luggage were gone.

Fleur lowered her hands and said, "All done."

Daphne was already moving about the room to ensure everything was where she could find it. She only had to move a few things to different locations to have things where she wanted them.

Once she was done, they walked back through Harry's room to Fleur's. And Fleur did the same.

"I think that's it," said Fleur, once she checked everything a second time.

"Great," said Harry. "Let's go rescue Sirius. I've no doubt he's getting the third-degree interrogation from Dorothy about our relationship."

_‗_

―==(oIo)==―

ˇ

When they went back down to the kitchen, it appeared there was no condemnation from Dorothy. Harry was worried that she, as a muggle, might not fully understand. Apparently, though, she did.

When they'd settled to an afternoon tea, she said, "Now. Sirius has explained to me what's going on between you three... four. However, I have a favour to ask."

Harry shrugged and said, "Name it."

"Please don't... flaunt... your relationship around my three," she asked. "I don't mind so much around Pat or Sarah; they're old enough to understand. However, I do not want Charlie... subjected... to it."

"Have no fear," said Harry. "Other than the occasional kiss to the cheek or so, you'll see nothing else. Everything else will only happen in the bedrooms. It is... unseemly... to act otherwise in public."

She gave a satisfied nod and said, "Thank you."

Sirius looked to Fleur and asked, "I have a question for you, though, Fleur."

"Yes?" she asked.

"Your allure," he explained. "Why is it not affecting me?"

"The life debt to 'Arry negates it to the point it no longer 'as as much of an affect on males, except when I deliberately... errr... actively increase it as a defensive measure," she replied. "It is one side effect of the bond I am pleased with."

"Aah," he said with a nod. "Thank you. I was worried it might have too much of an effect on Stephen or Patrick. They're both muggles... no-mags."

"The allure normally 'as less effect on muggles than it does wizards," she smiled. "It was a worry for me, too; before coming 'ere. In Pari', I visited the muggle world for an afternoon to test it."

"So," said Harry, wanting to change the subject. "Where is everyone else?"

"Mine are sightseeing," said Dorothy.

And Sirius smoothly added, "And Cissy has gone off to do something to do with some research she wants to commence."

"Well," said Harry. "Since Narcissa is not here. Starting to get any relationship agreements for CeeCee yet?"

Sirius gave a nod and said, "One this very morning, as a matter of fact. Caracticus Nott sent one for a Theodore Nott. From the age described I'd say he's a boy in your year."

Harry gave a snort and replied, "He was in my year; Slytherin. He's the little bast― err... boy... who tried to ambush me, Daphne and Hermione in Hogsmeade the day Dumbles supposedly escaped from Saint Mungo's. He tagged Daphne with a bludgeoning charm to the shoulder and Hermione with a cutting charm to the arm before I got my hands on him and... well, let's just say he attacked my right foot with his testicles, quite firmly."

Sirius gave a snort and snickered.

"While he was lying on the ground in a foetal position I was demanding he inform me of the method by which I would execute him. He was lucky that the aurors were on scene pretty damn quick.

"Before they portkeyed him away - under arrest, of course - I told him that if he ever set foot in Hogwarts again, I'd flat out immediately execute him where he stood. I wouldn't even wait to see if he was facing me at the time."

"Execute?!" exclaimed Dorothy.

"Yes," Harry firmly replied, turning his attention to her. "Many of wizarding Britain's laws are based on similar muggle laws from many centuries ago that have since been well and truly repealed. Heading back toward the start of the millennium, actually. Some parts are very feudal in nature - similar to how Lords of their fiefdoms had ultimate authority, including high justice, over their subjects/serfs/etcetera. Even with those antiquated old laws, the Seven have what today would be even more freedom than that granted diplomats under diplomatic immunity. The Seven are immune from prosecution for, it would seem, just about everything; though, there are limits. However, those limits don't apply in this situation.

"Interfering in the practices of the Noble Houses in protecting the bloodlines can easily get you killed. As One of the Seven, just as Sirius is, in certain circumstances it is within my power to execute someone who hurts, or even threatens, someone bonded to one of us.

"Lying in ambush and initiating an attack on my betrothed and concubine was more than sufficient grounds for me to have killed the little sh― idiot. I let him live, with the warning that the next time I see him in Hogwarts, I'll kill him. I've also been informed, by the woman herself, that Madam Bones reiterated that threat, once the idiot had his injuries attended to.

"As far as I know and believe Nott, together with a few others, have all decided to transfer their schooling to Durmstrang Institute in northern Europe."

Turning back to Sirius, he asked, "Anything underhanded about the agreement?"

"No illicit charms or potions, if that's what you're asking," replied Sirius. "However, the... sod... included a few clauses that are, frankly, quite insulting."

"Let me guess," snarked Harry. "Caracticus Nott is to immediately become CeeCee's magical guardian. He's to have full access to the Malfoy estate. That sort of thing?"

Sirius wasn't surprised Harry had figured that much out. "Yep. And more. It was a concubine contract; not agreement. No escape clauses for CeeCee or her family. She would have to obey any and all commands given to her by both Theodore Nott and the Head of House, if they were different people. Those sort of things."

Harry growled and spat, "In other words, they wanted to steal the Malfoy fortune and turn her into a sex slave."

"Yep," replied Sirius. "However, I think Nott only sent that one as a warning. He and others will follow it up with ones that aren't so... offensive."

"To show what CeeCee could be treated like if they were of a mind to force the issue," said Daphne. "May we ask what your response was?"

Sirius gave an evil grin and said, "I sent it back to him, stating that someone was trying to get me to kill him by 'faking' such an insulting relationship agreement that would lead me to going after him, Nott, with my wand blazing. And that he might want to look into it."

"Clever," she said. "Who did he send it to?"

"Me," he replied.

"You kept a copy, though, right?" asked Harry. "If Nott then tries to argue that you cannot, or should not, be her magical guardian, his sending you the contract is proof he believes you are the magical guardian."

"Of course," grinned Sirius.

"Good," said Daphne. "Nott's the biggest threat from the Dark for that sort of thing. However, he might also be under pressure from Parkinson.

"He also won't be the only one; not by a long cast. Others to watch out for are: Ledbury, Urquhart, Montague, Aldermaston, Belby, Carmichael, Vaisey, Harper, Queensbury, Ancrum, Lofthouse, Haworth, Evercreech, Morcott, Bexley and... Huntingdon, to name a few. All are Houses that lean to the dark; all have boys of roughly the right age at Hogwarts, now."

"Good God!" said Dorothy, not a little shaken. "And, you think they'll all send such agreements?"

"No," replied Daphne. "Those are just the ones to watch out for. Some, will send one or two different ones; many won't, because they fear what Nott, Parkinson and their ilk will do to them if they find out. Plus, there will be Houses considered 'Grey', who will also send similar.

"I don't think any of the Light side Houses will send one, unless CeeCee comes out publicly for the 'Light'. Many will believe the apple does not fall far from the tree and, therefore, will believe CeeCee to be Dark; or, at the very least, she would be of the Dark Grey."

Dorothy, who'd been standing at the stove or sink for most of that, came and sat down with a sigh. "It really is that big a threat to Charlie, isn't it?" she asked.

"Yes," replied Daphne. "In the last few months leading up to Christmas last year, I lived in almost perpetual fear my father would eventually have to succumb to the amount of pressure that was being brought to bear on him from the Dark families demanding me in a concubine contract. He very nearly did. It was Harry, here, who stepped forward to 'rescue' me from the clutches of either Malfoy or Nott.

"Before the First Task of the Tri-Wiz, Malfoy... Lucius, that is... was looking the clear favourite to eventually succeed. Harry's destroying Malfoy's reputation, both senior and junior, during the First Task had Malfoy lose that position. But, that only allowed Nott to become the favourite, with the help of Parkinson.

"When Harry, under urgings from the Potter-Longbottom Alliance, had his law-wizard, Ted Tonks, approach my father with a Betrothal Agreement that allowed all sorts of escape clauses with no pressure on me, I think my parents must have cried in joy. Father was very quick to accept."

"It all happened in just over a week," explained Harry. "Daphne approached me on behalf of her father with a tentative request. About nine days later she became my concubine."

"That quickly?" asked a very surprised Dorothy. "I would have thought―"

Harry was already shaking his head. "Most times, you'd be right. There'd be a great deal of negotiating, business arrangements would also be included, to and fro and to and fro. However, this was all about protecting Daphne and House Greengrass from those trying to poach her and it. There was a certain sense of urgency to it."

Daphne said, "It might also help you to know there was no requirement for me to... shall we say... provide special services. The concubine agreement was written to have me tied up in such an agreement and, therefore, not available to any other family. At any time, even now, either one of us can go to Gringotts, be tested to ensure we were not under any compulsions to do so and have the agreement annulled."

"That was included for Daphne's benefit," said Harry. "It was written that way so, if she found someone she'd fallen in love with and wanted to aim towards a Betrothal Agreement with that person, she could walk away from ours without any penalty."

"However," she said. "After spending only a short few months with Harry, I've come to determine I do not believe I'll find anyone who represents a better pick for me than Harry. I've... fallen in love with him."

As she blushed a little, Harry turned, grinned at her and kissed her on the cheek. "I'm feeling the same," he softly said.

Now much relieved after what she'd just heard, Dorothy smiled at them.

_‗_

―==(oIo)==―

ˇ

Narcissa had just left the secure offices of the Records Office in the Ministry, after having first gone to Saint Mungo's.

At both locations she had to use quite a bit of the off-book money Lucius had stashed at the Manor to grease palms to get the records she wanted. All of them related to births and deaths over the past one hundred years.

When she was at Saint Mungo's, the record keeper was quick to also figure out what she was after and aided her in supplying a research document by one of the paediatric Healers relating to an increase in birth defects in pureblood-born children. The keeper had ensured that document was placed on top.

When she returned back to the Townhouse later that afternoon she began to collate the two pieces of information from the Ministry and the hospital into an order she could use to make sense of it all. And, before she even delved too far, the information was both astonishing and appalling to her.

Still births were fifteen times higher in purebloods than muggleborns and five times higher in halfbloods. Birth defects, if you included squibbing as a birth defect, were almost all attributed to purebloods, with five of the remaining six percent attributed to halfbloods. Slightly less than one in one hundred were born to muggleborns.

On a whole, almost twenty percent of all births were either stillborn or born with defects. Over the past twenty years that had gone up to thirty percent. And of those, only a small fraction were not from muggleborn or halfbloods.

It was very clear that the pureblood community of magical Britain were, by only marrying among themselves, killing themselves off. It was no wonder the number of recognised Houses were diminishing at an alarming rate. It was not, as most people suspected, mainly due to the Dark Lord or his predecessors.

The question was, what to do with the information to make it useful to turn the decline away from this disaster?

Then, she knew. She needed to take the information to the mothers - the 'ladies' of the Houses, who were the true protectors of the heritages.

It was one of those mothers, who had collected the information previously, that formed the basis of the research paper at Saint Mungo's of which she'd managed to get hold of a copy. It was mothers, who were the records assistant at the hospital and who aided her at the Ministry.

Narcissa sat back and allowed the slight frown on her face to slowly change into a smirk. She was going to start a secret society; one dedicated to halting this mistake in its tracks.

She even had a name for it - The Tapestry Circle. It would be so named because of the great family tapestries that showed the bloodlines of the great Houses. And the second, though secret, member would be Dorothy Wilkins.

Narcissa vowed Corina - or Charlotte, as she was now named - would be the first she would save from the fate of having their own child or children stillborn or born defective. CeeCee would not be the 'broodmare' of a British pureblood. Not as long as her name was Narcissa Venus Malfoy née Black.

Now she needed to go talk to the woman.

With a sigh, she thought, 'If I'm to have any hope of being in Corina's life, I need to get over my... dislike... of muggles. Siri, as Head of House, could easily forbid it.'

She'd connect, mother to mother, with a mutual desire to protect Corin― CeeCee. She was pleased the girl had come up with that 'nickname' based on her known original initials. It made it easier than trying to pick whether to call her 'Corina' or 'Charlotte'; even if 'CeeCee' sounded quite similar to 'Cissy'.

That had her smile as she made her way down to the kitchen.

_‗_

―==(oIo)==―

ˇ

The next morning and after almost eight months since first given the task of redesigning the 'muggle experience' course, plus assisting in the redesign of the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Statute, Arthur was finally ready to present both to his nominal superior, Madam Bones.

His first job was to find new offices large enough to accomplish what was needed, then find ministry personnel to fill it. He expected the first to be hard and the second to be easy. However, the reverse proved true. He was given more than sufficient space on level three with the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes, one level above the DMLE. He thought it would make a good home for his expanded team, as it put him in close proximity to the Accidental Magic Reversal Squad, Obliviator Headquarters and the Muggle-Worthy Excuse Committee. The three sections he would most often be working in close proximity with, anyway.

However, he had to go to Madam Bones while she was still Acting Minister and practically demand he be allowed to engage in what could be considered bigoted hiring practices, as he especially needed to employ those who were muggleborn or muggle-raised. He did also hire from pre-existing departments still, as he needed those with Ministry experience to deal with inter-office issues.

Once he had the people starting, he was having them immediately brainstorm ideas for a brand new 'modern muggle experience' training course. And they came up with things he'd never even heard of before.

They ran the course among themselves as a trial run. Then looked to what went wrong and made changes; then ran it again, altered it, ran it again, altered it again, and again. It was on the fifth generation of the course they thought they finally had something that would work.

The course involved living in a group of muggle homes that were once collectively a coastal 'holiday camp' the Ministry were able to acquire for a song. Since the 1970s, with cheaper International airline flights and a burgeoning British muggle economy, too many muggles were now choosing to holiday in places like coastal Spain than holiday in their own country at such camps for such camps to remain financially viable.

They then had experts refurbish it to what they needed. Thankfully, it also had a small conference hall, communal kitchen and other useful amenities.

However, not the entire course would be spent at the 'muggle camp'. There were also day trips to things like the cinemas, riding in cabs, driving lessons, amusement parks, modern muggle shopping centres, etcetera.

With it ready, they ran their course for the sixth time. It included things like: PowerPoint presentations, the internet, conference rooms, photo cameras, video cameras, security cameras, video players, computers, electronic locks, driving lessons, muggle IDs, modern muggle home life and a host of others.

They also had to be careful with how fast they educated those on the course, as it became quite apparent quite quickly that too fast and little information was retained. The people being taught went into information overload or worldview alteration shock. Their initial idea of a 'one week' course very quickly blew out to 'three weeks'. For almost the entire time, they would wear muggle clothing, muggle jewellery and make up for the women. They were taught to use every muggle appliance in a muggle home; including the television, video player and telephone; kitchen devices; alarm clocks; and home alarm systems, to name a few.

At the end of the three weeks the students' written exams included, for example, a requirement to write down matters relating to words and concepts around: electricity, electronics, telephones, cellphones, the internet, the cinema, movies, automobiles, cars, cabs, computers, security systems and others. For the practical exams they might have to purchase a few odd items in grocery stores, department stores and convenience stores; drive a car, change the tyre - without using magic - and fill it with petrol; or even operate a video camera, design their own short PowerPoint presentation and operate a cell - or mobile - phone to call someone.

The test lasted most of the day. The morning would start with the written test before morning tea, before they would then spend the late morning in a practical examination within the 'muggle camp'. Finally and after lunch, they would go out into the muggle world and put their knowledge to the test on an immersive practical examination.

The test was rigorous and required only a sixty percent correct mark to pass - except on one point. That one required a one hundred percent pass grade or the entire course was considered a fail. The attendees/students/whatever had to recognise and identify when a camera was pointed at them; or was even likely to be pointing at them. They had to identify traffic cameras and community security cameras mounted on the walls of buildings, security cameras inside buildings (including ones under those little plastic domes mounted in ceilings), one's in the hands of pedestrians in the street, hidden and not so hidden; and that, with the introduction of cameras in cellphones, how to tell if one was being pointed at you and was recording you.

That last point had a few, who were their test subjects for the course and were purebloods, almost fainting in fear and terror of what it meant.

As for the Statute, Arthur only oversaw its development. Of course, he only oversaw the development of the muggle experience course, too. However, that one was more hands-on for him. Once he had the team rewriting the Statute properly briefed and prepared, he let them go and get it done.

The new Statute had a specific clause that stated that once a 'muggle artefact' was properly purchased by a wizard or witch, as per both wizarding and muggle law, it would no longer be considered a 'muggle artefact'; but, would henceforth be known as a 'muggle made' wizarding artefact. And 'muggle made' wizarding artefacts could be legally enchanted. Further, any object not properly purchased as per the above, the penalties for enchanting them became far more stringent. Because of the large preponderance of already existing muggle artefacts that had been enchanted, just as Harry demonstrated during that aborted trial, a blanket pardon would be issued for them. However, they would all have to be identified and registered within the first six months of the Statute becoming law.

With both the course outline and new Statute in hand, Arthur took and presented both to Bones in her office.

Showing surprise at the thickness of both documents, Bones looked to Arthur and asked, "This is the final draft of both?"

"Yes, Ma'am," he replied. "I would suggest you fortify yourself for what you're about to read when you decide to read them. Quite frankly, Ma'am, I now have a feeling of awe when it comes to muggles with what they've managed to accomplish without magic. And those security cameras, quite frankly, scare the magic out of me.

"It is my strong belief that no magically-raised witch or wizard should be permitted to enter the muggle world until they have a full understanding of just what they're likely to come across. How it is the Statute of Wizarding Secrecy has not already been irrevocably shattered is, quite frankly, a miracle.

"I personally believe, and my muggleborn and -raised agree with me, the higher-ups in muggle society are already completely aware of us and are, themselves, working towards protecting the Statute. There truly can be no other explanation."

Without a change of expression, Bones nodded back and said, "Thank you, Arthur. I shall read these and get back to you as soon as I can."

Knowing a dismissal when he heard it, Arthur gave a slight bow and replied, "Thank you, Ma'am." Then turned about and walked out, closing the door behind him.

As soon as the door closed, Bones smiled. She already knew the muggle governments were actively suppressing evidence of the wizarding world. Why someone would think otherwise was, as Lord Potter would say, 'daft thinking'. She, herself, worked closely with the muggle intelligentsia - specifically MI-5 and, recently, the National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS) - in rooting out and suppressing intelligence gathered about the wizarding world from those deemed a threat to the Statute. Of course, that threat did not include the muggle British Government.

When her brother and his wife were murdered by the Death Eaters in the last couple of years of the War, she had risked everything as a Senior Auror at the time, including what would amount to a lifetime sentence in Azkaban, by going to the muggle policing agencies and begging them for help. Her identity was quickly proven and she was soon hustled up to meet with the higher echelons of both the MPS (Metropolitan Police Service) and MI-5; the 'brass', as they called it.

From those meetings she quickly became an 'asset' for MI-5 and, recently, the NCIS. She already knew and had read the documents Arthur had only just then handed to her, as agents for both organisations were already working, incognito, in the man's new Office. It was they who were the driving force of both the new 'muggle experience' course and newly developed Statute.

Setting both documents aside, she sent a coded message via owl to both intelligence organisations. [tt]AW pres docs x2[/tt].

As preplanned, she would present the new Statute for 'first reading' at the next Wizengamot session held the next month. It would be seen as too fast to present it at the July Wizengamot general meeting the next day. Or, maybe she could at least give it the first reading the next day, giving the members time to adjust to it.

'Hmm...' she thought

_‗_

―==(oIo)==―

ˇ

At 'The Kennel', Narcissa had already convinced Dorothy she was being honest about her intent to start 'The Tapestry Circle'. It wasn't hard after she laid out for the other woman the documents she'd managed to collect and collate from the Ministry and hospital.

"But, why show me?" asked Dorothy.

Firmly, Narcissa replied, "Because, I will not have my daughter by blood forced to marry some British or French pureblood and birth squibs and others with birth defects. I will not have Corina... Charlie... suffer the same pain I did."

That was enough to get the muggle woman on board.

"Why the name 'The Tapestry Circle'?" she'd asked.

That led to Narcissa taking the woman up to see the Black family tapestry and what role they played in wizarding Britain.

"Yes. Sirius showed us this and told us how he had it restored," said Dorothy. "He also showed us Charlie's name." And pointed to where the name Corina Cephei Malfoy now appeared next to Draco Abraxas Malfoy branching off Narcissa Venus Black and Lucius Abraxas Malfoy.

Narcissa nodded and said, "The Black Family Tapestry. It represents the bloodlines relating to House Black. It is from that and how other pureblood families have the same, which led me to the name 'The Tapestry Circle'."

"But, 'Circle'?" asked Dorothy.

Narcissa smiled and said, "No one takes much notice of 'circles'. If we'd named it 'committee', 'tribunal' or 'panel' or something more serious, people would want to know more about it. Circles... Ladies' Clubs... are not seen as something important. By naming it a 'Circle' we'll be able to hide it's true purpose and operate in secret.

"Secondly, by giving it the name 'The Tapestry Circle' husbands and such will think of it as something like a..."

"Sewing Circle?" prompted Dorothy.

Narcissa smiled in understanding and replied, "Exactly. Nothing for the menfolk to worry about."

That had Dorothy completely on board with what Narcissa wanted to accomplish. Circle membership was now two. She also had plans to bring both the Granger and Greengrass girls into the secret, as well.

With four, she'd be able to make inroads among those mothers she knew had also suffered the same pain she did. Their husbands and Lords of Houses had tried to hide the information, but what she had already gathered identified them all; or, at least, most of them.

_‗_

―==(oIo)==―

ˇ

Harry, Daphne and Fleur were currently up in Fleur's room. The first two were helping the third with studying for her NEWTs.

Neither Harry nor Daphne knew the majority of the work; only that which led up to fourth year. However, for the work above that year they were both able to provide a list of questions from the texts and ask them.

Of course, they had to find English translations of the books, first. But, that proved no hardship. They simply asked her the names of the books in English and then sent Dobby and Giggles out to find such copies. The two elves scoured the bookstores of magical Britain and found almost all of them within a day.

The two elves loved the work and thought themselves on 'treasure hunts'. They also made a lovely pair, who suited one another. Dobby, always 'fizzing' with energy and magic to spare; and Giggles, far more laid back and calm. Dobby wore his grey keikogi with its silver belt - and Harry still didn't know what led a Potter before him to chose Japanese martial arts training-wear as the wear for the Potter house elves - and Giggles wore a black skirt, white blouse and light black jacket, with the Black crest monogrammed in silk on the breast similar to the Potter crest monogrammed in grey on Dobby's jacket. Sirius took the idea to dress his elves from the Potter elves, but had decided to go with contemporary British 'servants' dress.

From those books both Harry and Daphne learned that there were quite a few incantations that could be given in either English or French. That led to them wanting to know if there were incantations of spells in other languages.

"Of course, there is," said Fleur. "Yes, most of the incantations are a sort of false-Latin - of which both English and French derive - but not all. For example, while 'pack' for the packing charm is also 'pack' in French, there are others that differ."

Harry muttered, 'What about pseudo-Latin to English?"

Thinking of the banishing charm, Depulso, as an example, he looked to Fleur's trunk at the foot of her bed and gave the wand movements for the charm, while incanting, "Push!" And, surprisingly, the trunk moved a little. It was nowhere near as much as it should have done if he'd used the correct incantation, but it was at least something.

"Hunh!" he exclaimed.

"Push?" asked Daphne, a little wryly. "Really?"

He gave a half-hearted shrug and replied, "I thought it might work and it's only one syllable."

"It won't, really," she said. "The incantation is part of the spellcrafting that goes into the charm. It didn't work that well because... 'Push'... was not the incantation that paired with the wand movement to cast that charm."

Harry gave a half-shrug and said, "I thought it might work. It was just a test."

She added, "You'd be better off learning silent casting for your spells than replacing the incantation with another."

_‗_

―==(oIo)==―

ˇ

Harry was expecting the July session of the Wizengamot to be just another boring meeting of the 'old fuglies', as he'd come to mentally call them. However, that went right out the window when an item of new business was raised by Parkinson.

He stood and declared, for the record, that an unknown daughter of the line of Malfoy had been found.

Harry frowned and tried to figure out what the man was up to, when he then declared she had been found in the custody of muggles with foreign accents.

"She was clearly stolen from her parents by these―"

"Objection!" roared Sirius, shooting to his feet.

As the Chief Warlock banged his gavel to try and restore order, Sirius snarled, "She, most certainly, was not... stolen... you uneducated moron! She was dumped by her own blood father, Lucius Malfoy!"

"Order!" roared Ogden, repeatedly banging his gavel on the desk before him.

As Parkinson at first reared back, he surged back forward and hissed, "So. You. Say!"

Not getting the order he wanted, Ogden then drew his wand and fired off a quick triple of cannonblast charms, before he surged to his own feet and spun to glare at both men. "E-nough!" he roared, himself.

When both men shut up and both kept an eye on each other while glaring at Ogden, Ogden looked to Sirius and said, "Lord Black. I take it by your 'objection' you actually have a 'point of order'?"

"I do!" he more quietly snapped.

"Then I shall hear it," said Ogden. "But, first, both of you will sit your butts down and try to be civil. You are both supposed to be, after all... Lords."

As soon as Sirius sat, Harry was in his ear, whispering, "The onus is on Parkinson to prove his claims; not on you to prove your own claims, otherwise. Do not rise to the bait! Force him to provide proof."

While Harry was unsure Sirius heard him and accepted what he said, he hoped he had.

"Lord Black," said Ogden. "I will now hear your point of order."

Then Sirius proved he had heard and recognised the wisdom of Harry's words. He stood and said, "Lord Parkinson claims young Miss Malfoy, the rightful heir apparent of the Magical House of Malfoy, was stolen. I call on him to prove it before making such... wild accusations."

"And I call on Lord Black to prove she was not," Parkinson snapped back, without even waiting for the call.

"Lord Parkinson will wait until he is called upon before speaking, in future," Ogden firmly said. "Lord Black."

Sirius replied, "The onus is not on me to prove she was not. The onus is on Lord Parkinson to prove his own claims, for he is the one to have made them. It is he who put forth she was stolen from her rightful birth parents. I demand he present the evidence of his claims."

Ogden gave a nod and turned back to Parkinson, "Lord Parkinson; your evidence, please."

Parkinson glowered back for a long moment before he huffed, "I have no such evidence other than that she must obviously have been stolen―"

"Point of order!" sang out Marchbanks. "Chief Warlock, he's doing it again."

"Lord Parkinson!" said Ogden. "You will provide your evidence or you will retract your remarks!"

Clearly frustrated, Parkinson snarled, "I withdraw my remarks." He gave it a bare moment before he continued, "However, I call on Lord Black to provide the evidence she is both who she claims to be and how she was not, as I suspect, stolen from her birth parents."

Ogden gave a nod before turned back to Sirius. "Lord Black."

"Chief Warlock," said Sirius. "As I have already stated, there is no onus on me to prove anything. The goblins' own inheritance test procedures were accepted by them that showed 'CeeCee', for that is how she prefers to be called, is the rightful heiress apparent of the Magical House of Malfoy. That proof was sought and acquired on the day of the reading of the Late Lucius Malfoy's Will, as per Gringotts's and wizarding Britain's laws. It is not the right of this body to demand further."

"He's right," said someone. Harry didn't recognise the voice.

"He is," muttered Ogden. Looking back at Parkinson, he said, "Your demand is rightfully rejected, Lord Parkinson. Move on."

Clearly not getting what he obviously wanted, background information on CeeCee, Parkinson tried his next tactic.

"As the Magical House of Malfoy is now reduced to only one Heiress," he tried. "It behooves us to ensure she is paired with a pureblood of equal―"

"Point of order!" roared Bones. However, she wasn't the only one; just the loudest and, probably, fastest.

Looking at how clearly pissed the Head of the DMLE was, as she surged to her feet. Harry smirked and quietly muttered, "Oops! He's done it now."

"Madam Bones!" Ogden immediately stated.

"How dare―" she hissed, clearly furious. "How dare Lord Parkinson even attempt to put forth... what it is quite clear he's attempting to put forth. It is not for this body to interfere with House relationships. That has not just been policy, but has been codified law for centuries. Lord Parkinson will retract his remarks... now."

Ogden said, "I couldn't have put it better, myself." He turned to Parkinson and said, "Lord Parkinson... retract."

Still frustrated, but not a little fearfully as he looked back at a furiously glaring Bones, he still tried to sneer and said, "I retract my remarks. I have no further business."

Then he dropped back into his seat with a scowl, crossed his arms and refused to look at anyone.

Harry turned to Sirius and quietly said, "Now, more than ever, we have to protect CeeCee. This was just another 'shot across the bow'."

Unhappily, Sirius only nodded.

The next item of business was Madam Bones presenting the new Statute for the Misuse of Muggle Items, not Artefacts, in its 'first reading'. Harry was surprised it had taken them so long, considering the old one had been ripped away over six months earlier, leaving a gaping hole in the laws.

With a copy of it before him, he'd read it over the upcoming month and see what changes he thought it would need. Without assignments taking up his 'summer vacation' time he could see he'd be easily able to find the time to do it.

_‗_

―==(oIo)==―

ˇ