Chapter 13 - Surrounded by Skullduggery
Emma was slowly emerging from a deep dark place, a place she'd last visited nearly fifteen years ago - only that one wasn't induced by a magical potion to save her from suffering indescribable pain. A gentle lullaby was being hummed as someone fussed with her hair, a kiss on her forehead and then her hand being held helped Emma piece together who this someone was without having to open her eyes. Emma's eyes were still closed, and her voice was certainly a little scratchy after all her tortured screaming, but she did her best to speak.
"I came out of my coma to that same tune, your Nana was singing it to my baby - holding you in her arms. I loved and hated that woman at the same time. I loved that she was there for you when I couldn't be, and hated the irrational feeling that she stole my baby away from me. She effortlessly bonded with you in a way that I was never able to do. After the surgery I needed, this was my one and only chance to be a mother - something I was desperately looking forward to - and that I failed miserably at."
Still holding her mother's hand, Hermione managed to attract Poppy's attention. "Mum, stay still and stop talking until Poppy can check you over. Once she gets some pain potion into you, you'll be able to sit up and have some tea..."
"I'd kill for a cappuccino! Where's your father? How is he? Where are we?"
Shaking her head at the obstinate woman who was her mother, Hermione knew from experience she wasn't going to win this one. "Ok, let's just forget about not talking. Dad has gone for a little look around with Harry, they've been here with you all night. I've told Harry you're awake and both he and dad are heading here now. Here is actually our new house in Italy, so that cappuccino shouldn't be a problem - once Poppy says it's ok for you to have one."
After completing her scans, Poppy asked Hermione to help with sitting her mother up. Emma was still in a lot of pain from every part of her body, and she couldn't have managed that simple manoeuvre without help. Poppy then poured a pain relief potion into her mouth, and the faces Emma made actually put the beginnings of a smile on Hermione's. They would get through this, as a family.
"Oh my goodness, that is without doubt the most disgusting thing I've ever tasted. Please tell me I can have that cappuccino now?"
"If this cappuccino can make that taste better, I might want one too."
"It's a type of coffee, Poppy..." Hermione was saved from further explanation as a tray with three wide coffee cups containing the frothy drink, along with a plate of amaretti biscuits, appeared on the bedside cabinet.
While Hermione held the cup for her mother to drink, smiling at the sprinkled chocolate in the shape of π on top, Poppy sampled her own - pronouncing it to be wonderful.
Her dad and Harry didn't exactly run into the makeshift infirmary but it was close. Watching as his daughter helped her mother drink brought a lump to Dan's throat, this was the closest he'd seen them in years.
"How are you feeling?"
"Like I laid down in front of a fleet of double-decker busses, and they all ran over me at the same time. Poppy, your medicine certainly tastes disgusting but I can already feel it working. Daniel, how are you - and what happened? That man did something with his wand and all I remember after that is pain, until I woke up here."
"Hermione and Harry came to rescue us. That bastard was busy boasting what he was going to do to us when these two just appeared behind him. They'll never threaten anyone ever again."
Emma got the message her husband was sending, they would never threaten anyone again because they were now dead. She felt her daughter's hand slipping back into hers and Emma gave it a squeeze to indicate she understood and accepted what happened. "I need to apologise for putting you both in that position, I simply didn't believe people like that existed anymore."
Before they got to say anything else, Dobby arrived to say they had a visitor. "Bones lady is here. She be early for meeting but says very urgent she speaks with you."
It wasn't difficult to guess why she was here, they might as well get this over with. "Can you show her up here, Dobby, and see if Remus and Sirius are available?"
Nodding, Dobby popped away while Hermione was explaining to her parents exactly who Amelia was. With Emma not yet fit to leave her bed, the meeting would have to be held here. More chairs were moved around her bed so everyone could be seated. Seeing Hermione still holding Emma's hand, Dan moved to the other side of the bed and took his wife's free hand in his.
A shocked glance from Emma had Dan responding. "We need our entire family today, we'll face this together."
Dan's words had Hermione calling for Harry to sit on her other side, he promised to do so after greeting Amelia. While her parents were actually holding hands, Hermione was sure they noticed her mentally communicating with Harry. It also gave her a crazy idea. Harry liked the idea, but suggested they deal with the problems in front of them first.
Amelia arrived, accompanied by Sirius. Harry showed her to a seat just as Remus walked in too. He told Poppy she was welcome to stay before sitting next to Hermione and holding her other hand.
From the display of family unity in front of her, Amelia could tell they were expecting bad news - and she had plenty of bad news to give them.
"Ok, let's get right down to it. A display of accidental magic from the Grangers' home last night saw the Ministry send an investigative team there. They found Draco Malfoy kneeling beside his dead father and Edmund Parkinson - who was also dead. Two pure-bloods killed by muggle methods in a muggle home has the Ministry in meltdown. Fudge was ready to order a squad of aurors to drag the Grangers into the Ministry, and I heard Dumbledore telling him they needed to revoke your lordship - he claimed you were out of control."
"What Dumbledore means is I'm out of his control. Fuck, could this be any messier?"
Hermione not only felt Harry's anger, she shared it too. "Harry, I know we didn't want to fight the Ministry, Dumbledore and Voldemort at the same time. I don't think we have an option now. We have to hit back, and hit hard..."
"Miss Granger, I don't know that you can do that..."
Harry was all over Amelia, instantly ripping Fudge's entire argument to shreds by providing information that changed everything. "The heads of House Malfoy and Parkinson illegally entered a warded Potter property and, in full Death Eater garb, used an unforgivable curse to attack members of my family who were living in my property at the time. House Potter stands ready to declare Blood Feud against these houses. The recognised Steward of House Potter will deliver the relevant documents to the Ministry of Magic today. Amelia, can I ask how they got through those wards so quickly?"
A totally shocked Amelia answered without even thinking. "They used wardstones, highly illegal and a certain stay in Azkaban if you are even in possession of a set."
This set Hermione off. "All that evidence against the attackers and Fudge wants to sweep it all under the carpet by going after my parents. Harry, I think Italian citizenship for both of us just shot right to the top of our to-do list. I also think we need Luna in here. Hell, let's invite everyone. If we're going public with this, let's get it all out in the open."
Sirius and Remus both tried to talk them down from this, but could soon see they were wasting their breath. Harry at least tried to explain their stance on this matter.
"We're being boxed into a corner, our only option is to come out swinging and punching. I don't want the first time our friends know about this to be when they read about it in the Quibbler. We're asking people to change their jobs, change their very lives, they deserve to know what's going on. We're not Dumbledore or the Ministry, no compulsion charms and no lies here."
No one was surprised when Hermione backed her betrothed. "Our friends' support over what happened yesterday meant the world to us. Again, we're asking them to uproot their lives and follow us out of Britain - they deserve to know why."
After the elves had contacted everyone staying at the chateau, Dobby, Cindy and Brutus then temporarily removed two of the beds and placed more seats in the room. Sirius formally introduced Bill to the couple when he arrived with Ginny, while a now contrite Professor Vector tried to apologise to Harry. Susan walked in with Hannah before rushing to greet her aunt, and finding seats beside her. As everyone was getting settled and the elves were providing refreshments, Poppy was heard recommending everyone to try a cappuccino.
As their guests settled, Harry and Hermione were busy deciding on just how to go about this. Harry got things started.
"Sorry about all this but we decided as you are being asked to make life-changing choices here, everyone needed to know exactly what they were getting into. Since Emma can't yet move, this gathering needed to be held here."
Taking a calming breath, Harry got straight to the heart of the matter. "Yesterday, in full Death Eater garb, Lucius Malfoy and Edmund Parkinson used a highly illegal device to break through the wards at Hermione's home and attacked her parents in an attempt to find us. Emma had the cruciatus cast on her while Dan was held in a body bind. Hermione and I cast spells at the two Death Eaters, allowing Dan to break the curse he was held under. Parkinson had Hermione in a head-lock with his wand pointed at her face. Dan stabbed Parkinson in the neck before then attacking Malfoy with the same kitchen knife as the bastard cast an unforgivable at me. The Minister of Magic now wants both Dan and Emma arrested for murder, while Dumbledore is suggesting the law be changed so my lordship can be revoked."
This news almost started a riot as their friends were disgusted at the actions of the Ministry. Remus caught Harry's eye and nodded in understanding, he got it now.
"To discover what's behind all this, we need to go back to before Neville and I were born - I'll explain that in a minute. A Prophecy predicted the birth of a child, a child with the power to defeat the Dark Lord. 'Born to parents who had thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies'. Two children matched that description, me and Neville. That's why he came after me that Halloween night, and also why his supporters went after Neville's parents when Voldemort disappeared after attacking me. That prophecy was made to Dumbledore, and Snape told the first part of it to Voldemort..."
Neville was on his feet on hearing that news about Snape, he wasn't alone. Pomona then proved why she was their choice for Headmistress when she got them to sit back down before calmly asked a question.
"Harry, I'm not doubting you here, just asking if you can prove all this?"
Harry looked in Amelia's direction. She nodded then offered the conformation Pomona was looking for. "I was with Harry when he retrieved the orb from the Hall of Prophecies. Dumbledore's initials were on it. Severus Snape escaped trial purely on the word of Albus Dumbledore claiming Snape was his spy. Sorry Sirius..."
"It's fine, Ami. I'm free now, and able to help my godson."
"...and we're going to need that help. Folks, this next bit is effectively a State Secret. It's so secret, Dumbledore won't even let the State find out about it. We know Voldemort isn't gone, and also know what's stopping him from being dead. Bill, that diary Ginny was writing in was a horcrux. Dumbledore must be aware of that, I slapped that bloody diary onto his desk."
There was no screaming or shouting from the eldest Weasley, Bill just held his sister tighter while his eyes took on a steely determination. His family had been wronged, he would be doing something about it. Seeing this, Harry pushed forward with an offer.
"Bill, he made more than one - and we know where they are. Sirius, Remus and Amelia are going to be working with Hermione and me to see these things destroyed. If you want in, I could probably swing it with Ragnok to get you transferred to the team, and staying here with Ginny. A Death Eater was stupid enough to put one of these things in their Gringotts vault, so Ragnok is aware of what we're up to."
Bill's smile was chilling, it never reached his eyes. "I would like that, Harry. I would like that a lot."
Luna had been taking notes and asked for clarification. "Harry, what's a horcrux?"
"The darkest of magic, Luna. You undergo a ritual that detaches part of your soul that then gets attached to an object. As part of that ritual, you have to murder someone. As long as one of these things survives, Voldemort can't die."
As conversation stoppers go, that was a doozy. Hermione took over the conversation, knowing Harry would struggle with the next bit they planned to reveal.
"The diary was one, Hufflepuff's Cup in Gringotts was another. He also tainted Ravenclaw's Diadem and hid it in Hogwarts, we got that one too. There's one other that was destroyed, created accidentally the night he tried to murder baby Harry. It wasn't a proper horcrux though, it just attached itself to the only living thing in that bedroom."
Filius and Pomona had been upset at the destruction of founders' relics but this revelation shocked everyone.
"The night those dementors attacked in Hogwarts, they got very close to kissing all of us, they actually sucked that bit of Voldemort out of Harry. That released his power and enabled him to chase all those dementors away, saving Sirius and me too. This is why everyone is seeing a difference in Harry, that bloody thing was parasitical..."
Minerva had a question she wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer too. "Harry, do you think Dumbledore knew that abomination was behind your scar?"
"Without a doubt, professor. The prophecy says it's Voldemort or me, one of us will kill the other. With that bit of Voldemort in my head, I had to die so Voldemort could be defeated. That's why I was dumped on the Dursleys, and the only decent Defence Professor we've had found himself sacked. We're pretty sure that's why the Philsopher's Stone was in Hogwarts for our first year too. Dumbledore wants me to face Voldemort, and die. He doesn't know that thing is out of me, and we won't be telling him. He obliviated the Minister that night of the dementors, before turning his wand on us. That's why we needed to get out of Hogwarts, out of Britain. I'll fight Voldemort on my terms, not Dumbledore's or Fudge's. Any more questions?"
Pomona just had to ask. "Harry, you made me Headmistress, which gives me responsibilities. I need to know how will all this affect the institute?"
"That's the reason we wanted you for the job, Headmistress, you keep right on asking those hard questions. This house and the school will be under the best wards the goblins can provide. When the ward markers go up, everyone needs to stay inside them. If they leave the wards, they won't be able to find the school again. People will walk right past us and not even notice we are here. The only way in or out will be by portkey, again cutting the chances of anyone discovering exactly where we are."
Harry needed a drink of the fruit juice Dobby had provided before he could continue with the next bit. "Voldemort and his Death Eaters have no power base here, and the Italian Ministry would be down on them like a ton of bricks if they try anything in this country. If anything happens to me, Hermione will keep things running. Should it be both of us, the necessary plans are already in place to keep the school open and running. If nothing else, this will be our legacy - the Potter family legacy. Hermione and I both want to be involved with the institute for many, many years but I now know it will be in safe hands if we're not."
Hermione was now wrapped round him, though she was hampered by her mother refusing to release the hand Emma was clinging to. All three Grangers had tears in their eyes at the mere thought of that happening.
"Harry, how much of this do you want made public?"
"Certainly not that we're searching for and destroying his horcruxes. That he's not dead, and I'm prophesied to end him -yeah. Dumbledore and Fudge will soil themselves when reading that. The entire Granger attack episode - hell yes. That the Potters are instigating Blood Feud against the Malfoys and Parkinsons, again hell yes. People will learn what it's going to cost them if they come after my family. Are we ready to make the Potter Institute public?"
Harry had thrown that question to the room, with most of the people now looking to Pomona for an answer. She didn't disappoint. "With a reduced timetable, and already having six teaching staff on board, with Poppy confirmed as our healer, I'm confident that part will be ready for September. Remus was going to approach the Italian Ministry regarding a language professor, and a few other professor vacancies too. We'll be good to go from our side."
Remus then took over and explained what had happened at their meeting yesterday. "We all agreed the general design for PI, building materials, and dozens of other things. This lets Francesca work on the drawings, order those materials and start on the groundwork. Everyone will still have their say on the facilities, classrooms and such, this work needs to start or we'll never be ready for September. Francesca suggested a swimming pool, and these two couldn't believe they forgot one. She's going to give us a few options, but Harry's adamant the quidditch pitch stays too." This got a few chuckles from his friends.
"I have to say Francesca seemed confident we would be ready. She's the expert here, I've never built a school before. I think we need to take her at her word and say the Potter Institute will be ready to accept students come September."
"So, the only problems I see with making our intentions known would be the Ministry and Dumbledore's reactions. I think after the British magical public discover I'm the chose one, and have moved to Italy because of Dumbledore's interference, that should take him out of the game. That, and having to find at least six new professors and a healer for Hogwarts. Without Malfoy or Dumbledore whispering in his ear, I have no idea what Fudge will do."
Amelia was shaking her head. "You're going to leave the Ministry and Hogwarts in turmoil."
Harry was getting angry again. "We don't want to do this, you know that. They came after me and my family, we're not gonna sit back and let them drag the Grangers off to some show trial just to appease the pure-blood bigots of Britain. We've already got more than enough on our plates here, dealing with Voldemort while trying to build our school - and this is supposed to be a holiday we've invited our friends for..."
The twins had sat quietly, like the rest of their friends, struggling to take on board what was being said here. Their silence was never going to last though. Fred kicked things off, while George was of course in complete sync with his twin.
"Our little Harrykins, all grown up and responsible..."
"Betrothed to the beautiful Miss Granger..."
"Building a school to compete with Hogwarts..."
"Has Death Eaters attacking his in-laws..."
"Dumbledore trying to get him back under the old git's control..."
"Prophesied to face the Dark Lord..."
"Now that's enough to scare anyone, George, yet what is our Harrykins worried about?"
"Being too busy dealing with all of that to have time for his friends..."
"Ronnie boy was supposed to tell you that earlier, though he does seem to have his mind on other things at the moment." That both twins managed to suggestively wiggle their eyebrows toward Millie and Ron, again synced perfectly, was both funny and scary at the same time.
While blushing, Millie proved that she was integrating into the group by having an answer for the twins. "Ron told both of them that, I was there too."
Using the bond their rings gave them, Harry and Hermione decided to give the twins a dose of their own medicine.
"Ron did pass on that message..."
"And Harry thanked him for that..."
"While Hermione hugged him..."
"I hugged Mille too..."
"Yes, she hugged everyone but me..."
This put grins on everyone's faces, before Harry then swiftly wiped them off.
"People, it's actually worse than that..."
"How the bloody hell do you get worse than that?" That shouted question had come from a distraught Emma, who simply couldn't take anymore threats to her daughter. Everyone felt her torment, though also wanted to know what Harry thought was worse. He didn't keep them waiting.
"The night of the dementor attack, something else important happened too - Pettigrew escaped. There's also another prophecy, made to me, that predicted that night's events with scary accuracy. It's the end of this prophecy that's really frighting. 'The Dark Lord will rise again with his servant's aid, greater and more terrible than ever he was.' We need to take these horcruxes out before Pettigrew gets Voldemort a new body."
There was silence in the room now, a silence that Bill broke. "Harry, while I agree one hundred percent on taking out the horcruxes, we need to research other methods he could possibly use to regain a form."
Harry and Hermione again displayed behaviour more suited to a pair of redheaded twins when both of them answered Bill in perfect sync. "Oh shit!"
-oOoOo-
The exact same phrase was uttered by Cornelius Fudge, the instant he recognised the documents Amelia placed on his desk. That house being a Potter property totally destroyed the spin the ministry had put on this story - at Cornelius' insistence. Not that the Prophet needed much coaxing to sensationalise a story.
Almost as if they were playing poker, Dolores Umbridge slapped a special edition of the Prophet on top of Amelia's documents, as if she was raising the stakes.
"That document doesn't answer these questions that the Prophet asks. Two respected pure-bloods murdered, entire pure-blood families disappearing. I think we should get Potter in here, make him tell us what he knows."
Amelia then did some slapping of her own, she slapped this hated witch down - hard. "Lord Potter has committed no crimes, while your two 'respected' pure-bloods were killed in self-defence after forcing entry to a Potter property with the use of wardstones before casting an unforgivable curse on a member of his family."
"Where is your proof of this? All I've heard here are accusations..."
"The last curse Lucius Malfoy cast was the cruciatus curse, testing his wand confirmed that. We also have the wardstones they used to gain entry as evidence, that's another automatic stay in Azkaban right there. I have also spoken with the woman he cast it on, and the healer who treated her..."
"Muggles can't give evidence in the Wizengamot Chamber."
It was a puzzled Amelia who then asked the obvious question. "Then why are you so desperate to try and drag them in there?"
Delores looked at Amelia as if she'd lost her mind. "To sentence them, of course. Justice needs to be seen to being done."
It was Amelia's turn to send a look in Dolores' direction, this look though was more akin to one you would use after having just stepped in shit. "We certainly have different ideas on the meaning of justice, and so does Lord Potter. His Steward is currently completing the documentation declaring Blood Feud between the House of Potter and the Houses of Parkinson and Malfoy."
This finally got to Dolores, she didn't even try to hide her disgust. "He can't do that, we must stop him. A dark creature declaring Blood Feud on two proud pure-blood houses - that's disgusting - I feel sick at the very thought of this depraved perversion of our ways."
Enjoying her victory, Amelia pushed home her advantage. "Intervene in this matter and I will see you arrested. The Wizengamot will surely come down heavily on anyone interfering in house matters, disregarding whatever ministerial position they hold."
Dolores hated losing, especially to this bitch. "I notice you didn't mention anything about these pure-blood families disappearing?"
"My job is to deal with crime, not conjecture. No crimes have been committed, there is no reason for my department to become involved. None of these families are under investigation, therefore my department has no reason to stop them leaving the country."
Cornelius wanted an answer this time, these people who were either dead or missing made up most of the contributions to his election campaign fund. "Amelia, how do you know for certain that these families have merely left the country, and that something a tad more sinister hasn't happened?"
Sensing Cornelius' fear, Amelia decided to ramp that fear up to a whole new level. "Pettigrew has gone looking for his master. His Death-Eaters know this and are fleeing the country. Voldemort is not the Ministry, he won't buy their feeble excuses. Their dark lord won't accept 'under the imperius curse' as an acceptable reason for not looking for him sooner. Malfoy and Parkinson thought they would be smart and have Lord Potter as a welcome back gift to appease their master. That's why they were torturing his family, looking for Lord Potter's location."
"That's the biggest load of tripe I've ever heard."
"Dolores, your justice comment earlier easily takes that title. Harry Potter is chosen by prophecy to be the one to defeat the Dark Lord, yet has left the country because of Dumbledore's interference in his life. Cornelius, that's a charge you don't want levelled against you. Your term as Minister would come to an abrupt end, the witches and wizards of Britain would demand at least that - and most of your supporters have suddenly disappeared."
Holding his hand up to stop Dolores interrupting, Cornelius demanded proof - Amelia gave it to him.
"I was with Lord Potter when he removed the prophecy orb from the Department of Mysteries. It's true, Cornelius, Harry is the chosen one. As for Dumbledore, I have evidence he used compulsion charms on three Hogwarts professors - one of them ended up in St Mungo's. I also have evidence he illegally tampered with a young pure-blood girl's mind."
Indicating the newspaper that Dolores had so confidently slapped on Cornelius' desk. "I've recently gotten to know Lord Potter. I've just spent most of the day with Harry, and my niece is holidaying with him and his betrothed too. He won't take this lying down, instigating a Blood Feud should tell you that. Look how decisive he was with Macnair, that should also give you some idea of what your dealing with here."
Changing direction, Amelia kept the shocks coming. She really didn't want to see the Ministry in turmoil, it would make supporting Harry so much harder for her to do. She was trying here to get Fudge off his back, leaving Harry only one other problem - apart from Voldemort.
"Did Dumbledore tell you he's missing six professors and a healer from Hogwarts? Three Heads of House are amongst those professors who have resigned. Hogwarts is rapidly falling into utter chaos, and all Dumbledore is worried about is regaining control over Harry. We all know what's supposed to take place at Hogwarts next term, I would say the Ministry sponsored tournament is now in serious trouble."
"I spoke with Albus today, surely he would have mentioned that?"
Shaking her head, Amelia worried at how naive Cornelius could be sometimes. "Albus Dumbledore only tells you what he wants you to know. In trying to replace two Heads of House, he sent another two professors contracts with powerful compulsion charms on them. I've had that confirmed by a Gringotts curse-breaker, and both of these professors intend to tell Dumbledore where he can stick his scrolls - and jobs."
"Amelia, what would you have me do? Can you take me to Lord Potter and perhaps we can sort this out?"
Shaking her head, Amelia was desperately trying to hide her smile of victory. "Sorry, Cornelius, my portkey is set to take only me to where he is. The wards on his home are some of the strongest I've ever seen. That house being Lord Potter's property changes everything, simply give the true story to the Prophet. They'll be no more support coming from Malfoy or Parkinson, time to cut your losses- and let my department search both homes so we don't get any more nasty surprises like wardstones. Better to do that now, than make an enemy of Lord Potter over this. We can't change what happened, we can't change this Blood Feud, we can change our stance on these matters - I honestly think the Ministry has to."
Nodding at a now thoughtful Cornelius, and an enraged toad, Amelia left to let Remus know what she'd done here. The door had hardly closed when Dolores exploded.
"Surely you don't believe a word of that?"
"I watched a young boy take down one of the most dangerous wizards working at the ministry, Potter made it look easy too. Macnair was a Death Eater, I heard him confess to not knowing how many people he'd murdered while wearing his mask. If these pure-bloods are, as Amelia says, Death Eaters fleeing the country then I say that's good for us. It's bad enough we're going to have to out Malfoy and Parkinson as Death Eaters, the consequences of doing that could drag on for weeks - or until Potter lets slip that he's the chosen one."
"Why would he do that?"
"Because he and that witch of his are scarily clever, and that news being known instantly elevates his status to the Boy-Who-Gets-Whatever-He-Asks-For. If he asks for Amelia Bones to become the Minister of Magic, the witches and wizards of Britain would insist those demands were met - and we are both out of a job. If we can gain his support though, our positions would be safe for decades. Whether we believe him or not is immaterial. The only question that matters is whether those same witches and wizards will believe their Boy-Who-Lived."
Both knew the answer to that, hence the reputations of Malfoy and Parkinson would now be getting sacrificed.
-oOoOo-
Bill was about to have one of the strangest conversations of his life. Considering even the last twenty four hours, that was really saying something.
"Poppy, can I have a moment of your time?"
"Where's Ginny, is she alright? We need to keep a careful watch on her for any signs of regression."
Suddenly feeling a lot better about this conversation, Bill put her mind to rest. "Ginny's fine, though still the reason I'm here. The Italian Ministry are adamant that Ginny doesn't return to Britain, at least until everything is sorted to their satisfaction. That's something we both agree with. What they also want though, is to assign her a temporary guardian - or we can appoint one that they approve of. While I would be suitable, it's not really feasible for me to look after Ginny until this gets sorted - which could take years. Harry suggested your name, and I wanted to see if this was something you might be interested in."
"Harry suggested me?"
"Everyone can see how well you and Ginny get on, which is a massive plus in your favour. You're already known to the Italian Ministry, through working with their mind-healer, and we can't see any objections coming from them. The other massive plus was pointed out by Harry. Whoever takes up Ginny's guardianship could face a lot of pressure from back home. No one though can question the integrity of Poppy Pomfrey, just as no one will be able to say you wouldn't do your absolute best to help Ginny. Generations of students who attended Hogwarts can testify to that."
"I'm flattered and honoured, really I am. I have one condition however that's non-negotiable - this must be something Ginny wants too. If she does, then I'll do it."
After some discussion, Bill left a lot happier than when he arrived. Any child placed in the care of Poppy Pomfrey would be very lucky, and the whole of magical Britain would know that. In a stroke of a quill, they would take away one of the main avenues they expected the public attack to come from. All Bill needed to do now was explain the situation to Ginny, and then let his sister make her choice.
-oOoOo-
Albus was expecting the two scrolls that were delivered this morning, he wasn't expecting what they contained. Not only were they refusing the jobs he offered, both also resigned from their current posts at Hogwarts. He couldn't understand how they had not only resisted his compulsion charms, but actually resigned too. The fact that one might be related to the other never occurred to Albus, that his scheme could possibly be discovered didn't even cross his mind.
With over half his staff now gone, he was left with no other option but to approach the Ministry. Albus hated going to Cornelius, hat in hand, and asking for help. He was all out of options though, other than do the researching and interviewing himself. That was never going to happen, Albus had far more important things he needed to spend that time on. There were a few people he could contact, and he would certainly do so, but replacing the staff he had lost before the first of September wasn't going to happen without help.
As he flooed from his office, it didn't even register with Albus that he had put those two scrolls in his pocket.
-oOoOo-
Emma was being helped down to the terrace for breakfast, she was still shaky on her feet. Taking Dan's arm actually felt nice. Instead of confronting those feelings though, Emma deliberately switched her attention to who was holding her other arm.
"Hermione, I'm not really happy with you being involved in these dangerous missions. I'm also not convinced there needs to be a big rush to get it done today."
"Mum, Harry and I are stronger together - and he's not going without me. We're not exactly going alone. Remus is an expert in defence, Sirius was an auror in the last war, Amelia is head of the Aurors. We also have Bill Weasley, who does this for a living, he's a curse breaker with Gringotts - think Indiana Jones with a wand instead of a whip. When the Quibbler is published on Thursday, you have no idea the outcry these revelations will set off. If we go for a horcrux today and the other tomorrow, we should be able to spent the rest of summer concentrating on getting the institute up and running - and our training."
"Can anyone do this training?" Both Granger ladies looked at Dan, shocked by that comment. Dan though was just getting started.
"I don't ever want to be helpless again. I can't use a wand but I could pull a trigger. If a knife to the throat kills these bastards, a bullet to the head should have the same result. We're never going to be safe until this is over. Can Harry get me a gun, and the training to use it?"
Emma squeezing his arm was surprising enough but she then took that response in a totally surprising direction. "I agree with your father, and would like to take part in this training too. If it's a choice between pulling a trigger or one of my family suffering the pain of that curse - you better believe I'll pull that trigger. Anyone who could deliberately inflict that amount of pain on another human being doesn't deserve to live."
They had been worried about peoples' reactions to their hard stance on Death Eaters, yet here was her mild-mannered parents adopting the very same attitude. A totally shocked Hermione could only mumble that Harry thought that was a great idea, and he was already speaking to Remus about it.
This saw Dan shaking his head. "You have no idea how jealous I am of what you two share."
Hermione's idea was currently on their back-burner but here was something she definitely wanted to encourage. This would also have to be something her parents walked into with their eyes wide open though, not like her and Harry putting on those rings and only then discovering the consequences.
"Having Harry's constant presence with me is wonderfully reassuring. Like everything else in life however, you only get out what you put in. We want this to last the rest of our lives together so we're constantly working on this bond to try and improve it. I'm opinionated, Harry's stubborn - but there's nowhere to go and sulk when we disagree over things. We have to face any problems and find solutions that work for us. When I saw you lying convulsing on our floor, my mind just shut down. That affected Harry too, and could have gotten all of us killed. That's why we need training, we need to get better..."
Smiling as Harry mentally agreed with her before passing on the latest news, Hermione then answered their earlier question. "Remus is sometimes forced to find work on the muggle side, and has trained as a bodyguard. He's apparently very good with handguns, and has contacts that can easily get them for both of you."
While delighted to hear that, Emma had another question for her daughter. "Why would Remus be forced to do that?"
"Oh, didn't we tell you? Remus has lycanthropy, he was bitten when still a little boy."
Both her parents stoped and stared as if Hermione had announced the Moon was made of cheese. "Yes he's a werewolf, and no, he's not dangerous. On the night of the full moon, Remus drinks a potion to let him keep his mind before locking himself in a specially prepared safe room."
"He's such a lovely man, I'm finding that hard to believe."
"Remus is a lovely man, Mum, except for one night a month. Please don't treat him any differently now you know. Magic can be a wonderful thing, but there is a dark side to it too. I'm hoping we can show you the good side while your here."
"I've always wanted to see you pull a rabbit from a hat."
Now recognising her father's use of humour to lighten situations, Hermione played along. They were passing a hall table that had a decorative vase on it. Using her ring was almost second nature now as she transfigured the vase into a top hat. Both her parents were gasping at that feat when Hermione then transfigured the hat into a white rabbit. She picked the rabbit up and handed it to her flabbergasted father. "Will that do?"
With her father left shocked into silence, it was left to her mother to comment. "Hermione, that was amazing."
"No Mum, that was magic!"
They then moved on to join everyone for breakfast, Dan now having the white rabbit carefully cradled in his free arm. While Dan was amazed at the magic his daughter had just performed, he thought the most magical sight was Harry and all their friends greeting Hermione when they arrived for breakfast.
-oOoOo-
Albus was shown straight in to see Cornelius, and of course Umbridge was there too.
"What can I help you with Albus?"
"I need to stop putting compulsion charms on people."
The silence that comment produced was deafening. An embarrassed Albus then tried again.
"Sorry, I don't know what came over me there. I need to stop putting compulsion charms on people."
This time Albus felt the compulsion charm, but couldn't for the life of him think who could have cast it on him. If not cast on him, then how? Albus ran his hands up and down his robes, discovering the scrolls he didn't remember putting in his pocket.
He removed the scrolls, placing both on Cornelius' desk before taking a few paces away from them. Albus was relieved to feel the compulsion leave him, but the scrolls weren't quite finished with their task yet. The combined resources of the new Potter Institute had been involved in producing these, they now entered their final phase - public humiliation.
They became howlers, passing on an incredibly loud verbal message from Minerva McGonagall that could be heard throughout the Ministry.
"YOU WHISKERED OLD WANKER, WHAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO CAST COMPULSION CHARMS ON ANYONE YOU WISH TO? IS IT ANY WONDER HOGWARTS STAFF ARE LEAVING THE CASTLE IN THEIR DROVES, WE ALL NEEDED TO GET AWAY FROM YOU."
Long before the message had finished playing, the Minister's Protection Detail had the door open and their wands drawn - thus allowing even more people to hear what would be all around the building anyway before the day was out. Minerva's Scots brogue was well known to the witches and wizards of Britain, her hard earned reputation for honesty and fair-play was also a known character trait of hers. Minerva's words would be believed by most - if not all.
That his skullduggery been discovered shocked Albus almost as much as the modified howler. That this skullduggery had then been broadcast to the country's centre of magical government ensured the entire country would know in a matter of days. Albus was now all out of options.
"Cornelius, I need your help."
A/N and I need your help too. I'm struggling to decide if Voldesquirrel should make an appearance in Proud Parents, I can easily make a case with myself for both instances but need to set the groundwork in the next chapter. The problem for me is I am too close to the story, can't see the wood for the trees type of thing. This is also the first time I've written a story with the guidelines already in place, and not my usual chapter by chapter on the fly. Your thoughts on the squirrel's reappearance / non appearance would be appreciated.
Chapter 14 - Bones
While Harry was getting ready to head off on their mission, he felt surprise coming from Hermione via their bond. Her mother had entered Hermione's room, and they both thought she was there to try and talk her daughter out of going. Hermione's surprise changed to a completely different set of emotions when her mother, right out of the blue, hugged her daughter. There were tears, there was laughter, Hermione was clinging tightly to her mother, and once more Harry found himself being swamped by his betrothed's emotions.
That these were positive emotions left Harry with the opportunity to try combatting this debilitating side-effect of their bond, rather than having to spring to Hermione's aid. He tried concentrating on the meeting they'd eventually held yesterday with the team of four who would accompany them back to Britain today for their mission.
-o- flashback -o-
After Bill's bombshell about rituals, they had searched Tom's memories and were pretty sure which one he would try. It would take too long to fabricate a believable excuse as to exactly how they came about that information, especially since Bill and Amelia were two very smart people - and they were already scheduled to be visiting Little Hangleton tomorrow. On this day for revealing the truth, Harry and Hermione told Amelia and Bill just about everything.
As the curse breaker and auror were digesting all that new information, Harry then informed all four of them what ritual they thought Riddle would use. Harry's suggestion of vanishing Tom's father's bones to prevent this happening immediately set Sirius off.
"If you empty that grave, Wormtail will stop the ritual - and then we're no better off. What we want to do is replace those bones with something that really screws up the ritual - and hopefully Voldemort's new body too."
This idea of possibly weakening a reborn Voldemort appealed to all of them, with Remus asking Sirius just what he was suggesting.
"Can you imagine replacing those bones with, say a transfigured dead squirrel? If that bastard took on any of the animal's traits, he would be finished with his pure-blood followers. Bow to Squirrelmort, the only dark lord in history with a bushy tail."
This was generating some sniggers but Sirius was serious and showed it. "This second prophecy says he will return greater and more terrible. What if we transfigured a pile of hippogriff shit and used that? Voldemort would return as a greater pile of shit, and smell really terrible."
Bill tried to be the voice of reason here, amongst the sniggers that particular image had produced. "We really don't want to give him any more advantages than he already has. Squirrels are incredibly agile and lightning quick. While using shit might be really appealing, imagine if he took on any attributes of a hippogriff? A flying Voldemort with razor-sharp claws as well as a wand is not something we would want to face."
Seeing the sense behind that, Remus voiced aloud their problem. "I know Wormtail will panic if nothing comes out that grave when he summons it, so we need to replace those bones with something. The question we need to answer here is what?"
Sirius came back with another suggestion. "A dead pigeon, transfigured to look like bones. While Voldemort is busy puffing his chest out and boastfully bobbing his head, Harry can wring his neck"
Trying to ignore Sirius' latest suggestion, Bill gave them some guidelines to work within. "Whatever the decision, the material has to have been living and animal to see the ritual complete. Something like stone or metal will cause the ritual to fail. While a squirrel would probably work, a tree branch wouldn't. I think all insects should be avoided too, a six foot beetle is a scary enough thought before adding in Voldemort's power and intelligence."
"A dormouse." Sirius was sure he had picked a winner this time. "Think about it, Voldemort would spend most of his time sleeping!"
It was Amelia who then asked the obvious question. "Why take any chances? Let's vanish those bones and replace them with a different muggle? I'm assuming it's only because the muggle is his father that Voldemort would receive any benefit?"
Remus loved that idea. "This is a ritual where each part in turn gets multiplied by the next. Bone of the father, you will renew your son. With no power coming from the first part of the ritual, it should seriously affect the rest. We know Peter isn't a powerful wizard - assuming he's the servant. That would leave them needing to get their hands on a very powerful foe, and with only Peter there to accomplish that. If Voldemort makes it back to having a body, I think we want that body to be as weak as possible."
-o- present -o-
A knock at his door pulled Harry back to the present, and a concerned Hermione.
"What happened? You seemed far away. I thought for a second that you had gone after that horcrux without me…" A gentle kiss instantly settled his betrothed's nerves. Both were still getting used to their bond.
"Sorry, I was getting swamped by your emotions so tried concentrating on something else. It worked."
Emma popped her head in to see Hermione wrapped in Harry's arms. Her daughter had gone from elation to anxiety in such a short space of time, and then shot out of her room. Thankfully for Emma, Harry's room was right next door to Hermione's. Just by looking, it was easy for Emma to see her daughter was back on a much more even keel.
"Her father says you're good for Hermione, I can see what he means. I feel as if we got off on the wrong foot in that restaurant, and we haven't really had a moment alone to talk since. I was wondering if we could start over? I'm Emma Granger, Hermione's mother."
Taking Emma's now outstretched hand, Harry turned that hand over before bending and kissing the back of her knuckles. "I'm Lord Harry James Potter, your beautiful daughter's betrothed - and your host here in Italy - but you can call me Harry. We'll clear some time tonight after dinner when the four of us can sit down and chat about where we go from here, if that's ok with you and your husband?"
Seeing the mischievous twinkle in the boy's eyes, Emma was reminded of a much younger Daniel Granger. Dan never had this boy's confidence though, neither of them did. Seeing that very same sparkle in her daughter's eyes, Emma had to conclude Dan was right. She hardly knew Harry but could easily see these two being good for each other.
"I'll talk to Dan, he's waiting just down the corridor to help me with the stairs. Poppy's medicine is absolutely wonderful, but I still feel a bit shaky."
Offering Emma his arm, Harry had a Granger lady on each arm as they walked to where Dan was waiting. Tonight's family meeting was quickly agreed upon but, with messages of taking care of each other ringing in their ears, it was now time to leave.
-oOoOo-
When Bill had told Ginny that Poppy becoming her temporary guardian wouldn't mean he stopped being her brother, it didn't take the youngest redhead any time at all to confirm this was what she wanted. Even in her short time at the institute, Ginny knew this was the future she wanted for herself.
Ginny also knew her mother would never allow her to attend here instead of Hogwarts. If Ginny had to choose anyone at the institute to become her guardian, Poppy would be right at the top of her list. It was wonderful for Ginny to have an adult, a female adult, she could talk to. Talking with her mother was simply not an option, Ginny's only choice was to sit still and be lectured by the Weasley family matriarch. Molly Weasley had her daughter's life all mapped out for her, and this was regardless of what Ginny wanted from her own life.
She was currently having a conversation with Poppy that would probably have resulted in the windows rattling in the Burrow with the volume Molly would use to scream blue murder at her daughter.
"I can't believe Harry had all that going on in his life, then I dumped all my rubbish on him too. He and Hermione are still being nice to me. Do you think they mean it - or are they just trying to help my treatment along?"
Ginny was pacing up and down while she ranted, that was until a smiling Poppy put her arm around her. "It was Harry who suggested to Bill that I could possibly be your guardian. Both Harry and Hermione know you were not responsible for what happened, and certainly don't blame you for it. Now, how about telling me what's really bothering you?"
She was embarrassed and yet pleased at the same time that Poppy had seen right through her. "Do you think they will be okay?"
"I think Harry and Hermione will be fine, otherwise neither Sirius nor Remus would have let them go."
Hearing the truth in Poppy's words, Ginny hugged the woman who was rapidly becoming so important to her.
-oOoOo-
The subject of their friends' revelations yesterday was also the hot topic amongst the rest of the teens. Sitting around the corner of the pool, dangling their feet in the water, they were discussing how best they could help their two friends.
Neville rather succinctly summed up all of their feelings. "This is easily the best summer holiday I've ever had, and we haven't left Harry's house yet. We need to find a way to let Harry know that, and have him believe us. Harry has enough to worry about without thinking he's disappointing us."
"That's Harry though, he thinks of everyone before himself. Having Hermione as his betrothed should soon cure him of that, she thinks of Harry before herself." That Ron was an authority on his two best friends meant they all respected his opinion on this matter.
Millie was resting her head on Ron's shoulders as she spoke her concerns to the group. "They should be sitting here with us, not returning to Britain hunting dark artefacts that can possess or kill you."
They were interrupted by Headmistress Sprout. "Sorry to disturb you all but I have something here you might like to see, and a question for Miss Lovegood. I have received what I believe they call an 'artist's impression' of the Potter Institute from Miss Rossi and was wondering if a copy of this could be attached to the articles I know you're sending to your father today. It is only a few drawings but they say a picture is worth a thousand words..."
They all stepped over to the nearest table where Pomona unrolled the drawings, and a pair of twins immediately dropped to their knees to plead.
"Please Headmistress, you have to let us come here..."
Studying the drawing, Neville let out a low whistle while Luna corrected the Headmistress. "This is worth way more than a thousand words. This will have everyone who sees this wanting to come to the institute, this is genius."
There was a large drawing of the entire building, and three smaller - more specific - drawings of particular locations within the building. The quidditch pitch was still sitting proudly at the bottom of the π but the rest of the space between the legs was now taken up with a free form swimming pool and seating areas around its greatly increased length of available edges. Since the friends were only minutes ago sitting dangling their feet into Harry's pool, they immediately saw the advantage of this.
The large outdoor seating area Harry's original drawing had here was moved up onto a roof terrace along the bar of the π that contained the classrooms. There was also a landscaped roof terrace above the student accommodation leg, with a large raised terraced quidditch viewing stand at the end of the leg. The other leg also had one of these quidditch stands, each of which looked capable of holding everyone who would be attending the institute on its own.
"Miss Rossi's suggestion is that, once the Potter Institute is established, we could play quidditch matches against visiting schools. There will also be something called a cinema in the stand at the pupil accommodation while a gymnasium will be placed in the other stand. I thought I would miss the enchanted ceiling in our new hall but again Miss Rossi has done us proud."
Indicating the middle of the specific drawings, Pomona passed on the information the Italian architect had given her.
"We will have a glass ceiling, and massive windows on each side. The glass will be charmed to keep the hall at a pleasant temperature range, and also become tinted as the situation requires to prevent excessive light getting through."
The drawing to the left of this showed a room in the accommodation block, complete with a veranda looking out to sea and its own bathroom with shower too. The final drawing was an impression of their new library, complete with attached outside reading and working space.
The main impression these drawings gave of the institute was that it would be light and airy. No fireplaces, no suits of armour, no gargoyles, no stone towers and no freezing corridors. The former Gryffindors and Ravenclaws also appreciated no moving staircase and not having to climb to the sixth and seventh floors. These drawings appeared to bring Harry's dream one step closer to reality.
"Miss Rossi was really hoping to see Harry to discuss these changes, and will return tonight. Even accepting this might be nowhere near what the finished article will look like, it certainly more than shows what we are trying to achieve here. Having these printed along with the articles on the Institute should see droves of people heading to Gringotts for application forms. It also gives us something to show parents of our potential new muggle-born first years."
Witnessing the enthusiasm these drawings had ignited amongst the students, Pomona couldn't ignore the problems standing in front of her any longer. "Fred and George, if you get parental permission to attend the Institute then you will be welcome here - providing your behaviour meets our criterion and your course results starts to reflect the very clever wizards that you are. The whole of magical Britain will be watching us very closely and the yeargroup you would be joining will be the first to sit external exams. Those results will be public, and reflect how the Institute will be judged by others. Providing my students are giving of their best, I will be happy with that. Understand though, I won't settle for less than your best efforts."
The twins were ecstatic at that news. Four years at the Institute or three at a Hogwarts that had Snape as its Deputy Headmaster wasn't a difficult decision for them. Their enthusiasm was such that both ran and jumped into the pool, causing laughter amongst their friends before they too did the same. Luna was the exception though, she was getting copies of the drawings to send to her father. Since Hermione wasn't here at the moment, she decided to ask Dan or Emma what a cinema and gymnasium were so she could offer an explanation to the Quibbler's readers.
-oOoOo-
Amelia was waiting on the group from the Institute when they arrived just outside Little Hangleton, and wasted no time in showing who was in command here. Rather than being upset about this, Harry and Hermione were delighted that someone else was stepping up and taking the responsibility.
"Harry, we'll need your abilities to get us in there. Hermione, you're here to monitor Harry in case he misses something and gets into trouble. Bill, your job is to get that abomination out of this house and destroy it with the basilisk fang these two supplied. I'll be there to provide security, just in case things go pear-shaped. Any questions?"
Sirius was first in there, harping on at an old matter that Amelia thought had been settled during there previous meeting in Italy. "I think Remus and I should be there as backup too. Once the horcrux is destroyed, we could then go to the cemetery and switch these bones."
Seeing how much this meant to his godfather, Sirius really wanted to be there for him, Harry offered a suggestion that might help. "While I think the four of us should be able to handle this, the ring has some very nasty curses and a very strong compulsion charm on it. If any of us try to put it on, they would need to be stunned immediately. It might not be the worst idea to have these two out of range of any compulsion but still within stunning distance. Hermione and I have now come across two situations where emotions from one can overwhelm the other over our bond. We could never fire a curse at each other, so that might leave us short."
Fixing Harry with a stare, Amelia demanded to know why they hadn't brought this information to the table before.
"The second situation happened just before we left to come here, the first was when we tackled Malfoy and Parkinson. We're learning new things about our bond almost every day, I would hate for anything to go wrong because of it. After we destroy this, you and Bill are heading for the Ministry. We could accompany Sirius and Remus to the cemetery and then portkey back to the institute with them once they've switched the bones."
While conceding the argument, Amelia had another question for them. "How will this affect you going on tomorrow's mission? We all know that will be much more dangerous, and we don't need your parseltongue abilities. This might be a case of leaving it to the adults?"
Seeing Amelia's point, Harry offered a counter argument. "You don't need my parselmouth abilities but you might need Voldemort's memories. If we can work on a communication system then Hermione and I could be in the cavern without having to cross the lake to the island. Like Sirius and Remus today, backup for the backup."
Since Amelia wasn't comfortable seeing what she regarded as children put in danger, she quickly accepted Harry's counteroffer. This offer also pleased Sirius, Remus and, funnily enough, Hermione. She explained over their bond that being included pleased her nearly as much as him not being put in danger.
Even with their minds being practically joined, Harry swore he would never understand women.
As they approached the dilapidated cottage that Voldemort's mother was raised in, the four adults didn't even try to hide their shock. Hermione had studied these memories enough to get a good idea of what had happened here.
"The Gaunts were an old pure-blood family, direct descendants of Salazar Slytherin. Tom was proud of his heritage, until he saw this - and discovered his father was a rich muggle who lived in that big house on the hill over there. For someone who had been raised in an orphanage, discovering you had family was a dream. When Tom's family didn't fit the dream he was building, he effectively wiped them all out on the same day."
The group of four were hanging on her every word, Hermione didn't disappoint. "Tom was disgusted by everything about his uncle, and enraged to discover his father was a muggle. He stunned his uncle, took his wand and headed for Riddle Manor. Like my Harry, Tom Riddle was a handsome boy - I saw him in Harry's memory when he faced the basilisk. Like my Harry too, Tom really resembled his father - that's where all similarities end. He murdered his father and grandparents using his uncle's wand. He even memory charmed his uncle to think he had committed those murders, his uncle died in Azkaban. Tom Riddle Junior also died that day, and Lord Voldemort was born."
Taking Harry's face in her hands, Hermione gently kissed him. With their foreheads touching, Hermione revealed more to their close support group than she intended. "We have access to all these memories, no one on the planet knows him as well as we do - and there lies the problem. My Harry keeps seeing these similarities in their lives, and is terrified he could go the same way..."
This caused an immediate reaction amongst the four adults, all proclaiming that would never happen. Harry and Hermione though were concentrating on each other, she'd felt her betrothed's revulsion as she mentioned quite innocuous similarities between Tom and him. Hermione knew instinctively this was something they had to completely quash, otherwise it would eat away at him. 'You are mine. You will be my husband, the father of our children, this needs to end now. My dad wants a gun, and training to use it, so he can put a bullet into any Death Eater that comes near his family - does that make him dark?'
'Of course it doesn't...'
'And our actions against them don't make us dark either. We know what they are, and our actions are an appropriate response to these monsters. You need to let this go love, I can feel it lurking at the back of your mind. If it consumes you, then I will be next. I won't leave you, I'll be your Dark Lady if that's what it takes to stay by your side...'
That was like striking a bull's eye, her Harry would never allow that to happen. With another quick peck on the lips, they joined the real world to find themselves being confronted by an angry Sirius.
"I was raised in a dark family. I ran away and was taken in by the Potters. For the first time in my life, I saw how a real family operated. Harry, you are not dark, and never will be while you have Hermione, your family and your friends. I'm so sorry for the burden you both carry around with you but prouder than I can say of the way you're handling things. People who are going dark don't burst their arses spending a fortune to open a new school that will help witches and wizards."
Bill and Amelia voiced their agreement before Remus had the last word on the matter. "I think we're all guilty of forgetting you're not yet fourteen, and that's one hell of a burden for anyone to carry. I wish we could share that burden but you are far better having Hermione in your head than say Sirius. Now that could turn you crazy - never mind dark."
While Remus achieved his objective of putting smiles on their faces, Amelia was all business. "I need to know if you're both up for this today. If not, or not even one hundred percent certain, we need to cancel. These horcruxes are not things that can be taken for granted."
Harry and Hermione put their game faces on. "Amelia, we got this. Our bond is new, but unbelievably important to us both. Hermione was just dealing with something before it could become a problem. If Dumbledore had taken that attitude with Riddle, we wouldn't be stood here now."
As Harry and Hermione approached a solid oak door, both thought this was easily the most sturdy part of the structure. Harry wondered what was holding the rest of the house up, until Hermione quipped back a one word answer - magic!
The dead snake hanging from the door wasn't just there to put anyone off who made it past the notice-me-not charms that were on the building and surrounding area, it was also a guardian for most of the defences Voldemort had set on the house. Harry giving the password in parseltongue saw all but one of those defences disabled.
Opening the door, Harry tried to get everyone to stay outside while he disabled the last trap, that was never going to work. Hermione pushed past him and then Bill followed both into the dilapidated house, careful to only step where they did. Hermione approached the massive stone fireplace that took up most of the end wall of the house and, using her wand, tapped specific rocks in a predetermined order. All three heard the magical release as a small trapdoor now became visible in the bare wooden floor.
As Bill now took over this part of the operation, Amelia was covering them with her wand from the doorway. "You two can get out of there now."
Harry's eyes never left Bill as he shook his head, Hermione answered for both of them. "Same reason why we need to be there tomorrow. If Bill needs a question answered, we need to be here to instantly supply it."
This was ably demonstrated when Bill had the trapdoor open but the small jewellery case inside wouldn't levitate from the hole it was placed in - it simply refused to budge. Harry saying §release§ in parseltongue saw the case float out the hole.
"Sorry Bill, Voldemort wanted you to open the box while it was still in there. The entire hole has compulsion charms layered on it to make you do that very thing, and reinforce the ones on the box and ring to get you to put it on. Putting the ring on in here would reactivate all the defences, and then we would really be in the shit. Bill, Bill?"
Bill was sweating and trembling, managing to croak out Amelia's name before the compulsions took over. She didn't hesitate for a second and stunned Bill. Hermione caught the box with a levitation charm before it could hit the floor, and set off those defences.
"Amelia, our bond is protecting us as the compulsions would need to defeat both Harry and me at the same time. Move well aside and let's get this out of here. Harry, bring Bill."
Amelia hadn't moved back far enough though and could feel the compulsions calling to her. As she mover toward the small chest, Sirius dropped her with a stunner.
"Guys, stay where you are. Hermione and I will handle this but be ready with a stunner if one of us reaches for the ring." Harry was levitating Bill and placed him beside Amelia, before taking the dragon hide gloves and basilisk fang from the curse breaker, then joined Hermione to do what was needed.
They were working silently but both Remus and Sirius were used to this now and could easily see they were in constant communication with each other. Hermione pulled on the left glove, with Harry wearing the right. He picked up the basilisk fang while their free hands joined and their fingers intertwined.
Hermione opened the box with her gloved left hand, Harry was slamming the basilisk fang into the box's contents a mere second later.
Harry dropped the fang as they both retreated from the box, sliding off their gloves too. They had reached Amelia and Bill, being joined by Sirius and Remus as smoke started to belch from the tiny chest.
Amelia was regaining consciousness when she heard screaming, this immediately focused her attention on a terrible sight. Smoke had formed into a face that she instantly recognised as Voldemort, those red glowing eyes were a bit of a giveaway. The terrible screams were coming from where this head's mouth should be, that mouth was rotting away though and the rot was consuming the rest of this horrible face. For some reason, those red eyes were the last thing to disappear, and then they were left in silence.
Silence and Sirius though were incompatible companions. "Fuck, and this was the easy one…"
Bill sat there with tears in his eyes. Not because of any failure on his part, those tears were for his baby sister as he now understood exactly what she had faced. "Ginny never stood a chance. That thing blasted through my occulemency shields as if they were tissue paper. I've never encountered power like that. An eleven year old witch would be easy prey, and I'm so grateful to you too for making this bastard pay. We've underestimated this task, and need to reconsider the next one. I recommend we cancel the attempt tomorrow."
Amelia was embarrassed at how easily she'd fallen under the thrall of that horcrux and had to agree with Bill. They would have to reconsider everything now, as Harry and Hermione had just snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. "I have to agree with Bill, we simply weren't prepared for today - and it almost cost us. As Sirius so eloquently put it, this was the fucking easy one too. I have no idea how you two were able to resist the compulsions on that."
Harry tried to give all of them an insight on how that feat was achieved. "The night of the dementors, we gave Fudge some information trying to get him on our side - and get Sirius a trial. Dumbledore didn't want that happening so obliviated the Minister, before casting legilimens on me to discover where I got my information from. It felt like he was trying to drive Hermione out of my head, something neither of us would stand for."
Hermione's hand was still in Harry's as she seamlessly took over their story. "Both of us reacted instantly, and blew Dumbledore right into the infirmary wall. Poppy wanted to call the aurors but Dumbledore had already obliviated the Minister, it would be our word against his. Poppy then obliviated an unconscious Dumbledore and Dobby popped him back into his own bed. Our plans to leave Hogwarts and Britain began forming that night."
It was easy to hear the awe in Sirius' voice as he commented on what these two had achieved. "I thought saving me that night was pretty special, then I discovered what else they had been up to. Don't underestimate these two, Amelia, they may be young but already have abilities and experiences way beyond our own."
Harry was almost blushing as he tried to change the subject. "While cancelling tomorrow isn't the worst idea I've heard, all the protections are designed to stop you getting your hands on the horcrux. You could probably wear the necklace for a short while without feeling any different - I wouldn't recommend it though."
Amelia then made the decision for the group. "I think today proved we can't go after these things with only one course of action plotted. We need a few options for getting this horcrux out of that font, and at least half-a-dozen plans to deal with a lagoon full of inferi. Let's take a couple of days to think it over and then see what we bring to the table."
None of them could argue with that, and none of them really wanted to. Harry had written to Ragnok about Bill joining their team, and the curse breaker would be dropping the destroyed ring off at Gringotts before heading for the Ministry and a talk with his father. Amelia had kindly offered to help in her official capacity so Arthur would be getting summoned to a meeting by the Head of the D.M.L.E. His father's answers to the many questions Bill had would see where the Weasley family progressed from there.
-oOoOo-
The graveyard wasn't hard to find, neither were the Riddle graves. An eight foot high muggle representation of the angle of death was a rather ostentatious grave marker in what looked like a cemetery for ordinary local people. Having found their target so easily, Sirius then went on a search for suitable bones to replace the ones in Tom Riddle's grave.
Whatever criterion he was using for selection, after half-an-hour none of the many headstones Sirius had examined had lived up to it. Remus was beginning to get annoyed when a wide smile suddenly appeared on his fellow marauder's face, Sirius waved them over.
"I've been doing a lot of thinking about this prophecy, and how we can help it along. Not knowing what we would find here, I was walking around waiting for inspiration to hit - it just did. If we want him to be greater as the prophecy suggests, then we have to provide the best - and here she is."
Hermione read aloud the inscription on the gravestone. "Theresa Best, beloved mother and grandmother. She's been dead for the best part of eighty years though, so it's a fair bet most of those grandchildren won't be around either."
Remus however wasn't impressed. "This is your great plan?"
"Hey, I never said it was a great plan but at least it is a plan. George Greater or Timothy Terrible don't appear to be buried here, this is the best I could come up with. Using Theresa Best as a substitute can't hurt, and it just might help. Other than the time I spent looking, what have we got to lose?"
A smiling Harry put a supportive hand on Sirius' shoulder. "I think this is a crazy idea, but crazy enough it just might work. It's certainly better than his pigeon idea. Can you imagine the mess Voldipigeon would make shitting on your car?"
While Hermione shook her head at Harry's attempt to be humorous, Remus checked again to see they were still alone in the graveyard before he drew his wand. "Ok, I think you're both as nutty as squirrel shit but find myself agreeing that using these bones can't hurt. I'll do the switching spell."
They had already swapped the bones of Tom's grandparents with two randomly chosen graves as an extra precaution so, as soon as Remus had cast the switching spell on Theresa, it was time to go home.
As they got ready to portkey out, Harry had a weird thought. Hermione agreed with Harry's opinion that it seemed strange to consider Italy home after such a short time but there was no doubting he certainly did. She offered an explanation that Harry was certain Hermione got spot on. 'Home is where our family and friends are. For us, that's now Italy.'
-oOoOo-
Narcissa was leading her son down a street of rather drab houses. That these were muggle dwellings, built to house workers and packed end to end along the entire length and on both sides of the narrow street, should have drawn at least a snarky comment from Draco. Since the night he discovered his father had been killed though, Draco had hardly said a word.
Even the announcement that House Potter was initiating a blood feud on House Malfoy didn't provoke a reaction from her son. Seeing his father dead by the hands of a muggle had deeply affected Draco. Since nothing in the world was more important to Narcissa than Draco, she was walking down this street seeking help - rather than the both of them fleeing the country with the gold she had been able to put together.
Stopping at a door that appeared identical to dozens they had already passed, Narcissa was pleased to see the numbers on this one identifying she was at the right house. Muggles were such strange creatures who built things with so little character they had to then number them so people could tell the difference.
It took a moment after she had knocked for the door to be answered but the relief Narcissa felt was almost overwhelming. "Severus, we're in trouble. Will you help us?"
Rather than answer verbally, Severus just stood aside to allow them both to enter his home.