Chapter 26 - Clearing the AirThe morning after the Third Task, Harry slowly woke to the feeling of being very warm and a little squished. Opening his eyes, he saw that he was covered in girls and their hair, all clearly visible thanks to his contacts.
As usual, Hermione was stretched out on his left, Ginny molded to him on his right, and Gabrielle curled up half on his left and half draped over his legs with her head resting on his stomach.
Hermione's face was the easiest to see, so he stared at her while she slept. She really was becoming quite pretty, he thought, especially when she was relaxed like this. Looking down, he could see that she was not wearing a bra under the thin top. He admired that part of her for a moment as he considered their relationship; he was also very glad she could not see him watch her as he knew he would be blushing furiously.
They were mostly right again after the strain last night. Eventually, she had understood his need to do what he had done even if she had not liked it. It had helped to tell her that he had not really wanted to kill Malfoy either, but he had to be taught a lesson, as did others. The final nail in Malfoy's coffin, argument-wise, was that if he was willing to sell a girl into sex-slavery at fourteen, what would he be willing to do later in life? Hermione's logical brain understood the question and his reaction; it was her emotions - especially those for protecting him - that got in the way.
It had taken Harry some time as he was lying in bed last night to understand that most of Hermione's objection really came from her desire to prevent him from going to Azkaban, which he appreciated. Now that he had time to think the situation through without being rushed, he supposed he could have taken Malfoy to Director Bones and she probably would have held Malfoy accountable. However, that also would have forced them to depend on the Wizengamot to find a fourteen/fifteen year-old Pureblood boy guilty when dealing with a Veela, and it also probably would have forced the Veela nation to get involved - all very messy. Hermione was right to be concerned for him, but he was glad he had taken care of the problem.
He was also very glad that was all behind them now.
Harry moved his head slightly and kissed the top of the girl's head. She moved a little against him and Gabrielle, before making an amusing face as she slowly woke. Her brown eyes fluttered open and looked up at him. He smiled at her and kissed her forehead.
Hermione reached up and grabbed her wand to do a breath freshening spell on herself and then him before putting it back. With an impish look that was more commonly found on Ginny, Hermione moved up slightly and kissed him full on the mouth, and it was not a short one either.
"I'm forgiven completely?" he whispered.
"You are," she whispered back. "I think everything was happening too fast and I was too stressed to think it all through before you had to act. Most importantly, you're safe. I'm sorry I put you through that."
He puckered his lips at her and she obliged and stretched to kiss him again.
"No fair," a groggy Gabrielle said as she rolled slightly to get a better look at them kissing.
Hermione broke away from Harry to look at the girl. She smoothed some of the silvery-blonde hair back and smiled. "I know it's hard to wait, but one day you can kiss him too. Maybe that will be your thirteenth birthday present, several hours alone with Harry to kiss as much as you want."
Ginny moved and stretched, causing Harry to watch carefully, also noting that she did not have a bra on either. "I think that would be a good fourteenth birthday present too," she said as she turned to look toward the others.
"Oh no!" Harry said softly in mock horror. "Whatever will I do? Having to kiss three pretty girls for hours on end? However will I stand it?"
Gabrielle giggled loudly. Hermione and Ginny looked at one another for a moment before they developed matching grins. Before Harry could protect himself, the two older girls started to tickle him as fast as they could. Gabrielle quickly joined in. Harry tried to tickle back, but three on one made it very difficult to stop them.
After a couple of minutes, a loud knock on the door was heard and the girls stopped, although Harry was still trying to catch his breath. Apolline opened the door and stuck her head inside. "I'm glad to see all of you in such high spirits. If everyone will go to their room and get dressed, you can come down for a late breakfast. There are things we must do today and we must plan for them."
She watched her daughter make a delighted face before crawling up the bed and giving a surprised Harry a peck on the lips before getting out of bed. Her daughter scampered towards her and gave her a hug. «I'm glad you're feeling better, little one, but don't be a tease with Harry; it isn't nice.»
«Yes, Mother,» Gabrielle said as she hurried out the door to her room, the admonition rolling off of her like water off of a duck.
Apolline looked back up to see Hermione giving Harry a sincere kiss and Ginny doing a spell to her mouth. As Hermione climbed out of bed, Ginny kissed Harry good-morning before climbing out. As the girls walked past her, she watched Harry lay in bed for a moment, looking at the ceiling and shaking his head slightly. "Are you going to get up soon, Harry?"
"Yes, but I'm wondering what my life will be like in a few years when I have three girls who all want my time."
The mother looked at him and chuckled. She could easily guess what his godfather would say, but she could not bring herself to say the same thing. Instead, she merely said, "I'm sure you four will figure something out," before she closed the door.
Harry got up and got dressed to start the day. He had taken a shower last night to clean up; all of them had. He hoped there were not any more "messes" to be cleaned up today, as he knew he would have to deal with the Ministry. All done here, he went downstairs while the girls where still dressing.
Hermione and Ginny came out of their rooms at the same time, with Gabrielle a few seconds later. The older girls looked at one another carefully.
"Ginny, did you shrink those jeans on you?" Hermione asked with some concern.
The redhead ran her hands down the side of her hips and thighs. "No, but that's a good idea for next time."
"Ginny!"
"What? I work hard for these hips and legs and if they can help Harry get over what we went through last night, then it's all good." Ginny gave Hermione an appraising look. "Besides, isn't that top way too tight? It has to be at least one size too small."
"It is not!" Hermione huffed. "And Harry likes this blouse; it's his favorite colour."
"You mean he likes the way you fill it out," Ginny smirked.
"Ginny!"
Gabrielle giggled finally, unable to hold it in. "You," she pointed at both of them, "are funny."
Both of the other girls drew a breath in to reply, but slowly let it out when they saw the other's indignant expression. "I'm sorry," they both said simultaneously, causing Gabrielle to giggle again.
"I'm sorry you had to see that, Gabrielle", Hermione said first.
"Me too," Ginny said just as contritely. "We try not to compete, but sometimes it happens anyway."
Hermione nodded. "Even if it's not perfect, the bond definitely helps us get along better." She looked at Ginny again. "They are tight, but you do wear them nicely and I know Harry will appreciate them. I wish I had hips like that."
Ginny stepped forward and gave Hermione a hug. "And I wished I could fill out a blouse like you do. I know Harry will like that."
"I think Harry likes you because he likes you," Gabrielle said with a giggle before starting downstairs.
Hermione and Ginny looked at each other and burst into chuckles.
"Harry is going to be in so much trouble when we all grow up," Hermione said.
"But it will be fun to be a part of it," Ginny agreed, "and I also bet he'll like it." Hermione nodded as they walked downstairs.
Harry sat down at the dining table and saw his godfather giving him a big grin.
"So, how did you sleep, Harry?"
"Like a rock. I'm still not sure I'm completely rested."
Sirius snorted, although he was still grinning. "We'll, this may wake you up." He tossed a Daily Prophet beside Harry, while Harry prepared his morning tea.
The headlines practically screamed with its tall, bold letters: OLD DEATH EATERS SABOTAGUE TOURNAMENT!
He read about the events of last night, surprised that they were mostly correct. As he had expected based on the talk in the graveyard, there was no mention of Voldemort; all the blame had been placed on former Death Eaters. Looking up at his godfather, he asked, "How do you work with them everyday when they hide the truth? There's no mention of Voldemort."
His mother and father looked like they thought that was an interesting question too. Jean-Aimé and Apolline continued to eat without a reaction.
Sirius grabbed another slice of toast and prepared the butter and jam while he answered. "Harry, this is a case where you're both right and wrong. Yes, people should know the truth, and yet, this is a special case where they shouldn't."
"Huh?"
Sirius put the knife down. "Harry, are there still former Death Eaters alive? Are there still people evil enough to become Death Eaters if that were possible?"
"Yes," he answered without hesitation.
"Do you want those people to know that it is possible to cheat death? Do you want more You-Know … more Voldemorts?"
"Of course not!" When Sirius did not say anything for a moment, Harry finally understood. "Oh, what he did isn't well known so we don't want others to get the idea to do the same."
"Exactly," Sirius said softly with a smile and bit into his toast.
Jean-Aimé took up the education of his son-in-law. "Sometimes leaders have to hide information for the good of the people, to protect them. They call it 'looking at the big picture'. Hopefully, that hiding is done very rarely and after consultation with trusted advisors. I understand your concern and generally agree that hiding information isn't good, but for something like this? I have to agree with Sirius. This should not become common knowledge."
"If it helps," Dan chimed in, "I understand there is information from World War II that the British Government still hasn't declassified and is held in secret. The newspaper said that some of it is due to be released soon; that is, fifty years after the end of the war. So our non-magical government does it too, to protect our people. From what I've heard, I think a good decision was made here too."
Harry nodded. "I suppose…"
"Minister Fudge is corrupt at times and not a very good minister in difficult times, and he made this decision for all the wrong reasons," Sirius told him, "but it is the right decision in the end."
The girls came down, led by Gabrielle. "What do we have to do today?" Hermione asked as the three sat down and started dishing up food.
Harry gave her a long look, appreciating how she was dressed. When Ginny stood back up to reached over the table for the plate of bacon before she sat down, he noticed her figure too. Each of them made his blood race a little faster. Sirius's voice broke him out of his pleasant thoughts.
"Because we left so quickly last night and everything was so chaotic, we have to be at a ceremony at the Ministry at one this afternoon, or so the letter I received this morning indicated. Mr Croaker has also requested a meeting this afternoon, as soon after the ceremony as you can get free."
Hermione nodded an acknowledgement before looking at her parents. "Sirius, since it's Sunday and my parents have the day off, could they put on the robes we bought for them and come too?" She was pleased to see her parents sit up and look very interested.
"I don't see why not. Harry can take Dan via the Floo and you can take your mother," he told her. "I can wait with them in the Atrium while you have your other meeting." He looked at Dan and Emma, "That's as long as you want to go."
"Yes, we'd love to," Emma said.
"Absolutely. I'd like to see Harry get his award and what the Ministry of Magic looks like," Dan said with pride. Harry blushed at their pleased look.
"We will meet you there at one," Jean-Aimé told them. "Beauxbatons is due to leave at noon, so we thought we'd leave shortly to tell Fleur good-bye until she returns home and good luck on her NEWTs, which start tomorrow."
"Then back here for the afternoon and dinner before the kids go to the Grangers afterwards. We have a plan," Sirius said with a grin.
Harry sat on the short stage barely maintaining his fake smile, as small as it was. Looking out among the audience, he saw his "family". Gabrielle and Ginny looked bored, as did Sirius, Jean-Aimé, and Apolline. Hermione managed to look somewhat interested for real, as did her parents - although all three were looking around more than they were at Minister Fudge.
Fudge kept going on and on to the point that Harry wondered if the man would ever shut up.
Amazingly, Cedric was there, although he looked quite pale. Harry wondered how the Hufflepuff was able to get away from Madam Pomfrey's care, but one look at the Diggorys solved that puzzle. Amos Diggory was practically glowing in pride, and his wife looked almost as thrilled. Cho Chang was standing next to them and looked very happy too.
"And so, I present to you the co-winners of the Triwizard Tournament, who receive 500 Galleons each: Cedric Diggory and Harry Potter from Hogwarts." Fudge waved them forward as the small crowd cheered. The minister handed them each a sack. The camera flashes started from the numerous reporters and Harry hoped none of the flashes of light were a spell because he was all but blinded.
As the ceremony ended, without them having to say anything, Harry realized nothing was said about Voldemort here either. Sirius's explanation made a lot of sense, but Harry still was not happy with Fudge.
"Harry, thank you for saving my life," Cedric told him as he held out his hand.
When Harry shook it, several cameras went off. "I'm glad you lived." He smirked slightly. "In fact, you're welcome to the title of 'The Boy Who Lived'."
Cedric chuckled. "I'm not sure I want it." Cho came up and stood next to him. He put his arm around her shoulders and physically leaned on her. "Now that I've been in a Harry Potter adventure, I believe I've had enough excitement."
"You have," Cho added quickly. She looked at Harry very sincerely. "Thank you from me too for saving him."
Harry blushed a little at the praise and nodded. "I'm only sorry I couldn't have prevented you from getting hit and losing your fingers."
Cedric held up his bandaged hand as if to examine it. "Harry, if you hadn't shoved me out of the way, the Killing Curse would have hit me in the body and killed me. So, losing two fingers is a small price to pay to continue living."
"I understand," Harry said soberly. "but still…"
"Besides, they told me you made sure they would never hurt anyone again."
Harry agreed, but did not know what to say that would not sound rude or conceited. He was saved from having to think up an answer by Hermione coming over.
"Croaker is waiting for us over by the elevator," she whispered in his ear. "I'll come with you while Ginny and Gabrielle wait up here with everyone else."
"I'm sorry, but Hermione says someone is waiting to talk to us. Cedric, congratulations." Harry shook hands with him again. "Cho, good luck with Quidditch and Cedric." The girl blushed as Cedric told them good-bye.
While they walked through the dissipating crowd, Hermione softly said, "I would expect them to ask to see your memory. If so, I think a good explanation for Gabrielle would be that she grabbed Ginny's hand and was pulled along in our accidental magic to get to you. Make the memory only from when the Portkey took you until the last Death Eater went down. That will hide our conversation."
He nodded as it seemed reasonable.
Croaker was indeed by the elevators, as was Madam Bones. They were holding one of the elevators, so it was only for them.
Unfortunately, Albus Dumbledore also strode over as they arrived. "Mr Potter…"
Harry stiffened slightly and gripped Hermione's hand a little tighter. "Professor," he said coolly. He had not wanted to talk to the man, but he did his best to paste a neutral look on his face.
"I was hoping we could have a word about something important. Also, perhaps we could have an impromptu meeting about our project and how we'll continue it?" Dumbledore suggested.
Before Croaker could say anything, Harry answered. "I'm sorry Professor, but this is a private meeting between us and I really don't have any free time for you today. As for our project, from what I saw last night, it is complete." He wondered what the old man wanted this time and why he thought the project needed to continue, but he was not curious enough to talk to Dumbledore.
Dumbledore looked thoughtful for a moment after the brush-off. "I have something very important to tell you, Mr Potter, and it would be well worth your time. I also believe there is one more obstacle to take care of before the project is complete. In fact, the important news I have to tell you concerns the project."
"As we will soon not be in the country, I would suggest you give your important news about the project to Mr Croaker." He gave Croaker a small smile of apology, while Croaker looked more amused than anything. Bones seemed to be pretending she was not present.
"The news is for you alone, Mr Potter, and it is very important."
Harry thought he now had a good idea as to what Dumbledore was talking about, and if he was right, it no longer mattered. Trying not to look as exasperated as he felt, Harry said, "I've asked you some important questions several times in the past and you told me to trust you and wait. You had your chance to influence me, Professor. I'm through asking because I no longer care. Keep your secrets, Professor, I have a life to live. If you'll excuse me, I have a meeting and then other plans." He knew he was being slightly rude, but he really did not care this once.
Dumbledore looked a little shock at Harry's words and then perturbed, but he let it go for the moment. "One last thing, Mr Potter. Mr Malfoy is missing. Would you know where he is?"
Harry was surprised to be asked that, and a little concerned, but he pushed his feelings aside. "I don't see how it's any of my concern if you've lost a student, Professor. In fact, I would think Director Bones would be a much better person to ask for help." A glance showed the Director to be very interested.
"When did you discover Mr Malfoy was missing?" Bones asked, scrutinizing the old man carefully.
"I was merely hoping that Mr Potter had seen him last night, or perhaps talked to him, since the two have a history," Dumbledore dodged.
Bones was not to be fooled. "I'll be at the school in an hour, Headmaster. I suggest you have everyone who has information on this case be readily available."
While Dumbledore was having a mini-staring contest with the Director, Harry led Hermione into the waiting elevator. Croaker and Bones followed, closing the door and leaving Dumbledore behind.
"Miss Weasley won't be joining us like last time?" Croaker asked as they traveled, not mentioning the amusing exchanged he had just witnessed.
"She's visiting with her father," Hermione supplied smoothly, which was the truth. Arthur had been at the ceremony and had come over to talk to his daughter. "We'll fill her in later."
"Of course." Croaker led them to his office.
Croaker opened his safe while Amelia Bones locked the door and conjured a couple of chairs. He started setting objects on the desk: a destroyed diary, a ring with a burnt band, a twisted locket, a cracked ceramic cup, and a slightly burnt tiara. Lastly, he moved a small Pensieve from a shelf to his desk as well. "Mr Potter, would you be so kind as to think of your time in the graveyard last night so that I can make a copy of the memory for us to view?"
"Err, sure." He did his best to think of the timeframe that Hermione had suggested and Croaker used his wand to take a copy of the memory and put it in the Pensieve. They watched a display of the memory above the stone bowl; it stopped as the last Death Eater had fallen and before he had grabbed a transformed Gabrielle in a tight hug.
When it finished, Madam Bones looked at him. "Why was the girl there, who I suspect is Miss Delacour's younger sister based on the looks and the fact that she transformed like a Veela? Also, why did she refer to you as 'my Harry'?"
Harry was surprised she had caught Gabrielle saying that. He had, but only because he was listening for her to say it. "Well, it's a little embarrassing…" He was a little red and not sure how to explain it, despite Hermione's tip.
Fortunately, Hermione jumped in. "Ginny and I wanted to help Harry so badly that we did accidental magic to go to him. Gabrielle, who is Fleur Delacour's little sister, grabbed Ginny's hand and went along. If you remember, Harry saved her in the second task and that caused her to develop a severe crush and fixation on Harry. Her parents are stilling trying to fully understand it and help her … and Harry." With a shrug, she added, "She tries to go everywhere Harry does."
Harry thought that was an artful half truth and dodge, and he was impressed Hermione could say that with a straight face. That was more of a Ginny response, making him wonder if the two had discussed it sometime this morning when he was not around. He was also somewhat surprised the adults seemed to accept the explanation. Perhaps this sort of thing had happened before in the world of magic. They not knowing where he had been living for the last few months probably helped too.
"Do you mean to say that you three Apparated through the Hogwarts wards, at the ages of fifteen, thirteen, and ten or eleven?" Croaker asked with incredulousness. Bones had a similar expression.
Hermione shrugged. "I can't really say exactly how we did it. We just wished very hard to be with Harry so that we could help him and we … went." The loud cracking sound in the memory when they arrived had been very noticeable, and there really was not any other explanation other than Apparating. She wondered if they would be fined for that or not.
Bones and Croaker shared a look. "I have heard of children Apparating accidentally before, but never through wards," she commented.
"Same here, but I've never heard of three trying simultaneously and one of them being a Veela." He picked up a quill and wrote himself a note. "I believe we have a new research project for when we have time and can find a Veela to help us." When he finished, he used the end of the quill as a pointer to poke at the objects. "As you can see, here are the soul containers we found and destroyed. I'm sure you can see that there are only five and I expected to find six, yet there is no denying that the Dark Wizard Riddle has been banished from life. That is the only reason for the Dark Mark to have disappeared from the forearms of his living followers. So where is the missing container? Do you have any clue, Mr Potter or Miss Granger?"
They looked at each other and shrugged. "I'm not sure I can say," Harry said. "I did kill that snake, perhaps it was one?" He really did not want to discuss the connection Grand-ma-ma had severed, and his girls had agreed with that decision when they had discussed it soon after the connection had been broken.
Croaker leaned back in his chair. "Perhaps, but if so, then that was the stupidest thing Riddle has ever done. All parts of animals are replaced over time, so given enough time, any soul fragment would have dissipated as the 'container' was destroyed by the body and replaced. No, I believe it must have been something else."
"Perhaps there was another, but someone else destroyed it," Hermione suggested.
Croaker looked at Bones for a moment. "That is the best guess for now. If you remember, we said that the locket had been found and moved by Sirius Black's brother. Another case like that would explain the missing item."
"Does it really matter, as long as the deed is done?" Bones asked.
"Not for you, but I live to solve mysteries," the head Unspeakable said with a knowing smile. He looked at Harry now. "Mr Potter, in my professional opinion, I believe the Prophecy has been fulfilled and so I wish you a long and happy life. I will also give you a gift if you two will do me a small favor."
"What?" Harry asked warily.
"If you and Miss Granger will promise to come see me soon after you finish school," he picked up the ring and put it in front of Harry, "then this is yours. You don't have to promise to work for me, just promise to come spend an afternoon and talk to me about working here in some capacity."
Hermione was staring at the ring with the deep amber stone embedded in it. "What is it, other than a ring?"
Croaker smiled. "It is an heirloom that I probably should keep because of its historical significance. However, I know that it was originally owned by the Peverell family, of which the Potters are descended and I'm unaware of any other living family in that line. I give it to you to show you the sort of things we work with here and as a show of good faith that I really do want to talk with you in the future."
"You want to give me an old ring now that was once owned by my ancestors, and in return we only have to come talk to you in the future?" Harry asked, looking for any catch.
"Correct." Croaker smiled at them. "There are two more reasons to give you the ring, if you'd like to know." At Harry's nod, he said, "The second reason is that the four of you, and you especially Mr Potter, deserve an Order of Merlin for what you did. However, with Fudge in charge, you'll never be awarded it so that ring could be your reward for your brave deed, not to mention compensation for past deeds against your family."
"That's all right," Harry replied more happily than the adults expected. "I don't really want the attention an Order of Merlin would bring. What's the other reason?"
"The third reason is because I consider the ring to be a test. If you can tell me about it when you come visit in three years, then that will tell me a little more about you and your abilities." Croaker waited to see if the girl would take the bait, and she did.
"There's a mystery about it?" Hermione softly asked, looking at it more intensely than before, being careful not to touch it.
"I believe it's safe to say that. Also, please keep it hidden so that only you and those you can trust not to talk about it know - the fewer the better," he told the students.
Harry looked at Hermione, who said, "I don't think I have a problem with the deal." She stopped and looked up at Croaker. "It can't hurt us, can it?"
"Not directly. It could cause some emotional stress if you abuse it, but if you work with it as a team, I don't foresee any real problems." Croaker picked up the ring and put it on for a few seconds before pulling it back off and setting it back on the desk. "See, no harm."
Harry slowly reached out and picked it up. It felt only like a heavy ring. He put it on and nothing bad happened, although he did feel a slightly unusual warmth from it. He pulled it off and put it into a pocket. "We'll contact you in three years."
"Wonderful. Amelia, do you have anything to add?" Croaker looked very delighted.
"To elaborate on last night… There are no charges against any of you. Also, we know we can't force you to silence, but we do request you don't tell anyone about Tom Riddle's death last night. I'm sure that sounds strange, but we don't want anyone else trying to extend their life in the same way." She looked at them expectantly.
"I understand," Harry said while Hermione nodded her agreement. "I'll tell Ginny and Gabrielle too."
"Thank you, Mr Potter. Unless you have any questions for us, I believe we're done." They had none and Amelia Bones led them back up to the Atrium, where they were relieved not to find Albus Dumbledore waiting for them.
They bid her good-bye and walked over to their parents and godfather. Mr Weasley was still there.
"Harry, it's jolly good to see you doing so well. Congratulations on your win."
"Thank you, Arthur. I hope you're doing well." Harry looked at Gabrielle, who seemed to be straining to hold herself back from him. He gave her smile before he turned back to Ginny's father. "If you'll excuse us, I think it's time for us to go."
Arthur gave Ginny a hug and then shook hands with the men around him, ending with Harry, before he left for home. The group returned to Sirius's house for time together and then for dinner.
After dinner, Jean-Aimé and Apolline bid the children good-bye for the next week, leaving for a week-long holiday in Crete. Dan and Emma loaded the four children into their car and drove home.
In the Granger house, the parents sat the children down in the living room.
"We believe we need to put a few rules in place as things have changed since the last time you were home," Dan said to them, standing in front of the fireplace while the children sat on the sofa and Emma in a chair.
"We've done some rearranging and there are now some bunk beds in Hermione's room in addition to her bed."
That statement caused Hermione to look at him sharply.
"That means that all three of you girls will sleep in there. Harry, you'll still be in your bedroom. In this house, the girls sleep in one room and Harry will be in his. While we understand about last night and that it wasn't the first time you've done that, we are uncomfortable with that sleeping arrangement here and we ask that you honor our wishes in this."
"We understand," Emma said, "that we can't really force you to do this when you're not here; however, please do as we ask while staying in our house."
Harry was surprised and yet he was not. He looked at Hermione, who was looking at him.
"Yes, Dad," Hermione said after a moment. "We've only done it a few times and only after traumatic experiences for comfort. I don't really expect any of that while we're here."
"I'll agree too," Harry added.
"Me too," Ginny told them.
"I … understand," Gabrielle said, although she did not look happy about it.
Dan looked relieved the restriction had been accepted so easily. "Very good. Rule two is closely related to rule one. No closed doors except for the bathroom or if someone is changing clothes. Harry, no closed doors for you unless you are alone."
"Yes, sir," Harry said. The girls agreed as well.
"Rule three, please tell us in person or on the phone if you plan to leave the house before you go … unless it's an emergency that causes you to leave for your safety. If that happens, the small silver goblet that is the Portkey to the Delacours is here on the mantel behind me."
Harry and the girls agreed to that.
"Rule four, please understand that while we have to work mornings this week, we have scheduled the afternoons so that we are free and we want to spend time with you. We also want you to have some fun," Dan said with a smile, drawing smiles from the kids. "Tomorrow, make a list of some things you'd like to do and we'll discuss which of them we can do. Go ahead and unpack and the rest of the evening is yours."
"Exercise at half past six?" Emma asked hopefully.
"Yes!" Ginny exclaimed, drawing chuckles. The other three agreed, with Hermione surprising her mother.
As they started to leave, Dan motioned for Harry to stay behind. When it was just the three of them, Dan put his arm on Harry's shoulder in a companionable fashion. "Harry, I'm sorry to have to put those rules on you, but we feel much more comfortable with them as all of you grow into your later teen years. We understand your status, but it's a little difficult for us."
"It's all right, we understand. We really don't have all that much alone time at the Delacours either."
"You're about to be fifteen, Harry, and I can remember the fascination I had with girls at that age," Dan told him with a penetrating look and wry smile. "I hope you can keep to your plan that you told us earlier this year about waiting as long as you can before sex. I believe it will benefit all of you to build the companion relationships first, especially with a younger girl as part of your family."
Harry's face felt very warm right now. "I understand. I've been very careful with Gabrielle and I'll be that way for a long time."
"I'm proud of you," his father said, and his mother looked equally proud. "I'll mention one other thing before I let you go up. Now that it looks like your family is stable, and I hope there aren't any more additions…"
"Me too," Harry interjected wistfully, causing his parents to smile at him.
"I would suggest you talk to Sirius to find out how you can create a Last Will and Testament. Since you're technically married and have a great deal of wealth, it's something you should do while you're here this week."
"I already have a simple one that includes Hermione and Ginny," Harry replied, "but you're right that I need to add Gabrielle. I'll talk to Sirius about it tomorrow."
"We're here for you too, if you have general questions," Emma told him. "We'd also recommend that the girls have one too."
"Thanks for the advice, Mum." Harry gave both of parents a hug and went upstairs.
As he enlarged his trunk, Hermione came into his room. "What did Mum and Dad want to talk about?"
"Oh, they just told me that they were sorry about the rules and hoped I understood why they did it. They also mentioned that I should probably add Gabrielle to my Last Will." He watched her nod as she thought it through.
He waved her over to where he was and she walked over with a puzzled look. He pulled her over to the corner of the room and mostly out of sight from the door. "I thought you looked very nice today," he said as he pulled her into a hug, hands on her sides and then on her back, caressing her slowly. She put her arms around his shoulders and leaned in for a kiss, which they spent several minutes doing. When they finished, they rested foreheads against each other and grinned for a moment.
"What about the ring?" Hermione asked as she stepped back.
"We can talk about it tomorrow when it's just the four of us. Good night, Hermione." He patted her on the bum to send her on her way. "Will you send the others over one at a time too?"
She gave him a surprised look for his action, before it melted into a grin and she walked out.
He put some of his things in the closet before Ginny came into his room.
"Hermione said you wanted to tell me something?"
Harry grabbed her hand and pulled her to the corner too, wrapping her in a hug followed by a passionate kiss. When he finished a few minutes later, his hands slid down to her bum and caressed her there. "Have I told you how wonderful you looked today?"
Ginny got an impish look. "No, but feel free to express yourself."
Harry grinned and chuckled at her phrasing before he kissed her again, but it was only a short one this time. "Good night, Gin."
"'Night, Harry."
He barely started to unpack again before Gabrielle came running into the room. Harry laughed lightly as he scooped her up and carried her to his bed, where he sat down and put her in his lap, noticing that she took more of his lap than just four months ago. He gave her a tight hug for a long moment, which she returned.
«Ginny gave me the top bed,» she said excitedly.
«I'm happy for you and you can show me tomorrow.»
She threw her arms around him again for another hug, before kissing him on the cheek and giggling as she hopped off his lap and ran back to the girls' room.
That made him smile. He also considered that maybe his and Hermione's attempts to convince her to wait for real kissing were starting to work.
Taking a few more minutes to unpack, he heard his mother knock on his doorframe as he finished. "Since I heard running, I assume everyone's said good-night?"
Harry blushed slight. "Uh, yeah."
She smiled at him. "Please be careful, Harry. I know you'll be married some day, but be careful in the meantime. Girls can be fragile, especially with emotions. Good-night."
"'Night, Mum." He supposed she meant accidentally, because he would never intentionally hurt any of them.
The next morning, Emma was amazed that all four of her children, as she thought of them, came down and did exercises. Hermione surprised her the most because Hermione had never liked doing them, plus she also kept up the pace with the others too. When Emma's time was done, they surprised her again by heading out the front door and going for a jog around the block.
They returned after Emma had taken a shower and readied herself for work. While they cleaned up, she made breakfast for everyone. She and Dan then left for work, and let the kids eat and clean up on their own.
Since they were alone, Harry pulled out his new ring while they all sat around the table. "This is what Croaker gave me." He showed it to them while he told what little he knew.
When the ring was handed to Ginny, she looked at it carefully, just as Hermione had. Turning it over in her hand to look at all of it, she suddenly saw a symbol with a triangle, circle, and line on it. "I've seen this symbol before somewhere," she said excitedly as she pointed to it.
Hermione grabbed it back from her to look at it intently. "I don't recognize it," she said with disappointment.
Gabrielle took the ring from her and looked at it, especially at the symbol. "I have not seen it before. Maybe it is only English?"
Hermione pulled out her little notebook and pen, drawing the symbol in there. "At least we have something to investigate."
"I bet that's what Croaker wanted you to find and figure out," Ginny suggested.
"Except that he sounded like he knew what it was already." Hermione looked at her notebook, turning it a little every few seconds, in case a different angle triggered a memory. "You don't remember where, Ginny?"
"No," the redhead answered with the same disappointment. "I'm reasonably sure it wasn't my school books, or you'd have recognized it too. So that means it was one of my other books, one of my books for fun."
"Or maybe something you saw at home as you grew up?" Hermione asked.
Ginny nodded. "Possibly. We'll just have to keep our eyes open for it."
"All right, that project is on hold for the moment," Hermione said as she flipped to a blank page in her notebook. "What do we want to do this week?"
They talked about things to do for a while. Harry wrote a letter to Sirius about coming over tomorrow morning and sent it with Archimedes, the Granger's owl. The rest of the morning was spent doing fun personal projects: Hermione reading some things she had been putting off, Ginny and Gabrielle gossiping, and Harry planning what he might need in a Will and other things that needed to be done this summer.
Dan and Emma came home for a late lunch and then took the kids out for a fun time in London for the rest of the day.
At Hogwarts, a letter was being written during a free period, which was sent out that evening.
In the second highest tower, an old man pondered the status of the present world and two adversaries: one deadly and one lost ally. None of his little silver instruments told him anything useful. There was one way to interpret that reading - and it was the preferred interpretation - but it gave him no comfort as he was not sure he could trust the reading as the interpretation did not match what he knew. Sure, Harry's scar had lightened from the glimpse he had struggled to see without being observed doing so, but the scar still existed which must mean it was active. By dinner time, he still had no revelation about what to do.
The next morning, Sirius arrived at the Granger's house just before Dan and Emma left for work. "If you don't mind, I'd like to take them to Diagon Alley this morning, and then probably again later this week. The bank can help us understand what needs to be in Harry's Will, and then we'll have to file it with them later after it's written."
"I don't think that's a problem, at least as long as you have them back by one. We had planned to go to the zoo later today. You're welcome to come along," Dan told him.
"I'd love to. We'll see you then." Sirius started Side-Along Apparating the children to his house, and then they used the Floo to go to Diagon Alley, as he felt that was safer.
"I'm glad we're here," Hermione said. "I found something in my reading yesterday that I want to look up."
"You mean I have to buy you another book?" Harry asked in jest.
"No, it's at Gringotts, but maybe I should have you buy me one anyway for that remark." She held her upset look for almost ten seconds before she cracked and started to chuckle at Harry's distressed look.
"Good one, Hermione", Ginny said teasingly. "You had him going and he should get you a book as a reward for the tease."
"You don't have to Harry," Hermione relented, "but there is something in your vault we need to look for."
"What?"
"You'll see," she said sweetly as they approached the bank.
"Witch," Harry muttered, causing the girls and Sirius to chuckle.
Sirius took them into the bank. They got a few interesting looks, since they were school age but Hogwarts was not out yet; however, no one said anything to them.
They walked up to an open teller and Sirius cleared his throat lightly to get the goblin's attention. "What do you need?" the goblin asked surly.
"We need to speak to someone about filling out a Last Will," Sirius said.
The goblin pointed to a side wall. "The Ministry forms are over there. Get what you need and send it to the Ministry. Now, do you have any Gringotts business?"
Sirius looked puzzled. "When I created mine, Gringotts helped me and I filed it here."
"Laws have changed, Wizard," the goblins said, not friendly at all. "All Gringotts does now is store them at your request, and that's what personal vaults are for. Do you have any real business?"
"Yes," Harry spoke up quickly, eager to get away from this goblin. "We need to visit the Potter family vault."
The goblin rang a small bell, causing another goblin to walk over. "Go with him," the teller told them and returned to working on the large book in front of him.
Harry led the way, with Hermione practically jumping to be by his side.
"Can I please sit next to you?" the brunette asked.
"Sure," Harry replied, guiding her into the cart to travel to his vault, then slipping in beside her. The other girls sat with him, forcing Sirius to sit in the front next to the goblin driver. As the cart took off, he felt Hermione throw her arms around him and hang on for dear life. He was pleasantly surprised that she did not shriek like last time they rode the bank cart; she only buried her face in the crook of his neck and squeezed him so tightly he had trouble breathing at times. Harry noticed that Gabrielle and Ginny thoroughly enjoyed the ride.
When they arrived at the vault, Harry had to peel Hermione from him and help her out. She held his hand tightly - still recovering from the ride - as they approached the vault. It opened, and again there was a hazy film over the doorway, although it again did not stop them from entering the vault.
"What are we looking for, Hermione?" he asked. The others gave her their attention also.
She took a deep breath and then started to explain. "I finally finished looking through all the papers yesterday that I copied from here during our first visit. For most of the shorter documents, I copied them in their entirety. But I only copied the first page for the longer ones. One of the longer ones mentioned the Potter ancestral home, but it didn't mention where it was. I'd like to find that document."
Harry looked at his godfather. "Sirius, why haven't you mentioned that to me before now?"
Sirius appeared to be deep in thought, making some interesting faces while doing so. "I'm sorry, Harry, but I'm having trouble remembering it. It seems like I should know as I can now remember there being one after she mentioned it, but I can't remember where it was or what it was like."
"I bet the property has some sort of enchantment on it so non-family members have trouble remembering it - for protection," Hermione theorized.
"That would make sense," Sirius easily agreed, "and I know that sort of thing is possible. Still, you'd think…" He suddenly stopped and groaned. "Of course! I probably did know, but James's death probably triggered some magic to block the memories." He looked at Harry. "If so, the document Hermione mentioned will probably tell you how to inform other people, or at the very least it will lead you to the property where you'll find instructions."
"Right." Harry walked over to the shelves and started grabbing the boxes and handing one to each person. "Hermione, show everyone the first page that you copied so we know what we're looking for."
Even with five of them searching, it took almost ten minutes to find the document.
"Got it!" Harry yelled.
Hermione rushed over and pulled her wand out, duplicating the entire document this time. Sirius read over Harry's shoulder while the girls all read Hermione's copy.
On page three, Harry pointed at the doc. "Do you recognize this address, Sirius?"
"Yeah, that's vaguely familiar. That's in northern Wales, and it is known that the Potters came from Wales. We have some time this morning if you want to go check it out."
Harry looked at the girls and got three enthusiastic looks. "Yes, I think that'd be brilliant. Let me get some money and then we can go." Harry started to fill his money bag.
"If you want to carry a little more, grab some of the platinum ones over there on the side," Sirius suggested.
"What?" Harry and Hermione asked in tandem.
"Why haven't I heard of those before," Hermione continued, looking affronted as if Sirius had purposefully withheld the information from her.
"Because they're rarely used by most of us." It was Ginny who had answered. "How many students do you know that need to carry hundreds or thousands of Galleons around with them?" She walked over and picked up a handful, looking at one closely as she came back and handed the rest to Harry and Hermione. "Actually, I never expected to ever see one of these, much less hold one." She finally handed hers to Gabrielle to inspect.
"So they're platinum. What are they worth and what are they called?" Hermione asked.
"They're called Claymores and are worth one hundred and one Galleons each. You won't see many of them because they're normally only used for large purchases; but if you plan to do that, they are useful to make your money bag lighter."
"Cool." Harry dropped ten of those in his bag, plus a number of Galleons along with some Sickles and a few Knuts. "I'm ready."
They all returned to the lobby of the bank and Harry grabbed four of the forms to make a Last Will. Sirius took them out to a side-street that was not too busy before he called the Knight Bus.
When the bus pulled up, the conductor stepped out. "Welcome to the Knight Bus, the emergency transport for… Oh, it's you again." The man looked at Harry with derision. "So, you are going to tell me you have another emergency that comes first and that Dumbledore will be paying for this trip too?"
"No, I'll be paying for the trip now, for all five of us," Harry said, throwing a little of the man's attitude back at him. He motioned his bond-mates to start boarding.
"We're going to 45 Broad Glyn Road, which I believe is a little east of Pennant if I understood what I read," Hermione said as she boarded.
The conductor, Robert, looked at the driver, Frank. Frank thought about it for a moment. "Call it one Galleon and two Sickles each."
Harry dug into his money bag and handed the correct change over before he boarded last. He barely made it to an armchair before the bus shot forward. Fortunately, it was a slow day and they were the second stop. They were deposited at the edge of a valley in the middle some large hills in what looked like the middle of nowhere.
As the bus left with a bang, Harry looked at Sirius. "Does any of this look familiar to you?"
Sirius took a slow look around, as did the girls. "Yeah," he answered, "being here helps me to remember. That way, I think." He took off walking with the others following.
Gabrielle hurried over and grabbed Harry's hand, giving him a pleased smile. He squeezed her hand and gave her a loving look, before they started to look around for any sign of the Potter home.
When they rounded a bend in the road a few minutes later, Ginny pointed and shouted. "Look! A post box!" They hurried over and found a faded "45" on the side.
"Yes, that looks right. Hmm…" Sirius frowned. "I'd swear there was a path near here, but if no one has been here for years, it's probably grown over."
"So we just start walking until we find some wards?" Hermione asked.
"Duh! Of course!" Harry pulled out his wand and silently cast the Magic Sight spell he had learned when trying to find Malfoy Manor. Just past an old rotting fence was a wall of magic that almost blinded him by looking at it, even in the mid-morning light. "Ow!" He hastily turned away.
"Harry!" Gabrielle rushed around him to look at his face.
"I'm fine, other than being stupid," he said after he cancelled the spell.
"What did you do?" Sirius asked, concerned as he came over with the other girls.
"I cast Magic Sight while looking at strong magic. There is a wall of magic just past that fence. I would assume that's the property's wards." Harry shook head again, blinking furiously for a moment. "Let's try walking that way."
With his wand still out, just in case, Harry walked towards a break in the fence. They walked single file now, with Sirius taking the end position. Harry carefully stepped through the break and then took two more steps. On the third step, he felt like he was trying to move through a wall of water. One more step moved him past the last of the wards, allowing him to see the Potter ancestral home in the distance for the first time.
"That's impressive," Ginny quietly commented, having come in next.
"I'll see you later," Sirius said suddenly. "I have to be somewhere else in a few minutes."
Harry twirled around quickly. "Sirius, stop! Hermione, grab his arm." He ran back towards the road to help Hermione.
"Harry, I really do need to go. You should be coming too." Sirius sounded confused.
"Sirius, it's the wards. You have to follow us."
"Wards?"
Harry felt frustrated.
"We need to pull him in," Hermione told him. "Grab his other arm, Harry. Sirius, let us lead you."
"But…"
"Come on, and don't fight us." Harry pulled him along, as did Hermione.
It took some pulling and pushing, but as soon as he was through the wards, Sirius settled down, his confusion forgotten. "Right, there's the house you want, Harry. Come on. I'm starting to remember and I think you'll like it." Sirius now led the way, causing Harry and Hermione to share an amused looked.
"Those must be good wards," Harry commented as he grabbed Hermione's hand to walk with her.
"I agree, but I'm more interested in the fact that the three of us had no problems following you. I think it must be our bond, like we could mimic your magic on the door to our training room at Hogwarts."
"Or maybe the magic understands our bond and sees you three as my wives?" he asked with a grin.
She grinned back. "Perhaps that too."
As they walked through the field of knee-high grass, Ginny walked beside Hermione. "Do you think it's as big as the Delacour's house? I think it's close."
"Maybe," Gabrielle agreed. "We need to see the back first."
Sirius walked up to the front door, but found it locked. "You try it Harry. It may require a Potter to open it."
"I don't have a key though."
"Try it anyway," Sirius encouraged him. "It's probably like your vault. Most of the other houses the Black Family owns are the same way."
Harry found the door locked for him too, but the basic unlocking charm while he was touching it with his other hand opened the lock. The door creaked as he pushed it open. With his wand lit to give him more light, he cautiously walked in. The entry hall was not quite a nice as the Delacour's, but that may have been because it was covered in dust with some cobwebs stretched in places. The others walked in, but they left the door open behind them for more light.
"I guess no one has been here since my parents," Harry said a little sadly. "I'm not sure who I was hoping for, but…"
"It's all right, Harry," Ginny said comfortingly as she snaked an arm around his waist. She also pulled out her wand and lit it. Together, the two walked forward, ducking under a cobweb in the doorway.
"The parlor," Sirius informed them as he held his lit wand high to look at the room. It was dusty as well, and the furniture was covered with white sheets. "That's the only public accessible Floo," he said, pointing to the fireplace. "There was an access list on it, but I'm reasonably sure it was the only one connected to the Floo Network. You'll notice the heavy doors across the room along with a pull rope for a bell. Those doors were usually locked to separate this room from the rest of the house."
"Sirius? Did my … family have house-elves?" Harry noticed his question drew a less than pleased look from Hermione. He knew she understood how the elves needed wizards, but he also knew she still did not like that relationship because she felt it was so one-sided.
"Yes, two. I'd guess they were freed when your parents died, as the bond would have broken."
"Then how did all the furniture get covered?" Ginny asked.
Sirius shrugged. "I'd guess the elves did that as their last task before they left, or maybe when your parents went into hiding. And no, I don't know where the elves would have gone."
Harry opened the heavy double doors to show a wide hallway. "Sirius, do you think Zoot would come if you called her? I have a question for her."
"Here?" Sirius considered it. "I can try. Zoot!" he said firmly and did a quick double-clap.
A second later, there was a pop and Sirius's elf stood in front of them. "Did Master call?"
"Harry has a question for you…"
Harry knelt down on one knee. "Zoot, two years ago a house-elf that used to belong to the Malfoys was set free. His name was Dobby. Do you know who he is and if he is still free?"
She thought for a moment. "I have heard of a free elf, but I don't know if he is the same one. I could find out." Zoot looked to Sirius.
"Please go find out and return to this house to find me when you know." Sirius reinforced the command. Zoot nodded and popped out.
"I really wished you wouldn't, Harry," Hermione told him, "but I do understand that we do need the help."
"He has no choice," Gabrielle said. "I want to find the bedrooms." She grabbed Harry's hand and started leading him into the rest of the house. The doors they passed were closed and they did not open them.
"I vaguely recall them being up the stairs, Harry," Sirius told him.
The first floor held two bedrooms on each side of the hallway that were almost alike, except for colors. The girls all thought they could live in one of them. The double doors at the end of the hallway led to what was obviously the master bedroom. Ignoring the dust, the large bedroom was obviously well furnished. Its ensuite bathroom was lavish compared to the small bathrooms in each of the smaller bedrooms. Hermione and Ginny looked at each other and giggled quietly with large grins when they saw the large tub.
"I could definitely live here," Harry said with an impressed tome as he walked out of one of two large walk-in closets he had been investigating.
Before they left the master bedroom, there were two popping sounds and two elves stood in front of them. "Zoot has found Dobby working at Hogwarts and he is still free."
Harry looked at the elf who had visited him back in his second year at school. He looked as pitiful as the dirty pillowcase he wore. Harry wondered if the little guy had been sick for a long time or something. He dropped to one knee. "Dobby, do you remember me?"
Dobby perked up some. "Dobby could never forget the great Harry Potter. Harry Potter has saved us all from the Dark One after Dobby warned Harry Potter." The large and very sad eyes looked up at Harry. "Harry Potter has saved me from bad and evil Masters." He looked back down.
Harry looked at Sirius, who shook his head to show he had no idea what was going on. Looks to his bond-mates gave him no more information, other than Hermione looking very concerned. "Dobby, what's wrong? You don't look so good," but the elf did not answer. He looked at the other elf. "Zoot, what's wrong with him?"
Zoot looked very uncomfortable, but she finally said, "He's almost … dead."
"What? Why?" Harry asked, alarmed.
"His magic is almost gone," Zoot said, looking like she was about to cry. "He needs to bond, but he can't. No one wants him."
Harry felt relief and smiled. "That's good." At Zoot's horrified look, he realized what he had said. "No Zoot, I'm not glad he's having trouble, I'm glad he's free because I need an elf for my family." He looked at Dobby now. "Dobby, would you like to bond with my family and work for us?"
It took a moment, but Dobby finally looked up again, although this time there were tears streaming down his face. "The great Harry Potter wants me?"
"Yes, Dobby. That's why I had Zoot look for you," he said gently. "Look around you. There's plenty to keep you busy here for a long time. You can also come see me whenever you need to. We won't be here very much for the next two or three years; but after that, we'll be here a lot more often. One day, we'll even live here all the time."
Without warning, Dobby flung himself at Harry, throwing his short arms around as much of Harry's chest as he could as he sobbed. "The great Harry Potter is so good to Dobby again. Dobby does not deserve such happiness."
Harry looked at Sirius, who returned the questioning look. Sirius did wiggle his finger in a small circle near the side of his head. Harry was not sure Dobby was crazy, but he understood Sirius wondering that.
"Dobby, what do I have to do to bond you?"
The elf pulled back. "Dobby do the bonding." He thrust both hands forward and put them over Harry's heart.
A moment later, there was a short burst of white light and Harry felt a wave of magic wash through him. "Wow!"
"I felt that too," Gabrielle said.
"Me too," Hermione and Ginny both said.
Dobby looked at him seriously and formally. "Master Harry Potter, Dobby is at your service." He turned and looked at the girls. "Mistress Hermi-ney, Mistress Ginny, Mistress Gabbre-el, Dobby is at your service."
Hermione gasped. "How do you know?"
"Dobby is bonded to Master Harry Potter and knows who is his family," Dobby explained as if it should have been obvious.
"It's his magic," Sirius commented, causing Dobby to nod.
"How do you know we're his family already?" Hermione asked, not letting it drop.
"Dobby can see magic between you and Master Harry Potter. Dobby doesn't know why it is there, but he can see it."
Harry put his hand on Dobby's shoulder to gently turn him back around. "Dobby, that is one of our secrets and you can't tell anyone until we are officially married. Do you understand?"
Dobby nodded vigorously, causing his ears to flap a little. "Dobby understands and will keep Master Harry Potter's secrets."
"Next, please call me Harry, or if you must, Master Harry. My full name will get old very quickly."
"Yes, Master Harry."
"Dobby, I have a few things for you to do, and a few rules. First the rules. You are not to work too hard until you are back at full health. I know elves like to work, but please make sure you get better."
"Dobby be better by tomorrow. Dobby has master's magic and it is strong," the elf proclaimed proudly.
"Err, OK. I also want you to take care of yourself by making sure you always get enough sleep, enough to eat, and whatever else you need for yourself. Second, if you need to talk to one of us, be sure you aren't seen by anyone else. We're around Muggles a lot," Harry explained.
"Dobby understands."
"I'll introduce you to Hermione's parents and to Gabrielle's parents as soon as I can so you'll know who they are. You're allowed to be seen by them too." He watched the elf nod again. "Next, I want you to find something better to wear. You are a part of this family and you need to look good; you need a proper uniform."
"Dobby will check the elf quarters here and see what he can find."
"Lastly, I want you to start cleaning. Start with the bedrooms on the first floor, the kitchen, and the main family living room. Oh, also do the entry way and parlor up front soon. We need to go, so we'll have to come back later to see the rest of the house." Harry looked up at the girls. "Did I miss anything?"
"He'll probably need some money for food and other things," Sirius told him.
"Right." Harry pulled his money bag out and dumped a handful of Galleons out and one of the platinum Claymores. "Do you know how much this is worth?" Harry asked about the Claymore.
"Yes, Dobby knows. Old master had a few."
"Very good. If you need more money, come ask me."
"Dobby will plant garden too and grow good food there. Dobby not need much money after that."
"Harry?" Ginny called to him. "We'll need some way to travel too. I doubt there's any working Floo Powder here."
"Dobby can get Floo Powder. Dobby can get Portkeys too."
Harry perked up at that.
"Two would be very good," Hermione said, warming to the idea immediately. "Can you get us two permanent ones? One would be to our front door here, and the other would be to the back door of my parents' house. That way we could come and go as needed."
"If they're not too expensive, one to Sirius's house would be good too," Ginny added.
"Dobby can get forms and take them in, but wizards need to sign it."
"I'll sign them and that would probably hide that they are for you, Harry," Sirius suggested.
"Good idea. Dobby, get three forms for permanent Portkeys and take them to Sirius at his house," Harry ordered.
Dobby left with a pop to start his tasks, looking much happier than when he had first appeared.
"We probably better go, Harry, but we should do one thing before we go for now. We need to look at the Floo Network connection," Sirius told them as he headed out of the room.
In the front parlor, he showed Harry how to check the access list. Harry did not know who most of the people on it were, so he removed them. Sirius and Remus were on the list and left there. Interestingly, Harry's name was there. Sirius helped him add the girls' names, as well as Jean-Aimé's and Apolline's. The connection was off for now, but when Sirius turned it on then it would be functional.
On the road by post box, Sirius Side-Along Apparated each of them to the Grangers, making him quite tired by the end. Zoot fetched a Pepperup potion for him so he would have enough energy for the afternoon. Sirius picked that method of transportation because they probably did not have enough time to ride the Knight Bus.
Dan and Emma returned home to find lunch waiting on them, cooked by Harry and Hermione.
"You'll never believe what we found out today," Hermione told them as they sat down to eat.
"What dear?" Emma asked.
"We found Harry's ancestral house!"
"Seriously?" Dan looked very surprised.
"Of course I am," Sirius said with a grin. Everyone else groaned and shot him a glare for his bad joke.
"Hermione found it mentioned in some documents so we went to find it. I also found a house elf who was free to come work for me, so he's going to start cleaning it and getting it ready for us to live in when we finish school," Harry told them.
Dan looked relieved at the mention of waiting until after school.
"I think we'll have a way of getting you there by the weekend, so we can visit it then," Harry said proudly.
"I'd like to see what you have," Emma told him. Dan agreed with her.
That afternoon was spent at the zoo and the group had a lot of fun.
The next morning, Zoot delivered a small box to Harry that had been delivered to Sirius. Inside, he found a ring with a white rabbit's foot on a short chain, a metal key about three inches long, and small pocket knife on a short chain. The accompanying letter told him where each Portkey went and the activation word. Sirius also wrote that he had paid for them and that he would have the Floo Network connection reopened when Harry was ready to live there.
He also received a letter from Neville. It was a surprise to receive an invite for the four of them to visit Longbottom Manor Sunday at ten in the morning. Even more of a surprise was that Neville said Luna would be there too and that he wanted all of them to meet his Gran. Harry was not sure why Neville wanted that, but he trusted his friend.