Harry Crow

By: RobSt

Fandom: harry potter

Summary: What will happen when a goblin-raised Harry arrives at Hogwarts. A Harry who has received training, already knows the prophecy and has no scar. With the backing of the goblin nation and Hogwarts herself. Complete.

Status: Completed

Fic type: Books/Harry Potter

Pairings/Main char.: [Harry P., Hermione G.]

Published: 2012-06-05

Last updated: 2014-06-08

Words count: 737,006

Chapters count: 106

Converted using www.FF2EBOOK.com
Date: 2020-11-08

1. An Escrow Agreement

Harry Crow

The Dursleys are excruciatingly normal. They were just plain ordinary people, trying to live their orderly lives. Why should they take what they consider an abnormal freak into their home? This is so not a crossover fic.

This story's first paragraph consists mainly of the wonderful words and work of Jo Rowling from the book that started it all. I claim only the mistakes as my own.

Chapter 1

"Dumbledore you can't. I've been watching them all day. You couldn't find two people who are less like us. And they've got this son — I saw him kicking his mother all the way up the street, screaming for sweets. Harry Potter come and live here!"

"It's the best place for him," said Dumbledore firmly. "His aunt and uncle will be able to explain everything to him when he's older. I've written them a letter."

"A letter?" repeated Professor McGonagall faintly, sitting back down on the wall. "Really, Dumbledore, you think you can explain all this in a letter? These people will never understand him! He'll be famous — a legend — I wouldn't be surprised if today was known as Harry Potter Day in the future — there will be books written about Harry — every child in our world will know his name!"

"Exactly," said Dumbledore, looking very seriously over the top of his half-moon glasses. "It would be enough to turn any boy's head. Famous before he can walk and talk! Famous for something he won't even remember! Can't you see how much better off he'll be, growing up away from all that until he's ready to take it?"

Professor McGonagall opened her mouth, changed her mind, swallowed, and then said, "Yes — yes, you're right, of course."

After taking the child from Hagrid's massive arms, Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall bent forward over the bundle of blankets. Inside, just visible, was a baby boy, fast asleep. Under a tuft of jet-black hair over his forehead they could see a curiously shaped cut, like a bolt of lightning.

"Is that where — ?" whispered Professor McGonagall.

"Yes," said Dumbledore. "He'll have that scar forever."

"Couldn't you do something about it, Dumbledore?"

"Even if I could, I wouldn't. Scars can come in handy. I have one myself above my left knee that is a perfect map of the London Underground. "

And with that, a young child's fate was sealed - or was it?

-oOoOo-

Petunia enjoyed this time of day the most, early in the morning before her two strapping boys had risen from their beds. This was her chance to read the gossip columns in the daily paper while peacefully enjoying her first cup of tea. Only after this much loved ritual would she start making the large breakfast her men folk required. This was her normal way to start the day and Petunia hated anything that interfered with her oh so normal life.

Discovering a baby on your doorstep when you went to fetch the morning paper was certainly not something that could be considered normal. That the baby had his tiny fist clutching a letter addressed to Petunia Dursley immediately ruled out any chance of mistaken identity, the child had been deliberately left at number four Privet Drive's doorstep.

The chill that saw Petunia draw the quilted housecoat tighter around her thin body wasn't purely down to this year's first touch of frost on their front lawn. That a baby could survive out here, never mind be ignored by both the milkman and the paperboy, reeked of something she was desperately trying to forget even existed. The reports on the news of owls behaving strangely and weird light shows in the sky began to make some sense to the housewife, only something cataclysmic in the magical word would see this child end up here. Lily's eyes staring at her from this child left no room for doubt to his identity.

Petunia was reluctant to take the Potter child into her home but what choice did she have? if she left him there then the neighbours were bound to notice eventually, that couldn't be allowed to happen.

Vernon was awoken by his clearly upset wife, that he couldn't smell his bacon cooking provided a further clue to just how upset she was. Seeing the letter clutched in her hand had Vernon sitting up in bed and reaching for his reading glasses.

After reading the words on the strange paper, Vernon blew his top. "Who do these bastards think they are, that they can dump their unwanted rubbish on our doorstep and expect us to look after their mess? I'm sorry to hear about your sister Petunia but we will not be raising her son. We'll just give him back and explain we don't want the little freak."

It was a very nervous Petunia who answered her enraged husband. "The letter said that the boy living here would provide some kind of protection for our family, for Dudley, shouldn't we..."

Her husband cut right across her. "That's a load of tosh, designed to get us to take the boy in. If our family is in danger then we call the police, I would rather put my faith in them than some crackpot who leaves babies on doorsteps in November."

"But Vernon, where would we give him back to? An orphanage?"

"The boy will be better amongst his own kind, didn't you say once that they had their own government?"

"Yes, but I wouldn't have a clue where to find it. I visited a place called Diagon Alley once when Lily had just turned eleven, I never went back there again."

"That will have to do then. I'll go there and hand the sprog over to the first respectable person I see. Put this letter back in the envelope and they can have that as well. I'll want my breakfast first though."

Petunia recognised an order when she heard one and rushed downstairs to the kitchen. As she was cooking breakfast, it gave her time to reflect on the wider implications that the Potter child currently in her living room signified, Lily was dead. She attempted to rationalise why that news didn't hurt her more and could really only come up with one answer.

As far as Petunia was concerned, the girl she knew as Lily Evans started the process of being dead to her from the first year the redhead left on that train to Scotland. Lily finally completed that journey the day she angrily proclaimed Vernon Dursley wasn't good enough for Petunia Evans. Petunia drew no comfort from the thought that Lily's own marriage had apparently been a direct contributor to her death at the age of only twenty one.

-oOoOo-

Vernon was in a foul mood. He'd walked up and down Charring Cross Road at least a dozen times and all he had to show for it was sore feet. That wasn't exactly true, his left arm was numb from the weight of the child he had resting there. Vernon had seen plenty of what he would consider 'freakish' people walking up and down too, but they all seemed to disappear the instant he took his eyes of them. He had resorted to staring but something always seemed to catch his attention just before they disappeared.

The child was starting to girn again but Vernon had the Dursley patented answer for that, his mother swore by it and it had worked on his own son. One of Dudley's old dummy tits dipped into a tiny pot of honey soon quietened the child, the boy liked it so much his little hand closed over Vernon's meaty finger.

For Vernon, this was like the curtains being drawn back. Suddenly he could see the decrepit old pub sitting there exactly as his wife described it. He had never seen an establishment that was less inviting in his life but it held the means for him to dispose of the bundle currently clinging to his finger, he kept his head down while entering the Leaky Cauldron.

Petunia had told him he needed to go through to the back of the pub where a wall would grant him access, though he would need to wait on someone opening it before he could enter the alley. Their fears of Vernon standing out as being normal were proving totally groundless, he could have rode in there upon an elephant and no one would have batted an eyelid. The whole place appeared to be in the midst of some kind of celebration, a celebration that seemed to have been ongoing for at least a day or two.

He had no trouble following a young family through the back of the pub to reach his destination, Vernon then found himself standing in what he considered to be the capital city of freakish. This brought even more problems though, he'd promised Petunia he would leave the child with someone respectable. Try as he might, Vernon just couldn't see anyone who matched his description of that word. He had just about settled on an ice cream shop when Vernon spotted the large, white marble building. Discovering that this was a bank cemented his decision, he boldly walked up the wide stairs to an establishment that screamed respectability at him.

The shock that awaited him inside the marble building almost had the disgusted Vernon running back out, a closer look saw him change his mind. Yes these creatures were undoubtably not human, but this establishment was also undoubtably recognisable as a bank. There were tellers working with orderly queues waiting to be served, that the people in these queues were clearly freaks was only to be expected. What clinched it for Vernon was that these creatures at least knew how to dress properly. All wore three piece pinstripe suits, with bow ties or cravats, none of these robe things that their customers seemed so fond of. He could ignore the large teeth and pointed ears, anyone wearing a suit couldn't be all bad.

Vernon himself was of course dressed in a suit so girded his loins and joined what he considered the shortest queue. When it was finally his turn to be dealt with, the surly little creature didn't even look up while displaying a shocking lack of customer relations skills.

"What do you want?"

Vernon thought this would be easy, he was accustomed to using his imposing size to bully those smaller than himself - which was just about everybody. Deciding to get straight to the point, he also let loose with his razor sharp wit. This was a double whammy that should ensure he obtained the outcome he wanted here. "I want to make a deposit!" With that, he dumped the boy and letter on the teller's counter. A smiling Vernon didn't notice the two goblin guards with razor sharp axes take up position behind him, only the teller's raised hand stopping them taking further action.

The names of Potter and Dumbledore on the letter meant this needed to be passed up to a higher authority, this was way beyond what any goblin at a teller counter was cleared for.

The little creature flipped up a 'position closed' sign before jumping down from his high stool and waddling away with the letter clutched in its long fingers, leaving Vernon with no other choice but to grab the child and follow on behind.

Barchoke was busying himself with tying down the Potter accounts and properties. Since wizards had decreed his clients wills would not be read, he intended to ensure that any who tried would be denied access to all Potter property. He was currently debating with himself what to do about the trust fund James and Lily had set up for their son when a knock at the door had him calling enter.

He was reading the note held in his hands while studying the sorry human sitting across from him, Barchoke was impressed by neither of them. This obese human walrus had dumped the last scion of the House of Potter onto his desk as if it was a pile of dirty laundry. The goblin parted the blanket Harry was wrapped in to study the child. Its little hand shot out and immediately wrapped around his finger while golden eyes stared into the green eyes Harry had clearly inherited from his mother. The goblin also couldn't miss the scar on the child's forehead.

"Can I ask why you brought this child here?"

Vernon appreciated the opulence of the office he'd been led into, this was no mere teller. He also decided to be perfectly honest with this creature. "I didn't know where else to take him. It was this or an orphanage, but I felt it would be better if he was raised amongst his own kind. I have no idea how to arrange that, which is why I brought him into your bank."

The goblin couldn't mistake the emphasis this human had placed on the phrase 'his own kind', Barchoke had been hearing this phrase from wizards his entire life. Teller Griphook also told him the large pile of garbage was as conceited and arrogant as any pureblood he'd ever met, that information had not been passed on in English.

Goblins had been putting up with that rhetoric for generations because nothing was more important to them than treasure, and the so-called guardian of Harry Potter had just placed untold treasure on his desk. Barchoke needed more information though before making any decisions here. "The wizard who signed this letter is the most powerful figure in British magical society. If Gringotts were to attempt to place Harry Potter with a wizarding family, Dumbledore would remove him and once more take the child to your house."

Vernon appeared resigned now, though hardly upset about the matter. "Very well, I will just have to take him to an orphanage. I still think he should be raised by his own kind but I won't lose any sleep over the matter. I refuse to have my son exposed to his freakishness, staying at our house is simply not an option I'm prepared to accept."

The goblin knew what this statement meant for the 'protection' Dumbledore was attempting to establish at this residence, that the muggle knew nothing of the benefits of these wards was hardly Barchoke's fault. He really had only one more question to ask. "Does your wife agree with this decision?"

Vernon's answer left no room for any doubt. "Absolutely one hundred percent. Our main concern will always be our own son, and we won't let anything interfere with that."

Barchoke sat back with his long fingers steepled in front of him, he appeared the epitome of calm while his mind was racing a mile a minute. He well understood that the radical thoughts running through his head could see a blade part him from it but Barchoke was slowly talking himself into a crazy course of action. Even mentioning this action to the director would mean his life could never be the same again, he thought the possible benefits outweighed the very real risks. "Mr Dursley, there might be something I can do to help but I would need to speak with the director of the bank first. Can I offer you some refreshments while you wait?"

As the tea, milk and sugar appeared on a small table that moments ago wasn't there, Vernon was all set to politely refuse until a tray of fruit scones was suddenly next to it. This was a temptation too far for Vernon who quickly accepted his host's offer.

Barchoke was mentally rehearsing how he was going to pitch the biggest gamble Gringotts bank and his race had taken in centuries to the director, knowing Ragnok would already be in a bad mood since he didn't currently have an appointment. At the moment Barchoke thought the odds were at best a coin toss. Tails he would win or his head he would lose.

-oOoOo-

The Potter accounts manager had sweat running off his forehead by the time he finished the pitch, Ragnok was too quiet. The expected explosion soon came though.

"You want to throw the goblin nation into a war over a human child? I think you've lost your head and I am ready to give the order that will make that condition permanent. What do you think the ministry would do when they discovered we have the child they're calling the-boy-who-lived and hailing as their saviour?"

"With the greatest of respect sir, I don't believe the ministry will be involved in this at all. Dumbledore blocked the Potter will reading and told the Wizengamot the boy was safe, he certainly won't want to publicly admit to everyone he lied. If it were to become known the Chief Warlock left the Potter heir on a muggle doorstep, it might even be a large enough scandal to bring him down."

Barchoke took the director's silence as permission for him to continue talking. "After the happenings over the course of the other night, there can be no doubt the boy really is a child of prophecy. Having Harry Potter raised by goblins would be a coup of epic proportions, and provide us with a golden opportunity to install goblin values in a wizard destined for greatness. We have Dumbledore over a barrel, provided the lad attends Hogwarts at age eleven. I would also like our healers to have a look at the dark magic lurking at the site of his scar."

He could see this appealed to the director but his next question showed there was still a ways to go to convince Ragnok this could be good for the goblin nation. "Even without the backing of the ministry, Dumbledore could still make a lot of trouble for us. How do you propose to handle the old wizard?"

This was the crux of the matter, the next few minutes would determine if he left this room with his head still attached to his shoulders. "That letter passes responsibility for Harry Potter onto his muggle relatives," Ragnok nodded impatiently so Barchoke blurted out the next bit. "I plan to draw up an escrow agreement, that should take care of all the legal requirements."

Barchoke sweated as the silence drew out, it was broken by the deep belly-laughter rolling out of Ragnok. "Oh that's too cruel, legally cut Dumbledore off at the knees. I approve!" Barchoke almost sunk to the floor in relief but his training saw him stand proud, the director's next comment really surprised him though. "Go and arrange for our young crow - no, let the lad henceforth be known as old crow..."

Ragnok was laughing now at his own wit, it would be a stupid goblin that didn't laugh along with the director. "Go and arrange for old crow to spend the next ten years learning the ways of our people, you understand that I hold you personally responsible for the success of this project?"

Barchoke quickly agreed and thanked the director for this opportunity, before getting out of there as quickly as he could. Ragnok personally naming the child would add a level of protection Barchoke couldn't have considered when thinking through this idea, as a wizard being raised as a goblin - Harry would need all the help he could get.

Barchoke himself had been touched by tragedy when his lifemate had died during a complicated and difficult childbirth, that the son she'd died giving birth to barely survived her by twenty-four hours was a double tragedy. That this son was their first child compounded the misery, like young Harry - Barchoke was now the last of his line. Oh there were a few distant cousins still lurking about who hoped to inherit everything once he passed from this world, only if he didn't challenge the greedy cowards to a duel before the end. At least if they defeated him, they could then claim it had been earned.

Young Harry Potter had touched something more than just his finger in that office. Here was another much loved son destined for the scrapheap of life because his mother had died prematurely, well not if Barchoke could do something about it. His clan had looked after the House Potter finances for generations, he was just taking those close ties a step further. If things went the way he hoped, Harry Potter would be adopted as his son until the child was old enough to make his own decisions.

-oOoOo-

Vernon was trying to decide if having a fifth scone could be considered as being greedy when his host re-entered his office. He actually appreciated this creatures no-nonsense approach to business, there was no time wasted on mindless chit-chat about sports or the weather.

"Mr Dursley, have you ever heard of an escrow agreement?" As expected, this question was met with a negative response so the goblin banker explained the concept. "As you already know, Gringotts is fundamentally a bank. An escrow agreement is where a sum of money or property is held by a third party until specific conditions laid out in a contract can be met. I propose an agreement between the Dursleys and the House of Potter, with the goblins acting as bankers - looking after the property until the predetermined conditions are met. As the Potter account manager, my signature should be acceptable on a business agreement until young Harry comes of age."

Vernon wasn't sure what was being offered here and wanted to make certain he understood everything before making any decisions. "Can the brat be considered property, and what would these conditions be?"

Barchoke was really having to keep his temper in check at this muggle's disrespect to a child. How anyone could treat a toddler with such hate was beyond goblin understanding. "In magical law, children and wives are routinely considered property of the wizard, that will cause no problems. As to the conditions, I think we should keep them as simple as possible - less chance of other people being able to attach their own interpretations to the wording then."

Vernon was naturally all in favour of keeping things as simple as possible, just as long as he left here without the bundle in his arms.

"I think it's safe to assume that it's not the child himself you and your wife object to, rather the fact that he's probably a wizard." Vernon agreed with that assessment so Barchoke gave him the gist of the Dursleys' part of the agreement. "If fate decrees the child is not a wizard, he returns to your family to be raised as your nephew. If, on the other hand, Harry Potter is a wizard, the escrow agreement would see Gringotts responsible for him until the boy becomes of age to represent House Potter."

This sounded exactly what he wanted but Vernon was determined to double check everything. "So, unless he's normal, my family will never see him again?"

Barchoke gave him the confirmation he needed. "That describes exactly what the contract will state, though I must point out it is imperative that your wife also signs the escrow agreement."

Since both he and Petunia were certain the brat was a freak, this would work out perfectly for them. "That will not be a problem, how long will it take to draw up the papers?"

The words had no sooner left his mouth before the teller he had first dealt with entered the office with a scroll in his hands. Vernon left Gringotts thinking that normal banks placed far too much emphasis on being polite and caring to their customers, and not enough on taking care of business. As he retraced his steps through the pub he actually pitied the poor goblin bankers - imagine having to serve nothing but freaks all day.

-oOoOo-

The healers were extremely angry, Barchoke fully shared that anger after hearing their diagnoses and prognoses. They were raging that this child had been left untreated. Even worse, it would appear that treatment was deliberately withheld. The longer this condition went untreated, the more severe the trauma would be for removing this disgusting thing from the child. As the healers sent for a pig to act as a new host for this abomination, Barchoke knew it was his duty to report this news to the director. The Potter accounts manager could confidently predict there would be no laughter at this meeting.

That the dark one had stooped so low as to use this most foulest form of magic would not only disgust Ragnok, it was practically a foregone conclusion that all the vaults under Gringotts would need to be inspected in case any more of these affronts to nature existed there. It was also not inconceivable that a certain Albus Dumbledore could suddenly find himself suffering from 'banking difficulties'. What was inconceivable to the goblin was that the Chief Warlock could miss the dark magic radiating from the child's scar, to deliberately ignore this was criminal. For a goblin, committing a crime against a child was as low as you could get.

-oOoOo-

Albus could no longer ignore the readings - or lack of - coming from the instruments he'd tied to the wards around the Potter boy's residence. He'd been putting this confrontation off but, with the children now safely on the Hogwarts express to begin their Christmas Holidays, the headmaster's last excuse about being too busy had left with them. It was time to once more visit Privet Drive.

It was an invisible Dumbledore who took his second stroll along Privet Drive, he wanted to ensure his instruments weren't malfunctioning before disturbing the Dursleys. His wand soon confirmed the information his sensors at Hogwarts were telling him, there were no wards whatsoever around this property. Albus decided to do some snooping.

Watching through the window as Petunia played on the floor with her large son, all the while the husband sat in an enormous chair and never removed his head from the newspaper, Albus was puzzled why Harry wasn't part of this scene. It would appear the only way he would discover the information he required was by entering the house. He at least had the good manners to ring the doorbell and wait until it was answered.

Petunia was stunned when she opened the door, she was just reminding herself that it was nearly Christmas - and not Halloween - when the six and a half foot gaudy garden gnome spoke.

"Good evening Mrs Dursley. My name is Albus Dumbledore, could I have a few words with you regarding your nephew, Harry Potter?"

The instant she heard the name Dumbledore, Petunia tried to slam the door in his face. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, the door refused to move from the open position. "Harry Potter doesn't live here, and we don't know where he is."

This led to a rather loud 'WHAT!' from the wizard. Vernon had started moving the second he heard the name Dumbledore mentioned, he was now thundering down the hall to confront this wizard who caused him so much work.

"My wife is correct, the freak doesn't live here. Did you honestly think you could just dump the brat on us, without as much as an explanation, and we would accept that? You must be used to dealing with the wrong kind of people, decent, hard-working folk like us would never accept that situation."

Albus was seriously struggling to accept the situation he was finding himself in. "...but, I left you a letter."

Vernon always had a quick and fiery temper but this idiot just poured petrol all over it. "Do you honestly think that including a letter makes amends for dumping a baby on someone's doorstep? You sir need to go and get yourself a job somewhere as Father Christmas, the kids might accept the crap you hand out but the Dursleys never will."

Albus had his half-moon glasses in one hand, while the fingers of his other massaged the bridge of his nose. "Where is the boy, what have you done with him?"

Vernon was quite proud of himself for the solution he'd devised, he didn't see the need to tell this freak though. "I negotiated a contract, Petunia signed it and then it turned golden before disappearing. I was told this would only happen if it was legal and above board, we'll thankfully never have to see the brat again."

As the muggle was reliving that particular morning in his mind, Albus was watching it unfold using a mind probe. he couldn't help but be shocked at what he saw. "The goblins have control of Harry Potter, do you realise what you've done?"

Vernon wasn't about to stand here and have his elegant solution questioned. "Hey, you were the one who left him on a doorstep in the middle of the night. I at least put some effort into making sure he was raised by his own kind."

Albus was now glad he had charmed the area around the door, the arguments were getting louder and there appeared to be no possibility of him being invited inside. "How could you possibly think the goblins were 'his own kind'? Didn't you read the part of the letter that told you Harry living here would offer this family protection?"

Vernon got even louder, screw the neighbours. "Tall or short, you're all just freaks to me! ...and no, we didn't buy that protection shit you were trying to shovel."

This infuriating muggle had just given Albus a massive headache, how to get Harry Potter back. He decided to leave them with something painful to mull over. "A young couple with a son, same age as yours, were recently tortured into insanity. They may be technically still alive but that young mother will never hold her child in her arms again. The protection gained by Harry living here would have prevented that ever happening to you." He heard the gasp of terror coming from Petunia and thought the bitch deserved it. How could anyone give away their only nephew?

"I shall leave now and wish you a Merry Christmas, we can only hope you and your family enjoy many more."

Dumbledore popped away, leaving Petunia clinging to her husband's arm. "Oh Vernon, perhaps we should have kept the freak? We could have stuck him in the cupboard under the stairs out of the way..."

"Petunia, the old man was deliberately trying to scare us. He's just pissed off because he didn't get his own way."

This was little comfort to the worried mother. "But Dudley..."

"Listen, let's enjoy Christmas and, if you still feel the same way in the New Year, we'll look at moving house. It wouldn't hurt for me to get a shotgun either, soon show these freaks we mean business."

Vernon could see the worry literally drop off his wife, Petunia was probably planning how she would decorate their new home. The new house should also have a bigger lounge, this would be the excuse for him to buy that new giant TV he had his eye on.

-oOoOo-

Albus walked up to the first available teller at Gringots and asked to see the Potter accounts manager. The goblin in front of him though just added to his already bad day.

"Do you have an appointment?"

"No I thought..."

"What do you want to see him for?"

"That's personal, needless to say..."

Albus was interrupted again. "Who shall I say wishes to see him?"

"I am Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, surely you must have heard..."

"Wulfric after Percival but before Brian?"

Albus could only sigh and nod his head in agreement, only to discover the goblin wasn't even looking at him so he was forced to say 'yes'.

"Okay, and last name Dumbledore? I'll go and see if there is anyone available to deal with your request at the moment. Please remain here."

It had been Dumbledore's experience that when the goblins were at their most obstructive, it meant you had upset them in some way. He was struggling to think what he'd done to merit this treatment but reckoned he would soon find out, he didn't have long to wait. Four security guards with drawn weapons surrounded him and demanded he follow their lead.

He was surprised but delighted to find himself in the directors office, now at least he was getting somewhere. Or so he thought. "Director Ragnok, delighted to see you again..."

The director cut across him as abruptly as the teller had. "Let's cut the dragonshit Dumbledore, I have better things to do than stand here and listen to you talk nonsense. The reason you are in here is to give you this." Albus found a scroll being slapped into his hand. "This is a notice of vault closure, you have twenty-four hours to take your belongings from the Dumbledore vault before we seal it. After that time, Gringotts will no longer do business with you."

This was totally unexpected and an extremely serious development, getting kicked out of Gringotts was a sanction used for only the very worst offenders. "Perhaps there has been a mistake here?"

"Oh yes, and it was you who made it. We now know that the dark one is not gone, and we also know how this was achieved. This was information that could have seriously compromised Gringotts, yet you deliberately withheld it from us."

Albus suddenly understood what was going on here. "Did you find any in the vaults? You must tell me!"

Ragnok's answer was scathing. "Oh, so now you want a spirit of cooperation between us? I must tell you nothing. Get him out of here."

Albus was being dragged out before he'd got what he came for. "Wait, What about Harry Potter?"

The director's sneer was predatory. "Send his Hogwarts letter to Gringotts, I'll make sure he gets it."

Albus was rather unceremoniously herded into the main lobby of Gringotts by the guards, the old wizard then headed back to Hogwarts. He would need to make some quick arrangements on where to store the items from his vault. Albus decided to tell no one about this, being barred from Gringotts was ammunition his enemies didn't need to have.

His plan for Harry Potter was to ensure the boy wouldn't be seen again in the British magical community until the child's arrival at Hogwarts. That plan was still viable, though it would be a different Harry Potter who now stepped onto the express. Just how different was something Albus was going to have to wait ten years to discover.

A/N thanks for reading

A/N 2 - When I came up with the escrow idea, I just couldn't resist a nod to my favourite author. How Harry Crow came to be will be explained in the next chapter, where our hero makes his way to Hogwarts.

A/N 3 Since the Queen was nice enough to give me an extra day's holiday to celebrate her diamond jubilee, I decided to use the time to post the first chapter of my new story.

2. Pride and Prejudice

Harry Crow

Disclaimer - When carrying out DIY, it isn't always about saving money. To me, being able to stand back and say 'I did that' is equally as important. That is why the first person to click on my latest chapter is also the first person, other than me, to read it. I realise this might not be everyone's cup of tea and can only suggest they get the professionals in. I can heartily recommend J K Rowling's early works, she really makes the character of Harry Potter her own. ( Her Dumbledore confuses the hell out of me though! )

Chapter 2

Hermione Granger was different, she'd always known that. It would be hard not to when the children that you attended school with went out of their way to point this fact out to you every single day. Having really bushy hair and rather large front teeth were obvious targets for her main antagonists, being top of every class didn't help the situation any either. Her continual lack of friendship had led Hermione to seek her escape in the printed word, always having a book in her hand though was just more ammunition for the various groups of Hermione haters. She may have heard variations of the terms buck-toothed bushy-haired bookworm hundreds of times, that didn't mean those words didn't hurt on each and every one of those occasions.

Then, almost a year ago, an event happened that explained why she was different - Hermione Granger was a witch! While her mum and dad had taken some convincing of this fact, the instant Professor McGonagall had spoken those special words Hermione had known deep within herself this was indeed true. The preceeding months had been some of the best of her young life. Schoolyard taunts no longer had the power to hurt, she was different and would be leaving for a special school where things would be so, so different.

Hermione Granger was done with being an outsider, she was going to a place where everyone would be the same as her - a place where she could finally have friends. This had been her shield and armour against the taunts and jibes that had viciously escalated as the bullies attempted to get a reaction from their favourite target. It was perhaps somewhat understandable then that the young witch was near to tears since those dreams were beginning to appear to be mere fantasy, and she wasn't even on the bloody train yet.

The day had started so well too, up at the crack of dawn so she could be fully prepared for her new adventure. A breakfast where she never seemed to stop talking was followed by the car ride to Kings Cross - bright and early of course. Saying goodby to her parents at the barrier had been hard, but a new life awaited her and she was quite prepared to run through a brick wall to get there. Hermione did just that, and then things started going downhill.

On her first sight of platform nine and three quarters, it wasn't the bright red Hogwarts Express that caught the young witch's attention. It was the group of four witches already in their green-trimmed Hogwarts robes that drew Hermione like a moth to a flame. Unfortunately, just like said moth, she got burned. Deciding to introduce herself, Hermione was met with looks of disgust and derision - it wasn't supposed to be this way. Confidence severely dented, she then discovered another problem.

Her trunk, loaded of course with extra books, that her dad had easily lifted onto the trolley was proving impossible for Hermione to physically place on the train. As she struggled with the trunk, sniggering laughter almost had her in tears.

A kind voice cut through her frustration and mounting despair. "Can I help you Miss?"

Hermione raised her head and had trouble believing the person standing there could possibly exist, far less be speaking to her. If Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet ever had a son, he was standing right in front of Hermione Granger and offering his assistance. The boy was even dressed as if he'd just stepped out of the pages of Pride and Prejudice, Hermione's favourite book.

His black frock coat had silk lapels, it also had to be wide at the shoulders to accommodate the body it clothed. Being fitted to accentuate a slim waist was also an effect that the young witch appreciated. The grey waistcoat just visible under the coat matched his trousers, with button up black boots being a nice touch. The ascot knotted cravat, with a diamond cravat pin being a fitting finish to this very nice ensemble. His jet- black wavy hair hung down to his shoulders and framed what Hermione would consider a kind face, but those wonderfully expressive almond shaped green eyes melted her heart. If it wouldn't be considered blasphemy, Hermione reckoned this boy was too gorgeous even for Jane Austen to do justice.

She must have muttered some kind of answer to his question because he smiled and lifted her trunk clean into the compartment. With that smile, Hermione knew she was gone. Her mother had sat Hermione down for a talk about boys before she headed off to Hogwarts, the young witch had foolishly thought most of it would never apply to her. Hermione had never understood her classmates' devotion to the latest boy bands, who cared what 'new kids on the block' were doing offstage, or on stage for that matter! She had though her first crush would be on some handsome author or, heaven forbid, a teacher. In the space of a few seconds the boy in front of her had just shattered that illusion into a gazillion pieces.

She had to say something, he couldn't leave here thinking she was some drivelling drooling moronic fan girl, she didn't even know his name. "Thank you, that was very kind. You're welcome to share this compartment, if you want?"

The words were out before Hermione realised what she'd said, she was berating herself for once more providing an opportunity to be hurt when his wide smile surprised the hell out of her.

"I'd like that, very much."

Not believing her luck, she offered her hand for shaking. "I'm Hermione Granger..."

The boy didn't shake her hand. He took it by her fingertips and very gently turned her hand around before bending down and lightly brushing his lips over the back of her knuckles. There was no longer room for any doubt, Hermione Granger was well and truly smitten.

"Very pleased to meet your acquaintance Miss Granger, my name is Harry Crow."

Hermione just started to babble as the words poured from her mouth. "Nobody in my family's magic at all, it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean, it's the very best school of witchcraft there is, I've heard — I've learned all our course books by heart, of course, I just hope it will be enough..."

The laughter coming from Harry certainly couldn't be classed as sarcastic, it seemed almost friendly in nature. "Relax Hermione, and breathe occasionally. We've a long train journey ahead of us, plenty of time to get to know each other and become friends."

Hermione couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Friends?"

"Oh, sorry if I'm being a bit presumptuous here, my main reason for attending Hogwarts is to hopefully make friends."

"Me too, and I would love to be your friend."

Both then sat and began their journey, not only to Hogwarts but the much more important destination of friendship.

-oOoOo-

Albus paced up and down his office, as jumpy as the proverbial cat on a hot tin roof. Harry Potter had been missing from the wizarding world for almost a decade, today would see his return. The goblins had kept a very close eye on the boy but this evening he would come back into Albus Dumbledore's domain, it only remained to see how much damage he would have to undo from the boy's unorthodox upbringing.

Albus intended to permanently wrench the boy away from the goblins, and had a scheme in place to achieve this at the first available opportunity. Tonight the boy would learn who the real power in magical Britain was, and it wasn't any goblin.

-oOoOo-

As the express sped them away from London, Harry was trying to make sure his new friend wasn't pulling his leg. "So your parents are a type of healer, but they only heal inside their patient's mouth?"

Hermione could hardly contain her laughter at Harry's disbelieving look. "Yes, that's what dentists do. I'll make a deal with you, you can ask me anything about muggles if I can do the same with you regarding purebloods?"

"I'm sorry but I can't do that, I'm not a pureblood Hermione."

"Oh, I just took it from the way you're dressed that's what purebloods wore."

Harry was looking wary at his new friend, he still wasn't sure whether this was some kind of wind-up. "I'm supposed to be dressed as a muggle, are you telling me this isn't right?"

This time Hermione couldn't hold her laughter, that was until she saw Harry's crestfallen appearance. "I'm sorry Harry, I thought you were making a joke there. Muggles used to wear clothes like that, but not for the best part of a century." She was desperate for more information but didn't want to push anything, Harry seemed really upset at her revelation.

"This is great, instead of blending in with one group of students I'm going to stand out like a sore thumb. The tailors made exact copies of the styles in the muggle studies books, how could they be wrong?"

Hermione had an idea what had gone wrong but needed to make sure. "Did they get those books from Diagon Alley?" Harry's nod was all the conformation she needed. "My mother thought that would at least be one subject she could understand so bought a few of the books, mum said they were some of the funniest things she'd ever read. All of the information in them is about a century out of date, and even then some of it was wrong. She reckoned that the authors had never actually met someone without magic."

"Well, that's just great. Director Ragnok named me Old Crow, he would probably have been better calling me Bertie Bott!" He saw the questioning look on Hermione's face before remembering she knew a lot less about the magical community than he did, it was time to tell her the story.

"Bertie Bott's is a type of sweet that comes in every flavour, that describes me perfectly. My mum was like you, muggleborn while my dad was a pureblood. Both gave their lives to save mine when I was just a toddler. I can't remember anything about them and now my adoptive father is a goblin. As I said, the goblin leader named me Old Crow, due to the way I ended up in Gringotts. My father calls me Harry Crow but my mum and dad named their new born baby Harry James Potter..." He couldn't miss the gasp that came from Hermione at that revelation.

"So, as you can imagine, I have a foot in many camps but don't know which one I belong to... I had hoped to honour my mother's memory by dressing like this today but it looks like that's gone now."

Hermione couldn't help herself, without even thinking about her actions, she had moved across the carriage to sit beside Harry and already had him in a hug. "Oh Harry, you know I'll help you any way I can."

He was as stiff as a board, goblins didn't do hugs. As Hermione offered her assurance of assistance, Harry began to relax and think that the goblins had got at least one thing wrong - this was nice. For some reason he trusted this girl, his first real friend, and began to tell her more than he'd intended to reveal.

"When my parents were murdered, I was dumped on the doorstep of my mother's muggle sister. They didn't want me so did a deal with Gringotts where the goblins will look after me until I'm old enough to take up the responsibilities of heading House Potter. I have this weird mixed heritage and soon I'll be forced to make a decision, just where does my future lie."

Hermione was holding him close and thinking this was something she could get used to. She needed to help her first friend. "I read accounts of Harry Potter in a few reference books, all of them speculated on what had happened to you after that Halloween. Looks like none of them were even close."

This drew a slight laugh from Harry, and allowed Hermione to release her hug before it became embarrassing. She still continued to sit closely beside him though.

"You should have seen some of the Harry Potter books they tried to publish as true stories of my life, they would certainly have entertained your mum as much as those history books. My father soon put a stop to it, making it illegal for anyone to make a profit off my name."

Hermione was puzzled about a million different things concerning Harry but didn't want to push, she hoped he would tell her in his own time. One thing in particular bothered her though, and she thought it wouldn't cause any major secrets to be revealed, so asked Harry about it. "I started getting the wizarding newspaper, to try and prepare myself for Hogwarts, and they have been promoting the boy-who-lives going to Hogwarts angle for months. The drawings they published of Harry Potter look nothing like you though, you've no scar or glasses."

"Apparently I had a scar when I first went to Gringotts but the healers dealt with it. As for the glasses, I can only assume they thought because my dad wore them that I would need them too. The books featured the same type of drawings, and also had my father asking where they got their information. None of them would say anything."

Just then, they endured the first of many visits from people wanting to know if they'd seen Harry Potter. Boy-who-lived fever was breaking out all over the express, with search parties hunting along the train for a sight of their elusive prey. Hermione noticed Harry's personality would change anytime someone else entered the compartment, quickly reverting back as soon as they were alone again. She didn't want to ask him about it and ended up biting her bottom lip so as not to blurt something out. Harry must have seen the question in her expression though and answered her.

"The goblins claim to have three faces, the one the public sees, and then there is their true self. Their true self is reserved for family and friends."

Harry smiled at her to ensure she knew he now counted her in this group. "The final face is the last thing their enemies see just before they die. They may be bankers now but goblins are really warriors at heart."

Hermione's curiosity got the better of her and another question slipped out before she could catch it. "What was it like growing up with the goblins?"

Harry was enjoying talking about his life with someone else, this was not something usually available to him. "I actually grew up as a goblin, though clearly I knew I was different. That goblins and wizards barely tolerate each other didn't help me any, I got into a lot of fights when I was younger." Hermione had her arms around him again, encouraging Harry to speak of things he never had before.

"Some of the adults weren't too pleased about the situation either, my dad is a powerful goblin who legally adopted me as his son. There were a couple of goblins who strongly objected, my father fought two duels to the death over me."

Harry was drawing comfort from being held in his friend's arms, he found that once he began talking about this that he couldn't stop. He'd never had anyone to talk to about his life before. "Had my father been defeated, I really don't know what would have happened to me. I needed to learn to stand on my own two feet as quickly as possible, and my father provided me with all the training I could handle. Being different actually worked in my favour for once. By the time I was six, I towered over all of the children in my classes. Now I'm taller than my father, though he can still kick my arse when we duel."

"He sounds like a wonderful man - sorry, goblin."

That slip had Harry smiling again, allowing Hermione to reluctantly end their latest hug. "I just call him father, and I'm sorry for unloading all this onto you. We've only just met today yet I feel I can trust you, please don't ask me to explain why."

Hermione understood the amount of trust Harry was placing in her, and decided to reciprocate with some revelations of her own. "I understand about being different Harry, I've been bullied since my first day of school because I was seen as different. I thought it was because I was a witch, only to discover today that I'm still different. Those witches that I spoke to wanted nothing to do with me, I'll be twelve in a few weeks and you are the first person whose ever wanted to be friends with me."

Harry now had first hand experience of how a hug could make you feel better, he decided his friend needed one so that's what he did.

Hermione couldn't believe it, in the space of a few hundred miles she'd travelled from despair to being hugged by the most famous boy in her new world. That this went via crushing on a stranger to now having a best friend made the entire trip really magical. She was also struggling to comprehend just what he'd had to endure. Her dad had called down to her primary school a few times when the bullying got really bad but Harry's father had risked his life twice to protect his adopted son. Hermione didn't ever want to think about anything happening to her parents, yet Harry had already lost both of his and knew his adoptive father was fighting duels to the death to keep him safe.

There and then Hermione decided that her new mission in life was to be the best friend she could to Harry, the first boy ever to hug her. They chatted for hours, growing closer and closer the further from home they got. As they finally approached their destination, the pair took turns at waiting outside the carriage while the other changed into their Hogwarts robes.

Harry had one last word of warning for his new friend. "Hermione, I'm half expecting trouble when I get to Hogwarts. perhaps it would be better if..."

Hermione put an end to that avenue of thought in an instant. "No Harry, whatever you were going to say there is no chance I'm going back to the way I was before getting on this train. You're my friend and that's more important than any school."

The wide smile he gave her after this declaration did funny things to her stomach, Harry offering his arm saw her sporting a matching wide smile of her own.

"Shall we Miss Granger?"

It was time for the public face. "Delighted Mr Crow."

-oOoOo-

Hogsmead station hardly deserved the name, it had a platform to allow people access to and from the train and that was it. It also appeared to be in the middle of nowhere, with the few lit lamps fighting a losing battle against the rapidly encroaching darkness as evening fell. It was to be expected that the temperature in the Scottish Highlands would be considerably lower than that of London, a fact that saw most of the older students pull their robes tighter around them and head directly to the waiting carriages.

Harry and Hermione were halted from following their example by the appearance of a hairy man-mountain holding a lantern aloft. "Firs' years! Firs' years over here!"

The towering figure was soon surrounded by all the first years. He appeared to be looking for someone in particular, it was also obvious from his expression that he didn't find who he was looking for. "C'mon, follow me — any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"

They stumbled and slipped down a steep dark path that had Hermione mumbling a question to Harry, "Have they never heard of Health and Safety?"

They soon found the ground levelling off as they approached the shore of a dark body of water, it was the magnificent castle that seemed to grow out the mountain on the other side that demanded all their attention though. The castle was huge and had many turrets and towers, all sparkling with lights shining from the countless windows. Hogwarts was something straight out of the pages of a fairy tale.

It was only the large man shouting that drew their attention to the fleet of little boats sitting on the shore, Hermione thought they were coracles.

"No more'n four to a boat!"

Harry helped Hermione into the boat before also offering his assistance to the twin sisters who had approached with the hope of sharing.

The large man obviously had an entire boat to himself. He quickly checked that everyone was sitting in a boat before an order of 'forward' saw the little craft slip fully onto the water and begin to make their way toward the castle.

Parvati introduced both herself and her twin sister Padma Patil before proceeding to talk their ears off all the way across the lake. She appeared to have the annoying habit of asking a question and then providing her own answer. Her sister just sat quietly, probably immune to her twin's rantings by now. "What house do you think you'll be in? I don't really mind since we're the first of our family to attend a British magical school. Have you any idea how we get sorted? I heard it was some sort of test, though one boy was claiming we had to wrestle a troll..."

Harry could see Hermione starting to slip into panic mode at this onslaught of questions, probably because she didn't have any answers. He literally couldn't move any closer so placed a comforting hand on her knee. "My father told me an ancient magical artefact will decide which house we belong in. No tests, and certainly no trolls."

Parvati now appeared much more interested in Harry's hand resting on Hermione's knee. This resulted in a barrage of personal questions, questions that neither of the two had any intention of answering.

Only the boats entering a dark tunnel appeared to halt the verbal onslaught and soon they were disembarking onto a shingle beach. Harry was again a gentleman and helped all three girls out the boat. A long flight of stone steps ended at a massive oak door, anything less than oak would surely have disintegrated when the enormous man pounded on it with his fist.

The door was then opened by a black-haired witch in dark green robes, her entire demeanour screamed 'don't mess with me.'

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall, and he ain' amongst 'em!"

The big man appeared ready to burst into tears before the stern professor pulled him aside. Everyone could still hear their conversation though.

"Pull yourself together Hagrid, did you count them?"

The man they now knew was named Hagrid seemed affronted by this. "O' course I did, all present an' accounted fer professor." It was only then that what McGonagall was implying hit Hagrid, they were all here so the person he was looking for must be amongst them.

"We'll just let the sorting ceremony answer that question."

Hagrid went away happy while McGonagall began giving them a brief introduction to the Hogwarts Houses, and what they stood for. Harry and Hermione hardly heard a word, it was clear to both of them just who the staff were looking for.

As McGonagall left them for a moment to check how things were progressing, Harry took the opportunity to whisper to Hermione. "Just remember, I can look after myself..."

He didn't get to say anymore as the blond boy, who'd been one of the students looking for Harry Potter on the train, decided to hold court. "Harry Potter doesn't come to Hogwarts and they're all wetting themselves, pathetic. Do you know why he's not at Hogwarts? It's because he's dead! Do you really think a toddler could defeat the dark lord?"

Hermione saw this boy's words were making an impression and was desperate to intervene, especially as one or two of the girls appeared close to tears. This was not her secret to reveal though so once more she bit her bottom lip, Hermione reckoned this was something she was going to have to get used to.

"You're nothing but a liar Malfoy..."

"Well, where is he Bones? Your aunt is the head of the aurors, has she ever seen him? No one has seen hide or hair of Harry Potter since that night. My father often has the minister of magic over for dinner, and even the head of our ministry has never seen Harry Potter. If it wasn't for that oaf Hagrid spouting stories in the pub every time he gets drunk, no one would know anything about that night."

One of the redheads, who'd also been looking for Harry on the train, reacted rabidly to Malfoy's claims. "Dumbledore has seen the boy-who-lived, he's kept him safe from evil creeps like your father."

Malfoy was more than a match for this verbal attack, he immediately taunted right back. "Perhaps the great Dumbledore dropped him off at your hovel weasel, what's one more kid amongst your tribe. Does your mother even remember all your names? Harry Potter isn't here because he's dead, and dead people don't come to Hogwarts."

This was met by screams, not against Malfoy but for the irrefutable proof he was wrong. A bunch of ghosts had just passed through the wall, and a few prospective first years. By the time the group had recovered from this shock, Professor McGonagall had returned to lead them into the great hall.

Harry was now in full public face mode so Hermione tried to match his confident poise, the trouble was she felt anything but confident. Another downside to this was that both now stood out amongst their oh-ing and ah-ing peers. When the tattered old hat began its song, Hermione was left to wonder just how strange this new world was.

A girl called Hannah Abbot was called forward first and sorted into Hufflepuff, it was soon clear the process was being carried out alphabetically by surname. When Vincent Crabbe headed off to join the green-trimmed robes of Hermione's earlier tormentors, both expected Harry to be next. When Tracey Davis name was called, they knew something was up.

Harry continually whispered reassurances that he could handle this but still had to practically push Hermione in the direction of the hat after her name was called. It didn't take long for the hat to place her in Ravenclaw. It was only after she was joined there by Padma Patil that the fun really started.

McGonagall called for Harry Potter, and no one moved. You could feel the mood in the hall drop as none of the remaining students stepped forward. McGonagall, knowing that the number of students she started the sorting with corresponded to the total names on her list, called his name again - with the exact same lack of results.

Hermione was gripping the wooden table hard enough to leave marks when Padma whispered a question to her. "Why wasn't Harry's name called?"

She really could reply honestly. "I don't know Padma, he should have been sorted before both of us. I just hope he gets into Ravenclaw, sorry you got separated from your sister."

"I'm not!" was the last thing said before the Deputy Headmistress continued with the sorting.

They were now down to just two boys left standing awaiting their turn under the hat. When McGonagall called on Blaise Zabini, there was finally only one. As Blaise headed off to Slytherin, all eyes were now focused on Harry.

"What is your name son?"

"Harry Crow professor."

McGonagall checked her list again to confirm what she already knew, there was only one name there she hadn't yet ticked. "I don't seem to have you down here Harry."

"My father confirmed I would be attending, and the circumstances surrounding my attendance..."

This was Dumbledore's moment, he would force the boy to choose in front of the entire hall. Once that initial choice had been made, there would be no going back to this goblin nonsense.

Dumbledore stood and waited until he had everyone's attention before speaking. "Perhaps I can shed some light on the matter Professor McGonagall. I did indeed receive Mr Crow's letter, and read the special circumstances he's alluding to. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to comply with those circumstances. This is Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, we have no accord or charter to accept a goblin into our school."

The headmaster was noted for his quirkiness, one might even go as far as to suggest he was a touch mad. His comments had certainly shed no light on this matter as the boy left standing there was clearly not a goblin. Dumbledore wasn't finished though.

"If young Harry here wants to attend Hogwarts, it will need to be under the name his birth parents gave him. Harry James Potter."

A/N thanks for reading

A/N 2 Harry Crow was not meant to be my next story. HC wasn't even in my mind until Inannacat sent me a pm listing a story I might like. Defending Sirius Black has Vernon being proactive and Harry Crow was born before I had finished reading the first chapter. I never read any of the rest - not wanting to use any more ideas from Luiz4200 - though I do intend to go back and read it after completing this. When something inspires you, I believe it's important to say so and give credit where it's due.

3. Hogwarts' Decision

Harry Crow

Disclaimer: Since I'm not the owner of these characters, I will probably do things with them that you don't like or agree with. Sorry in advance but that's the nature of fan fiction. To do otherwise kind of defeats the purpose of writing fan fiction, and copying JKR word for word would certainly see a lawsuit heading in my direction.

Chapter 3

"If young Harry here wants to attend Hogwarts, it will need to be under the name his birth parents gave him. Harry James Potter."

The silence that followed that announcement lasted mere seconds as everyone then attempted to shout at once. Dumbledore stood there with a satisfied smirk on his face and watched as the hall descend into chaos for a few moments. The boy simply wouldn't be able to refuse in front of all these witches and wizards, and then Harry would be back under his control. Albus would have until the summer holidays to find a suitable family to place the boy with, so there was no rush for that.

McGonagall finally restored order to the hall before rounding on Harry. "Is this true, are you Harry Potter?"

Harry and his father had prepared for his identity becoming publicly known, it was time to put those preparations to good use. "The headmaster is well aware that my adoptive father for the last ten years has been Barchoke, Senior Accounts Manager at Gringotts, and yes I was once called Harry Potter."

The mayhem this time kicked off instantly and took longer to get back under control. Harry Potter had been raised by a goblin? A goblin he even called father! It was a shocked McGonagall who once more turned to Harry. "How is this possible? I was there the night we left you with your muggle relatives..."

Hermione was of course watching her friend intently and thought she might just have caught a glimpse of Harry's third face. At McGonagall's revelation, he stood that bit straighter and stared directly into her eyes. Dangerous was the only word Hermione had to describe this version of Harry.

"And by what right did you participate in that atrocious event, Deputy Headmistress?"

The professor actually needed to take a step back at the venom radiating from those green eyes, before gathering her wits once more. "I was a friend of your mother and father's..."

The rest of the school couldn't believe it when a student, who hadn't even been sorted yet, cut right across the Hebridean dragon that was Minerva McGonagall. "I think 'was' is the operative word there. Don't expect any warm greetings should you ever meet them again. You did a great disservice to House Potter that night - as well as ignoring multiple laws set-up to protect children. Are you sure you should be working in a school, professor?" The sarcasm Harry loaded the word professor with couldn't be missed by even the thickest of Hogwarts students.

In the silence that followed McGonagall's slap-down, Padma grabbed Hermione's arm to get her attention. "You knew?"

She could only nod by way of a reply, Harry had turned his attention back to Dumbledore and Hermione didn't want to miss anything.

"I thank you for providing me with this choice headmaster, it's rather an easy one to make. You see I was very happy at my goblin school and never wanted to attend Hogwarts in the first place, it was my father who urged me to come here. I shall now be able to return home and tell him I tried my best but was neither welcome nor wanted."

The Hermione Granger who'd left Crawley that morning would probably have placed being expelled from school marginally below being killed in her list of catastrophic things that could happen to her. This Hermione Granger though had travelled to a different country and a whole other world had opened up for her. This Hermione Granger now had a best friend and was not about to lose him. Ignoring Harry's repeated claims that he could handle himself, she shot out her seat and rushed to his side.

"Hermione?"

"If you're leaving, then I'm going too."

Draco Malfoy was seething with anger. He'd made a big play to establish who was the king pin amongst the first years and now looked like a complete fool. Harry Potter had kept his silence, standing there and deliberately letting him dig a deeper hole for himself. Draco had never been so humiliated in his life. His father's instructions were to befriend the boy and then attempt to convert him to their way of thinking, you didn't need to be a genius to see that would never work now.

His anger led to him loudly opening his mouth when he probably shouldn't have, his voice clearly discernible over the hubbub Harry's proposed leaving was causing. "Goblins and another mudblood? Just when we thought the once proud Potter name couldn't sink any lower!"

Harry left Hermione standing there beside a still shocked McGonagall and purposefully walked toward Malfoy.

The blond Slytherin was supremely confident. He was amongst his own house with his godfather sitting at the staff table. He was also certain he could take whatever verbal mutterings Potter came up with and turn them back against him. Draco nonchalantly stood to meet the advancing Potter but was totally unprepared for what happened next.

Harry walked right up to Malfoy and his hand was a blur as it powerfully backhanded him across the mouth, throwing Draco back onto the Slytherin table.

"You are a disgusting example of what inbreeding can cause, I challenge you to an honour duel."

Albus had been shocked at the boy's refusal to attend Hogwarts, nearly as much as his verbal assault on Minerva. He'd let this situation develop to see if it could be turned to his advantage, the headmaster seized the opportunity that presented itself here.

"Just how do you intend to fight a duel Harry, when you consider yourself a goblin and Mr Malfoy is clearly a wizard? You are aware the law prohibits goblins from using wands?"

"Had I been allowed to attend Hogwarts, you would have found I'm well versed in both wizard and goblin law. Perhaps if you had studied our laws more you would not have been barred from doing business with Gringotts for the last decade. Then again, you don't appear to pay too much attention to wizarding law either, they just allow you to get away with it."

You could be forgiven for thinking that the occupants of the great hall were all shocked out, given what had happened before. This revelation though drew loud gasps of astonishment, almost exclusively amongst those old enough to understand what being barred from Gringotts entailed. They had no way of knowing that the night was still young and there was a lot more to come.

"I am quite prepared to duel Mr Malfoy here while he uses his wand, I have my own weapon."

Harry withdrew a custom-made blade from his sleeve. It had a beautifully carved Hungarian Horntail fang as its handle with a razor sharp stiletto style goblin-forged blade protruding at least six inches from the grip. Even in the great hall's candlelit atmosphere, the blade seemed to capture whatever light was available and reflect back just how deadly a weapon this was. The knife's overall appearance greatly resembled that of a stylised wand.

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that Harry..."

Harry now verbally cut across Dumbledore too. "You actually left me no other option, the entire school faculty sat there and let this moron get away with publicly insulting me and my family."

Severus Snape was acutely aware of his godson's abilities, or lack of. Draco being defeated in a duel his first evening in Hogwarts would destroy the boy's credibility. He was forced to take action. "Mr Malfoy, ten points from Slytherin."

Draco would have loved to rant against the injustice of that punishment, the silk hankie now held against his mouth in an attempt to halt the flow of blood prevented him from doing so.

Harry gave a slight bow to the professor. "My honour is satisfied, though my curiosity is not. Was the ten points a punishment for the slight on my birth parents, my goblin father or Miss Granger's circumstances of birth?" Harry didn't expect an answer and wasn't disappointed.

"As I suspected, a combined total for all three. C'mon Hermione, time to get out of here. That piece of filth publicly calls you the foulest name imaginable and gets docked three points for it, and that only after I threaten to cut him to pieces."

He offered Hermione his arm as the pair headed for the door.

Filius Flitwick suddenly found a lot of things becoming clearer for him. He'd felt slightly ostracised by the goblin community for years now and couldn't figure out what he'd done to deserve it. These occurrences were beginning to make sense since discovering Dumbledore was barred from Gringotts. Albus was his boss, therefore he was tainted with the headmaster's crime by simple association. It was time to make inroads into repairing his goblin relationships, starting with calling this young boy by his proper name. "Harry Crow, Son of Barchoke, can I enquire how you intend to travel home?"

Harry turned and this time his bow was much deeper, it also was done with genuine respect. "Well met Master Flitwick, our director actually named me Old Crow but you weren't to know that. My father calls me Harry Crow so I won't forget my other roots. My father is a wise goblin who also provided me with a portkey home, I will activate it as soon as we clear the Hogwarts wards. I promise on my honour to see Miss Granger safely home."

"Well met Old Crow, Child of James and Lily, Son of Barchoke, Prophesied One."

Hermione had her hand on Harry's arm and felt him stiffen at that, he didn't give any other sign though. They both turned to see it was the sorting hat that had spoken those words, but the old hat was just getting started.

"Your father is indeed a wise goblin Harry Crow, he knows you must come to Hogwarts to fulfil your destiny. Hogwarts is prepared to welcome you, and grant all that welcome entails."

Dumbledore was not happy with that decision. "I am the Hogwarts Headmaster..."

"...Only as long as the castle allows!" The hat's declaration was followed by a loud clang of a bell being struck, a bell that hadn't been heard inside the castle in living memory. Hogwarts had clearly spoken. "Headmasters come and go but Hogwarts prevails. This school was devised and built by the four founders to teach magic to all those able to perform it, not so some supposed elite fraternity could lord it over everyone else. Hogwarts needs to unite in the face of the coming darkness less all will be lost. Come and sit Harry Crow, let me sort you."

Harry knew his father thought his future was tied to Hogwarts, the hat's actions had just confirmed that. He looked to Hermione for her opinion. "What do you think?"

"Well, we're already here, and you'll still be able to take us home if we change our minds? I'll go and keep you a seat at the Ravenclaw table." Her gaze for that last comment was aimed at the old hat, clearly indicating that any other result was unacceptable.

Harry smiled at her before sitting on the stool and placing the hat on his head.

Dumbledore was livid, he was left standing there looking like the court jester while the main action happens elsewhere. The sorting hat was correct though, one could only be headmaster if the castle allowed. Without Hogwarts cooperation, he wouldn't even be able to access his office. Albus would just have to console himself with the fact that Harry would be here, available to be influenced by his headmaster.

The sorting hat was busily scanning the young boy whose head it was now sitting on. "Oh I am glad to see you easily qualify for membership to Rowena's House. I feel you'll need the friendship of Miss Granger and leadership of Master Flitwick during your stay with us. Therefore it has to be RAVENCLAW!"

Hermione was on her feet, leading the cheering from a surprised Ravenclaw house, they all had thought the-boy-who-lived couldn't go anywhere but Gryffindor. The applause from the house of the lions was at best muted. This boy had just stridden over to the Slytherin table and decked a snake; he then even forced Snape to take points from his own house. How the hell could he be sorted anywhere else but Gryffindor? A pair of red headed twins summed up the feelings of the entire house by continually asking the question, "We didn't get Potter?"

As Harry stood to cheering from his new house mates, he felt a thud on top of his head just before he removed the hat. Reaching into the tattered ancient relic, he removed a bejewelled but definitely deadly goblin-forged sword. The blade was engraved with the name of Godric Gryffindor.

The hat had more to say. "Your heritage allows you to draw that sword, and your training prepared you to wield it. That sword acknowledges you as Hogwarts champion." A scabbard appeared on the stool that Harry soon had expertly fastened around him, the shoulder sash proclaimed 'Ravenclaw' across his chest. He then sheathed his new blade before handed the sorting hat back to an astonished McGonagall.

"Mr Crow, I shall expect you in my office directly after the feast."

"I will have to disappoint you headmaster, the law won't allow that. Since you are barred from Gringotts, you can't be alone with any goblin minor. My father must be present in any discussions we have." Harry respectfully bowed once more to Flitwick before handing over a scroll to his new head of house. "Here is a copy of the instructions the headmaster intended to ignore. Can I ask who Professor Snape is?"

All eyes then turned toward the greasy-haired teacher he'd previously dealt with, Harry again gave the short version of his bow. "No offence to your person or your professionalism sir but you fall under the same laws of distrust as the headmaster. Since it was only his word that prevented you being sent to Azkaban as a death eater, and the goblins certainly have no faith in Dumbledore's word, I shall not be attending any of your classes. I, and any of my friends I ask to join me, will be receiving private potions tuition."

Filius intended to study the scroll at his leisure but simply had to speak to the boy, if only to end the unbelievably strained silence his last remark had caused in the hall. No one was quite sure how to react to how things were developing here. The tension in the air was so thick, you could cut the atmosphere with a knife. "You seem well acquainted with a blade Mr Crow, can I assume you've had the proper training?"

Harry's eyes twinkled as he answered his head of house. "Master Sharpshard asked me to pass on his regards, he spoke highly of you sir."

The diminutive professor thought there must be something wrong with his hearing. "You trained under Master Sharpshard?"

Harry nodded, "I was honoured to have him as one of my mentors."

Harry strolled over to where Hermione was keeping him a seat, leaving a now totally bewildered staff table behind. Dumbledore was so shocked at the previous revelations, he forgot all about his pre-feast announcements and just waved his hand for the food to appear. Secrets that he'd kept hidden for years had just been broadcast to the entire school.

Minerva eventually sat beside the headmaster and her expression was thunderous. "I'm calling a full staff meeting for tonight, and you better have some answers for me Albus. I don't like being made a fool of in front of the entire school, especially by a first year. That acceptance letter should have come to me and I'll be wanting to know why it didn't. It must also have conveniently slipped your mind that Harry was no longer at Privet Drive when I frequently asked after his welfare over the last decade."

Any appetite Albus had left disappeared with that. After the evening he'd just had, the last thing he needed was Minerva on the warpath. When he looked down the other side of the table, Severus appeared ready to render young Harry down into potion ingredients. This was not how he foresaw tonight's sorting proceeding.

Filius had also noted his fellow head of house's vicious demeanour, and where his poisoned glare was directed. He decided some intervention was in order. "That was a smart move tonight Severus, young Malfoy's mouth invited trouble he was ill equipped to handle. Knowing at least one of Mr Crow's trainers, I can safely say he would have made mincemeat of Mr Malfoy."

Severus' answer was dripping with barely contained anger. "I intend to confiscate those weapons of Potter's as soon as this feast is over. First years with knives and swords, this place is certainly going downhill."

Filius couldn't let that pass. "I'm afraid you can't do that Severus. Hogwarts has accepted Mr Crow as a goblin student, with all the circumstances that acceptance entails. Mr Crow is not allowed a wand, but does have permission to carry a blade. Asking a goblin to surrender his blade is an even worse faux pas than demanding a wizard hand over his wand."

"The boy is an arrogant little toerag, just like his father. Not even sorted and already making demands, he should have been allowed to leave the castle."

"I think you'll find that was the lad's intention, until Hogwarts herself intervened. I didn't know you'd met Barchoke but I would recommend not insulting him, or his son." Filius held up his hand to forestall Severus' objections that he knew would be coming. "Obviously Mr Crow is not a goblin, he is instead a wizard who has chosen to live his life by their customs and laws. What is the one thing all young witches and wizards are taught about goblins? Never mess with them."

"Potter is a first year student at Hogwarts - nothing more."

"Calling him Potter in that derogatory manner could see you kicked out of Gringotts, or challenged to a duel by the lad's father. I would remind you that goblins fight duels to the death. Should you or your snakes deliberately provoke the lad, he will react as a goblin would. His honour will dictate his actions, we've already caught a glimpse of those actions tonight. Have you ever heard of someone being chosen as Hogwarts' champion before? Harry Crow is no ordinary first year, and you would be foolish to think otherwise."

Harry sat down beside Hermione and noticed the entire Ravenclaw table staring at him. "Eh hi, I'm Harry..."

This proved too much for Hermione, she'd been wound tighter than any watch since stepping off the train. Her accumulated tension found its release as she burst out laughing. "If ever there was an unnecessary introduction, that was it."

With the food now appearing on the table, the ice was well and truly broken. Padma congratulating him for getting into Ravenclaw saw the floodgates open as questions poured in Harry's direction. He began eating and politely ignored most of the personal questions, though did admit he had no idea what a Hogwarts champion actually did.

A pretty Chinese girl was already making cow eyes at Harry, which was in turn making Hermione's blood boil. "Oh Harry, can I see your sword?"

Harry slowly finished what he was chewing before looking directly into the girl's eyes to give his answer. "Why miss, that's a rather personal question, and we haven't even been introduced!" He then turned to his friend with a question. "Hermione, what is that?"

The entire table was now laughing at a floundering Cho Chang, while a beaming Hermione was explaining to Harry what pasta was.

An older boy introduced himself as Roger Davies before trying to give Harry a heads-up. "You have no idea how popular you're going to be with the rest of the first years. The very thought of potions lessons without Snape will soon have them clamouring to be your 'friend'. I just wish you were in third year to get me out the man's class. He's usually vile to anyone who's not a Slytherin, and that was before you announced to the entire hall he was a death eater."

Harry glanced questioningly toward Hermione, private tuition with Harry was always going to get a yes from her. He then turned his gaze to Padma, the girl was blushing furiously but quickly accepted. "Some of the older students were telling us stories about his classes on the train. Losing points for breathing too loudly?"

Harry again thought a young lady was pulling his leg until older members of his new house started recalling experiences that were even worse than that one. This was a situation they had not foreseen and he would need to speak with his father before inviting anyone else to private potions lessons. As the stories of Snape's abuses got worse, the other six first year claws were now casting longing glances in Harry's direction. He was sure though that Dumbledore would have his father coming to Hogwarts before the week was out, Harry could ask him then.

Dumbledore was left having to make his planned announcements after the feast had finished. The Headmaster's 'avoid the third floor corridor unless you want to die a most painful death' did not sit well on top of all that rich food. Hermione was looking along the Ravenclaw table for some guidance on how to react to that instruction, the shrugs of shoulders she received as answers had the young witch asking another question. "He does know this is a school, right?"

-oOoOo-

The prefects led them out of the hall towards Ravenclaw tower, their new home for the next seven years. Penelope was busy explaining about the bronze door knocker asking them to solve a riddle when the door unexpectedly opened. This particular puzzle was beyond the two Ravenclaw prefects until the knocker itself provided the answer.

"A Hogwarts champion can go anywhere inside the castle, all doors are open to him."

"Em, okay. So if you can't solve the riddle, you need to wait for someone who can - or just stick with Harry." Penelope may have intended that as a joke but Hermione had already made her mind up that's what she was going to do, and not just so she could avoid answering riddles.

They entered the Ravenclaw common room before being divided by gender as the prefects also split to show each of them where they would be staying. Harry was pleased to see a single room with a good sized four poster bed waiting on him. He removed his shrunken trunk from his pocket, placing it at the bottom of his bed before restoring it to normal size. There were places for their clothes and not much else though. The prefect explained this was to encourage the first years to study together, and there was a specific area of the common room set aside especially for them to do this.

Harry headed back down the stairs to the common room, and was not surprised to find Hermione waiting there. Harry felt he had to say something about earlier tonight. "Thanks for standing by me down there, that meant a lot. I found it hard to believe you were ready to walk out of here, after being so excited about coming to Hogwarts in the first place."

"Well, I was hoping to use the journey home to convince you about me attending goblin school."

This drew a slight laugh from Harry, "A portkey would have had us to London in under a minute, not that I would have needed a lot of convincing mind you. Thanks also for not asking loads of questions, I can see how hard that is for you sometimes."

Hermione actually pouted at that. "You have no idea how hard I have to bite my lip, but I console myself by thinking that I already know more about you than anybody else. I hope one day we'll be close enough where you'll be able to tell me whatever's on your mind. The sorting hat calling you 'Prophesied One' seemed to shake you more than pulling that sword out the hat."

"There are some things I just can't talk about Hermione, and that is one of them. You are right though, you do know more about me than I had intended to reveal. One day, I might even be able to tell you everything."

"I'm already looking forward to it." It was time for bed now but neither was quite sure how friends said goodnight to each other. Hermione's insecurities began to resurface as she asked Harry one last question. "Will we go down to breakfast together?"

Harry's answer of 'every morning' had Hermione hugging him again. Saying goodnight like this just felt so right that both of them went to their new rooms very happy with this part of their Hogwarts experience.

-oOoOo-

Albus wasn't experiencing much happiness at the impromptu staff meeting, Minerva was demanding answers and he was loath to give any secrets away. After the boy's earlier revelations though, this had to be treated as a damage limitation exercise. He also decided to stick mostly to the truth, just not all of it.

"If you can remember back, we were all exceedingly busy after that Halloween. The very first day of the Christmas Holidays, I headed off to Privet Drive to check on young Harry's welfare. You can imagine my shock when I discovered Harry wasn't there." Albus saw no reason why he shouldn't embellish his tale to show a certain headmaster in the best possible light.

"Dursley had totally ignored my clearly written instructions; he just didn't believe there could be any danger to him or his family. Not only did he refuse to raise Harry, he somehow managed to find his way to Gringotts. He deposited Harry there like some parcel; the Dursleys thought it was best that young Harry be raised by his own kind."

This caused eruptions amongst the staff, up in arms at that last comment. "You are not saying anything I didn't impress upon Dursley at my visit. His answer was that all magic users were the same to him. He and his wife apparently signed some magically binding banking agreement that tied young Harry to Gringotts until he reaches his majority. Tonight, I was hoping to see that agreement broken and have him attending Hogwarts as Harry Potter - we all saw how that went."

Filius was angry at the blatant bigotry being displayed here, that the charms master considered some of these people friends fuelled his temper. "That was a predictable, and also very foolish move Albus. You almost lost us the very thing you were supposedly trying to save."

All eyes had now moved to Filius, but it was Minerva who asked her friend to explain his comments.

"The boy has spent the last ten years living as a goblin, he's not about to renounce that upbringing at his first glimpse of an enchanted ceiling." Filius was encouraged to say more, his own heritage making him the acknowledged expert here.

"If I'm reading this correctly, his father has sent the lad here to be amongst magical children his own age. For what purpose? To help his son make the impossible decision he'll be faced with in a few years. Whether to live his life as a wizard or a goblin!"

Snape blew his top at that. "What a load of hippogriff shit! The boy is a wizard - end of story."

Filius though was equally as angry, and wasn't about to back down. "Just like you are a death eater - yet are here teaching children. Life is all about choices Severus - and you would be making a stupid one if you continue reaching for that wand."

Dumbledore reiterated his Head of Ravenclaw's warning. "There will be no wands drawn here. Please continue Filius, you are highlighting things I hadn't even considered."

"We have to look at this from a goblin perspective. Old Crow living the rest of his life as a goblin, or Lord Potter taking his place in magical society - which would benefit the goblin nation most? That Lord Potter would be an influential member of that society goes without saying. Having someone who was goblin raised in the very top echelons of magical society would be an unbelievable coup for Gringotts."

Minerva was struggling with what her friend was trying to explain here. "Are you saying his goblin father sent Harry here so he would eventually accept being a wizard?"

Filius was nodding, "I can see no other reason that makes sense, they must want Harry to gradually accept his place in the British magical community. Why else would they send him to Hogwarts when they have such a severe grievance with Albus? They are certainly well aware that other magical schools are available. Can you see Beauxbatons rejecting Harry Potter - whatever conditions were attached to his attendance?"

Filius never really expected an answer to his question. The entire room knew Harry Potter could turn up there calling himself Napoleon Bonaparte and still be welcomed with open arms.

"Goblins are barely tolerated by wizards inside Gringotts, those same wizards won't even give them the time of day outside their bank. In the muggle world, goblins stand out like clowns in a circus. Harry Potter singing the praises of goblins would go a long way to changing attitudes in our society, and perhaps even gain a toehold in the muggle one too. We all know about Lily Evans' heritage, and it would appear young Harry has already befriended a muggleborn witch."

This was the best news Albus had heard all night, he was back in the game. "Good, that will give me some bargaining tools when dealing with this goblin. I think we should meet Barchoke as soon as possible."

"Albus, you are already persona non grata with the goblins. Trying to make demands of Barchoke will get you nowhere, and could see you kicked out the castle. In any choice between you and Harry, Hogwarts has already made her decision clear. He is her champion - a position last held by Godric Gryffindor I believe."

Minerva ignored Dumbledore's crestfallen expression and raised a real concern she had with teaching the lad. "How is he going to manage in my class without a wand? Mr Crow may be able to cope in subjects where one isn't needed but charms, transfiguration and defence all require one."

"I really don't know Minerva but I will say this, he wouldn't have been sent here if he couldn't do it. Many years ago, I was faced with a similar choice to Harry. Everyone here knows I'm of mixed heritage, I chose to be a wizard and was therefore allowed a wand. If they have somehow circumvented his need for a wand to perform magic, convincing Harry to make the same choice I did just got a lot more difficult."

Pomona Sprout had quickly recognised that Filius was indeed the expert here. The Head of Hufflepuff wanted to know just what effect having a 'goblin' attend classes would have, and if she would need to give any special instructions to her puffs.

"Just treat Harry the same as any other first year..." Filius ignored Snape's sneering 'finely some sense' and continued with his advice, "..please inform me if you come across any specific problems - I will approach him in regard to not having a wand tomorrow morning."

The meeting then broke up but the four heads of house remained behind, Minerva soon got the ball rolling. "I'm assuming you know what the sorting hat was talking about when it called the child Prophesied One? I'm also assuming you have no intention of sharing that with us?"

Albus replied in that infuriatingly calm way of his. "You are of course correct in both your assumptions Minerva, that is something that should never have been mentioned in such a public place."

She had expected no other answer. "What about 'handling the school's finances would be good experience for you Minerva - give you practice for when you're headmistress.' In light of the fact we now know you were barred from doing business with Gringotts at the time, would you agree you are a manipulative, lying bastard?"

Minerva never gave Albus time to conjure more lies, she just kept right on after him. "Every time you told me Harry Potter was fine was nothing but a bloody lie - you had no idea of the child's condition or welfare. He could have been locked in a cupboard for all you knew. What will you do when this story breaks, as you know it must?"

"My great age has at least taught me at least one thing. Problems are like bridges - best crossed when you come to them."

"...And the scar you wanted to leave young Harry with? It looks as if that was another of your decisions the goblins didn't agree with."

"It would appear so Minerva."

"Since you've spent the last ten years lying to me, you no longer have the right to use that name headmaster. Oh, and get that thing out the third floor corridor - otherwise I'll go over your head and see it's taken care of myself. It would be a shame to have a decade of experience running this place and not get the chance to be headmistress. It goes or you do!" Minerva marched out of Dumbledore's office, her threat hung there though - as real as any of the paintings in the room.

"Pomona, could you please tell Minerva that there is really no point in heading for Little Whining. The Dursleys had moved by the time I went back to have more discussions with them that summer."

Pomona left to check on her friend but Filius had a parting comment for the two who were going to remain. "Mr Crow is a Ravenclaw, and bound by law not to associate with both of you. If I should discover either of you attempting to break that law, I'm willing to see how much of Master Silvershard's teachings I remember."

Filius strode out of there, leaving two thoughtful figures behind.

It was Snape who finally broke the painful silence. "Do you think the brat knows about the prophecy?"

"The boy knows far too much for my liking!"

-oOoOo-

Hermione was up early and hurrying down to the common room, she didn't want there to be the slightest chance she would miss Harry for breakfast. Not only did she not miss Harry, Hermione ran right into him as he raced through the Ravenclaw entrance.

This collision had an unexpected effect on the young witch, it solidified Hermione's views on the three faces of her friend. His first was clearly Harry, the boy who had sat and chatted for hours with her on the train yesterday. His second face was the one he showed the public, Hermione considered this his Harry Crow personality - with a touch of Pride and Prejudice thrown in for good measure.

The young witch now had his third persona clearly etched in her mind, and what a picture it was. Gone was any pretence of the suave Mr Darcy, Hermione thought this Harry was more likely to be the son of Zeus and Hera. Here was a young Ares who was obviously in training, and he looked very good for it.

His hair was tied back in a short ponytail and Harry now wore his new sword strapped on his back. It was the roman like tunic, made of some animal hide, that really held her attention though. That it fitted him like a second skin really emphasised his physique, Hermione couldn't help but think Harry was amazingly developed for someone his age. His tunic was as black as his hair and glistened nearly as much as a clearly sweating Harry. She also just happened to notice that the tunic stopped well above his knees. He offered his apology for running into her before mumbling something about needing a shower. Saying he would be back down shortly, Harry then headed up the stairs at speed. Unable to take her eyes off him, Hermione watched Harry every step of the way.

Hermione giggled to herself, laughing at the thought of her mum and dad's reactions to the first letter she would be writing home. Her parents were in for quite a few shocks from their bookish daughter. Not only did she have a best friend at Hogwarts, Hermione needed her mum to send some exercise clothes as soon as possible! If morning exercises made Harry look that good, then Hermione Granger just had to give it a try.

A/N thanks for reading.

4. Chicken in a Basket

Harry Crow

Disclaimer: I write purely for my own enjoyment, making no money from this venture and claim only my imagination as my own. I always strive to be original but, given the amount of HP fan-fiction out there, almost everything has probably been done before.

A/N I am repeatedly asked what it's like to get a lot of reviews, the only answer I can think of is bloody scary. 'I hope I don't muck the story up' is still one of my main thoughts every time I post a new chapter, especially when trying something 'different'.

It was four years ago this week that I posted my first ever chapter. By my count, this is number two hundred and twenty one and, with almost fourteen million hits on my stories to date, I really can only say one thing - thanks for reading.

Chapter 4

Hermione was sitting at breakfast, contemplating over her sausage, egg and bacon how anyone's life could change as much as hers had in the space of just a few days. Of course, to say the boy sitting next to her played a part in that would be a massive understatement. The more she got to know Harry, the more of an enigma he became.

Even his owl had to be different. Not only was it a beautiful snowy owl, Harry claimed Eargit was a free spirit that would never allow herself to be placed in a cage. She'd flown ahead to Hogwarts and just arrived on his shoulder whenever he wanted to send a letter to his father. The graceful bird of prey had also taken Hermione's first letter home to Crawley.

That this beautiful bird was named after a goblin Harry had read about in a history book was something she approved of. That was until she discovered the goblin's full name was Eargit the Ugly, and the goblin was male. Harry shrugged it off as goblin humour but Hermione felt an involuntary shudder travel down her spine, she suddenly had this image of Harry naming one of his children Albus Severus. That just wasn't funny no matter what culture you ran it through, both men gave Hermione the creeps.

For some reason, the headmaster seemed to embody everything her parents had continually warned their little girl about as she grew up. 'Don't talk to strangers' and 'Never accept sweets from strangers' had been recurring themes from her mum and dad. Perhaps it was because Hermione couldn't think of anyone she'd ever met being stranger than the headmaster. He tried hard to portray himself as a jovial grandfather figure but, every time he looked at Harry, his eyes betrayed him. This put Albus Dumbledore near the top of Hermione's shit list.

Top spot was already taken though, the school's resident potions professor was way out in front. When Dumbledore looked at Harry, it was more covetous. Like Harry had something the headmaster really wanted. With Snape, it was pure, unadulterated and undisguised hatred. She was very grateful that they wouldn't have to take any strolls down to his dungeon lair. Snape just screamed 'black and white horror movie creep' to the young witch. Give him a moustache he could twirl the ends of and he would be the perfect archetypal villain. Suddenly she had this image of him as Dick Dastardly, with Malfoy starring as Muttley!

Harry drew Hermione out of her daydreaming by offering a knut for her thoughts. "Oh I was just wondering about today's lessons. We've got transfiguration this morning, you and Professor McGonagall didn't exactly hit it off at the sorting."

Harry laughed at her last comment, "Well, that's certainly one way of putting it. Our lessons so far have been a really mixed bag. Herbology was great and Professor Sprout really knows her stuff, History of Magic was a joke!"

"Harry, with your goblin sense of humour, that last remark could mean anything."

"We were learning about famous wizards and the impact they'd left on the world - how could anyone possibly make that sound boring? Even a goblin wouldn't think a class of children being taught by a ghost was something to laugh about. Speaking of laughable, that's really the only word I can think of to describe our defence professor. That loud redheaded Gryffindor broke wind as Quirrell walked past his desk, and our brave defence professor almost jumped six feet in the air with fright."

Hermione was trying not to laugh at that memory, the defence professor appeared as nervous as a stray kitten in a dog pound. She agreed with Harry and added her own critique of the Hogwarts curriculum. "Charms looks really interesting but I just wish we had gotten to try a few of them. Hopefully I'll get to use my wand in transfiguration."

They were interrupted by Eargit swooping down with a letter for Harry, and a parcel for Hermione. Harry's questioning raised eyebrow had Hermione blushing. "I asked my mum to send me some exercise clothes, I was hoping I could join you for a bit of training in the morning?"

This had Harry smiling. "Okay, but I think we should wait until Saturday morning before beginning. That will give you a couple of days to get used to the training without having to attend classes too."

He then opened his own note, nodding as the news was expected. "My father is coming to Hogwarts tomorrow, we have a meeting with Dumbledore. I wonder if Master Flitwick knows? Father can decide tomorrow if we want him in there with us. We better head off to class"

Harry was either stuck in some chivalrous period, or that goblin sense of humour was having a laugh at her expense. Either way, wherever they went, Harry offered his arm and she gratefully took it. She didn't know if this increased the whispering that followed Harry wherever he went, and didn't really care. Last night she was on his arm under the stars. It may have only been their astronomy lesson but that's not the way Hermione chose to remember it, it was easily the most romantic night of her young life.

They began walking toward the transfiguration class, with all the portraits making sure the Hogwarts champion knew exactly where he was going. Quite a number of the other first years had sussed this out so they tended to have an entourage between classes. Padma usually stuck quite close to them and all three were fine with that, it was the rest that were now becoming ridiculous. Not all of them were content to just follow on to class.

Parvati and that other Gryffindor girl were desperately trying to attach themselves like limpets to Harry. The Gryffindor boys though were becoming even more pushy, especially the redheaded one.

"Hey Harry mate, you must get fed-up hanging around with the bookworms. Anytime you want a break, the Griffindor guys will make you more than welcome."

Harry just looked at him, "and you are?"

"Oh sorry, I'm Ron."

Harry's stare never wavered, "and who are you?"

He didn't appear to get what Harry was asking. "I'm Ron, this is Dean and Seamus and he's Neville..."

"Well, Mr Ron Ron, thanks for introducing you and your friends. Now, if you will excuse me."

Harry pushed past him toward the boy hanging at the back, since Hermione still had Harry's arm she followed on.

"Well met Neville Longbottom, I'm Harry Crow and, since you are practically family, please call me Harry. The young lady on my arm is Hermione Granger and this is our friend Padma Patil - her twin sister is in Gryffindor with you."

Neville stared unbelievingly at Harry's offered hand before nervously shaking it. "Hi everybody, eh family?"

"Did you know my mum was your godmother?" This was clearly news to Neville, but not as shocking as the next bit. "Your mother is also my godmother." The boy appeared ready to cry at that but Harry now had his hand comfortingly on Neville's shoulder and Hermione had moved by his side.

"Voldemort cost both of us Neville, but I think you got the worst of the deal. There is no way you should now have to put up with a death eater teaching you. I would like to offer you the opportunity to join us for separate potion lessons."

"Are you sure?"

The pleading nature of Neville's demeanour at Harry's offer was heartbreaking to watch. He clearly had no self-esteem and couldn't work out why anyone would make such an offer to him. Harry responded the only way he knew how, honestly.

"I'm very sure Neville. Both the offers of private lessons and friendship are genuine, this is not some sick prank. Had things been different, we would have grown up together and I'm certain been best friends. We may have lost years but I would like us both to start down that road now."

The smile now on Neville's face was all the answer Harry needed and the four resumed their journey to transfiguration. Neville gave the impression of someone who'd just had the weight of the world lifted off his shoulders, he explained this as they walked.

"Snape terrifies me, and we've heard he saves his worst behaviour for Gryffindors. Ron's been trying to catch your eye all week, we're all desperate to get out of Snape's class."

"I've had the people in my own house dropping subtle hints all week too. The problem is that, when my father arranged this, it was supposed to be for me and hopefully a few friends. I can't really turn up with three quarters of first year without talking to my father again. He's coming to Hogwarts tomorrow so I might be able to help a few more out then, but I think I should offer places to my own house first. I would appreciate it if you could let slip to Ron Ron that I don't like pushy."

"Ah!" It was plain to see that the penny had dropped for Neville so he blushingly offered an explanation. "Parvati was moaning about how you appeared friends with Padma but practically ignored her, she couldn't understand it..."

The musical laughter coming from Padma cut Neville off. "Oh pushy is a good description of Pav, there's a few other words I could use as well."

"So you're not identical then?"

"Physically yes, but we're definitely two different witches."

They chatted all the way to transfiguration before doing their usual and sitting at the front of the class. Harry's bag was charmed weightless and bottomless and he insisted that both girls put their book bags in there too. He handed Hermione hers and was about to do the same with Padma when the redhead Gryffindor stepped over the line. He'd just pushed Neville out the way so he could claim the seat on the other side of Harry.

"What are you playing at?"

Ron was unrepentant. "The boy-who-lived needs proper Gryffindor friends, not to be hanging about with Ravenclaw girls and Neville. The way you took down Malfoy was bloody brilliant! What quidditch team to you support?"

Harry's gaze would have had anyone else in the class moving seats, Ron was too stupid to know he was in any trouble. Harry had to quickly decide the best way to play this. "I paid Malfoy the compliment of at least admitting he could be dangerous. You, on the other hand, are an idiot!"

Padma and Hermione were already on their feet, guiding Neville to their new seats. Harry then joined them, leaving behind a livid Ron who was now stuck sitting at the front of the class. The reason he was stuck there was that a certain cat had just watched the entire incident, transforming into Professor McGonagall before Ron could move or even reply to the insult.

Minerva decided that no action needed to be taken, she was actually delighted to see three Ravenclaws standing up for one of her cubs. That the youngest Weasley possessed the social skills of a troll was something that other members of staff had actually commented on.

McGonagall's transformation from her cat form led the professor neatly into her introductory remarks about how transfiguration was some of the hardest magic they would learn. Transfiguring her desk into a pig was always something that caught and held the new first years' attention. McGonagall was continuing her well honed introduction before noticing she didn't have the entire class' full attention, one of them actually appeared bored. This had never happened before so she cut short her talk to discover what the problem was.

"Is there something you don't understand Mr Crow?"

"Basically, all of it Professor."

McGonagall's lips tightened at this. "Could you please be a trifle more specific Mr Crow?"

Ron couldn't resist a jibe. "It's because he's an idiot!"

The sniggering this caused was all the invitation Harry needed to shut them up. "Well, I understood changing your desk into a pig was purely a demonstration, though not very practical one since you couldn't actually eat it!" McGonagall didn't seem too pleased with that analysis but could hardly refute the facts, she grudgingly nodded in acceptance so Harry continued. "It's all the different spell incantations and wand movements that confuse me. Since transfiguration is basically changing one thing into another, why do you need a different spell for every occasion? Transfiguration is one of the easiest branches of magic to master, you're just asking your magic to perform the same function over and over again."

In all her years teaching, McGonagall had never came across this argument before. She could now see how someone who wasn't raised in their community could struggle with the concept. "What you have failed to grasp Mr Crow is the different types and complexities of transfiguration. We'll be starting off today attempting to turn matches into needles. Since they are approximately the same size, the spell has merely to tweak the shape and transfigure wood into metal. As we progress through the courses, we eventually move to configuring living material - which is much more complicated and taxing."

"That is where we are having the trouble professor, I've been taught the exact opposite. The only limitations governing the spell are the power and experience of the caster - and the mass of the initial object. Transforming your desk into a fly or an elephant is practically impossible because you are limited by the mass of material you start with. Whether that material is living or not is immaterial. I could probably transfigure my book into a pigeon but not a turkey - unless you know of a miniature variety?"

McGonagall was gobsmacked. If this boy was speaking the truth then everything she'd been taught - and in turn had taught others - was wrong. Minerva didn't know how she would deal with that. If this was a prank, Mr Crow was going to find himself in detention to at least third year. There was one easy way to find out.

Minerva had taught the marauders and now the Weasley twins, she had no intentions of being caught by any prank book. "Mr Crow, I'm going to give you one of my books. If you can transfigure it into a chicken, I will give you an 'O' - not for today but the entire year."

She placed a rather large tome in front of him and fixed her beady eyes on it. The boy removed his knife and began to wave it over the book. Minerva watched in astonishment as the leather binding started to grow feathers before a head and neck appeared as the chicken took shape. McGonagall was speechless as the chicken bobbed its head and strutted over the desk, it was left to Hermione to ask Harry the questions.

"You never said any incantations or performed a recognised wand movement, how is this possible?"

"Hermione, I speak English, Spanish, French and a smarttering of Italian - do you think it makes a difference what you say, or what language you say it in, to your magic as it does what you want? Oh I of course speak goblin, though I refuse to use the derogatory terms wizards refer to that language as."

Hermione had never heard about this before so asked. "What do wizards call it?"

it was Neville who answered her. "Gobbledegook!"

Hermione's sense of injustice sprang to the fore. "What! That means talking gibberish - and is very insulting..."

McGonagall had found her voice again and didn't want the issue sidetracked. "Leaving goblin/wizard relations aside for the moment, I would like to hear a fuller answer to Miss Granger's initial question."

Harry waved his knife over the chicken and it slowly transformed into a basket.

"Chicken in a basket? I suppose this is more of the fabled goblin humour?"

Harry couldn't help but smile at Hermione's friendly jibe. He once more performed the goblin equivalent of the transformation spell and the basket became the cutest ginger kitten he could visualise. A tiny miaow and the kitten sauntered over to Hermione, it was soon on her knee and receiving the cuddles and petting it deserved.

Hermione thought this was her idea of heaven. A kitten she could play with that would eventually turn back into a book - it didn't get any better than that. "Harry, you have so got to teach me how to do that."

Harry now gave McGonagall, and the rest of the class the answer they were waiting for. "Once you master the basic transfiguration spell, it's then all about being able to visualise what you want the item to transform into and practice - lots and lots of practice. I can transfigure items up to about the size of a medium dog. The bigger the item though, the slower my transfiguration will be. It will get quicker with practice and larger items will come as I get older."

Minerva had been a transfiguration prodigy and now held a mastery in the subject, an eleven year old goblin-trained wizard had just totally destroyed everything she held to be true. She was a powerful witch but couldn't even contemplate repeating the feat this boy just achieved when she was the same age. It wasn't just that though, Harry Crow just threw the transfiguration rulebook out the window. Where the hell did they go from here?

"Your method makes no concessions to the initial item or the finished product?"

"Oh some things are definitely harder to transfigure, usually because of the visualisation. A chicken is a lot more complicated an item than the book was, again it's down to practice and more practice. It's taken me a few years to get to this stage, and it will take a lot more to get where I want to go. I won't have to learn different spell incantations or wand movements for every change though."

Draco was livid that once more Crow was the centre of attention, he was a Slytherin though and had learned from his last experience. It was time to get someone else to fight the battle. "Professor, I thought the law prevented goblins possessing wands? Crow is surely breaking that law?"

Harry passed the knife over his original book a few times and it transformed into a pumpkin. This was certainly a miss-shaped pumpkin - it was a fair likeness for the head of Draco Malfoy. A couple of slashes with his knife and Harry had cut himself a slice of pumpkin, right down the centre of 'Draco's' face.

"Anytime Mr Malfoy wants a demonstration that this is a knife, I will be more than happy to oblige. It's obviously not made of wood and doesn't have a recognised wand core running through it - therefore, according to official ministry definition, it is not a wand. Before you quote the law, can I suggest that you at least look it up first."

Minerva thought that might be all the prescribed first year transfiguration book was good for now, as a demonstration tool. She placed the spell incantation on the blackboard, along with diagrams of the wand movements needed, before handing out the matches. Minerva then sat at her desk to see how this played out. As she expected, Miss Granger and the Ravenclaw Patil sister both looked to Harry, wanting to try his method. Minerva couldn't miss that the other Ravenclaws and Mr Longbottom were also hanging on his every word, totally ignoring her instructions on the board.

That five of this group, not including Mr Crow, had successfully transformed their match before the lesson ended meant that she would have to take this to the headmaster. In her thirty five years teaching, her previous best result was three students performing the transformation before the end of their first period. Usually, Minerva was lucky to get one. That none of the students who had stuck to the method on the board got anything like a needle just compounded the issue. She dismissed the excited class without moving from her desk.

McGonagall had never lost control of a class before but who would want to continue with the prescribed instructions when the goblin method had just been proven to be clearly superior? She would have to approach Filius for access to Mr Crow, Minerva desperately wanted to learn this different method of performing her craft. Her ears picked up at an altercation happening outside her class and the professor was moving before she even realised it.

Ron was raging, he'd been called an idiot in front of the entire class. If that wasn't bad enough, all he'd managed to do was set his match on fire while Neville produced a needle. Watching the boy-who-lived working with Neville had his jealously meter off the scale, especially after overhearing that Neville would be joining them for potions lessons tomorrow. He just had to say something.

"Think your pretty special now - showing the professors how to do magic!"

Hermione was on Harry's arm and tried to steer him away from another confrontation. "Ignore him Harry..."

"I wasn't talking to you bookworm. You knew who he was on the train but kept quiet about it, it's probably your fault he got stuck in Ravenclaw. The-boy-who-lived should be in Gryffindor - everybody knows that!"

Hermione couldn't believe the nerve of this clown. "You were right Harry, he's an idiot."

Ron wasn't about to take that from a girl, his wand was out and a curse fired before anyone realised what was going on.

Harry jerked Hermione out of the curse's path, but that just saw it hit Padma. Harry then flew at Ron, slamming him into the wall and snapping his wand before he could fire off another curse. Harry was just about to start pounding on him when McGonagall's voice boomed out along the corridor.

"Mr Crow, stop this at once. What do you think you are doing?"

"I think I'm stopping this idiot firing off any more curses in the corridor, please check on Padma professor. He cast a curse at Hermione but hit Padma instead." Harry didn't release his grip on Ron, waiting to hear what the spell was first before deciding if beating him up was worth the detentions that were sure to follow if he did.

Padma had trouble answering the enquiries after her health. Every time she opened her mouth, a large slug would slide over her lips and down her chin. She wasn't in any physical pain but being disgusted and mortified at the same time was certainly painful enough.

"Miss Granger, could you and her sister help the injured Miss Patil to the infirmary. Weasley and Crow, my classroom now. The rest of you, get to lunch."

Parviti and Hermione helped Padma off in the direction they'd been pointed while Harry practically threw Ron back into the classroom.

The Gryffindor decided that he who got in first would be believed and didn't even wait to be questioned. "Professor, he just attacked me for no reason, broke my wand too. I tried to stop him but the curse hit that other girl, that was an accident."

Harry sat calmly on the seat the professor had indicated, saying nothing before being asked a question. McGonagall duly obliged. "Well Mr Crow, can I hear your version of events?"

"Weasley here began shouting at us the instant we left the class," As this was what had alerted Minerva that something was going on, Harry was already being believed.

"He then made some ludicrous accusations against Miss Granger, who responded by pointing out he was an idiot. He took offence to the truth being spoken and fired a curse at her, I only just got Hermione out of its path. I then grabbed the idiot and pushed him against the wall, this must be what broke his wand. I was just about to punch him when you yelled for me to stop, so I reluctantly did."

"He's lying professor, I..."

Ron stopped in mid flow because Harry was now on his feet, it was his hand on the sword hilt that terrified him though. "Calling me a liar is not something I will ever accept. Do you want to change your mind or do we need to take this further?"

Ron then proved he wasn't a complete idiot by changing his story to the truth. "I'm sorry professor, it was all my fault. I lost my temper."

"You also just lost fifty points from Gryffindor and will begin two weeks of detentions tonight, now get out of my sight." Ron shot out of there as McGonagall now turned her attention to Harry.

"Mr Crow, while I applaud your actions in defending your friends, I can't condone your conduct in attacking another student. I would have been there within seconds and dealt with the problem."

Harry nodded in acknowledgement, "Your pardon professor, but my only other experience of Hogwarts discipline didn't fill me with confidence. You are correct though, and I will accept whatever punishment you wish."

Minerva almost smiled at that answer. "There will be no Ravenclaw points deducted and I was thinking along the lines of a single detention. I will speak to your head of house before confirming this, does that sound fair?"

"Certainly fairer than 'ten points from Slytherin' professor."

"Good, then let us both head for lunch."

Minerva found the boy to be polite, courteous and somewhat skilful at avoiding answering questions. What she did learn was certainly interesting, Harry had been working with tutors for years and his knife was one of a kind. That his knife had been commissioned and presented to him by the director of Gringotts clearly meant a great deal to the young lad. In terms of importance to him, Harry probably placed it above the sword that had never left his hip since the sorting.

Their cozy chat ended as they entered the great hall. Interrupted would probably have been a better description but both were too focused on the defence professor who just barged passed them to worry about semantics.

"TROLL! There's a troll lose in the dungeons, I just thought you should know..." Quirrell promptly fainted but Harry was already moving before the professor's body hit the ground.

-oOoOo-

He didn't care about the mayhem left behind him, there was somewhere he needed to be. Harry shouted at the first portrait. "I need the quickest way to the infirmary."

Sound travels faster than Harry could run so at every staircase or junction, there would be someone in the nearest portrait to guide the Hogwarts champion to his destination. Harry burst through the infirmary doors and it was testament to his frequent training that he still had the breath to speak clearly.

The three girls and the school nurse may have been surprised by his dramatic entrance, his revelations afterwards had them scared. "There's a troll lose in the castle, we needed to get to somewhere safe."

Poppy Pomfrey stared intently at the lad. "Young man, I remember your father when he attended Hogwarts. If this is a prank..."

"Goblins don't do pranks ma'am. There is currently a ten foot high ton of muscle, with spell resistant skin and a brain the size of a peanut, wandering about a school full of kids. We need to get behind a strong door that locks..."

At that, the doors of the infirmary crashed open once more, this time with considerably greater force than Harry had used. The troll actually took one of the doors right off its hinges as it entered the infirmary.

Poppy immediately placed herself between the children and the troll. She was a healer though, not a fighter, and her spells were doing nothing more than enraging the beast further.

"Ma'am stop, I'll try and lead it back out of here." Harry pushed past her and raced to the side of the beast. "Hey pea-brain - over here!"

The smelly troll wielded a club that was as thick around as Harry's waist, and that club was soon whistling in his direction. Harry had expected nothing else and had ducked under the club, his knife cutting a gash in the troll's thigh as he dodged past and behind it.

Harry now had the doors at his back and was trying to get the troll to chase him out them, the troll though had four easier targets already in the large room. As it once more made its way toward the girls, Harry slashed the back of its leg. "Hey smelly, don't turn your back on me. Didn't you know that was rude? Chase me, c'mon, try and catch me!"

The troll took a half-hearted swing at him before once more focusing on the girls. They were now huddled together against the back wall with the healer still standing in front of them, this was a much more attractive target than one who moved and fought back.

Harry had one last slash across the base of its back, targeting the gap between its loincloth and vest. The troll let out a roar of anger while preparing to vent its rage on the target in front of it. Harry wasn't about to let that happen, he returned his knife to its wrist sheath and drew Godric's sword.

The troll's next sound was a shriek of pain as it toppled to the floor, Harry's sword had sliced through the back of its right knee. It had still kept hold of its club though, and the troll was now within striking distance of its target. Lying on the ground, the enraged troll pulled its arm back to side swipe the now screaming girls.

The sword of Gryffindor in Harry's hands was so much faster, slicing clean through the troll's arm just below the wrist. It had never been Harry's intention to kill the creature, just lead it from here so it could be captured. In this confined corner of the infirmary, and it now being so close to the girls, Harry really didn't have any other option. He jumped on the prostrate troll's back as his sword flashed down and bit deeply into its neck, severing one of the main arteries to its brain as well as its spine. It was a killing blow as the troll's life blood spilled out and covered the infirmary floor.

Harry now had time to look at the girls, what he saw there froze his insides. The healer was still in front of them, wand ready to defend as best she could. It was the girls though who Harry couldn't take his eyes off. They were all staring at him but it was the emotions displayed on their faces that told the story. Their fear was understandable but the revulsion and even loathing cut Harry as deeply as any blade.

Before they got a chance to say anything, Dumbledore, McGonagall and Sprout rushed through the destroyed doors. Harry was wiping his sword on the troll's waistcoat, more to give him something to do until his mind caught up with what had just happened.

While the two witches were looking around at the devastation wrought in Poppy's usually immaculate domain, Albus only had eyes for the boy. "What have you done Harry?"

Poppy jumped all over the headmaster. "This young man just saved four lives. How the hell did this thing get into the school - and what kept you?"

Harry turned and gave a deep bow to the healer. "Thank you Ma'am. May I say your actions here were exemplary, and I would also like to hear an answer to those questions."

Pomona was puzzled so asked what may be considered a stupid question. "Mr Crow, why did you immediately rush here? The troll was supposedly in the dungeons."

"No offence professor, but I wouldn't believe Professor Quirrell if he told me today was Thursday - not without checking first anyway. I wanted to make sure my friends were safe."

Albus was not for being distracted. "Was it necessary to kill the poor creature?"

"I was trying to lead it back out the doors but it had locked on a target and wasn't for being shifted from that course. Hogwarts, your champion needs assistance."

All eyes now watched Harry, wondering just what he was up to. They didn't have long to wait as the Bloody Baron came up through the floor.

"How can Hogwarts assist its champion?"

"I need to know how this troll got into the school."

"Quirrell had observed how the headmaster got the other troll into the school and simply copied the procedure."

Harry was glaring at Dumbledore while asking the next question. "Where is Quirrell now?"

The Bloody Baron was now joined by the Fat Friar who answered that question. "Quirrell is attempting to break into the third floor corridor that is currently out of bounds."

"It would seem I owe Quirrell an apology." Harry's glare never left Dumbledore. "Letting a troll into the castle, then sending the staff in the opposite direction is rather clever. Why did he need a diversion headmaster? Is this something the staff will deal with or must I head up there too?"

McGonagall grabbed Dumbledore and practically threw him out the infirmary. "This is something the staff will deal with Mr Crow." Sprout quickly followed them out.

In the moment of silence that followed their departure, Harry too started to leave the wrecked infirmary . "Mr Crow, where are you going?"

Harry didn't turn around, nor stop. "I am sorely in need of a shower Ma'am." He then walked out the infirmary, leaving more than a dead troll behind.

A/N Thanks for reading

5. Snapeless Potions

Harry Crow

Disclaimer: Since I'm not the owner of these characters, I may do things with them that you don't like or agree with. Sorry in advance but that's the nature of fan fiction. To do otherwise kind of defeats the purpose of fan fiction, and copying JKR word for word would certainly see a lawsuit heading in my direction. If my efforts don't fit your idea of what a Harry Potter story should be, again I can only offer my apologies and perhaps a suggestion. Writing your own really is the only way to ensure the story progresses exactly the way you want it to, it also gives the rest of us something to read.

Chapter 5

Cleaning his knife and sword again wasn't strictly necessary, but the repetitive and familiar actions required for this task offered Harry some comfort. At this moment in time, that was as good a reason as any for Harry to be sitting doing nothing but that. After his shower, he didn't really feel like facing anyone else at the moment. He was currently holed up in his room but was surprised when his self-enforced solitude was broken by the Ravenclaw house ghost.

The Grey Lady passed through his closed door to speak with the young Ravenclaw. "The Quirrell problem has been dealt with by the senior staff..."

"Yeah? Just a pity they weren't in time to deal with the troll problem in the infirmary."

"You did very well today young champion, your father will be proud of you."

This was scant comfort to the hurting young lad. "He might be the only one, the headmaster certainly wasn't too happy with me."

"You should come down to dinner, see your friends..."

Harry gave that idea a resounding no. "I think I'll just stay in my room. My father is coming to Hogwarts tomorrow, I can't wait to see him."

Seeing the boy was struggling with the consequences of his actions today, his house ghost made a suggestion. "Hogwarts can ensure you're not disturbed, if you wish?"

He had a faint smile on his face at that suggestion. "Yes, I would like that."

As the ghost left, a tray of food appeared on the bed beside him. Hogwarts would look after her champion.

-oOoOo-

The senior staff were all in Dumbledore's office, there was a half-empty bottle of firewhisky on the headmaster's desk. The bottle would take even more of a hammering before their meeting was finished.

Minerva repeated the question that had three heads of house hitting the fiery liquid. "How can Voldemort not be dead? Even the death of poor Quirinus didn't finish him off, we all saw that spirit escape."

Pomona though was looking at the incident from an entirely different angle. "I find it very hard to believe that Albus just happened to mention he was going to be removing the item from the third floor this weekend, and we were all fighting a possessed professor the very next day. Was that why the stone was brought here in the first place, as a trap for the dark lord?"

Filius didn't like the further implications behind Pomona's conjecture. "I have trouble believing it could be mere coincidence that this all happened the year Mr Crow came to Hogwarts?" You could practically see the wheels turning inside the little professor's head as he replayed the other disturbing information that had recently been revealed. The conclusions he was coming to were scaring the Head of Ravenclaw, he rounded on Dumbledore. "You knew Voldemort wasn't gone and decided not to tell anyone, didn't you? I'm willing to bet the goblins discovered this, and that's why you were barred from Gringotts."

These assumptions also led Pomona to draw her own terrible conclusions. "Child of Prophecy, Hogwarts Champion and now slayer of trolls. I'm also willing to bet the prophecy concerns that child and Voldemort, and Albus Dumbledore knows all about it!"

Minerva had no problem following her two friends' train of thought. She also didn't like where that train was heading, nor was the Head of Gryffindor shy about taking her complaints to the conductor. "If I discover you were in any way responsible for that troll incident today, I will take my findings straight to the board of governors. Children's lives were put at severe risk with that creature loose in the castle!"

Filius had more to say. "In light of our suspicions, I demand to be at that meeting with Barchoke tomorrow. I am Mr Crow's head of house and intend to see his best interests protected while Harry's at Hogwarts."

This was one bandwagon Minerva definitely wanted to join. "I demand to be there too. If Voldemort returns and young Harry is involved, it will undoubtedly affect the entire school. You have lost the trust of your heads of house, we no longer believe that you can be relied upon to fulfill your obligations as a headmaster should."

Pomona was in wholehearted agreement with those sentiments. "This doesn't just affect a specific house, those pupils in the infirmary could have been from any of the four. Poppy is a renowned healer but would be the first to admit she was out of her depth today. Young Mr Crow literally saved their lives, and all you could do was attempt to reprimand the lad."

The head of Hufflepuff's disgust at Dumbledore was there for all to hear, her inbred sense of loyalty well and truly offended. "I saw Hogwarts respond instantly to his call for assistance, I feel she will also take action against any attempts made to circumvent her champion. I can't help but think Harry being there today, clearly possessing the appropriate training and tools, has further endeared Hogwarts to her chosen champion. You could find yourself out a job headmaster." She gave this a few seconds to sink in before making her own demands. "I also intend to be at this meeting, I want to hear what the lad's father has to say about this."

Minerva remembered what had taken place during her lesson earlier. "There may be more of us looking for a job than you think Pomona. Mr Crow claimed that transfiguration was the easiest form of magic to master - requiring only one spell - and then proceeded to prove it. He turned a book into a chicken with no recognised wand movement or spell incantation."

Snape had been quiet the entire meeting but couldn't hold back at this, his reply was dripping with contempt. "You've obviously been pranked, no first year could do that. The book would have been pre-spelled to transfigure on command."

The Hogwarts Deputy was in no mood to mollycoddle anyone's feelings and ripped right into the potions professor. "I am well aware of how that prank works Severus, which is why I gave him a book that belonged to me and determined the item I wanted the lad to transfigure it into. He also further transfigured the chicken into a woven basket and finally a kitten, all by the same method."

Albus seized at this opportunity to turn the subject away from his relentless verbal castigation. "And just how did Mr Crow accomplish this feat? Surely not by wandless magic?"

"He used his knife..." Minerva had to hold her hand up to prevent the interruptions that she could see coming from Albus and Severus. "The lad knew the ministry interpretation of what constituted a wand verbatim. Is there anyone here who doesn't believe Mr Crow's knife will not break any of the ministry's guidelines of just what they define a wand as? When you take into account that his knife was a personal gift from Ragnok, then you can guarantee it will fall outside ministerial law."

Snape couldn't stand the son of his former schooldays enemy receiving praise. "If he's so bloody good at magic, why did he have to kill a troll with a sword? I would have expected him to tie it up in pink ribbons and bows, just waiting on us coming to collect it."

"And just how many eleven year olds do you know who could take down a fully grown mountain troll?" Filius wasn't for letting Snape or Dumbledore off with anything. "Can I assume from your attitude that you don't want to be part of this meeting tomorrow?"

"The brat has made it perfectly clear that he wants nothing to do with me, well the feeling is mutual. No, I will not be at that meeting. Excuse me, but the thought of listening to more talk about that boy is making me quite nauseous. I shall retire for the night."

As Snape was leaving, Filius had a parting comment for the potions professor. "I think the problem is young Harry made it PUBLICLY clear he wanted nothing to do with you, just remember that Severus. Harry has already proven my earlier statement correct, never mess with a goblin."

As Snape left, Minerva once more turned the argument back to Dumbledore. "So headmaster, are you going to tell us this prophecy - or are we going to have to ask a goblin about it tomorrow?"

Albus could only stall his senior staff, and hope the goblin would tell them nothing tomorrow. He was beginning to regret arranging that meeting, the timing of it just couldn't be worse.

-oOoOo-

Harry came down the stairs with the intention of carrying out his normal morning exercise routine, he found an unexpected sight waiting on him.

Hermione had fallen asleep on a chair turned to face his staircase, obviously intent on not letting him get past her. It should also have been obvious from her attire what the young witch's intentions were but Harry had never seen clothing like this. The shorts came down to just above her knees and clung to Hermione like a blue and pink second skin. The short sleeved top was of the same colourful design and material, clinging to her every curve while exposing part of her midriff. Chunky footwear completed the ensemble, all made of something called Nike, and she had even attempted to tie her hair back into a ponytail.

Hermione's mane could never be tamed by a mere hair-tie and was already escaping to cover her face. Harry gently moved the escaped locks away from her eyes, only for those expressive hazel orbs to shoot open.

Harry would later swear he didn't see Hermione move but she must have, how else could she now be standing and wrapped all around him.

"Oh Harry, you've no idea how happy I am to see you're alright. You walked out the infirmary covered in blood and I was sure some of it must be yours. Madam Pomfrey had to practically force-feed me a calming draft to stop me chasing after you, she said we were all suffering from shock and kept us in her apartment while the infirmary was being repaired and fumigated. She let us out at dinner time and then I couldn't find you anywhere, no one could. Where were you?"

Harry had thought he had lost his friends but, if the way Hermione was clinging to him was any indication, that was clearly not the case. "I was in my room, I thought you wouldn't want to be my friend after what I did yesterday."

Hermione took his face in her hands, ensuring he could look into her eyes as she answered that question. "What you did yesterday was the bravest thing I've ever seen. We were all terrified yet you took command of the situation. I saw and heard you try to get the troll away from us, it didn't leave you any other option."

"You looked as if you would never want to see me again, as if I frightened you."

"You scared the bloody life out of me! I thought that troll was sure to kill you. The smell in the infirmary was atrocious, there was blood splattered everywhere and Padma was actually shooting slugs from her mouth as she screamed - not one of life's better experiences!"

A shiver ran down Hermione just thinking about it. Harry must have felt it because he held her tighter, giving the young witch the courage to say the next bit "I actually couldn't believe we all survived and just stood there in shock, it wasn't until Madam Pomfrey began to treat us I realised you had left. I'm sorry if you thought that Harry, I can assure you nothing could be further from the truth."

"So Padma and her sister don't hate me?"

This had Hermione blushing and really piqued Harry's curiosity. He held the silence until she eventually answered his question. "The twins seemed to think they now owe you a life debt - Parvati saw both of them marrying you as the perfect way to repay this debt."

Harry struggled to hold his laughter as he pushed for more. "I saved you as well, what does Hermione Granger think of this idea?"

"Oh, Parvati had thought of that as well. I was to marry you too - and become part of your harem..."

Harry couldn't hold his laughter any longer, much to the consternation of Miss Granger. "I hardly see how that is funny Harry..."

"Oh you would, if you knew more about goblins." Harry regained control of his laughter before giving Hermione the information she was missing. "Goblins have one mate - and that mate is for life. No goblin would ever take part in a multiple relationship like she's suggesting. I would really appreciate it if my best friend made sure certain others got to hear about that fact."

For some reason this put a wide smile on Hermione's face, Harry reckoned that now would be a good time to ask what was on his mind. "Hermione, what are you wearing?"

The pink tinge had once more returned to her features. "Oh this is my mother's idea of exercise clothes. I had hoped for jogging bottoms and a hoodie, a track suit even. Mother has to go and buy spandex, so it was this or robes. Shall I go and change?"

"No, those are great. They won't restrict your movement in the slightest." What Harry didn't say was holding her dressed like that felt really different - but in a good way.

This gave Hermione the opening she was looking for. "Okay, so we know I'm wearing spandex but I've never seen anything like you've got on. What is it?"

"You never want to see this either. My tunic is made from the hide of a Hebridean Black, one of the few species of dragon native to Britain."

Hermione was running her hands over his chest without realising quite what she was doing. "This is dragon skin? It feels soft yet tough at the same time."

"Yes...well...it provides protection... against spells or blades." Harry was almost stuttering before pulling himself together. "Do you want to do some training? I think we should just start with a light run this morning?"

This was quickly agreed upon and they left the common room, Hermione once more on Harry's arm.

-oOoOo-

Padma 'found' Hermione sitting on the stairs and had to help the clearly exhausted witch reach her room. "What happened to you?"

"Oh I went training with Harry. His idea of a light workout was a three mile run, my legs gave out halfway up the stairs. I really need to shower and get ready but I don't think I can."

Padma had an idea how to get her friend moving. "That's too bad, Parvati will have the story of what happened yesterday all over the castle by now. My sister is quite taken with your best friend, she'll probably be sitting on Harry's lap before breakfast is over."

The exhausted witch suddenly found reserves she didn't know she possessed. Hermione didn't see Padma's smile as she hurried past her smirking friend for a quick shower.

-oOoOo-

Hermione entered the great hall on Harry's arm as usual, but that was where 'usual' ended. Padma hadn't been joking about her twin sister. Harry's exploits from yesterday were now known by everyone, which probably explained why everyone was now staring at them.

Harry had just sat down between Hermione and Padma when they were approached by the other Patil sister.

"Mr Crow, I would like to formally acknowledge that I owe you a life debt."

The rest of the great hall didn't even bother pretending that they weren't listening to every word, they easily heard Harry's reply. "I'm sorry Miss Patil, but I can't accept that."

Parvati was rocked on her heels at Harry's answer, it was certainly not what she expected. "Why not? There's no question that you saved my life."

"Actually, I rushed to the infirmary to make sure my friends were okay, you just happened to be there too. Goblins always look out for their friends and family, there can be no debts between Hermione, Padma or I for doing so."

It was a downtrodden Parvati that headed back to the Gryffindor table, fighting to hold back the tears. Harry wasn't exactly sure what he'd done and asked Padma if she could explain it to him.

"You basically told Parvati that if we weren't in the infirmary, you wouldn't have come racing to the rescue."

Harry nodded at that. "If you and Hermione had been in the hall yesterday, I wouldn't have gone anywhere. I didn't go looking for the troll, I went looking for the both of you. The troll just happened to find us, and Parvati just happened to be there too. I can't accept a life debt for that. I certainly didn't mean to offend your sister though, and I'm still not sure how I did."

Hermione attempted to help him understand. "Harry, you have no idea just what a heroic figure you appeared yesterday. You were decisive, calm and the way you protected us was terrifying to watch. That troll was enormous yet you felled it like a tree the instant it got too close. Parvati is just upset that you didn't perform your heroics to rescue her."

"I think I see. Padma, please tell your sister that I may have raced there to ensure you and Hermione were safe but I would have protected anyone from that troll. Well, perhaps I would have let it beat up Malfoy or Weasley for a while before I stopped it."

Padma knew it was more a case of her sister had never had to play second fiddle to her before. Hearing that Harry had raced to the infirmary to see that she was safe, after publicly clobbering the Weasley boy for hitting her with a spell in the first place, would be a shock to Parvati's system. When she put it all together like that, it was a shock to Padma's too.

Seeing that the morning entertainment appeared to be over, Roger asked Harry a question that everyone wanted to know the answer to. "Harry, why did you use Gryffindor's sword on that troll?"

"Oh, my knife wasn't quite big enough to bring it down - pass those sausages over please Hermione?"

That ended all questions on the subject, no Ravenclaw could fault logic like that. As the noise level in the hall returned to what passed for normal at mealtimes, Harry had a question to ask both his friends.

"My father is coming to Hogwarts today, would you like to meet him?"

Hermione and Padma both said yes at once, putting a wide smile on Harry's face. That smile just got wider as Professor Flitwick entered the great hall, accompanied by a goblin Harry clearly knew.

No one in the hall was quite sure what to make of the boy-who-lived getting to his feet before respectfully bowing to a goblin. "Well met Master Pitslay, it really is a pleasure to see you again. I had no idea who my father had arranged to tutor potions and am delighted you have made the journey here."

"Well met Harry Crow - yes your father asked me to use that name while you are inside Hogwarts. I was hardly likely to let some wizard ruin all the hard work I had expended on your potions tuition. Master Flitwick has kindly arranged a classroom that should meet our needs, though I understand we have a few more students wishing to learn potions properly?"

"Yes Master Pitslay, three of my friends. Will that be acceptable?"

"That will be fine. If they prove adequate, we might add a few more as the weeks progress."

This proved too much for Snape who stormed out the great hall. Hogwarts students being taught potions by a goblin! He would have to take some action about that. Minerva McGonagall felt she needed to take some action too. She approached the group and Filius introduced her.

After the pleasantries, Minerva got right down to business. A trait that would endear her to anyone of goblin decent. "Master Pitslay, as Deputy Headmistress, I would like to observe you teaching our students this morning. Please understand, I mean no slight on your capabilities. Certain others might cast aspersions on you teaching at Hogwarts, I will be able to deal with them in my official capacity if I have witnessed your lesson first hand."

The goblin bowed slightly to McGonagall. "I look forward to your company professor, and thank you for your honesty and forethought."

Neither Hermione, Padma or Neville had a problem cutting their breakfast short so Professor Flitwick could lead them all to the classroom set aside for their potions lessons. After watching the way Snape had stormed out of the hall, missing lunch and dinner too would have been a small price to pay. If the longing looks they received from three quarters of the other first years were any indication, they clearly thought so too.

-oOoOo-

Minerva sat at the back of the class, not sure what to expect. If Harry's transfiguration tuition was any indicator, then she needed to be ready for anything. What she didn't expect was the children being told to put their books away before being handed a different one from their new professor. Pitslay was kind enough to hand her a copy too.

"Now I feel we must lay a few ground rules down here before we start, give you some idea of what to expect from me as your teacher. First of all, I intend to be finished the first year course before your next holiday." Pitslay let that statement sink in before continuing. "I intend to achieve this by not wasting both our times continually brewing different potions just so you learn one specific procedure or technique. When I teach you something, I expect you to remember it first time."

Harry had heard all of this before but enjoyed watching his friends nod in agreement with that last statement.

"Secondly, I won't be issuing what would properly be called homework. I don't care if you can write me a three foot essay on how you would brew something, I would much rather we spent our time ensuring you can actually brew that specific potion. That, boys and girls, is what I class as homework. Each week I will tell you the potion that you are going to be brewing the next time you see me. Your task then is to research all the steps, procedures and ingredients to the stage where you can brew it perfectly. The books I've just given you should be extremely helpful with each task."

Minerva thought the goblin teacher's expectations were too high, until she opened the book Pitslay had given her. That the potion formula and brewing procedure were clearly laid out was to be expected. What she'd never seen before was the wealth of additional information provided in a reference section that was easily two thirds of the entire book.

Pitslay took them through just what he expected, clearly showing each student how to glean the information on every ingredient and why they must follow the steps exactly. The goblin demonstrated each step of the procedure, actually brewing the potion himself. He encouraged them to ask questions but, instead of answering them, preferred to lead them whenever possible through the book so they could discover the correct answer for themselves.

Hermione though had a question that required a direct answer. "Sir, why is Harry's book so much thicker than ours?"

"Mr Crow already has a few years of my tuition under his belt, hence will be working on a different potion next week. Pages are added to your books as your skills increase. If things progress as I hope, your books should all be updated before December ends. There is a high probability that our numbers will increase. At that time, you three will be working on whatever potion I have assigned you, while Harry works on another. Any newcomers will of course start at the beginning, it is perfectly normal in a goblin classroom to have students working at different levels. Once you have brewed a few potions, I shall see where we go from there."

The lunch bell surprised everyone, including Minerva. She hadn't intended to spend the entire lesson here, only enough time to ensure the students were being taught to the same standard as the rest of their yearmates. She found the handout to be one of the best educational textbooks she'd ever seen and the teaching method fascinating. Minerva could see the positive implications of this, Severus was always complaining about expensive ingredients being reduced to sludge or cauldrons melted by dunderheaded students. It would be very interesting to compare the two methods. She really only had one question.

"Master Pitslay, what do you do when a student arrives at class clearly not having carried out the preparation work you set them?"

The little goblin seemed affronted at that question. "No student of mine would ever dare!"

Harry quickly covered for McGonagall's unintentional gaff. "Master Pitslay is the foremost potion brewer in goblin society. It is such an honour to be tutored by him that his statement is of course correct. There is no way a student of his would arrive for class unprepared. Their tutoring would come to a swift end, and the disgrace of that would follow them for the rest of their lives."

Hermione, Padma and Neville certainly had no intention of ever arriving unprepared. Not only would that mean letting Harry down, their only other alternative was Snape. They may not have done any brewing here today but all now felt confident they could make the required potion next week. For Neville, that was really saying something.

-oOoOo-

As they walked back to the great hall, McGonagall spotted another goblin standing there waiting with Filius. The Deputy Headmistress also spotted something that warmed her heart. Just for a few seconds, Harry had let his mask slip and Minerva was delighted at what she saw displayed there. Here was a young boy, away from home for the first time in his life, laying eyes on a loved parent. Having observed the Dursleys all those years ago, she really couldn't imagine Harry ever having the same kind of reaction to seeing his aunt and uncle. This was her first indication that Harry growing up with the goblins was a good solution to that young orphan's problem.

Hermione was on Harry's arm and could literally feel the excitement course through him as he spotted the goblin who must be his father. She was practically dragged in that direction.

"Well met father, how are you today?"

"All the better for seeing you, my son." Barchoke was smiling inside at the young girl on his son's arm, though of course none of it showed on his face. "Will you introduce me to your friends?"

"This is Hermione Granger, Padma Patil and Neville Longbottom. This is my father, Senior Accounts Manager, Barchoke."

Hermione paid no notice Barchoke's classic pinstriped suit, that he was slightly shorter than his son or had pointy ears. Harry called him father and that was more than good enough for her. The young Ravenclaw immediately offered her hand in greeting, saying "pleased to meet you sir"

Padma and Neville took their lead from Hermione and offered the same greeting. Barchoke couldn't remember the last time he'd shaken a witch or wizard's hand, his son had chosen his friends well. "Master Flitwick has arranged for us to lunch together before our meeting with the headmaster, the meeting will now be joined by some of the senior staff too."

Harry was well aware it wasn't considered polite to switch to the goblin language in the company of those who didn't understand it, he was also aware certain situations called for it. He considered this one of those situations. ""Father, can my friends join us for lunch? I feel they really need to know important information about me.""

This caught Barchoke on the hop, his son hadn't been gone a week yet wanted to tell these friends his secret? He was delighted his son had a best friend, that she was muggle born was in many ways a bonus. That was a side of the world that he was ill equipped to teach his son anything about, but this was moving way too fast. ""Are you sure about this Harry? Once told, you can't take it back?""

Harry nodded determinedly, ""The girls were almost killed yesterday, I was forced to slay a troll that was trying to bludgeon them to death.""

Barchoke's mask slipped at that, he practically growled at Harry's head of house. ""You shall be explaining that to me later - and why I was not contacted immediately!""

Hermione had been surprised when Harry started speaking what she could only guess was the goblin language, that was nothing though to watching his father's public face slip for a second. She remembered Harry telling her his father had fought two duels to the death to protect him, she now had no problem believing that. Public face back fully in place, he then switched effortlessly to English.

"Harry has asked that his friends join us for lunch, I would be delighted with that. I certainly want to know more about his friends, and especially what happened yesterday." The goblin's last phrase was said in a harder tone, and specifically aimed at McGonagall.

Minerva quickly responded. "Sir, I'll be more than happy to answer any and all questions you may have at the meeting. I'm hoping you may answer some of mine?"

The concerned father gave a slight nod at that. "I hope we can cooperate but please be assured, the safety of my son will always be paramount in any discussions we have. I was not aware that fighting trolls was actually part of the Hogwarts curriculum? If this is the best your school has to offer, it will be a short meeting and my son will be returning home with me."

Harry felt Hermione's fingers dig into his arm at that, he placed his hand over hers to offer some reassurance. He was pretty sure his father was bluffing, he was also pretty sure he was the only one there who thought so. Harry was certain his father's words would get back to the headmaster before the meeting, which was his father's entire reason for speaking them here.

They were led into a room set up for lunch and Harry invited Master Flitwick to join them, alerting his father that their head of house should be considered an ally in what was to come. Barchoke responded in kind by offering some comfort to the young girl who was clearly building herself up into a state of distress.

"Please don't trouble yourself Miss Granger. Should Harry leave Hogwarts, arrangement would be made to ensure he stayed in contact with his best friend."

"Oh thank you sir, but Harry already knows my feelings..."

"Hermione, before you say anymore, there is something I need to tell you. I need to tell all of you." Harry had just sat at the table with Hermione and Padma either side of him, his father now sat opposite and nodded his acceptance of the situation. "What I'm about to say may make a difference to where we go from here. You all heard the sorting hat call me prophesied one, well the prophecy in question concerns me and Voldemort. He's not dead, and will be coming after me."

It was Flitwick who broke the silence that followed Harry's revelation. Having just had the worst fears of the senior staff confirmed, it was time to declare whose side he was on. "This is not for repeating outside this room, Voldemort was in the castle yesterday. He possessed Professor Quirrell and let the troll into the castle."

Harry shared a glance with his father before continuing. "We didn't think he would be able to stage a return for a few years yet, this is why I just had to tell you. Being around me could be dangerous..."

Harry found himself confronted by a witch determined to get her point across. Hermione was so determined, she was sitting on his lap with her face mere inches from his. "You listen to me Crow, it's taken me nearly twelve years to find a best friend. If you think for one second that I'm going to give that up then the hat was wrong to put you in Ravenclaw!"

Barchoke now thought his son had made the right decision as he watched Harry's arms snake around the young witch. It was heartwarming to watch as these two drew comfort from each other while the rest of his friends quickly supported him.

Padma was in Ravenclaw for all the right reasons, and used that claw reasoning to convey to Harry she wasn't going anywhere. "You say I may be in danger if I stay your friend, I say I would be dead if I wasn't. You said it yourself Harry, you only raced to the infirmary because your friends were there. We all know the professors would have gotten to the infirmary too late to do anything but clean up the mess. I'll take the danger because I think I'm far safer, and certainly happier as your friend."

Neville was blushing but determined to prove the same hat had put him in Gryffindor for a reason. "My reason is more like Hermione's, though without the hugs. It's taken me a long time to make any friends, and that's a lot to give up. Besides, you told me we're practically family. I wouldn't be much of a family if I ran away now."

Hermione had such a tight hold of Harry she could feel the tension leave his body as they all declared they were going nowhere. She sat back, still on his knee, to ask the next question. "Okay, that explains all the training and tutors. Now, have you anything else to let slip or can we eat our lunch? I never knew running in the morning could give you such an appetite and we cut breakfast short."

As Miss Granger slipped into her own seat and began eating her lunch, Barchoke lost it. Both Harry's letters home had been full of this young witch, and he had a good idea of just how apprehensive his son was about telling her the prophecy. Seeing her reaction to the news caused Barchoke to burst out laughing. "Son, I heartily approve of your friends. Miss Granger, no matter what happens here today, you can rest assure you will be in Harry's life as long as you both want that to be so."

The relief amongst the young people was palpable, now all Barchoke needed was the meeting with the headmaster to go as well. First though, he wanted to hear how his son had taken out a troll.

A/N Thanks for reading.

6. Dumbledore The Delusional

Harry Crow

Disclaimer: Since I'm not the owner of these characters, I may do things with them that you don't like or agree with. Sorry in advance but that's the nature of fan fiction. To do otherwise kind of defeats the purpose of fan fiction, and copying JKR word for word would certainly see a lawsuit heading in my direction. If my efforts don't fit your idea of what a Harry Potter story should be, again I can only offer my apologies and perhaps a suggestion. Writing your own really is the only way to ensure the story progresses exactly the way you want it to, it also gives the rest of us something to read.

The response to this story has been phenomenal! 1,100 reviews for five chapters is just….WOW. Thank you all so much.

Chapter 6

Albus glanced down at his now unwanted lunch and reckoned losing weight was the least of his troubles. Minerva's news had once more robbed him of his appetite. "Are you certain Barchoke was serious about removing Harry from Hogwarts? Filius said the boy was sent here to mingle with his peers."

His deputy attempted to get across the seriousness of the situation. "When Barchoke heard about yesterday, he appeared ready to behead Filius in the entrance hall. Barchoke may have sent Harry here to mingle with his peers, having his son forced to kill a troll to save his friends was never part of the deal."

The headmaster was a shrewd enough negotiator to know that going into any meeting where the other party held all the cards was not conducive to getting the result you wanted. Albus couldn't think of one single thing he had to bargain with. There was more than that disturbing him though, Harry had terrified him yesterday. "I just can't get past the image of that young boy casually wiping the blood off his sword, using the vest of the troll he'd just killed. He's certainly not what I expected."

Pomona just had to comment on that. "The first year timetable sees me teaching Harry more than anyone else, a miniature James Potter he's not. The lad is polite, courteous and shows no sign of the arrogance that plagued his father at the same age. He is also physically taller and certainly broader than the skinny boy an eleven year old James was. He's already attracting the attention of witches a few years older than him."

Minerva had to chip in her two knuts worth into the pot too. "I saw the pair greet one another before heading off to lunch, Don't doubt for a second that there is not a very close father / son relationship present between Harry and Barchoke. I'm starting to think that Dursley did the right thing by taking the child to Gringotts."

This drew some looks of disbelief from her colleagues, Minerva though was not for changing her opinion. "I watched those muggles for a full day and protested against Harry being left there in the first place. The fact that they gave the child away proves I was right. It would seem to be pure luck that Harry appears to have been raised in a nourishing environment."

An upset potions professor put his knife and fork down. "You seem determined to deny me the same nourishment. All this talk about that brat is ruining my appetite again." Severus' sarcasm valve was stuck on fully open, he was not having a good Friday. "I intend to complain to the board of governors about the alternative potions class that took place this morning..."

He wasn't given time to properly get into his rant as Minerva cut him off with a question. "On what grounds do you intend to complain?"

Severus was staring at the deputy as if she had just asked the stupidest question he'd ever heard. "Are you serious Minerva? Potions being taught inside Hogwarts by a goblin, the board will never allow that. It's degrading to the rest of the staff..."

Again Minerva jumped all over him. "I am reliably informed that Master Pitslay is the premier potions master of the goblin nation. After observing him teach a class this morning, I am confident the students he teaches will be at the very least on par with the best that your class produces." From the pained expression on his face, you could be forgiven for thinking Severus had a fish bone lodged in his throat. His mouth was open and moving but no decipherable sound was coming out. "You also need to take into account that Augusta Longbottom is a very influential member of that board, and her grandson is one of Pitslay's students. Did I mention Hogwarts latest tutor hopes to be finished the first year curriculum before Christmas?"

To Severus, here was proof that this goblin had no idea what he was taking on. "Good luck with that! Weasley just managed to melt the first cauldron of the year, I fear it won't be his last as following simple instructions appears beyond him. The only reason he's not spending the evening in detention with me is because he apparently has a prior detention with you."

Since Severus decided to bring up one of her cubs at lunch, Minerva thought some retaliation should be on the menu. The Head of Gryffindor knew just how to tweak his large nose some more. "Mr Crow has obviously been having private potions tuition for a while now, Pitslay has him brewing the wit-sharpening potion next week. If I'm not mistaken, that's usually done near the end of fourth year?"

That was all it took to see the potion master's napkin hit the table, the very thought of James Potter's offspring as a potions protégé was enough to see Severus heading back to his dungeon. Dumbledore was only partially paying attention to what was happening between three of his heads of house, most of the headmaster's attention was still on what to do at the meeting after lunch. This had the potential to be bad, Harry - whatever he wanted to call himself - leaving Hogwarts would be a disaster.

-oOoOo-

Filius led the father and son to the headmaster's office and handled all the introductions. Barchoke sat with Harry beside him, waiting to see what happened here. Dumbledore had requested this meeting, before the troll incident took place, so the first move was his.

Albus was left really with only one choice. When your opponent held the stronger hand, your options were either bluff or fold. Folding was not an option here so bluff it was.

"On behalf of the witches and wizards of Britain, I would like to offer our sincere thanks for doing such a superb job of raising young Harry here. I feel it's time though that Harry Potter returned to the magical society and asked you here today to discuss if we can reach some sort of agreement on how this could be achieved."

"I'm sorry headmaster, that's just not possible..."

"Oh come now Barchoke, of course it's possible. I've been holding back the press and the ministry from interfering but I don't know for how much longer I'll be able to manage that."

The answer Albus got was as unexpected as the source it came from. The anger and venom in the voice of one so young was certainly disturbing, but the information given out was what really startled the headmaster. "Bring it on Dumbledore! I'm sure the press, and the ministry would like to know how I was dumped on a muggle doorstep. A letter tucked in my blanket and Voldemort's horcrux in my head. A really stellar decision from the leader of the light that night, a decision he had no legal right to make!"

Pomona couldn't miss that her three shocked colleagues were turning shades of grey or green, she needed more information. "Just what is a horcrux?"

Harry's voice was once more respectful as he answered the head of Hufflepuff's question. "It's some of the darkest magic known professor, to split your soul and store part of it in a separate container requires you to commit murder as part of the ritual. After he killed James and Lily Potter, something strange happened and I ended up with a bit of Voldemort's soul attached to me. This is something Voldemort's obviously deliberately done more than once too, and he can't be truly killed while a part of his soul still survives. My father took me straight to a goblin healer to have the piece in me removed and then destroyed, why didn't you do that headmaster?"

Minerva was remembering that night as if it was yesterday because Dumbledore's words had struck a chord with her. She had instinctively known something wasn't right but had accepted his assurances at face value. Minerva shouted his own words back at Albus. "Even if I could, I wouldn't. Scars can come in handy! That's what you said - though you never did say what it would be handy for? You knew there was a horcrux inside that bairn and yet you did nothing about it?"

"I had but a mere suspicion, and I was not aware that a procedure existed to successfully remove a horcrux from a living host. Usually they would be imbedded in an inanimate object that would need to be destroyed." Dumbledore attempted to redirect the anger in the room at a different target than him. "What I'm more concerned about here is that an eleven year old knows about the foulest dark magic imaginable - what kind of a parent are you that would teach a child that?"

Harry was on his feet, ready to defend his father against all comers, when he felt a familiar hand on his shoulder. "Remember your training son, this is why you work so hard."

Everyone could see Harry take a deep breath and regain control of his emotions. He sat back down and apologised. "Sorry father. Losing your temper loses your focus, losing your focus can cost you the battle. It's hard to sit here though and listen to this old fraud berate you when his crimes should have seen him in Azkaban."

Barchoke turned his attention to the rest of the company. "My son is of course correct. An infant had been hit with the killing curse yet you didn't even arrange for a healer to check his health. Instead of being cared for, the saviour of magical Britain gets taken to the Dursleys by the Hogwarts groundkeeper..."

"I trust Hagrid with my life!"

"From a man with no honour, I'll treat that statement with the contempt it deserves. It also hasn't escaped my notice that you refuse to offer a defence as to the illegality of your actions that night, could that be because they are indefensible? My son is well aware of his past - and what the future holds for him. It's clear to me this is information that you also hold but have chosen not to reveal to even your closest comrades."

Dumbledore couldn't believe this was all coming out today. His words to Severus were proving to be true, this boy knew far too much. "This information should not be known by mere children..."

Barchoke growled his question at Dumbledore. "Even though a child managed to do what you could not? My son is prophesied to be the only one who can defeat Voldemort yet you would have him raised by muggles until he was eleven. We have to ask the question why?"

That was one question he had no intention of ever answering, Albus once more attempted to turn the argument back onto the goblin. "You are training a human child to be a warrior for the goblin nation, I've heard of nothing but training and lessons. I wanted him to have a normal childhood..."

Harry just had to butt in at that. "How was a normal childhood going to enable me to defeat a dark wizard that's already had the country on its knees once before?"

"The prophecy states you will have a power the dark lord knows not - I believe that power to be love!"

Albus now had everyone in the room staring at him in disbelief, it was left to Harry to come up with a reply. "No wonder he was so upset when I killed the troll, the headmaster probably wanted me to give it a hug and make everything all better. Is that what you had planned for my confrontation with Voldemort, kiss him to death? Sorry but no chance, I intend my first kiss to be with a girl."

"Now you're just being silly Mr Crow..."

"What? And you were serious with that love dragoncrap? I think we've heard all we need to, don't you father? There is nothing for us here."

Barchoke nodded with pride at his son. "Just to address your earlier point headmaster, you and I can't 'do a deal' on my son returning to the wizarding community. The reason for my refusal is that the entire issue will be purely Harry's decision. That decision will not be influenced by me, and certainly not by you. Know this though, whatever decision he makes, Harry will have my full support and always be my son. A son I'm very proud of."

The proud father now had their undivided attention. He'd just announced his son was the only person who could defeat Voldemort and they were waiting to see if Harry would be staying at Hogwarts. "I came here today - at your request - to discuss my son's future. A normal childhood sounds idyllic, until that is it equates to my son being dead before he's out of his teens. Without his lessons and training, neither Harry nor his friends would have made their teens. They would have perished under the club of a troll in the Hogwarts infirmary - all while supposedly in your care! I had hoped we could reach an agreement here today, not on what's best for me or you Dumbledore but for Harry. Clearly that is not something you are prepared to do headmaster, therefore I will have to look elsewhere."

Minerva couldn't decide whether she was going to tear Dumbledore a new one or throw up her lunch and make his robes even more colourful. The Deputy Headmistress was also having trouble deciding if today's meeting could have went any worse. She desperately wanted to get out of that office but had something that needed to be said first. "I shall show you out sir, the air in here is suddenly tasting rather foul. I feel I must offer my apologies for the small part I played in your son being deposited with the Dursleys. In my defence I will say I objected strongly to him being left there at all, and the headmaster also waived aside my concerns over young Harry's scar."

This was better than Barchoke had hoped for, here was an opening the goblin intended to exploit. Hogwarts making Harry her champion had really just confirmed what they at Gringotts had already suspected, Harry's future was in some way tied to Hogwarts. Here was his chance to deal with the deputy, and exclude the headmaster entirely from those discussions. Now Barchoke could keep Harry in the castle and stick it to Dumbledore's pride at the same time. That was all good to the goblin. "I accept your apology and would appreciate the chance to talk with you professor, it will give me the opportunity to make arrangements for my son and his friends to also receive private defence lessons. As I just stated, I have no faith in the headmaster or his decisions. I doubt if he will be able to find a competent replacement for the one that was possessed by Voldemort."

Albus wanted to demand to know how they had obtained that information but was too relieved at learning that Harry obviously wasn't leaving the school to complain.

Barchoke though had a parting comment for the headmaster. "With regard to your threat of the press or ministry, my son was one hundred percent correct. Bring it on Dumbledore. It should be obvious by now that we, unlike you, have nothing to hide. I will agree that Voldemort making horcruxes is not something we want on the front page of the Prophet, or banded about the ministry."

The goblin didn't want Dumbledore to think he agreed with anything else the old wizard was up to, his last comment ensured that message came across. "On the other hand, you are no longer a young wizard. What would happen if you should pass away and no one else had access to the information you fanatically hold to yourself? Do you even have a contingency plan in place or are you so conceited as to think only you could possibly achieve what needs to be done?"

This was all Barchoke intended to say on the matter. McGonagall then left with the father and son, both she and Barchoke now turning their attention to arranging a defence tutor for the Monday's and Thursday's that the first year Ravenclaws were timetabled for that subject.

Filius could hardly contain himself long enough to let Minerva lead them out, they could barely have made the bottom of the staircase before he rounded on Dumbledore. "After all my warnings, you tried to bully Barchoke into relinquishing his son?"

There was disbelief in Filius' tone but anger was easily the dominant emotion detectable in his voice. "If that didn't convince me you were at the very least delusional, your 'power of love' comment certainly did. I believe Barchoke when he said he came to Hogwarts today to see if there was any way he could work with you to help his son, both just left here knowing that to be impossible. That boy has, by any standard, already led an extraordinary life - he's not yours to do with as you please."

Dumbledore was getting fed-up with people thinking they could speak to him whatever way they wanted. "Don't overstep the mark here Filius! Remember, you work for me."

"Actually, I work for Hogwarts. Please let me know by the end of the day if you want to take any action that changes that status, I've just heard of a defence tuition position becoming available that greatly interests me. I can also guarantee the lessons would not be held in Hogwarts, Barchoke would have Harry following me right out the door." Filius left behind a clearly angry Dumbledore as he stormed from the office.

Pomona attempted to make Albus see sense regarding this matter. "The lad will now be receiving private tuition for two of his subjects, potions and defence. Add to that, Minerva will need to figure out exactly how he performs his transfiguration before she can be of any help and you've just pissed-off the lad's head of house and charms professor. Albus, you're hanging on to Mr Crow by the skin of your teeth." She had a wry smile at her next observation. "I doubt I could get anyone to bet against what will happen the first time Binns mentions 'goblin rebellion'. Can you even doubt there will be a private history tutor on their way to Hogwarts too? That class might just have all four houses clamouring to join."

Albus knew all this, it was also only a matter of time before the press and the ministry were crawling all over this situation as well. Pomona then tried a different tact. "I've known you for over two decades Albus, so my position on this matter should not be a surprise to you. On the one hand I have a wizard who clearly doesn't trust me yet expects instant obedience to his somewhat questionable actions. Of all the staff in Hogwarts, the only person you have shown a modicum of trust in is the most sour, spiteful and petty man it has ever been my displeasure to teach alongside. Do I need a dark mark on my arm and claim repentance before you decide I might be allowed to know anything of importance?"

She could see her barbs were hitting their target so Pomona continued. "On the other hand, a goblin I've just met trusted me with information that could rock our world. He did this clearly in an attempt to gain my support for his son. Since that same boy is the one prophesied to fight Voldemort, then you must know he already has mine. I could never support a dark lord so my position on this is crystal clear, I will do everything in my power to help Mr Crow achieve the result we all want. Minerva and Filius will certainly reach the same conclusion that I have, we just can't understand why you are not standing squarely beside us?"

His half-moon glasses were currently lying on his desk while Albus tiredly rubbed his eyes. "Of course I want to see the end of Voldemort but the issue is not as black and white as it's being painted. Prophecies are at best vague, being fully understood only after their completion. The actual prophecy doesn't say who will win, only that one must kill the other. Watching that young boy so casually taking a life terrifies me more than I can say. The last thing we need is for one dark lord to be defeated, only to be replaced by another - this one with full Gringotts backing and a goblin agenda."

Pomona wasn't standing for that analogy. "If my choice is between Voldemort or a young man who calls a goblin father and has a muggle born witch for a best friend - again not a difficult decision for me. Sometimes you just have to trust your instincts Albus, and mine are all screaming at me to help that boy any way I can. Ten years ago we miraculously escaped the dark alternative, I never want to go back down that road again."

"Do you honestly think that child can defeat Voldemort?"

"He did it before Albus, and that was without a sword. Hogwarts obviously knew about the prophecy and still made Harry her champion. If you can't trust Hogwarts then I'm afraid there really is no hope for you. That's not to say the boy won't need all the help he can get, and you could probably help him more than most. Take a long look in the mirror Albus, and then decide if you can live with yourself if you don't support Harry."

Pomona left the old wizard to his thoughts, Albus was sitting at his desk with his head in his hands.

-oOoOo-

Ron Weasley had a scrubbing brush in his hands, cleaning out a boy's toilet. The brush was certainly a more effective tool than his now held together with spellotape wand.

Long before he boarded the Hogwarts Express, the youngest Weasley male was well aware that the boy-who-lived would be in the same Hogwarts year as him. Ron had been certain they would both be in Gryffindor together, and surely best friends before Halloween. The strong smell of disinfectant seemed to emphasise that, like everything else in his life, even his dreams turned to shit.

His only meagre crumb of comfort was that this detention got him out of one with Snape. Potions today had been a nightmare, and Ron couldn't see that improving any time soon. Having to listen during dinner while Neville prattled to Parvati about just how good his potions lesson had been almost gave Ron indigestion. The part about no homework was the clincher though, something had to be done.

He'd tried to charm his way into the boy-who-lived's good graces, Ron had been very firmly and publicly rejected. It was time to try more devious methods, namely his twin brothers.

With a broken wand, two weeks' worth of detention and losing Gryffindor fifty points - family honour needed to be defended here. Ron was positive he could spin the story to get his brothers unleashing a prank war against a certain first year. That should see Ron getting what he wanted before he called off the twins. An invitation to join the very exclusive club that was potions nirvana - no homework and no Snape!

-oOoOo-

Hermione had actually enjoyed her run this morning, especially after getting confirmation Harry wasn't leaving Hogwarts just yet. They were heading down to breakfast and Padma was teasing her that she may join them for morning exercises. It was actually quite cute to see just how clueless Harry was as he mistook Padma's teasing about Hermione being alone with him for genuine interest in their morning exercises. Their friend had quietly confided in Hermione last night that no pureblood witch or wizard would ever run for pleasure. Apparently the concepts of keeping fit or jogging hadn't quite taken off in the magical community.

All three were looking forward to doing some exploring after breakfast since this was the start of their first weekend inside Hogwarts. The trio had just taken what was quickly becoming their normal seats when a ghostly head came through the wooden table.

"Good morning to you young champion, allow me to introduce myself. I am Sir Nicholas de Mimsy Porpington, the Gryffindor House ghost. I'm afraid some of my students arranged for your breakfast to be tainted so I wouldn't recommend eating anything at the moment."

All three quickly pushed the food away from them as Harry questioned the ghost. "Sir Nicholas, can you tell me who did this?"

"Oh the Weasley twins are notorious pranksters, beginning to rival even your father and his friends..."

Their conversation was interrupted there by loud laughter emanating from the Gryffindor table. One glance was all Harry needed before the three of them headed straight over there. Neville was currently sporting a large pair of donkey ears and was braying every time he attempted to speak.

Ron Weasley was laughing the loudest, certainly not an attractive sight since his mouth was full of food at the time. "Hey Neville, someone made an ass out of you!" He then proceeded to laugh even louder at his own joke.

Harry wasn't laughing, he was furious. As Hermione and Padma took Neville with them to sit at the Ravenclaw table, he headed straight for the headmaster. "Sir, what action are you going to take against this bullying of a first year?"

Albus was beginning to think the fates hated him, why couldn't he be allowed to eat a meal in peace? "Bullying Mr Crow? I think you are mistaken. This was merely a simple prank, something I can assure you that your father was very fond of."

"You must be mistaken sir, goblins don't believe in pranks. They would look on that as an attack on their person, and react accordingly. Since it was only receiving a warning that stopped me also being a victim, I would still like to know what action you are going to take over this unprovoked attack?"

Severus couldn't take any more of this arrogant boy. "Go back to your table and mind your manners. This is the way young witches and wizards behave inside Hogwarts. If you are so determined to be a goblin, go back to Gringotts where you obviously belong."

Snape's mention of Gringotts reminded Harry of yesterday, and of his training. Now would not be a good time to lose his temper, a different approach was needed here. Harry gave a mocking bow before replying. "Thank you for explaining that to me sir, There is no mention of this pranking phenomenon in either Hogwarts a History or the students handbook. I do not need nor want special treatment and shall just have to do my best to fit in."

Harry walked back to his place at the Ravenclaw table and picked up his knife and fork.

"Harry, what are you doing? Eating that will see you turn the same as Neville."

Harry made sure everyone could hear his answer. "You heard the professor Hermione, this is the way we're supposed to behave. Just because we think this is nothing but juvenile bullying doesn't matter, why should we be treated any different from everyone else?"

She wasn't sure what he was up to until spotting Harry's slight wink. Even though she though he was nuts, Hermione began eating her breakfast too. As this had now gotten everyone's attention, they all saw Padma join them in breaking their fast. When there were four pranked students sitting at the Ravenclaw table, Ron Weasley's laughter reverberated around the hall. "Told you he was an idiot! Imagine eating food you knew was pranked."

Ron was interrupted by the Head of Hufflepuff. "Ten points each to Mr Crow, Miss Granger and Miss Padma Patil for displaying not only courage, but loyalty to a friend."

Minerva was right behind Pomona, though she was reprimanding one of her cubs. "Mr Weasley, stop braying like a donkey. This isn't a farmyard so please learn some table manners, otherwise you may find yourself with a trough instead of a plate."

These announcements brought widespread applause and saw Harry stand and bow toward both professors, his long ears well worth the price of what he now saw. His head of house must have erected some kind of privacy shield because Master Flitwick was clearly shouting at an angry Snape yet there was no sound. It was a big-eared but satisfied Ravenclaw who now sat back down to finish his breakfast.

The four friends went for a walk outside the castle while waiting on the prank wearing off, their ears were only just beginning their journey back to normal when they were approached by a pair of identical redheads.

"Really well done this morning people, you managed to reverse the prank back on us."

"Yeah, everyone knew who was to blame so we've been getting sniggered at since. Clever way to get most of the hall on your side, that's never happened to us before."

Harry was pleased to discover that his voice was now back to normal. "You know of course that was only the beginning? Goblin honour dictates that I retaliate against you and your brother. We've never met before so it must have been him that put you up to this, big mistake guys."

"What do you make of this George?"

"Yeah, little firstie kills one troll to save a few lives and suddenly thinks he's ready to take on the infamous Weasley twins."

"Don't know what things are coming to? Youngsters today, no respect for their elders."

The one apparently called George became serious for a moment. "Why the hostility toward Ron? If you had to sit beside him at mealtimes we could perhaps understand..."

Harry found himself liking these two, even if they were related to Ron. They both oozed the personality and charm that was sadly lacking in their younger sibling. "Your brother tried to barge his way into our group. When that didn't work, he reached for his wand and fired a curse at Hermione. He couldn't even do that right though and hit Padma instead. That's why the girls were in the infirmary when that troll attacked."

The twins shared a nervous glance, "That's not exactly the story he told us."

Hermione huffed at that news. "Why am I not surprised. Your brother is a jackass yet we all end up with the matching mule ears at breakfast. I'm with Harry for a little payback."

Both twins laugh at this. "Looks like we've got some competition in the pranking stakes, we'll have to watch our food from now on."

"Oh slipping someone a potion is so old school, we four intend to be a little more imaginative than that."

This had the twins laughing again at the audacity of these first years. "Young Harrykins, you've got some nerve."

"Yes, George and I look forward to seeing just what you and your mini-marauders can do."

"Just remember the prankster's motto - Don't Get Caught!"

They walked away leaving the other three all staring at Harry, Padma was first to crack. "You have a plan, right? Even the older Ravenclaws don't mess with the Weasley twins, and apparently for very good reason."

"Relax Padma, we'll just have to unleash our secret weapons on them. Ron Ron, his twin brothers and not forgetting Snape."

This made Neville even more nervous. "Eh, Harry - I'm actually in favour of forgetting all about Snape. If I never have to see him again it will still be too soon."

Padma quickly agreed with Neville but something Harry had said got Hermione thinking. "Wait until we hear what these secret weapons of Harry's are first before we all start panicking."

This earned the witch a smile from her best friend, before he then let them into his ideas. "Well our first secret weapon is Neville, he's our inside man for Gryffindor house - and Weasley payback. Next, I happen to have some recipes for goblin potions that will see Snape sneering out the other side of his face."

Neville was shocked at his friends depending on him, this had never happened before. "What do you need me to do?"

Harry could see Neville was practically shaking with fright but determined to do his best. He quickly reassured the Gryffindor. "All we need is information Neville. Until we know more about them, we won't be able to figure out the best way to get back at the Weasleys. If we were to slip the twins a potion, the entire thing would just escalate. I want to put a stop to this, not make it worse."

They sat beside the Black Lake in the weak September sunshine, throwing ideas in and out of their grand plan. Scheming revenge against those who have wronged you was certainly a pastime worthy of any goblin. It was only when Harry announced what his other secret weapon was though that his friends started to believe they could actually pull this off.

-oOoOo-

Something was certainly off with Fred and George as they entered the Gryffindor common room through the portrait hole later that evening.

"Detention with Filch, I can't believe we got caught."

"That's the least of our worries Fred, the map's stopped working and none of the secret passages would open for us."

"How are we going to cope without access to the kitchens? The only portrait working for us is the Fat Lady."

"Yeah, and even she didn't seem too happy to be opening for us. What is going on?"

George nudged his twin, drawing his attention to the first year sitting holding a book up to hide his face. It was hard to miss that this first year was struggling to hold his laughter, and that was more than enough to raise the twins' suspicions.

"Good book there Neville?"

"Or were you finding something else funny?"

That was too much for the young wizard, the laughter he'd been holding back burst forth.

"Are you getting a bad feeling about this George?"

"Oh yes, brother of mine. Could it be that the mini-marauders have struck back?"

It was a clearly thoughtful Fred Weasley who answered his twin's question. "The timing would suggest that, but I have no idea how they could be involved?"

Between his bouts of laughter, Neville was able to give them a clue. "Hogwarts doesn't like that you decided to prank her champion, the castle is now closed to you."

The horrified look on the twins' faces set Neville's laughter off again.

"Little Harrykins wouldn't do that to us?"

"We have stuff hidden all through the castle, and now we can't get at any of it!"

Both sank onto a sofa as the reality of what Hogwarts working against them meant. "The ghosts told Filch what we were up to..."

"..and the portraits led him straight to us. We're going to get away with nothing!"

Neville was still chuckling to himself as he made his way up to the dorm. He couldn't wait to tell his friends what had just happened, and to see the next part unfold at breakfast tomorrow.

-oOoOo-

Breakfast was Ron's favourite part of the day, closely followed by lunch and dinner. He was unaware that was all about to change. He was just contemplating what to grab for his first course of second helpings when his plate disappeared.

"Hey, I wasn't finished with that!"

This though was only the tip of the iceberg. As Ron reached for more food, the serving platters would disappear before he could get his hands on them, only to reappear once he'd moved back out of range. The guile, effort and determination shown by the boy as he continually attempted to stalk more food was light years away from his lackadaisical performances in all of his classes. Unfortunately, all he had to show for his sterling efforts during the rest of breakfast was providing entertainment value to the other diners. Most of the hall was now laughing at him.

It was left to Neville to deliver the coup de grace. "It would seem that Hogwarts has taken Professor McGonagall's advice to heart. You eat like a pig so your plate vanished when the castle thought you had eaten enough."

It was slowly beginning to dawn on Ron he'd been pranked, though the rest of the hall had reached that conclusion ages ago.

Severus Snape certainly had, and thought this was just more evidence that the Potter boy was his father's son. He had stood there yesterday and said goblins didn't do pranks yet pulled one the very next day. The potions professor was certainly not going to miss this opportunity to point out that he was correct to the rest of the senior staff, and that's where the trouble really started.

You could have heard a pin drop in the great hall as people stopped breathing while they attempted to understand what they'd just heard. All eyes were now glued to the Head of Slytherin, who was currently standing at the staff table with both his hands covering his mouth. It didn't help though, the deep, raucous laughter escaped between his fingers.

That the sarcastic and sneering form of Severus Snape actually knew how to laugh was a surprise to all, that he was currently standing performing that feat in the great hall was shocking enough to freeze staff and students alike.

As Snape's laughter became more uncontrollable, his eyes held no humour in them whatsoever. Those black orbs were focused on the one person in the entire hall who was nonchalantly eating their breakfast. Harry Crow may have the titles of boy-who-lived, Hogwarts Champion and slayer of trolls but his prank on Snape just elevated him to superstar status amongst his peers.

A/N Thanks for reading.

A/N-2 This is being posted early as I'm heading to Aberdeen for a few days and didn't want to take a chance on having no Wi-Fi.

A/N-3 I was asked by a reader if it was possible to have my stories available in audio format, please check my profile for details.

7. Order Of The Aves

Harry Crow

Disclaimer - A big thank you to JKR, the owner of Harry Potter who permits us to construct our sandcastles on her beach. Whether those sandcastles resemble Hogwarts or a house of horrors can sometimes be purely down to conjecture. One thing unites us all though, none of us are making any money off our writing here. Please keep that in mind as you read our efforts.

Chapter 7

Severus paced up and down the headmaster's office like a caged tiger waiting on feeding time. Since neither he nor Albus were able to directly approach the boy, Filius and Minerva were having to deal with the aftermath of breakfast.

Pomona had also invited herself along to Dumbledore's office, not wanting to miss a moment of this. Things had been far too serious lately and they had all needed a good laugh - especially that perpetual sourpuss Severus.

The other two heads of house had barely made it through the doors when the sourpuss was demanding answers. "Did he admit to being behind it? What was his punishment?"

Filius was enjoying himself and made them wait until both he and Minerva were seated comfortably before answering. "Mr Crow did indeed have a hand in what happened this morning..."

"See, I told you! Just like his father, but no one here wants to hear a word against him. What was his punishment? I know Albus won't let the precious little brat be expelled."

Minerva didn't know if it was wrong to enjoy this so much, and didn't really care. "Mr Crow pointed out, and we all have to agree with him, that both the headmaster and a head of house told the lad that this was normal Hogwarts student behaviour. The entire hall heard you both say that to Mr Crow at breakfast yesterday."

Severus was incensed at this, more so because he couldn't refute that it was true. "I never told him it was normal to feed potions to a professor."

Filius couldn't contain his smile as he answered the angry potions master. "You never said it wasn't."

Pomona as usual attempted to be the voice of reason. "Both pranks that we saw this morning were rather harmless. The youngest Weasley was merely stopped from eating to excess, and there are far worse things he could have done to a professor than making them laugh out loud."

Albus knew he had to intervene here or words would be said that could not be retracted. "I agree with Pomona, the pranks were not only well thought out but relatively harmless. They could easily have taken a more vindictive path. Severus, would you rather have been wearing donkey ears and braying?"

Minerva had more information for them though, and could hardly wait to pass it on. "There weren't just two people pranked inside Hogwarts today, Harry and his friends have taken on the Weasley twins."

This silenced everyone, Fred and George Weasley had earned their reputation as the best - or worst, depending on your point of view - pranksters in Hogwarts. Their head of house didn't keep the senior staff waiting any longer. "The Gryffindor guardian was quite put-out that she's the only portrait in the castle currently allowing the twins entry. The rest not only deny them access, they and the Hogwarts ghosts report any wrongdoing to the staff. Both Fred and George already have detention with Argus tonight."

Albus was flabbergasted at that news. "The castle is giving Harry that much control over what it does?"

It was a smiling Head of Hufflepuff who answered the headmaster. "I told you Albus, the castle chose Harry as her champion. To work against him could see you ejected from Hogwarts."

Severus so wanted to rant and rave some more but was forced to concede the point. With that amount of backing, the brat could have really humiliated him this morning. He still had the occasional nightmare about dangling upside down by his ankle while everyone laughed at his underwear. The very thought of what the brat's father and his friends would have done with such power sent a shiver of dread up and down his spine. Severus recognised a warning being delivered when he saw one, perhaps it was time to back-off this boy. He couldn't help but think perhaps Filius was right, you should never mess with a goblin.

-oOoOo-

By dinner time, Ron was trying a different approach. Sitting at the Hufflepuff table at lunchtime had made no difference, second helpings were still denied him. His new master plan should solve that problem, sitting once more at his own table it was time to put that plan into action. Ron began grabbing food as normal but not putting it on his plate. Instead the roast potatoes found their way into his pocket. Slices of roast beef soon followed, though he did give the gravy a miss.

No one was laughing at this. The mere thought of having to eat food that came out of Ron Weasley's pocket was spoiling many an appetite. When the food on the table began to once more start disappearing, it was a disconsolate young Gryffindor who sat there almost in tears, munching on the food he'd managed to fill his pockets with.

-oOoOo-

The twins sought out Harry and co. directly after dinner. "Ok guys, we know when we're outmatched."

"What will it take to return things to normal?"

Harry was pleased to see that at least some of this family had sense. "Two things guys, the first being a public apology to Neville for the prank."

This confused the twins so George asked for some clarification. "Just Neville? What about the rest of you guys?"

Hermione had an answer for them. "Well, technically you didn't prank us. We all knew what would happen if we ate the food."

Both twins were happy to comply with that condition and were now waiting on the hammer to fall with condition number two. Padma didn't keep them waiting but the blow was unexpectedly light.

"The second condition is that we four are excluded from your pranks for the rest of your time at Hogwarts."

Fred and George had a quick confab before replying. "If we can have a proviso in there about pranks that affect the entire school, then we have a deal."

"It would be too difficult to leave you four out, but we're more than happy never to target you lot again."

They could here the admiration in Fred's voice as he complimented the group. "Your prank on Snape was beyond brilliant. No one in their right mind would want to mess with the mini-marauders."

As they shook hands on it, Hermione had a question. "Why did you call us the mini-marauders? I've never heard that name before."

"The marauders were a group of four friends that were the greatest pranksters Hogwarts has ever seen. With you being four firsties trying to pull pranks, I thought it was funny."

"Yeah George, shows what we know - they out-pranked us!"

Neville's parents had both attended Hogwarts, it was more in hope than any expectation that he asked the next question. "Do you know who the marauders were?"

"Sorry Neville, all we know of messrs padfoot prongs moony and wormtail is their wonderful pranking legacy."

"We've not been able to find out anything else about them."

"Well, that ends my interest in the mini-marauders. The last thing I need is another name."

Padma was finding she loved teasing her friends, and couldn't resist this opportunity. "I don't know Harry, the thought of a nickname is quite appealing."

Hermione seamlessly joined right in. "Yes, we could call you something like budgie!"

Padma immediately caught where Hermione was coming from and played right along. "Oh, that would work. He's so colourful and chirpy, Harry really couldn't be called anything else."

"You could even claim it's your goblin sense of humour." Hermione then emulated Padma in giggling at Harry's pretend pout.

Neville was enjoying the teasing amongst his friends but let out a sigh at his perceived fate. "If we're going with a bird theme, I suppose that means I'm a tit then?"

Padma was first to spring to his defence. "Oh no Neville, I see you more as a Robin. Proudly displaying your Gryffindor red and ready to defend your territory."

Neville was blushing at that but had a suggestion of his own to make. "Well, I think Padma should be called Dove. We have them at the manor and they have such a sweet and gentle nature."

Hermione was smiling at her two now blushing friends, she had a question of her own though. "That sounds great but what about me?"

Harry, Padma and Neville all spoke as one - 'Owl!'

It was left to Harry to offer up an explanation. "Owls are birds associated with wisdom, certainly fitting for you. In goblin mythology, the owl is revered as the goddess of all birds. You really couldn't be anything else."

Hermione's blushes now clearly outshone her friends as the twins had a good laugh at their expense. "Okay, scrap the mini-marauders. Messrs budgie, owl, robin and dove shall henceforth be known as the order of the aves!"

That had everyone chuckling before Fred got serious. "Guys, what has Ron got to do to lift the prank. It's getting embarrassing watching him."

Harry suddenly wasn't so forgiving. "He deliberately fired that disgusting curse at Hermione, that's going to take at least an apology."

Both twins were nodding in agreement with that condition, thinking it more than fair.

Harry though wasn't finished. "My friend Padma is a beautiful young witch. Our entire year group watched as slugs popped out her mouth and ran down her chin. I think nothing less than a public apology is going to do for that."

Again Fred and George thought this was a fitting and fair resolution to the problem, they also knew that their younger brother would never carry it out. Ron could probably be persuaded that mumbling sorry to Hermione in private was the right thing to do, but there was no chance of him doing the whole public thing. "Harry, I'm so glad you don't do pranks."

"Yeah, you would put me 'n Fred out of business!"

"As I said guys, goblins don't do pranks. That doesn't mean I won't help Owl, Robin and Dove with any little projects they might have."

Both twins groaned before George replied. "Harry, only you could class pranking Snape as 'a little project!' "

-oOoOo-

Monday morning brought the now usual spectacle of Ron Weasley playing 'searching for seconds'. He'd arrived this morning armed with a four foot pole with a hook-like appendage fashioned onto the end of it, only to discover that once more Hogwarts was smarter than he was. Yet again the food began disappearing from his extended reach when the magical castle thought he'd eaten enough.

Fred and George at least managed to deflect some of the attention away from their younger brother by making a very public apology to Neville. That they performed this task in their own inimitable style was a given. Both were on their knees in front of the younger Gryffindor, seamlessly switching between bowing and apologising.

"Forgive us oh great prankster..."

"We knew nothing of your prowess when committing our diabolical deed..."

"Had we but known we were in the presence of pranking royalty..."

"We would never knowingly prank a member of the order of aves..."

"Forgive us o' mighty one..."

The twins had timed it to perfection, these were the last legible words to leave either of their mouths before they began braying and grew donkey ears. It took Neville three attempts to accept their apology because he was laughing so hard, this was greeted with a round of applause before everyone returned to their breakfast.

The hall was in a buoyant mood for a Monday morning, the arrival of the Daily Prophet changed that. The story had finally broken!

Boy-Who-Lives Rejects Wizarding Heritage

If ever a front page newspaper headline was designed to cause outrage amongst its readers, Harry thought this was it. The article then went on to proclaim its horror - on behalf of their readers of course - that the saviour of their world no longer even called himself Harry Potter. Their young hero now answered to the name of Crow. The newspaper then explained how this travesty had occurred - the boy-who-lived had been raised since that fateful Halloween inside Gringotts by the goblins!

The Prophet had no answers to offer its readers as to how these unprecedented circumstances had evolved, just question after question they were demanding answers to.

Why had the Ministry of Magic stood back and allowed this abnormality to happen to their favoured son?

Albus Dumbledore had claimed for ten years that Harry Potter was safe and well, did he know the child was living with the goblins - and what part did he play in that despicable decision?

The story then descended into hearsay about Harry's first week inside Hogwarts, a few facts stitched together to push whatever agenda the paper wanted. They correctly identified that Harry had been sorted into Ravenclaw though glossed over the whole Hogwarts champion thing. Their preference was clearly to concentrate on how he had 'apparently' deliberately spurned advances from children of prominent wizarding families. The troll incident was certainly covered, though again only the fact that Harry killed it with a goblin blade was considered worth the mentioning.

The paper certainly generated the reaction they wanted from Harry's best friend, but Hermione's outrage wasn't focused where the Prophet would expect. "This is utter rubbish! Can they get away with printing this?"

Padma was also shaking her head. "Oh, you obviously haven't read the best bit yet Hermione? The paragraph near the end where it calls on all the young witches of Hogwarts to show Harry the 'benefits' of rejoining wizarding society. As an extra incentive, it points out that the lucky young witch who lands the famous wizard would one day be incredibly wealthy - and Lady Potter!"

Hermione could hardly breath as she turned to Harry for some sort of confirmation, the young witch wasn't sure just what she wanted him to say.

Harry could only go with the truth. "The head of the Potter family will become Lord Potter, and be wealthy enough to make the Malfoys appear paupers. Not that they would ever flaunt their wealth - things like that are only done by people trying to impress."

Hermione sat there with her mouth open. The best friend, who she'd been crushing on since laying eyes on him, was some multi-millionaire lord, and one that every girl in the school would now be chasing after.

Harry could see what was happening and decided to put a stop to it at once, he stood and offered Hermione his hand. "My Lady?"

Hermione's eyes nearly popped out of her head at the double meaning now contained in those words. She took his hand to stand and was soon in her usual position, on Harry's arm.

"You said yourself Hermione, the whole thing is utter rubbish. I'm still Harry, and still your best friend."

Hermione held onto his arm with both hands and rested her head on Harry's shoulder in relief as they made their way out the hall. Hermione was so overcome with relief, she didn't care that every pair of female eyes were now on them - far less what kind of statement they were making. She was on Harry's arm and the world was once more fantastic in Hermione Granger's opinion.

Padma and Neville soon joined them, as did the rest of the first years who were all heading for the greenhouses.

Draco was also smiling, though for a far different reason. His father had cautioned him to sit back and observe, sending home any information he discovered. The head of the Malfoy family had decided he would wait until the story publicly broke before making his move, figuring that he would have more opportunities of manipulating things they way he wanted then. After seeing today's Prophet, Draco knew his father would shortly be bound for Hogwarts.

Albus was also expecting visitors after reading how the Prophet chose to break the news. Cornelius would soon be making his way to the castle and the headmaster didn't really know how he was going to deal with the problem. Nothing in all his years had prepared him for a situation like the one he now found himself in. Albus was going to have to play the entire thing on the fly - he couldn't remember when he'd last had to do that either.

Ron Weasley was the only first year not heading to herbology, rather the Gryffindor set off toward the owlery. Ron thought his meal time problems were far more important than any class about stupid plants. His twin brothers had told Ron what was expected of him to end this torture. He knew within himself that was never going to happen so it was time to call for reinforcements. Ron decided this time there would be no messing about, he was going straight to the top. It was time his mother found out just how much torture her youngest son was being forced to endure inside Hogwarts.

-oOoOo-

Professor Sprout soon had them all working so there was no time time for any comments about today's Prophet, Harry was quite happy with that. After the lesson, he overheard the other three Ravenclaw first year boys discussing what they thought was going to happen after lunch, it was now common knowledge that Professor Quirrell had 'left' Hogwarts.

Harry thought this might be good opportunity to start working on those 'snubbing' rumours. "Guys, my father is arranging a private defence tutor for me. If you want, I can ask them if it's okay to up the numbers a bit?"

Michael, Anthony and Terry were all keen but Malfoy had overheard. It was with a superior sneer he addressed Harry, loud enough though to ensure everyone else heard. "If you think any 'proper' pureblood witch or wizard would ever stand for a goblin teaching them, you really are as big an idiot as Weasley claims Crow."

Padma was quick to jump all over Malfoy at his implied insult. "My family were recognised as pureblood witches and wizards while your ancestors were still herding goats in the French mountains. We apparently have different opinions about what constitutes a proper pureblood. Daddy having plenty of money doesn't change the fact it was only a few generations ago that the British branch of the Malfoys were chased out of France with their tails between their legs."

Draco was livid and moved threateningly toward Padma, only to find his way blocked by both Neville and Harry. This was Hogwats first glimpse of Neville standing up for himself and it took everyone, including Malfoy, by surprise.

"Like Padma says, we have a different definition of what a proper pureblood is. While your ancestors were herding those goats, The Longbottoms and Potters were already magical lords in this country. By any definition you care to make, my blood is classed as purer than yours."

Padma was standing beside Hermione and couldn't help but whisper to her, "Told you Robin was a good name for Neville."

Neville though wasn't quite finished yet. "If the defence teacher Harry's father provides is half as good as Master Pitslay, then I'll be first in line for that class too. Goblin or not, it's whether they can teach that counts - and even a house elf would have to be better at teaching defence than Quirrell."

Neville had effectively cut the legs from under Malfoy and the blond Slytherin was let to storm away as the Ravenclaws, Gryfindors, - minus a missing Ron Weasley - and the Hufflepuffs all quickly confirmed to Harry they would be delighted if he could arrange for them to join his defence lessons.

Malfoy's posse, and the rest of the snakes, accompanied him as he stormed off. The other Slytherins had been deliberately non-committal though, preferring to take the Slytherin approach and see who could be teaching them first. Tracy, Daphne and Millicent had barely poked their collective heads into the great hall when they were doing an about-turn and heading back to ask Harry if they could join the lessons too.

Harry was pleasantly surprised and said he intended to include them when he asked the new tutor. When the group of friend reached the great hall, the mystery of the girls' sudden change of heart was there for all to see. The wizard standing beside McGonagall was clearly on good terms with the professor as they stood and chatted, while every witch in the castle suddenly wished they were in the Deputy Headmistress' shoes and talking to the handsome wizard.

He was rugged, tanned and appeared to be in his early twenties. With dark red hair that was shoulder length and held in a ponytail, the wizard was at least six feet tall and his dragon hide jacket really emphasised those broad shoulders. As McGonagall led him over toward Harry, they caught a glimpse of a dragon tooth earring too. Hermione suddenly had a warm and fuzzy feeling deep in her bones. Apart from the colour of his hair, this was probably a close approximation of what Harry would mature into at the same age. This had the young witch smiling to herself and holding her best friend's arm even tighter.

"Mr Crow, I would like to introduce you to the last Gryffindor who held the position of Hogwarts Head Boy - William Weasley."

"Hi Harry, hope you don't mind if I call you that? I'm a curse-breaker for Gringotts and Ragnot himself pulled me back from Egypt to tutor you in defence. Once he made me aware of the actual situation here, well I couldn't really refuse." What Bill wasn't saying was he'd fought this assignment tooth and nail, until told the prophecy. Any complaints about teaching some snot-nosed kid went right out the window after that. His entire argument that raiding tombs was a better use of his hard-won skills just didn't hold water when compared to training the boy prophesied to fight Voldemort.

Harry though got the message that this person had been trusted with the prophecy. "Pleased to meet you sir, Harry's fine and thanks for doing this. I don't know what Hogwarts has arranged as cover for Professor Quirrell but I said to my classmates I would ask if they could join the class too?"

Bill's smile had most of the witches in the great hall swooning. "Harry, for what I'm being paid for this, you call the shots. If you want me to take all the first years, that's fine with me."

Harry was just about to ask Professor McGonagall if this would be okay when they were rudely interrupted by the youngest Weasley currently attending Hogwarts rushing into the great hall.

"BILL! This is fantastic, I just wrote to mum this morning and now you're here. I don't know what the curse on me is but I'm sure you'll break it - I'm starving to death in Hogwarts."

The elder Weasley was embarrassed at this loud and rude interruption during what was effectively his work. "Sorry Ron, I've no idea what you're talking about. I'm at Hogwarts to teach Harry here defence."

Ron's expression of betrayal was soon replaced by one of utter rage. "That's just not fair, He gets everything. Not this time Crow, eat slugs!"

His actions had been so unexpected that there was no time for anyone to react, and Harry so close that Ron knew he couldn't miss this time. Unfortunately, his spellotaped wand had other ideas. The spell backfired from his damaged wand, blowing Ron onto his arse.

McGonagall was outraged, and didn't care who knew it. "Mr Weasley, never in all my years at Hogwarts have I encountered someone as single-mindedly stupid as you. It would seem you didn't learn your lesson the last time you used that curse so something different will have to be tried..."

The first slug escaping Ron's mouth halted his head of house's tirade, for the moment. "Percy, take your brother to the infirmary. Inform Madam Pomfery that under no condition is he to leave there before I have another word with him."

As Ron was led away, McGonagall had a moment to get her temper back under control. Gryffindors attacking anyone unprovoked was always going to get her ire up. Doing it twice, with the second time being right in front of her, was going to see Minerva heading for the Burrow later. First though, she had a situation to deal with.

"Mr Crow, I really appreciate your suggestion about allowing the rest of first year to attend. It has my blessing since the alternative at the moment is a study period in the library. I can also assure you that the youngest Weasley brother will learn to keep his wand in his pocket - or he will not be in Hogwarts much longer. William, can I suggest you have lunch with the twins and discover what's really going on here?"

The twins sheepishly approached their eldest brother and head of house, having never seen McGonagall so angry before - not even at them. "Sorry Harry, Ron's always had a wicked temper. We'll bring Bill up to speed on what the problem is here."

Neville headed off with them to the Gryffindor table while the Ravenclaw trio sat at their normal spots. It was a smirking Rodger who once more dispelled any lingering awkwardness. "I'll say this for you Harry, things are never dull when you're around."

There was real sincerity in Harry's voice as he answered. "Roger, you have no idea how much I'm wishing for a couple of dull months. You know the kind of thing, no one firing curses at you, no trolls needing slain and my name not plastered all over the papers. Is that really too much to ask?"

The older Ravenclaw was now laughing at that. "For you Harry, probably."

Cho was still getting teased by her friends over her first attempt to talk to Harry. There was something she really needed to know though so risked it again. "Harry, do you think your tutor will be teaching any of the other year groups?"

Harry thought for a moment before replying. "I doubt it Cho, Gringotts curse-breakers are some of the most highly trained and specialised workers they have. The bank will certainly have tasks for him the rest of the week. For Mr Weasley to even gain entry to that program makes him pretty special, I can't believe my father managed to get a curse-breaker as a defence tutor."

Cho couldn't hide her disappointment. "I can't believe he's a Weasley, none of the rest of them look like that."

One of the seventh year girls soon put Cho straight. "His younger brother Charlie was Gryffindor Quiditch Captain. A brilliant seeker and the hottest thing I've ever seen sitting on a broom." Her flushed cheeks left no one in any doubt exactly what she meant by hot.

With a comedic sense of timing that had half the Ravenclaw table doing spit-takes, Padma couldn't resist commenting. "I wonder if Ronald was dropped on his head as a baby?"

As everyone was laughing, Hermione had a thought. "I wonder if the prat will be so quick to use that foul curse again after experiencing it first hand?"

Padma agreed but also thought this was a golden opportunity to tease her friend some more. "I couldn't help noticing you looked pretty pleased to see our new defence tutor too?"

"Oh absolutely Padma. Did you see the way the rest of the witches in here reacted? If they're all drooling over Professor Weasley, perhaps they'll leave Harry alone."

Hermione's answer may have somewhat shocked Padma but it brought the first genuine smile to Harry's face since the Prophet had been delivered this morning.

-oOoOo-

The same issue of the wizarding newspaper was lying on Ragnok's desk, both goblins present having already read it.

"Well Barchoke, the game is now afoot. We will soon discover if your son is as profitable an option as we hoped."

"I have every confidence in him director, he will do us proud."

"He'll need to, otherwise Gringotts could soon find itself embroiled in a war."

"With respect Director, we both know without my son's intervention that outcome is inevitable. Should the dark one return, the ministry would soon fall to him. His gaze would then turn in our direction, and our kin have fought wars rather than bow to better wizards than that self-proclaimed lord, Voldemort. A war against we goblins would be used to cement his hold on the magical community, they wouldn't dare oppose him with a 'goblin rebellion' then in progress."

"I am well aware of this Barchoke, it was my main reason for accepting your plan for the prophesied child. Unlike you, I can't afford to show any sentiment on Crow's behalf. Despite his tender age, he is a goblin warrior on a mission and we have to remember that. Goblins are barred by treaty from directly interfering in the affairs of wizards. If the ministry should take the view that we have broken that treaty, then there could be a war."

Barchoke attempted to sound more confident than he was. "That outcome would require the ministry acknowledging Harry Potter is now a goblin, something they will never do."

"They are far more likely to attempt to wrestle control of your son away from you, are you certain that all the loopholes in that scenario are covered?"

"Yes director. If things start proceeding in that direction, Harry has the power to close that avenue of attack off permanently. That will be an unfortunate occurrence but not the disaster the ministry gaining control of him would be. We've effectively shut Dumbledore out but then the old wizard's actions were easy to predict."

"That is exactly my point Barchoke. It's very difficult to predict what that idiot Fudge will do because it depends on who has the minister's ear at the time."

This was what had the father so worried. "We hope to take away the minister's biggest influence next, and release the fox amongst the chickens to add more confusion. It sounded good when we planned it, sitting here while everything is out-with my control is not easy."

Ragnok could see the apprehension in the senior accounts manager, torment about the child he had raised as his own. "You can be proud of your son Barchoke, we both know he will do his best. Curse-breaker Wesley's presence is also a welcome boost. There is genuine animosity there between the Weasleys and one of the main antagonists. He should be another asset on site for us."

Barchoke knew all this and agreed with everything the director said, he also knew that both of them were left hoping that Harry's best was good enough. He was after all only eleven.

-oOoOo-

Albus was finding it hard to believe that an eleven year old wizard was causing him so much trouble. He currently had the Minister of Magic, the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and Lucius Malfoy, a member of the Hogwarts board of governors, asking questions that he really had no answers for. Well, no answers that they wanted to hear.

The minister demanded to know when Hogwarts began accepting goblins as students.

"I was denying the boy access to Hogwarts as Harry Crow but the castle over-ruled me, making him a Hogwarts champion before passing over the sword of Gryffindor."

Cornelius was not impressed with that answer. "I find it hard to believe that a stone building could possibly do something like that..."

The sorting hat was on its usual shelf in the Hogwarts Headmaster's office. It wouldn't normally speak between sorting ceremonies but was quick to spring to the defence of the Hogwarts Champion. "...and I find it hard to believe the boy who used to wet himself every time one of his professors asked him a question ended up Minister of Magic. Tell me young Cornelius, have you recovered from your little problem?"

The hat's intervention brought every one up sharply, though Amelia Bones had a few follow-up questions for Dumbledore. "Would the Sword of Gryffindor be the goblin blade in question that brought down a troll? While we're on the subject, where did this incident take place?" Her niece Susan had written home with some fanciful story that Amelia had dismissed as the infamous Hogwarts rumour mill working overtime.

Cornelius was not renowned as a patient wizard and had recovered from the hat's jibe. His patience was especially stretched due to being bombarded with owls demanding answers, answers the Minister of Magic fully intended to get here today. "Enough of this Dumbledore, I'm a busy man. Let's get the lad up here and see what he's got to say for himself."

Albus was loath to admit he couldn't do something, particularly inside Hogwarts. He didn't have any other options though but to speak the truth. "I'm sorry Cornelius, I can't do that. For Harry to be in this office, his father must be present too. This is goblin law and there's nothing we can do about it."

"So, the rumours are true. Albus Dumbledore is barred from Gringotts and persona non grata amongst the goblins?" Lucius couldn't quite hide his delight at the humbling of the headmaster.

The minister though hadn't traveled to Hogwarts only to be denied by a technicality. "Can I assume that you can be in a classroom with the boy, with present company of course?"

Again Albus didn't have any other answers or alternatives so they all ended trooping off down to the defence classroom.

A/N thanks for reading

8. Messing With Malfoys

Harry Crow

Disclaimer - A big thank you to JKR, the owner of Harry Potter who permits us to construct our sandcastles on her beach. Whether those sandcastles resemble Hogwarts or a house of horrors can sometimes be purely down to conjecture. One thing unites us all though, none of us are making any money off our writing here. Please keep that in mind as you read our efforts.

Chapter 8

Bill had been shocked at the twins' tale of Ron's behaviour, Percy's nonintervention was also a source of puzzlement for the eldest Weasley son. Even taking away the fact that Ron was Percy's younger brother, he was still a Gryffindor prefect. A prefect with specific duties to watch over the first years.

That Fred and George had even begun the process of becoming friends with Harry made Ron's actions all the harder to explain, never mind defend. Bill also thought that a public apology to the young girl Ron hit with that curse was not only a fair thing to ask, it was the least he could do. He actually thought an apology should have been offered immediately, without Ron needing to be forced into it.

One thing his youngest brother did mention that generated a specific cause for Bill's concern was his letter home to their mother. Knowing her as he did, Bill would not be surprised if this resulted in a howler heading in Harry Crow's direction. He would need to visit the Burrow after class to head off the disaster that could quickly descend into. Their mother in a temper wasn't known as someone who would choose their words carefully, rather just loudly yelling the first thing that entered her head.

Bill was having to choose his words carefully in front of the class too, as it would appear he'd just made an error.

"Curse-breaker Weasley, I think you misinterpreted my answer sir. I know there are curses which no magical shields can block, I was referring to a goblin shield when I answered your question."

"I'm sorry Mr Crow but those are spells I'm not familiar with, perhaps you could show us?"

A smiling Harry stood and removed a metallic disc from his pocket, it easily fitted into the palm of his hand - until that was he twisted the disk a certain way. Seconds later, Harry had slipped a gleaming metallic shield onto his left forearm. It was oval in shape and went from slightly beyond his fingertips to just past his elbow, being about eighteen inches across at its widest point. A self-adjusting strap on his forearm and a grip for his left hand saw it securely anchored without in any way restricting his movement. The rest of the class were suitably impressed, here was a practical defence method they didn't need to know any spells to use.

Draco was already in a foul mood after having to eat his words and attend the defence class, Potter once more in the limelight was not something he was prepared to tolerate. "Do you honestly expect us to believe you can stop curses with that bit of tin? It looks like something our house elf would serve sandwiches off."

Harry ignored the sniggering being aimed in his direction. "This shield is not designed to actually stop curses, rather deflect them away from you. That takes a lot less power and really lengthens the life of the shield. A powerful dark curse would probably shatter it, but the same curse would pass right through a magical shield. This also frees up your other arm, allowing you to fight back at the same time."

The wannabe leader of the first years was dismissive of all this, and made no attempt to hide his disbelief. "Prove it!"

Harry raised his eyebrow questioningly at their teacher and got a nod of acceptance in return. "Stinging hexes ok Mr Crow?"

After agreeing, Harry made his way to the front of the class. He withdrew his knife and took up a defensive stance, awaiting the first hex.

Bill deliberately aimed his hex at Harry's chest, just above where the lad had positioned his shield. The boy though was incredibly fast, moving and deflecting the curse away from him. The high-pitched yell alerted the teacher that the stinging hex had actually hit someone else in the class. Draco now wore a rather pained expression and was currently rubbing his shoulder.

Harry glared at him. "Was that enough proof Malfoy or do we need to go again?"

Draco knew he couldn't back down, this had now become a challenge. "Nothing but a fluke, he aimed right at the shield... agh!"

Bill had fired three hexes at Harry in quick succession, all at different body parts. Harry had deflected the first one at Malfoy again, dodged the second but the third one connected with his thigh. Harry though didn't cry out, merely bowed in acknowledgement to his teacher's skill.

"I think Mr Crow ably demonstrated the effectiveness of a physical shield, and some of its restrictions." Bill was sure the lad could have dealt with all three hexes he'd fired, Harry though appeared willing to take a hit to ensure the first one was deflected back at the Malfoy boy. He decided not to mention this, instead used the hit as a teaching point. "A good magical shield would easily have protected Mr Crow from all three curses. Using a combination of both shielding methods should see him better protected in the future."

Bill was also thinking the lad would need more extensive lessons in defence than taking the timetabled class with the rest of his year-mates on a Monday and Thursday could provide. He'd obviously had some previous training and Bill would be making enquires about all of this on his return to Gringotts.

Hogwarts newest professor was just getting the class back on track about the best methods of defending yourself when their visitors arrived.

Albus thought that this would at least be better than having the lad put on the spot in the great hall, he well remembered how his own attempt at that had gone.

"Excuse us Professor Weasley, sorry to disrupt your first class but we require a few words with Mr Crow."

Cornelius spotted the black-haired bespectacled boy sitting at the front of the class and waded right in. He was after all the Minister of Magic and used to getting his own way. "Harry my boy, you have no idea how distressed I was to discover just how you'd been raised. I'm here today to put a stop to this goblin nonsense, and also see you being cared for by a proper wizarding family. I'm sure we can soon clear up this momentous misunderstanding..."

The giggling had turned to full blown laughter at his last comment, causing a puzzled look to replace the minister's confident expression.

"Em...sir, my name's Michael - not Harry."

This saw the volume of laughter increase, as did the minister's confusion. "Well, if you're not Harry, who is?"

Harry stood to face this fool in the green bowler hat. "My name is Harry, though probably not the Harry you're looking for. You see, I have no need of a new family and am certainly not your boy."

Lucius was always amazed that, no matter how stupid he thought Fudge was, the man still retained the ability to prove he was even stupider than Lucius believed. Appearances though had to be maintained. "Do not speak to the Minister of Magic in that tone boy, show some respect for your betters."

"My 'betters' would know it is extremely ill-mannered to address someone without introducing yourself first, something I noticed you didn't bother with either. I would also like to point out that divination isn't an optional subject until third year, how was I supposed to know this was the Minister of Magic? If that ridiculous green hat is some sort of badge of office then you really need to rethink that image. A sword is way cooler. I am Harry Crow, son of Barchoke, Gringotts Senior Accounts Manager."

Hermione was of course sitting in her usual seat, right beside Harry. In the defence classroom, this placed her between Harry and the door. Hermione was left sitting just in front of where Harry was now standing and the young witch was already twirling her hair due to her mounting anxiety. Her best friend had basically just told-off the magical equivalent of the country's Prime Minister. Both wizards who'd entered with the headmaster appeared flabbergasted, though the lady's eyes were practically twinkling with amusement.

"Mr Crow, my name is Amelia Bones and I'm head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement."

Harry bowed to the woman and answered her respectfully. "Well met Madam Bones, I sincerely hope you'r not here to arrest me?"

Amelia actually broke into a smile at this. "Not at the moment Mr Crow. This is Minister Fudge and the other wizard is Lucius Malfoy..."

There was an instant change in Harry at this news, he immediately addressed Draco's father. "My apologies sir. At my goblin school, we were taught classes on Lucius Malfoy. Again though, only your deeds were examined in great detail which is why I didn't recognise you."

Hermione thought she had seen all of Harry's faces but here was one the young witch didn't recognise. Harry was practically fawning over Lucius Malfoy, something that went against everything she knew about her best friend. The only explanation that made any sense to Hermione was if Harry was up to something. As the senior Malfoy was lapping up Harry's praise like Pooh Bear slurps honey, she didn't think it would take too long to discover if there was a sting in the tail.

"You attended classes about me?"

"Certainly sir, you are required reading for nine year old goblins in their economics classes."

Dumbledore didn't know Harry near as well as Hermione did but even he suspected the lad was up to something. Decades of dealing with students playing pranks had given the headmaster almost a sixth sense about these things. Albus decided he wanted to know more and, at this particular time, anything that diverted attention away from him was a good thing in his book. "What did these lessons consist of Mr Crow?"

"Oh it's a well-known fact that the Malfoy family donates generously to lots of charities and good causes. It's also well-known that those donations generally go to organisations where either Mr Malfoy or his wife are in some way connected with the charity or cause, which is why they are on so many committees and boards."

This was not something Lucius tended to broadcast but wasn't too bothered about those facts being revealed here. The boy was certainly correct, those in the know recognised the benefits of having a Malfoy on their decision making panel.

Harry though wasn't finished. In fact, he was just getting started. "This is where the real genius of this economic scheme begins. You see, either Mr Malfoy or his wife then insist their charitable donation is handled by a specific consultancy firm, Scorpius Enterprises. A responsible thing to do you might say, until you discover just who owns and runs Scorpius Enterprises - Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy."

Lucius' voice had dropped to a dangerous whisper now. "How did you know that boy?"

Harry though was unperturbed. Hermione now recognised this face, it was a face that told Hermione her best friend considered Lucius Malfoy an enemy. It was also a face she hoped was never directed at her.

"Now scooping a good portion of that charitable donation back into your own vault could be forgiven, if that was all the Malfoys were up to. Fraudulently refilling their vaults is not even the tip of the iceberg. They also 'recommend' the people to carry-out whatever work gets done or to provide materials needed with what's left of their donation. That these recommendations just happen to be the Malfoys' 'friends' would suggest to me there are switch-backs involved too. A switch-back is when money is paid illegally to win a contract to do work. This usually sees a contract awarded to a firm who are never the most economical option, and rarely the best at what they do."

Lucius Malfoy was now clearly livid but it was Amelia who asked Harry the question he was expecting. "Mr Crow, isn't that privileged information the goblins are handing out?"

Harry was quick to answer. "Oh no Madam Bones, all this information is already available inside the ministry. It just involves different departments, and there is a real lack of communication between them. I really have no idea whether Mr Malfoy uses his influence to ensure that lack of communication continues but that is neither here nor there. You see, we were all laughing at how easily Mr Malfoy could publicly make a large donation to charity, and then privately ensure a large proportion of it ended back in his own vault when our tutor pointed out what was really going on..."

"I think we've heard quite enough of this fantasy..." Lucius' growl intimidated no one. Even in full death eater regalia, he wouldn't have been able to intimidate Harry into stopping speaking. That both Amelia and Dumbledore clearly wanted to hear more certainly didn't harm Harry's case.

Hermione recognised this Harry as the one that took down the troll, he appeared calm on the surface but she was aware just how quickly he could spring into action. That he was subtly moving so she was no longer directly between him and Malfoy was another clue. She had her wand in her pocket but, for all the training she had, that's where it was going to have to stay. If a fight started, she was grabbing Padma and dragging both of them under the desk.

Harry continued as if Lucius hadn't spoken. "You see, every single contract of work Scorpius Enterprises awards goes only to those organisations that are owned and run by former death eaters. Mr Malfoy is secretly funding the death eater movement in readiness for his master's return."

The minister exploded at this. "These allegations are preposterous boy! Lucius Malfoy is an upstanding member of the British magical community and you-know-who is dead..."

Harry cut right across the minister, and almost started a riot in the class. Just speaking the name out loud got a reaction, that was until people began to understand what Harry was actually saying. "Voldemort is not dead and was here inside Hogwarts last week. The senior staff fought him in the corridor the Headmaster had warned us all not to go near, at least you were right about the most painful death bit awaiting anyone who went there headmaster. Why do you think Quirrell isn't teaching this class? He was possessed by Voldemort and let that troll into the castle as a diversion, Professor Quirrell died when the Headmaster cast Voldemort out of the castle."

Hermione was watching the adults reactions to these revelations since Harry's eyes never left Lucius Malfoy. At the mention of Voldemort, Lucius was quite green about the gills. The Minister of Magic actually looked like someone who'd just wet themselves while Madam Bones appeared extremely angry, thankfully not at Harry. It was Dumbledore's reaction that drew her attention though, he was focused on Harry as if attempting to see right through her best friend. It was also clear to Hermione that the headmaster wasn't seeing what he wanted.

"Harry, how could you possibly know all that?"

"Hogwarts chose me as her champion Headmaster, that means she keeps me informed of things the castle thinks I need to know."

The Grey Lady passed through the wall to float at Harry's side. "Our champion speaks the truth. My mother helped build Hogwarts to teach all of this country's magical children, not as a plaything for the current headmaster. I give you notice Albus Dumbledore, the castle will no longer support you dragging her children into danger. But for our champion's swift action, three of our youngest would be no more. This is your final warning."

"ALBUS DUMBLEDORE! Why am I finding out Voldemort is back from an eleven year old boy?"

Hermione quickly changed her opinion. Madam Bones wasn't extremely angry, the witch in question was right royally pissed-off. Hermione was even more grateful that anger wasn't directed in Harry's direction.

Cornelius was finally stung into action. "That's quite enough Amelia, all this talk about you-know-who being back stops now. He's not back, he can't be back."

"You saying that minister doesn't make it true, just like Malfoy here saying he's not a death eater doesn't make it true either."

"I'm warning you for the last time boy..."

Harry moved closer to Malfoy. "I'm sure Professor Snape will have some veritaserum in his department, a few drops would end this argument once and for all. How about a magical oath that you were never willingly a death eater? Personally, rolling up your left sleeve would be enough proof for me..."

Malfoy's control finally snapped and he went for his wand but, since Harry had deliberately provoked the death eater, he expected nothing else. Harry's custom-made knife had its point digging into Lucius' chest, directly in line with his beating heart, before the death eater could even think about getting a curse off. "If you intended to use your wand for a magical oath, go right ahead. Otherwise, try anything and I'm pushing this blade home. We'll all get a chance to see just how pure Malfoy blood is when it's pumping out your chest."

There was a short kerfuffle behind which ended with a slap and a yelp Harry was coming to recognise. "It's only Draco trying to interfere. I slapped him one and now Neville's got him covered."

Harry's eyes never left the senior Malfoy but he was sorry he missed Hermione slapping Draco. "Thanks Hermione, nice to know someone has my back."

Amelia's wand had Malfoy covered the instant he reached for his, she was delighted to see the young lad had the drop on the arrogant arse. Like Harry, Amelia was certain Lucius Malfoy was a death eater but was powerless to intervene because of his ministerial contacts. She didn't believe a young boy should have to solve their death eater problem but wouldn't lose any sleep if he skewered Malfoy today.

Cornelius didn't know whether to shit or swear but Albus couldn't stand there and see a young man become a murderer, even to rid the world of Lucius Malfoy. "Mr Crow, I can't allow you to kill him."

"Had he drawn a wand on me inside Gringotts, Malfoy would already be dead headmaster. His blond hair would be streaked with red as his head rolled along the bank's floor."

Lucius was frozen to the spot. Draco had written home that this boy had slaughtered a troll with a blade, one glance into those blazing green eyes told him this boy wouldn't hesitate to carry out his threat. The wicked looking knife currently pressing between his ribs certainly lent credence to his fears, Lucius felt closer to death than at any other time in his life.

Dumbledore also recognised Harry was ready and prepared to carry out his threat. "That may be so, but we're not in Gringotts at the moment."

"Very true sir, so please answer me this. What is the punishment for an adult drawing a wand on a student inside Hogwarts? Considering we have the Minister of Magic, Chief Mugwump and head of the DMLE as witnesses, I don't think even Malfoy here could get away with his 'I was under the imperious curse' lie again."

Albus felt every pair of eyes, except Harry's, on him and hated saying what he had to. "I'm sorry Mr Crow, the best I can do is have him escorted out of Hogwarts."

"Hogwarts shall ensure he never sets foot in the castle again young champion."

"Thank you Helena, do you have any other options for me Madam Bones?"

Amelia also hated having to give her answer but would never shirk her duty. "I'm sorry Mr Crow, technically Malfoy has committed no crime - yet."

"So the ministry has left me with the same option his master came up with, letting his curse bounce of me and kill the piece of shit. Now Minister, perhaps you will understand why I have no intention of 'ending this goblin nonsense'. Tell me sir, was Malfoy here one of these 'proper wizarding families' you were so desperate to have me raised by?"

Cornelius appeared to recover some of his bluster after being addressed by the boy-who-lived. "Put that weapon down at once boy, the only one breaking the law here is you."

Harry then heard a welcome voice behind him. "I've got your back Harry, Malfoy moves a muscle and I'll take his head off!"

This seemed to make up Harry's mind. "Thank you Curse-breaker Weasley. Nice to know there's one adult in this room I can rely on to protect me." Harry's knife flashed as Lucius let out a yell, he was cut from his left shoulder to wrist. The cut wasn't deep, having the sleeve of his robes sliced open was probably more painful to Lucius. "You should get Madam Pomfrey to look at that. She won't be able to do anything about your dark mark though, otherwise Snape would have had his removed years ago."

Even with the blood leaking out the wound Harry had just caused, and Lucius dropping his wand to cover the dark mark with his right hand, couldn't totally disguise that disgusting tattoo. Everyone in the room clearly saw it. As they were mesmerised with Malfoy's left forearm, Harry had sheathed his knife and now had Godric's sword in his hand.

"Goblins value honour and justice above all, no amount of gold can make up for loosing either one. The man whose sword this once was epitomised both of those traits, which is why the goblins forged him this magnificent blade. These are values the wizarding community appears to have forgotten."

Harry turned his attention back to Malfoy. "When your master comes back, tell him I'll be waiting to finish the job. This time that coward and all of his followers will be dealt with." Any one else, apart from Albus Dumbledore, saying something like that would either be laughed at - or rushed to a specialised ward in St Mungo's. Harry standing there wielding his magical blade appeared to radiate an inner power, a power everyone in that classroom could see and even feel. Suddenly the castle naming him as her champion made perfect sense.

The Hogwarts Champion then addressed the Minister of Magic. "My father has already confirmed to Dumbledore that the decision on whether my future lies as a goblin or a wizard is mine, and mine alone to make. I'll tell you something for free Minister, from where I'm standing at the moment that's not a hard decision for me to make. The ministry has no legal or moral grounds to remove me from my father, the person who raised an abandoned toddler when every adult in this room failed me. If you attempt to destroy my life, I will respond as any goblin would - by fighting back with everything that I have."

Fudge was about to start shouting when Harry silenced him by the simple act of pointing his sword in the minister's direction. "Tell me this Minister. Should the fabled boy-who-lived leave Hogwarts and return to Gringotts, citing Minister Fudge's interference as my main reason for rejecting wizarding society to live the rest of his life as a goblin, what would be the public's reaction?"

Cornelius Fudge now had a complexion that exactly matched his lime green bowler hat.

"Thanks to this blond bastard and his masked buddies, my father is all the family I have left in the world. He's fought two duels to the death against goblins who believed a wizard had no place in goblin society, please don't doubt for a second I wouldn't do the same for my father. I am my father's son Minister, and proud to be so."

Harry returned his sword to its scabbard while bowing to Bill. "Curse-breaker Weasley, I thank you for your support and please don't think I counted you as one of those adults who failed an orphaned toddler."

Bill returned the bow without taking his eyes or wand off Malfoy. "Harry, I think I was ten at the time so no harm done. Please know though that this time around I'm old enough and would be honoured to stand by your side. Weasleys always stand on the side the light, so you can count on my wand in the fight against Voldemort."

Harry then bowed to Amelia. "Madam, a pleasure meeting you. I know that in any fight against Voldemort, Amelia Bones would be at the heart of that battle. Should you wish to speak again, please arrange it through Professor McGonagall or my head of house. Your honesty and regard for the law are well known within Gringotts, as are the restrictions you are required to work under. I hope what has been learned here today may help with those restrictions."

With that, Harry marched out the classroom.

Harry's parting words were like an explosion of understanding for a few of the adults in the classroom. Albus and Amelia got it at once with Bill only a few moments behind. The goblins were barred by treaty from interfering in wizarding affairs yet were currently sitting on an active volcano, one that was soon due to erupt. They knew Voldemort wasn't dead, and also that his vile organisation was sitting ready for his return, yet couldn't do anything with that information. Harry Crow had just laid it out for them on a silver salver. Leaving behind a bleeding Malfoy, standing there with his dark mark clearly visible, and a minister who was almost catatonic with the thought of his precious public approval rating plunging into minus numbers.

Amelia was so impressed, she wanted to run after that boy and kiss him for this gift. If the young witch who almost bowled her over following Harry out the door was any indicator, he would soon be getting kissed by someone a lot nearer his own age.

-oOoOo-

Hermione had learned her lesson from the troll debacle, she had no intention of letting Harry have time to formulate any wrong ideas about this. She quickly grabbed both of their defence stuff and chucked it into his bag before tearing out of there after him. She thought Dumbledore was going to say something about her leaving too, but then the headmaster seemed to change his mind. He would need to have taken his wand out and restrained the determined young witch, Harry needed her and this time she intended to be there for him.

Hogwarts had also learned from the troll incident, leaving her champion alone for the entire evening was not a mistake the castle intended to make again. The portraits and the Fat Friar quickly led Hermione straight to him, she didn't even hesitate when seeing it was a boy's toilet. She burst in and heard retching noises coming from one of the cubicles.

Harry was throwing-up into one of the toilets when he suddenly felt someone slowly rubbing his back. "It's okay Harry, I'm here for you."

Those words, combined with Hermione's soothing actions were better than any potion from Madam Pomfrey for settling his nerves and stomach. It still took a couple of minutes for him to be able to answer her though. "Won't you get into trouble for leaving the class, and being in a boy's toilet?"

"I just watched my best friend rip the Minister of Magic a new one so figured, what the hell! You only live once so why not throw a little danger in there. And anyway, the Fat Friar was going to get Moaning Myrtle to stand guard for us. Trust me, no boys will enter this toilet with her there."

"How did I come across back there? I was hoping for someone who was in control and desperately trying to avoid being considered some psychotic nutter."

"I thought you were wonderful but can I ask you something, just how long have you been planning that?"

Harry couldn't help but smile, not surprised that Hermione would see through him and pick up on their scheme. "So much for spontaneity, its over-rated anyway. Father and I actually had about six plans depending on the circumstances. I couldn't believe my luck at how it played out, Curse-breaker Weasley and Madam Bones were unbelievable bonuses. We needed Malfoy's deeds and dark mark made public, he's the lynchpin in the death eater organisation. One of the plans had me slapping Malfoy senior and challenging him to a duel..."

Hermione couldn't hide her horror at that outcome. "Harry, could you beat him in a duel?"

"Hermione, I'm eleven - he would kick my arse. He let me get close today which was a big mistake. With a blade, I could carve my initials on his forehead before he could say ouch! For a wand duel, I had intended to sucker him into accepting and then nominate our head of house to fight for my honour. Master Flitwick was a duelling champion on the European circuit and Dumbledore is probably the only person within a hundred mile radius who could hope to match him."

"So you had no intention of killing him, that was all a bluff?"

Harry looked straight into Hermione's eyes and answered her as honestly as he could. "That was never part of the plan Hermione but if he'd tried anything stupid...thanks for taking care of Draco for me."

Hermione understood what Harry was saying and accepted it, she'd seen the same thing with the troll. He'd done everything he could to avoid killing the creature but when that didn't work, Harry thankfully hadn't hesitated. "As to Draco, I don't know what came over me. I just saw him rushing at your back and reacted, he doesn't respond too well to getting walloped in the face. Neville then sat on him and promised more of the same if he didn't behave."

Bill ignored the ghost's flirting and headed straight into the toilet indicated by the portraits, declaring himself for Harry meant the castle was willing to help Bill aid its champion. The sight that greeted Bill warmed the eldest Weasley's heart. The curse-breaker was slowly getting used to the reaction of adrenalin leaving your system after being in a life-threatening situation, an occupational hazard in his job. The first few times though his actions had mirrored Harry's. He'd never had someone rubbing his back and offering comfort while he threw up, Gringotts curse-breakers didn't go in for much of that touchy-feely stuff. He conjured a glass and then filled it with water. "Here Harry, drink this."

As Harry was drinking, Hermione asked the question they both wanted the answer to. "Sir, what happened after we left?"

"Oh, Malfoy demanded I lower my wand or he would see me sacked from Hogwarts. When I explained that I worked for Gringotts, and was only in Hogwarts as a tutor for you since Voldemort killed Quirrell, well you can imagine the uproar that caused. I did advise him to complain to my superiors at the bank, he would probably get me a raise."

This got a giggle from Hermione and even Harry smiled. "Dumbledore then took the minister up to his office for a pick-me-up, I don't think he was talking about a lemon drop. You really kicked Fudge where it hurts, his public approval rating. I also think Dumbledore was desperate to get away from Amelia Bones before she could ask any more questions, she had her sights on someone else though. As soon as the minister left, Lucius was invited to accompany her to the ministry." Bill was smiling at the next bit. "Apparently some new evidence has just been revealed that casts doubt on his claims not to be a death eater. She did promise to return, I got the impression she wanted to speak with you and then rip Dumbledore's head off."

This had both Harry and Hermione smiling too but Bill had more to say. "Harry, what you did in there today was brave, bold and bloody brilliant. I left Hogwarts and went straight to work for Gringotts so I have more than a fair idea of what really went on in that classroom, I take it from Miss Granger's expression that she is aware of the situation too?"

"My friends needed to know what they were getting into, I told them when we all had lunch with my father last week. The senior staff are also aware of the situation though Dumbledore and Snape are not trusted by Gringotts."

Bill was nodding, having already been made aware of some of that. "What I was going to say was that your current defence lessons are fine for getting to know your classmates but you need more..."

Hermione couldn't believe she actually interrupted a teacher but this needed to be said. "Sir, I sat there today and felt useless. I didn't like it. Harry warned us it might be dangerous to be around him and we all accepted that. What I'm trying to say here is, if there are any extra lessons on how to defend yourself I so want to be included. I'll bet Padma and Neville will say the same."

"Four is a small enough number to work with so I have no problem with that, should I take this suggestion to your father?"

This certainly got a smile from Harry. "Yes please. Could you also tell him what happened today, I know he's been really worried about it."

"Okay, providing you and your friends get down to dinner. What you did today was brilliant but now you need to follow through. There's no point of making such an impression only to go and waste it by hiding out in a toilet. Your other two friends are waiting outside, Miss Patil won't enter a boy's toilet and Mr Longbottom's not yet got the confidence to deal with Myrtle."

Hermione helped Harry to his feet and then gave him the hug she couldn't because of his previous position. He needfully hugged her back before straightening out his clothes and offering Hermione his arm. Harry didn't know if he would be able to eat anything but respected the advice he'd been given. It was time to go down to dinner.

A/N thanks for reading

9. The Prodigal Weasley

Harry Crow

Disclaimer: It has been reported in the media recently that Jo Rowling has applied for planning permission to erect a pair of treehouses in her garden, giving her younger children another area to play. Since the estimated costs of said treehouses is higher than the current valuation of my house, it should be clear to everyone that I don't own Harry Potter. I do not begrudge Jo Rowling one single penny of her fortune as she certainly earned it - I do wish she hadn't penned that epilogue though.

Chapter 9

Molly Weasley was not having a good day, it started with the Daily Prophet being delivered and went rapidly downhill from there. Her 'Harry Potter' obsessed daughter had been crying for most of the day and Molly didn't know what to do to help her little girl.

The concerned mother had objected when Arthur first brought the confiscated book home from the ministry, claiming they must have been banned for a reason. Arthur assured her it was merely a children's story book, withdrawn for copyright purposes, and began to use the banned book for Ginny's bedtime stories. Well, compared to the boy-who-lived battling dragons to save the day, Babbitty Rabbitty and the ilk never had a look-in from then on with little Ginny Weasley.

She'd accompanied her four Hogwarts-bound brothers to Kings Cross on the first of September, hoping for a glimpse of her hero. Ginny had been disappointed but consoled herself with the fact that she would be in Gryffindor next year, along with Harry Potter. Today's Prophet had shattered those youthful fantasies and broken her little heart.

As if that wasn't bad enough, Molly had just received a disturbing letter from Ron. Her first instinct was to rush to Hogwarts and start using her wand but her youngest son's ramblings just didn't make sense to his mother. For a start, he had three older brothers in the same house. Molly couldn't believe they would stand back and let their youngest brother be mistreated. Then there was Minerva and Albus to consider. The Head of Gryffindor was very protective of her charges and Molly couldn't even consider anything happening to one of her children while Albus Dumbledore was at Hogwarts. She had decided to wait and discuss the matter with her husband before taking any action.

Molly was surprised when she heard the family clock chime that someone was traveling, seconds before she heard the floo activate. She headed for the kitchen thinking Arthur must have finished early today when her squeal of delight rattled every window in the Burrow. "BILL!"

His mother's hug and relentless questions were sharply cut-off by the floo activating again and Ron stepping out. Her attention instantly switched to her youngest son.

"Ronald Weasley, what are you doing home?"

When the floo activated for the third time, discharging Minerva McGonagall, Molly's eyes narrowed as her gaze zeroed in on a red faced Ron. "Just what is going on here?"

Ron never said a word, just stood there with his head bowed. It was left to his head of house to break the awkward silence. "Molly, I need to speak to you regarding Ronald's behaviour while at Hogwarts."

Molly grabbed Ron by the ear and dragged him over to the table. "Sit there and don't move, I'll be back when I find out just how much trouble you're in. Minerva, will you come through to the sitting room?"

As they headed out the kitchen, Bill suddenly had another redheaded female Weasley in his arms. Ginny had clearly heard her mother's yell and now launched herself at her favourite brother from the bottom of the stairs. He twirled her around the kitchen before sitting his sister down on the table. "Hey Gin, you've done some growing since the last time I was home. Let me get a look at you."

Bill noticed at once that his sister had been crying and was immediately concerned, she was normally such a happy-go-lucky child. "What's the matter with my favourite sister? You and mum had a fight?"

"Oh no Bill, it was just reading about Harry Potter in the Prophet that got me upset..."

Ron may have been told to sit there but that didn't mean he had to listen this without saying something. "Why is everyone so obsessed with that prat? He's nothing special..."

"Is that why you decided to curse him in the great hall today, because you were so jealous of a nothing special prat? What the hell were you thinking? The twins told me that was the second time you've used that curse, and you didn't even apologise to the girl you hit with it."

"I didn't mean to hit her with it, I was aiming at Crow's girlfriend..."

Ginny let a shriek out at this revelation. "Harry's got a girlfriend?"

"Yeah, bint by the name of Granger. She walks around the castle all day on his arm, it's enough to make you sick."

Ginny burst into tears at this news and raced back to her room while Bill grabbed Ron by the front of his robes and hauled him over the table. "What the hell is your problem? Things not going perfect in little Ronnie's world so he decides to throw a tantrum and make everyone else miserable too? Making a fool of yourself seems to be the only thing you're excelling at, not looking good for that first Hogwarts report card Ronnie boy."

Anyone hurting his sister was always going to receive a hard time from Bill, but for one of her brothers to deliberately do so was just too much. Ron needed some facts of life explained here. "Had that curse hit Harry today, he would have made mincemeat of you. He's a goblin warrior who would have treated that curse, quite rightly, as an attack. Spitting up a few slugs wouldn't even slow him down, and he could have legally done you some serious harm. I saw him outsmart and take down an adult wizard in my class today, you wouldn't have stood a chance against 'nothing special' Crow."

Molly and Minerva re-entered the kitchen and his mother didn't hang about. "Bill, put him down."

"You're a whining little git who is an embarrassment to this family. It's time to grow up Ronnie, you're no longer seven years old - so stop acting like someone who is." Bill let his youngest brother slide back into his seat while addressing Ron's head of house. "Minerva, I don't care whether Harry allows it, I will not have him in my class. I refuse to teach Ron any magic he could use on someone else next time he has a temper tantrum. Excuse me ladies, I have a sister this prat upset, she needs a big brother who will actually comfort her."

Molly knew Bill was Ginny's favourite brother for a reason, he was very protective of her. That Ron had managed to cause so much trouble in so little time was another subject they would be discussing when Arthur got home. "Ron, you have been suspended from Hogwarts for the rest of the week. You will be allowed to return on Sunday but will be on probation for the rest of first year. Should you be in serious trouble again during your probation, you will be expelled from Hogwarts. You have carried out magical attacks on two people in the space of a week, just what are you playing at?"

"Oh right, blame me for everything. Don't bother about what's happening to me? I even got my wand broken!"

Minerva was in no mood to make any concessions here. "Mr Weasley, in both cases you were the aggressor. Your wand was indeed damaged in a tussle with Mr Crow, but only after you had cursed one of his friends in the corridor. You seem to think Ronald Weasley should be immune to retaliation - or punishment. If you return to Hogwarts with this attitude, I guarantee you will not be in the castle for long. Excuse me Molly but I must return to Hogwarts. I hope you and Arthur can talk some sense into him, I would hate to see a Weasley being the first student expelled from Hogwarts in fifty years."

Molly was battling her temper as Minerva took the floo back to Hogwarts, she didn't want to start anything without Arthur's presence to reign her temper in if she was going too far. "Ron, go to your room. We will be speaking when your father gets home."

Ron tried his best pleading voice. "Mum, I didn't have any lunch. I was in the infirmary..."

"RONALD BILIUS WEASLEY - get to your room before I take my wand to you. You bring shame to this family and all you can think of is food? Get out of my sight."

Ron might be thick but even he wasn't stupid enough to argue with his mum when she was in this mood. He shot out of there and went straight to his room.

-oOoOo-

Bill entered Ginny's room to find his sister lying crying on her bed, clutching something to her chest. "Gin, please tell me what the problem is, I hate to see you like this - and I need to head to Gringotts shortly."

"Oh Bill, it's all falling to pieces. Harry's not a Potter, he's not even a Gryffindor and already has a girlfriend."

As Ginny continued to sob, Bill slid the book out her grasp. The image of a bespectacled, skinny young boy with the lightning bolt scar on his forehead jumped off the cover, and gave Bill a huge clue to what he was dealing with here. "You know Harry looks nothing like this? He doesn't wear glasses and there's no scar - he's also a far handsomer young man than this..."

Bill had instantly grabbed Ginny's attention - and saw his sister's tears dwindle at the same time. "You've met him?"

"I was brought back from Egypt to be his defence tutor at Hogwarts, I left him less than an hour ago."

Ginny's tears had all but disappeared now, her curiosity easily kicking self-pity's arse. "What's he like? Tell me everything...does he really have a girlfriend?"

"He's like you Gin, much too young to be thinking about girlfriends and boyfriends. His best friends are Hermione and Padma, both of whom were trapped in the Hogwarts infirmary by a troll. Harry raced to their rescue and killed that troll with his sword. The real Harry is much better than any story Gin, he also hates all that boy-who-lives rubbish."

Bill could see his sister was hanging on his every word so tried to steer her away from this unhealthy obsession she appeared to have. "The twins are already becoming friends of his, purely because they treat him as Harry Crow. He'll still be there when you go to Hogwarts next year Ginny. Just remember, he's real and this book is just stories the author made-up. Oh, and you'll need to be at least twenty six before I will even consider letting you have a boyfriend!"

At that, Ginny jumped into his arms. Bill thought at least he'd managed to cheer his sister up. He did think that she was much too young to be thinking about boyfriends, and what he said about Harry was also true. He didn't have the heart to tell Ginny that when Harry was old enough to start thinking about such things, it was already obvious who his thoughts would be turning to.

-oOoOo-

Bill found his mother in the kitchen, nursing a strong cup of tea. "Minerva tells me you're tutoring at Hogwarts?"

"Yeah, the director himself asked me to return to Britain and do this. I actually need to head off to the bank now, there are some meetings I really must attend. Once my schedule settles down a bit, I hope to have more time to spend at home."

"You're not staying here?"

Bill was shaking his head. "Tutoring Harry is only part of my work, they have other stuff for me to do that I've still to hear about. They badly wanted me to take this job so included a flat for me to use as well. I still intend to be home for dinner as often as I can though."

This had Molly smiling for the first time today, having her family around the dinner table was her favourite thing. "She also told me you witnessed what Ron did today, I have no idea what to make of this."

After watching the prat upset Ginny, Bill wasn't for pulling any punches. "Ron sees me as a curse-breaker, he ignores all the hard work I put in to get where I am. Charlie works just as hard at his profession, and we've all seen the hours Percy puts into his studies. Oh, the twins tell me he has a very pretty distraction at Hogwarts, the fifth year Ravenclaw girls' prefect apparently said yes when Percy asked her to be his girlfriend. Our Ron has always been a shirker, expecting everything to drop into his lap. If he doesn't grow out of that habit real soon, he's in for a rude awakening."

Molly was nodding in agreement. "I don't know where he picked the habit up from, none of the rest of you are like that. Even Fred and George work hard at being the biggest pair of scamps they can be. I hope your father has some ideas because I don't know what to do with him. His education is hanging by a thread and all he was concerned about was missing lunch."

-oOoOo-

Albus was pouring a second firewhisky for the minister, while wondering if he should employ Abe? All these shocking revelations were quickly turning his office into a bar, and his younger brother was the recognised Dumbledore family expert on those.

"He can't be back Albus, this has to be some horrible mistake?"

"Minerva's reaction was pretty much the same as yours Cornelius, and she saw him with her own eyes. As much as we don't want it to be true, it doesn't change the fact that it is."

"If this gets out, it will make today's headlines appear like a picnic."

"Not if we're ready Cornelius, the good news is I think we have time to prepare." Fudge was now sipping his second drink, after having gulped the first one down. Albus took this as a good sign so attempted to steer the Minister of Magic in the direction he wanted the ministry to go.

"We need to quietly beef-up the auror department, in both training and manpower. When the story eventually reaches the public, as we both know it must, you can rightfully say that the ministry are not only prepared but ready to respond to the threat. I will give you all the backing I can within the Wizengamot."

The minister liked the sound of that, Dumbledore's idea made him appear like a man of action. That he would actually have a plan in place beforehand to deal with a problem would also make a welcome change. "What can we do about the Potter situation? I need to have some answers for the press or I won't be able to do anything, the public will have me out on the street."

"I suggest we tell them the truth."

This confused the minister until Albus told him the truth. Well, this version of the truth might be slanted in Albus Dumbledore's favour - but the old wizard never told any lies. "After the Potters were murdered, I left baby Harry with his Aunt, Lily's sister. I thought he'd be safer growing up in the muggle world, away from all the madness that's become attached to being the boy-who-lived. What I hadn't counted on was them not wanting the boy, I just couldn't believe they would give their own flesh and blood away."

Cornelius was having trouble believing that himself. "They actually gave him away?"

"They didn't want the boy but thankfully also wanted to avoid a muggle orphanage." The very thought of Harry Potter having the same upbringing as Tom Riddle sent a shudder through Albus. "His uncle managed to take Harry to Diagon Alley where he wandered into Gringotts. The muggle wanted to just dump the baby on a counter and leave him there but the goblins weren't having that."

"They should have contacted the ministry at once..."

"Think back Cornelius, what state was the ministry in? That's why I left Harry at his muggle aunt's in the first place. If we didn't know who we could trust, how were the goblins supposed to choose a safer option than keeping Harry themselves? They clearly knew how important the child was."

"When did you discover this and why didn't you do something about it?"

"It wasn't until the Christmas holidays later that year that I had an opportunity to return and check on the child, only to discover that he was no longer there. They had signed something called an escrow agreement that legally handed responsibility for Harry over to the goblins."

"Surely there must have been something you could do?"

"Of course I headed straight to Gringotts, only to be informed the contract was unbreakable. Needless to say I wasn't happy with that, I ended up being barred from Gringotts the same day." If the minister left Hogwarts with the impression that Albus had fought for Harry's freedom until the goblins kicked him out, that was okay with the headmaster.

"I still think the goblins should have informed us of what was happening..."

"Cornelius, I have met the goblin Harry calls father, they are as close as any father / son I've seen. In any fight against the dark lord, Harry is going to be our best weapon. Attacking that goblin, or even Gringotts, in public or the Prophet could see us lose that weapon forever."

This now had the minister's entire focus. "What should we do then?"

"We thank the goblins for looking after young Harry, and helping the lad become the outstanding young man he is." This had Fudge totally confused until Albus explained his reasoning. "The escrow agreement ends when the head of the Potter family decrees it to be so, or when Harry finally comes of age. That is all the time we have to ensure that Harry makes the decision we both want, and then takes his rightful place in our society. We have both now seen how Harry responds to a heavy-handed approach, we have to change tactics or risk losing him forever."

"The Prophet reported that he rejected approaches from respected families, how are we to influence his decision if he continues to ignore us?"

"The boy is very friendly with a muggle born witch he met on the train, and has since grown closer to Miss Patil and Mr Longbottom. The only approaches I know he's rebuffed were from the Weasley and Malfoy boys, both were rather heavy-handed. He's mixing quite well with his peers but when anyone pushes him, he pushes right back."

This brought up the prickly issue of what to do about the senior Malfoy. "If we put Lucius on public trial, it might start the very thing we're trying to avoid - mass panic over you-know-who's return." It also went unsaid between the two wizards just how close Cornelius was to Lucius Malfoy. A public trial could also see the minister out on the street.

Albus was perfectly happy for Cornelius to retain the Minister of Magic position, provided he was doing what Albus Dumbledore wanted the minister to do. "Lucius is not a particularly powerful wizard. His main threats are his influence and money, you can seriously damage that influence Cornelius. After all, you are the Minister of Magic."

"I know this Albus but that doesn't affect his finances. He's more than spiteful enough to place his great wealth behind someone else, a rival ministerial candidate inside the ministry."

"Ah Cornelius, you're forgetting what else happened inside that classroom. Lucius Malfoy drew his wand on a young goblin, a particularly well-connected young goblin - who also has a powerful father. I feel sure the goblins could be persuaded to attack Lucius where it will really hurt him, financially."

The sly old wizard could see Cornelius liked this idea. It would get him out from under Malfoy's influence without the threat of Lucius mounting a challenge on his position as minister.

"Do you really think the goblins would assist us in this?"

If Albus was right, and he was sure he was, the goblins had planned today's entire performance in the hope of achieving an opening to do that very thing. He would quite happily take the credit in the minister's eyes because that gave Albus another lever to manipulate Cornelius in the direction he needed him to go. "I'm certain I can convince them to aid us in this matter."

It was a puzzled minister who asked the glaringly obvious question. "How can you do that Albus when you're currently banned from Gringotts?"

Albus was now really regretting how he'd handled that interview with Barchoke. Filius' assessment of the situation had been uncannily accurate. Barchoke had obviously known what was about to happen and had traveled to Hogwarts in the hope of working with its headmaster. Albus had grossly underestimated the quality of the players he'd sat down with and, as a result, found himself kicked from the game. He had no idea how much of their plans had been revealed today, though a motivated and trained Harry was certainly making a lot more sense to the headmaster than his original option. Had a Dursley raised Harry Potter arrived at Hogwarts, Albus was sure they would have found dead bodies that day in the infirmary. With three of the heads of houses clearly in Harry's corner, Albus badly needed some way of getting back to the game table.

Surprisingly, Cornelius' question gave Albus the answer he was looking for. "I have known the Weasleys for generations, and William since he was a baby. I'm positive I can convince him to aid us in this endeavour."

"He works for Gringotts Albus, the goblins don't take kindly to their employees working for someone else. You could destroy that lad's career."

"Sometimes, for the greater good, sacrifices have to be made." Albus could see this didn't sit too well with Cornelius' somewhat skewed morals, he decided to make the deal more palatable for the minister. "William is a highly-skilled former Hogwarts head boy. Should he need a career change, there will always be a position available for him in the castle."

The headmaster was now thinking there could be a hidden bonus for him here. Should William lose his job at Gringotts, Hogwarts would acquire a ready-made defence professor while Albus Dumbledore would have the young wizard's gratitude. Those were the kind of schemes Albus favoured. Where everybody appears to win but he comes out on top, with information he badly needed, a new defence professor and another person left thinking they were in his debt.

-oOoOo-

With Hermione on his arm and both his friends beside him, Harry was able to walk into dinner as normal. It was already obvious that the story had spread but they decided to ignore it. Harry was filling his plate when Roger attempted to break the awkward silence that had grown around the trio. "So Harry, did you have a nice boring defence lesson?"

"Oh same old same old Roger. I had a few discussions on defence and I think I managed to get my point across."

This had Roger laughing. "Harry, you're too much. Take down Lucius Malfoy, in front of the Minister of Magic! Hogwarts certainly knew what it was doing when she made you her champion." This statement was met with general approval at the Ravenclaw table. They'd all heard the rumours concerning Quirrell and Voldemort but considered themselves safe inside Hogwarts. After all, hadn't Dumbledore chased him out the castle?

Roger then turned his attention to Hermione. "Nice handprint on Malfoy junior Hermione, you and Harry here seem determined to put some colour into his cheeks."

"Well, now he knows I've got Harry's back." Hermione's statement said a lot more than that. Every witch in Ravenclaw recognised exactly what she was saying, Hermione was not for being parted from Harry without a fight.

Padma was chuckling to herself at her friends antics'. If these two got any closer, you would soon need crowbars to separate them. The play on Harry's name kept Padma amused for the rest of dinner time. Her friends were happy so death eaters and dark wizards could be forgotten about for now. She would need to write home though, her parents needed to know that information. The Patils would not be welcome in a Britain run by people like the Malfoys.

When Parvati asked for a quiet word, she thought nothing of it. That opinion soon changed when she heard what her sister had to say. "There's a group of girls who don't like how close Hermione is to Harry, they intend to have a 'talk' with her about it."

"What! Are they out of their tiny minds? Harry will go nuts if they as much as upset Hermione, Merlin help them if anyone goes for a wand. Who's involved in this?"

"As far as we know, it started in Slytherin. They took to heart what the Prophet said this morning. They want to see Harry becoming a Potter, but with a pureblood witch at his side. Gryffindor was approached by Hufflepuff to see if we were interested..."

Padma wanted an answer immediately. "And what was Gryffindor's reply?"

"Do I want to get closer to him, absolutely - but not like this Padma. We watched Harry against that troll, and then again today in defence. Harry Crow is not someone you want as your enemy. You're his friend, we've both seen first-hand how protective Harry is of those. Hermione is his best friend and I pity anyone who lays as much as a finger on her, we both know they won't get any pity or mercy from Harry. Gryffindor house wanted nothing to do with this, and gave the puffs something to think about."

"Do you know if Ravenclaw house was approached?"

"I think they were looking at the older year groups. I'm pretty sure most of the first years would give them the same answer Gryffindor did. You guys are too well-liked for anyone to go against. That and Harry can be rather scary at times."

"Were the first year Slytherins involved?"

"We heard it was the second years, with even a couple of third years interested. I don't think they got anywhere near the response they expected, I just wanted to pass this on to you. If they go ahead, they'll try and get Hermione alone. Keep an eye on her Padma."

The sisters hugged before heading off to their respective houses. Padma wasn't sure if she should say anything, why worry Hermione when the whole thing might fall flat before it got off the ground? She decided to stick even closer to Hermione for the rest of the week and see what happened from there.

-oOoOo-

Bill was shown directly into Barchoke's office and, after the courtesy of greeting was over, proceeded to tell the goblin exactly what happened in his son's defence class today. He also tagged on the bit in the toilet though left out the confrontation with Ron before the class started.

Goblins were normally very good at hiding their emotions but Bill detected a mixture of pride and relief from this important figure inside Gringotts.

"Curse-breaker Weasley, you are an astute young man. By this time you will have figured the increased pay and supplied accommodation is not just for teaching some eleven year olds defence. I am really pleased that you have already offered Harry and his three closest friends extra lessons, saves me having to make the suggestion. Where we go from here depends entirely on how much I and Gringotts can trust you?"

Bill was now sweating. For a goblin to bring up the issue of trust was either very good, or incredibly bad - there was no middle ground. "Master Barchoke, I have always given of my best in my work for Gringotts, I have no intention of changing that. If the issue of trust regards your son, I feel there are some questions I would like answers to before offering further commitment. Today was a plan well executed for aims I totally support. I think before I can honestly commit myself further, I would need to know what the ultimate aims of Gringotts are here."

This worryingly drew a smile from the goblin. "You were not our only candidate for the position you now find yourself in, but you were my choice. Even asking those questions confirms my high opinion of you is justified. Our first goal is the total destruction of the creature who calls himself Voldemort, taking as many of his followers with him as we can."

"Master Barchoke, that is a goal that will have my full support. Anything I can do to bring this about, Gringotts can trust me to perform with every fibre of my being."

"Well said Curse-breaker, we will go into what else is required of you in a moment. The only other goal that Gringotts has here is a long-term objective to promote goblin / wizard relations. We have no wish to rule over anyone, just not be treated as nothing more than a financial version of a house-elf. Those poor creatures may have a need to serve wizards, goblins do not."

"Again, a goal and views that have my total support. My only concern in this matter is your son. Harry is after all only eleven, this is a mighty big responsibility to place on anyone's shoulders - far less one so young."

"That is a concern for more than just the two of us in this room. Harry needs someone he can talk to, discuss things with while in the castle. You have no idea how pleased I was to see he had made some close friends, especially Miss Granger. You will have observed from your time working with us that goblins are not a race that outwardly display their affections. Seeing my son accepting, and revelling in, being wrapped in Miss Granger's arms was a welcome sight for these old eyes. Harry though needs something else too, he badly needs an adult in that castle he can trust. We are hoping that can be you? Whether your relationship becomes that of a mentor or an older brother figure would be left up to you and Harry."

Bill now understood why the issue of trust was mentioned, this was huge. "I am honoured you would even consider me for this role. Can I ask more about Harry? What training has he already had, how did he respond to that training? Those types of thing."

Barchoke had to think for a moment, more so he could sort his own thoughts on the matter. "My son is a very driven individual who doesn't understand the meaning of defeat. When he was younger, he obviously noticed he was different from everyone else around him. As you can imagine, this caused a few difficulties at our school. When he got into fights though, Harry would never stay down. He always struggled to his feet and fought back as best he was able. This earned him respect and soon, he was the one doing the 'knocking down'."

Having observed him taking a curse to ensure Malfoy got hit, Bill had no trouble believing that.

"I have never believed in keeping things from my son, he knows Voldemort targeted him because of the prophecy - and his parents gave their lives protecting him. Learning that his only living relatives totally rejected him deeply affected my son."

This drew a loud 'what?' from Bill before Barchoke continued. It was clear that even the memory of this angered the goblin. "That fat illegitimate son of an forest troll sat right where you are now and dumped Harry on my desk like so much soiled laundry. Not gutting him where he sat remains one of the greatest regrets of my life. This knowledge has haunted Harry though as he appears to fear rejection above all else, that was why I was so delighted to see him as attached to Miss Granger. He needlessly worries that one day I will reject him too, that day will never come. Whatever decision Harry makes about his future, he will always be my son. Nothing in this world is more important to me than him."

This was what Bill needed to hear. The thought of that young boy being used as a goblin weapon was not something that sat well with the eldest Weasley boy. Training young Harry to survive a prophesied fight against a dark lord was an entirely different matter.

He then listened intently as the proud father told of how his son's skill with a blade, and lightning reflexes had eventually won him much respect in a nation of warriors. That Master Pitslay considered Harry his prodigy, even traveling to Hogwarts to continue his potions tuition was another proud boast. "You will never have to motivate Harry, rather try and not let my son push himself too hard. His teachings in defence have mostly been of the physical type, we didn't have too many options when it came to someone who could fire curses at him with a wand - not without putting the secret that Harry was living in Gringotts at risk."

Bill was now looking forward to teaching Harry and his friends but Barchoke wasn't finished yet. "In order to survive death, Voldermort undertook the vilest of magic and split his soul. A horcrux had attached itself to my son - something that Dumbledore ignored. It was quickly removed and destroyed after Harry arrived at Gringotts. Another was discovered in a convicted death eater's vault, it too had his soul portion removed and then banished forever. Our nation then went quietly hunting for more, uncovering another at his grandparent's hovel. Since then, nothing."

As part of his curse-breaker training, Bill had learned about horcruxes. He shared the goblin view that an individual who could make one was abhorrent - this was a crime against mother nature herself. It hadn't been considered possible for an individual to make more than one, so this was a shocking revelation. "Have we any idea how many he made?"

"No, though him surviving the death of Quirrell last week confirms there is at least one more still out there. Apart from that one fact, all we have is speculation and guesswork. That same speculation and guesswork places a high probability that their might be another one hidden inside Hogwarts. Harry's status as a Hogwarts Champion will surely help us there, I can't imagine the castle will want to have a piece of the darkest magic imaginable within her walls."

"Does Dumbledore know about this? Doing anything under his nose just bumps up the degree of difficulty by a large margin."

"The Director and I both think it's only a matter of time before Dumbledore approaches you, with an appeal to keep him informed about Harry and Gringotts."

"Master Barchoke, I can assure you and the director that Albus Dumbledore will learn nothing from me."

"Actually, curse-breaker, the Director and I would prefer if Albus Dumbledore learned quite a bit from you. Of course, we will tightly control exactly what the meddling headmaster learns."

Bill's jaw nearly dropped to the floor as the full implications of what it would take to earn his new salary and accommodation hit home. It was becoming painfully obvious that tutoring Harry was only going to be a small part of his new duties.

A/N thanks for reading.

10. A Goblin Response

Harry Crow

Disclaimer - When carrying out DIY, it isn't always about saving money. To me, being able to stand back and say 'I did that' is equally as important. That is why the first person to click on this chapter is also the first person, other than me, to read it. I realise this might not be everyone's cup of tea and can only suggest they get the professionals in. I can heartily recommend J K Rowling's early works, she really makes the character of Harry Potter her own.

Chapter 10

Amelia Bones wasn't happy that she had been blocked from administering veritaserum to Lucius Malfoy, and had been neither slow nor quiet when voicing this displeasure to the minister. Her rage was somewhat sated on discovering Cornelius' reasoning - or should that be Dumbledore's?

That the minister actually had a contingency plan was a shock. This initial shock though was no where near the intensity of the one she received when being informed that her department was basically going to be brought up to a war footing. There would be a heavy recruitment programme that would see auror numbers swell by over fifty percent in the next three years.

Amelia was prepared to trade-off delaying justice to a thoroughly defanged Malfoy for an auror department that had some real teeth. She didn't tell the blond ponce this, Amelia didn't tell Malfoy anything - rather just left him in a cell to sweat. She could legally hold him for one more day but Thursday was the deadline, Amelia was taking great pleasure in keeping him locked up for every available minute she could.

Today saw her back at Hogwarts. She was interviewing Harry Crow in the presence of his head of house. Amelia was determined to get as much information as possible from the young man before her meeting with Dumbledore. The more the head of the DMLE wrote down, the angrier she was becoming. It was obvious Dumbledore had known Voldemort wasn't gone for good, why else would he set a trap for the dark lord? That he had used Hogwarts as a location for this trap had Amelia wanting to slap the old fool silly. Was it any wonder the Hogwarts ghosts were telling him he was on his last warning.

Harry was just explaining what happened in the infirmary when the Bloody Baron passed through the wall. "Young Champion, your friends require aid..."

Amelia watched amazed as the ghost hadn't even finished speaking yet Harry was heading out the door. She and Filius shot out after him but the younger and much fitter Harry was already opening up a gap. Both followed as quickly as they could while the castle's portraits and ghosts led their champion where he needed to go.

-oOoOo-

Padma was beside Hermione as both girls were rinsing their hands in the washbasins. She noticed in the mirror that the large toilet was now filling up behind them and her heart sank. Neville had gone ahead to the great hall and Harry was at a meeting with Madam Bones, this group had judged their approach perfectly. She counted nine of them, all older than her and Hermione, before the group's 'leader' decided to speak.

"Granger, we want a word with you."

Hermione turned around and was confronted with nine older girls glaring at her. They were mostly Slytherins but she was sorry to see a couple of Hufflepuffs mixed in there too, the sole Ravenclaw was particularly painful. The entire situation brought up some particularly unpleasant memories of her primary school, memories that Hermione thought she was finished with.

"Yes, what can I do for you?"

"You can stay well away from Potter, that bloodline doesn't need another mudblood in it."

Hermione's insides were like jelly but she wasn't about to let that show, she'd learned this just from being around Harry. "Well, that shouldn't be a problem - since I don't know anyone called Potter."

"Don't get smart with us Granger, you know fine well who we're talking about. It took us nearly three days to catch you more than six inches away from him. That's going to change, if you know what's good for you."

Hermione may have been shaking inside yet the young witch was determined she wouldn't let them see any tears. She certainly took their threat seriously but there was no way Hermione could comply with their demands. She was already sure not being Harry's best friend would be far more painful than anything they could do to her. "Oh I know what's good for me, that's why I have no intention of moving from Harry's side."

Padma tried to butt in, knowing Hermione wouldn't back down on this. "Have you any idea what Harry will do when he hears about this? You lot have just bought yourselves more trouble than you can possibly imagine."

"Shut it Patil, no one will be saying anything to Potter."

"Yeah, we haven't forgotten your sister's blatant attempt to get off with him either. Batting those eyelashes while offering up a life debt, the Potter bloodline doesn't need tainted with your lot either."

Hermione couldn't just stand there and ignore the racist comment against both her friends. "Wouldn't that be Harry's decision?"

The lone Ravenclaw in the group then decided to make herself heard. "Listen Granger, once you break up with him, a proper pureblood witch will step in and console the boy-who-lived."

The very thought of having to sit back and watch Harry with another girl hardened Hermione's conviction. "Never going to happen, I will be at Harry's side for as long as he wants me to be."

"Looks like we'll have to do this the hard way girls. Let's make sure our Harry never wants to go near the bitch ever again."

Hermione felt herself being hit by two curses to her face before Padma move to offer some protection. This resulted in her friend getting cursed too. There was then a loud animalistic roar before everything went to hell in a hand basket.

Harry burst straight into the girls toilet and quickly took action. There was no 'what's going on here?' - his training had taught him you didn't waste time on such niceties. There were nine enemies crowded around Padma and Hermione, all appeared older than his friends and had their wands out. Both his friends had already taken some hits and Padma had clearly jumped in front of Hermione to offer some protection. Harry let out a roar as his knife went to work.

The nine girls thought they couldn't lose, they were only up against two firsties. Suddenly there was a devil amongst them, a devil that punched, kicked and sliced his way through them in seconds. Screams of pain and shock were heard as wands and bodies hit the floor. By the time Filius and Amelia got there, eight of the girls were on the floor. Most had been physically struck on some part of their body but all had either the back of their hand slashed open or their wand cut right through. Harry currently had the large Slytherin girl who'd been at the front of the confrontation pinned against the wall, with his blade poised at her left eyeball. The girl had blood dripping from her wounded hand, and liquid of a different colour pooling between her feet. The Slytherin had somewhat understandably wet herself from fright.

"Tell me why and make it good. Otherwise, I'm taking this eye in payment."

The girl was now sobbing in terror and clearly incapable of speech, Amelia had her wand out and was about to intervene when the two victims beat her to it.

Hermione was incapable of speech at the moment but her gentle hand on Harry's shoulder grabbed his attention. The sheer ferocity behind the stinging hex had left Hermione practically unrecognisable while her two front teeth were now about six inches long - and still growing.

Padma's face was covered in painful-looking boils but she was left to do the talking. "They wanted Hermione to stop being friends with you Harry. When she said that was never going to happen, they started firing curses. Apparently, Hermione and I are not the right sort of friends you should have."

Harry's temper seemed to spike at this news and the Slytherin girl's eyes rolled back in her head as her legs gave way. He let her slump to the wet toilet floor in a dead faint, now far more concerned with the condition of his friends.

Amelia and Filius watched on as the anger dissipate from the young Ravenclaw, that Harry's anger was replaced by tenderness and compassion was so at odds with the carnage he'd just wreaked. That the evidence of said carnage was scattered all about them just made the gentle emotions now on display all the more pronounced.

"You told nine of them never?"

Hermione could barely nod her head but she managed to get her point across. Harry sheathed his knife and offered her his arm. "My lady?"

She wasn't physically able to smile at the moment but inside Hermione was extremely happy as she took Harry's arm. To her mind, this was easily worth all the pain she was currently suffering. He offered his other arm to Padma before facing the two adults who had stopped at the doorway. "Master Flitwick, I'm taking my friends to the infirmary. I will be there if anyone requires to speak with me. I give everyone fair warning though, should anything like this ever be repeated, I will not be so lenient again."

The girls on the floor quickly crawled out their way to create a clear path for the trio to leave, they were all desperate to see the back of Harry Crow.

Filius sent a patronus message to the great hall, he wanted the other heads of house and the headmaster to see this. The sight of the third year Ravenclaw on the floor was particularly distasteful for her head of house. Filius was left to wonder if it was coincidence Miss Chambers appeared to have been hit the worst. The girl had a bruise forming on her cheek with a black eye sure to follow, she was nursing her bleeding right hand while staring at a severed wand on the floor.

Amelia was staring at the devastation wrought here, knowing Harry could have arrived at the very most half a minute before they did. "He didn't care that they were girls, Crow just went right trough them."

"When someone holds a weapon on you Madam Bones, it makes no difference if they are male or female. For Master Sharpshard to even consider teaching the lad, he must be exceptional with a blade. To be honest, I would have struggled to accomplish this in the time he had available. There is not an injury here that Poppy won't be able to fix within ten minutes, the memory of what Mr Crow was able to do will last a lot longer than the pain."

The senior staff were soon on site with Pomona's keen eyes quickly picking out the two Hufflepuffs involved. "Only Mr Crow could cause this amount of damage. Let me guess, these girls took the Prophet article to heart and confronted Miss Granger? I'd heard whispers of something like this was being discussed but thought Hufflepuff had wisely decided to take Gryffindor's approach and give such nonsense a miss. What did they do to Miss Granger?"

Filius was impressed at Pomona's reasoning, he supplied the answers for the rest of the group. "Miss Granger took a stinging hex to the face as well as a densaugeo, it would appear disfigurement was their main objective here. Miss Patil also suffered furnunculus, whether she was deliberately targeted or trying to protect Miss Granger remains to be uncovered. Both young ladies left on Mr Crow's arm."

Minerva and Severus were casting episkey on the girls' hands to heal the cuts and stop the bleeding. The potions master was not a happy head of house. "This is what happens when you let a child carry a knife..."

Filius wasn't standing for that. "Yes, six Slytherin bullies with drawn wands get their arses kicked. Before you start raving about punishing Mr Crow, you should know it was the Bloody Baron himself that warned Harry his friends were under attack. Hogwarts then led him directly to this location. The castle appears to have taken a stand on this matter, to go against Hogwarts in this is not wise Severus." Filius now settled his gaze on the lone Ravenclaw present. "I can assure everyone here Miss Chambers will pay dearly for her part in this cowardly attack."

"As will my two Hufflepuffs, I can't express how ashamed I am of them."

Severus couldn't let it go though. "And what of Crow, is he to once more escape any form of punishment?"

She wasn't strictly speaking involved in this discussion but Amelia offered her opinion. "There were nine older girls here, all with the intention of doing Miss Granger harm. I would say Mr Crow's response was a measured one. None of these girls will require to spend the night in the infirmary, Miss Granger certainly would have needed to if Mr Crow hadn't acted so quickly."

"Amelia and I were less than a minute behind the lad but he'd already dealt with the situation by the time we got here. He did promise not to be so lenient if there was ever a repeat of this incident."

"But he sliced right through my wand, what am I going to tell my parents?"

"Don't worry about that Miss Chambers. You can be assured I'll be informing your parents of exactly what happened here today. For a Ravenclaw to be involved in bullying a younger member of our house is something I will never stand for, this incident will be used to remind all of Ravenclaw of that fact."

"Headmaster, surely you can see this boy needs to be reigned in before the next thing he kills isn't a troll - but another student."

Albus was well aware his tenure as headmaster was hanging by a thread. He had no intention of going against Hogwarts to soothe his potion master's sense of injustice. "I'm inclined to agree that Mr Crow's response was measured and appropriate. A wizard would have been casting stunners or body-binds. Mr Crow's methods may be different but certainly no less effective. I watched him use that blade on Lucius Malfoy, his speed and control is astonishing. He's attending Hogwarts as a goblin, I assume this is a goblin response to what was undeniably an attack on his friends?"

His question was aimed at Filius and the charms master didn't disappoint. "Actually headmaster, his reaction was a lot more measured than I feared. The goblin response would have been to ensure this could never happen again, I expected to see limbs on the floor."

The girls had been quietly crying but this comment introduced an element of wailing to their accumulated outpouring of self pity, none of the adults present thought this group would ever be going near Miss Granger again. They also thought that was Mr Crow's intention, word of this would spread throughout the castle before curfew. Who would dare attack Miss Granger when her protector had taken down nine older enemies to keep the young witch safe. When you factored in his killing of that troll to achieve the same result, and that the castle had not only warned but aided him today, Miss Granger should be one of the safest witches in the castle.

Minerva though was determined to have her way on this matter. That there were no Gryffindors amongst the attackers pleased her more than she could say but the deputy was determined to enforce discipline here. Severus was more inclined to punish Slytherin students for getting caught, that wouldn't be happening this time.

"Hogwarts already has a student under a week's suspension, and placed on probation for the rest of the school year. If I discover this attack was because of Miss Granger's blood status - and I'm almost sure that was the case - all of these girls will be receiving the same punishment. Albus, could you cover my classes for the rest of today? I will probably need to arrange nine home visits."

Severus appeared ready to have a fit but Pomona cut him off. "That seems fair..."

Filius had more to add though. "Miss Chambers will also see her Hogsmead privileges revoked and she can forget about trying out for the quidditch team this year. I find her bullying of two Ravenclaw first years despicable, I hope you will convey that to her parents Professor McGonagall?"

The girls were now sobbing inconsolably as they were herded up and shepherded toward the infirmary so Poppy could check the nine of them. Minerva wanted a word with the other three involved in this debacle so she headed there too. Albus tagged along, content he now had a genuine excuse to put his meeting with Amelia off again. The headmaster intended to avoid said meeting for as long as possible.

Severus didn't think he would be able to attend the infirmary without getting into an argument with Crow. Having heard what he did to Lucius, the potions professor rather wisely decided to head back down to his dungeon.

-oOoOo-

The only thing that travels faster than news inside the castle is speculation. Speculation was currently rife amongst the students, especially after seeing the senior staff rush from the great hall. So it was hardly surprising that Neville and Parvati arrived at the infirmary only moments after the Ravenclaw trio got there. Both Gryffindors had quickly noticed who was missing, and thought this was the best location to discover if anything had happened to their friends/family. Parvati was in tears seeing her twin's beautiful face in that condition. "I warned you they were after Hermione - how did this happen?"

This instantly got Harry's attention, Hermione was currently behind a privacy screen receiving treatment. Padma had her head down as she answered her twin. "We didn't know who, where or when so I decided not to worry Hermione, just stick close to her."

Harry reached for his friend's hand in an effort to get Padma to look at him. "That is the second time you've taken a curse meant for Hermione, though with this one you deliberately protected her. She can't say thank you at the moment so I'll say it for both of us."

"Am I going to have to get used to visiting my sister here if she hangs about with you Harry?"

Hearing the anger in her sister's voice, Padma cut in before Harry could answer. "That's why I'm getting extra lessons in defence from Professor Weasley - and you should see what Harry did to the girls who attacked us."

Parvati's eyes nearly bulged out at this - her sister was spending her time with the two hottest wizards in Hogwarts. She didn't get a chance to comment further on this though as both Parvati and Neville got an opportunity to see first hand what Harry had done to the attacking girls. The senior staff were leading the girls into the infirmary, it was hard to miss that every single one of them shied away from Harry.

Neville was amazed at the number of attackers his friends had faced, they just seemed to keep coming through the doors. Professor McGonagall entered along with the headmaster, her attention soon shifted from Dumbledore the instant she spotted Harry. "Mr Crow, a moment of your time please." All in the room knew this was not a request as the deputy headmistress led Harry back out the door.

She stopped in the empty corridor for a quiet word. "We find ourselves once more in this situation Mr Crow..."

"Only because people keep attacking my friends professor."

"I understand your concern and please trust me that every single one of those girls will be severely punished." She could see this had calmed Harry somewhat so Minerva continued with the discussion she'd pulled the lad out here for. "I have nothing but admiration for your willingness to protect your friends but do you remember the discussion we had the last time this happened? In this instance, you were sitting in a room with your head of house and the head of the DMLE. Do you doubt that either of them would have acted swiftly to protect your friends?"

Harry hadn't even thought about it. On discovering they needed help, he'd just blindly raced from the room. Even his training told him this was the wrong option to take, jumping into an unknown situation when he had very capable help right beside him. "No Professor, I trust both of them."

"Then you see why I once more must assign you detentions? Not for saving your friends - but because you had trusted adults on hand to take care of the situation for you."

"I understand Professor, you can't hammer the attackers and not punish me for breaking school rules too. It would leave you open to the charge of favouritism."

"I'm impressed you can see that Mr Crow, a certain other first year thought I was picking on him when handing out punishment. I feel in this case though, two nights with me working on transfiguration should be punishment enough."

Harry accepted this decision, knowing it was more a case of extra tuition rather than any form of punishment. Professor McGonagall confirmed this as she walked back into the infirmary with him. "I understand you might not want to leave your friends alone for a few days, they are of course welcome to accompany you on your detentions. I will arrange the times once I have dealt with these girls, they are going to keep me busy for now."

Filius was over in a flash. "Am I to understand Mr Crow has detention for his actions today?"

It was Harry who answered his head of house. "Sir, I earned my detentions. I should have let you deal with the problem and for that I apologise. I'm sure Professor McGonagall is also aware I would probably do exactly the same thing again, which is another reason I deserve my detentions."

Poppy was still dealing with Miss Granger so Minerva spoke with the injured Miss Patil to discover exactly what happened in that toilet. When the screen came back, Hermione gave Harry a nervous smile and he instantly spotted the difference.

"You had your front teeth made smaller than they were before?"

"Madam Pomfrey managed to cancel the stinging hex, then shrank my front teeth. She gave me a mirror and asked me to say when to stop, I've always been teased about my teeth being too large."

"Well I think those doing the teasing were either blind or stupid. Thank you for remaining my friend Hermione, that couldn't have been easy..."

"Harry, easiest decision I ever made. I intend to be your best friend for as long as you'll let me..."

Harry had her in a tight hug before she could say anymore. "Thanks Hermione, I'm so glad to here you say that - and to see you're okay."

"Padma jumped in front of me and then you arrived, otherwise it would have been a lot worse."

"Do these morons actually think attacking you is going to see us stop being best friends - that's just stupid!"

"So is them thinking they're better than Hermione because her parents are muggles. They can't pick on my blood status so the fact that the Patil family comes from India gets thrown in my face. Again, do they think I don't look into the mirror every morning? They are just bullies, using whatever words they need to justify their behaviour to themselves."

Hermione hugged a treated and once more boil-free Padma, "Thanks for sticking by me today, I never had friends who would do that before."

"I know you would do the same for me. Professor McGonagall has already heard what went on in that toilet, and Madam Pomfrey said we can leave. Shall we take Professor Weasley's advice and head for the great hall?"

Harry led the way with Hermione on his arm, Neville and the twins right behind them. All three Ravenclaws were wondering just what Roger would have to say about this.

-oOoOo-

Lucius had plenty to say when he finally got home, his four days in a ministry holding cell responsible for his rant. "I knew Fudge was a fucking idiot, but I thought he was at least our fucking idiot - bought and paid for. Cornelius won't get a job cleaning up owl shit at the post office by the time I've finished with him. As for that bitch Bones, her days are numbered. She'll be top of our master's list ..." Lucius then noticed his wife appeared distraught, far more than his few days in a cell warranted. This worried her husband as Narcissa was normally so aloof, emotions were for lesser beings. She nervously handed him a scroll.

The Gringotts seal on the scroll alerted the head of the Malfoy family this was serious but reading what it contained terrified Lucius more than that blade against his chest. "Those bastards are closing down our vaults because of that little shit? I better get right over there, it's going to take most of the twenty-four hours they've given us to get everything out."

His wife though had some really bad news for him. "Lucius, that was delivered on Tuesday. The twenty-four hours has long since past."

"WHAT! Didn't you tell them I couldn't come to the bank?"

"They said that was not their problem..."

"What about our contacts at the ministry, didn't you get in touch with any of them?"

"I tried everyone we know, I even went to Bones and begged her to let you out for a few hours - all I got were excuses, apologies or doors slammed in my face."

Lucius now found himself holding on to the nearest wall to keep him standing upright. "Did you manage to get anything out?"

Narcissa tried not to let her anger show, but didn't quite manage it. "You put a cap on how much I could withdraw from the Malfoy vaults - one hundred thousand."

He was now leaning on the wall. "That won't last us very long..."

"It won't last at all, since I don't have it. I offered it to Fudge to get you out. I'm facing charges of attempting to bribe the Minister of Magic and the money was confiscated as evidence."

Lucius had now slid down the wall and was sitting on the floor as the blows kept coming. "I managed to transfer money to Hogwarts and pay for all seven years of Draco"s education but, apart from taking my jewels, I was blocked from doing anything else. All we have left is the manor and its contents."

Just as he was thinking they had reached rock bottom, Lucius discovered there was more to come. "We also have a basket full of scrolls, every single one of them thanking us for our efforts but they no longer require us for their committee or board. Someone has really put the word out, just what the hell happened in Hogwarts on Monday?"

It was only now beginning to dawn on Lucius exactly what had happened in that classroom, he'd been trussed up and then stuffed better than any Christmas turkey. He swore vengeance on everyone involved in this conspiracy, especially Potter, Crow or whatever the little bastard called himself.

Lucius of course had contingency funds stashed where no one else could find them. Their lifestyle may take a downturn but they were a long way from being Weasley poor. The Malfoys' change in circumstances would certainly put a swift end to funding anyone else. Those associates who had become reliant on what was basically a handout were now going to have to look elsewhere.

-oOoOo-

The Ravenclaw trio were at breakfast and looking forward to their extra defence lessons over the next two days. Bill had discussed suitable times with Harry's father and both had thought the weekends would be best. Harry had received word from his father to say that the curse-breaker was now fully involved in their plans and could be totally trusted. With Bill now timetabled to be in the castle Monday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday - not forgetting Master Pitslay on a Friday - Harry felt a lot better about the Hogwarts situation.

That one of their own had been involved in attacking Padma and Hermione had put a strain on mealtimes at the Ravenclaw table. Most of the house knew Chambers was ambitious but all considered her actions to be a step too far. Hearing that there were advanced lessons on any subject available was always going to break through any awkward barriers amongst Ravenclaws. Harry had been politely deflecting requests to join them in these lessons all morning.

No one was getting too upset at being told these lessons were restricted to just the four of them, Padma's twin sister couldn't even bag a place - though most thought this was because her motives for wanting to attend clearly weren't purely academic ones.

Harry was already sharing his defence tutor with the rest of first year, the remainder of the school were stuck with study periods while the headmaster searched for a replacement. There were also another six first year claws sitting at the table with wide grins on their faces, Harry's potions tutor had allowed him to invite more of his friends to take his class. Every single person in three houses of Hogwarts understood those smiles, and wished they were wearing one just like it. Getting out of classes with Snape was certainly a good enough reason to smile.

Harry was unconsciously feeding Eargit a bit of his breakfast while reading the letter his beautiful snowy owl had just delivered. His father was passing on a warning that the Prophet had finally picked up on the very large hints that had been getting dropped on them for the last few days. Gringotts had even taken the most unusual stance of affording the newspaper a statement. Harry was chuckling to himself when Hermione asked him what was so funny. As he noticed the Prophet being delivered, Harry told is best friend that the entire hall would find out in the next few minutes.

The ministry had been conducting what amounted to a charm offensive on Harry and the goblins, passing on little details to the press like how the boy-who-lived was not only healthy from his years at Gringots - but incredibly fit. The Prophet left no young witches in any doubt what they meant by Harry being incredibly fit. They were currently running a 'competition' where they would pay handsomely for a picture of their young saviour. No mention of any returning dark lord was even hinted at.

Hermione had teased Harry that a photograph of him in his training gear would be worth a fortune, and how she wished her camera wasn't sitting in her bedroom back home. Harry had gotten his own back by offering to let her take said photograph - in exchange for a picture of Hermione in her Nike training clothes.

It didn't take that long for a screaming Malfoy to rush toward the Ravenclaw table and throw his copy of the Prophet at Harry. "You thieving goblin bastard - you stole my inheritance!"

Harry calmly stood to face the enraged boy as, for once, the staff moved quickly to intervene. Both their heads of house were on the scene to ensure this conflict didn't escalate beyond words.

"Mr Malfoy, the only part of your statement I agree with is that I am a goblin. Now, will you retract and apologise - or must we take this further?"

"It clearly says in the Prophet that the goblins have seized the Malfoy vaults - how is that not stealing?"

Harry didn't let the Slytherin's rage affect him, he'd been expecting this confrontation since reading the letter from his father. "The Prophet must have made a slight error. Those vaults belong to Gringotts, and are rented by the Malfoy family. As with any rental agreement, there are always conditions attached. An adult witch or wizard attempting to attack a young goblin with their wand certainly breaks those conditions and will see them kicked out of Gringotts. When my father heard what the head of the Malfoy family had attempted, he went straight to the director. It should also be noted that, as per the conditions of rental, your father was given twenty-four hours to retrieve anything he wanted from those vaults - before they were sealed."

"My father couldn't get there on time..."

"Again, the conditions of the rental contract allow for this. Had your father been too ill to get to the bank, the twenty-four hours would have been suspended until he was able to attend. In accordance with the conditions of the rental contract, being locked in a ministry cell is not an agreed and acceptable condition for suspension so the twenty-four hours lapsed. It's standard Gringotts banking practice that's taught to every young goblin - and perfectly legal."

Filius then asked a question he already knew the answer to, but wanted everyone else to hear. "What happens to the contents of those sealed vaults?"

Harry almost smiled at his head of house but that would ruin what he was trying to achieve here. "Because the vaults were not emptied in the allotted time, the bank will continue to take its small, annual rental fee for their continued use. The rest of the contents will remain untouched until someone is able to claim it."

Realisation began to sink in for some but Harry wanted no misunderstandings here. "In the case of the Malfoy vaults, that would be Draco when he came of age. This is of course assuming that he himself hasn't already broken those same banking conditions. Just to be clear Mr Malfoy, publicly calling me a 'thieving goblin bastard' over this matter shatters those conditions."

Harry gave Draco a moment to allow that information to sink in before speaking again. "Once more Mr Malfoy, will you retract and apologise - or must we take this further?"

Draco was many things but he wasn't a complete moron. The goblins had the Malfoys by the short and curly's, and he'd just given them a perfect excuse to yank those hairs out by the root. It was time to grovel - no matter how distasteful. Being poor was a far worse fate than eating some humble pie. "I apologise unreservedly Mr Crow, both for my lack of manners and the ill-informed comments I made. I now clearly see my statement was in error and retract every word spoken. I was not aware of what was involved in closing those vaults and acted in haste and anger."

"Perfectly understandable Mr Malfoy, even if it was regrettable. I'm quite prepared to accept your apology and forget the entire incident - this time."

Draco bowed in thanks, before turning to leave the great hall. The entire castle now knew Crow owned his arse, the very thought of that same arse dressed in second hand robes for the rest of his life was more than enough for Draco to keep his head up and defend his decision to anyone. He'd taken the only option available to him, and would continue to do so until he reached seventeen. Then he would be moving the entire Malfoy fortune elsewhere before seeking his revenge. This required an urgent letter home to his father.

Both heads of house returned to the staff table, content the matter had been resolved without breaking any school rules, while Harry sat back down to his interrupted breakfast. Hermione was reading Malfoy's discarded paper but had a question that the Prophet didn't answer.

"Gringotts actually have an official statement on the matter printed in the Prophet. It covers in detail everything you just said, including listing the conditions that are considered a breach of contract. Malfoy could have saved himself the embarrassment if he'd only finished reading. I suppose the 'Malfoy loses Vaults' headline was as far as he got. It doesn't mention though why his mother couldn't just move their valuables?"

Padma supplied the answer to her muggle born friend. "No head of a pureblood family would give his wife access to everything, probably too frightened they would be robbed blind."

Harry didn't know this, and it went against the information he did have. "My mum did, dad had her assigned full access to the Potter vaults. There were obviously things only the head of the Potter family could do, but those apart, everything was equal."

This intrigued both his friends though it was Padma who asked how he knew this.

"My father is the senior accounts manager at Gringotts, the Potter family account is the most senior at the bank. My father knew both my mum and dad, and liked them very much. He says I've got my mother's eyes."

"Your mum must have been beautiful..."

The words were out before it dawned on Hermione what she was saying. Padma was sitting watching both of them turn shades of pink and decided to help out, though she would tease Hermione mercilessly when she got her alone later. "Hey Harry, I think you could get Malfoy to clean our shoes for us. I think you could get Malfoy to do just about anything you wanted!"

"That is not the goblin way Padma."

"Maybe not, but you have to admit it would be funny..."

This cracked the three of them up.

Bill entered the great Hall to see three of his students laughing together, he couldn't help but compare them to his two youngest siblings. Ginny now sat enthralled as Bill told tales of the real Harry after dinner. He didn't want his sister simply switching her fantasy but was indulging Ginny at the moment. Watching Ron's face as he described what Harry had done to the nine older students was worth it. His mother and father had been on Ron's case all week and his youngest brother now couldn't wait to return to Hogwarts.

Taking the carrot and stick approach, Bill was using some of his extra salary to buy Ron a new wand later today. He also promised new robes if he finished all the homework Bill had gotten from Minerva for him. He wasn't entirely happy with having to coerce Ron into doing something but there weren't too many other options available at the moment. The youngest Weasley brother was in the last chance saloon as far as his Hogwarts education was concerned. Bill and Percy were taking on the task of ensuring Ron didn't blow it.

He could practically feel Dumbledore's eyes boring into his back while the Gringotts employe walked toward his students, Bill was certain the approach would be coming soon.

A/N Thanks for reading

11. Best Friends Forever

Harry Crow

Disclaimer - I write purely for my own enjoyment, making no money for my efforts. Since I spend many hours every week writing each chapter, I'm hardly likely to write something I don't enjoy reading. Unfortunately that means no x-overs, slash, lemons, dark H/Hr, Miss Granger partnered with anyone other than Harry and certainly no children named Albus Severus. If this is not to your taste - no problem. At last count, there were almost half a million Harry Potter fan fics on this site alone - I am sure there must be something for everyone amongst them. I also tend to class my stories as 'general' since I rarely know where they will end up. If readers want to attach labels like 'bashing fic' to this story, that is their choice.

Chapter 11

The classroom door opened though most of the room's current occupants didn't notice they now had a visitor. Padma and Neville were practically dead on their feet, exhaustion clearly visible in their features. Hermione was certainly flushed and tired but Harry hardly looked out of breath. Bill was finishing their first lesson by hammering his point home. "The fitter you are, the longer you can last in a fight. It just may be the difference between getting away or being seriously hurt. That is why we will practice, practice, and practice again."

Hermione was breathing heavily, knackered from dodging spells and her repeated attempts to cast a strong shield - and she hadn't yet learned one spell to fight back with. She was flustered, sweaty and certainly not a happy young witch. "Professor Weasley, what if I just take out a gun and shoot the bad guy?"

It was Hermione's idea of a joke, thinking of her favourite scene from 'Raiders of the Lost Ark', but the person who'd just entered didn't take it as such. Dumbledore didn't think it was funny at all. "MISS GRANGER! Firearms are abhorrent to the magical community, anyone using one against a witch or wizard would see themselves shunned by magical society. They should never be used."

Hermione couldn't believe what she was hearing so asked the headmaster for clarification. "My father is a member of a shooting club, he could put a couple of bullets into you from one hundred yards away in the time it takes to cast a shield. Are you saying this is wrong?"

"I do not doubt your facts," Dumbledore said this in such a condescending manner that it was clear he didn't believe this feat was possible. "All I am saying is what would happen if you - a witch - were to use this abomination on someone else."

"And just who makes up these rules?" Hermione didn't wait for an answer but turned to Harry, wanting to hear the only opinion that mattered to her.

Harry's answer showed his inexperience with relationships, best friends or any other kind. "Goblins like to look their opponents in the eye before they kill them."

Hermione could actually feel the smugness radiating from Dumbledore, even though the headmaster was currently behind her. Her lip was trembling at what she perceived as Harry's betrayal. "I'll tell you what Harry, while you're looking into Voldemort's eyes, I'll shoot the mad bastard in the head. I don't care if no one ever speaks to me again, at least you will be alive. If you let others set the rules, you'll be dead - because Voldemort certainly won't let any stupid rules stop him getting what he wants."

With that, Hermione ran out the door in tears.

Harry looked to Neville for some clue as to what had just happened, his friend shrugged his shoulders as he had no help to offer. "Harry, I don't even know what a gun is?"

Padma just about managed to find enough breath to huff at Harry. "It doesn't matter what a gun is, she was right and you were wrong. Now get after Hermione and tell your best friend that - you moron!"

It was a worried Harry who shot out the room after Hermione.

Albus as usual was able to turn any situation to his advantage. "As it would appear your lesson is now over, could I have a private word with your professor?"

It might be a polite dismissal, but Padma and Neville still knew they were being dismissed.

Bill had already decided he wouldn't make any of this easy for the old man. He'd talked over with Barchoke the best way to handle this approach and they both agreed Dumbledore would expect to have to wear the Gringotts employee down - so that's what Albus was going to have to do. He decided to make it as awkward as possible right from the start. "It will have to be a quick word Albus, I have places to be and things to do this afternoon."

Albus hated having to rush these kind of discussions, where was the room for finesse in that? As William was currently putting on his cloak and getting ready to leave, he really had no other option. "You seem to enjoy teaching and I was wondering just how attached you were to working for the goblins?"

Bill just laughed, "Yes I enjoy tutoring but it is such a small part of my new position - not something I fancy doing full time. I would miss my other duties too much."

"Just what are these other duties? Perhaps we could find something similar to interest you within the castle?"

"Albus Dumbledore, you know I can't talk about that. Even more so with someone who's currently barred from Gringotts." Bill thought that was enough for a first encounter so bade a disappointed Dumbledore good day.

-oOoOo-

Hermione may have been training for just over a week now but Harry had been doing exercise routines for years, he quickly caught up with the upset young witch. "Hermione, you were right and I was wrong."

At that Hermione turned to face him. "What was I right about Harry?"

Panic flashed through him for a second before he fought it down. Panic led to mistakes and he couldn't afford to make one now. He gently took her hand and kissed the back of it while his mind worked out just what he was going to say. "I don't know anything about guns, and not much more about offensive spells, but you were right. I cannot let outside forces determine the rules of a fight, because there are no rules in a fight."

Hermione almost managed a smile. "That's all I was trying to say Harry. Guns might not be the answer, but we shouldn't just dismiss anything out of hand. You have been trained to use a blade, and appear expert with it. I don't think I could use that method on someone. If it was to save my parents or my friends though, I think I could use a gun. I'm pretty sure I could've pulled a trigger to shoot that troll in the infirmary. It's a cultural difference Harry, something to be worked out - not dismissed as irrelevant."

He was beginning to understand what his best friend was meaning. "The muggle way would be guns, the goblins would use a blade up close while wizards would stand and fire curses at each other. What you're saying is that I should rule nothing out?"

Hermione now flung her arms around him and held Harry close. "You said you've got to fight him but I don't want you to - I just want the bastard dead and you alive. No chivalry, no duels at dawn, you can look him in the eyes after you've killed him - sneak up behind and cut his head off. You gave that troll every chance before being forced to kill it. Don't give Voldemort a chance - because he wont give you one."

She was crying while holding him tight, Harry's arms around Hermione gave her the courage to say what was on her mind. "I've never had a best friend before Harry so I don't know if what we have is normal or not. What I do know is that I never want to lose this - ever! Between deranged dark lords and every witch under the age of twenty five wanting a piece of you, I feel I'm going to get left behind..."

Hermione was suddenly experiencing blood flow issues as Harry's arms held her even tighter, that wizard didn't know his own strength. His words though pumped joy to every part of her body.

"I will never abandon you Hermione. As far as I am concerned, we will be best friends forever."

He then buried his head in her bushy hair as she whispered "Best friends forever" in his ear. Hermione was giddy - whether from happiness or lack of oxygen to the brain she didn't really care at this point.

A droll voice she had come to know so well spoilt this perfect moment. "Eh Harry, judging by the colour of her face, Hermione really needs to take a deep breath about now. I also think you should let her feet touch the floor again."

It wasn't until Harry's grip slackened that Hermione realised he'd lifted her off the ground, Harry really didn't know his own strength.

"I'm sorry Hermione, I guess I got carried away..."

She gave him a grade one new improved version smile. "It's fine Harry, I'm sorry too for causing this..."

Padma's droll voice once more interrupted. "Are you sorry for swearing in front of the headmaster? Certainly impressed the hell out of me."

"What! Oh my, do you think I'll get detention - should I apologise?"

This had been a major clue to Harry that his best friend was really upset - he'd never heard Hermione swear before. "I think you should get house points for saying you wanted that mad bastard Voldemort dead."

Neville glanced nervously at his two friends. "So are you two okay again?" Nods saw him continuing, "Sorry I wasn't much help Harry..."

"That's okay Neville - two clueless males here. Just as well we've got Padma and Hermione to keep us right."

"...And don't you forget it Crow. See Hermione, I knew the hat put him in Ravenclaw for a reason."

"I don't know why it put me in Gryffindor? I was rubbish at defence today."

"You'll get it Neville, Hermione and I have been training in the morning - it definitely helps."

"I don't care how much it helps, I am not getting up at ridiculous hours to go running - and certainly not wearing anything like Hermione dresses in to do so. My father would cast me out the family for even mentioning clothes like that." The pink tinges both her friends managed was another victory for Padma, and helped with taking their minds of why they were fighting in the first place. Everyone though decided it would be a good idea to have a shower before heading down to lunch.

-oOoOo-

At breakfast on Monday, the headmaster introduced the new Defence against the Dark Arts professor. Professor Keegan was a small, mousy man with receding grey hair and a developing paunch. He stood and nervously acknowledged the students as Dumbledore introduced him. The wizard appeared terrified of his own shadow but at least wasn't wearing a turban. Penelope had told the first years that Hogwarts defence teachers had gotten progressively worse every year she'd been here. Professor Keegan didn't seem capable of bucking that trend.

The Ravenclaw first years were now all looking toward Harry, and he didn't disappoint. "Curse-breaker Weasley will still be tutoring me at our normal time for defence. The rest of first year are welcome to join those lessons."

He didn't say any more, too engrossed in the letter Eargit had delivered. Hermione noticed the amount of concentration Harry was affording the parchment in his hands and asked the obvious. "Anything wrong Harry?"

"Oh I think father is being sneaky, I'll know more after speaking with Curse-breaker Weasley." He could see Hermione already beginning to fret that something was wrong so decided to tell her now.

"Every Halloween, while the wizarding community celebrate, my father and I have a little family ritual that we do. The reason I loathe being referred to as the boy-who-lived is because that stupid title only tells half the story. People tend to forget what else happened that night, my mum and dad were murdered."

Hermione instinctively reached for her best friend's hand, offering comfort for Harry while wondering just what this ritual was. She soon found out.

"My father takes me to the cemetery where my mum and dad are buried and we spend a few hours there, I sit and tell them everything that's happened to me since the last time we talked. Father has asked me if I want to invite you along this year."

Hermione was overwhelmed at this development but needed to be sure Harry wanted her there. She couldn't think of anything more personal than this. "What do you think Harry? You said it had become a family ritual, do you want someone else there?"

"Hermione, I would love you to be there beside me. I want to introduce my mum and dad to my best friend. I just think my father is being sneaky about it."

"This must be some goblin thing I don't understand Harry, so you're going to have to explain that."

Harry squeezed her hand and told her part of the truth. "To get out of the castle for the day, you need a parental permission slip. I think my father will be contacting your mum and dad the minute I say yes. I also have a sneaky suspicion that the subject of guns will find its way into whatever conversation they have."

"Oh Harry, that's brilliant."

"I wrote to my father expressing your opinion that this shouldn't be a fight, it would seem he agrees with you. I just hope he doesn't frighten your parents off."

Again Hermione was confused, she was getting used to it though from hanging around with Harry. "You lost me again Harry."

"Have you told your parents that your best friend has a powerful psychotic nutter trying to kill him? If they are as smart as you, they'll grab their daughter and head for the hills. Getting you as far away from danger as possible would definitely be the smart move. I certainly wouldn't blame them if they did..."

"Well I bloody would..." this was said loud enough to attract attention, causing Padma to run interference for them. She started chatting to Terry about their herbology homework and soon had dragged another two first years into the discussion.

Hermione lowered her voice so anyone other than Harry would have trouble hearing what she was saying. "My parents know I was in the infirmary when that troll paid a visit, they also know who saved me. I've described in great detail how you and Padma stood up for their daughter when those girls ganged up on me - we both know Neville would have been beside us too if he'd known. My mum is over the moon that I have friends now who would do that for me. That I'm exercising and taking extra lessons on how to defend myself has my dad pretty chuffed too."

Hermione hung her head as she said the next part. "That was not the first time I had been faced with a group of bullies, it was the first time I had friends rushing to help me. My parents knew my main hope for Hogwarts was to make some friends, and that I've managed to do that. I've never been happier and they will certainly not drag me out the castle because your father speaks to them about guns."

Harry had to hope Hermione would be a decent judge of her parents' reactions, what really worried him was just how much his father would reveal. They had plans for after their visit to the graveyard this Halloween, one of which Hermione certainly couldn't accompany them on. Just what was his father up to?

Their trip down to herbology allowed the rest of first year to hear the news that they could continue the defence lessons with Professor Weasley. Malfoy immediately but politely declined the offer, being quickly followed by Crabbe, Goyle and Parkinson.

Ron didn't need to withdraw, he was never included in the first place. Ron had returned to the castle with his new wand tucked away in the pocket of his new robes. His mum and dad had badgered and harried their youngest son every chance they could while he'd been home. With Ginny not talking to him because he tried to attack her hero, it had been a pretty dismal time for the youngest male Weasley at the Burrow. That his mother also forbade him any second helpings - and stopped all his 'snacks' - left the young Gryffindor desperate to get back to Hogwarts. Breakfast was enough to tell him his problem still existed though, namely no seconds.

His father had been so angry and had actually went mental at him for the first time in Ron's short life. His dad's temper appeared to be driven not only by the fact his son had fired those curses, but also that Ron hadn't apologised afterwards. His father had laid down the law - apologise by Saturday or he would be getting dragged back to the Burrow by Bill on Sunday. He would have to chose his moment carefully, there were all different definitions of 'public' and Ron intended to do the deed with as few people there as possible.

-oOoOo-

After talking to his defence tutor, Harry was ready to kick himself. Only his need to conceal the package he'd just been slipped stopped him. Of course his father would have to contact the Grangers over Harry's immediate plans, the rest had just followed from there. Curse-breaker Weasley had already contacted Hermione's parents, and Harry was delighted they had said yes to his idea.

Bill was contacting them again on Thursday and would now arrange a meeting between the Grangers and his father to discuss Hermione's participation in their plans for Halloween. Now all Harry had to do was keep a secret from Hermione for a few days - easier said than done.

-oOoOo-

Hermione had noticed a change in her best friend over the last few days, it may be subtle but it was there. There was nothing subtle about tonight though, all through their astronomy lesson Harry had been like a little kid on Christmas Eve. Professor Sinistra had barely dismissed them when Hermione dragged Harry over to a quiet spot of the astronomy tower to demand some answers.

"Okay Crow - spill it. I want to know what's going on."

Harry's wide smile at this may have been confusing but his next action just blew her socks off. He leaned in and kissed her. It was only on the cheek but it was from Harry, it was her first kiss and they were under the moonlight. It was only when he spoke that she got a grip and realised just what had been going on.

"Happy Birthday Hermione!"

Realising that it was now well past midnight, it hit Hermione that she had just turned twelve. "How did you know?"

"It's my duty as a best friend to know when your birthday is, I'll bet you know mine?"

"Harry, the entire castle knows when yours is, I'm surprised it isn't a public holiday..."

Hermione was stopped from saying any more when Harry pressed the present Bill had slipped him into Hermione's hands. It was an exquisite inlayed and lacquered wooden box that measured about eight inches by two, though wasn't even an inch thick. She opened what she guessed was a jewellery case, only to snap the lid closed after barely a glance. "Harry - oh shit Harry - this is way, way too much. It's only my birthday! This is birthday, Christmas, Easter and anything else you can think of for the next decade."

Harry's smile never wavered as he opened the box and took out what was inside. "What we have here is a cultural difference Hermione. Goblins don't celebrate Christmas, Easter or any other wizarding holidays, so nothing is more important to us than someone's birthday."

This news rocked Hermione back on her heels. "You don't celebrate Christmas Harry?"

Padma and Neville had hung back to give their friends a moment, having been in on Harry's plan. Both had gifts for Hermione that they would give her tomorrow. Padma knew how excited Harry had been about this and didn't want her friend getting sidetrack and disappoint him.

"Hermione, the Patil family doesn't celebrate Christmas either. As Harry said, it's a cultural thing. Now stop going off at a tangent and show me what Harry got you, he wouldn't even give us a clue."

While this had been going on, Harry had used the time to fasten the bracelet around Hermione's wrist. Her first glance at it in the box had told the birthday witch Harry's gift was beautiful, seeing it on her wrist changed that opinion. Beautiful just didn't do this work of art justice.

The bracelet was made from gold yet of a design she'd never seen before. There were five gold disks that had tiny sapphires around their edges. These disks were encased in a filigree design that would have all other goldsmiths weeping with envy, before taking up lumberjacking. Compared to this, they might as well have been practicing their trade using axes.

Two of the disks had engravings on them that Hermione didn't recognise, the other three though had her heart doing backflips in her chest. The one on the left proclaimed HARRY while the right one was engraved with her own name. It was the one in the middle of these two that had tears of joy slowly running down her cheeks, it announced to anyone glancing at her wrist that they would be BEST FRIENDS FOREVER.

Padma's hands shot to her face the instant she laid eyes on Harry's gift. "Oh Merlin's hairy left buttock! Hermione, that's goblin made jewellery."

Hermione thought that would be obvious, since it was a gift from Harry. She didn't understand the emphasis Padma was placing on its manufacturers.

Neville was happy that for once he could supply his friends with some answers. "Hermione, the goblins are world renowned metal smiths. They not only make fantastic blades, they have no equal when it comes to making jewellery. What makes it even more sought after is that they hardly ever let any of it fall into wizards or witches hands. The Longbottom family has one item that has been passed down the family for hundreds of years."

Padma was nodding like a lunatic, unable to take her eyes of the bracelet her friend had on her wrist. "Hermione, you'll start a riot when you walk into the great hall wearing that tomorrow. Please make sure that bitch Chambers gets a good eyeful of it."

"This is too fine to wear everyday..."

Harry interrupted the birthday witch. "Hermione, I want you to promise you'll never take that off. It contains protective runes carved into two of the disks. Just by being in contact with your skin, the bracelet generates enough protective power that it would easily have deflected both the curses you were hit with last week."

"Oh shit, shit, shit - enchanted goblin jewellery! Hermione, when anyone asks - just say it was a gift from Harry and act dumb about everything else. Trust me on this, your bracelet is worth its own front page headline in the Prophet."

Neville agreed with Padma. "Goblin jewellery is extremely rare, your bracelet though might be the only piece of enchanted goblin jewellery not owned by a goblin."

All eyes were now on Harry, he chose Hermione's arm that he had placed the bracelet and brought the back of her hand to his lips. "It says right there that we will be best friends forever - that to me is priceless. Happy Birthday Hermione." Harry then kissed the back of Hermione's hand and had the birthday witch practically swooning. "Now I hate to ruin this moment, but if we don't get a move on we could be spending your birthday in detention. Everyone else has left."

Professor Sinistra emerged from the darkness, loath to break up the cutest thing she'd ever seen. She could hardly wait to tell Minerva in the morning. Aurora agreed with Miss Patil though, and would not be mentioning that Miss Granger's bracelet was enchanted.

"Not quite everyone has left Mr Crow, Happy Birthday Miss Granger. Now I will escort you four to your houses, just to ensure no one gets detention on such a special day."

Harry held out his arm for Hermione and all four followed the astronomy professor. Hermione though took a moment to kiss Harry on the cheek. "Thank you Harry, it's absolutely gorgeous and I love it." Both may have been blushing as they made their way along the corridor but their wide smiles could practically light their way back to Ravenclaw tower.

-oOoOo-

Padma gave Hermione her present before they went down to get Harry for breakfast. It was fun to watch her friend's face change colours as she read the title of the book - Twelve fail-safe ways to woo your wizard. When Hermione started displaying purple tints in her colour scheme, Padma lost her battle with laughter and handed over her friend's real present. It was still a book, though Hermione appeared to appreciate 'a score of offensive spells to even the score' far better than her first offering.

Padma was behind her friends as they walked into the great hall and was pleased to see her prediction was coming true. Hermione's hand was, as usual, through Harry's arm. This appeared to be the perfect angle for the sapphires of her bracelet to catch the light and sparkle.

Padma thought young witches possessed skills for sniffing out shiny, sparkly things that would rival any niffler. When those shiny, sparkly things were worn by another young witch, the poor little niffler might as well stay in its burrow because it became a no-contest. There were students in the great hall who couldn't read instructions off the blackboards in classrooms yet could tell you what Hermione Granger's bracelet said.

When Neville approached the Ravenclaw table with a gift for Hermione, the Knut dropped that it was her birthday. She was delighted with her new book on noble houses and their customs. A red-faced Neville was eventually persuaded to sit beside the trio, but not before Hermione had hugged him and kissed her friend on the cheek in thanks.

As usual, Roger had watched the by-play between the friends. He also couldn't help but notice every witch at the table staring at Hermione's birthday present. "Hell Crow, you're making the rest of us guys look bad here. Just how are we meant to match that?"

Harry really liked Roger's joking nature, and answered right back in the same vein. "Well Davies, I don't see what's wrong with letting everyone know I have a great best friend."

The entire table heard the humour in his voice, they also understood there was steel underlying that humour.

A newly returned Chambers sat at the other end of the table, head down and not looking or talking to anyone. Her parents had been livid when they heard what happened, her father was all for contacting the parents of the other girls involved to arrange some collective action against this upstart who'd harmed their children. The Prophet had changed everyone's views, or rather their report on what happened to the Malfoys did.

The purebloods were learning a variation on the golden rule - those that HAVE your gold make the rules!

Few, if any, felt secure enough in their own wards to trust having their fortunes stored at home. There was also the added problem of those witches and wizards with access to their home. Gringotts protected fortunes not only from robbers but those family members who would think a share of said fortune should rightly be theirs. It was easy for the Gringotts account holder to define exactly who could do what to their vault - telling your brother / mother / greedy in-laws / obnoxious cousins that they weren't welcome in your house had far more significant ramifications. All sniggering at Draco's respectful behaviour soon stopped as pureblood after pureblood received the same message from home - do not antagonise Harry Crow.

Minerva sat at the staff table and watched over her charges. Her eyes usually focused mostly on her lion cubs but she found her gaze more and more being drawn to the Ravenclaw trio. Mr Longbottom's acceptance into this group was also very pleasing. Augusta tended to wrap young Neville in cotton wool, making good friends was exactly what the young lad needed.

The deputy headmistress couldn't help but think young Harry was surrounding himself with good people. She approved wholeheartedly of his close friends and Master Pitslay had impressed the hell out of her. William Weasley was in her unbiased opinion, one of the finest young wizards to have come through Hogwarts in a long time.

Her correspondence with Barchoke was also refreshing. His entire aims were centred around what was best for his son, and he was more than prepared to back that up with gold when needed. She'd listened with great interest to the tale of what had happened after their astronomy class last night and was finding her opinion of Harry matching Pomona's. He may be the son of James Potter but he had none of the faults his biological father had at the same age. Now if only Severus could get his head out his arse and see the boy was far more like Lily than James, they may be able to avert a confrontation that couldn't end well.

-oOoOo-

When Professor Weasley asked them both to wait behind, Hermione started to run through the entire lesson in her mind to discover what she'd done wrong. Bill played along with her fears at the start.

"Miss Granger, you can thank your best friend for your current predicament." His wide smile would have half the witches in the castle dropping at his feet, Hermione was just pleased this meant she wasn't in trouble with a professor. "Your mum and dad wanted me to wish you a Happy Birthday, oh and give you this."

Hermione was so touched by this, she didn't notice Harry moving behind the professor's desk. "How was Harry responsible for you seeing my parents?"

It was Harry who answered her. "Well, it was actually my father. When he discovered what I wanted to get you for your birthday, he realised I needed your parents' permission first."

Hermione was beginning to wonder if this was a goblin thing again, did giving someone a bracelet signify something more in there culture? That was until she saw what Harry had in his hands.

"Happy Birthday Hermione. I didn't name him yet, figuring I would leave that up to you."

Harry gently placed a fluffy black kitten into her hands, Hermione fell in love with her new pet instantly. "Oh Harry, he's simply gorgeous. With that goblin sense of humour of yours, the poor thing would probably be saddled with a name like snowball."

Harry couldn't help but smile at his best friend's reaction to his gift. "Actually, I was thinking more along the terms of Moonlight. Without that light, he would be practically invisible."

Hermione had a different memory to associate with Harry's suggestion, it reminded the young witch that her first kiss had been under moonlight on her birthday. She also had to admit that his suggestion was so much better than Blackie - which was the first thing that came into her head. "Okay, so Moonlight it is. Harry, you're spoiling me."

"Hermione, you only turn twelve once in your life - why shouldn't that be celebrated?"

Harry picked up her present from home and offered his arm, he'd heard something outside that had him wanting to leave now. If that prat attempted to spoil Hermione's birthday, there would be hell to pay.

Hermione had Moonlight cradled in one arm, while her other was linked with Harry. She had been fretting about spending her first birthday away from home, but this year she had friends to share it with. Hermione thought this was already her best birthday ever.

Ron was walking back from his defence lesson when he spotted the Patil bint standing outside a classroom with Neville. He didn't think there could be a better opportunity for a 'public' apology than this.

"Miss Patil, I would like to apologise for hitting you with that curse. It was purely accidental as you were never my intended target."

Padma's gaze hardened as she stared Ron down, the Ravenclaw witch well remembered the taste of slugs, and what getting cursed had led to in the infirmary. Padma had no intention of giving this Weasley an easy out. "What about Hermione, the girl you intended the curse to hit?"

Ron's temper momentarily flared but he managed to get control of it, why couldn't this bint just say she accepts and get this over with? "I intend to apologise to Miss Granger too."

She nodded at that. "If Hermione accepts your apology, I will too."

Neville couldn't help but prod the prat. "This is your lucky day Ron, Hermione will be coming right out that door any minute."

Before Ron had time to bolt, he was suddenly faced with Crow and Granger. With retreat no longer an option, he was forced to behave like a Gryffindor. "Miss Granger, I would like to apologise for firing a curse at you."

Hermione didn't think this day could hold any more surprises but had just been proved wrong. Padma's slight nod gave her the information she was looking for. She hadn't actually been hit with the curse but at least the idiot had apologised to Padma, there was still one thing missing though. "What about Harry, isn't he due an apology too?"

This was a step too far for Ron. "What for? It was me who ended up in the infirmary..."

The growl stopped Ron's rant in its tracks. A furious Bill was standing behind Crow and Granger, glaring right at him - Ron needed no further prompting. "Mr Crow, I would like to apologise for attempting to curse you."

Harry genuinely liked three of the Weasley brothers, and it was Hermione's birthday. "Apology accepted."

The two girls quickly followed Harry's lead as Bill handed Neville the cat basket and supplies Harry had forgotten about in his haste to leave the room. As the four friends made their way along the corridor, Bill dragged his youngest brother into the classroom by his new robes.

"I want a word with you Ronnie!"

A/N thanks for reading

A/N 2 thanks to RobC for his variation on the golden rule. His review made me laugh so I used it in this chapter.

12. Grangers & Barchoke & Sharpshard, Oh My!

Harry Crow

Disclaimer - I absolutely don't own any of the words contained in this chapter and claim only the specific order I placed them in as mine.

A/N I upload weekly because that's how long it takes me to write a chapter. I don't have fifty thousand words pre-written, just sitting waiting to be uploaded - I wish I did! At most, when I publish a chapter, the next is in 'first draft' format - meaning I'll spend the week refining it while writing the following one. I just put this here because I didn't want anyone to think I was holding out on them. I also think Harry Crow is going to be my longest story yet.

Chapter 12

There were six first year Ravenclaws whose emotions were flying high as kites. Lunch sat forgotten as they described their first potions lesson in great detail, while showing anyone who was even remotely interested their new book. Since this was the Ravenclaw table, 'anyone who was even remotely interested' meant the entire house - and they all wanted to know where they could get their hands on a potions book like that. Not quite the entire house though, three first years - and a Gryffindor interloper - were quietly studying books of a different sort.

They were drawn out of their intensive studying by a pair of voices.

"Quidditch through the ages?"

"The Noble sport of Warlocks?"

"He flew like a madman?"

"Do our eyes deceive us George or are these four swotting up for their flying lesson today?"

"Oh I think it's worse than that Fred, the Order of the Aves appear to be afraid of flying."

"Perhaps we should have named this one penguin, what do you think Robin?"

'Robin' was swift to kick this pair of joker's assumptions right back at them. "The only time my gran would let me out of her sight was when I was in the greenhouses, she wouldn't even allow a broom in the manor."

Hermione quickly rallied to support her friend against the redheaded dynamic duo, citing her own circumstances. "I didn't know magic was real until I got my letter, how was I supposed to practice flying on a broom?"

Harry was right behind them in defending the group's right to be nervous. "Goblins live underground, not much scope for flying there unless you're a bat. We tend to use brooms for sweeping."

An entirely different outlook on the matter was provided by Padma. "I was raised with flying carpets, I imagine brooms will be sore on your bum. Given the choice, I'll take a bit of Persian rug under me any day."

All eyes were now on Padma. "What? It's only Europe that bans flying carpets, and the riddle of why that's the case is easily solved. It was only because the broom manufacturers pushed for it, they didn't want the competition. Before we moved to Britain, we had a much-loved carpet that we traveled around the country on. We used to have family picnics while traveling, try doing that on a broom."

This idea appealed to Hermione. "I think I would like that much better than a broom, you could even fit seat-belts."

Neville didn't know exactly what a seat-belt was but grasped the general concept. "I like the sound of being strapped-in. It's not so much the flying that bothers me, more the falling from a great height."

"Wait until you see your first quidditch match."

"Yeah, Fred and I are the Gryffindor beaters."

Both twins were very proud of this achievement but Miss Granger wasn't too impressed. Harry and Hermione had been sharing 'Quidditch through the Ages' so she at least knew what a beater was. "So you two beat these bludger things at other players to try and knock them off their brooms? And this is the most popular sport..."

Harry cut her off before she could say any more. "Cultural differences Hermione, let's at least wait until we've seen a match before saying any more."

"You're right Harry, the reasons behind why people play golf also escape me." The blank looks encouraged Hermione to explain. "They use clubs to hit this little white ball into a small hole in the grass that can be a couple of hundred yards away."

They waited for more before George asked the obvious. "What happens after they get the ball in the hole?"

"Oh, they pick it out and move on to the next hole..."

The twins riotous laughter caught everyone's attention. "Oh Fred, they're good!"

"Yes oh brother of mine, lesser wizards would have been sucked right in to their ploy -whatever it was..."

"...but not the Weasley twins. Your delivery was perfect Hermione, a beautiful mixture of annoyed innocence."

"Yeah, it was just your final part that let you down. You need to invent something a bit more believable than that goof game if you really want to hook people. Apart from that, your prank was excellent."

"We just stepped over here to say thanks for forgiving Ron and you try to catch us out - you guys are brilliant!"

The twins walked away laughing while the rest of their house studied these people who were brave enough to take on the Weasley twins.

Harry had some words of advice. "Cultural differences Hermione, and shut-it Roger."

-oOoOo-

Barchoke stood to welcome the Grangers to his office. "I am Barchoke, Senior Accounts Manager at Gringotts - and Harry's father. I would like to thank you both for coming here today, especially since I know you are very busy."

"Oh it was no trouble, in fact I really enjoyed the method of transport your young Mr Weasley used to get us here - a portkey I believe he called it? He's using something similar to take him all the way to Scotland now, to give the kids their extra defence lessons."

Dan smiled and offered his hand. "Hi, I'm Dan Granger, and this is my better half Emma. Please excuse my wife, she gets rather excited by all this magic. We got a letter from Hermione this morning telling us that the kids flew on brooms yesterday, I think that's enough to get any parent excited."

Barchoke shook the offered hand, before doing the same with Emma. They'd barely been in his office a minute yet already showed more courtesy than wizards he'd been dealing with for years.

Dan had a question that he wanted answered before they went any further. "Can I ask if this meeting is with a senior banking official or the father of our Hermione's best friend?"

He was already liking these people and invited them to sit before answering. "I've worked my entire life to get where I am inside Gringotts, something I'm proud of. Nothing gives me more pride and pleasure though than being known as Harry's father, that is who you are speaking with today."

Emma was delighted with this news. "I really want to thank your son for making Hermione's time at Hogwarts such a happy experience - especially his actions with those bullies. That had happened before at her primary school and it was left to Dan and I to go down there after the event."

"Ma'am, I feel it is I who must thank your daughter. I watched my son grow up in a world that was not his own and worried over how Harry would adapt to Hogwarts. He has led a very lonely childhood, throwing himself into his studies to compensate for the lack of close friends. Harry and your daughter met on the express and were like two kindred spirits, they have been inseparable since. I have had the pleasure of taking lunch in their company. In my humble opinion, they bring out the best in each other."

Hearing this had Emma beaming but Dan had his practical hat on, this was a goblin-sent opportunity to get some answers. "Barchoke, I hope you don't mind me asking, but some of the things in Hermione's letters are confusing to us. The Crow / Potter duel-identity is hard enough to understand, never mind the goblin / wizard issue, but we don't know where to start with the whole 'Hogwarts Champion' thing. I find it hard to believe the school lets a first year walk around with a sword, though I will be eternally grateful that they do."

Barchoke offered tea, saying this could take some time. He was slowly becoming aware this couple would now play a part in Harry's life. With Harry and their daughter being practically joined at the hip, there simply was no other alternative. He told them the entire tale in chronological order, starting with a dark lord hearing a prophecy before trying to kill a baby. No matter how many times he told the story of Harry's relatives not wanting the boy, he was never able to fully hide his anger at the deed. The goblin was delighted to see that anger shared by these loving parents.

He rounded the story off with a blow by blow account of the troll incident - including who had released the creature into the castle and why.

The Grangers had heard most of the details from Hermione, it was just hearing how it all fitted together that knocked them back a bit. Dan was the first to recover, and showed he really understood the problem. "Can I assume you know why this guy won't stay dead?"

"Yes, sorry but the method he used must remain a secret for now. You have my word though that we are doing everything in our power to ensure this creature will soon stay permanently dead."

This talk of death sent a shiver down Emma so she pressed ahead with what she wanted to ask from the minute she'd stepped into Barchoke's office. "Please don't think me forward, you've actually met Hermione while we've only read about Harry. Do you have a picture we could see?"

Asking any proud parent to see a picture of their child will always get a yes. Barchoke moved behind his desk and removed a framed picture from a concealed drawer. "This was taken the morning he left for Hogwarts."

Emma was presented with Harry in his 'Mr Darcy' guise and an "Oh My" escaped her lips before she had time to engage her brain.

Emma had no difficulty in thinking of Harry and Hermione as kindred spirits. Barchoke's description of his son having no close friends and throwing himself into his studies was scarily familiar to both Grangers. Hermione had supplied some of the details of her journey to Scotland, with what she'd heard here today Emma could now fill in the blanks. Two lonely children reaching out to each other as they shared a compartment for hours, arriving at Hogwarts as each other's first friend. Hermione had said she didn't know what made her ask Harry if he wanted to share that compartment, one glance at the picture was enough for her mother to know the answer. Her little girl was smitten.

She passed the picture over to her husband. "Your son is a very handsome young man, I mean wizard - oh goblin. I'm sorry, perhaps you can see why this is so confusing for us."

Barchoke actually laughed. "Ma'am, I was happy with handsome."

"Hermione mentioned getting out of school for a day to accompany Harry on some family event, she said we needed to sign a permission form?"

Opening up a folder, Barchoke handed the correct form to Emma. Dan though had caught a glimpse of a lot more paperwork with their name on it. "Can I ask what else you have in that folder?"

Barchoke handed the entire folder to Dan before beginning to explain exactly why he needed that folder. "My son has many people who seem determined to play a part in his life, your daughter has already suffered because of this and I can only sincerely apologise."

"Can I assume that is why Hermione was given this bracelet she's been raving about? We thought Harry was getting her a kitten for her birthday, not both. I'll be honest with you Barchoke, while I really like the protection angle, the father in me isn't sure how to handle my twelve year old daughter receiving jewellery even she classed as 'ridiculously expensive' - especially from a young lad we've never met."

"The kneazle kitten was indeed earmarked as Hermione's present, but seeing his best friend attacked affected Harry deeply. He wanted her protected, and knew we possessed the means to do so."

Dan and Emma both expressed their agreement and gratitude at that while Barchoke explained the 'ridiculously expensive' part.

"There is a phenomenon that we goblins neither understand nor can control, why wizards and even muggles will pay ludicrous amounts to own something no one else has. Take a piece of canvas, slap some paint on it and you may end up with a nice picture. Depending who slapped that paint on, the picture might be worth hundreds, thousands or millions. Our goldsmiths have a reputation for being the very best at what they do. Since we rarely allow our jewellery to pass out of goblin hands, the wizards will pay ludicrous amounts for it."

"I think I see what you are saying, something is only worth whatever value people are prepared to pay for it."

"Exactly Emma. James and Lily Potter set up a trust fund for their son attending Hogwarts. Buying that bracelet as a goblin barely put a dent in that fund, there wouldn't have been enough gold in that trust vault for a wizard to buy the same item."

It was a confused Dan who asked what seemed a glaringly obvious question. "With such a lucrative market, why is there not more jewellery being sold?"

"That would never work, due to the way we goblins are possessive about the items we make. Special permission from the Director is needed before an item can pass to someone who is not a goblin, that signed permission is contained in the folder in front of you. This permission comes with some pretty restrictive conditions. The worst one being, should the person gifted the item ever decide to sell it, the giver is duty bound to repurchase the item - almost certainly at the far higher prices those outside Gringotts would pay. Since the giver must have these funds available before permission is granted, it is perhaps understandable that this is a very rare occurrence."

Dan thought he'd picked up on an inconsistency. "I thought you said Harry wouldn't be able to afford that bracelet at wizard prices?"

He was answered by a smiling Barchoke. "I said his trust fund didn't hold enough, that is a mere drop in the ocean of the Potter wealth."

"Oh dear, I hope all this talk of money doesn't make what we wanted to ask seem mercenary now. Hermione wrote that Harry didn't celebrate Christmas, we wanted to invite him to spend Christmas with us this year." Emma was fretting until she saw the wide grin now being displayed by the goblin.

"I'm sure Harry would love to spend the time with Hermione, and it fits perfectly with what I was moving onto next. One of the things I would like to see accomplished this Halloween is the warding of your home, that's what most of the parchment in that folder is concerned with. As you know, your daughter currently wears a bracelet that offers her some protection against attack. These wards will perform the same function for your house and its occupants."

This had both Grangers more than a little concerned, Dan was first to voice his. "Do you really think that is necessary, are we really in danger?"

"No one ever thinks their home will be robbed, flooded or engulfed by flames. That doesn't mean a homeowner shouldn't take sensible precautions to prevent all of these from happening. That is all we are doing here, and you inviting Harry for Christmas allows the Potter account to pay for it."

"We're more than willing to pay any financial cost involved in protecting our home..."

The goblin politely interrupted. "Sorry Dan, for you as a non-magical to be able to afford this warding scheme, you would probably need to sell your house. By inviting Harry to stay, we can now ward your home as a goblin dwelling - drastically cutting the cost and circumventing any ministerial interference in the process. James and Lily Potter gave their lives to protect their son, they would gladly spend a bit of gold to ensure his continued safety - and that of his best friend's family."

Emma had noticed something and couldn't help but raise the matter. "You seem to switch Harry from goblin to wizard as the situation suits, rather like having dual nationality."

"My son had mentioned that Hermione was very smart, it's now easy to see where that comes from. We hope Harry can benefit from this dual nationality at least until he turns seventeen - then he must choose. The magical community are desperate for Harry to choose them, for the boy-who-lived to do otherwise would be unthinkable. We intend to exploit this 'desperation' to see some wrongs righted." Barchoke knew he had reached a crossroads, this was where he must decide just how much to tell these people.

"Desperate people can sometimes do foolish things to get what they want. As they look around for ways to influence my son's decision, sooner or later their gaze will rest upon your daughter. They may have known each other less than a month but it is already clear to me that Miss Hermione Granger will be part of my son's life for many years to come. Having met your daughter, I can't tell you how delighted I am by that. I am assuming you will have gathered somewhat the same information from her letters home?"

Emma was enthusiastically adding her agreement. "We had to read her first letter home several times. The handwriting was the same but the letter appeared to have been written by a different girl. I've never known her to be so happy, it's Harry this and Harry that. She does mention other friends - Padma and Neville."

"I had the pleasure of lunching with all of them, the four are becoming close friends. The witches at Hogwarts have already recognised how close Harry and Hermione are, hence the bullying of your daughter. The purebloods are bound to have picked up on this already, this being the reason I want your home protected." The Grangers' blank looks led to them learning about blood status from a goblin.

"So Hermione was attacked because they thought my daughter wasn't good enough for your son?" Dan was understandably enraged at that.

Barchoke did his best to pacify the father's justifiable ire. "Not by either my son or I, of that I can assure you. Hermione is the same blood status as Harry's mother, and those very same purebloods class goblins as beasts. Useful beasts to be sure but nevertheless still mere creatures. You will find no support for this blood purity nonsense inside Gringotts."

"I find it a little convenient that none of this was mentioned before we signed Hermione up for Hogwarts."

This comment from Dan drew an answering wry smile from Barchoke, though on a goblin it could be mistaken for a grimace. "The last person I heard express sentiments like those was Lily Evans, just after she had become engaged to James Potter. I think the phrase being banded about at the time was that Lily was nothing more than an uppity mudblood trying to better herself. It saddens me to think of how much was sacrificed yet so little actually changed. We intend to use the ministry's desperation to implement some changes, another reason I want you and your daughter protected."

He tried to pass on the gravity of the situation to the parents. "Please don't mention any of this to Hermione in your letters, you will see her and Harry on Halloween where a fuller explanation can be given to both. Harry will shortly begin using the press in an attempt to achieve our aims. Since your daughter never leaves his side, this will probably drag her into the spotlight too. The wards we wish to erect will ban entry to all wizards and witches except those specifically allowed. At the moment, that would be Hermione, Harry and Curse-breaker Weasley. Anyone else attempting unauthorised entry will be rebuffed - and set of alarms that will see us rushing to your aid."

The last thing Barchoke wanted to do here was scare these people, and this was a lot for a pair of muggles to absorb in one morning. "We don't need a decision on this today, and I must emphasise this is purely a precautionary measure. Wards and such are common practice around magical buildings, Gringotts is positively brisling with them. I don't expect any attack on your home but it would seem sensible to take some precautions. We goblins spend our lives protecting precious items, but nothing is more precious to us than our children."

Both Grangers shared a moment of thought before Dan answered. "I really don't see how we can refuse such a generous offer, and can't wait to see the kids at Halloween. We knew it was going to be difficult being separated from Hermione but had sorely underestimated just how much we would miss her. Only her letters practically glowing with happiness convinced us we have made the right decision."

Emma agreed with every word her husband had just said although she had a few questions of her own that she wanted answered. "You said you think that our children would be part of each other's lives for years to come. Since they will be spending the next seven years together at Hogwarts, I think this view is perfectly understandable. I would like to know what happens when Harry turns seventeen? Will his choices effect their friendship?"

"Harry will have a massive decision to make, and to be honest I have no idea what he will choose. All I can do as a father is give my son a good view of all sides to help him reach whatever decision is best for him. That is one of the reasons I was delighted you invited him into your home for the holidays, I want Harry to know there is a world out there beyond Gringotts and even beyond magic."

Barchoke then answered Emma's main concern as honestly as he could. "Young as they are, already I can't see Harry making any decision that permanently parts him from your daughter. Abandoning his best friend is something my son would never do, that's just not in his make-up. Charging through the school with his sword drawn in an attempt to keep her safe is far more in keeping with Harry's nature."

Both Granger parents were pleased to hear this, Hermione's letters home had shocked them with how attached she'd become to this boy in such a short space of time. They were delighted with the opportunity to see their daughter at Halloween, but even more so for the early opportunity to run their eye over this best friend. "This all sounds fine, I just wish there was something more we could do. We seem to be reaping all the benefits here without contributing much at all."

Barchoke couldn't turn down such an opening. "Funny you should say that Dan, something that Hermione said interested us greatly..."

-oOoOo-

Eargit delivered a letter to Hermione on Sunday morning that had her squealing with joy - "He said Yes!" She then practically had Harry in a head-lock as her excitement saw her bouncing up and down next to him.

"Guys, making a spectacle of yourselves - again."

"Oh Padma, he said yes - this is wonderful."

"We got that bit Hermione - now we need to know who said yes to what, and why it's so bloody wonderful."

"When Harry said he didn't celebrate Christmas, I wrote to mum and dad about it. They asked his father if Harry could spend Christmas with us, and Barchoke said yes. Do you want to spend Christmas with me Harry?"

It was only now that Hermione noticed Harry had went as stiff as a board, her best friend then pushed away and shot out his seat. Hermione was momentarily devastated, thinking she had done something wrong, that was until she saw where he was headed. Professor Weasley had just entered with a tall battle-scarred goblin that Harry was now bowing deeply to. Hermione thought this was more like a goblin from Tolkien, as different from Barchoke or Master Pitslay to be almost another species of goblin.

"Master Sharpshard, you honour me by coming here..."

"That was not my intention Crow. I am hearing disturbing reports that you are going soft. I came here today to see for myself what has become of all the training I lavished on you - get changed!"

Harry bowed and raced out the door.

Filius had almost choked on his breakfast when he saw who had entered with Bill Weasley. "Albus, Minerva - whatever happens we mustn't intervene. Master Sharpshard is the greatest practitioner with a blade I have ever seen, no student will be in any danger and certainly not harmed."

Minerva was immediately alarmed. "What do you mean Filius?"

"Think Alastor Moody teaching defence - Master Sharpshard's methods are probably something 'Mad-Eye' would heartily endorse and quickly adopt. They may seem severe to those watching but Harry will be used to it. Excuse me, I'm going to tell his friends the same - though I fear I may need to place Miss Granger in a body bind."

Bill hadn't a clue what was going on here. Master Sharpshard had just informed him earlier that he would be accompanying the curse-breaker to Hogwarts today. Watching as Flitwick headed for his students, Bill decided to follow his example.

"Professor Weasley, is that who taught Harry how to fight with a sword?"

It was Filius who answered. "Yes Miss Granger, and I must ask you not to attempt to interfere. Master Sharpshard's methods may appear brutal to the uninitiated but he really is the greatest blade in the country.."

He was interrupted by Hermione's scream. Harry had just ran back into the hall wearing his dragon hide tunic when the large goblin exploded into action, attacking with a huge battleaxe that seemed to appear from nowhere. Harry was a blur as he dodged blow after blow, being backed into the entrance hall. That Master Sharpshard was shouting at him in English gave Harry a fair idea just what was happening here.

"You had a death eater under your blade and let him go free? Then faced nine enemies and, not only did you not kill any of them, you left them able to attack again! Have I been wasting my time teaching you Crow?"

Harry now had his shield on his arm, and used it to deflect the attacking axe. He dodged inside to get into knife range, only to be kicked in the chest and sent flying through the doors. He landed in the entrance hall and rolled, knowing the master would be coming after him. While rolling, he abandoned his shield and sheathed his knife. He sprang to his feet with Hermione's screams ringing in his ears but Gryffindor's sword in his hands.

Loud clangs reverberated around the entrance hall as Gryfindor's sword skilfully deflected the repeated attacks from the battleaxe away from Harry. Hermione was trembling, screaming and shouting at the same time, and only Professor Weasley holding her arms stopped the young witch foolishly rushing in regardless. Seeing Harry apparently now holding his own settled Hermione somewhat, though those around watched this deadly battle in awe.

Filius had given up the blade for a wand but could honestly admit to himself Harry had more raw talent than he had ever possessed. Harry's dragon skin tunic allowed everyone to see his fluid body movements as he wielded Gryffindor's sword like a seamless extension of his body. The lad's developed physique was now easily explained, swinging a blade hour after hour would certainly account for it.

Harry was now engrossed in the fight, the clash of his blade deflecting the axe familiar to him from years of training. He'd never wielded a blade quite like this one though, which gave Harry an idea. It was a risk that could cost him dear, then again it wasn't like he'd ever won a match against the master before.

As the next opportunity presented itself, Harry didn't parry and deflect the axe blade but let the sword made for Godric Gryffindor meet the weapon's shaft. Normally this would send a jarring force right up his arms, but this was no ordinary sword. It cleaved clean through the shaft.

Harry's follow-on attack was then blocked by a short sword that again just seemed to appear in the master's hand. "I was partial to that axe Crow, that is going to cost you."

If anything, the speed of the fight increased, with Harry now swapping to a one-handed grip on the sword and drawing his knife in the other. Harry was soon covered in sweat as Master Sharpshard relentlessly probed and attacked his defences. He could hear Hermione shouting above everyone else which triggered something in his mind - there are no rules in a fight.

As he blocked the next attack on his sword, Harry used his knife to cast a curse they'd learned out the book Padma gave Hermione for her birthday.

The cutting curse was so unexpected, it glanced Master Sharpshard's cheek as he dodged a fraction too late. First blood was normally the end of the duel - but with Master Sharpshard you just didn't know what he would do next.

The large goblin actually stopped attacking. "You cut me with a spell Crow?"

Harry was panting for breath but still kept his guard up. "You taught me to use whatever was available in a fight, that's what I had."

The loud roar of laughter was completely unexpected. The short sword disappeared as quickly as it came while the now jovial goblin punched Harry's shoulder in a very rare show of affection. "It would seem I have taught you well - though I will still be charging your father for my axe you destroyed. Filius, good to see you again. Can I impose on you to cross swords with Crow occasionally? I would hate to see all that skill become rusty from lack of use."

This change from rabid attacker to jovial loser threw everyone. Padma though had something to say - or should that be scream. "Yeah Harry - you did it!"

Everyone in the hall had spilled out to watch this fight, one of their own unbelievably winning resulted in loud cheering - and Hermione escaping from Bill's grasp.

She hit Harry almost as hard as Sharpshard had earlier, though both her arms were wrapped tightly around him. Harry was holding her while whispering in her ear. "Cultural differences Hermione. I was in danger of getting my arse kicked - nothing else."

The large goblin of course noticed the young witch. "Can I assume you are Crow's friend?"

Harry gave Hermione a reassuring squeeze as she turned to face one of his most important tutors. He was delighted to see her bow.

"Well met Master Sharpshard. I am Hermione Granger, Harry's best friend." She then held out her hand for the goblin to shake, her bracelet shining on her wrist.

The large goblin bowed back before accepting her offered hand. "Well met Miss Granger." His deep laugh once more rolled around the entrance hall. "Barchoke told me you were quite the one, now I've seen it for myself. Moments ago, you were ready to attack me with your bare hands to protect your friend - but now you greet me with honour. Wear that bracelet with pride Miss Granger, you have the heart of a goblin."

Hermione was left wondering about that last comment as the headmaster chose this moment to make his presence known. "I really don't appreciate my school being disrupted by these shenanigans."

"And I don't appreciate my star student being attacked by trolls and pureblood bigots in your school. His father has a standing arrangement that this time is scheduled for extra defence lessons, you just got to witness a variation on that theme." Hogwarts students weren't used to seeing the great Albus Dumbledore spoken to like this. The scary goblin though wasn't finished yet.

"Defence should always be varied, you never know where or when the next attack will come from. Surely this is something you teach your students, or do you assume this variety will come from the myriad of people you seem to go through teaching the subject?" The sarcasm in Sharpshard's last remark really drove a battering ram into what passed for defence tuition in Hogwarts, then Hermione battered down what was left of the shoddy doors.

"That's exactly what Professor Weasley has been teaching us in our extra defence lessons, to be alert for the unexpected."

Sharpshard's voice boomed around the entrance hall. "Good, then I will leave you in Curse-breaker Weasley's capable hands. Crow, you know the director is going to be insufferable now your fancy blade he had commissioned drew my blood? Until next time student."

Harry bowed deeply. "Until next time Master Sharpshard."

As the goblin left, Neville approached with Harry's shield. "You actually beat him Harry?"

He took the shield and reduced its size, clipping the disk onto his sword scabbard. "I didn't beat him Neville, no one beats Master Sharpshard. I got lucky and surprised him, he could have taken me at least a dozen times before then. It's called training for a reason, I wouldn't learn anything if he continually beat me in under a minute."

"It looked brutal Harry, I was terrified for you."

Harry could still see the fear in Hermione's eyes. "The first few times we fought I was terrified too Hermione. Now it's just like our defence lessons, Curse-breaker Weasley attacks us so we can practice our dodging and shields."

Padma was half carrying / half dragging the battleaxe by its drastically shortened shaft over to the group. "If Professor Weasley ever attacks us with something like this, I'm quitting guys."

"Thanks Padma, I'll be hanging that on my wall. Thanks also for that book you gave Hermione, it was really helpful."

Padma was tempted to tease which of the books he was talking about but Hermione already had a tough morning - and that was her not noticing the number of witches who were eyeing up Harry.

That she was still shaking inside just confirmed to Hermione she hadn't fully recovered from the shock of watching Harry fight, she actually thought her best friend was going to be killed this morning. "That was obviously some goblin thing Harry but I fail to see the point."

Harry smiled at his best friend, this time knowing exactly how to cheer her up. "Master Sharpshard was just reminding me, and everyone else, that I am a goblin warrior..."

Padma had already resisted one teasing opportunity, this couldn't be passed up. She butted in before he could finish. "Next time we could do without the theatrics - and that outfit. Let's get to class, the sight of my sister and Lavender drooling over Harry is making me queasy. Anyone would think they'd never seen a gorgeous guy in a sexy dragon skin tunic before."

Harry was blushing while Hermione appeared outraged before Padma began laughing. "Oh you guys are just too easy to tease. Seriously though, some of these witches are beginning to creep me out. If a wizard ever stared at me like that, I'd want Harry and Neville to kick their arse for me."

"No problem Padma." Harry wanted to get out of there and offered Hermione his arm. He then proceeded to make up for this morning by saying what he'd originally intended to - before Padma had interrupted. "Hermione, I would love to spend Christmas with you."

"Oh Harry, it will be wonderful. Padma, Neville, you are both invited as well."

Neville was delighted to be included but had family things that needed doing then, he told Hermione that before politely declining. Padma would need to write home before she could answer. She loved her sister dearly but the thought of two weeks listening to her prattle on about boys, fashion, boys and more boys was not appealing. That Harry was going to be one of the boys repeatedly mentioned was a certainty.

She knew what the agenda was for most pureblood witches who attended Hogwarts. Meet their future husband, be at least engaged by the time they left school with marriage and their first child born preferably before turning twenty. To wait any longer ran the risk of your family arranging a husband for you. Padma thought that agenda was fine, provided you met someone you wanted to spend the rest of your life with. She wanted more from her Hogwarts experience, and spending a holiday in a muggle house would certainly be an experience.

She would need to have a girls-talk with Hermione and explain why all the jealous looks were being focused in her direction. She may be muggle born but Hermione was already in a position most of the pureblood witches would sell their soul for. Having gotten to know Harry, Padma already knew he would be considered a prize for any young witch. Add in all the other stuff and then pile his wealth on top - well she didn't think the other witches were going to be discouraged for long. She suspected their methods would be different though, unless they were really stupid.

Bill watched his students heading off to class but wanted a quick word with his youngest brother first. "Well Ronnie, still think he's nothing special?"

Ron had his eyes well and truly opened, they had almost popped out watching that fight. "The Patil girl could hardly lift that axe, it would have cut him in half if it had connected. That goblin wasn't holding anything back either."

"That's right Ronnie, yet he beat the goblin warrior that attacked him. What chance do you think you would have had in a fight like that? Perhaps now you'll stop being such a little prick and leave well enough alone."

At that, Percy appeared at his elbow. "I've got this time set aside for Ron to do his homework, I'll take it from here Bill."

The curse-breaker left Percy in charge while he went to deal with his own students. Like everyone else, he'd been impressed with the fight. His brother Charlie had the quickest reflexes of anyone Bill had ever seen - until today. The look of concentration on the lad's face as he fought was also something to behold. Any one letting Harry close enough to use a blade was going to lose - even Voldemort.

-oOoOo-

Dumbledore was also astonished at Harry's reactions and speed of thought. Likewise, he thought Filius was strikingly accurate in equating the goblin fencing tutor to his old friend Alastor, their teaching methods were remarkably similar. Like the rest of Hogwarts, he also didn't miss the 'going soft' reference. After that display, Harry's enemies would not be meeting him head-on for the foreseeable future. Albus expected a few months of quiet now while the plotters evaluated the situation before making their next move.

This situation presented Albus with something of a dilemma, he wanted to wrestle control of the boy away from the goblins but he also knew Voldemort had to be defeated. He needed a way to accomplish his first aim without in any way endangering Harry's chances of successfully completing the second. He was tempted to leave things as they were but knew he couldn't. Master Sharpshard had berated his student for showing a modicum of forgiveness and there lay Albus' problem.

A victorious Harry would have the wizarding community worshiping at his feet and rushing to fulfil his every wish. Without forgiveness in the boy's heart, their society could be changed beyond all recognition. He needed information on exactly what the goblins were up to, and had just watched his unknowing source walk away to teach young Harry and his three friends.

William Weasley would need to understand the harm that could be done here, and pressured into recognising where his loyalties really lay. With a delicate situation like this, it was all about using the right lever - and there was no bigger lever to use against someone than his or her own family.

He was sure it wouldn't take long for a conversation with William's mother to gravitate to Molly telling Albus how pleased she was to have her eldest son back home. That would be his opening to express his regret that William refused to cooperate with him, and that how his time working for the goblins had really changed the former Hogwarts head boy.

Molly hated the very thought of any of her children changing, especially if that influence of change wasn't exactly human. She would be on her son's case the entire time he was at the Burrow, and Albus would intensify his efforts while William's duties brought him to Hogwarts. This twin attack should soon expose a crack in his armour, that was all Albus needed to exploit the situation.

One bit of information would soon lead to another and then he would have the young man. He would become his spy inside Gringotts, providing information that would help Albus plot the course of magical Britain's future - for the greater good of course.

-oOoOo-

Lucius was trying to plot his future and having very limited success, he was not looking forward to his master's eventual return. The head of the Malfoy family understood that his usefulness as a death eater lay in his fortune and influence. With neither, he would be severely limited in how he could assist his master's plans. Lucius had witnessed first hand what happened to death eaters in that position, and it was anything but pretty.

Lucius was contemplating his next move as he sat staring at a little black diary. With the goblins blocking Narcissa from accessing the Lestrange or Black vaults, this diary was the only card he had left to play. As with any triumph card, it was all about how and when it was played.

His craving for revenge on Crow was tempered by the fact that the 'Hogwarts Champion' would be helpless against this. Like a fine wine, Lucius' revenge just got better the longer he left it to age. If this was played right, it had the power to see Crow's dead body carried from Hogwarts - with Dumbledore sacked and Fudge forced out of office as the public demanded scapegoats.

Lucius was a patient man and his need for revenge now wouldn't settle for anything less than a triple take down. He could afford to be patient. Patience was about all he could now afford, and it wasn't like he had anything else to do.

A/N thanks for reading

13. History in the Making

Harry Crow

Disclaimer: JKR still owns Harry Potter. I write purely for fun and post it here so you can read it for free, anyone wishing professional standards of writing should go and buy one of her books. (POA is my favourite!)

Chapter 13

Hogwarts did indeed settle down to its new 'normal' over the following weeks. Thanks to the warning from Padma, Hermione was more aware of what was happening around her - or should that be Harry - regarding the behaviour of the Hogwarts witches.

Ravenclaw House were adapting well to what was happening within its own blue and bronze walls. Morag, Mandy and Lisa were all friendly with the trio, sharing Harry's defence and now potions classes too certainly helped. Cho was continually making eyes at Harry, and finding any excuse to talk to him. In these situations, Harry was polite but nothing more. The older Ravenclaw girls - apart from Penny - were staying clear, Chambers example perhaps playing on their mind.

The other first year witches were all on good terms with the friends too, with only the two Gryffindors continually pushing the boundaries. Parvati and Lavender had approached as they walked to class, chatting to Harry a mile a minute. It was when Lavender decided to move things along by latching onto Harry's other arm that she was politely but instantly and firmly rebuffed.

"Miss Brown, never take a sword-wielder's right arm unless it is specifically offered to you. In my culture this can be considered an attack, as you are hampering my ability to draw my weapon." Lavender released Harry's arm as if it was red hot and had just burned her fingers. No one wanted Harry to even think they were attacking him, they had now all seen what he could do with a blade.

He nodded before continuing. "You were not aware of the situation so nothing further needs to be said." Both Gryffindor girls had given him a wide berth after that.

When some of the older girls from the other houses approached, Hermione hoped it wasn't wishful thinking on her part but Harry appeared to use her as a shield. This was a function she was more than happy to provide. These witches may have had a specific agenda at Hogwarts but so did Harry, his agenda though had far more reaching consequences than simply finding someone to marry. Hermione was reminded of this as they were leaving their normal Monday defence class, Professor Weasley had a short message for him.

"Harry, your father says 'it's time', he assured me you would know what that means."

His grin was feral, setting Hermione's danger alarm off. "Harry, please tell me you are not going to go all 'goblin warrior' on us?"

"Hermione, I am a goblin warrior."

"Okay, bad choice of words. What I really meant to ask was if you were going to be rushing into danger with a blade in each hand?"

He could see she was merely worried for his safety so attempted to put her mind at rest. "Hermione, I have been tasked with ending a great wrong - and that's all I can say about the matter until it happens. What I will say is that I shouldn't need either of my blades to defend myself, there will be no danger at all."

After the Lucius Malfoy incident, Hermione had accepted that Harry was at Hogwarts for a purpose other than just receiving a magical education. Here was obviously the next phase of that purpose. That he couldn't tell her any more was fine, that he wouldn't be in any danger was all she really needed to know.

At least this time she had six weeks of magical training under her belt, and a few curses up her sleeve. Hermione believed Harry when he said it wouldn't be dangerous but it was always better to be prepared.

She had also been preparing by reading the book Neville gave her from cover to cover. Hermione thought a lot of the behaviour and customs could at best be described as 'quaint', but it at least explained Harry's 'old world' behaviour. He'd obviously read something similar before attending Hogwarts and thought things like offering a young lady your arm or kissing the backs of their hands was the way wizards behaved normally.

Purely by observation, Hermione could tell that this behaviour was no longer commonplace amongst the magical fraternity. Perhaps it was now only used at the most formal of occasions or functions but the young witch wasn't too bothered about that. Since she was currently on Harry's arm, and it was her hand being kissed, it would be a cold day in hell before Hermione as much as raised the subject with her best friend. Hermione could only hope Harry had reached the same conclusion, but enjoyed having her on his arm too much to stop.

Her latest mini faux pas against goblin culture set her mind racing. She didn't rush to the library because Hermione was sure the best source of the information she required was currently walking right beside her.

"Harry, I've read that book Neville gave me on ancient and noble houses. It was very insightful, a brilliant source of information for someone like me with no magical background. I was wondering if there was a book like that on goblin culture? I could see if it was in the library or order it from the bookstore."

Harry had actually stopped walking as Hermione's question set him thinking. "The short answer is no, there are no books. I think the reason for that is probably because no one has ever been interested before."

"Okay, confused again. How could no one be interested? The goblins store and control the magical community's wealth, yet no one knows anything about them - that's just nuts!"

It was a chuckling Harry that started them off down the corridor again as he answered his best friend. "You'll get no objection from me on that. I think the reason there may be no books is that they really need to be written by an outsider observing a culture that's different to their own, goblins tend not to let strangers get too close." He could see Hermione struggling with that concept so tried to give her an example. "We could ask Padma to tell us about her years in India, and she could talk for hours. That doesn't mean she would mention riding a flying carpet, because to her that would just be normal behaviour and not worth talking about."

"I see what you mean now, you need someone from another culture to observe what is different - and also what is the same."

"Exactly, goblins always hold their beheading muggle parties on the last Friday of every month - who knows when wizards have theirs."

"Harry Crow, don't you dare. I get more than enough teasing from Padma without you starting too!"

"Why Miss Granger, is that any way to talk to your only source on all things goblin?"

Hermione let out a groan. "I was going to say I could check with Master Pitslay but I can just see you both setting me up for a fall. Just remember Crow, you're staying with me for the Christmas holidays. I'm your only source for all things muggle and payback can be a bitch." She tried to be stern but couldn't quiet manage it, both of them ended up laughing as they made their way back to the Ravenclaw common room.

-oOoOo-

In the Gryffindor common room, Neville was trying to prepare for this week's potion's lesson. Ron was bored though, and kept pestering him to play wizard chess.

"Go and ask Seamus, I'm busy Ron."

"Dean's telling him all about that football game again. Did you know they played it on the ground? Twenty-two players and only one ball - bloody mental if you ask me."

"Ron, I didn't asked you. I am actually trying to get some work done here."

When he took the time to actually look at what Neville was doing, Ron got the distinct impression he was being conned. "That's potions, you said this goblin creature never gave out homework." It wasn't a question, more like an accusation.

"Master Pitslay doesn't have us writing essays, he does expect us to know everything about the potion we will be brewing before we step into his class."

Ron still thought this was merely a manufactured excuse to dump him. "It's only Monday, you don't have potions until Friday. You'll have forgotten it all by then."

"No I won't, because I'll be going over my notes every night until Friday."

"Bloody hell, I tried to warn you. See what happens when you hang out with Ravenclaws, us Gryffindors have got to stick together."

"If sticking together means taking potion lessons from Snape then you can forget it."

"Where is your house loyalty? Abandoning your housemates and siding with Ravenclaws, you're a disgrace to Gryffindor Longbottom."

Neville was on his feet at that. "You're a fine one to call me a disgrace, you fired a curse at a girl! Real brave Gryffindor, didn't even have the courage to apologise."

"I bloody did, you were there."

"Anyone can say the words Ron, we all knew you didn't mean any of it. Harry just didn't want to get into an argument with you and spoil Hermione's birthday. You call me a disgrace to Gryffindor yet I'm in a class with nine Ravenclaws, I'm ahead of six and keeping up with another two. I would say I was doing my house proud. What have you got to show for your time at Hogwarts? Detentions, lost points, a suspension and now on probation - way to go Ronnie boy."

Ron's complexion was turning deeper and deeper shades of red but Neville just faced him down. "You've tried to curse two of my friends, and actually managed to hit the other one by accident. Draw your wand on me Ron and you'll get to see just what your eldest brother teaches us every weekend."

Their confrontation had gotten louder and louder, gathering a rather large crowd. Two of the crowd suddenly had an arm each as Ron's feet left the floor, the twins whisked him away up the stairs.

Neville sat back down and continued his work, until Parvati spoke to him. "Neville, six and two only make eight. You said there were nine Ravenclaws in that class."

"Ah, but when it comes to potions, Harry is in a class of his own. Even the twins couldn't brew a potion that would be undetectable by Snape."

As he worked studiously, Neville was unaware of the changes taking place around him. Most of the house just had their opinion of the shy, quiet boy drastically altered. Especially two first year witches who were having no success with their repeated attempts to get near Harry Crow. Neville Longbottom might just turn out to be a rather fine replacement.

-oOoOo-

Bill also had a Weasley harping on at him while he attempted to accomplish a task, he should have known better. A quiet meal at the Burrow was as good a definition of a misnomer that Bill could think of.

"But he's Albus Dumbledore, surely there must be some way to bypass those secrecy terms to help?"

He put down his knife and fork, Bill had had more than enough – both of dinner and his mother's nagging. It was time for a few home truths. "Would you be so insistent if it was Lucius Malfoy who wanted information?"

"Don't be ridiculous, he's a death eater who used his money to avoid Azkaban."

"Yet to a goblin, both are classed the same. Dumbledore has been barred from Gringotts for a decade…"

"That was over a misunderstanding…"

Bill finally lost it at his mother. "If that's the story he's putting about then it makes him a liar too, I'll tell you about your great Albus Dumbledore. He left an orphan child on a muggle doorstep, a child who had been hit with the killing curse by Voldemort."

He didn't know if the yelp from his mother was because the dreaded name was spoken aloud, or that it was one of her children saying it. Bill pressed on regardless. "That child was sporting a scar on his head, no healer, no treatment, just dumped on a doorstep with a letter attached. Now here is where his stupid scheme started to fall apart, the muggles didn't want a magical child in their home so took Harry to Gringotts and deposited the toddler who saved us all there."

Molly had tears in her eyes as she shook her head. "It can't be true…"

"Harry's father still has the letter in Dumbledore's handwriting, McGonagall and Hagrid were present that night too. Hagrid keeps attempting to talk to Harry at Hogwarts but the boy wants nothing to do with him. He knows Hagrid is Dumbledore's man, and anything he said would make its way straight back to the old fool…"

This was still a step too far for Molly. "Albus Dumbledore is no fool, I will not have that said in this house."

"Do you know how that troll got into Hogwarts? Dumbledore is desperately trying to keep it secret but Madam Bones wants him up on charges for his part in the fiasco. Voldemort is not dead…"

This time he was sure what had caused his mother to scream. "You're lying, Harry Potter killed him – everyone knows that."

"Yes, but what everyone doesn't know is that he's trying to come back. Why do you think I returned from Egypt and took this job? Voldemort is not dead, and we know he's going after Harry. Dumbledore knew this and didn't tell anyone, especially Harry. Instead, Dumbledore set a trap inside a bloody school. I have four younger brothers currently in that castle and that old bastard is playing with their lives. Voldemort possessed a teacher and was actually inside Hogwarts, that's who let the troll in."

Bill hadn't realised he'd been shouting but it looked as if he'd finally gotten through to his mother, unfortunately it also looked like he'd terrified Ginny. She was curled on his father's lap and crying. "The goblins are doing everything in their power to help that young man, I have no idea what Dumbledore is up to. As a Weasley, my position on this matter should be crystal clear - against the dark and for the light. My champion though is not some old wizard who likes to play games, but a young man who defeated Voldemort once before. I am on the side of the goblins because they are backing Harry to the hilt, as am I."

Arthur was trying to sooth his daughter but really needed to know something. "How much of this is known within the ministry?"

"Fudge and Bones were there the day Harry laid most of the Voldemort stuff out, that was also the day he took down Lucius Malfoy. The details of what Dumbledore did to Harry, I got from his father. Dumbledore is the head of the Wizengamot, yet it took one of my students to do what should have been done years ago. With Gringotts backing Harry's actions, Malfoy has legally been stripped of his wealth - and with it most of his power too."

Events at the ministry began to fall into place for Arthur. "I wondered why there was a sudden recruitment drive in the auror department, we were left wondering if Amelia had finally gotten something on Fudge. That was probably her pay-off for Malfoy not standing public trial. The minister would be too afraid of just what Lucius might reveal under veritaserum."

Molly's mind though was stuck on one single fact, a single fact that would change her outlook forever. "You-know-who was near four of my babies, and Albus bloody Dumbledore never even mentioned it!"

Bill knew what his mother's next action would be, and tried to head it off. "Mum, don't mention we had an argument over this. By all means say you've heard a certain rumour, just not where you heard it. It might be fun to hear what excuse he comes up with, I trust Dumbledore about as far as I could throw Hagrid."

Arthur was busy trying to comfort his daughter. "It's okay Ginny, your brothers will be safe inside Hogwarts."

"What about my Harry, Bill said the bad wizard was coming back for him."

Bill couldn't let that go. "I thought we talked about this Ginny? He's not your Harry, you've never even met him."

"Bill, it's just a harmless infatuation..."

"No dad, it's not healthy and should have been discouraged years ago. The last thing I want to see is Ginny getting hurt, but that's exactly what's going to happen if she doesn't stop this now. How do you think Ginny's going to react when she discovers this whole boy-who-lived fantasy she's constructed is just that - a fantasy." He absolutely hated to see his sister cry but this needed to be said.

"Ginny's fantasy will inevitably come crashing down around her ears, Harry doesn't even know she exists and already has his own set of close friends. At this point she will be heartbroken, and six hundred miles from home. The twins and Percy are barely coping with Ron's problems, do you honestly think they will be able to handle something like this?"

"How do you know Harry won't like me? You can't possibly know that."

He tried to phrase his answer in a way that would be as gentle as possible for his sister to take, yet at the same time get his point across. "Harry Crow is a very serious young lad, only the fact that he's in first year gives his age away. If you didn't know that, you would swear he was older. His friends are also really serious, about their studies and being his friend. Every weekend I think I've pushed them too hard, yet the following week they're back and eager for more. They are rattling through the defence course, doing the same with potions and near the top of all their other classes. I have no idea what level they'll be at by the time they're ready to start second year."

Bill could see this was not well received, and knew the next bit would be even less so. "We already have one Weasley at Hogwarts disgracing himself due mainly to his immaturity, we really don't need a Weasley fan girl following Harry around like a little lost puppy. The fantasy needs to stop here before Ginny gets really hurt. I'm not saying she'll never be friends with Harry - I'll even introduce her - but this fantasising over a boy she's never seen - never mind met - is not going to end well."

Ginny focused only on one part of what her brother said. "You would introduce me - to Harry?"

Bill was torn, he wanted his sister to put this behind her but Ginny clearly hadn't. Introducing her to Harry might just be the shock Ginny needed to get over this infatuation, especially if Harry had a certain young witch on his arm. "I'll introduce you to Harry when he get's off the express for the holidays."

He could see her eyes practically sparkling at that but had to give a warning. "Harry's going to be spending Christmas with his best friend, Hermione asked both him and Padma to spend the holidays at her house."

It looked as if Ginny had been told she'd won the Prophet grand draw, only then to be informed there was a mistake. "His best friend? Isn't that the girl Ron mentioned as his girlfriend?"

"Hermione Granger currently wears a goblin made gold bracelet that's inscribed Harry, Hermione, best friends forever. Harry gave it to Hermione for her twelfth birthday." Bill felt as though he was having to be cruel to be kind with Ginny. He'd watched as witches older and far more developed - both emotionally and physically - than Ginny had been rebuffed by his student. They were mostly mature enough to accept the knock-back - Ginny wasn't.

He watched as his sister made an excuse before heading up to her room. Arthur waited until she had left before confronting his eldest. "Was that really necessary?"

"Yes dad it was. You've been filling Ginny's head with this boy-who-lived nonsense for years."

"It's only a children's story book..."

"To us yes, but Ginny believes every word of it. Why shouldn't she, her father read it to her. The difference between this and Babbity Rabbity is that little girls don't grow up thinking they're destined to marry the hero and live happily ever after - and then have to go to school with the hero!"

"She's only ten - Ginny isn't thinking anything of the sort."

Bill knew Ginny was his father's favourite, the entire family knew it, but he still saw his daughter as much younger than she actually was. It would be a big wrench when Ginny left for Hogwarts next September. "Dad, I found Ginny on her bed crying her eyes out, clutching that bloody book. Do you know why? Ron told her Harry already had a girlfriend. It's one thing to daydream on what you would like to happen in life, Ginny is struggling to tell her fantasy from real life. I've been trying to convince her he's nothing like the book but now she seems ready to fixate on Harry Crow. Maybe seeing him in real life will shock her out of this. If not, we've still got the next eight months to think of something."

Molly was shaking her head. "I always thought the twins were our biggest problem, now I'm not so sure. Ron's in far more serious trouble than they've ever been, and Ginny seems set to bring us a whole new set of problems. Where did we go wrong with those two?"

Bill had some words of comfort for his parents. "Neither Ron nor Ginny are bad kids, both just need time to grow-up. It will be keeping them in Hogwarts while the do their growing that might be the problem."

-oOoOo-

As the first years were leaving charms class next day, Parvati thought she would make her move - before Lavender got in there first. Harry and Hermione were in front, with Neville and her sister just behind them. There wouldn't be a better opportunity.

"Why Mr Longbottom, I thought you were a gentleman? Your friend there Mr Crow is showing the way so why don't you have a young lady on your arm?"

Neville noticed rather a lot of people were now looking at him. This Neville though had good friends, friends who gave him the confidence to do what he needed to.

"You are correct, I apologise for my oversight. Miss Patil, would you do me the honour?"

Parvati was overjoyed her ploy had worked, that was until she saw Neville offering his arm to her sister.

"Why Mr Longbottom, I would be delighted." Padma was walking away on Neville's arm, but she still took time to turn her head round and wink at her twin.

"Thanks for that Padma, your sister and her friend are a little too 'clingy' for me."

"Oh no problem Neville, I'll guard your body any time you like. This is wonderful material for teasing, do you think it would be too cruel to thank Parvati? I was working along the lines of her remark bringing us together. If she hadn't said anything, who knows how long it would have taken for you to ask me out?" She couldn't hold her laughter as Neville's jaw dropped lower and lower. "This is just too good, the same lines should work just as well on Pav too. I'll take your arm anytime you want Neville - as your friend."

After the panic had passed, Neville found it was quite nice to be teased by a friend. "Do you want to sit with me at the Gryffindor table? I think we could have your sister and Lavender green with envy by the end of lunch."

"Neville, that's a brilliant idea - providing I don't need to sit where I can see Ron eat." Padma rested her head on his shoulder as they walked arm in arm to the great hall, both were struggling to contain their giggles at the reaction this got from other students.

Hermione noticed exactly what was happening with her friends, she barely managed a smile though. All her concentration was on her best friend. "It's going to be soon, isn't it?"

"Goblins are masters of hiding their emotions, impossible to read - sometimes it scares me just how well you can tell practically what I'm thinking. Remember, no one will be in any danger. Now let's both go and attempt to eat some lunch."

Hermione didn't have too long to wait, the hammer fell their very next class.

-oOoOo-

Professor Binns was droning on as usual, and as usual half the class were struggling to stay awake. That all changed when Harry Crow stood, this could be history in the making.

Harry waited until the professor noticed him standing there. "As Hogwarts champion, I can no longer permit you to continue inflicting this torture and lies onto students. As a goblin, you disgust me almost as much as that butcher you called grandfather."

"How dare you sully my grandfather's good name. He died a hero, fighting in the goblin rebellion of 1612..."

"Bloody Binns and his band of cutthroats were responsible for starting what you refer to as the goblin rebellion of 1612. They didn't die heroes, they were tried, convicted of their many crimes and sentenced to goblin justice."

Binns was putting more emotion into this argument than anyone had ever seen him use during teaching, no one would be falling asleep in this class. "By what rights do goblins try wizards, they should have handed them over to the ministry - where they could have received a fair trial..."

"Where they could have been released by wizards who thought the same as them, that murdering goblins was not a crime. They expected to be released and boasted of their atrocities, all thought the purity of their blood protected them. Guess what professor, dragons don't give a shit how pure someone's blood is, they just chew you up."

If a ghost could appear shocked, Binns managed it. "Their bodies were fed to dragons?"

"No, they were thrown still alive into the dragon pens. They screamed for mercy but received the same they had shown us - none whatsoever."

"You lying goblin bastard!" Binns literally flew at Harry but not having a body rendered his attack harmless. The rest of the class were shocked, both at Binns actions and Harry's description of what the goblins did to their prisoners.

Only Hermione was brave enough to ask a question. "Harry, do goblins really throw people in with dragons."

"Only for the very worst atrocities Hermione, and only after a fair trial has found them guilty. Just about every culture has or had some form of death penalty, none were ever pleasant. From being burned at the stake to beheading, hanging to having your soul sucked out your body by one of the foulest creatures on the planet. That last one is currently wizarding Britain's answer to the problem."

"What did they do Harry?"

This was something Binns had never experienced in all his years of teaching, he wasn't sure how to handle the situation but tried to reassert his classroom authority. "They didn't do anything but were killed by vicious goblin raiders. My father told me the story since I was a little boy, I grew up with this - you think I don't know what happened?"

Harry remained very calm as he answered Binns, there was no point in loosing your temper to a ghost. "If that is your only source of information, then yes. We live in a community where no one ever checks information - 'it said so in the Prophet so it must be true' is not an acceptable method to prove the truth. I'll tell you what really happened..."

Binns was incensed at this. "You will sit back down and shut up boy, there will be no goblin propaganda spouted in this class."

"You are right about one thing professor, there should be no propaganda here. This is a history class yet you have used your position to preach anti-goblin propaganda for almost three centuries, installing fear, mistrust and even hatred against us into children placed in your care. That all stops today. I intend to tell everyone the goblin version of events and let them make up their own minds to who's telling the truth."

"Fifty points from Ravenclaw, and it will soon be a hundred if you don't sit down at once."

"The truth is far more important than any number of house points. It's time for some real history to be told in this class. You see, goblins didn't always live only under Gringotts..."

"They were forced to live there by treaty, it's all covered in OWL's."

"It may be covered but it's all lies, lies that have slowly become what is now regarded as fact. This happened because a certain professor has deliberately fed the same lies to everyone who has passed through Hogwarts for the last two hundred and eighty years - man and ghost. Do you know British OWL and NEWT passes in History aren't recognised outside this country? The rest of the world realises what he teaches is wrong, biased and disproportionate - it's one supposed goblin rebellion after another supposed goblin rebellion. The entire course has become a joke but still nothing is done about it."

It was a shocked Terry Boot who asked the question that they were all struggling with. "Why would they teach us something they know is wrong?"

"Ah, you're forgetting Terry, the people in power were all taught the same shit we are being fed - by the same professor. Even the author of our text book - Bathilda Bagshot - was taught her history classes by Binns - she apprenticed under him. Is it any wonder her writings match Binns accounts of things? In this country she's hailed as a great historian, outside Britain she's ignored and even thought a touch mad."

"Is that what you are trying to do here boy, tear down reputations people have spent decades building?"

"It's better than tearing down dwellings, just because the occupants are goblins. That's what Bloody Binns did, male - female - child, it didn't matter to them as they slaughtered every goblin they could find. They didn't want goblins living amongst what they called good wizards, so they systematically set about slaughtering those who dared pollute what the purebloods considered theirs by birth."

Harry was trying to keep himself calm and let the facts speak for themselves as he'd been taught, it was proving difficult though. "The ministry was turning a blind eye to what was happening, after all it was only goblins who were being slaughtered and they didn't count. When the goblins caught the wizards in the act, they demanded to be handed over to the ministry. They were standing there splattered with goblin blood and expected to be released, they were tried like the crazed animals they were and executed."

The class were hanging on Harry's every word, and ignoring the continual docking of points from Binns. "The ministry had to take action, there were now purebloods dead. As usual, the ministry decided to pass laws to get what they wanted. The ministry attempted to claim jurisdiction over the goblins, basically meaning we had to do what they said. No goblin was going to stand for that and so we have the goblin 'rebellion' of 1612. There were casualties on both sides as the ministry attempted to impose their new laws before common sense prevailed."

"Your precious goblins were defeated and slunk back to their holes in the ground. That's where the filthy animals belong - not staying amongst decent magical people."

Harry ignored the ghostly spittle that Binns was spraying him with as the professor screamed at him - mere inches away from his face, Harry had to finish the task he'd trained for. "The ministry were forced to concede that the goblins were their own masters, and that Gringotts was sovereign territory. This didn't stop them passing anti-goblin laws that prevented us buying land or housing anywhere near a wizard dwelling. To some, this didn't go far enough..."

"Of course it didn't go far enough, my grandfather was only one of many the bastards murdered. The entire species should have been wiped out..."

Harry had just about enough of this ghost. It had been pure torture having to sit in this class, knowing what he did. "The reason Professor Binns here never took up his wand and avenged his beloved grandfather was that he didn't have one - a wand that is. You see, our professor here was a squib. Now I personally don't have a problem with that, but our ghostly professor did. He grew into a bitter and twisted man, much like a certain caretaker we all know. His only purpose left in life was revenge, revenge against the race of 'creatures' he wanted to see exterminated."

"Typical goblin, honeyed words to your face while they stab you in the back. Not content with murder, you robbed the Binns family blind - we lost everything!"

"Yes, the Binns family lost their home, land and gold - but not to the goblins. Your father was barred from Gringotts for an incident that he was lucky to escape with his life, leaving you to inherit the family fortune when you came of age..."

"I never received a Knut, you goblin bastards stole everything."

"We took only the agreed vault rental, until the vault was closed by the ministry. It was the purebloods of the Wizengamot who passed the law that squibs couldn't inherit pureblood fortunes. They also sneaked a clause into the agreement of 1612 where, after a century, those unclaimable vaults passed to the ministry. Since they were effectively robbing their own, we goblins took the view this was none of our business."

This was information Draco had a vested interest in. "Are you saying the ministry claimed the Binns family vault?"

"Vault, land, home and all family possessions. Everything was sold to swell the ministry's coffers. When his father died, the professor here was forced to seek a job in Hogwarts as he couldn't even access the home he'd been raised in. He died just before the century was up so at least didn't see the ministry take everything, but he refused to cross over because he had unfinished business..."

"Yes I have unfinished business, to ensure wizards are never taken in by you thieving, lying, murdering goblin bastards ever again."

Filius had been alerted that something was wrong when the Ravenclaw points counter began spiralling downwards, he could only think of one person capable of wiping out the entire total of accumulated points in a single period. The Ravenclaw head of house entered the history classroom and witnessed a ghostly professor screaming in a most unprofessional manner at one of his students.

Seeing Harry was unfazed, and in no danger, Filius decided to just observe for now.

"Even in death, he wouldn't give up his life's work. Ensuring relationships between goblins and wizards never progressed beyond where they are today - strained at best. By teaching lies to generations of children, wizards and witches are taught that goblins are to be feared and detested - never trusted. I'll bet every witch and wizard in this room - apart from the muggle born - have been taught only one thing about us from their parents. Never mess with a goblin."

Binns was still shouting, though had given up all pretence of justifying his behaviour as anything but revenge. "You ruined my life and I won't rest until I have my vengeance. I'll cross over when every last goblin in the country has been slain. Knowing I played a small part in that will be enough for me."

"When you crossover is nothing to do with me, I cannot allow you to remain in the castle."

The ghostly professor actually laughed at this. "What are you going to do goblin-lover, hold an exorcism? You don't have the power to force me out the castle. I was here long before you were born, and still be here after the dark lord kills you. He has also promised to wipe your kind out, that was why I helped him so much when he was a student here."

This revelation drew gasps of astonishment from the entire class.

That revelation was unexpected but Harry knew he had Binns now, condemned by his own words. "I can't, but others can. Have you heard enough?"

The four house ghosts passed into the room, all appeared grave. Helena spoke for all of them. "Yes young champion, we have." There was then a loud clang last heard at the sorting.

The Bloody Baron took over. "Hogwarts has spoken. She provided shelter and allowed you to continue with your passion to teach, only for you to betray her in the worst possible way."

The Fat Friar was next. "Systematically lying to her children to further your own aims is despicable. You are no longer welcome within these walls."

Sir Nicholas then demonstrated the heads were united in this. "You can crossover or be banished from the castle. Those are your only choices..."

The ghostly professor wasn't given any time to make a decision, Hogwarts had already made her mind up. Another loud clang and it seemed as if invisible hands were dragging a screaming Binns through the castle walls.

The headmaster came rushing into the class, having heard Hogwarts 'speak' and instantly come to the same conclusion as Filius as to who would most likely be responsible. He burst through the classroom door, just in time to see a Hogwarts Professor forcibly ejected from the castle. His gaze also focused on the only student who was standing. "Mr Crow, I want some answers - and I want them right now!"

A/N thanks for reading

14. Henrica Hobson comes to Hogwarts

Harry Crow

Disclaimer - I am not JKR, nor a professional author. I write as a simple form of escapism, and purely for my own enjoyment. I then post those efforts here so others can read my stories for free. For those people who know exactly how to write the perfect Harry Potter story, and simply must point out the many reasons why mine isn't it, please do us all a favour and write the thing. Like everyone else on this site, I'm always searching for good stories to read.

Chapter 14

"Mr Crow, I want some answers - and I want them right now!"

Harry didn't get time to answer the headmaster as, in a manner scarily reminiscent of Professor McGonagall, Ravenclaw's Morag McDougal displayed her fiery Scottish temper for all to see. The angry Ravenclaw jumped in with both feet and asked Dumbledore a couple of questions she thought should be answered first.

"Headmaster, as well as being Chief Warlock of Britain, you are also Supreme Mugwump of the ICW. How could you not know the history qualifications at Hogwarts were laughed at in the rest of the world. I think you should tell us why you let this continue?"

Dumbledore was so shocked that a first year would actually question him, he didn't know what to say. Where was the reverence that students would normally show him, the reverence Albus was certain he deserved. Harry actually supplied the answer before Dumbledore could speak.

"Oldest reason in the world Morag, economics. Hogwarts has seven core subjects and for the last two hundred years one of them has been taught for free. Binns is widely acknowledged as a crap teacher but he was cheap - you don't have to pay a ghost. Binns used this fact to his advantage while continuing to spread his own brand of poison."

Albus eventually got his question answered, it was supplied by Helena. "Hogwarts requires a new history professor, Binns was using his position to spread misinformation and further his own personal vendetta against the goblin nation. While we are willing to admit this was a problem you inherited, your inactions on this matter since becoming headmaster do not please us. We have lived in this castle for many centuries and have become detached from the outside world, we rely on each headmaster to keep Hogwarts on the correct path. A path that sees her graduating students sought-after the world over - not laughed at."

Harry bowed deeply to Helena. "My lady, with Hogwarts permission, we goblins have the solution in hand."

Albus didn't like the sound of this so-called solution one bit. "And what will this solution consist of Mr Crow? Are there going to be lessons on how to hug a goblin?"

"I don't think so headmaster, though Hermione and Padma could probably teach that course if you really think it's necessary?"

Neville's uncontrollable laughter set the rest of the class off as Harry turned and winked at his two mortified friends.

Filius managed to hide his amusement and ask Harry the question he was certain the lad wanted to answer. "I'm sure it's just a particular goblin Miss Granger and Miss Patil want to hug, just as I'm sure Mr Crow's plans are a lot more advanced than that. Why don't you tell us about them Harry?"

"Thank you Master Flitwick. My father didn't want his son leaving Hogwarts with an OWL or NEWT that wasn't worth the parchment it was written on. As I am fluent in several languages, it would be easy for me to study and sit the accredited French or German history exam - but what about everyone else? That just wasn't good enough, and a solution had to be found."

As Harry was spending more time with his housemates, they were getting to know him better. It was this that gave Lisa Turpin the confidence to ask a Harry a question. "Is that why you waited until today Harry, so the problem could be fixed?"

"Yes Lisa, a course that meets the European standard had to be thrashed out, textbooks sourced and translated into English before a professor could be found to teach the new course - it took a while."

Albus was shocked. "...and just who will pay for all this Mr Crow?"

Harry had a knowing smirk on his face. "Headmaster, if there is one thing we goblins understand - it's economics. We are also well aware what would happen if Hogwarts was forced to put its prices up. The professor and all the text books will be funded by the newly formed Lily Potter Foundation. Unfortunately, this will only apply to the first four years at the moment. This is purely because anyone in their OWL year or over wouldn't have time to learn the new materials - the fourth years are going to have to work their socks off for a shot at the new exam. You will have to provide a teacher for the upper years until the new course rolls out to everyone."

This was more than Albus could possibly have hoped for, but he wanted to clarify one thing before graciously accepting. "The course parameters have been set by the European Education Board?"

"Yes sir, they approved everything otherwise Hogwarts would be no better off - and we goblins would be doing the exact same as Binns. The materials will be in the library for any older students wanting to attempt the new exams but our education experts felt it might pull their other marks down if they concentrated on a new history course."

"I shall pass this news, and your experts advice on to the heads of house. I feel they are in the best position to judge their students' capabilities. I will abide by their recommendations. I am delighted we can work together on this matter Mr Crow."

The entire class watched in disbelief as the headmaster stood there claiming credit for something he had nothing to do with - and didn't know anything about until moments ago. The daughter of Rowena Ravenclaw wasn't for letting Dumbledore get away with that though. "Our champion approached us on this matter, and asked for our assistance. We took care of the problem and our champion provided the solution, your help was neither asked for nor required. Hogwarts accepts her champion's solution and we will inform the heads of our houses exactly what happened here today. Professor Flitwick saw most of it and I would value his opinion at this point?"

"Hearing a Hogwarts professor boast he helped the dark lord all he could so Voldemort would wipe out the goblin nation has left me feeling dirty that I even knew Binns."

The loud 'WHAT!' from Dumbledore rivalled the clang of Hogwarts for sheer number of decibels achieved.

"We all heard him say it Albus, his hatred for the goblin nation was barely below the surface but surprised even me with its intensity. As to the new history course, I think my opinion matches Mr Crow's experts. I can think of no more than a handful of older Ravenclaws who could possibly manage that amount of extra work alongside their existing exams, and think the other three houses would struggle to come up with that many between them. I fail to see the point though in continuing with a course where the pass isn't worth the parchment it's printed on. I shall be recommending to my Ravenclaws that they drop history and use the time to study for other subjects."

It was then they noticed Draco had his hand up. "Can I ask a question sir? Mr Crow claims to have found us a new professor, is this professor goblin or wizard?"

All eyes moved to Harry who quickly decided to use this opportunity to his advantage. This was something he had been mulling over for a few weeks and he'd just been handed a golden invitation to say what was on his mind. "In all honesty I don't know, and also don't really care. I just know anyone my father employs will be extremely good at their job - or they won't have that job very long. Isn't that what really matters?"

Harry knew he would take his own house with him on this one. After their first potions lesson with a goblin tutor, they would be fools to think otherwise - and fools didn't get sorted into Ravenclaw.

"If you go through life limiting your choices of who you will associate with by little things like blood purity, Hogwarts house or even what quidditch team they support, then you have my sympathies. If I did that, who would I have as a friend? There aren't exactly too many people in my position."

He glanced toward Hermione, Neville and Padma before continuing. "Take a look at my three closest friends and I, by any rights our friendship shouldn't work. An ancient British pureblood, an Indian pureblood whose ancestry is probably even older, a girl who didn't know she was a witch until her eleventh birthday and me, a child raised by goblins. We have massive cultural differences between us, differences that raise issues practically every single day. When those issues are raised, we talk about them. Padma said she preferred her flying carpet in India to a broom, I enjoyed my first broom flight but who wouldn't want a shot on a flying carpet? Some of the stuff Hermione tells us you would swear she was making up, except she promised to show us for real."

He glanced over at his friends again to see them smiling at him so Harry knew he wasn't in trouble. "We have differences of opinion, but that's all they are. Friends don't need to be the exact same to get along, just agree to differ on some things. Why should it matter if our new tutor is a wizard, goblin or even a centaur - just as long as they can teach us what we need to know?"

Albus could see the lad was impressing his peers with this line of reasoning and wanted to put a stop to it at once, he well remembered another young wizard whose personality had the power to charm the birds from the trees. "This is all very well Mr Crow but I am down a professor, when will this new History Professor be available to start?"

"Oh I would imagine within a few days headmaster, and the house ghosts have already agreed to cover classes until they get here."

Albus was left standing there like some spare prick at a wedding. This was supposed to be his school but more and more of the decisions were being taken without any input from him. He would need to corner William Weasley the next time he paid a visit, Albus desperately needed to know just what the goblins final objective was here - preferably before Albus too found himself ejected from the castle. "Carry on then." As he made to leave, Filius stopped him.

"What about the house points Binns deducted from Ravenclaw before he was thrown out?"

"You know I have a non-interference policy on those matters professor, I dare say they were deserved deductions." Albus thought he was claiming at least a slight victory, he hadn't reckoned on the house ghosts.

Helena was first. "Mr Crow, fifty points for bringing this matter to our attention, and another fifty for resolving Hogwarts history professor problem."

Sir Nicolas then got in on the act. "Miss McDougal, fifty points for having the courage to ask the headmaster that searching question - a question we all noticed he didn't answer."

The Bloody Baron wasn't going to be left out. "Mr Boot, fifty points for asking a question that got right to the heart of the matter."

That left the Fat Friar adding numbers in his ghostly head. "Miss Granger thirty four points for being a good and loyal friend. If I'm not mistaken, that takes Ravenclaw back to where they were at the start of the period."

After just publicly stating he had a non-interference policy on house points, Albus was powerless to do anything. He left the class as the Hufflepuff ghost made the final proclamation, skulking back to his office.

-oOoOo-

As they left a class none of them would ever forget, Hermione had one final question for the wizard whose arm she was on. "Harry, what did you mean by knowing what would happen if Hogwarts put its prices up?"

Harry tried to think of an easy way to say this but eventually just told it straight. "Magical Britain is a very male-dominated culture. Most pureblood witches are destined to raise children and adorn their husband's arm at social functions, they are sent to Hogwarts in the hope of meeting that husband. If the prices were to be pushed up too far, some fathers would question the expense of a formal education. They could decide not send them to Hogwarts - just choosing a likely husband for their daughter instead."

Hermione was so shocked she dropped Harry's arm. "...but that's - that's just.."

As Hermione struggled for words, Harry tried to come to her aid. "... a different culture Hermione? I stood in front of the entire first year and said we can talk out any differences, please don't make a liar out of me."

She had only one thought on her mind. "Harry, please tell me goblin society isn't the same?"

The pleading in her voice touched something deep within Harry. He led his best friend over to a small, windowed alcove and both of them sat on the bench-seat recessed there. "Goblins are a warrior race Hermione, you need to remember that with what I'm about to tell you. There are certain restrictions that goblin culture places on its females with regard to careers."

He could see Hermione ready to comment on that so quickly continued with his explanation. "Females attend all the same classes as males do, though are more likely to be tutored in the use of lighter weapons in combat class. While they are certainly taught how to fight, it's more so they can defend themselves and their families - no goblin female can become a warrior or would ever be expected to fight in a war."

This was something Hermione could grasp. There was currently a great debate in the British Army as to whether woman could fight as front line troops. It was a debate in which there were no quick or easy answers so she could understand the goblin position on this.

Harry took Hermione nodding her head as a good sign so continued. "Goblin females are also barred from working at any of the counters in Gringotts - but not for the reason you might think. Goblins are trained in how to deal with surly and sometimes downright rude wizards and witches who use Gringotts. No goblin warrior could ever stand by while a goblin female received the same abuse, there would be heads rolling along the bank floor on a daily basis."

Hermione had now witnessed Harry's protectiveness on more than one occasion, it was a trait that made her go weak at the knees. Again, she had no problem imagining a Gringotts guard taking a blade to a wizard who happened to shout abuse at a female goblin.

"There are females whose greatest wish is to marry, raise children and be a full time mother, just like there are ones who wish to choose a career too. You told me your mother and father are forms of healer who work together. A husband and wife who were both healers would not be an unusual occurrence in our society. In the magical community, this would be much more of a rarity."

"Harry, all I really wanted to know was that the female goblins got to make their own decisions. Barring a few positions that you've explained, it would appear so."

"We are still a male dominated society Hermione, no female could head a house. At the same time, no head of house would ever have anything to do with an arranged marriage - and goblin betrothal contracts just don't exist."

Hermione's voice became a squeak as she struggled to get the words out. "Betrothal contracts?"

"Oh, the purebloods just love their betrothal contracts, I think there's about a sack full of them somewhere in Gringotts with Harry Potter's name on them. The last of the Potters is apparently quite a prize, there certainly will be offers in that sack from fathers of witches we both know in Hogwarts."

Hermione's mouth was suddenly incredibly dry but she had to know. "What do you think of that?"

Harry shrugged. "I'm a goblin warrior that has been given a mission, a mission I need to complete before I can live my life in peace. Until Voldemort is no longer a threat, I won't even consider anything like that. When he's gone, I know exactly what I want though."

Hermione had stopped breathing as she desperately waited for Harry to continue. He appeared to be staring at something that wasn't there while she just wanted him to end this agony.

"My father told me my dad and mum were, as well as being a powerful and formidable couple, very much in love. That's what I want." He looked to his best friend for her opinion, to see Hermione wearing the biggest smile he'd ever witnessed. "Do you think that's silly Hermione?"

She slowly and deliberately wrapped her arms around him, her head was beside his as she whispered in Harry's ear. "That's what everyone wants Harry, but I can't think of anyone who deserves to find it more than you."

"So, we okay?"

"Of course we are silly, cultural differences that we talked through. I would never make a liar out of my best friend. Was getting rid of Binns the end of it Harry?"

Harry couldn't shake his head because it was currently nestled very comfortably next to Hermione's, he still had to give a negative answer though. "Both my father and the director see this as nothing more than a few steps on a long road..."

She then asked the question that had been eating away at her for a while, here was Hermione's opening to have it answered. "...but why you Harry? Why do you have to be the one risking yourself to do these things?"

Harry still had her wrapped in his arms, he kept Hermione there as he answered. "That's simple Hermione, because I'm the only one who can. We goblins have been complaining about Binns for generations, that we had to make those complaints to the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures should tell you how successful we were. The boy-who-lived was able to see Binns driven from the castle in a single afternoon. We may not see goblin / wizard relations where we would want them in our lifetime, but our children and their children should benefit from these changes."

Hermione was in Harry's arms, now her favourite place in the entire world. Hearing him say 'our children' just turned her entire insides to mush. She knew he didn't mean it that way but a girl could dream, a certain girl also needed a long talk with her mother first chance she could get.

Harry enjoyed Hermione snuggling into him so continued talking to prolong this condition, he had no idea his best friend would quite happily stay there for the rest of the day. "I can only work on the wizarding attitudes, my father and the director have probably the more difficult task of convincing the rest of our nation better relations with the magical community is something we goblins should want. Of those seven 'goblin rebellions' Binns had built his history course around, two of them were actually started by goblins. What he didn't teach though was that this pair of rebellions were actually put down by the goblin nation, with the guilty being punished. We still have a few goblins who hold on to their hatred every bit as bitterly as Binns - though not after death."

They sat quietly, content just to be holding each other for a few minutes. "You know Padma is going to tease us mercilessly for this?"

Her question drew a chuckle from Harry. "Don't forget Neville, he's getting just as bad. The two of them have Parvati and Lavender almost sick with jealousy by acting like a couple."

"I wonder if Padma's name is on one of those betrothal contracts?"

"I don't know, but it's something I'll have to deal with when I become head of the Potter family. No pureblood would ever accept a rejection of their daughter from a goblin, so that is something I'm going to have to do myself."

"Oh my, I think I would be mortified if you had to reject me."

A moment of silence followed that remark before Harry managed to answer. "I don't think I could do that to you..."

Hermione was once more having trouble breathing with a mouth that would match the Sahara for moisture content, did Harry really just say that? "Do I need to talk to my father about a contract?" She had made the quip only partly in jest.

Harry held her closer as he whispered his answer. "Only if you want to be the same as all the rest."

Both had a rough last few hours and neither wanted to be the one to break their hold. This was how Padma and Neville found them almost half an hour later. Their friends didn't tease, just handed over the food they had brought wrapped in napkins. Eating in the great hall with everyone staring at you was overrated anyway.

-oOoOo-

Barchoke marched down the corridor to the director's office. He didn't have an appointment but also didn't think that would matter today, the letter in his hand was all the appointment he needed.

Once in the director's presence, Barchoke wasted no time in passing on the news - or the letter. "Director, my son has done it!" The pride in his son's achievement practically radiated off Barchoke, if it was possible for a goblin to glow then he managed it.

Ragnok read the letter and his delight matched that of Barchoke. "Bloody Binns' grandson finally ejected from the castle! This is a great day my friend." Even at this early hour, Ragnok shouted for goblin grog to celebrate this famous victory. When both of them had a tankard, Ragnok offered a toast.

"Almost ten years ago I named your son Old Crow because I found it amusing. Like a true goblin, by his achievements he has turned the joke back on me. I find myself having to rename your son, from this day forth he shall be known as Centurion Crow." Ragnok took a deep swig of the potent brew to seal the deal before noticing his drinking companion wasn't reciprocating the toast.

Barchoke was actually down on one knee with his head bowed. "Director, I beg of you, please don't do this. My son faces enough resentment amongst the nation without adding to his burden."

"Do you not think the goblin who rid us of Bloody Binns spawn should be rewarded?"

"Yes director but..."

"...but nothing Barchoke. You have raised a fine son, a proud goblin warrior. His tutors and trainers return glowing reports, you yourself marched proudly into this room to boast of his achievements. His work inside Hogwarts has been exemplary, and raised our profile to heights we never thought possible. I know as a father you want your son to make his own decision and I promise to honour that, but I for one would be happy if he chose to stay with Gringotts."

Barchoke was never so glad to have a tankard of grog in his hand, after hearing that he certainly needed it. He couldn't drink it now though until the director was finished presenting his argument.

"I know your original intention was to have your son taking his place in wizarding society, giving the nation a voice at the very top of their culture - that is still a worthwhile aim. Don't you see though, your son rejecting that life to live amongst us could have just as profound an effect on our community." The head of the goblin nation began listing his reasons for a statement that was every bit as shocking as when Barchoke first proposed Harry Potter being raised as one of them. Both goblins in the room were also aware that one of them had very nearly lost his head that day.

"He has already killed with his blade in combat and righted a historic wrong, he could be every bit as great a hero to our nation as the boy-who-lived is to the wizards. Master Sharpshard thinks that when your son masters his magic, no goblin will be able to stand against him in combat. That in itself is an achievement which deserves to be rewarded. Now will you stand and toast your son's success with me? We have a ceremony to arrange, let's invite his young friend along and nail our intentions to the wall for all to see."

Barchoke knew one tankard wasn't going to be enough, he would need to write to Harry though before he drank any more. "Director, you do me and my family great honour. Awarding my son this rank, and inviting his friend to the ceremony will certainly start the cart rolling. Here's to smooth track and a safe arrival at the destination we both want." The shocked goblin then drank deeply of the now much-needed brew.

-oOoOo-

Eargit delivered her letter to Harry before popping onto the table beside Hermione, the witch had Moonlight in her lap and the wise bird knew this would mean more scraps. She wasn't disappointed as the first piece of bacon came her way, the young kneazle wasn't in the slightest bit jealous - appearing to know there was plenty available for both familiars.

"A snowy white owl and a jet black cat, they couldn't be more different yet get along fine together. Do you think we can add their example to us four Harry?"

Harry hadn't heard a word, his entire attention riveted to the parchment in his hands. He'd now read the relevant section three times and it still didn't make sense. "WHAT THE..."

"Harry? Is everything all right?"

"I honestly don't know."

"How can you not know?"

"I mean I need a few minutes to figure this out. This is life changing Hermione, and not something you expect with your breakfast on a Thursday morning."

Nothing in Hogwarts could be kept secret and Harry's voice had been loud enough to attract attention. Soon the entire hall knew Harry had received disturbing news from home. Dumbledore sensed an opening so headed over to the Ravenclaw table. If the boy was upset, he might let something slip. The head of Harry's house followed on right behind the headmaster though.

Albus started with an obvious question to get the boy talking. "Any news of when the new history professor will be arriving at Hogwarts Mr Crow?"

"Tomorrow, and actually it's Centurion Crow."

Filius immediately had his right hand in a clenched fist and placed on his chest above his heart, he then bowed his head to complete the salute. "Well met Centurion Crow, and may I be the first to congratulate you."

With Professor Flitwick congratulating Harry, Hermione's worry meter slipped down about four notches, she was now more confused than concerned. "Centurion, like in the Roman army? Do you now have a hundred goblins under you?"

Harry was still struggling to come to terms with this news so it was left to their head of house to explain. "A centurion is a warrior who, by his actions, has done the goblin nation a great service. He doesn't have warriors under his command as such, though a warrior would obey if a centurion gave a direct order. The nearest thing I can think of to compare it with would be an Order of Merlin - or something like a knighthood in the muggle world. I think Harry will be the youngest ever recipient of this great honour, have they arranged the date of the ceremony yet?"

"My father says it's all in hand. Master Flitwick, can you spare the time to have a meeting before classes start? Hermione should be included to, since she's going to be receiving an invitation from the director to attend the ceremony."

Flitwick's "WHAT!" rivalled that of the headmaster's in their history class for sheer volume of noise, the difference this time was that the entire hall heard and fell silent. Eargit shot into the air and circled above while Hermione comforted Moonlight, both familiars had reacted badly to the loud shout.

"So, me attending this ceremony is not what normally happens? I should be getting used to it by now, hanging around with Harry."

Filius was delighted to see how well the girl was taking this, he needed to let her know just how momentous this was though. "Miss Granger, I think you will be the first witch or wizard ever to attend one of these ceremonies. I myself have never seen one."

Albus was quick to react, he really didn't need more positive attention for the goblins. "If Miss Granger is going to be in any danger, then I'm afraid I can't allow her to attend..."

Dumbledore may have been quick but Harry was lightning. He was on his feet and facing down the headmaster. "Since Hermione has already been attacked twice in your school, I hardly think we need to take safety advice from Albus Dumbledore. When her parents sign the permission form, you have no further say in the matter headmaster. This does not concern you."

Albus knew he had made a terrible mistake, he was currently standing toe to toe with a first year but unbelievably was in deep trouble. While still quick, he was a wizard with well over a century of years under his belt. Young Harry on the other hand had speed to burn with reflexes to match, and Albus had foolishly placed himself in easy range of that deadly knife. Visions of wands lying sliced clean through on that toilet floor sent shivers down the headmaster. The elder wand may be the most powerful of wands, but it was still made of wood and wouldn't survive an encounter with a goblin blade. It was actually Filius who saved the situation escalating to that point, and Albus having to back down from a first year in front of the entire school.

"Miss Granger will be treated with the utmost respect while inside Gringotts, to do otherwise would see the offender pay a very high price. She will be attending as the guest of the director, to even insult her reflects badly on Ragnok - certainly not good for any goblin doing the insulting's health. Add to that, the bracelet she wears tells everyone she is under the protection of a very powerful family." This last fact was news to everyone bar Harry, even Hermione.

Filius explained the bracelet's significance in goblin culture to the entire hall, all of whom were now listening intently. "Professor McGonagall is known for wearing a piece of her clan tartan as part of her robes, the filigree design on the bracelet provides the same function. To a goblin, it's as easy to read as tartan is to a Scot. To treat Miss Granger with anything less than the respect she deserves would see that goblin incur the wrath of not only the director, but one of the goblin nation's most powerful families too. I agree with Centurion Crow, she will be far safer inside Gringotts than her time at Hogwarts has been."

Albus was forced to accept this, he had no means of refuting any of these claims. The headmaster attempted to at least save some face. "Please arrange for the appropriate paperwork to be in Hogwarts well before this ceremony takes place..."

Harry wasn't prepared to let the headmaster off with even that much. "My father will be contacting Professor McGonagall shortly with all the details, and the completed paperwork. Master Flitwick, my father also wishes to invite you to the ceremony."

It was a delighted head of Ravenclaw who once more gave the centurion salute before leading both of them to his office.

Hermione was on Harry's arm but with Moonlight cradled in her other, they had barely left the hall when she asked the first question. "What just happened in there Harry?"

"Remember I said I had to do this because only I could? I think the director has just changed the rules and now wants me to help change goblin minds too. I want to talk it over with Master Flitwick but I think I'm right. The director inviting you along is the biggest clue. He's deliberately showing me choosing Gringotts doesn't mean I would lose my friends, and publicly throwing his backing behind that. This ceremony also very publicly places the director behind me being considered a goblin. A centurion is something every goblin warrior dreams of becoming, I just can't believe it's happening to me."

Hermione wasn't too troubled by this news. "I've already told you Harry, if you leave then I'm coming too. I haven't seen anything since our first night in Hogwarts that would make me want to change my mind. Considering you didn't even get house points for saving us from that troll, I would say you deserve this - except I'm beginning to think this centurion thing is even bigger than I first thought."

Filius was also running the facts through his mind, and coming to the same conclusion as Harry. If this came down to a tug-o-war between the two cultures, the poor boy's eventual decision had just become an impossible one.

-oOoOo-

Bill could tell the gloves were now off, Harry's news had inserted a touch of panic into the headmaster's manipulations. "Albus, you have to understand I was not the only person considered for this job, this is a fantastic opportunity for me. What you're asking would finish my career if word ever got back."

"My boy, what you fail to see are the wider implications we're dealing with here. Transfiguration is changing as Minerva becomes more and more enchanted with the goblin method of performing this task. Your defence classes are coveted nearly as much as those private potions lessons that are taught by a goblin. Tomorrow, we have a new history professor who will introduce a new course, both course and professor are bought and paid for by the goblins."

Albus followed this up with an impassioned plea. "They are using Harry's influence, and the Potter gold, to undermine our society in a way that's just as dangerous as any dark lord. Their influence has now spread over four of our seven core subjects - five if you count Filius teaching charms - and I need to know what their intentions are. Surely there is something you can tell me?"

"I can tell you they want Voldemort gone, something I know we both agree with."

Albus only nodded and let the silence draw out, wanting more information than that. His patience was finally rewarded.

"They also have a plan concerning the school that I think you should be part of, I was told no. They suspect that there may be a horcrux hidden inside Hogwarts, Harry's hoping his status as her champion will help him find it. If he discovers one, my job is to safely transport it to Gringotts..."

"If you discover one, I want to examine it."

"Sorry Albus, my instructions are explicit. Protect Harry at all costs, and get any horcrux to Gringotts immediately. The goblins have a procedure to deal with these things so you can rely on them to do it safely."

"Do you know if they have destroyed any more?"

"I was told about the one that had been inside Harry, nothing specific outwith that. I do know they have a small team dedicated to researching and then running down any leads on these abominations. At the moment, that team's best guess at a horcrux location is Hogwarts."

It wasn't much but at least he would be told if a horcrux was removed from Hogwarts. Now that he had breached the wall of William's defences, the next piece of information should come easier. Soon, he would know everything that the goblins trusted their curse-breaker with. If it became necessary to expose that information to others, William would make a fine defence professor when the goblins threw him out. He would even have accommodation in the castle, and away from his mother. After receiving a howler from Molly when she found out Voldemort was in the castle, Albus thought getting out of the Burrow would surely be a plus point for the young man taking the job.

-oOoOo-

The new history professor wasn't a wizard but Harry didn't think Draco would be complaining. Professor Hobson wasn't a goblin - or even a centaur, she was a five foot six Swedish blonde in her mid/late-twenties. Her face and figure were such that the seventh year males were considering if dropping grades on their other subjects might be worth it to be in a classroom with the hottest witch in Hogwarts. No, Draco would certainly not be complaining about the latest goblin import to the castle.

A/N your response to my last chapter was just - WOW! I do actually strive to make my stories 'different' and I was really pleased to see my ideas so well received. Thanks for reading.

15. Visiting Parents

Harry Crow

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters and my writing certainly couldn't be considered canon. If my efforts don't fit your idea of what a Harry Potter story should be, I can only offer my apologies and a suggestion. Writing your own really is the only way to ensure the story progresses exactly the way you want it to, it also gives the rest of us something to read.

A/N I'm doing a charity cycle this weekend so you're getting this one early.

Chapter 15

With Halloween being on a Thursday, the ceremony where Harry would officially become Centurion Crow was scheduled for the following day. Knowing how much pressure his son had actually been under in his two months at Hogwarts, Barchoke made arrangements for Harry and Hermione to be out of the castle that weekend too.

The educator in McGonagall had originally balked at the idea of a pair of first years missing so many classes, forcing Harry to tell her the reason behind needing Halloween away from Hogwarts too. After that, It was a teary-eyed Deputy Headmistress who immediately signed the paperwork.

They stayed for Astronomy class on the Wednesday evening so didn't leave until after breakfast on Thursday morning, Padma was hugging both of them goodbye before Professor Flitwick escorted them to the edge of Hogwarts wards. Harry's portkey then took the pair, plus Moonlight riding in her carrying basket, to Gringotts.

-oOoOo-

Harry so wanted to hug his father, Hermione had gotten him addicted to this most un-goblinlike of behaviour. "Well met father, I'm delighted to see you again."

"Well met my son, and of course you too Miss Granger. It does these old eyes good to see you both looking so well."

"Oh sir, I think I'm more excited over this than Harry is, it's really great to see you again too."

The sincerity in her words shone through and had the goblin smiling with delight, it was time to get down to business though. "We have quite a lot to accomplish today so I need to get started by letting you know our itinerary. First, we all have an appointments with the tailors for something appropriate to wear tomorrow. Then our trip to Godric's Hollow, followed by a journey to Crawley."

Hermione's excitement was reaching hyperventilating proportions. "We're going to see my mum and dad?"

"Yes, Harry and I have something we need to take care of but you also have a task to do at home."

Hermione had developed and refined her method of dealing with what she called the goblin need to know principle - they never told you anything if they could help it - she only had to look at Harry and raise an eyebrow for him to offer an explanation.

"Best guess, my father has arranged protection wards on your home. You will need to be there as the warders require someone magical to tie the protection to. I'll tell you about the other trip when I get back. I don't know what I'm going to find and have no intention of letting it spoil our day. My father and I will be perfectly safe so you don't have to worry."

"I thought it was supposed to be me who knew you well?"

Their interplay had Barchoke smiling, but still ushering them out his office. They really did have a lot to do, and he was certainly not looking forward to this afternoon.

-oOoOo-

Since the first of September, Hermione had felt as if she'd dropped straight into one of her favourite books, though this was her own personal version - through the looking glass, and what Hermione found there. This morning had been pure Cinderella - she had felt like a princess as the seamstresses fussed over her and the young witch was amazed by the choices they helped her with - material, colour, style, etc.

Now Hermione was being smacked in the face with the harsh reality of the life she had chosen. Standing there as Harry introduced her to his parents at their graveside was in one way uplifting and yet utterly heartbreaking at the same time. Both his parents had been only twenty one when they were murdered, and Hermione didn't know what to make of the inscription on their headstone - The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

She stood there trying to be a good friend while Harry talked of meeting her on the express and all their adventures to date. He was always modest when describing his actions in these events, and when saying the goblin nation was honouring him by awarding the rank of centurion. He told his mum about their classes, while saying to his father he'd enjoyed his first flight on a broom but had yet to see a quidditch match. Hermione's heart was breaking for her best friend, she so couldn't wait to hug her parents and tell her mum and dad she loved them both.

-oOoOo-

The portkey had barely set the group down in her enclosed back garden and Hermione was already running, racing through the French doors while shouting for her parents. It was a smiling Harry who picked up Moonlight's basket and followed his father in the direction his best friend had shot off.

They soon came across all three Grangers sharing a needy and tearful hug. Harry felt as if they were intruding until Hermione broke away from her parents and was quickly dragging him over to meet them.

"Mum, dad, this is Harry."

Hermione was in her usual position of being on Harry's left arm so he had to sit Moonlight's carrier down to offer her father his hand. "Pleased to meet you sir."

While Dan was noticing how firm this young lad's handshake was, and just how comfortable his daughter appeared on his arm, Harry was getting his first close look at Hermione's parents. He would place both about late thirties with her father easily qualifying for the tall, dark and handsome tag that he'd heard some of the witches bandying about in Hogwarts. That those remarks were aimed at him went right over his head. Harry also thought Emma Granger was a stunningly beautiful woman, politely and sincerely saying so as he kissed the back of her hand.

Emma Granger couldn't believe her first look at Hermione's best friend. His dark suit appeared as it had been hand-made by the best that Savile Row had to offer, though it's cut could hardly be considered traditional. His snow-white shirt was impeccably matched by a pearl grey waistcoat and cravat, crossed by a sash that held a bejewelled but obviously deadly sword. The long jet black hair framing those unbelievable green eyes made for quite the ensemble, she could now understand Hermione's claims that other witches were throwing themselves at him. Gazing into those mesmerising eyes almost took her breath away as Harry kissed the back of her hand, claiming it was now easy to see from where Hermione inherited her beauty. Her daughter giggling was a wonderful sound that both Granger parents wanted to hear a lot more of, and broke the spell Emma was falling under.

"Oh my, he's quite the charmer Hermione."

This produced a full-blown laugh from her daughter. "The thing is mum, Harry doesn't even know he's doing it. Harry's just being sincere."

Hermione was bending down to get the newest member of the Granger family out her basket when her parents caught sight of her bracelet. "Jesus! Hermione, you weren't kidding about your present being beautiful."

"Oh I know mum, isn't Moonlight just gorgeous?"

Dan and Emma were both delighted their daughter valued her kitten over the golden bracelet, and were looking forward to hearing their stories over a lunch that was already prepared. Watching the two kids interact at the table, they fond themselves agreeing with Barchoke. Harry certainly brought the best out of Hermione.

Their daughter was sitting with Moonlight on her lap, scraps of food would find their way to the kitten, as Hermione's constant chatter and wide smile lit up the room. They had thought her letters were written by a different girl but here was the daughter both parents had always known was inside, all it had needed was some friends to bring this happy and contented version of Hermione to the fore.

Soon Barchoke had to offer their apologies, he and Harry had an appointment that couldn't be broken. All three parents watched as their children hugged each other, Barchoke promising that they would be back later. The warders were also due within the hour to begin their work securing the Granger home.

Hermione watched Harry and his father disappear and both her parents heard her sigh. Dan went to clear up after lunch, knowing Emma wanted a chance to talk to their not so little girl.

-oOoOo-

It was a long time since Sirius Black had enjoyed lunch, it was now a decade since Sirius had enjoyed anything. Today was the tenth anniversary of the worst day of his life, the day his entire world turned to shit. It was therefore a great shock when he heard the guard approaching and then his cell door creaked open.

"Move it Black, some goblins here to see you on family business. I thought you were the last of your evil tribe."

Sirius wondered if Lucius was trying to get his hands on the Black fortune again? He must be getting desperate, sending goblins to Azkaban now. His only happy thought was his iron-clad will that left everything to his godson, neither the Malfoys nor the ministry would get a Knut of that money.

He was led into the visitor room and sat in the chair, chains soon had him secured before the guard left. A pair of goblins then entered from another door and sat in front of him. One of the goblins had his hood raised and face hidden while the other did the talking.

"Good afternoon sir, we were wondering if you could answer some questions for us?"

"Well it's not like I had anything else planned for today. You've came all this way to see me so I'll do my best."

Sirius then felt as if all the oxygen had been sucked out of the room. The other 'goblin' had lowered his hood and the marauder found himself pierced by a familiar pair of angry green eyes. The last time Sirius had looked into a pair of angry green eyes exactly like those was after he had bought his godson a broom for his first birthday - Lily threatened to castrate Padfoot if Harry hurt himself.

"You can start Mr Black by telling us why you betrayed my parents to that bastard Voldemort?"

-oOoOo-

Hermione was pacing up and down the kitchen, with her gaze fixed on the back garden. Their house was now warded but Harry still hadn't returned as evening was falling, and Hermione's anxiety was mounting with every minute that passed. Her mum and dad were trying to get her to sit but the feeling that something had happened just wouldn't go away.

Moonlight was currently positioned on Emma's lap, having taken to both her owner's parents instantly. Her mother was stroking the purring kitten while trying to get Hermione to calm down. "Harry will arrive when he gets here, you walking up and down won't make it happen any faster. He's with his father and said they wouldn't be in any danger."

"Mum, danger just has a way of sneaking up on Harry. He never goes looking for trouble, it usually finds him...oh shit - Harry!"

The pair had portkeyed into the back garden and it appeared as if his father was holding Harry up, Dan moved swiftly to help Barchoke get his son into the house. Hermione stood there almost frozen in shock until Harry spotted her and managed to say 'Hermione', she sprang right to him and both were soon a tangle of arms. The two fathers got Harry into a chair and Hermione parked herself on his lap, her best friend was sobbing his heart out and she had no intention of moving anywhere else until he was okay.

The three parents were left to stand there as Hermione comforted a Harry who'd clearly had some kind of emotional breakdown. Barchoke was looking on in anguish, feeling as if he'd failed his son. "I had no idea how to deal with Harry's reaction but your daughter seemed to know exactly what to do. I can't thank you or Hermione enough for this."

Emma watched as their daughter sat on a boy's lap and whispered in his ear, that the same boy was holding on to her as if his life depended on it gave some idea of just how much these two had come to depend on each other. She was so glad of having the chance to talk with Hermione, and relieved she had time to pass that information on to her husband while their daughter was assisting with the wards.

Hermione's revelation that Harry wouldn't even consider a girlfriend until this nutter was no longer after him had eased Dan's worries. All three parents already had a fair idea who Harry would be turning to when that time came. Emma's advice to her daughter was to be Harry's best friend, and anything more that she wanted would perhaps follow later. Emma hoped it would be years later but children seemed to grow up faster with every passing generation.

She asked Barchoke the obvious question. "What happened?"

"It's a very long story Emma, and one you will hear in great detail, but let's wait until Harry feels up to telling his part of it. My son has just had the biggest shock of his life. I have seen him physically battered and bruised yet not a tear was shed, this just reminded me he still has a bit of growing to do. I have gotten used to treating him like an adult but he is only eleven - and today that showed."

Having Hermione in his arms was allowing Harry to regain control of his emotions. Harry had built his drive to excel on a foundation of three life goals, three reasons he must train, study and be at his best so he could achieve his aims. These trio of absolutes were the force that gave Harry the strength to get back up in a fight when his body was screaming enough, what gave him the drive and determination to succeed on his mission at Hogwarts.

He was determined to prove his 'family' wrong for discarding him out of hand, his greatest wish was to one day confront them. In his book, a child being magical was not a good enough reason to throw that child away. His father was a different species and, in his own way, loved him very much. Goblins worshiped their children and Harry had been raised as a goblin, so his abandonment at his relatives' hands was a scar that went really deep.

Secondly, he needed to see Voldemort gone forever. Even without the prophecy, this would have been one of his main goals. Revenge was a concept that spanned many cultures but Harry considered it more a case of delayed justice. Voldemort had killed his parents, and would be coming back to try for him again. Seeing this monster gone forever was something that had to be done, and, according to the prophecy, only he could do it.

Thirdly, Harry desperately wanted to look the wizard in the eye that had betrayed his parents and ask him why - before spitting in the bastard's face. Today he thought he would accomplish one of those aims, only to discover it was the wrong man held in Azkaban.

This had badly shaken those painstakingly constructed foundations, and Harry didn't know how to deal with the situation he now found himself in. When Harry began to speak, it was to Hermione he addressed himself. The three parents just sat and listened, almost forgotten about by their children.

"Hermione, I have hated someone for as long as I can remember. I took delight and comfort from the fact he was locked away in the toughest prison on the planet. No punishment was too harsh for this person, no suffering too great. Today, my father and I went to Azkaban to confront this criminal..." Hermione's gasp of shock saw Harry falter for a moment, it also allowed Barchoke to quietly explain to her parents just what Azkaban was.

Hermione now holding Harry even tighter at the mention of that foul place gave him the strength to continue. "I found an innocent man Hermione, I found family I didn't know I had. I found a godfather, a godfather who even after ten years in Azkaban still loves me... How could I be so wrong? What else in my life am I totally wrong about? I don't know what to do next Hermione?"

His best friend instinctively understood what the problem was here, Harry's very beliefs had just taken a massive hit. There was also the fact that another person said they loved him, apparently not something goblins were noted for saying to each other. Hermione had come to understand Harry very well, and thought she knew what to say to help her best friend. "Love him back Harry, that's all you can do. If he really loves you, then that's all he would want. Let the adults work on how to get him out of there, you can't do any more at the moment."

Harry was crying again, but this time it seemed different. Gone were the distraught, heart-wrenching sobs, this was more like a welcome release. As they watched Hermione once more work her soothing magic on her best friend, Dan needed to know something from Barchoke.

"Is this man really innocent?"

"We have searched for years, attempting to unearth information on Sirius Black - the man who betrayed Harry's parents. That we couldn't find any surprised us, the ministry aren't usually that efficient at keeping secrets, and left us with no option but to approach the source. Sirius' claims that he never had a trial or was even questioned answers our lack of records problem. With his permission, we were able to access the Black vaults. Harry is indeed his godson, and sole heir to the Black title and fortune."

Emma couldn't get her head around this development. "How could an innocent man end up in prison - without even a trial?"

"Powerful figures wanted him there Emma, that was all it took. The man was in tears, claiming he had let down his godson. He was at Harry's parents home that night after the attack, and wanted to take baby Harry with him. Dumbledore already had plans in place and Sirius was denied his legal right. Instead, he went after the real betrayer but was caught before he could kill the traitor. Sirius was again denied his legal rights, he awoke in Azkaban and has been there for the last ten years. Harry then tried to comfort Sirius by giving him a quick overview of his own life, before becoming distraught with himself that we hadn't taken any action earlier..."

-oOo- earlier -oOo-

"Harry, you had to stay hidden - I completely understand and agree with that. I see a wonderful young man before me, and that makes me feel better than I have in many years. Your father has done a fantastic job raising you..."

"Sirius, I'm now head of the Potter family, I can use that to get you out..."

Sirius saw the Potter ring appear on his godson's finger. "Not without ending the escrow agreement that keeps you protected, I don't want that. How did you slip that one past the ministry anyway?"

"We placed the documents in a bundle of goblin complaints against the ministry, and filed them with the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. We have a signed receipt and the ninety days the ministry - or anyone else - had to object has now passed..."

"That is so sneaky, I love it. Please listen to me, you couldn't have registered those papers before your eleventh birthday, so the ninety days must have just passed this week. You couldn't have come here any quicker even if you wanted to."

Harry started sobbing then, knowing what he had come here to do. Confront his parents' betrayer and spit in Sirius Black's face.

"Listen to me Harry, knowing you are safe and well will allow me to survive in here. Yes I want out, but not at any cost to the only person in the world who means anything to me."

They heard the guard returning and Harry flew to hug his chained godfather, his father was left to pull his son's hood up and stop Harry attacking the guard as the idiot berated and manhandled Sirius out the room.

-oOo- present -oOo-

Dan had a query. "Are you saying all Harry had to do was pull his hood up and he could waltz right through a maximum security prison?"

"I was clearly a goblin, and chatting with my companion in our own language. I told you, to them goblins are only a small step up from Moonlight there. Yes there was certainly a chance we may have been discovered, that's why we couldn't make the trip any sooner. Until Harry went to Hogwarts, no one but Dumbledore knew where he was. I got Harry back to Gringotts, we were already sure Sirius was telling the truth but confirmation saw me having to bring Harry here in that state."

Emma was focusing on another issue. "You said Harry was now head of the Potter family, does that mean he's made his decision?"

"What I want for my son is that he, and he alone, has the power to make that decision. This was crucial in that our greatest fear was the ministry or Dumbledore would find - or even invent - some legal loophole to tear Harry away from me. The escrow agreement means he's considered property until he reaches the age of seventeen, or the head of the Potter family decrees otherwise. Since that is now Harry, he has the power to end it at any point he so chooses. At the moment though, this would have the effect of throwing him to the wolves. He has trained hard and studied even harder for what he knew was awaiting him at Hogwarts. Harry has neither the knowledge nor experience to handle being an adult wizard. He needs time to grow, physically and emotionally before that decision really becomes a viable one."

"So this was more about stopping anyone else forcing that decision on him?"

"Exactly Emma, we want to keep this information secret for as long as possible. I don't want Harry jumping into anything and getting some short-term gain, but losing in the long run. Sirius picked up on that aspect at once, which was why he didn't want Harry rushing out and declaring himself head of the Potter family to help."

"Will he have to deal with this sack load of betrothal contracts now?"

Barchoke's eyebrows shot up at that. "He told Hermione about them?"

Emma was confused at the surprise, you could almost say shock, her question had been greeted with. "Yes, is there something wrong with that?"

"Oh no, it's just the level of trust between them that shocked me." On seeing Emma visibly confused, Barchoke attempted to explain. "That a parent would offer their daughter in marriage to someone they had never even met - for financial gain - is as disgusting to goblins as I can see it is to you. Goblins could never treat their children like property."

He then continued quickly, knowing the irregularity in that statement and noticing Dan had clearly picked up on. "Had Harry been born a goblin, an escrow agreement would never have been possible. I only suggested it to protect Harry from an orphanage, my intention was always to adopt and raise him as my son. When Harry publicly declares himself as head of House Potter, one of his first tasks will be to reject each and every one of those contracts. They are something that he is deeply embarrassed by, which was why I was so surprised he mentioned them to Hermione."

The parents had been chatting in voices that were barely above a whisper because Harry and Hermione had become very quiet, a closer inspection showed that they had fallen asleep in each others arms.

Emma couldn't help herself. "Ah, don't they look cute!"

This led to her husband shaking his head but making an offer to Barchoke anyway. "I really don't want to disturb them and Harry is welcome to stay here tonight. You could pick them both up in the morning?"

"Tomorrow is a very big day for Harry, he really needs to be rested. I think staying here would certainly help with that." Barchoke then had a question of his own. "Would you mind if I made them more comfortable?"

Emma quickly agreed and then both Grangers watched in amazement as the chair slowly transformed into a very comfortable looking sofa. The transformation was so slow and gentle, neither of the kids woke as their sleeping position changed. Both were now lying on the sofa though they never released their grip on each other throughout.

A cushion became a blanket that tucked both of them in before Barchoke wished everyone a good night.

Emma came from the kitchen with two cups of tea to see Dan watching over the sleeping pair. She handed him his cup while expressing her surprise. "You're taking this much better than I thought. I half expected you getting the guns out to chase Harry off, not sitting there watching some boy sleeping with your daughter."

He knew his wife was teasing but Dan still decided to answer. "First of all, this is not some boy - this is Hermione's best friend. Furthermore, they are sleeping and did I mention he was eleven?"

This earned Dan a kiss from his wife, who was still teasing. "Why don't you just admit you like the boy?"

"Oh he had you eating out of his hand within minutes, handsome and charming was just two descriptions I heard as I cleared the lunch dishes away. I will admit the boy is polite, courteous and has impeccable taste in females - he had you swooning and clearly adores Hermione. Let's not forget he placed himself between nine bullies and our little girl, I'm trying my hardest to forget all about trolls."

Emma held the silence and Dan finally cracked. "Ok, I like the boy - satisfied?"

"I just wanted to make sure we were on the same page, I think they're adorable together. I wondered about Barchoke's comment that these two would be part of each other's lives for years, having seen them today I agree one hundred percent - and approve more than I can say. When have you ever seen our daughter happier, and one of her other friends will be coming for Christmas too. I really can't wait and want to spend as much time with them as possible."

This had Dan thinking. "Neither Harry nor Padma celebrate Christmas, I think we should go all-out to make their first Christmas as memorable as possible."

Christmas was Emma's favourite time of the year so that got a big yes from her. They watched as the kids moved to get more comfortable on the conjured sofa, at no point did they release their hold on each other. This actually drew a smile from Dan.

"Hermione has always been a girl who loved her hugs, it would appear she's found a best friend who thinks the same way."

Emma had more to add to that observation. "Harry had his first hug on the train to Hogwarts. Hermione said this was a cultural difference Harry was happy to adopt, apparently goblins don't do hugs. That's probably why his father brought him here, Barchoke possibly knew what Harry needed but didn't know how to go about it."

This confused Dan. "How is that possible..."

Emma cut right in. "Hermione says the four friends come across differences like that every day. They've learned it doesn't make someone right or wrong - just different."

"She really is growing in to a young lady..."

His wife cut in again. "...a beautiful young lady who's already well into her first crush. That the subject of this crush is lying on our new sofa snuggling into our daughter means the next few years will be interesting. There is one thing I'm already sure of, that young man there will never break her heart..."

This time it was Dan's turn to butt in. Here though was the protective father Emma had been expecting. "...he bloody better not - or he'll need to deal with me."

-oOoOo-

Hogwarts was recovering from its Halloween celebrations and normal service was slowly being resumed at breakfast. The conversations were swaying between the upcoming quidditch match and the beautiful new history professor - the new course was only mentioned at the Ravenclaw table. All that stopped when the Prophet was delivered, the headline alone was enough to account for that.

Boy-who-lived opens his heart to the Prophet.

Exclusive interview and picture.

They did indeed have a picture of Harry, with Hermione of course on his arm. The flowers in his hand were assumed to be for her.

There then followed a list of questions and answers that most in the castle recognised the truth of, that was until Padma grabbed a copy and made for the staff table.

"Professor Flitwick, this is a load of rubbish. Harry would never talk to that rag, he won't even read it."

"I am inclined to agree with you Miss Patil, but that picture is undoubtably Mr Crow and Miss Granger - and most of us recognise some truth in the article."

She was joined by an angry Neville who defended his friends just as stoutly. "Padma and I know what Harry and Hermione had planned yesterday. It's just not possible for this interview to have taken place."

"All this supposed interview goes on about is how happy Harry is at Hogwarts - where does it say he had to fight a troll and provide three of his own tutors?"

Neville totally agreed with Padma on this point. "It also never mentions the fact that Harry is out of school to become Centurion Crow, something he would be sure to talk about in any interview.

Severus had been keeping his head low, observing rather than objecting. The boy's takedown of Binns had been pure Slytherin in the way it was handled, the foundation named after his mother supporting a new history course had also grudgingly won the potion master's respect. This interview in today's Prophet was more like the behaviour he had expected from James Potter's spawn. Severus was head of Slytherin though, so decided to act like one.

"How can you be so sure of that Mr Longbottom?"

Neville and Padma shared a long look. They may be breaking a confidence of Harry's but this interview made their friend seem like an arrogant arsehole. Their decision was made.

"His father was taking him to visit his mum and dad's grave. This is something they do regularly, and Harry spends his time telling his parents what's been happening with him since his last visit. He invited Hermione along and those flowers will be laid on his mum and dad's graves. This is something Harry would never allow the Prophet anywhere near. I don't know how they got this information and picture but I'm certain Harry knew nothing about it."

Professor McGonagall then stood and confirmed what her young lion had just said. "I was aware of where Mr Crow and Miss Granger were yesterday, and totally agree with Mr Longbottom. Harry's father would never allow the Prophet anywhere near his son, and especially not with yesterday being the anniversary of his parents murder. Knowing that family as I do, I expect their retaliation to be swift and brutal. I would hate to be the one who leaked Mr Crow's whereabouts to the press."

Padma didn't see McGonagall's gaze settle on Dumbledore, she was too busy staring at the newspaper in her hands. "I think it's time this newspaper was treated as the rubbish it is.." She began to physically rip the Prophet to shreds.

Severus got in before anyone else could. "Miss Patil, I will not sit here and watch you throw rubbish all over the floor. One point from Ravenclaw." The Head of Slytherin then banished his own copy before returning to eat his breakfast. Severus Snape had made his decision. Harry Crow was the son of the best friend he ever, or would ever have. That the boy's father was James Potter could be conveniently ignored.

Filius thought he was going to have to argue with Severus again, his one point deduction and then banishing his own copy of this 'rubbish' saw the diminutive charms master smile. He banished the copy of the Prophet that was sitting in front of him - noticing staff along the table were following suit.

Albus watched while copies of today's Prophet began disappearing from all four house tables as students took the view that the story was wrong, or at least not an interview freely given. He had hoped that this would alienate the boy amongst his peers but the actions of his friends put paid to that. Thankfully the rest of wizarding Britain would eat it up and believe every word of it. Albus was forced to respond to the quite blatant attempt to have Harry choose a goblin way of life, that just couldn't be allowed to happen.

-oOoOo-

Dan was first down in the morning, and couldn't find either Hermione or Harry. He had raced upstairs and just woken Emma when both of them heard the front door open. As laughter flowed up the stairs, they quickly headed back down and weren't sure how to react with what they found. Both kids were dressed in exercise clothes and were flushed as if they had been for a run. Hermione was currently swinging a wooden practice sword about while Harry had a wicked looking knife in his hand. That knife was passing up and down their sweeping brush, a brush that morphed into a sword to match Hermione's.

"Morning mum, dad, I didn't think you would be up this early. We've just done our morning run and now going to practice with swords in the back garden, Harry's been teaching me."

This surprised Dan as much as anything he'd seen since discovering their daughter was a witch, the fact that she was magical seemed easier to believe than Hermione exercising. "Do you do this every morning?"

"We run every morning to warm up but Harry has us doing different training every day. At the weekend we just run, Professor Weasley works us hard at our extra defence lessons."

Emma was every bit as shocked as her husband. "Barchoke said you could perform magic at home because the wards would mask it, can you show us what you're learning?"

Quick as a flash, Hermione's wand was in her hand and Dan was hit with a leg locker hex. That this was followed by a tickling jinx had both parents laughing. Dan because of the jinx and Emma who thought it was hilarious to watch him laugh and try to maintain his balance at the same time.

Hermione soon ended both curses and her wand disappeared back up her sleeve. "Professor Weasley provided the three of us with wrist holders for our wands, Harry already had one for his knife. It only takes a flick of my wrist and my wand is ready for action, those were two of the mildest curses we're learning."

Her father couldn't disguise his pride. That Hermione was not only exercising but learning to defend herself were massive pluses to Dan. That her best friend was responsible for these changes also weighed heavily in Harry's favour, and would see the lad receive a warm welcome whenever he appeared at the Grangers.

Emma switched her attention to the young man who was in such distress last night. "How are you feeling today Harry?"

"A lot better Emma, Hermione has a way of getting me to look at things from a different angle. I now have a godfather, that he's in prison is just about what I've come to expect from my life. I also know my father will be looking for a way to get Sirius out of there, and my father is one very smart goblin. If he's not out of Azkaban by Christmas, I'm sure he'll be able to get us back in to see Sirius again over the holidays."

Talking about his father almost seemed to summon him as Barchoke portkeyed into the back garden a couple of hours earlier than they were expecting. He marched right up to Harry and handed over a copy of today's Prophet. There followed an immediate stream of words in the goblin language.

"English please son."

"Sorry father, but if I repeated that in English, Hermione would brain me with that practice sword."

He may actually have gotten away with it as Hermione's full attention was taken up by the paper in front of her. "How did they get this? We never posed for any picture, and Harry certainly never gave an interview. This makes him out to be as arrogant as Malfoy?"

"As soon as we arrived, I erected wards around that part of the graveyard so we wouldn't be disturbed. No one could have gotten through them without the wards alerting me. We thought some kind of recording quill but that doesn't explain the photograph, I was never more than ten yards away from you two so it has me stumped."

Harry though was coming at the problem from a different direction. "Someone must have told this Skeeter woman we would be there yesterday, I hardly think they just staked out the cemetery on the off-chance we may appear."

It was a delighted and proud goblin who answered his son. "Of course you are right, we suspect Dumbledore set the entire thing up. He squeezed where you would be on Halloween out of Curse-breaker Weasley, who of course reported this to us at once. We certainly didn't think it would lead to anything like today's Prophet. The director is treating this article as a deliberate attack against Gringotts, it can be no coincidence that this comes out the day you are to become the youngest centurion in history - and your supposed interview makes no mention of it. Our legal team are meeting with the Prophet right now."

Dan was extremely unhappy at seeing his daughter plastered all over the front page of what was effectively a national newspaper. "What are you hoping to achieve?"

"They will print a full retraction and reveal how they got this information."

That sounded fine in principle but newspapers were very reluctant to call themselves liars, and even more so to reveal sources. "Do you think they will?"

Barchoke answered with a question of his own. "What would happen if your bank suddenly decided they wouldn't support your business, and wanted all the money back they had lent you? Add to that you wouldn't be able to use the bank to pay your staff salaries, or pay for supplies to keep your business running. Oh, and you can't take your account to another bank - since there isn't one!"

There really was only one answer Dan could give. "We would be ruined, but why would you do that?"

"The director looks on this as a political attack on Gringotts, a deliberate attempt to discredit one of our subjects. Centurion Crow here extolling the virtues of Hogwarts, and the wizarding world in general, will do massive damage to Harry's standing in our nation. This whole thing has Dumbledore's stamp all over it, our reaction must be swift and severe."

Emma was stunned at how much power the goblins actually wielded in the magical world. "Why don't wizards have their own bank? No offence intended Barchoke, but how can it make sense to have all their eggs in the one basket - or all their gold in your bank?"

"You are right Emma but pureblood wizards are inherently lazy. For generations, a flick or swish from their wand has gotten them whatever they wanted, they always take the easy option. Even their favourite sport is played sitting on a broom, hardly physically taxing. Harry and Hermione exercise every day but both their pureblood friends think they are crazy for doing so, because that's the way they have been raised to think. While Gringotts certainly employs a few witches and wizards, they never get to work on the financial side of the bank. Why should we train people who could one day replace us?"

This left the mother shaking her head. "Hermione told us there were cultural differences between all four friends but it takes some getting used to. Do you really think this newspaper will print an apology and the truth?"

Hermione had something to add to that conversation. "Well, if there's going to be another picture, I want to be in it. I look like some gormless village idiot in this one, Harry though is very handsome."

Hermione did indeed have a different way of looking at things and it generated a smile amongst those gathered there that morning. It was time for breakfast, preparations for the ceremony and then crushing a newspaper - unless they printed the truth. Just a normal day for Harry Crow.

-oOoOo-

Hermione's views on the picture were shared by a young redhead at the Burrow. Ginny couldn't wait to get the newspaper up to her bedroom and take a pair of scissors to that picture. She intended to cut so that only her handsome Harry would be left, with flowers in his hand for her of course. Ginny was also counting the days to Christmas and knew she would be getting her present early this year. What gift could possibly compare to her meeting Harry Crow?

A/N thanks for reading.

16. A Centurion and a New Friend

Harry Crow

Disclaimer - the only thing I own here is the iPad I used to write this chapter. Harry Potter and all associated characters belong to JKR

A/N I am organising a charity concert in school next week. Rehearsals and planning are eating into my writing time, this may see my posting schedule slip for chapter 17. If this does happen, then I can assure you it's for a good cause.

Chapter 16

Hermione was back through the looking glass again, at least that's what it felt like. She was clothed in pure white silk and the material flowed over her form like layers of liquid. Her robe was high at the neck and down to her ankles with a violet sash around her waist providing the only colour. That wasn't quite true though, apart from her gold bracelet, Barchoke had loaned her jewellery that belonged to his late wife. A golden necklace that had the same filigree design was almost like chainmail armour as it spread over her chest and the diamond tiara she wore was so beautiful, it wouldn't look out of place in the Tower of London beside the British Crown Jewels.

She was walking beside Barchoke down an aisle that had seating for about five hundred on either side, they were the main guests of honour and had to make their way to the very front. She could hear the murmurings as they walked to their assigned seats and, thanks to Professor Flitwick, Hermione could actually understand them.

Rowena Ravenclaw had invented a spell that allowed a witch or wizard to communicate with goblins, Helena had taught this now forgotten spell to the Head of Ravenclaw so Hermione could understand what was happening here today. It would have been considered the height of bad manners to be translating while another goblin was speaking, this solved the problem of Hermione not having a clue about what was being said.

Hermione thought the part of the bank that did business with the public was rather grand while those areas unseen, behind the scenes so to speak, were fairly spartan. There was no decoration, no paintings, tapestries or even pictures - just plain stone walls. The place where the Centurion Ceremony would be held blew all her goblins being a utilitarian race theories out the window.

The room was oval in shape with a domed ceiling, and Hermione couldn't spot a square inch of this massive cathedral-like hall that wasn't covered in at least one form of artwork. Some of this artwork appeared to be exquisitely carved directly into and out of the stone - with sculpture blending seamlessly into paintings. Add to that the effects created by flickering lighting being beautifully and creatively incorporated into each tableaux - carved goblins holding smokeless flaming torches and even a fire breathing dragon painting / sculpture - and it created the impression you could walk directly into some of the scenes. In any culture, art of this diversity and quality would have been considered beautiful. Given the starkness of it's surrounding rooms and corridors, it was breathtaking.

That most of these scenes depicted goblins battling foes or fierce creatures Hermione thought was to be expected from a race of warriors. From her seat beside Barchoke in the front row, she had an uninterrupted view of the raised stage that filled this end of the oval hall / cathedral.

There was a throne-like carved granite seat in the centre of the marble stage, with about another forty seats - in two banks of twenty - facing not into the audience but the lone seat in the middle. Hermione found herself sitting between Harry's father and Master Pitslay - she could hardly miss that Master Sharpshard was also sitting in the front row. She pitied the poor goblin who ended up sitting behind the massive master of the blade, Hermione didn't think they would be asking him to move though.

The sound of drumming reverberated through the now packed hall / cathedral and that was the signal for everyone to stand. The drumming was caused by goblin warriors banging their swords and axes off their shields and was in time to them marching down the aisle. They came to a halt as the lead goblins reached the front before performing a complex marching manoeuvre. This saw the warriors alined either side of the aisle, but now with each line facing the other. The drumming stopped as, with a loud cheer, all the warriors raised their weapons in salute.

An imposing goblin that Hermione took to be Director Ragnok walked down the centre of this salute. He was clad in body armour that was decorative and ceremonial but certainly still appeared sturdy enough to fulfil its primary function - and carrying the wickedest looking battleaxe she'd ever seen. Considering there were at least a hundred on display here today, Hermione now felt she had a basis for making such a judgement. Marching behind the director were the existing centurions and two things immediately struck the young witch. Harry could have his age trebled and he would still be the youngest centurion, the other thing was more in the form of a question, a question she would ask Barchoke later. Hermione wanted to know if the goblins had copied the Roman armies, or if the most successful troops the world had ever known had based themselves on the goblins?

The centurions wore tunics much like the one Harry did for exercising but these had strips of dragon hide that acted almost like a kilt. All tunics were festooned with goblin steel and she supposed the epaulettes signified their rank. They all had golden bands around their upper arms that, as she had come to expect, were intricately carved. Though able to understand and speak the language, Hermione again was left longing for 'the idiot's guide to goblins'. There was just so much going on in this culture and the young witch felt that she was missing out on a lot. It was the helmets the centurions wore that had her comparing them to Roman soldiers, with the crest running up the middle, they appeared identical to ones she had seen in museums.

That their tunics were an array of colours led Hermione to believe that this was based purely on the species of dragon they chose to make the tunic from. As Ragnok stepped onto the stage and sat in the centre seat, the other centurions filled the chairs either side of the director. It was then Hermione's breath caught in her throat, Harry had just walked forward and knelt in front of Ragnok.

His tunic was ivory in colour and his 'kilt' that had swayed as he walked was hardly longer than his exercise tunic. She had noticed that Harry, although a lot younger that the other centurions, appeared physically taller and broader at the shoulder than a good percentage of them. The director stood and began addressing the assembled crowd.

"My fellow goblins and invited guest, for millennia the position of Centurion has been coveted by each goblin warrior who has ever picked up a weapon. The young candidate that kneels before me now is no different in that respect. He may not have been born a goblin but has certainly been raised as one, embracing our beliefs and values to become a warrior of some renown. He attends Hogwarts but not as a wizard, Crow here is the first goblin warrior ever to attend that ancient seat of learning. There he still receives tutoring from some of our most illustrious masters, and extols the virtues of goblin learning to his classmates. Some of those classmates have actually joined Crow in these lessons - forsaking the offered wizard classes in the process."

Hermione was really glad of the translation charm now, otherwise she would have no idea what Ragnok was saying. She thought the goblin leader was laying it on a bit thick, but wondered how much of that was influenced by today's issue of the Prophet? Ragnok was certainly giving Harry the big build up.

"Our young warrior had hardly set foot in the castle before accomplishing the first of his achievements, the lost goblin forged blade of Godric Gryffindor is back in our hands. It sit's proudly on Crow's hip as the castle herself acknowledged a goblin warrior as her champion. This was no honouree position though, that sword he proudly wears has already tasted blood. The security of Hogwarts was breeched and a mountain troll was running rampage through the castle, it had three young witches and a female healer trapped in their infirmary."

Ragnok was an experienced orator and paused here to let the tension build, he also directed his gaze to Hermione. "The young witch who is our guest of honour here today is only able to attend because Crow saved all of their lives. He cut that troll down to size before jumping onto its back and administering the killing blow - almost decapitating the beast in the process."

This resulted in loud cheering, with all the warriors banging their weapons off their shields in appreciation of their brother warrior's victory. Hermione was blushing profusely at being singled out for attention, she couldn't imagine how Harry felt. He was still kneeling in front of Ragnok with his head bowed but Hermione didn't need to see his face to know it would be red from embarrassment. Harry was such a modest person that this must be torture for him. Unfortunately, the director wasn't quite finished heaping on the praise.

"If those achievements weren't enough to earn this young warrior the rank of centurion, his next deed certainly merited the award. Every warrior is taught that a sharp mind is their greatest weapon, and Crow's is every bit as sharp as that fabled blade he carries. With the help of his father, he engineered a coup that saw that disgusting ghostly spawn of Bloody Binns expelled from Hogwarts castle."

The cheering this time was tumultuous, and every single goblin was on their feet in celebration. Hermione hadn't understood the depth of feeling held against the ghostly professor, here was a very vocal and visual representation of just how much Harry's victory meant to the goblin nation.

Hermione couldn't help but compare her meeting with the Minister of Magic to that of the goblin DIrector she was watching here. She equated the bumbling Fudge with his green bowler hat to Doctor Watson, while Ragnok was clearly the Sherlock Holmes of the two. Fudge couldn't impress a class of eleven and twelve year olds while Ragnok had over a thousand goblins hanging on his every word - and the Director still wasn't finished.

Ragnok waited until everyone had returned to their seats before continuing. "Now for everyone else, getting the butcher's last remaining kin thrown out of the castle would have been enough - not for Crow. He didn't want one goblin-hating professor simply replaced by another of the same ilk. A teacher not tainted by Binns was brought to Hogwarts from Europe to teach proper history, and not the bigoted filth that ghost pedalled. How did Crow get Hogwarts to accept this professor - he paid for it with his own gold!"

This seemed to impress the crowd nearly as much as the killing of the troll. Ragnok let this sink in before proceeding. "You have heard of this young goblin's deeds and achievements, it was I who, being so impressed with his actions, bestowed this honour upon him. As tradition demands, it it now time to ask if anyone here objects to this appointment. As I missed the fight where Crow drew first blood against Master Sharpshard, I'm rather hoping someone will come forward..."

There were sharp intakes of breath as that news permeated the hall, anyone thinking Harry unworthy of this honour were now going to keep those thoughts to themselves. There were a few members of Barchoke's family waiting on him passing away in the hope they would inherit, his adopted son becoming the youngest ever centurion killed that notion stone dead. A centurion as a son would satisfy goblin law, and that son would stand to inherit everything. These family members also reckoned their fate would be the same as their chances of inheriting if they stood and objected - dead as stone. Objections were settled by a duel, and anyone who could draw first blood against the greatest blade in the nation was not someone you wanted to challenge.

Ragnok had known about the hyenas circling around Barchoke's wealth, but, like the cowards they were, these hyenas would never attempt a frontal attack on a stronger opponent. Crow's award was unopposed.

"Arise warrior, do you accept this position our nation bestows upon you?"

Harry stood, performed the centurion salute before answering the question loud enough for everyone to hear. "Yes Director, I do."

Hermione had been warned about the blood involved in the next part of the ceremony, she rose with everyone else and tried to stand tall and proud. Watching as Harry held his hand out and that deadly battleaxe of the Director's sliced his hand open was very difficult. Harry didn't flinch as his palm was cut deeply, he clenched his hand into a fist as he made his way to his chosen tableaux.

The scene displayed Bloody Binns and his band of wizards being captured and held at swords' points by goblin warriors, but it was the murdered victims depicted there that Harry focused on. There was a dead goblin child carved out of the stone, the realistic wounds were coloured bloody and here was where Harry focused his attention. He rubbed his injured hand over the part that was depicted as bleeding, adding his blood to the tableaux. The rock actually began glowing, spreading to illuminate the entire scene as the stone accepted his blood sacrifice. This was also the signal for the loudest cheer of the day.

Harry marched back to the director who held out his hand, Harry placed his there and the cut was already healed. "The centurion has offered his blood to the nation, and the nation clearly accepted. Step forward those chosen."

Barchoke, Master Pitslay and Master Sharpshard stepped forward as three caskets were carried in and placed on the stage. Master Pitslay opened the first casket and removed the two gold armlets that it contained, he handed them both to Ragnok.

"The symbol of our wealth and status is contained in these bands of power, may they bring strength to your arms in times of strife." The director placed one on each of Harry's upper arms. Master Sharpshard then stepped forward and passed the epaulettes the second casket had contained to the Director.

"The badge of office that signifies to the world you are a Centurion, wear them with pride."

These golden accoutrements were fastened onto each of Harry's shoulders. It was a proud father who opened the last casket and removed a beautifully crafted golden helmet, the plume running down the middle was the same ivory white as Harry's tunic.

Harry once more knelt before their leader as his father passed over the last piece to complete the ceremony. "A warrior's mind is their greatest weapon, may this protect you in your defence of our nation."

When the helmet was on, and the chin strap in place, Harry stood tall and performed the centurion salute three times. Once to the director, then his fellow centurions on his right before performing it lastly to those centurions on his left. Harry then turned to face the crowd, drew his famous sword and raised it high into the air.

"FOR GRINGOTTS AND THE NATION!"

The chant was returned by everyone present before the cheering once more broke out.

The first time Hermione laid eyes on Harry wearing his exercise tunic, she had mentally compared him to a young Ares. Harry standing there with his sword raised high increased the intensity of that comparison by a factor of at least ten. She didn't know if the colour of Harry's tunic and helmet plume was deliberate or not but Centurion Crow epitomised every historical image or representation of a warrior of the light Hermione had ever seen or even read about. The director's next statement heavily influenced her leaning toward the deliberate option.

Ragnok held his hands up for silence before making an announcement. "Some of you may have read the lies printed in today's wizarding press, we have sent our representatives to this newspaper to register our displeasure in the strongest terms possible."

This fixed everyone's attention. To a goblin, that statement was only one step away from blades being drawn.

"We announced to the press, the ministry, the WWN and posted notices in Diagon Alley that Centurion Crow would make a statement on the steps of Gringotts after this ceremony. This will mean a slight delay to the feast, but should be 'entertaining' for anyone who wishes to accompany us."

That was an invitation most of them would love to take up. That Gringotts steps wouldn't hold anywhere near a thousand goblins meant there would be a mad scramble for places after the Director's party left the hall.

Ragnok was in the lead, Harry - with Hermione once more on his arm - was right behind him. His father and their guests of honour followed on behind, flanked by the forty centurions and at least sixty warriors. The massed audience were behind the troops and all edging for a place where they could at least hear what would be getting said.

-oOoOo-

With the Wizarding Wireless Network announcing they would be broadcasting a live statement from the boy-who-lived later today, anyone who couldn't make Diagon Alley had their ears glued to their sets.

In a castle in Scotland, an old wizard with a long white beard sucked on his lemon drop but found little solace from his favourite tart sweet. Harry's words broadcast live to the nation could do untold damage, and would be hard to refute. He had immediately contacted Cornelius to see if this could be stopped, even although he knew it was virtually impossible.

The minister had quickly pointed out what Albus already knew, Gringotts was sovereign soil to the goblins - ministerial interference could start a war. There was no point in banning the WWN from broadcasting since the entire thing would soon appear in print anyway. With hundreds - if not thousands - expected in the Alley, there was just no way to contain any damaging information the boy saw fit to disperse.

Albus thought it was a bad day when his only point of comfort was that the students would all be in class, he had no way of knowing that Professor Hobson would have a recording crystal containing the full incident for her classes by Monday morning. His new professor was a great believer in making history lessons relevant to what was happening today, and this could be history in the making.

In Devon, a young redhead sat beside the wireless with her mother. Ginny had gotten over the disappointment of not being able to go to the Alley today, once she had looked at the problem from a practical point of view. As small as she was, Ginny wouldn't see much in the crush that was sure to form. The fact that she was counting the days until she would be introduced to her hero helped quell that disappointment too. Hearing his voice would do - for now.

-oOoOo-

Amelia was in Dagon Alley with every auror she could throw a uniform on. Even with the cadets supplementing her force, she was still shorthanded for maintaining control over a crowd the size of this one. The crowd kept building as the wizards and witches of Britain turned out in their thousands for their first glimpse of the boy-who-lived. The aurors were stretched thin, not helped by those spectators arriving late and attempting to push their way to the front for a better look. This created surges within the crowd and Amelia thought it was only a matter of time before fights broke out.

That everything suddenly went quiet and the crowd actually took a step back surprised Amelia, that was until she turned around. Heavily armed goblin after heavily armed goblin just poured out the bank, their very numbers made the head of the DMLE's heart sink. Here was a force trained and ready for battle, that they outnumbered her aurors by at least two to one had Amelia worried. Like everyone else, she was expecting a verbal statement from Harry today, it would appear the goblins were making a bold visual statement too.

Then her eyes settled on the couple in the centre and she was left not knowing what to think. Mr Crow with Miss Granger on his arm appeared like a young prince and princess, standing there with their conquering army behind them. She could already see the press cameras snapping the pictures that would be front page tomorrow - and for most of next week too!

Ragnok's deep baritone voice rang out over the entire length of the Alley, his voice obviously charmed to carry so everyone could clearly hear his words. The WWN reporter had the microphone tight to his mouth as he described the scene for those who couldn't make it to Diagon Alley. When Ragnok began speaking, he had the good sense to shut up, hold out the microphone and let the radio listeners actually hear what was going on.

"Witches and wizards of Britain, you are being lied to. I know this for a fact but, relations between us being what they are, my words are easily dismissed. Instead, I'll hand you over to someone I trust you will believe."

Ragnok applied the same charm to Harry as his voice rang true around the Alley, and, thanks to the wireless, the entire country.

"I hope you will forgive me if I make a few mistakes here. This is my first ever attempt at public speaking, and we seem to have drawn quite the crowd." Some laughter rang out at that as the crowd settled to hear what the boy-who-lived had to say.

Harry had worked on this speech with his father so knew exactly what he wanted to achieve here. "Yesterday, my father took myself and my best friend Hermione to visit my parents grave. As you can hopefully understand, this was an intensely private occasion. Someone managed to sneak into the cemetery, eavesdrop on our private conversations and take that photograph without our knowledge or permission. To make matters worse, it all appears as an exclusive interview with me on the front page of today's Prophet. I have never given an interview and certainly never met this Daily Prophet reporter. For this Skeeter woman to claim I have makes one of us a liar. I'm standing right here and prepared to face her, publicly calling a goblin's honesty into question is a very serious issue."

In the silence that followed that remark, Amelia took it upon herself to officially ask a question. "Mr Crow, are you willing to make a complaint to the ministry?"

This was unexpected but again Harry let his training take over. "Well met Madam Bones, and it's Centurion Crow now. We've just come from the ceremony where this great honour was bestowed upon me. All goblin complaints to the ministry have to be routed through the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, I am unaware if they have staffing issues but it's been years since we got a positive result from them. I would rather stand here as a goblin and call her a liar to her face, an action I am prepared to defend with my blade if necessary. My father had that area warded yet she still managed to sneak through and spy on us, I would have though that would have been worrying to the ministry too - unless she is on the ministry payroll?"

Amelia attempted to quash that notion at once. "To my knowledge she is not, and it does concern me she was able to get so close to you. I also notice she is conspicuous by her absence today, Rita Skeeter is not one to miss such things."

"If she has the ability to spy on us in a graveyard, my guess is she would be here and using that same technique to remain hidden today. This time though all these good people have heard every word I've said, including that Skeeter is a liar. To me, that she does not stand and refute those claims confirms her guilt."

"Miss Granger, can you corroborate Centurion Crow's claims?"

She looked toward the director who cast the same spell on Hermione before she answered. "Yes Madam Bones. As you can tell from the picture printed today, I was at Harry's side the entire time. Neither of us spoke to anyone other than our parents. We are also concerned with who passed on the information that we would be at that cemetery yesterday, that information was known to very few. I can also confirm Harry is Centurion Crow..."

The charm Professor Flitwick cast now came into play as Hermione turned and bowed to Director Ragnok. When she spoke, it was in the director's own language. "I would sincerely like to thank Director Ragnok for inviting me here today. It was very moving to watch my best friend receive such a great honour, I felt honoured myself just by being there."

This had an effect on all present, not least the goblin leader. He had gambled somewhat in awarding Crow centurion status, and even more so by inviting his young friend to the ceremony. Ragnok thought that gamble had backfired after reading today's Prophet - a piece of astute manipulation by Dumbledore.

The only response the nation could give such an attack was to come out fighting, so that's why they were all standing here on the steps of Gringotts. He'd heard from Barchoke and their tutors that these two complimented each other, Ragnok had just witnessed this for himself. Crow stood there a proud Centurion for everyone to see, and the witch on his arm had just done more to instigate better relations between wizards and goblins than had been achieved in decades. Her display of respect and use of their language couldn't fail but have an effect on the hundreds of goblins currently watching and listening.

Ragnok paid her the deserved complement of returning her bow before addressing everyone once more - in English.

"For those of you who don't speak our language, Miss Granger was just thanking me for inviting her to the ceremony where her best friend became a centurion. I would like to say she bestowed our nation great honour in attending, and by her words here today. I would also like to say she will be an honoured friend of our nation anytime she chooses to visit Gringotts."

A quick glance at Harry was all that was needed to know this was something special, she bowed respectfully to the director once more, knowing it would be explained later.

The director returned his attention back to the gathered crowd of witches and wizards. "As you have now heard, the supposed exclusive interview in the Prophet is nothing but fabrication and lies. We have asked the newspaper to print a retraction, they naturally asked us for proof. This proof is now standing before you, though I fail to see Miss Skeeter in attendance. As well as a retraction, we demand to know how this was achieved. It's in everyone's interests that we discover if someone has stumbled upon a method of bypassing wards."

Amelia stepped forward and officially introduced herself to the goblin leader, before confirming her department would be investigating this phenomenon thoroughly. A warrant would be issued so Miss Skeeter could be brought in for questioning.

Ragnok thanked her before offering a closing comment. "We must now take your leave and return to the feast arranged to celebrate our newest centurion, I wish you all a good day."

The director had hardly finished speaking before his troops were shepherding the goblin spectators out of the way to clear a path back into the bank, Amelia couldn't fail to be impressed with their efficiency. The crowd had come to see and hear the boy-who-lived, they had gotten far more than they bargained for. The Prophet interview had portrayed Harry as a typical young wizard enjoying his first year at Hogwarts, today had told an entirely different story. Since they had stood and watched the entire episode unfold before their eyes, even the gullible witches and wizards of Britain could see the Prophet's version was a pack of lies.

-oOoOo-

As the commentator described the young couple following the goblin leader back into Gringotts, an old wizard in a Scottish castle knew his manipulation had spectacularly backfired.

"...I came here today like most of the crowd to get my first look at our saviour, the boy-who-lived. Instead of seeing Harry Potter, we were introduced to Centurion Crow. Here is a young man who has been raised by the goblins, and may I just say witches he's clearly thriving in that environment. The beautiful young witch on his arm compliments him perfectly, I suspect hearts will be breaking the length and breadth of the country when today's pictures are printed. That Centurion Crow bears no resemblance to the picture the Prophet painted of this young man leaves only one conclusion, we are being lied to..."

This was the point at which Albus turned the radio off. If the mindless cretin that WWN employed to ask inane and downright idiotic questions could figure that out for himself, the rest of the country would to. He expected a visit from William Weasley soon, that young wizard was far too smart not to figure out who had pointed the Prophet at the cemetery.

Albus would have to reel him in, that sounded so much better than blackmail. William would now have to play the game Albus' way, otherwise Gringotts would discover just who leaked that information. He didn't feel the least bit of sympathy for William, more than ever Albus now needed information. The worst that would happen to the eldest Weasley was that he ended up teaching defence at Hogwarts, that wasn't much of a sacrifice to make for the greater good.

He also expected to be hearing from Skeeter within the hour, Rita was about to discover Albus Dumbledore was a recognised expert at this game decades before she was born. When you played with the big boys, sometimes you got burned. Should Rita attempt to pass any of the blame onto Albus, the legs would soon be cut from under her. He mentally prepared his statement for the press / DMLE, just in case it became necessary to give one.

He had heard Harry would be visiting the Potter graves on Halloween, and passed that information on to Miss Skeeter. All he asked in return was that any article she wrote would show Hogwarts in a favourable light. He expected the reporter to ask Mr Crow a few questions before or after his visit, not spy on the entire thing and then report it as an interview.

He was certain Rita wouldn't disclose how she was able to spy on the boy, meaning Albus wouldn't need to mention that he knew Skeeter was an unregistered animagus.

-oOoOo-

The plan was always for Hermione to stay the night at Harry's but, with her new 'friend' status, a different world opened up for the young witch. She was in her training clothes and running beside Harry as he followed his usual underground route when at home. He was in his normal training gear with the sword strapped to his back. Hermione learned the gold armbands never came off, and the epaulettes were worn on everything except pyjamas. Thankfully the helmet was reserved for ceremonial duties, and wars.

As expected, they were drawing a fair bit of attention from everyone they saw or passed. Harry knew the next part of their routine would receive a lot more attention, and had planned accordingly. While Hermione was a quick learner with the wooden sword, she was no where near ready to practice those fledgling skills in front of an audience of goblins.

She was improving with her goblin shield though, and it was those skills they would practice this morning. Normally, this would be the only time Hermione removed her bracelet, but not today. The certainty that their practice was bound to draw an audience, and that audience would probably make Hermione nervous, Harry wanted to have that extra security of knowing any curses getting past her guard would still be nullified.

Harry led them into a large cavern that was occupied by goblins practicing fighting, though there appeared to be just as many simply here to watch. In some strange way it reminded Hermione of a seedy boxing gym, and now it would take her hours to get the Rocky theme tune out her head. Harry had small portable ward stones that would stop any low level magic escaping, placing them on the ground to define a safe area. They started firing stinging hexes at each other and escalated from there, blocking with their physical shields when they couldn't dodge and erecting magical shields when they had to. The had escalated to stunners, and had worked quite a sweat up, when the cry of 'stop' issued.

Both stopped and turned to see who had issued such a command, they were faced by a wizened old goblin who was storming in their direction. Hermione was again in Rocky mode as here was 'Mickey' coming to chew them out, even his gruff voice was in character.

"Put those devil toys away at once, this is a place for real fighting."

Hermione was about to comply when Harry's voice stopped her. "Watch our backs." Those three words just dumped a shedload of adrenaline into the young witch's body as she took up position guarding Harry's back.

Harry almost casually reduced and clipped his shield onto his scabbard, their attracted audience could see he was deadly serious the instant he reached back for his sword. "Who are you to decide what real fighting is? Are you so old or just blind stupid that you can't see my rank? How dare you interrupt my training..."

"You snot-nosed whelp, get a bit of rank and forget who trained you..."

"You sir will address me properly, or there will be blood spilled here today."

The old goblin's face split into a grin that had many gaps before he gave the proper centurion salute. "Just remember Centurion Crow, never give the bastards an inch..."

"...or they'll walk all over you, I remember Whitefang, You've shouted that at me since I was five, how could I bloody forget. Are we done here, or are you planning another one of your surprises?"

Whitefang let out a rich laugh at that. "Well centurion, I can see that rank was earned. I had intended a couple of my boys would attack from behind but your little witch there seems ready for them."

Harry knew what Whitefang was trying to do, deliberately unsettle him while seeing just how far he could be pushed, but there was still more than a trace of anger in his reply. "That 'little witch' is Miss Hermione Granger, she is under my protection and named friend by the director himself. Insult her and I will introduce you to my blade."

The writing was on the wall - he'd pushed too far - and it was his understanding of such things that Whitefang eked his meagre living from, a bow and apology were quickly offered. "Sorry if I insulted you Miss Granger, that was not my intention."

Hermione returned the bow. "Apology accepted Master Whitefang ..."

This led to a loud burst of sarcastic laughter from Harry. "The only thing Whitefang is master of is the most disgusting mouth in the nation, and I don't mean dentally." None of the small crowd knew what Harry meant by his last remark but it made Hermione smile, and reduced her apprehension. If Harry was cracking jokes, the situation was well in hand.

"Since Whitefang has disrupted our exercise session, I suggest we head home for breakfast. My father has taken the morning off to spend some time with us before we visit your parents later." They picked up the ward stones and Harry had a few words with goblins he obviously knew, Hermione also noticed Whitefang watching everything closely.

As they left, Harry began supplying the answers he knew his best friend was dying to ask. "Whitefang is ... Whitefang. I know that doesn't help but I don't have any words you would understand to describe him."

"Harry, Rowena's charm is still working, just tell me in your own language." His answer had her blushing. .Ok, I get the picture, part scoundrel, part loveable crook? How do you know him, and what does your father think of this?"

"When I was a good bit younger I used to get my arse kicked - a lot. Whitefang watched this happening one day - didn't stop it mind you - and had words with me afterwards. Said I had guts, but was stupid. You know me well enough now to guess how I would react to that."

Hermione actually smiled. "Not well I'll bet."

"Well Whitefang said I needed to learn to fight, not just stand up and get knocked back down again. He took me to the training place we were today, and gradually taught me every dirty way to fight there is."

This confused Hermione. "Then why were you so hostile to him if he helped you?"

"Oh he certainly helped me a great deal, but it's complicated. Had I shown him the respect I offer, say Master Sharpshard, Whitefang would have spat in my face and insisted I had insulted him. By treating him the way I did today, as a dangerous character I shouldn't be around, that to him is a form of respect he can accept. My father pays him for information occasionally, he's very good at blending into the background and missing nothing. Whitefang would accept gold for that, but never for helping me."

A sigh of exasperation came from his best friend. "Every time I think I'm beginning to understand goblins, something else comes along and changes it."

Harry just laughed. "We're a very simple race Hermione, let's run back and you can have some more of that ale you like so much. I must admit, I really miss it when we're at Hogwarts. Pumpkin juice is far too sweet for me, and the wizard's attempts to copy our ale - butter beer I think its called - is supposed to be disgusting."

"At the feast I noticed every one was drinking ale, that or wine."

"Hermione, we only have four drinks and one of them is water. Grog is never drank in public - it knocks you on your back after only a couple of tankards."

This was hard for Hermione to believe, her mother drank more types of coffee than that. This prompted another question. "Surely there must be more than four drinks, don't you have any hot beverages?"

"Sure we do! Hot water, hot ale and hot wine. Master Sharpshard is the only person I know who can drink hot grog - a good indication of how toxic that brew is when heated. I told you Hermione, simple."

Hermione was shaking her head, simple - right! This was going to take her years to figure out. That thought brought a smile to her face as she ran beside Harry, heading for his home.

-oOoOo-

Padma found her twin waiting on her as she left Ravenclaw tower, they hugged in greeting before Parvati told her why she was there. "I said to Neville I would walk you to breakfast this morning, we never get to spend as much time together as we used to. I don't think I like being in separate houses, and we won't even be together over the holidays."

Unlike her sister, Padma was enjoying being in a different house from Parvati. They really were two very different witches, with her more gregarious twin attracting all the attention while quiet little Padma faded into the background. Padma didn't resent her twin for this, you might as well blame the rain for being wet, it was just who Parvati was. It was only now though, being in a different house and having her own group of friends, that Padma felt she could let out the witch that - until recently - only she knew was in there.

"Pav, you seemed happy with Gryffindor, you and Lavender had a fight?"

"What, no! It's just that I thought it was going to be so different. I mean, look what we have to put up with - Ron Weasley - please! Seamus and Dean aren't much better, neither are the second years. One decent wizard and my twin sister has to snaffle him."

"Neville and I are good friends Pav, but I'm not expecting a marriage proposal soon. We hope to see him during the holidays but he won't be staying at Hermione's."

"No, you'll just have to make do spending the holiday with Harry. I still can't believe you marched down to the front of the great hall yesterday, that boy is a bad influence on you."

Padma had trouble believing it herself, but she thought Harry and Hermione were great influences on her. Without their friendship, she would never have had the confidence to stand up for them yesterday.

"Have breakfast with me this morning? I do miss spending time with you Pav, we can still be together more than we have been lately."

Parvati quickly agreed, before coming to the main reason for wanting to speak with her twin. "I heard Hermione mention shopping, presents and parties - can you swing an invite for me too?"

Padma was well aware Parvati would drive both her friends nuts with her constant chattering so tried to nip this idea in the bud. "Did you also here her mention running every morning, lots of studying and living without magic for two weeks?"

"Running ...and no magic? How are you supposed to live without magic?"

"I have no idea Pav, but that's the whole point. I want to learn new things, and living with muggles for two weeks will certainly do that." Suddenly the idea wasn't so appealing to Parvati. When Padma said she would try and include her when they met up with Neville, she was delighted.

Both sisters entered the great hall and sat at the Ravenclaw table, being quickly joined by Neville. Padma was sitting between her sister and friend and thought the morning was just about perfect, until the Prophet was delivered and it got so much better.

A/N thanks for reading

17. Bill Believed

Harry Crow

A/N Just a silly question that popped into my mind - do you think flamers get a kick out of the FFN automated message 'the author would like to thank you for your continued support'?

One person I really would like to thank for her time and continued support is Alix33. I work without a beta and her reviews are always constructive and concise, helping me to hopefully become a better author.

Chapter 17

The headline of Saturday's Daily Prophet screamed the newspaper's intent right from the front page, it was time to grovel! It also helped that they could blame everything on a convenient scapegoat.

Penitent Prophet

as

Centurion Crow Crowned

The imposing figure in our picture, wearing the golden helmet and carrying the sword of Godric Gryffindor, is Centurion Crow. That this is also the boy-who-lived immediately indicates there was an error made with the story concerning him previously printed in this newspaper. The beautiful young witch on his arm though, is once again Miss Hermione Granger. There all similarities with yesterday's issue of this newspaper end.

Both Centurion Crow and Miss Granger vehemently denied having met Miss Skeeter, far less participated in an exclusive interview before posing for a picture. It now appears as if Miss Skeeter has spied on the young couple as they visited the Potter graves on Halloween, the tenth anniversary of James and Lily Potter's murder. The Daily Prophet was in no way complicit with this reporter's actions and doesn't want to comment further at the moment, as Miss Skeeter is currently at the centre of an investigation initiated by the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. This newspaper will of course comply fully with that investigation.

Dan Granger let out a low whistle as he read over the front page article from the newspaper Barchoke had just handed him.

His wife was reading it over his shoulder and had her own comment to make. "Was that whistle in appreciation of the apology or the picture?"

Emma had to look at the picture twice to assure herself it actually was Hermione and Harry. Her daughter stood there looking every inch a princess, the jewellery she wore must be worth a king's ransom, while Harry appeared ready to do battle. Their poise and clothing reminded her of a famous historical couple, Mark Antony and Cleopatra. Showing this picture to anyone who didn't know Hermione or Harry, you could never convince them these two were eleven and twelve.

The royal theme just wouldn't leave her alone as she looked at the wide shot the newspaper had also printed, Hermione and Harry were in the centre but surrounded by goblins dressed in their finest. The only thing Emma had to compare this with was a royal wedding photograph, the ones the press were so fond of printing as the Royal Family gathered on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. That there were thousands of people watching this picture being taken, and the newspaper dedicated a further nine pages to the event, reinforced the 'Royal Wedding' image in her mind. She just hoped her husband was following a different mental route.

Dan was indeed following a different mental route, this route was currently stuck on a giant roundabout that he couldn't find an exit from. The father was struggling to accept that this beautiful and confident young woman in the picture was actually his little girl. She was standing there facing thousands of strangers yet drawing the confidence to deal with it from the young man whose arm she was on. The newspaper went to great lengths to extol her beauty and poise, that she spoke gobbledygook and the goblin leader bestowed a great honour on her was certainly something he would need to ask Barchoke about when he got his mind back into gear.

"Well, there's one thing for certain Hermione, you absolutely destroyed any notion of you being a 'gormless village idiot'. Your father's opinion may be biased, but I think my daughter is truly beautiful. Then again, I've thought that since the day you were born."

His daughter's playful giggles at that was music to his ears. "Thanks dad, I almost wish I had been in Hogwarts this morning to see certain witches' reactions when that was delivered. I'll need to ask Padma if Cho choked on her porridge or cried, I'm hoping for both."

"Hermione, isn't that rather unkind?"

"No Harry, it's not. I'm usually standing there on your arm while Cho tries to flirt with you. I know you do nothing to encourage her, and I can't really blame her either. How did the Prophet put it - 'dashingly handsome young man, standing shoulder to shoulder with a nation's leader as if he belonged there'. I understand why all the girls hit on you, it's the way they pretend I'm not standing there that annoys the hell out of me."

Harry decided to quote the Prophet straight back at her. "Well I don't know how they could possibly ignore 'the beautiful young witch who sparkles by my side' - and I don't think they were talking about that tiara you were wearing."

The three parents were laughing at the antics of their children. They may be front page news for the second day in succession but they seemed far more concerned with what they thought of each other than letting fame go to their heads.

"I'm just glad we managed to ward your house before this whole thing started, it also has an owl redirect which will allow Eargit and official Gringotts owls only. Anything else will end up at Gringotts where it can be examined before forwarding." This concerned the Grangers but they recognised that, even in their world, getting press coverage like this could attract its own special breed of weirdos and crazies. They were delighted any potential problems would be dealt with before they could get anywhere near Hermione.

Barchoke had even more good news for them though. "Hermione's status as a goblin friend allows you to do your banking through Gringotts, and get our best rates. This could save you thousands on your mortgage and business account. Get your figures and I would be more than happy to go over them with you - the savings will be substantial."

Dan thought he should be getting used to the shocks by now - your daughter is a witch and she needs to go away to Scotland for almost ten months of the year! "Well it looks as if our summer holiday next year could be a good one."

It was a nervous Harry who interrupted. "Em, excuse me sir. Since you were kind enough to invite me into your home over the Christmas holidays, I was hoping to return the favour at summer."

This piqued Emma's interest. "What did you have in mind Harry?"

"Well, because I had to remain hidden, I haven't really left Gringotts much. There are a lot of Potter properties dotted around the world I've never seen, but that I now have access to. I was hoping you would be my guests as we explored some of them. They really do span the globe - from the South of France to the Seychelles and on to the South Pacific."

Dan was struggling to believe the wealth of this young lad, and yet how level-headed he appeared. "That sounds...unbelievable actually. Wouldn't we spend most of the holiday in airports though?"

This drew a puzzled look from Harry. "I don't think so Dan - since I don't know what an airport is." He looked to Hermione for help.

"Airports are where you go to board planes that fly you to your destination. Can I assume we would be travelling using portkeys?" A nod from her best friend saw Hermione offering an explanation to her parents, only for her mother to excitedly jump right in.

"Oh that young Weasley chap used one of them to take us to London in seconds, are you saying that these can be used to travel the world?"

Barchoke thought Emma's excitement at such a simple thing was a delight to watch. "A portkey will take you from one Potter property, directly to the next one."

Both Granger parents were overwhelmed at this.

"No waiting in airports for delayed flights..."

"No being bored out your head by sitting for hours on a plane..."

"No arriving to find your luggage is in Timbuktu..."

"No tedious transfers to and from the airports..."

"We're in!"

This was greeted by an eardrum bursting squeal of delight before Hermione actually jumped on Harry, wrapping her arms and legs around him and almost having both of them over. "I get to spend Christmas and summer with you! Oh Harry, that's wonderful."

Dan was watching his little girl wrap herself around a boy and his only reaction was to laugh, how could he possibly get upset when Hermione was so happy.

It was left to Barchoke to discuss practicalities. "I'll organise a folder of those properties that you can all look through when Harry stays here at the holidays. I plan on taking some time away myself over summer so we could either organise it to be together or split it and give these two a longer holiday."

This drew another squeal from Hermione as a delighted Harry twirled her around the room, all three parents were smiling at the antics of their two very happy children. It was also nice to see them acting their age for once, just a couple of kids very excited about spending their Christmas and summer holidays together.

"I think those two like the idea of a longer holiday but I also think we should build a bit of overlap in there too, where we can all be together."

Barchoke was quite overwhelmed at Emma's suggestion. That these people would actually arrange their schedule purely to spend time with a goblin wasn't just unbelievable, it was historically unprecedented. "I think I would like that very much. We may even have some company. If we can get Sirius Black out of Azkaban, I can't think of anyone who would be in more need of a holiday. It would also give Harry a chance to get to know his godfather."

This was something Dan was very interested in, the thought of an innocent man rotting in prison appalled him. "What do you think the chances are of getting him out?"

"To be honest, two very powerful men colluded to put Sirius in there. That these two are still as powerful is going to make this a very difficult task. At the moment, it's beyond us. That these two did this one unlawful deal would suggest there may be other skeletons in their cupboards. If we can discredit them, people would be more inclined to believe claims Sirius is in fact innocent."

This wasn't nearly quick enough for Emma. "Surely the mere fact the man never had a trial should see the entire case reopened?"

A goblin explaining to a pair of muggles how the magical world worked didn't even qualify for a raised eyebrow amongst this group now. "Azkaban is an exceedingly dangerous place, deaths amongst inmates is not uncommon. I fear that is the fate Sirius might face if we were to go public with this. Dumbledore may preach forgiveness - but only when it suits his aims. Barty Crouch is the ultimate hardliner. The man sentenced his only son to life in Azkaban, and his life is exactly what it cost the young wizard named after his father."

Dan looked over to the two children, still in each other's arms and chatting excitedly about their future plans. "We have to thank you for your honesty Barchoke, almost as much as the lengths you have undertaken to protect our daughter. The more I hear of this world, the more I worry about the decision we made to let Hermione join it. Then I look over there and see what I always wanted, my daughter happy."

"No thanks are needed Dan, I am also looking over there at my son being very happy. I will take every measure I can to ensure their safety. Gringotts now have an employee we can trust inside Hogwarts twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. Master Pitslay and Curse-breaker Weasley also make frequent visits to the castle. I'm sure we can trust their head of house and believe McGonagall is also on our side. Apart from getting Dumbledore thrown out on his ear, I don't think we can make that situation much safer."

Both Grangers were keen to know if that was a possibility, Barchoke did his best to explain the situation. "Dumbledore, for all his faults, is a very powerful and clever wizard. He's become so used to everyone around him doing exactly what he wants, we kind of caught him on the hop a bit. I'm willing to bet he instigated that entire incident with Skeeter, just as I'm willing to bet he'll have covered his tracks. Some of his earlier moves were stupid, born out of overconfidence - he won't make the same mistake again."

"I just don't understand how one person could end up holding so much power?"

"I think it comes down to laziness again Emma. They've gotten so used to asking someone else what to do, we are reaching the stage where senior ministerial officials can barely think for themselves. Dumbledore has been repeatedly offered the job as Minister of Magic but continually turns it down. The minister can be held accountable when things go wrong. Those manipulating the minister will escape any unpleasantness like that, and usually have a hand in choosing the sacked minister's replacement. There is no shortage of people every bit as stupid and just as easily manipulated as Fudge, all willing to do anything to take his place as Minister of Magic. It's a rotten and corrupt system, but those pulling the strings certainly don't want changes being made."

-oOoOo-

"I want some changes made - this makes us look like incompetent arseholes!"

Albus then enquired just what changes the minister wanted made?

"The lad kills a troll, saves three students and the Hogwarts healer, yet doesn't even earn a house point? The goblins give him a golden helmet for chasing a ghost out the bloody castle! The boy-who-lived, standing on the steps of Gringotts and talking about how honoured he is to receive an award from the goblins has seen the ministry inundated with owls. They all want to know why the person who rid us of Voldemort hasn't received as much as a ministerial thank-you. He's the Hogwarts Champion for Merlin's sake yet neither the school or ministry receive one positive mention in ten pages of the Prophet dedicated to the boy. This state of affairs can't be allowed to continue."

Albus had allowed Cornelius to get it all off his chest as the minister ranted and raved in the headmaster's office, he actually agreed with most of it. "I am at a loss to see how we can turn this around. If Hogwarts or the ministry start showering the boy with trinkets and awards, it's going to stand out for exactly what it is - us attempting to curry favour with Harry. He will see right through that and may even refuse to accept - imagine how embarrassing that would be? The goblins have won this battle hands down, I think we have to just acknowledge that and continue the fight from another angle."

"You really can't be serious - won't officially acknowledging this make the situation worse for us?"

"I think you have to add your congratulations to Centurion Crow. It might not be a bad idea to let slip the ministry were considering something similar but don't want to be seen to be competing for the boy's affections so have put it off to a later date. I shall approach Minerva about the possibility of a special award to the school for his actions that day, presented at the leaving feast before Christmas. She has a better understanding of Crow and can determine whether the lad will accept before we let any announcement's slip to the press."

Cornelius was beginning to understand the angle this crafty old wizard was suggesting. "So we play it as if the ministry were in the process of recognising the boy-who-lived's achievements but the goblins stole a march on us. We congratulate the lad because the award is well deserved and will revisit our options to add our further congratulations in the future?"

"Exactly, sometimes the only option left is to doff your hat to an opponent in appreciation of the skill they displayed, also showing your determination to win the next encounter. I think this is one of those situations. As to how we win the next one, all I can say is I'm working on it."

Cornelius drew comfort from this, not knowing Dumbledore hadn't a clue what to do next. "Another coup like that for the goblins and I fear the battle could be lost, I've already had to publicly thank the goblins for doing such a good job in raising the lad. The boy-who-lived standing there dressed as a goblin, with a witch beside him dripping in priceless goblin jewellery, is a very powerful image. Especially since the goblin hierarchy were all lined up behind him, showing support for his award. It's going to appear to the magical population of Britain as if Harry Potter has deserted us - that is a state of affairs neither of us could politically survive. One more article like this and we might not have a hat to doff!"

Albus once again found himself agreeing with the minister. It shouldn't be too much of a surprise though, the one thing Fudge excelled at was judging public opinion - and shifting his own position to keep Cornelius Fudge on the right side of it.

-oOoOo-

Hogwarts was buzzing when Harry and Hermione returned, Padma immediately began teasing about having epaulettes on a Hogwarts robe. Hermione shot that down before it could go any further.

"Well I think they are handsome, and a lot more practical than some badge saying prefect or quidditch captain." Logic like that ended the teasing, though Padma just switched to what else they were up to in their time out of Hogwarts. It was almost a relief when they all needed to head to Herbology. By lunchtime, it was as if they had never been away.

-oOoOo-

Bill watched his students leave the classroom, and couldn't fail to notice Dumbledore waiting to enter. He had no intention of listening to the old wizard today, the supposed interview with Harry printed in the Prophet had sent chills up his spine. Had he not reported to Barchoke that Dumbledore managed to get that information out of him, Bill would currently be unemployed, homeless and a promising career destroyed. He wouldn't have to fake anger in this confrontation.

Albus entered and shut the door, only to be met with hostility.

"I'll save you the trouble of spouting whatever words you had prepared, I have nothing whatsoever to say to you and refuse to play these games anymore."

"Games - you think this is a game?"

Bill didn't back down an inch. "I know it's not a game - these are real people's lives that are being affected here. To you though, we're all just pieces in a game - a game where you have elected yourself the main player. All this greater good pish, and sacrifices have to be made shit. You can go and drown in your own stinking manipulations headmaster, I have no intention of making any sacrifices for the greater good of Albus bloody Dumbledore!"

Bill was pushing past the headmaster when Albus grabbed his arm. "This has nothing to do with what I want, I'm trying to save our world from changes that would destroy it..."

The curse-breaker jerked his arm out of the headmaster's grip. "Before I took this assignment, I spent my days working in tombs of people who couldn't adapt to change. They were the gods of their day, with the power of life and death over millions. Now all that is left are some piles of stone - impressive piles of stone to be sure but their way of life is gone forever."

Dumbledore seized on this analogy. "If we allow things to continue, Hogwarts could be nothing more than rubble in a few generations. Our way of life is under attack from all sides, it's now more important than ever that we all stick together."

"My problem with that statement is we're all supposed to stick together, and do whatever Albus Dumbledore wants. What gives the headmaster of a school the right to determine the direction our way of life has to proceed? I have no intention of blindly following someone whose motives are at best questionable, and whose actions are borderline criminal."

This was not going the way Albus had planned. If he thought about it, very little had gone to plan recently. "So you would rather align yourself with the goblins than your fellow wizards?"

"I'm aligning myself with Harry, that just happens to be the side the goblin nation are supporting too. I would rather put my trust in that young man than be a mindless follower of the self-proclaimed leader of the light." Bill had his hand on the door before Albus dropped any and all pretence.

"You claim to support Harry, yet were involved in a major breech of security against the lad's safety. I wonder what your goblin masters would make of that information, should it find its way to them?"

"It was you who passed the information onto Skeeter?"

Dumbledore thought he had his man now. "Ah, but I wouldn't have been able to, if you hadn't told me about the proposed visit beforehand. I truly am sorry to do this William but you leave me no choice. I desperately need information, if you won't cooperate then perhaps your replacement will be a bit more accommodating."

Bill's eyes were boring into the old wizard. It was a confident Dumbledore who was standing in front of him. The curse-breaker could see that Albus thought he was in a win-win position - time to end his delusions. It was also time to admit to himself he was shite at this spy crap - there was just too much of the Weasley temper in him to be able to play nice with people like Dumbledore.

"You're a learned wizard headmaster so I will leave you with a simple puzzle. Rearrange these words into a well-known phrase - OFF, FUCK!"

With that Bill left the classroom, slamming the door behind him. Leaving behind a surprised and confused Dumbledore.

-oOoOo-

Harry was sitting at dinner talking with his friends, attempting to explain some of the muggle things he'd seen at the Grangers to Padma and Neville while Hermione smilingly looked on. It was such a pleasant scene, Bill was loath to interrupt. A few whispers in Harry's ear drew a nod of understanding and his friends could see playful Harry slip away, being replaced by the persona that was Centurion Crow.

Bill patted Harry on the back before taking his leave, no one in the hall thought anything of him approaching and talking with his students.

It was naturally Hermione who asked Harry what was going on. "Oh, just as we suspected, Dumbledore has been playing games again. I'm just trying to figure out the best way to use this."

The headmaster entering the hall from a side door and taking his place at the staff table appeared to make Harry's mind up. Before he could rise though, Hermione's hand clamped on his leg.

"Are you sure about this Harry?"

He smiled at her. "No, but I shouldn't be in any danger. I'm far better confronting him in the hall, with McGonagall and Master Flitwick here."

"Couldn't we send for Master Sharpshard too?"

He lifted her hand off his leg and kissed her knuckles. "Hermione Granger, you're actually developing a goblin sense of humour."

Harry stood and strode to the front of the hall. He attracted attention most of his time in Hogwarts but almost every pair of eyes must have been watching him by the time he reached the staff table.

Harry didn't bother with any preliminaries. "Dumbledore, you told that Skeeter reporter I would visit my parents' graves on Halloween."

The silence that followed those words drew out until Snape actually broke it. "Mr Crow, that is a pretty serious allegation to make. Do you have any proof?"

"It's Centurion Crow sir, and yes I do. Curse-breaker Weasley let slip to the headmaster where I would be going, and then this despicable old bastard just tried to blackmail my tutor into passing over more information. He admitted telling Skeeter where I would be, before threatening to report how he learned the information to my father - if Curse-breaker Weasley didn't do what Dumbledore told him to."

Minerva practically had steam coming out her ears at that revelation. "Do you know what Mr Weasley's answer was?"

"Yes professor, I believe he told the headmaster to fuck off!"

This drew some laughter, and had a pair of redheaded twins up on the Gryffindor table doing a jig of delight.

Harry wasn't finished yet though. "For ten years I was safe within Gringotts walls, I haven't been here ten weeks yet but it has been one attack after another. First evening, you attempted to have me renounce my goblin upbringing, while at the same time having Voldemort sitting at the staff table. Add in trolls, bullies and death eaters - getting the picture headmaster? Then when I step outside Hogwarts, you tell someone exactly where we'll be. You endangered not only me, but Miss Granger too."

Dumbledore finally spoke. "Am I to take it that Mr Weasley's attempts to save his job by slandering me are being believed?"

"Curse-breaker Weasley is a wizard with honour and integrity, two qualities you are sadly lacking in. He also reported the incident to my father on the day it happened, we just didn't think you would stoop so low. We already knew you were behind the supposed interview, attempting blackmail just confirmed it. I am very happy with the defence tutor my father found me, Curse-breaker Weasley will not be going anywhere."

Minerva felt she had to intervene before this escalated any further. "Centurion Crow, I'm sorry but calling the headmaster a 'despicable old bastard' is against school rules, and will earn you another detention with me. Rest assured though, I agree with your assessment - that whoever released this information endangered two Hogwarts students. I shall be reporting the matter to the DMLE and the Hogwarts board of governors."

Harry nodded respectfully to McGonagall, fully aware that the detention would be nothing more than another tutoring session. "I understand Professor, and like any other student will obey Hogwarts rules. Please inform both of those bodies I would be quite happy to speak with them on this matter. May I ask that you make this sooner rather than later? My father's patience with Albus Dumbledore is pretty much exhausted, and both Hermione and I understand French well enough that attending Beauxbatons would not be a problem."

As Harry was heading back to his seat, McGonagall called out to him. "Centurion Crow, nice to have you back. It would be a sad day for Hogwarts if you and Miss Granger left."

A slight nod of his head was all the indication he gave that he had heard, though the students he passed to reach his seat could all see he was smiling. Both Harry and his father knew it was more likely to be a series of body blows that would lead to Dumbledore's eventual downfall, rather than one knockout punch. The headmaster was sitting at the table reeling as another scheme had not only failed, but spectacularly blown up in his face. Dropping in the line about Beauxbatons would hopefully muzzle him for a while, and give the goblin plans time to bear some fruit.

Hermione was just glad to see Harry make it back to her without any weapons being drawn, though Percy had to restrain his twin brothers when Dumbledore attempted to push the blame onto their eldest sibling. The name Dumbledore had taking a bashing amongst the Weasleys, and one glance around the hall was enough to see it was Harry's version of events that was being believed.

Severus certainly believed Albus would attempt to blackmail Bill Weasley to basically become his spy, the potions master only wished that he had been in a strong enough position to deliver the same answer to Dumbledore all those years ago. He had studied the 'Centurion Crow' edition of the Prophet from cover to cover, all he could think of though was that Lily would be so proud of her son.

Looking at that 'army' behind him kindled hope in Severus that this boy might actually be capable of finishing the dark lord. It was now clear to anyone paying attention that Dumbledore was also firmly in Crow's sights, and set to fall if the potions master was any judge. Being the Slytherin that he was, he needed to do something so that Severus Snape wasn't dragged down with either of the two wizards who had dictated his life since he was a teenager.

The more he thought of Harry as Lily's boy, the more Severus found himself appreciating just what this boy could do. He had no idea Harry was about to make his life even better.

-oOoOo-

They had hardly left the great hall when the Weasley twins approached the group of friends. "Harry, we would like to thank you for defending our brother in there..."

Harry held up his hands to stop them saying any more. "Guys, not only do we all like your brother, he's a brilliant teacher. Working for Gringotts comes with some pretty tight restrictions, but we also look after and reward our employees. Now I have a question to ask you - can you two be serious?"

"Of course we can..."

"What do you think we are..."

"A couple of jokers?"

"Something tells me I could regret this but what class do you two have on a Friday morning?"

"Divination, why?"

It suddenly hit George and he was down on his knees pleading, his twin only seconds behind.

Hermione had also sussed just what was going on, and questioned Harry's choice. "Are you sure about this Harry?"

"Of course I'm not, but I think I should give them a chance. Master Pitslay offered another couple of places, who else could I chose? I couldn't pick a pair of Hufflepuffs or Slytherins without upsetting the rest. Same with Gryffindor, though I honestly don't think any of their first years are up to all the work involved - sorry Padma."

"No problem Harry, Parvati would be the first to admit she doesn't enjoy studying."

Harry once more turned his attention to the twins. "Ok guys, but you need to get McGonagall to agree to this - and Snape!"

Harry was suddenly up in the air and being twirled around as both twins had him in a hug Hermione would have been proud of. The whoops of joy soon drew an audience, and a fair bit of laughter. Both twins gently lowered Harry back to his feet before shaking his hand.

"We won't let you down Harry."

"Most of our pranks are potions based - we understand this is a life-changing opportunity for us."

"Reserve an extra two places at your study table Neville - we're off to see McGonagall!"

As they skipped along the corridor, it was a worried Hermione who expressed a thought most of them shared. "Oh dear, I wonder if Master Pitslay will know what hit him?"

"Hermione, where do you think I learned to brew the potion I used on Snape? Master Pitslay knows more prank potions than anyone else in the country - they are just more subtle than donkey ears and the like that the twins seem so fond of. With goblin humour, sitting at a formal dinner and having your victim loudly letting one rip is considered the height of hilarity."

"Ok, I need to write home and make sure we have a good selection of comedy tapes for Christmas. You need to learn a different definition of funny."

Harry's eyes almost glowed at this. "You mean there are more video tapes than the ones you already have?"

"Thousands Harry, with new ones released almost weekly."

This had a wide smile on Harry's face, and caused laughter amongst the friends.

-oOoOo-

Bill didn't find any laughter when he entered his sister's room. Instead he found a young girl staring into a mirror with eyes red and swollen from crying.

"Mum said you've been upset Ginny, do you want to talk about it?"

As her brother's arm went around her, Ginny leaned in to him as the tears once more began falling. "You tried to warn me, didn't you?"

Ginny indicated the Prophet pictures lying scattered on her bed. "How can I compete with that - how can any girl compete? She's like a princess on his arm, and he's already madly in love with her."

Bill hated to see his sister like this but thought Ginny might finally be coming to her senses. He wanted to discover how she arrived at this conclusion though. She reached over for a picture that was showing definite sings of wear, Ginny had obviously studied it quite a bit.

"Just watch and you'll see him glance at her, making sure she's okay. Her smile back practically has his eyes sparkling. You told me they were close friends but you don't look at a friend like that. She's beautiful, so smart and already speaks gobbledygook - little Ginny Weasley never stood a chance." She cried some more before asking Bill a question. "You didn't go to Hogwarts this weekend, wasn't Harry there?"

"They stayed with Hermione's parents a few nights but both stayed at Harry's too."

"She stayed at Gringotts - is that even possible?"

"Hermione is a friend to the goblin nation, that gives her all different kinds of privileges."

Bill could feel Ginny's tears soaking into his shirt as his sister clung to him, realising that her dreams would never be more than that. He held her close and let Ginny cry it out.

It was a while before she actually spoke. "Will you still introduce me to him?"

"Are you sure that's something you want to do?"

He could feel Ginny nodding her head as it was still buried in his chest. "I think I need to see it for myself. At least now I know what to expect. I'm going to be at Hogwarts with him for six years, perhaps we could be friends?"

Bill agreed to that, delighted that his favourite sister appeared to be coming to her senses. "Just remember what I said, no boyfriends until you're at least twenty six." He'd hoped for a smile but had to settle for her holding him tighter, it was her first steps on the right road.

-oOoOo-

Padma had gone to bed, leaving Harry and Hermione sitting together on a sofa in their study area.

"So, are you glad to be back? It was quite the few days."

"Now, that's an understatement Harry. I loved my time at Gringotts with you but getting to spend some time with my mum and dad was just wonderful. Knowing we'll all be together at Christmas has already got me so excited, and I told you my parents would love my best friend."

"Your parents were great - sorry for springing that summer thing on you. It was something I had been thinking about and had barely gotten a chance to talk it over with my father. When your dad mentioned it, I didn't want him making arrangements before we meet again at Christmas..."

He found himself enveloped in a hug. "Only you Harry could apologise for arranging someone's summer holidays. I didn't think my mum could get any more excited at Christmas but this year looks like topping all the others. I'm now gonna have two friends staying, and planning our summer holiday too." Hermione kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks Harry - for everything. I'll see you in the morning for our run."

Hermione headed up to her room, leaving a grinning Harry behind.

A/N thanks for reading.

18. Hidden Things

Harry Crow

A/N Harry Crow has just become my most reviewed story - with two million less hits than the one it's just surpassed! Taking into consideration I only began began this story back in May, that's an incredible show of support for which I can only say thank you.

I think the last time I wrote and posted so many chapters of the one story uninterrupted was way back with my very first effort. I promise to finish first year at least before letting my attention wander to other works though, as always, I'll try my best to maintain a weekly posting schedule - whatever I write. :-) Robert

Chapter 18

It was a red-faced Harry and Hermione who were sitting in their history class. Professor Hobson had a goblin memory displayer, and a crystal that contained the memory of Centurion Crow speaking from the steps of Gringotts. The player was a black pyramid shaped object that the crystal slotted into the apex of, projecting the scene in about one eighth scale - with sound.

The scene ended as Ragnok headed back into the bank, all eyes were once more focused on a stoic Harry. That attention was never going to last though, not with the beautiful Professor Hobson in the class.

"The reason I have been showing this scene to all my classes is not to embarrass a certain pair of Ravenclaws - rather to show history in the making. Now I want to hear your answers to what you thought was historic about this event. As our acknowledged experts, Centurion Crow and Miss Granger will be asked to cover any points we may miss."

Morag's hand was first to shoot up, quite an achievement considering all the boys were desperate to please their favourite professor. "Hermione was the first non-goblin ever to witness a centurion ceremony. Do you have a memory crystal with that on it professor?"

"Correct Miss McDougal, and sorry but no. Those ceremonies are wrapped in mystery and secrecy, perhaps Mr Crow could tell us something about it after we finish this. Anyone else?"

Some other suggestions were offered - including Lavender's 'most expensive collection of jewellery ever worn at the one time by a witch' - before Neville had his hand up.

"I've met Harry's father, Barchoke, and I am tutored in potions by Master Pitslay. We all remember Master Sharpshard's visit to Hogwarts but I don't think I've even seen a picture of the goblin director before?"

This earned Neville a big smile and a 'well done' from Professor Hobson, making him blush. "The fact that Mr Longbottom recognises so many goblins is practically historic in itself, the point he made though is correct. Until he appeared that day, no one outside Gringotts knew what he looked like. This is Director Ragnok's first ever public appearance outside Gringotts, and the first time the director has had his photograph taken by a wizard. What have we missed Miss Granger?"

Hermione's mind was still stuck on learning that all the classes were seeing the projection as part of their history course. No wonder Cho was drawing her daggers when Harry wasn't looking, this was far more graphic than any photograph. She would need to ask Harry about these projection pyramids, her mum and dad would be blown away watching this.

She snapped back to reality and had an answer all ready. "Well, apart from being the youngest warrior ever to be granted centurion status, Harry is also the first warrior not goblin born to achieve this great honour."

"Once more correct but not not exactly what I was looking for. Okay Mr Crow, it's left to you to tell us why this was really an historic occasion. An historic occasion that could one day affect us all."

He didn't disappoint. "Madam Bones talking with Director Ragnok is the first official contact between the ministry and the head of the goblin nation in over three hundred and fifty years."

This drew a loud reaction from Amelia's niece. "What! How is that possible?"

"It's actually quite simple Susan. The ministry decrees we must contact them through the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. For Gringotts leaders to officially contact this department would mean we accepted them classifying goblins as mere magical creatures - something I can guarantee you will never happen."

Susan Bones at least had an inkling of how the ministry worked, and wondered how the goblins had gotten around this problem. She asked and Harry once more supplied the answer.

"Oh, every month the bank clerk with the lowest Gringotts approval rating gets to take a folder full of documents to the ministry. Since nothing has been done about the past points raised, or complaints made, we are not even sure if anyone actually reads them. Every month now, at least one of those documents will be bogus. A recipe for dragon stew, the best technique for cutting toenails - complete with clippings as proof, that kind of thing. There was even a competition at school once to see who could come up with the best idea, the winner was chosen to be that month's bogus entry. The ministry think they're fooling us while we're quietly having a chuckle. Goblin sense of humour - which is almost impossible for any non-goblins to see the funny side of." Harry looked in the direction of his friends. "Believe me, I have tried."

"I think modesty is also preventing Centurion Crow from elaborating on a point we touched on. The entire goblin leadership was standing publicly and squarely behind his appointment to this post. The message this very public display sends out is that the goblins support a child born to a witch and wizard being appointed to one of the highest posts in their nation. That boys and girls is history right there. In a very public way, the goblins are showing that they see no difference between us. It is only our attitudes that define differences."

Draco was desperate for this professor to notice him so just had to state what he thought was obvious. "Professor Hobson, Centurion Crow IS different. He is clearly not a goblin."

"Ok Mr Malfoy, let me ask you this - I'll even open the question up to the entire class. Do you think the goblin nation would award a dementor centurion status? What about a dragon? Griffon? Acromantula?"

"What's an Acromantula professor?"

"Imagine a tarantula the size of Hagrid and you won't be far away from describing an Acromantula..."

She was interrupted by Ron Weasley falling off his chair, giving Draco a chance to once more compete for her attention. "The answer to all of those would have to be no, it still doesn't tell us why Centurion Crow is different."

"All those things I mentioned come under the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures portfolio - as do the goblins." She loved teaching for this moment, when you could see young minds begin to make connections for themselves. "Now if we can see what's wrong with that, why can't the ministry? The answer is simple - they don't want to. The British Ministry of Magic is one of the few magical governments in the world where sentient magical beings are still treated like mere beasts."

She let this sink into the young minds before continuing. "My job here is not to cram a bunch of names and dates into your heads, more to get you realising that history is all around us every day. A very wise muggle actually produced a quote that has kind of become my mantra, 'Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it'. We are still going to focus on specific historical events, but dig deeper into each in an attempt to discover what was really going on. Only when you understand that, can you hope to avoid making the same mistakes."

The young Swedish professor could see that made sense to her students, she hoped the next bit did too. "I think one of the main reasons the history syllabus at Hogwarts was allowed to deteriorate to the sorry state it was in is that the ruling governments of the day didn't want their actions studied too closely. Every history course I've ever seen includes some relatively modern events in it."

The professor paused, wondering just how far she could take this with first years. She decided this was something they really needed to know. "Over a decade ago, magical Britain reached a condition that was a mere step away from civil war. The general belief is that this was fought by purebloods wishing to take what they considered their rightful places and rule the country - utter rubbish! The death eaters were a bunch of terrorists attempting to overthrow a country's legal government, with the rest of the magical world monitoring the situation closely in case they had to intervene. Don't get me wrong, the other governments weren't about to rush to Britain's aid - rather end the problem here before it could spread to their countries."

The young professor was used to her classes hanging on her every word, she wondered though who would ask the first question about the next revelation. "Propaganda played a large part in the dark lord's strategy, personally I think he copied a lot of the German ideas from the second world war. Replace aryan with the word pureblood and most of the ideas are the same."

Hermione's hand was up in a flash, getting a grin from her teacher.

"Professor, my friends are purebloods - and a goblin. The point is, none of them know anything about Hitler or his plans for a master race. How could this dark lord know about it?"

"Ten points to Ravenclaw for getting right to the heart of the matter Miss Granger. The answer though is surprisingly simple, the dark lord is not a pureblood..."

This caused uproar in the class until the professor held her hand up for silence. "When I tell you something, I don't want you to instantly believe me. I want you to do research and actually try to prove me wrong. What you need for that though are facts - not hearsay."

She pointed her wand at the board and the name Tom Marvolo Riddle wrote itself, the letters then shuffled to reveal 'I am Lord Voldemort'. "The dark lord was nothing of the sort, being clever with anagrams does not bestow a lordship on you. His mother was an unmarried, impoverished pureblood who died giving birth to her son, but his father was a muggle. Young Tom spent his pre-Hogwarts years in a muggle orphanage - records of his muggle school attendance and even some report cards still exist. You can check the Hogwarts roll and see he was a Slytherin - head boy too."

Neville's jaw matched those of the majority of his classmates, in that it was practically hitting the floor. That was before he turned and spotted Harry sitting there unconcerned. "You knew?"

"It's vital that you know your enemy Neville."

Professor Hobson had a lot more revelations for this class. "Now, having established his true identity, it's important to discover the real aims Tom had. Quite simply, this self-styled lord wanted to rule the world - and would go to any lengths to realise his ambition. Seeing where all the wealth and political power was held, he aligned himself with the purebloods. Not all bought into his claims though, but Tom had an answer for that too. He coined the term blood-traitor, classing any pureblood who opposed him as such."

Again this drew gasps from her students, things like this just weren't talked about in 'mixed' company. "Traitor is a very emotive word. Even in muggle Britain, the act of treason could still see you hanged. The treason act hasn't been used for over fifty years but it's still part of their laws. Some of the most eminent magical members of this country were labeled blood traitors, simply because they opposed this maniac. This gave families they had been close to for generations the perfect excuse to stand back and do nothing, while their fellow purebloods were almost wiped out. Families like Bones, Longbottom, Potter, Abbot, and many more - all lost people to this maniac and his followers."

There were some moist eyes now as this was history that struck close to home, but Professor Hobson wasn't finished yet. "Miss Granger, sorry to keep picking on you but I need someone with a pre-Hogwarts muggle education like Tom's to answer this. Can you think of any muggles who would dress in costumes with masks to victimise a specific group of people?"

The image popped into Hermione's head instantly. "The Ku Klux Klan, they promoted white supremacy."

A flick of the professor's wand and a Klan figure was drawn on the board, alongside a death eater. "Aryan supremacy, white supremacy, pureblood supremacy, are we seeing a pattern here? Tom Riddle is an immensely powerful wizard, and also a very clever one. Taking what he had learned from both sides of the magical divide, he fabricated an entire persona. Here was a wizard who had nothing but almost ended up ruling Britain. No wealth - take someone else's, no old family name - make one up, no blood status - who's to know! He set wizard upon wizard for his own gains and almost wiped out a way of life."

Pansy nervously raised her hand and spoke when asked to. "Professor, aren't you afraid what could happen to you for saying this?"

"Miss Parkinson, when you're afraid of the truth then you're living a lie. These facts are taught in most of Europe's magical schools. Should Tom or his followers attempt to return, I for one will be standing against them. I will do so of my own free will, though it doesn't help that your ministry would have me reporting to the same department as Centurion Crow here. Now for homework..." She stopped because a hand had shot into the air. "Yes Miss Brown?"

"Professor, you said when we were finished, we could ask Harry about the centurion ceremony. Are we finished?"

Henrica Hobson had thought the material she was covering today might have been a bit advanced for these students. She was very pleased to see she had reached most of them - though Miss Brown's attention was clearly focused elsewhere. The young professor glanced toward Harry. "Centurion, I am not asking you to reveal any secrets but could you tell us anything - even about the position of centurion? This is merely a request, please don't feel you have to."

"Professor, I would hate to trivialise one of the most important history lessons we've ever had..."

"It's quite alright centurion, I think the class would appreciate ending the lesson with some lighter material."

Harry glanced around the classroom, seeing some tearful and frightened faces. The professor invited him to the front of the class and he went.

"The position of centurion is an ancient one, they existed long before the Roman armies used the term for a squad commander. It's not really a fair comparison since I don't have a squad of warriors. Professor Flitwick mentioned Order of Merlin and muggle knighthoods, neither of which is really close. The medieval knights of old are probably the nearest things I can think of to compare a centurion with. We live our lives by a strict code of honour and our blades are always ready to defend the nation."

Tracy wanted to confirm what she was hearing. "Are we talking about Knights of the Round Table here Harry, King Arthur - that kind of knight?"

"Well, Merlin was a friend of the goblin nation - as is Hermione - so I don't think that should be too surprising."

This had his best friend blushing as all eyes were now on her. In magical Britain, any comparison to Merlin was a great honour. Lavender though had another question. "Do you wear a suit of armour too?"

"I carry my armour with me at all times, goblin armour is different from the suits you'll see dotted around the castle..." Harry suddenly realised everyone would now want to see it. He shook his head before making his way back to his desk and kicking off his shoes. When the robe came off and landed on the desk, Professor Hobson interrupted.

"Centurion, just what are you doing?"

"I assumed the class would want to see my armour. I like these shoes and this shirt, I destroyed a few before getting the hang of this. My practice tunic is dragon hide and can cope with the transfiguration."

As he unbuttoned his shirt, the witches were now ogling Harry's exposed torso - but not for long. His armbands suddenly started to expand, a metallic lattice began to spread over Harry's body like a second skin. In a matter of seconds, golden chainmail armour covered every square inch of his body - with only his face still exposed.

"A Hogwarts uniform wasn't designed to let armour grow under it. Shirts tend to rip unless loosened, and shoes burst at the seams."

Terry was looking at Harry in awe. "Can you still fight in that? It looks dead heavy and cumbersome."

He glanced toward Hermione. "Should we give them a demonstration?"

"I've never fought in a skirt before..."

"You might have to one day, an enemy won't allow you time to change clothes."

Henrica established control of the situation immediately, wanting to know exactly what was being proposed before it went any further. "Just what are you suggesting centurion?"

"Sorry professor, I should have asked your permission first. I'm teaching Hermione how to use a sword, I was suggesting a quick practice to show how my armour performs as I fight - with wooden practice swords of course."

Hermione took her goblin shield out her pocket, expanded and slipped it onto her arm - just as the bell rang for the end of class.

This drew groans of disappointment from the class, though Harry did supply an answer to Terry's question. "The armour isn't really heavy though it is taking a bit of getting used to, it feels a bit like moving in water at the moment. I use it in our sword practice and am building up to wearing it while running. I hope to have it mastered by the Christmas holidays."

"Speaking of holidays centurion, I'm hearing you might have just changed my summer plans?"

"Sorry professor, that was not my intention. I know you'll be busy at the start but you would be more than welcome to join us near the end of it."

"Why thank you centurion, that is a very generous offer I might just take you up on. I can just as easily write lying on a beach as stuck in an underground room."

As Harry was putting on his robe, he once more received jealous stares - but this time from the boys. He could feel Hermione bristling with indignation on his arm as they left the class, though had no idea what he'd done to deserve it. Neville gave him his first clue.

"Are you really going to spend part of the summer holidays with Professor Hobson - on a beach?"

Harry decided to go with his usual approach - the truth. "As you've just seen, Professor Hobson is a brilliant teacher. To lure her to Hogwarts, my father had to offer something she couldn't get elsewhere. The professor will be spending her holidays with us in Gringotts..."

Hermione stopped walking at this, causing Harry to enquire what was wrong. Her reply of 'nothing' clearly wasn't right. "I thought you'd be pleased, this is what you wanted?"

"Harry, if this is more goblin humour, I'm not seeing the funny side here."

"I thought we agreed it had to be an outsider, someone who could highlight the differences. I also thought she did a brilliant job of that just now."

"Harry, you're not making any sense..."

"My father got permission from the director to allow Professor Hobson to stay with us - while she studies our culture before writing a book on goblins. It was only this unique opportunity that convinced her to leave her last school and come to Hogwarts. She will spend the next few summers at Gringotts."

It was like watching a light switch on for Hermione as she realised just what was happening, a broad smile spread across her face as she once more started walking with Harry.

"Are we ok?"

"Of course we are Harry, I'm really sorry about that. I was just being silly, but we talked the problem out and got it sorted. I think it was watching the rest of the boys practically fall over themselves to please Professor Hobson, and then imagining her coming on holiday with us - I said I was being silly didn't I?"

Here was the information Harry was missing, and he was soon smiling himself. "Hermione Granger being silly, I don't believe it. It's Professor Hobson's Veela heritage that has all the boys tipping over themselves - it doesn't affect goblins."

This raised a number of questions for Hermione but she chose to leave them for later, the young witch felt she'd made enough of a fool of herself already today. The jealousy had engulfed her without warning or any real cause, on either Harry or the professor's part. She was getting used to other students hitting on Harry but Hermione thought it may have been triggered by the fact she could never hope to compare with the stunningly beautiful professor. The very idea of being on a beach with the blonde witch sent shivers of dread through her young body. A smiling Harry on her arm was quickly banishing those thoughts away, and showing them for what they were - pure silliness.

They reached the great hall and had hardly sat down when they discovered just how quick the Hogwarts rumour mill actually operated. Roger appeared to have been delegated to ask the question that every male Ravenclaw suddenly wanted to know the answer to.

"Harry, did you really invite Professor Hobson on holiday with you?"

Again Harry went with the truth. "She's working on a project for my father over the holidays. Since we'll be on a beach, I didn't see anything wrong with inviting her along too."

One of the sixth year boys shouted down the table to Harry. "Is your father looking for anyone else to help with the project? I'll work for free?"

This generated some laughter though Roger summed it up perfectly. "Merlin Harry, if you thought you were popular before, this is going to eclipse everything. What's getting out of Snape's potions class compared to time on a beach with Hottie Hobson!"

There was no laughter this time, just a lot of wizards letting their imaginations run away with them - and a lot of witches scowling at them for doing so.

That Harry sat unconcerned chatting with Hermione and Padma over lunch settled the last of his best friend's nerves, and left Hermione wanting to hug the life out of him.

-oOoOo-

There were no smiles in the private conversation Harry had later that night. Getting goblin suspicions confirmed by Hogwarts meant that there was now a fair bit of planning to be done.

-oOoOo-

The twins were rather upset when they discovered their eldest brother was in the castle but would miss their game against Slytherin. "Sorry guys but I am working. If the game's still going when our lesson finishes, I'll certainly be there to cheer Gryffindor on."

They both looked to Harry for help, only to be disappointed. "Sorry too guys, training comes first. Your brother is a brilliant teacher and we need all the defence training we can get."

Bill led the four friends out the hall just as the quidditch captains were calling on their teams to make their way down to the pitch.

The door of the classroom had hardly closed when Harry turned to his three friends. "I'm sorry for deceiving you like this but there is no lesson today. There's a mission I must carry out inside Hogwarts and, with the entire school out at the quidditch pitch, this is the perfect time."

Hermione was on him in a flash. "This obviously has to be secret but please tell me it's not dangerous?"

"Curse-breaker Weasley and I are going to look for something. The only danger we can see is the possibility there may be some magical traps around the object, something that he deals with on a daily basis."

"Oh good, that means we can come and help?"

Bill started laughing. "...and that is why I don't gamble with goblins. Harry here wanted to bet me that would be your response but I wasn't buying into that."

While this was greeted with a smile from Hermione, Padma wanted to know exactly what they were signing up for - and just what they were looking for.

"The item is the diadem of Rowena Ravenclaw."

This drew gasps from the two female claws, Padma found her voice first. "I'll say this for you Harry, you don't do things by half." Spotting Neville's confused appearance, Padma helped their Griffindor friend out. "It's a tiara Neville, something like the one Hermione wore to the centurion ceremony. Our Harry here is conveniently ignoring the fact that it's been lost for centuries - and believe me people have been looking for it. The centurion here expects to get his hands on it while a school quidditch match is taking place - rather ambitious don't you think?"

This drew a smile from Harry. "Not if you know what room it's in. Apparently though the room is vast - and full of junk. We can split into two teams of three but only Curse-breaker Weasley is to go anywhere near the item."

This again drew Hermione's attention. 'Why, is it dangerous?"

"It could be, the last person to handle it was Tom Marvolo Riddle. We're taking no chances and it will be sent straight to Gringotts to ensure it's safe."

Neville had a couple of questions of his own. "Is the castle okay with you removing it - and how do you make two teams of three when there's only five of us?"

"Hogwarts told me where it was Neville..." Harry didn't need to answer the next part as Professor Hobson entered.

-oOoOo-

Hermione couldn't stop running her free hand up and down her new robe. Harry had been so sure they would want to accompany him that, not only did he invite Professor Hobson along, he had protective duelling robes made for the three of them. Like Harry's tunic, they were all made from dragon skin. Her other hand was of course on Harry's arm, that they had stopped and Harry was currently talking to a stone wall had Hermione slightly worried. She should have known better.

"Hogwarts, your champion needs access to the room of hidden things."

A large oak door appeared to melt out the stonework and they entered a cavern full of - everything!

This was where Bill took charge. "Padma, Neville, you're both with me. Everyone get your dragon skin gloves on - and be very careful. If you see a tiara, do not approach and under no condition is anyone to touch it. Henrica, send up red sparks if any of your team spot it and we'll come running. Let's do this search in an orderly fashion so that, should we run out of time today, the search can continue when the next quidditch match is scheduled."

Hermione's eyes were scanning the vast cavern, and not just for a tiara. "There is hundreds of years worth of stuff in here, some of this could be valuable."

Harry noticed her eyes were fixed on an old bookcase as she said this. "Yes, and some of it could be dangerous. This is a mission Hermione, you need to focus."

She nodded in understanding as they began to search the part of the room assigned to their team. Professor Hobson playfully nudged her before asking in a conspiratorial whisper, "Is he always this intense?"

"Oh no professor, this isn't Harry being intense. Wait until we meet a troll, then you'll see intense."

Henrica was laughing at the young witch's comment, that was until she discovered Hermione wasn't joking. Perhaps she should have studied her job description more closely before accepting this post.

Bill was beginning to think they would have to wait until the Ravenclaw / Hufflepuff match at the end of the month before resuming their search when a spray of red sparks lit the roof of the chamber. The trio quickly headed in the direction the spell had been cast from.

The other team were standing well back, heeding Bill's warning but Padma headed straight for it. Harry and Hermione were physically holding her back while Bill scanned the area.

"It's emitting a powerful compulsion charm, I want everyone further back."

The three friends and Professor Hobson soon had Padma out of range, earning an embarrassed apology. "I'm sorry, I just don't know what came over me. How come I was the only one affected?"

Harry answered while watching the curse-breaker work. "Hermione's bracelet would protect her, as would my armour. Neville's got his mind on other things..."

Neville was standing beside Professor Hobson with a goofy grin on his face, enticing giggles from both girls. Those stopped as Curse-breaker Weasley appeared to have disarmed any traps, he reached out and grasped the legendary item. As he put it into the container he'd brought with him specifically for this purpose, it was then slipped into his bag.

As they were leaving the room, they found the Grey Lady and the Bloody Baron waiting on them. Harry immediately bowed to both. "My Lady, your mother's diadem has been found. It will be taken to Gringotts where the disgusting taint will be removed from it. Once restored to its former glory, it can make a triumphant return home."

The ghost smiled for the first time in living memory. "Hogwarts is very pleased with the actions and deeds of her champion. A burden I have carried for centuries will soon be lifted, the house of Ravenclaw is in your debt."

"There can never be a debt between us my Lady, that I am considered worthy for the house your mother founded is all the payment I will ever need."

Bill was glancing around anxiously. "Harry, I think I should get this out the castle at once, before a meddling old headmaster pokes his crooked nose in."

Henrica agreed. "Go Bill, I will escort them back to the great hall, and cover should anyone enquire why we're up on the seventh floor."

Bill left but Helena had one more surprise for them. "Young champion, the room you have just left has the ability to become whatever you request. It's getting rather cold and dark to be running outside at the hour you both do, the room can provide you with somewhere light, dry and sheltered to run."

"You mean the room can change to whatever I want?"

"It's the room of requirements, so called because it can change to meet the user's requirements. You just need to tell the room what those requirements are."

Harry bowed deeply once more. "That truly is a gift beyond measure, I offer you my thanks Lady Helena."

The quidditch match was over and the great hall was full by the time they made it down. From the celebrations coming from the Gryffindor table, it was easy to see how the result of the game had gone. Neville was in no danger of being teased about missing the match, walking into the hall in his new duelling robes was not the reason though. It was the blonde professor at his side that halted any inclination to tease, even the quidditch obsessed Oliver Wood would admit spending the morning with Professor Hobson was preferable to watching a mere school game.

-oOoOo-

Minerva was sitting in her school apartment, drinking a cup of tea while reflecting on the busiest and most revolutionary term she could remember at Hogwarts. That this revolution could be laid at the feet of a green-eyed Ravenclaw was beyond doubt. Revolutionary was really the only word to describe the effect he'd had on transfiguration. It was still a week to the Christmas holidays yet her first years were already well into second year transfiguration tasks. That they didn't use any of the prescribed spells, or the specified wand movements left her unsure of what the future held.

Here was a class who would ace the practical tests but all fail the written papers, simply because they didn't use any of the prescribed course work. They spent their time studying and practicing the actual magic involved, rather than writing essays on procedures they didn't use. Since even the slowest in the class were now well ahead of where they would normally be on her usual teaching schedule, what possible grounds did she have for objecting? - Not that Minerva had any intention of doing so.

The new history course was also having a big impact on the school, as was the professor teaching it. Henrica had earned Minerva's respect by standing toe-to-toe with Dumbledore and not backing down an inch. He'd quickly demanded she stop teaching the students about Voldemort, only to be refused in no uncertain terms.

"I'm here to teach a curriculum pre-approved by my employer before I started, I will not have my students failing exams because the headmaster decides I should not pass on the relevant information to them. I would also like to point out that neither you nor Hogwarts are my employer, I work for the Lily Potter Foundation. Should you wish to change anything, you would need to contact them. I believe the foundation is currently administered by Gringotts Senior Accounts Manager, Barchoke."

Minerva couldn't help but smile at that memory, or the effect that name had on the old wizard. Albus had stormed away after that, 'thwarted again' was the phrase that came to Minerva's mind. She had also noticed the young witch keeping the company of William Weasley when he was in the castle, much to the chagrin of the students.

Filius was also walking just that little bit taller with the prominence his house was currently enjoying. The head of Ravenclaw was also crossing swords with the young centurion in an effort to teach him how to fight with blade and magic at the same time. He proclaimed Harry's control of both was growing at an exceptional rate.

Even Severus was less dour than usual. With Severus, that was probably as good as it was going to get. His acceptance of Harry as Lily's son seemed to have done wonders to his demeanour, the Weasley twins leaving his potions class would also go down as a red letter day for the head of Slytherin.

Even Albus appeared to have temporarily curbed his attempts to manipulate the lad, perhaps his continual rebuffs were finally beginning to take their toll? Minerva doubted it though, and thought next week's presentation to Centurion Crow at the leaving feast would at least be entertaining. That white owl of Harry's was always delivering mail so his father would be well aware of what was happening, the Gringotts presence now in Hogwarts was also considerable. Albus appeared to think he was dealing with a young boy who could be easily swayed, he didn't seem to take into account the support team Harry had around him. Minerva would also consider that support team now contained three Hogwarts heads of houses, a knock at her door was just about to prove her wrong.

She found a rather nervous Severus standing there. "Can I come in a moment Minerva? I have a rather delicate matter I would like to discuss with you."

Minerva invited him in. Rather than try and guess, she waited on Severus bringing the matter up. Just as well, they would have been Dumbledore's age and she still wouldn't have guessed correctly.

"I have something I would like you to pass on to Centurion Crow from me. Seeing that picture of him taking those flowers to his mother's grave, and then setting up a foundation in her name, set me thinking. As you know, Lily and I were as close as he and Miss Granger - before I ruined it. What I do have are years of memories that I feel her son should have. I arranged a lot of photographs I had of Lily into a small album, I would really appreciate it if you could pass them on to her only child."

Minerva had to sit down at that revelation. "Of course I will Severus, that is very thoughtful of you. I perfectly understand why you wouldn't have any pictures of Harry's father, would you mind terribly if I added some to your gift?"

Severus took a moment to think about Minerva's offer before nodding. As long as he didn't have to see them, that was something he could live with. He handed over the leather bound album that had an embossed lily on the front before bidding Minerva a good evening.

-oOoOo-

Rita Skeeter wasn't having a good evening, she wasn't having a good anything anymore. She had stood firm at her questioning by the DMLE, claiming a journalist had to protect their sources and methods. Her lawyer had charged a fortune to point out that Rita hadn't broken any laws - or at least they couldn't prove that she had. Those bastards at the Prophet had dropped her quicker than the presses could print extra copies announcing that very fact to the world. With no one else now willing to employ her, Rita was sitting in the corner of the Leaky Cauldron. All alone, and nursing a drink at her own pity party.

Her party was gate crashed by a wizened old goblin with an exceedingly gruff voice. "You can sit there for the rest of your life feeling sorry for yourself, or you can pick your skinny arse up and get back at the bastards who did this to you."

Rita sharply snapped back at the old goblin. "I don't recall asking for your opinion?"

A smile with many missing teeth now greeted Rita. "I wasn't offering my opinion, I was offering you a job." This instantly focused her attention, as did the small sack of money Whitefang dropped onto the table.

"You posses an ability to obtain information no one else can get, the person I'm working for would like to see you use that ability on certain targets. He even has a project that involves writing - you interested?"

The money rapidly disappeared into Rita's robes and she was soon following Whitefang out of the pub.

A/N Thanks for reading

19. Goblin Ale

Harry Crow

Disclaimer - I don't own these characters and my writing certainly couldn't be considered canon. If my efforts don't fit your idea of what a Harry Potter story should be, I can only offer my apologies and make a suggestion. Writing your own really is the only way to ensure the story progresses exactly the way you want it to, it also gives the rest of us something to read.

Chapter 19

Harry entered the great hall for the leaving feast, and walked right into a storm of protest. The reason for this storm wasn't hard to ascertain, Harry was in his dress tunic and carried his helmet under his arm. A blue cloak/cape, trimmed in bronze, completed his ensemble. Hermione was of course on his free arm. The source of this tropical depression of protest wasn't too difficult to spot either, the robes the headmaster was wearing would probably be deemed as too outlandish by Elton John.

"Mr Crow, that is not proper Hogwarts uniform."

"It's Centurion Crow, and this is proper attire for someone of my station to receive an award. To dress otherwise would be to demean both the award and the occasion."

Dumbledore wasn't so easily swayed, he tried a different tactic. "This award is being presented to you as a Hogwarts student, surely school uniform would be more appropriate for this occasion?"

"When I was offered this award, it was presented to me as being a school occasion. On arrival though, I can't help but notice the Minister of Magic is here - along with the press. Your inclusion of these outsiders alters this event to a formal occasion, which requires formal dress. Your alternative is to ask the outsiders to leave and then I would gladly change, you can't have it both ways headmaster." Harry gave a rather wry smile at the dilemma he'd just dropped on Dumbledore. "In anticipation of you changing the conditions of the award presentation, I dressed appropriately."

Albus decided to put his foot down, after all - this boy was a mere student and he was the headmaster. "I'm sorry, but I must insist you go and change. We will hold the beginning of the feast until you return." From previous experience, he should have realised how well this tactic worked on Harry. Albus discovered his mistake pretty quickly.

"I am also sorry because, if my dress uniform is unacceptable, I will of course leave - though I won't be returning tonight. For a centurion to receive an award in the presence of a national leader, and not be in the proper uniform could be construed as an insult. Therefore, it is with regret I must decline your award."

The first flash of the photographer's camera captured forever Dumbledore's expression as he was once more publicly told 'no' in his own school. He also had no idea things were about to become much worse as his planned positive publicity perished right in front of his twinkling eyes.

Harry had plans for a ceremony of his own design. "Hogwarts, your champion begs an audience."

The four house ghosts made their way to the front of the hall as Harry donned his helmet, he then reached into his bag that Hermione was carrying. "Master Flitwick, could I have a moment of your time please?"

The diadem of Rowena Ravenclaw was sitting on a blue and bronze velvet cushion that Harry held in his outstretched arms. The tiara captured light from the hall and reflected it back in a kaleidoscope of colours as Rowena's fabled diadem majestically sparkled on its journey to the front of the now hushed hall. He knelt before the ghosts and offered the diadem up like a royal crown. "What was lost has been found, what was tainted has been cleansed. Your champion returns this precious artefact to its rightful home."

The great bell of Hogwarts rang out once more. This though was no dong of doom, here was the sweet chimes of celebration that spread throughout the entire castle.

The Grey Lady made no attempt to hide her delight. "Hogwarts is jubilant at your achievements young champion, as am I. Professor Flitwick, can I ask you to accept my mother's diadem on behalf of her house? We will make arrangements for it to be publicly displayed so everyone can have a chance to see it, before it returns to its rightful place in Ravenclaw Tower."

Albus stood there, still as any statue, as the press practically fell over themselves in their desire to ensure they missed no detail of this unbelievably historic event. That this story was not the one they originally thought they would be covering mattered not a jot to them. It was glaringly obvious though that this wasn't a view shared by the minister. Cornelius' complexion almost matched his famous bowler hat as he sat there experiencing the worst thing in the world for a politician - being totally overlooked and ignored.

What was really concerning Albus was the bold and reckless move of broadcasting this event to the country, he knew exactly what Harry meant by 'tainted'. Here was the horcrux that must have been hidden inside the castle, hidden right under his nose for all those years. He considered this a reckless move, very publicly providing the dark lord with proof at least one of his horcruxes had been discovered and destroyed. That this had all happened in his school, again without his knowledge, worried Albus a lot more than the bad press they would get for Harry refusing his Hogwarts award. Dumbledore was actually hoping that, in the furore over the diadem's return, this little fact may be overlooked.

Albus almost overlooked Harry's next move. Even as he watched it though, the headmaster wasn't sure if he actually believed what he was seeing.

Harry approached the staff table and bowed deeply. "Potion Master Snape, it is our custom that a precious gift should be reciprocated in kind. I could never dream of matching the gift you gave me and can only hope you'll consider this worthy."

A slim but obviously ancient book passed between the two. The normally sneering persona of Severus Snape vanished like a wisp of smoke, this version wore a look of wondrous astonishment - currently matching the one displayed by Harry's still speechless head of house. Severus was also struggling for words. "Where...how...this was thought lost forever. How in Merlin's name did you find a copy of this?"

A smiling Harry was reminding himself to thank Master Pitslay the next time they met. "Like the diadem sir, it's all a matter of knowing where to look."

This had given Severus the time needed to regain his composure, he respectfully stood and performed the centurion salute before replying. "Centurion, to the both of us, the subject in question is precious and irreplaceable - but this is still a priceless gift! I thank you and think she would be very proud of the young man her son is becoming."

Harry took no insult at being described as a young man, instead accepting the compliment in the spirit it was offered. He sincerely returned the salute. "That is more than enough for me sir, I wish you a Merry Christmas."

He strode past Dumbledore once more, not even acknowledging the headmaster before offering his arm to Hermione and leaving the feast supposedly being held in his honour. Padma and Neville were hot on their heels, with the vast majority of their classmates deciding to show their support and follow on behind.

Harry was heading for the room they now used when training in the morning. Harry asking a corridor wall for a room in which to hold their Christmas Feast saw some funny looks heading in his direction, these were followed by gasps of astonishment as a door simply appeared. This was nothing though to their reaction upon entering the room. It sparkled and shone like some fairy tale ice palace - thankfully without the expected severe drop in temperature. The massive table constructed of this 'warm' ice was rapidly filling with food from the Hogwarts kitchens, the barrel of ale immediately caught Hermione's attention. "Is that what I think it is?

"My father sent it with Curse-breaker Weasley, he figured that since you loved it so much, our friends probably would too. Its been hidden in the kitchens since last weekend."

"You knew what the headmaster was going to attempt today." Hermione offered this more as a statement than a question.

"I have my sources Hermione, and those sources warned me what he was up to." He didn't want it known that the sorting hat was passing what went on in Dumbledore's office to Lady Helena, keeping Harry one step ahead of the headmaster's plans.

Padma was standing there with her mouth open. "This looks nothing like the room we were in the last time."

"You should see it for our training in the morning - its brilliant!"

"Hermione, I don't care if the room was dripping with diamonds and gold - nothing will get me up at that time to do exercises."

Harry was busy inviting everyone else into the room. "Grab a seat and help yourself to some food. Neville, Terry, Michael and Anthony - can you guys give me a hand dishing out some goblin ale for everyone."

Terry just about summed the rest of the first years' thoughts up. "Merlin Harry, you certainly know how to throw a party. I was sure you would have something up your sleeve but all this and ale too? Really impressed mate."

Hermione didn't want Harry getting a bad reputation, she decided to set everyone straight before rumours started to spread. "Goblin ale is non-alcoholic, it's also the best thing I've ever tasted."

Soon everyone was sitting and the goblin ale was passed around, they were all waiting to start and looking at Harry for permission. "Hey, I'm not Dumbledore. No speeches here - just tuck-in."

So they did.

-oOoOo-

McGonagall couldn't find the rest of the first years anywhere, all the ghosts would say was that they were still inside Hogwarts, perfectly safe and eating dinner. She walked with her Gryffindors from the great hall back to their tower, curfew was approaching and she wanted to see her missing first years in their dorm before retiring for the night. She heard her five lost cubs long before laying eyes on them, they were laughing, joking and apparently saying goodnight to some people.

They entered through the portrait hole and weren't perturbed in the slightest by her presence, in fact the two girls couldn't wait to tell her what they'd been up to.

"Oh professor, you should have seen it. Harry spoke to a wall and then this wonderful room just appeared - it was gorgeous."

"We had a fantastic party, Harry even brought goblin ale into the castle. It's a bit like butterbeer - only much better."

Neville was quick to defend his friend. "There's also no alcohol in it professor, did you have a good evening?"

Only years of practice stopped Minerva from smiling, she did have a stern reputation to maintain after all. "Apparently, not as good as yours. Now I want to see all of you heading for bed, the express leaves directly after breakfast."

With a chorus of 'yes professor', a group of happy children headed up the stairs. Minerva was sure Albus would see this as evidence that Harry was gathering followers around him, just like a certain Tom Riddle had done all those years ago. Everyone else could see the situation for what it really was, an enigmatic young man making friends with his peers, but the headmaster could not accept the obvious explanation. Albus was worse than any pit bull sinking its teeth into something, when he got an idea in his head - there was just no letting go.

The only first years not at the alternative feast were Malfoy and his diminishing band of cronies, and of course Ronald Weasley. This meant there was a mixture of all houses at the 'party', and every blood persuasion she could think of. Minerva couldn't get over that every single one of them had all voluntarily walked out of the great hall, trusting that Harry would have made alternative arrangements. Add to that the lad was spending Christmas in his best friend's muggle home and Harry seemed to be going for inclusion - rather than exclusivity based on any form of blood status.

-oOoOo-

They were all heading for their respective dorms when Harry leant into Hermione and spoke softly enough so that only she could hear. "I need to speak to Susan Bones, and pass on a gift from my father. Can you stick close and not ask any questions?"

Hermione agreed at once but had a suggestion. "Would you prefer me to ask her for a quick word?" Harry's smile was all the answer she needed.

Susan wasn't sure how she ended up staring into those intense green eyes from close range but Harry mentioning her Aunt Amelia soon had her focusing on the matter at hand.

"Could you pass a message on to your aunt? This is very important and can't go anywhere near official channels, my father would like to speak with her at her earliest convenience." Harry handed over a small inlayed lacquered box. "If your aunt enters Gringotts wearing this brooch, she will immediately be taken to see my father. This will save her having to draw attention to herself by asking for him by name. Please accept this brooch as a gift to the House of Bones, without obligation and irrespective of whatever your aunt decides to do."

Susan recognised the language being spoken here, and also replied formally. "On behalf of the House of Bones, I'm honoured to accept this gift in the spirit it was offered." It was only then Susan's control slipped. "Can I open it and take a look Harry?"

"Of course you can."

Hermione thought that's how she must have appeared when she first opened the box containing her bracelet. Susan's eyes nearly popped out her head before she quickly shut the box again. "Oh Harry, it's simply beautiful. I'll speak with Aunt Amelia the instant I get her alone. I assume this is something to do with her being head of the aurors?"

"I'm pretty sure that's the case, all I know is my father wants to urgently speak with her. When he uses words like 'urgent', it must be important. We better get a move on too, otherwise we'll be out after curfew. Thanks again Susan."

They were walking quickly to Ravenclaw tower. Hermione thought it would be alright to ask a question now, since it was just the two of them. "Do you really not know what's going on?"

"No, which has me slightly worried. You must have noticed, letters from my father are not written in English. Even with that security though, he wouldn't take the chance of writing it down. That brooch will tell Madam Bones this is serious, a gift like that to House Bones is not to be sniffed at. Her wearing it into Gringotts will alert every goblin Madam Bones is under our family's protection, and see her service improve a hundred percent. My father will probably fill us both in later."

-oOoOo-

The journey home on the express couldn't have been more different from the one that delivered them to Hogwarts. Gone were the two lonely children reaching out to one another. In there place sat a young witch and goblin who were sharing the compartment with their friends. This time, there was no searching up and down the train looking for the boy-who-lived. Everyone on the train knew who Harry Crow was, and Hermione Granger too. Now, when someone popped their head into the compartment, it was to wish them a good holiday and Merry Christmas.

When it was once more just the four of them, Harry broached a subject he'd been struggling with. "Padma, I know that, like me, you don't celebrate Christmas. I wanted to experience the full thing though, so I asked Curse-breaker Weasley to explain it to me. I loved the idea of getting small gifts for your friends..."

This met a wave of protests that Harry only stopped by holding his hands up for silence. "Hey, this matched the only written reference we could find to these customs. We could understand the gold bit, it was the frankincense and myrrh that had us really confused..."

Harry was once more interrupted, but this time by Hermione almost choking with laughter. Every time she looked at Harry it would start again, only him offering his handkerchief allowed the witch to get control. Thinking she must look a sight was enough to do it.

"Anyway, before being so rudely interrupted..." Hermione showed her maturity by sticking her tongue out at him, "I was about to ask for your help with a problem. It wasn't the gifts as such that caused the problem, rather who to get them for. You three were of course top of my list - then I hit problems. I got our Ravenclaw year-mates sweets but it was Parvati that gave me the biggest headache."

He now had two young witches staring intently at him, which left Harry wondering if he'd gotten it wrong again. "She's not just Padma's sister but her twin. I feel quite bad that we seem to have monopolised all Padma's time, and now she's spending the holiday with us too. I've gotten Parvati a gift yet I'm trying to avoid there being any misunderstandings why I did it. I'm still not a hundred percent sure what I got wrong that morning after the troll but Parvati's tears were real enough. I need help in avoiding a problem like that again."

Padma glanced toward Hermione and her smile gave the unnecessary permission. She leaned over, hugging and then kissing Harry on the cheek. "Harry, that is so thoughtful, thank you. If you want, I could give it to her and avoid any problems?"

It was a relieved Harry who reached into his bag and handed a wrapped present to Padma, she left to find her twin sister. Harry pulled another package out his bag and handed it to Neville. "We won't see you until after Christmas so I think it's best to give you this now."

Neville opened the package to find a small goblin-made sheath knife. It had an ivory handle and a three-inch razor sharp blade, all enclosed in a reddish dragon hide sheath. "It can be used to take plant cuttings or preparing potions ingredients."

"It's brilliant Harry, thanks a lot."

Hermione was smiling and shaking her head at the same time. "Harry, you continually surprise me."

He smiled back at her. "That's a good thing - right?"

-oOoOo-

Ginny was waiting with Bill on the platform, her new dress not quite long enough to hide the fact her knees were shaking with nerves. As the bright red engine pulled the carriages into the station, it took almost the same amount of herculean effort for Ginny to remain standing by her brother's side. The desire to hide behind Bill was practically overwhelming the young witch. The students soon began pouring out from the carriages as hundreds of witches and wizards in high spirits erupted onto the platform, Ginny was focusing all her attention on spotting one particular student.

Being the youngest of seven children meant Ginny already had a well-honed ability for watching everything that was going on around her. Being the smallest, and female, saw her continually ignored and overlooked, thus providing even more opportunities for her to develop this skill. Living in the same house as Fred and George, this could also be considered a necessary survival technique.

She soon spotted the smartly dressed boy with long black hair, the witch on his arm helping Ginny confirm his identity. She also noticed the Indian witch and another wizard who were remaining close. A stunningly beautiful Chinese witch practically ambushed the group as she attempted to claim Harry's attention. Even from this distance, Ginny could see her ploy was doomed to failure. Harry's body language had instantly shifted from relaxed to stiff formality, and both witches in his company clearly resented this intrusion.

The little scene was soon shattered by the speedy arrival of another witch, this one had an entirely different interpretation of how an ambush should be carried out. She raced up to a clearly unsuspecting Harry and threw her arms around his neck, a quick greeting was followed by a kiss on the cheek. She rapidly disentangled herself before cheerfully greeting the rest of his friends and then dragging the Indian girl - who could only be her twin sister - away.

Whatever the Chinese girl had planned, this clearly unscheduled intrusion destroyed her play as effectively as a brace of well-hit bludgers. She quickly mumbled something before departing, a distinctly unhappy witch. Saying a much more heartfelt goodbye to their other friend saw the pair start to make their way toward them.

Even now though, the number of people who warmly greeted the pair as they passed was impressive. A redhead witch, who was clearly more 'developed' than little Ginny Weasley, waving and smiling as they passed each other also had the effect of allowing Ginny to finally say goodbye to her fantasy. Ginny wasn't sure if she even have the right to claim it as 'her' fantasy anymore, it was painfully obvious most of the witches who got off the train harboured strikingly similar fantasies of their own toward Harry. She wondered how the girl on his arm coped with all the clearly unwanted attention, Ginny knew her Weasley temper would see her wanting to curse anyone who so blatantly flirted with someone she considered as hers.

It was too late to hide now, they were here. A greeting to her brother was followed by the most gorgeous pair of eyes focusing on her, and Ginny finally understood Harry's popularity. When this boy focused his attention on her like that, Ginny's insides totally melted. She forgot all about the fame, wealth and deeds, here was someone you just had to get to know.

"Hello Curse-breaker Weasley, this must be the sister you were telling me about?"

"Hi Harry, Hermione, yes this is Ginny, and she'll be going to Hogwarts in September."

Ginny was suddenly faced with a hand held out in front of her, not necessary the one she wanted though. Ginny was learning first hand - no pun intended - how Hermione coped with all the witches chasing Harry, and also that here was a witch who she didn't want to cross.

"Hi Ginny, I'm Hermione. Bet you're desperate to get to Hogwarts? We'll look forward to seeing you there. Don't worry too much if your not in Ravenclaw, we have friends in all four houses."

Even in the short time she'd been watching them, Ginny had already noticed that the only way to get near the 'real' Harry was through this witch. Even with the Indian twins, you could easily see which one Hermione approved of. She quickly held her hand out and shook Hermione's. "I would like that - a lot. My brothers tend to forget I'm there sometimes."

Her hand was soon in Harry's and Ginny's battle now was not to hyperventilate. "Well you're welcome to join us anytime, we've always room for more friends."

Ginny's blush might have been bright enough to stop every train in Kings Cross but her wide smile warmed Bill's heart. He'd known all along this was a gamble but this time he was betting on a goblin, Harry had said exactly the right thing. Ron's arrival threatened to ruin the moment but Bill managed to convey with a glare just how much trouble Ronnie would be in if he opened his big mouth - and the moment passed.

Padma's arrival saw her introduced to Ginny too, before she apologised to her friends. "Sorry Harry, I thought I had it covered. Parvati must have opened her present the moment I left and decided she really had to thank you personally. It is a beautiful scarf and she'll probably never take it off, she does understand why you gave her it though. My parents were pleased too, and rather keen to meet you. Could we arrange that for sometime later?"

"No problem Padma, I'm glad she liked my gift."

Bill took the opportunity this presented to offer some thanks of his own. "Speaking of gifts, please thank your father for me Harry. He provided a portkey so our brother Charlie could travel from Romania to spend Christmas with us. You can't imagine how happy my mother is that the entire family will be together over the holidays, it certainly made her Christmas."

The arrival of the twins instantly introduced some of the the chaos they were rapidly gaining a reputation for. This time though, all present thought the chaos was unintentional. "Hey everyone, hi Little Snitch - what brings you here?"

"That dress tells me your not here to greet your handsome twin brothers...ouch!"

Ginny's shoe had connected with Fred's shin. "Horrible twin brothers more like..."

Hermione's laughter stopped the assault becoming more serious. "Oh Ginny, you're going to fit right in. We'll look forward to seeing you at Hogwarts. Let's go guys, mum and dad will be waiting and the car's probably on the meter."

As the trio was leaving, the Weasleys all heard Padma address Harry. "Please tell me you had no idea what that last bit meant either?" His shake of the head surprisingly appeared to reassure the young witch.

A pair of eyes with a lot more experienced at observing people than Ginny's had also carefully watched events on the platform unfold, but with far more sinister motives and intentions. Lucius was looking for potential victims to pass the diary on to, and had quickly discovered he was spoilt for choice. His plan called for the chosen victim to be one of two things, either a person close to the boy or someone holding a grudge.

He preferred the first option, imagining Crow's distress as someone close to him became enveloped in darkness, but wasn't prepared to cross anything out at the moment. The Chinese girl fawning over the boy and being spurned put her on the list of possibles, as did the youngest Weasley practically passing-out when meeting the boy. Lucius well remembered her brother threatening to blow his head off, and her father was also near the top of his shit list.

The young Bones bitch was also clearly on friendly terms, and simultaneously getting back at her aunt would be a really sweet revenge. That particular choice of victim would certainly have to be classed as a high risk strategy though, one that could easily come back to bite him on the arse. Amelia Bones was no fool, something that would have to be considered before making his final decision.

His three closest friends would clearly be Lucius' best bet, though each came with their own particular problems. The mudblood would surely cause Crow the most distress but Lucius was loath to admit he wouldn't have a clue how to even find her, never mind slip the diary into her possession. She wasn't being discarded just yet but that particular outcome would require a great deal more luck rather than his careful planning. Longbottom would practically fit into the same category, Augusta was renowned for never letting her grandson out of her sight. The Indian witch was one he would need to garner more information on, and his source just walked up to him.

"Come Draco, time to go home."

The young indian witch in question was currently congratulating her friend on how she'd handled the Weasley situation.

Now that it was just them, Hermione was free to rant. "It's bad enough having older witches hanging over Harry, now I'm going to have to put up with younger ones making 'doe eyes' at him too!"

"It could be worse Hermione, at least it's only witches hanging over me." Harry's face as he made that remark had both his friends laughing. It was a happy trio who made their way through the portal to what what was another world for two of them.

Bill wanted to know how his sister was feeling. "I'm fine Bill, though no thanks to these jokers. I can't wait to get my wand and then a few people are going to see some payback."

This started Bill laughing, or rather the fear in his twin brothers eyes did. "I know some good curses Ginny, and promise to teach you before you head to Hogwarts. At least it seems as if you've made some friends before you get there?"

Ginny's blush was back in full force. "I thought he looked good in that picture on the front page of today's Prophet, he's far more handsome in real life..."

"Oh I think I'm going to be sick..."

Bill was in like a shot, he'd worked too hard to get Ginny to this stage to let anyone's jealousy ruin it now. "That's probably because you've been eating like a pig again Ronnie. Harry's on the front page of the Prophet for returning a priceless founders' artefact to Hogwarts, and you're still on probation for another six months. If your sister wants to make friends with them, that is her business. Any Weasley who has a problem with that will have to take it up with me. I'm going to be keeping a close eye on her at Hogwarts."

Fred was trying to atone for his earlier screw-up with his sister. "Hey, Harry's a friend of ours, why would we have a problem with that?"

"Yeah, we heard he held a great party last night for all the first years - except Ron here. Why would we have any problems with the boy who got us out of Snape's class? Em, sorry about earlier Ginny..."

Her smile let them know they were off the hook.

When Percy had finally said goodbye to his girlfriend, the Weasleys portkeyed to the Burrow.

-oOoOo-

Padma was lying in bed trying to get her head around the things she'd seen, things the Grangers took for granted. Harry had never tasted Indian food, so they all decided that's what they would have tonight. Out came a menu and choices were made, it was the next bit that blew her mind.

Simply by picking up something called a telephone, their order was soon delivered to the house. Here were dishes her mother would work all day to prepare, sealed in containers and delivered right to your table. As if that wasn't enough of a jolt, discovering that the same service was available for most of the world's cuisines by simply punching different numbers into the telephone almost put her into shock.

A light knock at the door saw Hermione enter. "Everything okay Padma?"

Hermione was sitting on the bed beside her before Padma had sorted out her reply. "I'm beginning to appreciate just how big a shock it must have been for you, and even Harry, entering the magical world. Thank goodness staying in Crawley comes without the drama that you two provide in Hogwarts, I think we could all do with a break from that. Your mum and dad are great too, Harry fairly gets on well with them?"

Her friends slight blush was still there, even behind the wide smile. "Mum simply adores Harry, the fact that he has me exercising and learning defence put him straight into dad's good books too. I'm glad you like it here. Apart from that surprise weekend with Harry, this is the first time I've actually had friends staying."

"Well snap, this is also the first time I've ever stayed with friends." Both girls hugged at that before Hermione headed out the room, Padma couldn't resist a parting shot before her friend left. "Are you now going to tuck Harry in?"

Hermione though was getting used to her friend's teasing, and decided to tease right back at her. "I don't think that's a good idea. Last time I did that, we ended up spending the night together. Goodnight Padma." She went to bed with a satisfied grin on her face, Hermione though Padma's look of utter shock was worth the grilling that would surely follow tomorrow.

Padma was desperate to ask Hermione for details but the girl was long gone before she got her brain back in gear. Apart from experiencing a whole new world, she was finding her friend was this whole different girl away from Hogwarts. Padma wanted this holiday to be an experience, and so far she was anything but disappointed.

-oOoOo-

Amelia Bones was also having a new experience, walking into Gringotts wearing her new brooch saw her approached at once and led straight to Harry's father's office. No queueing, no surly teller, just courteously accompanied where she needed to go. After the introductions, Barchoke immediately got down to business.

"Let me start by apologising for involving our children in this. Unfortunately, I didn't really have any other options. Circumstances have provided me with proof of major corruption at the very highest levels of the Ministry of Magic, I really had nowhere else to turn."

Amelia was instantly on guard, wondering just what game was being played here. "Can I see this proof, and ask how you came to have it?"

"We were carrying out an investigation about an entirely different matter, and this just fell into our laps." Barchoke had removed a folder from his desk and now slid it across to a wary Head of the DMLE.

She cautiously opened the folder and felt as if she had been physically struck by the photographs displayed there. Barty Crouch was sitting having dinner with his son, a son who supposedly died over a decade ago. Barty Jr had clearly aged from the young man she remembered but his identity was undeniable. The picture of him laying on a bed before being covered by an invisibility cloak was particularly telling, and somewhat explained how he could be kept hidden for so long.

"I must asked how you obtained these pictures, and why?"

Barchoke had expected nothing less. "We employed Miss Skeeter to investigate the trial of Sirius Black, Mr Crouch was instrumental in this process. In her own inimitable style, she practically fell over this deceit." He deliberately didn't mention Sirius' innocence, or even lack of a trial. If Amelia Bones was half the witch he thought she was, discovering Sirius never received the due process of law should see her heading back to Gringotts, if only to find out just what the hell they were up to. There was also a danger of pushing too hard too soon, one terrifying revelation at a time would do for now.

"We were as shocked as you clearly are by this development but left unsure who to approach, whether Mr Crouch was working alone in getting his son out of Azkaban was our main concern. That this feat has never been achieved before suggested there were others involved, and left us second guessing what our next move should be. Had we contacted the wrong person, his son could simply disappear and relations between our nations could disintegrate to an all time low."

Amelia understood that would be her main problem, how to catch Barty in the act without tipping her hand. One sniff of an investigation and Barty Jr would never be found, how the hell was she then supposed to organise a search for a dead man? These pictures alone wouldn't be enough to bring Crouch down, all he would have to do was claim they were faked and ask for further proof. Without that further proof, they were screwed. This led Amelia to ask the obvious question.

"What is your interest in Sirius Black?"

This Barchoke was able to answer with total honesty. "We recently discovered he is Harry's godfather."

Amelia's 'Oh Shit!' was in recognition that her task just got even more complicated. Apart from the goblin involvement, throwing in the names of Sirius Black, James and Lily Potter and of course the boy-who-lived just dictated she was going to have a very busy Christmas.

A/N thanks for reading

20. A pair of Bones trumps a pair of Bartys

Harry Crow

Disclaimer - I neither own Harry Potter nor profit in any way from my writing here. That people take time out of their day (or night) to read my efforts is all the payment I could hope for.

Chapter 20

Christmas Eve with the Grangers had been planned to the last detail. After breakfast, they were all heading into London to spend the day sightseeing - with definitely some shopping along the way. Harry slipping Padma some spending cash would have gone unnoticed if the girl hadn't threw her arms around him in thanks. Dan and Emma were intending to pick up the tab for everything today though, having saved a small fortune by switching their banking to Gringotts.

They began at the Marble Arch end of Oxford Street, admiring the Christmas lights and the stores. By the time they were having their lunch in a fast food outlet at Oxford Circus, Padma and Harry had been supplied with multiple items of muggle clothing from the many stores they had stopped in. Padma was a bit like a kid in a sweet shop, her eyes never stopped moving as she attempted to take everything in, while Emma was still struggling with the concept that all their shopping was currently stored in the book-bag Harry wore.

Hermione and Harry were delighted to be eating burgers, it meant that they could still hold hands while having their lunch. The crowds on Oxford Street made their usual activity of walking arm in arm really difficult, Hermione solved the problem by grabbing his hand. Both had enjoyed the contact and the only time they had been separated since was when one of them went into a changing room to try on clothes.

The sightseeing / shopping continued down Regent Street to Piccadilly Circus, from there it was a short hop to Trafalgar Square and the biggest Christmas Tree in London. The antique nativity scene in the glassed-in display also took some explaining before they headed off down The Strand.

Somerset House is a magnificent building, seeing many uses in its four hundred and fifty year history. It could be argued that one of the worst uses was as an Inland Revenue office - nobody likes to pay taxes. There could be no argument though that the group were seeing it at one of its best today.

An ice rink filed the lower courtyard, with sparkling lights, hanging decorations and a beautiful Christmas Tree all adding to the strikingly festive sight. There were small decorated huts selling wares and a large cafe spread along one entire side of the rink. It was to here Dan and Emma gravitated while Hermione dragged her two now reluctant friends toward the skate hire kiosk.

Both parents sipped their hot chocolate while watching the trio take to the ice. Hermione had skated since she was about seven so had no trouble on the slippery surface. Harry's grace and athleticism seemed to help as he soon mastered the basics of staying upright. Poor Padma though appeared to spend more time on her bum than actually skating. Now that Harry was mobile, he and Hermione each took one of Padma's arms and the trio were soon making their wobbly way around the rink.

The three friends who later ran up to Dan and Emma all wore that look only achievable by kids having fun in the cold - red cheeks, sparkling eyes and wide smiles. After more hot chocolate all round, they then made their way over to Covent Garden where Dan had already reservations booked at a lovely Italian restaurant. It was a happy and certainly full bunch who caught the train back to Crawley.

It was on the train home Hermione asked a question that had just occurred to her. "Mum, dad, are we going to church tonight?"

Emma and Dan had talked this over, and decided to give it a miss. "No honey, with Harry and Padma not celebrating Christmas, we were..."

Dan never got to say any more as Harry interrupted. "Excuse me, Dan, please don't change your normal celebrations because of us. We would both be delighted to come along - that's if we're allowed?"

Hermione squeezed his hand, since it was still held in hers. "Everyone's allowed in church, Harry. We usually go to the midnight service on Christmas Eve, do you really want to come?"

It was actually Padma who answered. "I certainly want to go, I hope to experience as much of this way of life as possible."

Plans were quickly made to go home and just chill for a few hours before getting ready for church, Hermione was soon advising both her friends what clothes they had bought today would be suitable for the occasion. An occasion they were now all looking forward to.

-oOoOo-

Amelia wasn't looking forward to telling Susan she was going to be working over Christmas. She had really missed her niece since the young witch left for Hogwarts, and was not happy about missing Christmas with her only family. That had also been her dilemma when arranging her response to those photographs. Amelia needed people she could trust at her side but also required the entire situation to be kept ultra quiet. If someone had a spouse and kids, keeping it quiet that they had a mission on Christmas Day would be so much harder to do. Gossip like that would be all over the ministry in no time.

This led her to take the potentially dangerous decision of keeping her team small, she was banking heavily on the element of surprise. Amelia had no intention of telling her team of just four aurors what they were going to be doing, not until they were ready to leave on the actual mission.

The Head of the DMLE understood she was putting her career on the line here. Barty would demand, and certainly get, her head on a silver salver if she didn't pull this off properly. They needed to catch Barty Junior or she was ruined. That the same convicted, and supposedly deceased, death eater assisted in placing two aurors in the permanent spell damage ward of St. Mungo's was all the motivation Amelia needed to undertake this high risk plan. Frank and Alice Longbottom never got the chance to sit and have dinner with their boy, she fully intended that the Crouch father and son would both pay for their crimes.

She had also taken Barchoke's answer to heart and did some quiet digging herself into the trial of Sirius Black, Amelia was astonished to find - absolutely nothing! She didn't want to alert anyone until they had both young and old Barty wrapped up but Amelia certainly intended looking into the matter further once that was achieved.

A quiet word with Minerva regarding Barchoke's character had produced a surprisingly positive result. The Hogwarts Deputy Headmistress' answer of 'a devoted father who would do anything to help and protect his son' was rather unexpected. She needed to know just how Sirius Black fitted into this picture, and exactly what the goblins were actually after.

-oOoOo-

They were making their way home from church, an occasion Harry and Padma had thoroughly enjoyed. "I really liked the nativity play, it helped explain things I was struggling with. The children seemed to have such fun doing it too."

The mischief was twinkling in Dan's eyes as he couldn't resist a gentle jibe. "Didn't Hermione tell you, Harry? She made her acting debut in the church nativity play a few years ago..."

"Daaad, I was six!"

This memory had Emma smiling, "Yes, but even then Hermione knew what she wanted. She was cast as one of the three wise men, but insisted it should be a wise woman."

Any teasing to be done and Padma wanted to be part of it, she did decide to cut Hermione a break though. "It could have been worse, Hermione. That wee boy who was supposed to be a sheep spent the entire time waving to his mum and dad, I had to bite my lip to save from laughing."

Harry also came to his best friend's rescue. "Well I would love to have seen Hermione in the play, and think she was right about the wise woman bit too."

Emma thought this was really cute but Dan liked his mischief. "Oh don't worry, Harry, we have plenty of pictures of Hermione in the play - along with Hundreds of others you should see..."

"Daaaad..." was soon followed by the sound of laughter, this looked like being a very merry Christmas in the Granger household.

-oOoOo-

Harry was wakened by a hyper-excited Hermione bouncing on his bed. "I know we weren't going to exercise today but I woke at our usual time and am far too excited to go back to sleep. Merry Christmas, Harry." She bent and kissed his cheek at that, causing both of them to blush.

Unsure of what to say, Harry fell back on routine. "You want to practice swords in the back garden?"

By way of an answer, Hermione gave him a hug before shooting out the room to change into appropriate clothing.

Dan was dragged from his slumber by the unusual sound of thwack - thwack noises emanating from the back garden, he hauled himself from his nice warm bed to look out the window. He was still standing there ten minutes later when his wife's arms snaked around his waist from behind, her 'Merry Christmas' went unanswered.

He couldn't take his eyes off their daughter. "I can't believe that's the same girl we sent off to school in September, she seems to have grown so much..."

"Probably because she has, mainly in confidence. I think she's going to grow into an outstanding young woman, with friends who will be there for her throughout the journey."

They watched fascinated as the pair swapped between defence and offence, probing for weaknesses in their opponents. Hermione had always been a willing pupil at anything she put her mind to, watching the concentration on her face as she parried and shielded Harry's attacks was something to behold. It was compulsive viewing and kept both Grangers at the window until they were finished exercising. Now it was time to get breakfast ready before they settled down for presents.

-oOoOo-

Susan was also up early, she wanted to have some time with her aunt before they both had to leave. She was heading over to spend Christmas Day with her best friend, Hannah's parents knew from long experience not to ask too many questions as to why her Aunt Amelia had to go into the ministry today.

Harry had told Susan his father wouldn't have used the word 'urgent' if it hadn't been very important, a sense of urgency would be the best way to describe auntie since her return from Gringotts. The young Hufflepuff had watched with the rest of the class that day Harry had taken down Lucius Malfoy, she had no doubt both Harry and her aunt were on the same side. Susan knew she was being selfish but she just wished the good guys could at least get Christmas Day off, surely that wasn't too much to ask?

-oOoOo-

The friends were taking turns passing out the gifts they'd gotten for each other, Padma started the proceedings and Hermione now found herself the proud owner of an ultra brightly coloured Indian silk wrap skirt. Harry received a toy armoured knight figure, resplendent on a toy horse, this saw him laugh with pleasure before telling Padma he loved it.

Hermione was incredibly nervous over her gift to Harry. What do you get for your best friend who's the goblin who has everything was such a strange request, she was practically unique in facing a problem like this. Harry had unwrapped her present and was now staring at it with an expression she didn't recognise. Hermione couldn't take the suspense any more and started to babble.

"I didn't know what to get you... The clothes seemed too impersonal... Then Professor Snape went and stole my thunder... Do you hate it, Harry?"

Hermione had gotten him a lovely shirt and a nice pair of black jeans, it was the book on top though that held all his attention. She'd christened it 'the book of Hermione', because that's basically what it was. Here was his best friend in all her glory, from an infant right up until they had their picture taken on the steps of Gringotts. Each picture had at least a paragraph explaining the where, when and what was going on in the picture - all in Hermione's beautiful handwriting. The amount of thought and effort she had clearly lavished on this gift just blew Harry away.

He raised his eyes from his gift to see Hermione almost hyperventilating with anxiety, his wide smile soon put a stop to her fretting. "It's fantastic, Hermione, I love it."

Padma also really liked her jeans and t-shirt from Hermione before they moved on to Harry's presents. A silver Ravenclaw eagle charm on a chain of the same material was much admired and appreciated by Padma.

Emma was 'oh-ing' and 'ah-ing' over the pyramid Harry had given her and Dan, without having the slightest clue what it was. "Oh mum, that's wonderful. Did you include that memory crystal Professor Hobson showed us, Harry?"

"That, and a few others. I thought your mum and dad might like to see inside Hogwarts." This earned him a hug from Emma as he nervously waited on Hermione opening her gift.

The witch in question was also nervous, the parcel was long and quite heavy. Her hands were shaking as she stripped back the wrapping to reveal - a sword. It was a bejewelled work of art that was certainly shorter than Harry's, and Hermione didn't know quite what to say.

Padma gave her time to recover. "I'll say this for you, Harry, you have definitely got your own sense of style. Most boys giving jewels would have them mounted in a necklace or at least earrings, not embedded into the hilt of a sword. Practical and beautiful at the same time, it fits our Hermione perfectly."

"She's a friend of our nation and is entitled to wear her own blade. The last non-goblin to own a blade like that was Godric Gryffindor."

Hermione had unsheathed her sword and was twirling the weapon around, looking to see if her name was on the blade. It was an embarrassed Harry who answered her unasked question. "They wouldn't put an unmarried female's name on the blade, rather wait until her name changed after her wedding."

"Harry, it's beautiful and feels amazingly balanced in my hand." Spotting the concerned looks her parents were wearing, Hermione tried to put their minds at rest. "Dad, goblin females learn to use weapons purely so they can defend themselves. They aren't allowed to become warriors or fight in a war."

"I am so glad to hear that Hermione. It's a beautiful gift, but also deadly. I hope you'll be careful with it?"

As usual, it was Padma who tried to lighten the mood. "I'm now going to have to walk around Hogwarts with two of them carrying swords, I suppose that beats being woken up by listening to them practice first thing in the morning. Can neither of you two give normal a try?" Both her friends smiled at her gentle teasing, knowing that she was deliberately making light of a situation that could have become awkward.

Hermione thanked Harry for her gift, before showing her parents how to operate the goblin viewer. They were bowled over by the scene from the steps of Gringotts.

-oOoOo-

Barty Crouch was on his knees in front of the fire, talking to Amelia Bones on the floo. Apparently some Bulgarians had been partying and almost started a riot in the Leaky Caldron by offering celebratory toasts after one of them cast the dark mark. The problem was they spoke very little English, though one of them managed to communicate enough to claim to be the son of the Bulgarian Minister of Magic. They really needed to interview them before the situation escalated into an international incident. Barty could clearly see Amelia was at home, and her Christmas was being ruined too. He had just agreed to go into the ministry when the windows suddenly imploded, Barty whirled around and froze in surprise as Amelia Bones jumped through the shattered frames before firing a stunner at him.

"Shack, go! Your team upstairs while we sweep down here. Auror Tonks, keep that floo connection open and monitor the situation."

Amelia and Mad-eye were in full auror garb as they rushed through the downstairs portion of the house. For Amelia, arriving in the kitchen and seeing the table set for two was a big boost. The head of the aurors swiped her hand over each of the chairs and felt elated when it smacked into something solid. She closed her hand over the invisibility cloak and dragged it off, much to the distress of a now sobbing house elf.

"Barty Crouch Junior, you are under arrest." Amelia then stunned the unresponsive wizard for good measure before producing magic inhibiting cuffs.

"Mad-eye, get Shack and Gawain back down here - and make sure Barty Senior is going nowhere without us. Tell Tonks to head for the ministry and wait for us there, I want these two questioned today before anyone can interfere."

Amelia could feel the adrenalin coursing through her veins, she was getting too old for this shit. Jumping through blasted out windows was a game for younger aurors, but it had worked perfectly. Seeing two Amelia Bones' had frozen Barty for the second they needed to take him out. She'd noticed Mad-eye hit him with a stunner too as they passed, all her team now knew what was at stake here today and were determined there would be no slip-ups.

Phase one had been a resounding success, now all they needed to do was discover just how far the corruption had spread in the ministry. They weren't out of the woods yet, they could all still find themselves without jobs before the New Year if enough of the wrong people were implicated in this.

-oOoOo-

Dan and Emma were sitting enthralled as they watched the kids' potions class. Both had done their fair share of chemistry labs as they went through university but this was something else. Yes they were using cauldrons but the precision needed for the ingredient preparation and brewing was a million miles away from making a pot of soup. Here was a branch of magic they could understand - sort of!

They were interrupted by a couple of Gringotts owls delivering a rather large book that contained details of the Potter properties. This had Hermione really excited. "Oh wonderful, now we can look through your houses and start planning where we want to go this summer..."

Padma couldn't help but notice the Potter crest on the front of the book, she was also a pureblood and the hat didn't sort her into Ravenclaw for nothing. "Harry, how can you access these? Don't you need to be head of your family first?" The hush that descended with that question worried Padma. "Guys, you know I can keep my mouth shut. This is obviously something you don't want made public."

"Padma, you know we trust you but this just brought up something I hadn't thought of. How to invite you and Neville on holiday with us, without alerting the world that I've taken on my head of house."

"Does this mean you've made your choice, Harry?"

"No Padma, it just means that I'm the only one who can make that choice. My father didn't want anyone attempting to gain control of me, with the Potter family ring on my finger that can't happen now."

"I won't say a word Harry..."

This drew a smile, "I know, Padma, I have no worries about that. Now that you do know, can I have a word with you - in private?"

Emma watched as Harry led Padma out into the back garden, here was her first chance since this morning to talk to her daughter alone. "You ok love? To say the least, a rather unusual present Harry got you."

Her daughter smiled back at her, "Not for a goblin mum. I know it's easy to forget but that's who Harry is. His most prized possession is his knife, it never leaves him. Its sheath is charmed to be invisible so you can't see it even when he has his sleeveless tunic on."

She glanced over to where Moonlight was lying on his back, amusing himself by swiping at one of the lower baubles on the Christmas tree. "He got my birthday absolutely perfect, and my sword is practically a work of art. Would you like to bet it's worth a small fortune too..."

Both had stopped as Dan now joined them in staring out the window. Whatever Harry had said to Padma, she was clearly upset. Harry opening his arms and the now sobbing witch throwing herself into them was puzzling too. It finally hit Hermione just what was happening here.

"Damn, damn, damn..."

"Hermione, care to enlighten your poor, ignorant parents just what the hell is going on out there?"

"I'm only guessing dad but Harry told Padma he was head of House Potter, then asked for a quiet word. Whatever that word was, Padma is clearly distraught - though not upset with Harry."

Since the girl was currently clinging to him as if her life depended on it, their daughter's analysis was hard to refute. It still didn't tell them anything though. "Please tell us something we don't know, Hermione."

"I'm only guessing mum, but I think Harry's just told Padma he's turning down the marriage contract her father offered."

"What! They're both only eleven."

"I know mum, pureblood customs means Harry has to deal with the situation as soon as possible, once Padma knew he was head of House Potter. She obviously didn't know her father had offered her hand in marriage."

"That's barbaric..."

"It's different from what we believe, dad, but it's their custom. Don't some muggle cultures still have arranged marriages today? We come across differences like this all the time between us, using words like 'barbaric' doesn't help us understand our friends' point of view. I certainly don't want you arranging a husband for me, it doesn't mean I'm going to lose my friends because their parents might do that for them."

Hermione felt her mother's arms wrap around her, "When did you get so wise?"

"When I was six, and had to wear that stupid costume..."

All three smiled at that, and watched the young man comfort his friend in their garden. When he finally led Padma back into the house, she flew right into Hermione's arms and the two girls held each other tightly.

"I didn't know,Hermione, I swear I didn't know."

"It's okay, Padma, it was easy to see you didn't." Hermione could feel the tension leave her friend at that.

"Harry was brilliant with me, Hermione, that could have been really terrible but he made everything okay. He really is something, hold onto him."

"We'll all hold on to each other, Padma, we're all friends."

Harry approached both girls, unsure of how his actions would be received. "Are we okay?"

He suddenly found himself with two witches holding onto him. "Of course we are, Harry, now we can have our Christmas dinner and then figure out where we're all going on holiday this summer - also how to get Padma and Neville there too."

"Oh Harry, I just remembered something, my father really wanted to meet you. It makes more sense now, though I can't figure out why he offered me instead of Parvati?" The blush on Harry's face told its own story. "He offered betrothal contracts for both of us?"

Harry didn't answer that particular question but wasn't fooling anyone. "Providing he doesn't know I'm now head of House Potter, I can refer all matters like that to my father."

Emma had a question she was dying to ask, well actually a few questions. "Is it customary for the girl not to know that her father had offered a betrothal contract on her?"

Padma answered as best she could. "I don't really know, Emma. Pureblood society is very male dominated, and even more so where I come from. My father's word is law in our household, to disobey him would bring shame to our family. At least I now know why he so readily agreed to me coming here..."

The mother tried not to let her shock show at that. Thankfully Dan appeared as horrified as she was with this news, the Granger household was most certainly a partnership - not a dictatorship. "I was just wondering if some of these girls who kept approaching Harry knew they were offered as betrothals by their fathers?"

"That would certainly explain some of the more persistent ones, do you know if they are, Harry?"

"Sorry, Hermione, I only glanced down the list once last summer - and the names meant nothing to me at the time. I only remembered Padma's because they were twins, my goblin upbringing dismissed that option immediately."

This sounded something that Dan wanted to hear. "Why would your upbringing automatically rule that out?" Glares from his wife and daughter soon had him explaining further. "I'm not attempting to be judgemental here, just gather information on different cultures."

"Goblins only have one mate, Dan, and that mate is for life. My father's wife died in childbirth, with his baby son passing soon after. He wouldn't even consider taking another wife - no goblin would."

This drew a smile from the dentist. "Those views are pretty close to the ones we hold Harry, that was the only reason I asked. Hermione has entered this whole other world where everything appears different. Like you, we're trying to understand as much as we can about those differences."

Emma thought the entire day needed rescuing to get back to the fun they were having. "One of those differences is Christmas dinner, I'm pleased and also terrified that I'm cooking the first Christmas dinner for both of you." She was laughing at this but still rather nervous. She'd asked Hermione if her friends had any special dietary requirements, only to be told they ate whatever was in front of them. It would soon be time to see if that was true.

-oOoOo-

Cornelius was not a happy minister. Only Amelia telling him that if he didn't come to the ministry immediately, he may not be the minister much longer, got him up from his Christmas dinner. There was no Christmas cheer as he greeted his Head of DMLE in her office.

"Amelia, this better be good or you could find yourself back on an auror patrol."

"Cornelius, if we don't get this right, both of us could be out on our ear by the New Year." She handed him one of the pictures Barchoke had supplied, and watched the colour drain out his face.

"Is this genuine?"

"Since I have both of them currently in our cells, the answer would have to be yes."

Watching the Minister for Magic panicking was not a pretty sight. "We have to contain this, Amelia, it could bring down the ministry..."

"I totally disagree, minister, containing it could cause us a lot more problems. I was given that picture by a goblin..."

"The goblins have no bearing on this - who cares what they say."

"The boy-who-lived, especially since he calls the goblin who gave me this father."

After Cornelius had taken a much needed seat, Amelia explained what they had already discovered. "We immediately questioned the prisoners using truth serum, I needed to know who else in the ministry was involved in this. Thankfully, the answer was absolutely no one. Barty's dying wife extracted a promise that he would get their son out of Azkaban. It was her who took her son's place and died in his cell - still under the influence of polyjuice potion. Barty has since kept his son in line by repeated use of the imperius curse."

The minister let out a huge sigh of relief. Crouch's guilt was undeniable, and the ministry were mostly in the clear. That was until the obvious question hit him. "How and why did this photograph end up in goblin hands?"

"Barchoke told me they were carrying out an investigation into the trial of Sirius Black. I did some quiet digging myself and couldn't discover anything. Questioning Barty gave me the answer. I couldn't find anything because there was nothing to find, Sirius Black was sent to Azkaban without a trial."

That wasn't what worried Cornelius, rather the reasons behind the goblin investigation. "Did you ask why they were enquiring about Black?"

"I did, and you won't like it anymore than I did." Amelia went over to a sideboard in her office and poured a couple of brandies from the decanter she had there. She handed one to Cornelius before giving him the bad news.

"Sirius Black is Harry Potter's godfather."

The minister was grateful for the brandy, it fought off some of the icy chill that had just crept up his spine. "Please tell me you have some good news for me, Amelia - or at least some idea how we get ourselves out of this one?"

"My Susan told me what happened at the leaving feast. I'm surprised you let Dumbledore con you into that Cornelius?"

This change of tack threw the minister. "What do you mean?"

"Harry may attend Hogwarts Cornelius, but we heard from Dumbledore's own lips that the boy will have nothing to do with him. He was trying to use your presence to ingratiate himself with the boy, Harry's answer was predictable to anyone who even slightly knows the lad. It also was no surprise to me that the rest of his yearmates followed him out of the hall - or that he had made provisions for them doing so."

"Are you saying Albus was using me?"

"Albus Dumbledore uses everyone for his own ends, that the famous boy-who-lived won't even be in the same room as him must be driving the old coot crazy. The goblins declared Dumbledore persona non grata over a decade ago, Harry may consider himself a goblin but he also has his own personal reasons for doing the same. I don't want to see the ministry pulled into Dumbledore's mess, and think I know how to avoid it."

Amelia laid out the basis of her proposal. "We play everything in public - and strictly by the book. This would also include a public trial for Sirius Black." She held up her hand to stop the minister's expected protest at that course of action.

"On Halloween, Black had two goblin visitors. The security guard ensured they signed in and out, their names were Barchoke and Old Crow. It would appear Harry not only visited his parents' graves on Halloween, he also slipped off to visit his godfather in Azkaban."

This information was hard for Cornelius to believe. "The boy who lived was in Azkaban, and we weren't informed?"

"He kept his hood up and spoke gobbledygook - he wasn't recognised as anything other than another goblin. What we have to recognise though is that they have been at least one step ahead of everyone, no matter what some people have tried. The logs show they spent over an hour with Black, it can be no coincidence that they then started an investigation into how Black ended up in Azkaban. We're dealing with the results of that investigation today."

"Amelia, surely you're not suggesting Black is anything other than guilty?"

"I really can't imagine them expending all this effort just to get Black's Azkaban sentence legally confirmed. Neither of us had anything to do with him ending up in Azkaban but we've just been given the perfect opportunity to align your ministry firmly on the boy-who-lived's good side. You call an emergency meeting of the Wizengamot for tomorrow, I'll get Black and the boy here. Let Harry and his father see justice being done, and whether Black is innocent or guilty doesn't really matter in terms of the ministry's relationship with the boy - it's win / win for us."

Cornelius was finally getting it. "If Black is innocent we get to set him free - and share no blame in him being sent there. If he's guilty, then we can ask the boy's opinion on an appropriate punishment. Both Crouches should really face a dementor for their crimes and the ministry can claim it's tough new stance on law and order is paying dividends. Are you sure you can get the boy here?"

"That shouldn't be a problem, what I need you to do is avoid telling anyone, especially Dumbledore, just what we're up to. Let's keep to an official statement that an emergency has arisen that needs to be dealt with immediately. Dragging out the two Crouches should satisfy them on that count. After their trial, we can announce the irregularity that's now been thrown up and try Sirius Black directly after the Crouches."

It was a pensive Minister of Magic who agreed to Amelia's proposals. "The minimum amount of notice that can be given for an emergency meeting is two hours, I'll send out notification first thing in the morning and set the meeting for ten thirty. Will you be able to accomplish everything you need to do in that time?"

Amelia was thinking of sending Shack and Tonks to Azkaban to collect Black, Mad-eye and Gawain could take it in shifts to sit on the prisoners while she headed for Gringotts. "We should manage, I'll leave you to enjoy the rest of your Christmas, Cornelius - it should be quite the Boxing Day."

-oOoOo-

After a lovely dinner, they had all sat around the table and studied the Potter properties. Dan had liberated a giant children's map of the world out the loft and temporarily had it hanging in the dining room, it had once adorned Hermione's bedroom wall in their daughter's younger years. That same witch currently had a handful of colour stickers and was placing them on the map at Potter property locations the group really wanted to visit. The problem was, even being really choosy, they already had six stickers on the map with about half the book still to go.

"Harry, I now understand why my father offered both my sister and I as brides. The Patils would be classed as quite well off but Merlin, this is something else. The extent of the Potter wealth has never been made public, always only hinted at, seeing proof of it here is kinda overwhelming. No wonder there's a lot more betrothal contracts with your name on them out there."

This was confusing to Emma, "Is it really all about wealth, Padma?"

"Well, to my father, he values breeding, power and wealth. The Potters are an ancient, respected family. That gives them a lot of power, without even taking into account their incredible wealth. People like Malfoy want you to lick their boots and acknowledge them as your betters, yet they couldn't muster even a tenth of what Harry would seem to have available."

The boy in question was actually getting embarrassed at the way the conversation was turning, and attempted to change it back to happier subjects. "Let's leave pureblood politics out of it tonight, Padma, I'm having too much fun looking through things my family own. My mum and dad might even have visited some of these. Now who wants to vote on a private island in the Maldives?"

Emma's hand was actually shaking as she pulled the book over toward her to see this one better, Hermione was already putting a sticker over the islands on the map. Everyone halted what they were doing as there was a knock at the kitchen door, Dan left but was soon back with Barchoke.

It was greetings all round before the goblin got down to business. "Harry, we're going to see your godfather tomorrow morning."

Hermione was soon at Harry's side with her arm around him and her head resting on his shoulder. "Even the thought of you visiting Azkaban scares the life out me Harry."

Barchoke gave a deep, throaty chuckle. "Don't worry, Hermione, we're not going anywhere near Azkaban. Harry and I are heading for the Ministry of Magic, Sirius has a trial in front of the Wizengamot tomorrow."

A loud whoop from Harry saw Hermione hoisted into the air, and also earned a comment from Padma. "Ok, forget all about giving normal a try. How about letting me in on what's going on?"

-oOoOo-

Christmas Day was just like all the other days of the year for the inmates of Azkaban. Festive was not a word that could ever be used to describe the atmosphere on the island, there was also a distinct lack of cheer. All that was about to change for one inmate. The cell door opened and Senior Auror Shacklebolt performed his duty.

"Sirius Black, you're coming with us. You will be tried for your crimes in front of the entire Wizengamot, and under the influence of truth serum, tomorrow morning."

The haggard figure's reply was somewhat unexpected.

"About bloody time!"

A/N thanks for reading

A/N 2 posting this slightly early to save some of my readers having to get up in the middle of the night!

21. Disrespecting your Elder

Harry Crow

Disclaimer: JKR owns Harry Potter, I write purely for fun and it's free, anyone wishing professional standards of writing should go and buy one of her books. (POA is my favourite!)

Chapter 21

Albus was in a foul mood as he entered the Wizengamot chamber, his Christmas had been anything but merry. He'd tried to use the holiday to sway Hogwarts staff over to his way of thinking about the boy-who-lived, with absolutely no success. All had robustly rebuffed his ideas, with Professor Hobson getting so angry she began shouting at him in Swedish. Even Severus had point blank refused to put his fledgling relationship with the boy in jeopardy for the sake of the greater good.

Now the Chief Warlock found himself summoned to a meeting, with not the slightest idea what was on the agenda. This was adding to his bad mood, a bad mood he intended to lighten by sharing it around. It was way beyond time that Albus reminded people he was the most powerful wizard in the country.

The most powerful wizard in the country was ready to blow his top after spotting Harry and his father sitting in the front row of the public gallery. Watching Miss Bones join the pair left Albus feeling that he wasn't going to enjoy today either. If Cornelius had started listening to Amelia Bones, then Albus anticipated trouble. There was just no give in the stern witch, she tended to see things in terms of black and white or, even worse, lawful / unlawful.

Seeing Amelia arrive in the chamber, alongside the minister, just seemed to confirm his worst fears. Albus decided to get this show on the road. He stood and banged his gavel to bring the chamber to order, not even trying to hide his displeasure at the situation he found himself in. "Fellow Wizengamot members, I bid you welcome to this emergency meeting. Normally I would now announce our agenda but, since I haven't been informed of why we've all been ordered here, I must now pass you over to the one who called this meeting. Please take the floor, Minister Fudge."

The minister slowly rose, knowing every eye was now on him. Cornelius understood this was his moment to shine, and intended to make the most of it. "Fellow Wizengamot members, I would first like to apologise for disturbing your holiday - and for the secrecy that surrounds this meeting today. I can assure everyone of the necessity of both, and I am confident you will agree with me when you discover why we are here. This emergency meeting is all about justice, and that's what I intend to see carried out here today. Aurors, bring in the prisoners."

Senior Aurors Shacklebolt and Robards led both father and son Bartemiuses into the chamber, a chamber that had descended into uproar. A cannon blast noise spell from Amelia got everyone's attention.

"We will have order here, and we will see justice done. This ministry has nothing to hide and all your questions will be answered before we even consider passing sentence. I think the entire chamber recognises that one of these prisoners has already been convicted of heinous crimes, I feel no need to rake over that painful ground again here today. That judgement and sentence still stands."

Amelia watched as Augusta Longbottom regained control of her emotions, and nodded her thanks for that. This would be painful enough without having to relive Frank and Alice's torture.

That nothing was going to be swept under the rug seemed to appease the Wizengamot, for now. They would wait and see how things went before passing judgement on the Crouch family.

Shack applied the truth serum to Barty Senior and led him through the story of how his son came to be chained into the seat beside him. The chamber listened, enraptured as the tragic tale of an embittered man and loving mother descended into criminality. Barty brought his story right up to date by informing the chamber about Amelia Bones jumping through his destroyed window on Christmas Day before stunning him.

Susan was sitting there feeling ten feet tall with pride at her aunt's deeds when Harry leant over and whispered to her. "Sorry for ruining your Christmas, it couldn't have been any fun on your own."

"Oh that's all right Harry. I was with Hannah, and this is what Auntie does. I wouldn't have it any other way."

Amelia now opened the questions up to the chamber, though Shack would still be asking them of the prisoner. Hearing that a couple of people had stumbled on the secret over the years, only for Barty to obliviate them, was a discovery that stripped any last semblance of sympathy away from the man. That he'd kept his son under the imperius curse for the last decade meant Barty Senior's fate was well and truly sealed. Barty Junior, having been held under an unforgivable curse since stepping out of Azkaban, didn't really have anything to add to the proceedings. As no one really wanted to hear him spout dark lord dogma, he was sentenced as an escaped prisoner from Azkaban. Both he and his father were to have a kiss by a dementor administered before nightfall.

This time it was Susan's turn to lean over and whisper to Harry. "I think I would rather be thrown to a dragon than face a dementor. At least with the dragon, it would be over with quickly!"

As the father and son were being led away to face their sentence, one of the members asked Amelia a question the Head of the DMLE wasn't sure she wanted to answer. With Barchoke and Harry sitting there though, she was trapped into providing one.

"Madam Bones, how did you come by the information that led you to raid the Crouch Residence on Christmas Day?"

"Our friends from the goblin nation provided some quite compelling proof of just what was going on in the Crouch Residence."

Albus was on his feet, knowing that goblins always expected to be paid. "Can I ask just why the goblins were interested in wizarding affairs?"

"Actually, that leads us nicely on to the next part of our proceedings. It has come to the ministry's attention that Barty Crouch was the main force behind a wizard being sent to Azkaban without a trial, we intend to right that wrong here today."

Dumbledore needed all his experience not to let his dismay at this development show, knowing at once exactly who the wizard was Amelia referred to. "On a point of order, I must advise that this emergency session doesn't currently have a mandate to..."

Harry didn't need the spell the director used on the steps of Gringotts, the anger in his voice clearly discernible as it reverberated throughout the chamber. "Point of order? Where was this love of the law when you ordered Hagrid to deny my godfather his rightful possession of me? When you left a baby on a muggle doorstep? When you employed Voldemort to teach at Hogwarts?" Harry ignored the shouts and gasps at his use of that name. "Where was this love of the law when you attempted to blackmail my new defence tutor?" Harry then addressed a chamber that was agog at these accusations.

"Sirius Black is my godfather, yet this is the same man that supposedly served both me and my parents up to the dark lord? I demand the right to know if this is the truth, who in here would deny me that right?"

Dumbledore was aghast at Harry's knowledge, and the ferocity of his verbal attack. He tried to stall for time. "Harry, this is not something a child needs to hear, Sirius Black is..."

"My name is Centurion Crow, and I am no child old man. If Sirius Black is found to be guilty, I would have no hesitation in demanding satisfaction and killing him myself. Now, as Chief Warlock, aren't you the one charged with seeing justice done, or - like headmaster of Hogwarts - is that just another title you hold but have no intention of fulfilling the job requirements?"

The minister stood at this point and took over. "I personally invited young Harry and his father here today to see justice done. Regardless of his crimes, Sirius Black should still have been afforded a trial. When pureblood wizards can be thrown in Azkaban, with no hearing nor any right of appeal, it begs the question of who could be next."

Cornelius knew he had them now. If this fate could befall one pureblood, what was to stop any of them being the next victim? It was time for the minister to do a bit of grandstanding, especially since he made sure the press would be here. "My ministry were not involved in this injustice, furthermore, it will never play a part in a witch or wizard being sent to Azkaban without a trial. If that is the kind of minister you want, then you got the wrong wizard when you elected Cornelius Fudge. Aurors, bring in the prisoner. The same rules apply as last time, we will allow questions from the chamber once the truth about that evening has been established."

Mad-eye and Tonks led Sirius into the chamber, ensuring he was secured to the supplied chair before administering the veritaserum. Albus was desperate to object on any grounds possible but Alastor Moody's presence robbed him of all the opportunities he could think of. It would be an incredibly stupid person who brought Mad-eye's honesty into question, especially where supposed dark wizards were concerned.

The chamber expected someone who had spent the last decade in Azkaban to be rather the worse for wear, in that sense Sirius didn't disappoint. What did surprise them was the wide smile and manacled wave of greeting in the boy-who-lived's direction.

Sirius proclaiming under truth serum that he was neither the Potter's secret keeper nor a death eater fairly got the chamber talking, and the press offering thanks to de Sales that they were present here today.

The entire chamber sat enthralled as Sirius was led through his story. Of how he became uneasy that Halloween evening, and that unease turning to panic as he couldn't find Peter. Panic becoming horror as he arrived in Godric's Hollow to discover the closest thing to family he had in the entire world murdered. His world shifting out of kilter when Hagrid refused to hand his godson over, and his need for revenge on the betrayer - eventually leading to him being illegally incarcerated in Azkaban.

The chamber had listened earlier as tragedy saw a wizard, trapped by circumstances, continually break the very laws he once so passionately championed. Now circumstances appeared to have colluded to see this innocent wizard lose a decade of his life, no one knew quite what to say.

Harry though had a question he would like to hear Sirius publicly answer. "Minister, would it be possible to ask my godfather just who cast the fidelius charm on my parents' home?"

Cornelius was not the only person who wondered why Harry was asking that particular question, he was the one who voiced his puzzlement though.

"Simple minister, our research shows that this charm is extremely complicated to cast, and requires a lot of power from the caster. I doubt if there are many in this chamber who could successfully perform the charm."

This appeared to upset a toad faced woman who let her displeasure be known "I would like to know what you're implying by that remark? I would also like to know why this chamber is allowing goblins to interfere in the affairs of wizards, something I'm sure was against wizarding law the last time I looked."

Harry took umbrage at this witch's attitude. "You clearly don't know anything about goblins madam. We never imply, rather ask questions and investigate until we get to the truth. On the Halloween evening of nineteen eighty one, despite being protected by a fidelius charm, my parents were murdered. My godfather was soon placed in Azkaban while my godmother now resides in ward forty nine of St. Mungo's, I ended up being abandoned on a muggle doorstep by Albus Dumbledore."

Cornelius was watching this and thinking how right Amelia was, the boy obviously considered Albus poison - and the minister would have to be careful not to become tainted by association with the Hogwarts headmaster.

"Now you may think that's a lot of hard luck for one person to have, but here's where we hit a problem. My godfather was in Godric's Hollow that night yet clearly denied his rights - by Dumbledore's orders. My godmother was one of the most respected aurors the ministry had at the time, yet again her rights were ignored. Both my godmother and godfather were available to me on that evening, yet Albus Dumbledore took it upon himself to decide what was going to happen to me - and you all stood back and let him."

This was met with utter silence as Harry held them all accountable for what had befallen their saviour. He then turned his attention back on the witch who'd asked him the question in the first place. "We are well aware goblins are not allowed to interfere in the affairs of wizards, but we are allowed - and certainly intend - to investigate fully wizards who commit crimes against goblins. Does anyone here doubt crimes were committed against me? On discovering my godfather was innocent, yet received no trial, we began investigating the people who put him in Azkaban. It was as simple as A, B, C, - Albus, Bagnold and Crouch. It was this same investigation that discovered Crouch's deceit, and allowed my godfather the trial we've just witnessed here today."

Mad-eye then asked Sirius the suggested question, only to be disappointed when he didn't know. "I was more concerned with making sure the rat would be well hidden, I wasn't there when it was cast and never thought to ask."

The witch was back at her snarkiest, her attempt at a sweet innocent voice fooling no one. "I hope that answer satisfies our goblin friends?" She actually managed to make the word 'friends' sound like the worst contagious disease in the world.

"Absolutely not. I am very suspicious of the supposed 'coincidences' that happened around me that night. Just like I'm suspicious of Flamel's stone being hidden in Hogwarts - and Voldemort being employed to teach there the very year Harry Potter was scheduled to arrive. I can also assure the honourable lady we will get the answers we require, and that I applaud Minister Fudge's tough stance against those breaking the law."

Harry sat down at that to mixed reactions. The toad faced witch was fuming, quite a few others appeared concerned at what these goblin investigations might unearth. The minister though wore a wide smile as he continued the proceedings.

"Is there anyone in this chamber who has the slightest doubt Sirius Black is an innocent man?" Cornelius was well aware by asking the question in this way, anyone objecting would have to publicly declare themselves. In a vote, they could have cast their opinion in secret.

"Since there are no objections, I declare Sirius Black a free wizard. Madam Bones will investigate this matter further, including a recommendation for recompense over wrongful incarceration, and report back to this chamber at the first meeting of nineteen ninety two. A warrant shall be immediately issued for the arrest of Peter Pettigrew, his Order of Merlin is of course revoked. I declare this emergency session over and would like to thank everyone for attending during this holiday period."

The manacles were removed from Sirius and he stood as a free wizard for the first time in a decade. He looked toward his godson, who quickly got the nod from his father. Susan giggled at Harry's visible glee, he actually vaulted over the balustrade, separating the spectators from the court, and was soon wrapped in Sirius' arms.

Here was a belated Christmas present for the press corps, a picture of the boy-who-lived hugging an innocent Sirius Black was a sure thing for the front page. It might even rate a special edition all on its own.

Albus had skin that would put Teflon to shame, he really believed none of the allegations that Harry had just made could possibly stick to him. While the rest of the chamber bore witness to a touching reunion, Albus just saw opportunity knocking - an opportunity he intended to exploit at once.

He quickly made his way over to the celebrating pair. "Good to see you free Sirius, I will certainly support any measures you take to regain custody of your godson..."

Sirius was nowhere near his peak physical condition, which was probably just as well. If he had been, the punch that hit Albus Dumbledore would probably have killed the old wizard. Even in such poor shape though, there was ten years of hate and anger behind the blow.

The physical blow was totally unexpected, and caught Albus unawares. He stumbled back a couple of steps before falling on his bum, sitting there with his nose gushing blood.

An enraged Sirius Black was towering over the downed Dumbledore. "You sanctimonious, conniving old bastard - stay the fuck away from my godson or you'll have me to deal with too!"

The flash of the photographer's camera was the spark that finally ignited Albus' temper. Who did this ungrateful whelp think he was shouting at - some stray mongrel cur? The indignity suffered sitting here on the floor was even more painful than the nose he was sure had crunched under that fist. His wand was out and moving before really registering with the Chief Warlock what spell he intended to cast.

The surge of light that followed made the photographer's flash appear like a mere twinkling Christmas Tree bulb, temporarily blinding nearly all of the chamber's occupants. As their vision returned, the sight that greeted them left most of them wondering if the flash had affected their minds too. A golden boy-who-lived was currently standing over Albus Dumbledore, with a glowing sword point pressed against the older wizard's chest.

"You'll have to excuse my godfather's abruptness. You see, unlike me, he doesn't think the great Albus Dumbledore would actually curse an unarmed man - I know you better."

Albus had no answer, he had no words. The stump of wood he was holding in his hand was also telling him he now had no wand, his brain though refused to process that information. The elder wand could not be destroyed - it just couldn't!

The flash when Harry sliced through Dumbledore's wand was unexpected, as was his sword glowing for a moment. What was familiar though was the feeling of power now running through the blade, it felt similar to his beloved knife. If Harry could cast a spell with his sword, he would see Dumbledore tied up in restraints - like that incarcerous spell Curse-breaker Weasley was teaching them.

No one was more surprised than Harry when thick ropes shot out of the sword of Gryffindor, and secured Dumbledore's arms to his torso - he certainly hid his surprise better though.

Mad-eye had seen the lad prepare to take action and was moving until that flash sent a pain right through his skull, his magical eye not reacting fast enough to the sudden tremendous increase in light levels. As both his eyes recovered, Alastor discovered he couldn't move. Well, not without taking a goblin blade through his right kidney.

"Take it easy my warrior friend, both of us have seen more than enough bloodshed. Let us carefully weigh up our options, before allowing another precious drop to be unnecessarily spilled."

This was said so quietly that only the two of them could hear it. "What are you proposin' sir?"

"My son will not harm anyone who doesn't attack him first, let us see how this plays out and then shake hands - warrior to warrior?"

Mad-eye was unsure about this. "You've got the drop on me, why would you give up that advantage?"

"Neither of us are fools, we wouldn't have lived this long if we were. I also think you are a man of honour, though if I'm wrong I'm positive my son will avenge me."

The grizzled old auror was left questioning both his eyes as the lad cast a spell, wordlessly and with a sword, wrapping Dumbledore up like yesterday's leftover turkey. As Harry turned to talk to Black, Mad-eye slowly raised his empty hand. "That's quite the boy you've got there, no one gets that good without a massive amount of trainin'."

Barchoke's blade had disappeared as he shook the auror's hand. "My son is a dedicated warrior, his appointment to centurion status was earned entirely on merit."

Moody kept his ear to the ground and had heard of this lad's feat of taking down a fully grown mountain troll, there were also whispers circulating regarding his encounter with Lucius Malfoy. Alastor was honest enough with himself to admit he'd taken both stories with a pinch of salt - not anymore. The lad's movements had been fluid and lightning quick, he could have sliced Albus open if the lad wanted to. Yes he was undoubtedly young but clearly carried himself with a maturity that was way beyond his years. With Bones influencing that idiot Fudge and this lad on board for the fight - not forgetting that sneaky goblin father of his - Moody felt better about their chances than he had in years. Shit, he was almost optimistic!

His glance at Albus filled him with regret. The old wizard's time was over, he just didn't know it yet. Albus Dumbledore's policy of blanket forgiveness really stuck in the ancient auror's craw. Burying your people while letting the murderers walk free was no way to win a war, and Alastor had always known their war wasn't over.

Sirius made his way over, with his arm on his godson's shoulders. A godson who'd sheathed his sword and lost the golden armour. The now free wizard had known at once what Dumbledore was attempting, and had enjoyed slamming that door, and his fist, firmly in Dumbledore's face. He now intended to publicly end any speculation on the matter. The knowledge that Harry and his adopted father already had it covered just added spice to the mix, it was great to be free and be a marauder again.

"Barchoke, I would like to thank you for the wonderful job you have done in raising my godson, I would also like to say publicly that I have no intention of disputing your position as his parent and guardian. I do hope you will allow me to play some part in his life though?"

The goblin bowed to the ragged figure before throwing something else into the mix. "Lord Black, our door will always be open to you. There are things I am ill equipped to teach my son, I'm sure he would rather learn them from his godfather than some tutor I hired."

Amelia and Susan joined the conversation at that point. "Not if all his tutors are like the one you arranged to teach history at Hogwarts - Miss Hobson. I understand the young professor has made quite the impact since arriving at the castle? Harry, I was really impressed by your armour, I've never seen anything like that before."

Susan spoke before realising what she was saying. "I now see what you mean about your tunic adapting..." The red faced young witch was then left to explain her comments to a group of smirking adults. "Harry showed us his armour in Miss Hobson's class, he had to loosen his shirt or it would have been ruined."

This was like manna from heaven for Sirius, discovering that his godson's life wasn't all training fairly put the twinkle back in his eye - as did noticing how this young witch was eyeing up his godson. "Let me see if I've got this right, you got your shirt off in front of a hot young teacher and all the girls in your class? Your dad would be so proud of you, while your mum would probably give you a clip round your ear."

"Sorry to disappoint you, Sirius but I kept my shirt on. I did offer to duel while in full armour but the bell beat us, I have improved my speed since then."

It was Amelia who came back for more. "I was wondering if that armour was commercially available? It makes a dragon hide vest appear pretty lame in comparison."

Harry was well used to dealing with inquiries like this from his friends. He understood there was no insult intended, although Madam Bones had practically stumbled into one. "Centurion armour is exactly that, ma'am, armour for centurions. It can never be bought or handed on to someone else, but must always be earned. For someone not of centurion rank to wear this armour would be an instant death penalty - much like you have set penalties for witches and wizards who use unforgivables. I understand your interest Madam Bones, but centurion armour is sacred to our nation."

"My son is quite correct Madam Bones, though slightly modest. I don't believe the ministry has similar positions to that of a centurion, it's almost like a cross between a warrior and an ambassador. In any war, you will always find centurions at the front of our nation's warriors. In times of peace, leading by example and promoting goblin values is one of their main roles in life."

Sirius still had his arm on Harry's shoulders and could feel his godson stand that little bit straighter at his father's words of praise. "Well I have to say this is bad planning on your part, Harry. If you'd gotten me out a couple of days sooner, there would have been an extra Christmas present for you yesterday."

Barchoke could see the twinkle in this wizard's eye and thought this was the kind of person his son needed to be around more, Harry needed to learn to relax a little. "Since he's spending Christmas with two girls, Sirius, I don't think he would have missed a present from his godfather too much. Speaking of those girls, I'd better get him back there. Hermione and Padma are sure to be waiting, dying to know every detail." He chuckled to himself watching Harry now squirm under his godfather's gentle teasing. "Sirius, with Harry spending the holiday at the Grangers, you are more than welcome to stay with me. I would also prefer if our healers could have a look at you. If nothing else, they have excellent nutrient potions you could certainly benefit from."

Sirius readily agreed to that suggestion, anything would be preferable to Grimmauld Place. He didn't know it was possible to feel elated and exhausted at the same time, today had already taken a lot out of him.

As the trio were making their way out the chamber, an idea hit Harry. "Sirius, how would you like to give your godson the best present ever?"

This intrigued both adults until Harry very quietly explained what he wanted. Sirius' loud roar of laughter was the first to pass his lips in over a decade.

Dumbledore sat and watched as the goblin effortlessly accomplished what he could not. Black left in their company, clearly more than happy to go along with them. Calling Sirius Lord Black would also halt any other attempts to remove Harry from Gringotts, a pureblood lord in their corner just legitimised Barchoke's claim on the boy.

He'd been released while a healer had repaired his nose and cleaned away the blood. Albus was beginning to wonder if the stain on his reputation would last a lot longer. He'd known about those deadly blades of Harry's, yet made the same mistake again of letting the boy get too close - and paid a very high price.

He didn't even want to think how a picture of a golden armoured / snow-white tunic wearing boy-who-lived standing over him with a sword would look. all Albus' thoughts were centred on the two pieces of wood that were now just that - two pieces of wood. The elder wand had been his ace up his sleeve when facing Voldemort, now their entire world was resting on the boy being able to take down the darkest wizard in centuries.

Albus was glad there was still most of the holidays yet to go, he reckoned it would take him longer than that to figure out where he went from here.

In stark contrast, Cornelius was prancing about like a peacock. The ploy of being open and telling the truth had drawn public praise from the boy-who-lived, now there was a Christmas present gold couldn't buy.

-oOoOo-

With Harry gone, Emma shooed Dan away to watch some sport on the telly so she could spend time with the girls. It was heartening to see Hermione and Padma so close, their daughter never had a close friend before meeting Harry. They both obviously missed him but Emma was beginning to understand the dynamic in the group, especially as Padma told a few tales from Hogwarts.

Both Hermione and Harry were pretty serious kids, Padma seemed determined to lighten the pair of them up a bit. Hermione had been teased before of course, but not like this. There was nothing malicious about Padma's teasing, it was more gentle barbs in an attempt to get her friends to blush. Hearing that Hermione was now teasing back was practically a relief for Emma, her 'spending the night with Harry' jibe had her laughing out loud.

Padma's story of how some of the witches had turned their attention onto Neville, and how they dealt with it, had Emma laughing once more. It did raise some concerns with the mother though.

"I just don't understand what all the rush is to find a boyfriend? Kids who are not even into their teens shouldn't be worrying about potential husbands."

While Hermione agreed with her mum, she tried to explain what Padma had told her in a way that might make sense. "Mum, you and dad met at university when you were studying dentistry. How many universitys in Britain offer that course?"

"Oh, at least a dozen. Why?"

"In magical Britain, there are no universities. No primary schools, just Hogwarts - nothing else. Apart from a few who might be home-schooled, the students that we meet there are the total population of witches and wizards our age."

Emma now had a new concern. "No further education? Where do the doctors, lawyers and the hundreds of other people you need come from?"

"When you decide on a career, it's almost like an apprenticeship program. You learn the basics for OWL's, then you have NEWT's to qualify for whatever career apprenticeship you want. St. Mungo's trains its own healers, the Ministry of Magic has a wide variety of jobs and there's always private firms too. Even Gringotts employs and trains a few witches and wizards."

Emma was starting to get some idea of just how rare it was to have a witch in the family. She now understood that Hermione's year group had been conceived and born during a war, a war the Grangers were thankfully unaware of at the time, thus resulting in their smaller than usual number of students. That there was only one magical school for the entire country was mind-blowing. One hospital, one government building, one centre of commerce and only one magical village. With families living practically in isolation, was it any wonder they went a tad 'mental' when they all got together at school. It still sounded a bit like a cattle market to the mother but she was learning from her daughter not to voice those thoughts.

"What do you think of this, Padma?"

She took a moment to ponder before answering her friend's mother. "I think being friends with Harry has had a big influence on all of us. We know he has a big decision to make before he turns seventeen, I know the way he's handling it has certainly had an effect on me. Harry's determined to see what different cultures have to offer before even considering making a decision, that's not something I had thought possible before. There's an entire world out there I know nothing about, and I'm in Ravenclaw because I love to learn. Maybe in a few years I'll start worrying about finding a potential husband, before my father finds one for me, but I intend to enjoy myself with my friends until then."

"Would your father really do that?" Emma realised that was a stupid question straight after she asked it, her father had already tried to arrange a marriage for both twins to Harry.

"If there isn't a wizard my father approves of at least dating me by the time I'm seventeen, then he will take the matter out of my hands. That's assuming he hasn't already offered me to someone else?"

That this was totally alien to the Grangers went without saying, Hermione had already stated though that she had no intention of losing her friendship with Padma over the matter. "Mum, I've noticed in the magical world that couples seem to marry younger than non magicals probably would. Harry's parents married right after graduating Hogwarts, so did Neville's."

"My father was almost thirty when his parents arranged a marriage contract with my mother's family, she was seventeen."

Padma's casual acceptance of the situation was something both Granger girls were really struggling to deal with.

Harry's arrival soon had the girls racing to meet him, desperate to find out how the trial had gone. His detailed and lengthy explanation had the rest of them waiting on tomorrow's Prophet being delivered.

-oOoOo-

Amelia was sitting with her niece, enjoying a lazy breakfast and smirking at the Prophet. The theme their two front page pictures appeared to have in common, apart from Harry being in them, was that both would have been considered unbelievable less than twenty four hours before. It was hard to decide whether the boy-who-lived hugging Sirius Black was more shocking than a golden Harry holding his sword on a bleeding Albus Dumbledore.

The newspaper then went to great lengths to explain the 'history' behind each picture, accurately and honestly reporting exactly what had been said in the courtroom. Amelia wondered if this new standard of journalism was as a result over goblin complaints about their catastrophe in the cemetery story, or simply that yesterday's events didn't require any sensationalising. The actual facts of the matter were easily sensational enough on their own.

Amelia was about to discover that, as far as her niece was concerned, the answer was neither. The white owl that flew to Susan was easily considered more sensational news by the young witch than anything the Prophet had to say.

"That's Harry's owl, Eargit." Her hands were trembling as Susan removed the note from the gorgeous owl's leg. Her eyes nearly popped out her head and she was almost hyperventilating as Susan explained the note. "Harry was sorry I didn't get to spend Christmas Day with my family, he blamed himself for you having to work. Harry's offering to make it up to me with a muggle shopping trip, with Hermione, her mum, the Patil twins - and Hannah's invited too! Can I go?"

Just looking at how excited her niece was over this opportunity meant there was no way Amelia could say no. Susan squealed before diving for the floo, only to come rushing back to speak to the owl. "I'm just going to check if my friend can come too, I'll be back in a minute and then could you take my answer back to Harry?"

Amelia smiled as her niece shot back out the room to contact Hannah, Mrs Granger was certainly going to have her hands full - taking five young witches shopping.

-oOoOo-

The Burrow may have been full to capacity but it was unusually quiet, that was a situation that could never last for long. The Daily Prophet was laid flat on the table as the entire family crowded around, all trying to read it at the same time. In the hubbub created by nine Weasleys all then attempting to get their opinion across at the same time, no one noticed the rat slipping out of Ron's pocket.

-oOoOo-

The Prophet was also being devoured, along with breakfast, at the Granger household. Both activities were disrupted by the arrival of a Gringotts owl, the majestic bird flew straight to Harry. His reaction on reading the note was even more extreme than the young witch who received a letter from him. Harry was on his feet, jumping up and down while punching the air in loud celebration.

Not even Hermione had seen him this demonstrative before, "Good news, Harry?"

"The best, Hermione, simply the best." Harry had to take a couple of deep breaths to calm down slightly before he could give his best friend a proper answer. "Remember I told you Sirius inherited a house from his family, and wanted us to spend some time there? His family were rather dark so my father offered Gringotts services to sweep the house for any dark items. I can't quite believe it but they found another item tainted like the diadem, that taint has also been dealt with."

"That's good, but I don't remember you being this excited when we found Ravenclaw's Diadem?"

"Oh, that's not why I'm so happy. Sirius was apologising for the lack of birthday or Christmas presents while I was growing up, I gave him a suggestion of how to make up for it. He's giving me the best present I could wish for."

Everyone now wanted to know just what that present was, Harry didn't keep them waiting. "My godfather can do something for me my father can't, Lord Black can officially refuse all the betrothal contracts on his godson's behalf. Sirius is going to wait until after the holidays to send out the letters, just in case Padma's father decides she should then have to go home."

This news was met with four blank faces, leaving Harry to wonder if he'd done something wrong. "Eh, is that okay?"

Padma and Hermione sprang out their chairs and were soon cuddling a relieved Harry, leaving Dan to chuckle, "I think that means it's okay, Harry."

A/N thanks for reading.

22. Shooting, Shopping and Shit Happens

Harry Crow

Disclaimer: I write purely for my own enjoyment, making no money from this venture and claim only my imagination as my own. I always strive to be original but, given the amount of HP fan-fiction out there, almost everything has probably been done before.

Chapter 22

The group portkeyed into Gringotts where Barchoke warmly greeted them. They were also welcomed by a bathed, barbered and certainly more becoming Lord Sirius Orion Black.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all, especially Harry's friends." It was difficult not to tease his godson, since he was standing there holding a witch's hand, but Sirius managed to resist. He'd spent hours chatting with Barchoke about their favourite subject and had quickly discovered how close Harry was to a certain Miss Granger. Sirius was desperate to discover more about his godson.

"I understand you all have plans for today but was wondering if we could have dinner together tonight? I've hired a private room from Tom in the Leaky Cauldron and we could spend an hour or two getting to know one another this evening?"

Dan and Emma thought this was a brilliant idea, with the three kids all showing great enthusiasm for the plan too, it was quickly confirmed as a date.

He then addressed his godson. "I know you're meeting more of your friends today, Harry, please invite any of them along that want to come too. The more the merrier has always been one of my mottos."

Barchoke then handed Emma an envelope thick with cash. "Harry wanted the shopping trip to be on him. I know you already bought my son practically a new wardrobe, and both of us are really grateful for that. Today though, we'd like it to be our treat."

Emma was left with no other option but to graciously accept before they headed off to the Leaky Cauldron, where the rest of their friends would be joining them.

Neville and his gran, the formidable Lady Longbottom - resplendent with her signature stuffed vulture hat, were already in the pub. That their friend didn't rush straight over to greet them alerted the other three there was something else going on here.

His gran marched over and bowed to Harry. "Centurion Crow, the house of Longbottom would like to thank you, your father and the goblin nation for righting a great wrong. Our house is in your debt..."

Harry understood it wasn't polite to interrupt someone in a situation like this, but he felt compelled to do so. "Madam Longbottom, please don't. I told Neville back in September he was the nearest thing to family I have, there can be no talk of debts between us. That was also my godmother the death eater attacked, goblins look after family Madam Longbottom. My friends and family call me Harry, I would be honoured if you would do the same."

There was a hint of moisture in the proud old witch's eyes as she stared at the young man in front of her. "Thank you, Harry. I can see Neville has made some good friends in his short time at Hogwarts."

"My godfather has invited us all to dinner here tonight, we would certainly be delighted if you and Neville could join us?"

One glance at her grandson was all she needed to know this was something he really wanted her to say yes to. Neville had been missing his friends so Augusta quickly agreed. This seemed to be the cue that Neville had been waiting for, he dashed from behind his grandmother to greet his friends.

Ramrao Patil exited the floo to see one of his twin daughters in the company of potentially, two of the most powerful young wizards in Britain. That his other daughter, still wearing her gift from Harry, was also joining the group for today pleased him greatly.

Hearing that they were invited to meet Lord Black for dinner tonight was a golden opportunity that couldn't be turned down, he and Smita would certainly be taking up that offer.

Discovering mere minutes later that Madam Bones and her two charges would also be joining them had Ramrao's head in a spin. Since their move to Britain, the Patils had constantly faced hostility from the country's pureblood elite. They guarded their 'patch' jealously, and it had been made very plain that he and his beautiful wife were not wanted.

Their twins were like both halves of his beloved wife. Smita was as serious as Padma or as flighty as Parvati, depending on her mood and the circumstances. That they didn't get invited to parties and balls because they weren't 'British' was just another form of bigotry as far as the Patils were concerned. That his wife loved parties and dancing was the only reason that their snubs bothered him.

Every day, Ramrao woke and thanked both their families for bringing Smita into his life, he loved his wife more than life itself. He also loved his daughters, and that was the main reason he had offered the betrothal contract to Harry Potter. The wife of Lord Potter could be of any descent or blood purity, the Lady Potter would demand respect.

That both his girls now owed this young man a life debt was something that he might bring up later at dinner, but not before talking it over with Smita first. He may be the voice of the Patil family but only a fool didn't listen to good advice, and his wife always gave good advice.

That Padma's friendship with these people saw the Patil family invited to dinner amongst this exulted company was not lost on her father either. That his daughter was clearly very happy was also something he wanted to encourage. He wished everyone well before heading home to talk over these developments with his wife. That there would also be muggles, and perhaps even goblins at this dinner too bothered the head of the Patil family not a jot.

-oOoOo-

Outside the pub, the group split along gender lines. Dan was taking both boys to his club for a few hours while Emma loaded the girls into a Harrods bound taxi. Emma decided it would be better containing the young witches to the one store. In London, that meant Harrods. They could easily spend the day there, with the menfolk meeting them later for lunch.

The instant the group entered the store, Padma had to take her twin aside and try to talk her down. Parvati was so excited, there was a real danger of her releasing accidental magic.

"...but Padma look, just look..."

"I see it Pav, but you need to calm down and then we can both enjoy it. We've got hours to shop before meeting the boys for lunch. Then more shopping before heading back and having dinner with everyone."

It was really comical to watch her sister's eyes almost bulge out her head. "You mean we can actually buy some of this stuff? Padma, I don't have any of their money?"

This drew a smile from her twin. "I do, and Harry's father gave a pile to Emma for our shopping too. I was going to get some perfume for mum, and maybe slippers for father? Will you help me chose?"

This was exactly the right thing to say, Parvati had Padma by the arm and was dragging her deeper into this Alladin's cave of treasures.

Hannah and Susan's jaws were practically on the floor too, drawing a giggle from Hermione. "Probably just as well Parvati doesn't know this is only one floor of the store."

It was Susan who recovered first. "You mean there's more?"

"There are seven floors. Mum, we're going to head up to the fashion section. Will you keep your eye on the twins?"

Hannah was also recovering from the shock. "Mrs Granger, just mention fashion section to Parvati, she'll be along to join us in a flash."

Hermione led both girls over to the escalator, drawing another comment from Hannah. "Now this is what I call a moving staircase, why can't we have these kind at Hogwarts?"

"Hey, you should give being in Ravenclaw a try. We've to climb up to the top of that tower umpteen times every day." Hermione led them unerringly to the right department, and watched their chins hit the floor again.

"Harry's father gave my mum cash to pay for this today. So, anything you see you like, just sing out."

This was way too much for Susan. "What if you like it all?"

Hermione's giggles once more rang out. "Let's go and have a look at some tops, unless you want to check out the lingerie section before the boys get here..."

-oOoOo-

Dan led Harry and Neville into the child-friendly diner on Harrods fourth floor, only to be mobbed. Well, only for Harry to be mobbed by three exceedingly happy young witches. Parvati had her arms wrapped around Harry and kissed him on the cheek, before passing the bewildered boy onto the redhead. "Thank you, Harry, thank you. This place is simply amazing!"

Neville was chuckling at his friend's discomfort, that was before a hyper-excited Parvati gave him the same treatment. "What was that for? I didn't do anything..."

"I didn't want you feeling left out."

Following that same logic, Susan and Hannah hugged and kissed Neville too - after Harry though.

Emma slid out the booth to the table next to it where Dan joined her. Harry was soon sitting between Hermione and Padma, while Neville found himself squashed into the other bench seat between Parvati and Susan. Both were sitting very close, using the excuse they needed to squeeze up so Hannah could fit on the seat too.

Hermione asked Harry how he got on at her father's club, his frown signalled not too well. "It was okay. We spent ages learning safety protocols, then had to wear earmuffs and special glasses - all to put a few holes in a piece of paper. I was kinda expecting more...if that makes sense?"

Hermione realised that, after some of the spells they had been learning from Professor Weasley, shooting paper targets would seem a tad tame. "I'll ask dad to give you a demonstration of just what guns are capable of before we head back to Hogwarts. It's not just paper targets you can put holes in - and from a far greater distance than you can cast a spell."

Harry left that for now, keen to discover how their morning had gone. He'd loaned Hermione his bag, and that was the only reason they weren't currently drowning in shopping. He'd actually thought about getting Hermione a bag of her own for Christmas, he liked carrying her books though so scrapped that idea.

Emma ordered a range of starters, burgers and shakes all round. Both parents couldn't contain their smiles at the sight of their daughter sitting eating lunch amongst her friends as they all caught up with each other. That they were witches and wizards didn't matter to the two dentists, that they were Hermione's friends was all that counted. Neither would admit that they had practically given up on this ever happening for their daughter.

-oOoOo-

It was a blessing Sirius had hired a private room, the youngsters hit the Leaky Cauldron like a tsunami - their excitement and exuberance sweeping everything in their path. It was a knackered and somewhat relieved Emma and Dan who trailed on behind them. Of the seven kids they'd been in charge of, four of them had never set foot in a muggle shop before - with Harry and Padma faring only slightly better on the experience scale. The Granger parents felt a bit like a sheepdog must at the end of a hard day working in the hills, ready for their dinner and then curling up to sleep.

Seeing everyone else was already in the room, Emma attempted to apologise. "Sorry for being late everybody, the store was still open and we practically had to drag this lot out." It was said with a smile as all the guests could see their charges had really enjoyed themselves.

Amelia Bones headed straight to Emma and offered her a chair. "You have the look of someone who could use a drink before dinner, what would you like?"

"Oh a glass of red wine would be lovely right about now..."

The words had hardly left Emma's mouth when her requested drink appeared on the table right in front of her. While she was contemplating how that happened, Amelia had more to say.

"I want to thank you for what you did for the kids today, it's easy to see they all enjoyed it. I don't know how you managed to keep an eye on them all day?"

"It was easy, Auntie, we were only in one store. Providing we didn't leave it, and trust me we didn't want to leave it, we could look about at all this amazing stuff."

The information Susan had missed telling was supplied by Hannah. "This one store was bigger than all of Diagon Alley put together! It was seven stories high and sold everything from entire kitchens to pairs of knickers - I've never seen a shop sell a complete room before."

At this, Emma had to intercede. "The girls did hit the lingerie section, I tried to ensure their purchases were all age appropriate but don't know if things differ in your society. You might want to check what they bought first?"

A stunningly beautiful Indian woman, wearing a gorgeous pastel green sari, was now beside them. If there was even the slightest doubt of her identity, this was dispelled when Emma spotted the gift in her hand that she'd seen Padma and Parvati pick for their mother.

"Hello Mrs Granger, I'm Smita Patil and I would like to thank you for what you've done for my girls. I know Parvati likes to push the boundaries so I will be checking her purchases, please don't think this in any way reflects on you. Padma can't speak highly enough of both you and your husband, and I really am so grateful for the opportunities you've given her and Parvati."

Emma was up and shaking her hand in greeting before they were then joined by Augusta. With Hermione currently unloading and distributing the day's shopping amongst their charges, the four ladies were taking this chance to chat before dinner.

Ramrao had been chatting with Lord Black and Barchoke, that was until the main party arrived. Sirius instantly made a beeline for Dan Granger. The twin's father then heard the impossible, a goblin chuckling with laughter.

"You'll have to excuse Lord Black, he's not quite himself yet. Since gaining his freedom, he's been beside me at every spare moment - desperate to find out more about his godson. This is the second time Harry has stayed at the Grangers and he really couldn't wait to talk to Dan about it. Both Hermione's parents are fond of my son, that makes them people Sirius absolutely wants to get to know. I'll need to see Hermione about adding him to their wards."

Recognising that no snub was intended, Ramrao asked a question that had troubled him. "I wondered about those wards when Padma told us we would have to contact her through Gringotts. Can you ward a muggle house?"

"The director made Hermione a friend of our nation. That, and my son staying there, allows the building to be warded. As you will appreciate, Dan and Emma would be helpless against even something as simple as malicious mail. Normally this would not be a problem, but this is not a normal situation. Hermione's friendship with my son is now known nationally, my son also has enemies from the last war that the ministry didn't deal with. Neither of us were prepared to take the chance that those enemies might go after a soft target."

This was a development Ramrao had not thought of. As he watched his wife standing chatting with the other women, and his girls gathered with their friends, it was almost as if the goblin read his mind.

"Padma and Neville may not have appeared at his side in the Prophet, but you can bet the wrong people will know how close they both are to my son. Longbottom Manor sits behind strong and ancient wards, but I am unaware of what level of protection you have on your home?"

"I really never thought about this, and our home just has a very basic set of wards around it. If my family is in danger then it's not a matter of cost, more important to me is how quickly a secure set of wards can be arranged?"

"As I said to Dan and Emma, this is more of a precautionary measure. If Harry were to stay at your house..."

"My daughter's friends are welcome to stay anytime."

This was all Barchoke needed to hear. "Let's go and have a quick word with Dan and Sirius..."

There was something about Dan Granger that Sirius instantly liked, apart from the fact he was looking after Harry. There seemed to be an ease about the man, an ease that disguised a steely centre. As an auror, you needed to know your partner would stand by you and have your back when trouble called. Sirius was getting the impression here was a man you could count on.

That he was also giving the marauder teasing material to use on his godson was another big plus in Dan's favour. Sirius had heard from Barchoke that Harry had been pretty broken up when discovering he was innocent, yet still had to stay in Azkaban. Hearing that his godson spent the night cuddling into Hermione for comfort was ammunition that was begging to be used. That the girl in question was also this man's daughter granted Harry a stay of execution - for now.

Barchoke and Ramrao's arrival saw the goblin's proposal quickly agreed upon, though that wasn't quite correct. Ramrao did object, until Dan's laughter stopped him.

"Good luck with your argument. Emma and I tried the same, and lost - the argument that is. I certainly sleep sounder with the knowledge my family is safe behind these wards."

This ended the argument and arrangements were made, though both married men inserted the proviso that they would need to speak with their wives first.

The kids finally had their shopping sorted into piles of those famous green bags, the size of those piles surprised even Emma. "I suppose that is the only downside to a magical bag, you don't realise just how much you've bought."

It was a flabbergasted Amelia who summed up the other parents' mood. "I can't allow you to pay for all that, please let me at least make a contribution?"

"Amelia, the only thing Dan and I paid for today was lunch. Harry wanted the day to be on him, and his father gave me the cash. I still have some left to hand back, I just needed a seat first."

Barchoke waived her attempt to return anything away. "Please pass anything left to the three of them, they can spend it over the rest of the holiday."

This was a golden opportunity for Sirius to solve another of Harry's problems, he didn't hesitate. Living up to his 'more the merrier' motto, the marauder waded right in. "Speaking of holidays, as Harry's godfather we can now access the Potter properties. His father and I are planning on seeing Harry spend most of the coming summer exploring some of these, with the Grangers of course. I would like to invite you along for part or all of the holiday period."

The large smile on Harry's face was all that Sirius was focusing on, he didn't notice anything else. "Harry, Hermione and Padma are currently working on a summer itinerary. Once that's settled, we can then sort out details of who's interested and when."

It was an even more excited bunch who sat down to dinner, all the younger members clearly wanting to spend some of the summer together.

Sirius was sitting across from Harry. Watching his godson be happy with his friends was helping Sirius' recovery almost as much as those wonderful goblin potions. It also wasn't hard to spot the 'hierarchy' within his group of friends. Harry clearly thought Hermione was in a class of her own, and treated her as such. Barchoke had said they were inseparable, Sirius now got to see this phenomenon first hand. Padma and Neville obviously came next. Again his information gleaned from Harry's father was that they had been friends since their first week of Hogwarts, and only gotten closer since.

The marauder reckoned their friendship with Padma must be really important to them, he could see no other reason for Parvati being there. Perhaps being in this company might eventually round off some of her more annoying habits, like emitting nerve-jangling squeals of joy at the smallest thing.

Sirius was sitting next to the girl's father, a man who clearly had something on his mind. "If you don't ask Ramrao, I won't know what answers you're looking for."

"Forgive me Lord Black, I realise this is not something one brings up at the dinner table. I was wondering if there were any other duties you were taking over concerning House Potter?"

"Ah, I see. Ramrao, I will give you the information you're looking for, if you can promise it won't leave House Patil. That promise will apply until I get around to dealing with the entire matter - probably about the end of January should do it."

Receiving a quick agreement, Sirius told the concerned father the truth. "My godson has been raised as a goblin and, while I would much rather not have spent the last decade in Azkaban, I have absolutely no problem with Harry's upbringing or his father. Goblins don't use betrothal contracts, believing their children should chose their own spouses. Harry has asked me to give a negative reply to every betrothal contract with his name on it. As his godfather, I aim to respect his wishes."

It wasn't hard to see the disappointment in the father's face, Sirius attempted to make up for it. "I found that the friendships I made at Hogwarts were the strongest of my life so far, and a blind man could see those four are close. I have no way of knowing what will happen as the years go by, I just know it won't include a betrothal contract."

This actually did cheer Ramrao up. A blanket refusal meant his girls were being treated exactly the same as every other witch, and Padma was clearly close to these two boys. It was strange to see the quieter of their girls being the one who was the centre of attention, something Parvati was clearly struggling with. He was sure Smita would have picked up on this, and would be having a chat with her when they got home tonight.

Sirius though wanted there to be no misunderstanding of his role in Harry's life. "Ramrao, I'm Harry's godfather but it will be to his father he will look for advice first, and that's the way it should be. I'm trying to build a role for myself here, the best that I can hope for is a favourite uncle - something along those lines. My role will be to assist Barchoke and Harry in any way I can. This is Harry's decision, backed by his father and carried out by me."

"Thank you for explaining that to me Lord Black, it also helps explain something I have been struggling with. Your godson saved both my daughters' lives, yet refused to acknowledge a life debt. Padma explained that goblins always help their friends and family, therefore there could be no debt. I am finally beginning to get my head around this extraordinary young...goblin?"

Sirius let out a sigh. "If you've done that, the you're way ahead of me. It seems no time at all from when I was berating James' attempts to change Harry's nappy. I went from that to the young person we see before us. It's not the time locked in Azkaban I mind so much, more the years it cost me with my godson."

Dan was sitting on Sirius' other side, and had heard every word. "Why don't you come and stay with us over the New Year? It would give you time with Harry, and allow us all to get to know one another better. Since moving all our banking to Gringotts, we can now afford to take a longer holiday at the summer." Dan glanced knowingly across the table. "I think we're going to be seeing a lot of each other over the coming years."

Sirius was overcome at the kindness he was being shown here, and since being set free. That this kindness was not related to him being the new Lord Black, rather because he was Harry's godfather, just made this kindness that little bit more special in the marauder's eyes. He nodded acceptance before his voice would work again, "I'd like that Dan, I'd like that very much."

The dinner guests had graduated into three groups. The seven kids were easily the largest, and the loudest. The ladies all formed another group, the occasional bout of laugher informing the room that they were having a good time. The menfolk stood back, surveying the room while chatting about Sirius' day in court. Both Dan and Ramrao were desperate to hear every detail from Barchoke and Sirius, those Prophet pictures were iconic. It was almost ten before goodbyes were said and everyone headed home.

-oOoOo-

Getting ready for bed, Dan could see something was troubling his wife. Like husbands the world over, Dan hoped it wasn't anything he had said or done. "What's the matter love. Are you angry at me arranging Hermione and Harry to stay a night at Padma's, or asking Sirius to stay here?"

"What? No, why should I be? That will allow the Patils' house to be warded like ours, and Sirius is clearly desperate to get to know Harry better. It was just meeting Simta Patil..."

"Why? What's wrong with her?"

"That's my problem, absolutely nothing. I was all set to dislike a woman who could allow her daughters to be traded away, only to discover I couldn't find anything to dislike. She is a charming, witty witch who loves her husband and adores their girls - that shouldn't be possible! Her parents chose Ramrao as her husband, yet they're as happily married as we are. I don't know how Hermione copes with this every day, it's just so different..."

"I know what you mean love, I enjoyed Ramrao's company too. I noticed he was studying Harry and Neville but, as the father of two girls both boys are friendly with, who can blame him? I overheard a discussion where Sirius told him Harry will be rejecting all those betrothal contracts. I must say, Ramrao seemed to take it well."

This led to Emma shaking her head. "Discussing the possible marriage of your eleven year old daughters is not a conversation you expect to hear at dinner - or ever."

He tried to cheer his wife up with some gentle teasing. "So you don't want me to start negotiating with Barchoke and Sirius to get Hermione betrothed to Harry?"

"Ha-ha. That might actually be funny, if I didn't think our daughter would suddenly change her mind about betrothals - and can you see Harry turning her down?"

Dan achieved his aim of cheering his wife up, the fact she was now laughing at his pained and panicked expression was an entirely different matter.

-oOoOo-

Hermione was having her best holiday ever. She'd never had friends before, never mind have them stay over. Sirius' arrival had also brought a lot of laughter to the Granger household, the man was a bigger kid than his godson!

That same godson was currently holding her hand as she showed both Harry and Padma around Crawley. This was something else she would normally avoid like the plague, going into Crawley without her parents. She had put those dark days behind her though and was enjoying showing the local sights to her friends. It was now time for Harry and Padma's first trip to the cinema, Hermione thought they would both get a kick out of The Addams Family.

As they waited in the queue, the hated voice that Hermione hadn't heard for six month was like a hard kick to the gut. She should have known things had been going too well.

"Oh look, Granger's parents must have gone to rent-a-friend for her Christmas. A Paki and a poofter, I suppose that's all you're worth."

The despised chorus of derogatory laughter that followed these 'witty' insults triggered an automatic response from Hermione, sending the young witch straight into her shell. That was until Hermione felt Harry squeeze her hand, and remembered she was no longer that lonely and scared little girl.

"Who's the comedian Hermione? Clearly not someone who knows you very well."

This stopped the laughter of the five boys who had approached them, though one had a comment to make. "Oh look Big D, it can talk - and I didn't see Granger pull the string at his back."

Harry had never seen the acne cursed boy before, but recognised the type. In any gang, there was always one who would instigate trouble, usually while standing safely behind others.

The sarcasm was fairly dripping off Padma's answer, not intimidated in the slightest by the odds they were facing here. She wasn't about to take that particularly hated insult from anyone. "Oh Hermione, why don't you introduce us to the local wildlife? Do they actually have names, or just numbers on their collars?"

Hermione was drawing courage from having her friends beside her, she was finished giving in to bullies. "Padma, Harry, meet Dudley Dursley and his 'friends'. I used to go to school with them, and they make Ron Weasley seem intelligent."

"Well, coming up with the nickname 'big-d' must have taken a lot of effort. He also looks as if he eats as much as Weasley too."

Hermione was delighted by the support Padma was giving. Something about this though had made Harry stiffen beside her, Hermione looked at her best friend to see his eyes boring into Dudley. She'd seen that look before, it was usually followed by his knife being drawn as he got ready for battle.

While the group of boys were figuring out if these bitches had just dared to insult them, Harry asked a question. "Dursley, your parents wouldn't happen to be called Vernon and Petunia, would they?"

"Hey big-D, you're fame has spread. The pretty boy has heard of you."

This generated some laughter but just increased the intensity of Harry's stare. There couldn't be too many Vernon and Petunia Dursleys, with a son about the same age as him. He asked one more question to be certain.

"Did your family use to live in Little Whining?"

"Oh shit big-D, you've got your own stalker!"

The putz with the plooks seized any opportunity to escalate the argument. "Yeah, just a pity your stalker's gay. Shit, his hair's longer than my sister's."

Harry had never mentioned his 'family' by name, but his questioning was just a little too specific for the Dursleys to be anything other than his hated aunt and uncle. Hermione also knew the Dursleys, and had no problem believing they would do that to a baby. Dudley Dursley had been the bane of her pre-Hogwarts life, yet his parents refused point blank to see their son as anything but a perfect little gentleman. Neither little nor gentleman were words that could really be associated with the obese bully.

At this particular time, Hermione couldn't give two hoots for Dudley and his gang. She was far more worried at how her best friend would react to this meeting. Hermione swung in front of Harry, with both hands now placed over the arm where his knife was stored. "Harry, you can't!"

He used his other hand to tenderly tuck a lock of hair that had fallen onto her face back under her wooly hat. "Hermione, you don't have to worry about me. Dudley is about our age, he had as much say in his parents' decision as I had."

This eased Hermione's worries greatly but she could still see Harry was up to something, he gently brushed passed her before holding his hand out to Dudley.

"Lord Harry James Potter, pleased to met you, cousin."

Both girls were now looking on in amusement at the confusion on Dudley's face, he had no idea how to deal with this. Hermione also knew that the Dursleys were the worst kind of social snobs, Harry introducing himself as Lord Potter was priceless. Oh to be a fly on the wall when Dudley told his parents of this meeting.

"Cousin? I don't have any cousins. My Aunt Marge isn't married."

"Your mother and my mother were sisters, that makes us cousins."

Dudley wasn't having any of this. "My mother's sister married some drunken freak, they died in a car crash he caused. You're full of shit!"

This was a little too much for Harry, his attitude certainly hardened. "Lily Potter, used to be Evans, was my mother. She and my dad were murdered when I was just over a year old. I was sent to your house to live but your parents didn't want me. Looking at you, I have to think I certainly got the best of the deal. Please thank your parents for me."

Zit boy seized his chance. "He really is full of shit, why would a lord hang about with a loser like Granger? Are you going to let this cissy get away with that big-D? This arsehole deserves a kicking, walking into our manor and trying to pull a stunt like that."

Harry really didn't want this to turn into a fight, Dudley had played no part in his parents decision to reject their apparently only nephew. This mob may be the local bullies but he was a centurion, there was a massive difference between them. The choice was soon taken out of his hands, Dudley's growl and then speed of movement practically owl posted his intentions.

"Get him!" Dudley's meaty fist swung, and hit nothing.

Harry had moved to the side and hammered his knee into his cousin's thigh as the fat boy stumbled passed, putting Dudley down with as little damage as possible. The next boy attempted to put the boot into Harry, only to have his foot caught while his standing leg was then swept from under him. Harry continued his spin, his still outstretched leg now catching a third boy in the groin. As the fourth decided to scram, Harry heard a scream from behind him.

Turning made Harry's blood boil, the acne warrior had whacked Hermione in the face and was now trying to run away. Padma may refuse to exercise with them but it didn't hinder her any. She'd pounced on his back like a wildcat, Padma was spitting and scratching like one to. Harry caught up in seconds, kicking right through the back of this bastard's left knee. He went down screaming in pain, Padma's weight on his back causing his face to kiss the pavement hard enough to break his nose and some teeth. Harry helped Padma to her feet and then they both dived back to Hermione.

She had one hand on the cinema wall supporting herself while the other was covering her mouth, there was blood seeping between her fingers. Harry's jacket was off and placed on the ground as Padma helped Hermione to sit on it. She was obviously in pain but the shock of someone actually punching her was also having an effect.

Harry was sitting next to her, wrapping Hermione in his arms. "I'm sorry Hermione, I had him tagged as the least dangerous of the bunch. I can't believe he did that, far less think he was going to get away with it."

Hermione's mumbled 'he's done it before' saw Harry having to grab Padma, she wanted to go and have another hit at the git. Hermione was surveying the scene of devastation displayed in front of her. Dudley was attempting to get up but appeared to have no control over his right leg. Jake was flat on his back and groaning while Johnny was curled up into a foetal position, clutching his groin. By far the worse was Tony, his leg appeared to be lying at an unnatural angle while his nose was bleeding all over the pavement.

The siren indicated they were going to have to give the cinema a miss, it looked like someone had phoned the police.

A/N thanks for reading

23. Radioactive Spiders & Green-Eyed Goblins

Harry Crow

Disclaimer - I don't own these characters and my writing certainly couldn't be considered canon. If my efforts don't fit your idea of what a Harry Potter story should be, I can only offer my apologies and a suggestion. Writing your own really is the only way to ensure the story progresses exactly the way you want it to, it also gives the rest of us something to read.

Chapter 23

Dan opened the door to find a policeman standing there, his female counterpart was helping the three kids out the back of the police car that was currently parked in their drive. Seeing his daughter with a bloody cotton pad held over her mouth had Dan moving before the constable could even speak.

"Mr Granger, may we have a word?"

"Constable, I insist you both come inside. Just give me a moment to see my daughter is all right first."

Harry was standing beside Hermione, with his arm protectively around her shoulder. Dan made no attempt to move the lad, instead gently lifting Hermione's hand away from her mouth. The burst lips and damaged teeth had him practically growling in anger, he tried not to let it show as he led the group inside.

The three kids sat on the sofa with Hermione in the middle, her mother was soon kneeling in front of her with their first aid kit.

The policeman introduced both himself and his colleague, as P.C. Murphy and W.P.C. Johnstone, before supplying information on what had happened. "There was an altercation outside the cinema between these three and a group of five boys, all involved were around the same age. We would like to ask some questions and thought this would be a more comfortable situation, rather than dragging everyone down to the station. Your daughter also refused any treatment, saying both her parents were dentists."

The W.P.C. then took over. "Counting your daughter, there were five injuries - one of which was serious enough to require hospitalisation. Because of their age, we have asked them nothing more than names and addresses. Both Lord Potter and Miss Patil gave this address too."

Dan didn't understand why Harry had used his title, or the name Potter, but was just going to play along. "Both Harry and Padma are friends of my daughter's from school, all three attend the same private boarding school in Scotland. They are spending their Christmas holidays with us. This is Harry's godfather, Lord Black. Are there going to be any charges here? Do I need to call our lawyer?"

P.C. Murphy shook his head. "At the moment, this is just a preliminary investigation. You are welcome to call your lawyer but that's not really necessary at this point."

As Emma was cleaning Hermione's mouth, Sirius could see his godson's barely contained rage. He would bet his fortune the boy now in the hospital was the same person who injured Hermione. "Harry, can you tell us what happened?"

"We were waiting to go into the cinema when a group of five boys approached us, they immediately began hurling insults..."

"I hope you didn't rise to them?" Dan would hate to think his daughter had gotten a sore face because of some taunts.

"No Dan. I discovered one of them was actually my cousin, I offered to shake his hand. They took this as some kind of insult and attacked. The one who hit Hermione was behind me, I'm really sorry..."

W.P.C. Johnstone was noting all this down. "Would the person that struck Miss Granger be Mr Dylan?"

This saw Emma explode. "He hit you again? We shall be back round at his parents' tonight..."

"Mrs Granger, you might want to leave that for now. Mr Dylan was taken away in an ambulance, I don't think his parents will be home anytime soon. Can I ask if any of the three children practice some kind of martial arts?"

It was Dan who answered the policewoman's question. "Harry runs to keep fit, but the only sport I know he practices is fencing. He's also teaching Hermione the basics."

P.C. Murphy then asked the question they really needed the answer to. "Can you tell us how Mr Dylan came to be injured so badly?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "If this Dylan guy is the person who attacked Hermione, pure bad luck. Padma jumped on his back and I swung a kick at him. My kick tripped him up, and he hit the ground with Padma still on his back."

"Your kick dislocated his left knee! Can I ask how you dealt with the other three? Witnesses are all saying you made it look very easy."

"As Dan said, I fence. That doesn't help you in a fight, not one without a sword anyway, but it does really sharpen up your reflexes. I didn't use any special fighting techniques, I was just quicker than they were - especially Dursley."

Hearing that name, along with the other arsehole's was enough for Dan. "Constables, there is some well documented history between my daughter and these boys - though this is the first time it has involved the police. St. Andrew's primary school should have all the records, my wife and I were certainly down there often enough complaining about the bullying situation. With Hermione now at boarding school, we assumed the harassment problems would stop. It would appear we were wrong."

Hermione now had tears rolling down her cheeks, though not from the pain in her mouth. "They thought things would just be the same as before, they didn't reckon on my friends standing by me. I've never done a thing to Tony, yet that's the second time he's punched me in the face."

No one doubted Harry's conviction when he declared it wouldn't be happening a third time. This brought W.P.C. Johnstone back to an earlier point. "Was Mr Dylan the boy you claimed was your cousin?"

"No, that was Dursley."

"Was there any animosity there?"

"No, not from me. Dursley didn't even know I existed, so not from him either. Well, not because of that anyway. His parents apparently said mine died in a car crash, a crash my drunken dad caused..." Sirius was ready to storm out and find the Dursleys but Harry stopped him. "Sirius, my father has already taken care of it. The documents the Dursleys' signed ended any and all claim on me, they stopped being any family of mine there and then."

The W.P.C. continued her questioning. "You said you're parents died, yet mentioned your father..."

"I was adopted when just over a year old, I usually go by the name of Harry Crow. The Dursleys wouldn't recognise that name so I used the one I was born with. My adoptive father is one of the top bankers in the city of London, please let us know if we need to contact his lawyers."

P.C. Murphy didn't want to get caught in any crossfire between the police station, a couple of lords and any lawyers a top banker would know - especially over a preteen scuffle in the street. Since there was no hint of any kind of weapon being used, and the only injury requiring hospital treatment would seem to have occurred accidentally, he was pretty confident of the outcome.

"I don't see our superiors wanting to take this any further. Individuals may want to press charges but I think that then would become a matter for lawyers and the courts. What we have heard here matches statements taken from others in the cinema queue. The five boys approached and flung a few insults, insults these three didn't physically respond to. Lord Potter here was seen to hold his hand out, just as the large boy was observed throwing the first punch. Because of their ages, all of them will be taken home by a constable and their parents informed of what happened today. They will receive an official warning over the matter, and find themselves now having their future behaviour would be all the action we would intend to take on this incident."

W.P.C. Johnstone put her notebook away before saying any more. "Personally, I agree with Lord Potter, I can't see those boys bothering Miss Granger again. Crawley isn't exactly a large place, all their peers will soon know what happened. Four of them ended up on the ground as the fifth ran away, I don't think they will be bullying anyone for quite a while - and we will be watching to ensure they don't."

As Dan showed the constables out, Emma was going for their coats. "We'll need to take you down to the surgery love, there's too much damage for us to fix at home. I would like to thank you two for standing by Hermione again..."

Hermione's voice was slurred but it was to Harry she aimed her words. "This is not your fault Harry. You've taught me to look after myself, and how to deal with jerks like that - then I went and broke the first rule. I was too busy watching you, I never even noticed him until the punch hit me. He always was the sneakiness of the bunch. You and Padma made sure he won't be doing it again."

"I took my eye of him too, I should have been watching out for you two..."

Padma was having none of that. "We take extra defence lessons every week so we can look after ourselves Harry, Professor Weasley will give us hell when he hears what happened. Hermione and I are more than a match for him, we simply weren't paying attention - the very first thing the professor taught us to guard against."

Dan was putting his coat on before adding his own views. "The Dylans are every bit as obnoxious as the Dursleys, they won't take you putting their little angle in hospital lightly. We can expect a visit before too long."

Sirius was spoiling for a fight. "Let them come, I hope they bring the Dursleys with them."

"Sirius, I think we should let my father in on this. Gringotts can help, and our healers will easily fix Hermione in minutes. My portkey can take us all there."

Dan and Emma both knew how much work - and pain - would be involved in fixing Hermione's injuries. Stitching the inside of your daughter's mouth before attempting to repair broken teeth was not their idea of a fun evening. The group headed for Gringotts.

-oOoOo-

Albus felt as if he'd been punched in the mouth, Alastor Moody was in the castle and he didn't even know about it. What's more, it was obvious the old auror wasn't here to see the Hogwarts Headmaster. Albus accidentally came across the group leaving Minerva's office, with Filius clearly involved in the discussion too.

"Bill Weasley is a good place to start, but they will eventually need more. When they reach the stage where they're ready to learn how to fight dirty, tell the lad's father to contact me."

"Alastor, what are you doing in Hogwarts?"

"Leavin'!"

That was all the answer Albus got as the group pushed past him, leaving the headmaster to wonder just how far his star had waned. That picture in the Prophet had seriously damaged his reputation, and focused people's attention on the allegations Harry had made. This situation would take a bit of recovering from, but he had one thing on his side - time.

Harry was only halfway through his first term and Albus needed to learn from the numerous mistakes he'd made since the lad entered the castle. He was also casting envious glances around him at the successes inside Hogwarts, in an attempt to emulate them.

Severus' gift may not have both the Hogwarts potions master and Harry on the best of terms, but at least it signalled a cessation of hostilities between them. At this moment in time, that was the best Albus could hope for from Harry. Personally handing the lad something that belonged to James Potter should at least start the healing process between them.

He was also loath to admit that Hogwarts new history professor was a stunning success. Albus may be loath to admit that fact, it didn't mean he wasn't going to attempt to copy the feat. Hiring a famous defence professor should achieve his aims on two levels. Hogwarts would have a competent professor at the defence helm, and then Harry wouldn't need William Weasley's services any more.

Albus was going to need every bit of the time he was sure he had, easing himself into a position where Harry trusted him wasn't going to happen overnight. Albus was currently aiming for fourth year, that should still give him time enough to influence Harry the way he wanted - for the greater good of course.

-oOoOo-

Emma couldn't believe the change in her daughter, and she wasn't referring to the miraculous healing the goblins had performed on Hermione. When this had happened before, she had been shattered - almost afraid to leave the house. Here she was, chatting and laughing with her friends as if nothing untoward had happened earlier today. That Harry wouldn't let go of her hand, even as the healer worked on her mouth, had certainly played a part in this new positive attitude. There was also a hint of anger directed at herself, Hermione had a strong desire not to be seen as some damsel in distress. Emma envisaged her daughter pushing their training even harder from now on.

After returning from Gringotts, Emma was in no mood to cook and none of them had felt like going out for dinner, the menu's had come out once more. Sirius professing a love of Chinese food, courtesy of being introduced to the cuisine by one Lily Potter, made the decision an easy one. Emma went to answer the door and pay the delivery driver. A loud roar informed the house this probably wasn't their Chinese food arriving.

An enraged Vernon Dursley burst into the dining room, his face almost purple as he sought his target and snarled. "Where is the little freak? I'll teach Lord fucking Potter not to attack my son..."

Dan and Sirius sprang at the enraged behemoth, only to be brushed aside. It wasn't Vernon who knocked them out the way though. A golden Harry smacked into the intruder so hard, he actually knocked his obese uncle over onto his back. Dursley's veins on his forehead were visibly pulsing with his volcanic temper, but at least he had stopped bellowing like a constipated bull elephant. The cause of this sudden silence though was currently a matter for debate.

It could have been his armoured nephew hitting him so hard, Vernon had no breath left in him to scream. Then again, Harry kneeling on his chest with a golden gauntlet squeezing his obese uncle's throat would certainly have to be factored into any calculation regarding his clearly enforced silence. Betting favourite though was the wicked goblin knife, a knife which was currently held rock steady by Harry's other hand about an inch from Vernon's left eyeball.

Petunia Dursley then ably demonstrated that her younger sister inherited all the intelligence in their family by proceeding to start hitting Harry with her handbag. "Leave my Vernon alone you bully! Beating up my poor little Dudikins not enough..."

Thankfully, for the sake of Vernon's eyesight, Harry's armour meant she might as well be hitting him with a hyacinth as her handbag. Emma quickly pulled the skinny bitch off him though, just as Harry asked her a question.

"Emma, did you invite them into your home?"

"No I bloody didn't, the fat pig just pushed right past me."

The smile on Harry's face at that news was terrifying, especially if your name was Vernon Dursley. "Listen closely Dursley, I have no intention of repeating myself. You have forced your way into this house uninvited, that this house is under my protection means I can legally kill you right this minute. The only reason I don't is we're just about to eat, and it would put the others off their food. Know this though, I was raised by the goblins you left me with. I could quite happily slit your throat and then use your dying body as a sofa while eating my chicken chow mein."

The fact that everyone in the room could now smell urine was enough of a clue that Harry was being believed. "This house and this family are under the protection of my people. Your fat son goes anywhere near Hermione again, he'll simply disappear. A dragon doesn't leave much of what it eats, though its dung has a wonderful effect on your garden. If you don't want your precious Dudikins to become fertiliser for Emma's roses, make sure he calls his friends off too."

Harry stood and actually managed to drag Vernon to his feet. "Have you anything you'd like to add Lord Black?"

"Only that your mother would be extremely disappointed in her sister Lord Potter. Apart from that, they're not worth bothering about."

"We're done Dursley, you both made that decision over a decade ago. I was prepared to give your son the benefit of the doubt, he blew it. Like you, he charged right in and got his arse handed to him. My father only has one regret over my adoption, that he didn't gut you that day in his office. You should have seen his face when I told him your son and his gang attacked us. He's very fond of Hermione too, so the name Dylan is probably joining yours on his shit list."

Dan had a final word for the now clearly frightened couple. "You have no idea what you're dealing with here. Any of those kids could have wiped the pavement with your son and his gang of thugs. Take Lord Potter's advice and stay well away, his father is not a goblin you want to mess with."

Dan and Emma marched both Dursleys out their house, returning to see Sirius casting cleaning charms on the carpet and that an unhappy Harry had shed his armour.

"Are you okay, Harry?"

"No Emma, I'm not. This is the shirt Hermione gave me for Christmas, and now I've gone and ruined it!"

The girl in question slipped the shredded shirt off her best friend, leaving Harry bare from the waist up. Hermione then took out her wand and cast a reparo spell at the garment, leaving it as good as new. This saw her hoisted into the air by a now delighted Harry.

Looking at Harry's bare torso saw a question being asked by Emma. "Harry, you're clearly quite a strong young lad. How the hell did you manage to drag that fat idiot up off his arse?"

Harry put Hermione down but didn't put his shirt back on just yet. "When the director placed my armour bands on me, he said 'may they bring strength to your arms in times of strife'. Centurion armour is known to add strength to a warrior's sword arm, but I am the first non goblin ever to wear this armour. When its active, I've discovered I can ask my magic to make me that little bit quicker or stronger. In my armour, I could probably hold my own arm-wrestling Hagrid."

His armour once more covered his body as he proceeded to demonstrate by lifting the oak dining room table.

Knowing he and Sirius would struggle to accomplish that feat between them, this led to Dan shaking his head. "I was already struggling with the whole wizard / goblin thing, now I've got Iron Man and the Hulk to add to the mix." The look of confusion this comment was met with by Harry brightened Dan's evening. "Oh I need to introduce you to Peter Parker too, I've got quite the collection."

Hermione and Emma's groans left Harry not knowing what to expect. The doorbell ringing saw Dan going to answer it this time, with Sirius standing right behind him. They all enjoyed a lively dinner while Dan informed Harry about the wonderful world of comics.

-oOoOo-

Hermione saw Harry lying on his bed, studying a Spider-Man comic her dad had given him to read. Their eyes met and both voiced the exact same question. "Are you okay?"

This saw Hermione smile and sit on the bed beside her best friend. "I'm fine Harry, your healers saw to that. I'm more worried about how you are, after meeting the Dursleys?"

It took a minute for Harry to put his thoughts into words. "Disappointed is probably the best description of how I feel. I had dreamed of confronting those people for years, reality didn't come anywhere near my dreams. Having already met the son, I should have been prepared for the disappointment."

Hermione's hand slipped into his before he continued. "I think Sirius said it best, they really aren't worth bothering about. They are no family of mine, and I happen to think the family I do have are brilliant. You've had the unfortunate experience of growing up beside Dudley, for that I'm really sorry."

"That's not your fault Harry. I agree, none of the Dursleys are worth bothering about. I also know you were holding back today, that couldn't have been easy?"

"Actually, it was a lot easier than you might think. I'm a centurion, Hermione, that means what I do reflects on that position. I would be letting not only myself down, but the director, my father and my friends. Being a centurion is a great responsibility, even more so for me with the background I have. There are both goblins and wizards waiting to see me fail, I hope to keep them waiting for a long time. Revenge on the Dursleys is certainly not worth that price."

"I think I understand, Harry. I also happen to think the friends I have now are brilliant too - and would hate to let them down."

This led to some blushing smiles before Hermione changed the subject. "How are you getting on with Spider-Man?"

"I don't really understand it. What's a 'radioactive spider'? I've never heard of that species, do they have them at Hogwarts?"

Hermione held her laughter, instead thanking providence her dad hadn't started Harry off with the Fantastic Four. "Budge over, this is going to take a while." Explaining the marvellous world of Marvel to a goblin was not a five minute job.

Dan and Sirius found Emma leaning on Harry's door jamb, a beautiful smile on her face while tears slowly ran down her cheeks. Both men were concerned, those concerns vanished the instant they glanced toward where Emma was staring. Hermione was snuggled into Harry, a half-read Spider-Man comic laying across the sleeping pair.

Emma's voice was quiet but still conveyed her sense of wonder. "Do you remember what she was like the last time that arse punched her?"

Keeping his voice as quiet as his wife's, Dan's answer conveyed a different set of emotions. "She cried herself to sleep for nights after, I wanted to strangle the little shit. They look so peaceful, especially after the day they've just had."

This drew an answering nod from Emma. "That's what brought me here, I wanted to check that Harry was okay. It would seem Hermione had the same idea, and got here first. She also seems to have done a far better job than I could have."

Sirius was struggling to take his eyes off the young couple, and to understand why these two parents weren't in the least angry at the sight before them. Hermione was snuggled into Harry, her head resting on his chest. His godson had his right arm around Hermione, while his left had clearly held the now dropped comic. Both looked incredibly peaceful, and Emma obviously decided she wasn't going to disturb them. The comic was placed on Harry's nightstand before she removed a blanket from a drawer, covering both of them.

"His father had told me how close these two were, but you really need to see it for yourself..."

"Sirius, that is my little girl lying sleeping in your godson's arms. Don't ask me to explain it but I'm not even concerned, never mind angry. Now perhaps you'll understand why I said we would be seeing a lot of each other over the coming years?"

It was strange for Sirius to see Dan smile as Emma kissed both sleeping kids. "Barchoke was the first to see their connection, and explained how unusual it was for Harry to reach out to anyone like that. Hermione is exactly the same, we thought it was a different girl sending those letters home with that beautiful white owl. It's clear to see their friendship is helping both of them, and is something that Emma and I wholeheartedly approve of. Anything else, we will deal with as they get older - I can only hope they're a lot older before we even have to think about that."

"Dan, I am so out of my depth here, I have absolutely no idea of what to say or do. In all honesty though, the two of them lying there so peaceful, so content is one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen in my life."

Emma was now gently shooing both of them out the room. "I agree Sirius, and so does big bad Dan here. He's just annoyed about having spent years working on his protective father routine, only for some boy to render it obsolete before he even got a chance to use it. He adores your godson as much as I do, Dan's just not ready to admit it yet."

Dan quickly changed the subject. "Never mind that, what are we going to do about the Dursleys - and the Dylans?"

"We both know Petunia and Vernon are barely tolerated in Crawley, that obnoxious horse-faced bitch talks about everyone behind their backs. Well I intend to make sure our version of the truth gets out there, and is the one being believed."

Sirius was amazed at how this woman could go from being so tender and gentle with the kids, to now ready to rip the Dursleys to shreds. Dan though had a question. "Our version of the truth?"

"Well, it will be mostly true. How we were sick of the bullying and sent Hermione to a private boarding school, a school where she met her best friend - Lord Harry James Potter. An orphaned child who the Dursleys refused to care for, despite him being their only nephew. I also intend to let it be known that Tony Dylan punched our daughter in the face for the second time, and got his injuries running away. I'm sure Barchoke could provide us with receipts for the exclusive and private medical treatment Lord Potter arranged for his best friend, just to make the Dylans think twice about running to a lawyer."

"Okay...that's all mostly true..." Dan knew how protective they both were of Hermione, Emma apparently had just extended that protection to include Harry.

The marauder though had something to add to the conversation, a conversation that was still held in whispers. They were currently standing on the bedroom landing and there were three sleeping children in the house. "You may think that's enough, but I doubt if Barchoke will. I"m sure the Dursleys have trouble coming there way soon, these Dylans too if they start anything. You two were obviously concerned with Hermione but, as Harry said earlier, Barchoke was every bit as angry as his son over her injury."

After quiet goodnights were mumbled, the adults then all made their way to their respective bedrooms.

-oOoOo-

It was a slightly hungover, and very nervous Vernon who answered the door next morning. It was almost a relief seeing an irate Calum Dylan standing there. He led the man into the kitchen where he'd just left his third cup of coffee. Dudley was also there, sitting in his y-fronts and eating his large breakfast. The reason for his lack of attire was instantly obvious, his mother was currently rubbing lotion onto a wicked bruise that spread over most of his hip and thigh.

This was all Calum needed to see, he was barely containing his temper as it was. "I've spent most of last night at the hospital, Deirdre is still there. Tony spent hours in surgery, they had to rebuild his knee and wire a cracked jaw - that's not counting his broken teeth and nose. My son looks as if he's been hit by a bus and the police had the nerve to say they won't be pressing any charges. They're claiming my Tony attacked the Granger girl, and his injuries were accidentally inflicted as he tried to run away. I was planning on heading round there to give the Grangers and their guests a piece of my mind, I stopped by to ask if you wanted to come too?"

Vernon's large body gave an involuntary shudder at that suggestion, and he decided that the coffee wasn't helping in the slightest. He pushed it away and went for the Glenfiddich, returning with the bottle and two glasses. Vernon poured one for himself and indicated for their visitor to help themselves, to a seat and a drink.

"Calum, we were round there last night, it wasn't pleasant." Vernon needed a swig of his twelve year old single malt before he could continue. "We know of the boy who did this, how could we not, he's Petunia's nephew. Over ten years ago they tried to dump the brat on us after his parents were murdered, we wouldn't stand for it and put him up for adoption. That was why we moved to Crawley, in the hope they wouldn't find us. Petunia and I decided last night it was time to move again. The man this brat now calls father is not someone you want to cross, he would give the mafia a bad name."

Another shudder was treated by administering more single malt. "There's even a godfather on the scene as well. When we were considering moving house ten years ago, Petunia made some enquires about him. He was slapped in a high security prison for committing multiple murders, yet now he's clearly out. So you see, Calum, there is more chance of me winning slimmer of the year than going back round to the Grangers. Your Tony actually punched their daughter in the face, a daughter whose hand this boy was holding as they walked around Crawley. Go if you must, but you might not get out of that house in one piece."

Calum reached for the bottle and poured some of the liquid gold into the glass provided, what the hell was he supposed to do now?

-oOoOo-

At the Grangers, the house woke once more to the thwack - thwack of Harry and Hermione practicing in the back garden. Sirius was nursing his cup of coffee while standing to the side, watching these two go at it with their wooden practice swords and shields. Their concentration seemed immense, so out of place for people their age.

The marauder thought this scene needed lightning up, so fired a mild stinging hex at his godson. Sirius yelped in surprise, and then pain, as his stinging hex was reflected straight back at him. He'd spilled hot coffee all over his hand too, dropping the cup onto the decking in the process. His wand soon joined his spilled coffee and cup, Hermione had spun and whacked his other hand with the tip of her practice sword.

The thankfully rounded wooden tip was now resting on Sirius' chest as a confident young witch spoke to him. "Harry said that if you take away a wizard's wand, they're helpless in a fight. It would seem he was right..."

Sirius though had another trick up his sleeve, Padfoot made an appearance and was about to pounce on the surprised girl - the mutt never even got to move.

Harry's knife sprayed strange looking ropes out the blade, wrapping the big black dog up like a belated Christmas present. "Harry?"

"I was trying for a web, you know - like Spider-Man. Curse-breaker Weasley is always telling us magic is all about intent. Looks like I haven't quite got it yet."

"No Harry, where the hell did the dog come from? Is that still Sirius?"

"I assume he's an animagus, just like Professor McGonagall - except a dog. There's not much more I know, it's a form of transfiguration goblins are physically unable to perform, Because of that, we don't exactly have a lot of books on the subject."

The whining now coming from the dog saw Harry release the bindings, and Sirius was soon with them once more. "That was bloody brilliant you two, I can't tell you how impressed I am at that. You fairly and squarely disarmed an adult wizard, and I would never have tried that move against your real sword. Well done Hermione."

Sirius could see the girl stand that little bit taller, her confidence had taken a blow too yesterday. Dan had also been watching and couldn't help but proudly smile at the way his daughter had reacted. Here was another reason Hermione hadn't cried herself to sleep last night, his little girl could now look after herself.

After extracting a promise from Sirius to tell them everything he knew about becoming an animagus, Hermione raced Harry up the stairs to take their showers. They were finally joined by Padma and the trio were soon at the breakfast table, where they were greeted by Emma - wearing a satisfied smirk on her face.

"That was Martha Jenkins just off the phone, supposedly enquiring how Hermione was - the story is apparently all over town. What she really phoned for was to discover if the rumours were true, and we actually do have a lord staying with us. When I told her no, we had two, she was practically salivating down the phone. We're all invited to her New Year party. When the story spreads - and it will - I expect a few more invitations to be coming our way. You can also bet the Dursleys won't be receiving any, I may have mentioned how they placed their only nephew up for adoption."

Hermione's nose was wrinkling in distaste. "I don't want to go anywhere if we're only invited because Harry's a lord."

This drew laughter from Sirius. "I think you better get used to that Hermione, the Minister of Magic was desperate to invite Harry to the Ministry New Year Ball - only to discover he couldn't."

That news generated laughter from Harry. "Our nation would refuse any invitation coming through the Department for Control of Dangerous Creatures, and their own laws prevent any other department from doing so. That was why I asked Susan if her Aunt Amelia could talk to my father. With us not being at school, they don't have that option."

Then Sirius dropped the bombshell. "Your father thinks the rules may be changed, allowing you to be officially invited to the Ministry Summer Ball."

"Won't we be on holiday..." Hermione's words died in her throat as she spotted the change in Harry, he was clearly working out the implications of this - and liking what he found.

"Hermione, this is huge - even bigger than huge. If me getting dressed up and smiling for the minister one summer evening can change things for my nation, you better believe we will be there."

This drew a wide smile from Sirius, and none of those present at breakfast had missed Harry's 'we will be there' either. "Just as well your father arranged a new tutor then, you need to learn all the do's and don't's associated with being a lord. Augusta Longbottom has probably been instilling this into Neville since he was old enough to listen. We still want him to attend lessons though, we'll need four when practicing dancing and such."

This certainly held the girl's attention, though Harry's thoughts had gone off in a different direction. There was something fishy here, "...and who did my father get to teach us this?"

Sirius couldn't contain his smile. "Me! You're getting Lord Sirius Orion Black teaching you all about wizarding traditions and customs every weekend. Neither Dumbledore nor the ministry will dare object to this. Merlin, both would probably pay for it out their own pockets. You still get Bill in the morning for defence, and then me in the afternoon. There is so much I need to teach you..." Sirius had his wand out underneath the table as the three kids listened intently. It was time for a payback prank to make up for getting his arse handed to him earlier.

Harry could practically feel the heat generated from having a blushing witch sitting either side of him. He was struggling to determine the cause, until he looked up. "Mistletoe?"

Hermione was bright red as she asked her question. "You know what that is Harry?"

"Yeah, a parasitic plant. Why would you want it in your house?"

Padma tried to help her friends. "When a boy and girl are under mistletoe, it's customary that they kiss..."

Harry shrugged his shoulders and kissed Padma on the cheek, turning then to do the same for Hermione.

Padma's blush got even deeper. "Not a kiss like that Harry..."

Harry already thought Sirius was setting him up, he'd drawn his knife while turning round to kiss Hermione. Hearing this decided his course of action. "We'll, that leaves only one option..."

Harry transfigured the mistletoe into a live bat, a bat that immediately chased his godfather. Sirius, not being able to fire off offensive spells indoors, had to race out the back garden before being able to deal with the creature. Dan and Emma had sat enthralled at this drama being played out before them, they now fell about with laughter.

Harry leaned over and gently kissed Hermione on the lips. "Neither of you need mistletoe, you are both beautiful witches."

Sirius surveyed the scene from the back door and thought godfather 0 - godson 2. He actually couldn't be happier with that score. Clearly he wasn't going to have to teach his godson how to woo witches. Harry may be blushing but his godson was already way ahead of either Padfoot or Prongs at the same age in his dealings with the fairer sex.

Dan had just watched a boy kiss his daughter but still couldn't stop laughing, Harry had reversed Sirius' prank brilliantly. Anyway, it wasn't everyday you got to see someone chased away from their breakfast by a live bat! The kids were only going to be here for a few more days, but Dan was willing to bet those days would be ringing with even more laughter.

-oOoOo-

Smita could hardly believe the reaction they got when stepping onto platform nine and three quarters. It spread like ripples in a pond, within seconds everyone knew they had arrived. Padma had tried to prepare her for this, but mere words didn't prepare you for an entire railway platform stopping and staring. Harry and Hermione had stayed at the Patil house last night, allowing their home to be warded and leaving Ramrao and Smita to get everyone to Kings Cross.

Her daughter had also explained that they would be showing a united front, this being the first time they had appeared in the wizarding section of Britain since those trial pictures of Harry were published after Christmas. Padma and Hermione had their duelling robes on, with the muggle-born witch wearing her sword for the first time in public. Harry had shrunk all their trunks and tucked them in his bag, their only luggage being Hermione's cat carrier. The group were soon joined by Neville, also wearing his duelling robes, before the first flash signalled the press interest.

Harry stood for a moment with his friends while pictures were taken, though refused to answer any questions. Ramrao then put a stop to the press intrusion, allowing Smita and Augusta to get the five of them on the train. Their goodbyes were short so they could get to the safety of a carriage, it was going to be almost six months before they all met again.

Their summer schedule had been worked out and the Longbottoms and Bones sent a copy, the Patils had all sat last night as Padma excitedly explained where they would be going, and when.

Ramrao and Smita wouldn't allow their twins to be apart for an entire summer, and this was not a situation their girls would want either. Both were delighted to see plans being made to include not only them, but Parvati too. Padma obviously wanted to spend as much of the summer as possible with her friends, and they were looking to be joining them after the first three weeks. They hoped to stay for two, with Parvati remaining for the final week too. There were a lot more details that would be required to be sorted out but both Patil parents had provisionally agreed to the plan that would see Padma, Harry and Hermione spending six weeks of their holiday together.

Smita had to hide her smile when Harry put his foot down and declared their guest list for the summer was now full. She had spoken with Parvati about trying to moderate her exuberance around the group. Unfortunately, that natural exuberance jumped a few notches when in the company of her friend, Lavender. By making that declaration, Harry had effectively excluded Lavender before Parvati could even bring her friend's name up.

Amelia Bones joined them as Susan and Hannah headed onto the Hogwarts Express, the parents and guardians chatted away until the shriek of the steam whistle signalled it was time for the train to leave the station. None of the four standing there knew what nineteen ninety two would bring, all though thought it would be different because of now knowing a certain Harry Crow.

A/N thanks for reading.

24. Memories of A Terrible Night

Harry Crow

Disclaimer - Harry Potter belongs to JKR. I write purely for fun and it's posted here so anyone can read my efforts - free of charge. Anybody wishing professional standards of writing should go and buy a book. Jo has a new one out, though I haven't read it.

Chapter 24

There was a certain apprehension of expectation hanging heavy in the air, a tension that had been felt on the train but assuredly climbed in intensity as the four friends entered the great hall. The friends appeared to be the only ones unaffected by this apprehensive atmosphere, chatting amongst themselves as to why three of them could see the Thestrals - yet Neville could not. The group were sitting at the Ravenclaw table, discussing whether watching as Harry saved Hermione and Padma from the troll counted as seeing death, the troll certainly ended up deceased. They were deliberately paying no attention to what was happening around them, that couldn't be allowed to continue.

"Big brass ones, Fred."

"Brass? Our Harry here wouldn't settle for anything so coarse and common as brass. Pure diamond, hardest substance known to man."

"Ah gentlemen, well Fred and George - how was your holiday?"

"Obviously not as exciting as yours..."

Harry laughed at that. "Guys, you don't know the half of it. Now a certain Padfoot wondered if the best pranksters in the school might just have come across an old piece of parchment that belonged to him?"

Gobsmacked was a new look for the twins, but they seemed to have no problem pulling it off.

"If so, he was also wondering if you would consider passing this piece of parchment on to the son of Prongs - namely yours truly!"

Yes, both Fred and George could now claim to have mastered the gobsmacked look.

Enjoying watching the twins in this state, Harry used his most officious voice to deliver the final part of his message. "If the answer to both of those questions were to be yes, I'm authorised to set up a meeting between yourselves and the aforementioned marauder, Padfoot."

Harry found a piece of old parchment being thrust into his hands as the twins sank to there knees and bowed. "Oh mighty son of Prongs, we are honoured to be in the same castle with one such as you..."

"Can we really meet Padfoot?"

This was too much for Harry and he started to laugh. "How does Saturday grab you?" It was Harry who found himself grabbed by two emotional twins.

"You wouldn't play a prank on us about this..."

"...because that would be seriously unfunny."

Hermione was the one who put their minds at rest, well, kicked those devious minds into overdrive actually. "Guys, he stayed at my house for most of last week. I don't think I've ever seen my parents laugh so much, the prank war between the three of us and him really escalated. Staying at Padma's last night was the first time I was able to sleep with both eyes closed this week."

The twins wanted details but the staff entering meant they and Neville had to head over to the Gryffindor table. "Told you George, that boy is a diamond."

"We need a better name than 'Budgie' for the son of Prongs though..."

Roger, like most of the hall, had been watching Harry. "It really doesn't bother you that Dumbledore is going to be sitting just up there?"

"If it did, Roger, I wouldn't have returned. My issues with the old man are still the same as they were in September. There may be one or two more questions I would like a truthful answer to but, apart from that, nothing has really changed."

"You really think holding a sword to Dumbledore changes nothing?"

"For me it doesn't," Harry honestly answered. "The man pulled a wand on an unarmed member of my family, not something I was ever going to stand there and allow. Problem dealt with and over, I'll bet Dumbledore wants to forget all about it too."

This saw Roger shaking his head, "I never thought I would agree with the Weasley twins, but definitely diamond, Harry."

When Dumbledore stood, welcomed everyone back and began the feast, it was like pulling the plug in the bath and the tension began to drain from the castle. It would appear Harry was right, and the headmaster wanted nothing more than to forget all about that humiliating picture.

It was a different picture that had sent tempers soaring at Malfoy Manor. The sight of Crow wrapped in the new Lord Black's arms put the final touch to what had already been a pretty dismal Christmas.

Normally, the Malfoy family would have to decide which parties or balls they would grace with their presence. This Christmas they hadn't received one single invitation, not even to the Annual Ministry New Year Ball. With no gold to even consider holding one of their own, and dreading facing the possible indignity of no one bothering to attend if they had, it was easily the worst Christmas of Draco's life.

Then to see any hope of receiving the Black inheritance disappear, on the front page of the Prophet no less, was just kicking someone while they were down. It was now obvious why his mother could never access the Black vaults, Sirius must have named someone as his heir. The reaction of both parties shown in that photograph made it pretty obvious just who that someone was. Not content with freezing the Malfoy fortune, Crow had now stolen his Black inheritance too.

His father had instructed him to keep an eye on Crow, and especially those around him. Draco would have done that anyway. What he needed was someone to wind up and point at Crow. The problem with that idea though was Draco couldn't think of anyone stupid enough to actually do that, the whole of magical Britain must have seen his sword at Dumbledore's throat.

As if that wasn't bad enough, the mudblood bitch was now walking about with a clearly goblin forged blade on her hip too. Draco would have loved to get her into trouble for that but was sure they would have checked the Hogwarts handbook and found some loophole that allowed it. If someone else wanted to put forward a complaint, Draco would sit back and enjoy the show. His main objective at Hogwarts though was to stay out of Crow's way. With his mother paying tuition and board for all seven years, he really had no other options.

-oOoOo-

Hermione rhapsodised over the charm work involved in making the marauder's map, Padma's eyes twinkled wickedly as she claimed they could spy on who was using all the school broom cupboards. Harry though had an entirely different approach from both his friends. He thought of the wonderful tactical advantages the map supplied, and wondered if any of the staff had similar items.

This drew a harumph from Hermione, "Why does everything have to be about battles and tactics with you, Harry."

He pointed toward where Moonlight was currently stalking the tasseled end of a woollen scarf, hanging over a sofa in the common room. "Would you say your kitten was having fun?"

"Of course she is..."

"...yet at the same time Moonlight's practicing skills she will need as she grows into adulthood. Goblins are a warrior race, so what they teach their children has practical uses. Gaining an advantage over an opponent, whether in banking or combat, is a skill that needs to be nurtured. Just like you would be taught not to touch hot things, or eat stuff that would do you harm, we just have a different set of survival skills. Padma or I wouldn't have a clue how to cross one of your busy London roads without getting knocked down, I'll bet that was something you were taught from a very young age."

"Yes, we had the green cross code man. The actor then went on to play Darth Vader in the Star Wars series."

"Okay, I'm with Harry on this one. Basically because I didn't understand a word of what you just said. Well, that's not exactly true. I recognised it was english, even most of the words, it was just the order you used them in that confused the hell out of me."

Hermione appeared ready to go into far greater detail until Padma put her finger against her friend's lips. "Stop, Hermione. You telling us more about Green Vader or Darth Wars isn't going to help. We simply don't have anything to compare it to."

She admitted defeat, for now. Hermione promised both of them would be watching Star Wars just as soon as she could manage it. It was time for bed after a tiring day.

-oOoOo-

The week seemed to drag as they waited for the weekend. Saturday finally came and they briskly headed off for their extra defence lesson. Harry and Hermione had kept up their exercising throughout the holidays so picked right up where they had left off, Padma and Neville weren't so lucky - Professor Weasley pushed them hard.

With Professor Flitwick attending for the second half of the lesson, both of their swords got to see some action. Filius was full of praise for how quickly Hermione was progressing, but was left speechless in his battle with Harry.

As their blades clashed while both fought for the advantage, the charms professor suddenly found himself with a long stalk of celery in his hand - where once had been a sword. This was sliced through before Harry's blade shot out strange ropes that wrapped the shocked head of house up tightly.

"How did you do that?" was all Filius could manage to say.

"I don't know sir, but ever since that fight at Sirius' trial I've been able to cast with my sword."

"I would tell no one about this Harry, it could be a big advantage for you."

"My father is already excited at the prospect of my next duel with Master Sharpshard, he wants a copy of that memory for himself, and the director."

After lunch, it was finally time for the lesson they had all been looking forward to. Sirius didn't disappoint. He went over the basics of polite behaviour before changing the environment into that of a dance. He also had one more trick up his sleeve, Professor Hobson was invited along to be his dance partner.

They demonstrated the steps and then had both couples emulate their actions. Harry and Hermione were both quick learners but Neville struggled, probably from having the young witch in his arms. Sensing this, Padma took action.

"So, Longbottom, you're fine with firing curses at me all morning, but can't handle putting your hand on my waist?"

"What, no...well, not really."

"Neville, we're friends. Relax and let's enjoy dancing together. If your hand goes somewhere inappropriate, my knee will let your groin know."

This had Neville laughing and soon saw him relax. He did ensure his hand didn't slip in the slightest though, Neville was positive Padma wasn't joking about that knee.

Harry and Hermione were sure this would be their favourite lesson of the week, holding each other as they learned to dance was just fine as far as they were concerned. Sirius though threw a spanner into their works.

"At a formal ball, you will be expected to dance with other people too..."

Sirius said this while cutting in on the best friends, leaving Harry dancing with the professor while he twirled Hermione around the floor.

"Harry, I know I'm not Hermione but it is customary to at least pay your dance partner some attention."

"Sorry professor, I've kinda lost my enthusiasm for balls if it means I have to watch Hermione dancing with other people. I have no problems with family or friends, but does this mean anyone can just walk up and she has to dance with them?"

Henrica just had to laugh, this was so strange for her. She had a young man in her arms, yet he was worried about who his girl was possibly going to be dancing with. For the veela, this was simply priceless. It was usually the ladies who were worried about the gentleman she was dancing with. "Harry, you really are something else. If Hermione were to attend a ball as your date, any gentleman would have to ask your permission to dance with her. I'll make sure Sirius teaches you the ins and outs of that maze of social quicksand. Even though you may think she's worth it, I'm sure the director wouldn't want one of his centurions starting a 'goblin rebellion' over Hermione's dance card."

While the mere thought of someone like Malfoy or Ron Weasley with their arms around Hermione had him wanting to draw his sword, this news drew a smile from Harry. He was a centurion though for a reason. "Why Professor Hobson, are you teasing me? I noticed you were very close to my godfather, should I be worried?"

She couldn't help but smile at his comeback. "It is rare to find men who are unaffected by my allure, but two in the one family! Thankfully, your godfather is neither my employer nor eleven - even though he appears to act younger than you sometimes."

"I heard that! Did you miss me?"

"When I had such a charming replacement? I hardly think so, Lord Black. Unfortunately, this young goblin did miss his dance partner, leaving me heartbroken and stuck with you."

This was all said with a smile as the dancing resumed with the original couples intact.

"You seemed sad when you were dancing Harry, I thought every male in the castle wanted to be in Professor Hobson's arms?"

"She was explaining that there are rules for balls and dances, I didn't like the idea that whoever wants could just come along and we would have to dance with them. Sirius will need to teach me the rules before I end up having to fight duels for telling folk to get lost. There must be a polite way of refusing without having to draw my sword, I'll just have to learn it."

Hermione found her head resting on his chest. "My protector from trolls, even those in dress robes. We really do need a better name for you than budgie, I think 'swift' fits the bill, and it's still a bird."

"I think we need to swiftly dance with Padma and Neville, before Sirius decides to split them up. Neville's just beginning to cope with Padma, Professor Hobson would blow his mind."

Harry enjoyed dancing with Padma, and could see Hermione and Neville having fun together too. He could imagine a group of them going to a dance and having a ball together, Harry began to relax after realising things were nowhere near as bad as he first thought.

It was a happy group who left the room of requirements, to find Dumbledore waiting for them in the corridor. Sirius, Henrica and especially Harry were all instantly on high alert. Dumbledore attempted to be as non threatening as possible as he held out the parcel in his hands.

Albus needed this to work and had studied what he was going to say closely. He'd noticed the lad always referred to Barchoke as his father, while James and Lily were mum and dad. Even a little thing like this could be the difference between making a connection with the lad or being rebuffed again.

"Harry, your dad left this with me. I think it's time it was returned to it's rightful owner."

It was with great caution Harry took the offered parcel, he even used his knife to slice through the wrappings. The shimmering material the parcel held drew an audible gasp from Sirius. "Harry, that's your father's invisibility cloak. He got it from his father, it's been in the Potter family for generations..."

His face could have been carved from stone but Harry was living up to the twins' billing. The young centurion's eyes were like diamonds, diamonds that were cutting into an uncomfortable Dumbledore. "Can I ask how this came to be in your possession, Headmaster Dumbledore?"

For the life of him Albus couldn't understand the hostility that was simply pouring off the lad, what had he done wrong this time? "I asked your dad if I could borrow the cloak to study it, I never got the chance to return it..."

At that, Harry turned his back on the headmaster. He needed information from his godfather. "Sirius, my father says my mum and dad were a very smart couple, would you agree with that?"

"Your dad was very smart Harry, but your mum was simply brilliant."

"Then please help me understand, Sirius, because this makes them appear like a couple of idiots. Why would these two clever people give up a potentially life-saving tactical advantage, just so Albus bloody Dumbledore could study it?" Harry's hostility had switched to absolute fury, and only one person had any hope of containing the explosion.

His best friend had her hand back on his arm and speaking in the gentlest voice she could. "Harry, we don't understand what you're trying to say. Can you explain..."

He seemed transported to another time and place, it was also as if he and Hermione were the only two people in the entire world. Quick as a flash, Harry had the cloak around her shoulders.

"Lily, take Harry and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off..."

Hermione was instantly caught up in the moment too, mesmerised by the intensity in those green eyes. "I...I don't think I can leave you...you can't ask me that..."

"You must, our son will need one of us..."

Harry's forehead was now resting on Hermione's as he pleaded with her, before leaning back and flicking the cloak's hood up. Hermione may have disappeared but no one was looking in her direction anyway, all eyes were on Harry.

It took three attempts before Sirius managed to get his throat to actually make some noise. "Dear Merlin, Harry, do you remember that night?"

The young lad was bereft of emotion as he glacially answered his godfather with words he'd not spoken since being a scared little child, being wakened from a nightmare. "Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry! - Stand aside you silly girl … stand aside now. - Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead ... Not Harry! Please … have mercy … have mercy… "

An invisible sobbing girl smashed into her best friend, shocking him back to the present. Harry noticed there wasn't a dry eye in the corridor, even Dumbledore had tears on his cheeks. That didn't stop Harry focusing on the old wizard, though his rage was back under control. "My mum and dad could have gone anywhere in the world, yet they stayed in a cottage and hid behind an obscure spell. They had a means of escape yet handed it over to you. These are not the actions of the smart people everyone tells me they were. There is not one shred of doubt both of them loved me, my dad and mum gave their lives so I could live. As their son, I swear I will get to the bottom of what happened that night, and any part you played in it, Headmaster. I thank you for returning my property."

It was disconcerting, and downright weird, seeing a pair of arms that had emerged out of nowhere and circled around Harry's torso. Just as Harry seemed to have his arm hanging suspended in midair, right about where the sound of sobbing was slowly stopping. "Sirius, I'm not really up to dinner with the twins, and you did promise. I'll see you for lessons tomorrow..."

Harry walked away, whispering to a still invisible Hermione as he went. Padma was holding onto Neville and crying too, Henrica was watching them closely. Sirius didn't know whether to cry or hit someone. Dumbledore nearly made his mind up for him.

"Sirius, surely you don't think I had anything to do with..."

"I wouldn't believe Albus bloody Dumbledore if he said tomorrow was Sunday. I can promise you this though, you'll find a goblin blade in your gut if you did have anything to do with James and Lily's deaths. Whether the hand holding that blade is Harry's, his father's or even Miss Granger's is something I hope you never have to discover."

Henrica helped her two students along, with Sirius following on behind. Albus was left standing in the corridor alone, with his plan shattered into a million pieces. What was worse, he had absolutely no idea of what had just taken place - how could a simple gift go so horribly wrong?

-oOoOo-

Hermione was using a hanky to wipe her eyes, and trying to lighten Harry's mood. "Your dad and your godfather would be very proud of you. You've not had that cloak an hour yet, but already used it to smuggle a girl into your room."

He did try to smile but Harry's heart wasn't really in it at the moment. "Not when they found out I'd made that same girl cry..."

Hermione was soon sitting beside him, and slipping her hand into his. "Oh Harry, you didn't make me cry. It was just discovering you could remember that horrible night that shocked everyone."

"Our healers think it's a consequence of having a part of Voldemort inside me, even if only for a few days. They couldn't tell whether they were my memories, or the last few seconds of his. My father was offered the chance to remove them but declined, I'm glad he did. Those memories might not be very nice but they're all I've got of my mum and dad, I couldn't lose them. Those memories are also the reason I will finish off Voldemort, not because of some stupid prophecy."

Hermione just squeezed his hand, what other answer could she give.

Harry asked Hogwarts if she could let their friends and Sirius know they were fine. The castle took it a step further and provided them both with an evening meal. They enjoyed a quiet night together before using the map and cloak to smuggle Hermione safely, and unseen, back to her dorm.

-oOoOo-

Things were back to normal by their run and exercises next morning, though Padma drew a few strange glances in the common room when she flew into Harry's arms as they met before going down to breakfast.

"I'm fine, Padma. I hadn't thought of that for a while, it kinda jumped out on me..."

"I'm just glad you took Hermione with you, no one should have been alone after remembering that."

"The hat put me in Ravenclaw for a reason, Padma. It would have been an incredibly stupid idea not to have Hermione with me, and a stupid Ravenclaw is a contradiction in terms. There's also the matter of needing a crowbar to get her arms to let go..."

A hand slipped into it's usual place on his arm. "You wish, Crow, you wish."

Hermione being the one doing the teasing generated smiles from both Harry and Padma as the trio headed of for breakfast, and to meet Neville.

Albus and Henrica were both pleased to see Harry appeared back to his normal self, though for different reasons. The young history professor had been as shocked as anyone last night at Harry's revelations, it had taken a dinner with Sirius and the Weasley twins to lift her spirits. It would seem an evening with Hermione had fulfilled the same function for the young centurion.

It was more relief that Albus felt, relief that he didn't seem to have done any more permanent damage than what transpired last night. The young man now sitting with his friends at the Ravenclaw table looked the picture of health and contentment. Had Harry sat there sullen, and staring daggers at his headmaster, it would have led to questions Albus didn't want to answer. His biggest question though was where did he go from here? Albus was going to have to rely on providence presenting an opportunity for him to exploit, he had nothing else left at his disposal.

-oOoOo-

After their lesson with Sirius, he asked for some time to chat with his godson. Professor Hobson took the other three along, leaving the pair to say what was needed.

"I spoke to your father last night, he told me about the nightmares when you were younger."

"I was three or four, Sirius, I've got over it. Just thinking how they could have used my dad's cloak brought it all back, spending some time with Hermione helped me put those memories back in their box."

Seeing his godson didn't want to talk about it, and being warned by Barchoke to expect this reaction, Sirius changed the topic. "Henrica told me you were worried about other guys trying to muscle in on your date, well there are quite a few ways you can put a stop to that..."

Harry was now all ears as the castle once more provided food, just as well as the time appeared to fly away.

"Now, when speaking to your father last night, he was totally unaware of the very important date that's just over four weeks away. From that, I assume that you've never heard of Valentine's Day either? February the fourteenth is a day that can make or break you, so there has to be some thought goes into it. The worst thing possible is to be running around at the last minute, trying to pull something out the fire for your loved one. We both know Hermione deserves better than that."

"Sirius, if this is a prank, I swear I'll..."

"Ask Neville, and then decide what you want to do. My offer of help extends to him too, being raised by his gran might not have prepared him for this. I promise I won't make a fool of you, it might not be a wooden sword in Hermione's hand next time."

Harry wouldn't commit to any more just now, not at least until he had spoken to Neville about it.

"Oh, I meant to say to you yesterday. You can relax, all those nasty betrothal contracts have been refused. I just wrote a standard letter for all of them and your father arranged their delivery..." Sirius stopped talking as Harry had a worried look on his face, the marauder's map was soon spread in front of him.

"Harry, what's the matter?"

"I hope nothing...oh shit, I really should know better. My luck seems to be running about its usual level, please tell me those weren't two of the names you refused?" The map clearly showed Hermione and Padma moving along to Ravenclaw Tower after dinner. What neither of the girls could see was that Marietta and Cho appeared to be standing waiting for them.

-oOoOo-

Both girls had really enjoyed their extra lessons today, and were giggling amongst themselves at how well Sirius and Professor Hobson were getting along. It already seemed a sure thing that Sirius would be there if and when she joined them on their summer holiday. They were also sure Sirius could cope better upon seeing the beautiful blonde in a bathing suit than Neville would. It was also wrong to giggle at the thought their friend's head might actually explode from embarrassment, that didn't stop them giggling though. It was only after they were spoken to that the girls noticed they had company.

"We have two happy witches here, Marietta, looks like this pair never got sent letters saying they weren't wanted."

"Yeah, we never even got a chance. These two had their hooks into him since that first night. Not bloody fair, my father is angry and accusing me of not really trying. What was I supposed to do?"

Hermione tried to stay calm, and prevent this escalating into a fight. "It wouldn't have made any difference no matter what you would've done..." Cho jumped right down her throat before she could say anymore.

"So sure of yourself, aren't you, Granger? It's no wonder no one else can stand you."

There was a time those words could have decimated Hermione, but she now knew they were merely said out of spite. The girl currently by her side had stayed right there on more than one sticky occasion, and showed no inclination to run away here. Hermione was also good friends with Neville, witches and wizards from all four houses, and then of course there was Harry. Just thinking about him gave her the strength and confidence to say what she intended.

"If you would just shut up and listen, I'll give you the information you're missing. Goblins don't use betrothal contracts, believing their children should choose their own mates. Lord Black refused all the betrothal contracts his godson had received."

This caused Marietta to stop and think, but Cho had already assigned a name to all her perceived injustices and woe's. That name was Hermione Granger. "You still think you're going to stroll into Hogwarts and waltz away with the big prize, the boy-who-lived is not for the likes of you."

Padma was wishing they hadn't swapped their duelling robes for the dancing lessons, that didn't mean she was going to back down though. "Oh I don't know, Cho, Hermione's just spent the last few hours waltzing in Harry's arms. He didn't seem to mind at all..."

Cho knew her family were counting on her snagging the boy-who-lived, the prestige, not to mention the fortune, would catapult the Changs straight into the top echelon of British magical society. To have all that snatched away from her by this plain little witch with no breeding was not something she was going to stand for.

"I'll show Harry who the better witch is...diffindo!" Cho cast the cutting curse with enough force to slice through clothes and draw some blood. All the blood drained from her face as the curse just bounced right off.

Hermione had every confidence her bracelet would protect her from anything Cho Chang was able to cast. That was why, instead of dodging, Hermione took the decision to take the hit while she drew her sword. As the spell rebounded, Cho stood there stunned for a second, this was all the time Hermione needed. Her sword whispered through the air, and removed the top inch and a half of her attacker's wand.

Marietta stood with her hands up and held palm outward, the universal sign she was unarmed. Padma now had her wand out, covering Marietta so she wouldn't interfere.

Harry had easily outrun his godfather, arriving on the scene as the point of Hermione's sword had a now terrified Cho pinned against the corridor wall. Padma had her wand out, covering Hermione's back as they had began to draw a crowd. "Are you both okay?"

"We're fine, Harry, Cho here wanted to prove to you and the school who was the better witch. I think Hermione just settled that argument, don't you?" Padma wanted no one to be in any doubt who had won here, though a clearly terrified Cho was a rather large visual clue.

McGonagall soon bustled along the corridor. "Kindly lower that blade this instant, Miss Granger, and I would appreciate an explanation." The Deputy Headmistress's tone told everyone this was not a request, rather a demand.

Hermione sheathed her blade. Disgusted with herself that the look of terror on Cho's face had initially excited her, Hermione Granger was no bully. "We had a private disagreement, professor. It should not have escalated to this, and for that I apologise."

"I want to know what this 'private disagreement' was about, and also why you resorted to using a sword on a fellow student?"

Not wanting Cho's personal business broadcast all over the castle, Hermione dug her heels in. "The first part is not mine to tell, professor. I drew my sword purely for defence, and it's against Hogwarts rules to use magic in the corridors."

Harry had a quick whispered conversation with Padma and had his suspicions confirmed, he stepped beside Hermione. "Professor, perhaps I can offer an explanation."

"Were you involved in this too, Mr Crow?"

"Not directly, but I believe a misunderstanding may have been the cause. I would like to clear up that misunderstanding, to make sure this doesn't happen again."

McGonagall couldn't really say no to that. The last thing she needed was students fighting in the corridors.

"Goblins don't use betrothal contracts professor, and there were quite a few in the name of Harry Potter lying in Gringotts. My godfather, Lord Black, has respected my wishes and politely declined every single one of them. This was no slight on anyone, be it by blood status or anything else you care to think of. With no access to my vault, I don't even know what names had been put forward. I'm sorry if anyone is disappointed at that, but my best friend was in no way involved in this decision being made."

Cho felt humiliated and wanted some payback. "Granger destroyed my wand, what's going to be done about that?"

McGonagall looked to Hermione for an explanation, she duly obliged. "Miss Chang fired a cutting curse at me, I didn't want her firing another. As I said, it's also against the castle rules to use magic in the corridors - so I used my sword to disarm my attacker."

The concern in McGonagall's voice was clear to hear. "Are you hurt, Miss Granger, do you need to see Madam Pomfrey?"

"No professor, our extra defence lessons with Professor Weasley just kicked in. He really is a brilliant teacher."

"...but I saw my curse hit her, right across her chest..." It was only then it dawned on Cho that perhaps she shouldn't be saying anything. McGonagall dragged her and Marietta away, warning Hermione and Padma that Professor Flitwick would talk with them on this matter later.

It was only as the crowd dispersed that Sirius approached the trio. "Well done, you three, you handled that brilliantly. Hermione, I'm glad it was only your practice sword you used on me. Good tactical awareness, Padma, you had your wand out and Hermione's back covered. Sorry, Harry, but I should have foreseen this problem. Just because we explained our reasons to the fathers, that doesn't mean they are going to pass those reasons on to their daughters. Your explanation should be all round the castle by the morning..."

Sirius had underestimated how fast news travels in the castle, certainly quicker than Neville and Parvati as they 'ran' toward the group. "Looks like we missed it again, Parvati. I really need to get transferred to Ravenclaw, all this running is killing me."

Parvati was in her twin's arms, with no breath left for speaking. "Hey Pav, we're fine. That bitch Chang decided to make her play and Hermione owned her arse. She also sliced clean through Chang's wand, the other bit must be lying about here somewhere. You want it as a souvenir, Hermione?"

Harry currently had his arm around his best friend. Hermione had fought back and, for the first time she could remember, had actually won. She didn't know what she was supposed to be feeling at the moment, Hermione was quite sure she shouldn't be shaking though.

"It's just the adrenalin leaving your system, you'll be fine in a few moments. Remember what happened to me? No, that was stupid, please forget all about what happened to me - we don't want to be visiting any toilets for that tonight."

This brought a slight smile to Hermione's face, which was Harry's aim. He really had no wish to see her throwing up in a toilet over this. "I am so proud of you for the way you handled that, my father will be ecstatic that you took her out using your sword. Your mum and dad will be over the moon too, I can see a few more Spider-Man comics heading in my direction over this."

Thinking of her parents, and how well Harry got on with them, put a genuine smile on Hermione's face. Looking at Neville leaning on the wall, he'd practically burst a gut to get here. Padma had her arm comfortingly around her twin, but her friend had stood beside her once more. The arm around her shoulders though was the most important. Harry not only gave her the confidence to deal with these situations, he provided the training and even supplied her sword. One glance at a grinning Sirius and Hermione knew she was going to be fine. With such a support group in place, how could she not be.

"I was already heading to Crawley to tell your mum and dad how your weekend went, wait until they hear this story..."

"No embellishing the story, Sirius. My mum and dad worry enough over me being here, they don't need to hear stories of their daughter wielding her trusty blade against hoards of attacking witches."

Sirius appeared crestfallen. "Aw, Hermione, please? You 'wielding your trusty blade against hoards of attacking witches' is just too good not to use. I could have Dan and Emma on the edge of their seats."

"Yeah, that's exactly what I'm afraid of. Them getting off those seats to drag their only daughter out of Hogwarts. Chang fired one curse, it was shielded before I sliced her wand in two."

"...but Hermione, where's the excitement, drama and tension in that?"

Padma was gradually getting used to the marauder, and comfortable enough to joke right back. "There was drama and tension enough for me, thank you very much. For excitement though, Harry taking nine of them down in as many seconds really takes a bit of beating."

A laughing Sirius reluctantly bade them a goodnight, until Harry asked what he had planned for the rest of the week. "I'm hoping to find an old friend..." Seeing his godson's concern at that remark, he quickly put his mind at rest. "No, not that one. Your father persuaded me to let the authorities deal with that, your father can be quite persuasive when he puts his mind to it."

Barchoke had actually sat him down for some straight talking, saying Harry needed him in his life. Pointing out that he'd let his godson down before may be true, but Sirius definitely thought that was a low blow. He accepted it though as he got to know the goblin better, this was a father who would do anything for his son. Since that son was his godson, how could Sirius possibly argue with that. Peter had cost him ten years with Harry, and any chance of raising his godson. That both Barchoke and Harry wanted the marauder as part of their lives was an unexpected and wonderful opportunity, an opportunity he had no intention of throwing away over chasing a rat.

-oOoOo-

The rat in question was currently rising from its cosy shelter, behind the brick wall that was part of a London Underground tunnel. Peter had excavated a nice little hide for himself, once he could ignore the sounds of the trains racing past. He was less than a hundred yards from Leicester Square underground station, and within a quarter of a mile of both Diagon Alley and the Ministry of Magic. Not that he wanted to go to any of those places, information though could be as vital as food.

There was no shortage of food available to him, not if you were prepared to rake through the bins. This was no problem to Peter, spending so long as a rodent had dulled what little piece of self-worth the wizard known as Peter Pettigrew had. Once he had dreams of grandeur and power, only for that power to be corrupted into him being forced to betray his friends. The former marauder had then surprised himself at how well his play had worked against Sirius.

While Black had spent a decade in Azkaban, he'd lived a life of relative luxury as a young boy's pet. Peter had even spent the last four and a half years living in the Gryffindor dorms, bringing back memories of happier and more innocent times. That all changed when Sirius Black had been freed from Azkaban, forcing Peter to flee his safe haven.

Only the involvement of Harry gave him time to escape. Had they plastered all over the front of the Prophet that he was a rat animagus, Peter doubted if he could have made it out of The Burrow. What was that news though in comparison to the boy-who-lived holding a sword to Dumbledore?

Peter thought he was safe for the moment, how long that would last was anyone's guess. He was a thirty year old wizard who'd now spent a third of his life living as a rat, and who knew how much longer that would have to continue. The dark mark that was burned into his arm all those years ago changed his life forever, and not for the better.

A/N thanks for reading

A/N-2 I would like to dedicate this chapter to one of my readers. This young lady spent her flights to and from the U.K. reading a number of my stories. That she lives in Australia gives you some idea of what a marathon feat this was. A personal 'thanks for reading' to Ropeter from me.

Robert

25. Love is in the Air

Harry Crow

Disclaimer - since I still have to drag myself to work every Monday to Friday, that should be proof enough that I am neither a professional author nor do I own Harry Potter. RobSt is just someone having a bit of fun during the long, dark Scottish evenings by playing in the world JKR created for us. I also don't own any of the words used in this chapter, and claim only the order I placed them in as my own.

Chapter 25

Harry's declaration regarding his betrothal contracts actually made it into the Prophet. Instead of buying him breathing space though, every witch in Hogwarts took this as an invitation that the boy-who-lived was still there for the taking. Not quite the effect he was hoping for.

The lessons with Sirius were paying dividends too, unexpected ones. Harry could now see that his actions had painted a large target on Hermione's forehead with the other witches in the castle. His task now was damage limitation, while standing squarely beside his best friend. A part of him hated that he'd caused Hermione all this trouble, a much greater part couldn't imagine a life without his wonderful best friend in it.

Now he had to walk the tightrope between making Hermione's Valentine's day special, and not heaping more scorn on her from the other witches. Harry was coming to rely on his godfather's advice more and more, something that pleased both of them.

Hermione's takedown of Cho had won her deserved respect across the castle, as had her attitude afterwards. Hermione had taken the view that Cho was understandably upset at her betrothal refusal, the second year had reacted without thinking - and also out of character. Giving Cho the benefit of the doubt saw Hermione claim the moral high ground, leaving her opponent with no other option than to apologise. After Professor Flitwick had investigated the matter by speaking with all four witches involved, Cho found herself in detention for a month while Marietta merely lost house points for initial poor judgement.

News that Harry would be spending his summer hopping around the world, along with his invited friends, was soon common knowledge. Parvati would obviously tell her best friend, and Lavender would obviously tell the entire castle. That Miss Hobson was also rumoured to be attending at some point over the summer saw Harry face an almost constant barrage of witches and wizards wrangling for invites. Spending some of the summer with the Weasley twins or Roger Davies might be appealing but, by and large, Harry was really glad he'd locked the numbers where they were.

Ravenclaw house had soon buckled back down to studying after the holiday, though Penny almost unintentionally started a riot. Percy had OWL's this year and, citing the poor teaching on offer at Hogwarts, had asked his elder brother for some defence tuition for him and his girlfriend. Penny getting extra defence tuition, from the same teacher the first years raved about, saw Bill Weasley inundated with requests to join these classes.

This saw Bill approach Minerva about the possibility of running an OWL revision defence class on a Sunday afternoon, only to be asked if he could do the same for NEWT level students on a Saturday too! Bill had to get back to Gringotts about that.

Barchoke was looking for a favour from Minerva, so was delighted to have this carrot to dangle in front of her. There was also the added bonus of even more Gringotts influence inside Hogwarts castle to be considered, something that would surely get right up Dumbledore's crooked nose.

Since the favour Barchoke requested was permitted under Hogwarts rules, providing the proper forms were completed, Minerva was delighted to comply. The notices of extra OWL and NEWT defence tuition would be posted in the common rooms before the end of the day, she expected there would be a large uptake. Minerva couldn't remember when things had run this well inside Hogwarts, nor when the students had gotten a better education. The goblin influences in history, potions and defence were certainly having a positive effect on the castle, even the Weasley twins were often observed studying that wonderful potions book Master Pitslay provided.

-oOoOo-

The Minister of Magic could hardly contain his excitement while waiting on the department head he'd just summoned. Cornelius had been lying in the bath last night when his eureka moment struck, and he didn't even wet the floor. The ministry needed a way to officially contact the goblins, a way that he would be able to justify to the Wizengamot - and he may just have found it.

He, Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic, solving problems - this was exhilarating! Why did he ever listen to people like Malfoy or Dumbledore in the first place?

A knock at the door brought the man he wanted to talk with into his office. "Come in, Arthur, take a seat. There is something I'd like to run past you, though I must emphasise this needs to remain top secret at the moment."

Arthur Weasley could only nod in agreement, having no idea what Fudge was up to.

"The whole Crouch / Black matter was only solved by the goblins passing messages onto Amelia's niece through young Harry. I think we would both agree that's a pretty unsatisfactory method of communication between governments. What I'm proposing will see your department abolished..."

Arthur's heart sank at that, how was he supposed to go home and tell his little girl she couldn't go to Hogwarts now...

"...and replaced with one which handles all our liaisons with both the muggles and the goblins. I have you earmarked to head this new department, but only if we can pull this off."

Arthur felt as if he was on an out of control broom. He'd just corkscrewed to the depths of despair before racing to the dizzy heights of a possible promotion, of course there had to be a catch. "Minister, I could hardly be considered a goblin expert."

"You know as much about goblins as I do, but you have an amazing resource at your disposal that I don't. Your eldest son not only works for Gringotts, he's a personal tutor of Harry's at Hogwarts."

"Minister, my son takes his work for the goblins very seriously. The chances of him passing on any information are nil."

"Very admirable of him Arthur, and exactly what we're after. The ministry aren't looking for goblin secrets to be exposed, rather that a dialog between us can hopefully be established. Both of us know how difficult this could be to get past the Wizengamot, it would be political suicide if the goblins weren't on board first. I need your son to pass this general idea to the goblins and discover what they think about it. Unless we get positive feedback, this conversation never happened and the matter ends here."

Having Bill sound the goblins out on this idea was something Arthur approved of, he also understood the minister's stance on saying nothing just now. To push this through the Wizengamot, only for the goblins to then reject it, would end the careers of everyone involved in this new measure.

"I hope we can count on your son's discretion to act as a go-between, the ministry and the goblins need to agree on this deal before we go anywhere near the chamber with new legislation. This could be potentially a massive step for both leaderships. Well, what do you think Arthur?"

The more Arthur thought about it, the more excited he became. "I think it's a brilliant idea, minister."

"I would like to have at least the framework in place by summer. If we can invite Centurion Crow to the Ministry Summer Ball, the Wizengamot would then face public pressured to vote in favour of these new measures."

Arthur left the minister's office with his head spinning, not least because it was Cornelius Fudge who'd come up with this idea. He needed to contact Bill at once.

-oOoOo-

Hermione was a bundle of nerves this morning, she didn't know what was going to happen - and that always worried her. It wasn't as if Hermione was an expert on Valentine's Day, she'd never received a card in her life. She was hoping for one today though, but understood that Harry being a goblin might scupper that actually happening. Hermione would certainly not stoop to dropping any hints.

Having Harry at her side for the day was more than enough for Hermione, but she knew every witch in the castle would be casting their eyes in her direction today. She had of course gotten Harry a card, but even that presented a dilemma. What if she gave him the card and he hadn't gotten one for her? It wouldn't be much of a Valentine's Day if Harry spent it berating himself for not getting her a card.

Harry solved all her problems the moment they met.

Giving Hermione a hug, followed by a kiss on the cheek was a good start. "Happy Valentine's Day, Hermione. Would you do me the honour of spending the evening with me?"

This left Hermione a very relieved but now puzzled witch. "Don't I spend every evening with you?"

"Ah, but not like this." Harry's mischievous smile would melt hearts of stone. "So, do we have a date?"

The use of the d-word had Hermione's head in a spin, she quickly agreed to anything before they headed off to exercise.

Hermione handed Harry his card before they went down to breakfast, and emulated his hug / kiss combination from earlier. It was only when she stepped back that Hermione noticed the beautiful yellow rose that was now pinned to her robes.

"How...when..."

"Magic, Hermione, simply magic."

Hermione sat at breakfast with her rose pinned to her robes and a permanent smile on her lips, much to the indignation of Padma. "How can you sit there grinning like an idiot with that happening beside you?"

Glancing to her other side revealed a long line of owls delivering cards and presents to Harry, causing Hermione to shrug her shoulders. "I've already given Harry my card, and he's taking me on a date tonight."

"DATE?"

Padma could have bitten her tongue off for saying that too loud, but Hermione didn't seem to mind. She just nodded her head in conformation while her smile got wider. This would be enough to start tongues wagging, and that information would be all over the castle by the time breakfast finished.

On Hermione's other side, Harry was amassing quite the collection of cards and chocolates.

"Someone's very popular today, looks like Honeydukes has been cleaned out."

"Help yourself, Roger, I'm not really a fan of chocolate. Why don't you start passing them around the table, let everyone enjoy them."

This proved to be a popular decision as many hands made light work of Harry's haul. Padma had helped herself to a couple of chocolate frogs when a warning look from the boy they were sent to saw the amphibian modelled confectionary disappear into her bag. The warning bell rang and it was time to head to potions, Harry's glance led Padma to believe they might be testing chocolate today.

They were less than halfway through their potions lesson when the class was interrupted by a delegation, McGonagall, Flitwick and Dumbledore all appeared concerned. It was Filius who took the lead. "Excuse this intrusion, Master Pitslay, we needed to check on your students. Ravenclaws all over the castle have been acting peculiar, our first years though seem curiously unaffected."

"Could I have a bit more detail than 'peculiar', Master Flitwick, it doesn't give us much to go on."

Filius knew what reaction this news would bring, he still needed to say it though. "It would seem a number of my house have been affected by potions, potions that affect their emotions. We suspected some of the chocolates Centurion Crow received may have been tainted, but the entire first year uninfected would appear to dispute that. Almost all the first years were seen to help themselves to the free sweets..."

Filius stopped because Padma placed her chocolate frogs on the bench, closely followed by Mandy, Morag, Terry, Michael and Anthony doing the same with their hoards of free chocolate. Hermione felt she needed to justify her lack of confectionary. "My parents are dentists, we don't eat chocolate in our house." She didn't want to admit there were other things running through her mind while everyone else was helping themselves, namely her 'date' with Harry.

Mandy 'broke' next. "I saw Harry give Padma a warning look, she then put her chocolate in her bag. That was good enough for me so I did the same, and then told Morag."

The little Scot quickly volunteered that she'd passed the exact same advice onto the boys, though no one else was willing to take notice of her concerns.

Terry spoke for all the first years. "If Harry's being cautious about something, that's good enough for me. I could always eat them later."

This left Minerva to ask the question Harry had known would be coming from the moment they entered the potions class. "If you suspected something, Mr Crow, why didn't you say so?"

"This morning I received fourteen separate gifts of sweets, the odds of at least one of them being tampered with were good. What was I supposed to do, professor? You witnessed what happened over the betrothal refusal, don't you think it would have been worse if I started having the gifts tested to see if I wasn't being slipped a potion? Duels have been fought over far less insulting behaviour than that. The staff must have seen all those deliveries, did it occur to any of you to check there was nothing harmful amongst it?"

None of the three could answer that, though Dumbledore of course had something to say. "If you suspected in the least, you should not have let your housemates eat tainted chocolates. Supposing there was poison in some of those sweets?"

"I assume there are wards in place to prevent that? It is after all your job to keep us safe, not mine. You were in the hall and did nothing, do not come in here blaming me for your mistakes. I also assume the DMLE has been contacted?"

Dumbledore was once more on the defensive. "For a school prank, don't be ridiculous. When the people who did this are found, they shall be punished with detentions and lost house points."

This led Harry to shake his head in disappointment. "Master Pitslay, what is the penalty for even attempting to poison a goblin with a love potion?"

"Beheading!" it was an enraged potions master who provided even more information. "No one has ever been stupid enough to attempt poisoning a centurion with that filth, I would imagine their punishment would be even more severe."

Minerva had her hand protectively at her throat. "How do you get more severe than having your head removed?"

It was Harry who gave her the answer. "It depends who or what is doing the removing. A goblin blade would be clean and quick, a dragon might decide to chew on you a bit first. Are you going to contact the aurors, Headmaster, or shall we do this the goblin way? Once the process of goblin justice has been started, it can't be stopped until it reaches its conclusion."

The goblin potions master was already halving all the chocolate, meticulously labelling and bottling each sample. "I will leave a set that can be examined by your own potions master, though I would expect the perpetrators of this to be easy to find. All we need look for are the witches being pursued by love-sick Ravenclaws."

"That would not necessarily be a marker of their guilt. As I mentioned before, we can't discount this being a prank."

Harry removed some cards from his bag and began writing in the corner. "These are the cards that came with the sweets. I've marked in the bottom corner what chocolate came with that card, the handwriting might match the girl who I was supposed to fall for."

It was then his head of house broke the bad news. "We think at least three separate girls were involved, there have been fights breaking out around the castle as suitors fought for their new love's attention. Classes have been canceled for the rest of the day to allow the staff to deal with the situation, Professor Snape is currently brewing flushing potions for those affected - not all of them are wizards."

Harry immediately focused on McGonagall. "Does this mean we can leave early? I think I really need to talk to my father about this."

"We plan to make an announcement at lunch, you're free after that." She then immediately turned her attention to the Headmaster, preempting his objection. "All the relevant parchment has been completed, Headmaster, and this is within my remit."

Master Pitslay handed Dumbledore a bag containing half the samples. "I would advise you to get your aurors here as soon as possible. If these samples result in a positive test, Barchoke will demand justice on those who attempted to poison his son. Students, I shall see you next week, assuming Centurion Crow is still attending Hogwarts."

The three members of the senior staff accompanied the class back to the great hall, where bewildered students were milling about, wondering just what was going on. As Dumbledore left to contact the DMLE, it was McGonagall who took to the podium. She was greeted by silence as everyone wanted to know if the rumours were true.

"Students, it would seem some amongst you took the spirit of Valentine's Day to an unacceptable level. We are currently having samples of chocolate analysed for the presence of love potions, and the headmaster is contacting the DMLE. There are some students already in the infirmary, and classes have been cancelled for the rest of the day to allow the staff to investigate this very serious matter."

Normally, any announcement about cancelled classes would be greeted by cheering, not this time. Total, stunned silence. A silence that was broken by a single voice.

"Professor, can I say something?"

Harry was standing on the Ravenclaw bench, and asking for permission to speak. Minerva gave him that permission.

"It looks like some of the sweets I was sent today may have had some form of love potions in them. Fortunately, I didn't eat any. If I had, the people who sent them would be facing goblin justice. For this crime, a guilty verdict carries a death penalty. Since this information wasn't known, and I didn't eat any of the sweets, the DMLE will deal with the incident - this time. Oh, that law also applies to friends of the goblin nation."

This was also greeted with silence as Harry sat back down. McGonagall thought there was one more thing she needed to add. "One of the most important lessons you will learn while growing up is that our actions can have consequences. This may be a prank that went horribly wrong or something more sinister, either way - there will be consequences. It's only how serious those consequences are that have still to be determined. Ingesting multiple love potions can prove fatal as they compete for dominance inside the victim's body. Thankfully, it would appear we have been spared that terrible fate this time."

Lunch appeared on the table but there didn't seem to be much appetite for it, only Ron Weasley was eating with his usual gusto. Harry took Hermione's hand and led her out the hall, pausing only to let their friends know they would see them later.

"I'm sorry Hermione, this is not the day I had planned for you. Can you grab a dress, and whatever you need to go with it? We can get ready at my place later. I need to get to my father before he explodes..."

"No problem Harry, but why the serious rush? You didn't eat any of the chocolate and are perfectly fine, or am I missing something here?"

"You know goblins only have one mate, and that mate is for life." Hermione was nodding at this but still missing the point.

"Can you imagine how a society with those beliefs would react to a potion that could cause goblins to break sacred bonds. Nothing is hated in the nation as much as these potions, except perhaps those who would use them. This is an aspect of Valentine's Day Sirius didn't mention to me."

"So you didn't know your sweets had those potions in them?"

"Hermione, only a fool would eat something when you didn't know who sent it. To then test the gift would be a great insult. I suspected they might be pranked, nothing like this though. Oh, I'd better warn you - my father can be quite scary when he's really mad. What you need to remember though is he's not mad at us."

This drew a smile from the girl. "Don't worry Harry, my mum and dad can be the same. So, where are we going tonight?"

-oOoOo-

Harry's father was currently in a meeting with the director, a meeting Ragnok appeared to be enjoying. "So Barchoke, it would appear your ploy has not only borne fruit, it's providing us with a whole orchard."

He tried to insert a note of caution. "We're still far from equals though. Placing goblins on a par with muggles is not such a step-up in the eyes of a lot of purebloods, they think muggles are little more than beasts too."

"That may be true, and probably why the minister thinks he can get this passed through the Wizengamot. If he tries for too much in the one bite, both he and his policy will be thrown out. We need to tweak this policy so that it reaches a level that I can then take to the nation, without causing a revolt. Neither side were ever going to get all they wanted, what we need here is a middle ground that we can both accept - and sell to our subjects."

Barchoke was also worried about the timescale involved here. "Negotiations like this usually take years. This will alter treaties and laws, is it feasible to even consider the timescale the minister is hinting at?"

The director couldn't help but let his grin show through. "That all depends on whether the right people can be put in position, and what form these negotiations take. I intend to suggest Weasley as the ministry representative meets directly with a member of the nation. An ambassador, if you will."

Looking at the director's grin actually widening, Barchoke had a bad feeling about this. "That sounds fine, did you have someone in mind?"

The grin had become a chuckle. "Why Ambassador Barchoke, can't you guess?"

"Director, I am already very busy..."

"I am just about to change that. Apart from the Potter account, all others will go to account managers of your choice - no more than one per manager though. I see your new duties taking up all your time for the next six years."

That number was hugely significant but Barchoke wanted to ensure he was reading the correct interpretation into this clue. "Director, why six years?"

"By then you should be able to fulfil a goblin's lifelong ambition, and hand your duties over to your son. Ambassador Lord Harry James Potter has quite the ring to it, don't you think? He would represent the nation, yet be respected in both worlds - if his father can pull this off."

Barchoke was now kneeling before his leader in respect, he had no words to say what this represented for him, and his son.

"Weasley has our curse-breaker to rely on for information about us, make sure he knows to comply with his father's wishes. You have your own son, off learning the ways of wizards. You also have Miss Granger, Friend to the Nation and an invaluable source for all things muggle. I can't think of the last time I felt so positive about the future of our nation."

The kneeling goblin finally found his voice. "Director, you have my vow that this venture will not fail due to any lack of effort or guile on my part. As you yourself said, this would see me fulfil an ambition I thought was merely an impossible dream."

"I know my friend, and it would be well deserved. Let's keep your supposed successor's identity a secret for now, we can let it slip to Weasley if the negotiations falter. I'm hoping to keep that news to ourselves, and use it to wring more concessions out them later. With the prospect of their boy-who-lived accepting his lordship, your son shall be our ace in the hole once more."

"What of my son, can I tell him? I don't like keeping secrets that concern him."

"This is not a secret, yet. Until you become Ambassador, there is no secret to keep. Once you have achieved that feat, you may of course tell your son. As he gets older, he will need different training to cope with this new role we both want for him. I am delighted you have already started his tuition with Lord Black. Between that, Hogwarts and his involvement with the Grangers, our young centurion should have a good grounding to undertake this most difficult of roles."

Barchoke could agree to that. Until the deal was done, there was no job for Harry to aim for. "What of the dark one?"

"His disposal still remains one of our nation's top priorities. We cannot put our lives on hold however, waiting on him gracing us with an appearance. You have my promise that when he does, everything we have will stand beside your son in his efforts to finish this once and for all. We want a respectful peace between our nation and all others, he will destroy peace and everyone who doesn't bow before him. The dark one must be destroyed for all our sakes."

-oOoOo-

It was a relieved Harry who discovered his father in an incredibly good mood, he almost hated spoiling it with his news. Harry also discovered just how powerful that charm of Rowena Ravenclaw's really was, Hermione blushing like a beetroot at his father's string of obscenities indicated she still understood the goblin language.

"Father! Hermione probably doesn't know what a Clabbert is, far less that it has a pustle that should be transferred to these witches."

This allowed an enraged Barchoke to regain control, that was no language to use in front of a young female. "I apologise, Hermione, I hope my son has explained why we despise these potions so much?"

"Yes sir. Had I been forced to watch Harry kissing one of those witches, I would probably have agreed with your hag comment too."

Harry tried to get his point across. "Madam Bones will deal with it, you told me yourself she was a fair-minded witch. Sirius can handle anything else that comes up over this. The whole school now knows our views on these potions, let them deal with it this time."

His father also knew the incident would give them a little more leverage in their dealings with the ministry, something like this would not remain out of the Prophet. "Very well, but there will be a condition. If this is just the actions of some silly witches, the ministry can deal with it. If we find others behind this, Gringotts may take action against those individuals. Publicly locking down the Malfoy vaults made a lot of purebloods sit up and take notice, locking down a vault would be the minimum punishment for attempting to use one of these potions on a centurion."

Knowing this was as good as he was going to get, and better than he had hoped for, Harry quickly conceded that condition. Now all he had to do was contact Sirius about their change in plans.

-oOoOo-

Hermione was sitting staring at the mirror, and wishing her mum was here. She had applied some makeup to her face in an attempted to highlight her eyes, the effect was rather panda-esque. The knock at her bedroom door saw the last person Hermione expected entering, and they were dressed as if for a date too.

"Professor Hobson, what are you doing here?"

This drew a smile from the blonde witch. "Hermione, when we're outside Hogwarts - it's Henrica. Did you really think we were going to let a couple of first years loose for an evening in London?"

"You're coming too? Oh, this is great. Do you know where we're going, Harry won't say."

"Must run in the family, his godfather would't tell me either. All I know is that it involves dinner and dancing, and we had to pop here to pick you both up. Can I help you get ready?"

Hermione was extremely grateful for the offer, and quickly accepted. She trusted Henrica not to steer her wrong.

"Too many young girls just can't wait to grow up. It's you Harry's asked on a date tonight, not someone you think you need to be." Henrica's wand left Hermione's face free of make-up, and her complexion glowing with health. "I can use a veela spell to help you though..."

Hermione watched in utter amazement as her frizz was slowly replaced by soft curls. "You have got to teach me that!"

"...and you have got to get moving, I left some nervous wizards to come and get you."

Hermione watched Harry's face light up as she entered the room, she was concentrating on that so much, the well-known voice surprised her.

"Doesn't even look at us, Neville, probably never even noticed we were here!"

"Padma, Neville - what are you doing here?"

"Well, since Mr Longbottom asked me to spend the evening with him, I said yes. Neville gave me a card and asked just after you two left."

"Oh, this is brilliant! Do you have any idea where we're going?"

Harry was right by her side. "Now Hermione, why would you want to spoil the surprise. It's time to go anyway."

The three couples caused quite a stir as they left Gringotts to head for the Leaky Cauldron. Hermione was reminding herself that the Cauldron didn't do dancing, but was still relieved to discover they were merely passing through. The limo sitting outside couldn't have been for anyone else. Harry opened the door for her as the surprises just kept coming. She found herself engulfed in some very familiar arms.

"Mum, dad, you too?" Hermione was now looking forward to her night even more.

There was barely time to bring everyone up to speed on what had been discovered at Hogwarts. Two fourth year girls had done it purely as a prank, both only wanted a kiss from the boy-who-lived on Valentine's Day. They received a week's suspension from Hogwarts, were put on probation for a year and then escorted home by aurors. Both girls were mortified at the trouble they had caused, and the trouble they were now in. A third year Slytherin had received a package from home, a package she was told to send to Harry. The aurors were currently visiting her parents.

The limo soon dropped them at their destination, the Thames Embankment, just along from the Houses of Parliament. All the ladies were delighted with their surprise, a dinner / dance cruise along the Thames.

They were soon shown to their table, a table that had a fabulous view of London by night.

Even Dan and Emma were impressed. "This is wonderful, Sirius, how did you think of it? I didn't know you were so well up on our world."

"I'm actually not, Emma, I just remembered something from many years ago. James and Lily did this one Halloween, it was getting too dangerous to go out and celebrate in our world at the time. Come to think of it, I'm sure we celebrated Harry's birth nine months later."

Sirius' attempt at embarrassing his godson failed miserably, no one minded though after witnessing the result. The expression on Harry's face was one of wonder and amazement.

"My mum and dad did this? Maybe even sat on this very boat..."

His friends and family got to see Harry with all his defences down, Emma though this was the first time she had seen this side of the lad. The mother also couldn't fail to notice that her daughter was, if anything, even closer to her best friend. When Sirius had approached them with this idea for Valentine's Day, they had both quickly agreed. Dan may think his little princess was too young to be even thinking about a 'date', the fact that he was going to see Hermione again quashed any argument before it got started.

After a lovely meal, the band had barely began playing when Harry asked Hermione to dance. Padma and Neville were soon following them onto the dance floor as Dan slipped his arm around his wife.

"I just can't get over how confident she looks, or how well they fit together. Sirius, Henrica, you've done a wonderful job in such a short space of time."

The young professor may be having to keep her veela allure as screwed down as tight as she could, but Henrica was still enjoying herself. "It's an absolute pleasure to teach such willing pupils. I sometimes help Bill with their defence lessons too. Harry is an extremely motivated young man, and his friends have a fierce determination to keep up with him. I think your daughter fears being left behind, even in the short time I've known them I feel confident in saying that will never happen."

Watching as the young couple waltzed around the dance floor, it was hard to refute that claim.

Hermione held her birthday on the astronomy tower as the most romantic event in her life, that would have to be changed. Dancing in Harry's arms on a ship sailing down the Thames on Valentine's Day was simply unbelievable. She had hoped for a card, and Harry had made her feel like a princess.

"So, do you like your surprise?"

"Oh Harry, I absolutely love it! Thank you so much."

"Well, this is just the first part of it. We're all staying at your house for the weekend, give your mum and dad a chance to see our lessons too. Curse-breaker Weasley will come to your house in the morning, and you'll need to add a certain history professor to the ward access. Professor Hobson will be there in the afternoon, I think Sirius and her are getting quite close."

Hermione's eyes now glistened with unshed tears, that these were happy tears was never in doubt. She had something that was bothering her though, and for once just blurted it out. "Why are you so good to me, Harry?"

This drew a smile and an easy answer from the boy in question. "...because you're my best friend."

That earned Harry a rather chaste peck on the lips, leaving both of them happily blushing.

Henrica was again having the unusual experience of dancing with someone and not having their full attention. At least this time she was sure it was not through lack of interest on her dance partner's part.

"Harry's fine, Sirius. If anything, it should be Dan Granger keeping his eye on them."

"I just want the night to be perfect for them. I wasn't around when he was younger and then, first thing he asks me to do when I'm back, Hermione gets jumped in the corridor."

"Sirius, please listen to me. Harry will love his godfather tomorrow, no matter what - just as you will him. That's the way these things work. A few days out of the castle will probably suit them down to the ground, given what happened in Hogwarts today. Now, I thought this was a date - or did you lure me here under false pretences?"

Sirius realised this woman deserved nothing less than his full attention. "Oh this is most certainly a date, Miss Hobson, a date I have been looking forward to."

A/N thanks for reading

26. Potent Practices

Harry Crow

Disclaimer - the only thing I own here is the iPad I used to type this, Harry Potter belongs to JKR. Since Apple are about the only people with more cash than Jo Rowling, I am available for sponsorship deals, a new iPad? - a little product placement can go a long way...

Chapter 26

Dan Granger was practically shitting himself with fright, he hardly noticed that his wife's fingers were almost touching bone as Emma gripped his arm for support. They were both standing there watching their only daughter fighting for her life, at least that's what it looked like to them.

Bill and Harry had set down some special stones that would stop any magic escaping and both parents had been excited to see the kids training - that excitement soon turned to terror. The tickling hex Hermione had used on Dan had in no way prepared the young witch's muggle parents for magical displays of this nature.

Three of them were currently attacking Harry, who strangely appeared to be holding his own. When a red beam of light managed to hit Neville and drop him to the ground, Emma's scream was loud and piercing.

This caught Hermione's attention, and Harry used the distraction to put her out the fight too. Padma didn't last long after that.

Only after Harry began reviving his downed friends did the parents recover their power of thought and speech. "What the hell was that?"

Dan's question / demand was fired off as powerfully as any curse, and targeted directly at Bill.

"Twice a week, these four take their normal defence lessons with their friends. At the weekend, I'm training Harry so he can hopefully survive a fight with Voldemort or his death eaters. The other three wanted to be part of those lessons and are plugging on gamely. Harry buying them duelling robes has enabled us to step up the severity of curses quite a bit, though all three were just hit on unprotected parts of their bodies by stunners. A stunner will put you out of a fight until someone applies the counter curse, or it will eventually wear off."

By this point they had been joined by the four kids, Emma was hugging and inspecting Hermione for damage at the same time.

"Mum, I'm fine. We do this every week, what did you think 'extra defence training' was?"

Bill wanted his lesson back on track. "Okay, where did we go wrong?"

"We weren't fighting on a flat floor, I stumbled and Harry nailed me."

"Good point Neville, we'll work on that next week. I'm sure the room could provide us with different terrains. Next?"

Hermione had her head down, "Mum's scream distracted me, that was all Harry needed."

Bill had drummed into them that they needed to be honest here, it was vital that they learned from their mistakes. Padma was certainly honest in her assessment of what happened next. "I just couldn't handle Harry on my own, and he certainly never gave me a chance to revive any of these two."

This received an understanding nod from their tutor, "Anything to add Harry?"

"They're still sticking together too much, playing safety in numbers. Neville mentioned terrain yet none of them used it. Anyone getting behind that tree would have been murder to take out."

"All good points. Remember, the best way not to be hit is not to be there. Hiding behind a solid object would certainly be high on the list too. Now, let's practice our shield drills."

There was no grumpiness or moaning as they split into two pairs, with one shielding while the other fired curses at it. They then swapped when it was their partner's turn to shield.

Bill had a very concerned father on his hands. "This looks like combat training, I don't know that I'm happy about my daughter learning this."

"As I said Dan, my remit from Gringotts is to train Harry. The other three specifically asked to be involved. I know I'm pushing them but again, that's my job here. If you want Hermione out of these lessons then there's nothing I can do about that. One thing's for sure though, you get to tell her."

While every bit as concerned as her husband, Emma wasn't certain if they should go that far. "Can you give us some idea of what level the kids are at? This is all new to us and it may not be as dangerous as it looks to the uninitiated."

That was a fair question, one that Bill had to put a bit of thought into answering. "They've been getting at least an extra six hours of defence tuition every weekend for about six months now. We're not working through textbooks or doing any written work at all. Their time is spent purely on the practical application of defence. In terms of magically duelling, I would put them ahead of my twin brothers - and they're in third year."

This shocked Emma, "They're really that far ahead?"

"In the practical side, yes. I really have to wait until they are a bit older before teaching them more powerful spells. This is more about building up their magical power levels until they get older, these shield drills help with that. None of the other first years can cast a shield, or a stunner."

This actually made sense to both parents. "Can I assume that's why you're trying to instil tactical awareness into them now? So that as they mature, they will already have that in their minds."

"To be honest, Dan, Harry's been raised to be tactically aware. It's something he does now without thinking. It will take a few years to get the others anywhere near that level but they're already far ahead of their peers."

He then stopped the drills before they started flagging, it was now time for some fun. "Okay, take five while I set up some target practice. Let's see if we can knock the reigning champion off his lofty perch."

Bill then removed what appeared at first to be a couple of dolls from his bag, only for them to grow to about five foot in height. These manikins were then animated to quickly but randomly move around the garden.

The kids held a quick rock - paper - scissors tournament to decide the order they would compete in, Padma was up first.

When Bill gave the command to start, she began unleashing curses at the pair of targets. With her three friends shouting encouragement, Padma had soon completed the task. Bill was explaining to the Grangers just what was happening here.

"These training dummies will move randomly until they receive five spell hits, they will then stop for ten seconds. They have to get both dummies stopped at the same time to complete their task. This teaches accuracy, speed of casting and also awareness. They need to know how many times they've hit each target, otherwise the first dummy could be moving before they've got the second one stopped. Well done, Padma, you just broke the two minute barrier."

This saw the delighted witch being congratulated by her friends, it was now Harry's turn.

When the call came to begin, Harry's hand was a blur as his knife seemed to appear from nowhere and began spitting out curses. Dan now understood both boys' being quite underwhelmed that day at his shooting club, a rather unusual reaction to having a gun in your hand for the first time. Compared to this though, it was no wonder the small paper targets neither excited nor grabbed Harry and Neville's attention. Dan didn't need to hear a time to know that Harry had completed the task quicker than Padma, what he did next though surprised the hell out of him.

Harry's knife disappeared as his sword was drawn. Knowing he had only a few seconds before they reanimated, Harry gave it his best effort. A web shot out of his sword and captured the two manikins, but that wasn't the end of the matter. His sword directed the webbing to the tree and the dummies were hanging suspended by webbing from one of its lower branches. Having been attempting this since Christmas, Harry gave out a loud victory whoop of delight.

This left Emma shaking her head. "...and that is why you shouldn't give a young boy who can perform magic Spider-Man comics."

His tutor though was very impressed. "That is a very effective way of putting someone out a fight, Harry. If you can hang them high enough, then anyone releasing the prisoners will also have to catch them before they hit the ground. Otherwise, they could be permanently out of the fight."

The shooter in Dan saw him coming at this from a different angle. "Why did you use your sword? It took precious seconds to swap from your knife."

A happy Harry was being congratulated by is friends. Hermione had watched him practice that spell every morning in their training, this was the first time he'd pulled it off. Dan's question made him stop and think. "I have a lot more power when I cast with my sword, but I lose some of my speed of casting."

This was roughly what Dan expected Harry's answer to be. "Your knife is a pistol while the sword is a rifle, can you cast further with your sword?"

Hermione understood at once what her father was alluding to, but none of the other wizards, witch or goblin there had a clue what Dan was talking about. "A rifle is a much bigger gun than the pistols you and Neville would have used. It not only carries a lot more power but has a far greater range. If your sword acts the same way, you could put someone down before they got close enough to use their wand on you."

Their tutor could also see the benefit of that but again needed to get his lesson back on track. "That's something that will need to wait until you're back at Hogwarts to discover, trying it here would take us outside the wards. Can I have my dummies back please? Neville is up next."

He also broke two minutes before a rather nervous Hermione was ready to go. She needed to show her parents that these lessons were a great benefit to their daughter. Her fencing lessons were improving her reflexes and her hand / eye coordination, this was reflected in her display.

Again Dan didn't need a stopwatch to know Hermione was faster than both Padma and Neville, Harry hoisting her up in the air was a big clue that this might actually be her fastest ever. He'd told that arse Dursley that any of the kids could have made mincemeat out of Dudley's gang, his daughter had just proven beyond doubt to her father that she actually could. This was a proud moment for Dan, one that made up for the terror he felt earlier. They'd just been given a demonstration of how much these lessons were helping Hermione, they would be foolish to stop them now. The fact that Dan didn't have to tell Hermione that her father was stopping these lessons played no part in his decision, or so he told himself.

-oOoOo-

Nothing had prepared Vernon for the terror he was currently feeling. Waking up to the sound of your wife screaming and the distant wail of sirens getting closer was not how he imagined his Saturday morning kicking off when going to bed last night. Then again, last night his bedroom had four walls - it currently had only three. It was hard to tell from where he and Petunia were now pressed for safety against the back wall of their bedroom, but it appeared as if the Dursleys' home had acquired a vertical mine shaft where the front garden used to be.

That same mine shaft also appeared to have swallowed the front wall of the house, thank goodness Dudley's bedroom was at the back. Their driveway was gone too, as was their car that Vernon had proudly parked there yesterday. The 'For Sale' sign with the red 'SOLD' sticker was still prominently standing in a small untouched corner of their property, its wooden post anchored into the only patch of front garden they had left. This sign though accounted for a good proportion of Vernon's terror.

Without any question, the proposed sale of their house would immediately fall into an even deeper black hole than the one currently in front of them - as would their move to a new home. There was also little doubt in Vernon's mind that their various insurance policies wouldn't cover this catastrophe, just like there would be no records of any mine shafts ever existing in this area.

The insurance companies would shrug their shoulders and put it down to an act of god, Vernon knew better. This was no act of god, more likely an act of goblins - an act that could financially ruin the Dursleys.

-oOoOo-

Emma had lunch ready but Bill found himself having to expand the Grangers' dining room table to accommodate everyone who was going to be eating there. Barchoke had arrived with Sirius and Henrica, making ten for lunch. Bill was also staying since Minerva had sent him an owl cancelling this weekend's extra defence tutorials. With eleven Ravenclaws having to spend the night in the infirmary, the Deputy Headmistress really had no other choice. This though would save Bill a trip back to Gringotts, he needed to discover what information about this incident Barchoke wanted him to pass on to his father.

The curse-breaker managed to keep his smile in place when talking with Sirius, even though the wizard now had Henrica by his side. Bill felt like cursing himself for having a clear opportunity with the beautiful witch but had pondered and deliberated with himself about making any move in that direction, it would seem Sirius wasn't suffering from the same problem.

He had to be philosophical about the situation though, the timing wasn't right for him. He'd just been handed what Bill considered to be easily the most important task of his life, only to then meet the most beautiful witch he'd ever laid eyes on. That Gringotts had then given him another task that was as equally important as the first, and concerned his family too, left Bill thinking this was probably for the best. Henrica Hobson was a witch who would demand the full attention of any prospective suitor, and he simply wasn't in a position to give that amount of attention to anyone at the moment. The next few years of his life could help redefine the future of magical Britain, what was a possible romance in comparison to that.

This outlook may have helped him deal with the current situation, it didn't stop Bill silently promising himself that next time he wouldn't hold back. The only problem he could foresee with that promise was where to find another witch like Henrica Hobson?

Barchoke had seized the chance to have lunch with Harry and his friends. This also gave him the opportunity to bring everyone up to speed with exactly what was happening, and let Curse-breaker Weasley know this information was safe to pass on to his father.

"My sources are keeping me well informed about this situation, apparently the minister exploded when he heard the news. He and Madam Bones are heading to Hogwarts today, probably another reason those extra defence lessons were cancelled." The wily goblin had no intention of mentioning that Amelia Bones had actually sent him an owl with all the pertinent information to this case. Since it was his son that was the supposed victim, Amelia had decided to treat Barchoke the same as any other parent with a child at Hogwarts. This more than anything convinced the goblin he was right to listen to Harry and let the ministry deal with the matter.

"The aurors reported that both sets of parents promised further retribution to their daughters, each of the fathers expressing their horror that these potions were so readily available. The impression given though was that they were both more worried about these potions being used on their girls. You can expect some apologies by owl soon."

Both Granger parents were delighted, not to mention relieved, that Hermione had such good friends. Anyone attempting to use these abominations on Hermione, or Padma, would find Harry and Neville standing in their way. Neither lad was likely to show anyone trying to potion the girls any mercy, Dan was positive one of Harry's razor sharp blades would be used on any wizard trying to drug Hermione.

"The Slytherin girl's parents denied sending any note or sweets, she of course had long since destroyed the incriminating parchment. The Hogwarts potion master is of the opinion this potion is well beyond the girl's brewing abilities, Master Pitslay has analysed his samples and agreed. The 'prank' potions were nothing more than infatuation strength, they would have worked well enough to have Harry here more than willing to kiss them. The other one would have seen him professing undying love and offering to run away together, not something a third year student could possibly brew, or should have access to. Gringotts are already considering action against the family, only awaiting the end of the ministry's investigation before imposing any restrictions."

There was one thing about this entire situation that bothered Emma. "We have wards on our home precisely to stop anyone sending something like that here, are you saying Hogwarts doesn't have this protection?"

It was actually Bill who answered Emma's question. "I've seen the ward scheme for this house, I needed to know what the wards would take for our lesson this morning. Along with the Patil property, it's some of Gringotts best work outside of the bank. Invisibility cloaks, animagus forms, all the same to these wards. If Hermione doesn't add your name then no witch or wizard is getting past them."

This saw Harry blushing, and even Barchoke sit with his head down, Emma had no intention of letting that continue. "I would like to thank you both for helping protect this family. The more I learn of the magical world, the more I appreciate what you've done for us."

Seeing his godson's embarrassment caused Sirius to act. "I thought you four all earned 'outstandings' for your behaviour last night. Today, we're going to be looking more into the origins of wizarding society, and where all this formal code of conduct evolved from. Even today, not knowing the accepted and proper way to conduct yourself could see you facing a duel."

This drew Barchoke back into the conversation. "Goblin society is similar in that respect. Duels are discouraged as ways of settling disputes but sometimes there is no other alternative. A formal duel now needs the director's permission before it can take place. If the challenge is more to do with greed than honour, one or both parties could lose their heads before reaching the duelling pit."

"Well, I agree with Sirius. I thought you all conducted yourselves in a manner fitting for young lords and ladies." What Dan wasn't saying was that he had to choke back his laughter when Harry asked his permission to dance with Emma. Seeing the looks he was getting from the two ladies in his life inspired him to come up with a good answer. His reply of 'only if I get to dance with your beautiful date' won Daniel Granger smiles all round, and certainly helped make his evening more enjoyable. Now they were going to spend the afternoon discovering just what their daughter and her friends were learning each weekend, both parents hoped it would be a lot less violent than this morning's lesson.

As this was not only Neville's first time at the Grangers, but first time in a muggle house too, they were having take-away and a movie tonight. Hermione didn't think Neville was ready for a trip to the cinema just yet. Sirius mentioning that today's lesson would also touch on formal courtship behaviour focused everyone's attention back on the lesson for this afternoon - just as the marauder knew it would.

-oOoOo-

The minister's attention was focused on the Hogwarts Headmaster, and Cornelius was not liking what he was hearing. "You had fights breaking out around the castle, a dozen or so students had to spend the night in the infirmary, and it was only by sheer dumb luck Hogwarts avoided fatalities. You then have the nerve to stand there and try to pass this whole incident off as 'a harmless prank'. I'm beginning to think you're spending far too much time sitting in this room and talking to a bunch of dead headmasters, Albus, rather than seeing what is really going on in your school."

"I resent that accusation..."

Cornelius wasn't for backing down and came right back at Dumbledore. "...and I resent the fact that I'm here on a Saturday, trying to sort your mess out. These students are in your care, isn't it about time you started providing some?"

"I don't need to be lectured about my responsibilities by you..."

Visions of his grand scheme to get closer to the boy-who-lived being torn apart by this incident were fuelling the minister's rage. "Then perhaps it's time you started carrying them out, or passed them on to someone who will. We all know it's only a matter of time before this appears in the press, and the lad's father is also sure to react. I need to know what you are doing about this situation, and I need to know now!"

With Albus taken aback at this never before seen version of Cornelius, Minerva provided the answer. "All three girls got an immediate one week suspension, with a year's probation to follow. We all consider Miss Bole to be a far more serious case but, like the ministry, we can neither prove nor disprove her claims that she was instructed by her parents to carry this out. As to preventing this ever happening again, wards are not my field of expertise so I wouldn't even know where to start."

Amelia offered a suggestion. "What about contacting the goblins for advice on the school's wards? As Harry will be here at least nine months of the year, they may consider lending their expertise."

This suggestion didn't sit well with the headmaster. "The parents would never stand for handing over the very security of the castle to the goblins..." Once again, Albus found himself rudely interrupted.

"You're forgetting, Albus, I'm one of those parents. I would have no concerns about the goblins updating the Hogwarts wards, I do have serious concerns about the level of protection currently provided. If things don't improve, I'm also seriously considering moving Susan elsewhere. I can assure you there will be other parents thinking the same way about their daughter's safety."

The headmaster was beginning to think he was receiving the good auror / bad auror treatment as Cornelius picked right up where Amelia left off. The only problem with that analogy was that both the minister and the head of the DMLE appeared to be auditioning for the role of bad auror, with the good one dispatched straight to the rubbish tip.

"The situation would be much worse if it was a witch who had received these potions. I understand Harry is very protective of his best friend, I hate to think what would happen if it was she who had been targeted..."

Amelia's concern was there for all to see. "That's precisely my point, Cornelius. With the current configuration of Hogwarts wards, we have no way of knowing if anyone else received potions like this. With the staff sitting back and doing nothing, unless the situation explodes right in front of them, it hardly inspires confidence."

Minerva had a confession to make, one that wasn't going to be well received. "I contacted Harry's father about this incident, and wards were mentioned. Barchoke indicated to me that the goblins wouldn't be prepared to help Hogwarts, at least not while Albus Dumbledore is headmaster."

Three of the people currently in the headmaster's office thought that wasn't too unreasonable, Albus though had a different opinion. "Even with his own son attending Hogwarts, the goblins wouldn't help? Where is this caring father I hear you talking so much about now?"

His deputy though had an answer for her boss. "Barchoke knows Hogwarts herself will protect Harry from anyone trying to slip something into his food, and we saw how well his son handled the situation where he didn't know the source of those chocolates. Barchoke also pointed out that it's our responsibility to keep the students safe, not his or Gringotts. Barchoke will take any necessary action to protect his son, that's as far as he and the goblin nation will go while Albus is headmaster. Albus has been banned from doing business with Gringotts for over a decade, they are not about to rush to his aid now."

Neither the politician or the lady of the law saw anything wrong with that argument, Albus once more disagreed. "The goblins are again interfering in wizarding affairs, this is something that needs to be brought before the Wizengamot."

The minister hit that on the head immediately, it wasn't the correct time for his solution to be aired in the chamber. "Where are they interfering? When did refusing to work with Albus Dumbledore become interfering in wizarding affairs?"

As usual, Amelia told it like she saw it. "If you were to take this to the chamber, it could start a movement to get you out of the castle. Your standing isn't exactly at its highest point at the moment, and that's before this latest screw-up hits the Prophet. The members would probably think having their family protected by goblin wards while they attended Hogwarts would be a fair trade-off to get rid of the current headmaster. A headmaster who seems to blindly lurch from one crisis to the next. Susan is the last of my family and I would certainly consider that result a fair trade to have her protected."

Albus was wondering how long his run of bad luck could continue. Every time he thought things couldn't get any worse, they promptly did. Had he known about the meeting that would be taking place that evening, Albus might have realised there was still a long way for him yet to fall.

-oOoOo-

Rita was shown into the usual office, nervous to hear how her latest journalistic efforts had been received. She liked the word 'journalistic' because that's precisely what she had been doing - conducting herself as a journalist should. She was quite proud of the parchment sitting on this goblin's desk, it was easily her best work. His first sentence though sent her hopes crashing.

"Miss Skeeter, we will not be sending this to the Prophet. Quite simply, it's much too good for them. Good doesn't do this work justice, it's nothing short of brilliant. This left me in a bit of a quandary though, what's the best way to use it. Tell me Miss Skeeter, have you ever considered writing a book?"

She was an animagus, not a metamorphmagus, but Barchoke would swear her eyes turned the shape and colour of a couple of galleons.

"I would like that very much." This could be massive for Rita. Any book featuring the information she was digging up on Dumbledore could be a bestseller, add in the boy-who-lived plus you-know-who and it would be an instant hit. She decided to see just how much this goblin wanted her work, praise didn't pay the bills. "I think we should talk about an advance on prospective book sales, a possible percentage of the profits and I insist on editorial control - I don't want my discoveries diluted down so as not to upset some powerful people."

"Miss Skeeter, I can assure you we hope to upset some powerful people. Provided you can supply proof of your claims, we will print the book as potent as you wish. On the strength of the material you've already provided, I would be quite happy to discuss an advance on the book. I am considering purchasing a printing press so that the entire project can remain top secret. The first that anyone will know of this venture is when we announce the sale of Dumbledore's unofficial warts and all biography."

The goblin could see he had what he wanted, Miss Skeeter was well and truly hooked. It was time for Barchoke to reel her in. "I think a percentage of the profits is also something we can agree on here, we both need to get more information before settling on just what that percentage should be."

She quickly agreed to that too. For a shot at becoming a best selling author, Rita would probably have agreed to anything.

Barchoke was thinking that Gringotts share of the profits from this Albus Dumbledore expose would probably pay for the printing of Professor Hobson's book on the nation too. This would certainly place a smile on the director's face. Dumbledore publicly slaughtered, the nation moved even further into the limelight and a profit being made in the process. For a goblin, it didn't get much better than that.

He made it plain to Rita that she was under no pressure to rush the rest of her research, they put an initial figure of six months on her having the first draft completed. They also discussed a possible release date, with Halloween looking favourite. September first was considered but the witch and goblin agreed that the extra two months would give them time to do it properly, that was more important to both than rushing something out to meet a deadline they'd just pulled out the air.

Rita left Gringotts with a spring in her step, life was looking good for the sacked reporter and she couldn't wait to see people eating their words. If it wasn't that the Prophet was the biggest source of free advertising, she wouldn't even give the back-stabbing bastards an interview when her book was released. That didn't mean she wasn't going to string them along though, she would soon have the Prophet begging her to come back.

-oOoOo-

Harry was unsure of his welcome as he approached the Ravenclaw table for breakfast, after returning on Monday morning - he needn't have worried. Any grumblings in the house had been quickly settled at dinner last night by three first year witches, each pointing out they had told their fellow Ravenclaws not to eat the chocolate.

They were also greeted by the sight of a contrite Cho Chang, whose apology to the group of friends felt a lot more genuine than the one she'd offered up to Hermione.

This actually confused the new arrivals. "I didn't know there were any Ravenclaws involved in sending me those chocolates?"

"There wasn't, Harry, and I didn't. I ate some of the chocolates that bitch Bole tried to slip you. I found myself skipping class and stalking that Slytherin along to transfiguration, only to jump into a fight with two fifth years and a sixth - all of whom had the same potions-fuelled idea. You can probably guess I got my arse kicked, but those flushing potions we had forced down our throat were a lot worse - to our bodies and our egos."

Harry was bemused to where Cho was going with this, as were most of their house, currently watching this while enjoying breakfast. The little second year didn't keep them waiting long.

"Lying in the infirmary gave me the time to consider my behaviour toward you, and I wasn't proud of it. I could have been one of your friends, instead I became a whining spoilt little brat - determined to claim your undivided attention. For all the trouble that I've caused, I'm really sorry."

Cho then left to get ready for her first class, leaving Penny to try and offer some form of explanation to a stunned table.

"I was one of those fifth years fighting over Bole, and I was absolutely disgusted with myself. You actually know what you're saying and doing, but have no control over those actions - or even your emotions. The potion has a total grip of you, everything you say and do is centred around pleasing the new most important person in your life. I understand where Cho is coming from, everyone in the infirmary did a lot of thinking over this. As bad as Valentine's day was, we all recognised it could have been so much worse. Had that been a boy who had slipped me the same potion, I would have done anything to please him..."

Penny was a very popular figure in Ravenclaw, and everyone felt her pain as a visible shudder of revulsion passed through her. It was also obvious most of the witches present shared in her fear of these potions, this incident had brought crashing home just how vulnerable they all were. Neither was it missed by anyone in the castle that it took Harry's insistence to have the aurors involved. The very thought of what these potions could do was bad enough, without it then being classed merely as a school prank and swept under the rug.

The story had broken in yesterday's Prophet and led to a flock of owls from concerned parents, all desperate to know their children were okay. Madam Bones announcing her intentions to bring a motion before the Wizengamot that would class these potions as liquid forms of the Imperius curse was a measure that certainly got the full backing of everyone inside the castle. The practically unanimous opinion of the students was that anyone using one of these potions deserved to have their arse flung straight into Azkaban.

Having just returned from a fabulous weekend, the quartet couldn't miss the stark contrast from the fun and laughter of Crawley to the depressing atmosphere currently inside Hogwarts. Penny was usually such a bubbly witch, a witch who took her prefect duties very seriously. All the first year Claws thought of her as a friend and confidant. Harry was discovering that these potions were loathed by witches almost as much as they were by the goblins, but it took him being attacked by these disgusting things to get something done about it. Once more, the nation was influencing the wizarding community through the boy-who-lived.

Harry also thought there was a quick and simple way to lift Penny's spirits, he would worry about the expense later. "As you now know, we goblins find these potions repulsive and consider them our unforgivables. So much so, our potion masters weren't content with just developing an antidote. They invented a preventative elixir that neutralises most of these potions' effects on you, an elixir that offers the drinker months of protection. A victim would still know someone had slipped them a love potion - and even who the chemical attraction is keyed to, but you'd remain in control. More importantly, you'd still have enough control to fight back or seek help. I'll contact my father and ask if Master Pitslay can bring some on Friday. One dose should protect you until at least the summer holidays.

The tears welling in Penny's eyes were in stark contrast to the smile breaking out on her face.

"You would have to drink the elixir in front of Master Pitslay though, we won't take the chance of this formula slipping into anyone else's hands. The last thing we need is for these brewers to develop a potion that can get around our elixir's defences. Marietta, could you tell Cho the offer is open to her too?"

Harry quickly indicated to his friends that he intended to have them protected as well, getting broad smiles from Hermione and Padma. Hermione's bracelet provided some protection but the elixir was better. A nod to Lisa, Morag and Mandy was greeted with wide smiles too. Offering the elixir to Parvati, Hannah and Susan was also something Harry would do before the morning was out.

The Prophet being delivered then drew everyone's attention to the newspaper. As expected, the follow-up to the potions incident was front page news. The ministry were reluctantly forced to admit there was nothing they could do, except pursue the suppliers of these vile potions. A statement from Gringotts was more forthcoming. They pointed out that, while they understood that the ministry needed evidence to prosecute, Gringotts were under no such obligation when it came to deciding who they were willing to conduct business with. There was no question that a member of the Bole family had attempted to attack a centurion, by use of an illegal potion to ensnare him. This was more than enough for the bank to withdraw all services to the Bole family, and demand a settlement of all outstanding loans and debts.

There was absolutely no sympathy for the Bole family at the Ravenclaw table, and not much in the rest of the castle either. Miss Bole would convince her parents she needed transferring out of Hogwarts before the end of her week's suspension, an action that again lifted the spirits of those inside the castle.

The Weasley twins also had a plan, or rather a prank, to lift Hogwarts spirits. As a side issue, it also gave their headmaster a chance to experience first-hand what it was like to be controlled by a potion. Fred and George had also been present when Dumbledore had fought against the involvement of the aurors, both were certain he wouldn't call them for this. Working with Master Pitslay had seen their potions ability advance by leaps and bounds, and finally the once untouchable Albus Dumbledore was now within their grasp.

A hush settled over the hall as Dumbledore climbed onto the staff table and started cavorting about on his knuckles and toes, his chimpanzee noises were clearly audible. McGonagall lifted her plate off the table and onto her lap, still eating her breakfast while sitting back and watching the show. This set the tone of response from the rest of the professors and her approach to the situation was copied up and down the staff table.

Henrica had just returned that morning with the four first years and this impromptu entertainment was topping off a wonderful weekend. She could easily imagine Sirius, Barchoke and Master Pitslay sitting around the memory she was going to be sending and pissing themselves laughing, as some unknown individuals made a monkey out of Dumbledore.

A/N thanks for reading

27. The Wolf amongst the Sheep

Harry Crow

Disclaimer - with Christmas fast approaching, I have once more asked Santa for ownership of the Harry Potter empire. Since I'm more likely to get a jumper that would make one knitted by Molly Weasley look cool, I'm legally obliged to state here that Harry Potter still isn't mine.

Chapter 27

It was an impassioned Amelia Bones who presented her case to the assembled Wizengamot, this really was something very close to her heart. Attempting to change centuries of accepted abuse was never going to be easy though. When the first protest came, it was from an unexpected quarter. Amelia had counted on the backing of all the witches in the Wizengamot, apparently she was wrong to make that assumption. Oh how she hated that hem, hem, and the false, high pitched little-girl voice that wasn't fooling anyone. Apart from clearly failing the long, slim part of the criteria, Dolores Umbridge was pure barracuda.

"I am having difficulty understanding Madam Bones' concern over this matter. Didn't I read in the Prophet the other week that, due to her association with this Crow creature, her niece was now taking some goblin concoction that supposedly protected the girl from unscrupulous wizards?"

Delores' smile never reached her eyes. Here was the fabled wicked witch who would attempt to ensnare children into her gingerbread house, only to cook their bones in her cauldron. A false sweet and innocent facade hiding the real evil behind, but not fooling those who knew what Delores really was. She smilingly twisted the proverbial dagger her question had just thrust into the heart of Amelia's proposal. "One is then left to wonder about the motive behind this motion. Could it be to bring further publicity to what is nothing more than a very minor matter? Thus allowing her goblin friends to make even more gold from selling this protection myth to frightened fathers of young witches."

Amelia was livid. Her years spent as an auror had taught her not to waste time and energy by fighting against that anger, but to use that very same anger to aid her in battle. There was no doubt Amelia was now embroiled in a battle, a battle she intended to win. Umbridge was not only going down, Amelia was going to bury her for getting personal and introducing Susan into the argument. Wizengamot chamber decorum now allowed Amelia to get personal in her rebuffing of this bitch's argument, the head of the DMLE intended to take full advantage of that.

"Although Susan is my niece, I have raised her since she was a toddler as both her parents were murdered by death eaters. I look on Susan as my daughter and of course want to protect her, just as any parent would. It is perfectly understandable that Madam Umbridge doesn't have the maternal experience to comprehend this emotion."

Amelia had a lot more to say, taking Dolores' deliberately misconstrued supposition apart a piece at a time. "She is also badly misinformed about the goblin elixir that now protects my niece's virtue and honour. At no point did gold changed hands between myself and the goblins over this matter, nor were the other young witches currently using this elixir asked for any form of payment. Harry is one of the most honourable people I have ever met, and he just wanted his friends protected from this vile and very real threat. I for one sleep better at night knowing Susan has this protection, and such a good friend looking out for her." Stick that in your pipe and smoke it, bitch. Amelia though wasn't finished, not by a long shot. Her anger had just sparked a piece of inspiration, inspiration that might provide a method for swinging everyone behind her proposal.

Her voice may have been steady but Amelia's determination to end a perceived wrong shone through. "Before us is a motion to criminalise these potions, potions that don't just affect and control witches. For generations, stories have been smugly and almost jokingly bandied about of witches using these type of potions to 'get a wizard interested' in their charms. This behaviour has almost become socially acceptable in our society, but it is every bit as wrong as a wizard using these disgusting potions to take advantage of a witch." This bit of truth shook the chamber out of its apathy, Amelia had just made this real for them. She pressed home that advantage. "Imagine if you will, waking up beside a person you would never willingly take to bed."

Amelia's attention was currently fixed on Dolores, and not by accident. "Now, bad as that is, add in a ring or a child conceived while under the influence of these potions and you have an instant recipe for disaster."

Amelia's stare had now focused the chamber's attention onto Dolores. This was unwanted attention that saw Umbridge become red with rage, as wizard after wizard drew the conclusion Amelia had hoped for. The only way a wizard would ever end up in bed with Dolores Umbridge was under the influence of a massive amount of alcohol, or one of these potions. While waking up with a hangover beside Umbridge may be a vomit inducing scenario, at least they would have the knowledge they must have been far too drunk to have gotten up to anything. These potions were an entirely different matter.

Amelia's victory was never in doubt after that, with a discussion on a sliding scale of severity actually taking place before the vote was cast. The final ballot handed a landslide victory to the head of the DMLE, and it would now be illegal to brew, posses and especially use a love potion in Britain.

-oOoOo-

Cornelius had the delighted head of the DMLE in his office for a celebratory drink, and couldn't help but wonder why he hadn't listened to Amelia's councel more often. This decision today would certainly assist his plans to bring the goblins closer, and he was now certain Amelia would be a great team member to have on his side to help see those plans realised.

"I would like to offer my personal congratulations on your victory today, you spearheaded that brilliantly through an originally apathetic chamber. I was wondering if you would like the same challenge for a cause that I've been working on? This time though, the chamber might be downright hostile."

The minister could see he had piqued her interest, and attempted to make the offer irresistible. "What I need from you though is a promise of secrecy, until I'm ready to introduce this to the chamber. Even if you oppose the idea, which I obviously don't think you will, I must still have your promise."

Asking to have the head of the DMLE on board meant there was no way this could be something that was even slightly dodgy, and her promise of silence only lasted until the motion was introduced. "Okay, Cornelius, I'll bite. Just what are you up to?"

The minister waited until she'd actually given her word before passing on the information. "I want to shut down Arthur Weasley's department, and make him head of a new one, one that handles all our relations between the ministry, the muggles and the goblins."

As Amelia was mentally running through the ramifications of that, she held her glass out for a refill. She took a sip before coming up with questions that got right to the heart of the matter. "Weasley is an inspired choice. Old pureblood family, loves muggles and has a son who's employed by Gringotts - and also teaches Harry. I'm assuming you're using that connection to sound out the goblins about this proposal?"

"Their responses appear to be very positive, and so far they've not demanded anything that would break the deal. We've been asked to recognise an ambassador, an ambassador who would handle all their dealings with the ministry - Weasley would be our representative."

This made perfect sense to Amelia. For the ministry to accept an ambassador from the goblins would be the wizards and witches of Britain acknowledging they were a sovereign nation, a large leap up from considering them beasts. With some Wizengamot members thinking muggles and goblins were equally beneath them, Cornelius might actually have a chance of getting this through the chamber without too much of a fight. "Can you tell me anything more?"

"Barchoke's name has been put forward as their first ambassador..."

This started Amelia laughing. "Oh that is just priceless! Have you a timescale in mind?"

"I was hoping to introduce this at the end of June. A motion that changes laws and charters must sit in the chamber forty days to allow proper time for discussion, and give any opposition time to build their arguments. During those forty days I'm gambling on Harry attending the ministry summer ball, putting public pressure on those hoping to scupper the motion."

Finishing off her drink, Amelia gave Cornelius the bad news. "Harry won't be in Britain at that time, I've seen his summer plans - because I'll be joining him for part of those holidays."

It was now Cornelius' turn to finish his drink. He thought for a moment before being totally honest with his head of DMLE. "Amelia, without Harry at that ball, I don't think I can get the votes needed to pull this off. You clearly have information I don't, how can I get Harry to the ball?"

"The problem might be his guests. Harry's invited them on holiday with him, I don't know whether he'd leave those guests and return to Britain - just so he could attend a ministry ball."

The minister was basically thinking out loud now, he needed this to happen. "What if we invited his guests too? Just who are we talking about?"

"I see a couple of problems with that. The Bones, Abbots, Longbottoms and Patils shouldn't pose any political trouble, neither would Sirius Black and his date. Harry probably wouldn't even consider attending without Miss Granger, but it's her parents and Barchoke that will be the main obstacles. Can you swing a pair of muggles and a goblin attending the ministry's premier event?"

Fudge didn't get to be minister without being able to put a political spin on just about anything. "What if we gave the group their own table? Add in the Weasleys as the ministry representative, you would be there as Harry's invited guest. Do you think the Grangers and Barchoke would be accepted for the opportunity to attend the premier magical event in Europe this summer, a ball with the boy-who-lived as the guest of honour. The goblins made him a centurion for chasing a ghost out of Hogwarts, it's now the ministry's turn to honour our saviour. We could even hold it on his birthday, and come up with some kind of gift or award to show how much the Potters' sacrifice means to us. What do you think?"

"I think you have the beginnings of a great idea. Rather than trying to heap honours onto Harry, I think you may have more success if you honoured James and Lily. Yes, by all means include Harry in any award but this spreads it around, and may make the evening more palatable to everyone attending."

The minister loved that idea. "We get to honour James and Lily Potter, as well as Harry Crow. That would certainly pacify some of the more traditional families who usually attend."

Both knew what Cornelius meant by 'more traditional' but now they were left to decide what form the award would take. They still had time so decided to ask Barchoke for his opinion. Changed days indeed when a goblin was being consulted on a prestigious ministry event. Amelia hadn't actually said she was on board for this adventure, as usual, she let her actions speak for her.

-oOoOo-

Severus intended to let his actions speak for him too, or rather his inactions. Despite repeated prompting from Albus and Lucius, he wanted nothing to do with Harry Crow. Severus had no intention of going anywhere near the lad, painful things seemed to happen to those antagonists who got too close to Centurion Crow. Albus and Lucius being two prime examples.

He understood Albus' fear, it was hard not to. The headmaster ensured Severus knew the history of Tom Riddle, and Crow was so far ahead of where that future dark lord had reached at the same age it was terrifying Albus. Harry had political influence and financial power that a young Tom couldn't even dream about, and that was without taking into account the whole Hogwarts Champion and a centurion to boot. If Tom Riddle had those same advantages when he'd set foot inside the castle, Severus had not one shred of doubt Britain would now be ruled by Lord Voldemort.

Today's Prophet emphasised the casual power wielded by this eleven year old. The law had just changed because Harry Crow had been sent some potion-centred chocolates by owl. He neither ate the chocolates nor asked for the law to be changed, the ministry just tripped over itself in its haste to appease the boy.

What Severus was struggling to understand was the way Albus kept trying to pedal the same old shit in Harry's direction, after repeatedly being slapped down for that very action. What made it worse though was his repeated efforts to get Severus to join him in this fatally flawed campaign.

He wondered if Albus getting his own way, unopposed for so long, left him unable to adapt when things suddenly stopped proceeding as he intended they should. The headmaster was unquestionably a learned wizard, yet appeared to be blinkered where Harry was concerned. When his scheming didn't work, there was no plan B - just a different variation of the same shit plan that had already spectacularly failed. Even his godson, Draco, had learnt to leave Crow alone, yet Albus seemed incapable of grasping the same lesson that was blatantly obvious to a pre-teen boy. Perhaps the headmaster suffered from a simple case of arrogance, Albus Dumbledore knew better than everyone else - so therefore he must be right. It didn't really matter to Severus what it was, he still wanted no part of it.

What Severus really struggled to understand was the puzzle of why the sorting hat had placed the boy in Ravenclaw. His mother was still the brightest witch Severus had ever met in his life. While he may have called the lad's father a stuck-up arrogant bullying bastard of a git, stupid was not a term you could associate with James Potter. Harry though, while undoubtedly very bright, was easily the most Slytherin child to come through Hogwarts since Salazar opened his house to students. His godson was supposed to be a Slytherin yet Severus shuddered to think what Draco's attitude would be like with even a tenth of Harry's power and fame.

Harry on the other hand quietly went about his business, cultivating close friends and associates while destroying enemies with an efficient ruthlessness Salazar Slytherin would have been proud of. Crow ruled the first years without even trying or apparently meaning to do so, the entire year-group following him out the great hall from the Christmas Feast being the best example Severus could think of.

On the other hand, Dumbledore's popularity had slipped to a level Argus Filtch would be hard-pressed to match. That picture in the Prophet with Harry standing over a bloody Albus Dumbledore was a massive blow to his public persona. Even though the newspaper clearly stated it was Sirius Black who had knocked Albus to the floor, it was the image of Crow standing there with his sword pinning Dumbledore down everyone remembered.

Severus was certain that those blasted Weasley twins were responsible for making Albus go ape, purely due to the fact Crow and his friends had just returned to the castle that very morning. With no proof, and the headmaster's already noted attitude to pranks and potions, Minerva wouldn't even allow him to take points from her house. It was now obvious to everyone that the headmaster was losing control of the school, and wouldn't be in the castle much longer if he didn't modify his behaviour.

This presented Severus with an even greater dilemma, what to do if Albus got booted out of Hogwarts? There existed an uneasy state of detente between himself and Crow at the moment, that would swiftly switch to all out war should the lad ever discover the part one Severus Snape played in the Potters' demise. The potions master was sure being barred from Gringotts would be the least of his problems, keeping his head attached to his neck would be his number one priority. Albus wanted Severus to stay in Hogwarts but all bets would be off if there was a new headmaster in charge.

His mind was made up, if / when Dumbledore got kicked out the castle - Severus would then make his own escape. Should Crow manage to get Albus out of Hogwarts, even defeating the dark lord might not be beyond this lad's growing capabilities. After that, Magical Britain would swoon at his feet - and give him anything he asked for. Crow requesting Severus Snape's head on a stick was a distinct possibility. He needed to get said head onto the other side of the planet before that happened. The magical world might not know a lot about goblins, but asking one you'd wronged for mercy was simply a waste of breath - probably your last breath too.

-oOoOo-

Sirius was out of breath by the time he'd climbed all the way up the hills, his dragon hide boots standing up to the journey through this desolate landscape better than the rest of his attire. He could have apparated by line of sight but Sirius didn't want to make the person he was here to see any more nervous than he had to. By making his way up the hill - bloody mountain - on foot, he would have been visible for ages, and recognisable for at least the last half a mile.

He approached the lone figure carefully, making no sudden movements and keeping his empty hands in plain sight. "You're a hard person to find, hidden away in this wilderness. Well, at least I know you're still a marauder. What a prank, putting a wolf in charge of the sheep. How's it going shepherd Lupin, you look like shit!"

"At least I'm dressed for the terrain, and the weather. Who the hell picked your clothes?"

"My beautiful blonde girlfriend, it's supposed to be the latest fashion. She's a Swedish veela who's taken pity on an old dog, and my tail has never stopped wagging since. If you think I'm going to say anything other than 'yes honey' to whatever she wants, then you're crazier than you look, Moony."

The ragged and weather-beaten man replied with a sarcastic laugh. "Well I certainly considered me being crazy as one option when I saw you tripping through the heather. The old timers told me this would happen if I spent too much time up here by myself, seems they were right. Humour a crazy old werewolf and tell me how you managed to get your badly tailored arse out of Azkaban?"

"Harry and his father sprung me..."

Remus now had an angry look in his eyes, and a wand in his hand.

"Harry also sliced clean through the wand of the last wizard who drew on me, you have no idea how proud I am to say it was Albus Dumbledore he faced down - I've even got the pictures to prove it."

He could see this wasn't helping his friend understand so got serious. "Sorry Moony, I should have said Harry's adopted father. I know better than anyone James and Lily are dead, but I wasn't the secret keeper. I still blame myself for their deaths though, convincing them to swap to Peter was just stupid. Rat bastard led his master straight to them. He's still out there, Remus, but I had to promise Harry's father I wouldn't go chasing after him. I was told in no uncertain terms that Harry needs his godfather in his life, he also needs his Uncle Moony..."

"Now I know this is real, my imagination could never come up with a story half as crazy as that. Sirius, if this is your idea of some bullshit prank, I swear I'll kill you myself."

"Marauder's honour, Moony. Henrica really is a beautiful blonde Swedish veela..."

Moony sprang at Sirius and soon they were hugging like long lost brothers - which is effectively what they were.

-oOoOo-

To eleven and twelve year olds, anyone out of their teens was considered old. By that method of reckoning, Professor McGonagall was ancient. Using this same measuring scale, the small stooped witch currently standing next to their transfiguration professor must be Methuselah's mother.

It was Neville who provided the witch's identity to his three friends as they took their usual seats in transfiguration. "That's Griselda Marchbanks, she's a friend of my gran's. She is also head of the wizarding examination board, I wonder what she's doing here? OWL's and NEWT's don't start for nearly five weeks, and we're only first year."

This caused Hermione to stop as if she'd been pole axed, earning concerned glances from her friends. "I can't believe exams are just over four weeks away, and I forgot all about them. I haven't even started revising..."

Her panic attack would need to wait until later as McGonagall now demanded her class' full attention. "Good morning class. As you have already noticed, we have a visitor with us this morning. Madam Marchbanks has been testing Hogwarts students since the headmaster sat his NEWT's, I've asked her here today in the hope of gaining her expert opinion on this class. I want this to be a class exercise so today we will all be working on transfiguring the same type of item."

Minerva's wand soon had trays containing teapots landing at the end of each bench, her students knew what to do with them.

If it was anyone else other than Minerva McGonagall asking for this favour, Griselda would have rather impolitely told them to get stuffed. She figured Minnie had discovered a transfiguration prodigy, why else would she be handing out teapots to a group of first years. Griselda couldn't quite remember whether the teapot to turtle transfiguration was the end of second year, or the beginning of third, it certainly wasn't taught in first.

The ancient witch needed her cane to keep from falling over as student after student completed the transfiguration. That wasn't what made Griselda's head spin though, they were using neither a recognised spell nor wand movements. Minerva soon had a chair configured for her guest before turning back to her class. "Very well done. Now, as a treat, I want you spending the rest of the lesson using your imagination to see what else you can transfigure that teapot into. Madam Marchbanks and I will be observing, and I better not see anything dangerous on your bench."

Minerva conjured a chair for herself and a small table between them. No sooner was the table solid than a tea service appeared on it. The professor poured tea for both of them, since Griselda couldn't take her eyes off the first years.

"I know exactly how you feel, this breaks the rules of magic we apparently only thought existed. I couldn't tell you about it before, you wouldn't have believed me anyway. This is one of those things you really need to see for yourself."

With her hand shaking more than usual, Griselda reached for her tea. "Minnie, I'm looking at it, and I still don't believe it. Now, before my old heart gives up in shock, I want you to tell me exactly what we're witnessing here."

She was listening to a tale of goblin transfiguration while watching a menagerie of small animals run, scurry and hop around the benches.

"...so now I have a class that are so far ahead of their peers, I have no idea how to proceed into second year. They don't learn spells and there are no books to deal with a situation like this. As a written test, I required an essay on the difficulties of transfiguring inanimate material into a living creature. The essays were astonishing. They didn't waste reams of parchment giving me the wrong spells or back to front wand movements, every single one of them got the fact that it was all about concentration - and their ability to properly imagine the creature they were aiming for."

Madam Griselda Marchbanks didn't become the head of the exam board because she was stupid, the old witch caught on at once. "Strip away the spell and wand movements, that's all there is left."

"Exactly! This leaves a very big problem though. This is easily the best class I have ever taught, but every single one of them will fail the current OWL and NEWT exams. They'll ace the practicals, then fail miserably at the written part - because it's information they don't need to know. I could have them conjuring items in their second year, because every session is spent with a wand in their hand."

"Do you plan on rolling this out through the school?"

"No, for a few good reasons. I'm having to learn a different way to transfigure myself, it will take a while longer to get the harder spells down. I think that's purely because I've been doing them a different way for most of my life. It's not easy to concede there's a better way to do something that you're a certified master of, I can't ignore what's right in front of me though. There are students in this class who would struggle with traditional methods, you can see for yourself how quickly they're picking this up."

Griselda found it impossible to refute what was right in front of her eyes. Minerva though wasn't finished.

"I'm hoping you can help me with the other reason. If the exams can't be changed, I'm going to have to spend the next six years teaching this class spells they will never use. On those headings, I won't teach September's new first year this method."

This drew a sharp response from her friend. "You have to continue teaching this method, I've never seen children this young so comfortable with their magic. I'll bring the rest of the examiners in to observe this class when we're here in June, I won't say a word to them beforehand. If we changed the exam to, say seventy five percent practical, with the rest made up of a few essay questions, that should be acceptable. We could even raise the threshold of transfiguration we expect them to be able to accomplish. Otherwise, this lot will be at Ordinary Wizarding Level by the end of their third year. I take it some of the class are even more accomplished than what we're seeing here?"

With a smile, Minerva levitated a large block of wood in Harry's direction. She'd hoped Griselda would ask that question. "Centurion Crow, would you please show Madam Marchbanks what this method of transfiguration is capable of?"

It took a moment of thought before Harry decided what he wanted to do. The block of wood became a young lion cub, before being transfigured into a magnificent golden eagle. If there was any doubt what Harry was attempting, it ended when the eagle became a badger. A large silver serpent drew some gasps, before a baby dragon changed those gasps to shrieks.

Hermione heard Harry telling the dragon to behave itself and asked if it was safe to touch. Being told to keep talking to it and scratch behind its ears saw her do just that.

The deputy headmaster of Hogwarts and the head of the wizarding exam board were just as enthralled as the rest of the class. Watching in disbelief as the young muggle born witch scratched a baby dragon while talking to it in gobbledygook.

Minerva finally found her voice. "I understood the house emblems, Centurion Crow, but why the baby dragon?"

"The symbol of Gringotts professor. I may have been sorted into Ravenclaw but I'm still a goblin."

Hermione removed her hand and, when no one else appeared interested in emulating her feat, Harry returned the dragon to the block of wood he started with.

The bell signalled the end to the quickest lesson Griselda could ever remember, the time had appeared to fly past. She watched as student after student transfigured their creation back to the original teapot, and placed it on the end of their bench as they left. There were no bags to pack, no books or parchment to put away. Stow their wands and leave, that was all they had to do.

Excitement buzzed around the ancient witch's body. She casually told the tale of being Albus Dumbledore's examiner for his NEWT's, what she didn't often mention was that those exams were still the same ones sat by today's young witches and wizards. Do the same shit for over a century and it was hard to get excited about it. Here was something new, so new it practically blew her mind.

"Minerva, you have to continue this. They've four years yet before they sit OWL's, that gives us plenty of time to bring in a new exam. If Hogwarts has another four years worth of students, trained in this method, following on behind - the ministry will be forced to change the exam."

The professor could see the sense in that argument. It was one she wouldn't have considered though without Griselda's backing.

"I want you to keep me informed of their progress, this class will be our test group and I want them closely monitored. Gauging their abilities will be necessary for setting the exam criterion. If as I suspect, the transfiguration they perform in that exam is of a far higher standard than currently required for OWL's, publicising that should quickly kill off any opposition."

She could hardly wait to bring the rest of the examiners to see this class, it had been at least a couple of decades since Griselda had felt like that about spending the beginning of June inside Hogwarts.

-oOoOo-

They had no sooner left the classroom than Harry broached the subject that had got Hermione hot and bothered before class started. He was worried his best friend was regretting all the time they spent together, and would now want to spend that time studying for exams. What made it worse in Harry's opinion was that these were exams he was sure they would both ace.

"You seemed worried about our exams, Hermione, surely you know you'll be top in all your classes?"

"Harry, you're miles ahead in defence, potions and transfiguration. Neville has green thumbs to go with those green fingers of his and stargazer Patil here has us all beat in astronomy. I might get top in charms and history of magic, but that's hardly all my classes."

"Isn't that enough?"

It was a serious question, a question that deserved a serious answer. Although the question had come from Padma, she could see the concern in Harry's eyes. If he though for one second she was going to stop hanging around with her best friend to go on some revision crusade, he was badly mistaken. "It was more surprise at Neville mentioning exams, and me not realising how close they were. Before Hogwarts, I would have had a chart on my wall at home, with a colour-coded revision schedule all worked out, since April. We spent April hammering through our extra lessons, and getting another upgrade to our potions books. Not once did I even think of exams."

Neville was confused, not a new state for him when with his friends but one that he'd been experiencing less of late. "You say that as if it's a bad thing, Hermione."

"Oh, it's certainly not a bad thing, it was more a surprise at myself. Before Hogwarts, exams were all I had - only books were my friends. I think it just hit me how much I had changed, and I'm very happy with those changes. I'm still going to try and beat Harry to be number one student in our year, but I can live with it if he wins."

This got a chuckle out of Neville. "Well, we've certainly got enough experience of it. He beats us every weekend in defence. I know what you mean though, my gran barely lets me out of her sight at home. I've never had friends before either so Hogwarts has been unbelievable for me too."

"Well, I've enjoyed it as well. Being in a different house from my sister has allowed me to be myself, instead of everyone looking at us as if we were two half's of the same person. I know George and Fred play on that aspect a lot, but sometimes I think they are the same person. Parvati and I are very different. I need to catch her before lunch, I'll see you guys then."

As their friend headed off, a smiling Harry thought he'd changed the most. He didn't mention that though, they had far more important things to talk about with Padma gone. "Okay, now we've sorted that out, what are we going to do for the twins' birthday? We can use the room again for a party, I think we better check with McGonagall first this time."

Both agreed with that idea before Neville aired his thoughts on the real problem. "I think the way Harry handled it at Christmas was the right idea. Getting Parvati a gift as Padma's sister. I like Parvati, I just don't want her getting the wrong idea and hanging all over me because I wish her a happy birthday."

Both Harry and Hermione were in total agreement with that. Padma meant a lot to all three of them and her twin sister had to be taken into consideration. With Hogwarts help, a party for both would be easily arranged, and they had Sirius or Eargit to acquire any gifts they needed to buy.

Since Lavender would have to be invited, any plans toward a surprise birthday party died then and there. The blonde Gryffindor would have the story spread all over the castle within hours of being told, so there was no chance of her keeping it from Parvati.

-oOoOo-

With a general invite to all students of first year, Minerva couldn't find a reason to refuse their plans for a party. That she, Filius and Henrica were all invited too made it an easy decision for the deputy headmistress to reach. Usually birthday parties would be held in the celebrating student's common room. With the twins being sorted into different houses, that option was not available in this instance.

Harry and Neville made their way from the staff table, the Ravenclaw smiling while the Gryffindor searched for the courage his house was noted for. Both boys made their way to identical Asian witches, with the same task in mind.

Harry knew he was getting off lightly while Neville wished for the umpteenth time the hat had placed him in Ravenclaw with his friends.

"Padma, we know it's your birthday tomorrow and wanted to hold a party in the room. McGonagall just gave us permission..."

A shriek of delight pierced the great hall, and probably a few eardrums too! All eyes were drawn to where Parvati had Neville in what could easily be described as a headlock, while she jumped up and down in excitement.

"You made Neville tell Parvati?"

"Hey, he's the Gryffindor - I'm not brave enough for that. We're asking all of first year, we'll have our dinner there Saturday night. Some of the professors will be their too, and Sirius of course."

The young witch's eyes sparkled with moisture as she answered her friends. "That will be wonderful, and thanks for including Pav."

"No problem, her birthday is the second of May too..."

Harry thought he was getting better at cracking jokes as both Padma and Hermione began laughing. It was only when he spotted Parvati out the corner of his eye, heading at speed straight for a certain centurion, he realised the joke was on him. Harry bracing himself for the worse just saw the two girls laugh harder.

The excitement of a party swept through the great hall, infecting every house. This presented a problem for Draco, what to do? He'd kept his distance from Crow, no more antagonising but certainly no socialising either. Now he was being forced to make a decision. Tales of the great time had by those who followed Crow out the hall at Christmas had Draco wanting to attend, but his pride was in the way.

It was only thinking about the instructions his father had given that allowed Draco to circumvent his prideful obstacle. His father wanted information on Crow, so Draco could put this down as a spying mission. Of course, he would have to pretend to enjoy himself - otherwise he would stand out like a sore thumb. A spy needed to be unobtrusive and inconspicuous, Draco intended to blend right in.

Ron Weasley had no such dilemma, there would be cake, he was sort of invited - no-brainer! He would finally get to see this room Seamus and Dean raved about - there might even be some of that goblin ale that was supposedly better than butterbeer. Ron finally had something to look forward to that wasn't related to Gryffindor playing Quidditch.

Albus watched on, a mere observer as the castle slipped a little further from his grasp. His opinion was neither sought, nor did he think it would be listened to. For Albus Dumbledore, being ignored was a new experience - and not in any way a pleasant one.

A/N thanks for reading

A/N 2 I have been incredibly busy lately, so much so that I haven't one word written of the next chapter. Hope to maintain my weekly posting schedule but it may slip by a day or two.

28. Questions and Answers

Harry Crow

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters and my writing certainly couldn't be considered canon. If my efforts don't fit your idea of what a Harry Potter story should be, I can only offer my apologies and a suggestion. Writing your own really is the only way to ensure the story progresses exactly the way you want it to, it also gives the rest of us something to read.

Chapter 28

Sirius finished their lesson early to allow the girls plenty of time to get ready for the party, and so he could have a private talk with his godson. Padma and Hermione left chatting to Henrica about what they were going to wear tonight, Neville quickly headed in the opposite direction from that of the three witches.

The moment they were alone, Sirius gave Harry the news he'd been asked to deliver. "Your father had a visit from Amelia Bones yesterday, and wants to come to Hogwarts tomorrow to talk with you about it. He wouldn't come today because it was the girls' birthday..."

Harry could see Sirius didn't understand his father's delay so tried to explain. "We goblins don't celebrate Christmas, or any of the other days of the year that wizards and muggles use as an excuse for a day off to party. Someone's birthday though is their most important day of the year, and really should be celebrated. He wouldn't want anything to disturb what we've set up for tonight. Have you any idea what this visit from Amelia was about?"

"I got the impression that the ministry were trying to forge closer ties to the nation, and of course you were stuck right in the middle of it. I think our guess at Christmas appears to be spot on, and a certain someone might be making an appearance at the Ministry's Summer Ball."

"Just as well I've had all those extra lessons on wizarding etiquette then, thanks to Lord Black. You got a date for this ball?"

This drew a smile from his godfather, delighted that their relationship had reached the stage where they joked easily in each other's company. "Well, since I assume the most beautiful witch we both know will soon have a date, I was going to ask Henrica. What do you think the chances are she'll say yes?"

Sirius was surprised that Harry didn't have a smart answer for him, his godson actually appeared troubled about something. "You think Henrica will say no, or are you worried that Hermione might?"

The joking was gone as Harry asked him a serious question, probably one of the most serious questions it was possible to ask another person. "Sirius, how do you know when a girl is the one?"

This had Sirius back-pedalling. He was delighted beyond words that Harry trusted him enough to ask that question, and terrified beyond measure of the consequences should he muck it up. "Wow Harry, that's a biggie! Have you asked your father?"

"Goblins are different, Sirius, apparently the couple just know when they've met their life partner. My father explained it as the couple being instantly attracted to each other, growing very close in a short space of time and never wanting to be parted. Here's the problem though, I think I may be more goblin than anyone thought possible. My father's own words kinda perfectly describes how I feel about Hermione. My problem is I don't know what to do next."

"Harry, at your age that's not necessarily a bad thing..." Sirius realised he'd gotten it wrong by the anger in his godson's reply.

"I am head of a noble and ancient house, hold the rank of centurion and am champion of Hogwarts. That troll never complained about how young I was when I had to cut it down. If you can't take this seriously, I'll talk to Curse-breaker Weasley about it."

This forced Sirius to really look at the young wizard / goblin in front of him and concede his godson was correct, Harry certainly never acted eleven so perhaps it was time to stop treating him as such. "I'm sorry Harry, your question just threw me for a moment. I'm still struggling to see what your problem is here. We both know how Hermione feels about you, a knock-back is certainly not on the cards."

"Sorry, Sirius, I shouldn't be getting angry with you. Last year I told Hermione I wouldn't even think of starting anything before Voldemort was gone, neither of us have any idea how long that could be. Hermione is beautiful, smart and just wonderful to spend time with - what if she gets fed-up waiting on me and looks elsewhere? I don't think I could handle that."

"Harry, Hermione is as likely to look elsewhere as you are. Since the entire country now knows who she is, and you will in all probability be taking her to the ministry ball, I don't see how asking her to be your girlfriend could be putting her in any more danger. Just from watching you two, I know she is anything but a distraction to your training. You work harder just to please her, and she does the exact same for you. My advice would be to just ask the girl, though you get to tell Dan and Emma."

"That's pretty much what I was thinking but there is still a massive problem. You taught us about the proper courting behaviour and that would be great, except that I'm a goblin. If I followed that procedure, the press would be all over us and claiming I had chosen to live as a wizard..."

This was like a light coming on for Sirius as he finally grasped his godson's unique problem. "... and I'm assuming that there is a goblin procedure, which would lead to the opposite charge?"

Relieved that his godfather finally got it, Harry nodded. "It's like I'm boxed in and don't know what to do next. I want to tell Hermione how I feel about her but where would that leave us?"

"I think you should tell her, and explain the problem. There is a third option that you're forgetting about, though I'm sure Hermione will soon bring it to your attention." The look of longing in Harry's eyes meant Sirius couldn't leave his godson hanging a moment longer. "You're over-thinking what is basically a very simple problem, with an even simpler solution. If the magical and goblin options aren't available, surely there must be a muggle method for girls and boys to get together? Just ask Hermione to be your girlfriend, no magical or goblin courtship, nothing formalised. The only difference I can see happening between you two is that everyone would then know you were a couple."

"Do you think Hermione would be happy with that?"

"Harry, I think your young lady would be ecstatic with that. I've watched the two of you together and can clearly see this is something you've thought about. A word of advice from your godfather though, best friend to girlfriend is such a huge step. At this stage, you really need to take your time before making any further commitment."

"I'll be happy as long as Hermione agrees to become my girlfriend, anything else we'll deal with as time goes by. Since September, I've had witches coming on to me from all directions - and none of them can hold a candle to Hermione. She can make me feel happy and wanted just by holding my hand."

The smile now on Harry's face had Sirius giving himself the proverbial pat on the back, he should have known pride comes before a fall. His godson's next question brought him crashing back down to earth.

"Sirius, how do you feel about Henrica?"

Needing a moment to think about that, Sirius answered with a question of his own. "Why do I get the feeling there's more than idle curiosity behind that question?"

"As well as liking her very much, she also works for me - well the Lily Potter Foundation. When not teaching in Hogwarts, the professor will be dividing her summer holidays between working in Gringotts and coming on holiday with our group. If you are serious about each other, that's great. If not, then things could get really awkward if it all goes wrong."

Sirius was left wondering how Harry could be so insecure to be fretting over Hermione, yet mature enough to ask a question like that. Sirius hadn't even thought about the consequences Harry was mentioning, being happy at the moment just taking things a day at a time. It was though, time for total honesty with his godson. "Harry, after ten years in Azkaban, I'm not the same young wizard who went into that shit hole. Am I serious about Henrica, I honestly don't know. Could I become serious over one of the best things that's ever happened to me, that would have to be a big yes. I'm gonna take my own advice to you though and take time to work my feelings out. I honestly think if we decide this couldn't go any further, we'll both split as friends. That's really the best I can say at the moment."

His godson was smiling again so Sirius was left hoping he was two for two.

"We all like her, Sirius. I know that ever since Valentine's day, Hermione and Padma treat her more like a big sister or favourite aunt when we're not in class. I would hate for it to become awkward if you guys fell out."

"I'm pleased you approve, and there is someone else I would like you to meet. I finally tracked down my friend Moony. Remus was the Gryffindor prefect with your mum as well as being a marauder with your dad and me. I was hoping we might invite him along for part of the summer, though the lunar cycle would decide which part. He's an expert in defence too, and could help keep up your training while you're away."

This didn't get the positive response Sirius was hoping for, leading him to wonder why. "You're not bothered about his little furry problem are you?"

"Goblins can't be infected by lycanthropy, to us they are just large wolves. I know I'm physically not a goblin, I was just trying to show we don't have the same prejudice against werewolves that wizards do. It was more the defence thing that bothered me. I don't mind learning from him during the holidays, but I want to keep Curse-breaker Weasley as our main defence tutor. Our lessons are hard but he always manages to get a bit of fun in there too, he really is a brilliant teacher."

Sirius decided to quit while he was ahead. "I have no problem with that, and also have a high opinion of Bill. Now we better get out of here, and get ready for the party tonight. You and I all sorted now?"

"I think so, just talking about it out loud has helped. Thanks, Sirius."

"No problem, Harry, that's what a godfather's for."

Both felt better for their chat as they headed out the room.

-oOoOo-

Minerva was as excited as anyone, currently waiting in the corridor, when she saw a door appear out of the stone wall, just because Harry had asked it to. Filius had told her of this phenomenon as he used the room to practice fencing with Harry and Hermione. Nothing could have prepared her though for the sight that greeted everyone as they entered this very special room. For a start, the room was circular - even though they weren't currently in one of the towers. The ceiling was constructed from multiple bolts of brightly coloured silk, the rainbow of different colours all dropping from a high, centre point - and creating the impression they were now inside a marquise. The silk from the ceiling continued down the walls and only stopped at the floor, reinforcing the tent-like impression. The massive chandelier hanging from the centre of the ceiling was throwing flickering light onto all these colours and creating a wonderfully warm and welcoming atmosphere, aided by the intricately woven Indian rugs that were arrayed around the circumference of the room.

It was here that all the tables were laid out, in settings of fours and sixes. The centre of the room was left clear and only the soft music playing gave Minerva a hint of what it would be used for later. Minerva had camped in a wizarding tent with her family when she was a young girl but those, while clearly tents on the outside, were more like buildings on the inside. She couldn't remember ever seeing a stone room dressed to appear as if you were in an actual tent. This exciting illusion meant their evening was off to a flier, and they hadn't even sat down yet.

Excitement was certainly in the air, though two Gryffindor first year witches appeared to be heading for the hyper end of the scale. Padma grabbed her sister and Lavender by the arm and dragged them toward a table that seated six, being quickly joined by Hermione, Harry and Neville.

Minerva found herself sitting at a table set for four, with the other professors and Sirius, while the students gravitated toward tables with their housemates. Minerva was somewhat surprised to see Draco Malfoy in attendance tonight, there was no surprise that he, Pansy and the other two boys ended up sitting at a table for four - away from the other Slytherins.

There was a surprise though when Hermione stood up to say a few words.

"We're all here to celebrate the birthday of our friends, Padma and Parvati Patil. The plan is to have dinner, followed by dancing - until we have to leave for curfew. Let's get started by singing the traditional song. Happy Birthday to you..."

As everyone sang the song, a large birthday cake, complete with two sets of twelve candles already lit, appeared on the table the twins were sitting at. With one side dressed in Ravenclaw colours, and the other Gryffindor, the girls moved to their respective ends of the cake. When the song finished, Parvati and Padma blew their candles out to much cheering. That was also the sign for dinner to appear on all the tables, along with jugs of goblin ale.

When Hermione handed Padma her gift, the birthday witch was overcome. "Guys, I thought organising this party was my present - this is too much."

"Hey, remember our friend who thinks birthdays are the most important day of the year. I'm beginning to agree with him. Happy Birthday Padma." Hermione then handed over a present to Parvati. The Gryffindor witch tore the wrapper off to reveal a glossy magazine, the like of which she'd never seen.

"I know you liked the fashions in Harrods, and I've seen you reading Teen Witch Weekly from cover to cover. I got you a year's subscription to Vogue, it's a muggle fashion magazine."

Parvati's eyes were almost popping out her head at the full colour pictures of the latest muggle fashion. Neither she nor Lavender knew any of the people mentioned in the magazine, that didn't mean they wouldn't both be drooling over what these unknown women were wearing. Padma was also delighted with her gift, a boxed set of Jane Austen novels. She'd heard her friend say this was her favourite author, now Padma would get a chance to find out for herself.

Lavender gave both sisters make-up sets, something Parvati appreciated more than Padma. Neville had sought professional help with his gifts, he was sure Henrica wouldn't steer him wrong. Not even Parvati could equate the colourful jumper she received as a romantic gift, Padma's gold bangle though was simply beautiful - and very much appreciated by the birthday witch.

Harry had relied on Sirius for advice on this matter, giving Parvati a card with a voucher inside. The voucher stated I.O.U. One Shopping Trip, causing the Gryffindor to bounce up and down in her seat with excitement. The three friends were pleased that she'd at least manage to curb the annoying habit of emitting that ear-piercing squeal when she got really excited. With Susan and Hannah having birthdays between now and the first of September, both girls would be receiving the same voucher and they could do that shopping trip one day during the summer holidays.

Hermione and Padma would both be included, though neither needed a voucher. He was actually quite nervous watching his friend open her gift. Her eyes lighting up with delight told Harry he'd got it right, and allowed him to release the breath he'd been holding.

"Oh Harry, I absolutely love it!" Padma then began to show the table just what the 'it' in question was. She was holding a bronze dragon skin shoulder bag that was styled decidedly more feminine than Harry's version of the item. Apart from the colour and size, there was also one other prominent feature that made certain neither would ever get their bags confused with each other. This particular model had 'PADMA' spelt in blue topaz into the flap that covered over the opening. That it was also charmed bottomless and featherlight meant Padma could use it anywhere, even places that didn't know blue and bronze marked Padma as a Ravenclaw.

As the meal progressed, both witches received small gifts from all their friends. McGonagall even provided one that had all of them cheering, she extended their curfew by an hour - providing they were all led back to their dorm by an adult. As the meal finished, plates of birthday cake appeared on each table. This was the moment Harry had been dreading, though neither he nor Hermione could see any way out of it. As the music increased in volume, Neville asked Padma to dance. Being the only other male at the table, Harry understood that asking the other birthday witch to dance was the only option available. He was gracious about it though, even while everyone there knew he actually wanted to dance with Hermione.

Having danced with Padma tons of times, Harry knew at once Parvati was a different witch. They may be physically identical but neither he, Hermione nor Neville had any trouble telling them apart. Dancing with Padma would be light, jokey and a lot of fun, Parvati on the other hand was all about invading your personal space as she tried to get as close as possible. Harry managed to keep smiling and chatting, while offering not one grain of encouragement. The closing bars of the song had him returning Parvati back to her seat, where Lavender's longing looks were politely ignored as Harry headed straight for Hermione. Thankfully, Dean and Seamus came over to ask both witches to dance. Ron seemed engrossed in conducting an experiment to discover how many pieces of cake he could eat without being physically sick, they were left to hope his experiment would be a success. Watching Ron Weasley throw-up wasn't anyone's idea of entertainment.

Harry was back dancing with Hermione in his arms, and everything in the world was all right again.

Pansy was dancing with Draco while running off at the mouth. Their situation inside Hogwarts had changed so much though that the Slytherin was forced to do her complaining at a whisper - a whisper so low that only Draco could hear her. "Look at that mudblood, hanging all over him. Who does she think she is? Standing up and speaking in front of McGonagall too, I don't know how much longer I can take this. I keep writing to my father about how bad Hogwarts is becoming, he just owls back telling me to keep my head down. I hope your father is doing something about this situation?"

"If he is, then father won't tell me - and I certainly don't want to know."

Pansy almost caused them to stumble after hearing that, forcing Draco to explain a few home truths as they continued dancing. "If I get caught doing anything against Crow, I'll be barred from Gringotts. At that point, my life is practically over."

"Don't say that Draco..."

"It's true, and you would be the first thing to go. It's only the knowledge that I'll inherit when I come of age that's stopping your father cancelling our betrothal. We both know he wouldn't hesitate if my inheritance was gone. My own father would probably take action too. I would then need to marry, have a child and wait for them to come of age. With no fortune, and probably not even enough gold to put that child through Hogwarts, there won't be witches lining up to marry me. My father is far more likely to sire another heir himself, and totally disinherit me."

Pansy was almost in tears at the future Draco painted for them, knowing he had described both their parent's probable actions perfectly. Both fathers would be willing to wait the five years needed for Draco to inherit, but would instantly cut him off at the knees should that inheritance be lost for another generation. That Lucius was the one at fault here wouldn't save Draco, the Malfoy patriarch would take whatever action he deemed necessary to get the family fortune back under his control as quickly as possible. When Draco was no longer that option, he would be ruthlessly cast aside - and Pansy would find herself betrothed elsewhere.

"Now you see why I have to walk on eggshells while at Hogwarts. It will soon be summer and then we can get out of this place, let's just enjoy ourselves tonight. At least it's a good party."

Hermione was dancing with Harry so therefore it was a great party. She could tell something was bothering him though, and assumed it was what he'd been told earlier by Sirius. "Should I be getting worried here? Will blade-wielding Centurion Crow be making an appearance?"

"Oh I hope not. Malfoy is behaving himself and McGonagall's got her beady eye on Weasley, I'm not expecting any trouble tonight."

"If not tonight, then what's troubling you - or can't you say?"

"If I can't say what's on my mind to you, then I don't have any hope of getting what I want." Harry mentally took a deep breath before plunging right in. "I really like you, Hermione, but offering the official courtship that you deserve is not an option for me..."

Hermione actually finished his sentence for him, having already worked out this connotation back when Sirius taught them about courtships. "...because it would be reported as if you had chosen a wizarding future. Can I assume the goblin option is out, also for the same reason?"

"Yes, all I'm left with is asking if you would be my girlfriend..."

"YES!" Hermione followed this up by wrapping Harry in her arms and performing a quick kiss - their first kiss as boyfriend / girlfriend. This led to some cheering and whistling from those around them, forcing the now embarrassed but happy couple to retreat to their table.

Hermione was sitting close by Harry's side, their arms wrapped around each other with her head resting on his shoulder. "I don't need any more than that Harry, I'm really happy just being your girlfriend. My parents might freak out at anything more, at least until I'm a good few years older."

"It's just not the goblin way to do things so casually, Hermione, we're all about commitment and contracts..."

"Do you think I'm a casual girlfriend, Harry?"

"Absolutely not, and I would like to shout that to the world..."

"Stick to telling my mum and dad for now..."

They were interrupted by a delighted Padma, bending down and wrapping both of them in a hug. "This is such a wonderful birthday party, and now we even have another reason to celebrate. Two of my best friends finally getting together - I'm so happy for you both."

The happy couple were soon back on the floor dancing, leaving a relieved godfather with a wide smile on his face. Something his date noticed. "You knew Harry was going to ask her?"

"We spoke about it earlier. Harry wanted to offer Hermione more, but couldn't because of his circumstances. Sometimes I see Harry as a mini James, then he'll act in a way that is just so Lily. Sometimes though, Harry Crow is pure goblin and throws me totally. That lad is an enigma I need to solve to be a proper godfather figure, and your research for your book about goblins will surely help."

"Are you applying for the role of my unpaid research assistant?" Henrica had asked the question jokingly, but could see Sirius was not taking it as such. "What's the matter, Sirius?"

Deciding once more that honesty would be his best policy, Sirius spoke about what had been on his mind since this afternoon. "Your name came up in my discussion with Harry today, it felt like your brother was asking me what my intentions were toward you. You do know those four really like you?"

She was now nervous, wondering what had been said. Henrica just asked right out. "...and what did you tell your godson about your intentions toward me?"

"I told him the truth. Ten years in Azkaban has a way of changing you, in ways I'm still not comfortable with. After an incident at the Grangers over Christmas, I watched Harry and Hermione fall asleep together. They looked so content and comfortable, Emma just tucked them in and left them sleeping. I went to my room and cried myself to sleep, overcome with the sheer beauty of the scene. There hasn't been much beauty in my life, and then I met Henrica Hobson - the single most beautiful person it has ever been my pleasure to meet."

She now relaxed in Sirius' arms as they continued slowly waltzing around the room. Whatever was coming next, it was not the end of their fledgling relationship - and anything else they could work at.

"So, what I'm trying to say is that, until I can get a grip on this different person that's inhabiting my body, I don't know what else I have to offer you. I realise you may have far better offers available..." A pair of incredibly soft lips pressing against his stopped Sirius saying any more.

"So, you just talked yourself into the position of an unpaid research assistant for the summer. Your duties will include following me around and taking notes, helping collate those notes - and making sure I don't get sunburn when we lie on these promised beaches to begin writing my book. There may have been a number of applicants for the post, but yours was the only one I seriously considered. This may just be a temporary position at the moment, but who knows what awaits us in the future. We both may find ourselves with permanent contracts a few years down the line?"

This witch really took Sirius' breath away. "When I said you were a beautiful person, I wasn't just talking about looks that could stop a bludger in flight. You have a beauty that comes from inside, and shines through everything you say and do. I've watched as you helped Hermione and Padma grow more confident in themselves, and getting Neville over his shyness and crush is nothing short of miraculous. That you're then prepared to spend time building a broken-down wizard back up to what passes as normal for me, I may have to stay close to you for many, many years."

Henrica's smile now rivalled the chandelier for brightness. "One step at a time, Sirius, one step at a time."

Minerva was delighted to spot two of her prefects when they all left the room.

"Hello professor, we were wondering why the first years were out past their curfew. That's why Penny and I were looking for them."

"Ten points to Gryffindor, Mr Weasley, and ten for you too, Miss Clearwater. I like my prefects to show initiative, and I'm very pleased with you two. Now, if you will escort your charges back to their houses, Professor Flitwick and I will see to the Hufflepuffs and Slytherins."

The groups of excited first years were soon being led away, but not before both Patil sisters had thanked everyone for coming.

-oOoOo-

That Harry and Hermione had added a light kiss to their saying goodnight and morning greeting hugs was the only noticeable difference to their behaviour, now they were a dating couple. Their friends didn't react any differently either, Hermione was usually on Harry's arm as they made their way around the castle. Both Harry and Hermione felt different though, moving their relationship from best friends to a dating couple had both of them grinning like Cheshire cats.

Even spotting a sour-faced Master Sharpshard, waiting with his father and Curse-breaker Weasley, couldn't spoil their mood. Master Sharpshard tried his best though. "One lucky scratch and your father, and the director, seem to think you can take me. After your father has completed his business, you and I are going to cross blades, Crow. That fancy little knife of yours won't save your arse today."

Harry opened the room, a room that now had a private area set up in one corner. That this area had an armchair and a sofa confirmed to Harry that the room understood what he wanted, even before he knew himself.

"Father, last night Hermione agreed to become my girlfriend. Can we include her in these discussions? I don't want to have any secrets from Hermione and hate to see her worrying that I might be heading into trouble. You told me my mum and dad shared everything, that's what I've always wanted too."

Both Barchoke and Hermione were taken aback by this. His father nodded though, mentally deciding just how much to tell them both as they made their way over to the seated area.

Bill started Padma and Neville working while the large goblin master of the blade stomped up and down, doing a passable impression of a bear with a sore head.

Barchoke stared into the young witch's eyes, desperately trying to impart the seriousness of what she was about to hear. "Hermione, what we speak of here this morning is effectively government secrets. Harry knows this, and must trust you implicitly to even suggest you sit in on this. I just want to make sure you understand, knowing these secrets can be a burden - a burden that can't be shared."

"I'll be able to talk about it with Harry though, that will be more than enough. Every time I see another task in his eyes, I worry over how I'll be able to help him. Now I'll not only know, but hopefully be able to help plan too."

"She can see right through my best stoic face, father, and then worries over what I might have to do. Unless it's something the director specifically doesn't want Hermione to know, I really don't want there to be any secrets between us."

Having made his mind up, and seeing his son had already done the same, Barchoke began to tell them why he was here. "Since this situation will obviously involve Hermione, I'm going to tell you both everything. Anything else though, I'll need to get permission from the director."

All three were happy with that so Barchoke began his explanation. Harry grasped at once what effect his father becoming an ambassador could have on wizard / goblin relations and was all set to say yes to everything when his father urged caution.

"They want to make this ball an evening dedicated to honouring the family who rid our country of Voldemort, with both your parents receiving posthumous awards that will keep their memories alive. The ministry hope to have a first year wizard and witch attending Hogwarts in September, entirely funded by the James and Lily Potter scholarship fund. They intend to support two new students every year for the next decade."

Hermione's hand was currently in Harry's, she felt his grip tightening as he heard this news. Her boyfriend's response then made her even prouder of him.

"Can we get the Lily Potter foundation involved too? Give the ministry the deserved credit for coming up with the idea, just provide the gold to extend the period to twenty years. I also think we need a panel to decide what new first years get chosen, this has to go to deserving cases. The last thing we want is rich purebloods saving money by having their children's Hogwarts tuition paid."

His father agreed with all of that. "I think a representative from the ministry, Hogwarts and possibly Sirius representing us until you're old enough should do, any more members and you would get nothing done. You never asked what they intended for you?"

"I assumed some award for me to stick on a shelf. As long as there are no statues, or anything stupid like that involved, I'll be fine."

Barchoke was so proud of his son, he decided to paint the full picture for him. "Fudge reckons that you attending this ball will give him the votes he needs to pull this off. For all his faults, we believe the minister has a very good chance of achieving this. Should I become ambassador, the director would like my son to follow in my footsteps. He thinks Lord Harry James Potter, Goblin Ambassador, has a nice ring to it."

Harry so wanted to jump across the space between himself and his father, hugging him for all he was worth. Here was everything he ever wanted being made available to him. Instead of being faced with an impossible choice, he literally could have it all.

"I think Lord Harry James Potter, Assistant Goblin Ambassador, has a much nicer ring to it. I would love the chance to work with my father for many years, before he graciously retired to spend time with his grandchildren."

Hermione didn't know that this was the 'goblin dream'. To raise your family to the point where your children were ready and able to take over the reins, while you then spent your retirement telling your stories to all the grandchildren they had provided you with. What she did know though was that even the thought of this outcome made Harry and his father very happy. She supposed Barchoke standing and offering the centurion salute to his son was about as near to hugging each other as goblins got.

With the meeting now over, Barchoke had a word of warning for Harry. "Master Sharpshard has been taking a bit of a ribbing from myself and the director, he appears determined to prove your victory was a fluke. He doesn't know about your sword's abilities, and I had to promise the director a copy of this memory. I think Master Sharpshard got one over on Ragnok many years ago, and this is the director's form of payback. Just be careful, and make it quick."

Harry was reminded of the goblin saying that, even on the sunniest of days, a little rain might fall. There was no way any of them expected the torrent that was about to be unleashed.

A/N thanks for reading

A/N 2 Harry Crow is now my longest story, and this chapter fought me harder than the other 27 combined. There are parts of this I must have rewritten four times before I was satisfied with it, a very unusual occurrence for me. A big thank-you to all the readers who have given this story such tremendous support. Ask any author and they'll tell you the same thing - it really does help with the writing when you know readers are enjoying your efforts.

29. Yield Or Die!

Harry Crow

A/N a reader kindly pointed out that this chapter would put me over the one and a half million words posted on FFN milestone. Coincidentally, it should also push Harry Crow over that same milestone for number of hits. All I can say is thank you so very much for reading.

There has also been a fair number of suggestions on what I should do with Harry Crow, I would like to settle that matter here and now. Harry Crow will NOT be split into separate books for each year, rather be one large story encompassing multiple years.

I am well aware FFN is littered with unfinished and abandoned attempts at this feat, I will do my utmost to ensure Harry Crow joins the rest of my stories by having the word 'complete' tagged on to it. If I find the story becoming stale in my mind, I will write something else for a few weeks and then come back to this.

Since Harry and Co are approaching their summer holidays in this story, I think I'll be writing Harry Crow for a while yet. When it's cold, dark, wet and windy outside, writing about sunshine, beaches and bikini-clad veela's becomes a very attractive option.

Chapter 29

Harry understood at once what his father meant about ending this fight early, he would need to as Master Sharpshard certainly wasn't in training mode this morning. The object of today's lesson appeared to be showing Harry how much he still had to learn, and teaching him this lesson in as little time as possible. Without his magic, Harry doubted he would have lasted a minute.

He did have magic though, and it was time to use it. That he didn't have his knife in his hand lulled his mentor into a false sense of security, a security that was about to be trampled all over.

After Harry parried his first two attacks, Master Sharpshard then found himself standing there, not with a sword in his hand, but a bright yellow daffodil. When a web then shot from Harry's sword, the large goblin found himself suspended from the ceiling, a dozen feet off the ground.

Harry turned to see his father on the floor with laughter, his goblin stoicism shattered into a million pieces. Padma and Neville were cheering wildly at his victory but Harry didn't get to see any more as his vision was suddenly blocked by a mass of brown hair. Hermione arrived and hit like an express train, the scream of terror that she then produced was also as loud as any steam whistle.

Harry spun to see his mentor of the blade had easily sliced through his web, and was now using the cut section to swing down to the ground like Spider-Man. The goblin surprised everyone by using Harry's method of entrapment as a means of getting swiftly back into the fight. Master Sharpshard had a battle-axe in his hand and murder in his eyes, Harry barely had time to push Hermione out of the way before the goblin attacked with a ferocity his student had not faced before.

Hermione had not gone far though, and, seeing her boyfriend in terrible danger, didn't even think about her next move. Drawing her sword, she charged at the large goblin.

Master Sharpshard was not to be denied though, Hermione's attack was barely a distraction. Her blade was casually and harmlessly deflected away, before a violent kick into her midriff put her out of the fight.

Seeing Hermione flying across the room to land in a heap changed something inside Harry, the battleaxe slicing through his dragon hide tunic and cutting across his chest barely registered.

The shout of triumph died in the goblin's throat as his opponent ignored the inflicted wound, and was certainly not for stopping the fight after first blood had been drawn. Master Sharpshard now found himself facing a fully armoured and totally enraged Centurion Crow.

Any reminding Neville and Padma needed that Harry's father wasn't human was currently being provided in spades. Barchoke attacked the magical barrier that had reappeared in front of them like a wild animal - a wild animal that had a wicked dagger in its hand. He snarled, clawed, slashed and kicked to no avail though, the barrier held. Barchoke stopped as he witnessed the impossible, Hermione's bracelet began to cover her injured body in golden armour. This golden armour was still recognisable as his clan's design, but it should still be impossible. Hermione lying there unmoving after that kick to the lower ribs meant she couldn't be responsible for this, and Harry currently had his hands full.

Bill was trying everything he knew to get through the shield, and having as much success with his wand as Barchoke was with a blade. The trouble would appear to be that, as skilled and experienced as he was, his knowledge was nothing in comparison to Hogwarts. The castle was a few steps ahead of him at every turn. Noticing she was also helping her champion saw Bill lower his wand.

Master Sharpshard had never faced any opponent who was as quick or as strong as this centurion. The fact that both the blades he was now facing were also firing curses as they attacked, curses that were getting through his defences as he was forced to concentrate on not having a belly full of goblin steel, and the experienced warrior knew he was in trouble.

When the terrain started to literally alter beneath his feet, putting obstacles in his path as he was forced to back away from this golden maelstrom, the goblin knew he was in serious trouble.

The knut finally dropped when his left foot suddenly found a hole, a hole that wasn't there a second ago. This wasn't just trouble he was in - this was deep dragon shit.

When that very same hole suddenly closed, trapping his foot, the master of the blade was sure he'd fought his last fight.

Crow was fighting like a possessed demon and the goblin veteran was starting to feel the blood lost from his multiple wounds affecting him. He certainly felt the kick that lifted him right off the ground, ripping his boot apart as his foot was torn free. Landing on his back saw vines grow out the floor and start to hold him there. He didn't have time to worry about that though, an enraged centurion had a golden foot planted on his chest and a sword at his throat.

"Yield or die! I don't care which you choose, just do it quickly."

With the fight over, the barrier came down and Barchoke raced to his son. "Harry no, not like this. Hermione needs you, no one else will be able to get past her armour." Barchoke thought this was the only thing that saved the downed goblin's life, though being reminded who injured Hermione in the first place nearly saw Harry's blade driven home.

As his son headed toward Hermione, Barchoke knelt beside his long-time friend. "Tell me why I shouldn't just gut you where you lay? Maybe I won't even give you that release, my son has inflicted enough damage that you would bleed to death within an hour or so anyway. That might give you enough time to realise just how badly you've fucked-up. Even you must realise that killing him would start a war, a war our nation couldn't hope to win..."

"I would never have killed your son..."

"Once you attacked Hermione, nothing else would stop him. I'm surprised he let you live."

Barchoke let this sink in a moment before continuing, he needed to take action soon. The blood flowing from a few of the deeper wounds Harry had inflicted really would eventually kill the trapped fool.

"No one else can even find this room, yet Hogwarts opens its door for Harry - and changes the room to whatever he requires. You chose to fight the Hogwarts champion in such a room, a champion who's also a centurion, I'm surprised a bolt of lightning didn't shoot out the ceiling to fry your arse. Even that though wasn't enough stupidity for the occasion, you then commit the almost fatal error of attacking his mate! Are you really so stupid or do you just have a Dumbledore complex? You're Master Sharpshard, therefore you can't be defeated. Guess again you delusional old fool, my son just cut you to pieces and dropped you onto your back."

Harry dropped to his knees beside Hermione, his armour had vanished and his bare hand now touched the golden lattice protecting his girlfriend. Their friends were also there, and the retreating armour allowed Bill to cast some medical diagnostic charms on the young witch.

"I'm seeing a couple of cracked ribs and some soft tissue damage, nothing major though moving will be painful until we can get it treated..." Bill stopped talking when it became obvious neither of the two were listening to him, all their attention was focused on each other.

Hermione had never been hit so hard in her life, the blow had taken all the wind - and fight - out of her. As she'd lain there, struggling to get a breath, Hermione had heard the noise of battle and the screams coming from their friends. It felt as if her heart had stopped, a heart that only started beating again when Harry knelt beside her. Seeing her boyfriend caused Hermione to forget all about her injury, Harry appeared to have been fighting inside a giant blender. His tunic was no longer black, having liberal patches of red splattered all over the front.

"Don't try to get up Hermione, your injuries..."

"...are nothing compared to yours. We need to get you to a healer."

"You need to get out of that tunic, Harry, I can't close those wounds through the dragon hide."

Hermione struggled to her feet and helped Harry remove his tunic, she couldn't stop the tears though as Bill administered the wizarding equivalent of first aid. He had a cut that reached from his right shoulder diagonally stretching fully across his torso to his left hip.

Neville offered his duelling robes, since Harry was now standing there in a pair of shorts.

Having Hermione holding his hand put Harry's world back onto an even keel, and made him realise there was something he had to take care of. His honour demanded it. "Hermione, there's something I must do first, I won't be long."

The room had released its grip and Barchoke now had Master Sharpshard sitting up. Barchoke was applying essence of dittany to the deepest of his wounds when Harry came over and knelt with his head bowed.

"Master Sharpshard, I await my punishment for the disrespect I showed my mentor. I used magic to make a fool of you, and for that I deserve to be punished."

Padma had retrieved her sword and Hermione was now sheathing her blade, she heard and understood every word Harry spoke. Remembering that Harry had said goblins didn't do pranks, but would treat such a thing as an attack, Hermione realised just how big a mistake they had made. Hogwarts motto translated as 'never tickle a sleeping dragon', Harry had practically punched one on the nose. Master Sharpshard may not breathe fire but Hermione had no problem considering him every bit as dangerous as the emblem of Gringotts. She too had something that she should really do.

Kneeling beside Harry, and speaking in the goblin language, Hermione said her piece. "I too must apologise, Master Sharpshard. I had no reason to interfere with your training session, and will accept my punishment along with Harry."

"Let there be no more talk of punishment, deserved or otherwise. Crow, you fought like a demon and are a credit to the Centurion core. Miss Granger, I remember telling you that you had the heart of a goblin. Today, you proved that to be true on a few different levels. I think we should take a trip to the healers and then celebrate with some grog later. Since you are both far too young to appreciate that tipple, I will just have to drink your share too!"

The large goblin started to laugh, which quickly became a groan as Barchoke helped him to his feet.

"Crow, you now owe me a pair of boots too. I'll be sending your father the bill, it's not like you can't afford them." The laughter was again cut short as they began heading for the door.

-oOoOo-

Albus had heard from Minerva that Harry's father was going to be inside Hogwarts today, hence why he was loitering at the main entrance. Having watched their last meeting numerous times in his pensieve, he was forced to admit, only to himself, that Filius was correct in his summation of how that meeting had gone. Barchoke had come to Hogwarts in the hope they could work together, and Albus had backed him into a corner. Today, he intended to enquire if there was anyway they could sit back around the table and talk.

The headmaster didn't like using the term desperation but it was applicable here, he had been isolated from playing any part in Harry's life and was desperate for even the smallest crumb he could grasp from the current situation. Albus was prepared to allow practically any concessions in his quest to get back in the game. His problem though was Albus didn't think he had anything they wanted that could allow him to do so.

His thoughts and pacing were interrupted by the bedraggled group making their way down the stairs. Harry's father and William Weasley were supporting, more correctly carrying, the clearly injured large goblin between them. This wasn't what caught Albus' eye though, Harry and the Granger girl were clearly also injured. They were supporting each other, with young Longbottom and their Patil friend showing their concern by hovering next to them.

"What has happened here?"

"A training accident that our healers will soon remedy. We don't have time to chat, headmaster, so please excuse us." Barchoke was polite but everyone heard the steel in his tone.

Albus though was not for being brushed aside so easily, especially since here was an opportunity to earn himself some positive points. "We have a fully equipped infirmary here, and Madam Pomfrey is a highly regarded and widely experienced healer."

"While everything you say is true, you missed the part about mountain trolls paying a visit. We are heading for Gringotts, and I will owl the school should my son and Miss Granger require to remain overnight."

"You are of course perfectly entitled to take your son with you, but I must object to Miss Granger. The school would need the proper authorisation to release her into someone else's care..."

"You are correct, headmaster, though in error on whose authority is proper. The Grangers are at a distinct disadvantage because they are muggles. Since their daughter is a friend of the nation, they have trusted me to act on her behalf on matters connected with the wizarding community. Professor McGonagall has all the relevant information in Miss Granger's file."

From a perceived position of strength, Albus once more saw his argument crumble. It was desperation time again as he turned his attention to the obviously injured young witch. "Miss Granger, do your parents know what you're doing at this training, and how dangerous it can be?"

Unfortunately for Albus, it was another young witch who blew that argument to shreds.

Padma had watched helplessly while Hermione lay injured and Harry battled for his life, she'd cried buckets while holding tightly onto Neville. If that was goblin training, then Padma Patil wanted no part of it. Her two friends then bowing to the monster that had attacked them left her totally confused. That might need to be discussed later, but there was no confusion regarding just whose side she was on. Her two friends needed a healer and the headmaster was in the way, here was something she could do.

"Dan and Emma have actually watched us practicing, they know everything we do in these lessons - and so do my parents. My friends really need to get to a healer, headmaster."

As Albus stood aside, he clutched for one final straw. "Barchoke, when you return the children to Hogwarts, could I speak with you for a moment?"

Barchoke merely nodded as he led the party to the edge of the wards, Neville and Padma accompanied them that far, before racing to find Professor Hobson the instant the group portkeyed away.

-oOoOo-

The portkey landed the group in a part of Gringotts the wizarding public never got to see, that didn't mean it was empty though. Master Sharpshard was a well-known and unmistakable figure in the nation, seeing him being helped to the infirmary set tongues wagging. The gossip would reach all but the deepest recesses before the day was out.

This proved to be true in more respects than one, they had barely made the infirmary before the director appeared. Barchoke refused to leave until Harry and Hermione had been treated, only then did he accompany Ragnok back to the director's office.

-oOoOo-

Sirius was whistling a happy tune as he approached Hogwarts, the tune died on his lips as he spotted Henrica, Padma and Neville obviously waiting on him. His arm was around Henrica before the words were out his mouth. "What's happened?"

Both friends competed to tell the story.

"Harry pulled a prank on Master Sharpshard as they were duelling..."

"...he really didn't take it well and attacked Harry..."

"...the safety barrier went back up..."

"...but Hermione was outside it, since she'd ran to Harry..."

"...Harry pushed her to safety but Hermione drew her sword..."

"...Master Sharpshard didn't care, he just kicked her away..."

It was left to Neville to finish the story, Padma was still upset by that bit.

"Harry was furious, he activated his armour and really attacked Master Sharpshard. Harry ignored his own injuries and cut him badly, Harry finally kicked him to the ground and was ready to kill him. It was only the barrier coming down and his father getting over there that stopped him."

The concern was clearly evident in Padma's entire demeanour as she completed the tale. "Hermione has a few broken ribs while Harry was slashed right across his chest. If they're not coming back tonight, could you ask them to owl us that they're alright?"

Sirius immediately agreed to that, before hurrying off with Henrica to Gringotts.

Their apprehension was instantly quelled as soon as they were escorted into the goblin infirmary. Sirius thought if he could bottle the sense of relief he felt when he spotted his godson, sitting on his girlfriend's bed, then he would easily double the Black fortune. It wasn't just relief Sirius was feeling, the marauder was being swamped by a very confusing mix of emotions.

He wanted to hug his godson, holding back on the manly tears, yet at the same time he felt like shouting at him for getting into trouble. There was even a large dose of pride stirred in there too, pride that his godson had defeated the person who had dared to injure Hermione. Sirius was positive it couldn't be normal to feel all these emotions at the same time, he was worried his head might explode from this overload.

The two adults took a couple of moments to reassure themselves both Harry and Hermione were fine before Sirius asked for some answers.

"Hermione thinks I'm spending too much time with my godfather, she says I forgot goblins didn't do pranks."

While pleased to see Harry could joke about it, this was one notion Sirius wanted to knock on the head right away. "Oh, blame the poor mutt time is it, Miss Granger? I would say this was a pretty extreme reaction to a harmless prank."

Understanding that both Harry and Sirius were doing this to lighten the mood, Hermione played along. This was so much better than watching Harry throwing up in a toilet. "I wouldn't call transfiguring someone's favourite weapon into a daffodil, before hanging them from the ceiling like some demented Christmas decoration, a harmless prank. Oh, and all this while supposedly fighting a duel."

Hiding his delight at how well these two were handling the entire incident, Sirius took it further still. "Why a daffodil, Harry. I don't think you have any Welsh blood, or is it a goblin thing?"

"Well, I didn't think a jaggy thistle would be appreciated, and shamrocks are used as the main ingredient in a goblin fertility potion - handing a shamrock to a male goblin is a deadly insult. Since only Hermione gets roses from me, that left a daffodil."

This was too much for Henrica, she couldn't restrain her laughter any longer. She wasn't alone as all four of them shared a laugh, maybe it wasn't such a horrid day after all.

There was something Harry wanted to say though and here was his opportunity. "Sirius, I don't know what my father has planned, but can we visit Hermione's before returning to Hogwarts? There's something we need to tell her parents, and I'd rather not do it in a letter."

That Harry had been holding Hermione's hand since they entered the infirmary wasn't even commented on, it had long been considered normal behaviour for these two. Sirius had a helpful suggestion for his godson. "Why don't you come back to my house? Neutral surroundings might make passing on your news easier - and Dan can't kick you out of my house for dating his daughter..."

This drew a squeal of indignation from Hermione, that didn't mean she thought it was a bad idea though.

Further down the ward, a large goblin lay behind privacy screens. The potions in his body may have been healing his injuries but the laughter was healing his soul. Master Sharpshard slipped into sleep with a smile on his face.

-oOoOo-

There was a distinct lack of smiles in the director's office as they studied Barchoke's memory of this morning. "Do you think he would have done it?"

"There is not one shred of doubt in my mind, just as we both know Sharpshard would have let him - rather than yield."

"Can you honestly say that Miss Granger is his mate? They're both so young and, biologically, neither is goblin."

"Biologically, my son is not a goblin. In his head and in his heart, Harry is as goblin as you or I. We define certain acts as being 'goblin' in nature, when have you ever seen anything more goblin than Hermione drawing her blade and springing to Harry's aid? She neither hesitated nor thought about using her wand, Hermione drew her sword and charged Sharpshard. I don't know whether it was Harry, Hermione or Hogwarts who produced that shield around her, it was certainly goblin in origin."

The director couldn't argue with any of that, he was still shocked at watching Sharpshard be defeated. He didn't know there were more shocks to come, Barchoke was by no means finished.

"As his father, I can see Harry has made his decision - it is one I'm very pleased with. I'm really confused though by one of yours, why did you order Sharpshard to attack my son?"

He may have just pushed the boundaries far beyond where he'd ever ventured before but Barchoke didn't care, he needed to know just what was going on here. Their very lives could depend on it.

"I've been friends with Sharpshard longer than either of us would care to admit. The friend that I know would have laughed his arse off at that joke, not attacked a student like a berserker. I looked into his eyes as my son was preparing to run him through, what I saw there gave your game away. What was reflected in his eyes wasn't anger but pride, pride in the achievement of his student. There is only one person from whom Sharpshard would accept such an order, and they are currently in this room."

Slumping into his chair, Ragnok decided to come clean.

"I'm practically aligning the nation behind your son, I needed to know if he had the balls for what we're attempting. With Harry being so young, it was imperative we discovered just how he would react under extreme pressure. If he cracked today then we may have had to reconsider some of our options. That room certainly threw your son every advantage it possibly could, he still had to beat Sharpshard though - something I never thought I would live to see."

Barchoke was not some naive young buck, he'd expected the answer to be along these lines.

The director continued to justify his answers to this doubting father. "Fudge may need his summer ball to get this legislation through his ministry, this will certainly assist me do the same with the nation. Your centurion son defeating Master Sharpshard will be all over the bank before the end of the day, I distinctly remember predicting he could become a goblin hero. Sharpshard's orders were to provoke your son and see if he had what it took, or if he crumbled - this is beyond what I had hoped for."

Understanding he was putting his head on the chopping block didn't stop Barchoke, this needed to be said. If necessary, he was prepared to die for saying it.

"I understand, director, though I don't approve about not being consulted. After this lack of trust, I feel I have no other option but to say this. Should my son and I ever be played off against each other, I already know the choice I will make. I will use my own dagger to spill my guts all over your floor, setting my son free. I will give my all for the nation and fight side by side with my son, I will neither fight nor conspire against him."

The director tried not to let his shock show at that declaration, this was also not the time to rage and rant. His mind quickly added together the consequences of such an action, it would be nothing short of catastrophic. When a goblin took his own life in that manner, the location usually indicated at whom the act was directed. Harry was as devoted to his father as Barchoke was to him, leaving the grieving son's actions to that horrific outcome predictable. Crow had the means at his fingertips to declare himself a wizard, and the insider knowledge to seriously harm those he perceived as taking his father from him. Ragnok had to restrain himself as this was not a time for anger, rather truthful and frank discussion.

"If your suspicions about your son are correct, one day I hope we both see him bonded to Miss Granger. That marriage should see muggles, magicals and goblins in attendance, all standing there proudly - as equals. That, my friend, would be a scene worthy of depiction in the Hall of Heroes. As Director, I will do whatever I have to in my quest to make scenes like that the norm. As your Director, and I hope still your friend, I will state honestly I can't envisage any scenario where pitching you against your son would help the nation achieve that aim."

Barchoke's muscles had been tensed, expecting the swish of a blade to be the only warning he was about to lose his head. Hearing Ragnok's words allowed him to relax a little, he may still be breathing but he hadn't walked out of this office just yet. The director's next words gave him hope he might actually see Harry again.

Knowing these two were vital to his plans for the nation, Ragnok poured more soothing oil onto the choppy waters. "You have become a father and son team that is respected and revered throughout the nation, this can only help with our aims. What was Centurion Crow's reaction to our news?"

Having totally forgotten why he went to Hogwarts in the first place, Barchoke now completed his assignment. "My son was very enthusiastic, though he did suggest one change. He wishes to be Assistant Ambassador, and serve with his father..."

The director had his smile back in place after hearing that. "Exactly as I was saying, a father and son team that will reshape the country - and that suggestion has my full approval. I had always intended you to be beside your son, providing him with as much guidance as he needed. This is more than we dared hope for. The nation will see you take the lead, and the ministry will fall over themselves to accept - knowing that one day their boy-who-lived would succeed his father. Inform young Curse-breaker Weasley that the ministry deal is acceptable to us. We don't want to get too greedy at the start, it's more important that we actually get invited to the table first."

The director ordered grog to celebrate but Barchoke respectfully declined, stating he needed to get back to the infirmary.

Ragnok sat alone and sipped his drink, contemplating that age-old problem faced by every leader. Finding subordinates capable of assisting their leader with shaping the nation, without them being ambitious enough to want to overthrow that very same leadership. The director was positive that thought would never even enter Barchoke's mind. The senior accounts manager was more than capable enough, but his son could certainly never become director after him - so what was the point? The director had to concede though that he had found the proud goblin's limit, a limit it would be extremely foolish for him to exceed. Ragnok was no fool.

-oOoOo-

Eargit swooping into the great hall at dinnertime drew every pair of eyes. By the time Padma had untied the message, she was surrounded by their friends from all houses - each desperate to know how Harry and Hermione were.

"Hermione says they're fine and staying with Sirius tonight, Harry will be left without even a scar. Apparently the goblins are experts in dealing with injuries like that, though Master Sharpshard is having to spend the night in the infirmary. They should be back after breakfast, if her father doesn't kill Harry when they tell Hermione's parents they're dating. I think that last bit is meant to be a joke, it's hard to tell with those two."

The story of what had happened had soon spread throughout the castle, Padma and Neville ensuring the story was mostly true - Harry didn't want it known that his sword was magical. When everyone assumed he cast the spells using his knife, they were quite happy just to let them continue with that assumption.

"I can't believe Hermione charged that massive goblin with her sword..."

"I can't believe Harry put him in the infirmary..."

It was Neville who tried to put their friends straight. "Guys, he was attacking Harry. What did you think Hermione was going to do - just stand there and watch?"

Padma knew Hermione and Harry better than any of them, neither of her friends' reactions had surprised her in the slightest. Scared the shit out of her - yes, surprised - no.

"When Master Sharpshard hit Hermione, Harry got really angry. Trust me on this, you never want Harry really angry with you." Padma was preaching to the converted but her words reached further than she thought.

There were still witches in the castle who though the boy-who-lived was fair game. Boyfriend / girlfriend meant nothing to them, it didn't offer any protection the way a formal courtship would. Padma's words though reminded them of something, when you hunt big game, sometimes you got mauled. Caution would have to be the name of the game, with the smarter witches willing to adopt a wait and see philosophy. The hunt wasn't over until the boy-who-lived married.

Albus didn't have to wait, a certain witch headed right for him. Minerva had also received an owl and, as requested, passed a message on to the headmaster. "Barchoke will be bringing both students back tomorrow morning, and has agreed to speak to you then. What are you up to, Dumbledore?"

This was the first bit of good news he'd had in months, Albus just ignored Minerva's lack of respect and answered her truthfully. "Nothing more than a chat. Our last meeting didn't end too well, I just want to enquire if there is any way we can move on from there. Do you want to sit-in on the meeting?"

"I have classes all morning, otherwise I would."

Albus merely nodded, already knowing that fact before he made the offer. Things may finally be moving in a positive direction and Albus Dumbledore just might get himself back in the game.

-oOoOo-

Neither Dan nor Emma paid any attention to the old world elegance of the townhouse they now found themselves in, Bill had said the kids had been injured and they wouldn't settle until they saw both were fine with their own eyes.

Hermione found herself gently scooped into her mother's arms, before being passed onto her father. Harry found himself replacing Hermione in Emma's arms, a sensation he could definitely get used to.

Dan was first to recover, and demand some answers. "Hermione, you said you were going to be careful with that sword. Charging into battle with it doesn't sound like being careful to me. What the hell happened?"

"The situation got out of control incredibly fast. I just wanted to help Harry, and anyway, we're both fine."

They then faced a question from Emma, a question they both knew would be coming. "Why didn't you come home? That had us thinking there was something wrong."

It was time to face the music so Harry jumped right in. "Well, this way Dan can't throw me out the door when he hears our news. At Padma's birthday party, I asked Hermione to be my girlfriend."

"...and I said yes!"

Both parents could have easily guessed their daughter's answer, so Hermione's declaration wasn't strictly necessary. Emma's squeal of joy and her hugging both Harry and Hermione left Dan needing to be even more careful with his choice of words.

"Sirius, could you point me in the direction of somewhere I could have a quiet word with your godson?"

The marauder tried to keep a straight face. "Go right up the staircase and you will find the library on your left..." Sirius did have an excuse to laugh though as both Ravenclaws showed their true colours.

"You have a library?" Was asked in unison.

"Come with me, Harry, and we'll see if we can find it."

Hermione's quick kiss on the cheek for luck probably didn't help her dad's temper, but meant Harry followed Dan up the stairs with a smile on his face. He'd started the day off facing an enraged Master Sharpshard, compared to that, well - Dan didn't even have a weapon on him.

When Dan saw Harry's attention drawn to all the books, he had to remind himself this was not a normal young boy he was dealing with. This lad was a goblin centurion, Harry had already dispatched a troll and defeated his fencing tutor in defence of Hermione. He was hardly likely to be intimidated by her dentist father, especially since Harry didn't even know what a dentist was. Dan still intended to make his point though.

"I was led to believe you were not looking for a girlfriend, at least until a certain dark lord was no more. Can you tell me what changed? I'll tell you here and now, I think you are both far too young to be even considering becoming more than best friends."

"Hermione and I are still best friends, Dan, this was more about telling each other - and everyone else - we intend it to be more when we're older."

Hearing this was easing Dan's concerns, but he still wanted to know more. "Why now, Harry, why not wait a year or two?"

"Your daughter is beautiful, incredibly smart and so much fun to spend time with. To be perfectly honest with you, Dan, I was terrified that some other boy might sneak in and steal Hermione away. As I said to Sirius, I don't think I could handle that."

For the first time today, Dan saw a vulnerable side to Harry. He didn't think there was a snowball's chance in hell that his daughter would be interested in any other boy. Then again, from Harry's point of view, Dan could now see how he reached that decision - and there was that same snowball's chance that his daughter would say no to being his girlfriend.

Harry had more to say though, "There are things happening that will see Hermione and I front page news again. I can't say what exactly just now, but it won't be dangerous and we hope you and Emma will be there with us. Saying she's my girlfriend might divert some of the jibes that come her way from being on my arm."

"Does this mean that you're now courting? I thought that procedure meant I was supposed to be consulted first?"

"I couldn't use wizarding or goblin etiquette, that would be seen as me reaching my decision. That's why we're now boyfriend and girlfriend. Other than that, very little has changed between us."

It was a relieved father who grasped that last comment and held it close. Something else bothered him though. "We were there when Sirius explained wizarding courting behaviour, I take it the goblin version is different?"

This actually brought a blush to Harry's cheeks but he stared Dan in the eye and told him the truth. "I told you goblins only have one mate, they also apparently know when they've met their mate. My father described it as a male and a female becoming very close really quickly, and then never wanting to be apart. Because of this, they always bond within a year of meeting. If they don't, they wouldn't be considered true mates."

The implications of that hit Dan like a punch in the gut. "That would mean..."

He couldn't actually say the words, so Harry finished it for him. "...it would mean Hermione and I marrying in August - something neither of us are anywhere near ready for."

Again Dan clutched onto that last sentence. Hermione having a boyfriend at twelve suddenly didn't seem as bad when compared to becoming a bride. He also remembered what Hermione said about cultural differences between her friends, and this one was a doozy. Keeping his calm, Dan asked what he thought was a pertinent question. What he really wanted to do was rant and rave about a culture that would see children married before their teens.

"Do goblins usually find their 'mates' so young?"

"Goblins mature later than wizards, which certainly helped me at school. It would be considered 'unusual' for a goblin under sixteen to discover their mate."

He was again amazed at how the four of them were such good friends, with such wildly different backgrounds. Dan was also delighted he'd heeded Hermione's advice and not steamed right in there pushing his values at Harry, only to discover he had been jumping to conclusions.

"So, just to make sure I've got this right, you and Hermione are just a normal boyfriend and girlfriend - normal to Emma and me that is."

"I hope Hermione will be my girlfriend for a good few years, is that alright with you?"

Considering the other options, Dan stood and offered his hand. He would just have to wait and see what those years brought.

A voice both recognised shouted from outside the door. "Daaad, you finished yet? You're hogging the library!"

He wasn't even going to begin to analyse why his daughter was more concerned about getting into the library, rather than worrying about the talk her father was having with her boyfriend. Dan decided to take this as a good sign, until someone told him otherwise.

"We'd better move, Harry, you don't want to get between Hermione and her books."

"Padma and I are just as bad, I can see us all spending some time here over the holidays."

Hermione raced in, grabbed Harry's hand and dragged him toward the shelves full of unread books. Dan headed off to find his wife, hoping she had a better handle on this than he did. He had no intention of mentioning the goblin form of courtship to anyone - ever!

A/N thanks for reading.

30. Dumbledore Duped

Harry Crow

Disclaimer: Since I'm not the owner of these characters, I may do things with them that you don't like or agree with. Sorry in advance but that's the nature of fan fiction. To do otherwise kind of defeats the purpose of fan fiction, and copying JKR word for word would certainly see a lawsuit heading in my direction. If my efforts don't fit your idea of what a Harry Potter story should be, again I can only offer my apologies and perhaps a suggestion. Writing your own really is the only way to ensure the story progresses exactly the way you want it to, it also gives the rest of us something to read.

Chapter 30

Bill was pushing his mother's cooking around his plate, rather than eating it. If this wasn't a sure sign he had something on his mind, ignoring Ginny's questions was a dead giveaway.

"Bill, you haven't been listening. I wanted to know about the party last night, did Ron behave himself?"

"Sorry Ginny, just had a very busy day. I never actually got to talk to Harry and Hermione today, Master Sharpshard was there and put both of them in the Gringotts infirmary."

He was still playing with his food before the fact that there was now total silence at the Weasley dinner table hit home. Bill lifted his head to see the other three occupants staring at him, obviously wanting to know more. "Everyone thought the duel was over but Master Sharpshard came back at Harry. Hermione then got involved before finding herself kicked out of the fight. This enraged Harry, and only his father managed to stop him killing Sharpshard. Both Harry and Hermione were fine after treatment, and heading to spend the night with Sirius."

His sister's eyes were almost popping out her head as she asked the question they all wanted to know the answer to. "Would Harry really have killed him?"

"I think so, anyone harming one of those girls is going to find themselves in serious trouble. You would really need a death wish to attack Hermione. I did hear she's now his girlfriend, apparently he asked her last night at the party."

Bill was carefully gauging Ginny's reaction to this news, and was pleased with what he saw. While clearly not happy to hear Harry officially had a girlfriend, there was no running off to her room in tears. Arranging that meeting in Kings Cross was now paying dividends as Ginny had the memory of their offered friendship to cling to. His mother then tried to change the subject.

"Those goblins are working you too hard, Bill, we hardly get to see you."

"The goblins don't pay you gold to sit about and do nothing. Which reminds me, can I have a word with you, dad? There's something we need to discuss."

Father and son took a stroll through the orchard, ensuring they couldn't be overheard. "The goblins are agreeing to everything, and the timescale too. There's one thing I really need to talk about though, Barchoke has offered me the position of his assistant. How would you feel about that, us sitting on the opposite sides of the table?"

This actually caught Arthur on the hop, making him stop and think. "That would really depend on the motives behind this move. I thought your main duties were to train Harry?"

"Dad, this morning I watched a boy become a man. Harry is a really focused and driven individual, with power and skill to back those up, he's an absolute joy to teach. Today I saw him add a ruthlessness to that mix that scared the life out of me, and also filled me with hope. For the first time I actually believed that young man could fulfil the destiny that's been placed on his shoulders."

"What does this have to do with you becoming Barchoke's assistant?"

This drew a smile from his eldest son. "There's no hidden goblin plots, dad, though I think Barchoke is hoping you and I can still work behind the scenes so we all get what we want out of this. I have been offered a five year contract, after which just about any job I want in Gringotts will be mine for the asking. This is a fabulous opportunity and Barchoke has allowed me to tell you the reason behind this offer. After five years, they're planning on Harry taking over from me - eventually he would become the ambassador."

The implications of this hit Arthur like a bludger in the gut, but one massive question remained unanswered. "Will he be taking the position as a wizard or a goblin?"

"I'm pretty sure that will still be Harry's decision. This way though, his father is providing the opportunity for him to have it all. There's a whole wide world out there, dad, and Barchoke seems determined his son will get to experience most of it before he has to makes that choice. He has Sirius teaching him wizarding culture, the Grangers are muggles and Harry's grown very close to them. Harry has also been raised as a goblin so he was facing an impossible choice. My own reading of this is that they are searching for a compromise that will satisfy everyone - including the ministry."

This news would have Fudge drooling, bring up another problem for Arthur. "How much of that can I tell the minister?"

"Barchoke knew you would ask that, and offered a compromise. You can say that goblin culture is based around sons stepping into their father's shoes, you can also say that this is one part of their culture Barchoke is hoping his son retains - whatever decision Harry makes on just where his future lies."

Arthur was certain the minister would easily decipher the message being sent, this could be an enormous coup for the ministry - and the goblin nation. It was time to uphold his end of the bargain.

"Fudge is really playing this cleverly, I honestly didn't think he had it in him. He's going to contact Sirius about the ball to honour the Potters, and enlist his help for choosing just who will receive the Potter Scholarships. He's proposing the panel consist of Amelia Bones, representing the ministry, Minerva McGonagall as Hogwarts representative and Sirius for Harry."

Neither father nor son could see there being any objection to that trio. The minister's planning was even more considered and structured. "When all the excitement of this announced event is at its peak, and people are scrambling for tickets, the minister is going to approach the Wizengamot with his proposal. By citing that the entire event nearly didn't happen, due to outdated means of communication between the ministry and Gringotts, he thinks that will swing a large proportion of the votes he needs behind him. Letting details of the proposed arrangements with Gringotts slip to the Prophet should swing some more. Harry attending the ball will be the cherry on top, and should finish the job."

Like his father, Bill didn't think Fudge was so politically astute. He had even more good news to pass on. "Harry wants the scholarships to run for twenty years - and is going to pay for the extra ten out of his own vault. He's quite happy for the ministry to take the credit, Harry really thinks it's a wonderful idea and will back it with his own gold. He's also prepared to give a short speech at the ball, praising the ministry for the scholarships - and giving his full backing to the minister's goblin proposal. We could even have him hint that the ambassador's job would certainly be one that would interest him in the future."

Arthur Weasley felt as if his ship had finally come in, and he wasn't talking about this year's bumper crop of apples. With Fudge's plan, and Harry's public backing, that big promotion was practically in his pocket.

No longer would his children attend Hogwarts wearing hand-me-down robes and old family wands. Molly hadn't been pleased when their two oldest children moved away to make careers for themselves, he and Bill were just about to drag the Weasleys up amongst Britain's most prominent families. He couldn't wait to see his daughter's face when he could tell her she would be going to the Ministry Summer Ball, and sitting at the same table as Harry. Arthur was really looking forward to going to work tomorrow.

He also wondered how much more ministry / goblin policy would be decided while he and his eldest son took an evening stroll in the Weasley orchard.

-oOoOo-

Barchoke entered the great hall of Hogwarts with Henrica by his side, and was delighted to see the welcome Harry and Hermione received as they walked in front of them. Padma currently had an arm around each of them, and didn't look like she would be letting go anytime soon - despite assurances both her friends were fine. Barchoke had been watching fights for decades, and his heart was still in his mouth when Hermione drew her blade and charged. It wasn't surprising then that their friends had been terrified.

Albus Dumbledore smiling at you was also a terrifying sight. The headmaster was probably attempting to appear jovial and harmless, his eyes betrayed him though. It was more the smile of a tiger, just before it pounced on its next meal. Barchoke knew though that when you removed a tiger's claws and teeth, what you were left with was a big pussy.

"Good morning, Barchoke, I was very pleased that you agreed to meet with me. Will we head up to my office?"

"Since she has no classes until after lunch, do you mind if Professor Hobson accompanies us?" Dumbledore's expression clearly portrayed that he did, but Barchoke had any objections covered. "The professor is working on a book exploring the habits of our nation, we are trying to dispel some of the more unsavoury myths that exist about goblins. I feel having her observe relations between wizards and goblins will surely help with this academic endeavour. As one of my son's private tutors, she has access to all of Harry's file. We won't be speaking about anything this morning that she isn't already privy too."

With that, Dumbledore really couldn't refuse.

When they were all seated in his office, Albus got the ball rolling. "I have been reviewing our previous meeting, and I would like to start this one by saying I was wrong. I have been watching as you have done exactly as you stated, ensuring your son has a well-rounded knowledge of wizarding, and even muggle society, to compliment his goblin upbringing. Harry really is a son you can be proud of."

Seeing that this tactic had knocked both his guests back on their heels, the headmaster continued in the same vein. "Knowing the decision he has to make, this would be a large enough burden for any youngster to bear. Harry though has even more hanging over him, with Voldemort and the prophecy to be taken into consideration too. I know we've had our differences in the past but even you must admit, I have a wealth of knowledge and experience. I would like to place that knowledge and experience at Harry's disposal. I'm making this offer since everyone in this room has the same aims. We want to see Voldemort defeated once and for all, and to let Harry make the choice that's right for him."

Both Henrica and Barchoke were surprised by this charm offensive, surprised but not fooled. They knew Dumbledore's ultimate goal was to have influence over Harry, this switch of tactics didn't change that fact. The goblin had certainly come prepared, it was only Barchoke's delivery that now needed to be altered.

"While I can't help but agree about your experience and knowledge, and certainly on the goals you expressed for my son, the issue standing between us remains the same. A matter of trust, something kind words and reaching agreement on common goals doesn't address. Without that trust, I fail to see how we can progress from our current position."

As long as there was no shouting and storming out his office, Albus considered himself still to be in the game. "I realise that trust is something that needs to be built slowly, and I'm certainly not so naive as to expect your full confidence anytime soon. Your son though will be at Hogwarts for another six years, my hope is to earn that trust within this timeframe."

Now that he had Dumbledore clearly interested, Barchoke placed the bait in his trap. "I too agree trust must be built slowly, yet every building needs a strong foundation. There is a piece of information I lack, information I am also sure you have. In exchange for this information, I would be willing to bring you into our horcrux team - supplying all the details we have on this subject. I see this as being the basis of how we move forward, hopefully to one day achieve the level of trust between us you obviously desire."

As tempting as that offer was, Albus knew of the goblins' well-deserved reputation for getting the better of any bargain. The information they wanted from him must be vital, and therefore probably worth more than was being currently offered. "I would like to hear just what this information is you are looking for, before committing myself any further."

"As you said headmaster, experienced and knowledgeable - I expected no other answer. We know about the prophecy Madam Trelawney made to you, we even know the where and when it was made. The information we are looking for is how that prophecy ended up in the hands of Voldemort. Madam Trelawney is of course blameless, since a true prophecy is not remembered by the seer who predicts it. That only leaves us with one other name..."

The canny goblin didn't think Dumbledore could have looked more shocked if he'd dunked the headmaster in hot grog, and then had a dragon breathe on him to singe the old wizard's beard off.

"Alas, what you ask, I am sworn by oath never to reveal. Surely there must be something else?"

Barchoke shook his head, but in a manner that suggested this wasn't quite over yet. "I certainly didn't expect an answer today, this is clearly something that will require some thought. You mentioned a timescale earlier and I think that's what we need here. Let's settle on Harry's birthday, I'll make a point of seeing you on that day. If you are still unable to provide the answer, then we will talk of this no more. You must understand though, your options for assisting my son or I in anything would then be nil. Good day headmaster."

Dumbledore barely noticed them leaving, still shocked at the question Barchoke asked. A quick glance at the master timetable showed Severus free after lunch, he would send for him then. What a choice he was now faced with, protect Severus or gain an 'in' with the team taking the fight to Voldemort - a team Harry was a massive part of. Thankfully, he had until the end of July to reach a decision.

-oOoOo-

"Well, what did you think?

They had just passed the gargoyle guarding the headmaster's office when Barchoke asked the question. It took Henrica a moment to consider her answer. "I know I missed something, I just can't figure out what it was. You left that office far too easily, because I can see how important this answer will be to you and Harry."

A throaty chuckle answered the veela. "There is a saying wizards are fond of, but I can assure you it is goblin in origin. There is more than one way to skin a dragon, and I'm gambling on Dumbledore laying himself bare before the end of the day."

"Ok, there was an image I could have done without. Can I ask why I was in that office?"

"A distraction, and because Harry has herbology. I dangled a carrot in front of Dumbledore's nose, but that's all it was. Harry would refuse point blank to work with the headmaster, he wouldn't even let me enter that office alone with Dumbledore. He trusted you to watch my back, Harry really has a high opinion of you, Henrica."

This brought a smile to the veela's lips. "Yes, Sirius told me Harry was quite protective when asking what his godfather's intentions were toward me. He said it was like being threatened by my brother."

This certainly drew an amused laugh from Barchoke. "I fear any wizard going anywhere near Padma is in for a much rougher time of it - unless that wizard is Neville of course!"

"I get the feeling those two are just really good friends. It might turn to more later but they just don't have the feel of a couple to me. Harry and Hermione on the other hand..."

"I am well aware of my son's feelings for that particular young witch, it pleases me more than I can say that Hermione returns those feelings. What she did yesterday was incredibly stupid, and yet took astonishing courage. Hermione must have known she stood no chance, yet she charged in there regardless. I honestly think the result would have been different had she not. Now, if you will inform Harry at lunch that everything went well, I shall head off back to Gringotts."

The goblin was out the castle before it dawned on Henrica that Barchoke hadn't mentioned just how Dumbledore would be skinned. Henrica genuinely liked the little goblin but still had to stop herself counting her fingers every time they shook hands. Barchoke was one of the cleverest and yet most devious person she had ever met in her life, who would probably take her counting those fingers as a compliment.

-oOoOo-

Albus once more found himself having to provide a pick-me-up to someone in his office, Severus currently looked as if his legs wouldn't support him.

"I think you are overreacting, Severus, I'm sure they would understand your point of view..."

"...and I think you are getting senile. The only point they understand is on the end of those blades, these are goblins we are dealing with. We've both seen what Crow can do if he gets close enough, no wand can stand up to his blades. Black spent ten years in Azkaban, there will be no forgiveness or understanding from that quarter either. Now tell me again how I am over-reacting?"

"Both Sirius and Harry would surely take into consideration you were a close friend of Lily's, and had no way of knowing the Potters would be the ones referred to in the prophecy. Harry is much more like his mother in that respect, he thinks before he acts."

"Yes, but he also has Lily's temper. You told me he cut that big goblin to pieces, and we both know Filius regards him as practically a god with a sword. Our charms master fell of his chair yesterday when you told that story."

Dumbledore tried to pacify his potions professor. "This is not something that needs to be decided today, we have time to think this over and develop a strategy."

Severus finished the glass of brandy, his strategy already formed. He knew Albus would betray his grandmother to get close to the boy. However he dressed it up, Severus would be served up for the greater good of Albus Dumbledore. The only decision Severus needed to make was whether he could hold off until the end of term before slipping quietly away, or if he needed to make a run for it before then.

It was four weeks to the exams, and then another three before the students took the express back to London. His preferred option would be to skip the country the next day, hopefully being far away before anyone realised he might not be coming back. If he did a runner now, missing a few meals, never mind classes, would immediately set tongues wagging.

With this dilemma running through his mind, Severus left for his quarters. Albus was so concerned about his friend, he accompanied him part of the way. Neither noticed the bug that landed on the back of Dumbledore's hat, and hitched a free ride out the headmaster's office.

Rita was certain she had just earned her advance on Dumbledore's expose, this latest revelation ensuring her book would be explosive. Holding Barchoke from taking action against Snape might be her biggest problem, but the goblin was wise enough to know this might just set Dumbledore's alarm bells ringing. At the moment, the headmaster had no idea he was being investigated - and it was certainly in their joint interest that he remained ignorant until just before publication.

Yes they might want Snape to pay, but not at the cost of their main target being forewarned. By the time they announced the publication date to the world, Dumbledore could call in all the favours he wanted. The book would be printed inside Gringotts, and he was all out of favours there. Even if they were reduced to selling the book by owl order, Rita was confident they would still sell every copy they could print.

Rita now considered her sacking from the Prophet as one of the best things that ever happened to her. She may have entered the room in Barchoke's pocket but she was leaving on top of Dumbledore - that was okay in her book.

The reporter turned author had even settled on a title for her first book, 'The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore' had a nice ring to it. The ring of the tills, filling up with all that lovely gold she was going to earn.

-oOoOo-

The week had flown for the friends, their only difference was now they had - at Hermione's insistence - allocated an hour a day for exam revision. Master Pitslay asking Harry to stay behind after potions blew their routine week right out of its nice stable orbit.

Hermione had of course stayed with Harry. Though Rowena Ravenclaw's charm meant she could still understand spoken goblin, the written word really was gobbledygook to her. Harry's outburst as he read the hand-delivered note from his father indicated this indeed must have been bad news.

"Harry, I'm quite happy to admit the goblin language has more swear words than probably any other in the world, even if a few of those descriptions are biologically impossible. Can you calm down enough to tell me what the problem is?"

"It's only biologically impossible when certain appendages are still attached to a body. Slicing them off opens a whole different world of possibilities, and I've just discovered someone I would like to take my blade to."

She wrapped her arms around him, hoping to provide some comfort - and buy some time for her boyfriend to consider his next move. Hermione didn't even want to think about Harry's last answer. "Sometimes I can forget you're a goblin, not for long though. What has got my centurion so fired up?"

Not a flicker of humour, all Hermione could see was rage. She knew this was bad, she just didn't know how bad - yet.

"We always thought Sirius Black had told his master the prophecy, and then served the Potters up on a plate. Discovering that my godfather wasn't a death eater, and didn't even know the prophecy - only that there was one - blasted that theory to smithereens. He was only told of the prophecy's existence as my mum and dad were forced into hiding, because Voldemort was already hunting them. That leaves the massive question - who told Voldemort the prophecy?"

This question set Hermione's thoughts off at warp speed. "This would be top secret, so no one at the ministry would know. I read that a true seer doesn't remember a genuine prophecy, only the people that are there when it's made will hear it. If your mum and dad didn't tell their best friends, who does that leave?"

"The prophecy was made to Albus Dumbledore..."

"Oh my God! Do you think he would tell Voldemort?"

"Directly, no. Would he get Snape to pass on the message...we hope to find out. Either way, it was certainly Snape who told Voldemort. He's the reason my mum and dad are dead, and why Neville has to visit St Mungo's to see his. That prophecy could have applied to two boys, both of whom lost their parents over it."

Hermione's tears actually calmed Harry down more effectively than any words could. The very thought that he had been responsible for those tears had him wrapping his girlfriend in his arms. "Hush now Hermione, I'm sorry. I'm not going to go charging after Snape - well, not right away."

"Oh Harry, I want to go charging after that bastard myself. I am so angry, yet so sad at the same time. What are we going to do about this?"

Hermione's use of 'we' actually put a smile on Harry's face, it might be considered a wicked smile, but it was still a smile.

Master Pitslay was merely an observer, and his observations would be getting reported back to Gringotts. Harry might have obeyed an order from his father not to immediately attack the Hogwarts potions master, but he couldn't think of anyone other than Miss Granger who could have talked him out of it.

"My father is working on bringing Dumbledore down, that's where he dug up this information. If we act on this, the headmaster is bound to put two and two together. My father currently has enough information to do him great harm, but, in a few months, he hopes to be able to destroy him. If Dumbledore gets wind of this investigation, we run the risk of him going all out to wreck the new goblin agreement. We have to take the chance on losing Snape to put Dumbledore's head in the dragon's mouth."

She could hear, and actually feel, what this decision was costing her boyfriend. Harry was as tense as a drawn bowstring. "Where does Snape's salary get paid to?"

This drew a chuckle from the goblin potions master, reminding both students he was there.

"I'm beginning to think you are part goblin, Miss Granger. That was thinking worthy of a friend of our nation. All Hogwarts salaries, except for Dumbledore's are paid directly into their Gringotts vault. There is already an alert placed on Snape's vault. Should he arrive in Gringotts, Harry's father will need to make a snap decision. If Snape is attempting to disappear, we can help him with this endeavour."

Hermione was confused at this, until she saw Harry's broad yet scary smile - now she was really flummoxed.

"We can make his wish come true, Hermione. He wants to disappear, no one will ever find him in a goblin cell. It will depend whether he tries to access his vault, or decides it would be safer just to skip the country. To flush out who was responsible for running to Voldemort with the prophecy, my father had to let Dumbledore know we were looking for this person - which is why the headmaster would know we were on to him if I suddenly attacked Snape. Dumbledore said he would need to think about it, and has until my birthday as a deadline for his decision. If Snape runs before we're ready to take down Dumbledore, I may have to let him. The agreement with the ministry is far too important to risk for revenge."

"A very mature decision, Centurion, and I believe the right one. Your father will certainly agree with me, though insisted you still be given the choice."

"Please thank my father for me, Master Pitslay. I'm a centurion and swore an oath to the nation, I have to put personal revenge second to that oath. My father has outlined the timescale here, and I can wait that long. Between training, exams and then our holidays, I'm sure Hermione will do her best to keep my mind off it."

"You forgot to mention the ministry ball in your honour, just the biggest social event in all of Europe this summer."

"No I didn't, and the ministry will be making official contact soon. It's less than three months to my birthday, and these things usually take longer to arrange than that."

The two then headed off to Ravenclaw Tower. They intended to eat their lunch in Harry's room, since neither was ready to sit in the great hall with Snape and Dumbledore at the moment. With herbology next, they may have control of themselves enough to eat dinner with their friends. Making an excuse for missing lunch would be easy, skipping dinner too would see questions asked.

-oOoOo-

There were questions being asked the next day when Sirius entered the great hall, this in itself was not unusual as they had lessons with him every week at this time. What was unusual, and the reason for all the questions were the two people who accompanied him. Minister Fudge and Madam Bones.

Albus strode down to meet them, using all his experience to hide his trepidation. He couldn't see anyway this would be good news. "Sirius I was expecting, Cornelius, Amelia, to what do we owe the honour of this visit?"

"The ministry are considering a new incentive that will affect Hogwarts, we came today to talk with Minerva about lending her expertise to this venture."

He wasn't sure whether to be relieved or insulted at the minister's words, Albus intended to at least pretend to be hurt. "Cornelius, I am the headmaster of Hogwarts. If the ministry has any new incentives that affect my school, I demand to be involved."

His tone didn't sit too well with Amelia, and she wasn't slow to let him know. "This doesn't involve the headmaster, rather your deputy. It will involve extra, unpaid work for Minerva, so we are here today to ask if she wishes to be involved."

By this time they had been joined by Minerva, who wanted more details of what was involved before committing herself.

"If we can go somewhere private to discuss this, we want to keep it secret until the announcement." Albus immediately offered his office to the minister, though both witches then glowered at him.

"...and just how is that private, when those bloody portraits tell you everything?" Albus had the good grace to appear embarrassed at Minerva's outburst until Sirius solved the problem.

Arriving with Harry at his side, he offered the perfect solution. "I'll need to wait until after the meeting to work on their lessons, the room we hold them in would certainly fit the bill for whatever we're after."

Albus' nose was even more out of joint as he watched the group leave with Harry, things were bad when he didn't even know what was happening in his own school.

Henrica followed on with Neville, Padma and Hermione, knowing the room could easily accommodate whatever was needed for the two groups.

-oOoOo-

Harry was asked if he would like to sit-in on the initial briefing meeting, delighting him and confusing Minerva even more. Once Hogwarts Deputy Headmistress discovered just what was involved, she wholeheartedly threw her support, time and anything else that was required of her behind this wonderful idea.

Harry had given this a lot of thought and had a few ideas of his own to bring to the meeting. "I would like one of the candidates to be muggle born, in honour of my mother. I also intend to get involved when they come to Hogwarts. The castle can be a scary place, I want all scholarship students to be charged with looking out for those coming behind them. I certainly intend to offer friendship to the two new first year students starting in September, I would expect them to carry that on the following year. A tradition has got to begin somewhere."

Minerva caught on at once. "You're looking for them to become mentors, keeping an eye on the younger ones through first year..."

"Not just first year, professor. This is being done in the Potter family name, I want this to be like members of a family. Brothers and sisters looking out for each other. We're very lucky in Ravenclaw to have Penny doing that job for us, she's simply brilliant and has been a great help to us settling in. In talking with our friends, not all houses are so lucky. One of my best friends is also a twin, and we have Fred and George Weasley here too. If there was a case for twins being offered scholarships, the Lily Potter foundation would fund the difference to ensure both got equal treatment - and this didn't deprive another student of a scholarship that year."

This was a golden opportunity for Cornelius to observe this boy first-hand, and so far he was very impressed. He had learned through Arthur that goblin children start school at five, and that Harry had extra tutors too. With early indications that the top two students in first year would be a muggle born and a goblin raised - both of whom attended school since they were five - it was again raising the question of why they waited until eleven before formally schooling magical children. This might be the place but certainly not the time to roast that old chestnut.

"Harry, we also want to honour the last surviving member of that family. On doing some research, we discovered the level of award was already set. For banishing a dark lord, we wish to award you the Order of Merlin, First Class."

Since Amelia was the one who had done the research, she knew what the minister was going to say. This allowed her to watch the reactions of the others to this news. Sirius appeared fit to burst with pride while Minerva was fighting back the tears that were forming in the corners of her eyes. Harry never even blinked.

"Minister, the dark lord isn't really gone - and I would feel such a fraud accepting on those headings."

Cornelius had actually prepared for this possibility, the politician in him wouldn't take no for an answer today. "I am aware of that, Harry, just as I am now aware that you train relentlessly in the hope of one day finishing the job you started all those years ago. To me, that in itself makes you deserving of this award."

Seeing that this had scored points, the minister pressed home his advantage. "I would also like to say, when that time comes, my ministry will stand alongside you in this battle. Madam Bones is quietly bringing her auror department onto a war footing. This won't happen overnight but, when you need us, we will be there with every wand ready to fight."

Knowing he was always going to have to accept an award of some description, Harry was delighted by the promise of support - and left with no other choice than to graciously accept.

Cornelius intended to announce the awards, and the ball in his honour, today. He would call a press conference this afternoon so the country could digest the news along with their Sunday breakfast. Harry asked, since she was now heavily involved in the Potter Scholarships, if Professor McGonagall could be added to their party for the ball.

The minister agreed at once, and then raised the only issue he could see being a sticking point. "We are unsure how to address the award. You won the award as Harry Potter but now go by the name of Harry Crow. Whichever appears on the award, people will rush to make judgements." Cornelius had watched as Dumbledore's planned award ceremony at Christmas went to hell in a hand basket, he had no intention of there being the slightest chance of that happening with the eyes of the world on them. All the T's would be crossed and the I's dotted, nothing was going to be left to chance.

Harry understood at once what the minister was implying, to have either Potter or Crow on the award would be construed as him already having made his choice. Something no one sitting around this table wanted. After a moment of thought, Harry made a suggestion. "My mum and dad named me Harry, a name my father has used my whole life, could I be just Harry?"

The minister looked to Amelia for her opinion. "I don't see why not. Might knock a lot of the stuffiness and formality out of the award ceremony - but who's to say that's such a bad thing."

With the last hurdle crossed, Cornelius headed off to organise his press conference. When the three trustees began to talk about their next meeting, where they would be discussing the candidates from this year's Hogwarts intake, Harry headed for his friends.

Padma got in first. "Okay, Harry, how much can you tell us?"

"Well, I think all our dance practice will be needed again - and you might need to protect some poor, defenceless wizard from being attacked by witches."

Neville caught Harry's drift at once. "I don't know what you're both talking about, but Padma, will you be my date to it?"

"So you want me to protect you from Parvati?"

Hermione was fighting the giggles, "...and Susan!"

Harry was enjoying the gentle teasing, and joined in. "...Hannah too!"

Neville was getting desperate now as he pleaded with her. "Please, Padma?"

"Oh, who could say no to those baby blue eyes, which is probably why the girls are chasing you in the first place. Let's have a deal, I'll be your date, and your bodyguard, until one of us gets a boyfriend or girlfriend?"

The look of relief on Neville's face set all of them off, with even Henrica laughing. The laughter soon stopped when Harry told them just what was going to be happening. Since the whole ball / scholarship /award thing was going to be made public tomorrow, they only had to keep it quiet for tonight. No mention was made of Goblin Ambassadors, that entire part of the deal was still a secret.

As Harry explained what was said at the meeting, Hermione spotted a potential disaster in the making. "What will you wear? It will be the same problem if you appear in robes or your centurion uniform."

"Why doesn't he wear his Mr Darcy clothes?" Harry and Neville appeared confused while Hermione's blush lit the room. "Oh please, Hermione, you gave me the books. It practically leapt off the page at me. Some of those dresses sounded beautiful too, we could all go dressed similar - neither goblin nor wizard?"

Hermione may still have been blushing but she was the owner of a wide smile. "That's perfect, Padma, even my mum and dad could blend in then. Harry, she means clothes similar to the ones you were wearing when we first met."

This idea also won approval from Henrica, "Oh, I can so see Sirius as Mr Darcy, and yes, I've read the book too!"

Harry and Neville were left bemused at why the three were laughing. "Harry, I have enough trouble figuring out the differences between the four of us, did something else just get chipped in there?"

"I'm sure it's a girl thing, Neville, and no - I have no idea what they're on about either. We'll just turn up and have fun, that works for me."

Neville remembered what Harry had worn back in September, it was also splashed all over the Prophet with those graveyard pictures at Halloween, and would have no problem dressing similar. Harry and Lord Black attending the ball dressed like that could actually start a whole new fashion trend. That thought set Neville smiling, and also shaking his head that he was once more in the middle of all the madness. This year had been the best of his life, and summer was shaping up to be even better.

Henrica wanted them back on track though, this was still a lesson after all.

A/N thanks for reading

31. Grumpy Gordon

Harry Crow

A/N as we enter a new year, this story also takes me into uncharted waters. This is the first time I've ever written 'chapter 31' and also the first time a story of mine has broke the two hundred thousand words barrier. A big thank you to everyone who's kept me company on this journey - and there is still a long way to go.

Chapter 31

The prophet being delivered that Sunday morning generated an effect seldom experienced in the great hall of Hogwarts. It slowly sank into silence, with not even the sounds generated by cutlery or crockery escaping this vacuum of hush. It's often said that nature abhors a vacuum, and this one never stood a chance of existing for more than a few seconds. The noise started like a babbling brook, soft and gentle, but soon turned into a raging torrent of white water that engulfed every table - including the staff.

Sitting unmoved against this deluge, making them stand out like rocks jutting from the foaming water, the four friends were quietly finishing their breakfast. Bill would be here for their defence lesson in less than fifteen minutes.

"An Order of Merlin, First Class? Wow, Harry, just - wow!"

"I'm actually more excited about the scholarships, Roger, which was the only reason I agreed to this. My dad and mum laid their lives down for me that night, but all anyone ever talks about is the fact I didn't die. You didn't die yesterday, let's celebrate that."

"I understand what you're trying to say, Harry, but I wasn't hit with the killing curse yesterday..."

"Ah, but here's the thing, Roger - how do you know I was? The only person to come out of that house alive was me, and no healer even checked me over until I ended up in Gringotts. Voldemort's wand was never found either, so who knows what happened that night?"

This had the entire Ravenclaw table held enthralled, no one had looked at the 'incident' from that point of view before. "A story appears in the Prophet and everyone just accepts that's what actually happened. We all saw at Halloween how wrong that newspaper can be. I was fifteen months old and whisked away from that house by Rubeus Hagrid, under Dumbledore's orders. Where was the investigation? Where was the process of law? Whatever Dumbledore says is just taken as truth - if not law. Yes he's a powerful wizard but he can get things wrong, just like everybody else."

His girlfriend latched on to what Harry was actually saying here. "It's Professor Binns all over again. No one questions what they're being told, so that becomes the accepted truth. People have been able to write what they like about that night, and no one can say whether they are right or wrong." Hermione knew Harry had memories of that night but had no intention of mentioning that fact to anyone else.

The arrival of Parvati saved Harry from having to answer any more questions on what happened that Halloween, she appeared rather upset at the news in the Prophet.

"Weren't we supposed to be on holiday when it's your birthday? Does this mean the holiday plans have changed?"

"Yes, we're juggling the schedule a bit to put us back in Britain for a couple of days. I thought you would be pleased, going to your first ball?"

The implications of what Harry just said were mind-blowing but Parvati needed to hear the actual words coming from his mouth - there could be no mistakes made here. "Are you saying what I think you're saying, Harry?"

"I am the guest of honour and get my own table, all of the people going on holiday with us over the summer will be at that table."

She looked questioningly toward her twin, "You knew?"

"We just found out yesterday, I owled home last night. Mum's going to be so excited."

"I owled my gran last night too, she probably wouldn't believe that story in the Prophet if I didn't."

Hermione was nodding her agreement with both their friends. "Eargit took a letter home for me, it should be some evening."

Harry provided the final piece of information. "Madam Bones was one of the ball organisers, so Susan should be getting an owl today too, telling her and Hannah of the new arrangements."

Susan and Hannah came racing over, clutching a piece of parchment in her hand. "Oh I can't believe we're all going to the ball together, this will be brilliant!"

Parvati's mind had wandered in a different direction though. "The shopping voucher now makes sense, I'll be able to get a new dress..."

This saw Harry standing and shaking his head toward the Gryffindor witch. "Sorry, Parvati, that voucher was for your birthday - this is a different item. We'll have to arrange another shopping trip for this."

Parvati thought she was in heaven, a holiday, a ball and now two shopping trips! "Hermione, you're just gonna have to excuse me..." With a squeal of delight, she leapt at Harry and practically hugged the life out of him. Finishing with a kiss on the cheek just as Bill arrived.

"Harry, my teaching you defence doesn't seem to be doing much good."

"My humble apologies, Curse-breaker Weasley, I find there is no defence against a Patil twin who wants a hug."

Bill enjoyed the casual atmosphere they could adopt at the weekend, though knew he couldn't get Harry to just call him Bill. The Curse-breaker title was a mark of respect that, in Harry's eyes, he had earned - no goblin would disrespect that. He could still tease Harry back though.

"...and how are your defences when it comes to hugs from girls called Granger?"

"Sorry again sir, I expect a T for that class. I just can't seem to get the hang of why I would want to defend against that."

This set Bill off laughing, "Good answer, Harry, I only hope you're as good at dodging spells. As a special treat, we got hold of some training dummies that fire back. Should make today a lot more interesting."

"As long as they don't have swords or axes in their hands, that's fine with me." The weekends were Padma's favourite lessons, having fun while learning suited her personality so much better. "Girls, Hermione had a great idea about dresses. Why don't we have lunch at the Hufflepuff table and talk about it, that way Harry and Neville won't be forced to listen."

Her twin's thoughts again went in a different direction. "Do we need dates for this ball?"

It was left to Harry to break the only bit of bad news. "Sorry girls, there isn't any room at the table for more people..."

"So we need to share you and Neville?"

That was never going to work, and Padma quickly marked everyone's dance cards. "Sorry sis, Neville has already asked me to be his date. I'm also pretty sure Hermione is not the kind of witch who shares. Well, at least not Harry."

This comment drew laughter from Susan and Hannah, with no denials coming from Hermione or Harry. Bill marching the four away may have stopped the conversation but this would be the main topic inside Hogwarts until the exams hit. Parvati raced back to the Gryffindor table, desperate to tell her news to Lavender.

Dumbledore was certainly not pleased at the Prophet's news, Fudge appeared to be succeeding where he had failed so spectacularly. How the hell did that happen? He turned his ire in the direction of his deputy. "Minerva, as headmaster, I demand to be kept appraised of all the details of this scholarship."

His deputy was having none of it. "Sorry, headmaster, you are neither on the scholarship board of trustees nor require the information on any educational grounds I can perceive. Just what are your reasons for demanding this information?"

"Damn it, Minerva, I'm the headmaster!"

"I am aware of that, though still don't see the reason behind this demand. You haven't concerned yourself with the new first year intake for almost forty years, why the sudden interest now?"

"This scholarship could be a powerful force for good, but we need to ensure that the right people are chosen..."

"We will ensure that the 'right' children are chosen. Amelia, Sirius and I might have a different definition of 'right' than you do, but I'm learning this is not necessarily a bad thing. If you would like to make a formal complaint, I really don't know who you would direct it at. The trust is set in such a way that, to replace a trustee, you need the agreement of the other two. If you can convince Sirius and Amelia to replace me with yourself, you'll deserve your place on the trust board. Lord Black will be in the castle today as usual, I can only suggest you mention it to him."

Albus was taken aback at this information. "There is no other involvement, no goblin input?"

"No, why should there be? Amelia represents the ministry, I'm there as Hogwarts' voice while Sirius speaks for the Potters - until Harry is old enough to replace his godfather. The only request made was from Harry himself, he wants one of the students chosen each year to be a muggle born like his mother - we all agreed to that."

Dumbledore didn't agree, but then his opinion was neither asked for nor apparently counted for much when he gave it. He decided to keep his own council and wait for a better opportunity to try and let his specific thoughts on the matter be known. At the moment, there was such a groundswell of support for this measure that to speak against it would see him swept aside.

Severus appeared at his side and slapped his copy of the prophet onto the table.

Leaning in so only the headmaster could hear, Severus made his feelings known. "Still think I'm overreacting? I would be publicly flogged, before my soul was a dementor's lunch - and that would be just the ministry's response."

Severus strode out of the hall, taking Dumbledore's appetite with him.

-oOoOo-

Sirius entered the great hall and stopped dead in his tracks. His eyes had immediately traveled to where his godson usually sat, and soon locked on to Harry. What had stopped Sirius was the fact that Hermione wasn't there, it took him a moment to spot her sitting at the Hufflepuff table. That she was smiling and chatting animatedly with their friends eased Sirius' fears, he didn't know how these two would handle their first fight - he was certain though that neither of them would be smiling.

He approached Harry and Neville, deciding to play dumb. "Hey you two, where are the girls?"

"Hi Sirius, they're over at the Hufflepuff table, chatting with the other three about dresses for the ball. They thankfully spared Neville and me that torture."

This blew the last remaining fears that they'd had a falling-out clear away, Sirius also had something to add to that conversation. "Your father has offered the goblin tailors to make all our outfits for the ball, since they made the original that inspired this idea."

Neville was immediately shaking his head. "I had to tell Parvati about the birthday party, you're on your own for this one mate."

"...and here was me thinking a Longbottom had my back."

"Hey, if it wasn't for Padma, I would be dreading this ball. Witches can be really scary. Just go over there, you know Hermione won't let anything bad happen to her boyfriend."

"Thanks a bunch, Neville."

Sirius was trying not to laugh as he watched Harry stroll over to the five girls.

His girlfriend was the first to spot his approach. "Does Sirius want us to start early? I thought we had another ten minutes?"

"No, Hermione, he brought some news from my father. He's offering the goblin tailors to make all your dresses..."

For the second time today, Harry had a witch screaming with joy before engulfing him in a bone crushing hug. There were no complaints this time though as Hermione was the one doing the screaming / hugging. They had kept any public displays of affection to hand holding, so the kiss that followed the hug would again set tongues wagging. Not that it was much more than a peck on the lips, it was just the first time they had seen this couple kiss in public.

Hermione though was too excited to care. "That's fantastic, Harry, and solves all our problems." She then turned to their friends, trying to explain her excitement. "The goblin tailors made my dress for Harry's centurion ceremony, they are simply brilliant. I got to choose everything and they were so nice, my dress also fitted like a second skin. They made Madame Malkin seem like an amateur."

Her excitement instantly spread to their friends, though the option to hug Harry in thanks wasn't available to anyone else. Hermione still had him wrapped in her arms, proving Padma correct. Hermione wasn't about to share Harry with anyone.

-oOoOo-

Witches and wizards the length and breadth of Britain rejoiced at this announcement, and then quickly began to plan how they could acquire tickets for the event of the year.

The country's purebloods tended to fall into one of three categories, and their opinion on this momentous event depended on which faction they supported. The light faction thought this recognition was long overdue, and couldn't wait to see their saviour accept the country's highest award.

Those witches and wizards of a neutral persuasion depended heavily on their abilities to read the political situation, so they could lean in that direct while maintaining their centre stance. Since the ministry appeared to have jumped heavily into the light, that would be the direction they would lean - for now. None could see any reason not to support this event, so they would.

Those with a darker disposition had been caught on the hop by the sudden shift in the ministry's position. Malfoy's exposure had left the minister with no other option but to distance himself, and his ministry, from Lucius Malfoy and his supporters. They had briefly rejoiced at Dumbledore's very public embarrassment, before realising that had pushed Fudge the one place they feared - right into the capable arms of Amelia Bones.

The head of the DMLE was tough, resourceful and very bright. That she had lost all but one of her entire family to death eater attacks meant there would be no forgiveness to be found there. With Malfoy and Dumbledore expressing contradictory opinions on every subject, Cornelius Fudge had usually given the impression that he didn't know what day of the week it was - not any more. The ministry now had a clear direction, and it wasn't in their favour.

At this moment in time, to publicly fight against this change in the tide would be politically and socially suicidal. They would have to bide their time and slowly try to reverse the current back in their direction. Most would openly support this event, and even attempt to acquire tickets - just not try too hard.

-oOoOo-

Minerva was trying hard to understand the resistance against her choice for a Potter scholarship. She had spent the best part of a fortnight going over every new student's file, and this child jumped out at her at every turn as a deserving candidate. She was left unsure what criterion the other two were working with but was determined to get to the bottom of this.

"Ginevra will be the seventh child Molly and Arthur will have sent to Hogwarts, and September will see five Weasley children attending the castle at the same time. They are also as light a family as it's possible to find, and their eldest son has been tutoring Harry and his friends for most of the term. In all of our new first year, I can't see a more deserving case for a Potter scholarship than this. That she is also a pureblood will balance nicely with the muggle born we've already chosen. If you have another reason for rejecting this candidate, then I think I'm entitled to hear it."

It was left to Amelia to try and calm her old friend's fears. "We agree with everything you've just said, Minerva, but there is specific information we can't divulge just yet. Can I say that good things are planned for Arthur at the ministry, things that will certainly ease any financial worries the Weasley family might have. These planned changes could leave our choice of Ginevra then open to question, something I don't think we can afford - especially in the scholarship's inaugural year. This information is very sensitive but will certainly be made public before the summer ball, it will all drop into place then and you will see we are right."

She was wracking her brains for a hint of what these planned changes could be, especially since Sirius appeared to be aware of them, and Minerva could only come up with one thing - it had to involve Harry. Deciding it was pointless to pursue this any longer, and knowing Amelia wouldn't lie to her, Minerva conceded her argument.

"Very well then, remove the financial hardship and there remains no grounds to support that candidate. The witch you both chose would have been my second choice so I will happily support her as the other Potter scholarship student. I shall also be studying the Prophet closely for Arthur Weasley's good news."

This drew a relieved chuckle from Amelia. "Believe me, Minerva, you won't have to look for the news. It will be blazed right across the front page."

Sirius wanted to know who got to tell Harry, with Minerva asking for that honour. "Harry said he wanted this to be like an extended family, I wanted to have a chat with him and see just how far he wants to take that. I will be arranging a visit to Diagon Alley, he may want to meet with them before September first."

"That's a brilliant idea, Minerva, but we will be out of the country for most of the summer. Arranging it near the end of the holidays would work, they could all do their school shopping together."

-oOoOo-

He could see she was troubled, the signs were hard to miss. Nervously chewing on the end of her quill while neither turning the page of her book nor writing any notes, Hermione had been deep in thought for the last ten minutes. Since the four friends were currently in the library, revising for exams, Harry had to keep his voice to barely above a whisper.

"Hermione, if you don't tell us what's bothering you, we won't be able to help."

Getting caught woolgathering actually made her blush, it was also scary sometimes how well Harry could read her mood. "Sorry guys, was revising some stuff from earlier in the term and my mind just wandered. To be honest, I was struggling to believe some of the things that's happened to us. I mean, we're only first years!"

Seeing where this was leading, Harry tried to point her in the right direction. "Why are we sitting here revising for our exams?"

The answer to that was obvious, and Hermione didn't disappoint. "So we can get good marks in our exams, it's important that we study and do well."

Harry had another easy question for her. "So, you would expect the four of us to perform better than say - Ron Weasley?"

This very suggestion appeared to light a fire under Hermione. "Considering he does the bare minimum to get by, and none of us have ever seen him studying, that would have to be yes. He seems the type who will grab his books the night before the exam, and there's always the chance that the right questions might come up for him. I would still expect the four of us to get higher marks though. What are you getting at, Harry?"

"What you're saying is that we'll be prepared, while Ron Weasley has to hope for a large slice of luck to do well?"

Since that summed up Hermione's thoughts, she nodded in confirmation. Padma and Neville were also listening intently, curious to see where this was going.

"Well I think what you have to consider is that I've been prepared, and also been aided by massive slices of luck." There was no chance Harry was going to get away without explaining that comment. "I walked into Hogwarts as a goblin warrior, a warrior who had been training and being briefed for this mission for years. Discounting Master Flitwick, and now Henrica, Hermione knows more about the goblin nation than the rest of the staff put together..."

"...but Harry, I've barely scratched the surface."

"I know, but none of them have even bothered to learn that much. Let's take the sorting as an example. You three now know me, what would you expect me to do in that situation?"

It was Padma who was first in with an answer, beginning to glimpse what Harry was trying to say. "You would never renounce being a goblin, and certainly not because of a situation Dumbledore forced you into."

Neville and Hermione agreed totally with that assessment, gaining a smile from Harry. "We had the chances of Dumbledore pulling something like that around the twenty percent mark, there was even a concern he wouldn't let me leave and confine me to the castle..."

Hermione's hand shot into his at that declaration, offering comfort as Neville asked the question. "What would you have done then?"

"I have a way of sending my father a short coded message that we save for emergencies. Gringotts would have shut its doors until I was released, meanwhile Hermione and I would have been doing our best to escape. Once outside the wards, we would portkey to Gringotts."

She didn't know what it was about being included in his escape plans but Hermione was sitting with a wide grin on her face.

"So you see I was well prepared, but then also handed a massive slice of luck by Hogwarts declaring I was her champion. The duel with Master Sharpshard also comes to mind, we all know he could take me in under two minutes. Instead, my centurion armour makes me faster and stronger while being able to cast with both blades is a massive advantage. Even so, it was Hogwarts who finally tipped the balance. She hindered and obstructed Master Sharpshard at every opportunity, while keeping my path clear."

Padma and Neville were both sure what had swung that fight in Harry's favour, kicking Hermione had enraged their friend beyond anything either had ever seen.

Hermione herself was beginning to see the point Harry was making. "So you're saying that preparation, along with luck, has got you ahead all year?"

That was pretty close to what Harry was trying to say. "The headmaster didn't bother to do his homework, and has found himself on the back foot since the first of September. We studied every move he's ever made and had a full profile of Dumbledore that was constantly being updated. I don't know if it's his arrogance that he couldn't possibly be wrong or if he didn't want anyone to know I was at Gringotts. Master Flitwick sits at the same table and would have been a mine of information on goblins, the headmaster had that resource at his fingertips and never used it. He keeps treating me like a wizard, with even Snape seeming to learn that doesn't work. Does that answer your questions?"

It was now a blushing Hermione who nodded, before going back to her revising. She could hear Padma sniggering in amusement and was trying to ignore it. The discovery that Snape was responsible for passing the prophecy on to Voldemort had kicked Harry's animosity against Dumbledore to a whole different level. Hermione just hoped they could reach the holidays without a confrontation, she should have known better.

-oOoOo-

Minerva really couldn't exclude Albus from this demonstration, not with the examiners arriving in the castle earlier than usual. With Harry once more all over the Prophet, Griselda had manoeuvred to get the rest of the examiners into Hogwarts when the interest was at its peak. All she'd needed to mention was that Minerva wanted their opinion on the boy-who-lived's class and her fellow examiners couldn't wait to set off for the castle.

Harry was having to perform boyfriend duties and try to talk Hermione down from the funk she was getting herself into. The older Ravenclaws had recognised most of the examiners and wondered why they were in the castle early, sparking Hermione's funk.

"Our exams don't start until Monday, Hermione, you don't get those examiners until our OWL year. Professor McGonagall told us they might be coming to see our class, it will just be the same as last time."

A chance to help put her friend's mind onto something else while teasing was not something to be dismissed lightly. Padma just couldn't resist. "Oh, Hermione, I wonder if any of the other girls will take Harry up on his offer to pet his dragon?"

Catching the double meaning her friend was hinting at, Hermione knew exactly how to stop this stone dead. "As long as they remember I know the goblin command for bite their hands off, I don't see there being any problems - do you?"

She wasn't sure whether it was the look in Hermione's eyes or the tone of her voice but something sent a shiver up Padma's back. "Merlin, Hermione, you can be one scary witch when you want to be. Are you sure you're not part goblin?"

Saying that to any other witch would be considered a severe insult but Padma knew Hermione would take it the spirit it was offered, as a compliment. "Why thank you, Padma, that's the second time someone has said that recently. Harry must be rubbing off on me..."

It was only after spotting Harry's wide-eyed expression that Hermione realised what she had said, that and the sniggering traveling up and down the Ravenclaw table.

Padma put her arm comfortingly around Hermione's shoulders. "Ignore the plebs, Hermione, we knew what you meant. I think saying that Harry's had an influence on all of us is certainly a better way of putting it though."

She could feel her friend's shoulders shaking, it was only when Hermione couldn't hold her laughter in any longer that Padma realised she wasn't upset. Hermione laughing at her slip of the tongue just confirmed what Padma had said, Harry was certainly influencing all of them.

-oOoOo-

The transfiguration lesson went pretty much the same as last time, with Padma having her bluff called and stroking the dragon with a trembling hand. The examiners looked pleased, all except one - there is always one.

The students had noticed him at once, he could hardly be missed. This wizard was well over six feet tall yet would have trouble tipping the scales over ten stone when he was soaking wet. This despite having a snout that could have been a model for the dipping nose cone the engineers designed for Concord. Wearing a frown since before he stepped in the door, this was one long streak of misery.

Gordon McPhee had been saddled with the nickname 'Grumpy Gordon' when he attended Hogwarts, 'Moaning McPhee' was also suggested but Myrtle had kinda got the moaning name-tag all sewn up - the ghost really had no peer in the moaning stakes when she was on her game. Grumpy Gordon was a nickname that stuck even to the present day, probably because it was so apt.

"I fail to see why we should change centuries of history because one class wants to do things differently. Our current method of transfiguration was painstakingly developed by our forefathers, one class a week for nine months and suddenly we want to throw all that away?"

Albus was appalled at what he had witnessed in this classroom. This new form of transfiguration had the potential to trigger massive changes in magical Britain over a very short period of time, something that in his opinion was to be avoided at all costs. "I'm afraid I must agree with some of the fine points Mr McPhee has raised. I saw no notes being taken nor homework issued, far less a textbook being used for reference. What textbooks would you put on the list for next year? Are there even textbooks available?"

Gordon seized on this to further his argument. "Exactly my point, headmaster. We have books written by recognised masters on the subject that we would be consigning to the rubbish heap. No textbooks, no notes and no homework, why do we need a transfiguration master teaching a class when the skills she spent many years learning clearly aren't required?"

Minerva was ready to go to war but Griselda interrupted before the enraged transfiguration professor could say anything, far less draw her wand. "Perhaps we could ask Mr Crow if there are any books on this method of transfiguration?"

The entire class were hanging on every word spoken. To most of the students, this was their favourite class. Even Ron Weasley would cast his vote for this new method of transfiguration. With no notes to take, books to read or homework to be done, this was easily his favourite class. That he had completed the entire first year curriculum by the end of January was immaterial to Ron. No one wanted a return to the more traditional method of teaching transfiguration.

"It's Centurion Crow, Ma'am, and sorry, but the only written material on transfiguration is purely introductory."

The class were then left wondering if Snape had based his nasty demeanour on his favourite examiner, there were certainly startling similarities in the sarcastic delivery. "Did you really expect them to have books? Please!"

With Dumbledore already in the classroom, the last thing Harry needed was a reminder of Snape. Everyone in the class who really knew Harry winced at his answer to this examiner, an examiner who reminded the muggle borns of the Great Gonzo from the Muppet Show.

"Excuse me sir, the goblins had a written language and were experimenting with printing while people on this island were huddled over pieces of shredded bark, trying to get a spark by striking two lumps of flint together. The goblins have had the written word as long as man has had fire." This silenced the entire class but Harry was just getting warmed up. "I realise that there are people in this room desperate to call me a liar, and that's okay. Just because you think I'm full of dragon shite still doesn't make your views on any of these matters right."

Dumbledore then tried to play mediator, which was certainly the wrong person doing entirely the wrong thing where Harry was concerned. "Harry, my boy, can I offer a piece of friendly advice? These people standing here hold your future in their hands, it might not be wise to antagonise them..."

Harry cut right across the headmaster. "...which is why we had a history exam that was the laughing stock of Europe. I'll save these witches and wizards the trouble of remembering me for future reference, I won't be sitting any O.W.L.'s."

There was now lack of noise and movement as that comment froze everyone, well, not quite. Hermione's hand again shot into Harry's under the desk. He held his girlfriend's hand before offering a comforting squeeze to let her know he was still in control.

Albus was so shocked it was left to Griselda to break the silence. "Centurion Crow, if you have no intention of sitting O.W.L.'s, and presumably N.E.W.T.s, could you tell us why you are here?"

"That's easy, Ma'am, I'm at Hogwarts for an education..."

Grumpy Gordon thought he had his opportunity. "Without exam passes, you're nothing boy. The ministry can legally snap your wand..."

The thunk made the entire class jump, all except Hermione who'd seen Harry draw his knife and slam it point first into the desk. "I don't have a wand to break! Even Dumbledore's pet half-giant couldn't snap that, not without slicing his fingers clean off. Might stop him illegally lifting any more toddlers out their cribs."

McGonagall's 'HARRY!', combined with Hermione squeezing his hand hard enough to stop blood flow drew Harry back. He had no intention of backing down though, just curtailing his temper.

"Mr McPhee hinted that this class doesn't need Professor McGonagall, I'll say it out loud that Hogwarts doesn't need Mr McPhee. Professor McGonagall has been teaching her N.E.W.T. class for seven years and knows her students' capabilities in transfiguration better than anyone on this planet. Why should a stranger then come into the school, meet that student for about fifteen minutes and then they get to award a grade that effects that student for the rest of their life?"

Minerva could see Harry getting agitated at the slight to the goblins but couldn't understand why he was already refusing to sit exams. "We need to be seen to be impartial, Harry, that is why we have examiners from the ministry."

"I trust your opinion, Professor, rather than that of an outsider. When Master Pitslay thinks I've reached apprenticeship level, he will tell me. I will then have to decide if he would take me on to become a master, or whether my future lies elsewhere. No goblin needs a slip of paper to say how far they took their education, our system has no such exams. Since I'm attending Hogwarts as a goblin, I have no need of them."

Harry was rubbing his thumb along the back of Hermione's held hand, drawing as much comfort from this action as his girlfriend was. He needed it as Dumbledore once more entered the verbal fray, the old wizard just didn't know when to shut his mouth.

"Harry, my boy. You are taking a decision here that will affect the rest of your life, a decision that doesn't need to be made for another four years. I would ask you to reconsider that decision..."

"Why, is your new plan to send Tom Riddle my O.W.L. results and hope he dies of shame that a goblin beat his scores? I have to say it's defiantly an improvement on your 'power of love' suggestion. I still only kiss Hermione."

Hermione wasn't in the least embarrassed, she was watching how close Harry's hand stayed to his knife that was still sticking out the desk. She moved their joined hands until they were next to her sword hilt. Harry gave a slight smile at this but Dumbledore wouldn't let it go.

"If you don't sit your exams, you could potentially find yourself wanting to stay in the wizarding world and being unable to do so..."

Harry's loud laughter cut Dumbledore off, leaving half the class thinking he'd finally lost it.

It took Harry a moment to regain control before he could answer. "Sorry, Hermione but that was funnier than any of those comedy tapes you showed Padma and me over the holidays." He then turned his attention back to Dumbledore. "IF I decide to stay in the wizarding community, I shall be Lord Harry James Potter, Order of Merlin, First Class. Do you honestly think people will care whether I sat my O.W.L.'s or not?"

"Your mother and father would want you to..." Dumbledore never got to say any more, Harry was on his feet with his knife yanked out the desk and now pointed between the headmaster's eyes.

"My father will agree with my decision, believing it is mine to make. As to my mum and dad, I'll never know since they're both gone. It's looking more and more likely you had a hand in it too. Remember my promise old man, if we get proof then I'll be coming for you!"

Hermione noticed Harry's armour had began to creep down his wrists though his knife never wavered, she was certainly not the only one who was relieved to hear the bell ringing.

Minerva actually stood in front of Albus before speaking. "Class dismissed. Centurion, a moment of your time outside, please?"

Harry nodded before heading outside with the rest of the class. The instant her last student left the classroom, Minerva spun on Dumbledore. "You just couldn't let it go, could you? Always thinking you know best and trying to push that view down other people's throats, is it any wonder you're barred from going anywhere near Harry. You lose me my two best students and I might just follow them out the door. I'll tell you this, Albus Dumbledore, if you had anything to do with Lily and James' murder - I'll kill you myself!"

The examiners all stood there, shocked and stunned. Every member of the British magical community had laid eyes on the picture of a golden boy-who-lived standing over a bleeding Dumbledore, all the examiners had thought they were about to witness the live version. Albus had been playing down any talk of tension in his school, his deputy just backed Crow and threatened to kill the headmaster if the boy's claims could be proven.

Griselda was thinking if that crime could be proven, the wizarding public would do the job before Minerva could get her wand on Dumbledore. This ball would confirm James and Lily Potter as two heroes of their country, if Albus was involved in their murder there would be hell to pay.

Gordon couldn't believe what he just witnessed. His speciality was defence so he had been focused on the boy's eyes, what he saw there sent a shiver of fear up his spine. This boy was squaring up to Albus Dumbledore yet there had been no fear in his eyes, and it certainly wasn't a case of bravado either. There was a determination expressed there that Gordon expected to see in a few of the better N.E.W.T. candidates, very occasionally an exceptional O.W.L. student - certainly not in someone finishing their first year at Hogwarts. He also couldn't help notice the other three students who were obviously ready to spring to his aid, just what was going on here?

Albus was wondering the exact same thing, and also wondering how that could have gone any worse. When Cornelius discovered Harry wasn't going to be sitting any O.W.L.'s he would hit the roof. When it became known that Albus Dumbledore was responsible for this revelation, and he was sure Minerva was going to put the blame on him, Albus wondered if he might not be barred from the ministry too.

-oOoOo-

The three friends had waited along the corridor for Harry, with Hermione racing to him the instant McGonagall returned to her class.

"Hey, I'm fine. Sorry about that but can we cancel revision tonight?"

They had all caught up with each other now, leaving Padma free to answer. "Sure, Harry. You got detention with McGonagall?"

"What, no. I just want the time to tell you all what's going on. Can't have my friends thinking I'm turning into a right nutter, the rest of the school can think what it likes."

Hermione was back on Harry's arm as the four friends headed off to lunch. She actually stopped a moment at Harry's answer. "What did McGonagall want with you then?"

"Oh, she wanted to put a word in for Hagrid. She claims he's a rather simple soul who would jump in the lake and wrestle the giant squid if Dumbledore asked him to. Sirius actually agrees with that assessment but he can't forgive Hagrid either. Hagrid may have been blindly following Dumbledore's orders but he knew Sirius was my godfather, so he must have known that's where I was supposed to go."

This had Hermione shaking her head in disbelief. "In the armed forces, if you're given an order that's unlawful, the 'I was following orders' defence doesn't apply. I don't know how that works when a headmaster is giving the orders to a groundskeeper?"

"Oh, McGonagall also wanted a word about the Potter Scholarships, they've made their choices and needed to know if I was going to meet the two students beforehand. She suggested meeting in Diagon Alley, and then we could all do our shopping together. Sirius and Amelia both knew our summer schedule so McGonagall had already picked a date she knew we'd be available."

"That's a brilliant idea, Harry. I wish I'd known someone on the train last year, sitting with friends on the express at Christmas was so much better than being alone and terrified on the first of September."

This drew a big smile from Hermione as she too cast her mind back. "I agree that's a brilliant idea, Neville, but I met Harry on the train so I can't really complain. Did McGonagall tell you anything about them, Harry?"

He nodded before answering. "One is a muggle born wizard who's going to be the first in his family, but not the last. He has a younger brother and sister, and both of them are magical. His name is Colin Creevey and his dad is a milkman. Hermione, what's a milkman?"

She thought of the best way of explaining this that her friends would understand. "You know how at my house we can phone and the take-away get's delivered? Well Colin's dad delivers milk."

Padma was still struggling to get her head around this 'phone and it will be delivered to your door' concept, even after seeing it in action multiple times. "So you phone and his dad rushes to your door with some milk?"

The old Hermione would have went into great detail about dairies, milk floats and regular rounds - and they would all have missed lunch by the time she was finished. "Something like that, Padma. Who got the other scholarship, Harry?"

"A young girl who is an only child and lost her mother a year or so back. Her name's Luna Lovegood and I got the impression McGonagall was really hoping we would take her under our wings."

Padma grabbed Neville by the arm as they increased their pace toward the great hall. "Well, whether they know it or not, those two just found themselves with four new friends. Now let's get to lunch. Watching Harry scare the adults always gives me an appetite, and we've got our normal defence class next."

The four friends made their way to lunch, the quartet weren't the only ones that noticed neither Dumbledore nor McGonagall made it down.

A/N Thanks for reading and Happy Hogmanay

32. Offers Abound

Harry Crow

Disclaimer - I do not own Harry Potter and write here purely for my own pleasure. I am constantly amazed that people appear to enjoy these efforts and can only offer my thanks to those who take the time to read them.

Chapter 32

After dinner, the four friends headed up to the seventh floor. Harry didn't want there to be any way this conversation could be overheard. He also appreciated Hermione waiting until now to discover why he'd suddenly announced to all of first year he had no intention of sitting his O.W.L.'s, even though she was obviously desperate to know.

Hogwarts provided the quartet with a cozy room that held a couple of sofas facing each other, Harry and Hermione slipped into one, leaving Neville and Padma to occupy the second.

Taking a deep breath, Harry began to tell his friends why he'd asked them here. "Padma, Neville, there are things going on behind the scenes you need to know about. I'm sorry that I can't tell you everything but I think you deserve to know what might affect the four of us. Neville, this is going to be hard to hear mate. It's only certain things we've just discovered that have me telling you this now."

Padma shifted closer to her friend. The way Harry was talking, Neville would soon need any comfort she could offer.

"We have to go back before we were born to discover where all our troubles started, they began with a prophecy that links me to Voldemort. You see, until Voldemort visited Godric's Hollow that Halloween, the prophecy could have applied to one of two boys - Harry Potter or Neville Longbottom."

This was a revelation not even Hermione had heard before, it shocked the three listeners as Harry continued. "It wasn't until Voldemort cast his spell at me that I became the child of the prophecy. Had he chosen to visit the Longbottoms first, Neville could have been saddled with being the boy-who-lived - and I would be the one visiting my mum and dad in St Mungo's. Those death eaters knew about the prophecy, with the Potters dead they went after the Longbottoms - looking for some answers."

Both wizards now found themselves being comforted by the witch sitting next to them, telling the story was affecting Harry nearly as much as Neville hearing it.

"We knew the prophecy was made to Dumbledore and assumed Sirius had told Voldemort about it, while betraying my mum and dad. When we found out Sirius was innocent, my father began an investigation into the people who were responsible for an innocent man being sent to Azkaban. That's when we discovered what Crouch was up to, and got Sirius free. The investigation didn't stop there though, and has just provided us with the name of the death eater who told the prophecy to Voldemort. It was Snape!"

It was only Padma's arm around Neville that stopped him springing to his feet. He looked to Harry, hoping this horror story wasn't real. "Harry, why is Snape still walking around Hogwarts?"

"Believe me, Neville, I so want to hack the bastard to pieces. The problem is Dumbledore, he knows what Snape did and has been protecting him all these years..."

This proved a revelation too far for Padma, she spat out a string of words that they assumed to be Hindi before reverting to English. "How could that doddering old arse be stupid enough to keep Snape in the school with you two at Hogwarts? If it wasn't for Master Pitslay, both of you would even be in his class - that's just sick!"

Neville was having a revelation of his own, Harry's outburst in class now made perfect sense. "You think Dumbledore gave that information to Snape so he would pass it on to Voldemort? It's the only thing that makes any sense because I know how much I want to attack that greasy bastard. For you not to, there would need to be a very good reason."

Harry was delighted to see how far his friend had progressed from the boy who was almost frightened of his own shadow. "My father manoeuvred Dumbledore into a position where he would reveal how Voldemort got to hear about the prophecy. The only problem is, Dumbledore has no idea he was set up and hasn't twigged we know about Snape. If we go after Snape, Dumbledore is bound to realise some of what's going on. There are things happening that should destroy any public credibility Dumbledore has left, and may even see him heading to Azkaban - if we can provide enough information for the ministry to go after him. There is a chance Snape may slip out the country before we can drop the shit onto Dumbledore, I think it's a chance we need to take. Given Dumbledore's track record, the odds of Snape being someone he manipulated to get what he wanted are better than even money."

There was still something troubling Neville though. "I just can't work out why he would do that, what's in it for Dumbledore?"

"Henrica spelt it out for us in history class, Neville. Voldemort and his death eaters were killing any and all opposition, the estimate at that time was the ministry would fall by Christmas. Sirius told me our parents were very close, and also part of a group that opposed the death eaters. This group was led by Albus Dumbledore."

The implications behind this hit Hermione hard. "He would be able to manipulate situations to meet the terms of the prophecy, you told me your parents had defied Voldemort three times..."

Padma was on the exact same wavelength as her friend. "...and if he had Snape on the other side, he could pretty much do what he liked."

"Henrica tries to get us to look behind the facts of history. Can't you just see Dumbledore thinking the Potters and Longbottoms being wiped out was a fair price to pay for stopping Voldemort, especially since it was costing him nothing." The mental picture that Harry was painting was one that his friends had no trouble recognising.

Hermione had just put two and two together, and hoped harder than she'd ever hoped for anything in her young life that the answer she was seeing was actually three hundred and twenty seven - anything but four. "Is this all a mission for Gringotts, Harry, is that why you're not going to sit O.W.L.'s?"

Seeing the panic in her eyes, Harry took his girlfriend's hand in both of his. "I came to Hogwarts as a goblin warrior. My mission was to promote goblin / wizard relations, with getting rid of Binns at the top of my list. Harry Crow's personal mission was to make friends, and get some idea of where his place was in the world. When I spotted a young witch struggling to get her trunk onto the express, I thought here was someone else looking for a friend. I had watched you approach that group of Slytherin girls, I didn't hear what they said but I'm certain it wouldn't be welcome to Hogwarts."

Hermione leant into Harry, the panic in her eyes now replaced with an apology.

"After the troll in the infirmary, when I thought you and Padma wanted nothing more to do with me, I had decided not to return after Halloween. I was sure my father would have a replacement history teacher by then, just as I was sure there was nothing left for me at Hogwarts. I understand keeping secrets is bad, which is why I told the three of you as much as I could that lunchtime with my father. You three now know more about what's going on than officials at the ministry."

Pulling her boyfriend toward her, Hermione then instigated their longest kiss to date. This kiss wasn't about passion, rather both confirming they hadn't lost something that was so important to the young couple - the fact that they were still a couple. "I can say I'm sorry, Harry, but I thought it would be better if I showed you. I have been racking my brains all day to figure out why you would do the work and then not sit exams. With all this talk of manipulation, I added up the facts and came up with a totally stupid answer. The answer was so shocking though, it actually stopped me thinking straight. Since the day we met, you have been as honest as you could with me."

Harry now had a smile on his face, thinking that one day kissing Hermione might actually overtake hugging Hermione as his favourite thing in all the world. "I'm sorry too, the reasons I gave in class were the truth but it was really something I should have talked over with you first though, rather than just springing it on you along with everyone else. Dumbledore just makes me so mad that I announced my decision on the spur of the moment, I'll need to stay out of his way until the holidays. I could actually feel my armour slowly starting to slide over my body, getting ready for action - I didn't even know it could do that by itself!"

Padma had been ready to slap some sense into her friend, she thought they had been slowly breaking Hermione out of her habit of over-thinking every situation. Hermione had then saved the situation by relying on her instincts, and changing Harry's frown of disappointment into a goofy grin. "We'll help you with staying out of Dumbledore's way, he's not someone I think any of us want to be around. Miss Granger there may just have suffered a brain fart, but Neville and I never doubted you for a second."

It was a blushing Hermione who tried to tease back, desperate to put her clanger behind her. "I'll have you know, Miss Patil, that young ladies do not suffer from flatulence - of any kind. I will admit to having a moment worthy of Ronald Weasley ..."

Her boyfriend interrupted before she could say any more. "Thanks for that vote of confidence guys. Em, Hermione, please don't take this the wrong way. I would rather think my girlfriend suffered from the occasional brain fart than she was in any way comparable to Ronald Weasley." The kiss on the cheek that came with this comment confirmed to Hermione that Harry had forgiven his girlfriend's faux-pas. For that, he could call it whatever the hell he wanted.

Turning his attention to Neville, Harry again pushed the conversation into an uncomfortable area. "I said you were the closest thing to family I had left, Neville, I still believe that. Because of this, there's something I want to ask. The next time you visit St Mungo's, could I go too? I would really like to meet my godmother."

Neville's head was now down but he drew comfort from Padma's arm slipping back around him. This was a subject he found incredibly difficult to talk about yet these were his friends, Harry even considered him family. "She won't know you, Harry, she doesn't know me. We take her some sweets my gran says were mum's favourite. She eats the sweet and then slips the wrapper into my hand, gran says to throw them away but I like to think of it as a present from my mum. I've kept every single one, I have them all carefully folded in a drawer in my bedroom."

As he slowly and painfully told his story, they could all see the moisture gathering in Neville's eyes. To be honest, his three friends were suffering from the same condition.

"Neville, the goblin healers have a lot of experience with this curse, my father is going to offer their expertise to your gran when we meet over the holidays. They may not be able to do anything, but it couldn't hurt to try. The offer is being made because your mum is my godmother, any steps toward good relations that come from this is purely a secondary benefit."

Padma could practically feel the surge of hope that rushed through Neville. She agreed with Harry, there really was nothing to lose. His second comment prodded something that had been fermenting at the back of her mind, Padma decided just to ask her friend about what was troubling her. "Harry, why are Gringotts pushing so hard for better relations with wizards? It goes against everything I've ever heard about goblins."

Knowing they deserved the truth, Harry laid it out for them. "The very pureblood policies that are slowly killing the magical community are having the same effect on Gringotts. It's all about maintaining power, and bloodlines. You two are purebloods and will probably have betrothals negotiated for you, I understand in some families they are even considering cousins now as spouses."

The betrothal comment added a green tinge to Neville's complexion but Harry continued before anyone commented on it.

"They are so desperate to hold onto their power that every year, brilliant and talented witches and wizards are forced to leave Britain. This is simply because they don't possess the proper ancestry to be considered for decent jobs or as proper spouses. In a few weeks, the seventh years will graduate and discover that the bigotry in Hogwarts was only a sample of what they'll be faced with in magical Britain. These policies not only effect Hermione's future, but mine too."

He turned toward his girlfriend, "You've seen some of our city under Gringotts and, while it's large, that's all there is. In Britain, witches and wizards outnumber goblins by at least ten to one. Current ministry policy prohibits goblins living anywhere else but under Gringotts, causing us the same problems as you. Every year, more and more bright young goblins are deciding their future doesn't lie in pureblood controlled Britain, and are heading off to less restrictive countries. With an ageing population and increasing numbers of younger goblins leaving, we are only a few generations away from serious population decline. Now perhaps you can see why we're pushing for this?"

Harry's story had them enthralled. "We don't even know if this will work but have to be able to show some progress to stand any chance of slowing the numbers leaving, putting even more pressure on the decision I've got to make about my future. Not all goblins will get behind this plan though, we have our fair share of bigotry too. There are those who, if Dursley had left me on their desk, would have fed me to a dragon and considered there being one less wizard in the world as a good place to start."

This drew a yelp of fear from Hermione, and saw her burrowing even closer into her boyfriend. "My father is a very clever goblin, he saw the possibilities immediately. His original intention was simply for Harry Potter to turn up at Hogwarts and be sympathetic to goblin views. As I grew up, it was me who kept pushing for more. Extra tuition in history, economics, languages - anything to make my father proud of me and show him, and the nation, he was right to adopt a young wizard called Harry. Being awarded centurion status was way beyond anything we could have ever dreamed of."

His attention was once more focused on Neville. "Our healers were able to remove that fragment of Voldemort out of my head, the only solution the wizards have is to hit the 'container' with a killing curse." This drew yelps from his three friends but Harry was determined to get his point across. "I'm not saying our healers are better, Neville, just different. Since there has been a lot of study into that curse, those differences just might be able to help your parents."

Neville was holding on to the glimmer of hope this offered. "Harry, I will talk to my gran about this, and you visiting. I think you're right, we really have nothing to lose."

"My father knows far more about this than I do, the two of them can chat about it when we're all on holiday."

That feeling of having barely scratched the surface of goblin culture was back with a vengeance, something Harry had now mentioned twice was niggling at Hermione so she asked her boyfriend if he could explain it. "Why have the goblins done a lot of research on that particular curse?"

Realising that this would be something that could affect the Longbottoms' final decision, Harry told his friends some information that had been conveniently forgotten by wizards. "It's called the torture curse for a very specific reason, about four hundred years ago this vile thing was invented by the British Ministry of Magic - for the sole purpose of torturing captured goblins."

This was met by a trio of disbelieving stares. "Goblins are pretty tough, beating them up or breaking bones doesn't usually get you much information - other than having your circumstances of birth questioned. The ministry had a war on their hands and needed information from their prisoners, something new was needed. The curse was supposed to be kept secret, not much chance of that happening in the ministry. It was only after the war was over that this particular curse was classed as an unforgivable, when wizards started using it on other wizards. Ministry law states that using this curse on a human being can see the caster get a life sentence in Azkaban, you do remember what ministerial department deals with goblins?"

All three friends were struggling to answer that without using the word 'barbaric', Hermione though had jumped to a different situation. "Does that mean Lucius Malfoy could have cast the torture curse on you that day in defence class and nothing would have been done?"

"Technically yes, though my knife would have been buried in his chest before Malfoy could cast. We're classed as dangerous beasts, Hermione, is it any wonder goblins are leaving Britain? If Gringotts ever reach the stage where we have to bring in staff from abroad, it would be the beginning of the end. We would need to pay them a higher salary to compensate for the poor conditions in Britain, meaning the bank would have to charge its customers more - our only alternative would be to close Gringotts. Either way, there are no winners."

Padma checked her watch and got a surprise. "Guys, we've been chatting for ages. If we don't get a move on, we'll miss curfew."

They were heading back to their dorms and Neville was enjoying Padma holding his arm, she'd been there for him tonight when he needed a friend. Harry's words from earlier struck another chord, and Neville didn't want Padma's hand on his arm replaced by that of a stranger his gran picked out. "Can we extend our dating deal to include betrothals? If our families see us close, then maybe they won't start negotiations with people we don't know."

It was a shocked Padma who had to clarify what her friend just said. "Are you sure, Neville, I would hate to think I was taking advantage of you?"

"We're friends and have a lot of fun together. You would be doing me a favour, some of those girls scare the life out of me. I'm not talking about becoming boyfriend and girlfriend, just being good friends and looking out for one another. If you get a boyfriend, I would be fine with that."

Padma knew Neville Longbottom would be considered quite the catch, he was also someone she really liked and was delighted he wasn't looking to be her boyfriend - yet. "I can live with that, though I think it's you who'll get a girlfriend first."

Neville just smiled with relief, giving Padma a friendly hug before saying goodnight to his friends and entering Gryffindor. The three Ravenclaws headed for their own house, with Hermione nervously asking Harry if they were okay.

"A misunderstanding that we talked out, we're fine, Hermione. I knew what not knowing why I wasn't going to sit those exams must be doing to you, I should have spoken to you earlier. I was just so busy trying to figure out how much I could tell Padma and Neville, sorry too about the history lesson that turned into."

With Neville safely tucked up in Gryffindor, Padma could now focus her attention on the Ravenclaw couple. She'd been surprised and delighted at how open Harry had been tonight, even Neville had crawled out of that shell of his a little more. "Oh don't be daft, Harry. apologising to Hermione for extra lessons! You put a lot of trust in us tonight, and offered Neville some hope. I'll spare you another Patil sister jumping you for a hug and just say thank you for that."

The three friends made curfew with mere minutes to spare.

-oOoOo-

Gordon had heard fanciful tales of this special room inside Hogwarts, watching those four leave breakfast and head off for the second morning that weekend had him determined to investigate.

His patchy information led him to this seventh floor corridor where he made straight for the only door that was available. Upon entering, he couldn't have began to describe what the room looked like, probably because Gordon couldn't take his eyes off the boy.

Harry had a metallic shield over his left forearm and that knife of his held in that same hand, this was because he was wielding the sword of Gryffindor in his right hand. A kilt would have dated him back when the highlanders fought the English redcoats, though the redcoats never fired spells at their enemies.

The boy was fighting two duelling dummies, these were the top of the range versions that actually fought back. His three friends were cheering him on while the redheaded tutor studied a stopwatch.

"Time!" This led to much cheering, before they noticed Gordon. Harry's smile vanished as he made his way to confront his uninvited and unwelcome visitor.

"Can we help you, Mr McPhee?"

Gordon couldn't miss that neither sword nor knife were returned to their sheaths, the boy was ready for battle. "When I heard you received extra tutoring in defence, I was naturally curious..."

"My father pays for private tutoring in defence, and that's exactly what it is - private. I would like you to leave, now."

Not believing the cheek of this brat, Gordon addressed himself directly to Bill. "Do you allow your students to talk to ministry officials like this?"

"I work for Gringotts, not the ministry or Hogwarts. My job here is to teach these four to fight, you are disrupting my lesson."

Gordon focused once more on the boy. He'd come here for information and intended to get it, one way or another. "If you've been trained to fight, let's see you throw me out this room." This would at least provide Gordon with a measure of this boy's capabilities. The idea that he could be forcibly ejected from the room never even crossed the examiners mind, he was looking forward to wiping the smirk of this brat's face.

"Okay, sir, goodbye!"

Gordon thought he was ready for anything but the boy turning his back and returning to his friends caught him by surprise. A stinging hex to his arse should enrage the brat enough to fight, that was when the second surprise kicked in. The examiner couldn't move a muscle as vines suddenly had him tied like a joint of butchered beef, his feet then left the floor as he shot toward the door. Gordon hadn't seen the boy cast a spell yet here he was, flying through the open door and smacking straight into the tapestry that was hanging in the corridor.

His bindings may have vanished but it still took a moment to untangle himself from the tapestry and get his bearings. What was throwing those bearings off was the lack of a door he'd just been thrown through. None of his diagnostic spells returned any evidence of a room existing, a room he'd been standing in moments before. He was going to be in the castle until Friday and would be keeping a close eye on those four. His report to Dolores would certainly make interesting reading, though he now agreed with her this boy was a threat to their way of life.

"Sorry about that, guys, Hogwarts will make sure we're not disturbed again."

"Just as well we were running defence drills, and you weren't firing curses from your sword. How did it feel holding both weapons and your shield?" Bill was pleased to see the honesty once more shine through in Harry's answer.

"It felt slightly awkward, but I think that's more because this is an attacking configuration - and I wasn't allowed to attack. Using two blades that can cast spells proved successful against Master Sharpshard but it would leave me too open against multiple opponents, especially if they had wands. That's why I wanted to add my shield. Can I try it again, where I can fight back?"

Bill nodded and started his stopwatch, what they saw next threw any concept of time out the door quicker than Hogwarts had got rid of McPhee. Harry was suddenly in full Centurion armour and charging the dummies, he moved like liquid gold as he dodged and deflected curses while laying down a double barrage of his own. The dummies had been programmed by wizards on how to respond to attacks, they had no program designed for an attack like this. Harry was on them in seconds, and you didn't need a stopwatch to know the fight was over only a couple of heartbeats later.

His shield knocked the dummy's wand arm away as the knife he now held in that hand did the real damage. As the shield did its job, Harry's knife slashed across the dummy's torso before a blasting curse sent it spinning backward. If anything, it got off lightly. The other dummy lost its wand arm to the sword that then buried itself into the artificial torso of its opponent. A banishing charm saw dummy number two then fly across the room along with the first one, leaving both lying in a tangled heap.

Harry stood panting, though more with adrenalin rush than effort, as the other four watched while only the ticking of Bill's forgotten stopwatch broke the stunned silence. It was predictably Padma who had something to say.

"Wow, Harry, McPhee doesn't know how lucky he was that Hogwarts threw him out the room and not you. That was scary to watch from here, I never want to be on the other end of it."

"Thanks, Padma. I felt as if I'd been ignoring the goblin part of me for too long, that's how I would fight - against goblins or wizards. What do you think, Curse-breaker?"

The words were out before Bill had time to think of what he was saying. "I reckon any wizard seeing you charging like that would shit themselves." It was only the giggling coming from his other three students that alerted him he'd said something inappropriate. "I also think we might need new training dummies, dummies we might need to put armour on - if you are going to attack like that. Really devastating attack, Harry - and no webbing."

"I learned my lesson with Master Sharpshard, put your opponent out of the fight so they can't attack you again."

Bill didn't know if a reparo would actually work on the dummies so had them on shield drills for the remainder of the lesson. He asked Harry for a quiet word, after escorting them to the great hall for lunch. Ducking outside for a moment provided the privacy they needed. Bill didn't waste time and got right to the heart of the matter.

"My father is determined to invite Ginny to this ball, he thinks her sitting at your table would be a father making a daughter's dream come true. I wanted to check that you were okay with this arrangement?"

This drew a frown from Harry. "When we suggested three tickets for the Weasley family, we assumed you would be the third guest."

This was actually an embarrassing situation his father had placed Bill in, and didn't bode well for future wizard / goblin negotiations. "My father had no sisters, and then six sons before Ginny was born, he dotes on her. It's actually killing him waiting on Fudge making his goblin announcement to the Wizengamot so he can tell Ginny she's invited to the ball."

This left Harry shaking his head as another potential problem raised its head. "You do know we are all going to the nation's tailors and having our clothes made for the ball? There will be five girls sitting there in a certain style of dress and your sister will be the odd one out. If she wears the same as the rest of us, it could be construed as the ministry already bending over backwards to please the goblins. It is well known Susan is already part of our group, and will be on holiday with us, so her dressed like us won't matter. Ginny is a totally different case since her father will be the ministry's direct link to the nation."

Harry thought hard for a minute before answering. "I have no objection to your sister being there, though not at the expense of even one vote being changed against us. I think you'll need to run this past my father, I will happily abide with what he decides."

The senior Weasley was supposed to be the ministry's leading expert on muggles, it would seem he had a bit to go to get his head around goblins. It would be interesting to hear Dan and Emma's opinion of the man, after meeting him at the ball.

-oOoOo-

Fudge had judged his moment perfectly. Half the Wizengamot were almost asleep, and the other half couldn't wait for this session to finish so they could get back to their own lives. As Dumbledore asked if there was any other business, the minister stood before the old fool could bring his hammer down.

"Excuse me Chief Warlock, I have a matter to bring before the members. It concerns the ministry summer ball, an event that has all of Europe talking - and scrambling for tickets." This drew a few laughs, Johnny Foreigner wanting to attend their event, and not being able to get tickets, was considered the way things should be by most of this body.

"This is easily the premier event on this year's social calendar, and one that I know we're all looking forward to. Why I'm standing before you today is to inform this body that the event nearly never took place."

He now had everyone's complete attention so Cornelius pressed on with his presentation. "A brave young man will become this country's youngest ever recipient of an Order of Merlin, First Class. Now, through no fault of his, if anyone at the ministry wants to officially contact young Harry, our own laws state it must be done through the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Labelling young Harry as a creature is not something I can stand here and support, that is why I am proposing legislative changes for this house to consider."

This created a right hullabaloo, with Cornelius and Amelia the only calm people in the chamber. Even Albus had worked himself into a state, though that was more likely to be because he didn't know any of this beforehand. The minister knew they would all be running scenarios through their heads, attempting to second-guess what he was up to. His hope was that, when he provided details of his proposal, they would see it was nowhere near as bad as they were now considering.

When the first challenge came, Cornelius was disappointed - he now owed Amelia five galleons as she had predicted correctly.

"Hem, hem, excuse me, Minister. Surely you don't expect the Department of International Magical Cooperation to now incorporate our liaisons with goblins?"

"No, Madam Umbridge, I was suggesting no such thing. That raises a very interesting point though. Both members of the Crouch family only received justice because young Harry passed information to Madam Bones through her niece, who's a friend of Harry's at Hogwarts. That department now has a new head because of that information. It also highlights a need for a more direct channel to a nation that every single person in this chamber, with the exception of Albus Dumbledore, does business with."

This actually generated some sniggers in the chamber, and broadcast to everyone just how far Dumbledore's star had waned when he was a figure of ridicule for the minister to have a pop at.

It was time for Cornelius to reveal his plan to the chamber. "We currently have a department that deals exclusively with muggles, mainly the misuse of their artefacts. My proposal would see that department tasked to take on our relationship with the goblin nation, and its current head promoted to handle all the ministry's dealings with both. As many of you will already know, Arthur's oldest son is currently employed by Gringotts as a curse breaker - and as a personal tutor to young Harry."

That last morsel was indeed news to many, though welcome news. "Through this very fortuitous link, a preliminary inquiry allows me to stand before this chamber with the complete proposal you'll hear today. While the ministry would be represented by Arthur Weasley, the goblin nation have proposed Senior Accounts Manager Barchoke to be their Ambassador to the ministry. This chamber may know him better as the goblin young Harry calls father..."

This was a bombshell that silenced the chamber. If they rejected this proposal, they would effectively be rejecting the boy-who-lived's father.

Umbridge came back for more. "Hem, hem, excuse me again, Minister. Just what powers will this new department have?"

"Madam Umbridge, I'm surprised at you! This proposal is not about granting any one person or department the ability to make sweeping changes, have you forgotten that only this chamber has the power to make any alterations to our laws. The new department will be tasked with opening a dialog between ourselves and others. If, in the course of time, this dialog leads to any proposed changes in those laws, it will then be debated and voted on in this chamber. I believe Barchoke is also considering having William Weasley as his assistant, hoping this will help avoid any issues of protocol from delaying this project becoming a working entity."

This drew nods of agreement all around the chamber, two purebloods should be more than able to keep a goblin in line. It wasn't even as if the ministry would be granting them a great boon, classing goblins the same as muggles wasn't much of a step-up. If it meant they had a way to intervene when Gringotts threatened to close another pureblood's vault, it would be well worth the goblins meagre gain in status.

Dolores just couldn't leave it alone though, she was like a dog with a bone it didn't want to be parted from. "Minister, are you aware the boy in question declared publicly that he wouldn't be sitting his O.W.L.'s?"

Cornelius had been prepared for this, and understood he had to kill this story stone dead. "I am aware of Harry's declaration, and the circumstances surrounding why he made it. I have spoken to Harry on many occasions, and Madam's Bones and Longbottom will be holidaying with him over the summer. I'm sure I can speak for all three of us and say we are of the opinion that he is a fine young man. We are also aware how he reacts to attempts to manipulate him, especially by Headmaster Dumbledore. We have four years yet before he needs to make the final decision on that subject, and we all know a lot can change in four years."

Here was the minister's clearest indication that Dumbledore was on his way out. The entire Wizengamot had witnessed the boy's reaction to Dumbledore in this very chamber, so it was Cornelius who was being believed here - despite Albus' strong protest.

The minister still had the floor and finished his presentation. "The normal period for proposed legislation like this to sit before this chamber is forty days. I do not want to face the accusation of rushing this through the chamber, so I am proposing we defer voting on this until the third of August."

Amelia immediately seconded that proposal and, with no one willing to publicly put their name to an objection, the proposal was passed.

Albus still sat in his seat, even although the chamber had now emptied. He was supposed to be the great manipulator, but Cornelius Fudge had just ran rings around him in a chamber he previously owned. The old wizard though was grudgingly forced to admit this was a work of sheer genius, even down to the date of the vote. Instead of allowing extra time for members to organise their debate, Cornelius had craftily scheduled the vote to be right after the ball. People would enjoy themselves that Friday night, then come to this chamber Monday morning to vote.

He had attempted to get William Weasley to work for him, and been vigorously rebuffed at every turn. Yet Cornelius not only managed it, the minister apparently had Barchoke onside too. Scholarships, Order of Merlin ball and an ambassador, everyone walking away from the table thinking they got what they wanted. Albus found himself tipping his hat to Cornelius and Amelia as the pair made their way back into the chamber and headed toward him.

"Very well played, Cornelius, very well played indeed."

"We're not there yet, Albus, and you're forcing me to do something I really don't want to. This is a very prestigious event, an event that I can't have anyone upsetting the guest of honour over the course of the evening. You have proven time and time again that you cannot leave young Harry in peace, therefore I can't take the chance of you being there. Sorry, Albus, but you are barred from the ministry ball."

He really only had one question. "Did Harry or his father ask you to do this?"

"No, they know nothing about this. The two of you in the same room is too much temptation for you not to interfere, it was my decision not to allow that to happen."

Both walked away and left Albus sitting there a broken man.

Albus was actually trying to decide if he could bring himself to play the last card he held, giving up Severus to Barchoke. The goblin's comment about seeking him out on Harry's birthday now made perfect sense, Barchoke fully expected Albus to be at the ball. For Albus not to attend would send signals around Britain, and even Europe, that his days in a position of power were numbered. Whatever decision he made about Severus was now pushed a couple of weeks closer by this, he would need that time to convince Barchoke and Harry that he should be invited to the ball.

-oOoOo-

They left their history exam arm in arm, Hermione stretched up and kissed Harry on the cheek before resting her head on his shoulder as they walked.

"Why thank you, Miss, and pray tell what I did to receive such an honour. I want to make sure I repeat it, often."

Hermione couldn't help but laugh at the playfulness of her boyfriend, the pressure was now off all of them. "Our last exam, Harry, they're all over. Normally I would be worrying myself sick by this point, going over every paper in my head and working out how many points I had dropped. Now, I've got you, we've got friends and a whole summer to look forward to. The first ten days jumping between all our homes and getting prepared for the ball, then we're off on a worldwide adventure. I've never been this happy that school is ending, in fact, I've never been this happy!"

This earned Hermione a return kiss on the cheek before Padma interrupted.

"It's too nice a day to sit inside, let's grab some food from the hall and eat it down by the lake?"

This proved to be such a popular idea that most of first year ended up down by the water, the summer holidays were just around the corner.

A/N thanks for reading.

A/N2 it's official, Britain has just had its 2nd wettest year since records began. As a cyclist, I didn't need people with Ph.D's and supercomputers to tell me that - it started raining at the end of March and still hasn't stopped! Evening classes in ark building are proving rather popular.

33. First Class Ball

Harry Crow

Disclaimer - When carrying out DIY, it isn't always about saving money. To me, being able to stand back and say 'I did that' is equally as important. That is why the first person to click on this chapter is also the first person, other than me, to read it. I realise this might not be everyone's cup of tea and can only suggest they get the professionals in. I can heartily recommend J K Rowling's early works, she really makes the character of Harry Potter her own.

Chapter 33

Albus sat at the leaving feast and couldn't remember when he'd experienced a worst year at Hogwarts. The reason for his personal annus horribilis was sitting at the Ravenclaw table, along with two Gryffindors and a couple of Hufflepuffs. While they had remained at their own tables as Slytherin were awarded the House and Quidditch cups, the four first years had moved toward Ravenclaw as soon as the feast commenced.

He'd since learned that this group would not only be holidaying together, they were attending the ministry ball as Harry's guests. Harry would have muggles, a goblin, a veela and a wizarding family from India as guests at his table. This was certainly a provocative mixture - yet Albus Dumbledore was the one barred from attending. Unlike Cinderella, Albus didn't need a fairy godmother - being perfectly capable of transfiguring his own horse and carriage. Glass slippers or a suitable wardrobe wouldn't cause him any trouble either. His problem was that, while Cinderella had an invitation to the ball, Albus Dumbledore didn't!

An even bigger shock to Albus though was the reactions of both Weasley parents at his visit to their home. After reading of Arthur's potential new position at the ministry, Albus had thought this would give him an 'in' to what was happening with the goblins - and more importantly, Harry. To say he'd been given short shrift at the Burrow was putting it mildly.

Molly had delivered a personal howler from as close as her rather large bosom and their height discrepancies allowed, Albus was hoping everyone had forgotten the Quirrell incident. Arthur then took over the hazing from his wife before practically throwing him out of the Burrow, apparently endangering four of their children and then attempting to blackmail their eldest son was not appreciated by the Weasley family.

Barchoke's deadline of Harry's birthday also caused scheduling problems, since the goblin was going to be out the country for most of the summer and their meeting at the ball was now no longer an option. Albus was left with no choice but to pass a message to Barchoke through Sirius, at least the answer took some pressure off. The Goblin was prepared to wait until the beginning of next term, giving Albus the entire summer to make up his mind.

Albus was still torn though, he badly needed an opening to get closer to the boy as every other door he'd tried had been slammed in his face. With the celebratory ball causing a stir, and the proposed new goblin initiative, he couldn't see any way Severus could survive being 'outed' as the person who gave Voldemort the prophecy - leading directly to the Potters being murdered. His potions professor would draw scant comfort from the great hall being bedecked in green and silver if this was his last summer as a free man.

Hogwarts deputy though held polar opposite views to those of the headmaster. Apart from Slytherin house winning both trophies, Minerva thought this had been a stellar year. Her tough stance on discipline may have seen quite a number of students on probation but had improved all the students' general behaviour by a noticeable amount. With a line drawn, and the consequences for crossing it known, Hogwarts had purred along nicely since Christmas.

You then had to factor-in the new history curriculum and its professor, plus completely changing the way transfiguration was being taught to first year. It was also hard to dismiss the impact Harry's private tutors were having on the school. Bill Weasley was not only teaching most of first year, his revision classes for students facing O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. had been very well attended. The Weasley twins had actually come to Minerva with Master Pitslay's opinion that they would be beyond O.W.L. level by next summer, and could sit their exams a year early if they wished. Both had actually confided in their Head of House that Harry was well ahead of them.

Minerva noticed that it wasn't just Slytherin who were celebrating. It looked like the group of mixed first years sitting at the Ravenclaw table were ready to party too, and their good cheer was spreading to the rest of the hall. Albus may be disappointed that Harry Potter didn't come to Hogwarts but Minerva thought Harry Crow had been the conduit through which all the positive changes had flowed.

Minerva couldn't help but smile at the thought she would be seeing this group over the summer, not only at the ball but when they met to shop with the Potter scholarship students. The woman with the reputation for being the strictest person in Hogwarts had probably smiled more this year than any other since she started teaching here.

-oOoOo-

There weren't too many smiles at Kings Cross after the express arrived. That wasn't strictly true though, Emma, Dan and Sirius all thought it was funny the way Hermione and Harry were holding on to each other - as if they would never see the other again. Gone was Harry's stoic public face and Hermione actually had tears in her eyes at the thought of being parted. After a couple of minutes of this, Emma leaned toward Sirius.

"Dan and I are actually working next week, we finish up for the holidays on Friday. How about we take them both home with us for the weekend, and then Harry can use his portkey on Monday morning?"

"The alternative would be these two mopping around their houses, poor Eargit would end up knackered carrying their letters back and forth. I think that's a great idea, I'll let his father know to expect them Monday morning. Would it be okay if they spent a couple of days at my house? Henrica's going to be very busy at Gringotts for the first half of the holidays."

Dan was trying to appear miffed at this arrangement, and failing miserably. Emma made no attempt to hide her excitement at having them home, though she could still tease the man who had quickly become a good friend to both her and Dan. "You have a library, Sirius, we may never see them again. Just go, and we'll see how long these two take to notice you've left."

Harry's goblin upbringing was telling him this was totally irrational, but it didn't help one bit. He also knew they were meeting up next weekend to get their outfits for the ball, that just made him feel worse. His head told him he'd be fine but Harry's heart was screaming it couldn't last a week without Hermione's hugs. She'd gotten him addicted since the first day they met, it was an addiction he had no intention of fighting. That Hermione apparently felt exactly the same was the reason they were still standing on the platform, long after everyone else had left. He didn't know how long they had been standing there but it was now quiet, a state that couldn't exist when Sirius was around.

Harry removed that hair he loved so much from his eyes, to see a pair of parents smirking at him. With no sign of his godfather anywhere, he was forced to ask the obvious question. "Do you know where Sirius is?"

This got his girlfriend's attention, she recognised the smirks on her parents faces at once. They were up to something.

Dan didn't keep them waiting. "Oh, he got fed up waiting on you two to let go of each other - your godfather left ages ago! I suppose that means we've got a lodger for the weekend, but only if you take Hermione with you to Gringotts on Monday?"

Dan was soon experiencing his own personal patented 'Hermione hug'. He wasn't sure if it was her sword fencing or all the practice his daughter was getting with hugging Harry, but Hermione could now make his ribs creak with the ferocity of her embrace. She quickly moved on to her mother, any thoughts of the blues banished now that Harry was coming home with them.

The boy in question had a mad grin on his face, and finally remembered to answer Dan. "That would be...bloody fantastic!"

Lucius had watched all this from the shadows, still hoping for a break. He'd easily discovered where the Patils lived, the information proved useless though. In the middle of a moonless night, he'd attempted to get close to the house - purely on a fact-finding mission. The arm that Voldemort branded all those years ago was burning as if it was going to burst into flames, this was before he could get anywhere near the house too! Lucius was forced to get out of there fast, just in case his mere presence had triggered an alarm.

If the Patil home had wards like that, Lucius was glad he didn't know the mudblood's address. This little bint was already the one person who possessed the power to completely destroy this boy, unfortunately she would also be the best protected. Even slipping her the book in Diagon Alley wouldn't help, the wards around her house would probably fry Tom's diary the instant she returned home. With the Patils being equally protected, this left the head of the Malfoy family with a bit of a dilemma.

Did he pass the book off to some nonentity, like that Chinese witch - or even blood traitor Weasley's daughter - or did he wait until the last minute and take an attempt at a bigger prize. He knew they would all be here come eleven o'clock on the first of September, a packed platform should provide the cover for him to slip the slim volume into an unsuspecting pocket. Lucius understood this would be a massive risk, leaving everything to the very last moment. He also acknowledged there would need to be a large slice of luck involved too for him to achieve the result he wanted.

Lucius could console himself with the though that, if he couldn't get anyone close to the boy, he could still ensure the diary made its way home to Hogwarts in some poor, unsuspecting child's pocket.

-oOoOo-

Harry was trying to be there for his friend as they both made their way along the St. Mungo's corridor, it was as if Neville was experiencing every emotion humanly possible with each step that took him nearer to his parents' room. There was joy, yet tinged with sadness - excitement flavoured with trepidation. This was clearly something he looked forward to, but at the same time dreaded.

"Harry, just don't expect too much..."

"Neville, I'm going to meet my godmother and your dad, that's more than enough for me."

Augusta walked behind them both, not having words to express how proud she was of her grandson. He had changed beyond all recognition from the timid little boy she'd practically had to force onto the Hogwarts express last September, and Augusta knew who was responsible for this dramatic transformation - his friends.

The way they had set this summer's holiday itinerary, it was one week busy - followed by seven days of rest. Because of her age, Augusta had no wish to hold the youngsters back. She gave the first week in Florida a miss, joining them in the Turkish villa beside the Black Sea. There she spent one of the best weeks of her life, listening to her grandson try to explain this whole other world they'd visited in Florida.

She also watched him like a hawk, delighted with what her old eyes were seeing. The group of four were even closer than she remembered, with Padma and Neville always being together. The affection they had for each other was clearly visible, giving his grandmother hope she might actually see him settled with a good wife and family before her time came to leave this world behind. The Longbottoms were purebloods, and proud of their heritage. The family didn't let that fact define them though, she would be ecstatic if her grandson decided on either of these girls.

She had spent the week in the very good company of the Grangers, with Barchoke and Sirius dividing the week between them - both had business in Gringotts to occupy the rest of their time. Watching this loving couple care for the children made a nonsense of all that pureblood dogma, and the academic results from Hogwarts bore this out. Minerva had confided in her that Neville was not only the top first year student in Gryffindor, he placed seventh overall amongst all his peers. Augusta expected that his three Ravenclaw friends finished higher, and was fine with that. That there were nine Ravenclaws in first year meant her grandson had out-performed at least three of the cleverest house, that was totally unexpected and a phenomenal achievement on his part.

When the youngsters had tired themselves out with swimming and games through the day, the adults then got to spend quiet evenings sipping drinks and enjoying each other's company. Each were fascinated by the others and the subjects discussed were wide and varied. Neville had talked with her about the offer of help for Frank and Alice, Augusta was more than willing to listen. Watching them for the last ten years had left her ready to talk to the Devil himself if it offered the slighted glimpse of hope.

Barchoke had arrived with some goblin ale for the youngsters earlier that day, and it was this he was drinking as the four sat watching the sun go down. It was time for the serious conversation. "Augusta, the last thing I want to do here is raise any false hopes for you or Neville. Our experience has taught us that there are no absolutes when dealing with victims of this curse, and that no two victims react the same to the treatment. I have to be honest here and say that sometimes there is no reaction at all, and we have never attempted this treatment on victims after such an extended period since their exposure."

Dan asked for an explanation of the treatment, and what it hoped to achieve.

"This curse is a vicious thing, Dan, the most disgusting curse ever invented. While the Avada Kedarva kills its victims, it is instantaneous and therefor relatively painless. The cruciatus curse triggers every nerve ending in your body to send messages of great pain to your brain."

As dentists, Dan and Emma were used to dealing with people in pain. Neither could wrap their heads around a body coping with that much agony.

"The wizarding theory is that a body can only stand so much pain, before reverting to madness. Forgive me ladies but we goblins think that is a pile of dragon shit. One of the differences between goblins and wizards is that we question everything and anything, and are constantly trying to find better answers to most problems. Goblin pride was also at stake here, the very thought of a pain so terrible that it would drive us into this madness was repugnant to our nation. A lot of research was done to discover that Mother Nature is indeed wondrous."

Barchoke certainly had the other three's attention but he was no healer, he offered the explanation that had made sense to him. "The treatment is purely potions based. Not possessing the specialised knowledge of how they work on the mind, this is how I understand it. Living underground, fire is essential - it can also be a dangerous thing. A fire breaking out is usually a minor matter, easily dealt with. Should one happen when we're sleeping, taking hold before it can be brought under control, we have stringent evacuation procedures and choke points where the fire can be contained from spreading. We have discovered our bodies react in a similar fashion, closing down routes to the brain in an attempt to keep itself alive."

He could see they were following his explanation so continued. "The fact that a patient is still alive shows the body was successful in this most basic function, though we have no way of measuring the damage done. Our treatment is like the cleanup crews who move in after the fire has burned itself out. Repairing the damage and rebuilding, making that section habitable once more. As you can imagine, no two fires are ever the same and sometime it takes years for a section to recover."

"Emma and I are well aware of the measures the body can take to protect itself, though neither of us could be considered experts on the subject. What we could offer is a way to assess the damage and measure any progress. There are private clinics with machines that can measure brain activity and perform scans inside your head."

Watching the reaction to her husband's revelations, Emma felt she needed to clarify something. "These procedures are entirely non-invasive and totally pain-free, sometimes an indicator dye will be injected into an arm to provide better images but that's the only thing that may be required. Mostly the patient undergoing these tests just lay on a bed. We could look into getting a full range of tests done before any treatment, those same tests carried out say six months later would provide proof of what effect your treatment was having."

This was something Barchoke was not expecting and immediately the goblin asked Dan if he could get more information on these procedures for their healers. Barchoke then turned his attention back to Augusta. "In a small number of cases, this treatment has brought about a complete reversal of the damage caused. I think we have to be realistic and say that is probably unlikely when dealing with patients who suffered this curse so long ago. Sadly, there are those that show no improvement, we can only hope they don't fall into this category. Between these extremes lie different degrees of recovery that are as wide as the sea currently in front of us. Would a mother recognising her son, or a son recognising his mother be considered a success? Only you and Neville could really answer that."

Augusta had been glad of the glass of port in her hand that evening, it helped her distill the entire problem down to one question - did she trust these people? With that question instantly answered, the rest was easy. The Grangers had made some calls and Sirius had picked up the brochures that had been delivered to their home. Augusta hadn't been able to make head nor tail of these glossy coloured pages but everything looked 'safe', Barchoke admitted the copies Sirius had dropped off at Gringotts had left their healers drooling at the possibilities this would provide.

At the end off their week, Augusta had parted company with the group. They were heading off to Rome, where the rest of the Patil family would be joining them for a week of sightseeing. She had been busy making arrangements of her own, arrangements that would come into play today. They had the ministry ball tomorrow and then the entire group was heading off to spend a nice quiet and restful week in the Maldives, though, with their numbers swelling to seventeen, Augusta questioned how quiet it might be.

She entered the room to find precisely what she expected, her son and his wife in exactly the same condition as they had been for the last decade. This state of affairs was no longer acceptable to the acting head of the Longbottom family, not now that she knew there were possible alternatives. St Mungo's were about to discover that Augusta's reputation as a formidable witch was well earned, and she was about to add some new chapters to that reputation today.

-oOoOo-

The portkey had barely deposited the father and son to the Grangers' back garden when Harry was running for the door. The way he was feeling, only one thing would help. Hermione was waiting with open arms and soon both were wrapped in a needed hug.

"How did it go?"

Barchoke took a moment to watch the distress flowing out of his son before answering. "Augusta said it went exactly as planned, Frank and Alice are traveling by private ambulance to the clinic. After some tests, they'll spend the night there before more tests tomorrow and then heading back to London. Those nurses Augusta found will stay with them on rotating shifts and then, after returning to the city, portkey with Neville's parents into Gringotts. Neville appeared every bit as upset as Harry, he could have done with Padma there too."

Just being in his girlfriend's arms had calmed Harry enough that he could answer. "She'll be there tonight for Neville's birthday, Padma's like Hermione and seems to know instinctively what to do. I've not been here five minutes but already I'm feeling better."

He gave his girlfriend a kiss on the cheek in thanks before continuing. "It's easy to see why the sorting hat couldn't put Neville anywhere else but Gryffindor, walking down that corridor when you know what's waiting at the other end takes real courage. We have to help them, father, whatever it takes!"

"We will, son, everything we possibly can will be done. These tests will also tell us if the muggle doctors have any way of treating this, our healers were very impressed that these facilities existed - far less could be used on anyone."

Emma was now busy fussing over Harry and making sure he was feeling better, it was Dan who followed up on that. "Our doctors are always striving to increase their knowledge of how our brains work, they may be able to offer some form of help."

"We find it strange but refreshing that your healers are so willing to share information between each other, it must make things so much easier?"

"We have dentistry publications that are periodically delivered to our practice, as do most dentists in Britain. They not only keep us up to date with any new developments in procedures and technology, they have information on anything interesting that's happening in dentistry anywhere in the world. For at least a hundred and fifty years, the Lancet has been providing the same function for doctors the world over. Shared information in that publication has let to more than a few medical breakthroughs."

The more time Barchoke spent with these people, the more he found his views on the world changing. Seeing Harry was back to himself with Hermione at his side reminded Barchoke there was another matter he wanted to discuss with the Grangers. It would require the use of their memory viewer though.

Only Barchoke had seen this before and could understand the shock, fear and anger that he found himself surrounded by. The memory ended as Harry approached the stricken Hermione and her golden protection dissolved back into her bracelet. Harry and Hermione were of course in each other's arms, but Emma had them both in an embrace and she didn't appear ready for letting go any time soon. Dan was very angry that Hermione had been hurt but incredibly moved at the way Harry had fought like a demon to avenge her.

He'd gotten to know Barchoke though and understood they hadn't just watched this as a means of entertainment. "I have to assume you had a reason for terrifying the life out of us with that?"

This drew a wry smile from the goblin. "I think it's fair to say that Hermione's safety is a very high priority for everyone sitting here, and is the reason for you watching my memory of that morning. Your daughter's safety was such a high priority, her bracelet has more protection runes than any piece of jewellery ever worn by a witch or wizard. Our problem is, it shouldn't have been able to protect her like that - this has never happened before."

Emma was puzzled at this. "Harry's do it all the time, isn't this a good thing?"

"As a centurion, Harry's are specifically designed to do that. They are also bound to him by blood and will never come off. We are still trying to determine how his magic allows the armour to increase his speed and strength when Hermione gave us a whole new problem. Her bracelet expanding to become body armour is not a good thing, it's a great thing - but only if she can repeat it."

His daughter having the ability to suddenly be protected by armour was a bloody brilliant thing in Dan Granger's book too. "How do we go about achieving that?"

"We want to blood-bond the bracelet to Hermione and see if that works, the director has promised to consider using the centurion enchantments on it if need be. Tomorrow will thrust Harry even more into the spotlight, and we all know who will be right by his side. As a friend of the goblin nation, we intend to do everything in our power to offer Hermione protection."

Both parents immediately wanted to know what this blood-bond entailed, and any side effects.

"She merely has to prick a finger and rub her blood into the disks containing runes, then I need to perform some enchantments. The only downside for Hermione is that the bracelet will never leave her wrist after that."

Dan realised this would mean his daughter walking around for the rest of her life wearing Harry - Hermione - best friends forever on her wrist, he also realised that the world Hermione had entered could be a dangerous place. He considered the slim possibility that these two wouldn't remain best friends, leaving Hermione with this constant reminder of that fact, a small price to pay for the protection this would afford his daughter. He glanced toward Emma to see his wife already nodding her consent.

Barchoke returned his attention to the youngsters. "This is going to take some work, Hermione, but you'll have Harry to help. I also think this should be kept a secret, and hope you never need it. If we keep it to the group who know about Harry being able to cast with his sword, that should allow you to practice without alerting anyone. You'll probably need to wait until you return to Hogwarts though, you have other friends with you for the rest of the holidays."

Hermione had a question that was worrying her. "That shield formed over my clothes, will it form under them if my bracelet is blood-bound?"

"This is so unusual that all I can do is offer my best guess, which would be yes."

This drew a blush from the young witch, Harry might not have a problem with displaying his chest, Hermione had no intention of letting that happen to her. At least not for a few years anyway, and then only when she and Harry were ready for that.

-oOoOo-

Despite Harry's repeated protests that it was Neville's special day, those protests were ignored - especially by Neville - and the party at Longbottom Manor was held for both birthday boys. Neville managed to turn Harry's opinion around halfway through the evening when he confessed this was already his best birthday party ever. It was a group in very good spirits who were gathered in the ante-room at the ministry, waiting on tonight's events getting started. As the guests of honour, they would only enter the ballroom after everyone else was seated.

An aide then informed them that the minister had just taken his seat, it was time to go.

Arthur Weasley brought up the rear of the procession, with Molly on one arm and a wide-eyed Ginny on the other. Ginny was dressed in the finest robes she'd ever owned, yet still didn't fit-in. She was here though, which was more than any of her brothers had managed. She didn't really need to console herself, just being here tonight was magical. She was drawn out of her dreaming by a loud fanfare of trumpets.

"What's that, daddy?"

"Oh, that will be Harry..."

"Oh wow! He can play the trumpet too?"

Molly's harrumph was ignored, just like her husband had ignored her opinion on tonight. With Bill no longer having to spend his weekends at Hogwarts, he had switched to spending that time in the Burrow. He was still teaching though, trying to prepare them for what they would face tonight. Three things very quickly became apparent to Molly - this was a really big night for the Weasley family, they were woefully under-prepared and they'd be leaving the biggest asset the family possessed sitting at home.

Arthur had ignored her advice to take Bill, instead plumping for giving his beloved daughter the best early birthday present he possibly could. Tonight could make or break them, the Weasleys were the ministry's representatives at this table. Instead of having an expert on goblins - Bill probably knew more about muggles than his father too! - they had an out of her depth, starstruck, soon to be eleven year old little girl.

Her husband obviously hoped this would be a foot in the door for Ginny, trying to avoid another situation like Ron at Hogwarts. Molly couldn't fault him for that but already knew this attempt was doomed to failure. These were very nice kids but they were talking about a party they attended last night, shopping in Rome and all were looking forward to going on holiday together soon after tonight's ball. What was Ginny supposed to talk about with them? The swimming hole is quite muddy but the apples needed the rain is hardly going to be riveting conversation.

After Ginny attends Hogwarts, they would all have some common ground to chat about but tonight was a mistake. Molly had begun to wonder if the goblins weren't a lot cleverer than they were being given credit for. It was assumed that Bill becoming Barchoke's assistant was to save the goblins making silly mistakes, Molly now though her son's real job would be to stop Arthur putting his foot in his mouth. If tonight backfired on them, Molly silently swore that Arthur would be sleeping in that bloody shed of his until at least Christmas.

Hermione was on Harry's arm as he led their procession into the ballroom, she sparkled at his side - literally. The goblin tailors had recognised their work would be featured in the wizarding press all over Europe, so only their very best would do. They would be pleased to know the photographers were practically fighting with each other to capture images of their fine work.

They had chosen pastel colours as the basis for their designs, with Hermione's being pale green. The goblins had taken the designs handed to them and applied their own stamp though. Hermione's dress was high at the neck with the bodice delicately embroidered and deep green semi-precious stones reflecting any available light. All the other dresses had sashes around the waists - ending in bows at the back - but hers had a wide and bejewelled dark green belt, from which her sword hung in its sheath.

The dress was almost to the floor and the puffed shoulder sleeves were covered by an embroidered shawl that appeared to have gold thread running through the green material. Add in the jewellery from Barchoke and Hermione was a show stopper. The goblin tailors had achieved that most difficult of tasks. Instead of attempting to dress young girls as women, their designs merely hinted at the beautiful women these young witches would one day become. Harry's waistcoat matched the shade of his date's dress perfectly, while his frock coat was dark green to match Hermione's accents. Of course, the young couple sported matching swords too.

Dan, Emma and Barchoke followed their children into the ballroom, Dan thought his wife was the most beautiful women at the ball as her cream dress highlighted the tan this year's holiday had provided. Unlike the girls' dresses, Emma's was a more traditional look for this period. The bodice, while lower, was adorned with pearls and her dark brown shawl and sash matched the shade of Dan's frock coat perfectly.

That Emma was the most beautiful lady present was not a view shared by everyone, as they were followed by Sirius - and a simply stunning Henrica. Like each couple the goblins had designed clothes for, Sirius' dusky pink waistcoat matched his date's dress perfectly - and the dark maroon frock coat complimented those highlight colours. Sirius had Minerva on his other arm but all the attention was elsewhere. Photographers that had been almost fighting over Harry and Hermione nearly started a riot trying to get closer to Henrica.

Neville came next, with Padma on one arm and his gran on the other. As all the elder witches had done, Augusta had chosen to wear what she normally would to an occasion like this. She thought her grandson looked incredibly handsome in his chosen clothes though. They in turn were followed by the other three Patils. While Parvati was dressed in the same style as the other young witches in their party, Smita and Ramrao had chosen more traditional Indian wear.

Amelia was behind this riot of colour, though Susan and Hannah were almost as bright as they too shone in their goblin made dresses. The Weasleys brought up the rear as the special guests were escorted to their table.

There was a small band-stage in front of the guest of honour's table, and it was to this stage that the minister soon made his way. Harry's table was front and centre, with the nearest surrounding tables populated by ministry officials - and those willing to pay the asking price for getting close to the boy who lived. Cornelius cleared his throat before beginning his prepared speech.

"Good evening everyone, it gives me great pleasure to greet you all at this very special event. Our guest of honour made a couple of requests regarding tonight, requests I was delighted to comply with. First, young Harry asked if some of the formality could be removed from this evening, as it's his birthday - how could I say no?" This drew some laughter, cheering and a good few shouts of 'Happy Birthday'. Cornelius wasn't lying, he was just being a politician and stretching the truth. Harry had asked that he be awarded his medal as just that, Harry - hence losing the formalities.

"There was also a request made that we do the presentation before dinner, getting the speeches out the way and allowing everyone to enjoy their evening."

Yes, a request had been made, but the minister had no intention of saying the request came from him. With the presentation done, his hope was that the press would stay for the free food - perhaps the first dance - and then bugger off. Cornelius was well aware of the undercurrent of animosity that was presently flowing amongst some sections of their society. One glance at Harry's table was enough to know that here would be the lightning rod for those animosities, especially as the night progresses and the drink flowed. The minister wanted the press long gone before any incidents presented themselves.

"It was Halloween nineteen eighty one when the dark lord visited Godric's Hollow, tonight is about this country acknowledging the debt that we owe the Potter family for their bravery and selfless sacrifice. The ministry wanted a way to express their gratitude and from this, the James and Lily Potter scholarships were born. A panel consisting of Madam Bones, Professor McGonagall and Harry's godfather, Lord Black, were convened and tasked with administering this scholarship. In September, a young first generation wizard and a pureblood witch, who tragically lost her mother in an accident, will be the first recipients of this scholarship. Young Harry though is taking his involvement even further, he and his friends intend to meet these recipients in Diagon Alley and make sure their transition into Hogwarts students is as painless as it can possibly be."

This was met with loud applause, helping children through Hogwarts was not something that anyone could really publicly oppose.

"We are now at the portion of the evening that everyone is here for. Rather than me standing here and talking about the boy-who-lived, I think we would all rather see Harry receive his Order of Merlin, First Class - and then hear from him."

Harry rose with the applause and purposely walked toward the minister. He'd gone over this speech with his father and Hermione, and was as ready as he would ever be. While wizarding speeches appeared to be long and flowery, goblins tended to be more direct and leave less room for misinterpretation. 'Kill the bastard before he guts you' might be appropriate but would hardly go down well tonight.

The minister pinned Harry's medal onto his coat as his table led the loud cheering that followed. He was then invited forward to say a few words and an expectant hush fell over the ballroom.

"I would like to thank the minister and his ministry for this prestigious award, I hope you will all forgive me if I say that the honour tonight's event is bestowing on my mum and dad means so much more to me. Yes they gave their lives fighting a great evil, as did a lot of witches and wizards who will have relatives and friends sitting here tonight. I see this scholarship as something that honours all those who fell fighting the good fight, this is their honour too - their remembrance!"

The applause started slow, shocked and tearful faces were now reflected back at Harry. They had come tonight to see and hear a boy, instead they found themselves entranced by this charismatic young man. The applause quickly built, and, like a powerful wave, soon engulfed the ballroom. When it died down, Harry began the part of his prepared speech that he knew would be controversial.

"Yes, my mum and dad died fighting a great evil, but that great evil wasn't Voldemort." Harry used the shock of him saying that dreaded name out loud to remove a small glass vial from his waistcoat pocket. "No, Tom Riddle was nothing more than a powerful wizard who used existing prejudices to almost bring this country to its knees. I have here a vial of blood, can anyone tell me how pure it is?"

This was greeted by total silence, it felt as if someone had asked the queen if it was her that just let one rip. Not expecting an answer to his question, Harry continued. "My three best friends and I are a pretty strange mixture. A daughter of an ancient Indian pureblood line, the scion of one of Britain's oldest pureblood families, a first generation witch and then me - a wizard raised by goblins. Do you think this vial here tells you any of that? Prejudices in nineteen eighty one dictated my mother should be slaughtered like an animal because of her circumstances of birth, yet we are all here tonight honouring her."

Harry turned to face a minister who was turning paler by the second. "Minister Fudge's courageous stance on this matter should be applauded, and certainly has my full support. It takes a brave man to say this bigotry will no longer be tolerated in Britain, tonight's awards broadcasts that message out like a welcoming beacon to the rest of the world. As does his recent attempts for a closer relationship with the goblin nation." This had the colour returning to the minister, and it got even better as Harry's attention once more shifted to the audience.

"As you probably know, I've spent most of my life living as a goblin and I can honestly say I see a lot of similarities between our cultures. My father is a brave and honourable goblin, traits I know both cultures hold dear. He is also a head of family, a head who, just like every other head of family, hopes one day his eldest son will follow in his footsteps. I really could never see myself becoming a banker, but an ambassador is certainly a position worth aspiring to."

Harry had made that as plain as he possibly could and it was now time to finish up. "A few days ago my friends and I were in Rome, we took the time to visit that city's ancient colosseum. I found it sad that the civilisation who built this magnificent structure were wiped out, simply because they couldn't adapt to the changing world around them. The sterling efforts and forward thinking of Minister Fudge's administration should ensure a fate like that will never befall this society, and see our country go from strength to strength. I would like to thank you all for these awards, listening to me and hope they're serving the food soon. I'm a growing lad and am really looking forward to dinner!"

Cornelius led the applause, and shook Harry's hand as the boy returned to his table where they were all on their feet. The boy-who-lived had just given him and his ministry an endorsement that no amount of gold could buy, he had also cleverly made that support conditional. Providing his ministry stayed in the light, he could count on Harry's support. Since this was the direction he wished to go, that shouldn't be a problem.

Cornelius almost shit himself when the boy took out that vial of blood, this was a subject one didn't talk about in polite company. He couldn't think of anyone else who could have pulled it off. All that was needed now was for his vote to pass the Wizengamot on Monday and Cornelius could relax, for a little while at least.

Harry returned to his table to a rapturous reception, and a congratulatory kiss from his girlfriend.

Molly had listened while Bill talked about this young man, but seeing him 'in action' so to speak had practically taken her breath away. He'd just stared down the pureblood elite of Britain, Europe too, and told them they had been wrong. This was no childish rant though, he stood there like a warrior and verbally tore their former leader to shreds - before finally outing their pureblood superiority beliefs for the nonsense that they are. She wondered how many of them would enjoy their meal after that, being reminded they were here to honour a muggle born witch and her 'goblin' son. Something was bothering her though, so when the table quietened Molly asked her question.

"Harry, I hope you don't mind me asking but you never actually said who that blood belonged to?" She felt the full force of those green eyes and that devilish smile, framed by his long, jet black hair. Molly suddenly realised this boy had the charm, charisma and confidence to pull off just about anything.

"That was precisely my point, Mrs Weasley, it didn't matter whose blood it was. Actually, it's not really blood at all. This is fake blood that I bought out of a joke shop in Crawley, it's supposedly edible and strawberry flavoured - if anyone wants to try it?"

Sirius, Dan and Ramrao suddenly had their respective wives and girlfriend pounding between their shoulder blades to alleviate their choking, a consequence of trying to burst into laughter while eating soup.

Not sure whether her hearing had suddenly malfunctioned, Molly asked for confirmation. "You faced down this entire crowd using something you bought out of a joke shop?"

Harry's smile went up another notch in answer as Arthur suddenly had a horrible premonition of what his new job could entail. "Bill tells us you are friends with Fred and George?"

"Oh yes sir, they're great guys - especially after we came to an understanding that meant no more pranks on us."

Of course, that was a story the entire table wanted to hear. It left Molly certain she was right, they had really underestimated the goblins. Arthur thought his wife was correct too, he wasn't anywhere near prepared for this job.

Dolores hadn't been prepared for that speech, at least she wasn't alone in that, it certainly ruined her appetite. She'd been working quietly behind the scenes for the last few weeks, trying to ensure this disgusting goblin proposal was kicked out on Monday. That speech from the boy-who-lived just destroyed all her endeavours. That wasn't the real reason she was currently stirring her soup, rather than eating it. Glancing over at the top table destroyed any appetite she had.

How were you meant to enjoy your food with mudbloods, muggles and even creatures sitting in the heart of the ministry. Why didn't they just invite a centaur along too and be done with it? She was sure the caterers would have arrange for a bale of hay, save the curtains and upholstery from getting chewed. A house elf could have been ordered to follow the beast around with a shovel, centaur shit on the ballroom floor would really have made everyone's evening!

It was time for Dolores to stop her musing and face facts. Unless something was done here tonight that would show this boy for the child that he was, the goblin proposal would sail through the Wizengamot on Monday. It was also looking increasingly likely that she would have to be the one to do it too. Now all Dolores needed to figure out was just exactly what 'it' could be?

A/N Thanks for reading

A/N 2 Running a bit late this week, though this is the longest chapter of HC to date. I've also been very busy with a project, a project I could use your help with. I've been working with some 13/14 y.o. kids to produce a film against knife crime in Scotland. This is a national competition, run by the Scottish government, and we've reached the semi-final stage. Around the beginning of February, the competing videos will go online and people will be invited to electronically vote for their favourite - sussed where I could use your help yet? Will post more details when they come into the school.

34. A Warning

Harry Crow

Disclaimer - Harry Potter belongs to JKR. I write purely for fun and it's posted here so anyone can read my efforts - free of charge. Anybody wishing professional standards of writing should go and buy a book, JKR has apparently got a new one out!

Chapter 34

Albus was taking an evening stroll around the castle, this was at least better than sitting in his office moping. He'd been so busy thinking about the public embarrassment missing tonight's ball would cause him that he'd totally overlooked the much greater problem that was right under his nose. Albus had also been mulling over what to do about Severus when it hit home that he hadn't actually seen his potions professor for a while.

During the summer break, it wasn't uncommon for staff to be missing for weeks at a time but Severus would usually tell him when he set off on an ingredients gathering trip. As Albus cast his mind back further, the last time he could recall seeing the head of Slytherin was when Severus saw his students off to the express. This led Albus to do something he would not normally do, enter a professor's accommodation without their permission or knowledge. In Severus' rooms he found no sign of his potions professor, literally. It was evident Severus had packed everything he owned and skedaddled out the castle - no fond goodbye or even a note.

This left Albus in a precarious position. If he told Barchoke that it was Snape who passed on the prophecy, it would now appear as if he'd helped Severus flee before revealing the informant's identity. The headmaster was also in a quandary over what to do about a potions professor come September. Severus hadn't handed in his notice, and advertising his position might alert people that he'd done a runner. Just when Albus thought he'd finally got the defence job sorted, along comes something else to upset the apple cart. He was left asking himself why the fates suddenly hated him so?

-oOoOo-

Dolores thought the fates were against her as well. She would admit to herself that thinking on her feet was not one of her best traits, she was more of a careful schemer who strived from the shadows to achieve her long term goals - but that wouldn't work tonight. She had approached a few people who shared some of her opinions on magical society, hoping to create a collective sense of outrage at this odious circus tonight's ball was turning into. Really, she was just looking for someone to do the dirty work in her place but Dolores was finding no takers.

The boy cunningly revealing he might one day be the goblin ambassador had won him a lot of plaudits tonight, that the ministry wouldn't then have to deal with a beast was certainly a plus. If the boy decided to forsake them and live as a goblin, the public would tear down whatever government allowed that travesty to happen. Here might be a compromise that was acceptable to all.

There was also those who weren't present tonight but whose absence still played a big part in Dolores not finding the support she was looking for. That Albus Dumbledore was refused an invitation for the ball again counted in the boy's favour, especially amongst those with the same leanings as Dolores. At the back of all their minds too was the omission of the Malfoys, now social pariahs in their community. The fact that their wealth was locked away until the son came of age sent shivers up pureblood spines - and this boy was rumoured to be the one responsible for their spectacular fall from grace.

No, it would appear Dolores was on her own tonight. Gordon had told her that when he tried to instigate a confrontation with the boy at Hogwarts, this supposed hero had point-blank refused. This led Dolores to believe his extra defence training was because the boy-who-lived needed it. All she had seen from the boy so far was cutting Dumbledore's wand with a sword, after Black had punched the old fool out and put him on his back. Dolores was confident of winning any confrontation with the brat, it would be the engineering of it that would take all of her skill.

A direct attack on the boy would see her lose support, even after she trounced him. Dolores needed to choose her victim carefully, one that would have him rushing to their aid. All his friends were out for the same reason as the brat was, publicly, she couldn't appear to be a bully that was picking on children. This left Dolores running her eye over the rest of his company. Part of her would really like a go at that veela creature, but a mature veela wouldn't need a little boy springing to her aid. It was also known they could transform and throw fireballs at their foes, not something she fancied facing.

The more she studied, the more her choice became obvious - the muggle bitch who thought she and her mudblood daughter had the right to be here tonight. The problem with her choice was that Amelia Bones and Augusta Longbottom never let her intended target get out of their sight. Dolores was getting desperate, but not desperate enough to tangle with either of those two witches.

Emma couldn't hide her delight at dancing with her daughter's boyfriend. "Oh thank you, Harry, if Arthur had asked me one more stupid question - I swear I would have screamed. If that's the ministry's expert on the general British public, Mr. 'I collect plugs - and batteries too' Weasley, then I hate to think how poor his knowledge is on your nation. Eckeltricity! - even Augusta knows better than that now. Molly's been staring daggers at her husband all evening but I think the chance to talk with two live muggles is too big of an opportunity for him to pass up."

"Well, it also gets me away from their daughter staring in my direction all through the meal. The break from Hogwarts must have lowered Hermione's tolerance, she usually can just ignore it."

She knew she really shouldn't tease but Emma couldn't help it, the mother in her had grown very fond of Harry. "I noticed the only time she wasn't staring at you was when you looked anywhere near her, then her face was redder than her hair. Do the girls stare often, Harry?"

"They stare at the boy-who-lived, not me. My friends don't stare because they've taken the time to get to know me, not some myth."

Emma had spotted some girls in Florida who'd never heard of Harry Potter but still eyed-up this handsome young man. Harry's shoulders were so broad and muscled that they'd had to purchase T-shirts supposedly for ages fifteen to sixteen to achieve a proper fit. With shorts and trainers completing his outfit, you would never have placed him as just approaching twelve. Emma felt those muscles tense as they danced before they sprang into action. She would not have considered herself light as such, that didn't account for Harry being able to lift her effortlessly off her feet and spin her around. No sooner had Emma' feet regained contact with terra firma when Harry had released his hold and quickly turned to face where she had been mere seconds before.

Dolores had sensed a golden opportunity when her two intended victims took to the dance floor. Her original intention was to stick out her foot and trip the bitch before instigating an argument, that was before the green eyed monster of jealousy saw the angry red mist descend to cloud her judgement. This woman was beautiful, even Dolores couldn't deny that. The muggle moved with a grace and elegance that she herself coveted, but it was the way she smiled and chatted to the boy in her arms that saw Delores' bile rise. She was suddenly transferred to other times and different places where the rules were always the same - the pretty girls got all the boys. That this bitch was a muggle magnified the problem immensely in Dolores' eyes.

As they danced toward her, an intended trip was rapidly transforming into a kick. By the time they reached where she had positioned herself, uncontrollable jealousy had Dolores wanting to harm this bitch for all the humiliation and hurt she'd suffered from pretty girls over the years. She took a step forward and swung her foot as hard as she could at those delicate ankles.

Dolores was prepared for the impact, what she wasn't prepared for was hitting fresh air - how could she have missed? Her striking foot continuing unchecked threw her totally off balance, and saw her rump hit the floor with a tremendous thump.

While sitting there trying to comprehend what had just happened, a hand reached out to help her. She looked along that arm until her gaze locked onto the greenest pair of eyes she'd ever seen.

"Are you okay? That bit of floor is slippy, it almost had Emma down just then."

They had instantly gathered a crowd, a crowd that was far from silent. "Slippy my arse, she tried to kick that lady..."

Dolores saw it reflected back in those green orbs, he not only knew what she'd attempted but had somehow foiled her attack. The muggle bitch looking over his shoulder added fuel to her now raging temper, this was not who the most famous wizard in their society should associate with. As far as Dolores was concerned, he'd already made his choice - and chosen badly.

"Get your paw away from me, goblin. You dishonour the proud name of Potter with the choices you make and the company you keep. Your parents would be ashamed of you."

The band may have been still playing a waltz but this was now the event attracting all the attention. Harry glanced at his still offered hand before replying. "That is something none of us here will ever know, since people who shared the same opinions as you saw them murdered in their home. I think what would make them ashamed is that they gave their lives yet this attitude still remains." His offered hand was withdrawn and Harry's gaze got harder. "I have been awarded your society's top honour tonight, but you still consider me far beneath you - purely down to you thinking what flows through your veins is better than mine. Would you care to duel and see if you're correct? I'm sure we can find another vial somewhere and then people can guess just how pure your blood is."

Before anyone could intervene and put a stop to this, Dolores quickly shouted her agreement. "I accept your duel to first blood, we'll see just whose blood it is that gets spilt."

Harry agreed, and then turned to find all his guests were now right behind him. He could see Sirius wanted to object but his father pushed forward first. "I'll hold your coat, son."

This effectively killed any argument though Hermione was now in front of him too, she began unbuttoning his waistcoat before giving advice most of the listening crowd could certainly hear. "Remember Master Sharpshard, don't mess about. Take her out quickly, I want more dances with my boyfriend tonight."

The waistcoat was now off and in his father's hands as his girlfriend started on his shirt. Padma had seen how the crowd reacted to Hermione's words and decided to take it a step further. "I thought Harry took Master Sharpshard out pretty effectively, Hermione. Greatest bladesmith the Goblin Nation has and Harry cut him to pieces, what your boyfriend can do with that sword is just scary..."

Dolores had of course been listening and interrupted. "I choose wands for this duel, not swords."

Hermione had removed his cravat and cuff links, leaving Harry standing there with his shirt open to the waist. He turned to face his opponent. "You are welcome to choose whatever weapons you want, as am I. If you wish to apologise for your attempted attack on Emma, and the slandering of my family, I will accept and we can move on. Otherwise, you will face my blades. You challenged a centurion to a duel, you are about to find out just what that means."

Hermione removed one of the bejewelled disks that decorated her belt, one twist and Harry had a shield on his arm. "I've got a spare here if you need a second?"

This earned her a kiss from her boyfriend as Fudge then attempted to sweep the whole thing under the carpet. "Harry, is this really necessary? Can't we reach some agreement to avoid bloodshed? A sword against a wand is hardly a fair fight, I don't wish to see you hurt."

This saw his three friends burst out laughing, Neville further amazed his grandmother by standing up to the Minister of Magic. "Barchoke arranged duelling dummies for us to practice on. These are top of the range models but we can't let Harry fight them, two of them together can't hit Harry with a spell before he hacks them to pieces. Professor Weasley couldn't repair the last two he destroyed. I would guess she will get one, perhaps two spells off before Harry's blades find their mark. I don't know what she does at the ministry, but I would guess she won't be at work on Monday."

Harry had a shield and his knife on one arm while he drew his sword, taking a few practice swipes. "I've given my terms, minister. She came looking for a fight, I would hate to disappoint. The Grangers are under my protection yet she still made the attempt. Even then, I was prepared to overlook that since it was so childish an attempt - not now."

Glad his boots were made of dragon hide and would cope with the change, Harry activated his armour.

Hermione may have been terrified inside but none of that showed as she gave Harry a quick kiss for luck. "Make it quick, Harry, don't give her a chance to get a lucky shot in."

Dolores was rapidly reevaluating her options, they didn't look good. To back down now would be the end of her career, but to fight might be the end of a lot more than that. She enjoyed her position in the ministry, she also enjoyed picking her nose on occasion. If that blade got too close, Dolores might lose both her job and her wand arm.

She tried to stall, Dolores was ready to try anything. "Armour, what kind of honour is there in fighting with armour on?"

"The same type of honour there is in challenging a twelve year old boy to a duel on his birthday. You thought you would be fighting a little kid, instead you're facing a highly-trained centurion. Do we need a referee or are there too many witnesses for you to attack me when my back is turned?"

The band had long since stopped playing, unable to compete with the entertainment this confrontation was providing. Harry's comments drew loud gasps from the large crowd, most of whom were amazed at just how well this young man had judged his opponent.

Dolores was backed into a corner and couldn't see anyway out, she drew her wand and fired the first curse. Her emotional state being what it was, she cast the curse a lot stronger than she'd intended. It sliced the back of her hand open and she held it up to her opponent, almost wetting herself to find him now right in front of her with that deadly sword poised to strike - how could anyone move that fast?

"First blood I believe, is your honour satisfied?" Dolores was feeling quite pleased with her solution and put as much venom into the word 'honour' as she possibly could. The back of her hand was also in agony, she hoped it didn't leave a scar.

Her opponent then showed what he thought of her honour by turning his back on her and walking away. This was about as big a show of disrespect to an opponent's honour as possible, without committing the ultimate social faux pas and actually spitting in someone's face. Dolores dearly wanted to raise her wand but she now had a face full of furious Fudge.

"You will leave here immediately, reporting to my office at eight o'clock, Monday morning. At that time, you will be reassigned. If you're not there at eight sharp, I will assume you do not wish to be reassigned and have resigned from the ministry."

Dolores left the ball with her head down and leaving a trail of blood behind. Her hand hurt like the devil, it would probably leave a scar too! She was about to be demoted and some toady would take her place on the fast track to success. Dolores knew she was finished in any administration headed by Fudge, what she needed to do now was keep her head down and give people time to forget tonight. Meanwhile, she would be looking about for a challenger to Fudge, and getting in quick before anyone else.

This was certainly going to be a long term project. As long as Fudge had the support of the boy-who-lived, he would be untouchable as minister. Dolores wasn't forgetting that brat either, he'd just shot straight to the top of her 'get even with' list. This was a very short list since she usually ensured those names that appeared on it soon got what was coming to them. She would have to play this one different, plotting the death or dismemberment of a national hero was not something that was going to happen overnight. She'd acted in haste tonight and paid the price, Fudge demoting her would see his proposal sail through the Wizengamot, Dolores would get even though - she always did.

Harry had buttoned his shirt, leaving it open at the neck, and slipped his waistcoat on. After that fiasco, the rest of the night would be informal as far as he was concerned. Hermione was right beside him and he could see her beginning to fret, both could benefit from a long hug but neither wanted to show weakness here.

"Harry, your dance card just filled with my name for the rest of the night."

"That's fine with me, Hermione, but I need to finish my dance with the beautiful lady who was my partner before this started."

Emma attempted to intervene. "Harry, it's fine..."

"No, mum, Professor Weasley taught us that your reactions after a fight can be just as important. We are all going to continue as if everything is normal, and enjoy the rest of the evening. One dance, Harry, then you're mine."

Emma could actually feel him shaking as they danced. "Harry, wouldn't you rather sit for a while?"

"Actually, I'd rather get the hell out of here, but we can't leave yet. It's just the adrenalin, Emma, I was psyching myself up to attack that woman. I would need to have shown I wasn't a pushover and actually harmed her, not something I was looking forward to. Her doing that actually worked better for me, I don't want to give the impression I'm some bloodthirsty nutter with a sword."

"I don't think you could ever be accused of being like that..."

"Dumbledore thought so after the troll, and some of the people here would too if I'd just sliced that witch's wand arm off. After the troll, I stood in a shower for about an hour before hiding in my room for the rest of the night. After Malfoy, I was in a toilet throwing up when Hermione found me. With Master Sharpshard, I was too concerned for Hermione to let anything else bother me."

This drew a shiver from his dance partner. "Don't remind me, watching the memory was bad enough. You've had a hard life for a twelve year old."

"Oh no, Emma, I've had a great life. My father is a very wise goblin, he wanted me to see the world and I've loved every bit of it. The summer holidays have been the best time I've ever had. You now have some idea how wealthy my family is, I could easily spend the rest of my life living in my own private and privileged world. I think that is something my mum and dad would be disappointed in, I know my father wouldn't stop me but I just couldn't do that. All three have put their lives on the line to save mine, I think I need to at least try and make something of myself."

"Harry, you've already done more than enough to make all three of them proud of their son. I watched your father's memory of when you fought your trainer after he hurt Hermione, then tonight you stepped in to protect me too - how could anyone not be proud of you?"

"Does this mean you would accept a lodger for the rest of this weekend?"

"Well, since we'll all be going to your private island after the Wizangamot meeting on Monday, I would say that was a distinct possibility." She could feel his shakes lessening as they danced, both were simply ignoring the stares of the other dancers. Emma decided to make something clear. "Harry, that room at our house is now considered yours. Providing your father agrees, you can stay whenever you want. Dan and I certainly don't mind, and I doubt Hermione will complain." She was rewarded by his first genuine smile since the incident.

The dance ended and Hermione was waiting for them, the young couple took to the floor and were soon oblivious to everything and everyone around them.

Ginny had watched the entire incident from behind her mother. Bill had told her Harry was very close to his three friends but this just drove that home, they were all there for him without a moment's hesitation. Ginny was trying to tell herself this was just a hopeless crush but Merlin, Harry was so handsome. She'd almost put her elbow in the soup simply eating at the same table as him, watching him dance with the girls at the table had built a hope in her she too might actually dance with Harry on his birthday. That was gone now, and probably just as well. Had he actually held her, Ginny Weasley would probably have fainted on the spot.

Emma returned to the table and was determined to take control of the conversation this time. "Molly, Arthur, I can't praise your son, Bill, highly enough. We've actually seen him teaching and were very impressed. He's certainly had a wonderful effect on those four, they all really look up to him."

Molly's entire face lit up and Emma knew she'd hit the bullseye. Muggle or magical, mothers loved to talk about their children. She would much rather talk about that than have Arthur ask her what you used a rubber duck for.

-oOoOo-

Dolores considered herself lucky in a way. The press had gone positively ga-ga over Crow and his friends, with barely any mention of their altercation that happened later. Working under Ludo Bagman in the Department of Magical Games and Sports was also slightly better than the punishment she though Fudge would stick her with. She had envisaged manning the graveyard shift in floo control for the next few years, or even exiled to rot in magical creatures.

This was not the deepest, darkest depths of the ministry Dolores thought she was destined for, a comeback was certainly possible from here. Now all she needed to do was light a fire under Ludo's arse to raise the department's profile, though making sure she got most of the credit for any achievements they managed. It was still the same game and Dolores Umbridge was an expert at it.

-oOoOo-

Harry and Hermione were running along the beach, purely from habit their swords were strapped behind them. They'd arrived on the island after the minister's goblin proposal had surfed through the Wizengamot on the wave of positive energy still abounding from Friday's ball. There would be a ceremonial signing of the amended treaty at the end of August with Barchoke taking up his new position then. Dolores Umbridge didn't exactly have many friends so her demotion wasn't even commented on.

The island was just under five miles around, though it appeared as a group of sandbars on maps - and to the naked eye if you didn't have permission to be here. As their sandals performed a steady slap, slap, slap rhythm on the damp sand, Hermione thought this was her favourite time of the day. Not because of any love of exercise, though she had come to like that part too, this was the time in every day when it was just her and Harry. They had been exercising practically every morning since just after the troll incident last year.

Whether it was running around Crawley, the tunnels under Gringotts or the park outside Grimmauld Place, Hermione thought this had them all beat. She wondered if Harry could get the room at Hogwarts to recreate this? Now, wouldn't that be something to get her out of a warm bed on a cold winter's morning in the castle? This made her smile, knowing that the mere thought that the young man currently running beside her would be waiting downstairs was all the motivation Hermione Granger would ever need.

It probably appeared strange to outsiders how much she depended upon Harry, how much they relied on each other, to them it just felt so natural. She entered Kings Cross station without a friend in the world, and left the express knowing she'd just made the best one either would ever find. Some might also question how quiet Harry could be, but not anyone who really knew him. Before she left for Hogwarts, her mother had given her the 'boy talk' but none of that applied to Harry.

Yes he certainly struggled sometimes putting his feelings into words, she was sure though that was more to do with being raised as a goblin than any question of immaturity. Harry didn't need words with her, every time he hugged her or when Hermione looked into those green eyes - those actions spoke volumes to her.

That they'd fallen asleep in each other's arms after the ball was somewhat expected, waking up still there and covered with a quilt showed the enormous trust both sets of parents placed on them - something neither had any intention of breaking. Just being with Harry meant this would have easily have been the best summer of her life. That they had seen and done some amazing things together was just the cherry on top.

They could see the beach chalets up ahead, meaning they were near the end of their run. Hermione reached out and took Harry's arm as both of them then slowed to a walk.

"I've been practicing with my bracelet since your father blood-bonded it to me..."

This drew a wide smile from her boyfriend. "None of us actually thought you would wait until we were back at Hogwarts, how is the practice going?"

Trying not to blush at how well he knew her, Hermione thought a demonstration would be the best way to show Harry. Her bracelet expanded up her arm and wrapped around her shoulder, slipping partially under the sports bra she was wearing.

"Hermione, that's fantastic! When you fight with a sword, your shield arm is the most exposed. If we can get that shield expanded over your torso, you will be almost as protected as me."

Harry praise, followed by taking her in his arms and offering a kiss in reward for her efforts meant Hermione's morning was just perfect. They walked arm in arm the last quarter of a mile to where they were staying.

There were eight chalets / beach huts spaced along the white sands. They may have appeared rustic and basic from the outside but stepping onto the porch brought you every comfort magic had to offer.

The twins were sitting on one of those porches, eating breakfast and watching the young couple approach. Parvati's eyeballs nearly joined the cereal in her bowl at the sight of Harry in just a pair of shorts. "Oh Merlin, how does Hermione resist throwing Harry to the sand and snogging him senseless?"

Padma just couldn't help but tease her sister. "Who says she does resist? This is a big island, they're hardly likely to do it outside their parents' porches."

Seeing she was falling for this, Padma changed tactics. There couldn't be the slightest hint of misunderstanding here. "Seriously Pav, it's okay to look - just don't ogle and never, ever think of touching. Those two are great friends but anyone trying to come between them will get squashed like a bug. You were brilliant in Rome, but here it will only be us. We'll swim, play games and generally have a great time. Both Harry and Neville will spend most of the week like that, just be their friend and get used to it. We thought the boys were going to have a heart attack the first time they saw us in our bikinis, they got over it pretty quickly."

"You mean the boys have seen you in that thing you showed me?"

"No, we took them off and swam naked..."

"YOU DID WHAT?"

"Daaad! I was only kidding with Pav. Emma and Augusta were there all the time, do you really think those two would let anything happen?"

Ramrao had walked out and just caught the end of that conversation. "Sorry dear, you just scared your old father half to death. I trust the people you were staying with, the young men involved and more importantly, I trust you."

This saw Padma rush to hug her dad. "I was very proud of you at that ball, the way you helped Harry. He really didn't want to fight that woman..." Ramrao really shouldn't have been surprised at his daughter once more springing to the young man's defence.

"Of course Harry didn't want to fight her, only a fool would want to fight. We're taught fighting should be your last option. We are also taught how to fight, just in case we need that option. Harry would have made mincemeat of her, dad, I wasn't joking when I said he was scary with that blade. Neville called it right, she would have gotten one, perhaps two spells off and then it would have been all over. It would also have been all over the Prophet too, and certainly hurt the chances of the goblin proposal going through the Wizengamot."

He kissed the top of his daughter's head. "So smart and so brave..." Ramrao then pantomimed looking around him at the idyllic setting. "...and I just love your friends!"

Parvati felt a twinge of jealousy at the attention her twin sister was receiving, attention that would usually be heading in her direction. It was also strange seeing Padma with the cool friends and the hot date for the ball. Just thinking of the number of witches who would kill to be in her place soon had the smile back on Parvati's face, it would probably take her until Christmas to tell Lavender all that had happened so far - and they still had Tokyo to look forward to.

Remus was also watching the young couple approach, the lump of emotion in his throat affecting his voice as he shouted to them. "Still up for a lesson, you two?"

He couldn't get over just how much Harry reminded him of James, the mature version who finally got Lily Evans' attention in the way he wanted. Hermione might look nothing like his friend Lily but, if Remus closed his eyes, it was almost like talking to Lily again as they did their prefect patrols. He'd led a pretty isolated life for the last decade and was struggling to cope with being in company where he was not only accepted but made welcome.

Harry waved over at the man who was a friend of his parents, and his godfather's best friend too. They'd gotten to know Remus from staying in Grimmauld Place, gradually building trust and growing to like the person who must have been the quiet one amongst the marauders.

"We normally have a practice after our morning run so now works for us - if that's all right for you?"

Remus quickly agreed and by the time he joined them, their swords were laid down as they ran through some shield drills. These two had effected a variation that Remus had never seen before. They would occasionally let a spell through, only to reflect it back at the caster using the metal shields on their forearms.

Neville and Padma joined them and were soon practicing shield drills of their own. The four friends had quickly drawn a crowd with everyone currently on the island coming out to watch. Barchoke removed some portable ward stones from a bag, creating a shielded area around the four who were practicing.

Remus' intentions were for them to carry out their normal practice so he could assess what level they were at, they were clearly a lot more advanced than a normal first year Hogwarts curriculum would provide. When they finished practicing, they switched to duels with the three going after Harry. It soon became obvious that the ward stones were needed to protect the spectators as curses were flying everywhere as they deflected off shields - magical and physical.

The trio were working well together, trying to outflank Harry while keeping him busy defending himself from very accurately cast curses. Harry though had a trick up his sleeve and created a powerful blast of air. Normally this would be worse than useless, normally they didn't fight on a beach. Neville and Padma were soon out the fight, sand in their eyes left them sitting ducks to be picked off. Hermione had used her metal shield to protect her eyes but now knew she was outmatched. With Padma and Neville blinded from the sand, even reviving them wouldn't help. She was still figuring out what to do when her boyfriend clipped her with a stunner.

She came back round, hearing Padma's voice. "Have I told you I hate you today, Harry? If not, consider it done - that sand went bloody everywhere!"

Neville's answer to that problem was to strip off his shirt and dive into the sea, creating another problem as three young witches were left practically drooling at the two boys on display.

Harry was helping a groaning Hermione into a sitting position. "You did well..."

"I did not! That was a brilliant use of our environment as a weapon, I'm still taking too long to make my mind up about what I'm going to do. In a real fight, I won't have five minutes to think over what action to take."

"Don't be to hard on yourself - HERMIONE!"

The last word was shouted in shock as a wave leapt from the sea and soaked both of them. He'd been concentrating on cheering up Hermione and missed what her wand was doing. They were soon rolling in the sand, soaking wet and roaring with laughter.

Both marauders were also wearing wide grins at the prank but the morning entertainment wasn't over just yet. Barchoke removed two duelling dummies from his bag and brought them to full size.

"I know some of you were very worried at the ball the other night, you may have noticed neither I nor his three duelling partners had any concerns on the matter. This was not bravado, we just know Harry's abilities. He would need to have done something really stupid to be in any danger, and Hermione had him focused totally on the task in hand. I'm hoping we could have a little demonstration here this morning, Harry?"

He pulled Hermione to her feet, getting a kiss for luck before going over to collect his sword. With this amount of people here, he wasn't going to be able to cast with his sword but Harry should still be able to manage.

Even with this handicap, a golden Harry had destroyed both dummies in under ten seconds.

Amelia had probably more experience with fighting than anyone there, her knees went weak at what she'd just witnessed - she sat on the beach before her legs actually gave way.

Ramrao was reminded of Padma's words earlier and found himself in complete agreement with his daughter. Harry would have made mincemeat out of that witch.

Dan and Emma had watched the memory of a very real fight against that giant goblin, Harry hacking a couple of dummies just couldn't compare to that. They now had a better idea of what Harry could have done to that witch the other night, no wonder the kids were really upset when they eventually came home.

Remus was standing beside Sirius, Henrica and Barchoke, and wasn't slow to let his opinion be known. "Whoever you've got teaching these four defence, keep a hold of them. That was simply brilliant, and devastating. Amelia's sitting there trying to figure out how you would defend yourself from such an attack, I doubt she's having any better ideas than me - and all I've got is get the hell out of there as fast as possible."

All could see the pride of a father in his son. "That is an attack Harry has developed by combining Curse-breaker Weasley's teachings with that of his goblin weapons training and centurion armour. If it makes you feel any better, we goblins don't know how we would stand up to that either. He used something similar to defeat someone we all thought couldn't be beaten. If any goblin is ever stupid enough to challenge my son in the goblin arena, they probably wouldn't have time to shit themselves before Harry cut them down."

Henrica was nodding in agreement. "I've been worried about that since reading through your laws especially the inheritance ones. Harry could be challenged, and now he's a centurion you wouldn't be able to represent him in the pit."

"It has been a worry of mine for a few years, how Harry would cope if I couldn't represent him, I'm not worried any more. I don't want to say too much here but Harry was actually holding back there."

Remus glanced toward Sirius for confirmation of that ridiculous remark, only to get a nod that left him with only a one word answer. "Shit!"

Augusta had been concentrating on something else this morning, watching as her grandson threw magic around with accuracy and ease. She also hadn't missed the reaction of the three young witches when Neville stripped off his shirt. For the first time in many years, Augusta saw a bright future for the house of Longbottom.

She was in a very happy frame of mind when Barchoke approached her, removing a book with a plain brown cover. "This will give you something to read while our charges tire themselves out having fun on the beach. It's a pre-print copy of a book that won't be available until the first of September, all I ask is that you keep it quiet until then. I have a copy for Amelia too, so you can talk to her about it - and I will answer any questions either of you have."

As the little goblin walked toward Amelia, it was an intrigued Augusta who opened the book - only to find herself involuntary sitting down onto the sand as the title hit home. The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore.

-oOoOo-

Harry raced into his room, a shower, change of shorts and then breakfast with Hermione the only things on his mind. He didn't know he had a visitor, and one who appeared really excited to see him.

"Harry Potter!" said the creature in a high-pitched voice. "So long has Dobby wanted to meet you, sir … Such an honour it is. …"

A/N thanks for reading

A/N 2 a big thank you to everyone who gave such a positive response about the project I'm working on, I only hope your expectations aren't too high. Please remember this is a 2 minute film, made by kids to encourage other kids not to do something foolish. Our school sits in deepest, darkest Lanarkshire - Pixar we ain't. Details will follow around the beginning of February.

35. Blood on their Hands

Harry Crow

Disclaimer: I make no money from my stories, the only payment received is FFN users taking the time to read my efforts. Since this chapter will push 'Harry Crow' through the two million views mark, this makes me a wealthy man. As always, Thanks for reading.

Chapter 35

"… Harry Potter must not go back to Hogwarts."

Dan had been taking mental notes as he'd been listening and rhymed off a few questions that Harry's story had thrown up. "Okay, why would he call you Harry Potter? Travelling halfway around the world to give a warning makes no sense either, if he then pops away and doesn't tell you what you're being warned against? I'll probably have more but that should do to get us started."

Harry was eating his breakfast as he had told those around the table of his encounter. "All house elves call me Harry Potter. They just see me as a wizard and I can't hide my family ring from them..."

He was interrupted by Remus almost choking on his coffee, the tears in his eyes this time weren't emotionally driven as he stared at Harry. "You're head of House Potter? I thought Sirius was the one who arranged all this?"

It was actually Sirius who answered. "It's okay, people, I'll vouch for Remus. Moony, there are things going on that I can't tell you about, just know that it's in relation to my duties as a godfather. Everyone sitting at this table wants what's best for Harry, I know you do too."

Looking around at those present, Remus had to agree with that assessment. Barchoke, the Grangers and Sirius were all self-evident, Henrica provided her own reason.

"He's my boss, Remus, and a nicer, kinder employer you could never hope to find."

Henrica's pout in Harry's direction would have had grown wizards on their knees proposing marriage, he just continued eating breakfast before making a comment that brought the levity back to the table. "Still not getting a raise!"

Barchoke was delighted to see how well his son was dealing with news of this proposed threat. They had expected some backlash from the darker families, here was an indication of their plotting. "Distance would be no problem to a house elf, the fact it was obviously going against its master's wishes gives us some indication of the seriousness of the problem."

Harry spotted Hermione putting her knife and fork down in disgust and reached for her hand, her boyfriend was certain he knew what was bothering her. "Hermione, we talked about this, it's all about perception."

"Can you honestly say that poor creature was not a slave? He was going to shut his own ears in an oven door because he'd disobeyed his master and warned you - we both know this is wrong, Harry."

This was an issue they had talked about and obviously not resolved as well as Harry had thought. "You know my opinion on slaves, it's every bit as strong as yours. Goblins would rather die than be enslaved, and it's something we would never inflict on anyone else. Yes House Potter has house elves but I refuse to consider them slaves."

Harry squeezed her hand to prevent the interruption he knew was coming. "Potter elves have been part of my family for generations. You've met some of them, would you say they were happy?"

She was left with no other answer than to agree. "Most were so happy to see us, they were in tears."

Remembering something he had read, Harry tried a different tactic with his girlfriend. "Supposing your mum and dad decided Crawley wasn't for them any more. Both then joined a charity that saw them treating people for free, would that make them slaves?"

"That's not the same, Harry, mum and dad could leave whenever they wanted..."

"I told my elves the same, and the tears this time were certainly not happy ones. They are doing a job they love and having all their needs taken care of, they neither want nor need wages - freedom to them means rejection, shame and exile from their family. They look after us and we look after them, everybody's happy - that's the way it's supposed to work, Hermione. I do agree that there will be wizards who will abuse the system but I can't do anything about that - yet. You've seen the fight we've had just to kick goblin relations up a notch, recognition that house elves have rights too will be a much harder fight. It's a challenge I'm willing to fight, but now is not the time. Are you okay with this? Are we good?"

Those last three words cut right through any objection Hermione had left, she needed Harry to believe her on this. "Of course we're good, Harry, and I'm sorry if you thought for even one second we might not be. I know you would never mistreat elves, just as I know you will be trying to help this Dobby. I wasn't angry at you, just a system that allows a person to legally mistreat someone who's in their care."

Along with relief, Harry felt a hand on his shoulder. As well as that gesture of support, Dan had some kind words to match. "Just keep talking things out, you two, you won't go far wrong doing that. Now, what do we do about this warning?"

Harry looked toward his father, getting a nod of agreement before continuing. He thought his father would leave the decision up to him, it didn't hurt to check though. "If Hogwarts is going to be in danger, she'll need her champion. I have friends in that castle and two new Potter scholarship students will be looking to me for help with settling in. Unless we get more information, it will be a case of keeping our eyes open. Henrica will be there full-time, with Sirius, Curse-breaker Weasley and Master Pitslay paying regular visits. We tell Neville and Padma what we know but any more could see rumours starting, rumours that would grow arms, legs and a dozen fire-breathing heads before they were done."

Hermione was now very worried, she looked at both her parents. "I want to return with Harry. We'll have adult support and a method to get out of there if anything happens."

Her parents held a conversation with a few glances before Dan spoke. "At the moment, all we've got is some vague warning from a creature whose mental stability is at best questionable. We reserve the right to change our mind if more information becomes available, and will drag you from that school if we suspect you're not telling us everything..."

Barchoke interrupted before Dan could say any more. "It would actually be me who would be doing the dragging, something I can assure you I would do if I thought they were in danger. I have constant reports from the castle, we won't be missing anything."

Hermione was so pleased she was going back to Hogwarts with Harry, she would actually have agreed to just about anything.

-oOoOo-

That evening, the seven youngsters sat around a camp fire on the beach. They'd spent their day swimming, playing games and exploring the island. All were knackered yet far too excited to sleep. Stories of Florida, the Black Sea and Rome weren't helping to lower those excitement levels. That all seven of them would be going on to Tokyo was also a much discussed topic, especially since Harry had given Susan and Hannah their belated birthday gifts of a shopping voucher.

The adults were all lounging back on chairs, glowing lights now festooned the palm thatched umbrellas that had provided shade earlier in the day. Barchoke, Amelia and Augusta were sitting at the end table, a silencing charm up so their conversation was private.

"Barchoke, if even half of this is true, it's going to be the biggest political storm ever to hit magical Britain."

"Amelia, we have checked our facts - it's all true. I had to convince Miss Skeeter not to offer any conjecture, present the facts and let the readers make up their own minds. I take it you two already have?"

Augusta was fuming, and had struggled to hold her temper until she finished the book. Something that she and Amelia had spent the entire day reading. "How can we send our children to that school? Something needs to be done about Dumbledore and his death eater sidekick, Snape."

"Snape is no longer a problem, and we're hoping most parents will have the same reaction as you. We saw this as the best way of getting Dumbledore out the castle, only the parents of the children who attend really have the power to oust him."

The head of the DMLE had sat taking notes as she read the book, looking for things she could bring Dumbledore up on charges for. Barchoke's first remark set Amelia's alarm bells ringing. "Could you explain why Snape is no longer a problem?"

"That would be because we have him..." This news was greeted by silence so Barchoke explained how events had unfolded. "I tricked Dumbledore into revealing Snape's identity, the old wizard still has no idea I have that information. The minister actually helped with this deceit by banning Dumbledore from the ball. I originally had an agreement for Dumbledore to give me the name on that night, I have now put him off until term starts..."

Augusta loved the deviousness of that. "...and this book gets published on the first of September - leaving Dumbledore nothing to bargain with. You still haven't explained how you ended up with Snape?"

"He decided to run, and was in the process of emptying his vault when we arrested him. The charges were crimes committed in the name of Voldemort - namely costing Harry's parents their lives. He really is a despicable piece of work, the ultimate Slytherin with a foot firmly in both camps. He gleefully told his master, Voldemort, the prophecy and then nearly soiled himself when he discovered Lily's child matched the very same prophecy."

The goblin's disgust was obvious as he talked about Snape. "He's convinced himself that Lily Evens was the love of his life, and one day she would have realised this and left James Potter for him. I knew that couple well, and that view is nothing but an utter fantasy of a sick, twisted and delusional mind. He begged Voldemort to spare Lily's life, not caring about James or Harry. Snape didn't trust Voldemort to keep his word though, so he also approached Dumbledore and confessed everything. Dumbledore actually told a group of us in his own office that the power of love would defeat Voldemort, he must have ate up the story of Severus loving Lily with a spoon."

A shudder of revulsion passed through the goblin at the thought of all this bartering in the name of love, he was sure neither of those two men had any acquaintance with the emotion. "Whether Dumbledore believed him or not, that didn't stop the old wizard blackmailing Snape to spy for him - and he then kept his spy on a short leash at Hogwarts. In return, he told the Wizengamot his spy was no death eater."

Amelia was almost afraid to ask this question, but knew she had to. "What did you do with Snape?"

"We sentenced him to five years. At the end of that time, both Neville and Harry will be of age - if they want to take things further. We thought of having him toiling in the dragon pens but that would be a waste of a resource. He's working in our potions labs, last report I got he was asking if his sentence could be increased - apparently he's never been so happy. I can arrange for you to meet him to confirm any facts, provided you can keep it quiet until the book is published."

"Well, next week I'm in Tokyo with the gang, so it would need to be after that anyway. The minister has already distanced himself and the ministry from Dumbledore, so no damage limitation to be done there."

Content that Snape was out of the picture, Augusta wanted to know if the revelation that had her asking for a sherry before noon was really true. "Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald were really lovers?"

"Oh yes, that was actually a beautiful piece of investigative journalism by Miss Skeeter in Godric's Hollow..."

-oOoOo-

Hermione entered the Leaky Cauldron on Harry's arm, instantly spotting Professor McGonagall with the two people they were here to meet. The boy was as hyper as a springer spaniel being taken for a promised walk, he was literally bouncing with excitement. The girl reminded Hermione of the iconic poster for her favourite musical, there was a haunted look about Luna's eyes that just shouted 'Cosette'. Her clothes were certainly clean and well fitting but of such an odd assortment, Parvati would be left desperate for a chance to restyle the girl.

"Good morning, professor. Hi Luna and Colin, I'm Harry. This is Hermione, my girlfriend, and these two are Sirius Black and Professor Hobson."

Luna got in before Colin could say anything. "Didn't you use to be in the Hobgoblins, Mr Boardman? My daddy says it was your fault his favourite band split."

"Oh no, that wasn't me, Luna. Though, if someone had hit me in the ear with a turnip when I was on stage, I probably would have retired too!" This earned Sirius a wide smile from the girl, before the flash from Colin's camera blinded half the pub.

"Mr Creevey, what did I tell you about that camera?"

"Sorry, Professor McGonagall, I've to save it until I get to Hogwarts."

"Precisely, your family saw the Leaky Cauldron and Diagon Alley on your induction day. There is no need for photographs today."

"But professor, they never got to meet Harry."

It was Harry who answered the excitable boy. "That's fine, Colin, but you've now taken a picture for them. We have a lot to do today, including meeting some of our friends for ice cream later. Are we ready to go?"

Harry felt Hermione squeeze his arm, drawing his attention to Henrica taking Luna by the hand. With Madam Malkin's being their first stop, both were sure she would see Luna kitted out properly for Hogwarts. This was all about getting these two settled into the castle, turning up in the right clothes was important for making those first impressions.

Ollivander's was every bit as creepy as Hermione remembered, though their circumstances didn't help with that. Old Ollivander was already pretty miffed that Harry didn't get a wand from him, the weird wizard actually got quite stroppy when Harry then refused to show the wandmaker his knife. Professor McGonagall had to intervene and remind Ollivander he had two customers in his shop. Colin didn't improve things any by insisting he wanted a knife like Harry too.

Having left Flourish and Blott's to last, they joined with their friends for ice cream before facing their final task. There were now nine students at the table, the adults wisely taking one of their own.

Minerva was fascinated, and a little shocked, with Amelia's tales of Tokyo. Augusta also proclaimed this as her best summer in many years. The Patils both said they'd considered Tokyo and were delighted their girls had the opportunity to go, but they had no complaints about choosing to spend a week in Rome instead. Henrica's comment that Rome was a city she'd always wanted to visit meant Sirius would be arranging that for next year, when she hopefully wouldn't be so busy with Gringotts.

Harry was pleased to notice Colin had quietened down somewhat, probably because of all the girls he was now surrounded by. Luna though remained really quiet. "Are you looking forward to Hogwarts, Luna? We have Ravenclaws, Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs at this table, so you should at least know someone if you get sorted into one of those three houses. We also have friends in Slytherin too, so don't worry about that."

"Oh, I'm not worried, Harry. I was just thinking it must be lovely to have so many friends..."

Hermione reached over Harry to take the little blonde's hand. "Luna, we want to be your friend too. Hogwarts can be quite daunting when you're new, but I want you to come to any of us if you need anything."

Luna looked around the table, seeing nods of agreement from Susan, Hannah, Neville and the twins. Her face broke into a simply beautiful smile. "Yes, Harry, I'm really looking forward to Hogwarts."

They headed into a crowded bookstore, noticing the person whose books made up this year's defence list was holding a book signing. Since they had no intention of purchasing those books, they didn't wait in that queue. Hermione was of course on Harry's arm - at least she was until someone shoved her out the way.

"Bless my soul, the boy-who-lived! Smile, Harry, together we rate the front paaaain!"

Harry didn't know who this perfumed and perfectly coiffed ponce was but nobody treated Hermione like that. An arm had went around his shoulder and Harry decided it was time to put some of Remus' recent lessons into practice. He grabbed the pinky of this hand, twisting it sharply backward resulted in a girly squeal of pain from its owner. Freeing himself from the arm, Harry then swept the man's feet from under him while still keeping a painful grip on that little finger. The wizard hit the floor with a thump and Colin still didn't get to see Harry's knife - the mere threat of having his pinky broken was enough to have Lockhart squealing like a banshee.

"Nobody touches Hermione, apologise - before I really lose my temper."

That girly voice was now shouting sorry over and over again. A blinding flash had Harry looking in Colin's direction, only to see innocence reflected back at him. The phantom photographer had now lost himself in the busy shop

Harry quickly went to check on his girlfriend, and then discovered this git had a hide on him that would put a Ukrainian Ironbelly to shame.

"I would just like to thank Harry here for helping me with that little demonstration, and take this opportunity to announce he's going to be seeing a lot more of me. Yes, ladies and gentlemen. I, Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defense League, and five-time winner of Witch Weekly's Most-Charming-Smile, have great pleasure and pride in announcing that this September, I will be taking up the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!"

Harry couldn't help but wonder at the gullibility of witches and wizards. He'd just kicked this nutter's arse, yet here were people who'd witnessed that applauding like loons at the announcement he would be teaching their children. Supposedly teaching the very thing he was obviously shit at - defence. Harry waited until the applause had died down before bursting this clown's bubble.

"Excuse me, but you appear to have been misinformed. I have a private defence tutor, one I am very happy with. I will not be in your class." He took a quick look around and recognised some of the faces in the crowd. "Guys, anyone who had Curse-breaker Weasley for defence last year with me will have the same chance again come September. You also don't need to buy these books as we won't be using them. An autobiography as well as prescribing the defence texts for all seven years, someone must really need the money?"

Gilderoy was trying not to panic, and not doing a very good job of it. "Oh come now, Harry, don't tease these good people. Surely you and these lovely young ladies would rather have me teach you defence?" He was going for a reassuring smile but it came over as lecherous leer, one that saw Neville's arm slip protectively around Padma.

Parvati summed it up for all of them. "You're right, it really is no contest - we'll take Professor Weasley every time. He at least wears less make-up than me."

This drew laughter from the Weasley contingent in the crowd before Gilderoy found himself faced with a trio of very formidable witches.

"Oh dear, Minerva, it would appear Albus has really scraped the bottom of the barrel this time." The head of the DMLE was studying Lockhart intensely, as if waiting on a suspect to crack and confess his crimes.

Augusta agreed with her friend. "A defence professor who puts all seven of his own books on the required list - for every year mind - it's a disgrace! Is he going to be teaching the first and seventh years the same course?"

Minerva also took Hogwarts newest professor to task. "Lockhart, I don't remember you being awarded a defence O.W.L., far less an Order of Merlin. Centurion Crow's award was front page news, yours seems to have slipped past unnoticed."

Gilderoy missed McGonagall's implied insult, having just noticed the most gorgeous creature he had ever seen in his life. "Who is that?"

"That is Professor Hobson, our history teacher."

Gilderoy was thinking there was more to this job than book sales when McGonagall went and spoilt it for him. "She is here with her boyfriend, Lord Sirius Black." The name alone was enough to strike terror in Gilderoy, he would be giving that witch and her dark wizard of a boyfriend a wide berth.

Harry was now enjoying the show, watching as the three witches tore this character to shreds, when he felt a tug on his sleeve, Colin had a question. "He doesn't look a very good teacher, Harry, can we get our lessons from Curse-breaker Weasley too?"

"I'm sorry Colin, he's a very busy man. He wouldn't have time to teach first year as well."

Colin nodded in understanding but had another solution to the problem. "Couldn't you teach us then, as extra lessons? You beat him without even using magic, we would much rather learn from you."

Luna looked at him pleadingly too, "You said to ask if we needed anything?"

Hermione liked the idea. "We could make it a club, it would need to be sponsored by a professor though..."

Henrica jumped in before Lockhart could offer. "I got that covered, we just need to look at the new timetable and pick a suitable time."

The Weasley twins then got in on the act. "Hey, is this club just for firsties?"

"We don't want to buy his books either."

Gilderoy stood helpless as the entire event slipped away from him, this was already a publicity disaster - and then McGonagall really put the boot in.

"Last year, Professor Weasley held revision classes for our students sitting O.W.L.'s and N.E.W.T.'s, leading to Hogwarts best defence results in many a year. I shall personally be contacting Ambassador Barchoke in the hope we can call on this special favour again when the exams approach."

The cheer this received from those Hogwarts students in the shop had Gilderoy wanting to cry, just who was this Weasley person - and how could he possibly be more popular than him?

Molly was standing there with an armload of books she now wasn't sure she wanted signed. Harry had easily defeated this famous wizard, giving rise to the first ray of doubt. The reaction of the students toward her son, Bill, was a heart-warming moment for the mother. She'd heard from Emma how highly regarded Bill was amongst the four he was training, apparently that regard ran a lot deeper than just four students. Her son was going to be an Assistant Ambassador, one who worked with his father.

Her two eldest sons had made career choices she hadn't agreed with at the time, but both were now proving successful in their own right. Molly was going to have a lot of time on her hands when all her children left for Hogwarts, she was planning on using some of that for quiet contemplation. The world they lived in was undoubtably changing and Molly had brought seven children into the very same world. She was not going to be left behind like those Roman relics young Harry mentioned in his speech, Molly intended to talk to Bill about this.

Ginny was ecstatic, lessons from Harry and his friends was certainly something she would be putting her name against. She also hadn't missed Harry's reaction when that fool pushed Hermione out the way. He'd been calm and controlled at the ball but hurting Hermione instantly put an end to that, Harry had their new defence professor on the floor in seconds and it certainly wasn't planned - no matter what Lockhart said.

Amelia stirred the pot some more by pulling Minerva aside for a whispered conversation. "When you're speaking to Barchoke about Bill, ask him for a copy of a book that will be released in a week or so. Gilderoy Lockhart teaching defence might be the least of your worries at Hogwarts this year."

-oOoOo-

After completing their shopping, plans were made to meet up on the platform before getting on the express. McGonagall would take both her charges home while Sirius and Henrica dropped theirs off at Gringotts. Neville and his gran were with Harry and Hermione, both eager to see if there was any sign of improvement with either Longbottom currently undergoing treatment.

The young couple left the Longbottoms, their intended destination was much deeper into Gringotts. They heard their target long before setting eyes on him, the loud shouts and clangs of clashing metal reverberating through the tunnels. Harry led his girlfriend in, both standing respectfully against the wall and waiting to be called. He'd seen what could happen to those who interrupted a lesson, it was not something Harry wished to experience personally.

Finally the bellow came in their direction. "So Centurion Crow, what can I do for you?"

Harry and Hermione both came forward and knelt before the large goblin. "Master Sharpshard, a gift from a very grateful student." Harry presented his mentor with a katana.

The handle, guard and scabbard were all jet black but the blade was polished to a silver mirror finish. "This is exquisite craftsmanship, Centurion, where did you get this?"

"Gringotts in Tokyo. They tried to palm me off with the usual junk they sell to tourists, that was until I told them it was for my sensei, Master Sharpshard. Mentioning your name had a profound effect, they all wanted to be the maker who supplied Master Sharpshard with a katana."

"Even after leaving, he's still sucking up. Teacher's little pup!"

The insult was said loud enough for Harry to hear, and sarcastically enough to more than imply an insult. Harry had cursed his luck when he first spotted just who was in this class, he had no intention though of just kneeling there and swallowing this insult. "Why Dragonbreath, I didn't know you missed me? Speaking of pups, I see you still have the manners of a dog - poking that wet nose in where it's not wanted and whining like a bitch. I'm also amazed you can hear what we're saying when you're all the way over there, especially with those tiny ears of yours."

Dragontooth's insults had the class sniggering, Harry's reply had them laughing out loud. Insulting a goblin's name, ear size and nose in one go was impressive. The goblin those insults were aimed at didn't think so.

"You and your ugly human bitch strut around Gringotts wearing our sacred blades, you are nothing more than a festering boil on our proud nation, a boil that needs to be lanced before it poisons all of us."

Harry now stood and faced his antagonist. "Everyone here knows you possess neither the skill nor courage to do that lancing, Dragonbreath. We can settle this right now, and I'll even allow you to choose two friends to help - that is if you have two friends?"

The glint of triumph in the goblin's eyes alerted Harry he'd been duped, he was just about to find out how badly he'd been trapped. "...and I will allow your human bitch to fight by your side, let's see if she can even hold a blade."

At that, Hermione was by Harry's side, surprising everyone in the class by answering in their own tongue. "I accept! Fighting a female would appear to be about your limit."

Harry then pulled her to the side for a quick word while the class prepared for the fight. "Hermione, this isn't wooden swords we'll be fighting with, the duel doesn't finish until someone is bleeding."

"I know, Harry, I also know he baited you into this, I wasn't having you losing face over me. It would probably be a deadly insult to both parties but he reminded me so much of Draco Malfoy."

"His uncle was one of those my father fought in the pit, to say there is bad blood between us would be a massive understatement. They'll be cocky and showing off to their friends, stick to defence and I will take them out as quickly as I possibly can. Your dad's gonna kill me for getting you into this, and then your mum will dance on my dead body."

Hermione gave him a kiss for luck before enlarging and fitting her shield on her left arm. She could feel her bracelet expanding up the same arm, obviously recognising the danger she was in. Harry had been teaching her for a year but these goblins would have a lot more training and experience than that. This would also give her an indicator of just where she was with a blade, Hermione could only hope it wouldn't be too painful a lesson.

Like Hermione's top, Harry's T-shirt was loose enough to cope with his armour under it. Using his armour wasn't really fair to his opponents but Harry didn't give a shit. Hermione was in this fight, he intended to make it as short as possible. He knew the class would expect him to use his armour, no goblin would ever surrender an advantage they had in a fight.

Master Sharpshard found himself thrust into the role of referee, he called the five combatants forward. There were no flowery speeches, he just told it like it was. "First blood, fight!"

The trio of goblin's intentions became apparent at once, all three rushed at Hermione. Harry managed to intercept two of them but Dragontooth got through. Thankfully he was showboating for the audience, giving Hermione time to block with her shield. This form of attack also left the goblin wide open to the counter, Hermione took her gifted opportunity. With a triumphant cry, her thrust caught Dragontooth off guard and her blade nicked his shoulder - clearly drawing blood.

She glanced round to see Harry had already dealt with one, and just about to dispatch the other. That was her mistake.

With her guard now down, Dragontooth lashed out at Hermione - his blade slicing diagonally across her torso between shoulder and hip before Harry hit him like a golden version of the Hogwarts Express. Weapons forgotten, Harry was pummelling the shrieking goblin with his fists until the massive form of Master Sharpshard pulled him off.

Harry then remembered what happened and turned to see Hermione trying to piece her clothing back together with her wand, her repaired clothing once more covering the golden webbing that had prevented her being seriously injured.

A bloody Dragontooth couldn't believe he hadn't even damaged the human bitch. "She's wearing centurion armour, that's an instant death sentence!"

Harry's only thought was to protect Hermione. For this to work, he needed to change her status. "Everyone clearly saw my family design on that armour, it's not centurion. Hermione is my mate, and therefore part of my family." The entire class, including the instructor, were now gaping at this revelation from Harry, it was time for some proof. He retrieved his sword from where he had dropped it and sliced open his palm.

Realising what Harry was doing, Hermione didn't hesitate for a second. She used her own blade to mirror Harry's actions. Their bloody hands were then joined, clasped palm to palm, as Harry said the words.

"You are mine, and I am yours."

Hermione's eyes were sparkling with tears, tears that the pain in her hand played no part in, as she gave the required response.

"You are mine, and I am yours."

A silver glow started at their hands and spread up their arms, it had turned golden by the time both were enveloped by it - clearly showing that magic had accepted their vows. The young couple leaned forward to kiss each other, neither noticing their hands were completely healed. With his arm around Hermione's waist, Harry once more turned his attention back to Dragontooth.

"Today was nothing more than a thinly disguised assassination attempt on my mate. Even when she beat you in the fight, you proceeded with your plan. You will answer to me for that - in the pit."

Harry and Hermione then bowed to Master Sharpshard before leaving the class, a class that had just descended into utter chaos.

Hermione waited until they were out of earshot before speaking to Harry. "What just happened in there?"

"In the eyes of the nation, we are now mates. That bastard will face me in the pit for his attack on you, that entire family has no honour. The only question now is who will kill me first, my father or yours."

Hermione though was concentrating on something else, "Why does this pit sound so ominous?"

They were heading straight for Barchoke's office when Harry supplied the answer she'd dreaded hearing. "When two goblins enter the pit, only one comes out alive."

Hermione's legs may have kept going but her mind had shut down at that part.

-oOoOo-

This had to be done publicly, it had to be seen to be scrupulously fair and it had to be done today. Ragnok had already heard from Barchoke that Harry wasn't backing down an inch, with Sharpshard confirming that Dragontooth had struck after being defeated in the duel - the blow was also of such a nature and ferocity that Harry's claims of an assassination attempt could neither be ignored or dismissed as fanciful.

Word of this incident had spread like wildfire through the nation and the benches around the court were already almost full. Both families were now in front of him, Miss Granger at her mate's side. Time to get these proceedings started.

"Centurion Crow, you have made some very serious charges and invoked trial by combat. Do you wish to change your mind?"

"No, Director, I wish to proceed as our law dictates."

Having expected no other answer, Barchoke addressed the court. "Master Sharpshard was present during the entire event, I trust there are none here who would question the validity of his memories?"

No one wanted to make that challenge so they settled down to watch Sharpshard's memory of the incident broadcast. Some laughter at the initial insults soon died down as everyone concentrated on the fight itself. All goblins had at least some training in weapons, this knowledgable audience clearly saw the overconfident boy showing off to his class - only to get nicked on the shoulder by his less skilful but more focused opponent. His actions then set off roars of protest at a cowardly attack, an attack that could really have only one design - to cause major damage to this female. There was total silence as they witnessed two magical humans both become bonded as mates by the most goblin of ceremonies.

"How was my son supposed to know they were mates? I think it's disgusting humans allow this so young..."

He was cut off by Barchoke, in no mood to make any concessions whatsoever. "My son and his mate's honour was clearly displayed throughout this incident for all to see, as was your offspring's cowardice and treachery. Like us, the humans consider these two far too young to officially become mates. They have already made their choice known though, a choice we just witnessed being accepted by magic. Both certainly intend to wait until they are the appropriate age before taking the next step. This issue aside, Miss Granger was also very clearly under the protection of my house. If the councillor wishes to refute this protection, my family stands ready to instigate a blood feud."

With that, the lines in the sand were now very clearly drawn.

Dragontooth's father was raging at his son for being so blatant - and getting caught, that didn't mean he was going to stand back and let him be slaughtered in the pit. Even from watching Sharpshard's memory, the result of any such contest couldn't be in any doubt. Were Dragontooth to face Crow, it would be like sending a lamb to slaughter.

"My son is not of age, I claim the right to nominate a champion on his behalf."

Harry then spoke up. "Your son is over a year older than me, but I'm still prepared to step into the pit."

"That's your father's decision to make, I will work within the law to protect my son."

"Since my mate has already defeated your son, I understand this cowardice. Know this though, I will fight your nominated champion. After I defeat him, I swear I will cut your son's ears off if he ever comes anywhere near my mate again."

Spurred on by the gasps that this most severe of threats had drawn from the crowd, Dragontooth's father turned on Barchoke. "Are you going to stand there and let this boy issue threats, and even consider letting him enter the pit of justice?"

"My son is a centurion, a centurion who has also been awarded the highest honour the Ministry of Magic has to offer, he doesn't need to hide behind his father. As to making threats, let me reiterate my son's words. I will not stand idly by and watch these two young people be sniped at by those who think they are better. His mate already has friend of our nation status and can clearly be seen to be learning our ways. My son has publicly sworn on his blood to defend the nation, and will today fight in the pit of justice on a matter of goblin honour. What more would you want of them?"

Ragnok really had no option. He may be the Director, but the law had to be obeyed. "I find the claim against Dragontooth to be proven, and therefore I have no reason to block this honour duel. I find Dragontooth's cowardly attack to be particularly disgusting, but again I'm powerless to intervene and grant him the champion his father has requested. Now let's get this over with."

Hermione found they were quickly joined by Master Sharpshard. "Bear up, Lass, they will be watching your behaviour almost as closely as that of your mate. Crow, only I know what you are really capable of, now is the time to display it for all to see. Not only must you win, you must do it in a manner that ensures you and your mate can safely walk around Gringotts. Scrape a victory and you might as well declare yourself a wizard now, because they would be queuing up to get you in the pit - and they all now know just how to achieve that. A threat to your mate has you rushing headlong to defend her. This fight is not just for your safety, Hermione's life is threatened here too."

Harry nodded, his face a mask of concentration. He bowed to Master Sharpshard, kissed a trembling Hermione before bowing to his father - it was time.

Hermione knew Barchoke and Master Sharpshard were offering words of comfort as she sat wedged between the two, she didn't hear any of it. Her entire being was focused on Harry, and the large goblin that waited on him in the appropriately named pit. The enclosure had a sandy base - better for absorbing spilt blood - about sixty feet in diameter and with walls at least four feet deep. While the entire arena was lit entirely by flaming torches, Harry's golden armour made him easily visible - though the massive battleaxe the goblin held certainly grabbed Hermione's attention too.

They stood about twenty feet apart, bowing to each other before Ragnok set the proceedings under way. "To the death, fight!"

Apparently, normal behaviour for these fights predetermined that the two combatants would circle each other, probing to assess their opponent's strengths and weaknesses before making a move. The big goblin had other ideas, he thought he was facing a human child and wanted this over with quickly - unknowingly playing straight into his opponent's greatest strength. Dragontooth's 'champion' was merely hired muscle, not too smart and the large bag of gold offered had instantly destroyed any reservations the greedy goblin might have had about his opponent. He also wasn't too bothered about the centurion armour his opponent possessed, positive his battleaxe would penetrate it.

With a roar, the goblin charged as he swung that great axe in what would be a killing blow should it connect. In a move that Hermione had seen Harry use on Master Sharpshard, the sword of Gryffindor sliced right through the shaft of the goblin's axe. Harry was moving quicker than seemed possible. Having sliced through the shaft, Harry continued his move and pirouetted on his planted foot - bringing his sword back around so the goblin's own charge saw him skewer himself on the ancient goblin blade.

The point of Harry's sword entered the charging goblin's throat, and exited the back of his neck - severing his spine on the way out. With his spinal cord severed, the goblin's body hit the sand like a sack of shit - with Harry's sword still embedded in situ.

With the life visibly leaving his opponent's eyes, Harry retrieved the damaged axe and knelt beside his dying opponent - laying the weapon gently on the goblin's chest. "You faced me and fought with honour, unlike those you championed." When the goblin was finally dead, Harry removed his sword from the body and left the pit with his head held high - to utter silence.

Hermione wanted to race straight too him, she'd never seen Harry more in need of someone to hold on to - she really needed one of Harry's hugs herself. There was probably only her and his father who could see how much this was costing Harry, watching as Harry fought a duel to the death was certainly no picnic for them either. Barchoke held her arm and Hermione was thankful for the support, she didn't think she could have moved otherwise.

Harry took Hermione's other arm as the three of them left the still silent chamber.

It was Ragnok who finally broke the silence after the party had left. "I know there were those amongst you who silently questioned my sanity when I made Crow a centurion, I hope he has answered those doubters for both of us today. Master Sharpshard's opinion is that Crow will some day become one of our greatest ever warriors, and he fought today purely as a goblin. By using the magic he possesses, Crow could have ended this contest before his opponent even got near enough to use his axe."

This was more than enough to convince those watching that Centurion Crow was someone you wanted on your side, never facing you from the other side of the pit. The rumours that he had defeated Master Sharpshard were now being believed, how do you fight someone that moves twice as quick as you do? - and still has magic to call on if he needs it.

Harry and Hermione managed to hold themselves together while Barchoke led them back to their dwelling, the door was barely closed before both of them collapsed sobbing into each other's arms. As Barchoke watched his son and new daughter come apart at the horror they'd just performed / witnessed, the goblin took a leaf from Emma's book. Laying the couple down in the seating area, he gently tucked a blanket around them both. He would need to leave them like that for a few moments, Harry and Hermione needed the Grangers here as quickly as possible. Emma's gentle touch and soothing words were required while he would then attempt to explain to Dan exactly what had happened here today.

-oOoOo-

The front page picture of Harry standing over a clearly terrified Gilderoy Lockhart was not how Albus had hoped his new defence professor would announce himself to the country. It had all been so carefully set-up too, book signing, large crowd and guaranteed media coverage - how could that go so disastrously wrong? It was only when he opened the paper and his old eyes caught the vivid advert for a soon to be published book that he sensed the real danger. The title alone had his stomach in a knot, he could see 'The life and lies of Albus Dumbledore' becoming an instant bestseller. When the phrase 'will reveal all' jumped out at him, Albus felt his bowels loosening.

A/N thanks for reading.

36. House of Silence

Harry Crow

Disclaimer - I write purely for my own enjoyment, making no money from this venture and claim only my imagination as my own. I always strive to be original but, given the amount of HP fan-fiction out there, almost everything has probably been done before.

Chapter 36

Both fathers glanced up as Emma reentered the room. "They're sleeping now, but only fitfully. What the hell happened today?"

"I thought it would be better if I showed you. Sharpshard knew I'd want the memory, even after how things turned out. I'll be translating so please save any questions until the memory is finished. We'll be here all night if necessary, but I promise I'll answer every one of them."

They watched Harry and Hermione's visit to Master Sharpshard, with Barchoke filling in the background when he wasn't directly translating. Emma had to stuff her fist in her mouth to halt a scream that would have woken the sleeping couple after Dragontooth sliced at Hermione when she wasn't looking. Both were enthralled at the glow that covered the couple, and neither argued with Harry's assessment that this was nothing more than a grasped opportunity to seriously harm their daughter.

After the memory finished playing, Dan took a moment before saying anything. There were things happening here beyond his comprehension and he didn't want to begin shouting. He had the feeling that once he started shouting, he wouldn't be able to stop. After watching their daughter almost get disembowelled with a sword, Dan felt he was entitled to do a bit of shouting.

"Barchoke, I thank you, Harry, and every deity I can think of for that bracelet on my daughter's wrist. Please understand though, a very big part of me is currently wishing I'd kicked McGonagall's arse right out our door when she pulled that 'your daughter's a witch' shit. Hermione seems to be lurching from one life-threatening incident to another, I don't know how much more of this I can take."

Emma shifted so she could put her arm around her husband, seeking and gaining comfort. She had a question she wanted answered before her husband exploded. "What was the cut hands and that golden glow all about?"

"In the eyes of some goblins, Hermione is thought of as a lesser being - much like some of the more radical purebloods try to look down on her. Sadly, the nation is not without its bigotry too. Harry claiming they were mates instantly changed her status, their public display of bonding will stop any and all harassment." This was greeted with silence so Barchoke continued talking.

"When my mate and I bonded, we glowed right up our arms and into our torsos - and that was considered a very strong bonding. What those two did today, well, I've never seen anything like it."

Dan's voice was very quiet as he asked a question that had no place in any sane conversation about two twelve year olds. "Are you trying to tell me they're married?"

"Inside the nation, they will be considered mates. Outside of that, no - though you might find the occasional elf referring to Hermione as Lady Potter."

This was the final straw, the straw that broke Dan. "Emma, go get Hermione, we're going home!"

"Dan, calm down a moment and think. How would we even get home..."

Calm was something Dan wasn't capable of at the moment. "We'll fucking walk if we need to, anything to get our baby away from here..."

Barchoke held his hands up in an attempt to stop Dan's imminent eruption. "There will be no need for anyone to walk. I need to show you something else first, then, if you still want to go, I'll take you home. What you just watched was unfortunately only act one, it was the second act that has our children really upset. You need to see this so you both know what you're dealing with."

He then played his own memory of what happened next, to stunned silence from the Grangers. Barchoke was attempting to accentuate the positive from this. "As Harry's mate, Hermione can now walk around Gringotts with impunity. No one will want to challenge Harry now."

Dan wasn't buying into that, he was looking at the situation from a whole different perspective. "You made my little girl sit and watch that? Emma, get Hermione - we're going home right now."

"Dan, wait, let's discuss this..." Emma could only watch helplessly as her husband stormed right past her. He returned dragging a sleepy and shocked Hermione with him, a Hermione who, now seeing her father's intentions, began fighting with him every step of the way and screaming for Harry.

The boy who had been so decisive in battle earlier stood holding onto the door jamb, totally lost at what to do next.

"Barchoke, we're ready to go home." Hermione's cries of anguish were being totally ignored by her father.

"Harry, I'll be right back son. Hermione's father has decided she's going home for the evening. Somehow, I don't think you're invited." Barchoke took Emma's hand before grabbing Dan firmly by the arm and portkeying the Granger family home.

-oOoOo-

Emma finally entered the lounge, she sat on a chair well away from her husband - not even looking in his direction, far less speaking to him.

"Is she asleep?"

"After crying for over three hours, she's exhausted - I don't know if I would class that as sleep."

"She'll understand..."

"How can she understand, I don't understand!"

"She watched Harry kill that goblin today!"

"Daniel Granger, you have become the thing I hate most - a fucking hypocrite! You tell your daughter to talk things out and then, when you really need to sit and talk things out, you go all captain caveman and drag Hermione out of there. Those two have had a pretty traumatic day, you increased that trauma tenfold by your actions."

"I will not have my daughter married before her thirteenth birthday..."

"Ah, so now we come to the real reason. Did you honestly think those two were treating this as their wedding night?" Emma was shaking her head, trying to rationalise what happened tonight. "We've both seen what that boy can do, he could have stopped you tonight with one hand tied behind his back. The only reason he didn't was out of respect - a respect you lost tonight. Did you notice you were suddenly relegated to 'Hermione's father' by Barchoke? You lost both their respect, along with Hermione's - and mine too!"

"Hermione will come around when we enrol her in a new school - one that doesn't have trolls."

"You can't do that, your daughter is a witch and we signed that right over to Barchoke. Good luck with getting him to rescind it, especially since neither Hermione or I will agree with you on that point. You will also have to arrange cover for my patients, I'll be staying home with Hermione until it's time for her to return to Hogwarts."

Emma noticed their holiday photographs still sitting in packets, they had planned on placing the best ones in an album of their summer holidays. She grabbed them and threw the lot at her husband, the packets opens in flight - scattering pictures all around him.

"There is the girl you profess to love, you'll notice she's smiling in every single one of those picture. I suggest you put them in frames, it's probably the last time you'll see her smile. She asked me why her dad would rip her heart out, I had no answer to give her. You needn't bother figuring one out tell her later, Hermione has no intention of speaking to you ever again."

She got up to leave but had a parting comment for her husband. "If you had just hurt Hermione, you might be able to ride this one out. She was looking into Harry's eyes as you dragged her out of there, she'll never forgive you for the pain you caused him tonight. I'll be sleeping in Hermione's room, try not to waken us when you leave in the morning."

Dan was left sitting there, surrounded by memories of a wonderful summer - a summer that just turned to shit. He really wanted a stiff drink but had patients tomorrow, a good few of Emma's patient's would end up in his chair too. He hoped things looked better in the cold light of day, they appeared pretty fucked up at two a.m.

-oOoOo-

Albus hated getting old, his knees were bloody killing him. He'd been kneeling in the fireplace all morning, with no results to show for all the pain. All he could discover was a company called Aletheia Printing would be distributing these cursed books to the shops, and handling the mail orders through Gringotts. The adverts in the Prophet were vague enough to generate interest yet not give Albus clues about what to expect, they were also handled through Gringotts.

Someone was being very clever here, knowing Albus had no contacts with the goblins. He hoped they weren't being too clever, since Aletheia meant truth - something he was especially averse to.

-oOoOo-

Five incredibly long days, five of the worst days of his life. It wasn't the coming home to no dinner being made for him, he got that message loud and clear when there was no coffee or breakfast ready in the morning. It wasn't even having to iron his own shirts or sleeping alone. That his daughter would leave any time he entered a room really hurt, but that still wasn't the worst It was the silence that was slowly killing Dan. His wife did speak, but about nothing of consequence. Hermione hadn't uttered a word in his presence since that night. The Grangers had always been a family that talked, and he was the one to shatter that trait into tiny pieces.

Hermione had thrown herself into more intensive training, Dan suspected it was just to keep out of his way. She would be out running when he got up for work, and then again when he came home. If tonight followed it's usual pattern, she would come in from her run and then practice in the garden with a wooden sword - her real one being left behind in Gringotts.

She entered the house, grabbed a bottle of water and headed straight for the garden - all the while ignoring her father's very existence. He watched through the window as she practiced against imaginary foes, Dan wondered how many of them would wear his face. It was long past time to take some action so he headed out there.

"Hermione? Hermione, you can't ignore me forever."

Hermione seemed to be making a right good attempt at that very feat, causing Dan to lose his temper. "Hermione, I am your father and you will stop this nonsense..."

He reached for her shoulder, only to find his hand batted away with her practice sword as Hermione spun to face him. "Don't touch me!"

"Why you..."

As Dan once more reached for his daughter, he found Hermione's wooden sword was far quicker than he was.

"I - said - don't - touch - me!" Each word was emphasised by a blow or a poke with the pole. Hermione though began to lose her own temper and didn't stop there. "Tell - me - why? - Why? - WHY?"

At this point Emma arrived and grabbed a now crying Hermione, gently leading her back inside the house. Dan was stunned at his daughter's actions, but what hurt far more than any blows was the look of loathing in her eyes as she was doing it. He was sitting under the tree when Emma returned.

"I've really fucked up big time, haven't I?"

His wife didn't think he was looking for an answer to that question. Instead, she told him something she'd learned from Hermione. "Between the incidents that day, Barchoke had a little time with them. He sat Hermione down and said, while the conditions weren't exactly ideal, he was delighted to welcome her to the family. Goblin custom decreed that she was now considered his daughter too, something he was going to do his very best to be worthy of. Compare those actions to yours and then answer your own question."

Emma then made her own position on this matter crystal clear. "I carried that girl for nine months, Dan, nearly died giving birth to her. You may be prepared to allow your pigheadedness to ruin your relationship with our daughter, I am not. You may have valid reasons for what you did, but there can be no excuse for the way you carried it out. One way or another, our entire future is tied to these people. You dragged Hermione out of there as if Harry had some fatally contagious disease, a disease you desperately didn't want your daughter to catch. I don't know how, or even if, you can come back from that."

Emma walked back into the house, leaving Dan wishing the ground would open up and swallow him.

-oOoOo-

Albus was sitting at breakfast but not eating. Today was his favourite day of the entire year, the day the witches and wizards of tomorrow came back into his sphere of influence. Last year's first of September was marred by a certain goblin-raised boy attending Hogwarts, that could pale into insignificance compared to this blasted book. Today's headline in the Prophet was all about the new goblin treaty being signed yesterday, he dreaded to think what tomorrow's front page would be.

There was also the question of how to get his hands on a copy, he could hardly walk into Flourish and Blott's and buy one. Having the book owl delivered was also fraught with danger, he was certain the media would pick up on this. As to getting someone to buy it for him, there was really only Hagrid he could trust to carry that out. If he asked Hagrid, Albus might as well place his own advert in the Prophet saying he'd read the book. There was also the deniability aspect to consider, 'since I wouldn't read such a thing, I can't really comment on it' was an attractive option.

Knowledge though was like the most addictive of drugs to Albus, just something that he had to have. His problem was actually solved from the most unlikely of sources, Minerva dropped a plain covered book beside his untouched plate.

"A friend arranged a pre-release copy for me. Do Hogwarts a favour, leave before you drag us down with you."

No more words were exchanged or needed, the book found its way into Albus' pocket as he headed for his office - leaving his breakfast still untouched. He needed to do some serious reading before the express arrived.

-oOoOo-

There was excitement in the Granger household today, something that had been sadly missing in the ten or so days following the happenings in Gringotts. Emma entered her daughter's room to see a hyper Hermione with a big smile on her face.

"...and I thought you were excited about going to Hogwarts last year?"

Both smiled at that, and recognised Hermione was a totally different girl from the one that boarded the train last September. Their problem stemmed from one member of the family not realising just how much she had changed.

"Hermione, your dad wants to go with us to the station..."

"No!"

"Hermione, I think he now realises what he's done..."

"He has no idea what he's done, nor does he care. Harry had just killed someone to keep me safe, you can't understand what that did to him. We were both in a bad place but coping, as long as we were together we could handle it. He took that away from us."

Emma could see the determination in her daughter's eyes, it was as she'd feared. Anyone hurting Hermione drew a predictable response from Harry, their daughter though was every bit as protective of her mate. She'd had long conversations with her daughter about what this meant, and had been greatly relieved to learn the answer. In the short term, not very much. They had no intention of letting any outside factors sway the pace at which their relationship developed. Emma was further relieved to hear her daughter say that she would probably have to be the one to instigate any further steps, Harry was far too much of a gentleman to ever be presumptuous.

Hermione wasn't finished with her rant, though was trying her best not to let anger get the better of her. "Every letter I send, I'm continually having to reassure Harry I don't think any less of him, something a hug would do instantly. He took that away from us too. Harry has had to live all his life knowing his only living relatives didn't want him, he now has another name to add to that list - a man he actually respected. Until I can make sure Harry's ok, and that we're still good, there will be no sympathy coming from me."

Emma could clearly see what was really behind Hermione's belligerent attitude. Her father had very deliberately attempted to drive a wedge between her and Harry, there would be no steps toward forgiveness possible until their daughter could confirm his attempt had failed. Hermione wouldn't be able to to do that to her satisfaction until she actually got to talk with Harry, and of course hug the boy to within an inch of his life.

"Your dad is still insisting on going to the station with us. You may be able to use magic that stops him coming into your room, I don't think you'll be able to do that for Kings Cross station. Unless you have another method of getting to the platform, I don't see you avoiding this."

Hermione's smile was almost predatory. "Betsy!"

A small pop announced the arrival of an obviously female elf. "Yes, mistress, how can Betsy help?"

She knelt to be at eye level with the eager little servant. "Betsy, would it be possible for me and my mother to be taken to platform nine and three quarters?"

"Oh easy, mistress. Just call for Betsy when you are ready to leave."

With another pop, she was gone, leaving Hermione to speak with her surprised mother. "Since Harry and I performed the goblin ceremony of mates, the Potter elves call me mistress. Betsy is my personal elf. She was originally terrified of me, thinking I wanted to set her free. Seeing the hurt I was causing her forced me to change my mind about elves. Harry was right, it's just a matter of perspective. Betsy is part of our family and I will treat her as such. She's happiest when busy taking care of me and sometimes I'm even deliberately messy now. I will be making my own way to the express. You're welcome to come with me, he is not."

Emma left, knowing this news would go down as well as telling a patient they needed root canal treatment. It would be painful and costly, but Dan really had only himself to blame.

-oOoOo-

Harry was beginning to lose it. "SIRIUS! If this is your idea of a prank, I'm really not in the mood."

A bemused godfather stuck his head in the door. "What's up, pup? Marauders honour, I wouldn't dream of pulling a prank on you today."

"My stuff keeps shifting around the room when my back is turned. I'm trying to get ready but it's almost like something doesn't want me to go..." Realisation hit Harry at that point. "...or someone! Potter elves to me."

Multiple pops saw Harry's bedroom at Grimmauld soon fill with elves. "I think we have an intruder. I don't want him harmed, just caught and brought to me."

It was only seconds later that three elves returned, the trio also had a hold of a struggling Dobby. "Stand still, Dobby, no one here wants to hurt you - but this has to stop."

"Harry Potter must not return to Hogwarts. Terrible things will happen there, terrible things..."

"Hermione will be on that train, and terrible things will happen to anyone trying to stop me joining her, understand?"

Dobby was about to say that he received threats like this on a daily basis, that was until he looked into those green eyes. Dobby now knew he'd never been threatened like this before. Terrible things would indeed befall anyone trying to keep Harry Potter from his mate. He nodded his understanding.

"I understand you're trying to help, Dobby, I really do. This is not the way though. If you can give me any clues or specific warnings, I would really appreciate it. If not, just stay out my way. Let him go, guys."

No sooner had Dobby been released than he was off, something Harry would soon need to do too.

-oOoOo-

Harry was heading for the barrier when probably the last person in the world he wanted to see stepped out in front of him. "Harry, can I have a quick word?"

"Not at the moment, Mr Granger, I'm in a hurry."

Dan was ready to insist when a primeval part of his brain screamed not to be so bloody stupid. The same part of the brain that kept our ancestors alive in the days when man was not the top predator in the land. One look at Harry was enough to confirm this would not just be a bad mistake, it might be the last mistake he ever made.

"Very well, Harry, have a good year."

A quick one-armed hug from Sirius and he melted through the brickwork, leaving Dan with an irate godfather on his hands.

"I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt, and assume you were about to apologise to my godson. Otherwise, you and I have nothing further to say to one another."

"I was hoping to, yes. At least Harry was civil, Hermione refuses to even speak to me. She's done some kind of magic that won't even allow me into her room!"

This left Sirius shaking his head. "She controls the wards on your home. They need to be tied to someone magical, she could probably stop you entering your own house. You have no idea the trouble you've caused, or just how much shit you could be in. We need to go somewhere and talk."

"We need to wait for Emma first, I'm giving her a lift home. Hermione arranged transport onto the platform for both of them, I drove here on my own - I've been on my own a lot lately."

Hermione was early, that was to be expected, Harry running late was not. Her anxiety levels climbed every time the hand on the platform clock moved a minute closer to eleven. She was surrounded by their friends, all of whom were somewhat aware of what was going on. Hermione had told them her father had gotten very angry about something, and dragged her away from Harry. That she hadn't seen him since their day in Diagon Alley more than accounted for the anxiety she was displaying.

The group should actually have gotten on the train as they were causing a bit of an obstruction, Hermione didn't care. She wasn't moving from that spot until Harry arrived. As the tallest amongst them, it was Neville who spotted him first.

"He's here!"

Hermione took off in the direction Neville had indicated, only stopping when she crashed into her boyfriend. Arms wrapped around each other, they discovered that kissing and talking at the same time was something they would need to practice.

Just having her back in his arms made everything in Harry's world okay, he just needed one final piece of reassurance. He whispered in Hermione's ear. "Are we good?"

"No, Harry, we're bloody great!"

Their needy hug was broken by a familiar voice. "You two need to get on the train, you have a long trip to get reacquainted."

"Hello, Mrs Granger..."

She remembered what Hermione said and let her actions speak for her. She pulled Harry into a hug. "It's Emma, Harry, just Emma. Perhaps, in a few years, we may give something else a try. I don't think either of us is quite ready for that yet."

Harry though he couldn't be any happier, only to be proved wrong. Emma kissed them both before shooing them in the direction of their waiting friends. More hugs of greeting was followed by a quick hello to Colin's parents, and a promise to keep an eye on him. Luna was coming with the Weasleys, who were apparently notorious for running late.

They needed two compartments, counting Luna, and possibly Ginny too. Just as the train was getting ready to leave, the redheads arrived.

Sensing that the four had things to talk about, Susan offered that they would go and find Luna - now that the train was pulling away. Harry appreciated that, but had another task they could help with at the same time. He opened his trunk and started piling up books on the floor.

"Transfiguration, I thought you said there wasn't any books on goblin transfiguration?"

"There aren't, Susan, and neither are these. I just didn't want them getting confiscated."

A book that might be confiscated was certainly one Parvati had an interest in. One look inside the cover had the witch doing her happy dance, here was enough gossip material to last until Christmas. "Oh Harry, can I get a copy for Lavender?"

"Well, since I want this spread all over the castle, I can't think of two better witches for the job." The smile Harry wore robbed the words of any intentional hurt. A hug from Parvati saw her shoot out of there with her pockets full of Dumbledore's expose. Susan and Hannah also took more than a few copies, promising to make sure at least a couple ended up in the hands of Slytherins.

When it was just the four of them, it was Padma who then broached the elephant in the room. "What the hell happened that would make Dan go off like that, did he catch you two in bed together or something?" Padma had tried to inject some levity into the situation, she wasn't prepared for Hermione's answer.

With Harry back at her side, Hermione found she could actually crack a joke about something that yesterday was too painful to even mention. "Something like that, he actually dragged me right out of Harry's bed!" Seeing their two best friends with their chins on the floor gave Hermione her first laugh in over a week. It was time to tell their story.

-oOoOo-

Sirius waited until their order was delivered to the booth before erecting a privacy charm. "I need you both to sit, drink your coffee and listen. Halloween, nineteen eighty one, I made the wrong decision and it harmed my godson. I spent ten years in Azkaban because of that mistake, yet Barchoke barely forgave me. I only got back into my godson's life because Harry wanted it, and his father thought his son needed me. I know I won't get another chance and will do my damnedest to ensure I don't screw up again."

He needed a sip of his own tea before continuing. "When I saw that memory of their bonding, I'm not ashamed to say I cried. I though it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen, and I have Henrica Hobson for a girlfriend. I don't know Hermione nearly as well as I'd like to but a blind man could see she loves my godson - almost as much as Harry loves her. The last week or so has been hell - watching as that young man questioned everything in his life was not a pleasant experience."

Emma had tears in her eyes as she answered Sirius. "Hermione has been the same, the only time I've seen her happy was when she finally met Harry at the station. How can we fix this, Sirius?"

"I am not the problem, Emma, you have a very angry goblin - and his bewildered son - to deal with. Harry now thinks Dan hates him, and will try to take Hermione away - not something I would advise."

"What makes you say that, Sirius?"

"You could lose her, Emma, and I'm being deadly serious here. Hermione belongs in our world now, a world where you have practically no opinion, never mind rights. Deliberately keeping Hermione from her bonded mate could see you lose custody of your daughter, especially if that mate is my godson. He has an 'in' with the ministry that would see such a request almost instantly granted. You've seen enough of how our system works to know this is true. Harry has killed to protect Hermione, he'll do whatever is necessary where she is concerned. Shit - if Harry declared himself Lord Potter, Fudge would change the law to let them marry the following day."

Emma was in bits at this news, Dan was in tears too. "What can I do? I'll do anything, Sirius, I'm desperate here."

"First thing, stay away from Barchoke. You not only ripped the guts out of his son, you also hurt the girl he now legally calls his daughter. Hurting a goblin's children, well, not a smart move. You saw the memory of Harry in the pit, Barchoke has entered it twice to protect his son - don't let the suit fool you."

Emma now had her husband by the lapels of his jacket, pulling him toward her. "Daniel Granger, you will fix this! I don't care if you have to crawl to Hogwarts on your hands and knees, you will bloody fix what you broke. I will not lose her, I can't lose her..." She then lost it and buried her head into Dan's chest, it didn't mask her sobs as Emma's heart broke.

The tears were really flowing now from Dan too, Sirius had to cast a mild confundus charm as they were starting to attract attention, even with the silencing charm up. "The key to this is Harry, and the way to Harry is through Hermione. I'll be seeing them both this weekend and I'll happily carry any letters you want - but that's it. I think what you did was abysmal, and don't really know where that came from. That should have been one of the happiest days of their lives, it was never going to be because Harry had to step in the pit. You have to understand, Harry now thinks he's a murderer - and no longer good enough for Hermione. You did that, and I think I have a right to know why?"

Dan did his best to explain the emotional turmoil that night produced. "I was still trying to come to terms with not losing Hermione to that attack, only to discover I was going to lose my little girl anyway. Harry is handsome, incredibly rich, so very well mannered and on first name terms with government leaders. My daughter is also head over heels in love with him - and now they're practically married. I just couldn't cope with any more and panicked, I had to get my family away."

Dan looked down at his hands and saw they were shaking. "I'm a dentist, Sirius, I spend my days looking into people's mouths. I thought my hobby of shooting was a walk on the wild side, add a bit of danger to my life, but paper targets don't fire back. I've never even shot at a rabbit, yet Harry can't go to a ball without someone having a go at him. I keep telling myself I'm okay with this but, obviously I'm not. Hermione attended that same ball with a sword at her hip, her wand in a holster on her arm and two shields as part of her belt. As her father, I should be the one protecting the children, she beat me up with a wooden sword - holding back too I'll bet. I was a drowning man, Sirius, jumping into the life raft of the life we had before - only to discover that life doesn't exist anymore. The last ten days have been a constant nightmare for all of us, and I don't know what to do about it."

A still tearful Emma tried to help her husband. "How do you feel about Harry?"

"Shit, that could have us here all day! On the one hand he's this kind, gentle, fun loving soul with eyes that captured both of my girls the moment they met him. He's so bloody honourable that he would put knights of yore to shame. Watching the two of them dance together never fails to make me smile at how well they fit together, and how happy he makes my daughter. Then he detects a threat to Hermione and Centurion Crow turns up - kicking arse and taking no shit from anyone." Dan was shaking his head at the inconsistencies he'd just described, but the dentist wasn't finished yet. "There is also the boy that has been at my daughter's side for a year now. He makes her happy just being in the same room and would face down the devil himself to protect her. Honestly, if I could design the perfect boy for my daughter, it would be Harry with a haircut - ponytails are just so sixties." Dan had even more tears running down his cheeks by the time he'd finished, and in danger of succumbing to an emotional meltdown. He was saved from that fate by a kiss on the cheek from his wife.

"You write all that down and send it to Hermione, you know she'll let Harry read it anyway. I would leave out the bit about the hair though, Hermione and I both love it."

Dan was trying to wipe the tears away with his sleeve. "I know, but I don't want her thinking he's perfect. Can't have them getting bigheaded now, can we?" It was a weak attempt at humour, but it was at least an attempt.

He then asked Sirius a question Dan pretty much knew the answer to. "I suppose Harry spending Christmas again with us is out of the question? Having him and Padma in the house made last year our best Christmas ever." He knew Harry and Hermione would want to spend the holiday together. Not seeing Hermione at Christmas would be really hard to take, he didn't know how Emma would cope with that scenario.

"I would say that was a definite no, it will take more than a few months to work on Barchoke. At the moment, he wouldn't let Harry enter your house, never mind stay under your roof. You need to have both Harry and Hermione wanting to stay first, and that's not going to be easy. This is going to be a slow painful process, and you need to remember something at all times. I made the mistake of treating Harry like a kid, he burned my arse and then threatened to go to Bill for advice. The cheeky bugger then asked me what my intentions were toward Henrica. He may be only twelve in years but he's been raised in an entirely different culture, sometimes he acts more mature than I do."

This found total agreement from Emma. "Sitting talking to Augusta at the Black Sea confirmed that. She couldn't believe the difference in Neville, and put it all down to his friends. They may be a group of four, but we all know who the leader of the group is."

"Yes, the baby-faced Ghengis Khan that I have to get down on my knees and apologise to."

Sirius had another worry, one that meeting Dan stopped him confirming. "I just hope they're okay together, this was actually the first time they've been apart since they met a year ago today."

This actually drew a weak smile from Emma. "I don't think you need worry about that, Sirius, I doubt you'll be able to slip a sheet of paper between them all the way to Scotland. Neither looked like letting the other go anytime soon."

-oOoOo-

They were still holding on to each other while they waited on their friends' reactions to their story.

"You're bonded, you actually blood-bonded?"

Hermione could only nod at her friend, worried about the disbelief in Padma's voice. Hermione needn't have worried. With a squeal of delight, she shot across the compartment and had both of them in a headlock while bouncing with joy. "Oh, I wish I could have seen it. Did you actually glow?"

"We watched the memory back, the silver glow shot up our arms. By the time it covered us, it had turned to gold."

This saw Padma stagger drunkenly backward to her seat, the disbelief was back in full force. "Gold?"

Neville just had to interrupt. "Okay, I should be getting used to not knowing everything around here. So, could you give a guy a break - I have no idea what you three are talking about."

"Neville, I know what it means to a goblin but Padma seems to have a different explanation here."

"I've heard what it used to mean, Harry, the more of your body that glowed - the stronger the bond. Figures you two would glow all over - but gold was supposed to be a myth."

Hermione was all over her now, here was knowledge to be learned - knowledge that concerned Harry and her. "Okay Padma, give! What do you know and where did you hear it?"

"Oh, that used to be the way people married, still do in some Indian provinces. It fell out of favour because everyone at the ceremony could see how well the couple were suited. Imagine a big wedding, hundreds of guests and then the bride and grooms hands barely glow."

Harry interrupted. "That's exactly why the goblins use it. We mate for life, you need to know that you are compatible. A goblin bonding where hands barely glowed would see the couple discussing if they wanted to formalise the bond. If their hands didn't heal at once, no bond was said to have existed."

"No, Harry, that's exactly my point. When marriages became more about arrangements and less about bonds, it became embarrassing when the ceremony clearly said these two people weren't suitable to be together. They wanted the arrangement more than the bond, so it fell by the wayside."

It was a still puzzled Neville who asked a question, an action he immediately regretted. "Did you two formalise your bond?"

Both Harry and Hermione were now wearing blushes that would stop a train. Padma decided to go for a third so mock whispered the piece of information Neville was missing. "A couple formalises their bond by having sex together after the ceremony, do you think they've formalised their bond yet?"

Neville easily now outshone his two friends as Padma burst into fits of laughter.

"Patil, you're lucky I don't have my sword..."

"It's in my trunk, Hermione, so don't let that stop you."

Padma was now squealing with laughter, she still took that laughter into the next compartment as Hermione fished out her sword. That girl could be scary.

Their fun was interrupted by Susan arriving with invitations for them. "I got handed mine, and they knew we were friends so I also got the job of passing these on. Who is this Professor Slughorn?"

Harry quickly scanned the scroll, and then made his mind up even quicker. "I have no idea, Susan. If he thinks I would even consider spending time with him, rather than Hermione, he's not nearly as smart as he thinks he is." Harry slid the compartment window back and posted the unwanted invitation straight out it. Before he could close it, there was a shout from Neville.

"Don't be so hasty, Harry, keep that window open so I can chuck mine out too."

Susan shrugged her shoulders and then did the same with her invitation. "I would rather spend the time with my friends."

The trolley lady then appeared and Harry got sweets for everyone. It was fun watching Colin, Luna and Ginny play the wizarding form of Russian Roulette, though with Berty Bott's Every Flavour Beans - instead of a loaded revolver.

With a copy of Rita's book finding its way into many of the compartments, it was probably the quietest trip to Hogwarts in the history of the express. It was also easy to spot those compartments that had a copy, they would be jam-packed with students, with even more crowded around the door - listening as the occupants took turns at reading their precious copy out loud. That was until they would come to a revelation so shocking, they couldn't read anymore. The book would then be passed on to the person sitting next to them. By the time the express pulled into Hogsmead, Dumbledore's dirty laundry had been well and truly aired. Since Henrica had also turned up at the castle with copies, the staff would also be well acquainted with the book too.

-oOoOo-

Albus thought he'd been prepared for the worst, turns out he wasn't even close. His father dying in Azkaban, after being sent there for attacking muggles. Ariana, Abe and even his brief relationship with Gellert - all were plastered across page after page of unmitigated horror. The horror though was unrelenting as it also told Tom Riddle's story, and the part he had played in it. From taking his Hogwarts letter to that orphanage, to teaching him for seven years.

The part that was a real dagger in his heart was where it told of Severus hearing the prophecy, and accurately described what happened next. The events of Halloween nineteen eighty one were depicted here more accurately than Albus had thought possible, all was laid bare as even more suspicion was heaped upon him.

He was the one who suggested the Fidelius, sent Hagrid to take baby Harry away, dropped him off on his relatives' doorstep and then did nothing to stop the boy's godfather being sent to Azkaban without a trial.

That horcruxes were then mentioned really chilled his blood. That the book admitted Harry had one under a scar the killing curse left, one that the goblins quickly removed, was more black marks against Albus Dumbledore. That he'd left the boy-who-lived on a muggle doorstep with a horcrux in his head was the conclusion every reader would reach.

The goblin nation also gave the real reason he found himself barred from Gringotts. That the goblins were openly stating they had spent the last ten years searching for these abominations, while he did nothing, just increased the depth of shit he was in.

What could be the final kicker though was, again in surprisingly accurate detail, a complete account of the entire Quirrell debacle. Albus was sure this book would finish him at both the ministry and the I.C.W. Whether he could hold onto Hogwarts was going to be very close. Ideally, he would come out fighting and refute most of the book. Unfortunately, like the company name suggested, every word of it was true.

-oOoOo-

Lucius was happier than he'd been in many months, it was almost too easy. They had all stood there, obviously waiting on someone. More importantly to Lucius, they had been totally oblivious to what was happening around them. He'd taken a massive risk, waiting until the first of September, but it had just paid off handsomely.

His mood changed the instant he spotted his wife's expression, what the hell had happened now?

She slapped a book into his hands, directing him to a certain chapter. Lucius felt the cold hand of fear grip his heart and almost stop it beating - the dark lord had created horcruxes.

Lucius remembered the feeling of pride when his master had handed over a most precious item for him to take care of, as well as his disappointment when discovering it was an old blank diary. His first scan though told him this item positively reeked of the darkest magic he'd ever seen, so Lucius had hid it away. Now, the very day he discovered it was probably a horcrux, the diary was in the possession of a carefully chosen victim and speeding toward Hogwarts. A Hogwarts that held his son and heir!

Lucius didn't know if he could survive being this poor the eighteen years it would take for a new Malfoy heir to reach seventeen, he was struggling to last the almost five it would take Draco to inherit. If his master returned when he was still poor, Lucius knew none of his family would survive past their first meeting. What had he done?

A/N Thanks for reading

A/N 2 I was going to hold this chapter until Monday, the day voting kicks off for our anti-knife crime video, but realised this was unfair. I know a lot of my readers look forward to receiving a new chapter at the weekend - so here it is. Our film, titled 'Hector's story', will hopefully appear on the Scottish Youth Parliament website (syp dot org dot uk) under the heading of their We-CTV campaign. I shall post a link on my profile page that leads directly to it once the video's are posted. I hope I can add 'thanks for voting' to my usual author's note.

37. The Hormone Charm?

Harry Crow

A/N - Having previously mentioned our school's film project, and asking readers to vote, I'm hopefully offering a little incentive here. For the last few weeks, I've been pushing ahead with my writing to provide that incentive for those votes - an extra chapter. Yes, I still hope to publish my usual chapter at the weekend, and voting details can be found on my profile.

According to my latest reviews, I will probably have a few less readers for this chapter - some were even very nice about it. That's fine by me, no author has the right to expect their efforts will be read - far less reviewed. That's why I end every chapter the way I do, I am genuinely delighted that people take the time to read my efforts.

Chapter 37

The gang ensured the three new first years made it along to where the rest of their yearmates were gathered, waiting by the boats. The new second years then headed for the carriages, both couples in one, with Susan, Hannah, Parvati and Lavender in another.

Harry had been hoping his friend would bring the subject up but was eventually forced to ask. "Neville, how are your parents reacting to the treatment?"

Neville appeared rather embarrassed by the question but answered anyway. "The healers are saying it's too soon to say, and gran keeps telling me not to get my hopes up. The thing is, I think I can see a slight difference. They would normally just sit and stare in front of them, I swear I've seen both of them looking around the room - almost as if wondering where they are. When my mum slipped me her sweet wrapper, I'm sure she squeezed my hand. Gran promised to write but it's going to be hard waiting until Christmas to see them again."

Padma snuggled into his side, trying to offer some comfort.

Harry though had an idea. "What if you didn't have to wait until Christmas?"

This quickly perked Neville's interest so Harry laid out the idea he just had. "Hermione and I will be leaving the castle at Halloween again, what if you two come along. The four of us could visit both sets of parents."

All three could see Neville loved the idea of getting to see his mum and dad, Padma easily guessed what the problem was. "We won't expect too much, Neville, but we still want to meet them."

Hermione was now cuddling into Harry for a different reason, she needed the comfort of knowing he was there for her. Now they were back together, the multiple implications of the last ten days were beginning to sink in. "We won't be staying at my house this time, will we?"

He kissed her on the forehead before breaking the news he'd struggled to fit into their earlier conversations. "Your dad was waiting for me at the station."

Harry could feel Hermione's body stiffen at that news. "What did he want?"

"He just wanted a quick word, but you were waiting and I was late. I told him I was in a hurry, he wished me a good year at Hogwarts."

Hermione was digesting this when Neville made up his mind. "What if I write to gran and ask if we can all stay at my house?" He took the three wide smiles this idea generated as a yes. Having Harry beside him at their last visit to St Mungo's had actually helped Neville, he knew both girls were good friends. Neville was starting to think Padma might be more than a good friend but he would wait and see what this year brought before taking those thoughts any further.

-oOoOo-

Colin appeared disappointed to be sorted into Gryffindor, he went and sat beside Neville. Luna practically floated to the Ravenclaw table, gratefully accepting the position Hermione offered beside her. Ginny was the last first year to be sorted and stared wistfully at her blond friend as she joined her brothers at Gryffindor. There was a murmur of dissent as Dumbledore stood, it died as he basically just said tuck-in and the food arrived.

Padma was telling Morag, Lisa and Mandy about some of the things they'd done during their holiday when Hermione's hand shot to her bag. "Oh, how could I forget! Mum gave me some of the photographs to let you see, sorry but it went right out my head."

The photographs soon replaced the feast as the centre of attention at the Ravenclaw table. When Harry saw the pictures being circulated outside their circle of friends, it was time for a warning. "Guys, none of those photographs featuring the girls or Professor Hobson will be missing after you've seen them, especially the ones taken on various beaches." Harry didn't need to add - or else - one glance at how serious he was and everyone got the message.

Morag though had a cheeky question for the trio. "What about the ones featuring the male hunks, is it okay to sneak one of them into my bag?"

Padma and Hermione answered in stereo. "Hell no!"

The consensus at the Ravenclaw table was this group had 'stolen' the summer ball, even the Prophet had said so. While it had been such a major highlight in Britain, that same ball now looked like only a very small part of their summer adventure.

Roger though had a word of warning for the group. "Harry, Professor Slughorn is sitting up there and staring at you, he was really quite miffed you didn't respond to his invitation on the train."

"I did respond, we all threw them out the window." This got a few chuckles before he reassured every second year there. "We will still have Master Pitslay for potions, and there is no way I'll be going anywhere near Lockhart's class. Poncy git probably has the classroom walls plastered with pictures of himself. We will have Assistant Ambassador Weasley teaching us defence this year again."

This drew some cheers at the table, there was no one swooning over that peacock in Ravenclaw. Harry looked toward the staff table, picking out Henrica, one glance was enough to tell him that she would rather be sitting having dinner with them. She'd been a great help to Harry over the last ten days, even keeping his mind occupied by pumping him for information that would end up in her book. Next summer would complete her research and then she was planning on putting it all together. He was promised a signed copy for his help. Having stayed at Grimmauld for the last week or so, he suspected she might be signing it as Henrica Black by then.

When Dumbledore stood at the end of the feast to give his traditional welcome speech, the silence that descended in the hall was anything but respectful. No one was quite sure who moved first but Penny and Percy appeared to be the instigators. They started their houses moving to their dorms, with Hufflepuff and Slytherin quickly picking up that this was something they wanted to support.

Dumbledore's voice faded to silence as every student now had their back to him, making their way out the hall. The staff were also following their students' example, they started leaving too. Within a few moments, the headmaster was the only person left in the hall. Albus was gripping the lectern tightly, trying to rein in his temper. He'd never been shown such disrespect in his entire life.

Minerva left the hall, knowing already who her top candidates for next year's head boy and girl were.

-oOoOo-

Harry had asked Helena at the feast if he might have a word with her later, the ghost appeared in his room that night and listened as her champion passed on the warning Dobby had delivered.

"Not much information for us to react to. In fact, no information at all. Terrible things could mean absolutely anything."

"I know. What about the wards, did they detect anything unusual?"

The Lady Ravenclaw couldn't hide her disgust. "The wards are a total mishmash. There is more effort put into making sure muggles can't see the castle than there is to protecting the school. Each headmaster adds their own contribution, leaving a patchwork quilt of meddling instead of the work of art that the founders originally set."

Harry was by no means an expert but he understood the basics of wards. "Even getting rid of Dumbledore and having goblins rebuild the wards might not help. If the threat was already inside the castle, a new ward scheme wouldn't do any good."

Helena promised to warn the other ghosts, portraits and elves to keep a sharper lookout.

-oOoOo-

It felt good to be running together again. Harry and Hermione were taking advantage of the good weather to follow the path around the Black Lake, they would be relegated to the room in Hogwarts soon enough. Having no one to fence with during their forced separation, Hermione was keen to cross blades again. Since they both now had armour, Harry agreed to using their actual swords.

They were practicing in the courtyard and Harry was delighted at the progress Hermione was making, holding her own in that very real duel had certainly done her confidence with a blade no harm at all.

They were eventually interrupted by their head of house. "I can see you've been practicing, Miss Granger. Then again, you have a very good teacher. The news from Gringotts pleased me greatly, can I assume you will be keeping that quiet for now?"

"Yes, Professor. Only our family and closest friends know. Hermione, we've got quite an audience."

They did indeed. Now that they had stopped fencing, Colin thought it would be safe enough to take a picture. It caught Hermione's surprise perfectly. There must have been fifty people watching the golden couple fence, quite a few of them had surprise expressions too. Even on holiday, both had kept up their exercising. Combined with their tan, and the clothes they wore for exercising, they cut a very unusual sight for witches and wizards.

"Are we running late? We usually finish before everyone gets up."

"It's the first day of term, Miss Granger, most students are up early today. That's actually why I came out here, to give you your timetables. You have potions first thing and Professor Slughorn is so looking forward to getting you in his class. I would hate for our new head of Slytherin to be disappointed."

Catching on at once what Master Flitwick was hinting at, Harry whipped out his knife and then used it to alter a coin sized disk on his knife holster that Hermione thought was for decoration. After moving a few symbols about, knife and sword were put away.

"We better get a move on, Hermione. We need to shower, change and have breakfast before Master Pitslay gets here. You know he hates to be kept waiting."

Hermione was too busy solving a puzzle to move right away. "Is that your emergency system for contacting your father."

"Yeah, there was a good chance either defence or potions would be our first lesson. I just alerted him it was potions. There is no way I was going to Lockhart's class, Eargit or Moonlight could probably beat him up. Master Pitslay can take a copy of our timetable back to Gringotts with him."

Their head of house was now laughing. "I don't think Professor Lockhart would let you anywhere near his class, centurion, he's terrified of you - and probably Hermione now too. I saw him watching you two fence as I came down here, his face matched the colour of his hideous robes, chartreuse I believe he called them."

Lockhart avoiding them was good news in their book, both quickly headed off to Ravenclaw for those much needed showers.

-oOoOo-

Padma and Luna were waiting by the time Hermione made it down to the common room.

"I'm hearing you and your boyfriend put on quite the show this morning? Talk of the castle, no less."

"Well, if you had gotten your lazy backside out of your bed, you wouldn't have to listen to hearsay."

Luna though had a question, "Why did you call Harry her boyfriend when you know they've bonded?"

Both girls now staring at Luna made her think she'd done something wrong. "I'm sorry, was it supposed to be a secret?"

She felt a hand settle gently on her shoulder and turned to see Harry smiling at her. "It's okay, Luna, you just surprised them. Can you tell us how you found out?"

"Oh, I can see it. I've always been able to see things others miss. I can see the bond between you, and also the one you share with your two best friends. There's no way you wouldn't have told them about the bond, that's why I was surprised when Padma called you Hermione's boyfriend. I can keep a secret, Harry, do you want me to?"

"Yes please, Luna. Hermione and I are very happy about it, but some others might not think the same. We'll be staying as boyfriend and girlfriend until we're a few years older."

"Ha, that will be when I'm thirty eight, if my father has his way!"

"Oh, was that who I saw talking to Sirius? He looked really discombobulated."

This drew looks from the other three so Luna explained. "My daddy used to always use the saying that someone didn't know their arse from their elbow, mummy didn't like me using daddy's expression so she taught me that great word. It means the same and, since mummy taught it to me, I use it every chance I get. I think daddy acts more and more discombobulated just to hear me say it."

Padma now had her arm around the girl, leading the little blonde in the direction of breakfast. "Luna, you're going to fit right in. These two are much too serious, you're exactly what they need."

Harry now had his arm around Hermione. "You okay?"

"I think so. Now we're back together the entire thing just seems like a bad dream. I've never fought with either of my parents before, nothing beyond a mild sulk, I don't know what to do next."

"Talk to Henrica, or Padma? I'm afraid neither Neville or I will be much use to you on that front."

They followed Padma and Luna out of Ravenclaw before Hermione told him what was really bothering her. "I know, Harry, and that's what really got to me. Neville was so excited at the mere suggestion his mother might have squeezed his hand, yet I haven't spoken to my dad since that night."

She had her head down in shame as she told him the next bit. "I actually attacked him with my practice sword. He was about to start on a 'you will talk to me' rant and I just exploded. Yes I was angry but he didn't deserve that. It's only since we got back together that I'm beginning to see both sides of this."

"If he was talking to Sirius, then at least there's hope. My father was angrier than I've ever seen him at the incident, we'll need to keep those two apart for a while. We've almost got Halloween planned, that just leaves us the Christmas holidays to worry about. I know one thing for sure, I'll be spending it with you - it's just the where we need to sort out. I hope it will get better, now that everyone has had time to cool down."

Hermione took some comfort from that and they were smiling as they entered the Hall. The young couple were immediately approached by Fred and George. Both wanted to check their potions classes still matched, and that Master Pitslay would be teaching them again this year. They headed back to their own table, delighted the answer to both their questions was yes.

After enjoying their breakfast, the arrival of Master Pitslay revealed at least one lie Rita's book had missed. Perhaps if they'd gone with the Halloween publishing date it would have been included. With Snape falling into their hands, the final piece of the jigsaw revealed itself. They were also certain Dumbledore would have gotten suspicious if Barchoke had postponed their meeting again, and there was no way they wanted him anywhere near their horcrux program.

Slughorn exploded loudly at Dumbledore, watching the students as they rose to accompany Master Pitslay to their potions class. "Dumbledore, you promised me Lily's boy would be in my class. You told me it was only because he didn't like Snape that Harry arranged a private tutor. Henrica and Minerva both assured me Harry wouldn't be stopping his private tuition but I believed you - shows what a fool I am. All the top potions students in second year, and the two top fourth years are being taught by someone else - this is not what I signed on for..."

With today's Prophet full of excerpts from that blasted book, Albus really didn't need this now. "I'm sorry, Horace, my hands are tied. Harry clearly stated his reasons for not taking potions in front of everyone. I assumed that, since I had addressed that problem, he would take potions with you. I am not allowed to speak with the boy but will ask Minerva if she will intercede on your behalf. I fear I must point out though, the facility has always existed inside Hogwarts for students to hire personal tutors. I understand he won't be taking the defence course either."

Horace left to take his class, a class bereft of Ravenclaws and, more importantly, the Order of Merlin award winning boy-who-lived. The boy who was the only reason Horace Slughorn returned to the castle.

-oOoOo-

Roger flopped down at the table for lunch, the look of disgust on his face was hard to miss. "Well, that was an utter waste of a morning. One lesson and I already know Lockhart is the most useless defence professor we've ever had."

Harry was trying not to laugh, he really was. "How could you know that in one period?"

"He started off with a quiz, but every single question was about him. How the hell is knowing Gilderoy Lockhart's favourite colour going to help me pass a defence exam? I hardly think that's likely to appear on any O.W.L. exam paper. Then the ponce acted out a scene from his book. Funnily enough, not once did he take his wand out. Has anyone seen if he actually has one?"

They would have suspected Roger was having them on, if the rest of the fourth year Claws weren't wearing the exact same expression of disgust.

Luna's first lesson had been charms with her head of house, she thought the class was brilliant. Defence was now looking certain to be a disappointment. "Harry, when will you know about those extra lessons?"

"We've got history next, Luna, so I'll talk to Professor Hobson then. We already have extra lessons ourselves every weekend, and astronomy on a Thursday, so we'll need to look at one of the remaining evenings. I'll ask the professor which suits her best and let you know."

"Can anyone come to these lessons?"

"Roger, you can't be serious? You're fourth year now..."

"A fourth year who's had one bad defence professor after another. Reading books can only take you so far, Harry. How are we meant to pass a practical exam if no one ever teaches you that stuff. You had the person getting paid to teach us defence flat on his back just by grabbing his pinkie, I also saw the both of you fence this morning. I may be a fourth year but you or Hermione would certainly kick my arse in a duel. I want to learn, and anyone here older than me will have suffered through the same shitty teachers I've had - only for longer. Penny raving about Percy's brother as a teacher is good enough for me. I don't want to wait until a month or so before my exams and hope McGonagall can coax him to come to Hogwarts for a few weekends - I'm perfectly happy taking pointers from his star pupils."

"You do know these two get up practically in the middle of the night, run for miles and then practice, practice, practice - every bloody day! Even on holiday, you get woken by these two going at each other with swords. That's why they're good, Roger, they work their arses off at it."

"Not helping, Padma." Hermione could see that, instead of discouraging anyone, Padma had unwittingly just given them a huge endorsement. It wasn't just Roger who was looking in their direction now, half the house appeared ready to sign up there and then.

Harry offered a partial solution. "I promised the first years I would help and we couldn't really run a mixed class at the moment, since the likes of Colin hasn't a clue about anything. Professor Flitwick has helped me with my training before, he's awesome with either a wand or a blade in his hand. Why don't you approach him with your concerns? He is our head of house, and a far better teacher than I'll ever be. If he knocks you back, we'll see if something can be worked out."

The relief washed over the table like a comforting wave. It was decided to wait until the weekend, just to give more of them the opportunity to confirm Lockhart was a shit teacher, and then a house delegation would approach Professor Flitwick with their concerns. If he said no, they always had an Order of Merlin winner waiting in the wings to fall back on.

-oOoOo-

Henrica was relieved to see Harry and Hermione had slipped directly back into the two lovely people that she was delighted to know. Henrica had practically to take her wand to Sirius, he was all for storming the Grangers and having it out with Dan. Pointing out that Barchoke was playing it smarter, and that they held all the cards, caused him to stop and think. Hermione couldn't be withdrawn from Hogwarts without Barchoke's agreement, something that would never be forthcoming unless Hermione wanted it.

The idea that Dan would deliberately hurt these two was a non-starter, even a certain enraged goblin didn't think that was ever a possibility. That meant this mess may take some time to sort out, but that Harry and Hermione would be back together come the first of September. Now that everyone had a little time to cool off, she was hopeful some progress could be made. She genuinely liked Hermione's parents, and she considered Dan's actions to be really out of character for the man she'd come to know.

Seeing these two smiling again was well worth giving up one of her evenings, they decided a Tuesday fitted best. it would certainly be better than having Lockhart stare at her. She thought it was time to ensure he knew Harry was her employer, and just how protective he was of his employees. It was either that or let him see what a transformed veela was capable of, a fireball shot at his neither regions should certainly put an end to any amorous thoughts.

-oOoOo-

Gilderoy had figured his time in Hogwarts would be spent being fawned on by all the young witches, and associating with the only other wizard who was nearly as famous as him. The boy-who-lived had turned out to be a major disappointment, the goblin raised brat was practically a savage. Watching that girl of his battle against him with those deadly goblin swords had his delicate stomach almost in his mouth - he could certainly taste bile.

That there were very few young witches swooning around him was a bone of contention too. One of the main reasons for that deficit had just entered the great hall, and Gilderoy wasn't impressed.

Red hair drawn back in a ponytail, dragon tooth earring - with the same animal probably giving up its skin for that jacket and boots. This was no refined gentlemen, he was barely a step above being considered a scuff. To make matters worse, he was obviously on good terms with the boy-who-lived, and his friends. With second year defence classes twice a week, and their extra tuition at the weekends, this Weasley was going to be in the castle four days every week - this was far too often for Gilderoy's liking.

It was hard to miss all the female attention this scruff was attracting too, the attention that should have been heading in Gilderoy Lockhart's direction. Hogwarts wasn't all bad news though, Dumbledore had been summoned to the ministry and everyone knew he was finished. This could provide a golden opportunity to exploit.

It seems only a matter of time before Dumbledore would be booted out of the castle, and Gilderoy fancied a certain promotion as being a nice easy job for himself. His picture, posed while sitting behind the headmaster's desk at Hogwarts, would look grand on the back of his next book. He read about the troll incident last year, if only he'd been here then. A few memory charms and he could have gotten a book about saving the boy-who-lived from a rampaging beast, out for a taste of young human flesh.

He would have to keep his eyes open and see if there were any situations he could exploit this year, and work on his speech for the press. "After the fall of Dumbledore, the young witches and wizards of Britain need a figure they can trust and look up to - how could I resist a calling like that. My days of roaming the world and solving its problems may have to be put on hold, but nothing is more important than ensuring our youngsters grow into the fine young witches and wizards of tomorrow." - Gilderoy thought that should do as a starting point.

-oOoOo-

Albus had no defence so attacked, he attacked a group the old wizard was sure were responsible for all his troubles. He was using a tactic that had worked for him in the past, provide another target for people to vent their anger on. "Members of the Wizengamot, I have been dragged here before you to answer questions. What this chamber needs to consider though is whether it is the right questions that are being asked - or should I say the right person being asked them. For the last few days, wizarding Britain has been agog over a quite scandalous book. The questions that should be getting asked concern the author - a witch sacked from her post at the Prophet for blatant lies - and her backers. My own investigations have turned up some startling facts. What we have here is nothing more than a goblin backed plot to destabilise the Ministry of Magic!"

Albus felt euphoric at the mayhem that followed this statement. He actually thought that he might just pull this off, that was until his gaze fell upon the Bones bitch. She was far too calm, and that faint smirk was a dead giveaway. She obviously knew something Albus didn't.

Amelia stood and the chamber eventually grew silent, waiting to hear what she had to add to the debate. Like Barchoke, she thought Dumbledore guilty of multiple crimes - unfortunately, neither she nor the goblin had any tangible proof. Amelia decided she would need to settle for stripping Dumbledore of the one thing he really wanted, power. "Fellow members, over the years I have come to realise that is sometimes what Albus Dumbledore doesn't say that really matters. While I agree a certain book is scandalous, I certainly do not believe - nor has he claimed - it to be libellous. My own investigations have yet to uncover one lie in the entire publication."

A shout came from the chamber. "...but the goblins..."

"...have done us a huge favour. The only person here who thinks Albus Dumbledore getting booted out of the Wizengamot would destabilise the ministry is Albus Dumbledore. Personally, I think their investigations have done the ministry nothing but good. Crouch was clearly a criminal who has now paid for those deeds, this very chamber saw to that. I was actually one of a privileged few who was given a copy of this book well before it was released to the public. This was done purely to ensure the ministry would be prepared for any ramifications its publication might produce. Where Dumbledore sees plots, I see a nation friendly to the ministry - and going out of their way to protect that relationship."

Amelia stared down Dumbledore as she delivered the final nails into his political coffin. "As to the authenticity of Miss Skeeter's latest work, I can and will offer my personal opinion. Unlike some though, my opinion is formed from investigation. In forming my opinion, I interviewed Lord Black, Ambassador Barchoke, his son, Harry, Severus Snape..."

Albus was aghast at this. "You spoke to Severus? Where is he? How is he?"

"He was fine and content. I also spoke to your brother, though I doubt if that's the proper description for that particular event. Mentioning you and your late sister in the same sentence saw Aberforth practically throw me out. He left me in no doubt though who he blamed for his sister Ariana's untimely death."

This saw Albus fall back into his seat as if he'd been physically struck. Abe had certainly never hidden that view from him, Albus had the crooked nose that reminded him of his brother's opinion every time he looked in a mirror. He'd refused to have it fixed for that very purpose. To hear that opinion broadcast to the entire Wizengamot was like a dagger through his heart.

Amelia then buried the dead body his political career had just become. "I again have to state that, in my personal and professional opinion, the book that started all this is factually accurate. My investigations could find not one untruth in the entire publication."

The voting to oust him was still ongoing when Albus rose from his chair and shuffled from the chamber, a defeated figure. The last thing he heard was a member nominating Amelia Bones for his recently vacated post.

It was hearing Amelia's nomination that saw Cornelius take his first action of the day. "While I applaud the member for nominating a very able candidate, can I ask this chamber to consider something no one seems willing to talk about. The dark lord who calls himself Voldemort is not gone, we now have this confirmed from multiple sources. We first heard this almost a year ago, unlike Dumbledore - we have not been idle. Under Madam Bones' leadership, our auror department has been quietly expanding to meet this perceived threat. I have no doubt Madam Bones would make a tremendous Chief Witch, or even Minister of Magic, I for one sleep better in my bed knowing she's head of the DMLE."

Cornelius received her backing on this matter immediately. "I thank the minister for his kind words and would ask that I remain in my current position until the death eater problem is finally behind us. Know this, our history will remember that Crouch, Bagnold and Dumbledore didn't deal with the problem when they had the chance. It is our intention that same history will look on Fudge, Bones and our new head of this chamber in a more positive light. I wouldn't want anyone walking into that position without knowing what is in front of us. It may be painful and even bloody, but we are determined to get the job done right this time."

Even those of a darker disposition were forced to join in with the standing ovation afforded the minister and his head of law enforcement for their brave stance on this matter. Some considered it foolhardy too - but today was neither the time nor place to express those views.

As Amelia had hoped, stating their aims upfront had immediately forced those who would oppose their views take a step back, leaving the way clear for a moderate to be elected to the post. Both she and Cornelius were pleased to see someone like Amos Diggory become Chief Warlock. They could work with him to reach their goals.

-oOoOo-

After running the quartet through their Saturday morning lesson, Bill was pleasantly surprised at how well they came through it. Padma and Neville especially were reaping the benefits from a summer spent traipsing around the world, swimming and playing physical games. Hermione also told him that a friend of Sirius' - and Harry's parents - had been giving them some defence lessons too.

Not having to hurry back to Gringotts, Bill was taking the opportunity to spend lunchtime with his younger siblings. Now that Ron wasn't under a probation order, he was keen to see his youngest brother didn't slip into his bad old ways. Bill was also desperate to discover how Ginny was getting on in the castle, he was delighted to hear she'd been somewhat 'adopted' into Harry's group. Ginny was certainly looking forward to Tuesday evening - and lessons from Harry.

This certainly earned a smile from her eldest brother. "The Gang of Four were running some stuff past me today, to see if I thought it was suitable - I think you'll enjoy your lesson, Ginny."

Bill certainly didn't enjoy seeing the re-emergence of 'Ron the prat'. "Bloody waste of time, if you ask me, Professor Lockhart knows his stuff. He had me help him with his demonstration, those four Slytherins were so jealous. The Professor obviously recognises real talent when he sees it."

The other four who'd also suffered Lockhart's 'lessons' were about to refute all Ron's claims when Bill held his hand up. "Just what was this demonstration, Ron?"

His excitement obvious, Ron couldn't wait to describe his moment in the sun. "Oh, the professor was using me to re-enact how he fought the Wagga Wagga Werewolf, from his book, Wandering with Werewolves. I was playing the part of the werewolf, I had to roar and everything. The professor had me in a headlock before casting the Hormone Charm, making me human again."

Bill had a simple question for Ron, "...and what did you learn?"

The question was so simple, it had Ron totally flummoxed. "What do you mean?"

"When you teach a class, Ron, it's important to have an objective for your students. That they learn a certain spell or technique during each lesson. So, what did you learn?"

"Eh, I dunno. I was in a headlock, how was I supposed to see what was going on?"

Percy was actually laughing at that. "I think Bill just proved his point rather well."

The twins then got in on the act too. "Hey Ron, werewolves don't roar..."

"No, they howl. You saw Harry put Lockhart down, does he look like someone who could get a werewolf in a headlock?"

Bill decided to put Ron out of his misery. "I also think you meant the fabled Homorphus Charm. It's rumoured to return a werewolf into human form, and be hideously difficult to cast - it certainly couldn't be done with a werewolf's head tucked into your armpit. Ignoring the fact that only the legend of this charm exists, and it's certainly well beyond the capabilities of any second year to cast, if Lockhart can cast it - I'd eat my boots."

Faced with this mountain of evidence against him, Ron reverted to his favourite tactic - ignore it. "Well, it's not as if I'm likely to meet a werewolf - is it?"

"Harry spent part of the summer with one..." The words were out before Ginny realised what she'd said. With all her brothers now looking to her for more information, she obliged. "They were talking about it at breakfast this morning, turns out that's who taught Harry that grip. You know, the one that saw Lockhart on the floor. He thought Moony would have a great laugh when he heard about it..." Ginny stopped as her twin brothers shot out their chairs and headed straight for Sirius Black, who was having lunch with Professor Hobson and smiling in Harry's direction.

"Hey, Padfoot..."

"...you've been holding out on us!"

-oOoOo-

With Master Pitslay and Bill already having visited Hogwarts, Sirius had their assurances, along with Henrica's, that Harry and Hermione were fine. It took spending some time with them today though for Sirius to really relax - and now he had a promise to keep. Today's lesson had concentrated on politics - and how they affected the houses of Potter and Longbottom. With Hermione set to be Lady Potter one day, and Padma at least a contender for the Longbottom position, it was a lesson all four enjoyed. As the lesson finished, Sirius produced the letter.

"Hermione, your father asked me if I would deliver this. Before even considering to give you this letter, I demanded to know why he'd done something so out of character. I've since had a few long chats with both your parents..."

"My mum was never part of this, Sirius."

"I know, Hermione, just as you're smart enough to know any action you take will affect both of them. All I was going to ask was that you consider this before responding. Talk it over with your friends, Henrica and I are also here if you need us."

Padma had a hand on each of their shoulders now. "Stay here and read it together, we'll see you later."

As soon as they were alone, the room provided a sofa for both to sit on. It was with trembling hands Hermione opened the letter, she had to sit it on her lap to read because her hands were shaking so much. The young couple read it together.

My dearest darling daughter

This is by far and a way the most difficult letter I've ever had to write. I watched some memories that terrified the life out of me, and then I reacted very badly to them. My actions that night were inexcusable, and hurt the two most important people in the world to me - you and your mother. For that, I am truly, deeply sorry. I'm going to assume that Harry is reading this with you, and take this opportunity to apologise to him too - for all the hurt I've caused both him and his father.

When I watched the memory of you attacking Master Sharpshard earlier in the year, I saw you assume Harry was in danger and act without thinking. It would now appear this is a trait you inherited from me. I want you to know your actions that day pale into insignificance when placed next to my own colossal act of stupidity. I assumed a threat to my family and acted without thinking.

Had I that evening to live over again, I would have been there all night asking Barchoke question after question, and then welcomed Harry to the family like I should have done. Instead, my actions hurt a great many people - including some I was beginning to regard as extended family. I don't have that night to live over though - so all that is left is to admit how wrong I was and ask your forgiveness.

To you both I would like to say that it is certainly a long-held dream of mine to walk my daughter down the aisle on her wedding day. Knowing that Harry will now be the one waiting on my daughter at the other end of that aisle makes me happier than I can possibly say here.

I'm not naive enough to expect things to instantly go back to the way they were before, knowing respect and trust must be earned. I threw all of that away in one moment of panic and madness, I'm more than prepared to work at building those back up to a level that will allow us to once more be what I really, really want - a family!

Your loving father

Hermione was in tears by the end of the letter, Harry just held her close.

After a few moments she'd recovered enough to speak. "What do you think?" When Harry didn't answer right away, Hermione lifted her head to see the concern on his face. "Harry, I want to hear what you think - not what you think I want to hear. We need to be totally honest with each other here - this is probably the most important discussion we've ever had."

"I need you to be honest with me first, Hermione. Your dad mentioned that day you attacked Master Sharpshard. If you had that event to live over, what would you do differently?"

"Well, I would hope to put up a better showing..."

Harry almost smiled at that. "Are you saying that you would still attack?"

"There is no way I could stand there and watch, that's why I practice as hard."

This earned her a kiss before Harry continued. "That day those girls had you and Padma trapped in that bathroom, nothing would have stopped me rushing to you both. McGonagall gave me that detention, more because we both understood I would do exactly the same again. That's what worries me about this, what will he do the next time something happens? I couldn't let him take you again..."

A shudder passed through both of them at the mere thought of something like this happening again.

"In goblin culture, I am now your mate - and also responsible for you. Clearly this is something we need to discuss with your parents, ideally setting boundaries that we can all live with until we're older. Forcibly dragging us apart crossed way over any line that would be acceptable to me - and I hope you?"

Hermione could hardly disagree with that, she'd made her position pretty clear to her father since that night.

"The only reason neither my father nor I reacted that night was because he wasn't aware of a line's existence - something my father had intended to spend time discussing. We should have sat down like a family and discussed how we were going to move forward with this, now it will probably end up more of a business negotiation..."

Hermione reacted the only way she could to that remark, with shock and horror. "No, Harry, I will not have my parents treated like that. My mum and dad will be treated as family - or this goblin / magical / muggle relationship can't possibly work. I want my family back - my entire family. I've heard over and over how important family is to goblins, well, my mum and dad are now your family too. My father is as proud as any goblin, yet that letter has him practically grovelling - I feel sick inside for being the cause of that. You're forever quoting goblin culture to me, are you aware that it is customary in our culture to ask a girl's father for his daughter's hand in marriage? We went ahead and jumped right in to a blood bond - without consulting either set of parents. There were a lot of mistakes made that day, I don't think any of us were really blameless."

Harry couldn't look at Hermione as he asked the question he never thought would pass his lips. "Do you regret bonding with me?"

Hermione now lifted Harry's head before reassuring him with a kiss of her own. "You are mine, and I am yours. That is not going to change, Harry, but we are certainly both going to have to if we want to make this work."

He held her close and repeated the words that changed their lives forever. "You are mine, and I am yours. We've faced cultural differences before, Hermione, but I don't know how we're going to get past this one. In my heart, I am a goblin - the need to protect my mate is incredibly strong. The nation won't expect us to be married until of age - so that lets us set our own timetable."

"I see us as Head Boy and Girl, sharing that accommodation as husband and wife."

This had Harry's arms tightening around her, clearly showing his approval for that idea.

"My dad is not a bad man, Harry, he watched our bonding and just panicked. We can all learn from this, and stop anything like this happening again. I believe that - do you?"

"Of course I don't believe he's a bad man, far less a bad father. It's now clear to see how he could panic, I don't think any of us were thinking clearly that night."

"I have just spent a wonderful summer with what I now consider my extended family - mum, dad, your father, Sirius, Henrica, with Neville and Padma in there too somewhere. The locations were spectacular, but it was the company that made it so special. That is our family now, Harry, the family that it's apparently going to be up to us to put back together."

Harry's thoughts drifted to Emma's hug and then kissing them both goodbye at the station. The sensation of how warm and comforting that had made him feel inside swept through him once more, how could he even consider letting that go? He now understood Hermione's stance on this matter and was more than willing to stand beside her, Emma Granger was certainly someone you would fight to keep in your life. Emma though, wasn't the problem. "To get both of our fathers in the same room without at least a shouting match is going to take something really devious..."

Remembering Sirius' warning from earlier just hardened her resolve. Hermione had seen kids at her old primary school whose parents had divorced. They were passed around each parent in a business agreement drawn up by strangers, weekends and holidays became nothing more than allocated slots on a calendar. That wasn't going to happen in her family, her now extended family, not if she could help it. "...well then you'll just have to show me how devious your goblin side really is. If we have one argument, does that mean we're over?"

She felt Harry stiffen in terror beside her at that very thought, she drew him into a hug to comfort both of them. "Harry, the answer to that question will always be no bloody chance. We will argue, possibly even fight, we're both too stubborn not to! All I was meaning was we would get past it, just like we'll get past this."

They needed a few moments just holding each other, just to confirm the were still 'good'. Hermione had been right, this was their most serious conversation to date. When she summed up what they hoped to achieve though, it didn't seem impossible.

"We know what we need from this, and it's actually not that much. It shouldn't be too hard convincing our parents to agree to something that was practically their idea in the first place. We've been dealing with the differences between our cultures since we first met, I will not see our family split by one mistake. We need to put our heads together and solve this. We both need my mum, dad and your father in our lives, we shouldn't settle for anything less."

Harry was admiring how expressive Hermione's eyes were when she got really passionate about something, they practically sparkled - and that was when the idea struck.

A/N thanks for reading - and hopefully voting

38. The New Marauders

Harry Crow

Disclaimer: Since I'm not the owner of these characters, I will probably do things with them that you don't like or agree with. Sorry in advance but that's the nature of fan fiction. To do otherwise kind of defeats the purpose of writing fan fiction, and copying JKR word for word would certainly see a lawsuit heading in my direction. There will never be a child named Albus Severus in any story I write though.

Chapter 38

Both Grangers were nervously awaiting Sirius' arrival, neither could content themselves until they'd heard from Hogwarts. It was Sunday dinner time but there was no appetite for food in their Crawley home, it was information Emma and Dan hungered for. A pop from the back garden signalled an end to their waiting but cranked up the nervous tension in the house by about a factor of ten.

Emma was holding the door open, her first question being asked before Sirius even got a chance to enter the house. "What did they say? Have you got a letter?"

"I have no idea what they said, nor have I got a letter. We will need your memory player though."

Dan raced at once to get it, and then, for the first time in a couple of weeks, his daughter spoke to him.

"Hi mum, hi dad, this is not something we wanted to put in a letter - so Harry came up with this idea! I'm currently staring into a beautiful pair of green eyes and talking to you, strange or what? Then again, two dentists having a witch for a daughter is about as strange as you can get. With our family, there just is no definition of normal - something that got forgotten by all of us."

Emma already had a hanky out and Dan appeared close to tears too. Hermione and Harry had recorded this message last night so this was the first time Sirius was seeing it as well.

"A few weeks ago, a couple of incidents happened that have resulted in me standing here talking to you like this. In all honestly, I don't think any of us handled the situation too well. My father was simply desperate to protect me, he just panicked and made the wrong choice. I can see that now, before I was so focused on the hurt Harry must be feeling - I was simply blinkered to what was happening in my own home. Dad, for not explaining things, and especially for hitting you with my practice sword, I'm really, really sorry. I am ashamed of myself and hope you can forgive me, I have of course forgiven you."

Dan now needed a tissue from the box.

"Harry and I blood bonding seems to have caused most of the trouble. Mum, dad, I don't know what you've been told but Harry and I have had time to talk about it now. Here's what this bond means to us. Harry is my boyfriend, a boyfriend that will one day become my husband. The bond was our magic confirming that we could search the entire country and not find anyone more suitable, something we both were already coming to understand. We would only be legally married in the eyes of the nation if we confirmed the bond, not something Harry and I have any intention of doing for the foreseeable future. Shit, talk about strange! I'm standing here with my boyfriend, talking about sex so my parents can watch his memory of this conversation...told you normal doesn't apply to us anymore. Where was I, Harry? I knew I should have written this down..."

They saw Harry's hand stretch out and caress her cheek, the look of love their daughter gave him in return took Dan and Emma's breath away.

"Now, while not officially married, Harry and I are still considered family under the laws of his nation. This is something we're both very happy about, and hope the rest of our family will support. We don't want to be apart, but aren't even considering living together like a married couple - not until at least seventh year and I officially change my name. We're hoping the model that was used at the start of the summer can be our new normal."

Since the three people watching this were all being included in their future plans, none of them had any objections to this. After all, it had originally been them who suggested it.

"Harry already has a room at my home, I have a room at his and we both have rooms at Grimmauld. With us being at Hogwarts for most of the year, a mix of muggle, magical and goblin during any holidays has been a perfect fit for us so far. Neither Harry nor I want to choose one over the other two. For that to work though, we need our family - all our family. Mum, dad, Barchoke and yes, you too Sirius."

Sirius now understood them using this method, watching this was far more powerful than any letter. He also had a sphere in his pocket from Harry for his father. He was beginning to think these two might actually pull this off. After listening to the next part, Sirius was now sure they would.

"Now, these messages are really just to begin mending fences. What we really need is for our family to get together and talk, here's what we're suggesting. Padma and Neville are coming with us to visit Harry's parents on Halloween, Harry would like to introduce his whole family to his mum and dad. Sirius, could you tell Henrica and Remus they're invited too? The four of us are then going to visit Neville's parents, and Augusta has already invited us to spend the weekend with her. What happens after that is really up to you..."

Hermione's eyes were now filling with tears as she tried not to think of what could happen if their family fractured. "Dad, you said fathers had dreams for their daughters. Well, those daughters have dreams too, and I'm looking right at mine. You leading me up that aisle to a waiting Harry would be a dream come true for all of us - a dream worth fighting for..."

Dan was almost raising his arms as his daughter rushed towards them, it was different arms though that wrapped around the now crying young witch. The image was suddenly full of Hermione's hair as they heard her last words on the matter. "I don't know what else I can say, Harry."

They also heard more than saw a gentle kiss on Hermione's neck. "You said everything that needed to be said, Hermione."

The memory faded, leaving both Grangers needing a couple of moments to get themselves together.

"After dragging Hermione away from him, he still wants to introduce me to his parents!" Dan was having trouble believing he had been forgiven so easily.

Sirius was actually shaking his head in admiration. "Those two are clever in their own right, but together - they're simply brilliant! We all got a glimpse of what each is like when kept apart, that's not something I'm in a hurry to see again."

Both Grangers added their heartfelt agreement to Sirius' words, their daughter had merely functioned without Harry by her side. Seeing that sparkle of life back in her eyes got Hermione's message across like no letter ever could. Emma was drying her eyes, but this time it was tears of joy. "We're going to get to see them at Halloween, and Barchoke too!"

This sobered Dan's euphoria. "Shit! Sirius, how do you apologise to a goblin?"

"Getting their son - and daughter - to pave the way for you will be a massive help. I have a memory message for him too. If anyone would know how to turn that goblin around, it would be Harry. I think that's why Hermione emphasised 'our family' so often. Harry will probably be taking the same line with his father, Barchoke knows that's the one thing his son wants - the one thing that he can't give him. He also couldn't miss the way those two boys looked to Emma all summer. Harry doesn't have a mother figure in his life, it doesn't take any stretch of imagination to see who he was promoting into that role - a role Emma here seemed more than happy to accept."

Emma couldn't help but smile at Sirius' last comment. "From the moment I met your godson, my maternal instincts just seemed to kick into overdrive. There is just something about Harry that has both Granger females wanting to hug him - and never let go. Knowing that he's going to officially become my son one day is the reason for these tears. I hugged and kissed both of them before chasing them onto the train, it just felt so right."

Both parents would watch that memory multiple times but Dan had already memorised the important parts. "Hermione is really only happy now when Harry's around, and I don't think Emma or I would have any problems supporting the two of them staying together they way she suggested at one of the three places mentioned. Had I known that's how this bond would affect them, I wouldn't have made such an arse of myself. Next time, I'll get Hermione to cast that locking legs thing and Emma can sit on me until I listen. Seeing them marry at seventeen is fine with me, it was doing it at twelve I couldn't handle."

Sirius could practically feel the energy flow back into this couple. He certainly hadn't enjoyed explaining the facts of life that govern muggle parents with a magical offspring to them, he still remembered Lily's reactions to learning that her parents' wishes counted for nothing in the magical world. Muggles were expected to put their children on to a train and basically then forget about them. That might have worked centuries ago but it was something else now badly needing changed in their community.

He had to decline the dinner invitation, Sirius would need to visit Gringotts with Harry's message to his father. Last week, he would have thought getting their family back together any time soon wasn't even remotely possible. He was learning though that, when Harry and Hermione were involved, anything was possible.

-oOoOo-

Their timetable this year saw them begin their week with potions, Master Pitslay also started off Wednesday too. With defence classes on a Tuesday and Friday, that left Thursday as the only day on the four second years' timetable that didn't have a goblin flavour to it - though Henrica was still in the castle if they needed her.

While expecting Master Pitslay, Sirius' arrival with their potions tutor had a certain young couple really worried. That was until they saw his wide smile.

"...and here was me thinking you two would be pleased to see me. Hermione, your mum and dad loved their little 'present'. They will see you both soon. Harry, as you said, your father wanted to watch his message in private."

"You wouldn't have understood a word of it anyway, Sirius. What brings you to the castle today?"

"Oh I need to make sure a certain History Professor now keeps that weekend free, and to stare darkly at that fool Lockhart. Henrica will fry his arse if he makes a move on her, though I would expect my godson to get a few blows in there too. I also knew you two would be waiting on news of how yesterday went, so I just rolled all those tasks up into one big bundle - and here I am! I also wanted to say your idea was marauder worthy, bloody brilliant. Need to go and catch Henrica before class, see you both on Saturday."

They may have headed for different destinations but Hermione, Harry and Sirius all had a definite spring in their step - especially for a Monday morning.

-oOoOo-

The four had hung back in defence, wanting a quick word with Bill about the lesson they would give to the first years after dinner. When the group of five eventually left the classroom, they could all hear the faint, plaintive cry for help.

Recognising the voice, Bill shot off down the corridor with the other four hot on his heels. Bursting into Lockhart's classroom, a scene of utter devastation greeted them. Ron was hanging from the iron chandelier, dangling a good ten feet off the ground. A group of Cornish pixies were meanwhile having a whale of a time, destroying everything they could get their hands on.

A wave of Bill's wand and the creatures were immobilised, it was now answers he wanted. "Ron, what the hell is going on here?"

"The pixies grabbed me by the ears and hung me up here."

Bill thought his brother had a tedious tendency to state the blindingly obvious so asked again. "Where is Professor Lockhart?"

"When the pixies took his wand, and chucked it out the window, he ran away while shouting for us to deal with it. The Slytherins were at the back of the class while I was sitting down the front, they made it out almost as quickly as Lockhart. The pixies were on me before I could get to the door."

Fighting with his temper at this so-called professor's incompetence, Bill asked one final question. "Surely he must have given you some instructions?"

The chandelier was still slowly swinging, taking its thoughtful passenger along with it as Ron harked back to what Lockhart had said. "We were warned not to scream, in case it provoked them. Lockhart then let the little buggers out their cage, all he said was 'let's see what you make of them!' When we all dived for cover, he tried to use a spell that sounded as if Fred and George had made it up. It didn't work any better than the rat colour changing one they gave me. After the pixies got his wand, they started pulling his hair. He ran out of here screaming like a girl. Bill, can you get me down now?"

A levitation charm soon had Ron free, and both his feet back on the ground. "Thanks Bill, Lockhart would have left me up there all night. Those Slytherins will have that story all over the castle by now, everyone will be laughing at me - again."

Help came from an unexpected source though, helping a fellow Gryffindor just seemed the right thing to do. "Just turn it back on them, Ron. Say you had the best view for watching Lockhart get beaten up by those pixies, and heard him scream like a little girl."

Ron's mind was quickly converting that idea to something where he deliberately let the pixies do that to him so he could watch - while the cowardly Slytherins ran away. "Thanks, Neville, that's a great idea. I did have the best view too!"

A now happy Ron raced away to tell his version of the story, it was also dinnertime.

Bill was making for the door that led to the defence professor's office when four students jumped in front of him. "Professor Weasley, this is not the way..."

Her boyfriend soon offered his backing. "While I would love to see you wipe the floor with Lockhart, Hermione's right. Dumbledore would use that to stop you teaching us, and there's no way we want that thing for our defence professor."

Padma just had to add her two knut's worth. "You can't beat him up, not without first giving us a chance to sell tickets. We could make a fortune just from the other professors."

"Professor Sprout wanted signed photos of Harry to hang in all her greenhouses. Lockhart was telling her how to do her job, until we turned up for class. He took one look at Harry and practically ran away, shouting some excuse over his shoulder." Neville couldn't help but smile as he described that event.

The enraged redhead was presented with another option by Harry. "You are now an Assistant Ambassador to the Nation, there are other ways to get revenge. Pointing Fred and George at the prat would certainly be where I would start."

This saw a smile creep onto Bill's features. "I suppose it is a matter of Weasley family honour. Giving the terrible twosome first crack certainly wouldn't do any harm."

This was greeted with mock horror from Padma. "Oh no, they'll want a share of the ticket money!"

The smile on their tutor's face was now predatory. "You're probably right, but they will make sure any audience gets their money's worth. As long as they save me a seat."

The pictures on the wall were all empty, leaving the group to suppose that the images displayed the same amount of courage as the subject - none.

-oOoOo-

Like the pied piper, Harry led the group of first years up to the seventh floor. Henrica was waiting on them, shaking her head as Hogwarts opened its special door. "No matter how many times I see you do that, it still amazes me - almost as much as the rooms we find behind it."

The first years appeared pretty amazed too, they were still agog when Henrica got things started. "Okay, everyone, gather round and listen carefully. I may be sponsoring this club but we all know it will be these four who will really be teaching you. I just want to set the ground rules before we start. Firstly, you will be getting taught defence in here, that means you have to obey your instructors at all times. As this class progresses, some of the things you will be getting taught could be very dangerous otherwise."

Henrica paused a moment to ensure that everyone understood that point before continuing. All those eager little faces staring back at her just reminded the veela why she loved teaching. "Secondly, anything you learn in this room will never be used on another student, outside of these four walls. Anyone found breaking these rules will no longer be allowed to attend. Breaking that second one will probably see you in trouble with Hogwarts too! Everyone understand the rules?"

A chorus of 'yes Professor' saw Henrica hand them over to the four who would be tutoring them. She stood back and watched the quartet go to work. They quickly had the large group split into two, with each couple then taking their particular charges to the appropriate side of the room. She couldn't help but notice that each group was a pretty even mixture of sexes, and all four houses. It appeared a very deliberate attempt to promote integration.

She noticed Padma had taken the lead with their group, though Neville was right beside her and demonstrating exactly the points she was making. Henrica had also noticed these two had become much closer over the summer. Parts of their holiday in Tokyo was overwhelming for all of them, Henrica didn't think she was the only one who noticed these two would automatically reach for the other to draw comfort and reassurance.

Padma and Neville were taking on the task of teaching their group a spell, and then working with them to get the first years to cast it accurately. The room had created half a dozen shooting booths for this very purpose. Neville drew his wand and fired off the spell they would be learning, a coloured blob smacked straight into the target's centre. This earned him a round of applause, a joking kiss on the cheek from Padma plus a chocolate frog from the box they'd brought as a reward for marksmanship.

Colin asking if they got both rewards for hitting a bullseye, or if they could choose drew a laugh from Padma as the first six were moved into position to attempt the spell. Henrica couldn't help but admire the thinking behind this. It didn't matter how powerful a curse you could cast if it missed what you were aiming at, teaching accuracy right from the off would stand them in good stead for the rest of their time in Hogwarts.

Harry and Hermione were organising their group to practice the other side of the coin, evasion. Their part of the room had a terrain littered with boulders, broken pieces of wall and tree stumps - all perfect for little bodies to hide behind. As first years, they wouldn't be able to fight back or shield themselves for a while yet. Teaching them to get away from trouble was also something Henrica agreed with.

They were using two training dummies, set to fire the blob spell the other group was using. Since the blob disappeared in under five minutes, it would let them know who was tagged without leaving any permanent marks on their clothes. The dummies would wander around, firing the spell at the hiding first years. Again they entered the course six at a time, with last person to be caught winning a chocolate frog.

The first years' not shooting or hiding were all busy calling encouragement or even warnings to those who were. As a teacher, Henrica could easily see that these four had put a lot of thought into this, she could detect Bill's input to their lesson plan too. The mere fact they had one put them miles ahead of Lockhart from the very beginning. That they had engaged their students, focused their attention on the task in hand and then even made it fun put them on a different planet from that faker.

Just watching their friends take part was also educational. Luna's tactic of keeping on the move and using all the cover the room provided was soon being universally adopted. It made more sense than the first winner's method, simply hiding behind something and hoping you were last to be hit. The cheering from the shooting booth was also becoming more frequent as their stock of chocolate frogs began to take a pounding.

She knew they had discussed swapping the groups over, halfway through the lesson, all four had listened to her opinion on the matter. Tonight was their first lesson so it was important not to push too much information at them. It also meant that those present knew exactly what was in store for them next week, and Henrica was sure their students would be looking forward to it.

By now, every group of six had at least four attempts at their activity. With the final rotations finishing off, it was time to sum things up. Henrica had an idea how to end the lesson on a real high.

"Right first year, you all did very well tonight. Next week will see you swap activities." This drew some excited cheering. "Now, would you like to see a small demonstration of why these skills are so important?" This drew shouts of yes from every single student.

Harry had his shied on his arm and was moving into the centre of the area they'd been using to teach the first year. Hermione, Padma and Neville drew their wands and took up positions around the area. Kicking off his shoes, Harry decided to give them a show. He also knew he would need the enhanced speed his armour offered if he was to avoid these three firing spells at him.

Henrica shouted 'begin' and some of the first years' forgot to breathe. What they were watching though was pretty breathtaking. Harry was moving like lightning, he needed to though. The other three were all moving too, not allowing him to stay in cover for more than a few seconds. They continually attempted to trap him but Harry always seemed to be able to wriggle away, when Henrica called time, his shield was a mass of blobs but none had hit their intended target.

There was an explosion of loud cheering for all four of their now smiling tutors.

If there was a better way to end a first lesson than that, Henrica had yet to find it. "Right everyone, twenty minutes to curfew - so don't dawdle on the way back to your houses. Will we see you next week?"

This was greeted by loud cries of yes from every single first year. They were then approached by a delegation of Luna, Ginny and Colin. The three clearly spoke for the rest of their yearmates.

The little blonde went first. "We would like to thank you for doing this, we know you didn't really have to. We wanted to name our group so everyone would know how pleased we were to be here."

Ginny was battling her blushing as she said the next bit. "We looked up the name for a group of crows but didn't really want to be called 'Crow's Murderers' so we were stuck."

Colin barely let Ginny finish before jumping in with his bit. "Then yesterday, Luna heard Sirius use a word that seemed to fit perfectly. We would like to call ourselves Crow's Marauders!"

Henrica couldn't hold her laughter at Colin's suggestion. "Oh, Sirius and Remus are just going to love that - brilliant!"

Ginny then lost her battle with blushing as she removed something from her pocket. "Dean Thomas heard Colin and I talking about it, he drew this for us. I thought it was good and was wondering if we could get badges made, or something..."

Harry taking the parchment from Ginny saw her courage fail as she melted back into her friends. The drawing was very good, depicting a crow, perched on the cross-guard of a sword - a sword that bore more than a passing familiarity to the one at his waist.

"Wow, Ginny, this is really good. I'll look into the club badges thing, if that's what everyone wants?" Harry was quickly reassured that's exactly what they wanted.

They were filing out the door as Henrica was congratulating them on a very successful lesson, they found Fred and George waiting on them.

"This looks like a conversation a professor shouldn't hear, I'll see you four tomorrow."

They walked in the direction of Gryffindor tower to drop Neville off, and listen to what the twins wanted.

"Guys, we need to talk to you about our prank deal..."

"We've devised a way to humiliate that useless arse Lockhart - but it might break our deal."

After hearing what the twins had planned, all four were in agreement that they would take their chances - the plan was just too good to pass up.

-oOoOo-

Eargit delivered a letter to Harry next morning. Hermione was absently sharing her bacon between both familiars while watching Harry, concerned as her boyfriend's brows furrowed at the letter he was reading.

She couldn't hold herself any longer and just had to ask. "Bad news?"

Harry turned to see Hermione biting her lip, he thought it was so cute. "Yeah, it would appear we've stabbed ourselves in the foot." With his girlfriend staring intently, he continued. "With a new history course and professor, Snape gone and Assistant Ambassador Weasley pushing up the defence O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. scores, Hogwarts has never had it so good. That hardly generates momentum to get rid of its headmaster. Father says most appear to be keeping a close eye on the castle and adopting a 'wait and see' policy. Not what we wanted but at least the old wizard is now being watched - one more incident like last year and he'll be out the door."

Both Hermione and Padma shivered at the very thought of another troll, since they were also both aware of Dobby's warning. Hermione then asked about the news she really wanted to know about. "Did your father say anything else, about your message?"

"Oh, he's taking the points I raised under advisement."

Hermione was now stroking Moonlight with one hand while smoothing Eargit's feathers with the other. Both familiars seemed delighted at this arrangement but Harry could see the worry on her face. He reached out and gently stroked her cheek.

"Hermione, my father's a goblin. 'Under advisement' to him means he'll now be looking back at that night from every perspective, that was really all we asked for - all we could hope for."

This drew a smile from her. "I can't wait to read Henrica's book, I'll get my mum and dad a copy too..."

They didn't get to say anymore as Master Pitslay had arrived, it was time for potions.

Eargit flew off but Moonlight had another target, The little blonde was always good for a belly-rub - and perhaps a little more bacon?

-oOoOo-

The twins had confirmed after potions that they had put their plan into operation - even those two though were surprised at the speed the next phase was achieved. McGonagall stood that very lunchtime and announced those plans to the school.

"Some facts were brought to my attention earlier, and an idea that's just short of genius. George and Fred Weasley, fifty points to Gryffindor - each!"

This resulted in loud cheering from the lions, and disbelieving glances from the other three houses.

"Now, before I get accused of bias, let me tell you the rest. The exact date of Merlin's birthday is unknown, the best it can be tied down to is the last week of September. There are supposedly very few living holders of the Order of Merlin, three of whom are sitting having lunch with us today. After pointing out these facts, the Weasley twins then suggested we hold a ball in Merlin's honour - on Saturday, the twenty sixth of September."

This was greeted by loads of excitement from the hall, Harry knew this was his part.

Minerva spotted the boy standing and thought she might have overstepped the mark, she really should have spoke to Harry first. She didn't give Dumbledore a second glance.

"Something wrong, Centurion?"

"No Professor, I think the ball is a great idea. I just wanted to mention the fact that, if we are recognising the twenty sixth as Merlin's birthday, tradition dictates I must wear my award on that day. I wouldn't want people to get the wrong idea."

"Understandable, Centurion Crow. Perhaps Professor Hobson could cover some of the protocols involved in her history of magic lessons?"

Henrica quickly agreed, saying she would need a few days to check the appropriate texts.

Albus saw the obvious trap but, since he wasn't the intended prey, the headmaster decided to play along. He was hanging onto Hogwarts by his fingertips, here was a chance at some positive publicity. Anything that would see his name linked in a good light with Harry was something Albus couldn't really resist.

It was with some trepidation Albus stood, he didn't know if this would empty the hall again. "Like Centurion Crow, I also think this ball is a good idea. I hope you don't think I'm being presumptions either when I also have to wear my Order of Merlin." Albus then had an announcement to boost his own popularity. Well, it really couldn't be much lower at the moment.

"To help prepare for this unexpected ball, I think an extra Hogsmeade weekend is in order. The nineteenth and twentieth should do." After the excitement this caused, Albus wisely decided to quit while he was ahead and sat back down.

Minerva thought that an extra Hogsmead visit was a good idea, but now she had the bad news to deliver. "When Hogwarts has held balls in the past, they have been restricted, with fourth year being the youngest students allowed to attend. Obviously, we're going to have some second years at this event. These restrictions are purely due to the size of the great hall.."

Harry had quickly consulted Helena, the looks of disappointment from those at the Ravenclaw table who wouldn't be eligible to attend forcing him to take action. "Professor McGonagall, if that's the only thing denying everyone attending, what if we could solve the accommodation problem?"

Catching on at once what Harry was alluding to, Minerva only needed confirmation this was actually possible. "Can Hogwarts manage that, Centurion?"

"Easily, Professor. When Hermione and I use it in the winter for our morning training, it provides us with a room containing a running track that is at least three times the size of the great hall. The Patil twins' birthday party proved the elves have no problem finding it, Hogwarts will provide the facilities to accommodate the entire school."

"In that case, everyone's invited!" McGonagall's announcement saw a cheer reverberate around the hall, only Lockhart didn't look excited by this - he actually appeared horrified.

The second years had history of magic next, Harry kept chuckling all the way to Henrica's class. The only downside to this was he would again be a guest of honour, and have to sit with the other holders of the award. This was why Fred and George had warned him but Harry thought it was well worth the risk. Even if they were wrong, and Lockhart turned up wearing his supposed Order of Merlin, Harry would simply spend most of the evening on the dance floor with Hermione - hardly a hardship. It was Morag who finally asked him what was going on. Harry's answer set them all thinking.

"My award was put in its box after the ball, Dumbledore's is probably framed on his wall somewhere. Do you honestly think if Lockhart actually had an Order of Merlin, he wouldn't be walking about with it pinned to his frilly robes. Every book of his has the git's picture all over it, yet not one features him wearing his most prestigious award? Same with his stories, full of his deeds yet nowhere does it mention what he did to receive this award."

He could see everyone was now listening, even Malfoy and his cronies were paying attention. Harry then delivered the final blow. "The man just released an autobiography, Magical Me! It should probably have been called mysterious me, he still didn't say how he got an Order of Merlin."

Draco had been avoiding any kind of conflict but felt he was safe enough just asking a question. "Are you saying Lockhart lied about his Order of Merlin?"

"If you're asking for my opinion, then yes. Everyone will soon know if he turns up without it. The Prophet is sure to get hold of this story, and want pictures. The prat actually shoved Hermione away for a chance to get a picture with me, do you think he'll want to miss getting his picture taken as one of the three Order of Merlin winners at Hogwarts?"

Pansy now thought it safe to follow Draco's example, she certainly had no love for Lockhart but this seemed a tad excessive. "So all this is just a plot to embarrass Lockhart?"

They were nearly at Henrica's classroom but Harry answered anyway. "Embarrass, no. Prove he's a liar, yes. If he's lied about that, how many of his other claims are true?"

Morag felt the Slytherins had muscled in on her questions, they may have asked good questions but she felt there was something still missing. "Can't he just buy one, and won't there be records?"

Susan actually answered this. "An Order of Merlin is not just a piece of metal, its heavily charmed to bind with the person it's awarded to. We could all touch Harry's award at the ball, but none of us could ever wear it - the magic involved simply wouldn't allow it. As to records, a big enough bribe to the right person could make those records say whatever you wanted."

Padma had a different theory. "I think it might be another case like Binns, someone says something often enough and it just gets accepted as being the truth. We'll all find out in a few weeks anyway."

Hermione had the last word on the matter, and this really was food for thought. "I can't believe how far the Weasley twins have come. This time last year, you could bet Lockhart would be sporting a pair of donkey ears and braying like an ass."

Padma just couldn't be outdone though. "Hermione, I thought he was an ass?"

-oOoOo-

It was still warm and dry enough to run outside, so that's where Harry and Hermione were next morning. Harry had to broach a rather delicate matter.

"Hermione, I've been thinking about your birthday..."

This caused her to actually stop running. "Harry, you totally spoiled me on my last birthday, and then again at Christmas. I don't need expensive presents, I've got everything I need standing right beside me."

This earned her a kiss from her boyfriend before they started running again. "What I intended to ask you was, if you wanted a big birthday party like Padma, or prefer just some close friends?"

They ran for a bit before Hermione answered, she was obviously weighing up the options before reaching a decision. She decided just to say those options out loud so Harry could help. "On the one hand, I really don't like being the centre of attention. It's different when I'm with you, I know no one's looking at me"

It was a rather exasperated Harry who answered that. "Did it never occur to you that might be because they know your boyfriend's the jealous type - the boyfriend who's never without his sword at his hip. I saw guys eyeing you up all summer, I made sure they knew you were with me."

This caused Hermione to stop again, and then throw herself at Harry in a hug so fierce that it almost saw his armour activate.

They began running again, Hermione had reached her decision. "So, just the holiday crowd then, and perhaps Luna, Colin and I suppose Ginny."

"What about letting the girls bring dates?" This got a puzzled look from Hermione until Harry explained. "I intend to spend the entire night with a certain birthday girl in my arms, that would leave Neville having to cope with both the Patil sisters, Susan and Hannah - Padma would just love us for that!"

Hermione quickly did the maths in her head, and didn't like the number she came up with. "That's thirteen, Harry. We don't need to invite bad luck, she usually turns up herself."

"How about inviting Henrica? Allowing her to bring a date would see Sirius there too, and having a couple of adults attend would probably square the party with McGonagall as well."

Decision made, they pushed on with their run. Both were looking forward to crossing blades after they were warmed up.

-oOoOo-

Lucius was way beyond warmed up, he was quickly getting to the exhausted stage. The little battered creature at his feet was very glad of that.

"What do you mean, you couldn't find it? I gave you very specific instructions..."

"Dobby followed master's instructions, I promise I did. I wasn't seen and didn't speak to anyone. I searched the entire room seven times, I even looked under the pillow when they were sleeping. There was no book there, Master. Dobby looked and looked."

This was something Lucius was not expecting, the diary could now be anywhere - even inside Slytherin house. An anonymous warning would be ignored, and anything implicating Lucius Malfoy would come with a one-way ticket to Azkaban included. Even warning Draco was a risk he couldn't take. His son couldn't be seen to be implicated in any way with this matter, or the goblins would soon have Draco barred from the family vault.

His idea of revenge was turning into a nightmare, a nightmare that was now running out of control. Hogwarts would soon be visited by death and destruction, and they couldn't even afford to move their son to another school. It was changed days indeed for the Malfoy family.

A/N thanks for reading - and especially all those who took the time to vote. Voting closes on the 18th and I will post how we got on as soon as we hear.

39. Slug Club

Harry Crow

Disclaimer - A big thank you to JKR, the owner of Harry Potter who permits us to construct our sandcastles on her beach. Whether those sandcastles resemble Hogwarts or a house of horrors can sometimes be purely down to conjecture. One thing unites us all though, none of us are making any money off our writing here. Please keep that in mind as you read our efforts.

Chapter 39

Horace had tried to be subtle, it was something he was usually very good at - but subtlety clearly wasn't working in this case. His repeated attempts to get closer to the boy-who-lived had been rebuffed at every turn. With his friends always around him, and Harry not taking the normal potions class, his opportunities to get near the boy were being severely limited.

With this ball pending, and the three Order of Merlin winners being guests of honour, Horace didn't want anyone else getting their hooks into Harry - certainly not before him.

As his letters were being ignored, he was going to personally hand-deliver the next invitation. This course of action also presented its own problems - how and when to do it. Mealtimes were out, that could turn into too much of a spectacle.

Horace's choices were eventually whittled down, leaving interrupting one of Harry's classes as his best option. Which particular class was then an easy decision. Minerva, Filius or Pomona would all chase him if he attempted such a thing. The young history professor should provide no such obstacles in his quest to entrap what would be the star acquisition in his Slug Club.

"Excuse me, Professor Hobson, sorry to interrupt your lesson..." Horace's eyes were drawn, like the rest of the class, to the box held open in Henrica's hands. The history professor had a priceless teaching aid for her lesson, an Order of Merlin, First Class.

Henrica had been loaned Harry's award to demonstrate exactly what the Order of Merlin actually looked like. It took a couple of days to research the material but, since Monday, all her classes had learned the facts and protocol behind this most prestigious award. Sirius had practically fallen over with laughter when he'd heard what they were up to - accepting the invitation to Hermione's birthday party on the understanding that he would be invited to the ball too.

The history professor hid her shudder well, as 'call me Sluggy' entered her class. There was something about this man that just made her skin crawl. She'd grown accustomed to males eyeing her up and down, almost exclusively as an object of sexual desire. With Sluggy, it felt as if he was calculating how much he could charge others for renting out her sexual favours - once he owned her. Henrica had never met anyone with a more appropriate nickname - Horace Slughorn was one slimy bastard.

None of this showed on her beautiful face as she contrived a weak smile for her Hogwarts colleague. "How can I help you, Professor Slughorn?"

"Oh my, that's spectacular!" His eyes glued to Harry's award, Horace was now more determined than ever to add the boy-who-lived to his exclusive club. "Sorry to disturb you, Professor Hobson, but I seem to have a slight communications problem. Every owl I send to Harry here seems to go astray, so I thought I would deliver these invitations myself. I know how disappointing it can be for second years to watch those merely a year above them heading off to Hogsmeade, so near and yet so far, that is why I have organised one of my little intimate soirées for Saturday night. I have invitations here for Miss Bones, Mr Longbottom and Harry."

Horace held his invitation out to Harry, only to be greeted with a steely glare. "It's Centurion Crow, and the answer is no."

A flustered Horace could only splutter a 'what?' In reply, Harry then spelt it out for the Head of Slytherin.

"It is no secret Professor Hobson spent part of the summer holidaying with my family, yet she still refers to me in class as Centurion Crow. On the other hand, we have never met, far less been introduced. By what right do you refer to me as Harry?"

Slughorn tried to steer the conversation onto calmer waters, having no idea this was as calm as it would get. "My apologies, Centurion, no insult was intended. I hope this didn't influence your decision and we can start again. Let's use this party as the first step to getting to know one another."

"Apology accepted, I still have a previous engagement though."

"Oh come now, what else is there to do inside Hogwarts on a Saturday night?" Horace was then faced with the unusual sight of the entire class laughing at him.

Neville was next to speak up. "I too have a previous engagement, Professor. I have no intention of missing Hermione's birthday party."

Thinking of how he could still swing this deal around, Horace referred to the invitation that was still clutched in his hand. "These invitations are for you and a partner, I had of course assumed Miss Granger would be a guest too. That will be a perfect way to celebrate her birthday." Again this was met with laughter, even members of his own house were laughing at him now.

Susan was next to decline. "I too have a previous engagement. I was lucky enough to receive an invitation to Hermione's party, and have no intention of missing it - Harry throws the best parties."

This was greeted with total agreement - some of it grudgingly given to be sure. That was more to do with those not receiving an invitation to the latest one, rather than in any way disputing Susan's statement.

Horace was a trier though, it took a lot to dissuade him once he'd set his mind to something. "Ah, then you'll need staff supervision. I of course offer my services..."

He was cut off immediately by Harry. "That won't be necessary, Professor Hobson has already agreed to fulfil that role."

"But surely you will need a male adult there too?"

That avenue was also swiftly closed off. "Lord Black has kindly agreed to give up his Saturday night to be here in the castle. These arrangements have already been agreed with our head of house and Professor McGonagall."

Horace still had Harry's invitation in his hand but was left clutching at straws. "Very well, I would still like to attend though. Surely that is possible?"

It was Hermione who finally lost it at this point. "First, you want to invite us to your party, now you want to gatecrash mine? No! In a muggle school, a professor inviting children to a 'little intimate soirée' would see the police - their aurors - involved. Who chaperones at your parties, Professor?"

It was an enraged Horace Slughorn who took a step toward Hermione. "How dare you..."

Just as Dan Granger had predicted to his wife and Sirius in that cafe, a threat to Hermione and Centurion Crow showed up. He was firmly between his bonded and Slughorn, it was time to lose the niceties Sirius had been teaching them. Sometimes, Harry just had to let his inner goblin out to play.

"Miss Granger is a friend of the goblin nation, and under my personal protection. Any threat, verbal or otherwise, will be met with a goblin response."

"Are you threatening me, boy? I'll have you expelled!"

"Not threatening, Professor, just passing on a warning. I am a Centurion first, and a Hogwarts student second. You need to understand that fact. Screeching abuse at a goblin female will see you lose your head, literally. No goblin would ever stand back and allow that to happen. I have now explained the situation to you, I trust it won't happen again?"

Harry then turned his back on Slughorn to talk with Hermione. "We have people like that in goblin society too, they eke out a living by putting one contact in touch with another contact. They don't actually contribute anything to our society, they've just found a nice, comfortable, niche for themselves. We call them leeches, rather appropriate name in this case - don't you think." His wink almost had Hermione laughing before Harry turned around to face a stunned Slughorn again.

"This is the part where you tell me how impressive your list of contacts is, and how much they could help me. Can I just point out my father is an Ambassador, Lord Black is my godfather, I am heir to the most Ancient and Noble House of Potter and that's my Order of Merlin, First Class, in Professor Hobson's hands. Add to that I holidayed this summer with the Bones', Longbottoms and Patils - now tell me what your contacts can do for me?"

The class were stunned, having never seen Harry act like this before. It was reminiscent of the most arrogant of purebloods, he wasn't finished though. "Tell me, Professor, do you count Tom Riddle among those contacts?"

This drew gasps from the other students, and saw a shocked Slughorn take a step back. Harry's attitude now began to make sense, and he still wasn't finished. "I'll bet Riddle was in your 'Slug Club'? You were his head of house, you made him prefect - and then head boy. Did you use your contacts to help Riddle after he left Hogwarts?"

Slughorn couldn't have gotten any paler if a plague of leeches had attached themselves to his bloated body, blows were being delivered here that his ego might never recover from.

"You should have worked out by now that my friends and I have been avoiding you, now you know why. Stay away from me and my friends, we have no intention of becoming part of Sluggy's collection of misfits and death eaters."

That Slughorn was receiving hostile stares, even from his own house members, rang the death knell for a resurrected 'Slug Club'. He couldn't give invitations away to the starving after Harry's tirade. Horace though wasn't about to stand here and take that, not from a second year.

"Who are you to accuse me, boy? You think brandishing a name makes you brave? You have no idea of the power the dark lord wields, or the consequences we'll all face when he returns..."

Horace decided to say no more, the sword now pointing in his direction certainly played some part in reaching that decision. He was honest enough to admit the sword was not the major reason for his silence, looking into those green eyes was a lot more frightening. He'd often heard that Harry had his mother's eyes, Horace would now refute that. They may be the same colour and shape, but that was all. These contained a fierceness and ruthless determination Horace had rarely witnessed before, and certainly never in one so young.

"This sword is the consequences your dark lord will face when he returns, it won't be alone. My sword will be backed by every blade Gringotts can muster, and every wand the ministry has to hand. Voldemort had way less than a hundred followers last time, yet people like you cowered in fear and almost let him win. Sealing a house in the middle of the night, as decent people slept in their beds, before burning everything to the ground is nothing more than the work of rabid animals. These animals will be rounded up and dealt with, just how many of those animals will be current or former slugs?"

As if to emphasise Harry wouldn't be alone, Hermione had her blade drawn and wands were finding their way into hands all around the classroom. No one felt Harry needed help with Slughorn, this was purely a gesture of support. As well as Henrica, there were also Slytherins with their wands now drawn.

Horace was just glad none of those wands were pointing at him, the glare from a sword-wielding boy-who-lived was more than enough to put him off his crystallised pineapple.

"You are standing there now, no doubt with information that would help us win this fight. Will you go and speak with Amelia Bones about this? I really don't think so. Even by your inactions, you have chosen your side - and everyone in this classroom can see it. By all means, use your fabled contacts to pass the word - tell them this from me. There is no more middle ground, this coming fight will affect all of us. You have already chosen your path, and it's a path that disgusts me. How Dumbledore thinks you're fit to lead a house is just one more crime to lay at the Headmaster's door."

It was a livid head of Slytherin who scuttled out the room. To his credit, Sluggy managed not to leave a trail of liquid behind him.

-oOoOo-

They were just finishing off their dinner when their head of house approached the Ravenclaw table.

"Centurion, I have been asked to accompany you to a meeting with the headmaster."

This left Harry puzzled. "Master Flitwick, you know that can't happen without my father present?"

"I informed the headmaster of this, he said the issue was so serious it couldn't wait. The claim is you threatened Professor Slughorn with your sword..."

The second year Ravenclaws responded en mass to that allegation, Filius didn't need to be head of the house of the smart to understand they were collectively rubbishing that allegation.

"I've been advised that, should you decide not to accompany me, the headmaster would have no other option but to take Professor Slughorn's word. That would lead to the cancelling of Miss Granger's party on Saturday night."

Hermione was first to react. "No, Harry, I will not be used by Dumbledore to force you into anything. Sorry guys, the party is now cancelled."

This drew groans from those who were invited but Hermione wouldn't be budged. She held her mate's hand to emphasise her point. "We both know Dumbledore is trying to provoke a reaction here, let's not give him one. As long as I get to spend my birthday with you, I'll be happy."

Harry spotted the Ravenclaw ghost and asked her advice. "My Lady Ravenclaw, can the headmaster do this?"

Her answer was not what Harry hoped to hear. "In matters of indiscipline, the heads of house and headmaster have a wide range of options open to them. This party is clearly something you want, withholding it is therefore an appropriate form of punishment."

Padma was furious, seeing her friends get punished like this. "...but my Lady, surely if the punishment is unjust?"

"The headmaster has finally wised-up." This drew all the attention onto Harry, waiting on an explanation to his statement. "Dumbledore probably knows these allegations are nothing more than a pile of dragondung, he's punishing Hermione while smugly sitting back - waiting to see what I'll do. If I rush to his office, proclaiming my innocence, he wins a small victory. If I contact my father and allow him to deal with it, again I appear weak. Accepting the punishment still works for him, because he gets some payback for all the trouble I've caused him."

He felt Hermione squeeze his hand before speaking proudly to him. "Those lessons with Sirius are really paying off."

Harry looked to Hermione before answering their head of house. "Master Flitwick, I won't be accompanying you to the headmaster's office. He knows that option is not available without my father present, or is old age affecting his mental health?"

Filius supposed he really shouldn't have been surprised that these two quickly spotted the trap Dumbledore had set. "I'll tell him, Centurion."

"You may also tell him this will not go unanswered. Using Hermione's birthday as a lever to get to me is about what we've come to expect from Dumbledore. It makes me wonder why I actually come here. Potions, defence and history are all organised by my father - and I'm teaching Professor McGonagall our method of transfiguration. No offence intended, Master Flitwick, but charms, herbology and astronomy can be tutored too - and I wouldn't have to put up with Dumbledore, Slughorn or Lockhart."

Filius left to deliver Harry's answer, knowing how much this must be hurting. He'd tried to explain to Dumbledore that, since goblins don't celebrate Christmas or any other holidays like that, a person's birthday was the most important day of the year. Knowing that this was Hermione's first birthday as Harry's mate made this an extra special occasion - not that he told the headmaster that last piece of news. Dumbledore had been supremely confident the threat to Hermione's party would quickly see Harry comply with whatever scheme he'd conjured up - Hermione had instantly taken that option away by declaring the party canceled.

The head of Ravenclaw didn't think Harry's threat to leave was an idle one either. To Harry, not being able to celebrate his mate's birthday would seem too high a price to pay for what the castle had to offer. Filius' main worry though was how many others he would take with him, and whether Hogwarts could survive the public outcry his leaving would generate - Dumbledore certainly wouldn't survive as headmaster. Knowing that fact just might be the thing that would finally tip Harry's hand - he may consider that a price worth paying to leave the castle.

Back at the now shocked Ravenclaw table, it was Padma who asked the question that a lot of people wanted to know the answer to. "Would you really leave Hogwarts, Harry?"

He could see the looks of disbelief from all around the table, a table that contained more than Ravenclaws as his friends had rallied round. He tried to explain his position. "Last year was the first time I ever celebrated Christmas, something I plan to do again this year. To a goblin, someone's birthday is the most important day of the year. What would you do if Dumbledore just announced that Christmas was canceled - made into just another day? You were in that class, that smarmy slug has been chasing after me since the express - am I just supposed to play along? I hate my fame, and am certainly not going to play along with anyone else trying to use it for their benefit."

It was a very nervous Padma who asked the next bit. "What about the rest of us?"

"My main reason for attending Hogwarts in the first place was to see if I could make some friends, I happen to think I've made some very good ones. Whatever I do, whether it's tutoring or another school, any of my friends who want to join me will be more than welcome."

"What about me?"

The quivering voice sounded as if its owner was close to tears, it was also so faint that Harry wasn't sure if he was supposed to hear it. A miserable Luna was not something Harry would ever tolerate - not when he could easily fix it.

"You weren't listening, Luna, I said those friends who want to join me will be more than welcome."

As the implications of what Harry said slowly dawned on Luna, her smile was like the rising sun - it just got brighter and brighter. Watching this, Harry felt he knew how to brighten up a few more of their friends. All were disappointed that the party was cancelled.

"I was keeping this as a surprise for Saturday, but now seems a good time to let you know. The third through to seventh years will all be able to hit Hogsmeade this weekend, most will be making preparations for the ball while we'll need to attend in what we brought to Hogwarts. I didn't think this was very fair so, as part of Hermione's birthday celebrations, there will be a squad of Gringotts tailors in the castle on Saturday morning. They will be bringing loads of suits and dresses in the style we wore to the summer ball, and they are exclusively for those who can't leave the castle. Namely, the first and second years. I would advise you to get down early as they will be working on a first come basis. They will have clothes for everyone, you may not get exactly what you want though if someone picks it first."

Morag was not alone in almost hyperventilating at that thought, she did though manage to express her thanks. "Harry, that's fantastic! I'll gladly wear anything they bring, but you didn't leave us much time to send home for the gold to buy them."

"Probably because you won't need gold, it's part of my gift to Hermione. For us to attend the ball dressed differently would make us stand out from the rest of you, not something we would intentionally do. At the same time, why should we let some of the older students attend the ball dressed finer than us. The solution was simple."

Even the smart Ravenclaws were struggling to understand this, Mandy needed confirmation. "So, you're buying us dresses as a birthday present for Hermione?"

"Yes, so Hermione can wear the new dress I got her to the ball..."

"Harry, you got me a new dress? I still have the one from summer..."

"...which has been all over the Prophet. Can't have people thinking I can't buy my girlfriend a new dress." This was said with such a smile that everyone understood the Prophet had nothing to do with it. Harry just wanted to buy Hermione a new dress - one that would probably see her become the belle of the ball - and was prepared to kit out everyone else in a similar fashion so she could wear it.

"Oh Padma, Parvati, Susan and Hannah, there are new dresses with your name on them too - Neville didn't get one though." This got a laugh from all of them as news of this quickly spread to all four houses.

-oOoOo-

Albus was waiting with Horace in his office, getting Harry to apologise to the head of Slytherin would be a good start. It would get Horace off his back and teach Harry a little humility, something the boy was sadly lacking in. It was a good job he was sitting down though as Filius entered the office alone.

"Filius, where is Harry?"

"Sitting chatting with his friends." The little professor refused to say another word, Filius was really angry with Albus and had no intention of making this easy.

Albus was struggling to believe the lad wouldn't rush up here. Harry had raced to the infirmary that night on the merest chance Miss Granger could be in danger. How could he possibly be still sitting with his friends? "Did you pass on my message?"

"Yes." The silence drew as Filius refused to say any more. If Albus wanted to treat him as a message boy, he would act like one.

"What was his response?"

"I believe he is currently debating with his friends why he bothers attending Hogwarts. Most of his classes are already tutored and he wouldn't need to endure two professors who want to use his fame - and a headmaster determined to assert control over his life. Personally, I can see his point."

Albus was so shocked at his miscalculation, he didn't even notice Minerva and Henrica entering his office. "...and Miss Granger's birthday party?"

"Oh, she saw right through you. Miss Granger refused to let it be a lever for you to control her boyfriend, she cancelled the party immediately."

Horace then totally misread the situation. "Well, if he apologises - my offer for Saturday night still stands."

Henrica exploded at that. "Dumbledore, where did you get this slimy bastard? He comes into my class, causes a rumpus and then goes running off to you with a story of big bad second years beating him up. Harry verbally destroyed this smarmy git, and his sluggy club. He was prepared to back those views up physically after this buffoon started shouting at Hermione. Slughorn's reputation is now shit even amongst the Slytherins, yet that's who you chose to back - instead of even talking to me. It was my class, it should be me you are summoning - not a student you are forbidden from speaking with."

"Kindly remember who you are speaking too, Professor Hobson..."

"...and you would do well to remember that I don't work for Albus Dumbledore - I would never have taken the job otherwise. If Harry is seriously considering leaving Hogwarts, you can bet he'll take his friends with him. I honestly don't know if the school could survive the publicity of that, I know you couldn't."

"No one will be going anywhere. Once Harry calms down and comes to his senses..."

This time it was Minerva who got ripped into the headmaster. "Harry was sitting laughing with his friends, there is no calming down for him to do. Judging by the amount of excitement being generated down there, I would guess Harry just announced his surprise. His father wrote to me requesting permission, I of course said yes."

The headmaster made no attempt to hide the sarcasm in his question. "Since I am the headmaster, don't you think I should be aware of this surprise?"

"Well, since you've left me to run the school for years, that would be a no. Harry has arranged for goblin tailors to come here Saturday morning, providing dresses and suits..."

"NO! I will not allow such a thing. Promoting goblin wares, while denying trade to the village of Hogsmeade cannot be allowed. I'm surprised at you, Minerva."

There was no way McGonagall was going to stand for that. "Perhaps if you would shut up and let me finish, you wouldn't be. These tailors are here specifically for all the first and second years - students not allowed to attend Hogsmeade. This is a service Centurion Crow is providing free of charge, all bills are being met by him."

The greed expressed in Slughorn's face was visible to all in the headmaster's office. "He's paying for new clothes for the entire two years' worth of students?"

Minerva didn't really try to hide the disgust she felt for Horace when answering him. "Yes, for some of these children, these will be the finest clothes they've ever owned. They will also attend their first ball, dressed as well as their peers - was I supposed to say no to an offer like that? On behalf of Hogwarts, I graciously accepted Barchoke's offer - and offered him our gratitude in return for making such a gesture. You thank him by forcing Miss Granger's party to be cancelled!"

Horace felt his situation was being ignored. "You can't have hoodlums threatening their professors with swords..."

An angry veela cut him off before any more could be said. "Point number one, Slughorn, you are not one of his professors and had no reason - other than your own personal gain - for approaching Harry in my class. Point number two, Harry never threatened you with his sword - which destroys your entire reason for running off to Dumbledore in the first place."

If looks could kill, Henrica would have been vaporised by the glare Horace was directing at her, the veela was unconcerned as she told the true story of what had happened in her class earlier. "Professor Slughorn here was loudly proclaiming the fate that would await us all when his friend, Voldemort, returned. Harry drew his sword to demonstrate exactly what was waiting on Voldemort should he return - at no point was Harry's blade anywhere near Sluggy. Was this the story you heard, headmaster?"

Albus now had his head in his hands, wondering how things had went so wrong - again. He understood that the game was over the instant Miss Granger had canceled her own party. With no leverage, Harry was always going to refuse his request. Now, he was in an even worst position, one that it was probably impossible for him to recover from. There was no way he could reinstate the party, any remaining credibility would be instantly destroyed - Albus might as well resign here and now.

He needed some leverage on Harry, anything at all he could use - and time was running out. There was no doubt there would be a full report on its way to the boy's father, Hobson would see to that. Amelia and Augusta would also be receiving full reports, only their sources would be different - both their charges were actually in the class.

"I suppose we should be grateful he hasn't withdrawn from next week's ball..."

Again Minerva cut off her boss. "He may not have withdrawn but already asked for a set of conditions. He won't sit near you or Lockhart, and refuses to be photographed with either of you - and that was before your latest escapade."

Henrica then added to their misery. "You both will also have his godfather to deal with when he comes here on Saturday. Sirius will not be pleased that a party he was invited to was forced to be canceled - you can expect an irate Lord Black to make his opinion known."

Filius followed both witches out the headmaster's office, leaving Horace to ask Dumbledore if he was still going to punish Harry.

"Horace, cancelling the party is punishment enough, especially since it's now emerging all the boy did was refuse your clumsy approach. Trust me, Horace, you don't want to push this any further. Sirius will be livid and Harry's father isn't exactly the forgiving type. My advice would be to stay well away from Harry, and even further from Miss Granger. Approach her again and you just might get a closer look at Gryffindor's famous sword."

It was a very disgruntled Horace who left the headmaster's office, he hadn't gotten one single thing he wanted. Albus hadn't either, but he was slowly getting used to that outcome when dealing with the boy-who-lived.

-oOoOo-

The birthday girl made her way down the stairs to the common room, finding herself engulfed in a pair of oh so familiar arms. Hermione made a startling discovery, getting kissed as a teenager was so much better as her boyfriend delivered her birthday kiss.

Harry was nuzzling into Hermione's hair as he wished her a happy birthday. "We may not be able to have a party, but I'm still hoping to make your day special."

Hermione was in Harry's arms so gave the only answer she could. "Harry, it's already special - you don't need to do any more."

"I know, but I want to. We better set off for our run, I have plans for the rest of the day."

"Harry, you know I don't like surprises..."

"Oh, I think you'll like these ones."

"Ones - as in more than one? C'mon, at least give me a clue? It is my birthday, you know."

"Ha-ha, Granger - nice try. Let's go!"

-oOoOo-

Showered and dressed in her duelling robes after her run, Hermione now found Padma and Luna waiting on her. Birthday hugs were followed by gifts, there was no joke item from her best friend this year. The book's title might have caused some raised eyebrows amongst muggles, to Hermione, 'the bonds of love' would be read from cover to cover - looking for information on the special bond she shared with her mate.

The present she received from their younger friend was exquisite, strange, yet very touching at the same time. Hermione found herself holding a flower that had been turned into glass crystal, reflecting the light in a rainbow of colours. That the flower was a dandelion was neither here nor there, Hermione's smile saw Luna's face glow with a happiness that outshone her gift.

"It's a family spell my mother taught me, that's the first time I've cast it not using her wand. My room at home is full of them."

"It's beautiful, Luna, thank you very much."

Harry's arrival saw them all head down to breakfast, to find a great hall almost bereft of first and second year students. Neville soon joined them, wishing Hermione a happy birthday and handing over his present. Opening the wrapping revealed an elaborately carved silver photo frame, Hermione was in tears at the inscription, never mind the subject matter. 'Friends Forever' was a precious gift to a girl who'd been friendless just over a year ago. The picture featured the four of them at the Black Sea, and Hermione remembered Augusta taking it. It was a wizarding picture that had them all laughing and clowning around for the camera, how happy they were was clearly projected from the frame.

The girls were so happy at this gift, Neville got a thank you kiss from both Hermione and Padma. Harry loved the gift too, but refrained himself to a comment. "Okay, Longbottom, way to set the present bar high."

"I'm sure you've got it covered, Harry. When gran showed me that photograph, I knew it would be perfect for this. I've got a copy for you and Padma too, mine is in a frame beside my bed."

Hermione had it sitting in the middle of the table and kept glancing at it as they ate breakfast, it was Padma who broached the subject of the missing students. "Where is everybody?.

"Well, the boys are queued outside Professor Flitwick's room, while the girls are waiting at Henrica's. New clothes for the ball are apparently more important than breakfast."

Neville's explanation had Padma looking toward Luna, she quickly answered the unspoken question. "Oh, I'm just happy to be going, I'll pop along later and pick up a dress."

"Well, we should be thankful for small mercies, at least we won't have Colin shoving his camera in our faces while he's waiting to get fitted for a suit. I swear some days I can still see flashes when I close my eyes. I think you should have a word with him, Harry..."

The blank looks coming from her fellow Ravenclaws generated the first twinge of unease in Padma. "He does follow you around, taking pictures when you least expect it?"

Hermione was shaking her head. "Not since the first day or so, he's calmed down since then..."

The giggles coming from Luna told them they were all missing something here, all except Neville. His head was down as he tried to eat his breakfast and blend into the surroundings.

Unease was quickly turning to alarm as Padma asked for answers. "Ok, Luna, what's going on?"

"Nothing at all, Colin is just sweet on you - very sweet!"

Padma's gaze shifted to Harry, he was clearly trying to stifle his laughter - and just as clearly didn't know about this beforehand. Hermione appeared as shocked as she felt but Neville still had his head down, refusing to met anyone's eyes. "Neville?"

That was enough to see his feeble defences crumble. "I'm sorry, I should have told you. I thought Parvati would have mentioned it."

It was an even more confused Padma who asked for some elaboration. "Parvati? What has she got to do with this?"

Neville was struggling with what to say so decided to just blurt it out. "Colin asked her if she could teach him to dance. He wanted to learn for Hermione's party, Colin also wanted to know what it would be like to dance with you..."

Padma visibly winced at that. "Ouch! I'll bet Parvati took that well?"

"I think she got him with three stinging hexes before Colin managed to make it up the stairs to his dorm. It's been a running joke in Gryffindor for almost a week now."

This news certainly didn't improve Padma's mood. "My sister is being made fun of - and you never mentioned it?"

This was greeted by Neville shaking his head. "It's more Colin they're ribbing, it's good natured though and he's fine with it. I tried to speak with Parvati about this, and got my head chewed off. She told me that she didn't need her sister's boyfriend looking out for her - and then told me to piss off."

While the other three were contemplating that, Luna focused their thoughts. "Fred and George are almost the one person, but you and your sister are very different. I could never mistake you for Parvati."

Padma decided she would need to speak with her twin later, Professor Weasley had arrived for their lesson.

-oOoOo-

Harry was receiving strange looks from his three friends as they found themselves once more in the room that had held the diadem. He offered an explanation. "Today's lesson will be a bit different. We've been learning how to detect threats, today we get a chance to use this. Last time we were in here, we didn't really have time to explore. This morning we will, and hopefully sort some of the treasure from the junk. Oh, anything that has Hermione's name on it is hers!"

This certainly got the birthday girl's attention. "You hid presents for me in here?"

A smiling Harry answered his enthusiastic mate. "Just some of them, Hermione."

The quartet started searching, with anything that caught their interest being checked first. Bill was also on hand to make doubly sure they didn't come across anything they couldn't handle. They were working in pairs when Padma's shout had Hermione running over to see what she'd found - a small box with Hermione Granger written on a gift tag.

Opening the box, she discovered a pendant that had a familiar design. A golden chain was attached to a two inch hoop of the same material. A beautifully carved golden crow had its wings spread in flight across the hoop, but held a golden heart in its claws - instead of a sword.

"I've got the badges ready for the marauders on Tuesday night, but I had this one made especially for you. Do you like it?"

"Harry, I love it! Will you put it on me?"

Hermione lifted her hair as Harry fastened the clasp before giving her a kiss. "Beautiful, now let's see if you can find the other one?"

That was all the motivation Hermione needed, soon finding her other hidden gift. The young witch's hands were trembling as she realised what the ancient book was she now held in her hands. "Harry?"

"Helena was disgusted that Dumbledore forced you to cancel your party, she hopes this will help make up for that. The goblin translation charm Professor Flitwick cast on you is in there too - along with quite a few others. Helena also knew you would really appreciate it."

What Hermione held in her hands was a gift beyond treasure, a notebook belonging to Helena's mother, Rowena Ravenclaw.

A/N Thanks for reading

A/N 2 the video vote closes on Monday at noon (GMT) Thanks to all who voted and we should know if we made the final sometime this week. Will pass on the result with my next chapter.

40. Surprise Birthday Guest

Harry Crow

Disclaimer - I neither own Harry Potter nor profit in any way from my writing here. That people take time out of their day (or night) to read my efforts is all the payment I could hope for.

Thanks for all those who voted for the video. Unfortunately, we didn't make the top five in our category - therefore don't make the final. Just to clear up any misunderstandings, I didn't make any money from the video either. Any prizes available would have gone straight to the kids involved.

Chapter 40

If you closed your eyes in the great hall of Hogwarts, it would be impossible to guess that seventy percent of the students were off having their lunch in Hogsmeade. The first and second year students, who had no choice but to remain in the castle, were generating enough noise and excitement to easily compensate for those missing. All had gotten new outfits this morning and were busily describing them to anyone who'd listen.

Hermione's eyes were currently closed, well, Henrica's hands over them meant she couldn't see anything. The oh's and ah's of the great hall's occupants alerted her that something was going on, then bursting into singing 'Happy Birthday' was also a rather large clue.

Henrica removing her hands left Hermione looking at a rather large cake, complete with thirteen candles - all waiting to be blown out. Sirius was levitating it to a space on the table right in front of her that her friends had cleared. She may have been blushing from all the attention but Hermione was one happy witch. Blowing the candles out resulted in much cheering, and a pile of plates appearing beside the monster cake. Hermione cut a few pieces for her friends before allowing Hogwarts to take over the distribution. Pretty soon, everyone had a piece.

With almost the entire first and second year sitting at the Ravenclaw table, Sirius and Henrica joined them. The marauder was far too jovial for the current situation, telling those who knew him that Sirius was up to something. They didn't have long to wait.

"Well, Miss Granger, I also have some presents for you. I am under strict instructions though not to hand them over unless the homework we gave you last week gets an outstanding."

Hermione wasn't alone in asking. 'homework?'

"Oh dear, I expected better from you four. What will we do about this situation, Professor Hobson?"

"Well, Lord Black, they really leave me no option. I'm so disappointed in you four, I think your attitude really needs to be worked on. We shall do that tonight when the four of you have detention with me. Don't bother with dinner, oh, and wear something nice."

Hannah may have started the giggling but it soon spread as more and more students realised exactly what was happening here. The loud laughter soon attracted an unwelcome visitor, the headmaster.

"I couldn't help overhearing professor that you gave four students detention for tonight, I hope you intend to have them doing meaningful work?"

Henrica had an answer ready for that particular question. "You mean like Professor Lockhart has students assist him with answering his fan mail? These four have been taking extra lessons on wizarding etiquette, Lord Black and I intend to ensure they don't embarrass us at the Merlin Ball next Saturday. We'll be working their socks off tonight."

"Forgive me for saying so, professor, but that sounds like a party to me. A party that you know I canceled."

"A party requires invited guests, headmaster, therefore this can't be a party. These four will be serving detention with us, that detention will consist of learning how to behave at a party. Of course, it will only be a simulation."

The sniggering from some of the pupils wasn't helping Albus' mood. "This appears to me to be a clear case of you attempting to undermine my authority as headmaster, something I can't allow..."

Sirius cut him off, though it was clearly Lord Black who stood to face Dumbledore. "I have with me the proper signed authority to take these four from Hogwarts right now. I would also like to add that this parchment doesn't contain a date for when they may return."

This had Albus in a cold sweat. "Might I see this signed authority?"

"If I have to take the parchment out of my pocket, it stays out - and these four leave with us. It's your call, headmaster, what do you want to do?"

It wasn't lost on the students that this was pretty much a similar decision to the one Harry had been forced into by the headmaster, only Dumbledore didn't have Hermione to help him out.

Albus was sorely tempted to call Black's bluff, but he couldn't be one hundred percent sure it was a bluff. The goblin would certainly sign the papers to allow Harry and Miss Granger to leave, the other parents had also holidayed over the summer with Black. He really couldn't take the risk of losing Harry over something so trivial, it would be forgotten by the time the Merlin Ball came around.

"Carry on, Professor Hobson." With that, Albus headed off to his office.

A delighted Hermione now pounced on Harry, leaving him to thank the person who made this possible. "Sirius, have I ever told you that you're the coolest godfather on the planet!"

Sirius was apologising to the other girls for not being able to give them 'detention' too -hence the large birthday cake at lunchtime.

Padma was delighted for her friend, and then she felt the tug on her sleeve. Parvati appeared in a right temper.

"Were you really going to just leave Hogwarts with them? Don't I count for anything anymore?"

"Pav, if I know Sirius, he doesn't have any such parchment in his pocket."

This didn't lessen Parvati's glare, or ire. "I notice you didn't answer any of the questions I just asked. I suppose that in itself is an answer!"

Padma watched her twin sister storm away, before Lavender spoke to her.

"I'll try and calm her down but she'd gone to a lot of trouble to get a date for Hermione's party. Hearing it was cancelled was bad enough. Now it's back on but she can't go..." Lavender didn't say the final part, both girls knew what she meant though. Parvati couldn't go - but Padma could. She felt a comforting arm slip around her shoulder and Neville's reassuring voice in her ear.

"It's not your fault, Padma, it isn't really Parvati's either. Dumbledore spoiled it for all of us. We both know Sirius would have everyone there if he could. Deep down, Parvati knows that too. When she cools down, she'll be sorry for what she said."

Neville found himself being kissed by Padma for the second time that day. "What did I do to deserve that?"

"Just for being you, and keep your arm there. If I have to protect you from witches, you can start repaying me by discouraging amorous first years - especially ones with cameras."

-oOoOo-

Hermione was having a wonderful time. A lovely meal had been shared by the six of them, now it was time to dance. Hogwarts had provided a room that was a lot more intimate than anything they were used to, next week's ball would be a much grander affair.

Harry glanced at the witch in his arms and smiled. "I did have contingency plans in place, you know, there was no way we weren't doing this on your birthday."

As they waltzed around the small dance floor, Hermione's curiosity was piqued. "Oh, and just what did you have planned?"

"Dinner for two, followed by dancing - in my room. I had already arranged with Hogwarts to remove the bed and gotten my hands on a wizarding wireless."

"That sounds lovely, though I'm sure Dumbledore would still have found something to complain about. No chaperone? - I can just see Slughorn volunteering..."

"Oh I had a chaperone arranged too, one that not even the headmaster could fault - Lady Helena."

Remembering her gift saw Hermione's eyes sparkle even more. "That would have given me a chance to thank her in private. Mentioning I've got one of her mother's notebooks would start a riot at the Ravenclaw table. You really get on well with her, don't you?"

"She's a very nice lady, I can kinda understand what it must have been like for her. I have the whole goblin / boy-who-lived rubbish to put up with, imagine trying to live up to being Rowena Ravenclaw's daughter? Recovering her diadem was a big relief from the guilt she had been carrying, you must have noticed she now smiles a lot more than she used to."

This had Hermione nodding. "I came down the other morning and she was sitting having a conversation with Luna, both looked really pleased with their chat..."

"I'm so sorry Luna couldn't be here tonight, she was really looking forward to going to a party..."

Hermione had another reason to regret her original party being canceled. "I hope Parvati doesn't give Padma too hard a time because she couldn't come here tonight, Sirius explained it to everyone..."

Harry was hoping that his final gift for Hermione went as well as the rest of her birthday. With this one though, he could only hope - and wait for Eargit's arrival in the morning.

-oOoOo-

Dan had Emma wrapped in his arms. They were siting on their sofa, watching Hermione's message replay on a loop setting. Both parents really missed their daughter, especially today, and this way it at least felt as if they got to see Hermione on her birthday.

"I still can't believe how much she's grown, or that she didn't have this written down - word for word."

"Her reading from a prepared script wouldn't have had anywhere near the same impact as this did. That is our Hermione, wearing her heart on her sleeve." This was not the first time Emma had disagreed with her husband over their daughter, it was time to face her own mistakes from that night.

"Dan, I'm so sorry. You had legitimate concerns for our daughter's safety and I just ignored them - and you. I saw Hermione breaking her heart and immediately cast you as the villain. Seeing the kids' reactions just scrambled my brains and I panicked too..."

Dan just held his wife closer, providing comfort as she cried into his chest. "Sirius wasn't the only one who noticed you 'mothering' those two boys. I know we always wanted more children, we only drew back from adopting when Hermione started having bouts of accidental magic - I wish we could have known that's what it was at the time."

Emma well remembered the numbing terror of thinking there was something wrong with their daughter, toddlers shouldn't be able to have their picture books floating to them.

Her husband's arms provided comfort as he attempted to analyse exactly what went wrong that night. "Our reactions were all pretty predictable, and it hurts even more because of that. I saw Hermione in danger, and tried to remove her from the threat. Hermione saw me trying to separate her from Harry, there was only one way she was ever going to react to that. You saw a distraught daughter, and mummy bear went into protecting cubs mode. We were all right, but at the same time all wrong."

As both contemplated their actions that night, they were interrupted by a knock at the door. That it was the back door immediately focused their attention, that door was now only used by people portkeying into the garden.

The quizzical glances were soon replaced by excitement as Emma had a thought. "Sirius? He must have had to bring the kids home..."

This had both racing to the back door, not realising Hermione wouldn't have knocked at her own home. Their visitor was the last person they expected to be standing there.

Noticing Emma had been crying, he asked if this was a bad time. The entire situation was awkward enough without adding anything else to the mix. Both Grangers quickly reassured their guest that this was not the case, inviting the goblin into their lounge - where the message from Hermione was still playing.

This halted Barchoke in his tracks, he was unable to take his eyes off Hermione pleading for her family to be put together again. As the recording ended, Dan stepped forward to stop the cycle repeating. He and his wife were wondering just what the goblin was doing in Crawley when Barchoke spoke.

"Children are a wonderful blessing, and sometimes we have to stand back and look at things from their perspective. We have Sirius providing lessons to them on wizarding culture, while you have done your best to equip them both to survive in the muggle world - as have I for our culture. In all that we made a terrible mistake, no one is teaching the parents about these cultures - cultures that are totally alien to us. Our children hope to be able to wrap their lives around all three, yet we are totally ignorant about two of them. I believe this was the basis for our misunderstanding, and really hope we can move forward from here."

This left Dan and Emma gobsmacked, and Barchoke wasn't yet finished with the shocks. "I understand from my son that not asking a girl's father for her hand is a serious breach of your protocol? On behalf of my son and I, I would like to offer our apologies for this. Harry assures me it is something he intends to put right, he will be asking your permission before they get engaged. I believe Hermione's seventeenth birthday was mentioned as a possible date for this event."

Dan had thought about what he was going to say to Barchoke but the goblin turning up here and apologising to him blew all his carefully considered words out through his ears. "Should Harry approach me with that question, my answer will of course be yes. I'm hardly likely to grill him about his future prospects, or whether he can support my little girl."

Emma held her breath at Dan's attempt at humour, especially at a time like this. A slight grin from Barchoke signalled that her husband had actually judged the mood right.

"You know fine well that the reason I'll be saying yes is I truly believe what Hermione said in her message to us, their bond indicates they could search the entire country and not find anyone more suited. They make each other happy, and what more could a father ask for? I should have taken the time to see that, instead of acting the way I did. For that, I too am sorry."

The goblin nodded his acceptance. "Harry also sent a message to me, saying that an Ambassador has to be able to see both sides of any arguments, and then negotiate a settlement that lands somewhere in the middle."

"Is that why you're here?" Emma just had to ask.

"My son's words made me stand back and think, it was something else though that brought me here tonight. I asked Harry what I could get my daughter for her birthday, he replied that putting our family back together again would be the greatest gift I could give Hermione. From what I saw of her message my son was right."

The shocked silence this was greeted with by both Grangers saw Barchoke think he'd overstepped the mark. "I'm sorry if I got it wrong by calling Hermione my daughter..."

Emma's hand on his arm stopped him saying any more. "Providing you don't mind us considering Harry as our son too, I certainly have no problems with that." Dan's nod of agreement saw a lot of the tension leave the room.

"Stay and celebrate our daughter's birthday with us. There is so much we need to talk about, so much we still don't know about each other. Let's sit and chat, and try to ensure something like that evening will never happen again." Dan's words started the rebuilding of their family. That it was being developed on the love each parent had for their children meant their family was being rebuilt on a strong foundation, and would rise like a Phoenix from the ashes - reborn and be even stronger than before.

-oOoOo-

Hermione could see Harry was nervous about something as they headed down to breakfast, she couldn't think of any reason for this and resolved to ask him about it as soon as they were alone. Eargit's arrival saw that anxiety spike before Harry's face wore a wide smile. She couldn't contain her curiosity any longer. "Harry, anything you want to tell me?"

Switching to his own language, Harry gave his bonded her final present for her birthday. ""My father asked what he could get his daughter for her birthday, I told him putting our family back together would be a great gift. He celebrated your birthday in Crawley last night, with your mum and dad.""

Hermione had been blown away with the stud earrings Sirius brought from Barchoke, her 'real' gift though left her speechless. Fortunately, she didn't need words to display how much that news meant to her. Leaning forward, she gave Harry a kiss that contained all the love she felt for her wonderful mate.

There were witches sitting at the Ravenclaw table who still harboured hopes of dating the boy-who-lived, those hopes died as they witnessed that kiss. It wasn't by any means a snog-fest, it wasn't even passionate. There was just so much love and tenderness expressed between the couple by this simple act that you would need to have been really stupid to harbour any hope that these two weren't a very serious couple - and stupid people didn't get to wear the blue and bronze of Ravenclaw.

Padma hadn't noticed Harry's anxiety, though could hardly miss him conversing with Hermione in his own language. Her fears were immediately quashed by Hermione's reaction to whatever the news was, it was now time to tease. "Okay, now you two have gotten that out of your system, care to share the good news?"

Hermione's eyes never left Harry's as she gave her friend enough information to fill in any blanks. "Harry's father celebrated my birthday with my mum and dad last night."

This saw Padma dive on both of them, knowing how much this meant to her friends, the comment from Roger followed on close behind. "Any news you'd like to share there, Harry?"

"Only that I am one lucky guy, Roger."

"Sitting there with two girls hugging you at breakfast, it's kinda hard to disagree with that."

This drew some laughs and Harry was quite prepared to joke right back. "Patil hugs are only surpassed by those from a Granger, though I don't think Neville would agree with me!" Seeing Padma blush at that just added to their good mood, she teased Harry and Hermione enough to warrant some gentle payback. Bill's arrival signalled it was time to get serious, they were all up for their lesson today.

-oOoOo-

Crow's Marauders were also up for their lesson on Tuesday evening. Having them swap activities last week meant tonight was the time to put those lessons into practice. They were split into teams of four, wherever possible ensuring that each team had a member of the four houses and was a balance of the sexes. They were then involved in a round-robin tournament that whittled them down to four teams. A semi-final and final soon followed.

Luna's team actually reached the final, and she was the last member standing. Unfortunately there were still two left from the other team and she got tagged taking one of the pair out. There was loud cheering from all present and the winners got a bar of Honeyduke's finest chocolate. The four friends ended the evening by handing out the club badges to all members, leaving a lot of extremely happy first years heading back to their dorms.

Henrica walked back with them as the quartet also headed back, they were discussing what had worked, what hadn't and who had excelled.

Neville was shaking his head at Colin's antics. "He's bought into the whole 'brave Gryffindor' persona, that's why he keeps charging right into battle. His curses are accurately cast but, against four opponents, you are always going to get hit. I think we need to start using stinging curses, that should discourage that behaviour a lot more than a blob of colour that disappears. In any real fight, his tactics would see him hit every time."

Hermione found herself agreeing. "He's agile enough to be good at evading, he just doesn't seem to want to. There were a few more who acted the same."

Harry had experience of this phenomenon from his own training. "When you make training fun, there's a tendency to treat it like a game. Goblins are taught with wooden swords but are moved onto real blades as soon as the've mastered the basics. I agree with Neville, nothing focuses your mind more than knowing your opponent is trying to do you an injury with their weapon. I think we would then need to cut it down to pairs though, having eight first years firing off stinging hexes at the same time is a recipe for disaster."

The three claws entered their common room to hear the first years raving about their lesson, and proudly displaying their badges. Harry needed his lightning fast reflexes when a curse suddenly came flying at them, he deflected it harmlessly into the ceiling while Padma and Hermione took down their attacker with a couple of very accurate stunners.

Roger woke to find himself flat on his back, and the sword of Gryffindor resting under his chin. "I would like an explanation, Davies, and I would like it now."

The explanation didn't help the trio. "...and that, ladies and gentlemen, is why we need them to train us in defence. I'm a fourth year, near the top of my year too, yet three second years easily handled my surprise attack - before handing me my arse. You might also notice that every wand in first and second year is currently pointing at me, now that is how it's supposed to be."

Harry felt a gentle hand on his shoulder as Penny spoke to him. "It's okay, Harry, I've got this. Professor Flitwick turned down their request for extra defence lessons. He said it would cause problems with the other houses if these lessons were only available for Ravenclaws, and he doesn't have the time to basically do the job Lockhart's already being paid to do. Roger here, however unwisely, was trying to prove a point that you were our next best option."

"I expected to get taken down, but not that easily. What did I do wrong?"

Harry sheathed his sword before helping his friend to his feet. "Your curse was powerful enough but your aim was slightly off. It was going to hit my shoulder, making it easier to dodge, but I knew Padma was behind me. I deflected it upward to be safe."

Padma then joined the critique. "You fired a curse and then just stood there, waiting to see what would happen next. Against multiple opponents you should have continued to cast, and been on the move at all times."

This was normal procedure for the Ravenclaw trio, they did it after every fight. The rest of the house though watched on in astonishment as Hermione continued ripping Roger's technique to shreds. As he was the one who ended up on the ground, they couldn't find fault with one word of it. "You also didn't use any of the advantages your ambush site provided. There is big heavy furniture and doorways to provide cover, you didn't use any of it."

"Okay, I'm now more convinced than ever I need some defence lessons from you guys. Any time, any place, just say the word and I'll be there."

Roger's pleading meant Harry was always going to cave on this one. "We have the ball on Saturday, you get a list together of those who want to be involved and we'll see what we can do next week."

The older wizard now had his arm around Harry's shoulders. "Thanks Harry, I knew we could count on you..." Roger now had a puzzled look on his face as he removed his arm and prodded Harry on the chest. "Merlin, Harry, you're solid! What the hell do you eat to get like that?"

"Mister Davies, would you kindly stop prodding my boyfriend? You don't get like that from eating, rather years of hard work. I happen to like it - very much!" She now had her arms wrapped about Harry as Roger appeared more embarrassed over this than getting stunned.

Penny then dragged him away for a severe bollocking, explaining in no uncertain terms what would happen the next time he fired a curse in the common room. The second year trio got their books out and joined the rest of their yearmates in some studying before bed. It was potions first thing tomorrow and no one wanted to enter that class unprepared - checking that everyone knew exactly what they were supposed to be doing had become a bit of a ritual the evening before Master Pitslay's classes.

-oOoOo-

Gilderoy had something of a dilemma on his hands. He so wanted to attend the Merlin Ball, Gilderoy had the exact outfit in mind. The problem was that, as a guest of honour, he would be obliged to wear an Order of Merlin. He'd worried the problem like a dog with a bone before finally getting to the marrow of the problem. Gilderoy had narrowed it down to two choices, each option though was not without risk.

His first was to feign illness. This was risky in that Hogwarts had its own healer on the premises and his presence at the ball was sure to be missed. There was also the fact that Gilderoy really wanted to go to the ball.

His other option was to attend and just bluff his way through the evening. This was his favourite option for two reasons. The first one was obvious, he got to attend the ball. The second was also self-explanatory. The gullible wizarding public had been swallowing the shite he'd been passing off as the truth for years, why should Saturday night be any different?

-oOoOo-

Harry felt different as he walked down to breakfast and it wasn't hard to work out why. He was wearing his tunic as normal on a weekend, his sword was at his hip, his epaulettes were displayed on his shoulders, his centurion bands - as well as Hermione - were on his arm. The only difference was the award worn on his chest, and yet it seemed to change everything.

Hermione had given him his morning kiss, but then said he looked so handsome. He himself felt like a warrior on parade, awaiting an inspection from the director. Harry thought letting Henrica borrow his award to display to her classes would have lessened the effect but people were certainly treating him differently - almost reverently. He wondered if this was how Dumbledore became so detached from reality. Harry had this reaction for less than an hour and already knew he didn't like it, Dumbledore had been receiving this treatment for decades.

Harry also had friends who would quickly put him right if his head started getting too big. Padma would soon puncture an inflated head with a few well-aimed barbs, and he didn't even want to think what Hermione's reaction to any arrogance on his part would be.

On entering the great hall, custom dictated Harry headed for the staff table. Harry added the centurion salute to his bow to the headmaster, a fellow Order of Merlin holder. His award shining brightly on the dark purple robes that could almost have been classed as demure for Dumbledore.

Whatever Harry's dispute with the headmaster, it was irrefutable that Dumbledore had earned his Order of Merlin, First Class, the hard way. He had been a great warrior for the light once, though appeared to have lost his way as he'd aged.

"Well met, Headmaster."

"A good morning to you too, Centurion." Albus had stood and returned the bow. If nothing else, the award pinned to the lad's tunic deserved it. "It would appear the third member of our exclusive group has yet to join us for breakfast. Since I know you have lessons for the rest of the day, I'm sure you can leave the formalities until tonight's ball." Both Harry and Albus were smiling as he headed back to the Ravenclaw table. That in itself was something of a major achievement.

When Bill arrived for their lesson, a quick word saw Harry reach a decision. "Roger, you're with us. If you want to learn so badly that you'll ambush us in the common room, I think it's time you learned what you're letting yourself in for."

Roger was out of his seat like a shot, following them out the hall. Lockhart never made an appearance at breakfast.

The defence professor was also conspicuous by his absence at lunch, as was Roger Davies. It was actually Cho who worked up the courage to ask where he was. This enquiry was greeted with four smiles before Harry answered.

"He's in his room, probably sleeping by now. Will someone make sure to wake him in time for tonight's ball? Oh, and do it early enough to make sure he has plenty of time for a hot bath, best thing for sore muscles."

"What did you do to him?"

Padma resented that question, she didn't even see who asked it but that didn't matter. "We didn't do anything to him, he just wanted to do the same lesson as us. Roger spent the last half hour of the lesson lying exhausted on the floor. We do this for six hours every weekend, Roger thought he could dive right in and do the same, he's physically and magically exhausted but should feel better after a few hours sleep. We have another set of lessons to go yet - and then the ball!"

No more questions were asked, though Roger would be well and truly quizzed later.

-oOoOo-

Harry was left questioning his eyesight as Hermione floated down the stairs to meet him, he knew his mate was beautiful but this was just too much. Her blue dress just did something that melted his insides. A gentle kiss of greeting got his brain into gear once more and he offered Hermione his arm. His 'my lady' comment wasn't missed by anyone there either, Hermione was certainly his lady.

Harry then offered his other arm to Padma. "Miss Patil, may I escort you to your date? I wouldn't want anyone to get the idea you were available, Neville would be most upset."

The trio led the students of Ravenclaw house toward the seventh floor, where quite a crowd had gathered. The headmaster, and most of the staff, were waiting on them - along with the Lady Helena.

Harry bowed deeply to the ghost. "My Lady, please thank Hogwarts for providing the room tonight."

Helena's voice held some mirth as she replied. "Hogwarts is very pleased with the changes her champion is instigating, and welcomed the idea of the entire school being able to celebrate on this special day. I would like to propose that the last Saturday in September be set aside to make this an annual event, it certainly gets the school year off to a magnificent start. We've never seen the students so happy and think this should be encouraged."

Albus quickly stepped in to gain some more much-needed positive points with the students. "I think that is a tremendous idea and will certainly add it to the school calendar for future years."

The evening was off to a flier and Harry hadn't even opened the room yet. When he did, more than a few jaws hit the floor. The room surpassed anything they had seen before.

Yes it was slightly bigger than the great hall but Hogwarts had solved the accommodation problem using a different method. There was a stage for the band located in one corner of the square room, with tables that held twelve all around the sides. Above those tables was a series of balconies that, except for above the stage, surrounded the hall. The entire room was of a grandeur that hadn't been seen since the hight of the Baroque period, and outside of a royal palace. Harry couldn't help but think that was appropriate, since the girl on his arm was like a princess to him. This also meant the period dress of the first and second years now fitted right in.

An ornamental and exquisitely carved fountain occupied the middle of the dance floor with all the hall's carvings and gold trimmings being highlighted by twenty magnificent crystal chandeliers.

There was more than a glint of humour from the Ravenclaw ghost as she jokingly enquired if the room would do, Harry's answer though showed just how much he had picked up from Sirius' lessons.

"My Lady, I appreciate Hogwarts' attempt to match the beauty of my date, it was a valiant attempt." No living person had ever heard the Grey Lady laugh before, the delightful and almost musical sound had everyone considering they would need a more appropriate name for the Ravenclaw ghost. When Helena smiled, there was nothing grey about the ghost who'd clearly been a great beauty when alive.

"We thought the first, second and third years would appreciate the balconies, allowing them to see everything that happens - without feeling obliged to dance if they don't want to."

This proved a really popular suggestion as the lower years headed for the staircases.

Dumbledore was not alone in being surprised at just how much control this second year had over the castle, or how much the Lady Helena had changed.

Hannah and Susan had invited Ernie and Justin to be their dates for Hermione's cancelled party, they naturally just continued that arrangement for the ball. Parvati surprised them by arriving on the arm of Blaise Zabini, though Padma made sure there were two seats next to her available for her twin and her date.

Colin was rather chivalrously about to give up his own place at Harry's table to allow Ginny and Luna to join them, when Hogwarts increased the size of their table. Not only was there a place for Colin, there were two as-yet unoccupied place settings. That puzzle was soon solved by the arrival of Henrica and Sirius.

"Do you mind if we sit with you lot for the evening? Downstairs is just so...what in the name of Merlin is that?"

His godfather's exclamation had everyone at the table turning to see what had caused this outburst. Not that every eye wasn't now turned in that direction anyway - just as he'd expected. If there was one thing Gilderoy knew how to do, it was make an entrance - and what an entrance!

He'd timed it to perfection, everyone else had arrived but dinner had yet to be served. He stood there in what Gilderoy considered a heroic pose, allowing everyone to get a good look at him. His black patent leather boots hugged his calves to just below his knees, their heels adding an inch and a half to his height. Those same boots melted into a pair of purple breeches that had bright red cavalry stripes down the side, they also gave new definition to the phrase 'tight'. The bulge at his groin caused Luna to ask if he wasn't staying for dinner, since he'd brought his own lunch box.

His royal blue bum freezer jacket had more gold braid than a dozen admirals and he actually wore a leather scabbard - containing his wand instead of a sword. His ridiculous ensemble was completed by a short fur-lined cape, jauntily worn over one shoulder. There was no way Gilderoy Lockhart was going to hide his trademark golden locks under any kind of hat.

Harry audibly groaned, knowing what was required of him now. He stood to find Hermione right beside him, the grip on his arm saying she was accompanying him.

"If he tries to grab my boyfriend again, I'm going to introduce him to my blade." This drew smiles from all around the table, they all knew Hermione was really going down there to drag Harry off the prat if he started anything. They just hoped she let him beat Lockhart up a bit first - beat up a lot worked for them too.

The couple found the headmaster waiting at the bottom of the stairs, together they walked toward the still posing professor. "Excuse me, Professor Lockhart, I fail to spot your Order of Merlin amongst the rest of the paraphernalia you're currently wearing."

Hermione had a closer view than anyone else but she was sure those in the hall were reaching the same conclusion as she was. Dumbledore wore his award with pride, and effortlessly projected the image of an elder statesman. Harry on the other hand looked the epitome of a young warrior, even as he walked toward Lockhart you could see he was ready for instant action.

Lockhart on the other hand had deliberately aimed for a military theme, something again he had no right to. He'd gone for hussar, and ended up with bizarre! He looked like someone who'd been kicked out of the Village People for being too outlandish, Hermione wondered if she could get the band to play Y.M.C.A.

Gilderoy then unveiled his master plan, and his 'award'. "Ah, headmaster, I was sure you would notice that. When the Merlin committee were debating my award, it was mentioned that my greatest wish was world peace. They then struck my award especially for me."

The defence professor then indicated a gold peace symbol hanging from a scarlet ribbon, a symbol that was recognised even in goblin society. Hermione had also spotted an 'I heart N.Y.' medallion hanging from a piece of ribbon too. While Harry and even Dumbledore were struck dumb by the audacity of the wizard, Hermione's mind went into hyperdrive. She moved her own medallion onto her dress, just above her heart, and a quick sticking charm saw it held there.

"How silly of me, I forgot to wear my Order of the Avis, First Class. The awards committee knew my greatest wish too, a golden crow holding my heart. The Second Class award is of course silver, and features a sword. Can we assume the committee also knew of your allergy to bronze, and made your Third Class award out of gold instead?"

Albus was actually enjoying watching these two take someone else apart for a change, that was until he noticed the glints of silver from above. Miss Granger's actions had set off a chain reaction amongst the first years. It would appear as if every single one of them had brought their badges to the ball, all now wore them on their jackets and dresses like Miss Granger.

Devotion like that reminded Albus of another young man, though Tom was in fourth year before he began gathering followers around him. Harry already had first year wrapped up, along with the vast majority of second. With the Weasley twins and the Davies boy, they were making inroads into fourth too! Albus couldn't help but hear the Ravenclaw boy raving about the defence lesson he attended this morning, his claim that he had learned more in those three hours than his previous three years at Hogwarts was certainly being believed.

He almost opened his mouth to say something before deciding to let Lockhart be the one to put his foot in it tonight, and Lockhart duly obliged. Totally missing the sarcasm from Miss Granger, he quickly confirmed her suspicion that he was indeed allergic to bronze.

The three walked away, leaving Lockhart thinking that once again he'd fooled everyone. Thanks to Henrica's lessons, the entire student population now knew Lockhart's outrageous claims were a pile of shit. That neither Harry nor the Headmaster bowed to Lockhart also indicated that they both knew that too. The only one fooled was the fool himself, Gilderoy Lockhart.

A/N Thanks for reading.

41. Double Trouble

Harry Crow

Disclaimer - JKR owns Harry Potter, I'm just delighted she allows all of us to have some fun playing within the world she created. Since none of us are being paid for the hours we spent writing these stories, while reading, could you please remember that this really is just for fun.

Chapter 41

Albus sat in this magnificent room and watched as his entire school, excuse the pun, had a ball! None of the staff had been involved in the preparations, nor were they needed to supervise their charges. Jugs of punch and pumpkin juice were on every table, refilling before they had time to empty. The house ghosts patrolled around the tables, chatting with anyone who had the time to talk. After the elves had provided a wonderful meal, the band had turned up and now dancing was the order of the evening.

Albus also noticed some couples sitting on the marble ledge around the fountain's circular basin, the entire structure acting as a cooling off area for the dancers. Albus was here tonight purely as a guest, and that's exactly how he felt - a guest in his own school. Losing even a little control would normally have Albus reaching for his wand to rectify the situation, but not tonight. The reason for that was simple, it was Hogwarts herself who was in control here this evening - and doing a magnificent job of it.

Horace watched as everyone had fun, he was so depressed. How had two Gryffindors and a couple of Ravenclaws managed to destroy a famous wizard's reputation so easily? They also did it in a way that the fool still hadn't realised every single person in the hall now knew he was a liar.

The head of Slytherin thought he was dealing with a couple of second years, and that gaining their confidence would be easy. He hadn't done his homework and gotten savaged during his clumsy approach. Albus of course hadn't mentioned any of this when he conned him out of retirement and into returning to Britain, Horace was only now beginning to realise just how much he hadn't been told. His only chance now appeared to be somehow gaining the boy's respect - grudging or otherwise. To do that though would take every piece of Slytherin cunning he had.

Minerva watched her students having a great time and, reputation be damned, she just had to smile. Between her time as a student in the castle and then her teaching years, Minerva had almost half a century of experience inside Hogwarts. In all that time, Minerva could honestly say she'd never seen anything like this. Hogwarts sure knew how to throw a party.

Her eyes caught a sight she still didn't believe, a second year dancing with a veela professor - with both of them laughing and chatting away. That second year being one of her young lions, Mr Longbottom, just added to her sense of astonishment. Minerva would bet her pension she wasn't the only person inside the castle who was continually having to upgrade her opinion of that young wizard.

Gilderoy also noticed Henrica dancing with the second year and was considering cutting-in, until he recognised who that second year was. He then spied Black dancing with the sword wielding witch, and Crow soon followed them round with his friend's date as a partner. This just seemed to sum up his evening. He'd been so looking forward to this ball but it was turning into a personal disaster.

He was expecting the girls to flock to him, not scatter in different directions anytime he approached. Not only had every witch spurned his advances and offers to dance, most of them had rushed away in the opposite direction before he could even ask them. Hogwarts was turning into a major disappointment, the press didn't even ask to take his picture when they arrived.

Harry was back dancing with Hermione as they twirled around the fountain, holding his princess in his arms as they waltzed around this magical setting. This was worth putting up with Lockhart and Dumbledore, this was priceless.

Hermione smiled as she asked him about tonight. "Do you think this will see Lockhart chased out the castle?"

"I doubt it, that would mean Dumbledore not only admitting he was wrong but doing something about it. Remember, this was a prank Fred and George played on Lockhart. Looking at it from that angle, it's a fantastic success. The entire castle now knows Gilderoy Lockhart is a liar, and we even got a ball out of it too!"

When she followed Harry's logic, Hermione had to agree. She also knew the news would be filtering out to homes all over the country. This might not be the knock-out blow that finally flattened Lockhart but it was the first step to destroying his reputation. Unlike Dumbledore, a reputation would appear to be all that Lockhart had. She was reminded of the Emperor's new clothes, and how it was children who solved that puzzle too.

-oOoOo-

The group of friends left the ball together as they headed back to their dorms. Whether it was chivalry or the presence of Harry and Neville, Blaise kissed Parvati on the back of her hand and thanked her for a lovely evening. Colin escorted an almost floating Ginny through the portrait hole after Parvati. Ginny just had the best night of her life, a night that also included a dance with Harry. She was in heaven - until her brother spoiled it.

"You traitorous bitch! Why don't you go down to the dungeons where you obviously belong?"

It was only when Parvati answered that Ginny realised Ron's tirade wasn't aimed at her.

"Listen Weasley, who cares what you think? Take your attitude out of my face before I decorate the common room with it."

"Oh yeah, think Crow is going to come running to save you? He only does that for your sister..."

Padma had been outside saying goodnight to Neville when she heard the shouting, discovering her sister was involved saw her head straight into the lion's den.

Ron suddenly had double vision with both Patil sisters now in his face. "Listen weasel, my sister doesn't need anyone to rescue her from the likes of you. We always have each other's backs and there won't be enough of your bigoted carcass left to decorate this common room with if you forget that."

Looking desperately for help, Ron attempted to turn the argument around in his favour. "First she dates a Slytherin, now we have a Ravenclaw in our common room! Is everyone else here okay with this?"

Neville had of course followed Padma inside and stood squarely behind the twins on this argument. "What Parvati does is none of your business, Weasley. She hasn't broken any rules and you have no authority inside Gryffindor, far less Hogwarts."

"Well, we can't all be school champions! Is your buddy Crow getting ready to come in here and wave his fancy sword around? Is that what happens next?"

What happened next was Percy entering the common room, Ron grasped this fortuitous event and treated it almost as if the cavalry had arrived to save him from the circling savages. "Percy, not content with dating a Slytherin, she then has a Ravenclaw in our common room." Ron confidently stood back, expecting his brother to now administer the justice he was unable to.

Percy looked to Padma for an explanation of her presence here, she didn't take long to provide an answer. "Your prat of a brother is probably the only person in the castle who didn't have a great time tonight, he then decided to spread that misery around by screaming at Parvati. I was outside saying goodnight to Neville and wasn't about to let him get away with that."

"She dated a Slytherin!" Ron appeared to think that if he achieved enough volume then everyone would finally understand the point he was trying to make. Unfortunately, for Ron that is, he chose to shout this in Padma's face from a distance measured in mere inches.

As Ron's spittle sprayed over Padma's face, Neville's fist connected with his - dropping Ron onto his arse.

Percy's hand gripping his arm stopped Neville taking any further action, apart from removing a hankie and offering it to Padma.

"Ron, go to bed!"

"But Percy, he just hit me! Surely you're going to do something about that?"

"Had you acted that way to Penny, I would have flattened you - if Penny didn't do it first. Go to bed, now!"

As Ron slunk his way up the stairs, Percy turned his attention to the girls. "I must apologise for my brother's behaviour..."

It was Padma who cut him off. "No you don't, Percy. Apart from your brother, Charlie, we've met your entire family. We've liked them all but Ron sticks out like a sore thumb with his crass behaviour. You shouldn't have to apologise for him, he probably doesn't even realise what he's done wrong. Thanks for that, Neville, I was about to reach for my wand when you flattened him."

She then turned her attention to her sister. "Are you okay, Pav?"

"I was perfectly capable of dealing with that situation on my own, I don't need you - or anyone else - rushing to my rescue."

This took the breath from Padma. " ...but we've always looked out for each other."

"Well, you've made it plain that situation has changed. Christmas, summer and now Halloween! How can we look out for each other when you're never around?"

Parvati headed for her own staircase, leaving Neville to escort Padma back outside where the rest of their friends were waiting. Neville's comforting arm was replaced by that of Hermione as Padma found herself now sandwiched between her two friends. "How much of that did you hear?"

Hermione's arm tightened around Padma as she answered. "All of it. It looks like Parvati didn't take the news you would be going with us at Halloween as well as you thought."

"Christmas is nothing more than a break from school for us, Halloween is different. This will be the first one we've ever spent apart. I don't know if I want to go now."

Harry tried to help. "Neither Hermione nor I have any experience of siblings but we have had to work our way around the differences thrown up between us and our families. Trying to look at the situation from different perspectives has helped us. What would you think or do if the shoe was on the other foot, if it was Parvati who was going with us at Halloween?"

This got Padma thinking. "I see what you mean, but this is hard..."

Hermione confirmed it had been hard for them too, encouraging Padma to continue.

"I would like to think I'd be pleased for her. Parvati would look at this weekend as being the lead-up to an offer of betrothal from Neville - that's probably what's got her so mad. She would never understand that Neville and I could just be friends."

Hermione had a front row seat as she watched their two friends begin the journey from friendship to possibly something more. If she could see that, it was a certainty Parvati could too! Padma herself had said that her sister was always the twin who drew the most attention, watching Padma with Neville must be hard for Parvati to take. Her less popular sister appeared to effortlessly obtain what was Parvati's greatest wish - a boyfriend who had the potential to be so much more. That this was a boy Parvati had previously attempted to ensnare must be particularly rankling. Like the rest of their friends, the smartest witch in their year dismissed the problem as jealousy on Parvati's part.

Padma herself had reached the same conclusion, it didn't hurt any less because of that.

-oOoOo-

That morning's Prophet pleased everyone - except Lockhart. They had led with the headline 'A Celebration Merlin Would Be Proud Of', accompanied by a picture that showed lots of first and second years' posed around the fountain.

That his school was shown in such a positive light pleased Dumbledore no end, he was more than happy to bask in the reflected glory this story generated. The way things had been going lately, Albus was happy simply not being publicly berated for something - it made a pleasant change.

Harry was also happy. Apart from there being some mention of the Order of Merlin winners in attendance, he didn't feature in the story. Thirty or so very happy students had their picture on the front page of the Prophet, and the article promised more pictures from the ball in their sister publication, Teen Witch Weekly, which intended to do a full spread on the 'new' fashion sweeping Britain's magical community.

Roger was unhappy that he wasn't going to attend the extra defence lessons today, that was until Harry had a private word with him.

"Having someone older there certainly helped us, so we're thinking of making it a permanent arrangement. We're also thinking of including Fred and George, but don't know any older students well enough to figure out who else to ask. Penny would be the obvious choice but that would really mean taking Percy too! I don't know if we're ready to mix it with sixth years' just yet."

Roger privately thought Harry could mix it with just about anyone but had a suggestion to make. "What about Cedric Diggory? He's a fourth year Puff, and I'll vouch for him being a good guy."

"Didn't his father just become the Chief Warlock?"

It was a puzzled Roger who answered that question with one of his own. "Yes, do you have a problem with that?

"No, but I wouldn't want him thinking that's why we were asking."

"Harry, you don't even know Cedric ... Oh, I see! I'll tell him the truth, it was me who suggested he join us."

This got a nod of agreement. "I'll need to check with Assistant Ambassador Weasley first, but you can see if he's interested. If nothing else, it gives us a mixture of houses."

Roger immediately headed off to the Hufflepuff table for a talk with Cedric though Bill spotted a potential problem the minute Harry mentioned the names.

"I know you don't pay much attention to Quidditch, Harry, but those four are all on their house teams. The chance of them having every Saturday morning free are nil."

Bill was right, Quidditch held no interest for Harry but he did know Roger and the twins played. "What about having them join us every Sunday? That would still leave us Saturdays to work on things ourselves."

Liking that idea, Bill suggested it was time to put it to the group. He signalled for the twins to come over while Harry did the same with Roger. The fourth year Ravenclaw brought Cedric along and introduced him to the four friends.

Bill then laid out their proposal. "You four want extra tuition in defence, and I want to match this lot up against some older opponents. We're proposing to do both every Sunday morning - if you're up for it?"

The twins agreed at once while Roger had a question. "Cedric mentioned Quidditch, is that why you're offering Sundays?"

"Yes, this lot might not bother with the game but I knew you four had Quidditch commitments."

Both Roger and Cedric confirmed they would be delighted to accept, only to quickly discover what they'd let themselves in for.

"Okay, we've already wasted five minutes standing here blethering - let's move it!"

Their was no hesitation amongst the four friends, they shot out of the hall - leaving the others to chase after them. That same quartet of second years sat showered and changed at lunch, while a certain four fourth years were conspicuous by their absence.

A certain professor noticed this, and the esteem this gained the second years from the other students. It was time to try a different approach.

-oOoOo-

Before they arrived for breakfast on Monday morning, Harry must have denied he was holding a duelling club at least a dozen times to excited questioners. Apparently notices for this club had appeared in all four houses.

Padma attempted to look on the bright side. "At least they're holding it tonight, and not in direct competition to 'Crow's Marauders'."

"I think I prefer the Order of the Avis..."

Harry's suggestion was instantly outvoted by his three friends and all the first years within hearing range. It seems he was stuck with that name.

"So, are we going to go along tonight?"

The other three thought over Neville's question and couldn't come up with any reason not to. Between the ball and now this club, morale in the castle had rarely been higher.

-oOoOo-

Everyone left the great hall straight after dinner, there was no dawdling tonight. They understood the hall would need to be set up for the club, and on regaining entry it certainly looked promising. The house tables had been removed, and a duelling platform now dominated the hall.

All that early promise was for naught though with the discovery of just who was running this club.

"Gather round, gather round! Can everyone see me? Can you all hear me? Excellent!"

The loud groans that greeted Gilderoy's arrival told the professor he was the only one who thought this situation was 'excellent'.

"Now, Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this little duelling club, to train you all in case you ever need to defend yourselves as I myself have done on countless occasions — for full details, see my published works."

He then rather grandiosely, in a move that must have seen him practicing in front of a mirror for hours, swirled his cape off his shoulders. Deliberately choosing a group of girls, he tossed his cape toward them - only to see it hit the floor as they all moved away from the item that had actually touched liar Lockhart.

Undaunted, the intrepid professor pushed on with the meeting.

"Now I would like to introduce the professor who has kindly agreed to assist me with this demonstration duel tonight. Professor Slughorn."

This was a surprise to just about everyone in the hall. No one knew what Slughorn was like with a wand in his hand, the unanimous consensus though was that he couldn't possibly be worse than Lockhart.

The blowhard counted down from three, and then promptly ended up on his back - a simple disarming spell doing the damage. That this was met with loud cheering did more damage to Lockhart than his opponent's curse. He of course claimed to have let the curse through - purely for demonstration purposes - but no one was buying that anymore.

Slughorn seemed to take heart from the cheering, not realising it was more for Lockhart's defeat than the person inflicting it. Their next demonstration duel, the potions professor really went to town.

Within seconds, Gilderoy was dressed like a circus clown - complete with red nose and green frizzy hair - while trying his best to perform 'Riverdance' without music. He was waving his wand around more like a conductor of an orchestra rather than a wizard, Gilderoy would probably have gotten better results from the string section than he achieved trying to cast a counter spell.

What was riotously funny at the beginning was now becoming cringeworthy and decidedly unpleasant. There is a fine line between a prank and bullying, Slughorn was leaving that line far behind him. A silencing curse ended Gilderoy's pleas for the spells to be lifted, the defence professor was now entering a clear state of physical distress.

Horace was enjoying this, and now for phase two of his plan. "Oh dear, I can see why there is such a demand for private defence tuition. I just hope tomorrow night's lessons are better than this."

The first years were on him in seconds, defending 'Crow's Marauders', Ginny being especially vociferous. Harry used that distraction to cast a finite incantatem at Lockhart, drawing no pleasure from watching the now physically exhausted man collapse to the floor.

Slughorn turned his attention to Harry. "It would seem your charges are quite impressed with your defence teachings, centurion. Then again, they don't really have much to compare it with - do they?"

Hermione was muttering a warning to him, that she was speaking in his own language told Harry how serious she thought the situation was. ""This is screaming set-up, and making me wonder just whose idea this club was.""

"What do you say, centurion, want to show us what you're teaching the first years? Let's have a friendly duel, you're bound to at least last longer than our current defence professor."

""He's deliberately goading you into fighting him, I just can't figure out why.""

""This might not be a bad idea, Hermione. I really need to get some idea what level I'm at, and he can't really go too far with all these witnesses...""

Horace wasn't getting the reaction he expected so goaded Harry some more. "Do you need your girlfriend's permission to duel? Is that what the problem is? Perhaps I should duel her instead, that might get your attention." He'd been expecting those comments to be accompanied by some derisive laughter, especially from his Slytherins. The entire school though had learned - some of them the hard way - that you don't anger Harry. The one sure way to do this was by targeting his girlfriend, Hermione.

Harry though was very calm as he answered the head of Slytherin. "You have been misinformed, professor. I don't teach the marauders how to duel, I teach them how to fight. If you wish to fight a centurion, I just happen to know one who will accommodate you."

Harry might be calm but Hermione was nervous enough for the both of them. ""Don't mess about, Harry, end it quickly!""

Horace was pleased his plan had worked, he needed to show he was so much more than the image the students now had of him. Dumping the boy-who-lived onto his arse would be his first step on the road to regaining some of the respect he had lost. "Certainly centurion, won't you join me up here?"

"As I said, professor, I don't duel. We'll ward off an area down here and the fight only finishes when someone is bleeding." Harry handed a stone to both Neville and Padma, before kissing Hermione and giving her a third. They then moved everyone back to clear a large space on the floor. Harry moved Luna, Ginny and Colin up on to the duelling stage so they could see more clearly, a move that was soon copied by most of the lower school. When they had a large enough area cleared, they each placed a stone at a corner and activated them.

Harry kicked off his shoes and opened his shirt, Horace though was already playing mind games.

"Armour for a friendly duel, surely not?"

"This is a fight, professor, and there is nothing friendly about one of them. I can no more leave my armour off than you can discard all the years of experience you have over me. Like your experience, my armour is a part of me. Don't forget, you agreed to fight a centurion. I told you I am a centurion first, and a Hogwarts' student second."

Harry had his shield and knife ready before he drew his sword. "Count us off, Hermione."

Horace was now faced with this golden warrior, all trace of the boy he thought he was duelling seemed to vanish when that magnificent armour activated. He was beginning to suspect this might not be as easy as he thought when the girl set them off.

"First Blood - Fight!"

Harry's first stunner reverberated off the shield that Horace had hastily erected, that shield though was no protection from a blade. In a move that was almost as quick as his stunner, Harry was on Slughorn and sliced a chunk out of his robe.

The professor let out a yelp of surprise before managing to get a combination of spells off, they didn't do any good. Crow was so fast, dodging or deflecting every single one before that sword flashed and another chunk of his robes hit the floor.

Horace felt as if he was fighting for his life here, yet really couldn't use any of his heavier curses against a twelve year old boy - at least not with so many people watching. The third time Crow's blade had cut through his robes, the experienced dueller knew this boy could finish the fight anytime he wanted. This had changed from an opportunity for Horace to gain some respect to a training exercise for Crow, that could not be allowed to continue.

He'd bided his time and was now ready, a starburst charm should momentarily blind everyone in the hall, allowing Horace to cast the necessary spells to put Crow down. He clamped his eyes tight as the starburst illuminated the entire hall, but Horace never got time to put the rest of his plan into operation.

When Hermione's vision returned, she saw a knackered Harry leaning on his sword - and no sign of Slughorn. She deactivated her corner and rushed to him, throwing her arms around her mate to confirm he was okay.

"I thought I said not to mess about? He nearly had you on a few occasions."

"I wouldn't have learned anything ending it in seconds, and he was sticking to spells that wouldn't really hurt me."

Padma and Neville had also collapsed their corners and joined the couple. It was Padma of course who just had to ask the question. "So, what did you learn?"

"Not to mess about...ouch! No need to get violent ladies." Harry had just received a punch on each arm from both girls. Neville though had a different concern.

"Eh, Harry, where's Slughorn?"

Harry looked up, and his three friends were the first to burst into laughter as they followed his line of sight, they certainly weren't the last. Slughorn was dangling from the ceiling of the great hall, robes ripped to shreds and entrapped in a web. Everyone though could easily read his expression of disbelief as he cradled his bleeding wand hand.

"I barely scratched him, I wonder if old Sluggy is afraid of heights?"

Roger had made some pretty outrageous claims about the defence classes these four attended at the weekend, not one Ravenclaw doubted his word now. Cedric had also stated in Hufflepuff that any of the four would kick his arse in a fight, and Harry regularly fought the other three - all at the same time. Susan and Hannah's claims that Harry and Hermione practiced every day, even on holiday, had also been taken with a pound of salt. These too were now being believed.

Even the first year Gryffindors knew not to believe a word Fred and George said, their house did know a fighter when they saw one though - and Harry was undoubtably a fighter.

The Slytherins didn't know what to think. Their head of house had deliberately goaded Crow into a fight - and then lost. Anyone who'd seen him use either of his blades knew Harry could have cut Slughorn with any of those strokes that sliced through his robes. This seemed to send a mixed message. There was certainly no love lost between Crow and Lockhart, it didn't escape their notice though that Harry had just dished out the same treatment their head of house gave Lockhart earlier. One thing was for sure, no one would openly challenge Crow after that display.

The prefects had to step in and stop the great hall from descending into chaos. With Lockhart now sleeping from exhaustion - he snored too - and Slughorn hanging from the ceiling, they were forced to take charge. The ruckus Harry's victory had started was bound to attract staff attention, with McGonagall and Flitwick soon arriving and demanding some answers.

There was no shortage of people willing to supply those answers and soon McGonagall had only one question for Harry. "Centurion, how long do you intend to leave Professor Slughorn up there?"

"Professor Slughorn didn't seem in any hurry to remove his Tarantallegra from Professor Lockhart. He left him dancing so I see no reason not to leave the good professor dangling. Excuse us, professor, but it's been a long and tiring day - with tomorrow probably being longer still since we have our defence club. I'm heading off to bed now."

They walked out of the great hall, leaving both professors to restore order - and also deal with a swinging Slughorn and snoring Lockhart. Neville and Hermione were practically carrying Harry by the time they reached Ravenclaw tower, goodnights were said as Neville then escorted Ginny and Colin back to their own dorm.

Luna found herself sitting with Moonlight at Harry's feet, Padma and Hermione had plonked him between them on a sofa. Luna was delighted her friends trusted her enough to discuss what was going on in front of her.

"I've never used my armour to enhance my speed for so long before, it really drained me. I think it's something that I might need to build up some endurance to."

Padma agreed with his assessment "Magic will always extract a price, why didn't you end it sooner though?"

"it didn't really hit me until the fight was over, that's the scary part. If I had continued, would I have just dropped from exhaustion?"

"Harry Crow, you will not be practicing that!"

"I think I need to, Hermione, it could prove vital in a fight." He could see the scared look in her eyes and made a concession. "I promise I won't attempt it without supervision and have at least one healer present."

Hermione could see this was something he would need to get a handle on, that Harry was going to do it as responsibly as possible was really the best she could ask for.

They got Harry up the stairs before he fell asleep on the sofa. Hermione did offer to take a morning off from their exercises but Harry wouldn't hear of it. A quick kiss goodnight and he collapsed on top of the bed.

"Shouldn't we undress him?"

"Padma Patil, get your thoughts off my Harry. I'm throwing a cover on him, that will keep him warm until morning."

Padma was in full teasing mode now. "You could stay with him? No one would know."

Hermione was pleased to see her friend returning to something like her normal self, Padma's relationship with her sister could currently be described at best as 'strained'. "That's precisely why I won't be staying. When I spend the night with Harry, I at least like him to know I'm there."

Padma had no answer to that so both witches headed back down to the common room, stopping to watch as Luna attempted to teach Moonlight how to play hide and seek.

-oOoOo-

Harry was almost back to normal next morning, though the couple did knock a few miles off their run. At breakfast, Harry found himself receiving vicious glares from the Hogwarts potions professor, it was almost as if something he'd been missing had returned. He much preferred the glares to the covetous stares Slughorn normally aimed at him.

Breakfast also saw Harry face a barrage of questions - and even more requests for defence tutoring - he held up his hand to gain some quiet to be allowed a chance to answer. "First off, Slughorn was holding back. He couldn't really go full power against a second year student. In a real fight, I think you would see a different approach." This set the Ravenclaws thinking, though Harry knew they wouldn't like the next part.

"Working out lesson plans for the first years is taking nearly as long as teaching them - and they are all at the same level. To try and run another class couldn't fail but have an impact on our own studies. I'm sorry but it has to be a no to more defence lessons. Roger and the other three are being tutored by Assistant Ambassador Weasley and again, increasing the size of that class would seriously cut into our lesson."

The one thing about Ravenclaws was that they could see the logic behind Harry's reasoning, none of them would endanger their own studying or grades to tutor others. They may understand Harry's reasoning but that didn't mean they had to like his decision.

They had defence after lunch and once more the four stayed behind to run over their plans for tonight's defence club. Bill though was more interested in Harry's exhaustion.

"We all noticed you were knackered after fighting Master Sharpshard, but you were wounded too! This is something your father needs to hear about, and I really do think we need to find your limits." Bill headed Hermione's objections off with simple logic. "It's much safer to discover what those limits are under test conditions than in a battle."

None of them could really argue with that.

-oOoOo-

By the time they were due to meet 'crow's marauders', Harry's exhaustion was nothing more than a memory and the four friends were all raring to go.

"You all did really well last week but tonight we're going to change it up a level. We noticed that some people weren't concentrating on their evasion, prepared to take a hit to get their own spell off. That is never the way to behave in a fight. The curse that you let hit might be the last thing you'll ever feel." Harry let the seriousness of this sink in before continuing.

"Because of this we're going to learn a new spell tonight. It's called the stinging hex, any idea why?"

Ginny was first with an answer, she'd seen her mum fire it at the twins for years - usually as they were running away from the mayhem they'd just created. "That's because it stings when you get hit with it."

"Ginny's exactly right. It does sting people, but it won't do you any harm other than that. The secret will be not to let it hit you, and we want you to learn to treat all spells cast at you in the same manner."

After having learned to cast the blob spell, no one had any trouble mastering the stinging hex. Then the real lesson began. Harry had asked the room for some protective headgear, a stinging curse to the face was not something they wanted any of the first years to experience.

"You are now going to take part in an exercise the four of us do all the time. Same teams as last week, one will be casting the stinging hex while the other will be doing their best to evade. There will be a strict time limit of one minute, when we call time - you'd better stop casting! If you get hit, lie down on the floor and you will not be targeted again."

There was a much more serious atmosphere about the lesson tonight. Even the ones doing the casting knew it would be their turn to evade next. Harry and Neville kept their eyes on the casting team, while Hermione, Padma and Henrica looked after those evaders who'd been hit. There was no cheering from the sidelines this time, everyone was too busy watching for ideas that would see them come out of this without being stung.

Hermione made sure to be the one who led Colin to the sidelines after his team's minute was up, he would probably have looked upon Padma having her arm around his shoulders as a price worth paying for taking a stinging hex.

Once each team had their turn at both exercises, Harry reintroduced the format they had used last week - only this time using stinging hexes. All were pleased to see the battles this time were a lot more cagey, no one wanted to rush into a brace of stinging hexes.

At the end of the lesson, they had all the 'marauders' sit in a large circle and the elves provided comforting mugs of hot chocolate for each of them.

Harry then spoke to the class. "Up until tonight we've tried to make these lessons fun. The downside of that approach was some of you were treating it all as a game - I hope you now know it's not. We will still try and have some fun but you have to understand that learning to defend yourselves is a very serious business. You are witches and wizards - a wand in your hand gives you the power to perform magic. The point of this club is to teach you how to do that properly and responsibly. We realised tonight might be a bit of a shock to the system and hope you'll still be back next week."

They had worried that tonight's approach might scare a few of them off, Luna though seemed to speak for all of them. "Why wouldn't we come back next week? This is stuff we need to learn and who else is going to teach us it - Professor Lockhart? You are giving up your evening for us, and I know you'll be studying for Master Pitslay's class the minute you get back to our common room. I think what I'm trying to say is thanks, to all of you."

They weren't sure who started clapping but soon all the first years were applauding their four tutors and staff sponsor. The first years had taken to wearing their 'Crow's Marauders' badges on their robes and Harry couldn't help but feel proud of what they were doing here.

-oOoOo-

It was fear rather than pride that saw Lucius shoot up into a sitting position in bed, the nightmare had left him sweating. Draco and Pansy had been in the picture that appeared on the Prophet's front page, just two of many purebloods who were clearly having a good time. Lucius was the only person who knew that those good times were going to come to a crashing halt - and that the pictures he saw in his nightmare were of dead pureblood children. That Draco's face was amongst those dead children was the reason for his nightmare - that and his inability to do anything about the situation. His son was just going to have to be left to take his chances - along with the rest of Hogwarts.

A/N Thanks for reading.

42. Halloween 2

Harry Crow

Can anyone tell me what's the point behind posting someone else's work as your own? I don't post my work anywhere else but here, and certainly not under any other name than RobSt. When a reader PM'd me with a link to my work posted elsewhere, under a different name, I immediately checked it out. This 'author' had 24 stories posted, most of which I recognised - at least half a dozen are on my favourites list. I only managed to report 3 before the ops had him shut down. Kudos to wattpad, the right action taken with a response time measured in minutes is very impressive. I make no claim to own Harry Potter, but Harry Crow - and my 11 other stories - were all written by me.

Chapter 42

September gave way to October as the school year marched on relentlessly. Adding the four older boys to their Sunday training was paying dividends all round. The fourth years were getting sick of ending up on the floor every time they fought and continually pushed themselves harder to put a stop to this occurrence. Their efforts kept the four friends on their toes, and also working harder to maintain their current one hundred percent record.

As they were leaving the room of requirements, Harry had a question for the older wizards. "How would you four like to give us a hand with the marauders on Tuesday night? We're planing on trying to teach them how to cast a shield charm and the smaller the group we can work with, the better it will be for them."

Cedric was astonished at this. "You're teaching first years the protego charm?"

Padma seemed to think their teaching methods were being questioned here. "What's wrong with that? We learned it last year when we were their age..."

"Easy Padma, Cedric didn't mean anything." Hermione then went on to explain their reasoning to the fourth years. "The shield charm is one of the most important we learn at Hogwarts, we just don't see any reason to wait until third or fourth year before tackling it. Professor Weasley taught it to us earlier than this last year."

Harry confirmed what his girlfriend had just said. "Hermione's right, it makes no sense. Yes they will need to be older to cast a powerful shield but learning it now should make that part easier. We're only aiming for a shield that will stop a stinging hex, a stinging hex cast by a fellow first year."

It was a thoughtful Roger who replied. "That actually is so logical I can't fault it. Starting them off now will mean they've already mastered the spell for when they're older - why isn't it taught earlier?"

It was the twins who jumped in with an answer to that. "Hey, we've got Lockhart, remember."

"Yeah, does anyone here think that prat can actually cast a shield?"

"You'll get no takers for that, see you guys at lunch." Neville gave Padma's arm a reassuring squeeze before he and the twins headed into their dorm.

Padma then took the opportunity to apologise. "Sorry for snapping at you, Cedric. The marauders is about the only thing in my life that's going well at the moment, I thought you were criticising the club."

"No problem, Padma, and I'll be delighted to help out any time you'll let me."

As the two witches headed up the stairs, a shower and change of clothes being required before lunch, Hermione broached what she knew would be a touchy subject. "Have you made your mind up yet?"

The slump in Padma's shoulders indicated how hard this was for the girl. "Mum wrote back and advised me to go. I haven't been able to discuss it with Parvati since she barely speaks to me now. Lavender says she also rarely sees Parvati now, she thinks my sister is hanging about with Blaise. Why wouldn't she tell me that she had a boyfriend? Blaise seems a nice enough guy, a bit stuck-up but still nice."

Hermione now had her arm around her best friend, Padma enjoyed the comfort before voicing her decision. "I've decided just to go. Staying here without you three and Pav not talking to me would just be too much. We're going to be some bunch, between the three of you worried about your parents and me my sister, it'll be some Halloween celebration."

This drew faint smiles from both girls before Hermione's thoughts turned to someone else. "I think Luna will miss us too, she's offered to watch Moonlight for me. Since I won't be going home, I said yes."

"She's as attached to that cat as you are, perhaps we should think about getting her one for her birthday?"

Hermione was now shaking her head at Padma's suggestion. "Don't mention that around Harry, he's practically adopted the girl - and Moonlight would be so jealous of another cat sharing Luna's affections."

Both knew what Harry was like with birthdays, he just loved seeing someone's face light up when they opened the gift they'd just been given.

-oOoOo-

Neville felt he'd been given a gift when Padma confirmed she'd be spending the Halloween weekend with them. None of her three friends had wanted to put any pressure on her since all would have loved to have a sibling. "That's brilliant! My gran says mum is making steady process, with my dad a bit slower. I have no idea what that means and can't wait to see for myself. Professor Weasley will take us straight to Gringotts after our defence lesson on Friday. We'll see my mum and dad, and then visit Harry's parents on the Saturday."

Padma felt it was wrong to feel excited when her relationship with her twin sister had deteriorated so badly, but Neville's enthusiasm was infectious.

"My gran also wanted to see our training so Professor Weasley will be giving us a lesson on the Sunday morning. I get the feeling she is up to something but I don't know what."

"My father hasn't mentioned anything but that means nothing, goblins are unreadable - except to Hermione here."

Padma made an effort to tease. "Oh I think it's just a specific goblin our Hermione can read."

The witch in question now snaked her arm around Harry's waist. "Trying to understand one goblin is more than enough for me."

-oOoOo-

Minerva had decided she needed to check out the first year defence club, otherwise known as Crow's Marauders. It was soon easy to see why they had that name. Henrica quickly welcomed them, taking time to introduce the quartet of fourth years who would be helping them tonight, before handing the club over to Harry and then standing next to Minerva as a spectator.

The first year students hung on Harry's every word as he clearly and concisely laid out exactly what would be happening during tonight's lesson. Minerva thought he was being hugely ambitious with his aims but decided to keep that to herself, she would observe and make any comments after the lesson finished.

The first years were then split into four groups, Minerva couldn't miss that they had deliberately avoided splitting them along house lines. Watching Fred Weasley work alongside Harry with his group was certainly an eye-opener for his head of house. Here was a seriousness and willingness to help that totally surprised Minerva, that it was matched by his twin working with Hermione was nothing short of astonishing. If these two weren't careful, they could find themselves in the running for a prefect badge at the summer. Now there was something Minerva couldn't have imagined, even this time last year.

She also noticed Miss Patil working seamlessly with Mr Diggory. While most of the younger witches in Hogwarts might wish for the wizarding company she kept, Padma paid that part no notice and just got on with the job in hand. She was so focused that Mr Diggory followed her orders without question, which would probably only widen the rift between her and Parvati when this got out.

The pairing that pleased Minerva the most though was Neville and Mr Davies. It was obvious that her lion was in charge, and again the older boy obeyed his instructions. The first years' too were quick to obey any instructions given. Two would be called forward, practice the spell a few times and then return to their group, with words of encouragement ringing in their ears.

Minerva was one of the few aware of what was happening with his parents, she had signed the forms allowing these four to leave the school for the Halloween weekend. Minerva swore if they returned to Hogwarts with good news, she would gladly raise a wee dram herself in celebration.

A student working with George Weasley was the first to complete a shield. It was so weak, a sneeze would have brought it down. The girl though received a round of applause from the entire class, and you could see the determination growing amongst the rest.

Harry stopped the lesson early and the first years appeared to know what was coming next, they all sat on the floor in a big circle as mugs of hot chocolate appeared for each of them.

"So very well done tonight, and those who didn't quite manage it - don't worry because we'll be keeping at it. In Hogwarts, the shield charm is taught at the end of third year - so we're already two and a half years ahead of schedule. For those who managed it, fantastic! We will continue to practice that spell every week, it's easily one of the most important that you will learn at Hogwarts. Shields are like muscles, the more you use them - the stronger they will get. Before Christmas break, we plan to have everyone not only casting shields but using them in a fight. Any questions?"

A few were asked and handled by different members of the team. Harry then called time and they got ready to leave. The older boys escorted the first years back to their dorms, leaving the four friends time to talk with both professors.

"I have to say that is one of the most effective defence lessons I've seen taught at Hogwarts for many a year."

Neville was left blushing at the unaccustomed, and he felt undeserved, praise from his head of house. "Professor, we're just passing on what we were taught. This is how Professor Weasley teaches us every weekend, he and Professor Hobson even help us prepare each lesson."

Minerva was even more pleased to hear that. Any other second year students in their position would be lording it over their classmates, but not these four. "I have been teaching here for many years, Mr Longbottom, and I could easily see the adult hands that had guided your lesson. It was you four though that stood in front of students, students you're barely a year older than yourselves, and pulled that lesson off in a fashion that would have Lockhart writing another book about how he'd tamed the marauding hoard of vicious pigmies."

Henrica was the first to crack, her musical laughter reverberating around the now nearly empty room and making it okay for the others to laugh. Padma though had an apt title for this new publication. "Liar Lockhart and the Phoney Pigmies - it has a nice ring to it!"

Even McGonagall laughed at that, though she would probably deny it if the feat was mentioned outside this room.

-oOoOo-

Padma had tried all week to talk to Parvati but her twin either ignored her or couldn't be found. She was tempted to ask Harry for a loan of his map but that would have felt too much like spying on her sister, something there was no recovering from. She had to settle for sending a letter by a Hogwarts owl.

Henrica was waiting on the four friends when the second year defence class finished, she was going to accompany them and Bill to Gringotts. Padma had clothes for her and Hermione inside the bag Harry gave her while Harry's own bag held a few changes for himself. Neville was staying in his own home so didn't really need anything. He practically ran out of the Hogwarts gates and was impatient for everyone else to catch-up, Neville had never wanted to be somewhere else so much in his entire life.

-oOoOo-

Standing in front of the door, Neville felt his courage falter. His gran had greeted them with tears in her eyes before directing the quartet here. Neville had never seen her like that before - those tears could mean anything. Padma's hand slipping into his steadied the nervousness that threatened to run away with him. That's how Neville entered the room, holding Padma's hand with his two friends right behind him. With that support, Neville felt as if he could face anything.

The emotional spike he felt after walking through that door was unprecedented, Neville felt as if his heart was going to explode right out of his chest.

His mother recognised him, there was no doubt of that in his mind.

She then smiled at him, here was physical proof he'd been right - she did recognise him.

When his mother slowly opened her arms and held them out toward him, Neville stopped breathing. Padma's hand slipped out of his and provided a gentle push in the back, that was all Neville needed. He couldn't for the life of him remember how he got there but Neville would remember to his dying day the sensation of his mother's arms closing around him in a hug.

It took him a moment to realise that the sobs he heard were his own but Neville didn't care, his mother's hand moving up and stoking his head started to calm him down. It was only then that Neville remember the other person he'd come to see. Again, his father was looking straight at him and again, Neville would swear there was recognition in his eyes too. The hug with his dad may not have been returned but Neville now felt like the luckiest wizard on the planet, then his manners kicked in.

He returned to his mother and wondered how to handle the introductions, it came to him with a smile. "Mum, this is Harry, your godson."

Harry was almost as emotional as Neville had been when Alice hugged him, only Hermione then being introduced as his girlfriend held him together.

As Hermione joined Harry, Neville noticed Padma hanging back. That wasn't happening today. He reached for her hand and brought her forward with him. "Mum, dad, this is Padma."

Alice reached out and placed her hand on their joined ones. Her smile was wide as she attempted to speak. "Boo...ti...ful."

Neville's heart soared as he answered his mother. "Yes, she is." He would swear his father was nodding in agreement.

In the next room, there was hardly a dry eye there either. The large one-way wall allowed them to see and hear everything that went on in the room. Augusta's smile was beaming as the tears slowly ran down her cheeks. "I need to get them out of there soon, Frank and Alice can only take excitement in small doses, otherwise it might affect their treatment."

The room's occupants watched as Augusta left and entered the other room to explain this to the youngsters. "Neville, your mum and dad have been looking forward to your visit all week. We need to keep it short though, too much excitement can set their treatment back. We will return tomorrow, and again on Sunday before you leave for the castle."

Neville wanted to stay with his mum and dad all night, but not if it hindered their recovery. He also got to hug them goodnight.

They made it out the door and Neville grabbed Harry by the shoulders. "Harry, I... I..."

Harry was soon returning the gesture. "Neville, I got to hug my godmother. There are no words, and certainly no thanks needed. We're family, remember."

All four of them were very close so couldn't fail to be affected by the emotional scene they'd just been a part of. Both witches gently took a wizard by the arm and led them through the door where Augusta had just gone, only to discover a surprise waiting on them too. When Hermione saw her parents waiting for her in the room, she was actually frozen in place. Padma shooting past her into Smita's arms soon saw Hermione repeating those actions as she almost bowled her parents over with the force of her desperate hug.

A tearful Henrica soon had both boys wrapped in a hug too. "Neville, I am so happy for you. That was without a doubt the most heartwarming thing I have ever seen."

Augusta then moved both boys over to the wall that allowed them to see into the room. "We can't go in there too often, or for too long, but Barchoke arranged this so I can visit whenever I want."

Neville couldn't take his eyes of his parents, just watching his mum sitting holding his dad's hand was like witnessing a miracle. Sirius and Henrica came up behind them. "I've booked a room at the Leaky Cauldron again so we can all eat dinner together. There's no hurry though, I could watch this all night."

Padma was crying in her mother's arms. "Parvati won't even speak to me now, I don't know what else to do, mum. I would have stayed in the castle if I thought it would help.."

Smita had Padma wrapped in a hug, her daughters had little spats before but nothing on a scale like this. "I wrote to her and asked if she wanted to come home for the weekend, and even hinted that there were other things going on she wouldn't want to miss. She said she was happy to stay in the castle and enjoy the celebrations there. I got the distinct impression I wasn't being told the whole truth."

"Her date for the ball was Blaise Zabini, a Slytherin but a gentleman too. I don't know if she's still seeing him, we have hardly spoken since that night."

Her dad then had some advice. "It's only seven weeks until the holidays, and Parvati will certainly be coming home in December. We will sit down and discuss what's going on then, I promise we will get to the bottom of this." The Patils headed over to join their friends watching Frank and Alice.

Hermione was also in tears, attempting to apologise to her father. Emma left the two for a moment, heading over to Harry and Neville.

Harry felt the arms wrap around him from behind and knew instantly who it was, Emma then kissed him on the cheek. "Are you okay, Harry?"

"I've rarely felt better, Emma. I have a godfather, and a godmother!"

She then hugged Neville, there was no need to ask the same question though - the boy was practically floating with happiness.

Augusta was suffering from the same condition, she had some startling news for them though. "That's the first word your mother has spoken, I didn't expect that today."

This got Neville's attention, especially what that word was - and who it was aimed at. His hand almost automatically reaching out for Padma's.

They were then joined by Hermione and her dad, though it was Dan who spoke. "Harry, can I have a quiet word?"

Harry didn't answer, just nodding his head and moving over to a quiet bit of the room - all without taking his eyes off his godmother.

This clearly wasn't the best of times but Dan needed to get this off his chest. "Harry, what I saw here tonight redefines what family means, and why that should be so important to all of us. I want to apologise for my actions that night, I certainly never intended to hurt you - or Hermione. I would like to do now what I should have done that night and welcome you to the family - that is if you want to join?"

Harry now gave Dan his full attention. His expression didn't change though as he was already sporting a wide grin. "I would like that, Dan, I would like that a lot." His hand was out and Dan shook it, before leading Harry back over to where everyone was still standing.

It was Augusta who finally called time. "We need to go and eat. Neville, we will be back tomorrow."

They left the room to find Barchoke waiting on them, Neville approached the goblin immediately. "Ambassador Barchoke, anything you wish from the Longbottom family is yours for the asking."

"Neville, your friendship with my son is more than enough for me. Watching your parents slowly emerge from their cocoons is a wondrous thing for us too. Our healers are learning so much, and Dan has arranged more scans over the December holidays."

A beaming Harry stepped forward and saluted. "Well met, father. I am really pleased to see you again."

Hermione also stepped beside Harry and greeted Barchoke in his own language. ""Well met, father. Your daughter is also delighted to see you once more.""

Barchoke had deliberately not been present when Harry met his godmother, it wasn't seemly for a goblin of his standing to have tears in his eyes. His daughter almost undid all those preparations with her greeting. ""Well met, my children."" He then switched to English. "Shall we go eat?"

It was only after leaving that room they all realised just how hungry they were, no one had eaten since lunch so Barchoke's suggestion got a resounding yes.

Hermione was of course on Harry's arm but pushed him forward so they were walking next to Barchoke. She needed a word with him. ""Sir, my wonderful mate gifted me one of Rowena Ravenclaw's workbooks for my birthday. I have been studying the charm that allows your language to be understood and think I can cast it. Do I need permission from the nation before attempting it?""

The goblin almost stumbled as the implications of that hit home. Master Flitwick had sworn on his honour to the Lady Ravenclaw he would cast the spell only once, and never pass it on to anyone else, now his daughter not only had knowledge of the spell but could cast it. The implications of this would have to be taken to the director, though it would be prudent to ensure she was correct first.

""Who did you plan on testing this on?""

""Padma, Neville, Henrica, Sirius and Professor Weasley. I would like to add my mum and dad to that list but don't know if it would work on people without magic.""

Those names were what Barchoke would have predicted, and could easily justify them to the director as test cases. ""Henrica and my Assistant Ambassador would certainly benefit from understanding our language, I also see no problem with Sirius being included too. It would certainly give you four a tactical advantage if you could all speak a language your opponents couldn't. I would leave your parents until we could try it under test conditions, much like we'll need to do with Harry's exhaustion from magically enhancing his armour.""

Hermione didn't disagree with any of that, and Barchoke's final suggestion made sense too.

""I will need to approach the director to discuss the implications of this, but I would advise you not to let anyone else know of that spell - and certainly not how to cast it.""

-oOoOo-

Remus had been well warned that anything he heard here today was not for repeating outside 'the family'. As Remus listened to Harry telling James and Lily what he'd been up to, the marauder felt that Sirius' warning was unnecessary - no one would ever believe him.

Harry introducing Hermione as his mate was the first body-blow, and saw the werewolf looking around for confirmation. Barchoke and the Grangers were standing with smiles on their faces, his first hint this was all true. Sirius had his arm wrapped around Henrica, taking comfort from his girlfriend at this bittersweet scene. The last two members of 'the family' present today were Neville and Padma, leaving Remus to assume their parents and guardians didn't know the half of this.

That Remus himself was included left him feeling really honoured. As Harry chatted to his parents, Remus swore to James and Lily he would do anything and everything in his power to help their son - and his family. The marauder suspected Sirius was silently doing the same too.

Neville was holding onto Padma's hand like a drowning man grasps a lifeline. Harry was so animated and upbeat yet Neville felt a great sense of loss just watching his friend. As bad as things had been for him personally, he always had his gran and could at least see his parents. All Harry had were some names carved into a slab of marble. Realising this was also his godmother too saw Neville step forward. With Padma holding his hand, he was able to say hello to his godmother and talk a bit about himself and his three friends.

Barchoke observed the scene with a hint of melancholy, thinking back to when it would be just him and Harry spending a few hours here. He much preferred this arrangement though, knowing his son always wanted a family. The goblin couldn't help but think his son was building himself a good one here, with siblings, favourite uncles and parents being drafted in. Emma may be smiling on the outside but Barchoke thought he knew her well enough to see past that mask. Inside, Emma was hurting for her children.

Augusta's party tonight would be a welcome break, and something everyone was looking forward to. As an avid observer of people, Barchoke had watched as the barriers between their extended group had slowly eroded over time - even the Patils had changed and become more relaxed around the company. Augusta herself had lost a lot of her straight-laced mannerisms when amongst this group, she'd been more animated and louder than Sirius at their dinner last night - a feat that was worthy of a celebration all to itself.

-oOoOo-

Neville's second short visit with his parents acted as confirmation that his first hadn't been just a wonderful dream. Again his gran had let the four friends visit by themselves, keeping the number of visitors down to a minimum. He was getting ready for tonight's party when there was a knock on his bedroom door, answering found his three friends standing there.

"Can we talk for a few minutes, Neville, Hermione has something that she wants to keep just between the four of us at the moment."

Neville stood back to let them in, a quick glance at Padma telling him that she didn't know what Harry was talking about either. Hermione didn't keep them waiting for long.

"I've been studying Rowena's workbook, especially the charm that translates the goblin language. It's complicated wand work but doesn't require a massive amount of power. I'm pretty sure I can cast it and wondered if you two wanted the ability to understand and speak goblin too?"

Padma caught on quickest. "Is that why you were chatting to Barchoke in goblin? I don't know if it's just my nosey side showing but the idea of being able to understand what's being said by the goblins appeals to me."

Neville approached the thing from a whole different angle. "Professor Weasley says when we're older, we'll learn silent casting so the opposition doesn't know what spells we cast. What if we cast them in goblin? Will that even work?"

This led Hermione and Harry to look at one another, leading to a simultaneous shrugging of shoulders. Harry drew his knife and cast lumos, first in English/Latin then his own language, the charm worked equally for both.

Hermione was biting her bottom lip in deep though before offering an explanation. "Professor Weasley is always telling us our magic is intent based, Harry's magic obviously understands what he's trying to cast - so just does it."

"We could cast our spells and no one would have a clue what was coming at them! This will seriously piss off our sparring partners next weekend. Hermione, I certainly want to have a go at this." Padma was putting her name at the top of the very short queue, Neville quickly agreed to join it too.

It was a nervous Hermione who then got her book and wand out, it was now time to see if she could live up to her claim.

Padma wasn't nervous in the least, knowing her friend would never have offered if she wasn't certain of success. A tense few moments was then followed by Harry asking Padma how she felt, in goblin. That she answered in the same language saw each witch's feet suddenly being lifted off the ground, Harry letting out a loud whoop as he twirled Hermione in the air.

Hermione glanced down at the love and pride reflected back from Harry, before she noticed their two friends. Neville had Padma in a similar position and the two were gazing happily at each other. The spell seemed to break and Neville lowered her gently to the ground before turning to Hermione in an effort to hide his blush from Padma.

"I'm ready when you are, Hermione."

She took a moment to centre herself again, this was not a spell you could do in a hurry. It was only minutes later though that all four were chatting excitedly in goblin.

""Oh, I can't wait to use this on Fred and George. This is better than a prank!"" The thought of getting one over on the biggest pranksters in the school had Neville almost drooling at the thought.

Padma though had bigger fish to fry. ""Why settle for the copies when we'll have the two originals here tomorrow. Everyone is staying after the party and tomorrow would be a fabulous opportunity for Robin, Dove, Owl and Swift of Crow's Marauders to match up to Padfoot and Mooney.""

This idea made Hermione nervous. ""Eh, Padma, you do know that Remus is a master in defence - and Sirius is no slouch either.""

""It's like Harry and Slughorn, Hermione, there's no way they will be using anything too powerful against us - embarrassing most definitely. We need a better measure of where we are, it actually wouldn't be a bad thing if we got our arses kicked. That's the result everyone will expect anyway, so we've nothing to lose.""

Harry agreed with Padma. ""You have to fight people better than you to improve. Roger, Cedric and the twins are just beginning to get the idea of fighting against us as a team, Sirius and Remus will have that down pat. Casting our spells in goblin might give us a bit of a shock advantage, but we would have to take it quickly.""

It was Neville who brought up another problem. ""How do we con them into fighting us in the first place?""

That saw the four of them put their heads together.

-oOoOo-

Running around the Longbottom estate was a pleasant change for Harry and Hermione. Last night's party had been great but just the two of them running alongside the estate's boundaries on a sharp November morning was wonderful in a whole different way.

"I take it you noticed how much closer Neville and Padma are getting." Hermione knew Harry missed very little.

Her mate confirmed that view. "I also noticed the big grins Augusta and Smita were wearing too! I can't believe Parvati is jealous over this, I thought she'd sorted that over the holidays. You don't see Susan or Hannah throwing a strop because those two are getting closer. Both those witches have known Neville a lot longer and might have fancied stepping in there themselves."

"Yeah, I now wonder how much she did change, or did we just see what we wanted?"

Harry was shaking his head at that. "Padma wouldn't be so upset if she didn't think Parvati had changed. Whatever it is, the problem will only get worse if Neville asks Padma to be his girlfriend."

Hermione shuddered at the idea of it getting worse, she knew how much their friend was hurting now.

They decided on one more lap before breakfast. Their training would be followed by lunch and then heading off to Gringotts, one last visit with Alice and Frank before returning to Hogwarts for dinner. It had been an emotional roller coaster of a weekend. For Hermione, getting to dance with her father last night had finally drawn a line under the nightmare her bonding with Harry had caused. She felt her family would eventually be stronger after this. For Harry, getting a hug from his godmother put him on cloud nine, and he hadn't come down all weekend.

-oOoOo-

The four soon forgot their audience as training required their undivided attention. Bill worked them hard, giving them two new spells to master, a shot with the duelling dummies and then shield drills.

As they were taking a breather, Padma asked a question. "Professor Weasley, can we get some of our audience to help us, since the boys aren't here?"

Bill's eyebrow rose at this, he was after all the twins' older brother. "What did you have in mind?"

"Well, my dad is there, Remus, Sirius and Henrica. We've gotten used to the workout of a four on four fight to finish our Sunday session."

Ramrao jumped in right away, as Padma had predicted he would. "Sorry, I could never raise my wand against my daughter. I'm going to have to decline."

Henrica was next with her answer. "It took those four wizards a month to be fit enough to come back down to lunch after a Sunday session with you lot - and they're all Quidditch players on their house teams. I'm going to pass this kind invitation."

The four then turned their attention onto the marauders, Sirius was certainly up for the challenge. "Well Moony, do you think we can teach these pups a lesson?"

"I get the feeling that was their intention all along. Don't take this too lightly, Sirius, getting your arse kicked by your godson and his friends is not something you can live down."

The six then squared off as Barchoke was offering odds on the four winning, Henrica felt honour bound to take that bet. The audience were all looking forward to a show, they wouldn't be disappointed.

When Bill counted them in, the quartet executed their plan flawlessly. Harry had his armour activated, his job was to keep Remus occupied. The other three all targeted Sirius in a blitzkrieg of spells cast in goblin, they were also constantly on the move and trying to outflank their opponent.

Right from the off, Sirius knew he was in trouble. These three weren't allowing him to get any spells off, all his efforts were having to be channeled into surviving this onslaught. He also had no idea what they were so accurately casting at him, which was pretty disconcerting. When Padma got around his shield, Sirius was forced to roll away from her spell - straight into Neville. Sirius was out of the fight.

Remus was using his werewolf reflexes to stay just ahead of Harry, but even then it was very close. When the other three turned their attention to him, Remus thought it was only a matter of time.

Barchoke was laughing until he saw Sirius get back up, and noticed their tutor putting his wand away. Dan had also seen this and was not amused. "That's cheating!"

The goblin understood what was happening here and put his hand on the angry father's arm. "In a fight, there's no such thing. Better they learn that lesson here, than in a real fight. Death eaters and their master don't know the meaning of fair, and will use every dirty trick they can."

Neville going down to a stunner from behind was the first clue they had that Sirius was back in the fight, Hermione's armour saved her from being the second to be taken out by the sneak attack.

Harry shouted orders in his own language and the girls instantly obeyed. Hermione drew her sword and charged Sirius, her wand still spitting curses as she raced toward him. Sirius was shielding and dodging, especially from that blade. Her charge took Hermione past Sirius and he cast one of the marauders' speciality curses at her hopefully unprotected legs, she was now dangling in the air by her ankle.

He quickly turned to face Padma and made the same mistake the kids had earlier, Sirius forgot all about the wizard on the ground. Padma had revived Neville but he'd played possum and bided his time. As the witch allowed Sirius to push her back, in the direction Padma wanted to go, Neville had a free shot at the marauder's unprotected back.

Neville grabbed a stunned Sirius' wand while Padma got Hermione down, all three raced to help Harry before he overtaxed himself.

Barchoke was concerned about the same thing and considered shouting time until the four rounded on Remus once more.

Harry had been struggling to contain Remus, here was an opponent that was miles better than Slughorn - and throwing things at him that the Centurion certainly wanted to learn. When it was once more four against one, Harry wanted to end it. Trusting the people here, he cast an overpowered disarming spell with his sword.

With the battering Remus' shield was taking, the unexpected spell blasted right through and flung him back about ten feet - with his wand heading in the other direction. Padma had him trussed up seconds after he hit the ground - to loud cheering from the people watching.

Henrica revived her boyfriend and Sirius released a groan, he wasn't in pain though. "They beat us, didn't they?

"Yes, and I should know better than to bet against a goblin. I lost ten galleons on you Black, and I'm back to Hogwarts later so I can't even make you pay for it."

There were congratulations being handed out and the ribbing had already started against the marauders but Bill's lesson wasn't over yet. "Okay you four, where did we go wrong?"

Neville was first to hold his hand up. "I should have taken Sirius' wand off him the first time, then it wouldn't have mattered if he'd been revived."

Bill then turned his attention to Harry, he had no idea what their tutor was after though. It was soon spelled out to the centurion by the angry redhead. "What the hell was that all about? Using Hermione as some kind of sacrificial goat so Sirius wouldn't see what Padma was up to. I thought better of you than that, risking one of your own to win a fight. In a real fight, you could have gotten her killed..." It was his job to push Harry into being ready to face Voldemort. For an instant, Bill thought he'd pushed too far - Harry appeared ready to attack him.

"That was our godfather she was up against, someone we knew would never hurt her. If you think I would try that in a real fight then we need a new tutor. This was an elaborate ruse to take down the marauders, we worked out our tactics last night. Yes, we counted heavily on them holding back, but so were we!"

At that, Harry drew his sword in one smooth motion and a powerful curse left the blade. They had been practicing in a walled area of garden behind Longbottom Manor, Harry had fired at the most distant wall - over thirty yards away - and his spell obliterated a section about fifteen feet across.

In the shocked silence that followed the loud blast, Dan's words were easily heard - though barely understood. "Shit! That's not a rifle, it's a bloody cannon."

The sword of Gryffindor returned to its sheath as Harry spoke again. "I know what I have to do, which is why Halloween is the only day of the year I don't train. Balls and parties are nice but, if they affected my training I wouldn't be there. These three have known the danger being my friend brought since the first week we met. They not only accepted it but wanted to train alongside me. I swear to everyone here that I will do everything I can to keep them safe, anyone trying to get to them is going to have to kill me first."

Having just got their family back together, Harry didn't want their to be the slightest doubt in anyone's mind that he'd deliberately endangered Hermione. Emma and Dan smiling at him showed they understood that, only one more thing to do. "I'm really sorry about your wall, Augusta, I shouldn't have lost my temper."

The old witch was much more interested in what she'd seen here today. "Walls can be repaired, Harry. I know you four will look out for each other, that's the important thing here. Can I just say I'm so proud of you, all four of you." This was a sentiment shared by the extended family.

Bill had taught them to own up to their shortcomings and mistakes, it was time for the tutor to do the same. "Harry, guys, I'm sorry too. I saw tactics there that were reckless and downright callous, what I should have seen were calculated risks in an encounter that had set boundaries."

"This was my idea from the start, Professor Weasley, I thought it would be fun to get one over on the marauders. We knew exactly what we were doing from the moment you counted us off."

He should have figured Padma would be the one to instigate a stunt like this. Bill had one more question though. "...and just when did you lot learn to cast spells in goblin?" He'd known what language they were using, but not what they were casting.

The praise practically gushed from Padma as she answered that one. "Oh, that was Neville's brilliant idea. We don't know how to cast silently but using goblin has the same effect, neither Sirius or Remus knew what we were casting at them."

It was a disgruntled Sirius who had the last words on the matter. "Moony, we were stitched up!"

-oOoOo-

After their final visit to Neville's parents, their spirits were soaring again as Henrica led them back to Hogwarts. That all changed when they saw the spirit waiting on them at the main doors, the Lady Ravenclaw appeared worried. "Harry, you need to go to the infirmary at once..."

This time Harry was accompanied in his mad dash to the infirmary by Hermione running at his side, these two leaving the other three trailing. They burst into the infirmary to see the furthest away bed with screens around it, Helena appearing through the floor beside them confirmed this was where they were meant to go. Pulling back the screen saw both of them gasp in shock

Luna was sitting up on the bed, her legs curled under her and Moonlight resting comfortably on her lap. Both were looking away from them but the pair also appeared to have been transfigured into stone.

A/N Thanks for reading.

43. Elvis has left the building

Harry Crow

Disclaimer - I do not own Harry Potter, and have never claimed to do so. Since JKR is the only person who can possibly write Harry Potter as canon, my work should of course be considered A.U.

Chapter 43

Amelia was used to late night floocalls, it unfortunately went with the job, but the one from Arthur Weasley certainly surprised her. "What can have gone wrong with our goblin friends that would see you contacting me at this time of night?"

"We have a problem, Amelia, a really big problem. Did you know a first year student was attacked inside Hogwarts on Halloween? The witch was attacked in such a way that left her, and the cat she was holding, petrified."

"No I bloody didn't! What happened and how does it involve the goblins?" Amelia could clearly see the despair on Arthur's green features in her fireplace.

"Nobody knows what happened and the student was attending Hogwarts on a Potter scholarship, it was Luna Lovegood. Harry apparently hit the roof when he returned to the castle, mainly at the fact no one appeared to be doing anything about it. He sent an emergency call to his father and now the castle is crawling with goblins. Barchoke wants a meeting as soon as possible, in the Ministry or Gringotts. Luna is now in the goblin medical facility, they had no treatment for her at Hogwarts."

That last statement confused Amelia. "If Hogwarts couldn't treat her, why wasn't she sent to St. Mungo's?"

"That's not quite true, Hogwarts would be able to cure her - but not until May or June."

"WHAT! That's seven or eight months away."

"Yes, I know. I think it was then that Harry hit the roof. Dumbledore appears to be trying to keep the whole incident quiet, his excuse was that this information getting out might lead to a panic."

Amelia wasn't buying that. "What he means is news of this getting out could cost him his job - I intend to see it does. I'll head for Gringotts and meet you there, I better alert the minister we might have a problem before I leave."

-oOoOo-

Amelia was led through some winding corridors to the medical facility, discovering that Arthur and Bill Weasley had arrived before her. She also soon discovered why Harry had blown his top, Luna Lovegood was as stiff as any statue with Hermione's cat petrified on her knee.

Barchoke didn't waste any time on preliminaries, but got right to the point. "Luna and Moonlight were discovered like this after the Halloween feast. They had been sitting in a windowed alcove, probably looking out at the world."

"Have you any idea what's wrong with them?"

The goblin conceded that Hogwarts had gotten the diagnosis correct, Barchoke made no attempt to hide his anger at the headmaster's inaction. "They've been petrified, Mandrake restorative draught will reverse the effects. Hogwarts have Mandrakes in their greenhouses - the second years are working with them - but they won't be mature enough for potion use until the summer. Dumbledore thought it was acceptable to leave Miss Lovegood in this state until then, I certainly didn't."

He then explained his involvement in this situation. "As her Father was planning a long expedition of several Nordic countries, he temporarily signed Luna's care over to me. I am responsible to the Grangers, Lovegoods and Creeveys for the safety of their children. Unlike Dumbledore, I take my responsibilities seriously. We currently have armed guards outside every dorm and patrols in the Hogwarts corridors. If we can't reach some kind of agreement here tonight, I shall be withdrawing my charges right after breakfast - and would advise you to get Susan out of there too."

Arthur could see the confusion Amelia was suffering and realised Barchoke had missed telling her a vital piece of information. "Amelia, what Ambassador Barchoke forgot to mention was the message written on the corridor wall - in blood. The chamber of secrets has been opened, enemies of the Heir beware!"

"We have checked Gringotts records to see who Slytherin's heir is, Tom Marvolo Riddle was his last direct descendant." Bill let that sink in before offering a translation. "The writing then means Voldemort's enemies beware."

Amelia didn't actually say 'oh shit!' But she certainly thought it. "What was Dumbledore's reaction? I can't imagine he would approve goblin guards inside Hogwarts."

The goblin's anger was tinged with disgust this time. "That old fool's answer was to have everyone go around in large groups, accompanied by prefects. The Lady Ravenclaw had to point out that prefects were students too, and shouldn't be endangered in this manner by a Hogwarts headmaster."

The implications of this tactic took the breath from Amelia. "That would just provide a bigger target for whatever is doing this."

"That was exactly the point I made, Hogwarts agreed with me. The goblin presence though can only be temporary, really only there as a stopgap measure."

Amelia understood at once what Barchoke was saying. When the news got out - and it would - that the goblins were guarding Hogwarts, the ministry would be slaughtered for not protecting the country's children. "If the ministry could impose on our goblin friends to protect the castle until lunchtime, I will have squads of aurors there to take over those duties."

Barchoke quickly agreed, leaving Amelia to ask if they had any idea what had caused the petrification. He had no answers at the moment, only theory's. "There is no spell known to the nation that can cause this, leaving us looking for other methods. Since both seem to have been petrified instantaneously, that would rule out administering a potion. Good luck with trying to pour a potion down a kneazle's throat, Moonlight certainly wouldn't be lying calmly on Luna's lap. The chamber of secrets refers to Salazar Slytherin, making us think of snakes. Our best guess at the moment is a medusa like creature."

Amelia could see the sense in that theory, she certainly didn't even want to think what could happen if a group of students walked into something like that.

Barchoke had more to offer. "We currently have alerts going out to all Gringotts branches, stating that we require mature mandrake for the potion. We hope to have Miss Lovegood restored by the end of the week, she will prove to be our best chance at information."

The meeting was breaking up but Arthur had one last question for Barchoke. "Ambassador, I notice you didn't mention your son amongst those you would remove from Hogwarts?"

"My son is a centurion, one of three that are currently deployed to guard Hogwarts. He has patrols until midnight before resuming at six a.m. With his knowledge of the castle and status as Hogwarts champion, he will be invaluable to the force we have there. Please understand Mr Weasley, his status as a centurion makes him an adult in our society. My son will listen to his father's advice but make his own decisions."

-oOoOo-

Harry was currently handing over his duties, and the marauder's map to his fellow centurion, Splitnose. "The map shows the position of everyone in the castle, even us. If you need me, speak to one of the ghosts or portraits, they will soon get a message through."

Rather than being annoyed with the age of the centurion offering advice, Splitnose gratefully accepted the magnificent gift he'd just been offered. "This is a work of art, and offers a great strategic advantage to whoever holds it. Who made this?"

"The marauders were a group of students that included my dad, godfather and Remus Lupin. My father is working on the idea of getting the two remaining marauders involved with Master Flitwick to produce something similar for Gringotts. This will see right through invisibility cloaks, disguises and even polyjuice potion."

"That would indeed be a welcome addition to Gringotts security. Good night, centurion, I shall see you at six."

Harry entered the Ravenclaw common room to find three witches had waited up for him. Hermione and Padma he'd half expected, an upset Penny was a complete surprise.

The prefect immediately offered an apology. "I'm so sorry, Harry. We're all so used to seeing Luna with you guys that I never noticed she was missing."

"It's okay, Penny, you are at least concerned for her. Dumbledore's lack of the same response was sickening, imagine thinking it would be acceptable to leave Luna like that until summer." Harry slumped down on the sofa in the space Hermione and Padma had left for him.

It had been a long day, and Harry had been on duty since they had returned to Hogwarts. Seeing him in his tunic as he patrolled the castle with a squad of goblin warriors would certainly reinforce the idea he was a centurion first, and a Hogwarts student second. Hermione gave him a moment before asking the question they were all dying to know the answer to.

"Did you find out any more?"

"The chamber of secrets was apparently built by Salazar Slytherin, and rumoured to contain something that would cleanse the school. I don't think we're talking about a new mop and bucket for Filtch here."

Penny listened to this with horror. "Knowing the Slytherins, cleanse would mean getting rid of those whose blood was supposedly tainted. Isn't Luna a pureblood though?"

A nod from Harry told her she was right, there was also more to come. "That chamber was supposedly opened before, funnily enough when Tom Riddle was a student here. That time though a student died, we know her as Moaning Myrtle. She died in her toilet after hearing a boy's voice, she strode out to complain he shouldn't be there and a big pair of golden eyes is the last thing she remembers."

Padma was trying to work out the implications of that. "So Luna being a pureblood and still alive means we could be dealing with something completely different here?"

While her question was a valid one, Harry didn't think so. "Voldemort boasted he was descended from Slytherin. If that's true then any friend of mine would certainly be considered an enemy of his. We currently think Luna and Moonlight may have only caught a reflection of whatever it was that petrified them. Anything that can sneak up on a kneazle scares the shit out of me."

Hermione snuggled into his shoulder, comforting them both. "Can't Hogwarts tell you where this chamber is?"

"It's as if the knowledge has been hidden from the castle, this was done a thousand years ago. The marauder's map is tied into the Hogwarts wards, and the chamber doesn't show up on it either. With the feast in full swing and all the ghosts at Nick's death day party, that was a perfect time to strike." Harry then turned his attention specifically to Hermione. "We'll have to miss our training tomorrow, I'm back on patrol at six. I'll need to head up and write a report for my father, Master Pitslay will certainly bring the latest news with him tomorrow."

She didn't expect they would be training tomorrow but Hermione had one more question for him. "Will you be taking potions?"

"That depends on what news Master Pitslay brings. I'll be on duty until we're relieved - or have to withdraw. At that point you all need to get yourselves out the castle, I trust Dumbledore about as far as Colin could throw Hagrid."

-oOoOo-

Hermione felt a rush of pride run through her as she walked with Padma and their friends down to breakfast. Harry, no - Centurion Crow led Ravenclaw house down to the great hall. The Lady Helena was by his side and the squad of six goblin warriors under his command appeared ready for anything. Knowing his mate and friends were depending on him, Harry appeared to have left nothing to chance. There were warriors posted at every junction they past, warriors that would then join the train of students as they wound their way down to the great hall.

Harry had also told her that Centurion Splitnose had a command post close by where Luna and Moonlight had been discovered. With the Marauders' map and ten goblin warriors, Splitnose was monitoring everyone as they headed for breakfast - and ready to respond at the first sign of trouble.

She was seeing Harry in his natural environment, and so was the rest of Ravenclaw. He was at least as tall as the goblins under his command, and probably the broadest across the shoulders. His youth suddenly didn't seem so important, and every goblin under his command knew their centurion would hold his own in any battle they were forced to fight.

They made the great hall without incident and, while apprehension was certainly in the air, every student felt safer knowing the goblins were around.

Albus didn't seem to think so, and complained loudly to his deputy. "This was why I wanted the incident kept quiet, frightened children do not make good students."

Minerva came right back at him. "Neither do petrified ones, Headmaster. I much prefer seeing the students safe than stiff, their safety is our responsibility after all."

"The castle is perfectly safe, Miss Lovegood would have been fine if she'd attended the feast like she was supposed to."

This time it was Filius who rounded on Albus. "An eleven year old girl was probably missing home, and certainly her friends. Your theory that students are safe because you say so has more holes in it than a sieve. Were you aware that Mr Creevey had sneaked out of Gryffindor to visit his friend in the infirmary? What about the three separate couples that were found frequenting various broom closets throughout the castle? That was why Harry had to put guards at each house entrance, as much to keep the students in as to stop anything gaining entry."

"As I said, if they did what they were told, all of this could be avoided."

Henrica couldn't think of anyone she'd ever known who had the ability to infuriate her the way Dumbledore could. "That is because they are like you, headmaster. They are sure they know better than those doing the telling, and have no concept of their own mortality. Thankfully, they will grow out of it and gain some maturity. You though are a hopeless case."

Filius couldn't contain his chuckle as their youngest professor so successfully lampooned Hogwarts oldest.

Harry approached Hermione with a proposal. ""I really need to eat with the warriors, my mate though would certainly be welcome to join me.""

Padma made Hermione's mind up for her. ""Go, I want to see how Parvati is - and have breakfast with Neville.""

Hermione was soon back on Harry's arm, heading over to the table Hogwarts had provided for her goblin guards. That hardly rated a mention at the Ravenclaw table, they were too busy trying to work out when Padma had learned to speak goblin. On the arm of her centurion mate, Hermione was treated with the utmost respect by the goblin warriors. Her esteem rose even higher when Master Pitslay arrived and spoke with both of them.

The guards left before the students, taking up positions at predetermined strategic points though out the castle, leaving the professors to collect their students and lead them to their classroom.

-oOoOo-

All the auror classrooms were empty, Amelia had rounded them up for some on the job training. The trainees' eyes and ears would be just as useful as the older aurors they would be assigned to work alongside. It was more about flooding Hogwarts with uniforms, and having the numbers available to deal with any threat. Her plan was a simple one, keep the children safe until Christmas and then empty the castle. Barchoke had promised goblin aid in pulling Hogwarts apart to find this famous chamber, Amelia hoped she would be busy this Christmas again. Her reason for that was simple, it would mean all the children were safely at home - and not petrified or in the morgue.

She led fifty aurors into the great hall at lunchtime, with a Goblin Ambassador on one side and the Minister of Magic on the other. The trio in front approached the staff table as Dumbledore stood to greet them.

"Cornelius, is this really necessary?"

Amelia cut right across him. "Headmaster Dumbledore, did you knowingly fail in your duty to inform a parent or guardian that their child was injured?"

"No."

This rocked Amelia back for a second. "You didn't inform Miss Lovegood's parent or guardian that she had been attacked..."

"Technically, Miss Lovegood hadn't been harmed. She would have made a complete recovery when we administered the mandrake potion."

Barchoke then proved that a goblin's sense of humour was an acquired taste. "Technically, Headmaster, should I plunge my knife through your ribcage, you would suffer a heart attack and die. The point being though, whatever term you call it, you would still be dead."

This saw Harry and the rest of the goblins roaring with laughter, while Hermione just looked skyward for some Divine intervention - nothing else had helped her with goblin humour.

The minister then proved he wasn't here because he enjoyed visiting the Scottish highlands in November. "I think the point is that you clearly failed in your duty of care to this young girl. While your actions before the attack could be excused, your total lack of action afterwards borders on being considered criminal. It is well within my powers to suspend you until the school board can meet, I have every intention of doing so."

This saw Albus sit back down as the minister turned his attention to Minerva. "Professor McGonagall, can you assume control of Hogwarts? The ministry will assume responsibility for the castle's security, and I can't thank our goblin friends enough for their aid in protecting the students until we could respond."

This comment saw some of those same students begin to applaud their goblin protectors, a move that soon spread to all four house tables.

Amelia asked Harry if he could work with her until dinner time, Professor Sprout instantly giving her consent for him to skip his herbology class. This would allow the handover to go much more smoothly, and give Barchoke more time to spend with his son. He had a meeting tonight that was unavoidable, though he certainly hoped another meltdown would be.

-oOoOo-

The goblin ambassador used his diplomacy by including Sirius in his visit to Crawley, Barchoke needed all the help he could get. This became apparent the instant Dan answered the door to them.

"What's happened? We just saw them yesterday!" Dan's loud outburst saw Emma come running as Barchoke offered both his reassurance.

"Dan, Emma, I saw them just before they sat down to eat dinner together. They are all fine but we think the danger Dobby attempted to warn Harry about has made an appearance."

Dan so wanted to shout about why Hermione was still in the castle but had learned his lesson from the last time he did that. Knowing that these two would face down the Devil to protect their family saw him hold his tongue for now. He would listen to what was happening and then make sure his point of view would be included too, before they all jointly decided on the next move.

The four went through to the lounge and had a seat before Barchoke attempted to explain what was going on. "Something attacked Luna and Moonlight at Halloween, leaving both of them petrified. There is a potion that will have them as good as new in the space of a few hours and Gringotts are currently scouring their branches around the world to obtain the main ingredient. On hearing that Dumbledore intended to do nothing about the situation, Harry sent an emergency message to me. Nothing inside Hogwarts moved last night without the squads of goblin warriors I had posted there knowing all about it."

Dan felt his heartbeat returning to something approaching normal since the first instant he laid eyes on their two visitors, Emma's hand slipping into his confirmed she was feeling the same way. Barchoke had even more good news for the concerned parents.

"Last night I met with Amelia and explained what needed to happen, otherwise I would be withdrawing the students I was responsible for. She arrived in Hogwarts with about fifty aurors at lunchtime. She also brought along the Minister of Magic, who seemed to take great delight in suspending Albus Dumbledore. McGonagall is in charge of the school while a large auror presence will deal with the castle's security. The plan is to prevent any more incidents and then rip the castle apart to find whatever is doing this over the December holidays."

Emma had picked up on an omission, and was sure she knew why it had been omitted. "You didn't mention Harry, am I to assume he will be staying in the castle?"

Sirius wasn't happy about this part and let his displeasure be known. "Harry was actually leading patrols around the castle last night and, like the goblins, will be heavily involved in any search of Hogwarts over Christmas."

Barchoke understood that point of view, even somewhat sympathised with it, but he knew Harry better than anyone - though Hermione was catching up fast.

"Harry is a centurion and, as I have said many times, his position was earned. Last night he led warriors for the first time and I have heard nothing but good reports back, my son performed his duties admirably. You all suffer from seeing him as a twelve year old boy, my son is like no boy you will ever have met. For years he's trained his body and mind to be weapons, this is who Harry is - you have to trust he knows what he's doing."

Emma sensed Barchoke's last comment was aimed as much at himself as it was them, she cut the goblin some slack. "Well I think we all know Hermione's not going to be pleased if she's to spend Christmas apart from Harry. Just to be clear here, there is no way I want our daughter anywhere near Hogwarts when they're actively searching for whatever did this."

This got a definite nod of agreement from her husband before Dan then added his own tuppence worth. "While not exactly happy with the situation at the moment, I understand the lengths you have gone to for their safety. I also want it understood that if whatever this is attacks again, then Hermione is out of there."

This drew a sigh of relief from Barchoke, relief at how well both parents were accepting this. "Amelia has already passed orders that, should there be another attack, the castle will be evacuated and Hogwarts closed until the problem is solved. She is no happier with this situation than any of us, Susan is in that castle too. Those plans may change if Luna can give us more information after we get our hands on some mature mandrake. If the situation proves more dangerous than we thought, she'll close the school at once."

While the idea of getting Hermione out of there earlier initially appealed to Dan and Emma, the thought that their daughter might be in real danger was not a pleasant one.

-oOoOo-

Their daughter had just finished her dinner and was telling her mate what they should do next. "Harry, we need to head to the library." This generated a blank look until she explained. "Somewhere in there might be information that will help us identify what's doing this, I want to help stop it - and get a bit of revenge for Luna and Moonlight."

Roger hated bursting her bubble of enthusiasm, but he attempted to convey the scale of the problem they would be tackling. "Hermione, while I agree the library could have that information, it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack."

"Well, we know it wasn't a spell or a potion that caused them to be petrified. That leaves the most logical explanation as a magical creature. Add in Salazar Slytherin's involvement and a snake like creature would seem the most obvious choice. We now have a snake like creature whose gaze from its golden eyes kills, though seeing a reflection appears to petrify it's victims. I would say that information makes our search more like looking for a pretty large needle in a rather small haystack, wouldn't you?"

Roger, like the rest of Ravenclaw that was within hearing distance, couldn't answer, he just stared at Hermione with his jaw slack. She hadn't spouted any information that was new, Hermione had just neatly assembled the known knowledge to form a theory that was hard to refute.

It was a proud Harry who offered Hermione his arm as the two of them set off for the library. Leaving Roger shaking his head and muttering to himself. "Those two are something else."

Padma had been sitting quietly, preoccupied with staring at her twin. Parvati appeared as if she hadn't slept for a week and was as skittish as a kitten. Padma then shifted her gaze to Blaise, silently promising to use some of the nastier curses she had learned on the wizard if he'd caused this with Parvati. The Slytherin didn't look in either Patil's direction, leaving Padma even more confused. Hearing Roger mutter, she gave him an answer he wasn't expecting.

"Roger, you don't know the half of it." She left to join her friends in the library, knowing Neville wouldn't be letting Colin out if his sight. She wasn't doing any good sitting here and a research project might be exactly what she needed to take her mind of her troubles.

-oOoOo-

Lucius didn't have his troubles to seek, an absolutely furious Narcissa was all the trouble he could handle. His wife had just thrown today's Prophet at him, ruining any appetite for breakfast. There was no comfort to be had in seeing he'd achieved one of his goals, Dumbledore was finished at Hogwarts.

"Tell me you didn't have a hand in this?" Lucius had no answer for his wife.

"Our son is in that castle, tell me he's in no danger?" Again he didn't know how to answer Narcissa.

"Stop this, I demand you put a stop to whatever this is at once."

This time he did have an answer for his wife, unfortunately it was one Lucius knew she wasn't going to like. "I can't, it's out of my control now. Believe me I've tried, but it can't be done."

It was now Narcissa that had nothing more to say, she just headed out the room. "Where are you going? We can't say or do anything, I could end up in Azkaban, and the Malfoys would be left without a Knut."

The furious witch spun around to face her husband. "Do you think I give a shit about any of that when Draco's life could be at stake? Understand this, Lucius, I gave birth to that boy and will protect him with my life. Even if it means crossing you, I won't hesitate. Do you want to try and stop me heading to Hogwarts?"

The fury displayed in her eyes, and the wand now in her hand, convinced Lucius that this was a situation where discretion was the better part of valour. He just shook his head, which was probably the smartest answer he'd given all morning.

-oOoOo-

Minerva stood after breakfast to talk with the students, her first time as Acting Headmistress. "While we certainly find ourselves in unusual circumstances, I think it's important that, while observing the new safety measures, Hogwarts continues to run as normally as possible. With this in mind, I decided that the first year defence club will take place as usual tonight..." Minerva was forced to pause as all the first years had broken into cheering at that news. She let it die down before continuing. "While Professor Lockhart made a very generous offer to take tonight's club, thus guaranteeing everyone's safety, I decided that an auror escort and Professor Flitwick assisting Professor Hobson should be more than enough security for tonight's club."

Gilderoy sat there almost preening himself as he heard his name mentioned, totally missing the sarcasm McGonagall had aimed in his direction. The students didn't though and sniggering could be heard throughout the hall. Everyone in Hogwarts, except a still grinning Gilderoy, knew Crow's Marauders would be far safer in the company of the four second years who ran the club than in Liar Lockhart's care.

"A pair of aurors will collect the first years from each house and lead them up to the seventh floor, there will be no wandering away - are we clear on that Mr Creevey?"

Colin may have had his head down but everyone heard him say 'yes professor'.

Minerva returned her steely gaze to include the entire hall. "This is not a game, it's beginning to appear that only good fortune saw Miss Lovegood survive relatively unscathed. These aurors are here inside Hogwarts by order of the Minister of Magic himself. They're putting their very lives at risk for our protection, anyone disobeying their orders will find themselves heading home as quickly as I can arrange it. Does everyone here understand that?" A chorus of 'yes professor' saw Minerva return to her seat.

Her posterior had hardly dented the cushion of Minerva's new chair when the pink haired auror led Narcissa Malfoy into the great hall. It didn't escape anyone's notice that another two aurors had taken up position behind the Malfoy matriarch, well Narcissa would certainly have missed it. Her eyes had immediately swept to the Slytherin table, her entire being focused on a frantic visual search for Draco. Seeing her son sitting there unscathed appeared to take some of the obvious tension out of the blonde witch, she continued walking toward the staff table.

"Mrs Malfoy, this is an unexpected pleasure. What can Hogwarts do for you?" Minerva was polite though knowing any Malfoy involvement would not bode well for the school.

Narcissa wanted to get both Draco and herself out of the castle as quickly as possible, there was no time to waste on social politeness. "My apologies for interrupting your breakfast, Professor, but today's Prophet ruined mine. Placing our children in danger may be acceptable to you but I have no intention of leaving my son inside a castle where attacks of this nature are taking place. I intend to take Draco home with me at once."

"That is your right, Mrs Malfoy, after you have signed the appropriate parchment. I resent your implication though that I am placing my students in danger. The ministry have taken responsibility for the castle's security, and I think they are doing an excellent job..." Minerva was already bristling with indignation, this certainly was not helped when Narcissa cut right across her.

"I'm afraid I have no faith in the ministry, and certainly have no intention of entrusting my son's safety to the likes of this!" Narcissa made certain everyone knew she was talking about the pink haired auror who had never left her side since she approached the castle.

Tonks though was not about to stand there and docilely accept these insults, she also knew just how to hit back. "Why Aunt, I didn't know you recognised me. Did you hear Sirius restored my mother to the Black family? He kicked both of her sisters out too, didn't like the choices they had made. Don't worry though, Aunt Cissy, I'll still talk to you."

Narcissa was left fuming that family business was divulged in front of so many people, she turned her attention to her son. "Come, Draco, it's time to go home..."

"...but Mother, do I need to? What about my things?"

"Yes, Draco, you need to. Dobby will collect your things..."

That was like an explosion in Padma's head as her keen mind was busily connecting the dots Dobby being the Malfoy's house elf presented. Her gasp of astonishment died in her throat though, well before it could pass her lips. Padma was suddenly far more concerned with the strong hand that had just clamped down on her thigh. Looking to see that hand belonged to Harry rebooted her brain as Padma realised she was about to give vital information away.

She nodded her head slightly, indicating to Harry she was back in control. As Harry's hand was removed, Padma drew some comfort from seeing Harry's other hand had also clamped around Hermione's thigh.

Draco was also beginning to decipher what his mother was not actually saying, he didn't like it one bit. "...what about Pansy, can she come too?"

Narcissa felt she was giving more information away here than she'd intended, there was nothing else for it though. "Draco, only her parents can sign the necessary parchment. Now let's go complete this process and head home."

The message that Draco's body language conveyed to Pansy was read by all of Slytherin, and a good portion of the rest of the school. Her slight nod meant that no one would be surprised when the Parkinsons arrived to collect their daughter, when would depend on how soon Pansy could get to the owlery.

As McGonagall led the Malfoys to her new office, the rest of the students were getting ready for their first period class. As the Ravenclaw trio were preparing to follow their head of house to charms, they were joined by Neville. "Harry, making a move on Padma too? Parvati certainly spotted what was going on so you'll be the talk of the school by lunchtime."

"Sorry about that, I needed some way of distracting these two from blurting out things we don't want anyone else to know. It certainly worked and if people are talking about that, it will take their minds of other things."

"Oh, so now I'm just a distraction, Crow? I feel so used. Neville, I think you should challenge this scoundrel to a duel, my honour is at stake here."

"Eh, Padma, he beats both of us together - along with Hermione - every week. I think I'll give that a miss." All three of her friends appreciated Padma's attempts at humour, and her determination to stay positive, as her relationship with her twin crashed and burned.

Neville had some news that might raise a chuckle. "Well, Malfoy leaving destroyed Ron's theory that Draco was the Heir of Slytherin - and the one causing the attacks."

This left Hermione shaking her head. "I think hearing he actually had a theory is more shocking than what that theory was."

This raised a laugh amongst the group but Neville had more for them. "Oh, he had a lot more than a theory, Ron had an entire plan worked out to prove he was right." Noticing he had his friends attention now, Neville told them the rest. "He had somehow heard rumours that Harry possessed an invisibility cloak, I was supposed to ask if Ron could borrow it. He was sure getting into the Slytherin common room would see Malfoy revealing all - proving his theory."

Hermione poured scorn all over that idea. "...and did he think an invisibility cloak was going to protect him from whatever was attacking the students?"

"Actually, he did. Ron argued that, if this thing couldn't see you then its eyes couldn't possibly effect you." Neville presented the argument evenly, he himself not knowing the truth of the matter.

This left Hermione floundering. "That's...that's...that's either the most idiotic thing I've ever heard - or sheer genius." She looked toward Harry for help in making her mind up.

He could only shrug his shoulders. "I'll pass it along to my father with the rest of the news, we always hang behind in defence class anyway."

"You have news?"

The hope in Susan's voice hurt that they couldn't really tell her more. "Sorry Susan, it's just anything we hear get's passed on to my father. I'm certain anything important will soon make it's way to your aunt."

She was nodding at that. "It's just hard, feeling so helpless."

Padma had a suggestion for Susan and Hannah. "We've got the marauders tonight, but tomorrow we're back to researching in the library. We're trying to discover what could be causing this, you're both welcome to join us."

The two girls quickly accepted that invitation before Hannah asked another question. "Is there any more news on Luna?"

They all could see the barely contained fury that Harry displayed at the mention of the young girl's name. "We'll find out the latest in defence. Last I heard, my father was still hopeful that Luna would join us by the weekend."

Hermione slipped her arm around Harry to offer some comfort, knowing how much the attack on Luna had affected him. She herself was now facing a miserable Christmas without him. She wouldn't complain though, this is who Harry was. With Padma already in the doldrums, and both Smita and Ramrao determined to get their twin daughters together to discover just what was wrong, this could be a miserable Christmas all round.

-oOoOo-

Albus Dumbledore stood outside the village of Hogsmead and gazed up at the majesty that was Hogwarts castle. It was exactly a hundred years ago this September that an eleven year old Albus first set foot in its hallowed halls, an anniversary that was marked by the release of that book of Skeeter's that started all his troubles. That wasn't strictly true though, his troubles had really started the year before, with Harry's arrival at the castle.

Now that Albus had left Hogwarts, he found himself able to look back at his final year and identify the glaring mistakes he'd made. The biggest was underestimating the caliber of the opponents he faced, a mistake he never really recovered from. Albus knew without a doubt that the Hogwarts board would dismiss him as headmaster as soon as they convened, he had no intention of hanging about to give them that pleasure.

His reputation might be in tatters, and his decision making had lately been questionable at best. He was still Albus Dumbledore though, one of the most powerful and knowledgeable wizards in the world. It was time to make a new future for himself. Albus understood better than anyone that his destiny was irrevocably intertwined with that of Hogwarts and her chosen champion, Harry Crow ne Potter. That would of course have to be factored into any future plans, plans that would hopefully see him make a triumphant return to Britain and Hogwarts.

With one last longing look at the castle, Albus proclaimed "I'll be back!" before he disapparated away to whatever the future held for him.

A/N thanks for reading

A/N 2 while looking ahead, I've hit a bit of a conundrum - how do you physically alter something that isn't physically there? Specifically, how did the basilisk affect Sir Nicolas and how the hell do you administer the mandrake potion to a ghost? Any good ideas might find their way into the story - credited of course.

44. The Writing's on the Wall

Harry Crow

A massive thank you to all the readers who took the time to send me their solutions for the conundrum I had hit. I read every single one and they all played their part in developing the answer I finally used. To name everyone who responded here would take at least half a chapter, I was simply overwhelmed with the awesome response.

I am placing a cliffhanger warning right at the start of this chapter. To be honest, the chapter would need to be about 20,000 words to avoid leaving a cliffhanger. I could do that but you wouldn't get a chapter for about three weeks. Instead, I've placed a warning here. You can chose whether to read it now, or wait for the next few chapters to be written and posted.

Chapter 44

Like students the world over, those of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry quickly adapted to the new situation they found themselves in. While they may wish to spend time in a broom closet with their boyfriend / girlfriend, none of the students thought it was worth risking death for.

McGonagall had also pulled a master stroke by inviting the press into Hogwarts. This was a success on two fronts, it reassured the parents their children were safe and showed Hogwarts had nothing to hide. Madam Bones explaining their plan to tear the castle apart at the Christmas holidays also settled nerves, those holidays were only six weeks away.

Whether it was the pictures of aurors accompanying students around the castle or the mere fact that the ministry actually had a plan, the expected flood of students leaving Hogwarts never progressed much past a trickle. Pansy Parkinson was one of the few whose parents arrived in Hogwarts and demanded she return home with them.

The study group was making steady progress in the library, that meant they were working their way through a mountain of books with no positive results so far. The four were looking forward to their Saturday morning classes. Hermione had an experiment she wanted to try, in the hope she could disprove Ron Weasley's invisibility equaled invulnerability theory.

-oOoOo-

Neville found himself being the unfortunate, and certainly uncomfortable guinea pig since Hermione hadn't been able to let go of this conundrum since he mentioned the redhead's theory earlier in the week. Bill was genuinely interested in the experiment too, as even he was unsure what the result might be.

Hermione asked the room for a hoop on the floor, and then had Neville stand inside it while donning Harry's invisibility cloak. As the lights in the room dimmed, Hermione began her explanation.

"An invisibility cloak works by bending light around its wearer, making them undetectable to the human eye." She then cast a lumos to prove her point, and it did. There was no sign of Neville, not even a shadow. "Now, while the cloak can bend light around its wearer, the question is whether it can bend magic?"

Hermione then cast red sparks at the space the hoop told her Neville was, they seemed to bounce off thin air. The witch let out a whoop of triumph before casting a stinging hex at the same space. An 'ouch' and Neville removing the cloak's hood left his irked head floating in mid-air.

"Was that stinger really necessary, Hermione?"

"Oh don't be such a baby, you could hardly have felt that through your duelling robes. We needed to see if magic could penetrate the cloak. Now, whatever petrified Luna and Moonlight was certainly magical, agreed?" She got nods all around for that conclusion as Hermione then rounded off her reasoning. "We have just witnessed that an invisibility cloak is no defence against magic, therefore no defence against whatever is attacking and petrifying. Ron could have been petrified or dead and no one would have known, not until someone literally tripped over him."

"What?"

"Oh, sorry Professor Weasley, it was just a theory Ron had." Hermione decided to quickly change the subject. "Now, after I successfully used Rowena Ravenclaw's goblin translation spell on Neville and Padma, Barchoke approached Director Ragnok about the other people I wanted to use it on. The director agreed, providing we can keep the spell a secret. So, would you like the ability to speak goblin?"

Bill almost exclaimed 'what!' again, while realising he was being sidetracked here. The ability to communicate in goblin though would be a tremendous boon to his career, and he could always wring the truth out of Ron at lunchtime. "Hermione, that would be brilliant."

She cast the spell and then they got down to work, with Bill now shouting at them in goblin.

-oOoOo-

Barchoke missed the days when he could shout at people. He was now having to talk nice to get what he wanted, it was probably going to cost him gold as well. It would certainly be worth it to get his enemy's head mounted on his wall. He would never send someone into danger unprepared though, she deserved to know exactly what this task entailed.

"Miss Skeeter, you are well aware of our target's reputation, and know how dangerous this mission could be. I can provide you with an emergency portkey that will punch its way through the heaviest wards and deposited you here. As the name implies, it would be for use only in an emergency. Your target would certainly know if it was used."

Rita certainly understood the danger, and that portkey would be a godsend if she was discovered, but it was now time to talk business. "As you rightly said, I would be putting myself in great danger. This leads us to the question, what's in it for me?"

With only her ambition matching Rita's greed, Barchoke was sure they could come to some arrangement. When it came to his family's safety, money was no object as far as Barchoke was concerned. Lucius Malfoy had certainly endangered his family, and the goblin was willing to part with gold to ensure the bastard paid for it.

"We have quite a few options available, depending on which you preferred. You could work for a fee, with a generous bonus if we achieve our ultimate aims. Any story you wish to write after that would of course be yours to sell, providing you kept any goblin involvement out of it. You may also wish to write another book - we would certainly offer very favourable terms for publishing it."

Testing the waters, Rita posed a question. "What sort of fee would we be talking about for this?"

Barchoke laid it out for the ex-reporter. "If you can provide me with the information that sees Lucius Malfoy shipped off to Azkaban, my delight and gratitude would be in the region of ten thousand galleons."

The number mentioned almost had Rita swooning but she asked for clarification. "Lucius Malfoy is as slippery as they come. What happens if I get the information yet he manages to talk his way out of it - will I still get paid?"

"You get the information and the rest will be up to me. Malfoy has previously used his position and money to avoid justice, he now has neither of those options available to him. As an Ambassador, I have a direct line into the ministry. I also have the ear of Madam Bones, and the gratitude of the minister for assisting with guarding Hogwarts. We just need enough proof to get Malfoy arrested and fed truth serum, the rest will be easy."

Rita was never going to say no to a deal like that, though left her final financial options open for the moment. There was always the prospect of a better deal if she got the goods on good old Lucius.

-oOoOo-

The Ravenclaw table were not alone in wondering what the deal was with the quartet of second years who arrived for lunch, still dressed in dragon skin. Hermione provide what was a quiet simple answer.

"Professor Weasley wants us to wear them all the time until this problem is solved. He didn't see the point of our duelling robes lying in our rooms when there was something dangerous sulking around the castle. We didn't really have an answer to refute that, so the robes stay."

It was Harry who saw her first, the little blonde nervously holding onto Sirius' arm as they entered the great hall together. His wide smile of welcome saw a tearful Luna start to run toward him. Harry shot up, soon having her wrapped in his arms and Luna's feet swinging off the floor as he spun her around. The delight in both their faces was clearly displayed for all to see. That was before everyone else crowded around, desperate to check that Luna was indeed all right.

Hermione had Luna wrapped in a hug by the time Sirius squeezed his way through the crowd with another returnee, this one in a wicker carrying case. "There's someone else here that wants to say hello."

"Moonlight!" Hermione had been managing to hold back the tears as she greeted Luna, but there was something about her pet being returned that saw her resolve break. The kneazle purred in satisfaction at being once more in his witch's arms.

Sirius had a warning for all those crowding around the little blonde. "Luna's already had a meeting with the head of the D.M.L.E. and answered all Madam Bones' question, she doesn't need to be interrogated again. Lay off the questions people."

Harry led Luna to the Ravenclaw table before turning to her friends who had followed her there. "Colin, Ginny, don't let Luna out of your sight until we get back."

Hermione then approached, with her familiar cradled in her arms. "Luna, could you take care of Moonlight for me?"

The little blonde's eyes seemed to get even wider at that request. "Are you sure, Hermione?"

Her smile said it all. "Yes, I'm sure, Luna."

The four left with Sirius and Henrica, but not before noticing their friends had gathered around Luna to make sure Sirius' instructions would be obeyed. No one was going to hassle her today.

Sirius meanwhile gave the group the bad news, Luna remembered even less than Myrtle. The golden eyes she did remember though confirmed their suspicion, both she and Moonlight were lucky to survive.

-oOoOo-

It was really the next morning while exercising before Hermione had a chance to talk with Harry alone. "It wasn't your fault, Harry. Luna was just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

He didn't answer for a moment but when he did, Harry's reasoning surprised his mate. "This is a massive castle, Hermione, and Luna was stationary. What are the chances of this creature just happening to pick that particular window Luna was sitting in? There must be over a hundred little windowed alcoves like that spread around Hogwarts, I remember spending a lovely afternoon with you sitting in one about this time last year. Odds like that make me think this was no coincidence, but a deliberate attack on someone close to me."

It was now Hermione's turn for quiet contemplation as they ran around the track Hogwarts had provided them within her oh so special room. "I never thought of looking at it from that angle, you make a pretty compelling case. What do we do now?"

"Keep everyone close and safe for the next thirty six days, and then I can go hunting. The instant the Hogwarts school board officially kick Dumbledore out, father will approach McGonagall about rebuilding the wards around Hogwarts during the holidays too. That will also give us more warriors on site, just in case we need them."

The search teams needing to call for reinforcements was not something Hermione even wanted to think about, knowing full well Harry would be right in the thick of it. "We need to research more, so you will have at least some idea what you will be up against."

"Hermione, at the rate we're going, we'll have covered every book on creatures the library has within the next two weeks. It's better to keep the research at the pace we've set, rather than speed it up and maybe miss something."

Again, Hermione couldn't fault his logic so changed the subject slightly. "You really like Luna, don't you?"

For any other young man, that question being asked by their girlfriend would result in an instant answer of 'hell no!' Their blood bond meant Harry could answer with total honesty, safe in the knowledge that Hermione knew exactly how he felt about her being his mate. This was certainly a good thing, the smile her question generated would have earned at least a slap from any 'normal' girlfriend.

"Luna is just ...so Luna. She looks at me and sees Harry, not Centurion Crow, Lord Potter or any boy-who-lived rubbish - she just sees me. You of all people must know how refreshingly different that is for me. Padma and Neville are the same, but they took a little while to get there."

Harry's smile waned as he continued. "At the ministry ball, Emma said I'd had a hard life - I disagreed. Looking at Luna, I have no right to complain. Her mother died in a magical accident at home, Luna was eight and alone in the house with her mother when it happened. Her dad apparently didn't take his wife's death too well, father called him 'eccentric' - which has me wondering what would have happened to Luna if we hadn't stepped in with the scholarship, and our friendship."

They ran for another lap before Harry spoke again. "I know we haven't mentioned the holidays, neither of us wants to think about being apart again. We both know I need to be here though, just as we both know your mum and dad won't want you anywhere near Hogwarts while the search is underway. What I wanted to ask was if you could include Luna in any plans for the holidays? Padma's going to have to go home to get the problem with Parvati sorted, at least this way you won't be on your own."

Hermione stopped running, making Harry wonder if he'd said something wrong. Those fears were soon proved groundless as Hermione pulled him in for a sweet kiss. "That's my Harry, always thinking of others. Why do I feel like our little family just acquired a new sister?"

He actually blushed at how well Hermione could read him, that wasn't supposed to be possible. "Well, she's a nice kid and..." another kiss removed the need for words.

After leaving him bewitched and bewildered, Hermione shot away. "Two more laps to go, last one finishing is a rotten egg!"

Tonks stood at the door, totally forgotten by the young couple. Sirius had asked if a guard could be provided to escort them to and from their morning exercise. After he'd made her mum's dream of once more being a member of the Black family become a reality, Tonks had no intention of passing this duty onto anyone else.

She had overheard Harry's reasoning on the attack and, like Hermione, couldn't fault his conclusions. Tonks didn't think she would be breaking any confidences if she passed that information onto Madam Bones, these two appeared more clued up about what was happening in the castle than most of the adults.

-oOoOo-

It was a rather irked Roger who sat down to lunch that Sunday, leading to some gentle jibes from around the Ravenclaw table.

"Did you get beaten again by our big, bad second years?"

"I thought you said it was their turn to taste defeat today - what happened?"

The sniggers building up around the table saw Roger's complexion becoming redder and redder. Finally, he could hold it no longer. "I would like to see any one else at this table stand up to people casting spells at them in goblin. It was bloody terrifying, not knowing what was coming at you."

This may have stopped the sniggers, as wizards and witches contemplated just how scary that would be. There was no sympathy heading in the fourth year's direction though, Cho summed up what most of them were thinking.

"Suck it up, Davies, at least you're getting extra tuition. The Weasley twins don't seem too upset about it?"

"That's because they thought it was a brilliant prank. When they heard it was Neville's idea, only the fact they were knackered stopped them carrying him on their shoulders to Gryffindor Tower."

The second years in question entered the great hall, with their trio of first year shadows beside them. They all headed for the Ravenclaw table to eat lunch.

Morag was the first to attempt teasing information out this group. "So, Padma, we're hearing you're quite the linguist?"

Padma answered in Hindi, Goblin and then English. "Like Harry, English is not my native tongue. That certainly makes it easier to pick up another language."

That seemed a bit too glib for Lisa. "...and what's Neville's excuse?"

This didn't even warrant a blink from Padma as she answered right back. "Oh, Neville is just a natural. Either that, or he likes my reward method of teaching."

This may have had Neville blushing but Padma easily achieved her goal, no one was too interested in how they could speak goblin after that. The state of her relationship with Neville was a far juicer titbit for them to sink their teeth into.

Hermione took this opportunity to have a quiet word with Luna. "What are you doing for the Christmas Holidays?"

"Oh, daddy's trip is paying dividends, I was going to stay in the castle. I'll have to write to him and say he needs to come home now, the castle's going to be closed."

Hermione felt her heart go out to this girl a little more, Harry was right again. "Do you want to write and ask if you could spend Christmas with me? With Harry going to be inside Hogwarts, and Padma having to go home, you would be doing me a big favour. I've gotten used to having my friends around me, I would love to spend Christmas with at least one of them."

"Do you really mean that?"

Seeing the hope in those pleading eyes left Hermione wanting to cry. Instead, she smiled at Luna and answered honestly. "Every word of it, Luna."

Her wide smile would melt hearts a lot harder than Hermione's, the brunette was surprised though when Eargit swooped into the hall. The snowy owl landed in front of the two witches and held her leg out, there may have been nothing tied there but Eargit's message was clearly understood.

"Write your letter, Luna, Eargit's just offered to carry it for you."

The owl returned its foot to the table and nodded its head in agreement.

This drew a cry of exasperation from Roger. "Aw for Merlin's sake, even the bloody owl's not normal. How many languages does it speak?"

Harry interrupted before anyone else could answer. "Eargit is a classy owl, she's above using things like language." That the owl chose that exact moment to emit a little bark was either one hell of a coincidence or bloody scary.

"See, Eargit doesn't need to speak to get her message across." Not one person who'd just witnessed that scene could disagree with Harry over that.

With Eargit now destined to be flying off to pastures unknown in search of Luna's father, Hermione would have a quick word with Sirius so he could speak with her mum and dad. She wasn't expecting any problems in clearing Luna coming home with her at Christmas.

-oOoOo-

With Luna's return, the atmosphere inside the castle was certainly on the up. They had the aurors for protection and the only victim of the attack was back as good as new. Crow's Marauders were certainly back having fun at their weekly class. They were working in their usual mixed teams of four to accurately hit the torso of their assigned duelling dummy ten times, preferably before the team they were competing against managed the feat. As the dummies were currently programmed to dodge spells, the competition was fierce - with the rest of the students shouting encouragement to those firing off spells.

Their round robin tournament produced the top four teams who then battled it out for the final, and tonight's eventual champions.

Henrica had spent most of the evening watching the accompanying auror guards as they stared in amazement at what these first years were learning. That was before they even considered that the class was being run by four second years. She spotted a chance here to build the current spirit inside Hogwarts even higher, and maybe get some payback for those ten galleons she lost betting on her boyfriend. As Hermione and Padma were presenting the winning team with their slabs of chocolate, Professor Hobson let her mischievous side out to play.

"Very well done everybody, and I know we normally spend this time reviewing what we've just learned - but I was wondering if we could do something a bit different tonight? Our auror guests appeared fascinated with tonight's lesson, I was wondering if they wanted to put a team forward - against our instructors here?"

The roar of approval from the first years displayed their unanimous support for that idea, and the four instructors were clearly up for it. Tonks had again volunteered for this duty tonight, and found herself the most senior auror present. She asked four of the trainees if they wanted to accept the challenge, they too quickly agreed.

Harry set both dummies to require twenty hits before coming to a stop and Henrica counted them in. The quartet of auror trainees were soon left red faced as four second years wiped the floor with them, and the audience of first years went mental in celebration. The rules had been set at best of three so Tonks had some stern words with the auror team before the next round.

"They practice together all the time and use these dummies as part of their training. You lot thought you were facing off against some kids and got comprehensively beaten. This exercise was being attempted by first years, that should tell you it's not about how powerfully you can cast a spell. The whole point of this is to improve speed and accuracy - something I want to see from you now."

The marauder tutors were ready to go again, their concentration total. This time the result was so close, neither Tonks or Henrica could call it one way or the other. A tie was declared, again to much cheering from the jubilant first years.

The deciding leg saw four tense aurors trying to pull this out the fire. If anything, the teams were even closer this time, leading both judges ready to announce another tie before Harry reacted. He began shaking the auror's hands and thanking them for taking part, claiming they were delighted to sneak a draw against such stiff competition. The other three followed Harry's example and everyone left the class on a high.

Padma waited until they were back in the Ravenclaw common room, and just about to run through a final revision of their potion for tomorrow morning, before asking Harry why he did that. "We took the first bout fair and square, with the other two being drawn. That made us the winners!"

"Padma, those aurors are here to keep us safe, the last thing we need is to hit their morale. Can you imagine the ribbing they would take if the four of us claimed a victory? They can now rightfully say we surprised them in the first match, but they pulled it back over the next two. I think Henrica was trying to pay us back for taking down Sirius and Remus at Halloween. She expected us to lose and got as big a shock as those aurors, she hasn't seen us practice much this year."

Morag was left shaking her head. "I can't believe you took on four aurors, and held your own."

It was Hermione who tried to nip that kind of talk in the bud. "They were auror trainees, not qualified aurors. We were also running a speed and accuracy drill, something we have been practicing for over a year. That gave us a massive advantage, one we certainly used."

It was a thoughtful Morag who responded to that. "I so want to be jealous at your extra defence lessons, then I remember we get Professor Weasley twice a week. The rest of the castle are already jealous of us because of that."

Lisa had the final word on the matter. "Can you blame them, imagine being stuck with Lockhart as a defence teacher. The first years have at least got you every Tuesday night!"

-oOoOo-

It was Friday night as the study group worked their way through more books on beasts in the library. Colin, Ginny and Luna were getting caught up in the excitement of tomorrow's Quidditch match, the first they would see. That Ginny had two brothers playing in the game against Slytherin had her almost hyperventilating in anticipation, there would be no studying coming from that quarter tonight.

Susan and Hannah were also Quidditch fans, though tended only to get excited when Hufflepuff - or was it Cedric - was playing. The quartet would again miss the game, their training coming first. Padma was trying to convince them that they needed to attend the Gryffindor / Ravenclaw game, since so many of their friends would be involved in that match. Harry and Hermione were adopting a 'wait and see' policy, while Neville wasn't too bothered either way - he would just go along with whatever the others decided.

Hermione audibly taking a deep breath was their first clue she was onto something, the colour draining from her face as those brown eyes scanned the page was certainly not a good sign.

"What have you found, Hermione? Does it fit what we're looking for?"

"I really, really hope not, Padma. Just reading about this is terrifying me, but it certainly matches the profile of the creature we're looking for." She turned the large book around so the others could get a better look at it.

Since the entire group still couldn't see the page, Padma began reading the description out loud. "Of the many fearsome beasts and monsters that roam our land, there is none more curious or more deadly than the Basilisk, known also as the King of Serpents. This snake, which may reach gigantic size and live many hundreds of years, is born from a chicken's egg, hatched beneath a toad. Its methods of killing are most wondrous, for aside from its deadly and venomous fangs, the Basilisk has a murderous stare, and all who are fixed with the beam of its eye shall suffer instant death. Spiders flee before the Basilisk, for it is their mortal enemy, and the Basilisk flees only from the crowing of the rooster, which is fatal to it."

Luna burst out laughing at that, drawing all eyes to her. "That last bit is an old wives tale. Rooster's crow when the sun comes up, it's daylight therefore the danger must be gone. My father is an expert on weird and wonderful creatures, our house is full of books on them. Basilisks are real scary monsters, and you don't want to face one with just a rooster in your hand."

Padma resisted the temptation to tease with that piece of information, there were about three cockerel verses sword or wand jokes that jumped into her head, this was a really serious situation. "Lives for hundreds of years certainly fits the profile, how is a giant snake getting about the school though?"

"Someone is leading it!" Just like Luna a moment ago, Harry now had every eye on him - waiting on an explanation. "This may be the king of snakes but tell me, Luna, did any of those books in your home say a basilisk could read or write?"

Hermione was getting over the shock of her discovery and caught on to what Harry was implying at once. "The writing on the wall, it would need someone to do that."

"Wait, there's more here." Padma read out the small paragraph tucked under a drawing of the basilisk, this thing had so many fangs that great white sharks would turn green with envy. "Basilisk-breeding has been outlawed for over a millennium. This law has rarely been broken even by the darkest of wizards, since only a Parselmouth can control a basilisk."

"So there is a Parselmouth inside Hogwarts who's controlling a basilisk? Not good, this is so not good."

Harry tried to calm the girl down. "Easy, Susan, all we've got at the moment is a theory. It might seem a good theory but that's all it is for now. I'll pass a message onto my father with Assistant Ambassador Weasley first thing tomorrow, you might want to do the same with a letter to your aunt. We haven't one shred of proof at the moment. Let's pass on our research and they can have some experts look at it for flaws."

Neville tended to be the quiet one in the group, only speaking when he really had something to say. This meant though that when he did speak, they all listened. "I agree with Harry. We may think we're right but saying anything about this would probably start a panic. We can trust Amelia, Barchoke and McGonagall to make the right decisions, that doesn't mean we don't keep our eyes open."

Neville's calm demeanour helped them see this was the only thing they could do for now. Most of Hogwarts' students would be out of the castle tomorrow anyway, with the Quidditch match taking place. That would give those adults involved time to check their research and take whatever action they thought necessary.

No one felt like continuing their research after that, they left the library intent on seeing everyone to their houses. Hannah though proved just what you could learn from keeping your eyes open. "Guys, you need to see this."

They all looked to where Hannah had indicated, and saw a strange sight. A long line of spiders were crawling along the wall before disappearing through a crack in the ancient window fitting.

It reminded Hermione of people queuing to get on a bus, and that's when exactly what she was seeing here hit her. "Spiders flee before the Basilisk, for it is their mortal enemy. They're getting out of the castle!"

This was such strange behaviour for arachnids that it was hard to refute Hermione's claim. It was cold enough inside the castle in November, these spiders were risking death by leaving the protection of Hogwarts but not one hesitated. Some primeval need seemed to be controlling their behaviour.

"Susan, this is more proof we need to add to our messages home. We'll drop you two off at Hufflepuff and then head up to Gryffindor." When Harry used his Centurion command voice, not one of them thought to question him. Susan and Hannah were actually delighted at the escort to their house. Hermione, Padma and Neville also knew Harry wouldn't sleep tonight without seeing Colin safely inside Gryffindor tower.

Those spiders had just added physical proof to what was already a terrifying theory, a theory that was now playing on all their minds. As they approached Gryffindor tower, the group spotted a gaunt Parvati approaching from the other direction, this proved too much for an already stressed Padma - she raced toward her twin and soon had her tightly entrapped in her arms.

"Oh Pav, you shouldn't be walking around the castle by yourself - it's just too dangerous. We think we know what did that to Luna, we also know someone must be leading the basilisk..." Padma felt her twin stiffen in her arms and tried to offer some reassurance. "Don't worry Pav, we're sending word to Barchoke and Amelia, this will soon be over. Will you meet us for breakfast? We don't want to let anyone out of our sight. Whatever's wrong, we're still family."

Neville was by Padma's side and taking Parvati by the arm. "Don't worry, Padma, I'll look after her. The aurors are here now and the prefects will soon be doing the head count. You lot need to get back to Ravenclaw before that." The prefects were no longer performing patrols of the corridors, instead they were charged with ensuring everyone was present in their own house, and informing the aurors each evening of their head count. Once the aurors had arrived, no student was allowed out until morning - hence Harry and Hermione needing a guard as they exercised.

Padma watched Neville lead her frightened twin into Gryffindor house with unshed tears gathering at the corner of her eyes, promising herself they would get this sorted soon. Hermione's voice pulled her back from her musings.

"Padma, we need to move. If we're even a minute late, Penny will push the panic button and have squads of aurors searching the castle for us." It was Luna though who took Padma by the arm and began leading her in the direction of Ravenclaw.

-oOoOo-

Harry was having trouble sleeping and called for the Lady Helena, deciding that she would be a good sounding board to bounce their theory off. She would soon tell him if their ideas were a mile out, there was a part of Harry that hoped they were.

Unfortunately, the Ravenclaw ghost just gave credence to their theory. Helena confirmed that Salazar was indeed a Parselmouth, and a basilisk was just the kind of creature he would leave behind in his chamber - knowing one day his heir would use it to 'cleanse' Hogwarts.

She promised to pass this news around to the other ghosts and portraits. Having an inkling of what they were dealing with meant they could at least begin to formulate some kind of contingency plan of how the castle would respond to another attack.

As Harry and Hermione were just about to finish their fencing practice the next morning, they got their first taste of those plans. Hogwarts' bell rang out a loud warning, a warning that reached every nook and cranny of the ancient castle.

Hermione was moving her sword scabbard from her back to her hip as they raced over to where they'd left their bottles of water and her duelling robe. As Harry helped her on with it, Tonks stood at the door with her arms spread wide - deliberately blocking the way.

"Neither of you are leaving this room until I get word that it's safe to do so." Tonks found herself staring straight into a sparking pair of green eyes, she was really having trouble believing that the owner of these eyes had yet to become a teenager.

"Auror Tonks, I outrank you and am ordering you to step aside - please. I don't want to hurt you, I would much rather you saw Hermione safely back to Ravenclaw tower than you force me to ask the castle to remove you."

"I promised Sirius I would look after you and we have no idea what's out there..."

"Unfortunately, we do..." Harry was interrupted by the Lady Helena passing through the door, and Tonks.

"Champion, you were right. We caught the attack in time and the evacuation of the castle has already begun. Myrtle actually saw who was controlling the beast but refuses to speak with anyone but you. I left her with the Baron while I came here."

Hermione was first to answer. "If the danger has passed, I can come too!"

Tonks was right behind the young witch with her own answer. "You two aren't leaving my sight, let's go!"

Having an auror guard was certainly useful as Tonks' presence allowed them to follow wherever the Lady Helena led, while the rest of the students were being escorted toward the entrance hall. They turned a corner and came upon a scene of utter carnage. Stiff bodies of students and even a few aurors littered the corridor floor, the group must have walked right into the basilisk. They were being carefully removed by a squad of very nervous aurors, with the space above their heads occupied by a multitude of ghosts floating 'lifelessly' and aimlessly. They didn't want to meet anything that could do that to a ghost.

Hermione didn't recognise most of the ghosts, there were even a few ghostly horses mixed in there too. "What happened here?"

The lady had an answer for them. "Sir Nicolas was distraught that his deathday party allowed that attack to occur. When I heard from our champion what might be responsible for these attacks, he contacted members of the headless hunt and offered them some sport. They received just enough warning to get here in time, and we managed to direct everyone else away from the danger."

It was time to ask the question Tonks wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer to. "Are they dead?"

"Yes, auror, that's why they're ghosts. Throwing themselves between the basilisk and its intended victim saw them adsorb enough of the basilisk magic to ensure these people are merely petrified - and not dead."

As they pushed through this macabre scene, Hermione noticed Sir Nicolas and the Friar. Like the other ghosts, both appeared to be filled with smoke - almost as if they had been burned. "How could the basilisk affect them?"

"They're already dead, Hermione, so can't die again. We all absorb a trickle of magic just from being in the castle, we need that trickle of magic to maintain our forms. That amount of concentrated magic all at once will overload their forms, making them lose what you would consider consciousness - until the foreign magic can slowly leak back out of them. Most should be fine by the time Christmas comes around, a matter of weeks is nothing to a ghost..." Helena trailed off, noticing Harry had knelt beside a pair of stiff bodies.

Harry was extremely relieved to see that Hannah and Susan were petrified, and not dead. He stood with his anger tightly controlled though silently promising that someone was going to pay for this.

The aurors who approached to move the two students also knew who this young witch was, and were certain the wrath of their boss would soon descend on Hogwarts. The Hufflepuff students had been making their way down to breakfast, excited about today's game, when the attack happened. Nine students and three aurors would have certainly died, if not for the swift actions of the ghosts.

The message on the wall, again written in blood, had halted both Hermione and Tonks in their tracks. Harry came up behind them, reading the macabre message too. "Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever." They needed more information before they could hope to make any sense of that. "We need to talk with Myrtle right away, and find out what she knows."

On entering her bathroom, Harry would swear he saw relief on the ghostly face of the Slytherin House ghost. He didn't think the Baron was exactly comfortable dealing with the emotional spirit that was once a crying teenage witch.

Helena's voice was a lot more soothing. "Myrtle, Harry has raced through the castle to talk with you. He's here now, won't you come out?"

Harry kept his features composed when faced with the sight of a crying Myrtle slowly emerging from the toilet bowl, Hermione squeezing his arm was the only sign she felt as creeped out as he was. Neither would look upon a visit to the loo in quite the same way ever again.

"Oh, Harry, it was horrible - simply horrible!" This declaration was followed by more sobbing from the distraught spirit.

"I understand it will be hard for you, Myrtle, but I really need to know what we're facing here." Harry offered the young ghost his most enigmatic smile, it seemed to be working.

"I don't know, Harry, I'm frightened. You may hate me once I tell you, and I don't think I could cope with that. You might not have noticed, but I don't exactly have a lot of friends." More crying followed that declaration.

Hiding his bemusement in favour of a smile, Harry gave the ghost the answer he hoped would get them some answers of their own. "Myrtle, I promise whatever you tell me here, I will still be your friend."

Myrtle was considering this when the door barged open and Henrica rushed in. "Harry, Hermione, the school is being evacuated. The portraits told us where you were, I need to get the four of you out of here."

As Neville and Padma filed in behind Henrica, a tortured shriek came from Myrtle. "It's her, she's the one!"

They all followed the direction Myrtle was indicating, her ghostly finger was pointing straight at a bemused Padma.

A/N Thanks for reading.

45. Enter the Basilisk

Harry Crow

This is now the longest chapter of Harry Crow, and possibly my longest ever. I simply didn't want to end with a cliff hanger two weeks in a row, so kept on writing until I could safely finish the chapter without one.

I would like to dedicate this chapter to Richard Griffiths OBE, who sadly died this week after complications set in following heart surgery. An immense acting talent who managed to infuse humanity into a character who didn't possess any - Vernon Dursley.

Chapter 45

The stately elegance and sheer opulence of the room the young witch was inviting the wizard into was currently being totally ignored by the couple. This was more about the subject matter they were discussing claiming all of their attention, rather than any form of indifference or complacency.

"I was beginning to think you weren't going to be allowed to floo over. I really miss seeing you every day."

"I'm really glad of a break from the Manor, things are pretty intense at home right now. Mother and father are both furious at each other, kinda makes me wish I was back at Hogwarts too."

Pansy was shaking her head at that idea as she led Draco to the sofa. "Not if it could get us killed. My mother and father are furious that this thing can attack purebloods, and the fact your father never warned anyone of what he was doing."

"The same rules still apply, Pansy. If my father gets caught, anyone who knew about whatever scheme he's up to will find at the very least their Gringotts vaults closed. Trust me, you wouldn't want to be in the same situation as us."

"So, you still don't know what he's done?"

Draco remained adamant in his opinion. "No, and I don't want to either. Even mother doesn't know what he'd been up to, just that we were in the same danger as everyone else. That's why she came to Hogwarts and dragged me out of there."

"I think my parents are frightened that, if your father gets caught, he might pull others down with him. I will of course truthfully claim I simply didn't want to be at Hogwarts without you. That's why I sent a letter home asking my parents to collect me."

It was then Draco dropped the bombshell. "My father had no intention of getting me out of there, mother had to draw her wand so he wouldn't stop her heading for Hogwarts. He's absolutely livid that she might have pointed the Ministry in his direction, while she is furious that he put me in such danger. It's quite a shock to discover your father places some form of revenge over the value of his only child's life."

Pansy didn't know how to answer that, who would.

Draco took her silence as a sign to continue, he was speaking his recent thoughts out loud for the first time - showing just how concerned Draco was at the current situation. "I am starting to question everything my father has taught me. He claims Malfoys bow to no one, yet he then sullied our ancestry by calling a man with a muggle father his master. He projects an image of power, yet last year an eleven year old Harry Crow destroyed him -before his goblin father finished the job. He preaches nothing is more important than family, then leaves his own son in a deadly situation - a situation which he deliberately created. I just don't know which way is up at the moment, Pansy."

She laid Draco's head on her lap and encouraged him to stretch out on the sofa. As Pansy ran her fingers through Draco's hair, he closed his eyes and considered the other side of the coin. "Crow is supposed to be my enemy yet he confuses the hell out of me. That day in the great hall when I called him a thieving goblin bastard, he had me. Reporting that to his father would have seen me barred from Gringotts, and we both know what that would mean. I got the impression Crow understood exactly what that would mean too, yet he gave me an easy out. We both also know we would only need to ask and defence lessons from Professor Weasley would be available too, it was our choice to give it a miss. Then there was the Merlin Ball..."

Pansy held her silence, knowing Draco needed to get this off his chest. "We both know I wouldn't have stood an earthly of receiving any new dress robes from home, while Ron Weasley would probably been able to afford a set now. Crow provided tailoring for all of us so everyone was the same, and must have paid out a fortune to do so. Pansy, that was one of the best parties I've ever attended, everyone had a great time. Blaise even managed to bag a seat at Crow's table, and he was welcomed there."

All the Slytherins had noticed the changes in the castle this year, and not all of them were against those changes. Draco appeared to be slowly coming around to that point of view. "Everyone who has gone up against Crow has come off worse. My father, Slughorn, that massive goblin with the axe, even Dumbledore has seen his reputation destroyed. Kicked out of the Wizengamot and now Hogwarts. Crow has an untouchable power base and could easily lord it over Hogwarts, yet he seems to have no interest in doing so. All he does is train and train, and that worries me..."

He needed a moment to consider how far he wanted to take this. Since he'd started unburdening his soul, Draco was actually feeling better. This step though was tantamount to blasphemy, the kind of sin that could see you burned at the stake - or tortured to death. "We have been taught that the dark lord is all powerful, all the evidence we've learned lately points to that not being true. It's now an established fact his father was a muggle, and not even my father disputes a fifteen month old Harry Potter defeated Voldemort."

The confused wizard needed a moment before continuing. "Crow can do things with those blades of his that scares the shit out of me, and I certainly believe him when he says the goblins and the ministry will back him in his fight against the dark lord. What if he wins?"

"I don't understand, Draco."

"If he defeats the dark lord for a second time, they will probably make him King or something. Whatever they do, he would certainly not be someone you wanted as an enemy. Father thinks he's being so clever, yet the people Crow has behind him destroyed Dumbledore - something neither Voldemort or Grindelwald were able to do at the height of their powers."

This just confused Pansy even more. "I still don't understand what you're getting at, Draco."

"Whatever father has done, I believe he's going to be caught. Between the more efficient ministry and this new alliance with the goblins, everything points to that outcome - with only my father not being able to recognise this. I also think mother and I have to give him the same support he gave me at Hogwarts over this scheme of his - none. He left me to face whatever he's unleashed in that castle, we'll need to leave him to face the backlash of those actions alone. I just hope mother and I can survive it, and then choose the right side."

Rita had followed her instincts, as well as Draco through the floo. Those instincts were now paying dividends. With the two senior Malfoys barely speaking to each other, there was nothing for her to overhear. Today had been a pure mine of information, just not a rich enough seam yet to supply her with those ten thousand golden galleons. Rita was confident though there would be a break in this story soon.

-oOoOo-

It was an angry Neville who broke the silence in Myrtle's toilet, stoutly springing to Padma's defence. "That's impossible! When Luna was petrified, Padma wasn't even in Scotland. She spent Halloween dancing with me at Longbottom Manor. We were all there, even Professor Hobson. I don't know who you saw but it certainly wasn't Padma."

Myrtle didn't take too kindly to her word being questioned, especially in her own patch - and in front of Harry too. "I know exactly what I saw! She hissed at that sink and it opened, then she and that ruddy giant snake went down the hole..." This saw the ghost pause at the glaring inconsistency in her story. "...but then, how could she be standing here if she's down there?"

The obvious solution hit all of them at the same time. With a scream of 'PAV!' Padma dived at the construction and attempted to rip a sink off the stone structure with her bare hands. After having no success, she was reaching for her wand when Neville and Harry grabbed her arms and pulled her back.

"Let me go, let me go - my sister is down there!"

Hermione tried to reason with her. "We know, Padma, but what does Professor Weasley always say is our most powerful weapon - our minds. We're going to need all our weapons if we're to get Parvati out of there."

Padma looked at her friends and asked the question. "You're going to help?"

Harry was deadly serious. "I count you as family, Padma, and Parvati is your sister - that makes her family too. Whatever or whoever is controlling her has also attacked Luna, Susan and Hannah - they're not getting away with it."

The auror in Tonks made her ask the next question. "Harry, how do you know someone is controlling this girl?"

It was just as well both Harry and Neville still had hold of Padma, she was ready to spring at the auror. She settled for sending a verbal blast in her direction. "My sister is not a Parselmouth, which is why there was hissing at the sink. You also need that skill to control the basilisk..."

Both Tonks and Henrica were shocked at that revelation, leaving Harry to regret not approaching the veela last night with their theory.

"Okay, time to send for help." Harry removed his dagger and sent the come running signal to his father. "Auror Tonks, how much help can we expect from the aurors?"

"Quite a few of the aurors in the castle are trainees, I noticed at least one of the trainees petrified in the corridor. If this situation should arise, our very specific orders left no room for any misunderstandings. The castle has to be evacuated, and everyone escorted down to Hogsmeade. That will be the auror force's top priority, only after that has been accomplished are they allowed to do any investigating."

Henrica chipped in with her take on the evacuation. "I told McGonagall I would get you four out of here, so they will only be missing one student."

Tonks then gave her professional opinion of the current situation. "They won't halt the evacuation for one missing student, rather get everyone else to Hogsmeade and then send a squad back to search for her."

"It will take my father the best part of an hour to gather squads and then get to Hogwarts."

"Pav might not have that long, Harry."

"We're not going to be standing about doing nothing, Padma..."

It was Henrica who interrupted. "Harry, we need to wait until the others get here..."

"We need to get this thing open. Until we do, there's no point in arguing over anything else at the moment."

Everyone could see the merit in Harry's argument but it was Hermione who pointed out the obvious. "You're right, but how do we get it open? None of us speak Parseltongue."

The Lady Helena then provided Hermione with an answer. "Harry is Hogwarts' Champion, all doors should open for him - even ancient ones."

Deciding to give it a try, Harry placed his hands on the nearest sink before issuing a demand. "Hogwarts, your champion commands this door to open."

They all heard the screech of stone straining to move against stone, but the sinks didn't budge an inch. Harry again commanded the door to open, again the screeching but no opening.

Harry drew his sword and held it vertically in front of him, almost as a badge of office. "Hogwarts, your champion commands this door to open." This time magic sparked from the sword to battle the ancient parseltongue magic that was denying access, brilliant colourful flashes of magic continually jumped between the sword and the stone structure containing the sinks. It slowly crept open as the maelstrom of wild magic lit up the entire toilet.

Every hair on Tonks' body was standing to attention from the amount of magic that was in the air, she'd never even heard of such power before - far less witnessed it. "Harry, what kind of spell was that? I've never seen anything like it!"

"That wasn't a spell, and it wasn't me. Hogwarts just channeled magic through Godric's blade to overpower the Parselmouth enchantment that secured the opening. Now, I need everyone to cast their strongest shields."

The auror was about to ask why when she noticed that everyone else just obeyed Harry's order, she followed suit. As the last piece of the structure was about to sink into the floor, a surge of magic from Harry's sword blasted it to pieces. Pieces of stone that rained down on the shields they had erected, his three friends ensuring their shields overlapped to cover Harry too.

"That should stop it closing and now we can argue about what comes next." Harry hardly had the words out his mouth before Padma butted in.

"That's my sister down there, no one is stopping me going down after her."

"No one is trying to stop you, Padma, what we need though is a plan that's more evolved than jumping in there and shouting for Parvati at the top of your voice. If we don't have one, then we need to wait for reinforcements." Padma was smart enough to understand Harry's reasoning, she still didn't like it though.

Tonks didn't like this idea of entering the chamber at all, and tried to dissuade Harry. "We don't know what's down there, or have any idea of what we'll face. It's madness to go any further without reinforcements."

"My sister might not have that time to wait, we saw the message written on the corridor wall. Just whose skeleton do you think that message was referring to?"

"Auror Tonks, we will need someone to stay behind and lead the others to us. My father will bring every blade he can while Amelia will want a piece of whatever did that to Susan."

Harry's words hit Tonks where it hurt. "If you think this auror is going to stand here while four kids go down there without her, then you're crazier than a drunk Peeves."

Henrica tried to reason with him. "Harry, the parents are going to hit the roof if you pull this stunt. It will make that incident this summer seem like a picnic!" She was focusing on his mate, and trying to make him see the consequences of this. His mate though had not been idle, Hermione was working on a viable solution to their basilisk problem. She'd transfigured one of the stones Harry had shattered into something they all recognised from their holidays over the summer.

The witch in question slipped on the pair of mirror sunglasses she'd just transfigured. "If we can create a strong enough light to temporally blind it, that should also disrupt the magical focus of its eyes. We all studied and practiced that spell Slughorn cast on you, that should certainly disrupt it for a moment or two. Then, it's a speed and accuracy drill as we aim for its eyes."

Harry so wanted to hug his mate, but Padma beat him to it. "Hermione, that's so bloody crazy it just might work!" Hermione's attention though was still focused on Harry. "You need me down there, Harry. Apart from its eyes, this thing will be practically impervious to magic. We're gonna need our swords to fight this thing, and I'm never passing mine off to anyone else."

With a nod, Harry turned his attention to Neville. The Gryffindor had his answer all ready. "I would rather face what's down there than be left up here to tell Barchoke and Amelia you three jumped into that."

Henrica didn't even give Harry time to attempt to sideline her. "This is Hogwarts and I am a professor, technically in charge of you lot. I may not be able to stop you going, but I can at least go with you to help keep you four out of trouble - down there and when we come back up."

All four appreciated that, they knew the trouble that would await when their parents caught up with the group. The Lady Ravenclaw solved their other problem.

"The Baron will lead the rescue parties here, while I will accompany you. Since the basilisk cannot kill me, I shall take the lead and hope to supply you with at least a warning."

Hermione was dishing out the pairs of mirror sunglasses she'd transfigured and, as they got ready to slide down the chute, even Tonks had to admit they had a plan of action that was better than anything she could come up with on the spur of the moment.

With the Ravenclaw ghost taking the lead, Tonks was going to bring up the rear - hoping to ensure they didn't get ambushed from behind. She understood what Henrica was doing by talking about the trouble they would be in when they came back up. Personally, the auror thought it would be a miracle if they all came out of this alive. She really wished they would wait for the reinforcements to get here but Tonks was under no illusion she could actually stop them. She'd watched Harry and Hermione train with those blades or magic every morning, add in their two friends and Henrica and Tonks knew she would be quickly overpowered. The best she could do was try and keep them safe, and hope the help got here as quickly as possible.

-oOoOo-

The mass goblin arrival outside Hogwarts was actually greeted with cheers from the students who were being led down to Hogsmeade. The seventy goblins Barchoke had brought with him were in full armour, and ready for battle - they were indeed a stirring sight.

The sight that stopped this force in their tracks was the petrified children being levitated toward the village, Barchoke couldn't fail to notice Susan and Hannah amongst the victims. Amelia storming toward him with a dozen aurors in tow was pretty unmissable too, she appeared ready, willing and able to tackle a dragon with her bare hands.

Stopping only to confirm the victims were indeed petrified, and therefore still alive, she and her aurors headed straight for Barchoke's force. The Goblin Ambassador bowed to the lady warrior. "Madam Bones - Amelia, I want you to know we are desperately sorry for what happened here and stand ready to help in any way we can. The nation also has a slight stock of the mandrake potion, enough to see all the children back to normal before this day is out. Your aurors may have to wait a day or two until we can acquire some more mature mandrake."

"On behalf of all the parents, and the ministry, you have my thanks." Amelia had learned enough about Barchoke during the summer to know the thanks of the parents would mean a lot more to him than any words the ministry had. Looking at the force he had assembled, she had to ask the obvious. "Have you any idea what caused this?"

"Sorry, but no. Harry transmitted our strongest emergency signal, it basically means 'grab as many warriors as you can and get here quickly'. I can only assume he knows what we'll be facing, but see no sign of him or the others." Both knew where Harry went, the other three wouldn't be far behind.

Amelia made the only decision she could. "I can't take any aurors away from escorting the students to Hogsmeade, this squad was all I could muster from the ministry at short notice. The minister is gathering a larger force and will be here in an hour or so. We are merely an advanced party and would certainly be prepared to follow your lead in this matter."

They resumed marching toward the castle, both knowing they would need more information before making further plans. Minerva McGonagall was bringing up the rear of the train of students winding their way down to Hogsmeade, the clearly agitated witch rushed toward them.

"Barchoke, I think Harry and his friends are still in the castle. The alarm sounded when they would have been exercising. Padma and Neville made sure Luna and Colin got down to the hall before leaving with Henrica to search for them. All three point blank refused to leave the castle without Harry and Hermione."

This was not a shock to the goblin, he'd been expecting his son to be in the thick of it. Harry would never have sent that level of distress call otherwise. "Professor, Sirius arranged with Auror Tonks that she would accompany the pair to and from their morning training. Wherever they are, they have Henrica and the auror for company. Is there anyone else missing?"

"Miss Brown reported Parvati Patil was feeling under the weather this morning and rushed into a bathroom as they made their way down from the great hall. She's unaccounted for and a message was left on the corridor wall, again in blood. Her skeleton will lie in the chamber for eternity. Since she is the only student unaccounted for, I fear she has been taken."

"Harry will be going after her, I just hope he can talk his friends out of accompanying him. I fear though that Padma will never accept that - and the other two will be just as stubborn."

Both Minerva and Amelia now stared at the goblin as if he was crazy, Barchoke though knew his son. "His message was our highest priority call for help, it makes sense now. We'll have to hurry and just hope we're not to late, where is this bathroom?"

"It's the one that Myrtle haunts, it's on..."

"It's okay, Professor, I know exactly where it is. I can lead us straight there." Bill had been heading to the castle for his usual Saturday morning lesson when he'd came upon the evacuation. Seeing Percy riding herd on his four younger siblings meant the prefect was going to be receiving an extra special Christmas gift from his eldest brother this year. Now that his heart was once more beating normally, Bill had rushed toward the castle, coming upon the present group just as Barchoke was speculating Harry had went after the lost girl. He also thought that was the most likely outcome, and agreed with Barchoke that the other three wouldn't let him go alone. With Bill now beside his boss and Amelia, they raced for the castle gates.

-oOoOo-

The bones crunching under their feet meant that any attempt at stealth was doomed to failure. Harry though was pleased with this, explaining to the group that this effect worked both ways. He was a lot more worried about a basilisk sneaking up on them than making a noise as they made their way down the tunnel.

Tonks was bringing up the rear and drew comfort from that remark. She was forced to acknowledge to herself that Harry was in command here, from the simple fact that the rest of them followed his orders without question. She would have been pelted with rocks from the explosion in the bathroom if she'd wasted time questioning his order. Tonks was relieved to see though that Harry took to command as if born to it.

That relief vanished when Helena let out a shriek, closely followed by her assurance that she was alright. When Tonks finally came upon the shed skin of the beast, the auror though it was easily scary enough to frighten a ghost - it scared the shit out of her.

Harry had his sword out, examining the skin closely. His swipe easily cut through the skin, and then he invited Hermione to do the same. "This is an old skin, so the actual basilisk will be bigger than this. Once we take out its eyes, we need to stay away from its head, one scratch from those fangs and it's all over. This is going to be brutal, we'll need to take this down a piece at a time. Attack and withdraw until blood loss slows it down enough and allows us the opportunity to administer a killing stroke."

Hermione knew Harry was basically asking her if she had the stomach for this, she took out her blade and sliced at the skin. It certainly took more effort than practicing with the dummies, and she was sure this would give her nightmares for years, but she had every intention of fighting at Harry's side today. This was why Hermione trained so hard, she never wanted to stand there helpless again while Harry was forced to fight for their lives.

"I can do this, Harry."

Padma then added her two knuts worth. "We can act as decoys, get it chasing after us and then you can attack it."

"That's too dangerous, Padma. This thing is a killing machine..."

"...which is going to forget all about annoying little old me the moment one of you two sticks their sword into its gut. You will then need us again to pull it off you, before the other one stabs the bugger again. Like Hermione said, we can do this, Harry."

Harry's nod of agreement to Padma saw Tonks lose her temper. "This is bloody crazy! It's one thing to cut up a chunk of dead skin, your going to be taking on a deadly creature in its own home..."

"We know that, Auror Tonks. We are also aware a plan rarely survives past the initial contact. It is always better though to have a plan you can adapt, rather than step into the unknown with nothing. Do you have any better suggestions, other than stand here and hope help arrives soon enough to save Parvati?" Tonks had no answer for Harry, he didn't think she would have. "This is purely a rescue mission, Auror, if we can grab Parvati and get the hell out of here without fighting anything - that's exactly what we'll do. Let whoever likes deal with the bloody thing. As a centurion, I have to plan for all foreseeable eventualities. That's what we're doing here."

Tonks looked toward Henrica for support but found none. "I am in the process of writing a book on goblin culture and their civilisation. Harry is a centurion and in command of this situation, I know he'll do everything in his power to get us all out of here in one piece. I also know he'll do a more capable job of that task than I could."

With that matter decided, they pushed on once more. It wasn't long before they were faced with a massive circular door, a door that was covered in carved snakes - and of course securely locked.

"This is just like the sinks in the bathroom, Harry. It's not only been locked by a Parselmouth, I can't pass through it either." It was strange for Helena to meet something 'solid' but that's exactly what this door and the surrounding walls felt like.

Harry again called on Hogwarts assistance and this time the wild magic swirled around the tunnel, all could see it was taking a lot more effort to open this door. The 'whump' behind them had all eyes and wands focused in that direction, all except Harry's. "That's a cave-in, these tunnels haven't been maintained for a millennium and I was worried about that." As the door finally swung open, Harry transfigured some bones into iron bars - using them to jam the door mechanism. "I didn't want to blast this door, that just might bring the entire roof down on us. Could you take a quick look, Auror Tonks, just to see how far away the cave-in is - and how bad?"

Tonks was back in under two minutes. "It's just around the corner, we should be able to move some of it - enough for us to squeeze through anyway."

"That will only hold my father up by a matter of minutes, are we ready to do this?"

Each person nodded to Harry as they then entered the fabled chamber of secrets.

-oOoOo-

As they entered the castle, the rescue group found a ghostly guide waiting on them. "Sir, your son discovered the entrance to the chamber of secrets, they entered in the hope of saving the young Patil witch taken down there. He jammed the entrance open so you could follow him down, and asked me to warn you the creature attacking Hogwarts students is a basilisk."

There was no face palming, whining or even questioning that information, there was though a noticeable speeding up as they raced to the entrance. As they past the afflicted ghosts, the Baron gave the company a bit more hope. "The Lady Helena accompanied them into the chamber, she intended to lead the way - offering some protection and at least a warning to the group. I hope you will allow me to do the same for you."

Barchoke quickly agreed, before coming to a stop as they shot into the bathroom. Hermione had stuck a pair of mirror sunglasses to the wall nearest the sink, and the Baron quickly explained their plan for dealing with the creature. Amelia was most impressed, agreeing they should do the same.

"If we meet this creature, we will attempt to blind it and then provide cover while your blades bring it down."

That was the type of cooperation Barchoke liked, each playing to their strengths. They would struggle to deal with the creature's deathly gaze, while the aurors wouldn't be able to penetrate the basilisk's hide with magic.

They were soon sliding down the chute and forming ranks inside the tunnel. They proceeded cautiously until discovering the shed skin. At that point, Barchoke broke into a full run - right up until he found the cave-in. They were busily clearing a path through the rubble when a primal scream chilled everyone who heard it to their very bones.

The only shred of comfort available to the worried goblin father was that no human throat could possibly produce that sound. He scrambled through the instant the hole was big enough to allow him passage, and soon discovered Harry had jammed the next door open too. Before Barchoke could enter the chamber properly, another scream reverberated off the stone walls. Unfortunately, this one was human.

-oOoOo-

The chamber was long and dimly lit, with massive stone columns supporting a ceiling that was so high, it became lost in the darkness. These columns had snakes carved all around them, Harry though was far more interested in the cover they should hopefully provide to the rescuers, rather than any decorative function. A shiver of dread ran up his spine at the thought of playing a deadly bout of hide and seek here, weaving their way through these dimly lit columns - with a giant basilisk in lethal pursuit.

Their footsteps echoed for all to hear as they carefully progressed through these supports, eventually revealing a statue as high as the the dim and dank chamber against the back wall. Craning his neck, Harry was able to make out an ancient and almost monkeyish face. The mystery of why there were no portraits of Salazar Slytherin was now solved as far as Harry was concerned, who the hell would want to paint this ugly bugger! It was only when he spotted what was lying between the statue's massive stone feet that he knew for certain they were in serious trouble.

With a cry of 'PAV!', Padma sprinted toward her sister, dropping to her knees beside the prone figure. Henrica went with Padma as Harry directed the rest of the group to form a protective perimeter around the trio of witches while Parvati's condition was being assessed.

"Pav - don't be dead - please don't be dead " Padma grabbed her twin's shoulders and turned her over. Her face was pale and cold, yet her eyes were closed. If she wasn't petrified, then she must be... "Pav, please wake up," Muttering desperately, panic saw Padma shaking her twin. Parvati's head lolled hopelessly from side to side.

Henrica began casting the few general health diagnostic spells she knew. "Parvati's alive but very weak. I can't find any reason for her being unconscious so suggest we get her to a healer as quickly as possible."

"She won't wake," said a soft voice.

Tonks almost jumped out her skin. She was watching this area yet the dark haired Slytherin student had appeared out of nowhere. The prefect badge made him at least fifth year though he looked somewhat older, he also looked as if he wasn't quite solid. His identity was soon confirmed in the most unusual manner possible, Tonks could only equate the sound of one ghost slapping another as being similar to her wet bathing costume hitting a stone floor while she changed after swimming.

Helena was absolutely livid. "Tom Riddle, you utter bastard. What have you done to that poor girl?"

Harry knew at once who had been controlling Parvati, he switched to goblin and began shouting instructions - thankful that Henrica received the charm from Hermione last weekend. ""Henrica, Padma, only a horcrux could be responsible for this. He's trying to drain Parvati's soul and restore his own. She must have it on her, we need to find it - and then destroy the bloody thing. Looking at Riddle, and with how weak Parvati is, we don't have much time.""

Tom was actually laughing at Helena's tirade. "The daughter of the great Rowena Ravenclaw, just as gullible as the little tramp lying over there. She wanted to be smart like her sister, all so she could get a boyfriend - pathetic creature..."

It was then Tom noticed they were searching the unconscious girl, and they appeared to know what they were looking for. "Get away from her, leave her alone." He had drawn Parvati's wand, and that was the signal for Harry to spring into action.

"Stupid boy, your sword can't hurt me, Potter."

Harry's blade swished through the air, and proved Tom right. Tom though wasn't the blade's intended target, Parvati would be requiring a new wand as Harry just cut straight through hers. He privately swore to replace it, but they would all need to come through this in one piece first.

A shout from Padma alerted him they'd found something. ""We have an old black book here that certainly didn't belong to Pav."" Both she and Henrica cast spells at it, without doing any damage. ""This must be it, not a bloody scratch on the thing! How are we going to destroy it?""

Hermione offered a frightening solution. ""Basilisk venom is one of the most deadly substances known, it will kill anything!""

Tom could clearly see what they were attempting to do, but couldn't understand a word they were saying. He threw the now useless bit of wand away. The Heir of Slytherin had intended to gloat for a while yet, inform these people of his brilliance before watching them die. They left him no choice though, but to proceed directly to the main event.

"Now, Harry, just for that, I'm going to teach you a little lesson. Let's match the powers of Lord Voldemort, Heir of Salazar Slytherin, against famous Harry Potter Crow, and the best weapon Hogwarts can give its mischosen champion."

Helena attempted to stop him but the best she could do was slow Tom down a touch. He was soon standing in front of the ugly statue and hissing away.

Harry meanwhile was rallying his troops. ""Get Parvati up against the wall, she should be safe there. Tom won't want anything happening to her, that would certainly screw up his ritual. Remember the plan and good luck, we're going to need it.""

Neville lifted Parvati and placed her as close to the wall as he could, Henrica conjured a small wall in front of the unconscious girl for added protection.

Changing to English, he shouted to Tonks. "Auror, if you have any improvements to our ideas, now would be a good time to tell us."

Looking at how solid Tom Riddle was becoming, Tonks now realised waiting on reinforcements would have cost the girl her life - and left them facing a restored Lord Voldemort. "We three take the left, the other three have the right. Aim true, hit hard - and good luck!"

That made sense to Harry as Hermione joined him, a quick kiss and they were ready to face this together.

As Padma, Neville and Henrica prepared to fire on the basilisk's right eye, Padma grabbed Neville and kissed him too, whispering 'for luck'. Both knew how dangerous the next few minutes would be, they could talk about what that kiss meant later - hopefully.

All were wearing their mirror sunglasses but under no illusion that the situation wasn't now much more dangerous than they first perceived. Should they fail to take out these eyes and end up petrified, a revitalised Lord Voldemort would soon be joining them in the chamber. None of them would be leaving here alive if that happened. Harry at least had the consolation of knowing his father was on his way here, and would certainly make a concerted effort to avenge him.

As the stone mouth of the ugly statue creaked open, they could hear the creature making its way out of its lair.

Harry steadied his troops. "Hold on people, we're only going to get one shot at this. Wait for my command ...wait ...wait ...NOW!"

Just as its snout began to appear from the mouth, six starburst charms exploded right in front of the basilisk's face. That part of their plan worked to perfection, the rest of it though quickly fell apart. The basilisk was thrashing about in agony, throwing its head about far quicker than any dummy they had ever practiced on. With more luck than skill, the group managed to burst the left eye, they could all see the basilisk recovering though and rather hopefully cast more starburst spells.

Henrica decided it was time for a different approach, she just hoped her protective mirror sunglasses transfigured along with her. She transformed into her veela avian form and shot toward the basilisk, her scaly wings soon bringing her level with the basilisk's head. Using her claws to latch on to the giant creature, a fireball left her clawed hand directly into the as yet undamaged eye. Unfortunately, having to be this close meant Henrica couldn't avoid looking into the large yellow eye. She lost consciousness, and her grip as the now blinded basilisk violently thrashed its head from side to side in severe pain.

Harry barely had time to scream 'cease fire' as Henrica in her veela form launched herself at the basilisk, and Tonks was reacting before anyone needed to tell her. She caught Henrica before the still transformed veela could hit the stone floor, and quickly levitated her over beside Parvati.

Tom was incensed, and Helena wasn't slow to push his buttons.

"Your powers don't seem that great now, do they Tom? I think our chosen champion and his friends have just acquitted themselves rather well."

An enraged Tom Riddle began screaming at the Basilisk, and you didn't need to speak parceltongue to understand the message being sent. KILL THEM!

The four friends received a jolt of positive emotion when Tonks shouted her discovery across the chamber. "Henrica's petrified, but alive!"

Harry shouted reply also contained an order. "Auror Tonks, stay there and protect those two. We'll handle the rest - you are our new plan B for Tom!" Hoping the auror was quick enough to decipher his cryptic message, he then switched to goblin.

""Padma, you're with me. Neville, your job is to pull the basilisk off Hermione."" Harry hated handing his mate's safety over to anyone else but was left with no other choice, they needed to work as a team now more than ever. The four made a lot of noise as they entered the pillars, making sure the creature knew where they were and would follow them. Helena was doing her best to antagonise Riddle, distracting him from offering any directions or instructions to the beast.

Their first trap was almost their last, this creature was amazingly quick. Only Harry's armour enhanced speed saw his blade bite into the creature's side before its jaws would have snapped on Neville. He then melted into the maze of columns as Padma started shouting and firing curses at the beast from a different angle. As the enraged creature followed its natural instincts and lunged in the direction where it perceived this latest threat to be, Hermione emerged from behind another pillar to inflict a wound on the creature's other side. Neville then took over, drawing the deadly creature's attention away from Hermione and positioning the beast where Harry was ready to strike again. Padma would then play her part as the cycle repeated itself.

They were leading the basilisk by the nose, like Matadors working a bull and gradually reducing a magnificent animal to nothing more than meat for butchering. Their hit and run tactics were working perfectly, the basilisk was beginning to slow down from severe loss of blood. This factor actually proved to be their undoing though as Hermione opened another deep wound in the creature before slipping on the now bloody stone floor.

The great fanged head turned around to face her and neither Padma nor Neville could convince it to change direction once the ancient creature had locked on to its now vulnerable prey. Hermione was rather inelegantly parked on her bum, trying to push herself backwards and away from the approaching basilisk with her flailing legs and arms finding little purchase on the now slippery floor.

Harry was forced to act, he raced forward and imbedded the sword of Gryffindor into the beast right up to the blade's hilt. He then used this fabled sword to cast his most powerful blasting curse. The basilisk may have skin that was incredibly resistant to magic, but the sword was actually inside its body. A horrible scream was emitted from the beast as internal organs were reduced to mush but Harry didn't hear it.

When he used this attack on the dummies, by bracing himself it was the dummies that ended up flying across the room. Here, the sheer mass of the basilisk meant it was always going to be Harry who received the backlash from his spell, this backlash blew a large hole in the creature and saw him thrown right along the chamber. He smacked into the floor with an almighty clatter, his body being twisted into unnatural shapes as it skimmed and skidded along. Only crashing heavily into the wall finally halted his momentum.

The blast that killed the basilisk saw its head shoot forward in its death throes, unfortunately landing on the still prone Hermione's legs - crushing both and pinning her under the creature.

Tom was jubilant, the basilisk may be dead but he had still won - and that was all that mattered. He walked over as Harry fought a losing battle to remain conscious. "I'm going to stand here and watch you die, Harry Potter. Take your time, I'm in no hurry. Your last thought will be that I, as we all knew I would, have won. You and all your friends will soon be dead..."

"Hey Tom, you don't half talk a load of shit!"

Tom spun around to see the Longbottom boy had used that little witch's sword to hack a fang out of the basilisk's jaw, and was now removing a certain black book from his pocket.

"You should know that Harry doesn't stand alone against you, his friends always have his back covered. This one's for both of our parents, stay dead you murdering bastard!"

Tom managed to shout 'stop' but Neville paid him no mind, slamming the point of the basilisk fang into the diary.

There was a long, dreadful, piercing scream. Ink spurted out of the diary in torrents, running all over Neville's hands, and forming a large puddle on the floor. Tom was writhing and twisting, screaming and flailing and then - silence!

Neville dropped the fang and raced over to Harry, he was kneeling beside his friend as he muttered the question Neville knew was coming.

"Hermione?"

"The basilisk landed on her legs, probably breaking both of them. Padma's with her now and Hermione's far more worried about you."

Harry managed an 'I'm fine' before passing out. Helena couldn't miss the worry on Neville's face and offered up some reassurance.

"That magnificent armour our champion possesses has just saved his life, he'll certainly need to visit the infirmary but both he and his mate will be ready to dance again by this time next week."

Knowing both girls would be desperate to hear from him, Neville shouted the news over since the body of the basilisk was hiding them from his line of sight. "Harry's battered and bruised, possibly a few broken bones but his armour protected him from more serious injury. He's just passed out."

Hermione's head was now being gently cradled on Padma's lap as her friend also held onto her hand. While Padma was doing her best to offer some comfort, Hermione understood that not knowing her sister's fate must be eating away at the witch. "Go and check on Parvati, I'll still be here when you get back!"

"Hey Granger, I do the jokes, you slice up the massive deadly beasts - that's the deal, remember."

Tonks voice then rang around the chamber. "Parvati's beginning to wake up, I think she's going to be okay."

This proved to be the trigger for both girls to release their tears, Hermione might be in a lot of pain but the tears flowing down her cheeks were those of relief. They may not all be walking out of here but they were all alive, none of them really believed that outcome was likely - or even if it was remotely possible.

She found her other hand now being held by Barchoke, the goblin making no attempt to hide his own tears. ""Well met, father, I can't tell you how happy I am to see you again. Please check on our Harry, I can't see him from here and it's driving me crazy.""

With extreme care, the goblin very gently traded places with Padma, releasing her to race over and check on her twin. ""I'm staying right here my oh so brave daughter, there are two healers currently checking on him. Amelia is also here with her aurors, so everyone will be okay. The healers will be with you soon, we just need to work out the best way to get this thing off of you first.""

Harry was then carried over on a stretcher by four centurions and placed beside his still trapped mate. This was a heartfelt tribute of respect by their comrades - saluting their courage for tackling and then defeating a beast such as this. Both the centurion and his mate were covered in the residue of what must have been a titanic battle, and their bloody swords were respectfully positioned between them.

The looks of appreciation and even awe heading in the direction of the father and his two children from those in the chamber were something that should have been savoured. Barchoke though never took his gaze from his son and daughter as solutions were being feverishly discussed on how to move the biggest bloody basilisk in recorded history off Hermione.

Harry was still unconscious but just seeing he was alive settled Hermione. None of the people urgently milling around them mattered now, Harry was back where he belonged - beside her.

Their father had brought enough goblins along to physically lift this bloody thing off her if they had to, now all she and Harry needed to worry about was telling their mum and dad.

A/N Thanks for reading

46. Heroes of Hogwarts

Harry Crow

Disclaimer - I would like to think that Harry Potter belongs to all of us who spend our time keeping the-boy-who-lived alive. Providing we're not making any money from Jo Rowling's creation, her lawyers would appear to be quite happy indulging us in this fantasy. I wouldn't want to upset those lawyers, especially since I can't afford to hire one of my own.

Chapter 46

A pleasant Saturday morning spent shopping was instantly forgotten about as the Grangers entered their home, only to find Sirius impatiently waiting on them. "Where the hell have you been?"

Seeing how distressed Sirius was immediately alerted both parents something had to be seriously wrong. Dan didn't mess about with any pleasantries either. "Has there been another attack?"

"Yes, between the attack and the aftermath, Hermione, Harry and Henrica are all in the Hogwarts infirmary. None of them are critical and the problem has been dealt with. That's all the information I was given, and I've been going nuts waiting on you two arriving home. We need to head to Hogwarts right away."

Emma was too shocked at that news to say anything, she actually felt her head beginning to spin. Dan soon had an arm around his wife, offering his support as their shopping now lay forgotten around them. "We both obviously want to go but how are we supposed to do that? I thought we couldn't even see Hogwarts?"

Sirius was already slipping a bracelet onto Emma's wrist before handing one to Dan. "These will neutralise the muggle-repelling wards and allow you inside the castle. I also have a portkey here that will take us to the edge of the wards. Bill Weasley passed me these through the floo, along with telling me to get you two to Hogwarts as quickly as possible. Apparently it was pandemonium there when he called, Bill didn't have time to tell me any more. Are you ready?"

Since they hadn't even take their coats off, both Grangers quickly agreed. It seemed only a moment later that they were picking themselves up off the grass on a Scottish hillside, and staring at a magnificent castle that could only be Hogwarts. A small silvery dog-shaped wisp left Sirius' wand and shot toward the castle.

"That was a message spell, Barchoke wanted to know the moment we arrived." Sirius noticed the place was crawling with aurors, and even saw a squad of fully armoured goblins in the courtyard as they entered the castle gates. "Whatever the trouble was appears to really be over. If the amount of people now guarding Hogwarts is any indication, whatever happened must have been really big."

"Would you like to bet that our lot were right in the bloody middle of whatever happened?" Dan got no takers for that, both Sirius and Emma thought he was probably right.

They entered the main doors to find Barchoke heading toward them. "How are they? Can we see them?"

"Emma, they're all going to be fine and will probably be back training by next weekend. We need to have a quick private chat before you go in to see them, you need to know what you'll be walking into."

Dan wanted to see Hermione, and he wanted to see her now. "Can't we just see them first, and talk later?"

"There are things you really need to know first, you are all just going to have to trust me for now. We can and will go through what happened in much greater detail later but there are changes you need to be aware of before entering the infirmary."

Directing them to the nearest classroom, Barchoke had the worried trio sit before starting the story. "There was an attack this morning, I think the final count was three aurors and nine students petrified - Susan and Hannah were amongst them. Our group had been researching what might be doing the attacking, last night they came up with a probable answer that has since been proven correct - a basilisk."

This saw Sirius drop his head into his hands. "Please, please don't tell me they were involved with a basilisk?"

"That's not the half of it, Sirius, a horcrux belonging to Tom Riddle had possessed a student to control the beast, they had to deal with that too." Barchoke then had to offer an explanation to the Grangers just what a basilisk was, both Dan and Emma now understood the goblin insisting they sat down.

"The message left on the wall this time read 'her skeleton will lie in the chamber forever', that skeleton would have belonged to Parvati Patil."

Emma was now openly weeping for the poor girl as Barchoke continued the story. "They had discovered the entrance to the chamber as the castle was being evacuated. Harry had sent a signal to me that they were in trouble and knew I'd be along as quickly as I could - they didn't know if that would be quick enough to save Parvati - turns out we probably wouldn't have gotten here in time."

Dan was now trying to console his sobbing wife. They obviously knew Padma better but were still more than acquainted with her twin. He was also beginning to appreciate the bind their kids had been in.

"They had a plan, a bloody good one, an auror, the Ravenclaw ghost and Henrica too for company - they obviously decided to try and rescue Parvati." The goblin then turned his attention specifically to the marauder. "You have to see this basilisk to believe the bloody size of the thing, Sirius, their plan managed to safely take out one of its deadly eyes. Henrica transformed into her avian veela form and attacked the other eye, putting her life on the line to buy them a chance. She's currently petrified but you should have her back in the next few hours. Sirius, Henrica Hobson is a lady you wouldn't want to get away from you!"

The marauder could only nod in agreement, words currently failed him.

It was to the Grangers that Barchoke addressed the rest of the story. "With Auror Tonks having to protect an unconscious Parvati and a petrified Henrica, the four then led the blinded basilisk on a not so merry dance. Harry and Hermione were slowly bringing it down with repeated wounds from their swords when their luck ran out, Hermione was retreating when she slipped on a patch of its blood they'd spilled earlier. Seeing her in trouble forced Harry to finish the creature off, he jammed his sword into the beast and cast a blasting curse..."

Sirius understood immediately what the consequences of that would be. "I take it he got hit with the spell backlash?"

"Blew him straight across the chamber like one of those duelling dummies he's so fond of wrecking. It also saw the beast's head land on Hermione, thankfully its fangs came no where near our girl but it still managed to crush both her legs..."

Dan was on his feet before even realising he'd moved. "WHAT! You told us she was okay, having both legs crushed certainly isn't classified as okay in my book."

There was steel in Barchoke's voice now. "You're forgetting, Dan, we're working from different books here. The shattered bones have already been vanished from her legs and a potion is currently repairing the soft tissue damage. Tonight, she'll drink another potion that will regrow all the bones in her legs. Hermione will be up and walking within forty eight hours."

This took the wind out of Dan's sails and he sat back down, Barchoke never let up though. "I raced into that chamber to find Neville kneeling over our unmoving son, while Padma cradled our trapped daughter's head in her lap. Both our children were literally covered in blood and I feared the very worst. I had seventy fully armed goblins behind me, Amelia brought along a dozen aurors. If we'd had to fight that thing, neither of us would have expected to do so without taking casualties. That they not only defeated the beast, with Neville destroying the horcrux for good measure, and they all made it out of there alive is a major cause for celebration."

Now came the news that the goblin was unsure how the Grangers would react to. "They are being hailed as heroes, and rightly so. The Hogwarts infirmary is under goblin control and nothing will get anywhere near our family while they are in there. My nation places great value on bravery and honour, and they have taken our courageous daughter to their hearts. So much so that she currently has a centurion guard of honour in the infirmary, guards who will react instantly to any form of threat."

Something about the way Barchoke said that last sentence bothered Dan. "While I am delighted Hermione is protected, what exactly did you mean by that last remark?"

The goblin Ambassador left no room for ambiguity, Dan needed to understand exactly what was being said here. "Should anyone begin shouting at Hermione, they will treat that as at least insulting - and at worse threatening. She is the mate of a centurion, a friend of our nation and a heroine in her own right. Harry's fellow centurions will protect her until he is once more able to do so himself."

As Barchoke expected, Dan appeared shocked by that. Better shocked though than having a goblin blade at his throat. Emma nodded to Barchoke that she understood, and would have a tight rein on Dan. There was also something she wanted to ask. "How is Harry?"

"It may actually be easier to list the bones he hasn't broken. He's still unconscious but should awaken shortly. He too should be healed within forty eight hours." Barchoke then offered Dan an olive branch. "The Minister of Magic is already in the castle, with the director making his way here later. There will be a party going down to the chamber to see exactly what happened, I'm inviting you and Sirius to be part of that party. Perhaps seeing it for yourself will give you a better appreciation of exactly what our children have gone through."

Dan then turned sheepishly to his wife. "Am I really that bad?"

Reaching for her husband's hand, Emma tried her best to allay Dan's fears of being a poor father. "Bad is totally the wrong word to use here, Dan. Our daughter is now part of a different world, adjust how you express your genuine concern for her safety and you'll be fine. With Parvati already down there and in grave danger, nothing short of physical restraints would have stopped Padma trying to save her sister. We all know Harry wouldn't have wanted to take any of them into the chamber with him, just as we know Hermione would have pushed to be included."

No one could disagree with Emma's assessment, though the mother wasn't finished displaying her insight quite yet. "Hermione will be lying up there, worried about Harry and our reaction to this. I say we wait until everyone has had a chance to cool down, and they've had a chance to heal, before we sit down as a family and discuss exactly what happened. They're all still with us and I'll settle for that at the moment, I just want to see them now."

This outcome delighted Barchoke, while it could be considered cruel to keep a father apart from his daughter, an enraged Dan couldn't be allowed anywhere near Hermione under the current situation. He rose to lead them to the infirmary. "Neville and Padma are being treated for battle fatigue while our mind healers are working with Parvati - mainly to ensure that horcrux left no permanent damage. Ramrao, Smita and Augusta are already here, their reactions to this are pretty similar to our own. We may want to include them in our family discussion. Sirius, I already count Henrica as family, she more than earned that right today. A final decision has yet to be reached but the ministry will have to prove Hogwarts is safe before students can return, that won't happen today. Once these two are fit to travel they will be heading home." All knew they would discuss exactly where home was later.

Dan noticed the stares from everyone they passed, be they auror or goblin. He asked Barchoke about it. "They all know who you are, the pictures in the Prophet of the ministry's ball made sure of that. They also now know what four second year students accomplished, that is why they stare."

The increased security told them they were approaching the infirmary, and the stares were now accompanied by respectful nods or salutes. Emma felt as if she was taking a step back into the health service of the fifties, the infirmary so reminded her of an NHS hospital ward from that period - especially the proliferation of portable screens that cordoned areas off. It was to one of these areas, guarded by a pair of centurions, Barchoke led them. Laying eyes on her daughter saw everything else pushed to the back of her mind as she dived to Hermione's bed.

Dan was left to stand and watch as both his girls were in floods of tears while holding each other tightly. He couldn't go around to the other side of his daughter's bed for the simple reason that Harry's was jammed tightly up against it - Hermione had been holding his hand as they entered the infirmary. Any residual anger Dan had toward Harry for placing his daughter in danger vanished with his first glance at the unconscious boy, Harry appeared as if he'd been run over by a bus in his efforts to save Hermione. If magical medicine could get Harry back on his feet in forty-eight hours then Dan would be really impressed.

Barchoke nudged Sirius. "Henrica is in the next section to this. Hermione's going to be busy for a while and Harry's still out, she needs to see a friendly face when she becomes unpetrified - the last thing she saw wouldn't have been exactly pleasant."

Nodding, Sirius left.

-oOoOo-

Neville couldn't stand the silence any longer. "Gran, if you want to shout at me then go ahead. I knew I would be in trouble but went anyway - they needed me down there."

"Neville, part of me wants to rant, rave and ground you until you're of age, another part of me wants to stand proud and shout your achievements to the entire world. I'll make that stupid brother of mine eat those squib comments, Algie will not be the only one swallowing their words now. The biggest part of me though is simply terrified with the thought I could have lost you. We're slowly getting your mum and dad back, to lose you now would kill me."

Watching the tears run down his gran's cheeks as she sat beside his bed saw Neville rise and take his grandmother in his arms.

Augusta felt as if she was cast adrift in the sea of uncertainty, the fixed points she'd steered their lives by were shifting to different orbits. Every safe harbour of familiarity and truth had been dragged below the waves by cataclysmic events in the lives of the Longbottoms. Ever since her grandson had boarded the Hogwarts express, their lives had been undergoing dramatic changes. Amelia had spoken to her before she'd entered the infirmary, having received a report from her auror who'd been down there fighting alongside her grandson. Part of that information was so unbelievable to Augusta, it was eating away at the old witch - so she just had to ask if it was true.

"Neville, did you really face down you-know-who, and then destroy him?"

"His name is Tom Riddle, gran, and that's who was responsible for all this. He was standing over Harry and gloating, forgetting all about the rest of us. He'll remember the Longbottom name from now on..."

The stoic Augusta Longbottom broke at that, she was sobbing in a mixture of relief and pride as she clung to her godson. Frank and Alice though would need to be a lot further on in their recovery before this incident would ever be mentioned in their presence.

-oOoOo-

Ramrao was sitting beside his daughter's bed, chatting with Padma about nonsensical and inconsequential things. This was a clear case of talking about anything, rather than mention the elephant in the room - or, in this situation, on the other side of the privacy screens.

The goblin mind healers were checking Parvati over to ensure there was no lasting damage from her possession by the horcrux. Smita was in there with her, with both father and twin sister anxiously awaiting Parvati's results.

Smita entered with tears in her eyes, neither drew any meaning from that - Smita had been in tears since arriving in the infirmary. "The healers say she'll be fine. All we need to do now is get her to open up about the whole experience..."

That was Padma's cue, she was out her bed and out of there before either parent could say another word. Ramrao drew his wife into his arms. "Let her go. If anyone can handle Parvati in this situation, it's Padma. We'll just have to listen in."

She found her sister curled up in the foetal position and facing away from her. "Pav, stop being a bed hog and bunch over, this floor is bloody freezing - and you know where I'll put my feet to heat them up."

She budged over but still kept her back turned, even when Padma tried to provoke a reaction by running her cold feet down the back of Parvati's legs. She settled for snuggling into her twin, waiting on Parvati speaking first. After all, Padma was supposed to be the quiet one.

It took a few minutes but their was finally a response. "How can you stand to be close to me, after what I've done."

"You didn't do anything, it was that bastard Tom Riddle. Anyway, before I hit the shower earlier, no one would have been in the same room as me. I can give you some beauty tips for a change, basilisk blood does absolutely nothing for your hair or complexion. Don't worry about Riddle though, Neville settled that score. He slammed a basilisk fang right through that stupid book, where did you get it anyway?"

"I though it was from Harry..."

"Harry?"

"Remember on the express, he was handing out that pile of Dumbledore books. I was sticking them in my pockets and left with an armful too. I kept one in my pocket for myself, and found that book in there as well. It was blank so I decided to use it as a diary, then it started answering me back..."

Parvati could feel her sister stiffen at that news. "I know, I know, bloody stupid or what? How to prove I wasn't Ravenclaw material. I thought it was some kind of goblin teaching aid, I asked a question - it provided the right answer. I thought this might be one of the reasons why Harry was so smart, and all the good wizards seem to be drooling over the smart witches. I didn't realise I was soon answering more questions than I asked, it was just like gossiping to a friend - a friend who would keep your secrets. It seemed very interested in Harry though, now I know why."

After a few moments of silence, Padma prompted her sister to continue. "What happened next, Pav?"

"I wanted to be smart like you, the book said it could help and began teaching me meditation. I started losing hours at a time though, hours I had no memory of, and falling behind on my homework too - so I stopped using it. Hermione's party being canceled had me so angry I needed to meditate again - I was almost sick with nerves but had actually approached a boy and asked him for a date to that party."

A comforting squeeze from her twin gave Parvati the courage to continue her tale. "Fortunately, Blaise was very good about it and asked me to the Merlin ball as his date, we both know how that night ended. When you left at Halloween I meditated for most of the day, and later discovered what happened to Luna. I felt ill and had my suspicions, but by that time though it was as if I was under some sort of incredibly strong compulsion charm - I just couldn't put the book down..."

"I know exactly how that feels, Pav, I've come across one of them before..."

This saw Parvati turn around and stare right into her twin's eyes. "You wouldn't lie to me, Padma, not about this - please!"

"Last year, the four of us, with Professor Weasley and Henrica, went searching for one we knew was inside Hogwarts - it was Ravenclaw's Diadem. The instant I saw it, I wanted to rush forward and put it on. Neville had to drag me away while Professor Weasley put it in a container and took the thing to Gringotts. They have a way to kill the horcrux that doesn't involve fighting a bloody basilisk."

"I can't believe you came down there after me..."

"You're my sister, of course I was coming after you. Harry simply said you were family, I think we both know you never, ever want to mess with any of his family."

"How am I going to face them after what happened?"

"Again, Pav, I know exactly how you feel. We were waiting on that basilisk making an appearance, and I didn't know if I would ever get another chance, so I just grabbed Neville and kissed his socks off!"

"You didn't?"

"Well, I never actually checked to see if his socks were still on his feet, but I certainly kissed him."

A moment's silence followed before the inevitable question was asked. "What was it like?"

At that, Smita pulled Ramrao away. She was overjoyed to hear her girls chatting about normal things like boys, anything was better than dark lord possessions and basilisks. Here was the first hopeful sign that their family could come through this ordeal and be whole again.

-oOoOo-

Sirius was sitting by a petrified Henrica's bed and trying to forge a safe path for himself through the emotional turmoil he was currently experiencing, a task that was proving to be far easier said than done. The three most important people in the world to Sirius Black had all courted death in this morning's battle, and escaped her final fatal embrace by the skin of their teeth. That was enough to scramble anyone's emotions and toss them in a pan to cook. The marauder then attempted to look at each of the three cases individually and see if that helped focus his thoughts on the matter, he found the first part was relatively easy.

He had loved Harry James Potter from the instant the baby was placed in his arms. Sirius had literally felt something inside him 'shift' at that moment, his outlook on the world had just been radically altered. Up until then, babies were something witches giggled about to each other, and being parentally involved in the manufacturing of one was something to be avoided at all costs - practicing the fabrication method with a willing partner though was fine. Holding his godson in his arms radically changed those views. With the right witch, this particular result was now something to actually be desired - not feared.

That his godson had already found the right witch for himself was no longer in any doubt, and the love Sirius had for Harry had easily expanded to include his beautiful and brilliant mate, Hermione Granger. Watching that young couple grow really was one of the few highlights of his life. Being two for two, Sirius now turned his attention to the veela lying on the bed.

With Henrica petrified in her avian form, here was all the visual proof you could ever want of her veela heritage. It was only after discovering that his hand had unknowingly slipped into her claw that Sirius smiled at this subconscious confirmation of what he was only now beginning to realise. Irrespective of her form - Sirius Black was head over heels in love with Henrica Hobson.

It was hard to put any kind of measurement on how much you would miss someone but, by a simple comparison, Sirius knew he would have mourned the passing of this witch at least as much as the other two people he could so easily admit to loving. Shit, even the bloody goblin could see what was right in front of Sirius' eyes!

At that, Henrica literally began to change right in front of Sirius' eyes. As the potion in her body slowly battled the petrification, it also allowed that same body to revert back to its original form. As arms and legs straightened out from their unnaturally frozen positions, they also transformed until Sirius was once more holding his girlfriend's beautifully manicured hand.

When Henrica had entirely regained her own form, she once more began to breathe and Sirius reached out to remove her sunglasses.

"Careful with those, love, I really want to keep them. They seem to have saved my life..."

At that, Sirius leaned forward and gently kissed her lips. "...and you saved everyone else's."

Henrica released a small sob of relief at hearing that news. "Oh thank goodness for that. You looked so serious, I was afraid to ask."

It was a measure of how serious Sirius was treating the situation that he never even reacted to his favourite pun. "I was so serious because I was too afraid to ask. Nearly losing you showed me a far greater fear, I can't lose you again. Henrica, will you marry me?" For a moment, Sirius thought the petrification curse had returned, Henrica didn't move a muscle. Then her face broke into the most beautiful smile the marauder had ever seen.

"Only if you're ready, Sirius. I will wait, you know."

"I think I've always been ready, I just needed to find the right person to be ready with..."

"...and all I had to do was fight a basilisk to make me the right person?"

Sirius loved how Henrica could be playful, even at a time like this. It was just one of the many things he was finding to love about this witch. "I was suddenly given a glimpse of what my life would be without you in it, it was not a pretty picture."

"I'm sorry, Sirius, I did try to talk them out of going down there. I would have needed to stun Padma to stop her, that would never work with those two boys there - protective doesn't quite cover it. That godson of yours also has a way of making the impossible seem probable, I think it's because he keeps making the impossible bloody happen."

"So you went with them, and kept them all safe - I am so proud of you." This was punctuated with another kiss before Sirius continued. "Last year, Christmas was rubbish as usual but Boxing Day was very good to me. I think celebrating the anniversary of when my new life began with an engagement party would really be fitting. I know you have a lot of commitments next summer, but could you fit a wedding in there somewhere?"

"Sirius, I haven't said yes yet."

"Well hurry up woman, and stop leaving me hanging here."

"What's your hurry? We have the rest of our lives together."

As Henrica pulled him down for a kiss, Sirius just took that as a veela's way of saying yes.

-oOoOo-

Harry slowly regained consciousness, his eyes were still closed but his ears picked up Hermione and her mother chatting. He also felt Hermione's hand in his, he gave it a slight squeeze.

"Harry?"

"Not so loud, Hermione, my head is thumping." Feeling the awkward way she moved toward him for a kiss saw Harry's eyes spring open, and look directly into a tearful pair of brown ones.

"I'm fine, Harry, at least I will be. My legs were crushed and I'll need to regrow the bones tonight."

He attempted to lift his hand and touch her face, only to find it wouldn't move.

Emma had moved around to the other side of Harry and leant down to kiss him on the forehead. "You have some bone growing to do yourself, Harry, just take it easy for now."

"Is everyone else okay? Henrica, Parvati?"

Hermione had rested her head gently on Harry's chest while Emma stroked her fingers through his hair. "You two are the worst injured, everyone else will be going home tonight. We're hoping both of you will make it out of here tomorrow."

Harry recognised the Hogwarts infirmary but had no recollection of coming here. Now that he knew everyone was okay, it was time to get some more answers. "How did we get here and how much trouble are we in? I hope Dan's not too upset, a toddler could get the better of me at the moment."

Hermione gave Harry's hand that still had bones in it a comforting squeeze before answering. "The basilisk's skin was so resistant to magic, they couldn't levitate it off me. It took about thirty goblins with transfigured iron levers to move it enough for our father to slip me out from under it. I passed out at that point and woke up here."

Her mother then took over. "Nobody will be saying anything until you are both recovered and the whole family are there, how much trouble you're in will depend on what happened today. Everyone bar Smita and me are currently down in the chamber, along with a load of press too. They're getting a look at this creature and then the auror's memory is going to be played on a goblin viewer..."

This earned a loud and long groan from Harry, and an answer from his mate. "...I know, we're totally screwed!"

-oOoOo-

Dan almost passed out just seeing the shed skin, even this though didn't prepare him for seeing the real thing. He was able to draw some comfort after noticing neither Sirius or Ramrao seemed to be dealing with this any better than he was. Barchoke had to lead Augusta away and transfigure a chair for the game old witch.

Knowing their kids were actually all safe in the infirmary was the only thing currently holding Dan together, he certainly didn't envy Barchoke bursting in here with no idea what he would find. There had been so much blood spilled that the metallic taste was actually tainting the dank air, he now agreed one hundred percent with the wise goblin's assessment. That their kids had survived this was certainly a cause for celebration, Dan fully intended to have a few glasses of single malt later. He noticed Minerva McGonagall transfigure a chair for herself, right next to Augusta's as Amelia set up a table with a viewer on it. She was joined by the Minister of Magic, Ragnok, Barchoke and both Weasleys - it was show time.

Amelia called the assembled crowd forward. Just about every auror or goblin who wasn't required to guard Hogwarts at the moment had also invited themselves along to the chamber. Since the minister had decided nothing would be hidden from the public regarding this situation, it was a case of the more the merrier.

"You have now all seen the basilisk for yourselves, and the all too obvious signs of the epic struggle that played out in this chamber. What we are going to do now is watch Auror Tonks' memory of the entire event replayed on a goblin memory viewer. It will only show things from the perspective of the person whose memory is being displayed but has the distinct advantage of being able to be viewed by a large group. Please save any questions until the end, we will try and answer them if we can."

The memory started while Harry and Hermione were training, just before the alarm went off. They could all see the auror trying to do her job and protect the two students, Helena's arrival changed that. Watching as the school was evacuated and then almost stumbling upon the scene of the attack had every eye riveted to the viewer. Amelia was sorry to see Susan and Hannah lying there, drawing comfort from the knowledge Barchoke had already sent what supplies they had of the mandrake potion to St. Mungo's. She could also take pride that her aurors were lying at the front, and had gone down trying to protect the students.

Ramrao was in tears as Padma tried to rip the sink off the wall with her bare hands, there were gasps of awe at the magical power pouring off Harry's sword. When Hermione put forward her idea for blinding the basilisk, Dan felt Sirius grip his shoulder before whispering. "Those glasses saved Henrica's life, your daughter is in for one hell of a Christmas present!"

They all looked on as they forged a plan of action to deal with the basilisk, impressing the hell out of everyone who had seen the result of that plan currently lying dead on the chamber floor.

Both Dan and Sirius had to grab Ramrao as they watched Padma shake her sister and plead for her not to be dead, the poor man's legs practically gave out on him - and then Tom Riddle made an appearance. The four switching to goblin immediately drew a murmur from the crowd, that would certainly be a question that would be getting asked later.

With the appearance of the basilisk, and Henrica's heroics, it was now Sirius who needed a supportive arm to steady himself. After shouting instructions to Tonks, the four made a lot of noise and even fired a few curses at the now blind creature to get the giant snake to follow them. From Tonks position, she only caught about half the battle amongst the pillars. It was more than enough to give everyone watching a flavour of what was actually happening.

As Padma and Neville led the creature through the columns, Harry or Hermione would appear and wound the beast. Tonks did have a perfect view of the final moments of the battle. They all saw Hermione slice into the basilisk's side, only for her retreat to be spoiled by the pool of blood her escape path led her into. Padma reacted at once, rushing to help Neville turn the beast away from their friend. The basilisk though wasn't for turning and then the golden blur that was Harry slammed into it, he was once more a blur as a blast then saw him shooting right across the chamber.

Tonks view shifted between Riddle crowing over Harry and what was happening at the basilisk. Padma was attempting to comfort Hermione while Neville lifted her sword and ran around to the other side of the Basilisk's head. He reemerged with a bloody basilisk fang in his hand and then shouted to Riddle.

When Neville claimed this was for their parents and slammed the fang into the diary, Augusta was on her feet - her victory cry matching Tom Riddle's scream for volume and intensity. Neville had just reached Harry when Barchoke came racing into the chamber. Hearing his son was unconscious, he issued orders to those goblins who were right behind him before making his way over to Hermione, the memory ended with a bloody Padma staggering as quickly as her tired legs would allow toward the auror.

The moment of silence that followed was soon broken by tumultuous cheering, applause and weapons being banged off shields.

Amelia finally got them quietened down enough where she could be heard. "This is the first time anyone has watched a memory of this event so I hope you will understand if we don't have answers to all your questions. We are in no way being evasive, it simply means we don't have all the answers ourselves - yet. We also have the family of those young people here in the chamber with us, please keep those questions respectful."

The first question was predictable and easily dealt with by Amelia. "Yes, that was Tom Riddle, who likes to call himself Lord Voldemort. As to the importance of the book, I would defer to Ambassador Barchoke's expertise on the matter."

The goblin's authoritative voice spread his knowledge around the chamber. "The book was a horcrux, one of the darkest and foulest pieces of magic known, and something we have been searching for the past decade to destroy. Part of Voldemort's soul was embedded into its very pages, controlling the young witch who had the misfortune to write in it. Voldemort has controlled those a lot more knowledgable and powerful than Miss Patil, though I am delighted to say our healers have confirmed no trace of the soul fragment remains. Mr Longbottom very effectively killed that portion of the dark lord."

"Can you tell us where they learned to fight like that, and what language they were speaking during the battle?"

Again Amelia deferred to Barchoke. "My son arrived in Hogwarts as a warrior, and has since attained the rank of centurion. After witnessing the auror's memory, I think everyone here would agree my son earned that rank." This was greeted by cheers and sword banging from the goblins present.

"The four work hard at their extra defence tuition every Saturday and Sunday, they receive this tuition from Assistant Ambassador Weasley here, and have done so since the beginning of their first year. They now speak goblin so their opponents can't understand their communications, the advantage of this was ably demonstrated in this morning's battle. As young Neville Longbottom so succinctly put it, his friends have been determined to watch my son's back since the four met last September. As a father, I can't tell you how humble and yet proud that makes me."

The ministry contingent neatly sidestepped questions on awards and basilisk carcass ownership, saying those were discussions that would have to involve more people than those currently present in the chamber.

The one question that caused a stir was aimed at Tonks. "Could the auror please tell us what this mysterious plan B was?"

Tonks had been standing with her fellow aurors watching her memory replayed, Amelia nodded toward Tonks to answer the question.

She tried to look anywhere but in Mr Patil's direction as she answered. "I was closely monitoring Miss Patil's condition. Should she pass away, that would mean Tom had regained his body - and also be my signal to attack him with everything I had. Voldemort had no wand so this might be our only chance to kill him before he got his hands on one."

This led to a follow-up question. "Would you really have killed him?"

Tonks was unrepentant and hardened her stance. "For Voldemort to have regained his body, he would have had to murder Parvati Patil. Let's not forget the four students who were also fighting for their lives, Voldemort with a new body would have swung the balance of the battle against them. To answer your question, I would have blown his head clean off his shoulders - and gladly lived with the consequences."

It was actually Ragnok who broke the awkward silence that followed the auror's declaration of intent. "Auror Tonks, should you ever require alternative employment, Gringotts would be honoured to offer someone with your skills, courage and conviction a position."

Her time spent in Barchoke's company allowed Amelia to read the mischievous twinkle in the director's eyes, it also allowed her to feel secure that her answer would be accepted in the spirit it was offered. "Ambassador Barchoke, could you kindly ask your director to refrain from poaching one of my finest young aurors. Miss Tonks will not require alternative employment as long as I am director of the DMLE."

Ragnok acknowledged the gentle rebuke, accepting it in the friendly manner it was offered, he'd achieved his aim. The young auror who had the courage to do what was necessary now publicly had the protection of her director, let the press make of that what they will.

When the question was asked about how the diary came to be in a young student's hands, the minister himself stepped in at that point. "I have to say that matter is currently under investigation, a joint investigation involving both the ministry and our goblin friends from Gringotts. We suspect that these set of circumstances didn't happen by accident and you can rest assured we will get to the bottom of this."

-oOoOo-

The Prophet led with the headline 'Heroes of Hogwarts' and had six small pictures of those heroes arranged above one of the now dead basilisk that commanded the entire width of the front page. The complete story was then laid out in great detail for the readers, there was no need to embellish what was a truly epic struggle against both Voldemort and a basilisk.

This would be the main talking point at every breakfast table in magical Britain. At the Malfoys, they simply bypassed talking and progressed straight to screaming at each other.

"You sent a horcrux into Hogwarts while our son was there - are you completely mad?"

"I didn't know it was a horcrux until you showed me that blasted book - you think I want our master returning when we have nothing to offer him? Dobby!"

The little elf appeared with his head bowed.

"I sent you to Hogwarts to retrieve this book and you failed me.."

"Dobby carried out master's orders exactly. Dobby searched Harry Potter's Patil friend's room, all her belongings and even under her pillow while she slept. Dobby did not talk to anyone, Dobby did not go anywhere else and Dobby was not seen."

Narcissa hit the roof at her husband's incompetence. "You couldn't even give the book to the right witch, yet you expect them not to catch you?"

"They're identical twins who had their backs to me on a packed train platform!'

"You should have had Dobby check both of them, or did it never occur to you that the great Lucius Malfoy could make a mistake? This is your scheme, your catastrophe and neither my son nor I will be embroiled in your mess. You are on your own for this one, Lucius, and don't expect me to play the dutiful wife - I will not be visiting Azkaban for you or my sister."

Draco was watching this byplay but his mind was elsewhere. His father may have given the diary to the wrong Patil witch but Draco knew he had made a much bigger mistake than that. Granger had almost been killed by that basilisk and Crow would be out for revenge.

His parents' generation may have had a saying that you never messed with a goblin, Draco's generation were currently refining that phrase. You never mess with a goblin, especially Harry Crow.

Lucius Malfoy had actually committed an even worse crime than that, he'd messed with Crow's girlfriend. Azkaban might be scary but Draco was more concerned his father would face Crow's blades before he could be sent to the island prison. He could only see one outcome from that battle, his father would be dead.

The beetle that was currently clinging to the curtain shared none of Draco's fears, Rita was far too busy thinking of ways to spend all the money this morning's revelations would now see coming her way.

-oOoOo-

Gilderoy bypassed the front page and delved deeper into the Prophet, finding what he was searching for on page sixteen. It was difficult to tell if he'd gotten his heroic pose in front of the basilisk exactly right, the picture wasn't overly large. They'd copied his quickly prepared speech exactly though, which was good - he hated being misquoted. He carefully cut out the picture, making sure to leave the article attached. An article in which the famous Gilderoy Lockhart pointed out exactly where the children had made their mistakes - and why they would be so much better off taking their defence lessons from him.

He conveniently ignored the scathing comments underneath the very same article that branded his proposed method of dealing with the basilisk as not only preposterous but suicidal. Gilderoy also paid no notice of the claims that, after the Hogwarts alarm sounded, he was first out the castle and, still in his baby blue silk pyjamas, had ran screaming all the way to Hogsmeade.

Gilderoy carefully stuck his latest addition into his scrapbook and began refining his headmaster's acceptance speech. After this incident, who else could they possibly choose?

A/N Thanks for reading

47. The Family Meets

Harry Crow

Disclaimer - I write purely for my own enjoyment and make no money from my efforts. (Apple never picked up on an iPad sponsorship deal either) Neither do I claim to own any of the characters who appear in this story, everyone on the planet must know by now that Harry Potter belongs to a certain Miss Rowling.

Chapter 47

Padma arrived with her family into a back garden that was very familiar to the young witch, she fairly shot through the door in search of her friends. Neville was actually waiting on her and there was no awkwardness in his hug of greeting. It was a rather nervous Parvati though who entered the Grangers' home at a much more sedate pace, and with her mother and father close for support.

Neville spotted this at once and released Padma before opening his arms to her twin. With a sob, Parvati dived into them and held on as if her life depended upon it. Ever since hugging his gran in the Hogwarts infirmary saw Neville escaping the expected rollicking of his life, the relieved wizard's new mantra was to hug everyone. He thought he'd gotten it wrong here until noticing the other three Patils were smiling at him.

"I'm so sorry, Neville, for all the trouble I caused..."

"You didn't do anything, Parvati, it was all Tom. I'm sorry too that I never noticed what was really going on. I'm your housemate, your friend, and we had just spent a good part of the summer together. I was so wrapped up in my own world though that I ignored a friend that needed help. I really am sorry, Parvati."

Parvati may have controlled her sobbing but Neville's arms around her were proving too nice to end right away. "You came to rescue me, Neville, I couldn't ask for a better friend than that."

"That's what friends do, Harry and Hermione will tell you the same. Their legs still have them toddling about like babies but they're waiting on you both in the lounge."

Padma took her twin and led her there, Ramrao wanted a quick word with Neville first. "Thanks for that, Neville, Parvati was really worried about meeting people again. That was a very mature attitude to take."

"Sir, to be perfectly honest, I never expected to come out of the chamber - that basilisk was bloody terrifying. Padma pulled me through, and gave me the courage to fight on. I think our time down there will change all of us, my gran certainly treats me different now."

Ramrao had his hand supportingly on Neville's shoulder. "I saw that beast dead and it terrified me, I'm still not sure how you four managed to pull it off. I also saw my daughter kiss you, and wanted to let you know I approve - assuming you remain a gentleman..."

"Sir, Padma is a scary witch in her own right - but have you met her best friends? Padma and I haven't had time to discuss anything about that day yet, when we do I can assure you I will be a proper gentleman."

"Ramrao, stop trying to scare the boy."

"Smita, this 'boy' helped bring down a gigantic basilisk and then stopped Voldemort, I hardly think he'll be scared of Padma's father."

The three shared a quiet laugh at that as Neville showed them where to go. Smita wasted no time in rushing over to the sofa to hug Harry and Hermione, drawing a wry chuckle from Emma. "I find myself doing that all the time too, I think I'm trying to convince myself that they are actually okay and still with us."

The Patil mother agreed. "I found myself repeatedly getting up and checking the twins room the last couple of nights, just to ensure they were safely sleeping in their beds. I am so glad I never went down into that chamber, just the picture in yesterday's Prophet scared the life out of me. I would probably never let the girls out of my sight again if I had actually seen the beast for real."

Sirius and Dan had been ferrying enough chairs for everyone into the lounge. Now that they were all seated, it was time to start the 'family' meeting.

"Augusta, Smita, Ramrao, you will hear things today that I must ask you not to speak of with anyone who isn't currently in this room." Barchoke's gaze then settled on Parvati. "I'm afraid that applies doubly so to you, Miss Patil."

She nodded her agreement at once. "I think what upset me the most was not knowing what was going on. Padma and I never had secrets from each other before, that played a big part in pushing us away from each other. As long as I can talk to Padma about anything I hear today, I'll be happy with that."

Smita was pleased at any move that would keep her twins close to each other. "Are we to assume that Padma and Neville already know these secrets?"

It was Harry who answered this time. "Hermione, Padma and Neville have stood beside me practically since we met. Their friendship means everything to me and keeping secrets is not a good basis for any friendship. I'm really sorry Padma, we should have realised what you keeping those same secrets from Parvati would do to your relationship with your twin sister. It's time to trust people and live with the consequences. Did you get confirmation, father?"

The goblin seemed to age as he answered his son. "Yes, and he was working alone."

"Then he is a dead man..."

"Harry, no. Let the ministry deal with it."

"Hermione, he attacked my family - he attacked you!" The rest of the 'family' didn't exist for the couple at the moment, they were staring into each other's eyes as they fought this battle of wills.

"Amelia will make sure he sees the inside of Azkaban, we could even ask he gets Sirius' old cell. Ask your godfather if that's a soft option."

"...but Hermione, he attacked..."

"...and you're not fit to duel anyone over the age of three at the moment. Let Amelia have that time to see justice done. If he's not in Azkaban by then, I'll even be your second."

Harry was getting lost in those brown eyes. "She can have a week, after that - he's mine!"

"Make it two, love. Give both you and Amelia time to get ready. Two weeks, for me, please?" When Hermione added a tender kiss to her plea, everyone there knew Harry was done for.

"Two weeks - not a day longer!"

This earned Harry another kiss and saw a weight leave Barchoke's shoulders. He knew his son would call Malfoy out, just as the goblin knew there was no way he could have talked Harry out of it. Hermione very wisely didn't even try that tack, instead she rather cleverly bought some time for Amelia to do her work - and allow Harry to recover properly.

The goblin was glad Hermione had extracted that promise before his son heard the next piece of news, even his mate would have struggled to contain Harry's anger after this.

"I should now really fill everyone in on exactly what's going on here. During the summer, we received a warning that a 'great danger' would be coming to Hogwarts. That this danger would involve Harry was all the information we had, absolutely nothing specific that we could approach yourselves, Amelia or Minerva with."

You would have to be a right fool not to see there was more going on here than they were being told, and Augusta was no fool. "Can I ask why Amelia and the girls aren't here today?"

Barchoke directed his answer at those who didn't yet know the full story. "There are things you will hear that we wouldn't necessarily want the Head of the DMLE to learn. That's in no way a negative reflection on the current holder of that post, rather us trying to offer some protection to Amelia. She will certainly hear that this was a direct attack against my son, and also that the wrong witch ended up with the horcrux..."

Padma caught on at once. "It was supposed to be me, wasn't it?"

This was confirmed by Barchoke. "An attack on Harry would work best if it was targeted at you, Neville or Hermione."

"Oh, Malfoy is so dead!"

This sharpened Augusta's attention. "Malfoy, Lucius Malfoy?"

Her indiscretion saw Padma's cheeks blush. "Oops! I wasn't supposed to say anything..."

"Okay, let's get everything out in the open. I am Harry Crow, current head of House Potter. My father arranged that so no one could influence my decision on where my future lies. Funnily enough, the ministry solved my problem by awarding me an Order of Merlin, that automatically makes me an adult as far as the ministry are concerned - and allows me to call out Malfoy. His elf actually provided the warning, which is why we got no specific details. We only discovered it was Malfoy's elf when Draco's mother pulled him from Hogwarts - and we only suspected a basilisk was involved when Hermione found that information in the library on Friday night."

Her hand slipped into his, knowing what was coming next. "Hermione is not merely my girlfriend, we are blood bound mates - and will officially marry when both of us become of age to do so."

Parvati immediately looked to her twin for confirmation, Padma told her what she knew. "Truly bonded, with an all-over glow that turned golden - I wish I could have seen it!"

"Our father has a memory of our bonding, I'm sure he could be convinced to let you see it. We put the Malfoys under investigation - using the same method that brought down Dumbledore - and now have confirmation. Father, can we prove it to the ministry though?"

"We certainly have enough evidence to get him arrested and standing trial for this. Letting Amelia and the Minister know we're having to hold you back from calling Lucius out might just force them into action. Failing that, do you think Malfoy would accept the pit?"

"NO! Not again, that can't happen again..."

"Emma, there is not one person in this room who wants that. Just like they did in the chamber though, we have to prepare for every option. I will be putting all the pressure I can on the ministry to deal with this, and am confident that Malfoy will receive justice. I also think Harry has a better chance fighting Malfoy in the pit, rather than a formal wizards duel. Lucius will be able to use whatever curses he wants in the pit, without any repercussions, he'll go for a big play. While Lucius is grandstanding, Harry will be on him."

It was Smita who asked the obvious question. "Eh, what's this pit, and why does Emma look as if she's going to pass out?"

With difficulty, Harry moved over to Emma. "This is just contingency plans, please don't worry about it..."

"Do you have to do this, Harry? I never want to even think about you going into that thing again."

"Same reason as last time, Emma, he attacked Hermione. If I don't respond, someone else may think it's worth another try. There are families who would literally kill to get their daughters next to the Potter name and fortune, until I marry Hermione I need to show what happens to anyone daring to make that attempt."

It was left to Hermione to answer Smita's original question. "The pit is the goblin way of deciding justice. Two go in, only one comes out alive. A goblin made an attempt to kill me at the end of the summer, that is why we blood bonded. Harry then fought in the pit to ensure it would never happen again. He put their champion down in seconds..."

Padma and Parvati moved either side of Hermione to offer comfort, Emma didn't appear to be letting Harry go anytime soon.

Barchoke summed the situation up for everyone. "The blood bond makes Hermione my daughter too, I will do everything in my power to keep both of them safe. Malfoy needs to pay for this atrocity though, one way or another he will."

The Potter elves then decided refreshments were needed, while Betsy popped in with a hankie for Hermione - and a warning not to overtire herself.

As Harry shakily made his way back to Hermione, Dan tried to get everyone back on track. "Are there any more questions, or can we move on to the real reason behind this get-together today?"

Ramrao spoke for the rest of them. "If we think of anything later, Padma or Neville will probably know the answer."

Happy with that, Dan continued. "We watched Auror Tonks memory right from just before the alarm sounded. While my first instincts were for you to get out that castle as quickly as possible, you took minimal risks to collect information that could prove vital in solving this problem. Discovering Parvati's predicament clearly changed all the rules."

Parvati was now sitting between Padma and Neville, and was very grateful for the support they offered.

"Even then, you sent for help immediately and did nothing more than attempt to open the passage. On achieving that difficult feat, you still hung back until formulating a plan. I tried to put myself in your position and discovered I would have made all the same choices. Every member of the team that went into the chamber played an absolutely vital role in ensuring we are all sitting here today to talk about this. Had you gone down there with even one person less, the outcome could have been oh so different."

The four were looking at Dan as if waiting for the hammer to drop, it wasn't going to happen. "Had you lot rushed in there all gung-ho, looking for trouble, we would be having a very different conversation right now. Instead, you never lost sight of the fact it was a rescue mission, and only fought when you were left with no other choice. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm so proud of all of you. The Prophet got it right, you are heroes in the truest sense of the word - you risked your lives to save someone else's."

The Patil's, Barchoke, Sirius and Augusta heartily endorsed that viewpoint, leaving some very relieved people thinking they got off lightly.

It was now Hermione's turn to toddle across the room as she hugged her father.

"Okay, enough of this mushy stuff. That basilisk obviously affected the beautiful Professor Hobson more than the healers thought, she actually agreed to marry me!" Sirius punctuated this announcement with a kiss for a smiling Henrica

This news was greeted with cheers all round. Sirius of course had more to say. "There will be an engagement party in Grimmauld on Boxing Day but I would like to invite our extended family to spend the Christmas holidays with us. I want to turn the entire holiday season into a celebration, a celebration of our new family - and no, Henrica is not pregnant!" The way the couple looked at one another at that remark meant Sirius didn't need to say 'yet', they all got the message.

Emma had found that she'd been close to tears ever since Saturday, the ones now forming though were of joy - and partly relief. Since he was released from Azkaban, they had spent a lot of time with Sirius. Even when Harry and Hermione were in Hogwarts, he would visit at least once a week to tell them how their kids were doing. Henrica was also liked by everyone in the company, and thought a wonderful match for Sirius, so this news was indeed joyous.

Her relief was due to their Christmas problem being so neatly solved. Emma didn't really care where they spent Christmas, just as long as they were all together. With Dan working to control his natural instinct and springing to Hermione's defence without thinking, they were slowly but surely rebuilding relationships that would eventually be stronger than they were before.

Dan had sat with a glass of whiskey in his hand, and tears rolling down his cheeks, as he recounted to her the story of what their kids had faced. Emma had let him get it out of his system and then taken Dan to bed, the glass of whiskey left still untouched on the table. She was so proud of her husband for the way he handled the situation today, and now they could look forward to spending Christmas as a family.

This jolted Emma out of her thoughts as a potential problem hit. "Sirius, Luna Lovegood has been invited to spend Christmas with us..."

"...and she's invited to Grimmauld too. Where is she, I thought her father was still on his research trip?"

His wife-to-be had the answer to that. "Padma made sure Luna was with Penny, before we went looking for these two. Penny swore not to let Luna out of her sight, and was even going to take Luna home with her."

"They're both coming here tomorrow, Penny is bringing her by something called the knight bus, and then Luna will be staying until we go back to Hogwarts." Hermione then added a little more information about their quirky friend. "She also knows about our bond, apparently she can see it."

-oOoOo-

Cornelius was wishing he couldn't see this as Lucius Malfoy condemned himself with his own words. "We can't show that memory in the Wizengamot chamber, they would never accept evidence collected like that. He clearly didn't know someone else was watching, and it was a discussion with his wife - in his own home. If we started admitting evidence like that into a trial, half the Wizengamot would probably end up being interviewed by your department."

Having known these facts beforehand, Amelia wasn't perturbed in the slightest. "Then we have some serious problems, Cornelius. Barchoke has informed me that only Harry's injuries are currently stopping his son calling the senior Malfoy out, we are talking a duel to the death here."

This fairly ruined the Minister's day, his public approval rating had never been higher too. Anything happening to the Boy-who-lived would soon put a serious dent in those ratings. "Harry wouldn't be doing the actual fighting though, would he?"

"His status as a centurion in his own world sees him regarded as an adult, being an Order of Merlin, First Class, recipient provides the same function in ours. He would fight Lucius Malfoy to the death. Harry was clearly the target, and his friends suffered through it. Luna Lovegood, my Susan, Hannah Abbot, Parvati Patil - and then the three of his friends that accompanied him down to the chamber for the rescue mission. His girlfriend, Miss Granger, is still recovering from the injuries she sustained."

This drew an audible groan from the minister. "We should be discussing how we can reward these heroes, not trying to stop them fighting duels to the death. What can we do about this, Amelia?"

"I think we have more than enough information to arrest Malfoy, a search of his manor to ensure he has nothing else like this would also appear prudent. He obviously did it, and should then be forced to say so under truth serum. How far we want to open the can of worms really has to be decided by you." In the past, this would be the point at which Cornelius would fold - protecting his friends and his own self-interest. It was time to see if this new version really had grown a spine.

The minister didn't disappoint. "Acting on reliable information the ministry has received, an arrest warrant should be issued against Lucius Malfoy. Since this relates to a deadly artefact that was in his possession, a thorough search of his premises should also take place to ensure there are no more threats lurking in the background. He should be questioned under truth serum regarding this attack, and any other current or planned future attacks he has knowledge of. Will that do?"

Amelia could see Cornelius practically begging her with his eyes to accept this compromise. Since it was more than Amelia expected, and would see Malfoy take up residence in Azkaban, she decided to cut the minister a break. Amelia also had something up her sleeve she now wouldn't need to use as leverage, she told Cornelius anyway. "That would be acceptable. It will also work for the press, since Miss Skeeter is all set to break the story. I'm looking forward to being ahead of the game for once. I'll get a team together and hit Malfoy Manor today."

The minister was certainly paler when Amelia left his office than he was when she entered. Cornelius had made the right choices though, now it was her turn. She could have lost the last member of her family over this, Malfoy was going down - hard.

-oOoOo-

Neville was finding his conversation with his grandmother extremely hard. "Gran, do we really need to talk about a betrothal? I really like Padma but we have kissed once, that hardly means we want to spend the rest of our lives together."

"I know, Neville, but you have to understand that these extraordinary escapades at Hogwarts from both of you are going to attract a lot of attention. Even your mother recognised Padma is a beautiful witch. Now that Padma's also recognised as a hero of Hogwarts, Ramrao and Smita expect to be inundated with offers for their daughter. There will also be a lot of offers heading in your direction too. What we're trying to do here is see both of you happy, rather than arranging a betrothal that you don't really want."

This drew a groan from Neville, his pact with Padma was supposed to shield them from betrothal offers - but that was before the chamber. "Can't I just wait for a few years and see what happens?"

"Neville, you know that's not possible. I was betrothed at your age, so were your mother and father - the Longbottoms have done this for centuries. I know two of your friends are different but you and Padma have always known what's expected of you. If you're not interested in each other, we have to know now so Padma's parents can find the best possible match for their daughter. They really need to take advantage of all this interest."

Mentioning his other two friends sparked something in Neville. "As I said, I really like Padma but neither of us know if we're suitable for a betrothal. There is a way we can find out though..."

This took Augusta back. "Neville, surely you don't mean..."

"Yes, we perform the blood bond ritual. That will tell us if we're a suitable match, then we could happily be betrothed. The blood bond wouldn't finalise until we were married, just like Harry and Hermione."

His grandmother was well aware of what act was needed to finalise a blood bond, she spared Neville's blushes and let him off with the marriage comment. "What would you do if the blood bond indicated you weren't suitable?"

"Hug Padma and wish her luck in finding someone else, I would also promise we would always be friends. She really is a great friend, gran, I would hate to see her stuck with me. This way, we would both know if a betrothal would work."

It was hard for Augusta to curtail her exasperation and a little slipped out. "Neville Longbottom, you are one of the most eligible young wizards in Britain - and that was before the Chamber of Secrets. You are certainly not someone a witch would consider being stuck with - like some kind of booby prize! Both Smita and Ramrao think Padma's sweet on you, and I know you really like her - that puts you both in the same position your mum and dad were."

This made him happier about the situation but Neville had made his mind up. "I still want to try the blood bond ceremony. Like Harry, I've spent my life listening to stories of how much my parents loved each other - I want the same. This way, Padma and I can know exactly how suitable we would be for each other."

Augusta really only had one more question for her grandson. "...and what do you hope the result of the ritual will be?"

This time, Neville couldn't contain his blush - he answered as honestly as he could. "I hope it shows we have a strong bond, and that leads us to a betrothal."

A warm smile spread across Augusta's face. She recognised her grandson's innate shyness, and also the confidence he would gain from a positive reaction to the ritual. He needed proof that he and Padma would be a good match, and his other two friends had provided such a good example of what a couple should be. "Blood bond rituals were originally carried out to see if couples were suitable to wed, I've never heard of one being used as part of a pre-betrothal agreement. Any other family might take this as an insult to their daughter but I think I'll be able to explain the situation to Smita and Ramrao - that we all only want the best for Padma. It will need to be kept secret though, whatever the outcome."

Neville understood his gran meant secret from everyone except family, he was fine with that.

-oOoOo-

The Granger house once more woke to the whack, whack of practice swords being used in the back garden. Raising his head from the pillow to glance at the window drew a groan from Dan, his groan was directed at the rain he saw running down the glass. "Those two are still recovering, I hardly think being out in this weather will be helping."

"You could see their frustration yesterday because their injuries were physically curtailing them, they're obviously not fit to go for their run yet but this will let them get some normality back."

He couldn't help but tease his wife. "Emma, practicing with wooden swords in the pissing rain, mere days after being seriously injured, is anything but normal."

"It's normal for them. In our world, those two would have been looking at multiple surgical procedures, weeks of lying in a hospital bed and then months of physiotherapy. They would have been lucky if they were able to practice fencing by this time next year. Those swords saved their lives, let them practice as often as they want..."

"You're still worried about Harry having to fight this Malfoy..."

"Worried doesn't even start to describe it - I'm bloody terrified! He may be a centurion but I just see my boy, having to fight someone to the death - how the hell am I supposed to feel?"

"I honestly don't think it will come to that, Barchoke was confident the ministry would take action. Remember, this thing also harmed Susan, we know how protective Amelia is of her niece. I was also watching Sirius as this was being discussed, I think he would take action before Harry could. We have an extended family now, with Harry right in the centre of it. That family won't stand back and let anything happen to him."

Emma snuggled into her husband, silently praying he was right - and the thwack thwack was merely their children practicing their sport/hobby.

-oOoOo-

The occupants of Malfoy Manor received a much ruder awakening, Amelia led her team to arrest Lucius - and tear the place apart in their search for other dark objects. She had brought Alastor Moody along for this very purpose, that artificial eye of his would certainly come in handy when looking for hidden rooms or compartments.

Lucius' heart sank as he spotted his visitors, Bones must have brought about twenty aurors with her. "What is the meaning of this..."

Amelia was in no mood to take any shit from Malfoy today. "Lucius Malfoy, I have a warrant here for your arrest. Evidence has been presented that implicates you as instigating the attacks at Hogwarts. You will have your day in front of the Wizengamot as they ascertain your guilt or innocence. We also have a search warrant that includes every part of Malfoy Manor, the ministry has no intention of allowing any more horcruxes to make their way into the general population."

This almost had Lucius reaching for his wand, the gleam of anticipation in Moody's good eye soon changed his mind. The chances of the old auror hitting him with a stunner were negligible, Moody liked to put his targets down harder than that.

While slightly disappointed that Malfoy didn't try something really stupid, Amelia was suddenly thinking she might not need Moody after all. A rather ragged elf had silently appeared behind the Malfoys and was indicating to the floor at her feet. When Barchoke had supplied her with that memory, the goblin had also told her why they had focused their attention on the Malfoys. It was clear this elf wanted Lucius to be caught and was again providing all the help his bond would allow.

"Alastor, could you scan this room for hidden compartments or trapdoors?"

Mad-eye had of course spotted the elf and was already concentrating on the floor. "There is some kind of ward on the floor, and rather heavy notice-me-not charms. I think our friend from the unspeakables should start right here.

By the time a cowed Lucius was in the magic inhibiting cuffs, the unspeakable had the trapdoor open - and Dobby was ready to point them in the direction of their next find. There was enough dark objects in that room alone to ensure Lucius would be residing in Azkaban for a very long time.

Draco stood beside his mother, helplessly watching as his smart and oh so powerful father was led out of their home in chains. The chances of him returning to that same home were nil, the family didn't even have enough gold to waste on hiring a lawyer to defend him. Thinking of family saw the realisation hit that he was now effectively head of the Malfoys, it was time to make sure the family survived.

"Mother, I think you need to contact Lord Black over this matter."

"That won't help, Draco, your father and Sirius have hated each other since they were your age."

"I'm not asking for him to help father, we are going to need help to avoid being dragged under with father. Lord Black is our access to the only person who can help us here. A word from Crow could be the difference between us still living at the manor or begging in the streets."

"I don't think that will do any good either. Sirius has no reason to be merciful, he has us exactly where he wants us."

"We're exactly where father put us, mother. I'm hoping he'll talk to Crow about it..."

"You're pinning your hopes on mercy from a goblin? I thought we taught you better than that..."

Draco gestured to their home being torn apart around them. "...and see where those lessons have led. Things changed the moment Crow walked into Hogwarts, father couldn't accept that and was led out of here in chains. Dumbledore couldn't accept it and has been chased out of Hogwarts. Crow showed me mercy before when he didn't need to, this time we are actually innocent. The right word from him can protect us from this - have you got any better ideas?"

That stopped Narcissa dead in her tracks, she actually had no idea what to do next. All their friends would sit back and wait to see what happened, too fearful of getting dragged into this mess to offer any semblance of support. They were on their own, and probably wouldn't survive the public backlash without some kind of protection. "Do you really think Crow would help?"

"He hates Lockhart, the man is a complete idiot, yet Crow cancelled the tarantallegra spell Slughorn had him under - before taking Sluggy apart and dangling him from the ceiling. His attitude is that of a pure light wizard but, when he chooses to act, his methods are at best grey. With Granger in danger, he would have jumped in that basilisk's mouth and slashed away with those blades of his to save her. Father's biggest mistake was to put her in danger, I half expected Crow to turn up here and personally hack him to bits. Anyone stupid enough to attack her will be shown no mercy, luckily we weren't involved with any of it. Crow really is our only chance..."

She couldn't argue with anything her son just said, those blades had just taken down the biggest basilisk ever recorded - how could you argue with that? "I'll send an owl to Sirius and see if he answers..."

"What about your sister? You might try writing to her too..."

"Draco, I haven't spoken to Andromeda in nearly twenty years!"

"The situation we are in at the moment, we can't afford not to take even the slimmest of chances. I've had to be civil to Crow for over a year now, not once has he rubbed my nose in it. Things are changing, mother, we need to change too. What alternative do we have?"

Narcissa couldn't see any alternatives, knowing the Wizengamot had the power to levy heavy fines against Lucius too. These would be taken straight out their vaults, leaving who knows what for Draco to inherit when he came of age. If they took too much, the Parkinsons would cancel the betrothal between Pansy and Draco, they may be forced to do so anyway - to distance themselves from Lucius' disaster.

It was beginning to dawn on Narcissa that, if she wanted Draco to have any kind of life, she was going to have to get her nose out of the air and do some grovelling. To protect her son's future, Narcissa would do whatever it took.

-oOoOo-

Emma had enjoyed her morning, she was taking a few days off work until Hermione and Harry had fully recovered. That, and she just didn't want to let them out of her sight. After Luna and Penny had arrived, and made sure Hermione and Harry were getting better, Emma had offered to take them into Crawley. When the alarm sounded at Hogwarts, there was no time to grab trunks as the evacuation took place. Luna was currently wearing some of Penny's resized clothes since her trunk was still in her dorm.

Just being able to do some normal things, clothes shopping and pizza for lunch, was exactly what Emma needed. Anything really to distract her mind from the thought of Harry fighting a duel to the death. Knowing there were charms on the magical bus that wouldn't even allow her to see it, Emma entered the house as the three friends said goodbye to Penny - and was surprised to find Sirius and Henrica waiting there. By the smile Sirius was wearing, it was going to be a pleasant surprise.

Knowing how worried Emma was, Sirius got straight to the point. "Lucius Malfoy was arrested this morning. Amelia arrived with a team of aurors and also tore Malfoy Manor apart - even his own wife expects him to be changing his address to Azkaban."

Emma managed to make it to a chair before she broke down and started crying, these though were tears of relief. Hermione and Harry were alarmed when they first spotted her sitting crying, that was until Sirius told them the reason behind her tears. He also told the pair he needed to speak with them - this would not be a straightforward conversation.

-oOoOo-

This was the first time Narcissa had entered Gringotts in almost a year, she had no reason to go there until now. Sirius had responded to her plea, and set their meeting here. Once the news broke, she probably wouldn't be able to walk down Diagon Alley, and certainly not stroll into Gringotts bank. She was led through a warren of tunnels until Narcissa was directed into what she considered a very strange room to hold a meeting, there weren't even any chairs, then she spotted Sirius standing beside an observation wall.

"I like to come here and spend some time just watching Alice and Frank recover, I always seem to pick up on some little sign of improvement that wasn't there the last time I visited. I've come to think of the Longbottoms as a metaphor for our society, we thought nothing could be done but, day by day, they are slowly proving us all wrong."

She watched in astonishment as Alice carefully brushed what hair her husband had left. And then lovingly kissed him on the cheek. "How is this possible? They've spent years in St Mungo's..."

"It's possible because of who Alice Longbottom is godmother to, the very same person who is my godson too - the same person who your husband intended to see dead."

She had no answer for that, and didn't think Sirius was looking for one - he hadn't even looked in her direction yet.

"My godson has a good heart, but that should never be taken as a sign of weakness. Barchoke has done a wonderful job of raising my godson, the one area he was unable to teach is the workings of pureblood houses and politics - that is where I come in. Harry knows Draco is innocent, and also that he has been keeping his head down since their confrontation in the great hall. Harry feels a child shouldn't be persecuted for the sins of the father."

She let out a long and audible sigh of relief but that proved a mistake, Sirius now turned to face her - or should that be Lord Black.

"Just to be clear here, Malfoy, I don't agree with my godson on this. You may not have known the specifics of what that husband of yours was up to but you knew enough to get your own son out of danger - leaving everyone else behind to fucking die! Was your husband so precious to you that you were prepared to stand back and let him unleash mass murder onto children? Then again, his halfblood master met his end trying the same - to murder a baby. I'll bet your pureblood friends will love you when this gets out, making sure the Malfoy heir was safe while their children were left to the tender mercies of a basilisk."

Gone were the funny quips and jokes, Narcissa was faced with a furious Lord Black - a quite terrifying sight. "Let me make something plain to you, should Draco bide his time until his inheritance and then act, plot or conspire against my godson's health - I will make it my business to destroy the very name of Malfoy, and all those who bear it. Amelia actually did your husband a favour, either Harry or I would have killed him otherwise - and there would have been no saving of Draco from the consequences that."

Draco had already told her Crow would come for Lucius, adding Sirius to that too would have ensured she wore widow's weeds before long. Narcissa had nothing to say because she had nothing to offer, both she and Draco were completely at Sirius' mercy.

"Harry will release a statement, condemning your husband's actions but sparing Draco from any blame. For that, we want something in return..."

This was how Dobby came to find himself inside Gringotts, and being given clothes by his mistress.

A/N Thanks for reading - and hope to see you back here next week.

48. and you are Mine!

Harry Crow

Disclaimer - Since I'm not the owner of these characters, I may do things with them that you don't like or agree with. Sorry in advance but that's the nature of fan fiction To do otherwise kind of defeats the purpose, and copying JKR word for word would soon result in a lawsuit. I have found the only way to see a story going in exactly the direction you want is to write it yourself, since this then gives the rest of us something to read I can highly recommend it.

Chapter 48

Rita held today's Prophet in her hand and couldn't help but smile. She was beginning to appreciate how the goblins operated, this certainly felt like a revenge worthy of that race. Although the Prophet had literally begged her to return, Rita had politely refused - and then wrung what would have been six months worth of her old salary out them for the stories she had in today's paper.

With no editor breathing down her neck and no deadline to meet, her byline of Rita Skeeter, Independent Investigative Reporter sure tasted like sweet revenge to her - all the gold in her bank account certainly helped to sweeten that feeling too!

The Prophet had of course led with her story on Lucius Malfoy or, as the headline screamed - The Real Beast of Hogwarts. Malfoy was clearly the out and out villain of the piece, with the poor, innocent Patil witch simply unable to resist the dark and powerful compulsion charms on the horcrux. The article posed a simple question - what twelve year old could possibly resist the subtle manipulations of a dark lord?

That her twin sister and her friends had not only discovered, but then broken into the fabled Chamber of Secrets, slain the gigantic basilisk that had been attacking the school, stopped Tom Riddle from being reborn and then rescued Parvati too meant there would not be one shred of blame heading in the direction of the Patil family - quite the opposite.

That Voldemort had come within a whisker of being reborn was the really shocking part of the entire sorry tale, and ensured Malfoy would be joining his fellow death eaters in Azkaban.

The ministry also came out of this looking good. They already had Malfoy in a ministry cell by the time the story broke and had also ransacked his manor to ensure there were no more horcruxes lying in wait. That aurors had been in front of the students they were protecting and one had fought alongside the students down in the chamber left the population with the impression that their ministry actually knew what they were doing - a most unusual occurrence.

Hogwarts also had effective measures in place to deal with the emergency, the castle's evacuation was swift and efficient. Again, a Hogwarts professor had fought alongside the students, almost losing her life in the process.

All in all, Rita was pleased with her articles and really pleased with the direction her life was taking. Being sacked by the Prophet and then getting hired by the goblins was proving to be the best thing that had ever happened to her.

-oOoOo-

Minerva was also amazed at the accuracy of the reporting, especially the article on the emergency meeting of the Hogwarts school board. With Albus' non-arrival, the current information Amelia Bones had available pointed to him leaving Britain all together, he was quickly dismissed as headmaster in his absence. Minerva had then refused the offered headmistress position, citing that she was in the process of introducing an entirely new method of transfiguration and would like to concentrate her efforts on that for the foreseeable future.

Augusta had invited Amelia and Barchoke to attend the meeting, it was the goblin though who asked the all important question. "Excuse me, exactly what did Headmaster Dumbledore do inside Hogwarts? All my dealings are with Professor McGonagall, which is why I asked that question. I know he didn't teach and that his deputy handled all the finances, what was his contribution to running the school?"

All eyes then shifted to Minerva, recognising that she would be best able to handle this question. She was rather uncomfortable with where the question could lead but still answered truthfully. "Albus left the day to day running of the school to me, he was more interested in setting Hogwarts policy, dealing with the paperwork involved - and of course hiring new staff."

This was greeted with silence before Amelia offered a suggestion. "Why not let Minerva continue with what she had been doing and just appoint someone to generally oversee Hogwarts. There exists some old legislation where the ministry can appoint someone into that very position, they would be known as the High Inquisitor of Hogwarts. They would also have the power to remove staff they felt weren't up to Hogwarts standard, a certain defence professor immediately springs to mind."

Her idea wasn't exactly greeted enthusiastically, so Amelia set out to solve their obvious problem with this. "I wasn't suggesting the ministry actually appoint someone, rather use the existing legislation to ratify whoever the school board chose to fill the role."

That was certainly a lot more palatable to the board and Augusta Longbottom was selected for the part-time position within the hour. Barchoke then explained the reason behind why he was here.

"Between us, Augusta and I represent three of the students who fought the basilisk, we also have Ramrao Patil's permission to make this offer. They propose to split the profits from the basilisk carcass into three pots. The first would pay for the upgrade of the Hogwarts wards, wards that won't even allow a marked death eater to enter the castle - far less something as dark as a horcrux. The remaining gold would then be split evenly between the final two pots, one to be shared amongst the rescuers and the other reserved for those who were injured by this situation."

Since they were basically getting the best wards gold could buy for free, the school board unanimously accepted this generous offer at once. Barchoke did explain that Gringotts would be erecting these ward at cost, the goblin nation had no intention of making profit from protecting schoolchildren. What he didn't say was that this would be a massive advert and profitable endorsement for their new wards, and that they expected to make a fair bit of gold from protecting homes of the wealthy. To a wizard with enough gold, wards that wouldn't allow death eaters even access to your property were certainly worth paying for.

It proved to be a very productive meeting, with everyone feeling as if they had gained something positive by the end of the night. Minerva was delighted that she would now be allowed to continue teaching the different form of transfiguration, and also have someone inside Hogwarts that might listen to her when she complained. With Augusta Longbottom in charge of hiring and firing, she didn't see Lockhart lasting much past Christmas. The only reason he might last that long was they would need to find a replacement first.

-oOoOo-

Edmund Parkinson focused more on the short interview Crow had given Rita. He'd heard from Pansy that Crow could easily lord it over Hogwarts but made no attempt to do so - and apparently had no interest in doing so either. The impression given here was of a wizard who had no interest in honours, or any intention of playing a hero over this affair. He stated quite plainly they had gone down there to rescue their friend - nothing more.

Crow's comment that he didn't want to see his friend being blamed for this incident, or anyone else other than the person who gave Parvati the horcrux resonated with Edmund. They had pulled their daughter out of Hogwarts on a mere suspicion, here was Crow publicly exonerating them - and others - of any blame. Pansy had begged him not to end her betrothal to Draco, citing this would indicate they blamed him and his mother for what happened at Hogwarts - something that could destroy the Malfoys.

The smart move would be to end that betrothal now, and offer Pansy to the Longbottom lad. This was something Edmund might still do - depending on the outcome of Lucius' trial. That Lucius was bound for Azkaban seemed beyond doubt, what would happen to the Malfoy money was not. A seventeen year old Draco would still inherit and, with Lucius out the picture, Edmund was sure he could influence his daughter's then wealthy future husband.

Draco would have a reprieve, at least until his father's trial. If the ministry took over half of the Malfoy money, that would be the end of Pansy's betrothal - no matter how many tears his daughter cried.

-oOoOo-

Dolores was attempting to be pragmatic about the situation - and failing miserably. Inside the witch was seething at the injustice of this, even though she understood it was nothing more than a case of very bad timing. The summer after next, she had secured the Quidditch World Cup to be held in England. Dolores had worked her arse off fighting to get the tournament to Britain, only to find the news buried deep inside the Prophet. The newspaper was still being dominated by the basilisk - and Harry Crow. Seeing him once more cast as the hero really made her blood boil, and that was before he stole her deserved front page.

-oOoOo-

It was now the following day before Albus could get his hands on a copy of the Prophet, he still thought it was worth the effort though. Now that he'd left Britain, it was vital that he kept himself up to date with just what was happening back home.

The most striking thing for him was just who had ended Tom Riddle, Albus had to read it three times to ensure he hadn't made a mistake - it actually said Neville Longbottom. This saw Albus questioning just which of the boys was the child of the prophecy, could he actually have gotten it wrong?

This would need careful consideration but he had time, neither of the boys would be going anywhere for the next five years or so. Plenty of time for Albus Dumbledore to make his triumphant return to Hogwarts, and once more engage in the battle for influence over the prophesied one. That there were again two contenders for the position meant he would need to keep a careful eye on what was happening back home - otherwise known as getting the Prophet delivered a day later than those living in Britain.

-oOoOo-

The group of friends were spending time together in Crawley that Saturday afternoon for two reasons. One was simply that they enjoyed each other's company and two was to help Parvati recover from her ordeal. Being in the company of Luna, Susan and Hannah, all of whom were petrified yet bore her no ill-will, would certainly help Parvati with facing having to climb back on board the Hogwarts express on Wednesday. Knowing her friends would be there for her too would also help, with even Lavender being invited to spend the day with the group.

Hermione was holding Harry's hand as they led their friends around the town centre, her mind though kept wandering back to last night - and the events at Longbottom Manor.

-o- last night -o-

Barchoke didn't need much of an excuse to show the memory of his son and daughter's bonding, and the family had already heard Harry had to fight in the pit. Luna was clutching Harry and Hermione as the fight unfolded, sensing something bad was about to happen. Both Patil twins screamed as the goblin blade bit into Hermione, only for her armour to deflect it away.

"Still hurt like a bitch though! I had a bruise right down me."

No one was surprised at Hermione's revelation, and neither were they shocked at Harry's response to the attack on his girlfriend - that goblin was just fortunate Harry dropped his blade. The girls screams had soon turned to sighs as the bond formed, with Padma, Parvati and Luna all staring at the couple in awe.

It was Neville though who reacted first. "Harry, can I borrow your sword for our bonding ceremony? I was going to use the potions knife you gave me but I want all the help magic can give me." After insisting on the bond, Neville was now dreading a negative result - as was Padma.

Hermione had worn her sword specifically in the hope Padma might ask for it, she handed it over to her friend as Neville had the sword of Gryffindor in his grasp. The rest of the world no longer existed for the pair as, with a nod, Padma indicated she was ready.

They cut their hands in unison, Neville going deeper than he intended due to the exceedingly sharp blade. That was the least of his troubles though, the next few minutes could decide the course of his life.

They clasped their bleeding hands together as Neville offered the incantation.

"You are mine, and I am yours."

Padma's eyes positively sparkled as she provided the necessary response.

"You are mine, and I am yours."

Not one person in the room breathed as they studied the couple's joined hands, those collective breathes were released as a silver glow began to escape from their linked fingers. As that glow passed their wrists and began travelling up their arms, an air of euphoria amongst the watchers escalated directly in relationship to the expanding glow. As it reached their shoulders, Ramrao let out a loud yell of celebration - his wife and Parvati had already been in floods of tears from the instant the silver glow first made an appearance. It crept into their chests, stopping when it reached their hearts before slowly fading away.

Neville's gaze had never left Padma's eyes, "Will that do you, Miss Patil?"

"Mr Longbottom, I was yours the instant our hands healed." She proceeded to prove it by grabbing him for their second kiss, and this time Neville just might have ended up sock-less.

With the exception of Augusta, all the females present then mobbed the couple. The Longbottom matriarch had a wide smile on her face though as she approached Ramrao. "I believe we have some business to discuss, it will give me great pleasure to invite your daughter to join our family."

"As Padma's father, I can honestly say I couldn't think of a wizard better suited to one day marry my daughter than your grandson. I will be delighted to sign the documents that will formalise what we witnessed here today."

Dan found himself standing next to Barchoke, a hint of sadness creeping into what was a happy occasion. "This is what it should have been like for our children, and I ruined that..."

He didn't get to say any more as Hermione had heard, and quickly rounded on him. "Dad, everyone today knew exactly why we were here. You had just watched some memories and then were told I was married, how else could you react? You now understand our situation and are happy for us, I can't ask for anything better than that."

Barchoke was chuckling as Hermione kissed her father on the cheek. "Dan, I have to confess I've rarely known our daughter to be wrong about anything. She is of course right about this."

"If it makes you feel any better, Dan, we all expected to get a right roasting for the chamber. Let's now call it even and move on."

Looking at the boy he was quickly coming to consider as his son, Dan nodded his acceptance of that and held his hand out to shake. "Deal!"

As they clasped hands, Dan had one more question. "There is something I wanted to ask though, what is your honest appraisal of what happened down there." Neville and Padma were returning their borrowed swords which gave the four a minute to think of an answer for Dan.

"I didn't want to take Hermione down there but she was right, we needed her. We also had no plan to deal with Tom Riddle, Neville saved all our arses over that. Henrica was just amazing, otherwise we would have been in really bad trouble. I think we would all agree that we carried an amazing amount of luck, the only time it turned against us being Hermione slipping."

Hermione agreed with every word of that. "I certainly didn't feel heroic, lying on a wet and bloody floor with a giant snake's head in my lap. Padma and I were too worried about Parvati and Harry to feel much of anything. Our training saved our lives, that same training has also taught us just how lucky we were that day."

Dan then embraced the happy new couple. "Congratulations you two, I didn't mean to lower the tone of the celebrations."

Neville wore a smile that nothing was going to shift, just like nothing was going to shift Padma from his side. "That's fine, Dan. Without going down into that chamber, Padma might never have kissed me - and I certainly wouldn't have had the courage to ask her to blood bond."

His betrothed now playfully slapped his arm. "Listen Longbottom, you were always going to get kissed. That ruddy great snake just moved the timetable up a bit!"

The celebration was back on track when Augusta and Ramrao returned, the paperwork all dealt with. She handed a small box to her grandson and Neville's smile got even wider.

He opened the box and placed the Longbottom betrothal ring on Padma's finger, before offering her the box to do the same for him. There was no need for words, their blood bond was far stronger than any betrothal agreement - something the rings recognised as a spark of magic passed between them.

An impromptu party broke out after that, no one had wanted to plan one beforehand in case they jinxed the outcome of the blood bond ceremony.

It was during this time that Sirius approached Dan and Emma. "I have a little problem you two might be able to help me with. Setting Dobby free has created an unforeseen problem, the little guy apparently likes being free."

This left Dan shaking his head. "Why does everything in your world have to be so bloody complicated? How could someone wanting to remain free be a problem?"

"House Elves love to work, it's when they're at their happiest..."

This drew a nod of understanding from Emma. "Hermione told me the same thing, says she deliberately messes up her room sometimes to keep Betsy happy. That little elf is devoted to her."

"Dobby still wants to work, but he now wants paid for that work. While that might seem perfectly natural to you both, it's certainly not in our world. All his fellow house elves think Dobby is crazy, a disgrace for wanting payment for doing what he's supposed to do. To put him into a magical household would cause chaos amongst the other elves, I probably could get him into Hogwarts but the little guy was really hoping for a family..."

"...and you just naturally thought of a family that seems to be growing all the time." Emma was smiling in Luna's direction as she said this. Dan though was more business like. "I don't know if we could afford a servant and where would he live? Our house seems to be full now more often than not."

"He wants a galleon a month and will live in a corner of your loft..." Sirius enjoyed watching his two friends' rather predictable reactions to his last statement.

"Indeed he will not live in a corner of our loft..."

"A galleon a month! That's not even pocket money..."

"He would build himself a little cosy nest, and be very happy with that. The money thing is more about symbolism than economics, Dobby gets paid therefore he's free - the amount he's paid is inconsequential. When I told him I was going to enquire if the family of Harry Potter wanted a house elf, he immediately dropped the price to a Knut a month."

Both took some convincing they wouldn't being exploiting the little creature and wanted time to speak with Harry and Hermione first - before making a decision.

Harry found himself dancing with Hermione, Parvati and Luna, Neville and Padma weren't for being separated tonight. This gave Hermione time to talk with her parents and advise them to give Dobby a job - and a home.

Hermione danced in Harry's arms, delighted they were regaining their mobility and fitness. She was also delighted for her two friends, with not a hint of jealousy at the rings they wore. Hermione already knew there would be an engagement ring on her finger, a present for her seventeenth birthday. That it would be joined by a wedding ring the following summer made her happier than she had the words to express. As a couple they would still disagree, argue and might even resort to the occasional fight. What their bond did though was ensure they knew how they felt about one another. Yes each had faults that the other could find irritating but they loved each other - faults and all.

-o- present -o-

Hermione was drawn out of her musings by someone calling her name, she felt Harry tense beside her as Padma and Neville casually took up supporting position behind them. Harry and Padma had personal experience of Hermione meeting people she knew before heading off to Hogwarts, this might be four girls rushing toward them but they were taking no chances. Both intended to make certain Hermione wouldn't be needing to see a healer after this meeting.

"Hermione Granger, is that really you?"

"No, Melissa, I'm the wicked witch of the west. What can I do for you?"

"You can tell us who your stylist and personal trainer are - you look fantastic!"

She studied Joanne, finding none of the sarcasm or smirks she expected to accompany a comment like that, Hermione looked to Harry for help.

"Hey, I always think you look fantastic."

Hermione had no way of knowing just how much she'd changed in the year and a half since these girls had last laid eyes on her. The frizzy hair that was the source of so many jibes was now soft brown curls and those two front teeth perfectly matched their lovely pearly white neighbours. All her exercising had also had a very desirable effect on her body, as did the confident way she walked down the street holding Harry's hand. "Eh, I don't have a stylist and I exercise with Harry every day. You four almost got hit by a bus, running across the road in front of it to ask me that?"

Melissa silenced Joanne with a look before answering. "No, we came over to thank you - and say hi. Things are so much better now in school since you stomped on Dudley's gang, Tony came back on crutches and then his family finally moved away altogether."

Joanne and the others nodded their agreement. "We searched for you all last summer to thank you, but you were nowhere to be seen."

"Oh, we spent the full summer traveling, I was only in Crawley at the end of August..."

Padma had certainly picked up on Hermione's wariness as these girls approached, she also noticed the envious glances they were stealing at Hermione and Harry. She had learned from Hermione that muggle school had been a lonely place for her friend, Padma didn't need to be a genius to deduct that these four played a part in that loneliness. It was time for some retrospective payback, and provide these four with a real focus for that jealousy.

"Starting off in Florida was brilliant! Are we doing that again next summer?"

Susan was also no slouch, spotting the tension before figuring out what Padma was doing. "Oh I would love to go back to Japan, that was just amazing and Auntie talks about it all the time."

"Sorry Susan, and I hate to disagree with my girlfriend, but Rome was the highlight of the whole summer..."

Lavender hadn't cottoned on to what was happening here, that made her outburst so much more believable though. She had been listening to stories of that holiday since Parvati returned from it, Lavender certainly knew which part sounded best to her. "Neville, Rome was better than Harry's private tropical island! - are you nuts?"

Harry settled the matter. "This summer our holidays will have to be built around a wedding, we won't be able to do much planning until that's arranged."

The four girls were left looking at each other in disbelief, they'd heard the wild rumours but here was the proof. Hermione Granger, the girl who they wouldn't give the time of day to had somehow fallen on her feet and had every girl's dream in the palm of her hand - certainly these four girls' dream. A gorgeous, rich and actually titled boyfriend, sometimes life just wasn't fair.

They had been searching all summer to see if the rumours were true, and, if they were, to begin the process of working their way into Granger's good graces. Here she stood though, surrounded by friends and hand in hand with the aforementioned gorgeous boyfriend. Melissa was left clutching at straws.

"Will you be coming home for Christmas?" Hermione's shake of her head shattered any hopes they had of ingratiating themselves into her clearly wealthy company. It was always going to be a hard task, but the girl never being in Crawley just make that mission impossible.

"Sorry but no. Harry's godfather, Lord Black, is getting engaged at Christmas. We will be spending the entire holiday with him in London. It was nice meeting you again but we need to go. This is the first time some of my friends have been in Crawley, we're showing them around."

None of the four were quite brazen enough to invite themselves along - it was a close run thing though.

As the friends walked away, Padma of course had a comment. "Well, that certainly went better than the last time we met the natives of Crawley."

Her sister couldn't contain her curiosity. "Why, what happened?"

"Oh, five guys tried to beat us up. One of them was even stupid enough to punch Hermione in the mouth."

"Let me guess, his name was Tony and he ended up on crutches?"

"Why Susan, your aunt would be proud of you. That is certainly deduction worthy of an auror." Padma couldn't hold her giggle though, she was in a very good mood.

Lavender was only paying partial attention, the shops were distracting her but she wanted to ask Parvati something. "I thought Ravenclaws were supposed to be bookworms, this lot are more Gryffindor than we are!"

-oOoOo-

Hermione had explained to her parents that, as Betsy was her personal elf, there would be no conflict with Dobby in Crawley. The elves already considered her Lady Potter, and Dobby would be the Grangers' elf.

Emma couldn't get her head around having Dobby living in the loft, there was also no way he was going to walk around wearing a pillow case. Dan and Emma were currently in negotiations with the elf, it was hard though as Dobby was currently in floods of tears.

"If this isn't big enough, Dobby, we could..."

"Oh no, Missis Granger, this is far too big for Dobby. This is a room..."

"Dobby, it's a storage cupboard under the stairs. We emptied it and put that little cot in there, we thought you'd be more comfortable here than in the loft. We bought you some outfits, do you like them?" Both Emma and Dan had been coached not to say clothes. Dobby may be a free elf now but that just wasn't a word you used around house elves.

There were three children's outfits on hangers in the walk-in cupboard, Dobby's eyes were drawn to the little track suit. It was brightly coloured, had zips and pockets - and Dobby had never seen anything so fine in all his life. "Dobby loves them, and Dobby already thinks he's going to really like working here."

With a shake of hands the deal was done, the Grangers had just hired a very dedicated house elf.

-oOoOo-

They had spent Tuesday night staying in Grimmauld to make accessing Kings Cross easier. Breakfast was already a lively affair before the pair of Gringotts owls arrived. Both Henrica and Luna were stunned into silence at what they contained.

"Harry, I have a Gringotts bank draft here for ninety thousand galleons. Would you care to explain why?"

"It's your first instalment from the basilisk carcass, Henrica, it will be a few months yet before the final figure is known. As a victim of the creature, Luna should have about half of that. That's simply because there were more victims than rescuers."

This received a nod of agreement from Luna. "Mine is for forty five thousand, that's an awful lot of gold, Harry."

"Everyone who was a victim gets the same, Luna, you, Hannah, Susan and Parvati will all get that today. Padma and Neville will receive the same as Henrica."

It was a puzzled Sirius who asked the obvious question. "Where are the owls with your bank drafts?"

Hermione was almost blushing as she answered. "We sorted that out yesterday when we were at Gringotts, it was getting embarrassing. Everywhere I went there would be goblins bowing to me, I hope it dies down soon."

Emma could put two and two together quicker than most, and was sure she had the right answer here. "So, Parvati is terrified of facing everyone on the express later today - and those cheques just happen to be delivered this morning?"

His ruse might have been easily read but Harry was unrepentant. "This was an attack on me and my family, I'll do everything I can to protect them..."

Sirius' loud laughter cut through anything else Harry was going to say. "This is genius! Instead of Parvati being picked on, you'll have a train full of people wishing they had been petrified. Luna was out for about a week and the rest of them were fed the potion the same day."

The news also pleased Henrica. "I didn't say anything before but I'm traveling to Hogwarts on the express with you lot, there will be a few aurors on the train too. We were worried in case there might be trouble but this will make the entire journey a party. Someone better tell the trolley lady to stock up well, I've a feeling she's going to be busy."

There was a party atmosphere taking over the breakfast table but Hermione noticed Luna's smile didn't quite reach her eyes. "Is there something wrong, Luna, I thought you were looking forward to going back to Hogwarts?"

"Oh, I am. It's just all this talk of family, there's only me and my father."

"Luna, when we found out you'd been petrified, Harry was ready to take the castle apart stone by stone to find out what did that to you. When he says family, you, Miss Luna Lovegood, are certainly considered part of that family."

"Really?"

"Really, really."

Luna's eyes now sparkled to match the wide smile she was wearing. Since her mother died, Luna had longed to be a family again. It would seem she was now part of this one too, something she was very happy with.

-oOoOo-

It was no coincidence that the trial of Lucius Malfoy was held on the same day the children returned to Hogwarts. Like Amelia, a lot of the Wizengamot members would have just waved their young loved ones off on the Express, and then left for the ministry to try the bastard who attempted to murder every single one of those very same children.

Malfoy was guilty, of that there was no doubt. In the past though, that wouldn't necessarily mean Lucius would be punished. A new wing at St Mungo's wouldn't get him out of this one though, not that he had access to funds to even attempt a deal like that. Today was all about showing the British wizarding public they could trust their ministry to make the hard choices and protect them. Since a lot of the parents were in London anyway to see their children off, the public galleries were packed to capacity. They were currently watching a Lucius Malfoy who had certainly lost his sneer of superiority. To be fair, sitting chained to a chair inside an iron cage while awaiting trial for the attempted massacre of the nation's schoolchildren would have that effect on most people.

Sirius, Ramrao and Barchoke sat together at the trial, listening while Lucius under truth serum congratulated himself for slipping the diary to the wog witch that was a close friend of Crow's. It was only after returning home and reading the Dumbledore expose that he realised the diary was a horcrux. His house elf was then sent to infiltrate Hogwarts and retrieve the horcrux, only to return empty-handed. It wasn't until after reading about the chamber incident in the Prophet, Lucius realised he'd slipped the diary to the wrong Patil witch.

He confirmed that no one else knew what he had done, and it was purely concern for their son that saw his wife withdraw Draco from Hogwarts. Lucius then condemned himself to the entire magical population of Britain, including any death eaters still at large, by confirming it was pure self-preservation that sent his elf off to Hogwarts. While the Malfoys were denied access to their funds, the dark lord's return would be an utter disaster for them. It was also noticed that Lucius was the only Malfoy in the Wizengamot Chamber, not even his wife was here to offer any support.

With Malfoy's goose well and truly cooked by his own confession, Amelia then showed Auror Tonks' memory to all the people crammed inside the chamber. The ministry wanted everyone to see what the outcome of Malfoy's ministrations could have been. To those intently watching the events unfold, Tom Riddle's appearance was every bit as terrifying as the basilisk.

The vote on his guilt was a mere formality, a unanimous answer quickly being returned from the Wizengamot members. It was then left to Amos to pass sentence.

"Lucius Malfoy, you have been found guilty of unleashing a terrible horror into Hogwarts, with callous disregard for the welfare of the children being taught there - your own son included. It is nothing short of miraculous that there were no fatalities - otherwise I wouldn't have hesitated in using the death penalty for this case."

This drew gasps from around the Wizengamot Chamber as people realised this was not Albus Dumbledore they were now dealing with. Amos Diggory appeared not to be the forgiving sort, even the Lestranges had escaped the death penalty. The attack on the Hufflepuff students though had badly shaken the Chief Warlock, his own son had been mere yards from the point of the basilisk attack.

"You will spend the rest of your life in the high security wing of Azkaban. It was also my intention to fine the Malfoy family rather heavily, and use that gold installing wards at Hogwarts to ensure nothing like this could ever be repeated. Thanks to our friends from the goblin nation, and those four brave and generous students who destroyed the basilisk, our children today return to a much safer Hogwarts. I still intend to impose a financial penalty though, twenty percent of the Malfoy fortune will be awarded to the ministry. This will be allocated to the DMLE, its purpose to help equip and train more brave aurors like the ones who protected our children at Hogwarts."

This proved a very popular decision, the profile of the DMLE had never been higher.

Edmund watched with everyone else as a sobbing and broken Lucius Malfoy sank into the floor. Personally,he thought the death penalty might have been kinder than spending the rest of your life in Azkaban. The twenty percent fine meant he would leave his daughter's betrothal to Draco intact for the moment, the news flashing around Platform Nine and three quarters that the Longbottom lad had just gotten betrothed also affected this decision.

He would call in on Narcissa before going home, give her the expected news about Lucius and then see what future concessions he could wring out of the Malfoys. If Edmund even suspected Draco was as stupid as his father, his betrothal to Pansy would be over before the blond ponce could spit. Lucius may have wormed his way into high society but the Malfoy name could become poison for many years to come.

Edmund would have to give serious consideration to whether he wanted his grandchildren lumbered with such a disadvantage. Thankfully he had a few years yet before finalising any arrangements. Narcissa would know all this, and also that should Draco's match to Pansy be dissolved, she would certainly struggle to find another suitable betrothal for her son. Edmund should be able to squeeze more Parkinson control over the Malfoy fortune, Narcissa wasn't really in any position to refuse.

A/N Thanks for reading

49. Just one thing

Harry Crow

Disclaimer: JKR still owns Harry Potter. I write purely for fun and post it here so you can read it for free, anyone wishing professional standards of writing should go and buy one of her books. (POA is my favourite!)

Chapter 49

Parvati had been pleasantly surprised at the positive reactions she'd received on the express. Then again, she'd never ventured outside the two compartments they had occupied and Professor Hobson had stayed close. Now, the professor was at the staff table, Susan and Hannah at Hufflepuff while Padma, Hermione, Luna and Harry were all heading to sit at their own house table.

She still wasn't alone though, Neville had offered his arm and Lavender was by her side, Ginny and Colin were leading the way to a space at Gryffindor that would accommodate the five of them. Unfortunately, this free space was closer to Ronald Weasley than they would usually sit.

"Hey Longbottom, looks like Lucius Malfoy isn't the only one who can't tell the Patils apart. You do know your girlfriend is sitting at the Ravenclaw table, right - or did they come as a pair?" Ron was laughing at his own joke, that was until he realised he was the only one laughing.

The way Neville was glaring at Ron was certainly enough to deter any sensible person from laughing at the redhead's supposed joke. After all, Neville Longbottom had just fought a basilisk AND killed Voldemort - this was not someone you wanted to upset.

"Since Padma is wearing the Longbottom betrothal ring, and Parvati clearly isn't, that should tell even someone as thick as you who this is on my arm. That same ring also makes Parvati my sister, would you stand back and let anyone say horrible things about your sister?"

This had a red faced Ron on his feet. "Don't you dare say anything about my sister, she wasn't the one stupid enough to write in a cursed diary."

"Oh I think the whole school knows who the stupid one is in the Weasley family, you prove it every time you open your mouth. Talk about my sister like that again and I'll call you out, this is the only warning you're getting Weasley..."

Before Ron could say anymore, Percy intervened. "Ron, sit down and shut up..."

"Oh, take his side again, why don't you! He's sticking up for someone who isn't even his sister yet my own brother stabs me in the back. Must be nice to have a supportive family..."

"Perhaps if you weren't such a jerk, we just might. Parvati's been through a horrible experience ..." Ginny found herself being interrupted by a now snarling Ron.

"...an experience she caused - and then got paid a bloody fortune for it too! That doesn't sound too horrible to me."

Neville was just about to launch himself at Ron when his head of house made her presence known. "Ronald Weasley, go to my office at once."

"What, and miss dinner?"

"I shall have the elves prepare a sandwich for you..."

"...a SANDWICH!"

"You have just gained an extra week's worth of detentions for your disrespectful attitude toward me, that's on top of the week I was originally going to give you. If you are not in my office inside the next five minutes, our new High Inquisitor can start her first day on the job by taking you home - and then explaining to your parents the reason why you are no longer welcome inside Hogwarts."

It had been reported in the Prophet that the new High Inquisitor was Neville's Grandmother, Ron rightly thought that he would receive no sympathy from that quarter. With his head down, he began making his way out the hall.

McGonagall though made sure he still heard her address to the rest of Gryffindor. "When you all arrived at Hogwarts for the very first time, I told you then that your house would be your family. One of our family was hurt by Lord Voldemort, that another member of our family made him pay for that hurt makes me prouder than I can say. Parvati needs the support of her family and friends at this time, her Gryfindor family will provide that support - or I'll know the reason why."

As McGonagall headed back to the staff table, Parvati found herself sitting between Neville and Lavender with the rest of the house rallying around. It appeared as if Ronald Weasley's was the only disconcerting voice in Gryffindor.

Harry felt it was now safe to release his grip on Hermione and Padma, both had wanted to rush to Parvati's aid. The confrontation had been heard by the entire great hall, Ronald Weasley and subtlety weren't exactly close friends. Harry had no intention of letting two angry witches now focus their ire on him though so quickly offered his reasoning.

"Neville always had the situation under control and I saw McGonagall keeping a close eye on them, she was moving the minute the mouth without a brain started speaking - or should that be shouting. We know what would have happened if Ron had been foolish enough to reach for his wand, Neville would have wiped the floor with him. By us not interfering, McGonagall was able to deal with it as a Gryffindor House matter."

"Can I borrow your sword, Hermione? I want to go and cut Ron's sandwich into bite sized pieces - then ram them down his throat with my fist."

"Eugh, you'd touch that mouth?"

"Hermione, I'm a betrothed witch - and I wouldn't be able to eat my dinner if I even thought about shoving sandwiches in any of his other orifices."

"Girls, you're frightening our friends - well, at least spoiling their appetites. Relax everyone, they're only joking. We're still the same people we were before all this happened..."

"Oh Harry, does that mean I can stop bowing every time I meet you now?" Luna's sing-song voice stopped all conversation as everyone stared at her. She couldn't hold her pretence though and burst out laughing. "You should see your faces!"

"I told you we shouldn't have let her eat all that chocolate on the train. Ladies curtsy, Luna, not bow - don't get it wrong again." Harry couldn't hold his laughter either, soon being joined by most of the table as they figured out they'd been had by the little blonde first year.

The Ravenclaws had gotten used to seeing Harry or Hermione on the front page of the Prophet, it wasn't exactly a gigantic leap to add Padma to that group too - especially when the three of them just acted as they normally would.

At the Slytherin table, the overwhelming emotion was that of relief. Crow's notion that only the person responsible should be blamed seemed to be prevalent amongst their fellow students. Longbottom jumping on Weasley for haranguing the main victim of these attacks suited them down to the ground. It deflected attention away from those who had fled the castle while reinforcing the belief that only the guilty should be punished.

Draco was trying to blend in so hard, he was in danger of disappearing. He of course knew his father's trial was today, and no sane person questioned what the verdict of that trial would be. His concern was purely the sentence, would his father live through this? Would the ministry punish what was left of the Malfoy family with severe financial penalties? Pansy was glued to Draco's side, understanding exactly what he was going through. Their betrothal may be hanging by a thread but she would be here to support Draco, no matter what happened to his father - or what her father said.

-oOoOo-

Lucius could have used support like that, Lucius would currently accept support from anywhere. The guards had flung him into this dark, dank cell, and the reality that he was never getting out of here completely destroyed any fortitude Lucius had left. He was crying like a baby but his torture was just beginning. The dementors were undoubtedly horrors but having his mental sister-in-law in the next cell was taking things a step too far.

The imprisoned death eaters were starved of news and had just been presented with a feast. Lucius was constantly bombarded with questions from all sides, Bellatrix though just wouldn't give up. Since neither he or Bella were going anywhere for the foreseeable future, Lucius decided that answering her was the only way to gain some respite. In his state of emotional turmoil, it never occurred to him that the crazy bitch might not like the answers Lucius had to give.

She could be heard screaming at him by everyone in the high security wing. "Our master entrusted you with one of his greatest treasures and you gave it away - all for a bit of revenge on a boy? Why didn't you just kill the little bastard? At least then you would have ended up in here for doing something constructive and worthwhile. Our master also entrusted me with one of his treasures, I would gladly die before letting anything happen to it."

The family squabble continued unabated and in the same vein, Bella was verbally tearing strips off Lucius - and promising more if she ever got her hands on him. This was as near as the residents of the high security wing got to entertainment, and all were discovering secrets at the same time. Lucius' revelation that their master had a muggle father though was a revelation too far for Bella. She was yelling that he was a liar while pounding the stone wall between their cells in an effort to get at Lucius and rip his tongue out for even suggesting something as vile as that about her beloved master.

Augustus Rookwood lay on his thin mattress and absorbed all the information being shouted about like a sponge, he was very good at that. Augustus had entered the ranks of the death eaters with his eyes wide open, and his own personal goals. After suffering dragon pox as a child, Augustus had survived but the disease left its mark - not all of them visible. While his face had enough pockmarks to make people wonder if his parents had allowed him to be used as a chew toy for their pet dog, the after-affects of the potentially fatal disease ran much deeper.

While Augustus' intellect was approaching the genius level, his magical power struggled to scrape average on a good day. Combine that handicap with a complexion that resembled Swiss cheese that was going slightly off, and you could perhaps understand why his time at Hogwarts was not a happy one. The ministry was also disappointing, yes he got to work in the department of mysteries but his lack of power meant the goal of being an unspeakable was denied him. With no family name worth speaking of, and certainly no fortune, he had grasped the opportunity to don the death eater regalia with both hands. Wearing that uniform and mask, Augustus was just as handsome and powerful as anyone else.

What a time he'd had, actually losing his virginity during his first raid on a mudblood's home. Augustus soon fell in love with the double life he was leading. He'd spy for his new master during the day, then at night receive his rewards as the death eaters rampaged throughout Britain - wherever they wanted - unopposed.

His master was smarter than he was, and certainly more powerful - Augustus didn't give two hoots if the dark lord's father was a muggle or a baboon. He himself held no pure blood superiority beliefs, Augustus was honest enough to admit that he became a death eater simply to access what was denied him otherwise - sex and power.

What Augustus heard here today provided his first spark of hope for over a decade, hope that those days of power and plenty might return once more. He of course knew what a horcrux was, though didn't think it was possible for an individual to make more than one. Here again was proof of his master's supreme intellect and unbelievable magical power. If Bella had access to one of their master's horcruxes, Augustus was certain he could bring their master back from the dead. With Dumbledore apparently having fled the country, and the Potter brat living as a goblin, Britain stood wide open for the dark lord's return.

Over the years, Augustus had of course speculated on ways and means to escape from this hellhole. The stumbling block had always been a pressing enough reason to risk his life attempting to escape Azkaban - only to then spend what was left of that life trying to hide from the ministry. He'd been raised with nothing so didn't find the physical conditions in here too severe. A dementor really had to be parked right out side his door for their debilitating effects to penetrate his occlumency, leaving him free to reflect on those stored memories that were by far and away the happiest days of his life.

If he somehow got out of here and then returned his master to life, Augustus was sure his master would reward him by allowing his most loyal death eater to make many more of those wonderful memories. The one memory he was really looking forward to creating was the slow, painful death of that traitorous bastard, Igor Karkaroff. Even if he didn't get to torture and kill the bastard responsible for him being in Azkaban personally, Augustus was certain a grateful dark lord would at least let him watch as their master carried out his own brand of retribution on the traitor. He could easily console himself in the knowledge that their master would certainly inflict a lot more pain on Karkaroff before allowing the traitor to die than Augustus ever could.

With that sweet thought, it was time to plan - Augustus almost felt alive again.

-oOoOo-

Harry and Hermione felt alive again as they practiced in the room of requirements with their swords. Since their bodies were now fully healed, their morning training made them feel as if things were back to normal - normal for them that is. Bill and Sirius would both be putting in their usual appearance at the weekend, with Sirius promising to consider animagus training for the four. He was trying to gather together some reading material beforehand, with their actual training probably not beginning until the new year. It was a sweaty but happy couple who were making their way back to Ravenclaw, only to find Draco and Pansy in their path.

After waiting on the couple, Draco approached - ensuring that both his empty hands were clearly visible. "Centurion Crow, it would seem I owe you my thanks more than once. I was already in your debt for speaking out about only punishing the guilty, a note from my mother has seen that debt increase. Your generosity in providing new wards for Hogwarts saved the Malfoy fortune, and probably my betrothal to Pansy. My father has been sentenced to life in Azkaban, a punishment I think he deserves. Had you not stopped his plans, the name of Malfoy would have been cursed in Britain for centuries."

Harry could detect no deceit or malice coming from the Slytherin, and the concern radiating from Pansy was certainly genuine. Draco had effectively lost his father, his wealth was locked down and it would seem Pansy's parents were questioning if their daughter should remain with the Malfoy heir. That was a lot of hits to take for anyone, far less someone who had been taught the world should bow at his feet simply because of his last name.

"Mr Malfoy, I did what I needed to do in the hope of protecting Parvati, that you too benefited from this requires no thanks. As to Hogwarts, I am her champion and had to help our friend who was trapped down there. Those wards would have already been in place if Dumbledore had been kicked out before the summer, so again no thanks is necessary. I see no debt between us so please don't consider there to be one."

With the formal part over, Harry tried a different tack. "Draco, we both got off on the wrong foot, I would also like to think we are both different people since that first meeting. I would say we are a way off being friends but I hope have moved past the point of being considered enemies. Your father is paying for his crimes and I bear you and your mother no ill will. Goblins preach live and let live, I think we could do with some of that here."

Harry offered his hand for shaking, and Draco hesitantly took it. The world shifted for the Slytherin at this point in time - had that been a pureblood he'd just made the same offer to, Draco would have been beholden to them for the rest of his life. Crow had treated him with honour and integrity yet logically dismissed any claim of debt between them.

Hermione knew she couldn't interfere between Harry and Draco but had also picked up on Pansy's concern, this was somewhere she could offer advice. "Pansy, I know Draco has been cast from the Black family, I also know Lord Black wouldn't sit back and watch you two parted - if you really wanted to be together. Betrothal is not an option available for Harry and me, that doesn't mean we won't fight like hell to stay together. If that is something you would consider, Sirius is in the castle every weekend. I'm certain he would at least speak to you both.'

Like Draco, Pansy didn't know how to handle this approach. She was as certain as she could possible be that this offer was genuine, as was the thought behind it. As she'd been taught, Pansy was looking for the ulterior motive for making this offer, and coming up empty. This girl had everything - fame, power, smarts, looks, the heir to one of the biggest fortunes in Britain as her serious boyfriend - Hermione Granger didn't need to waste her time playing Pansy Parkinson for a fool.

"Thank you, Hermione, that is certainly something Draco and I will talk about."

Neither couple thought this brief meeting could have gone much better. Just having two purebloods considering different opinions counted as a victory to Harry and Hermione. Draco and Pansy were left reeling. He expected to find himself beholden to Crow, instead they'd shaken hands and a tentative offer of help with their betrothal troubles - namely Pansy's father. Neither knew how Edmund Parkinson would take an approach by Lord Black on the matter, that left them thinking they would use that option only as a last resort.

-oOoOo-

Hogwarts students once more adapted to their new normal, and life proceeded as usual - classes still had to be taught and there were exams to be passed. Helena was keeping Harry informed on the progress of her fellow ghosts, the current prognosis that they would be back amongst the living for Christmas was still on track.

Dumbledore's absence was barely noticed, the former headmaster wasn't exactly missed.

Augusta was trying to make some sense of his former office, getting the elves to place a lot of the more outlandish nick-nacks into storage. Someone at her door halted the redecorating, only for something even more outlandish to walk into the room. Her defence professor was wearing a set of robes so bright, Henrica Hobson would have struggled to look good in them. On Gilderoy, the overall effect landed somewhere between hideous and ridiculous.

"What can I do for you, Professor."

"It's these new wards, Madam Longbottom, I don't think they're working properly. In fact, I'm sure I've uncovered a serious flaw in them."

The thought that this ponce could in any way possibly be right never entered Augusta's head, all she was thinking about was a means to get him out of here as quickly as possible. That applied to both her office and Hogwarts.

"You are the first person I've heard complaining about the new wards. Can you tell me specifically what you think is wrong with them?"

"Oh, I know they are there to prevent all sorts of nastiness passing into the school but I fear they may be set too severe. Since we returned to the castle almost two weeks ago, I haven't had one piece of fan mail. Betty Crocker has never gone this long without writing before, the wards must be filtering my fan mail out. I hardly think that letters from my fans would count as dark or evil."

Augusta was going to take great delight in explaining the facts of life to this arse. "Professor Lockhart, four young students - my grandson amongst them - went down into that chamber and fought not only a basilisk but Lord Voldemort himself. Meanwhile, it was widely reported that the castle's defence against the dark arts professor was the first person from Hogwarts to arrive at Hogsmeade Village..."

"I ran all the way there to raise the alarm..."

"...a job that had already been done by Minerva and two of the aurors using the floo system. Instead of assisting with the evacuation, you ran for your life. I would say that was the reason for your lack of fan mail, not what literally are some of the best protective wards in the entire world."

You would have thought Gilderoy had been slapped by the way he reacted to that analysis. "Don't be preposterous, Madam, I am Gilderoy Lockhart - my fans would never desert me! I'm five-time winner of Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award, does that sound like someone who wouldn't get any fan mail? You need to see about having these wards repaired, otherwise, I might be forced to leave Hogwarts."

Augusta was delighted the new wards protected the students. If they also got rid of this useless ponce too, she would probably kiss Barchoke the next time they met. "I shall ask Assistant Ambassador Weasley about them when he comes to the castle on Saturday. After all, before his latest promotion, he was a Gringotts curse-breaker."

Mentioning Bill Weasley was perhaps rubbing Gilderoy's nose in it more than a little bit, the redheaded wizard was everything Lockhart pretended to be. He flounced out of her office in a swirl of robes and ringlets, not a happy wizard.

-oOoOo-

Crow's Marauders now looked upon their tutors with something akin to awe, Dumbledore at the height of his powers would have struggled to gain this level of attention from his students. The only exception to this was a heartbroken Colin, the Longbottom ring on Padma's finger was taking some getting used to for the young wizard. Padma was his first crush, seeing her now betrothed to Neville almost had him in tears every time he saw that ring. Ginny and Luna were certainly helping him understand the Indian beauty simply didn't feel that way about him, and how could he hate Neville when his fellow Gryffindor was going out of his way to ensure the rest of the house didn't make fun of him over the situation.

Fun was certainly back on the agenda as they practiced shields / stinging hex exercises. Since they now all knew exactly what getting hit with a stinging hex felt like, they were allowed to wear dragon hide tunics as they duelled - face shields had been made mandatory. Harry had supplied sets of face shields and tunics purely for this purpose, allowing enough that they could be swapped over while the current duel was taking place. Their aim was now to help their students increase the power of their shields, the only real way to do that was to have someone firing spells at them until it collapsed. There was no reason not to let the dragon hide absorb most of the spell that would eventually get through though.

Their plans were to have them dodging and shielding after Christmas, building up experience to help with the difficult decision of when to do one or the other.

They were firing two stinging hexes at their opponent's shield before then having to receive a couple in return. Anyone whose shield protected them from five or over got cheered, and a chocolate frog. The four fourth years were now a big part of this class too, so much so that Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw quidditch practices were now arranged around it. The Slytherins had unopposed use of the pitch every Tuesday evening.

Augusta stood with Henrica, there purely to observe but brimming with pride at the same time. As usual, the four second years were concentrating on what they were doing and had totally forgotten the adults were present.

The noise being generated from the duelling meant the two witches didn't need to worry about their conversation being overheard. "This is what defence lessons are supposed to be like, not students swinging from the chandelier because the professor ran away terrified. Even the older boys are hanging on their every word, and working seamlessly together as a team to make everything run smoothly. If every class was taught this well, there wouldn't be a need for me inside Hogwarts."

This drew a wry chuckle from Henrica. "Minerva said pretty much the same when she observed them, she was every bit as impressed. Can I assume you're having no luck in finding someone suitable to take over from Lockhart?"

"Oh, I have the very person in mind, I just need the all clear from the ministry to offer him the job. Let's be honest here, Padma, Hermione, Harry or my Neville can all teach defence better than the person Dumbledore appointed. The proof of that is currently right in front of us."

There was certainly never going to be an argument from Henrica on that subject. Augusta was on a rant though, her anger directed at the former headmaster. "Dumbledore seemed to be building his own little empire here, rather forgetting the people he employed were supposed to be teaching students. Snape was horrible at teaching, yet the board could do nothing because Albus protected him. Harry has managed to force through some exceedingly positive changes, I would certainly include you in that list but it's now up to me to finish the job he started."

Henrica had always gotten the impression Augusta Longbottom was a formidable witch, seeing her impassioned about her new job just confirmed that. In the best British bulldog tradition, she was going to take Hogwarts by the scruff of the neck and shake all those not doing their jobs properly right out of the castle.

"I could never be classed as an expert on muggles, though I'm very proud to say I have two very good friends who are of that persuasion. That's something our muggle studies professor certainly couldn't claim, I doubt if she's actually met any. Even with the time I've spent in the company of the Grangers, I can recognise that most of what she's teaching is wrong. I've sent a copy of the coursework to Dan and Emma for their opinion, I'm not expecting good news."

The new High Inquisitor was left shaking her head at her next revelation. "Minerva refused to comment on the divination teacher, saying her own opinion was this subject should not be part of the Hogwarts curriculum. After visiting the class, I'm inclined to agree. The students are being taught the methods of divination but, unless they have the gift, they are wasting their time. You might as well hand a stick to a muggle and tell them how to make something float. They could learn the wand movements and annunciate Wingardium Leviosa until they're blue in the face - they still won't be able to make anything float!"

"Is this a bigger job than you expected?"

"Henrica, I honestly can't believe the mess Dumbledore has left behind. Apart from those I've mentioned, when Neville arrived at Hogwarts there was a bigoted ghost teaching his own version of history, a death eater teaching potions and a Voldemort possessed wizard instructing the students on defence. We've had trolls and a basilisk, what's next - dementors?"

When it was all put together like that, it really was a damming indictment of the previous headmaster. "Dumbledore always gave me the impression that he wasn't used to people saying no to him. He'd gotten his own way for so long that he began to believe he could do no wrong. More than once I had to remind him that he was not my employer, and that the course I am teaching has already been agreed upon - purposely to bring Hogwarts up to the same standard as the rest of Europe."

The lesson was now finishing and all the first years sat on the floor as hot chocolate appeared in front of each student. The relaxed way they all accepted this, and the critique of tonight's lesson that followed astonished Augusta. They had started tonight's lesson by explaining exactly what they hope to achieve, now they were all sitting and discussing whether they had achieved their goals. Questions and answers flowed easily in both directions, it appeared an informal arrangement yet respect was there from all sides.

Harry then gave them a general outline of what they would be doing next week before calling it a night. The four fourth years then led the first years back to their dorms, Fred Weasley happily leading the Slytherins' down to the dungeons.

When they had left, Augusta pulled Neville and Padma into an embrace. "I am so proud of you, all four of you. I have spent my time here observing professors teaching their subject, what I just witnessed was up there with the best of them. That was simply brilliant - and restored an old witch's faith that Hogwarts can once more be the premier magical school in the world."

Neville was beaming at the praise, they all worked hard preparing for this class but really enjoyed passing on what they had learned. "Thanks, gran. We were hoping to hold a Christmas Party for them the last week of term, who do we need to ask for permission?"

"You certainly have mine, and I can't see Minerva objecting. If they work like that every week then a party is certainly well deserved. First year students casting shields, I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it for myself."

Padma was also beaming at the praise, and basking in the acceptance she was being shown as Neville's betrothed. "Professor Weasley taught it to us in first year, we didn't see any reason for not teaching it to them."

This saw a sigh of frustration emitted from Augusta. "Have you any idea how difficult my job becomes when three of the best teachers in the school don't work for Hogwarts?"

It was a totally serious Neville who faced his grandmother. "...but gran, there's four of us!"

This saw Hermione theatrically palming her face. "Oh great, just what we need - Neville channelling Padma."

This saw a tickling hex heading in Hermione's direction, only for Padma's hex to be deflected by her bracelet shield - straight to Augusta. Neville and Harry had the counter cast in seconds, only for Augusta to burst out laughing anyway. The fact that her once painfully shy grandson now felt confident enough to joke with her was certainly an occasion worthy of laughter.

-oOoOo-

There wasn't much laughter amongst the three people in the minister's office, Cornelius couldn't quite believe what he was hearing. Amelia spelled it out very simply.

"Cornelius, I know these people. You try to give them different levels of award, they will throw them back in your face - and all the gains you've made in the last year will be for nothing."

The minister was a political animal and knew what this group publicly refusing ministerial awards would do to his popularity ratings, he also explained the other side of the equation to his head of DMLE. "You may be right, Amelia, but think of the alternative. Can you really see me surviving trying to award a Swedish veela, an Indian witch and a muggle born an Order of Merlin, First Class? The Wizengamot would have me out on my ear."

Amelia knew this would be a tough sell, the head of the DMLE also knew she was right though. "You're looking at this all wrong, Cornelius. Where you see a veela, I see one of Hogwarts' most popular professors - a professor who will become engaged to Lord Black on Boxing Day. I already have my invitation. Where you see a witch of Indian origin, I see a brilliant young lady of ancient magical linage that just became betrothed to Neville Longbottom. They fought bravely together, can you honestly see him accepting a higher award than his wife to be?"

This news had Cornelius floundering since none of it had appeared in the Prophet. With the public perception and level of adulation of this group, the last thing the Prophet wanted to do was alienate any of them by forging ahead and making any announcements - they were waiting on official notification from those involved. Amelia then went in for the kill, she was well aware which award would cause the biggest outcry in the Wizengamot chamber.

"Hermione Granger is certainly a muggle born, she is also academically head of her year group - need I remind you who else is in that year group? This witch is also a friend of the goblin nation and you weren't in the Chamber of Secrets to see what happened just after the beast had been killed. A twelve year old girl took on the biggest bloody basilisk the world has ever seen - with a goblin sword! Every goblin down there was treating Hermione like some kind of warrior princess - I have it on very good authority that Ragnok is strutting around Gringotts as pleased as Punch that his gamble to make that award to her has paid off far more handsomely than he could ever have imagined. Do you really want to insult them too?"

Like any good auror, Amelia had been trained to use her big spells when they counted most - she released them here. "So, you have a brilliant young witch whose boyfriend, Centurion Crow, is totally besotted with her. Only goblin culture stands between that couple becoming betrothed too. She will be welcomed into Gringotts with open arms and don't forget, that same boyfriend has a massive choice to make before he's seventeen. Surely you can see how the ministry publicly insulting Hermione must affect Harry's decision?"

Cornelius now had his head in his hands. "Of course I can see that! How is that any worse though than trying to push it through the Wizengamot - and failing? Amos, what do you think?"

Amos Diggory was still getting used to being the Chief Warlock, what was important to him though was that he did the job properly. He had a wife and son that he loved more than life itself, those were the two most important opinions to Amos. He already knew what Cedric would say. "They fight as a team, Cornelius, whatever the battle and whoever the opponent. I had some long chats with my son over this matter, he's very friendly with all four of them. Had they asked, he would have been down there with them! He and three other fourth years take part in their training every Sunday, and every Sunday they get their arses kicked. After seeing what they did in the Chamber of Secrets, Cedric now thinks getting his arse kicked is a badge of honour - no one else can get near them."

Again, this was something Fudge had not heard before, Cedric had only told his father after the Hogwarts evacuation sent him homeward.

"Did you know that once a week, those four teach the entire first year Defence against the Dark Arts. They have first years producing protego shields..."

"WHAT! Preposterous..."

"That's exactly what I said, Cornelius, until Cedric told me he helps with their lessons - and saw it with his own eyes. The first year call themselves 'Crow's Marauders', have an official club badge and everything. Oh, the club is also staff sponsored by Professor Hobson, the same veela who probably saved all their lives down in the Chamber of Secrets. They were all in equal danger, they all played their part in the victory so therefore should all be treated the same."

With a groan, Cornelius' head slumped onto his desktop. "Damned if I do, damned if I don't! Has either of you got any other options for me?"

This was what Amelia was waiting for. "Cornelius, I thought the stroke you pulled with the goblin ambassador was masterful, so why rest on your laurels? Let's keep pushing reforms and, if we go down, we go down fighting for what we believe in - for what is right."

"If it's all the same to you, Amelia, I'd rather not go down at all. I'm all out of brilliant ideas at the moment so anything you have will certainly be listened to."

Amelia just had a flash of how Cornelius must have felt trying to sell her the idea of a Goblin Ambassador, this one though was even more out there. "In all this, we haven't mentioned the one name at the centre of everything we've discussed - were you just going to hand Harry another Order of Merlin?"

This got another groan from the minister. "What happened to keeping them all the same?"

"They will be the same, Harry's already got one! What he doesn't have is a title." Amelia held her hand up to stop the expected interruptions. "Harry Potter is heir to a title, Harry Crow is not. Harry is also Hogwarts Champion, a title he will hold for life. I propose we grant him a piece of land, near Hogwarts, with a house and a title. Harry Crow, Baron of Kingussie."

Amos had to interrupt, Amelia had clearly overlooked something. "...except that Harry Crow is a goblin, and goblins can't live anywhere but Gringotts..." The words dried up in his throat as Amos realised Amelia had overlooked nothing. "...are you crazy?"

"Crazy as a fox - who's going to give a shit about a muggle born witch being awarded an Order of Merlin, First Class, when compared to that?"

The minister totally agreed with that assessment. "Yes, they'll be far too busy chasing us out of our offices with pitchforks and burning torches."

"Ah, but then we release our secret weapon..."

That led to a pause in the discussion, a pause that was eventually broken by the minister. "Are you going to tell us what this secret weapon is?"

With a canny smile, Amelia revealed her idea. "How about some extremely positive goblin publicity? Publicity so positive, we will all want a goblin neighbour. Don't underestimate the popularity of another summer awards ball either, especially when that ball is for the Heroes of Hogwarts - and will have the new Baron of Kingussie in attendance."

Cornelius was now very interested, positive publicity always had his attention.

"For over a decade, two prominent pure blood aurors have resided in ward forty nine of St Mungo's - they were alive but took no part in the world around them. They are not there anymore. A few weeks ago I visited them, I sat and had a conversation with Alice Longbottom."

Amelia was renowned for her stoicism but both men could see the emotion clearly etched on her face as she talked about this. "They are currently in a goblin medical facility and have even visited a muggle hospital. The point is, our best healers could do nothing for them yet, in our arrogance, we ignored all other options. Frank and Alice will never be the people they were before but they are already far beyond what the remaining Longbottom family had hoped for."

The politician in Cornelius was very weary of this. "Just what is the goblins' angle on this?"

"Cornelius, the answer is exceedingly simple - and nothing to do with politics. Not only is Neville one of Harry's best friends, Alice Longbottom is his godmother. Apart from you and Amos here, I have discussed this idea with no one else. There has been no goblin input or scheme, I'm simply offering an alternative to the shocking embarrassment that Miss Granger being denied her award would bring."

"Are you saying the goblins have no plans to publish this, rubbing our noses in the fact we couldn't heal our own people?"

Amelia could understand the minister's view, they really knew so little about the goblin nation. "When holidaying with Harry over the summer, I got to know Barchoke a lot better - Susan considers him a kind of honorary uncle now. He told me that one of the dreams his nation had was that his son's wedding would see witches, wizards, muggles and goblins all in attendance. I don't see anything wrong with that dream and hope to be one of the witches invited - you better believe everyone will be treated equally by the bride and groom."

Amos tried to be the voice of reason here. "Amelia, I don't see anything wrong with that dream either. Dreams are good but we have to face reality here, I think changing another law that affects the goblins is too much, too soon."

"Amos, I agree with you except for one glaring problem. The boy-who-lived deciding to remain a goblin would make our government the laughing stock of Europe - if not the world." No one present could dispute what a disaster that outcome would be so Amelia spelled out some more facts.

"A wizard killed both his parents, and tried to do the same to him while he was still a babe. It was witches and wizards that placed his godfather in Azkaban and his godmother in St Mungo's. It was also a wizard that abandoned him on a muggle doorstep as a baby - are you seeing the pattern here?"

Both Cornelius and Amos were rather green about the gills at just how badly their society had failed their saviour. Amelia though was by no means finished.

"Now, the other side of the coin has the goblins raising Harry to be a fine young man. They were instrumental in freeing his godfather, are totally responsible for bringing back his godmother and treat his chosen girl as a princess. Knowing all that, we need to look at our problem again. Harry thinks of himself as a goblin, and that is the side of him we need to appeal to if we want any chance of that decision ever going in our favour. He won't give a shit about being Baron of Kingussie but he will proudly accept it, knowing the impact it will have on his nation. Is it too much, too soon - yes. Can we afford not to do this - that is what we need to decide here."

Cornelius was between a rock and a hard place, his choices appeared to be get squashed or try and blast his way out. "Do you really think the goblins announcing they managed to heal people we couldn't will have such a positive impact?"

"Absolutely not - but Augusta Longbottom announcing it would. Both she and Neville feel they owe the goblins a debt that can never be repaid, this would be her opportunity to do so. When Augusta Longbottom speaks, witches and wizards the length and breadth of Britain will listen. There are those we will never convince, just like there are those we won't have to - Harry's involvement being enough to guarantee their votes. It's the moderates in the centre we need to convince. It will be hard, it will be close but I think we can pull this off."

Cornelius couldn't think of any other alternatives with another old idiom popping into his mind - he might as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb. Failing to gain approval for Miss Granger's award would just as surely end his political career as Harry's supposed title would, probably not so swiftly though. He was thinking of something that might just tilt the scales more in their favour. "Do you think we could get the goblins to open a Gringotts branch in Hogsmeade? That would certainly help the local businesses and might even see the village grow."

Amelia privately thought she could get a lot more than that from the goblins if they could change this law. She nodded her agreement before cautiously proceeding. "If we are really going to go ahead with this, can I suggest I privately approach Harry, Augusta and Barchoke on this matter? I would like to gain their opinions before we pass this over to Arthur."

Cornelius looked to Amos. "I've got nothing better, Minister. While I still think we're proceeding too fast, the proposal will certainly have my personal and public support."

"Okay, Amelia, proceed with caution and then we'll have another meeting to decide if this is definitely going ahead. At that point, we'll bring Arthur into the mix. Do we have anything else that needs to be dealt with tonight?"

"Just one thing, Augusta wants to know if she can have ministerial backing for offering the Defence against the Dark Arts position to a werewolf."

With that, Cornelius' head was once more back on his desk.

A/N thanks for reading

50. Hogwarts on Ice

Harry Crow

Disclaimer: Since I'm not the owner of these characters, I may do things with them that you don't like or agree with. Sorry in advance but that's the nature of fan fiction. To do otherwise kind of defeats the purpose of fan fiction, and copying JKR word for word would certainly see a lawsuit heading in my direction.

Chapter 50

Neville was taking a good natured ribbing from the Weasley twins. "Surely you can tell us now, we're on our way there..."

"We hate surprises, Neville, unless it's us that's supplying them."

"Sorry guys, I told you I can't help. The three of them were arranging it all, Padma wanted it to be a surprise for me too!"

"You were serious about that? We thought you were pulling our leg..."

"What do Harry and Padma know about Christmas, they've only celebrated it once!"

"These are the people you let organise our Christmas Party, I'm really disappointed in you, Neville."

"Fred, it may have escaped your notice, but this party is for the first years. You're both invited along to help out."

"We know, and we will..."

"It's just that we never get invited anywhere..."

"...and we intend to make the most of it!"

The rest of the first year Gryffindors were following on behind, and of course listening to every word. Ginny couldn't help but interrupt. "Is it any wonder you two don't get invited anywhere? This is my first Christmas party and if you spoil it with any of your pranks, you'll both be sorry."

"You don't need to worry, Ginny, we'll be on our best behaviour."

"Yeah, Hermione's already passed out that warning. No offence, sis, she's a lot scarier than you."

They reached the doors and found they were the first to arrive, apart from the Ravenclaw trio of course who had set the room up.

Neville led them in and then stopped dead in his tracks, leading to a lot of pushing behind him. The Gryffindors were soon all inside, and all now standing there with wide eyes and open mouths.

Padma nervously approached them, she was watching for Neville's reaction. "Welcome to the party - what do you think of our idea?"

Neville was having trouble getting his mouth to work, it was as if his eyes had commandeered all his brain power to absorb the wondrous sight that currently greeted him.

Two sides of the 'room' had tables along their edge, tables that would hold about six people each. The seating / eating area was separated from the rest of the room by a railing, a railing that had a gap to be used as an entrance. Going through that entrance would lead you onto an ice rink. Harry and Hermione were currently skating around the massive fully decorated Christmas tree that commanded the centre of the rink. There was music playing and snow gently falling as the laughing couple sped toward them, stopping at the railing.

"Well, what do they think?"

"I don't know, Harry, they haven't said a word yet."

Ginny was almost hyperventilating as she tried to answer for the shocked Gryffindors. "A couple of years ago our pond froze enough to let us try skating, it was nothing like this though - this is simply beautiful!"

It was then Neville got his mouth to work, though his brain still hadn't quite caught up yet. "I can't skate - I mean, I've never tried to skate."

This saw Padma smile. "That's why there's a railing around the entire rink, or you could always hold onto me? Oh, and there's a cushioning charm on the ice, we didn't want anyone getting hurt. There are sets of skates at every table, the room will resize them to fit. The idea was to do some skating and then stop for food - followed by more skating..."

At that, the Ravenclaws arrived and Luna emitted a squeal of delight. "I absolutely love skating! Oh, this is just amazing - where are the skates?"

That started a rush to the tables. When falling on your bum didn't hurt, everyone was determined to give ice skating a try. Colin of course had his camera and was soon busy taking pictures - his family would never believe this. The tables and chairs appeared to be made out of ice, yet were warm to the touch. The snow falling on the rink was also amazing, since it didn't build up and appeared to just be absorbed into the ice. The other two houses had now arrived and the room, or should that be ice cavern, rang with the sound of excited laughter.

The rink was filling up fast with skaters moving in a clockwise direction around the sparkling tree to avoid collisions. There were all levels of skating on display, from a few too nervous to leave the security of the railing to those performing spins and turns. Jake, a muggle born Hufflepuff was clearly a very good skater and was soon trying to teach some of the others the tricks he could do.

Henrica had taken one glance at the room, and headed straight back out. She returned with all four heads of house and Augusta. "Well, was it worth leaving dinner to see this?"

Filius was practically bouncing with excitement. "Oh, this is wonderful. Do you think they would allow me to join in?"

This had Henrica laughing. "Filius, I'm sure they would love for you to join them." As he shot off to find a pair of skates, Henrica spoke to the remaining staff. "The minute I saw this, I thought it was far too good to just be used for one night. If we could get some staff volunteers, we could open this every evening until they head home for the holidays."

Minerva thought that was a fantastic idea but wanted to add to it. "What if we made each evening for a specific year group? Watching all the first years mix together is something I'll never tire of looking at. We could probably easily do the same thing for the second years tomorrow, third on Thursday, fourth Friday. If we give fifth Saturday, we can have sixth and seventh on Sunday. Will Harry need to be here to open the room?"

There discussion was interrupted by loud cheering coming from the rink, the students were all clapping and shouting as Filius happily sped around the Christmas tree too.

"Yes, but after people were inside, he could leave. The room will disappear as the last person exits." At that, they were joined by a glowing Harry and Hermione, both of whom were clearly having a great time.

"Good evening, Professors, what do you think of our party? Emma and Dan took the three of us skating in London last Christmas and we loved it - and are planning to take everyone there again this Christmas. Won't you join us? We're just about to eat."

Minerva was delighted, glimpsing a side of Harry she'd never seen before. Here was a young man just enjoying skating with his girlfriend, the serious student who was Centurion Crow was nowhere in sight. "Centurion, we would love to..."

They had barely moved to the nearest table when 'food and drink' appeared. Hermione was bursting to explain their choices. "We wanted to offer something different, so my mum had Dobby bring a selection of party foods to the kitchen. These are the ones the Hogwarts elves could produce."

There were platters of all different foods on the table, from pork pies and sausage rolls to pizza and nachos with a melted cheese dip. There were also jugs of hot chocolate, butter beer and goblin ale to choose from. As the skaters began making their way to the tables, Henrica, Sprout and Slughorn began mingling with the excited students. Augusta and Minerva sat with Harry and Hermione, soon being joined by Neville and Padma - both of whom were just as excited as their best friends.

"Nachos and goblin ale - you three really know how to throw a party!"

"You've had these before, Neville?"

"Oh yes, gran - I mean..."

"It's okay, Neville, this is a party so 'gran' is appropriate."

"Thanks, gran, I first had nachos in Florida - not with goblin ale though."

Minerva then put forward Henrica's idea, and got a very enthusiastic response. "You mean we could do this again tomorrow? Harry, say yes!"

"Hey, Patil, save passing out the orders for your own boyfriend. Harry, say yes!"

"Won't it interfere with our studies, Hermione?" It took a moment for the other three to realise that their legs were being pulled. "Professor McGonagall, I would be delighted to let the rest of Hogwarts try this. Do you want to keep the food part too? I don't know if we could get enough ale for the whole of Hogwarts though."

Since Minerva had just tried her first slice of pizza, she was keen for the rest of the school to sample these different things too. She avoided the hot dogs though, purely on the basis of their name. "That would be excellent, Centurion. I think we can pencil Professor Flitwick in to be here every night."

This had the three Ravenclaws chuckling at their head of house, he was clearly enjoying himself on the ice. "If you'll excuse us, I think we should join him. Are you ready, Hermione?"

Both left, and were soon followed by their two friends, leaving Minerva and Augusta sitting watching their students having a great time. "It really does this old heart of mine the world of good to see Harry behaving in a manner that would be considered normal for someone his age."

"Minerva, I holidayed with them over the summer and know exactly what you mean. Harry and Hermione would run for miles every morning, then start practicing with those swords of theirs. Neville and Padma would join in when they were practicing magical duelling, their concentration levels were frightening for ones so young. Then they would dive into the sea and four kids would suddenly take their place. As you can see, they do know how to relax and have fun. Put yourself down for tomorrow night and you'll see them even more relaxed. This is still Crow's Marauders in here, and they're still watching closely to make sure everyone is having a good time..."

They were joined by the rest of the staff present as all the students were once more making their way back onto the ice, though the head of Ravnclaw would appear to have had enough - for now. A flushed Filius quickly downed a mug of goblin ale before releasing a sigh of contentment. "I haven't had as much fun in years, nor connected as well with my students. Albus' standoffish policy seems to have filtered down through all of us too, and for that I'm ashamed. He hid himself away behind that gargoyle and lost contact with the real world. Look at those faces, that's as real as it gets - they'll remember this evening long after they've forgotten who taught them how to charm things to float. This is what their Hogwarts experience should be about, creating lasting memories and friendships - not students fighting basilisks or trolls."

Filius got no argument from the rest of the staff, they were all too busy watching the first years having the time of their lives. No student was left on their own, hands were offered and accepted with no thought to houses, blood status or even gender - they were too busy having fun.

-oOoOo-

Amelia was also having fun, it wasn't every day you got to shock a goblin into silence. Wearing her broach to Gringotts had once more seen her politely and quickly escorted to Barchoke's office. Understanding the goblin custom of getting right down to business, she had explained her idea to reward his son - leaving the goblin shocked and speechless.

Finally getting his act together, the emotion was clearly decipherable in Barchoke's response. "Amelia, this is a boon we certainly never expected. Hoped for, yes - in the coming decades perhaps... Forgive me, please, but would you consent to meeting the director to pass on this news? I give you my promise here and now that I will do everything possible to turn your idea into a reality. Like you, though, I need to take this higher. To be honest, the director would suspect I'd grown too fond of grog if I took this to him by myself."

Barchoke certainly understood the risk he was taking here. Arriving at the Director's office for a meeting that wasn't prearranged was always a risky business, arriving there with Amelia in tow was tantamount to Barchoke taking his life in his hands. Amelia would be the first ministry official ever to set foot in the Director's office, Barchoke thought the potential gains here were certainly worth the risks.

If Amelia didn't already know how unusual this situation was, the shocked glances from all the goblins they met walking to the Director's office were certainly clues the former auror couldn't miss. With a minimal wait, they were both shown into the opulent office where, after a polite but short greeting, Amelia told Ragnok why she was here.

Even knowing this must be a matter of great importance, otherwise Barchoke would never have dared bring this witch to his office, Ragnok was still shocked at what they were being offered here. Unlike his subordinate though, the goblin leader was determined to get to the bottom of why this offer was being made.

Amelia was actually embarrassed to admit that, due to prejudice in the Wizengamot Chamber, they didn't know if they could reward all the Heroes of Hogwarts equally. She was not prepared for the reaction this caused, a clearly angry goblin leader turned his ire onto Barchoke. In switching to their own language, she also had no idea what was being said - the tone Ragnok used though didn't leave much to the imagination. A bollocking was the same in any language.

""They disrespect your daughter yet you rush in here, flushed and excited like a virgin bride on her wedding night! Do you expect us just to smile as we are shafted by those pureblood morons at the ministry? Surely this witch must have anticipated our reaction? They can't be that stupid - or do they think we are the stupid ones?""

Barchoke had lost all of his excitement, offering an apology and explanation to his leader. ""Your pardon, Director, I was so taken by the implications of the offer that I never looked at the reason behind it. Amelia here is unaware that Hermione is my daughter, I have kept that information away from her to protect her position at the ministry...""

""That was a mistake - this witch should be considered an asset, and a friend.""

Ragnok was once more under control as he spoke to Amelia - in English. "My apologies, Madam Bones. Both for my rudeness in speaking a language you don't understand and assuming you already possessed certain information - information that would explain my outburst. The ministry sees Miss Granger as a muggle born witch, we see her as a child of our nation. You were present the day I awarded her the status of goblin friend, that was before she blood bonded with a certain centurion we all know. She is Harry's mate, therefore a daughter of our nation - and a heroine too! Treating her disrespectfully because of her circumstances would be perceived as an insult by the goblin nation."

It was now Amelia's turn to be shocked. "Blood bonded - so young! Can I ask if this is a goblin tradition?"

"Blood bonding, yes - becoming bonded so young though is certainly not. Them doing so was as big a shock to us as I can see it is to you. Barchoke will gladly show you the memory to explain the circumstances surrounding this unusual occurrence. As you can see, this adds further layers of complexity to a problem that was already far from simple."

Shrugging off her shock, Amelia tried to deal with the situation she now found herself in. "I would like to offer my apologies for any implied slur on Miss Granger, that was certainly never my, or the Minister's intention. Our whole plan to defer attention away from her blood status would still seem like our best option for pushing ahead with what we all would like to achieve from this... I hesitate to use the word 'mess' but this could easily turn into a disaster for all of us."

This drew an answering nod of acceptance from Ragnok. "The ministry offer is a very good one, and I respect the reasons behind it. Our nation too suffers from its quota of bigots, bigots who were put in their place by Miss Granger's heroic efforts - alongside those of her mate and friends. That young couple are becoming more and more the focus of both our societies, finding a way for them to coexist between us could become one of our greatest challenges. We should never forget the couple also have a third option, the pull from the muggle world is certainly a strong one - and that would be a disaster for all of us. We are certainly prepared to work with our friends at the ministry to plot a course that is suitable for all of us, especially the young couple in question."

This saw Amelia relax slightly, the minister would be pleased to know the goblins had the exact same concerns as them. "Director, that is a goal I am happy to work toward. Can I ask if Harry and Hermione's status could become public knowledge? From what you said, am I to understand that this knowledge is known amongst your nation?"

"That fact is certainly well known inside Gringotts. Whether it gets released further than that would be a family matter, something that would need to be discussed between Barchoke and everyone else involved. Do you think releasing that news would help this case?"

"I think so. Blood bonding is an old magical tradition that fell out of favour when the pure blood movement gained preference. Matrimonial matches became more about protecting the bloodlines and joining families than whether the couple were suitable to be married to each other. Having witnessed Harry and Hermione together on many occasions, can I assume they have a strong bond?"

This had Ragnok laughing, and allowed Barchoke to enter the discussion once more. He couldn't believe the foolish error he'd made and needed to recover swiftly. "Amelia, it's the strongest bond anyone here has ever seen. Full body, with an aura that turned golden. Our society moved in the opposite direction to yours, marriage is sacred to us so a strong blood bond is vital. I'll let you see the memory of their bonding later, and try to explain why I didn't tell you. I would need to discuss the possibility of releasing this with both of them, and the Grangers."

That was fair enough, she then floated the idea of a Gringotts branch opening in Hogsmeade - it was well received.

"If the law was changed to allow goblins to live at the branch - that would certainly be something we would like to move forward with. It should also encourage more businesses into the village, possibly even rivalling Diagon Alley someday as a commercial centre."

With all three people in the room realising they basically wanted the same things to happen, the barriers came down and ideas were being put forward on the best way to achieve their common goals. All thought it was a very productive meeting, it was now time to start the negotiating process - officially.

-oOoOo-

Sirius needed all his Gryffindor courage for what he was planning here. All he had to do though was think of the woman who would soon become his wife and he knew this had to be done - however awkward it might prove.

The warming charms on his thickest cloak were struggling to cope with the severe cold, his time at Hogwarts hadn't really prepared him for weather this cruel. He thought Henrica was joking when she told him the sea would freeze over for a couple of months every year in Lulea, he was beginning to believe her - as well as being thankful that they were a month or so away from experiencing that phenomenon.

He had found the house he was searching for without too much trouble, Sirius couldn't remember if he'd ever been inside a house totally made of wood before. The door was soon answered by a blond colossus of a man that looked as if he would give Hagrid a run for his money in an arm wrestling contest. "Hello sir, I'm Sirius Black. Would you happen to be Mr Hobson?"

"Sirius Black! In the name of Thor, what possessed you to go out dressed like that? This isn't London, we're just below the Arctic Circle here - get yourself in man, before you freeze in your fancy britches."

Sirius was hustled into the hall, the homely warmth seeping into his bones within seconds. The house may be wooden but the welcome was certainly gregarious and genuine. "Forget this Mr Hobson rubbish, I'm Lukas." Sirius shook the massive hand that was offered, thankful it didn't crush his fingers. "Let me take that cloak and then we can go through and meet the missus. Moa, we have a visitor - all the way from London too."

He found himself being led into a room that just made you want to kick off your shoes, sit by the fire and never leave - this effect had nothing to do with the stunningly beautiful woman who'd just risen from her chair to greet him. Moa Hobson was clearly Henrica's mother, though she didn't look old enough to have a child that age. Sirius bowed, took the offered hand and kissed the back of it. "Mrs Hobson, it really is a pleasure to meet you."

"Oh, Lukas, we've got a live one here. He knows how to treat a lady too - and my allure didn't effect him in the slightest."

"Yes dear, it would appear our Henrica has chosen well. Sit, Sirius, and tell us all about yourself. You'll stay tonight of course - though the nights are nearly twenty hours long at this time of year." This had Lukas laughing at his own joke, though Sirius didn't quite get it.

He decided to press on with why he was here before agreeing to any sleeping arrangements - they might throw him out the door in the next few moments. He also decided to forego the use of Lukas and Moa, he needed to be formal for this. "Mr and Mrs Hobson, I have come here to ask your permission for your daughter's hand in marriage..."

This saw Lukas leave the room and Sirius thought he'd blown it - only for Henrica's father to quickly return with a tray containing a bottle and three glasses. "Wonderful news like that should be greeted with a glass in your hand to celebrate. Have you ever tried akvavit, Sirius?"

His 'no' was greeted with a smile that was either predatory or signalling a prank was being played here. One taste and Sirius knew it was a prank smile, he also knew that two glasses of this akvavit would certainly see him staying the night - he wouldn't be fit to go anywhere else.

Moa had brought out what was obviously a scrap book. "When Henrica moved to Scotland to teach, we began to get the British newspaper delivered. It comes to us a day late but that is not a bad thing sometimes. We had Henrica's letter saying she was alright just before we got the issue where she faced that basilisk..."

Sirius could see the fear in this beautiful woman's eyes, it was a fear he had shared. "I was at her bedside waiting on the potion to work its magic, this gave me time to think. My thoughts turned to what my life would be like without your wonderful daughter in it, I asked her to marry me within moments of her recovering. We hope to become engaged on Boxing Day, with a wedding date still to be arranged. I have invited family and our friends to stay at my house over the holidays, I would like to extend that invitation to you both too."

The fear was now replaced by tears of delight in Moa's lovely eyes. "She writes all the time and we always knew she was going to be very busy, between working at Hogwarts and Gringotts, but we both miss her so much. We would love the chance to spend the holidays with you both."

"The house will be very busy, and we'll be planning some outings and activities to keep everyone entertained, you would be very welcome additions to the madness that we hope the holidays will be. One thing though, could you not tell Henrica you're coming to London - I would like it to be a surprise for her."

This had a jovial Lukas refilling their glasses and offering a toast. "To Christmas in London - and much holiday madness..."

Moa then offered her own toast, showing both men the picture taken of the soon to be engaged couple at the ministry summer ball. "To Henrica and Sirius, a beautiful couple..."

Sirius couldn't let that go unanswered so offered a toast of his own. "To the beautiful Hobson women, may there one day be many more of them."

That was something Lukas would certainly drink to, before indicating the scrapbook Moa held. "Henrica writes all the time so we feel like we already know you, we want to use this time to fill in the blanks - about you and the rest of the people in those pictures."

The last time Sirius had felt this comfortable in someone's house was when he ran away from home and stayed with James. Lukas and Moa were certainly physically nothing like the Potters, their attitude to life though appeared surprisingly similar. They certainly made him feel just as welcome as that scared sixteen year old boy had felt all those years ago. Sirius had soon kicked off his shoes and told story after story. When Moa then brought out another book with pictures of Henrica growing up, it was his turn to listen as stories of the woman who would be his wife were being offered. The long night passed pleasantly and easily.

-oOoOo-

The skating evenings were proving a massive success, the first years had been making everyone jealous at breakfast before McGonagall stood and announced the schedule for the rest of the school to participate. The most noticeable event amongst the group of friends was Blaise holding Parvati's hand as they skated along during the second year's evening in the room. This was a gigantic boost to Parvati's confidence, and something her friends and family approved of.

Ronald Weasley's detentions were over so he had been allowed to attend. He stood at the railing and laughed at those who slipped. That lasted until the food appeared, eating was far more interesting to him than skating ever would be. Ron actually revelled in having a table all to himself, he didn't have to share the food on it with anybody else.

The Parvati development from Wednesday evening saw Henrica being approached about a couple of things, Bill arrived for their lesson on Saturday morning with an answer from her and Sirius - and a couple of envelopes. Harry made his way over to the Slytherin table to personally deliver them.

If Blaise appeared shocked to receive an envelope, Draco was astonished. Opening that envelope kicked his level of incredulity up a fair few notches. He and Pansy were invited to Lord Black's engagement party on Boxing Day.

Pansy was ecstatic at what this would mean. "Oh, Draco, this is wonderful. Father was really unhappy that I wasn't at the Ministry Summer Ball, we won't make the Christmas one either. Here though is something that will pacify him, I think these invitations will be extremely hard to come by. This will make him think twice about ending our betrothal, Lord Black's interest will ensure that."

"Pansy, we both know who's behind this, and I'll bet he still claims I don't owe him anything."

Both were watching Harry as he left the hall to attend his training.

On entering the room, their training didn't begin immediately. They all understood there were things to be discussed first. Harry started the ball rolling, not happy with some of the news he'd been receiving from his father.

"Assistant Ambassador, I want you to know these changes did not come from us. We are very happy having you for an instructor and will certainly resist any moves to see you replaced for our weekend lessons."

Bill was actually quite touched with the concern these four were showing him, it was time to let them see that concern was misplaced. "Thank you very much for that vote of confidence, I can assure you all I will also resist any moves that would see our weekend lessons halted. What this is though is simply a case of putting Hogwarts needs first, do any of you have the slightest doubt that Remus Lupin will be a better defence teacher than Lockhart?"

The only answer Bill got was four looks that clearly wondered if he'd lost his mind. "Thought not. Now, Hogwarts and the ministry have stuck their neck out in supporting Remus for the job, Gringotts really needs to be seen to be doing the same. On the wizarding side of the divide, like it or not, they see Harry here as the public face of the goblins. Augusta would also look foolish if she championed this change in professor, only for her grandson and his betrothed to still be receiving their timetabled defence lessons from me. You four are treading water in that class anyway, we all know this is where you do your main work in defence. I may ask Remus to help the occasional weekend but you will still be working with me."

This cleared the air somewhat, and allowed Bill to ask the question his boss wanted answered. "How do you two feel about your bond becoming known to the public?"

Again, Harry was first with his answer. "I think it would be hypocritical of me to have a problem with it. I publicly bonded with Hermione to change her status in the nation, and offer her protection. If they think that this news being made public would also offer her protection in the magical community, then it gets my vote."

This had everyone turning to Hermione for her opinion, her answer was a very simple one. "He is mine and I am his, and I really don't care who knows it anymore. Do you know what our parents said to this? Our weekly letter from Crawley usually arrives tomorrow."

This had Bill smiling. "Dan understands why you both bonded, and thinks that, if it will stop his daughter being attacked by witches or wizards, it should be made front page news. As long as it doesn't appear in the Crawley Observer until you two are a bit older, he's fine with that. Emma and Barchoke both agreed with him."

Harry then asked the question that he had really been struggling to comprehend. "Will the ministry really try and award a goblin lands and a title?"

They were all aware that the land in question wasn't by any stretch of the imagination a huge tract of the highlands, it was more the possibility of being able to own and live on his own land - as a goblin - that was responsible for the excited anticipation. The title of Baron was also purely a ceremonial one. Legally being able to own his own Scottish glen as a goblin though was like being offered a kingdom to Harry, worth a lot more than any title the ministry could dream up.

"It certainly looks as if they are going to have a damned good attempt at it, which is why it is so important to support Remus Lupin's appointment. We're all trying to push the joint message that by working together, everyone benefits. What about you, Neville, are you okay with the news of your parents being used like this?"

His answer was also simplicity itself. "Harry helped my family, we're glad of the opportunity to help his - that's what family does."

Bill couldn't help but wish his youngest brother was more like this, or that he would at least one day grow up in a similar vein. The twins and Ginny were friends with these four, and had blossomed from that friendship. Every Sunday, Bill got to witness Fred and George put on their serious heads and work their arses off in his lessons. That Master Pitslay confirmed they performed just as well in their potions class would be a very pleasant surprise to both of their parents when their report cards were issued.

With the discussion over, it was now time to get down to the serious business of defence.

-oOoOo-

Augusta was also getting down to the serious business of defence, the wry smile playing on her lips was there for a specific reason - a reason that just entered her office.

"Ah, Professor Lockhart, please have a seat. The new Hogwarts wards have been minutely examined, and found to be working perfectly..."

"That cannot be the case, they must have overlooked something."

"I'm sorry, Professor, I can assure you that nothing was overlooked. Now, after our last discussion on the matter, and knowing you are a man of your word, I will regretfully accept your resignation. You will be delighted to note though that I was able to find a first rate replacement. Please ensure all your belongings are removed from Hogwarts before Christmas, we're very lucky the new professor can start in the New Year. We of course all wish you well in whatever venture you undertake next."

Augusta resumed her paperwork after that dismissal, knowing full well Lockhart was too shocked to even leave his chair. She carried on working for a few moments before pretending to notice he hadn't actually left yet.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Professor, is there anything more I can do for you?"

"Eh, Madam Longbottom, perhaps I was a tad hasty in indicating I would leave the castle..."

"Hasty? I thought you ran as fast as your legs would carry you - oh I see, you're talking about your decision to resign? Unfortunately that decision has already been made. I can't have two defence professors, I would be left needing to dismiss one of them. Surely it would look better on your résumé if you could truthfully state you resigned from Hogwarts, rather than having to be sacked? You can leave anytime, Professor."

Augusta now allowed some steel to creep into her voice, ensuring Lockhart understood it was time to go - from her office and also the castle. "With the students returning home on Monday, you've taught your last class at Hogwarts."

-oOoOo-

The Patil sisters were currently chatting away, both making a deliberate effort to ensure a gulf was never allowed to open between them again. "I hope you don't mind us pushing for Blaise to be invited to the engagement party? Susan and Hannah will be allowed to invite partners to the party but I didn't think you would be up to asking anyone just yet."

"Oh, Padma, it's worked out brilliantly. Blaise obviously sussed why he was being invited, he asked me earlier if I would be his date for the party. Of course I said yes. Making the dress code include goblin formal wear means we already have that angle covered too."

"Yeah, Fred, George, Roger and Cedric will all be invited tomorrow, and Harry has already arranged an appointment with the goblin tailors for them - and their dates. Sirius really didn't want to invite a lot of people who sat back and did nothing while he rotted in Azkaban, and you know he's a big kid at heart anyway. The party will be family and friends - and a lot of fun."

The Patils didn't celebrate Christmas as such, but this was quickly turning into a holiday they would remember for a long time. Not only were they getting to spend it with friends and family, there were already promises of at least one party, more ice skating in muggle London - and even more shopping too. What was not to like?

-oOoOo-

Augustus Rookwood didn't like what he was doing, but needs must. It was a very fortuitous occurrence that the plinth his thin straw mattress rested on was not made of the same material as the rest of his cell. Attempting what he intended on the black granite that Azkaban was constructed from would have rendered his already perilous attempt at escape clear into the totally hopeless bracket.

As the pain in his mouth became unbearable, he removed his fingers to find traces of blood on them. This saliva / blood mixture was immediately transferred to the very rudimentary wand he was constructing. Lengths of straw from his thin mattress were bound together with hairs he'd pulled from his head. This was then being coated in the mixture coming from his mouth, hopefully over the coming months this process would be able to infuse enough of his magical essence into his very basic construct to allow it to cast a couple of spells.

This 'wand' was never going to allow him to fire curses at anyone, that wasn't its purpose anyway. He needed this wand to open the cell door, along with any others that blocked his way out of Azkaban. It would then hopefully hold together enough to cast a warming charm on himself before he was forced to enter the North Sea. A simple alohomora would suffice to open the doors in Azkaban. With prisoners being denied wands, and dementors waiting in the corridors, the prison's reliance on such a simple spell was perhaps understandable.

Augustus would first need to hack a piece of stone from the plinth before he could even think of making a protection medallion to get him past the dementors. That would then need to be shaped, have runes carefully carved into it, and then be infused with his blood to activate them. He was forced to use what he had available in his cell, conjured tin plates and cups lasted just long enough for the food to be eaten and any liquid drunk. Knives, forks or spoons were never supplied - they certainly weren't stupid enough to provide their prisoners with anything that could be used as a weapon.

That was why his fingers once more returned to his mouth. Augustus needed something that could carve stone, the only thing he had available in Azkaban were his teeth. He reckoned his molars should be best for cutting out a piece of stone while his incisors would be needed to carve out the required runes. Between pulling out teeth as required and the finger scrapes he expected to get working on the stone, Augustus didn't think there would be any shortage of blood for his wand and protection medallion.

He also knew that this was going to take months, months that outside factors ensured he needed to take anyway. While getting out of his cell, past the dementors and out of Azkaban prison itself was going to be an amazingly difficult feat, he then still had the problem of being trapped on an island in the middle of the North Sea. To enter that same sea in December would carry a one hundred percent guarantee of death - he would basically be committing suicide. It was simply far too cold for anyone to survive for any length of time in the water just now.

Augustus knew there was only one narrow window available, during a couple of months of what passed for summer here, to make the attempt. Only then would he have any chance of making landfall - and only then could he begin the task of returning his master to power.

A/N Thanks for reading

51. Christmas at Grimmauld

Harry Crow

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters and my writing certainly couldn't be considered canon. If my efforts don't fit your idea of what a Harry Potter story should be, I can only offer my apologies and a suggestion. Writing your own really is the only way to ensure the story progresses exactly the way you want it to, it also gives the rest of us something to read.

FFN email alerts now working again, sorry for the delay.

Chapter 51

Rita knew she was going to have a merry Christmas, having a front page story in the Prophet on Christmas Eve practically guaranteed that. It wasn't her usual type of story either, though the paper's editor had still begged for her return to work at the Prophet after reading it. Rita wasn't interested in returning to that lifestyle, she would enjoy Christmas before focusing on her new subject. Gilderoy Lockhart's perceived persona was just begging to be torn apart. Whilst today's piece was all wholesome and light, Rita knew it was in brutal character assassinations that her real skills lay. Even to a casual observer, Gilderoy's literary self portrayal didn't in any way match the reality of the man himself. She intended to discover all his dirty little secrets - and then inform everyone about them.

It would be somewhat ironic if she managed to get a book out of destroying this famous author, the title 'Liar Lockhart' just flowed off the tongue.

-oOoOo-

A Miraculous Collaboration

The picture below displays a scene that many readers will agree is nothing short of miraculous. Frank and Alice Longbottom have found themselves trapped inside their own bodies for over a decade - that is clearly no longer the case. Since August, they have been receiving treatment that has peeled back some of the trauma damage inflicted when these two brave aurors were tortured by the cruiciatus curse. This is a result that was thought to be impossible by the best healers in St Mungo's, fortunately this news was never passed on to Alice Longbottom's godson, a certain Centurion Crow.

Her godson was aware goblin healing was different from that used in St Mungo's, and an offer of assistance was made to the Longbottom family. Madam Augusta Longbottom had this to say on the matter.

"While the care my son and his wife received whilst in St Mungo's was second to none, we had explored and exhausted every treatment that the healers had available in their attempts to improve Frank and Alice's condition. The offer from Gringotts came with no guarantees, other than they certainly wouldn't cause my son and his wife any harm. We had nothing to lose, and a distinct possibility of gain, so of course I said yes. They were also examined by muggle healers, using advanced medical equipment to produce scans of Frank and Alice's brains. These scans are providing vital clues to further improve their treatment. This treatment was made possible and arranged through the Grangers, themselves both muggle healers - and whose daughter is Harry's girlfriend. I have no words to describe how my grandson, Neville, and I feel over their recovery, nor to express our gratitude for those who made this possible. Here is a wonderful example of what can be achieved when everyone works together."

I then contacted St Mungo's to enquirer if they had any comment to make on this situation, the interview I was given with one of the senior healers was, to say the least, enlightening. Healer Woodcock was clearly excited by the momentous news.

"As healers, it's far more important to our profession that the patient recovers, rather than assuming any form of professional posturing over who is actually responsible for healing them. The goblins have very kindly offered a month's secondment for one of our healers - allowing them to spend time in Gringotts learning of this new healing technique. This is hopefully the first step in a process that will see exchange programmes put in place. I understand that the muggles have facilities where any breakthrough in healing is shared with the rest of the world, this is something I would like to see us as a community adopt - as anything that helps our profession heal patients more efficiently is certainly something we can't afford to dismiss."

With attitudes of cooperation and collaboration springing up all over our magical community, it provides hope that we can move forward - and that the coming years will not only be happy but prosperous.

The picture showed a beaming Alice Longbottom with an arm around her son and his betrothed - they had used this occasion to make their betrothal announcement public - with Frank and his mother standing behind them. It was the epitome of what a happy family portrait should be, three generations each looking forward to a better future.

The large breakfast table was full to bursting and Lukas just had to comment to the lady sitting at his side after reading the latest developments. "Amelia, Moa and I were worried about our daughter coming to Britain - your country's reputation for intolerance of anyone without what they see as the correct breeding is renowned. But this..." Lukas indicated the paper, and then the company around the table. Muggles, goblins, veela and even a werewolf were all chatting away amiably. That the children present were not only involved in whatever was being discussed but their opinions being listened to was also a shock to the Swede, this was not what he expected in pureblood Britain.

The Hobson's had been an instant hit with the 'extended family', especially amongst their children. They all adored Henrica, and seemed to have no problems in extending that emotion to include her parents - Lukas and Moa though made that transition very easy to accomplish. Amelia smiled at Lukas' understandable confusion and tried to help him grasp the reality of the situation.

"If only what you were reading in that paper, and what you see around this table, was a fair reflection of our country then I would be very happy. Unfortunately it is not - yet. There are people on both sides of the divide, wizard and goblin, whose views are far too entrenched to ever accept this as the new normal. We know they are just biding their time, waiting on something to focus attention on and turn public opinion back the way they want it to go. When I see the children acting like this though, it gives me hope that one day it might be better."

After a moment's silence. Amelia decided to put into words what she'd only thought before. "The more I get to know the goblins, the more I see them just like ourselves. We have the same problems and similar aspirations - helping each other to reach mutually beneficial solutions is rapidly becoming the biggest thrill of my life. The boy sitting at the end of the table is the catalyst for all this change, and also the reason we're all sitting here together. Harry would be the first to admit he had lots of help but it was him who chased Binns out of Hogwarts, and who started the ball rolling to set Sirius free."

While believing every word Amelia said, it was still hard for Lukas to comprehend how one so young could have achieved so much. "I know my daughter thinks very highly of him, of all of them actually. Her letters home always contain a mention of this group - and whatever they've been up to. I feel as if I know most of them already."

"This group have the potential to change our country for the good of all, even their peers simply observing their behaviour is beginning to change attitudes. I see our job as parents and guardians to do our best ensuring they can continue to behave the way they are, neither breeding nor background affecting who they choose to befriend."

This was something Lukas would certainly agree with but Amelia had even more to say on the matter. "Hogwarts is unrecognisable now from the school it was a mere two years ago, your daughter is playing an integral role in that. Remus Lupin is another excellent teacher, and another vital part of the jigsaw that, when complete, will see Hogwarts as one of the finest magical schools in the world. Theirs is the generation that will take our society forward - and it all starts with Hogwarts. If we can reach the children of death eaters with the message that there is a better way, then and only then will the British magical society be able to proudly hold its head up on the international scene for the first time in generations."

This was not the time for such serious conversations though, and both were soon pulled in the direction of more jovial subjects by those around them.

Padma, Hermione and Harry had all loved how they spent Christmas Eve last year so a repeat was arranged for everyone today. Barchoke and Amelia were unfortunately having to work today but the rest of the adults - including Augusta - appeared to be looking forward to the day.

Sirius of course had to add his own twist to the holidays. Knowing not everyone in their extended family celebrated Christmas, he still intended to get them all involved by introducing Kris Kringle to the proceedings. Hermione dissolved into fits of laughter when Harry started looking around for this person her godfather was talking about - Sirius then explained the concept.

"Everyone's names are in this hat, we each draw one and must buy that person a gift. You don't tell anyone whose name you drew, rather just wrap their gift up and write their name on it. There will be a sack beside the Christmas tree for these presents, and we'll hand them out tomorrow at dinner."

This just added another layer of excitement onto what was already building for the day. The hat was rapidly passed around the table, with Sirius agreeing to accept the name that was left. Nineteen names were soon chosen, leaving Sirius with Moa. He had hoped for someone he could get a joke present for, playing a prank on his mother-in-law to be though was not a good idea. He wondered if this was him finally growing up, and sincerely hoped not.

-oOoOo-

Luna sat that night trying to write a letter to her father, the problem being she just didn't know where to start. They had barely entered Sirius' house when there was a loud scream, Henrica had found both her parents standing waiting on her. Their history professor, who was always so in control of her emotions, acted like a little girl as she pounced on them - before dragging Sirius into the family embrace.

Harry and Hermione had led the group away from the family reunion and directed them to the rooms they would be staying in. Both they and the Grangers often stayed here so were using their regular rooms, Luna was sharing with Hermione while Neville doubled up with Harry. Padma was sharing a room with her sister, leaving Susan and Hannah to bunk in another. With the Patils, Augusta, Amelia, Barchoke, Remus and now the Hobsons' staying too, it was a busy house.

Every day of the holiday had something arranged, a visit to London zoo, shopping in Diagon Alley or a simply unbelievable visit to something they called a cinema - Luna was having a fantastic time. There lay her problem and she resolved to talk to Hermione about it when she came in. She and Harry were currently saying goodnight and, by the way Hermione had just practically floated into the room, Harry must be quite good at it.

She flopped down on her bed in a daze, then Luna noticed where her eyes kept wandering - to her left hand, or rather the ring now on it. "Everything alright, Hermione?"

With a squeal of delight, she shot off the bed and had Luna practically in a head lock with excitement. "Oh, everything is so much better than 'alright', Luna. Things are just fantastic!"

Hermione then pulled back to let Luna see her ring. "Harry thought that, since our blood bond will be made public shortly, I should wear a ring to tell the world I am his. He gave it to me tonight so I would wake up on Christmas morning with it already on my finger. Have you ever seen anything like it, Luna? I just love it!"

"Yes, it matches your bracelet." The ring did indeed match her bracelet, having the same filigree design that indicated she was part of Harry's family. The stone though appeared to be a blue diamond, rather than the sapphires that her bracelet sported. "I think it's the most beautiful ring I've ever seen..." When the tears began to fall, Luna just couldn't stop them.

While Moonlight shot over and jumped on Luna's knee, Hermione pulled a chair up beside her younger friend. "What's the matter, Luna, I thought you were enjoying your holiday?"

"Oh, Hermione, I'm loving my holiday - that's the problem. Last year was our first Christmas without mum, it was horrible. Dad tried so hard to make it the same yet the both of us spent most of Christmas crying. I think that's why he's not spending it at home this year, it's just too hard without mum there too. Ginny and Colin were so jealous of me coming here for the holidays but I'd much rather be doing what they are - spending Christmas with my mum and dad."

Moonlight was snuggling in to the upset girl, practically forcing Luna to stroke her. Hermione felt out of her depth here, and offered to go and fetch her mum.

Luna didn't want to involve anyone else. "I'll be fine, Hermione, just give me a minute. I was trying to write a letter to my dad and just felt horrible that I was having such a good time with everyone, while he is on his own."

After thinking of what her mum would say in this situation, Hermione tried her best to comfort the crying girl. "Don't be afraid to tell him you are having a good holiday, Luna, that will make your dad feel a lot better about not being with you at Christmas."

"Do you really think so?"

Seeing her efforts were working, Hermione continued in the same vein. "I really do, Luna. Your father loves you very much, he's just missing your mum too. We haven't really looked at what we'll be doing over the summer holidays, maybe when Henrica and Sirius set a date we might talk about it next week. Whatever we do though, you should know that we will want you there as much as possible - your father will be invited too."

Luna's eyes were now sparkling, and not just from the tears she had shed. "I would really like that. Coming to Hogwarts and having friends has been the best thing that's ever happened to me. You and Padma have treated me like a little sister, and Harry..."

This drew a smile from Hermione. "Harry thinks you are pretty special too..."

"Oh no, not like that!"

Hermione was now giggling. "It's okay, Luna, I know you're not Ginny. You see Harry just for who he is, that's what makes you special to him - that and the fact he's just about adopted you as his sister."

This had Luna blushing. "That's the way I think of him too. Someone I can depend upon, for anything. Ginny is trying you know, she's been in love with the boy-who-lived since she was about six though."

"I've read some of that rubbish too, I much prefer Harry the way he is. Do you need any help to finish that letter? I'm sure Eargit will take it for you in the morning."

"I think I'll be fine now, though I might need more parchment. Today was just wonderful - no wonder you wanted to do that again."

"It's the people who we were with that made today wonderful, Luna, and you are certainly classed as one of our family now."

With her feelings of guilt beginning to fade, Luna resumed writing a long letter to her father. If it made him feel even a fraction of the happiness she'd been experiencing then she knew her dad would be smiling as he read.

-oOoOo-

Christmas morning was off to a flier before a present had been opened. Padma's joyful yell alerting everyone to what now adorned Hermione's finger. All of those in Grimmauld Place were happy for the young couple, and each had their own reasons to be happy too.

The Patils were so very happy still to have both their daughters, that one of them was now betrothed to Neville was certainly a very pleasant bonus in their eyes. Neville would be going to chat with his mum and dad today, accompanied by his betrothed - Christmas just couldn't get any better than that for the Longbottoms.

Amelia was delighted she would get to spent today with Susan and Hannah, no jumping through blown out windows this Christmas. With Hannah's parents attending the ball tomorrow night, this was as good as it got in her book.

Sirius though thought this Christmas was easily the happiest of his life, and certainly light years ahead of last years. Sitting here a free man, surrounded by friends and family with the beautiful Henrica by his side. He was thinking it couldn't get any better than this when his mind wandered a few years into the future, he pictured himself standing with his wife as their children opened their presents. For far too long, that scenario was nothing more than an impossible dream for Sirius Black. Now it was a dream come true - or at least it soon would be.

The Hobsons too were very happy with their lot, spending Christmas with their daughter and her intended had certainly put smiles on their faces. They had both held some reservations about their daughter marrying into what was an old British pureblood family, that Sirius clearly intended for them to play a large part in their lives was the best present they could have been given.

Remus also didn't need to look too hard for reasons to be cheerful. Sitting here amongst friends already made this a red letter day in his book, having a new job starting in the New Year meant he even had something to look forward to. It had been many years since life had been this good to the werewolf.

Dan could hardly take his eyes off the ring on his daughter's hand. After her initial squeal of delight, Emma had clearly been worried over his reaction. Hugging both Hermione and Harry quickly quashed those fears. He knew this was just another level of protection for Hermione. It might be more political than the practical bracelet but what a statement it made in any world. That ring not only shouted that Hermione was Harry's intended, it also broadcast just how financially powerful this young goblin was too. He wasn't a jeweller but Dan had no trouble imagining that ring being worth more than their house and business combined. It was simply stunning, and its beauty could only be matched by how happy it made his daughter - that made it priceless to all of them.

Harry had Hermione sitting at one side of him, and his father at the other. This was only the second time he had celebrated Christmas but already knew it wouldn't be the last. Any occasion that got the entire family together to celebrate should be encouraged, something he certainly intended to do. He could tell from the smile his father was wearing that he actually agreed with him.

Henrica leaned over and kissed Sirius.

"What was that for?"

"Just for being you. What you did with my parents was simply wonderful. You've made us all so happy..."

"Just wait until you see what I've got planned for New Year..." The look Henrica was now giving him clearly indicated she had no intention of waiting. "Do you remember our first date?" This got another kind of look, this one said of course she did - and he should continue. "I've hired the entire boat for New Year's Eve, we'll spend it going up and down the Thames and bring in the New Year dancing to the music..." He couldn't say anymore, Henrica was far too busy showing him that she really approved of that idea. Sirius quickly put winning Henrica's approval at the top of this and every other Christmas' wish list.

-oOoOo-

Molly was also having a merry Christmas, anytime her entire family were back under her roof was going to be a happy occasion for the Weasley matriarch. A glance though told her they currently weren't all here, her husband and eldest son had once more gone for a stroll out in the orchard. They both returned and removed their heavy cloaks, earning them a rebuke from Molly.

"It's Christmas Day, can't you two forget business for one afternoon?"

"Sorry mum, just something I needed to discuss with dad."

A sigh escaped Molly's lips. "...and it could only be spoken about in the orchard? I never thought I would miss your father sitting telling us all about biting teacups or backfiring toilets, he can't even talk about his job in his own home anymore. The first we find out about what's going on is when we read about it in the Prophet."

"I'm sorry, Molly, but the things Bill and I work on now are secret - and need to stay that way."

This set Ron off in a grade one huff. "That white owl delivers letters to Crow all the time, you can bet his father tells him what's going on..."

His mother, father and Charlie were all shocked at this belligerent attitude, the others had all seen it before - Bill was really getting tired of it. "...and you know why that is, Ronnie boy, because Harry is not only a Centurion but and an Order of Merlin, First Class holder."

"Yeah, right! They just handed him those, like they gave Parvati all that gold after she set the basilisk on people - mental, just mental!"

Molly couldn't understand her son's attitude about this, and wasn't long in telling him so. "Ronald Weasley, I better not hear you've said that about the poor girl outside these four walls..."

"Too late, Mum, he actually said it to Parvati's face - in front of the entire house in the great hall." Ron was staring daggers at his sister but Ginny wasn't caring, she pressed ahead. "Neville threatened to call him out if he did it again, and McGonagall gave him two weeks worth of detention for it. As you can see, Ron still thinks he did nothing wrong..."

"All I did was tell the truth, but no one wants to hear it because she's a friend of Crow's."

"The truth as you see it, Ron, and that's where all the trouble starts." Bill thought it was time his youngest brother heard a few home truths. "No one gave Harry anything he didn't earn. Before taking the job of tutoring him, I saw all his scores - the sorting hat really couldn't have placed him anywhere but Ravenclaw. He's the top student of the year, with Hermione and Padma taking the next two places. Neville Longbottom is pushing his way through the pack to join them. Ronnie here needs Percy to sit and force him to do his homework, and he's still in the bottom four. Crabb, Goyle and Finnigan - really pushing yourself there Ron..."

"Hey, at least I'm not last..."

"You are in some of the classes, purely out of laziness too! Ginny is already pushing her way to be near the top of her year group, Fred and George are also shooting through the rankings with Percy here looking a good bet for next year's head boy. Like Charlie, me and dad, they are all achieving what they want through hard work. You're jealous of Harry but let's ask his friends here if they know anyone who works harder than him?"

Fred was first to provide an answer. "We work on defence with him once a week and it nearly kills us, Harry and Hermione exercise and practice every single day. I really don't know how they do it."

This drew agreement from George before he added his own thoughts. "Fred and I thought we were pretty handy at potions, Harry is miles ahead. Master Pitslay is probably the top potion master in the whole of Britain, yet he comes to Hogwarts to teach Harry. We're learning so much more than we ever would in normal potions classes at Hogwarts, and we'll be sitting our potions O.W.L. this summer."

This was a shock to both parents, serious twins though would be a shock to just about anyone.

Ginny wasn't about to be overlooked here though, she had her own thoughts to add. "Harry does all his extra training yet still makes time to teach us defence every week. As a teacher, he's also miles ahead of Lockhart - and it's the favourite class of all the first years."

"Hey, it's bad enough you lot are all going to hobnob with them tomorrow, I really don't want to hear about it today too..."

"...and that's the problem, Ron, you just don't get that we're actually talking about you here. If you go through the rest of your life the way you're approaching Hogwarts, then I hate to think what will become of you. Doing just enough to get by is a bad habit to fall into. You seem quite happy to embrace that as your entire philosophy on life - while deriding those who don't share your opinion. You also seem to go out of your way to ostracise yourself amongst your peers, a really, really stupid move. A big part of going to Hogwarts is to meet other people the same age as you..."

"Hey, I offered Crow my friendship, he didn't want it - his loss!"

Charlie hadn't been as involved as the rest of the family in this matter so offered an opinion from what was almost an outsider's point of view. "Do you really believe Crow refusing your offer of friendship is his loss? I don't think he's too bothered by it, Ron. I've never met the boy, and certainly wouldn't expect an invitation to Lord Black's engagement party. With Bill, Fred, George and Ginny going though, I would certainly hate to have been in his year - and not been invited."

Percy was also keen to see Ron mend the error of his ways. If he made Head Boy next year, he wouldn't have the time to sit on his youngest brother - and then Ron would slip even lower in the rankings. "It's worse than that, Charlie, Draco Malfoy got an invitation. This is a boy who Crow punched out and challenged to a duel at the welcoming feast when they were first years. He also had his knife at Lucius Malfoy's throat too..."

"That settles it, with Malfoy there I wouldn't have gone anyway."

"...and that is why I'm worried about him. Fred and George have quidditch, extra defence lessons and also help out with the first year defence club. Percy here is going to have to concentrate on his own exams soon and I won't be in the castle as often to keep an eye on him..."

"Why won't you be in the castle as often?"

"RON! You're totally missing the point - as usual." Their father rarely raised his voice, when he did it was time to sit and pay attention. "Ever since you set foot inside Hogwarts, it's been one bad report after another - and none of it was ever your fault. I'm willing to bet you never apologised to this girl either?"

"Dad, you taught us to never trust anything that can think for itself if you can't see where it keeps its brain. How stupid would you need to be to write in that diary - and then she gets thousands in gold for doing so! Am I the only one who thinks that's wrong?"

"The Patil girl was as much a victim in this as Luna Lovegood. If that was my little girl lying down in that chamber, I could only hope they would still have gone down there to rescue her."

With total confidence, five of his children answered at the same time. "They would have!"

Fred had to add his own twist. "If it was Ron down there though, they might just have left him."

Arthur was coming more and more to rely on his eldest son's advice, and there was absolutely no way Bill would steer him wrong on a matter regarding their family. Bill had claimed that Ron wasn't coping with life at Hogwarts as he should, instead treating it like some holiday camp with good and plentiful food. The fact that the four of his other children who currently attended Hogwarts supported Bill's view was forcing Arthur to take action when he really didn't want to.

For a pureblood, attending Hogwarts was as much about interacting with your peers as it was gaining an education. Lessons could be taught at home and exams sat at the ministry, Hogwarts was about growing up and gaining life experiences with witches and wizards the same age as you - something that couldn't be achieved at home. For Ron to leave Hogwarts after seven years with poor qualifications and more enemies than friends would be an unmitigated disaster for his youngest son. Leaving after two years would mean Ron would be remembered as that annoying kid, still giving him room to prove he'd grown up since then. Spending the rest of his years at Hogwarts as he'd spent the first would see his son struggle to do anything with his life. A wizard's time at Hogwarts were their most formative years, spending seven years creating bad impressions and gaining enemies was something Arthur couldn't see his youngest son recovering from.

It was time for the head of the Weasley family to make a decision. "Ron, unless there is a marked improvement in your behaviour, you will be withdrawn from Hogwarts at the summer. Any more incidents where you openly court trouble will see you brought home before then. You can try and pull the wool over your mother's eyes as she home schools you. We will be having some long discussions over the rest of these holidays so there can be no doubts exactly what I mean by marked improvement."

With the decision made, Ron's Christmas wasn't going to be very merry.

-oOoOo-

Someone else was missing the warmth and good food of the Burrow's Christmas celebration, somehow gnawing on the remains of a sandwich he'd liberated from a bin yesterday didn't match up to all the wonderful titbits Wormtail would normally be enjoying about now. This was certainly not the first Christmas he'd spent as a rat, it was his first spent alone though - and Peter was finding that fact harder to deal with than he'd ever thought possible. Yes, he was alive but this could hardly be called living.

By scavenging old copies of the Prophet from his infrequent sorties into Diagon Alley, Peter was able to build a picture of what was happening all around him. Lucius Malfoy now residing in Azkaban was a real shock to the system, as was Dumbledore being chased out of Hogwarts. With the ministry building up its auror force, and actually administering justice, Peter knew the sands of time were running out for him. To an outsider, it appeared as if the Potter family were demanding, and receiving, retribution against those who had wronged them - there was just no way their greatest betrayer wouldn't be near the top of that revenge list.

It almost brought a smile to his lips when reading that Sirius was about to become engaged to that stunning Swedish veela, trust Padfoot to land the most gorgeous female he'd ever seen. This drew Peter's mind to the party tomorrow night, and how he would have been a guest if he hadn't turned betrayer.

He had to quash thoughts like that immediately, Peter had made his decision all those years ago - a decision he may have regretted but still didn't see how he had any other choice in the matter. Peter was again being forced to make a decision he didn't want to make, he felt though that again he was being left with no other option.

Sooner or later they would find him, whether that was due to a sustained search or a mistake on his part was immaterial - they would find him. His only protection from the fate that awaited him after capture was to once more have a powerful protector - his master. He was going to have to leave this refuge and go looking for the one person who could save him, that this same person might actually kill him instead was the reason why he'd delayed this journey for so long. He fully expected a dementor's kiss if the ministry ever got their hands on him, Peter would do anything to avoid that fate - including going searching for his master.

-oOoOo-

It didn't take much searching for Gilderoy to discover who was going to replace him at Hogwarts, or should that be what was going to be replacing him. Armed with a name, it also didn't take him long to get his hands on the really disturbing information either. Remus Lupin was registered at the ministry of magic as a werewolf, a werewolf they were going to allow to teach children - not if he had anything to do with it.

Gilderoy thought it was his duty to inform the wizarding public that this monster was going to be let loose on their children, he would write the story and then offer it to the Prophet for printing. This wouldn't be Wandering with Werewolves though, rather a timely warning a werewolf was going to be inside Hogwarts - as a professor. Even Gilderoy had to admit there had been major changes in their community recently, this though would be a change too far. There was no way parents would stand for a dark creature teaching their children, especially directly after the basilisk fiasco had them all terrified for their safety.

After they kicked the beast out, Gilderoy planned to string them along for a day or so on whether he would return to the castle. Dropping hints that this is what happens when you don't have a headmaster, and a totally unsuitable person attempting to run Hogwarts, should see him in new accommodation for his triumphant return to the castle. After saving all the children from a werewolf, they could hardly give the position of headmaster to anyone else.

Sitting down to write, he had to continually remind himself this wasn't a work of fiction. It was an unusual sensation for Gilderoy Lockhart to be writing the truth, or at least his version of it.

-oOoOo-

Draco thought this new version of Christmas for the Malfoys would take some getting used to, just him and his mother sitting down to dinner. No father, no guests and certainly no lavish parties. The only bright spot was his invitation to Lord Black's official engagement function tomorrow. That these invitations were very much sought after kept Pansy's father off their case for a little while longer, the man was pushing though and Draco had no intention of handing over control of his inheritance to anyone.

His mother had a Black family heirloom that he would be taking to the party as their gift for the engaged couple, a tiara that family custom dictated should be worn by the bride when a Black marries. It was in her possession since she was the last Black to be married, and now it would return to its rightful family.

Draco would be wearing the clothes he received for the Merlin Ball to the engagement party, thus covering the fact that he couldn't afford new dress robes. Apart from Blaise, the only other Slytherin they knew who were invited was Greengrass, her father having some long standing business connections with the Blacks.

He had been taught enough of pureblood politics to understand what was going on here, this was an opportunity for both him and Pansy to 'mingle' in this company. Their future invites would depend on how successfully they could pull this off, though Blaise had given him a word of warning. He had told Draco this group did not act like any he had ever met, the closest he could come to putting a name to it was they behaved like a family. Blaise had easily been accepted but knew he was under constant observation. Not because he was a Slytherin, it was purely to observe that he treated Parvati properly. Both Draco and Blaise had seen Neville very publicly claim Parvati as his sister, they also hadn't missed Crow holding back the other two girls. McGonagall saved mouth Weasley from some serious trouble, and all the idiot had cared about was missing dinner.

Draco could see his father had made some poor choices in his life, binding the family to a half blood bastard and then the basilisk fiasco immediately springing to mind. He was going to have to make his own choices from now on, and those choices would begin tomorrow.

Anyone who had outrightly opposed Crow had been politically, financially and sometimes even physically taken apart. His father and godfather were only two names on a list that also included the once great and untouchable Albus Dumbledore. Draco intended to do whatever it took to ensure his name never joined those on that list. His problem would be how far he would need to go to appease this group, or even become part of it. You didn't need to be a genius to understand that uttering the word 'mudblood' would see a blade instantly appear at your throat, and the next thing passing your lips had better be an apology. That most of the wands which would also be trained on you would be held by purebloods was really food for thought.

Professor Hobson had taught them that the term blood traitor was coined by the half blood bastard, purely as a means of turning purebloods against each other. When old families like the Bones, Abbots, Longbottoms, Blacks, Diggorys, Weasleys, Davies and Lovegoods appeared all in favour of the direction their country was moving in, who was Draco Malfoy to assume he knew better and then stand against an assembled force like that?

Draco decided that, instead of a plan, an open mind might suit their needs better for the party. He would have a quick talk with Pansy about this before they set off tomorrow, though wasn't expecting any problems from that direction. All Pansy's efforts were directed toward maintaining their betrothal, and she would adopt whatever attitude or beliefs that were necessary to achieve her goal. Draco found himself looking forward to tomorrow night for another reason too. The Merlin Ball at Hogwarts was one of the best functions he'd ever attended, he was hoping tomorrow night might be arranged somewhat along the same lines.

-oOoOo-

Harry was also looking forward to tomorrow, though he was in no hurry at all to say goodbye to today - or should that be goodnight to Hermione. He'd noticed even in Ravenclaw house that they seemed to take a little longer each night to part - the problem being that neither wanted to let go of the other. His arms were currently locked around her while Hermione rested her head on his shoulder, snuggling into his neck and doing funny things to his insides. They would then whisper to each other about everything and anything, purely to put off the moment when they would need to part.

"So, do you know who got Sirius his secret present?"

Hermione couldn't hold her giggles. "That was mum. The dog bowl and leash were funny, but the collar with 'if lost, return to Henrica Hobson' engraved onto it was hilarious."

"Ah, so that would mean it was Dan who gave that gift to Amelia. I knew it had to be muggle but still can't work out what the thick wand and restraints were for. Neither could anyone else, though I thought Sirius and Remus were going to choke with laughter."

She was glad Harry was taller than her, therefore couldn't see how red her face was buried in his neck. He could probably feel the heat of her embarrassment though. "That was a truncheon and handcuffs, it's what the police carry - muggle aurors. Didn't you notice that time they brought us home in Crawley?"

"I knew I recognised the hat from somewhere but I was too worried about you that day to notice much else. I think Luna liked her book on mythical creatures..."

"That was you? I thought it was father, I assume then he picked Susan's name out the hat - she loved her necklace."

"I asked him to get that book, goblins have different views on the subject - something I thought Luna would appreciate. Amelia has been such a help to us, father was delighted to draw Susan's name. Who did you get?"

"I drew Lukas, it was hard because we've only known them for a few days. I think he liked his tankard though."

"I think he loved his tankard, especially since it had the Hobson coat of arms on it."

"I just spotted a shop that sold all different items that you could get coats of arms on, and I don't think they stocked t-shirts in Lukas' size."

"We better say goodnight and let mum get to bed..."

"What!"

"Shush love, her room is at the end of the corridor we're currently hogging. She's just keeping an eye on us, we are getting older you know."

"Not old enough..." Hermione was once more glad Harry couldn't see her face, it was red again after letting that thought slip out.

"We'll be old enough when we're old enough. Don't wish your life away, Hermione, I'm really happy with where we are now."

"Harry, why are you so good to me?"

Harry lifted her chin so he could see her face. "...because you are mine, and I am yours." He finished that with a tender kiss that left both of them wanting more.

"You are mine, and I am yours." Hermione then offered a kiss of her own before breaking their embrace. "Goodnight, Harry." She then rather cheekily raised her voice a bit. "Night, mum." Hermione then shot into her room, leaving a rather embarrassed Harry and Emma in the corridor outside.

Deciding to follow his bonded's example, Harry called out 'night, mum' before heading off to his own room.

Emma had came upon the couple as she was heading to her own room. Not wanting to disturb them, she was waiting on Hermione and Harry saying goodnight before calling it a night herself. She thought these two made the sweetest couple, and was also delighted to see that at least this part of their relationship was progressing in what she considered an 'age appropriate' manner. Her thirteen year old daughter receiving a cuddle and a good night kiss from her boyfriend was perfectly acceptable behaviour in her book, the entire bond thing would work itself out over time.

She had forgotten though that Harry always seemed aware of what was happening around him, and was mortified in case the kids thought she was deliberately spying on them. All that was instantly banished from her mind though with the incident that just made Emma Granger's Christmas, Harry had just called her mum.

A/N Thanks for reading

52. Orders of Merlin

Harry Crow

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters and my writing certainly couldn't be considered canon. If my efforts don't fit your idea of what a Harry Potter story should be, I can only offer my apologies and a suggestion. Writing your own really is the only way to ensure the story progresses exactly the way you want it to, it also gives the rest of us something to read.

Chapter 52

The silence at the breakfast table alerted Sirius that there was something wrong, one glance at the Prophet informed him of just what that something was. 'Another Dark Creature set loose inside Hogwarts' was banner headlines across the front page. Sirius didn't read another word, he was already looking around the room for Moony.

"Where's Remus, has he seen this?"

"He was here but left after the paper arrived, said it ruined his appetite. No wonder, Sirius, this is pure character assassination. How anyone could think Remus Lupin in any way matched what was described in that article is beyond me..."

"I know, Emma, but I need to go find him." With that, Sirius was out the door and heading for Remus' room - he got there just as his friend was finishing packing his meagre belongings into a well worn traveling bag.

"You should be able to get your money back for the robes, they were a lovely Christmas present but it doesn't look as if I'll need them now - and the sheep would piss themselves laughing at me if I turned up to work dressed as a wizard. Even a wolf has to have some dignity, Sirius, and sheep laughing at you is just not something that can be taken lightly. Tell Harry thanks for the clothes too, they really are the finest I've ever owned. I know you never return a gift to a goblin, can I leave them here?"

Remus hadn't once looked up as he finished his packing, and tied the neck of his bag. Sirius wasn't fooled in the slightest by the feeble attempt at joking - Moony was really hurting here. Sirius shut the door, it was time for some tough talking with his friend. "You'll need the clothes Harry got you for Henrica and my engagement party tonight, you will be there. Yes this news is gonna cause a stink but I promise at the end of it, Remus Lupin will be smelling of roses - or at least not left stinky."

This drew Remus' full attention. "...and just how do you hope to achieve that? I am a werewolf, and I am classed as a dark creature by the ministry. Whatever you say against that article, those facts remain."

"I never read that article, I don't need to. What you're forgetting is that you are also Remus Lupin, a thoroughly decent wizard. You're my best friend - who'll also be best man at my wedding and godfather to Sirius and Henrica Black's firstborn child. I won't allow you to leave, at least not like this."

"Sirius, what option do I have? I couldn't get a job cleaning glasses at the Hog's Head after that article."

"Lord Black couldn't get that job either, they don't wash their glasses at the Hog's Head. We were expecting this news to come out, Remus, not so dramatically or so soon but it would have broken anyway. The difference this time is you now have powerful friends who will fight for you, but you need to understand this is not out of any sense of charity. Augusta wants you at Hogwarts simply because she thinks you are the best person for the job, Amelia wants you there so her auror candidates at least know one end of their wand from another when they leave Hogwarts. Trust me, that is not a joke!"

Sirius then got deadly serious. "We both know Voldemort isn't really gone and, when he returns, he'll be going after Harry. Henrica has already attacked a basilisk trying to keep them safe, I simply can't lose Harry, Hermione or Henrica. I need you in that castle, Moony, I need someone I trust implicitly to have my wife and godchildren's backs. They're my family and so are you, Moony. Azkaban taught me I don't cope with being alone too well, neither do you - and sheep don't count as company."

"Look, Sirius, it's not as if I want to return to those sheep. Contrary to what you keep insinuating, there was no shepherd's delight under the moonlight with my favourite ewe! How can I possibly teach at Hogwarts after today's Prophet, the parents would never stand for it." The smirk on Sirius' face was reminiscent of the one he would wear just before pulling off a particularly audacious prank, Remus was really worried now.

"Moony, we though the Marauders were pretty hot shit, and we probably were. Compared to Amelia, Augusta and Barchoke though, we're mere babes in the woods! You already have ministerial support for taking up your teaching position at Hogwarts, and Fudge will defend that decision. They then have a scheme in place that means you probably won't rate a mention in the Prophet tomorrow, all their reporters will be busy chasing down other stories. With today's front page, I'll bet an emergency meeting of the Wizengamot has already been called, all your problems might even be sorted before tonight's party. At least give it until the end of the holidays before returning to your flock?"

"I don't know about hot shit, Sirius, but I think you're full of it. Voldemort will shave his legs and take up belly dancing before they'll allow a dark creature to teach at Hogwarts."

Sirius now had his arm around his friend's shoulders, leading him away from the room - and the still packed bag. "Moony my old chum, did I ever show you my favourite photo? It was taken exactly a year ago today and Henrica somehow acquired a framed copy for me. If a twelve year old boy can chase Dumbledore out of Britain, getting you a teaching job in Hogwarts should be child's play. Then again, that boy has an awesome kick-arse godfather...and a wicked sword!"

-oOoOo-

No one would be surprised that Sirius' prediction proved to be correct, an emergency Wizengamot meeting was tabled for noon. The glints of anticipation on certain faces were hard to miss, here was the pureblood rallying point they had been searching for. Here was a cause that would allow them to draw a line in the sand and say no further, they had no idea a tidal wave was just about to hit their beach - and sweep more than their puny line away.

Wizengamot member Duncan 'I was under the imperious' Avery was first to his feet after Amos opened the proceedings, making his intentions clear right from the off. "Can I ask if the minister was aware that this creature would be entering Hogwarts, and what does he intend to do about this disgusting situation now it has been exposed?"

Cornelius had expected nothing less and had his answer well prepared. "The ministry was asked if Remus John Lupin could be allowed to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts. After ensuring proper and robust methods would be in place to remove any hint of danger from the students, the ministry gave its consent. His qualifications and references were all excellent, he's easily the most qualified applicant we've had for the job in many years - and the children will be lucky to have him teaching there."

The minister sat after giving his answer and began counting into himself. Amelia had bet both him and Amos that there would be at least ten seconds of silence after that answer, Cornelius hadn't expected to make it back into his seat before the bedlam began.

He now owed Amelia five galleons as the expected bedlam took almost twenty seconds to arrive. It then took a good few minutes for Amos to get the chamber back into some kind of order. Duncan was then allowed to respond to the Minister's answer.

It was an angry Avery who responded, not quite believing what he'd just heard. "The only way to keep the children safe is to remove this creature from Hogwarts, or remove its head!"

Amelia calmly stood to rebuff this attack, though inside she was seething. It was time to use some of that anger to verbally kick this death eater bastard's teeth right down his throat. "In this chamber we administer the law of the land, I'll have no more talk of beheading a member of our community. This is a similar situation to those who were cursed with the imperius to do a dark lord's bidding, Remus Lupin didn't chose to suffer from lycanthropy either. In fact, he was a mere boy when infected."

Duncan felt the ice cold hand of fear grip his gonads, those claims of imperius had never been questioned inside this chamber - a fair bit of gold had changed hands to ensure that catastrophe never happened. The problem here was that none of the gold had gone into the hands of Bones, Diggory or Fudge. The mood inside the chamber had now changed dramatically, they weren't used to witnessing members being slapped down so brutally - and Amelia Bones appeared to be ready to get bloody over this matter.

"Even though he was afflicted with this terrible disease, Remus Lupin attended Hogwarts as a student. In those seven years, he not only passed his O.W.L.'s and N.E.W.T.'s with distinction, but also gained the respect and trust to be chosen as a Gryffindor prefect. This was before the invention of Wolfsbane potion too, yet a young Remus still managed to pose no danger for those seven years - and more than keep pace with his peers."

This was all news to the vast majority of those members in the chamber, and certainly hadn't been mentioned anywhere in the Prophet's article. "The minister, quite rightly, demanded that we introduce protocols to ensure the children's safety before he would agree to allow this teaching appointment, those protocols stood up to the most rigorous examination we could put them to. Professor Lupin will be supplied with wolfsbane potion to ensure he retains his mind while transformed, he will also be escorted by an auror from the castle to a secure location outside the Hogwarts wards before the full moon rises. The new wards at Hogwarts are amongst the most powerful in the world, they will not allow a transformed werewolf anywhere near the school."

Amelia was knocking their arguments down like skittles, and she still wasn't finished. "As you know, due to poor teaching in this subject, Assistant Ambassador Weasley has been traveling to Hogwarts twice weekly for the last eighteen months to teach Harry Crow's defence classes - this was paid for by Harry's father. Professor Lupin has so impressed with his teaching that this will no longer be the case. The Hogwarts defence professor will now teach all seven years, as he's contracted to do. On the few days his condition leaves him too unwell to teach, an auror will cover those classes. I now open our protocols to this chamber, please feel free to question them thoroughly. After all, everyone is here today purely to ensure our children's safety while they attend Hogwarts."

The shout came before Amelia could even sit down. "Why don't you get this Weasley to teach defence, save all this trouble."

With a smile, she was able to tell the absolute truth. "Bill Weasley was a highly skilled curse breaker before becoming an Assistant Ambassador. To put it bluntly, Hogwarts simply couldn't afford him - he probably earns a larger salary than I do! The only reason Hogwarts was able to attract a professor of the quality of Henrica Hobson is because someone else is paying for it."

"Surely there is someone else who could teach defence?"

"Is Lockhart really that bad?"

Amelia decided to deal with both questions at the same time. "Last year, Dumbledore actually employed a wizard possessed by Voldemort to teach defence, certainly putting the children in far more danger than having Remus Lupin as a professor ever would. Lockhart is so ineffective, Harry Crow was actually persuaded by the first years to teach them defence. When a second year student is a better teacher than the incumbent professor, something needs to be done. Both Madam Longbottom and myself have witnessed Remus Lupin's teaching methods, and we also have dependants attending Hogwarts. The castle will be safe for them, you have our assurance of that."

With the rug effectively pulled from under them, those who wanted to object purely on the basis that Remus was a werewolf were left looking around for support. That Amelia had mentioned the unbelievably delicate matter of those escaping punishment by using the imperius curse defence inside the Wizengamot Chamber meant there were now quite a few members who were desperate not to draw attention to themselves - so their objections died too.

Cornelius let the arguments against Lupin's appointment peter out before standing again. "As that matter now appears settled, and since we are all here anyway, I would like to introduce something for this chamber's consideration. Before that though, I would like to first set the scene by giving this chamber the chance to view Auror Tonks' memory of what actually happened inside the Chamber of Secrets." There was never going to be an objection to that, even the fact that they were using a goblin device to view this memory was being conveniently ignored.

The memory captured and held everyone's attention, even those who had watched it before. This time the memory ran just a little bit longer as Tonks reported to Amelia, while they looked on as Barchoke cradled a trapped Hermione while Harry's stretcher was placed beside them. The Wizengamot watched in fascination as aurors couldn't move the beast an inch, the creature's skin being so resistant to magic that their spells simply glanced right off. It was left to the goblins with transfigured metal bars to shift the beast enough to slip the girl free. She had thankfully passed out by this point, sparing her any more pain.

Cornelius once more stood and addressed the chamber. "I think we can all agree that was one headline the Prophet got right, those six really are the heroes of Hogwarts..."

This resulted in a round of applause, then Cornelius began to reveal what he was up to. "I hope the chamber will agree with me that these heroes deserved to be rewarded. With Professor Hobson becoming engaged to Lord Black today, and the betrothal announcement from the Patils and Longbottoms, it's also clear these heroes are going to play a prominent part in our society in the years to come. With the success of last year's summer celebration ball, I'm also proposing that we again adopt that method to distribute those awards."

So far, the minister hadn't said anything too controversial, that was about to change. "The affection that the goblins clearly showed Miss Granger was rather difficult to understand, she is after all a first generation witch. That difficulty remained unexplained until we were supplied with more information - information I am now at liberty to share with this chamber. It has been correctly reported that goblins don't use betrothal contracts, and never arrange marriages between families. Instead, they insist on a much more ancient form of magical joining. In a ceremony held in Gringotts, Centurion Crow and Miss Granger blood bonded, and will marry when of an appropriate age to do so. The Goblin Nation already considers her a Centurion's mate, and the daughter of Ambassador Barchoke."

The stunned silence that greeted that announcement saw Cornelius simply push on with what he wanted to say. "Taking all those factors into consideration, and having again watched all six work as a team to overcome such overwhelming adversity, I would like to propose the following awards:

Auror Nymphadora Tonks - Order of Merlin, First Class.
Professor Henrica Hobson - Order of Merlin, First Class.
Neville Longbottom - Order of Merlin, First Class.
Padma Patil - Order of Merlin, First Class.
Hermione Granger - Order of Merlin, First Class.

Since Harry is already a holder of this prestigious award, and also a lifetime Hogwarts Champion, I'm hoping the chamber will ratify the title of Harry Crow, Baron of Kingussie, on him - and the small parcel of land that comes with this barony. This would allow both he and Baroness Hermione to live in close proximity to the castle after they graduate from Hogwarts."

There was a moment's pause before the guarded question was asked. "Minister, isn't the boy already in line to become a Lord? What's a Barony in comparison to that?"

Here was where some of them would pass yesterday's Christmas dinner into their underwear. "At the moment, Harry holds the rank of Centurion, and an Order of Merlin, First Class. Both of these make him an adult in either society but don't come with any titles."

As it began to sink in just what there minister was proposing here, another tentative question was asked. "Isn't it against the law for goblins to own land, and live anywhere but inside Gringotts?"

This would be the moment that defined his ministry, or saw him kicked out on his ear. "Yes, that is currently true. It is also true that we in this chamber collectively have the power to change that law..."

Cries of 'NEVER!' were some of the more printable comments that came from around the chamber, 'lunacy!' was another well used term. Cornelius let them rant for a few moments before holding up his hands for silence. He was surprised at himself with how calm he felt. When analysing his feelings further, Cornelius was even more surprised to find he was enjoying himself - he'd never felt more alive!

One shouted comment drew gasps inside the chamber, and forced an instant reply from Cornelius. "If the boy has already chosen to live his life as a goblin, then I say let him rot under Gringotts!"

"The only thing young Harry has chosen is the witch who'll be at his side. Even in goblin society, their actions are regarded as somewhat preemptive - it's extremely rare for goblins to undertake this rite under the age of seventeen. Harry has been raised as a goblin so it seems natural to me that, when he meets the right girl for him, this is the method he would use to show that - their level of blood bonding certainly confirmed they are indeed right for each other. Knowing this young couple as I do, and with all of us having just witnessed a demonstration of just how devoted they are to each other, I have no hesitation in passing on my personal and ministerial congratulations to both of them on their bonding."

The minister had once more left them with really nowhere to go with their arguments, the issue about the boy-who-lived now being bonded was effectively closed. The chamber's focus now switched to this proposed change in the law, again Cornelius had something up his sleeve.

"Like everyone in this room, I was taught history by a ghostly professor whose lessons were born from the worst type of bigotry. Even death didn't stop his revenge on the nation he loathed with a passion, a passion that ran all the way to assisting a young Voldemort in the hope the emerging dark lord would then exterminate an entire society. What we need here is some truth, facts and figures that we can base our judgement around. For that, I asked Ambassador Weasley, and his eldest son, to bring us facts that could be corroborated into this chamber. By your leave, I will invite them in to present those facts now."

When there was no objections, Cornelius signalled to the clerk to fetch the Weasleys, before offering his final remark to the chamber. "As you well know, a change in law of this magnitude needs to sit with this chamber for forty days, there will be no vote on the matter until January has ended. What I'm anxious to avoid here is another panic similar to the one a certain story in today's Prophet instigated. Let everyone hear the facts of the matter, take their time to form the questions that need to be asked, then - and only then - will we have the appropriate debate and vote. That is the way our law is supposed to operate, while I am minister, that is the way our laws will operate."

Arthur and Bill strode into the chamber, having his son stand so confidently beside him, while facing the most powerful legislative body in Britain, was a very proud moment for the head of the Weasley family.

A nod from Cornelius was their signal to begin. "Looking through all the records in the ministry, and with assistance from Gringotts, we were able to confirm that the last sortie between wizards and goblins was indeed sixteen twelve..."

Arthur found himself rudely interrupted by a loud and angry shout from the chamber. "By my reckoning, that means our current arrangements have kept the peace for almost three hundred and eighty years. Why the hell would we want to change a law that works so well?"

Bill could see this was a deliberate attempt to bully his father, and disrupt their presentation. Bill knew his father was a wizard who was too polite to deal with this situation the way it needed to be dealt with. His son though was used to negotiating with goblins, it was time to begin earning that large salary they paid him.

"Excuse me, but since I was invited by the Minister of Magic to this chamber, I assumed I wasn't here for decoration. I'm afraid I have to take issue with that statement you just made. If you class the reigns of terror instigated by Grindelwald and Tom Riddle, I refuse to call that criminal Voldemort, as peace - then the definition of the word has changed since you left Hogwarts."

"I'm quite aware of the definition of peace, I was alluding to the situation with the goblins..."

"I beg your pardon, sir. Goblins never allude, rather say exactly what they mean - I find it quite refreshing. So, what you were alluding to was that wizards were too busy fighting each other to bother with the goblins?"

This raised a few chuckles as it became instantly apparent that young Weasley could tie Nott in knots, verbally, magically and physically.

"Don't put words in my mouth, boy, just whose side are you on here?"

Bill's entire demeanour just got a lot more serious. The rest of the chamber ceased to exist as he focused on Nott. "Oh, I wasn't aware there were sides to join? I thought the vote was at least forty days away yet. We were asked here today to present some facts...and sir, the only person allowed to call me boy is standing beside me - please remember that in future..." Bill didn't actually say 'or he would have to remind him' but everyone clearly got the message. In those few minutes, Bill Weasley had established himself as a player in the game - a player with powerful backing.

Arthur waited until Nott had acknowledged his error before continuing. "We compared goblin and ministry records of the casualties caused by this brief conflict and found them fairly comparable, single digits the only difference between both sets of figures. We then compared this to the British witches and wizards killed during the conflict with Grindelwald, over seven times the number of them lost their lives when compared to sixteen twelve. When we ran the numbers for Riddle and his death eaters, the figure was almost thirty times more..."

"That's preposterous - and irrelevant!'

This time there was no give in Arthur, he stood proud and answered straight back. "While all we have is mostly the numbers of casualties for sixteen twelve, the death eater victims are well documented. We have names, dates, places, and, in some cases, even the names of those who committed the atrocities. We were asked for facts and that is what we are presenting here. It was Antonin Dolohov who murdered both my brothers-in-law, the four death eaters who accompanied him on that attack were never identified. It wasn't goblins who killed them, wizards tortured Gideon and Fabian Prewett to death..."

This led to Amelia standing, and making a statement of her own. "It wasn't goblins who almost wiped out the Bones family either, rather cowards who hid behind masks. It was goblins who ensured my last living relative couldn't be controlled by any potion a wizard chose to slip her. The goblins have also erected protective wards around our home to ensure those same cowardly mask-wearing bastards will not burn us out while we sleep in our beds."

Augusta then slowly rose to her feet, her emotions rang clear in her voice. "It wasn't goblins who tortured my son and his wife until they almost lost their minds. It is certainly goblins who are slowly returning them to their family. The goblins can never replace the lost years, nor do we hold any false hope Frank and Alice will ever make a full recovery, for everything the goblins do give us though - we will be eternally grateful. Our home is also protected by the same wards that keep our children safe at Hogwarts - and I could easily make a case for both the Ministry of Magic and St Mungo's receiving that same level of protection. Any evil bastard who would deliberately fire a killing curse at a baby boy, after first killing both his parents, wouldn't think twice about attacking a hospital filled with the sick and injured."

Augusta was hoping someone would mention denying access to those forced to take the dark mark while under the imperius curse, none of them though dared rise to the bait. Her simple answer would have been - prove it. Instead, she fired a parting shot before sitting back down. "If I discovered the Longbottoms would have goblins for neighbours, I would be delighted. In our hour of need, I know their reaction would be like the one we just witnessed earlier in that brave auror's memory. They would come running, ready, willing and more than able to render assistance - not cowering under their beds in the hope the bogyman would pick on someone else - and leave them alone."

It was almost as if a gauntlet had been thrown down, anyone who'd lost family in either war stood and recited their relation's names like a role of honour. The sheer number of names making the point far more effectively than mere numbers ever could. When you could put names or even faces to the figures murdered, it suddenly became a devastating presentation of the harm done to their society. That none of the named had died at the hands of goblins, and no one in the chamber could recall an ancestor who had, more than proved the point that the minister wanted made today. The goblins hadn't been their enemies for almost four hundred years, wasn't it about time they stopped treating them as such?

Bill had one last card to play, or, to be precise, a memory.

"The goblin nation keeps an archive of memories, and have done so for centuries - this one is from May, sixteen ten." The memory showed a bustling little town, with wizards and goblins going about their daily business. It was only spotting the occasional group of students in Hogwarts robes that gave a clue to where this location actually was.

"Yes, witches and wizards of the Wizengamot - this is Hogsmeade. As you can see, at that time it was considered the Scottish equivalent of Diagon Alley. The village would prosper from the Hogwarts students visiting during the school year and yet those same students would then do their school shopping in London over the holidays. Everyone was prospering until some wizards got jealous, and greedy - they thought the goblins had the better land in Hogsmeade and arrogantly ordered them to move. When they didn't, Bloody Binns and his band of pre death eaters started burning goblins alive in their home. Thus began the conflict of sixteen twelve, and the demise of Hogsmeade."

No one felt like disputing Bill's explanation of historic events, it wasn't really important at the moment, they certainly couldn't dispute the Hogsmeade of today was a pale shadow of the memory they were watching here.

"The goblin nation would like to re-open a Gringotts branch in Hogsmeade, but are currently barred under ministry law from doing so. Let's not forget the outstanding young man who's at the very centre of this whole debate. Is this chamber really going to confine Harry to dwell below Gringotts if he chooses to live his life as a centurion? As someone who knows him very well, I can put my hand on my heart and honestly say that would be a great loss to our society - a great and unnecessary loss."

Amos asked if there were any more questions, and once more Sirius was proven something of a prophet. They had practically forgotten the name Remus Lupin by the end of the session, or the fact that a werewolf would be teaching at Hogwarts in a little over a week's time.

The Prophet would surely lead tomorrow with the story that the boy-who-lived had chosen his bride. For the members of the Wizengamot though, it would be considering changing the laws on goblins that would demand the most attention - and once again this would become a decision that would mostly be determined by their political leanings.

For those of the light faction, the decision wasn't too difficult, their saviour and champion had chosen his bride. That she was not from an established magical family was a little disappointing, that this witch then choose the old ways to bond though was certainly a point in her favour. Neither her courage nor the couple's commitment to each other could be questioned though, at least not by anyone who watched a memory of what happened inside the Chamber of Secrets.

The possibility of the goblins being allowed to settle outside of Gringotts was not as scary a thought as Harry leaving their society forever, that would be a disaster in their eyes. That he clearly had other options available meant they would offer whatever enticements were needed to keep him amongst them. They would be voting yes to the Baron of Kingussie, and not one member thought to object to a muggle born being awarded their society's highest honour.

Those of a dark persuasion were becoming terrified of the influence the goblin nation was having on their society, and their inability to be able to put a halt to it. Unlike the light, they had no leader to rally behind - with even the most bigoted amongst them having to admit the boy who defeated that basilisk cut a powerful figure to oppose directly.

For those who also carried the dark mark, things just seemed to be lurching from bad to worse. These new goblin wards were nothing short of a nightmare, a nightmare they seemed destined to be forced to face. Already their mark barred them from entering Hogwarts, and apparently now the homes of some prominent purebloods. Placing those wards around the Ministry of Magic or St Mungo's would be an unmitigated disaster, denying them access to their power, prestige and even healing. Their problem was, on what grounds could they object to wards that protected people from what was now regarded as a criminal organisation?

All had spotted the verbal trap that bitch Longbottom had set, and none had risen to the poisonous bait. Their problems were increased though by Bones publicly mentioning their condition in the chamber, drawing everyone's attention to something they would like to see buried deep and never talked about again. Out of principle, they would oppose the Baron of Kingussie, though they were far more worried about these wards than having goblins for neighbours. If the ministry chose to erect these wards, they wouldn't be able to attend the celebration ball anyway. Depending when those wards were erected, they might not even get a chance to vote on this matter. Not one thought was spared to the fact a mudblood would become an Order of Merlin, First Class, holder - or that a werewolf would now be teaching at Hogwarts.

The neutrals would, as usual, control which way the vote was decided. Their views were similar to those of the light faction regarding Miss Granger eventually becoming the bride of the boy-who-lived. While they would usually be in favour of anything that increased commerce in their community, the memory of what Hogsmeade used to be was a powerful enticement, they also realised that there would then be increased competition for that commerce - from the goblins.

As neutrals, they also understood that purchasing the wonderful new wards the goblins were making available would see their supposed neutrality end in the eyes of those no longer able to access their property. Whether that was a price worth paying to protect their families would be a decision for individuals. In short, they neither wanted the return of the dark lord nor any more goblin influence on their society. Many would seek private meetings with those involved at the vanguard of this proposal, quietly promising Amelia and Cornelius support in exchange for their assurance there would be no more changes in these laws for at least a number of years.

Since that was already the plans of those at the ministry involved with the goblins, their assurances would be given.

Gilderoy had sat near the back of a packed public gallery, the hood of his robe raised so he wouldn't be recognised - unless he wanted to be. Today had not gone as he had planned, not even close. Who cared about this Lupin person's qualifications or teaching abilities, the man was a werewolf - end of story! Instead of winning his job back, he was forced to sit here while his character was further abused and eroded. Claiming a twelve year old boy was a better teacher than him was simply ridiculous.

Watching that memory again, surrounded by members of the public who were seeing it for the first time, left Gilderoy with the distinct impression he was now the only one who considered that notion ridiculous. Their opinion was crystal clear, they would rather see Harry Crow named King, than force him to leave them forever. The journalists who were sitting furiously taking notes were well aware of this opinion, and Gilderoy expected to see that reflected in their stories tomorrow. It was always easier to influence public opinion when you were telling people something they actually agreed with. Gilderoy left the chamber a disappointed wizard. He hadn't gotten his job back, he also hadn't gotten any fan mail since leaving the Hogwarts wards behind. Gilderoy's only consolation was that things simply couldn't get any worse - he had no idea just how wrong he could be.

-oOoOo-

Hermione had been nervous about tonight, and that was before learning the Minister of Magic had announced that she and Harry were blood bonded to the Wizengamot -tomorrow the entire country would know. She was dressed like a princess in another new goblin creation that Harry gave her as part of her Christmas - and she was also wearing jewellery fit for any queen, the ring on her finger being her clear favourite.

Hermione was in no way nervous that she might outshine the lady whose party this was, we were talking about Henrica Hobson here after all. No, what was making Hermione nervous was that the goblin tailors had taken into account her developing body when they designed this dress for her, it almost made her feel 'grown-up' - and for some reason she was nervous as to how Harry would react to that.

The dress might make her appear slightly older but inside Hermione felt like a nervous little girl - and didn't know why. These bouts of self-doubt were becoming rarer but they still held the power to make Hermione question everything that had happened in the last couple of years. It was almost as if things were going too well, and she was expecting everything to end when the clock struck midnight. She would be back in Crawley, Hogwarts and Harry were nothing more than wonderful dreams - and Hermione Granger was once more the friendless bookworm..."

"Hermione, are you ready... Oh, my! - our little girl is growing up. You look so beautiful!"

"Thanks mum, and thanks for everything. I'm sitting here staring into the mirror, almost having to pinch myself to see if this is real, yet you and dad have had to cope with so much more - and I just really needed to say thank you for all you've done for me."

"Hermione, stop. You're going to have my make-up running soon - and we can't really greet our gentlemen looking like a couple of Pandas..."

"Betsy applied my make-up, mum, it won't run."

"Well, as wonderful as Dobby is, that's not one of his talents. If you're ready, your father and Harry are downstairs."

Harry and Dan were standing waiting on the Granger ladies at the bottom of the staircase, their reactions to seeing Hermione were totally different. Harry had a beaming smile on his face, he approached Hermione and kissed the back of her hand in greeting. Dan meanwhile was experiencing that pivotal moment in every father's life when it suddenly hits home that their daughter is growing up. This beautiful and confident young lady in front of him surely couldn't be the child that he used to read bedtime stories to - where did the time go?

Emma could see her husband struggling with his emotions at the moment so spoke with Harry to give Dan a chance to regain his equilibrium. "You seem very pleased with yourself, Harry, aren't you even slightly apprehensive about tonight? It's not just family who'll know your secret now."

He shook his head, though the broad smile never wavered. "Back in May I spoke to Sirius about asking Hermione to be my girlfriend. I said then that she is beautiful, smart and just wonderful to spend time with - and tonight, everyone can see I was right. Asking her to be mine before anyone else could swoop in and steal her away is easily the best decision I ever made! The entire country now knowing of our bonding is not something to worry about. How they treat us now might affect our decisions on where our future lies, but it won't change the fact that we're together."

All Hermione's nerves had fled, now she was back on Harry's arm. He was once more dressed in Harry 'Darcy' mode and Hermione thought asking him to share a carriage with her that first of September was easily the best decision she ever made too.

Dan was now the one left shaking his head. "In all this extra training and lessons you do, Harry, were any of them on how to chat up girls? I don't think I was ever as smooth as that - hell, I'm not that smooth now!"

"Sorry to disappoint, Dan, but no. I've only ever been interested in one girl - and now she's mine! If that isn't a reason to smile then I don't know what is."

Dan offered Emma his arm before following the couple in front of them who were practically floating toward the ballroom. "Boy's a bloody natural at that too - there must be something he can't do?"

Emma knew Dan was cracking jokes to get himself together, seeing Hermione in that dress had been a shock for her too. She though already had her few moments to get over the shock, Emma tried to help her husband out. "Hermione says Harry's a terrible singer, she thinks it's a goblin thing." Seeing Dan smile at that let her know he was going to be fine. It also earned him a kiss on the cheek - a kiss that promised more later.

They were the last house guests to arrive in the ballroom, something Padma was quick to point out. "Got here at last, did you? Were you lost, or just unable to part with the Christmas present Sirius got you?"

Nothing was going to shift Hermione's smile tonight, especially not her friend's teasing. "Now Padma, don't get jealous. Just because I now have a book that gives me access to everything stored in the Black Library..."

It was an open-mouthed Hannah who just had to butt in, there was something a lot more important she wanted to know. "Never mind talking about some old books, Hermione, how the hell do I get a figure like that?"

Sparing Hermione's blushes from Hannah's question, Padma answered for her friend. "It's easy! You just get up in the middle of the night, run for miles and then cross swords with Harry here for an hour or so. Do that every day for well over a year and - hey presto! Told you it was easy."

They were all closer now, and had gotten well used to what passed for Padma's sense of humour. Hannah though appeared to be considering if the torture Padma just described wasn't a sacrifice worth paying to have a figure like Hermione's, Susan looked as if she was on the verge of volunteering for this figure-defining training too.

Hermione though just stuck her tongue out at her best friend - which, as she expected, also earned a quip back from Padma.

"Oh, way to ruin the effect, Granger. Standing there like a fairy princess, and then she wastes it by being childish - such a pity."

"If a fairy princess had you for a best friend, you would probably be a toad by now..."

Hermione's playful answering barb just cracked Luna up, "A playmate for Trevor!" which started everyone else laughing.

They had to cut their now normal joking around short though as the guests started arriving, Hannah couldn't wait to introduce her friends to her parents while everyone else was simply looking forward to a great night.

Sirius and Henrica had both been adamant that tonight was their night, they didn't want to spend it surrounded by guests they didn't know - just so it could be said the 'right people' had been present. They had also been reticent about asking the people in power at the ministry who were perceived to be on 'their side' in the struggle to change magical attitudes inside Britain. With the meeting being held today, Amelia had advised that this would no longer be the case. The officials in question would have already stood and declared their position on these matters inside the Wizengamot.

That was why Cornelius, Amos and Arthur had to all floocall home to inform their respective wives that they had been invited to Lord Black's engagement party tonight.

The Diggorys were actually the first to arrive, with Cedric having Katie Bell on his arm. Having been present when the twins had asked Angelina and Alicia, Cedric, being the gentleman that he was, had asked the third Gryffindor chaser to be his date - much to Katie's delight.

A still shocked Remus had quickly approached Amos to thank him for his support in the chamber today, thanks that the Chief Wizard refused to accept.

"Had those objections against you been about your inability to teach our children, my answer would have been different. If the Wizengamot expect me just to blindly follow the old bigotries, then they elected the wrong person Chief Wizard. Cedric has told me how bad a teacher Lockhart is, and how lucky he feels to be receiving extra lessons. Education shouldn't be about 'luck', and that's where you come in. Bringing the defence classes at Hogwarts to a level they should be is all the thanks any of us expect."

With that, Remus finally began to comprehend that the British magical community was not only capable of changing, it appeared now ready to accept some.

Dan and Emma had been watching for the arrival of the Creeveys, Colin had quickly shot over to where the rest of the Hogwarts contingent were gathered, leaving his parents adrift in a situation they knew little about. Being taken under the Grangers' wings saw grateful thanks being offered by both. Colin's father saying that milkmen didn't usually get invited to parties held by Lords and Ladies drew laughter from Sirius and Henrica - with Lukas and Moa also promising to help the overwhelmed couple with anything they didn't understand. The muggle couple offering thanks to Barchoke for Harry looking after Colin while he was at Hogwarts meant that the Creeveys would fit right in to their company.

The Weasleys arrival saw the Hogwarts contingent grow even more, and also gave Harry an idea how to switch Remus' mind onto something else. A quick word with Fred and George, with the name Moony being mentioned, soon had them practically stalking the marauder.

Their other friends were all very accepting of Harry and Hermione's bonding, it was surprisingly easy since the couple weren't acting any different than they normally would. Ginny had been more concerned that Professor Lupin's arrival would see the end of Crow's Marauders. All involved with teaching the club quickly confirmed they wished to continue with it, making Ginny, Luna and Colin very happy. That club really was their favourite time at Hogwarts, and all three were wearing their marauder's badges tonight.

Even Roger turning up with Cho Chang as his date didn't dent the group's good mood. Cho had pretty much kept to herself after apologising to Harry and Hermione, they certainly weren't expecting any trouble from her tonight.

All the Hogwarts students had naturally sat together, seeing them occupy one side of the ballroom. When the Greengrass family arrived, Daphne didn't hesitate to lead her younger sister over to join the large group. Draco and Pansy arrived with Blaise, after thanking their hosts for being invited and handing over the gift, Draco and Pansy followed Blaise over to join the crowd. The news of what had transpired at today's Wizengamot meeting was spreading like wildfire, Pansy had heard it from her father so of course passed it on to Draco. What Pansy hadn't mentioned was the idea this had sparked in her mind. Her goal tonight was to get Granger alone for a few moments and hope the girl could answer some of the questions the Slytherin had. If that meant she had to play suck-up all night, Pansy was more than prepared to do exactly that.

Cornelius was fashionably late in arriving, not through choice or playing games to get noticed, simply because his wife took so long to get ready. Why she had to try on five separate outfits, only to finally decide on the one she's put on first, was a mystery way beyond the minister's understanding. He'd learned years ago just to say his wife looked beautiful in everything, he was after all a politician.

The Minister of Magic was presented with what he thought was a perfect example of how the political landscape of their country was changing the minute they walked into the ballroom. Barchoke was dancing with a simply stunning Miss Granger around the Black Ballroom, and their actions didn't even raise one eyebrow amongst the guests who were present. It wasn't so long ago, even entering this house would have meant that neither the goblin nor the muggle born witch would have left it alive.

-oOoOo-

A witch who would certainly have considered the murder of both the filthy goblin and the mudblood, simply for daring to entering the home of a pureblood, as acceptable behaviour was sitting alone sipping firewhisky. Dolores couldn't see any prospects that this latest vote against their way of life wouldn't gain a pass through the Wizengamot, there were just too many powerful figures lining up to support it. Add to that a werewolf would be teaching inside Hogwarts and their entire society seemed to be going to the dogs. There were now multiple creatures holding teaching positions at the country's premier school of magic, with a veela, a goblin and now a werewolf passing themselves off as professors. This would surely eventually foster the belief amongst tomorrow's adults that this was perfectly acceptable and even normal behaviour - and something that Dolores Umbridge was desperate to put a stop to.

What she needed was a way to directly compare Hogwarts against other magical schools, public humiliation appearing to be her best option for forcing people to face the truth - and see the proper standards of blood purity being restored once more.

Dolores knew there were enough archaic rules and outright stupid ideas just lying around in the archives of the Department of Magical Games and Sports to cover practically any eventuality - the trick would be in finding just the right one.

Good old Ludo Bagman was strutting around the ministry like a pompous prick because the Quidditch World Cup was returning to Britain, due to all of her hard work in undermining the opposing bids for the tournament. The mere thought of pulling off a second coup would see her Departmental Head providing Dolores with all the help she would need in her search for a way to show Hogwarts for what it really was - an affront and a disgrace to their ancient way of life.

A/N -Thanks for reading

A/N 2 my longest chapter to date, yet it didn't feel that way when I was writing it. Sometimes, the words just flow.

53. Please, not the House Elf!

Harry Crow

Disclaimer - I would like to think that Harry Potter belongs to all of us who spend our time keeping the story of the-boy-who-lived alive. Providing we're not making any money from Jo Rowling's creation, her lawyers would appear to be quite happy indulging us in this flight of fantasy. I wouldn't want to upset those lawyers, especially since I can't afford to hire one of my own.

A/N I am aware Harry Crow has an anniversary pending, I have a much more important date on my own calendar before that though. My son gets married next week, meaning I will be otherwise occupied and there won't be my usual update next weekend. Chapter 54 will appear on the fifth of June - exactly a year since I posted the first chapter.

Hope to see you then - Robert.

Chapter 53

Young Astoria Greengrass' eyes were wider than Luna's at what was happening all around her tonight. Normally, on occasions like this, she and Daphne would sit demurely beside their parents and only speak when directly spoken to. Tonight they were sitting amongst people around their own ages, chatting about things that interested them, and having a great time.

On hearing that she would be starting Hogwarts in September, Ginny, Luna and Colin promised to look out for her. With all the older students saying the same too, she would have friends in every house before she even set foot in the castle. This certainly wasn't what she'd expected, Astoria now couldn't wait for September to arrive.

Pansy was beginning to think the only way she was going to get Granger alone was to dance with her, the muggle born witch was never off the ballroom floor. Finally, she and the Ravenclaw Patil were heading for a bathroom break, this looked about as good an opportunity as she was going to get. She left Draco's side and hurried after the pair.

Blaise had noticed her departure but a shrug from Draco in answer to his enquiry was of no help, Parvati though had also seen Pansy leave and was looking for answers from her date. "Have you any idea why Parkinson shot out of here after my sister and Hermione?"

"No, sorry, but I don't think it's anything you need to worry about. Both of them are being nominated for Orders of Merlin, I think they'll cope if Pansy is stupid enough to try anything. Bearing in mind we're also in Lord Black's home, both girls' parents are sitting over there, and then there's Harry and Neville to consider. You would have to be a moron to try anything against those girls anyway, but to do so tonight would be insane."

Listening to Blaise reassured Parvati, but not as much as seeing that Harry had also noticed Pansy leaving. Even whilst dancing with Luna, he still missed nothing that went on in the ballroom.

Both girls had soon noticed Pansy following them, it was too deliberate to be anything other than that. On entering the large ladies room off the ballroom, Hermione and Padma let their lessons take over. Padma approached a mirror and pretended to touch up her light make-up while Hermione moved to the other side of the room, ensuring there was no way Pansy would be able to use her wand on both of them at the same time.

The young Slytherin witch entered the restroom and immediately sussed the situation she was in here. Knowing these two had no reason to trust her, Pansy made sure both her empty hands were in full view of Padma and Hermione.

"I was hoping to have a private word with you, Hermione, it's a rather delicate matter."

"You can trust Padma with anything you want to say to me. She won't say a word and, if it's what I think you're going to ask, Padma might have more knowledge about it than me."

Deciding just to go for it, Pansy blurted out what she was desperate to know. "I wanted to ask you what's involved in a blood bonding? I was hoping it could be a way of stopping my father withdrawing my betrothal to Draco?"

Hermione could clearly see the desperation that had led Pansy to resort to asking them for help, she also hated to disappoint her. "I'm sorry, Pansy, I don't think it would help your situation. Even if you blood bonded with Draco, your father could still betroth you to someone else. The bond only really becomes legal when you finalise it."

A puzzled Pansy asked what she thought was a simple question. "Why wouldn't we finalise the bonding?"

It was Padma who supplied the answer. "The bonding will finalise the first time you have sex after performing the ceremony."

"Oh, I couldn't possibly do that - I'm not nearly ready for that step yet."

Pansy found herself being offered a hankie by Hermione, she hadn't even realised she'd been crying.

"Don't worry, Pansy, none of us are. It's something Harry and I won't be doing for a good few years yet, we're just lucky our parents want us to be together. The blood bonding ceremony shows a couple how compatible they are but, until finalised, has no legal standing under the current ministry laws. It actually has more legal status in the goblin nation where we're already considered mates. If Harry and I were to take that final step, we would be considered husband and wife in two of the three societies we inhabit. My mum and dad still expect to see me married in church though, and we hope to finalise our bonding after that ceremony - this will see us legally married in all three."

Having pinned all her hopes on this solution, Pansy was now quite distraught to find it wouldn't be of any help. Not caring that these girls weren't exactly her friends, she just had to talk to someone about this. "It was only being invited here that stopped my father breaking the betrothal over Christmas, he's still looking at a couple of candidates to offer me to though. Draco and I have been betrothed since we were two, we've grown up knowing that some day we would marry - how can he just take that away from us?"

Here was a side of betrothals Hermione hadn't considered. Being betrothed since infancy had seen these two grow up together, already knowing what awaited them in the future. No wonder Pansy was distraught, Draco was not only her betrothed but her best friend too. Hermione remembered how she felt the night her dad had pulled her out of Harry's arms, that was enough to have her offering to help Pansy.

"If coming here tonight helped keep you both betrothed, we need to put out heads together and see what else can be done to keep your father from considering breaking that agreement. We will probably need to tell a few more people exactly what's going on though?"

"If it keeps me and Draco together, I don't care if it makes the front page of the Prophet! I have to ask though, why are you helping me?"

Hermione actually smiled at the Slytherin as she gave Pansy an answer the witch wasn't expecting. "Although the three of us are from totally different backgrounds, and will certainly have differing views on life, there is one thing we all have in common. Each of us has already found the person they want to spend the rest of their lives with. Anyone trying to separate Harry and me, or Padma and Neville, will have a fight on their hands - how could we not help you?"

Pansy didn't get to say anymore as Parvati burst into the rest room, closely followed by Henrica. The signs that Pansy had been crying were unmissable, as were any signs of an altercation between them. Whatever was going on, they certainly weren't fighting. "Everything okay in here?"

"We're fine, Pav, just having a chat with Pansy. Thanks for checking on us though, nice to know you've got our backs."

"No problem, sis, though I better get back and tell the boys everything's fine - before they come rushing in here too!"

As Parvati headed back to the ballroom, Henrica stayed to help sort out whatever problem they were having here.

It was a relieved Draco who finally saw Pansy reenter the ballroom, she then practically dragged him onto the dance floor - obviously to talk.

"How far are you prepared to go to keep our betrothal?"

"Pansy, you know I can't give in to your father's demands - he would soon have a whole new set for me if I did."

"I'm not talking about giving in to my father, you know I agree with you on that. If we were invited to Lord Black's wedding, and then spent some of the summer in Crow's company, do you honestly think my father would risk throwing that away? Who else is he going to find for me with connections like that?"

"What did you have to promise to get that? I won't swap one manipulator for another, I want us to live our lives the way we choose..."

"...and so do I, Draco, so do I. What we need to do here is give a clear message that we're willing to change, you've already said we need to. We've been promised to each other practically all our lives - I'm not about to stand still and let my father go back on his word now. The idea I had wouldn't work but I was then offered another chance, we both know getting close to Crow would stop my father in his tracks."

"Does this mean I have to suck up to Crow?"

"Look at Blaise, or even Longbottom, they don't act like that. Crow is not interested in anyone sucking up to him. If we want to see the Malfoy name rise to prominence once more, this is really the only way. You said it yourself, if Crow defeats the dark lord, magical Britain will probably all but name him king. If that were to happen, you and I would never be a prince or princess - but we could be part of that royal court. That's the way a Slytherin would operate, we get to stay together, gain some influential friends - and may also have some fun along the way."

She could see Draco was considering this option, get her father off their backs without having to make any concessions - well, none that hurt anyway.

"If we were to do this, what do they want from us?"

"They want a public show that we're willing to change. The name Malfoy still carries some weight in certain circles, a message to those same circles is what's needed here. You asking Granger to dance will send that message loud and clear, Crow will then ask me. If that doesn't keep father off our backs for the next few months, nothing will."

"So, all I need to do is dance with Granger?" Pansy nodded in answer but Draco could clearly see now would be an extremely bad time to tease her, he gave her a tighter squeeze as they twirled and earned a nervous smile.

"Will you do this - for us?"

Draco had effectively lost everything, yet Pansy had stuck to his side like glue. She was even plotting against her father to ensure she stayed glued to his side in the coming years. "If dancing with Granger keeps you by my side, then I'll do it. I would dance with her muggle mother if it meant we stayed together."

"Her mother is a beautiful woman, Draco, so that wouldn't exactly be a hardship. Don't go ruling it out though, I don't know just how far we need to take this."

Tonks was standing watching Hermione dancing with her cousin when Henrica approached. "Would you please pinch me, Professor, I can't believe what I'm seeing here."

"Auror, you of all people should know what this group can achieve when they put their minds to it."

"You're not joking there, I now have a bank balance I still have trouble accepting - and today was recommended for an Order of Merlin, First Class. I can't speak for the rest of the country but the've certainly changed my life out of all recognition. My mother dancing with my father in the Black Ballroom is also a pretty special occasion for our family too, I'd like to thank you for that."

"We're going to be family ourselves, call me Henrica."

"Thanks, Henrica, though I still want to be called Tonks, some parents should never be allowed to name their children. What can you tell me of Remus Lupin?"

"Why, Tonks, you interested?"

"Yes, interested in finding out just what I've let myself in for. I'm going to be the auror who escorts him off the Hogwarts grounds for his transformation, and then takes his classes for a day or so. I'm familiar with the way the castle runs and, after that announcement this morning, Madam Bones is sure an Order of Merlin nominated auror making certain the werewolf is out the castle will put an end to any parental concerns."

"You won't have anything to worry about, Tonks, Remus is a really nice guy. Sirius will also be there, he plans on staying with Remus to help him with his transformation." Henrica watched the auror's eyes widen at that before supplying the information she was missing. "Sirius is a dog animagus, so will transform too - and be perfectly safe."

This had Tonks staring at the beautiful veela before asking a question. "Our family really is nuts. From aurors to psycho witches that will never see the outside of Azkaban - and now you tell me the head of our family is a dog! You sure you know what you're doing by marrying into it?"

Henrica only needed to glance at the dance floor where her husband-to-be was currently waltzing with her mother. "Hell yes, Tonks!"

Cornelius was actually enjoying himself for a change. There was no ministerial business being done here tonight, he was being treated as just another guest - a refreshing change. This allowed him to spend his now free time observing the voters of tomorrow - and acknowledging that Amelia had been correct on two of her main points. Just watching these young wizards and witches together confirmed they had to be treated equally, and that losing Harry to the goblins or muggles would be an unmitigated disaster.

Watching as Lucius' son was not only civil to a muggle born witch, but danced with her too was certainly something Cornelius really needed to see for himself. Harry was clearly doing his damnedest to ensure his generation was susceptible to the changes he wanted to see happen, it was now the minister's job to try and mould their society into one that would accept these changes too. Cornelius knew he would have a fight on his hands, the dark faction weren't going to surrender any power lightly, but he found himself relishing the challenge. This was why he got into politics in the first place, before he started playing the system - or did the system play him?

While Amos was watching the same group, his focus was on another dark haired boy. Cedric appeared to fit comfortably into this cosmopolitan mixture of witches and wizards - it would probably be hard not to. Here was a group where everyone was listened to, and no opinion was dismissed as being wrong - just different. Cedric had told him this before but witnessing it firsthand was certainly an eye opener.

In any command situation, Harry would clearly take leadership of the group. Like they'd witnessed with the chamber incident, he still listened to and valued the opinions of those around him. His power of command though was so strong, an auror and a Hogwarts professor had followed those commands too.

Amos was delighted his son was part of this group, but even more so after seeing the way Cedric interacted amongst them.

The party was hailed as a great success by all the guests. As a certain young couple were getting ready to leave, their host for the evening returned Pansy's tactics from earlier and wanted a private word.

"Mister Malfoy, I understand what my godson is doing here and think he is wrong. Harry then retorts that I'm getting old and cynical, you just got elected as our test case to prove which of us is correct."

Pansy was trembling as she held onto Draco's arm, she, like her betrothed, had no idea what Lord Black was up to. Neither had long to wait for their fears to be answered.

"On New Year's Eve, a lot of the people present here tonight will be celebrating on a muggle boat sailing along the Thames in central London. There will be dinner and dancing, and I'm inviting you, and the date of your choice, to join us. Dress is muggle but there will be clothes here waiting for both of you. Your wands will also be left here, safely waiting on your return. It's a private party but the crew and the band will of course be muggles. Send me an owl when you reach your decision on attending."

Draco managed to mumble a 'thank you for the invitation' before they both entered the floo.

Sirius then felt a pair of arms encircle him from behind as Henrika kissed his cheek. "That was a very nice thing you did there..."

"I'm sorry love, but it wasn't."

"What do you mean, what else could it be?"

Her future husband attempted to explain. "Just because I don't believe in most of their pureblood doctrine, that doesn't mean I don't know how to use it to our advantage."

Knowing this was a foreign concept to his beautiful fiancée, Sirius then told Henrica exactly what she'd just witnessed here. "Young Draco has rather a hard choice to make, one I deliberately foisted upon him. If he's going to be in our company, and around our family, we need to know where he stands. If he attends our New Year party, Draco will know he'll struggle to be accepted back into the circles his father used to frequent after that. It will also tell us just how far Parkinson is prepared to go to see his daughter in the same company Pansy was in tonight - all very informative. If they make some excuse, this will also tell us they're only paying lip service to the changes our group of kids are spearheading."

"...and what do you hope he does?"

"Oh, I hope Draco turns up..."

This earned him another kiss from Henrica, though again she had misread Sirius' motives.

"...just the knowledge that his son attended a muggle party would probably see old Lucius top himself. I certainly won't shed any tears if that happens"

-oOoOo-

Breakfast next morning also saw the Prophet delivered, with the expected front page story. Using a picture of Harry and Hermione from the ministry summer ball was again rather predictable, the headline though was a bit of a surprise.

Bonded in Blood and Heroism.

The journalist had obviously researched bonds, and again put their own spin onto the information. Claiming that this was an ancient magical ceremony that predates betrothals was correct, claiming the bond was stronger than any betrothal wasn't strictly true - though no one at Grimmauld was going to argue that point. This article was overwhelmingly positive and supporting, both of their bonding and the proposed ministerial awards.

Padma and Hermione were just glad they had explained the situation fully to Pansy last night, otherwise she might have thought the blood bonding ceremony would protect them from her father's manipulations.

Remus was delighted the now rather positive article on him being cleared to take up his teaching post at Hogwarts was relegated to the inside pages. Orders of Merlin and new Barons were far more important to the British magical community - or rather who the minister was proposing to give those honours too.

Dan was rather confused about Harry being awarded a Barony. "I though only the reigning monarch could award titles?"

This had Sirius chuckling. "Do you think the Queen awarded Tom Riddle a lordship? The title 'lord' originally meant those with power over others. Since Voldemort literally held the power of life and death over his followers, one could easily make a case for the nutter considering himself a lord. The Blacks are an ancient family, with the head of the family being 'lord' over the rest - and again nothing to do with the muggle peerage system."

"Sirius is right in what he says, though this title is different again. Making me a Baron still has nothing to do with the monarchy, the title comes with the land." Harry had a rather cheeky grin on his face as he made his next suggestion. "Hermione, perhaps we could buy them something like that for Christmas next year? I can just see your dad as a Highland Laird, and it isn't even that expensive! We could buy a couple each with the money we got from the basilisk."

"So, you're saying this is about the land - not the title?"

None of them could miss the gleam of excitement that was visible in Harry's eyes as he spoke. "It was always about the land, Dan, never the title. Granting this land to a goblin means the ministry will have to change the law. The last change was nothing more than a small step, this would be a giant leap. I could have goblins building homes and living on my land - legally! This will easily be the biggest thing to hit the goblin nation in over four centuries. Goblins became masters of wards not only to protect Gringotts and the vaults, but in the hope that one day we could return to live on the surface. No goblin home will ever be attacked by wizards again, not without squads of warriors arriving while those same wizards are still trying to bring down the wards."

Emma then shifted the focus to Amelia and Augusta with her question. "Just what are the chances of this getting approval by the Wizengamot?"

"I'm actually optimistic about our chances now, certainly more so than before the meeting."

Amelia agreed with Augusta's opinion, before adding her own thoughts on the matter. "I've had a number of members approach me privately. They are more concerned about the speed and frequency these changes are being introduced, rather than having any outstanding reason for opposing this change purely on its merits. Reassurance that we won't be revisiting this for at least a few years will have them on board for the vote. I personally think we really need to let everyone get used to these changes before even considering any more."

Barchoke then offered the nation's view of this. "If passed, we certainly intend to open a Gringotts branch in Hogsmeade, but would hold off with any further integration for a while. We would be approaching the new Baron of Kingussie for permission to build a small settlement on his land, using that as a stepping stone before we have goblins and wizards once more living alongside each other."

It was Hermione who then brought some levity back to the table, proving hanging around with Padma was certainly having an effect on her. "Well, I personally know this Baron and don't see there being a problem with that. I also think we should spend some of the summer in Kingussie, probably just before we return to Hogwarts would be best. Are we any closer to working out our actual plans for the summer?"

This saw all eyes shift to the couple whose wedding would determine so much of those summer plans. One look between them was all they needed to decide Henrica would pass on the news.

"We haven't set a date yet, Sirius and I don't want to jinx the vote by prejudging the result. Everyone at this table is hoping for a yes vote, meaning we'll have another ministerial awards ball to attend. Since the vote won't be held until the fifth of February, how about we all get together the following weekend and work out our schedule then?"

Parvati was first to point out something that might have been overlooked. "That weekend also contains Valentine's Day!"

"Oh, I'm sure we could come up with something for that." Sirius' smile telling everyone they had certainly known that fact before proposing that date.

Neville though had another reason for instantly agreeing to this proposal. "If we're out of Hogwarts, I'll get to visit my mum and dad."

There was unanimous agreement after that, the entire company had visited Frank and Alice over the holidays, though a few still only through the viewing wall. While the goblin healers had been delighted that the new scans gave detailed information on exactly how their treatment was progressing, the muggle physicians had been astonished. Only by claiming this was a radical new treatment, attempted on patients that really had nothing to lose, were the muggle doctors satisfied - for now. Whatever this treatment was, the muggle healers now held clear evidence that neural pathways to the brain had actually began to repair themselves at a rate thought to be impossible.

While Alice continued to slowly improve, Frank was displaying symptoms similar to patients who'd suffered from a stroke. One side of his body was certainly weaker and his speech was currently slurred. Both Augusta and Neville still thought this was a wonderful improvement, it was only in comparison to Alice that a little disappointment would surface. The goblin healers now had the new scans to help focus their treatment and a healer from St Mungo's would also be on their case in the New Year.

His parents' treatment had certainly passed every one of Neville's original expectations. As their condition improved though, Neville's expectations were growing right alongside those improvements. He was currently hoping his parents may be able to join them on holiday at Harry's private island, that would be a real dream come true for Neville. The healers knew of his dreams and hadn't yet ruled them out for this summer, though were fairly certain it wouldn't be a problem the following year. Just knowing it would happen someday was good enough for Neville.

With that agreed to, Sirius then revealed what he had arranged for today, another day of holiday madness for the extended family.

It was a smiling Lukas who thought the old axiom about losing your daughter didn't really apply here. It would appear the Hobsons weren't just gaining a son but a whole tribe! Both he and Moa were extremely happy with that arrangement, and had already been invited back to London in February for the wedding discussions.

-oOoOo-

Edmund Parkinson was also smiling as he watched his daughter and her betrothed greet their new 'friends' before they boarded the Hogwarts Express. He had taken a chance by allowing Pansy to accompany Draco to that muggle event Lord Black had hosted, the important word for Edmund though was 'accompanied'. Draco would be the one permanently tainted by this, Pansy was just on the arm of her betrothed - at least that's what Edmund would claim if he was forced to negotiate another contract for his daughter.

What had clinched it for Edmund was that this is the company he wanted his grandchildren to grow up in - amongst the Potters, Longbottoms, Blacks and Bones. He'd thought betrothing Pansy to Draco had guaranteed her inclusion into the upper echelons of British magical society - only for that to all blow up in his face. Draco though had surprised him with how maturely the boy had handled the situation, certainly more maturely than Lucius had.

He could see the hand of the Crow boy all over this approach, having the Malfoy scion on his side lent credibility to what he was trying to achieve at Hogwarts - and also at the ministry.

That was another reason Edmund decided to come to platform nine and three quarters today, he wanted not only to see what was going on but to ensure he himself was publicly seen. He had heard whisperings that some direct action would be taken to ensure this new goblin initiative died a horrible death.

Edmund thought action of that type could work both ways, either getting the desired result or collectively lighting a fire under the ministry's arse that might see them tackle the death eater problem once and for all. With public opinion so swayed toward the light at the moment, Edmund feared it would be the second option that came to pass. If it did, then his daughter's new friendships should be enough to shield her from any fallout. Whether Pansy's friends would consider saving her family from any downturn in fortune would be a much harder question - they certainly made sure Lucius got what was coming to him.

-oOoOo-

Barchoke was quite pleased with how today's meeting with Arthur had gone, they had scaled these meetings up from monthly to weekly events for the foreseeable future. The ministry and the nation were both working hard to ensure the minister's proposal made it through the Wizengamot on the fifth, weekly meetings allowed them to try and anticipate any problems - and take actions to smooth those problems away.

The meeting venues alternated between Gringotts and the Ministry of Magic, with Arthur playing host to him and his assistant today. The trio were currently making their way through the ministry's atrium when the hairs on the goblin's neck stood up, this was a response to danger that had saved his life in the past, and instantly forced Barchoke to take a closer look at their surroundings. It was the middle-aged witch who was rather mechanically walking toward them that really set Barchoke's alarm bells ringing.

The goblins believe that a person's eyes are the window to their soul, those of this witch were telling Barchoke that the lights may be on but no one was home. All this took a split second, a second that saw the witch begin to raise her wand. He yelled ""ATTACK"" before pushing Arthur away, just as a killing curse passed through the space the Head of the Weasley family had just occupied.

Barchoke's warning and actions had Bill taking the witch out the fight with a cutting curse to her wand arm, only for curses to start raining down on them from another two locations. The atrium descended into chaos, with Bill and Arthur trying to make their attackers keep their heads down while Barchoke got as many people behind the Fountain of Magical Brethren as possible. He was helping a witch with a young child, using his shield to protect them the best he could when a sudden impact sent him to the floor.

The attack was soon over, lasting no more than ninety seconds, but the screaming went on considerably past that. The entire atrium was now flooded with aurors and the situation was once more under control, with four attackers currently in custody and healers flooing from St Mungo's to treat any casualties.

Amelia found Barchoke face down on the ground, with Bill and Arthur Weasley standing protectively over him while calling for a healer. She had known Barchoke had forgone his accompanying guards in favour of showing a more friendlier face of the nation, and Amelia was mentally kicking herself for not replacing those guards with aurors.

"Barchoke, can you hear me?"

"I'm wounded, Amelia, not deaf - of course I can hear you. What hit me? I can't really see it from this position, and neither Weasley will let me move."

"You have a piece of golden statue sticking out your shoulder, that's why they won't let you move."

"Amelia, please tell me it's not a golden piece of house elf, I'll never live it down if a bloody house elf managed to put me on the ground..."

Cornelius raced to the atrium, with visions of mayhem and murder happening under his watch adding speed to his legs. Finding a wounded Barchoke, both Weasleys and Amelia laughing was certainly not what he expected. As far as Cornelius was concerned, this was no laughing matter.

-oOoOo-

Ron Weasley wasn't laughing, though he was probably the only person on the express who wasn't. His holidays had been utterly miserable, constant lectures from both his parents had certainly marred his enjoyment of the Christmas period - and then the Prophet told everyone what his father and Bill had been up to.

Three more Hogwarts students and a professor up for Orders of Merlin, and Crow going to be made a Baron - the world was going crazy and he appeared to be the only one in his family who could see it. His sister's main concern had been over what effect the new defence professor would have on Hogwarts, Ginny was relieved and delighted her marauders' club would still be running. The twins were over the moon about having one of their heroes as a professor, while Percy was too busy mooning over Penelope to care about anything else.

It was as if every member of his family had turned against him, and Ron knew just who to blame for his troubles - Crow. Hogwarts Champion, Goblin Centurion, Order of Merlin, First Class, holder and the git would now be a Baron of some Scottish glen. How was any ordinary person supposed to compare themselves to that? As if that wasn't bad enough, he not only makes his friends rich but gets them nominated for awards too. Ron had sat in his compartment, watching the continual stream of students pass his door to go and talk to Crow, not one of them even gave him a second glance.

He shouldn't be surprised really, his own family would probably do the same. His father and Bill both worked with Crow's goblin father, as far as Ginny was concerned - Harry Crow could do no wrong. The twins took extra lessons with Crow and thought this made him a great guy, surely proving beyond doubt they were both nuts. Penelope was very close to her Ravenclaw charges, which probably meant Percy would think the sun shone out their arses.

After spending the entire trip from London going over and over the same points again and again, Ron was in one stinker of a mood as the express pulled into a freezing Hogsmeade. Finding himself behind Crow's crowd in the queue for a carriage up to the castle certainly didn't improve that bad mood any. Then Madam Bones and Lord Black appeared, being close enough to hear what they had to say just pushed Ron over the edge.

"There was an attack today at the ministry, your father, Arthur and Bill Weasley were the targets..."

Hearing that his father and brother had been attacked, again because of Crow, saw a red mist descend on Ron. While everyone else froze to listen to what Lord Black had to say, Ron reacted.

"You bastard, my family..." He lunged at Crow, only to find himself flying through the air. It was a very brief flight before impacting heavily with the hard, frozen ground. Having the wind knocked out of him left Ron unable to speak, the deadly knife now steadily held mere inches from his face meant he had nothing to say anyway. The anger pouring off the person who was holding that knife probably meant Ron wouldn't have been able to speak even if he could draw breath, he'd never been so terrified in his life. When Crow then spoke, Ron could see he meant every word that was said.

"You have previously attacked Hermione, and this is the second time you've had a go at me. This stops here and now. No more excuses or apologies, no more making allowances because you're a Weasley - a family I happen to like. You pull shit like this again against me or mine, it's going to cost you a body part - is that clear enough for you to understand? I need to hear you say yes because I think you're too stupid to take this warning seriously, and I want witnesses that you clearly understood what any further stupidity is going to cost you."

If Ron was in any doubt, Crow's eyes told him this was one bastard who would clearly do exactly as he said. Since he was attached to all his body parts, and wanted to remain so for the rest of his life, he managed to croak a 'yes' which saw the knife disappear.

Ron's troubles were far from over though, an angry Percy dragged him to his feet before Madam Bones had a word with him. "Your father is fine, purely because Barchoke called out a warning, and then pushed Arthur out of the path of a killing curse."

Hermione now had her arm around Harry, giving and receiving comfort from the contact. "Amelia, how are our father and Bill?"

"Both are okay. Your father was hit with a piece of shrapnel as the curses blasted through the ministry atrium, he's currently being treated in St Mungo's but in no real danger. Bill has cuts and bruises, though his jacket probably saved him being in the bed next to Barchoke."

Percy thought of his own dragon hide jacket that he wore under his robes, a Christmas present from Bill. He also knew his eldest brother and father would both hit the roof when he wrote to them about Ron's latest escapade, he could see home schooling in Ron's future.

Sirius was making sure their family got the full picture. "Barchoke was lying in bed and trying to crack jokes when I left him to come here. Amelia says it's a miracle no one was killed in the atrium, the ministry have all the attackers and are considering what action to take next. This was clearly an attempt to scupper the vote next month, the Goblin Ambassador being murdered in the ministry of magic could have started another war between us. I didn't want you lot finding out about this in tomorrow's Prophet, and I also wanted to give you both the chance to visit Barchoke yourselves..."

Two rapid yeses meant Sirius didn't need to say anymore. A quick goodbye to their friends had Harry and Hermione ready to leave, they were waiting on Amelia though.

The Head of the DMLE spotted the second year she had come here to speak with, after approaching him Amelia made sure to cast a privacy spell. The entire country would know this information by tomorrow but she only wanted one person to hear it at the moment.

"Mr Nott, your father instigated and took part in that attack today. He used the imperius curse on three people and fired curses during the attack too. You are in no way implicated in this attack, I just didn't want you discovering these facts from tomorrow's Prophet - and to offer you the opportunity to return home if you wished."

Theo's head was spinning at this news - how could his father do something as stupid as that? If Madam Bones was already so sure of her facts then his father was heading for Azkaban, leaving him the de facto head of the Nott family. The offer to return home was an incredibly tempting one, but one Theo knew he couldn't accept. Him heading home now would leave a suspicion of guilt attached to his name, something he couldn't allow. He also had a housemate's example of how to handle the exact same situation. He answered as his pureblood status demanded.

"Thank you for your time, and showing me this courtesy, Madam Bones. I believe I would like to stay, though, if possible, I would like a word with Centurion Crow?"

As they approached, Theo understood what was required of him here. Draco was doing a superb job of ensuring the Malfoy name wasn't trampled in the mire and forgotten about, he would now need to do the same for the Notts. He had two younger sisters who would now be depending on him, Theo swore not to let them down.

With a bow to Harry, Theo said what he needed to. "Centurion Crow, I have just been informed my father has been implicated in the attack on your father. I wanted to say this was the first I had heard about it, and that I in no way support my father's actions."

Sirius' lessons allowed Harry to answer Theo exactly as he needed to, and tradition demanded. "Mr Nott, I think I have made my position on matters like this very clear, only the guilty should be punished. If it proves necessary, I will publicly reiterate my position."

With honour satisfied, Theo headed for the castle while Amelia had a portkey that would take them to St Mungo's.

-oOoOo-

Spotting the goblin guards outside his father's room certainly reassured Harry, but not nearly as much as seeing him sitting up in bed and talking with his guests. He so wanted to rush forward and hug the person who had raised him, but that would embarrass both of them - he was a centurion after all. "Well met, Father..."

Harry never got to say anymore, Hermione suffered from no such embarrassments or rank. She shot off his arm and, while mindful of the goblin's injuries, enveloped their father in one of her hugs. She made no attempt to hide her tears either. "Well met, Father, we were so worried about you..."

"Don't fret, my daughter, I'm fine. I'm only confined to this bed until these healers can make sure I'm not stealing any of their precious golden fountain - they want to ensure they got every last piece out of this old goblin..."

Master Sharpshard's laughter was joined by Harry's as an exasperated young witch asked a serious question. "Father, I understand the nation's language and am slowly learning your culture - do you think I'll ever master a goblin's sense of humour?"

That the three goblins in the room thought her question was hilarious told Hermione the answer to her question was probably not.

The Minister of Magic stood in the background, his conversation with the ambassador immediately put to one side when the goblin's family had arrived. Seeing this young muggle born's reaction to Barchoke only hardened Cornelius' resolve that the aftermath of today's attack needed to be met with swift and decisive action on the ministry's part. The minister shuddered to think how bad things could have gone today, and certainly recognised they were extremely fortunate to emerge from this situation with no fatalities and so few serious injuries.

What was also spurring Cornelius on was the obvious affection this young witch had for the goblin. He thought it was a fair bet to say that the two biggest influences on Harry's life were currently sitting on that bed, and neither of them had roots that were embedded in the magical community.

The ministry would respond to this by treating the incident as exactly what it was, an assassination attempt by a member of the Wizengamot on the ambassador of a nation friendly to their government. He thought they had been walking a tightrope before today's events, now they would be embroiled in a battle he'd hoped to avoid - a battle that needed to be won. Had today's attempt been successful, his ministry would have been involved in battles of a far bloodier kind - against goblin steel. The very thought of a golden Centurion Crow at the front of those goblins, out to avenge the murder of his father, was enough to give the minister nightmares.

While the Wizengamot chamber could get brutal, there hadn't been a member killed inside its walls for generations. Cornelius would still speak to Amelia about increasing security for the emergency session they were going to have to call , he had a feeling they just might need it.

A/N Thanks for reading.

54. Treason is such an ugly word

Harry Crow

A year ago today I posted the first chapter of my then new story. Harry Crow has since gone on to surpass any and every expectation I had for it. This chapter will push the story past three and a half million hits and really leaves me with only one thing to say - thank you so much for reading my efforts.

I would also like to thank everyone who offered their good wishes as my family gained a daughter-in-law last week. Everything went off without a hitch with even the weather gods smiling on the happy couple - really important when you're getting married in Central Park!

Chapter 54

Hermione felt a sense of real contentment, and slowly began to realise why - she was waking up snuggled into Harry. They had left the hospital last night and Sirius had brought them to Crawley. Dobby was soon whipping up something for them to eat as they told their story to her mum and dad before both she and Harry headed off to bed. Her last memories were of checking to see if Harry was okay with what had happened, and she supposed they had then fallen asleep together.

"Morning, looks like someone didn't make it back to their own bed?"

She gave Harry a peck on the cheek in greeting, Hermione was happy to be here though nervous about the circumstances that led to it. "I hope it was mum who put this blanket on us, and not one of the elves. I would hate mum or dad to think we were sneaking about..."

Betsy arrived with a pop. "Not to worry, mistress, the missies covered both of you after finding you sleeping. Betsy and Dobby weren't sure what to do, we didn't want to wake mistress because she looked so peaceful."

"That's fine, Betsy, you did exactly the right thing..."

Two glasses of orange juice appeared on Harry's nightstand as Dobby got in on the act.

They sat up in bed, drinking juice and discussing the upcoming day. "I don't think we can return to Hogwarts today. You heard the minister last night, Nott is going on trial today at an emergency meeting of the Wizengamot. I need to make an appearance as Centurion Crow, and be at father's side."

"I want to be there too, perhaps Sirius will take me?"

Harry thought that was a good idea and agreed they should ask him, before voicing his concerns about another matter. "If they went after my father, I'm worried they might think your parents are a softer target. We know they can't get anywhere near this house, not without the nation rushing squads of warriors to Crawley, it's when Dan and Emma are outside of here I'm worried about..."

A knock at the bedroom door saw Emma enter, she was smiling as she sat on the bed beside them. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop but I heard our names mentioned just before I knocked. Is there anything we need to know?"

"Nothing specific, I'm just worried about you both when you leave the safety of this house. I don't know if we could ward where you work, perhaps emergency portkeys would be a better option - it's certainly something I'll be talking with Father about. It may be nothing, but far better to be careful and put some precautions in place."

"You and Barchoke haven't steered us wrong yet, Dan and I will certainly take your advice on this matter. I hate to ask this but I think it's something we need to talk about, since it would have such an effect on all of us. What would have happened if the attack yesterday had been successful?"

Harry understood why Emma was asking this question, it didn't make answering it any easier. Hermione burrowing into his side gave him the support needed to deal with this. "Politically, it would have depended on the ministry's response. If they had then gone after the death eaters, and really sorted the problem, they might have been able to avert a war. Otherwise, Centurion Crow would be right at the front of the fight. At that point, the Grangers would be better getting out of the country - you would be right in the middle of a war that wasn't yours..."

"Never, Harry..."

Harry gently placed his finger on her lips, stopping his mate before she could get a head of steam up. "Hermione, don't you remember, we had this discussion. Goblin females can't be warriors, as a witch you're underage and, as for muggles, it's not their fight. I would need all three of you well out of it..."

She removed Harry's finger, determined to have her say. "The discussion I choose to remember is the one where I said you couldn't ask that of me, anything but that, Harry."

Having asked the question more to discover what would happen to Harry if he lost his father, his answer had taken her aback. Emma could see the raw emotion expressed between them, she also thought it was better if this was openly discussed amongst all of them. "Would you really fight against witches and wizards, Harry?"

"A wizard murdered my mum and dad. If another wizard then assassinated my father, I would certainly have cause to. I am a Centurion though, and Hermione was present the day I swore a blood oath to defend the Nation. If the Nation goes to war, I'll do the same as every one of its centurions and warriors, I will fight!"

Hermione had, of course, known how Harry would react if the nation went to war, she gave her mother another piece of information to help save her worrying too much. "Both Amelia and the Minister knew what Harry would do, too. You could see it last night at the hospital. That's why this will be dealt with very quickly, the ministry is desperate to show Harry and the Nation they can take care of this problem."

Dan then sauntered into Harry's room. "Politics before breakfast? I thought you two would have been fencing by now?"

It was a sheepish Hermione who answered her father. "We overslept."

"Well, let's get changed to meet the day and then have breakfast together. Sirius will be here soon and it will be interesting to see what the Prophet makes of yesterday. We got so used to reading your newspaper that Dobby now gets us a copy. It actually helps that we have met a lot of the people that are mentioned daily in its pages."

Taking that as her cue to go to her own room, Hermione scooted out of there to exchange her pyjamas for something more suitable to go down to breakfast with. She needn't have worried though, her father was much more concerned with asking Harry a question about the ramifications of yesterday than saying anything about her falling asleep in her mate's arms. "Do you really think there would have been a war between wizards and goblins?"

"We've been prepared for one since I entered Hogwarts, Dan. I've been breaking ministerial laws right, left and centre - and have only been getting away with it because the ministry dosen't want to acknowledge that I'm a goblin. That they're now actually changing some of those laws is what prompted yesterday's attack, a backlash from bigoted purebloods desperate to put a stop to these reforms."

This was something neither parent could remember hearing from Harry before, leading Dan to ask the obvious question. "Why would you deliberately break ministerial laws?"

"We knew Voldemort wasn't really dead, and his death eaters were all poised in important positions awaiting his return. The ministry didn't have this information because Dumbledore kept it a secret, and we couldn't tell them because goblins are barred from interfering in wizarding affairs. Had Voldemort returned and then risen to power, the Nation would certainly have gone to war when he then turned his attention onto Gringotts. This was the lesser of two evils for us, and had been working far better than we could have dared hope - up until yesterday."

The mere thought of her boy having to go to war had tears forming in Emma's eyes. "...but why you, Harry, why does it always have to be you who's in danger?"

A surprisingly strong arm slipped around Emma's shoulders. "...because I'm the only one who can, mum, the ministry wouldn't give a shit about what happened to any other goblin."

Lifting her hand, she tenderly brushed his long black hair away from his face. "I've only just gotten a son, I can't lose him - I won't lose him. Tell me this is going to be sorted without a war?"

"As Hermione said, the ministry are desperate to appease us. Nott is certainly going down, as will anyone who helped him, but it's what they do about the death eater problem that will really determine how this turns out. Nott was a member of the Wizengamot, at the very heart of their government - the minister really has to take action to ensure that can't happen again. Whether that same Wizengamot will allow him to could determine all our futures. That's why Hermione and I decided to give Hogwarts a miss today, we really need to be there."

"Will it be safe?"

"I think the only blood spilled on the floor will be political, Amelia will have her aurors there to make sure of that - otherwise I wouldn't be letting Hermione anywhere near the place." Harry had lowered his voice as he said that last part, but obviously not enough.

"I heard that, Crow, we'll discuss it over breakfast. What's keeping you lot?" A now dressed Hermione re-entered the room to find her tearful mother holding onto Harry and her dad looking worried. "Seriously, I leave you alone for a few minutes and my mum makes a move on my boyfriend! Mrs Granger, kindly unhand my mate." Hermione's smile let them all know this was her attempt at humour.

Unable to resist, Dan reached out and ruffled his daughter's hair before cracking a joke. "Seriously, I think that Padma Patil is a bad influence on you!"

"Oh, it's not Padma, that was me trying out my goblin sense of humour..."

For some reason, this just cracked Harry up with laughter.

"It wasn't that funny! Okay, Harry, enough..." This was just making him laugh all the harder though.

"You're finally getting it, Hermione, you're more goblin than you think."

With that, Dan and Emma headed off to get themselves ready for their day, leaving their daughter impatiently tapping her foot as Harry still rolled about the bed with laughter. Both thought that, after the last twenty four hours, laughter was exactly what Harry needed.

-oOoOo-

Harry and Hermione missing at breakfast inside Hogwarts was certainly noticed. Most had now heard his father had been attacked in the ministry though it wasn't until the Prophet arrived that all the details became known.

Ron was so upset, he really couldn't face his breakfast. There was his father's picture on the front page, the signs of battle all around him as Arthur Weasley publicly thanked Ambassador Barchoke for saving his life. Home schooling was looming for Ron, after attacking the son of the goblin who was the only reason his father was still alive - that wasn't what was really leaving him uninterested in food though.

He had charged Crow in a rage and swung his best punch, connecting with nothing but air. Ron still didn't know how he ended up flying through that same air as it all happened so fast. Crow though was in total control of every move he made, and that left Ron Weasley with no appetite. Not only had he believed Crow when he said that next time it would cost him a body part, Ron now knew with utter certainty that he would be helpless to stop Crow carrying out his threat. The lesson that Crow was not to be messed with had finally sunk in to his thick skull, he just hoped it wasn't too late and he could still remain at Hogwarts.

Theo Nott was currently questioning his decision to stay at Hogwarts, the entire school now knew what his father had attempted - he felt as if the walls were closing in on him. Help actually came from an unexpected source, Pansy put a comforting hand on his arm before offering some words of hope.

"It will get better, Theo. Trust me, I know. Providing you had nothing to do with this, Harry won't hold a grudge - and we both know the rest of Hogwarts will follow his lead. He's even helping Draco and me - and that after Lucius almost got all of them killed with that bloody diary."

Millicent thought this would be a good time to confirm some strange rumours she'd heard, and perhaps divert a little of their house's attention away from Theo. "Is it true then that they even have the two of you acting like a pair of muggles?"

The smile and enthusiasm that Pansy answered with was a shock to everyone who was now listening, which included most of Slytherin house. "We spent New Year's Eve at a private party organised by Lord Black. Yes it was on a muggle boat and all the staff were muggles too! We spent that evening being served delicious food and dancing to a wonderful band while cruising up and down central London. At midnight, there were fireworks along the embankment and it was easily the best party I've ever been to. The waiters served us these fruit cocktails that were non alcoholic and simply divine, they even had little paper umbrellas sticking out them - I actually saved a couple as souvenirs when Hermione told me they would just be binned. Her mum was taking pictures and we'll see them when they return..." Pansy trailed off at that, not wanting to remind Theo why the couple weren't currently in the castle.

These remarks coming from the pureblood princess Pansy Parkinson silenced the Slytherin table, then Daphne got in on the act too. "My young sister and I had a wonderful time at Lord Black's engagement party, are you saying New Year's was better than that?"

"Oh Daphne, London is so much bigger than just the bits we normally see - beautiful too! It was such an intimate and romantic evening, and starting the New Year dancing with Draco made it one of the best experiences of my life."

That Pansy spoke so glowingly of something that was, in effect, muggle certainly alerted a few Slytherins to the not so subtle changes that were beginning to effect all of them.

Padma and Luna were busy reading the part where the reporter had interviewed a witch that Barchoke had been injured saving, or rather saving both the witch and her young daughter. Both girls had no trouble imagining Barchoke putting his life on the line to save a child. It got better as they read, since it turns out it was the little girl's birthday and, after a special treat, she had just been heading back home from having lunch with her auror father in the ministry restaurant. Both girls knew how goblins felt about a person's birthday and reading that would certainly perk Barchoke up. The now four year old witch could be seen peeking round from where she was hiding behind her mother as the press photographer had taken their picture.

-oOoOo-

It had taken all Barchoke's persuasive powers to have him entering the Wizengamot chamber without being accompanied by a squad of warriors, Ragnok had been incensed over the assassination attempt on the Nation's Ambassador. He had managed to convince the director that, with his son at his side and their assistant ambassador at his back, he would be safe. Barchoke's arm was currently in a sling, both sets of healers didn't want him using it for a day or so to given his shoulder time to heal.

Harry was in his centurion uniform, with his helmet tucked under his arm as he walked beside his father. Those green eyes scanned the entire chamber as he effortlessly appeared every inch the warrior who was alert for any threats. Bill was behind them with his father waiting inside the chamber. That there were only three chairs at the table set aside for them was immaterial, Harry placed his helmet on the table before taking a watchful position behind his now seated father.

None in the chamber could miss the statement that was being made here, just as none could object to it. It would be difficult to justify removing someone's bodyguard when a member of this very chamber had already tried to kill them, that his bodyguard was the boy-who-lived would make any decision along those lines doubly difficult - if not bloody impossible.

Amos opened the proceedings before adding that he was really pleased to see their three guests fit and able to attend here today. Taking the line of ignoring Harry's presence set the tone for everyone else.

It was then Amelia's turn to move the proceeding's forward, Nott appearing from the floor, shackled to a chair and inside an iron cage certainly achieved that.

"Yesterday afternoon, an attempt was made to assassinate the ambassador of a sovereign nation friendly to this government, an act that could have seen our society plunged into war. Three of the attackers were under the imperius curse, a fact that has since been verified by questioning all three while under veritaserum - something they voluntarily agreed to. As our laws justly state, these three were not responsible for their actions and will face no criminal charges."

This was greeted with nods of agreement and a few calls of 'here, here'.

"Theodore Nott Senior is an entirely different matter. He too claimed to be under the influence of the imperius, though exhibited none of the symptoms. He also refused to be questioned under veritaserum, claiming this was his right as a member of the Wizengamot. While correct that Wizengamot members can claim their word should be believed, there is one situation that cuts right through that privilege."

Harry's hand was resting on the hilt of his sword, his grip tightened as he noticed others slowly making their way into the chamber - only relaxing when realising that Amelia had wisely decided to flood the chamber with aurors. With his mate, father and godfather here today, Harry thought that was an outstanding decision. Amelia's next sentence provided Harry, and the entire chamber, with their first clue as to why she thought this action was necessary.

She approached the prisoner and spoke directly to him. "Theodore Nott, I am giving you this final opportunity to voluntary accept veritaserum, otherwise I shall be forced to charge you with treason..."

This started uproar amongst the chamber, an uproar that soon died down as all the extra aurors made their presence known.

"I would remind this chamber that treason is defined as trying to illegally overthrow the government, a charge that could easily apply in this case. I would again like to remind this chamber that there is only one possible sentence if someone is found guilty of treason, the choice is Theodore Nott's to make."

Knowing that truth serum would soon expose his guilt, and that the penalty for treason was death, Theodore conceded to the only option now open to him and accepted the serum voluntarily.

After asking a few questions to ensure the serum was working effectively, Amelia then got right to the meat of the matter.

"Did you cast the imperius curse on three people to attack Ambassador Barchoke."

"Yes."

With that admission of using an unforgivable curse, his fate was already sealed. Amelia though pressed for more.

"Why did you do that?"

"I am a pureblood, I will not have goblin filth living next to me like an equal."

"Was anyone else involved or aware of your plan?"

"No. I approached a few like-minded people about striking back at these creatures, every single one of them wanted nothing to do with anything I was planning."

From a professional point of view, there was something about the attack that troubled Amelia. Here was her chance to satisfy that curiosity. "After using the imperius to get three people to attack, why did you then get involved yourself?"

"I hadn't intended to but the goblin blew the attack before it could be sprung. I was observing when I saw the younger Weasley with his back to me, I couldn't resist. The blood traitor moved at the wrong moment and all I hit was the fountain. Then I was under fire from all sides and woke in a cell."

"So you intended just to watch as all three were murdered?"

"Yes."

It was then Amelia slipped in the question that was the main reason behind filling the chamber with her aurors. "Were you yourself under the influence of the imperius curse when you took the dark mark?"

Before any objections could be raised, the entire chamber heard Nott's one word answer that would redefine the map of British magical society. "No."

Those aurors were now needed as Amelia faced an angry backlash, with shouts and threats coming from the Wizengamot members.

"Why was that question asked?"

"It has no bearing on this trial..."

As order was being restored, the minister himself stepped forward to answer the chamber. "In her role as Head of the DMLE, Madam Bones is responsible for the safety of everyone in this chamber. From the Chief Warlock to those in the public gallery, all fall under her remit. She approached me with a method of greatly assisting her department as they carry out their work - not because she needed my permission but simply to warn of the implications this would bring with it. With ministerial backing, she intends to see wards erected around the Ministry of Magic to ensure an incident like yesterday will never happen again - because no marked death eater will be able to pass through the wards."

Fearing that this was a massive lurch to the light, one of the moderates posed a question. "Wouldn't that just mean the people involved yesterday would have been placed under the imperius curse outside the wards?"

Amelia had an answer prepared for this eventually. "It's no secret I already have these wards installed around my home, with Master Auror Moody and some auror volunteers we tested that very theory last night. In every single case, passing through those wards affected the person under the curse. Some were then able to throw it off while all were affected enough for their behaviour to be noticeably different from what could be considered normal."

As this was sinking in, Amelia had something else she wanted to say. "I would like to take this opportunity to personally and publicly thank Ambassador Barchoke for his swift and courageous actions yesterday. Assassination attempts aside, one of my aurors almost losing their wife and child in the ministry atrium is not something I could ever tolerate. Swift action has to be taken to ensure people can walk about their ministry in safety, I'm simply doing the job I'm paid to do."

Personalising the attack halted most of the objections as members considered those occasions when their own families had visited the ministry. This tactic was never going to work with the hard core amongst the dark members, they had simply too much to lose.

"What of those who had the dark mark forced upon them? Should they be punished because of the actions of one individual?"

This was a question Cornelius knew would certainly be asked, his answer would decide if he was still minister by the end of today. Amelia's departmental remit already made her responsible for the wards protecting the Ministry of Magic, the only way to stop this ward replacement was to remove her from that position - something the minister had just made clear he had no intention of doing. The chamber would then have to remove him first to get to Amelia, again something Cornelius was hoping to avoid.

"It is possible to allow specific people through the wards, though history provides us with a warning of what can happen when security is breached with the case of the Trojan Horse. Troy's walls protected the city until they allowed their enemies access. Since neither myself nor Madam Bones held our current positions when the death eater cases were being dealt with, a certain level of reassurance would need to be reached before we employed this method. Namely, answering the last question Nott was asked - while under the effects of veritaserum."

There it was, out in the open but Cornelius had more to say. "We are aware that specific methods can be deployed to render veritaserum ineffective, especially knowing the question to be asked and having time to prepare, therefore this questioning would have to be carried out today."

It appeared as if the numbers of aurors present had doubled, which was probably the only thing keeping people in their seats. The minister held his hands up for silence and hoped he could placate the chamber with his next statement. "I realise we are practically forcing members to accept this but, since we inherited this problem, I can't see any other solution. What would be the point of wasting your time barring all the windows and doors if you then basically invited an enemy such as Nott into your home? I also realise that, historically Wizengamot members have been exempt from being forced to answer questions under truth serum, I have no intention of breaking that history. Any member who feels the indignity of answering this question under truth serum is just too much may leave this chamber with no stain on their character, safe in the knowledge that their family seat will be here waiting on their heir."

Cornelius and Amelia both knew that forcing this issue could start a war, the very thing they were desperately trying to avoid. By leaving those marked with a 'way out', they hoped this could be accepted without the battle that would surely come with backing them into a corner. They weren't looking to create any martyrs to the pureblood cause here, just isolate them so they could no longer play any major roles in their society. The Minister's 'no stain on their character' would be the official version, people would make their own minds up over those who would rather leave than answer that particular question under veritaserum.

Harry had a long discussion with his father over what might happen today, this was more than they expected to get. A slight nod was all the indication Harry needed to speak, the minister had just handed them a golden opportunity to get their point across.

"Minister, could I be allowed to say a few words?"

He took the silence that followed as permission and put their ideas forward. "The ministry are to be commended for taking such a fair stance on what is an impossible situation, I would like to bring to this chamber's attention a matter that fits nicely into what is being discussed here. Last night, Madam Bones traveled to Hogwarts to ensure Theo Nott didn't discover what his father had been involved in by reading about it in this morning's Prophet. Theo's first reaction was to apologise to me, saying he had no idea what his father had been planning - something we heard confirmed earlier. I know Mr Nott has yet to be sentenced but could we consider his innocent family when that time comes? Theo would appear to be nothing like his father and could be a great asset one day in this chamber, it would be a shame to deprive all of us of that because of his father."

When Harry asked to speak, Cornelius wasn't sure what to expect. The Minister was as surprised as everyone present by the lad's request, only to be blown away by his follow-on.

"I also understand young Pauline Nott is down to attend Hogwarts in September. With two of the three members of the selection committee currently in this chamber, I would like to put her name forward as a candidate for a Potter Scholarship."

Hermione was sitting in the public gallery, so proud of her Harry. As Harry had said to mum this morning, he really was the only one who could do this. These may be mostly Barchoke's words but they were far more effective being spoken by his son. She had to nudge their godfather though, Sirius had gotten so caught up in the proceedings that he forgot he had a part to play.

"I would certainly support that nomination. Too many of our children are tarred with the same brush as their parents." That statement coming from Lord Black carried a lot of weight, all knew his parents had been as dark as their family name implied.

Amelia, too, was caught off guard from this approach. She had to answer though. "I agree in principle with that suggestion although we will have to look at all the candidates..." One glance at Harry and she knew Pauline Nott would be receiving a Potter Scholarship - even if he had to pay for an extra one himself.

"That's very magnanimous of you, Harry."

"I don't think so, Minister. What we were hoping to see here today was justice being done, and we're confident it will be. Vengeance on innocents is not something we seek or support."

Harry had once more surprised the chamber, they were expecting the goblin stance to be that everyone possible be punished for this attack on their Ambassador.

"It is common knowledge I receive extra lessons in defence but my favourite subject since before starting Hogwarts has always been history. Our current professor is always quoting that if we don't learn from our history, we're doomed to repeat it. In 1612, Dreyfus Binns slaughtered innocent goblins and was tried, then sentenced for his crimes. His son Donald was almost as bad as his father, resulting in him being barred from Gringotts for life. Cuthbert Binns committed none of the crimes his father and grandfather were infamous for, yet circumstances saw him being punished too. A bitter and twisted Cuthbert Binns ended up doing more harm to the Nation than the rest of his family combined. The Nation has no wish to create any more enemies, though it always has room for more friends."

Everyone in the chamber was glad of Harry's interruption, it gave them that moment needed for tempers to cool and reactions to be considered. The points he had raised also added another dimension to the situation. No one doubted what he had said here had just protected the Nott family - and also spread that protection to others. If the Notts were to be treated as innocents, then no blame would be attached to the sons and daughters of those who had to leave this chamber for the last time today. It also unfortunately gave the truth serum time to wear off Nott senior. With nothing left to lose, he was determined to have his say.

"Stay away from my family, you bastard. Not content with being the son of a mudblood, you stand there claiming to be kin to that creature next to you. Both of you should be put down like the animals that you are..." Amelia hit the prisoner with a silencing curse, sparing them from listening to any more of that bigoted bile.

Harry felt compelled to answer that accusation though. "We obviously have different ideas of what an animal is. Personally, I think a person who fires the killing curse at a toddler doesn't even deserve to be classed as an animal. That Tom couldn't even do the job properly makes your so-called dark lord an incompetent arsehole too!"

Amos wanted to stand and applaud that statement, instead he concentrated on doing his job. "Since Theodore Nott has already confessed to his crimes we can move directly on to sentencing. As the charge of treason wasn't brought forward, and no one was killed, the accepted punishment for using unforgivable curses and attempted murder would be life in Azkaban. Do we have anyone in this chamber who disagrees with that sentence?"

Giving plenty of time to allow for any objections, Amos then brought his gavel down as Nott's fate was sealed.

The Minster's mind had shot forward and focused on something he just felt the time was right for attempting now. As a still silenced Nott disappeared into the floor, Cornelius made the snap decision and just went for it.

"Before we ask those members carrying the mark for their decision, I would like to put something to this chamber first. On the fifth of February, this chamber is scheduled to make a very important decision. Since I fear some members might choose not to be here when that vote is cast, I would like to offer this chamber the alternative of voting on this today. A decision of this magnitude should not pass or fail in this chamber due to what could be considered a technicality."

Even Amelia and Amos were left stunned at this move. While she herself thought that, without any marked death eaters in the chamber, the vote was now a certainty to receive a positive response, Cornelius clearly didn't want to hand ammunition to those who opposed it. 'They changed the wards to guarantee the vote' was an accusation Amelia could already envisage being made against them. Amos had quickly checked through the rule book to see if this move was legal. Providing the chamber agreed unanimously to hold the vote today, it was. Since they were all here, including the goblin representatives, it was agreed to proceed.

One of the members stood and directed a question toward Amos. "Since the proposed Baron is actually here amongst us, could he be asked what his intentions would be if the award were to be made?"

Amos glanced toward Harry who nodded that he was quite prepared to answer, and did.

"We in no way wanted to be presumptuous and just assume the award was going to be made, so discussions have only taken place in the loosest possible sense. We have my godfather's wedding, a possible ball and our summer break from Hogwarts to arrange. Part of those holidays would definitely be spent living in Kingussie. It would certainly be somewhere Hermione and I would think of as home."

That answer went down very well with those inclined to say yes. A question was then posed to Barchoke about opening a Gringotts branch in Hogsmeade. After confirming they were very keen to do so, the Goblin Ambassador then answered the follow-on question about goblins living amongst wizards as honestly as he could.

"Our two nations have been separated for centuries, I don't think any of us are quite ready to be living cheek by jowl this time next week. Again, without attempting to prejudge any decision reached here, I made tentative enquiries to the proposed Baron of Kingussie about the possibility of some goblins living in his glen as a first step. We goblins don't use crystal balls but I would foresee a Gringotts branch opening in Hogsmeade long before any goblins even thought about settling there. Our whole approach to this would be to take things very slowly, giving all of us time to get used to the new situation."

The contrast between the demented and bigoted ravings of their former member, Nott, compared to the reasoned thoughts of Barchoke couldn't have been starker - or more thought-provoking. To the majority of the chamber, Nott's views were unpalatable yet the Goblin Ambassador was painting them a picture that they could all live with. When the questions moved to possible arrangements for the summer ball, it was hard to contain the excitement at what was effectively the goblin's table.

The decisive yes vote had those in the public gallery applauding loudly, with Hermione and Sirius jumping up and down while holding on to each other in sheer joy.

The expressing of joy was confined to the public gallery though, those on the floor of the chamber understood the session wasn't over yet. It was left to Amos to bring the proceedings back on track. "We have one more piece of business that must be dealt with before this session can be closed. Having already heard the question that would be asked, and the chamber giving a guarantee that only this question will be asked, would any member like to forgo their Wizengamot privileges and voluntarily accept veritaserum?"

While this question was left hanging, Cornelius gave them notice of the time scale involved. "Madam Bones hopes the new wards can be installed over the weekend, beginning on Friday evening. This will be the only opportunity to accept this offer. The rest of today will see every branch of the ministry made the same offer, starting in the auror department."

With no one making a move to accept the offer, Amos was left with no other option but to bring down his gavel - ending the session and also any death eater involvement in the Wizengamot. It wasn't so much a victory for the light, more of a disastrous day for the dark.

The goblin party waited until they had reached the privacy of Arthur's new office before celebrating what was a stunning result for them. Sirius and Hermione soon arrived, with the latter immediately finding herself wrapped in a familiar strong pair of arms while being hoisted up into the air by her jubilant centurion mate. Harry then lowered her until their lips met.

"Mmmm, I've never kissed a Baron before, I could certainly get used to that!"

"I've never kissed an Order of Merlin holder before either, Dumbledore really wasn't my type..."

This started Barchoke laughing, both at his son's joke and his daughter's reaction to it. "Did you forget what else was settled in there today? Congratulations, my daughter. I am a very proud father, a father who now has two Order of Merlin, First Class, holders in his family."

Hermione had actually forgotten what else was approved today. The awards were a package deal, but all the emphasis had been on Harry's Barony. That Hermione had actually forgotten something saw Bill and Sirius laughing, this was the first time either had experienced the phenomenon of a gobsmacked Miss Granger.

It was into this oasis of mirth that Cornelius, Amelia and Amos entered, they hadn't been experiencing much laughter as they worked their way through the ministry to make their dark mark exemption offer. Unsurprisingly, they had no takers so far. What was losing your job when compared to a stay in Azkaban?

"Arthur, I just spoke to your staff. While no one volunteered to take truth serum, I can't see you having anyone missing from work on Monday."

Arthur graciously accepted the minister's backhanded compliment but it was a bowing Barchoke who offered his nation's gratitude. "Minister, that was masterfully played today - on all fronts."

A smiling Cornelius was still coming to terms with the rush that pushing through this legislation had provided, he had a definite spring in his step and felt at least ten years younger. "Thank you, Ambassador. You and your son certainly helped. Sorry for just dropping it on everyone like that, I just didn't want the awards to be tainted by people claiming we rigged the vote by barring the death eaters. All six who received awards today thoroughly deserved them - as today's vote proved. It also ended beyond doubt that anyone who claimed they'd been under the imperius curse when working for Voldemort was lying. We plan to marginalise them by taking away their power base, meanwhile keeping our eyes open that none of them try and do a Malfoy on us."

Amos was pretty certain that wouldn't happen. "They would be risking so much that I think they'll play the longer game here. Both Malfoy and Nott are now in Azkaban, and I'm assuming the Nott vaults will be frozen too?"

"He attacked a Goblin Ambassador, the Nation had to react." Barchoke's grin showed that the goblins had all different levels of reacting. "His wife was served with her twenty four hour notice though we do have an adviser helping with her choices."

An apology was also offered from Amelia. "Sorry Barchoke, for announcing these wards without confirming it with you first. You offered this service previously, and I'm hoping the offer is still open?"

"Of course, Amelia, Friday evening suits us just fine. Are we erecting a new ward scheme just here or is St Mungo's included too?"

It was actually Cornelius who answered, "We thought to leave St Mungo's for now. Like you said, Ambassador, we want to take things slowly and give people the chance to get used to this new idea that death eaters are not welcome in our society. Now, if you will excuse us, we have many more departments to cover before people begin leaving for home." The minister then led Amelia and Amos back out of the office to the six aurors who were accompanying them on their historic and momentous task.

-oOoOo-

It was only still having to take potions for his wound that gave Barchoke a valid excuse for escaping the Director's office without having to consume at least one tankard of grog. With the reactions his news sparked in Gringotts though, Barchoke fully expected the nation's celebrations still to be ongoing in two days when his potion regime ended.

This gave Barchoke some time to spend with his son and daughter, which had led directly to where they were now. Both he and Harry had loved Hermione's idea so his son knocked on the door.

The door was answered by a wizard who appeared to be in his mid-twenties, his wary expression changing instantly when he noticed just who was at his door. "Ambassador Barchoke! Sir, I can't thank you enough for yesterday. If you hadn't been there..."

"Auror Dugan, every day you report for duty, you are prepared to do exactly what I did yesterday. I know you were on duty several times at Hogwarts, spending your time there helping to protect my son and daughter. Between warriors, no thanks are ever needed."

His wife had headed for the door as soon as she heard the ambassador's name mentioned. "Andrew, don't keep these people at the door! They are certainly welcome in our house..."

Andrew Dugan rather sheepishly held out his hand to Barchoke. "My wife is of course right, I was just so shocked to see you standing there. You are indeed very welcome in this house." It was handshakes all around as the trio were led into a rather plain but certainly homely living room, a certain young witch was sitting playing with some stuffed animals.

"This is Danielle, our daughter..."

On hearing her mother say her name, the youngster looked up to see they had visitors. There was no hesitation on her part as she rose from the floor and headed straight for Barchoke, pointing to his sling. "Does it still hurt?"

Sitting to be on the same level as the child, Barchoke gave a merry chuckle. "It did, but not any longer. I have to wear this for a couple of days..."

On hearing that it didn't hurt, Danielle then did what she wanted to do in the first place and hugged the person who her mummy had said saved them both. "Thank you!"

There was hardly a dry eye in the house though Harry was smiling at how well his father was adapting to receiving hugs.

"You are very welcome, young lady, I just hoped it didn't spoil your birthday. To a goblin, that is a person's most important and special day."

With complete innocence, the now four year old witch asked the nice little man a serious question. "What's a goblin?"

That led to a smile and a knowing look in Harry's direction. "My little boy used to ask me that very same question..."

Not wanting this to turn into a blubber-fest, Hermione slipped her hand into Harry's bag and withdrew the wrapped present they had bought for Danielle. She knelt beside her father and the little witch. "We didn't want yesterday to spoil your birthday and brought you this."

Danielle had been taught proper manners so looked pleadingly toward her parents for permission to accept the gift, permission that was soon forthcoming. She politely accepted the gift and then her manners ran out, Danielle franticly ripped the paper off to discover what was inside. She squealed 'thank you' before rushing off to introduce her new stuffed unicorn to the rest of her collection.

Her mother looked on in awe. "How did you know?"

"Danielle had unicorns on the jacket she was wearing yesterday, and what little girl doesn't like stuffed animals?" Hermione was still on her knees as Danielle then introduced her new human friend to all of her stuffed animals.

Watching as Hermione interacted effortlessly with the child brought a lump to both goblins' throats, Danielle's long black hair sending Barchoke and Harry's thoughts years into the future. The Dugans were also watching the scene but had a different thought in their minds. Their daughter had no idea what a goblin was, far less possessing any knowledge of the prejudices that were linked to that race. They silently swore Danielle would never learn any of those prejudices from them.

A/N Thanks for reading

55. Our Kingussie Home

Harry Crow

Disclaimer: I write purely for my own enjoyment, making no money from this venture and claim only my imagination as my own. I always strive to be original but, given the amount of HP fan-fiction out there, almost everything has probably been done before.

Chapter 55

The catcalls and whistles didn't bother Sirius one bit, it took McGonagall's iciest tone to garner his attention. "Lord Black, I know she's your fiancée but Professor Hobson is still a member of staff. Kindly save this type of behaviour for when you don't have so many young students as witnesses."

"Sorry Professor, but it was my godson's fault." The mischievous glint in Sirius' eyes told everyone he wasn't in the slightest bit sorry for his total breach of etiquette. "Harry said he'd never kissed an Order of Merlin winner before, and could hardly wait to try it with Hermione yesterday. I couldn't let my godson have one up on me, that just wouldn't be fair so I had to experience it with fiancée for myself."

Those in the hall for breakfast had initially practically ignored Sirius, being far more interested in the two returning students he'd escorted back to Hogwarts. That was soon reversed though as the marauder approached the staff table and then greeted his fiancée by snogging her breathless.

Any confusion over Sirius' statement was soon cleared up as the owls began to deliver today's edition of the Prophet. With everything that had happened in the Wizengamot chamber yesterday, it would have been understandable if the Prophet had struggled over what headline to lead with. The newspaper though knew exactly what its readers would want to know first.

Baron-who-lived will call Kingussie home.

That one line uttered by Harry yesterday was enough to convince the Prophet readers their ministry knew what it was doing. Assassination attempts, new goblin laws, non-pureblood Orders of Merlin winners and certain people not being able to gain access to the Ministry of Magic paled into insignificance when compared to the news their saviour would now be living amongst them.

Theo Nott though scanned the publication to discover where his father was mentioned. The fate that befell the impulsive death eater was never in any doubt from the instant his guilt was proven, that Crow had actually spoke to the Wizengamot in the hope of protecting the innocent members of the Nott family was unbelievable. That he'd gone as far as suggesting Pauline for a Potter Scholarship was simply mind-blowing!

Just mentioning he didn't want the innocents harmed should be more than enough to protect his family from any retaliation. Even the idea that his young sister might end up with the same status as Lovegood or Creevey was hard to believe, but Crow would certainly take a personal interest in whoever was awarded those precious scholarships.

Neville and Padma were rather shocked by their news. It was one thing to be nominated for something, they were now faced with the reality that both would be holders of the ministry's top award. Then Neville spotted his gran entering with Padma's parents and it was hugs all round for the family reunion, a real air of celebration began to grip the hall. McGonagall approached and congratulated all the students involved though Augusta had something to add.

"Professor McGonagall, I want to have a meeting with five students in my office this morning. Looking at them, I don't think they'll be fit for classes until after lunch anyway." The extended family had learned a hard lesson before Christmas and were including Parvati in this as well, especially with her mother and father visiting the castle. Augusta was also aware Henrica didn't have a class first thing today so she and Sirius were invited too.

There were some glum faces at the Slytherin table as a few individuals contemplated the effect these wards would have on their families. Pansy's contemplation took the girl in a whole different direction, she certainly wasn't glum. Pansy Parkinson was ecstatic, and couldn't wait on the warning bell for their first class. Rather than sit there any longer, she excitedly dragged Draco out of the hall early.

They had barely made the corridor when Draco wanted to know what she was up to. "What's in the Prophet to put you in such a good mood, did I miss something?"

She flung her arms around her betrothed and hugged him tight. "That news today has saved us. Word will soon spread of who those new wards affect. When it becomes known that my father is one of those unable to enter the ministry, no family will touch a betrothal between their son and the daughter of Edmund Parkinson!"

"...and knowing you're not wanted makes you happy? I'll never understand witches."

"If no one else will take me, that means you're stuck with our betrothal - and that makes me very happy!"

"...and since no one else will want the son of Lucius Malfoy for their daughter, looks like you're stuck with me too!"

Two very happy Slytherins headed off hand in hand to their charms class.

-oOoOo-

Neville had never seen his grandmother so happy. He was guessing that she'd been visiting Great Uncle Algie, probably to rub his nose in her grandson's achievement. Neville was wrong though, Augusta still had that pleasure to look forward to. After the Wizengamot meeting, she'd popped into Arthur's office to congratulate Harry and Hermione before following them and Barchoke back to Gringotts. She couldn't hold her excitement any longer and just had to tell Neville her news.

"I visited your mum and dad yesterday and put something the healers had mentioned to me into practice. The healers think both are approaching the stage where we should be giving them targets to aim at, yesterday I gave them a target that certainly has both of them motivated. The day their son becomes a teenager, he will be one of the guests of honour at a ball where he and his betrothed will both receive Orders of Merlin, First Class. If Frank and Alice can get themselves healthy enough, they will have places reserved at our table."

Padma had her arms around Neville and it was probably just as well, he felt as if his body was going to burst wide open while trying to contain the combination of pride and joy currently coursing through it. Receiving this award was always going to be a great honour, having his parents there to see him presented with it just pushed his emotions through the roof. To Neville, it didn't matter what the ministry handed him, just having his mum and dad there would be his real reward.

The excitement in the room was palpable, and that was before Sirius added to it. "If we have our wedding at the start of the holidays, we can be back from our honeymoon in time for my Lady Black to receive her Order of Merlin, First Class." Sirius then turned his attention to the portrait of a former head of the Black family, and former Hogwarts headmaster, Phineas Nigellus Black. "With my wife by my side, I intend to make the name Black one to be proud of. Considering I have centuries of bigoted arseholes like you to make up for, that will be quite a task."

The portrait so wanted to hurl abuse at this descendant, standing there proudly boasting he was going to marry this creature and taint the house of Black forever. What held Phineas back was the forces that were arrayed against the mere portrait. The room currently held the Head of House Black, the Hogwarts High Inquisitor and also the Hogwarts Champion.

Phineas was never a stupid wizard, and his portrait contained all his best attributes, so he held his own council on this matter as they chatted about weddings, holidays and balls. That didn't mean his eyes weren't boring into this happy group with a hate so hot it should have scorched his canvas.

-oOoOo-

Funnily enough, Phineas Black's views were currently being shared in secret little bands the length and breadth of the country. Never meeting in groups of more than three or four people each knew could be trusted, they had been drawn together to discuss the dilemma all were now facing. Some had preempted Monday and resigned on the spot. Claiming they didn't want to work for a ministry who was more interested in their relations with the goblins than those of their own people would cut little ice with their now former colleagues, everyone would still know the real reason behind why they left.

By denying them access to the ministry, Hogwarts, some of the most influential families in Britain - with St Mungo's sure to be on that list soon too, they were slowly but surely being corralled in a pen of their own making. That their families were being spared this officially sanctioned form of bigotry left public opinion solidly behind the Ministry of Magic on the matter of these new wards. Their case for objecting had also cleverly been revoked with everyone given the chance to prove they had been forced to take the dark mark, leaving them in a form of limbo. Whatever restrictions were placed on them by this system, it was still far better than having Azkaban as your new address - something that would surely happen if they pushed this attack on their liberties too hard.

With Longbottom in charge at Hogwarts and Crow effectively leading the students, their children would be spending ten months of the year in an environment that deliberately set out to erode their pureblood beliefs. A mudblood being awarded an Order of Merlin sent out all the wrong type of messages too, mainly that blood didn't matter.

Their entire problem though was exacerbated by them being cut adrift like a rudderless ship. The dark lord didn't share power, rather demanded total obedience on pain of death. Only Lucius Malfoy had felt secure enough in his position to step in and take some semblance of control after that fateful Halloween.

That Malfoy now resided in Azkaban left them not knowing who to trust, and certainly had none of them wanting to put their name forward to take over that poisoned chalice of a position. When a member of the Wizengamot could be caught, tried and sent to Azkaban in the space of twenty four hours, it was clear your family name, bloodlines, fortune - they all meant nothing now.

As if that wasn't bad enough, the ministry was being championed in its rush to embrace the light by Fudge, Bones and Diggory. Throw in the goblin connection with the boy-who-lived and this gave you a formidable force to be reckoned with.

In every single case, those meeting agreed that something needed to be done about the situation. The reality was though that, again in every single case, no one wanted to be the person who was going to do something about the situation.

-oOoOo-

It would probably disgust those pureblood death eaters to know that similar secret conversations were taking place deep inside Gringotts. Dragontooth was practically breathing fire while venting his anger.

"Why would we want to live amongst the human filth? This is all that bastard Crow's doing, and Ragnok is strutting around as if he had discovered a dragon who lays golden eggs. We need to put a stop to this."

His father though wasn't impressed by his son's juvenile anger. "You need to learn patience, and not go acting on an impulse - or do you want to be considered the same as our fool of a director? Making a human a Centurion on nothing more than a whim and then granting friend's status to little ugly witches - disgusting! We need to use finesse here, your clumsy attempt to injure Crow's bitch will see the spotlight trained on us if anything happens to her..."

"I wasn't trying to injure her, I was trying to kill the witch. How was I supposed to know she was wearing armour..."

"You should have planned and prepared for every eventuality, not jumped in without even knowing anything about the human girl.."

"She's a human girl, and should be slaughtered on sight for daring to show her face below the bank - what more did I need to know?"

Bloodfang growled at his son's impudence, it was getting nearly as bad as his impatience. "When a being carries a weapon, you never dismiss the danger without very strong evidence telling you that no danger actually exists. You acted the confident fool and she bested you. If that wasn't bad enough you then attempted to murder her - in full view of people we couldn't buy off."

His father's voice had risen to a level where Dragontooth knew it was time to lower his head and shut his mouth, to do otherwise would only antagonise his father more.

Seeing this allowed Bloodfang to reveal some of the details he was working on to his son. "To reverse this disgusting decision of living above ground, and bring down Ragnok, we have to attack the director where he's most vulnerable. He has practically aligned the nation behind Crow and we need to prove to everyone that was a massive mistake. By discrediting Crow, or getting him to leave Gringotts, all Ragnok's gains will disappear like humans in a dragon pen. It will be quick but painful and certainly bloody."

The bloodlust was clearly visible in Dragontooth's features, Crow had been a constant thorn in his side since they were infants. "Father, do you really think you can force Crow out of Gringotts?"

"I intend to see him storming out the door, swearing vengeance on goblins. At which point, I may have him killed - depending on whether or not it then suits my plans."

The admiration a son had for his father was clear to see, causing Bloodfang to throw his son a bone of comfort. "You were at least right about one thing that day, the way to Crow is through his mate. You just went about it all wrong. We need to take our time, let the ugly bitch collect her award. Let Crow spend the summer with her family, growing closer all the time. When the dust from all this has settled and they have grown complacent, only then will we strike. Those muggle parents hide behind some of the nation's best wards, but wards that were devised to deny access to wizards. What do you think Crow's reactions will be if these two muggles are found in their home with their entrails pulled out all over the floor?"

His son's eyes nearly popped out his head. "You want him to know goblins slaughtered them?"

"Of course I do! How do you think that bitch he calls a mate will react when she finds her parents like that? Knowing they died in agony and at the hands of goblins, she will never pollute our tunnels with her presence again. Mark my words, where she goes Crow will follow. The director himself might even order Crow's extermination, the centurion knows too much about us and could possibly be persuaded to lead forces against the Nation."

The bloodlust was back with Dragontooth. "I was denied the pleasure of seeing the daughter bleeding on the ground, I want to be the one who guts her even uglier mother. Father, please?"

This would be a two pronged attack, with Ragnok facing an unprecedented political backlash that, as a councillor, Bloodfang would be well positioned to exploit. He didn't expect to end up as Director this time but could easily see himself in the position of kingmaker. He needed Dragontooth to grow up and get his act together, then perhaps his son might one day claim the title of Director for their family.

"That will depend on the reports I receive about you between now and then, I need to know I can trust you to follow orders before you would be allowed anywhere near this cleansing mission."

In another eerie parallel that wasn't death eater related, Bloodfang had just handed his son an incentive to improve that was every bit as strong as the one now pushing the Longbottoms to excel.

-oOoOo-

Alice loved watching the intelligence slowly return to the eyes she'd adored for so many years. At the moment though, that intelligence was being masked by the frustration her husband was feeling because his body wouldn't respond as it used to. With slurring and a stammer, it was also difficult for him to verbally get his message across. After a few attempts though, Alice thought she'd deciphered the gist of it.

"If you can't make it, you want me to go to the ball without you?"

Frank nodded in relief, it was a short-lived reprieve though. After a kiss from his wife, she reminded him of something.

"We are a team, Frank. Professionally and personally, together for the good times and the bad. If you're not able to attend, I'll be right by your side. I still think you're being too hard on yourself, neither of us will ever be the people we were before. As long as I can take your arm and walk beside you into the ministry, that will be more than enough for me. Neither mum nor Neville will be expecting any more either, just us being there will make their evening special."

She lovingly wiped away the tears that were forming in the corners of his eyes though had no trouble making out what he was saying this time.

"Forever."

"That's right, darling, and don't ever forget it. Our son reminds me so much of you..."

A smiling Frank was pointing at his wife and mumbling 'P...P.. ' at her.

"Yes, you Longbottom men need a strong witch to pull you out those shyness shells you would seem to be born with - and our son as found himself a real beauty in every sense of the word. She would never let Neville face his troubles alone, just like I'll be there for you. We have time darling, I'm still sleeping for the most of the day too. We're getting a little better every day though, so just keep looking forward."

As the couple embraced, the healer from St Mungo's was unsure if this latest episode in their healing program was really working. He aired his concerns to the goblin healer standing watching beside him. "I don't really understand how raising Frank's anxiety levels will help with his recovery, present thinking is that this would only hinder his progress."

The goblin had been expecting this. While open-minded, this healer still laboured under the impression that magic could fix just about everything. Unfortunately, this also meant to them the reverse would also be true. If magic couldn't fix it then nothing could be done.

"Their medication may be repairing the damage but they have to help that process along - and that is hard on them. To help them continue pushing when they feel exhausted, you have to offer some kind of incentive to achieve that level of commitment. Even as they are now, both would be able to walk into that ballroom and sit long enough to see their son and his mate receive their awards. We're pushing them to see how much more they're capable of."

"Is this a normal part of your treatments?"

"When a limb is injured, even magic can't repair it to the degree where it is working at one hundred percent in mere moments. You need the patient to rest and allow the healing to knit, then exercise to get that limb fully functional again. Repairing organs is no different so the treatment will be similar. They've had the rest period, now comes the exercise part. As you can see, we carefully monitor the situation to ensure neither overtaxes themselves."

The healer was taking a note of everything that was said, he was after all here to learn.

-oOoOo-

Remus had been worried about taking the second year defence class. None of the rest of Hogwarts had experienced anything like a competent teacher in the subject and had welcomed him with open arms, but they'd had Bill Weasley almost from their first day in the castle. He explained to his students that today would be about determining what level this class were at, joking that he really didn't know how he was going to teach a class with four Orders of Merlin, First Class, holders in it.

When Padma joked back, 'carefully!' Remus just had to laugh and his reaction set a relaxed atmosphere for the rest of the lesson. With the glaring omission of those who'd chosen to have their lessons from Lockhart, this class were actually far ahead of where they were expected to be. Since everyone else he'd taught so far was way behind, this class were actually breathing down the necks of the third years in terms of knowledge and ability. He would have to adjust his lessons accordingly.

After the bell, those same four award winners hung back and it was Hermione who removed a ledger-like book out of Harry's bag before offering an explanation. "We would normally speak with Professor Weasley about our plans for the marauders tonight after this lesson, would you mind taking a look over them for us?"

Remus was delighted to do so and asked if he could attend too. He was timetabled for first year tomorrow and this should let him ascertain what level they were at - and possibly skip the introductory lesson he'd needed with the other years.

On seeing what they planned to teach the first years, Remus' eyebrows nearly disappeared into his hairline. Had anyone else shown him this, Remus would have been sure he was being pranked. "This looks brilliant! Like today though, I think I would rather wait and see you four teaching before making any comments or suggestions. Auror Tonks will be here tonight too, the full moon is at the end of this week so she'll be covering for a couple of days and needs to know the lesson plans for each class."

This earned a smile from Harry, "No problem, Professor Lupin, Auror Tonks has seen us teaching the marauders before and used to escort Hermione and me to training every morning. We like her!"

The three nods of agreement left Remus wondering just what he'd let himself in for.

-oOoOo-

When the occupants of the Burrow received Percy's owl, none of them were sure how to react to the news Ron had attempted to attack Harry Crow - or Crow's ultimatum on the matter. Unlike his parents, Bill knew Harry was serious with his threat - just like he knew Ron wouldn't have been able to land a blow on Harry. Bill had moved back home for a few days until Barchoke could arrange new wards for the Weasley home, that they had wanted his father dead as much as the goblin ambassador shook all of them and he would be staying at the Burrow until those wards could be arranged. The warding of the ministry would now push that back but Bill wasn't complaining.

The director himself had decreed that these wards would be erected at no cost to the Weasley family, citing they were only placed in danger because of his father's job as liaison to the nation. Ragnok felt it only fair that their nation offered a level of protection to those who worked for its best interests. While Arthur clearly worked for the ministry, he was undoubtably also working to further the interests of both parties. That made Arthur Weasley someone the nation certainly wanted to protect.

The three Weasleys present eventually decided Bill would let Ron know his fate when he visited Hogwarts at the weekend, this would also provide some time for their tempers to cool. Neither male Weasley could dissuade Molly from sending her youngest son a howler, truth be told, neither of them tried that hard.

-oOoOo-

Remus was trying hard to figure out why he was here, these four had the first years hanging off their every word. When they then had their students practicing shield drills as a refresher, the original marauder almost needed to sit down. Henrica and Tonks had been watching him, waiting on his reaction, both were now smiling as the auror offered some solace.

"Don't take it too hard, Professor, I've been there too. Henrica here thought it would be a good idea if these four went up against some trainee aurors in a speed and accuracy drill, just as well they made it best out of three or we would have left here with egg on our faces."

"They beat them?"

"Harry called it a draw but we both know the truth. I felt a bit of a fraud accepting but I didn't want moral to take a nosedive, aurors being defeated by four second years would have done just that - at least then it would have. Now these four would probably be favourites to win. To tell the truth, I feel a bit of a fraud accepting this Order of Merlin too. I was against going down there in the first place and then it was those four who killed the basilisk and Voldemort - I just felt so useless..."

It was Henrica who quickly rubbished Tonks' doubts. "I think Dan Granger said it best, it took the six of us down there to accomplish what we did. You've seen their teamwork, neither you nor I could emulate that in the time we had available. You stood guard over Parvati and me while being prepared to attack Riddle if he truly regained a body. I know those four very well and they certainly regarded your role down there as crucial, just as I know they would want your award to be the same as theirs."

"I agree with Henrica on that point, I'm also going to need both of your help. Unless I can match what the first year are being taught here, I'm going to be the one with egg on my face. I neither have access to this fabulous room nor those duelling dummies, how am I meant to compete?"

"It's not a competition, Remus, this is an after school club." As club staff sponsor, Henrica was very protective of Crow's marauders. "The first years are learning the practical side of magical fighting here, they're using neither notes nor text books. They need to know the theory behind the procedures they're learning here, and also those behind the spells they're using. If you talk it over with the four of them, you could all be teaching the first years the same things - with them then getting a few hours of extra practical experienced every week."

Remus could instantly see the benefits in that system and knew he would have to change his current plans.

-oOoOo-

Nott's arrival in Azkaban left Rookwood thinking he would have to change his plans, rather the information the convicted death eater was providing did. His crime of attempting to kill a pair of Weasleys and a goblin in the ministry atrium saw Theodore receive a much smoother ride than Lucius had. He still managed to provoke a reaction from Bella though, something about just how the ministry and Gringotts were cosying up to each other didn't sit well with any of them.

That the goblins had developed wards which wouldn't let those carrying a dark mark past was also a worrying development. It was when he mentioned that the goblins not only knew about their master's horcruxes, but had been actively searching for them since that fateful Halloween night that had Bellatrix exploding.

Her tirade was aimed more at all the thieving goblin bastards she was personally going to torture to death than the person who seemed to just have passed on some very bad news. This was leading Augustus to believe that their master's horcrux Bella is protecting was currently stored in the Lestrange vault at Gringotts. This presented the ex-unspeakable with another set of problems. His initial plan was, once he was outside his cell, to ask Bellatrix to tell him where she'd hidden their master's horcrux. He was certain a promise to return their master to life would see that information being passed on, Bella would also know that when their master returned he would want his loyal followers beside him. Azkaban would certainly be his first target, especially with all the inside information that would be available to him.

Rookwood though was now having thoughts of an entirely different nature, thoughts of how grateful Bellatrix would be if he took her with him. Augustus had never had a willing partner before, not without using the imperius anyway. He was aware Azkaban would have had a detrimental affect on Bellatrix but, where he had been no oil painting to begin with, she had been a stunningly beautiful woman before being locked in here. With his intellect and her power, Augustus Rookwood and Bellatrix Lestrange would be a mighty force for the dark. She certainly could be relied upon to be an asset with his attempts to resurrect their master. These thoughts were running through his head as he worked, and those plans he had could be suitably altered to include both of them. Two was the maximum though, and even that was only because he had access to more blood than Augustus had originally anticipated.

Pulling out his teeth provided about the amount he expected, it was his fingers that were supplying all the extra. While extracting his own teeth was every bit as painful as he'd imagined, gripping that tooth with his fingers while attempting to carve a chunk of stone with it was excruciating agony. All his fingers now had permanent grooves worn into them almost to the bone, while the tips were raw and bleeding from grazing off the abrasive stone he was attempting to carve. This would certainly cure him of biting his nails. Apart from the teeth he would be missing, his nails were filed right into his bleeding flesh.

Presently he was finding that it was only possible to work on his project one day in three, the other two were needed to nurse his hands back into some kind of working order. As well as his blood seeping into the stone as he worked, there was also plenty excess to 'feed' to his straw wand.

It wasn't necessary to decide whether the protection medallion was for one or two people until it was time to carve the protection runes, his current estimate to begin that phase would be around Easter. It may take a few weeks longer for carving the extra runes but Rookwood was already thinking of the rewards those few extra weeks of pain could bring. One thing Nott's information did cement in his mind though was the date he would attempt his escape. While the ministry celebrated its new Orders of Merlin winners, he reckoned that would be the best evening to go for a swim.

-oOoOo-

After the marauders, it was back to the common room and time for their final study session for Master Pitslay's potions class. Hermione was fretting about this one since they had missed his class on Monday, Harry though ran her through the entire procedure and she answered every one of his questions correctly. By this time, they were the only two members of their group left, the rest having headed off to bed already. Hermione then took advantage of this unexpected alone time and snuggled into Harry.

"When will you find out about the house in Kingussie?"

"Father is having it surveyed and we should hear from him in the next couple of days. What has got you so excited about this house, I have quite a few you know."

She was glad Harry currently couldn't see her face, Hermione was sure she was blushing at how silly her answer would sound. "We've stayed together at my house, Gringotts, Padma's, Neville's, Grimmauld and a number of Potter properties. I've enjoyed every one of them but, even with the Potter properties, I always feel as if they belong to someone else. I'm hoping Kingussie feels like home because its ours, you earned it..."

"We earned it, Hermione, its all ours."

She then let Harry hear her idea. "Last year you shared Neville's birthday party because the ball was on the thirty first, this summer they're planning it for the thirtieth. I was hoping we could hold a birthday party for you both the following evening, in our Kingussie home..."

Hermione was waiting on his laughter but it never came. Instead, Harry lifted her chin and tenderly kissed her lips. "I think that is a wonderful idea, our very first party in our very own home. Once we hear from Father we'll know if it's feasible. The house itself might be nothing more than a large cottage which, while fine for us, will hardly be suitable for a large party..." The sparkle in Hermione's eyes clearly announced to anyone who knew her that she'd just had an idea...a really good idea.

"A marquee! It'll be the middle of summer so a marquee will work. That means it doesn't really matter how big our new house is, or what condition its in, we can still hold a birthday party for you and Neville in Kingussie!"

After recent happenings, it was nice to concentrate on something relatively 'normal' for a change. Even though the event was still six months away, Hermione was already gripped with excitement at the organising she would need to do so their first party would be a success. Harry's goodnight kiss blasted all that from her mind, when her mate kissed her like that - Hermione had trouble remembering what day of the week it was. She headed off to her bed wearing a goofy smile, her only thoughts being of how good it would feel while they moved their relationship along as they got older.

-oOoOo-

Four Ravenclaws were heading down to breakfast. Luna had Moonlight cradled in her arms, the smart kneazle knew tasty treats would be coming its way soon. Instead of tasty treats though, it sounded as if the hounds of hell were racing through the corridors toward the group.

Hearing the demented howling reverberating off the stone walls and seeing Luna struggling to stop Moonlight heading for the hills alarmed the other three, Harry and Hermione had their hands on the hilts of their swords while Padma's wand was already drawn. Luna was rather quickly moved into the middle of them so the trio could offer some protection to the little blonde with her hands full of panicking cat.

To say they were surprised when Ron Weasley came careering around the corner would be an understatement, the source of all noise was right behind him. The volume this thing was broadcasting at meant there was no way to decipher what, if anything, was being said - Ronald obviously had no intention of hanging about to hear any message anyway.

As he sprinted past the group, a pair of blades flashed and pieces of parchment then fluttered gently to the floor - the resulting silence was deafening. Moonlight calmed almost at once, appearing embarrassed for scratching her blonde friend who gave her such nice titbits.

"What the hell was that?"

It was a still gasping for breath returning Ron who answered Hermione's question. "That was a howler, sent by my mum. The rest of my family are really unhappy with me that I tried to attack Harry after that trouble at the ministry. I'm really sorry about that by the way, I acted without thinking - again. Could you please thank your father for me, that was really decent of him to push dad away from that killing curse."

Harry accepted the obviously genuine apology before having to ask a question in return. "Your mother sent that to you?"

"Oh, I was expecting it. Started running the minute I saw the owl drop the bloody thing but it opened and then chased me along the corridor. Mum's don't usually do that so Bill must have had a hand in creating this one too. Thanks again for destroying it, I'll need to tell the twins how you managed that. It won't really matter to me as Bill is certain to take me home with him at the weekend, being home schooled by my mother is not really something I'm looking forward to."

Ron headed off to eat more breakfast, he'd been down early as he only had so many Hogwarts meals left. Ron intended to make the most of every opportunity to stuff his face.

"Okay, I'm still confused here," this was such an unusual state for Hermione that they could all see it bothered her. "Why would a parent deliberately humiliate their child like that?"

Harry was also left shaking his head. "Don't look at me, no goblin would ever use such a device. You've seen Master Sharpshard in action, we goblins like to do our bollockings in person. Even worse though, family matters are only ever discussed amongst family. Broadcasting family business like that to the whole castle is something no goblin would ever do."

Luna was the one with the inside information here. "Oh Mrs Weasley can get so loud you can hear her right across the dale, it's usually when she's shouting at the twins though."

They were just about to enter the great hall when Padma decided to share her thoughts. "Okay, I'll say it, purebloods are just nuts!"

This had them laughing as they sat down to breakfast though Hermione clearly still had something on her mind. "Harry, we've met and certainly now heard Mrs Weasley, can we talk to Bill and maybe get Ron a reprieve? As bad as he's been, Ron's more of an annoyance rather than dangerous - I just don't think anyone deserves that fate."

This saw Harry pause from selecting his breakfast. "He did apologise, and mean it this time. There's also the change in Malfoy to consider..." Those thoughts would have to wait as Eargit flew towards them with hopefully the details they'd been waiting on regarding Kingussie. Learning about their new home was far more important to Hermione and Harry than any thoughts of Ronald Weasley being home schooled.

A/N thanks for reading.

A/N2 I hope to be back to posting at the weekend for Chapter 56. Since I've yet to write one word of it though, that timing is as always a hope rather than a promise.

56. Wedding and Holidays Sorted

Harry Crow

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters and my writing certainly couldn't be considered canon. If my efforts don't fit your idea of what a Harry Potter story should be, I can only offer my apologies and make a suggestion. Writing your own really is the only way to ensure the story progresses exactly the way you want it to, it also gives the rest of us something to read.

Chapter 56

Auror Tonks was rather confused, not a new feeling to be sure but it was a stranger to her while on duty. Usually there were precedents, procedures and her training to fall back upon but nothing had really prepared her for this situation. She'd just watched as a wizard drank a potion that looked and smelled like three day old vomit - vomit from someone who had just spent hours binging on haggis and neeps. Disgusting couldn't even begin to describe the concoction, Tonks was nearly vomiting herself just from watching him drink it.

As she walked beside him through the school grounds, it began to dawn on the auror just what was confusing her about this situation. It was the way he dealt with this whole procedure with a quiet sort of dignity - certainly not the reaction she'd been expecting.

"I think it's strange the way you seem so accepting of this, drinking that revolting potion and then being escorted off the school premises like some sort of criminal."

"Being called strange by a woman whose hair has been three different colours since we met earlier tonight is what seems weird to me - I think I'm insulted."

The smile he gave her might have been strained but it was there all the same, making the situation seem even stranger to Tonks. "I guess I'm just amazed at how accepting you are of all this, I don't think I would be." This earned a chuckle from Remus, confusing Tonks even more. "Just what part of this do you find funny?"

"Oh I was just thinking back to the last beautiful witch who asked me that same question, she couldn't understand it either. This is who I am though, the wolf only has control one night a month."

Her confusion just reached another level. "Was this beautiful witch your girlfriend or are you just trying your chat up lines on me? I have to say, being chatted up by a werewolf under the moonlight was not what I had in mind when I crawled out of bed this morning."

This actually got a laugh out of the marauder. "You're more like Sirius than you know. The answer to both your questions though would be no. The witch in question was the best female friend I ever had, I certainly loved her but she was way out of my league for there to be any relationship other than friendship. She was actually way out of James' league too but he changed enough to catch Lily's attention. When I look at Harry I might see James, but his words and actions are pure Lily - until he goes all goblin on us and charges a bloody basilisk with that sword!" Just at that, a massive black dog came charging across the grass toward them. "Took you long enough!"

The dog then transformed and Sirius was wearing a wide smile. "Well, Moony, when you're saying goodnight to your fiancee it's just not something that can be rushed. Hey, Tonks, I can take Remus from here if you want?"

"What, and have a werewolf and a grim running around Hogwarts? Not on my watch! I'll escort you both through the wards and into the safe location - that's my job here."

"Hey Moony, what have you been telling my cousin here? It's as if she doesn't trust me."

"Oh she didn't need any help from me with that one. Tonks here is smart enough to figure it out for herself."

"Beautiful and smart - are you sure you're not trying to chat me up, Professor Lupin?"

"Not tonight, Auror Tonks, certainly not tonight."

This left Sirius looking at them both with some bemusement. "Okay you two, what did I miss?"

-oOoOo-

This scheme had seemed fine when Gilderoy had talked it over with himself, it was now blindingly obvious there was something he'd forgotten to take into his calculations - it was bloody pitch dark out here. He wasn't afraid of the dark per se, it was more about the cover it provided for anything to sneak up on him unawares. Lockhart had no Idea how true that would soon prove to be.

He was originally going to attempt this from the edge of the forbidden forest, there was no way though he would be going anywhere near that dangerous place in the dark. The locked front gates of Hogwarts was about as near as he could get and, having first made sure Hagrid had spent the evening in the Three Broomsticks, Gilderoy proceeded to put his simple plan into operation.

Emptying out the sack of entrails and blood from the butchers right at the front gate, Gilderoy then cast a sonorus on himself.

"HOOOOOWWHOOO HAUUWWHOOO..."

The howl reverberated around the castle and its grounds, just as Gilderoy had hoped. When they then found the blood and guts in the morning, the werewolf would be kicked out and they would be coming crawling back to him, begging Gilderoy Lockhart to return to Hogwarts. He decided to give it one more howl before beating a hasty retreat - just in case a real werewolf decided to make an appearance.

"HOOOOOW-What the fuck was that?"

The bright flash had illuminated every detail of just what he was doing, then Gilderoy found himself being asked questions by a witch wearing a strange hat. Normally having his picture taken and being interviewed by the press were amongst two of his favourite things - not tonight though.

Rita had also cast the sonorus on herself, she wanted as many people as possible to know exactly what was happening here. "Gilderoy Lockhart, can you explain why you are standing there with your hands covered in blood while howling like a wolf?"

The photographer's flash went off again as his camera caught the panicked look in Lockhart's eyes. A panicking Lockhart was only ever going to react one way, by drawing his wand and casting the only spell he was proficient in - also forgetting he still had the sonorus cast on himself.

Everyone within a quarter mile radius heard him scream 'obliviate' while his wand was pointing at Rita Skeeter.

Rita though had been studying her 'victim' for a while and knew his modus operandi inside out, she should since Lockhart talked about it to himself. With only his portraits for company Gilderoy would chat away to himself all day long, allowing Rita to discover most of his secrets and be here tonight. Disillusioned in the dark, they had followed and waited on Lockhart putting his scheme into operation before she and the photographer revealed themselves.

Knowing her latest victim's modus operandi also meant Rita had talked with her powerful friend on just how to protect her memories. The warm fur hat she was wearing was nothing more than camouflage for the goblin wrought and charmed protective steel helmet that was under it.

That protection very effectively kicked in and blasted Lockhart's spell straight back at him, with the photographer's flash indicating that he'd at least caught part of that action. The photographer's latest picture would actually show Lockhart's curse rebounding and knocking him flying into the entrails he'd spread along the grass. Being a careful man, the photographer took another picture of Lockhart lying there amongst the blood and guts - just in case.

Tonks arrived a few moments later and confirmed this evening was just getting stranger. A clearly dazed Gilderoy Lockhart was sitting in a pile of blood and guts, smiling as if he hadn't a care in the world. "Oh, hello - my, you're pretty! What's your name...what's my name?"

This drew a groan from the auror. "Bloody hell, must be my night for getting propositioned. Can anyone tell me what the hell happened here?"

-oOoOo-

The front page of the Prophet informed the entire country just what was going on there, the picture really was worth a thousand words. Lockhart was sitting in a gory mess of his own making while smiling like a loon, Auror Tonks had her wand covering him while Rita Skeeter could be seen writing notes.

Rita explained that she had been researching material for a book on Lockhart, pointing out that these investigations were uncovering truths that showed a much darker side behind the award winning toothy smile. When her research uncovered his plot to discredit someone who was quickly becoming one of Hogwarts favourite professors, Rita had felt compelled to act even though her research was far from over. While she hinted that doing her public duty might cost her in book sales, she never mentioned the large payment from the Prophet for this story nor the free advertising for her yet to be written book this article just provided.

What Rita did clearly state though was her thanks to goblin craftsmanship and ingenuity that protected her memories from Lockhart's attack - an attack that was also clearly displayed in a smaller photograph. Her research had led to the knowledge that the memory charm was really the only spell Lockhart was proficient casting, so she had obviously taken precautions to protect herself. His own spell rebounding saw the once famous wizard now unable to remember his own name, leaving Rita very thankful for her borrowed protection.

How a person can accomplish everything that Lockhart claimed to have done in his books while really only being able to cast one spell would be revealed in her forthcoming novel - a true biography of a wizard who had conned all of them.

The mood inside Hogwarts was that of jubilation and relief, they were ecstatic that Lockhart wouldn't be returning - ever! There was also a fair mixture of relief in there as well, relief that there hadn't really been a werewolf roaming the grounds last night.

Harry's comment to the Ravenclaws that Auror Tonks securely locked Professor Lupin off the Hogwarts grounds and that Lord Black had spent the entire night watching over his best friend was soon spread around the castle. Rita was correct in that Remus was becoming popular as a very good teacher of his subject, whether that popularity could have survived Lockhart's attempt to discredit the werewolf is thankfully something they would now never have to find out.

That Lockhart was now in St Mungo's still not knowing his own name was considered poetic justice by most who had ever sat through one of his classes. Roger's comment that perhaps they could post all those questionnaires about Lockhart they were forced to complete back in September to St Mungo's, to see if it would jog his memory, raised a few laughs.

Padma though had to have the last word. "Since Rita Skeeter is hinting that most of what he wrote was actually done by someone else, those questionnaires didn't really apply to Lockhart anyway."

-oOoOo-

Bill had worked the four of them hard this morning without receiving one complaint, they appeared to be so glad to see him back in the castle that they just got on with the lesson and did their best. At the end of the class, all four also took time to talk to him about the marauders and what they had planned for this week. As usual, Bill made a few suggestions that Hermione carefully noted in the ledger they used for club business.

As they were getting ready to leave, Harry then totally surprised their tutor.

"Assistant Ambassador Weasley, your brother Ronald wanted to thank my father for pushing yours away from that killing curse. Could you pass that message on to my father for me please?"

This so dumbfounded Bill, he really had to ask for confirmation. "Ron actually said that?"

"Oh yes, just after he apologised to me for acting without thinking - again. He really seemed to mean it this time too! Well, see you tomorrow."

The four walked away, leaving a completely flummoxed Weasley behind.

As they headed off to their dorms for a much needed shower, Neville nodded his agreement of the way Harry had handled that situation. "It's a Weasley family matter, Harry. You provided the information without expressing your opinion, it's now up to them what they do with Ron. Had you asked if he could stay in Hogwarts, with your father saving Mr Weasley they would have felt obliged to say yes."

This drew a hurumph noise from Hermione, "I just don't get all this life debt malarky, how far do you take it? You and Harry have now both stopped Voldemort, does that mean the wizards and witches of Britain owe you both life debts?"

Padma just couldn't resist. "No, it means they're owed Orders of Merlin, First Class. Just as well us girls already have our dates snagged for the next Merlin Ball, these two would be fighting the girls off with beater bats."

Neville was gaining the confidence to tease right back. "I won't be going to any balls without my beautiful betrothed on my arm..."

"See, Hermione, get them young enough and any wizard can be trained..." Padma was now squealing with laughter as Neville began to chase her along the corridor, leaving Harry and Hermione in their wake.

"Neville's right, Harry, you did the best you could. In all honesty, you did more than he deserves. Let the Weasleys deal with their own problems, we usually generate enough of our own to be getting by with."

Harry slipped his arm around her waist and offered a gentle kiss. "I certainly can't argue with that, nor the fact we both need a shower..."

It was Hermione's turn to chase Harry along the corridor, not for saying she needed a shower but rather for ruining a lovely moment.

-oOoOo-

Ronald Weasley was enjoying a lovely moment, or rather a lovely dinner. What made it especially lovely was that he never expected to be eating it, not in Hogwarts anyway. He was sure Bill was going to smack him one earlier as he verbally tore strips off his youngest brother, just as he was certain that he would be heading home to the Burrow today. Turns out Ron was wrong on both counts.

Bill though had left him in no doubt whatsoever that he was now standing on the very edge of being withdrawn from Hogwarts, for Ron to remain in the castle would take a marked improvement in behaviour, study habits and academic achievement. He had of course agreed to everything but Ron had his own plans, plans that being home schooled would destroy.

If he wished to meet his own goals then his behaviour simply had to improve, there was no other option. He would have to try and control his temper, certainly not an easy task. His study habits too would have to be worked on, he needed to be here for seven years and the only way to do that was to pass some O.W.L.s. Other than making it to seventh year, Ron had absolutely no interest in academic achievement. His intention was to take the easiest subjects he could and scrape passes with as little effort as possible.

Ron's master plan for Hogwarts would kick into gear next year, but only if he was still here. He was honest enough to know he would never make prefect, and certainly not head boy but that left one very important position open to him - Quidditch Captain.

He would try for the team next year, though didn't expect to be picked - it was more to declare his interest. He hoped to be playing in fourth year but certainly expected to be on the team by his fifth. By seventh year, McGonagall would simply have to give him the badge - there were no other options available to the head of Gryffindor. Neville would probably be prefect but he didn't even watch the quidditch matches, Dean was still hung up on some muggle game while Seamus was already more interested in booze than brooms. As for the girls, Parvati and Lavender would be more concerned about breaking a nail than catching the quaffle.

No, Ron was certain the quiddich captaincy would eventually be his, all he had to do was stay in Hogwarts until his older competition left. With that captaincy would come scouts and Ronald Weasley's path to fame and fortune would be right there waiting for him. A decent playing career would open the door to his real goal, a coaching job.

Yes, Ron had his future all planned but first he needed to keep his head down and ensure he stayed at Hogwarts.

-oOoOo-

It was great to get away from Hogwarts for the weekend and see their extended family again, Grimmauld was taking on the mantle of a second home for some of them now.

Moa and Lukas were delighted to be back in London and included in that family, with the veela hugging the children two at a time and finding it hard to believe how much she'd missed everyone. "I'm surprised you were all allowed to leave Hogwarts for the weekend."

She currently had her arm around Hannah and that's where her answer came from.

"After last year, they'll probably make it a school rule that Harry has to be out the castle every Valentine's Day. McGonagall couldn't wait to accept our permission parchment."

This drew some laughter but Hermione wasn't even smiling. "Someone trying to poison your boyfriend with chocolates full of love potions is no laughing matter, the people who ate them certainly didn't find it funny. Thankfully, Amelia got the law changed and the new wards at Hogwarts would filter out any parcels that contained poisons."

This was something Susan agreed passionately with. "it wasn't funny at all, girls and boys fighting over the same person isn't my idea of a prank."

The story was soon explained to those who hadn't heard it before, Luna was particularly puzzled. "Why would you eat something if you didn't know who sent you it?"

She found an arm snaking around her shoulders as Harry gave her a comforting squeeze. "That's exactly what I said and did, Luna, something everyone here needs to take to heart."

They all moved to put their stuff away in the rooms they had stayed in over the Christmas holidays before gathering for their family meeting, there was a lot to discuss.

Emma and Dan had brought the large book of Potter properties to help plan their summer, some that didn't quite make it last year would certainly be getting considered for these holidays. Harry already knew Rome was out, Sirius had asked to borrow it so he could take Henrica there on honeymoon.

It was Sirius who got the ball rolling as all the adults had their diaries out, the Ravenclaws were working off a holiday planner that Hermione had already prepared. "The express dumps this lot back in London on the nineteenth of June, my fiancée and I are looking to hold our wedding on the twenty sixth of that month." Sirius was being deliberately formal, trying to contain his excitement at the surprise he now had for his future wife. "The wedding will be in Lulea, and of course everyone here is invited."

Henrica was staring dumbly at her parents for confirmation, their wide smiles had her heart doing backflips that her future husband would be so considerate and thoughtful. That was until her father spoke. "Sirius has been back and forth to Sweden, making sure all the arrangements are in place. He's even rented out half a dozen holiday homes so everyone will have somewhere to stay while they attend. Your mum's not been able to talk about anything else, so of course half the country now knows about your wedding. By the twenty sixth, the entire region of Scandinavia will know every detail..."

Henrica missed her mother playfully having a swipe at her father, she was too busy rewarding her fiancé.

Since Sirius was now otherwise engaged, this left Barchoke to fill in the blanks. "Lord Black has those properties rented for the week before and after the wedding, with Gringotts supplying the portkeys to take us there and back. You may only be able to stay for the weekend but it was easier to book the block of homes for the two weeks."

This was met with nods of appreciation from all the adults. Whether they arrived on Friday evening before leaving on Sunday would depend on what other holidays they planned here.

Harry had been thinking about that and offered his suggestion on the matter. "I think the way we did it last year was brilliant, one week busy and then one week relaxing. What I would like to say though is that we should keep those relaxing weeks to just us. Luna, your dad is counted as one of us too, and like his daughter is welcome anytime."

Hermione didn't know someone could blush and smile at the same time but Luna managed it. She then expanded on Harry's suggestion. "We've all got friends that could be included in some of our holiday, it's just we want to keep the quiet times to just us."

This was where Dan felt he had to say something. "I agree with that idea but we may have to limit the numbers, depending on the amount of adults available. Emma and I accompanied these four to Florida last year and had a great time, I really don't think we could keep an eye on eight of you - never mind anyone extra you might want to add."

This again made sense to those sitting around the room, though Hannah, Susan and Parvati all clearly wanted to visit this other world their friends had told them about.

"Since it will obviously be after the wedding, Moa and I would be more than happy to help out any way we can. Spending time with people you like while seeing different parts of the world is not exactly a hardship for us. Put both of us down for whenever we're needed."

This was a very popular announcement though Harry then gently explained the situation to the Hobsons. "It's not a case of 'need', Lukas, you and Moa are invited to anything and everything that we decide over this weekend. That goes for Luna's dad and of course Alice and Frank. We're just hoping that work schedules can be arranged so that we can all take part in pretty much everything we decide."

Hermione's grin was goblin worthy as she revealed one of their hopes. "Can you imagine certain Slytherins coping with Florida?" Padma and Neville were holding onto each other while laughing at that image, the rest weren't sure just what Florida entailed so didn't want to say too much.

Parvati though had a question for them. "Who do you mean when you say 'certain Slytherins'?"

"We were thinking of Pansy and Draco, Blaise would be your call. We would never make you choose between him or Lavender, we just thought she would appreciate something like sightseeing and shopping in Paris more."

Hermione's answer just kicked the excitement in the room up another level as she enlarged then stuck her holiday chart to the wall so everyone could see it. It now had the wedding date confirmed and the blocks either side of it colour coded for Lulea. The ministry ball and a certain joint birthday party had already been fixtures on her chart before today. With the wedding now confirmed, Hermione ran her wand over the chart and highlighted two three week blocks, one in July and the other in August.

"We hope to spend the week before the ball and the one before returning to Hogwarts in Kingussie, leaving us these two blocks to plan for holidays. Ideally, we would like to return to Florida for the first week again and the island after the ball was just wonderful. If we can all agree on what to do for the other weeks then everyone will be able to schedule their summer."

Augusta had really enjoyed her summer last year, with this one already certain to be better. She was first to put her options to the group. "Like last year, I would be delighted to accompany everyone on the quieter weeks. Florida might sound fun to our younger members here but to me it just sounds exhausting." This drew some laughter and Neville sprung to his gran's defence, citing she wasn't that old. "I also have another reason. We won't be visiting your mum and dad tomorrow, Neville, - they'll be visiting us. The healers want to see how they are after getting out for a few hours so they're coming here tomorrow afternoon. They should make the ball and may even come on holiday with us - not Florida mind you!"

Neville was out of his chair and hugging his grandmother, Padma had also followed her betrothed to do the same. There was hardly a dry eye in the house though Hermione did try to get everyone's attention back, she knew Neville would need a moment to get himself together after that.

"Okay, so we have Lukas and Moa for all six weeks, Augusta for the quiet weeks and father, will you be the same?" Just the thought of spending time with his children, and people he had genuinely grown to like had Barchoke quickly agreeing he would be there for the quiet weeks too. As names began appearing on Hermione's chart, she turned her attention to her mum and dad.

"We can't really take the whole summer off but, if we make Sweden a weekend, then your mother and I should be able to swing both three week blocks."

Moa was quick to offer reassurances the children would be fine and well looked after in Lulea, no matter how many decided to stay - or for how long.

The Patils' were the next names to appear on the sheet of parchment. They too were having to make the wedding a weekend jaunt, though would then accompany their children for the first block of the holidays. They would also be going to the island, no one who'd visited there last year wanted to miss that.

Sirius' announcement that Lord and Lady Black would be delighted to join the party for the last block had Henrica rolling her eyes while the rest chuckled at her antics. Remus was still in Hogwarts so his participation would be discussed when they returned but Amelia also put her name forward for the last three weeks too.

Hannah rather shyly asked if her parents could be included in Florida, to provide an extra set of adults. She couldn't contain her wide smile when their names quickly appeared on the parchment for that week. One glance at Hermione's chart was enough to see that the adult supervision would be more than enough to cover all the friends spending their holidays together, a few nods and the parents had all agreed to that - creating a real mood of celebration. Then Emma placed the book on the table as Padma emitted a squeal more reminiscent of her twin sister. This saw some glances being sent in her direction but she was unrepentant.

"Once you all see what's in that book, you'll be squealing too!"

As they began to search for another four destinations to fill the holiday chart, Padma was proven right on more than one occasion - and not all of those squeals came from a Hogwarts student.

-oOoOo-

Padma enjoyed spending some time alone with her sister, they were both in their room at Grimmauld. "What was father desperate to speak to you about?"

"Oh, can't you guess? He's had a few more betrothal offers for me and wanted to know what I thought."

Seeing that Parvati didn't seem too excited by that prospect, Padma wondered what the problem was. Her enquiries just received a set of shrugged shoulders.

"This time last year I would have been talking your ears off about this, and been so excited I wouldn't be able to sit down. I think that diary changed all our lives, betrothals now don't seem the be all and end all I thought they were. Sorry, sis, I wasn't including you and Neville in that - we can all see how happy you are."

"I guessed you didn't mean us, Pav, but I thought this was what you wanted? I know father wouldn't betroth you to someone unsuitable, mother would never let him."

Sitting with her head down, Parvati knew she owed her twin an explanation. "It was my desperation to find someone for myself that saw me trapped by that bloody diary, it also showed me how immature I was being. Being possessed by a dark lord is a sure way to make you grow up."

Padma now had her arm around her twin as Parvati told the only person she could really talk to about what was on her mind. "I now have a famous sister, who has an even more famous betrothed - with best friends people are already trying to get close to." She held her hand up to stop Padma interrupting. "I'm not complaining, sis, just pointing out a fact. I also have thousands of galleons in Gringotts, again thanks to you and your friends. Parvati Patil is now very desirable - and that's my problem. I want someone to like me for me."

"What about Blaise?"

"Oh, we get on fine, and at least he was interested in me before all of this. If he comes to Florida that will give mother and father a chance to see for themselves what he's like. After the ball, Father might approach the Zabinis about a contract between us. With an Order of Merlin, First Class, in the family, the Patils now have options that weren't open to them before." Parvati's smile robbed those words of any jealousy or hurt, both sisters were well aware what would have happened if Padma hadn't come down to the chamber.

"...and what do you think about being betrothed to Blaise?"

This rather caught Parvati on the hop, and made her think about the possibility of that happening. "Blaise is really nice and treats me well, with Neville and Harry watching his every move I can understand that. With you and Hermione snagging your two guys, I would place Blaise right at the top of everyone else - that was why I asked him out in the first place. I know I'm the Gryffindor but I don't think I would be brave enough to do what you and Neville did, my insides were churning waiting on the result of your bonding so I don't know how you felt."

"I was terrified, I think Neville was too. When I felt the bond forming I've never been happier in my life. Getting betrothed was never top of my to do list, getting betrothed to Neville was simply amazing. Take your time with Blaise, I'll even speak with father and get him to hold off with the betrothal offer until you feel ready - if you want? I'm sure we could get Harry to invite him for another week too, if you're serious about Blaise?"

This got a smile from her twin. "That actually sounds good but can we wait until after Florida? Spending a week in his company should give us both a better idea of where we're going. I also want to see how Blaise reacts amongst everyone else, I like our extended family and any boyfriend is going to have to fit in. Veela, muggles, goblins and a werewolf added to us being from India might be too much for a Slytherin pureblood to accept."

This had Padma chuckling, "We are a rather weird lot, aren't we? I wouldn't change it though."

-oOoOo-

Harry and Hermione were currently talking with a couple of those muggles and a goblin. They were desperate to find out about their house in Kingussie but were surprised when Emma was the one doing the talking, she even had some obligatory photographs. "The house is badly in need of renovation but the countryside around it is simply stunning. It reminded me of some Victorian landed gentry who would use it as a hunting lodge for their guests, there were certainly enough stuffed animal heads hanging from the walls to support that idea."

While noticing the visible shudders this produced in Harry and Father, Hermione still had another question she wanted answered first. "Mum, you've seen our house?"

Barchoke immediately took on the role of mediator. "My daughter, you have stayed in our dwelling at Gringotts. I believe the word you used to describe it was spartan. We wanted to make the house into a home ready for the summer. While we goblins can easily handle all the structural repairs the building required, to do any decoration I needed help. It was certainly a help to get all the carcasses out of the building. We goblins only mount the heads of thieves and criminals as a warning to others, not animals we have killed."

"Dobby took the mounted heads and sold them, turns out they were all antique. It gave you two quite a budget for redecorating though probably not that much where Harry's concerned." Dan's levity lifted the mood once more as both Harry and Hermione hung excitedly on his every word. "There's twelve bedrooms, a number of reception rooms and a lovely big dining room. Plenty of room for the people who are here this weekend to stay but not really suitable for a massive party. Barchoke, your mum and I intended to take you both there on Sunday for a look before you head back to Hogwarts."

Harry was looking at the photographs while Dan spoke, their new home would certainly be more than suitable for him and Hermione. After a quick apology to her mum, Hermione was also devouring the photographs with her eyes. The building had a kind of grey, rugged exterior. Then again, it needed to have to survive life in the Scottish highlands. Her eyes were drawn to all the fireplaces, almost one in every room, imagining spending her evenings sitting in front of a roaring one with a good book. "Is there a public room that could be turned into a library?"

Emma had samples of materials, colour charts and even pictures of the style of furniture that might turn this wonderful house into a home. Her daughter's question though just started her laughing while thinking of the old axiom - the more things change, the more they stay the same. "Oh I think you should be able to fit one in. Now, about colour schemes, I thought that something like this would work well..."

At this point, Dan and Barchoke withdrew, wondering if the now totally absorbed trio even noticed they'd gone.

-oOoOo-

The healers didn't want Frank and Alice's first time out of Gringotts to be Longbottom Manor, fearing too many memories might actually hinder what they were trying to achieve here. Getting out of their room and meeting people was just wonderful for the couple, that they got to see their son and his betrothed with all their friends already made their visit a success.

Behind their smiles both Dan and Emma thought Frank resembled someone recovering from a stroke, they decided to pass on all the information they could find on that subject to the healers looking after the couple. It might be nothing but they couldn't ignore something that was so obvious to them.

Neville was simply ecstatic, for the first time in his life he was seeing his parents outside of a hospital room. That Padma and all his friends were there too just added to his emotions.

Hearing of their plans for the summer, Sirius and Henrica found themselves being congratulated on their upcoming marriage. Alice was being carried along with the excitement and enthusiasm in the room but she had to protect her husband and not commit themselves before they were ready. She would hate to say yes and then have to disappoint Neville. "The ball and then a birthday party the following night might be too much excitement too soon for us but this island sounds like something we could look forward to."

Neville would have been happy with a lot less than that so there were no complaints from him, nothing was going to put a dent in his good mood today. Rather than crowd the recovering couple, everyone then withdrew to leave the Longbottoms having tea with the Patils as the two sets of parents began to get to know one another.

Harry found himself being wrapped in a tearful Emma's arms after they left the two families to their tea. "Harry, every time I see Frank and Alice, I can't tell you how proud I am that you made it happen. There are just no words..."

"Neville would have done the exact same for me if the positions were reversed, I'm also getting to go on holiday with my godmother and godfather - how special is that?"

"What do you make of that, Luna, it looks like I don't count anymore!" Everyone could see Hermione was joking but the witch in question certainly offered no complaints or resistance when her bonded took her in his arms and showed everyone just how much Hermione meant to Harry. Neville may be the happiest person on the planet at the moment but Harry wasn't far behind his friend.

-oOoOo-

Peter was studying copies of the Prophet he'd lifted out the rubbish on a very rare spying mission to Diagon Alley, they were painting a picture of the British magical society he didn't like. The ministry had finally gotten its act together and their alliance with the goblins was set to change their world beyond recognition.

Peter certainly wasn't the most powerful Gryffindor of his year group, nor the smartest. Then again, he was up against Remus, James and Sirius. Peter was certainly clever enough to see what the ministry was up to here and, while he hated what it would force him to do, he thought it was pure genius on their part.

The dark lord had coined the term 'blood traitor' to tarnish those families who had the correct bloodline but didn't agree with his philosophy - the ministry had just gone one step further. Their use of these new goblin wards to stop marked death eaters entering the ministry building was brave, bold and brilliantly executed. By targeting individuals instead of families, they had avoided a pureblood backlash. Giving those same individuals the chance to take truth serum and say they were forced to accept the dark mark under the imperius left them with nowhere else to go, it was either leave the ministry or a one way trip to Azkaban.

The ministry had just created a whole different class of sub citizen and the wizarding public backed them all the way, these death eaters had made their choice and were now no longer welcome in their society. Peter could only see these wards spreading and wondered how long it would be before the first business or shop had them installed. It was also entirely plausible that Gringotts would erect the same wards at the bank that protect the ministry, denying those carrying the mark access to their gold too.

Peter read the issue where just about every reporter the Prophet had was at the ministry, waiting to see what the first day of the new wards would bring. The Prophet was proclaiming a stunning victory for the ministry since there was not one incident - everyone marked had stayed away. The Prophet had no option but to proclaim this, since nothing happened and they had no story otherwise.

It was time for Peter to leave Britain and he had his escape route all planned. The Channel Tunnel wouldn't officially open for another year, the tunnels themselves were complete though. There would certainly be precautions in place to stop rats infesting the tunnels but then again, he was no ordinary rat. His main worry was currently that these goblin wards would be erected across the entrance, with the ministry appearing to be on top of things Peter thought it would only be a matter of time before someone decided to do it.

He would need to leave and find his master, only at his side would Peter be safe. The ministry wanted him and so did the death eaters, he was the one who led their master to his destruction so he would find no succour amongst his former colleagues.

That the public now knew his master wasn't dead meant the ministry would be seriously looking for him, Peter would have to get to the dark lord first otherwise someone very dear to him would perish - himself.

A/N thanks for reading

A/N2 while watching The Voice on the BBC last night, something Will i am said just really resonated and caught my attention. For every one that hates, there are far more who appreciate what you're doing. This could become a motto for all fan fiction authors.

57. Two New Friends

Harry Crow

I'm going to do something I've never done before and answer a guest review during an actual posting, you'll perhaps understand why when you read it.

Robin:I asked you to upload the rest of this story so I could read to my
daughter before she died. Well, you didn't and now she's dead and buried.

Robin, you have my deepest sympathies for your loss and I would really have loved to help. Unfortunately, you asked the impossible of me. When I post a chapter, that is basically all I have and certainly all there is, I haven't a word of the next chapter written. Since you posted your request as a guest, I wasn't able to personally reply to your message and tell you this. I understand this will be of little comfort, I just wanted you to know I didn't deliberately withhold the story from your daughter and would have helped if I could.

Chapter 57

Hermione had been wished a happy Valentine's Day from Harry so was unconcerned when neither a card, flowers or gift appeared at breakfast. She had arranged with Eargit to deliver her own card to Harry, which earned her a thank you kiss from her mate. Both Patil twins received cards, Parvati was delighted after getting one from Blaise. Luna was left blushing as she received a friends one from Colin, with both Hufflepuff witches also getting cards from their year mates, Justin and Zac.

After breakfast, there were five people heading off to Kingussie with the intention of looking over Harry and Hermione's new home. The three adults expected to be spending some time there too in the coming months, something Emma was really looking forward to. Telling everyone they would see them back in Hogwarts for dinner, the excited couple set off with their parents for Scotland. The portkey landed all five in front of quite an imposing building, set squarely in a scene that wouldn't look out of place on a tin of Scottish shortbread.

The goblin masons were world class and the outside of the building already looked clean and crisp, with the coat of arms above the door being replaced by the relief of a wings-spread crow clutching a sword in its talons. Hermione was busy taking everything in when she suddenly found herself being scooped up bridal style into her mate's strong arms.

"Harry, what are you doing? Put me down!"

"After making the gaffe of not asking your father's permission for your hand, I got a hold of a book on muggle customs. It said I'm supposed to carry you over the threshold of our new home, this is our new home."

Hermione then wrapped her arms around her mate's neck and rested her head on Harry's shoulder, ignoring the sniggering that was coming from her mum and dad. Barchoke opened the door and allowed his son to carry Hermione across the threshold, into a short entrance hall that was festooned with flowers. "Happy Valentine's day, Hermione, these are for you."

Emma was standing behind them slack jawed, and not at them now kissing. "Harry, these are beautiful! Daniel Granger, you have a lot to live up to."

This led to a whine that was almost comical. "Harry, you're making me look bad here!"

Harry gently lowered Hermione to her feet before sheepishly turning to face them. "Em, sorry Dan, you're about to really hate me. Mum, these are for you!"

Harry had a bouquet of pink roses in his hand and suddenly thought he'd made a terrible mistake, Emma burst into tears before practically smothering him in her arms. It wasn't until he spotted the wide smile on Hermione's face that Harry started to relax from the knowledge he hadn't just made an almighty blunder. That changed again when he felt Dan's hand settle on his shoulder. No words were exchanged though, a reassuring squeeze and a smile was more than enough to tell Harry that Dan was really pleased.

Hermione grabbed his hand and dragged him deeper into their home, only to find Betsy and a squad of Potter elves waiting on them in the main reception hall. "Welcome home, Mistress. We's all waiting on your orders to fix house."

Emma was standing there clutching her precious roses with her jaw once more hanging slack. "I imagined your father and I spending weekends here with paintbrushes in our hands, now I find out you have an army of magical helpers..."

"You are all welcome to come here anytime you want, Hermione and I are in Hogwarts for most of the year anyway. Dobby should be able to pop you up here in a jiffy."

Hermione was nodding in agreement at Harry's open invitation, she certainly wanted her mum involved in turning this building into a home. What she knew about home decorating and interior design could be written on the back of a postage stamp, and Harry was even worse. The goblins seemed to think that stone was the very height of chic so they really needed her mother on board for this.

"Mum, the elves may do the work but they will need someone to tell them how they want it to be done. Let's get those colour charts and material samples out and we can see what should go where. What about furniture too? If you and dad can shop for us, the elves will soon bring it from Crawley to here."

This certainly rekindled Emma's enthusiasm, she would help decide how each room would look and feel, with the elves expertly carrying out all the work - it didn't get much better than that!

Harry then offered his contribution to the decor of their home. "As long as all the marks where the animal heads once hung get covered up, you ladies can do whatever you like. Father will arrange for you to have funds for anything you think we need. Hermione, after we've seen all the house, could we go for a run and see some of the grounds?"

"Once we decide what room is going to become the library, we can then look outside. This is just fabulous, Harry - our own home!"

"Not yet fourteen and she's ready to move out..."

"It's nothing like that, dad, you, mum and father will certainly always have rooms anywhere we live, and it's not like we'll be staying here without you until after we're married. You can all stay at our house this summer, instead of us staying at yours."

Harry had an idea and just threw it out there. "We could easily have a shooting range outside, Dan, we never did get around to seeing just what your guns can do." That certainly perked up Dan and Barchoke's interest.

"We could set up a clay pigeon shoot, you would like that much better than firing at paper targets." When Dan explained exactly what a clay pigeon was, and what was involved in shooting them, there was never any doubt this was going to happen. Both goblins present were really keen to see this idea become a reality, and Harry even took the idea one step further.

"That sounds like a fantastic speed and accuracy drill, firing at flying clay disks. We could even use wands or guns at the targets, we need to let Assistant Ambassador Weasley see that once we have it up and running. Will these guns be safe for all of us to use?"

"A gun is merely a tool, Harry, it's how you use that tool that counts. You taught Hermione how to use her sword, and you both take precautions when you use them. You also treat your blades with respect, give that same level of respect to whatever gun you use and it will be fine."

Barchoke wanted to know more about these guns while Hermione and Emma dragged Harry away to see the rest of the house.

-oOoOo-

Hermione and Harry had learned so many different Scottish words that existed purely for this country's poor weather, and how it made you feel. Driech, drookit, chittered, smirr, snaw and snell were all words both had become accustomed to, as well as becoming accustomed to the conditions those words described. On a day like today though, both felt Scotland was simply one of the most beautiful countries in the world. That they now owned this tiny little corner of it just made that feeling all the sweeter.

The air was crisp, clear and so fresh you could taste it every time you drew breath, this was also one of those exceedingly rare February days where there was not a cloud in the sky. With barely a hint of wind either, it was still cold but refreshingly so. She had also ensured Harry had received 'proper' running clothes as a part of his Christmas, she loved seeing him in his tunic but it wasn't really practical for those dry but icy cold days at Hogwarts where they would brave a few laps around the Black Lake.

Jogging bottoms and a fleece top now protected them on those mornings when the mercury didn't sneak up past freezing. As they approached a rocky little valley where even the local heather struggled to gain a foothold, Harry's eyes were sparkling with more than the cold.

"This would be a perfect location for a small settlement. Goblins will tunnel into rock, using the spoil to build the outside part of their home. There must be room for about a dozen dwellings here, and that hillside is granite - simply the best building material."

Hermione was caught up in the enthusiasm Harry was displaying, she was pretty enthusiastic about their new home herself. "I would love to be able to go running around our home and meet goblins living here, how soon do you think that will happen?"

"Oh, certainly not before the ministerial ceremony, we may have already been granted this land and house but I have no intention of pushing it. There could be the first signs of work beginning before we head back to Hogwarts in September, certainly before we return home for Christmas..."

This saw Hermione leap into his arms and Harry had to spin around with his mate so they didn't topple over. "Sorry, Harry, just you saying return home for Christmas did something to my insides - I just had to jump on you..."

Their lips met as they shared their most passionate kiss to date, standing in their own glen and just a few miles or so from their new home. Both were now breathless, and not from the running. "We'd better head for home, Betsy will give me hell if I make her mistress late for lunch..."

"Harry Crow, you mention anything about needing a shower and you better start practicing kissing Eargit, because that's the only female that will be kissing you for at least six months!"

This had both of them laughing as they swung around to complete the homeward section of the loop route they had mapped out to enable them to see as much as they could of their new home.

-oOoOo-

Their arrival back in Hogwarts was only about twenty minutes later than the rest of the group who'd spent the weekend at Grimmauld. All had shared a great few days and it was now time to pass the joy around. Hermione and Padma started handing out invitations to Florida to their six Ravenclaw yearmates, this rapidly resulted in them facing a barrage of questions from half a dozen excited friends.

Harry nodded to Parvati and they made their way to the Slytherin table together, she had an invitation for Blaise while Harry handed envelopes to Draco and Pansy. Harry just had to chuckle at the reaction he received from the couple. "Don't panic you two, it's not a Valentine's card. Draco looked really worried there for a moment."

Parvati was also having to deal with a wide-eyed Blaise, his envelope did contain a Valentine's card - with an invitation to Florida tucked inside. "You'll get to meet my parents as they'll be there too, along with Hermione's, Hannah's and the Hobsons. We're not sure if Professor Lupin will be able to make it or not, all the adults are choosing between what weeks they can holiday with us over the summer."

Her potential boyfriend wasn't sure if he heard Parvati correctly. "Do you mean this is only part of your holiday?"

"Well, we're all going to Sweden for Sirius and Professor Hobson's wedding, with heading to Florida the following weekend. Southern Italy and Paris follow Florida before we're back in Britain for the ministry ball. As there are six award winners, we'll have more tables this year so I'll be able to take a date..."

Quick as a flash, Blaise was in there. "Parvati, I would love to accompany you to the ministry ball, and any other time you need a date."

A wide smile and a nod of her head gave Blaise his answer. As a happy Parvati now headed back to Gryffindor territory, Blaise knew he would have to write home about this holiday - and some other things.

Clutching her invitation in trembling hands, Pansy was frightened to release her grip in case it disappeared, she was still nosey enough though to ask a question. "Are the Hobson's going to Florida Professor Hobson's mother and father that we met at Christmas?"

"Yes, we're going to be spending the entire summer with them. You'll be getting invited to the wedding in Sweden too, that's still being organised so those invitations are still some weeks away."

A shocked Draco managed to mumble his thanks to Harry before he headed back to the Ravenclaw table. With the covetous glances being sent their way, he was beginning to think Pansy had the right idea of holding on to hers tightly.

Luna almost started a riot when she handed out invitations to Ginny and Colin. Ginny was just so excited to be going anywhere but muggle born Colin knew exactly what a trip to Florida meant, Luna confirming that they would be visiting some other world had the young wizard hyper. Dean Thomas mentioning that his family were saving up to visit the Florida theme parks and hoped to go next summer just added to the excitement.

Parvati then sat beside Lavender and began to wonder if she'd made a mistake, it was too late to change her mind now though. "Lav, I've got something here for you too, but it's not Florida. I thought you'd enjoy something that's a bit more us, how does a week sightseeing and shopping in Paris with the gang sound?"

Parvati now had some appreciation of just how annoying someone emitting a high-pitched squeal close to your eardrum could be as Lavender pounced on her, before sitting back and looking serious. "We need to study your issues of Vogue, we'll be able to see the real clothes that have been in that magazine actually in the shops!"

"Lavender, you already know every issue from cover to cover..."

"...but that was before I knew we were going to Paris! We still have the April and May editions to look forward to."

The Hufflepuff table had its share of excitement too, with Justin and Zac receiving invitations. Muggle born Justin had actually visited before, his tall tales had his housemates wondering whether to believe him. Susan and Hannah though were able to confirm some of what Justin said, thanks to Emma's ever present camera and all the photos she took from last year.

As the excitement spread through the hall, Remus was sitting with Henrica at the staff table. The werewolf though had a different calendar that ruled his life, the family had of course known this when they made their plans. He would be available for the wedding, ball, trip to the island and Florida too if he wanted.

"That actually sounds like a lot of fun, tell Hermione to put my name down for all of that."

"How did you know it was Hermione that arranged the schedule?"

"Henrica, we both teach the girl. It was always going to be Hermione or Emma doing the organising, and my money would certainly be on Hermione."

At that, they noticed the girl in question was looking toward them. Henrica giving Hermione a double thumbs-up saw the parchment brought out and Remus' name added, both professors struggled to contain their laughter at the super efficient Miss Granger.

Harry had a few more invitations to pass out but needed to see a certain someone first.

-oOoOo-

It was a few days later that a strange looking bird delivered a letter to Luna while they were at breakfast. "It's from my dad!"

Luna's explanation was totally unnecessary, nor did she have to say this was good news - none of her friends had ever seen the little blonde so happy. "He's going to be in Sweden and meet us there for the wedding, dad's also interested in joining us over part of the holidays. He doesn't say which but I'll find that out later."

Hermione had her arm around the girl she was beginning to think of as a younger sister. "That's great news, Luna. We get home on the Saturday, stay with mum and dad and then head for Sweden on Monday morning."

"I'll write and let him know. I don't think Lukas or Moa would mind if he was a day or so early..." Luna was about to ask the bird if it would wait and take a letter back for her when a certain regal snowy owl had other thoughts on the matter. The strange feathered creature knew its place and had no intention of getting into a disagreement with a hacked-off bird of prey.

It would seem Harry, Hermione and Moonlight weren't the only ones in the process of adopting Luna into their family, Eargit was making it clear she would carry any mail for the young witch.

Hermione already had parchment, ink and a quill out for Luna to write her reply. They were all really keen to meet the man who Luna clearly adored.

-oOoOo-

Ragnok walked with Barchoke over the land in Kingussie now owned by a goblin, both were impressed with the site Harry had indicated might be suitable for dwellings.

"Your son has surpassed all expectations we had for him, he's also surpassed anything the Nation could have asked of him. Like the ministry's death eaters, his successes have also swept all the nation's doubters aside. I feel we too should be rewarding him though I am seeking your advice on the matter first."

This was certainly a welcome change of attitude from the director but Barchoke was unsure how Harry would react to more honours. His son had now established himself as a centurion, even amongst his goblin peers, Barchoke knew this was not the time to change that status but waited until the director spoke before saying any more.

"My intentions would be to elevate his two friends to the same status as his mate, Friends of the Nation. They fought side by side with a centurion and were in the same extreme danger throughout the entire incident, I want to show we're proud of that without in any way overshadowing the ministry's own plans. You know all the parents and politicians involved, what do you think?"

"I know that would be something Harry would like very much, the families involved would be happy with that decision too. When, where and how were you thinking of doing this? All of those would need to be considered before we could hope to predict how the ministry might respond."

"I was thinking as soon as possible, which would limit the location to Hogwarts, and we'd want to keep the formalities to a minimum."

Barchoke again thought that was a brilliant suggestion. More importantly, a suggestion he could sell to the people involved. The last thing they wanted here was to be accused of trying to steal the ministry's thunder, an invitation for the minister to attend might help with that too - let him see how low key the awards were.

"I think this is something I should take to Arthur Weasley, talking to Augusta might prepare Hogwarts for this happening too."

Ragnok was happy with that, just as he was delighted with the proposed site of what would be the first goblin dwellings outside Gringotts in centuries. "This project is one of the most important we've ever undertaken. I want this entire glen warded with our strongest protections within hours of the ministry ceremony. We can have everything in place just waiting on that happening, I want your family to wake up the next morning in the most heavily warded location in Britain."

Knowing his family would be the focus of any death eater or disgruntled goblin backlash, Barchoke really couldn't be happier with the director's approach to this matter. He still intended to see the house warded too. When it came down to the safety of his family, Barchoke took no chances at all.

-oOoOo-

As was becoming their new norm, the four hung back after their lesson to talk with Bill. After the questions about the marauders class, Harry again had a surprise for their tutor.

"We're looking to add a touch of adventure to our holidays this summer and planned to spend a week in Cairo. We wondered if you would like to join us?"

After hearing what was involved, Bill quickly agreed - and couldn't wait to start phase two of the plan. They headed off to lunch and Bill made straight for the crops of red hair at the Gryffindor table.

The entire family now knew about Ginny's plans for the summer and Bill confirming that their parents were delighted for her, and of course she could go, saw the littlest Weasley almost flying without a broom. Bill had more news for his siblings though and his attention moved to Percy. "How would you like the chance to visit Egypt this summer? You would have the opportunity to do some studying, see things very few wizards have and also take time out to have some fun."

"I take it this has something to do with Centurion Crow? Why me?"

"Every so often, the goblins will spot someone in Hogwarts they think could work for them. That's what happened to me and I've never regretted my decision. I understand you had your heart set on the ministry but I just want you to know there are other options out there. I'll be in Cairo too, and Barchoke is using that fact to get us access to places very few have ever seen..."

Bill was interrupted by a squeal that had Percy on his feet and his hand reaching for his wand, seeing Penny with her arms around two of her young Ravenclaws stayed his hand. Whatever was happening, she was clearly very happy about it.

His eldest brother's droll voice drew him back to their previous conversation. "Oh, did I forget to mention that Penny was being invited too? They really think very highly of her you know, her Ravenclaws and the goblins that is. This week in Egypt will give you both a chance to look over the situation, you can bet the goblins will be doing the same to you."

"A week's holiday with my girlfriend, seeing wonders with a possible job offer when we leave Hogwarts..."

"Did I also forget to mention Madam Bones will be there too? Impressing her could see offers coming from the ministry as well, especially if you two get the head badges you deserve next term."

"Before I say yes, you need to tell me the catch - there has to be a catch here?"

"We'll of course there is! We have to put up with the twin menace of Fred and George for the week..."

There was a loud thunk as Fred's head hit the table because George excitedly lunged across both his twin and the Gryffindor table, desperate to confirm what he'd just heard. "We're really invited? They want us to come too? We never get invited, ever!"

Fred's head might currently being squashed into the table by his twin but it was another brother who held his total attention, Fred's eyes were silently begging Bill not to say this was a prank.

"They want to spend some time with their four training partners and thought this was the best week to do that..."

Fred's head was then yanked off the table as both twins shouted at once. "We're going to Egypt!"

Like at least half of the Gryffindor table, Ron had been listening intently. He was just about to shout about him being the only member of the Weasley family currently inside Hogwarts who wasn't invited on holiday when he bit his tongue. Stopping for that moment let him see that Crow was never going to invite him anywhere, he'd tried to attack most of them at one point or another. He also decided to look on the bright side, a week at the Burrow without the twins would be as good as a holiday!

Roger and Cedric were also delighted to be invited, both would be writing home today for permission to go. Neither expected that to be a problem, not with Madam Bones, the new Lord and Lady Black and their private defence tutor going too.

Professor McGonagall standing at lunch was such an unusual occurrence the hall was soon quiet, her announcement certainly perked their interest.

"Tonight at dinner will see Hogwarts welcome some special guests, and we will be holding a feast in honour of that. I expect everyone to be here and dressed in school uniform by the start of dinner, please ensure that any student not currently in the great hall hears of this information."

As the four headed off for their lesson with Sirius, Hermione was denouncing the latest rumour sweeping the castle as drivel. "Can you honestly see McGonagall holding a feast just because Sir Nicholas is getting made an honouree member of the headless hunt? Do you know what type of food they serve at ghost parties? Even Ronald Weasley wouldn't eat it!"

"It can't be that bad..."

"Harry, they deliberately let food rot until it positively reeks in the hope of getting some sensation when they pass through it."

This drew a disgusted expression from Padma. "Hermione, too much knowledge can be a dangerous thing. I could quite happily have gone my entire life and not known that fact, just thinking about it nearly has my lunch passing right through me!"

"Eugh, and I give out too much information? I could certainly have done without that mental image, Miss Patil."

Harry had another question though so interrupted the girls. "Just how rotting are we talking here? I'm still not sure Ronald would be able to resist. Can't you just see him holding his nose while shovelling the food into his mouth?"

That was too much for Neville. "Oh yuck, I declare Harry the winner of this grossing me out contest, and can we please change the bloody subject?"

"Sure, honey, whatever you want, we know you've got to share a dorm with him." Padma then played her ace. "Imagine, waking up to that in the morning..."

That tipped the scales for Hermione. "Ok, we have a new winner. Sorry Harry but I can't think of anything grosser than that image so Padma is still the reigning champion!"

He accepted his defeat with good grace. "Her title is safe, Hermione, I can't think of anything grosser either."

They arrived at the seventh floor to find an excited Sirius waiting on them, that Henrica and Remus were there too put all thoughts of tonight out of their heads. They were far more interested in what was about to happen.

Sirius could hardly wait to tell them. "I know all four of you are becoming frustrated at the lack of results in your search for an animagus form, even though I warned you it would take time. There is a potion you can take though that will help you with this process. The marauders didn't have access to this potion because it's incredibly difficult to brew but we all know a goblin that would have no trouble completing it."

The four would also have no trouble accepting something Master Pitslay had brewed. Hermione though felt as if they were cheating. "Do you mean we drink this potion and that's it, we're all animangi?"

"No, the potion only shows that you have a form, and what that form is. You still have to do all the hard work required to master the transformation. Think of it like an enticement, it will not only show you what's possible but let you see your form too. That way, if it's a flobberworm, you can decide whether it's worth all the work or not."

They all knew Sirius wasn't really joking with that last part, who would want to spend months working hard to discover what their form was, only for it to be useless. Why would anyone want to be a flobberworm?

Harry didn't really know what to ask Hogwarts for but she provided a room anyway. It was large and domed shaped, with a high ceiling. Three sofas surrounded a thick mat on the floor, they naturally headed for the sofas as Sirius explained the process. "This is just a glimpse you'll get today and will keep your own mind, we won't have to deal with feral lions or anything like that running about the room. You'll only transform for a minute or so, try and make the most of it no matter what you get."

There was no surprise that Harry went first. Sitting on the mat with everyone watching him closely, he drank the clear liquid that tasted faintly of peppermint. Harry was beginning to think Sirius had pulled a prank on them when his body suddenly felt as if a dragon had just sat on him.

They watched intently as Harry transformed into some kind of bird, it was slightly bigger than the common blackbird but appeared really ungainly on the ground. It was Hermione who recognised the high piercing chirp, and also what the problem was. She gently lifted the bird up before it appeared to flop out of her hand, what was ungainly on the ground was sheer poetry in motion in the air. Harry was zooming about the room quicker than the latest Nimbus, and certainly living up to his form's name.

"I recognised that chirp before his form, you just never see them on the ground because they don't ever land. Harry's a swift!"

They all watched as Harry twisted and turned around the room in a display of arial acrobatics no broom could ever match. They then noticed another transformation as the mostly black bird became golden, Harry then wobbled in the air before diving toward Hermione. She held her arms out wide to give him something to land on but he shot right to her chest, clutching on to her robes with his short legs until the transformation reversed - and her arms wrapped around a golden centurion. During the resulting kiss, Harry's armour faded as he returned completely to normal. Their foreheads were now resting on each other as Harry spoke to the room.

"That was amazing, the flying wasn't too bad either."

This had both marauders roaring with laughter while Padma and Neville plied him with question after question. Hermione though had one that stumped everyone - except Harry.

"You told us that mass plays a role in transfiguration, how can you then change into a much smaller creature?"

They all sat back down as Harry attempted his explanation. "A normal swift will have a brain about the size of a hazelnut, certainly smaller than a walnut, yet I retained all my memories and my thoughts were just as they are now. I couldn't speak because the animal can't but my chirping alerted you to my problem, swifts just aren't equipped to speak - or launch themselves from the floor. Even my armour worked, though it slowed me down. What I'm trying to say is the swift is still me."

This received total agreement from his godfather. "While transformed, I'm still Sirius Black, though with a little bit of Padfoot in there too. You wouldn't get that today because the potion masks those animal instincts..."

This had Remus roaring with laughter. "I had forgotten about that. When Sirius first managed the transformation, he hadn't gained total control over those instincts. We used to throw sticks, and he couldn't help but fetch them..."

This had all of them laughing but earned Sirius a kiss from his fiancée. "Nice to know you can be trained!"

While this was fun it hadn't really answered her question, not something Miss Granger was about to put up with.

Harry already knew the signs and got back on track. "We already know each person has to have a magical form or they can't become an animagus, and that's the vital difference. You see, it isn't really transfiguration - you can't consciously decide I'll be a lion today and a bear tomorrow, it has to come from within. Your own magic will allow you to transform into your specific magical animal, if you have one, there is no other way to become an animagus."

They didn't look convinced so Harry tried a different tack. "We've all seen goblins and elves performing transfigurations, have you ever seen a goblin or elf animagus? The answer would be no because it's impossible, even goblin masters of the subject can't do it. Only a witch or a wizard can perform the feat, just as only a veela can undergo their transformation. Henrica has a choice of when to transform but that form is already predetermined - again not transfiguration. She is a veela and her form is part of her."

His godfather was again nodding in agreement. "I can't argue with any of that, I suppose it's just another way of looking at the subject. It's easy to see though why an animagus transformation would be considered transfiguration..."

The Ravenclaw in Padma totally lost out this time as the excited witch just had to butt in. "I don't care what it's called, I just want to try it!"

With that, the discussion was well and truly over as they clearly had their next volunteer for the potion.

-oOoOo-

The excitement of their lesson saw their session overrunning, leaving them rushing to make the recently announced feast on time. Harry was thinking how right the Weasley twins were when they christened them the Order of the Aves, since all four of them had bird forms. His thoughts were disrupted when he noticed his centurion dress tunic had been laid out on the bed, with no time available to investigate this unusual phenomenon, that's what he would be wearing.

Meeting Hermione and Padma in the common room, it was clear both were wearing new robes. "Let me guess, the robes were lying on your beds just waiting on you?"

"So you've no idea what's going on either?"

"Sorry, Hermione, all I know is that we're going to be late if we don't get a move on."

They weren't surprised when they met Neville in a new set of robes too. "Is anyone else thinking that today's lesson was planned to keep us late, and not asking any questions about this feast?"

This earned Padma a kiss on the cheek from her betrothed. "You could only be an owl, but we really need to fly or we'll be late."

"Oh yes, my big strong hawk, let's swoop down there."

Hermione was now groaning. "Are we finished with the bird puns? It's already getting old."

Harry tugged her along on his arm. "Well, I'm hovering here trying to find a pun that will work for a kestrel, since I'm struggling I would say we were finished."

"Oh dear, that goblin sense of humour just doesn't get any better. I suppose I should join in and say we need to get down there swiftly but my heart really isn't in it."

This had Harry roaring with laughter, laughter that stopped when they entered the great hall. While Harry's eyes were instantly drawn to his father, he couldn't miss the presence of the Director, Minister of Magic, members of their family along with about fifty goblin warriors and some centurions standing around the perimeter of the hall.

McGonagall stood and beckoned them forward. "As the guests of honour have finally arrived, we can now begin this evening's festivities." Her broad smile informed the quartet they weren't in any trouble. "I'll now hand over to Director Ragnok to handle the formal part of the proceedings."

As they reached the front of the hall, Harry gave the centurion salute before kneeling. ""Well met, Director. I am rather surprised to see you at Hogwarts though.""

The other three knelt and offered the goblin greeting too, before Ragnok replied in English.

"Please rise, we hope to keep this as informal as possible." As the quartet got back on their feet, Raknok addressed the hall. "Barely months ago, a titanic struggle took place underneath this very castle. These four were involved in a battle that demanded every ounce of their courage and recently acquired skills. They fought side by side, caring not who was witch, wizard or goblin. Centurion Crow needed every one of his friends' help to overcome their foes, something I would like to recognise here."

Harry relaxed for the first time, understanding what the director was about to do and that the warriors were here merely as witnesses. His hand found Hermione's and squeezed it reassuringly before the director continued.

"Mr Neville Longbottom and Miss Padma Patil, betrothed to the house of Longbottom, Gringotts would like to bestow Friend of our Nation status on you both."

At that, Barchoke and Master Pitslay came forward, both had a scabbard containing a sword in their hands. As they fitted the blades to their new owners, whispered instructions were passed.

As both goblins retreated, Neville drew his sword and the words choked in his throat for a moment as his eyes focused on the word 'Longbottom' engraved the entire length of the magnificent goblin blade. ""I thank the Nation and hope to prove myself worthy of this honour.""

Padma had noticed their families present and proudly drew her sword, she too hesitated though when she saw her blade also carried the name 'Longbottom'. A tingle passed right through her body at the thought of one day being Neville's wife. She also gave her response in goblin.

A delighted director nodded his acceptance as the four made their way back and the feast began. Padma headed over to Gryffindor with Neville and sat beside Parvati, the sisters sitting together at either table had become such a normal occurrence that not one eyebrow was raised.

Cornelius was quite impressed with the simplicity of the ceremony yet the emotional response from all four was hard to miss. Even the couple not receiving an award were clearly delighted for their friends. He said as much to his opposite number from the Nation.

Ragnok couldn't be happier with how this evening had played out, the compliment from the minister just added to that. "Thank you, Minister. We goblins are a simple people who value honour, courage and honesty. How could we not wish to honour those young people? They stand for everything that's good in both our worlds, a fact emphasised by your Government's own upcoming recognition of their achievements."

Approval of his plans from another national leader was a new but very pleasant experience for Cornelius. He also got a chance to experience for himself how the 'extended family' operated. As the feast ended, all converged in a large group and congratulations were passed from every one of them. Cornelius had made a career out of studying people but even watching closely, he couldn't decipher any hierarchy amongst the group - apart from their children being at the centre of everything. It may be a very strange mixture but it certainly worked for them, making something similar work for the whole of the British Isles though was a daunting challenge. He would ask Arthur tomorrow about the possibility of inviting the Director to their awards ball in the summer.

Both Grangers had visited Hogwarts before but this time it was full of bustling students, every one of whom appeared to know their children. All of the first years were easily identifiable by their Crow's Marauders badges that they all proudly wore on their robes, Emma thought they must have met all of them now as they came over to congratulate Neville and Padma.

There was no question that Harry and Hermione were delighted for their friends though Emma had a question she just had to quietly ask. "Harry, why is Hermione's the only sword without a name on it? She's blood bound to you, same as another couple we know."

"It's really simple, what name would they put on her sword?"

Emma was about to answer when it hit, there was still a decision to be made in a few years time. She put her arms around both of her children and couldn't help the smile that was on her lips. One day she would be a grandmother, whether those children were called Crow or Potter would matter not a jot to Emma Granger, she would simply love them with everything that she had.

A/N thanks for reading

Translations - Driech - cold, wet, utterly miserable. Drookit - soaked through to your skin. Chittered - shivering from the cold. Smirr - light but persistent rain. Snaw - snow. Snell - very cold.

58. Creatures

Harry Crow

Disclaimer - I neither own Harry Potter nor profit in any way from my writing posted here. That people take time out of their day (or night) to read my efforts is all the payment I could possibly hope for.

A/N I'm having trouble believing it's five years today since I posted my first ever chapter online, just as I'm struggling to believe this is chapter 58 of Harry Crow.

A reviewer asked if I could give my Harry Crow chapters headings as they were struggling to find their favourite chapters with just numbers, since I'm having the same problem when looking back to check my facts then I have to agree this would be a good idea.

InAnnaCat offered a solution via PM, since it was her who pointed me at the story that sparked Harry Crow in the first place I decided to adopt her idea. If any reader has a suggestion for a specific chapter heading - including this and subsequent chapters posted - then please send it to me. If I receive multiple suggestions for a particular chapter then whichever seems most apt will make it into the story.

Chapter 58

Tonks wasn't sure what it was about Remus Lupin but every month saw her arriving at Hogwarts just that little bit earlier and had her leaving later too. Using the excuse of passing on information about classes might fool Remus for a while yet, but she wasn't kidding herself. She'd never met anyone quite like him, he was smart, witty and his self-deprecating sense of humour never failed to make her smile.

It was such a refreshing change from some of the boastful macho arseholes in the auror department who were always trying to impress her, even more so now since the chamber incident. That Tonks was continually seeing Remus at his worst just intrigued the female auror all the more, what would he be like when he wasn't just about to transform into a dark creature? She did have a plan to see him outside Hogwarts, and not at this particular point in the lunar calendar either, it was time to let him know of these plans.

"I understand we'll be seeing more of each other over the holidays, Sirius has roped all of the Tonks family into going to Florida with the gang." She was sure that news had raised a small smile but his answer gave nothing away.

"With all the friends they've invited along, a few more adults will certainly be welcome. With Susan there too, Amelia will be delighted that an Order of Merlin holding auror will be accompanying the group."

Both had been so engrossed in their conversation, Padfoot was able to sneak right up to them before transforming. "You'll both be together in Sweden too, especially since you're our best man and bridesmaid..."

Two loud 'what's!' had Sirius back pedalling. "Sorry Tonks, I thought Henrica had asked you..."

"She wants to see me after I lock you two up for the night. You've just left her though, didn't she tell you that?"

The marauder sported a wide grin as he answered. "We didn't have much time for talking..."

Remus interrupted Sirius' boasting. "...and just when were you going to ask me?"

This dented Sirius' smile. "I didn't think I needed to ask you, who else was going to be my best man?"

"Oh, I thought you were going to ask Harry..."

"Don't be stupid! Why would I chose a handsome goblin to stand beside me when I can have you there to make the groom look good!"

Tonks was affronted and was just getting ready to rip Sirius a new one when Remus burst into laughter.

"He's frightened Henrica will finally come to her senses and ditch the old mutt."

"Too true, I'm not taking any chances. That woman is the best thing that ever happened to me and I can't wait to get a ring on her finger."

Tonks now recognised this form of gallows humour for what it was, this pair's way of dealing with a situation that must be horrendous for both of them. Sirius was going to have to be a helpless witness while his best friend suffer the pain and indignity of becoming a werewolf, and their banter probably developed over years of facing this together. As they made their way through the tunnel under the whomping willow, Tonks was pleased that she'd just been presented with yet another opportunity to get to know the enigma that was Remus Lupin better. Since the best man and bridesmaid were required to dance with each other too, it wasn't going to be a hard decision for her when Henrica asked the question.

-oOoOo-

Peter emerged from the tunnel and stood on French soil, it actually felt really good to escape from Britain. Peter was smart enough to know though that it was only the country he'd escaped from, his troubles would follow him around the globe. With the resources Potter and Black had at their disposal he would soon be a dead wizard, unless he could once more gain the protection of his master. Discovering where the dark lord was hiding would be an impossible task except that this death eater had help not available to anyone else. That fateful night his master had been banished, Peter had been the first person to race into the partially destroyed house in Godric's Hollow. Finding young Harry still alive was an even greater shock than discovering his master was no more.

His master's wand was lying there though, and Peter had grabbed the precious item before barely making it back out the house undiscovered as a distraught Hagrid arrived. He removed that wand from his tattered robe and laid it flat on the palm of his hand. "Point me."

The wand spun a couple of times while seeking its master before settling down on a bearing that was roughly east. Peter lined himself up with a landmark on the same bearing before the wand was once more safely stowed away. He would certainly make better time as Peter but Wormtail would be the safer option until he reached some less populated areas. With no idea of the distance he would have to travel before he reached his master, the rat put its best paw forward to continue his quest.

Even finding his master and helping him return to life was fraught with danger, the wand he had safely tucked away on his person had killed its fair share of death eaters too. The difference was that, if Peter did nothing, he would eventually be captured and only one fate awaited him then. He might still die at the dark lord's side, or even by his master's own wand, the difference being he would have a chance to live first. When Peter looked at the problem like that, his decision was not a hard one.

-oOoOo-

"We have some hard decisions to make!"

Padma was lying flat on her back, struggling for her next breath and knackered from their sword practice. She was receiving messages of pain from places in her body she didn't even know had muscles, and silently swearing to curse her betrothed for suggesting they should really learn how to use their new swords. Since Neville was currently faring little better, it was left to Harry to ask what those decisions were.

"We all have to decide on our course electives for next year, and also what to do about the marauders." That last one certainly got the other three's attention so Hermione focused on that first. "We set up the marauders because Hogwarts had another crap defence teacher, now we've got Professor Lupin. What do we do come September? I don't think there is any way we can fit two classes a week into our schedules nor take two years worth of students at the same time - especially since they will be at different levels."

The groan came from Padma as she now saw the problem. "The new first years! I don't want to abandon the current marauders, that's just not an option but how can we tell the new first year they're not welcome?"

Harry then added to their potential problem. "Don't forget, the new first years will have another two Potter scholarship students amongst them. How could I say no to someone I'm effectively sponsoring?"

Neville was also lying on the floor knackered, his eyes may be shut but he was listening to every word spoken. "What if we kept working with our marauders and the four guys took their own class of the new first years come September?"

That idea found favour with all of them but Hermione then took Neville's solution one stage further. "If we're saying this club should now run with every new intake of students, we need to make plans. How about getting some of our friends involved now, working alongside us and the guys so they could be ready to take their own class of first years later?"

This was an idea that Harry really liked, here was a legacy they could be proud to leave Hogwarts with. "I think we need to approach Augusta and McGonagall with this, get it formalised. By the time we're ready to leave Hogwarts there could be a Marauders club running almost every night of the week."

"If that means we won't be able to get this room to practice fencing then it gets my vote. Oh, and no, I am never getting up in the middle of the bloody night to exercise or wave a sword at someone."

"Patil, I've seen you when you get up in the morning, I wouldn't trust you anywhere near a sharp object. Does Neville know how grumpy you are?"

"Neville honey, remind me when I'm not half dead that I owe Granger an arse kicking."

"Yes dear, can you help me up first or will we just sleep here?"

"Neville Longbottom, the first night we spend together will not be on a cold stone floor with both of us too knackered to do anything. It had better be a damned sight more romantic than this."

Hermione bent down to help her best friend to her feet. "It's really only this bad for the first couple of weeks..."

"...and then the pain goes away?"

"Oh no, your body just gets used to it."

"Granger, what kind of a friend are you? You don't even have the decency to lie to me!"

Harry was also helping a groaning Neville to his feet. "I haven't felt this bad since Professor Weasley's very first lesson, I seem to remember the second one was just as bad."

"You use different muscles for fencing, Neville. Just be thankful we're using swords and not battleaxes, the training for that is brutal."

Padma was now on her feet and attempting to glower. "See, Hermione, that's how you do it - tell us how lucky we are and that the situation could be much worse."

"Oh, I was going to tell you that Betsy gives wonderful massages but if you'd rather..."

Padma spun round and kissed Neville. "Goodnight, see you in the morning. C'mon, Hermione, let's go." Hermione found herself being dragged out of there by a stiff gaited Padma, leaving two laughing boyfriends behind.

"Sorry Neville, I know nothing about massages and the goblin cure can be as bad as the pain of sore muscles."

"I'm almost afraid to ask what it is?"

"Oh, nothing sinister, just lying in a bath of ice water. After ten minutes, you don't feel a thing!"

Neville could quite believe that. "I think I'll stick to hot baths, and one of them sounds great just about now."

After dropping Neville off at Gryffindor, Harry entered Ravenclaw to find Hermione waiting on him. "Padma's getting a massage just now, it will put her to sleep and she'll feel much better in the morning."

"Sounds like you're speaking from experience there, I didn't even know elves could do that."

"Neither did I until Betsy offered. When I was back in Crawley at the end of last summer, I was really physically pushing myself hard. I was in severe pain one night, missing you like crazy and lying in bed crying. Betsy helped my aching muscles and told me what you had been up to all day, she really got me through a tough time. I just can't understand why anyone would mistreat an elf, they're so loyal and trusting - they're certainly part of our family. Mum and dad adore Dobby, and he just loves working for them - I just wish there was some way to ensure all elves were treated as they should be."

Harry leaned forward and kissed his bonded gently on the lips. "When you get so passionate about something your eyes actually sparkle, it's so beautiful I just had to kiss you."

This led to her cheeks blushing and those same eyes avoiding his. "Sorry, Hermione, I didn't mean to embarrass you..."

"You didn't, Harry, it was just my mind rushing off in another direction." With Harry remaining silent, Hermione was left to explain her remark. "Every time you do or say something like that, it does funny things to my insides. I never expected to be kissing anyone at Hogwarts and then I met you. You are mine and I am yours, I am also the happiest witch in the world - I just keep wishing we were a bit older so we could practice some of the things running through my mind."

Her head was down and that blush grew deeper still as Harry wrapped Hermione in his arms. "You are mine and I am yours, that means we'll eventually get to do whatever is running through that wonderful mind of yours. Add in what's running through my head and it will take us years to do it all, I'm looking forward to spending those years with you."

Hermione's head had shot up and she was now looking him in the eye, searching for any sign he was just saying these things to make her feel better. "I'm sitting here with a beautiful girl in my arms, a girl who is my mate and wife to be, do you think you're the only one with thoughts like that? I think it's our hormones, Hermione. I stop them from getting away from me by knowing that you are mine, and the day we both want will come soon enough. This will shortly be our second summer together and I don't intend to spend one day of it away from you..."

He didn't get to say anymore, Harry was too busy with Hermione kissing him.

They eventually parted and a rather breathless Hermione attempted to look on the bright side. "Three more summers after this one and we'll never have to say goodnight at the stairs again."

"You're getting the hang of this, Hermione. That sounds so much better than four and a bit years!"

-oOoOo-

Another year she'd have to wait, another year because they wanted to see safety protocols introduced to cut down on the injuries and eliminate any possibility of fatalities. Dolores didn't want to see less fatalities, she wanted more! The Tri-Wizard Tournament would show Hogwarts for the farce it had become, while at the same time raising her own profile to a point where she couldn't be ignored. Coming straight after the Quidditch World Cup, the name Dolores Umbridge would then be on everyone's lips - she'd see to that.

The biggest surprise for Dolores was finding such an ally at Drumstrang. She would certainly be secretly rooting for their champion to win the tournament, that way she could be assured they would be a pureblood. That so many purebloods were literally forced out the ministry sickened Dolores, especially since she never got a promotion out of all the sudden and unexpected vacancies. She knew one day Dolores Umbridge would be back on top, and then it would be time to pay back all those who had wronged her. The scar on the back of her hand was all the reminder she needed of who sat on the very top of that list.

-oOoOo-

They were sorting through the list in Augusta's office. Unlike last year, the selection committee had no reason to exclude the person who ran Hogwarts from the meeting.

"So, we're agreed? Pauline Nott and Natalie McDonald will be the Potter Scholarship students for next year."

Sirius and Amelia both nodded their agreement to Minerva, Natalie was a muggle born while Pauline was a pureblood. Apart from one of them not being a wizard, they really couldn't have picked two more balanced or deserving cases.

Having watched the success of the inaugural Potter scholarships, this year's were allocated more along the lines of which students would benefit most from joining this rather exclusive family and gaining that personal as well as financial support. Natalie's parents were somewhat older than was considered the norm to have a first child, her mother being in her mid forties before conceiving their 'miracle baby'. With her father going to be sixty on his next birthday the couple were understandably very protective of their only child. Discovering that Potter support system would be in place for Natalie might be the only reason the McDonalds would allow their daughter to attend Hogwarts, and might also be the only reason they could afford it. For Pauline Nott, this scholarship would completely remove any taint that lingered from her father's deeds - that was worth more than gold to the remaining Nott family.

Now that all three were happy with their decision, Augusta revealed the real reason she was so keen to have this meeting in her office.

"I've finally decided that muggle studies simply can't continue being taught the way it is, just by spending time with Dan and Emma I can tell the entire course is a load of tosh! It hasn't been updated in at least fifty years and leaves Hogwarts looking stupid to anyone with even a modicum of muggle background. This is simply unacceptable to me."

She was finding no disagreements from her audience, though all three wondered where Augusta was going with this. "I have checked abroad and discovered that each country sets its own muggle studies curriculum, apparently muggles aren't the same the world over and there are tremendous differences in these curriculums. This leaves us with a massive problem, more than one actually. If we were to bring a muggle into the castle to teach the course, we are all aware that they would either be ignored or simply disbelieved by the very people who would benefit most from this course. What we need is someone of impeachable breeding yet with enough understanding of muggles and their world to pass on that knowledge to our students. Now, if this person then had a wife who was already a professor here..."

Sirius couldn't contain his laughter, thinking he'd just been pranked by a master. It was only as his laughter wound down that he realised everyone else in the room was taking this suggestion seriously.

"I think that's a wonderful idea, Augusta, Susan raves about the difference Henrica's made to the history course. With her and Remus in the castle, Sirius would have plenty of support on the best methods to get his points across."

His former head of house agreed with Amelia. "Having Lord Black teaching muggle studies would certainly remove the stigma that's attached to the subject by the pureblood children, and we all know Sirius has more experience of that world than any of us."

Before Sirius could raise any objections, Augusta revealed this was certainly something she'd put a lot of thought into. "Emma and Dan have been looking over the former course and its objectives, after they stopped laughing both started forming new ones for us. They've also had the advantage of having Harry, Padma and my Neville staying in their home, giving them a fair idea just how clueless we are in relation to their world. They would be delighted to work with you on this and are certainly a resource you should use. Both you and Henrica being Hogwarts professors would see you living and working together in the castle, and also allow you to see Harry and Hermione every day."

Augusta handed him some printed sheets with the Grangers' proposed course objectives, Sirius surprised himself by understanding all of it. When he then started thinking about the best way that could be taught to the students, Sirius knew what his answer would be. Her last point too really resonated with the marauder, Sirius was being offered an opportunity to spend every day with those he loved and perhaps begin the journey to make the Black name stand for something good and worthwhile. He had no intention of making it easy for them though, there was always budgets to consider and the longer he held out the more course materials he would be able to wring from Augusta and Minerva.

As the conversation progressed, Augusta's apprehension began to dissipate. She was sure she had her new professor of muggle studies.

-oOoOo-

As the conversation with Whitefang progressed, Barchoke's apprehension just grew and grew.

"I can't really put my finger on it but I just know they're up to something. One day that spoilt whelp, Dragonbreath, was walking around as if a dragon had chewed his nuts off, next you'd have thought he just inherited a mountain of gold. He's more focused on his training too, that's totally against everything the arse has done before."

Barchoke knew Bloodfang was far too wily an operator to give anything away, his son though was a whole different matter. The animosity between Dragontooth and Harry had been present right from their first meeting, with Harry coming off second best in the early exchanges. It was only after Harry started to dominate their clashes that the real trouble started.

"Always said you killed the wrong brother, Bloodfang is the real brains of that family - which is why it wan't him who issued the challenge! His son though takes after his stupid and impulsive dead uncle, without inheriting his uncle's skill with a blade. Without his father's gold and influence behind him, little Dragonbreath would be using his fancy blades to peel vegetables. Making soup is about all the gobshite is good for."

"Do you mean as a cook or as an ingredient?"

Whitefang's laughter rang out at that before the old goblin became serious again. "Those two are bad to the bone, and would ruin any cauldron of soup. Trouble is coming though, just make sure it doesn't catch you unawares. I can see you or Harry having to kill them both, that would be a day to sell tickets for the pit."

"We'll take precautions, my friend, and here's a little something for your troubles." A bag of gold coins left Barchoke's hand and disappeared into the old goblin's tunic. "I know you'll listen out for any more information on this, I would certainly appreciate hearing it."

Both parties understood that appreciation would come in the form of a bag that jingled but Whitefang surprised the ambassador by stopping at the door. "That's a son to be proud of you've got there, you and him are doing wonderful things for the nation so you don't even need to ask. Besides, I hate that bastard Bloodfang's guts!"

As he left, Barchoke then focused on the immediate problem, locating the threat. Harry was safe in Hogwarts for another few weeks but there were two people currently in their medical facility that would be a juicy target for those barbarians. He would arrange a guard and speak to the healers about the possibility of moving them, Emma had turned Kingussie into a fine home for their children so perhaps that could be a possibility.

He would need to contact Augusta for her opinion.

-oOoOo-

Augusta was currently speaking to the second years just before their history class ended.

"We are going to try something this year that hasn't been done before. Since I know some of you will be struggling with which electives to choose, I had hoped to arrange an evening where the professors could put on a bit of a display to promote their subject - and perhaps help you reach your decisions."

As she'd expected, this was met with a wave of enthusiasm though Augusta was surprised to see Harry's hand immediately go up to ask a question.

"Is this a voluntary event, Madam Longbottom?"

"I hadn't intended to make attendance compulsory, Centurion, I was hoping you could configure the room of requirements so we could hold it there."

This received a shake of the head from Harry. "Sorry Madam, I have already chosen my electives and will not be attending."

Having kept the fact that Sirius was going to be the new Muggle Studies Professor a secret, this was going to be their big reveal. She was really keen for Harry to be there, his non-attendance would certainly put a damper on the evening and probably encourage others not to go. "You really should attend, Centurion. I guarantee there will be a surprise or two and I don't want to be forced to make it compulsory."

This didn't sit well with Harry. "Should you make this event compulsory, I still wouldn't attend and certainly contest any punishment handed out because of that."

Hermione could tell from the way Harry was sitting that this couldn't end well, Augusta too wasn't used to being told no. Hermione just didn't understand what Harry's problem was here.

Neither could Augusta, nor could she let a student challenge her authority - even if it was a student she knew well. "I'll give you a moment to explain that answer, Centurion Crow, then you and I will be heading for my office."

Harry never backed down an inch. "When you say these professors are putting on a bit of a display of their subjects, Madam Longbottom, what exactly do you mean? Does the Care of Magical Creatures Professor perhaps have my father there to tell us how we should look after him - feed and water twice a day while keeping his cage clean? What about Professor Lupin or Professor Hobson, will they be modelling for the Creatures Professor? Perhaps a house elf, centaur, merperson in a tank even? You will perhaps understand why the very mention of that subject disgusts me, and since Hermione is far better at teaching me about muggles than anyone you could possibly find I will not be attending this display evening. As I said, I have chosen my electives."

The bell for end of class rang throughout the stunned room, allowing Harry to pack his stuff and leave without another word being spoken. He didn't get far though before his arm was grabbed and he had a face full of an exceedingly angry Neville.

"Who the hell do you think you are, talking to my gran like that - you crossed the line, Crow!"

"I was not aware I insulted your grandmother, it was certainly not my intention. She asked me for something, I said no. She asked for my reasons, I gave them."

"I don't give a shit about that, it was the disrespect in your entire manner that I'm talking about. You just trod all over her as if she meant nothing, she means bloody everything to me!"

"I wasn't talking to your gran, I was talking to the Hogwarts High Inquisitor..."

"Yeah, and Nott wasn't trying to kill your father, just the Goblin Ambassador. Would that have made you feel any better if they'd succeeded?"

At that both girls interceded, physically pushing themselves between the two and forcing them further apart. Hermione managed to get a shocked Harry turned and heading in the direction of a certain alcove she knew of, they were bigger this year but she solved the problem by plonking Harry down and sitting on his lap. At this moment in time the only thing Hermione was certain of was their talk this year wouldn't be interrupted by their two best friends bringing them some dinner.

"Harry, you are mine, and I am yours."

"Why are you saying that now?"

"I just want you to understand that, no matter what we say here, that's not going to change. People argue, Harry, it's not the end of the world. We need to talk about this and be totally honest with each other."

"You are mine, and I am so bloody lucky!" That Harry ended his proclamation with a light kiss to her lips was Hermione's first indicator that things might not be as bad as she thought they were.

"First, I agree with everything you said in there about those the ministry class as creatures." This drew a smile from Harry but Hermione was far from finished. "Can I ask you if you think Augusta or Neville agree with your opinion too?"

"I thought they did..."

"Of course they do, Harry. We've both seen Augusta sitting chatting to father late into the night, they certainly consider each other as friends. We both know Remus and Henrica fit squarely into that category too, for all members of the extended family." Stopping and taking a calming breath, Hermione then continued with trying to explain exactly what he'd done "I know the creature situation disgusts you, and I share that disgust, but you just dealt with Augusta as if she was Dumbledore - you stomped all over her. She already shares your views but had probably never thought of the situation from that angle before, all you needed to do was gently point that out to her."

"...and that's why Neville was mad?"

"Neville was way beyond mad, Harry, he was bloody livid. Anyone else would have received a punch in the mouth before they could leave the class."

"I never intended any insult to his gran and clearly said so, why did he then need to bring father almost being assassinated into it?"

"That was just his temper talking, we both know how he feels about father..."

"...yet he doesn't know how I feel about his gran?"

Hermione left that for a moment before asking the question that was the crux of the matter. "Are you prepared to apologise to Neville, even though you think you did nothing wrong? Is their friendship not worth that? We both know Padma is involved in this as much as I am."

"A goblin should always do the honourable thing, Hermione." He paused and Hermione could see there was more to be said, she sat quietly on his knee and waited on her mate putting his thoughts into words. "I'm frightened I'm beginning to forget just who I am, Hermione. There's a war going on inside me that's every bit as crucial as the one outside Hogwarts, I'm going to have to make decisions here and now that will affect us in the years to come."

Now that she'd got him started speaking about this, Hermione had no intention of letting him stop. She did have to correct his misconception though. "We're going to have to make decisions, Harry, now spill it!"

They were still sitting there chatting when Penny and Percy found them hours later.

"There's only fifteen minutes to curfew, are you two okay? Percy sent Neville to bed and I made sure Padma got to her dorm, when I didn't find either of you there we came looking."

This saw a groan coming from Harry. "Does the entire castle know what happened?"

It was actually Hermione who provided the answer. "Harry, our entire year group watched it happen. You two weren't exactly quiet. You know how this place works, it would have been all over Hogwarts within minutes."

This had the agreement of the Gryffindor prefect, though Percy had noted an anomaly he thought was worth mentioning. "Normally people's responses go along house lines, not this time though. I think everyone is so shocked that you and Neville were actually fighting."

"We weren't fighting, Percy, we just had a disagreement."

The prefect in Percy didn't seem impressed with that. "You weren't fighting because your girlfriends got between you, and that's the only reason you're not in trouble. That will change if you don't both head to your dorm right now."

Deciding that was a good idea, Harry and Hermione headed off to Ravenclaw Tower hand in hand.

-oOoOo-

Augustus cradled his precious stone disk in his hand, allowing the blood seeping from his damaged fingers to coat his ticket out of Azkaban. Rookwood was delighted with how things were going, he was actually ahead of the schedule he set himself, and that was before he redesigned the runes to protect two people. The delicate work he was doing for this stage meant that he had to carve during the day, there was no way to work by sense of touch now.

While this was risky it also held the advantage of allowing him to lie here and dream of what this treasure he held in his hand could possibly bring to him. The death eater had been putting everything he'd heard spoken about in the wing together to formulate a plan, and not just those relatively recent comments either. Even with this protective disk and a straw wand Rookwood understood the odds of him escaping the prison, getting off the island and reaching the mainland were still heavily stacked against him.

Knowing that fact, Rookwood was willing to attempt something so audacious that he might find himself dead before he set foot outside the high security wing. If it worked though, Augustus could find himself achieving everything he'd ever wanted. That he would have Potter to thank for this was something Rookwood hoped he got the chance to do, thank the little shit personally and painfully. With all these pleasant thoughts running through his mind, Augustus Rockwood was certainly the only person in the high security wing who was smiling.

-oOoOo-

It was hard to believe Harry and Hermione were smiling as their swords flashed and clanged at speed, Sirius certainly struggled to believe what he was seeing this morning.

He at least had the sense not to disrupt their concentration and waited for a break to announce his presence. "Merlin, when did you two get so quick?"

"Sirius, what brings you to Hogwarts on a Thursday morning? Is everything all right?"

"Harry, I was just going to ask you that! I got a floo call from Henrica to say that you and Neville had a big fight, and that I should get my arse to Hogwarts. Then I find you two fencing like a couple of maniacs in the courtyard, what's going on?"

"Oh, this is so getting old. We never had a fight, Padma and Hermione were there - do you think they would let us do something stupid like that? We had an argument over the way I spoke to Augusta, I intend to sort it at breakfast."

That news took away most of the worries Sirius had. "Glad to hear it, now what's this I hear you're not taking the subject your godfather is going to be teaching? You are both looking at Hogwarts new Muggle Studies Professor." After receiving their genuine and heartfelt congratulations, Sirius though he had the entire situation under control. "So, can I assume I'll see you both in my class?"

The serious expression that came over both of them warned Sirius there was more going on here than he thought.

"I'm sorry, Sirius, my answer is still no. I'm also intending to drop a few subjects next year too, I feel I'm losing my way in Hogwarts and treating my time in the castle as a bit of a holiday. That attack on father shows the death eaters haven't gone away, and Voldemort is still out there too. I need to train more to meet that threat, and sitting in muggle studies with you isn't going to do that for me. Hermione and I intend to set our own timetable to prepare for this threat, we can't really live our lives in peace until this threat is dealt with."

Turning his attention to Hermione, Sirius asked if she agreed with this new regime Harry wanted to instigate.

"Harry actually wanted to deal with the entire situation by himself, we were up most of the night while I convinced him that simply was not an option - an invisibility cloak can certainly come in handy. Compromises were made and now both of us are getting what we want out of this. Professor Weasley thinks our magic is reaching the point where we can start to learn some of the more destructive curses, we intend to do that come September but not just at the weekend anymore. We're only taking two electives while dropping herbology and astronomy. Since Harry has no intention of sitting his O.W.L.s anyway, there really is no point in continuing with these subjects, they won't help us fight who we need to."

This puzzled Sirius as he knew how seriously these two took their education, they weren't placed in Ravenclaw by accident. "If you don't sit your O.W.L.s, what are you going to do about N.E.W.T.s?"

"We don't intend to sit them, we actually don't intend to be here past fifth year now."

Harry's glib answer had Sirius once more turning his attention to Hermione. "...and you're okay with this? What will you do?"

This was met with a wide smile that confused the hell out of Sirius until Hermione explained the reasoning behind it. "My brilliant bonded mate pointed out something to me that he'd sneakily researched, the muggle legal age to get married in Scotland is sixteen. Do you know we actually live in Scotland now? I plan to marry the Baron of Kingussie the summer he turns sixteen, any further planning past that will depend on the situation with Voldemort and his death eaters."

A horrible thought just struck Sirius. "Aw shit! I guess I get to be the one that passes this piece of news on to Dan and Emma?" That these two planned to marry a year earlier wouldn't create too many waves, especially since it was legal to do so. What would spawn the hurricane though was the thought of their son and daughter training to fight death eaters and Voldemort.

As the implications of this sank into Sirius, Harry's arm slipped around Hermione. "Told you he was the best godfather in the world!"

The best godfather in the world had kept them late delving deeper into their plans so everyone was already sitting at breakfast when they arrived in the great hall. Padma was unsurprisingly at the Gryffindor table keeping company with Neville and Parvati. The atmosphere was so thick with apprehension and expectation that you could have cut it with a knife, all eyes were on the couple as Harry escorted Hermione to a seat beside Luna before heading alone to the staff table.

"Madam Longbottom, if I offended you in any way yesterday, I offer an unreserved apology. My intention was merely to inform, never to insult." Harry then shifted his attention and offered a respectful bow. "Professor Kettleburn, I meant no slight on you or your abilities as a professor either, you merely teach the course that is dictated to you. That I have issues with the material you are obliged to teach should not reflect negatively on you, your subject nor Hogwarts."

Harry received a nod of acceptance from the professor before Augusta stood. "For myself, no apology is necessary, Centurion. I am we'll aware no insult was intended. Instead, I would like to offer an apology of my own. You are attending Hogwarts as a goblin, something that was forgotten yesterday, and your reaction could and should have been anticipated."

With a rueful smile, Harry answered Augusta. "No apology needed, Madam, forgetting I'm a goblin is an easy mistake to make." He didn't add it was one he almost made himself, that would be discussed when only family were present.

Harry returned to sit beside Hermione and Luna while everyone around them ignored the elephant in the room - the confrontation that was still to come.

They were making their way to herbology when Neville approached. "Harry, I'm..."

"Don't worry about it, Neville, I hear the word 'creature' and the red mist descends. I shouldn't have..."

"You didn't do anything, Harry, it was..."

Padma had seen and heard enough. She was delighted these two were able to get over this, both had a stubborn streak a mile wide and, as she'd suspected and hoped, Hermione had clearly been working on her mate as much as she'd been doing with Neville. "Okay you two, enough! Do you intend to keep that up all day? Pack it in and let's not keep Professor Sprout waiting. Hermione, did you guys miss dinner last night?"

"Oh Hogwarts looks after her champion, we had something brought up to us in Harry's room. We spent half the night talking and we'll need to tell you about it."

"It's the half of the night you spent when you weren't talking I want to hear about!"

"Now, Padma, that would really be telling!"

Parvati kept her voice low so only her sister could hear. "Did she just say they spent the night together?"

Padma just couldn't resist teasing her sister, the fact that it was true just made it all the sweeter. "It wouldn't be the first time, Pav, or even the second."

A/N Thanks for reading

59. Calm before the Storm

Harry Crow

Disclaimer - JKR still owns Harry Potter. I write purely for my own enjoyment and post it here so you can read these efforts for free, anyone wishing professional standards of writing should go and buy a book. (Preferably one of JKR's, POA is my favourite!)

Chapter 59

Even though it wasn't her money she was spending Emma had balked at the prices being charged for quality period furniture, especially with the amount that would be needed to fill the house in Kingussie. That all changed when she made a startling discovery, she could buy pieces that were badly in need of repair for a fraction of the cost and the elves would soon have them looking as good as the day they were made. She and Dan had then spent some wonderful weekends roaming through flea markets and antique fairs with a hired van in their search for broken and worn furniture.

The sellers were always happy to manhandle whatever junk they bought into the van, thinking they had found a right couple of mugs here. The elves would then take each piece directly from the van to Kingussie and those same sellers would have been kicking themselves if they ever laid eyes on the finished piece again.

The Patils, Longbottoms, Grangers, Sirius, Barchoke and Amelia were currently occupying sofas and winged back chairs that had been bought in this manner, the elves had even recovered them all in the same antique fabric so the entire collection matched.

The room may have been decorated to offer an air of tranquility and peacefulness but that design was about to undergo a severe test.

Augusta got the ball rolling. "We all know why we're here, we have four of our children wanting to tailor their Hogwarts curriculum to that of a more defence orientated nature."

This had Alice asking a question she really needed to know the answer to. "Is this because Frank and I had to leave Gringotts? We don't want them altering their schooling because of us."

"That can't be the case, Alice, they don't even know about you living here. We wanted to keep that as a surprise for when they come home at summer." Barchoke glanced around the room to see if anyone else had let something slip, there were no takers.

It was time to perform his godfatherly duties and support the couples. "I spoke to Harry and Hermione at length about this, those two really have put a lot of thought into their plans for the future. Harry originally plotted this course solely for himself, Hermione as you might imagine was having none of that. I certainly wasn't surprised when Neville and Padma signed up for this too, those four watch each other's backs and neither couple would want to be left behind..."

Dan interrupted Sirius before he could say anymore. "I thought Hermione was attending Hogwarts to receive an education, not training for combat so she can fight a war. I also distinctly remember being told that goblin females can never become warriors or fight in battles, why are Hermione and Padma different?"

"I give everyone in this room my personal guarantee that, should it come to a pitched battle, neither of those girls will be anywhere near it." Barchoke spoke with such authority that they all looked to him hoping he would explain his statement. "If it comes to a battle, every blade Gringotts can muster will stand beside all the wands Amelia has available and we will slaughter our enemies. The problem is though that the death eaters know this, they won't fight a pitched battle with the outcome a foregone conclusion. They will pick what they consider weak targets before attacking from ambush, and that is why our children train. They need the skills to escape from any attack or hold their attackers at bay until help arrives."

The gathered family found Amelia agreeing with every word Barchoke just said. "Most death eaters are cowards, hiding behind masks and attacking in packs. They almost won the last time because people stood back and let them literally get away with murder, that won't happen again. I'm pretty sure these four have no intention of going looking for trouble, they just want the ability to deal with any that comes their way." The Head of the D.M.L.E. aimed her next comment specifically at the parents of the girls. "Dealing with death eaters is the job of my department, not your daughters or sons. We simply can't ignore though that forces outwith the control of anyone in this room have made those same four students targets for these animals. We will do our very best to keep them free from harm but we need to be honest here and say we can't protect them for every minute of every day. I see this as nothing more than them training to cope with any situations that slip past all our protections."

The Ambassador and the Auror had turned the situation on its head but Dan still wasn't convinced about their children dropping subjects and then leaving Hogwarts at sixteen. "What about their education? How will this effect them in later life?"

"Dan, you and Emma aren't looking at the whole picture here. Our daughter will leave Hogwarts with seven O.W.L.s - and I'm willing to bet anyone in this room she will score outstandings for all of them." No one was prepared to bet against the goblin at the best of times, and certainly not on the quality of Hermione's grades. "All three will also certainly be capable of passing their N.E.W.T.s in potions and defence, throw in their Orders of Merlin, First Class, and any doors they want will be open to them. They're finishing Hogwarts but that doesn't mean they will be finishing their education, there would be a long line of tutors queuing to teach those four any subject they wanted."

Again Amelia added her backing to the Goblin Ambassador. "Those potential results alone would see Hermione qualify for most jobs in the ministry, an Order of Merlin and being married to Harry would tick any boxes her qualifications missed. I think they're actually being fairly sensible about this, getting a wide educational base while training to protect themselves. I also think the news that they'll be leaving Hogwarts after O.W.L.s shouldn't pass outside the family, we're not even sure yet if that part will include Neville and Padma."

Sirius then attempted to play mediator. "The way Harry and Hermione were speaking about this, ending their education was certainly not on the cards. I heard Hermione mention to Harry that there are university courses in diplomacy, something he seemed really interested in. If that's the case then we'll be relying on the only two people we know who've actually attended university to steer the family in the right direction."

This left Dan gobsmacked while Emma wanted to make sure there was no magical / muggle misunderstanding going on here. "Is that even possible, transferring from one system into another?"

It was a now smiling Amelia who fielded that question. "It's not well publicised but the occasional muggle born student will transfer back into the system they left at eleven. The ministry can issue muggle education award certificates to match their achievements after sitting our exams, it's really then up to the individual to study the muggle material they are sure to have missed while at Hogwarts." She had been worried how they would deal with the backlash that was certain to come if Harry left Hogwarts after fifth year, here though was a scenario that would negate that problem nicely. "I have to say, Harry leaving Hogwarts in order to study for the position of Ambassador will not raise any eyebrows in our community. That type of education is not really available anywhere except as a junior in the Department of International Magical Cooperation, something I can't see Harry accepting."

This drew a laugh from Barchoke. "A centurion working as an office junior in the ministry sounds like an exceedingly bad joke."

Dan burst out laughing and couldn't stop for a minute or two, he needed to wipe his eyes and drink some tea to get himself back under control. "Sorry folks, I just needed to let that come out. I was suddenly worried about Hermione's university fund until I remembered I was siting in what is to all effects and purposes her house, and she received a fortune from the sale of that basilisk. The whole situation just freaked me out for a moment there. If you'll excuse me, I need to go and shoot something to calm down."

A kiss for his wife and Dan left the room with everyone now staring at him.

-oOoOo-

A cry of 'PULL!' was soon followed by a pair of shotgun blasts, Dan was immensely pleased to see he had again hit both disks that sailed out from the bushes. This was such a wonderful set-up but he could never bring any of his friends from the gun club here, how would he explain his gun handler to them. Dobby was at his side, ready to take his shotgun and hand Dan its partner that was already loaded and ready to fire. Who would have believed that elves would love the sound a shotgun made, and all politely refused to wear ear defenders - claiming they were unnecessary. They were always more than willing to operate the clay pigeon thrower but Dobby had gained prestige amongst his fellow elves from being the only elf trained to handle and load the shotguns.

'PULL!' Blast, blast, it was such an easy rhythm to slip into that Dobby had to inform his master they had an audience before handing over the loaded shotgun. Instead of snapping it shut, Dan removed the cartridges before turning to see who his guests were.

It turned out Emma was having great difficulty explaining what clay pigeon shooting was to a room full of purebloods and simply brought them all out to see for themselves. Barchoke had heard the explanation from Dan before but it in no way did justice to what was happening here. He was desperate to discover what one of those weapons would do to an enemy yet wouldn't ask that question while there were ladies present, he would get his answer from Dan later.

Dan was secretly pleased he'd clearly impressed his audience with his skill, he was also glad to be unaware there were people watching him while he was actually shooting.

"That looks fantastic, you have got to let me have a go at that!"

Amelia couldn't let that pass unchallenged. "Sirius Black with a gun in his hands, time to run for cover."

"Oh there are strict safety protocols that need to be learned before anyone gets their hands on a shotgun, pranks and tomfoolery aren't allowed anywhere near a shooting site. I'm hoping we can fit some time in over the summer where I can teach our crew the basics."

Smita was flabbergasted at what Dan was suggesting, though for another reason than magicals using guns. "Can witches learn this as well?"

"Absolutely! Emma has tried shooting a few times, I would be delighted to teach anyone who wants to learn the basics and get you started."

"Could a goblin learn this?"

Barchoke's request had Dan smiling. "You mean a goblin who isn't Harry? I don't see why not, there should be a model of shotgun we can adapt to suit your trigger finger being longer."

This had Amelia joking with the goblin. "Should the ministry be worried that Gringotts will soon be issuing their warriors with these weapons?"

"I think the minister would lose some sleep if that were the case. I see a sport here requiring skill, accuracy and timing where magical, muggle and goblin - be they male or female - can compete equally. I know my son, he will love this and I want to be able to shoot with him."

"Master Dan, Dobby will order more cartridges!" The little guy couldn't hide his excitement at the thought of even more shooting.

"Won't you need more of those disks too, or do you think we're all going to miss?"

"No sir, Lord Black. Elves copy them and is now making disks from rocks, we have many, many rocks here. Dobby thinks it will be lots of years before we need to buy more disks." The little elf picked up a rock and soon had it transfigured into an orange disk, another elf then popped beside him and took the disk to the pile they had stored beside the thrower.

Dan may not be able to bring any of his club here but it was now looking like he was going to have a club of his own. Being outside and shooting had also given him an opportunity to clear his thoughts about their children. There was no question that Harry would never place Hermione in danger unless lives were literally at stake, allowing Dan to look on their extra training as self defence lessons. The prospect of them one day attending university pleased him more than he could express. Here was concrete proof they weren't losing their daughter to a world that contained so many wondrous things.

-oOoOo-

Hermione was sitting on the Hogwarts express and wondering if their previous year at school could have gotten any stranger. Draco and Pansy leaving their compartment and saying they would see them at the wedding was just one of the changes her mind was having to deal with, Theo Nott dropping by to thank Harry for making his sister a Potter Scholarship student was another.

Then there was Blaise, sitting with his arm around Parvati. He had used Harry's example from last year and asked her to be his girlfriend at the twins' birthday party, Parvati had of course said yes. Crow's Marauders had been ecstatic upon learning the club would continue next year and a constant stream of them had popped their heads in to their compartment to wish the group a happy holiday. McGonagall may have given them all her patented 'your house is your family' spiel last September but the marauders looked on their club members more as their Hogwarts family, whatever house they were in was immaterial. It showed when Gryffindor won the Quidditch Cup and Ravenclaw the House Cup, cheering came from all four tables.

Fred and George also stopped by to ensure for at least the hundredth time that they were indeed invited to Egypt and, no, it wasn't a prank. They would actually be in Egypt when the results of their potions O.W.L.s arrived but neither seemed too worried about that. The four boys were all delighted at the thought of running their own marauders club with the new first years, they also had a copy of all Hermione's lesson plans and notes from this year's club to work with. All that remained to be done was to sit down at the start of the new term and study timetables to see what nights suited which club best.

They also had to sit down with their parents and sell the idea of their change of curriculum - and leaving Hogwarts early - all four were relieved that Sirius had done the groundwork for them first. Harry discovering that he could study history and politics at university completely sold him on the idea, she herself was leaning more towards law with their two best friends deciding to keep all their options open. Both couples completely agreed with the suggestion Sirius returned to Hogwarts with that they tell no one outside the family of their plans at the moment. This would certainly affect the layout of their library in Kingussie though, with a lot of space now being required for muggle books too.

Their summer plans were also having an effect on the train, there were eleven students outside the family traveling to Florida with them, Lavender spending the week in France and another six joining the group in Egypt, the excitement was palpable as the express sped to London. They would be seeing a lot of their friends over the summer but at the moment, everyone just wanted to get home.

-oOoOo-

Wormtail was also traveling on a train but not in a comfortable compartment, the rat was hiding under a freight container as central Europe sped past. While somewhat cramped and drafty, it certainly beat walking a few hundred miles. When the train stopped, he would crawl out and transform back to Peter before checking his master's wand for direction. So far the train was progressing in roughly the direction he needed to go.

Since it was now looking like he would have to cross the Alps, his directions of travel would be determined mostly by the terrain anyway, a train going in roughly the direction he needed to was far preferable to attempting to traverse mountains on foot. Unlike the occupants of the Hogwarts Express, Peter wasn't expecting hugs and kisses when he reached his final destination.

-oOoOo-

At the moment Hermione wasn't able to hug anyone in greeting. At this very moment, Hermione was in floods of tears. She also had both her parents very worried by their daughter's reaction. "Don't you like it? We could..."

"...not change a thing! Mum, I absolutely love it, you've done a wonderful job - you too, Dad."

"Nice to know I at least merited a mention." Dan's 'I'm in the huff' act didn't really work because of the large smile the dentist was now wearing.

Harry came up behind Hermione before slipping his arms around his still stunned and tearful mate. "I don't remember you having this reaction to any of our other houses?"

She leaned back into him before answering. "This one is ours though, this one is home."

Emma couldn't wait any longer and dragged both of them away to see the rest of the house.

Dinner that night was a real family affair with only Amelia, Susan and Hannah missing. Both girls though would be joining them on Monday as they headed for Sweden.

Neville was overjoyed to see his parents, and both looking so well. Not having laid eyes them since February, there was a marked improvement in their health since then with both now feeling confident they would be able to make the island holiday with the rest of the family.

Harry was a bit worried his father hadn't told him about the suspected threat from inside Gringotts before now, though fully accepted the reason that he couldn't really do anything about it while at Hogwarts. He certainly didn't intend to have a repeat of what happened over Care of Magical Creatures. Goblins spoke their minds yet Harry was finding he still hadn't grasped all the social niceties required for not upsetting non-goblin people, something he had no intention of doing that day in history class either. Thanks to Hermione and Padma, he and Neville had quickly sorted the matter between them and both were embarrassed at how swiftly that news of their tiff had raced through the castle. He would talk to his father alone later, and hopefully discover what was really going on that would make him take such cautionary action.

On the Hogwarts upside though, the electives evening went ahead without Harry's presence and with only Ronald Weasley choosing to take the Care of Magical Creatures class. This caused Harry further embarrassment over the amount of influence he clearly held amongst his fellow students. This was especially pertinent when Hermione confidently predicted that, since his views on the matter were now well known throughout the castle, not one of Crow's Marauders would choose the subject when their turn came at the end of the next term. With only one student in two years electing to take Care of Magical Creatures, the ministry would either have to change the course syllabus or Hogwarts would be forced to drop it. Since the school stopped offering divination for the new term, Harry didn't think Hogwarts could really afford to lose another elective subject.

Talk of course kept returning to next weekend's wedding, with the bride and groom to be present, that was always going to be the case. Sirius and Henrica were also spending the weekend in Kingussie before accompanying the gang to Sweden on Monday. Alice and Frank wanted their public return to magical society to be the Awards Ball so were giving the wedding a reluctant miss. Neville and Padma were also going to miss the first week in Sweden too, wanting to spent the time with Frank and Alice before arriving in Lulea on Friday with most of the adults.

Luna's thoughts were also on her family, or rather her dad. Monday was so close yet also seemed so far away to the young witch. She hadn't seen him since leaving for Hogwarts last September but the tone of his letters had began to become slightly upbeat as she allowed more of her real feelings to seep into her letters to him. It had been hard writing about how wonderful her Christmas had been but her father's reply clearly indicated that was exactly what he'd hoped to hear. After that, Luna couldn't stop writing and Eargit was kept busy delivering letters between them both. She wouldn't really need to introduce her friends to her father, he would be able to recognise them purely by the amount Luna had written about each of them.

Remus was also in a reflective mood, thinking it wasn't so long ago his only companionship was the flock of sheep he was shepherding. Now he was having dinner in this beautiful house with friends and people who considered him family for company. The reflective mood was induced by watching his best friend, a best friend he'd once thought guilty of betrayal. A decade in Azkaban had certainly changed Sirius but in some ways for the better. He could imagine a pre-prison Sirius attracting the attention of a witch like Henrica but doubted if he would have been able to hold on to her - far less propose marriage. This much more mature version though not only accomplished that but appeared to be looking forward to everything that entailed, including one day becoming a father.

This line of thought focused his mind back onto his own problem, though he was still no nearer a solution. Remus was neither stupid or naive, he could plainly see Tonks was interested in him - he just couldn't for the life of him work out why. She was young, beautiful, talented, now independently wealthy and soon to be presented with their nation's top award for bravery. Why she seemed interested in a broken down old werewolf who needed help to land his first real job since leaving Hogwarts was a mystery to him.

Remus wasn't really interested in a casual relationship, especially since Sirius was her head of house. He didn't think there was a hope in hell of anything more but would happily settle for having the beautiful young auror as a friend, he would just have to wait and see what the future brought. Tonks had made all the running so far and Remus was prepared to wait and see where that running led to.

-oOoOo-

Hermione was in shorts and sports bra while Harry wore his tunic as they raced around their property. Both agreed that what they thought was beautiful in mid February was simply breathtaking in late June. As the ran along the glen she wanted to know if Harry had discussed the Gringotts situation with his father.

His answer was a growl. "That whole family are rotten to the core! That little shit Dragonbreath is their last hope for greatness, so much so that when I started getting the better of him at about age six my father had to enter the pit and fight a duel to protect me. Sometimes I wish I hadn't dropped my sword that day he tried to hurt you..."

"Surely you don't mean that, Harry?"

They ran for a minute or so before Harry answered his mate. "The changes inside Gringotts are every bit as dramatic as those in the magical community, with reactions about the same too. Some have welcomed those changes with open arms, most will sit back and wait to see what happens before committing themselves but a few will plot to reverse these changes - and hopefully leave themselves in charge when the current system collapses. Dragonbreath and his family fall firmly into the last category."

It took another moment for Hermione to reply. "We've seen the changes in Hogwarts, changes I never thought would be possible two years ago. Couldn't Dragonbreath, or whatever his name is, change too?"

"The little shit's name is Dragontooth, I call him that because I know it annoys him and no, he won't change. People like Draco changed because it was to their advantage, both of us would change whatever we needed to in order to stay together. Fudge has played his hand brilliantly and shot up in the estimation of the Nation. Persecuting the death eaters without damaging their family's name, standing, wealth or other members probably avoided another war. Dragontooth's family would rather see the Nation fighting wizards than living amongst them, something that attacking Frank and Alice inside Gringotts would probably accomplish."

Hermione could sense Harry wasn't telling her everything and wasn't about to stand for that. "Spill it, Crow, you know you can't keep secrets from me."

"It scares me sometimes how well you know me..."

"...and never mind trying to change the subject."

"Okay, it's father. That shoulder injury healed about as well as could be expected and doesn't really bother him day to day, it does bother him with a blade in his hand. He's lost about ten percent mobility in his sword arm, not enough to trouble him unless he was fighting for his life in the pit. That ten percent could see him killed so I'm declaring myself family champion. Anyone attempting to challenge father in the pit will instead find themselves facing me."

Hermione stopped running and Harry was expecting some harsh words. Instead, she leaned in and tenderly kissed him. "Like you said, Harry, I know you so well. Certainly well enough to know you could never have reached any other decision. You nearly killed yourself attacking that basilisk to protect me, of course you're going to protect your father any way you can. Do you think it will come to that?"

"Whitefang provided the initial warning but things have quietened since father moved Frank and Alice to Kingussie. The truth is we just don't know, and that's what has us worried."

With no more needing said, they continued their run. Kingussie was almost five hundred miles from Gringotts and their time was occupied for the next month at least, most of which would see father accompanying them. For a goblin to move directly against Barchoke inside Gringotts would be suicidal, both politically and literally since the director had reintroduced father's guards. While taking precautions they couldn't let this implied threat rule their lives, they would deal with any problems if and when they arose.

Living what was considered normally for them would see the extended family attempting clay pigeon shooting today, something all the adults seemed excited about.

-oOoOo-

Excited didn't even begin to describe Luna as they prepared to head for Sweden. The group had barely recovered from the portkey arrival when she screamed 'DAD!' at the top of her voice while springing at the man who was clearly her father.

Xeno Lovegood appeared gaunt, almost frail, with his long blond hair hanging down past the shoulders of the startling scarlet and lime green striped robes he was wearing. Then again, most people would appear gaunt when standing next to Lukas Hobson.

Henrica was quickly emulating Luna by being wrapped in her parents' arms while Sirius and Remus got the rest of their group organised and pointed in the direction of where they would be staying, he'd rented six houses for a fortnight though most wouldn't be needed until Friday. Moa and Lukas were soon dispensing hugs to everyone and welcoming them to Lulea while promising the youngsters they would enjoy their stay.

Moa needed to discuss the wedding arrangements with Henrica and Sirius so Lukas took everyone else for a look around town, Remus went along too and it would be a while before either Lovegood would be parted from each other.

After spending the afternoon together, all those visiting could see why Xeno could be considered a little strange or even a touch eccentric. He appeared to have a completely different way of looking at the world around them. Being Luna's father though gained him instant acceptance within the family group, it was blindingly obvious both father and daughter doted on each other. They were all very fond of Luna and her father did tell some wonderful and certainly colourful stories, whether there was any truth in those stories was not for them to judge.

-oOoOo-

Sirius decided this was the best thing he'd ever done as he stood with Remus by his side, awaiting the arrival of his bride to be. When Henrica appeared, every male in the little church agreed wholeheartedly with Sirius Black.

Any bride who's walking down the aisle can be certain every pair of eyes in the building are focused on her, Henrica Hobson, soon to be Black, took that experience to a whole new level.

She had promised her groom he would like her dress and Henrica hadn't exaggerated, Sirius couldn't take his eyes off his bride. The dress was white but that was Henrica's only flirt with wedding tradition, this was no sweeping gown but rather a dress that's scalloped and heavily embroidered hem stopped above her knee. With a scooped front, low back that was covered by her cascading blond hair and three quarter lace sleeves, Henrica had taken the concept of the little black dress and adapted it for her wedding. The Black family tiara was the only jewellery she wore, Henrica simply didn't need any more.

Everyone agreed the adaptation was a resounding success, especially her bridesmaid. Tonks wore a similar style dress except for the colour, it was a deep shade of violet that the auror had changed her hair to match. She had no worries about outshining the bride, that was simply never going to happen, but Tonks could only hope the best man noticed her.

Sirius couldn't remember a word of the wedding ceremony, only Remus putting the rings in his hand alerted him he had some work to do. When the minister uttered the line, 'you may now kiss the bride', Sirius needed no prompting. With the cheers of their family and friends ringing in their ears, Sirius shared their first kiss as a married couple with his wife.

It wasn't until their first dance, Tonks received confirmation that Remus had indeed noticed her. "You really are quite beautiful, is this the real you?"

"More or less, my natural hair is black and my original nose slightly longer. This is my own body though, I"m glad you seem to like it. This same body requires a date for the Awards Ball, how would you feel about helping a lady out?" She waited nervously on his answer, watching the conflict play behind his eyes and hoping Remus would reach the decision she wanted.

"I've already been invited to attend by Sirius, somehow though I get the impression your invitation is slightly different. What do you think the reaction would be if a beautiful young auror turned up to collect her Order of Merlin, First Class, with a werewolf on her arm? Sending out a message like that could see you lose your job..."

"...my job prohibits me from associating with known criminals, am I going to have to arrest you any time soon?"

"I think I would only be in trouble if you could read my mind, I'm not quite sure if everything I'm currently thinking about you is strictly legal. I have to ask though, why me?"

"Remus, you're a smart, decent guy who can always make me smile, have you any idea how scarce guys like you are? I'm not talking about your furry little problem, just as you're not interested in who I can change into. We both know those traits are part of who we are but neither of us let that define who we are, I am just as interested in the real you as you seem to be in the real me."

"Well, if the real Auror Tonks requires a date for the ball arranged in her honour, Professor Lupin would be only too happy to oblige the beautiful young lady and accompany her to that special evening."

Remus was delighted to see he'd made her smile again, when he looked into those gorgeous eyes he thought that making Tonks smile was certainly a job he would be a bloody fool not to apply for.

-oOoO-

The missing marauder was currently about two and a half thousand miles from his former friends, the eyes he was staring into though were a million miles away from those currently being enjoyed by Remus and Sirius. For a start, this pair were glowing red and staring at him from the eyes of a humongous snake.

His mind was also wandering too but it wasn't wandering alone, he felt his master's presence as his journey to Albania played back for the dark lord to view. Peter could feel his master's anger growing with each new revelation but seeing the Malfoy trial in the Prophet ended the communication between master and servant, it ended because Peter lost conscious.

The only way Peter could describe the agony was to say that it felt as if the dark lord just stuck his wand into his victim's ear before then casting his most powerful cruciatus curse. Peter had never felt pain like that in his life before - and would be exceedingly happy never to have a repeat performance.

His body was still trembling as he slowly regained his senses, senses that were telling him there was a massive snake just waiting to have him for supper. It was almost as if he was feeling his master's voice inside his head, Peter certainly couldn't understand what the reptile was hissing at him.

"Res-s-st, Wormtail, we have much to do. There are certain people that need to be rewarded while others-s-s have outlived their us-sefulnes-s-s-s, s-something I intend to remedy at the earlies-st opportunity. You are now on the reward lis-s-st, fail me again and you can join the other. Thos-s-se on that lis-s-st are already dead, they jus-st don't know it yet!"

Maniacal laughter now filled his head, Peter just wasn't sure if any of it was coming from him or whether it was all Lord Voldemort.

-oOoOo-

Draco was lying in a strange bed, struggling with himself not to break into maniacal laughter at the day he'd just had. He was worried that if he started, it would be impossible to stop. Thinking that talking to his roommate might help, Draco gave it a try. "Blaise, are you still awake?"

"No, Draco, fell right off to sleep the moment my head hit the pillow. My brain feels as if we're still on one of those coaster things, it's whizzing around at speed and I'm sure it turned upside down at least once."

"I know exactly what you mean, the world we thought we knew just got turned upside down today."

"Draco, I thought sitting with the girls at the pool yesterday was the greatest day of my life. Today just blasted that to smithereens. We took a boat ride through a jungle, saw pirates and were shooting down a water slide while sitting inside a log - how are you supposed to deal with all that?"

"I used to think having a good time was attending parties and looking down your nose at those lower in class than us, I actually used to practiced my 'you're unworthy' sneer in the mirror. The muggles have built a whole magical kingdom to do nothing but have fun in, and they really know how to have fun!"

"Draco, I'm beginning to wonder what else we've been told that isn't true. Did you see Hermione in that bikini thing yesterday, MERLIN! She's a muggle born yet smarter and more powerful than both of us - she's also gorgeous, an Order of Merlin, First Class, holder and blood bonded to Harry. How the hell does that fit with anything we've been taught as purebloods?"

"I would be very careful saying that out loud, Blaise. You wouldn't want to upset your girlfriend, and certainly not her sister or any of the others."

"Oh I'm happy with Parvati, that's not what I meant. We're both purebloods yet I can honestly say Hermione is way out of our league, even though she's a muggle born. I can see that yet it goes directly against everything we've both been taught. Something obviously isn't right but how can we not believe what we're both seeing with our own eyes."

"I think we'll both need our eyes tested after tomorrow. Do you really believe muggles can fire themselves into space using rockets?"

"Shit, Draco, I'm barely coping with what we saw today, I don't think I can cope with tomorrow."

-oOoOo-

Tomorrow, the ball was tomorrow and Augustus was ready - he'd been ready for a couple of weeks. He'd spent those weeks refining his plan until he couldn't make the slightest improvement to it, it now all came down to tomorrow.

It really could only end one of two ways, tomorrow would either be the greatest day in Augustus Rookwood's life or his last. His distilled and refined plan now saw him and Bella standing at their master's side, the dark lord's two most trusted advisors and enforcers. While he would be the brains of the duo, their was no doubting who held the power. Bellatrix was the most powerful witch Augustus had ever laid eyes on, she was also as beautiful as she was crazy - which added another level of danger to tomorrow.

No matter how well he planned and schemed Augustus was faced with only one utter certainty, he had no idea how Bella would react when he approached her with this scheme tomorrow. The best he could calculate the odds were fifty - fifty, meaning there was as much chance of Bella killing him as there was the dementors, guards or that swim.

When his sensible side objected to him taking such a risk, it was swiftly clobbered into submission by the image of Bella standing at his side. Now there was a reason worth living, or dying for.

A/N thanks for reading

A/N 2 - thanks to those who took the time to offer suggestions for chapter titles, I am working through them. Next chapter 60 - Birthday Ball Breakout

60. Birthday Ball Breakout

Harry Crow

A/N Today my wife and I took the train to Largs, then boarded a ferry before spending a wonderful day cycling on the beautiful isle of Cumbrae - basking in glorious Scottish sunshine for the entire journey. I'm writing this here not to make my readers jealous but as a warning. This chapter contains certain death eaters attempting to escape from a totally different island, and theirs is a far, far darker experience than ours was.

Chapter 60

Bill went upstairs to check on his sister, just to see if she really was alright about tonight. He found her lying on her bed and happily reading a book that appeared to be muggle in origin, her room was also decorated with pictures and souvenirs that she'd clearly accumulated over the summer. Bill was just thinking how much healthier this was for Ginny than her obsession over those stupid boy who lived works of fiction when he was snapped out of his musings by a loud wolf whistle.

"Looking hot there, Bill, are you sure you don't have a date for tonight?"

"...and have her sitting at the same table as mum?"

This had Ginny giggling with laughter. "Mum would be planning the wedding before the first dance was over, smart move, Bill. So why aren't you downstairs getting ready to leave?"

"I wanted to check my favourite sister wasn't too upset about missing the ball this year? Looks like I could have saved myself a trip."

"Oh I knew I wouldn't be able to attend a couple of weeks ago, all the places were sorted when we were in Florida. I am a bit disappointed but you really should have been there last year, I also have an invite to a birthday party in Kingussie tomorrow and then another Merlin Ball to look forward to at the end of September. That really was the best party I'd ever been to, until Ron tried to spoil it by shouting at Parvati for dating a Slytherin. I have a lot of friends in Slytherin so I don't know what his problem is!"

Bill's heart was fit to burst with pride at how well Ginny had turned her situation around. "When did you get so smart?"

"I hang about with smart people, Bill. Harry and the gang are pretty easy-going until it comes to the subject of bigotry, they just won't stand for it. The more I think about it, the more I see they're right to be like that. There's no house or blood bias in Crow's Marauders, that would be an insult to the person the club is named after."

"Ron doesn't give you any hassle about your Slytherin friends does he?"

"Oh he hit the roof when he found out I was going on holiday with some of them. Then Fred and George hit him with a load of pranks, and suddenly Ron didn't really care who I was going on holiday with. Those two have gotten really good, even mum couldn't change Ron back from the things they did to him. She had to threaten both of them with not going to Egypt to get the twins to reverse it."

Bill knew Master Pitslay expected the twins to ace their potions O.W.L. - a year early too! He had a feeling both their parents were going to get a shock from the twins' new attitude, they still played pranks but had gotten a lot more methodical about it.

With a hug from his sister, he headed off to accompany their parents to tonight's awards ball.

-oOoOo-

As the guests of honour were waiting to be called into the ballroom, Molly was busy trying to thank everyone for taking Ginny to Florida - while at the same time asking if they were sure about taking the twins to Egypt. She was describing in great detail what Fred and George had done to Ron at the beginning of the summer, not knowing this just endeared the twins more to the group. The Patil sisters in particular had great trouble containing their laughter.

Molly wasn't laughing when she spotted Draco Malfoy in the company, only Bill's firm hand on her arm prevented a rant. She was quickly led over to a corner where her eldest son had a quiet but firm word with her.

"Lucius Malfoy set the basilisk loose in Hogwarts, not his son. He's in Azkaban paying for that crime, Draco being in this company tells the country that the innocent shouldn't suffer along with the guilty. Three of the girls here were attacked by the basilisk and Parvati was possessed by that diary. If they can accept Draco being here then you have no right to say anything about it. There are others who might and then you'll see how this family operates. They're very like us, mum, what do we do if someone attacks a Weasley?"

This left Molly floundering for words, not something she was used to. She also had to defer to Bill's knowledge of these people, he was the expert here. Arthur had no opportunity to invite Ginny this year, they received two invitations with Bill's coming to him as an Assistant Ambassador. She would try to keep her mouth shut while her eyes and ears remained wide open. This extended family were having such an affect on the Weasleys that Molly really couldn't afford to insult any of them with a tirade. Apart from holidays and education, Ambassador Barchoke had saved Arthur's life and then warded the Burrow. That cut them an immeasurable amount of slack as far as Molly was concerned.

-oOoOo-

The group had three tables tonight, purely because they would have needed a Hogwarts sized one to accommodate all of them. The tables for ten were alongside each other so, while they had to occupy specific seats for the meal, the seating would become fluid once the dancing started.

Neville and Padma led the group into the ballroom tonight and again, the goblin tailors had done them proud. This year though, both were Friends of the Nation and wore their blades with pride. The biggest shock of the night was reserved for the couple who followed them into the ballroom.

Frank and Alice were now officially retired from the Auror Corps but both were still entitled to wear their dress uniforms to formal functions, and functions didn't come any more formal than this. An impressive number of awards were pinned to the breast of their robes, having been added to by Amelia recently who presented the couple with the award for aurors injured in the line of duty.

It was Amelia, seated at the ministry table, who broke the stunned silence by standing and beginning the applause, applause that quickly became thunderous. The Longbottoms were one of the oldest pureblood families in Britain and seeing these two almost back from the dead was certainly something worth applauding.

Smita and Ramrao followed the Longbottoms, the couple had again chosen traditional Indian dress which certainly added colour to the group. Parvati and Blaise were both in clothes designed and produced by the goblins, with a similarly dressed Luna walking beside Augusta in her traditional British robes to complete the first of their tables.

The new Lady Black was on her husband's arm as she led the members of their table into the ballroom. They were followed by their table's other award winner, Tonks, on the arm of Remus. The Hobson and Tonks parents preceded Draco and Pansy to fill the Black family table.

There were more than a few eyebrows raised at the final couple, although the vast majority of those eyebrows' owners agreed with their inclusion. Crow was on record saying only the guilty should be punished, here was a perfect example of what he preached being put into practice. If this group could accept the son of Lucius Malfoy into their company then there was hope for their society yet.

Harry and Hermione led the procession toward their table, with Dan and Emma following on behind. The Goblin Ambassador and his assistant came next, with Arthur and Molly taking up position behind them. Susan and Hannah completed their table, the restriction on numbers meaning neither witch could invite a date. Both thought this was a small price to pay to be here tonight.

When everyone was settled, Minister Fudge rose and made his way toward the small, and as yet unoccupied, bandstand. He stood there for a moment, just looking over the people who had crammed in here to witness tonight's award ceremony. "Last summer, we decided to break with tradition and, as well as making this event less formal, we held the speeches at the beginning of the evening. Since we find ourselves in a similar situation tonight, it appears as if we've started a whole new tradition."

His eyes found Harry's for the next part of his carefully prepared speech. "I stood on this very spot last year, extolling the virtues of a family who fought against the darkness that threatened our country in times past. It would seem some here actually listened to what I said and drew inspiration from my words of wisdom, either that or they just followed Harry!"

The minister making a joke at his own expense earned a laugh and was a good start to the evening. "The six people we're all here to honour tonight stood together against opponents so dark and deadly, their courage defies description. As if having to defeat the biggest basilisk in recorded history wasn't enough of a feat, they also stopped the return of the self-proclaimed dark lord, Voldemort."

Using that name drew some screams from the audience, and not all of them from witches.

"I think you would have to agree, these awards are certainly merited. Please show your appreciation as they come up onto the stage to collect their Orders of Merlin, First Class."

Amelia then approached the stage carrying a silver tray containing their medals as the Minister read the role of honour.

"Neville Longbottom, Padma Patil, Hermione Granger, Lady Henrica Black and Auror Tonks."

Again everyone was up on their feet applauding like crazy, there was also hardly a dry eye at the three guests of honour tables. They had of course discussed the subject of speeches beforehand and Neville found himself elected to give one for the entire group, simply by the process of elimination. They all had an input into the words that would be said tonight, they would simply have more impact being delivered by the eldest son of an old and respected pureblood family.

Neville hated that reasoning, mainly because he knew they were right. It should be the words that were important, more than the blood status of the person who said them. He knew they would have less impact though coming from a Swedish Veela, a British muggle born or an Indian witch. Tonks was a ministry employee and couldn't really court controversy with her job as an auror, so Neville was left to be 'it'.

He looked down to his beaming parents and proud grandmother, and Neville Longbottom stood tall. "We worked and survived that day as a team, and it was a team decision that I would speak for all of us tonight. The four ladies teamed up on me and decided I was doing it. After remembering that those same four ladies were all Orders of Merlin, First Class, holders, I did the only thing I could and agreed with them." This again drew a fair amount of laughter from the crowd, adding to Neville's confidence.

"Harry said it first back in Hogwarts, we four friends are all so different that our friendship should never work. It does though, not in spite of those differences but because we embrace those differences. We embraced them so much, Harry and I will now one day marry our best friends!"

This drew more laughter, cheers and a few good-natured jeers.

"The seven of us who set off for the chamber were all different, and without those differences I seriously doubt if any of us would have survived. I say seven because the Lady Ravenclaw accompanied us too, and also played a vital role. We have two very good friends with us tonight who would have died in a Hogwarts corridor without the protection the ghosts deliberately provided for them."

There were more than a few in the ballroom whose colour drained to a ghostly tincture with that thought. Neville felt a hand rest on his shoulder and offer a squeeze of support, he turned his head to see Amelia acknowledging what he said was so terrifyingly true.

"Without Lady Black being able to blind the basilisk, we would have been defeated before we even started. Without Auror Tonks and the Lady Ravenclaw keeping watch on the spirit of Tom Riddle, we wouldn't have been able to concentrate fully on dealing with the basilisk. Without Harry and Hermione's goblin blades we wouldn't have been able to eventually bring the beast down - yet without Padma and my wands pulling the basilisk away from them, they wouldn't have been able to escape those deadly jaws for long. I think Hermione's father said it best, if we hadn't all gone down there, we wouldn't have all come back up alive. It took all of our differences working together to achieve a result I still find unbelievable."

Neville had the entire hall hanging on his every word but it was to his parents he looked now. "I've stood here tonight and spoke to you about what can be achieved when we embrace our differences and work together, I'm looking at another wonderful example right in front of me now. By utilising the wide range of knowledge amongst my friends' parents, my own parents were able to walk in here on my thirteenth birthday and see their son be one of a group who received this award. I hope you'll forgive me when I say that means much more to me than the actual award itself."

That the entire ball room was up on its feet and applauding was a fair indication they not only forgave but understood as well.

Cornelius watched Neville step back amongst his fellow award winners to many hugs and congratulations, the minister let the applause die down before stepping forward himself. "I agree wholeheartedly with everything that courageous young wizard just said, and would also like to welcome Frank and Alice Longbottom back amongst us once more. We give thanks to our goblin friends for making this possible, and for inviting healers from St Mungo's to their medical facility inside Gringotts so this remarkable accomplishment may benefit even more people."

That last part had been know by only a select few, it was certainly news that was welcome here tonight. "Now, as the Lady Ravenclaw can't leave Hogwarts Castle, that leaves us with one other member of the team who risked their lives that day to thank - Harry Crow."

While the ministry was well aware it was granting land and a title to a goblin, Cornelius didn't want to rub tonight's guests' noses in it by announcing Centurion Crow. Harry had readily agreed to this compromise, it was a small price to pay for what the Nation was receiving.

"Since most of you would have been here last year, you will of course be aware that this young man is already an Order of Merlin, First Class recipient - an award he proudly has pinned on his jacket tonight. As the acknowledged leader of the group of rescuers, and the most severely injured after the basilisk targeted his blood bonded mate, we at the ministry wanted to show our appreciation for his bravery in a different manner. Please will you welcome on stage, Harry Crow, Baron of Kingussie."

Harry rose to great applause and made his way on stage where the Minister of Magic presented him with that oh so precious scroll of parchment. There would be goblin builders in Kingussie before they returned to Hogwarts in September.

Being conscious of not wanting to upstage Neville's speech, Harry kept it short and simple. That he allowed everyone to see how heartfelt his words were just increased the power behind those words. "I think I said last year that family was everything to me. Thanks to that spirit of cooperation Neville mentioned a moment ago, I have my godfather and godmother here tonight. That members of my family are already considering Kingussie as home might give you some idea of what this award means to me, and for that I simply can't thank you enough."

This drew loud applause but Harry had something else he wanted to say. "My father taught me to do what is right, rather than what is easy, something he lived up to by risking his own life while saving a young witch and her daughter inside this very building. I would like to dedicate this award to him, because he's my hero."

Harry had added that last bit in himself, only talking with Hermione about its inclusion. It was hard to tell how the ballroom received it, the three tables at the front and those on stage were generating enough noise to compensate for any lack of applause from elsewhere.

They then had to pose for the obligatory photographs before the Minister made sure to shake everyone's hand as they made their way back off the stage.

The six received heroes welcomes as they returned to their tables and family. Barchoke broke with tradition by embracing both his daughter and son. "You all keep talking about bringing down barriers, I thought it was time this one fell too - but only on special occasions!"

Hermione had to wipe the tears from her eyes from witnessing this, knowing how much this gesture meant to both of them.

As they settled down for dinner, Molly attempted to make a joke. "No vials of fake blood this year, Harry?"

"Mrs Weasley, down in the chamber we all saw enough of the real thing to last us a lifetime."

-oOoOo-

On a bleak isle in the middle of the North Sea, blood was also on the mind of Augustus Rookwood. It was time to see if those months and months of effort, pain and sacrifice were actually going to be worth it. Having finished his protection medallion earlier than anticipated, he'd then made a few minor modifications. His last incisor had been sacrificed to bore a hole in the medallion, with more of his long hair being pulled out and threaded through it to allow his precious protection to be worn around his neck. Blood had also been added to this woven hair necklace, any smidgen of extra protection was very welcome. It was now time to see if it and his straw wand worked as well as he hoped.

A simple alohomora was greeted with a click, allowing the death eater to inch open the door and peer along the gloomy corridor. Dementors prefer the dark and the ministry weren't about to spend a Knut on their prisoners' comfort, only eyes that had long become accustomed to the darkness allowed him to see anything at all. He clutched the medallion to his chest as a dementor approached, hoping he would at least have time to force the door shut if the creature reacted to his presence. With Augustus' heart beating loud enough for the dementor to hear it thump, the dark creature glided serenely past, completely uninterested in him. After discovering that both his creations were a success, it was time to put the rest of his scheme into operation.

He wasn't one hundred percent sure where Bellatrix's cell exactly was but found it easily enough, on the same side as his and only three along. He looked through the small barred opening on her door, the faint moonlight filtering through the recessed and heavily barred cell window allowing Augustus the chance to gaze upon his first woman in a decade.

"Bellatrix!"

She sat up on her mattress instantly, a voice coming from where no voice should be certainly grabbed her attention. She may be considered crazy but no one ever called her stupid, Bella may have been startled yet her voice never rose above the whisper her unexpected visitor had used. "Rookwood? What the fuck are you doing out there?"

He then said the words guaranteed to get her full attention and support. "I intend to escape and help our master return, I need your help though..."

That was all Bella needed to hear, she was now at the small barred opening with her face pressed against the bars. "Anything, Rookwood, you know I'll do anything!"

"I think our master made horcruxes, I also think he gave one to you for safekeeping. If you tell me where it is, I'll give you an oath I'll use it to bring our master back."

Even with their faces now mere inches apart her groan of disappointment was barely audible, Bella's distress though was clearly there for Augustus to see. "I can't, it's in our vault at Gringotts and only a Lestrange can enter..."

While he'd been expecting no other answer, he managed to look as disappointed as she was. His entire scheme relied on Bella reaching her own conclusions to take this forward, the route he hoped to guide her on needed to seem like Bella's own idea.

"You got out your cell, can't you get me out too? Two of us would have a much better chance of getting out of this fucking dump together."

"I can get you out of your cell, I can't get you past the dementors. They only leave me alone because of this, it took months to make and required blood bonding to me. I couldn't make another one even if I wanted too, I don't have enough teeth left and the time needed would mean the sea would be far too cold for us to survive in the water."

Bella was staring at the medallion like a starving child would look through a baker's shop window, here was something far more precious than any Order of Merlin. "I'm more than ready to bleed to get out of here, what if I chewed a couple of my fingers off? You could sit in your cell and rub them into the stone, would that work quickly enough?"

"I honestly don't know but my best guess would be no. The medallion is blood bound to me and might not accept another..." His pause had Bella instantly coming back at him, just as he planned.

"What? You've thought of something, haven't you?"

"I had an idea, it's a crazy one though..."

"You want crazy then you came to the right fucking place, I can certainly do crazy so tell me."

This was the part that could blow upon his face but Augustus ploughed ahead. "The stone is blood bound to me, it will also offer the same protection to anyone blood bonded to me..."

Augustus just left that hanging, it wasn't hanging there for long before Bella snatched at the bait. "What have I got to do?"

"We cut the palm of our hands, say a few words and then consummate the bond..."

"You mean I get fucked too?" Bella's hand was instantly through the bars.

Augustus had also sharpened one edge of the medallion for this very purpose, he cut both their palms before clasping her dainty hand in his calloused shovel of a mitt. "I am yours, and you are mine."

Bella repeated the words and a glow appeared around their joined hands. They glowed past their wrists surprising Augustus, he assumed that their joint desire to get out of here and join their master would at least be enough to heal their hands - he didn't expect any more than that. Bella's healed hand was withdrawn back into her cell and this was now the moment of truth for Augustus.

The runes on the medallion were made to protect two people, providing one of them was him. His greatest wish was to have sex with a willing woman that didn't have to be potioned or under the influence of the imperius, for that woman to be Bellatrix Lestrange he was willing to risk his very life. He also knew he was certainly taking his life into his hands entering that door, it could be so worth it though.

He entered her cell to find Bella had discarded her threadbare robe and was lying on her straw mattress, there was no underwear anywhere in sight.

"Aw, is my little baby shy? Come and let Bella look after you. Don't you dawdle now, we have things to do and other places to be."

Augustus needed no further invitation.

-oOoOo-

"If Auror Tonks is free tomorrow night, I have an invitation to a joint birthday party and no date."

Tonks was loving the banter she shared with Remus, their week in Florida had allowed their relationship to develop to the point where they were both very comfortable joking with each other. Neither was prepared just yet to put a label on exactly what there relationship was but both were happy where they were at the moment.

"Since I've already been invited by the young ladies organising the event, it shouldn't be too much of an imposition to turn upon the arm of Professor Lupin. You're actually a very good dancer..."

This put a smile on his face as a long forgotten memory was dragged to the surface. "Harry's grandmother said all young wizards needed to know how to dance. She taught me, James and Sirius."

"You were really close, weren't you?"

"We were like brothers, like family. That's why both Sirius and I understand Harry's drive for family, I thought I lost all of mine on the one night."

"Everything keeps returning to that one night and no one knows what really happened."

Remus then surprised the hell out of the auror. "Harry does, he remembers word for word what happened that night. Sirius told me one evening a bottle of firewhiskey took a hammering, said it was the most heartbreaking thing he'd ever heard. Two grown men sat and cried that evening, we both blamed it on the firewhiskey and we were both lying."

Tonks just held him closer as they danced, thinking she had a good man here.

-oOoOo-

To an outsider watching these two convicts rut like animals amongst the squalor of Bella's cell, they would rightly be disgusted. The couple though were both benefiting from their fornication so weren't exactly courting public opinion on their sexual activities.

As Augustus was experiencing a wonderful afterglow, Bella was cooing softly in his ear and running her hand lovingly through his now sparse hair. "Oh, that's my big strong wizard, Bella will look after you. Now you've given me one wand, it's time to hand over the other."

This shocked Augustus but Bella just continued with her soothing ministrations. "As we are now blood bonded, that wand should recognise me too. You my clever man are the brains here but when it comes to wands I think you'll agree I'm the expert."

In all his calculations, here was one Augustus had not thought of. "Oh my poor baby, don't you worry your pretty little head - Bella will take good care of both your wands. I've just had the best sex for over a decade, I would hate to have to kill the person who just gave me that pleasure."

Augustus suddenly felt the sharpened edge of his medallion caressing his throat, he immediately agreed with his new mate. This shockingly earned him a kiss, no woman had ever willingly kissed him before. "I knew you were a clever one, now let's get on with what has to be done."

Watching as she pulled what passed for a robe over her head, he offered a warning. "I don't know how much magic that wand can take..." He was again cut off by a kiss on his ravaged mouth.

"You do very good work, this wand is better than you think it is so just trust me."

Watching as this witch seemed to change character from moment to moment was both terrifying and electrifying at the same time, seeing Bella with a wand in her hand was just downright scary though.

They held onto the braided hair necklace that was attached to the medallion and crept out into the corridor, Bella headed straight for a specific cell and Augustus had no option but to follow.

"Roddie, you there, my baby?"

"Where the fuck else would I be, you crazy bitch. How did you get out of your cell?"

As Rodolphus pressed his face into the bars in order to see what was happening, Bella's new wand cast a low powered cutting curse at his neck. While the curse may have been low powered, it was cast from mere inches away and with a surgeon's precision. Rodolphus Lestrange found his jugular sliced open and, despite clutching his throat with both hands, his lifeblood was spurting between his fingers and splattering all over his cell.

"Consider this the end of our marriage, you lousy bastard, you'll never cheat on me again with that poncey brother of yours. I want your last dying thoughts to be that I've found a better man to replace you and your precious brother is next on my list."

Bella moved to the next cell, almost daring Augustus to say something - he wisely didn't. She opened the cell door to find Rabastan curled in the furthest away corner, crying while physically shaking with fear. "You're not worth a curse, you piece of shit!"

Rabastan's shuddering was now more in relief, after hearing those words and watching the crazy bitch leave, that was until he noticed she'd left the cell door wide open. The death that then came calling was tall, dark but in no way could a dementor be considered handsome.

"Fucking arranged marriage to hide the fact they'd been screwing each other since they were both at Hogwarts, then people have the nerve to blame me for not providing an heir! I wanted to torture both those bastards to death years ago but our master had some use for them, too fucking bad! I will gladly suffer our master's displeasure for killing both those pieces of shit after we bring him back. I have one other marriage needing ended before we leave this fucking dump for good..."

Hearing the cell door opening was a shock that woke the sleeping wizard, that shock was nothing though in comparison to the terrifying nightmare of recognising the person who just entered his cell.

"Hello Lucius, surprised to see me? I told you I would make you pay for destroying one of our master's most precious possessions, I'm here to make my sister a widow too!"

He found himself being dragged off his mattress by the hair and his last conscious thought was 'where the hell did Bella get her hands on a wand'. As Malfoy blood pumped from his jugular to form a pool on the cell floor, Bella dipped her fingers in the warm liquid and began to write a message on the wall.

Augustus had just watched his new mate kill her husband and both her brothers-in-law, all in the space of a few minutes. He didn't think this witch could possibly turn him on any more than he was now. As there were now three of them, though one occupant was dead, crammed into this tiny cell and he had to stay close to his mate because of the medallion, when Bella bent down for more blood she couldn't help but notice just how turned on he was.

"Owww, my big strong man likes his little lady taking care of business. We'll take care of that later and then have a midnight swim together, how romantic is that for our first night as mates!"

"Bella, what are you doing?"

"Showing this arse's blood is good for something. I intend to leave a message here that will have the ministry shitting themselves. Potter will die at the hands of our master!"

"We don't have a lot of time, nor would it be a good idea to tell them exactly what we're up to." The flash of temper behind her eyes had Augustus fearing he was about to join Malfoy bleeding on the floor, she caught herself though and pushed her body suggestively back into his groin as she bent for more Malfoy blood.

"That's why you're the brains, lover, and I look after the wands. A few seconds and I'll be finished here."

They left the cell hand in hand, with the protection medallion clasped between their joined palms. Behind them, only the cooling body of Lucius Malfoy bore testament to the bloody writing on the wall.

POTTER WILL DIE!

-oOoOo-

Harry thought Hermione was going to kill him so he escaped by asking Emma to dance. They had no sooner started when Harry was looking for advice. "I can't understand why she's so angry..."

"It's your first ever function at Kingussie, Harry, Hermione just wants it to be special."

"All I need is Hermione there, that will make it special for me. She's been fretting over this party for days, it's all she can talk about. I thought she would like me inviting the Minister of Magic to the party."

Emma couldn't help but smile at his naivety, she loved the occasional glimpses of Harry as a young man growing up - and not a centurion. "When she calms down, she will. At the moment Hermione will be checking over everything in her head to make sure it's perfect for tomorrow. Aren't you the one whose always saying someone's birthday is their most special day?"

"So, asking the Minister was a bad thing?"

"No, Harry, you did right. It just raises the profile of the event and Hermione will put more pressure on herself to get everything right. Imagine if your director was coming..."

"...but he is!"

This was certainly news to Emma. "Oh shit! Does Hermione know that?"

Her question had Harry thinking for a moment, providing its own answer to Emma before he replied. "I'm not sure, father only told me earlier on tonight. It's a great honour for the Director to attend your birthday celebrations...and Hermione will put even more pressure on herself! I'm an idiot, I should have told her at once and said what I was thinking before asking the Minister. Every time I think I'm getting the hang of this, something else comes along and shows me I'm not."

Emma thought Harry was beating himself up over nothing and tried to show him that. "Does Hermione know all the do's and don'ts of Goblin culture, Harry?"

"She's learning all the time but it's only been two years, even Hermione couldn't learn all there is to know in that time..."

She could see the penny had dropped and Emma pressed home her advantage. "You say goblins are a simple people but it will take Hermione longer to master your culture, a perfectly understandable conclusion. Why should you then think you could possibly achieve mastery for both muggle and magical societies in the same amount of time."

By the time the dance ended, Harry had his plan of action worked out. "I'll ask father if there is anything special we need to do for the Director attending, and then I'll have all the information for Hermione before I tell her. Thanks, mum." This was punctuated by a kiss on the cheek as Harry returned Emma to her seat.

Anyone who witnessed that byplay was saying nothing about it. If they hadn't watched Dolores Umbridge's demise at last year's ball they had at least heard what happened, they had also heard Harry say that to him family was everything. There would be not one word said against the muggle he just called mum, and only a total idiot would actually consider attacking the woman.

The 'mum' in question was just delighted to be able to fill that coveted role for her children, she was having to be a tad unconventional but that didn't bother Emma in the slightest. Her two teenagers might have a whole different set of relationship issues they needed guidance on - arranging a birthday party that would now include two national leaders sprang immediately to mind - but Emma knew their final destination would be a happy marriage. All she needed to do was offer guidance and steer them around the myriad of obstacles that kept appearing in their path. The course of true love was certainly not a smooth one but Emma was sure these two would find their way to that destination eventually.

-oOoOo-

Augustus struggled to guide Bella from her preferred path, finally convincing her that taking on the guards with only one home made straw wand between them was an unnecessary and unacceptable risk. Both had many years experience of the guards' routines in the high security wing. With no more than six guards watching the entire prison at night, and none of them patrolling, they knew their escape wouldn't be discovered until their morning rounds. Augustus was finally able to make Bella see that they needed those precious hours to get off the island undetected, rather than take the risk of a guard being able to raise the alarm before they could kill all of them.

Both could hear the guards inside a small building near the side gate they planned to exit from. It sounded like the guards were playing some sort of card game and money was changing hands, more importantly they weren't paying any attention to what was happening outside that room. Bella held her nerve as they waited in the shadows for a diversion, a loud exchange that signalled there were winners and losers was their opportunity and she cast alohomora at the door. There was now so much cursing and swearing going on in the guardhouse though, the pair could probably have tap danced their way to freedom and not been noticed.

They headed down the existing path to the shore, not daring to cast a lumos to light their way. Having got this far, the final part of Augustus' plan called for a quick check of the shore for a piece of washed up debris that would float and then hope the wand would be able to handle a warming spell before they took to the water - Bella had other ideas.

After they gathered large pieces of driftwood, she directed Augustus to lay them out in a crude shape. He then got to watch a master at work as Bella coaxed every last particle of magic through the wand he had so lovingly created. Before it finally and inevitably fell apart, Bella had managed to configure the driftwood into a very rudimentary canoe.

"If I'd used the sharp edge of that medallion to kill Malfoy, I might have been able to squeeze a couple of paddles out of the wand too. Don't worry, baby, we'll still get our romantic swim as I couldn't put enough magic into this to make it permanent. Now we need to find something we can use as paddles."

In his wildest dreams Augustus never thought he would leave Azkaban in a boat with Bellatrix Lestrange sitting between his legs. Since they would both rather paddle than swim, they were pushing their craft as hard as they could through the water in a roughly westerly direction. Neither was in good physical shape but both had wills of iron that were ignoring the pain signals from long unused muscles. The lungfuls of air Augustus' body was demanding for these unaccustomed exertions smelled and tasted wonderful. There was a hint of freedom in the air, add in Bella's aroma from mere inches away and mix with the salty spray to form quite an intoxicating concoction. Of course Bella could feel his reaction as their paddling rhythm had her continually brushing against him.

"I know it's hard,my poor baby, but you'll need to save it. We wouldn't just rock the boat, we'd sink it! With the Dark Lord as my master and you as my mate, things are finally looking up for little Bella."

As far as Augustus was concerned, that was a bit of an understatement - his life had just taken a spectacular upturn. Not only was he free, Bellatrix Lestrange was now his very willing mate. He only had one more thing to accomplish tonight, and that should happen naturally when their canoe reverted back to its components.

The protection medallion was back around his neck and entering the water should dissolve the hair held together by blood necklace - sending the medallion safely to the sea bed. Since it would only work against the dementors whilst he was inside Azkaban or the ministry itself, Augustus no longer had any use for it. It would have been a nice souvenir to keep of what he considered to be his greatest ever achievement, it was also damning evidence against him and needed to be consigned to the bottom of the sea. He didn't know if Bella had enough knowledge of runes to be able to decipher that she'd been tricked into bonding with him, their master certainly did though. After watching what she did to those three former family members tonight, without even a flicker of remorse, he certainly didn't want Bella's anger to ever be focused in his direction.

Every hour their little craft held together did wonders for their chances of eventually making landfall. Their arms might be dead by then but they should be able to hold onto a piece of their transfigured canoe and use their legs to kick for shore. Before he tried his wand and medallion, Augustus didn't know if he would see tomorrow. Now he was beginning to allow himself to look forward to it - those thoughts certainly kept his makeshift paddle pushing them through the water.

-oOoOo-

Hermione couldn't wait until tomorrow, she sneaked into Harry's room to find him lying in bed but still awake.

"Hermione, what are you doing here? Our parents will go nuts if they find you in my room at this time of morning." He got out of bed just in case they were discovered, both of them on his bed would certainly be harder to explain.

"I wanted to apologise for earlier. I can get so hung up on the details I forget what's important - you!" She put her arms around him as they shared a loving kiss.

Harry was very aware Hermione was wearing thin summer pyjamas and no bra as she held him close. "I also wanted to be the first one to wish you a happy birthday - Happy Birthday, Harry!"

This was followed by another kiss that left both of them gasping for breath.

"Wow, Hermione, this is already my best birthday ever!"

"So, am I forgiven then?"

Harry kissed her gently and held his mate close, running his hands through Hermione's hair - terrified to let them wander anywhere else. "I told you we would argue because we're both strong-willed and downright stubborn. As long as we remember that I am yours and you are mine - always - then we'll be fine. I just love your way of apologising, though I hope you save that method just for me..."

This earned a slight giggle from his mate. "Now get out of here before those pyjamas drive me crazy, I've seen your dad fire a shotgun and have no wish to be a target."

She of course couldn't leave without the application of another birthday kiss, sending a very happy Harry back to bed and looking forward to tomorrow.

A/N thanks for reading

61. The road and the miles to Dundee

Harry Crow

Disclaimer - I write purely for my own enjoyment and post those efforts here so people can read them for free. Writing your own version of JKR's work really is the only way to make a Harry Potter story proceed exactly along the headings you want. As this is the lifeblood of fan-fiction, I would heartily recommend adopting this method to anyone who doesn't like the way any of my stories unfold.

Chapter 61

Breakfast that morning in Kingussie was a lot of fun, the teasing was spread around the table with Alice and Frank taking their fair share for managing to upstage everyone at last night's ball, and again in today's Prophet. Both were apologetic and yet neither could quite understand why everyone seemed delighted by this turn of events, rather than upset.

Padma attempted to explain to her future in-laws. "We've all had a shot at the limelight, and none of us like it. What's written there in the Prophet is not only a good story, it's also all true. Two decorated aurors from the first war recovering enough to rejoin society is a far greater achievement than what we did for a few hours one horrible morning in a damp and smelly chamber - I still love Harry's new house though..."

"Eyes off, Patil, this birthday boy is mine!" Hermione couldn't hold her giggling as she wrapped her bonded in a pretend possessive embrace.

Alice was finding herself drawn to Smita, the two mothers got on very well. It was to her she turned for a quiet word. "Are they always like this?"

"Oh, you'll see for yourself over the next week. One minute they can be so serious, throwing curses at each other while training. Next minute they're throwing each other into the sea and behaving like the teenagers they really are. I was originally concerned that one of my daughters was learning all this defence, not any more. They manage to balance all the seriousness with plenty of time to have fun."

Amelia was then shown into the dining room and having fun was clearly the last thing on her mind, she barely acknowledged Susan's presence, it was also clear she was the bearer of bad tidings. Her first actions though surprised everyone. "Frank and Alice, I need you both to drink this first. It's a calming draught, we can't risk the news you're about to hear affecting your recovery. Just remember, every single person you care about is sitting safely in this room."

After giving the potion a moment or two to take effect, Amelia delivered her news. "There was an incident at Azkaban last night, we don't have all the details yet but here's the main ones. Both Lestrange brothers, along with Lucius Malfoy, were found dead in their cells. The bad news is that Bellatrix Lestrange and Augustus Rookwood are both officially listed as missing."

Even with the administration of the calming draught, the effect this news had on the Longbottom couple was unmistakable. Augusta had lost these two before, she was not about to sit here and meekly watch them retreat back into themselves.

"Harry, could I impose on your hospitality for a glass of whiskey?"

She had no sooner said the words when a decanter of single malt and a set of glasses, complete with silver tray, appeared on the table.

Augusta poured herself a measure before standing and offering her own toast. "To the demise of two of the bastards who harmed my family. I hope they died screaming and that a certain crazy bitch joins them soon."

Sirius poured some more glasses and then he, Remus, Barchoke and Amelia joined Augusta in her toast. Dan and Emma had no clue what was going on here, until Hermione whispered that it was the three Lestranges that had attacked Frank and Alice.

Augusta was oblivious to all the by-play, her eyes never left those of her son and daughter-in-law. "These are different times, it isn't like before. We sit here in a house I'm certain no death eater can get near."

This was quickly confirmed by Barchoke. "Not only the house, Augusta, this entire glen was warded last night so no one carrying the dark mark can get within half a mile of the house."

She pushed home her point to her children. "Hogwarts and Longbottom Manor have those very same wards, and tomorrow we're going to an island that you need an invite from Harry before you can even see it. There will be no hiding behind dubious charms and listening to old fools this time, the Longbottoms will put their faith in goblin wards, and Amelia's aurors being able to catch the bitch."

Amelia though had more bad news. "It would seem the Longbottoms are not their target, there was a message scrawled in blood inside Malfoy's cell. Potter will die!"

The teens had rallied around to support Neville and his parents, hearing this saw the focus shift to Harry. A Harry who appeared pissed off as he saw Emma having to clamp her hand over her mouth to stifle a scream.

"Seriously, what is it with writing messages on walls with blood - didn't Voldemort teach his death eaters how to use quills, ink and parchment?" Suddenly remembering that they had an author of some of those bloody messages sitting at breakfast with them, Harry turned to Parvati to apologise when she burst into giggles - being quickly joined by Barchoke"s baritone laughter.

"...and that, ladies and gentlemen, is a goblin sense of humour in action. Harry Crow, aren't you in the slightest bit worried?"

"Hermione, I'm a Centurion with three Orders of Merlin, First Class holders -who have blades and wands - guarding my back. I also agree with Augusta, they can't get at us and Amelia will have her aurors scouring the country for them. I have no intention of letting this news rule my life, and tonight's party is most certainly still going ahead."

"Harry, the Minister wants to appoint an auror guard to you..."

He was back at Amelia instantly with an answer. "Tonks! Only the best will do for the boy who lived, and Remus liked seeing her in a bikini beside the pool in Florida - that's practically all she'll need on the island anyway."

It was Sirius who led the laughter this time, delighted that his godson got one over on his fellow marauder.

Amelia was also trying to hide her smile as she spoke to her auror, an auror who had clearly spent the night in Kingussie. "Well, Auror Tonks, do you accept the assignment? All auror leave has been canceled while we search for these two, and the island is spectacularly beautiful..."

Searching the country for a pair of escaped murderers or protection duty on a tropical island wasn't exactly a hard choice, especially since Remus was going to be there too! Tonks didn't want to seem too eager though. "I don't know, Boss, what happens if I want to murder the person I'm supposed to be guarding?"

"You are a professional, Auror Tonks, I would expect you to make sure you're not caught!"

This generated even more laughter, leaving Neville grateful for the calming effect the merriment was having on his parents. He had something to say though and looked to his friend. "Harry, we head for the island tomorrow and there's too many arrangements made for Egypt to change. I was going to give the last week a miss though..."

Catching on at once, Harry agreed. "That's a great idea, Neville, another week to spend in Kingussie sounds wonderful to me too. What does everyone else think?"

All could see Neville wanted to stay close to his parents until this threat was dealt with. The lure of returning to Japan was strong but one of their own needed support, there was no decision to be made and a consensus was quickly reached.

"Great, now you know I'll be here, and everyone is welcome anytime."

"Harry, should we contact McGonagall and bring forward the meeting with the new Potter Scolarship students?"

Both members of the selection board thought Hermione's suggestion was a very good one, they knew Natalie's parents weren't too keen on her attending any boarding school - never mind a magical one.

Barchoke meanwhile had some words of advice for Amelia. "How this is publicly dealt with could be just as important as your search for these escapees. Pictures of a certain birthday party, and Harry publicly repeating his opinion on the matter, could go a long way to preventing the mass hysteria this news could generate."

Harry had more to add. "Father, not everyone has wards they can live safely behind, I don't want anyone else to be targeted because of their association with me. There's an entire Hogwarts year group walking around wearing their silver crows on everything but their pyjamas..."

"I wear mine on my pyjamas..." Luna's words again generated some laughter, until Hermione put her arm around the girl as both she and Padma confirmed that to be true - and that Luna was not alone in this.

Harry had noticed Colin and Ginny wearing theirs in Florida, he'd never actually see Luna without hers. "Can we get these turned into emergency portkeys? Set the destination to a safe room in Gringotts, just in case someone else gets their hands on one of those badges. Hermione has all Crow's Marauders coming to the party tonight, it's a fair bet most of them will have their badges on them." Harry was actually blushing as he said that, knowing that every single Crow's Marauder would have their badge pinned to whatever they wore.

His father not only agreed, he had a further suggestion. "What about getting the Lily Potter Foundation involved? I was thinking along the lines of a muggle born protection act, every muggle born student at Hogwarts gets their property warded to deny these animals access. If we could get all the parents together for a meeting, Dan and Emma could easily explain the benefits of these wards. We would need to work quickly though, before Hogwarts restarts as the wards need to be tied to a witch or wizard. It was the muggleborn's they went after the last time..."

This received a very enthusiastic response from his son. "Fantastic idea, Father. If we could set that meeting up for us returning from Egypt, they could all have their houses warded before September the First."

Hannah was the first to agree with that opinion. "Justin's a muggle born..."

Luna offered her support. "So is Colin and Natalie, who we've yet to meet."

"Dean Thomas is the same," offered Parvati.

"As is Terry, this is a great thing to do, Harry" Padma was very impressed at this proposed action, she was even more impressed at the kiss Hermione gave him as a reward. They were receiving no censorship from two proud muggles who had spent a week in Florida with some of the people the teens had just mentioned. It became a lot more personal when you could put faces and personalities to statistics, that Harry wanted to protect them and their families left Emma wanting to kiss Harry too!

Lukas and Moa just sat back and observed the family at work, rallying around to support those members who needed it. Both were staying until Hogwarts started up again, whether that meant Japan, Kingussie or London didn't matter to them - it was the company that counted. That Henrica would have most of this company, and her husband, around her when she returned to the castle pleased them more than they could say.

Alice had been told over and over again that things were different now, she was seeing the proof of that play out right in front of her. They, while in the Order of the Phoenix, had all just done whatever Albus Dumbledore suggested, here though was a generation that thought and acted for itself. Opinions were offered and listened to with decisions then made, this was no dictatorship.

She knew the calming potion was helping at the moment but listening here was doing more to calm the terror that had raced through her body at that awful news. The big difference between drawing comfort from what was being said and the potion was these discussions weren't artificial and wouldn't wear off in a few hours.

She glanced once more at her husband and saw only steely determination reflected back from his eyes, Alice knew what his next step would be. His tremors were subsiding and his speech slowly improving, his magic though was fractured and would probably never return - certainly not to the levels they once possessed. He'd been very impressed with Dan Granger, and Dan's ability to shoot. Here was a method Frank could still use to protect their family, magical prejudices against guns be damned. With her own magic way out of kilter, she intended not only to support her husband in this matter but join him in learning to shoot. Bringing that bitch Lestrange down with a bullet would be every bit as satisfying as ending her with a curse.

-oOoOo-

Bella awoke to the sun on her face and the sound of seagulls' cries filling the air. It was strange how a person could miss the simplest of things, not even seagulls would come anywhere near Azkaban. She also woke in the arms of a wizard, a wizard she was only now getting her first real look at in the daylight.

Where others might see pock-marked features and a ravaged mouth, Bella saw a man so dedicated to their master that he would pull his own teeth out and work for months to manufacture their escape. If only she had confided to him about the great treasure she protected for their master, both of them could have gotten out of there years ago.

She ran her hand over Augustus' chest, finding the medallion gone. That must have happened when they had to swim for shore. Her canoe had held until, judging from the muggle lights, they were about a mile from landfall. They had crawled on their hands and knees off the beach, collapsing exhausted upon finding the first semblance of cover.

They were concealed from the beach amongst some grassy sand dunes but they would have to move quickly, they needed to get away from here and under cover.

Augustus was having such a wonderful dream, he was lying in the warm sand with a witch in his arms - kissing! He was startled awake from that wonderful dream by the sensation of Bella's tongue entering his mouth.

"Good morning, lover. As much as I'd like to stay here and start the day off properly with you, we need to get away from the coast as quickly as possible."

Augustus agreed with all of that, a quick look around let him see just how precarious their position was. "At a guess, I would say we're somewhere along the Aberdeenshire coast. We need to get inland and under cover before this place is crawling with aurors."

"We need to get to Gringotts as quickly as possible..."

"No!"

Augustus was a lot braver when Bella didn't have a weapon in her hand. They needed to have this discussion so it might as well be now, they also needed to move so he grabbed Bella's arm and steered her inland while beginning his explanation.

"We need information before doing anything, yes we both want to bring our master back but that won't happen if we get caught. All those bastards who didn't end up in Azkaban have had over a decade to attempt it, and they've sat on their safe arses and done fuck-all! There is only us, Bella, and we're only going to get one chance at this. Our master would prefer that we took our time and did this properly, rather than dive right in and maybe end any hope of ever bringing him back. This will take planning, my department, but we can't even make plans until getting our hands on more information."

Bella had stopped tugging on his arm and was now walking at his side, Augustus took this to mean she was listening so dropped the real bombshell. "I don't even know if you'll be allowed access to the Lestrange vault..."

She had stopped again, this time ready for a fight. Augustus expertly deflated her. "You murdered the last two male heirs in the Lestrange family last night, effectively ending their line - any child you carry will certainly not bear the name Lestrange. The goblins will know this and those greedy little bastards will take great pleasure in closing down the vault. Can you see the ministry objecting?"

Bella began walking again, and using her little girl voice. "Why didn't my big strong wizard stop little Bella making that mistake?"

He didn't answer, they both knew the reason - self-preservation.

"We all heard our master say he'd taken more steps toward immortality than any other wizard, we also both believe that. We desperately need information before making our next move, if you can't gain access to the Lestrange vault we may just have to go searching for our master and get his guidance on how best to help."

Bella now slipped her hand in his. "You are certainly the planner, lover, and a good one at that. How are we going to find this information?"

"I was our lord's inside man at the ministry, I know every one of his followers who worked there as well as the others we both know. They will help us, or I will let my mate loose on them."

"Oh, little Bella gets to play! Now that is a plan I like..."

"The plan means we can't get caught though, we need food and clothes but we can't go killing anyone to get them. Dead muggles along the coast will just alert the ministry to our location. At the moment they'll be having to cover at least a hundred miles of coastline, we don't want those forces to be able to focus that manpower in a single area."

They came upon a little cottage built to overlook the dunes and sea. It was probably some muggle's holiday home, it was lucky for the muggle owners that they weren't there that morning. While Augustus was scavenging some much needed food for them in the little kitchen, Bella was searching the rest of the cottage for anything else they could use. She returned with a pile of clothes that she dropped on the floor, Augustus thought he was starving until Bella whipped off her robe and began trying on clothes. When she bent right down for the second time, giving Augustus a full view of her nude body and that amazing arse, he knew she was teasing him. As if trying to eat this food with so many teeth missing wasn't bad enough, Augustus was beginning to wonder if he'd bitten off more than he could chew with his mate too - he could certainly see Bella being the death of him.

When they left the cottage, Augustus was bedecked in brown trousers, a white t-shirt with a red checked shirt over that. He had a large bag on his back, with their prison robes tucked in there to be disposed of later. Bella had jeans and a white hoodie emblazed with some sort of 'S' emblem inside a shield. With the hiking boots completing their outfits, they had unknowingly stumbled on the disguise of a couple of backpackers - something that no one would cast a second look at. They left the cottage ransacked, with stuff thrown about everywhere and leaving the local police to put it down to nothing more than kids breaking in and wrecking the joint.

Bella felt a lot better, washed, fed and in clean clothes. She also had a large knife tucked into the small of her back under the hoodie, and a smaller but just as sharp blade concealed up her sleeve. They not only knew where they were, just outside Stonehaven, but now had a destination to head for. The Carrows lived around Dundee, leaving them a journey of around fifty miles. She had found a small tent and quilted bags that said they were for sleeping in stashed away in a cupboard, with the food her big strong wizard also had on his back this journey should be like a picnic compared to sitting in a cell in Azkaban. Not being around dementors was certainly having a positive effect on both of them.

-oOoOo-

Amelia was against the Minister signing the order that allowed dementors to search for their two escaped prisoners, though it wasn't the kiss on sight part she objected to. "Cornelius, at the moment all we've got is two prisoners missing from their cells, we don't even know that they made it to shore."

"If you're telling me there are enough aurors to cover this entire coast then I will gladly rescind this order, otherwise I have no choice. We have prison doors being spelled open and a pair wizards murdered by cutting curses. That leaves us with the two very worst death eaters that were incarcerated in Azkaban now on the loose, and armed with wands."

She had to concede the point, Amelia couldn't in all good conscience use trainees to search for the last two people she wanted to see escape Azkaban. She also had to have her aurors working in teams, further reducing the ground they could cover. The dementors would make up for that lack of manpower but she liked the situation about as much as she liked the dark creatures themselves.

"Barchoke indicated that you should have a few words with Director Ragnok at the birthday party tonight, it seems as if Gringotts may be able to help us with this..."

"You think I should still go to this party? Can't you see the Prophet would slaughter us for this? Killers on the loose so the top officials in the ministry party the night away..."

This drew a smile from Amelia, a smile at just how devious the goblins were - she was certainly glad they were on their side. "The Prophet was persuaded not to rush out a special edition on the breakout, a special edition that would have caused widespread panic. Their price for that accommodation is an invitation to tonight's party, an interview with the Minister of Magic and an interview with Harry. I spoke to them this morning, Harry's attitude is that he's not going to let this affect his life. He also proclaimed he was confident we would deal with the situation."

Here was a boon Cornelius could never have imagined, and also an approach he hadn't even considered. "I'm assuming this is the approach you wish the ministry to adopt too?"

"To a point, yes! All auror leave has been cancelled, with some trainees stepping up to fill positions at the ministry to release every available wand for the search. We also warn the public that these two are very dangerous, and not to be approached. We assure them that their ministry is on the case and doing everything we can to end the situation as quickly as possible."

"...and Harry's protection detail?"

"He requested Auror Tonks, as she was sitting having breakfast with them I agreed."

Cornelius could see the dangers in adopting this approach - it could blow up in their faces if the two missing death eaters started slaughtering people. This approach though offered the benefit of avoiding mass panic, and perhaps more. Cornelius would much rather see his picture - standing wishing Harry a happy birthday - on the front cover of tomorrow's Prophet than have two escaped and desperate prisoners occupying that spot. He decided to go with Amelia's suggestion, and hope they caught these two soon. He could also hope that Gringotts might have some good news for him, any goblin assistance in this matter would certainly be welcome.

-oOoOo-

The invitations that were also portkeys dropped the invited guests into a reception room in Harry's home, where they were welcomed by six armed goblin guards. Remus and Tonks were also there, mainly to assure the guards that the people who arrived were actually invited. None of the Hogwarts contingent were fazed in the slightest by this goblin greeting, all fondly remembered them guarding the castle. The Weasley family's arrival caused a bit of a stir until Tonks confirmed they were all invited, Molly rapidly led her brood out into the garden and the magnificent marquee - and well away from the 'danger'.

"Are you sure about that, Tonks? I can't imagine Hermione inviting Ronald Weasley."

"I know, she certainly didn't want to. Hermione did want to invite Penny though, which meant Percy, which meant Ron would be home alone. Hermione's just hoping that his mother never let's him out of her sight. With all the food out there, Molly certainly won't have to look hard to find him."

Alice sat with Smita, watching as their two children were greeted warmly by a continual host of friends. "I suppose I should be getting used to shocks but seeing this is just wonderful, our children really do have lots of friends. The younger ones all look up to them while the others clearly respect them, and it's not just because of who Harry is either."

"I've had longer than you to get used to this, Alice, but those four are very tight. We were worried that it was causing problems between our girls but Parvati is now firmly accepted in their group too, it's something a mother would never tire of watching..."

Another mother was watching closely too, only watching another couple. Emma was looking at Harry and Hermione greeting the Diggorys, and finding that she would have struggled to tell the difference in the ages of the three students standing there.

Cedric was slightly taller than Harry, though all his training had her son wider at the shoulders. He stood there as a tall, broad and confident teenager, with his arm around his mate's waist. Hermione may only be approaching fourteen but she also stood there confidently, looking more like sixteen and bearing practically no resemblance to their little girl that left for Scotland by train two years ago. Henrica had taught Hermione how to tame her hair and that attack in the toilet resulted in her teeth all being perfectly aligned. Her body, while lithe was certainly female - there was no straight up and down as her latest dress highlighted all too well. She may barely be past Harry's shoulder in terms of height but that already made her as tall as Emma herself - with Hermione still having some growing to do.

The mother found herself thanking every deity she could think of that, while both were certainly physically developed for their respective ages, their mental maturity if anything surpassed this. Emma was sure she could rely on them to both act responsibly for a while yet.

Sirius was also scanning through the now filling marquee, that was until the marauder spotted the person he was looking for. "Mr Malfoy, could I have a word - in private? You may of course bring Miss Parkinson."

Draco agreed, understanding at once he was speaking with Lord Black here. The couple re-entered the house, with Sirius leading them into a cosy sitting room before asking them to sit. The door was closed and a silencing charm then erected before Sirius spoke.

"Can I assume you are aware of what happened last night in Azkaban?"

"Yes, we had a visit from the aurors this morning telling us father was dead. They also warned us about the escapes, and the message..."

"That makes you effectively the head of the Malfoy family, and this is going to force you to declare a side. I'm asking you this question, but you have the word of Lord Black your answer will go no further than the people in this room. Does your mother carry the dark mark?"

Pansy let out a gasp, this was a question that should never be asked. Draco answered anyway, "No, she's not marked."

Both could see the relief Sirius felt at that, they then discovered why he asked. "You still won't be able to inherit until you're seventeen but I have a proposition for you. I am prepared to loan House Malfoy the gold to have goblin wards erected that will stop death eaters entering your property. We both know Bella will turn up there sooner or later, once she does your choice will be gone. Now is the time to decide what side you want to be on."

For the life of him, Sirius couldn't understand what was making Draco smile at that ultimatum, he was sure he'd explained the situation clearly enough.

"Mother and I had already discussed the situation, though we never imagined having access to those wards. I have a parchment here, offering you the position of being regent over House Malfoy until I become of age. It was more to stop Pansy's father pushing for the position, the news about last night has been slow to get out. I am not my father, Lord Black, I would be delighted if death eaters could no longer enter Malfoy Manor. All I would ask is that you deal with Pansy's father if he tries to renegotiate our betrothal."

This had Pansy's full approval. "If my father tries to tear us apart, I would consider renouncing my family name. That would also end our betrothal and I need to know whether you would then set Draco up with someone else?"

The marauder was left shaking his head at how far these two were prepared to go to remain together. "My first act as Harry's godfather was to reject all his betrothals, I didn't know at the time he'd already met his mate. You both seem to know what you want and I have no intention of meddling with that. All I would say is that renouncing your family name is a very big step, please don't take it without talking to me first." He looked over the document Draco provided and found it to be exactly as stated. "Are you sure you want me to do this?"

Draco was determined this should go ahead, it had been his suggestion to his mother that resulted in the parchment Sirius now held. "We've seen the way you watch over Harry, we experienced being watched over ourselves that week in Florida - it's totally different to what either Pansy or I are used to yet we both liked it. Our families have shown us one way, you and Harry have shown us another. My father taught me that it was desirable to have others fear you but what I've seen in my time spent with Harry is respect, I would much rather be respected than feared."

With that settled, Sirius signed the document. Amelia and Fudge would be here to tonight, their signatures as witnesses should kill any doubts anyone named Parkinson might raise to the legality of the document. Barchoke would see it filed and organise the wards, Sirius was also going to speak with Harry about the possibility of this couple joining them on the island. Draco had just lost his father and it would do him good to get away from the situation. Narcissa had walked into that marriage with her eyes open, she had revelled in the 'good times', Sirius was quite happy to let her stew in the bad.

Fred and George had sought out the birthday wizards to offer them a rather unusual gift.

"I know we have an agreement that says we don't prank you..."

"...but it isn't really a prank if we tell you what's going to happen."

"We've invented this product and thought it would be perfect for the Order of the Aves..."

"...and the effects only last for thirty seconds. What do you say?"

Knowing that Master Pitslay would have looked over anything the twins wanted to try certainly helped Harry make his decision, him saying yes meant Neville would give it a go too.

After eating what they were offered, a pair of loud pops saw Harry and Neville become a couple of little yellow birds. "Witches and Wizards, available to order soon..."

"...we are proud to present Canary Creams!"

Hermione and Padma were laughing as loud as anyone as their mates flew about the room. They were slightly disappointed both chose to land on the twins' shoulders, that was until they realised what was happening.

In a puff of yellow feathers, Harry and Neville reappeared - sitting on Fred and George's shoulders. All four ended up on the floor in a tangled heap of flailing limbs and much laughter.

Molly pushed her way through the laughing crowd that'd had gathered, ready to apologise and then drag the twins away. Instead of her sons being shouted at, she was stopped in her tracks by them being congratulated by the very people who had just been flying about. Ambassador Barchoke was joking with Arthur he should buy some for Gringotts, slipping them to a few of the bank's more sour faced customers would certainly liven up the place.

Amelia, Cornelius and Ragnok were glad of the distraction, it enabled them to have their conversation in plain sight.

The goblin leader gave them information that Gringotts had to treat as confidential before the murders that took place last night. "The Lestrange vault has been locked down for over a decade. Discovering that Riddle had made horcruxes saw every vault in Gringotts scanned for these abominations - there was one stored in their vault. The item was cleansed of its vile taint without being removed from the customer's vault before we sealed it. With both males being murdered last night, the Lestrange line is now dead."

Amelia and Cornelius were following so far, having a horcrux stored in your vault was certainly a violation of the goblin banking code.

"I know you both support the muggle born protection scheme Barchoke proposed but there was another group the death eaters targeted heavily too, those in positions of power who opposed them. What I'm suggesting is that we waive the time limit in this case and use the Lestrange vault to purchase wards that would deny death eaters access to the homes of those passing laws and judgments against them. It's a lot easier to stand by your convictions if you know your family is safely behind wards that protect them from these animals."

Cornelius thought he had the gist of this but wanted to make sure. "So, I approach the Wizengamot and ask them to repeal the time limit clause, in this case only, and we then use the gold to protect the Wizengamot members' homes from death eater attack?"

"The Nation are prepared to overlook the time limit in this case only, unless anyone else is stupid enough to place a horcrux in their vault."

"Amelia, if we can't get that unanimously passed through the chamber in under five minutes then both of us should consider retiring. They will basically be voting to have wards erected around their homes for free!"

Ragnok mentioned that the tainted item was again something that belonged to a Hogwarts founder, and something that should be returned to the school. They all agreed with that, and also that the muggle born families would be protected before their children left for Hogwarts. That meant the Wizengamot members would have to wait until September to begin having these wards installed, though all would be protected before Halloween.

Harry had his picture taken with the Minister of Magic and the Director of Gringotts, he also reiterated his belief that things should proceed as normally as possible.

"I wouldn't like the parents who let their children come here tonight to think we put them in danger so I could have a party. Our wards don't allow death eaters access and we have both aurors and warriors protecting the guests from any other threat. While living as normally as possible, it's only common sense to take precautions. I am also confident that everything possible is being done to keep all of us safe and to catch these two escaped death eaters."

Cornelius was relaxing more with every sentence Harry spoke to the press, the photographer was also doing his job. Here were people having a great time, these were much better images for the country to see with their breakfast tomorrow.

The summer evening saw the marquee remain open on three sides, only the end containing the tables laden with food remained covered. Now that Harry had gotten the official part of the evening over with he could get back to enjoying himself, dancing with Hermione. With the dance floor illuminated by flickering lanterns, it was a very happy birthday for the boy who had his mate in his arms. Tomorrow they were all heading for the island and there would be no more thoughts of death eaters for a while.

-oOoOo-

Bella had also spent the night in her mate's arms and under canvas, any dancing they did certainly couldn't be compared to a waltz in Kingussie though - more last Tango in Paris. By following the clearly marked public trails, they had not only made good time but appeared just like two muggle hikers.

It was the following afternoon before they were approaching a rather ramshackle building, the owners coming out to see who was walking up their path. Amycus was smiling at his sister, the wards usually deterred the muggles but occasionally a couple would get through - then it was time for the siblings to have some fun.

"Alecto, put that wand away before I take it off you and shove it up your arse. Oh wait, I forgot - you like that!"

The witch in question almost dropped her wand as realisation dawned on Alecto just who this was. "Bella, is that you?"

"Well, it's certainly not Lucius Malfoy!" Bella's cackle at her own wit rang out across the countryside.

The colour drained from both Carrows almost as quickly as the two death eaters who'd had their jugulars sliced open. Amycus was not amused. "What the fuck are you two doing here? The aurors will soon be visiting all suspected former death eaters..."

That was the wrong thing to say, he suddenly had a face full of a very angry Bellatrix. "There is no such thing as a former death eater, unless you want to be like Lucius? You both took our master's mark, that mark is forever!"

Alecto tried to calm things down, the Prophet said they were both armed with wands. "Things are different now, Bella, we no longer have our master and our blood status offers no protection..."

Augustus spoke for the first time. "That's why we're here, Alecto. We need to know just what those changes are..."

"...and why no one bothered to search for our master." Bella knew this was Augustus' show but she could certainly unsettle these two while they collected that information. Her control vanished though as they entered the house into the kitchen and saw the Prophet lying there. Bella snatched it off the table and was soon cursing up a storm.

"A footnote, we're nothing but a fucking footnote to some Baron's birthday party. We need to show these bastards that we're bad news, a few bodies left lying for them to find should do nicely for a start..."

"Not until we return our master, dear, nothing can get in the way of that. Who is this Baron anyway?"

Both Carrows were astonished at how calmly Bella accepted that rebuke, and even let Augustus remove the newspaper from her hands. "That's Harry Potter, though he calls himself Crow now."

All calmness was now gone as Alecto's words hit home. The paper was snatched back, only for Augustus to lead Bella to the table and spread the paper out so they could both read it. That the Potter brat was on the front page of the Prophet with the Minister of Magic and a goblin was certainly a shock, that the goblin still had his head attached was another, they certainly had a lot of questions for the Carrows.

After a few hours worth of answers, Augustus was beginning to change his opinion. "They've forgotten what fear is, I think it's time we reminded them. We need to strike swiftly and then melt back into the night, they know how we operated before so that needs to change. We'll start a reign of terror that will wipe the smile off these smug bastards' faces! The death eaters will unite behind us and we can build a force that will keep the ministry busy while we search for our master."

Bella slid onto his lap. "Oh yes, my big strong wizard, little Bella just loves that idea." She proceeded to show him just how much she loved that idea, leaving a brother and sister sitting there stunned at how their nice quiet lives had just been ripped apart.

They had stayed out of trouble in the last war by simply not having anything anyone would covet. They had neither power, possessions or looks to make anyone give them a second glance. Yes they were death eaters, but so far down the ladder that even the other death eaters had forgotten about them. It was just their bad luck that Augustus Rookwood never forgot anything.

-oOoOo-

Peter was wishing he could forget the ritual his master had implanted in his mind, the dark lord's method of implanting though made that impossible. There could be no mistakes in the task he'd been presented with, and certainly no margins for error. Peter was currently collecting ingredients for a potion he needed to brew, what would take five minutes shopping in an apothecary was going to take him weeks of scouring the forests and mountainsides.

It was the final ingredient though that was giving Peter nightmares, he would have to steal a baby! It wasn't so much the abduction that had the former marauder feeling sick, it was what he was going to have to do to that baby in preparation for his master's consciousness moving from the snake to his new host. The ritual was planned for Halloween, giving him plenty of time to complete all the preparations.

If that wasn't enough of a challenge, he then had to sneak back into Britain, unnoticed, with a baby and a ruddy great snake. Sometimes Peter really hankered for that little nest he had made for himself in the London Underground.

A/N thanks for reading - Harry Crow has now over four million hits!

Chapter 62 - Potter will die!

62. Potter Will Die!

Harry Crow

Disclaimer - I neither own Harry Potter nor profit in any way from my writing posted here. That people take time out of their day (or night) to read my efforts is all the payment I could possibly wish for.

A/N every single word of this chapter fought against me, and I have no idea why. Still not entirely happy with it but it's one of those chapters where I don't think I ever will be. Ah well, chapter 63 will be along next weekend.

Chapter 62

Harry and Hermione emerged from the beach chalet into the beautiful tropical sunshine, ready for their first morning run around the island. The couple weren't ready for the sight that greeted them, Neville and Padma were standing on the beach and clearly waiting on their friends.

"Guys, could you help me get fit? I need to do this, I need to be able to protect my family and getting fitter will help with that."

Harry really couldn't refuse, and had no intention of doing so. "Sure, Neville, as long as you're certain you want to do this."

That was greeted with a determined nod, though Hermione missed it - she was too busy staring at Padma.

"Granger, not one bloody word!"

"Sorry, Padma, but I have to - you can't run like that!"

Padma was wearing a baggy t-shirt that she'd purloined from Neville over her bikini. "Why, what's wrong with this?"

"You'll be jiggling all around the island!"

"But Hermione, Neville likes to watch me jiggle - and this is the first summer I've had anything worth jiggling. I thought it might provide him with a little bit of motivation when we start to get knackered!"

"Oh, you silly witch, you would be sore after a few miles. Come with me and I'll get you sorted." As she dragged Padma into their chalet, Hermione dropped her voice though made sure both boys could still hear. "All we have to do is run in front of them, that certainly gets Harry's attention."

As the two giggling girls left, Harry then asked Neville the question that was certainly on both his and Hermione's minds. "How did you get Padma up at this hour to exercise?"

Neville was still trying to get his head around that 'after a few miles' comment so it took him a moment to answer. "She insisted. I am hers and she's mine, so I wasn't getting to go running without her. You can't fault a Ravenclaw's logic."

"We really are two incredibly lucky blokes, Neville."

Neville couldn't fault that Ravenclaw logic either, especially when Padma reemerged in a sports bra and a pair of tight shorts. Neither noticed Dan behind the girls, both were too busy looking elsewhere.

"Take care on your run you four, Neville and Padma aren't used to it."

"Don't worry dad, we'll look after them."

Watching his daughter run along the beach with her friends was a dream come true for the father. In his dreams though, Hermione wasn't running alongside her mate with a razor sharp sword strapped on her back. Since it was both girls giggling in Hermione's room that had woken him in the first place, Dan decided Hermione's laughter and obvious happiness was well worth these little eccentricities. He also decided to head back to their bedroom and rejoin his wife in bed.

-oOoOo-

Jake left his daughter's bedroom with a wry smile on his face, Bea just loved listening to her namesake's stories about Peter Rabbit. She was only six but knew most of the stories off by heart now, Jake or Helen having read them to their little girl as bedtime stories since she was a toddler.

Thoughts of Beatrix Potter were banished from his mind, instantly replaced by something that was far more akin to Stephen King's genre of writing - a strangely dressed woman was grinning like a maniac as she came up the stairs toward him.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING IN MY ..." This woman pointed a stick at him and suddenly Jake couldn't move a muscle, he wasn't even able to speak as she casually strolled toward him.

"Hush now, you wouldn't want to wake..."

"Daddy, who's this?"

Jake was helpless to intercede and left absolutely horrified at this creature's actions. His sleepy daughter had just opened her bedroom door to see what her daddy was shouting at when this crazy bitch struck as fast as any snake, and was every bit as deadly as any member of that species. He would never again hear his darling Bea asking her incessant questions, his beautiful daughter would never speak again. This evil bitch had done something that just slashed open his baby's throat.

It's strange how the mind works in times of great stress and horror. As his beloved Bea slumped to the floor dying, the only thought running through Jake's brain was that her favourite pyjamas were totally ruined. Part of him knew his wife must have met a similar fate, otherwise Helen would have been storming up the stairs clasping something in her hand and ready to have a go at this cold blooded murderer.

When the crazy bitch then dipped her fingers in his daughter's warm blood to write something on the wall, he would quite happily have strangled her with his bare hands before sticking that wooden stick through her heart - just to make sure she was really dead. Jake was a quiet man who'd never courted trouble in his life, he never thought it would be possible for him to want to maim and murder someone as much as he did this creature. She then had the audacity to chat to him as if they'd just bumped their shopping trollies in Tesco.

"You're actually quite lucky, you know. Normally we like to take our time, and I'm sure your daughter's screams would have been quite delicious. Of course we would have made you watch it all, what we would have done to both your daughter and your wife..."

A gruff male voice Jake had never heard before called up the stairs. "Bella, you finished yet?"

"Just coming, lover! He so worries about me, it's actually quite cute to see. Yes, you're really lucky that this will be quick."

Jake actually thought she was right, he did feel lucky. Lucky to be joining Helen and Bea, he certainly didn't want to live in a world without them. A flick of her stick and Jake got his wish. As his arterial blood now mingled with that of his daughter, his last thought at seeing the red writing on the wall was that the stupid bastards must have gotten the wrong house!

-oOoOo-

Dan had purchased a beach volleyball kit and Dobby had dropped it off for them in their beach chalet. The extended family all loved playing and watching, with the improvised court kept busy for most of the day. By rotating the team members so every 'tournament' was different, it was also kept a lot of fun.

Tonks was currently on court, teamed with Pansy against Neville and Parvati, when she spotted her boss approaching. The auror's senses were screaming something was badly wrong here, Amelia looked fierce enough to scare the shit out of a troll.

"Guys, I think we're going to have to leave this game for now..."

As more and more people noted Amelia's approach, they gathered around her as a group to hear what she had to say. The Head of the D.M.L.E. couldn't think of a bigger contrast, this idyllic beach setting and the dark news she was going to have to give them. With the whole of Britain soon to be aware of the news, she really had no option.

Amelia looked at all the faces gathered round in a semi-circle and actually wanted to be anywhere but here at the moment. "The escaped death eaters struck against a muggle family, mother, father and their six year old daughter were all murdered. They changed their entire method of attack so very little magic was used, and none of it dark enough to set off our detectors. They killed quickly and must have been in and out of their victims' house in a matter of minutes - with no dark mark being cast either."

Augusta was first with a question. "How do you know it was the escaped death eaters then?"

"They left another calling card, the same bloody message written on the wall that they used in Azkaban. This was the only reason we picked up on it, the muggle authorities thought it was some sort of drug fight between dealers and the attackers picked the wrong house. Cornelius is meeting with their Prime Minister at the moment to let them know exactly what's happening."

Tonks then asked the question Amelia knew would cause all the trouble. "Were this family picked at random or do they have a connection to the magical world?"

"They had no connection to the magical world but they weren't exactly chosen randomly, Jake, Helen and little Bea all had the last name of Potter."

An icy hand visited this tropical paradise and gripped all of them. Harry had been sitting on the sand beside Hermione when the hammer blow hit, he staggered to his feet and lurched in the direction of their little chalet - only to drop to his knees after about ten yards and paint the beach with the contents of his stomach. Hermione had already been moving to accompany him and was at his side in seconds, with Padma and Luna right beside her.

An elf appeared with some iced water for Harry which he gratefully accepted, he still couldn't seem to get his legs working though. Lukas soon solved that problem by scooping Harry up as if he was a small child and carrying him toward his beach chalet, Hermione, Padma, Luna and Emma all followed in his wake.

The beach chairs were soon all grouped together so they could effectively hold a family meeting, one of their own again needed help and they intended to supply every bit they could.

His father's voice had become almost a growl, displaying just how angry Barchoke was. "This was what Harry feared most, that they would target people associated with him. That's why he had all the marauders' pins changed to portkeys at the party, how can we possibly guard against this happening again? Dan, do you have any idea how many muggle families in Britain have the last name Potter?"

"It would be a wild guess, but I think it would certainly be in the thousands. The last census should have that exact information, including addresses."

Amelia felt her gut tighten at that figure. "That's far too many to effectively guard, and you can't ward their properties without a magical member of the family to tie the wards to."

The family meeting was a new experience for Xeno but he had watched as his daughter was accorded universal acceptance into this group, he certainly intended to help anyway he could and offered his opinion. "I assume the muggle newspapers will be all over this, should they strike again at another family named Potter then you could see panic start in the muggle world. This bears all the hallmarks of Augustus Rookwood, that man is exceptionally clever and wasn't even suspected of being a death eater - the ministry never thought to check the department of mysteries personnel. He was only caught because another death eater, Igor Karkaroff, gave the ministry every name he knew at his trial to escape going to Azkaban."

Sirius was sitting with his face in his hands, he knew his godson pretty well now - certainly well enough to understand his reaction to these circumstances. "This is a nightmare, and one I don't know how to help him with. All his training, physical, magical and tactical, is rendered useless - we're reduced to sitting waiting on the muggle news reporting an attack on another family with the same surname. How easy would it be to find addresses of muggles named Potter?"

The new muggle studies professor aimed that question at the one person there he was sure would know the answer, Dan didn't disappoint - though his answer brought no comfort.

"Ridiculously easy. You've seen the phone book in our house, every home has one. All you have to do is open that book to find anyone named Potter in our area, all the names are listed alphabetically - with the addresses right beside them..."

At that, Dobby appeared with the phone book from Crawley and Sirius had to agree that Dan was spot on. It took the marauder less than a minute to flip the directory to the correct page and see all the information right in front of him.

Amelia was also disheartened by this news. "You say every house has one of these?"

"They're updated every couple of years and a new one gets delivered free to your house. Copies are also in public buildings like libraries and post offices, even some telephone boxes have them."

Remus summed up the bad news for all of them. "So, muggles called Potter are easy to find, and there are so many we couldn't possibly protect them all from attacks!"

Barchoke's growl was back in full force. "Amelia, I intend to use every resource I can to find these two, if we do find them though the Nation might just want to take them down. There is no greater crime to a goblin than that of deliberately harming a child, murdering a little girl just because her last name is Potter would see them fed to the Gringotts dragons - while still alive!"

Lukas had returned in time to hear, and totally agree with that opinion. "For what they did to that innocent family, and that innocent young man in there, I'll feed them to those dragons myself. He's had one hell of a shock and is trying to blame himself for the attack, the girls are having none of it. He's lying on his bed and holding on to Hermione like she's some kind of security blanket."

"He'll be okay, he was in much the same state after sneaking into Azkaban and discovering Sirius was innocent..." Loud cries of 'WHAT!' greeted Dan's statement until Barchoke confirmed it.

"It wasn't difficult, he just kept his hood up and spoke with me in our own tongue. That was nearly two years ago though, and Harry was a good bit smaller then. I don't think we could pull it off now. Hermione managed to put him back together on that occasion, she'll do so again. Harry will shortly be here and looking for answers, answers we don't currently have to give."

Draco had listened as intently as everyone there and thought something was being missed, he now felt confident enough in this company to offer his opinion too - it would certainly be a different perspective. "I think there's something that needs to be mentioned, the effect this news will have on the other death eaters. My father would have laughed his head off at three dead muggles, and taken even greater delight in knowing this news would hurt Harry too. The thing is, there are a lot more just like how he used to be still out there..." With all eyes now focused on him, Draco faltered until encouraged by Sirius.

"We all know you've made your choice, Draco, but you also have insights that none of us here do."

Taking a deep breath, he continued with what had struck him. "I was thinking of how this should be turned around in the press, rather like you did with the breakout of Azkaban. I'm not sure how it could be done but you need to discourage others from joining these two..."

Barchoke thought that was a brilliant idea and certainly supported it, he was now only half-listening though while trying to think of ways The Nation could help his children.

His children were currently lying on top of Harry's bed, enveloped in each other's embrace. Emma had eventually led the other two girls away, recognising that the couple would need some time alone to sort this out amongst themselves.

Harry's voice was barely above a whisper as he spoke. "Hermione, how can anyone murder a little girl?"

Hermione was gazing into those green eyes she loved so much and felt as if she could actually touch Harry's soul. Behind the drive and determination, the muscles and armour, there was a kind and caring wonderful young man that she fell in love with. This was Harry with his guard right down, her Harry who didn't have all the answers, a Harry she unfortunately had no answers to give.

"I don't know, Harry, I can only guess that's why they're considered terrorists. They are prepared to do anything to further their cause."

"No cause in the world can ever justify murdering a six year old little girl. They are murderers, plain and simple. You were right that day in Hogwarts when you said they shouldn't be duelled but shot in the back if we could, they have no honour and deserve the same chance they gave their victims - none!"

Hermione could see the spark return to Harry's eyes and just had to kiss him.

"Mmmm, either I need to get up to brush my teeth before taking this further, or we need to get out of here..."

A blushing Hermione reluctantly opted for the second option. "People are worried about you, Harry, it wouldn't be right to leave them worried while we're in here snogging our brains out."

"I know, but I like the sound of snogging our brains out!" Harry gave her a grateful smile for being there for him again, then he got serious. "I can't really lie on a beach while terrorists are murdering people back in Britain, having the wizarding public believe I was in hiding would be a disaster."

"What about Egypt next week?"

"Next week is important from a goblin perspective, Cairo is the centre of all Gringotts banking for that part of the world and we will be attending a few functions while there. They will be curious to see an Ambassador, whose non-goblin born son is also a Centurion. Then there's the Centurion's mate, a Friend of the Nation and Order of Merlin, First Class, holder. Add in Neville, Padma, Henrica and Tonks to complete a bunch of celebrities that will have the local goblins coming out to gawk. Our group is going to get insights into The Nation that will make your head spin, the repayment is we have to attend a function or two to meet and greet."

This actually had Hermione giggling. "A goblin charm offensive - I didn't think that was even possible?"

Harry answered by leaning in and kissing his mate. "We goblins can be charming when we want to be. Now, I need to visit the bathroom, brush my teeth and then go see our family."

Luna had barely taken her eyes off the door to their beach chalet so it was hardly surprising that she was first to see the couple emerge. that they were hand in hand was only to be expected, Hermione's smile though told Luna that everything was going to be getting back to normal soon.

-oOoOo-

Alecto wondered if things would ever be normal again. These two escaped from Azkaban and then just turned up on their doorstep, before moving in and practically taking over their home. Supplying clothes, food, unregistered wands and coughing up gold for books by owl order were just some of the impositions that had been forced upon Alecto and her brother.

Then these two began attacking muggles, unleashing who knows what by way of ministerial retribution. Last night, the latest Potter family to be targeted turned out to be nothing more than an elderly couple with one foot already in the grave. That didn't seem to matter though to their uninvited guests, Rookwood and Lestrange came home and celebrated as if they'd just won a great victory, they didn't even have the courtesy to use silencing charms! Alecto promised herself she would be burning those sheets when they eventually left.

If that's how they celebrated after murdering a couple of geriatrics, Alecto didn't think the house would remain standing with what they might get up to if they actually achieved something worthwhile.

The feeling of impending doom that had settled in the pit of her stomach from the moment she laid eyes on the pair of escaped convicts suddenly grew to the size of a quaffle as Alecto read the front page of this morning's Prophet - this was really bad.

Fudge had called an emergency meeting of the Wizengamot and Alecto was struggling to believe the measures they had managed to push through. That there was a kiss on sight order for the dementors on these two wasn't surprising, the rest was shocking.

The Lestrange fortune had been swallowed up by the Ministry of Magic, and would be used to help protect those citizens most at risk of attack from death eaters. While this was bad news, it was merely the beginning of the horror contained here. The ministry had also authorised its aurors to use lethal force in the apprehending of Augustus Rookwood and Bellatrix Lestrange, passing what amounted to a death sentence on both of them. The aurors wouldn't be using any of the unforgivables but would now have no worries about facing any accusations of using excessive force - they had just been given carte blanche to hit both escaped prisoners with everything they had. Any aurors coming face to face with the escaped death eaters would certainly do just that.

It was the final part of the article though that saw Alecto's breakfast threatening to make a reappearance, that same lethal level of force was also authorised against anyone assisting Rookwood or Lestrange. The minister himself spelled it out in language a four year old couldn't misunderstand.

"The ministry have been moving our country forward but also taking great care to preserve our past, this is part of our past though that we have no intention of revisiting. Death eaters serve the self-proclaimed dark lord, Tom Riddle. This is a wizard whose sole purpose is to overthrow the legal government of our country, while setting himself up as supreme ruler over all of us. This, simply put, is treason, and the penalties for such acts are clearly laid down in our laws. Those taking part in any such insurrection will be tried and, after being found guilty, put to death. Their family name will be disowned and they will lose at least ninety percent of any lands, homes, possessions and gold their family owned. Any terrorist who wants to overthrow my government will find us standing waiting and ready for them, and even death won't spare them from our retribution. Anyone considering joining these criminals in their campaign of murdering innocents, please believe this warning - it's the only one you're going to get!"

Alecto believed it, she believed every bowel loosening word of it. The Carrows may not have much to lose in the way of wealth but she had no intention of losing her life just so these two could kill some mugges named Potter - these muggles they were randomly choosing weren't even related to the brat they were supposedly trying to terrorise. Both Alecto and her brother tried to tell them that this Harry considered himself a goblin, and when did a goblin ever give a shit about what happened outside Gringotts.

At that, Amycus staggered in the door, it would seem though that pain rather than firewhisky was responsible for his condition. The quaffle in her stomach became a bludger as she listened to what her brother had to say.

"I tried to contact Narcissa Malfoy but couldn't get anywhere near the manor, the pain in my mark was nearly as bad as the night the dark lord gave it to me. I approached from three different sides and got the same result every time, Malfoy Manor now has wards that refuse access to anyone who carries the dark mark. I think those wards would be lethal if you forced your way through, that's something I definitely don't want to be trying."

Alecto pushed today's Prophet across to her brother while wondering how Bella would react to these double blows. Describing Bellatrix Lestrange as mercurial was a real understatement, she could transform from laughing to lethal in the blink of an eye. When Bella was in a lethal mood, only the dark lord could control and focus her ire on a victim of his choice. With only the four of them in the house, that ire would have to go somewhere.

Not for the first time, Alecto found herself wondering whatever possessed them to join the ranks of the death eaters. They had seen no power, glory or wealth head in their direction, instead they were now saddled with crazy Bella and her bedmate living under their roof. As if that wasn't bad enough, Alecto was beginning to wonder if they would survive Bella hearing this news.

-oOoOo-

Severus had heard his name called out and a cold shiver of dread ran down his spine, four warriors wanted him to accompany them to an as yet undisclosed location. They gave him a moment to inform his supervisor what stage the potion he was working on had reached before escorting him from the lab.

His nerves didn't improve any when he was shown into a plush office and recognised the goblin who had summoned him, it would have been difficult not to know the most recognisable goblin in Britain.

"Ambassador Barchoke, how can I be of help?"

The goblin kept the death eater waiting a moment for an answer, and then asked a question of his own. "You have four years of your sentence remaining to be completed, are you still enjoying your time as a guest of Gringotts?"

After having to deal with the dark lord, Severus was a master at not letting his emotions show. That wasn't to say he didn't have those emotions though, and his current emotions were mostly fear. He was quite proud that his voice held steady as he answered. "I am certainly enjoying my time spent as a guest of The Nation, you have been such generous hosts that I am hoping some arrangement could be reached after my allocated time is over."

"I can make that happen, I can even arrange for you to speak goblin like a citizen!" Barchoke left those temptations hanging just out of reach, before showing Snape the other side of the coin. "I can also arrange a transfer to the dragon pits where you will spend the next four years, if you survive that long, working at manually mucking out the pens. The choice of potions lab or the dragon pens is entirely in your own hands. I obviously want something you have, give it to me and we will have a deal. Refuse and you are no longer of any use to me, you will leave this office and begin working in the pens today."

There was not one shred of doubt in Severus' mind that this goblin was anything but one hundred percent serious, he just hoped that he actually had what Barchoke wanted. He had learned that goblins weren't ones to accept excuses, if he didn't have what Barchoke wanted then it would be the dragon pens for Severus Snape.

"Again, how can I help?"

"Lestrange and Rookwood have gone to ground, I want to unearth them. What I want from you is the names of every death eater you know, and the locations of any safe houses. Give me this information and you can go straight back to the potions lab..."

Barchoke never reiterated what would happen if Severus refused, he didn't need to.

"...if this information helps us catch these bastards, I can guarantee your stay in The Nation for as long as you want. I can also guarantee you would be speaking our language fluently as one of us within a week of their capture."

There was parchment, ink and a quill already sitting at the desk, Severus was soon using all three to regurgitate every name and location he knew of.

The goblin hid his smile well, Barchoke hadn't had a lot to smile about lately. These bastards thought they could terrorise his son by killing muggles and writing on walls, it was time to go on the offensive. He had Rita standing by, waiting on this death eater's list, she would then use her unique talents to pay these people and places a flying visit.

Rita was well aware of the danger involved but her emergency portkey would rip through any wards the death eaters have should she need to get out fast. She was also being well paid for sticking her nose into this dangerous situation. With the promise of the ministry reward should she locate them, and a front row seat at their capture, Rita would be able to quadruple her earnings from Barchoke with an exclusive article on the demise of the death eaters.

He had also been instrumental in arranging another article that would appear in tomorrow's Prophet, one more step in the process of applying pressure to these bastards in the hope they got careless. Barchoke wanted them brought down in the worst possible way and would happily wield a blade himself if necessary.

The goblin would need his caring face for later when the muggle born parents were meeting in Gringotts, they didn't need much convincing to attend. The muggle press didn't know anything about death eaters but had dubbed Lestrange and Rookwood as 'The Potter Killers', with Ministry of Magic supplied pictures of the duo plastered all over their front pages.

The story the press had been fed was very close to the truth, here were a pair of terrorists that had killed while escaping from a classified maximum security prison. They had been sentenced to spend the rest of their lives in this prison after a young couple called Potter were brutally murdered, the Potters were survived by their baby son - now a teenager and the main target for these killers.

They were basically offering the muggle born families free protection from the killers that were plastered all over their news media. Since everyone involved basically wanted the same thing, to keep them all safe, Barchoke thought it would be a very cordial and somewhat short meeting.

-oOoOo-

Cornelius was currently briefing Amelia and Amos on a very cordial meeting he and Arthur had with representatives of the muggle government. "They seemed impressed with our suggestions, offering to foot the bill though easily sealed the deal. Arthur will be working closely with their team but everybody in Britain with the surname Potter will be relocated by next week."

The sheer amount of organising this would take left Amos questioning that timescale but Cornelius was confident it would be achieved.

"They are being moved to holiday locations all around the country - in some cases moving abroad or staying with relatives. With families who want to move permanently to another home, their current properties will be purchased immediately - giving them funds to purchase another. Their government is sorting out any employment issues the adults might have while the children are all on holiday from school. With the massive amount of publicity surrounding these murders, everyone desperately wants to be seen to be helping."

Amelia had a fierce grin as a thought just struck her. "I'd pay a month's salary to see that bitch Lestrange's face when she discovers her former vault is helping to pay for all this."

"Barchoke assures me the Lily Potter Foundation will pick up any shortfall, he's as keen as we are that no more Potters should die."

"I was the one who had to give Harry the news of the first murders, his father will do anything to prevent a repeat of that scene. Can I assume we have no problems if the goblins get to them first?"

The minister was quick to reassure Amelia that certainly wouldn't be a problem. "I don't care if these two are shot full of centaur arrows when we get them, I just want them taken care of."

Amos then had a question that he thought Amelia would be able to answer. "Cedric says their holiday to Egypt is still going ahead, do you know if that's right?"

"Yes, they came home early from the island and are giving Japan a miss but Cairo sounds wonderful, I'm really sorry to miss it. I can't really cancel all auror leave and then bugger off on holiday myself though."

Both Cornelius and Amos knew there were department heads in the ministry who wouldn't dream of imposing the same standards on themselves as those of their subordinates, just as they knew Amelia wouldn't even consider doing otherwise.

Amelia then had to leave, she was standing in for the exceedingly busy Arthur Weasley as the ministry's representative at the muggle born meeting soon to be held in Gringotts.

-oOoOo-

Gringotts had really went out of their way to impress the muggle borns' parents by allowing their meeting to take place in the Grand Chamber. Harry led his family over to the tableaux he'd championed at his Centurion inauguration, he and his father respectfully stood in silence with their head bowed for a few minutes.

Emma was captivated by the tableaux, the highly crafted blend of sculpture and painting bringing the scene to life in a way that was almost religious. She had no trouble comparing this to some of the great religious paintings from history - this certainly should be considered as a work of art. Emma thought she understood why Harry was drawn to this scene, it somewhat mirrored his own experiences. Wizards trying to impose their will on people by a campaign of terror before being brought forth to face justice, that women and children were involved as victims just made the comparison all the more poignant.

Along with Luna and Tonks, Emma led Harry and Hermione to seats in the audience while Dan and Barchoke made their way to the stage. Harry was delighted when Amelia and Professor McGonagall joined them on stage as the meeting was now ready to start, Colin and his family had headed straight for them and he was currently having his ears talked off by two hyper-excited Creevey brothers.

Minerva was going to open the proceedings, thank everyone for coming and then pass over to Amelia for the ministry's view of this. Barchoke would cover the technical side of the procedure before Dan dealt with the practicalities of muggles living in a warded house.

Minerva had met most of the parents of the muggle borns before, it was usually her who followed up on their Hogwarts letter. She thanked everyone for attending and gave a very brief explanation of just who Lily Potter was, and why the foundation was set up. Amelia followed with a short history of the dark lord and his death eaters, one part of her presentation though really struck home with the parents.

"These terrorists targeted the muggle born families last time with devastating effectiveness, probably because they had infiltrators inside the ministry supplying them with those names and addresses. The ministry is now protected by the very same wards that we are today offering to erect around your homes, no death eater will ever set foot there again - we want you to accept the same level of protection for your family."

A goblin addressing muggle parents of witches and wizards inside the Gringotts Grand Chamber ticked so many 'first' boxes that Barchoke didn't even bother counting. He apologised beforehand if anyone had any experience of wards but was going to treat this as if this was their first introduction of the term.

"Wards are basically like an invisible shield that we place around your home, a shield that can then be adjusted to meet your own requirements. Although barring anyone with a dark mark is a compulsory function of these wards, you still get to decide which witches or wizards are allowed in your home. I'll now place you in Dan Granger's very capable hands, he and his wife are both dentists while their daughter Hermione is the first witch in their family."

Dan stood for a moment before speaking. "I know exactly how you're all feeling at this moment in time, my wife and I were faced with exactly the same decision almost two years ago. Accepting our daughter is a witch was easy compared to the thought that she could be in danger because there were certain people who wanted to see her new best friend murdered."

He actually smiled at the memory of that meeting. "Harry's father told me that Gringotts was covered in these wards but the ones on our house would protect something far more precious than gold, how can any father argue against logic like that?"

This raised a few laughs before Dan delved into the practicalities of having these wards. "We have a ledger in the house that Hermione has to enter a witch or wizard's name before they are allowed onto our property, only certain owls are allowed through too - unless they are also entered in the ledger. Apart from sleeping safer at night, I haven't found a downside to these wards and forget they are there for most of the time. I also know that, should someone be foolish enough to attempt to break through our wards, a squad of goblin warriors would be on my doorstep long before they managed their task."

Amelia stood again and told their audience she had the very same wards erected on her own home and, like Dan, slept sounder at night because of them. She then asked if they had any questions, making it plain that only questions on the warding of their homes would be answered - she had no intention of letting them focus on the 'Potter Killers'. That last bit disappointed a lot of people yet, since they were about to have their families protected from this very real threat for free, there were no complaints.

As the meeting ended, there were goblin tellers present to book appointments for each family to have their home warded. Professor McGonagall led Harry, Barchoke and the three Grangers over to greet the McDonalds, introducing Roy, Mary and little Natalie.

Roy was like a fish out of water and appeared to be searching for any point of common reference he could grasp. That this boy's mother and girlfriend were both like his Natalie, the first witches in their family, helped. He also couldn't help but notice how many of the other kids had made their way over to the lad to say hello, and a few even thanked him for cutting his holidays short to do this. Roy decided the best way to deal with his misgivings was just to put his cards on the table right up front, not knowing this would only endear him to his goblin hosts.

"I'll give it to you straight, sonny, I was brought up to believe that no one gives you something for nothing. I want to know right now what this will really cost my Natalie?"

Harry had signalled for Luna and Colin to come over, Colin's family coming along too.

"This is Luna Lovegood and Colin Creevey, last year's recipients of the Potter Scholarships. I would ask the same of Natilie as I did of them, they should do their best while at Hogwarts and then act as mentors for the following year's students. I hope to create something here where all scholarship students look after the younger members, nothing more but certainly nothing less."

Seeing the sparkle in his daughter's eyes at that helped Roy and Mary, as did meeting the Creeveys and Grangers. This meeting was certainly settling some of their fears, the professor then put most of the remaining worries to bed.

"I was aware of Centurion Crow's ambitions for this project right from the start, and thought his goals were admirable. I then spent the year watching closely as they then overachieved in every single one of those goals. The entire first year fell under their spell and now act like members of a family, they all look out for each other and last year saw them set the best disciplinary record for a year group at Hogwarts in the castle's long history. This scholarship program is helping reshape Hogwarts, and I'm positive Natalie will fit right in and really enjoy her time with us."

Harry then switched his attention fully to the little girl who was almost hiding in full sight, standing behind her parents and with her long black hair pulled over to practically obscure her facial features. "What do you think about this, Natalie?"

Her voice was quiet but all could hear the doubt contained there. "Am I really a witch?"

It was a sympathetic Hermione who held her hand out to the younger girl, physically drawing her out of her parents' shadows. "I know exactly how you feel. I was worried it was all some cruel joke someone was playing on me, right up until I held my wand in my hand. Then I knew it was real, and I actually was a witch. We're meeting Pauline Nott, the other scholarship student, and a few of our friends when we leave here but I think our first stop after that should be to get you your wand. What do you think?"

The excitement fairly sparkled in the young witch's eyes as the Creeveys and McDonalds warding appointments were quickly arranged, now it was time for Natalie's magical adventure to begin.

-oOoOo-

It wasn't excitement that sparkled in Dragontooth's eyes, rather pure, unadulterated hatred as he paced up and down in agitation - only the fact this was their apartment stopped him breaking anything.

"Filthy humans in our Grand Chamber! I saw it for myself and still can't believe it. They should have been slaughtered and served up to the dragons for daring to even look upon the sacred carvings, and those who permitted this atrocity should have their ears and noses sliced off - forced to forever live with their shame."

He spun round to face his father. "Of course, they were there - the ugly bitch and her parents. Please tell me it will be soon, Father. The shame that she cut me burns worse than any wound, I want my revenge."

Bloodfang was every bit as incensed as his son, just not as impulsive. "Patience, patience, patience - have you learned nothing? Everyone is on high alert at the moment because of these escaped death eaters, we need to let that settle before we act..."

"...but father, I had the perfect time all picked out. The ugly bitch's birthday is in September, we could ruin this and every birthday she has left with the memory of her slaughtered parents."

Bloodfang liked that idea, he liked it a lot but wasn't prepared to commit to that date just yet. "We'll see, we'll see."

This appeased his son, 'we'll see' usually meant yes and Dragontooth could hardly wait for his revenge on the ugly bitch - and Crow.

-oOoOo-

Nothing was going to appease Bella this morning, it was almost as if someone had designed today's edition of the Prophet to push all of her buttons at the same time.

Details of how the muggle government were rapidly protecting everyone in Britain named Potter were hard to swallow, that Lestrange gold was helping to protect those Potter muggles started her blood on its journey toward boiling point. The Muggle Born Protection Act, again with the name Potter behind it, only increased the temperature of that volatile substance. Seeing pictures of the brat in Diagon Alley, casually shopping without a care in the world, practically had steam coming out her ears. That the Longbottoms and her fucking nephew were in the pictures too almost had Bella totally losing it, turning the page to see some goblin and the minister presenting McGonagall with her master's precious cup was always going to launch her right over the edge.

A scream of rage rang out as her borrowed wand incinerated the offending newspaper, and also burnt a hole right through the table it was sitting on. "My master's precious possession, they fucking gave it away! I'll kill them - I'll kill all of the fuckers and get it back..."

"It won't do you any good, you know..."

In the blink of an eye, Bella had swung her wand to point at her mate. "...and what do you know of it? You're supposed to be so fucking clever yet the bastards are one step ahead of us at every turn."

"Somehow the goblins discovered our master had made horcruxes, they've been searching for them since that Halloween night. They are so confident in themselves, they've even allowed details to be published in a book. The little bastards would surely have found one stored in a Gringotts vault and removed our master's essence from it, that was nothing more than a piece of gold they handed over to Hogwarts." Rookwood was also certain that specific picture was included in the newspaper purely to garner this very reaction from Bella. Her racing off on a berserker killing spree could see all of them doomed.

Bella's splintered mind had jumped off in another direction entirely though. "...that stupid bastard, Lucius, he must have known all this - and yet he still served them one of our master's most precious possessions up on a plate! I should have taken my time killing the bastard, his death was far too merciful - no wonder my fucking sister hides behind wards that keep me out. I'll deal with that bitch and her 'Potter loving' spawn too!"

All could see the killing lust broadcasting from every pore of Bella's features, Rookwood attempted to give that killing lust some less dangerous focus - less dangerous to them that is. "What we do now is switch tactics and targets. Back to what we do best, the four of us turn up unannounced and kill every fucker in the targeted place!"

Augustus could see he had reached Bella with that, she would contain her rage until their attack tonight - then they would need to begin searching for their master. Even in her clearly emotionally distressed state, Bella had still hit on the truth of the matter. This was not the ministry they were used to dealing with, the ministry's cooperation with the goblins was bad news for their cause too. Without their master's immense powerful backing, Rookwood knew it would only be a matter of time before they were tracked down.

Tracking was also at the forefront of his thoughts. If they could now ward against the dark mark, the next logical step would be to discover a way to track it. He had been ordering books on arithmacy and runes to help him devise such a system, though Augustus intended to use their dark marks to locate the person who permitted them the honour of bearing them. After tonight's attack, he would need to turn all his attention to that.

Neither he nor Bella had been paying any attention in the direction of the Carrows, otherwise they couldn't have missed the siblings' clearly horrified expressions.

Alecto and Amycus wanted nothing to do with any raid or murdering muggles, they also knew better than to disagree with Bella when she was in this kind of mood. Only a complete moron offers death an invitation, and that's what would be coming their way if they dared to voice their opinions. They may survive this raid - they certainly wouldn't live through saying no to Bellatrix Lestrange when she was bubbling with anger and had a wand already in her hand.

A/N thanks for reading

63. Sapphire and Steel

Harry Crow

A/N My iPad and the new look FFN decided to have a falling out and stop speaking to each other. While struggling to insert chapter titles I was tapping at the screen in frustration when the following message froze me as effectively as a glance from a basilisk - do you really want to delete all 62 chapters of this story and 14,xxx reviews? A shaking finger carefully made its way to the NO answer as a year's work was almost instantly wiped out. Please tell me there is some sort of time delay built in, say 24 hours, where an author gets to change their mind?

I do have backups but the though of reposting all 62 chapters was not a pleasant one.

Chapter 63

Donald and Julie were saying goodnight to their friends in the pub. Neither was much of a drinker but when you lived in a small village like Cockington, this was where you came to meet with your friends and generally socialise. After many years of working and living in the hustle and bustle of London, being able to retire to a sleepy little village in Devon had been a dream come true for the couple.

Discovering that they were here to stay, and not just buying a holiday cottage for weekends and the odd break, saw the couple gain instant acceptance from the other residents of the village. That last year saw Donald retiring after thirty years plus service in the Metropolitan Police was really all the credentials the couple needed to be trusted by the locals.

Donald was about to open the pub door for his wife only to discover it wouldn't budge an inch. "Hey, Sam, you having a lock-in tonight?"

"It's just as well he retired, Julie, a copper should know you only have a lock-in after last orders - it's just gone ten o'clock!"

"I can tell the time, I can't budge the door though..." Since Donald was six foot two and had played rugby for his division, the former policeman was receiving a fair bit of gentle ribbing from their friends about his physical prowess - or apparent lack of.

Except for the group in the back playing pool, this was now providing entertainment to the couple of dozen other patrons of the pub. 'Helpful' suggestions were being shouted out as the younger and wiry built Sam made his way from behind the bar to sort the problem, only to discover that both of them pushing together couldn't budge the thing.

The small distorted glass panes in the door might have added a bit of character to the old world design of the pub, they certainly weren't there to give patrons a good view through them. Even so, both Donald and Sam clearly saw the flashes of light that shot out from the darkness and must have struck the pub somewhere above where they were situated. While the jammed door now took on a far more sinister connotation for Donald, Sam was far more worried about what those beams could mean.

"I don't know what those lights were but they certainly hit the thatched roof..." His worst fears seemed to be borne out though as flickering orange / yellow light began to be reflected in the distorted glass panes - and then the first whiff of smoke reached their nostrils.

Both then hit the door hard with their shoulders but they might as well have tried to burst their way through the foot thick pub walls for all the effect they had.

"Where are the emergency exits?"

Sam pointed Donald in the direction of the toilets while he shot off to check the one at the back of the pool lounge.

Julie had been married to her police officer for over thirty years, seeing Donald with his 'game face' on was not something she expected after their retirement move to be near the coast. She wasn't about to panic though, they were after all just down the village pub and spending the evening having a quiet drink with friends. Seeing her husband as he emerged from his frantic search for another exit told Julie the situation might be far more serious than she first thought - then she too got a whiff of the acrid smoke.

Sam had obviously met with the same negative result but Donald wasn't beaten yet, not by a long way. As the smoke started to become more obvious to everyone, he quickly press-ganged the five biggest guys in the pub as they grabbed one of the oak tables and had it hoisted up onto their shoulders. On the count of three, they desperately charged toward the nearest Georgian window - hitting it dead centre only to bounce off and all hit the floor on their backs.

Donald lay there as the panicked screaming began to surface all around him, the table should have easily crashed right through that delicate wooden framework holding the distorted glass panes and now be lying in the beer garden outside - leaving them with a viable exit from the pub. Getting to his feet and reaching for his wife, Donald couldn't help but notice that the air was already much fresher at ground level than head height - that's when his idea struck.

Grabbing hold of the barman, Donald had to shake Sam a couple of times to get him to concentrate. "Sam, how does the pub get its barrels delivered?"

"They bring them every Tuesday and drop them off in the cellar..." At that, Sam understood what Donald was implying and raced off behind the bar.

Whether that exit was available or not, they stood a far better chance of surviving until the fire brigade got here by making their way down into the cellar and seeking shelter from the smoke and heat. Donald began pushing folk in that direction, most didn't want to go as it was deeper into the pub but battering chairs off windows was having even less effect than the table had.

The conditions inside the pub were deteriorating rapidly, it was getting very hot and visibility was down to under two feet. Donald was coughing rather than breathing now as he physically pushed three struggling people behind the bar, he found his wife at the entrance to the cellar with a bar towel wrapped around her face as she directed people down the steps and into their proposed sanctuary.

Whoever had done such a good job on the doors and windows had then missed the metal hatch on the ground that opened to allow for the delivery of beer barrels to the pub. Black metal doors on a tarred road surface at the back of the pub would have been easy to miss at night, though not now. The blazing roof was throwing off more than enough light to illuminate Sam standing at the hatch and pulling those customers through who were struggling to make it on their own. The sight of that exit was more than enough to get folk moving that just a moment ago Donald was having to shove really hard.

Just before passing Julie up to Sam, Donald removed her makeshift mask and gave her a quick kiss.

"You come back to me, Donald Roberts, you hear me?"

"Of course, love..."

As his wife left the cellar, she was replaced at the hatch by a bald coloured man in uniform - it may not have been one Donald recognised but it was still a uniform none the less.

"What are you doing, sir?"

"There are people still in that pub, the heat is bad and the smoke deadly but I still have a chance of getting them out."

"I can't let you do that.."

He wasn't about to accept that and angrily shouted up at the stranger. "Get your arse down here and help me then!"

Donald wrapped the bar towel around his face and thought his wife was a friggin' genius - it was like he was breathing fresh air! A shiver ran down his back and suddenly the heat wasn't bothering him either, and Donald also had company - the coloured officer had taken his 'advice' and followed him back into the pub.

The smoke was thick enough to cut with a knife yet Donald could easily breathe through the towel but it was visibility that was the biggest problem, using the pub's bar as his guide they both set off for the pool room. Finding the people still in there turned out to be surprisingly easy, he fell over them as they had all passed out on the floor.

Donald had an arm each from the first two people they found huddled against the fire exit and was dragging them along the floor as burning parts of the ceiling started falling all around him. He though the situation must be giving him strength as Donald felt superhuman and the two unconscious bodies were shooting along the ground as if on casters.

His accomplice though appeared to be going one better and pushing the remaining three casualties rapidly toward the safety of the cellar. Sam and Julie were both waiting at the hatch and they had those two fellows out of there in seconds, his wife had clearly been speeding down the road to hysteria and wouldn't let Donald go the second he exited the hatch - just as well his accomplice didn't seem to need any help as the three people he'd rescued appeared to float through the life saving opening.

Willing hands quickly took the five away for medical treatment as the rescue party moved further from the now fiercely blazing pub. It took a lot to ignite a thatched roof but once lit, it was almost impossible to stop it burning until all the thatch was consumed by the fire.

Donald wanted to thank his mysterious accomplice. "What's your name son? You did wonderful work in there."

"Thank you, sir, it's Shacklebolt. Sorry, but unit and such are all confidential."

As they shook hands, the auror surreptitiously canceled the bubble head and flame-freezing charms he'd cast on the muggle, he'd already removed the featherlight charm from the victims they'd pulled out of the pub.

As a former policeman, Donald always had another question. "What's a special unit doing in a tiny place like Cockington?"

The auror indicated toward the front of the burning building. "I think the name of the pub you were just in should give you that answer."

Donald, Julie and Sam all glanced toward the sign suspended from the fifteen foot high wrought iron stand across from the entrance, it was clearly visible now illuminated by the flames of the burning pub it boldly advertised - The Potters Arms.

When the trio turned back to ask Shacklebolt some more questions he had vanished into the night.

-oOoOo-

Harry and Hermione had spent a rare night in Crawley and were enjoying their morning exercise routine, which today was a run around the town where Hermione grew up. They were leaving for Cairo tomorrow but Hermione had an ulterior motive for their stay in Crawley, she wanted the family to go to church this morning. When they got married in non magical society Hermione wanted the service to take place in the church she'd attended since being a toddler. Being at Hogwarts meant they would only be able to attend church on a few occasions each year but Hermione wanted Harry to be comfortable and get his face known by the rest of the parishioners. She had no idea how 'known' Harry would be by the end of today's service.

Harry enjoyed the singing in church, especially Hermione's lovely voice, and was ignoring all the glances in their direction. Hermione too was relatively immune to people staring at them, two years of being by Harry's side had built her tolerance levels up. Dan and Emma though had only experienced this phenomenon when they accompanied their children into the magical community, having people stare in their direction was certainly not how their Sunday mornings at church usually progressed.

As the service ended, Melissa and Joanne made a beeline for the couple. "Hermione, we really need to speak to you. Are you going to be home for long?"

"Sorry, Melissa, we leave for Egypt in the morning..."

This had Joanne groaning. "It's really important, Hermione, you must have noticed everyone staring at you this morning? The Dursleys have been spreading rumours about Harry all over Crawley and nobody has been able to say they were wrong."

The name Dursley instantly focused all four of their attentions. "Would you girls like to come over for tea and you can tell us what this is all about? You need to clear this with your parents first though..."

A pair of 'Yes, Mrs Granger' saw both girls hurry off to see their parents, knowing both sets it was a forgone conclusion that they would have two visitors for tea. Both girls' mothers would be desperate to know what was going on and Hermione was whispering this information to Harry as soon as the girls left. Anything said at tea today would be all over Crawley before they arrived in Cairo.

Harry found the Reverend Richards a down to earth and very pleasant guy, that all three Grangers clearly liked the man was enough of a recommendation for him. Even here though they all detected questions the minister was dying to ask but social politeness held him in check.

Both girls plied the couple with questions on the ten minute walk to the Grangers' home, Melissa's eyes nearly popping out of her head when she spotted the ring Hermione was wearing - Harry's answer that it was an old family heirloom had both girls just about swooning.

Joanne found she was on no safer ground when asking them how their holidays had been, Harry's answer had both of them practically turning green with envy. "Florida was a lot of fun since there was a whole gang of us there this year. I love seeing Hermione wearing the latest fashions, shopping for them in Paris is something I'm hoping Dan can give me advice on how to dodge that painful experience next time."

This earned a quick quip from the dentist. "Leave Lavender and Parvati at home!"

The girl holding on to this gorgeous guy's arm, wearing his ring on her finger and giggling at her father's joke, bore no resemblance to the Hermione Granger Melissa and Joanne had known. Both could hardly wait to discover if the rumours about this Harry were true.

Emma had hardly walked into the kitchen before she returned with a ladened tray. Dobby as usual had prepared a spread with scones, jams and clotted cream sharing the tray with a cake stand full of delights. Dan then collected the tea, coffee and orange juice the little guy had ready as they sat around the dining table.

After both girls had lavished praise on the wonderful home baking Hermione was ready to get down to business. "You said there was something important we needed to know and mentioned the Dursleys?"

Joanne made sure to wipe any of that delicious cream and jam from her lips before speaking. "The Dursleys are spreading it all around town that your Harry is the one the 'Potter Killers' are after..."

Seeing their shock at that Melissa completed the tale. "They're claiming they knew this would happen which is why they never took their nephew in as a baby, they wanted to protect their own son from danger..."

It was an angry Harry who verbally cut across her. "They were offered protection! Instead they gave me up and moved house." Hermione's arm slipping around him allowed Harry to quickly calm, he certainly wasn't angry at these two girls.

Melissa and Joanne appeared as if they'd been petrified since both just stared at Harry without moving a muscle, he'd just admitted these murderers were actually after him.

Hermione snuggled into her mate as he confirmed that he was the one they were after to the girls. "I told Hermione that it might be dangerous being my friend the very first week we met and she's still here, my father contacted Dan and Emma shortly after that and they still allowed me to date their wonderful daughter. That's how a real family behaves, not by rejecting a member whose only crime is to survive their parents being murdered. I have no love for the Dursleys but I don't hate them either, they really don't mean anything to me. My only concern here is that when this news gets out it will paint a target over Crawley, this house has the best protective systems that money can by but no one else in town does."

Knowing full well how quickly this news would spread Emma thought they should again make sure it was their version of the truth that was being believed. "A few days ago we were all lying on a beach belonging to Harry, actually the entire island does. The point being that he raced back to Britain to ensure all his friends were protected, he and his father also arranged all the funding that allowed everyone named Potter in the whole of Britain to move somewhere safe. The Harry that we know is an entirely honourable young man who we would be delighted to welcome to the family some day, I certainly couldn't say the same about Dudley Dursley!"

Neither girl could argue with that opinion and both were certain their mothers would be overjoyed if either of them had brought Harry home as a boyfriend, 'Potter Killers' be dammed. Harry was handsome, clearly very wealthy, titled and honourable, both girls would settle for finding a boy with even one of those attributes. Just by having tea at the Grangers would see their status elevated amongst their peers, they'd met Harry and had news that would turn the town on its head. Crawley could become the centre of the biggest news story in the country!

Joanne tried for more information and asked if they had any plans after Cairo.

"Probably just spending time at our house in the Scottish highlands though I would like to attend church again before we return to school, I enjoyed that today."

Melissa was thinking that news would certainly see a few more people attending the Reverend Roberts' Sunday sermons while Joanne had focused on Harry saying 'our house', it would seem their relationship was even more serious than they thought.

-oOoOo-

Shack thought he was in serious trouble as Madam Bones asked for an explanation of his actions. "Four different incendios being cast at the same location set off the detectors, our squad was on the scene less than two minutes after getting the alarm but the death eaters had already gone and the roof was beyond saving. Circling around to the back of the building, I noticed people escaping from a hatch in the ground so went over to investigate. One person was determined to go back inside to rescue more people and my choices were to let him go, stun him or follow and help - I chose the latter."

"Did this muggle see you using magic?"

"Absolutely not, the smoke was so thick inside the building that you could hardly see your hand in front of your face. I know we have a non-interference policy, Madam Bones, but those five people, and probably the man who went back in to rescue them, would all have died if I hadn't taken that action."

"You are not in trouble, Auror Shacklebolt, quite the opposite. I intend to see a commendation placed on your record for your actions last night, as well as using those actions to have alterations made to our policy. If we have aurors on the scene who can save lives without breaking the statute of secrecy then I want that to be our response. Even if it means we have to alter some memories later, I think that is a better option than standing there and letting people die when we could save them."

This drew a wide smile from the auror. "Thank you, Madam Bones, for the commendation and the policy change. I became an auror to help people and last night that's what I did. That older gentleman was going back into that burning building knowing there was a very good chance he wouldn't be coming back out, I just had to help him."

Amelia handed her auror a copy of a muggle newspaper where the fire was front page news. "That gentlemen was a retired policeman, he may have retired but that will to serve and protect never leaves the good officers. You are a good officer, Auror Shacklebolt, now take a couple of days off and enjoy yourself."

He passed through the door of the directors office a relieved man.

-oOoOo-

Alecto sighed with relief as she passed through the door, just glad to be out of the house for a moment. It may be their house but Bella and Augustus had made themselves right at home, when they both had headed up the stairs Alecto knew it was time to get out of there. She strolled down to the burn and sat dangling her feet off the bank, letting the sound of the running water sooth her jangled nerves.

Amycus knew just where to find his sister, she'd been coming to this spot to be alone since she was a little girl. "Alecto, you need to be more careful, we can't let our guests see how we really feel. Lestrange was a crazy witch before she was sent to Azkaban but now she would kill you as soon as look at you."

"We're already dead, Amycus, it's just a matter of who actually does the deed."

This shocked her brother back on his heels, that and seeing how worried his sister was about this. "What do you mean dead?"

"Bella killed her husband and both brothers-in-law when they escaped from Azkaban, and we've both heard her saying what she wants to do to her sister when she gets a hold of her. The crazy bitch will end the Carrow line in a heartbeat and not give a shit about it afterwards. Those two have taken everything they want from us and will close anything that might lead the ministry to them before they leave. The same ministry will now group the Carrows along with those two so there will only be death for us there too."

Amycus desperately wanted to argue that his sister was wrong, he wasn't able to but suggested a third option. "What if we run away?"

"Run away where, and to what? We've no gold, family or friends. You'll notice no other death eaters have come forward to help with their supposed terror campaign so we're on our own. Where could we run to, who would help us with the ministry and Lestrange wanting us dead? I just wish we'd known they didn't have wands when they first walked up that path, we could have killed them both and made off with the reward money. By the time we found that out though Bella was too close, and she's every bit as deadly with a blade."

A now disconsolate sibling joined his sister sitting on the bank while a jubilant bug was so excited that she nearly fell off the branch she was perched on. Rita had spotted the witch leaving the house while she was scouting the building and had followed purely on a hunch, a hunch that had just paid dividends. She could now report back on the death eaters' location without having to go anywhere near Bellatrix Lestrange, an unexpected and most assuredly welcome bonus. She flew away looking to get outside the wards and then intended to use her emergency portkey, it was her quickest way back to London and would certainly see her rapidly brought straight to Barchoke.

The former unspeakable was all concentration as he meticulously inscribed the last rune into the parchment, using his own blood as ink. A quick spell saw the parchment glow silver and rotate slightly, aligning the top rune with north.

Bella was trembling with excitement as she held her arm out, desperate to play her part in the ritual. Rookwood cut Bella's arm across her dark mark and let the resulting blood drip onto the parchment, their excitement mounted as the blood then pooled together before expanding into a straight line that clearly pointed in a specific direction. Restraining herself while her lover carefully measured the angle of the line was one of the hardest things Bella had done in decades, only after he'd written down the result could she let her exuberance have free reign.

A thoroughly ruffled Augustus then listened to his mate's explanation for jumping him. "That line of blood proves our master is still with us and only the fact that I know you need that wonderful brain of yours to take another reading is stopping me shagging you senseless this very minute."

-oOoOo-

"You have one minute to come out with empty hands before we open fire!"

Amelia's amplified voice shattered the peace of the Dundee countryside and would certainly be heard in every square inch of the Carrow house. They had wards up to stop anyone from entering or leaving the area and Amelia had brought enough firepower to level the building if the occupants wanted to put up a fight. Part of her wanted to do that anyway but she was too much of an auror not to give those inside the house an opportunity to surrender, she had the house surrounded though and wouldn't be taking any chances with the lives of her aurors.

She watched as both Carrows slowly emerged from the door, brother and sister with their empty hands held high in the air. At Amelia's signal, both were dropped by stunners as Mad-Eye confirmed he couldn't see anyone else in the house. Another signal saw both casualties speedily dragged away and they wouldn't be revived until being searched and then manacled.

As more of her team poured into the house, Alastor asked the question that was in all of their minds. "Could the information have been wrong?"

"I doubt it, Barchoke's intelligence has never been wrong before and he wants these two caught as much as we do." Her gaze had wandered to Rita and a photographer who were waiting on permission to enter the area, all that was forgotten though by a piercing scream coming from inside the house. Amelia actually found her way barred by Alastor.

"Looks to me like a booby trap and someone got careless, the last thin' we need is you enterin' that house. I would recommend we pull all the aurors out of there and get some specialists here from the ministry."

Amelia could only agree as one of her aurors was led from the building with a badly burned hand. She would have to put the disappointment of not catching these two aside and see just what information they could garner from this, they were a step closer and she would have to accentuate that positive for the press.

As the two Carrows were revived, Amycus progressed from blustering to beseeching, finally giving begging a try as their wands were tested and both had incendo charms on them. His vocal attempts to save their lives was in stark contrast with stoic silence coming from his sister, Alecto appeared already resigned to her fate. At least Amelia had the satisfaction of knowing they had captured two of the people who had attacked the pub, she would just have to be satisfied with that - for now.

-oOoOo-

A very satisfied Rookwood was lying back against a tree in the Forrest of Dean and contemplating how much his life had changed in such a short time. The six hundred miles plus between here and Dundee had given them two readings to work with, simple triangulation on a map would give them a fairly approximate destination to begin their search - and taking further readings as they travelled should narrow their search area dramatically.

While that achievement was certainly intellectually immensely satisfying it paled into insignificance for Augustus compared to the witch currently snuggling into him. Bella had lived up to her promise and done her very best to shag his brains out the instant after he had noted down the second reading. So much so that they had found themselves resting under this magnificent oak.

His silent contemplation was shattered as he shot to his feet and knocked Bella flying, she had her wand out and searching for danger as her lover removed something smouldering from his pocket.

"Oh, I knew my big strong wizard had the hots for me but to actually see you burn is rather a nice compliment. I just hope nothing important is damaged down there, lover?"

"You were certainly on fire but you're not responsible for this. Someone just triggered the protection wards I had on all my notes and would certainly have received a nasty burn for their troubles as those notes turned to ashes."

"That nosy bitch, Alecto, I'll flay her alive if she's ruined all your hard work. I think it's time we took care of those bastards anyway, we had practically to imperius them to take part the other night. What's wrong with this fucked-up country, death eaters not wanting to kill and torture muggles!"

"I don't think it would be Alecto, love, she's far too terrified of you to go anywhere near our things. I think our time in Dundee is at an end, whether we were discovered or sold out doesn't really matter anymore. I think we're safer staying off the beaten track and camping for now, a burglary to a shop selling such things is something we'll need to consider. They should also have maps, compasses and all the supplies we need. Just by looking at those vectors I'm certain we need to leave Britain but we don't want to advertise that fact..."

"...so no torturing and killing, I know! If you keep spoiling all my fun then you are just going to have to keep me occupied in other ways."

Bella's pretend pout and the things she was doing with her hands left Rookwood seriously worried that he wouldn't be up to that task.

-oOoOo-

After the day they'd had, the group were worried that they wouldn't be up to the task tonight.

Just arriving at where they would be staying for the next week was enough to blow the Weasley twins' minds, this wasn't a house but a palace! Marble and tiled surfaces everywhere in an attempt to keep the building cool - with even a fountain inside the house. Then they had gone out and the sights, sounds and smells of Cairo had Fred and George thinking they had landed in paradise. With Bill as the group's guide they had seen places well off the tourist map and the magical section was so full of exuberance and colour that neither twin wanted to leave. They were imagining a shop like this plonked in the middle of Diagon Alley, it would be the talk of London and their dream took a little more shape and form.

Tonight they all had an official function in the Cairo branch of Gringotts to attend and, as Barchoke had been summoned back to Britain, Harry was left to lead the party until his father caught up with them.

Harry greeted the dignitaries as he entered, offering the Ambassador's apologies but the director himself had ordered the recall. They were impressed that his mate was fluent in their language and carried a goblin blade, they were astonished that her muggle parents were fluent too! Word was rapidly spread around the bank to treat everyone here tonight as having the ability to understand their language, they would have been right.

After the initial shock wore off, the bank officials felt greatly honoured that the director had sent them such a group. Lords, Ladies and muggles they may be but all speaking their tongue gained them acceptance into their midst.

Hermione was on Harry's arm as they mingled when a squeaky female voice behind them affected Harry like a bolt of lightning.

""Do you remember me, Harrrrryyy!""

He had spun around and lifted the young female goblin right off her feet, the delight on his face clear for all to see. ""Sapphire, of course I remember you! What made you think I could possibly forget?""

""Oh, I just watched you arrive with your mate and all your friends...""

""Centurion, would you kindly put my daughter down. We'd heard that things are changing in Britain but that is still not considered appropriate behaviour here.""

Harry placed the young female goblin back on her feet before turning to face her father. Performing the Centurion Salute, he offered an apology. ""I'm sorry sir, there was no inappropriate intention on my part, I just hadn't seen my friend for seven years and couldn't contain my delight. I didn't even consider she might be here tonight and hope you will allow us some time this week to catch up.""

The pleading eyes from his daughter left Goldskin no option to refuse, especially since the bank's officials were all watching and chuckling at his discomfort. ""I shall try and arrange something...""

Barchoke appearing at his shoulder left the goblin no wiggle room. ""I know all our itinerary for the week so when would Sapphire be available? She can join in with the rest of the group or we can make other arrangements, she would also be very welcome to come to Britain for a visit. There's always plenty to do in Kingussie at Baron Crow's, and always plenty of chaperones ensuring that there is no inappropriate behaviour. Have you met my son's mate? This is my daughter, Hermione Granger, Friend of the Nation, Order of Merlin, First Class holder. That sword on her hip has tasted blood, both in duels and battles. She helped my son bring down a thousand year old basilisk with it and brought honour and profit to Gringotts.""

Hermione hadn't a clue what was going on here but both Harry and Father had cut the legs from under this goblin, she continued that trend by bowing to Goldskin as an equal and watching as his eyes nearly popped out his head. ""I am always delighted to meet any friends of my mate's and look forward to getting to know your daughter, Sapphire, better.""

The little goblin in question now wore a beaming smile, there may be a stern lecture waiting on her when they got home but it would be worth it to spend some time with Harry and his friends. Her father took Sapphire away to discuss with her mother on the best time for their daughter to see her 'friend'.

A slight shake of Barchoke's head was enough to tell Harry he would have to wait until later for an explanation of what happened back home, he also knew Hermione wouldn't wait until later so led her over to a quiet corner. A smile was all Emma needed to know she and Dan were invited too.

The four stood sipping goblin ale, the adult Grangers screening their two children from the rest of the room. "Sapphire was, is, my friend, she was the only one who would sit next to me in class and refused to leave my side - no matter what anyone said."

Harry's smile at that memory soon faded as what followed later needed to be faced. "They couldn't get Sapphire away from my side so they got her family to leave Britain - taking my only friend with them. I was six and shattered, I just couldn't understand what was happening until Dragonbreath explained it to me at school. He sauntered up and said her parents were worried their daughter would be contaminated by being near me, so it was my fault they had to take her away."

Harry's voice had been getting lower as he spoke and was barely above a whisper as he recounted what happened next. "I lost it as only a six year old can, I punched, kicked, bit, scratched - that was the first time I beat the shit out of Dragonbreath."

Dan appeared ready to congratulate him but Harry soon put a stop to that. "His family went mental, said I had no place inside Gringotts, the entire situation escalated until my father ended up in the pit fighting so I could stay. I lost the only friend I'd ever had and Dragonbreath lost an uncle, we've hated each other ever since. Ever since that day too I sat alone in class because no other family wanted their son or daughter to get involved, until I went to Hogwarts!"

Hermione had caught the occasional glimpse of the darker side to goblin society but her parents appeared shocked, school disagreements resulting in parents fighting to the death was not something they wanted to consider. She had another question for her mate though. "I understand your reaction to Sapphire, I would have killed for a friend like that when I was six, why the hostility toward her father though?"

"We know Bloodfang was behind the move, whether gold, coercion or both was involved we don't know but her father set the whole thing in motion. Goldskin didn't like me then and it seems his opinion hasn't changed any since, neither me becoming a Centurion or a Baron has had any affect. My father must have enjoyed rubbing his nose in how proud he is of our Hermione. I think that was Goldskin's greatest fear but Sapphire and me were only six!"

Dan didn't think this was the time or place to point out he and Hermione were 'only eleven' when they met - and now they were mates for life. He may have liked to change a few things in these last two years but dragging his daughter to another continent to get her away from Harry wouldn't have even made the list of things Dan wished he'd done.

Hermione had her arm around her mate, offering support and love. "Well she's here now and seems keen to renew your friendship, not that I blame her, I can't wait to talk with Sapphire and find out what you were like as a little boy."

This earned her a quick kiss before it was back to mingling. Harry had been looking forward to this trip but meeting Sapphire just made the entire holiday so much more. At the very least they would be writing to each other from now on, he had no intention of losing touch with her again.

A squeeze of his arm had Harry bending his head so Hermione could whisper in his ear. "So, have I gained another sister?"

Harry glanced over to where Hannah, Susan, Parvati and Luna were hanging out with their four older friends, all under the watchful eyes of Lukas and Moa. He could only smile before giving Hermione a quick kiss on the cheek. "Thanks for understanding..."

-oOoOo-

"I do understand, Amelia, that doesn't mean I have to agree with you and Cornelius on this matter."

This left the witch in question shaking her head, Amos was being stubborn and it could be very costly. "I do see your point, Amos. The Carrows were nothing more than low level death eaters and wouldn't have been involved if the other two hadn't shown up on their doorstep, on that we all agree."

If Amos thought he was winning this argument then he didn't really know Amelia Bones, she was just getting warmed up. "Now let's list what else we know. Did they supply food and shelter to the two most wanted murderers in Britain - yes! Did they arm these most wanted murderers with wands - yes! Did they take part in the raid on that muggle pub and fire curses that set the building on fire - yes! Did they know what the punishment would be for such an act before they set out, again yes! We have their very own testimony to confirm those facts, they're guilty, Amos."

"I never doubted their guilt for a second, I just don't know if I can support the death penalty over this."

The Minister of Magic understood the Chief Warlock's reluctance but, unless they showed a united front on this matter, Cornelius feared they would be defeated in the chamber. "We've heard from Barchoke that his intelligence reported our stance on this matter actually stopped death eaters joining Rookwood and Lestrange, a deterrent only works though when people actually believe we will carry out our threats. Look at this another way, we have bent over backwards trying to appease these people and our strategy has been working. We avoided a war because we left their families alone and it's those same families we need to protect now. We've shown them the positive side and what can happen when they cooperate with us, now we need to show them that we're serious about what happens when you stand and plot against the ministry!"

"Amos, our children are currently holidaying with Harry and both of us are delighted at that. We have to show others of their age that becoming a death eater will not solve all your problems, it will instead cost you your life." It may have been underhanded to bring their children into this argument but Amelia thought it was necessary, nothing was more important to Amos than his son.

"The Malfoy and Nott families appear to be making the right choices, if we want to stop another war that will include our children then I feel strongly that this is what we have to do. I don't like it any more than you do but to keep my Susan safe I'll do what needs to be done. If we allow another war to start there is no doubt that Harry will be at the centre of it, and our children will stand with him. Susan and Cedric were placed in Hufflepuff for a reason, Amos, their loyalty can't be questioned and they will stand with their friends. Two dead Carrows I can live with but those children are all we have left from the last war, our task here is to stop there being another."

A nod was all the signal given that she had won her argument, Amos' support might be reluctant but it was vital if they were going to pull this off.

A/N thanks for reading

64. The Jewel of the Nile

Harry Crow

Disclaimer - I neither own Harry Potter nor profit from my writing here. I do this purely as a hobby and am constantly surprised that readers actually appear to enjoy my efforts, thank you so much for turning my hobby into a most pleasant experience.

Chapter 64

Goldskin thought he'd hit upon a way for his daughter and her peers to see these people for what they really were, nothing more than a failing Director's pathetic attempt to show Britain in a good light. Goldskin made the bargain that he would allow Sapphire to spend some time with them if they in turn would take part in a class question and answer session at the school. This group had made quite an impression and he intended to see that positive impression torn down in an environment where young goblins would ask the questions that adults really couldn't - at least not without those adults being challenged with blades. Goldskin was rather surprised though at how quickly his offer had been accepted, and just how keen they appeared to do this, they were actually turning up at the school this morning.

Barchoke led Harry, Hermione, Neville and Padma into the class, Tonks of course was still on protection duty and brought up the rear. While his son was in full Centurion regalia, the other three were sporting their duelling robes and all of course wore their swords. Goldskin was labouring over introducing them to the class, saying that the students shouldn't let their guests' nervousness stop them asking the questions they really wanted to - while having no idea these four faced and taught a much larger defence class every week. Whatever this goblin was up to Barchoke was certain his children and their two friends could cope with it, he intended to stand back and enjoy the show.

Seeing they were actually going to be talking to Sapphire's class had Harry really looking forward to this, Hermione of course had a lesson plan for this morning - depending on what other plans Goldskin had. The class tutor then threw the questioning session over to his students and a goblin male at the rear of the class jumped right in.

""You're the same age as us, are you really a Centurion?""

Activating his armour, a now golden Harry dealt with the question. ""You should all know that for anyone other than a centurion to wear this armour merits a death sentence, yes I really am a Centurion.""

Goldskin wasn't about to let Harry get off that easy. ""I think what he meant was are you a real Centurion, or is the whole thing just a lame public relations exercise from the British branch of Gringotts?""

Harry towered over Goldskin and, with his armour still activated, was quite an imposing sight. ""I wasn't aware you were here as an interpreter for what the students really mean, or are you just putting your own slant on an innocent and honest question?"" Turning his back on Goldskin before the goblin could reply, Harry once more faced the class.

""I have commanded warriors as we patrolled Hogwarts after one of our friends was attacked inside the castle, I led four of the people you see here today and Lady Black as we battled a basilisk...""

""There have been some ridiculous rumours flying around about that beast, can you give the class some specific details on it?"" Goldskin's continuing to interrupt along with his patronising 'speaking to children' voice was really beginning to grate on Harry's nerves.

""We were too busy trying not to die to stop and measure the thing but when I delivered the killing blow its death throes saw it land on my mate. The beast was so big it crushed both her legs and we needed thirty goblin warriors with levers to move the basilisk enough for our father to slip Hermione out from under it."" He then turned to Goldskin and there was no mistaking the annoyance Harry displayed. ""Is that enough specific details for you? How about the fact that the carcass has so far generated a profit that's approaching two MILLION galleons?""

The amount of gold involved captured everyone's attention but Harry had returned his to the class and the original question. ""I have also fought an honour duel in the pit, only being a Centurion allowed me to do so at my age.""

This final revelation drew a shocked squeal from Sapphire, she didn't even put her hand up and receive permission to ask her question. ""You fought in the pit, Harry? What happened?""

""Our friend Dragonbreath caused it and then the coward wouldn't face me, his father of course backed his son and I was left to face their nominated champion...""

"Brave words when the goblins involved are thousands of miles away and unable to defend themselves..."" Goldskin never got to finish as Harry had clearly reached his limit on how much he was going to let Sapphire's father needle him, he was a Centurion and would be treated with the respect his position demanded.

""The watchers around the pit all saw Master Sharpshard's memory of how Hermione beat Dragontooth in a fight to first blood, only for the coward to strike at her with his blade after the match was over. I publicly called him a coward and threatened to cut his ears off if he came near my mate again in front of the Director, Dragontooth, his father and at least a hundred goblins gathered around the pit - he still chose to nominate a champion rather than face me. So you can save yourself the trouble of telling tales to Bloodfang, he is well aware of my opinion of him and his family.""

Harry was now standing right in front of a furious Goldskin and decided to apply some needling of his own. ""We had planned on crossing blades with a few volunteers from the class later but I get the feeling you would have something to say about that too! Why don't we just skip all this posturing and you and I get right to it with a fight to first blood? You haven't believed a word I've said so here's your chance to show everyone what a fraud I am. That is what you're trying to do here - isn't it?""

""I accept!""

Thinking on his feet, Harry spotted an opportunity and went for it. ""If you're so sure of yourself then surely a little wager shouldn't scare you?"" He was positive Goldskin wouldn't be able to resist, especially when the stakes became known. Wagering was almost a national sport to goblins though Goldskin obviously wanted to know the terms of this bet.

""I have more gold than my mate and I could ever spend so let's make it something interesting. If I win, you will allow Sapphire to spend a week holidaying with us in Britain...""

""...and when I win you will never have contact with my daughter ever again, I agree!"" The goblin spat on his hand and held it out, Harry reciprocated and they slapped hands to seal the terms of the wager.

Padma nudged Hermione and nodded her head in the direction of Sapphire, the little goblin looked about ready to burst into tears. Neville sauntered over to join Harry as the tutor got the class ready to move to the training room, both witches were soon beside Sapphire like a couple of bookends.

""This is my best friend, Padma. Don't worry, Sapphire, Harry won't hurt your father...""

""Hermione, my father is very good with a blade. I can't believe Harry would gamble our friendship like that, my father will make sure we never see or hear from each other again.""

This drew a short, sarcastic laugh from Padma. ""I watched Harry take Master Sharpshard apart after he made the mistake of harming Hermione, unless your father's better with a sword than Master Sharpshard then you better start packing a bag because you're coming back to Scotland with us. You're clearly important to Harry so he won't be messing about with this fight.""

Sapphire turned to Hermione for confirmation. ""Yes, she is my best friend - though Padma can take some getting used to. She's telling the truth though, Harry is very, very good and has abilities that mean he could draw first blood before your father got a chance to lift his blade. He won't lose, you're coming to Scotland with us for a holiday.""

With that information, a now far more assertive Sapphire moved forward to where the bets were being whispered amongst her fellow students, quickly offering the most favourable odds and covering every wager she could lay her hands on. There were some shocked faces that she would bet against her own father but this was strictly business, Sapphire was now going on holiday and wanted some spending money.

Seeing both girls obviously comforting Sapphire made Harry smile, Tonks though was not amused in the slightest. "Only you, Harry, could turn a school visit into a bloody fight. No messing around here, finish this quickly - Madam Bones will have my badge and arse if I stand back and watch you getting injured."

"Why thanks, Tonks, and here was me thinking it was my health you were worried about."

"Just do this guy without getting injured, you wouldn't want me getting upset with you now - would you?"

"Tonks, you're on my list but certainly way behind Henrica, Moa, Smita and especially Emma - I'll be careful."

By the time the pair got ready to fight, they had attracted quite the audience as word had spread. Goldskin was delighted with this as he wanted everyone to see what a complete fraud this boy being made a Centurion was, his opinion changed the instant the class tutor called fight. He'd never faced an opponent so powerful or so unbelievably quick, and there were barrels full of skill contained inside that iconic armour to back the other two up. While it was taking every ounce of concentration and experience Goldskin had to keep those two flashing blades off him, the brat then had the nerve and time to chat.

""I could shave the hairs off your ears and still not draw blood. I won't publicly take you apart because Sapphire is my friend and you are her father, and that would also be behaviour that was unbecoming of a Centurion!""

In a move that Goldskin barely registered, the golden blur was inside his guard and his cheek was cut just below his eye. This drew gasps from those watching, that move was banned unless you were passed by a master to perform it, too many goblins had lost eyes when their opponents weren't just as good as they thought they were.

Harry gave the Centurion salute then bowed deeper than he needed to, giving credit to his opponent. ""While you are very good, I am a Centurion who has trained under Master Sharpshard for over six years. He did me the great honour of presenting me with my badges of rank during my oath ceremony.""

Harry then spoke to the class tutor, hiding his relief after spotting a beaming Sapphire. ""Sir, sorry but we were never properly introduced, since we are already here could we four give a demonstration of the fighting technique that we train in?""

Like the vast majority of those watching, the tutor was astonished at how easily Goldskin had been defeated. He also, again like the vast majority of those watching, wanted to see what these four were actually capable of. Of course he said yes.

While setting up a warded area with their portable stones, Harry gave a brief explanation of what they were about to witness. ""We are developing a style of fighting that is both magical and goblin, using wands and goblin shields unless close enough for our blades to be more effective. Neville and Padma have only been Friends of the Nation for a matter of months but are working hard to learn the noble art of using the blades our Director personally presented them with.""

As their demonstration began, there were gasps of amazement from the watchers. It was a three on one duel but Harry's speed and mobility meant he was holding his own. There were curses being dodged, reflected off goblin shields and occasionally magical shields were being used too as the quartet impressed all the spectators with their obvious fighting skills.

Goldskin felt sick as everyone now realised the boy was holding back in their fight, that knife of his could have cast a spell and ended the contest before it had truly begun. That sickly feeling only intensified when he sensed Barchoke was now behind him, not something he was comfortable with.

""Isn't my daughter magnificent, is it any wonder our nation are taking her to their heart as she fights at my son's side? Brave enough to charge Master Sharpshard with her blade when he attacked her mate in a fight yet also one of the smartest witches I've ever met. As he's now a Centurion, my son will also inherit our family vaults as well as those of the Potter family, making him one of the wealthiest persons in Britain. That could have been Sapphire at his side, instead you chose to rip her away and leave my son totally isolated for years.""

Goldskin's attention was currently focused on his own daughter, her blue eyes so full of excitement and happiness that they were sparkling as brightly as the gems for which she was named. The thought of his daughter with a human had seen him flee Britain but that human was now a Centurion and had just wiped the floor with him while holding back. Had he listened to the wrong people all those years ago, had he made a mistake? It was as if Barchoke could read his mind.

""We know about the stories coming out of Britain, that is why we are here and I would like to thank you for your help in dispelling most of them. My son was awarded Centurion status on merit and Master Sharpshard thinks he will one day be one of The Nation's greatest warriors - I think that day is no more than a few years away. I love my wonderful daughter as if she were my own and will cherish my grandchildren as the precious gifts they will be. What you've see with your own eyes is the future, goblins, wizards and even muggles all getting along together. There are already dwellings being built on my son's land in Scotland with full approval of the Ministry and The Nation - something I never thought would happen in my lifetime.""

This group had been a big hit last night and word of today would certainly only add to that acceptance, the whispers from London were dissipating like the mist in the morning when faced with the blindingly obvious glare of truth that was right in front of their eyes.

""Change is coming, despite those who plot against it. You have clearly chosen your side but you have an opportunity to play it smart and ensure your daughter is protected no matter what happens. My son will go to any lengths to protect his friends, only my presence prevented him killing Master Sharpshard after the fool injured Harry's mate. By Sapphire's association with him, she might even be able to protect her family when Bloodfang and his ilk finally make their move.""

A shudder of dread ran through Goldskin at that, Barchoke clearly knew about the whispers, who was behind them and that same person had ambitions to take things further than mere whispers.

""Since my son attended Hogwarts as a goblin, The Nation's profile has never been higher and neither has Gringotts profits - up over seventeen percent in just two years.""

Here was something that the whispers never mentioned, probably because goblins would be prepared to accept quite a few changes to see profits increase by a lot less than the margin just indicated. Goldskin then uttered his first words since the fight. ""I shall speak with her tutor and explain Sapphire will be missing lessons, do I have your assurance my daughter will be safe?""

""She will be watched over like my own daughter, no harm will come to her while I still draw breath.""

With that formal oath, Goldskin graciously accepted just as the demonstration ended to much cheering from the swelling audience. With limited space and bare terrain they had put a five minute time limit on the duel and all four were still standing at the end. The next half an hour was then spent having a much more friendlier question and answer session with all four offering their views.

An overjoyed Sapphire left to spend the rest of the day with them, her departure closely watched by a thoughtful father. Goldskin now understood why Bloodfang was so worried about this matter, while he had been somewhat easily defeated in his fight today the group were also outright winners in the battle for hearts and minds. One look at the jealous stares directed in his daughter's direction as she left with her friend was enough to confirm that, leaving Goldskin to wonder what would have happened if he hadn't reacted to taunts and stares of a different kind seven years ago.

That was water over the dam though as the Centurion had clearly made his choice, it was now all about making the best of the situation they found themselves in.

-oOoOo-

In her wildest dreams Emma had never envisaged herself in this situation. She was in the arms of her prince, cruising along the Nile bathed in moonlight while sitting on a FLYING CARPET! Those last two words reverberated around her brain as if they had been shouted into the mouth of a cave, that seemed very apt as her brain had gone missing the instant this magical rug had lifted off the ground. She had felt as if they had stepped onto the set of an Indiana Jones movie this morning as Bill had led them around an active dig. Holding something in her hand that no other human had touched for thousands of years had given Emma such a thrill, only to be eclipsed by this - this really was magical.

Magical was the only word Sapphire had to describe this experience too! Goblins tended to spend their lives underground, certainly not up in the air and held there by only a rug. It was also magical to be with her friend again, she had cried for days when her father had moved them out of Britain. Harry had certainly changed, he was now a Centurion and had chosen his mate, but there was enough of that little boy she once knew still there for their friendship to reignite almost instantly. His family and friends had been wonderful too, just the term 'Harry's friend' saw her receive immediate acceptance, her being a goblin not mattering a jot.

It could have been awkward meeting his mate but Hermione had accepted her at once and Sapphire was very grateful for that, Luna too quickly became a friend and she was thoroughly enjoying her day - and couldn't wait for her trip to Scotland.

Tonks was sitting behind the Grangers and had to pull out her badge to ensure she was on the same carpet as Harry, the dealer was trying to impose his 'six to a carpet' rule but the auror convinced him this was a special case. With Harry, Hermione, Luna and Sapphire sitting in front of Dan and Emma, they were all having a wonderful time. Her attention though kept wandering to the full moon illuminating the beautiful country below, and what this meant for a certain wizard back in Britain. Remus would be going through his transformation alone and Tonks couldn't believe how much that thought hurt her. In less than a year she had progressed to the point where the handsome Bill Weasley's attentions meant nothing to her, she was truly smitten by the werewolf. They would have to talk when she got back to Britain.

As the caravan of flying carpets silently glided along above the Nile, Padma was sitting beside Neville and enjoying her favourite form of magical transport - until they could complete their animagus transformations that is. Her enjoyment of this evening though was somewhat spoiled by the sight of her sister practically throwing herself at a clearly nervous Cedric. He was also clearly regretting Parvati's invitation to share their carpet and Cedric's nerves were understandable, since their parents were sitting on the carpet too! Her sister's behaviour though was neither understandable nor acceptable and Padma would be having a talk with her later.

-oOoOo-

"Parvati, we need to talk..."

"I could feel your eyes boring into my back so let's get this over with, I was only having a bit of fun."

"That line might work on mum and dad but not me, you've already got a boyfriend so what the hell was that all about tonight? You were practically in Cedric's lap, and he appeared about ready to jump off the carpet - before our father threw him off!"

They were having to keep their voices down as they got ready for bed, Parvati didn't want to say the next bit too loud anyway. "Blaise and I decided just to be friends. We'll be each other's dates for anything that comes up, until one of us finds someone else."

"I thought you two were getting on well, what happened?"

This drew a sigh from Parvati. "Nothing, and that's the problem. I watch Harry kiss Hermione and reduce that girl to goo, you and Neville are so close too. Kissing Blaise is nice but, without the spark you four clearly have, that's all it is. I just want more than 'nice', is that wrong?"

"No, Pav, it's not wrong and, as long as Blaise knows this, then that shouldn't be a problem. I do see a major one though." She couldn't keep her twin waiting and told her what she needed to do. "Remember how you tried the same approach with Harry and Neville, and how well it worked then?"

"Yeah, but we get on really well now. Neville and me are quite close, he really sees himself as my brother and I love him for it."

"That's what I'm trying to say, Pav, I was Neville's friend before anything else came out of our relationship - Hermione was the same with Harry. I would say that if you're interested in Cedric then get to know him first, become his friend and see what he's really like before looking for anything more."

Parvati couldn't really look at her sister as she asked her something. "Do you think Harry would let me be one of the Marauder trainers and work with Cedric?"

She was sure the chances of that happening were practically nil but couldn't really say that to her twin. "Pav, taking a marauders' class is hard work, for all of us. Neville and me don't walk about making doe eyes at each other, all our time is taken up working with our groups. Cedric worked with me on this year's marauders and we weren't having cosy chats, we were working our arses off. Being encouraging while trying to make sure no one pushed themselves too hard and still ensuring everyone remained safe at the same time as curses were flying - it's hard and bloody difficult work!"

"Are you saying I couldn't do it?"

"No, Pav, what I'm saying is that it's a very big commitment, one that we all enjoy though. What would happen if you don't hit it off with Cedric, and even if he gets a girlfriend, you'll be left the whole year working with him. If this is something you want to do for the right reason I'll certainly put your name forward, but not so you can get closer to Cedric. The Marauders is something that means a lot to all of us, and something we want to see running for years to come. If you want to be part of that then great, but be prepared to be spending the next few months knackered."

Parvati was positive her sister wasn't lying to her so she would have to strike that idea off her list, there were now clear physical differences between the two that Parvati had no wish to emulate. The sword fencing had been the first thing to begin developing Padma's body, her exercising in the morning had only accelerated that development. It was more than the Longbottom ring on her finger that allowed others to differentiate between the twins now.

-oOoOo-

A certain other pair of twins wore identical looks of disbelief at what they held in their hands.

"She can't do this to us..."

"The woman is mad..."

"Our reputation will be ruined..."

"This is a prank, please tell us this is a prank?"

Bill was roaring with laughter at the antics of his twin brothers, neither had bothered to see that they had both passed their potions O.W.L. with outstanding's as all Fred and George's attention was focused on the Prefect badges their Hogwarts letters had also contained.

Percy's attention was focused on his own letter, and whether it contained that much coveted badge - it did. His jubilation was contained though, the badge alone meant nothing if the wonderful witch who had snuggled up to him on their magical carpet ride last night didn't have its twin. Penny's eyes flashed mischievously before holding her badge up for her boyfriend to see, a loud whoop from Percy alerted everyone who'd been laughing at the Weasley twins' antics that there was another story unfolding at the breakfast table.

Penny was now laughing as Percy had her up in the air and twirling around in his arms, they had done it - Head Boy and Girl, together. There were four very happy younger Ravenclaws all waiting for Percy putting Penny down so they could congratulate her too. With Roger also becoming a prefect and Cedric receiving both Prefect and Quidditch Captain badges it was quickly decided tonight would be a celebration, the only problem being how you topped last night.

Sirius was worried he was becoming a trifle predictable but his wife kissed those worries away. Henrica was currently in his arms and dancing as they once more glided along the Nile, this time though in a cruise boat her husband had hired to celebrate all the good news that had came from Hogwarts that morning. "We had our very first date on a boat like this, dinner and dancing while afloat will always have a special place in my heart. I hope we get to do this in countries all over the world."

An appreciative Henrica made Sirius a very happy wizard.

Bill wasn't exactly unhappy, just feeling slightly unappreciated as he danced with a witch who clearly had something or someone else on her mind. "Do I need to join the fabled ranks of the marauders to get a young lady interested in me?"

This drew a weak smile from Tonks. "Sorry, Bill, my mind was kinda wandering there - and me on duty too!" She looked over to where Harry towered over the little goblin and was attempting to teach Sapphire to dance, it could have been construed as funny but the auror just thought it was one of the sweetest things she'd seen.

"...and here was me thinking your attention was on another wizard, a certain Hogwarts Professor?"

"Sirius is my cousin, and already married."

"You know fine well I was talking about his best friend, Remus Lupin. What's the deal between you two?"

"It's complicated, Bill. We've been spending a lot of time together though, funnily enough this week apart has focused my thoughts more on what kind of relationship Remus and I have - and what I'd like it to be."

"So again I lose out to a marauder, I am so glad there's no more of them!"

Tonks smile switched from weak to wicked. "You do know Harry and his friends are currently training the next generation of marauders?"

"I hardly think I'm going to be looking for dates from Hogwarts..."

"Oh I don't know, Bill, there's just something so sexy about an older man."

He leaned in and whispered in her ear. "I see Parvati thinks the same, you will protect me if I become her next target?"

Watching as Parvati practically dragged Cedric onto the dance floor had Tonks chuckling with amusement and part relief, relief that Bill understood he had no chance. She knew how close Harry was to Bill and didn't need the complication of fending off a suitor while trying to do her job. Now, if that suitor was Remus, there wouldn't be any fending required.

Parvati had decided to approach the problem like a Gryffindor so dragged Cedric onto the dance floor, it was time for some straight talking. "I'm sorry if I embarrassed you last night, Cedric, it was Padma who pointed out that you didn't know Blaise and I were no longer a couple. There was no falling out, we just decided to only be friends." She thought bringing Padma's name into it added a bit of credibility to her apology, and it was near enough the truth for her to live with.

"I think I was rather obvious last nigh that I would like to be your girlfriend, Padma again advised me that it's better to become a boy's friend first. So, can I be your friend?"

It was a relieved Cedric who was able to answer her honestly. "Parvati, next term I have O.W.L.s and we're starting our own marauders club, I'm also a prefect and Quidditch Captain. I honestly don't think I'll have time to fit in a girlfriend but I certainly have room for more friends."

It was a smiling Parvati who kissed him on the cheek. "All I ask is that when you get around to choosing a girlfriend you remember my offer, if anything changes with me before that time I promise to let you know - deal?"

Now wearing a smile of his own, Cedric returned her kiss on the cheek. "We have a deal, Miss Patil, I just hope my Hufflepuff team beating Gryffindor at Quidditch won't spoil our new friendship."

This had Parvati laughing and allowed her twin sister to relax. Neville of course noticed this, it was hard to miss as she was currently in his arms as they danced. "Everything okay love?"

"I think Pav took my advice, she and Cedric look much happier."

Neville actually thought Cedric looked relieved but wasn't about to say so, he'd some first hand experience of what Parvati making a pass at you felt like - relief was certainly what he'd felt when he managed to dodge it.

Harry was back in Hermione's arms but his attention kept wandering to where Roger was now dancing with Sapphire. "She'll be fine, Harry."

"Oh, I know, just as I know how hard this is for her. Culture shock doesn't quite cover what Sapphire's experienced the last few days."

"Yes, but unlike you, she has a very good friend watching out for her..."

"I had a very good friend watching out for me too, she was so good at it I offered her the job full-time."

"Harry Crow, I can see I'm going to have to limit your exposure to T.V., that line was pure cheese!" Seeing her mate's confused look, Hermione made a suggestion. "Just kiss me, Harry, that tells me everything that needs saying.

Harry happily complied with his mate's wishes.

Fred and George had charmed their prefect badges to flash different colours, they proudly wore them as they danced with Hannah and Susan. Percy and Penny had of course left their new badges back in the house, they were for later. His thoughts now were of Penny and also what they had learned on this holiday. Bill had asked them to keep an open mind and the couple just had their eyes well and truly opened too, there was a whole wide world out there away from Hogwarts and the Ministry of Magic - and there was nothing to stop them exploring and experiencing all of it.

-oOoOo-

The experience of being Harry's friend was both old and new for Sapphire. When they were relaxing in his home in Kingussie it felt as if the years just melted away, watching him with Hermione filled her heart with joy to see her friend so happy. Walking down Diagon Alley with them was certainly new, as was sitting in Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor and the proprietor himself shooting over to serve them. A picture of that event actually ended up on the front page of the Daily Prophet with a headline proclaiming 'Hogwarts Heroes Relax With Friends'.

The entire emphasis of the story was aimed at proving that, despite there being two escaped death eaters on the loose, Diagon Alley was still completely safe. No mention was made that one of those friends was a goblin, just as they were made very welcome wherever they went. This was Sapphire's first real experience of the power her friend wielded, if Harry thought it was safe to shop in Diagon Alley with his friends then this would set the standard for the rest of magical Britain - and all the shopkeepers obviously knew this.

If Diagon Alley was an experience then stepping into Gringotts was a revelation - Harry receiving a Centurion salute from everyone they saw might have been expected but those same goblins then bowing to Hermione was just mind-blowing. That she was by their side seemed to please those they met even more, that took some thought until Hermione whispered that they were obviously pleased to see Harry wasn't forgetting his goblin roots. Meeting The Director as he visited Harry's father had Sapphire shaking with excitement, he even spoke to her. ""Nice to see you back in London young Sapphire"" would be forever imprinted on her mind, The Director knew her name and who she was - all because she was friends with Harry.

Her week seemed to fly past and she was fighting back the tears as it was time to say goodbye, a few did leak out though when Hermione presented her with a sapphire pendant necklace to remind her of their friendship and told Sapphire she would always be welcome in their home. She was returning to Cairo with loads of memories and a copy of the Prophet that had her picture in it - no one would believe her otherwise. She promised to write and thanked everyone for a wonderful holiday before disappearing as her portkey activated.

-oOoOo-

With it being the holiday period, their busiest time of the year, the disappearance of a tent and full range of camping equipment - and even some clothes - wasn't picked up in the Camping Emporium Warehouse until they did their end of the month stocktake. With no signs of an external break-in, the manager was left with the conclusion that one of the staff had helped themselves and that totally pissed him off. He would make their lives hell until he discovered who the thief was, then he would contact the police to see justice done.

-oOoOo-

Amelia was pressing to see justice done but there was a definite aversion in the chamber to purebloods being sentenced to death. They'd chosen the first of September for the trial of the Carrows since it worked so well with Malfoy last year, at this rate though the Express would reach Hogsmeade before she could get a decision out of this lot.

"I understand perfectly the view that these two wouldn't have been involved in any of this had Rookwood and Lestrange not turned up at their door, I also understand both feared for their lives from their former compatriots - I am not disputing any of that." Only Amelia's years of experience stopped her frustration from showing as the same arguments were thrown at her again and again.

"What is also indisputable is that they had ample opportunities to report to the ministry where these two deadly fugitives were hiding and didn't take them. On at least two occasions both Lestrange and Rockwood were away from their hideout to murder muggles, a floo-call or even an owl would have seen two different people sitting in those chairs and the Carrows sharing the reward money. Not only did they pass up those opportunities, they then took part in a raid on a muggle pub knowing fully what the consequences of those actions would be."

All those years of experience were telling Amelia this was it, if she didn't win the doubters over this time then it just wasn't going to happen. "Were they reluctant accomplices, yes. Could they have saved themselves and helped the ministry capture two very dangerous criminals, the answer has to be yes again. There are others out there in the same position as the Carrows' and we need to send them a message, they need to fear our justice more than Bellatrix Lestrange or we'll never break this cycle of terrorism..."

The head of the D.M.L.E. was stopped mid sentence by a message patronus ghosting into the chamber and heading straight for her, a silver wolf spoke with Tonks voice. "Dementors stopped the train and wouldn't stand down when I ordered them to, we have three dead here..."

A/N Thanks for reading and hope to see you back here next weekend.

65. Cold Steel

Harry Crow

Disclaimer - I neither own Harry Potter nor profit in any way from my writing posted here. That people take time out of their day (or night) to read my efforts is all the payment I could possibly wish for.

Chapter 65

Bloodfang was beyond angry, he was in a killing rage! That picture in the Prophet of a goblin sitting being served in a reputable British wizarding establishment, one outside of Knockturn Alley too, blew most of his arguments to smithereens and was such a coup for Ragnok's supporters. Reports coming back from Cairo also indicated his strong grip there had deteriorated badly and any influence he had left was hanging by its fingernails. On the back of Barchoke's group visiting Cairo, that little bitch, Sapphire, was now spreading her stories of how wonderful her week in Britain had been to anyone who would listen - and she was being believed.

He now regretted the decision to just have her leave the country, and the Crow whelp behind, he had still baulked at the killing of children then but the death of his brother in the pit had cured Bloodfang of that affliction. A dead friend would have had an even greater effect on the human boy than simply missing Sapphire.

The current situation was forcing his hand to act quickly, otherwise it could be too late and Ragnok would be untouchable. The human bitch's birthday would now be one of the worst days of her life, this would be the day her parents had their entrails spilled from their guts and dragged all over the floor of their home. He would be watching carefully as Crow was faced with the murder of people he considered family, just to see how he liked it.

-oOoOo-

"We all have family on that train but this must be dealt with first!" Amos hated uttering those words though did allow a few minutes for Amelia to organise an auror response to the matter.

Using those few minutes to focus her thoughts, Augusta Longbottom stood to address the chamber. "While I applaud and support the ministry's tough stance on the death eaters, I have to disagree with some of what I've heard here today. Ruling by fear is the tactics that the dark lord uses, I want no part in anything to do with that approach to government. While you can count on my unconditional support to see Lestrange and Rookwood put to death, I can't in all good conscience give that support to those same measures for this case. What I believe we should be aiming for here is fostering a culture of trust in our government, not creating martyrs to a flawed cause. The Carrows were rightfully fearful of their two guests but they didn't trust the ministry enough to help and protect them, and that should be our aim - to instil that trust in every wizard and witch in the country."

The nodding heads of people Amelia was counting on for support told her they had lost the argument, the news from the express though was putting any potential loss here into perspective.

Augusta had more for the chamber to consider. "I can speak from personal experience and say there are worse things than a quick death, personally I think life in Azkaban is a fitting punishment here. As the Hogwarts High Inquisitor and a grandmother to students on the express can I move we end the debate and vote on their punishment, I really need to be somewhere else!"

After that, it only took mere minutes for the Carrows to be sentenced to life in Azkaban. It was now time to discover just what had happened on the express.

-oOoOo-

The little girl had wedged herself into the corner of the compartment and barely moved a muscle since they left London on this life-changing adventure into the great unknown. Natalie wasn't someone who hung about with the cool kids so this company was somewhat overwhelming - though in a good way. Sensing that she was happier sitting quietly and observing all that was happening around her, the group didn't try and force her into the company but rather left Natalie to emerge from her cocoon in her own time. She had accepted some sweets from the trolley that the lady wheeled around but mostly just sat and watched as a great proportion of the students on the train seemed to pop by at one point or another on this journey - even the Head Boy and Girl!

Natalie was starting to think she was really going to enjoy Hogwarts when the train rapidly slowed down before coming to a juddering halt, the pink haired policewoman was suddenly very alert and had her wand already in her hand.

"Tonks, do you know if there were any stops scheduled?" Harry was sure of the answer before he asked, Tonks just shook her head as she held her wand ready. "This might be nothing but the ministry don't pay me to take chances, let's just be ready..."

"We're all bunched up in this carriage, it would make more sense to have some mobility."

"There's only one way in or out of here, Harry, and they will need to go through me first. We don't know what we're dealing with yet, give it a minute until ..."

They all felt the cold at the same time, it was hard not to as the windows began to ice over and their exhaled breath was now visible. These signs told Tonks exactly what they were dealing with and she withdrew her auror shield as a skeletal hand began to open the compartment door.

"Ministry Auror, the escaped prisoners aren't on the train, stand down and leave at once." She'd projected as much authority into her voice as it was possible to do with a dementor mere feet away from you, unfortunately it wasn't enough.

The dementors had been enraged that two beings had escaped from them, they were desperate to capture both and administer the swift justice that awaited. A month of searching though brought no results other than to increase not only their rage but also their hunger, then a veritable feast of magical users came rushing right into their midst. They had entered the train to search for the escapees but the delicious waves of fear radiating from the young magical occupants was overpowering all their senses, it was like sitting a starving man down to a banquet and telling him he couldn't touch any of it.

When compared to the delicious and enticing bouquet of a child's fear, a mere badge and a command were considered less than nothing by a famished dementor.

On seeing that the creature was actually edging its way into the compartment Tonks attempted to cast her patronus, she'd never tried the spell so close to a dementor before though and was barely able to get a misty shield up - a shield that wasn't going to hold for very long.

The dementor was incensed that its sustenance was being denied, it pushed harder and harder against the shield until it met with something that was totally unfamiliar to its species - searing pain.

Hermione's bracelet had every protection on it the goblins could manufacture, including protecting the wearer from mind attacks. This allowed her to act while the rest of the compartment were dealing with the effects that having a dementor in their midst brought. Seeing that Tonks was struggling to hold the creature off, Hermione drew her sword and lunged forward - plunging her goblin forged blade through its cloak and felt the steel sinking into something solid. She had certainly hurt the dementor but her sword instantly became extremely cold, Hermione couldn't even let go as she now found her hand frozen to the hilt of her blade.

Natalie was sure this was the boogyman come to get her, Hogwarts was obviously nothing more than a hoax to lure unsuspecting children onto a train so the monsters could take them away. She had no idea what the policewoman was doing but even Natalie could see it wasn't working, then Hermione drew her sword and stabbed the creature. Natalie heard loud screams and it would take a moment for her to realise that she was the one doing the screaming.

Harry was also hearing screams but he knew who they belonged to, his mother was screaming for Voldemort to spare her son and Harry was rooted to the spot, it was only when Natalie's much louder screams banished the vision from his head that Harry was able to act.

Hermione's sword was buried in the dementor's midriff and was clearly hurting the creature, the ice climbing along his mate's blade and the grimace of pain on her face saw a swift reaction from Harry. He too stabbed his blade into the dementor, the difference being Harry could cast spells with Godric's sword. Knowing that dementors were all about darkness and cold, with his blade buried in its body he cast a spell that was the complete opposite - incendio!

The tactic that worked so well against the basilisk was again paying dividends, though this time there was no magical backlash to deal with, casting an incendio inside the dementor's body was devastatingly effective and started a chain reaction. From the point that Griffindor's sword entered the dementor's body, that same body began to turn to ash as the spell took hold. This effect quickly spread until there wasn't enough body remaining to support the dementor's cloak in the air, the black cloak sank to the floor before coming to rest on top of a pile of ash. The creature's deathly screams would live long in the memories of everyone who heard them, which would easily include every single passenger on the train.

Harry was in full Centurion mode now and took command of the situation. "Padma, you're with me. Neville, you partner with Tonks. Hermione, stay and guard the compartment - you're wounded." Hermione so wanted to object not being included but knew this was not the time, she took up a position just inside the door

The four were intending to make their way along the carriages and see if there were any more dementors on the train, they never even made it out of their own carriage though as two more of the creatures had obviously been attracted by the screams of their fellow dementor and were bearing down on them from either end of the train.

Tonks again tried to get the creatures to stand down but they were clearly in no mood to listen, Padma stood ready with her blade in case she was needed as Harry used the same tactics again - with the same devastating effects. Quickly turning they saw Neville had used his sword to keep the remaining dementor off Tonks but, like Hermione, his hand was becoming frozen to the hilt of his sword. Another thrust and spell from the fabled magical blade of Godric Gryffindor saw the last of the terrible trio literally bite the dust.

Penny and Percy had followed behind one dementor while Cedric and Roger arrived from the other side, all reported there were no more dementors on the express. With a jolt they were once more moving and Tonks retook command as Harry shot back into the compartment to see how Hermione was.

Luna had Natalie wrapped in her arms, comforting the girl as best she could. Hannah and Susan were standing guarding the door with Hermione though all three couldn't hide their relief at seeing Harry return, that and the train was once more on the move.

"The danger's past and everyone's okay, I think Neville might have the same injury as Hermione though since he stabbed one of them too. Let me look at that hand for you."

Hermione struggled to open her fingers as layers of skin were literally stuck to the hilt of her sword. Silent tears ran down her cheeks as her precious blade was eventually parted from her hand to reveal the damage, Harry was using his knife with the skill of a surgeon to remove the dead and flapping skin before taking out a small bottle of dittany oil and lovingly applying it to her damaged hand.

"To my knowledge, no one has ever put a dementor to the sword before, probably because no one would ever believe it could have any effect. What made you try that?"

"Desperation! I don't know the patronus charm and Tonks was clearly struggling to hold it off, I couldn't think of anything else to do."

Harry wiped her tears of pain before leaning in and lovingly kissing his mate. "Dementors make you relive your worst moments and my thoughts were elsewhere, hearing Natalie scream pulled me out of it. I promised her parents I would keep her safe and you know I always keep my word."

This earned a weak, chocolate coated smile from the little witch, Hannah was currently dishing out the wonderful confectionary as Padma entered with an injured Neville. Harry only needed to cut some hanging strips of skin from Neville's fingers before Padma rendered first aid using her own bottle of the wonder oil.

"Do you all carry bottles of that stuff?"

Harry had Hermione's arm now in a sling and was arranging for her to sit on his lap as he answered Susan's question. "You carry a blade then you carry dittany, accidents can happen and many a life has been saved by closing a wound with dittany until a healer could be reached."

Tonks arrived with Parvati to find Hermione being cradled in Harry's arms while she protected her injured hand in her sling, Neville had his good arm around Padma and his injured one in another improvised sling while Hannah, Susan and Luna appeared to be doing a wonderful job on calming Natalie.

As Parvati sat the other side of Neville, Tonks told them what she knew. "All the prefects are patrolling the train and we should arrive in Hogsmeade in about twenty minutes, I sent a message to Madam Bones so we can expect a welcoming committee. We have two people who need medical attention and an entire train full of students who practically had the life scared out them. I commandeered the sweet trolley and those same prefects are making sure every compartment has a share of the chocolate, I see you lot had your own stash!"

This drew a chuckle from Susan. "Hannah is a chocoholic and always has a stash, Harry's already promised to replace it."

What Tonks didn't tell them was that their four prefect friends were currently keeping the rest of the students away from their compartment, with two of them injured they didn't need gawkers. Susan had already levitated what was left of the dementor out into the corridor, they didn't want to be sharing their compartment with that for the remainder of their journey to Hogsmeade.

-oOoOo-

There was quite the reception committee waiting for the express arriving in Hogsmeade, including the Minister of Magic. Minerva had already made the decision that Hagrid wouldn't be taking the first years across the lake tonight, after their experience on the express she wanted them inside the Hogwarts wards and under the staff's care as quickly as possible.

As the express pulled into the station, an announcement was made for everyone to stay on the train until told to leave by an auror. Since Tonks was an auror, she had the occupants of her compartment up on their feet and moving as soon as the train came to a halt. The injured needed treatment and she had a report to make but not before seeing Harry safely to Hogwarts.

Spotting an auror helping students off the train, Amelia headed straight there and was instantly rewarded with the sight of her niece. She may have had Susan wrapped in her arms but the head of the D.M.L.E. was still all business. "Auror Tonks, report please. Who died?"

"Three dementors, Boss, they stopped and then boarded the express. I ordered them to stand down and leave but they ignored me, by this time the first one was in the compartment with us and I couldn't get my patronus cast. I have two injured here and really want to get my charge inside the wards, can I present my full report after that?"

She couldn't help but notice Hermione and Neville nursing injuries so Amelia quickly agreed, she would hear the entire story from Tonks once they had everyone from the train transported to the castle. The news that all the students were safe shot along the Hogsmeade platform and relief was the main emotion felt by those waiting, Augusta made her way over to the group and focused on her grandson's injury.

"Neville, what happened to your arm?"

It was Padma who proudly answered. "Our brave Gryffindor here took on a dementor with his sword, it's his hand that we need to get looked at."

The brave Gryffindor in question was glad it was late evening to hide his blushing. "It took a Ravenclaw though to show me how it was done, it was Hermione who figured it out."

"I didn't figure anything out, I just didn't have any other option at the time!"

The carriages soon had them at Hogwarts proper and Harry knelt to have a quick word with Natalie. "I need to go to the infirmary with Hermione but you'll be safe in the castle, it has wards like your house and those creatures can't get through them. After the sorting you'll join your house, don't worry about which one because we have friends in all four of them and there will be prefects to tell you everything you need to know. It may be breakfast tomorrow before we see you again but we'll have it together - no matter what house you and Pauline are in."

The little witch surprised everybody by throwing her arms around Harry and saying thanks.

They had no sooner left for the infirmary when more first years arrived, Theo wasn't letting Pauline out of his sight so found himself being dragged toward Natalie by his little sister.

"We all heard those things scream, it must have been awful, what happened?"

Natalie now found herself the centre of attention, something she usually avoided like the plague. With Luna, Hannah and Susan there supporting her though she was able to tell her new friend Pauline what happened - and ignore the fact that everyone else was now listening too!

"That thing came into our compartment and wouldn't leave, the policewoman put up this silver shield thing but it wasn't enough. Hermione then stabbed it with her sword before Harry finished it off, they were awesome!"

Professor Flitwick had arrived and was organising all the first years into a classroom before they would be called and sorted. Hogwarts thoughtfully arranged for mugs of hot chocolate to appear on the desks as the new students began bonding, all linked by the shared experience of being scared witless on the train.

-oOoOo-

The doors of the infirmary crashed open as Sirius shot through them, he was closely followed by his wife and Remus with all three rushing over to where there were two teens they knew well occupying beds while their bonded sat beside them.

"Sticking your sword into a dementor is either the stupidest or bravest thing I've ever heard of, hardly the reactions of a Ravenclaw, Hermione."

"Gee thanks, Sirius, I love you too!"

Poppy had covered Hermione's hand with a salve and was now in the process of bandaging it up. "Her hand I can cure, Professor Black, there is nothing anyone can do for their victims after a dementor has administered a kiss."

It was Padma who then chipped in, "There's not much you could do for the dementors after these three had finished with them either!"

The three professors had to leave and attend the welcoming feast and Harry advised Madam Pomfrey to go as well, knowing Hogwarts would look after them. They weren't disappointed as a table and four chairs appeared, allowing the friends to spend a much needed quiet evening together. Madam Pomfrey would be examining Hermione and Neville again after the feast to see if they needed to spend the night, though both were confident they would be sleeping in their own dorms this evening.

Tonks was meeting with another four people in what used to be the Headmaster's office. Cornelius, Amelia, Amos and Augusta were listening as her story unfolded.

"Have you any idea why the dementor wouldn't stand down?"

"Sorry, Minister, no idea. I clearly identified myself as an auror and displayed my shield, it just pushed further into the compartment. I didn't know how I was going to contain it until Hermione struck with her sword, then Harry finished it off. The other two paid even less attention to the order to stand down, they just came right at us. We would have been in serious trouble if it wasn't for those goblin blades."

"Cornelius, we need to withdraw the dementors back to Azkaban before someone gets hurt."

This suggestion had the full backing of the Chief Warlock. "I agree with Amelia. If they were prepared to ignore an auror to attack students then there simply isn't another option."

It was a proud grandmother who added her two knuts worth. "I don't know about anyone else but the fact that we have discovered a method of killing those nightmares is a great relief. I just wish those two hadn't gotten injured discovering it."

"I'll issue the order for them to be withdrawn back to Azkaban as soon as we return to the ministry. Augusta also makes a very good point, the dementors will soon know we have a method to hurt and even kill them. Should Voldemort return, that knowledge could see the dementors stay out of the fight. This has potentially denied the dark lord one of the most potent weapons in his arsenal."

What Cornelius wasn't saying was that those four students had probably saved the ministry from a backlash that could have seen heads roll, dementors kissing students on the Hogwarts Express would certainly put a major dent in their popularity rating. Those four apparently didn't know the meaning of the word impossible, trolls, basilisk and dementors had now all fallen to goblin steel wielded by wizards and witches. Once more the 'Heroes of Hogwarts' had risen to the occasion and saved the day.

"Since we caught the Carrows, there hasn't been a sighting of Lestrange or Rookwood anywhere, it doesn't make sense to have dementors combing the country for a couple of escaped prisoners who have possibly fled abroad." All could see how unhappy Amelia was at having to voice that last conclusion, she really wanted those two caught. "Harry's had a guard all summer and I think it would be prudent to keep a small auror presence in the castle while he's here..." Amelia never got to finish as she was interrupted by an excited auror.

"Madam Bones, I would respectfully like to apply for that duty."

"It was you I had in mind for the position, Auror Tonks, but I was going to ask the Hogwarts High Inquisitor for her permission first."

Augusta had seen the chemistry building between her defence professor and the vivacious young auror, she would be delighted to have her presence in the castle and would sort out the specifics of how they would handle the situation later.

-oOoOo-

"I thought you handled that situation wonderfully, lover, I would probably just have taken my wand out and started cursing."

"A confundus charm on a piece of parchment means they will think we have the correct documents and these glamours will save us from being recognised. We'll be in France inside an hour."

The plan to escape Britain on the first of September worked like a dream, the ministry would have all their focus on a train and the Carrows trial. That they were using the muggle channel ferry to cross from Dover to Calais would mean there would be no record of them leaving. They also chose the last ferry of the day in the hope that security would be even laxer. They watched as the famous white chalk cliffs receded behind them, both silently promising they would return with their master and make the country suffer tenfold for all the pain that had been inflicted on them.

They would proceed cross country and spend their nights under the stars, for a couple that had each spent the last decade entrapped in an Azkaban cell camping was certainly no hardship. Just having company when they woke in the morning was a luxury both swore never to take for granted.

Augustus once more impressed on his impulsive mate that they would only get one shot at this. Their master had been missing for twelve years, it was far more important they took their time and did things properly - rather than rush in and increase the likelihood of failure and their capture. It was always a delicate operation trying to convince Bella not to go with her impulses but so far he was succeeding in curbing her more psychotic tendencies. She would have used the cruciatus on a muggle daring to search through her things, a simple confundus charm left the customs official happy - and still alive.

Like any other normal couple on the ferry, Bella and Augustus stood holding hands as the ship ploughed its way through the choppy waters of the busiest stretch of ocean on on the planet. Unlike those other couples though, these two had torture, murder and mayhem on their mind. Like a certain headmaster who left the country last year, both also swore they would be back.

-oOoOo-

Neville was delighted Padma was back at his side, a tearful Parvati had been waiting for him that morning in the common room and refused to let go of his arm until they met up with the Ravenclaw contingent who were also on their way to breakfast.

"Why is it always you guys who have to put your lives at risk? We had a dementor pass our compartment but it didn't try to come in..."

Padma was on Neville's arm but now had her free one around her clearly upset twin. "Pav, we don't go looking for trouble. Just like yesterday, trouble seems to know where we are and invite itself in for a visit. Once the dementor entered our compartment things went from bad to worse in a matter of seconds, we really didn't have a lot of options other than those we took."

"Those dementors had me reliving every bad thing in my life, and then we heard the screams - I just knew it would be you four that were involved again. I felt so alone, and then there were even more screams. Why does it always have to be you?"

Padma looked toward Neville for some inspiration but he could only shrug his shoulders. "Hey sis, as Padma says, we just deal with whatever comes along as best we can. We were late getting back from the infirmary last night and you had already gone up to bed, Madam Pomfrey only allowed us to leave after Hermione and I promised that we would report back there right after breakfast."

Harry was only paying minimal attention to Parvati's emotional meltdown and, not for the first time, wondered how two sisters could be so different. His thoughts would turn to his mother and her sibling - stopping that wondering in its tracks. He wouldn't be able to settle until he could see for himself that little Natalie was alright. Luna had told them she made Hufflepuff and Pauline was sorted into Slytherin. He knew that Susan, Hannah and Cedric would all keep an eye on her, and Theo would certainly watch over his sister in Slytherin, he just wanted to see for himself that she was happy.

There was a large group waiting on their arrival in the great hall, all their friends wanted to check on how they were after their latest adventure. Pauline and Natalie were mixed in there too and both girls had smiles on their faces.

"I had to tell the girls that breakfast together was out, we need to be at our own tables to receive our timetables. I suggested we all have lunch together and then they can both tell us what they thought of their first class in Hogwarts."

Harry quickly agreed to her suggestion. "Thanks for that, Susan, I wasn't at my best last night. Okay girls, looks like we have a date for lunch!"

It was two happy and giggling new first years who now made their way back to their respective tables as Hermione leaned into Harry. "You know that by using the 'D' word you've just made those girls the envy of all the witches... You do know, and that's why you used it!"

"They had a hard day, yesterday. If a simple thing like that can make them happy then why not? We're just going to be sitting in Hogwarts and eating lunch."

She then had a confession for him. "I remember a certain first year who thought spending an evening with Harry Crow was heaven, it was only an astronomy class but I thought it was the most romantic night of my life."

This earned Hermione a kiss as Harry led her over to their usual seats at the Ravenclaw table, Professor Flitwick was already there and had timetables for his now famous trio.

"You will notice that the extra defence tuition you requested will take place on a Wednesday afternoon and a Thursday morning, I was asked to pass on that the timetabled session set for this morning has been canceled - since two of you are injured. I also need to tell you that Auror Tonks intended to visit all your parents before this morning's edition of the Prophet gets delivered, we all felt that your latest exploits might feature heavily in the paper and we didn't want them to hear the news that way."

All three paled at that, their parents reactions to the news would be rather predictable. It soon turned out to be a sensible precaution as the Prophet had the story splashed all over its front page, though readers could be forgiven for thinking it was the back page as the entire article was written as a sports report. The headline set the tone of what was to follow.

Hogwarts Heroes 3 - Dementors 0

The article was riddled with sports puns with Hermione and Neville now having a 'move' named after them, apparently anyone attempting to repeat their feats would be performing a Granger Gouge or a Longbottom Lunge. These though were only the appetisers for the main course, you needed Crow's Cremation Curse to finish the dementor off.

"Am I glad I never had to stick my sword into one of them, Merlin knows what they would have concocted to rhyme with Patil."

"Well, if you had stabbed it in the throat my guess would have been pain in the neck! Then again, I think you should be called that anyway..."

Luna burst into fits of laughter at Hermione's joke and Padma's pretend pout.

"Yeah, laugh it up, Granger. Just because it says in the paper that your mate is hot doesn't buy you any favours here, I happen to think my lunging Longbottom is the sexiest thing on two legs."

That this lot were again on the front page and once more joking about it meant that normal service had returned to Hogwarts - normal since Harry had arrived that is .

Minerva then stood to give a few announcements that weren't made at the welcome feast. "Last year we held a Merlin Ball in Hogwarts to celebrate one of our own having received this most prestigious of awards, with now six award winners in Hogwarts it is something we very much want to repeat this year - the event will take place on the last Saturday of this month."

This drew much cheering from the assembled students, forcing McGonagall to wait on some quiet to impart the next piece of news. "The more astute amongst you will have noticed I said six holders and no, I didn't miscount. Auror Tonks has been assigned to Hogwarts as a security consultant for the foreseeable future."

This again drew much cheering as Tonks was a popular figure inside the castle. Apart from the Florida group who had holidayed with her, she also taught last year's defence classes on those occasions when Remus was indisposed with his furry little problem.

It was a bunch of happy students who headed off to their first class of the new academic year, a far cry from how they were feeling after arriving at Hogwarts last night.

Parvati accompanied Neville over to the Ravenclaw table and her mood had changed too, she was livid. "I've now got a double period of divination with that prat, Ronald, but I don't need to be a seer to know there's a good slapping in that boy's future."

"Why, what's he done?" Padma appeared ready to chase after him before Neville's good hand rested on her shoulder.

"Nothing, love, he was just mouthing off as usual."

"He was calling Neville stupid for dropping classes yet only ending up with one free period a week, I'll show him what mental really is if he says any more." Parvati had to shot away at that to find the divination classroom.

Harry's timetable was sitting on the table in front of him and today would now be a very quiet day. "We have the morning off, due to you two being injured, then our one and only free period after lunch. The only class we've got today is a period of defence with Remus."

Padma was also studying their identical timetable. "We have extra defence on a Wednesday afternoon, I don't fancy having a marauders class after that. Today would probably not be suitable for the same reason, it's looking like Monday or Tuesday would be best."

"I had a quick glance at Luna's timetable, they have astronomy on a Tuesday so that's out." Hermione's news effectively slotted this year's Crow's Marauders meetings into Monday nights.

All four headed off to the infirmary, they were still discussing their club as they walked.

"Any more thoughts on the helpers?" Padma didn't think her sister would be quoted, in truth she doubted Parvati's commitment.

"I think we had all pretty much agreed on who the eight would be, Susan, Hannah, Draco, Pansy, Blaise, Daphne, Morag and Terry. Sorry Padma, there were people higher on the list than Parvati who didn't make it."

"It's fine, Harry, that's a good list. How are we going to split them?"

"I was thinking three of the girls would work with the first years, help balance that it's four wizards leading the class, that's as far as I got."

Neville then had a suggestion. Why don't we all sit down tonight at dinner and sort it out then?"

No one else had anything better so that's what they decided.

-oOoOo-

Ragnok couldn't believe how well his previous decisions had just played out. "Your daughter really attacked a dementor with her blade?" It was understood that the Director meant no disrespect with that rhetorical question, it was rather a hard concept to accept far less believe. "That three Friends of The Nation assisted a Centurion in destroying a trio of those foul things is a feat that deserves its own tableau in the Hall of Heroes, that they have provided us with a means for defeating dementors is a blessing that merits its own reward."

Barchoke was certainly aware this unbelievable news would further their case for gradual integration benefiting all parties involved, it would also diminish Bloodfang and his ilk's credibility as they lobbied hard for the status quo - or even taking steps back toward medieval times. What really worried the Ambassador though was that all their success lately was backing the opposition into a corner, and that just might make that opposition dangerous.

-oOoOo-

Albus was studying the news coming out of Britain and could see dangerous times ahead. The alliance between the ministry and goblins was paying dividends that no one could have foreseen, it was the unofficial alliance of Longbottom and Potter that really piqued his interest though. That both boys had also chosen their brides made for a very strongly bonded quartet. He still intended to get close to the boy and help in the battle against Voldemort, the other three being so close just made that task a lot more difficult.

This was something he was going to have to ponder later as duty called, it felt good to be working again.

-oOoOo-

Sirius was also enjoying working again, especially after just taking his first class. The new Muggle Studies Professor was sitting beside his wife having lunch and watching the relief on three students' faces as Tonks told Hermione, Harry and Padma about visiting their parents with the news of what happened on the train. As the auror made her way to the staff table, a devious plan formed in the marauder's mind.

He turned to Henrica and made sure Remus could hear every word. "I know we are married now but I feel I should still ask, would the beautiful Lady Black allow me the honour of escorting her to the Hogwarts Merlin Ball?"

Henrica just kissed his cheek by way of an answer, she too had figured out what he was up to.

Remus knew exactly what his fellow marauder was doing and decided to act on the advice he was being offered in Sirius' own inimitable style. As Tonks sat down beside them for lunch he made his move. "Auror Tonks, could I please have the honour of accompanying you to the Hogwarts Merlin Ball?"

"Why, I would like that very much, Professor Lupin." While using all her abilities to appear composed on the outside, inside Tonks was doing an upbeat version of her happy dance. Those dementors could be close enough to waltz with her now and this very happy auror was certain she would still be able to cast her patronus, that her patronus had now become a wolf was not something she wanted to discuss at this particular moment. She had a date with Remus for a ball and was going to be based in Hogwarts all year, she was a very happy witch.

A/N thanks for reading.

66. Birthday Greetings

Harry Crow

Disclaimer - Jo Rowling is a professional author who owns Harry Potter, I'm just delighted she approves of us amateurs playing in her sandbox. Oh, I'm not Robert Galbraith either!

Chapter 66

Monday night felt great for the four in charge of Crow's Marauders, they'd already had a hard day with a morning of potions followed by an afternoon that contained both runes and defence - but this actually seemed more like fun than work. They were running the club members through their paces, just revising on what they had done last year. The revision was for two reasons, mostly so they could see that their students hadn't forgotten everything over the summer but also to give their new staff sponsor and four assistants a first glimpse of just what they had let themselves in for.

Henrica had decided she would help the four prefects with the new first year club, Tuesday evenings suited her timetable better too - and she'd already covered all the material with the Crows. Their new sponsor, Sirius, was looking rather flabbergasted at what these students were able to achieve while Susan, Terry, Blaise and Daphne appeared worried that they had perhaps bitten off more than they could chew. Susan and Blaise at least had the experience of watching their four friends train but they had no idea just how advanced these first years were, Susan was definitely going to mention this to her aunt in the next letter home - the head of the D.M.L.E. would be thrilled.

They ended the lesson in their usual manner, everyone sitting round and discussing what they'd just done before learning about the material that would be coming up in the next few weeks.

As the stream of happy students headed out the door, the four were then faced with a seriously happy Sirius. "Now I understand the smirk my wife has been wearing all day, she knew what I'd be seeing tonight. All I can say is that was bloody fantastic and I might steal a few of your ideas for my own classes, that five minutes at the end allowed you to see that they understood everything you'd taught them."

Hermione was mostly responsible for the academic input into each lesson, she gave Sirius their reasoning behind that idea. "We don't work with textbooks or give homework, this is the best way for us to see if they understood it. You're welcome to use it, it's what Professor Weasley does with us after every session - we just adapted his method to suit a much bigger class."

Daphne felt she had to say something, she then managed to express the views of her three cohorts perfectly. "Em, guys, don't take this the wrong way but why do you need us? You controlled that lesson perfectly and those second years aren't that far behind us in defence, they will probably be ahead by the end of the year! How are we supposed to help when they'll know more than we do?"

Seeing the genuine concern on all four of their friends' faces, Padma tried to reassure them. "Tonight was easy as this was all stuff they had done before. When we're teaching them something new we need eyes in the back of our heads and extra pairs of hands, that's where you come in. We'll work two to a group and that allows twice as many members to attempt the spells."

Terry was still concerned though. "That doesn't answer what happens when they know more than us, how can we help if we can't cast the spells that they're attempting?"

Neville had always felt he was the slowest in their group, not that this would be considered a bad thing when taking into account who the other three in that group were. It gave him an insight though into what their friends were feeling. "What if we spent some time after every meeting making sure everyone was comfortable casting whatever we were going to be working on the following week?"

This was greeted as a great idea though Blaise brought up a potential problem. "That could see us in here until past curfew, I want to help but not if it's costing me house points and detentions."

"Which is why we have a staff sponsor!" Harry indicated toward Sirius before continuing. "Professor Black can deal with that, no prefect or professor will take house points if we have a pass signed by him."

"I can do better than that, I'll take your concerns to McGonagall and get your curfew extended - only for Mondays mind you."

Hermione then rhymed off the spells they would be teaching the club between now and Halloween, knowing that they had all learned them in their normal defence class. With their concerns now quashed, the enthusiasm to be involved in this venture began to shine through from their friends. Harry assigning them partners just made it more real.

"Daphne, you'll be working with me, Blaise, you're alongside Hermione. Susan, you and Neville will make a good team leaving Terry and Padma as our remaining pair. We very deliberately continually shuffle the groups, not wanting to replace house rivalries with 'my group is better than yours', but find it better to keep the teaching pairs the same."

It had been a good meeting and all involved were now looking forward to the next one.

-oOoOo-

They were not looking forward to this, it was Wednesday lunchtime and no one would tell them who their new defence tutor was. All they had managed to ascertain was that this new tutor was definitely not Bill Weasley or Remus Lupin, that was all either of their current tutors would say on the matter.

Hermione was still trying to guess right up until the great hall doors theatrically banged wide open and a scary figure stood there. All the friends made it a point of trying to have lunch together and Susan of course recognised the figure instantly.

"What's Mad-Eye Moody doing in Hogwarts? Oh shit! I think that's your new tutor, guys. Good luck, you're gonna need it!"

Moody decided everyone must have had a good look at him by now so bellowed the length of the great hall. "I'm here to train four students on how to kill death eaters, I want to see these four in front of me, now!"

In the silence that followed, the entire hall heard Padma's whine. "But I've just sat down, I haven't had my lunch yet."

Harry cringed, knowing this was exactly the reaction this person was looking for, his years of training with Master Sharpshard allowed him to spot the similarities. He expected a tirade to follow that remark and wasn't disappointed.

"Little girl, do you think that line will work on death eaters?" A little girl's whine coming from this scarred and wizened old auror was really freaky and at the same time frightening too. "Oh please Mr big bad death eater, I haven't had my lunch yet! Could you come back later? I'll be ready to fight then."

After that, Moody's own voice seemed gruffer than ever. "These murderin' scum will kill you in a second, if you're lucky! They'll probably choose the time and place, and the cowards always try to stack the odds in their favour. I'm here to help you turn those odds to your advantage, but if you would rather finish your lunch?"

Neville was on his feet as this old geezer made his betrothed look a fool, Harry's hand though was on his arm. ""That's exactly what he wants, Neville, to needle you so you end up fighting on his terms and by his rules - we've been taught to be better than that.""

The four were now moving toward their latest tutor but even that wasn't enough to please him. "I thought you four wanted to learn? If I don't see some enthusiasm soon then I might just go back to the ministry, I'll probably do that anyway after I see just how pathetic you lot are..."

"...and we'll probably let you, then hire someone who doesn't leave part of himself behind every time he gets into a fight. Your appearance hardly inspires confidence in your defence abilities, far less does anything for your capability to pass whatever knowledge you have onto others."

Hermione's retort had the hall holding its breath waiting to see what reaction it would generate, Mad-Eye roaring with laughter wasn't in anyone's top five of guesses.

"Oh, you have spirit, missy, I'll enjoy breakin' it - now move and show me this trainin' room I've heard so much about!"

The quartet broke into a jog, leaving their new tutor behind allowed them a little time to plan.

""He'll try to antagonise us, hoping for reactions. We need to stay focused and hope he underestimates us. He's also on our patch, Hogwarts can help and that will certainly be something he won't expect.""

They all started adding to Harry's outline, forming a plan of attack as they ran.

""He doesn't look too mobile, we want some rough terrain...""

""Cover would also be good, let us try and pin him down...""

""That's an artificial foot, and probably leg too. Some sand would certainly slow him down...""

As Moody pushed open the door he thought some bastard had tampered with his hip flask, he had to be hallucinating because this just couldn't be real - his peg leg sinking into the sand though told him otherwise. The scene looked like part of a ruined ancient village that the desert was slowly reclaiming, and there was no sign of his new students anywhere. They were definitely here though, Granger's voice was echoing all around him.

"Okay, old man, show us what you got and you just might get the job!"

That she'd cast that charm on her voice so he wouldn't know where it was coming from had a wide grin forming on Moody's face, he had a feeling he was going to like these kids.

-oOoOo-

"Amelia, I feckin' love those kids! By the time they come of age you'll need at least twenty good aurors to have any hope of takin' them down." He took another hit from his flask before continuing. "My only problem is I've got them again tomorrow mornin' and I ain't as young as I used to be, bloody wore me out they did."

The head of the D.M.L.E. had rarely seen the Master Auror so impressed, though she too had watched them train. They were sitting in her office and both had known each other far too long to stand on ceremony when there was no need to, she immediately voiced her concerns. "I hope you didn't hurt any of them?" The wicked smile on that battered face had her worried, though needlessly.

"Amelia, I had to raise my level of spells three times. You know the best bit, they raised theirs right back at me! Those two girls are scarily clever, powerful too! Longbottom also has power to spare, along with loyalty that would put a Hufflepuff to shame. Crow though, that lad is on a whole different level. That goblin he calls father is one sneaky bastard, Crow seems to have learned to be the same on his father's knee. He's so feckin' sneaky he convinced that old hat to put him in Ravenclaw, the mark of a true Slytherin. When he whips out that sword though, Merlin! Give me a few years with them and old Tommy boy's arse is toast."

Moody being optimistic was hard to believe but this was totally unexpected - he seemed so positive too. "Do you really think so, Alastor?"

"They took me down, Amelia, when have raw recruits ever done that?"

Amelia was left sitting with her mouth hanging open, Alastor Moody was a legend that even her year group hadn't been able to get the better of, that four students just into their teens managed that feat was staggering.

"Of course I was holdin' back but I got the distinct feelin' Crow was doin' the same. If that boy ever really lets go, I wouldn't want to be on the other side of him."

She still couldn't believe what she'd just heard. "They took you down? How the hell did they manage that?"

"By usin' their minds as well as their magic - and don't forget those blades! They used every advantage they had and ran me ragged, I could see what they were doin' but couldn't really stop them - not without seriously injurin' at least one of them that is. They also seemed to know that a trainin' exercise is different from a real fight. I will certainly be buyin' Arthur's boy a drink, Bill Weasley is a feckin' genius to have them working together like that. If all the students left Hogwarts as well taught as those four we wouldn't need an auror trainin' programme, couple of months to learn the law and just throw them out there - they would be ready."

His good eye was almost tearing up as he paid the four students his highest compliment. "I don't even have to install 'constant vigilance' into them, those kids watch each other's backs at all times. I kept tryin' to isolate one of them but the other three would be on me in a flash, any time I thought I had them walls would suddenly appear out the floor and I would be foiled again. Those four could beat Voldemort right now if he was stupid enough to fight them in that room, I won't make that mistake again."

Amelia had even more good news for her old mentor and friend. "Those four have instigated a programme where they're teaching the younger kids what they've learned. Susan wrote me and said it was unbelievable, she's helping out this year and now expects to ace her Defence O.W.L.

He was quiet for a moment before answering. "I always expected to die on the job, Amelia, today gave me my first sign of hope that I could one day retire and spend my time tryin' to perfect my rum recipe. The only thin' stoppin' me from havin' a right good rum samplin' session tonight is I need to face those four tomorrow, they won't catch me out again!"

Knowing her old mentor, Amelia could confidently predict there would be payback on the menu for those four tomorrow.

-oOoOo-

The four friends couldn't have cared less what was on the menu for lunch, they were all shattered. This was such an unusual sight, Roger just had to comment.

"What the hell happened to you lot? Did I look like that after our first session?"

Padma's head was resting on the table by now so Hermione answered. "Our tutor decided he would try and work us to death. When he gave us a task and we completed it, he just upped the ante and then had us do more even quicker!"

"...and that was before Harry pissed him off!"

Hermione was quick to defend her mate from Padma's charge. "Harry just did what we usually do, how was he to know that Moody had only borrowed those duelling dummies?"

Neville was staring at his betrothed, thinking she had the right idea and he was seriously considering joining Padma in getting his head down. "Moody had never seen a sword used on a duelling dummy before, his reparo didn't even come close to fixing them. He then had us running while shooting at targets, of course he was firing curses at us as we were doing this."

"Moody really impressed me with the amount of swear words he knew, Master Sharpshard would be hard pressed to match that quantity and quality. I'm now beginning to think this free period after our extra defence class on Thursdays was well planned, there's a couch in the Ravenclaw common room with my name on it."

"Our name on it, Harry, and that sounds a wonderful idea."

"Bugger that! A wonderful idea would be bringing that couch down here, not having to drag myself all the way to Ravenclaw tower. Just the thought of facing all those stairs makes this table feel like a comfortable mattress..."

"That's because Neville cast a cushioning charm on it for you!"

"Now, Hermione, just because I have such a considerate and caring betrothed there's no need to let your jealousy show. Neville honey, I'll kiss you for that later."

"It will need to be later, I think Neville's fallen asleep. C'mon Hermione, let's face those stairs and keep our date with that couch. Could someone please make sure we're awake for defence?"

Padma managed to mumble something along the same lines before she too succumbed to her exhaustion.

-oOoOo-

Their exhaustion was still evident as Remus started his defence class, the professor's enthusiasm though soon captured the students' attention - especially the subject matter. Remus had a boggart in the class, stored in an old wardrobe that once held professors' robes in the staffroom. He explained to everyone that they would face their greatest fear, and carefully took them through the steps and spell needed to overcome the boggart.

They were all lined up to take turns at facing the boggart but Harry's mind for once was elsewhere. He'd known pretty much what was coming this morning, Moody would have to reestablish his authority and would do so by pushing them as hard as he dared. The session was as brutal as any Harry had ever taken part in, physically and magically draining. What had humbled Harry though was the way the other three just kept going, giving everything they had and then some.

They must have been hurting more than he was yet Padma still found the energy to joke with Hermione before she fell asleep at the Ravenclaw table. He had practically to carry his mate up those last two flights of stairs but thought spending time sleeping on the sofa with Hermione in his arms was well worth the effort.

This was what Harry couldn't get out of his mind, while he pushed his body to its limits in preperation to face his nemesis those three were doing the same purely to ensure he wouldn't face his destiny alone. As friends, Harry didn't think he could find better ones anywhere on the planet.

He was drawn out of his musings by a loud girly shriek, only to see Ronald Weasley facing a giant spider. For some reason clothing the enormous arachnid in the most hideous shade of orange seemed to allay his fears. The boggart's attention was now focused on Harry and he had no idea what to expect, father suddenly standing there was a complete surprise - though it was the words this representation spoke that froze Harry to the spot.

""How could I ever love a human child? You were a business deal, nothing more!""

Barchoke then morphed into Sirius but the words were every bit as hurtful. "Why would I want anything to do with you, I'm going to have children of my own."

Sirius morphing into Hermione finally produced a reaction, just not from Harry. Before the representation could say a word, the original was there with her sword in her hand. "Get lost, bitch, he's mine!"

Her sword swipe produced the unusual effect of turning that Hermione into Harry, a Harry wearing an evil smirk on his face. "Surely you don't think I could really love someone as plain as you!"

The next thing the class heard was a growled 'riddikulus' as Godric's sword banished the doppelganger into the wardrobe which, due to the power of the spell, also flew across the classroom and smacked into the wall. Hermione felt an arm slip around her waist as she was gently pulled back to rest against her mate, she then heard the words that meant so much to her.

"You are mine, and I am yours."

Hermione whispered them back before Padma, in her own inimitable style interrupted. "You might want to tag a few more words on there, something like 'you are my witch', then Hermione might actually remember she was one!"

This raised a laugh and relieved any tension in the classroom, Hermione played along as she sheathed her blade. "Okay, use sword for dementors and basilisks, wand for boggarts and annoying best friends - got it!"

Remus too had been stunned into inaction at Harry's greatest fears being broadcast to the class, it was now time to take back control though.

"Class return to your seats, I might be able to coax that boggart out in time for next year's class but certainly not today."

Seeing that Remus was playing the incident as a bit of fun, Susan decided to help. "Sir, next year will be Crow's Marauders, there's no way that boggart will come out to face that lot."

Pansy too got right into the spirit of it. "You'll have our Marauders the year after that, they're frightened of nothing!"

Morag had something that was worrying her though. "That's if Professor Lupin is still here. There's supposed to be a curse on the defence position at Hogwarts, no one has lasted more than a year in the job for decades."

"There was a curse and it's been dealt with..." Harry suddenly found all eyes back on him as he realised he must be tireder than he thought to let that slip. He decided just to explain his remark to the class.

"Every headmaster of Hogwarts couldn't resist tampering with the castle's wards, supposedly improving them, we were left with a right mishmash that allowed poison to be delivered by owls to students. Hidden away in this jumble was one that wasn't cast by any headmaster, it was basically a bad luck jinx focused on the defence department. Hang around the classroom and office long enough and it was sure to have an effect on the professor, the new ward scheme obviously doesn't have that."

"Why thank you, Centurion Crow, it's really nice to know I may still be here this time next year - or until one of you lot want my job. I suppose I could handle being replaced one day by a marauder..."

Remus was a very popular professor so that suggestion was rapidly shouted down before he got his lesson back on track, tacking careful note of how Harry was handling the boggart situation. He held the four back at the end of the class for a moment, just to ensure everything was fine.

"Harry, you know those fears are groundless, right?"

"Yeah, Remus, I know. Still - a bit of a shock though."

"Not when you think about it." Padma was looking quite thoughtful as she expanded on that. "Parvati may be scared by mummies but the thought of anything happening to Neville terrifies me."

"Well I was just about cheering when Harry banished that thing back into its lair, I was dreading facing it..."

"...and what frightens my big, brave Gryffindor?"

Knowing he was now caught, Neville let out what had been the cause of a few nightmares. "Your father telling me that, because you're an identical twin, I had bonded to both you and your sister. The Patil twins have never been identical to me and I do like Parvati but I could never marry her, yet I knew seeing that in class today would really hurt her. I must have a bit of goblin in me because I only ever want to marry one witch, my perfect Padma."

She leaned in and kissed her mate gently on the lips. "I must have some goblin blood too because this witch doesn't share, not even with Parvati. I wish I wasn't so knackered or I could drag you into a broom closet and show you just how much I mean that."

"You must be tired to forget there's a professor standing here, now get straight to dinner and then an early night - you lot look done in."

Hermione though was shaking her head. "We've got a revision meeting for our potions lesson tomorrow, you don't turn up for Master Pitslay's class unprepared." With that they headed off to dinner as Remus thought he better have a quiet word with Sirius, what happened here would soon spread throughout the castle. At least the Barchoke droppleganger spoke in goblin, and no one who understood that language would ever breathe a word of what was supposedly said by Harry's father.

-oOoOo-

Harry wasn't surprised when he received a letter from his father mentioning the incident in defence class, he knew the extended family now in the castle would have passed that news on. It felt good to have so many people looking out for him, and his father also raised something he'd been struggling with. "Father says hello, and wonders if there is anything in particular you wanted for your birthday? I had been wondering myself what you would want to do to celebrate it?"

She had obviously been thinking about this, Hermione didn't really like being the centre of attention and her choice reflected that. "We're going to have a lot of fuss the following week with the Merlin Ball, what I would really like is a quiet evening with just the four of us. I really enjoyed our meal in the infirmary and this time I would be able to use my knife and fork, we would have to explain my decision to Luna, Parvati, Susan and the rest ..."

Harry put his arm around her. "First rule of birthdays, the birthday girl gets what SHE wants - leave the rest to me."

At that, Tonks approached with Bill and asked if she could speak with them before their lessons began. They had just reached the room when Bill had a question he'd been desperate to ask them. "What the hell did you four do to Mad-Eye? He sought me out to shake my hand, and then slapped a bottle of very good rum into it."

"We just did what you taught us...and we might have beaten him in a fight."

This had Bill laughing. "He fought you in here ...and of course you didn't tell him this room would help you four?"

This had Tonks staring at the four in disbelief before remembering the reason why she was here. "With escaped death eaters still on the loose there won't be an extra trip to Hogsmeade before the Merlin Ball, Halloween though is traditional. Hogsmeade full of Hogwarts students will be a tempting target, and one I'm determined to see protected. I was wondering if The Nation would consider allowing goblin warriors to supplement the force of aurors the ministry will have on duty in the village that weekend?"

"I think that is a brilliant idea! Assistant Ambassador Weasley, I won't be available for lessons that weekend, I intend to be on duty." Harry then turned to Hermione. "We could visit my parents the weekend before Halloween, it's probably safer to do that anyway in case anyone stakes out the cemetery on that day."

Padma then had a suggestion. "Can we wait until nearer the time and decide if we want to go to Hogsmeade? With Mad-Eye going to be hammering us twice a week the thought of a weekend off is very appealing. Hermione would be very welcome to come to Hogsmeade with us too, the bigger the group we're in the better."

Tonks was delighted her idea was so well received. "I'll put it to Madam Bones and Bill can take the idea to Barchoke, we still have weeks yet to organise this. Should we keep it as a surprise?"

"NO!" The four had spoken almost as one but it was left to Harry to explain their reasoning, making their tutor proud. "Keeping it quiet would be the equivalent of using the Hogwarts students as bait, not something we want to be a part of. Even one student injured in an attack would be classed as a failure, we want this publicised so no death eaters come within a hundred miles of Hogsmeade over the Halloween weekend."

With that settled, Tonks stayed just to see how good these four really were - she was astonished. Individually she would still be able to take them in a fight - Harry would certainly be a close run thing - they didn't fight as individuals though and that's what would have surprised the hell out of Mad-Eye. Bill had them working like a combat team - it suddenly struck the auror that's exactly what they were! Bill was training the four of them to survive encounters with death eaters and Voldemort himself - Tonks felt like crying. She really liked these teens but they were training for a job that they shouldn't have to do, going after the bad guys was the task of Tonks and her fellow aurors. She silently swore to be there at their side if the worst ever happened, she had no way of knowing she'd just joined a long list of people who'd sworn the exact same thing. It was going to be a crowded battlefield if they all managed to keep their promises.

-oOoOo-

It didn't matter how crowded their timetable became, Harry intended to keep his promise and look out for Natalie and Pauline. This was proving rather easy to do as both girls were settling in well to Hogwarts, Luna and Colin - with lots of help from Ginny - were seeing to that. They were sitting in a large group after dinner chatting as the two girls were describing their favourite classes, Remus, Henrica and Sirius would be pleased to know they were such a hit with the younger students.

Harry thought this would be a good time to break the plans for Hermione's birthday next week and found less resistance than he anticipated.

Morag summed up the feelings of the other Ravenclaws. "It's Sunday and we start the week off with double potions, and we only find out on the Friday what potion Master Pitslay is going to have us brew."

He hadn't thought about that before so Harry promised to ask if they could find out both future potions on a Monday. Luna and Parvati were also rather philosophical about it too. "We have the Merlin Ball the following Saturday and you four are so busy an evening by yourselves will be good for you."

Harry then had something to add that really pleased the two first year girls, once again the goblin tailors would be arriving to provide clothing for their entire year group to wear at the Merlin Ball. New dresses and their first ball saw both girls excited, the promise of a dance with Harry had Natalie and Pauline counting the days.

-oOoOo-

After counting the days it was finally here, Hermione was fourteen! The birthday girl was greeted first by Padma and Luna, the latter presenting her with a gift that was a miniature Moonlight formed out of black glass - Hermione loved it. Harry was waiting for them at the bottom of the stairs, supplying her birthday kiss before offering his arm as they headed off to meet the rest of their friends at breakfast. They had given their exercises a miss in honour of her birthday, and to give their bodies a rest from their new training regime.

She received lots of gifts and cards, there was even a giant one signed by every member of Crow's Marauders that she found really touching. Hermione knew her 'main' presents would come at dinner tonight but she was still overwhelmed at the thoughtfulness of people - Draco actually gifted her a rare book from the Malfoy library. There was even a letter and small gift from Sapphire, all the way from Cairo.

It was the gift of another book though that really made Hermione's day, the cover was black dragon skin with the lettering done in gold. Such a simple title but it had the birthday girl so excited, 'The Nation' by Lady Henrica Black was worth its weight in gold to someone who would one day marry a goblin.

"Oh thank you, Henrica, I love it already."

"It's not being released to the public until Halloween, I know you'll have it read by then and point out any mistakes I've made before it goes to print. There are only four copies of that edition, Sirius, my mum and The Director have the other three."

Hermione was already working out where she could find an hour today to just curl up and begin reading a book she'd looked forward to getting her hands on for almost two years.

With no training today, they held their potions study group in the great hall after lunch, the Weasley twins and Neville were now able to attend too. Old Sluggy was hovering around the edges of the group, desperate for any sort of invitation where he could show off his knowledge - no such invitation was forthcoming. He was even ready to butt in a few times but the question asked would be quickly answered within the group. When it became embarrassingly clear his expertise was neither needed nor wanted, he slinked away back to the dungeons.

The goblin tailors had been inside the castle yesterday to provide the new first years with clothes for the Merlin Ball, they also supplied Hermione and Padma with new dresses, one for tonight and another for the ball. The girls took Harry's breath away as they walked down the stairs to greet him, they had the same effect on all the Ravenclaw wizards currently in the common room too. That Hermione was in purple while Padma wore a dusky pink was as much as Harry could tell you about the dresses, apart from the fact that they emphasised both girls' beauty in a way that did something to his insides. That both girls also had their swords on their hips wasn't worth commenting on, they always had their swords there.

The Lady Ravenclaw and Sir Nicolas were providing the chaperon service tonight, Augusta knew both girls would be perfectly safe but this saved her from any charges of favouritism towards the couples.

Hogwarts had provided an intimate setting of a table for four beside a small dance floor, there was a gramophone sitting at the side and the entire scene was lit by candlelight. They all took their seats and Harry offered his first gift before the meal was served.

"This is your real gift from Sirius and Henrica, the book was just an extra father rushed through so it would be ready for your birthday."

Hermione unwrapped the box, only to find it contained a rather plain hand mirror. She had no idea what to say when Harry asked her a question. "Who would you most like to speak to right now?"

That was easy. "My mum and dad!" At that the mirror appeared to tremble before an image of her mother appeared, with her father quickly looking over her shoulder.

"Oh Hermione, Happy Birthday!"

She couldn't take her eyes of the images. "Is this a recording?"

It was actually her father who answered. "No, love, it's real and you look beautiful!"

She now had tears of joy in her eyes. "Thanks dad, it's great to see you guys again."

"We miss you too. We don't have Sirius popping in and telling us all the latest news from Hogwarts anymore so he arranged this. Isn't it wonderful, we can chat whenever we want."

"It's brilliant, mum, and I'll thank him from all of us later."

Dan was struggling to believe the beautiful young woman in the mirror was actually their little girl, she seemed all grown up already. "So, what have you guys been doing today?"

-oOoOo-

""Everyone knows what they're supposed to do so let's go!""

The hired muscle Bloodfang had brought with him tonight knew how to do their job. More importantly they knew how to keep their mouths shut, they also knew he would arrange to have them permanently shut if they didn't. He hadn't wanted to be anywhere near this house tonight but Bloodfang couldn't really send a boy to do a goblin's work. Dragontooth was actually quivering with excitement beside him as the first pair of muscle went through the fancy glass doors as if they weren't there - when hit with a battleaxe they soon weren't.

These muggles had such strange ideas, what was the point of having doors that could be so easily broken into - you might as well start making glass hammers. The other pair of muscle were also in the house before he and his son entered, the human bitch was screaming already and they hadn't even started yet - something his son couldn't help but point out.

""Save some of that screaming, bitch, you're going to need it when we make this the most memorable birthday your daughter's ever had...""

All six of the goblins were soon flying across the room before hitting the walls as a weirdly dressed house elf stood there snapping its fingers. Where did these muggles get a house elf?

"You will not hurt Dobby's family." Being a house elf, Dobby's magic wouldn't let him attack these goblins outright, it didn't stop him assisting his mistress and master though. Dobby thought the best way to assist them was to hand Dan his shotgun, loaded of course.

Dan was incensed that these goblins would not only break into his home but threaten his wife, when Dobby handed him his shotgun there was no hesitation. The first goblin had bounced off the wall and was now charging with the massive axe that had just made short work of their French doors held ready to strike, a shot to the chest from a distance of less than eight feet blew him back into the wall where he left a bloody smear. The shotgun traversed almost automatically to the goblin who was nearest Emma, that goblin too was blasted back hitting his compatriot on the way. The noise of the shotgun being fired inside the house was deafening but Dan clearly heard Emma's shouted order as he was in the process of handing his gun to Dobby for reloading.

"Dobby, get us out of here!"

Given a direct order, Dobby had no choice but to obey. He grabbed his mistress and pulled her over to where the master was standing with a now empty gun.

Dragontooth could see their entire plan disintegrating before his very eyes, there would be no recovering from the shame of being outwitted and defeated by a couple of muggles with a house elf. He had the family sacrificial dagger in his hand that Dragontooth was supposed to use for the first time tonight when killing these muggles, seeing them escaping saw him lose all reason and throw the blade. He let out a victory yell when the three disappeared and his blade went with them, he must have hit someone. His victory yell was short lived though as he heard his hated nickname being shouted from somewhere, he walked over to the table where a mirror lay. Picking it up, he could clearly see an absolutely enraged Crow screaming at him.

""You fucking cowardly bastard, I warned you what would happen the next time you messed with my family. I will cut your ears off and wear them on my belt, you will live only long enough to see this happen and your father will die shortly after he has witnessed his son's total disgrace and death. I'm coming for you, Dragonbreath, and this time there will be no one to save you.""

The mirror slid from the goblin's hand and smashed on the table, ending Crow's tirade but not the threat. His father was trying to pull him out this muggle house but Dragontooth knew they were both already dead.

A/N Thanks for reading

67. Blood on the Sand

Harry Crow

Disclaimer: I make no money from my stories, the only payment received is FFN users taking the time to read my efforts. Since Harry Crow has now pushed through four and a half million views, this makes me a wealthy man. As always, Thanks for reading.

Chapter 67

Inside Hogwarts Room of requirements, Emma's scream of terror instantly turned what had been a happy occasion into a nightmare. Whatever she was now doing with the mirror made it useless for viewing events in Crawley but both Harry and Hermione instantly recognised Dragonbreath's voice and all four understood exactly what he meant by that threat.

Dobby's intervention left Hermione wanting to kiss the little guy while the first blast of the shotgun had all four of them ready to punch the air in celebration, each knew that weapon in Dan's hands just swung the balance of the fight in the Grangers favour. They clearly heard Emma order Dobby to get them out of there and only Dragonbreath's yell of triumph stopped the four doing some triumphant screaming of their own.

Harry had snatched the mirror out of Hermione's hand and was now repeatedly screaming ""Dragonbreath"" into it, being finally rewarded when the goblin picked up the mirror.

""You fucking cowardly bastard, I warned you what would happen the next time you messed with my family. I will cut your ears off and wear them on my belt, you will live only long enough to see this happen and your father will die shortly after he has witnessed his son's total disgrace and death. I'm coming for you, Dragonbreath, and this time there will be no one to save you.""

The mirror suddenly went blank and Harry's focus shifted once more to the room they were in, a room that held his mate who was currently being comforted by their best friends. Before he could say anything a high pitched screech began being emitted from his concealed holster, Harry's knife was out as he instantly signalled his acknowledgement. "That's the emergency recall signal from my father, it means get yourself to Gringotts as quickly as possible. I hope Dobby took them to Father, either way he knows something is wrong. Neville, could you tell..."

"No, not happening, Harry. We're coming too! Dan and Emma mean the world to all of us, we will not sit here and wait on news - and you might need us."

"I didn't want you getting into trouble..."

Padma shot that excuse down too. "Our Orders of Merlin mean that we're considered adults now, we won't get into trouble for this. The Lady Ravenclaw and Sir Nicholas can take messages for us."

At that, another door appeared in the room and Helena quickly explained its function. "There is a passage out of Hogwarts connected to this room, you will feel when you pass from the wards and then your portkey will be able to activate."

A determined Hermione was now at Harry's side. "We're wasting time..."

At that, the four ran for the door. Neither girl was dressed for battle but both were more than ready to fight one. All felt the tingle that indicated they had passed from the powerful Hogwarts wards and they touched Harry's portkey to be whisked away to Gringotts.

-oOoOo-

On hearing that their children had been witnesses to the Crawley attack, this immediately had a cursing Barchoke racing to the point Harry's portkey would deliver them into Gringotts. They would be demanding answers and certainly in no mood to be denied those answers, tonight would be a massive test of his diplomatic skills to stop this situation escalating. He reached the location just as the portkey set them down, Hermione came racing into his arms as he held his daughter close.

"Dobby brought Dan and Emma to me, your mother is wounded but I don't have any more information at the moment. The healers are looking at her while Dan stands guard over Emma with his shotgun poised for action, Dobby's right by his side and ready to hand Dan its loaded partner. We need to get up there right away, one wrong move or word and innocent blood is going to be spilt."

The tension in the infirmary was palpable, Dan barely relaxed his stance as they entered the large room and he wouldn't relax until that bloody great goblin knife was removed from his wife. Harry also couldn't miss the ornate hilt sticking out of Emma's belly and it was Centurion Crow who demanded to know the reason why it was still there.

The command in Harry's voice produced an instant answer from the healer. ""It's a family ritual knife, Centurion Crow, and has a deeply serrated edge, we would usually transfigure the blade to something safer for removal but none of us here has the power to overcome the enchantments on the knife. Trying to remove it by other means could kill the patient.""

Harry drew his sword and felt the shotgun move to cover him. After the night he'd just had, Harry didn't blame Dan one bit for that reaction. The only people in the room Dan truly trusted at the moment were his daughter, who was now at her unconscious mother's bedside, and the faithful elf who'd saved his family tonight. Harry needed to get through the trust issue in order to help Emma.

"Dan, I want this knife out of Emma as much as you do, you know my sword is more powerful than my knife. This was the attackers ultimate objective, Dan, to turn us all against each other. I swear to you they will pay for this with their lives but Emma's life is far more important to all of us at the moment, let's get her healed and then we'll see about making every one of those bastards who broke into your house tonight pay for this."

The shotgun slowly lowered and they could all see just how close to the edge Dan Granger actually was. The gentle dentist who had never used his shooting skills to even hunt rabbits had blown two attackers apart yet still couldn't prevent his wife's injury. "Just get my Emma healed, son, that's all I care about."

"We'll get her healed, Dan, and then make sure this never happens again."

Hermione was sitting beside her mother and now holding Emma's hand, Padma and Neville were standing beside her to offer support. Harry held his sword over the hilt of the knife and began pouring his magic into the spell, beads of sweat were soon peppering his forehead but there was no quitting in this endeavour. If it took every scrap of magic he had to break the enchantments on the knife then that's what he was going to pour into his sword. The enchantments finally surrendered with an audible crack, leaving the blade section transfigured to be a replica of his own knife. The stiletto blade would now be straightforward for the healers to remove, Harry thought he might actually need the healers' services too as he was left feeling light headed and staggering until his father led him to a chair.

The knife being removed relaxed a lot of the tension in the room, Dan though still desperately sought some assurances. "Will she be okay now? Won't that blade have done a lot of internal damage?"

Seeing that his son was just temporarily exhausted allowed Barchoke to deal with that question, and the healers to concentrated their efforts on Emma, his answer was for everyone's benefit.

"A knife like that is a slashing weapon, designed to cause major damage as it rips open someone's torso. Using it as a stabbing or throwing weapon will certainly reduce its effectiveness - unless you yank the weapon out the wound you just created. Emma has still been stabbed though and we'll need to wait and see what the actual damage is before we can predict her recovery with any confidence."

Hermione managed a wan smile of thanks to her mate for his efforts, all her attention though was focused on the deathly pale figure lying on the bed - and what the healers were doing to her mother. They had cut her clothes to leave her midriff bare with a blue sheet protecting her modesty, the knife had entered just beneath and to the left of her bellybutton but the healers had quickly staunched the flow of blood now that the blade had been removed.

The potion that the healer then poured into the cleaned wound began to fizz and Hermione was just about to ask what was happening when the first fibre from the blue jumper her mother had been wearing came to the surface. The process was repeated until there was nothing left to expel then the healers began to close the wound. Harry had said before that goblin healers were the best at dealing with these kind of wounds and their expertise as they teased the gash closed was there for all to see - Emma would be left with a scar that was nothing more than a very thin line.

It would be a couple of hours before the healers could predict Emma's recovery with any degree of certainty so they settled down to wait, Dobby left his master's side for a moment to provide refreshments for everyone. Even as they settled to wait, Dan still had the broken shotgun across his lap - ready to snap closed and fire in an instant. Hermione then asked the first of many questions she had about tonight's attack.

"Dad, why didn't you and mum just use the emergency portkeys Harry provided to escape?"

It was a rather sheepish Dan who answered his daughter honestly. "Probably because they're both sitting on the hall table. We kept them beside the car keys so we wouldn't leave the house without them. I thought they were for protection outside the wards, I couldn't imagine needing them in our own lounge."

"They should never have been able to get through your wards, they clearly meant you harm so that should have barred their entrance - goblin or not. We need that question answered very quickly as those same wards now protect Hogwarts, the ministry and many homes, including Amelia's and the Minister of Magic's."

While he could appreciate Barchoke's point, at the moment Dan wasn't concerned with the wider implications of this. He just wanted a healer to come and tell him his wife would be okay. Their lives had changed dramatically over the last few years and this had left Dan with the impression he could just about cope with anything now, fate must have been laughing her arse off at that. Watching the woman he loved lying there fighting for her life dramatically emphasised how unprepared he was to deal with this. In all honesty, Dan thought if he lived to be a hundred he still could never prepare himself to deal with the possibility of losing Emma.

He had so many conflicting emotions rushing through him that when the door crashed open Dan automatically began cocking and moving the shotgun, that was until a golden gauntlet clamped down on it.

"Dan, pointing your gun at The Director would be a death sentence, I have no intention of explaining your absence to mum later." Harry's words got through to the man, though Ragnok was so angry he had missed the entire byplay.

He headed straight for Barchoke. ""Your squad of warriors were on them before they cleared the wards, we have all of them in cells - except for the two Miss Granger's father blasted to bits. That's some weapon but also a discussion for another time. How they breached the wards is far more important, Bloodfang had a Loki Talisman!""

Barchoke exploded at the implications of Ragnok's words. ""That profitless, genderless, short-eared, motherless, arse-kissing, ignorant, lump of future dragon shit! He was trying to start a war - this is treason.""

A Harry who was every bit as shocked as his father explained to the others just what was going on. "A Loki Talisman is the most restricted item in the Nation, even possessing the knowledge of how one is made will see you and your family wiped out. It's a very powerful artefact that will literally bend wards around it, and whoever is touching it. Not only is it banned by the Nation, it's banned by ministerial treaty too - specifically because it allows goblins to do what Bloodfang did tonight to any warded home. Think of it like a skeleton key, only it works on wards rather than locks. The mystery of how such a mediocre family amassed wealth and power is explained - they stole it."

Harry then left Hermione's side and gave a centurion salute to Ragnok before surprising everyone present. ""Director, I know they are now sentenced to death but I respectfully submit I have a prior claim. I swore to kill Dragontooth and his father, I don't know what magical consequences I would face if I stood back and let them be executed.""

""...and why should I let these traitors enter the pit? They deserve no such honour.""

""Again with respect, Director, I had no intention of paying them any. They will be slaughtered like the traitors they are, and in so doing my hope is that my family will never again be targeted by a member of our Nation.""

Barchoke desperately wanted to talk his son out of this course of action but could see from the determined set of his jaw it would be an exercise in futility. Only one person had any hope of changing his mind but Hermione was still holding Emma's hand, as if doing so could keep her mother anchored to this plane of existence and prevent Emma from leaving them, she was paying scant regard to whatever else went on around her.

Ragnok meanwhile was considering the matter from a political point of view, preventing a war over this matter being his top priority. A citizen of the nation possessing a device that allowed them to pass through wards was more than enough provocation to start a war between wizard and goblins - it had before. That the same device could also pass through goblin wards was what led to there being such severe penalties for having any involvement with one, a Loki Talisman was basically a master key for access to the bank too. That there hadn't been an incident involving one for at least half a millennium had led to complacency on their part.

Here though was an golden opportunity to show the Nation just what Centurion Crow was capable of, and also let the Ministry of Magic see just how serious they were taking this situation. He needed one more piece of information before making his decision and sent for the healer in charge, Ragnok wanted a report on the prognosis of the woman.

""The next few hours are critical, Director. If she makes it through the night I would be confident in predicting a full recovery, the patient is strong and healthy which will certainly help her case. I can't be more specific than that, I'll have a better idea say around midnight.""

'"I want to hear that report, I have a feeling this will be a long night."" Ragnok then turned to Barchoke and his son. "I am leaning toward granting this request, I do not want to lose a Centurion from the Nation because he has legitimate concerns his family will not be safe. I also don't want this to become a revenge situation though, if your mate's mother doesn't make it through the night then the dragons will feast on those murderers for breakfast. Either way, they will die tomorrow morning. You have some visitors and I will return later to hear how things are progressing.""

As Ragnok left, Sirius, Henrica and Amelia were escorted into the room. Sirius headed directly for Harry while his wife held Hermione in her arms. Amelia wanted information and reckoned her best bet for that was Barchoke. She had heard stories about these amulets that could pass through any wards but assumed they were nothing more than myths, she could instantly see how serious a situation this was from the goblin's demeanour.

"Amelia, the amulet will have already been destroyed and those who used it will not see another day of banking. Harry has challenged them to the pit and intends to make a statement that his family is off limits..."

"Harry fighting in the pit? Is this wise?"

"Killing someone is a hard thing to live with, just look at Dan. I would have recommended a calming draught for him but I know he wouldn't take it, at least until we know about Emma. I can't fault Harry's logic, he fought and killed their champion yet they still attacked his family, he intends this time to be more of a deterrent. Being responsible for ending five lives before you turn fourteen is a lot to bear though, it's certainly a burden I would rather spare him by providing the dragons with breakfast. Either way, would you witness the event for the ministry?"

"If Harry is fighting I'll be there, I would be perfectly happy though to accept your word if they get fed to dragons instead - that's not something I really want to see."

Like Barchoke, Sirius could see his godson was determined to go through with this. Unlike Barchoke, he was going to talk to Harry and try to dissuade him from this course of action. "Being eaten alive by a dragon is a fitting punishment, Harry, it's a punishment they certainly deserve."

"I agree, Sirius, but it's been done before so I'm not sure how much of a deterrent it will be. The dragon is only having breakfast, I intend to make this a lot more painful for them. My only other alternative is to leave Gringotts forever, not an option I want to consider. What would you do to protect Henrica, to allow your unborn children to grow up in safety? That's what's at stake here, Sirius, I need to have this talked about for generations - not just for weeks or months."

Henrica considered Hermione an incredibly brave, focused and mature young witch, all that had vanished at the moment with her mother lying unconscious on the bed. Hermione had reverted to a little girl who needed her mum and Henrica couldn't blame her one bit for that. The situation was even worse though as Hermione spoke.

"It's my fault she's lying there, I embarrassed the goblin who did this..."

"...and that gave him the right to break into your home and stick a ruddy great knife into Emma? You know better than that, Hermione, you've shown it not only in my class but the way you live your life. These people hate, for whatever reason, and wanted power - that's why they attacked. Without you, would your family have a house elf? Without you, would they have access to this medical facility? If you're blaming yourself for the attack then you need to also take the credit for their escape and recovery."

"...but I did nothing."

"...just like you played no part in them being attacked. We both know enough about goblins to recognise this is a political attack against Harry, Barchoke and the director, all three of them certainly do."

She looked toward her mate, currently deep in discussion with his godfather. "Harry's reaction will be brutal, I sometimes think he loves my mum more than he loves me, he'll react as only a goblin can."

"He wants to face all of them in the pit."

There was a part of Hermione that was crying at what her mate would now have to face, another part though thought Harry would give Dragonbreath and his father exactly what they deserved.

Anyone who's ever spent time in any medical facility waiting on news knows just how excruciatingly slowly time passes, conversations were started but no one had really anything to say. Hermione thanked Sirius for his wonderful present but refused to open any more until her mum was here with them.

When the senior healer did return, it was to Harry that he imparted the news. '"Your mate's mother has survived through the critical period and I would now expect continual improvements throughout the night. It will be morning before I can guarantee a full recovery but that is the result I am now expecting. The transfiguring of the ritual knife was key to this positive result, thank you for that, Centurion.""

Hermione now released floods of tears but these were of the relief variety, Harry held her close until she was over the worst of it before passing her over to Dan. He needed to harden his heart now and meet with The Director, there were decisions to be made.

-oOoOo-

Amelia found herself sitting in a group that contained Sirius, Henrica, Neville, Padma, Tonks and Alastor Moody, the goblins easily recognising it would be advantageous to have Harry's tutor witness this - Tonks had arrived at Gringotts claiming she was still on protection duty and wasn't bloody leaving Harry's side. The head of the D.M.L.E. also thought the pit was well named, she couldn't imagine it being called anything else. Amelia found the terror one must feel on entering that arena to be beyond the scope of her imagination, knowing that the only way you were going to survive the experience was to kill everyone else in there with you was simply mind blowing.

Harry entered the chamber with Hermione on his arm, Barchoke and the biggest goblin she'd ever seen followed on behind. Hearing from Padma that this was Master Sharpshard settled her nerves just a smidgen, if Harry could defeat such a ferocious goblin then these others shouldn't pose too much of a problem. Her relief soon proved to be temporary though.

The galleries that surrounded the pit were now jam packed and they knew the proceedings were about to start when Ragnok entered, in typical goblin fashion he didn't keep anyone waiting.

""We are here this morning more to explain why these four traitors are not dragon food rather than to assess their undeniable guilt, to assist with that endeavour we will watch a short memory first. This memory came from the muggle father of Miss Granger, Friend of our Nation and mate of Centurion Crow - a witch who celebrated her fourteenth birthday yesterday.""

The memory showed an image of a smiling and happy Hermione inside some magical mirror just before their home came under attack. All of the attackers were recognised by the goblins watching and Dragontooth made the intruders intentions crystal clear - that's when the house elf appeared.

There was some derisive laughter at the attackers being thwarted by an elf but that all stopped the instant the boom of the shotgun was introduced, or rather they all saw the effect this weapon had on someone who would have been considered a dangerous goblin to cross. As if to prove this wasn't a fluke, the muggle quickly dispatched a second warrior as the little elf was poised ready to hand over another identical weapon. Only the female ordering the elf to get them out of there prevented the muggle slaughtering the entire group, and then Dragontooth threw that terrible knife.

The elf brought them straight to Barchoke and the memory faded as the Ambassador was ordering a squad of goblins to Crawley while shouting for healers to be brought at once for the seriously injured female.

""All six broke into that muggle home with the sole intention of slaughtering Miss Granger's parents on her birthday, that they used a Loki Talisman during this cowardly and despicable act immediately signalled their deaths under our laws.""

This led to a lot of rumbling from the crowd but Ragnok closed this down fast. ""I know what you are all thinking, it was my first reaction too - why should these traitorous cowards receive the honour of fighting in the pit? It is hard to refute Centurion Crow's challenge that he has a prior claim in this case, we all heard him swear to both Bloodfang and Dragontooth what would happen if they ever went near his mate again. Trying to murder his mate's parents on her birthday would certainly invoke that oath so I have decided to allow this. My main reason though was that Centurion Crow assured me he intended to pay them no honour and would leave all four of them wishing they had faced our dragons instead, that is something I think we all would want to see."" The Director knew his people, something that would leave a goblin begging to be a dragon's breakfast was also certainly something they would want to witness - carried out on someone else of course.

With some last minute words of advice from Master Sharpshard ringing in his ears, Harry entered the pit. He was in full attack mode, shield on his forearm while clutching his knife with Godric's sword held ready in his other hand. His white tunic and the bright plume on his helmet were such a contrast to his surroundings that Harry appeared like a ray of sunshine in the dusty gloom of the pit - and that was before he activated his golden armour.

""Do you have a specific order you would like to face them, Centurion?""

Harry's reply had his family and friends present wringing their now sweating hands with worry. ""I would like to face them all at once, Director.""

This started some rumblings and Harry knew a lot of money would be changing hands in the galleries today. Spotting Whitefang in the audience he nodded in his former mentor's direction, trusting the old goblin would be smart enough to get in quick while the offered odds were at their highest.

""With respect, Director, had my mate's mother not ordered their elf to get them out of the house, my mate's father would have dispatched all of them. Had he been allowed, he and his elf would like to have taken my place in the pit this morning and finish the job they started."" The derogatory chuckles were back even stronger now, meeting your end at the hands of a muggle and a house elf held nothing but shame to any warrior.

""How could I not face the remaining four at once when a muggle and a house elf took on all six? Allow them whatever weapons they want and then I will face them.""

As final preparations were being made to get all four armed and into the pit, Harry was using the time to mentally prepare himself for what he was about to do. Every time his thoughts turned to Emma lying injured in the medical facility allowed Harry's heart to harden slightly, he just hoped it would be enough. If he baulked at what he planned to do today then he might as well pack his bags and go live on his island. As plan B's go this was a pretty good one but it was not how he wanted to live for the rest of his life.

The quartet strode into the pit as if they had a reprieve, compared to facing a dragon with your bare hands this was way more preferable. They had no idea their golden foe was every bit as deadly. As Ragnok read out the charges against them, all four publicly accepted this alternative to being a fire-breathing monster's breakfast.

As the combatants faced each other across the floor of the pit, Ragnok got proceedings underway. ""To the death, Fight!""

The last syllable had barely left The Director's lips when a powerful beam of light shot out Harry's sword. The largest goblin facing him was known as Bonecrusher, no one was sure if that was the name his parents had given him and Bonecrusher was not the type of goblin you would ask that question of. Master Sharpshard had warned Harry that Bonecrusher was by far and away the most dangerous opponent he faced today, that was why that particular goblin would be the first to die.

It was common knowledge that Crow was a wizard who could cast spells from a specially crafted knife, that he could also use his sword to perform magic was not. Bonecrusher had been studying his opponent from about twenty feet away, with no intention of getting much closer until he had some measure of this pup's capabilities, the spell from the sword was a complete surprise.

The spell hit Bonecrusher at the shoulder and traveled as Crow flicked his sword, the cutting curse lopped off his arm, along with a chunk of shoulder, an instant before finding its real target. As the large body flopped down onto the sand, the head bloodily parted at the neck and rolled a few times before coming to rest.

Dragontooth had just spent the worst night of his life inside a dungeon cell. He could hear his father ranting about how they would have to live with the shame of being bested by a muggle and a house elf, Dragontooth just wanted to live. On hearing they would now face Crow in the pit, his father had been ecstatic. Here was the way out he'd spent the night searching for. Dragontooth though again just wanted to survive, and was counting heavily on Bonecrusher to help turn that hope into reality.

As that big head rolled across the sand and stopped at his boot, Dragontooth's hope drained away quicker than that same sand could soak up his now dead supposed saviour's blood. Dragontooth knew he was going to die and Crow would make his death a horrible one, that was what he'd promised and the Centurion seemed more than capable of keeping that promise. The once proud Dragontooth sank to his knees and sobbed, he was out of the fight and simply awaited his fate.

Along with everyone watching this contest, Bloodfang understood the rules had changed. How could you possibly fight an opponent who can cut you to ribbons before you even get close enough to use your own weapon? Unlike his son though, Bloodfang was made of sterner stuff and tried to unsettle his opponent.

""So this is Ragnok's great champion? Where is the honour in firing a spell at your opponent...""

The goblin's words died in his throat as Crow just annihilated his remaining hired muscle in a terrifying fashion.

In a move he'd practiced on countless occasions, Harry attacked this second opponent as if the goblin was a duelling dummy. Curses were coming from his knife and sword as he covered the distance between them incredibly quickly, allowing his target no time to do anything more than react as best he could to the relentless onslaught. The now bleeding goblin did manage a swipe with his sword as Harry came into range. It was weak and uncoordinated though, allowing Harry to deflect the attempted blow on his shield while his knife then slashed across the goblin's chest. This left his opponent open for the killing blow with his sword. Harry then braced himself and used the blasting curse to get his sword clear of the torso he'd just implanted it in and throw his now dead opponent across the pit.

Rather than verbally spar with Bloodfang, Harry next did the one thing certain to send the goblin crazy. He was already moving while the stunned audience tried to contemplate what the centurion had just done to a capable opponent, Dragontooth offered no resistance as Harry's blade sang through the air toward him.

Bloodfang watched helplessly as Crow's sword expertly sliced open his son's belly, spilling Dragontooth's intestines onto the sand. ""You human bastard, you just killed my son!""

Charging the golden figure with a battleaxe that was desperate to taste revenge, Bloodfang met an opponent who was stronger, far more skilled and every bit as motivated as he was. Harry met the charge, deflected the axe away with his shield before driving his sword into Bloodfang's shoulder. His knife then slashed across the pinned goblin, gutting him like a fish.

As the last opponent sank to the sand, Harry girded his loins for his final act of brutality - he couldn't fail now or this would all be for naught. The life was slowly leaving Dragontooth's eyes as Harry's knife expertly flashed twice to remove his ears, standing holding his prize he addressed the now stunned audience - the entire fight had only lasted a few minutes.

""Most of you will have seen me fight in the pit before, on that occasion I fought an honourable though misguided warrior. I fought that day with the same honour shown me, I fought with the honour of a proud Centurion. These four have no honour and received none from me. Like any goblin I will protect my family and the same fate awaits any that would dare attack them - be that wizard or goblin.""

Standing there splattered in fresh blood, and with four bodies lying around him, Centurion Crow certainly made his point. He wasn't finished yet though, he had one final humiliation for the dying Bloodfang.

""Director, by law I am allowed to claim that family's fortune and now do so. I do not want one Knut for myself but wish to see everything converted into gold coin and placed in the square. Then every child is allowed to take away as much as they can carry on their own, with as many repeat visits as necessary allowed until it is all gone.""

Not content with killing and dishonouring his son, Bloodfang now faced death knowing that the fortune his family had spent generations carefully stealing would be snatched away by the hands of children. His last breath was spent hoping his ancestors weren't waiting on him when he died.

Since Ragnok and Harry had already discussed this action earlier, The Director agreed and announced a date two weeks from now to allow time for treasures and gems to be converted into gold coin. He also expected his subjects to use this time to contact relatives living abroad and have them return to London for a visit, as much free gold as their children could carry was one almighty incentive for organising a family trip to Britain.

This morning really couldn't have gone much better for Ragnok. A politically powerful enemy had bled their lifeblood into the sand, his sponsored Centurion had performed beyond all expectations and Gringotts would soon be flooded by goblin visitors from around the world. That the traitors were dead and the offending artefact destroyed should also appease the ministry, a charitable donation to St Mungo's would help as well. Now all he had to do was convince some of this influx of goblin visitors to stay in a changing Britain.

Harry threw his grisly trophies away, Master Sharpshard's axe may hang on his wall but he could never perceive of any circumstances where he would collect trophies like that.

He walked toward Hermione, his father and Master Sharpshard as all four then left the chamber with their heads held high. They had barely travelled halfway down the first corridor when Harry spoke, the command in his voice was obvious. "Hermione, you go and see if mum's awake yet, I'm going to need a long shower and a change of clothes before I can go anywhere near the medical facility."

He marched away at the next junction leaving Hermione perplexed, then she made her mind up. "Father, I need to go to him. Tell my dad that Harry's fine and we'll be there shortly."

Both goblins watched her leave but it was Sharpshard who spoke first. ""She is such a brave lass, perfect for your son. They will provide you with grandchildren that will change our world my old friend.""

""I have a feeling that by the time those grandchildren appear, their parents may have changed the world so much already that our parents wouldn't recognise it.""

-oOoOo-

Amelia understood what she'd just watched, she was having a hard time recognising the young man who was such a good friend to her niece as being the same person who carried out those terrible acts. Seeing that particular attack carried out on a duelling dummy was scary enough, witnessing it used on a living being was terrifying. The other four had shot off to Emma's bedside in the hope of seeing Harry there, leaving a stunned Amelia sitting here with her two aurors. She gratefully accepted Alastor's flask and took a long pull.

"Amelia, today I saw proof of what I had only suspected before. Not only will Harry have the ability to one day take down Voldemort, he's clearly got the stones to finish the job."

"You don't think that was rather ...excessive?"

"No I don't. You heard the Lady Black's explanation, they intended to gut that girl's parents and leave them lyin' there waitin' to be found as a macabre birthday present. This was a set of planned executions with political overtones, what you see down there is a very personal and yet still political answer. I've never seen a more blatant demonstration of a warnin', to go anywhere near that girl is an invitation to a horrible death."

Tonks agreed with Mad-Eye and tried to set her boss' mind at rest. "I've probably had more contact with Harry than both of you and I agree with what Mad-Eye just said. A wizard behaving like that would be cause to consider they were going dark, to a goblin it's simply about getting the job done. Harry wanted the Grangers to be safe and this will certainly help with that, I can't imagine witnessing that demonstration and still having the will to attack them. I watched those four train and had deluded myself into thinking I could still best Harry, that attack on the second goblin would be just as devastating to a witch or wizard to deal with."

Amelia was reminded of what Barchoke had said to her earlier, that killing someone was a hard burden to bear. She would have to be very careful not to treat Harry any differently now.

-oOoOo-

Harry felt different, he felt as if the blood he had spilled today then left its indelible mark on him - like a permanent scar across his forehead that declared to the world he was a killer. He was sitting on the shower floor, curled into a ball while hugging his knees to his chest as the warm water rained down on him. The gentle hands were moving Harry before he realised he was no longer alone, his mate was sitting right next to him and slowly pulling his body into a hug.

"Hermione, how can you stand to touch me after what I just did?"

"Harry, you entered that pit with love in your heart, - not hate - only your love of me and our family could see you do that. You killed those goblins to protect us, just like dad did last night with his shotgun. Do you think any less of him for that?"

"I thought he was amazing, Hermione, he stood there and fought like a warrior to protect mum."

"...and you fought like a centurion to keep us all safe, I'm so proud of the men in my life."

She leaned in and gave Harry a very practical demonstration of the fact she felt no revulsion toward him by instigating a very tender kiss. Harry was enjoying the kiss immensely, his favourite pastime seemed to be enhanced by the fact they were in the shower...

"Hermione, we're in the shower."

"I know, Harry."

"Hermione, we're in the shower with no clothes on."

"Well I never read it in Henrica's book but I suppose she'll need to add that goblins take showers with their clothes on"

"Goblins don't take showers with their clothes on..."

"Oh I am so glad to hear that, it would be just so weird - don't you think?"

"Hermione, the two of us are in here naked!"

It had taken all Hermione's courage to go through with this, the very thought that Harry might reject her had never crossed her mind. "I just thought that you might seriously need cheering up, if it bothers you I could leave?"

Just mentioning leaving though saw her mate's arms tighten around her as he instigated a loving kiss of his own. "After the horror of this morning I felt dead inside. Now, seeing my mate in her full beautiful glory has helped push those terrible visions aside, I now have something far more wonderful to dream about when I close my eyes. Thank you so much, Hermione."

"You are mine, and I am yours, Harry. Nothing is going to change that. I was considering moving our relationship forward slightly after my birthday but felt you needed something special today, I also knew I could trust you..."

"Hermione, I would never..."

"I know, love, stand up and hold me while I wash your hair. We won't be doing this again for a long while so let's enjoy it while we can, it could become something we save for very special occasions though..."

Harry held his mate with all the tenderness he possessed as she gently massaged shampoo into his long black locks. Hermione's naked ministrations were washing away the horror and again emphasising to Harry that he could face anything with his mate by his side. Her courage and trust in him just turned a morning Harry never wanted to think of again into something he would look back on with great fondness for the rest of his life.

They got dried and dressed together, neither feeling any shame at their actions. Harry had certainly felt Hermione's wonderful chest against his as she held him close and his hand had most definitely strayed over her gorgeous bum but, apart from devouring each other with their eyes, that was as far as they went. Both had the maturity to know they weren't ready for any more yet, they still had almost three years before they would marry. It was a happy, and very clean, couple though who made their way toward mum's room.

-oOoOo-

The couple entered the room and, seeing her mother now awake, Hermione shot toward her bed. Only her mother's condition slowed Hermione down and stopped her crashing into the recovering Emma. The body that passed Hermione heading in the opposite direction was under no such restrictions, she slammed into Harry hard enough to almost have them over. He stood there, once more with a beautiful witch clinging to him, and Harry thought he was one lucky goblin.

"Oh Harry, I didn't want you thinking we thought any different of you now. I still love you, just not as much as I love my Neville mind."

"I know, Padma, and I'm really happy with all of that." Harry was hugging her back, accepting the offered comfort from his friend. He was then passed from Padma to Henrica for more of the same.

Tonks looked ready to hit him one first. "I don't know whether to smack you for leaving Hogwarts without me or that 'I'll face them all at once, Director' decision. Never do either again!" She did hug him though before pushing him in Amelia's direction.

"I know you only did what you had to, Harry. You impressed the hell out of Mad-Eye and scared years off my life."

Neville and Sirius congratulated him and Barchoke thought this certainly qualified as a special occasion, he proudly hugged his son. Harry was then face to face with Dan.

"I finished what you started, Dan, they paid for attacking our family."

Harry then felt a hand on his arm and looked around to see Emma staring into his face, her hand pulled Harry down until he was level with her and guided his head into her embrace. Harry was being cuddled by the woman he now considered his mum while looking into the smiling face of his mate, Hermione was receiving the exact same treatment on Emma's other side.

Dan glanced at the three smiling faces and relaxed for the first time since those goblins burst into their home.

-oOoOo-

Minerva couldn't believe how solemn the atmosphere was in the great hall, and all because a muggle woman had been attacked by some rogue goblins. She then had to reconsider that thought as she realised how many of the children currently in the care of Hogwarts actually knew Emma Granger. From the Head Boy and Girl down, this woman had touched the lives of a fair number of them, between holidays and birthday parties in Kingussie where an entire year group were invited. Of all the children affected though, none were more so than the little blonde sitting at the Ravenclaw table cuddling the black cat for comfort, a fact the head girl had picked up on and Penelope was sitting right beside Luna.

She was stroking Moonlight and trying to think positive thoughts about Emma, she simply had to recover. Having already lost her mother, Luna couldn't bear to see the woman who'd started to fill that void in her life leave too. Hermione was like a sister to Luna and she knew just how close her 'sister' was to Emma, she would hate for Hermione to undergo the same terrible experience as her.

The snowy white owl flying into the hall stopped all conversation, every pair of eyes were now locked on Luna as she removed the note from Eargit's leg. Those who couldn't see the girl's face feared the worst as she began sobbing, those who could relaxed as they saw a beaming smile on Luna's face. She managed to say 'Emma's going to be okay' before the hall erupted with cheering.

Minerva thought her surprises were now over for the day, Augusta spoiled that idea immediately.

"I'll cover the Muggle Studies classes until Sirius returns, that will just leave History students needing supervised."

With Madam Augusta Longbottom now apparently able to teach muggle studies, Minerva was left wondering where all these changes would eventually lead.

A/N Thanks for reading.

A/N 2 My thanks also to Cheral for providing Barchoke's rant, it could open a whole 'goblin curse phrases' can of worms.

68. A Dancing Goblin

Harry Crow

Disclaimer - I am not JKR, nor a professional author. I write as a simple form of escapism, and purely for my own enjoyment. I then post those efforts here so others can read my stories for free. For those people who know exactly how to write the perfect Harry Potter story, and simply must point out the many reasons why mine isn't it, please do us all a favour and write the thing. Like everyone else on this site, I'm always searching for good stories to read.

Chapter 68

A complication no one had expected was the police being involved, Dan firing his shotgun in the house had a few of their closest neighbours dialling nine, nine, nine. When the police arrived at the scene, they found the Grangers gone and a bloody mess left in their lounge. Barchoke's squad had apprehended the prisoners and removed the bodies but the police were at the Grangers before any cleanup could be done. By the time Amelia discovered what had happened, it was far too late to start obliviating people.

Where the police go, the press are sure to follow - especially where there is blood involved. There had been rumours circulating that the 'Potter' the serial killers were after had connections to Crawley, this appeared to confirm that and the Grangers were front page news all over the country. Speculation regarding their fate was wide, varied and totally inaccurate. They were officially listed as missing though and a manhunt was gathering pace so something had to be done.

This led to Arthur and Bill Weasley walking into Crawley's police station and approaching the front desk. Flashing charmed I.D. Arthur spoke to the police officer who greeted them.

"We need to speak to whoever is in charge of the Granger case."

They were shown into an office and introduced themselves to the detectives in charge, their identifications claiming both father and son worked for a branch of the government.

"I have here a press release that will answer most of the questions being banded about in the media. Please read it and then we'll answer any questions we can." Arthur handed copies of the document over and tried not to smirk as the detectives' eyebrows got higher and higher.

On the nineteenth of September, a heavily armed group managed to bypass the security arrangements on the Granger home. While one of the group was busy boasting what they were going to do to the couple, Daniel Granger managed to bring his shotgun into play - fatally wounding two of the would-be attackers. This also alerted the private firm who were part of the security surrounding the Grangers and the rest of the group were quickly detained.

Unfortunately Emma Granger was seriously wounded in the attack and required immediate medical attention, she is now expected to make a full recovery. Both are recuperating from the attack by staying on a private estate in the Scottish Highlands. This statement is being released to assure all their friends and family that they are alive and well, and also hopefully to end media speculation over this incident.

The more senior of the two detectives was obviously not local, he also appeared to resent having his very high profile murder / kidnapping case pulled out from under him. He was barely courteous when asking the first question. "Can you give us any details on Mrs Granger's injuries?"

Arthur wanted to set the tone of this meeting right from the start, the Weasleys were in charge here. "First you need to understand what level this investigation has now reached, this is being treated as a direct attack on Lord Potter. We'll tell you what we can, and also what can be released to the press. Emma took a knife to the stomach, an injury that could easily have killed her."

His subordinate tried to hide his smirk, he'd basically been given the same 'this is no longer your responsibility' speech when his 'colleague' had arrived from London. He also had the next question ready for the new team apparently now in charge of this case. "Can you confirm or deny that Miss Granger's boyfriend, this young Lord Potter, is the Potter these serial killers are after?"

Looking to his son, Bill nodded before answering that question. "Hermione's boyfriend is indeed the Potter these killers are after, the couple met over two years ago at their exclusive school and have been inseparable ever since. Her parents were made aware of the possible danger and had all the protection we could think of on their home, that was why Dan, a keen shooter, also had a shotgun handy. Harry made sure that Emma had world class care to treat her injury and it's his Highland estate that they're staying on at the moment. That can also be released to the press and might stop some of the rubbish they're printing every day."

"Can you explain why they're after the boy?"

It was Arthur who tried to put the situation into a form that wouldn't break the statue of secrecy but was close enough to the truth for these two detectives to believe.

"Harry's parents worked for the government - a branch of anti terrorism. They were so good at their jobs that a really nasty group made it their mission in life to wipe the Potters out - they almost succeeded too. Both Harry's parents were killed and the explosion also took out the gang's leader, Harry was in the house at the time and it's nothing short of a miracle he survived."

Bill was so proud of his father, Arthur had worked really hard on the muggle materials he'd provided. He'd stopped treating muggles as a 'bit of a hobby' and there was now little sign of the man who couldn't pronounce 'electricity'. Gone too were the plug and battery collections, his new hobby was collecting muggle devices and experimenting to produce a magical version. Arthur was determined Molly would one day have a working microwave, he just loved the 'ping' that signalled your food was ready. He was also imparting truthful information to the police officers without giving specifics away.

"The government rounded up as many of this gang as we could while toddler Harry was adopted by a friend of the family. This gang though would give fanatics a bad name and the escapees are trying to link up with former members who must have slipped through our nets over a decade ago."

The senior detective opened a slim file that had been sitting on his desk, one of the first things he did upon arrival was to scour through all the information they had on this family. "This report begins to make more sense now, how one lad easily took down five local bullies. I understand Lord Potter was asked by the officers who took them home to the Grangers if he had any special training, our records show he said no."

Arthur hadn't a clue what the detective was talking about but thankfully Bill had gone over the entire incident in great detail with all of them.

"Harry was asked if he practiced any kind of martial arts, he replied that, apart from keeping fit, fencing was the only sport he attempted. That is as true today as it was then. Due to his special circumstances though Harry has received government approved training on how to extract himself from difficult situations. Since he and his best friends are always together, they received approval to undertake the training too. Hermione was more upset with herself that she let that boy catch her off guard in that incident and accepted as her due the rollocking she got from her tutor for doing so."

The younger local detective was suspicious of such a glib answer. "You seem to know rather a lot about this?"

"Probably because I was the tutor who gave her a rollocking. I know the Granger family well, I've holidayed with them and have younger siblings who attend the same school as Hermione and Harry. I spoke with Dan and Emma this morning before setting out for your station, Emma is actually going to try some solid food today." Bill didn't want to say he had breakfast with them or an explanation of how he got from the Scottish Highlands to Crawley in such a short time would be required.

"Would it be possible for us to contact them?"

A rather emphatic shake of the head from Bill preceded his answer. "Sorry but no. Both are understandably rather shaken up at the moment and Harry's being exceptionally protective of them. We all know how easily it could have been for things to go so differently the other night, Dan has barely let his shotgun out of his reach."

-oOoOo-

A very calm Dan had his shotgun resting at his shoulder.

"PULL!"

He smiled as each blast of the shotgun saw a clay pigeon disintegrate.

"PULL!"

Another two clay pigeons met their end under his gun as once more his little loader swiftly and smoothly passed over a loaded weapon.

"PULL!"

One smashed to smithereens and the other merely clipped. It was still good shooting though, a certain goblin observer thought it was shocking and amazing at the same time.

There was no way Ragnok wasn't going to further investigate guns after seeing how effective they were against goblins, watching Dan shoot was a revelation. As with Harry's demonstration of his abilities in the pit, here again it was a case of their weapons being seriously outmatched in a fight. The sharpest sword in the world was as much use to a warrior as a dandelion if your enemy could cut you down well before your blade could even reach them.

Barchoke rested his weapon as he'd been taught before giving the command to set the clay pigeons flying, shooting with The director studying his every move was nerve racking. Rather than trying for both and hitting none, he concentrated on making sure only one of those disks would hit the ground whole.

Ragnok actually cheered as he witnessed a goblin blast one of those disks apart, Barchoke made sure the weapon was unloaded before handing it over for The Director to examine.

"The workmanship is superb, it must have taken days to get those barrels so true. Why did you remove the bits that fire though?"

The leader of the Goblin Nation then found himself being lectured by a human as Dan explained the safety protocols Everyone had to learn before handling a loaded weapon. He also shattered Ragnok's illusions by telling him most of the shotgun he held in his hands would have been produced by machine.

Rather than raising any level of anxiety, the echo of the shotgun's blasts was actually reassuring to the other half of the Granger dentistry duo. Dan practicing on his beloved shooting course was a welcome slice of what now passed as normality for them. She was sitting in her favourite chair with a book in her hands but Emma couldn't stop her thoughts from running over the last few days.

Once it had been established beyond doubt she was out of danger, Sirius and Henrica took Neville and Padma back to Hogwarts. Hermione and Harry had refused to leave, and even now they had transferred to Kingussie, both were still here keeping a very careful eye on her.

Emma suddenly sussed what had disturbed her quiet reading, it was far too quiet for a room that held both her children. She turned her head round to look for them and let go with an incredibly loud piercing scream.

Dobby had Dan transported there in mere seconds, his shotgun searching for targets. All he saw was Harry and Hermione standing in front of Emma with their weapons drawn, Tonks coming barreling through the door almost started a war before Emma screamed again.

"STOP! Weapons down before anyone gets hurt."

Emma's screamed order proved to be timely, sensing no threat everyone complied just before Barchoke, Ragnok and a pair of The Director's guards crashed into the room from the other direction than the one Tonks had burst through.

"I'm sorry for startling everyone, I just got a bit of a shock. Guess I'm not dealing with this as well as I thought I was."

Dobby popped away with the shotgun as the Potter elves began supplying refreshments since the situation was under control, the two guards positioned themselves at the doors as a now embarrassed Emma provided an explanation.

"It suddenly dawned on me that it was too quiet in here with this pair in the room, I turned around and saw what I now know was Hermione but she was covered in feathers. I simply got a shock, sorry for scaring everyone."

"We were meditating on our animagus forms, was Hermione really covered in feathers?"

"Didn't you see her?"

"Sorry mum, after you screamed I was too busy sweeping my side of the room for threats. I didn't need to look to know Hermione was doing the same behind me."

Hermione now held out her arm and concentrated, copper coloured feathers with distinct black markings started to spread along her outstretched limb. She was soon in the air as Harry had his arms around her waist and was swinging her around in celebration, his whoop of jubilation letting the uninitiated know this was a major achievement.

Tonks was shaking her head in wonder. "Let me guess, Neville and Padma have forms too?"

Harry still had Hermione hoisted in the air, his admiration of his mate clear for all to see. "Hermione is a kestrel, I'm a swift, Neville is a tawny owl while Padma is some type of hawk - we'll need to wait until she perfects her form to get a more specific identification. I can't wait until we can all fly around the glen, might save Padma moaning about having to run as much."

The thought of their children being able to change themselves into birds and having the ability to fly unaided just gave a whole new meaning to the term 'flying the nest' for Dan and Emma, here was a graphic example of not only how quickly they were growing up but they were now trying to grow feathers too.

Ragnok was once again witnessing proof of just how well his gamble on these four human children was paying off. Animagus was an ability that was foreign to goblins but having three Friends of the Nation and a Centurion who would possess this strange phenomenon would be another feather in his cap. He had considered these children extraordinary when he made the awards, just how extraordinary they were turning out to be was surprising even him.

-oOoOo-

It was no surprise to Emma that the extraordinary man she had married all those years ago eventually broke down and cried his heart out. Her Dan was a gentle soul and, while he wouldn't hesitate to protect his family, killing two 'people' was always going to have an affect on him. She held her husband close as they snuggled in bed, getting Dan to talk through the experience had led to this breakdown - he badly needed to let it out though.

After getting himself together, and reluctantly admitting to his wife he actually felt better, they snuggled a while longer before Emma raised the next potential problem.

"I think Harry needs to do the same as you just have, instead of bottling it up and going on as if everything is fine. You reacted purely on instinct but, by all accounts, Harry practically slaughtered those goblins in front of a large audience. You'll get no argument from me that those four deserved their fate, I'm just not happy that our boy had to be the one administering it. I've had a quiet word with Barchoke and he agrees, he also thinks Hermione is the only one who stands any chance of getting through to him."

"I guessed as much, I also guessed that's why she was sneaking into his room every night..."

"I didn't think you'd noticed, why didn't you say anything?"

"Only being able to hold you at night has kept me sane these last few days, I keep getting flashbacks and watching those two goblins die. If Harry feels half as bad as I do about this then he'll need Hermione to get him through this. I also think that's why they're in no hurry at all to return to Hogwarts, he doesn't really want to face all their friends knowing what he had to do. I know that's the way I feel about returning to Crawley, people who could never understand what we went through will want to congratulate me for picking up my shotgun."

"So, you trust those two together?"

"Harry has now killed five times to protect the two most important women in the world to me - make that seven if you count a basilisk and a troll. If we can't trust him with Hermione then just class me as a horrible father..."

This earned Dan a kiss from his wife. "I think you forgot to add that Hermione and I are two of the most important ladies in Harry's life too, we both know there is not the slightest danger of him hurting our daughter. We also know they can't go on like this much longer, both of them and Tonks need to be in Hogwarts for the ball on Saturday evening. It would make a mockery of the event if three of the guests of honour were missing. Barchoke and I have an idea for Friday, I just need you to go along with it."

-oOoOo-

Barchoke arrived in Kingussie on Friday morning accompanied by a surprising bonus.

Hermione was out her chair while shrieking 'Sapphire!' in a tone that could crack glass.

The little goblin was now a fully paid up member of the 'hugs are good' society and, as Hermione eventually released her she flew into Harry's open arms. Her head barely reached his muscled chest but Sapphire held on tight as she finally answered some of the questions Hermione had immediately hit her with.

"Your mate here started a mad scramble to get back to London, my whole family's here to get ready for next week. Anyone waiting until the last minute is going to be disappointed, I've never seen Gringotts so busy - we could hardly get accommodation."

"You're more than welcome to stay here?"

She looked up into her tall friend's green eyes and knew he was being completely genuine, that he hadn't let her go yet was also a big clue too. "Thanks, Harry, I might for a day or two. Your father has also offered that I can stay in your apartment, save me having to share a room with the rest of my family." She then got really serious and changed the subject.

"Even in Cairo, your fight in the pit was all anyone could talk about. There are memory crystals changing hands at ridiculous amounts as everyone wants to see if the rumours are true. My father got his hands on a copy and it left him clearly shaken, so much so that I was able to sneak a look at it when he wasn't there..."

She could feel Harry trying to pull away at hearing that but Sapphire just tightened her grip on his waist. "Harry, you did what you had to do. We both know Dragonbreath was going to meet a bad end, he didn't hesitate in trying to murder Emma so don't you go blaming yourself for what happened to him."

Hermione now made it a three way hug, delighted with what their little friend was saying. "I've been trying to tell him that all week, Sapphire, I was there and it makes no difference to me. He seems to think it will make a difference to our friends, Padma and Neville were there too and both have already told him that's not going to happen."

Here was the opening Emma was looking for to introduce their idea. "Since you won't be able to leave Hogwarts this year at Halloween, I thought now would be a good time to visit Harry's parents."

Hermione explained that concept to a confused Sapphire, allowing Harry a few moments to think about it. "Harry visits the cemetery where his parents are buried, usually on Halloween. This year though Halloween is a Hogsmeade weekend and the goblins are going to help protect the village, Centurion Crow here is going to be on duty."

Barchoke then helped his son reach a decision. "As the entire country now knows that fact, visiting on a different day also makes tactical sense."

Sapphire and Hermione holding him lent Harry the courage to agree, the guilt he was currently carrying made visiting his parents the last place he wanted to go.

Harry's reluctance at the cemetery was clear to all those who had visited here with him before, Hermione and Sapphire kept a tight hold of him as they stood beside the headstones.

The fact that his son was standing there in silence forced Barchoke to take some action. "James and Lily, our son is being rather quiet today because he had to do something that's left him feeling ashamed, unworthy even. We've all told him that he's still the same Harry we know and love but he doesn't seem to believe us. You left me a fine boy to raise and I've done the best I can, if there is any fault here then it is mine to bear."

Emma's hand then rested supportively on the elder goblin's shoulder as she too spoke. "James and Lily, I hope you don't mind if I say our son too. Harry's started calling me mum and I couldn't be happier about that. I think his father has done a wonderful job as Harry is quite simply the finest young man I have ever met. If there's a fault here then it's mine, I was attacked and Harry not only helped save my life but ensured my attackers would never bother anyone again. I already loved our son with all my heart and this incident didn't lessen that love one bit, Harry though is having trouble believing that."

As Harry still hadn't spoken a word, Hermione filled the silence. "I really don't know what to call you, Mr and Mrs Potter seems so formal yet James and Lily doesn't feel right either. It will be mum and dad when I marry your son, and I will be marrying him. He is mine and I am his, nothing is going to change that. He seems to think his recent actions have affected how we all see him, I keep trying to tell him that his friends and family all still love him - and will never stop loving him."

With tears rolling down his cheeks, Harry finally broke his silence. "Mum, dad, I've let you down - I've let everyone down. You both gave your lives protecting me from a dark wizard, only for your son to turn into one. I slaughtered four people, one of them a boy who wouldn't even fight back!" Sobs now racked Harry's body as his worst fears left his lips.

Hermione was strong for her mate, fighting back her own tears. "You are not a dark wizard, Harry, and you never could be. You are a Centurion who dealt with a goblin problem as only a goblin could."

She'd been standing back, not wanting to intrude on a family moment, but Tonks now stepped forward to offer some advice. She had watched as the rest of the family had used Harry's parents to try and reach out to the young man, Tonks now did the same. "James and Lily, you don't know me but my auror robes will tell you we have a mutual acquaintance, Alastor Moody. If anyone can spot a dark wizard then it's him, that he's going to train your son should answer that question. Harry has been raised as a goblin but is now trying to assign wizarding values to his goblin actions, it just won't work."

Harry was still crying but he could feel the love he was surrounded by, almost as if it was a physical force. This atmosphere allowed him to begin unburdening his soul of the day that would give him nightmares for years to come.

As Harry got into his stride, there was soon more than him standing in the graveyard with tears in their eyes, especially when he reached the part about seeing Emma injured.

"When I saw mum lying there with that knife sticking out her I knew I had to do something. I couldn't lose my mum again, how could I ever face my Hermione knowing that, because of me, both of us no longer had a mum. I had to protect them and acted as a goblin should, why do I then feel as if I've ripped my own guts out too?"

His father had an answer for that. "Taking a life should always leave you feeling like that, son, it's never something that can be taken lightly. The people you killed had already been sentenced to die, I'm sorrier than I can say that you had to be the one to carry that sentence out. You did your duty, son, and The Nation is a better place because of that."

Sapphire spoke for the first time, her heart breaking from witnessing the pain her friend was suffering. "The Nation is a better place now, Harry, and your family is certainly safer because of what you were forced to do. Listen to those around you and don't hand your hard won victory over to Dragonbreath, he and his father got exactly what they deserved."

It was a lovely autumn day in Godric's Hollow and the well maintained cemetery sparkled like an emerald, set squarely at the heart of the village. The more time they spent there with Harry talking to his parents, the more the sparkle returned to those emerald eyes Hermione loved so much.

Harry felt lighter as they returned to Kingussie, he was also knackered and was heading off for a nap. Hermione had every intention of joining him but had something to do first.

"Father, can you get a dress made for Sapphire by tomorrow? Since she's in the country so Sapphire can be our guest at tomorrow's Merlin Ball."

"Are you sure Hogwarts is ready for this, my daughter?"

"All our friends have met and love Sapphire, they'll all be there. Fred and George might act all respectable now but everyone knows they've just gotten a lot better at what they do since taking lessons from Master Pitslay, nobody will want to cross that pair. What do you say, Sapphire, me and you walking into the ball on Harry's arms?"

The little goblin was almost hyperventilating with excitement and only had one question, "Will Roger be there?"

Having holidayed with the group in Cairo, Barchoke was now certain his daughter was right - they would rally around Sapphire and ensure she had an enjoyable, and trouble free evening. He would take her to Gringotts and have a dress made in the same style as those Hermione and Padma would be wearing, having to return Sapphire to Kingussie might be the only reason he got out of the director's office without having to consume a keg of grog.

Ragnok would surely call for the potent brew to celebrate a goblin being invited to the Hogwarts Merlin Ball. With Gringotts currently packed to capacity with all of the overseas visitors, this couldn't have happened at a more opportune time to allow their visitors to see the unbelievable changes happening in Britain for themselves.

-oOoOo-

They all noticed the changes at breakfast, it was hard not to with Harry, Hermione and Tonks wearing their Orders of Merlin and greeting each other formally at the table. Add in Sapphire being high as a kite with the excitement of attending her first ball tonight and breakfast in Kingussie that Saturday morning was unusual to say the least.

The three parents were all smiling as their charges were making plans to spend a couple of hours giving Sapphire some dancing lessons, Dan and Emma lost their smiles as Hermione revealed more of their plans.

"After the ball we'll portkey home, that will allow the four of us..." A growl from Tonks saw Hermione change that part. "That will allow the five of us to attend church tomorrow."

They could see the fear in Emma's eyes and it was Harry who broached the elephant in the room. "Mum, you got me to face my fears yesterday and I feel so much better for doing it. You know any of my houses are available to you but your life is back in Crawley, even if you want to permanently change that you still need to go back and sort everything out first."

She found herself being tagged team by both of them as Hermione pushed too. "You'll have Harry and me with you, and Tonks guarding our backs. We go to church, a quick pop home before heading back to Kingussie for lunch."

Dan now had his arm supportively around his wife's shoulders. "We have to face this sometime, love, wouldn't it be much better to do it with these three there for support? Just look at those medals, you know we'll be in safe hands."

She was every bit as reluctant as Harry had been yesterday but again Emma knew this was something she needed to face. Dan was right, it would be much better with their family there for support.

With that settled, the three teens left so Sapphire could get some dancing practice for her first ball. She had loved dinner and dancing on their Nile cruise but the little goblin wanted to be more prepared for her first ball.

-oOoOo-

Nothing could have prepared Sapphire for walking into the great hall of Hogwarts. It wasn't so much the splendour of the vast room, more that every pair of eyes in the hall focused on them the instant they entered. The little goblin was feeling self-conscious about wearing this dress but had trusted Harry and Hermione when they said that's what most of the girls would be wearing. She stood as the six Order of Merlin holders observed their formal greetings before the whole thing descended into hugs, Sapphire soon found herself being included by an excited Padma and then Luna arrived to carry on that trend.

Sapphire watched as Harry spoke to the woman in charge before leading everyone out of there to climb lots of stairs as Hogwarts once more provided a spectacular ballroom. Luna had been introducing her to so many friends of theirs that Sapphire's head was spinning, she found herself being led to a table where dinner would appear. She was sitting between Luna and Harry with Padma, Neville and of course Hermione making up the rest of the company. They were surrounded though on all sides by tables full of their friends and Sapphire couldn't help but smile as two younger girls approached Harry to remind him he had promised them a dance.

It was like watching the last of the doubt leave her friend, one glance at Hermione was enough to tell that she thought so too. She knew what they had for dinner was lovely but Sapphire couldn't remember what she ate, she was far too busy looking all around her as Luna kept up a running commentary and answered any questions she asked - and Sapphire had a lot of questions about everything and everyone.

It was announced that the first dance was for the Order of Merlin holders and there was loud cheering as four students, three professors and an auror took to the dance floor. Hermione was in Harry's arms and they were surrounded by friends and family. She looked into her mate's eyes and saw peace there for the first time since her birthday.

"I hate saying I told you so but did you really think your friends would treat you any different? You'll make Natalie and Pauline's evenings by dancing with them, and Sapphire is sitting there practically glowing. You've never hidden the fact you consider yourself a goblin, you told the entire hall that at your sorting, sometimes we can all forget though - even you."

"Not as long as I have you to keep me right, it was also you who invited Sapphire here tonight - something I want to thank you for. What I'm trying to say is thanks for being there for me this week, I don't know what I would have done if you weren't..."

"I'll always be there for you, Harry, I am yours and you are mine. We're going to have to wait a few more years though before we can snuggle up in bed every night, although we weren't doing anything wrong I really don't like sneaking about behind mum and dad's back."

This earned her a kiss from her mate. "I know, and again I can't thank you enough. Just you being there with me kept me sane."

Tonks was enjoying being held in her date's arms, she wanted to know if there could be more though. "Remus, I need to return to Kingussie with Harry tonight but we'll be back in Hogwarts ready for classes on Monday. I think we need to sit down then and have a talk."

She was really worried until Remus smiled at her, then Tonks knew it would be okay. Even if they went no further than their current friendship she knew Remus Lupin was going to be a part of her life for years to come.

The ball was a resounding success again, that there was an actual goblin amongst them barely raised an eyebrow. Word had quickly spread Sapphire was a very good friend of Harry's, that he danced with her next after his first dance with Hermione easily confirmed this. With some of the professors and even the head boy and girl clearly having met her before, Sapphire was afforded a warm welcome to Hogwarts and was on the dance floor for most of evening.

Sirius asked Hermione to dance and was relieved to hear that Harry was now on the mend, he had killed in the last war and, even though that person had been in full death eater regalia and taking part in a raid, Sirius had still felt like shit knowing he had caused someone's death. He also approved of what they were doing for her mum and dad, asking if they wanted some company at the church.

Hermione was sorely tempted but eventually declined, it was going to be enough of a dog and pony show without turning up mob handed. The thought of Melissa and Joanne turning green with envy when the saw Henrica almost had her saying yes.

Those bound for Kingussie eventually had to bid their friends goodnight, Sapphire was proclaiming to everyone within earshot that it was the best night of her life. Hermione leaning over and whispering in her ear that this ball was an annual event, and of course she was invited next year, saw her dancing all the way to the edge of the wards. She had a whole year to work on her father to make sure she was in Britain at the same time next year.

-oOoOo-

Her father was studying Sunday's edition of the Prophet and was struggling to believe what his eyes were telling him, his daughter's picture was on the front page. He'd half expected pictures proclaiming outrage at a goblin daring to attend Hogwarts premier event, only Barchoke reiterating his promise that she would be perfectly safe saw him giving permission for his daughter to attend. No, instead of singling her out, this picture was much worse.

He wasn't to know this was a repeat of the type of picture they had successfully ran after last year's ball, a mass of Hogwarts students gathered in front of an impressive fountain. There, left of centre was Sapphire - happily standing amongst the collection of smiling young witches and wizards.

He had to read well into the article before finding any mention of his daughter, and even then she was simply mentioned as a long time friend of the Baron of Kingussie who happened to be currently holidaying in Britain. He held irrefutable proof in his hands that these witches and wizards had easily accepted his goblin daughter in their company, again something he simply didn't think was possible.

Not for the first time lately, he was left to wonder if he'd made a mistake all those years ago.

-oOoOo-

Emma was clinging onto Dan's arm and wondering if they'd made a mistake, like Sapphire last night they were experiencing the phenomenon of having every pair of eyes focused on them as they walked into church.

The Reverend Richards actually announced during his sermon that he had been going to ask the congregation to pray for a couple of their members who had been attacked last week, only for his prayers to have already been answered when he saw them sitting in their usual seats.

After the service ended, it was then that the group found themselves being approached by most of the congregation. Dan lost count of the number of times he told people that they were only visiting their home, they would be staying in the Scottish Highlands and dental agency staff would be covering their practice for the next few weeks at least.

It was the Reverend Richards though who made the most perceptive comment as they were leaving the church. "I was dismayed to discover that it was members of Harry's own family who pointed these terrorists at Crawley and your family. That was very irresponsible of them."

Harry though who quickly put the minister straight. "The Dursleys are no family of mine, Reverend, they signed that right away when they put me up for adoption. I said the same to Melissa and Joanne during the summer, and also expressed my concern that their revelations might attract these terrorists to Crawley."

Dan clearly shared Harry's view of the Dursleys. "They must have known what they were doing would place my family in the firing line, they either did it deliberately or just didn't care. Whatever their motives, I'm finding it hard to offer any forgiveness in their direction at the moment."

As the Reverend Richards shook Dan's hand, he found himself agreeing with his parishioner who almost lost his wife a few days ago. "I really can't blame any of you for that."

As they walked back to the Grangers' house Tonks had to bring up something that was bothering her. "It wasn't death eaters who attacked Emma, whoever the Dursleys are they had nothing to do with the other night."

A mischievous smile stole across Harry's face. "The Dursleys deliberately started spreading that information, trying to justify themselves for giving me away when I was a toddler. this was not done out of any spirit of public service. Everyone in town now knows it was them who directed the eyes of Britain onto Crawley, and just what the consequences of that could be. The Dursleys' standing in Crawley probably couldn't get any lower, and they did it themselves - I hardly had to do anything."

This drew a smile from Emma, she considered that the tormentors of her daughter receiving some tormenting of their own was poetic justice. Emma's smile at the Dursleys' situation meant this morning would be classed as a success, they had shown face and everyone now knew they were alright. All they had to do now was get back to Scotland before the police or press got wind they were in Crawley. They would have lunch in Kingussie before he, Hermione and Tonks needed to head back to Hogwarts.

A/N thanks for reading

69. Quartets

Harry Crow

This story was making the news in Britain - JK Rowling is to make her screenwriting debut in a new Harry Potter-themed film series, Warner Bros has announced. The first film of the series will be titled Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

Always knew they wouldn't walk away from the HP universe, just too much money to be made. Had hoped for a kind of 'Star Wars' set of prequels though. The marauders in Hogwarts, James wooing Lily, Snape's descent into darkness, Harry's birth and finishing at Halloween in Godric's Hollow. Can still hope.

Chapter 69

Petunia had rushed to the school as soon as she got the phone call, if her little Diddums was injured then her little soldier would need his mummy. She was in tears after being shown into the first aid room to meet her beloved offspring.

"Oh my precious baby, what have they done to you?"

He was holding an ice pack over one eye to try and reduce the swelling while Dudley had obviously been bleeding from his lip and nose. There were also vivid scratches down his cheek that left Petunia asking if her son had been attacked by some sort of wild animal.

The school's first aider had learned early on after taking on these duties not to get involved in this side of the equation, he was here to fix the injuries and leave dealing with irate parents to the school's guidance staff. Thankfully Miss Adams turned up mere moments later.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Mrs Dursley, I had to deal with some rather distressed girls first."

"Did they witness what happened to my Dudley? I would think that would be enough to distress anyone, let alone four young girls seeing what happened to their friend."

"Hasn't Dudley told you what happened?"

The silence told its own story, forcing the teacher to tell the tale. "There were a number of students at the school unhappy that your family basically provided the information that led to the terrible attack on the Grangers. Rather than being contrite about the affair, Dudley voiced his opinion that the attack should have happened sooner - before the Grangers' teenage daughter returned to her private school. As you can perhaps imagine that did not go down to well with Miss Granger's friends, you see the results before you."

"Are you saying that those four girls did this - just because of something my Dudley said?" When the teacher nodded in answer that was Petunia's signal to explode. "...and just what are you and the school going to do about this? I think it's disgraceful that you allowed my Dudley to be attacked just because he expressed his opinion."

"When that opinion is absolutely abhorrent to everyone who hears it, then I think the girls' reactions were understandable - not excusable though. As soon as we're finished here, they will be sent home with a letter to their parents explaining what happened today."

"Where was this abhorrent reaction when my son and his friends were attacked by Granger and her gang outside the cinema? Tony Dylan was in hospital for weeks and his family left so traumatised they moved from the area."

"I'm sorry, Mrs Dursley, I don't know anything about that. I'm assuming this incident happened before Dudley came to us at Hazelwick..."

The distraught mother didn't want to hear excuses, Petunia wanted something done. "He wouldn't have been here at all if that bloody great hole hadn't opened up and swallowed half our house, my Dudley was down to attend a private school before that pit ate all our savings and forced us to remortgage. Come on, Dudley, we're going to see the doctor and have your injuries treated properly. My husband will be in touch, Miss Adams, you haven't heard the last of this."

They left the first aider to tidy up behind them, this saw him muttering to his colleague. "You wonder how some kids are the way they are - and then you meet the parents and you just know. They don't care that a woman nearly died because of them - but a few scratches on their precious son and they want us to call the armed forces in to deal with it. A firing squad at dawn for the girls who dared to hit their precious son!"

The guidance teacher privately agreed, and now she had to go and deal with the young ladies who'd set about the fat bully. Dudley thought he was safe mouthing off while surrounded by his friends / gang, those same students wanted nothing to do with a quartet of screaming and scratching girls. Dudley had found himself having to deal with the situation on his own, eventually being reduced to running away crying to tell a teacher.

-oOoOo-

Padma felt like running away for a good cry, something her sister picked up on immediately. That the other three didn't look much better set Parvati off.

"What has that madman got you doing now? It must be bad to affect the four of you like this."

Neville's arm had never left his mate's shoulders, down seven flights of stairs and now sitting down to lunch. Padma certainly needed his support today. "Moody was teaching us about the unforgivables this morning."

The silence that followed Neville's answer was total, it was as if all the air had been sucked out of the room to leave a vacuum. Nature abhors a vacuum although Luna's voice was barely above a whisper as she tried to confirm what they'd just heard.

"He didn't have you casting them, did he?"

All the friends could hear the crack in Hermione's voice as she answered. "No, Luna, he demonstrated all three of them on a spider..."

Padma's voice did break as she said the next bit, she also pushed the food in front of her away. She wouldn't be eating lunch today - none of them would. "...he had to take it further though, and then started casting the Imperius on us. I looked into my Neville's eyes when he was under that curse and didn't recognise who I saw there, that to me was worse than having the curse cast on myself."

Parvati now had her arms around a crying Padma, as did Neville. Parvati though was in fighting mood. "What gives that bastard the right to do that, shouldn't he be heading off for a stay in Azkaban about now?"

Padma was now clinging to Neville, burying her face in his chest in the hope their friends wouldn't see her tears and to give herself a chance to recover her composure. Neville held her close as he answered Parvati's angry question. "He's a Master Auror and is allowed to cast the curse for training purposes, providing the person grants their permission. We all gave our permission, our Orders of Merlin allow us to do that."

They had been joined by Sirius, Henrica and Remus, all of whom had made their way over after spotting the obvious distress amongst the four. "It's part of auror training that Moody pushed through during the last war. That curse was having devastating effects all over the country, Moody successfully argued that the auror force needed to know how to defeat it - and the only way to do that is have someone cast it on you in a controlled environment. I know how you feel, Padma, I had to undergo the same training before I became an auror."

Parvati took no comfort from Sirius' well intentioned words, her sister was in pain - again. "You can't know how it feels, she may have an Order of Merlin but that doesn't change the fact that she's only thirteen. She shouldn't be having to do all this bloody training, none of them should."

Padma had managed to pull herself together enough to answer for herself, she took her twin's hand and gave it a squeeze of thanks. "I know you're trying to look out for me Parvati, and I love you for that. I'm going to be a Longbottom though and the death eaters want to see that family wiped out almost as much as they do the Potters. Anyone wanting to get their hands on my Neville is going to have to go through me first, and I aim to make that as difficult as possible by training to be the best I can be. We had already worked out the stuff Moody was throwing at us was straight out the auror manuals, that just surprised us today."

"Probably because that isn't in those manuals, do I want to know how you four managed to get your hands on a set?"

"Probably not, Sirius, probably not." Harry was angry more than anything else at the moment, angry at himself. Hermione's bracelet had provided enough protection for her to throw the curse off by its second application, Harry's armour allowing him to do the same by the third. They were then reduced to standing watching as their friends suffered under that vile curse, Moody might only have had them acting silly but they all knew the potential was there to do much worse.

There would be a letter heading to his father today, Neville and Padma would both have some protection before their tutor walked back into Hogwarts. Their status as Friends of the Nation meant there would be no problems with providing goblin protection. It would be a different case for the rest of their friends though - that was something only The director could make a decision on.

-oOoOo-

Augustus and Bella had reached the same decision as Peter, that it was better to take the train through the Alps than walk. Unlike Peter though, there was no hiding below containers of a freight train for these two. Using the same procedures that had worked so well on the cross channel ferry, they were now sitting in what was effectively their own private compartment. Rookwood had even chanced leaving his mate alone while he visited the buffet car, meaning they were sitting down and eating the first food they hadn't heated themselves for weeks.

Not that they were complaining about the packets of provisions they'd stolen from the muggle camping shop, it may look nothing like it was supposed to but the food still tasted better than anything they'd been fed in Azkaban for the last decade. That they would eat their food outside and in each other's company meant that they would have enjoyed anything put in front of them.

Augustus thought their time away from Azkaban had done his mate the power of good, a couple of months of fresh air and decent food - not forgetting there were now no dementors hanging around them twenty four hours a day - and Bella was blossoming into the beautiful witch she'd been before their enforced island holiday.

"If my big strong wizard keeps looking at me like that, we might just have to christen this compartment - I've never done it on a train before. These seats will certainly be more comfortable than our sleeping bags on the ground."

Rookwood thought here was something else the muggles had gotten right. It said first class on the compartment door and he certainly couldn't think of a better way to travel than this. He quickly reinforced the notice me not charms on the door and windows, there wasn't a hope in hell Augustus was going to turn down his mate's offer.

-oOoOo-

It was beginning to look like every goblin on the planet had headed to London for the offer of free gold. Neither Harry nor Hermione had wanted to miss their training but both also wanted to appear in Gringotts today so it was dinnertime before they entered the bank. The young couple were astonished at what they found as soon as they left the public facade of the bank behind, the atmosphere was almost carnival in nature.

Children of any persuasion are going to be bored stiff queuing for hours, even with the prospect of free gold at the end of their wait. As the queue snaked further than could be seen in the tunnels, disgruntled children should have been everywhere.

Instead, at every nook and cranny there would be vendors selling their wares. Whether that was food, drinks or trinkets / toys was immaterial, it kept the children entertained and waiting to see what the next one was selling. In some of the bigger spaces there were swings and even a merry-go-round available, a group performing a favoured children's story on a makeshift stage were proving very popular. Since all these attractions were keeping their children amused, and the cost involved a mere fraction of what was waiting for them at the end of the queue, the parents were more than happy to indulge their children today. This had the knock-on effect of making those children, and the vendors very happy too. The entire event was becoming one giant party.

Harry and Hermione were of course being recognised. The epaulets on the shoulders of his tunic proclaimed him a centurion, as the only centurion not born a goblin then Harry's identity wasn't exactly hard to determine. The witch proudly walking beside him, wearing duelling robes and with a goblin blade at her hip, could only be the centurion's mate, Hermione Granger.

That same Hermione Granger was suddenly greeted by an excited squeal as a goblin the couple knew well shot out the queue to hug them. If anyone was surprised at a centurion hugging this young female goblin no one said anything about it.

""Oh I was hoping I would see you here today, isn't this just brilliant!""

""I can't believe the size of the queue, I thought most of the children would have reached the gold by now.""

""They have, Hermione, this is our third time - and father reckons there may be enough gold left for one more trip. You should have seen it, there was a bloody mountain of the stuff! You get a bag, its size depending on your age and then you're allowed to fill it. They didn't want anyone hurting themselves by trying to drag away more than they could carry. After depositing your new gold it's straight to the back of the queue for another bag.""

Both were then practically dragged across to meet her two younger siblings and four awestruck cousins. Hermione now understood why Harry was politely ignoring Sapphire's father, the next move was Goldskin's to make. They didn't have long to wait.

Everywhere Goldskin looked he saw more and more evidence of how Britain was changing, he didn't need to do much searching to discover who was at the heart of most of these changes. With Sapphire clearly acknowledged in both worlds as one of Crow's closest friends it was now way past time he buried his animosity toward the centurion. Since arriving in London he had managed to procure a memory crystal of Crow's first fight in the pit, he had even allowed Sapphire to watch the part where her friends' bonding was displayed to everyone.

He'd also managed to share a few drinks with another centurion who'd been part of the force that had raced to Hogwarts that fateful morning, hearing the description of what they found in that chamber blew away any residual doubt over Harry's character. Learning too just how highly regarded Harry was considered amongst his fellow centurions, all would have no qualms about entering a battle with their youngest member by their side, clinched the matter.

""Well met, Centurion. I would like to thank you for the care and hospitality you have shown my daughter. I would also like to thank you for today, this is very generous of you.""

""Well met, sir. Your daughter is our friend and will always be welcome in any house we own. As for today, that gold was tainted and I wanted nothing to do with it. Only by passing it through the hands of innocents can that gold be cleansed once more - it can also help our nation prosper. Today, visitors from all over the world can see for themselves what this country could be, ending forever whispered half-truths or downright lies that seem to become more prevalent the further away from London we travel.""

""This will wipe out any remaining Bloodfang influence quicker than young hands can fill those sacks with gold.""

""I know, Sir, why do you think I did it?""

Goldskin thought the centurion's smile at that was pure goblin, he then watched as they both said goodbye to Sapphire and made their way along the corridor. The bows and salutes both received as they did so left him wondering if it wasn't time to return to Britain, his daughter being close to that couple certainly wouldn't do his family any harm.

They passed through the ring of guards, there purely for crowd control. This fortune had been gifted to The Nation's children and no self-respecting goblin would ever steal from them. Even the parents of toddlers, those deemed too young to perform the deed themselves, would only take the amount of gold that they could fit in their allocated bag.

Making their way over to a goblin both immediately recognised, it was a smiling Barchoke who greeted his children.

""Father, how can there be so much gold left if the children have been filling bags all day?""

""My daughter, had that been the Potter wealth they would have been filling bags for the next month.""

Hermione knew the Potters were wealthy but seeing gold piled up like that was simply mind-blowing. Her father offered an explanation to why there was so much.

""Harry decreed that all their wealth was to be converted into gold and given away, this meant everything they owned was sold so today could happen. Normally flooding the market like that would greatly reduce prices, that didn't happen here. Since everyone knew where the money was going they all insisted on paying a fair price, no goblin would want to steal from children.""

She watched as they carried their heavy bags of gold along to a row of tellers that would allow them to bank their new wealth - and return straight back to the end of the queue. The entire event was run with military precision and Hermione realised she should have expected nothing less.

Things had run extremely smoothly, pleasing Barchoke no end, what pleased him most though was that he would shortly sit down to dinner and spend an evening with his children, that to him was worth more than all the gold that had been dumped here today.

-oOoOo-

The Minister couldn't believe how much this bank draft was worth, it would not only add a new wing to St Mungo's but pay for it to be equipped and staffed too. Amos though wanted to know more of the background behind this offer, Barchoke had expected nothing else.

The ambassador and his assistant were meeting with Arthur, Amelia, Amos and Cornelius in the minister's office, The Minister hadn't said a word since laying eyes on the bank draft Barchoke had presented him with.

"We have been running an investigation and it would appear Bloodfang's family were a lot smarter than we gave them credit for, that intelligence though must have faded through the generations. They had a scheme operating that saw their wealth increasing slowly but surely, it also explains why they were so focused on my son."

The Ambassador now held everyone's attention, not needing to say that anything being heard here today shouldn't leave the room. "The family had an ancient Loki Talisman that they had obviously used for generations, used though in a way they had designed to be undetectable to us. When a wizarding family dies out, the contents of their vaults eventually falls to the ministry. With those records no longer being current, they don't require an account manager and are locked away until such time as they reach the agreed upon time limit of one hundred years. Generations of Bloodfang's family have been systematically looting those dead vaults and altering the records, the talisman allowing them to bypass all the safeguards we had in place to prevent this. We have no way of knowing how long this has been going on or much they stole, so that bank draft is merely a gift from an embarrassed nation to its friend who has been wronged by a subject of that nation. Harry decreed that everything they owned would be converted to gold before being given away to our children, our nation was honour bound to ensure that happened."

Amelia picked up on something though, "You didn't explain why they were so focused on Harry?"

"We think there were two main reasons. Firstly, I don't think I would be breaking any confidentiality agreements if I said that the Potter account is the most senior and prestigious that Gringotts holds. Harry being still alive stopped all that gold from falling into their clutches. Secondly, he's been the catalyst that has brought our nations closer than they've been for centuries - certainly not something Bloodfang wanted." The Ambassador was almost growling as he spoke further on the matter. "Their intentions that night were to ritually gut Emma and Dan, ensuring the world knew they had been murdered by goblins. Harry's reaction to that would have revolved entirely around Hermione, I really could see both of my children leaving Britain and all of us behind."

Of the present company, aside from their father, Bill and Amelia knew the young couple best. Neither could argue against Barchoke's conclusion.

That result would have terrified Cornelius too, he made his thoughts on the entire matter known. "Arthur has told us how giving someone's fortune away like this is considered a grave insult amongst your people, this is a punishment we at the ministry fully support. I am also delighted on behalf of the ministry to accept this gift from our goblin friends for St Mungo's, we will also consider this matter closed and continue moving forward as we have been. I would just like to add a personal note that I am deeply sorry your son was forced to take the actions he did."

"Thank you, Minister, I too was sorry to see him enter the pit again. My son was right though, his actions that day made an impression that will protect our family more effectively than a squad of warriors."

Here was the opening Amelia was looking for. "Speaking of protection, Mad-Eye was raving about how quickly both Hermione and Harry could throw of the Imperius. Imagine his surprise when he next returned to Hogwarts to find Padma and Neville now able to do the same. That eye of his soon spotted the devices those two were wearing, my question is whether it would be possible to get any more?"

Bill raised his sleeve to show he wore a copper bracelet. "This is the device you are talking about, it provides a measure of shielding which enables me to fight off the curse. Padma and Neville now have the same but, like mine, theirs is blood bound to them. I could take this off and pass it to my father and it wouldn't do him one bit of good."

"Both Padma and Neville are Friends of our Nation so there was no problems with them being equipped like this. As my assistant, Mr William Wesley also easily qualified. The Director is currently considering a proposal that would see similar bracelets worn by others at Hogwarts, Susan, Cedric and a number of Weasleys amongst them."

That last bit of news certainly pleased Amelia though she couldn't totally hide her disappointment at what was a very nice refusal. "I know you and your nation are bending over backwards to help us, Barchoke, and please don't think me ungrateful that Susan might have some protection from that vile curse. We lost a lot of good people to that unforgiveable last time, and the thought of taking away one of their most potent weapons was certainly appealing."

"Like your ministry, The Director has to balance his response to appease the more hard liners our nation also has. His first priority though is to protect Gringotts. Can you imagine what would happen to the bank's reputation if a wizard could cast that vile curse and gain access to any vault they chose? The Nation can't risk our protections falling into the hands of others, it isn't just death eaters who would like to get past our security."

Amos too was delighted his son might have the opportunity to be protected from this curse. Like Amelia though, he too had seen the devastation this curse had caused in the last war. Rather than attempt to have the entire population protected, he tried to find a middle ground that Ragnok could justify to his people. "The wards around the ministry should help immensely with this problem, I was wondering though if it would be possible to offer extra protection to certain key personnel? I'm just thinking back to the tactics they used the last time and wondering how much damage could be done by using that curse on someone like Arthur."

The Ambassador could see something along those lines being accepted and promised to put their case forward.

-oOoOo-

Tonks felt as if they were at last moving forward, Remus had certainly admitted he would take on a relationship with her in a heartbeat - if it wasn't for his furry little problem. She was trying to make him see that, far from hiding things from her, he was more inclined to paint the picture as black as possible. She put it to him that, if his only objection was being a werewolf, it should be her choice if she wanted to see if there could ever be more between them?

They were sitting having dinner in the great hall and her last question seemed to have pierced the defence professor's shields. Sensing he was weakening, Tonks pushed her temporary advantage with a full frontal attack.

"Next weekend will see most of the students head off to Hogsmeade, I intend to see their visit passes as safely as possible. I plan to spend much of this weekend scouting the entire area with a representative of the goblin forces. I know you're struggling with the whole idea of us forming a relationship but I have no intention of diving into anything. If you were to come along this weekend, we could make it a double date with Hermione and Harry. You should be safe from me with those two along for protection."

The werewolf was left wondering why she couldn't see what was right in front of her eyes. "Tonks, you're young, beautiful, hold our country's top award for bravery and have the entire world at your feet. You could have your pick of any man you wanted, why would you even be interested in me?"

Again, she had an answer for him - though certainly not one he expected. "I'm a metamorphagus, Remus, meaning you could have any woman you wanted. Instead, you have been singularly pursuing an obsession to get to know the real me. Why would you be interested in Nymphadora when Tonks is so much more fun?"

The marauder thought he was on safer ground here, Remus really should have known better. "Tonks is the persona you show the world, Nymphadora is the real you. A young witch I happen to like very much..." He'd hoped to make her smile but this one was almost predatory.

"...and Professor Remus Lupin is the real you. The werewolf is a persona that only has control for one night a month, I certainly think that's a price worth paying to have you in my life the rest of the time. All I'm asking is that we give each other a chance, surely you could go that far?" She then got to see an emotion that the auror didn't understand playing across his features. Tonks could recognise fear when she saw it, she just didn't know what it was doing there.

Remus was practically trembling by the time he answered the young witch. "Dora, I could easily fall for you - fall hard!"

A beautiful smile lit her entire face, Tonks was counting on Remus doing that very thing. "Don't worry, Professor Lupin, I'll catch you when you fall - or is that what you're worried about?"

Sirius was seated next to Remus and had long given up pretending he wasn't hanging on every word spoken between the two, his laugh at Tonks' last comment proved too much for Remus.

"Do you mind, Padfoot."

"Actually, Moony old chum, I do mind. I want my godson and his mate to have some alone time when they visit the village, and not spend the entire day protecting their Uncle Remus from the big bad auror with the pink hair."

Henrica was sitting beside Tonks and it was now her turn to laugh, signalling Remus' defeat. The defence professor decided to stop kidding himself, he was already head over heels for the beautiful auror. He just couldn't see how she could possibly be interested in Remus Lupin and was sure the entire thing would end with him having his heart broken - not a good condition for a werewolf. Remus had kept to himself for so long the mere thought of sharing his life with someone else terrified him.

-oOoOo-

Peter thought his life was over, the knife at his throat gave a lot of credence to that supposition. When he heard whose hand held that knife, his terror if anything intensified.

"Well, if it isn't little Peter Pettigrew. What the fuck are you doing here? I better like your answer or you'll never speak another word." Bella then felt a presence in her head, a presence they'd just spent months searching for.

"Ah Bella, it's-s-s s-s-so nice to know s-s-some things-s-s haven't changed. You're s-s-still my little killer."

"Master?"

"Tell Rookwood to come forward, there is-s-s no danger for my faithful followers-s-s here."

"Hey lover, you can come out now - our master's here."

Suspecting a trap, Augustus had held back to provide cover for his mate if she needed it. Hearing that their master was present saw him entering the small forest clearing where their search had led them. The very large snake that rose out of the grass to face him originally caused alarm, that was until he noticed the red eyes. He felt his master enter his mind and offered no resistance, to attempt to do so would surely lead to pain.

Voldemort was working his way through his servants' memories and not liking what he found there. He couldn't fault their actions, even Rookwood tricking Bella into blood bonding with him won Voldemort's approval - they would never have made it off the island otherwise. Bella killing Lucius saved him a task and Augustus was a much better match for his little killer than that fool she was forced to marry. He too was apparently able to exert a modicum of control over her psychopathic tendencies.

He needed to accelerate his plans and gain a new body as quickly as possible. Thankfully having two of his finest death eaters to assist him should make that possible. Voldemort pushed what he wanted done into his servant's mind, this process was a lot less taxing for him than having to describe it step by step. It was still a very tired snake who made its way to sleep beside the warmth of the fire Wormtail had going.

The transfer process was also very taxing for the person receiving those instructions, an exhausted Augustus sank to his knees and would have toppled if a quick thinking Bella hadn't caught him.

Peter found himself being press-ganged into helping get Rookwood over to the fire, Bella then produced a sleeping bag and they lowered him down onto it. She was then a hive of activity, using his fire and supplies from their pack to quickly whip up some sort of meal. Watching as she then spoon fed this concoction to a clearly exhausted Rookwood was another big shock for Peter, a domesticated Bellatrix Lestrange was hard to believe.

She could see the colour returning to her mate's features and brewed the last of their coffee to help that process along. Augustus may be trying to teach her to be more patient but Bella was desperate to discover what their master had to say. The snake was already curled up asleep.

Augustus felt the food and coffee reviving him, at least to the point where he could tell Bella what just happened. He handed her the cup still half full of coffee, earning him a kiss of thanks.

"Peter, I would like to thank you for taking care of our master, no one else appears to give a fuck. He told me you have gathered all the ingredients for the ritual next week, all except one. Bella will deal with that and I will now brew the potion, I am a better brewer than you."

Peter was nodding like a madman at that. Rather than being upset or jealous, he would have done practically anything to escape having to prepare that potion.

"Our master can now see he needs to make his return to Britain as quickly as possible, and that Halloween will only be but a step on this journey. We are to take him and Nagini to a cemetery outside a village called Little Hangleton where, on the night of the winter solstice, we will perform another ritual that will see our master back with us once more. Then he will summon his death eaters and see who answers his call, and who dares to oppose him..."

Bella still had loads of questions but could see she wouldn't be getting any more answers out of her mate tonight, he simply couldn't stay awake any longer. She placed her sleeping bag next to her mate's before realising there was someone else she could get some answers from. Peter telling her that the missing ingredient needed for the ritual was a baby didn't bother her in the slightest, Bella would gladly give up a child of her own to see her master return.

Peter was soon the only one still awake as Bella wrapped herself around Rookwood and slept. He was sitting there staring into the flames and wondering if his life had just taken an upturn or was on a downward spiral. Not having to steal a baby and prepare it for the ritual was certainly a plus in his book, having to be around Bellatrix Lestrange twenty four hours a day was a danger he could have done without. One wrong word, a wrong reaction or just being there at the wrong time could see him end up dead, Bella would think no more of ending his life than she would snuffing out a candle before she went to bed.

That Rookwood appeared to have some sort of relationship with the crazy witch shocked Peter, he had always thought Rookwood was one of the most intelligent of the death eaters. It just proved that even the most intelligent of wizards could let their thinking be influenced by their head without a brain. No one could deny that the witch in question was gorgeous, that beauty though came with a thirst for blood and causing others pain that only their master could possibly match.

A first date with Bella might be all you got, there was always a chance you wouldn't be around for a second.

-oOoOo-

It was a delighted Tonks who set off with Remus for their first 'official' date, Hermione was also hyper too - especially since Harry had kept today's visit to the village a secret. They had their usual lesson with Bill this morning and it wasn't until that was over Harry asked his mate if she wanted to have lunch in Hogsmeade.

They would have lunch together and discuss the best way to use the aurors and warriors that would be here next weekend, the four would then scout around the village and study the route down from the castle to see if they could spot any potential ambush spots.

Remus found himself enjoying what was effectively a working lunch where all four offered suggestions as a rough plan began to take shape, Tonks suggestion that they would probably have to do the same again tomorrow to refine the plan was met with three grins that even spending hours routing through the village's back alleys and surrounding countryside couldn't wipe off. Tonks though had to veto Sirius' suggestion of making sure Harry got some alone time with Hermione, she was still his minder and wasn't for letting him out of her sight.

They had no way of knowing that the danger they were getting prepared to defend against was currently over two thousand miles away, that danger though would soon be heading in their direction.

A/N thanks for reading

70. The Approaching Darkness

Harry Crow

Disclaimer - I am not JKR, nor a professional author. I write as a simple form of escapism, and purely for my own enjoyment. I then post those efforts here so others can read my stories for free. For those people who know exactly how to write the perfect Harry Potter story, and simply must point out the many reasons why mine isn't it, please do us all a favour and write the thing. Like everyone else on this site, I'm always searching for good stories to read.

Chapter 70

It felt strange not sitting down to breakfast with Harry but that strangeness had started for Hermione the moment her mate wasn't there to offer their usual morning greeting. The excitement around the Ravenclaw table at a Hogsmeade weekend didn't quite reach Hermione, to her it just meant that Harry was on duty. She was still going to the village and would spend the day with lots of their friends. This time Hermione might even see inside some of the shops - Harry had asked her to replenish Hannah's chocolate stash that took such a pounding on the express.

He'd also asked all three of them to wear their duelling robes in Hogsmede, there was no point in taking chances.

-oOoOo-

The residents of Hogsmeade were as pleased to see the patrols as they were the Hogwarts students, not caring if those patrols were goblin warriors or ministry aurors. Tonks and Harry had tried to assess where any attack might come from and had patrols covering those specific areas, they also had clearly visible forces on standby inside the village and all these squads were constantly rotating. This was done to keep everyone alert and hopefully give the impression to anyone watching that the forces they had available were greater than they actually were. Tonks had taken Harry's point to heart, the idea here was to scare anyone away from making an attempt to attack the students.

Hermione had been keeping an eye out for Harry as the gang toured Hogsmeade, it was rather a surprise then when she left Honeydukes and walked right into him.

"Would my lady like to join me for some lunch?"

"I would love to!"

"We only have half an hour so it will just be a quick bite..."

She then noticed the ten grinning goblin warriors behind him and wondered just where they were going, Harry would certainly want to eat with them too. She was on his arm as the squad marched unerringly to the Three Broomsticks, entering and sitting at the largest table there. The speed at which the food appeared was surprising to Hermione but the goblin ale being served gave the game away. ""You had this planned?""

""An army marches on its stomach, Hermione, it would be a poor commander who didn't make provisions for his men to be fed. We're spread around all the establishments that provide food, allowing us to spread the wealth and also our cover of the village.""

""Huh, even my lunch date is bloody tactical!""

This saw the goblin warriors roar with laughter, Hermione shaking her head and mumbling about 'goblin sense of humour' just cracked them up more.

Word that Harry was having lunch in the Three Broomsticks soon spread and a lot of their friends popped in to say hi, those who could speak goblin using that language to do so. This really impressed the warriors but the Prophet reporter couldn't believe his ears, or his eyes, a squad of heavily armed goblins sitting having lunch in the Three Broomsticks! Having lunch was hard enough to believe, for pureblood after pureblood to come forward and greet them in their own language was shocking.

Longbottom and his betrothed were already Friends of the Nation but Bones, Diggory, Abbot, Davies and a couple of Weasleys all clearly not only knew the language but were comfortable talking with the goblins too. When the Hogwarts Head Boy and Girl entered and displayed the same behaviour the reporter was glad his photographer was capturing this, the editor would never believe it otherwise.

Molly Weasley would have trouble believing George and Fred could feature on the front page of the Prophet without having aurors coming knocking on the Burrow door

As the squad was getting ready to return to duty, Harry had a quiet word with his mate. "We will be escorting the last of the students up to the castle, if you wait until then we can walk to Hogwarts together."

Hermione didn't want to kiss him while he was on duty but she would certainly be waiting for that walk. Thanking everyone for their company during lunch, the squad headed off to relieve the next rotation for their break.

The reporter watched them leave and knew that, barring any attack on Hogsmeade, he already had his front page story.

-oOoOo-

The real story though was unfolding over three thousand miles away. As Hermione strolled back to the castle with Harry, Peter was walking through the trees with a crying baby in his arms. Bella had stollen the male child earlier and he had been given the job of taking care of it until the ritual tomorrow. Peter would have loved to put the child to sleep but any magic cast on the baby might interfere with the ritual, hence why he was currently walking through the trees trying to quiet the infant. Bella might be prohibited from casting any magic on the baby but Peter had no such protections in place, he was also certain that it wouldn't be a sleeping charm Bella sent his way if the baby's crying irritated her.

As he comforted the crying child, Peter was desperately trying not to think of what the immediate future held for the doomed infant. His master had imprinted the ritual on his mind so Peter could now see exactly where the snake was going to bite the little boy and the points at which Rookwood would then make the cuts. The bleeding baby would quickly be immersed in the foul potion before their master would leave his familiar and take possession of the new construct just before the child died.

Peter's thoughts drifted to another child he once held in his arms, so long ago and what now seemed like another life. Even then though his choice had already been made, a choice he was now having to live with. He tried not to look back, or think what his life might have been if he'd made different choices. Peter was only looking forward, though not to what would happen to this little one on Halloween.

-oOoOo-

As Harry didn't celebrate Halloween, and had no intention of attending the feast, he asked Hermione if she would join him for dinner tonight. Again, only Harry leading his squad as they walked back to Hogwarts stopped Hermione kissing her mate. A dinner for just the two of them sounded a great way to finish off a weekend where she'd hardly seen him, both Saturday and Sunday had been spent patrolling the village. This would also let Padma and Neville enjoy the feast with Parvati.

It had been a busy weekend but Harry didn't think it could have gone much better, the Prophet was full of praise for the Ministry and Gringotts after ensuring the children visiting Hogsmeade were kept safe. The front page of course featured the Baron of Kingussie having lunch with his goblin warriors and wizarding friends, along with quotes from all the proprietors who were delighted at the extra business the combined auror and warrior forces had provided.

A message had been passed on to Harry that The Director was very pleased at how the entire situation had been handled, the goodwill the nation would reap from this was an unexpected bonus. Seeing goblins being accepted like this was slowly changing wizarding attitudes towards them, changes that were even being noticed on the floor of the bank. Tellers were reporting outbreaks of civility from their customers. If things continued on this track, civility would become the norm rather than the exception.

They were enjoying their meal and just being able to chat about anything, their hopes and dreams of the future. Hermione then had a question about the holidays that would soon be upon them.

"Can we spend Christmas in Kingussie?"

"I would think we will certainly spend some of the holidays there. It isn't really big enough to hold everyone though, and I don't know about a marque in Kingussie during December. You would probably be better with a giant igloo. Last year Sirius hosted the entire holidays, and threw an engagement party in there too, but I think we might be getting invited to the Bones or the Longbottoms this Christmas."

Seeing the sense in Harry's answer, she had to agree. "As long as our family is there that will be fine with me, Christmas in our own home though would have been nice."

"We've still got seven weeks of Hogwarts to go before we get to that, who knows what other surprises Master Auror Moody will have for us by then."

This set Hermione off giggling. "I think it was him who got the surprise when you transfigured his wooden leg into a giant banana, with no spell or wand movement. You just know he's going to add that into our fighting techniques."

"If it caught him out then it will be worth the effort. I just shudder to think what uses he'll come up with for it."

"We should invite him to spend Christmas with us, or at least part of it, he lives alone..."

"You get to run that one by the family first, I've learned my lesson about handing out invitations." Hearing Hermione giggle again was music to Harry's ears, he planned to be listening to that cute giggle for many years to come.

-oOoOo-

There was no way the word cute could be applied to the cackle Bella emitted as she lifted her master out of the cauldron, this lack of cuteness applied doubly so to the thing she now lovingly cradled in her arms. The snake venom and the potion had wrought terrible damage on the child's body in order to prepare it as a vessel for Tom's spirit. Skin that was once so soft and smooth now had the look and texture of old cracked leather, a chubby little body had become emaciated to the point where movement was slow and severely restricted. A little hand was still held out though and such command in a voice coming from this tiny body was startling.

"Wormtail, my wand."

Peter reverently handed over the piece of wood that came alive the instant his master's little fingers curved around it, a shower of sparks shooting into the night sky.

"I am in need of my resst, we will go over my planss in the morning."

Bella had her master wrapped in a blanket and was cuddling him into her breasts. They were going to be traveling back to Britain as a family with Bella having no trouble playing the doting mother. Rookwood was of course going to be the father, leaving Peter with the role of uncle - an uncle who would have a large suitcase with Nagini resting inside.

Peter was pleased that at least he would get to sit on the train this time, rather than cowering under it. If his master had his way, Peter's days of cowering would soon be over. The Dark Lord intended to get a body back and then show Britain why it was right to fear him. The country might have thought it had been experiencing a lot of changes recently but those would be nothing compared to how the Dark Lord intended to make his presence felt.

-oOoOo-

Harry felt his presence would make the guys more nervous but Henrica convinced him otherwise so, instead of just opening the room for the first year marauders and leaving as usual, he stood beside the Lady Black and watched the club being run through its paces.

They were sticking very closely to Hermione's notes from last year and Harry remembered this lesson well, the introduction of the stinging hex. He watched as Fred and George put all joking aside and were very serious with their charges, that all four were now prefects and charged with helping the first years certainly helped them establish a great working relationship with their marauder students. That Draco and Pansy were working alongside the twins without the slightest hint of hesitation certainly told its own story of how far the changes inside Hogwarts had gone, Slytherins and Gryffindors working together would have been unthinkable even a few years ago.

Harry and Henrica lent a hand assisting those who had been hexed out of the duelling area, constantly checking they were alright. Seeing some of them fighting back tears from the pain gave Harry an idea and he disappeared for a while, returning with Luna and Colin just before the guys were getting ready to wind up the lesson. He let the kids get their comforting mug of hot chocolate while their tutors explained exactly why they had done what they did tonight.

"Excuse me, Cedric, I really don't want to butt in here but I thought your students might like to see exactly what our aims are for this club. I have Luna and Colin here, both of whom were at this exact same stage last year, I wondered if your class would like to see how these two fight now?"

This was an exercise that hadn't been available to Crow's Marauders last year but everyone concerned could see this as something that would certainly help their sore students. The entire club were soon on their feet, eager to see just what level the second years were at.

Harry was limiting the fight to three minutes and let them loose in the area Hogwarts had warded. First years that had been feeling sorry for themselves a moment ago were now shouting encouragement as the two Crow's Marauders threw spells, dodged and shielded until Harry called time to much cheering. It was a happy yet determined bunch of first years who soon after that left the room, allowing Harry to apologise to the tutoring team.

"Sorry about that, guys, but something just occurred to me as I was helping Natalie back to her group. Last year Crow's Marauders had the choice of Lockhart or us, I would like to think that wasn't a difficult decision. You lot are up against Remus and I could see some of our first year wondering if this was worth it, a stinging hex is called that for a reason - it bloody stings. I wanted them to get a look at what was possible before they thought about chucking it in."

Roger didn't think any apology was needed. "I was looking at them and could see us losing a few, but not after watching these two. You've really been pushing them this term."

Colin had been delighted that he was one of the pair Harry picked and his face was flushed from exertion and pride, Luna was just glad to help out. "Our shields are getting stronger all the time, but Harry still keeps telling us not to rely on them..." They all joined in with what had become their unofficial motto - 'the best defence is not to be there'.

Harry took the ribbing in the good spirit that was intended. "Really well done tonight, I don't know about you but I certainly found that the hardest lesson to teach last year. Next week they'll have a set of duelling robes on when they practice but you still have to be careful they don't use that as an excuse to go charging into a fight, especially those bloody Gryffindors."

Again Colin took the jibe in the spirit it was intended but the twins were quick to defend their house, in their own inimitable style of course. "Hey, we teach our first year better than that..."

"...yeah, first thing we taught them - don't get caught."

"Is that the same thing, Fred?"

"It's the most important thing, can't have us Gryffindor prefects looking bad..."

"...and Alicia would go mental if we made her look bad."

The twins theatrical shudders weren't fooling anyone, Alicia and Angelina certainly had more chance of reining Fred and George's more outlandish behaviour than McGonagall ever would.

-oOoOo-

Rookwood was having a hard time trying to rein their master's impatience in. That Peter was too afraid to confirm or deny what Augustus was saying, and Bella simply couldn't wait to start some mayhem, certainly didn't help his case any.

"Master, to go anywhere near Little Hangleton before the solstice invites disaster on all of us. This is a totally different ministry we're dealing with now, between them and the goblins I'm certain that house will be monitored. Until we have your wand backing our endeavours then any confrontations should be avoided when possible. Bella's the most powerful witch I've ever met but Peter and I are at best average in a fight. Until we have you restored to a new body then we're vulnerable. After the ceremony, I'll gladly storm the ministry itself at your side if that's your command."

The Dark Lord was not used to having his orders questioned by his followers, painfully enforcing his will would usually be his immediate response should that ever happen. He forced himself to stop and think though, understanding that Rookwood was well aware of what his fate could be - yet he still spoke out. This was also a death eater who masterminded an escape from Azkaban with the sole intention of helping his lord return to power - Rookwood's bond with Bella being nothing more than an opportunity that his plans generated, and the clever wizard then seized with both hands.

There was also the fact that Rookwood wouldn't be considered one of his lord's inner circle, yet almost every one of those bastards granted that honour were far too busy looking out for themselves to ever search for the wizard they had called master. Rookwood's loyalty was beyond reproach, leaving only the conclusion that it was genuine concern that made him speak out of turn.

By sheer magical power and her utter ruthlessness, Bella had more than earned her place as his right hand. Rookwood certainly didn't possess much power but had an intellect that was probably only second to his own. That superior intellect was telling the dark lord to listen to this intelligent and loyal death eater.

"You may have a point, Rookwood. I have waited over ten yearss to return, I can eassily be patient for another s-six weeks. Then I will announce my return to thosse cowardss who took my mark and then failed me. They will be the firsst to feel my wrath, but certainly not the lasst."

Bella's face fell as her master conceded it was better to play it safe for now, everything changed at his final comments though. Watching as her master tortured those cowards who had bought their way out of Azkaban, and then continued living in their comfortable mansions, would be almost as satisfying as torturing them herself.

Rather than letting out the sigh of relief he certainly felt, Augustus actually pushed for more. "Master, until we can confirm otherwise, I think we have to treat everyone and everything as compromised. Even though Bella and I were very careful to leave no clues to our whereabouts, the ministry were all over the Carrows very quickly. They were so sure of our position, they even had reporters and photographers from the Prophet along. They missed us by a matter of hours and pure chance, they also had enough firepower along to level the Carrows' farm."

Peter felt on safer ground here, sticking it to someone he hated was certainly sweet. That this person was already dead and wouldn't be coming after him also helped. "The ministry already had Lucius Malfoy in a cell by the time the Prophet broke the storyline his crime, and that was only a matter of mere days after the incident with the basilisk happened."

Bella couldn't help but needle the little man, she didn't like Peter. "..and that's when you decided to search for our master - before you were caught too! You had over ten years to do that, where the fuck were you?"

Peter was stuttering to try and answer Bella's question, knowing full well she was right. Admitting that though could be the end of him. "You two took your time breaking out of Azkaban too..." He almost bit his tongue off after realising what he had just said, Bella might just cut it out for him after that.

Rookwood wanted Peter along, if for nothing more than to look after Nagini. "I was not aware our master had made Horecruxes until Malfoy ended up in a cell beside us. If Malfoy had one for safe keeping, it was certain Bella would have one too. If I could have gotten my hands on one of those I knew I could aid our master's return. It took nearly eight months to manufacture what I needed to get us out of there - and now we're here!"

Lord Voldemort used to enjoy pitting one death eater against another for his own amusement, since he currently only had three - that couldn't be allowed to happen. Bella would slaughter Peter in seconds anyway, where was the entertainment in that.

"Peter s-still came, that iss the important thing. You have given me much to think on, Rookwood, we will talk more as-s we head home."

That was more than Augustus hoped for, his master would listen to him. It was also more than Peter had hoped for, their master's backing would stay Bella's wand - for now. The sooner she had some other targets to take her ire out on the happier he would be.

-oOoOo-

It was only after realising how happy they were that Emma knew it was time to talk to Dan. "You've just come in from shooting while I've spent a lovely morning losing myself in a book I've been meaning to read for ages. Now we're being waited on hand and foot."

Drinking his tea to wash down the delicious scone he was eating left Dan wondering where his wife was going with this. He decided to let her get it out of her system and then see where they were.

"We're living here like landed gentry. You're Lord of the Manor, walking around with a servant beside you carrying your gun, while I'm sitting about like a right lady..." Emma was interrupted by a slight pop as a clearly worried Dobby appeared at her side.

"Has Dobby done something wrong, mistress? Dobby will work harder to fix whatever the problem is."

Watching the little guy who they literally owed their lives to standing there wringing his hands with worry brought Emma up short, she needed to fix this at once. "Dobby, never doubt for one second that Dan and I don't think you are simply the best elf in the whole world. I was talking with Dan about what we should do in the future and forgot one of our family was missing from the discussion, please sit and join us, Dobby."

Dobby's emotions were always on the surface so Dan and Emma both watched as he traveled from worry to elation in the space of a few moments. The invitation to sit though had him folding his legs and sitting on the floor, there was more work to do before he would be comfortable sitting on a chair beside them.

"What I was trying to lead up to is that our lives have been changing ever since we discovered Hermione was a witch. I feel we've now reached a crossroads, one where we have to decide what we do next. Our lives changed forever the night those goblins attacked us in our home. We need to figure out what we want to do with our lives, and even whether Crawley is still home."

This had Dan sitting up and paying full attention, this could be a life-changing conversation. "You don't want to return to Crawley?"

"I loved our house there, our home. We have so many happy memories that were made there but I just don't know if I would ever feel safe living in that house again. Kingussie actually feels more like home to me now, which is what got me worrying to start with. It was less than a year ago we first laid eyes on this place."

Dan had no trouble understanding what his wife meant, he loved Kingussie too. "When you consider we tracked down every piece of furniture in this house and you were given carte blanche with the decor then it's hardly surprising we both feel right at home here. I still remember the morning we found that chair you're so fond of, and what a state it was in. That dealer must have thought he had a right couple of mugs but you could see its potential, you've always been able to spot things like that. Now, will you tell me what's really on your mind?"

"I don't know what I want to do with my life anymore, Dan. You know I've always been sceptical about people having so-called near death experiences but having a ruddy great knife sticking out of your belly has a way of making you look at your own life through different eyes."

Dan was over and comforting his wive immediately, she obviously needed to get this off her chest. "I always saw myself growing old beside you, surrounded by a few grandchildren. We almost had that snatched away from us."

He may be sitting quietly on the floor but Dobby was a good elf with a wonderful family, he anticipated their needs and floated a box of tissues over. Both were going to need them.

Holding his wife close allowed Dan to air some of his own fears. "I stood there, helpless, and the world meant nothing if you weren't there to share it with me. When you regained consciousness and held our children, then my world was back together. You can't ever leave me, Emma, you just can't!" Both were now needing the tissues that Dobby had provided as Dan finally 'got' what Emma was meaning.

"It's a bit like watching Frank and Alice try to find their place in the world again..."

That saw him receive a grateful kiss from his wife. "That's exactly how I feel, almost as if I was reborn. At this moment I have no idea what I want to do with my new life, I honestly don't know if I could go back to being a dentist in Crawley though. Our world had been changing before that night but now I feel like a different person. Does that make any sense?"

It made perfect sense to her husband. "Not only have we changed but our place in Crawley has too. We used to be known around town as a couple of dentists, now we've been plastered all over the national newspapers as terrorist targets. We've seen the way Harry and Hermione are treated by the goblins and magicals, I can certainly do without that kind of fame. Let's be honest here, we hardly need to work for money. Why spend more years building up our practice just to make even more money when we eventually have to sell it. Hermione is already set for life, that ring on her finger could probably buy half our street, and you know Harry would be happy to let us live in any of his properties we wanted to."

The realisation that her husband understood saw Emma snuggling into Dan. "While I don't know if I can go back to being a dentist in Crawley, I don't want to sit about and do nothing for the rest of my life..."

Dobby could understand his mistress wanting to be busy, all elves liked to be busy. Once more he tried to help his family.

"Mistress, Betsy heard the Lady Potter saying she would like to hold a party here but the house wasn't big enough." Dobby now had their attention and felt awkward offering his suggestion. "Dobby was watching the goblins making homes from the rock, very nice homes."

The Grangers were becoming more used to dealing with Dobby now and just let him ramble, knowing he would get there in the end.

"Dobby was then wondering - if Lady Potter wanted more rooms, and goblins could make rooms out of the rock, Dobby knows this house is built on the same type of rock."

It hit both Grangers like a sledgehammer what the little guy was suggesting. "Oh my, underneath Gringotts is massive! They could have whatever they wanted down there..."

"...and it will all need to be designed, decorated and kitted out. It could be our Christmas present to them, and then we could sit down to discuss as a family where we go from here. Dobby, you will certainly be included in those discussions."

A very happy elf was soon dispatched with a message for Barchoke, the goblin's expertise would certainly be needed for this.

-oOoOo-

Bertha didn't know what was behind the message she got, only that it couldn't be good. Nothing good ever came out of Dolores' office. It was a dark day for the rest of the games and sports department when she got dumped on them.

She knocked on the door as that sugary sweet voice bade her to enter.

"Ah Bertha, I just wanted to congratulate you on a job well done. I'm so pleased that I'm authorising an extra few days holiday for you."

This stunned her, and was certainly unexpected. "Why thank you Madam Umbridge. I assume you'll want me to take them after the presentation to the minister?"

"Oh I wouldn't worry about that. I have all your notes and am used to giving presentations to the minister, I'm sure I'll manage without you. Your extra holidays can start today."

Bertha had a sinking feeling of just what was going on here, she protested again. "...but surely you'll need me in there too. After all, I was the one who made all the arrangements..."

"...and I will be sure to mention that. After all, that's why you are getting this extra holiday - to show how pleased I am with you."

Bertha knew exactly why she was being spirited out of the way. All her hard work would be presented under the name of Dolores Umbridge, with no recognition of the fact it was Bertha Jorkins who had done all the organising of the three tasks. That superior smirk on Dolores' face left Bertha hoping the bitch got a little too close to the first task and her arse was properly roasted. Now that would certainly be something worth watching.

-oOoOo-

Rookwood was watching the house but something about this scene was screaming danger to him, a feeling he hadn't experienced for a while. Their journey across Europe and back into Britain had been ridiculously easy. No one really paid too much attention to a family travelling with a young child, some charms simply set to discourage levels took care of those who would. Back in Britain, Augustus had a plan that should see them safe until the solstice.

There were houses all over the country that were sitting empty, and their addresses would be easy to find. A telephone directory would point them in the direction of people named Potter, all of whom had been moved out of their homes for safety. It was one of these empty houses he was staring at now.

"What's the matter, lover, it looks perfectly normal to me."

His mate's comment crystallised exactly what had raised his hackles. "That's what's wrong here, Bella, it looks far too normal. This house has been lying empty for months yet appears in perfect condition. The garden is maintained and the windows are sparkling clean, that shouldn't be the case."

It was their master who realised what was going on here. "Housse Elves-s are maintaining the property, they'll be maintaining all the properties. How is this posssible? Thesse are muggle homes-s."

Bella actually had the most experience dealing with these creatures. "If their lord and master bought these properties, and they were lying empty, the elves would automatically look after them."

"So Potter buys all the houses, the elves look after them and then he'll make a tidy profit when he eventually sells. Meanwhile, all the muggle Potters are out of our reach and he gets nothing but praise for organising this." The admiration was there for the rest of them to hear, Augustus' professional admiration at a plan well executed.

"How iss it posssible for a young boy to know all thisss?"

Peter had been monitoring the situation longer than the others, even living as a rat he had kept his eyes on the newspapers. "He was raised by goblins, and calls one of them father. If there is a profit to be made, the goblins will squeeze it out. Oh, that father is now the goblin's ambassador to the ministry."

This was greeted by silence before Bella pinned him with a glare, ignoring the fact she already knew most of this. Bella was spoiling for a fight, or even just a victim. "...and you are just telling us this now?"

"S-so, the goblins-s are ussing the Potter boy to influence the minisstry - and the minisstry are allowing them too! That iss s-something we will exploit later. We need to do s-something now."

"If we try to stay in that house, those elves will soon report us to their master. We would have the entire ministry down on top of us within twenty-four hours. We'll have to look elsewhere for a safe haven to wait until the solstice."

Her anger had not abated in the slightest, Bella strongly stated her opinion. "I will wait those two weeks, living in a pig sty if I have to, but not a moment longer. I'm sick of these bastards being one step ahead of us and not being able to strike back. It's time we gave this country a reminder of just who holds the power, the purebloods will once more flock to our master's banner. If they don't, my wand will kill every single one of the blood traitors."

Not even Voldemort objected to Bella's rant. When you had a highly efficient attack dog, it was more about pointing it at the right target than keeping it muzzled. They would all have to rough it out for two weeks but, as Bella said, not a moment longer.

-oOoOo-

Hermione's ever present planner told her there was just under two weeks to the end of what had been a very busy term. It also told her that the day before they left Hogwarts was a Hogsmeade visit so Harry would again be on duty. It didn't matter too much this time though, the following day they were stepping onto the Express and heading for home. Harry would be hers for two whole weeks, and it would be just them doing their exercises every morning.

She was delighted Padma and Neville now joined them each morning but there was no denying she missed that it wasn't only her and Harry. That had been the one time of the day when she had her mate all to herself, and Hermione missed that more than she ever thought she would.

With mum and dad not yet returning to work, she was really looking forward to this holiday. Nothing had yet been arranged amongst the extended family although everyone was heading to their own homes when the express reached London, all knew though that Harry had an open house policy at Kingussie - they were all welcome there anytime.

It was strange but Hermione was beginning to think of Kingussie as home, rather than the house she grew up in. When she mentioned this to Harry she had received an answer that had her thinking he would be a natural at politics - 'home to me is wherever you are'. It was said with such sincerity though that Hermione just had to kiss him, something that she seemed to grasp the slightest excuse to do - and Harry never once complained. Yes, it would be good to get him to herself and celebrate the season of peace and goodwill to all together.

A/N Thanks for reading.

71. He's Back!

Harry Potter

A/N This chapter fought me tooth and nail, purely down to outside forces that certainly weren't influenced by magic. Apple's new iOS 7 has made tweaks to the software I use to write all my fan fiction that have left me wanting to tear my hair out - just as well I keep my hair so short. I can only hope there is a fix for this software soon. Meanwhile, here's the latest fix of Harry Crow.

Chapter 71

The Christmas party for Crow's Marauders had been such a success last year that everyone wanted a repeat performance this year too. The new marauders were first to try the skating rink and they fell in love with it immediately. This time Harry brought Hermione along when he created the room for the club, and the couple then enjoyed a care free evening skating around the massive Christmas tree Hogwarts had once more provided. They would be back here tomorrow night with their own group of marauders while Wednesday had them returning yet again to the ice with the rest of their year group. As happened in the lead up to last Christmas, the remainder of the year groups would see the room used for skating every night, this was particularly pleasing to those in sixth and seventh year. They had Hogsmeade on Saturday, skating that evening before leaving on the express on the Sunday - a perfect way to end what had been a very hard and busy term for Hogwarts' N.E.W.T. students.

While most of the school were looking forward to a visit to Hogsmeade before traveling home the next day, Hermione could read that something was troubling Harry. She questioned him over her concerns while they were sitting relaxing in the common room.

"Hermione, if I was a death eater then tomorrow would be the perfect time to strike. They will have had a chance to study our defences and, between no attack the last Hogsmeade weekend and this festive spirit everyone keeps going on about, our troops might just let their guard slip. I won't be able to have lunch with you tomorrow but I will still be escorting the last of the students up to the castle - I won't relax until every last one is back inside the Hogwarts wards."

"That's fine, Harry, I'll wait and we can walk back together. Tomorrow will give me a chance to do some Christmas shopping, any idea what I can get for the centurion who has everything?"

"You are mine, and that's all I'll ever need..."

A voice well known to the couple couldn't help but interrupt at that. "Getting really smooth there, Harry, but that's no help to us poor souls trying to buy you a present. Apparently, you're supposed to give us a clue. Just remember, I know as much about Christmas as you do - this will only be the third we've celebrated."

"Don't worry, Padma, you know I'll like anything you give me. Have you decided what you're doing for Christmas yet?"

"The Patils are staying with the Longbottoms over the holidays, I think there are plans to have a big get-together over Christmas but I'm not sure where that will be yet. What about you lot, I heard from Luna she was going home to her dad."

"Yeah, though both were invited to Kingussie. I think she just wants to spend some time with him but we certainly expect to see them both during the holidays."

"Oh we'll be there at some point, Harry, and thanks again for asking." Luna had just walked into the common room with some of her second year friends in time to catch the end of their conversation.

"Luna, you know you don't need an invite, just turn up anytime - you'll always be welcome. Oh Hermione, I forgot to mention I invited someone else for the holidays. With Tonks insisting she's still on guard duty, I invited Remus to Kingussie for as much of the holidays as he wants."

"Not the Minister of Magic and The Director too? Ah well, I'll just have to do the best I can..." She couldn't hold her giggles any longer, that this always made Harry smile seemed to have Hermione giggling more than she ever thought possible.

-oOoOo-

Hermione wasn't giggling when she met Harry to walk back to Hogwarts the following day. Although he was now smiling, it was one of relief and Harry was clearly exhausted.

"Did you actually take a break at all today?"

"No, and I'm famished too. I don't think I've ever looked forward to a feast as much since arriving at Hogwarts, everyone is safe and I will certainly be tucking in like Ronald Weasley tonight."

"You start displaying table manners like that and you'll be eating by yourself, Crow."

"I was thinking more in terms of amount consumed, Hermione, not feeding technique. I've seen dragons with better table manners than him."

That got no argument from his mate, she had far more pleasant things on her mind. "This time tomorrow, Harry, we will be sitting having dinner in our own home. I don't think I've ever looked forward to leaving school this much."

That type of sentiment coming from Hermione raised Harry's concerns that something was wrong. "I know that extra defence training four times a week has been hard on all of us, we could cut it back next term if you thought..."

Centurion be dammed, Hermione kissed him until he was quiet. "I'm looking forward to going to our home, Harry, not getting away from Hogwarts."

Arm in arm, the centurion and his mate walked beside a squad of warriors and shepherded the stragglers back into the safety of the Hogwarts wards. Hermione thought her mate had been right, only then would Harry truly relax.

-oOoOo-

It was only seeing a very happy Natalie running toward them that allowed the McDonalds to finally relax. Their daughter had sent them a letter home every single week since she left but that was just no substitute to seeing for themselves that she was practically glowing with happiness. It had been a terrible wrench to allow their little girl to attend boarding school, magical or otherwise, here was their first indicator that sacrifice might actually be worth it in the end. She was trying to hug them in greeting and say cheerio to her friends at the same time, seeing that Natalie had so many friends delighted her parents. That possibility was one of the main reasons they had consented to her attending Hogwarts in the first place.

As they had been standing beside the Grangers waiting on the train, Roy got a chance to thank Harry for looking after his little girl.

Harry was just happy that Natalie seemed to have forgotten all about her experience with the dementor on her trip to Hogwarts. "Sir, I am only one of the people who looked out for her. Natalie's made friends in every house and I think she's enjoyed her first term in Hogwarts."

"Dad, mum, I've loved it. Feasts, the Merlin Ball, the Marauders Club and we were skating inside the castle for our Christmas party. Hogwarts is just amazing!"

This drew smiles all round, actions that were being repeated the length and breadth of the platform as families were reunited.

Edmund was watching closely as his daughter seemed a different person from the one that entered Hogwarts as an eleven year old witch. She was confident, bubbly and a string of students approached both her and Draco to wish them a Merry Christmas. He also saw the lad's mask slip back into place the instant Draco spotted him, Pansy too lost some of her bounce as they headed in his direction.

Their greetings were cordial and Draco promised to contact Pansy soon before he headed off to where his mother was standing.

Edmund had also noticed the Nott girl happily waving goodbye to friends before joining her family - this was certainly not how he expected the daughter of someone spending the rest of their life in Azkaban to be treated. It would seem that Crow was as good as his word and only the guilty were being punished. Now that he couldn't access the ministry, he was beginning to think this might be his best option for protecting Pansy's future. With him being at least considered as a death eater, there really weren't any other betrothal offers out there for his daughter.

-oOoOo-

It was another daughter though who kept sensing something wasn't just quite right, eventually she had to speak out. "Okay, mum, what's going on? I know you're hiding something so you might as well tell us now."

Emma was blushing like a kid caught with her hand in the biscuit tin though Dan raced to her rescue. "We have a surprise for you, but you're going to have to wait until we're back home to see it."

Harry was fine with that and hustled Hermione along, whispering in her ear as he did so. "Did you notice he said home? I don't think he was talking about Crawley either."

A portkey trip later saw the four of them plus Tonks arriving in Kingussie, and Hermione giving her usual greeting to their waiting father. Barchoke appeared to be another goblin who was falling under the Granger hugging spell too. It was only after entering the house proper that both teens noticed they had gained a staircase, only this one was going down.

It was a very nervous Emma who answered their initial queries. "We made a few alterations to the house, we did have a lot of help though."

Harry looked questioningly to Tonks. "You knew about this?"

"I knew there was a surprise waiting on you in Kingussie but that's all. That's why Remus won't be arriving for a few days, the word is that it's a family surprise and he didn't want to intrude."

With the other three adults smiling nervously at them, Harry took Tonks and Hermione by the hand and led them down their new staircase. He wanted the auror to know she was considered family and would be having words with Remus when he eventually arrived too. What awaited them down there though took the breath away from the now astonished trio.

A cavern that appeared about the size of the entire house above had been hewn out of the granite. With the walls and domed ceiling being constructed entirely of the same material, the light from six magnificent crystal chandeliers had the entire construction glistening like sunlight being reflected off the sea. That you could easily hold a ball for well over a hundred people in here left the couple struggling to know what to even call it, saying it was a room just didn't do this beautiful place justice.

Hermione's mouth was moving but there was no sound coming out. Her mother though knew the questions she would be wanting to ask. "We knew you loved the house but also that it didn't have enough room to hold a party for everyone you would want to invite. Once we took this idea to Barchoke, well - you can see the results for yourself."

It was to his father that Harry directed the couple's first question. "How is this even possible, the work involved would have taken more time than there was available."

The goblin smiled at his children, pleased to see how happy they were with this while looking forward to seeing their reactions to the other surprises that would be coming their way. "As Emma said, we had a lot of help. The elves wanted to play a part in this too. As we dug out the rock, they were removing it just as quickly. The Director also wanted some way of saying thank you for all your efforts and assigned every builder in the Nation to this project. This isn't all of it..."

That statement saw Hermione finding her voice. "You mean there's more?"

Barchoke led them over to a specific part of the wall and ran his finger down it, the stone wall became two doors that swung open and led to another cavern. This one clearly wasn't finished but there was a very good reason for that.

"This could be a training room, or whatever you want it to be. Emma even suggested putting a swimming pool in here at one end, something that would be rather easy to do. We wanted to leave those decisions up to you..."

Barchoke again found himself the recipient of a hug from his daughter, Hermione then used the same method to made sure her mum and dad knew she was happy about this too.

"We thought you would like to have everyone here for Christmas but wanted to wait until speaking with you first. At the moment we're looking at Christmas here and then bringing in the New Year at Amelia's home..."

Hermione's squeal of excitement might have interrupted Emma but was music to all of their ears, she jumped on a just as pleased Harry. "We get to spend Christmas in our own home. That's exactly what I wanted, but now we can have everyone here too!"

Harry had Hermione's feet off the floor as he spun her around, basking in her obvious happiness. He did pick up on something else though, mum was certainly pleased at their reaction but still appeared nervous about something. Clearly there was more going on here than they had been told, he gently lowered Hermione as she too began picking up on some of this.

"What else do you have to tell us, Mum?"

Harry's question caught them flat-footed though it was again Dan who came to his wife's rescue. "I think we need to be upstairs with a cup of tea in our hands before we get to that." He then took Emma's arm and they walked back up the new staircase. This had Hermione worried until Harry nudged her attention in father's direction, the wide grin he was wearing might have stopped her worrying but her curiosity just hit new heights. Tonks clearly had no idea what was going on and again needed convincing to be part of this discussion.

It was only after Emma was seated in her favourite chair and Dobby had served tea that more information was forthcoming from her, again the young couple's worries were dispelled by the huge grins Barchoke and now Dan were sporting.

"The goblin healers had never used the procedures needed to save my life on a muggle before, it was perfectly understandable then that they wanted me back for regular check-ups. My visit last week gave us quite a shock, it turns out I'm three weeks pregnant, four now, and you are going to have a baby brother around about the middle of August."

With her revelation being greeted by stunned silence, Emma was getting more worried by the second. "Well, what do you think?"

Hermione's emotions suddenly welled over and she burst into tears while springing at her now pregnant mother. Both were freely crying while clinging to each other.

Harry on the other hand was sitting quietly muttering to himself, those mutterings got louder and louder as he clearly liked what he was saying. "I'm going to be a brother, I'm going to be a brother..." His grin now clearly matched that worn by the other two males in the room.

Both Granger females were still in tears but their crying had now reverted to laughter at Harry's antics, he was only one step away from jumping up and down with excitement. "Men! Your father's reactions were very similar to Harry's..."

Hearing that, Hermione got up and practically bruised her father's ribs with the power of her hug, both though were extremely happy.

"The healers were not only able to tell me I was carrying a boy, they were also able to say that boy would be a wizard too. Another magical child in the family."

Hermione was now sitting cuddling into Harry, both clearly happy at all the news they had heard today. Dan knew it was time for a family discussion. He too had no problem including Tonks in this and even called on Dobby to sit with them - embarrassing the little guy by giving him the credit for the new 'downstairs'.

"Your mother and I were already considering what to do with our futures, this development just focused our attention on what we wanted those futures to be. We took the view that our daughter has already mapped out her own future. Your mother and I still intend to play a large part in that life but, since Harry is already paying your Hogwarts fees, for our decision we considered you now financially independent."

This saw Hermione's head whip around to look at Harry. "You are mine, and I am yours. You know enough about our culture now to understand that's the way it has to be, you are my mate." Harry then turned his attention to Dan and Emma. "Both of you are welcome to live in any house I own for as long as you like. If there isn't one exactly where you want it or how you like it, we can buy or build whatever you want."

Hermione was once more snuggling into her mate as Emma beamed a smile at the boy who'd come to mean so much to all of them. Here was her son basically saying they could live whatever dream they wanted.

"Actually you goblins must be rubbing off on us, your father and I decided that, as long as our family was together then that was the most important thing. Both of us though are sure we're finished with our practice, the house in Crawley we'll keep for a while yet. We were hoping you wouldn't mind if we lived here with you..."

She never got to say anymore as Emma suddenly had her arms full of two emotional teens, both clearly happy with that decision.

Goblin laughter was heard as Barchoke just couldn't resist. "I told you so, both would like nothing better than to have everyone staying here all the time."

"I still can't believe I'm going to have a little brother..."

A horrified look came over Harry as Hermione's words threw up a potential problem. "I can't believe we'll have to return to Hogwarts next year and leave our new brother at home..."

This was Dan's cue for some payback. "Oh, so you don't care about leaving us?"

Emma though still needed to hear the words from her children. "Are you both really okay with this, us moving in here and me being pregnant?"

Hermione merely glanced at her mate, that was all it took for Harry to know he was the one elected to answer that for both of them. "Mum, hearing that makes this one of the best days of my life. To have children running around this house will be a dream come true, a dream Hermione and I thought was many years away still. That I'll have a brother is something I never ever thought would or could happen."

Dan almost choked on his tea at that but Emma was now beaming a megawatt smile in her children's direction.

Their minder could also see how pleased they were at this news but had a question for Dan and Emma. "Is this a secret or are you going to let others know?"

"I had to practically threaten Dan otherwise there would have been an announcement placed in The Times, we were only keeping it quiet until we could tell these two. This was not something we wanted to send by Eargit."

This set Hermione off giggling again. "I can't even imagine what Roger's comment would be to us finding out our mother was pregnant, or Harry dancing on the Ravenclaw table in delight."

-oOoOo-

"Master, Bella is pregnant. I know she wants to prove she's your most faithful servant at the ritual but I would like to humbly ask if I could be chosen instead."

The thing that now contained the spirit of Voldemort pondered the problem he faced here. He had three servants, two of whom's loyalty was unquestionable. Which one did he give the honour of showing their devotion to him too? "I will take that into conssideration, her carrying a child might have an adversse affect on the ritual. I was-s actually favouring Peter to carry out that part, providing he doessn't fail me tonight."

"He won't fail, Master, Bella will make sure of that. Peter is only going to identify the target, Bella will be the one who takes that target down and secures them. They should be returning shortly though I impressed on Peter not to rush it. It is imperative he chooses someone who could be considered your enemy, otherwise the entire ritual could be in doubt."

"Anyone who works-s for that abomination they now call a minisstry will do, they would certainly all be conssidered my enemies-s now."

While relieved at this, Augustus knew that news wouldn't please his mate. Bella would have to be kept away from Peter, otherwise a certain rat might not actually see the solstice.

-oOoOo-

That certain rat was currently scurrying around and cursing their luck in choosing the same day Hogwarts students returned home to try and snatch a victim. With all the parents staying at home with their children tonight, they were being left with very slim pickings in their search for a suitable victim. He then spotted a witch sitting in a secluded corner all by herself, she was slowly getting drunk and muttering about someone in her department screwing her over.

It wasn't until she lifted her head that Peter recognised the witch, Bertha Jorkins just signed up to be an unwilling blood donor that would certainly save his master's life. The pub being mostly empty now worked in his favour, Wormtail scurried into the shadowy corner before transferring into Peter and then casting the imperius curse on Bertha.

With the hood of his cloak up, Peter then whispered specific instructions to her. "You will quietly come with me. If anyone asks, I'm an old friend who's taking you home."

Bertha rose unsteadily to her feet, taking Peter's offered arm for support and both barely attracted a second glance as they left. Peter led her up a back alley where Bella was waiting, the smell of firewhisky coming from Bertha stopping his accomplice stunning the witch. It didn't stop Bella's acid tongue though.

"You were supposed to get us someone to be used in our master's ritual, not pick up a drunk date for the weekend."

"There's hardly anyone in there and Bertha works for the ministry, she was the best of a bad lot."

Bella didn't buy that excuse, instead grabbed Bertha and side apparated her back to their camp. Peter was left to follow on.

They had chosen the Forest of Dean and, after stealing another tent, set up camp there. Rookwood had the place warded so that aurors could walk right next to their camp and still not see it. The second tent they had stolen was a much more elaborate model, complete with separate areas inside. Their master, his familiar and Peter shared that accommodation.

Bella appeared with their victim, along with a scathing report on Peter's ineptitude. Peter then made his excuses that they really couldn't have picked a worst day to try and snatch someone.

"You have both done well, sshe will be adequate." The dark lord then cast his own imperius on the poor witch, his instructions to Bertha was simply to be Peter's slave.

"Never let it be ssaid I don't reward thosse faithful to me. Sshe is-s yourss to usse until the ceremony, then I will empty her mind for information. Ssomething we badly need. Peter, usse ssilencing charms-s, I do not wissh my resst dissturbed."

A grinning Peter led the witch away, placing Bertha in his part of the tent and zipping up the partition.

The dark lord then turned his attention to a fuming Bella, knowing this needed to be handled delicately. "Bella, my mosst faithful lieutenant. I have a job that only you can do for me..."

Her bad mood vanished instantly, expecting now to be chosen to donate her flesh to her master. She was soon disappointed.

"...your pregnancy prevents-s you taking your rightful place in my rebirth ritual but offers-s insstead a wonderful opportunity. Your child sshall be the firsstborn of my new reign, and will be trained by their parents-s to one day sstand with me. He or sshe will be treated like my own child and rule by my sside."

The dark lord's reputation as a master manipulator was well earned, he played on his followers hopes and fears to perfection. Bella was now prostrate before him, swearing the eternal allegiance of her entire and yet unborn family. Augustus was also delighted that his pregnant mate wouldn't now take part in a dark ritual that could have harmed their unborn child, while Peter was a lot easier to please. All tonight's problems easily solved and it cost him nothing. That, and only having to spend one more day in this constructed and constricting body, put the dark lord in a better mood than he had been for years. All in all it was a very happy camp, not something that could usually be associated with Lord Voldemort.

He still intended to punish those of his followers who were brave enough to answer his summons after he regained his body. Those who didn't answer would pay the ultimate price for their betrayal. Travelling using muggle transport had also exposed the four of them to the muggle media, an experience that just might have provided a way to wish Harry Potter a very Merry Christmas. He intended to make that boy's every waking moment a nightmare, and leave his sleep so full of horrific dreams he would eventually beg Lord Voldemort for death.

-oOoOo-

"Harry, are you asleep?"

"No, Hermione, come in. I'm guessing you couldn't sleep either?"

"Oh I'm just too excited to sleep. I feel as if every wish I ever had is all coming true but I can't seem to shake the feeling that the hammer is about to fall on us too."

Harry had been lying in bed and trying to lose himself in a Spider-Man comic but the same kind of thoughts had been troubling him as well. "I know exactly what you mean, Hermione. In any battle, when things are going far too well for your side, that is usually the point when something totally unexpected happens and turns all those carefully laid plans into dust. All we can do is take every precaution we can think of and continue to train hard to meet those that catch us out."

Hermione snuck under the covers, needing to hold her mate for comfort. "I feel happy, excited and scared all at the same time. I was worried about mum and dad's safety before, now that mum's pregnant I'm actually terrified for them."

"We've made Kingussie as safe as we possibly can so them staying here is perfect. They will also have Dobby to watch over them, we both know how devoted that little elf is to our parents. If the situation suddenly deteriorates in Britain then we'll have to try and convince them to leave for the island, nothing can touch them there."

That suggestion certainly appealed to Hermione, so much so that she snuggled into Harry and kissed him for coming up with it. "With mum pregnant, we should have no problem convincing dad to take her somewhere totally safe. Our only problem might be stopping them trying to drag us along too..."

"Hermione, you all know I'm a centurion. If there's going to be a battle then my place is at the front of the warriors. It's taken time for me to win the respect of my fellow centurions and our warriors, hiding safely on my island would totally destroy that respect - and me too."

"I know, Harry. Just remember though, me not covering your back in that same battle would totally destroy me as well. That's why we all train as hard as we do, Padma and I know our mates are going to be at the centre of this war if it kicks off again."

Harry knew there was nothing to be gained by arguing over this at the moment, in all probability it would be the circumstances that dictated their response anyway. "Hermione, let's just concentrate on the now while training to try and meet whatever the future brings. We're going to have a wonderful Christmas with our family, a family that's going to grow. We have a real reason to celebrate this year, I think we should give it our best shot..."

Having heard enough, Dan headed off to bed himself. It was extremely hard to find fault with Hermione going to Harry when they were both concerned for their safety. One thing that Dan did agree with, first sign of danger and Emma would be paddling any swollen ankles in the crystal clear waters that surrounded Harry's tropical island. Barchoke had read both of them perfectly, they had been delighted with the changes made to the house and ecstatic at the thought of having a little brother. He also agreed with Harry's assessment that they had more than normal to celebrate this Christmas, Dan certainly intended to do so.

-oOoOo-

Bertha didn't think she would see Christmas this year. What was worse, part of her was hoping she didn't. Being a slave to that bastard Pettigrew was not a life worth living as far as she was concerned, especially since that thing they were calling master was threatening to rape her mind when whatever they were up to here was finished. That Bertha was currently in a cemetery and bound to a headstone didn't bode too well for her future anyway, not with Bellatrix Lestrange and Augustus Rookwood here too.

The imperius had been removed and she'd screamed every insult she could think of - and some she came up with on the spur of the moment - at that bastard Pettigrew, much to the amusement of Lestrange. Now Rookwood was placing the ugly thing in a massive cauldron full of bubbling potion and Bertha was praying it would drown.

When the grave at her feet suddenly opened and part of the corpse buried there made its way into the caldron too, Bertha knew for certain that prayer wasn't going to help her tonight.

She wriggled and fought as best her current circumstances allowed as Rookwood approached her with a wicked knife in his hands. For some sick reason, her struggles just seemed to please him more.

After her blood was added to the cauldron Rookwood then handed the knife to that little shit Pettigrew. Bertha was pleased to see the sick bastard looked ill with the thought of what he was now expected to do. Watching him cut his hand off and let it drop in the cauldron had an effect on Bertha she wouldn't have believed possible a few days ago. She was delighted to see the little bastard in severe pain but couldn't help but wish it was another piece of his anatomy that he'd cut off and flung in there. Bertha would certainly have been prepared to volunteer her services, and to ensure the cut was as ragged and painful as she could make it.

Those pleasant thoughts were rudely interrupted by the cauldron exploding and Bertha thought for a moment they'd made a mistake, she certainly couldn't think of any potion where the addition of Pettigrew's grubby hand would have a positive result. The sight of a body appearing from the resulting mist though destroyed that fantasy. Rookwood quickly stepped forward with a robe for the figure while Lestrange handed it a wand, both then got on their knees before the tall figure. Peter was already on his knees, clutching his stump to try and slow down the blood loss - there was absolutely no sympathy heading in his direction from Bertha.

"Ah, my faithful servants-s. Peter, hold forth your arm."

Bertha watched in horror as Voldemort's wand conjured a silver fully-functioning hand for Peter. Considering what part of his anatomy she'd been wishing Peter had cut off before, witnessing this was the final straw for the witch. The contents of her stomach were now displayed down the front of her robes but Bertha really couldn't give a shit, she was currently sobbing and right on the edge of hysteria.

This seemed to amuse her captors though, and attract Voldemort's attention. He walked toward her and cold fingers were soon caressing Bertha's cheek.

"Ah, Miss Jorkins-s. I should really thank you for assisting in my return, I won't though. Instead, I'm going to enter that mind of yours-s and strip out every piece of information that might be useful. This will leave you nothing more than a drooling idiot, there is-s some good news-s though. Peter has-s already proven he's-s not too fussy, I really don't think it will affect the relationship you two already have..."

Rookwood and Lestrange were roaring with laughter at that but Bertha finally lost it, she started screaming and just couldn't stop. This delighted the dark lord, he'd basically broken this witch purely by fear. Now that was power, power he had certainly missed being able to wield. It was time to start reminding people just how powerful Lord Voldemort actually was.

"Bella my dear, could you hold out your arm for me?"

-oOoOo-

Pansy was rudely awakened by someone roughly pulling on her arm. As her senses slowly came online, she was greeted by the sight of her father standing there. He didn't give her time to say a word, that was time Edmund Parkinson didn't have.

"Pansy Parkinson, I, Edmund Parkinson cast you out of the Parkinson family forever. So mote it be."

Pansy felt the magic swirl around her and was in tears as she sought some answers. "Father, why are you doing this? What have I done?"

"You will leave this house at once and never come back, never - you understand? Go to Draco, and take your mother with you. The wards on the Malfoy home will protect you, you need to go - now!"

Pansy found herself dragged out of bed without even time to grab her housecoat, she was marched to the floo where her mother was standing stoically waiting on her. "Pansy, you need to contact Draco to get permission for me to come through too. Hurry girl, we don't have much time."

As Pansy's head was in the floo, Edmund kissed his wife before he too was forced to leave. He knew the dark lord would be punishing his followers, and that he delighted in using wives and daughters to extract revenge on those death eaters that displeased him. That Pansy was young, beautiful and betrothed to Draco Malfoy meant her fate would have been sealed. The dark lord wouldn't pass up an opportunity to torture both families at the same time. Edmund could only hope these goblin wards were as good as they were portrayed.

-oOoOo-

The goblins had been more than kind to Severus. His 'cell' could never be considered luxurious but he had discovered that goblins didn't really indulge in luxury. His home was certainly adequate for his needs and could even be considered comfortable, he certainly wasn't comfortable now. The pain in his arm and the cold sweat from knowing what that pain meant were currently responsible for his discomfort though.

It was impossible for Severus to answer his former master's summons, the fact that he thought of the dark lord as his former master meant his decision was already made. The prisoner rang for assistance and soon had a guard at his door.

""I respectfully request a meeting with Ambassador Barchoke. I have information vital to the safety of his son, Centurion Crow."" Severus then showed the guard his forearm, the black tattoo was now animated and appeared angry. The guard nodded in understanding and left at once.

As Severus sat there and waited on the ambassador he was faced with the irony that his life was so much better now - thanks to a Potter and a Black. He understood that the goblins treated the young couple as mates and it was ironic that the muggle born wife of a Potter granting him the ability to communicate in goblin had certainly positively affected his life and status. That book written by the Lady Black also gave him insights into what was happening all around him, insights that were allowing him to integrate more and more into the Nation. So much so that Severus now thought of this as home, which was why there was not the slightest hesitation tonight. Severus Snape had made his choice and it wasn't to serve a madman.

-oOoOo-

"Pansy, we both made our choice, you know I have to do this."

"...but he's my father. No he's not - I'm disowned!"

Draco was standing holding his betrothed as she broke her heart over the situation. He really didn't know how to deal with this but his thoughts drifted to how more and more he had built a method for handling situations. His new yardstick was 'what would Harry do'. After asking himself that, his decision was easily made. He left a surprised Pansy standing there while he made his way over to the desk that had been his father's. There was an exquisite knife sitting there that his father had rather pretentiously used to open scrolls he'd received, Draco had a much more important role for the blade.

Both mothers and Pansy were now looking apprehensive as Draco returned armed with the blade, that was until he cut his own palm before passing the blade to Pansy. She knew at once what her betrothed was proposing here, both had read all about this in a rare book they found in the Malfoy library - a book Hermione now owned.

Without a second's hesitation, she cut her own palm and clasped her betrothed's hand.

Both mothers were soon in tears as they watched their children perform the blood bound ceremony. Narcissis understood Draco was offering this to Pansy in a bid to heal her hurt at being disavowed, and she'd never been prouder of her son. They watched on as a silver glow grew up their arms and into their shoulders.

Draco kissed his mate and rested his forehead on hers. "Pansy, you are mine now and we will make that official whenever you feel ready. There will be no pressure from me but there is still something I need to do. We've both made our choice, just as your father has. That was a very brave thing he did tonight, we can't let that bravery go to waste."

Pansy kissed her mate before nodding in agreement. Draco passed her over to their mothers before he headed to the floo. It had taken mere minutes to discover from Elspeth why her husband had acted the way he did, Draco now needed to floocall Sirius and get him to put the warning out amongst the family, he's back!

A/N Thanks for reading

72. I won't make the same mistake again!

Harry Crow

Disclaimer - I don't own Harry Potter nor could my writings ever be considered canon. If you're okay with that then please read on...

Chapter 72

The dark lord was back living in the lap of luxury, exactly where Tom was sure he really belonged. Lord Voldemort had just had a stellar evening, acquiring his new body before dishing out punishments to those of his followers brave enough to return at his command. He then left them lying there while he enjoyed shredding the mind of the ministry witch for information. That information had him pondering his next move, his next move against the ministry and Potter that is. He'd known exactly what else was going to be accomplished on his first evening back.

Lord Voldemort had approached his recovering followers and asked who wanted the pleasure of having their lord stay with them. All had of course begged for the honour, just as he'd already chosen whose house he was going to take over.

On arrival, Peter led his drooling husk of a girlfriend in search of a bedroom in their new home while Tom dismissed Bella and Augustus to do the same. That left the dark lord alone with his familiar and a prostrate host, Edmund Parkinson. He could see the wizard shaking as he lay at his feet and wondered whether it was caused by the after effects of the cruciatus or fear. He would like to think a little of both.

"Tell me again, Parkinson, why your wife and daughter are not here to greet their lord?"

The death eater tried to keep his voice steady as he answered his master. "After I collected my daughter from the express, I made an attempt to end Pansy's betrothal to the Malfoy brat. She threw a tantrum before the disrespectful bitch swore she would disown her family rather than let that happen. I wasn't about to stand for that dishonour against the Parkinson name, so I ejected the little bitch from the family before she could carry out her threat - and then ordered her out of my house. I can only assume she went to her betrothed, and that my wife accompanied her."

"Ah, but Draco is no longer her betrothed, you ejecting her from the family would end that agreement."

"Forgive me, Master, but they have convinced each other that they're in love. Draco would take her in, even though she now has no name. I'm afraid Draco isn't half the man his father was..."

His familiar was coiled over his shoulders and he was affectionately stroking Nagini's head when Tom let his anger show. "Bella made dear Lucius'-s death far too quick. She may have been pressed for time and had very limited options available but I certainly wouldn't have been so merciful as-s to cut his throat and let him bleed to death." The dark lord was now certain Parkinson's shaking was down to fear, he softened his voice to coax the answers he wanted out of his servant. "Your daughter attended Hogwarts-s and is even considered a friend of Potter's-s, tell me everything you know about this boy."

-oOoOo-

"...and that's all we know at the moment."

The Minister felt ill at hearing this news, and took no comfort from the fact that both colleagues he was currently meeting with didn't appear to be coping with this news any better than he was. "It's not much to go on, Amelia."

Amos couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Surely you're not disputing he's back? We now have confirmation from two different sources."

"I'm not disputing that, all I'm saying is we don't have a lot to go on. We don't know where he is, or even if he's in Britain. He summoned his death eaters, how many of them turned up? The only piece of information we do have is that he's back, how does the ministry respond to that? We have no idea of our enemy's location, strength or intentions."

Cornelius let that sink in before reinforcing his point. "Do we really want to blaze what little news we do have all over the country and ruin the holidays for everyone? Commercially speaking, today and tomorrow are two of the busiest shopping days of the year, this news breaking would certainly put and abrupt end to that."

"Are you suggesting we ignore this?"

"Of course not, Amos. What we need is a measured response, a response that allows us to increase security without sending the country into a paralysing panic."

The Minister was looking to his head of the D.M.L.E. for help, Amelia duly obliged. "I think I see what you mean, Cornelius. We have so little information, and using that might tip our hand that we have any information at all. I agree that, at this point, informing the public he's back would be counter-productive. I also agree with Amos that we need to do something. We still have two escaped death eaters on the loose, a perfect excuse to increase security and provide a timely reminder to everyone to be vigilant over the holiday period. Without more information, I really don't know what else we can do."

This left Amos stuttering with indignation. "What about those suspected death eaters who left the ministry, can't we round them up?"

"...and charge them with what? Amos, we let them walk out the ministry, promising no stain on their character. Am I now supposed to send my aurors to arrest them, saying 'by the way, we were lying when we said that'." Amelia then softened her attitude, Amos was not an enemy here. "We don't know how many of them answered Voldemort's summons, I think those who didn't will be the returning dark lord's first priority. There is also the practicalities to consider in rounding them up. I simply don't have the manpower to hit all of the targets at once and an operation that size will surely leak, sending any doubters straight into the arms of Voldemort."

The Minister was left shaking his head. "It's the Carrows all over again. There's a section of our community that knows he's back but not one of them trusts the ministry enough to come to us for help. Augusta Longbottom was right, we need to change that."

He found his two colleagues agreeing, though Amelia took it further. "Once Voldemort makes a move the gloves can come off, that fact changes the entire complexion of the problem. We need to decide though how to deal with those who don't want to rejoin Voldemort?"

The Chief Warlock was beginning to understand the dilemma they faced here. "I think Harry showed us the way, it's all about how we treat the families involved. Knowing my Tabitha and Cedric are safe behind those wards certainly gives me great peace of mind. My Cedric teaches the Nott girl at their extra defence class in Hogwarts, he says she's a lovely young witch. What fate would have awaited that child if Harry hadn't stepped in? If we can protect their families from Voldemort's retribution then we might yet see some of the doubters approaching us."

Those sentiments certainly found approval from Cornelius and Amelia, she though wanted to add another layer to Amos' proposed solution. "Protecting families is fine but we also need to show what happens to those who willingly chose to follow this madman. Their masks hide nothing now, kicking them out the ministry means we now know who at least some of them are. We strip them of any source of respectability, wealth or possessions - and then ensure they're aware we'll take them down hard, and then execute those who survive being captured."

Cornelius was quiet pleased with the initial ideas this impromptu meeting was throwing up but something else just struck him. "I think we need to get Arthur in here, he needs to know in case Voldemort starts attacking muggles. I also want him to contact Ambassador Barchoke, St Mungo's needs warded against death eaters as quickly as possible. I don't give a shit how much it costs, or if it tips our hand that we know he's back, those people need protecting now."

A cold shiver ran down Amelia's back at the mere thought of death eaters attacking the hospital. "The goblins don't have Christmas holidays so they might be able to do it quickly, do you want me to arrange for the staff to be screened as we did inside the ministry?"

This received a positive response from the Minister while Amos was sure the other problem would be solved too. "Once we start fining death eater vaults there will be plenty gold in the coffers to pay for protecting St Mungo's. I'll get Arthur up to speed while Amelia is screening the hospital staff. It should be a safe bet just saying the new wards will be going up over the holiday period."

The minister then looked to his two most senior advisors and asked the question that was at the forefront of his thoughts. "We all remember the last time, are we ready now to end this?"

Knowing the question was really aimed at her, Amelia gave the most honest answer she could. "The ministry is certainly better prepared. While I had hoped for longer, knowing he's back allows us to step up our preparations. If we can act quickly and stop him gathering support then the odds will tip heavily in our favour. His death eaters murdered a lot more victims than he did, they're also no where near as powerful. Taking that threat away should leave us dealing with a small group, I refuse to believe twenty or so wizards and witches that we will make outcasts could ever take over the country."

"...and what about Harry?"

Again Amelia knew she could answer the minister's question honestly, and that the information wouldn't go any further. "Like us, Harry could have used a few more years. That Moody seems almost ready to adopt the four of them should give you some idea of their abilities. I think the ministry needs to concentrate on the death eaters, depriving Voldemort of support and buying Harry time to train. He and his friends are already working four days a week with Moody and Bill Weasley, they would really need to leave Hogwarts to train anymore - not something I would recommend."

She then gave her reasons for cautioning against that action. "The idea of the ministry training four teenage assassins to go after Voldemort is not something that sits comfortably with me. At the moment, all we are doing is augmenting their already established training pattern - at the request of Harry's father. Of course I would bet my ministry pension that this exact same meeting is currently taking place in Kingussie. They might reach a decision there that changes my opinion and our options."

-oOoOo-

Amelia's ministry pension was in no danger. The exact same meeting was taking place in Kingussie, it was only their priorities that were different - very different.

"Listen everyone, I'm pregnant - not ill. I will not be treated like some invalid and be shipped off somewhere to safety - not unless my entire family comes too."

"Mum, I'm a centurion - I can't run away and hide."

"If you're saying Kingussie isn't safe then we all need to hit that island today. If it is safe, then Dan and I shouldn't have a problem staying here while you are both at Hogwarts."

Sirius and Remus were trying not to laugh but it was Tonks who couldn't hide her grin. "She has you there, Harry. Either Kingussie is safe or it isn't, you can't have it both ways."

"Not helping here, Tonks. Kingussie is safe, but not as safe as the island. Nothing and no one can touch them there. I've already lost one set of parents to this mad bastard, I'm not gonna let him take another - along with my unborn brother..."

All could now see how badly they had misread the situation, here was something that clearly terrified Harry. The troubled teen soon had his arms full of both Granger ladies while he sat on the sofa, his father though thought that it might take something a bit more practical to ease his son's fears.

"Harry, I will move into Kingussie when you both return to Hogwarts. I can also have emergency portkeys made that will take you through the Hogwarts wards and bring you both straight home. An emergency signal could see you and Hermione back here in under a minute. Yes the island is safer but please think what you're asking here - a mother to take herself out of danger and leave her children behind. We both know neither Emma or Lily would ever do that."

Harry was currently clinging to the two most important women in his life as if he was never letting go. "What if we didn't go back to Hogwarts? We could stay here and train every day."

It was Emma who moved his head around so Harry was looking directly at her face. "I will not have you both dropping out of school to become my bodyguards. I will have Dan, Barchoke and Dobby here to do that - and also a pistol like the one Alice carries. You already train enough as it is, I simply won't stand for it."

It was Barchoke who again tried to make his son see reason, knowing that his fear was crushing his own dose of logic on this matter. "We don't know where Voldemort is, how many followers he has or what his intentions are. Until we do, then life must go on. It might take him years to build up any sort of organisation and become a threat again, we can't all put our lives on hold waiting to find that out. I guarantee you that, should we discover he intends to attack here, we will all be sitting on the beach within minutes of learning that."

Harry looked to his mate, Hermione's nod indicating she thought this was the best they were going to get. Hermione felt almost as if she was betraying him but had to speak her mind. "Harry, I don't think I could handle any more training than what we do now. Our bodies and magic barely have time to recover as it is before it's time to go again. There's a very good reason this training is usually reserved for witches and witches over seventeen."

He really couldn't disagree with Hermione, All four of them had been looking forward to the break, though they certainly intended to keep up their exercises every morning. "Okay, can we get those portkeys as quickly as possible and an alarm disk added to Hermione's wand holster." He then turned back to face the woman he now thought of as mum. "You send that signal, we'll come running. I need you to promise though that you will set off the alarm if you need us."

She looked at the very serious young man and her equally grave daughter, Emma's heart melted at the anguish she saw reflected back from both of them. "Harry, Hermione, at the first sign of danger our main option would always be to get out of here. If we can't do that, I promise I will send for you both."

Again they had to settle for the best deal they could get. Hermione then turned her attention to Sirius. "Will Pansy and Draco be alright at Malfoy Manor? Voldemort will know exactly where they are so they would be welcome to come here."

"Both are keyed to the floo at Grimmauld, I'll add their mothers too and that should give them an escape route if needed. They are coming here on Christmas day anyway so we can talk with them then. If we're done here, I really need to go and greet the in-laws. Lukas and Moa are portkeying in today, we'll see you all on Christmas Day."

Remus rose to follow his fellow marauder out, he was heading for the Longbottoms to pass on the bad news to the rest of the family. Barchoke was intending on heading back to Gringotts when Tonks stopped him. "You need three portkeys and alarms, they don't leave Hogwarts without me. If you could tie all the portkeys in together that might save some time too."

Barchoke could only smile before nodding in thanks to the young auror, Tonks wasn't finished though, she then turned her attention onto Dan and Emma. "I was about their age just before Voldemort was defeated - and things were really bad then. Breakfast at Hogwarts was always eaten in silence as we waited for the owls to tell us who had lost loved ones the night before. I would have gladly given my right arm to be able to offer my parents the level of protection these two just gave you."

She could see this was opening the Grangers' eyes to just how bad the situation could get, it was to Emma that Tonks aimed her next comment. "I respect your decision, Emma, but this is a matter that certainly isn't over. Situations can change very quickly and there is simply no argument against that island being the safest place for you both. If I could get my mother and father to go, I would send them there too."

Seeing how effective Tonks argument was against Dan and Emma, Harry quickly jumped in. "Your mum and dad would certainly be welcome, Tonks. So would Frank and Alice or Smita and Ramrao. What about Draco and Pansy's mothers - Pauline Nott has a little sister too young for Hogwarts, she and her mother might be targets too."

His mate joined in, knowing her parents were far more likely to leave the country as part of a group who were at risk. "There must be others who are going to be targeted, we need to put our heads together and make a list..."

Dan interrupted his daughter. "I thought we were safe behind these wards, that anyone carrying the dark mark couldn't cross them?"

"Wards are like shields, Dan, hit any shield long enough or hard enough and it will eventually fail." This had Dan looking at Barchoke as if he'd been sold a pig in a poke, the goblin offered him some reassurance of his earlier statement. "That shield being attacked will set off an alarm and still protect you, at least long enough for our warriors to arrive. They would then need to decide the odds they faced and either evacuate the people out of there or stand and fight the attackers. The wards buy you that precious time, the better the wards then the more time you have - ours are simply the best."

Harry agreed with his father but didn't want pride in their wards to negate the advances they had just made in shifting the Grangers point of view toward reaching the decision he and Hermione badly wanted. "While our wards are unquestionably the best, we really don't know just how well they'll perform if Voldemort turns up with a few dozen death eaters and starts trying to bring them down. It's obviously not something you can test until it actually happens. Our entire magical community knows I'm the Baron of Kingussie and we've made no secret of the fact you are both staying here, that might be a target that's just too tempting for Voldemort to resist. You've both already been attacked because of me, I simply don't want that happening again."

Both Hermione and Harry could see that it wouldn't take much more to change dad's mind, mum was always going to be the sticking point. Emma then surprised her children. "We're all going to be together over Christmas and New Year, let's enjoy the holidays and then we'll sit down and talk about this again before you head back to Hogwarts."

Emma knew she'd gotten it right when her arms were suddenly full of two happy teens.

Dan had another question though, this one aimed at Harry. "I understand you being worried about us but aren't you scared, or at least surprised at this madman's return?"

"We always knew he would return one day, that's why I train as hard as I do. Ever since I reentered the magical world, my entire emphasis has been to try to prepare all of us for this happening. I'm not scared because I know Amelia will be hunting down the death eaters and father will be doing his best to see them financially crippled too."

Barchoke couldn't help but stand behind his children and put his hands proudly on their shoulders, only the fact they were still sitting on the sofa meant he didn't have to reach up to do so. "The wards around the ministry had taken away their anonymity, the ministry can then use the actions of the death eaters to destroy any shred of respectability. The Nation will then lawfully snatch their family fortunes right from under them, and that gold will be used by the ministry to aid the death eaters' downfall. The Nation was always going to stand behind Harry, that the ministry has promised to do the same puts us far ahead of any predictions we had for this event eventually happening. We're working very hard to ensure all our children are in as little danger as possible."

This was something they all wanted to hear and Harry used it to further push their agenda. "If he'd returned without those changes being made, we would probably all be heading for our island today. If that had been allowed to happen, all our predictions said it would require nothing short of a miracle to stop Voldemort taking over the country. I'm a warrior with a warrior's training. That training teaches us not to fight against suicidal odds like that, especially for a country that won't support you. Gringotts would have made a strategic withdrawal out of Britain and left its people to deal with the problems of their own making."

This left all three Grangers and the young auror shocked, looking to Barchoke for conformation. The goblin didn't disappoint. "It's easy to forget how far we've come in the last two and a half years. Before Harry attended Hogwarts, The Nation trying to inform the ministry that Voldemort had returned would have needed to be accomplished by the procedures put in place and bound by treaties - a memo through the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. With Lucius Malfoy still at large and death eaters at the highest levels of magical society, what do you think the chances of us being believed would have been? Voldemort would have taken over the ministry and then turned his greedy eyes to us. We would then be faced with the option of fighting a war we couldn't win or withdrawing in the hope of fighting another day. That really is no choice and our decision would not have been a difficult one."

Tonks had no trouble imagining events playing out as Barchoke had described, nor could she cast any doubt on his conclusions - Britain would have fallen to the darkness. Dan's exposure to the magical world also provided him with the knowledge to see the possible outcome Barchoke had just given them as a distinct possibility. He also could see no way in which that happening wouldn't spill over into the totally unprepared muggle world. It would be the Potter Killers magnified by a factor of hundreds, and with no young man to race to their rescue with alternative accommodation it would be a bleak situation.

Emma wasn't interested in looking at the bigger picture. She didn't know if her pregnancy was already affecting her hormones but all the mother could think of was how that would have effected her now growing family. Harry and Hermione found themselves being held tighter by a mother who was now thinking there were worse ways of spending your time than staying on a tropical island.

-oOoOo-

Sirius currently had his hands full with a very happy Moa Hobson, and thinking there were worse ways of starting your day. "Oh Sirius, I'm so happy for you both."

"Thanks Moa, we're pretty pleased about it ourselves. We may have to put off our big announcement though, I just discovered what Dan and Emma wanted to tell those two. I wouldn't want to steal their spotlight."

His wife was delighted for the couple and they quickly decided to wait until New Year's Eve to make their announcement. Like Emma, Henrica wanted her family to know the news first, waiting another week to tell all their friends she and Sirius were going to have a daughter wouldn't exactly be a hardship. Her mother might have a problem with that though, she was already suggesting names for her granddaughter. Lukas was walking around with a grin almost as wide as Sirius', considering they were going to get some Christmas shopping done today then that really was quite an achievement.

-oOoOo-

Getting St Mungo's warded on Christmas Day was certainly an achievement, Amelia had faced very few problems when screening the hospital staff. She supposed a healer's oath to aid those in need would probably prohibit them joining an organisation where they rape, maim and murder for fun.

No, Amelia's biggest problem had been what she herself should do over the festive holidays. She knew Susan was really looking forward to spending Christmas in Kingussie with her friends, but even more so to having them all at her home to celebrate the arrival of the New Year.

While cancelling the event wouldn't raise too many eyebrows, news of the party hadn't exactly been spread all over the ministry, she did know Susan would be bitterly disappointed. Amelia had taken the decision just to act as if everything was normal, even though Susan was well aware a certain madman had returned. The head of the D.M.L.E. had trouble remembering being an age where what dress she was going to wear to her New Year Party was more important than a returning dark lord. Amelia also knew that attitude wouldn't last, war had a way of touching everyone's life, and that's what they would face if they allowed Voldemort time to build up his support.

She almost needed supporting herself as they were led into the new ballroom at the Baron of Kingussie's home, it was simply stunning. Both Amelia and Susan made their way over to the magnificent Christmas tree in the corner of the room, Sirius had invoked Kris Kringle again this year and everyone had quickly confirmed they would participate. The presents would be handed out after dinner, giving their meal time to digest before the dancing began.

Amelia almost choked when she spotted Moody at the party, and watched in disbelief as he slipped a present under the tree. She was mentally calculating just how many spells he would cast on the present he received before deciding it was safe to unwrap.

It was good to see all their friends again and Amelia was now sure she'd made the right decision, watching as Susan practically glowed with excitement and happiness certainly ensured her Christmas would be a happy one. They would face whatever came their way but events like this was what they were fighting for.

-oOoOo-

There wasn't much sign of merriment in the Dursley home, this Christmas wasn't exactly proving to be a happy one. To be honest, apart from the better programs on the telly, it was just like any other day of the year for the Dursleys. The amount of Christmas cards the entire family received this year didn't reach double figures, the Dursley family's social standing in Crawley had reached an all time low. It almost felt as if, instead of their Christmas decorations, there was a red cross painted on the front of their house to warn others of the danger of catching the plague - even the double glazing salesmen and the Jehovah's Witnesses wouldn't knock on their door now.

It was therefore an even greater shock when their locked front door suddenly opened and three strangers walked straight into their home. Petunia may have never set eyes on any of them before but she couldn't mistake the clothing they were wearing.

"FREAKS! Get out of my home..."

The woman who was with the two men moved with the speed of a striking snake, she drew a knife and slashed Petunia's cheek - putting a sudden and permanent end to her tirade.

"Muggle bitch, how dare you even speak to my master. Get down on your knees, now."

Petunia had shot to her feet the second she had spotted the intruders in her home, that someone would actually slash her face in their own living room saw her sinking to her knees in shock. It took several attempts before Vernon could actually prise himself out of his armchair, only for his limbs to then lock as he fell forward onto the floor with a force that almost shook the house.

Dudley saw none of this, his entire being was concentrated on the terrifying bald guy with those horrific red eyes. The obese teen wasn't much of a believer in god, he attended church purely because his parents bribed him with sweets and lunch at a restaurant of his choosing. Dudley fervently believed in the devil though, he really had no other option since he was currently looking right at him. He couldn't explain it but Dudley instinctively knew death had just come calling to their house. It wasn't a conscious decision nor a spell that had him sitting there and doing absolutely nothing, Dudley was simply unable to move a muscle - frozen by fear.

"Thank you, Bella, for that lesson on how these filthy muggles-s should act when in the presence of their betters-s. It would seem their nephew doesn't care for them much either, not even the most basic wards-s on their home. Tell me, how does-s it feel to know he spent millions-s helping strangers-s while leaving you here to fend for yourselves-s?"

Augustus had placed a silencing charm on a body-bound Vernon so it was left to a bleeding Petunia to answer, Dudley certainly had no intention of speaking and drawing attention to himself. "We have no nephew, that boy is no family to us. I wish he'd died along with his parents..."

A lightning fast strike from Bella saw Petunia's other cheek slashed. "You will keep a respectful tongue in your head, talk to my master like that again and I will cut it out."

Petunia was sinking deeper into shock. Part of her knew they wouldn't survive this while another part wept at her blood spilling onto the lounge carpet. It was ruined and they had no spare cash to buy a new one.

"I want you to tell me everything you know about your nephew."

She was about to protest again that she had no nephew but the knife in the crazy bitch's hand changed her mind. "We've only met him once. He attacked our Dudley in town and we went round there to sort him out - they attacked my Vernon..."

Petunia suddenly thought she had a way out of this, give them another target. "The Grangers, it's the Grangers you want to talk to. They know all about him, he even stays there." She quickly supplied the address but giving that information didn't provide the reaction she was hoping for.

"The whole country knows-s that these muggles-s are now living with the Baron of Kingussie in his-s Highland estate, what can you tell me about that?"

Petunia was left shaking her head. "I've never heard of him..."

The knife now slashed across her nose as Bella's temper spiralled out of control, her first bout of morning sickness had honed her usual quick temper until it had an edge as sharp as her blade. "Stupid muggle bitch, your nephew holds that title. Master, perhaps a different sort of persuasion might give us better results?"

There entire purpose for being here tonight was to send a message to Potter, the death of his only living relatives. That they could witness their terror while doing so was just a little Christmas present, a present they intended to enjoy. They were also using methods that Rookwood had pioneered since their escape from Azkaban, keeping their use of magic to a minimum and no dark curses for the ministry to detect.

A nod from his master was all Augustus needed to begin using cutting curses on the fat muggle, he left the silencing charm in place as Petunia's precious husband was soon like her rug - beyond saving.

She had pleaded and begged, earning another couple of slashes but no reprieve for Vernon. Petunia was swearing to every deity she could think of that she knew no more when Voldemort picked up on something she had babbled.

"You swear on the life of your son? We'll just have to test that now, won't we."

That sparked Petunia into life, she threw herself across Dudley. "Not Dudley, please no. Don't kill him, take me, kill me instead. Leave my baby alone..."

"I made that mistake with your sister, I won't make the same mistake again."

Petunia found herself ripped from her son and stuck to the wall, her position affording her the perfect view as this animal slowly cut her beloved son to pieces with his wand. Dudley's tortured screams driving the helpless mother insane.

Voldemort knew the charms they had placed on the house before entering would ensure only those in the house heard the boy's screams, it was now time to finish what they came to do.

"Bella my dear, time to leave your lovely message for our young Mister Potter."

She approached Petunia and ripped the front of her dress apart. Taking her knife she began to carve letters into the muggle's living flesh. Petunia was all out of screams by the time Bella was finished using her body to create her macabre form of artwork. With her husband and son now lying dead it was a relief when that blade finished its work, its last task cutting her throat and finally ending her torment.

As the three murderers left the scene of slaughter, there was no need to cast the dark mark over their evening's work. The muggle festive lights and decorations that surrounded them couldn't possibly pierce the darkness they had just left behind. Bella's message certainly wasn't 'Merry Christmas' but it ensured everyone would know exactly who was responsible for the three mutilated bodies they were leaving in the house behind them.

-oOoOo-

Albus certainly knew who was responsible for the murder of the Dursleys, he didn't even need the 'Potter will die' message that had been carved into Petunia's chest to help him reach that conclusion. His own source had quickly confirmed that Voldemort had returned, and here was an unmissable indicator of his intentions. This was clearly targeted to cause the maximum possible psychological damage to young Harry.

As he put down his newspaper, Albus was finding it difficult to generate any sympathy for the obnoxious muggle family he had argued with all those years ago. He'd warned them in great detail that this outcome was a distinct possibility if they didn't take Harry into their home. They had refused Harry and the blood protection their nephew would have provided. They thought they knew better than Albus Dumbledore, assuming they were safe simply by moving home - and Albus had been proven right.

The Dursleys would never learn it was a mistake not to follow the advice of Albus Dumbledore but others could now reap the benefits of his wisdom from this situation. With Tom's return the entire country would quickly see the error of their ways and the name Albus Dumbledore would shortly be on their lips. Those very same lips would soon be begging for him to return and once more lead the country in the battle against Voldemort.

His plans called for them to suffer a little longer, it wasn't time for him to make his triumphant return to Britain and Hogwarts. Soon - but not quite yet.

A/N thanks for reading and hope to see you back here next weekend.

73. An Unconventional Hero

Harry Crow

A/N This chapter takes Harry Crow over the 500,000 words milestone, not something I had envisaged when I first got the idea in my head. Chapter 73 will also see my story pass another significant milestone, reaching over 5,000,000 hits. All I can say is thanks for reading.

I would also like to say a special thanks to the lady who has checked every single one of those half a million words for me, Alix33.

Chapter 73

Harry slipped out of Hermione's room to find a worried Dan and Emma waiting on him.

"How is she?"

"People Hermione knew have been butchered in their own Crawley home on Christmas Day, she's taking it hard. Even though she may not have liked the Dursleys, she still went to school with Dudley for five years - and you wouldn't wish his fate on anyone."

"And how are you coping?"

"Dan, they weren't my family. I was prepared to give Dudley a chance but the one time we met he refused my offer of a handshake and attacked me. You were both there when I met his parents, they were even worse than their son. To be honest, the murder of little Bea Potter affected me more. The Dursleys played a part in their own downfall, poor Bea just happened to have the last name of Potter."

It was a confused Emma who asked Harry to explain that.

"The Dursleys outed that I was the Potter these killers were after, endangering you and everyone in Crawley. It also painted a large target on them, something they obviously didn't think about when they were spreading their news all over town. I'm just so glad that none of my family were anywhere near Crawley yesterday..."

This saw Harry pulled into a hug as Emma kissed him on the cheek. "So are we, Harry, so are we. Stay with Hermione tonight, she needs her mate to hold her. You can also tell her that this has Dan and me seriously reconsidering your island option, yesterday struck a little too close to home for comfort."

This news certainly cheered Harry up. "It doesn't have to be limited to the island, you know there are Potter properties all over the world. You should be safe anywhere outside Britain, why not travel the world and enjoy yourselves. It will also help us decide where we go on holiday this summer. I would say Florida was a definite no this year, you won't fit on most of the rides by then..."

"Why you cheeky scamp, get in there and cheer Hermione up - before we change our minds." That Emma was smiling told Harry she was only joking, he wished them both goodnight before slipping back into Hermione's room.

Dan was left standing there shaking his head. "I can't believe I just gave my little princess' boyfriend permission to sleep with her."

"Don't get me started, Dan, you know Harry's much more than a boyfriend. You also know sleeping is all they'll be doing, they'll be selling ice cream in hell before Harry would push Hermione into something she wasn't ready for.'

She tried not to laugh as he muttered 'it's not Harry I'm worried about' as they headed for their own room.

Hermione was feeling miserable. She had often wished harm on Dudley Dursley and his gang when she was growing up, but being cut to pieces by a dark lord went way beyond anything a young bullied Hermione had envisaged as revenge on her tormentors. Okay, there was that one time when she wanted a grand piano to drop from the sky and flatten all of them but she was only six - and watching a lot of Tom and Jerry cartoons at the time.

Her morbid thoughts were blasted apart by someone sliding into bed beside her, the arms wrapping around Hermione told her exactly who that someone was.

"Harry, you do that and I won't want you to leave. Then we'll get caught and be in so much trouble..."

"We won't get into any trouble at all. I have permission from your mum and dad to be here for you tonight."

"Really?"

"Really, really - and there's even more good news. They're both considering moving out of Britain when we return to Hogwarts. Rather than just sitting safely on our island, I've asked Emma if they wanted to travel around any houses we haven't yet visited and see what she thinks would be suitable for our summer holidays."

His mate was in awe of that. "You gave mum a research project? Oh Harry, that's sheer genius. We could work out a checklist and she could score certain aspects of each location..."

As Hermione rattled on, Harry was feeling quite smug with himself. Not only would he get her parents out of the country, he'd taken Hermione's mind right off any thought of blood and slaughter. Harry didn't think he was a genius, it was more a case of sometimes you just got lucky. He intended to spend the night holding that luck in his arms - you couldn't get much luckier than that.

-oOoOo-

Rita was praying her luck would hold. Searching for Rookwood and Lestrange had been bad enough, now she was actively looking for the dark lord himself. This time though they had a specific lead to work with, that made her even more terrified as the beetle searched for a route into Parkinson manor.

The beetle crawled through a tiny gap into what she soon discovered was a bedroom, only to find it currently occupied. The wizard appeared familiar but Rita certainly knew the witch. Bertha had been a good source of information for what was really happening inside the ministry, get enough drink into her down the pub and Bertha would tell you anything you wanted to know. It didn't look as if Bertha would be providing any more juicy ministry gossip for Rita, it didn't look as if Bertha could remember her own name any more. There was a glazed look in her eyes that wasn't alcohol induced, Rita thought the lights may be on but it didn't look like anyone was home where Bertha was concerned.

The identity of the wizard Bertha was currently with then sprang into Rita's mind and she knew this mission would already see her coffers filling with gold. Lord Black and his godson would pay a small fortune to the person who handed them Peter Pettigrew's location.

She carefully flew down and crawled under the bedroom door, figuring on a quick look around before getting back out and heading past the wards. Rita was actually hoping she wouldn't see anyone else as the beetle began searching for another exit, what she found instead would stay with her for the rest of her life. There was a body hanging from the entrance hall chandelier by its ankles, a pool of blood had collected and coagulated on the marble floor beneath the carcass. Some of that blood had already dried and stained the floor, leading the former reporter to think the body might have been hanging there for a few days.

Rita had thought Bertha got a raw deal, that was until she saw this. It looked as if someone had taken their time and skinned this person raw a piece at a time. Whoever this was, they must have died in agony. When the body then moved and emitted a groan of pain, Rita found herself parting with her breakfast. It was only when the animagus noticed that she had shifted back into her witch form that Rita realised just how much trouble she was in.

That was certainly emphasised when sound of her throwing up attracted a visitor, Bellatrix Lestrange stood in a doorway with a bloody knife in her hand. "I don't know how you got in here, I guarantee you'll soon tell me..."

She had no intention of telling this crazy bitch anything. Instead, Rita was shouting at the top of her voice."Emergency, Now, Now, Now..."

Rita watched in horror as the knife sped through the air toward her, the loud crack ringing in her ears signalling her goblin emergency portkey had done its job and crashed through the wards. She arrived in Barchoke's office with the sound of Gringotts alarms now ringing in her ears, Rita didn't care about that - she was far too busy running her hands up and down her body. She expected there would be lots of pain involved if there was currently a knife sticking into her, but only after her hands had confirmed there really wasn't could Rita finally relax - Rita relaxed right into a dead faint.

-oOoOo-

There was no relaxing at the Malfoy home, Draco was worried that Sirius had practically summonsed them to Grimmauld Place. That Sirius had also included both of their mothers in that summons certainly didn't ease that worry. Leading them through to a lounge where they found Amelia to be waiting on them just took that worry to another level, their serious faces meant there was no way this was going to be good news. At least Amelia didn't keep them waiting long to hear it.

"Elspeth, Pansy, there's no easy way to say this, Edmund is dead."

Most of the time Amelia loved her job, this part of it though really sucked. It took both ladies a few minutes to regain enough control to ask what had happened to their father / husband.

"Voldemort was actually hiding in your home, the ministry arrived with over seventy aurors but had just missed him. We found Edmund in the entrance hall, he'd been tortured and then murdered..."

Again Amelia was forced to wait until both witches had a grip of themselves before she could continue. "We have no way of knowing how many witches and wizards answered or refused Voldemort's summons, it would appear his intention was to use Edmund as an example to the rest of his death eaters. The ministry doesn't want his death to be in vain and would like to do the same."

This confused everyone until Amelia spelled it out for them. "We want to portray Edmund Parkinson for exactly what he was, a brave man who made a mistake over a decade ago. Rather than compound that mistake, he took measures to ensure his family were safe and paid the ultimate price. The ministry thinks there are more people like Edmund out there, we don't want to see any more families faced with this situation. We intend to offer them and their families ministerial protection..."

"Pansy and Elspeth will be staying at Malfoy Manor." Amelia had found herself being interrupted by a very forceful Draco. "We have goblin wards on our home and an escape route mapped out in case of emergencies. Sorry Madam Bones but I don't trust their safety to anyone else."

Deciding to be brutally honest, Amelia laid her cards on the table. "That is exactly the problem the ministry is faced with, and one of the reasons why Edmund is now dead. If he had come to us, we could have protected the entire Parkinson family. Without that trust more people are going to needlessly die, whether they join Voldemort or not."

Narcissa had kept quiet up until now but she could see it was time to take a stand. Draco had already made his position in this conflict clear and she was going to follow her son's lead. That the dark lord would already want both remaining Malfoys to be painfully murdered really left her with no other option, their fortune still being tied up preventing them leaving the country for safety.

"Madam Bones, I agree with Draco in that both Pansy and Elspeth will be staying with us. I also understand the issue of trust that you are trying to deal with and believe the Malfoys can be of help. If you discover families who no longer want to follow the dark lord, we would happily offer those families shelter and refuge at Malfoy Manor. Since no death eater can cross our wards, the ministry would only have to provide protection for those family members carrying the dark mark."

Here was an extremely generous offer that Amelia very quickly accepted. They had been trawling through properties the ministry owned with an eye toward having them warded and designated a safe house, this was a ready made solution. That anyone caught in those circumstances would be a pureblood was already a given, which was probably the reason Narcissa Malfoy made the offer. The Malfoy name still carried some weight amongst these particular witches and wizards though, knowing their families would be safe behind the wards and walls of Malfoy Manor might just be the difference to those death eaters currently undecided on what to do next.

Elspeth had understood there was a good chance she wouldn't be seeing Edmund again when they parted that night, hearing her worst fears had been confirmed knocked the witch for six. She was slowly recovering though, there was the Parkinson name and her daughter still to protect.

"Excuse me, Madam Bones. Are you saying that the Parkinsons are going to be under ministry protection? Does this mean there won't be ministerial fines levied against our family?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying, Elspeth. The ministry will protect not only the family members but the family name and fortune too. We intend to let this public offer sit for a few days before waging all out war on every death eater we know about, using veritaserum on those death eaters we capture should provide us with any missing names. We want to use your husband's death to publicise this offer, even if we only save one more family it would be considered a success."

Pansy was currently clinging to Draco with her tears soaking his shirt. It was to her mother though that he aimed his advice. "Elspeth, Pansy and I have already made our choice, we've rejected the dark lord and all that he stands for. We don't want things to go back to the way they were, the wizarding community should be moving forward - not back. Voldemort will take great pleasure in killing me, my mate, my mother, you, Amelia, Sirius and anyone else who stands in his way. We won't be the ones doing the fighting but you must see we're stronger opposing him if we all stand together."

Pansy's sobs actually increased, causing Draco to ask her what the matter was.

"My father cast me out of the family, I know he only did it for my own protection. I was thinking that, when this was all over, I would be able to be a Parkinson again. Now that can never happen."

There was one person there who understood what Pansy was going through, Sirius tried to comfort the girl. "I was only a few years older than you when I ran away from home. My mother and father disinherited me, making my younger brother the heir to the Black family. He was murdered by Voldemort before he even got the chance to turn eighteen, yet my mother still supported the mad bastard. You will be a Malfoy in a few years and that throws up lots of options. While your mother can't bring you back into the Parkinson family, she can do that for any grandchildren she recognises. Your second born can take the Parkinson name, ensuring that family doesn't die out."

Pansy looked from Sirius to her mother, Elspeth's nod saw her attention switch to Draco. When his mate looked at him with so much need in her heart, Draco was always going to say yes. Pansy was still in tears though as she grieved for her father, Draco held her and spoke so all of them could hear.

"Your father died knowing he had saved the two most important people in the world to him, we can now give him a chance to fight back against his murders. I know I don't have a say in this but I think you should both say yes. I think that's what he would have wanted you to do, protect the Parkinson name and stick it to Voldemort at the same time."

Pansy's eyes shifted once more to her mother, a tearful Elspeth again nodded her agreement.

It was a much relieved Amelia who enlightened them on what would happen next. "The story of Edmund's murder will appear in the Prophet, along with who we suspect carried it out. The ministry will then appeal for people to come forward and we will offer them protection..."

"How are they going to contact you?" A confused Draco had interrupted Amelia again, "No one bearing the mark can enter the ministry."

Rather than being annoyed, Amelia was quite pleased at how quickly the young wizard had picked up on that. "They can't enter the ministry but they can enter Gringotts. All they have to do is approach a teller and ask to see a ministry representative. The goblins are providing us with private rooms and will have extra security on the bank floor. We will have teams of aurors patrolling Diagon Alley and a squad stationed outside the bank. Anyone wanting to ask for help will be able to do so in safety."

This level of organisation and competence from the ministry stunned both mothers, Pansy though had expected nothing less.

"Told you things were different now, Voldemort will pay for what he did to my father. If we wouldn't be so far behind, I would ask Harry if Draco and I could join them in their training."

It was with hope in her heart that Amelia left the grieving family to head back to the ministry. Those people in that house should be some of Voldemort's strongest supporters, that they were now ready to stand and fight against him meant that this time they might just be able to finish him and his death eaters off once and for all. This was their first piece of good news since the solstice.

-oOoOo-

Cornelius could be doing with hearing some good news, he was currently being faced with a failed scheme of his own.

Ludo Bagman always gave Cornelius the impression that a few of those bludgers the former beater was supposed to hit had slipped through his guard and smacked him on the head. Ludo was a 'fly by the seat of his pants' type of wizard whose only skills appeared to be the ability to once a year assist with organising the upcoming quidditch season.

These were hardly sought after qualities and certainly not abilities worthy of a head of department salary, but Ludo had been appointed to that post before Cornelius became minister and had proven really difficult to get rid of.

Dolores Umbridge on the other hand was a witch who never did anything without a plan. She was the ministry's ultimate schemer and Cornelius had thought he'd pulled off a masterstroke by forcing the two of them to work together. He was sure they would drive each other crazy and expected a resignation to be appearing on his desk within a month of her appointment. The minister would have been happy whichever one of them resigned but instead was presented with the Quidditch World Cup Final being held in England over the summer and then the prospects of the Tri-Wizard tournament being revived in Hogwarts a few months later.

The final might have held more interest if any of the home countries made it through but Wales were already out, Scotland would soon follow while England again appeared destined to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, once more living up to their tag of perennial underachievers. There was still hope that the Irish just might ride their luck all the way to the final though, that at least would give the expected crowds something to cheer about.

It was mainly the second of those events that saw Cornelius facing these two today, if the Tri-Wizard had been compromised in any way then the ministry needed to know now.

"You will both have seen from today's Prophet that our death eater problem hasn't gone away. While the article only speculates on the fact that Voldemort may have returned I can tell you both that the ministry is certain he has."

He gave that news a moment to sink in before continuing with the real reason for having these two in front of him. "This next part is not for repeating outside this room, Voldemort appears to have captured Bertha Jorkins. While we are doing everything in our power to get Bertha back, it goes without saying the poor soul would have been tortured to tell anything and everything she knew. That brings us to why I have you sitting here today, how much does Bertha know about the preparations for the Quidditch World Cup Final and the Tri-Wizard Tournament? We need to know if those events have been compromised and whether changes need to be made."

Ludo tended to sign whatever Dolores put in front of him so had no idea how to answer that question, he looked to his deputy in the hope that she did.

Hs deputy currently had a slight dilemma on her hands. She had of course taken all the credit for Bertha's work on the Tri-Wizard and the last thing she wanted to do here was admit to that. There would also be the problem of, should everything have to be changed, who Dolores was going to be able to get to do all the work then needed to reorganise the tournament.

Her decision then was an easy one for Dolores to make. "Because of the nature of the event, details of the Cup Final are all pretty public. I honestly don't see any point in moving the proposed stadium to another location that we'll soon have to publicise anyway."

Cornelius could certainly see the sense behind that argument, his own thoughts had moved along the same lines. He nodded to Dolores to continue.

It would be this part where Dolores would have to lie through her teeth. That the only person who could possibly contradict her was apparently currently a prisoner of Lord Voldemort meant it was a lie Dolores was sure wouldn't come back to hurt her.

"As for the Tri-Wizard Tournament, Bertha certainly knew there was going to be a tournament held and what schools would be competing. Her knowledge beyond that would be minimal. Mainly hearsay and anything she might have picked up around the office, no specifics of the tournament."

The minister had to accept the facts given to him but Cornelius had more to say on the matter. "The next few months could be critical for our country, I may have to take decisions you don't like but people's safety has to be our first consideration."

The very idea that the Quidditch World Cup could possibly be canceled for safety reasons shocked Ludo into action, he intended to make a lot of money off this event by running a book. "Why don't we bring the goblins onboard when the wards are being erected? If the stadium was inaccessible to death eaters then that should remove any threat to the spectators' safety. If things get anywhere near as bad as they were the last time, being able to enjoy a cup final in safety would give wizards and witches something to look forward to. Cancelling this prestigious event would see our standing drop not just in Europe but all over the world."

"I like the idea of the wards and will task Arthur with making enquires to Ambassador Barchoke on the matter. We have no intention of letting things get as bad as the last time but these high profile events will be tempting targets to these terrorists. We have to weigh up the damage to our standing cancelling events would have against holding them and our security being seriously breeched. The ministry will proceed as normal at the moment but the next few months will be crucial for more than the future of these tournaments."

Ludo and Dolores left the minister's office, shocked at the change in Cornelius. Both left wondering how these possible changes would affect their projects and even the working environment in the ministry itself. It would appear there were big changes on the way.

-oOoOo-

The big changes had already arrived in Kingussie, totally altering the environment. There was now a good six inches of snow lying across the glen, with much deeper deposits in places where the wind had caused drifts to build up. Harry and Hermione had been forced to exercise in their new training facility, the bitingly cold gusts of the last few days had made running outside impractical - if not impossible. It was certainly impossible to run in this much snow, that didn't mean they couldn't get out of the house and go for a good walk though.

Tonks was of course accompanying them, with Remus spending last night in the shrieking shack it would be this afternoon before he surfaced from his bedroom in Kingussie. Sirius was arriving this afternoon too, having spent the night as Padfoot to keep Remus company, Barchoke had sent word he had news for both of them.

The trio were enjoying ploughing their way through the fresh snow, leaving footprints where none had been before. After the tempest of the last few days the weather had settled down to cold but clear, with barely a whisper of wind to spoil their walk. They all heard the children laughing long before they saw them. Just before their route took them to the new goblin dwellings, they were soon greeted by the sight of some very happy goblin youngsters who were clearly loving shooting down a snow covered hill on sledges.

"That looks like a lot of fun, they're obviously enjoying themselves."

"Hermione, how often do you think it snows inside Gringotts?" Harry's question had both witches looking at him while Harry's gaze never left the laughing youngsters who were now excitedly waving to them. "This is what The Nation has been denied for centuries, simple things that you both take for granted are only now being enjoyed by our citizens - and then only a precious few of them. That is why we fight so hard, isn't that scene there worth fighting for?"

His mate of course agreed but this wasn't the time for that discussion, she had something else in mind that should save Harry's mood from crashing. He had done so much to further goblin relations but then felt terrible it wasn't even more, Hermione didn't want him brooding and was sure she had a way around that. "So, Centurion Crow, are you saying you've never been on a sledge before? I think then it should be up to Tonks and I to teach you."

After joining the group and exchanging greetings with the children and their parents, they went to the top of the hill where Tonks transformed some rocks into a sledge. Hermione soon had Harry plonked on the front of it, he was about to complain when Hermione snuggled up behind him and wrapped herself around his body. Harry was just thinking sledging could be a good thing when Tonks pushed them off, Hermione had the guide rope held in her hands in front of Harry and steered while they shot down the hill - both laughing all the way to the bottom.

The sight of Centurion Crow, his mate and an auror continually shooting down the hill saw one of the goblin parents tentatively climb onto a sledge with their toddler in front, the youngster's happy screams soon had more parents doing the same.

After spending the rest of the morning sledging, the trio found themselves with multiple invitations to visit homes and get something warm inside them. The problem of which invitation to chose was soon solved for them by the simple act of a little girl grabbing Hermione's hand and dragging her new friend in the direction of her house. This raised lots of laughter amongst the goblins present, especially since the centurion was left with no other option but to shrug his shoulders and follow after his mate. The person whose house they were now heading toward quickly solved any possibility of the rest of the children feeling left out by inviting them along too. The other mothers were dashing into their own houses, all then arrived at the home the trio had been led to with trays of snacks.

The goblin hospitality consisted of a roaring fire, mugs of hot ale and enough snacks to feed the entire Weasley family for a fortnight. Both Hermione and Tonks had read Henrika's book multiple times, they knew it would be considered impolite not to eat something from every plater that was offered to them. They had certainly burned off some energy dragging their sledges up the hill but neither witch would be eating much for dinner tonight.

The home was snug and warm, spartan though to wizarding and muggle tastes. What couldn't have been warmer was how welcome they were made, Hermione and Tonks being able to speak to their hosts in their own language certainly earned them respect. It was the children though that held Hermione's attention, she was reminded of another young girl, Danielle Dugan, and her reaction to father.

They were treated as welcome guests by the adults but the young children treated the trio more like they were their friends, friends who had just spent a wonderful time with them sledging down a hill. She was reminded again that children aren't born with bigotries against people who are different, Hermione had now witnessed this from both sides of the divide. That she was sitting with a little goblin girl on her knee made that point impossible to refute.

It was a happy but weary set of travellers that eventually arrived back home, that weariness dropped away though when they heard the shouting. That they instantly recognised all the voices doing the shouting didn't lower their anxiety any, they headed straight for the room that the sound of the confrontation was clearly coming from.

"You can't expect me just to sit back and do nothing, that little bastard cost me over a decade in Azkaban..."

There was no compromise in Barchoke though, he fired right back at Sirius. "I think you'll find that it was you chasing after Pettigrew that cost you that decade, not something any of us want to see repeated."

Remus was normally someone who could be relied upon to try and bring some measure of calmness to a situation like this, having undergone his transformation last night that was never going to happen here today.

"That's easy for you to sit there and say, we trusted this man like a brother and he betrayed us. All I keep hearing about from you is family, family, family. What's the goblin response when that family gets betrayed by one of its own members?" Remus ended up in Barchoke's face, his last question was practically growled at the goblin.

They hadn't seen the trio enter but their presence was soon announced, this situation was not something Harry was ever going to stand for. His anger was clear and his answer was as loud as Remus' shouted question.

"We goblins look after any family that needs it, revenge comes a poor second to caring for one of your own. I know what Sirius did was stupid, even Sirius knows what he did was stupid, he's paid for that mistake though in an Azkaban cell. Where were you, Remus? Where were you when members of your so-called family needed you? If you counted Pettigrew as a brother then I'm assuming my father would have been considered the same. That makes me your nephew, a nephew you abandoned."

Harry's words took all the fight out of Remus, he didn't argue because there wasn't an argument he could put forward for his actions - or lack of them. He'd basically crawled into a hole and hid from the world.

Harry was relentless though, making his views on the matter clearly known to everyone. "Let's get one thing straight here, if we're playing the blame game over this then there is certainly enough to go around. My parents deserve some, for putting their trust in an obscure charm and the wrong person. Had they moved to the Potter Island, both would certainly have survived past that Halloween."

Since both he and Hermione were trying to ensure the Grangers took this action, it was difficult to refute Harry's claim. He wasn't anywhere near finished though. "Sirius, Hagird, Dumbledore, McGonagall, Lupin, Pettigrew, Voldemort, there's more than enough blame for everyone to get a share."

His gaze had been locked on Remus and Sirius throughout his rant, it then turned lovingly to Barchoke. "The one person that no portion of blame can attach itself to is my father. He took me in when 'family' wouldn't and has raised me ever since."

Switching back to the two Marauders, he rounded off his tirade. "If either of you want to abandon what you have to go chasing after Pettigrew then go ahead, just don't go taking your tempers out on my father because that is something I'll never allow - especially not in my house. Neither of you would be sitting here now if it wasn't for him."

Harry's voice being added to the shouting match drew the rest of the house guests to see just what was happening, they saw what those in the room had already surmised. Centurion Crow was standing ready to do battle if necessary to protect his father.

It was that same father though who defused the situation before it could develop any further. "Oh dear, Hermione, we really have our work cut out if we're ever going to make a diplomat out of our Harry."

"I don't know, Father, sometimes Harry's direct approach is exactly what's needed. These marauders can be a pretty thick-headed bunch, thankfully we're teaching Crow's Marauders that their mind is their most important weapon in any fight. If these two stopped and thought about what they were arguing over then I'm sure they would realise that nobody wants Pettigrew's head on a stick more than Harry. That doesn't mean Harry's going to go chasing after the rat, he knows I'd never let him hear the end of it."

"Sirius won't be chasing after anyone, he has a wife now - and a daughter on the way." Henrica's news changed the entire emphasis of the room, with everyone now focusing on congratulating the Blacks.

Not quite everyone though, Remus quietly approached Harry to apologise, for his outburst against his father and also for not being there when he was needed.

With his temper now gone, it was Harry who was soon doing the apologising. "I'm really sorry for laying into you, Remus. That happening with the Dursleys on Christmas Day has had my mind thinking what would have happened if Vernon hadn't taken me to Gringotts. The very thought of being raised by them fills me with dread. If not for my father I would probably still be walking about with a horcrux in my head, the Dursleys wouldn't know how to spell that - far less how to deal with it. I know that night must have been hard for you too, but for me it was almost catastrophic. My father saved me and helped make me who and what I am, I could never stand there and watch someone scream at him. I'm as impulsive as Sirius in that respect."

"Okay, I heard my name mentioned and you two are far too serious here. Sorry for earlier, Harry, you were right and Henrica soon pointed that out to me."

After both had congratulated Sirius on his news, he then had a question to ask. "There were four people we considered as godparents and you two were in that group. What we decided was to ask Tonks and Harry this time, with Hermione and Remus up next time. You two okay with that?"

The smile Harry was now wearing lit the room while Remus was already joking about how long he'd be made to wait. Sirius now had his arms around both their shoulders, while he was still slightly taller than Harry the lad certainly had him trounced for breadth. With their heads close together he then asked the question he needed to know the answer to.

"I'm really sorry about earlier, are we three still good?"

"Sirius, as I explained to Remus, I saw my father being shouted at and overreacted. We're good, and Pettigrew will get his. I really don't care who does it, just as long as someone does. If Voldemort got hit by a bus I wouldn't be disappointed it wasn't me driving, I'd just be delighted he was gone. Hermione taught me that, we need to listen to our brilliant girls more often. I now have my mate, two lots of parents with a brother and a goddaughter on the way, this is not the time to go charging into battle like a Gryffindor."

Sirius was incredibly proud of his godson, that didn't mean he wasn't going to tease him though. "You certainly inherited your mother's eyes but you also got something else, her temper. Lily would have all of us scampering out of her way when she lost it, a very sweet but still scary witch."

They were then approached by their three witches, all of whom had been listening to every word. "Girls, what are we going to do with them."

That question was quickly answered by Tonks. "Don't take this the wrong way, Henrica, but you've already done everything there is to do. You married the prat and then got pregnant..."

"Hey, I didn't know anything about these stupid marauders. I'm Swedish - not British."

"Oh, that's nothing. My mate's a goblin through and through. That's a fact we all have a tendency to forget - until something like this happens and his inner goblin shines through. There isn't a word in the goblin language for 'protective' because they don't need one, it's built into their way of life." Hermione came forward and, taking Harry's face in her hands, gently kissed him. She knew her mate was worried about what was happening all around them, now it was her turn to be there for him.

She gently teased him some more. "I think you need to add 'adoptive centurion uncle' to about a dozen young goblins now living in the glen to your list. I can just imagine them turning up at our door during the summer holidays and asking if Harry's coming out to play."

"They also seemed very taken with their 'Aunt Hermione', though I can't blame them for that."

"...and my mate now has more people he considers family, and has to protect."

"I am the Baron of Kingussie and they are living on my land, Hermione, that makes it my duty to protect them."

"...and you will, Harry. Just remember, you don't have to do it alone. That is why we train so hard, to protect those we love."

The couple were now oblivious to those around them, their entire focus on each other. Even the two marauders thought the moment was too sweet to interrupt, that and they knew Henrica and Tonks would make them pay for it later. Barchoke didn't think he was the only one who picked up on Hermione's last comment, Dan too understood she trained as hard because she wanted to stand beside her mate in any fight.

It was two mothers standing watching in the background who were left to sum the situation up. Moa was delighted the news of her daughter's pregnancy was now public, and at their choice of godparents. "Protectiveness is a good trait for a godfather to have."

This received Emma's agreement. "It's a good trait for a husband, brother and son to have too."

-oOoOo-

Rookwood was concerned about his unborn son. These thoughts though were not the typical concerns a parent has for their unborn child, Augustus was concerned either Bella could be killed or he himself might not live long enough to see his son born. He was now having to deal with two psychopaths, and one of them was pregnant, hormonal and his mate.

In all the raids he'd participated in, all the murder, rape and torture he'd witnessed, nothing had prepared Augustus for what he saw at Parkinson Manor. His mate sweetly singing nursery rhymes to their unborn child while at the same time cutting strips of skin off the screaming manor's owner sent severe chills down the death eater's spine. Being pregnant was making Bella's condition worse, and then there was also their master to deal with.

After having to flee the Parkinson home, they returned to the only place they could guarantee would be safe. Going from the manor to a tent certainly did nothing for the master's mood, then Peter returned with a newspaper that just ignited his ire.

It was left to Augustus to at least try and focus that ire onto something productive. "Master, they tried the same tactic after Bella and I escaped Azkaban. Articles were printed in the Prophet that were specifically designed to provoke a reaction from us."

His mate was sitting sharpening her knife while gently humming to herself, Bella though missed nothing and agreed with Augustus. "They printed a picture of the cup you gave me for safekeeping, Master, it was being presented as a gift to Hogwarts. This was after announcing that the Lestrange vault had just been emptied to help in the fight against us. I think our son was conceived that day as Augustus fought to keep my attention away from storming the ministry. That was also the day we discovered we could find you, Augustus convinced me that was the best way to get back at the ministry."

It was an enraged Voldemort who threw the offending newspaper at Rookwood. "And just how do you think I should respond to that? How is-s this-s even possible, can the ministry really have changed that much?"

It wasn't difficult to decipher what had upset their master, it was plastered all over the front page. That Parkinson was being portrayed as a hero who had saved his family was certainly a shock. The offer of ministerial protection to the families of any marked death eater who didn't want to serve Voldemort was astonishing, and could be disastrous for their cause.

He didn't know how many believers their master expected to appear on the night of his rebirth, Rookwood was certain though that there wasn't a full turnout.

"It's that Bones bitch who's behind this. She's very smart, utterly ruthless and has the ear of the minister..." Augustus stopped mid-sentence, Bella's humming had halted and she was looking at him strangely. He suddenly realised he'd been singing the praises of another woman - and his psychopathic, hormonal mate had a knife in her hand.

"I want her dead, love, that's all. She's a formidable obstacle that needs to be removed."

Tom needed to do something, the dark lord living in a tent was never going to be acceptable for more than a few days. Lord Voldemort also needed to react in a way that stopped his followers haemorrhaging to the ministry and struck fear into the hearts of those who opposed him. He announced his decision.

"The Bones family have stood against me for the last time, they shall be the first victims of my return."

In one sense, Augustus could see the logic in that move. He could also see that the Bones family would be well protected, both with guards and wards. This took him back full circle to concern for their unborn son. There was no chance Bella wouldn't participate in this attack, the gleam of anticipating a fight was already clearly displayed in her beautiful eyes.

A/N thanks for reading.

74. Bodies on the Grass

Harry Crow

Disclaimer- all the good stuff belongs to JKR, the rest is mine.

Chapter 74

The dark lord once more called his followers to the scene of his rebirth, hiding his anger that there were now two death eaters less in attendance than had appeared on the night of the solstice. He really needed to reverse that trend tonight. Including himself was the only reason their numbers topped two dozen witches and wizards in the graveyard.

"My loyal death eaters-s, tonight we take the first steps-s in reclaiming what is-s rightfully ours-s by birth. These usurpers-s will taste our wrath for daring to try and deny us-s what we're due, they and the creatures-s they've aligned themselves-s with. These people delude themselves-s into thinking their new wards-s will keep them safe, safe enough to thumb their nose at us-s. That all changes-s tonight, tonight we will prove once and for all no one can hide from Lord Voldemort."

This resulted in cheering, though how much of it was pretence couldn't be determined behind their masks.

"Tonight we attack a target protected by these wards-s and we will rip them down together, no wards-s are a match for our combined power. Bellatrix will then lead half of you into the house while the rest of us-s wait behind to slaughter the beasts-s as-s they arrive. Swords-s and axes-s are no threat against a witch or wizard armed with their wand."

Hearing these details saw those present entering more into the spirit of the occasion. Initially, all had reservations, none were sure if their master had intended to storm the ministry itself tonight. Looking around had their confidence growing, there should easily be enough of them present to storm someone's home - and their master would be amongst them.

This was more like it, more like what they were used to from the good old days of the last conflict. Attacking a home with numbers overwhelming in their favour and killing everyone - after having a little fun.

This action tonight should destroy peoples' faith in these wards and, combined with slaughtering any goblins who had the nerve to turn up and try to interfere, should also go a long way to destroying this so-called alliance. Their goblin ambassador would soon find himself out of a job and barred from even entering the ministry.

Bella quickly picked her assault team before the entire group portkeyed away to begin the second wizarding war.

-oOoOo-

After being greeted by Susan, they headed into the ballroom and spotted more of their friends waiting there. The party from Kingussie and Grimmauld had actually grown by one tonight, father had asked if Rita Skeeter could be included too. Rita had been in a bad way after what she witnessed in Parkinson Manor, and also her narrow escape from suffering the same fate as Edmund. The Ambassador reminding their host just how big a part Rita had played in the war against the death eaters, and helping chase Dumbledore out of Britain too, quickly saw her name being added to the guest list. Rita though didn't follow the group over to offer Pansy their condolences, she really couldn't face the girl after witnessing what had befallen her father. The former reporter headed straight for the bar.

Harry was delighted to see Pauline Nott along with Draco and Pansy, learning that her family was only one of those who had now moved into Malfoy Manor. He was also touched by both Padma and Luna hugging him and offering condolences for what happened in Crawley.

"Thanks girls but Padma, you knew the Dursleys as well as I did. You were with me the only time I met them, and we both know how those occasions turned out. It's actually affected Hermione more, since she was in the same primary class as Dudley for years." This saw the girls switch their hugs to his mate as everyone began catching up on what had happened since they'd seen each other at Christmas.

There were also friends they hadn't seen since the express dropped them off in Kings Cross. Daphne and Blaise were there too, with Terry and Morag completing their marauder trainers team - Hannah was of course present, having helped Susan organise her first party. Rather than have everyone sitting down to a formal meal, the girls had adopted the method Sirius had used last year for this event with a buffet set for people to help themselves. Little Astoria Greengrass was excitedly doing just that while not believing her luck at being invited to another great New Year party.

Looking around the ballroom, Harry also spotted both their extra defence tutors standing having a conversation with a couple of aurors. Moody was still drinking from his hip flask though. Harry waved to Cedric as he arrived with his parents, this had all the makings of a great party - something they all needed after the news of Voldemort's return. A loud gong reverberating through the large house soon changed that.

Amelia had been perfectly happy to sit back and allow her niece to play hostess. Susan was becoming an outstanding young witch, growing in confidence thanks mainly to the company she now kept. The alarm changed everything, it was time for the Head of the D.M.L.E. to take charge. An elf appeared at her side, passing information before popping away.

"That sound you just heard signals our wards are under attack. I've just been informed we have a group of over twenty death eaters trying to gate-crash our party, I think we should get ready to give them a warm welcome."

His jacket was already coming off as Harry asked the first question. "Amelia, where are they?"

"They're to the west, using the woods as cover while they try to bring down the wards...Harry, what are you doing?"

"There will be a squad of twenty goblin warriors arriving here in the next few minutes. If they can get those wards down before our warriors arrive then it will be a slaughter. I need to warn those warriors and make some death eaters keep their heads down long enough for them to charge..."

The sound of material ripping had Harry, and everyone else turning around. Hermione had a knife from the buffet and was performing alterations to her dress never considered by the goblin tailors who'd designed and made it. He knew exactly what his mate was up to but still needed to ask Amelia's previous question for confirmation. "Hermione, what are you doing?"

"I can't fight in a dress made for dancing. I can go just as quickly and as sneakily as you..."

"You haven't perfected that yet, far less tried it at night..."

"I will be where I'm supposed to be, on my mate's arm."

Knowing the explosion was coming, and not having the time to deal with it, Harry went for a preemptive strike. "Dan, when those wards come down the death eaters will be able to apparate into the house, call Dobby for your guns and keep Emma safe. I'll do the same for Hermione..."

Dan understood at once what Harry meant, Hermione would be in as much danger inside the house as out. He also trusted Harry to keep her safe, Dan called for Dobby.

"Not without me, Crow..."

"Tonks, we'll be under an invisibility cloak and running as fast as my armour will take us. If you can be invisible too then you're welcome to tag along, we have to be unseen though. If our warriors appear at the other side of the manor we'll simply be keeping our heads down and seeing what we can do to help." Harry now had pockets to hold his dad's invisibility cloak sewn into every jacket or robe he owned. Hermione kicked her heels off and transformed into her kestrel form, a kestrel that was soon comfortably perched on a golden arm. Harry was already running as he swirled the cloak around both of them and they disappeared.

Tonks found an invisibility cloak being thrust into her hands as Moody spoke to her. "You're faster than me, I'll get a few folk together and we'll be at your back though disillusioned." The young auror was still pulling the cloak on as she raced after the couple.

"Amelia, you have more than enough aurors, wands, and even guns here to defend your guests. Mind if I borrow a few volunteers and take off after the youngsters?"

Neville and Padma were right at the front of the queue, silently promising to work harder on their own animagus forms. Only a nod from Frank saw Moody accept the young couple though, the former auror having reached the same conclusion as Dan a moment ago. With Sirius, Remus, Bill and Barchoke on board too, Alastor really didn't want to take any more. He cast the charm on the youngsters while Bill did the same for his boss. Remus then cast the spell on a big black dog that shimmered into invisibility as it shot out the ballroom.

Amelia meanwhile was organising their defences, she intended that anyone breaking into her home would have to be carried out of it.

-oOoOo-

The dark lord was trying not to show the strain, these wards must rival Hogwarts for power. It was taking far too much of his own power to overload these blasted wards, all of them were experiencing the same severe drain on their magic. When the wards eventually failed, it was a sudden and catastrophic failure. The boom was not only heard but felt, leaving small pieces of magical energy slowly fizzing and floating to the ground, rather like the falling leaves in autumn. The ending of the drain on their magic left all of the attackers needing a moment to catch their breath. It was in this moment a group of battle ready goblins chose to appear.

-oOoOo-

Harry found he could make great time running through the grounds. All the magic being cast at the wards was causing them to sparkle as if they were a physical entity, it easily provided enough light for him to be sure-footed - even in an all out run. His right arm was across his chest, his hand on the hilt of his sword to stop it swinging as he ran. This was also the arm that had a kestrel perched on it, Hermione was tight against his chest and staying as still as possible to help Harry preserve his balance.

Both were glad the Bones residence was in Norfolk and not the Scottish Highlands, this move would have been impossible to attempt with snow on the ground. They reached a small banking with some bushes for cover about thirty yards from the attacking death eaters position, here they would wait and see what developed.

With only four not wearing masks, Lestrange was easily spotted. Pictures of Rookwood had also been splashed everywhere meaning they quickly recognised him too. They surmised that the other two would be Riddle and Pettigrew. Since one was a wee, fat balding man who appeared to have all the charisma of tapioca, they focused their attention on the tall figure who was pouring magic into the wards.

The kestrel slowly became Hermione, she had her back tight to Harry's chest and the cloak still covered both of them. The couple had shrunken goblin shields attached to their scabbards, these were removed and twisted to their fighting size while their weapons were made ready for battle. Harry was whispering instructions in her ear. "Whatever happens, I want you to stay here. This should give you some shelter and still allow you to provide covering fire..."

"...and where will you be?"

"That will depend on where the warriors appear, I might be right here beside you..."

Both heard someone approaching, the direction and the fact they were invisible meant that it would almost certainly be support for them. Hearing someone grumbling under their breath as they stumbled provided the needed clue.

"Tonks?"

The whispering of her name caused the auror to stop, she couldn't see them but had headed for the place that provided the most cover. "Harry, where are you?"

Hermione's hand slipping out of their cloak for a second gave Tonks a location to focus on. She never got to say anything more before the wards spectacularly crashed. The magic falling from the sky would soon make their cloaks a liability, the squad of goblin warriors appearing in just about the worst place possible made that fact irrelevant.

Harry had already picked his target, the cloak was whipped off as the sword of Gryffindor was brought into the battle. He put everything he had into the spell and let go.

""Warriors to me, warriors to me.""

The golden centurion was out of the depression and racing to intercept the warriors path as they all charged the death eaters. Hermione and Tonks though had shot up to follow Harry, all three were now pouring their most powerful spells into the group of shocked death eaters.

Bella watched in disbelief as the golden wizard appeared from nowhere, a spell left his sword and whizzed past her. Her weakened master barely had time to raise a shield before the powerful spell hit, the shield never really had a chance and the dark lord was blasted tumbling through the air to land somewhere deeper into the woods. They were coming under heavy fire and then the volume of spells suddenly increased. Bella instantly made her decision. "Wormtail, lead the attack on the house, I'm going to see how our master is."

Peter was not a brave wizard, the arrival of more wizards though had him thinking that attacking the inside of the house might be the safer option. Spotting Sirius and then Remus as part of the new group of attackers certainly made his mind up.

"Group one, let's move, now." The rest of the group had obviously reached the same conclusion as Peter and quickly disapparated away too.

Rookwood realised they'd just made a huge tactical error. With their master down and Bella determined to check on him, they had just lost their two most powerful fighters from this battle. To then split their remaining force in half while they were being attacked wasn't just crazy - it was suicidal.

These death eaters were neither trained warriors nor powerful witches and wizards, they probably spent most of their lives having everything done for them by servants. The power and accuracy of the spells they were facing were also different to anything death eaters had faced before. These were no mere stunners that were coming at them, these people were playing for keeps.

They were also still charging as they fired and those goblin blades were getting closer and closer. If they reached amongst them then there would be no quarter given. The immediate problem was Rookwood couldn't see any way of stopping them, he shot off after his mate and their master. Both needed to get back into the fight immediately or they all needed to leave even sooner than that.

The warriors charged forward on the heels of Centurion Crow, their formation opening and then closing around his charging mate and the auror with the funny hair. Both, like the Centurion, were still firing off spells but now had warriors shielding them until they reached their targets. A big dog shimmered into being running alongside the squad before it transformed into Lord Black and he too was forcing their enemy to keep their heads down.

A volley of curses coming from behind them caused a spike of panic, until those curses sailed over their heads and began smashing into the tree line. It was now grinning goblins who were almost on top of their foe. All had recognised at once the danger they were in, an entrenched enemy with a massive reach advantage could have seen them slaughtered before being able to bring their blades to bear. Instead, the Centurion and his friends had turned the once desperate situation into a rout in their favour. Centurion Crow's actions had undoubtably saved all their lives and their honour demanded that no harm would touch his mate while one of them still lived. Hermione was currently firing curses over a plethora of goblin shields, all done while still on the run toward their enemy.

With a terrifying goblin yell Harry reached their foe, the warriors were only a few yards behind the charging centurion and yelling too. His first swing with that fabled sword took an arm clean off and broke any remaining resolve. A lucky few managed to disapparate before they were overrun, those that didn't would never be running again.

Augustus knew at once what their decision would have to be, their master was unconscious and bleeding from his nose, mouth and ears. His left leg was also bent in ways that were impossible for a structure supposedly supported by bone.

"Bella, I need you to apparate our master out of here..."

"I'm going to cut out the entrails of whoever did this and make him eat them while they're still attached."

"...and I'll help you. Tonight is not the time for that though, in minutes we'll be overrun and then our master will be captured. We know he has no more horcruxes, if they kill him then he's dead this time. I know you want to fight but I don't have the power to apparate our master and me to the Forest of Dean, I barely have enough energy to make the trip myself."

Bella knew her mate spoke the truth, her instinct to fight though was strong. "That golden thing with the sword, that was Potter?"

"I think so..."

If there was one thing Bella could recognise it was a killer, they had thought they were dealing with a boy and were oh so wrong. He had led the attack on their position and fought like a demon.

She also knew Augustus would fight to the death to protect her and their master but they were outnumbered and outmatched, she would not have Potter kill her master. Bella firmly took their master's arm and then they were gone. Augustus heard the screams behind him and knew it was past time to get out of here. His last thought was that if Peter got caught then their safe place would be gone too, they would need to move in a hurry.

The battle was swiftly over and Harry called on the warriors to secure a perimeter when he was attacked. He certainly didn't need any help though, something the warriors recognised by cheering and banging on their shields. Hermione had her arms, legs and lips locked on her centurion as another page was added to the legend they were becoming, The Nation had taken the Warrior Princess to their hearts.

Harry was currently trying to have a heart to heart with his mate, he was still supporting her weight and their foreheads were now resting against each other. "I distinctly remember telling you to stay where you were and to provide covering fire from there. Instead, you charged this position like a maniac..."

"...I was following my maniac of a mate! I saw that first green curse head toward you and was moving before I knew it."

"I can now say for certain our shields will protect us from a killing curse. We knew it would destroy the shield but the force still nearly broke my arm."

"I saw three of them heading straight for you at the same time."

"Yeah, managed to dodge two but had to take the third on my shield, not something I want to do again. Then the reinforcements arrived..."

Their hug was reinforced as Neville and a tearful Padma slammed into the couple. "You two scared the bloody life out of us, we came as quick as we could. We're a team, remember?"

"Sorry Padma, I didn't even want to take Hermione but she left me with no choice."

"When did you complete your transformation? You kept that quiet..."

"Yesterday, Neville, I just never got a chance tonight to tell you both. I guess the secret is out now anyway. That's only the third time I've managed it, which is why I was on Harry's arm rather than flying. The weather in Kingussie has been too bad for flying the last few days anyway."

Harry spotted his godfather checking the bodies and broke the bad news. "Sirius, I heard Lestrange yelling for Wormtail to lead the attack on the house. They'll get him Sirius..."

Sirius was no longer there. At least he had the sense not to apparate to a house expecting to be attacked in that manner, Padfoot was once again racing across the grass as fast as his paws would carry him.

With the wards now down and the battle over, darkness had once more laid claim to this part of the countryside. The warriors were lighting torches while the rest of the group were making sure those death eaters still alive wouldn't be going anywhere or harming anyone else. It was into this scene Amelia's signal for help was answered, Tonks took charge at once before there could be any accidents involving the arriving aurors.

"Auror Tonks on site and the scene is secure, stand down. I need about six of you to help with the wounded and the bodies, none of them are from our side. The rest go up to the house and see if the boss needs any help. DO NOT APPARATE TO THE HOUSE, they were expecting to be attacked in that manner so make sure you announce yourselves. Tell her we have a problem, what to do with the wounded and dead death eaters. We can't send them to St Mungo's or the ministry because of their dark marks."

The auror in charge quickly shouted six names to stay behind before racing straight for the house.

Barchoke had a flaming torch in his hand while Bill's wand was lit as they approached the huddle containing four teenagers. "Okay you lot, what did we do wrong?"

"I ruined a perfectly good dress that was a Christmas present, I never even got a chance to dance in it."

From Hermione's flippant opening answer to their tutor's normal question, it soon got a lot more serious. "I took a killing curse on my shield instead of diving to the ground. If the attack had stalled we would have lost, I took a calculated gamble and got lucky."

Neville was next with an honest answer. "I found it a lot harder to run, dodge and accurately return fire in a real fight rather than our simulations. We were firing the heaviest curses we knew but some of the stuff coming back at us I thought Moody was making up. What would possess someone to fire off an Entrail-Expelling Curse?"

His mate though had thought of a worse problem. "None of us asked our parents for permission, there wasn't time. We just ran out of there and now we'll be in so much shit..."

Barchoke easily recognised the signs. In battle, adrenalin will keep you going and ignoring annoying things like cuts, bruises or even wounds. After the battle you are so euphoric at surviving that you can forget your actions and even forget your surroundings. As all that bleeds from your system though, and reality striking can be a right bastard.

The reality was these four were standing at the edge of a wood, surrounded by death and destruction. The cries in the night were not those of owls or foxes, rather the cries for help from the injured. That these four accounted for some of that death and destruction was unquestionable, something that was beginning to hit home to the teenagers.

"I think we better get them back to the house, Sirius will have told everyone they're okay by now but I know some ladies who will want to see that for themselves." Barchoke then found himself being enveloped in his daughter's arms. She refused to let go and Harry was then at his other side, his arm around his father's shoulders.

The goblin walked from the battlefield, a child at each side. Both of those children may have towered over him but Barchoke was so proud of them he felt ten feet tall. Padma and Neville followed with Bill beside them.

"Do you think everyone at the house will be alright?"

"Padma, here we were attacking a position the death eaters held, that made it so much harder for us. In the house, Amelia will have everyone in a defendable position and they won't be holding back. There are multiple wands, three pistols, Dan's shotgun and don't forget the two veela. With children and pregnant woman in that house they'll hit them with everything they have, those death eaters have no idea what they've let themselves in for." Bill just hoped he was right.

-oOoOo-

With no more than a basic idea of the house layout, they apparated into the entrance hall with wands drawn. The noise that made had obviously alerted those in the house of their arrival, they could hear talking and some crying behind a set of double doors.

Peter liked the idea of being in command, he also liked the idea of not having spells flying all around him. "On three, one, two..."

They blasted the doors apart and charged through the smoke and dust with deadly curses spitting from their wands.

Amelia had the defenders drag the heavy tables onto their sides, disregarding all the food Susan had spent hours deciding on. The three tables were then placed end to end, with the wall at their back, to form a protective fort. Astoria and Pauline were the youngest present so got placed right at the back where Luna was keeping an eye on them. Everyone else was ready, willing and able to fight.

As soon as they were set, all the lights were killed and then they had waited in the darkness. When the doors blew in, not only were their attackers backlit, they were bunched and firing blindly - the spell flashes further giving their position away.

The amount of magic, bullets and even fireballs that headed in the death eaters' direction meant the fight was over in seconds. It wasn't really a fight, it actually needed reclassifying as a slaughter.

Peter was lying on the ground covered in blood, none of which was actually his. They had charged into a torrent of magic and the wizard in front of him had been hurled back, throwing Peter to the ground. This was certainly the only reason Peter was still alive but that wouldn't last for long if he didn't get out of here. There was now more than one body pinning him to the ground, this may have ruled out apparition but Peter had another trick up his sleeve to help him escape.

The rat was able to squeeze his way free and now just needed to find a quiet spot to transform back then get the hell out of here. His transformation didn't go unnoticed though, he had attracted some attention from keen eyes. The rat's much smaller mass had caused some of the bodies lying on Peter to shift - something the dead shouldn't really do.

Wormtail was scampering along when a fireball exploded close enough to singe his whiskers, the next one was right in front of him. The fireballs were deadly and became relentless, with Peter soon losing all sense of direction. The rat's only thought was survival, and that certainly meant avoiding being incinerated, he had no idea Wormtail was being shepherded to a specific location.

As he just barely managed to dodge another deadly fireball, the trap was sprung. A scaly claw clamped around Wormtail, crushing ribs and snapping his spine. The rat became Peter, a Peter who couldn't move a muscle and had a veela in her avian form screeching her victory above him.

This was the sight that greeted the panting dog thad bounded into the house, stopping Padfoot in his tracks. A gentle hand was soon scratching behind his right ear. "See, Sirius, this is why you should never piss your mother-in-law off. How is everyone else?"

He transformed back into Sirius to regain the ability of hugging his pregnant wife. "Everyone's fine, love, I saw one warrior needing treatment and that was about it for our side."

Having heard his name mentioned, there were anxious parents calling for his attention from the ballroom. The mystery of why Henrica and Moa were the only ones out here was soon explained, there were at least eight dead death eaters lying blocking the destroyed doorway.

"Sirius, Sirius, how are they?"

"They're fine, Emma. When I left the four were all standing holding on to each other. Augusta, remember that curse Harry used on one of your garden walls? He did the same to Voldemort, blasted him right out of the fight before their dark lord could even get a curse off."

He was currently holding his crying wife, Emma's tears being mostly of the relief variety, but Dan needed to hear the words. "...and you're sure Hermione's fine?"

"She was wrapped around my godson and kissing him for all she was worth, Dan. If Hermione had any injuries then I didn't see them. The goblin warriors charged with a solid wall of shields, that wall opened and swallowed Hermione as she ran. We've already seen evidence that more than one goblin loves your girl, tonight was another. They weren't letting anything or anyone get near her, she was firing off spells from behind their shields."

He then turned his attention to the Longbottoms and Patils. "Moody knows their abilities better than I do. He kept a close eye on Neville and Padma but they fought as well as anyone out there. They were determined to fight their way through to their friends and they did. Frank, Alice, those two are going to be as good as you were - if not better!"

They never got to say any more before an enhanced voice let them know they had company. "Hello the house, Ministry Aurors and we're coming in."

Amelia cast the same charm on herself before answering. "Director Bones on site, situation under control, stand down and enter."

They entered and two immediately gravitated toward guarding Pettigrew, their leader heading straight for their boss. He'd never had to give a report standing over dead bodies before, he'd never actually seen someone killed in battle before tonight but pressed on.

"The other site is under control, Director, but Auror Tonks asked me to report a problem. All the dead and injured are marked, she doesn't know what to do with them."

"Oh, our new facility won't be ready for a few days yet. Do you know if Ambassador Barchoke was returning here or to Gringotts?"

"I'm sorry, Director, there were lots of goblins present, I really can't tell one from the other."

Amelia didn't like that answer, or the disparaging tone used to give it, and she was in no mood to be gentle. "The ambassador was wearing a suit while I'm sure the warriors would have been dressed in goblin armour. If you can't tell the difference between them then it's time you considered another occupation. It shouldn't have escaped your notice either that those goblins got here before you did, something we will be working on when I get back to the ministry. Let's see how many of these bodies you can recognise, get this filth out of my house and dump them on the front lawn."

"But Director, the evidence..."

"...is right in front of your nose. They are in full death eater regalia and physically broke into my house, we killed them. You can list cause of death as attacking my guests, the Chief Warlock and I will sign them. Now get them out of here so I don't have to wade through them to leave my own ballroom."

The bodies were soon being levitated out the front door and Dobby assisted the Bones elf with the clean-up that quickly followed.

News that everyone in the other group was okay lifted the tension in the ballroom, Augusta though was still faced with the sad fact that there would be a lot more students able to see the thestrals when they returned to Hogwarts on Sunday. She was currently going around her students and seeing how they were coping with tonight, while dreading hearing how many of those death eaters had children at Hogwarts.

The Hogwarts High Inquisitor then spotted a crying Parvati being comforted by her mother, the Patils staying with the Longbottoms over the holidays had certainly brought the two families closer together. While she certainly liked Parvati, Augusta was delighted her grandson had chosen her twin to be his mate.

While Parvati had stood her ground and fired curses at the attackers, Padma had destroyed her beautiful dress and raced out of here at Neville's side. Padma had a core of iron running through her that acted like a magnet and attracted the same iron in Neville. Hearing Sirius compare the young couple to Frank and Alice was praise indeed, Augusta was also delighted to hear Parvati's tears were not for herself.

"Why does it always have to be them, mum? There were even aurors here tonight but they still went..."

Augusta had watched her only child and his wife put their lives on the line every time they put their auror robes on, it was no coincidence Voldemort wanted them dead. Frank and Alice were a real thorn in their side, just like the four who left here tonight. "It's always hard to watch the ones you love put themselves in danger, that feeling won't go away just because those four will get older. All we can do is help them be the best they can and hope that's enough. They train for this and had plenty of support tonight, that's why none of the fathers objected. Those aurors are Amelia's and Amos' protection detail, they couldn't leave - only Tonks could."

Smita had known all that and appreciated Augusta was trying to comfort Parvati, there was something she wanted to ask though. "Do you really think Harry can defeat Voldemort?"

"I think tonight is a massive step in that direction. Voldemort was hurt tonight, and not just by Harry's spell. This is a hammer blow to his followers and his prestige. He set out to kill the head of the D.M.L.E. and instead got well and truly beaten. That's never happened to him before."

With the entrance now clear and clean, Amelia started moving her guests into a different part of the house.

-oOoOo-

When the four returned with Bill and Barchoke, there was no jingoistic cheering from anyone. Neither was there any mention of claiming a victory tonight, every single person invited to the party had graphically witnessed this was not a game. The four of them just wanted to find their families and ensure everyone was all right. Emma had both her children in her arms and was holding on like she never meant to let go. Her hug was being returned with equal ferocity by Harry and Hermione. Dan was removing his jacket to wrap around Hermione when Betsy appeared, her mistress' fur slippers and warm housecoat at the ready.

Watching as the little elf berated his daughter for not taking better care of herself gave Dan a moment to reflect on how much their lives had changed, how much he had changed. The Dan Granger who dragged Hermione out of Gringotts that night would never have allowed his daughter to fight by Harry's side. That Dan Granger though no longer existed, this version knew that in any fight, the safest place for Hermione was with Harry. Her mate would put his own life on the line to protect her, that there were troops of goblin warriors all willing to do the same was a really humbling experience for her father.

He'd fired both barrels into their attackers tonight, something else that the old Dan would have never considered himself capable of. The reason Dan fired only twice was, by the time he'd swapped guns, there were no more targets left standing. Dan was certain he'd hit what he'd aimed at but had no idea of the final result, he was also certain that's why Amelia had the bodies moved quickly. She wouldn't want any of the teens thinking theirs was the curse that finished someone off. A lot of people had died tonight, the only thing being quietly celebrated here was the fact that it wasn't any of them.

Once the little elf had finished berating Hermione, Betsy then threw her arms around her mistress' legs. "Mistress needs be more careful, Betsy needs her mistress..." With a sob, the little elf was gone, leaving Hermione free for Dan to hug.

With his daughter safely wrapped in his arms, he then noticed Emma still hadn't let Harry go. "I asked you to keep her safe, Harry, and you did. Thank you."

This earned him a genuine smile from the serious young man. "No thanks needed, Dan, you held up your side of the bargain." This had Emma chuckling though drew a groan from Hermione. "I swear that Padma's a bad influence on him."

Barchoke was meanwhile having a conversation with Amos and Amelia on what to do with the dead and injured death eaters, they'd hit a sticking point though. "Goblins do not administer healing to those condemned to die, keeping someone alive long enough so you can then kill them is pointless. I am of course assuming that will be the fate of those captured tonight?"

"Yes it bloody will be!" This coming from the moderate Amos somewhat shocked the other two, the Chief Warlock though was unrepentant regarding his change of attitude. "Every one of them would have been marked by Voldemort in the last war. Had the problem been dealt with then, my wife and son would not have been faced with what happened here tonight."

Amelia's opinion was never in any doubt. "The fate that awaits death eaters caught supporting Voldemort has been well publicised. Only the fact that we're waiting on completion of our new facilities has held us back a few days. We also thought it would help if the children were back at Hogwarts before we started bursting into homes, just in case some don't want to come quietly. There's no danger of children being hit by any stray spells if they're safely back in the castle. We want these prisoners kept alive only until we can extract all the information they posses from them, especially Pettigrew."

"I will of course need to consult with The Director on this matter, meanwhile our warriors will remain here until new wards can be erected. That will happen tomorrow..." The large grandfather clock beginning to strike midnight saw Barchoke smile and change his mind. "Make that today. I shall leave at once and see if we can't get these bodies off your grass."

Amelia held out her hand. "Thanks Barchoke, ...and Happy New Year!" She then did something unthinkable and kissed Barchoke on the cheek, discovering that goblins could actually blush.

Amelia knew exactly what she owed this goblin. Without having those wards, warriors and their extended family here tonight, it could have easily been hers and Susan's bodies lying out on the grass. Amelia didn't even want to think about what state those bodies would have been in.

In the last war, Voldemort appeared to know every move they were going to make while the ministry was flying blind for most of the time. The positions were now reversed with the death eaters reduced to reading the Prophet to gather any intelligence. Since tonight's party had been for their extended family and a few close and trusted friends, Voldemort and his death eaters had found themselves facing forces far greater than they would ever have expected. That Harry had been able to hit the dark lord with a spell was also something no one had accomplished in the last war, not even Dumbledore.

In any war Amelia knew that luck could play a large part in the outcome. They had just been handed a massive slice of luck tonight and she intended to capitalise on it, she needed to find Rita and wish her a Happy New Year too.

Midnight reminded everyone why they had come here in the first place and the traditional greeting was soon being offered to family and friends. It was then Harry spotted Pauline trying to hide away in a corner, he was soon beside the young girl.

"Sorry your first party was ruined, are you all right?"

"I shouldn't be here, Harry."

"Do you want me to see Draco about taking you home?"

This seemed to start the tears she'd obviously been fighting back. "I shouldn't be here and you shouldn't even be talking to me. Only because my father's locked up in Azkaban stopped him being one of those who attacked us tonight, how can you bear to be anywhere near me?"

Harry's arm was soon around the crying eleven year old, drawing her in to a comforting hug and letting her cry onto Dan's borrowed jacket. His own was somewhere in the ballroom but no one wanted to go back in there just yet. "That's exactly why you're here, you can see it's wrong to attack people like that..."

"Of course it's wrong..."

"Those people tonight didn't think so, your father didn't think so. Why should we treat you the same as them when you're clearly different?"

The little girl was now clinging to Harry and breaking her heart, her sobs clearly racking her body.

"Look at Draco and Pansy, they made their own decision on what they want to do. Pauline Nott will be given the same chance."

Through her sobs, Pauline began to tell Harry of her fears. "I thought I would have lost all my friends after tonight, it just hit me what my father is. How was I supposed to face Natalie again..."

Harry held her and let Pauline cry it out. "There will be people lying dead out there who will have sons and daughters at Hogwarts. Those sons and daughters will be hurting but we have to be the brave ones, we have to be the ones holding out the hand of friendship. We have to keep holding out that hand, no matter how many times it gets slapped away. Accepting that friendship means, like you, they are safe in here with us. The alternative is for them to be the ones left lying on the grass somewhere."

Pauline's tears had all but stopped, she was so entranced by Harry's words. "If you, Draco and Pansy can see that, then I'm going to ask for your help to let others see what you do. Can you do that for me? I don't want there to be any more bodies lying on the grass."

The young girl looked into those pleading green eyes and was lost, the self-revulsion from earlier that had been eating away at her soul was banished for good. Harry had not only given Pauline back her self-respect, he'd also provided a focus for her to actually help him. Pauline not only accepted, she silently swore never to let him down.

Pansy stepping in and leading Pauline away to freshen up let the now embarrassed pair see that most of the room had been listening to their conversation.

Hermione stepped forward, the sword still at her side so at odds with her furry slippers and housecoat as to be comical. She was also wearing a large smile as she jokingly shook her head at her mate. "Harry Crow, what am I going to do with you?"

She may not have been expecting an answer but received one from Padma. "See Barchoke about building an extension onto Crow's Nest in Kingussie, your mate seems determined to fill it with family..."

This was certainly greeted with chuckles but, as Hermione now sat beside her mate, most were still touched by his words. Amelia and Amos thought he'd summed up what the ministry needed to do beautifully while Harry's words had a profound affect on Rita.

The now freelance reporter had earlier hitched a ride with Barchoke and witnessed the entire battle, Amelia had also offered to give her an account of what happened inside the house. Now that Rita actually thought about it, she embodied everything Harry had just said.

When she'd worked against them, Rita had soon been out of a job and shunned by everyone. She may not have been bodily lying on the grass but her career was certainly as dead as those who currently were. Working for Barchoke had brought her not only riches but respect too, respect enough for Director Bones to seek her out and offer an interview.

Tonight had the potential to change their world, and Rita Skeeter would be the one to tell that story. Rita might not have joined up for all the right reasons but she was a convert now, and certainly glad to be along for the ride. Anyone who could do things like that to Edmund and Bertha deserved everything that was coming their way, Rita witnessed the first proof tonight that justice might actually be served on the dark lord.

A/N thanks for reading and hope to see you back here next week

75. Open Hand or Clenched Fist

Harry Crow

Disclaimer - I write purely for my own enjoyment and make no money from my efforts, neither do I own Harry Potter

Chapter 75

Their new calendars might have informed the wizards and witches of Britain they had woken that morning to the first day of nineteen ninety-four, a more important publication cast doubt on that fact. The entire front page of the Daily Prophet might not have said so as such, but a new millennium had just been entered - irrespective of trivial things like the actual date.

Their morning paper may have been delivered slightly later yet, since this edition actually made history, there would be no complaints about its tardiness. There, on the front page of their daily newspaper, was irrefutable proof that Voldemort had returned. The only reason that people weren't running screaming from their homes, after being presented with a picture of the clearly not dead dark lord, was they were rendered mesmerised by what happened next. A curse left the boy-who-lived and blasted the supposedly invincible Lord Voldemort clear out of the picture.

With that one act, the boy-who-lived was literally golden. The Prophet's readers just had confirmation of their worst fears, only for their saviour to prove he was once more up to the job of taking care of their dark lord problem. From this moment on, the boy-who-lived could call himself Marvin the Martian and people would be queueing to add an emblem of the red planet to their robes in a show of their support for their hero.

The second picture on the front page may not have moved but it was every bit as iconic, dead death eaters lying on the grass at Bones Manor. The headline proclaiming 'Battle of Bones Manor' told everyone where these events had happened, the pictures alone were enough to inform them what the outcome of that battle was.

Rita's detailed accounts of both battles drew the readers right into the conflict, having them live every spell cast on this most momentous of nights. Her interview with the head of the D.M.L.E. though proved almost as iconic as those two pictures. Amelia didn't mince her words.

This was an assassination attempt against me by this self-styled dark lord and his masked terrorists. It took over two dozen of them, including Voldemort, to bring my wards down. Even then, a squad of goblin warriors arrived on my property before these attackers could take advantage of the situation.

Centurion Crow was a guest in my house and reacted immediately as the alarm was sounded. He, his mate, Miss Hermione Granger, and the ministry auror assigned as his protection detail, Auror Tonks, led a few more of my guests against the group of death eaters deliberately left behind to stop reinforcements reaching the house. Harry taking out Voldemort at the start of the battle certainly swung it heavily in our favour.

I led the defence of our home myself and offer no apologies for the bodies on the grass. There were approximately twenty current Hogwarts students attending this party, including my niece, we did what we needed to do to protect them.

Amelia's words saw every parent reaching the exact same conclusion as the defenders. Had they been lucky enough to gain an invitation to Madam Bones' party, they wouldn't have held back with their spells either.

It was the next part though that sent shivers down spines, whether those were shivers of fear or even pride depended on if the witch or wizard reading had been branded by Voldemort.

The ministry has held forward the hand of friendship and forgiveness to people who made a serious mistake over a decade ago. That same hand though can easily be clenched into a fist, ready to protect our friends and smite our enemies. Those who attacked my home clearly declared themselves enemies and paid the ultimate price, it was more than their blood that ran out onto the grass.

Their families will face a heavy fine from the ministry for these treasonous acts, sixteen families are waking up to the news one of their members was killed. We have four wounded, all of whom will be tried for treason using truth serum, and a maximum of five who escaped.

There can be no forgiveness for any of those five and the full weight of the ministry will be brought to bear in the hunt for Voldemort, Lestrange, Rookwood and the as yet unknown other two masked death eaters.

There it was in black and white, what the future held for death eaters in Britain. This had a profound affect in homes the length and breadth of the country.

Thomas Avery had barely escaped last night with his life, it would appear his father wasn't as lucky. He would be heading to Gringotts, not to ask for forgiveness but to empty his vault. He hoped to be in France by the time the ministry came knocking on the door.

John Gibbon was the other death eater the ministry were looking for, he though had been badly injured in the fight and it was nothing short of a miracle that he managed to apparate home. That was the last miracle for John, despite his family's frantic efforts he slipped away just before the dawn. They would now have to rush and cremate the body, denying the ministry any evidence and hopefully saving what little wealth the family had.

Every other marked death eater who hadn't already done so headed for Gringotts to throw themselves on the mercy of the ministry. A competent Ministry of Magic and the dark lord being defeated again by the boy-who-lived made it look increasingly likely that they had picked the wrong side, it was time to change sides before it became too late.

-oOoOo-

It was later than he'd hoped when an exhausted Bill reached the Burrow. His family all knew he was attending the Bones party last night and he'd planned on arriving there before the story broke, his work in Gringotts though had kept him busy all night.

He was almost attacked by Ginny as she threw herself at her eldest brother, Molly wasn't far behind her daughter. Only when she'd confirmed for herself that her son was indeed fine did the lecture begin.

"Since when did your new job include battling you-know-who? I almost had a heart attack when Skeeter mentioned you'd taken part in that charge against the death eaters."

"Mum, my job is to train Harry so that one day he'll be able to face Voldemort..."

"Doing a hell of a job there, brother..."

"Sure is, Fred. Our Bill should be in line for a bonus after last night's efforts..."

It was a tired Bill who sat down at the table and helped himself to a cup of tea from the pot. Ginny was as close as she could get to her favourite brother, reassuring herself that he was okay while still desperate for news.

"We got lucky. The death eaters thought they would heavily outnumber those in the house, they didn't know Amelia was holding a party. When Harry took Voldemort out of the fight, they didn't know what to do next."

Percy was still studying today's paper in disbelief. "Did Harry really do that?"

"I was there, Percy, I understand where you're coming from but I saw it for myself. Harry is an extremely powerful young man, I think he might even rival Dumbledore by the time he's ready to leave Hogwarts..."

Molly felt her question was being ignored, not something she was used to so Bill found himself being interrupted. "I still don't see why that meant you had to be there too?"

"The four students I tutor raced into battle. What was I supposed to do, hide?"

Trying to change the subject, Ginny asked the question she really needed to know the answer to. "Are they really all okay?"

"Hermione and Padma had some cuts and scratches on their feet. The shoes that would have been fine for dancing the night away weren't suitable for running across the grass, both girls charged the death eaters in their bare feet. Harry might have a few bruises but nothing more serious than that. Once the warriors got close enough to use their weapons, the battle was over seconds later."

"I don't know how I feel about goblins attacking wizards..."

"Listen mum, if the death eaters ever attack the Burrow, I promise you'll be glad of their help. They arrived well before the aurors, and it was their own director who was being attacked."

This finally saw Ron speak out. "Why would the goblins protect us?"

"Ron, you of all people should know how goblins react when one of their friends or family is being attacked. Why do you think dad was woken and had to leave for Gringotts in the middle of the night? He's the Ministry's contact with The Nation, you better believe the warriors would come running if he was attacked."

"I still don't understand why Arthur had to be dragged out of bed..."

His exhaustion was shortening Bill's temper. "Mum, the ministry can't take any marked death eaters past their wards, even dead ones. All the bodies and the injured are currently inside Gringotts, of course the ministry is going to need its own contact with The Nation's Ambassador for that. Dad is having to liaise between all the witches and wizards summoned to Gringotts, as well as those relatives who will be heading there after reading this morning's paper. You always wanted dad to get a better job at the ministry, now he's got one of the most important posts there is. You probably won't be seeing much of him over the next few days, there is a lot of work to do."

This peaked Percy's interest. "What is it dad is actually doing?"

"Each of those who attacked the Bones residence last night are seeing fines of eighty percent of their family's wealth levied against them, the goblins will be doing the collecting. Whose job is it to work between the two governments? I'm going home to grab a few hours sleep before I need to return to Gringotts and help. There must be about half the ministry currently working inside Gringotts dealing with both of these problems, and dad is overseeing the entire ministry side of the operation. Why do you think he got such a rise in salary? He's earning every knut of that salary today."

The effects of this measure wasn't lost on the current Hogwarts Head Boy. "This could see some of the wealthiest pureblood families stripped of their wealth, and power."

As Percy's words sunk in to all the Weasleys, Bill not only confirmed that would be the case but gave his backing to the policy.

"The ministry is taking the action it said it would. Voldemort and his cronies are trying to overthrow the legal government of our country so he can rule as a dictator, there is only one real punishment for that. Their response against the attackers last night was swift and hard, just as they said it would be. After posting the warnings about what following this madman would cost them, the ministry can't then take it easy on the death eaters' families."

-oOoOo-

In Kingussie, the family was certainly taking it easy. Hermione was lying back on a sofa with a book in her hands, her feet were currently resting across Harry's lap. With his left arm liberally coated in a cream to help reduce bruising, the still painful to touch limb was currently resting in a sling.

Dan was fussing over his pregnant wife while Tonks quietly chatted to Remus.

"What does it feel like to know Peter is finally captured?"

The werewolf took a moment to think before answering his girlfriend. "I'm relieved he can no longer do any harm but I'm having trouble equating that thing we saw lying on the floor last night with the boy I attended Hogwarts with for seven years. I know the ministry were desperate to get information out of him, I just want to know why - why he betrayed his friends?"

Noticing their conversation wasn't as quiet as they thought, Remus directed his next remark to the two teens who were obviously listening. "I know you'll find this hard to believe but the marauders were as close as you four are, Peter to us would be like Neville or Padma betraying you two..."

Harry was quicker than Hermione to defend their friends, she clearly agreed with his opinion though. "Never going to happen, Remus. Neville doesn't have a dishonest bone in his body and Padma is a true friend. We trust those two with our lives..."

"...just like we trusted Peter with ours, and your mum and dad paid the ultimate price for that trust. That's why I can understand Sirius chasing after Peter, it really was a betrayal that cut to the bone. Sirius was really fond of Moa before this happened, you can bet he loves his mother-in-law now."

The other couple present then joined what had now become a discussion. "Lukas and Moa are leaving for Sweden in the morning, aren't they?"

Tonks was nodding her agreement to Emma as she answered. "Yeah, they'll be returning to Britain though as Henrica gets closer to her due date."

This was something Harry hadn't thought of. "Will Henrica be able to teach until the end of term?"

It was her fellow professor who answered that one. "No, the baby's due right at the start of the holidays. I know she's hoping to make it up until the exams but the baby might have something to say about that."

Hermione then turned to her parents, asking the question the couple really wanted to know the answer to. "Mum, dad, have you decided what you're going to do yet?"

"Your mum and I spoke about it last night before we went to sleep, today it still seems like the right thing to do. After we see the pair of you onto the express tomorrow, we'll both be heading for the island."

It was only their injuries that stopped both teens springing right over there, the wide smiles of relief now worn was almost as good as a hug to Dan and Emma. She then picked up where her husband had left off.

"We plan to take Harry's book of properties with us and sit studying it in the sunshine. Barchoke has promised to get us portkeys to wherever we want to go, and Dobby will of course be looking after us. We'll keep in touch through Barchoke so send any letters to us there, Dobby will be collecting and passing on any mail from us."

Harry was delighted with that news. No one should be able to trace the Grangers because even they wouldn't know exactly where they were, he just wished his parents had adopted the same approach. "That's a brilliant idea, you saying you'll be travelling to my house in Spain won't mean a thing unless someone had access to the property book. Since you will have the only copy, you should be perfectly safe. Father will know how to reach you in case of any emergencies."

That was picked up at once by a concerned Dan. "Are you expecting there to be any emergencies? If so, I vote you both come with us."

"I'm not expecting any. To be honest, Dan, I don't think Gringotts or the ministry know what to expect next."

Remus was quick to agree with that. "In the last war, getting a few families out before the death eaters attacked was about the best we could have hoped for. Winning a major battle, never mind hitting Voldemort with a spell, is unprecedented. What happens next is anyone's guess. I do know that Tonks and I, the Blacks and Augusta will all be keeping an eye on them at Hogwarts. With Bill and Mad-Eye regularly popping in and out too, there should be enough of us there to deal with any so-called emergencies that come along."

While not completely happy with that answer, Dan and Emma thought it was the best they were going to get. No one likes to think their children could be in danger but they also had to take into account that the four teens had proven once more that they could look after themselves when they needed to.

Talk drifted onto this year's summer holidays but there really was little enthusiasm for making any plans. Harry was going to become a godfather and a brother this summer, any plans made would have to work around those two massive events. Henrica and Emma would be the important ones this year, all other arrangements would revolve around them.

Harry floated the idea of having a good sized swimming pool attached to the property, rather than a tiny one at the end of their new training room. Enclosing it in some kind of weatherproof structure was also cited as a must as a few other amendments were added to enhance the original idea. The six spent a pleasant afternoon just chatting as friends and family do, trying to put the horrors of last night behind them by looking forward to more pleasant things.

-oOoOo-

Rookwood and Bella didn't have that luxury, they didn't have any luxuries at all. They only had time last night to grab the biggest tent and a few supplies before fleeing to another part of the country. They were also exhausted by having to transport and care for their master, his familiar and everything else they could take with them to Dartmoor. Peter's pet didn't count as an essential, she didn't count at all. They left her sitting on the grass, Bertha might even live if the ministry got to her before she froze to death.

They were currently sitting in their one remaining tent, the heat from the flat stones Bella had placed a warming charm on keeping more than the snake warm. Their master was still unconscious and they had tended to his leg as best they could. Bella though had been on a constant rant ever since they had settled down with nothing to do but wait.

They had protective wards up, a summoned and then prepared rabbit was now gently simmering away in a pot while the tent and a few warming charms protected them from the elements. Bella though was still stuck in a revenge groove, where everyone was soon going to suffer when their master returned to power.

Augustus had been listening to this for hours before finally reaching his breaking point, it was time his mate started living in the real world. "Bella, we're going to have to spend the next few months struggling just to survive. I keep saying things have changed and last night showed that. I would guess that we are the only two death eaters left in Britain, the only two that support our master anyway. We all made mistakes last night, and now we're paying the price."

"Are you saying our master made a mistake?"

"We would normally have known exactly who was inside that house, we would probably have been able to get a few of our supporters in there too. I understood what our master was attempting last night but committing all his followers to attacking while blind to what we were facing was a desperate play, a desperate play we didn't need to make at that moment. Then the error was compounded..."

"What did I do wrong?" The edge now on Bella's voice was unmistakable, Augustus knew though that he had to get his point across. Otherwise, they would all soon be dead anyway - they couldn't afford any more mistakes.

"When Potter attacked our master, we were left facing less than ten witches and wizards with about twenty goblins. Those were certainly not insurmountable odds. Even when you left to check on our master, we still had a chance. Pressing ahead with the attack on the house doomed us all. That cowardly bastard Peter couldn't wait to get away from the fight. If they could spare that many people to attack us, did the fool think he was going to face better odds inside the house? You had rightly chosen all our best fighters to attack the Bones residence. When they left though, so did our chances of winning the battle."

"...and what mistakes' did you make, Augustus'?"

His master's voice may be weak but Rookwood still felt the menace it contained. He hadn't noticed their master regaining consciousness, Augustus had hoped to work on convincing Bella first, both at the same time meant his life was in real danger here.

"Master, I should have offered my council but held my tongue. I could have countermanded Bella's order to attack the house but that would have sown confusion amongst us and perhaps been just as bad. I didn't even signal a retreat though I knew we were lost, I let them fight to the end to buy the three of us enough time to get away. I failed you master, and will accept my punishment."

Voldemort so wanted to kill him, to kill anyone, Bella gently lifting his head to administer some hot sweet tea gave him a moment to think. That he was lying in a tent sipping tea instead of tucked up in a bed with a pain relief potion to ease his injury told its own story.

He knew bringing down those wards last night had taken a lot out of him. Even at full strength though, his shield would have had trouble dealing with a spell of that power. This saw Tom's thoughts shifting in another direction, the one with the power to vanquish the dark lord approaches… He'd certainly felt Potter's power last night.

If this was all that he was left with then punishing Rookwood really wasn't an option, he needed the man to help him figure out how they could recover from this. After they had killed Bones last night, Tom's intentions were to grace one of his followers with his presence in their home. Then it would have been time to start killing the traitors who'd refused to answer his summons. Instead, he found everything Tom Riddle had worked for since his days as a Hogwarts student being turned to ashes, ironically by a current Hogwarts student.

Tom Riddle had nothing, no breeding, money or political power, yet he'd charmed, coaxed and cajoled his way to the very top. Lord Voldemort was only a whisker away from having it all, only for the prize to be snatched away that terrible Halloween. Now, over twelve years later, the same boy had effectively destroyed him once more. Lying injured in a tent, with only two followers left in the country, and all his anchors destroyed, was not how his life was supposed to proceed.

"Rookwood, there will be no punishment coming from me. The mistake I made last night was' in choosing the wrong target. While Bones' is' undoubtably a thorn in our side, the dagger in our heart is' Harry Potter. I see now that we will never be treated as' anything other than criminals' while that boy still lives'. While Potter lives', the witches' and wizards' of Britain think they are safe from Lord Voldemort. Our task will be to show them they are wrong, before we then kill the boy."

Bella was almost drooling with excitement at that, she never even got to kill anyone last night. "Do you have a plan, my master?"

"Patience, Bellatrix, patience. That will have to be our new watchword as' it will take time to regain all that we have lost. The first thing we need to do is' find better dwellings', these are fine for an emergency but certainly not suitable for a pregnant witch. Can I assume you dealt with our guest from the ministry?"

"No Master, Augustus advised me not to."

The dark lord's gaze once more pinned Rookwood, leaving him hastily offering an explanation. "If we had killed her, it would have been simply a case of the ministry burying the body. Should they find her alive, not only will they have to care for her, it will be a constant reminder of what can happen to those who oppose you, master."

"Very well. Along with a new residence, we also need intelligence on what is' happening around us'. This' rise of the beasts' can't have pleased everyone, and that is' something we can surely exploit. We will pay them reminders' that we are still a threat while working toward getting our hands' on Potter, killing him is' the key to all of this'."

No one in the tent was saying so but all three were thinking that might be easier said than done. Anyone who could blast through the dark lord's shield had to be treated as a serious threat.

-oOoOo-

Dolores seriously considered giving up drinking when she read the New Year's Day edition of the Prophet. She must have drunk a lot more last night than she'd thought, Dolores had to be hallucinating because this couldn't be true. This wasn't a new year, it was a decent into chaos - a chaos their world might never recover from.

Goblin warriors were featured on the front page, graphically depicted by Skeeter hacking pureblood witches and wizards with their swords and axes. Instead of announcing a call to arms, getting ready to wipe out these bloodthirsty creatures and all their kin, those very same murdering creatures were publicly being thanked for their courageous and heroic efforts by the ministry.

Dolores had never been a death eater, but that was mainly because she had never been asked to join. She certainly could be classed as sympathetic to their cause, this latest atrocity making her even more committed to restoring the magical community back to its former glory. Their entire society appeared caught in a race to declare their proud and ancient heritage of blood purity as worthless.

She was now going to have to use the successes this new year would bring to see herself elevated to at least the position of a departmental head. Only then would she have the power to start applying pressure in order to start reversing some of these changes. There were a lot more witches and wizards out there though who thought the same as she did, Dolores Umbridge was going to be quietly courting their support and building a platform for herself so she could attain her ultimate goal. Dolores Umbridge, Minister of Magic, had such a nice ring to it.

-oOoOo-

Dumbledore had rung in the new year the day before he got that historic issue of the Prophet. Unlike Dolores, Albus found himself in need of a drink. Unlike the majority of the British magical community, the sight of Harry blasting Tom right out the picture was not a cause for celebration - far from it. How the hell was he supposed to make a triumphant return to a Britain controlled by Harry and his goblin masters? Albus was now certain Godric's sword had taken on the properties of the Elder Wand, giving considerably more power to that teenage boy and making his blade an even more formidable weapon in those skilled hands.

He had also seen the evidence that the goblins could destroy horcruxes with his own eyes, Harry had marched proudly up to Filius and handed over Rowena's diadem right in front of him. If they had destroyed all Tom's horcruxes and Harry was able to vanquish the dark lord, what was there left for Albus to do? Since his timetable for returning home was already set, Albus would just have to keep a careful eye on the Prophet for further developments.

It was rather ironic that both Dumbledore and Voldemort were reduced to reading the Prophet to discover news on the country that each had thought they controlled.

-oOoOo-

The Prophet's front page the following day would certainly be of interest to both wizards. Not only were those who died or had been captured in the attack named, the dark lord's hideout also made the front page. That it was a muggle tent ended any hope the dark Lord Voldemort had of regaining his former pureblood followers.

Bertha Jorkins was also in the picture, with blankets draped around her shoulder as she was led away from the scene. Initial reports had her being tortured into insanity but the family got the full story from Barchoke.

They had used Harry's portkey from Kingussie to Gringotts, this was their only chance to speak to him before they left for King's Cross and Hogwarts. Barchoke had been incredibly busy and hadn't made it back up to Kingussie since Amelia's party.

"We can't help that poor witch. She wasn't tortured using the cruciatus, Voldemort shredded her mind. There's simply nothing left of Bertha Jorkins to repair. Pettigrew told us everything he could, including how his master got a new body. The good news though is that we've disposed of all of his horcruxes, Voldemort can now be killed."

Barchoke hated deliberately withholding information from his children but felt it was a necessity in this case. If Harry were to come face to face with Bellatrix Lestrange, knowing the witch was pregnant might cause him to hesitate in doing what he needed to. The Lestrange bitch wouldn't hesitate though, nor would she hold back.

Gringotts and the ministry were quietly celebrating the news Voldemort was mortal once more, neither had much spare time to do anything else. The ministry's new facility would be ready for business later on today, swinging into action with at least four trials. The goblins also had never been busier, chasing down ministry fines and erecting their wards on premises all over the country.

The six said their goodbyes to Barchoke before heading through the Alley on their journey to King's Cross. Remus was going to be travelling on the train with them, this though was not just an excuse so he could spend more time with his girlfriend. There would be some grieving and hurting students on that train, Remus was going to be there to ensure nothing came of those emotions when faced with the reasons for their missing relatives. If some of the looks coming in their direction as they walked through the alley were any indication of what they might face on the train, Remus just might be needed.

-oOoOo-

They had barely set foot on the platform before being surrounded by friends, surrounded as much as the tight platform and crowd would allow that is. The tightness of the platform played no part though in the large male student who very deliberately barged into Harry.

"Crow, you killed my father. You and your friends better watch your backs in Hogwarts..."

The sound of ripping cloth signified the end of that little speech, that and the golden gauntlet grabbing the large Slytherin by the throat.

"Flint, here's some free advice. You tell a goblin you're going to harm him later, presumably when the conditions and numbers suit you better, that goblin won't watch his back. That goblin will think 'why the hell should I wait' and just kill you where you stand."

Marcus Flint was helpless as this golden clad figure lifted him off the ground by the throat with one hand. Hermione, Padma and Neville were quick to draw their wands in case this was a prelude to a larger attack, their eyes now scanning the crowd for any signs of aggression as they guarded Harry's back. Tonks had done the same, while shaking her head at Remus not to become involved. This matter needed settled and she trusted Harry not to take the situation too far.

"Your father turned up at Bones Manor wearing a mask, and was there with the intention to murder innocent women and children. Are you okay with that, Flint? If you think that's acceptable behaviour then surely, by your same warped logic, it must be acceptable for me just to kill you now? I don't need a mask, I am Hogwarts' Champion and will do my best to protect everyone inside her walls. You or any of your friends start anything, I'll be there - waiting."

Since the large Slytherin's face was beginning to take on a distinctly Ravenclaw colour, Harry let him drop to the ground. "I don't care what your parents did, Flint, I only look at the person in front of me. You now have to go away and make a decision, do I want to be like my father or do I want to live. You threaten me or mine again, I'll assume you've already made that decision and act accordingly. I have no fight with you, but I won't back down if you come looking for one either."

Amelia had been on the platform and headed straight for the disturbance, arriving as Harry dropped the seventh year Slytherin to the ground. She waited until Harry had explained what was happening to the Flint boy, knowing that the story would soon spread throughout the platform and train, before she interceded.

"Everything okay here, Centurion Crow?"

"Yes, Director. Mr Flint was just under the misconception he could threaten me and mine without facing any repercussions. He, and everyone else, now know that's not the case."

"I was afraid this might happen, that is why there will be six aurors on the express, seven counting Auror Tonks. I think I will contact Madam Longbottom and offer to base a squad inside Hogwarts for the next few weeks. That should give tempers time to cool, allowing rational heads a chance to take over."

Amelia was able to do this because of the large number of death eaters who had approached the ministry seeking protection. She was only having to send teams out to arrest three outstanding names, and had heard whispers that one of those names was already dead. The two remaining would be arrested and tried today, along with the four prisoners from the attack on her home. News of the crimes these death eaters had committed should appear in tomorrow's Prophet, hopefully aiding them in their case for branding these scum as nothing more than terrorists. The ministry was determined that, by the end of today, there would only be Voldemort, Lestrange and Rookwood still to be brought to justice.

The McDonalds had been standing beside the Grangers and the Creeveys when the incident kicked off, Roy had trouble believing what he just witnessed. "Harry lifted that bigger boy as if he was nothing..."

Little Natalie was quick to spring to her hero's defence, "Harry is a Centurion, that makes him an officer in their army. If he can blast Voldemort right of the page, he can easily deal with a Hogwarts student."

The Creevey parents only smiled at the young witch, knowing their eldest son had rather a large dose of the same hero worship. "When we read what happened in the Prophet we were actually glad that we missed this year's New Year party, not half as glad though that our house has the same wards as Amelia's."

Roy certainly agreed with being thankful their houses were protected by the same wards, he also offered his sympathies to the Grangers. "You've had quite the time of it over the holidays. First the Dursleys being murdered and then getting attacked at the New Year party."

Dan was watching as Emma ensured Harry was okay while Hermione carried out some running repairs to his ripped shirt. "Harry maintains the Dursleys were not his family, he only met them once and that was by accident. As for the party, the whole thing was over in seconds. Harry's team had the harder task, trained troops against unorganised terrorists was only going to see one winner from that battle. The Ministry, the Hogwarts staff and of course Harry will make sure your children remain safe inside the castle."

This drew a sigh of resignation from Roy. "I know, Natalie spent most of yesterday saying the same things. She was terrified we would stop her returning to Hogwarts. Children just don't realise how hard it is for a parent to let them go, especially to a world they know nothing about. This is the hardest decision we've ever had to make in our lives."

As Hermione raced over to give him a hug and a kiss on the cheek, before taking Natalie by the hand toward the train, Dan knew exactly how the McDonalds felt. The Creeveys would also see their second son, Dennis, making the same journey come September.

It suddenly hit Dan that one day he and Emma would have to go through all this again with their own son. As that revelation hit, an even bigger one followed right behind it. While Emma fussed over Harry and Hermione as they climbed aboard the train, Dan suddenly realised that he wouldn't change a thing. Even after the horrors they'd faced recently, Hermione still smiled more than she'd ever done. Then there was the fact that he was about to head off to a tropical island with his pregnant wife, and Dobby would be there to take care of them.

Magic had certainly brought some bad things into their lives but, as a pregnant Emma returned to his arms, Dan couldn't help but think the good far outweighed the bad. They, like the rest of the parents on the platform, waved to their children as the steam engine pulled them on their long journey to the Scottish Highlands.

He held his wife close and Dan was sure of only one thing. Whatever challenges nineteen ninety-four brought, they would face them as a family - an ever expanding family.

A/N Thanks for reading.

76. Ghostly Intervention

Harry Crow

Disclaimer - I don't own Harry Potter and claim only the mistakes as my own.

Chapter 76

It was a very quiet return train journey back up to Hogsmeade, 'what did you do at the holidays?' being rarely asked. It was also noticeable that the Slytherin contingent of their friends was missing. Draco though had stuck his head into their compartment earlier to offer an explanation.

"Vince's father was killed while Greg's is one of the four the ministry captured that night. They're not in a good place at the moment so we're trying to help. It's also not going down too well with some in our house that there were Slytherins at the party who drew their wands. Apparently, we were supposed to let the death eaters kill us! I'm just really pleased Amelia has stationed aurors on the train."

Remus decided he too would patrol the train, Tonks though wasn't leaving Harry's compartment until they reached their destination.

Inside the Hogwarts great hall, you would have needed a spurtle to stir the atmosphere that was as thick as porridge, though nowhere near as good for you. The atmosphere was so oppressive that Madam Longbottom stood to address the students before the feast began.

"On New Year's Eve, I, along with a number of Hogwarts students, attended a party held by Director Bones. I don't think there is anyone here who doesn't know what happened during that party. It saddens me more than I can say that this madman, Voldemort, was allowed to manipulate a rift in our society that resulted in wizard fighting against wizard, in some cases brother against brother. While the ministry is working hard to ensure that situation will never happen again, and hopes to arrest all those still at large, we mustn't let this conflict take root inside this castle's walls."

Augusta's steely gaze swept over everyone present. She deliberately didn't linger on the Slytherin table, though everyone knew that's where the trouble would come from.

"These terrorists have already had an impact on some of our students. These sudden deaths have filled me with sadness but also a hint of pride in seeing the dignified manner with which the individuals have handled their situations. Should any student feel the need to talk about what has happened with their family, please see your head of house and know also that my door is always open to you. The sins of the parents will not be visited on their children, but any of those children seeking revenge or retribution will be dealt with most severely - whichever side of the so-called divide they claim to support. This is a school, feuds or fighting will not be tolerated here. Have I made myself clear?"

Augusta indicated each table in turn and didn't move onto the next house until she received a positive response from the students sitting there. Only then was it time to eat.

There were no smart comments coming from Roger at the Ravenclaw table, there was hardly a comment to be heard in the entire hall. Everyone just ate their meal and got out of there as fast as they could.

Harry intended to have a chat with Helena later tonight. The Hogwarts ghosts, portraits and house elves could very effectively monitor exactly what was happening inside the castle. That information might allow them to nip things in the bud because there was no way there wouldn't be students out for some retribution.

-oOoOo-

The ministry were also looking for retribution, though through due legal process. Their new facility would certainly have been appreciated by any goblin, spartan was an apt description. Since it was only going to be used for the short term holding and then the resulting trial of death eaters, there was no need for anything more. Cornelius would settle for functional, it was here to fulfil a function and it was time to get down to that function.

Pettigrew was the first prisoner brought before the court. There was no need for chains to restrain the prisoner, with a broken neck Peter couldn't even support himself to sit up. He would face justice while lying unmoving on a bed.

Amelia limited the evidence to the death eater's actions since first leaving Britain in search of his master. The crimes he committed in assisting Voldemort regain a body, his actions afterwords against Bertha Jorkins and attacking her house, were easily enough to see Peter Pettigrew sentenced to death. The spartan appearance of their temporary courtroom lending itself to the stark reality of what happened next.

With no access to the Ministry for death eaters, they couldn't be sentenced to the veil. The alternative option put forward was accepted by all, and administered in front of the sitting court. Veritaserum was carefully controlled because, if the maximum dose were to be accidentally exceeded, there was no antidote or way to postpone the inevitable.

This potion targeted the brain and stopped a person from lying, an overdose though was a completely different matter. An excess of veritaserum started working on those parts of the brain that function quietly in the background, keeping the heart beating and the lungs drawing breath. The person would soon slip into a coma as their body's automatic functions were disrupted so severely they would be dead within ten minutes. Since they were in a comatose state so quickly, it was considered a relatively painless way of administering a death sentence.

Once Peter entered that comatose state, he was wheeled away to die alone in his cell. It was time to bring the next one in.

Gregory Goyle Sr. was a sorry sight as they wheeled him into the new courtroom. The reason he was wheeled in was that goblin steel had removed his right leg above the knee and the same arm from just behind his wrist. Again his questioning left the court with no other option than to convict. He had been pleased not to be chosen to attack the house because they only expected a few targets there, Gregory had been looking forward to picking off the goblins when they arrived. No one missed the irony that it was the goblins who'd done the picking, a battle-axe removing both wand arm and leg in one powerful swipe.

As he was sentenced to death, the death eater broke down in tears. The tears though proved not to be for himself but rather his son, the veritaserum in his system letting everyone know Gregory was genuine in his request. He begged those present to help his family, to ensure his son and heir would not make the same mistakes his father had.

Gregory was certainly smart enough to know what his fate could be when he once more donned his death eater regalia. He also recognised long ago that he was a follower rather than a leader. With no one there to tell him not to attend at the solstice, Gregory had followed the habit of a lifetime and responded to his master's summons.

He had become a death eater with dreams of easy pickings, riches and power. If he had to kill a few muggles or blood traitors along the way, that was something he was quite prepared to do. Gregory then discovered a universal truth. In a situation like this, the rich got richer and only the powerful gained more of what they craved. Since he was neither wealthy or powerful, he didn't exactly benefit from the spoils of their terror campaign. He was a good death eater who followed orders and kept out of trouble - at least up until now.

His biggest asset all throughout his life had been his physical appearance, he was considered a hulking bull of a wizard. With no wand arm and most of a leg missing, he was ready to accept his punishment - thankful that at least it would be painless. They had all dreaded being faced with a dementor, this method was certainly preferable to that horror.

Hearing the condemned wizard's pleas for his family just reinforced Amelia's determination to see things change. They all knew that the problem would never fully go away while one section of their society thought they were superior simply by their accident of birth. Her own extended family was actually now placed firmly at the other extreme of that argument, goblins, muggles, veela and a werewolf would certainly struggle to be accepted by those promoting pureblood supremacy. There must be a middle ground though that should be acceptable to all, calling a family blood-traitors and turning up unannounced to kill them certainly wasn't it.

If they could deal with Voldemort and his death eaters then Amelia was confident their society would be in a much better place. The younger students coming through Hogwarts would certainly help see to that.

-oOoOo-

The younger students certainly knew which side they were on, and it wasn't Flint's. Of the lower three years of Slytherins, only Crabbe and Goyle were unsure of which side to join. Everyone else was aligned firmly behind Draco in his stand against the seventh year's attempt to drum up death eater support inside Slytherin.

"When someone blows off the door of your house and races in firing killing curses, are we just supposed to stand there and let them kill us because your father might be amongst them?"

"No self-respecting Slytherin would have been there in the first place. The Bones' are blood-traitors…"

"…which is nothing more than a term coined by a half-blood bastard to encourage purebloods to kill each other." Pansy was livid with this arsehole, and the opinions he was spouting. The still grieving witch wasn't for holding back either as she sprang to her mate's defence. "It wasn't the ministry who killed my father, he was tortured to death because he made sure his wife and daughter were safe from the people you seem so keen to support."

The angry witch was now really turning the screw. "The Prophet announced there was a battle at Bones Manor, they got it wrong. There was no battle, the attacking death eaters were slaughtered. The exact same thing will happen to anyone else who tries to support the same stupid shit you're promoting here, you will be nothing more than lambs to the slaughter."

Flint looked ready to take matters further when a voice stopped him reaching for his wand.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Harry had quietly entered the Slytherin common room. With all eyes on the escalating confrontation, no one had seen him until he spoke out.

"This isn't Ravenclaw, Crow, no one gives a shit what you say in here. These traitorous bastards must have given you the password to get in…"

"I am Hogwarts' Champion, Flint, no doors inside the castle are barred to me - even the chamber of secrets."

it was a frightened Pauline who asked the question that most of the house wanted to know the answer to. "What are you doing in here, Harry?"

"The Baron contacted me about a disturbance in his house. He's been pleased with the steps his house had been taking to once more embrace their great history, and didn't want to see Slytherin slip back into the mire. The Baron is giving me the chance to sort it before Professor McGonagall or Madam Longbottom need to become involved."

"…and just what has this got to do with them? We're having a house discussion here…"

"Flint, you may be even stupider than I originally thought. You've lost your father and eighty percent of your family's wealth, do you really want to make the situation worse by getting kicked out of Hogwarts before sitting your N.E.W.T.'s? The High Inquisitor made her position on this matter crystal clear. Calling your attempt to bully students into accepting death eaters are even human a 'house meeting' just won't wash."

"Who are you to talk about human? You strut about claiming to be a goblin when everyone can see you're not."

This drew a gasp of breath from a lot of the watchers, fearing Flint had gone too far. This after all was the individual who had bested Voldemort in Battle. Harry's answer might have been cold but no one could miss the fire in his eyes. Flint certainly couldn't since that's where those blazing orbs were directed.

"I'm well aware that, biologically, I'm not goblin. It is kind of hard to miss the physical differences. You strut about claiming to be a pureblood, how does your pure blood make you different? Does it make you stronger? Smarter? You tell me how being a pureblood gives anyone the right to wear a mask and kill people without any retribution?"

Flint didn't really know how to answer that but Harry kept pushing. "My grandparents' pure blood didn't protect them when the death eaters came calling, Neither did my dad's when Voldemort himself killed him. Draco and Pansy's fathers were both purebloods, and both death eaters, they were still killed by these murderers. Tell me why your father was any different from ours?"

Harry had been moving until he was now directly in front of the large Slytherin. "In the last couple of years I've seen troll blood, basilisk blood, goblin blood, muggle blood and so called pure blood spilled. You want to know what all of these had in common? No matter who or what you are, lose enough of your blood and you die. That's what blood is there for, to keep us alive, not so one group of society can use it to claim they are better than the rest of us."

The seventh year Slytherin felt he had to do something but, when Crow kept pushing, all he was left with was taking a step back. Not an effective counter strategy but Harry didn't leave him any other option. Harry then explained that to the entire house of Slytherin.

"Flint here would love to prove everything I'm saying is lies, but he can't. He would also like to pound me into the ground but again, he can't. This half blood who calls himself a goblin may be four years younger than Flint, but I'm faster, stronger and more powerful in every way. How does your pureblood supremacy account for that? The person who started the entire war isn't even a pureblood, his father was a muggle!"

Harry had the larger wizard now backed up against a wall. He then turned his back on Flint to talk to the rest of the house, knowing Draco, Pansy, Blaise and Daphne would keep an eye on the troublemaker for him. At the very least, giving him a warning if he needed to act.

"The death eaters that night were expecting a slaughter, they just thought they would be the ones carrying it out. Instead, they found themselves facing trained goblin troops and some highly skilled witches and wizards. They were outnumbered, outmatched and too afraid of their psychopath of a leader to do the sensible thing and get the hell out of there. This is war, it's not heroic and certainly not pretty. Every one of us there that night only wanted to dance and have fun while bringing in the New Year, not be fighting for our lives instead."

He then made an appeal directly to them. "This war will see us all having to make decisions, I'm not going to do a Flint though and try to bully you into seeing things my way. If I needed to do that then I would have already lost the argument."

Harry looked toward some of his Slytherin friends, silently apologising for what he was about to do. "Theodore Nott Senior attempted to murder my father yet I call his son and daughter friends. They don't share their father's beliefs so why shouldn't they be my friends, Draco falls squarely into the same category. You all need to reach decisions of your own but not tonight, not when you're still hurting. Talk to your friends, professors you trust, don't let anyone bully you into something that will affect the rest of your life. It's your life, take your time and reach the decision that's right for you because you are the one that needs to live with it."

His appeal appeared to be having some effect, if only because his technique was different from Flint's demanding of their support. Harry decided to quit while he was ahead. "Voldemort and his death eaters became my enemies from that Halloween night he murdered my parents, I sincerely hope I have no enemies here tonight."

"Well said, Centurion."

The entire Slytherin common room turned to see Slughorn, McGonagall and Longbottom standing at the door. McGonagall though wasn't as lavish with her praise. "While I might agree with Madam Longbottom's sentiments, I feel I must take ten points from Ravenclaw for you being out past your curfew. If it happens again it will mean a detention with me. I shall issue you with a pass to allow you safe passage back to your own house..."

Harry could see by the twinkle in McGonagall's eyes she was secretly pleased with him, and he would also be getting those points back in her next class. He decided to use the situation to his own advantage and interrupted the Hogwarts deputy.

"That won't be necessary, Professor. I am Hogwarts champion and the castle's portraits and ghosts would never let me be caught out past curfew. I also have certain other advantages..." With a flick and a swirl, his dad's invisibility cloak was around his shoulders, leaving only his head floating there. "Goodnight everyone." With that, Harry raised his hood and disappeared.

The effect on the Slytherins couldn't be missed as another page was added to the legend that Harry Crow was quickly becoming. Why would you want someone who was quick as lightning, and every bit as powerful, as an enemy? Factor in that he possessed a spy system inside the castle that was second to none and could also be standing right beside you without you even knowing - that left you with an individual who was not to be messed with.

Marcus Flint went to bed an angry young wizard, he deliberately sought out Theo Nott first thing next morning. "Your father is in Azkaban yet you don't seem to want revenge on the people who put him there, what kind of a son are you?"

"The kind who knows his responsibilities. I have a responsibility to my family, my mother and my sisters. My father would have us all paupers and shunned by society, my responsibility is to try and prevent that - not seek pointless revenge. My father committed crimes, was caught, tried and sentenced. That's why he's in Azkaban, not because he was a believer in some higher cause."

"Of course it's a higher cause, these people enter our world and need to be taught their place in it."

Theo had been waiting on Pauline and the little witch had heard what was said as she approached. She rounded on Flint with a bravery any Gryffindor would have been proud of.

"Well Voldemort certainly sailed through the air when Harry hit him with that curse, does that count as a higher cause? I was at that party, me, the daughter of a convicted death eater. Not only was I treated the same as everyone else, they made sure I was protected when those murderers blasted through the doors. My father deserved to go to Azkaban and I fully support what my head of house is doing now."

A raging Flint was further taunted by the little witch, their confrontation had drawn a lot of attention and both knew this would prevent him taking this any further. "Go on then, draw your wand and fire on a first year. You want to follow your father so badly then that's a sure way to achieve it. Harry would certainly come after you for attacking someone on a Potter Scholarship. If a Slytherin earning one of those doesn't tell you things have changed then Harry was right, you are stupid."

Theo then dragged his sister out of there. He knew Pauline was right but Harry wasn't actually there at the moment, and Flint might just decide to risk drawing his wand. The large Slytherin wasn't forced to repeat a year because he was clever.

That the four surviving attackers were found guilty and then sentenced to death was what everyone expected, the Daily Prophet reporting Goyle Senior's last words was not. Gregory was distraught as his friends led him from the hall, Slughorn rose to follow but Augusta stopped him.

"His friends will look after him, they know exactly how he's feeling since a few of them have already suffered similar bereavements. Penny is also following the group out the door, she'll see he gets to Madam Pomfrey if he needs to."

"If you think that is best, Madam Longbottom."

Her head of Slytherin's tone clearly indicated he thought she was wrong but Augusta wasn't for budging. "I do, Professor. We make ourselves available if they should need us but I think this will work best in the long run. Gregory will be far more likely to open up to his friends than any member of staff, especially since Draco and Pansy have experienced the same loss recently. The bonds of friendship will help him heal far better than any member of staff sitting down to chat to the lad."

She knew 'Sluggy' was desperate for a way into Harry's company and was practically courting Draco Malfoy, Augusta just didn't want to give him any opportunities to make inroads. The fact that Slughorn was a superb potions teacher was the only reason he was still in the castle, she found his behaviour of trying to befriend the influential students distasteful. That her grandson was one of those students and had told him where to go from day one was particularly pleasing though.

They watched with heavy hearts from the Ravenclaw table while Gregory was led from the hall, their breakfast being forgotten. Harry was basically thinking out loud while sitting with his friends.

"There are bound to be some families that can't afford to send their children back to Hogwarts after the summer, I think the Potter Scholarship program is going to have to expand to cover that." This earned him a gentle kiss from his mate before Hermione added to his idea.

"You might want to speak to Sirius about the Malfoys too. They are denied access to their vaults but just took on a load of house guests. They were already hurting for money..."

This time it was Harry's turn to give Hermione a quick kiss in thanks. Some of their friends had been watching this and it was Morag who summed up most of their feelings on the matter.

"Their parents attack you and now you're thinking of paying for their way through Hogwarts? I'm sorry, Harry, I just don't get it."

"It's really simple, Morag, they are not their parents. The best way to stop them embracing the same views and beliefs that saw their parents become death eaters is to let them see there is another way. We need to drag bigotry kicking and screaming from the shadows and shine a light on it so everyone can clearly see what it is. Once you do that, no sensible person can support the unsupportable."

"Are you saying we're all the same, Harry?"

"Exactly the opposite, Cho. We are all different, each and every one of us. What I'm hoping for is that we can learn to embrace those differences, not claim one particular difference makes us better than every one else. If that can be achieved, then things like Susan and Amelia's party being attacked will never happen again. If me spending some gold to keep students in a school that teaches this is the cost, then it's a cost I'm willing to pay."

"Oh Hermione, there just might be a diplomat in there after all. Well said Harry, I would embrace you but my Neville is the jealous type..." Padma was wearing a wide smile as said Neville made a show of embracing his mate.

While her best friend's words had lessened the intensity, Hermione ramped it right back up again. "Over the holidays we visited the goblins who are now living at Kingussie. It was wonderful watching the young goblins sledging down a snow covered hill, until Harry pointed out this was the first time they'd ever had the opportunity to do that. Yes it was something I had never thought of before but those youngsters were having as much fun sliding down that hill as I had when my mum and dad used to take me. Nearly as much fun as Harry and I had when I coaxed him onto a sledge..."

"Coaxed? She pushed me down and then grabbed me from behind..."

Hermione's finger on his lips stopped him saying any more, she wanted to finish what she started. "I'm going to have a baby brother this summer, and we already know he's a wizard. I want my brother to grow up being comfortable playing with other children of a similar age. Whether those children are goblins, muggles or wizards won't matter to him - unless someone tells him differently. I sat in a goblin home with a little goblin girl on my knee and we chatted away. All I saw was a little girl, excited because she had been out playing with her friends in the snow."

You could have heard a pin drop as there were now more than just Ravenclaws hanging on Hermione's every word.

"That image will keep me going when Professor Weasley pushes us to our limits, or when Mad-Eye pushes us past them. That is why we train so hard, that is worth fighting for."

A hand gently settled on Hermione's shoulder, indicating just how much everyone had been wrapped up in her words. Not even Harry had noticed Master Pitslay enter the great hall.

"Very well said, Miss Granger. So well said, I will overlook your tardiness - but just this once."

This got everyone moving, keeping Master Pitslay waiting was not a good idea. They were soon all hurrying along to their potions lesson.

Ron watched cluelessly as Ginny wasn't the only person wiping her eyes after listening to that, he hadn't understood a bloody word. Instead of saying this out loud though, the youngest Weasley boy decided to get some help. He had a quiet word with Percy.

"Why did Granger's story about having a goblin on her knee affect everyone? Does she expect Crow to give her a goblin child, or is she sorry because he can't?"

"Nothing like that, Ron. Hermione used the situation as a metaphor to describe what she would like to see happen. That, if you take away the bigotry, the situation would become normal enough that people wouldn't even comment on it."

"You mean like having a goblin at the Merlin Ball and no one said anything? Fred and George even danced with her, if you could call that dancing."

"Yes, Ron, that's exactly right. Even going back to just my first year at Hogwarts, something like that would have been unthinkable - never mind allowed to happen."

It was a thoughtful Ron who walked down to the dungeons for potions with Slughorn, that it was no longer Snape was just one of the changes he'd been taking for granted. Defence was so much better now while no one slept in History of Magic anymore, McGonagall's class was different too. His year had seen all the changes happen but for someone like Percy, who had been here since B.C., (before Crow), the changes must be remarkable.

-oOoOo-

The change in Mad-Eye was frightening, and he wasn't holding anything back. "You should never have charged those death eaters, you were ordered to stay put and provide coverin' fire."

Their tutor's attention then switched from Hermione to Harry. "You're a Centurion, what would you do if a warrior under your command broke one of your orders?"

"Hermione is neither a warrior nor under my command, she is my mate and sees her place as by my side. Why do you think she's here bursting a gut every week in training, so she can sit at home and bake cakes while I go off to fight?"

"Without a command structure, you've already lost. That's what happened to the death eaters..."

That was a step too far for Harry. "Do not compare us to death eaters."

"Okay, you want to play it that way then let's get busy, I'll break you both of this habit..." Moody was stopped by Neville and Padma standing beside their friends, Miss Patil was not a happy witch.

"If you're going to punish them then you need to include us too. It was only the fact Harry can run faster than us that stopped Neville and I charging right beside these two."

"If that's the way you want it missy, then let's go!"

Two hours of gruelling and punishing work later, the shout of 'stop' was really welcome - except for Mad-Eye. There was more than his eye mad at the unwanted interruption. "Just what do you think your playin' at, Tonks? They're mine for almost another hour, get yourself out of here and never interrupt my trainin' session again..."

The young auror was so angry, she had her wand in Mad-Eye's face. "If you think they have another hour left in them then you are off your head."

"I know they don't have another hour in them, I intend to break them and then start rebuildin' the four of them into..."

"Stop right there. You're talking about breaking three thirteen and one fourteen year old, you've fucking lost the plot, Mad-Eye. So much so that the Lady Ravenclaw was worried and came to get me. Take a look, take a good look at what you've done here."

The instant Tonks had yelled stop, Hermione, Padma and Neville had sank to the floor. Harry was also done in but just wouldn't give Moody the satisfaction of seeing him beaten. The gaze he was directing at his tutor though was pure hatred, hatred for what Moody had put his mate and two best friends through.

"You're leaving now, Mad-Eye, and don't test me on this. You've been working hard for two hours while I'm still fresh, I'm also willing to bet Hogwarts will assist me inside this room. You want to take me on?"

The battle-scarred old auror could see how serious Tonks was, there was no way she would back down. If he challenged her here and now, things could easily get out of hand. He decided to retreat but Tonks wasn't finished. "I will be contacting Barchoke and Bones over this, I would also advise you to stay out of Augusta's way for a while too."

As Moody left the room the door quickly disappeared, denying him the chance to reenter.

Harry shuffled over to where Hermione lay, sinking down beside his mate before gently lifting her head onto his lap.

"Harry, no more..."

"No more, Love, that's the end of Moody. The man is just too much of a fanatic for my liking. What's the point of destroying Voldemort if we also have to destroy what we have between us to achieve our goal? That price is too high. I didn't chew you out that night because, in the same situation, nothing would have kept me from your side. If I want you to be an equal partner then I have to take the good with the bad. If that means you are facing the same danger as me then that's how it has to be."

The room slowly changed around them, a bed grew out of the floor right under the couple. Harry glanced over to see the exact same thing happening to Padma and Neville, forcing Tonks to take a step back as she was casting scans on the couple.

The auror then approached their bed. "Those two are physically and magically exhausted, I suspect you both are the same. Moody really put you through the mill today."

"Man's a maniac..." Hermione's comment was no more than a mumble. She was exhausted, lying in Harry's arms on a very comfortable bed. The knackered young witch couldn't keep her eyes open.

Harry was gently running his fingers through her hair, trying to put into words how he felt. "They wouldn't quit, they were dead on their feet but still wouldn't quit. I should have stopped it..."

"Harry, I almost wet myself pulling my wand on Moody. He's a legend at the ministry and has been doing this since well before I was born. Mad-Eye knows exactly what buttons to push to get people to do what he wants. Stop beating yourself up and just rest, Harry. I'm not going anywhere."

An armchair and an occasional table with a tea set already on it appeared, Tonks made herself comfortable as she settled down to wait on them wakening.

It was some time later a door appeared in the wall, Tonks was reaching for her wand before realising she didn't need it. Hogwarts would never let anyone enter who meant them harm, Parvati and Luna would certainly never do that.

"What happened to them?"

"They're exhausted, Parvati, nothing more. Moody forgot he was dealing with four people barely into their teens. They may act a lot older but their bodies just can't take the punishment he was dishing out. Shouldn't you be in class?"

"It's dinner time, they missed it and we were worried."

Another pair of chairs appeared, as did a table with dinner for the three of them. Both girls checked the couples sleeping on the beds before sitting down to eat.

"Hogwarts will look after them when they wake, she always looks after her champion and his friends."

Parvati knew Luna was right, there was something else to be taken into consideration though. "I hope she's ready to deal with Padma's anger. Her first time sleeping in a bed with Neville and they're both too exhausted to even know about it, far less enjoy it."

-oOoOo-

Moody wasn't enjoying Amelia's anger, she was ripping him a new one as he tried to justify his actions. "They were questionin' my authority. You know what needs to be done then, I taught you the drill."

"What you fail to realise, Alastor, is that you have no authority over them. Between being a Baron, Order of Merlin, First Class, holder and a Centurion, Harry probably outranks you. That aside, you forgot you were basically dealing with children. Had you treated my Susan like that you would currently be missing your balls, Augusta Longbottom might still castrate you next time you meet. Those four have just slept for over fifteen hours straight, after Tonks stopped your lesson..."

"She should never have interrupted..."

"You still don't get it, do you? Those four are exceptional students because they share bonds that go beyond friendship. I saw Padma as an eleven year old after she'd stepped in front of Hermione and deliberately taken a curse to the face to protect her friend. We all watched Tonks' memory of the chamber, these kids would literally die for each other."

She was struggling to make the Master Auror see his mistake, that she was losing her temper didn't help. "That the two couples are blood bonded only exacerbates the problem. You saw their greatest strength as a weakness and tried to break them out of it, Harry would kill you before he would allow that to happen. I don't care what the fucking book says about this situation, we're throwing the book away on this one. It was never written with these four in mind anyway, children their age aren't supposed to be able to do the things they can."

"I'm guessin' there won't be a lesson today then?"

"They won't be taking any lessons today, Remus has already excused them from his class this afternoon. That should hopefully give them enough time to recover for Friday's classes. I haven't officially heard that your services won't be required next week but I'm pretty certain that will be the case."

"I still had quite a few things I wanted to teach them, I could pass it on to young Weasley. I suppose he's still gonna be teachin' them?"

"Barchoke will want to contact the Patils and Longbottoms before taking any action, I'm expecting Alice to be on the floo shortly."

Moody took that as his cue to leave.

-oOoOo-

Rookwood knew they had to leave the tent. He'd been racking his brain while trying to think of what to do next when his eidetic memory pulled out something that had crossed his desk not long after he'd started working at the ministry.

Around the turn of the century, the muggles had built one of their lighthouses on Flannan Isles in the Outer Hebrides. Their fancy flashing light though attracted some unwelcome visitors. A pair of Hebridean Blacks soon made short work of the three keepers left there to man the lighthouse. The magical reversal squad had eradicated all traces of what happened and then warded the island to stop any dragons returning, leaving the muggles with nothing more than the mystery of their three disappearing keepers.

What had jogged his memory was the report that the muggles had automated the lighthouse, meaning the wards didn't need to be maintained. That's what it might have meant back in the seventies, today it meant their was a warm, dry structure on an uninhabited island. A structure where they could live undiscovered and in relative comfort while planning their next move. It was time to approach his master with this idea.

A/N thanks for reading

77. Marvellous Marauders

Harry Crow

Disclaimer - I am not JKR, nor a professional author. I write as a simple form of escapism, and purely for my own enjoyment. I then post those efforts here so others can read my stories for free. For those people who know exactly how to write the perfect Harry Potter story, and simply must point out the many reasons why mine isn't it, please do us all a favour and write the thing. Like everyone else on this site, I'm always searching for good stories to read.

Chapter 77

When Hermione spied who had arrived with Bill that Saturday morning there was no stopping her, she was out of her seat and rushing to greet their unexpected visitor. Their friends had all seen this behaviour before but for the rest of the school, seeing a witch hug a goblin and refer to them as 'father' was absolutely shocking.

"It's good to see you too, my daughter. Are you four recovered?"

"Yes father, Moody worked us to exhaustion but there was no other damage."

"Moody is a warrior, used to working with and training other warriors. In hindsight, it was a mistake to leave your extra training in his hands. That is one of the issues we need to discuss today."

The four friends left with Barchoke and Bill, making their way up to the room Hogwarts provided. This time there were two large sofas facing each other, the room understanding that they needed to talk first."

The goblin got the cart rolling. "I spoke with Augusta and Amelia, both very much liked the idea of the students who couldn't afford Hogwarts next year receiving sponsorship. Both were very much against those sponsorships interfering with the Potter Scholarship program that is currently running so successfully. I suggested sponsorship from the Lily Potter foundation and they agreed. What conditions would you like to set with these sponsorships?"

"As few as possible." Harry knew that controlling the purse strings gave them power over those who were granted the award, it was a power he didn't want hanging over the recipients' heads.

"We expect all the students to do their best, and any Hogwarts punishment of an agreed upon severity sees their sponsorship getting reviewed. I don't want to have anything to do with setting the level of severity, and certainly won't have any input into the review procedure. How about Augusta, you and Draco's mum on the panel? That keeps everything separate from the scholarships yet still has a fair balance."

If you counted Barchoke and Narcissa Malfoy as the opposite ends of the spectrum then the panel was reasonably fair. Bill though could sense there was really more going on here than was being said.

"Harry, why are you pushing this so hard?"

"Edmund Parkinson barred his daughter from the Parkinson family for her own protection, that's not something the Prophet just surmised. That left Pansy without a name but Draco immediately claimed her. The Malfoys though won't have the gold to send Pansy to Hogwarts for the remainder of her years here. With this scheme up and running, it gives Draco the option of accepting a sponsorship for Pansy, or borrowing the gold from Elspeth Parkinson. The four of us already know what Draco will choose."

Neville quickly agreed. "He would choose the sponsorship, rather than be beholden to his mate's former family. While Draco knows why Edmund did what he had to, accepting Parkinson gold to put Pansy through Hogwarts would be adding insult to injury."

This left Hermione comically shaking her head. "Pure bloods and goblins, one day I might figure out which set of politics is crazier."

Her mate joked right back at her. "Oh, and having a head of the country who's not really the head but everyone still bows to isn't crazy? The muggles have a queen who rules over the country, but can't say anything unless her government tells her to. Now that's just plain crazy."

Padma and Neville were waiting on the punchline, when it never came they had to agree with Harry on this one. Barchoke got the meeting back on track.

"After Amelia and the Longbottoms had calmed down somewhat, all admitted the problem with Moody should have been foreseen. He trained Amelia, Alice and Frank so they were well aware of his methods. I can't really have my Assistant Ambassador spending four days a week at Hogwarts so Amelia is going to provide a Senior Auror starting next Wednesday. He's actually going to come tomorrow and watch your session with the four boys, give him some kind of idea what level to pitch your training at."

Harry knew what he was about to say would be controversial but still felt he needed to mention it. "If we're serious about taking down Voldemort then Master Auror Moody has knowledge we really need. I don't think any of us can dispute that, it's just his methods of imparting that knowledge we object to."

His mate was learning not to charge blazing into an argument before checking her facts, Hermione held her temper as she questioned what Harry was proposing. "Just what are you suggesting? I really don't think he's going to change the way he teaches, and I'm certainly not prepared to be worked into the ground every time he feels the need to prove a point. I know he was right, just as I know I'll probably do the exact same thing again when you're in danger. Having me practically dying on my feet as a form of punishment isn't going to change that."

After having said her piece, Hermione then gave them some information she hadn't mentioned before. "From the slight depression Tonks and I were standing in, neither of us would have been able to provide covering fire for the last half of your charge, we were too low down for our curses to pass over the warriors and still hit the death eaters."

This news upset her best friend. "Why didn't you say so to Mad-Eye? That sounds like good tactical reasoning to me - something he was always shouting at us about."

"Sorry, Padma, it might have prevented what happened the other day but it just sounded like an excuse to me. We all know I was going to charge along with Harry so I accepted the criticism, it's Moody's idea of punishment that I have a problem with."

Harry had his arm round Hermione as he offered a compromise to the group. "What if we had a lesson from Master Auror Moody once a month, with Auror Tonks in the room with us. Would that be something we could give a try?"

The steadying influence of the quartet offered his opinion. "We know Tonks will look out for us, she'll certainly curb Moody's more fanatical tendencies. I like the idea but could we treat it a month at a time? let's have another lesson at the end of January and see how that goes before mentioning February."

Neville's idea found agreement amongst the group. They were in effect only committing themselves to one more lesson, and Tonks would be there with them. They certainly trusted her far more than they did Mad-Eye.

Barchoke had one more bit of news for them before heading off to meet with Augusta, they wanted the sponsorship deal launched as quickly as possible. Despite not imposing major conditions to the sponsorship, any parents of students that qualified would know this life-changing finance could just as easily be withdrawn. They wouldn't be slow in passing that information on to their children currently inside the castle. That should help ease the tension currently felt in Hogwarts as some students didn't know if they would be returning to the castle come September.

The goblin's smile told everyone what he had to say was good news. "The Director really couldn't be more pleased with the way things unfolded that night. Pictures of wizards, witches and warriors fighting side by side against a common foe has electrified The Nation. The squad commander's memory of the event makes for compulsive viewing, that our side survived unscathed while our enemies were crushed could see songs written about that battle. There will be awards presented by a very grateful Nation to all those goblins, and Friends of The Nation who took part that night."

"I would like to do something for the warriors who protected Hermione…"

"Already done, son. I sent the squad two kegs of the finest grog I could find for looking after our girl. You might actually find yourself seeing another girl soon. This news has generated a flood of applications from goblins wishing to come and work in Britain, Goldskin was one of them."

"Sapphire's coming home?"

"It certainly looks that way. I think you'll have a visitor over the summer, she loved her time in Kingussie last year…"

Hermione was as excited about that news as her mate. "She's welcome anytime. We all know our holidays abroad this summer are dependant on the Granger and Black babies but, with the new pool going in at the house, we can still have a lot of fun there."

Barchoke didn't think he could be prouder of his daughter, then she would say or do something to prove him wrong. Master Pitslay had her comments from Hogwarts all over Gringotts, pleasing The Director no end. Now she was proposing to swim in the same pool as a goblin and treating the event as nothing special, was it any wonder their nation had taken this witch to their hearts.

With that settled, the goblin left to see Augusta and allow them to get on with their lesson.

-oOoOo-

Sunday's lesson saw them being joined by their potential new tutor, Senior Auror Shacklebolt. All four thought he was a colourful character, that colour appeared to be emphasised more by the fact his skin was as black as Hermione's familiar. The rich colour and ethnic design of his robes were obviously African in origin, as was the brimless hat that was perched on his head. His earring had Neville once more thinking it would be cool to have the same done, Bill Weasley had one too. The auror's voice was deep but warm and friendly, there was no dramatic entrance from Shacklebolt.

While Kingsley was amazed at the room they would be training in, he was astonished at what these students could accomplish. The four older boys would easily ace their O.W.L.'s this summer yet still got their arses handed to them by the four younger students he was now going to train.

The Director had told him exactly why Mad-Eye was no longer teaching these four and, just by observing them during the lesson, Kingsley knew Madam Bones was spot-on. They reminded him of aurors who had been partners for years, appearing to know what the others were going to do in any given situation and also trusting them implicitly. This was something that should certainly be nurtured and encouraged, not ripped apart to establish a command structure they didn't seem to need.

He had been in the chamber when they'd shown Tonk's memory of that fight against the basilisk, that had impressed the hell out of him. Kingsley knew he could have hand-picked any three aurors and, dropping them into the same situation, they would have struggled to do as well as these four teens against that giant creature. That they weren't even teens at the time just made the entire incident all the more remarkable. Training these four was something that was going to be a challenge, it was a challenge Kingsley was looking forward to.

-oOoOo-

Crows Marauders were enjoying their duelling challenge, they were in teams of four and using everything they had learned so far to try and defeat their opponents. They had established the four top teams on the night when Harry called a halt and had them sit.

"Normally, as you all know, we would play the duels out to a finish tonight. We've had a request though, a request we're now going to put to you. There has been an apprehensive atmosphere developing throughout the castle ever since we all returned from the Christmas holidays. It's hoped we can perhaps lift that spirit, and also help satisfy some curiosity about what we do here every week. The proposition is that the semi-finals, and then the two winners, fight it out in front of the school on Friday night. What do you think?"

The questions came thick and fast, and all were answered. The fights would be in this room, with the terrain similar to what they were used to dealing with. All the usual rules would apply, and the first years would be given the same offer tomorrow night. The clincher though was when Sirius mentioned that the four trainers from Crow's Marauders would be taking on the quartet of fifth year trainers from the other marauders. Who would want to miss that?

Harry though had a final warning for the four teams who had just agreed to compete in front of the entire school.

"I expect everyone to do their best on Friday, what I don't want is the fact that there will be an audience watching to affect how you behave. We've done this often enough to know that three of the teams must lose, and the winners will be gracious to their opponents."

All quickly agreed to that, boasting usually saw you getting your arse kicked the following week. The teams were constantly shuffled to stop any rivalries developing, and any one team dominating. The four teams that would be competing on Friday all knew they had a chance, it was no accident they were evenly matched.

News like that was never going to be kept quiet, by breakfast time the entire castle knew about it. Since each house had at least three second years involved, with the first years being determined tonight, all were looking forward to Friday. Any pressure the older students tried to put on their young housemates was instantly rebuffed, there was no house honour at stake here since the teams were all mixed.

Roger though was taking a bit of good-natured ribbing at the Ravenclaw table.

"Aren't you worried that the whole school is going to see you getting your arse kicked?"

"Oh, I'd hate to be in your shoes..."

He wasn't bothered in the slightest. "Can I just point out that these four defeated a basilisk, and kicked Voldemort's arse - again. Then there's the fact that my extra training, and the experience gained from fighting against four Orders of Merlin, First Class, holders, should stand me in excellent stead for my defence practical exams in May. IF we get beaten on Friday it won't be the first time, nor the last, but we're learning more and more all the time. I'm actually more worried about our marauders. Imagine having to perform with the whole school watching - when you're still in first year. Now that is pressure."

The first year Ravenclaws very quickly confirmed they were looking forward to it. Their friends always shouted encouragement every time they fought anyway, they were learning to tune that out and concentrate on what they needed to do.

-oOoOo-

Dinner that Friday certainly saw an improved atmosphere inside the castle, the school was buzzing with excitement. Augusta had actually invited Amelia to dinner, and of course to see the fights. The Director of Magical Law Enforcement was looking forward to watching the young students perform, she was also looking forward to seeing Susan work with them. Apart from the two clubs' staff sponsors, the students would actually be running the entire event tonight.

It was two other students though who caught Minerva's eye. There were some members of staff who thought she'd lost her mind by giving Fred and George Weasley prefect badges, Minerva was certainly enjoying proving them wrong on all counts. The twins were idolised by her first year lions and school discipline had never been better.

She would also freely admit Cedric and Roger enjoyed the same status in their own houses, and were doing just as good a job. The difference was though that neither of them came with the previous baggage that the Weasley twins did. Ever since they started taking potions lessons from Master Pitslay both had turned over a new leaf, and blasted through their potions O.W.L.'s with Outstandings - a whole year early too.

Minerva had seen them work with Crow's Marauders last year, she was really looking forward to what was going to happen tonight. The entire school was in for a treat and appeared to know that. The atmosphere inside the hall was similar to that before a quidditch match, except there were no house rivalries to spoil anyone's enjoyment. Their house might not win but they wouldn't be beaten either.

-oOoOo-

The room opened to a large space in the middle, surrounded on every side by spectator grandstands. There were seats set aside for each year's marauders at opposite ends of the open space and that's where the teams who would be competing headed, along with their tutors and staff sponsor. As the first years were opening the event, Crow's Marauders got to sit and watch the first bout before they would need to get ready.

When their lesson got to the semi-final stage, each pair of tutors would take responsibility for one of the four teams. They would carry out the safety checks, while discussing tactics, before the fight. Afterwards, win or lose, they would sit and go over what worked, and what went wrong.

Harry watched as Cedric and Morag got their team of four ready to compete, delighted to see Natalie in the team. They would be facing off against a team mentored by George and Draco, a daunting prospect.

As each team took to opposite ends of the open area, the room as usual came into play. The floor shifted to become a terrain that each team only had thirty seconds to form their tactics around before the fight would start.

Henrica had been explaining every move to their captivated audience, even the need for the duelling robes and protective headgear. The idea was to help the students learn how to fight, not to get them injured.

That each team of first years now stood there trying to adapt the plans they had made with their mentors to the new situation impressed those watching before a spell was cast. Their staff sponsor explaining that the room would alter the set-up differently for every fight, and they had no idea what they would be facing, was also an impressive piece of magic on Hogwarts part.

The arena had a scattering of large boulders and parts of walls here and there. When Henrica called 'fight', all eight students competing dived for cover before firing a spell. Trying a rush too far saw one of George/Draco's team hit with two of three spells fired right from the off. The accuracy needed to do that was not lost on the now captivated audience.

The second those teams stepped forward to compete they were on their own, this was to try and get them to think for themselves. Now having a numerical advantage saw Cedric/Morag's team take the initiative. Three members would be firing while the fourth made their way forward to the next piece of cover, they would then open up at a target and allow another member of the team freedom to move to a better position.

The trio knew if they didn't act soon they would be outflanked and then picked off. In a hastily planned move, one of them made a dash for another piece of cover. This move drew all four of their opponents wands, just as they'd hoped. The remaining two members of the team stood and took aim at those firing at the easier target, both hitting their mark. As the decoy's shield withstood four hits before succumbing, the teams were now locked at two apiece.

The crowd were now loving this. Yes the spells being cast weren't really powerful but they had never expected that from first years. The accuracy of those spells and the whole tactical side of the contest was enthralling. Considering their favourite games were quidditch and wizarding chess, seeing the tactical side of this battle was something the audience really appreciated.

Natalie found herself alone when her remaining teammate got hit on his protective headgear when trying to get a spell off of his own. She fought on bravely, managing to take out one of her foes before getting hit herself. Those hit during the fight knew to stay down until the contest was over, the arena once more becoming a flat floor was the signal for that - a signal that was greeted with tumultuous applause.

Amelia was sitting between Minerva and Augusta while trying to put what she'd just witnessed into context. "Now I understand why every one of those students stood ready that night. If this is what the first years are capable of, I can hardly wait to see the older students perform."

This had Augusta smiling at her old friend. "You know the best part, their mentors are now sitting down with them and going over every move they made. They'll be accentuating the positive while highlighting their mistakes, all in the hope of making sure those mistakes get less and less. They do this at the end of every lesson, and that's just how they're treating tonight."

As the second semi-final got underway, the first two teams from Crow's Marauders were getting prepared for their bout. Harry/Daphne's team were up against the one being mentored by Padma/Terry. Harry had Ginny in their team and she'd managed to control her blush anytime she was near him. It was soon back though when Harry asked who was the leader and the other three all looked at the redhead.

"Remember, your minds are your best weapons. Trying for too much from the off almost cost that last team the match, only their inexperience saw all four falling for that move - something that won't happen again if their tutors have anything to say about it. Just play to your strengths and keep doing the things that got you this far..."

The cheering indicated the second match was over, with the team being mentored by Roger and Hannah making it through. Harry was pleased to see there was little celebrating amongst the contestants, they helped each other off the floor and headed for their mentors to talk the fight over.

Sirius then came forward to address the crowd. "I don't know about anyone else sitting here, but I certainly couldn't fight like that when I was in first year." This was met with a roar of approval and applause for those who had just fought.

"Now, things are slightly different for the second years. They have an extra year of magical growth and training under their belts, therefore they are expected to dodge or shield more. Their arenas will usually have a lot less cover, making any that is there all the more valuable. Teams to your marks, your thirty seconds will start after the room reveals its form."

Occasionally, the room's form would dictate the tactics required, this was one such time. Apart from a few large boulders, a section of wall in the middle of the space dominated the fighting arena. When time was called, Padma/Terry's team all raced toward the wall. Ginny and one of their team headed left, while the other two broke right.

By the time the four reached the wall, they realised what the other team was up to and opened fire with everything they had. They managed to bring down one member before finding themselves outflanked. The wall that had seemed such an advantage beforehand was now a liability, their movement was severely restricted as they were stuck with it at their backs. The team of three were utilising whatever cover was available while they poured spells into the group with their backs against the wall.

Ginny's team eventually won but even then it was close, they had last man standing though which, under the rules they were fighting with, saw them through to the final.

Again the applause was thunderous, and again there was a lot on display to earn that applause. Their movement, rate of casting and accuracy of those same spells was unbelievable for second years. Amelia couldn't think when the future of their community had ever looked brighter. Here were children from all four houses working together to overcome problems they had been set. That this was a voluntary club, a voluntary club with a one hundred percent attendance from their targeted students, just made this all the more remarkable.

She watched as Susan and Neville got their team ready to compete, and then cheered as loud as anyone when their team won.

Henrica then stepped forward and once more restored order. "Our first years are just as excited as you after watching that last match, they are now all thinking that will be them this time next year and can't wait."

Calling the two teams competing in the final to their marks, she started the thirty second countdown as the room revealed its form. The final was cheered from the first spell cast right up until the last, and the entire school were on their feet by then.

The winning team received slabs of Honeydukes finest chocolate and no one missed that, after a quick chat with their mentors, the chocolate was shared around as the sixteen looked forward to the second year final.

That the team Susan, along with Neville, had been mentoring won their final saw Amelia shouting like a first year whose house had just won the Quidditch Cup. She was immensely proud of her niece and could easily see the confidence she was gaining from this. Susan had told her the aim was they would have a marauders club of their own this September and Amelia wholeheartedly approved of that. She was now thinking the marauders clubs were playing an even more pivotal role in making Hogwarts a school to be proud of than the Potter Scholarships.

It would be fair to say that the next match was the one they had all been waiting on. This in no way diminished their appreciation or enjoyment of what had gone before, it was just the audience expected this fight to be in a different league.

Having witnessed Harry fight in the pit against four opponents, Amelia already knew he was in a league all off his own. It would be the other three the focus of her attention would be on tonight.

As usual, it was Fred and George who came up with a plan. Since neither Cedric or Roger had anything better, the decided to give it a try. Their arena, as expected, had very little cover. When Sirius called 'fight', all four cast the starburst charm. They had their eyes tightly closed as they cast, on opening them a few seconds later they saw - nothing. That wasn't quite true. They could see the arena, and also that the duelling shield had turned opaque for a few seconds to protect the spectators, it was just their opponents who were nowhere in sight.

"Aw shit, it's hard enough to fight these four when we can see them. Any more 'bright' ideas?" That Roger had slipped into sarcasm mode told the other three he was worried. As they all felt the same it really wasn't necessary to decipher his mood.

Cedric cast aquamenti and began spraying water everywhere, the other three soon followed his lead. Water sprayed off a disillusioned figure and the spells were soon raining down on a now wet Padma. She was shielding and dodging the spells from Fred and George while Cedric and Roger prepared themselves for the intervention of the other three. They didn't have long to wait.

Neville and Hermione had gotten so close to both Weasleys that their was no time for them to react to their stunners, other than to fall unconscious on the wet floor. Harry had engaged Cedric and Roger, stopping them from interfering in the takedown of the twins. The pair of prefects were now outnumbered when the other three switched their attention in their direction.

Ravenclaw may have just watched Roger being handed his arse, all though were honest enough to admit they couldn't have done any better - or even as well. His defences were awesome but, after Cedric fell, the outcome was inevitable. The quartet of third years were relentless and moved as one, their accuracy, speed of casting and sheer power behind those spells appeared easily N.E.W.T. level. The team of prefects never really had a chance.

All four were revived and realised the noise wasn't anything to do with lingering spell damage, the spectators were cheering like mad. The teams shook hands and Harry had a quiet word. "Thanks guys, seeing that should discourage any disgruntled students who were thinking about having a go at us."

"Does anyone else feel we've just been used like duelling dummies?"

"That's because you are a dummy, I told you that idea wouldn't work."

"My idea? It was you who came up with it..."

The twins felt a hand settle on each of their shoulders. "Don't worry about it, guys. The Halloween of their second year, they took down Moony and me. You're in good company. Speaking of which, he's going to take over from Henrica as your staff sponsor at the end of the month. I don't want her overdoing it. She wants to teach as long as possible but there aren't usually spells flying about in her history class."

All would be sorry to see her stop but they understood Sirius' reasoning behind it, Remus was also a very capable understudy.

Fred now had a gleam in his eye. "We now have both sets of marauders with an original marauder as a staff sponsor...cool."

As the spectators left the room, the entire school knew the evening had been a great success. Even Flint understood the message this demonstration had just given out, there was now not a hope in hell of him being able to recruit anyone inside Hogwarts to extract retribution for what happened at New Year. That was a very powerful back-off everyone had just witnessed.

-oOoOo-

The Grand Hall in Gringotts was packed to capacity with people wanting to witness the awards ceremony. Only the first couple of rows were still waiting to be filled, and those seats were reserved for family.

They had brought Parvati and Luna with them from Hogwarts, meeting their families in an anteroom that also held the warriors and their families too. After his hugs from Emma, Smita and Alice, Harry made a point of approaching every warrior and thanking them for their assistance that night. All knew what was really being said and, while the warriors didn't think it was necessary, they appreciated the gesture.

Barchoke then arrived with a young female goblin who proceeded to attempt to hug all six of her friends at the same time. Seeing this for themselves meant more to the warriors than their Centurion's thanks, here was something worth fighting for. A young goblin being treated as an equal by her witch and wizard peers. That this was then followed by the Centurion's mate embracing Ambassador Barchoke and calling him father had them standing proud, proud that they had protected this extraordinary witch that night as she fought along side them.

All the families were soon lead away to fill those reserved seats at the front of the hall. The trio of friends had been unsure how to dress for this occasion, Harry was of course in his Centurion Dress Uniform. Barchoke had suggested their duelling robes, since they were receiving an award for bravery in battle. All four were required to wear their Orders of Merlin, First Class, and had them clearly displayed.

The entire group then followed The Director and his entourage into the Grand Hall, over a thousand people greeted them with applause and much banging of weapons on shields from the warrior guards.

Harry had asked that the warriors be the main focus of the ceremony so he followed them in, with Hermione on his arm and Neville, with Padma also on her mate's arm, right behind them.

The Director now addressed the audience. ""We are all here today to partake in a ceremony that hasn't been seen inside the London branch of Gringotts for generations. To be awarded for bravery in battle is a great honour, I want you to witness the squad commander's memory of this event and see for yourselves that these awards were truly earned.""

Harry's attention immediately switched to his family, they had no idea this was going to happen and he was worried about Emma's reaction to watching it. Dan was already holding her hand and Luna silently took her other one. Sapphire had Luna's spare hand and reached out for Parvati. In a matter of seconds, all of the family were joining hands - determined to face this ordeal together. They knew what they had faced inside Bones Manor but here they were going to witness what their children, siblings or best friends had to deal with.

Every goblin had weapons training and studied at least basic tactics on how best to use those weapons. All could immediately see the trouble their squad of warriors had portkeyed into. They were faced with a group of at least equal size, but the enemy had a longer reach and were behind cover - handing them a huge advantage that many warriors would perish in trying to overturn. Then, out of nowhere, a very powerful spell blasted the enemy's leader deep into the woods as a command rang out loud and clear into the night.

""Warriors to me, warriors to me.""

The roar that came from a thousand throats was a pure organic outcry of relief and joy as their Centurion led the charge while pouring spells into the enemy. That his mate and auror guard were mere seconds behind started to swing the battle back more in their favour. There was also a large out-swelling of pride as the warriors acted as one unit and swallowed both females up to offer them protection, neither witch let this manoeuvre affect the rate at which they continued to fire spells into the enemy ranks.

Harry cringed as the three killing curses were zooming toward him in the memory, this was accompanied by screams that were distinctly female and certainly human in origin. He knew there would be questions on that to be answered later.

The battle was still delicately balanced until spells started flying over the warriors' heads. Turning, the squad commander's memory showed Neville and Padma running as fast as they could while pouring spells into their foe, both now ran every morning and were easily outstripping the other members of their company as they charged to aid their friends.

The cheering reached a new level of intensity as all watching could now see the battle had just swung in their favour. When half their enemy then disappeared, it soon became a slaughter. The memory showed Centurion Crow jumping into the woods with his blades flashing before the group commander had to concentrate on his own fight.

His shield knocked the wand aside before his battleaxe sliced right through the arm and also the death eater's leg. The warrior spun around looking for more foes but the battle was already over. He shouted orders to establish a perimeter and the memory ended with the warriors cheering the four teenagers holding onto each other in the middle of the carnage.

The Director let the crowd go, he knew the spectators would need to get this out their systems before he could hope to proceed with the ceremony. The group awaiting their awards were standing in a column that stretched half-way back up the aisle, they were now the focus for all the cheering and jubilation.

Ragnok eventually raised his battleaxe and there was silence once more. ""As our customs dictate, I must now ask everyone present if they would like to challenge any of these awards?""

The silence this time was total, a mark of respect to those about to be honoured here today. As Ragnok lowered his great axe, cheers once more rang out. Only when four centurions made their way forward with the awards did the celebrations halt, for now.

The warriors stepped forward in pairs to have The Director attach their awards to their tunics before splitting alternatively right or left. The four friends eventually found themselves wearing their new awards in the middle of the line of warriors, the twinkle in Ragnok's eye telling them he had more to say.

""The battle was ours that night because everyone played their part, that is why the decision was taken to make all these awards the same. I feel I must point out though that, not only are the four teenagers here the youngest ever recipients of this award, they are the only four people in history ever to hold this award along with their Orders of Merlin, First Class. Their intervention that night was the reason our victory was such a resounding one, and for that they have my, and The Nation's, gratitude""

This resulted in even louder cheering before Ragnok led them out to the real celebration, a massive party in honour of the twenty four heroes.

Harry found himself surrounded by witches and a female goblin, all who had tears in their eyes. He was relieved to see Emma wasn't upset but that relief was short-lived.

"Okay, I'm obviously missing something here. Why is everyone so upset with that memory?"

It was left to Smita to answer Emma's question. "Those green spells were the killing curse. You can't shield against it and, if it hits any part of your body, the curse lives up to its name - you're dead."

"Only one person has ever been hit with it and lived, he was only a baby at the time. Harry, we all saw that curse hit. How are you standing here?"

"It hit my shield, Luna. The curse shattered it, and nearly broke my arm, but that was all."

Emma was now fiercely hugging Harry, glad she didn't know that fact when she watched the memory. It was Barchoke who rescued his son. "We're here for a party, and to celebrate we're all still here and able to party. You have my assurance no death eaters will be crashing into this one."

As usual, it was Padma who summed the situation up rather well. "There are hardly enough death eaters left to pull a Christmas Cracker, I don't think they'll be crashing any parties again for a long time."

The image of that tent Voldemort had been living in appearing on the front page of the Prophet had totally destroyed what little credibility he had left amongst his pureblood supporters, not even the poorest of whom would ever consider a piece of canvas manufactured by muggles to be suitable accommodation.

-oOoOo-

The small accommodation block attached to the lighthouse was perfect for their needs. A few cleaning and repair charms soon had the place not only liveable but comfortable, an abundance of rabbits and a sea full of fish also ensured they wouldn't go hungry.

Their master's leg was recovering but he would be left with a limp until they could get their hands on a healer and the appropriate potions. Not everything was going so smoothly though, Bella's temper appeared to be growing to match her now expanding waistline.

"What was the point of escaping one island prison only to find ourselves virtually prisoners on another piece of rock? This wasn't what I had in mind when I agreed to leave Azkaban with you."

"Bella, this isn't a prison, it's our base of operations. From here we can plan how to make all those bastards pay for turning their backs on our master."

"What good is planning if we never do anything about it. This isn't a base, it's a hide-out. We're hiding here like those frightened rabbits you're so fond of cooking. We need to strike back, make the bastards fear us again. They won't do that with us stuck here in the middle of bloody nowhere, they'll just forget all about us because we don't matter anymore. Even the dragons now leave this bit of rock alone, it's not worth their time. If they're smart enough to figure out there's bugger all of any worth here - why can't you?"

Voldemort limped into the room, and the argument. "You are both correct. Augustuss hass provided uss with a fine base from which to launch our attackss. Bella, you too are correct, we must respond or all iss already lost. Our reaction must be big though, big, brutal and strike right at their heartss. Otherwise, we will be relegated to the roless of mere criminalss. That iss not something I am prepared to accept."

The mere mention of striking back was enough to placate Bella's mood, fear gripped Augustus though at his master's next words.

"Hogwartss traditionally holdss itss Hogsmeade weekendss around the time of Valentine'ss day, that will be our signal to strike."

"Master, forgive my interruption but they will be expecting us then."

"And that iss why we will strike. After all, it wouldn't do to disappoint them."

Augustus knew that further argument would be putting his own life in danger, their master had made his decision and nothing was going to change that. His mate though appeared ecstatic. Bella's hormones didn't have her craving unusual food in sickening combinations, that was far too tame for the former Mrs Lestrange. She wanted to see blood spilt - with preferably her being the one who was doing the spilling. It was now apparent she was soon going to get that opportunity.

A/N Thanks for reading

78. Death and Destruction

Harry Crow

Disclaimer - I write purely for my own enjoyment, making no money from this venture and claim only my imagination as my own. I always strive to be original but, given the amount of HP fan-fiction out there, almost everything has probably been done before.

Chapter 78

Hermione was finding it hard to believe she could be sitting surrounded by friends and yet still feel a touch of loneliness. She knew exactly why that was though, Harry was again patrolling Hogsmeade before the students headed down to the village after breakfast. With Voldemort once more on the loose, there would be no lunch with her mate either. Both he and Tonks had extra people under them as everyone knew this would be a prime target over the weekend.

The ministry was caught between a rock and a hard place in that they insisted on calling the trio criminals. To then cancel a Hogsmeade weekend at Hogwarts because there were three criminals on the loose sent all the wrong signals about whether the ministry could protect the magical community.

Their answer was to flood the village with aurors and goblin warriors, the top priority was to protect the students and keep the village safe. Should Voldemort, Lestrange and Rookwood attack, they would find themselves facing odds of over thirty to one.

She just missed having Harry beside her and had even considered staying in the castle with Luna, the rest of her friends were having none of that. Padma soon put her straight while they had walked down to the great hall for breakfast.

"Hermione, the village will be crawling with aurors and warriors, no one will be sneaking off for any alone time as a couple. We will be staying in as big a group as possible and I want you there. How else are you going to race to Harry's side if they do attack?"

After that, she really couldn't say no. She really couldn't miss Eargit either as the beautiful white owl swooped down and gracefully landed right in front of her.

"Hello Girl, is that for me?"

The owl was ready to give an indignant bark, did this human think she would deliver something to the wrong person? The sight of that human reaching for a piece of bacon changed that indignation into a nod and a bark of delight.

Hermione fed Eargit a rasher of bacon before removing her gift, a single red rose with a card that proclaimed 'missing you too!'. With a smile now back on her face, Roger just couldn't resist teasing.

"Even when Harry's not here, he still manages to make the rest of us look bad. He does know that Valentine's Day isn't until Monday?"

"After the disaster in our first year, you can bet he knows when it is. This is just to say sorry because he's on duty all weekend, he is a Centurion after all."

"Since he kicks our arses every week in our extra lesson, it's kinda hard to forget. Surely Voldemort won't be stupid enough to attack Hogsmeade over the weekend?"

That was Padma's cue to butt-in. "He was stupid enough to attack Amelia's New Year part. Okay, he didn't know there was a party being held there but the same reasoning might apply here too. What if he doesn't know Hogsmeade is full of aurors and warriors?"

Hermione soon put a stop to that line of thought. "Then he's in for a really big surprise and it will be their last attack."

-oOoOo-

Bella was concealed up in the hills around Hogwarts, her mate had been insistent they shouldn't be surprised again. She couldn't really see a lot of detail, Augustus again insisting that she was far enough away that there would be no danger of her being detected.

Her hand was resting on her growing midriff as she spoke. "Our big strong wizard worries so about us, little one. Your father is a good man, my son, not like that weak bastard I was forced to marry. He uses that beautiful mind of his to keep us safe. Today, I'll need my wand to do the same. Mummy and Daddy are fighting to make this work a better place for their beautiful boy to grow up in. if we have to kill half these bastards to do so then that's the way it has to be…"

She stopped speaking as, even from this distance, the sight of students beginning to make their way from the castle to Hogsmeade was unmistakable. Bella had gotten what she came for, conformation this was a Hogsmeade weekend for the students of Hogwarts. Her mate had argued this was something they needed to know, their master had gone along with that, knowing confirmation would be the signal for their attack. Bella didn't need to see any more, it was time to return and give that signal. It was time to announce they wouldn't just fade quietly away, the war was still on and Bella just couldn't wait to be in the thick of it.

-oOoOo-

Hermione was again surrounded by friends but, in all honesty, she just couldn't wait for today to be over. She was finding it hard to enjoy herself, knowing that warriors and aurors were putting their lives on the line specifically so they could visit Hogsmeade. She may understand the thinking behind this but that didn't mean she had to like it. The fact that Harry was one of those lives might have played a large part in forming that opinion though.

All around the village the tension was visible on the faces of their protectors, the threat of attack today was a very real one. Most of the third years stuck together, going for a safety in numbers approach. Those who could speak goblin clearly heard the shout that went up.

""Warriors to me, warriors to me.""

Even those who couldn't understand what was being shouted recognised who was doing the shouting, Harry. Wands were drawn as their peaceful afternoon in Hogsmeade appeared to be about to come to an abrupt end.

-oOoOo-

With Andrew on duty in Hogsmeade, Director Bones having cancelled all auror leave this weekend, Deborah had taken Danielle to visit Diagon Alley. The Dugan girls were having a witches day out, something the young mother knew she would enjoy more as her daughter got older. Still, Danielle was enjoying herself at the moment. What four year old doesn't like ice cream - and Fortescue's was simply the best.

Their enjoyment though was soon ruined by the arrival of three figures dressed in black portkeying directly into the alley. Deborah certainly got a good look at a pregnant Bellatrix Lestrange as she cast a curse directly at her and Danielle. Time seemed to slow as the curse sped toward them, it was with mounting horror the mother began to realise she wouldn't be able to reach across the table in time to push Danielle to safety. That horror changed to amazement as the curse impacted on wards. Florean himself came rushing out and started ushering his customers inside.

"I have goblin wards protecting my shop, get inside where you won't be seen."

Hearing this, as Florean was shouting to those occupying the few tables he had outside his shop, people who'd been on the street raced toward the ice cream parlour while trying to dodge spells from a now enraged Lestrange.

Voldemort had opened with some heavy magic, his intention being to cause structural damage while his two servants killed everyone they could get their wands on. His first spell blasted apart the front of the apothecary while his second started an inferno inside. The Owl Emporium suffered the same fate but Madam Malkin's absorbed his first curse - those blasted goblin wards were interfering with his plans again. With Flourish & Botts, Quality Quiddich Supplies and even the ice cream parlour protected, this severely dented their ambitions. Not only were these buildings able to resist his attacks, they were providing safe havens for those originally caught out on the street.

The snarls coming from Bella were those of frustration. Yes she'd killed but these people weren't supposed to be able to escape from her wand. As a witch on fire ran from the owl emporium, a cutting curse severed one of her legs clean off while hacking deeply into her other. Let her lie on the cobbles and burn, this was more like it. Bella scanned the alley, eagerly looking for her next victim.

Her mate was covering the other side of the alley. Augustus was being restricted to a few kills in the initial panic, that was before people realised there were oases of life-saving safety dotted along the alley. He knew it wouldn't be long before that initial panic passed and they started facing resistance. With them out in the open too, they would have no other option but to then retreat. This was not how this raid was supposed to go.

Their supposed carnage was looking more and more like a few buildings being destroyed with the death toll being kept to single figures, Voldemort was not happy. As a squad of goblin warriors charged down the steps of Gringotts, he unleashed a powerful curse right into the centre of their formation - blowing a large hole in their line as warriors flew through the air like skittles.

Here were the targets she craved, targets Bella was more than happy to accept as a gift. As her master knocked them down, she would kill the beasts as they hit the ground. Bella only managed one spell though before she was suddenly having to defend for their very lives.

Deborah was observing the scene unfold from the door of the ice cream parlour, watching as those brave goblins were blasted like that saw something deep inside her snap. Only the bravery of another goblin saw her and Danielle survive a previous death eater attack inside the ministry, she couldn't just stand here and watch as they were slaughtered. Her wand was in her hand and a curse fired before Deborah had time to think about it. This became the signal for those sheltering behind goblin wards in premises dotted along the alley to do the same, curses were soon raining down on the trio of attackers.

A group of eight aurors raced from the Leaky Cauldron to join the fight but when Centurion Crow led another squad of warriors in a charge down the steps of Gringotts, the three knew it was past time to return to their lighthouse. They didn't even manage a farewell volley of curses as all three were now having to concentrate on defending themselves. Voldemort barely had time to cast Morsmordre before being forced to flee.

There was no cheering as the trio was left with no option but to retreat with their tails between their legs. Diagon Alley was engulfed in flames and smoke, with the cries of terrified animals coming from the owl emporium adding a terrible soundtrack to what was already a horrific scene. The still burning body lying in front of the destroyed building was now silent in death.

Witches and wizards were emerging from the protected establishments to help fight the burning buildings dotted in-between their protected havens while the aurors were checking those who had been hit by spells. There were bodies lying unmoving up and down the alley. The warriors were ferrying their injured back inside Gringotts when floods of people began arriving in the alley.

Tonks had seen Harry collect a squad of warriors and disappear, she had immediately raced for the nearest floo. They had communication procedures set up and emergency aid on stand-by, hearing that it was actually Diagon Alley that had been attacked saw her grab a dozen aurors and direct them into the floo. She also set off the signal to order the evacuation of the students back to the castle, only to then find Hermione right by her side. Rather than argue, both followed the aurors through the floo to the Leaky Cauldron.

Amelia had also arrived in the alley, only to be halted by the carnage that she faced. Pushing her horror aside, she began to get the situation under control. The healer teams that arrived directly behind her helped restore that control as the injured now had somewhere to go. Harry offered the bank as a triage area, an offer Amelia quickly accepted. The extra wands though soon made light work of the remaining burning buildings.

If you were to take a photograph of Diagon Alley at that particular moment, a better endorsement of goblin wards would be hard to imagine. Burned-out shells were side by side with buildings that had suffered no damage whatsoever, and had also protected their staff and customers.

Harry eventually spotted Hermione with another two people they both knew, he quickly made his way over there. Danielle was sitting on Hermione's knee and saw Harry first, her yell of greeting alerted her mother and Hermione.

"Harry - you were all golden!"

Harry activated his armour for the curious little witch, if she was paying attention to that then she wouldn't be looking outside. "Yes, all centurions can do that."

The little witch looked to her mother for help. "Is that the same as daddy? Both fight the bad wizards and witches."

"Yes love, both fight the bad wizards and witches. It's nice to see you again, Harry, apart from the circumstances. That bitch Lestrange fired a curse right at us but your people saved the Dugan girls again. Those wards of yours saved a lot of lives today, including ours."

Florean himself came forward to thank Harry for The Nation's wards. "There were those among us who thought these wards were a waste of gold, even with Gringotts offering businesses the chance to pay for them over a ten year period. Without those wards we would be looking at a disaster today, they saved many lives as well as livelihoods. Mulpepper has spent decades building up his apothecary, he probably went up in flames with it today. Can you imagine the impact if they'd hit Ollivanders? These business owners were short-sighted and foolish in their choices, no blame can be attached to Gringotts for their failings - quite the opposite."

Florean Fortescue was a well-liked and influential figure on Diagon Alley, his opinion carried weight. That there were people in his shop who survived purely because of his foresight in having those wards installed certainly added to that influence.

Deborah lifted Danielle off Hermione, allowing the two teens to hug.

"I'm assuming father sent the recall signal?"

"Yes, as soon as the first set of wards were attacked he realised what was happening. We had a squad of warriors on stand-by in case they were needed in Hogsmeade. They charged out of Gringotts and straight at Voldemort, they took heavy casualties. By the time I got here the attack was all but over, Voldemort and his pair of death eaters must have had portkeys. How did you get here?"

"I flooed along with Tonks. She sent the evacuation warning before flooing to the Leaky Cauldron. Once I saw you were fine, I tried to stay out of the way and let you do your job. I just couldn't sit in Hogwarts and not know that you were okay. I'll head into Gringotts and wait in the apartment for you."

Barchoke had been looking for his son, he was surprised to find his daughter there too. Hermione was greeting her father as she normally would but little Danielle wanted in on the act too. She well remembered the little man who had saved her and mummy on her birthday.

Those watching smiled as the child hugged this goblin, Harry though had something to add.

"Father, that is now twice Danielle has been involved in this war. Can we help keep her safe?"

"It shall be done by next week, son. Sorry Deborah, I don't think we'll be able to do it any sooner than that. I would imagine today will see us really busy for the foreseeable future."

This confused the witch until a smiling Hermione explained. "There will be these same wards on your house shortly..."

"We could never afford them on Andrew's salary..."

"...and these two would never forgive themselves if something happened to Danielle. She doubled the number of witches there are in this country who will hug a goblin, even if she didn't know what a goblin was."

Deborah just added herself to that growing list as she hugged both Barchoke and Harry. The others in the shop who were waiting to give statements to the aurors had of course heard every word. This saw Florean offering his hand to Barchoke in thanks, both for the wards on his shop and what he'd just witnessed.

The pair of aurors present knew exactly who Deborah and Danielle were, they had been front page of the Prophet after all. They were delighted for Andrew and his family and they too shook Barchoke's hand in thanks. With the rest of the customers then following suit, it was a touching moment for the Goblin Ambassador, made all the more so by the fact his son and daughter were by his side to witness it.

-oOoOo-

Ragnok was surveying the public side of Gringotts with mixed emotions. That their warriors had charged the dark lord filled him with pride. He took almost as much pride from watching Centurion Crow charge right through the bank to get into the battle, his warriors pushing themselves to their limits to stay at their centurion's side. That the dark one and his two minions had fled from this threat shot a surge of enormous pride right through every goblin inside Gringotts.

There was also a sense of achievement here, as well as history being made right in front of them. Witches, wizards and goblins were lying on cots spread along the bank's floor. While that in itself was an achievement, that they were being treated in an order purely determined by the extent of their injuries was history being made right there.

His overwhelming emotion though was anger, an emotion that was fuelled every time his glance caught the two child shaped bundles covered by sheets. That these bastards could target children meant they were already the walking dead. If Gringotts got their hands on them first, their dragons would feast on their supposed pure blood.

He was approached by Bones and Fudge, the circumstances seeing protocols and titles forgotten today.

"We have twelve murdered, including nine witches and two young children. These bastards have now shown their true colours, they are nothing but killers. They didn't care about the purity of their victim's blood, witch, wizard or child made no difference to them either."

"We have three warriors dead and another two fighting to see the sunrise tomorrow. Minister, if we get them first they will face goblin justice."

Cornelius had of course read the Lady Black's book, he knew exactly how to answer that. "Director Ragnok, should these murdering bastards find themselves facing goblin justice, I would lead my people in raising a glass in thanks to our friends in The Nation. Should we be the ones who find ourselves in the position of having to administer justice, you have my personal guarantee they will all die. It may not be by dragon but they will still be dead."

Both leaders were happy with that, these three criminals could not be allowed to live.

Amelia certainly agreed with that opinion but knew they had still to catch them first. "We need to show how indiscriminate this attack was, destroying sympathy to the cause they supposedly champion is also a battle we need to win. Some of the shops in the alley having your wards is the only thing that stopped this being a total disaster. We could have been left looking at over a hundred dead and the destruction of the alley. We have to think his next move would be to try something similar in Hogsmeade..."

"Gringotts would be happy to extend the same terms to those premises as we did to our neighbours in Diagon Alley. They were given the option to pay for their wards over a ten year term, with only one percent interest being charged. We were going to extend this offer anyway, we have completed our surveys and recognised a tract of land between the Post Office and The Three Broomsticks as an ideal position for our new Hogsmead branch."

Knowing that the goblins would now be welcomed with open arms in the village, Cornelius promised to help make that happen as quickly as possible.

-oOoOo-

The students were escorted back inside the Hogwarts wards as quickly as possible, Parvati, Padma and Neville all raced toward the waiting Augusta for news. Most of their friends were hot on their heels.

"Voldemort attacked, but not where everyone thought he would. He hit Diagon Alley. Barchoke floocalled to tell me they retreated just as Harry arrived, he didn't want you worrying... Where's Hermione?"

"One second she was beside us, then she wasn't. Barchoke must have sent their emergency signal to Harry, he would have used his portkey to take those warriors into Gringotts. Hermione will have gone to Harry, if he's safe then so will she be."

Padma's certainty saw relief wash over Neville, he'd been worried about their best friends. There was also relief in knowing that neither the Longbottoms or Patils were within a thousand miles of Diagon Alley. The four parents had joined Dan and Emma to spend a peaceful week on the island.

-oOoOo-

There wasn't much peace to be found on the Flannan Isle that was home to the lighthouse, and its uninvited guests. It was one of those guests that was responsible for all the noise. Bella's bloodlust had been satisfied for now while Augustus was just too knackered to care at the moment. He'd thrown a lot of magic about in that attack, a lot of magic for him that was.

It wasn't the wards, or even the failure to achieve what they set out to do that was responsible for the dark lord's verbal outburst. It was something far more serious than that.

"They dared to lift their wandss against me, they actually fired cursess at Lord Voldemort! If they have made their choice then we will just have to make them pay for that choice. Our next attack hass to be bigger, bolder and strike fear into their heartss. If we need to bring the entire country to itss kneess before they will respect uss again, then so be it."

Rookwood was just too exhausted to think how his master was going to accomplish that with only the three of them, it would be two very soon as Bella's pregnancy advanced to the stage where she could no longer take part in any raids. With their son due in May, they were already quickly approaching the time where it would become too dangerous.

He would once more have to tread the delicate line of offering advice, rather than criticising his master. Augustus knew exactly what had their master so hot under the collar, it was the lack of respect. Not so long ago, the British magical community were so afraid of him they wouldn't even say his name. Today, those very same people stood and fired curses at him. It really was hard to believe that things had changed so much in such a short space of time. The had no influence, intelligence, supporters or wealth, all they had left was fear. To lose that too was the final straw.

This might actually work in his favour though. They needed something big, something requiring months of meticulous planning. If Augustus could stretch those months out until his son was born then the little tike might just have a chance.

Augustus Rookwood was a very clever wizard, he could see their only chance was to withdraw from Britain and spend a few years in a more sympathetic country, gaining followers to take back that which they had held once before. He also knew their master's pride would never allow that to happen.

This time last year he had lain in his dank cell in agony from his escape efforts, it was not a pleasant time. What a difference a year made! Having a son with Bellatrix Lestrange as a willing partner was way beyond any of those wildest dreams that had provided the fortitude to continue his painful efforts to escape. He would certainly give his life to try and protect his mate and son. To do so while knowing their son was safe on this island Augustus would regard as a great victory, especially from someone sentenced to spend the rest of his life in Azkaban.

Bella's devotion would never see her abandon their master, just like he would never abandon his mate and the mother of their child. Since that night in her cell, Augustus had been totally hers. He had also started treating every day as if it might be his last, it was beginning to look like that might soon be the case. His entire focus would now switch to ensuring their son survived. Considering the last thing he'd focused on had seen both of them do the impossible and escape from Azkaban, Augustus was sure he would be able to come up with something.

-oOoOo-

Amelia was racking her brain to come up with something - anything. "We thought of keying the magical detectors to the word 'Voldemort' but the only two people in the country now afraid to say his name are Rookwood and Lestrange. We can cycle it through the unforgivables but that also means waiting until they attack again. We've checked all the death eater homes and every location those death eaters who handed themselves in have told us about, not a sign of them. They literally could be anywhere."

Neither Cornelius nor Amos had anything to add to that. An idea was floated about offering a huge reward for information but Amelia thought that would hinder more than it would help. "If anyone knew anything, I'm pretty sure they would tell us. Even the rest of the death eaters want Voldemort dealt with. Offering a reward would see my aurors run ragged as people began reporting anything and everything in the hope of striking it rich."

"We need to prevent a recurrence of what happened today. If we can't find them then denying Voldemort targets is our next best option."

The Minister agreed with his Chief Warlock. "Any remaining businesses in Diagon Alley that don't have goblin wards soon will have. I spoke to Ragnok about issuing plaques to those businesses that did, so that their customers could shop with confidence. He said they had that idea initially but held back because they felt like they were forcing the other shops to purchase their wards. After today, I told him I would make it a ministerial decree if he wanted, that's the route we're going to take. These wards now come with a goblin made plaque that businesses must display to reassure their customers of their safety. Gringotts opening in Hogsmeade is also something I want to see happening as soon as possible. Twice now the goblins have stood beside us and fought this enemy, it's time for us to stand by them in this matter - and help protect our own people at the same time."

Amelia couldn't see any arguments being raised against any of that. The people of Hogsmeade had welcomed the goblin warriors with open arms, she couldn't see the bank proposal being any different. That there would soon be safe havens from death eater attacks in the village would also be a great boon, for villagers and the visiting Hogwarts students too.

Amos also didn't think they would have any trouble getting this through the Wizengamot, the words of Augusta Longbottom coming back to him. She had said at the initial discussion of goblins being able to live outside Gringotts that she would welcome goblin neighbours, Augusta wouldn't be alone in that now. Not only would their wards offer refuge to their neighbours, their warriors would soon appear if those same wards were under attack.

While certainly not his intention, the Chief Warlock couldn't help but find it ironic that Voldemort's attack had actually helped push wizard / goblin relations closer than they had been for centuries. The story of little Danielle Dugan hugging Ambassador Barchoke was also spreading like wildfire, as was that goblin family's response to the four year old witch. An auror's family would soon find themselves safe from the threat of Voldemort.

He wondered if this would start a new trend, one where parents would teach their children to hug goblins, rather than to fear them. Amos was struggling to believe their society could have come so far in such a short space of time. It shouldn't really be so hard to believe though, since most of it was derived from self-interest. The ministry's closer alliance with the goblin nation was making their country a safer place, now who could argue that was not something to be desired.

-oOoOo-

Harry was trying not to argue with his father but wanted some answers, one in particular. ""Did you know Bellatrix Lestrange was pregnant?""

After having contacted Hogwarts and discovering Sunday's proposed visit to Hogsmeade had been canceled, Harry and Hermione were staying in Gringotts overnight. The couple were now sitting having a discussion with their father, a father who was having to confess his sins.

""Yes I knew. I also deliberately didn't tell you in case you held back if forced to face her, she certainly didn't hold back today. She accounted for almost half of those murdered in the Alley. That witch is a ruthless killer and needs to be treated as such, any opponent making concessions because she's pregnant is going to find themselves dead.""

Hermione tried to intervene, knowing any argument between these two could be bad. Both had a streak of stubbornness running right through them like the lettering in a stick of seaside rock. ""I agree with you, father, that Lestrange is very dangerous and can't be allowed any concessions. I can't agree with the decision not to tell Harry. If Lestrange was visibly pregnant, not knowing beforehand was much more likely to cause Harry to hesitate than being prepared for the situation.""

""Oh it was visible, Hermione, she's at least as far on as Henrica. We've also learned that taking a witch or wizard's wand away leaves them practically defenceless. I've heard Lestrange fancies herself with a knife in her hand, but do you honestly think she could beat a goblin in any fight with a blade?""

""I'm sorry son, it was my decision...""

""...and it was the wrong one. You withheld information from a centurion in what is practically a time of war, surely you must see how serious that is?""

""I tried to protect my son, and forgot he was also a centurion - I appologise. I thought that by the time her pregnancy was visible, Lestange would not be taking part in any attacks. By our reckoning her baby is due in three months, yet she was in the alley today and throwing dark magic around without a care to her unborn child. It would appear she's even crazier than we feared.""

Trying to move the argument off-topic, Hermione asked their father a question. ""Can that really affect the child she's carrying?""

""We goblins class dark magic as anything that blackens the soul, the killing and torture curses certainly fall under that category. A baby is said to be born with a pure soul, that same baby though is part of their mother's body until the birth. It's not just nutrients they can absorb while in the womb. Any child of Rookwood and Lestrange is going to have a hard enough time of it without their mother dragging them along to battles too.""

Hermione had this terrifying image in her head of Lestrange going into battle with her baby strapped like a papoose on her back. ""You don't think she'd really take her child into battle, do you?""

This led to her father shrugging his shoulders. ""Hermione, that witch is crazy enough for anything.""

Both goblins in the room knew exactly what Hermione had done, and both were quite prepared to let her. Neither father nor son wanted to fight over this, a mistake had been made and wouldn't be repeated, it was time to move on.

-oOoOo-

Harry and Hermione were fighting, they didn't need ward stones today since they were using their swords. Their run in the tunnels was now greeted with waves and shouts of recognition, their swordplay too was attracting a lot of attention. Their concentration was total though, it wasn't until they finished that both realised just how big their audience was, or just who was amongst those spectators.

""What do you think, Master Sharpshard, acceptable?""

""Better than that, Director. Miss Granger not only has a fine teacher, she wields that blade as if born to it. The Centurion here would appear to have taken at least some of my teachings on board, the only way to improve is practice, practice and more practice. Something these two have obviously done a lot of.""

The couple were both bowing, embarrassed at the praise. Harry though couldn't resist firing a friendly barb at the master of the blade. ""Director Ragnok, you should attend Master Sharpshard's classes. I think those are the first kind words I've ever heard him utter, his students would certainly appreciate your presence if that is the effect you have on him.""

This had The Director and most of those listening roaring with laughter.

""I see even Miss Granger's company hasn't been able to part you from that streak of insolence you are so fond of.""

""Forgive me, Master Sharpshard, my mate told me that was his goblin sense of humour. Is this not the case?"" Hermione was looking at Harry mock-accusingly as she said this.

The laughter actually increased in volume this time before Harry could answer. ""Hermione, Master Sharpshard doesn't have a sense of humour - goblin or otherwise.""

""Destroying my favourite axe, Centurion, is not a case for laughter. At least it now has a good home.""

""Yes, it hangs on my wall..."" Harry couldn't hold it any longer and burst into laughter himself, Master Sharpshard was only a second behind, leaving Hermione to wonder if she would ever get a handle on their mysterious sense of humour.

The four walked back to their apartment together, further enhancing the couple's reputation in The Nation.

""We were looking for you earlier but your father told us you would be training, Master Sharpshard wanted to see that and I tagged along.""

The thought of The Director just 'tagging along' only made sense if he wanted something, both Harry and Hermione were just about to find out what that was.

""In times of trouble it is always a bonus if you can give the Nation something to look forward to. With your help I'm hoping we can achieve that. Reports coming back from those living in Kingussie are glowing, making me wonder if we couldn't give more goblins a taste of your wonderful hospitality. I am proposing we hold a summer fayre - in Kingussie.""

Harry only remembered one fayre in his time at Gringotts, his memories of this event were some of the best of his turbulent childhood. ""Director, I think that's a wonderful idea. Kingussie is certainly available for holding this event, all I would ask is that the timing not coincide with me becoming a godfather or brother.""

""I'm sure we could arrange the dates with your father, I just wanted to ask your permission to hold it in Kingussie first. A Fayre inside Gringotts is always limited by the space available, holding it in your glen easily solves that problem. We could even let it run for an entire weekend?""

With Harry readily agreeing to that, Ragnok had one last thing to add. ""Of course, any of your friends from Hogwarts would be more than welcome to attend. After all, it is your home.""

As the group parted ways, it was an excited Harry who explained to Hermione exactly what was involved in a goblin fayre. Hermione was again reminded of the goblin children playing in the snow and realised at once why holding this event outside would be such a big event for The Nation - one they would all be looking forward to. She could also see more goblin dwellings soon being built in Kingussie, something she was very happy about.

-oOoOo-

Happy was not a word Rita would use to describe her feelings about her latest exclusive on the front page of the Prophet. While it pleased her on a professional level as a piece of work, as a witch it made her feel sick. Rita had been inside Gringotts when the alarms had been sounded, she had transformed into her bug form and flew from the bank. Rita had immediately gained height to avoid all the curses that were being thrown, it also gave her an excellent view of the battle. The picture taken from her memory and now displayed on the front page of the Prophet was testament to that.

The view from above showed the end of the attack, the trio of murderers were taking spells from the protected premises while goblin warriors and aurors were now attacking from either end of the alley. The arrival of Centurion Crow with more warrior reinforcements saw the trio forced to flee for their lives. The dark mark above the alley was actually being obscured by the smoke from the burning building. Viewing the scene from this angle also meant that the bodies lying in the alley weren't recognisable as anything other than bodies.

Death and Destruction in Diagon

A normal Saturday in Diagon Alley became a day that will live with infamy in the psyche of everyone who has ever visited that famous street. Tom Riddle - aka Voldemort, Bellatrix Lestrange and Augustus Rookwood portkeyed into the middle of the alley and immediately began dispensing death and destruction.

In the past, this group have championed unsupported beliefs that would see one section of our society elevated above everyone else. Yesterday they showed their true colours, murdering indiscriminately and without the slightest warning. Neither the purity of blood nor the gender of their victims made the slightest difference to this trio, there were even two children amongst the twelve murdered for simply being in the alley.

That the death toll and destruction wasn't on a far greater scale is due to a number of factors. Chief amongst these was certain shopkeepers having the foresight to take advantage of the generous provisions Gringotts offered businesses and had their premisses warded against death eaters. Not only did this protect their businesses and customers from this ambush, they provided safe locations for those in the alley to seek shelter from the vicious murderers.

Even although the bulk of aurors and goblin warriors were busy patrolling Hogsmeade to protect the Hogwarts students, both the ministry and Gringotts were still able to rapidly respond to this attack. Four brave goblin warriors lost their lives charging down the steps of Gringotts to engage the murderers.

When the witches and wizards already in the alley opened fire on the terrible trio, they were forced to scurry away and hide as more reinforcements flooded into Diagon.

In the space of five horrific minutes, Diagon Alley was in flames and sixteen souls had been murdered. A disgusted yet forthright Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, had this to say.

"The Ministry and Gringotts are determined these criminals shall be brought to justice, whether that is wizarding or goblin justice will depend on who gets to them first. Either way, these three criminals will pay with their lives for their despicable actions here today. While we continue to search the length and breadth of the country in an attempt to discover what rock they crawled under, we are currently working with our goblin friends and looking to introduce measures to prevent an attack like this ever happening again."

Wherever these three are hiding they better hope it's the aurors who catch them first, goblin justice would see them being thrown unarmed into a Gringotts dragon pit. After witnessing the atrocities these three were responsible for in Diagon Alley, who could argue against that fate being fully justified.

A/N Thanks for reading

79. Hearts and Minds

Harry Crow

Disclaimer - When carrying out DIY, it isn't always about saving money. To me, being able to stand back and say 'I did that' is equally as important. That is why the first person to click on this chapter is also the first person, other than me, to read it. I realise this might not be everyone's cup of tea and can only suggest they get the professionals in. I can heartily recommend J K Rowling's early works, she really makes the character of Harry Potter her own.

Chapter 79

No one inside Hogwarts complained that the rest of their Hogsmeade weekend had been cancelled. After reading Sunday's edition of the Prophet, it's doubtful anyone would have left the safety of the castle anyway. With the ministry having to deal with the aftermath of yesterday's attack on Diagon Alley, they simply couldn't spare the aurors to effectively guard the village for the students' visit.

The war had again hit the Hogwarts community though, Katie Bell had lost her mother in the attack. The distraught witch had returned home and would stay there until after the funeral. Only the stoic efforts of Fred, George and Percy Weasley stopped their house looking for retribution over the popular quidditch player's loss. Neville and Parvati easily held the younger years in check, most of them had friends in Slytherin anyway. Ron was the only dissenting voice they had to deal with, since no one listened to him anyway they simply did the same and ignored the prat.

Cormac McLaggen would like to have started something inside Gryffindor, more so because he really fancied Katie and she wouldn't give him the time of day. Going against the Weasley twins though was never an option he would deliberately choose, they also had the head boy in their corner too.

The reaction inside Slytherin house was along somewhat different lines. Even the staunchest supporters of the dark lord couldn't stand behind what had happened yesterday. They had of course heard about Katie's mother and understood it was pure chance that none of their own family had been caught up in the attack. The point the Prophet had clearly made, that if their families had been in the alley then they were just as likely to be murdered as anyone else, was certainly not lost on any of its Slytherin readers.

Draco and Pansy led the third years in opposition to any older dark lord supporters, the second years were all staunch Crow's Marauders members while the first years loved their marauders club too. Instead of having a polarising effect inside Hogwarts, yesterday's attack had actually introduced an element of solidarity against Voldemort and his followers.

This effect though wasn't restricted to Hogwarts, it was being repeated the length and breadth of the British Isles. This was not so much a lurch toward the light, more a display of utter disgust at what Voldemort and his last remaining pair of disciples were capable of - supposedly in the name of pureblood supremacy. It would be a long time before any of them would raise their heads above the parapet again. There was also the not knowing just what this madman would do next. Distancing themselves from his actions now was not only the smart option, it was really the only option they had available.

-oOoOo-

Harry knew what he had to do next. He hated using his fame like this but still went ahead with it, this really was a 'greater good' situation. Walking down Diagon Alley with Hermione on his arm would let the wizarding community see he thought it was safe to do so, restoring public confidence was vital in getting Diagon Alley back on its feet. They also had a few shops to visit and a very important task to carry out in each. Arriving in Flourish & Blott's, the manager was with them in seconds.

"Good afternoon, sir. I have something here that you might want to display at the front of your shop, it tells everyone who sees it that Flourish & Blott's have goblin wards protecting their premises and customers." Harry didn't mention that the Wizengamot would soon be voting to make the displaying of this plaque compulsory for any premises that had their wards, he couldn't understand why any business wouldn't want to shout that fact at the top of their voices.

The bronze plaque Harry removed from his bag showed a nesting female dragon poised to defend her young, the workmanship alone would have owners wanting to display this work of art. The words Flourish and Blott's were clearly displayed in the nest area, making each of the plaques Harry had in his bag unique to a particular business.

While having unlimited access to the Black library had somewhat curtailed his mate's cravings for the printed word, she was still Hermione Granger. While Harry had been talking with the manager, Hermione had been browsing the shop's merchandise. She returned with fourteen books that would be purchased before being sent to their fledgling library in Kingussie.

The manager at Quality Quidditch Supplies was a different kettle of fish. Knowing the boy-who-lived held no interest in the noble sport of quiddich was not only heartbreaking, it was very bad for business. He tried his best to sell the young couple a wide range of quidditch equipment and paraphernalia, finally getting the message they weren't interested when Hermione casually mentioned that a beaters bat could also be used for taking a swipe at over-persistent sales people.

Madam Malkin was grateful for the plaque but had an even bigger bugbear than her quidditch counterpart. Here were the two most influential Hogwarts students in the country, students who frequently featured on the front page of the Prophet and various magazines. Her problem was that, apart from their Hogwarts robes, all their tailoring was done by the goblins. Hearing that Gringotts had outfitted two entire year groups worth of students for the initial Merlin Ball had seen her in tears for hours with the mere thought of all that lost profit.

It was something of a relief for the couple to finally reach Florean Fortescue's ice cream parlour, now here was something and someone they both liked. While delighted with his plaque, Florean was canny enough to know that this couple sitting eating ice cream in his shop would do more than any plaque to let people know that life, like business, must go on. The clean-up was progressing all around them as Diagon Alley made a valiant attempt at business as usual. This couple, by their very actions, emphasised that point more than any speeches ever could.

After spending a few hours in the alley, Harry and Hermione headed back to Gringotts. They would spend another night with father before heading off to Hogwarts in the morning, Auror Tonks already confirming that she would pick them up in Gringotts.

They arrived back in the great hall of Hogwarts to find a very subdued atmosphere, especially considering this was Valentine's Day. Hermione wore a red rose that Harry had given her on her robe, she noticed Padma wearing the same before her friend was hugging them in greeting.

"Next time you do a runner, remember to take us with you."

Hermione could only nod to Neville, knowing her friends were right. "I wasn't involved in any fighting, I just had to know that Harry was okay."

A quick confirmation that Crow's Marauders was most definitely still on tonight helped lift the mood somewhat. They had also been accompanied to Hogwarts by Master Pitslay so there really wasn't time to say much more, they needed to get to potions class.

-oOoOo-

Emma almost needed a calming potion when she laid eyes on the copy of the Prophet featuring the attack, Barchoke's letter telling them all their children were fine was certainly appreciated. The three sets of parents had been having breakfast together when Dobby arrived with copies of the newspaper and Barchoke's letter.

"It would seem they were right, this Voldemort isn't just going to go away."

"He won't go away, Dan, because he's nowhere else to go. When Frank and I fought against him in the last war things were so different. Then they held all the cards, and they weren't afraid to use them. We're still struggling to believe the differences this time around."

"I think I know how you feel, Alice. Those changes have all happened in the last three years. We moved to Britain just before our girls seventh birthdays, for the first few years I was sure we had made a mistake. Ramrao persuaded me to let the girls try Hogwarts before we made any decisions and I'm so glad we did."

Her husband not only confirmed Smita's story but added a bit more depth to the Patil's tale. "Even then we weren't sure, our girls being sorted into separate houses could have been the final straw. Instead, it was the making of them. Parvati has Lavender as a best friend while Padma - well, what can I say. Her choices of friends and the experiences they shared have changed our daughter beyond all recognition to the eleven year old girl we put on the Hogwarts express."

That was something Dan could certainly relate to, and did. "Putting Hermione on that train was the hardest decision we've ever had to make. Her bringing two friends home to spend Christmas in Crawley that year let us see it was the right decision. We obviously didn't know anything about the magical world beforehand but our experiences since have made those roller coasters our kids are so fond of seem tame by comparison. We never expected Hermione to have already found her mate, nor did we even consider getting attacked in our own home as a possibility."

Emma had gotten over the initial shock of seeing Harry charge out of Gringotts on the front page of the newspaper, she was once more able to participate in the conversation. "Like Smita, we were of the opinion that Hogwarts was something we would let Hermione try. I don't think I would be being overly dramatic to say our daughter meeting Harry on that train radically changed all our lives. We've made some great friends, gained a son with another on the way. Even then, we're not the most affected just of those of us sitting here today."

Frank's hand slid into his wife's. His stutter meant that Frank really didn't say much, his wide smile though told everyone what he was thinking. Alice had grown into the habit of speaking for both of them. "I would say you were right there, Emma. Just the two of us sitting here is a wondrous thing, seeing our children all grown into the fine people that they are is simply the best feeling in the world. I know James and Lily would be just as proud, I only wish circumstances had been better. I feel I failed my godson, and then I see Harry standing beside his father. How could you ever even want to take that away from them?"

This had Emma smiling, knowing those two were as close as a father and son could be. It also gave her the opening she was looking for. "Dan and I now understand how important godparents are in the magical world. Thankfully Sirius just effortlessly extended his godfather duties to include Hermione, and Henrica has been nothing short of brilliant with all the girls. For our son though, we wanted to choose his godparents beforehand. We were thinking of asking Neville and Padma to fill those roles but wanted to run it past you first. What do you think?"

Her suggestion was immediately met with four smiling yeses, making three happy couples sitting in the lovely sunshine while sharing breakfast. The bonds between the extended family were tightening, bringing them all closer and closer. The Patils and Longbottoms would be joined by the marriage of Padma and Neville, having them as godparents to the Granger baby was considered a brilliant idea by all involved.

-oOoOo-

Hermione was searching for a way to let her mate down gently when Padma did the deed in her own inimitable style. "Harry, that's a terrible idea. Valentine's Day is all about romance and love, we teach Crow's Marauders how to fight. How could we possibly hold a Valentine's themed meeting, hand out kisses instead of chocolate? I don't want Colin getting any ideas, it's taken months for him to cope with my betrothal to Neville."

"I just wanted to see if we could cheer them up a bit. You're right though, it was a stupid idea…"

Hermione though had a better one. "How about inviting them to the Summer Fayre being held in Kingussie? The Director did say to invite anyone we wanted and I don't see any of our Crows having a problem attending a goblin event."

This was news to Padma and Neville so Hermione quickly brought them up to speed with what would be happening over the summer. "It sounded wonderful when Harry described it, it's something I'm really looking forward to now."

"I was six the last time Gringotts held one, Sapphire and me had a great time. Two weeks later she was gone, seeing us having such a good time must have been too much for her father to bear…" Harry suddenly had his arms full of witch, and it wasn't his betrothed.

Padma now felt terrible for shooting his original idea down so harshly. "Oh Harry, I was six when the Patils came to Britain, I would have killed for a friend like you then. Sapphire will be back for this one, and we can use our experiences to make this the best Gringotts Fayre ever. Remember Sapphire's reaction to being on that flying carpet? We could have magical carpet rides around the glen."

This was something Hermione hadn't thought of but was giving it her full backing now. "That's a brilliant idea, Padma. Having been on those carts inside Gringotts, I'll bet the goblins could build a wonderful roller coaster too. Mum certainly has enough pictures of them to give the goblin builders some idea of what's required."

"Food!" All three now looked to Neville, trying to understand what he meant. "The first time we went to Florida, what blew me away was the food - and the sheer variety of it. If we could have that too, it would be a whole new experience for witches, wizards and goblins."

A now excited Harry bent down and kissed Padma on the cheek. "That really is a wonderful idea…"

"Oh dear, even with a ring on her finger, Longbottom can't keep his girl…"

Padma instantly switched to goblin. "'Ignore him Neville love, we all know Flint is an arsehole who's just looking for a fight.""

The large Slytherin just kept pushing though, the two other seventh years who were currently with him at least had the sense to take a step back. "Can't really say I blame Crow though, Patil is at least a pureblood…"

Padma had to tighten her hold on Harry. ""Okay, forget the ignoring bit. Just challenge the stupid bastard, preferably before our goblin friend here kills him.""

""Harry, he's obviously picked on Neville for a reason. Let Neville handle it, we all know he can."" Padma felt some of the tension leave Harry at Hermione's words, Neville though was taking a page out of Harry's book.

He walked up to a smirking Flint and punched him in the mouth. "You have insulted not only my betrothed but our two best friends, The House of Longbottom demands satisfaction."

By making this a House Longbottom matter, Flint really couldn't refuse.

Not that the Slytherin had any intention of doing that. This was exactly the outcome Marcus wanted, apart from the punch in the mouth. He figured Neville Longbottom to be the weakest of the four, and Flint silently swore he would make this bastard pay for that blow later. "I accept, Longbottom. Name your time and place, can I assume Crow will be your second?"

"My betrothed will be my second." Padma was now at Neville's side, standing ready. "You insulted a goblin's mate too, never a good idea. If I hadn't stepped in with my challenge Harry would probably have killed you. Right now on the quidditch pitch works for me, unless you have to go change into your mask and death eater robes?"

Flint brushed off the goblin comment, he'd gotten what he'd planned for. "Oh I want you to see my face when I beat you…"

"That makes you braver than your father, though still as stupid…"

The fight might have kicked off right there and then but for the arrival of Professor Flitwick. "What's going on here?"

Master Pitslay appeared to melt from the shadows before he answered the professor's question. "Oh this large Slytherin thought he would evoke a challenge from Friend Longbottom, I might just stay to watch the outcome. Neville is Friend to the Nation and holds both ours and the ministry's top award for bravery, they don't just give those awards away to anyone. That will be a hard lesson for this blowhard to learn."

"This is a House Longbottom matter, Professor, and we are both of age. Flint and I are on our way to the quidditch pitch to sort out this disagreement now."

Neville walked away with Padma on his arm, followed by Harry and Hermione, leaving Flint pleading with his two fellow seventh years for one of them to be his second.

The news spread like wildfire and emptied the great hall, even Ronald Weasley left his lunch to watch the fight. he did though grab all the food he could carry on the way out.

Augusta suddenly found herself with a witch at either side of her, both Henrica and Tonks were offering the same advice. "Neville can handle this, Augusta, he wouldn't have called Flint out otherwise. We know that particular Slytherin has been looking for revenge ever since the new term started, he obviously thinks Neville is his best option. They are both of age so you need to let this happen"

"I'm an auror and I think I could take Neville, notice I said think. With their four sessions of defence a week, they are probably all beyond the practical side of N.E.W.T.'s now. They're receiving auror cadet training and Neville's power is only second to Harry's. He'll take Flint down, I'm certain of it."

These were Augusta's own thoughts, she was delighted to hear them confirmed though. "Thank you ladies, can I suggest we get out there and watch?"

Harry and Hermione were setting up a warded area to protect the growing number of spectators, they then began colouring the grass inside the ward stones red so everyone knew where the boundaries were. Neville and Padma moved their swords onto their backs, making them accessible without restricting their movement, while slipping shields on their forearms, - they were ready to fight. Flint's second was standing right in the corner of the designated fighting area, his body language clearly stating he wanted nothing to do with this.

The Ravenclaw couple embraced their friends before heading off to opposite ends of the fighting area as both would need to activate the wards. They had made the fighting area around ten yards wide by about thirty long, they wanted Neville to have plenty of room to move. Padma would only become involved if the other Slytherin jumped in first, or if the far more likely scenario of Flint seriously breaking the rules occurred.

When the wards were activated, Padma counted them in. "Three, two, one - fight!"

Flint unleashed his most powerful curses against Longbottom, only to hit nothing. He never stood still long enough for Marcus to catch him. After missing Longbottom with about eight curses, he then had to look to his own defence. Suddenly there were powerful and accurate curses coming his way, Flint was proud of his shielding ability but they wouldn't stand up to much more of this. He needed to change tactics and knew just how to get the odds back in his favour.

First chance he got, Flint put everything he had into a cutting curse aimed at Patil. That should put her out of this fight, while forcing his own second to join in - making it two to one against Longbottom. Padma though had been alert for something underhanded going on, she dodged most of the curse and deflected the remaining edge off her shield.

This cowardly attack against his mate enraged Neville though, he was now racing straight at Flint. The panicking Slytherin managed to get a couple of spells off, one missed before the other shattered Longbottom's metal shield. Marcus was confident of victory now until he realised why there was no return spellfire. Longbottom had forsaken his wand to draw that sword of his, a sword that was flashing through the air in his direction.

Neville had intended to destroy the wand that would dare fire on his Padma, he certainly achieved that goal. He wasn't anywhere near Harry's standard with a blade though and Flint's screams were because the blade engraved with the name Longbottom running its length had sliced clean through part of Flint's wand hand too.

As Flint clutched his bleeding and ruined hand to his chest, his enraged rant at his opponent died before it reached his lips. The now bloody point of Longbottom's razor sharp sword poised at his throat was responsible for this, should that blade be pushed home then he would never speak again. His opponent though had plenty to say.

"You are a despicable coward and a stupid bastard, prime death eater material. You come anywhere near my family or friends again and I'll finish the job next time." Neville glanced over to see Padma covering Flint's trembling second.

"Hey, I got no fight with you lot, I didn't even want to be here. Flint is our quidditch captain and threatened my place on the team if I didn't do this. I'm not as stupid as he is, my wand was staying securely in my pocket."

This got an acknowledging nod from Neville before he said the words that officially ended the fight. "My family honour has been satisfied..."

With that, Harry and Hermione collapsed the wards and the four combatants were hit by a wall of sound. All had been so concentrating on the fight that none of them noticed the absence of noise from outside their bubble. The wards though had allowed the spectators to hear every word spoken and spell cast. Everyone now heard Harry's voice as he took command of the initial situation.

"Stay back, we have an injured man here who needs to get to the infirmary. Make a space so he can get through." The respect these four were held in was ably demonstrated as a path through the crowd opened like the Red Sea parting for Moses. Professor Slughorn stepped forward and, after carefully lifting the severed fingers from the grass, led his student off to the infirmary.

Minerva was about to step forward to confront the group when Augusta's hand on her arm stayed her actions. "This was a matter of House Longbottom honour, Minerva, and all the people involved are considered of age. They took their business out of the castle and had protocols in place to protect the innocent spectators, on what grounds were you going to reprimand them?"

"A Hogwarts student has been severely injured, are we just supposed to ignore it because your grandson was involved?"

"After that cowardly attack on his betrothed, my grandson could legally have done a lot more damage than that. I'm now asking as the Hogwarts High Inquisitor, Professor McGonagall, just what Hogwarts rules did those students break?"

She hated giving her answer but Minerva had no other option, invoking House Longbottom Honour had taken the matter out of school jurisdiction. "I can think of no school rules broken, Madam Longbottom, but..."

"...but you were going to publicly express your disappointment in my grandson for his actions today, not something I can allow. Those four know their actions after an event like this can be just as important as those during, so are ours. By all means have a talk with Neville in private over this matter, he is a member of your house and you are certainly entitled to give him your views on what just happened here. This was not a school matter though and that's as far as it will go. We all know Flint must have gone looking for trouble, well he found more than he could handle."

Sirius was standing with his arm around his wife and added his two knuts worth to the discussion. "Just be thankful that wasn't Harry in there. If Flint had pulled that move on Hermione, I can practically guarantee you that Slytherin would not have been able to walk to the infirmary."

Remembering what a first year Harry had done to girls who had attacked Hermione, Minerva found herself reluctantly agreeing with Sirius. She would have a quiet word with Neville to discover exactly what brought about today's fight, Minerva was certain those around her would be doing exactly the same.

Harry handed Neville a piece of cloth he'd just sliced off his robe before speaking quietly to his friend. ""Clean your blade and then we need to go to lunch. Remember, your actions after a fight are just as important as those during it.""

Neville calmly cleaned his blade while well-wishers gathered to offer their congratulations. Padma was on his arm before he offered his other to a trembling Parvati, they led the way back to the great hall for lunch. Harry offered his other arm to Luna, this allowed them both to reassure her everything was okay. Harry thought inviting the Crows to Gringotts Summer Fayre was an even better idea now, he also intended to write to their father with some of their suggestions for making this the best fayre ever.

-oOoOo-

It was Harry's letter that saw his father standing in front of Ragnok, The Director was deep in thought. ""Your family and their friends might have something here, something we hadn't even considered before. Thankfully we haven't made any announcements yet so this could work out even better. Your son has already expressed his eagerness for Gringotts to hold the event in Kingussie, what if we changed the event to the Baron's Fayre? It would then be seen as your son and daughter hosting a traditional Goblin Fayre at which everyone is welcome, rather than allowing the chance for there to be any grumblings about wizards and even muggles attending a Gringotts event.""

The Ambassador caught on at once. ""Since my son and daughter actively try and embrace all three cultures that span their lives, any visitors would expect to see that.""

""Exactly, rather than upsetting any of the more bigoted individuals on either side, we can defeat their arguments before they even get a chance to start. Here is an opportunity for the magicals, and even muggles, to see the best side of The Nation. A couple of years ago we talked about your children's wedding having muggles, goblins and magicals in attendance - and all being treated equally. That is still a worthy dream, and one we certainly both share, but here is a chance to have that happen on a far grander scale and years earlier than we could possibly have hoped for. This has the potential to dwarf the amazing steps forward The Nation has made since your son set off on that train for Hogwarts, this is colossal.""

As the sheer scale of what Ragnok was proposing began to become apparent, a shiver ran down Barchoke's back. This was not a shiver of dread though, quite the opposite. While they had been winning the battle against the death eaters and their dark lord, the battle of hearts and minds was always going to be their most difficult task. That they were the first in centuries to even take on the fight of ending the bigotry and hatred that existed on both sides of the divide gave some idea of the size of the task they faced. Here though was a golden opportunity to bring some of the barriers that existed between their peoples crashing to the ground.

Barchoke agreed totally with The Director's summery, this had the potential to be colossal.

""The only reason I'm not sending for grog right this minute is you and I will need clear heads to pull this off. We also have half a dozen allies for this cause currently sitting on a tropical island, I want you there for a couple of days and returning with firm dates and a plan of action. Young Weasley can handle the formation of the joint auror and warrior response teams, something that will certainly come in handy to protect this fayre too.""

They then sat for hours, throwing ideas back and forward while also trying to preempt any potential problems. Barchoke eventually left with a long letter to write to his children, before heading off to tropical climes and spending time with the Grangers, Longbottoms and Patils. He was rather counting on Emma seeing this as a project that she could work on while out of the country and pregnant. The fact that she loved Kingussie as much as their children meant it was a certainty she would want to put on the best fayre possible. Mother and daughter were very alike in that respect.

-oOoOo-

That same daughter was rewarding Eargit for being such a clever owl when she felt her mate stiffen beside her. Hermione was instantly worried, the last time he'd reacted like this to a letter from father was when The Director made him a centurion. "Everything okay, Harry, didn't they like our suggestions?"

"They didn't like our suggestions, Hermione, they absolutely loved them. The entire nature of the fayre has now changed. It's now become the Baron of Kingussie's Fayre, a fayre that's already destined to go down in history."

"Harry, you're scaring me here..."

"Hermione, I'm scaring myself. It's a wonderful, fantastic, awesome kind of scary though. Imagine those goblin children playing in the snow at Kingussie and then multiply that effect at least a thousand times, that's how big this is. Roger, can you give Cedric a shout? Neville, can you do the same for our other set of twins - we're going to need a lot of help with this."

Since Harry had mentioned this fayre to Crow's Marauders on Monday night, the few known details of this upcoming event were now spread all over the school. Flint having to go home until his hand healed was already old news, the story of his clumsy challenge against Neville and then him firing a curse at Padma meant no one was in any hurry to see him return.

Their four friends were soon at the Ravenclaw table and Harry, being a goblin, got right to the point. "Guys, Eargit and Moonlight know as much about quidditch as I do. Here's the thing though, my father has suggested a couple of exhibition quidditch matches at the fayre, pointing out that goblins and muggles will never have seen the game played before."

"Are muggles even allowed to know about quidditch, Harry, far less watch a match? I thought the statute of secrecy covered that."

"I'm talking about people like the Grangers, MacDonalds, Creeveys and other muggle parents, Cedric. Parents who put their children on a train in London and have no idea what they do all year in Hogwarts. I think some marauder displays could be built into the weekend too. Can I rely on you four to come up with two quidditch teams to play a couple of exhibition matches?"

"We understand you don't know anything about quidditch but there are things that are necessary before you can put on a match. Little things like a pitch, supporter stands, equipment..."

"Roger, we're having a roller coaster built in Kingussie. A quidditch pitch and some stands will be nothing compared to that. All equipment needed will also be provided, including a referee. Father has conservatively estimated there could be upwards of five thousand visitors attending - each day."

Hermione was glad she was sitting down when she heard that. "Harry, how are we going to cope with all of that? I don't even know where to start!"

"Father does, he's heading for a certain island to get the help of some very clever people. We also need to give people jobs and leave them to get on with it, like the guys and the quidditch problem."

"We can handle that, Harry, the entire Gryffindor team would happily turn out..."

Neville and Parvati immediately harpooned Fred's suggestion in perfect synchronisation. "Not McLaggan..."

"He's not someone we want at Kingussie, Harry. That boy could start an argument in an empty house." Harry nodded in thanks to Parvati, people like that were definitely not welcome to this event.

George understood their objection. If Gryffindor had anyone else, the arse wouldn't be on their team either. "Fair enough, we should be able to come up with another seeker..."

Everyones attention was now on what was happening here and Terry interrupted with a suggestion. "George, Draco is a pretty good seeker. Flint wouldn't even let him try out." Terry had no intention of mentioning that Flint laughed Draco all the way out of the trials for turning up with a school broom. If Harry was providing all the equipment then that wouldn't be a factor in this case.

That Draco was his partner in their marauders club meant George didn't even hesitate over his next move. "Hey Draco, you want to play seeker on a team Fred and I are putting together to play at this fayre during the summer?"

Sadly, Gryffindors shouting across the great hall at Slytherins was not such an unusual occurrence. That this shout was not only cordial but friendly stopped all remaining conversation in the great hall.

"Yeah, count me in. Pansy and I were planning on being there anyway."

"Good, oh did I forget to mention Harry's father thinks we'll be playing in front of thousands on the new Kingussie pitch?"

This actually had Draco laughing. "As long as we get a try on the new roller coaster then you can certainly count me in."

Realising that everyone had been listening in to their conversations, Harry gave out some more information. "The family get to try everything first on the Friday night before the fayre officially opens on Saturday. Father's at the island to get the dates sorted so we should know more details shortly."

Roger and Cedric quickly had a mixed Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff team put together, with more than a few disappointed players putting their names down as reserves.

Hermione's mind was still in a spin as they left for their extra defence lesson. Something was bothering her though and her mate held the answers she needed. "I get the switch to Baron's Fayre but not the sudden interest in quidditch. Goblins never do anything without a good reason though so what's going on?"

"We told father about our encounter in the quidditch store, he's trying to prevent a potential backlash before it gets any chance to develop. If we have magic carpet rides around our glen, something we all think is a great idea, we risk alienating the broom manufacturers and quidditch organisations. Those are two powerful bodies and this plan should get them on our side, exposing their wares and sport to a potential new market. Goblins and muggles may not be buying brooms but, as we saw in that shop, they make profit from selling everything from posters to quidditch jerseys."

"...and a bunch of Hogwarts students playing exhibition games against each other can do that? I don't see it, Harry"

"Ah but Padma, you're missing a vital piece of information. Did you hear me say they would be playing against each other?"

"Oh, you sneaky goblin! What have you got up your sleeve?"

"Well, once we set the dates, invitations will be going out to a few professional quidditch teams to see if they would be interested in playing an exhibition match at the Baron of Kingussie's Summer Fayre against Hogwarts opposition. They would then have the opportunity to make sure all these potential new supporters would be buying their team's jerseys and posters. Do you think they would say no if there was the slightest chance of getting the boy-who-lived photographed in one of their team jerseys?"

This had Padma laughing before she explained what was funny to her quidditch ignorant friends. "I was just imagining Harry in a Holyhead Harpies jersey..." She had to get her giggling back under control before delivering the punchline. "They're an all female team, only witches can play for them."

This set Hermione off too before Harry got in on the act. "Neville, remind me to write to father and make sure the Harpies are one of the teams he invites. An all witch team might see me actually watching a match."

This stopped the girls giggles, causing Harry and Neville to start laughing. Both soon found themselves running to their lesson, being chased by their giggling again mates. The original idea for the fayre might have been to lift spirits inside Gringotts but it was now having the same effect in a castle over five hundred miles away. It was looking as if they were going to have another busy summer.

A/N thanks for reading

A/N 2 any ideas for the goblin / magical / muggle fayre would be appreciated, and might make it into the story

80. To-Do Lists

Harry Crow

Disclaimer - Since I'm not the owner of these characters, I may do things with them that you don't like or agree with. Sorry in advance but that's the nature of fan fiction. To do otherwise kind of defeats the purpose of fan fiction, and copying JKR word for word would certainly see a lawsuit heading in my direction. If my efforts don't fit your idea of what a Harry Potter story should be, again I can only offer my apologies and perhaps a suggestion. Writing your own really is the only way to ensure the story progresses exactly the way you want it to, it also gives the rest of us something to read.

Chapter 80

News of this fayre spread like wildfire, so much so that awkward questions were soon being asked about the Kingussie event inside the Wizengamot chamber.

"Do we even know the date of this proposed fayre? We have a prestigious event ourselves this summer that will see the eyes of the world looking towards Britain. This fayre could be nothing more than an attempt to divert those eyes away from the Quidditch World Cup Final, an event that more than one ministerial department is currently working very hard to ensure the success of."

The Minister knew he had to put an end to that idea at once so stood to answer what was basically an accusation aimed at the fayre. "You will be pleased to know I can reveal there is absolutely no danger of the Quidditch World Cup Final being overshadowed by this event. Through Arthur Weasley's department, the ministry is being kept informed of all the details of this event. It is being held in Kingussie on the first weekend in July, and I have already offered Baron Crow any assistance the ministry can supply."

Again the grumblings came back at the minister. "Why should the ministry help with what is basically a goblin event?"

Cornelius once more had to cut that idea off at the knees. "I don't know where you got that information from, but I can assure everyone in this chamber that it's totally wrong. We all know Harry's background, being raised by his goblin father inside Gringotts. His mate was raised as a muggle, knowing nothing of our world until she reached her eleventh birthday. While this young couple are rightfully proud of their different heritages, they are still more than willing to embrace ours too. The Baron's Fayre will incorporate a blend of all three of those heritages, and I for one am really looking forward to it - having already been invited."

The dark faction were again finding their every move countered, a final question was asked more in hope than any conviction of scoring political points. "What part of our heritage will be included? Something representative I hope."

Rather than worry about revealing details early, Cornelius thought it was far more important to get the chamber onside for this event. "The entire reason behind this weekend is for those who attend to have fun, in that respect I think we will be well represented. I don't want to give any secrets away but I know two of our professional quidditch teams have already agreed to play exhibition matches in Kingussie over this weekend. There will also be shops from Diagon Alley and Hogsmead there too, plying their wares to new customers. The Weird Sisters are also keen to make an appearance, and there will certainly be a large Hogwarts student and staff presence in Kingussie over the entire weekend. You can perhaps see why I offered Baron Crow any assistance he required. Please remember, our goblin friends will also be warding the stadium being constructed for the Quidditch World Cup Final."

Satisfied that he had stopped any animosity toward this event in its tracks, the minister knew he would need to let Arthur know what he was somewhat forced to reveal. Cornelius just hoped it didn't cause too much trouble from Gringotts.

-oOoOo-

Harry knew he was in trouble, being surrounded by angry quidditch players at breakfast was his first clue.

"Who's going to want to watch us playing when there are professional teams there..."

"What's going on, Harry?"

He held his hands up, ready to offer an explanation. "The story all over the front of the Prophet was not how you were supposed to find out about this. It was being kept as a surprise until things were confirmed, it was only confirmed two days ago. Here's the deal. On Saturday the third of July, Puddlemere United will be at the fayre. They'll be signing autographs, posing for pictures before playing an exhibition match - playing against one of your teams."

You could have heard a mouse fart in the silence that last comment caused, they had no idea it was about to get even better. "On the Sunday, the visiting team will be the Holyhead Harpies..."

The silence this time was broken by Hermione and Padma, the sight of all those quidditch players standing there with their jaws hitting the floor proved just too funny for them not to react with laughter.

Their anger now gone, Harry found himself surrounded instead by extremely excited quidditch players. Cedric though had a very important question. "Which Hogwarts team plays who?"

Harry took a coin from his pocket and flicked it into the air. "Call it!"

Cedric called heads, only for it to come up tails. Harry looked towards the twins. "Your choice."

It took them only seconds to choose playing against Puddlemere, leaving Cedric and Roger very happy too. Harry though had more to say. "Guys, this might give you some idea of just how huge an event this fayre is becoming. We were planning on revealing a lot of the details on Friday after classes, and also hoping we can count on your support."

Cedric had his arm around Harry's shoulder, instantly publicly displaying that support for everyone to see. "Harry, you're now giving me the opportunity to play against Gwenog Jones. Forget everything else you've done for me, for that alone anything you want is yours for the asking."

Looking around, Harry was pleased to see a lot of smiling faces. "Okay, Friday after dinner in the room..."

"Centurion, why not hold the meeting in the great hall? It would save everyone traipsing up seven floors, I can assure you we would all like to hear what will be happening at the fayre - and how we can help."

Harry bowed toward the staff table. "Thank you, Madam Longbottom, that would be appreciated."

-oOoOo-

Voldemort certainly didn't appreciate what he was hearing from his lieutenant. They were now reduced to hijacking the occasional Prophet delivery owl for their news. Of course this fayre was heavily featured and the opportunity to have another chance at Potter was something that needed careful investigation. Rookwood had been dispatched to Kingussie on an intelligence gathering mission, he did not return with good news.

"The entire valley is powerfully warded, warded at least as heavily as Hogwarts. We might be able to overpower them, if we had about a hundred death eaters at our disposal. With just the three of us, not a chance."

There was even more bad news to come though. "It took me all day to find a hillside where I could finally get a look inside this valley, even then only the heavy charms on those stolen omnioculars allowed me to see anything at all. There was an army of goblins there, all working away and transforming the estate. With our society now applauding these beasts for hacking purebloods to death with their blades, attacking this target with just the three of us would be the equivalent of committing suicide."

The dark lord had suspected as much, having those suspicions confirmed though was still a blow. They would just have to make the best of it. "Getting our alliess to Kingussie wass alwayss going to prove challenging, we will just have to concentrate on our original target. Thiss will also give Bella more time to recover from giving birth to your son. Thiss may actually work in our favour, our inactivity will see them relax their defencess, and then we will strike!"

Augustus was delighted to hear that news, worried he might have overstated his case against an attack on Kingussie. Giving your opinion to their master was always fraught with danger. What he didn't say was that, even at the height of his master's powers and with all his death eaters present too, they would still have struggled to take on the Highland estate owned by Baron Crow. On the weekend of the fayre, with the increased security Augustus expected to be put in place for that, it would have been mission impossible.

Their lighthouse hideaway might be in the Outer Hebrides but that was as close as Augustus wanted to get to Kingussie, only death awaited him and his growing family there. He would gladly settle for reading about this fayre in the Prophet.

-oOoOo-

The very idea of this fayre had Albus in a cold sweat, would he even recognise the country he was planning on returning to? What had him really sweating though was the old wizard couldn't see any way this fayre could fail, further marginalising those purebloods of a darker persuasion.

As Britain's magical community moved further into the light, Albus Dumbledore could soon find himself as a rather desolate figure lurking in the shadows. Barchoke and Bones appeared to be carving the country up between them, with Fudge holding onto their coattails - and achieving undreamed of public approval ratings for doing so.

Even Voldemort's attack on Diagon Alley hadn't dented Cornelius' conviction, it had just pushed wizard and goblin relations even closer. Those joint auror / warrior patrols in the alley may be offering reassurance to shoppers it was safe to do so but it was those plaques that really brought the customers back - or rather what they signified.

In such a protected premises, Voldemort himself couldn't touch them. Sitting eating ice cream with the knowledge that you could safely thumb your nose at the dark lord would be an exhilarating experience for the witches and wizards of Britain, the vast majority of whom wouldn't have these wards on their own homes. Being safer in Diagon Alley than your own home might seem a weird concept but it was also one that had been proven in the heat of battle.

The three most dangerous people in the country had failed to harm a single person protected by those wards, that was a pretty compelling endorsement. It would also need to be an endorsement all the other shops quickly followed suit with. If not, they would be going out of business as their customers shopped in places they not only felt, but knew they were safe.

Albus had expected the goblins to use Harry as a physical weapon to destroy Voldemort, a variation of the plan he himself had devised for the boy. Instead, they had used the boy as a political weapon - with absolutely spectacular results. Having Voldemort's mark was something the darker purebloods had once aspired to carry on their arm - not anymore. Those few not already dead were now excluded by wards from the Ministry of Magic, St. Mungo's, Hogwarts and, probably within six months, every business in the magical community that was open to the public.

That Bones had been able to push these changes through the Wizengamot to the point where they were accepted by the magical community was simply unbelievable to the former Chief Wizard. As the die was set for his own return to Britain, he would now have to ramp up his plans for gaining a foothold once more in that changing society. It would be time to sow some discord before trying again to wrench Harry from the path he seemed to be heading down.

If things were left to continue developing as they currently were, Albus could see the lad not having a choice to make by the time he came of age. He would be so entrenched in both societies that neither would really care what Harry called himself - just as long as he didn't leave them.

The problem Albus had with that scenario playing out was it continually brought wizards and goblins closer, not something he considered healthy for the witches and wizards of Britain. He was still getting over the shock of a goblin female attending last year's Merlin Ball. Simply by turning up along with Harry, the rest of the school just accepted her. That was a state of affairs that could no longer be allowed to continue, only Albus Dumbledore was experienced enough and had the capabilities to wield power of that magnitude - it would simply corrupt lesser men.

Britain unbelievably seemed well on the road to dealing with their current dark lord. The last thing his country needed though was to let another one grow right under their very noses, especially one with such major goblin backing. How long would it be before the witches and wizards of Britain were forced to live underground while the goblins used their wealth and power to reside in even more luxurious mansions than the purebloods had once built.

He would have to start immediately with some gentle manipulations on his return, his visit to Britain might be limited and Albus needed to make as big an impact as possible in the time he had available. They wouldn't know what hit them.

-oOoOo-

Barchoke knew exactly what hit him, he now looked forward to his daughter's enthusiastic greetings. That her hug would soon be followed by a barrage of questions was also something else the goblin was getting used to.

""Father, it's so good to see you. What are you doing here? How are mum and dad?""

""Did you honestly think we would leave this presentation to a couple of third year students?""

This shocked Hermione, until she heard Harry's loud laughter beside her. A groan was then called for as she had once more been caught out by these goblins and their so-called sense of humour. The five Weasleys were boisterously greeting their own father, the noise that caused allowed Barchoke to have a quiet word with his children.

""Dan and Emma are actually returning to Kingussie tomorrow…"" He held his hand up to stop their objections before they could get started. ""The entire glen is filled with our people working almost around the clock to get it ready for the fayre. Anyone trying to attack Crow's Nest will find themselves getting quite the shock. I will also be moving there with Lukas and Moa coming over from Sweden to stay in Kingussie too. They want to be closer to Hogwarts as Henrica gets nearer her time.""

As it was now confirmed that there were only Voldemort, Lestrange and Rookwood left to deal with, the couple couldn't see any way those three could get through the wards protecting the glen - never mind the extra set on the house and the multitude of goblins who would be determined to stop them. Barchoke then took their minds off this for the moment by handing his daughter a scroll of parchment.

""Arthur will handle the magical side of this presentation, with me representing The Nation. I couldn't think of anyone else who could put the muggle side of this across better than you."""

She was now beaming with pride, before Hermione read the parchment. ""Is this all confirmed?""

""Yes, I will deal with the how and why, I need you though to explain just what I'm talking about. We now have goblins travelling from all over the globe to be at this fayre, it's already the biggest event in Britain Gringotts have ever sponsored. The Director keeps switching between being incredibly proud to extremely worried that we're being too ambitious. I am now in charge of the Gringotts side this project full time, with The Director looking right over my shoulder.""

Harry and Hermione returned to their seats, she needed to go over these notes. Barchoke had of course owled Augusta for permission to disclose their intentions for the fayre tonight. He and Arthur left their children and moved to the front of the hall. While the wizard set up their presentation, the goblin addressed the students and staff of Hogwarts.

"Good evening everyone, and thanks for allowing us to visit Hogwarts. We're here tonight to talk to you about an event that's happening this summer on my son's estate. The reasoning behind this weekend is really rather simple, it's all about having fun. Whether you're magical, muggle or goblin, irrespective of age or gender, you should find something at this fayre that you will enjoy. There will be so much going on at so many different locations that we have copied an idea from muggle entertainment parks that specialise in this kind of thing. Arthur is expanding a map of the Baron of Kingussie's estate, a map that has the information any visitor will need to plan their day."

It was then Arthur's turn to talk to the hall. "The centrepiece of this weekend is a cut-down version of the Trillenium Stadium, the one that the ministry will build for the Quidditch World Cup Final. This version will only seat five thousand spectators, not the hundred thousand that the real stadium will hold. At specific times each day, events will take place in this stadium. The quidditch matches and a performance from the Weird sisters are only some of them, I understand your defence clubs are also considering putting on some displays?"

Arthur was looking to Harry as he asked the question, he soon got his answer.

"We're looking at running some speed and accuracy drills for the audiences, then run a team duelling competition like we did inside Hogwarts - just with a few more people watching."

This got a few laughs before Barchoke took over from his son. "There will also be displays of goblin fighting techniques and fights timetabled too. I know Master Sharpshard is hoping to entice the centurion who has beaten him the last twice they've fought into a rematch, seats for that fight might be hard to come by. Dan Granger is also organising a clay pigeon shooting competition, all entrants must have passed his handling guns safely instruction course though."

The goblin paused for a moment, there were students at each of the four tables who knew exactly what clay pigeon shooting was. It would be far easier to let them do the explaining to their housemates before he continued.

Barchoke was now standing beside the map and expanding on the illustrations shown. "The glen will have areas designated and dedicated to particular functions. For instance, in this part of the glen we have the winter zone. This will have sledges for those who want to shoot down the hills, an ice rink for those who love to skate as well as a snow covered area for people who just want to play in the white stuff. Next to that is an area simply called Gringotts zone. Here you will have a chance to see our smiths at work as they forge weapons and armour. Our jewellers will also be presenting their skills, with an exhibition of both types of wares available for all to see. Oh, and I mustn't forget our dragon handlers, who will also be parading their skills at working with these magnificent animals in a specially constructed chamber..."

The staff table was almost overturned at this point by Hagrid jumping to his feet. "Dragons, did yeh say there would be dragons there? How do yeh get into this fayre?"

Seeing Slughorn was very interested in that answer too, Harry quickly stepped in. "By invitation only."

Arthur was just as quick to continue the presentation, and cover the awkward silence that Harry's answer just caused. "This area here will be a play park for younger children with swings, slides and roundabouts. Surrounding this area will also be carousels and other such amusements for the younger generations. There will also be a massive food court where all different types of cuisine from every corner of the world will be available for people to try. Madam Puddifoot's, the Three Broomsticks and the Leaky Cauldron will also be represented here for those less adventurous visitors. To be honest, the only other thing on this map I actually recognise is the flying carpet rides. I'll hand you over to Hermione Granger to explain the rest."

This admission was greeted by some gentle jibes from Arthur's twin sons as Hermione joined the pair beside the map. "Alongside the flying carpets is the entrance to the roller coaster. If you've ever ridden in a Gringotts cart then you'll have some idea of what this ride is like, though the information I have here states this one will travel at high speed all around the glen. That would make it miles long, and give you a great view of everything. The fact that there will be a go-kart track will certainly please Draco, we could hardly get him off them in Florida."

The blond Slytherin now had a wide smile on his face, all he would say to anyone that asked was 'wait and see - you'll love them'.

"We then have what's labeled on the map as the water zone. Here there will be a log flume - think Gringotts cart on water instead of wheels. There will also be rowboats next to our new small loch for anyone who wants a gentler time on the water and various fountains for those who just want to cool off. The cinema tent will allow everyone to experience one of the best parts of muggle culture, movies. I think they will only be showing short classic cartoons so people don't end up spending the whole day in there, still well worth a visit."

Hermione didn't want to go into too much detail, this wasn't the time or place for that. she was glad when father once more took over.

"Gringotts have also been contacted by a circus troupe that perform all over Europe. Every member knows about magic and, while they mainly perform to muggle audiences, they still do all their banking through Gringotts. The have asked for the opportunity to perform for us over this weekend, an opportunity we were more than happy to offer. The bank then started looking for customers who have chosen to work in the muggle side, we will be contacting these people to see if this is something that may interest them too. While the map features the main confirmed zones and events, it doesn't highlight all the vendors, games of skill and chance, street performers and many other things that will be dotted around the entire glen. There will also be outlets from Gambol & Japes, Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, Honeydukes Sweetshop and Zonko's Joke Shop, all selling their wares to a wider audience."

Having set the scene so everyone really wanted to attend this fayre, it was now Harry's turn to speak. he walked forward and stood beside his father, Hermione and Arthur.

"If this sounds too good to be true, I can assure you it's not - and I want to invite all the students of Hogwarts to attend…"

The cheering this announcement caused almost took the roof off, Harry had to wait a few moments before he could eventually make himself heard.

"You're forgetting I'm a goblin, and we never do anything for free. Wait until you hear the price before you cheer. To everyone in Hogwarts, that's just a map. To Hermione and I, that's our home. We will be inviting goblins, witches, wizards and muggles into our home and they will all be respectful to and of each other - or they will be quickly thrown out."

The training they had received from Sirius was again paying dividends. By calling this their home, the purebloods' own codes of ethics would see them behave, lest they embarrass their family's good name. The goblins attending would know the mighty wrath of Ragnot awaited anyone who embarrassed The Nation at this event. There could be queues forming to take all your gold, while your head looked on from the stick The Director stuck it on. There would be no goblins causing trouble in Kingussie that weekend.

"As you can imagine, something on this scale requires a massive amount of organising, as well as an army of helpers to see it runs smoothly - that's where you come in. We're looking for volunteers to work either the Saturday or Sunday, the reward for this will be an invitation for you and your family to attend on the day you're not working. The exceptions to this will be the marauders clubs and the quidditch teams, they will obviously want their families in Kingussie on the day they step into the stadium."

That was an offer that held everyone's interest, until Arthur made it even better. "What Harry forgot to mention was that, once you are in Kingussie, all these attractions are free. You obviously wouldn't expect to walk into Honeydukes and help yourself for nothing. There will also be items for sale from various vendors throughout the glen, but you won't pay for any of the entertainment."

"On the day anyone is working in Kingussie, all their meals will be provided. Now we're not looking for anyone to make any decisions tonight..." Harry was halted as the entire Ravenclaw table stood and declared they were in. The other three houses soon followed, with only a few older Slytherins taking their time to make their minds up.

"Thanks for that. The plans at the moment see us all going to Kingussie on the Friday, this will give everyone a chance to find out what they will be doing - and get a first shot at some of the attractions. We can arrange portkeys or everyone could stay for the weekend..." It was a massive roar of approval for the second option that halted Harry this time, it looked like they were having hundreds of guests staying for the weekend. Just one more thing they would need to add to their to-do list.

-oOoOo-

Barchoke had this task on his to-do list for a while now, it was time he dealt with this unpleasantness. The man was led into his office and Barchoke got right down to business. ""I take it you are aware of the changes happening outside Gringotts?""

""Yes, I am given a copy of the Prophet every day. I have to confess though, there have been days lately when the news being reported had me thinking I was being pranked. I still remember your son once telling me that goblins don't do pranks so I have to assume it's all really happening.""

""Your fellow death eaters who had the sense to fall on the ministry's offer of clemency now find themselves marginalised to the point where they can hardly go out in public. Their dark marks now exclude them from playing any meaningful part in wizarding society. Do you like working in Gringotts?""

Severus Snape was no fool, he already knew there was no life waiting for him outside Gringotts. His dark mark would bar him from plying his trade anywhere in Britain, he wouldn't even be able to enter an apothecary to buy ingredients. ""I am very happy working in Gringotts, and thought we had a deal where I could remain here after my sentence was finished?""

""That deal is still on the table, I might have another option for you though. We might have a method of negating your mark...""

Severus was glad he was sitting down when he heard that, here was something he had desired for many years. ""I didn't think it was possible to remove Voldemort's mark...""

""We don't think it is either. What I'm offering is a chance to change your allegiance, and hopefully your dark mark. Swearing a blood oath of allegiance to The Nation would see your status as a prisoner end, and we think overpower your oath to Voldemort. Should this be successful, you could still stay here if you wished but would also have the option to leave and live normally too.""

Having learned much more about goblin culture since being able to speak the language, Severus knew this was an offer that wasn't made lightly. He only had one question he needed answered first before graciously accepting. ""Why are you making this offer? I can't believe your son or his friend have forgiven me.""

""You are of course correct, I don't think Harry or Neville will ever forgive you. What they are trying to do is understand how a young man could make a mistake, and how much he now regrets that mistake. You were only eighteen when you fell for Voldemort's lies, twenty when you trusted that other perpetual liar, Albus Dumbledore. While both my son and Neville have already chosen their life mates, they are an extremely tight group. Harry would do anything to protect Padma, and Neville is the exact same where Hermione is concerned. They are as close as siblings and are using that relationship to try to understand your desire to protect Lily Potter.""

Barchoke was deliberately using Lily's married name, knowing the only man she loved was James. Snape needed to understand that this offer was being made because of the friendship he once shared with a redheaded muggle born witch. ""My son is advocating that only the guilty should be punished, a policy the ministry's adoption of probably stopped a war. Only you know how guilty you are over this incident, we're not here to try and relieve or forgive that guilt.""

Severus had his head down, trying not to let image of a dead Lily Potter be his abiding memory of the best friend he ever had. He was concentrating on happier times as Barchoke continued.

""Your blood oath to The Nation would see your own magic react if you ever betrayed that oath, the safety of a certain centurion and three Friends of our Nation would certainly be covered by that oath. As a father, I can honestly tell you I wouldn't be making this offer otherwise. Nothing in this world is more important to me than the safety of my children, I wouldn't hesitate to take my blade to anyone who threatened that safety. Now that you know the reason behind this offer, are you interested?""

That really didn't take any thought at all on Severus' part. ""My time spent inside Gringotts has been some of the most peaceful, happy and productive of my life. You got me out from under the yoke both Dumbledore and Voldemort had placed me under. After experiencing their manipulations for years, it is a delight to live in a society where people say what they mean - and mean what they say. I would be honoured to accept your very generous offer.""

It was time to explain what this offer entailed. ""You will swear a blood oath to The Nation while your bleeding hand rests on the State Stone. The stone itself will decide your measure, and whether or not it finds your oath acceptable. Should it refuse, your situation will remain as it is. Should the State Stone accept your oath, that dark mark on your arm will be anathema to it - your loyalties cannot be divided in this matter. It will battle that mark for ownership of your loyalties, The Nation against the single individual whose mark that is will not be a contest. This will undoubtedly be painful to you, the decision though is still yours to make.""

Severus indicated his acceptance at once. Any amount of pain would be worth it to replace this mark on his very soul. If that replacement signified his allegiance to a society that gave Severus Snape a chance to atone for his mistakes, that would be a mark he would wear with pride.

Barchoke would now have to make the arrangements and promised to give him at least a couple of days notice, he would need that time to mentally prepare himself for this ordeal.

-oOoOo-

Dolores once thought her demotion was an opportunity, now it was becoming an unbearable ordeal. Everything she worked and schemed so hard to achieve was crumbling to dust right in front of her very eyes - and it all started with Crow.

Okay, England getting knocked out of the Quidditch World Cup by Luxembourg wasn't his fault, Dolores would grant the goblin brat that. She was now left hoping Ireland made the final, the British Quidditch fans wouldn't queue to see two 'foreign' teams contesting the World Cup. Seeing their magnificent stadium half empty was a recurring nightmare for the ambitious witch, it would be a very public sign of her failure that would be impossible to cover up.

What the public certainly didn't need was the distraction a copy of the aforementioned magnificent stadium being built by the ministry on a goblin's land provided - with the Prophet going gaga in approval of the news. Instead of the county's excitement building toward the event she had brought to Britain, the entire country was going nuts over this fayre. Why anyone would want to spend their weekend in the company of goblins and muggles was something that escaped her, not that she would be getting invited anyway.

Since it was families of Hogwarts students, Wizengot members and their families along with Ministerial Heads of Departments and their families, Dolores didn't qualify on any counts. When she'd mentioned this was a further attack on the old pure blood families to someone Dolores considered an ally, their response shocked her.

"There are no attacks on the old families, rather on those individuals who were stupid enough to call a half-blood madman their master. My family has been pure for generations, and will be staying pure for the foreseeable future. There will never be legislation passed in Britain to force us to do otherwise. We are being allowed to live our lives the way we choose, what more can you ask for? If our beliefs are so brittle that someone even questioning them sees those beliefs shatter, then perhaps those beliefs weren't as right for us as we thought they were."

While shocked at how accepting the old families were of the current situation, that wasn't what really irked Dolores. She was worried that the success of this fayre would be the yardstick used to measure her own event - an event where she couldn't even control which teams would make the final.

She now couldn't wait for the Tri-Wizard Tournament to hit Hogwarts. Dolores had been assured a pureblood would triumph and she believed those assurances. It was all she had left to look forward to.

-oOoOo-

Harry certainly wasn't looking forward to this. Like his father with Snape though, it was something he needed removed from his to-do list. Hermione on his arm was what gave him the strength to knock on the door, the resulting loud barking saw Harry's hand slip toward the hilt of his sword.

"Quiet, Fang, sit! Centurion, Miss Granger, what can I do fer yeh?"

"Hello Mister Hagrid. I didn't want you to think I was being rude to you the other evening. You will be getting an invitation to the fayre. As it will also be a portkey, we will be handing them out just before we finish up for the summer."

"It's jus' Hagrid, Centurion. I can' thank yeh enough fer this, I've always dreamed o' Havin' a dragon... Merlin, where are my manners, would yeh like to come in fer a cup o' tea?"

"Sorry, Hagrid, we have defence shortly with Professor Lupin. We would have come down sooner but this is the only free period we get in the week."

"I know yer all very busy so thanks fer takin' the time to do this fer me, it's very decent o' yeh. I knew yer mum an' dad well, they would be very proud o' their son."

"Eh, thanks Hagrid, see you around."

As they walked back to the castle, Hermione could feel her mate was still tense. "That was a good thing you just did, Harry. I know it was hard for you."

"I can't ask others to hold out the hand of friendship then not do the same myself. You're right, Hermione, it was hard. If Hagrid hadn't blindly followed Dumbledore's orders that night, everything would have been so very different. That's it though, I draw the line there. Hagrid is a simple soul who just did whatever the old manipulator told him. Horace Slughorn is a selfish, sleeket, conniving self-serving bastard who will never set foot in any home of ours."

Hermione just rested her head on his broad shoulder, she was in total agreement with her mate on this one. There was no way Sluggy would be squirming his way into their lives, the man was so slimy he should leave a trail behind everywhere he goes. The self-styled quintessential Slytherin was nothing like any of their friends who had been sorted into the same house.

The leech had at least taken the hint and now left them alone, he appeared to be going for a different approach to get his hooks into their family. Pansy was now the one being creeped out as Sluggy appeared to have set his sights on indoctrinating Draco in the benefits of having an influential mentor. Draco took great delight in telling Sluggy he already had one, that Lord Black was regent over House Malfoy until he came of age. Slughorn wasn't stupid enough to mess with Sirius.

-oOoOo-

Sirius was currently acting stupid. Well his wife certainly thought so as the marauder was in the process of chatting to her abdomen. "You do know she can't hear you..."

She was cut short as their daughter suddenly kicked hard enough for her husband to see. "Isn't mummy silly, of course you can hear me. Your mummy is such a beautiful person that I need this head start on her if you're ever going to be a daddy's girl."

"Your daddy has a way with charming girls so you won't need to worry about that, my little one. You certainly made Pansy a very happy young girl with her birthday present."

"I spoke to Cissi and Elspeth first, and we all know it's just for a few years until those two come of age. I don't think it was making her a Black that had Pansy so excited though..."

"No, it was the betrothal contract between Pansy Black and Draco Malfoy that made her birthday. Just so you know, there will never be a betrothal contract with our daughter's name on it."

"Have you met our daughter's godfather? Harry would skin me alive if I even tried something like that. Her father married the woman he loves, her godfather will one day do the same. That's what I want for our girl. Draco and Pansy have always been betrothed, Pansy especially was missing the security that gave her."

Henrica was resting on the sofa in their Hogwarts quarters, her feet up after a hard day. Sirius was sitting on the floor beside her, talking to the bump in her abdomen that was their growing daughter. She just couldn't resist running her fingers lovingly through his hair. Henrica was used to Sirius being charming, the old dog just couldn't help it sometimes. What she saw now was something even better, Sirius Black was sitting beside his pregnant wife and radiating contentment - and his pregnant wife found it so, so sexy.

"Sirius, I think you should take your wife to bed."

He was trying his best to be a good husband, and sometimes Henrica made that task incredibly easy for him. The Blacks would be having an early night.

A/N thanks for reading

A/N 2 ...and now for the bad news! I will be on holiday next weekend so there will be no Harry Crow chapter posted. I might have Chapter 81 ready sooner than the following weekend (14/15th) but it will certainly be with you then.

81. Astrid Marvolo James

Harry Crow

A/N Four days visiting London with the wife left me needing a holiday when we got back! Sorry for the wait but here's the next chapter.

Chapter 81

Emma found herself having to concentrate on the task at hand. If she let her mind wander at all, there would be no work done today. Concentrating was a very difficult task though, her current situation was enough to make her normally cool, logical and unflappable head spin. Emma Granger was pregnant, sitting on a magic carpet while flying over the estate that belonged to her daughter's mate - the Baron of Kingussie. That there was also a goblin and a veela on the carpet too barely rated a mention when compared to the rest.

It was time to get down to business though, there was a job to be done here. "You goblins are all about function. When it comes to something like this, it has to be about entertainment value too. Entertainment is more than a few plants and trees, it needs to start at the design and construction phase. For instance, in the winter zone make the refreshment area look like a Swiss chalet. Something that's different, looks great and enhances the environment you're creating."

Recalling her experience of visiting Florida with the family last summer, Moa agreed totally with Emma. "What most impressed me about these parks was how they kept providing surprises. Supposing you want to make your roller coaster a dragon theme? You could have the carriages designed to reflect that, models of dragons holding the track up and any tunnels appear as if you were entering a dragon's mouth."

"I see what you mean, perhaps a mermaid theme for the water zone?"

Moa was unsure about that. "The fayre is helping to promote better relations between British magicals and those they have looked down upon for generations. Perhaps mermaids would give the wrong impression, dolphins might be a better theme there?"

This had Barchoke groaning. "I see what you mean but I'm so out of my depth here it is scaring me. Sometimes I really long to be an account manager again."

This started Emma laughing. "I certainly know about feeling out of your depth, Dan and I have felt like that for the last few years. If you can give us your plans for each zone, Moa and I can work a little on some presentation ideas. What I would say is that the artwork in your Grand Hall is nothing short of magnificent, you certainly want to incorporate some samples of that type of work in your Gringotts zone. You want to show your nation at its best, that will certainly be as impressive to most visitors as your dragons."

As they flew around the glen, taking notes as they went, Barchoke suddenly realised how much he needed their help. Emma was right, a goblin built park would work perfectly but functionality alone simply wasn't going to be enough in this case.

Dan and Lukas were currently in Crawley, fetching every photograph Emma had taken in Florida over the last two summers. They were then going to find some travel agents who would give them all these theme park colour brochures for free. The five of them would sit down tonight and thrash all the ideas out for each zone, being able to give the builders colour pictures showing approximately what they were looking for would be a great help.

The goblin wasn't worried over Dan and Lukas' safety while they left Kingussie's wards, both had emergency portkeys and Dobby would be tailing them with Dan's loaded shotgun. Three purebloods attacking those two would be in for one hell of a shock.

-oOoOo-

Sirius got one hell of a shock as Draco burst into his classroom. "Lord Black, you need to come at once, the Lady Black needs you."

He raced into Henrica's classroom to find Hermione and Padma with their arms supportingly around his wife, Harry was pacing up and down as if waiting on someone telling him what to do. Sirius hardly got time to say a word when Neville rushed in with Poppy, she pushed the expectant father out of her way to examine Henrica. Not that Poppy needed to do much examining, Henrica's waters had broke.

"We better get you to St Mungo's, this baby wants to be born."

The worry on Sirius' face was there for all to see. "How can that be, there's nearly three weeks still to go?"

His wife tried to reassure him. "Our baby heard her daddy talking to her and decided she wanted to meet him. It doesn't matter about estimates, love, our baby is coming today."

"We'll need to get you outside the wards to portkey..."

Here was something Harry could do, there was no trace of indecisiveness now. "Hermione, you take Sirius, I'll get Henrica." At that, he easily scooped the pregnant veela into his arms. "Tonks is in for a surprise. Emergency, go, go, go!"

With a loud crack, all four of them disappeared from the history classroom.

Poppy set off to alert Minerva and Augusta what was happening while the Lady Ravenclaw passed through the wall to supervise the rest of the history period.

-oOoOo-

Their goblin portkeys passed through the Hogwarts wards and landed them in their training room in Kingussie, a surprised Tonks appearing beside them with her wand already drawn.

"It's okay, Tonks, Henrica needs to get to St Mungo's and this was the quickest way." Hermione then opened the doors to the main house and they swiftly moved out.

"Wouldn't it been easier to just give us those portkeys?"

"Sorry Sirius, these portkeys are blood bound to us. You can't have just anyone being able to portkey from the castle, Father had to get permission from The Director to have these made. We were concerned Kingussie might be a target with Dan and Emma staying here, that is the only reason we were allowed to have them."

Harry was carrying Henrica up the stairs as if she was a baby herself, with even the breath left to chat with his godfather as he did so.

"Harry, I can still walk you know."

"My job is to get my goddaughter and her mother to St Mungo's as quickly as possible - this is the quickest way."

She tried to say thanks but a contraction hit. Sirius was at her side, holding her hand as they headed further into the house. Hermione was shouting to gain the attention of anyone who was currently home.

Moa took one look at her daughter and didn't need to be told what was happening, she and Lukas were soon by her side too as Barchoke provided a portkey to take them all to St Mungo's. Since Harry wasn't for putting Henrica down, Tonks went along as his protection detail. Hermione decided to stay in Kingussie and catch up with her three parents.

Tonks was soon wishing she'd done the same, watching a trio of nervous males pace up and down the waiting room got old very fast. "Are you three going to sit? walking up and down won't make this happen any sooner…"

She was interrupted by the nurse arriving and asking Sirius if he wanted to be at the delivery, the marauder took on a distinctly sickly pallor but still said yes. Sirius left the waiting room as if he was about to walk the green mile, certainly there was a distinct lack of enthusiasm in his stride.

This gave Tonks a case of the giggles, considering he was marching across the waiting room mere moments before. "Now will you two sit down? We could be here for many hours yet."

The expectant grandfather knocked that idea on the head. "Henrica is a veela, giving birth for her will be much quicker. After Moa's waters broke, our daughter was born less than two hours later. You did exactly the right thing, Harry, getting Henrica here as quickly as possible."

"Okay, so not only is she incredibly beautiful, she has a much shorter labour too! Sometimes life just isn't fair."

"That's why she married Sirius though, to balance everything out." Harry's jibe at his godfather had all of them laughing and was just what they needed for the nervous tension in the waiting room to relax.

Lukas teased the auror some more. "So you don't want to know that, in a couple of days, Henrica will look exactly like she did before their daughter was conceived?"

"See, I was right. Life just isn't fair." This too was said jokingly though, Tonks was every bit as excited as these two about her goddaughter's imminent arrival. It wasn't every day a light sided member of the Black family was born.

-oOoOo-

Augustus was working diligently on his project, he needed it to be completed before their son was born. As Bella waddled in to greet him, he knew that special event wouldn't be too far away. That also meant he was quickly running out of time to have this particular conversation with his mate. Bella's usual mercurial nature though now seemed like a stroll in the park compared to this hormonal version, which was why he'd put this talk off for so long. His mate though gave him an opening he just had to take.

"Why is my big strong wizard so busy? Is it because his little Bella isn't so little at the moment? Don't you love me now I'm fat and huge?"

Whatever his answer here, Augustus knew he was in trouble. As he helped his mate into a seat he decided to tell her the truth. "I'm working on a way to ensure our son will survive, no matter what happens to us…"

"You will not send him away."

Recognising that wasn't a question but a direct order, Augustus put his mate's mind to rest. "He will be staying with us. What I'm working on is a way to safeguard his future, should his mother and father fall while in the service of their lord. He will not be in any battles with us until he's old enough to hold a wand and use it to fight back."

He was well aware that would never happen but Bella needed to be appeased in order to go along with this. "Should both of us fall at our master's side, I will die happy with the knowledge our son will live. We both know neither the aurors nor the goblins will show us any mercy, they will look after a child though. If we don't do something, our son would be left here alone - crying for parents that will never return. He'll cry until his strength goes and he dies of dehydration or starvation."

That dreadful image reached the mother in Bella, big fat tears ran down her cheeks while her hands were protectively placed over her abdomen. "What can we do? There must be something we can do without betraying our master, neither of us could ever do that."

"I think we both know we will die serving our lord. We both accepted this long ago and would never try to shirk our duties. Our son though deserves a chance to live his life, to make his own choices. If he has his mother's power and his father's intelligence, our son could one day end up lording it over the entire country. I will face death with a smile on my face in the knowledge that possibility could become a reality."

"Who would look after him?"

"There are still families out there with the right breeding, the right values, any son of ours would be made most welcome."

As Bella concentrated on the large bump that was their growing son, she only had one question left. "What do we have to do?"

Augustus tried not to let the relief show on his face, he too was in tears at the thought of their future - or lack of one. "I'm working on a blood ritual that, should the both of us die, will see a tattoo appearing on our bodies - giving the location of our son…"

"…and this only activates after we're dead?"

"Yes, my love. We both swore to give our lives defending our master, we will honour that vow and go down fighting to our very last breathe. I hope with all my heart that our master is successful and our son can grow to stand by his side. With the odds so stacked against us though, I feel it is only prudent to take some steps to protect our baby."

Here was something she could accept, knowing that any battle that saw her and her mate fall would probably see an end to their master too. "Your little witch needs to feel her big strong mate's arms around her."

As Augustus comforted Bella, Voldemort silently withdrew from the open doorway where he'd listened to the entire conversation. Part of him wanted to gut Rookwood and watch him die slowly for daring to doubt his lord, another part though couldn't fault the loyalty of these two followers who were ready to fight and prepared to die at his side.

Their concern for their unborn son touched something deep inside the dark lord. He was left wishing his parents had been as loving and capable in their attempts to see he was properly looked after.

He would have to make some arrangements so his beloved Nagini survived. There was enough wildlife on the island to sustain her, all she would need was a dry sheltered place to escape the worst of the weather. Of course, a human child would make a nice meal that would keep his familiar alive for months.

The dark lord hadn't changed that much.

-oOoOo-

Sirius couldn't believe the changes in him since the last time he held a baby in his arms. Then it was Harry but today it was his own daughter, and Sirius Black finally felt as if his life was complete. His deep thoughts were interrupted by his wife.

"Sirius, say something…"

"She is the most beautiful girl I have ever seen… Considering I'm currently in a room with her mother and grandmother, that's really saying something. I present to the world our daughter, Astrid Aurora Black."

Moa left to tell the rest of their company the news, and give the couple a few minutes alone.

Sirius handed Astrid back to her mother and sat on the bed beside his two girls, an arm around Henrica as their daughter got her first feed. "How are you feeling, love?"

"I'm fine, Sirius. Providing Astrid is the same we should be allowed home tomorrow. I think we should stay at Kingussie, at least until the holidays. Mum and dad are both enjoying working on this fayre and it will be busier than Grimmauld…"

"…and it provides company for Dan and Emma, I have no problem with that. I'm sure Barchoke will provide me with a port key from Hogwarts to Kingussie, just not one that goes through the castle wards."

It was about fifteen minutes later that their guests came to visit. Astrid looked even smaller when resting in the crook of her grandfather's arms. Harry was clearly desperate to hold his goddaughter but terrified in case he didn't do it properly.

"Harry, you carried me and Astrid safely into St Mungo's, I'm sure you won't drop her now."

All were left wishing they had time to grab a camera before they'd rushed to St Mungo's, the look of utter bliss on Harry's face was priceless.

-oOoOo-

That look was still there when he and Tonks returned to Kingussie with the news.

"I held my goddaughter in my arms, and it was just amazing…"

"She's barely hours old and already got my mate wrapped around her little finger, should I be worried, Harry?"

This seemed to set Harry's thoughts off in another direction. "She'll grow up with our brother, they'll be best friends - just like us."

"Oh great, another one of my children bonded to their mate before they hit their teens. At least I'll get to watch Sirius crumble as he loses his daughter so young."

"Daaad, you never lost me - I'm still here. We're just living in our house now."

It was a puzzled Emma though who had picked up on something else. "I get the Astrid, with Henrica being Swedish, but why Aurora?"

"Sirius' middle name is Orion, he wanted something along the same lines for his children. He also said Astrid Aurora Black is already the light of his life, sometimes that man could charm the birds off the trees."

While he was listening to Tonks explaining the name choice, Harry's thoughts had wandered in another direction. "You'll all get to meet her tomorrow, they'll be staying here until the summer holidays." His attention moved to his mate. "We've already missed today's defence lesson, we could skip tomorrow too and see Astrid before we head back for Moony's class."

The look of longing in his eyes meant Hermione was always going to say yes, Harry even considering missing his defence lesson told her exactly how much this meant to him. "I don't think you would be able to concentrate on lessons anyway, of course we'll stay. You better let Padma and Neville know though, they'll be anxious for news too."

"Moa spoke to Augusta on the floo, she was desperate to tell everyone about her new granddaughter. I'll let them know we'll be in late tomorrow."

Emma was still fixated on the baby's name, baby names were something she and Dan had been giving a lot of thought to recently. It was time to see if those thoughts were correct. "Harry, Dan and I have been thinking long and hard about what to call our son. We wanted his name to reflect on the person who made all of this possible, we were hoping to call him James - after your middle name and I suppose your dad."

A flabbergasted Harry glanced toward his father for any ideas on how he should reply. "I think it's a wonderful idea, we couldn't really saddle the poor baby with a name like Barchoke Granger."

Watching the close relationship between this father and son never failed to draw a smile from Emma, they had of course run this idea past Barchoke first. "Without you, Harry, none of this would have happened. I already know you're going to be the best big brother you can be to him, this is just a way for us to say how much Dan and I love both our sons…"

At that, Harry was in Emma's arms - being very careful with her condition.

"James Granger, I really like that. Have you picked his godparents yet?" Hermione asked her dad, her mum didn't look like letting Harry go anytime soon.

"We were going to ask Padma and Neville, what do you think?"

"I think they will love the idea."

Hermione now had an arm around each of her fathers, "I didn't think Harry could get any more excited about this, just proves I was wrong. Our family keeps on growing, and the bigger it gets the happier he is…"

"Are you trying to warn me that there will be lots of grandchildren?"

Her dad's comment had Hermione blushing. "I don't know about lots, but there will be at least a couple someday. Harry and I have a lot we want to do before that though, certainly not until after university."

That news pleased both fathers immensely. They wanted their children to have lives of their own before having children themselves.

All this talk of babies had Tonks feeling rather broody. The rate her relationship with Remus was progressing though, these two would probably end up having children before her. She was going to have to talk with him, hoping she didn't have to explain the birds and bees to a professor.

-oOoOo-

The two birds were flying over the glen. Both were having fun while looking down as their home was being transformed all around them. They also noticed some other residents who were keeping a keen eye on what was happening to their glen, Hermione flew down to greet them.

The children were watching the construction of a stone dragon as the kestrel swooped down in front of them, when the bird changed to Hermione there were as many shrieks as there were cheers from the youngsters.

She stood and held her arms out, though Harry had perfected his own landing method. The swift flew into Hermione's chest and transformed while Harry's arms snaked around her. This time the children had some idea of what to expect so it was purely cheering that greeted Harry's arrival.

The couple then found themselves being dragged around by the excited children as they were shown the best bits of construction from a much younger perspective. Harry was delighted with their reception from their young friends. If the children who already lived in Kingussie were this excited about what was happening in the glen, he couldn't wait to see the reactions of those from Gringotts - or for that matter, Hogwarts.

While their close friends would have their time spent in Florida to compare their Kingussie efforts too, for the vast majority of visitors this would be a totally new experience. Noticing the track for the roller coaster passed straight through the hill that the Gringotts zone was being constructed inside, Harry pitched the Idea he just had to Hermione.

"What if we put a station in here? It's about half-way around the attractions from where visitors originally get on. It could then be used to travel from one end of the glen to the other, or passengers could just sit on and enjoy the entire ride. It would then be like two coasters for the price of one."

His mate was still troubled by the goblin workers in their glen bowing to her, what Hermione didn't know was that, by walking around the glen with a goblin child taking each hand, she was just enhancing her already considerable reputation inside The Nation. "I think that's a great idea, Harry. Wizards and witches are used to getting on and off carts inside Gringotts. While that part might still be the same, what they would be getting off to would be something completely different. I can't believe the size of this place, or the amount of work that's being done in the Gringotts Zone for just a weekend."

"Well..."

This saw Hermione pinning her mate with a look, telling Harry it was time to 'fess up. "They're putting so much work into this zone because The Director is hoping that some businesses might want to transfer here after the fayre. If we want to build a community here then we need more than just the dwellings that are in Kingussie at the moment. It's not as if we don't have the room..."

Hermione's brilliant smile told him he wasn't in any trouble. "Our brother is going to grow up with lots of friends, and no prejudices - I love it."

Spending a few hours in the company of the children was exactly what the couple needed, the last few months in Hogwarts had been very busy and pretty intense.

Their monthly sessions with Mad-Eye were both eagerly anticipated and dreaded. Some of the things he was showing them they might need to know, they still felt dirty afterwards though. Knowing exactly what they might be facing allowed for Mad-Eye to concentrate on their three possible adversaries. He had dossiers on Voldemort, Lestrange and Rookwood, as well as some memories to show their attacking techniques.

Both Harry and Neville almost attacked the old auror themselves when they saw some of the memories were from Frank and Alice, neither wanted these two to have to think about that part of their lives again. It took Tonks and both their mates to stop a war kicking off, allowing Mad-Eye time to explain that the former aurors had volunteered to help - they knew donating these memories would help their family. Frank and Alice also knew that people who had encountered Voldemort in the last war and lived to tell the tale could be counted on the fingers of one hand.

Moody had to show those memories repeatedly, both boys were in tears the first time they watched a much younger Frank and Alice. Neville was beyond delighted with the condition his parents were in at the present, but here was proof of just how much they had lost. Those tears soon gave way to awe as they watched two of the best aurors the ministry had fighting for their very lives.

It was only after overcoming all these emotions that they could then focus on the job in hand, watching Voldemort. He was fast, deadly and certainly very, very powerful. All watching though had the excellent example of Frank and Alice fighting back to give them hope, that and the knowledge that Harry had already hurt him with a spell.

Deborah Dugan had known exactly what Mad-Eye intended to do with the memory he asked for, she gladly provided her account of the attack on Diagon Ally. Seeing a pregnant Lestrange fire the killing curse at little Danielle hardened all their hearts against this witch. Watching as all three attackers then slaughtered innocent shoppers let them see exactly what they were dealing with.

The goblin charge from Gringotts allowed the last few people still exposed in the alley to reach safety as all three attackers switched their attention to the warriors. The memory also showed that Deborah was the first person in the alley to open fire on the attackers, clearly saving goblin lives by her actions. That was news that quickly made its way to Gringotts, the Dugan home might already be protected but bravery like that in defence of warriors couldn't go unrewarded.

After saying goodbye to their young goblin friends, and the couple of adults who had been along with them, Harry ran a few steps before launching himself into the air. He transformed into Swift as he jumped and was soon flying around the laughing children's heads. Hermione completed her transformation before taking off and living up to her nickname of Hover by hanging about fifteen feet up, Swift then circled her a few times before the couple continued their tour of the glen.

It was a couple of excited and happy teens who arrived back at 'Crow's Nest', only for those emotions to be kicked to a new level. Sirius, Henrica and Astrid Aurora Black had arrived. Harry thought holding his new goddaughter was the best feeling ever, only to have that feeling intensified. Sitting with his arm around Hermione as she held Astrid was simply the best feeling in the world.

Emma had her Polaroid land camera out. Dan had bought it as a present for his wife so they didn't have to worry about just what was on the thirty-five millimetre film they sent off to be developed. Children with wands, swords and then Barchoke or Dobby would all raise eyebrows at their local branch of Boots. Their children would now have a few pictures of Astrid to take back to Hogwarts with them and show their friends.

After what she'd seen today, the scholarly Miss Granger was already counting every one of those sixteen days until they boarded the express to bring them back home.

-oOoOo-

By Augustus' calculations, Bella was sixteen days late. It was no surprise then when she went into labour, that didn't mean though that a part of him wasn't totally panicking. His mate and unborn son were now counting on him yet all he had was a couple old books, books he'd now read from cover to cover, and a few basic potions he was able to pick the ingredients for. Bella deserved and probably required the best care St Mungo's had to offer. Instead, he was all she had.

Their master had made his position on this matter crystal clear, Bella's health was his only consideration in this entire process. He needed her fighting fit and no baby would be allowed to endanger his plans. His only offer of aid was made to Augustus when they were alone. Should the birth of this baby at any time threaten Bella's life, their master himself would cast the curse to kill the baby and get it safely out of its mother.

That this was their master's form of macabre compassion, saving Augustus from having to cast the spell on his own son, sickened the hardened death eater.

Bella though seemed to be relishing labour. Not only would she soon be able to serve her lord again, she appeared to derive a thrill from the fact their son could cause her pain before he was even born.

It had certainly crossed Augustus' mind to grab his son and run at the first opportunity, but he also knew he just couldn't do that. He may carry his master's mark on his arm but it was something else that stopped him running. That night in her cell, his beautiful Bella had captured his heart and soul. One day with Bella in his life was worth more than a year of life without her. Augustus simply couldn't go back to that life, it just wasn't a life worth living anymore.

While Bella drank her potions and pushed when Augustus instructed, their master hovered menacingly in the background. His mate was basking in the perceived concern the dark lord was showing for her health, Augustus though knew his real motives. It was therefore a great relief when their son's head started crowning ahead of schedule, a sure sign it wouldn't be long before their baby was born.

The relief when he was able to place their son onto his mother's chest was unbelievable, Augustus actually felt weak at the knees. Their boy's cries had certainly proven that his lungs were in good working order, having him wrapped in a blanket and feeding at his mother's breast soon quietened their baby down.

It was to this scene that their master made his presence known.

"Congratulationss on the birth of a fine son. Augustuss, you keep surprising me, I didn't think you would have pulled that off today. I suppose being motivated helped."

Bella beamed with pride at her master's comments, only Augusta knew what he really meant by that. It was not something he ever intended to share with his mate.

As the dark lord was leaving, Bella's misreading of the situation could have seen their entire family wiped out here and now. "Master, I was wondering if you would allow us to name our son after your grandfather? Marvolo Gaunt was a proper pureblood and blood heir to Salazar Slytherin, he would surely be as proud of his grandson as we are. Being named Marvolo Rookwood would give this little one a strong start in life."

Tom stopped as if he'd just been stabbed in the back. He was of course aware that his origins were now well documented, but that his followers would mention it to him was a shock.

It was almost as big a shock as meeting his 'uncle' for the first time. Tracking down Morfin Gaunt had been difficult, and still ranked as one of the biggest disappointments of his entire life. Like every child raised in an orphanage, there is always the dream that one day a relative will turn up to take you away with them. 'You being here is all a mistake' and 'we've spent years tracking you down' were phrases every child in the orphanage longed to hear.

Morfin was dressed in filthy rags while living in conditions you wouldn't have kept pigs in. He had mad, staring eyes, eyes that stared in different directions at the same time. Those eyes were hard to see through his filthy long hair, hair that seemed to grow into an even filthier beard. Those squinty eyes were sharp enough to recognised kin though, and Morfin wasn't exactly laying out a family welcome mat.

"Get outi me hoose yous 'alf blewd bastard. 'ow dare yous show yer mining mug e'yer, a mining mug dat lewks juss like dat muggle oo fathered yous."

Discovering he was related to the Gaunts, a pureblood family descended from Salazar Slytherin, had seen Tom make his way to Little Hangleton the first chance he got. One look at this shack, combined with his uncle's guttural tirade, destroyed any trace of Tom Riddle once and for all. Discovering he had a muggle for a father also made his blood boil.

This imbecile had actually noticed his sister, Merope, mooning over the muggle. He then managed to get himself and their father flung into Azkaban after he used magic to attack Tom Riddle. This of course left Merope free to pursue her dream, resulting in Tom Marvolo Riddle being born. That Morfin appeared more upset because he had plans of his own for Merope saw the witless moron on the receiving end of a stunning curse.

It was Lord Voldemort who left that shack and made his way up to the Riddle Family Manor with Morfin's wand in his hand, using it to kill his father and grandparents. It was certainly Lord Voldemort who returned to the shack and altered Morfin's memory to show he had committed the murders. With Morfin having already spent three years in Azkaban for attacking the same family, Lord Voldemort was sure the case wouldn't be examined too closely. He left that shack with the Gaunt ring on his finger, his 'uncle' wouldn't be needing it where he was going.

He also needed to make a decision here, seeing Bella cradling the baby to her breast while looking to him in avid anticipation of a positive answer made his mind up. Bella was correct in saying Marvolo Gaunt was a proper pureblood and blood heir to Salazar Slytherin, Marvolo would also undoubtably have killed any muggle who dared to touch his daughter.

The dark lord had intended to wait until Bella's labour was threatening her health and then dispose of the as yet unborn baby, testing her mate's loyalties to their limit. Rookwood obviously realised his master's intentions and had somehow managed to speed up the process. In doing so though, he still answered his master's question - Rookwood was loyal to his family first.

Having his son named Marvolo would be a constant reminder of where his mate's loyalties lay, Lord Voldemort consented to the child bearing his middle name.

Bella was ecstatic at that news, already calling their son by his new name. Augustus meanwhile was almost dropping from relief. He knew their son was in danger until he was born, to then face even more danger immediately after delivery was totally unexpected. He didn't have time to lie down and congratulate himself though, he had a potion to make and then runes needed inscribing. The placenta that had supported Marvolo Rookwood for the last nine months would now be the main ingredient in a ritual that should hopefully see it continue to provide lifesaving support.

Lord Voldemort was almost chuckling to himself as he left the new family, the boy would soon learn everyone who didn't live on this island would hate his name. That life isn't fair would be a good lesson for any child to learn, one that he himself had to face in that orphanage. He certainly intended to add more layers to the terror his name induced, his campaign would begin soon. The ministry were going out of their way to rebrand him as a terrorist and a monster. His next act would be truly monstrous, he would wait and see what they made of it.

-oOoOo-

As if the task they'd set themselves wasn't monstrous enough, there was now a whole new layer of complexity about to be added to it. Namely, this year's Potter Scholarships, the Muggle Born Protection Act and sponsoring students from families who now couldn't afford to send their children to Hogwarts because of death eater involvement.

Barchoke sat beside his two children in Augusta's office, Minerva and Amelia were also present for this meeting. They were looking to Harry though for some decisions. After all, it was his gold being spent here.

"If Colin was a good case for a Potter Scholarship, then his younger brother must be too. I don't want to set a precedent here though, Pauline has a younger sister and there's another Creevey after Denis who'll soon be Hogwarts bound too. We could easily reach the stage where the Potter Scholarships would effectively already be decided before the committee sat down to discuss the matter."

His mate then made a suggestion. "What if, instead of scholarships, they were sponsored. You're spending a fortune funding the children of death eaters to attend Hogwarts, I think Denis Creevey deserves at least that."

"We're spending a fortune, dear, and that's a great idea. Not only does it allow two more students to become Potter Scholarship holders, it adds credibility to the sponsorship program if the siblings of the scholarships receive them too."

Hermione let out a theatrical groan. "Padma was right, we need to build an extension onto Crow's Nest."

"Okay, that's solved. So how many muggle born families will be new this year?"

Minerva didn't even need to look. "Four families will be sending their first witch or wizard to Hogwarts come September. There are of course more muggle borns than that in the yeargroup, the rest will have siblings already at Hogwarts."

"The four families could stay with us for the weekend of the fayre..."

"...along with all the students from Hogwarts, the Creeveys, the MacDonalds, Uncle Tom Cobbly and all."

"See, Hermione, I knew you wouldn't mind a few more. I don't remember inviting this uncle though..."

"Muggle humour, Harry. Right time, certainly wrong place and definitely the wrong company."

This cracked their father and Harry up, earning more groans from Hermione. "Crow's Nest will need to become Crow's Castle for this to have any chance of working."

"Never fear, my daughter, it is all in hand." Seeing Hermione looking at him as if he was nuts almost had Barchoke laughing again, that would have been cruel though. His daughter was clearly worried about this problem and it was time to put her mind at rest.

"The area behind Crow's Nest will become a campsite, a campsite filled with magical tents that will host all the Hogwarts students. Your dad said Professor McGonagall should take one of these with her when telling muggle families about the existence of magic. He says it's the most impressive piece of magic he's seen. There will be tents set up in your training area for the Creeveys, MacDonalds and any other families you want to invite."

Minerva thought that wasn't a bad suggestion, explaining to the teens that Magical tents had expansion charms so the inside space was far greater than the outside suggested - often containing three or four furnished rooms.

With aurors and warriors patrolling the campsite, there would be no need to worry about any inappropriate behaviour from the Hogwarts students. Such behaviour would also see them kicked out the glen so no one would want to chance that. The Hogwarts elves had also asked their champion if they could assist their Potter counterparts at the fayre, an offer Harry immediately accepted.

Harry also had to accept that Centurion Crow couldn't be on duty that weekend. It was the Baron's Fayre after all, and the Baron of Kingussie had to be present and available to meet his guests. Tonks was in charge of security for the event. Since she knew the glen and everyone who would be there, as well as speaking goblin and having worked in the joint operations to protect Hogsmeade, she was the obvious choice.

It was another auror Harry had on his mind though as he spoke with Amelia. "I would like to ask a favour. Would it be possible for Auror Dugan to have that weekend off? We want to invite the Dugan family to spent the weekend with us. Deborah saved goblin lives with her actions on the day of the attack, we would like to say thank you."

She couldn't remember Harry asking for anything before and, since this was something well within her powers to grant, Amelia agreed. A now smiling Harry let her in on the rest of his plans.

"We would also like to invite the families of your aurors to attend the fayre. Can I ask you to organise who would be coming when? I didn't want to say anything before asking you about Auror Dugan in case you thought I was trying to buy you off. Your department gives up their time to protect us at Hogwarts and then again during our Hogsmeade visits, this is just as a thank-you from us."

Again this was something Amelia rapidly agreed to. Invitations to the Baron's Fayre were harder to come by than tickets for the Quidditch World Cup Final and this gesture would really be appreciated by her department.
Minerva and Amelia would meet with Sirius as quickly as they could to decide next year's Potter Scholarships, with Augusta helping Minerva inform the new families they had a magical child eligible for Hogwarts - and inviting them to Kingussie for that weekend.

The only holidays the extended family had planned for this summer was some time on the island after the fayre. With the amount of work still needing done for the fayre, it would be a holiday the family would certainly be looking forward to.

A/N thanks for reading.

82. Reputations

Harry Crow

Disclaimer - I write purely for my own enjoyment and make no money from my efforts, neither do I own Harry Potter

Chapter 82

Excitement was rife on the Express as it steamed its way toward London. While students returning home for their summer holidays meant this annual journey was always a pleasurable trip, this year had an added incentive. In two weeks it was the Baron's Fayre, the most talked about event in years, and the entire train was invited.

There were three couples sitting in the compartment as Luna popped in to talk with them. Her opening the door though allowed the current occupants to hear the girly laughter coming from the passageway.

The laughter was easily recognisable and drew a frustrated groan from Padma. "Luna, do I even want to know?"

It was Pansy who answered. "Let me try to guess first. Parvati and Lavender have got some older boys cornered and are flirting mercilessly with them. The boys are also looking around for an escape route to get away as quickly as possible."

Luna's nod saw a puzzled Hermione focusing her attention on her Slytherin friend. "How could you possibly know all that? Granted, I guessed the first bit myself."

"Those two are playing a dangerous game. They act all flirtatious, knowing none of the boys they flirt with will ever take things further..."

"Hey, that's my sister you're talking about..."

"Exactly, which is why they can get away with it. After Harry and then Neville took down that stupid arse, Marcus Flint, last year, only a fool would want to mess with you four. Anyone hurting or taking advantage of Parvati though knows that's exactly what they'd be facing, and she knows this too. That's why all the boys in the years above us avoid her, Cedric practically runs away when he sees her heading in his direction. By the same token, no one wants to upset you four by telling her to piss off."

All recognised the truth in what Pansy was saying, though none were happy about the situation.

"When I speak to her about it, she says it's all just a bit of fun. If our father sees her idea of fun, she'll be packed off to India with a betrothal contract in her hand."

She felt a supporting hand on her shoulder and saw that a concerned Harry was at the other end of it. "I'm sorry, Padma. I know you only got into this situation because of me..."

"That's rubbish, Harry, and you know it. It's your protection that's keeping Parvati safe. The problems will start when that protection isn't there - when the person she's flirting with doesn't know who she is." They were all looking at Luna now, rarely having seen her angry before.

"When we were at Padma and Parvati's birthday party, every boy that danced with me knew you were watching them. That's fine with me, I like the idea of a big brother watching out for me. Just as I know that same brother will let me make my own decisions as I get older. Parvati is playing on that protection, she's the one in the wrong - not you."

This drew another groan out of Padma. "I'm going to have to talk to mum about this. If she behaves like that during the holidays, dad really will take some action. I love my sister but she can be her own worst enemy sometimes. What she and Lavender consider an attractive trait has every decent wizard in Hogwarts running in the other direction. I know Parvati has certainly not gone any further than the three of us here who are the same age, she's the one who's going to get her reputation tarnished though. Word will quickly spread and the betrothal offers will stop - at least the decent ones will."

None could see this discussion ending well so Draco tried to change the subject. "Is Kingussie all set for the Fayre, Harry?"

This drew a groan from Hermione, only this time it was done for comedic effect. "We still have a mountain of work to do and yet all Harry's thinking about is two other girls."

Any other boyfriend on the planet would have known it was time to roll out their most passionate denials, claiming their girlfriend was the only one for them. Their bond though meant there was no need for such declarations. Harry also knew Hermione was teasing him. "Astrid will be nearly three weeks old now, and we haven't seen Sapphire in ages. We'll also get to see our brother this summer, what's a fayre compared to that."

No one could really argue with that.

The only other voice raised against the fayre on the train wasn't having quite the same reaction. To be fair, Ron wasn't really saying anything against the fayre. He was just proclaiming that the Quidditch World Cup Final was going to be a far more important even this summer, especially since his dad had got the Weasley family great tickets. He was finding no takers supporting this stance though, not even amongst the Hogwarts quidditch players. Considering that at least fourteen of them would get the once in a lifetime chance to play against professional opposition, their opinion was perhaps understandable.

-oOoOo-

Harry's reactions were predictable and also understandable. He'd just walked into Crow's Nest and had his arms wrapped around a very excited Sapphire, Hermione then took his place hugging the goblin as Harry headed straight for Henrica and his goddaughter. He was home, his family was there so all was right in his world.

Dinner that night was loud and boisterous. The hard work would start tomorrow, tonight was all about being a family again - something they'd all missed. Tonks was sitting with her goddaughter in her arms and giving her boyfriend looks that had Sirius sniggering at his fellow marauder's attempts to hide his discomfort, it should be an interesting holiday.

Reinforcements would be arriving Monday in the shape of the Longbottoms, Patils, Abbots and quite a few more of their friends. Emma had already turned one room in the house into a control centre with display boards on the walls waiting on the information of who was doing what and when to be entered. The stadium was the centrepiece of the weekend and had an entire wall to itself. With six events each day being scheduled to start at eleven a.m. and then proceed at two hour intervals until the final event at nine in the evening closed the fayre for the day.

Everyone had their preferred option for where they would like to work at the fayre but needed to wait until the entire extended family got together before sorting that out. They would however be getting in as much shooting practice as possible before then. With Dan acting as organiser and judge, thus not actually shooting, the competition would be wide open. There was also the problem that, with so many of the friends being involved in marauder demonstrations and the quidditch matches, they would be relying heavily on the adults to be in charge of the attractions.

Once those positions were settled, it would then be time to pick their teams of Hogwarts students who were going to help run the attractions. They were all going to be incredibly busy but were looking forward to an event that could change attitudes of the magical community. Lukas actually expressed the sentiment that the fayre could be used to push those attitudes even further.

While Harry didn't entirely disagree with that opinion, he did defend their reasons for not currently doing so. "We have pushed the goblin agenda very hard to get us to where we are today. It has not been easy, and neither has it been cheap. Gringotts is picking up the cost for most of this weekend, though the Barron of Kingussie will certainly be contributing. While charitable, the goblins are not in business to run a charity." This had Sapphire in knots of laughter before Harry continued.

"I remember saying something similar to Hermione almost two years ago when she was vigorously extolling the rights of house elves. Yes, that is certainly something I fully support but, if we spread ourselves too thin, it dilutes any achievements we might make. It's the exact same situation here, if we try for too much then the message could easily get diluted or even lost. Witches and wizards are opening their eyes and slowly but surely no longer looking on goblins as creatures. This also opens the door for others to step through too. This weekend is all about not only opening that door, we need to kick it clean off its hinges so that door can never be closed again."

This earned him a kiss from Hermione. "It's just a pity Father had to return to Gringotts, he would have loved to have heard that. We might make a diplomat out of you yet."

-oOoOo-

The diplomat in question was currently walking beside Severus Snape as the Potions Master got ready to face his destiny. Severus noticed a few of his colleagues had turned up to witness the ceremony, quite a few more from The Nation had joined them just to gawk at the human undergoing a goblin ceremony.

He didn't care, Severus was ready to face this. In actual fact, Severus had been happier in his two years inside Gringotts than at any other time in his life.

Severus was bedecked in a Dragon Skin toga, similar to the one that he'd seen warriors wear. It was a gift from Barchoke and also left his arms bare, allowing everyone to see his hated tattoo. The mere possibility of not being tied to the lunatic Riddle had him ready to face anything.

The Director himself was honouring him by performing this ceremony, Severus was glad he'd changed the offered oath to one that should strengthen his commitment to Gringotts and The Nation. He'd found a home for himself here and was determined to stay. That The Director got straight to the point was another endearing quality of this culture he welcomed, too many years spent trying to decipher what Albus was up to had fostered an appreciation for straight talking.

""Are you ready to give your oath and be judged by the stone?""

No flowery speeches but proceeding directly to the job at hand, just what was needed here. Severus wondered if there wasn't some goblin blood in him too. He was about to discover just what The Nation thought of his blood. ""I am.""

He steadily held his hand forward as Ragnok granted Severus more honour by using his battleaxe to slice open the palm of Severus' hand. He was quite proud that he managed not to flinch as the axe did its bloody work. Severus knew the real pain was still to come, at least he hoped it was. Failure was not an option he had considered for today.

A magnificently ornate plinth just seemed to emphasise the ordinariness of the slab of stone it supported but Severus had been told there was no more powerful artefact in The Nation. It was changed days indeed that a human got to see it, never mind make a blood offering to the stone.

Placing his palm on the slightly warm stone, Severus offered his oath to The Nation.

""I, Severus Snape, of my own free will offer my oath to The Nation. I swear on my honour, and my magic, never to work, take arms or plot against The Nation. I also swear to be the best citizen of this Nation I can be.""

Barchoke had said that swearing on his honour would have been enough but Severus wanted his commitment to be out there for all to see. All the spectators were now intently watching to see what happened next, none were more focused than Severus himself.

He felt the heat from the stone beginning to travel up his arm. At the same time, a coldness from his chest moved into his shoulder to begin its journey to the battlefield. The battle was graphically played out on his arm for all to witness.

The black skull of his dark mark slowly became blood red, it also morphed in shape to that of a dragon's skull. The snake reacted violently to this and wrapped itself around the skull, trying to crush it. It was hampered though by its tail being in the dragon's mouth, and then the dragon began to chew.

As the dragon slowly consumed the snake, flesh began forming over the skull and a body began to appear under the forming head. The snake though was still putting up a ferocious fight. It started biting the flesh that was forming on the dragon's skull, destroying a newly grown eye

The pain Severus was experiencing was worse than anything he'd suffered in his life before, even being under the cruciatus curse from the dark bastard wasn't as excruciating as this. He also knew this was considered part of the test to whether he was worthy to join The Nation, Severus could end the pain at any moment simply by lifting his hand off the stone. It was sheer willpower that kept his hand stuck to that piece of rock, aided by the very graphic example that his battle was being won by the right side.

The snake was now frantically flailing about, desperate to escape as its head got ever closer to those deadly jaws of the red dragon. In his mind, Severus heard that snake's head crunch as the dragon finally claimed victory, he certainly felt something inside him snap. He had held his own jaws clamped shut in order not to seem weak by screaming from the pain, those jaws now opened and a victory roar rang round the chamber. That his roar of victory was joined by goblin voices pleased Severus more than he would ever admit to.

He was drenched in sweat and barely able to stand, Severus understood though he needed to walk out this chamber unaided for his victory to be complete. Ragnok then held his hand up so that all witnessing the event could see that it had been healed.

""Severus Snape made an offer to The Nation, an offer we all saw her accepting. The Nation healed this wizard's hand and claimed his allegiance above all others. He lives, works and speaks like one of us, The Nation has now claimed him as one of us. Citizen Snape, you leave here with your honour intact, may your efforts to be a good citizen be rewarded.""

With a respectful bow, it was over. Looking down at his new red dragon tattoo easily gave Severus the strength to walk out of the chamber with his head held high. He was definitely taking the rest of the day off though.

-oOoOo-

The four knew they would be busy for the rest of the day but this was their time, they were joined by a fifth as the strangest flock of birds ever seen in a Scottish glen enjoyed themselves.

It had taken Smita to confirm what type of hawk her daughter was. Padma couldn't hide her delight at discovering she was a Besra Hawk, a native of her homeland. She was about the same size as Hermione's kestrel form, Hover, with speckled brown markings on a white background. Neville certainly won boyfriend points when he said she was as beautiful as a hawk as she was as a witch. Harry then showed it wasn't only Riddle who could create names from anagrams and christened her hawk, Saber. Since Padma walked about with a sword at her hip, she loved her hawk's nickname.

Hermione had quietly asked her best friend where the name, Buff, originated from for Neville's Tawny Owl form. She didn't think Padma would chose his name based on a simple thing like colour. She really should have known better, since Padma's answer saw Hermione changing colour - to bright red.

"Hermione, when I see Neville with his shirt off, I just want to run my hands all over him. We'll let everyone else, including our mates, think the name's based on colour. Really I just want to spend hours buffing my Neville. I don't know if the blood bonding is affecting my hormones but it's going to be one hell of a struggle waiting until I'm Mrs Padma Longbottom to complete this bond - and then I'll get to spend every night with my husband."

A blushing Hermione confirmed she felt the exact same about Harry, and only the fact there was just one more summer after this before they got married kept her going. Padma confirmed Hermione had certainly got the hang of dressing up the good news, one more summer sounded a whole lot better than having to wait two years. She also resolved to talk to Neville about making it a double wedding.

Neville as Buff, his tawny owl form, was the biggest of the birds. That was until Eargit decided to join them and show these impostors how to really fly. The five had a great time flying along the glen, and then they spotted the group of children waving madly to them.

Harry had mastered his take-offs and was now working on a landing that didn't involve Hermione's chest. Not that he didn't love that particular technique, it was just so distracting if he ever had to go from Swift to Centurion and be instantly ready for battle. It would also leave Hermione exposed to attack as she stood waiting for him to land.

His new technique saw Swift swoop down and then pull up sharply. As his speed bled off and he was ready to stall, Swift became Harry as he dropped the two or three feet to the ground. This drew cheers from the children, especially when the other four joined him. With Eargit perched on his shoulder, Harry was about to introduce their two friends when the group found themselves being dragged by little hands into the Gringotts Zone.

Padma was wondering how these children recognised her when she suddenly came upon something all four of them hoped never to see again. Since the goblins had rendered the creature down into sellable components and commodities, they knew this beast inside and out. That every hair on Padma's body seemed to stand on end at first sight of this exhibit was testament to the goblin craftsmen who had made an exact replica of the basilisk they had fought in the Chamber of Secrets.

"Harry, did you know about this?" One look at her friend's face answered Padma's question. The children who held her hands pulled her over and suddenly Padma had a lot more questions. She was looking at an exact copy of a younger version of Padma Patil firing a spell at the basilisk.

She was startled out of her stupor by her best friend's voice coming from beside her. "At least they don't have me sitting on my bum in a puddle of basilisk blood!"

The entrance hall was divided in two by the tableau that was simply breathtaking, provided you weren't one of the people appearing in the scene depicted. The columns were structural and holding the ceiling up, the exact scale basilisk winding through those columns was thankfully purely decorative.

The model of Hermione had a bloody sword and was retreating behind a pillar as model Harry got ready to attack. She was studying her mannequin before turning to her friend. "Padma, does my hair really look like that from the back?"

This cracked Harry up, his laughter set off all the kids with Padma and Neville soon following. The witch who caused all the hilarity soon found herself wrapped in a pair of familiar strong arms. "This is genius."

This drew the attention of the other three to Harry, obviously looking for an explanation of that remark. "Who do you know, apart from Emma, who wouldn't want to see this? Between this exhibit and the dragons, people will be pouring in here in their droves."

Neville let out a groan at that. "Great, just what we need - more publicity. This was before Padma and I started exercising too."

"Nev, honey, people will be too busy looking at the basilisk to bother with us. At least they missed Parvati out the scene."

This was the perfect opening for Hermione to ask her friend if she'd spoken with Smita about Parvari's behaviour. Padma and Neville had just arrived this morning and all four had took to the air immediately after greeting one another.

Padma had her head down as she answered. "I didn't have to. We forgot about all the adults at Hogwarts who are part of the extended family, my mum knew as much about her behaviour as we did. Parvati got roasted and won't be let out of mum's sight all summer. She might relax when we get to your island, since there will be no unattached boys there."

The four couldn't stay glum for long though, not when they were surrounded by so many excited children. These children had quickly volunteered to be the testers for all the attractions. They would spend the next week or so helping the people who would be running those attractions refine their operating systems and techniques.

They would be starting tomorrow in what was being considered the 'Kiddy Zone', an area where those with their ages not in double figures would rule.

-oOoOo-

"The Kiddy Zone is the most important section of the glen, the success of this entire venture will be decided there. If we can get the children playing together, regardless of their upbringing, that to me would be the dream outcome. That's why there has been no expense spared in that area, it's also why I want to flood the place with helpers. If we use the marauders for this, it will give you a full yeargroup to work with. They're already all friends and used to working together, as well as looking out for each other. They are also the only groups I know who will certainly treat all the children the same."

The extended family had all gathered and were discussing what they would be doing on the weekend of the fayre. Seeing Harry this nervous brought home to everyone just how much he had riding on this weekend. They were attempting something that only a few years ago would have seen anyone even suggesting an idea like this branded as crazy. An event where goblins and muggles mixed freely with witches and wizards of all blood classes was certainly an audacious plan - possibly even a touch crazy. It was now up to the people sitting in this room to help pull it off.

The 'Kiddy Zone' had Emma, Moa, Henrica and Sapphire in charge. With an entire yeargroup assisting them, they should hopefully be able to stay on top of things - and stop any problems from developing. One little pureblood prince or princess pushing past the other children waiting in a queue could quickly escalate to something ugly that could have the potential to ruin the entire weekend.

The Abbots asked if they could look after the winter zone, with the Longbottoms sticking their names beside the water zone. Augusta would be supervising the eating area, though with the elves doing all the work it really was just supervising. Big kid Sirius got his wish and was in charge of the roller coaster while the Patils' experience with flying carpets saw them allocated there. Dan and Lukas were now used to working together so would be in control of the stadium, while Remus offered to run the cinema tent. With Tonks in charge of security and Bill Weasley already earmarked to front the Gringotts Zone, it left them short of cover for the go-carts until Draco made a suggestion.

"Pansy and I would obviously love to do that but we have our Maraudrs Sunday morning. I've got a quidditch match Saturday evening and both of us were hoping to take part in the shooting competition. What if our mothers helped out? They could be in charge of the carts on those times when we need to go to the stadium?"

Emma had her marker in hand, Elspeth and Narcissa's names being written into the available slot was all the answer Draco needed. Apart from the quidditch, Susan and Hannah were in the same position so put themselves down to work in the winter zone along with Hannah's parents.

Parvati got no say in the matter, she would be beside her mother for the entire weekend. Padma and Neville were keen to avoid the atmosphere that would generate so stuck their names down to work with Frank and Alice, when they weren't required in the stadium. Since Luna would be in the Stadium on Saturday as Crow's Marauders put on a display, followed by working in the Kiddy Zone all day on Sunday, they wouldn't let her put her name down for anything else. Her dad would be there and Luna was being given the time to spend that day with her father.

Amelia felt terrible that she couldn't put her name forward for anything but Harry wasn't having that. "You'll be in the same position as Hermione, father and me. Our names might not be up there but that doesn't mean we won't be working our backsides off..."

"Oh Amelia, I didn't know you were fighting in the arena too..."

"Muuum!" Hermione tried to keep the frustration out her voice but didn't quite manage it. "Harry's fighting Master Sharpshard as part of the goblin combat display. Harry fights against us every day in training, it's not like he's stepping into the pit again."

This did nothing to alleviate Emma's fears. "I watched Barchoke's memory of the last time those two fought. Need I remind you this Sharpshard put both you and Harry in the goblin medical facility. Don't expect me to sit here and be pleased at that prospect, I won't be able to relax each day until I know my son's all right."

Harry rose and went over to hold Emma. "Mum, I may get beaten but I'll be fine, and come right over to see you as soon as the fight is over."

His father felt compelled to say something. "Emma, Harry really will be fine. That day was a one-off, something that I can assure you will never happen again." Barchoke now addressed his comments to the entire extended family.

"This single event is also the one being most looked forward to by every goblin who will attend Kingussie over the weekend, The Director has already asked for seats to be reserved for him on both days. Our son is exceptional with a blade in his hand while his tutor, Master Sharpshard, is regarded as simply the best there is. Witnessing the Baron of Kingussie cross blades with Master Sharpshard will ensure their visit is a wonderful day out, especially if they place their gold on the winner."

Sapphire chipping in with 'my gold's on Harry' may have gotten a laugh but it didn't ease Emma's worries any. Harry tried again. "We open Saturday with Crow's Marauders putting on a display, then we have the goblin fighting techniques. I'll be fine, and ready to beat Hermione in the shooting contest right after that."

"In your dreams, Crow."

Hermione's quip actually drew a wan smile from Emma. Her sensible side was telling her that Harry would be safe but her hormones had protective mother slapping that sensible side silly. She as much as anyone though knew how important this weekend was to her children, hearing from Barchoke that this was the premier event of the entire weekend for the Goblin Nation meant her son was always going to do it.

Both Granger ladies loved the boy who was a goblin at heart, they had to accept that side of him - it was who he was. Emma though didn't want Harry going into this with her disapproval ringing in his ears. "Just promise me you'll be careful?"

Sapphire chipped in again. "Would you like to promise me you'll win?"

Emma this time saw the funny side. "...and you young lady shouldn't be gambling. That's an easy way to lose your gold."

The young goblin simply shrugged her shoulders at that. "The gold I've got I either won betting on Harry when you visited Egypt or picked up for free after he gave away Bloodfang's family fortune. You all know how famous Harry is in the wizarding community, what you don't seem to realise is that he's every bit as famous in The Nation too. Oh, and his mate is doing as much to change attitudes as Harry is. Centurion Crow and his Warrior Wife could easily become one of those comic books Harry is so fond of reading."

This revelation was met with a bunch of blank stares. "What, you seriously didn't know? My family moved back to Britain because of Harry, and we're not the only ones. We have families legally living outside Gingotts for the first time in centuries, again because of Harry. Those same families have children who adore these two, not because of any titles but simply that they make sure to spend time with them. Hermione has warriors ready to throw themselves in front of curses to protect her, a female who fights with fury beside her centurion mate. The Nation has never known anything like these two, and will do everything it can to help them."

The stunned silence just encouraged Sapphire to continue. "When I was younger, a lot of people didn't want me hanging out with Harry. Those same people are now really jealous I'm spending my time in Kingussie. I think that jealousy will only get worse once they visit the fayre, I say that's just their hard luck."

That last remark saw Harry's protective side kick in. "Are they giving you any trouble..." His goblin friend bursting out laughing at that question told Harry the answer was probably not.

"Do you think anyone is going to give me any trouble, knowing that you are my friend? What you did to protect Hermione is now passing into legend, as is your defeat of Master Sharpshard, no one wants to cross you by picking on me."

This drew a giggle from Luna. "It's the same in Hogwarts..." Luna's laughter died in her throat as Pavrati lowered her head at that. "I'm sorry, Parvati, I wasn't meaning anything by that."

It was Smita who answered the little blonde. "We know, Luna, just as we know neither you nor Sapphire would ever play on that..."

"Mum, I get the message. There's no need to tell everyone about it!"

"Since most of the people in this room have already witnessed your behaviour, I really don't see why you're objecting to me bringing it up here. You also still don't seem to grasp just how unacceptable your behaviour is, Parvati, something that you returning to Hogwarts in September depends upon."

At that, Parvati fled the room in tears. Padma was soon up and following her sister out of the room as their father tried to apologise.

"I'm sorry for that..."

Dan actually cut him off. "There's nothing to apologise for, Ramrao, we've known your girls for a few years now and every parent here shares your concern. At least there's the peace of mind in knowing her friends and family will ensure that nothing happens to her in the castle."

"Dan, that might be the only reason I let her return to Hogwarts come September. I'm just struggling to understand how two sisters can be so different..."

It was Harry who interrupted this time. "You never met my mother's sister..."

This drew a few gasps before Emma started to giggle. "Sorry everyone but I knew the woman, I can't think of anyone more unlike Harry. Friendly and loving were not words one could ever have associated with Petunia Dursley, she probably didn't know the meaning of them."

That was a now blushing Harry's cue to try and turn the conversation back onto the fayre.

Padma discovered she wasn't a welcome visitor as she caught up with her twin. "So, has the perfect daughter come to gloat - or just to say I told you so?"

"Back off, Pav, and save your attitude for someone who deserves it. You got yourself into this mess and only you can get yourself out. Instead of working on that, you're behaving like Ronald Weasley and refusing to even acknowledge that you're in the wrong."

Her anger hadn't abated one bit as Parvati fired back at her sister. "What am I doing that's so wrong?"

Padma's own anger might be on a longer fuse but it was every bit as volatile. "How about you and Lavender behaving like a couple of sluts, will that do for starters?"

"How can you say that, you know I would never..."

"Pav, you don't have to tell me. It's the rest of the school who you're giving that impression to. Her reputation is sometimes all a witch has, and it can so easily be tarnished. You're putting yours in danger, and for what? If all this flirting is part of some plan to hook the wizard of your dreams then you need a new plan, this one clearly isn't working. What happened to being friends with a wizard first?"

"Padma, wizards don't want to be friends with witches..."

"The decent ones do..."

"...and they're either not interested or all snapped up already."

"Your flirting is going to bring you trouble but that's not all that's at stake here. I stood with Neville as he fought Flint, defending my honour. I also watched as Harry killed in the pit to protect Hermione's. Believe me, Pav, I can't think of anything less romantic than that. Both of them would also kill anyone who took advantage of you. That places a bit of responsibility on you not to put yourself in these situations, it's not an excuse for you to play on."

"Oh, so now we get to the truth of the matter. You're more worried about them than your sister. I guess I've seen that coming for the last couple of years. Well you don't have to worry, I can look after myself."

This was the final straw for Padma, she really let her temper out to play. "You're family though, that means we HAVE to look after you. Even if it means facing up to the biggest fucking basilisk the world has ever seen. I just can't believe my sister would be stupid enough not to learn from her mistakes. You know what, perhaps you should ask Ronald Weasley out - you two would appear made for each other." With that, a still raging Padma stormed off - leaving her twin left standing struggling for words.

Hermione had Luna and Sapphire sharing her bedroom as Crow's Nest was full to bursting. That was why she was saying goodnight to Harry outside her room. "You know, the closer this fayre gets, the more I'm looking forward to getting away to the island when it's all over. Is that wrong of me?"

"If it's wrong, then put my name down too. I have to say though, for me it's more to do with the thought of you in a bikini. My beautiful mate has certainly filled out since the last time we were there. That's what will get me through this weekend, knowing I am going to be lying on a beach with my Hermione - what more could I want?"

Hermione helped him answer that question by grabbing Harry and lovingly kissing him.

-oOoOo-

Voldemort was currently standing on an island surrounded by water, but there all similarities ended. There was no sunshine, no bikinis and certainly no loving kisses on offer. The dark lord wasn't there for any of that though, his purpose was far more nefarious. He had left servants to guard one of his most precious possessions, those defences had somehow been breeched.

While his necklace may be gone, the deadly servants who guarded it remained. These were servants Voldemort intended to incorporate into his battle to regain credibility as a dark lord to be feared.

"Awake my warriors, there iss work to be done."

The black water that had been as smooth as glass a moment ago was now disturbed in multiple places as the dark lord's latest troops answered their master's call.

A/N thanks for reading.

83. All's Fayre in Love and War pt1

Harry Crow

Disclaimer - I don't own these characters and my writing certainly couldn't be considered canon. If my efforts don't fit your idea of what a Harry Potter story should be, I can only offer my apologies and a suggestion. Writing your own really is the only way to ensure the story progresses exactly the way you want it to, it also gives the rest of us something to read.

Chapter 83

Jenny Abercrombie was always being chatted-up in the local supermarket where she worked, those who knew her though just smiled. Those men chatting-up the pretty girl who'd yet to see her thirtieth birthday were wasting their time. Jenny already had a young man in her life, Euan was now eleven and the centre of her universe.

As a younger woman, Jenny had dreams of her own. She was seventeen, hoping to go to university the following year but one night at a party put paid to all that. No matter how hard she tried, Jenny couldn't remember anything about that night. Her parents' reactions though were forever etched in her brain. Their entire focus was on the fact Jenny couldn't tell them who the father was, rather than the fact their daughter was pregnant and needed their help and support. Jenny'd only ever had one serious boyfriend and certainly never slept around, her parents though had said things that there was just no recovering from.

Her local council had really come through for Jenny with a little flat, there was also money from the state to get her going. Her social worker had recognised a drive in Jenny to be independent, doing everything she could to help the young family along. Getting Euan into a daycare centre allowed Jenny to work, her hours working increasing as Euan got older. This branch of the Abercrombie family were proud they stood on their own two feet, then someone called McGonagall turned up out of thin air and took their legs out from under them.

That her blond, blue-eyed boy was magical, and technically a wizard, was definitely enough to sweep Jenny off her feet. That he would have to go away to some special boarding school for over nine months every year was certainly a blow. Discovering there was someone they'd never met willing to pay for everything was almost a step too far for Jenny, that was until she'd seen the list of books and equipment Euan would need for attending this school - and a special uniform too.

The McGonagall witch had convinced them to at least meet the people involved, so here they stood. An excited Euan had his bag on his back while he clutched onto the invitation that supposedly would magically take them where they needed to go. Jenny too was wearing a backpack and holding onto the invitation just as she'd been instructed, but Jenny was a lot more sceptical than her son. She was beginning to think this was all some elaborate hoax when their portkey activated.

-oOoOo-

Harry stepped forward to greet the surprised arrivals. "You must be Euan and his mum, welcome to Kingussie. I'm Harry and I'm really pleased to meet you. Em, would you mind standing over here for a minute, we're really busy today and the next portkey is expected shortly."

The young man was taking Jenny by the arm before her brain kicked into gear again. "You're the Baron, and we're really in Kingussie?"

This had Harry laughing. "Yes to both those questions. Now, as I said we're really busy this weekend so we might not get time to sit down and answer all the questions I'm sure you have. Don't worry though, I promise to meet again well before Euan here is due to leave for Hogwarts. This is my mate, Hermione, and Luna here was one of the first recipients of a Potter Scholarship..."

The introductions were interrupted by a portkey delivering the McDonalds to Kingussie. All traces of Natalie's shyness were long since banished as she sprang at them the instant her feet touched the ground.

Roy was chuckling as their daughter hugged her friends. "Good to see you all again. As you can probably tell, Natalie is rather excited by this weekend. We're really looking forward to seeing her perform magic too. Your fayre is a pretty exciting event all round, Harry. Anything we can help you with?"

"Actually there is, Roy. Euan has been offered a Potter Scholarship, both he and his mother though probably feel as if they've just landed on Mars."

This set Roy off laughing while his wife was already heading to offer Jenny her support, landing on a different planet was a good analogy of how they had felt this time last year. Natalie though headed straight for Euan.

"Oh, you'll absolutely love Hogwarts. I was one of the two Potter Scholarships last year, Luna and Colin were brilliant in making sure I knew what was happening and always being there if I needed someone. This year it's Pauline and my turn to look after you. The Potter Scholarships are like a family, a family that just keeps getting bigger and bigger."

Mary was alongside Jenny, her smile beaming with pride at her daughter. She spoke quietly to the young mother. "You might find this hard to believe but our Natalie was really shy, so shy she had a lot of trouble making friends. Letting her attend Hogwarts was easily the hardest decision we ever had to make, seeing how happy that's made Natalie means it was also one of the best decisions we made too."

"Are you, you know...?"

"...magical? No, Roy and I are just like you. It surprised the hell out of us to discover there was a witch in the family. Harry's mother was the same, born to non magical parents. It's why Harry wanted at least one of the scholarships to go to a witch or wizard like that every year."

Jenny was watching her son chatting away to Natalie and the blonde girl, Luna, while still trying to wrap her head around that this was all real. "I'm at a total loss here. This Baron turns out to be seventeen / eighteen and is walking about with a sword at his hip and epaulets on his shoulders, this is the person who I'm supposed to trust my son to."

The older woman tried to help, understanding how difficult this was. "Harry isn't actually fourteen until the end of the month. He's also an officer in the goblin army, that's why he's dressed like that. Harry is one of the kindest, polite and considerate young men I have ever met, I know nothing will happen to my Natalie while he's there beside her. The Creeveys should be arriving soon, their eldest son, Colin, is in the same year as Luna while Denis will be starting with Euan. They answered literally hundreds of questions for Roy and I last year as we battled with the same decision you face, we're all here to do the same for you."

At that, the Creevey family arrived and warm greetings were exchanged before Harry once more took command. "We need to head over to the stadium, everyone is gathering there. Just leave your bags here and the elves will take care of everything. Denis and Euan, do you want to sit beside the other students or..."

"Can I sit with Colin, please?"

Colin had a hand on his younger brother's shoulder, knowing Denis was desperate to get to Hogwarts. "Harry, we can keep an eye on both of them. They're going to be in the same yeargroup so might as well start getting to know one another now."

Euan looked pleadingly to his mum. Starting a new school was a daunting prospect, already having friends at that school could make a world of difference. Her nod meant Euan's day was just getting better and better.

The only person unhappy about this was the smallest Creevey, little Maggie was eight and really feeling left out. That was until Luna came forward and offered her hand. "Would you like to come and sit with me?" That got an immediate yes before Luna led them out of the house, she knew where they were headed.

This gave Harry and Hermione a moment to talk with the five parents. "Miss Abercrombie, Hermione's parents are both dentists while my adoptive father is a goblin, we have some idea of what you are going through at the moment. The Creeveys and the McDonalds will answer any questions that you have and I promise to sit and go over anything you're still not sure of. I feel a bit like I've invited you here and am now passing the buck but we literally have the whole of Hogwarts waiting for us down at the stadium."

Hermione was handing them leaflets that contained a map of the attractions in the glen, along with a schedule of what was on when in the stadium. "The elves will bring you any refreshments you want, that will give Miss Abercrombie a chance to ask some questions before you take a stroll through the glen. We should have everything running by this afternoon, feel free to try anything you want before all the people arrive tomorrow and Sunday."

As Harry and Hermione hurried away, Jenny sat at a table with these two couples and found another question added to her list as tea, cakes and scones just appeared on the table.

-oOoOo-

Hermione just loved watching Harry take command, it did something fluttery to her insides. Unfortunately, Crow's nest was bursting at the seams and the chance of them getting some alone time this weekend was nil. She would just have to save those feelings until Hermione could get him alone on the island. It was getting very close to his birthday, which was scheduled for the next 'upgrade' in their relationship - she could hardly wait.

Harry stood beside his girl, with no clue of the thoughts currently rushing through Hermione's head. If he had, there would have been no chance of him getting through what he had to do now.

"Okay, everyone here has volunteered to help at the fayre this weekend. The invitations you took home to your family already indicated what day you would be working, today you'll be finding out just what you'll be doing - and where."

Harry was using the microphone to talk to everyone in the stands, it was tied to the public address system that was built into the stadium. He was facing almost all of Hogwarts, rather a daunting task but one he couldn't pass to anyone else. This was his home and he was the one who had invited these people, that put certain responsibilities onto him.

"Now, does everyone have a leaflet?" Cries of yes saw Harry continuing. "Well, first off I want to make something clear here. Our jobs are crowd control, directing visitors to the proper queue and answering their questions. Apart from this stadium, all the attractions have been built and will be operated by goblins. They have spent months designing, building and putting their operating procedures in place. The people in charge of your group will have studied a copy of those procedures and worked out the best way for us to work within those limits."

Seeing nothing but nodding and smiles being directed back at him gave Harry a measure of how far they'd come as a society when they could accept that fact, the next two days would tell if they had come far enough.

"Now, for your assignments, I'll be introducing the people in charge of your group and they will read out a list of names. The exceptions to that will be the first and second years. All will start one of the days off in the stadium before spending the rest of that day with their family. Their volunteer day will be spent working with the young children in the green zone. If all first years would like to come forward, you can get your hats now."

Emma, Moa, Henrica and Sapphire all put on green caps that had a golden crow clutching a sword on it, the first years were soon queueing to collect their identical badges of office. The second years' eagerly made their way down as soon as Harry called for them. Hermione had a quick word with her mum and Euan, Denis and a delighted Maggie soon had hats too.

They had split the glen into coloured sections with members of the public being able to ask anyone wearing the proper hat for assistance. As Harry introduced the people in charge of each section, they called students' names and they came forward to get their appropriate hats. Once the process was complete, Harry handed the microphone over to Tonks who wanted to say something.

"I am in charge of security for this weekend, and we all know this
would be a juicy target for a certain group of criminals. We are behind wards here that are every bit as strong as those protecting Hogwarts, there will also be patrols of aurors and warriors to ensure we can deal with any situation. These aurors and warriors will be even more motivated since all of their families will be attending Kingussie this weekend, so please don't let worrying about these criminals affect your fun." Tonks was known and trusted by everyone in Hogwarts, if she said Kingussie was safe then that was good enough for them.

"What I need from you lot is your assistance. You can give this by not pulling any pranks, no midnight wandering from your tents and, basically being on your best behaviour. The entire point of this weekend is for everyone attending to have fun, if we all work together then we should be able to achieve that..." Tonks was pleasantly surprised when she received applause after her little speech.

Taking the microphone back, Harry laid out the plans for today. "Crow's Marauders, please stay here as we plan on having a quick rehearsal of what we plan to do tomorrow. First years, please head off to the green zone. You will get a run-through after us and then the quidditch players can have some practice time. The rides will officially open at three and close again at eight, with a special performance of the circus taking place here at five. After eight, a supper for everyone will take place at the eating area before we call it a night. I would like to thank everyone for volunteering for this weekend, we really couldn't pull it off without your help." This received applause and some cheering before people started heading off to their assignments.

Padma, Neville, Daphne, Blaise, Susan and Terry joined Harry and Hermione in the centre of the stadium to quickly go over the plans for tomorrow's display. Harry smiled when he noticed Denis, Euan and Maggie were still sitting in the auidiance, wearing their hats and clapping like mad as he called Crow's Marauders down.

Lee Jordan had practically begged Harry for the chance to be the commentator in the stadium, Harry had gratefully fallen on his offer and Lee would cover everything but the circus over the weekend. Both thought they got the best of the deal with Lee now overjoyed he was commentating on two pro teams as well as getting to introduce the Weird Sisters. Lee was sitting taking notes on what Crow's Marauders would be doing tomorrow, since that would be his opening event as the stadium commentator too.

-oOoOo-

The five parents only realised they'd been talking for hours when the house began to fill up again. The Creeveys and the McDonalds introduced Jenny to the extended family as they began appearing for lunch. Harry and Hermione turned up with a few stowaways, both had young goblins by the hand who had been invited to have lunch with them. The grandfather clock chiming two saw Harry sprint away, returning a few moments later with a young family he introduced as the Dugans. Little Danielle headed straight for Barchoke and hugged him before saying hello to the goblin children who were already there. When Henrica entered with Astrid in her arms, all the children gravitated over to see the baby.

Jenny Abercrombie felt as if she'd spent all morning taking one step forward and two back, the history of this young man was simply unbelievable. She had of course heard of the Potter Killers, discovering Harry was their main target almost had her leaving Kingussie there and then. Hearing that Harry had placed shields around both the McDonald and Creevey homes to stop these criminals getting anywhere near them halted those thoughts in their tracks. Discovering that Harry had spent millions ensuring everyone named Potter was safe simply blew her mind.

Seeing him with the various children reinforced that here was a good person, watching Harry dote on the baby he was godfather to had Jenny wanting to trust him. When she spotted the expression of sheer joy on Euan's face as he entered with Luna, the Creeveys and Natalie, that pushed the scales even further in that direction for Jenny. There was now a fair chance Euan would be going to Hogwarts come September, on a Potter Scholarship too.

-oOoOo-

The glen had reverberated with shrieks of laughter all afternoon, the large gong signalling it was eight o'clock was greeted by good-natured groans and moans as everyone began heading to the food area. There wasn't enough seating for everyone but it was a lovely summer's evening so groups of friends were perfectly happy to sit on the grass and eat their food out of these strange containers.

One thing not being feasted upon was the people themselves. The wards around the glen also blocked the scourge of the Scottish Highlands, no midgies. The Highland Midge is a curse Scots have to endure for living in such a beautiful country, those pests have descended in clouds to ruin many an outdoor occasion. It's hard to enjoy yourself with those little buggers feasting on your blood.

There was no sitting on the grass for Emma, Dobby had appeared with her favourite chair and also placed a small table at the side of it. This raised an amused chuckle from her husband. If Dan had hovered even half as much as Dobby did, his wife would soon be telling him she was pregnant - not ill. Emma would never dream of saying anything like that to the devoted little elf, she knew it would break Dobby's heart. Dan returned with cartons of food and placed them on the table, noticing Dobby had already provided Emma with a cup of her favourite tea. Dobby would make sure his mistress didn't overdo things, that was just another reason for Dan to love the little guy.

Harry and Hermione were sitting on the grass, surrounded by a large group of friends, when their father joined them.

"Well, are we ready?"

Harry looked around, seeing goblin children, and a few of their parents, mixed in with his group. Little Danielle Dugan was chatting away to a couple of goblin children and Maggie Creevey was doing the same. "Father, even if we stopped now I would count this whole idea as a success. We have all three cultures mixing happily right here, that's exactly what we wanted from this weekend."

Hermione slipped her hand into Harry's before answering. "I think we're about as ready as we'll ever be. Just one thing though, I don't want to hear any announcements from either of you two about making this an annual event. While I think we could certainly do this again, this is our home and I miss the peace and quiet."

"She misses her alone time with Harry." Padma's comment caused some laughter, probably because of the truth behind it. "Seriously though, I don't think you will have anything to worry about. Everyone had a great time today, and I'm sure it will be the same over the weekend. Even Ronald Weasley is getting right into the spirit of things, I'm certain he's tried food from every outlet. What that mixture will do to him I really don't want to know..."

This got a shudder from Neville. "I'm just glad I'm staying in Crow's Nest tonight, he's eaten chilli beef, a couple of curries and oodles of noodles - I just hope there are air freshening charms in their dorm tent."

Seeing the children laughing and joking like this was exactly what Barchoke needed, he knew how much The Nation had riding on this but today really couldn't have gone much better. There were a few hundred goblins in the glen today, mixing with the population of Hogwarts, and there hadn't been one single incident to report. That Harry and / or Hermione seemed to have a goblin child with them wherever they went today certainly wasn't in any way planned, there was no denying the affect this had on everyone else though.

To his children, this was becoming their normal when they were in Kingussie. It was everyone else accepting this as normal that was the real prize at stake this weekend. They had done everything they possibly could to make this weekend a success, they would just have to wait and see what happened when they opened tomorrow. Barchoke wholeheartedly agreed with his daughter though, there was no way he could take the pressure of organising a fayre on an annual basis.

-oOoOo-

Jenny was trying to get Euan to go to bed but she'd never seen her son this excited, not even on Christmas Eve.

"...and we got to see them use magic for defence, it was awesome, mum. Denis says Colin thinks Harry and Hermione are simply the greatest. Neville is in the same house as Colin and really looked after him, even though Colin really fancied his girlfriend, Padma... Denis said I wasn't supposed to tell anyone that, you won't tell, mum?"

She couldn't help but smile as she ruffled his blond, wavy hair. "My lips are sealed. What else did Denis say?" Jenny was worried for a moment as her son's head lowered at that, her worry though changed to heartache as she listened to her son's answer.

"Colin also said there was no way his family could afford to send all three of them to Hogwarts, Maggie's magical too. Mum, I know we can't afford it either, and you know I would never ask for something we cant afford, but Harry's offering to pay for everything. Please mum, I really want to go. Colin, Natalie and Pauline all said it was like a family, Luna even said Harry and Hermione were her family. Please, mum?"

She now had her son wrapped in her arms, hoping he wouldn't see the tears running down her cheeks. "Will you be all right, leaving me for months at a time?"

There was silence for a moment before Euan answered. "Natalie said that was the hardest part, she really missed her mum and dad. She wrote to them every week though and made tons of friends, I would be home for the Christmas Holidays..."

She kissed her son on the forehead. "Let's wait and see what the rest of the weekend brings before we make up our minds. I promise to answer you before we leave, now off to bed or you'll be too tired to enjoy tomorrow."

Euan gave his mum an extra tight hug. When she said 'wait and see', that nearly always led to a yes. He hurried off to bed, determined to be as well behaved as possible to get that 'yes' out of his mum.

Jenny was left sitting there on her comfortable armchair, staring at her surroundings. They were staying in a tent, a tent that was pitched inside a house that had a training room. This was no ordinary tent though, the inside was at least twice the size of their flat - and contained three bedrooms. She was now convinced that it would take something disastrous happening to stop Euan heading off to Hogwarts, Jenny didn't know there were conversations taking place that would help her with that decision.

-oOoOo-

Molly arrived with Arthur in Kingussie, they were met by a clearly excited Ginny. "Mum, dad, isn't this place just brilliant? Ron's working at the stadium while the twins are between the go-carts and the cinema - you've got to see that, dad. Percy and Penny are both working with Bill in the Gringotts Zone, that they can already speak goblin certainly helps.

Molly was listening to her daughter but her eyes were taking in her surroundings. Their portkey had dropped them in an area that appeared like a very well-kept garden, she soon noticed that the entire area had been manicured to a beautiful level. All the flowers and shrubs were in bloom and the entire glen appeared to be festooned in brightly coloured bunting and flags.

She wasn't sure if it was Arthur's job or the fact they had five children volunteering at the fayre but they had invitations for both days. Her initial glance was telling her it might take both days to see everything there was to see here - and that was before a flying carpet passed overhead with the people on it waving to everyone.

"Aren't those illegal?"

Arthur quickly answered his wife, not wanting anything to spoil this day. "To buy or sell, yes. Not if you already owned one, and only use it on your own land."

"But..."

"This land is privately owned, we are here by invitation as the Baron of Kingussie's guests. In these circumstances, it's perfectly acceptable to use a flying carpet to entertain your guests."

Ginny butted in before her mother could even think of starting on one of her rants. "It's also one of the best ways to see everything in the glen, I tried it yesterday and it was great. The roller coaster goes too fast to really see anything but Sapphire said that's the point, it's a thrill ride."

"I haven't heard you mention Sapphire before?"

"Oh, she's Harry's goblin friend, dead nice too. We all got to try the rides yesterday afternoon, we had a great time. We need to head for the stadium, Crow's Marauders are the first to put on a display. Sapphire said she was really looking forward to Harry fighting Master Shapshard, she says all The Nation are - can we go back and see that too? Tomorrow I'm helping in the zone for the smaller children, it's beautiful - they even have a Honeydukes shop in there."

Ginny was leading them along the tree-lined path as she spoke, turning a corner had her mother suddenly letting out a shriek. Molly was reaching for her wand when Arthur and Ginny's loud laughter halted her actions.

"It's only a model, mum, a very realistic one though. You should see the basilisk in the Gringotts Zone, it's simply amazing." Arthur had his camera out to take the first picture of the day when Ginny stopped him. "Hold on, dad. The roller coaster runs every ninety seconds, you'll get a much better picture then.

Sure enough, Arthur soon took the strangest picture of his life. A thirty foot dragon was holding onto the track in the air and getting ready to bite as carriages of people shot in-between its open jaws. From the ground it was a spectacular sight, Arthur could only imagine what it looked like while sitting in those carriages. Ginny told him he didn't have to imagine, she'd already tried it - and intended to do so again today.

Ginny had to leave them at the stadium but they soon found Ron showing people to their seats, the black and white checked hat doing its job and making him stand out.

"It's great here, apart from the colour of the hat. They didn't want to pick a colour associated with a quidditch team, it also makes us easy to see since this will be the busiest part of the glen. I had a ride on the go-carts yesterday and they were just amazing. They're not as fast as brooms but seem faster because you're only about six inches off the ground. We were racing around the track and I thought I was going to win, up until Dean bumped me on the last corner. I'll certainly be going back there tomorrow."

"Aren't they dangerous?"

"Naw, mum, there are so many charms on them you probably couldn't hurt yourself if you tried. Need to go, we're really filling up here."

Hearing that Ron was enjoying himself settled the last of Molly's doubts. The rest of her children had all holidayed with Harry and his family and she knew they would be fine. She once more concentrated on her surroundings.

"Arthur, why would the ministry build this here for Harry?"

"We actually got a lot out of constructing this stadium. The ministry were always going to have to build some kind of mock-up, rather than wait until just before the Quidditch World Cup Final and discover any problems with their design. This gives us a chance to observe this copy working and see if there are any improvements to be made. I think Harry might have made a mistake in only having five thousand seats, there are events today that I'm sure will be busier than that. Thankfully, any extra will be able to stand."

The seating area curved around two sides of the arena / pitch, leaving the other two open. A small retaining wall curved around the arena / pitch and the eating area was on a small hill overlooking this. Anyone sitting there would have a great view of what was happening inside the stadium too.

Molly hadn't bothered with her map before, since Ginny led them straight here, but she was studying it now. From where they sat, they could see a lot of the attractions laid out before them. Their senses were being bombarded with unusual sights, sounds and the smells coming from the eating section were heavenly. They settled down to have some fun watching their daughter perform, not bothering that there were goblins in the audience too. After all, the Minister of Magic was sitting next to a goblin.

-oOoOo-

Harry stood with Hermione and their father, waiting to greet The Director on his arrival in Crow's Nest. Both males were soon on their knees with their head bowed, glad this gave them a moment to recover from the shock of Ragnok being accompanied by his mate. That usually only happened on state occasions, the status of this fayre just jumped another few notches.

There was no procedure for dealing with this situation in Henrica's book on goblin customs, simply because it was such a rare occurrence. Hermione curtsied as if she was meeting the queen, then kept her head bowed as Harry finally recovered the power of speech.

""Director, Ma'am, you pay our humble house too much honour...""

""Nonsense Centurion, I have heard from my mate of the honour you continually bring to the nation and decided I must meet you for myself. I also couldn't resist witnessing your fight with Master Sharpshard, I'm really looking forward to that.""

""Ma'am, at the moment my mentor could knock me over with a feather, please don't place any gold on me...""

This was met with uproarious laughter from both The Director and his Mate, Barchoke even managed to raise a chuckle.

""You did well, Miss Granger, capturing this silver-tongued rogue before his sweet line in words got him into trouble.""

""Forgive me, Director, but my mate speaks the truth. Your presence here brings great honour to our home.""

This also drew a laugh from Ragnok. ""What did I tell you, dear, she's not afraid to speak her mind - or let her blade do the talking for her. These two are very well matched. I understand you're busy today, Centurion, but I hope we can meet at some point?""

Knowing this wasn't a request, Harry quickly agreed. ""After my match with Master Sharpshard, we're free for the rest of the day. I need to contact Emma Granger though, to let her know I survived...""

Again this produced laughter as Barchoke rose to lead their very special guests away.

Hermione had her arms around a still stunned Harry. "Well, that was unexpected..."

"Hermione, you certainly pick the time to develop a goblin sense of humour..." He never got to say any more as Minister Fudge and his wife arrived by portkey.

"Minister, Ma'am, welcome to our home."

"Thanks for inviting us, Baron. I expect half the ministry will be here at some point over the weekend, and all of the Wizengamot. That was a stroke of genius, inviting them, Harry."

"It was simply meant as a gesture of thanks, Minister. Both Hermione and I were in the chamber that day when the Wizengamot awarded me a Barony, and this house. I just wanted them to see how much that meant to us. I may have houses scattered about the world but Kingussie is the only one that feels like home for Hermione and I. Where else could you see magicals, muggles and goblins all mixing at the same event?"

All could see the sincerity shining out the young man, Harry's guard was down at the moment and he was speaking from the heart.

"A worthy goal, Harry, and one I'm more than happy to support. Lead on and let's see this fayre of yours."

-oOoOo-

There was a fair sized audience sitting in the stadium to watch Crow's Marauders' display, they certainly put on a show for them. They didn't have the Hogwarts room of requirements to help so the tutors were kept busy setting up for the next part of the display. While some of the club were running shield drills, to the astonishment of those in the crowd who didn't think second years capable of that feat, shooting booths were being set up to demonstrate spell accuracy.

The club's tutors had debated long and hard, finally reaching the decision that having their children firing curses at each other might not be the best thing to show the watching parents. They still had them working in teams of four but against pairs of duelling dummies. These dummies were also firing back though their tutors were transfiguring different terrains after every match, giving them some cover to use. Two teams of four would go head to head against each other to see which team could bring their dummies down the quickest. As there were time penalties for a team member getting hit by a dummy's spell, the competition was exciting and Lee's commentary soon had everyone involved in the drama unfolding before them.

Molly was almost hoarse from cheering Ginny's team who unfortunately lost out in the semi-final. She still roared her approval though when the team Luna was a member of won the competition. Crow's Marauders received a standing ovation at the end of their display, and the weekend was off to a flying start.

In the box reserved for special guests, Amelia Bones was applauding as loud as anyone in the rest of the stadium - and not just because her Susan was one of the tutors out in the arena.

The box held the heads of government of both The Nation and The Ministry, Barchoke couldn't resist teasing the woman he certainly considered a good friend. "You seem very pleased at that, Amelia, did you have gold on the outcome?"

"I got something better than gold from that display, Barchoke, I got a glimpse of the future. Your son initiated a program where he's teaching Hogwarts students accuracy, shields, teamwork and tactical awareness. We're more used to receiving auror recruits who barely know one end of their wand from the other, watching that today was pure gold for me."

Amos and Tabitha Diggory were also present, and Amos couldn't resist an opportunity to boast about his boy. "Cedric worked with Harry last year and those boys now run their own club, they'll be performing tomorrow."

Amelia was well acquainted with Amos' penchant to promote his son at every opportunity, she couldn't resist teasing back. "Susan will be one of the tutors for the new Hogwarts intake, the intention is to make the club self-sustaining. She says Harry hopes to have Marauders Clubs running Monday to Friday, Minerva is even prepared to adjust the timetable if necessary to accommodate this. We all think this is something worth supporting."

Ragnok and his mate were also pulled into the conversation as refreshments were being served. Since the next item scheduled to appear in the stadium was the goblin fighting display, diplomacy dictated that none of them could really leave until after that was over.

The goblin warriors displayed their skill and prowess with blade and axe to a full stadium, no wizard had seen so many goblins before. A smirking Ragnok remarked to a slightly nervous minister that he could relax.

"Some of my people have travelled across continents to witness the match between Master Sharpshard and Centurion Crow. He's become as revered in our society as he is in yours. That to me is why this fayre is such an important event, we both need to forge a way where Harry and his mate can feel at home in either of our societies."

"I have already given Harry my assurance that is something my ministry supports, only by working together can we achieve this...is that the Longbottom boy?"

All eyes were now on Neville as he walked into the arena. The announcer explained the next competition would be amongst youths under the age of fourteen.

All looked to Barchoke for an explanation, he didn't have much to give them. "As a Friend of The Nation, Neville Longbottom is of course entitled to enter the competition. Watching him walk out there though is the first I knew about this."

The matches were soon underway and a very excited crowd watched Neville win his first match. He also won a second before a better opponent was able to combat his height and reach advantage. The healer quickly treated the nick Neville received on his arm before he bowed and then shook his opponent's hand. To much applause, the wizard had a wide smile on his face as he returned to his friends.

Barchoke thought he understood what had just happened and offered an explanation. "I believe young Neville simply wanted to ascertain what level he was at amongst his peers. In reality, the only way to do that is cross blades with them. I think he did remarkably well, considering the short time he's taken up the blade. I don't want to be the one to tell Augusta or Alice about what just happened here though."

That had everyone in the box laughing, and Neville's showing was further enhanced by the goblin who beat him eventually winning the competition. It was now time for the main event though, and you could sense the expectation all around the stadium. Centurion Crow and Master Sharpshard walked to the centre of the arena with tremendous applause ringing in their ears. That ended abruptly as they bowed to one another, the fight the now mainly goblin crowd had come to see was about to get under way.

Harry had activated his armour before the fight began, it was only that advanced speed and agility that saw him survive the initial onslaught from his mentor. It was frantic, it was furious as these two masters of their art performed the dance of death in front of an enraptured audience.

Each were giving their all, trusting the other to block. This was such a rare occasion for both where they could fight flat out that they were actually enjoying the fight immensely. The fight was very evenly matched with both having spells in the ascendancy and also then needing to defend for dear life. No one else could hear what was said over the relentless clash of steel upon steel.

""Crow, I taught you that move. How did you think you were going to get past me with that?""

""Oh, I thought old age would have slowed you down enough to let me sneak through...""

Harry had already decided not to use his magic, this was a demonstration of Goblin fighting skills. Now all he had to do was convince himself he could win against the unbeatable Sharpshard without it.

Harry was fighting with his knife and sword, forgoing a shield as his mentor was using the blade they'd bought him in Japan. Both were now sweating profusely and Sharpshard sensed an opening when his opponent appeared to stumble. He pressed home his attack and Harry's knife wasn't enough to halt Sharpshard's blade grazing his cheek and drawing blood.

The large goblin was about to bellow out his victory when he felt the blood running down his leg, his pupil had nicked him with his sword.

""You sneaky bastard!""

""Not sneaky enough, I took the risk but couldn't fully divert your blade with my knife.""

Both looked toward the referee who could only shrug his shoulders. ""Telling which blade drew blood first would be impossible...""

It was only then the two combatants realised the entire stadium was on their feet and making enough noise to blow the roof off. The master offered his hand and the student gladly shook it. Both walked out of the arena with their heads held high, knowing they had to do it again tomorrow - and already looking forward to it. The Director was on his feet, applauding both of them. He also signalled for them to come up to the box, Harry led the way.

Amelia was first to grab Harry as he entered, all decorum forgotten. "Merlin, Harry, now I know why Emma was so worried - you just about gave me a heart attack."

"I'm fine, Amelia, and Dan has already sent Dobby to Emma with that information." Harry was now free to kneel beside his mentor, in front of the director and his mate.

Conscious of the mixed company, Ragnok addressed them in English. "That was a fight worthy of being stored in the memory archive. My only concern is how you are going to top that tomorrow?"

The answering growl came from Master Sharpshard. "By beating the ungrateful pup."

This had the goblin contingent in the box roaring with laughter, all knew Sharpshard was immensely proud of his student. Harry had to then offer an apology.

"Director, Ma'am, I'm sorry but when we spoke this morning I forgot I was shooting next. Since my father and mate are also in this competition, you can see that family honour is at stake here. Can we delay our tour of the fayre until after that?"

"Shooting, is that what Miss Granger's father used on their attackers?"

Although that story wasn't public knowledge, it was known to everyone in the box so Ragnok answered his mate. "Yes, I've actually had a demonstration and was most impressed. Is your mate's father shooting today?"

"No, Director, he decided to give the rest of us a chance. Sapphire will also be representing The Nation, it should be an interesting contest."

It was Amos who then cheekily asked a question that saw glares heading in his direction. "...and who are you representing in the competition, Harry?"

Harry then managed to display his developing diplomatic skills. "I'm just trying not to lose to my mate or father, I won't mind too much if Amelia beats me..."

This shifted the focus to Amelia who quickly confirmed she was competing too, but that Susan was a better shot that she was. All three competitors left along with Sharpshard, while Tabitha appeared desperate to get her husband alone for a few harsh words.

The idea behind the stadium's schedule was that visitors to the fayre could plan their day around the events they really wanted to see. Exploring the other attractions in-between events and just missing those they weren't interested in. They had thought that the shooting would be an event most would miss, it turned out they were wrong. There was a lot of curiosity about this event, especially from the goblins who understood what these weapons could do.

This time the competitors went out individually and shot at a total of ten clay pigeons, the highest scorers making it through to the next round. Lee was commentating on the event, reassuring people that the wards around the arena protected everyone from any stray shot. He had the crowd cheering every time a clay was hit, drawing the spectators into the spirit of the day.

Again the competition was exciting with Susan and Barchoke making it to the final, the goblin winning due to holding his nerve better in front of the large vocal crowd. Amelia though still had Susan wrapped in her arms, she was immensely proud of her niece. This was the second time today Susan had been in the arena, and that in itself was an achievement to be proud of.

Ragnok didn't think he could be any more pleased with today. He'd just witnessed a competition that was run by a muggle, assisted by elves and won by a goblin. That there were a few thousand in the stadium who not only accepted this, they applauded Barchoke's victory, was simply unbelievable.

Harry and Hermione were now leading the entire party on a tour of the fayre. Since Sapphire was with them, after competing in the shooting, they were using the excuse of accompanying her back to head for the zone the couple really wanted to see. Walking into the green zone was like entering a different world, the entire company could only stand and watch.

It was like an explosion in a paint factory, with even the paths made from yellow brick. Everywhere you looked, your eyes fed back information on bright primary colours. There were swings, slides, merry-go-rounds, puppet shows and jugglers, all supported by what seemed like an army of green-hatted Hogwarts students.

While the eyes feasted on this colourful scene, it was the ears that were the most pleasing sense. They were being assaulted by that high-pitched noise that can only be produced by a large group of children having fun - and they were clearly having fun.

The merry-go-round was composed of magical creatures, all of them slightly animated and occupied. Children sat on unicorns, hippogriffs and baby dragons as they went round and round. The puppet show too had drawn quite the audience as the children sat and screamed appropriate responses at what was happening on the stage.

Harry was standing, trying to drink all this in when Emma came rushing over. She ignored his 'I'm fine' to check for herself, only when satisfied did she crush him in a hug.

After assuring herself her son was indeed fine, Emma then indicated her domain and asked his opinion. "What do you think? Our numbers really dropped at the moment as a lot of them headed off to see the circus, most will be back though."

"I think I'm dreaming, either that or those dreams have come true." There were still well over a hundred children in the green zone and it was anyone's guess whether there were more goblins than humans in that mix. That's exactly what it was too, a mix. Goblins and magicals sitting side by side and laughing at the puppet show, or standing in line to climb to the top of the slide and shoot down it. This was what Harry had hoped for, children just being children.

It was Ragnok who had heard Harry and just had to say something. "The world needs dreamers, those who can imagine ways to make our world a better place. More than that though, we need people to take those ideas and dreams and make them happen. You, Centurion, are one of those people. What we see in front of us here is a future few believed possible. You not only believed it was possible, you've shown the rest of us that it can be achieved. For that, you have not only my thanks but the gratitude of our nation."

The group then split-up, all wanting to spend some time with the children. None failed to notice that Harry and Hermione were like magnets and soon had a couple of children each following them around. Amelia nudged Cornelius to draw his attention to Harry.

"He has a goblin child holding one hand and an auror's daughter holding the other yet Harry sees no difference, he only sees two children. Look at the Hogwarts students in the green hats following the example he sets. This is the future, Cornelius, and see how the parents are accepting it too."

The Minister watched as a few of the helpers went on the rides with the smaller children, not caring if that child was goblin or magical. The parents too sat at benches arranged around the zone, drinking refreshments and chatting to their fellow parents about their children. He found himself agreeing with Ragnok. This here was an achievement that might one day eclipse Harry's ranks, titles, awards and even the fame of the boy-who-lived. Cornelius felt as if he was watching history in the making, a history he would be proud to play a part in.

-oOoOo-

Voldemort also had history on his mind as he moved his shock troops, he was thinking how history would enshrine his achievements. He certainly intended for there to be a good few more pages of that history yet to write.

The dark lord was aware all eyes would be looking north to Kingussie this weekend, the security for that event would involve all the manpower the ministry could muster and be iron clad. He planned to use this fortuitous window of opportunity to move his army of inferi across the country and closer to his intended target.

He was well aware of the limitations of his dead warriors, they weren't feared for their speed and couldn't use magic. Inferi were never going to charge across a field and attack his enemies, that was why he had originally used them as guards. His plan of attack though played to their strengths.

Facing an inferius was utterly terrifying to the average witch or wizard, and for a very good reason. Most of the spells they would normally use to defend themselves were useless against an animated corpse. There was also the fact that, when an inferius got its hands on a victim, it was a most horrible way to die.

Voldemort would see what the ministry made of this attack, he intended a lot more people to die this time. He needed a large body count before the ministry would even consider his demands, his plans for the inferi should easily see that task accomplished. The dark lord actually hoped their fayre was a great success, they may as well enjoy themselves while they could. It would also make his attack all the more horrific by comparison. He was, after all, a dark lord.

A/N thanks for reading

84. All's Fayre in Love and War pt2

Harry Crow

Disclaimer - JKR owns Harry Potter, I'm just delighted she allows all of us to have some fun playing within the world she created. Since none of us are being paid for the hours we spent writing these stories, while reading, could you please remember that this really is written just for a bit of fun.

Chapter 84

Harry was utterly exhausted. The strain and effort of just getting through the day had left him with barely enough energy to make it to his bed, after kissing Hermione goodnight of course, but what a day! Touring the fayre with their special guests had been one of those experiences that would be etched on his brain forever.

After witnessing the success of the children all playing together, his sense of invincibility wasn't helped by the Gringotts Zone being their next port of call. Bill Weasley reported that their fight against the basilisk exhibit was proving nearly as popular as the dragon display. Watching as The Director and his Mate thanked those workers in the zone for allowing their skills and crafts to be witnessed left Harry thinking a few of those workers might just be making the move to Kingussie a permanent one.

It was at their next stop that Harry put his foot in his mouth, right up to his thigh.

"Oh, skating! Ragnok, I haven't done that since I was a little girl."

"It is a skill I never learned, dear..."

"I would be honoured to accompany you onto the ice, Ma'am." The words were out before Harry had even thought what he was saying, his father's ashen complexion telling him just how much trouble they could be in. He'd just offered to take The Director's Mate skating.

Ragnok's laughter eased the tension somewhat. "You do that, Centurion. I'm sure your father and your lovely mate will keep me company while you and Rainha have fun."

Hermione led both goblins and the minister's party over to the Swiss style chalet that was serving refreshments to spectators. They were sitting on terraces overlooking the skating, giant snow slide and some children just happy playing in the snow. Harry was left to arrange skates and then escort Rainha onto the ice, he almost passed out as she took his arm.

""Relax Harry, I wanted an opportunity to talk to you privately, while still in public view, this seemed like the perfect time."

""The Director knows about this?""

""Let me ask you something, do you tell your mate everything?""

""Yes.""

""Well, that answers your own question, Ragnok knew I planned to do this. I've known about you since your arrival in Gringotts. It's something my mate has agonised over for many years. Seeing you struggle in school was particularly hard for him, so naturally he spoke with his most trusted advisor. Who is your most trusted advisor?""

There was no hesitation with this answer, there was only one person Harry could ever give that position to. ""Hermione, I was telling her things about myself I'd never told anyone else within hours of us meeting.""

This drew a smile from Rainha as they glided gracefully around the ice. ""That is as it should be, Centurion. If you recall, Ragnok awarded your mate Friends status within hours of meeting her too. In case you didn't know already, we heartily approve of your choice of mate.""

Harry felt about ten feet tall hearing that but Rainha wasn't finished yet, she was just getting started. ""Ragnok is our leader but he is also a goblin, and as a goblin he found himself getting caught up in your struggle. That was why the likes of Pitslay and Sharpshard became involved in your training, Ragnok 'asked' them to. I also have to say though that they stayed because of you, both now consider Harry Crow their protege. You could probably count Ragnok somewhere in there too. He could never tell you this himself, which is why we're having this chat, but on those occasions your father entered the pit my mate had told me we may be having a son join our family.""

The implications of this nearly had Harry's bum hitting the ice, only Rainha's grip on his arm kept him upright. ""Ragnok has nothing but admiration for your father and yes, we would have publicly claimed you had Barchoke fallen. Who would have dared challenge that decision?""

He barely managed to mumble a 'thank you' when Rainha dismissed it. ""It is I who should be thanking you, Harry. I am skating on the arm of a handsome Baron in the Scottish sunshine, surrounded by a mix of people here that I still don't believe is possible. You did this, and for that you have my thanks - and a request. Please don't leave us, Harry.""

This had Harry's brain kicking in and shooting straight into it's highest gear as things began to fall into place. He was currently skating with Rainha on his arm, while Ragnok sat chatting to Hermione and their father - in front of hundreds of goblins and wizards. This news would be all over The Nation by the end of the weekend. The Director and his Mate were not only very publicly placing themselves behind what they were doing here, they were also giving him and Hermione the highest endorsement they could. For once, Harry knew exactly how to answer.

""Ma'am, my Hermione fell in love with a goblin, why would I take the risk of changing when she loves me as I am? We may leave Britain for a few years as we pursue the university courses we want but our hearts will always call Kingussie home. I am certainly enough of a goblin to want to follow in my father's footsteps, being an Ambassador for The Nation while he watches his grandchildren grow in Kingussie is more than enough for us.""

It was almost imperceptible but Harry was used to watching for the slightest tell from his opponent, he was sure Rainha relaxed slightly at his answer. ""Harry, I think it's safe to say that job will be yours if you want it - and again, thank you.""

Harry would never know what came over him next, Hermione called it letting his cheeky side out to play. ""Ma'am, if I could, I would like to make a request of you? In two years from now, I plan to marry my Hermione here in Kingussie. We would be honoured if you and the director would attend, and perhaps remember this occasion by dancing with the bride and groom?""

His skating partner's laughter told Harry he wasn't moving onto thin ice.

""Well played, Centurion. You read the signs and made an offer that benefits all, you will make a fine diplomat. On behalf of my mate and I, we accept - both offers.""

Their party had a table up against the rail of the ice rink, allowing Harry and Rainha to skate right over to them. Another two ice cold glasses of goblin ale appeared on the table as they approached, the elves were really on their game.

Not knowing how widespread knowledge of Harry's plans were, Rainha spoke to her mate in their own language for a moment. ""We are invited back to Kingussie in two years, to dance with the bride and groom at our host's wedding."" She then quickly turned her attention to Hermione. "Miss Granger, your mate is as smooth on the ice as he appears to be at everything he turns his hand to. There must be something he can't do? You can tell us."

Hermione had felt her stomach drop at her first thought, that Harry had just been gently coaxed and cajoled into hosting another fayre. Hearing their proposed wedding mentioned was music to her ears. So much so that she missed their father's shock at Harry's audacity. Not missing a beat, Hermione answered Rainha's question with a straight face. "I can honestly say that Harry is without doubt the worst singer I have ever heard. Our familiars have more musical ability in them than Harry does."

Thinking of the pussycat and the owl saw Harry reach over and take Hermione's hand. "Pussy said to the Owl, 'You elegant fowl! How charmingly sweet you sing! O let us be married! too long we have tarried... You are mine, Hermione and we will make it official."

Harry's lips brushed the back of her hand, noticing the passion reflected in her warm brown eyes. Poetry and a proposal was something he knew she would appreciate. It was with a fair bit of a struggle he managed to turn his gaze away and address their other guests. "Minister, the summer after next there will be an even more auspicious celebration held in Kingussie. Miss Granger and I will become husband and wife, you and your wife will of course be invited. Please keep that to yourselves for now, at this particular moment I can't actually remember if I've officially asked Dan for his permission yet. I would hate to do a Mister Diggory and put my foot in it..."

This had the entire party laughing as Amos was currently on the ice skating with his wife. Tabitha though appeared to be giving him the cold shoulder for his earlier faux pas.

Harry had a thought and decided just to go for it. The people here could certainly make this wish happen, and he knew it's what the girl whose hand he was still holding really wanted. "I was wondering if there was any precedent for granting a muggle clergyman dispensation to know about our world, specifically so they could marry a couple who were both magical? The Reverend Richards is a really nice guy, and ideally who we would want to perform the ceremony. He couldn't help but notice there was something different here though, especially with my father at my side."

Both leaders thought this was a great idea. A muggle ceremony favoured neither the Ministry nor Gringotts yet they would still be amongst the wedding guests. It was Amelia though who came up with the answer. "If you give me his name and address, I can do some investigating before making an approach. If he's not agreeable, or won't keep our secrets, we would have to obliviate our approach from his memory and leave it at that."

It was only the barrier between them that stopped Hermione pouncing on Harry, the Reverend Richards marrying them in Kingussie with their family and friends present would really be a dream come true. The way she was squeezing his hand though spoke of promises to come. It was during these pleasant thoughts of just what those promises could be that the alarm saw Harry shoot up in bed, barely contemplating he'd just dosed off.

"What's that, Harry? It can't be time to get up..."

"It's not, Nev, that's the house alarm set in the master suite. It means guards have had to enter the house..." Harry had his sword in his hand and was making for the door. Neville and Draco were right behind him, camp-beds were being liberally used this weekend as Crow's Nest was full to bursting.

The three raced down the stairs to find half a dozen warriors waiting on them, along with a couple of prisoners. Harry gave the centurion salute, even though he was standing there in nothing but his boxers, before barking out an order.

""Report.""

""We spotted three male youths from the circus exhibition making their way to the boating lake. They were drinking and talking about the young females they were supposedly meeting in less than complementary terms. When we discovered one of those females had slipped out of Crow's Nest, I gave the order to intercept and apprehend them.""

""Very well done, Squad Commander. You also have my personal thanks.""

Harry then turned his attention and growing ire to the two girls. "Well, what have you got to say for yourselves?"

Neither girl lifted their heads as Lavender spoke. "We were only having a bit of fun, Harry..."

"Fun? So your idea of fun is to slip out late at night to meet boys? I stood beside Auror Tonks when she specifically said no one was to sneak about at night, what is so special about you two that these rules don't apply?"

Harry wasn't expecting an answer and didn't receive one. "Miss Brown, are your parents coming to Kingussie tomorrow, or should that be today."

"Yes Harry, they're really..."

Harry cut right across her. "Miss Brown, I shall meet them as they arrive and ask that they take you home. You are here as my guest and have abused that hospitality. It's only the knowledge that our security forces have had a very busy few days, and will have to face the same again tomorrow, that's stopping me having them returning you home right now."

"Harry, please don't do this. My mum and dad have been so looking forward to this."

"Miss Brown, your own actions leave me no other options. Miss Patil..."

"Baron Crow, could I have a word? Please!"

Harry turned to see they now had an audience. As he'd raced out his room, Harry hadn't closed the door or switched off the alarm. Most of his guests were arranged on the stairs or landing, watching what was happening. Harry apparently only thought he was angry, compared to Romrao he wasn't really trying. The father appeared ready to explode, though it was his other daughter who had spoken.

"Harry, could I stand guarantor for Parvati's behaviour for the rest of the fayre?"

"Are you sure about this, Padma? If she misbehaves again, I would need to ask you to leave too. I've said you would always be welcome in any home of mine, I really don't want to do this..."

"Please Harry, she's my sister. I promise you she won't be going for a pee without me being beside her, Pav won't sneak past me again."

A glance at Ramrao received a slight nod so Harry followed his lead and nodded his agreement to Padma. Padma whispered her thanks as she stormed past him to grab her twin, Parvati was then dragged up to their room.

While Harry was asking the Squad Commander for more details, and to return Lavender personally to Professor McGonagall, Hermione grabbed Pansy and asked her to bunk with Luna and Sapphire in her room. Everyone could see there was going to be words between the Patil sisters. Hermione knew her best friend could be fierce when she lost her temper, and Padma was one angry witch at the moment.

Parvati was discovering just how angry her twin was as she practically threw her into their room. The door was closed and then Padma had her pinned to the bed, Parvati's hands were being held above her head while her twin sat on her.

"You will tell me what the fuck is going on in that thing you call a brain, and why I had to embarrass everyone to save your arse."

"You didn't save Lavender, McGonagall will eat her alive..."

"Parvati, please listen to me. You are in so much shit at the moment that Lavender needs to be the last thing on your mind. Tell me everything now, so we can see if this situation is as bad as it looks."

Seeing how angry Padma was, she began telling her sister what happened. "We got talking to the three boys while on our lunch break and they were keen to meet up, we didn't have any free time though so had to meet them at night..."

"Three boys? How was that supposed to work?"

Parvati tried to look away but Padma was denying her that option. "I told them I was an identical twin, they were very keen that you should come too... We were just going to say you couldn't make it."

"Pav, you have no idea how close I am to punching you in the face at the moment. You and your stupid friend were sneaking off to meet three guys who work in the circus, I actually don't think this could be any worse. This isn't some midnight under the stars situation like that trashy romance rubbish you and Lavender read, this is real life. Do you have any idea what happens in real life with situations like that?"

"We were just going to have some fun, that's all."

"Oh I'm sure they would have had fun. You would have ended up like Jenny Abercrombie..."

"I like Jenny, what's wrong with that?"

"Pav, I never meant to say anything about that, and if you repeat this to anyone I'll cut your tongue out myself." Padma looked angry enough to do it too so Parvati quickly swore to speak to no one about what she was about to hear.

"Jenny was seventeen when she attended a party, a party she has no memory of. Nine month later, Euan was born. Her parents kicked her out on the street, all the plans she had for the rest of her life went down the toilet too. She works in a shop to pay rent for their tiny flat and to feed the both of them, her family won't acknowledge either her or Euan."

She could see Parvati wasn't sure if she was making this up just to scare her, Padma then revealed her source. "Harry checks up on everyone whose getting a Potter Scholarship, Barchoke and Harry will be responsible for Euan for the next seven years. He's already looking at ways to help Jenny and he hadn't met her before yesterday, what do you think he would have done to any boy who did that to you? There would have been a murder, Pav, and that circus would have been out of business before they knew it."

"I never asked for this..."

"...and you won't have to worry about it much longer, dad will probably have you shipped off to live with Ninamma after that tonight."

"No, he wouldn't..."

"If I hadn't stepped in, Harry was going to be forced to ask our father to take you home. How do you think father is going to react? I know you hated it there when we used to visit, and dad knows that too. Ninamma won't even let you look at a boy, far less flirt with one. You'll be in a sari down to your ankles and made to cover your head, make-up and fashion will be things of the past. Our grandmother has totally different ideas of what fun is."

Padma got off her sister and drew her wand. Parvati was pleased to see her twin was casting spells on the door and window, instead of at her, but she was puzzled too.

"What are you doing?"

"Making sure you don't go anywhere without me. You need the loo, you either wake me up or go on the floor. I'm serious Pav, you are my responsibility until the fayre is over. You even try and dodge me and I swear you'll need that hat, because I'll scalp you. Now get into bed..."

There was a few moments of silence before Parvati spoke. "Padma, how can I fix this?"

"I really don't think you can, Pav. To have any chance though you need to be the dutiful Indian daughter our parents expect. You have always pushed the boundaries but this time you knocked it clean out the park of what's acceptable... Get some sleep, we're going to need it."

Parvati didn't think she would be sleeping tonight, there was a lot of thinking to be done. She couldn't spare any of those thoughts for Lavender's plight, dragging McGonagall out of bed to tell her they'd sneaked off would not be pretty. She had her father and the entire family to face in the morning, that thought was more than enough to keep her awake.

-oOoOo-

As the twins walked down to breakfast the following morning, Parvati had decided that her sister's advice was really the only option available to her. She approached Harry as soon as they entered.

"Baron Crow, I abused your hospitality and humbly beg your forgiveness. You have my word I won't be anywhere near those boys or the circus again."

Harry's voice was hard and cold as he answered her. "That problem has already been taken care off. The circus was 'asked' to leave last night by our security forces."

The looks Harry was getting from the rest of the family told the twins this was news to them too, Parvati though was trapped in Harry's powerful gaze. "Our security forces followed those three from the moment they left their enclosure, they easily got close enough to hear what was being said. Their plan was to get three silly girls drunk and have their fun with them - knowing they would be out of the country the following day."

Padma had to grab her twin as she started to sway at that but Harry had more to say. "Know this, Parvati. Goblins have been forbidden from interfering in the affairs of wizards for centuries, they nearly took no action last night. Only discovering these boys intended the sister of two Friends of our Nation to be one of their victims saw them intervene. You may have thought I was being harsh on you and Lavender, what do you think now you know the alternative?"

Parvati couldn't answer because she was racing out the room with her hands covering her mouth, Padma and Smita were hot on her heels.

"Ramrao, I'm sorry I had to do that..."

"Harry, don't even think about apologising. If those security forces hadn't stopped them..."

Hermione was sitting beside Harry and slipped her hand into his. "I'll go with you when you meet the Browns if you want, for moral support?"

"I'd like that. Dan and Lukas, we go with the reserve for the five o'clock slot. We should have done that anyway, rather than inviting people who would try something like that into our glen. Jenny, could you walk with us? There's something we'd like to talk with you about and, if yesterday is any guide, we may not get the time later."

Jenny had been sitting there with her jaw hanging open at the drama being played out at breakfast. She'd thought those two girls were incredibly naive and far too young to be carrying on like that. Harry's attitude was so far removed from her own parents though as to be scary. These girls may not think so at the moment but he had just done them a massive service, and ejected the people responsible right off his land. It was also a shock when he asked to speak to her but she was coming to trust this young man more and more. She followed Harry and Hermione out the door, not realising her life would never be the same again.

Alice tried to fill the silence around the table by asking Dan what the reserve plan was.

"We're in the Highlands so Harry thought of showing some of what we muggles call Highland Games. Barchoke found us the dancers and pipers we had performing at various locations around the glen yesterday, we pull them in and add things like caber tossing, hammer throwing and we even have a children's version - wellie throwing. We plan on getting volunteers from the audience to try the events - with prizes for the winners."

Parvati returned, still rather green and clearly shaky on her feet. "Father, I'm so sorry..."

Ramrao was not in the mood to offer her any comfort, his mind still fighting against what might have happened if Harry's security hadn't intervened. "You will be with Padma all day, and tonight too, we'll talk of this Monday morning."

She nodded and sat at the table, nothing more than tea though passed her lips.

-oOoOo-

The fayre had been blessed with another sunny day, it did little to lighten Harry's dark mood. He got right to the point. "Jenny, there's a spell a witch or wizard can perform that can wipe a person's memories. It's illegal for a magical user to perform this spell on anyone, with the exception of it being done to protect knowledge of our world escaping. You will have gathered by now that our society also has those who think rules and laws don't apply to them."

Jenny stopped as if she had just walked into a brick wall. "Is that why I can't remember, is that why my son is a wizard?"

"There's no way to know for certain after all this time but the facts paint that as the most likely scenario."

Hermione had her arm around the now crying woman. "That's just...just..." The sudden look of horror on Jenny's face stopped her tears. "They couldn't take Euan away from me, could they?"

"Over my dead body!" The conviction Harry stated that with was the only thing that allowed Jenny to get herself back under control. "If you allow Euan to become a Potter Scholar, I will be his guardian in the magical world - until he turns seventeen and is then considered of age. That just means I look after his interests in that world, I could never see any circumstances where it would be in Euan's best interests to part him from you. I hope you believe me when I say that."

Jenny was nodding while wiping her eyes with the hankie Hermione had conjured. "Euan badly needs a male figure in his life, someone he can look up to. Just watching you for the last few days has my son already choosing that figure to be Harry Crow. The redheaded gentleman at the Gringotts Zone told us that giant snake thing really happened, Euan already wants a sword for Christmas!"

"That gentleman is a friend and tutors us every weekend at Hogwarts. And yes, it's a true representation. The person who set that beast loose was in prison days later, he died there. We're trying to clean up our act, this weekend is certainly helping with that. We also want to see if we can help you too."

"I thought you were? Offering Euan that scholarship is a godsend, he wouldn't be able to attend Hogwarts otherwise."

It was Hermione who then took over the explanation. "That helps Euan but not you. You had dreams that we think some wizard took from you. With Euan away in Hogwarts, we're offering you the chance to rekindle those dreams. We're offering you the same deal as Euan, except at the university of your choice."

Jenny was again in tears, though this time for a different reason. "Why are you doing this, Harry?"

"...because it's the right thing to do."

Hermione found herself faced by two bemused expressions and wore a wide smile. "Yes Jenny, he's for real - and all mine!" She kissed Harry, instantly wiping that bemused look of his face. "My wonderful goblin here thinks he should personally right every wrong in the world. He may not get them all but that doesn't mean he's going to stop trying. There are also properties the length and breadth of the country that were bought to protect the people called Potter living there, we should find something suitable for you and Euan."

"You're giving me a house? What's wrong with my flat?"

"We can't ward a block of flats because Euan only lives in one of them. He'll be at Hogwarts so you can go to whatever university you want. You'll have no rent to pay and we'll take care of everything else, you'll be able to concentrate on your studies." Jenny's bemused look was back so Harry tried to explain how he felt, and why he was doing this. "When the idea of the Potter Scholarships were first put forward, I said I wanted it to be like a family. This scholarship is in honour of my mum and dad, how could I not want it to be like family. I consider everyone in that house family, a family we hope you and Euan will join..."

That was too much for the woman whose only family since she was seventeen had been Euan, she was in floods of tears with an arm around each of the teens. "I didn't really realise how much I missed my family until now, you have no idea how much this means to me..."

Harry lifted her chin until he was looking into her tearful eyes. "Jenny, three years ago my family was my father and me. I now love every person in that house, even Parvati, and would do anything for them. I know exactly how you feel. So, now that you have some idea of what you're getting yourselves into, would you like to be part of our ever-growing family?"

"I'd love to, Harry, and it will make Euan so happy too."

"Great! Orla is coming today so I'll introduce the Quirks to you later. Now I have to go and see if there is anything of Lavender left to hand over to her parents, Professor McGonagall is not someone you want to cross."

Jenny wisely decided to give that experience a miss, she headed back to the house to give Euan the yes her son was waiting for.

-oOoOo-

If the tasks hadn't been handed out beforehand, Parvati would have thought this had been done purely to torture her. Frank and Alice were in charge of the water zone, and that's where Neville and Padma were stationed too. Where Padma went, Parvati was now duty bound to follow, she found herself working at the site of their supposed moonlit romantic rendezvous.

That was apparently only her and Lavender's version of their supposed liaison, it would seem the boys they were supposed to meet had certain other ideas. Parvati had no reason to doubt the honesty of Harry's explanation, someone who had already saved her life at least twice really had to be trusted.

There was a large paved area in the water zone that had sixty recessed fountains in-between the paving. These fountains would randomly shoot water fifteen feet into the air, making a great game for the youngsters as they walked about this area - not knowing where their next soaking was coming from.

Parvati was stationed at the side of this area to offer drying charms to anyone who was finished, or had just exited the water ride. Standing here though also gave her an uninterrupted view of the lake.

She watched Percy and Penny get into one of the boats and snuggle up as the craft took them on an automated gentle tour of the beautiful manufactured lake. Both clearly portrayed the romance Parvati was so desperate to find, that desperation was also clear for her twin to see.

"Penny told Hermione and me that she started noticing Percy watching her when they were in fourth year. They shared classes and had talked many times but it wasn't until they hit fifth year that he asked her to be his girlfriend. They have known each other for seven years, and been a couple for nearly three, that's why they look so comfortable together. You're never going to get that with someone you've just met."

"I know, sis, just as I know Harry saved my life again. Lavender and I really screwed up, and the whole of Hogwarts will know by now. People will think we both knew what we were letting ourselves in for last night, our reputations will already be ruined - even although we didn't even get there and nothing happened. No decent boy will come anywhere near me now. First the diary and now this, just how stupid can I be?"

As the tears started to fall, Padma signalled to Neville she was taking Parvati for a break. Deciding to take her back to Crow's nest for a cup of tea and a bite to eat, they headed off before Parvati's tears got any worse.

"I think I'll ask father to send me to grandma, at least I won't have to go back to Hogwarts and have everyone staring at me - again."

"You know our friends will support you. Yes Harry was very angry this morning but Parvati, he had good reason to be. This is exactly what we talked about, your behaviour putting all of us in a bad position. Harry wouldn't have backed down last night for anyone else but me asking. I know that, and hated putting him in that position, but your my sister - a sister I've loved my entire life. We can't keep pulling your arse out the fire though, we might not get there quickly enough next time."

"I know I need to change. I just don't know how, or even what I want anymore."

"You had a nice, handsome, steady boyfriend but threw that away looking for sparks, romance and adventure. What, you don't agree? Susan told me Blaise was handsome and it was you yourself who said there was no spark. You ask Hermione if she's looking for adventure and I'll bet her answer will be the same as mine. The day after Voldemort is defeated, I will be having a lie-in. No more running, no more training, just as boringly normal a life as it's possible to have."

"Padma, you're fourteen yet have the Longbottom ring on your finger, a goblin blade at your hip and an Order of Merlin, First Class, hanging on your wall at home, right beside your goblin award for bravery. I hate to burst your bubble, sis, but that's not normal."

"It is for us, Pav, and I think that's part of your problem. You see how close Neville and I are but you don't see all the hours of blood, sweat and tears it's taken to get there. We've both had extra classes together every weekend since first year, as well as now training every morning. We've faced death together and fought for our lives at each other's side, that definitely changes you, Pav. You're comparing yourself to me but our lives took different paths the night that troll tried to attack us. You saw the both of us and Hermione marrying Harry as an obvious solution, I just wanted to be his friend."

It was like lightning striking for Parvati as she saw the truth in her sister's words. "I cried most of that day because Harry rejected me, you had lunch with Harry and his father. We took different paths and ended up different people."

"As Harry says, Pav, we're all different. The differences between us were always there, they just got wider from then on. You're still my sister though, a sister I love, nothing is going to change that." Padma was glad they were nearly at Crow's Nest, Parvati's tears were really flowing now. Something told her she was really getting through to her twin today, Padma could only hope it wouldn't be too late to do any good.

-oOoOo-

Harry didn't think the Brown situation could have gone much worse. McGonagall was spitting-tacks mad and had made Lavender sleep in the same room as her, ensuring the girl wouldn't go wandering again. They left with McGonagall's promises of retribution against both girls ringing in their ears, then things went really downhill.

Lavender's father refused point blank to believe his daughter could do something like that, his position shifting from the security forces got it wrong all the way over to them outright lying to get his good little girl in trouble. Harry was saved the trouble of throwing them out his glen by Tonks, he was really relieved to see her.

There was of course a security presence at the portkey points, being confronted by aurors though did little for Lavender's father's temper. His daughter stood quietly throughout the entire encounter as Tonks explained the Brown family's available choices, return home or visit the inside of a ministry cell for trespassing. They wisely decided to go home, swearing that this matter wasn't over.

The meeting with the Quirks also threw up its own set of problems. They were a rural family who would be considered poor, they of course didn't see themselves as such. They led lives that were self-sufficient, more used to bartering with their neighbours for items they couldn't produce themselves than actually buying anything. Harry trying to hand Orla a small sack of gold appeared to be the tipping point.

"We Quirks hae na need o` yer charity, ah dinnae waant mah daughter tae be looked doon upon fur this..."

"Sir, that is the last thing on my mind. The other Potter Scholar is a muggle born, this is their first venture into this world. They had never even heard of our currency so I gave them some to allow them to buy a few souvenirs of their visit. My only intention here was to treat both scholars as equals."

They had introduced Luna as one of the first Potter Scholarship students and she tried to put their fears to rest. "Mr Quirk, rather than being looked down upon, Orla is far more likely to be looked up to. The Potter Scholarships are very much sought after, they are certainly not regarded as charity. There will be a lot of students at Hogwarts wishing they were in Orla's shoes."

Neither of Orla's parents had attended Hogwarts, they got by learning whatever magic their family, friends and neighbours could teach them as the had grown up. Orla was going to be following the same well-trodden path before this McGonagall witch turned up on their doorstep. Here was an opportunity to have someone with a formal education, and all the books that went with that education, in their small community. Orla could teach all of them what she was learning, and someone else was paying for it.

It was only when Finn laid eyes on this magnificent fayre that the panic began to set in, would their little Orla come back to them after experiencing things like this?

Hermione could see the panic setting in, she just didn't know the reason behind it. "Mr and Mrs Quirk, today is about having fun, not making decisions. Please accept our hospitality and enjoy yourselves. We have arranged lunch with the rest of the Potter Scholars and you are welcome to ask any and all questions then. It will be later on in the summer before we visit Diagon Alley to get Orla kitted out, you have weeks yet before you need to make a final decision."

The relief was there for all to see. "That sound's braw, lassie. We're nae used tae hings lik' this, or as mony fowk. A've ne'er actually seen as mony fowk..."

That Finn just counted everyone he could see as 'folk' certainly pleased Harry and Hermione. Luna then volunteered to be their guide for the day, something all three Quirks rapidly accepted before Hermione had to make their apologies.

"I'm really sorry but we really have to go, there will be at least five thousand of those folk waiting to see Harry cross swords with his tutor. Luna will look after you and we'll meet again for lunch."

By the time Harry walked into the arena he'd had one hell of a morning. He was certainly experienced enough to know that he needed to clear his mind of everything unrelated to his fight, otherwise this could get really embarrassing and be over very quickly.

As they traded their first few blows, Harry found himself rejoicing in the battle. Here all he had to worry about was blocking his tutor's attacks, something Harry had years of practice at. He was so in the zone that Harry didn't think he had ever fought better, wave after wave of attacks were repelled while he even got a few in of his own. This was unbelievable, he was actually beating Master Sharpshard. Harry's last three attacks had progressively gotten closer to finishing the fight, his tutor was tiring and his student was sure he had him now.

The cry of 'time' from the referee saw Harry stop at once, any thoughts of victory banished. He deactivated his armour, sheathed his blades before bowing to his opponent, and then almost fell to the pitch. Harry's vision was going grey around the edges but there was no mistaking the large hand that clamped on his shoulder.

""Steady Centurion, I will not accept a cheap victory now. You will walk out of this arena at my side, then fall into the arms of your mate. She's standing there waiting for you.""

The thought of Hermione waiting on him kept Harry putting one foot in front of the other, only Master Sharpshard's arm around his shoulders though kept him upright. The entire stadium might be on their feet applauding like crazy but Harry was having real trouble staying on his. He'd gotten lost in the battle and used his magic to enhance his armour for too long a period, he only made it to Hermione because his opponent practically carried him the last ten yards.

Hermione had him in her arms but a moment before the healers took over, Harry was soon on a bed being examined.

The healer didn't take long to reach his conclusion. ""Your mate is exhausted. We will give him a potion that will see him sleep for a few hours, then another when he awakes. We realise the Baron has duties, otherwise we would be confining him to bed until tomorrow. He must eat when he wakes and nothing strenuous for the rest of the day, a good night's sleep should see him fine tomorrow.""

The first potion was already working and Harry was out like a light, Hermione called for some help.

"Betsy, can you take Harry and put him in my bed? Please sit with him and come for me when he wakes."

Barchoke, Ragnok and Rainha had all entered as Hermione knelt to ask her elf to look after Harry. Barchoke confirming that this was her normal behaviour saw Hermione's star rise just that little bit higher. She then attempted to thank The Director for signalling time on the match.

""Nonsense, your mate would have defeated Master Sharpshard, only to then collapse exhausted on the grass. This way both of them left the arena with great honour. That was without doubt the greatest match I have ever seen, a very fitting tribute to a wonderful weekend.""

Dobby was sent to inform Emma that Harry was fine, didn't have a mark on him but was knackered. Emma should come to the house for lunch if she wanted to see for herself.

-oOoOo-

Harry was wakening from a nice dream and felt someone running their fingers through his hair. His mumbled 'Hermione' drew a giggle that was not his mate's. Harry wasn't worried though, he recognised it at once.

"You must be really tired if you though I was Hermione."

"Hi mum, where is she? What's happening?"

"Hermione is currently playing hostess, since the host is temporarily indisposed at the moment. Your fight with Master Sharpshard is the talk of the glen, easily eclipsing that Susan beat Draco to win the shooting. You need to eat something, drink this potion and then come downstairs before lunch is over." Emma leaned over and kissed him on the forehead before heading out the room, Betsy then appeared with a tray for him - and stood there until he ate what was on it.

Harry came down to what was a very busy dining room, pleased to see Orla sitting between Euan and Denis. That both boys were trying to explain Tom and Jerry to the bewildered witch brought a smile to Harry's lips. She must have visited the cinema tent.

Hermione was soon kissing those lips before bringing him up to speed. The Quirks looked far more comfortable now, Hermione confirming that Luna had done a wonderful job. She'd led the overawed family around the glen, taking time to introduce them to people as they went along. Hearing the positive responses they received every time Orla was introduced as a Potter Scholar had convinced her parents this was an offer they simply couldn't refuse.

The stadium had been full to capacity for Harry's fight and it was reckoned there were another couple of thousand who had watched it standing around the open area. Most sitting at lunch had been there and no one begrudged Harry a lie down after that effort.

Getting all the parents together certainly had an effect on the Quirks and even Jenny. With nothing but praise for the Potter Scholarship raining down on both lots of parents, Euan and Orla would now be joining the program. All were making plans to join up for their shopping in Diagon Alley, Harry though was looking at Emma when he said those plans might change at the last minute. Again no one could fault Harry for that.

-oOoOo-

Harry was trying his best to ensure Hermione couldn't fault him for this either. He was standing amid the Holyhead Harpies and the photographer was making more and more outrageous suggestions as he searched for the picture that would make him the most money.

"Okay Gwenog, perhaps you could kiss him now...eh, perhaps not!"

The Harpies fell about laughing at the sight of Hermione's blade resting jokingly on the photographer's cheek. He took it all in good fun and got his picture of a kiss anyway. The Harpies shouted Hermione over, got her into one of their famous green jerseys and Harry was more than happy to kiss his mate, surrounded by the entire team.

They had drawn quite a crowd and the Harpies then went on to sign autographs and pose for pictures with as many of that crowd as they could, all right beside a rather large stand selling Harpies merchandise. Harry consulted Hermione about size before buying one for Sapphire, the number of goblins now wearing quidditch merchandise was pleasing to more than him.

Harry was being forced to take things easy for the rest of the day so he actually sat and watched the quidditch match. Even although the game was being played with a large element of fun, Lee's hilarious commentary certainly adding to that, there was still enough skill on display for the purists to enjoy.

Harry's last official duties of the day was a meet and greet of the Weird Sisters, posing for the obligatory photograph and thanking them for performing.

It was during their set that Hermione saw he was running on empty, she took him by the arm and they headed for home. Only the people bunking in Crow's Nest would be staying in the glen tonight, everyone else would be heading for the portkey points and making their way home after the concert. Harry half-heartedly mentioned that they should perhaps go down there and say goodbye to their guests. Hermione kissing him blew that notion right out of his head, her kisses had fireworks going off - literally. They were shooting over the stadium as Lee's voice rang out, thanking everyone for coming and wishing them a safe journey home.

"I think that's job done, Harry?"

"Oh no, I want a lot more of those kisses..."

"They say you should always leave an audience wanting more..."

"An audiance, yes. Your mate, no..."

They carried on like this as they made their way to Crow's Nest, stopping every so often to kiss. Both knew the security forces would be escorting everyone to the portkey points before doing a final sweep of the glen. Tomorrow the clean-up operations would begin and soon it would be time to go to their island, both teens could hardly wait.

-oOoOo-

Bella could hardly wait to pick up their baby boy but knew she needed a shower first. His father's voice soothed Marvolo until she returned with all traces of the undead washed off her. As she picked up their son, it was Augustus' turn to try and wash away the grime of a long and terrible night. The water wouldn't wash away the memories though, he just didn't like working with the undead - who would.

This was the first time they had left Marvolo alone but the sleeping charms had held, their son had only woken when they entered the room.

It had taken the three of them working hard all through the night to accomplish his master's plan, Augustus had to admit that plan would see this horror talked about all over the world. To know that this was then only phase one of that plan had Augustus once more in awe of their master's genius.

The Kingussie fayre had meant their efforts had gone completely unnoticed by the ministry, with only a few muggles needing their memories altered when they'd stumbled across them. The occupants of their island were now hoping this Baron's Fayre was a great success, that would give people the confidence and encouragement to attend the Quidditch World Cup Final. The mere thought of the mayhem they'd planned being released on a hundred thousand witches and wizards was a sweet one. It was so sweet that Bella was singing about it while their son fed at her breast.

Inferi didn't really rhyme with anything but Augustus had no intention of pointing this out to Bella, she was happy and Marvolo was content in his mother's arms - that was all that mattered to him.

A/N thanks for reading.

A/N 2 the last couple of chapters were some of the longest of the entire story, I wanted to get the fayre over with and then set the scene for Voldemort's attack. For those readers who thought this story was winding down to a finish, the next few chapters should hopefully change your minds. Still a lot to happen and a long way to go before Harry comes face to face with Tom for the final battle. Hope to see you back here next week.

85. Hazy Days of Summer

Harry Crow

Disclaimer - since I still have to drag myself to work every Monday to Friday, that should be proof enough that I am neither a professional author nor do I own Harry Potter. RobSt is just someone having a bit of fun during the long, dark Scottish evenings by playing in the world JKR created for us. I also don't own any of the words used in this chapter, and claim only the order I placed them in as my own.

A/N Harry Crow has now passed six million hits. All I can really say is thanks for reading.

Chapter 85

Baron of Kingussie
embraces many cultures -
but only kisses one witch!

That provocative headline certainly had an image to match it. Harry was pictured with a Harpies clad Hermione in his arms, lovingly kissing her while the rest of the team looked on and cheered. Rather than being embarrassed, Harry thought it was a great headline - and an even better picture.

All those who had been staying in Crow's Nest were sitting having breakfast, the Creeveys, McDonalds and Abercrombies would be leaving Kingussie directly after this. Multiple editions of the Daily Prophet were spread around the table though the front page had caught everyone's attention. There was actually a souvenir supplement inside, containing loads of pictures and interviews of the entire weekend. A representative from Honeydukes was quoted as saying they originally thought they'd brought enough stock to last for the entire weekend, only to have to send for more on Saturday afternoon. Needless to say, they were delighted about this.

Barchoke arrived to give them the latest news from Gringotts, and it was all good. "Apart from my heart stopping beating when Harry invited The Director's Mate to skate, it was a wonderful weekend. The only thing we can compare the buzz around Gringotts at the moment to is the day we gave the children free gold - only this time it feels even better. There is a real sense of pride running through Gringotts today, a pride that few have ever felt before. The Nation certainly enjoyed its weekend in the sun."

All could see the tension that had plagued The Nation's Ambassador lately had now melted clean away, rather like the ice zone when the charms were removed. Barchoke's smile was wide and infectious. "The ministry are rightly taking plaudits for their wonderful stadium but everything else was built by goblins, with a lot of design help from the people in this room. No one can remember when The Director has been so pleased, or morale in Gringotts any higher. I think we've easily outstripped every single goal we set ourselves, not something any of us were confident of achieving this time last week. I was asked to convey a very heartfelt thanks and a sincere well done to everyone involved from The Director on behalf of The Nation."

"How did the stalls do?" Harry was interested to see if the fayre was a commercial success too.

His father's wide grin never faltered, giving the answer before Barchoke even spoke. "What to us in Gringotts are mere trinkets and knickknacks, witches and wizards were queueing six deep to get their hands on. Work our apprentices manufactured would normally sit on workshop shelves gathering dust or become children's playthings, today every one of those shelves is empty. Throughout the glen, they sold everything they brought to Kingussie. Goblins too were spending gold at all different establishments, we don't usually have access to places like Honeydukes or Fortescue's. I also spotted quite a few of our citizens with quidditch paraphernalia..."

This generated a fair amount of laughter at the table, since Sapphire was sitting at breakfast wearing the Harpies top Harry had bought her.

It was an also smiling Amelia who then portkeyed into Crow's Nest and gave the ministry's response to the fayre, again it was overwhelmingly positive. "You really opened some eyes over the course of the weekend, Harry. Right throughout the glen, your policy of treating everyone the same was there for all to see. The way you handled your request to the minister was wonderfully done too, Cornelius wants me to contact this Reverend Richards as soon as possible..."

A pair of loud 'what's' from the end of the table saw Harry letting Dan and Emma into the plan. "We never seemed to get time to tell you but I asked if the Reverend Richards could receive a dispensation to be informed about magic, specifically so he could come to Kingussie and perform the marriage ceremony for our wedding. I can't see the guests we want to be there fitting into the parish church in Crawley, can you?"

Emma was threatening tears at hearing that news, she was blaming her hormones for her emotions being all over the place when Hermione had another idea that this time did produce those happy tears. "Mum, Reverend Richards could come here to christen James."

This comment also generated some strange glances before Dan decided to come clean. "Our son will be named James Granger, using his brother's middle name. Neville, Padma, would you be his godparents?"

The young couple were visibly gobsmacked at hearing that request, those expressions though were soon replaced by large smiles. Both quickly agreed before Padma turned to her best friends and summed up their feelings in one sentence. "We're going to be your brother's godparents, that makes us real family!"

On that happy note, it was time to say goodbye to the three families. Little Maggie Creevey was wearing her fayre hat to breakfast, her mother jokingly confirming her daughter wouldn't be parted from it and had worn it to bed too. Denis, Euan and Natalie had all exchanged phone numbers but this set Harry thinking, perhaps it was time to add an owl to their Hogwarts package. While there was always school owls available that allowed them to send messages home from Hogwarts, they were effectively cut off from their magical friends for the duration of the summer.

Jenny had confessed to Hermione she didn't have the qualifications she required to get into the university course she'd originally chosen, her last year of school being a washout. Hermione advised her to still pick a university and they would see what housing they had near that location. Getting them moved and protected by wards should be done first, then Jenny could work on those entry qualifications. Both Euan and Jenny agreed, this was easily the best weekend of their lives.

The family then moved through to the large lounge, they knew there was a serious issue to deal with. Barchoke had some information though that he hadn't want to bring up until it was just 'family'.

"Adam Brown visited Gringotts yesterday and emptied their family vault. He was loudly claiming that we goblins had besmirched his family's good name, and his daughter's honour. He's denying Lavender was in any way involved in this incident and trying to push any blame onto Parvati."

The silence this news generated was broken by Amelia. "Of all the many owls the ministry received regarding the fayre, only one was negative. Adam Brown has made a complaint against Auror Tonks for her handling of the situation yesterday."

Tonks was sitting beside Remus, the auror once more reverting to Harry's protection detail. "Boss, The Baron of Kingussie told this pompous prick that Lavender had abused his hospitality, the Brown family were then asked to leave. I simply pointed out to him that his refusal to do so would be breaking the law, something we would then have to deal with."

Amelia stopped Tonks saying any more, totally agreeing with her auror on this matter. "I've also had Minerva on the floo, he contacted her too and complained bitterly about Minerva's treatment of his daughter. He's threatening to withdraw Lavender from Hogwarts unless the school can guarantee there will be no contact between his daughter and the witch trying to lead her astray, Parvati Patil."

A shocked and tearful Parvati was sitting between Padma and Neville, the wizard soon found himself being shifted along as Hermione took his place. Padma already had her arm comfortingly around her twin so Hermione took Parvati's hand before speaking with her.

"Harry and I watched this man build himself into a state over this yesterday. He just said Lavender wouldn't do anything like that and she never contradicted him - for once Lavender hadn't a single thing to say. There's not one person here who thinks you were leading Lavender astray, she's selling you down the river to escape the punishment she deserves. Can you see Susan doing something like that to Hannah? That would simply never happen. I watched Padma stand in front of nine older bullies and take a curse to the face trying to protect me, that is real friendship."

It was then Padma's turn to try and help her sister. "Pav, we all know you like to push the boundaries, we also know that when you're alongside Lavender you both push further. She's obviously not the friend you thought Lavender was if she's pushing all the blame onto you, I have to say that splitting you two up isn't the worst idea I've ever heard. You would certainly be made welcome if you wanted to bunk with us in the Ravenclaw dorm."

Two Hufflepuffs quickly agreed with that, Hannah getting in first. "You could stay with me and Susan..."

"Yeah, Lavender's not welcome in Hufflepuff though. She's hardly displaying loyalty to her supposed best friend."

Even Pansy chipped in. "After this weekend, I think we could even get away with a Gryffindor in the Slytherin dorms. If you're up for the challenge, you'd certainly be made welcome by the rest of the new fourth year Slytherin girls."

The support she was being shown from her friends couldn't quite make up for the heartache of being dumped on by the witch who'd been her best friend and confidant almost every day for the last three years. It was all going to be irrelevant anyway, her father appeared ready to explode as his anger built. She got up and went to kneel by her father.

"Father, I'm really sorry my behaviour has put you in this position. I made a really bad error of judgement that Harry's security thankfully saved me from facing the consequences of. I have brought shame and embarrassment to our family and deserve to face whatever punishment you set. I promise to try and be a dutiful daughter from this day on, a daughter you can be proud of."

Ramrao was as angry as he could ever remember, he tried to control that anger as he spoke to his daughter. "Parvati, your behaviour was way beyond anything your mother and I find acceptable, we had decided to send you back to India. We hoped living with my mother for a while might help you see the error of your ways."

Parvati's head may be down but everyone could still see the tears flowing. Padma too was in tears, and she wasn't the only one. Ramrao though wasn't finished yet.

"Lavender's father's reaction has changed everything. In trying to protect his own daughter, he's attempting to push all the blame onto mine. For us to send you away now would lend credence to his opinion, that is not something I could ever support."

This saw Parvati's head shoot up and her father reached out and wiped away her tears. "While Lavender appears happy to play along with her father's version of events, my daughter has admitted her error and apologised for her serious lack of judgment. Whatever we decide, and we will talk about that later, one thing is not up for debate. Your association with this girl is now at an end."

Augusta hated interrupting what was a very tender moment between father and daughter, she did want to give them some options though. "Lavender was under the care of Hogwarts while staying here, and you can guess how well Professor McGonagall will have reacted to Adam Brown berating her for reprimanding his daughter. Lavender might actually be the one leaving Hogwarts if Minerva doesn't get an apology. Parvati was her parents' responsibility, and is therefore in no trouble with the school over this matter. I would have to speak with Filius and Minerva but I don't see any major problems with a Gryffindor staying in Ravenclaw that can't be overcome, especially with her twin sister already sorted there."

This was Barchoke's cue to add to the story. "Adam Brown is a fool! If there is one thing being a parent has taught me, it's that we all make mistakes. It's admitting those mistakes and figuring out where we go from there that makes us who we are. Adam Brown thinks that by playing on his pureblood credentials and shouting loudly, people will simply believe what he says. He closed his family vault in Gringotts but simply ignored the fact that his entire business is financed and run through our bank."

This had everyone paying attention, they all knew the goblins' reputation as a warrior race was well earned - and that they wouldn't hesitate bringing some retaliation of their own to this matter. They were of course right.

"His version of this incident would need to have goblin warriors either deliberately lying or, even worse, abducting his daughter out of her bed to march her into Crow's Nest. The Director has given him until eight o'clock tonight to publicly recant those accusations inside the bank, otherwise his business account will be closed and Gringotts will require all their loans to be repaid in full - and immediately too."

Smita was trying to hide her shock at these measures. "Do you think he'll do this?"

This got a shrug from the ambassador. "Personally I think it would be the smart thing to do, he's a fool though so who knows what will happen. If he doesn't, Harry might just buy his bankrupt business from its new owners - Gringotts. Who's going to complain about a goblin owning a business when that goblin is Harry Crow, and Harry doing so saves the jobs of witches and wizards."

With everyone staring at his father in disbelief, Harry couldn't help but chuckle. "Wizards and witches know so little about goblins, they couldn't even get the one thing they thought they knew right. It's not 'never mess with a goblin', it's really 'never mess with a goblin's family'. Parvati, I've told you before that you're family. Yes there is a downside to that, people doing their best to harm my family is a right pain in the arse. There is a good side too."

There was no laughter in Harry now, he had a steely glaze that everyone was glad wasn't directed at them. "Those three boys no longer work for that circus, the owner was also advised to check back on locations they'd previously visited since they had started working for them. Their business has a reputation to protect too, and the squad commander got the impression this was not the first time these boys had tried this manoeuvre. Since it was this circus' first visit to Britain, all I could legally do was kick them off my land. I have to say though, the owner was bloody livid with all three of them. He was hoping to make a good impression and generate more business out of this weekend, his circus getting kicked out by the Baron of Kingussie certainly won't do that. Since the owner is also well aware of my Gringotts connections, I got the distinct impression those three boys' troubles were only just beginning."

"He's doing it again, Hermione. Don't you just love it when Harry scares the adults?" Padma's quip released the building tension, that and Draco almost choking with laughter at the truth behind her remark.

This had the goblin in question shaking his head. "Don't encourage her, Draco, Padma's bad enough as she is. Now I intend to fly over the glen to see it being restored. Since we now have a full set of brooms, who would like to join us? Luna, can you…"

"Yes Harry, I'll take Sapphire on a broom."

As they rose to leave, Ramrao nudged Parvati in their direction. "Go with your friends, we'll sit down and discuss what happens next tonight."

As a now smiling Parvati shot out of there to catch up with the rest of the teens, her father slumped back in his chair.

"You did the right thing, dear. Neither of us were happy about sending her to live with your mother for the next six months."

"I know, Smita, but we still haven't solved anything here. Dan and Emma, I just don't know how you cope. We have enough trouble trying to raise our daughters within the influences of two cultures, how do you manage with three totally separate ones?"

"Well I can't lie by saying it's easy, we're basically making it up as we go along. Then again, I think all parenting is like that."

This drew some chuckles of agreement from the parents present, and worrying glances in Astrid's direction from Sirius. He then received some comforting words from his mother-in-law. "Don't worry about it, Sirius, you'll be fine."

"Moa, I look at Henrica holding Astrid and I'm almost in tears at the beauty of what I'm seeing. That they both have the last name Black fills me with so much love and pride I feel I might burst. My own parents though would have murdered both of my girls in their sleep, while the ministry still classes them and you, as well as Remus, as creatures. We have all just worked our arses off to make this weekend the success that it was, and I'm certainly not disputing it's done our country a power of good, but it should never have been necessary in the first place. All of us in this room can see what's wrong, why can't everyone else?"

it was Lukas who actually tried to answer that conundrum. "Prejudices are not restricted to Britain, Sirius, or even witches and wizards. They may differ throughout the countries of the world, from culture to culture even, but they will always exist. What's needed is for people to stand up and say 'this is not right', I think all of us just did that to great effect over the weekend. I also pity anyone who calls our little Astrid a creature in her grandfather, father or godfather's hearing."

Dan tried to raise the mood again. "You forgot to mention Astrid's grandmother, mother and godmother, those are certainly three formidable ladies."

He received backing for his efforts from Augusta. "I also think you need to take into account that Remus and Henrica are two of the students' favourite professors at Hogwarts. I was really proud of the way our students behaved all weekend, they are showing the entire country the way forward. I truly believe that by the time Astrid Black and James Granger are of age to travel to Hogwarts, their blood status or heritage won't matter a damn to anyone."

That was a vision that found agreement from Amelia. "This prejudice has been around since before Hogwarts was founded. If our younger generation can change a millennium of prejudice to the level you're suggesting, in the space of a decade too, that would have to be considered a magnificent victory."

They didn't know their charges were currently chipping away at some of those prejudices even as they were speaking.

-oOoOo-

The four birds had once more welcomed Eargit's presence as they flew over the glen, they were also joined by seven teens on half a dozen brooms. This had of course attracted the attention of the goblin children who lived in the glen, leading to the group swooping down to talk with them. Seeing Sapphire sitting on the back of a broom had one of the bolder children asking if they could try that too.

Soon brooms were taking off with little goblin passengers on the back for a quick flight around the glen. Hearing the children's squeals of joy and laughter had those goblins working at dismantling the fayre standing just that little bit straighter. Here was an event they could boast to their grandchildren they had been part of, because history had and was still being made in this Scottish glen.

The group were standing beside what yesterday had been the ice zone. Removing the charms last night had seen that ice and snow gone by this morning. The Swiss-style chalet was being retained, though moved from here to beside Crow's Nest. It would be used as extra accommodation when they had loads of people staying or as the centrepiece of any outside party. It was parties that were on the minds of Hermione and Padma. "With the Ministry Summer Ball being slightly later this year, we need to make some plans."

Padma really couldn't resist teasing her best friend. "…and we all know how much our Hermione likes her plans. We need to decide first whether we're going to the ball, and then what to do about these two birthday boys."

It was just the four of them and Sapphire at the moment since everyone else was up in the air, Neville offered his opinion on Padma's questions. "I feel we need to attend the ball. The ministry has been supporting us with everything we've asked for, we should really offer our support for their event. As to our birthdays, I would like that to be as quiet as possible."

That opinion was backed by Harry. "I agree with Neville about the ball, otherwise it would seem we only attend if there are awards being handed out. How about this as an idea for our birthdays, spend them on the island?"

This certainly received a favourable response so Harry expanded his idea some more. "On one birthday, we can have a joint party on the beach for the family. On the other, just the four of us round the other side of the island with a picnic basket."

"Oh, just us, sitting on the beach and watching the sun go down. That sounds wonderful. Sorry, Sapphire, I didn't mean anything by that…"

"It's okay, Hermione, being on a beach with Harry is certainly something to get excited about…" She couldn't hold her laugh anymore as Hermione groaned.

"Not you too. I get enough teasing from Padma without others jumping on the bandwagon."

"I couldn't help it, Hermione, it was just too good a chance to pass up. After all the craziness of the fayre, you all deserve some time on your own."

Padma had a question though. "Do we allow the girls to invite dates?"

it was Harry who shook his head at that. "What would we do about Parvati? Having her as the only girl without a date would be cruel."

While Hermione agreed with that, she took the opportunity to tease Sapphire back. "And just who would you be asking as your date?"

"Oh, goblins don't really date as such. They have groups of friends who you would hang about with socially, and then hopefully meet your mate..."

The queen of the quips couldn't resist that one either. "Well, that certainly worked for us four." None of them minded Padma's teasing this time since it was essentially true. That, and the fact they were all heading to the island in a few days had everyone in good spirits.

-oOoOo-

The meeting in the Minister's office a few days later also saw those attending in good spirits. Those in the ministry who had managed to spend some time in Kingussie over the weekend were still raving about their experiences. That Harry had made it a family event really won people over - apart from that fool Adam Brown.

Instead of getting down on his knees and thanking the goblin security force for intervening on his daughter's behalf, he attempted some sort of power play and got right royally shafted. Standing in Gringots and giving a public apology might have saved his business but everyone now believed he was a liar, leaving his reputation irreparably damaged. Today's meeting at the ministry was to ensure the Cup Final suffered no such fallout, Cornelius got straight to the heart of the matter.

"Dolores approached me with a very good point about the cup final, which is why I called this meeting. While we in this country have welcomed the joint auror - warrior security forces, the final is going to be full of Irish and Bulgarians who might not be so understanding. The last thing we need is an international incident when some drunken quidditch fan takes objection to a warrior telling them what to do. I would welcome your views on this matter."

The head of the D.M.L.E. was first to offer her opinion, the safety of the event was going to be her responsibility. "I don't think the Irish would mind too much, unless the warriors were trying to break up their party. We all know the Bulgarians are a totally different kettle of fish. I could easily see a few confrontations breaking out, but can we afford not to have the goblin warriors on patrol beside the aurors?"

There was an unhealthy dose of shared hatred between Dolores and Amelia, they seemed to hold polar opposite views on just about everything. Dolores certainly didn't want these animals anywhere near what she considered her event, unless they were dressed in brightly coloured costumes and acting as team mascots. "Surely Arthur could just explain to this Ambassador creature that we don't require their assistance for this event?"

No one currently in the minister's office expected Amelia to take that lying down, they weren't disappointed. She came roaring back at Dolores with venom dripping off every word she spoke. "That ambassador creature is a very good friend of mine, he also personally saved the lives of an auror's family in this very building - getting himself wounded in the process. That same auror and his family were guests of the Baron last weekend, little Danielle Dugan had the time of her life. Such a pity you missed it, Dolores, I can't think of anyone who could have benefited from the experience more than you."

"If you have to hug a goblin to have your home warded, I think I'd rather be visited in the night by death eaters."

"Somehow your opinion doesn't surprise me, Dolores..."

Arthur tried to interrupt before wands were drawn between these two adversaries. "The joint patrols have been universally accepted and proclaimed a great success in Hogsmeade, Diagon Alley and even last weekend in Kingussie. I would certainly be against any moves to change that. Since the entire stadium will be warded against death eaters, we could perhaps increase the goblin - to - auror ratio in these areas, freeing aurors from Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley to assist at the cup final? This way we are asking our goblin friends for help, while avoiding putting them in a situation that is potentially politically delicate."

Amos liked the sound of that. He would be attending the final with Cedric and his friend, Roger, Amos wanted that stadium to be the safest place in Britain. He was also savvy enough to know that one bad incident with the warriors would be jumped upon by those of a darker persuasion as proof they were moving too fast and too far with their reforms. He backed Arthur's suggestion.

The sixth person at the meeting was paying these discussions scant attention. His status as a department head had earned Ludo an invitation to Kingussie, what he saw there rocked his world. The former quidditch player wasn't really interested in the various zones, different cultures or the amount of integration taking place. He'd sat in the Three Broomsticks outlet, drinking butterbeer and eating stew while making the discovery that the goblins as a race appeared to be as addicted to gambling as he was. Now all he had to figure out was how to scam them out of their gold, that shouldn't be too difficult. He heard Amelia arguing for a force of warriors to be standing by in case they needed them at the final.

Arthur pointing out that anything attacking the wards would soon draw a goblin presence made Cornelius' mind up. Security for the cup final would be handled by the aurors, with a force of warriors held in reserve.

-oOoOo-

The couple running along the beach were clearly reaching the last of their reserves, their gaits were certainly now more staggering than sprinting.

"Having fun yet?"

"I hate this!"

"Oh good!" It took a couple of breaths before he could get the next part out. "For a minute there, I thought we were going to have to stop..."

"What?"

This did halt his running partner, allowing him to stop too and take a much needed breather. Standing half bent, with is hands on his knees, he finally managed to get the next bit out. "Well, it would hardly be punishment if you were enjoying it now, would it?"

"You mean if I'd said yes, it would be over?"

Ramrao answered with a question of his own. "Would you lie to your father?"

"No father. I'm just not used to getting up at this time, or all this exercise. I'm struggling to breathe, sore all over and not thinking straight at the moment."

"Sit and we'll take five minutes." Father and daughter sat on the sand, watching the waves gently lap against the beach while trying to ignore the pains from their aching muscles.

"Father, I understand this is part of my punishment and I accept that. Why are you running with me though, you clearly hate this as much as I do?"

"Since my body is considerably older than yours, I think I'm entitled to hate it even more than you do. Parvati, someday you will have children of your own and discover what a precious and wonderful gift they are."

This change in tact clearly confused Parvati, and saw Ramrao reach out and take his daughter's hand. "I have no doubts you and your husband will do your utmost to raise your children to be the best they can be. Since all parents will occasionally get it wrong, I think it's only fair to say you and your husband will make the occasional mistake too. That is why I run beside you. If my wonderful Parvati thinks her recent behaviour would ever be acceptable to me then I have made a grave mistake somewhere, a mistake I deserve to be punished for."

The teenage witch broke down crying at that, then found herself enveloped by the safest pair of arms in the world. They mumbled apologies and words of love to each other as both held on to one of the most important people in their lives.

Their supposed five minutes of rest was now easily ten as Ramrao gently soothed his daughter's sobs away. He though he knew just how to make her feel better.

"Draco approached me about a letter he received from Blaise. He said Blaise never believed Lavender's father for a second, and then Adam Brown publicly having to admit he was wrong inside Gringotts justified his opinion. Draco mentioned some deal you had with Blaise, and apparently Blaise still wants to honour it. Would you care to tell me what that deal was?"

The tears were back for Parvati but she had the sobs under control at the moment. "When we broke up, we agreed to be each other's date for anything that came up - until one of us found another partner..."

He was pretty sure that would have been the case, it was now time to put something he'd been thinking about into practice. "Adam Brown making this matter public has meant the Patils' actions and reactions will be public too - there is simply no avoiding it. If our family attends the ministry summer ball without you, that sends out one message. If we take you but keep you close all evening, that sends out a different message too. If you were to walk into that ball, beside your family and on the arm of your date, it could put an end to speculation over this incident once and for all."

Parvati's sobs had returned but her father still held her, Ramrao had more to say on the matter.

"For this to have any chance of happening, you will write to that young wizard and tell him everything. How you have been acting foolishly, what it would mean for Blaise to escort you to this ball and anything else you want to put in there. If Blaise still wants to escort you, I will make all the necessary arrangements to see that this happens. You must tell him everything though, Blaise needs to know all the details before he makes his decision. He's a fine young wizard, one that I will not have it said the Patil family took advantage of."

Parvati was struggling to stop her sobs, and also to believe what she was hearing. "You would allow me to go to the ball?"

"Under the right conditions, yes. Those conditions being you must learn from this, and have a date I approve of for the ball. Your punishment still stands though..." Ramrao was again having trouble breathing, this time because his daughter was holding him so tight.

The hawk swooped down and landed beside them, a second later Padma was speaking to her father and sister. "Are you two alright?"

Her twin was wiping the tears from her eyes, that Parvati was smiling while doing so just confused Padma even more.

"We're fine, Padma, we just stopped for a rest before finishing our run."

"Well, you've only got about a mile left to go, we'll see you when you get back. I know flying is exercise too but I much prefer it to running."

As Saber shot back into the air to join the three other animagi waiting on her, Ramrao helped his other daughter to her feet. They still had another mile to run, then he intended to lie down quietly for the rest of the day. Part of Parvati's punishment was to run every morning of the summer holidays, Ramrao was beginning to doubt if he would survive that.

-oOoOo-

The group arrived at the ball and, even although there were no guests of honour here this year, they were still being stared at. With their awards proudly on display on their outfits, it was probably understandable. They were again dressed in what the girls called their 'Pride and Prejudice' clothes and couldn't help smiling at the number of other witches and witches now wearing similar attire. The wizarding tailors had finally cottoned on to this fad and started producing similar clothes. Harry and Hermione couldn't help but chuckle when thinking the entire craze was started by a woefully out of date muggle studies course book. It wasn't all the stares and whispers that were making Harry nervous though, he just didn't want to be away from Kingussie.

"Relax Harry, father is with them in case they need to get to Gringotts in a hurry. Moa and Lukas are babysitting Astrid there too, and can you see Dobby letting anything happen to his beloved mistress? You know mum wouldn't hear of us cancelling tonight."

"I'm pregnant, not ill - I can practically hear her say it, Hermione. I'm just so excited waiting for James to be born, Merlin knows what I'll be like when it's time for our child. Dan looks so calm..."

This drew a laugh from Hermione. "He's anything but calm, Harry, dad just hides it better."

Parvati was also anything but calm, she wasn't very good at hiding it though. She felt her date squeeze her hand on his arm and she drew strength from that, Blaise had been a rock for her.

Tonight the group had booked two tables, one each under the names of Longbottom and Black, with the only stipulation being that the tables were beside each other. There were quartets of Longbottoms and Patils sitting alongside Harry and Hermione, with Blaise taking their number up to eleven. The Blacks had Remus and Tonks, Hannah and Susan had asked Zac and Justin to be their dates for tonight while Luna invited Colin along as a friend. As usual, places would become fluid when the dancing started.

Not having to worry about awards gave Harry more time to look around and see all the faces he knew. The Weasleys' change in circumstances was also very evident, there on display for everyone to see as the family had their own table. They appeared though to have taken the wise decision to leave Ron at home. The twins' inclusion might have raised a few eyebrows before, but not now. These two prefects had just added O.W.L.'s at 'O' in defence, charms, herbology and transfiguration to the outstanding in potions they received last summer. Fred and George had invited Angelina and Alicia as their dates. While Ginny sat with Bill, it was the remaining couple who were garnering all the attention of their table.

Percy and Penny had been advised by both Bill and Arthur to take their time over the summer before making any decisions that would affect their futures. Both had done so but those decisions had now been made, Gringotts' latest employees were also sitting there sporting engagement rings.

Harry of course knew Penny better than Percy, but was delighted for the happy couple, he was also one of the few who knew what they would actually be doing inside Gringotts. With Hermione and Harry both confirming they wanted to attend university, that would mean he would be at least in his early twenties before he could possibly become Assistant Ambassador to his father. With the current occupier of that position not really wanting to commit to that post much past Harry leaving Hogwarts, Percy and Penny were being drafted into father's expanding department and would be working toward one of them eventually taking over from Bill.

With no awards tonight, the meal was served first before the obligatory speech would take place. Sitting having a fine meal with family and friends soon saw even Parvati relax, and there was dancing to look forward to later.

Cornelius' speech was going well, his quip about not knowing what to do with his hands since there was no awards to hand out tonight generated a very good response. The Minister's next point concerned one of those previous awards.

"Last year many of you were here to witness Harry Crow becoming the Baron of Kingussie, I was honoured to have been a guest of the Baron's earlier in the summer when my wife and I had a wonderful time at his fayre. I would just like to take this opportunity to publicly thank Baron Crow for including so many of those who work at the ministry in what was a tremendous event."

This led to much clapping and cheering before Cornelius moved on to the upcoming event, the Quidditch World Cup Final. For a politician, it didn't get much better than being able to stand up and give people good news. His good news was interrupted by a high pitched beeping coming from somewhere in the hall, then he saw Harry getting to his feet as the noise stopped.

"Minister Fudge, we're really sorry to leave but that was an urgent message from my father. Hermione and I need to head to Gringotts."

"Is there anything wrong, Harry? Can we help?"

"No Minister, that message means our brother is on the way, not something we want to miss. Auror Tonks, we will be portkeying into Gringotts the moment we leave the ministry wards, please stay and enjoy the ball."

A nod from Amelia saw Tonks accepting that offer, though she did promise to catch up with the four of them later. It was only then Cornelius noticed young Longbottom and his betrothed ready to leave too. Neville's comment that he couldn't wait to see his godson put a smile on more than just the minister's face.

Cornelius was honest enough to admit that even a few years ago he would have been incandescent with rage over something like this. The old Fudge would have seen this as a deliberate attempt to upstage him, and been worried about what plot was behind it - who was trying to force him out?

Tonight he could see the situation for exactly what it was, four teens hyper excited over the birth of a baby in their family. This version of Cornelius Fudge knew exactly how to handle the situation. "Please pass our good wishes on to Emma and Dan."

As the four teens hurried from the hall, the Minister for Magic couldn't help but think this baby boy was being born into a different world than his older sister had been. It was time to get back on track though, the night was still young.

It was much later that night when Harry held a tiny figure in his arms. "Hello James, I'm your brother, Harry."

-oOoOo-

It was a few weeks later when Ron was ignoring his brothers to concentrate on the tiny figure in his hands. Ginny might have raved about the Ministry Ball but Ron was glad he'd talked his way out of that one, the ball sounded incredibly boring to him. Not like tonight, Ron Weasley just had the best night of his life.

He was staring at the little quidditch figure in awe, the reverence in his voice unmistakable. "Did you see him, wasn't Krum simply unbelievable?"

"Oh no, Ron, we missed it."

"Yeah, Fred and I always take a good book with us to the Quidditch World Cup Final. You'll just have to tell us all about it."

Totally missing the gentle sarcasm, Ron then began a play by play account of the game. That he was using the little action figure to demonstrate his descriptions had everyone sniggering, that was until the screaming started. They all rushed out of the tent to be greeted by the sight of the dark mark hanging menacingly in the night sky, it was visible due to flashes of spells causing explosions, flames and utter panic.

All seven Weasley children were there with their father while Amos stood with Cedric and Roger, it was the Ravenclaw who asked the first question.

"I though this area was warded, how is this possible?"

It was actually Bill who quickly answered. "We couldn't ward the camping area since we don't own it. That's why we had to pay money to the muggle farmer to allow us to camp on his land. I want you four to take Ron and Ginny and head back to the safety of those wards around the stadium. This is not a Sunday morning drill, guys, are you up to this?"

All four had their wands out and their game faces on. All jokes were forgotten, here were the four students Bill tutored every week. "They'll be fine, Amos, otherwise I wouldn't have given them this task. We need to go and help contain this."

Amos nodded as he, Arthur, Bill, Charlie and Percy disapparated away to help in the battle. Fred, George, Cedric and Roger were used to working as a team and quickly got organised, deciding to choose the most direct route back to the stadium.

Before they even left the camp though, Ron let out a piercing scream of terror that was of a higher pitch than anything Ginny could ever reach. He was left unable to speak but when they looked to where his shaking hand was pointing, no one there blamed him in the slightest.

Directly in front of Ron, a dead body was clawing itself out of the shallow grave it had been buried in. It didn't speak but the nightmare now pulling itself upright didn't really need to. Those sunken eyes may be dead but the menace they contained was very much a threat to the life of anyone this creature got its hands on.

A/N thanks for reading

A/N 2 Same time, same place, next week - the attack on the cup final.

86. Night of the Living Dead

Harry Crow

Disclaimer - I neither own Harry Potter nor profit in any way from my writing posted here. That people take time out of their day (or night) to read my efforts is all the payment I could possibly wish for. Since Harry Crow has been written in its entirety using my iPad, I wouldn't say no to a little sponsorship from Apple - the only people with more money than JKR!

Chapter 86

The three adult occupants of the lighthouse on Flannan Isles were different to the rest of the wizards and witches listening to the Quidditch World Cup Final live broadcast, and not just because the wizarding wireless set they were listening to had been stolen. They neither cared which teams were playing, what moves the players tried or even who won. All they were interested in was at what time the match would finish. When the Bulgarian seeker caught the snitch they cared not a jot about the score, their eyes were instead fixed on the clock on the wall.

"Perfect! Had the game gone on into the night, we may have had to change our planss. We will give it some time for their celebrationss to really get under way before we spoil their party."

Bella had been sitting nursing little Marvolo and now rose to put their growing boy into his crib. Augustus followed her through and stood with his arms around Bella as she settled their son down for the night.

"Don't worry, my big strong wizard, your little Bella has been looking forward to tonight."

"I know, love, I just wish I was coming with you..."

She turned around and kissed her mate. "I'm glad you're not coming, I'll be able to concentrate on killing as many of these bastards as I can. I know my big strong wizard will be safe, and able to come back here to look after our beautiful baby."

"Our baby boy agrees with his father, we both need you back here too..."

This earned Augustus another passionate kiss before his now rather breathless mate made him a promise. "I'll be back, and then my big strong wizard is going to take care of his little witch all night. We might even make a brother or sister for Marvolo."

A few more kisses and it was time to go, Augustus had a job to do. While he would be worried about Bella his mate was right, his mission wasn't really dangerous and should see him return safely to their son.

-oOoOo-

Molly was rattling about in the empty house, she supposed the emptiness felt more pronounced tonight because the Burrow had been full to bursting before her entire family had headed off to the quidditch match. She had listened to the game on the wizarding wireless, more interested in the match passing off without any trouble than the fact that Ireland won. The silence of the house was shattered though by the alarm that signalled the Burrow's wards were under attack.

Thanking every deity that she could think of for her children not being present, Molly flung some floo powder into the fire and was somewhat surprised when it turned green. She'd expected the fire to stay red, blocking the family's escape from the attack. Glancing to the family clock just confused her even more, her hand on the clock was pointing unerringly to home. If the Burrow was under attack, it should be indicating she was in mortal peril. Something wasn't quite right here.

Molly attempted to disapparate up to her bedroom and accomplished that feat, looking out the first floor window again confused her as it showed no visible threats. What she did see seconds later though made her heart soar with relief and joy, a squad of goblin warriors had just portkeyed into their front garden with weapons drawn.

Molly made her way downstairs to greet her very welcome visitors, she grabbed her clock before walking out the front door.

The squad commander knew how important this family was to The Nation, he had warriors checking the wards' perimeter as he approached the head female of the family.

"Ma'am, the wards around your home were certainly attacked, we can find no trace of any attackers though."

"The floo still worked and there were no anti-apparition wards raised, it seems so strange. Even my family clock didn't show any danger." As Molly showed the squad commander her clock, she almost dropped it from fright. Every member of her family, bar her, saw their hands on the clock swing to indicate mortal peril. As Molly emitted a sound that was part scream, part moan, the squad commander was busy shouting orders to his warriors.

-oOoOo-

At Gringotts too, there was a decision to be made.

""Why would anyone attack the Lovegood property when they are with Centurion Crow and his family on his island?""

Two attacks in such a short space of time had never happened before, the knowledge of the other event that had them already on high alert tonight saw the commander quickly reach a decision. If he was wrong then no lives should be lost, there was already a squad at the Weasleys and Gringotts knew for certain the Lovegoods were out of the country.

""Take every warrior we can muster and head for the stadium, I think they are trying to tie our forces up elsewhere by attacking warded properties. I want to hear from those warriors who went to the Weasleys as quickly as possible...""

At that, a warrior raced into the control centre to report as ordered. ""Commander, we found no sign of attackers at the Weasleys. The female had a device which suddenly displayed all her family in mortal peril. The squad commander left two warriors with her on protection detail and sent me here to report. He took the rest of the squad to the stadium.""

This just confirmed the commander's thoughts. ""Well done, warrior. Follow the Centurion here and you may yet see battle tonight. I need to inform The Director about this.""

-oOoOo-

Bella had just cast the dark mark for the first time in over a decade, she then unleashed a barrage of spells against the unsuspecting revellers before apparating to her next position. This was the signal for their master to awaken his warriors before he too began unleashing spells. It was then Bella's turn to open fire before apparating to her final position. Tonight wasn't about how many her spells killed, it was more about causing panic and herding the sheep where they wanted them to go - right into the biggest concentration of inferi. She fired her last set of spells, portkeying out of there just as the pops of apparition announced she had company.

Bella was heading back to their lighthouse, knowing their master would be mere minutes behind. She jumped into her mate's arms the second she arrived, relieved to see his attacks against the wards had been as uneventful as they thought they would be. Their hit and run tactics had worked well tonight, now all they needed was for the inferi to do their work.

-oOoOo-

Fred pulled Ron away from the now advancing inferius while the others started firing spells at it. They were having little effect though, causing Roger to call for a change of tactics.

"It's already dead so we need to hit it with flame, cutting or blasting curses. fire together on three."

Ginny couldn't wait that long, she shouted 'three' and fired the most powerful blasting curse she could at its head. The five boys all seemed to choose the same spell as Ginny and the effect on the inferius was instantaneous, it was blasted apart.

"That didn't seem too bad." Ron was desperately trying to reassure himself, having been literally scared stiff a moment ago. Fred decided to help his younger brother get over his shakes.

"Only because you gave us a warning, Ron, well done."

"Fred's right, we could bring it down because we could see it. I don't really want to enter those trees to get to the stadium though…" Cedric's point was well received, no one wanted to play hide and seek with any more of these things. The curses and explosions around the campsites seemed to have stopped too, all the screaming was now coming from amongst the trees. All six thought that was another absolutely excellent reason not to enter those trees.

"Where's the Order of the Aves with those lovely swords when you need them…" George's comment also gave him an idea, he was a wizard after all. He approached the edge of the trees and lifted a fallen branch, a branch that was soon transfigured into a razor sharp axe. He actually felt better having a physical weapon in one hand and his wand in the other, that was until a dead hand clamped onto the back of his neck.

He was spun around and the hand's partner seized his throat, those ten cold digits appeared determined to meet in the middle of George Weasley's neck. There was also a gaping mouth to deal with, a festering mouth that was doing its best to take a chunk out of him. George found the axe was trapped between his chest and this living nightmare, giving him no leverage at all. He did manage to shove the blade up and into its throat, allowing George to at least try and push that terrible mouth away from his face. His vision was blacking out though from lack of air when a tremendous pain cleared his focus, this thing had got a grip with its teeth and was trying to chew his ear off.

The two were so close and struggling so much that none of the others could get a curse off. They had learned their curses needed to be powerful to be of any use against these inferius, and the risk of hitting George instead with a reducto was just too great. Fred couldn't stand back any longer and, with a wild yell, leapt on the creature to physically attack it. This crazy move saw the three of them bundled to the ground, the big bonus being the inferius found itself being violently pushed onto the axe blade. That sharp blade sliced through the undead creature's neck and removed its head from its body.

As the head flopped from its neck, those teeth were still clamped shut to George's ear. That was until Ginny stepped forward and, with a yell as wild as Fred's, kicked out at that head as hard as she could. It may have taken part of her brother's ear with it but that disgusting and dismembered head sailed back into the trees.

Fred dragged the now headless body off his twin before seizing the axe out of George's hands. The thing that had dared to attack his twin would never move again by the time Ginny managed to pull a berserk Fred away, he had hacked the already dead body to bits.

Ron practically dragged a choking George back into the little clearing in front of the tents while Cedric and Roger continually scanned the area for any more of these things. As Ginny then led Fred back to their little group, it was the Ravenclaw, Roger, who began levitating anything he could get his wand on to start forming a barrier. Fallen logs, rocks, anything at all was soon being transformed into thick, twisted brambles with wicked thorns.

"We don't want to give them any cover, just slow the bastards down. They won't be able to sneak up on us using this, just get trapped so we can blast them to bits."

Cedric was soon helping Roger with this task while Ginny and Ron kept their eyes peeled, ready to shout out a warning and open fire. Fred was down on the ground beside his injured twin, a blanket quickly snatched from the tent helping to lessen George's shaking.

While George's right ear was a bloody mess, his throat was also bruised and swollen - making speaking difficult. He still tried though and, in typical Weasley twin fashion, attempted to make a joke out of what had just happened.

"Looks like mum will be able to tell us apart now."

"Well, since the only one I allow to chew my ear is Angelina, that's just gonna have to be the case from now on."

"Wait until I tell Angelina that one."

"I might tell her myself, after tonight."

"I know exactly what you mean, brother mine. Go and help the guys, just leave me my axe. At least we know that works against the ugly bastards."

Fred left George lying in the middle of an area that was now surrounded by the wickedest looking brambles he'd ever laid eyes on. He helped the other four patrol what was now their safe zone, all of them mentally trying to drown out the screams that were still coming from deeper in the woods. That first inferius had actually done them a tremendous favour. Without their group almost running into it, they would have raced into the middle of what sounded like a war zone.

Draco was right in the middle of what felt like a war zone. He'd been overjoyed when Harry got him tickets, now he was wishing he was still lying on that beach beside Pansy.

The free tickets saw Blaise's father accompanying Draco, Blaise and Theo to the final, Harry even loaned them a tent. All had been having a wonderful time until the dark mark appeared in the sky, and the curses started killing people. Draco knew at once who would be behind this, and also what fate awaited him if Voldemort or his crazy aunt got their wands on him. They had been one of the first groups to react and head for the safety of the stadium. The stadium may be safe but the route to it was proving deadly, running the gauntlet through an army of inferi would certainly result in the ranks of the dead being swollen tonight.

A dark wood full of inferi would easily be Draco's bogart memory from now until the day he died, he certainly never wanted to be part of anything worse than this. He had seen people snatched as they were running, their family and friends struggling to cast any spells for fear of hitting the person grabbed. Sometimes there were enough people there to overpower the creature, and sometimes the creatures were the ones doing the overpowering.

The aurors had been on the scene pretty quickly but initially had to stop scared witches and witches firing off flame curses at every shadow. After a long hot summer, the woods were tinder dry and their aim was anything but true. These wild flame curses were doing more damage than help in this close quarters battle.

Their time working with the marauders had never been more welcome. The information they had been teaching students soon kicked in, and provided the tactics they needed for their group to survive. Finding a small thicket of trees suitable for their purpose, they quickly established a defensible position.

They had tried to coax others to do the same but they were too busy racing headlong into trouble. Frightened people were so desperate to escape from the perceived threat behind them, they blundered straight into the waiting arms of the inferi. Other than stun people into submission, there was really nothing more they could do. Who was going to listen to a bunch of kids when they were under attack from Voldemort?

Having watched his son teaching tactics to the younger Hogwarts students at the fayre, Blaise's father was happy to go along with their ideas and had his wand ready to defend their position if needed. They would pick off any inferius that came within range but could only convince one family, whose son was in the defence club Draco helped teach, to join them amongst their little tree fort.

It was only the arrival of the goblins that the battle swung in their favour. The aurors were then able to concentrate solely on escorting everyone to the safety of the warded stadium while the goblins took over the hunt for the inferi. There were some angry warriors in those woods, they hunted the inferi the way a poacher goes after game. For all the terror these undead horrors had brought to the magical people running around in the dark woods, the warriors might well have been picking off rabbits on the village green. No inferi stood a chance against those flashing blades, they were being systematically hunted down before being hacked to pieces.

When more reinforcements arrived from Gringotts, the warriors set up a skirmishing line and swept the woods clean. Aurors and healers were close behind to provide light for the warriors to work with, and aid for any wounded.

Only when the reinforcements reached them did Draco and Blaise have their group stand down from the little thicket of trees. Their small fort had provided a defensible position and shelter from the carnage they had witnessed taking place all around them. Their group began to make its way to the safety of the stadium, picking their route through the now swept woods. Not one of them though put their wand away.

Bill and Percy were combing through the survivors, looking for the rest of their family. Their father, Amos and Charlie were searching in the other direction, a patronus message would be sent the instant one of them found the six teens.

Spotting The Director, Bill still at least retained the sense to drop his conjured sword on the grass before approaching.

""Well met, Assistant Ambassador, you look as if you've been administering some goblin diplomacy to these abominations in the woods tonight.""

He had no idea how haggard his appearance was, nor did he care, all Bill wanted was to end the horrible visions of those undead bodies feasting on his family. The only way to do that was to see his brothers and sister with his own eyes, a patronus message from his father saying they were fine would certainly take the edge off though.

""Forgive me, Director, I'm not exactly at my best right now. I left half a dozen Hogwarts students to make their way from the campsite to the stadium and am worried sick about them. I was wondering if you had heard anything?""

Ragnok could clearly see the anguish making that decision was causing this fine young wizard. If anything happened to that group, it could easily break both father and son - a father and son who were very important to The Nation. ""I shall assign warriors to search for them…""

The goblin leader was cut off by a loud shout and a little redhead moving at speed. Crying her eldest brother's name, Ginny slammed straight into Bill, her desperate hug accompanied by a question. "Where's dad, Charlie and Amos?"

The sense of relief Bill felt holding his sister and seeing his brothers were alive rendered him speechless for the moment, it was left to Percy to answer Ginny's question. "They're all okay and currently searching for you lot. George, what happened to you?"

"One of those things tried to give me a love bite. I need all of you lot to convince Alecia I tried to fight it off, can't have my girl getting jealous."

The squad leader who had found the group of teens made his report directly to Ragnok, Bill had yet to speak or released his hold on Ginny.

""Director, the Assistant Ambassador has taught them well. They stayed in a clearing and erected a barrier around their group, creating a most effective defensive shield and killing ground. They had permanently downed four of the undead by the time we got there.""

Percy sent off his patronus, informing the others that all were safe and they would meet at the first aid tent. Bill had snapped out of his funk enough to thank everyone involved for rescuing his family. The squad commander wouldn't hear of it though.

""They didn't need rescuing, Assistant Ambassador, just to be told it was now safe to leave their defences. They used their heads and fought like warriors.""

Ragnok had a word for Bill before he left. ""There were protected houses around Ottery St Catchpole where the wards were attacked tonight, first on that list was the Weasley property. We're now sure it was merely a ruse to keep our forces away from here, rather than any serious attempt to breach our wards. Your mother has a warrior protection detail, and also a device that indicated you were all in mortal peril. You should contact your mother as quickly as possible to let her know her family is safe.""

The first aid tent held twenty beds but was clearly swamped. George was regarded as walking wounded so took a seat outside. Even within the few minutes they had been here, all could see that George's injury was minor compared to some that were being carried in. One thing not in short supply was healers, Amelia's contingency plans swinging into action as soon as the alarm was raised.

The healer was working on George just before Arthur managed to get there. While the family reunions were taking place all around them, the healer had some bad news for George. While healing his neck was the work of a few minutes, his ear was an entirely different matter.

"Injuries caused by dark magic are notoriously difficult to treat, and magic doesn't come much darker than inferi. I need to clean the wound up to prevent the danger of infection, unfortunately I can't repair the damage or regrow what you've lost. You are going to have part of your ear missing for the rest of your life."

Having watched as people were carried in with chunks of their face missing, George wasn't about to complain.

After hearing about the supposed attack on the Burrow, Arthur knew his wife would be going spare. Even although Molly's family clock would be telling her they were now out of danger, Arthur was well aware she wouldn't believe that until they returned home.

Arthur made a portkey to the Burrow, right at the front gate so as not to surprise the guards now posted there. Charlie was going to take all the younger ones home, Cedric and Roger would be able to use the floo at the Burrow to get to where they wanted to go. Percy decided to stay and help Bill, the goblin involvement guaranteed there would be work for them to do. With a final hug of his four youngest, Arthur stood back and watched Charlie take them home. He and Amos would certainly have work to do now too.

-oOoOo-

Amelia was suffering from a tiredness that seeped all the way through to her very bones, no pun intended. Her anger though would keep her going for a few more hours yet, it would need to. They had taken over one of the hospitality suites at the stadium to hold this meeting, none of those attending were feeling very hospitable though. Both the Irish and Bulgarian Ministers were here, with representatives from their ministries too. She could see some of the Bulgarians looking down their noses at Ragnok and a hastily summoned Barchoke, she decided to nip that in the bud from the off.

"Can I start by offering our appreciation to our goblin friends. While my aurors would certainly have prevailed in the end, their methods and expertise at swiftly dispatching the inferi saved many lives."

One of the Bulgarian party asked rather aggressively how the goblins knew to respond, since he was unaware of any call for assistance being sent out. Amelia was just about to demand he explain himself when Barchoke prevented an international incident kicking off, tempers were understandably frayed in here tonight.

"While we had warriors on high alert in the event an attack was made on the stadium wards, Gringotts still monitors and protects many places the length and breadth of Britain. We got our first alarm when the Weasley residence was attacked."

This was news to most of the people there, even Amelia hadn't heard the full story.

"When the Lovegood residence was next to be attacked, the controller on duty was naturally suspicious. He knew the Lovegoods were currently holidaying with my family on a tropical island and suspected a ruse to keep our forces busy. That ruse would only be necessary if the attackers were going after a bigger target, he gambled on sending warriors to protect the fans at the stadium. Ambassador Weasley's wife has a wonderful family heirloom that shows the condition of her family, it showed they were in danger. When the warriors sent to protect the Weasley family found no actual attack, the squad commander left a few guards before heading for the stadium where the rest of the family were in danger."

Barchoke then turned his attention directly to Amos. "The third property under our protection in Ottery St Catchpole was then attacked. Though we sent a small squad, the Chief Warlock's wife was startled but in no danger. I believe she flooed to the Burrow to await news with Mrs Weasley."

Again Amelia offered her thanks before continuing with her briefing. "This whole attack reeks of a well organised plan. They seemed to know where the wards ended and placed the infiri outside the ward boundaries. The dark mark in the sky and curses firing into the campsite got the fans moving. As everyone knows, there was a grassy avenue either side of the small woods. These avenues were the next targets. People were being hit with killing curses out in the open, they would naturally seek shelter in the woods. That's where the vast majority of the inferi were waiting..."

"How could this be set up right under your noses?"

Amelia didn't get angry at what was a fair question, she was saving that anger for someone who deserved it. Voldemort obviously got a lot more information out of poor Bertha than they were led to believe, led to believe by that lying fucking toad, Umbridge. "We have been on site for the last month and this entire area, including those woods, was swept for threats daily. We can only assume that the inferi were already buried in place before then and, being already dead, they wouldn't register as a threat until they became active."

All were beginning to see just how well this plan had been executed. Privately, the Irish and Bulgarian Ministers were thinking they wouldn't have dealt with the situation any better. The big question still had to be asked though. "What are the casualty figures?"

Amelia's head was bowed as she gave out the horrific news. "The number of dead is approaching a hundred, and that figure is expected to rise still. Wizard, witch, child, British, Irish, Bulgarian, the inferi didn't discriminate. We lost about seven people to curses from the death eaters, the inferi accounted for the rest. We have quite a few seriously wounded too, a very bad night for all of us."

No one there disagreed with that assessment. It would soon be daylight though and then the real clean-up operation would begin. Cornelius intended to call a meeting of the Wizengamot for three o'clock in the afternoon to inform them of what happened, he invited their Irish, Bulgarian and Goblin friends to attend. Cornelius had learned the truth about these events usually got out, it was better if everyone learned the facts at the same time.

-oOoOo-

With the Maldives being five hours ahead of the UK, it was already approaching noon local time when Barchoke and the two Slytherins appeared. Draco was scheduled to return later on today and Blaise had jumped at the chance of beginning to put last night's horror behind him. He couldn't think of a better method of starting to do that than lying on a tropical beach with Parvati, surrounded by their friends.

It was certainly weird to be sitting in this beautiful setting and describing the horrific happenings of last night. Dan had asked the first question. "For the benefit of us dentists here, could someone tell me what these inferi are?"

His daughter was really the only one with the combined knowledge to describe these creatures to a couple of muggles. "Dad, think zombies and you won't be too far away."

"What? Are we talking 'Night of the Living Dead' here, real flesh eating zombies?"

Staying with the Grangers had seen Barchoke develop a taste for tea, the goblin was sipping a cup of that wonderful brew at the moment while trying to answer people he now considered family. "I don't know what a zombie is, Dan, but an inferius is an animated corpse that will claw and bite at its victim until they are dead. I saw George Weasley with part of an ear missing, and he was certainly one of the lucky ones."

This analogy met with Draco's agreement, the Slytherin found himself shivering in the tropical heat as he spoke about last night. "We could certainly have used you four, and those blades of yours last night. Perhaps people would have listened to you, they ignored us and just kept running into more danger. We tried coaxing, ordering, even screaming at them, nothing worked. The aurors were trying to keep people safe and fight the inferi at the same time, the arrival of the warriors really changed things for the better. Their blades chopped the inferi into pieces like we would use practice dummies, it was awesome to watch."

Alice and Frank had been aurors in the last war and were well aware of what an Inferius was. You could slaughter them by the dozen with flame curses if they were advancing across open ground, facing them in a wood at night was an entirely different matter. It was Alice though who voiced their thoughts about something that had yet to be mentioned.

"I'm struggling to see what Voldemort gains from this. Yes, his plan has killed a lot of people and yes, it's also an embarrassment to the ministry. Apart from reminding people he's still around, I can't see what else he gains from this. Don't ask me to explain it but this feels so much more than just a grand gesture to prove he's still an evil murdering bastard."

This drew Barchoke's first smile since he'd been summoned from this island to return to Britain. "Your auror instincts are still keen, Alice, we at Gringotts are thinking the very same. This was not an obvious attack on Harry, anyone who knows him could tell you his only interest in quidditch is when Hermione wears a Harpies jersey."

"Whatever it is, we need to return home…"

"NO."

Harry looked at his father with a bit of shock , not used to having his suggestions so abruptly shouted down. "Do you expect me to sit here in safety while people in Britain are suffering from this attack?"

"Centurion Crow, I expect you to follow orders. The Director has ordered you to remain here until we can discover just what Riddle is up to. You yourself have said, more than once, this is the safest place to be. You will be staying here until we get a lot more information. I realise this is not what you wanted to hear, son, but that's the way it has to be - at least until we discover just what Voldemort's plan is. Every profile we have on him indicates that won't be long. After that, we can begin to make plans of our own."

His father was right, Harry was not happy with that news. They had only planned on being here for another four days anyway, before heading back to Kingussie on Saturday. The Hogwarts Express left Kings Cross on Monday but they were all ready and prepared for that.

They had stormed Diagon Alley with three sets of Potter Scholarship students, delighted to see the place getting back on its feet. Fortescue had actually reserved all his front tables for them when it became known they were in the alley. After the amount of business he did at the fayre, he thought it was only fitting.

Euan was hyper excited to tell them about his new house, a house that was only a ten minute ride on his bicycle from Natalie's. Jenny had confirmed that had sealed her decision on what university to choose, being able to live so close to the McDonalds. Roy and Mary appeared delighted to be able to take the young Abercrombie family under their wings, almost as delighted as Jenny and Euan were to be sheltering there. Harry's idea of the Potter Scholarships becoming like family was now paying unexpected bonuses.

With all their business in Britain already taken care of, there really was no other pressing reason to race home. With The Director ordering him to stay here, he simply didn't have any other option. Looking around at his friends and family, his eyes lingering on babies Jamie and Astrid, Harry actually smiled. All in all, there were worst places to be stuck than here in this company.

-oOoOo-

Dolores would have loved to have such an option, she was currently stuck between a rock and a hard place. An enraged Minister of Magic was loudly tearing strips off her and Ludo.

"You two sat there and told me that poor Bertha only knew 'general details', and that everything would be publicised anyway. Was knowing exactly where the wards would extend to 'general details'? Did I miss that the campsite for the event would be on a muggle's farm being publicised? These bastards knew every little detail, and must have set this whole thing up at least by the start of summer."

"Cornelius, old chap. Can I just say in my defence, I didn't actually know any of those facts..."

"...and you think that excuses you, Ludo? You're supposed to be a head of department. Not only should you know all those details, you should have been involved in determining every single one of them."

"A wizard can't spread himself too thin..."

It was Amelia who interrupted Ludo this time. "Funny you should say that, my information tells me that's exactly what you've done." She might have used the word funny, but there was absolutely no mirth coming from Amelia.

"You took a load of bets on the outcome of the final, bets you can't cover."

"Who says I can't cover them?"

"Oh, so you do have the twenty thousand galleons Ambassador Barchoke says you owe to citizens of The Nation?"

He was instantly dismissive of that argument. "What? You're worried about gambling debts with goblins? I would have thought you had more to deal with at the moment than that, Amelia?"

Ludo suddenly had a face full of a very angry witch. "I have far more important things to deal with, but here's our problem. You, however strange it might seem, are a department head at the Ministry of Magic. Your behaviour, while you hold that position, not only reflects on the rest of us, it's held up as an example of how the ministry carries out its business too."

"They bet on Krum catching the snitch but Ireland winning the game. It was a mug's bet, I covered as many of them as I could get my hands on..."

It was Amos who interrupted this time, Amelia looked ready to draw her wand and begin cursing this fool. "Since I'm not a gambler, excuse me here if I'm pointing out the blindingly obvious. How can that be a mug's bet, wasn't that the actual result of the match?"

"Exactly! What fool of a seeker would catch the snitch when it meant their team would lose..."

The smug look on Ludo's face was like a red rag to Cornelius' temper. "Enough! Exactly how much do you owe?"

"Well, I got lucky when a few wizards I owed gold to didn't make it out of those woods..."

Amos found himself having to physically place his body between Amelia and Ludo, she appeared angry enough to tear the cretin apart with her bare hands. Cornelius didn't miss though, the Minister of Magic had Ludo in his sights.

"Ludo, you will give Amelia all the details of those you owe gold from betting on the outcome of the final, the ministry will honour those bets."

"Why thank you, Cornelius. Pretty decent of you, old chap..."

"Once you have given Amelia those details, you will make your way to my office where I will accept your letter of resignation..."

This shocked the former quidditch player. "Why in the name of Merlin would I do that?"

"...because if you don't, I will sack you and then hand you over to the goblins so they can extract what you owe them."

Ludo was trying to be confident, he certainly didn't feel so. "The Wizengamot would never stand for a wizard being handed over to the goblins..."

"If you resign, I will inform the Wizengamot that you were in no way responsible for last night's disaster. You felt, since you were the wizard in charge, your honour dictated you had to go. Should you fight me on this, I'm sure we could at least make a charge of gross negligence stick. Since that negligence led to about a hundred deaths, I feel sure the Wizengamot would see you placed in Azkaban for a considerable time."

Cornelius glanced at the clock before continuing. "I address the Wizengamot in forty-five minutes. If I haven't received your resignation by then, I will be asking Amelia to have you arrested. Either way, your tenure in the Ministry of Magic ends now - get out!"

Ludo was speechless, how had this happened? He glanced around the room and saw no help forthcoming, even Dolores was keeping her head down. It would appear it was time for him to leave.

As the door closed behind Ludo, Cornelius turned his attention to Dolores. "Your career is hanging by a thread, Dolores, lie to me and you will follow Ludo out of here. Would it be safe to assume Voldemort knows every fucking detail of this tournament?"

No one had ever seen Cornelius Fudge this angry, few knew he could even get like this. Dolores could only nod, her voice having deserted in the face of this unparalleled fury. Both Fudge's fists slammed into the table, making her almost jump out her seat.

"If we didn't need this tournament to be a success in order to help heal relations between us and the Bulgarians, the event would be cancelled and your arse would be following Ludo's out that door - and straight out the ministry too."

He then proceeded to tell her how things were going to be from now on. "You will start working on changes at once, and you will be based at Hogwarts for the duration of the event. The entire tournament had better run as smooth as silk or you will be out of a job, your entire career is now riding on this. Do a good job, or else. Do a great job, well a vacancy just opened up. I know you're going to be busy so we won't keep you any longer."

Dolores shot out of there as if her robes were on fire, Cornelius' ire was so hot they just might be. The minister was sitting rubbing his temples as Amelia asked him a simple question.

"Would you really make her a head of department?"

"Carrot and stick, Amelia. If she makes this tournament into the amazing success we need, I just might. I don't really have time to replace her at the moment, I'm open to suggestions though to who we have in reserve if we're forced to give Dolores the chop."

Those suggestions would have to wait until after the Wizengamot meeting, thankfully Ludo's letter of resignation arrived five minutes before the meeting started.

-oOoOo-

Amelia had a large map of the area, which she was using very effectively, to tell the story of exactly what had happened after the cup final to all in the Wizengamot chamber. It clearly showed the stadium and the landscape of the muggle farmer's fields that had been used as the official campsite. The auror debriefings had given Amelia a very clear picture of what had actually happened, her job now was to pass that knowledge on to the chamber.

"Both Voldemort and Lestrange were seen firing curses last night, leaving us to believe Rookwood's task was to trigger the ward alarms and keep the warriors busy." She pointed her wand to the map and the first attack was indicated.

"The dark mark was raised and three curses were fired into the camp, before Lestrange disapperated away. Voldemort then opened fire from here, four curses later and then he too moved."

Steadily flicking her wand brought up the progression of the attack sites, as they kept moving position after firing a few spells. In the calm light of day, all could clearly see these attacks were designed to push panicked witches and wizards into the woods - where the inferi waited. You didn't have to be a genius to understand how that would unfold, with the biggest loss of life Magical Britain had ever suffered in a single attack.

"My aurors were trying to fight a close-quarters battle with inferi while also trying to get people safely out of those woods, a task that was made a lot easier when our goblin friends arrived..."

Amelia stopped mid-sentence because of another type of arrival, a crow had somehow made its way into the chamber. It headed for the minister but she was pleased to see her aurors managed to bring the bird down before it could reach Cornelius. The letter tied to its leg was very carefully scanned before being handed to its intended recipient, Minister Cornelius Fudge was written across the envelope.

The chamber was totally silent as Cornelius read the letter, all noticing the colour draining from his complexion as he did so. It was a clearly shaken minister who stood to address the chamber. The bottom of the letter claiming that copies were being sent to others too - the Daily Prophet amongst them - left him no choice. He had no reason to believe that threat was a bluff, so the Wizengamot and their guests were better hearing this news from him.

"I have just received a message from the criminal who carried out last night's atrocities, I think it's only fair you get to hear what this madman says."

Cornelius then read out the letter to a captivated audience.

Last night was something that should never have happened, I certainly didn't want to do it. Every drop of magical blood spilled is a waste and a loss. I was simply left with no choice but to react to these repeated attacks against me and my beliefs.

Our country has embraced views that are so dangerous, they will end a way of life I'm prepared to fight to the death to protect. In order to return the balance that has been lost, I am offering this simple solution.

Kill Harry Potter and I will leave Britain for good - safe in the knowledge that saner heads will then see our beloved country once more in the right hands.

While Harry Potter lives, I will continue to wage war on an unjust Britain. Since he hides himself behind wards like the coward he is, I will simply have to wage my war the best way I can. The responsible witches and wizards of Britain must ask themselves this question, what is one life when you could save so many unnecessary deaths? I await your answer...Lord Voldemort.

The chamber was now in an uproar, and not just because Fudge said the scary name out loud.

A/N Thanks for reading.

A/N 2 'Every drop of magical blood spilled is a waste and a loss' is a direct quote from JKR's final book of the series.

87. Returning to Hogwarts

Harry Crow

Disclaimer - A big thank you to JKR, the owner of Harry Potter, who permits us to construct our sandcastles on her beach. Whether those sandcastles resemble Hogwarts or a house of horrors can sometimes be purely down to the conjecture of the reader. One thing unites us all though, none of us are making any money off our writing here. Please keep that in mind as you read our efforts.

Chapter 87

This was easily Harry's favourite time of the day, he actually didn't know how he was going to survive in Hogwarts without it. He was now as addicted to this as he was to Hermione's hugs.

They'd done their morning exercises, duelling practice too. After a shower and breakfast, Harry was sitting with a baby in his arms. Today it was Jamie, his name might be James but the family called him Jamie. This actually appealed to Harry, rather than having him as a constant reminder of a man he couldn't remember.

Funnily enough, as the little tike gripped Harry's pinky firmly with his tiny fist, he'd never felt closer to his parents than he did right now. Not that Jamie looked anything like a Potter, his brown eyes and wisps of the same coloured hair clearly identified him as the son of Dan and Emma Granger. It was more the feelings his baby brother stirred somewhere deep inside him.

Harry already knew he would do anything to keep his brother, and his goddaughter, safe. His mum and dad had given their very lives to ensure he had a chance at life, he was certainly their son. Harry was positive he wouldn't hesitate to do the same for the baby currently in his arms, or the little blond baby girl who competed with Jamie for his attention. At least he would get to see Astrid at Hogwarts, it was going to be really hard being away from his baby brother.

Hermione was trying to console both of them by saying that they would be finished Hogwarts before their brother was two. He suspected Hermione was feeling the same as him, and that her efforts to be cheery weren't really doing her any good either. He certainly understood Jenny Abercrombie's decision to choose a university close to someone she knew. Harry was already sure access to Jamie would figure in the decision he and Hermione made after leaving Hogwarts.

He was trying not to think of the mayhem Voldemort had caused back in Britain, Jamie clasping his little finger was actually helping with that. Harry found it impossible to maintain his anger with this tiny person snuggled into the crook of his arm. He would just have to save that anger for when he could use it, a direct order from Ragnok meant Harry couldn't go near Britain at the moment anyway.

Betsy popped onto the porch at the front of the beach chalet, carrying a sheathed sword in each hand. "Master and Mistress has visitors. There is no time to dress properly but you will need these."

Emma took Jamie as her teenage children strapped on their swords. "Surely you won't need them on the island?"

Harry had now spotted the visitors and understood why Betsy had appeared. "The Director is visiting so we need to wear our swords, they don't exactly match our shorts and t-shirts though."

With Hermione on his arm, they headed off to meet the rather large party of guests father had brought to the island. At least they knew all but two of the ten people he'd arrived with.

The young couple bowed to Ragnok before Harry spoke, deliberately using English because of their guests. "Well met, Director. You do me great honour by visiting my island home, especially since for you it must be the wee small hours."

"I'm delighted to be here, Centurion, though I wish the circumstances were better. This was sent to The Minister, and quite a few other outlets around Britain."

Ragnok handed over the letter and Harry felt Hermione stiffen as she read it beside him. She then turned her attention to Cornelius.

"Minister Fudge, If you came here to arrest my Harry then I'm telling you right now - you didn't bring enough people with you."

The shocked silence this declaration caused was broken by Barchoke and Ragnok roaring with laughter, the sight of Hermione more than ready to face down the entire crowd being one of the funniest things they had seen in ages.

An angry and tired Bulgarian Minister grabbed Cornelius by the arm, wanting a private word. "You let a mere girl speak to you like that? No vonder Britain is in the state it's in."

Cornelius just smiled at his Bulgarian counterpart, before explaining a few things he needed to know. "You're wrong, Borislaw, Miss Hermione Granger is no mere girl. She's Harry's mate, a Friend to The Nation and holds their highest award for bravery. She is also an Order of Merlin, First Class holder, and in this instance perfectly correct. We would need a lot more people if we were here to arrest Harry, just take a look around us."

Borislaw then followed the British minister's advice, finding they were now casually surrounded. The people doing so didn't make it obvious but they would be in real trouble if they reached for their wands.

The Minister then addressed the assembled group. "Let me make the introductions here, well of those you haven't met before. This is Borislaw Oblansk, the Bulgarian Minister of Magic. The other wizard you won't know is Brendan Murphy, the Irish Minister of Magic. Harry, Is there somewhere we can sit and talk? We're all pretty done in here but this simply couldn't wait."

"How private does this need to be?"

Cornelius just shrugged his shoulders. "In around four hours, most of magical Britain will wake up to this news with their morning cup of tea. That was one of the reasons we couldn't put off informing you."

Harry led them toward the beach where he could see tables, chairs and sunshades already being set up, however he wanted a word with Arthur, Bill and Percy before anything else started. "We heard George was injured in the attack, how is he."

This saw Bill shaking his head, though he was wearing a wry smile. "Already cracking every bad ear joke you could ever want to hear. The four boys used their training and kept themselves, Ginny and Ron safe. I'm really proud of them, they could so easily have panicked - like the vast majority of the people there."

That was Amos' cue to try and thank Harry for including Cedric in the training, he'd been trying to thank Bill every ten minutes since they found all of them safe.

Hermione was using the time to catch up with Penny, she appeared rather overawed at her surroundings. "Oh I think I'm going to love my new job, especially if it brings me to places like this."

Susan couldn't help but notice how tired her aunt looked, if anyone needed to spend a few days here it was Amelia Bones. Susan was well aware however, the chances of that happening were now nil. Her Aunt Amelia was supposed to join them here for the last few days of their holidays, this attack had surely put paid to that. Susan got Amelia sitting in a comfortable beach chair, kicking her shoes off and drinking a fruity concoction that the elves made - and everyone just loved.

Amos had followed her lead and couldn't help but blurt out what was on his mind, they were all entering their second night without sleep. "Merlin, Amelia, is this where you were heading for your leave? We could all use a few days of this."

Even the Bulgarian minister had mellowed somewhat, Borislaw wasn't exactly smiling but at least he'd stopped scowling. It was hard not to relax in this location.

The letter had since been passed around everyone so it was time for Cornelius to tell them why he was here. "That was delivered by a crow in the middle of an emergency Wisengamot meeting. It caused a fair bit of a stir when I read it out to the chamber…"

Amelia almost choked on her drink at that massive understatement…

-o- flashback -o-

The letter had a polarising effect on what was already a very emotive chamber, everyone present at least knew someone who had been injured or killed last night. That a few of the members appeared to think this letter was a viable means to end all their troubles nearly saw them being lynched. Wands were being drawn when Amos fired off a noisemaker curse.

"We are the law of the land's representatives, and that law will be followed. I will not have this chamber descending into a brawl. Minister Fudge, I believe you still have the floor."

"Thank you, Chief Warlock. I believe I interrupted Madam Bones though, and what she was about to say is very prevalent to where we go next." This would also allow Cornelius a few moments to get himself back under control. Witnessing some members of this chamber even considering this letter as an option made him feel sick, he would deal with them after Amelia was finished her presentation.

She had known hearing the next part would be hard for the chamber but, after that letter, Amelia knew it was more essential than ever. "Knowing that you don't just create an army of inferi out of thin air saw my department carefully examining those inferius bodies we were able to. We actually managed to identify a few which corroborated our other findings, these were all once people that Riddle and his death eaters had murdered during the last war. My department will finally close a lot of missing person files over the next few days."

This time the chamber were shocked into silence. With the numbers involved in this attack, again there was a distinct possibility they may have known, or even been related to, someone who had been turned into an inferius.

"We're certain Riddle used all his inferi last night, and my department would soon notice if he attempted to build another army like that. This led us to considering what other threats he might be able to bring against us. The Dementors are all on Azkaban, and have no wish to leave that island. Centurion Crow killing three of them on the Hogwarts Express means they want nothing to do with this fight. They're more than intelligent enough to understand that siding with Riddle could see them wiped out."

Amelia checked her notes before continuing. "Going over the allies the death eaters had in the last war threw up some shocks. The werewolf community for instance also want nothing to do with this fight. They can see one of their own teaching at Hogwarts, and escorting his Order of Merlin, First Class, auror girlfriend to the ministry ball. Compared to that extremely positive example, Riddle has nothing to offer them. He has nothing to offer, nor the manpower to control, giants or trolls. Variations of the same themes apply to all those he would naturally look to as allies. That leaves us just Riddle and his two followers, Lestrange and Rookwood, to deal with."

She was now staring hard at the chamber, her gaze lingering on those few members who seemed to think this letter was the answer to their prayers. "Let's get one thing straight here and now, my department will deal with Tom Riddle…"

"…only if you get to him first!" This was growled in a deep and dangerous voice. Amelia had been deliberately averting her gaze from that section of the chamber since Cornelius read out that letter. If she felt sick at the crass way some in the chamber had reacted, it must have been a hundred times worse for Ragnok and Harry's father.

She turned and bowed to the goblin leader, recognising that's where the growl had come from. "Director Ragnok, should The Nation apprehend this terrorist before my department gets their hands on him, I would be honoured to toast your success with grog. I would gladly get drunk for the first time in many years, knowing I was amongst fellow warriors and friends."

Ragnok actually stood and returned her bow. "I hope we get that opportunity, Madam Bones. All our intelligence is coming back blank, leaving us to believe this criminal is in a bolt hole miles from anywhere. Unfortunately, our country is overly abundant with isolated locations like that."

Barchoke found himself on his feet without even realising he had risen. The Ambassador tried to be diplomatic but his anger was mighty, this was his family that was being discussed. "I feel I must speak here to defend my son. This abomination called my son a coward, not something I can leave unchallenged. Who was it who bested Riddle at the battle of Bones Manor? Who was it who ran away from Diagon Allay when my son charged down the steps of Gringotts - ready, willing and able to do battle with this criminal? My son is a Centurion, a Baron and holds both our nations highest awards for bravery - all of it earned. Meanwhile this murdering, lying, soulless bastard has to invent his own supposed title and animates corpses to do his fighting for him. Who here would kill my son and let this traitorous, murdering lump of future dragon shit just leave the country?"

The goblin's challenge was there for all to see. Anyone answering positively would soon be up to their neck in more shit than they could handle. Barchoke then emphasised that point further. "I feel I must also warn you before you begin to make any decisions, killing my son will not be an easy thing to do…"

"…and they will need to go through me first to get to him, Ambassador. My resignation will be made here and now while I swear to fight for justice at Harry's side. I would expect a fair few of my aurors to join me there too."

Amelia's declaration actually brought a smile to Cornelius' face. "While nowhere near as proficient with a wand as our esteemed Head of the D.M.L.E., I would still offer that wand up to help Harry in his fight. I promised him that, in any battle with Voldemort, he would have every wand I could muster to support him. If I am no longer minister, I will still honour that promise to stand with him. I could not be Minister of Magic to any country who even considered these lies..."

"...isn't it our job to consider all the options available?"

The shout from the Wizengamot was not totally unexpected, it was time for the minister to let his anger out to play. "I have spent all of today receiving messages of support from ministries around the globe. We have another two Ministers of Magic with us today in our chamber, both of whom lost citizens in this attack too, and have pledged their countries support for our efforts to catch these criminals. How long do you think that support would last if we even acknowledged this? No ministry in the world would give in to terrorist demands, and that's exactly what this letter is."

Cornelius let that sit for a minute before getting down to the real nitty-gritty. "We sit in this chamber in complete safety, and then go home to our protected houses. Our children leave on Monday to a Hogwarts that has the strongest wards protecting the castle in centuries, while our sick are safe in a St Mungo's that's just as heavily warded. Meanwhile you want us to debate our murdering one of the most prominent citizens of the very nation who gave us these great boons?"

The minister knew what argument would be coming next and Cornelius had it well and truly covered. "Before some of the more ill-informed of you mentions gold changing hands, I feel I must point a few home truths out. First, it was the aforementioned Centurion Crow and his mate, Miss Granger, who provided half the gold to ward Hogwarts - their two best friends chipping in the other fifty percent. As to St Mungo's, our friends at Gringotts refused to take one Knut in payment for warding a hospital. They were just as disgusted as we were that such a step was even necessary. Witches and wizards of the Wizengamot, that is friendship, that is honour - two concepts Tom Riddle knows nothing about."

Taking a few deep breaths, Cornelius centred himself to finish his argument. "In this chamber, as in our country, no one is above the rule of the law. Chief Warlock, what does our laws tell us about this situation."

There was no hesitation this time from Amos, here was something he was every bit as passionate about supporting as Cornelius and Amelia. "For Riddle's supposed solution to be officially discussed in this chamber, it has first to be proposed by a member and then seconded by another. You will also then need to elect a new Chief Warlock, because I want no part of that. My son is still alive because he trains with Centurion Crow every week. That training gave him and his friends the skills they needed to survive last night, putting down four inferi in the process. My son and I will fight at Harry's side."

Having made his way down to Amelia, Cornelius again addressed the chamber from her side. "Members of the Wizengamot, there you have it. The question is, would any of you like to make that proposal?" They had been joined by Amos as the three most politically powerful figures in Britain stared down any opposition.

It was like watching an auction for some hideously expensive item, people were sitting completely still in case a twitch of their eyebrow was construed as a bid on their behalf. The darker elements within the Wizengamot were well known, and faced being obliterated from all sides if one of them was stupid enough to open their mouths.

Cornelius slowly let out a breath he didn't even know he'd been holding. Any such proposal was always going to be defeated, but even discussing such a proposal in the chamber would have been rightfully considered a grave insult by the Nation. The minister didn't think he was overstating things when he thought their government might not survive that happening. There would either have been a war against The Nation, with Centurion Crow fighting at the front of their warriors, or Gringotts would have simply closed its doors. All it had needed was for one stupid member to demand their rights to discuss that option and they were screwed, both at home and abroad.

They may have teetered on the edge but now it was time to pull back from the precipice. He handed the vile note to Barchoke before continuing. "Now, to get back on track, I have to announce receiving Ludo Bagman's resignation, and reluctantly accepting it. While in no way accountable for what happened last night, Ludo felt it was the honourable thing to do..."

-o- present -o-

As the tale was told, Harry really didn't know what to say. Amelia tried to help him out. "We all really prefer the direction our nations are moving in, none of us wants to go back to the bad old days. Riddle knows you have been the catalyst for these changes, that's why that letter was sent. Again his lack of intelligence of these changes shows, any member of the Wizengamot trying to act on that would have been torn to shreds by their fellow members - and they all knew it."

Harry thanked them all profusely before turning to his father. "Does this mean we can go home now?"

"I think we should still wait until we had planned to leave for Kingussie, give things a day or so to settle down. There shouldn't be any trouble once you reach Hogwarts…"

Penny couldn't help but chuckle at that. "Between the castle looking after him and Crow's Marauders ready to take out anyone who says a bad word against these four, Hogwarts is probably as safe as this island - not as pretty though."

Harry then invited their guests to stay for lunch, breakfast or whatever meal their body clocks said it was time for. The Irish Minister answered for all of them by saying he might never want to leave here ever again.

Borislaw then introduced a somber note to the sunshine. "As much as that vould please me, there are duties I must carry out. My country haff just entered three days of mourning, and I will take the bodies home. Your dark lord haff made a big mistake. Some of my countrymen may haff been, how do you say, sympathy to his cause, not any more. Using inferi to slaughter innocents vill send disgust around the vorld."

This was a view shared by Brendan. "He certainly got it wrong with the Irish, what he did at the Cup final just got us mad - fighting mad. Cornelius, you need any help with this then I can promise you the Irish will be there."

The elves prepared a buffet where people could help themselves but Minister Fudge had one more thing to mention before they could relax and enjoy the food.

"Arrangements were at a very advanced stage to bring a prestigious tournament back to Hogwarts, a tournament that will see the best of Hogwarts compete against two visiting schools - one of those school will be from Bulgaria. Since we now suspect Riddle has all the details of this tournament, it's being changed as we speak. The competing schools were originally due to arrive in Scotland for Halloween, they will now arrive in time for the Merlin Ball - with the first task taking place around Halloween. These details will also be in the Daily Prophet, spoiling the big reveal at Hogwarts on the first of September."

The mere thought of visiting schools threw up many questions from this inquisitive group of Hogwarts students, most of which were answered over a lovely 'brunch'. Barchoke had taken his son aside, there were things he needed to discuss with Harry before he headed off to Hogwarts.

-oOoOo-

Severus found his welcome in this now familiar office to be far more cordial than on his previous visits, a reaction that he'd been noticing more and more since replacing that hated tattoo on his arm with a dragon.

""Good evening, Potions Master Snape, please take a seat. I have a proposition for you, one you have my assurance that the choice of whether to accept will be purely yours to make. All I ask is that you at least give it some thought.""

He would certainly agree to mull over whatever Barchoke wanted to talk with him about, and his curiosity now had Severus wanting to find out exactly what this proposition was. The good thing about dealing with goblins was he didn't have to wait too long before discovering just what that proposition entailed.

""Professor Slughorn is claiming that the attack on the World Cup Final proves Britain isn't safe anymore, he just handed Augusta his resignation from Hogwarts. Personally, I believe it was being the only Hogwarts Professor not invited to the Baron's Fayre that put his nose seriously out of joint, he's just using the attack as an excuse. Both my son and daughter really can't stand the leech, and wouldn't even consider having him in their home. This leaves an opening for a potions professor at Hogwarts, a job we would all like you to consider - even on a short-term basis. Augusta and Minerva have their hands full making arrangements for this rescheduled tournament, Needing to fill both the potions position and appoint a new head of Slytherin for Monday are serious problems they could do without. You could solve both their problems - even if it was only long enough to allow them to find a replacement for 'Sluggy'.""

Severus just sat there, staring at Barchoke with no idea what to say next.

""I realise this is probably something that, on first hearing, you might not want to do, but I would like you to consider it for two reasons. First, it proves to everyone that you are no death eater, since having the dark mark would prove fatal to anyone trying to enter Hogwarts. Secondly, there is your godson to consider.""

Mentioning Draco clearly pricked Severus' attention so Barchoke concentrated on that area. "'My own son has benefited greatly from having his godfather back in his life, I'm sure the same could be said for Draco. While Sirius has done his best to protect Draco and his mother, I'm positive he would rather have his godfather there to advise him. Draco really is turning into fine young wizard, nothing like his father.""

Still in something of a dither after having this dropped on him out of the blue, Severus asked his first question - more to buy some time until he sorted his own scrambled thoughts on the matter. ""Won't your son have a problem with me being back in Hogwarts?""

""Harry hopes to one day take over from me as Ambassador, I think his decision here shows he might have some flair for the job. The four involved are all of the opinion that you were nothing more than a young wizard caught between two powerful foes, a mere pawn in their grand schemes, and that you genuinely feel remorse for what happened. They won't be taking your classes but neither will they object to you being back in the castle.""

The potions master then broached what Severus would consider the real problem to his returning. ""What about Black and Lupin? We never really got on while at Hogwarts as students, I can't see that changing much if we we're professors together.""

Barchoke was actually grinning at that. ""The Sirius Black that I know probably bears little resemblance to the one you attended Hogwarts with as a student. I explained to Sirius what I wanted from him before he would be allowed back into Harry's life. He had no objections and has done a wonderful job as a godfather to both Harry and Hermione. A certain Astrid Aurora Black being born has also had a tremendous impact on him, nearly as much as Lady Henrica Black. I think you'll find Remus Lupin a changed man too. Basically, they finally grew up - or the fact they both now have witches in their lives who expect better of them might be nearer the truth.""

Weighing up his options, Severus thought it might be nice to teach again. With no Dumbledore, and knowing it wasn't a long term deal, he might actually enjoy it. A short stint teaching at Hogwarts would also 'out' the fact he wasn't a death eater, something worth a lot more than gold to Severus. A spell teaching in Hogwarts would allow him to have it all, be able to live and work in both communities. For the first time, Severus appreciated the dilemma facing Lily's son. That both his mother and chosen mate were muggle born simply added another level of complexity to Harry's problem.

While he'd already made his mind up, it wouldn't do any harm to keep them waiting on his decision. ""Can I sleep on this and give you my answer tomorrow?""

Barchoke was a shrewd enough negotiator to know he already had his man, he graciously allowed the wizard a day's grace.

-oOoOo-

They had been somewhat isolated and immune from the tragedy that had befallen Britain after the cup final, being on the island and then returning to Kingussie. That immunity was stripped away as they faced the harsh reality of frightened people on platform nine and three quarters. While the majority of casualties had been from Bulgarian and Irish quidditch supporters, there were still British witches and wizards who had been murdered most foully that night.

Harry was soon to discover for himself exactly what the British wizarding public thought of Riddle's ploy, though the Prophet had certainly helped set the tone. The entire country was well aware exactly what Riddle was, a ruthless, lying, murdering psychopath with delusions of being a deity. They then asked the simple question of why the country should turn on the only person this maniac seemed afraid of. It had laboured the point that the country's children would be far safer in Hogwarts if the castle's chosen champion was there too - something they should all work together toward achieving.

The young centurion wasn't sure how to handle the first person who came forward to shake his hand, smiling that they now knew their children would be safe at Hogwarts. This action was repeated often as the group slowly made its way along the platform.

McGonagall had officially recognised the Marauders as sanctioned Hogwarts lessons and they were now part of the curriculum, she also recognised the trainers involved. They now all held positions in authority, similar to those of a prefect.

She'd offered badges to signify this but the girls involved had chosen something different. Since Harry had been the instigator of the entire marauders project, they wanted these symbols of rank to reflect that. They would wear epaulets on the shoulders of their robes, similar to the ones he wore indicating Harry was of centurion rank. They would have a silver 'M' for marauder, followed by the yeargroup they were teaching displayed in Roman numerals.

Harry was so touched at their idea, he took it a stage further. Those epaulets were attached to jet black dragonhide duelling robes, the now official uniform of marauder trainers. Tonks was also wearing a set, though coloured to imitate her official auror robes, with even the ministry insignia on them.

Asking Amelia's permission for Tonks to wear the robes as a uniform got an immediate yes, and a request for a price per set to see if she could afford getting more of her aurors protected like this. Tonks herself had objected at the expense until Harry pulled a masterstroke, he told her it was an engagement present. Remus was never going to object to something that kept his wife-to-be safe, a smiling Tonks glancing at the ring on her finger meant the battle was already won. The couple would be receiving another present when everyone recovered from the surprise announcement.

They were quite the sight as they strolled along the platform, dressed in uniform. Even the Weasleys had arrived early and there was now sixteen trainers in black dragonhide on the platform. They certainly had a calming effect on the parents who felt their children would be safer with these people around. Amelia had flooded the platform with aurors but these trainers would be in the castle every day along with their children.

It had soon gotten out just how well some of these trainers had acquitted themselves at the world cup, not something Amos was likely to stop boasting about anytime soon, and they had all witnessed the demonstrations at the Baron's Fayre. The parents certainly wanted their children learning these skills.

Susan and Blaise had talked about which members of Crow's Maraders they wanted to help them with the new first year, they would wait until they could meet with Daphne and Terry before any decisions were finalised, Harry had another four robes that would be handed out then.

Parvati was on Blaise's arm and thought the new robes made him appear even more handsome. He'd asked her if they could give being a couple another try and she must have cried for an hour while clinging tightly to him. She'd been an idiot, chasing fun and adventure while ignoring what she already had. Her sister's words were finally getting through her thick skull. Sitting with Blaise's arm around her as the sun sank into the sea wasn't boring - Parvati now though it was bloody wonderful.

She would have a lot more time to listen to her sister from now on. While still a Griffindor, Parvati Patil would be bunking in Ravenclaw. It couldn't be helped that she would still share some classes with Lavender but her father had made it perfectly clear, that would be as far as their interaction went. Parvati now realised how much she'd hurt her parents with her behaviour, that would not be happening again.

Natalie raced over to join the group, with Euan in one hand and Orla in her other. They were soon joined by a pair of excited Creevey boys and Pauline Nott. Since Luna had travelled with them, Harry was delighted to see all six Potter Scholarship students clearly happy to see one another again.

Unsure of what reception they would receive, and not wanting their brother put at any risk whatsoever, they had said their goodbyes to all three Grangers in Kingussie. With the Blacks already in Hogwarts, that left the Longbottoms and Patils to escort the group to the express. They were saying their farewells when Harry notice a little girl in tears, he made his way over and knelt beside her.

"Hey, Maggie, what's wrong?"

It took her a moment to answer through her tears. "I want to go on the train with Denis and Colin. I want to go to Hogwarts too!"

His arm went comfortingly around the little girl who still wore her hat from the fayre. "Do you see that girl there with the long red hair?"

"Is that Ginny? Colin says she's a friend of his."

"Yes, that's Ginny Weasley. She had to stand exactly where you are now many, many, times. You see, Ginny has six older brothers who all went to Hogwarts before her. She eventually got to go too, and still had four of her brothers at Hogwarts when she got there. Your time will come, Maggie, and Colin and Denis will still be there. You might even have one of them taking your marauder club by then."

Her eyes went wide at that thought, Harry used Maggie's distraction to touch the tip of his knife to her now battered hat. That her hat was instantly like new drew a gasp from the little nine year old Creevey. "I'll make sure Colin and Denis write to you at least once a week, the Christmas holidays will be here before you know it."

As Harry left to take Hermione's arm while she boarded the train, his mate couldn't resist gently teasing him. "What is it with you and young damsels in distress at this station?"

"I know how bad I felt leaving Jamie earlier, I just had to help..."

This saw him being gently kissed. "Not something I will ever complain about, love. It's still hard to believe it was only three years ago you helped an eleven year old Hermione Granger onto this train..."

Hermione was now the one being kissed as Harry wished her a happy anniversary, they'd now been best friends for exactly three years - three wonderful years.

-oOoOo-

Sirius was also reminiscing with the girl in his arms, he was walking around the empty Hogwarts corridors while chatting to Astrid. Sirius was so engrossed telling his daughter a funny story that he almost walked right into Severus Snape.

"Oh, hello - sorry about that, I was so busy talking to my daughter that I didn't see you. I heard you were returning to Hogwarts..."

"Yes, I was asked to come back and help out. I'm pleased to see your daughter takes after her mother, in looks at least..." While his comment could be considered sarcasm, there was no hint of malice - or Snape's usual sneer.

Sirius actually laughed at that. "Well, since my wife's beauty could only one day hope to be matched by our daughter's, I'll certainly take that as a compliment. Things have really changed, Severus, and I mean really changed. The head of the House of Black is married to a veela while teaching muggle studies, my mother must be spinning in her grave. Our godsons are at the forefront of that change. If Draco and Harry can become such good friends, do you think we could at least stop being enemies?"

"Since we will one day be family, I suppose we really should try." Seeing Sirius' confusion almost had Severus smiling, almost. "Isn't Pansy Black betrothed to my godson?"

This had Sirius laughing again. "Now there's something I didn't consider when I set that betrothal up. Ah well, too late to change it now." His wide smile indicated Sirius had no intention of changing anything.

"I want to thank you for that, I know how close those two are..."

"Sorry but that's not something I can take the credit for, I just helped out where I could. Pansy approached Hermione and Padma for help with stopping her father breaking her betrothal to Draco. Those two witches make the marauders look as if we weren't really trying. However, I really want to thank you for giving Harry that photo album. It couldn't have been easy for you, and it's one of his most prized possessions."

"When I look at your godson I don't really see his father, though some of his actions are pure Lily."

"I would have to disagree with you there, Severus. The more I see Harry, the more I see it's his father's influence that has moulded him into the person he is today. His sense of honour and the code by which he lives his life is pure Barchoke, something I have no complaints about. I ruined my chances of ever raising Harry when I chased after Peter, I'm delighted to see you grabbing the opportunity to get back into Draco's life."

"No one's told Draco, have they?"

"No, it will be quite the surprise. Harry and Neville were consulted, which means their girls know too. Those four though know how to keep a secret. Just back and already pulling pranks, way to go, Severus."

The baby in his arms gave a little happy gurgle at her father's antics, an action that saw Sirius' entire face light up with joy. "I need to complete Astrid's tour and get her back to our apartment. With Henrica actually teaching more classes than me, Astrid and I will be spending a lot of time together. I need all the help I can get to make her a daddy's girl. You've met her mother - she's pretty special."

As Sirius made his way down the corridor, still chatting away to the beautiful baby in his arms, Severus was left certain of only one thing. There had been some really big changes during his time at Gringotts.

-oOoOo-

Dolores was sitting in her Hogwarts apartment, struggling to get her shaking under control. As she glanced around her new accommodation, it wasn't the decor that interested Dolores. Those thick stone castle walls were very comforting, but not nearly as comforting as being behind those wonderful wards that denied access to witches and wizards branded with the dark mark.

Her own home didn't possess those wards, hence how Lestrange and Rookwood were able to bypass that security and enter her bedroom. Dolores had never met Voldemort and, if Lestrange was any guide, she never wanted to. That was one crazy witch, and she was certain only Rookwood's presence saved her from getting up close and personal with Lestrange's knife. They wanted information, information Dolores didn't have to give. With most of the details still to be worked out for the revised tournament, there really wasn't any information she could give them.

At that point, Dolores thought her life was over. There was not one shred of doubt in her mind that Bellatrix would have happily carved her into little pieces, if Rookwood hadn't suggested they needed eyes and ears inside the castle.

Dolores was ordered to write a report and then place it behind a rock, well outside the castle wards, on the path from Hogwarts to Hogsmeade. Since she wasn't a professor, she could easily leave the castle and stroll down to the village any given Saturday. They wanted a report every second Saturday, and would be watching the route to see where she bent down to take a stone out of her shoe.

This was the dilemma responsible for her shaking, trying to decide what to do next. The way Dolores saw it, she had three choices. She could do as they ordered, which would see her end up in Azkaban if she was ever caught. There was also the option of going to Bones, however the ministry would probably just use her as a decoy in the hope of catching Voldemort. She was not Baron Crow, there would be no public uproar because Dolores Umbridge would simply be considered expendable. Her final choice was just to stay safely in the castle, hoping against hope that Voldemort would be defeated before she had to leave next summer.

She had at most two weeks before the decision was made for her. Dolores' non-appearance at Hogsmeade two weekends in a row would put her right near the top of Voldemort's shit list.

Thinking it would be expected of her, since they had worked in the same department, Dolores had visited Bertha in St Mungo's. She never wanted to end up like that, Dolores now knew for certain that some things were certainly worse than death - she'd seen one with her own eyes.

-oOoOo-

Harry was handing out marauder robes to the four new trainers, delighted with the choices that had been made. Luna and Colin's experience looking after the younger Potter Scholars had made them a natural choice for this responsibility. Since Ginny had also thrown herself into helping the younger students, she too was a good choice. Lyra Burns was a Slytherin who had taken to the marauders like a duck to water, she had embraced the concept of no barriers and worked really hard every week.

The four Slytherin trainers all agreed she was the strongest supporter of their cause in the house of snakes, so Lyra now took that number up to five. The two Gryffindors pushed their house representation up to five too, Luna's inclusion meant the Ravenclaw contingent was still the largest, seven marauder trainers in all. With only Cedric, Susan and Hannah from Hufflepuff, they might have looked to increase that number. Susan was adamant though that they had picked the four best people for the job.

Crow's Marauders were considered mature enough that the four friends thought they could handle the group themselves. They would still have the quartet of Crows, who would now be helping the first years, in their group if they needed any help organising a particular exercise. Draco, Pansy, Hannah and Morag would continue with their own marauders, taking over next year when the four prefects entered their N.E.W.T. year and bowed out. Their long term plan saw marauder classes running until the students being taught reached their fifth year, with lesson plans being passed down the line from trainers to trainers.

Producing future trainers was crucial to the continuation of the program, which was why Harry had introduced the robes. Witnessing the awe that Denis now held his elder brother in, Harry would bet there would be a letter getting sent home tonight, was exactly the reaction he'd hoped to achieve. Here was something for the students to aspire to, something to aim for that could be in their grasp in only two short years.

News of the four new trainers being appointed spread a little happiness along the train.

-oOoOo-

Albus Dumbledore read the latest news from Britain and it ignited a little flame of happiness in him too. It was now time for his return.

A\N Thanks for reading.

88. He's Back Too!

Harry Crow

Disclaimer - JKR owns Harry Potter, I'm just delighted she allows all of us to have some fun playing within the world she created. Since none of us are being paid for the hours we spent writing these stories, while reading, could you please remember that this really is written just for a bit of fun.

Chapter 88

There were a fair number of students who could now see the thestrals pulling the carriages to Hogwarts. Simply because they had attended the quidditch world cup final, they had found themselves sucked into the horror that followed. With so much death around, very few who had been in those woods that night had not witnessed at least one person die. The prefects and marauder trainers started work early, comforting those who were upset and ensuring everyone made it up to the castle. Since Padma was sticking to Parvati like glue tonight, Harry, Hermione, Draco, Pansy and the Weasley twins were on the last carriage heading up to the castle.

George wasn't going to let a little thing like having part of his ear bitten off get him down. The jokes were coming thick and fast but Harry and Hermione had the last laugh. The Slitheren couple and the Gryffindor twins froze as they entered the great hall, four pairs of eyes were now fixed on a certain individual sitting at the staff table. They were not by any means the only students staring in that direction, they were the ones Harry and Hermione were laughing at though. This saw the focus of their four friends switch to them, a smiling Harry answered their unasked questions.

"Yes, Fred and George, we will still have our potions lessons from Master Pitslay. No, Draco and Pansy, the wards were not altered to accommodate Professor Snape."

"But, how..."

"There's a very simple answer, Draco. You can't enter Hogwarts bearing a dark mark, therefore Professor Snape doesn't have one. No dark mark means he's not a death eater." The smirk on Hermione's face as she said that gave the game away, at least to the Slytherins.

"You knew, and didn't tell us!"

Harry was smiling to as they made their way into the hall and toward their tables. "Sorry Draco, your godfather wanted to surprise you."

Hermione couldn't help but channel her inner Padma. "I think he surprised a lot more people than his godson."

Such was the esteem Harry and Hermione were held inside Hogwarts, seeing them smiling and laughing about this instantly put the message out that Snape's return was not a problem.

The first years were led in, taking Hermione's thoughts back to her own sorting. She hoped tonight's passed off with a bit less drama than theirs had, they were all hoping for a quiet year.

The hat surprised everyone by singing this year's message, watching Sirius and Remus almost choking with laughter answered the question of where the ancient Hogwarts artefact had heard Johnny Cash songs. Hermione recognised the tune at once, 'I Walk the Line' being one of her father's favourite songs. A certain muggle studies professor would appear to have gotten the first prank of the year in, if you didn't count Professor Snape sitting at the staff table as a prank.

With his surname being Abercrombie, Euan was first to be sorted. He couldn't hide his delight at 'Hufflepuff' being shouted and shot off the stool to join a loudly cheering Natalie, forgetting to take the hat off his head.

Denis was every bit as pleased to be joining Colin in Gryffindor while Orla couldn't help but smile at the warm welcome she received when the hat shouted 'Ravenclaw'. She was quiet throughout the feast until Morag called out to her.

"Dinna fash yirsel, Orla, ye'r amongst mukkers noo. Ye'll find yer accent wull soon even oot, mines ainlie kicks in noo whin ah git pure crabbit."

All Morag's friends knew her accent was never as thick as that, they had barely understood one word in three there, but the smile of pure joy on Orla's face meant nothing would be getting said. The hat put Orla in Ravenclaw and they would be doing their best to help any Claw that needed it, irrespective of her being a Potter Scholar.

When Madam Longbottom stood to announce the Tri-wizard Tournament would be held in Hogwarts this year, she received a muted response. Even mentioning the other two schools who would be competing didn't generate any excitement, to most of the hall they were just a pair of names. Mentioning that quidditch would be cancelled this year certainly upped the ante, just not in the way the staff might have hoped. The no quidditch declaration created quite an uproar. When it quietened down, only one person was left standing.

Ron had of course read the papers and knew about the tournament that would be held in Hogwarts. Since this was going to be the year he made his play to join the quidditch team, he'd asked his father how the school was going to run both. Ron had known quidditch was going to be cancelled and had come prepared, this was his dream they were messing with and he was ready to fight for it. Between asking his father questions and even reading the relevant chapters in a few books, Ron had for once done his homework

"Madam Longbottom, I must protest that decision. There are students in this school hoping to make a career from quidditch, cancelling a year so only one person from Hogwarts can compete in this tournament is unfair on the rest of us. Between the Baron's Fayre and the World Cup Final, quidditch has never had such a high profile. Contacts have been made, contacts that will soon be forgotten about if there is no quidditch this year. The last game a lot of us watched ended up with some of us fighting for our lives. I love quidditch and don't want that to be our memory of the sport."

Even Ron's own siblings were looking at him and wondering where their real brother was, the rest of the school were too surprised to even comment. It was well known he was obsessed with the sport, that he'd just put forward a reasoned defence of why quidditch shouldn't be cancelled was the surprise.

Augusta was going to have to disappoint him though. "I'm sorry, Mr Weasley, we simply won't have the time to organise both."

Ron then turned to the last person the great hall expected him to go to for aid. "Harry, mate. You managed to organise an entire fayre - including two quidditch matches with professional teams. Could you help us out here?"

Harry was just about to say he wouldn't even know where to start when the decision was taken out of his hands.

Dolores had watched this brat challenge things she'd soon be arranging and wasn't best pleased. When the carrot then tried to involve the Crow cretin, she exploded. "Sit down, boy. There are things happening here that are a lot more important than some school quidditch games. The ministry are backing the Tri-wizard tournament, and it has absolutely nothing to do with Crow."

To be fair to Ron, he stood his ground. "Hogwarts has anatomy… atoynamy…the ministry has no say in Hogwarts business - it can't cancel quidditch. Harry, please…"

"Sit down when you're told, boy…" Delores was halted in her rant by another boy standing, this one was an entirely different matter.

Harry slowly stood, his new dragonhide robe emphasising not only his height but his broad shoulders too. With his long black hair, imposing green eyes, badges of rank on his shoulders and sword at his hip, Centurion Crow appeared every inch the Hogwarts Champion he was.

Even Dolores didn't interrupt him when he spoke, especially since he was staring straight at her. "Three years ago, this very night, Hogwarts appointed me her champion. I was asked many times what that meant, and I had to honestly answer that I hadn't a clue. I have since learned however, and I'll give all of you that answer now. Hogwarts isn't a castle, it isn't a particular headmaster or person, Hogwarts is an idea. An idea that witches and wizards of whatever background can come together to learn magic."

The hall was silent now, Even Hermione hadn't heard this from Harry before. "Hogwarts was sick of people abusing that idea for their own ends, be that certain groups or even individuals, trying to twist those ideals to prop up their own agenda. She made me her champion in the hope I could put a stop to that, I'm doing my best…"

This actually started a few people clapping, the applause soon becoming thunderous. Harry eventually had to hold his hand up for quiet, he had more to say. "This here is who I champion, the students of Hogwarts - one of whom was just given short shrift. People who know me will understand I'm not a fan of quidditch, nor could Ronald and I be considered friends. He stood though and made some very good points, points that should not see him being shouted down by someone who is merely a visitor in the castle. Hogwarts doesn't recognise Madam Umbridge as having any authority over the students inside this castle, she is here as a ministerial advisor to this tournament - nothing more."

Augusta was glaring daggers at Dolores and couldn't miss seeing Harry's barb hit home. Madam high and mighty Umbridge would simply hate being put in her place by Harry Crow.

"Madam Longbottom, I think the reactions shown here tonight indicate that the vast majority of the students want to continue with the quidditch matches. What would you need for that to happen?"

Again Dolores exploded. "I will not have some school quidditch matches overshadowing my tournament…"

Harry was on her before anyone else got the chance. "Your tournament? Well that certainly ends my interest in it. It can't be much of a tournament if Hufflepuff playing Ravenclaw overshadows it."

He once more turned his attention back to Augusta. "I'm assuming these two schools will bring more than one student with them? What if we invited them to put up quidditch teams too? We could have four house teams plus one from each school competing in a friendly tournament, I'm pretty sure I could convince Gringotts to come up with some prizes - if Hogwarts or the ministry didn't want that honour."

Watching Umbridge's complexion turn puce actually brought a smile to Augusta's face. "That sounds like a wonderful suggestion, Centurion, but it doesn't solve the problem of the staff being too busy to administer the thing."

"Ma'am, we have four quidditch captains who could organise the schedules, ensuring the dates didn't clash with any you wanted kept clear. We used professional referees at the fayre, that arrangement could stand again. The students on duty at the fayre did a wonderful job of directing the crowds where they needed to go, they too could easily do the same for these matches. It would also be easy to ensure they got the day off those duties when their house is playing. The prefects and marauder trainers could organise schedules for that as part of their duties. The fayre at Kingussie proved that when Hogwarts works together - anything is possible. We can do this, Madam Longbottom."

"Centurion, I want you to meet with the quidditch captains and sort a plan out. They will then present it to the staff at our meeting on Friday evening. This is not a yes, but it's not a no either."

That was good enough for Hogwarts, the cheering this time was everything a now livid Umbridge was hoping to hear for the Tri-wizard Tournament. She stormed back to her rooms, Dolores had a report to write. When little shits like that gained power, it was time to take some action to restore the natural balance back to where it should be.

Orla was sitting with her jaw hanging open. Luna was beside her so the new first year asked her blonde friend a question. "Is it aye lik' this at Hogwarts?"

Luna, resplendent in her new black dragonhide robes, could only smile at the awestruck little witch. "When any of our four are involved, I would have to say that would usually be a yes."

Orla's answer of 'Stoatin' may have confused Luna, her meaning was clear though from the wide smile she wore. It looked like they were in for another interesting year at Hogwarts.

Harry was talking with Roger, the reason why his friend wasn't appointed quidditch captain this year now clear. "I'm gonna need your help again, I still know nothing about quidditch - except Hermione looks good in a Harpies jersey. Then again, Hermione looks good in anything."

"Nice save there, Harry. I'll talk to the people involved, and see what we can come up with."

"Roger, could you include Ron in that? It was kinda his idea, and it took a lot of guts to get up and say what he did."

"Sure, Harry. Without him, there wouldn't be any quidditch this year. By the way, is that the same Umbridge who challenged you to a duel at the Ministry Ball a couple of years ago?"

"The very same, Roger. That was why I referred to her as a visitor. She will have some say in whoever enters the tournament, but none whatsoever in the day to day running of Hogwarts. I get the feeling Madam Longbotom and Professor McGonagall will soon be pointing that out to her."

They found themselves then being joined by Cedric. "Harry, they obviously knew there would be no quidditch this year. I'm the only quidditch captain currently in Hogwarts, since the other three all left at the summer and the Hogwarts staff didn't appoint new ones."

It was actually Hermione who offered up a simple solution, from a non-quidditch perspective. "Since this won't be an official Hogwarts Tournament, couldn't the players just get together and pick their own captain?"

Fred and George had arrived by that time and thought that was a great idea - except for one thing. Both of their girlfriends would be up for the job. People were dropping over to say goodnight before they headed off to their own houses. Harry was having a quick word with a happy Euan when Susan supplied the twins with a solution to their problem.

"Well, McGonagall set the precedent when she made the both of you prefects, why not have Angelina and Alicia as joint captains? Gryffindor are only looking to fill one position anyway."

"That's a great idea, Susan, thanks. We think that's what got Ron so riled up, he's hoping to try out for keeper this year."

The now excited students headed off to their dorms, very few of them were talking about the Tri-wizard Tournament. Eternal glory didn't really wash, since none of them had heard of the tournament before - far less the names of any previous winners. The thousand galleon prize had generated a fair degree of enthusiasm, until they discovered that only those of age could enter. Since that didn't apply to over eighty percent of the students, what was there left about this tournament to get excited about.

-oOoOo-

Parvati was excited to discover she had her own room, one that was placed between Padma and Hermione's. However, she was more excited about the welcome she had received in Ravenclaw. She had simply been accepted into their house without any fuss whatsoever.

"How are you settling in?"

"Oh Padma, it's great. A bit quieter than I'm used to…"

"Yeah, that's us Ravenclaws for you, quiet and reserved." This got both of them giggling, the number of scrapes a certain Ravenclaw trio got themselves into could hardly be classed as quiet or reserved.

"With our timetable being the same as last year, I was wondering if we could keep Tuesday evenings free, for just some Patil girl time?"

"That would be great, what about Hermione?"

"Oh, she's planning on using that to have some Harry time, the advantage of having a boyfriend who's in the same house as you." After a goodnight hug, it was time for bed. They had classes in the morning.

-oOoOo-

They started the year off with double transfiguration, Professor McGonagall telling them that this year would be the last that the current O.W.L. exam would be in operation. Their exam would be considerably different the following year. It would be seventy percent practical, but those practical levels would be nearer the current N.E.W.T. standard. They were working on what type of questions to ask for the written part and they would mainly consist of essays.

There were no groans from anyone in the class as they were given an essay to write as homework, this was easily their lightest subject for that particular activity. Professor McGonagall saying their essays would be sent away to the examination board to assist them with producing their final exam, and a marking system, put slightly more pressure on. They still spent most of the double period with their wands in their hands.

They were holding back at the end of the class, McGonagall wanting a quick word with Parvati, when Ron approached the group.

"Harry, I just wanted to say thanks for your support last night. Without it, I was gonna be on to a hiding. You're a decent bloke, Harry." Having said his piece, Ron left the four friends and Blaise rather stunned.

"Are we sure that's Ronald Weasley? What are the chances of that being someone else polyjuiced to fool us all."

Neville had to disagree with his betrothed. "Sorry love, he still snores exactly like Ron. You would need something better than polyjuice to pull that off."

Padma then asked the question she wanted to ask Neville, just not while Parvati was around. "How did Gryffindor react to Lavender?"

"For a Gryffindor to drop a fellow housemate into trouble, purely so they could protect themselves, is not behaviour becoming of Godric's house. She kept quiet while her father pushed all the blame onto Parvati, Lavender will now have to get used to that quiet. Very few in Gryffindor wanted anything to do with her, she certainly stayed well away from me, Colin and Ginny."

Blaise could understand that reaction, in Slytherin their treatment would probably be a lot worse. "Parvati said she enjoyed her first night in Ravenclaw, it's time for all of us to put this behind us. Lavender made her bed, let her lie in it."

At that, Parvati came out and Blaise offered his arm, the three couples made their way to lunch.

An excited Draco was waiting on them in the great hall, he had some news to share. "My godfather has offered to be staff sponsor for our marauders tonight. Sirius is gonna stick with the Crows while Remus wants to work with the new first year. Henrica has her hands full with Astrid and wanted to give the marauders a miss this year."

Padma just couldn't resist. "That's brilliant, Draco, you get to tell Fred and George though." Watching Draco's face fall had all of them laughing, that should be a good meeting tonight.

The four oldest trainers actually cornered Harry later for a quick word.

"We know you know more than you're saying..."

"We don't need to know what you know..."

"We just need to know Snape can be trusted..."

Harry was left with his usual feeling when faced with the twins, only this time it was slightly different. "You know guys, that whole twin-speak thing you do is a lot less effective now we can tell you apart."

It was Roger who attempted to get things back on course. "Seriously Harry, we just need to know if Snape has another agenda for volunteering. We've no intention of letting anyone spoil something we all consider to be one of the best things that's happened in Hogwarts for generations."

"If I'm reading this right, and I'm sure I am, it's simply a way to spend some time with his godson, Draco. You guys just do what you'd normally do, take the class and forget your sponsor's there. Any advice he gives at the end of the night should be listened to, just the same as if it was from Henrica or Remus."

That seemed to settle them down, Harry then caught up with Hermione as they headed off to arithmancy. Dinner that evening was followed by the first marauder class of the year. There was another eight trainers putting their heads together while going over how they would handle the new first years tomorrow night. They had a tremendous advantage over the other groups however, four trainers who had come through the class as students.

The four friends were taking it easy tonight, they knew their training kicked back in tomorrow. After what happened at the cup final, they were anticipating that training being intensified.

-oOoOo-

By the time Master Pitslay arrived for their potions lesson on Friday afternoon, it was beginning to feel like they'd never been away from Hogwarts. He surprised the class by assigning every one of them a different potion to brew. It was all potions they had already covered in their last term, but it was a short, sharp, shock form of revision. With the use of their wonderful potions books, and looking back at the copious notes everyone made while originally preparing their potion, all managed to brew what they'd been allocated to a standard that pleased their tutor. It was a smiling Master Pitslay who then informed them what potions they would be brewing first thing Monday morning.

They were all looking forward to the weekend, though the four would have a slight change to their training schedule. They would still work with Bill in the mornings, but their afternoons would now see them taking those lessons from Sirius in the Blacks' apartment. This would allow all of them to spend some time together, while Harry of course got to see his goddaughter.

There was still the not so small matter of settling whether there would be quidditch played at Hogwarts this year, Harry had attended the preliminary meetings but intended to let the captains sort this one out with the staff themselves. Roger, Cedric, Alecia, Angelina and Adrian Pucey of Slytherin set off, with much cheering from their fellow students urging them on. They had crossed the T's and dotted the I's of their proposal, with only the dates needing to be settled. With McGonagall's love of the sport well known, no one was taking bets on it not happening.

-oOoOo-

Severus couldn't believe what was happening, here was as graphic a demonstration as you could ask for on how much things had changed. The quidditch captains were making a quite compelling case for why there should still be quidditch played at Hogwarts this year, and they were being listened to by the staff. In the past, Albus would have fed them some patronising spiel, patted them on the head before sending them on their way. Hogwarts ran the way he wanted it to, end of story.

Augusta was also on the mark, putting Umbridge in her place before the meeting even got started. Pointing out that, since Dolores was a guest of Hogwarts, she could attend the meeting if she wanted but would play no part in the discussions - or any decisions made.

Watching two of the captains took Severus back to the other night and his first look at this defence club, to say he was amazed would be an understatement. Not only was the content being taught well thought out and delivered brilliantly, watching Draco and Pansy seamlessly partner the Weasley Twins was a revelation. Minerva couldn't help rubbing his nose in it by pointing out Fred and George's O.W.L. marks more than merited the badges they wore. He could also have done without hearing they would be sitting their potions N.E.W.T. a year early, or that their tutor expected them to match the Outstanding they received for their O.W.L.

The captains were proposing two leagues of three teams, the winner of each league playing one another in the final. Their schedule of two games in the weeks leading up to the first two tasks, followed by the last two league matches and the quidditch final being contested in the run up to the last task made perfect sense to everyone in the meeting. Adding that the students themselves would organise and steward the matches too ticked all the boxes.

Umbridge was sitting there almost ready to burst with anger, that certainly helped make up the minds of any staff who were still undecided, the quidditch proposal received a unanimous yes vote.

As the meeting ended, Severus found himself being approached by Henrica - her daughter in her arms.

"What did you think of the marauders club? I worked with them last year, until this little lady made it impossible to continue."

"I really wouldn't know where to start. Watching students just beginning second year yet being able to cast shields was only one of the surprises."

"I think what first struck me when Harry started with the Crows was how careful they were not to let house barriers carry over into their club. Each team was always a mixture of houses, and even sexes, it's paid dividends throughout the school."

"Watching Draco and Pansy work with the Weasley twins is something that will take a while to fully accept what my eyes are telling me."

"Draco, Pansy, Hannah and Morag take over the running of that club next year. This was an idea that started because of Dumbledore's latest disaster of a defence professor, it's now something they want to see continued for generations to come. It's something I hope is still running when Astrid and Jamie come to Hogwarts."

Living under Gringotts, it would be hard not to know the 'Jamie' Henrica was referring to would be Jamie Granger. That Miss Granger's parents had chosen to have their son being born in Gringotts, rather than St Mungo's or some muggle medical facility, was looked upon as another plus sign in their admiration of Miss Granger - a witch they'd taken to their hearts. She had made as much of an impact on goblin culture as her mate had on the wizarding version. Given that Harry had that whole 'boy-who-lived' thing of a head start, Hermione's popularity was a quite remarkable achievement.

"I don't know how long I'll actually be teaching in Hogwarts, but it's a program I'm happy to be associated with as long as I'm here."

"Two men who refuse to admit they're just happy to spend some time with their godsons. You and Sirius are more alike than either of you would care to admit…"

Once more, there was no malice in Severus' words. "Lady Black, I see no need for you to be insulting."

Henrica's musical laugh further infuriated an already livid Dolores. Seeing this beautiful witch, standing there with a baby in her arms, and she had a pureblood lord for a husband, did something to Dolores' insides. Whether or not it was jealousy didn't really matter, her mind was now set on its path - the one to Hogsmeade that is. Dolores would be looking for a rock to hide her report under this Saturday.

When you had creatures breeding with purebloods, and werewolves as professors, it was time to take some action. The fact she wouldn't actually have to meet with Lestrange was certainly a bonus. Dolores was sure the dark lord would be most interested in how a 'former' death eater had managed to enter the new Hogwarts wards.

-oOoOo-i

Hermione was worried, today was her birthday and Harry hadn't mentioned it at all. The chances of him having forgotten about her special day were nil, leaving Hermione to think he was planning something - and that's what had her worried. Being a goblin, Harry considered a person's birthday to be their most important day of the year. As she was the most important person in the world to her mate, there was no telling what Harry had up his sleeve by way of a surprise.

Meeting Padma first, Hermione was greeted with a hug, kiss and best wishes for a happy birthday. Her best friend would certainly be in on anything Harry had planned but Padma was very good at keeping secrets.

Padma easily read the worry in Hermione and tried to put her mind at rest. "Trust me, Hermione, you'll love it. Now, let's not keep our men waiting."

They made their way down the stairs to the Ravenclaw common room, where Padma then made herself scarce so the waiting Harry could wish Hermione a proper happy birthday.

It was a good ten minutes later when the two couples met at the main doors, Neville offering a now ruffled but smiling Hermione best birthday wishes before the quartet set off for their morning run.

The girls were running in front, Padma trying not to giggle at the wide smile Hermione was wearing. "So, getting kissed as a fifteen year old is apparently a lot better than when you're fourteen. May can't come quickly enough if I'm gonna feel like that."

"I don't need gifts or whatever Harry has planned for today, just him waiting for me in the morning is all I'll ever need."

"I know that, and so does Harry. That's why he goes all out to make your birthday special. You will love it, just play along and do what he says."

Doing what she was asked found Hermione getting dressed smart, but casual. They had just finished potions where Master Pitslay had given her a rare book on the subject as a birthday gift. After receiving presents from friends all day, Hermione was actually relieved Harry appeared to be taking her out of the castle tonight. When Tonks appeared dressed similarly, with Tonks you were never sure what she was going to wear, here was further confirmation of her theory. If they were leaving the castle, then Tonks would certainly be coming too.

Arriving in Gringotts by Harry's portkey saw them being greeted by father, Hermione dispensing her usual hugs on the Ambassador. She was somewhat surprised to discover that was not their final destination but totally shocked when they next visited the Grangers' house in Crawley. As Harry led her outside, Hermione thought it was time for some answers.

"Harry, I've been a good little girlfriend and played along with everything you've asked. I think we're way past the stage however where I should be getting some answers."

"Well, we're having a bit of a party for you tonight, and then an even bigger party tomorrow. We're going to collect the guest of honour and take him to Kingussie with us."

"Harry, you're not making sense. No one in Crawley can know I'm a witch…" Hermione stopped as one name flashed into her head, Harry's smile told her she got it right.

"We're taking the Reverend Richards to Kingussie. He'll be at your party tonight, and tomorrow will christen our baby brother. I hope you don't mind? We thought that by combining both events, we could all spend the weekend together…" Harry never got to say anymore as Hermione was now showing she didn't mind at all - by kissing him.

-oOoOo-

Robert Richards was as giddy as a schoolboy at the mere thought of spending his weekend with people who could perform magic. He was trying not to think in terms of witches and wizards, to say they received negative press in the book he lived his life by would be an understatement. Having known the Grangers for many years, he'd christened a baby Hermione too, Robert intended to look on Dan and Emma's children as having special abilities. That those abilities could apparently transport him from Crawley to Kingussie in a moment was something he was really looking forward to experiencing.

He had always been a person that questioned everything, even his faith. Robert thought that if his faith couldn't stand up to his questions, then it wasn't really something that he could live his life by. He firmly believed that every person on the planet were God's children, and his mission was to minister to them to the best of his abilities. There was also the fact that, had he not learned of the magical community, he would certainly have christened little Jamie Granger in the church anyway.

His excitement was there for all three to see as Hermione made the introductions, though introducing Tonks as Harry's ministerial protection detail raised his eyebrows.

Harry and Hermione each took one of the reverend's arms, while Tonks lifted his bag, before Harry activated their emergency portkeys - knowing they would take all of them straight to Kingussie.

As his eyes were screwed tightly shut, it was left to a giggling Hermione to tell the Reverend Richards they'd arrived. His eyes were soon open wide as Harry had led them from the training room to their ballroom - a ballroom full of people shouting HAPPY BIRTHDAY HERMIONE!

The people who had already seen Hermione earlier in the day were standing back and letting those who hadn't greet her first, Dan and Emma were at the head of the queue.

After greeting his daughter, Dan moved on to the bewildered reverend and took him under his wing. "Welcome to Kingussie, how was the trip?"

"I feel as if I've just entered a different world, I'm assuming this is why we haven't seen you in Crawley?"

"It's the same world, Robert, just different people. That little man now hugging Hermione is Harry's adoptive father. He may be a goblin but he's one of the most honourable people I've ever met. Neither he nor his son have religion in their lives but their code of ethics that they live those lives by are certainly values Emma and I can support. They both adore Hermione and just look at Harry with Jamie. It's barely been three weeks yet you think our boys hadn't seen each other for months."

Robert watched as a little creature, barely the height of Hermione's waist but certainly not a goblin, hugged the girl before disappearing with two swords he didn't even know the teens had on them. There was then a group of goblin children who greeted the birthday girl, generating a lot of excitement on both sides.

Emma arrived and explained those children actually lived on the estate, and really looked up to Hermione and Harry - in more than just the obvious way. They were all delighted to be invited but watching Hermione's smile told everyone there that Harry had gotten it right.

Robert could really only compare this to some sort of medieval banquet, with Harry and Hermione sitting at the head of the enormous table like the kings and queens of old. The food though was as good as any he'd ever eaten, and the wine certainly a lot better than Robert was used to. What pleased him though was how genuinely happy everyone seemed to be, just by being here. There were clearly a wide range of ages involved, from grandmothers to babies, and also different cultures too. Everyone though was getting along and having fun, no one was here just to be seen.

Emma had finally managed to prise her baby son off the two teens and introduce him to Robert, saying that they were already sure Jamie was magical too. The Reverend Richards looked at this beautiful child and could see no reason why he shouldn't christen the baby tomorrow. He may do so in front of the strangest congregation he'd ever faced but the baby was still a baby - albeit a magical one.

Hermione thought dancing with Harry was simply magical. "I can't believe you managed to do all this and keep it a secret from me, the amount of people who must have known…"

All their friends and family were here, the marauder trainers, the Potter Scholars, their Ravenclaw year mates and even the children and their parents from the glen. Bill, Percy and Penny had also been invited, Bill would still be taking them for their lesson in the morning. That Bill was currently dancing with Jenny Abercrombie raised no eyebrows in this company. Harry knew the young mother would be missing Euan and gave both of them this opportunity to catch up over the weekend.

"They all knew how much it meant to me to make this a surprise, no one was going to say anything. Now I still haven't given you your gift."

"Harry, you've already spoiled me, I don't need any more. Just having you is all I'll ever need."

"Well, that's good - since that's your birthday present. How does Saturday the fourth of August, nineteen ninety-six sound?"

"Like a long way away. What's so special about that day?"

"I intended to see the Reverend Richards and enquire if we could book his services for that day. Since it's going to be our wedding day, I thought I should at least ask you about it first…"

Again Hermione stopped Harry talking by kissing him, this time with even more passion. Apparently she only thought she was happy before, Hermione now felt as if she could fly to the moon unaided.

"I take it that's a yes then? I need to speak to Dan and the Reverend Richards, you just have to pick your bridesmaids…"

"Padma, Luna and Sapphire."

"Something tells me you've already thought about this…"

"Can you hold off speaking with them until tomorrow, I need to talk to Padma first. I want to give her and Neville the option of making it a double wedding, would that be okay with you?"

"Hermione, even if they don't want to make that decision before tomorrow, they can make it a double wedding anytime - up until the day of the ceremony. I don't think we can have our best man and chief bridesmaid suddenly asking the reverend if he could marry them too."

As Neville and Padma were dancing past, Harry smoothly switched partners so they could pass this information on to their best friends. When the couples were reunited for the next dance, Padma and Neville had lots to talk about.

-oOoOo-

The ballroom was now full of chairs, all lined up facing the ceremony that was about to take place at the end of the room. The Reverend had been somewhat shocked to see the baptismal font from his own church sitting there. Dan had to reassure Robert it would be returned to Crawley directly after the service.

Barchoke was sitting beside his children, Luna and Sapphire as he watched the ceremony before him unfold. He thought it was simple yet beautiful ceremony, one where Neville and Padma were very happy to promise to play a prominent role in Jamie's life.

With his own role now changed from that of banker, the Ambassador couldn't help but be amazed at the political statements being made here today. He was well aware that thought had never crossed Dan and Emma's minds, which made this occasion all the more remarkable.

A wizard, born inside Gringotts to muggle parents, was just christened by a muggle with two teens of old pureblood families standing as godparents. Add in the Minister of Magic and The Director sitting in the audience and you couldn't help but see the political significance here. Harry had certainly brought all three cultures closer together, but his baby brother was already continuing that trend.

The fine September day had allowed the elves to set the reception that would follow on the lawn, as it had allowed his Assistant Ambassador to give his lesson outside. The warded area had drawn quite the crowd by the time they had finished, the four older wizards also taking part in the session. Some of the guests had began arriving and Amos Diggory was almost bursting with pride as he caught the end of the lesson.

The reception afterwards was also a big hit, Barchoke had trouble believing his eyes as Rainha cradled Jamie in the crook of her arm. Ragnok's next move totally floored the entire family, at least those who understood the significance of what was happening here.

"Our research concluded that it was traditional to bring a christening gift, it also said that gift should be silver. I hope this meets that criteria?"

When Emma opened the box to see the exquisite silver baby bangle, Harry, Hermione and Ragnok all giving deep bows told her there was more going on here than she realised. "It's beautiful, but obviously has more significance than being a simple bangle. Anyone care to fill us poor dentists in on what's really happening here."

"Mum, the design of Hermione's bracelet signifies she's under my family's protection, as does Amelia's broach. That bangle is The Director's family design, and places Jamie under that family's protection. It is a great honour, one that every goblin will instantly recognise."

Rainha still had a smiling Jamie in her arms, the youngest Granger was loving all the attention he was receiving today. "This beautiful baby has already broken so many barriers, we hope he'll grow up in a world where those same barriers are consigned to history. He will be raised in an environment where magical, muggle or goblin are merely words, not distinctions which define who we are. How could we not offer our support to that."

The Reverend Richards had stuck close to Dan all day. Hearing that though squared away any lingering doubts his conscience was having about this matter, here was the key that unlocked his continued support of these people. That everyone had come to Kingussie to support this child, wishing for him to grow up in an environment that was based on love and rejected hate, was certainly something his beliefs could relate to. This was probably just as well as he found himself agreeing to a few more engagements in Kingussie before the day was out.

Harry though he'd had all the shocks he could handle for one day, that was until a nervous Remus approached him - with a beaming Tonks on his arm.

"Harry, I was wondering...sorry, we were wondering if we could ask you a favour?"

"Ask away, Remus."

"Well, we were going to talk to Reverend Richards and then thought about locations..."

He was interrupted by his impatient fiancee. "What Wolfie here is trying to ask is, can we get married in Kingussie at Christmas? If you say yes, we can ask the Reverend today..."

"I think that would be wonderful, of course you have my permission..." Harry couldn't say anymore as Tonks took a leaf out of Hermione's book and kissed him into silence. She then dragged Remus away before Harry even got time to shake his hand. It would appear Tonks wanted this matter settled before her fiancé could change his mind.

A laughing Hermione approached Harry with Luna and Sapphire. "Looking pretty flustered there, Harry. Should I be worried?"

"I just agreed we'd hold a wedding here at Christmas, does that worry you? Tonks has just dragged Remus off to check on the Reverend's availability - something we need to do too."

Hermione was receiving shocked looks from her two friends at Harry's last comment so just went for it. "I hope you two will be my bridesmaids? We're just waiting on Padma reaching a decision before we start making our own arrangements..."

At that, a very happy couple rushed over and were soon embracing everyone. "Our parents agreed, we want to take you up on your offer..."

Neville could hardly contain his excitement. "Gran pointed out that, as Orders of Merlin holders, we were already of age, and we were only bringing the date forward by a year. After that, they all agreed!"

The four set off to find the reverend before the happy news spread around the entire reception.

-oOoOo-

The news exciting those leaving Master Pitslay's potions lesson wasn't about the imminent arrival of the two schools, the girls were far more interested in Ron Weasley asking Lavender to tomorrow night's Merlin Ball.

Their group was actually the last to arrive where everyone had gathered as a school welcoming committee, Harry having point blank refused to cut their potions lesson short just for this.

Padma wasn't pleased to be standing here either. "What's the big deal about this, we've all seen people apparate or portkey before."

This saw Harry shaking his head. "I don't think that's how they'll be travelling, Padma. Hogwarts has made no provisions to house guests, that means they must be bringing their accommodation with them. I can't see tents being suitable for winter in the Scottish Highlands..."

This led to a few involuntary shivers. It was cold enough inside the castle in winter, no one even wanted to contemplate living outside under canvas.

Cries going up from those nearer the front focused everyone's attention in the direction they were now pointing. Flying over the Forbidden Forest toward the castle were twelve enormous winged palomino horses, pulling a powder blue carriage that was at least the size of a large house. It approached at great speed before landing in front of cheering students.

When the first person exited the carriage, it was soon clear why the structure needed to be the size it was. She was dressed from head to toe in black satin, with many magnificent opals gleaming around her neck. That wasn't what first caught your attention though, this lady was at least as tall as Hagrid.

She was approached by Augusta and Minerva, who both seemed pleased to her. "Madame Maxime, a warm welcome to Hogwarts to you and your students."

"Augusta, Minerva, 'ow are you both? If zis is warm, I dread your winter. Are ze ozers 'ere yet?"

Seeing about fifteen French students shivering in their thin robes, Minerva made a suggestion. "Not yet, Olympe. Why don't you take your students into the castle, where it's warmer."

"But ze 'orses...

Hagrid practically bowled people out of his path as he rushed straight for this vision. "Don' yeh worry yer pretty little head about tha'. I'll look after those magnificent horses."

Olympe's dark eyes were locked on those of Hagrid. "My 'orses only drink single malt whiskey..."

"Well they'll enjoy their stay here, Scotland invented tha' drink."

Padma was giggling as the French students followed their headmistress into the castle. "Harry, you might need to ask Hogwarts to make the dance floor bigger for tomorrow's ball. I think we may have just spotted Hogwarts newest couple."

Now with some idea of what to expect, keen eyes were watching to spot the Bulgarians arriving. Those eyes were soon drawn to the Black Lake. Large bubbles started appearing in the still, dark water, soon there were waves lapping against the shore. A gurgling sound preceded a whirlpool appearing in the lake. It was like someone had pulled the plug out of a giant bathtub, except this one now had a pole sticking out of it.

As more of the structure was revealed, all those waiting could now see it was a sailing ship. As the ship made its way to the shore, the anchor had barely splashed into the lake when a gangplank made the connection from ship to shore.

Neville was not alone in expressing his opinion the Bulgarian's arrival was cool. They were also a lot more prepared for the Scottish Highland weather with cloaks that had thick fur collars. This may have masked their features but their was no mistaking the figure leading them toward the castle.

The students of Durmstrang were being triumphantly led into Hogwarts by someone they all instantly recognised, Albus Dumbledore.

A/N Thanks for reading

89. Goblet of Fire

Harry Crow

A/N I was delighted by the reaction to my last chapter, I had been planning Dumbledore returning like that for about a year. That no reader guessed, or any other author wrote, that particular twist was particularly pleasing.

I was also contacted by a lot of people on my reactions to Jo Rowling's comments regarding Harry & Hermione, here's my take on the matter.

Without the 'one big happy Weasley family', there wouldn't be a RobSt. It was the perceived wrongness of this outcome, along with that horrible epilogue, that started me writing.

Unless Jo decides to one day publish an alternative Deathly Hallows, nothing has changed - and that means there will be another RobSt chapter next weekend. Hope to see you then - Robert

Chapter 89

The old wizard marched straight up to the two witches in charge with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Order of Merlin, First Class, Transfiguration Professor and Deputy Headmaster of Durmstrang Institute of Magic - at your service, ladies. Our headmaster, Professor Karkaroff, sends his apologies. Personal reasons prevented him being here, so that duty then fell to me..."

Minerva couldn't hold back any longer. "You have some nerve, Dumbledore, waltzing back in here as if you own the place. The great Albus Dumbledore ran away and left us in our hour of need, a sixty foot basilisk had to be dealt with by four second years."

"I think you'll find I was suspended, Minerva..."

"Don't you Minerva me, you lost that right a long time ago. You scurried away from Scotland with your tail between your legs, right before you could be sacked. I'll tell you this to your face, Dumbledore, you're not welcome in Hogwarts. Start messing with my students and I'll smack you one!"

"Well, it's nice to see the spirit of international cooperation being so warmly embraced. If this is your version of a Highland welcome then it's not very hospitable. Come, students, I know the way. Follow me."

The Durmstrang students fell in behind Dumbledore with military precision, they marched in a column of twos and followed their Deputy Headmaster.

Ron Weasley could clearly be heard in the silence that Dumbledore's arrival had caused. "That's Viktor Krum, that is. I didn't know he was still at school."

Harry felt his friends gather around him but it was left to Hermione to ask the question. "How are you feeling, love?"

"Stupid. We took this competition at face value, it's pretty obvious that others have different plans. Dumbledore has caught us on the hop this time, we're the ones now playing catch-up. The old man will try to use that to his advantage, we'll need to be careful until we can discover just what he's up to. Does anyone believe the old man being here is a coincidence?"

This was met with some derisive chuckles before Padma just had to comment. "Roger will play for the Harpies before I believe that."

"Hey, Patil, no need to be nasty. Now if you'd said play with the Harpies..."

"In your dreams, Davies."

"Frequently, Patil, though not as often as I'd like..."

This saw the group of friends chuckling as they made their way to dinner. It wasn't often someone verbally got the better of Padma, but Roger had even managed to make her blush.

They arrived in the great hall to find the Beauxbatons students gathered around one of the fireplaces for warmth. The Durmstrang students though were already seated and making themselves at home - at the Ravenclaw table. They overheard one of the boys talking to Cho, telling her they had been told this was where the prettiest witches were to be found. Cho may have been eating that up with a spoon but Hermione wasn't about to swallow cheesy lines like that.

She didn't even sit down, turning to Harry. "I think I've lost my appetite..."

"Don't leave, pretty vitch, sit vith us..." The Durmstrang student though had made the potentially fatal mistake of, in his attempt to convince this witch, grabbing Hermione by the arm and pulling her toward him. He soon had that error pointed out to him, by the point of Harry's knife at his throat.

"You must have a death wish. Lay hands on my mate again and I'll cut you to pieces..." Harry had been on edge since the second they had spotted Dumbledore, this incident on top was simply too much. His entire 'we need to be careful' sentiment was now clearly forgotten, Hermione's reasoned voice however soon had him back in control.

"Harry, they've been set-up. Who do you think told them to sit at Ravenclaw? Dumbledore must have been hoping for a confrontation. We all know he doesn't give a shit for the students under his care, they're just pawns to be used by him to get whatever that twisted mind of his wants."

Although back in control, Harry did not move his blade. The other Durmstrang students also found themselves facing a plethora of wands, ensuring they would take no part in this confrontation. "You will apologise to Hermione at once, and let this be a warning to all of you. I don't know how things are in Durmstrang but I'll tell you how they work inside Hogwarts. You grab a witch like that, you're going to find me coming looking for you."

The incident had kicked off so quickly that only now were the staff arriving at the scene.

"Centurion Crow, please put your knife away."

"As soon as this person apologises, Madam Longbottom. If he doesn't do so soon, I intend to push my blade home..." Hermione instantly received her apology and Harry's knife disappeared into its holster. This was also the cue for all the wands covering the other Durmstrang students to be lowered too.

While delighted his little opening ploy had worked, Albus was left cursing the Granger girl for seeing through it so quickly. This was the second time she had done so with his plans, but he'd work with what he had.

"Madam Longbottom, one of my students has been attacked. I would like to know what you intend to do about that?"

"Since your student laid hands on Miss Granger, Centurion Crow's mate - who has a ring on her finger that you can see in the dark - I would say the Centurion's reaction was measured and appropriate. He would have been perfectly within his rights to challenge your student to a duel. Remember, Dumbledore, goblins fight duels to the death. Losing a student to a duel on the first night of your visit would be poor management, even by your low standards."

Watching as the student in question paled considerably, Augusta then turned her ire onto Albus himself. "I don't know what you've been telling your students, or what your real agenda is here. Know this, Dumbledore, I wholeheartedly agree with Professor McGonagall on this. You start messing with my students and the both of us will smack you, repeatedly. I can hardly remember the last time we issued a detention in Hogwarts, far less had an incident in the great hall."

Albus couldn't help but notice the students dressed in the black dragonhide, or that Harry was clearly their leader. "I suppose it helps when you have Potter's private army imposing themselves on the school."

Harry wasn't about to let Dumbledore set his obviously prepared agenda, he decided to see just how much the old man knew of what had been happening inside Britain since his absence. If nothing else, this tactic might just throw the old wizard out of his rehearsed stride.

"Did you know we caught Peter Pettigrew - alive? He was questioned under truth serum, Peter told us everything. You cast the Fidilius charm on my home, and knew all along that Sirius wasn't the secret keeper..."

It was plain from the shock on Dumbledore's face that he didn't know that information. It would have been hard to get hold of however, since Harry just made it up. The ministry had pushed for swift justice with the death eaters caught attacking the Bones residence, it was only later everyone realised that question should have been asked.

With two pregnant women in the family, and every single member involved in at least one of the battles, the deed was done before that question occurred to Barchoke - or anyone else. The extended family were all too busy thanking their lucky stars they all survived unscathed. Harry however, now pushed home his clear advantage, not having to fake his anger in the slightest.

"I told you what would happen if I discovered you were behind my parents' murders..."

All his bravado had disappeared, and Albus knew he was arguing for his life here. He wouldn't survive being implicated in the murder of the Potters, politically and probably physically too - Harry was now too close and those blades of his were deadly. The old wizard was practically pleading with Harry now, begging to be believed.

"No, Harry, I didn't know Pettigrew was a death eater. I also thought Sirius had killed him, along with all those muggles. We didn't know who to trust after that, which is why I left you with your muggle relatives..."

A fist to his jaw sent Dumbledore crashing to the floor, the sword of Griffindor swiftly pinned to his chest making sure he stayed down there. Sirius had silently exploded with rage, and at a speed that meant he'd been on Dumbledore before anyone could prevent it. At the moment, Moony's strength was the only thing stopping Sirius killing the old man - with his bare hands too.

"Let me go, Moony. This bastard cost me ten year in Azkaban..."

"...and Harry's just made sure that's where Dumbledore's heading. We all heard him admit his guilt, and Astrid needs her father. I may have let my nephew down but I'm determined to do better with my niece."

That one of his darkest secrets was now publicly known really threw Albus, at least the bloody press weren't here this time to capture it for their front page. How could this have happened?

Again Harry pressed home their advantage, using it to try and stop his godfather committing murder. "Moony's right, Sirius. We've got him this time. Madam Longbottom, could you please floo Amelia Bones?"

"Hem, hem, actually that won't do you any good."

Augusta was getting closer and closer to strangling this bitch every time she made that infuriating noise. "Madam Umbridge, what business is this of yours?"

"You forget, Madam Longbottom, I am now the ministry's lead advisor to the tournament. As such, I know what arrangements have been made for the visiting schools. In his youth, Headmaster Karkaroff made a mistake and joined the death eater movement. He paid for that mistake and then moved abroad."

It was actually Draco who interrupted Dolores with the truth behind that last remark. "Karkaroff informed on every death eater he knew about to get as light a sentence as possible, the bold Igor then fled the country in genuine fear of his life."

Only knowing she was winning this argument allowed Dolores to keep her temper. "Nevertheless, Headmaster Karkaroff insisted some safeguards be put in place. The staff representatives of the visiting schools were granted diplomatic immunity, for the duration of the tournament to any past indiscretions. Since this immunity didn't cover any indiscretions committed after they arrived in Hogwarts, the ministry agreed to the condition. The only crimes I've seen committed tonight have been by Black and Crow, so please by all means call the aurors."

"Oh I certainly intend to contact the ministry over this. I can also promise that if you played any part in Dumbledore returning to Hogwarts, you will be out this castle moments later."

"I can assure you, the only people I dealt with were the heads of each establishment." There was real fear in Dolores' eyes now. Getting chucked out of the castle tonight would end her usefulness to the dark lord, and allow Lestrange free reign with that knife of hers.

Harry meanwhile had called for Helena to ask if they could bar Dumbledore from the castle.

"I'm sorry, Harry, but I have to say no. Durmstrang and Beauxbatons were both invited here by Hogwarts, thus we can't throw him out - unless he gets caught doing something to warrant such actions."

He was now looking to Augusta for help, part of him so wanting to push his blade home and end the manipulations once and for all. Dumbledore must have recognised his predicament because he never said a word. That Sirius had hit him hard enough to fracture his jaw might have played a part in that silence too.

"Madam Longbottom, at least tell me that invitation didn't cover the Merlin Ball?"

"No it didn't, Centurion. The original invitations had both the schools arriving just before Halloween."

"Dumbledore, you are not invited and certainly not welcome to our celebrations. For once in your life, do the decent thing and stay out of Hogwarts tomorrow." Harry then turned his attention to the Durmstrang students, his sword still resting on Dumbledore's chest. He noticed they were once more well covered by wands.

"Your headmaster is a marked death eater, even trying to enter the Hogwarts wards would see him die. Your deputy is a manipulative old goat who, as you've just heard, seems to take great delight in interfering with people's lives. He doesn't care whose lives those are, or what damage he causes - only getting what he wants counts with Dumbledore. The reputation of the Durmstrang Institute of Magic is hanging by a thread. You are all invited to tomorrow evening's Merlin Ball. If you can't behave like gentlemen, I would strongly advise you not to attend."

Padma was holding one of those wands covering the Durmstang students, she'd just thought of something. "Hey, that's D.I.M. You have to admit it was pretty dim to give Dumbledore a job, an even dimmer move though was to grab Hermione."

One of the Durmstrang students then rose slowly, making sure his empty hands were clearly visible. Harry recognised leadership in this wizard while whispers around the hall identified him as Viktor Krum.

"Vat you say, ve did not know. Ve can see the truth in your vords, and in all your anger. All ve ask is a chance, a chance to prove ve are gentlemen. Please, don't judge us on this." Viktor indicated their fallen deputy headmaster, obviously desperate not to be classed the same.

A slight bow from Harry was returned by Victor, and acted as the signal for every wand directed at the Bulgarians to be lowered. Harry's sword made it into his sheath and his arm was offered to Hermione. They surprisingly headed for the French delegation as the staff now cleaned up behind them.

Harry could see Henrica, Tonks and Remus all working on Sirius to calm him down a touch, they stayed well away from that task. Only Hermione on his arm was allowing Harry to keep his own temper in check, now they had confirmation of just what that old man had done. He was staying clear of his godfather at the moment, just in case they set each other off and murdered a certain old wizard.

They approached, noticing at once that all the French students had their hands near their wands. Harry bowed deeply before addressing them in perfect French. "Madame Maxime, students of Beauxbatons, my apologies that you had to witness the last ten minutes. My family, and Hogwarts herself, has some very serious issues with Albus Dumbledore. That incident should however not have happened like that, you are most assuredly welcome guests here."

He switched to English, realising he hadn't introduced himself properly to either camp. "I am Centurion Crow, Baron of Kingussie, Order of Merlin, First Class, Award for Bravery, Goblin Nation, and Hogwarts Champion. This is my mate, Hermione Granger, Friend of the Nation, Order of Merlin, First Class, Award for Bravery, Goblin Nation, and the witch I will marry - as soon as our parents will let us. Our friends just call us Harry and Hermione, that saves a fair bit of time."

Harry had tried to inject a bit of levity into what must have been quite a traumatic introduction to Hogwarts for the French and Bulgarians. Their Headmistress picked up on something else though.

"What! 'Ogwarts 'as already chosen 'er champion? 'Ow can zis be?"

"Oh no, Madame. Hogwarts chose me as her champion three years ago, it has nothing to do with any tournament. I will not be competing in anything Dumbledore or Umbridge have a hand in. Like the students from Durmstang, all I would ask is that you please not judge us on what you've witnessed here tonight. The ball tomorrow should give you all a chance to see the real Hogwarts, a school we're very proud of. Oh, and honour dictates we must wear our awards tomorrow, I wouldn't like to give the impression we wore them all the time."

With another deep bow, the couple left the hall, Padma and Neville covering their friends' backs - without making it obvious they were doing so. The four would eat in the Room of Requirements tonight. Harry would speak to Helena about having Dumbledore monitored on every occasion he set foot in the castle, he suspected however that the Lady Ravenclaw would have already taken care of that.

While Harry was talking with the delegation from Beauxbatons, a poleaxed Albus found himself looking at the last person he expected to see kneeling beside him with a wand in his hand. Only after having some healing charms cast on his injured face was Albus able to speak.

"Severus, what are you doing here?"

"Wondering the same thing about you. It was a mistake to come back to Hogwarts, Albus. You have no sway in Britain any longer, and a host of very powerful enemies. A mere promise of immunity won't stop the powerful and resourceful figures lined up against you for long."

Severus now had the old wizard on his feet and was shepherding him out the hall. Albus though wanted information. "What happened to you, where did you go? How are you able to be inside Hogwarts?"

"I spent some very pleasant time in Gringotts, and I'm able to be here because I'm not a death eater."

Not sure whether Black's blow had done more damage than he thought, Albus asked for confirmation. "…but Severus, you carry the dark mark."

They were leaving Hogwarts now but Albus still clearly saw the smile Severus wore as he answered. "Do I?"

This hit like another blow. "You've discovered a way to remove it? I thought that was impossible…"

"Just because you don't know how to do something, doesn't mean no one else does. You didn't know how to remove a horcrux from a toddler, or how to heal the Longbottoms, these things still happened. My time in Gringotts taught me a lot, and not just about potions."

"Severus, you must tell me everything…"

"No, Albus, I don't."

"…but you made oaths."

"I have made oaths, and I fully intend to see Riddle dead while Lily's boy lives a life that his mother would be proud of. Can you say whatever plans you'd hatched would have had the same outcome? Don't even bother with any half-truths or greater good shit, neither of them will work on me. I got you out of there in one piece, take my advise and stay out. Go back to Bulgaria, forget all your schemes and just teach. You might find you actually enjoy it - I know I have."

"Am I the only one who can see this? He's using Hogwarts to create his own army, and everyone keeps falling over themselves to help him. Two Blacks and now Lupin on the staff, students wearing those dragonskin robes, all that's missing is the masks! It's Tom Riddle all over again, only with Gringotts backing and both the ministry and Hogwarts supporting him to the hilt. Our way of life might not survive this. Severus, you need to help me stop this, we need to turn Harry around."

"Your eyes tell you only what you want them to, completely missing the truth of the situation. Lily's boy has already made his choices for life, ruling Britain isn't one of them. He wants nothing more than to marry Miss Granger, raise a family and one day take over from his father as Ambassador for the Nation."

Severus was trying not to get angry but Albus was still peddling the same shit from a couple of years ago, only his methods seemed to have changed. Not that they appeared any more effective. "If you had taken time to look at those black dragonskin robes, you might have noticed they contained a Longbottom, Bones, Abbot, Lovegood, Diggory, three members of the Weasley family and five Slytherins. My godson is one of those Slytherins, it's certainly helping Draco become the outstanding wizard I always knew he could be. You are the only one that see's it different, Albus. What are the chances of the entire country being wrong, because Albus Dumbledore sees things differently? Lily's boy treats everyone the same, a concept that's revolutionising the country…"

"Riddle tried a revolution too…"

"The dark lord is finished, it's only a matter of when - and trying to limit the damage that he does before he's dealt with. The ministry has cut his support so badly, he was forced to live in a muggle tent at one point. Lily's boy will never be a dark lord, do you think Alastor Moody would train him if there was any chance of that happening? I'm more worried about you turning…"

"Don't be ridiculous!"

"Am I, Albus? Who just admitted to placing an innocent man in Azkaban?"

"I thought Black killed Pettigrew and a dozen muggles, that's hardly innocent."

"…and it just happened to remove a certain godfather from the picture. Now you're working in Durmstang, a school well known for teaching the dark arts. Where's Fawkes? I haven't seen your phoenix since just after the Quirrell fiasco, did he leave?"

There was no answers forthcoming, Severus hadn't expected there to be. "You see how much easier it is to turn your own arguments against you? The country you once lorded over no longer exists, and needs Albus Dumbledore about as much as it needs an outbreak of dragon pox. The ministry is being efficiently and fairly run, and Hogwarts is now a far better school. There's nothing left but trouble for you in Britain, Albus. Leave, and enjoy the rest of your life. Riddle will be taken care of and Britain will flourish. Would you rather the name Dumbledore was forgotten, or remembered solely for your exile or imprisonment. Being totally honest with you, I can't see any other outcomes here."

They were at the gangplank to the ship now and Severus had some final words of advice for his former headmaster. "My allegiance hasn't changed, Albus. I want Riddle dead and Lily's boy enjoying a long and fruitful life. I am more confident that will happen now than at any time since that horrible Halloween all those years ago. Have a think about your own goals, Albus, I would advise you to take all day tomorrow to do it. Stay away from the castle, especially tomorrow, only trouble awaits you there."

Leaving a thoughtful Dumbledore behind, Severus headed back to the castle. Whatever plans the old wizard had would be sure to involve Harry in some form or another. His own oath to The Nation prohibited him working against Harry, there was no way Severus Snape intended to find himself back under Dumbledore's thumb again. He'd warned his former headmaster, though Severus didn't expect that warning to be heeded. Albus Dumbledore always thought he knew better than everyone else.

Albus was currently thinking his plans would need to be altered, again. He was so sure the weak link was the girls, hence why he'd included a few good looking boys who had a way with the witches. That damned Granger girl almost read his mind though, and Harry had certainly grown in the last few years. Only Viktor could possibly match him in physique, Albus reckoned however that Crow's reactions were quicker than one of the world's best seekers.

He hoped Dolores was having more luck than him, she was never going to admit they had been keeping in touch since Albus discovered the Tri-wizard tournament would be held in Hogwarts. His promise that a proper pureblood would win the tournament was all Dolores needed to hear to see the witch pledge Albus her support.

He only had until the summer to somehow worm his way into influencing Harry's life, that was looking more and more like an impossible task. He was Albus Dumbledore though, a wizard who'd been doing the impossible for over a century.

-oOoOo-

Dolores might not have taken a punch to the jaw, however her head was still reeling from the onslaught she was facing. Fudge, Bones, Diggory, Longbottom and McGonagall all seemed to want a piece of her.

"I'll say it again, I dealt only with Karkaroff and Maxime - and then only briefly. My main contacts were my opposite numbers in the French and Bulgarian Ministries. The three of you spent a lot of time with the Bulgarian Minister of Magic last month, did he mention it?"

Amelia was not amused at what she saw as evasion tactics from this witch. "Why would we ask the minister that?"

"...and why would I ask my counterparts who their schools were sending? Albus Dumbledore is no friend of mine either."

No one there could argue with that, Dolores didn't really have any friends. All three ministry officials accepted invitations to this weekend's events in Hogwarts. If nothing else, they wanted to witness the events for themselves.

-oOoOo-

Knowing the time for their morning runs around the Black Lake was soon coming to an end made today's decision a little easier. From tomorrow, they would run inside the room. The portals of the Durmstrang ship felt a little too much like eyes, eyes that watched their every move.

Eyes were watching their every move as the four friends entered the great hall. Those black dragonskin duelling robes seeming to make the two impressive medals each wore jump right out their chests. The quartet strode toward the staff table where custom dictated they formally greeted Hogwarts other pair of Orders of Merlin, First Class, holders.

The Wizards from Durmstrang, who were this morning sitting at the Slytherin table, thought Crow then ruined a very impressive entrance by returning to the Ravenclaw table with a baby in his arms. The Beauxbatons contingent, primarily composed of witches, were sitting with the Puffs this morning. They thought the scene was adorable.

Neither group was quite sure what to make of the female goblin who accompanied the redheaded wizard into the great hall. The fact that she ran to the Ravenclaw table and started throwing her arms around students was especially strange. No one from Durmstrang or Beauxbatons said anything however, they were left thankful for their silence as people from the tables they were sitting at rose to affectionately greet this goblin apparently known as Sapphire.

None of them missed that she seemed closest to Crow and his mate, another good reason to be glad they'd said nothing. Information on Crow wasn't exactly hard to come by, just ask any student and they could quote you chapter and verse. Yet the person who effectively ran the students of Hogwarts was sitting with a baby in his arms and a goblin at his side. This was going to take some getting used to.

Sapphire sat beside Luna and holding Astrid as the four left with Bill for their scheduled training session.

-oOoOo-

They noticed there were visitors at lunch but didn't pay them too much mind, until Cornelius rose to speak.

"The draw to select the Tri-wizard Champions, who will each represent their school, will take place in this hall tomorrow after dinner. The draw will be made by an ancient and powerful magical artefact, the Goblet of Fire."

At that, Mr Filtch wheeled in a trolley with a large gold and crystal cup on it, of a size that even Hagrid would struggle to empty it of butterbeer in one go.

"It doesn't look too impressive at the moment but, at eight o'clock tonight, the goblet will ignite - burning for twenty-four hours. I know we will all be otherwise engaged tonight but the goblet will sit in the entrance hall all day tomorrow. An age line will be drawn around the cup by Professor Flitwick, bringing unwelcome consequences to those underage who try to cross it. Be warned too, those of age. Once you place your name in the cup, it cannot be withdrawn. If chosen by the goblet, you must compete - or face paying a most severe penalty."

Excitement over, the four friends headed off for their lesson with the Blacks. Luna and Sapphire accompanied them today, the lessons being a mixture of politics, history and preparing them to take up their positions in the world. It was a far more relaxed environment, almost like a discussion amongst friends than lessons. There was always a point to these discussions though, all four always left feeling they'd learned something useful.

There would be no prizes won for guessing the topic of today's discussion. Dumbledore, and what to do about him. Eargit had left last night with an urgent message to Gringotts, Bill confirming this morning that The Nation's reaction was just as angry as theirs. While they were holding their discussion, it was comforting to know the Ministry and The Nation were both doing the same. At least the old goat seemed to be heeding their warning, and staying away from the castle today. None of them believed he would actually return to Bulgaria.

-oOoOo-

Cornelius was struggling to believe the room he and his wife had just entered, it was nothing short of magnificent. He noticed the older Hogwarts students appeared to be expecting nothing less, their French and Bulgarian visitors however were an entirely different matter. Even Madame Maxime couldn't hide her surprise, that might have been the sight of Hagrid in some sort of hairy suit though.

Amelia was beside him, providing more information. "Since the ball's inception, Harry has provided the clothing for the new first years. He also had dresses and suits made for all his friends. Notice how no one even mentions the fact that his friend, Sapphire, is on Harry's other arm."

Amos too was most impressed with the setting. "This makes the Ministry Ball look like a tea party, we're going to have to rethink that event before these students start attending. If I was used to this, I would be expecting something spectacular for the Ministry's premier event. At the moment, we can't compete."

After a really lovely meal, custom now dictated that the dancing was started by those Orders of Merlin holders. The four couples took to the floor as the second part of the evening got under way.

As he did last year, Harry then danced with Sapphire next. Hermione was smiling as she watched them having fun, that was until her view was blocked by a rather large Bulgarian.

"Miss Granger, may I haff the pleasure of this dance?"

Deciding this might be a good move, she agreed and took to the dance floor.

"Your name is Herm-own-ninny?"

"Actually, it's pronounced Her-my-oh-nee, and your name?"

This almost drew a smile from the Bulgarian. "I am Viktor Krum. It is unusual for me to meet people not knowing my name, I like it."

Hermione's laughter was cause for quite a few people to relax. They might all know she could handle herself, just as they all knew she would't have to. There was bound to be public and political fallout though from a Harry - Viktor Krum confrontation.

"I know exactly what you mean, Harry and I get that a lot. In Gringotts now, everyone bows to us. It can get rather embarrassing. It's nice to go on holiday in the muggle world and just be two unknown teenagers for a change."

"Harry, he is your mate?"

"Yes, we blood bonded over two years ago now. We've already picked the date and location for our wedding."

"He is a very lucky vizard."

"He considers himself a goblin but would probably agree with the rest of your sentiment, I wouldn't though. We hadn't known each other a week when Harry raced through the castle and took down a mountain troll that was trying to kill me, we were eleven."

"A mountain troll, in the castle? How did that happen?"

"Oh, Voldemort let it in, he was teaching here. Dumbledore hid the philosophers stone in the castle, and then employed a Voldemort possessed professor to teach us defence. That all happened in our first week here, and then things just kept getting worse and worse."

"How can they get vorse than that?"

"Oh easy, Dumbledore has a real knack for it. Did you know he and Gellert Grindelwald were lovers when they had just left school?"

The fact that the surefooted Bulgarian stumbled at that was enough of a clue Viktor didn't know. "Like your dark lord, ve tend not to say that name. You say both…"

"I'm not frightened by a name. I've actually seen Voldemort, fought against him too. That's not strictly true though, Harry put him out of the fight right at the start. Tonks and I only had to charge his death eaters."

This brought another stumble from Viktor. Those medals this beautiful witch wore told him she was indeed telling the truth. "Ve vere told the brave went to Gryffindor. The smart vould be in Ravenclaw, and the beautiful."

This drew another laugh from Hermione. "Why thank you, sir, I shall take that as a compliment."

The dance finished and Viktor became the second person to kiss her hand. "It vas meant as one. At least ve know vitch house has all the pretty vitches…"

"Oh I can't let that stand, come with me a minute." Victor followed on behind until they came to stop beside a stunning blonde. "Daphne, this is Viktor. Could you please dance with him. He's under the impression that all the beautiful witches are in Ravenclaw, I'm sure you'll change his mind. After your dance, perhaps you could introduce him to Hannah and Susan, maybe Katie Bell too?"

Daphne took a stunned Viktor by the arm and headed on to the dance floor, she looked over her shoulder to have a quick word with Hermione. "What if I want to keep him all to myself?"

This drew some laughs before Hermione answered her back. "That will be up to Viktor."

Daphne almost laughed herself at Viktor's worried face. "It's all right, Viktor, you'll be safe with us. We're all friends, out to have a good time at the ball. Our definition of a good time is lots of dancing and having some laughs, just so there are no misunderstandings between us."

"Thank you for that. This is...unusual for me, being treated as normal vizard."

This set Daphne giggling, a sound Viktor thought he could easily get to like. "We have four of our friends who are Orders of Merlin, First Class, holders. Three of them are also Friends to the Goblin Nation and Harry is both a Centurion and a Baron. They don't like to be treated any differently, we'll simply pass that on to you too."

As the dance ended, Daphne thanked him and suddenly he was dancing with someone called Susan. It was many dances later that Viktor realised two things, he was actually having fun and there were many beautiful witches at Hogwarts - not all of them Ravenclaws.

Harry was back dancing with Hermione, asking her when she started playing matchmaker. She thought for a minute before replying.

"Viktor actually reminds me a bit of you. People he meets don't see Viktor, they see Krum, the quidditch star. I thought introducing him to some of our friends might just open his eyes, and lower that wall you strong, silent types seem to have."

This drew a chuckle from Harry. "Lower my wall? You can practically read my mind, just as I can yours. Now tell me what you're really up to."

"Viktor seems like a nice guy, and obviously someone the other Durmstrang students look up to. It certainly wouldn't hurt to have him as a friend, if he wants to."

"I got the distinct impression he was looking for a lot more than that from you."

This saw Hermione smile at him. "Then he's going to be disappointed. You, Centurion, are all I'll ever need. You are mine…"

" …and I am yours." Harry ended his declaration with a loving kiss.

Marko wasn't feeling the love, he could still feel the shame of having Crow's blade at his throat. He wasn't stupid though, far from it, and only someone stupid would tackle Crow head on. No, his revenge was going to take an entirely different form.

Crow claimed he was the school champion, here to protect the students. Marko's revenge would be to ruin a few of those female students. He'd already spotted a couple of the witches eyeing up the Durmstrang visitors, one in particular was making eyes at him.

He was a handsome wizard, more than one girl had said so, and he knew just how to sweet-talk girls into doing what he wanted. Marko would be sparing with his dances and attention tonight, this would let him see just who was willing to chase him. Once he focused on the one he chose, they would soon be putty in his hands. Then it would be time to move on to his next conquest.

That would not start tonight however, this was purely reconnaissance. He would let the heat die down and then, when all the attention was on the tournament and Professor Dumbledore, Marco would start his campaign. His ultimate goal would be to get with one of the witches wearing a dragonskin cloak, he would save that though for nearer the end of their time in Hogwarts. He might have to make a hasty retreat if he was successful.

-oOoOo-

Sapphire didn't think it was deliberate on Harry's part, she also had no knowledge of how things worked for teenagers other than goblins, but the group with Harry and Hermione at its centre was about as goblin as you could get. A large group of friends and family, all coming together to have a good time and looking out for one another while doing so. She had felt very comfortable at the ball last night. Between the fayre, staying at Kingussie and the island, Sapphire now knew, and was friends with, a large number of the people at the ball. Even staying in Hogwarts last night hadn't troubled her, Hermione, Padma and Luna were like sisters to her now. Staying in Ravenclaw, with a room the castle had provided, had been great. She and Luna had sat chatting well into the night, certain others had to be up for their training in the morning.

Luna being such a good friend was why Sapphire was now uncomfortable. She would be returning to Gringotts with Assistant Ambassador Weasley, after he had finished training the eight that attended his Sunday lesson. Sitting having an early lunch, they saw the Durmstrang students arrive and head for the Slytherin table. Mentioning to Luna that she wished she'd asked Viktor for an autograph saw the blonde dragging Sapphire over.

"Hi Viktor. My name is Luna, and this is my friend, Sapphire. She has only recently discovered quidditch and was wondering if you could sign an autograph for her?"

This wasn't what was making Sapphire uncomfortable though. Her blonde friend was growing, and her physical beauty would soon match the wonderful person that Luna Lovegood was. Others were recognising this too, and Luna had been on the dance floor for most of the ball. The looks a couple of the Durmstrang students were giving Luna was the reason for Sapphire's discomfort. They were staring at Luna as if she was some kind of tasty morsel, something no goblin would ever stand for.

Viktor was a gentleman, and wrote an autograph out for Sapphire. He then spoke, though she just wanted to get Luna away before Harry came in and started a riot. Hermione had said there wasn't a word in the goblin language for protective, because they didn't need one. Harry was certainly very protective of Luna.

"Vill ve see you back at Hogwarts for any of the tasks, or the quidditch matches?"

"Oh, Harry and Hermione don't watch the quidditch. They won't miss their training for tasks or matches. I suppose that's why they are so good at what they do. During the Baron's Fayre at the summer, Harry fought the greatest blade in the Nation to a draw - twice."

This drew the eyes off Luna, as she'd intended. They said their goodbyes before heading back to Ravenclaw, Sapphire switching to her native tongue so as not to be understood if overheard.

""Luna, there's a couple of them sitting there that make my skin crawl. You might want to put the word around the girls.""

""You think I should say something to Harry?""

""He could certainly have them closely watched. It might be better to speak to Hermione though, no goblin male would stand by while a female family member was being gawked at like that. They were undressing you with their eyes, and not caring who saw them doing so. They were very lucky Harry was still at training.""

This resulted in a shiver from Luna, and a determination to speak with Hermione. The four then entered and it was time for Sapphire to say goodbye to them too. She'd had a lovely time but now it was back to Gringotts.

-oOoOo-

The Minister was right about one thing, the Goblet of Fire was far more impressive when it lived up to its name. There still wasn't the enthusiasm for the tournament in Hogwarts that the organisers might have hoped for, the vast majority being far more interested in the quidditch matches - especially since the Puffs and Lions would now get a chance to play against Viktor Krum. There were probably more names in the cup from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons than there were from Hogwarts.

With Dumbledore now back in the castle, it was an uneasy dinner that most would have happily skipped. As there was now a ministerial delegation sitting at the top table, Harry felt duty bound to at least sit through the ceremony.

When the goblet started spluttering, it was the minister who stood.

"As the cup nears making its decision, all that is left to say is good luck to those of you who have entered your names."

With a flurry of flames, the first piece of singed parchment was spat out the cup - before gently floating toward the Minister of Magic. All eyes were now on Cornelius as he read the name.

"The champion for Beauxbatons is... Fleur Delacour."

The beautiful blonde witch stood and walked regally toward her headmistress, the polite applause drowning out the fact that another Beauxbatons witch was crying her eyes out because she didn't get chosen.

As the flames spat out a second piece of parchment, again they waited on the minister reading the name.

"The champion for Durmstrang is... Viktor Krum."

The Durmstrang students made a lot of noise as Viktor stepped forward, though he didn't seem too happy to be standing beside Dumbledore.

With the final flurry of flames, all knew this piece of parchment contained the name of the Hogwarts champion. The minister didn't keep them waiting.

"The champion for Hogwarts is... Cedric Diggory."

As the only member of their group old enough to compete, they were all delighted Cedric had been chosen to represent Hogwarts. Not half as delighted as his father however, a beaming Amos was clapping away like a man possessed.

As the noise died down, they began to notice that the minister was still staring at the goblet. Knowing the goblet should have extinguished after it threw out the last name, Cornelius had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach that things were about to go horribly wrong. Sure enough, the goblet spat out a fourth piece of parchment before the flames died.

With a shaking hand, Cornelius grabbed the piece of parchment out of the air and read aloud the two words written there. "Harry Crow."

A/N Thanks for reading.

90. The Tri-wizard Champions

Harry Crow

Disclaimer - I write purely for my own enjoyment, making no money from this venture and claim only my imagination as my own. I always strive to be original but, given the vast amount of HP fan-fiction out there, almost everything has probably been done before.

Chapter 90

"Harry Crow."

The Minister's words hung provocatively in the air, no one quite knowing what to make of them. It was perhaps predictable it would be Padma's voice that broke this expectant silence, her anger though was not something people were used to experiencing from the normally pleasant witch.

"What is going on here? We all know Harry would never put his name in that stupid cup. Could somebody simply walk up and stick his name in there, and then suddenly he's the chosen one?"

The Minister was actually the first to react. "I don't know, Miss Patil. You can rest assured though, it is something that will be getting thoroughly investigated. Centurion Crow, could you come forward please?"

As Harry kissed a nervous Hermione and stepped forward, Albus made his first suggestion of the night. "Perhaps we should take this discussion somewhere a little more private?"

His suggestion was jumped all over by Augusta. "That's not the way we do things in Hogwarts anymore. This affects everyone in this hall, let them hear what happens. Harry, I already know the answer but I must ask the question. Did you put your name in the cup, or get someone else to do it for you?"

Understanding the position she was in, Harry gave Augusta a warm smile as he answered. "No, Madam Longbottom, my feelings on this tournament are well known. I want nothing to do with it."

"Of course he would say that..."

Harry was on Umbridge before she could say any more. "I would be careful there, you are getting awfully close to calling me a liar. You couldn't handle me on my twelfth birthday, and still carry the scar to prove it. What makes you think you can take me now? Call me a liar and that's your only option."

Dolores slid her scarred hand into her pocket, and also found herself on the receiving end of a glare from the minister. "No one in this castle doubts your word, Centurion. I asked you out here to determine what happens next."

As the ministerial lead organiser for the tournament, it fell to Dolores to pass on the news. "A person's name coming out of the goblet constitutes a magically binding contract. They must compete in the tournament, or lose their magic."

This resulted in gasps of horror from around the hall, Madame Maxime appeared particularly upset. "Why were we not told zis before? 'Ad I known, I would never 'ave let my students near somezzing as dangerous as zat."

Cornelius and Amos appeared to be vying for the right to throttle Dolores for dropping them in this mess but Harry cut them all off by getting in first. "A magically binding contract? Are you being serious, or just incredibly stupid?"

"That is the rules..."

Again Harry verbally slashed an aggravated Dolores to shreds. "You want to argue contracts with a goblin? You really must be stupid then. The way I see it, I have two options..."

Dumbledore's eyes were back to twinkling full force, here was the opening he'd been longing for. "Harry, perhaps I can offer you a third option. One you might not have thought about." This drew some very sceptical looks, Harry appeared ready to gut the old man for even using his name, but Albus pressed on regardless.

"That piece of parchment places Harry Crow in this tournament. If Harry Crow no longer existed, the contract would be void. Declaring yourself as Harry Potter would instantly end your participation in this tournament..."

Albus was stopped by Harry's reaction to his suggestion, being heartily laughed at was not something he'd expected.

It took a moment to regain his control before Harry could speak. "Oh, sorry everyone, but that was just too funny. Did you come all the way from Bulgaria to engineer that, old man?"

Albus appeared affronted. "I had nothing to do with your name being placed in that cup..."

Harry though was ignoring him. Instead, his concentration was focused on Hermione. "I think it's time, love. You okay with this?"

Her smile answered his question, as did those of his friends and family who knew. Turning back to the minister, Harry actually appeared a bit sheepish.

"Minister, I have a bit of a confession to make. I am currently the head of the Potter family, and have been since I was eleven. My father and godfather have been helping me keep the secret, the time just seemed right to let it out."

All could now see the Potter family ring on Harry's finger, the look of shock on Dumbledore's face was almost worth having him in the castle for.

Cornelius though had a far more important concern than some ancient wizard suffering an aneurism. "Does this mean you've made your decision, Harry?"

"We think so, Minister. Both Hermione and I are happiest in Kingussie, being made a Baron was also something I earned. Our children might one day want to take up the mantle of Lord Potter, that will be their decision. Until then, I will be the Baron of Kingussie and head the Potter family. I hope this is a decision people can accept..."

Harry found his hand being grasped by the minister and shaken in congratulations. Cornelius was now thinking awarding that Barony might be one of the smartest decisions he ever made, and was sure the wizarding public would think so too. "I can certainly accept that, Harry, and, on behalf of the Ministry of Magic, hope you and your mate spend many happy years living in Kingussie. Now, you mentioned a solution to this problem?"

A relieved Harry got back down to business. "I see two options, Minister. First, other than having a magical guardian do so, only I can enter myself into a magically binding contract. Since I'm considered an adult, am head of the Potter family and certainly didn't put my name in that cup, no contract can possibly exist between it and me. The contract will be formed with whoever placed that piece of parchment in the goblet, not me. We could simply sit back and wait until the first task was over, and then discover the culprit by seeing who lost their magic."

This drew some relieved sighs around the hall, it seemed so simple now Harry had explained it.

"The trouble with that solution is, if someone was put under a spell to place my name in that cup, the contract would still be bound to them. There are people currently in this castle who I certainly believe would stoop to something like that."

Harry staring at Dumbledore as he said this was not lost on anyone. "My second option is foolproof, and therefore the one I choose."

In a flash, Harry's sword was drawn and embedded deep in the Goblet of Fire. The goblet might have been impressive when lit earlier, the resulting light-show as the goblin blade overpowered the magic of the cup was spectacular - if somewhat short-lived. The now ruined ancient magical artefact spewed out all the parchment that had been placed in it before they, and the four pieces that had been chosen, burst into flames. The four champions' parchment, and any resulting contracts, were now nothing but ash.

"There, all the contracts have been broken..."

"You just ruined the tournament, and destroyed a priceless magical object."

Harry again rounded on Dolores, now thoroughly sick of that voice. "You say it was priceless, I say it was bloody useless. Someone can stroll up, pop my name in with no school written on it and suddenly I'm a fourth champion - with a magical binding contract to boot! You are about as useful and smart as your ridiculous goblet. We goblins would never let something that can so easily be fooled decide our fates, especially when it involves binding contracts."

Switching his attention to Madame Maxine, Harry turned on the charm. "Madame, you will clearly know your students far better than any stupid magical cup. Who would you have chosen to represent Beauxbatons in this tournament, without that horrible magically binding contract coming into play."

Olympe glanced toward where the rest of her students were sitting, noticing the witch who'd been sobbing was now staring straight back at her. "Eet would 'ave been a choice between two for me, I am 'appy for our champion to be Miss Delacour."

Harry just glanced at Dumbledore and received 'Viktor Krum' as a curt answer.

"There are your three champions, and now your competition can begin..."

"Excuse me, Centurion. Why was my opinion not asked?"

"My apologies, Madam Longbottom, I just assumed you would choose Cedric."

Shaking her head at Harry's genuine modesty, Augusta proved him wrong. "Using your own logic, Centurion, there really is only one name I can choose."

Harry felt a hand rest on his shoulder as Cedric couldn't contain his chuckles. "She's got you there, Harry."

"But Cedric, you entered this tournament, I didn't..."

"...and you kick my arse in training every week. With Viktor here, it's more than likely Hogwarts won't be winning the quidditch competition. You can give us something to cheer about at the tournament."

Chanting of 'Harry, Harry' began coming from the great hall as the Hogwarts students agreed with Cedric and their High Inquisitor. They knew who they wanted to represent them, Hogwarts herself had chosen Harry as their champion when he first set foot in the castle.

The Harry in question though was still to be swayed. "But I'm a Centurion, Cedric, it wouldn't be fair to Miss Delacour or Mr Krum..."

A still chuckling Cedric couldn't believe his friend. "Do you think the fact that he's an international seeker, who just took his team to the World Cup Final, is going to stop Viktor catching the snitch against me? You're a goblin, Harry, you taught us to use whatever advantage we have..."

The constant chanting of Harry's name was getting louder and louder, practically taunting Dolores into to saying something. "Perhaps this goblin is just afraid of losing to a witch or wizard..."

Harry didn't even justify Umbridge's comment with an answer, instead he went right over her head and spoke directly to the minister. "Is she really necessary for this tournament?"

After Harry's earlier revelation, having him as Hogwart's champion in this tournament would be a massive endorsement for the ministry - and practically guarantee a Hogwarts Viktory. Compared to that, Cornelius was certainly prepared to make some much needed compromises.

"After this fiasco tonight, I think it's fair to say Madam Umbridge will be changing departments - probably right after the first task."

The chanting now was really loud, and the students were stamping their feet and banging their tables in time to their chant. Such was Harry's control that, when he raised his hand for silence - he got it instantly.

"On those headings, and assuming I'm Madam Longbottom's choice, I will accept the nomination of being Hogwarts champion for this tournament - as a goblin."

This resulted in much cheering around the hall, the Tri-wizard Tournament just got interesting for the Hogwarts students.

Dolores couldn't believe what just happened. She'd effectively just lost her job because of that goblin bastard, she'd be kicked out of Hogwarts too. This was just too much. Glad that she'd written the next part down, one item that she had still to announce gave Dolores hope for a glimmer of revenge.

"The first task is designed to test the champions' daring, so we are not going to be telling you what it is. Courage in the face of the unknown is an important quality in a wizard … very important. …" Dolores' gaze was focused on Harry now.

"The first task will take place on October the thirty first, in front of the other students and a panel of judges. The champions will face the first challenge armed only with their wands. They will receive information about the second task when the first is over"

Cornelius saw the problem at once, stepping in to solve it. "Since the Centurion carries no wand, the rules will need to be changed to allow him his blades."

"Now, Cornelius, rules are rules..." Albus found himself faced with two formidable witches.

"Since when did you follow any rules? Don't you dare start quoting rules to me..." Augusta wasn't pulling any punches but Olympe went even further.

"You would force ze youngest champion to face zis task unarmed? What kind of wizard are you, Dumbly-dorr?"

The Durmstrang champion too was having trouble hiding his disgust. He had watched Harry carefully, and saw how he acted with nothing but honour. Viktor then thought it was time he did the same. "I am happy for the centurion to have his veapons, othervise I vill leave my vond behind too."

That ended any discussion on the matter, the rules would be changed to reflect they now had a goblin as an entrant. Harry bowed to Viktor in thanks before Henrica entered the proceedings. She was still sitting at the staff table but there was something that needed to be said here. The family were well aware Harry would make his own decisions, he could certainly look after himself, so they weren't too worried about this development. What worried Henrica was the nature of the tasks themselves.

"Excuse me for interrupting, Minister, but there might be something you hadn't considered. Having studied The Nation intensely while researching my book, there was one thing that stood out above all else. Never, ever mess with a goblin's family. I mention this because, when reading about this tournament, I noticed the repeated past instances of taking hostages for the champions to then rescue. I can't emphasise enough how much of a bad idea that would be in this case."

It was now Centurion Crow who was standing there, tall, proud, and incredibly angry. "The Lady Black is of course correct. A goblin would first rescue their hostage, before hunting down whoever took them in the first place. That this was done for a tournament would not be considered a valid excuse, retribution would be sought."

Sensing the potential to get this horribly wrong, Cornelius had a brilliant idea. "I thank the Lady Black for her welcome advice, and wonder if we could impose on her expertise later - as an advisor. If you could please look over what we have devised for any such unintentional pitfalls?"

"What! She'll just tell Crow everything..." Dolores was halted in her latest rant by an enraged Lord Black, on his feet to defend his wife's honour. It just wasn't her night.

"You are now very close to insulting my wife, the Lady Black. She is a professor and respected author, who are you to cast aspirations on her honesty? You had to do one thing tonight, and couldn't even manage that properly. My godson now finds himself part of this tournament, and we have people here trying to deny him his blades during the tasks. I think the sooner you're gone, the more chance this tournament has of being a success."

That this actually led to cheering meant Dolores' goose was well and truly cooked. She would drop off her latest report on Saturday, hoping she had done enough to please the dark lord.

Knowing it was time to quit while ahead, Cornelius was anxious to finish this quickly. He also knew Amos would be bitterly disappointed Cedric wouldn't now be competing and tried to fix that too.

"The judges for the competition shall be all three heads of establishments, the ministerial organiser of the tournament and the Chief Warlock. I shall see everyone for the first task on Halloween, followed by the feast." This would give them just over four weeks to have someone in place to take over from Dolores, and then organise the last two tasks.

With the announcement now over, there was a shift in momentum as people surged forward to congratulate the champions. Of course, Hermione got to Harry first.

After their kiss, she couldn't help but pull him up on his tournament participation. "So much for our quiet year."

"It's only three tasks, love. That shouldn't disrupt our training and studies too much..."

Dolores couldn't resist spoiling their moment. "There are actually some other engagements, and a ball being arranged too..."

"No." Harry was now in this obnoxious witch's face. "I will compete in three tasks, nothing more than that. There are no contracts to hold over our heads so we would have to be asked to do more, my answer is no."

Augusta physically pushed Dolores away from Harry before she could cause any more damage, knowing there would be no shifting the Centurion once he dug his heels in. "Harry, there will be a meet the press session, and we were thinking of a Yule Ball. After the success of last night, it now seems a great idea."

He had to look to Hermione, not understanding what Augusta meant. "Yule means Christmas, Harry."

His head whipped around to face the old lady he thought of as family. "Augusta, I'm counting the days until I can see Jamie again. There is no chance of me spending the holidays here. I know very little about Christmas, what I do know is that it's for family. We will be spending ours with our family, I hope the Longbottoms will be there too."

This saw interference from an even more unpleasant quarter. "Jamie? I don't think I've heard that name before..."

Hermione's arm around Harry was the only thing stopping him attacking Dumbledore. There was a line though that even Hermione's influence wouldn't be able to stop Harry, just mentioning their brother's name put Dumbledore close to crossing that line. "Jamie is my baby brother, someone you will never get near old man. I don't want you near any of my family..."

Augusta once more was in Dumbledore's face. "You just can't let things go, can you Albus? You admitted in front of everyone you knew Sirius wasn't the Potter secret keeper. Then, mere minutes ago, you tried to have Harry face the first task unarmed. Do we even have to ask how his name ended up in the goblet in the first place? Your kindly godfather persona doesn't work here, we all know you're a despicable old ..." Augusta needed a deep, calming breath before she could continue. "You nearly had me swearing in front of my students, keep your crooked nose out of our business. You are not welcome anywhere near our families."

Taking a deep breath himself, Hermione's arm still around his waist helping immensely, Harry regained full control and ignored Dumbledore. Choosing instead to speak with the Durmstrang champion.

"Viktor, Hermione and I, along with our two best friends, train every morning in facilities Hogwarts provides for us. You and Fleur are welcome to join us. I wouldn't like people thinking the Hogwarts champion had advantages not available to the other two."

They all saw Krum's eyes light up at that. "I vould love to accept. I vos vorried how to keep fitness up living on ship. Thank you, Centurion."

Offering his hand, he also offered something more. "My friends call me Harry, Viktor."

They shook hands as Fleur approached. "I 'ave never done zis training before, what is eet?"

That was Padma's cue. "Oh, you'll love it. We get up in the middle of the night, run for miles and then either fire spells at each other or clash swords."

Harry introduced Padma and Neville to his fellow champions, before confirming she was basically correct in her description of how they trained. Fleur paled, before confirming she would still give it a try. With the other two champions doing so, she would be letting Beauxbatons down if she didn't at least attempt this.

Harry was being congratulated by the rest of his family when Henrica found herself with the Beauxbatons champion standing beside her. "Miss Delacour, what do you think of Hogwarts?"

"I do not zink I 'ave been more confused in my life!"

Henrica couldn't help but chuckle at the amount of feelings the young witch put into that statement. "Let me guess, your parents warned you about how Britain was such a backward country. Then you get here, and it's not what you were expecting..."

"...'ow could you know zat?"

"Because, three year ago, that was me. My parents were very worried about a veela teaching in Hogwarts, only my connections with the goblins eased their minds. I arrived here and found things changing right in front of my eyes. Now, I'm married to a Lord, have a wonderful baby and my parents are frequent visitors who love our extended family. My daughter's godfather, who is also technically my employer, is the Hogwarts Champion - and responsible for starting a lot of these changes."

"We 'ave 'eard a lot of storees about 'Arry..."

"...and they are probably all true. Drop by our quarters anytime I'm not teaching and we can have a chat."

"I would like zat, very much."

"You are welcome. I vividly remember what it's like to be seventeen, and veela."

It was a very happy Fleur who headed back to the Beauxbatons carriage with Madame Maxine. She wouldn't be so happy getting up at five thirty in the morning.

-oOoOo-

The Lady Ravenclaw was waiting on Viktor and Fleur at the entrance hall the next morning. The ghost led them up to the room where the ball had been held, only for the door to open on something completely different. If anything, the room was bigger - with a running track around its edges. The four already there were doing stretches to warm up, both witches headed straight for Fleur as Viktor took off his robe and joined the boys.

"We didn't think you would have the proper clothes for this, I know I didn't have a clue when Neville and I started training. We were running around a tropical island though, nothing can compare to that." Padma was pulling stuff out her ever present bag that she and Hermione had put together. "You will probably have to resize these, but they will do until you can get some of your own."

The Beauxbatons champion was staring at what these witches were wearing, and wondering if she was being pranked here. "I would not know where even to look for clozzes like zese..."

"Oh, we can help you with that too. Hogwarts, could we have a changing room, please?" Watching Fleur's face as the room obliged was priceless. Hermione was so used to the special magic of the castle, she forgot it could shock even people who'd known magic all their lives.

Thirty six minutes later, Fleur was sure she was going to die. Both witches helped her over to a seat and handed her a bottle containing iced water.

"Don't worry about it, you need to build this up. Hermione has been doing this with Harry every day since she was eleven, Neville and I only started last summer. Try and relax, take deep breaths and try also to remember this will do you good - eventually."

She sat there watching as they continued running, Fleur felt slightly better when a winded Viktor eventually joined her. She handed him a bottle of water from Padma's wonderful bag. The two champions sat and looked on in disbelief as the four now increased their pace.

"I thought I vas fit, those vitches easily beat me."

"Padma says 'Ermione 'as been doing zis every day with 'Arry since zey were eleven, no wonder zey are so fit - and so very close."

"You noticed that too?"

"All four are very close, I zzink both couples are bonded..."

They had stopped running but were not for resting, their blades came off their backs and training continued. Harry was clearly the teacher but, to untrained eyes, the other three looked very competent with their blades too. To finish, the three attacked Harry and Hermione's shriek of triumph when her blade nicked his upper arm told both watchers this was an unusual occurrence.

Strolling over, Harry casually took a towel out his bag and wiped the trickle of blood away, Hermione then applied some dittany and the cut was healed.

"Zat was...magnifique!"

"What, no. That was Harry holding back, way back." Both champions looked at Padma as if she was mad. "Guys, we can spare five minutes, why don't you give Fleur and Viktor a glimpse of what they're really up against?"

Hermione's armour activated as she drew her sword.

"Oh, feisty this morning. Don't let that lucky strike fool you, Granger."

"Scared, Crow? You should be..."

The two then went at each other at full speed, a golden Harry moving like lightning. Viktor was on his feet but Neville was right at his side. "Easy there, Viktor, everything is okay. It looks brutal but she is in no danger whatsoever. If she was, neither Padma nor I would be standing here. Harry is a goblin and would kill any man who laid a hand on Hermione, he certainly won't cause her any harm. Your compatriot was very lucky, no one touches Hermione."

"It looks so..."

"Yeah, I know. Hermione is now an expert with her blade, but Harry is a master..."

A 'yelp' from Hermione ended the match, Harry was kissing her before lovingly tending her small cut.

"Now that vas magnificent..."

Harry's eyes never left Hermione as he answered Viktor. "My people call her their Warrior Princess. Young or old, they have taken my Hermione to their hearts. Smart, beautiful, brave and deadly with a sword or a wand, how could they not." He then gently kissed his mate before turning his attention to their guests.

"We do this every morning, though don't do blade or wand work on our extra training days. You are welcome to join us for those too..."

Neville interrupted immediately. "Harry, it's Moody this week."

"Oh, then we'll give that a miss..."

"Vhat is this Moody?"

It was Padma who replied, all joking now put aside. "Moody is a who, Viktor. Master Auror Alastor Moody, a very dangerous wizard who trains us once a month. He would probably use the imperius on you two, and then have you both attack us. His justification would be that this was standard death eater practice, something we need to be prepared for."

A horrified Fleur looked to the other three to dispute this, instead she got nods of agreement. "Why would you put yourselves through zis?"

Harry was standing with his arms around Hermione and answered at once. "Because of me. Voldemort wants me dead, these three are determined to stand beside me if he tries to make that happen."

He gave his mate a reassuring squeeze before telling these two just what was going on. "We're currently trying to work out whether Voldemort was involved in any way with my name being in this tournament. We don't think so though, because he has so little resources - and Dumbledore is currently in the castle. The Merlin Ball is now an occasion that the castle's ghosts look forward to as well, they love to see the students enjoying themselves. We think Dumbledore sneaked in then and placed my name in the cup. Whether his aim was to force me to renounce my heritage, or just so he could have some influence over my life, we don't yet know."

Hermione was in front of Harry, facing away but leaning into him as his arms were around her waist. "If either one of them wants a piece of you, they're going to have to go through me first.."

Padma instantly corrected her best friend. "Us, Hermione, us."

The two champions were making their way out the castle when Fleur felt she just had to comment on what they'd seen this morning. "Do you get ze feeling zis tournament is nozzing more zan a leetle side issue for 'Arry?"

"I think I better catch the snitch in these quidditch matches, Durmstrang's chances of vinning the tournament just got a lot vorse."

-oOoOo-

Discovering that Fleur wasn't on the Beauxbatons quidditch team, the unanimous decision was that any game involving Viktor would be played first. The Hufflepuff - Durmstrang match was arranged for the fifteenth, with the Slytherin - Beauxbatons game the following week, allowing Viktor two weeks recovery time before facing the first task.

The French champion was getting used to her morning exercises, she didn't think the word 'like' would ever enter the equation. She had spent her free time studying the enigma that Harry was to her. He was every inch a warrior, yet having his goddaughter in his arms showed a completely different side to his character. She also couldn't miss how devoted some of the students were to him, especially those wearing silver crow badges and those on Potter Scholarships. Fleur was struggling to understand how this incredibly busy person always made time to catch up with these younger students, he even danced with each of the scholarship girls at the ball. She had no trouble understanding how they loved him for that.

It was time to see if she could get some answers to these questions, it was time to visit Lady Black.

Henrica had been expecting this visit from Fleur ever since she made her offer, she also wasn't surprised at the main subject of their discussion.

"You are making the classic mistake we have all made at one point or another, assigning wizarding values to a goblin. Make no mistake, that's what Harry is - a centurion too."

Seeing the blank expression this generated brought the teacher in Henrica to the fore. "Harry's been raised as a goblin, his morals, values and the code by which he lives his life by are pure goblin. Harry being a centurion is probably his proudest achievement. To understand that however, you need to know more of what that position entails."

Henrica was a born teacher, she loved that moment when you gave a student enough information that would allow them to connect the dots for themselves. "It's not something awarded purely on his skill with a blade, there is so much more to being a centurion than that. Centurions are leaders, but again not just by issuing commands, they are leaders by example. How they live their lives is as important as how they handle a blade. The goblin society is an ancient one, and Merlin was a friend to The Nation. I personally think the Arthurian Knights were based on Centurions."

Having Fleur look at her as if she were mad saw Henrica chuckle. "I always tell my students not to believe everything I say, but to research from different sources and form their own opinions. Unfortunately, in this case, there are no other sources."

She rose and returned with a book in her hand. "This is the only known work on the goblins, it's written by me. That was why Minister Fudge asked for my help in checking the tasks. Had they even attempted to take Hermione as a hostage, there would have been a riot. She is a very capable witch in her own right but together, those four are an awesome force. I'm just glad it wasn't her name that came out of that goblet, there would have been blood on the floor - and hordes of goblin warriors at the castle gates."

"I 'av been training wiz zem every morning, tomorrow we are sharing zair lesson too."

"Oh, you'll like Bill Weasley. Former Hogwarts Head Boy before becoming a curse breaker for Gringotts. Three years ago, he was brought back from Egypt to train Harry and his friends. He taught their entire yeargroup too, up until Remus started. He's now Assistant Ambassador to Harry's father, Barchoke."

Fleur's pout would have seen most of the wizards in Hogwarts falling over themselves to put right whatever had caused it. "Zis is not fair. Ze more I learn about 'Arry, ze more confused I get."

Henrica wanted to be sure there were no misunderstandings about the most important thing. "You do know he and Hermione will be together - for life?"

"Oui...I mean yes. 'Ermione 'as 'Arry's 'eart and soul. I do not need to be veela to see zat. I 'ave a leetle sister starting school next year, watching 'Arry wiz ze younger students..."

"Ah, I see. Harry counts the Potter Scholars as family, and will look after them the way an older brother would..." This had Henrica chuckling for a moment before she explained what was funny to the younger veela. "When Sirius and I started dating, an eleven year old Harry asked him what his intentions were toward me - since I'm employed by the Lily Potter Foundation. Sirius said it felt like being questioned by my brother."

"At eleven, 'e asked 'is own godfather zat question?"

"That's who Harry is. When he regards you as a friend, you have a friend for life. When he counts you as family, then Harry would do anything for you. You can easily tell the people Harry counts as family, they would all do anything for him too."

Fleur left with a lot more knowledge, but was still every bit as confused. Were she to write home recommending Hogwarts as a better option for Gabrielle, her parents would drag her home - thinking she was ill or mad. She would be reading the Lady Black's book from cover to cover, the couple of copies of the Dumbledore book would soon make the rounds inside the carriage.

-oOoOo-

Fleur and Viktor practically being carried into the great hall caused a fair bit of alarm, though not from the Hogwarts contingent. Those long legs of Madam Maxime's getting her there ahead of anyone else.

"What is ze meaning of zis? What 'av you done to my student?"

The four friends let Bill deal with that one, he was supposed to be a diplomat.

"Absolutely nothing, Madame. Fleur is merely exhausted. We tried to warn her this was something you needed to build up to but she threw herself right in there, she is a credit to your school."

Bill's charm was wasted on Olympe, she turned her gaze onto Harry. "Are you trying to kill off ze ozzer champions before ze tournament begins? Is zis 'ow you plan to win?"

"Exactly the opposite, Madame Maxime. I offered the other champions access to my training to make the competition more equal. They will just take time to get used to it, and I have already suggested they take whatever break they feel necessary before the first task."

Though clearly exhausted, Fleur still tried to defend Harry. "Eet is true, Madame. 'Arry warned us not to try and keep up. I tried to do so and am now very tired. Viktor will agree, wizzout zis extra training - we 'ave no chance. 'Arry is very, very good."

Viktor wasn't going to agree with anything, he had fallen asleep where Harry and Neville had left him sitting. A few Durmstang students then carried him out the hall, thankfully Dumbledore was nowhere to be seen.

Olympe then apologised for jumping to the wrong conclusion, before escorting an exhausted Fleur back to their carriage. Both champions would spend the rest of their Saturday taking it very easy.

-oOoOo-

Knowing that Crow would be busy training, Dolores chose this time for her trip to Hogsmede. Her heart was pounding, and with good reason. After placing her report below the same rock she'd chosen weeks ago, Dolores found another letter waiting on her. That this letter would contain more instructions was a safe bet. Dolores was trying to act normal while the note was burning a hole in her pocket. She didn't dare open it until safely back in her Hogwarts room, and rushing straight back to the castle might arouse suspicion. She was going to have to waste some time in Hogsmeade, and anticipating her instructions would make that difficult to do.

"Dolores, what brings you to the village?"

This shocked Dolores out of her daydreaming. "Albus, should we really be seen together?"

"Nonsense, Dolores, we just happened to meet and are having a polite chat. There is also something I wanted to ask you. Why did you put Harry's name in the goblet?"

Albus' question had Dolores looking all around to see if anyone had possibly overheard. "What, don't talk rubbish, why would you think I did that?"

"Well, it's really quite a simple deduction, my dear Dolores. It certainly wasn't me - or anyone from Durmstang. Maxime would never do it, and everyone in Hogwarts simply loves the boy. Who does that leave as a suspect?"

Dolores thought she was being so clever, knowing everyone would instantly blame Dumbledore. She forgot there would be one person who would know Dumbledore definitely didn't put that name in the goblet, the same Albus Dumbledore who was now staring right into her eyes.

"I just want to know why, Dolores. Why did you put Harry's name in that goblet?"

A/N thanks for reading.

91. Out for Blood

Harry Crow

Disclaimer - A big thank you to JKR, the owner of Harry Potter, who permits us to construct our sandcastles on her beach. Whether those sandcastles resemble Hogwarts or a house of horrors can sometimes be purely down to the conjecture of the reader. One thing unites us all though, none of us are making any money off our writing here. Please keep that in mind as you read our efforts.

Chapter 91

Albus returned to the ship, being greeted by a party of students who couldn't wait to inform him of Viktor's condition. As he looked in on his sleeping champion, Albus had absolutely no intention of curtailing Viktor's training inside Hogwarts. Lying there in an exhausted sleep was Albus' route into Harry's inner group of friends, Viktor would need to lose a limb before he would even think of stopping his training inside Hogwarts. This was an unexpected but very welcome bonus, Albus was certainly not going to throw it away over something as trivial as an exhausted student.

Being on the judging panel, and now having some influence on the design of tasks two and three, was honestly all Albus had expected. Having Harry as the Hogwarts Tri-wizard Champion was again unexpected, however a massive bonus to his latest plans.

The real bit of unbelievable luck was discovering Dolores was in contact with Tom, and had placed Harry's name in the Goblet of Fire under his instructions. When that scheme looked as if it might actually fail, she had goaded the boy until he accepted, unfortunately getting poor Dolores kicked out of Hogwarts at the same time.

She was rightfully worried that Tom would see this as a failure on her part. Dolores would no longer be involved with the tournament, therefore unable to pass on information or carry out any tasks the dark lord ordered - since she would be forced to leave the castle too. This would certainly leave Dolores in a vulnerable position, and also without the goblin wards to prevent an attack from Tom or his two supporters.

While his insides had been doing a happy dance to put all his other happy dances to shame, externally Albus had appeared thoughtful as he masterfully entrapped Dolores further into his clutches.

His proposal was simplicity itself, often the best way to do things as there is less to go wrong. If Dolores gave Albus all the information she received from Tom, he would then feed her the latest inside news from the tournament to pass on. Dolores could tell Tom that she had some influence on whoever the new appointee was, and claim the information she passed on came from that source.

Since Tom wouldn't harm her while she was still useful to him, Dolores fell on Albus' offer like a drowning person would grab at a thrown rope. For no outlay on his part, Albus was now back where he was supposed to be - controlling all sides of the situation. He felt invigorated and could now see himself leaving this ship and moving back into the Headmaster's Suite in Hogwarts - his rightful place - by the end of this tournament.

He would need to be prepared though, Tom obviously wanted Harry in this tournament for a reason. Albus' task would be to try and unravel exactly what that reason was, and act accordingly. Best case scenario would see a confrontation between the two, with Harry narrowly losing and Albus heroically stepping in to finish off Tom.

That would place him back in power once more, and he could use the country's gratitude to start making inroads to these insane laws that had been passed in his absence. Discovering the new Gringotts branch in Hogsmeade was startling, not nearly as shocking though as seeing a couple of goblins walk through the village - and not one Hogsmeade resident batting an eyelid.

When Harry fell, that would complete the prophecy. Albus defeating Tom should once more make him the master of the Elder Wand, its powers now absorbed by the blade Dumbledore intended to claim. Albus was sure he could come up with something about wearing it to honour Harry's memory, the wizarding public would just love that angle.

Albus thought Harry really only had himself to blame for this now inevitable outcome. Having that horcrux removed from his head should have meant Harry could survive this, not any more though. Time and time again, he'd spurned Albus' offers of assistance. Now he had publicly spurned his wizarding heritage too. That arse of a minister, Fudge, might have tripped over himself to accept this outrageous outcome but Albus never would. A prominent old family being headed by someone who'd rather remain true to his goblin upbringing was an affront to their very way of life. Far better the family name be allowed to die out, and that would then see all this goblin nonsense buried along with the body of Harry Crow.

While never a supporter of the idea that someone's blood made them superior, Albus certainly believed wizards should be able to lord it over everyone else. There was no doubt in his mind that, being a wizard, he was superior to any other being on the planet, magical or not. It wasn't common knowledge but Albus had designed the fountain that proudly stood in the centre of the atrium in the Ministry of Magic, a not so subliminal reminder to everyone who saw it of that very fact.

Albus had come across a couple of his students venting their disgust at a goblin female being allowed to attend a ball in Hogwarts. When he'd asked them if they'd said anything at the time, both boys had looked at him as if he was crazy. Harry currently had more control over Hogwarts than Tom Riddle could ever have dreamed of possessing, and was using that control to push his own agenda - an agenda that was rapidly eroding wizarding values which had stood for centuries.

That they had even managed to brainwash Severus was a measure of just how far the goblins were prepared to go in order to rule Britain, something that would never happen while he still drew breath. The Baron of Kingussie was every bit as formidable a foe, and now should be considered a far greater danger to Britain, as Lord Voldemort. Albus intended to do his best to see that he solved all their country's problems - by ensuring these two deadly adversaries faced each other to the death.

For the first time in years, Albus felt the tide was finally turning in his favour. Now all he needed to do was use his experience, knowledge and power to grasp the opportunity when it came. Albus Dumbledore was going to be back where he belonged, back on top. He might even let Dolores have a shot at being Minister of Magic. For the greater good of their world, the current incumbent just had to go.

-oOoOo-

After reading the note from Voldemort, Dolores' unexpected good mood simply vanished. She thought the dark lord had asked the impossible last time, getting the goblin into the tournament would be child's play compared to this. She had no idea how to complete this task, though thankfully she now had someone to advise her. Dumbledore had forgotten more about Hogwarts than most people knew, surely he would know how to go about this.

-oOoOo-

With two quidditch matches, a Hogsmeade weekend, the first task and then the Halloween feast, October was going to be an exciting month in Hogwarts.

it was a couple of other events though that caught the four friends flat-footed. The first was when Euan was waiting on them as they finished their Saturday lesson, what caught them out was Euan not actually waiting on them.

"Hi Bill, could you do me a big favour? I was sitting talking to Natalie last night and, before we knew it, it was curfew. I had my letter for my mum all ready but couldn't get up to the owlery because I'd left it too late. Since you're seeing her tonight, could you pass it on for me?"

"Not a problem, Euan. I promised your mum I would look you up and see how you were settling anyway. You want to go and have lunch?"

Four stunned friends watched the pair happily head off for the great hall. Hermione's eyes were drawn to Fleur though, their French friend appeared deflated.

"I saw them dancing together at Jamie's christening but never thought anything of it. When did that happen?"

Harry then attempted to answer Padma's question. "They obviously met at the fayre, then Assistant Ambassador Weasley volunteered to help the Abercrombies with their moving house. I didn't know he was still visiting there but Jenny is a lovely person…"

At that, Fleur pushed past, her embarrassment clear for all to see.

"Okay, I've obviously said something wrong again. Would either of you ladies care to explain exactly what it was to me?"

"You didn't say anything wrong, Harry. Fleur just didn't want to hear that Bill was involved with anyone." Hermione then took pity on him and explained exactly what was going on. "Fleur is rather taken with Bill, she was actually considering asking him to Hogsmeade at the end of the month. None of us knew he was seeing someone. That's what upset Fleur, not you."

Neville was as confused as Harry. "But Hermione, he's a professor. Are students allowed to date professors?"

"Well, technically he's not a professor, and Fleur is now of age and considered an adult."

Neither Neville nor Harry seemed totally convinced by that argument. Viktor kept his own council on the matter, wisely saying nothing. Padma and Hermione weren't sure whether to follow their friend or not. Harry suggested waiting until after lunch and speaking with Henrica about the matter. If anyone would know the best way to handle this, it would be her.

That was why Henrica found herself being escorted to Fleur's room by Madam Maxine. "She 'as been so enjoying 'erself at "Ogwarts. I saw she was upset but she would not talk to me about ze matter…"

"She might not talk to me about it either, Madame Maxime. I do know why she was upset though, and can assure you nothing untoward happened. You've seen how Harry reacts if a lady is mistreated, you have nothing to worry about on that front."

She found Fleur sitting on her bed, just facing the blank wall. The room was so small that Henrica really had to sit beside her on the bed. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"I 'ave made a big fool of myself, 'ow could I 'ave been so stupid…"

"That's not what I heard. Your friends are concerned about you, and came to me for advice. They told me what happened and you did nothing wrong."

"I almost asked a professor on a date, what was I zzinking…"

"You weren't thinking, and you were at least a week or so from asking. Those four certainly won't breathe a word of this to anyone else, they came to me because I'm family. I would certainly count Bill as a friend but even I didn't know he was in a relationship with Jenny Abercrombie."

"…'Arry says she is a nice woman?"

"We all thought so, she and Euan stayed at Kingussie for a weekend during the summer. We might be jumping to conclusions here, they may be nothing more than friends."

"At least I do not 'ave to worry now about 'im saying non because I am veela."

"Oh that would make no difference to Bill, Jenny is a muggle after all..."

"Ce que vous êtes sérieux? You make joke, oui?"

"Yes, I'm serious. The fact you're only seventeen would worry Bill a lot more than you being veela."

"School is full of leetle boys, only 'Arry, Neville and Viktor do not, 'ow you say, baver?"

This saw Henrica smile. "I think the word you're looking for is drool. The students were like that with me when I first started, give them time and it will soon settle down."

"I do not believe 'Arry would drool…"

"You're right, only after Hermione. I know Bill is an attractive man but you shouldn't be in such a hurry to grow up. If you continue training with Harry's group, you will be seeing him twice a week until summer. Get to know him first, and let him see the real you. Meanwhile, try and have some fun. Hanging out with Harry and the gang will allow you to meet nice people. If they're close to Harry, then you can trust them. Enjoy your time at Hogwarts and who knows what the future holds. I met Sirius through working with Harry, certainly not something I expected when I arrived in Scotland."

This saw Fleur lean in and hug Henrica. "Zzank you, it es so good to 'ave someone zat understands to talk wizz."

"You're very welcome. Hermione and Padma sometimes come to me too, which is why they felt secure about mentioning this to me. I could easily see Madam Maxime exploding if you had gone to Hogsmeade with Bill - just before the first task too!"

This drew a chuckle out of Fleur. " An angry Madam Maxime is a very frightening sight. She would tell me I need to focus on ze tournament, and she would be correct."

By the time Henrica left, Fleur was feeling a lot better about the situation.

Harry was still working on the situation later on that evening, he pulled Roger aside for a quiet word. "Could you do me a favour tomorrow? Fleur has come here looking to make friends, could you be one of them?"

"Harry, that won't exactly be a hardship, mate."

"If you hit it off, there's a Hogsmeade weekend coming up…"

"I get the picture, and she's a friend of yours?"

"Fleur is becoming a good friend to both Hermione and I."

"Gotcha, best behaviour at all times."

"Roger, if I didn't know that would already be the case, I would have asked someone else."

This actually saw the older Ravenclaw smile. "Thanks, Harry, I really appreciate that vote of confidence."

The second event that would have a far greater affect the group of four friends happened later that night, the Lady Helena waited until she got Harry alone before speaking to him.

"Young Champion, I think we may have a problem. The castle's elves reported to me that there was another elf shadowing you during your training, they have identified this elf as belonging to that Umbridge witch. She has barred the castle's elves from entering her quarters, claiming her elf will look after her needs."

"So Dolores is spying on us?"

"Not just spying, Harry, we think it's worse than that. Her elf was spotted going through your soiled clothes basket when you left for breakfast. The Hogwarts elves have told me your towel sometimes has blood on it, they are afraid that is what he's after."

That seriously upped the ante for Harry. Whatever Dolores Umbridge wanted a sample of his blood for, he was certain it wasn't to do him any good. He sat and spoke to Helena for at least an hour, a plan slowly forming in his head. Harry would certainly send word of this development to his father, they needed more information though before they could do anymore.

-oOoOo-

Their first Sunday training went well, Viktor and Fleur seeming pleased to discover the other four boys weren't miles ahead of them. Last week, neither Fleur or Viktor had been up for lessons two days in a row. Bill finished with a six against four battle and, while the young quartet still won, the result was a lot closer than usual.

Roger was joking with Fleur that she should bring some friends with her next week, maybe then they would have a chance. Her laughter encouraged him to say what had been on his mind since Harry mentioned this last night.

"There's a Hogsmeade weekend coming up at the end of the month, would you like to accompany me to the village? It won't be just the two of us, since there is still a threat of an attack, but we'll have fun as a group."

"I would like zat, very much. Will everyone be going?"

"All except Harry, he's on duty." Seeing the blank look from Fleur, and that Viktor was listening in too, Roger explained his last comment. "There will be joint auror and goblin patrols in the village for the entire weekend. Auror Tonks leads the Ministry side of the operation, but Harry's in charge of The Nation's response. Occasionally he'll have time to have lunch with us, and his squad of warriors, I suppose it depends on how great they think the likelihood of an attack is. After what happened at the World Cup, I don't expect they'll be taking any chances."

This saw Viktor shake his head. "The more I learn about Harry, more confused I become."

The Ravenclaw could only laugh at this. "He's certainly different from anyone I've ever met before. Last summer, the four of us actually holidayed with his group in Egypt, one of the best experiences of my life. Harry's philosophy is that we're all different, and it's how we embrace those differences that make us who we are."

"I saw you dancing whiz 'is goblin friend at ze ball…"

"Sapphire, yes. We first met her in Egypt last year, then she holidayed in Kingussie for a week. she's been back and forth but her family have now returned to Britain. She's lovely, and certainly one of my friends too. It's funny but, when I'm dancing with her I don't see a goblin - I just see Sapphire. I think that's what Harry meant…"

Fleur actually took Roger's arm as they left the room. Here was somebody that might actually be able to look past her being veela and just see Fleur. "I zzink zat is what "Arry meant too."

Viktor followed on, still confused by the enigma that was the youngest champion.

Bill watched them go, actually with a fair bit of relief. Ever since the first day he stepped back into Hogwarts, some of the older witches had been making eyes at him. He decided right from the start that dating someone who was still attending Hogwarts was simply something he couldn't do.

He'd just mentally added the other two schools to that list when they arrived. Maybe in a couple of years he might find Miss Delacour interesting, hanging about with Harry's crowd would certainly help her with any growing she had to do. He had the spectacular results of his twin brothers to back that assumption up. Ginny too had changed from all recognition to the young witch they were worried about sending to Hogwarts. Even Ron had finally pulled his socks up, gotten himself a girlfriend and was boring everyone with how he was now the Gryffindor keeper. The opportunity to play against Viktor Krum had his quidditch obsessed youngest brother working those same socks off, not wanting to give McGonagall the slightest excuse to prevent him from playing.

-oOoOo-

Their lesson with the Blacks that afternoon soon became a strategy session, with Remus, Tonks and Augusta all being invited to hear what the Lady Helena had warned them of. None of them were happy about the blood issue, and Harry would be practicing with his armour activated until they discovered just what was going on here.

They had a plan for dealing with that failing, a plan they spent the afternoon refining.

-oOoOo-

It was the following Saturday before they could put those plans into action. Even though there was currently a quidditch match taking place, the four were still training. Fleur, not being a fan, deciding that's what she wanted to do too. The Lady Helena entered their training room to inform them the event they were waiting for had just taken place.

The four stopped at once, their swords were soon on their backs and they were ready to go.

"Fleur, could we ask you a favour? Could you stay here until our normal finishing time? We don't want anyone realising we left this room."

The French champion quickly agreed as the four left, the room then provided a couple of comfy chairs and refreshments.

"I get ze feeling zis 'as nozzing to do wizz ze tournament?"

"You would be right, Fleur. Those four have other things on their minds."

This left the French champion shaking her head. "I am worried more because we do not know what we will be facing, do you zzink 'Arry 'as any idea?"

"If he had, he would have told you. Harry will certainly want to win for the honour of Hogwarts, but he would find no honour in cheating to do so. I've gotten to know him pretty well in the last few years, I also work for his father. Those two are more alike than you would believe possible."

Fleur had decided to take Henrica's advice, and spent a very pleasant morning chatting with Bill.

-oOoOo-

Dolores was very careful as she meandered toward Hogsmeade, continually stopping to look around the spectacular countryside. In reality, she was making sure she wasn't being followed as Dolores got ready to make her drop under the rock. For all she was being careful though, not once did she ever think to look up. If she had, Dolores might have noticed she had a feathered aerial escort.

Her drop finally done, she then headed off down the path to the village.

They had certainly considered this possibility, and then planned accordingly. Saber and Buff found suitable trees to perch in, keeping a close eye on whatever Umbridge had placed under that rock. Hover and Swift continued following the witch down to the village.

The hawk and the owl easily spotted the dark haired little girl in the yellow polka-dot dress, skipping toward the rock from the direction of the station. She appeared to be about eight or nine, and was singing to herself as she skipped in time to her own beat. It was almost too casual the way she sat on that specific rock to pretend to take something out of her shoe.

Both birds of prey easily spotted the girl lift the small roll of parchment, slipping it under her dress and into her knickers. As the girl headed back the way she came, Sabre and Buff were careful to stay far enough behind that they wouldn't scare away whoever she was going to meet.

She eventually reached the station, sitting dangling her legs over the edge of the platform. The two birds again took up positions where they could see everything. What they eventually saw was shocking, and caught both of them unawares.

The little girl began growing before their very eyes, and suddenly she wasn't so little anymore. Sitting wearing a child's dress that now looked obscene on her, Bellatrix Lestrange stood and waved.

Saber was already moving, with only the hawk's faster speed enabling her to intercept Buff before the tawny owl could reach the person he detested most in the entire world. With Lestrange portkeying away, Saber managed to keep her enraged mate in the air, both birds of prey setting off for the castle.

-oOoOo-

Harry and Hermione entered the Blacks' apartment, and immediately understood something was really wrong. Padma was sitting on Neville's lap, her arms lovingly wrapped around him as she whispered in his ear. The problem though was Neville sitting there, rigid with anger and wearing a face like thunder. The newcomers didn't have to wait too long to discover the problem, Neville had clearly been waiting on them.

"Umbitch is working with Voldemort, Bellatrix Lestrange picked up the message herself. She was polyjuiced to look like a little girl, the bitch changed back and then portkeyed away before I could get to her." The anger was dripping off every syllable Neville uttered, his mate again tried to alleviate his pain.

"Neville, honey, she was being watched. That's why she waved, and why I stopped you attacking her. We need a plan to take her and her accomplice out, and I want the four of us there when we do. She's a psycho, Neville, we don't give her any chances whatsoever..."

Harry had his knife out, sending a signal to his father that he needed to talk to him. "Tonks, could you see if Amelia is available? I've just sent for my father, we need to have a war council to see what our next move is."

Hermione then filled them in on what else had happened. "Umbridge also met someone in Hogwarts, she had tea with Albus Dumbledore..."

That got Tonks moving, Augusta suggested they might want Alice and Frank here too, her suggestion received a unanimous yes.

-oOoOo-

The meeting was now in the Headmistress' Office, the castle's elves had provided food but few were hungry. Harry was sitting with Astrid in his arms yet Hermione wasn't the only one who could see his mind was on other things. What those things were soon became apparent as the meeting got underway, everyone was brought up to date with the information they had before Harry got right to the heart of the matter.

"What we need to decide first is whether we are going to take out Lestrange, or play along and hope to end this once and for all." He wasn't surprised that Neville was glaring at him for even suggesting not taking her down, Harry certainly owed him an explanation.

"Neville, hitting Lestrange leaves two thirds of the job still to do. Her watcher will be somewhere in the mountains with a pair of omnioculars. If he's disillusioned and laying still, we would never find him - certainly not in the time we had available. That would see them move locations at once, leaving any information we got out of her useless - it doesn't take any imagination to see Riddle and Rookwood having a revenge killing spree against soft targets. While they're focusing on whatever it is they are attempting, the rest of the country is free from any attacks."

"Harry, I know what you're saying makes sense, I just have a blind spot where she is concerned. Lestrange is the last survivor of those who attacked my family, I want her to pay for that - and everything else she's done."

His mother was first to try and help her son see through this. "I would love to put a bullet in her myself, Neville, but it all comes back to Voldemort. This time we know he's mortal, kill him and he's gone for good. That has to be our main objective here, though I certainly hope that bitch goes down with him."

It was Hermione who tried to move the conversation in a different direction. "The fact they are after Harry's blood has me really worried. Whatever we decide here will only work if we can anticipate what their plans are, otherwise Harry could be getting left out there as some sort of sacrificial goat - that is so not happening. Dumbledore's involvement in this also makes me feel sick. We're getting Umbridge out the castle but he's still going to be here, and that old goat is far more dangerous in every way than the toad."

Barchoke had be honest with his children, he'd learned from his mistake with Lestrange's pregnancy. "The only thing we can see Harry's blood being needed for is wards. Whether that's to portkey Harry through them, or possibly to produce some sort of masking device that lets them gain access, we simply don't have enough information at the moment."

This got Harry's attention immediately, he was thinking of three Grangers who were behind these wards. "Do you think they could produce some kind of Loki Talisman?"

Amelia had been shocked at what she'd heard here today, she would certainly need to inform Cornelius about this. There was information she could pass on to the group however, information they needed before plans could be made.

"Through physical evidence left behind, and then interviewing the Carrows, we discovered exactly how they escaped from Azkaban. Rookwood carved himself a runes powered protection disk out of the rock plinth that was his bed. He completed the unbelievably complex task entirely from memory, and actually pulled out his own teeth to use as carving tools. He and Lestrange then blood bonded in her cell to allow the protection to include her as well. Rookwood and Riddle are certainly intellectually capable of just about anything, where Dumbledore fits into this whole mess I have no idea."

This had given Hermione an idea however. "With Harry and I being blood bonded, will whatever they do affect me too? I haven't put myself through all this training to be left sitting on the sidelines now."

Their father had bad news for them though. "I'm sorry, my daughter. For something like this, the blood bond would only come into play once it was finalised."

"Well, that only leaves us one option..." Hermione's comment seemed to suck all the oxygen out of the room, with the only sound being that of jaws hitting the floor.

Ever since the night he'd asked her to be his girlfriend, Harry had been quiet happy to let Hermione set the pace of their growing physical relationship. This though seemed a step too far, too quickly, and certainly not something they wanted to be announcing to their family.

It was probably to be expected that Padma would be the first to come back at her best friend. "That's a bit bold, Hermione, even for someone who put a dementor to the sword."

Hermione was wondering why she was getting strange looks from her family, and also had no idea what Padma was referring to. "Bold? What are you on about?"

"Having sex with Harry to complete your bond..."

"What? Are you nuts, I said no such thing..."

"...then how do you propose to be by Harry's side?"

"Simple, by making sure my blood is on that towel too. Did you all think the same as Padma?"

It was actually Henrica who answered, thinking she had the best chance of doing so without hurting anyone's feelings. "Hermione, there is not one person in this room who doesn't think you would do absolutely anything to help keep Harry safe. I'm really sorry but I never saw that simple solution either."

Padma got up and hugged Hermione. "You know that is going to be one bloody towel? I love your idea, and it saves me having to sleep with Harry to get into this fight..."

"In your dreams, Patil!"

She looked round at Neville. "Well actually, no..." Neither could hold their laughter any longer. That both their mates were now blushing just added to their amusement, and also released a lot of tension from the room. If these four were still laughing and joking with each other, then things couldn't be too bad.

"I don't remember any decision being made where we don't just arrest who we can, far less let any blood leave this castle. I'll tell you right now, I will need to be convinced before even considering that option. There are also two sets of parents missing who certainly deserve to be involved in this decision too." A serious Sirius just put everyone back on track.

Harry actually agreed with his godfather. "Okay, lets look at the threats. A portkey is certainly a threat we need to take seriously. The chances of anyone being able to slip me one inside Hogwarts are pretty slim, the castle will protect its champion. That Voldemort wanted me in this tournament would seem to suggest that's where the move will come from, we need to be all over it. The Tri-wizard tournament is no longer a game, it could be a means to end this once and for all. Amelia, do you think The Minister would go along with that?"

"Harry, to help bring down Voldemort, Cornelius would give you anything you wanted. I'm assuming you have something in mind?"

Astrid had now fallen asleep in Harry's arms, she was probably the only person in the room who didn't experience a shiver down her spine at the expression her godfather wore as he answered Amelia.

"Riddle thinks he's setting a trap, I want him walking right into an ambush. Can I ask if the first task could fit into a stadium?"

"I don't think I would be revealing any secrets if I said yes. What's on your mind?"

"If we had a stadium, like the one built in Kingussie over the summer, we could have five thousand people at the tasks. This of course would see security increased, wards strengthened and a few surprises standing by. Dan, father and Frank waiting on any appearance from Riddle with rifles in their hands certainly springs to mind."

This got a big double thumbs up from Frank, he wasn't going to pass up a chance to put a bullet in the Lestrange bitch. Barchoke too approved of that idea, the grin he wore was predatory.

Harry was sure that idea would win approval, but he had even more. "If we build this stadium, it would then seem logical to base all three tasks around it. Let the three champions put on a show for all the people that would come to watch. Have the ministry chosen anyone to replace Umbridge yet?"

Amelia was shaking her head at that. "We have a shortlist but haven't approached anyone yet. Something tells me we won't have to bother anymore."

This got a nod from Harry as he made his suggestion known. "The less people who know what we're up to, the better. Augusta is already on the panel, we need someone else on there to back her up - and block Dumbledore at every turn. I was going to suggest an Order of Merlin holding auror, one who knows every inch of the castle, grounds, and who assisted at Kingussie over the summer."

All eyes now turned to a totally shocked Tonks, Amelia though was thinking this could really work. "She's already in the castle, and Dumbledore will think he can take advantage of her youthful inexperience."

"Moony's already done that..." This saw Sirius receive smacks to the head from both his wife and his cousin.

Neville now wanted involved in this too, and had an idea how to achieve his aims. "Harry, I know you never want to take someone close to a goblin as a hostage. What if there were volunteers involved, volunteers that you had to reach but who would be in no danger? That could get us in there with you in case Voldemort makes a move..." Padma made a move, a move that saw her betrothed getting kissed.

While Padma was busy, Hermione was running that idea through her head and liking where those thoughts were going. "Neville, that's brilliant. Harry, say yes!"

When his mate looked at him like that, Harry had trouble refusing her anything. "Providing they are in no danger from the tournament, I think it's a great idea. With the first task being in two weeks, and Voldemort not having any blood yet, I think we can assume whatever he's planning won't happen then. We take precautions but step them up for tasks two and three."

That conclusion found general agreement amongst the group though Barchoke took it further. "With you now involving Hermione in this, the fact Dan will be there with a gun in his hand might be the only reason they'll approve. We will certainly be scanning everything to ensure there are no portkeys there, some of Harry's blood on the bullets should see them pass straight through any wards bound to the same substance. Remus, Sirius, could you come up with a set of those mirrors that could keep all three shooters in touch with each other? We'll need to know who to target, and that could depend on where they appear."

Being a keen shooter, and having competed in the Kingussie stadium, Amelia could certainly see the merits of this option. None of the people in this room wanted to see Harry duel Voldemort, a bullet through the bastard's head worked just fine for them. "We could build shooting platforms into the roof. They could be easily hidden and strategically placed to give all three shooters a wide field of fire."

"If we build the stadium exactly the same as Kingussie, the open end should face the castle. This would give us the arena and the area in between to set the second and third task, with everyone still being able to see what was happening." Tonks thought if she was going to be involved, it was time to add her opinion. She didn't expect Amelia and Augusta to begin chuckling at her.

"Sorry Tonks, that's a great idea. What tickled me was the original plans for the second task." Amelia actually dissolved into laughter, leaving Augusta to fill everyone else in on what was so funny.

"The second task was to be under the Black Lake, the audience would have been sitting staring at nothing for the entire task."

With the experience of the fayre under their belts, everyone there could instantly see what a bad idea that would be. Henrica had just put Astrid in her crib for the night, and she had another reason to think that was a terrible idea.

"What idiot was going to have a veela performing underwater? Please don't tell me there would have been a hostage down there Fleur would need to rescue?"

This ended the laughter, and gave Amelia another idea. "I think we need the Lady Black on the task design panel too. She is the wizarding world's recognised expert on matters of a goblin nature, and also a veela. Since two of our champions fall into those categories, we need her on board. Why waste time designing a task, only for her to tell us we got something fundamentally wrong. Having her involved from the beginning should avoid that problem, and also save time."

Augusta was in complete agreement. "Playing the veela card should get Madame Maxime on board. Since Henrica was going to look over the task anyway, Dumbledore won't be able to object too much to her being involved from the beginning. He'll try though, hoping to squeeze some concessions out of us over other matters."

"I'd like to squeeze his scrawny neck..." Henrica's outburst had a smile on Amelia's lips.

"...which is another excellent reason to have you on the panel. You may have to get in line though."

With more ideas being thrown around, a plan of sorts slowly came together. Amelia would need to inform The Minister and Chief Warlock of what was discussed here but didn't foresee any problems. She hoped to return on Monday when construction of the stadium would begin. Since this had already been done before, Amelia was certain it would be ready for the quidditch match next Saturday. It was just a pity they hadn't thought of it sooner, that Viktor Krum had been playing today would easily have filled every seat in the stadium.

The four would wait until just before the Hogsmeade weekend before supplying Umbridge with their blood. Barchoke would arrange to have her observed making her drop, since all four would need to be in the village over the weekend. This was Crow's Marauders first visit to Hogsmeade, their trainers not being there would certainly be noticed. Harry might be on duty but the other three would do their best to ensure that Luna, Colin and the rest of them had a good time..

The idea of placing a tracking charm on whatever Umbridge left was mooted, only to eventually be dismissed. Whoever picked that package up was unlikely to take it straight to wherever they were hiding. It was a safe bet they would take the package somewhere else, before casting every detection charm they could at it. Discovering a tracking charm would instantly tell Voldemort and co that they were rumbled, leaving the ministry and its allies right back at square one again. They would achieve the same result from arresting Umbridge, no one believed Dolores knew where Voldemort was hiding.

As the meeting was breaking up, Harry had one last thing to say. "I don't want any more information about the tasks than the other two champions. What I would say though is that the first task will need to be in the afternoon, we all have potions in the morning."

Amelia wasn't sure whether she was being pranked but the other three all confirmed Harry's opinion. "Master Pitslay would never let a little thing like a tournament interrupt his lesson."

With that, it was time to leave.

A/N thanks for reading

92. Wheels Within Wheels

Harry Crow

Disclaimer - since I still have to drag myself to work every Monday to Friday, that should be proof enough that I am neither a professional author nor do I own Harry Potter. RobSt is just someone having a bit of fun during the long, dark Scottish evenings by playing in the world JKR created for us. I also don't own any of the words used in this chapter, and claim only the order I placed them in as my own.

Chapter 92

The excitement inside Hogwarts was growing at roughly the same rate as the magnificent new stadium, now rising majestically out of the ground about a hundred yards from the main gate. All week, any free periods the students had were spent watching the new Hogwarts facility undergoing construction. Filius had even taken his O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. students down to observe some of the practical applications of what they were learning in his class.

The Ministry had scored a massive public relations coup by announcing this was a gift to Hogwarts. A gift to say thank-you for all their hard work in the last few years, hard work that had certainly turned the school around. They didn't actually come out and say 'from the mess Dumbledore dragged the school into', they didn't need to - everyone got the message.

That Dumbledore was actually back in Hogwarts at the moment allowed the ministry to publicly and politically poke him one in the eye. The other major coup was allowing Hogwarts students the opportunity of inviting their parents to the first task of the Tri-wizard Tournament. Once Augusta could confirm numbers, the ministry would then know how many tickets it had available for allocation. There would also be a percentage of that allocation heading for Gringotts too, there was after all a goblin champion in the tournament.

Severus was continually looking around him, amazed at the changes wrought in such a small space of time. If the ministry putting the parents of Hogwarts students above their own greedy needs wasn't enough, Severus didn't have to look very far for more examples of radical change. Draco would be playing seeker for Slytherin on Saturday, on a broom loaned to him by Crow and with the entire school backing his efforts.

Yes they were playing Beauxbatons and, as everyone had expected - Durmstang beat Hufflepuff, but the sight of Gryffindors supporting Slytherin had Severus thinking he'd gotten some potions ingredients mixed up. He simply had to be hallucinating.

Tonks was smiling at him. "Don't worry, Severus, we all get moments like that. I saw you space out there while staring at what's in front of us. The atmosphere inside Hogwarts has changed beyond all recognition since the time I was a student here. Henrica's been in the castle since the start of the changes, and even she struggles with it sometimes. I can't help but wonder what it will be like by the time my goddaughter attends Hogwarts."

That she lovingly held Astrid in her arms focused Severus' thoughts in that direction too. "My godson is like a different person now. Without his father's influence, Draco has been allowed to grow into the outstanding young wizard I always knew was in there. The influences of the people he now listens to are having a far better affect on him."

Henrica was siting beside Tonks, watching the two marauders at the Gryffindor table chatting animatedly with the Weasley twins. "It's not only Draco who's being affected, Severus, it's spreading throughout the entire school. By all accounts, Fred and George Weasley were a couple of terrors. Now look at them. Prefects, marauder trainers, and they are currently sitting down there trying to sell Sirius and Remus on the idea of funding a joke shop. As you can probably imagine, that's not going to be a hard sell to our two big kids."

While Tonks could only smile at the apt description of their two wizards, that joke shop idea horrified Severus. "Oh dear, I can hardly imagine some of the things those two could come up with…"

"Master Pitslay says those two are mavericks, mavericks who will either go on to be very rich - or blow up half of Diagon Alley."

"Who's to say they won't do both?"

Henrica found Severus' dry wit to be highly amusing, especially since it had lost all of its sarcastic undertones. "They might blow Hogsmeade up instead, Sirius thinks that's where the greatest opportunities now lie."

This saw both Severus and Tonks looking for Henrica to explain that view. "You can buy land and build premises to your exact specifications, without many of the restrictions having a shop in the alley places on you. This Saturday's quidditch match won't have visitors, but the plan is to roll that out over the rest of the games - as well as the three tasks. Not only will Hogsmeade still have all the traditional weekend visits from Hogwarts students, in future years there will now be thousands of parents passing through the village every time there's a quidditch match scheduled. It's all wheels within wheels. The stadium helps Hogwarts, creates passing business - which will help regenerate Hogsmeade - and lets parents see their children throughout the year. That is the perfect example of the way things work now, everyone benefits."

Severus was finding it hard to argue with any of that, the proof was staring him in the face. As he looked around Hogwarts, he could see the benefits for himself.

-oOoOo-

Since they wouldn't be training over the Hogsmeade weekend, the four did their usual and gave the quidditch match a miss. They also didn't leave their training to follow Umbridge, Father had Rita keeping an eye on that situation. After her encounter at the Parkinson house however, nothing could convince Rita to try and follow Lestrange if she appeared. Rita had no intention of going anywhere near that crazy witch, far less trying to hitch a ride to Voldemort's hideout.

A Slytherin win against Beauxbaxtons restored some Hogwarts pride, and now had all minds focused on the following weekend. Fleur and Viktor had then found themselves being invited to Crow's Marauders meeting on Monday evening, both stood astonished as the four put the club through its paces. It was the bit of magic the room provided at the end though that impressed the hell out of everyone.

Their wind-down session suddenly incorporated a scaled-down model of Hogsmeade Village, with the entire thing labeled and colour coded.

"I know everyone here is looking forward to visiting Hogsmeade, that doesn't mean though you should forget everything we've taught you. If an alarm sounds, get yourselves inside one of the buildings coloured green. You will notice the shrieking shack and Hogsmeade Station are coded red, these areas are out of bounds. They are just too far away from any protected buildings. Should an attack happen, anyone visiting there could be caught out in the open. Remember too, your emergency portkeys will get you to safety if you need them."

Having been taught tactics in this room for over two years, all could easily see Harry was right about the lack of cover. Their badges were still charmed as portkeys and would transport them to a secure room in Gringotts.

"Auror Tonks will have teams of aurors on site, I will be leading squads of warriors through the village too. Should an alarm sound, I don't want to hear of anyone trying to play hero. Get yourself to shelter and let us deal with it. We teach you how to get away from trouble, and not to go looking for it, that's what you will do at the weekend."

Harry found a hand appearing on his shoulder while a very familiar one also slipped into his. Hermione and Padma knew why Harry was doing this, Crow's Marauders was practically family to him now. He was determined nothing was going to happen to them, even if he had to scare each of them a little to ensure that.

Hermione was going to say something, before realising she didn't have to. The entire membership of the club were smiling at him, understanding exactly what was being said here. Luna stepped forward and kissed Harry's cheek.

"We'll be careful Harry, I promise."

"I know you will, Luna, it's others I'm worried about. Colin here still has those Gryffindor tendencies..."

This got some chuckles but a smiling Colin joked right back. "Yeah, I keep forgetting you need to be in Ravenclaw to slay trolls, basilisks and dementors."

That got some more laughs. Being a marauders trainer had really seen Colin start to mature, which was why Harry had singled him out here tonight. He was certain Colin would act responsibly but it was a reminder to those who might not.

As the happy students left, Sirius and the two champions approached the four friends.

"You worried about an attack at the weekend, Harry?"

"It's my job to worry, Sirius. All indications are the risk of an attack are very low, that doesn't mean we get complacent though. We nearly lost Luna once, once was certainly more than enough for me. Tonks is having a map made to go over this at dinner on Friday, I just wanted to make sure our lot heard it from us. No heroics, everyone rushes to the nearest safe building and lets us deal with it. Voldemort comes after any of mine, trust me - I'll deal with it."

The focus and ferocity with which Harry made that declaration certainly let Fleur and Viktor see where his true purpose lay. They could now understand Harry's attitude that the tournament was nothing more than a game, a game he wouldn't even miss his potions class for. Compared to the mammoth task he seemed to have set himself, the tournament was mere child's play.

-oOoOo-

As they walked towards their morning training, Hermione had switched to goblin in case anyone was listening. ""Are you sure about this plan, Harry? Why don't we give them squirrel blood or something?"

""I have a hundred and thirty six reasons for doing this, Hermione. Starting with little Bea Potter and the rest of the murdered Potters, three Dursleys tortured to death, the attack on Diagon Alley and then the World Cup. A hundred and thirty six people have lost their lives. Wizards, goblins and muggles, women and children, it makes no difference to these monsters. I have killed, Hermione, but each of those one hundred and thirty six innocents murdered haunts me just as much as those lives I took. What do you think Riddle and his sidekicks would do when they discovered we had tricked them? Just think of the damage they could cause by apparating into the middle of a muggle city and pulling the same shit they did in the Alley?""

This was a sobering thought for the friends, they certainly believed Harry when he said he took every one of those deaths personally.

""While they are working on this, they will be laying low. Not wanting to risk the slightest possibility of them being caught before they spring their trap. Meanwhile, we know the where and when, and even who's working for him. I honestly think this is our best chance to end this, I will certainly understand if any of you want to change your mind..."" Harry was stopped from saying any more by Hermione kissing him.

""That kiss is from us too, Harry. Though personally I would have gone with smacking you around the head for even suggesting we bow out. Sticking together has brought us this far, it's time to take it all the way."" It was then Padma's turn to be kissed from her proud betrothed.

Hermione had another thought though. ""Harry, what if we're wrong? What if he goes after our families?""

""Goblin warriors have now been garrisoned in Kingussie, to protect Crow's Nest and the goblin families living on our estate. Father, Smita, Alice, Frank and Ramrao are all moving there too. Father has been asked to acquire some rifles Dan specified, I get the feeling there is going to be a lot of shooting practice at Kingussie. We're taking every precaution we can think of, Hermione, it's their turn to do the dying.""

The decision made, there would be a bloody towel being put in the soiled clothes basket today. The Hogwarts elves had already been instructed by Lady Helena to let Umbridge's elf take it.

-oOoOo-

They were in their last class of the week, potions with Master Pitslay, when there was a knock at the door and Colin stuck his head into the classroom.

"Harry, I was grabbed by Madam Umbridge and ordered to come and get you. The Champions are meeting with the press, she said something about a 'weighing the wands' ceremony. You don't have a wand though, and I know you won't let old Olivander anywhere near your knife."

"It's fine, Colin, go back and enjoy the rest of your free period. Madam Umbridge has no authority within the school, you don't have to take orders from her. I already told her I wouldn't be taking part in anything other than the tasks, she's just trying to rile me up before Monday. Not much chance of that happening, nor my missing potions."

A smiling Colin then left, with no intention of informing Umbridge that Harry wasn't coming to whatever she'd arranged.

Master Pitslay enjoyed his time in Hogwarts immensely, he was also one of the few who knew what the four had planned - leaving Hogwarts at the end of their fifth year. He'd been pushing this class hard and they had all responded exactly as he'd hoped, by working even harder. It was now time to give them their reward.

"As you all know, Messrs Weasley and Weasley here are sitting the ministry's N.E.W.T. potions exam at the summer. I expect them to do well. As for the rest of you, O.W.L. level will be passed by December. You could sit that exam this summer, and easily complete your N.E.W.T by the following year. Do you want me to arrange these exams with Professor McGonagall?"

After getting over the shock of that news, an excited bunch of Ravenclaws, and of course Neville, all quickly agreed with that idea. Harry still had no intention of sitting these exams, though Hermione explained he would have to pass muggle exams for entry to university. They intended to spend their two years between leaving Hogwarts and starting university studying to do just that - after they got married of course.

-oOoOo-

Fleur thought Hogsmeade Village was quaint. She was on Roger's arm and enjoying herself, though she couldn't help but notice her date seemed distracted - and not by her.

"Are you looking for somezzing, or someone?"

"Oh, sorry Fleur. Just confirming where all the safe havens are, those plaques are a brilliant idea. As well as having a good time today, I also need to make sure you're safe too. Harry might be able to take everything in with a glance, I need to study it a bit more..."

"Zat woman was not 'appy 'Arry never appeared yesterday. Wizz Madam Longbottom saying 'e did not need to come, she got more angry still."

"Harry had already said he wouldn't attend. Maybe with her out of the castle soon, Hermione might be able to convince him that a ball is a good idea. They will still need to change the date though, he will be going home for the holidays. If there is a ball, I hope you will let me accompany you?" This had Fleur chuckling with laughter, a sound that did wondrous things to Roger's insides.

"I zought it was Griffendors who charged in, not intelligent Ravenclaws..."

"...and this Ravenclaw's intelligence is telling him to ask first, before anyone else steals in there ahead of me." That musical laughter was once more enchanting him, Roger was hoping for a yes.

"If zere is a ball announced, and if you ask me, I will be 'appy to go wizz you."

A very 'appy' Roger then led his date into Honeydukes, he doubted though if even those masters of confectionary could concoct something as sweet as Miss Fleur Delacour.

Later, Fleur spotted Bill, with a younger version of himself she didn't know, walking through the village. She asked Roger about it.

"That must be Charlie Weasley, he's the only one I haven't met. I wouldn't be surprised if Percy and his fiancee, Penny, are here too. This is Ginny's first visit to the village and her brothers really watch over her. I pity the wizard who tries to date her, imagine being faced with six very protective older brothers."

"Why do you not know zis Charlie?"

"Oh, he works abroad. He's a dragon handler in Romania, probably here to see the first task on Monday. You feeling confident about it?"

Fleur was actually feeling rather sick. There was certainly the possibility Charlie Weasley was merely at Hogwarts to witness the first task. What was making her feel ill though was the thought he could be here in a professional capacity, Fleur had a dreadful premonition that she'd just worked out what the first task was. She held on to Roger's arm a little tighter, making him actually smile.

Roger took her reaction as nerves about the first task, resolving to try and keep her mind off the tournament for the rest of today.

-oOoOo-

It was a much relieved Harry who sat down to dinner that Sunday evening. The entire Hogsmeade weekend had just passed without incident, now he could relax and spend some time with Hermione and their friends. Only after potions tomorrow would he turn his mind to the tournament, and the first task.

Harry trusted implicitly in the people who would be standing by to intervene tomorrow. Should Voldemort make an appearance, it would be remembered as the shortest attack in history. Between bullets, blades and wands, he would be cut to pieces. There would also be warriors guarding the stadium tonight, and sweeping it again for portkeys before the task started.

By all accounts, Tom Riddle was an incredibly intelligent wizard. Harry wasn't going to let that worry him though. The combined smarts, and downright sneakiness, that his side of this contest brought to the table should be more than a match for the three criminals opposing them.

He was disturbed from his musings, and his delicious dinner, by a very worried Lady Helena.

"Champion, you are sorely needed. You must hurry though..."

A golden Harry shot out of the hall, portraits and ghosts directing him where he needed to be.

"Marco no, stop. I thought we were only going to talk..."

"Do you usually hold conversations vith the boys you enter broom closets vith?" Using her embarrassment at that question, Marco captured her lips once more as his hands continued their predetermined tasks. This saw her struggles resume with increased force and determination.

"No, Marco. I mean it. I've never gone this far with a boy before..."

"...and that is vhy ve are having this problem. You got tired of boys, and decided to meet vith a man." She had nowhere to go and Marco was a great deal stronger than her. They nearly all said no at this point, very few said no when he was finished with them. Those that did said it quietly, knowing he could destroy their reputation with a few well chosen sentences. 'She was all for it, only later did she begin crying - muttering something about cheating on her boyfriend'.

This one was really struggling now, Marco had her too far along his chosen course though to let that stop him. His little victory smile as he felt her tiring was short-lived as a shiver ran up his back.

"You sir, are a cad. Unhand this young witch, I clearly heard her say no - more than once too."

"If I vill not listen to her saying no, vhat makes you think I care vhat a ghost says? Go and haunt someone vho cares..."

"Oh youth is certainly wasted on the young. You are a fool, as well as a cad. Inside Hogwarts, I have some very powerful friends..."

"Vell, once I am finished here, you and your powerful friends are velcome to haunt this cupboard. I vill even leave this stupid vitch in it, a reminder of things you can no longer do." Marko was too close to his objective now to let a little thing like a ghost watching put him off his stride. One last final effort and her resistance would be crushed, she would soon be his.

Those thoughts were interrupted by the spell-locked door being ripped right out of its mountings, a golden hand grabbing his shoulder saw Marco following the door's trajectory by flying into the corridor. He had such a tight hold of the struggling witch that she had no choice but to come along for the ride too.

Even in the torch-lit corridor, Harry was able to see everything he needed to at a glance. The clothing pulled open and buttons missing, the bruises starting to appear where the Durmstrang student's fingers had dug deep, the sword of Godric Gryffindor was leaving its sheath - and it cried out for justice.

"Vhat? She vanted it. She met me, and ve villingly vent into that little room together."

"Young champion, she repeatedly said no - and you can see she put up a fight. He was just too strong, and she had nowhere to run."

"You vould believe the vord of a ghost?"

"Unlike you, Sir Nicholas de Mimsy Porpington is a man of honour. A ghost who charged a giant basilisk to save Hogwarts students' lives. I certainly believe his word over yours..."

Watching the blade that was coming slowly toward him, Marco began to fear for his life. He was saved by an unlikely source.

The other three had been hot on Harry's heels. While not being able to keep up with Harry when he was magically enhancing his armour, the trio were still easily fast enough to leave the rest of the school behind.

"Harry, don't kill him!"

"Hermione, if this was a goblin matter, he would already be dead."

This incense the downed wizard, and saw him throw any caution to the wind. After all, Marco had standards to protect. "If I had been in there vith an ugly goblin bitch, I vould vant you to kill me."

Hermione was now between Harry and Marco, probably the only thing that saved the imbecile's life. He wouldn't be thanking her for that though. Hermione spun and her foot connected powerfully with his groin, the connection being clearly heard.

A big black dog had just raced onto the scene, it transformed into Sirius right beside Neville. "Oh, that's just gotta hurt!"

"He deserves it, and more..." Neville indicated where Padma was trying to offer some comfort to a distraught witch, while removing her black marauders robe to provide bodily cover. Sirius instantly agreed with Neville.

Hermione's concentration though was on the wizard who was now rolling around the floor, clearly in agony. "If you had gone anywhere near Sapphire, I can assure you that your wish would have been granted - I would have killed you myself. You clearly didn't learn from grabbing me that first night, I hope you learn from this!"

Her kick this time wasn't quite as effective, since Marco now had both hands clutching his previously injured equipment. There was the definite sound of some fingers being broken though.

McGonagall had copied Sirius and her cat form had outrun the masses that were following on behind. She was about to reprimand Hermione for her actions when she saw the sobbing witch in Padma's arms. Minerva headed straight over there, feeling like having a good kick at this brute herself.

Tonks was soon with them too, though she and Sirius were quickly pressed into crowd control mode as the rest of the school arrived. Whispers soon spread back along the crowd, alerting those who could not see to what was going on. This led to a wizard elbowing his way to the front, he needed to see for himself.

"You told me you had a headache, and didn't want any dinner. Now I can see why, you had arranged to meet someone else..."

The angry redhead was soon faced with Neville. "Ron, I understand you're upset, but this is not the time or place for this."

His twin brothers were soon at his side, leading Ron away from the sight of his sobbing girlfriend wrapped in Padma's cloak.

An angry Harry then approached Tonks, changing language so the masses wouldn't understand. ""What are the chances of the ministry being able to arrest this piece of shit?""

Knowing Harry wouldn't like what she had to say, Tonks was still truthful with him. ""In any case where only two people are involved, it comes down to his word against hers. That Lavender appears to have agreed to meet him, and probably went into that broom closet willingly, would certainly count against her. I'm not saying it's right, Harry, just how the law would look at it. If we took this to a trial, they would quickly drag Lavender's reputation through the dirt - and almost certainly be successful in him avoiding being found guilty.""

Augusta had arrived with Poppy. As the healer headed for Lavender, she joined their conversation. ""Because he's not a Hogwarts student, the harshest sanction I can bring is to exclude him from the castle. Only Dumbledore can administer any further punishment...""

This wasn't good enough for Harry. ""Contact Amelia, see if we can get him shipped back to Bulgaria. If he wants to challenge that, he can face me in a duel. The honour of Hogwarts demands no less of me.""

Augusta agreed, quickly directing a couple of Durmstrang students to get their injured colleague out of her school. She would be contacting Dumbledore right after she spoke to Amelia. Augusta couldn't miss the way her grandson kept looking from Lavender to Parvati, his anger matching Harry's at what he was seeing here. Getting this Marko out the castle quickly might just save his life. Poppy and Minerva soon had Lavender on route to the infirmary while the staff cleared the corridor.

Harry turned and bowed his head to Nick and Helena. "Thank you for your actions tonight, they allowed me to get here just in time."

"We ghosts have always patrolled the castle, helping to keep Hogwarts safe. It was only when headmasters stopped listening to us that we began neglecting our duties. Pureblood males could do no wrong, and no one wanted to hear a ghost's complaint against them. Thank you champion, for once more restoring the balance." Helena and Nick then bowed to him, with Nick having to hold his head in place as he did so.

Blaise was holding a shaking and tearful Parvati, only releasing her into the arms of her twin. Neville stood beside him as they watched the sisters draw comfort from each other.

"Harry got here in time to prevent what that bastard intended, otherwise even Hermione wouldn't have been able to stop him. She certainly made sure it won't be happening again, you could practically feel the crunch as she put her foot through Marco's nuts."

Understanding this wasn't a brother warning his sister's boyfriend off, Blaise nodded in agreement. "Good, any wizard who tries to force themselves on a witch deserves at least that. We are two lucky wizards, Neville. If that was Parvati he tried that with, I would have killed him."

"If that was Pav, he'd already be dead. Hermione may be able to stop Harry but none of us could have stopped Padma avenging our sister. Parting her from Lavander was one of the best things that happened to Pav, she finally grew up. You are also very good for her, don't mess it up Blaise."

Here was the gentle warning, and Blaise knew just how to respond. "I don't intend to, I really like Parvati - and Padma scares me a lot more than you do."

This almost drew a smile from Neville. "Just goes to show how intelligent you are." Both then moved to hug their witches.

Hermione was also trying to talk Harry down. "You got here in time, Harry, and saved a great crime from being committed. You can't do any more than what you've already done, we can't right all the world's wrongs on our own."

Harry held her close, whispering a question in her ear. "Why are you so good to me?"

She smiled and held him tighter. "Because I'm your girl."

The three couples then headed off to the room to eat, none of them fancied returning to the great hall tonight. They would have a quiet meal together, leaving the staff to deal with the fallout from the situation. Padma brought up tomorrow's task, just to have something else to talk about. Parvati couldn't believe Harry still didn't know what he'd be facing, or that he wasn't troubled by that.

"I could easily find out, just asking Hogwarts would give me the information I needed. That would be cheating though, and if you're going to cheat then the entire tournament becomes pointless.

Parvati's confession that she would just have to know raised a few smiles, the other five well aware of her nosey nature.

-oOoOo-

At breakfast that morning, they'd heard Lavender's father had removed her from school - what happens next was anyone's guess. Marco was also now back in Bulgaria, the only thing that stopped Mr Brown calling him out. Harry had found himself being quietly approached by Fred and George, it seems Ron was having a hard time dealing with the incident and they were looking for any information that could help their young brother.

"Guys, I don't know what preceded the incident last night. I do know Lavender fought with everything she had, managing to keep him off her long enough until I got there. That's really all I can tell you."

They would think about passing that on to Ron later, both were unsure of how he would react at the moment. Their parents arriving at the castle today couldn't have happened at a better time.

Neither Viktor nor any Durmstrang students had entered the castle since the incident, Harry expected to hear their Bulgarian friend's views on the matter later.

At the moment he was busy trying to convince a tearful Orla and a concerned Euan that he would be fine. Both would be meeting their parents later too, the first task started in a few hours. Harry joking that they would have to offer his apologies for not being there restored in some weak smiles, all knew the parents would get to see him compete.

Hermione's shriek beside him had Harry on his feet, knife in hand and searching for danger. What he saw froze him completely, Padma, Neville and Luna shooting past him soon cured Harry of that affliction.

With a wide smile, he made his way to the hall doors. Barely remembering to bow to Master Sharpshard and say hello to Sapphire, Harry then engulfed the only mother he'd ever really known in a needy hug. Hermione of course had beaten him there, hugged Sapphire, their mum, and now held their baby brother in her arms.

Emma had a tight hold of her eldest son, she whispered in his ear. "There are three shooters now setting up on the stadium roof. There are also enough warriors and aurors out there to fight a war. Your trainer here wouldn't even let me walk up to the castle by myself, Sapphire of course was coming too. You'll be careful and come back to us?"

"Of course mum, Dobby will let you know as soon as it's over. We'll be back in the castle as soon as we can after that."

"Jamie and I are going to stay in the castle with Henrica and Astrid, I just couldn't sit there and watch you being put in danger."

Although loath to intrude on this tender moment, her excitement meant Hermione couldn't hold back any longer. "Harry, look at the size Jamie's getting. I'm sure he recognised me."

He let Emma go to then dote on his baby brother. The entire school was now used to this side of Harry, having watched him often with his goddaughter. The group was soon surrounded by all their friends, with Jamie being introduced to the entire school as Tonks took Emma over to sit with her and Henrica.

""We'll get a chance to sit down and talk with everyone after this is over, they're too psyched-up at the moment. It's not like Amelia's party, we've known this was coming and had time to prepare.""

""Oh, I know all about that. I just left a husband who has been preparing to put a bullet in someone for the last few weeks. It feels totally alien to a couple of dentists, until I remember who these people are - and what they will be here to do. If I had a gun I would shoot them myself, I just kissed all three of them and said to aim true before I headed here.""

Tonks had her arm around the woman, understanding exactly how she felt.

Augusta then rose to speak to the hall. "Those of you who worked in the stadium in Kingussie, you have my thanks for volunteering to do so again in our own version. Professor Lupin and Lord Black will be in charge of that operation today. The first family portkey is due to arrive at two, with everyone due to be here by three. Professors Flitwick and Sprout are in charge of that area, check with them if you're not sure when your family will arrive. Since most visitors will be flooing or apparating to Hogsmeade and walking up, they too will begin arriving shortly. With all the organisation taken care of, I would just like to quietly wish our champion good luck. I say quietly because it looks as if Jamie Granger has fallen asleep."

Such was the respect for their champion, the applause barely raised above a murmur so they wouldn't wake the baby. Harry handed Jamie over to Pansy, it was time for them to leave. Tonks and Master Sharpshard escorted the four, plus Sapphire and Luna, out the hall to the stadium.

As Pansy was handing Jamie back to his mother, Draco finally figured out what was bothering him. "There's more going on here than just this tournament? Those four are like coiled snakes, ready to strike. Are you expecting trouble today?"

Emma wasn't really sure what to say, Henrica solved her problem. "Harry's name was originally stuck in that cup for a purpose, we're just being careful..."

It all seemed to click into place for the Slytherin. "Shit! Harry's using himself as bait..."

Seeming Emma flinch at his deduction told him he was right, Draco immediately regretted it though as the pain on the woman's face was clear to see. "I'm sorry, Emma, I wasn't thinking. You know Harry will be though, those four will have gone over all the possibilities dozens of times."

"I know, Draco, it's just hard to sit here and be confident. There's no way I could watch however."

The full implications began to hit the Slytherin. "If Harry's the bait, then there will be a trap waiting to be sprung. Can we assume Amelia and Barchoke are involved in this too?"

A nod saw the couple leaving, Pansy couldn't miss the expression of awe Draco wore. "What's going on?"

"The Order of the Avis are prepared for war, with the ministry and the goblin nation fully behind them. The dark lord thinks he's holding all the aces, Harry though has switched the deck on him. Voldemort is left with nothing but a pair of jokers while Harry has a full house. Should they turn up today, the battle will be over as quickly as that night at Susan's party - with five thousand people watching."

"But they can't get through the wards, can they? Our mums..."

"...are in no danger, or Harry would have done something. He might put himself up as bait, but he'd never do the same to someone else. Would you like to bet me the other three had to practically fight him to be included. I'm also certain no one else knows, Luna would be in a worse state than Emma if she thought those four were heading off to battle."

Pansy had to agree with that, Luna certainly considered all four of them family. Pansy had been looking forward to today, not least because they would get to meet their mothers. Now she was going to be a bundle of nerves until the first task was over.

-oOoOo-

Harry could feel the nerves in the changing room. Fleur tried to smile in greeting, it came across more resembling a grimace. Viktor could barely look in his direction, obviously embarrassed by what happened last night.

Amos and Umbridge entered the new changing room, it was time the competitors found out just what they were facing. Pulling out a purple silk bag, the three champions were given their instructions.

"In a moment, you will put your hand in this bag and draw out a model of what you'll be facing. There is a different breed for each of you, and it will also determine what order you face the first task. Once you draw, it will start the clock ticking. Whoever chooses the number one position will only have thirty minutes to form their strategy. Ladies first."

Fleur placed her hand in the bag, withdrawing a tiny model of a Hebridean Black dragon that had a number two around its neck. Having her fears confirmed saw Fleur almost drop the animated model. Things then got a lot worse when Amos described exactly what they had to do with their real dragons.

"There are three dragons, all nesting females sitting on eggs. We have added a golden egg to their nests, your task is to retrieve that egg."

Viktor then drew a Welsh Green, and pole position. Harry found himself left with a Hungarian Horntail and the number three spot, this saw his eyebrows raise questioningly. He was well aware he'd gotten the most aggressive breed of dragon, even his model was bigger than the other two.

Dolores couldn't hide her delight at this outcome, nor could she wait to offer an explanation. "It was felt that the person going last had an advantage, in that they would have longer to form their strategy. Therefor the dragons get progressively more dangerous as the task unfolds."

She was disappointed though when Harry just shrugged his shoulders and then lay down on one of the benches, he appeared ready to take a nap. Dolores had at least wanted to see him sweat, she could still hope the goblin-loving brat might get seriously injured.
The champions were told they would be called when it was time to face their dragon, Harry had his eyes closed and gave no indication he had heard.

-oOoOo-

Dan was enclosed in what was a superb shooting hide, built as part of the stadium roof structure. He was encased in the centre hide, giving him full views of the arena and the ground leading up to the castle. Barchoke was in another hide well to his right, Frank equidistant on his left. They had communication mirrors set and Dan found himself using his as the first dragon was being manoeuvred into the arena.

"Shit! How the hell is Harry supposed to face that? If I let that monster anywhere near our boy without shooting it, Emma will skin me alive."

This drew a chuckle from Barchoke. "Relax, Dan. Harry is a goblin, all our children study dragons in depth. He will know all its strengths and weaknesses."

"Okay, but you get to tell Hermione and Emma if anything goes wrong."

Like his son, Frank didn't say much. Like Neville too though, when Frank spoke they all listened. "W..we're here to make sure nothing goes w..w..wrong."

They all took that to heart. They were here to ensure nothing happened to their family, each would have no hesitation doing that. As the best shot, Dan was in the middle and would target Voldemort. Frank had asked to target Lestrange, leaving Barchoke to take down Rookwood. That was ideal conditions though, they had their mirrors in case things went wrong with plan A.

-oOoOo-

Albus sat in the stand, fuming with anger. Not only had that idiot Marko caused him heaps of trouble, walking into the stadium graphically illustrated just how far things had changed since he left. There were stalls providing food he'd never heard off, goblins mixing with wizards and even muggles in Hogwarts. This had to be stopped, Albus Dumbledore had to stop it.

A/N thanks for reading

93. A Different Halloween

Harry Crow

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters and my writing certainly couldn't be considered canon. If my efforts don't fit your idea of what a Harry Potter story should be, I can only offer my apologies and a suggestion. Writing your own really is the only way to ensure the story progresses exactly the way you want it to, it also gives the rest of us something to read.

Chapter 93

Molly sat beside her youngest son, trying desperately not to embarrass him by pulling Ron into the motherly hug she thought he needed. She'd certainly had reservations on hearing her boy was dating Lavender Brown. Thanks to the girl's father, the entire magical community now knew what had almost happened at the summer fayre. The only reason that she hadn't written to Ron forbidding this relationship was because Molly knew it would have the opposite effect, she had no intention of pushing her son further into Lavender's arms.

Her eyes were drawn to some other flashes of red hair in the stadium. Percy and Penny were sitting next to Bill, it was the blond girl beside her oldest son though that Molly's attention was zeroing in on. They were clearly on good terms, and the blond witch also had her arm around a first year Hufflepuff. Molly needed information and chose her source carefully. Ginny was clearly worried about Harry's involvement here today, there was more chance of her daughter letting something slip.

"Ginny, do you know who that is sitting next to Bill?"

"Oh, that's Jenny Abercrombie. Her son, Euan, is a Potter Scholar."

Knowing that pureblood Orla Quirke was also a Potter scholar, and the stipulation Harry had placed on the scholarships, Molly then had another question for her daughter. "Isn't Euan the muggleborn scholar?"

"Yes."

The conclusion Molly reached from Ginny's answer shocked the mother to her core. "...but that would make Euan's mother a muggle?"

"Yes." Ginny didn't even turn her head around as she answered her mother, seeing absolutely nothing wrong with the situation if Bill and Jenny dated.

Molly certainly saw plenty wrong with that scenario. Her eldest son dating a muggle, a muggle who was old enough to have a son at Hogwarts. What else was this muggle woman hiding? Where was the boy's father? She was just about to loudly spout her opinion when a hand clamped on her arm.

"Molly, this is none of our business. Bill is a grown wizard, holding down one of the most important positions in Britain, he no longer needs or will tolerate his parents telling him what to do."

"But Arthur..."

"No, Molly, I forbid it. Bill, myself, Percy and Penny all have jobs that can and do place us in the public eye. As matriarch of the Weasley family, what you say and do in public can now affect all of us."

Arthur gave this a moment to sink in before continuing. "If you want to have a QUIET word with him in private, that is certainly your right as his mother. If you go off on some rant, I think we both know how Bill will react. I also think you need a lot more information before jumping to any conclusions."

She wasn't about to let that go unanswered. "How am I meant to get this information when I hardly ever see him? Even today, why isn't he sitting with us?"

Molly saw she'd scored a point there when Arthur squirmed. "There's a reason he's sitting over there today, and it's nothing to do with Jenny. It's work related, Molly, and I can't tell you any more than that. I shouldn't even be telling you this much, so not a word."

She wasn't happy with that partial answer but Molly knew she would get no more. Sometimes she missed Arthur coming home and telling her about his day, Molly never thought she would be saying that about biting teacups and back-flushing toilets. There was just so much of Arthur's work that was now classed as secret. More and more, she only discovered what her family were up to by reading about it in the Prophet - usually the front pages too.

At least she had the consolation of knowing her children were all happy, apart from Ron - and he would soon recover when another pretty young witch caught his eye.

-oOoOo-

As Viktor left the changing room to face his dragon, the silence was almost total. They were obviously not meant to hear how their competitors faired, a full stadium would certainly be heard in the changing room.

"Arry, can I ask you somezzing? What is zzese 'ot dogs I 'erd ze 'ouse elves serving?"

This actually started Harry laughing, that was until he noticed Fleur was actually trembling. He got up and wrapped his friend in a hug. "I'll make you a deal. After the task is over, I'll make sure Roger gets you one. Try a goblin ale too, it's delicious."

The French champion could feel herself calming, just from being held in Harry's strong arms - she could also feel something else. Harry wasn't affected in the slightest by her allure, it was quite the opposite.

Her veela side was practically singing that here was someone she should bond with, the quiet power practically radiated off Harry. Knowing of his committed relationship with his mate knocked that idea right on the head, he and Hermione only had eyes for each other. Both were her friends too, and Fleur didn't have that many good friends that she would want to throw two away by stupidly chasing something that could never be.

She was still in his arms when they called for her. Harry gave Fleur a kiss on the cheek, along with some last minute advice. "Just do your best, Fleur. No one can ask more than that of you."

The French champion squared her shoulders and walked out the door, Fleur's new found determination visible with every step she took.

-oOoOo-

Sapphire wore a wide grin as the first dragon was led into the rocky arena they had created, seeing it was a nesting mother didn't even dent her smile. She put a comforting arm around Luna and pulled her clearly worried friend closer, trying to impart some of her confidence.

"Luna, Harry's a goblin. There's a reason why Gringotts has a dragon as our emblem, they are very important to us. So important, we are all taught about these magnificent beasts from a young age. This event is tailor-made for Harry, he'll know exactly what to do."

A lot of their friends were now drawing some of that same confidence from Sapphire's words. Hermione, Padma and Neville though appeared to be concentrating on something else, their eyes were constantly searching the arena.

They had hired a professional quidditch commentator for today's task. The organisers didn't think it was fair to throw Lee in at the deep end, since there was no chance they were going to tell a student what the task entailed beforehand. The commentator might have had time to prepare by studying dragons but Sapphire didn't think too much of his conclusions. While he was going into raptures about Viktor temporary blinding the dragon, the teenage goblin was rubbishing that approach.

"You have an opponent that is so much larger, stronger, fast as lightning and can toast you on a whim. Why would you want to poke it in the eye and make it angry? That's just stupid!"

Her words seemed to be proven correct as the dragon went crazy, blindly sending bursts of fire in all directions. Viktor was now scrambling for his life, barely managing to dodge the last couple of bursts of deadly flame. The dragon was so angry it had left its nest in search of the person who would dare attack it. Viktor bravely made a dash for his target, collecting his egg and vaulting over the dragon's angrily swishing tail as he ran for the exit and safety.

The dragon's tail though swung back and caught him totally unawares, throwing Viktor fifteen feet in the air before smacking into the wall - thankfully right next to the exit. He managed to claw himself to safety, much to the relief of the now cheering audience.

That same audience were surprised to see Dumbledore and Umbridge award Viktor ten marks each, the other three judges posting a nine and two eights. The Durmstrang champion hobbled back out to gratefully accept his forty five points, before being helped to a seat so Viktor could watch Fleur's attempt.

Sapphire was far more complimentary over Fleur's tactics. Those around the goblin realised they had an expert in their midst and were listening to her, rather than a commentator who was just describing what they were already watching. He appeared to be more used to working for a radio audience.

"She's trying to charm the dragon to sleep, a far more natural approach. That commentator shouting with his voice enhanced and trying to whip up the crowd certainly isn't helping Fleur's efforts."

Again Sapphire was proven right. Fleur managed to get her dragon asleep before carefully edging out the golden egg from under the snoozing giant. The idiotic commentator screaming 'she's done it' at the top of his enhanced voice got the exact response he'd hoped for, the crowd went wild.

This had the unfortunate result of waking the dragon, just in time for the Hebridean Black to spot a witch stealing one of her eggs. A sprinting Fleur made the exit with her robes now on fire.

A sheepish commentator had the decency to look embarrassed as he asked Madame Maxime for her mark. She may be glaring at him but that didn't stop Olympe giving her champion a ten, her reasoning being that Fleur would have earned a perfect score - but for his idiocy.

Augusta, Amos and Albus all awarded a very acceptable nine for an admirable effort. Dolores though was disappointed the creature wasn't barbecued and gave Fleur an eight for her attempt.

Wearing different robes and having to endure some greasy burn salve, it was a greatly relieved Fleur that sat beside Viktor to await Harry's attempt. She was also delighted to be tied with Viktor, though both secretly believed Harry was the one they had to beat. Watching as the handlers struggled to get his dragon into the stadium had both of them glad they didn't draw number three.

The size of the Hungarian Horntail even managed to silence the commentator for a moment, he wasn't alone in having that reaction. Sapphire though was unperturbed. "Okay, the Horntail is probably the worst choice Harry could have gotten, but it's still a dragon. Yes it's big but also a lot smaller than that basilisk this lot took down."

Luna was clutching on to her goblin friend, repeating to herself that Sapphire knew what she was talking about. The other three who had fought the basilisk were now on full alert. If there was going to be an attack, it would be shortly.

Harry entered the arena to silence, how could you cheer for someone who was about to face this beast? He had a quick look around before spying what he was looking for, a position where the dragon couldn't see what he was up to. Using his knife, Harry soon had two rocks transfigured into baby Hungarian Horntails.

The smile was back on Sapphire's face as she figured out what Harry was up to. All their friends were hanging on her every word, especially since it was clear the commentator didn't have a clue.

"Harry will use the dragon's natural instincts to his advantage. A mother will fiercely protect her eggs, that's nothing though to what she would do to protect the young after they hatch. Her maternal instincts are very high because she is nesting so she will certainly react to the babies. A nursing dragon will protect young that have hatched over eggs that have yet to do so."

A worried Luna had a question. "Won't she know those aren't her babies?"

"It won't matter to the dragon, Luna, her maternal instinct is so high at the moment she will simply adopt them. It's a good species survival trait, providing the babies are of the same species.

As the pair of wailing cubs waddled into the open, all could clearly see the conflict in the horntail's behaviour. It was studying the cubs while keeping glancing at the eggs she was sitting on. When Harry then conjured a panther, the horntail's decision was instantly made.

The big cat threatening the now terrified cubs saw the female shoot off the nest and slaughter the intruder within seconds, the panther never stood an earthly against the Hungarian Horntail. Harry used this time to disillusion himself and was probably heading for the golden egg.

The commentator felt he was on safer ground here. "Absolutely brilliant strategy, executed to perfection from our youngest champion. He's going to face another problem though, those eggs are spell resistant. The dragon is sure to notice an egg floating through the air...how in the name of Merlin did he do that?"

As the dragon used its wings to gently edge the two cubs back to its nest, the golden egg simply disappeared. The mystery was solved as Harry then reappeared at the exit.

"Oh, how clever was that? He simply wrapped the egg in his disillusioned cloak!"

The crowd was now going nuts, the champion most had come to see had just brilliantly outwitted a massive dragon without getting a scratch on him. Only those in the know realised just how clever Harry had been. By wrapping the egg in his robe, he didn't actually touch it. Portkeys only work with skin contact, and he'd just made sure there wasn't any between him and the egg.

While the handlers were now having to subdue the dragon, they knew better than to approach one with cubs, Harry sauntered over to sit beside Fleur and Viktor. There was no surprise when Amos and then Madam Maxime both awarded him tens. Dumbledore received howls of derision when his wand emitted a seven. His excuse that Crow, being a goblin, had prior knowledge of dragons not available to the other two champions cut no ice. The howls of disbelief simply got louder.

Dolores was next. She'd been agonising whether she could get away with going as low as an eight, Albus' score inspired her. Since this was her last involvement with the tournament, Dolores decided to go out with a bang - and poke Crow one in the eye at the same time. Her wand drew a five in the air.

It seemed that Dumbledore was only the warm-up act, the real villain of the piece had just arrived. It took a moment for the even louder howls of derision to die down enough for Umbridge's explanation to be heard.

"All these people are here today to see a show, not so a competitor could disappear. I awarded five points because I only saw him complete half the task."

That was too much for Augusta. "The youngest champion drew the worst dragon, yet completed the task in the quickest time and completely uninjured. To award five points is a disgrace. Then again, we really shouldn't expect much else from a witch who challenged the centurion to a duel on his twelfth birthday - and lost."

Augusta's wand then signalled a thirteen, to a massive cheer from the thousands in the stadium. The commentator though had some bad news. "While I totally agree with your sentiments, Madam Longbotton, the rules state that the maximum points any judge can award is ten. That gives the Hogwarts champion a total of forty two, and relegates him to last place."

It seemed as if the very angry crowd might actually wreck the brand new stadium until the commentator asked Harry for his opinion, silence fell as they awaited his answer. An unperturbed Harry just shrugged his shoulders before answering.

"I know I did my best, that is all that matters to me. The points are meaningless, especially with Madam Umbridge involved."

The other two champions were just as angry as the rest of the crowd, Viktor more so. He was honest enough to admit to himself his performance had been the poorest of the three, yet here he was jointly in the lead - with Harry last. His pride and honour had been taking a beating lately, it was time to change that. Casting the soronus on himself, he really put the cat amongst the pigeons.

"If Harry lost points because he had knowledge of dragons, I should too."

A puzzled commentator then asked the question that lit the touch paper. "Have you worked with dragons before?"

"No, Professor Dumbledore told me ve vould be facing dragons..."

The venom directed at Dumbledore came from every corner of the stadium, there were also a couple of rifles trained on him at this point too. No one knew how he would react to that accusation, Albus though only had eyes for a certain Durmstrang champion.

Viktor however was unrepentant. "Harry vas best, he should be vinning."

Amos had been able to relax and enjoy the tournament, actually thankful Cedric wasn't involved the instant he laid eyes on that Hungarian Horntail. Now though his temper was as hot as any dragon flame, and he fired it straight at Albus Dumbledore. "Not only do you tell your champion what the task would be, you then award him full marks - while docking Harry points for having knowledge of dragons! Your audacity and duplicity is only matched by your hypocrisy. I propose Albus Dumbledore is voted off the judging panel."

While livid, Albus still though he could get through this relatively unscathed. "I would like to bring your attention to the ruling that says such a decision must have the unanimous backing of all the other judges."

Augusta and Olympe quickly offered their backing, it was the third yes though that shocked Albus. Dolores was silent however, the yes had come from Tonks.

Amos wore a rueful grin as he delivered the decision. "Madam Umbridge's last involvement with this tournament was that ridiculous five she awarded. Auror Tonks then became the fifth member, fourth now that you are no longer part of this."

Augusta thought she had an acceptable solution to their other problem. "Mr Krum, that was a very brave thing you just did."

"I vant to vin, madam, but vill not vin by cheating."

"I was going to propose we dock you three points, making you level with Centurion Crow and leaving Miss Delacour with a narrow lead."

Harry shaking Viktor's hand seemed to signify that decision was accepted, it also brought Olympe further onboard with what they were trying to do. The Bulgarian champion wasn't quite finished yet though, he still had one more card left to play.

"Madam Longbottom, I vould like to request a favour. Could I transfer to Hogwarts for my final year? I must still represent Durmstrang in tournament, and promise I vill do my best. Spending the rest of the year vith Professor Dumbledore is not a nice idea."

Knowing this would have serious political implications, Augusta looked to Cornelius for some help before answering. The Minister of Magic had been a mere spectator here today, that just changed. With the incident in Hogwarts last evening and now this, Cornelius was well aware he could have Dumbledore out of Britain by tomorrow. The problem with that outcome was they would lose their information pipeline to Voldemort and his two death eaters. Cornelius was going to have to swear his Bulgarian counterpart to secrecy before telling Borislaw just what they were up to, otherwise Albus was out of here.

"Mister Krum, I shall be speaking with your Minister of Magic shortly, I will be sure to mention that your actions here today have been impeccable - and something all Bulgarians can be proud of. Unfortunately, the underhanded dealings of one of our fellow countrymen brought us to this point. That you wish to join Hogwarts to avoid contact with this individual is perfectly understandable, and has no negative implications for the proud educational establishment that is the Durmstrang Institute of Magic. The quality of that school can clearly be determined by the outstanding young wizard that is her champion. We would certainly welcome your stay in our country."

A much relieved Viktor felt a friendly hand clamp on his shoulder. "Welcome to Hogwarts!" The two champions shaking hands was the sign for the crowd to start applauding too. Both wizards took one of Fleur's arm as the three champions left their seats to great applause. The audience appreciating the after task entertainment almost as much as watching the champions face off against the dragons.

Fleur was walking as if on a cloud of air, a fellow champion on each arm and now unbelievably in the lead of the tournament. To complete a fabulous day, her family were in the audience watching her compete. It didn't get much better than this.

Hermione was ahead of everyone as she raced to embrace Harry, only when he was in her arms did she relax and whisper in his ear. ""Watching and waiting was torture. I want to be involved next time, knocking Dumbledore out the judging panel should make that easier to do now."" She then switched to English and congratulated Fleur and Viktor.

They were then interrupted by a little blond missile homing in on her sister. The French flowed so rapidly that even Harry had trouble following what was being said, that the little girl had been crying and was still clearly upset didn't help matters any.

Fleur barely had time to introduce Gabrielle to them before Madam Pomfrey grabbed both her and Viktor for a final check-up before they could leave the stadium. Harry then pointed a couple who were clearly looking for their daughters in the direction of Madam Pomfrey's station before he and Hermione headed off to meet the rest of their friends.

""I already sent Betsy off to tell mum you were alright, I expect dad did the same with Dobby. Watching that was murder, Harry.""

""We weren't really expecting him to make a move today, Hermione. The second or third tasks were always going to be the better options. I just can't understand Dumbledore's motives though…"" Harry had to break off as his arms were now full of witches and a female goblin. Padma, Luna and Sapphire got in first, with a queue waiting behind them.

As Harry was now getting hugged by Hannah, Susan and Pansy, Padma offered her opinion on the Dumbledore situation. "It's Bill Weasley from first year all over again, Harry. If Viktor hadn't spoken out today, Dumbledore would then have been able to blackmail him because he cheated in the first task."

This had Harry shaking his head. "Neville, sometimes I worry about her. She's the most devious person I know, yet the hat put our Padma in Ravenclaw. That either means she's scarily clever, or devious enough to fool the sorting hat."

"Why would I settle for just one? I'm deviously clever…and you also know I'm right about Dumbledore."

He may have agreed with Padma about Dumbledore but Harry's attention was taken up by a damsel in distress. He quickly headed for the crying girl, she was soon in his arms and clinging on for dear life.

"I'm sorry Harry, she saw you having to face that dragon and has been crying non-stop since. She spent the entire task with her face buried in my robes, too frightened to watch. It was obviously a mistake to bring her but she was desperate to see you, Hermione and Barchoke."

He was trying to soothe the little girl. "Hey Danielle, I'm fine. That big dragon never got anywhere near me. How would you like to come to a Halloween party now? You can even meet our baby brother, Jamie."

This got the little girl's attention, a party and meeting a baby. Danielle had been crying so hard however, she was left unable to speak. She did manage to nod her head though and Harry put her down between him and Hermione. Holding each of their hands, the cavalcade headed up to the castle. Harry then felt a little hand slip into his free one, turning his head to see Maggie Creevey now walking beside them.

"I was scared too, Harry, but Colin and Denis kept telling me you'd be fine. They were right."

"You have two very good big brothers Maggie, you can trust them to look after you."

Mary McDonald then only half-jokingly asked Harry if he had another hand for her to hold. That last dragon was the scariest thing she'd ever seen, yet Harry had controlled it like some overgrown sheepdog. Natalie was rolling her eyes at her mum's antics as their entourage just kept growing.

For the vast majority of the muggle borns' parents, this was the first time they would get to see where their children disappeared to for over nine months of the year. All were wearing wristbands that allowed them to see the castle and not one of them was disappointed with Hogwarts.

Emma and Henrica were waiting at the main door for Harry. Hermione and Padma were left holding the babies as both mothers wanted to wrap their arms around the Hogwarts champion and assure themselves he really was fine.

-oOoOo-

Albus wasn't fine, he couldn't remember when he'd felt worse. This actually surpassed the day Black punched him before his godson sliced through the Elder Wand with his sword. All Albus' plans had been foiled once more by a student attending his own school, he still couldn't believe the way Viktor had acted.

That stupid bitch Umbridge had started it all. Albus knew he was courting trouble awarding Harry a seven, he was counting on Dolores giving an eight. That would have left all three champions tied for first, something Viktor wouldn't have objected to. Then Albus could have slowly applied pressure on the boy to be his inside person in Crow's group.

But no, Dolores had to try and humiliate Harry by handing out a derogatory five, sparking Viktor's conscience and opening the entire can of worms. Albus felt someone sit behind him in the emptying stadium, a well known voice then spoke to him.

"I warned you, Albus, but you didn't listen. Things are changing and you can't stop them. You know why you can't stop those changes? Because people want these changes to take place."

Albus was not impressed with that comment. "People will want whatever they're told to want..."

Severus cut him off at that. "You still think telling the people what they want to hear is enough, that won't work anymore. Apart from the dark lord and his last two followers still being at large, the country has never had it so good. Parents have just been thoroughly entertained and are now getting to spend the rest of Halloween with their children inside the castle. That has never happened before, did it look like they cared there were muggles and goblins in the audience?"

The old wizard had no answer for that. With the flags, bunting and a dozen or so of those little stalls where people could get food and drink, the entire day had taken on a festival atmosphere. That everyone appeared to be enjoying themselves and not caring who they were sitting next to was one of the things that shocked Albus the most.

"The prefects and marauder trainers have organised tours of the castle for the visiting parents. There will be muggles and probably even goblins entering the Slytherin common room yet not one member of my house came to me to complain. That's how much things have changed, Albus, no matter how much you wish to deny it."

He then really looked at his former headmaster and Severus came to a shocking revelation. Stripped of his political power and public adulation, the comparisons between Albus and the dark lord were striking. Both were undoubtably still very powerful wizards but they had also been marginalised by the changes sweeping through their society. One was now being aggressively hunted while the other was being ignored. This to Severus was as striking an example of those changes as muggles being shown around the Slytherin common room.

"Go back to Bulgaria, Albus, there is nothing for you here. You are now merely a spectator after foolishly putting your champion in that position. Had Marco achieved his objective last night, you would have lost a student too. Harry is a goblin and they treat such matters differently. The rape of a young girl, not yet of age, would have seen Harry put Marco to the sword..."

He saw the gleam in Dumbledore's eye and extinguished it at once. "That doesn't make him a dark wizard, Albus, just a goblin. In some ways they are a quite simple people, cross certain lines and you pay for it with your life. If Harry should discover you had anything to do with his parents' deaths, he will come for you. If I find out you had anything to do with Lily's murder, I will be at his side when he does."

This seemed to shock Albus more than anything but Severus was unrepentant. "My aims have always been to protect her son and avenge Lily's murder. Those aims have not changed though the world around me is. I owe neither you nor the dark lord allegiance now, I'm free to live my own life..."

"I thought you were smarter than that, Severus, no one is really free."

"Yes there are limits to freedom, but I quite happily accept those limits are necessary. There are clearly defined boundaries that can't be crossed. Unlike Marco, I have no wish or intention of doing so. Those boundaries are called laws, Albus, make sure you don't cross any of them yourself. That immunity only covers your actions before you stepped off that ship, don't give Madam Bones the excuse she's looking for to pump you full of truth serum. They would soon have all of your secrets out of you."

With that, Severus left Albus sitting there, alone bar a few stragglers making their way out the stadium.

Unknown to both, Barchoke had watched the entire conversation from on high. While not being able to decipher what was being said, it was still obvious this was not a friendly meeting. With inside knowledge of both Dumbledore and Riddle, it was perhaps time to bring Professor Snape more into their confidence. He would speak with his children about this before making a move.

-oOoOo-

Hogwarts had again done them proud when she provided a room for the students and their guests to enjoy Halloween together. The room was only similar to the one used for the Merlin Ball in that it was tiered, this one though had two tiers. Gone was the fountain and dance floor, all the space was taken up by tables in order to fit as many people in as possible. Gone too was all the gold gilt, replaced by a theme fit for Halloween.

Harry wondered how much the room read his mind when creating this as there were ideas clearly recognisable from the fayre incorporated here too. Probably most striking was the use of giant skeletons instead of pillars to support the terraces. That these skeletons had a floating illuminated pumpkin where there hearts should be was a touch macabre, but they fitted perfectly to the entire theme of the room.

He'd been thinking of what his usual practice for Halloween would be, perhaps that's why the room appeared so heavily influenced by graveyards. Being Halloween though, Hogwarts had adopted a spooky approach to the subject - much to the delight of the people in the room. Harry was sitting at a large table with his family, just enjoying the fact they were all together. They would sit down and go over what happened today at a later time, just as they had already arranged to visit his parents next Saturday during their time for lessons with Sirius. Tonight was to be enjoyed, families all around them were doing the exact same.

Apolline Delacour was certainly enjoying herself, the change in her eldest daughter would make it hard not to. Fleur had introduced them to so many students she called friends that Apolline's head was spinning, that every one of those friends had greeted the Delacours warmly was also unexpected. Gabrielle being introduced to some of the younger students was also a revelation, her precious little Gabbie was just accepted as an ordinary girl.

Madame Maxine had smiled at Apolline's confusion and recommended she have a chat with Lady Black. Olympe realised she might be costing Beauxbatons a student but, as a dedicated educator, she wanted what was best for the child. Fleur's time at Beauxbatons had not been easy and watching her bloom at Hogwarts was a revelation Olympe would never tire of watching.

Being chosen as the Beauxbatons' champion had certainly helped, Olympe though thought this transformation was more to do with the friends she had now rather than her being champion.

Bill could easily spot the tension that practically radiated off his mother. When Euan again been dragged away to meet some of his friends' families coincided with Penny and Jenny heading off to powder their noses, all the Weasleys at the table knew what was coming next.

Molly had Ron at her side, since there was food on the table he wasn't complaining. Fred, George and Ginny were sitting with friends, leaving her three oldest boys and Arthur to witness Molly the interrogator. Like all who were accomplished at that skill, the questions started off friendly and innocuously. Molly though was dealing with family and none of them were fooled in the slightest.

"She seems like a lovely woman, where did you two meet?"

"Oh we met at the fayre and hit it off almost at once, we were both too busy though to do more than chat. When I heard the Ambassador wanted someone to show them around a few houses, I quickly volunteered. It took a couple of days but discovering the house they both liked was close to the McDonalds sealed the deal. I then spent time helping them move in, shrinking and household charms can make a great difference to that process. Jenny then invited me for a meal to say thanks and we've grown from there..."

"...and what has the boy's father to say about this?"

All recognised the flash of anger in Bill's eyes, none though thought it was directed at his mother - yet. "No idea, and it doesn't matter. Jenny has no memory of becoming pregnant, or who did it."

The way Bill said that left no doubts in any of their minds what he meant, he wanted to be sure his youngest brother understood though. "Ron, repeating that would hurt someone very dear to me. I trust I don't have to say anymore?"

"Hey, I like Euan and Jenny's really nice. Does that make Harry his magical guardian?" His brother's nod sealed it for Ron. "I owe Harry big time, both for quidditch and saving Lavender, I won't say a word."

Even Ron mentioning Lavender couldn't deflect Molly from her target, Bill saying someone dear to him set off even more alarm bells. "Isn't she a bit old for you?"

"Jenny is twenty eight, I trust you know what age I am, Mother."

Ignoring the signs that Bill had reached the end of his patience, Molly pushed further and brought up what really troubled her. "...but she's a muggle!"

All recognised she had gone too far, they didn't need to see Bill's shoulders squaring or hear his voice hardening. "I am aware of that, Mother. Unlike you, I don't let that term define who someone is. Where you see a muggle, I see a beautiful woman who hasn't let the hard life she's had to lead drag her down. Instead she rose to the challenge and raised a wonderful son on her own. She's warm, loving, funny and someone I'm proud to have in my life..."

He was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. "Bill, if this between us is going to cause problems then perhaps..."

"We are not the ones with the problem, Jenny, we can't live our lives based on what other people think..."

"Miss Abercrombie..." Arthur had decided he needed to take some action here, he then softened his voice to a much kinder tone. "Jenny, you and Euan are welcome at the Burrow anytime. Oh, the Burrow is our home, and we certainly hope to see you there over Christmas."

"Thank you, Mr Weasley. We honestly haven't planned that far ahead yet but Euan and I will certainly consider the idea..."

At that, Euan arrived with his ever present shadow, Natalie. "Mum, the McDonalds are getting ready to leave. Are you going with them or is Bill taking you home?"

Jenny now had an arm around each of the children, the McDonalds and Abercrombies having grown very close. "I'm staying with Mary and Roy tonight, I stay there a couple of nights a week now. We'll all feel much better after seeing your school, and just how happy you are here. I'd better go and say goodnight to Harry and the gang." With that, Jenny faced the rest of the Weasleys. "It was nice to meet you all. Bill is always talking about his family and now I can put faces to the names. Good night, and thanks for the invitation."

Bill rose and accompanied Jenny over to say cheerio to Harry, leaving the rest of the table drawing daggers at Molly. It was actually Percy who rounded on her first.

"I'm ashamed of you, mother, that was totally uncalled for. It leaves me wondering if you only like Penny because she's a pureblood? That certainly played no part in me asking her to marry me."

Charlie was next to have a pop. "I've spent a lot of time with Bill over the last few days, I can honestly say I've never seen him happier or so content. I also think the reason for that was sitting beside him tonight. You know him better than any of us, mum, how could you be so stupid as to do what you just did?"

This also pushed Ron's thoughts in a direction he didn't like. "What would you have said if I'd brought Lavender home as my girlfriend?"

"Well, thankfully that won't be happening now."

In a manner eerily reminiscent of Bill, Ron faced up to his mother. "Lavender made a mistake. Once she realised it, she fought that Bulgarian with everything she had. That gave Harry the time to get there, and Hermione made sure the creep won't be trying anything like that again. I don't know where Lavender and me are at, I'm learning to fight my Weasley temper and talk about things - rather than just shouting the first thing that comes into my head."

This earned him a pat on the back from a beaming Percy. "I'm proud of you, Ron. That's a very mature attitude to take."

"I'm on the quidditch team now, thanks to Harry standing beside me and stopping it being canceled this year. He tore out of here to save Lavender, despite having to throw her out of Kingussie at the summer. Draco is now one of his best friends and we all know how their first meeting went. I think what I'm trying to say is that people change, and Harry allows for that. If Lavender comes back, I'm going to talk with her and see what happens after that."

Arthur had a firm grip of his wife's arm. Bill was more than able to deal with her ire but Ron's burgeoning maturity wouldn't withstand such an attack. Since his youngest son maturing was certainly something Arthur wanted to encourage, Molly was not going to be allowed to verbally rip Ron's head off.

He and his wife were already on a collision course over her behaviour toward Bill, adding Ron to the account would only extend the length of the argument. Since four of her children had all disagreed with her opinion, the ferocity of their forthcoming confrontation was never in doubt.

-oOoOo-

Another mother was having a much more pleasant Halloween. Bella was sitting telling stories of former Halloweens to her baby. These stories started innocently enough, describing Halloween parties from her early childhood. That those descriptions soon turned to darker times was disturbing to say the least. That Bella used the same childlike voice to describe bobbing for apples to Marvolo as she did for torturing someone to death was insane.

None of the other two adults present even noticed. Augustus and Tom were working to solve a very specific problem, the trouble was that they didn't have all the information they needed. There were now plans to rectify that though. Umbridge may be getting chucked out the castle but her assurances she would still be able to supply them with information was being believed. More than that however, here was someone who could now get them the books they needed to complete this project.

Bella and Augustus would soon be paying her a nighttime visit, another reason why Bella was in such a good mood. Dolores Umbridge certainly wouldn't be smiling after the visit.

A/N Thanks for reading.

A/N 2 Had a lot of trouble posting this chapter, FFN kept seeing the chapter as one massive block of text. Finally figured a work-around but I'm not doing anything different - has FFN changed?

A/N 3 Should Viktor be sorted? If so, what house? Can easily make a case for all four.

94. Dates

Harry Crow

A/N Thanks to all who took the time to help with my question, Viktor's sorting will be dealt with in this chapter.

Chapter 94

While those who had arrived in Hogwarts by portkey left by same means, the room was able to provide a bank of a dozen floos which enabled witches and wizards who were connected to the system a rapid method of returning home.

Arthur had barely stepped from the Burrow's fireplace when Molly started in on him. "I'm their mother, is it wrong for me to want what's best for my children?"

Knowing this was coming had allowed Arthur time to prepare his arguments, something he was getting rather good at since taking up his new ministerial post. "Molly, every parent wants nothing but the best for their children. When those children are young, it's also every parents duty to decide what's best for them. As those children get older however, the parents have to learn when it's the children's turn to make their own decisions. Only Bill can decide what's best for him, that right passed from us to him years ago."

She tried to reason with her husband, why was she the only one who could see this? "You know I have nothing against muggles, Arthur, but a wizard marrying one will seriously hurt their career. He will be looked down upon and sneered at behind his back, Bill has been doing so well too. We can't let him throw all those years of hard work away..."

"Molly, who does Bill work for?"

Arthur had confused Molly by completely changing tact, she stopped and answered her husband. "He works for Gringotts, why are..."

Arthur quickly cut her off. "Yes, more specifically, he works for Ambassador Barchoke. His boss is the person who already counts Hermione Granger as his daughter, and her muggle parents as close family. Euan is a Potter Scholar, that makes him and his mother, Jenny, family too. Now, do you think Barchoke would see a relationship between our Bill and Jenny as a bad thing? Even in the ministry now, anyone displaying bigotry like that would be severely frowned upon - if not actually jumped upon from on high."

Not to be dissuaded, Molly offered another reason to be against this match. "She's older than our Bill, and already has a child at Hogwarts..."

"...and what a delightful boy he is too, a credit to the mother who brought him up. She is also a beautiful woman who makes our son light up when she's next to him. Like Charlie, I've noticed the positive change in Bill. I just didn't know Jenny was responsible for that."

She was left clutching at straws now. "But Arthur, just because she had one magical child doesn't mean her next one will be too. What if we have muggle grandchildren?"

He was trying desperately not to lose his temper here but Molly was making that harder and harder. "We have seven children, Molly, the odds were high that one of them might have been a squib. Would that have made any difference to you?"

This finally hit home to Molly, her hand was over her mouth and it took a minute before she could even answer. "Arthur, how can you ask me that? They're my babies, I carried each of them for nine months - I would have loved them no matter what." That question had knocked all the fight out of her, Molly was now in tears. Arthur pulled his crying wife into an embrace.

"I know you would have, love, just as I know you will love any grandchildren the same way. IF Bill's relationship with Jenny reaches that point and IF their union is blessed with children, I know my Molly will be counting the days and knitting like mad to ensure that baby wants for nothing - whether they are magical or not."

He lovingly kissed the top of her head before continuing. "I also know a little of Jenny's history, her parents practically threw her out when they discovered she was pregnant. She will not be rejected by the Weasley family, rather welcomed as a friend who might one day be so much more. I hope you can support this Molly, because I won't have it any other way."

She was crying into his robes and nodded her acceptance. It took a moment before she remembered their other problem. "What about Ron?"

"Ah, now that is a totally different case. We've both been worried about him, and let's not forget we actually came within a whisker of withdrawing Ron from Hogwarts. He's finally starting to mature and I don't want anything to interfere with that process. Lavender is a young witch who would appear to have developed physically without the rest of her faculties yet catching up. Yes she's made a couple of incredibly stupid decisions but thankfully there has been no permanent harm done. Neither have yet reached fifteen, and she's Ron's first girlfriend. I think we let Ron deal with it, only becoming involved if he comes to us for advice. He's far more likely to talk to Bill or the twins though, we know they won't steer him wrong."

He could see Molly getting ready to offer objections so Arthur played his ace. "Ginny told me Ron was heartbroken, she said he wouldn't have been at the task today if the twins hadn't pulled him aside for a chat. Judging by what Ron said today, the twins must have approached Harry for information. That he's willing to sit down and discuss his problem with Lavender is a big step forward for Ron, we need to let him do this. The girl might not even make it back to Hogwarts so lets not cross any bridges before we have to."

Molly didn't answer so Arthur took that as a good sign. "You have a seat love and I'll make us some cocoa before we head off to bed."

She had one last question though. "Arthur, were any of our children in danger today?"

Here was one he could answer with some degree of certainty. "If Voldemort and his two followers had turned up today, they wouldn't have gotten a spell off before they were no more. Just precautions, love, nothing more."

Arthur escaped to make the cocoa.

-oOoOo-

Breakfast was interrupted by Augusta standing to make an announcement. "Since Mr Krum asked to become a Hogwarts student yesterday, he and I had a discussion and we reached this decision. While Mr Krum stayed in guest quarters last night, he himself was very keen to undergo the full Hogwarts experience for his last year of schooling. That means we have a sorting to do."

As McGonagall came forward with the hat and stool, there was much good-natured ribbing for Viktor as he walked toward her. He looked comical sitting on the stool designed for first years with the hat on his head, the joking slowly died down as the hall waited to see where he would be going. There was rather a long wait before the hat finally spoke. "Well, if you're sure, better be …. Hufflepuff!"

The Badgers went crazy as a high profile student was sorted into their house. In an unprecedented move, the other three tables stood and applauded Viktor as he joined his new housemates. Cedric made a place beside him, a place Viktor gratefully accepted.

Madam Longbottom too was applauding, however she had more to say. "Now, while Mr Krum is a member of Hufflepuff House, he will still represent Drumstrang in the Tri-wizard tournament…and the quidditch competition."

That last comment drew some playful boos form the Gryffindor table, mainly because they were next to play Durmstrang. Without Viktor playing, they would have been confident of victory. Now they had to 'do an Ireland', score so many points that the seeker's contribution couldn't win Durmstrang the match. Something that was easier said than done!

-oOoOo-

The Bloody Baron inviting Severus to Madam Longbottom's office that evening intrigued the Potions Master, discovering his godson and Pansy had been invited too really piqued his interest. On entering her office, 'the gang's all here' was the first thing that went through Severus' mind. Longbottoms, Blacks, Grangers, Patils, Barchoke, Tonks and Amelia Bones. Only Lupin was missing, but he had the first year marauders at the moment.

It was actually Barchoke who started things off. "You four have been invited here tonight for different reasons. Parvati, we know what Padma keeping secrets from you caused last time, we trust you won't talk to anyone not currently in this room about this matter. Draco and Pansy, I'm told you practically guessed what was going on, insight like that we can certainly use. Potions Master Snape, you are here for the exact same reason, you have unique insights to the people that we hope to defeat. I can't emphasise enough though that secrecy is paramount, people's lives are literally at stake here."

That Barchoke's eyes quickly shifted to Hermione and Harry, sitting holding their baby brother, was not lost on any of them.

Augusta then took over. "We now know who originally entered Harry's name in that cup. it was Dolores Umbridge, she did so under Voldemort's orders. They have been using a dead drop when she visits Hogsmeade on a Saturday, receiving and sending information to Voldemort. Bellatrix Lestrange has been observed collecting the information."

This news seems to take the breath from Parvati, it didn't take her long to recover though. "You knew this, and still let Harry go out there to compete?"

Neville quickly talked her down from the funk she was rapidly approaching. "Harry was covered at all times. Three of our fathers were in the stadium roof with rifles, nothing was getting near him. There were aurors, warriors and members of the audience all ready to pounce."

Instead of reassuring Parvati, this just agitated her more. "I thought we were safe behind these wards, can he get through them?"

It was then Padma's turn to try. "Pav, he was after a sample of Harry's blood. We want this to end so we gave him it."

Once more this had the opposite affect. Looking at the four people involved, Parvati instantly reached what to her was an obvious conclusion. "None of you would chance Harry facing this alone. He's got all four of your blood, hasn't he?"

"We've done alright so far by sticking together, sis, we weren't about to break that up." Parvati finally ran out of things to say, she just sat quietly with tears in her eyes until her mother's arms gently snaked around her. Amelia now took the discussion forward.

"Another complication though is that Dumbledore is somehow involved. He's been observed on a few occasions meeting with Umbridge in Hogsmeade. We just don't know what his angle is yet."

Figuring he wasn't here to be part of the furniture, Severus added his two knuts' worth. "Like most people I suppose, I just assumed Albus had entered Harry's name. Umbridge probably counted on that too, forgetting one thing - he would know that wasn't true. I'm almost certain Albus would approach Umbridge and now she's his spy. Anything that the dark lord sends to Umbridge, he will know about it. I'll bet he's also 'helping' Umbridge decide what information gets passed through Bellatrix. With Viktor now friends with Harry, and himself sitting on the judging panel, Albus must have thought he controlled it all."

This actually drew a chuckle from Harry. "Viktor standing up and calling him for cheating must have really upset the old man's plans."

Amelia didn't think this was funny though. "It also blew a big hole in our plans too. Cornelius had to contact the Bulgarian Minister of Magic and inform him what was going on, otherwise Dumbledore would have been dragged back to Bulgaria to be sacked. Borislaw is not happy that one of his country's most prominent citizens is essentially being used as bait, without that citizen's prior knowledge or compliance. Harry knows what he's letting himself in for, neither Viktor nor Fleur have any idea what could happen. if Voldemort appeared, they could easily find themselves in the middle of a battlefield."

"I don't think Voldemort will come anywhere near Hogwarts."

This comment silenced everyone, and drew all eyes onto Severus.

"For the dark lord to appear here would mean he had already accepted defeat, and wanted to go down in a blaze of glory. The dark lord will never accept defeat and has no intention of going down - ever. That was why he created horcruxes, he wants to be immortal. He's spent decades trying to achieve that status, he's not about to throw his life away on a futile grand gesture."

"That would support the information Gringotts has." Barchoke again glanced at his son and daughter before saying the next part. "That's also why Harry wants to end this. The smart thing for Riddle to do would be to retreat to the continent and take a number of years building up another army of like-minded followers. We're hoping his pride won't let him do that. This is the weakest he's ever been, and our best chance to finish this once and for all. The nightmare would be for him to disappear, returning as an even greater threat when this lot all have small children of their own to care for."

That scenario sent shivers down more than one spine, Severus though was confident that wouldn't happen.

"His pride won't let him retreat, not without a victory. He needs to dispose of the reason for his original downfall first, He needs to kill Harry. I've come to realise Dumbledore and the dark lord actually share quite a few personality traits. Neither will admit to their mistakes and both are supremely confident of their own abilities - and that those abilities will allow them to achieve whatever task they set themselves. Both also want things in Britain to go back to the way they were before Crow here took a hand. They want to rule the country, and see only one obstacle standing in the way of them achieving that."

It was Alice who asked Severus to clarify his last point. "Do you think Dumbledore would actually kill Harry?"

"No, not personally. Now, if you'd asked whether I thought he'd let someone else do it, you would have gotten a different answer."

Like a shroud being lifted from his eyes, Sirius could see it all laid out before him. "Dumbledore's playing all sides, pulling the strings to get the result he wants. Sets up the confrontation and then rushes in to save the day - but too late to save Harry. It's Halloween nineteen eighty one all over again, this time though he's not getting away with it."

That was a sentiment they all agreed with.

"Dumbledore is far too wily a character to put under any kind of sustained surveillance. He'll expect his every move inside the castle to be watched, and it will be." Harry nodded in agreement with his father, letting Barchoke know that was already being taken care of. "Dolores Umbridge however is another matter entirely. She is the weak link in this entire conspiracy. It is only because we in Gringotts think she is too stupid to pull it off that we aren't recommending the ministry arrest her, and then force Madam Umbridge to work for our side. Dumbledore would spot the difference the first time they met."

Amelia agreed with Barchoke's assessment, it still left the ministry hanging though. "What do we tell the Bulgarian Minister? Is there anyone here who trusts Viktor and Fleur enough to let them in on the secret?"

Since it was his life that was potentially on the line, Harry felt he needed to answer that. "While I like them both, this is just too big to drop on anyone's shoulders. Everyone in this room has earned the right to be here, they haven't. I also don't see how you could include Fleur without bringing Madame Maxime on board too."

"If we are now saying that the most likely attack will come in the form of a blood-bonded portkey, that should take the other two champions out of any danger." Tonks was basically thinking out loud but the rest of the company appeared more than prepared to let her.

"If we then arranged the second task so each champion would have to fight their way through to reach volunteers, we would be drastically reducing the opportunity to introduce a portkey into the task."

Smiling at her auror, Amelia nodded her agreement. "I think that is something Cornelius could sell to Borislaw, inviting him to the task might just swing the deal. We might even want to include him when we get down to discussing how we handle the third task?"

"Just hold on a minute, are we suggesting allowing these four to take a strange portkey to god knows where? That is not something Dan and I are ready to put our names to."

"Emma, you are certainly not alone in that opinion. We need to come up with different methods of tracking them, methods that mean we can be right behind them with warriors and aurors. They have trained for years to acquire the skills needed to survive, the four of them arriving will also be a surprise that should buy them a few seconds too. We have to be sure we can be mere seconds behind them portkeying out, or I will vote no to this plan too."

Barchoke's view was instantly supported by the Longbottoms and Patils as well, leaving the four teens with no option but to accept it.

Dan had another suggestion to throw in. "Our government has ways of electronically tracking people. Could the ministry approach them for assistance? I'm sure they want to see an end to the Potter Killers, almost as much as we do."

That was something none of them had thought of. Amelia agreed to take that idea to Cornelius, pretty sure Arthur would be approaching the muggle government soon. With magical, goblin and perhaps muggle tracking locked onto them, surely one of those methods would slip past whatever defences Voldemort was setting up. They only needed one to work, then this would be all over.

-oOoOo-

Harry pulled Hermione to a quiet sofa in the Ravensclaw common room, they obviously needed to talk. It was now late and they would neither be disturbed or overheard. "You were far too quiet in there tonight. Just what is going through that pretty little head of yours?"

"I'm really frightened, Harry."

He pulled her even closer and tried to offer some reassurance. "We're all frightened, Hermione, we'd be fools not to be…"

"No, Harry, it's not that. You want to know what really frightens me? Being left standing there while you are portkeyed to wherever Voldemort and his cronies are waiting for you. That's what will give me nightmares, Harry, not being with you when the time comes. Of course I'm frightened of facing them, but I am absolutely bloody terrified of not being there to have your back. You are mine, Harry, and I am yours - for the rest of our lives. There will never be anyone else for me, that means you can't leave me - ever."

Harry could feel his mate's tears dampening his shirt but was at a loss of what to say to reassure her. "Hermione, we're doing everything we can…"

She cut him off right away. "No we're not, Harry. Our mixture of blood on that towel is at best a gamble, it might not work as we hope. Suppose they have a means to separate it out? I can't lose you, not when we have a foolproof method that would ensure at least I would be there too available to us."

This puzzled Harry before realisation struck like a lightning bolt. "Surely you don't mean…"

"Yes, Harry, I do. I'm kicking myself for not thinking of it before Padma mentioned it, I've been thinking about it a lot since. Completing our bond would guarantee any blood-bond portkey would accept me too..."

Harry's mouth was making shapes but there was no sound coming out. The longer this went on, the more upset Hermione was becoming. "Don't you want to bond with me?"

There was only one way for Harry to answer that, he lifted Hermione's chin and put all the love he had for her into their kiss. This certainly kissed goodbye to her doubts.

"I hope I'm on safe ground saying I dream of completing our bond, quite a lot actually. In my defence I would like to say that my mate is the most beautiful girl in the world, and I love her with all my heart. How could I then deprive this girl of her dream, completing our bond on our wedding night."

It was then Hermione's turn, she kissed Harry with all the tenderness she possessed. "My real dream is having you beside me for the rest of my life. Going to university, forging careers, raising our children and watching our parents spoil them. That's my dream, Harry, one I'll fight anyone for. It all comes crashing down though if you're not there to share it with me. I need to be with you when you face him, Harry, completing our bond will ensure that I am."

"Hermione, completing our bond would automatically change your status in The Nation. That means father would know. If only you and I portkey out, everyone inside the stadium - the entire bloody country - would know what we'd done. I don't think I could do that to you..."

This did not sit well with Miss Granger. "You would rather chance leaving me standing there than risk embarrassing me? We're mates, Harry, with our wedding date already planned. We need to face him together to double our chances of us both making that date at the altar. I need to be there when you face him, and only you can ensure that I am."

Realising this was one argument with Hermione he wasn't going to win, and a large part of his teenage psyche was also screaming for an immediate and unconditional surrender, Harry tried a different approach."Let's try and look at this logically, love. For the second task, we'll still prepare a welcome for him and try to eliminate the possibility of any portkeys. Getting you involved in the task too will certainly help keep me safe. With all those precautions in place, I don't think we need to complete our bond before the second task - agreed?"

Somewhat reluctantly, Hermione nodded in agreement. She hated when Harry used logic against her, leaving Hermione no room to argue.

Now wearing a smile, Harry continued. "The third task is traditionally held nearer the end of summer term. That gives us until then to consider all our options. That's what your suggestion is, love, an option. An unbelievably mind-blowing, wonderful, beautiful, self-sacrificing option that will provide me with many pleasant dreams for months to come."

The look of bliss Harry was now wearing would, at any other time, have had Hermione in fits of giggles. She was still waiting on her answer though. Harry understood and then got straight to the point.

"We'll wait until nearer the third task before making any final decision, but I'll make you a promise right now. For the rest of our lives you'll always be at my side, and never left behind."

The relief appearing on Hermione's face was instantaneous. "That's all I ask, Harry, that's all I'll ever want."

The two kissed and cuddled for some time after that, talking well into the night. Betsy woke them in the morning, having covered the sleeping couple with a blanket late last night. They awoke in each others arms, happy and content. Both knew they had to move though, Padma discovering them like this would lead to endless teasing. Wearing wide smiles, both headed up to their rooms to prepare for their morning training.

-oOoOo-

Arthur Weasley found himself having a strange morning, one to match the evening he'd just spent with Molly. He'd hardly arrived at his office when he had a visitor, Adam Brown.

The man sat and rambled, leaving Arthur with no clue to the reason behind this unexpected visit. At one point Arthur felt his stomach clench in fear, Adam was mentioning his daughter and Ron - and children. While his youngest son was finally maturing, it would be a good few years yet before Ron was able to handle that step. If Ron had somehow gotten Lavender pregnant, Molly would flay him alive.

It was finally with some relief that Arthur deciphered the real reason why this wizard was in his office. "Mr Brown, can I stop you there? You seem to be labouring under a misconception. While we Weasleys are an old pure blood family, there are certain traditions that we just don't hold with. Betrothal contracts are certainly one of those, finding their wife or husband will be solely my children's responsibility."

While he had known exactly what to do last night when Molly burst into tears, Arthur was completely lost on how to deal with a crying wizard. Even so, he had no intention of offering Adam Brown a hug and a kiss. Adam would just have to make do with a cup of tea and a biscuit.

As the tea worked its magic, Adam even munched on a biscuit as he regained his composure. He tried to apologise. "I'm sorry, Arthur. I just want to see my little girl settled, and she is sweet on your youngest boy. She's not a bad girl, Lavender doesn't have a bad bone in her body, she's just not wise to the ways of the real world. We both know the terrible world our children were born into, my wife and I have tried our best to shelter Lavender from that."

Once he'd started unburdening his soul, Adam couldn't seem to stop. "Lavender's head is full of fashion, shopping and boys - but not in the way that we know the world really is. She's spent years reading her mother's harmless romance novels. At least we thought they were harmless, until we discovered Lavender thinks that's how the world really is."

Thinking back to Ginny with her Harry Potter book, and the damage that had done, Arthur could understand where Adam was coming from. The next part drew even eerier parallels between their daughters.

"Lavender then goes to Hogwarts and meets Harry Crow, a boy who is the walking embodiment of everything she believes to be true. Heroic, honourable, and unfortunately already taken. She becomes his friend though and her world changes. Shopping, parties, fabulous holidays, her mum and I were really happy for her - that all changed at the summer. After that, we were delighted to hear she had a boyfriend - one both my wife and I approved of. Now, I don't know what to do..."

At last, Arthur felt he could offer the clearly desperate wizard some advice. "If you intend for Lavender to return to Hogwarts, I would suggest contacting the school and thanking Harry for saving your daughter - twice. Hogwarts is a different school now, your daughter won't have to suffer the kind of reaction to this that went on in our day."

Adam then asked the question that was at the forefront of his mind. "...and what of her relationship with your Ron?" The worried father had since discovered his attitude after the fayre incident had left his daughter isolated in Hogwarts. She may not have been bullied but loneliness could be just as bad for Lavender. Her relationship with this young wizard would be the deciding factor on whether Lavender actually wanted to return to Hogwarts.

"I won't lie, Adam, Ron was deeply hurt by this. He's decided though to wait and talk with Lavender before saying or doing anything more. His mother and I support his decision, and will also support the outcome. Should Lavender turn up at our house as Ron's girlfriend, she will be made most welcome." Arthur knew he was stretching the truth a bit with his last comment but he would have until at least Christmas to work on Molly if that outcome actually happened.

A relieved Adam was on his feet, hand outstretched to Arthur. "That's more than I could have hoped for, more than we probably deserve. You're a good wizard, Arthur, and I would be a proud father if my daughter one day joined our two families."

He may have been smiling but inside Arthur was trying to come up with any excuse not to tell Molly about this conversation, and failing miserably. He could see them having another argument tonight.

-oOoOo-

Dolores Umbridge was also having relationship problems, she was howling up a storm too. This had nothing to do with a wizard gazing on her bare breasts for the first time in many, many years. It was more about what his girlfriend was currently doing to those breasts.

"I know you would love to accept our master's mark, Dolores, but that wouldn't help us. Our master very graciously allowed me to mark you in a way these goblin wards won't detect. You are to be the first of many given this great honour - so hold still and let me work."

The silencing charms on her bedroom were being sorely tested, it seemed an age before Bella stood back to admire her handiwork. "Well, my big strong wizard, what do you think?"

"I think my little Bella enjoyed that far too much. It is very effective though, and certainly won't trigger any wards. Dolores would really need to be getting to know someone a lot better before your work could be spotted."

Dolores was too far gone for modesty to even enter her head. She lay there exhausted, drenched in sweat and blood. Her bare breasts now sporting an 'L' and a 'V' on their underside, carved there by Bellatrix Lestrange's blade.

"If I ever get my hands on Crow's tramp, I'll carve 'mudblood' across her chest - and then kill her very slowly."

As Bella's blade delicately carved letters in the air, she was happily imagining torturing Crow's mate, Augustus gave Dolores her instructions. He'd also brought a written set, anticipating Bella's ministrations producing this reaction in Dolores. Umbridge gave Augustus the impression of a witch who would enjoy inflicting pain onto others, receiving it though was an entirely different matter. Only his Bella seemed to appreciate both equally, the giving and the receiving.

As the two left, the bug hiding behind the curtain thought that would be a good thing to do too. Only knowing she had an emergency portkey had kept Rita there, using it though would have meant blowing her surveillance - and ending Dolores' usefulness to Voldemort.

Peeking around the corner of the curtain, Rita could see she was in no danger of discovery. A troll could have entered that bedroom and Dolores wouldn't have noticed, the witch appeared almost comatose as she lay spreadeagled on her own bed. Rita still kept low though as she scuttled under the door to make her escape. She had a report to make to Barchoke.

-oOoOo-

It was well known Harry only had one free period a week, he was somewhat surprised then to find himself being asked to visit Madam Longbottom's office during it. Knowing Augusta knew they had no secrets from each other, Harry didn't think she would mind if Hermione came along too. Their surprise jumped a few notches when spotting Adam Brown waiting there too, there was no surprise that McGonagall appeared ready to rearrange his facial features without using her wand.

Augusta was doing her best to see things didn't get out of hand, though she clearly held similar thoughts to her deputy headmistress. "Centurion, Mr Brown asked to speak with you. After demanding to know why, I decided to give him this opportunity."

Clearly reading the undercurrents here, Adam got right to the matter in hand. "Centurion, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for saving my daughter, and apologise for my behaviour at the summer."

Harry just stared coldly at the wizard before giving his answer. "No."

The three adult blank stares that answer produced meant Harry had to explain. He let Brown sweat it out for a minute or two first. "I didn't know Lavender was in that cupboard, just that someone needed help. Help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it. As to your apology, no I don't accept it."

Adam Brown then got to see up close just what a dangerous individual Centurion Crow really was.

"Your behaviour over that matter hurt someone very close to us, that might still have been forgivable. That your actions then deliberately targeted this person, all in an attempt to protect your daughter, cannot. You sir, tried to besmirch the name of a young witch who is family to me - not a good idea. Parvati admitted that she had done wrong, accepted her not inconsiderable punishment, and has also learned from her mistake. Lavender clearly didn't and hasn't, you must take some of the blame for that too."

Harry then respectfully bowed to Augusta and Minerva, before offering Hermione his arm as they left the office.

It was a shell-shocked Adam who stood there watching as he had just been dismissed, by a student too. Augusta came out of her stupor and made after them, there was something else she wanted to discuss.

Seeing Adam Brown's condition, Minerva then added her two knuts' worth. "Every few years, Hogwarts will get a witch who is an accident waiting to happen. Thankfully most see how the older witches behave and grow out of it. Your Lavender fell squarely into the first category, she's yet to reach the second. You can't just keep depending on that young goblin to save her, Harry might not be here the next time. He normally spends the Halloween weekend outside the castle, what would have happened then? If Lavender is to return to Hogwarts, I'll need to see a whole different attitude from her."

Minerva would also place Romilda Vane in that first category. Thankfully, Lavender's behaviour had Miss Vane shooting straight into category two. At least some good had come of this.

They had barely reached the bottom of the stairs when Hermione pounced on her mate. After a passionate kiss, a smug Harry thought she agreed with him.

"Oh it wasn't that, Harry. When you let your inner goblin out to play, it does funny things to my insides." They were about to begin kissing again when a throat being theatrically cleared behind them gave warning they weren't alone. Augusta was standing on the spiral moving staircase that delivered her to the corridor.

"I wanted a word with you two about a different matter, a Yule Ball."

Harry was about to immediately object when Augusta held her hand up. "I hope to spend Christmas Day with our families, maybe even in Kingussie. I just want you to listen to my proposal first. The express leaves on the nineteenth, and I know you both intend to be on it. How would you feel about returning here on Christmas Eve for a Yule Ball? It would start at eight and finish at twelve, allowing everyone to portkey or floo back home for Christmas."

She could see Harry wasn't convinced so then dangled her carrot. "I understand you wanting to spend your holiday at Kingussie but I'm hoping a few hours isn't too much to ask. I also know when striking a bargain with a goblin, it's customary to offer something in return. You do this for the tournament, then I will guarantee the second task will be held on the twenty ninth of January..."

An excited Hermione squeezed him tight while trying not to squeal with joy. "Say yes, Harry...Please."

He though was staring straight at Augusta. "You clearly know the significance of that date, do you also know the year?"

"Since I consider this person a very dear friend, of course I do." Augusta was using all her experience not to smirk at him, it was just too funny watching Harry struggle though. Desperately wanting to say yes but, at the same time, not lose face. Hermione had no such qualms and was practically jumping up and down beside him.

"You drive a hard bargain, Madam Longbottom, how could I not accept."

They were all wearing wide smiles now as everyone got what they wanted. "I shall need to check with my fellow judges that this date is acceptable but don't foresee any problems, do you?"

With Tonks and Cedric's father there, none at all. Even Madame Maxime got a ball out of this, at no cost to Beauxbatons whatsoever. None of them could see any problems with this.

"The date of the second task will need to be kept secret until nearer the time, me announcing the ball though will also signal that date has been confirmed."

The respect Harry had for the grand old witch was oozing out of every pore as he bowed deeply to her. "Madam Longbottom, a goblin would be proud to strike a bargain like that."

A very happy Augusta took the stairs back up to her office, hoping Minerva hadn't spilled Brown's blood on her carpet.

An ecstatic Hermione was holding onto Harry and jumping up and down in a way that felt wonderful to him. "Oh Harry, we're going to get to see Father on his birthday, his sixtieth birthday too! I've never been able to celebrate it with him before, he always says it's not a good enough reason for us to leave Hogwarts. This year, he'll be coming to us. We need to throw a party..."

A kiss from Harry silenced her. "That was to say thanks, Hermione, for being so understanding. You've accepted me as I am, and love father for who he is too."

"I remember a boy on a train, trying desperately to work out whether I was pranking him after saying my parents were healers who worked on people's teeth. You accepted me as I am, and my entire family too. Just one of the many things I love about you..." They headed back to the hall to collect Padma and Neville, it was nearly time to head for defence. They may have just lost their only free period but neither was complaining.

-oOoOo-

Lavender's return that Friday morning was news only until Madam Longbottom stood and made her announcement.

A Christmas Eve ball was far more interesting than a student's return, especially at the Ravenclaw table. All eyes might have been on Harry but it was Padma who beat everyone to the question, Roger was too busy congratulating himself for already having asked Fleur to be his date for any ball.

"So, the mystery of why you and Hermione have been walking around with smiles on your faces is finally solved. You were dead set against this ball, what changed?"

"Let's just say we were made an offer we couldn't refuse. Your gran is some negotiator, Neville."

"...and you're not going to tell us anything about these negotiations?"

"Well, there will be a Yule Ball held on Christmas Eve..." Padma playfully cuffing the back of Harry's head for simply parroting what Neville's gran had just announced. This saw Hermione jokingly getting ready to defend her mate from attack as the table laughed along with them.

Feeling a hand on his shoulder, Harry turned his head to see Viktor standing there. "Can I have a vord vith you, Harry?"

Standing, both walked to the main doors, Harry could see this was something Viktor didn't want to say in public. After hearing what he had to ask, Harry couldn't blame him.

"Harry, I vould like your permission to escort Sapphire to the Yule Ball."

A/N thanks for reading

95. A New Apprentice

Harry Crow

Disclaimer - Harry Crow might be my invention, Harry Potter is not. On hearing Jo was publishing new editions of HP on the first of September, I was rather disappointed to read it was only the covers that were being updated. After her recent revelations, it offered up some hope of an alternative version of The Deathly Hallows. Now that would be a book I would buy.

Chapter 95

"I vould like your permission to escort Sapphire to the Yule Ball."

Viktor thought he'd made a terrible mistake, a mistake that could be his last. A pair of cold green eyes were suddenly focused on him with a frightening intensity. This was not his friend, Harry, facing him. Here was Centurion Crow - someone Viktor just decided he never wanted as an enemy. There was also no disguising the threat in Harry's reply.

"I'm going to need to hear your reasons for asking Sapphire, Viktor, and I'd better like them."

Taking a deep breath, Viktor proceeded to do just that. "All over Europe, Durmstrang has a dark reputation. Grindelwald is a former student, our current headmaster is a death eater and now ve find Dumbledore is, how you say, exposing himself as not light? I am a proud Bulgarian but ashamed of how ve are seen. I asked the hat to put me in Hufflepuff, I vant to show that all of us from Durmstrang is not like that. Sapphire going to the ball vith me vould do the same, and she is nice company I think. Your friend, Daphne, told me ve go to these balls to dance all night and have fun, that is my intentions. I am not Marko, Harry, your friend vould be treated vith the respect and honour she deserves."

It was now Harry's turn to let out the breath he hadn't even realised he'd been holding. It also took him a moment to regain his focus, and notice a very worried Viktor still waiting on an answer.

"Sorry about that, Viktor, I am rather protective of Sapphire - especially when she is in the magical community. I know you're nothing like Marko, and don't forget, Durmstrang is not alone in having infamous former students. At least Durmstrang expelled your wannabe dark lord, the so-called Lord Voldemort is a Hogwarts former head boy - he even won a special award from the school. I'll need to contact Sapphire and see what she thinks of this. I would advise keeping this matter a secret though, let them all wait until the ball before discovering who your date is."

A much relieved Viktor quickly agreed with that. The warning bell sounding for classes saw Cedric looking for Viktor and of course a trio of friends searching for Harry. 'Later' though was all he would say on the matter as they headed off to ancient runes.

it wasn't until much later that day they discovered what had transpired as Harry held them back when Master Pitslay's potion's class ended.

""Master Pitslay, I have an urgent message I would like you to pass on to my father. It has been announced there will be a Tri-Wizard Ball in Hogwarts on the twenty fourth of December. This morning I was approached by the Durmstrang Champion, Viktor Krum, seeking my permission to ask Sapphire to this ball - as his date for the evening.""

This not only surprised the goblin potions master, Hermione, Padma and Neville were all pretty stunned by that news too.

Master Pitslay was left shaking his head, trying to clear it rather than indicating a no. ""This may be a step too far for her father, it may be a step too far for The Nation too.""

""Viktor's intentions are entirely honourable, otherwise I wouldn't even have considered this request. He is a quidditch star in his country and admired by many, Viktor walking into that ball with Sapphire on his arm sends out a very powerful message. Sapphire will arrive in Hogwarts with the four of us, and leave with us too. There won't be a single minute of the entire evening where she will not be under my care - I would take my blades to anyone who behaved inappropriately toward her.""

Hermione's hand slid into his. ""We all know that, Harry. What we don't know are Viktor's intentions toward Sapphire. What is he expecting of her, and how do you think she will respond to this?""

"'Viktor is hoping for a night of dancing and fun, with someone he's hoping will become a friend - nothing more. Sapphire is a goblin, she will be expecting nothing else - until the day she meets her mate. She already told you this. Goblins don't date in a way that you three would recognise, they just socialise with a wide group of friends until they meet their mate. Sapphire just has a wider group of friends than most young goblins.""

It was Padma who brought another point up for consideration. ""Harry, Viktor escorting Sapphire to what is a prestigious event won't just be big news in Britain, it will go international. Remember how the witches reacted to Hermione being alongside you all the time? The reactions to this could be a lot worse, and would all be aimed at Sapphire.""

""It will be kept quiet before the event, do you think anyone in the castle will say anything on the night of the ball? When the story hits the press, Sapphire will be staying in Kingussie with us until we need to return to Hogwarts. The only way to get at her would be by post, and our wards will redirect anything sinister straight to Gringotts - the sender might just get a surprise. We'll be there to deal with any hate mail, there's sure to be a fireplace nearby to put it into. When the political side gets sorted, it will then be Sapphire's decision whether she wants to attend as Viktor's date.""

This drew a chuckle from Hermione. ""She already has his autograph, Harry, I don't think Sapphire will be saying no.""

The quiet man of the quartet then spoke his mind. ""Master Pitslay, Sapphire is not just our friend, there will be many more in the castle who consider her their friend too. She will be surrounded by friends the entire evening and perfectly safe. If, for whatever reason, she can't accept Viktor's offer, I have a spare arm she would be welcome to. Harry needs to sit at the top table but we would be honoured if she chose to spend the evening with Padma and me.""

This received a deep bow from Master Pitslay. '"Well spoken, Friend Longbottom. Young Sapphire is indeed fortunate to have friends such as you four. I fear though your mate is right, such an occurrence would become international news. We'll have to involve The Director in this decision, before going anywhere near Sapphire with it. Knowing she is still welcome to attend the ball means that a no is not the end of the matter for her.""

The four then went for dinner, and it was left to Hermione to bring another subject up. "How did you react when Viktor asked you that?"

"Not well. I had to fight my inner goblin not to draw my blade there and then. Only hearing what Viktor intended allowed me to calm down, I think I may have given Viktor a fright…"

"If he's taking our friend to the ball, that's maybe not a bad thing." Padma's smirk told Harry there was more to come. "At least you missed Colin asking Luna to be his date for the ball. He dashed over the minute you left with Viktor."

He'd been caught out already today so Harry wasn't rising to that bait. "Is there any of you who think I need to have a quiet word with Colin?" The four walked into the great hall, all with smiles on their faces.

-oOoOo-

It was at their run the following morning before Fleur got a chance to speak with Harry.

"I want to zank you for saying yes to zis ball, 'Arry. Our Christmas would 'ave been dull wizout it."

This puzzled the four Hogwarts students exercising until Fleur explained further. "We knew when we volunteered for zis, we would be spending Christmas in Scotland. Wizout the ball zough, we would 'ave nozzing to look forward too..."

Harry had actually stopped running to stare at the French Champion. "You're not going home for the holidays? I thought Christmas was all about family?" He looked toward Hermione for help with this.

"This will only be the fourth year Harry has celebrated Christmas, it's not part of a goblin's calendar. He doesn't go in for the religious side of the holiday but just loves the idea that entire families get together to celebrate, that certainly appeals to his inner goblin. Nothing is more important to them than family."

This was something that certainly resonated with a certain Bulgarian. "As I am now Hogwarts student, I could possibly go home. That would not be fair to other Durmstrang people, so Cedric invited me to his house for holidays."

It was like a light going on behind Harry's eyes as he turned to Fleur. "You could spend Christmas with us, in Kingussie..."

"Harry no. If you are going to do this then Fleur needs to know." He just smiled at his mate, leaving Hermione to do the explaining and asking. "I know him very well, Fleur, and can see what he's up to. We have a rather peculiar family..."

That had Padma laughing. "Peculiar doesn't even begin to describe it, Hermione. We Patils are Indian, the Grangers are muggles and then we have Crow's goblin father and friends. Throw in a werewolf and a couple of Sweedish veela for good measure and you have quite the mixture."

"Thank you, Padma. Now Fleur, how would your parents react to a mixture like that?"

She'd been confused before but now Fleur was totally flummoxed. "My parents are very, 'ow you say, open-minded. Zey would not object to me being in zat company."

"That's not what I asked Fleur, how would they adapt to being in that company? I know my Harry, he's intending asking them to visit Kingussie too. You just can't go dropping our family on strangers however. Just because it's normal to us, others might think different."

She was now focused solely on Harry, Fleur struggled to find any words. "You...you would do zat?"

"I'm supposed to be an inscrutable goblin, yet Hermione reads me like an open book. She's also right, our family is rather a strange lot. Why don't you write home and invite your family on my behalf, mentioning how weird we all are. If they still want to chance it, we can then sit down and work out the details..."

She simply couldn't help it, Fleur just launched herself at Harry and hugged him for all she was worth - before regaining her senses. She jumped back and started apologising.

"Oh 'Ermione, I am so sorry. 'E just made me so 'appy...non, zat did not sound right..." She was stopped from saying any more by Hermione and Padma bursting into laughter.

"It's fine, Fleur. My Harry has a habit of doing things that sees girls just wanting to hug him in thanks, that's how we got together in the first place."

"Yes, Hermione got me addicted to her hugs. Now I can't do without them."

"He's not joking, they even spend their nights on a Ravenclaw sofa, hugging until the morning."

"Padma Patil, how do you know about that?"

"Oh, Pav and I had sat up late chatting. I popped my head into your room to see if you were asleep, and you weren't there. I came down the stairs just as Betsy was putting a blanket on you two, you looked so sweet together."

"...and why wait until now to mention it?"

"Hermione, I was saving it until it would be funny..."

"Well, I don't think it's funny..." She was forced to smile though as both Neville and Harry were chuckling away. "It's his fault, I'm just so comfortable in Harry's arms I never want to leave."

"How many times now is that you've spent the night together?"

"Now Padma, your jealousy is showing. Are we counting that time I was twelve and our fathers put a blanket over us?"

They had started running again as the two best friends continued their teasing, Harry and Neville learning long ago not to get involved as these two tried to get one over on the other. It always ended with them both in fits of laughter, the one who succumbed first being adjudged the looser.

As the teasing got more outlandish, Fleur's jaw was hanging open and even Viktor appeared perplexed.

"Padma did say our family is nuts, didn't she."

"Neville, I zzink your family is Fantastique! I shall be writing 'ome as soon as we finish 'ere."

This certainly drew a smile from Harry. "We will be trying to spend Christmas Day and New Year together, there will also be a wedding at Kingussie over the holidays. The Diggories will be invited, and that invitation will include any guests they have staying too."

Her Christmas had just shifted from dull to spectacular, Fleur though was curious about how this came about. "If Madam Longbottom did not tell you about us not going 'ome, 'ow did she get you to agree to ze ball?"

"Oh, good luck with that one, Fleur. He hasn't even told Padma or I how gran managed it..." Hermione buckling with laughter was immediately followed by Padma doing the same, they literally were holding each other up while they laughed. Both Harry and Neville just split either side of the laughing obstruction on the track and continued running.

Harry offered his reassurance to the other two champions. "Don't worry, they'll catch up. This is just their way of letting off some steam, I don't think those two could be angry with each other if they tried."

That found agreement from Neville. "Padma's now like a triplet, she has two sisters..."

-oOoOo-

It was another 'sister' who was being discussed inside Gringotts.

""I'm very worried about this. It is one thing for my daughter to attend these functions as the Centurion's guest, quite another to be on the arm of a famous wizard - who's also an international sports star.""

""My guarantee still stands, Goldskin. My son would gut anyone who attempted to harm your daughter - be they wizard or goblin.""

The Director then said his piece. ""Your Sapphire will attend with my blessing, and my public support. As well as Centurion Crow, there will be another three Friends of The Nation in attendance too - all of whom are very fond of your daughter. With the Centurion taking responsibility for her safety, and The Nation publicly supporting Sapphire, I think we can all agree no harm will befall her.""

Barchoke could just imagine this story whizzing around the magical world. A goblin on the arm of Viktor Krum in little backward Britain would shock many and surprise most - it certainly surprised him. ""I realise the position this puts you in as a father, Goldskin, but please believe me when I say Sapphire has many friends at Hogwarts. She will dance and have fun, returning to Kingussie along with my son and daughter.""

With The Director pushing for this too, Goldskin was helpless to resist. He did have one condition though, one he would not be shifted from. ""If I agree to this, the final decision must still lie with Sapphire.""

""Absolutely. Please tell her also Friend Longbottom has offered that Sapphire can accompany him and his mate to the ball. Centurion Crow has some official duties as champion that prevents him making the same offer. I wouldn't want her thinking this Bulgarian was her only option for attending the ball, the decision will then be hers to make.""

With that assurance from The Director, Sapphire was escorted into The Director's Office. Both father and daughter had been summoned but Sapphire had been asked to wait outside. Goldskin watched as his daughter confidently walked into Ragnok's office, her face lighting up when she spotted Barchoke's presence. Any other teenager would have been terrified in this situation, it just showed the confident female his daughter was becoming. He laid the current situation out for his daughter.

""Sapphire, your friend Harry was approached by someone who wanted to invite you to a ball in Hogwarts over the December holidays. It was the Bulgarian quidditch player…""

""Viktor, oh dear."" She then turned slightly apprehensively, but still excitedly to Barchoke. ""I hope Harry didn't frighten him too much? Harry's very protective of me, all my magical friends are. What made Harry change his mind? Did Colin ask Luna to the ball, she would be hoping he would…""

""Sapphire!""

She returned her attention to her father and demurely bowed her head. Sapphire though had noticed her outburst had caused wide grins from Barchoke and The Director. ""Sorry father, it's just a lot to take in. I will of course abide by your decision on this matter. I'm assuming Viktor is trying to make a statement by asking me, since I've barely spoken to him.""

""Yes, and the Centurion has guaranteed your safety…"" Sapphire tried not to roll her eyes at that statement from her father. Like most teenagers though, she didn't quite manage it - and it widened the grins of other two goblins watching this discussion between father and daughter.

""You can refuse and still attend the ball, with Friend Longbottom and his mate. We have all agreed the final decision will be yours.""

There was no need even to think about it as far as Sapphire was concerned. ""Being seen and photographed in Harry's company is helping The Nation become more accepted in Britain, I think me doing this could only help that effort. Harry might be leading the fight but I'm more than willing to play any part I can.""

This drew a deep chuckle from Ragnok. ""Well said, young Sapphire. You are a credit to your family and friends. I fully support your decision, and the jewellery you wear to this ball will publicly say so.""

Sapphire found herself kneeling alongside her father, facing The Director, both overwhelmed at the honour they were being shown here. She couldn't leave it at that though. ""I am honoured, Director. With respect though, I would still like to wear my necklace Harry and Hermione gave me - I never take it off.""

While her father stiffened at his daughter's perceived cheek, Ragnok chuckled heartily. ""Nor should you, the protections on that sapphire are second only to those on Miss Granger's bracelet - and then only because there was less material to work with.""

The Director's words had Sapphire's hand reaching to her favourite thing in the world, she should have guessed Harry would have done something like that. Her father though appeared totally gobsmacked at that news, already having thought the gift was too much before he knew it was enchanted. He would also be shocked to discover his reactions were exactly the same as a muggle father, placed in the same position a few years earlier.

""I told you, Goldskin. My son looks after his friends, and your Sapphire is his oldest friend. As to your questions, Sapphire, all I know is that Augusta somehow convinced him - and that Colin is probably the only person Harry would approve of to ask Luna to the ball.""

Sapphire was leaving the Director's office, chuckling to herself at the truth behind Barchoke's words. She would need to write to Luna and find that news out for herself. Her father was at her side, proud at how well she'd handled herself but dumbfounded at where this confidence was coming from. He had of course noticed his daughter was growing up. Like fathers the world over, he'd just never realised how much she'd grown.

Both were stopped by Barchoke reaching a snap decision. ""Goldskin, I would like to offer your daughter an apprenticeship, working with my department. She already knows more about the world outside Gringgots than most goblins, and seems keen to learn more. She could start immediately as we would need to tailor her education to her new position. That would also make this ball an official function - meaning any expense would be picked up by my department.""

Barchoke was always intending to pay for anything Sapphire needed, but this way it gave her family honour too. The Ambassador was basically just thinking out loud yet the more he said, the more Barchoke liked what he was saying. ""When my son completes his education, he will work at my side before eventually becoming The Nation's Ambassador. At that time he will need someone at his side that he trusts implicitly to be his Assistant Ambassador. Your daughter could one day be that person.""

Ragnok got very excited at that idea. ""This is not just a tremendous opportunity for your daughter, it's a marvellous opportunity for The Nation too. Young Sapphire here has done exactly the same as the Centurion and the three Friends, openly embraced all three cultures that touch our lives. I can't think of anyone more suited to this role, and not just because she has the Centurion's complete trust. Understand though, Barchoke here is a hard taskmaster. He's giving you a glimpse of what your future could hold, you will then have to do all the years of hard work necessary to achieve that future.""

Goldskin looked at his daughter and saw her eyes sparkling to match that sapphire around her neck she was so fond of. The Director was right, this was a tremendous opportunity for his daughter, and her family. If things worked out as Barchoke suggested, Sapphire could eventually be one of the highest ranking females in The Nation. His decision though was the same as earlier.

""While I acknowledge the great honour, and tremendous opportunity, this offer bestows on my family. The final decision must be my daughter's to make. Sapphire after all would be the one then facing years of hard work.""

All three goblins knew what her answer was going to be, Sapphire though still managed to surprise them. She shot back and hugged Barchoke for all she was worth. Having grown accustomed to this greeting from his daughter, the goblin knew exactly how to respond.

""Thank you for this...""

""Sapphire, all I'm giving you is a chance. Anything else you will earn yourself. None of us were joking about the years of hard work part.""

She stood back and, with a very wide grin on her face, bowed deeply. ""Ambassador Barchoke, I would be honoured to accept this opportunity.""

""Good, now this news does not reach Hogwarts until after the ball. My son's reasons for changing his mind are mystifying, I suspect he and Madam Longbottom are up to something. Your first task will be to see if you can find out what that is.""

Barchoke's wink informed Sapphire he wasn't seriously worried about this, just curious as to what Harry was up to. She would still do her best to find out the reason behind it. A seriously happy Sapphire almost skipped away, her bewildered father following on behind.

His daughter was now apprenticed to Ambassador Barchoke's department, and attending a prestigious wizarding ball on the arm of an international quidditch player - how it had happened was still a shock to him.

As they left, Ragnok couldn't help but say what was on his mind to his friend. ""Goldskin must be wondering what would have happened had he not dragged Sapphire away from Britain.""

Barchoke couldn't quite mask the bitterness he still felt over the matter. ""Let the bastard wonder, his actions broke my young son's heart. I couldn't be happier with Harry's choice of mate and truly love my wonderful daughter. I see no reason though to let how Goldskin acted affect Sapphire, my entire family is very fond of her.""

""I have to admit to being surprised at how well your daughter accepted Sapphire.""

""Hermione just sees Sapphire as Harry's oldest friend. My children are true mates in every way we understand that relationship to be. Both are more goblin than we thought possible.""

-oOoOo-

Dumbledore was left bemoaning the quality of people he was reduced to working with. Dolores Umbridge was an emotional wreck, her current state threatened all his plans but he had no one else. He tried to appease her.

"As leader of the Durmstang contingent, I will still be informed when the next task is - as well as what it entails. I just won't have any input into what those tasks will be, or any influence in choosing the dates. You will still have your information to send to Tom."

Rather than showing relief, this just sent cold shivers down the witch. "I have a list of books to acquire, and no idea how to go about tracking down some of these titles. My job at the ministry won't last long if it gets out I've been strolling down Knockturn Alley. I don't know how long I can do this, Albus. That Lestrange bitch is the craziest person I have ever met. With either a wand or a knife in her hand, she terrifies me. I'm wondering if perhaps I would be better off going to Bones. They could set something up to catch those two, and then protect me from Voldemort."

Knowing that Dolores would be forced to reveal his part in all this, Albus had to prevent that disaster at all costs. "Bellatrix is deadly, but not as crazy as everyone believes. It's mostly an act to terrify her opponents, a very convincing act I have to say. They won't dare harm you as long as you are still useful to them. As for the ministry, they would certainly keep you safe. Voldemort wouldn't be able to get to you in Azkaban."

Having crushed her moment of rebellion, it was time to build Dolores back up again. "I know someone who can help with getting what Voldemort wants, he was even sitting at the bar when I came up here."

Albus had indeed spotted Fletcher leaning on what passed for a bar in the Hog's Head, Albus was currently talking with Dolores in a private room upstairs. For a few pieces of gold, Mundungus would soon track down what they needed.

Her fears somewhat sated, Dolores handed over the list and gold she'd lifted to purchase the items. Albus would arrange with Dung to get the stuff as quickly as possible, giving him time to study the materials before handing them over to Dolores. She didn't know when her visitors would return, that was probably deliberate to keep Dolores on her toes.

Even if they returned before Albus handed everything over, it couldn't be helped. It was imperative he figured out exactly what Tom was up to, what was a little torture of Dolores when compared to that.

None of the conspirators knew the goblins already had teams working at doing exactly that, determining just what Voldemort's scheme was, having obtained the necessary information from Rita. Rita herself was keeping a low profile at the moment, staying well away from Dumbledore too. When Dolores had headed for Hogsmeade, Rita wasn't tempted to try and hear any conversations. Just seeing Dumbledore enter the same building was all the conformation she needed.

-oOoOo-

Luna needed some confirmation, and knew just where to go to get it. She plonked herself down beside Harry for lunch, asking her question right away before the other Potter Scholars arrived.

"Harry, I received a letter this morning from Sapphire. Sapphire says she's going to the Yule Ball, as Viktor Krum's date…"

"Eh, we're trying to keep that quiet at the moment, Luna."

"No problem, Harry. I guess the mystery of why you agreed to ball has now been solved?"

"Not even close, Luna. Viktor thought that one up all on his own. I hear you have a date for this ball too, I'm assuming that Sapphire was asking you that question as well?"

The little blonde now had a smile on her face. "Colin asked me as soon as the ball was announced, I think Ginny and Lyra were disappointed at that."

"As long as you're happy, Luna, and your date behaves himself." Harry's voice had risen slightly, it was certainly loud enough for a now red-faced Colin to hear as he sat down at the table.

This earned Harry a hug, followed by a kiss on the cheek. "You know he will, Harry, and thanks."

"I see what you mean about ze 'ugs and kisses, 'Ermione. Your 'Arry 'as a way wiz ze witches."

"Oh it's not just witches, Fleur, my mum's been hugging and kissing him since the first time they met." This drew a fair bit of laughter from the Potter Scholars gathered to have lunch together, a ritual that had just grown into an everyday occurrence. They all knew Emma Granger, and the fact she considered Harry her son too.

"Well, 'e can expect to be 'ugged by my mozzer and sister too. I 'eard back from zem, zay want to come whenever zey can."

"We finish up on the nineteenth, returning on the third. Your family are welcome to stay in Kingussie for as much, or as little, of that as they want. The chalet is being fitted out as guest accommodation and we're hoping to avoid needing wizarding tents in our training room…"

This saw Denis and Euan interrupting. "Those tents were great, Harry, me and my mum loved them."

"Our dad wanted to buy one for going camping over the summer. We couldn't really take it onto a camping site though, five Creeveys getting out of something that size would be sure to cause questions."

Natalie agreed with that too. "My dad said Professor McGonagall should take one of them when she tells muggle born they're witches or wizards. He thought his back was going to suffer that weekend, until he went inside. Three furnished bedrooms, a bathroom and even a working kitchen, all in that little space. The McDonalds would certainly be happy staying in one of those tents again."

This left Hermione shaking her head. "We thought we were putting our guests at an imposition, asking them to stay in tents. It never occurred to us that they see so little magic, this would appeal to them."

"It's a bit like me, Hermione. I've only celebrated three Christmases. The first was with you and Harry in Crawley, the next at Grimmauld with Sirius and last year with the Longbottoms. I don't really care too much where this year's is, just as long as we're all together. A tropical beach might make a nice change?"

"No point in hinting, Padma, I've already given Remus and Tonks use of the island for their honeymoon." Harry then turned to all the Potter Scholars. "We haven't got our plans finalised for the holidays yet but we hope to see all of you at Kingussie for at least part of the holidays." That led to a load of yeses, and Orla walking about with a beaming smile on her face for the rest of the day.

By dinnertime, the rumour sweeping the castle was that Lavender Brown was going to the Yule Ball, on the arm of Ronald Weasley. Ginny confirmed this news in her own inimitable style. "If that bitch cheats on Ron again, after him giving her another chance, I swear I'll scalp her."

The little firebrand calmed down somewhat when Dean Thomas approached and asked her to the ball. Dates were being arranged up and down the hall, Viktor found himself having to fend off a few pushy Beauxbatons students.

"I haff already asked someone to the ball, they said yes." He then found one of the benefits of being in Hufflepuff as his new housemates rallied round to offer him protection. Even so, some of the witches were dying to know just who the lucky girl was. All Viktor was saying on the matter was that a gentlemen never tells. They would all see his date at the ball.

-oOoOo-

Arthur was having a ball. The muggle government had offered them anything they wanted for the chance to catch the Potter Killers, even military assistance. That was why Arthur and Bill found themselves in a special government electronics lab, one that had a clearance so secret the people they were working with could certainly be trusted with the knowledge magic exists.

The three people they were currently working with were really sceptical, but their orders had come from the very top. When Bill dissapparated right in front of them, all that scepticism vanished with him. They were now every bit as excited as Arthur, this was as new to them as all their gadgets and equipment were to the ministry official. That same ministry official was astonished as the large screen was suddenly zooming in on an arial picture of Ottery St Catchpole. The flashing dot he was told indicated Bill was walking alongside an area of the map that appeared not quite as sharp as the rest. After the previously agreed upon five minutes, Bill entered the Burrow's wards - and the signal disappeared.

"That's roughly what we would have expected to happen, wards disrupt signals for electronic equipment. There are a few charms some witches and wizards born to non magical parents have come up with, specifically to allow television and radio signals through. The people we need these devices for though would need to be tracked to an area that will be deliberately masking any and all signals. We have our own way of placing tracking charms, those however will certainly be targeted too."

While Arthur was now fairly knowledgeable on the muggle world, the conversations he was listening to here were way above his head.

After a while, Arthur really had to say something. "Let me see if I've got the gist of this. It should be easier because only the transmitter, and not the detection equipment, will come into contact with shields and magic. Also that there might be four sources helps, and yes, I think they will be able to activate their transmitters just before the event."

"Good, that means we can have them cycling through multiple frequencies and methods - something that is murder on power requirements. That they can switch them on, and we don't have to make them minute, will help with that problem too."

A returning Bill had a set of ward stones from Gringotts. Both Weasleys marked an area of floor in a nearby cleared room before placing the stones on the floor and activating them, giving the technicians a defined warded area to work with. Arthur and Bill then left to report to their bosses on what was a very productive meeting.

-oOoOo-

Their usual meeting with the Blacks that Saturday took a very unusual twist, all their parents and Amelia were present for a start. After all the greetings, and sending for Parvati, it was time to get down to business.

it was a rather somber Barchoke who started them off. "We've hit a problem, a very big problem. When the muggle government discovered the four people who might be facing the Potter Killers were all under sixteen, well they hit the roof. They are pulling all their cooperation and making threatening noises against the ministry for even contemplating such a thing. We really don't know what to do next, their trackers were showing the best promise - they're certainly something Riddle won't deliberately shield against."

The group assembled had gotten so used to treating their children as adults, their actual ages were sometimes forgotten. Dan at least could see how his government could reach their decision. "To support the use of what they see as children being used as soldiers could easily bring down any Westminster government. It's something that's really hard to argue against, especially since none of us in this room are happy or even comfortable with the situation either."

It was left to Harry to try and put things into perspective. "With or without their help, Voldemort is going to make his play. Knowing this could be our best chance to end the war, I'm still going to take that chance. I am an adult in two of the three societies that affect our lives, the muggle government are not going to be able to stop me doing this. What if we set up some kind of meeting - on our terms though. If they tried to take us four into protective custody, or something silly like that, things could go bad so quickly."

Hermione liked that idea, already knowing she would be facing Voldemort at Harry's side. "Who are we dealing with? Could we invite them to Kingussie for the weekend?"

This drew a groan from Emma. "What happened to the girl who got her knickers in a twist because Harry asked the Minister of Magic to his birthday party? Now that same girl wants to invite the Prime Minister of Britain to stay for the weekend!"

Harry was off his seat and hugging Emma. "Mum, that's bloody brilliant! Let's invite The Minister and The Director too, the three heads of government can share their views on the matter."

This also sparked something in Padma. "Why don't we invite Borislaw as well? The Bulgarians certainly want Voldemort's head on a stick after what happened at the world cup. If the British government refuse to help us, Borislaw could approach the Bulgarian one for help."

This had Sirius beaming. "I've taught them well. I also remember Minister Murphy vowing to help, that means we have the Irish as an option too. Meeting this lot, talking with their parents and then discovering that there are other governments willing to help should put enough pressure on this prime minister to see him cave."

"What about inviting Professor Snape too?" Neville's words silenced everyone, all knew though he wouldn't have mentioned this without a good reason. "Who knows more about death eaters, and what they're capable off, than a former death eater? Mum and dad can share some of their experiences but they're my parents, we need someone impartial to give that kind of information."

"Why don't you just go the whole hog and invite The Queen too..." This focused all eyes on Emma again. "It was a joke, people. No, it was just a joke. Please, don't take that serious..."

A/N thanks for reading

A/N 2 The school where I have worked for the last 32 years has just been threatened with closure. Needless to say, I am heavily involved with the fight against the bulldozers. I currently have no way of knowing how much of my time this will take up, I'll do my best to retain my posting schedule. As usual though, I have not one word of the next chapter written.

96. Vignettes

Harry Crow

A/N thanks for the offers of support regarding my job prospects, I'm in no danger of having to find another one right away. We're just at the proposal stage of this merger but it's here we need to stop it. If passed, it becomes almost impossible to get that decision reversed at a later date.

They want to merge two very good schools into one large new one. Disregarding all the other issues that action throws up, they want to build this school for almost 1,600 students right alongside a toxic waste containment facility. This facility consists of nothing more than a giant hole they poured tens of thousands of tons of toxic waste into, and then stuck a hill on top. All this is being done in the name of saving money, since no one else would be stupid enough to live on this piece of land.

I know it sounds like a plot for mutant children or the X-Men, but even fan fiction authors aren't crazy enough to come up with something like that! Needless to say, we're busy getting organised to try and stop this madness.

Chapter 96

As Emma's voice slowly became a whine of protest, she was soon drowned out with the family's laughter at her self-induced predicament. The laughter had barely died before Padma kicked it off again. She was sitting with her godson on her lap, a godson who had apparently just filled his nappy.

Wrinkling her nose, Padma's comic timing was superb. "Emma, even Jamie has managed to show what he thought of that idea. It stinks!"

The laughter resumed but Dobby soon had Jamie popped away and changed. It only took a moment before the now fresh baby was back in Padma's arms, it was a moment though that changed more than Jamie.

Hermione was first to notice Harry staring into space as if he'd just had an epiphany, this had her worried. "Harry, you don't really think The Queen could help us, do you?"

Without breaking his focus, Harry issued an instruction. "Call for Betsy."

The little elf appeared the instant Harry mentioned her name, and well before Hermione had time to call her. Harry knelt beside Betsy, looking right into the elf's large eyes. "Betsy, can you find Hermione, no matter where she is?"

"Betsy always knows where mistress is, and if she needs her Betsy."

Now was the million galleon question. The entire extended family had gone silent, realisation of where Harry was going with this began to permeate the room. "Betsy, could you take someone to help Hermione if a bad wizard stole her away?"

The little elf was soon clinging to Hermione. "Someone is trying to steal Betsy's mistress? Who would do such a terrible thing?"

"The dark one is going to try and steal me, and Hermione will be by my side. Could you bring Father or Dan to wherever he takes us?"

Dobby popped into the room at hearing that. "You is family, Dobby can find you too. Dobby can take Master Dan and his guns to wherever the evil one takes Dobby's family."

Two more elves popped in, one proudly wearing the Potter crest while the other was clearly from the castle. "The Potter elves will be able to find their Lord and Lady, and able to take help to them - if that is what master wants."

The Hogwarts elf was not about to be outdone."You are Hogwarts' Champion, the castle elves stand ready to help its champion anyway elves can. We can find our champion, Hogwarts Champion is our family."

It was Amelia who broke the silence that followed these revelations. "The answer was right in front of us all this time. We ignored it because we ignore the elves, until we want something."

Hermione was trying to comfort an upset Betsy. "He only thinks he's stealing us, Betsy. We know what he's up to and, with all your help, we can beat him."

"Betsy will bring Father as soon as she can. Evil one took Mistress Lily, he's not getting you." She was clinging to Hermione as if that would stop the entire incident happening.

"Dobby and Master Dan will be there also, evil one will not harm Dobby's family."

It was Alice who saw the possibilities. "Getting an advanced squad there as quickly as possible would also allow us to put trackers on them. We could have a hundred warriors and aurors there within a minute."

A smiling Harry thanked the elves before turning his attention to Barchoke. "Father, I think we should tell the muggle government we respect their customs, and ask that they respect ours. We four are considered adults in our own societies, and are clearly doing this of our own free will."

Harry's gaze shifted to Hermione, still trying to comfort an upset Betsy. "No offence to your Queen, Emma. With Hermione's life at stake, I'd far rather put my trust in someone who loves her as much as we do. We've come this far relying on our family, that same family can now take us all the way."

Harry now had the bit between his teeth as he addressed the room. "This bastard almost wiped out the Potters, Bones, Longbottoms and had a dammed good try at eradicating all the muggle borns too. My brother and my goddaughter would be killed without mercy or remorse. It's time to stop this - and that time is now."

Even Dan and Emma could feel the power radiating off Harry as he declared his intentions. Hermione of course was now at his side but Neville had moved to stand behind the couple, being joined by Padma cradling Jamie in her arms. It was a powerful scene, Neville's words then added to the visual effect.

"I remember Hermione once asking Harry why it was always him who had to do what he did, Harry replied that it was because only he could. Only the four of us can do this, and that's the way it has to be..."

Tonks wasn't buying that, she had an idea. "Harry, Hermione and I have blood bonded linked portkeys, could that be used to get me in there too? My job is to guard his back, and I'm not happy about them leaving without me."

This led to a question from Ramrao. "If that can be done for Tonks, couldn't we add more linked portkeys to theirs?"

These questions snapped Barchoke out of the stupor he'd drifted into. Like everyone else, he'd been focused on the muggle tracking systems as their best option for finding their children.

From the feedback they were getting from Arthur and Bill, a weekend in Kingussie wasn't going to change any muggle minds over this matter. They were horrified at the ages of the four who would face Voldemort, and there really was nothing to be done about that. Now his son had just come up with a tracking method that was practically foolproof, and something the dark one wouldn't even think to guard against.

He was sometimes in awe of the way the youngsters saw things their elders missed, simply because they had a different view of what was all around them. It was time to get back to business though.

"Ramrao, this type of portkey normally only work in pairs, it took a lot of effort to get that number up to three. Adding even one more would severely weaken what was already there, weaken to the point it no longer worked. Tonks, that's a brilliant idea but I don't know the answer. You can bet we'll be looking into it though. At the moment, our best guess is this blood bound portkey will take its victim to an area that's heavily warded. These wards will be keyed to the sample of blood they already have, and even the elves won't be able to get us past them."

This had Harry worried, though not for himself. "It took Voldemort and two dozen of his death eaters at least a couple of minutes to pull the wards on Amelia's property down, that might be how long we'll need to fight before you can get through to us."

A strong hand clamped on his shoulder at that. "We can do this, Harry, don't even think about leaving us behind - I'll set Padma on you!"

Her betrothed's argument found total agreement from the witch in question. "It's time to see if all this exercise has been worth it, hit and keep moving. They won't be expecting four of us, we can hopefully use that surprise to take one of them out. Then it will be four against two. We might even have the job finished before Amelia gets those wards down..."

"I will be there with every wand I can muster, no wards will last two minutes against that amount of firepower. Then you drop to the ground and we'll do the rest. Your job is not to be hit by any of the death eaters while we're ripping those wards down, you don't have to win the war on your own." Amelia was trying to smile as she said that, inside though her heart was breaking at sending these four teenagers up against Voldemort. Those wards would be down in under a minute, she wouldn't accept even one second over that from her people.

It was Alice who brought up a distasteful subject. "Whatever we may think, no one here can deny that Albus Dumbledore is a powerful wizard. That power could help bring those wards down faster. As Amelia just mentioned, we will be in a situation where every single second will count for our children…"

That idea hung in the room like a bad smell, one that was a lot worse than Jamie's nappy. Though they could see her point, no one was quite sure what to make of Alice's suggestion. Amelia was the one who finally tackled the problem.

"Yes, Dumbledore is powerful - but can we really trust him in what would certainly be a critical situation? If I have to assign three aurors to watch him, that's three less wands that could be attacking those wards."

Frank then surprised everyone by speaking out. "Wwwee could do it. Shoot the bbbastard if he tried anything."

Oh how Barchoke liked that idea. "I could also have some warriors there to support Frank and Alice, with their blades poking into Dumbledore's ribs. Let Dumbledore think he can redeem himself by helping us bring down those wards, and then we can arrest him as soon as Voldemort is dealt with. A final manipulation of the wizard who considers himself the great puppet master."

The family liked that idea, Augusta, Tonks, Harry and Hermione knowing they had until the end of January to refine any plans further. While all expected the third task would be Voldemort's targeted event, they would be taking every precaution for the second task too. It would be foolish not to do so.

Recognising they'd done all they could for the moment, they broke into smaller groups as the family caught up on just what had been happening since they last all got together.

Tonks was discussing her idea with Barchoke while Remus' arm slipped around his fiancee. Tonks leaned into him as she spoke. "You know I've got to try this, love. Even if there's a small chance of me getting in this fight with them, I've got to take it."

Remus leaned in and tenderly kissed her worries away. "That's what I get for asking an auror to marry me. I'll be outside those wards, pouring everything I have into bringing them down."

They were joined by Sirius who confirmed the Blacks would be doing the same. "You better keep a place there for the Hobsons too, both are very fond of those four. Lukas will rip Voldemort in half with his bare hands if he harms any of them."

"Since we have some idea of the ward structure they're working on, and access to the blood they'll use to bind them, The Nation's warders are working on a different way to make their wards fail. I'm with Amelia on this, there is no way our children will be in there with Voldemort for two minutes. The Director has decreed this task is The Nation's top priority, from now until we end this. He will be delighted to know we now have a reliable way to track them."

The Granger females were watching their men. Both Harry and Dan looking extremely comfortable, chatting to each other with a baby in their arms.

"I can't believe how big Jamie is getting, he seems to be growing by leaps and bounds."

Emma though was concentrating on Dan, standing with Astrid cradled in his arms. "I remember when your father held another little girl in his arms like that, and it doesn't seem so long ago either. You're one to talk about leaps and bounds, love. You've been growing and blooming ever since we took you to Kings Cross that first time when you were eleven. Now you're ready to go off and fight a war…"

"Mum, Harry is my future, my life. I couldn't stand there and let him go off to fight without me, no matter how much you, dad, or even Harry himself wants me too. It would destroy me, I need to be there. I'll be fighting at his side, doing my very best to ensure both of us return."

"I know you will, Hermione, I just hope your idea of sharing blood works…" Her daughter's deep blush at that comment told its own story to her mother, but Hermione held her head high as Emma probed for more. "I take it you have decided on other methods to ensure you're accepted by this portkey, and any wards?"

"Harry is going to be my husband, mum, the date is already set. Completing our bond before the third task ensures I'll be at his side for this fight, how could I not choose to do that?"

Emma's arm was now supportively around her daughter. "I said you were growing up fast. I'm sorry that the circumstances make you feel you have no other choice in this matter, but you must know that your young man treasures you for the wonderful young witch that you are."

This saw Hermione return her mother's hug. "Thanks mum, for being so understanding. You were much easier to convince than Harry was!"

She had always been open with Hermione, they had a bond of trust where her daughter knew she could come to her about anything. Emma thought Hermione had luckily missed out on all the potential pitfalls that was teenage dating but that wasn't strictly true. Her daughter simply had an entirely different set of pitfalls to navigate. Emma though managed to surprise herself. Here they were, talking about Hermione's first foray into actual sex and her mother had an uncontrollable urge to laugh. Hermione's pout at having to convince Harry to take that final step just finished Emma off, she was holding onto her daughter and giggling with laughter.

"Muuum, it's not funny!"

Her laughter had their two menfolk looking over to see what was going on. Emma whispering to Hermione 'Just as well they don't know what I'm laughing at' set Hermione off too. The more perplexed Dan and Harry were at this, the more Hermione and Emma laughed.

-oOoOo-

Sapphire found herself working alongside Penny and Percy, with Bill supervising all of their training. The wizarding couple had both been raised in pureblood environments, while Sapphire of course had a goblin upbringing. Percy and Penny had been working using Henrica's book on goblins as their guide, having Sapphire added to their group certainly increased their learning curve.

For Sapphire, having a witch and wizard she could ask questions of was a great help. All three though were lacking on any muggle background, Bill was now able to help with that. He'd been seeing a lot of Jenny and had no intention of letting any cultural differences scupper their growing relationship.

Barchoke had immediately given his approval for Jenny to be in Gringotts one day a week as a 'muggle consultant' to their department. She refused all payment for this, citing she was already indebted to them for Euan's and her scholarships. Barchoke though ensured his assistant ambassador took Jenny for a nice lunch, and then dinner after work. Since he stipulated that at least one of these meals should be in the muggle world, and the rest of the department were required to attend, he easily justified the expense involved as training.

By wearing a hat to cover her ears, Sapphire was able to blend in enough so as not to draw any unwanted attention. The streets of muggle London were full of the weird and wonderful, one of the reasons purebloods could get away with their outlandish attempts at muggle dress. In London, where there was a new version of odd around every corner, it was rather hard to stand out.

Sapphire was loving her apprenticeship, even more so since Barchoke decreed that time spent at Kingussie would be considered work. Just by hanging out with her friends and having fun, Sapphire would still be learning about their different cultures. That would mean Sapphire could still join her friends' during their holidays in Kingussie, and of course she was looking forward to this ball.

There were goblin teenagers who had once taunted Sapphire because she was friends with Harry when they were youngsters. Those same teenagers were now intensely jealous as Sapphire appeared fast-tracked for success, that was revenge worthy of a goblin. Even some of her own family were now looking at her in awe, Sapphire could hardly wait to see their faces when she was pictured on the arm of Viktor Krum.

-oOoOo-

Fleur Delacour was another young lady whose outlook had changed since meeting a certain goblin. The Beauxbatons' Champion couldn't remember a time when she had been happier. Not only was she making friends at Hogwarts, she would be spending the Christmas holidays with those friends and her family. After their training one morning, while Harry and Neville were showing Viktor the basic positions for wielding a sword, she heard from Hermione and Padma why Kingussie was so important to them.

"It's not the biggest house Harry owns but it's the one that feels most like home to us. Last summer, it felt as if half the country visited our home over the weekend of the fayre. We have goblin families living and working in Kingussie now too. Our brother was christened there and the four of us are getting married in Kingussie the summer after next. Our family and friends know they're welcome anytime, and tend to drop by more often than not. Harry appears happiest when the house is bursting at the seams, which again it is more often than not."

"...and poor Hermione never seems to get any alone time with Harry because of it." Padma was chuckling as she teased her best friend. "Don't let her fool you, Fleur. Hermione is very much the lady of the manor and loves the company as much as Harry. The first birthday party she threw had the Minister of Magic and The Director of the Nation in attendance, as well as a few hundred other guests she invited."

"Hey, Harry invited both of them. He didn't even tell me about it 'til the night before..."

This drew a loud 'what!' from Fleur, causing the three guys to look over. She lowered her voice before asking the question she really wanted answered. "'Ow did you cope wiz zat?"

"Oh I was angry, but it's hard to stay angry at Harry for long. He was actually right not to be worried about it, and I learned a valuable lesson. Kingussie is our home. Crow's Nest is the way it is, and we are the way we are. Other people might find it strange, even unusual, it's our home though and we wouldn't change anything."

"Well, perhaps a few more rooms for all the guests your mate keeps inviting?"

"Padma, it could be the size of Buckingham Palace and Harry would still somehow manage to fill it." Receiving a pair of blank looks forced Hermione to explain. "Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of The Queen. I seem to remember it has over two hundred and fifty bedrooms, though a lot of them are set aside for servants. Next time we're in London I'll take you to see it, it's just along the Mall from Trafalgar Square."

This at least gave Padma some sort of reference, having visited the square before. It also led to another question. "Will we be visiting London to do any shopping before Christmas?"

"Oh I dare say we could convince these two to take us."

Padma then had another idea. "What about a day in Harrods? We could invite everyone, I'd love to see Pansy's face when she walks in those doors."

"Hey, Patil, I still remember your first trip into muggle London. You were pretty starry-eyed yourself."

"I can't believe you remember that. You were far too busy holding Harry's hand and staring into those green eyes you love so much..."

Fleur was now getting used to these two and wanted to get her question in before this escalated. "Go back to where you mentioned a shopping trip..."

This had both girls laughing. "Don't worry, Fleur, you'll love it. Do you think you can swing it past the parents, Hermione?"

"I've just had a wonderful idea exactly how we can do that, involve the Potter Scholars. The Creeveys, McDonalds and Jenny Abercrombie would love to show their children's magical friends some of their world."

"Little Maggie would certainly love that idea. Maggie Creevey is Colin's young sister, she's nine and besotted with Harry."

"Now, now, Padma, we don't want to start mentioning Creevey crushes, do we?"

That Padma actually looked embarrassed meant it was Hermione's turn to laugh, and explain why to Fleur. "Colin actually had quite the crush on Padma here, she broke his heart by becoming betrothed to Neville."

"Isn't Colin Luna's boyfriend?"

Fluer's question silenced both girls. "He's just asked her to the ball, don't even joke about that!"

Hermione was nodding her agreement. "There isn't a word in the goblin language for protective, they don't need one. Goblin females are prohibited from working on the main bank floor, that's because any customer giving a female teller abuse would quickly find themselves acquainted with goblin steel. Harry likened his centurion position to that of a knight of old, honour, chivalry and courage are all things he lives his life by. Now add in that he certainly considers Luna part of our family and you can see there is a recipe there for a disaster. Goblins don't date as we would consider it, they just hang out with friends until they find their mate."

"That's almost exactly what happened between Neville and me, so Harry was fine with it - there is also the fact he trusts my Neville with Hermione's life. Harry's trying to learn, but inside he'll always be a goblin. First boy who hurts one of the girls is going to find Harry waiting on them. If either of those girls is Luna or Sapphire, we're going to have to try and stop him committing a murder."

"He likes Colin though, Harry might actually approve of that, eventually." Hermione saw Fleur staring at her and tried to justify what she'd just said. "Harry is a wonderful person. Like the rest of us though, he has his faults - and then there's the cultural differences. In his culture that way of acting is not only right, it's positively expected..."

She found herself being interrupted by the veela. "'Ermione, I zzink it is wonderful. I am trying to convince my parents 'Ogwarts might be a better school for Gabrielle, Beauxbatons 'as been a lonely place for me. 'Arry's influence certainly makes the castle safer for a young veela."

Hermione was also thinking a Potter Scholarship could go a very long way to easing Gabrielle's journey through Hogwarts, that was something though she would bring up with Harry in private.

Their earlier talk of the Christmas holidays had Padma far too excited to let that conversation drop. "This is far too serious, let's go and tell our other halves about Hermione's wonderful shopping idea."

"My idea? It was you who suggested it, I just improved on that suggestion..."

Fleur was now looking forward to the holidays even more, and knew Gabrielle would love it too. What Fleur didn't know was that both these girls understood the final conflict would soon be upon them. Hermione and Padma had more steam to let off than usual, they also certainly intended to live life to the full until then.

-oOoOo-

Luna well remembered this lesson. She'd experienced it first hand, last year Harry had asked her and Colin to put on a display of what they'd learned to the newest marauders.

The four assistants were helping Susan and Blaise offer comfort to the latest marauders while Hannah and Terry set out a duelling area, the introduction of Natalie and Pauline certainly cheered Euan, Denis and Orla up. Watching the two second years go at each other meant the pain of those stinging curses would soon be forgotten. Here's what was achievable if they just worked hard.

There were loud cheers for the two girls after Susan called time on their fight, meaning it was a happy bunch of marauders who then left the room at the end of the meeting. It took a few moments before Luna noticed Colin appeared to deliberately delay their departure, until it was just the two of them left. This made her slightly nervous and more than a little excited.

"Luna, you know I like you, and I'm really looking forward to us going to the ball together. Thing is, there is something I've been meaning to ask you. Would you like to go to that ball with me, as my girlfriend?"

She didn't really trust her voice at that moment so Luna just nodded.

A much relieved Colin then asked a follow-on question. "Would it be okay if I kissed my girlfriend?"

Again, she could only nod - though considerably quicker this time. Colin lent in and, a gentle kiss later, both had a wide smile on their faces. Taking her hand, Colin led his new girlfriend out of the room to escort Luna back to Ravenclaw.

"Now all I've got to do is tell Harry..."

"Colin, will you deliberately hurt me?"

"What, never! You know that, Luna."

"I know, so leave Harry to me. I'll have a chat with him."

They walked hand in hand to the Ravenclaw dorm where another gentle kiss was exchanged as the new couple said goodnight. Luna practically bounced into the Ravenclaw common room, drawing attention from all who were there. She made straight for Harry, he was of course sitting beside Hermione.

Deciding to take the bull by the horns, Luna skipped right over and plonked herself down on Harry's lap. Noticing Hermione biting her lip to stop laughing helped Luna say what she needed to.

"Harry, after tonight's meeting, Colin asked me to be his girlfriend. It's something I'm very happy about, and we both know he'll never deliberately hurt me. We've been friends so long that, if this doesn't work out, we could still be friends afterwards. Are you going to be okay with that, are we still okay?"

At that, Harry's arms snaked around Luna. He pulled her closer and kissed her forehead. "As long as you're happy, that's the main thing for me, Luna."

Luna's arms were around him at that and squeezed tightly. "You're the best brother in the whole world" was whispered in his ear. Luna kissed his cheek and then shot off to tell the rest of her friends the good news, there was also a letter she needed to write to Sapphire.

As he watched her go, Harry found himself the recipient of another kiss. "You handled that well, love."

"Luna's happiness is the important thing here, and it's easy to see she's happy. I want her to know I'll always be there if she ever needs me, but not intrude to the point where it stops her leading the life she wants to lead. Does that make sense, or do I sound like some nutter?"

He found himself being answered by another kiss. "That's perfect, Harry..."

"I'm anything but perfect, Hermione. If that was anyone else but Colin, my reaction might have been different. If I thought some wizard was trying to take advantage of her..."

Hermione's kiss this time was more to take Harry's mind away from the direction it had been wandering. "Just by you being you, the wrong type of wizard wouldn't go anywhere near Luna - or any of our close friends. It seems the hat was right to put Colin into Gryffindor..."

This drew a smile from Harry, as did watching a happy Luna with her friends. "This is why we train, Hermione, why we're ready to fight. Look how happy Luna is, and not one person has mentioned the fact she's a pureblood yet Colin is a muggle born. It doesn't matter to us, and it shouldn't matter to anyone else. This is worth fighting for."

Harry found himself being kissed again as Hermione showed she agreed with that.

-oOoOo-

Draco and Pansy were sitting in the Slytherin common room, like Harry and Hermione, just enjoying some alone time together.

"Are you looking forward to going home for the holidays?"

This saw Draco's brows furrowing. "I don't know how Harry puts up with it, I certainly miss the peace and quiet since our home is full all the time. There are so many people staying at the manor now, our mothers are forced to share a room."

The bright blush this induced in Pansy told Draco he was missing something here, he waited on his betrothed telling him just what that something was.

"I don't think the people taking refuge in Malfoy Manor have anything to do with our mothers sharing a bedroom."

"What else would it be...Oh!"

With his eyes almost popping out of his head, Draco looked to his betrothed for confirmation. The slight nod of Pansy's head then had Draco's spinning.

A very anxious Pansy tried to wait on Draco giving some indication of his thoughts on this. Pureblood society, especially pureblood wizards, really frowned on this type of relationship. That it was both their mothers just added further levels of complexity to the problem. The tension as she waited on Draco saying anything at all was getting to her, so Pansy began to babble.

"I don't know what things were like in your home, with the Parkinsons my father's word was law. My mother's opinion on anything was neither asked for nor would be listened to. She was the lady of the house but there was no power behind the position. They may have loved each other when they were younger but that love was long gone by the time I came along. I can't even remember seeing my parents kiss..."

Draco ended her panic with a kiss of his own, before reassuring his betrothed. "We are not our parents. You will be the Lady Malfoy, someone who will be at my side for the rest of our lives. My father curtailed everything my mother could do, including her access to the Malfoy vaults. She was limited to what she could withdraw, and then the ministry took that when she tried to use it to get my father out of the ministry cells."

The more he thought about the situation, the more Draco's mind was made up. "My father would have left us in Hogwarts, knowing we were in great danger from the horcrux he sent here. It was my mother who drew her wand before rushing to the castle to get me home. If being together makes our mothers happy, then I don't see it being anyone's business but their own. My mother certainly deserves some happiness in her life, it sounds like your mother is the same..."

Pansy was so proud of Draco, she almost jumped on him at that point. There was no further talking for a while.

-oOoOo-

Padma and Neville were also talking about the relationships of others. "You must have noticed the change in Hermione, she seems much more self-assured now. The only thing I can think of to do that was if she and Harry had decided to complete their bond. I'm certain they haven't yet, I'm sure I would know."

It was with a fair degree of dryness in his mouth that Neville asked Padma what she thought about that.

Trying to hide her blush, Padma answered as honestly as she could. "If I was in Hermione's position, it's something I would definitely do. You are mine and no dark lord is going to take you from me. Completing their bond means any portkey or wards will accept Hermione too."

Struggling to get the words out, Neville finally managed to say what he wanted to. "Where does that leave us?"

Padma snuggled into him, hiding her face so Neville couldn't see how much she was blushing. "I think it's something we should consider too." When Neville tensed up in her arms, a now emotional Padma gave her reason behind that last remark.

"Down in the chamber of secrets, all of us carried an amazing amount of luck. That luck has to run out sometime love, and I have a bad feeling about this. We can't let them face this alone, but the chances of all of us getting through this in one piece are not great. I want you to know what's waiting for you after this battle. If it makes you fight just that little bit harder, then it will be worth it. I love you, Neville Longbottom, there is no plan B. I am yours and you are mine, that's the way it's got to be. I need you right where you are now, and you need to be there for me..."

Neville lifted her face to his, gently wiped away the tears that were forming in the corners of her beautiful eyes, before kissing Padma with all the tenderness he possessed.

"You're right, there's no way we could let Harry and Hermione face this without us. I can also assure my beautiful mate I will be hitting them with everything I have. You don't need to do this, Padma, I'm more than willing to wait until you're ready."

Basking in the love her mate was showing her, Padma only had one answer to that. "Neville, I think I'm ready now."

"I know you're a Ravenclaw, and this is a quiet table, but really - here in the library?"

This put a smile on Padma's face. "Mr Longbottom, you know fine well I didn't mean right this very minute - you could get me barred from the library if we got caught!"

This started both of them chuckling, quietly of course.

"If you want to take that step, love, then I will certainly go along with you. I think it has to be a decision taken for the right reasons though."

"Neville, facing up to a dark lord and his minions seems like a bloody good reason to me...what's so funny?"

"Oh, just the thought of Lestrange being described as a minion. Only you, Padma, only you." Another kiss followed before they decided to leave the library. There would be no more studying done today, and they needed somewhere a little more private to continue this discussion.

-oOoOo-

After poring over the books Dung had managed to acquire, Dumbledore was coming to the same conclusions as The Nation. He was also faced with the same problem, how to track the boy once he had left? Albus had an advantage though because Dolores was surely going to be tasked with planting this portkey. She would then certainly bring it to him for his assistance with this matter. That would give Albus some time to try and decipher the coordinates the portkey was set to deliver the boy to.

There were spells for deciphering where a portkey had gone. They were extremely complex to cast, required a load of magical power and needed to be cast directly after the portkey had activated.

In the confusion that would follow Harry being abducted, he could easily make a show of casting this spell. Albus would then lead the rescue party to the location he'd already predetermined. The mistake Tom was making with these wards was an obvious one. Tying them to a person's blood certainly increased the power of those wards, right up until that person died!

When Tom completed the prophecy, those wards would come crashing down - and Albus would be on him. The remaining rescuers could bear witness that they had been helpless to save the boy, yet Albus Dumbledore avenged Harry by banishing his second dark lord.

That should see his waning star shoot straight back to its former stellar orbit.

A/N Thanks for reading

A/N I would also like to mention the reader who took the time to nominate me for the latest round of fan fiction awards. While flattering, ever since I started writing my answer has always been the same. After receiving news of my nomination from the organisers, I asked for that nomination to be removed. I write purely for my own enjoyment and am constantly amazed that others actually like what I do. That is better than any award to me.

97. Balls

Harry Crow

Disclaimer - While Harry Crow might be my own invention, Harry Potter belongs to JKR.

Chapter 97

Fleur had heard talk all week of this event, now she was seeing it for herself. The wondrous room that they trained in every morning, and had hosted the Merlin Ball, now contained a fabulously festive ice rink.

Her date was chuckling at her side. "We're getting used to this room, if that's at all possible. This is our third Christmas having a party in here, our reactions were pretty similar to yours the first time we saw it."

Roger took Fleur over to the tables where the skates were waiting on them, holding hands while skating around the massive Christmas Tree would never get old. There were a few staff members proving that point by skating alongside their students.

The French champion made another discovery when they eventually sat down to eat. Fred and George introducing their girlfriends made Fleur realise she knew far more members of the lower years than she did tonight's crowd, which was reserved for the six and seventh years. What was strange though was none of the group that had Harry at its centre acted younger than the people here tonight - quite the opposite.

Alicia and Angelina seemed far more interested that their boyfriends knew Viktor than that they took lessons with a veela every Sunday, a refreshing change for Fleur. It would also be a change to board the Hogwarts Express tomorrow, heading home with Harry and Hermione for the holidays. Her family would arrive a day later and she was really looking forward to that.

Gliding along the ice with Roger at her side was also very pleasant, and boded well for the ball next week. She had dreaded going with someone who would have drooled all over her for the entire evening - the Gryffindor boy McCleggan coming to mind. She would be there with Roger, Harry and Hermione, Viktor and of course his mysterious date. The girls here tonight were all watching the Bulgarian Champion like hawks, each hoping for some clue as to who he was taking to the ball. If his date was here tonight, she was a superb actress. Neither she nor Viktor were giving anything away.

-oOoOo-

Hermione still had her planner out as the express sped toward London. "Okay, the Delacours are arriving tomorrow. The Creeveys, McDonalds and Abercrombies on the twenty-third, then it's just family until the evening of Christmas Day. After that party, we have Tonks and Remus getting married on the twenty seventh and New Year will be celebrated at Kingussie too…"

"That's a lot of work, Hermione. I know my parents offered to host New Year…"

It was Harry who quickly cut her off. "No, Padma. Until this is over we need to keep our families close. Your home may have the same wards as Crows Nest but it doesn't have squads of goblin warriors based there. We're getting so near to a final solution, now is not the time to be taking the slightest chance…"

Harry stopped as they were interrupted again by people popping in to wish them a Merry Christmas. When it was once more just the four of them, he continued.

"We know this is going to be over soon. Until it is, let's keep everyone together as much as possible. I want this to be our best Christmas ever."

None of them mentioned it might be their last, the thought was there in the back of all their minds though.

Platform nine and three quarters was a happy place as families were once more reunited. Harry couldn't help but notice Orla's accent slipping right back to where it originally was the instant she started talking with her parents. Harry wanted to make sure the Quirks understood they were welcome at both the Christmas and New Year events being held in Kingussie. He was promised Orla's owl would let them know their decision beforehand.

Tonks was waiting for them on the platform, her portkey would take all of them to Kingussie where their families were waiting. Hermione and Padma were left chuckling at Harry, who was trying to ignore Luna kissing Colin goodbye.

Bill was standing beside a very happy mother and son, his gaze though still picked up Ginny watching Luna with her boyfriend. "How's my favourite sister? Those marauder trainer robes look good on you, Ginny. Just remember what I said, no dating until you're twenty six."

Rolling her eyes at her brother's old joke, Ginny told Bill how things really were. "Chance would be a fine thing. All the good wizards seem to be getting snapped up. Dean Thomas invited me to the Yule Ball yet has hardly spoken another word to me since asking. Even Ron's got a girlfriend, and he's invited Lavender to Christmas dinner with us. That should be loads of fun!"

"You'll need to tell me about it, I'm having Christmas dinner in Kingussie."

"Ouch, I bet that news went down well with mum?"

"About as well as Percy telling her they were spending this Christmas with Penny's family. They intend to do it year about with each family. Not a bad idea - though mum didn't seem to agree."

"Is Charlie coming home?"

"Not this year…"

"Oh great! I'm beginning to wish I'd stayed in Hogwarts, it would certainly be more peaceful. At least tell me dad's not having to work during the holidays..."

He couldn't help but smile at his sister. After all their initial worries, she was growing into a fine witch. Like teenagers the world over though, Ginny was in such a hurry to grow up. "We're not working on anything at the moment that has the potential to see dad missing the holidays."

"That's at least something. You here to take us home?"

"Sorry Ginny, Percy's here for that. I'm taking Jenny, Euan and the McDonalds home. I will be at the Burrow during the holidays though..."

Ginny found herself hugging her favourite brother, not missing that Bill had said the Burrow rather than home. She wondered if there had been words between Bill and mum over his choice of girlfriend? Ginny hadn't spoken to Ron's girlfriend since warning Lavender what would happen if she cheated on her brother, again. Now Ginny was going to have to spend Christmas Day in Lavender's company, and that, combined with her three missing sons, would put her mum in a very bad mood too. Ginny couldn't see Christmas in the Burrow being very merry this year.

-oOoOo-

The situation in Kingussie couldn't have been more different, the joy was evident the instant they portkeyed into the training room. They might have been keeping up with some of the family during Hogwarts meetings but this was the first time since Jamie's christening they'd seen Sapphire, Lukas, Moa and Xeno.

"It is a bit much to take in but it will calm down a bit once everyone gets reacquainted."

"O', 'ello Mrs Granger. 'Ermione warned me but zat did not prepare me for zis. I would like to zank you for inviting me, and my family…"

"Fleur, it's just Emma, and the Grangers are guests in this house too. It belongs to the Baron of Kingussie, and his mate, Hermione, of course. They are the ones that invited you, the rest of us are just happy you could make it. How did your school mates react to you being able to leave Hogwarts?"

"To be 'onest, Emma, I zzink I 'ave made more friends in my short time at 'Ogwarts zan I 'ave in my years at Beauxbatons. Anozzer witch was favourite to represent our school, she 'as not taken me being chosen champion very well. Zat I am currently in ze lead has stopped the critique for a while, but we will just 'ave to see how zat goes after ze second task. Zankfully zey 'ave become so obsessed with 'oo Viktor is taking to the ball zat I 'ave been getting peace, it will not last zzough."

Her laughter may have surprised Fleur but Emma just couldn't help it. "I think Viktor's date will still have them talking well after the second task."

It was clear Emma knew who Viktor's date was, that she was looking at the group of girls just confused Fleur more. "All of zose girls already 'ave dates for ze ball, zere is no way 'Arry would let 'Ermione go wizz someone else..."

"Oh, you're right about that. You just missed one of the girls..."

It hit Fleur like a sledgehammer. "Sacré bleu, Sapphire?"

That stopped all conversation and saw everyone looking toward the French champion, leaving Fleur no choice but to ask the question that was already on her lips. "Sapphire is Viktor's date for the ball?"

This saw the goblin in question laughing. "That was supposed to be kept quiet, Emma. Not even ten minutes..."

"No one here is going to spoil your big entrance, Sapphire. Fleur really needed to know though. With Harry, Hermione, Roger and Victor already at the top table, adding Fleur will give you total support amongst the champions."

"Oui, I know Roger already counts you as a friend, I 'ope I can be one too?"

It was a smiling Harry who settled the matter. "Fleur, You're in Kingussie now. We're all friends or family here."

The girl in question couldn't help but notice that fact later at dinner. Outside her home, Fleur was struggling to remember when she'd eaten a meal in friendlier company.

-oOoOo-

Harry was having a wonderful dream where he and Hermione were getting really friendly, only to discover he wasn't dreaming. His voice was barely above a whisper as he asked the first question that came into his newly awakened brain. "Hermione, what are you doing?"

"I would have thought that was obvious, Harry."

"Okay, why are you in my bed and doing what you're doing?"

"Don't you want me to be doing this?"

"Hermione, I'm holding on to my remaining senses here by a thread. You never do anything without a reason though, and I want to hear that reason before I don't care anymore."

Hermione snuggled in close, her whispering in his ear wrecking further havoc to Harry's already weakened defences. "We agreed to finalise our bond before the third task. I don't really want my first time to be in Hogwarts. This means so much more to us, it will make us husband and wife. We shouldn't be sneaking about the castle's corridors looking for a quiet room to do that…"

"The reason why the Blacks, Hobsons and Delacours are all sleeping in the new chalet accommodation begin to make sense…"

"You have no idea how difficult it was to organise everyone so not to have others sharing our bedrooms."

"I'm almost frightened to ask, is that why Neville has a room to himself too?"

When no answer came, Harry just held her closer. "I know how important this is for us, we were never going to be sneaking about Hogwarts in the middle of the night. Nor are we going to do this while sneaking around Crow's Nest. This is our family home, and it just wouldn't feel right with all our family here. How are we supposed to face them in the morning?"

He could practically feel the confusion and disappointment radiate from his mate, not a situation he would ever tolerate. Harry quickly banished both conditions. "The weekend before the third task, we will leave Hogwarts after our potions class on Friday. That weekend will be spent on the island where, if my beautiful mate still wants to, we will finalise our bond."

It took Hermione a moment to answer, and even then she was barely coherent. "Really?"

"Really really, love. This way I know I won't be worrying about the final task, and what we think that will bring with it. I'll be far too busy looking forward to that special weekend, I hope this will give you something to look forward too as well…"

Hermione's passionate kiss was all the answer he needed, and almost destroyed his resolve to wait there and then.

"That sounds absolutely wonderful, Harry. I wasn't really happy sneaking about to do this either, I just couldn't think of any other way. I'm certainly looking forward to that weekend now, and the island will be the absolutely perfect location to finalise our bond."

"This seems to be something you and Padma have discussed, should we make this weekend open to them as well? The Patil beach chalet is at the other end of the row to the one father and I use, we can have all the privacy we want."

Glad it was dark to hide her blushes, Hermione thought that would be a good idea too. "Padma approached me, guessing I'd want to complete our bond to make sure I'd be at your side. She and Neville are considering doing the same. None of us know how this fight is going to turn out, she wants to go into it though as Neville's wife. Having something to look forward to is also a wonderful idea."

"Sometimes I wish I'd never included you three in this…" Harry had to put his hand over Hermione's mouth as she was ready to tear strips off him, and they still needed to be quiet. "Then I think of all the things I would have missed out on - having you here in my arms, our two best friends and their families staying in our home. I'm sorry, Hermione, I might be being selfish here but I wouldn't change a thing."

He replaced his hand with his mouth and demonstrated the love he had for his mate with that kiss.

It was sometime later, and a rather breathless Hermione who eventually answered him. "Sometimes, Harry, we have to be selfish. You go right on being so because I'm not going anywhere." Hermione didn't go anywhere, at least not until Betsy woke her in the morning before the house began stirring.

-oOoOo-

It was cold that first morning in Kingussie but Fleur was getting used to her morning workout. The five ran around the estate, wherever possible using the landscape as shelter from the biting wind.

When they reached the growing goblin village, they were practically ordered into one of the houses for a warm drink. Sitting sipping hot goblin ale, and surrounded by the children who were all delighted to see them, Harry was pleased to observe the French champion just accepting the goblin hospitality in her stride. Living in the southern part of France hadn't prepared Fleur for December's weather in the Scottish Highlands. Out of the five of them, she was the one most in need of the hot drink.

Harry was also pleased none of the children asked why they weren't flying today, that was something he wanted to keep up his sleeve for the moment. There was no escaping though from the children dragging their new friend, Fleur, off to see their favourite exhibit in the Gringotts building.

The children got the reaction they were looking for, all were chuckling away as Fleur's chin practically hit the floor. While Harry and Hermione made a point of speaking with the goldsmith and armorer who now had businesses in the building, Padma and Neville were at a still shocked Fleur's side.

"No matter how many times I see it, I still get shivers right down my spine. Since the goblins rendered the basilisk, and their tailors make most of Neville and my formal clothes, it's about as accurate a portrayal of the situation as it's possible to make."

Neville had his arm around Padma to help his mate with those shivers, it certainly helped him too. "I prefer to think of my happy memory from that incident. I was scared witless, then Padma grabbed me and kissed those fears away. I was still scared but knew I would do my best to help us all get out of there, all our lives changed that day. Whatever trouble Harry or Hermione get into, the Longbottoms will be there to cover their backs."

This earned him a kiss from his mate who then tried to explain further to Fleur. "We know beyond question both of them would do the same for us. We're tentatively related because we're Jamie's godparents, but there were much stronger bonds forged that day - bonds forged never to be broken. I'm as close to Hermione now as I am to Parvati, considering Parvati's my twin that should tell you something of our relationship."

"Harry is the reason I'm spending Christmas with my parents. They were as lost to me as his mum and dad are to him, yet he brought them back. He refuses even to recognise a debt exists, since my mum is also his godmother, the Longbottoms all know differently though. The end of the war is coming and we'll once more have to fight a deadly foe. Harry will be in the middle of it, Hermione right at his side and we'll have their backs. I just hope we're as lucky again as we were that day."

Fleur could see the emotions running through the couple, she put it down to an understandable reaction to what was currently right in front of them. There were so many stories about Harry and his friends circulating Hogwarts that Fleur had fallen into the trap of believing they couldn't possibly all be true.

The swords these four always wore were certainly real enough, they were currently strapped to their backs. She'd also seen the medals they wore for the Merlin Ball, those were definitely real too. That they received one of those medals for bringing down the creature currently in front of them was absolutely earning an Order of Merlin the hard way.

"I 'ave never seen anyzing like zis, and 'ope I never do."

A chuckling Hermione confirmed they never wanted to see another basilisk either. "It was because of this that Harry Crow was made Baron of Kingussie, and wizarding law was changed to allow goblins to live outside Gringotts. That's why The Director wanted a permanent monument to this in Kingussie, it will always have a special place in The Nation's heart."

"Just like you, love. One visit to the goldsmith and he's offering to make our wedding rings."

"A goblin-made wedding ring! Oh Hermione, I'm so jealous..."

Her best friend though had some good news for Padma. "Well there's no need to be, he offered to make yours too. It would have taken him another twenty or thirty years to acquire his own business inside Gringotts. Here he has wonderful facilities and a home for him and his family, there are also a queue of young goblins now applying to apprenticeship under him. Kingussie has changed his life too, and he wants to thank the people who made it possible. Since he has to walk past this every day, he knows exactly who that is."

A quick confirmation from Neville saw a now excited Padma hug everyone in range. "Our rings will obviously feature my family design, we could see about having a Longbottom family design commissioned and registered?"

"Harry, could ours be your family design too?" This request seemed to floor Harry for a moment before a wide smile told Neville he hadn't just put his foot in it.

"That would be wonderful, Neville. What do you think, ladies?"

A pair of kisses later told both guys their mates thought that was a wonderful idea too. Fleur was now beginning to get some idea of what Hermione had tried to tell her. This was home for so many reasons other than that they happened to have a house here. It was also staring to realise there was more going on here than was being said. She thought of a few questions on the run home but they left her head the instant Fleur entered Crow's nest and discovered her family had arrived in Kingussie.

-oOoOo-

Apolline Delacour was so far out of her comfort zone it was scaring her. The atmosphere in Kingussie was like nothing she'd felt before, Henrica and Moa though were helping the Delacour family quickly fit right in. This today however was simply beyond her comprehension.

There were young witches and wizards of every blood status shopping in this massive muggle store. Add in both her veela daughters, a goblin female wearing a hat, the entire group were being supervised by some muggle parents and Apolline felt her mental shutdown was not only justifiable but inevitable.

Then there was the Weasley wizard to simply confuse her even more. He came from an old pureblood family, yet was Assistant Ambassador to the Goblin Nation. He was here with his muggle girlfriend and her magical son, but had also brought his young sister along, a day's shopping as a present for her Christmas. This was certainly not the Britain the Delacours had been expecting. Fleur had written home about some of the changes but this beggared belief.

It had started with a portkey to Gringotts, watching as goblins saluted and bowed to Harry and Hermione was mind-blowing. A walk through Diagon Alley showed changes too, practically everyone knew who they were and called greetings. They picked the rest of their party up in the Leaky Cauldron before a fleet of taxis ferried them to this department store.

Gabrielle had been introduced to some of the Hogwarts students after the first task, those same students had quickly struck up friendships with her youngest daughter when they arrived in Kingussie early this morning. Maggie Creevey was firmly stuck to Gabrielle's side, apparently appreciating having someone nearer her own age, and a girl, to talk with.

Apolline was beginning to decipher the hierarchy amongst the group. Denis, Euan and Orla were all keeping a close eye on the two younger girls, they in turn were being watched over by Natalie and Pauline. Even though Luna and Colin were walking about holding hands, it was clear they too were acting in a supervisory capacity too. Then there was Harry, he seemed to miss absolutely nothing. Her husband was most impressed with Harry Crow, and he was not an easy man to impress. She was drawn out of her musings by the woman appearing at her side.

"Are you all right, Apolline? You seemed as if you were in another world there..."

This drew a small chuckle. "Mary, I feel as if I am."

"Oh good. Roy and I get that quite often, I'm glad it's not just us. Your world can be a confusing place for those of us not raised in it."

"Funnily, it is my world I find strange. I see Gabrielle 'aving fun and Fleur 'appier zan I 'ave seen 'er. It is also 'ard to miss your Natalie making sure ze younger ones are fine."

This drew a smile from Mary. "When Natalie was offered a Potter Scholarship, Roy asked Harry straight off what he expected in return. His answer was very simple, he expected Natalie to do her best at her lessons and look after the younger years who would come behind her. None of the Potter Scholars would even dream of letting Harry down, and I'm also pleased to say it's been the making of our daughter. She now has so many friends, even during the holidays she's writing, phoning or with Euan."

"Fleur 'as suggested Gabrielle might like 'Ogwarts better, we zought she was making joke. Now I see zis I am not sure."

"It was a decision we certainly agonised over, I'm pretty sure we got it right. Harry said he wanted the Potter Scholars to be like a family, and that's just how he treats them. Roy and I are getting on in years, and no one knows what the future will bring. We now know that, should anything happen to us, our Natalie will have another family who will step-in and look after her. I can't tell you what a comfort that is..."

Apolline had her hand on Mary's arm. "You 'ave raised a fine daughter, one to be proud off. Let us now do what we came here for and shop. I zzink our menfolk will need zere brandy to do zis shooting with Dan in Kingussie."

"Oh no, Dan has strict safety protocols. Dobby would never hand a gun to someone with alcohol in them."

"My 'usband is going to be so disappointed..." Apolline was laughing as she and Mary started browsing for things that held their interest. In Harrods, that was many, many things.

-oOoOo-

Bill entered the Burrow with a nervous Jenny on his arm, Ginny shouting their names soon alerted the entire house they were there. Molly arrived to see her daughter hugging her favourite brother, it wasn't lost on the mother that Ginny then hugged Jenny just as enthusiastically.

" Ginny dear, you look beautiful. We thought you would have left by now?"

"Thanks Jenny, we would have if Ronald didn't take so long getting himself ready for his date. If he makes us late..."

The noise generated by someone thundering down the stairs halted Ginny's rant. "Right, keep your hair on - I'm here."

"All that time, and this is the result? Right, we need to leave - now."

Ron was left following behind his sister and waiting twin brothers, the argument hadn't stopped though. "Hey Ginny, what's the matter with how I look? I thought I looked good!"

"Dream on, Ron" That was Ginny's final comment as she used their floo to take them directly to the Hogwarts ballroom.

"Oh dear, Euan and the group from Kingussie left nearly an hour ago."

Bill quickly answered his girlfriend, not wanting either Jenny or his mum to get upset over this. "They had to leave early so Harry could open the room. Without that, those four wouldn't have been able to floo there."

Arthur was making the couple welcome while Molly busied herself making tea, soon the four of them were seated and Arthur got the conversation ball rolling. "So, how are you enjoying working for Gringotts?"

"I don't really work for the bank, Arthur. I just go in one day a week to try and help Barchoke's department understand a bit more about the non magical world. He and Harry have done so much for me, I simply had to help out any way I could."

This was the first Molly was hearing of this. "So you work with Bill, Percy and Penny?"

"Oh yes, and Sapphire too. Oops, that last bit is supposed to be a secret for now."

Bill could only smile at that. "It's only a secret because Barchoke wants to surprise Harry with it, and he wants to know why his son changed his mind over tonight's ball. It's not a state secret love, more like a joke between father and son."

"That's a relief, I don't think I'd be very good at keeping secrets."

"You won't have to worry with these two, they won't tell you any. Will you and your father be going for a walk in the orchard tonight?"

Bill felt Jenny react at his side, he wanted to kill that idea stone dead. There was no way he would be leaving Jenny alone with his mum. "No business tonight, mum, strictly pleasure. I brought gifts to place under the tree."

An excited Arthur tried to move the conversation along. "Ginny loved her adventure in muggle London yesterday, I want to thank you both so much for that. Ginny was even more excited when she came home than she was before she left, something I didn't think was possible."

"It was no trouble at all, Arthur, she really is a lovely girl."

"Bill tells us you're studying?" Molly tried to keep the interrogation tone out of her voice but it didn't fool the two Weasley wizards in the room.

"Yes, I plan to go to university next year and am studying for the entry qualifications to do so. I always thought I would study law but now I'm not so sure. My age would be against me getting a job in that field, and I've also discovered I like teaching."

Bill didn't want to influence her decision but highlighted an option Jenny had probably overlooked. "I know a certain goblin who would just love to have someone working for him who understood muggle law. I think that's what Hermione wants to do too, and she's the smartest witch to enter Hogwarts for many a year."

Arthur again tried to get into the conversation before his wife fired off more questions. "Well I know Percy and Penny rave about your lessons, both feel they are learning so much about the muggle world."

Molly though was not to be denied the information she craved. "I understand your staying in Kingussie for Christmas?"

Rather than being in any way intimidated by the question, Jenny's entire face lit up at that. "Oh yes, it will be wonderful. Normally it's just Euan and I celebrating Christmas together. This year we'll be surrounded by friends, and people who we've started to think of as family. Euan's never had that before so this is already his best ever Christmas. Seeing him standing there tonight, surrounded by friends and all dressed up to go to a ball, we would have been here earlier but I must have cried for fifteen minutes after they left."

Jenny felt her hand being taken, surprised it was the one next to Molly. "When Bill left for Hogwarts, I cried for days. I had six other children still at home but my heart was breaking because one of them was missing. His first letter home started the whole process off all over again. It's been the same every September when another one left, the day the twins got on the express - this house felt so empty."

"When Euan left in September, I stayed with the McDonalds for a few nights, I had eventually to force myself back into my own home."

Bill then took Jenny's other hand. "Roy and Mary would have been sorry to see you go, they miss their Natalie too."

Molly was now looking directly at her eldest son and smiling, there were tears in the corners of both mother's eyes and all could tell her words were heartfelt. "It's very hard for a mother to let them go. Children grow up though, not something any of us can change - or would want to. Where is this university?"

Both male Weasleys now relaxed, Molly was still going to ask questions but the last vestiges of hostility had now disappeared. If there was one thing Molly Weasley could recognise it was a good mother, Jenny Abercrombie fell squarely into that category. That made Jenny alright in Molly's book, anything else could be dealt with over time.

-oOoOo-

Roger arrived in the corridor outside the room of requirements to find the three champions waiting on him. He kissed Fleur's cheek in greeting before providing the French Champion with a corsage to wear. Nodding in recognition to the others, he had a question for Viktor. "Your date not here yet, or have you been stood-up?"

"Miss Sapphire allowed me the honour of escorting her to the ball."

He had of course noticed Sapphire there, Roger would bet he'd just done the same as everyone else and assumed she was with Harry. He then addressed his friend in her own language. ""You look stunning tonight, Sapphire. I hope you will honour me with a dance?""

A now blushing Sapphire was giggling with excitement, this was the biggest night of her life. "Why thank you, Roger, and of course I'll save you a dance."

They chatted for fifteen minutes or so before McGonagall came out to say they were now ready for the champions, her eyebrows nearly shot into her tight bun of hair when Viktor offered Sapphire his arm. Like everyone else, Minerva had assumed that Sapphire was here with Harry. She was just about to tell the goblin female she would need to enter the ballroom now, as it was time for the parade of champions. Minerva was delighted and relieved Mr Krum had offered his arm to his date before she'd put her foot right in it.

"We had decided on ladies first, so Miss Delacour and her date shall lead us off. She will be followed by our other visiting champion, Mr Krum and his date. Centurion Crow and his mate, Miss Granger will complete the procession. I will lead you in and over to the head table. Centurion, I'm sorry but Dumbledore is there too. We arranged it so you are both as far apart as possible, and the seating becomes fluid after the first dance."

Harry nodded his acceptance and McGonagall led them in.

"It gives me great delight to introduce the Champions of Beauxbatons, Durmstang and Hogwarts..."

The applause was thunderous and Sapphire sparkled on Viktor's arm, her smile as dazzling as her accessories. Her magnificent jewellery had been supplied by The Director himself, publicly signifying she had his backing for this event.

Harry was behind his oldest friend and his eyes were busily scanning the hall. He certainly noticed those who had stopped clapping when they spotted who was on Viktor's arm, just as he saw all their friends cheering like crazy. When his eyes caught sight of Dumbledore, Harry knew there would be trouble. The old wizard was bloody livid.

Dumbledore was out his seat and heading toward the champions' party, Minerva moved to intercept while Augusta, Amos and Madame Maxime were hot on his heels. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry also spotted the Blacks, Tonks, Remus, Padma and Neville all on the move too.

"This is an insult to the Durmstrang Institute of Magic, I demand this be changed at once. Did you know about this, Minerva? I will not allow our school champion to have a creature on his arm, it's a disgrace..."

Minerva was just about to rip this old fool a new one, thinking she would concern herself with who the champions were bringing as dates, when she felt herself being brushed aside.

Hermione made no attempt to stop him, Dumbledore calling Sapphire a creature meant there probably wasn't anyway to stop Harry now. The smack was heard all around the ballroom as Harry backhanded Dumbledore across the face.

"You will apologise to Sapphire or face my blades. Those are your only options, old man."

Seeing the boy in a temper had Albus using all his experience to calm himself, and make the best of the opportunity he'd just been presented with. Beating this whelp in a magical duel would certainly go a long way to curbing the goblin influence on their society. "I will not apologise for telling the truth, so we will duel."

"Goblins don't duel, they fight. First blood acceptable to you?"

Albus just nodded, this was better than he could have hoped for.

Viktor tried to intervene before this situation got any further. "Harry, Sapphire is my date, it should be me fighting for her honour."

This earned Viktor smiles from all of the champions' party. "Thanks for the offer but this one is on me. It's a goblin thing, Viktor. I am registered within The Nation as Sapphire's champion, anyone trying to get to me through her will face my blades."

Hermione was already loosening his waistcoat. "Harry, why don't you just wear your tunic to these things, save all this bother of me having to undress you."

"Hey Hermione, I thought that was your favourite part." Padma and Neville were now by their side, offering support and continuing Hermione's efforts to dispel Harry's anger.

A worried Augusta asked the question that was on all their minds. "Centurion, do you intend this fight to be in here? I have the safety of all my students to consider..."

It was Neville who quickly put her mind at rest. "Gran, we fight in this room every day. Hogwarts will keep everyone safe."

In this magnificent ballroom setting, it was easy to forget this room could become anything Harry wanted.

Albus was in no way alarmed, though slightly confused at the behaviour of Harry's friends. There were kisses of support from the girls and slaps of encouragement on the back from the wizards. At no time did any of them display any signs of anxiety over this fight, the Longbotom betrothed witch appeared as if she was barely holding on to her laughter. Black and Lupin were all smiles too, even his assigned auror bodyguard seemed was time Albus reminded them what a powerful wizard he was.

The floor cleared and Hogwarts herself erected wards around the two combatants. A golden Harry had a shield, knife and sword all poised to attack. His opponent knew what those blades could do, Dumbledore had no intention of letting Harry get close enough to use them. This would be a magical fight, therefore there really could only be one winner.

Albus assumed a classic duelling position, legs spread, right one forward and he was balanced on the balls of his feet. Miss Granger shouted 'ready' and Albus was left to assume she said 'fight' - all his senses were shutting down as the pain overtook him. A column of rock, about the width of a bludger, had just shot out the floor and slammed with considerable force into his groin. That it then remained there was about the only thing still holding Dumbledore upright, his knees being more than ready to buckle.

With his colourful robes reaching to the floor, none of those watching were aware of this, they just saw Dumbledore struggle to erect a weak shield as Hermione called 'fight'. A quick barrage of spells destroyed that shield before Godric's blade did its work. With one swipe it sliced through Dumbledore's wand, and also whipped off his beard just below his chin. Harry's knife then nicked the old wizard's cheek, drawing blood and ending the fight.

Having done its job, the pillar then shot back into the floor just before Harry nudged Dumbledore onto his back. As he crumpled to the floor, Albus may have received the painful message but he had yet to decipher it. Hogwarts would protect her champion.

A wandless Dumbledore was now lying on the floor in a foetal position, blood trickling from what amounted to nothing more than a shaving cut. Albus wasn't caring a jot that the hall had descended into wild cheering, Harry's name being loudly chanted, he felt as if he'd just been violently kicked in the nuts by a centaur.

"Sapphire, is your honour satisfied?"

A blushing Sapphire knew she had to answer. "Yes, Harry."

Harry knelt beside Dumbledore, speaking low so only the old wizard could hear. "You chose to fight Hogwarts' champion in a room she controls, your second big mistake of the evening. Goblins don't do pranks but I think my dad would have liked that, Remus and Sirius are certainly laughing their arses off. Hogwarts will always aid her champion if his cause is just, which it clearly was in this case. The behaviour you just displayed is no longer acceptable inside Britain. We have changed but you clearly haven't, old man, it's time for you to leave."

Standing back up, Harry once more raised his voice so everyone could hear. "Hogwarts, Dumbledore has decided he doesn't want to stay. Please show him out, but gently - remember his age."

Vines grew out of the floor in a direct line from the exit to Dumbledore, they picked the old wizard up and slowly passed him along the floor toward the door. As their load past, never more than six inches off the ground, those vines dissolved back into whence the came - their job done. The entire hall watched in silence as the former leader of the light was sliding along the floor in a heap while Harry stood with Hermione buttoning his waistcoat. The significance of this could not be any plainer, there was a new leader of the light in Hogwarts.

Sirius couldn't even look at his godson without bursting into more laughter, Remus being only slightly better. Amos wasn't the only one unsure of what they'd just witnessed, Viktor got in first though.

"Vhat just happened? How is this possible?"

Hermione was smiling at Harry as she lovingly fixed his tie, it was her who gave them their answer. "Hogwarts creates this room because Harry asks her to. Training, ice skating, balls - whatever is needed Hogwarts will supply. Training aside, only a complete idiot would try to fight Harry in here. We all knew that, Dumbledore didn't. Professor McGonagall, I think we're ready now."

Fleur took Roger's arm, whispering to her date as everyone returned to their seats. "Ze first morning I stepped into zis room, 'Ermione asked it for somewhere I could change. I just never zought what else it could do."

When Sapphire took Viktor's offered arm, not a word was said against this from anywhere in the hall. If Albus Dumbledore could so easily be defeated, no one wanted any trouble with Centurion Crow.

Madame Maxine was trying to have a quiet word with Augusta so only half the top table heard. "I was listening to what 'is mate said, 'as zis 'appened before?"

"Yes, a few years ago at the ministry summer ball where Harry was awarded his Order of Merlin, First Class. Umbridge took umbrage that Harry was dancing with Emma Granger, a muggle. She challenged Harry and then cut her own hand, desperate to then avoid what would have been an embarrassing defeat. Dumbledore was barred from that event, he left Britain only a few months later. He should never have returned."

This left Olympe wondering just how long her champion would be in the lead of the tournament. The organisers were all quite pleased with the design of the second task, they would be announcing details and the date after the New Year. She watched the centurion chat with the other two champions and thought it was obvious they would help each other train for this task. The Headmistress of Beauxbatons thought that alone would make this tournament a success, no matter who won it.

A/N thanks for reading

A/N2 I discovered an app that downloads fan fiction to my ipad. Pocket Fiction is free but claims it offers an in-app purchase, probably to get rid of the annoying ads. I've yet to discover how to activate that. Emails to the developers have been unanswered so anyone out there know anything about this app?

98. Filling in the Blanks

Harry Crow

A/N We're making slow but steady progress on the school front, trying to tear down the council's case brick by brick. A lot of readers have asked how they could lend support, if anyone has a twitter account then following our page would certainly help - (At sign)saveTHS
We have until mid-May to make our views on the matter known, then the council will make its decision.

Chapter 98

Augustus watched Bella playing with Marvolo as he prepared their Christmas dinner. They may be having rabbit again but this was easily the best Christmas he could remember. What really sealed it for Augustus was the prospect of many more Christmases to come, and that brought with it the possibility of seeing his little Marvolo grow. Augustus was still working tirelessly alongside their master to try and achieve this aim, their steady progress was making Augustus more and more optimistic of their chances.

Their master's decision to leave Britain after he killed Potter was what really spurred his optimism on though. With Potter gone, it wouldn't take long for the whole Giningotts / Ministry alliance to crumble - especially with Umbridge stirring up trouble within the ministry whenever she could. In just a few years, Britain would be ready for his master's return, and their master wouldn't be returning alone.

There were still countries in Europe who would support their cause, so their master had decided to embark on a recruiting mission after springing their trap. Potter's death would give their cause the victory they needed to be able to strategically withdraw from Britain with some credibility, and should also provide the springboard to have like-minded witches and wizards once more flocking to the dark lord's banner.

"Oh, Augustus baby, I think our little wizard just tried to say his first word."

He thought their son might be a tad young to be speaking just yet, there was no way though Augustus was going to say that to his mate. "And what word would that be, love."

"I'm trying to teach our little genius to say 'master', I'm positive our little Marvolo just managed the first bit. He's saying ma…"

-oOoOo-

Goldskin was escorted into The Director's office, seeing Barchoke and Master Sharpshard were present too just increased his concern.

""I left Sapphire less than half an hour ago, she's fine and had a wonderful time at last night's ball. There was an incident however, and we're just about to watch some memories of it, The Director felt you should be included in this viewing too. The first memory is from Friend Longbottom.""

A relieved Goldskin thanked Barchoke for that news about his daughter's safety, and also The Director for considering him.

The memory started with Professor McGonagall introducing the champions, all felt a sense of pride at the way Sapphire confidently walked into that hall - only for Dumbledore to try and ruin her evening. While a surge of anger filled the room at Dumbledore's comments, all were impressed with the way Sapphire's many friends reacted - Harry especially.

Hearing Viktor offering to fight Dumbledore for his daughter's honour impressed Goldskin, Harry saying that he was registered as Sapphire's champion was a complete shock. No wonder the director was confident Sapphire wouldn't face a backlash inside Gringotts over this matter, letting that news filter out would certainly stop any challenges. The centurion had easily defeated him in Cairo, and had been holding back at the time.

Shapshard's laughter soon rang around the office. ""That old fool is going to fight the Hogwarts' Champion in his own room? This should be fun, that room did everything but outright attack me when we fought there.""

None of the quartet missed Dumbledore's expression of pain just as Hermione shouted fight, watching his body language told all of them where the old wizard was hurting. Dumbledore crumpled to the ground to much cheering, from those in the ballroom memory and everyone in The Director's office too. Ragnok, Sharpshard and of course Barchoke all knew they needed Dumbledore to remain at Hogwarts to pass information on to the dark one. Harry's solution neatly sidestepped any issues that would have resulted from a full-scale fight between these two.

After Dumbledore left, Barchoke stopped the memory and replaced the crystal. ""This is from Friend Patil, she thought we might like to see it.""

After their meal, the three champions started the evening's dancing off, again to much cheering. Sapphire was sparkling as she waltzed around the room as Viktor's partner, then they changed. In a move that appeared practiced, the three couples came together and all the ladies effortlessly and elegantly exchanged dance partners.

A clearly happy Sapphire was now dancing with Roger, Barchoke was explaining to everyone they had been friends since meeting in Cairo. The move was repeated and now she was in Harry's arms, before switching back to their original partners just before the first dance finished. Their display of unity earned a standing ovation from the other students and staff.

""I'm looking at this, and still I can't believe it.""

""Your daughter has sore feet this morning from dancing all night, she also has a smile as wide as a category one vault door. She was amongst friends all evening and the Durmstang Champion kissed the back of her hand in thanks for allowing him the honour of escorting her to the ball. All of them from Kingussie who attended last night enjoyed themselves, we're just waiting to see what the Prophet makes of this.""

Ragnok actually shared Goldskin's views on this ball, he too couldn't quite believe what he was watching. ""Even the Prophet can't dent young Sapphire's stunning success. Your daughter's victory will see a gift from a very grateful director heading her way, Goldskin. Barchoke, brilliant decision to apprentice her to your department. After this, your department may see a lot more applications to work or apprenticeship there. Sharpshard, I think this calls for grog…""

He would let his mate watch those memories later, Rainha would be as surprised and delighted to see this as Ragnok himself was.

-oOoOo-

With Harry not taking part in the wand weighing ceremony, the Yule Ball was really the press' first chance to get a picture of all the champions posing together - and what a picture graced their front page. Augusta and Madame Maxime were included too, standing at either end of the three champions and their dates. Roger was sitting in the middle, with Hermione and Sapphire at either side of him, the three champions proudly standing behind their respective dates. A description of how all three champions had exchanged dance partners during the first dance featured far more prominently in the newspaper article than the fact Dumbledore was forced to leave the ball early - he was apparently yesterday's news.

As Roger was sitting alongside Sapphire, and Viktor standing behind, this was certainly a picture that would make it into her rapidly growing scrapbook. That the press simply accepted Sapphire's right to be there, even on the arm of Viktor Krum, was a massive sign of just how far things had shifted in their country. This was also the signal for another celebration inside Gringotts. The British magical press talking in glowing terms about a picture that contained a French half-giantess, a French veela, a goblin, Centurion Crow and his mate alongside one of the country's most prominent purebloods, Madam Augusta Longbottom was beyond belief.

Today however, any pictures taken would be strictly for the family. Crow's Nest was once more bursting at the seams with people as Remus and Tonks prepared to get married.

Tonks had asked both Hermione and Padma to be her bridesmaids as she got married, leading Remus to select Harry and Neville. Remus had actually only made one request for today, he wanted to marry the real Nymphadora Tonks. His bride-to-be agreed to honour that request.

The witch in question was being led down the aisle by her father and still easily recognisable to the groom's party who stood awaiting her arrival. Her hair might be jet black and brushing her shoulders as she walked, and her nose stood a little prouder from her higher cheekbones, it was still Tonks though.

Her husband-to-be's request had also decided the bride's dress dilemma. Tonks was an auror, it was a huge part of who she was, therefore she chose to get married in her auror dress robes - her Order of Merlin, First Class, proudly displayed on the breast of those robes. This also neatly solved the problem of what the bridesmaids would wear too - Hermione and Padma choosing their marauder trainer robes, their silver epaulets and both medals shining brightly against the black dragon skin.

Harry and Neville were similarly attired to their mates, while Remus had gone in the complete opposite direction. With Tonk's robes so dark, his were snow white. He was hoping his wife-to-be appreciated the gesture, some might even say prank. The dark creature wore white while the bride was in black.

As Ted led his daughter past Sirius, only about half of those present in Crow's Nest heard the marauder's comment. "Don't worry, Tonks. They're not sheepskin - I wouldn't let him go that far."

All three witches had cases of the giggles as Ted handed his daughter over to the waiting Remus. The Reverend Richards soon had things back under control, though he was smiling himself as the ceremony began.

Neville claiming he had to make the last speech in the ministry saw Harry being elected to do it here. He wasn't nervous though as he stood to deliver the best man speech, this was all friends and family.

"Hi everyone, I hope you'll excuse me if I don't exactly follow tradition here, this is only the second wedding I've attended. I asked Dan, Sirius and Remus what a best man's speech is supposed to be, and received three totally different answers. Getting the feeling I was being pranked, I then consulted an expert. The first thing Reverend Richards told me to do was lose Sirius' joke about the one eyed witch and the stuttering barman…"

This led to a lot more laughter than telling the joke would ever have generated, Sirius' pretend pout helping that laughter along.

"Reverend Richards told me the normal procedure was to talk about the bride and groom, preferably telling a few funny stories…"

This time he was interrupted by three simultaneous groans, coming from Hermione, Padma and Neville.

"Unlike the reverend, these three have first hand experience of a goblin's sense of humour. I'm told it is an acquired taste so I'll spare everyone here that humour today."

All three nodding in agreement also got a few laughs.

"I met Remus on our island the first summer we holidayed there. It was Remus who taught me the pinky grip that put Lockhart on the ground in the bookstore, something I will always be grateful for. I have actually spent more time with Tonks though, or is that Auror Lupin now?"

"I'm keeping the name Tonks, and also taking the name Lupin, it's just the other one I'll be losing." Her mock glare a her parents was simply ignored, they were well used to it by now.

"Tonks Lupin, I like that. Anyway, Tonks was with us that terrible day we faced the basilisk, something we were incredibly grateful for. She has also been my ministry bodyguard for the last eighteen months, again something we're grateful for. This has given us a first hand view of the journey these two took to become a couple. Hermione and I were even along on their first date, I'm not too sure just whose body was being guarded by whom that day however…"

For some reason this really set Sirius off, his loud laughter soon had others joining in.

Remus was mock whispering to his new wife. "Now we know why Sirius didn't ask Harry to be his best man." The couple though were wearing wide smiles that nothing was going to shift today.

Harry also smiled at the marauder, though this was more predatory in nature. "I just hope my Uncle Moony knows what he's let himself in for? We've seen his wife charge death eaters and face down Master Auror Moody, I don't know which one was scarier…"

Without hesitation, Tonks chipped in with her answer. "Mad-eye!"

"I just want to wish the couple much happiness, and even though we've considered Tonks family for a while, officially welcome her to the craziest family in the world. I give you the bride and groom, Mr and Mrs Lupin."

At that, everyone stood and offered their toast to the couple.

It was later that evening when Sapphire found herself dancing with her boss. ""So, young Sapphire, did you discover why my son changed his mind over the ball?""

""Yes.""

A delighted Barchoke waited on the answer, and waited… ""So, why did he change his mind?""

""Oh I can't tell you that, it's a surprise.""

""You do know you work for me now?""

""Yes, but one day it will be Harry. I could never let him down.""

This drew a deep chuckle from Barchoke. ""Outstanding answer, Sapphire. I'm delighted with your work so far, as is The Director.""

""I received a letter from my father, he said the entire family is proud of me - yet all I did was have a great time with friends. Sometimes I feel a bit of a fraud.""

Seeing his newest recruit wear a frown had Barchoke worried that he might have inadvertently been the cause of it. ""Did you tell my children you were now working for me? I would hate Harry or Hermione to think I had you spying on them, this was just a bit of fun.""

""They know that, sir, and you might have some others applying for apprenticeships too. Padma and Neville seem keen on leaving Hogwarts after they marry next summer, but not as keen on the university option that Harry and Hermione have their hearts set on. An apprenticeship is something they can at least understand.""

""I have heard Master Pitslay say Padma has a natural talent for potions, that might be an option she would consider. With both of them having Friends status, Padma and Neville's options inside Gringotts are extensive - especially with those two awards they wear on their robes. I shall have a chat with them to ensure they fully understand what options are available to all three of them inside Gringotts.""

This had Sapphire smiling, and saw her boss gently coming back at her. ""You have no reason to feel like a fraud. I too am enjoying myself tonight, it doesn't mean we ever stop learning, or working to further our cause. You would be happy if Padma and Neville chose to apprenticeship inside Gringotts because you would get to see more of your friends, Gringotts though would also benefit greatly from that. It is also an idea none of us had even considered before you mentioned it. Padma Longbottom apprenticing under Master Pitslay sends out all the right messages, and the name Longbottom should ensure her mastery would be accepted anywhere in the country.""

""Thank you, sir, for explaining that. My apprenticeship means I get to see more of my friends, I love working for you, Ambassador. Viktor has invited me to Hogwarts for his quidditch match, and again for the second task. Hermione is asking Madam Longbottom if I can stay in the castle again, returning home the following day.""

""My son has been asked many times why he puts himself in certain situations, he replies it's because only he can. You are now in the same position, who else but you could do what you just said? Perhaps now you may understand your worth to us, and why your family, your nation, are so proud of you. I want you to one day be able to stand at my son's side and be treated as an equal, we both know Harry won't accept anything less. You are well on your way to achieving this already. Harry as Ambassador and you as his Assistant Ambassador will be a proud day for all of us.""

""I promise to work my hardest to make sure that happens...""

As the music finished, and in a rare show of affection, Barchoke took Sapphire's hand and kissed the back of it. ""I know you will, Sapphire, I know you will.""

Harry meanwhile had spent the same dance with the new Mrs Lupin, confirming for the hundredth time that they would be fine - and wouldn't leave Kingussie without an escort. This saw him receive a kiss on the cheek.

"What was that for, I hope Moony's not the jealous type?"

"That's for everything, Harry. Hosting our wedding, arranging the honeymoon, being my friend..."

"Tonks, if I had to start listing all the things we had to thank you for, we'd be here all night - something your new husband would certainly object to. We're family, Tonks, no thanks is ever necessary. I know The Nation are trying everything to get you in there with us at the end, how could I possibly even begin to thank you for that?"

With his arm around her waist, Harry started leading Tonks over to where Remus was standing when an idea struck. "The final confrontation is coming but we can't let that rule our lives. The four of us intend to spend the weekend before the final task on the island, I'd like to invite you and Remus along too."

The auror thought she understood what was being said here, Harry confirmed that with his next sentence. "That is currently a secret between just the six of us, we want to keep it that way until a lot nearer the time - like the day before!"

"My husband and I accept, I'll even help by saying you four need a break. Normally I would say you were too young, we know that's not the case here. Having that weekend to look forward to might help us focus on what needs to be done, so we can all enjoy many more weekends like that."

"We intend to be training harder than we ever have before. This is the final push, Tonks, and we will be ready..."

"This seems rather an intense conversation for a wedding, and you're hogging the bride."

"Sorry, Sirius, just confirming to Mrs Lupin here we'll manage without her while she's on the island with Moony."

Sirius danced off with Tonks in his arms, it was another hand on his shoulder that caught Harry's attention. "That answer didn't wash with either Sirius or me."

"Sorry again, Remus, but I can't say anymore. Tonks will tell you everything later."

"You really do know her better than you know me, something I'm really sorry for, Harry."

"Henrica teaches us the past is there so lessons can be learned from it. Let it go, Remus, and concentrate on the future you have with Tonks. She really is a special lady..."

"What age are you again, Harry?"

This drew a wry chuckle. "It's not the years, Remus, it's the experiences. That day in the chamber changed all of us. Henrica was proposed marriage to the same day, Padma and Neville bonded a few days later while Tonks began to look at what she really wanted from life. I think that's when she started looking in your direction."

"I notice you didn't mention your name there, Harry. How did it change you?"

It took a moment for Harry to answer. "Remus, I've never been so scared, before or since. Counting Parvati, there were six people relying on me getting them out of there alive. I didn't have the luxury of considering myself twelve, I was a centurion with a mission that needed to be tackled. That all seven of us got out of there might qualify for one of those miracle things I've heard Hermione mention."

The dance had finished but Sirius arrived back with a different partner. "You two look far too serious, I brought someone to at least cheer one of you up."

As the music started for the next dance, a now smiling Harry slipped into Hermione's arms as they took to the dance floor. Both marauders watched the happy couple weave their way around the ballroom.

"I swore an oath I would protect that boy, Remus, it really doesn't sit well that I can only watch as he prepares for the fight we both know is coming."

"We also know my wife is going to do everything she can to be right beside them. I intend to pour everything I've got into those wards, Sirius, leaving nothing behind for any fight. Let Dan, Frank or Barchoke shoot the bastards dead, we just need to give them that chance to do so."

Sirius could only nod, having little else to offer on the matter.

Apolline thought her decision was made, today just confirmed that decision was the right one. They had been accepted from the moment the Delacour family had set foot in Kingussie, with every new arrival just treating them the same.

This wedding was easily the biggest gathering yet but both her daughters were still having a good time with the friends they were making. Henrica had also confirmed the Blacks would be in Hogwarts for a good few years, both she and Sirius were pushing through new courses and would want to see them well established before even considering a move.

Seeing how her youngest daughter was being treated here, and with a veela as one of her professors, they really couldn't send Gabrielle anywhere but Hogwarts. It was something Gabrielle had been dropping broader and broader hints about, Apolline would discuss with her husband about the best time to tell her. Preferably before her new friends headed off back home.

-oOoOo-

They were getting ready for bed when Luna just had to ask her friend something. "Sapphire, why is Harry having such a tough time with me having a boyfriend? I can see he's trying hard but I thought he liked Colin?"

Thinking back to the Ambassador's words earlier, Sapphire thought this was a perfect example of what Barchoke meant. All she was doing was hopefully trying to make one of her best friends understand their culture a little better, that it might inch goblin-wizard relations along another notch she considered nothing more than an added bonus.

"Harry certainly likes Colin, and you're right - he is trying hard. It's a culture thing, Luna, we goblins don't have boyfriends or girlfriends. Hermione told me when they got together, Harry had to ask Sirius for advice. He couldn't offer her a formal courtship, otherwise it would have been seen as him choosing to be a wizard. He hadn't considered asking her to be his girlfriend because that's just not something a goblin would do."

"If you don't form those type of relationships, how do you know someone is the one you want to marry - and spend the rest of your life with?"

Both girls were now in their beds, though it would be a while yet before they were ready for sleep. This was important to Luna, her relationship with Harry had become one of the cornerstones of her life. She needed to understand him better so they could both preserve something that was very dear to them.

"Well, you've seen that we have friends - that's just the same. We can also be attracted to those friends, Roger is one of the nicest people I know - Fleur is discovering that for herself. When we goblins find our mate though, it goes way beyond any attraction. I'm told it feels like that person becomes part of you, that you simply must have them in your life. We then have the bonding ceremony, so everyone can see exactly how compatible the couple are."

"It seems a bit like you leave everything up to chance, what if you never find your mate?"

This saw Sapphire shrug her shoulders in answer. "There are a few people who do that, but they seem happy enough. We goblins are what you would consider a monogamous society, Luna. We have one mate, and that mate is for life. Our own bodies will tell us when we've met that mate, the bonding ceremony will confirm that this is really the one. Even although they are younger than we would consider normal, Harry and Hermione are proof that the system works."

Luna couldn't really argue with that, Padma and Neville could also be placed in the same category too. "Okay, I understand that, but not why Harry's struggling with me having Colin as a boyfriend."

"You must know that Harry considers you family?" This brought a smile and a nod from Luna, that was the very relationship she was determined to protect.

"A goblin male has protecting family instilled into them since birth. Harry wasn't born a goblin but he certainly is one at heart. We are both lucky enough to be considered family by him, that means Harry will do everything in his power to protect us - for the rest of our lives. Him being a centurion just magnifies that inbuilt trait, something Hogwarts herself was first to recognise when she made Harry her champion. He's there to represent and protect her students."

Sapphire tried to ensure Luna understood the next bit. "If it had been you Marko had gotten into that cupboard, Harry would have slit open his gut and spread his entrails all over the corridor. Nothing or no one would have been able to stop him, Hermione wouldn't even have tried. She would understand his honour could accept no other result. There seems to be a gender imbalance in your culture where witches who have a few boyfriends are frowned upon while a wizard with lots of girlfriends would almost be revered. In our society, both would be shunned equally. Being in a relationship and still dabbling with another is one of the biggest blunders you can make in our community. You forgo your honour and no one can trust your word, what is there left?"

Luna's voice was barely above a whisper as she answered Sapphire. "Colin would never hurt me..."

"I know, Luna, and so does Harry. You said yourself Harry's trying hard, we can all see that. He's trying to walk the thin line between letting you live your own life as a witch, while protecting you as his goblin honour demands. In many ways, I'll have it easier. When I meet my mate, that mate will understand and accept Harry's position in my life - just as Harry will accept him as my mate."

"I've been so wrapped up in getting to spend Christmas with Colin I never realised I was hurting Harry - in his own house too..."

"Luna, any fool could see how happy you've been over the holidays, and Harry is certainly no fool. Seeing you so happy is the one thing that will have Harry accepting Colin as your boyfriend, your happiness will be Harry's first concern. Colin leaves tomorrow, try and find some time to sit down with Harry and talk about this. Remember, all this is as new to Harry as it is to you. You'll also be helping Natalie, Pauline and Orla too. Pauline already has a big brother but you told me how Harry reacted to her after the attack last New Year, she's definitely someone he considers family too."

"Harry keeps saying goblins are a simple race but I agree with Hermione, this is bloody complicated. Thanks, Sapphire, I don't know what I would do without you."

"We're friends, Luna, that's what friends are for..."

Both girls chatted away for a while, glad they had that out in the open.

-oOoOo-

While Christmas had been wonderful in Kingussie, effortlessly extending to cover the wedding too, New Year had fallen a bit flat. The McDonalds, Creeves and Abercrombies had left the day after the wedding, leaving those staying in Kingussie rather reflective of what happened at this time last year. It really was quite difficult to celebrate on the anniversary of the biggest battle fought against the dark in decades. That everyone at Kingussie, bar their French visitors, had fought in that battle left the celebrations rather muted.

Harry was drawing comfort from his chat with Amelia, it would seem as if their strategy was working. While the trio of criminals were busy working on this, they weren't attacking anyone else. His talk with Luna had also provided comfort. Luna had sat and explained as best she could how relationships worked in her society. Starting off with meeting someone you liked, becoming boyfriend-girlfriend and taking that relationship along slowly to see if it led any further as they got older. Neither had any idea if this relationship would grow past the stage it was at now, both she and Colin were just taking things as they came for the moment - simply happy to be in each other's company.

It was with heavy hearts though they boarded the Hogwarts express to return to the castle, and it wasn't really because they were saying goodbye to their families - they would see them again shortly at the second task. The train speeding toward Hogwarts was more a symbol of the final confrontation rushing at them, yet the summer holidays seemed such a long way away. The four understood that if they didn't defeat Voldemort, they might never see Kingussie again.

Harry was counting the second task as nothing more than a mechanism which would allow them to celebrate their father's birthday. While he would be careful during the task, he trusted those around him not to let anything untoward slip through their defences. In the meantime, they would be training like never before. Their extra defence lessons would now see them fight three aurors twice a week, everything was now being tailored to helping them survive the final conflict. The next five or six months was going to be brutal, both in terms of training and what was waiting at the end of it. More and more, it was beginning to appear as if their special weekend away on the island might be the only thing they had to look forward to this term.

-oOoOo-

If anything, Dolores was in a worst state than when Albus saw her last. Again they were in a private room inside the Hog's Head.

"They came again, and that bitch Lestrange was in a rage because I didn't have everything they'd asked for. You have to help me, Albus, otherwise I have no other choice but to approach Bones. I won't survive another visit if I don't have everything they want..."

Sliding a package over the table to the distraught Dolores, Albus used his most calming voice. His entire demeanour broadcasting that she had nothing to fear while Albus Dumbledore was on her side.

"Here is the last remaining book they requested, and all the details for the second task. While Krum is now a Hogwarts student, he's still representing Durmstrang. They had to give me all the details, and they will have to do the same for the final task too."

The gratitude Dolores was displaying might have been embarrassing to anyone else on the receiving end of it, but not Albus - especially since he had engineered the entire situation. Dolores certainly wouldn't have been so grateful if she'd known he'd had the final book in his possession for weeks, or that he'd deliberately withheld it from her. He needed Dolores to understand she had no other option but to rely on him, Albus Dumbledore always got the job done.

After she had gushed for at least five minutes, he was forced to intervene.

"Dolores, you need to listen carefully. Everything so far points to you being given another job to do before the final task. What you need to impress upon them is you might not get a great deal of warning of exactly when this task will take place. Their security is also very tight, you will need to know precisely what this job is in order to plan your way around that increased security..."

"Albus, I don't think I can..."

"My dear Dolores, all you will be doing is handing the entire job over to me. Even so, you need to buy me the time needed to accomplish whatever they ask you to do. Riddle and Rockwood are extremely clever wizards who have obviously been working on this for a very long time. They will understand you need some of that time to hold up your end of their scheme, otherwise the entire thing could be for nothing. They daren't risk being caught out if the organisers call the final task at very short notice."

"It's Lestrange, Albus, she terrifies me. That witch would kill you as soon as look at you..."

"...and the other two will keep her in check. You are vital to their plans, Dolores. Without you, they have nothing. Remind them of that if you have to. I promise when this is over, you'll never have to see them again. If they survive the battle and are captured, the ministry has already sentenced all three of them to death."

This seemed to strengthen Dolores' resolve, though there was one more thing she needed to know. "What about Crow?"

"I have studied this problem from every angle, yet still see no way of saving the boy..."

It was a once more resolute Dolores who nodded her acceptance of that. To see the end of Crow and Lestange, she would do as Albus suggested. Her body carried scars that could be accredited to both of them, Dolores Umbrige though in the end would have her revenge.

-oOoOo-

The three champions were in the High Inquisitor's office at Hogwarts, along with the task setters and their advisor, Henrica. Tonks, now as the ministry's main organiser for the tournament, was giving the champions the rundown on just what the second task was.

"Due to some quite blatant bias amongst some former judges, this task will be slightly different. Half your marks will still be awarded from the judges, the other fifty percent being determined by the time each contestant sets for completing the task. The quickest will automatically receive twenty points, seventeen and fifteen being awarded for second and third. Each of the judges can then award a maximum of five points, meaning there are forty points available for the winner while third could still see themselves earn thirty five."

All three champions already thought this was a fairer system and said so.

"Now the task is in two distinct parts, needing you to nominate two volunteers. It will be up to each individual champion what order they tackle each part in, let's just call them ground and air at the moment. You will start on a small platform in the stadium and each route leads you to the castle. On the ground, each champion will have to fight their way through various obstacles to reach their volunteer waiting at the castle for them."

Tonks was deliberately staring at Harry as she said the next bit. "There will be a clearly marked safe passage at the side of the course, you and your volunteer will use this to make your way as quickly as possible back to the stadium. The flying obstacle course is basically the same idea, only you need to pick your volunteer up from atop the astronomy tower and fly back along the other safe passage to the stadium. Only when you and both your volunteers are back on the platform does the task end. Like the first task, you will go individually. Fleur, Viktor and then Harry will be the order. Any questions?"

Viktor was thinking he would need a volunteer who was a fast runner, and another who was light. Two names popped into his head. "I vould like to choose Cedric and Sapphire."

Understanding at once why Viktor had made his choices, Fleur used the same method to make her own. "I will 'ave Roger and Gabrielle."

"Hermione and Padma. Can I ask if the rules state whether a broom is allowed?"

Harry's question was met by puzzled looks from those not in the know, Madame Maxine was first to answer. "Of course a broom is allowed. 'Ow else would one do zis?"

"Forgive me, Madame, I just wondered if the rules specified a broom, or could they mean each champion was allowed one additional object of their choice?"

The largest person in the room just shrugged her shoulders at that. "All champions must pass zzrough certain points at each challenge, using somezing like a portkey would disqualify you. Providing you do zis, I have no objection to ze rule being one item."

This saw Harry smile. "Thank you, Madame Maxime. I was penalised in the first task for not putting on a show, I intend to rectify that this time. I can do no less, since it will be my father's birthday."

"Merde, we are in trouble!"

Fleur found agreement from her Bulgarian counterpart. "Exactly vhat I vas thinking..."

A/N thanks for reading

99. The Second Task

Harry Crow

Chapter 99

Excitement was rife inside Hogwarts, today was the first quidditch match to be played in the new stadium. If that wasn't a big enough incentive to get excited about, Viktor Krum would be playing too. Factor in that there would also be loads of parents here to see the match and the level of excitement at breakfast was perhaps understandable.

Ginny didn't seem to be sharing that excitement however as she slipped in beside Luna and Colin at the Ravenclaw table. "Mind if I have breakfast with you guys? Between Ron threatening to throw up everything he's ever eaten because of his nerves, and Lavender then slobbering all over him in the name of trying to keep Ron calm, I couldn't eat a bite over there. My teeth gnash every time I hear her squeak 'Won Won' at him."

"Why is Ron nervous?"

Shaking her head, Ginny answered that ridiculous question. "Hermione, he's playing against Viktor Krum today..."

"Okay, everyone knows my knowledge of quidditch could hardly be called extensive, but Ron's a keeper while Viktor's a seeker. They may be flying in the same bit of sky, Ginny, but the only way Viktor will be anywhere near Ron is if the snitch thing flies up the leg of those ridiculous trousers they wear."

Padma's knife and fork hit her plate. "Well, that's me done eating. Just the thought of Viktor searching through Ron's britches for a little golden ball has put me off food for the rest of the day..."

There were spit-takes being done up and down the table as Ravenclaws discovered they couldn't eat or drink while laughing at the same time. Purely out of academic interest, Padma was rather relieved to notice that even a veela couldn't pull off having pumpkin juice spurting out her nose with any degree of elegance. Roger was choking with laughter himself while rubbing his girlfriend's back - the only good thing to come out of New Year as he'd asked Fleur on the stroke of midnight.

After getting her breath back from laughing, Ginny managed to answer Hermione again. "Don't let Ron hear you say that. He's built this match up until it's a battle between him and his hero."

"Yeah, right! Well we don't need to be Sapphire to work out the odds on how that contest is going to go..."

Harry interrupted his mate. "Just in case you do, Sapphire's here - with father."

Hermione was out her seat in a flash, all thoughts to do with quidditch already forgotten about. They were all soon given a reminder though. There was quite the delegation visiting this morning, Bill being accompanied by his father, Percy, Penny and Jenny. Greetings were being exchanged before Ron burst into the group, dragging Lavender with him.

"Dad, Percy, you're here to see my first game?"

"Sorry son, we have a meeting first. Your mum will be there from the start, and we'll be along as soon as we can."

Ron felt the red mist descending but managed to shake his anger off. It was obvious this meeting involved Harry, and without Harry a certain Ron Weasley wouldn't be playing quidditch today - far less going up against Viktor Krum. He couldn't quite hide his disappointment though.

"That's fine, dad, just make it whenever you can."

This saw Barchoke intervene. "We shall hold the part of our meeting that concerns your father first, letting him get to your game as quickly as possible."

Wearing his first smile of the day, Ron bowed to the goblin the way he'd seen Harry do. "Thank you, Ambassador. This is my first ever match and it would mean a lot for my father to be there." Lavender was then dragged back to the Gryffindor table, Ron felt ready to tackle some breakfast now. Arthur was left standing with his arm still around his daughter but his chin now almost hitting the floor.

Jenny's arm was around Euan and the mother could see something was bothering her son. It didn't take long to discover what it was. "With Viktor now being in our house, Hufflepuff are going to support Durmstang today. Bill was a Gryffindor though, and three of his brothers are playing today."

The boy's blond hair was soon being ruffled by the eldest Weasley brother. "Don't you worry about that, just go to the match with your friends and have a good time."

Barchoke had signalled for Tonks to join them, Luna led Sapphire over to the Ravenclaw table while Euan and Natalie led Jenny to Hufflepuff.

Everyone else headed off to the room for their meeting. When they were all seated, Barchoke indicated for Arthur to start.

"The muggle government didn't take too well to being told we would look after this matter ourselves, they're really struggling over your ages - and you being so heavily involved in this. They're asking if a representative can meet with you, and possibly your parents. Even the suggestion that you four are somehow being coerced into this has Amelia, Amos and The Minister absolutely raging."

The four were looking at each other for suggestions when Tonks exerted her bodyguard authority. "If they want a meeting then we'll hold it here, I'm not chancing them trying to kidnap these four - for their own good of course. Hogwarts won't let anyone touch Harry in this room, that's better than any security we could come up with."

Harry was objecting to that plan on slightly different grounds. "We don't want to be sneaking people in and out of Hogwarts too often. The last thing we need is Dumbledore getting suspicious, we intend to continue needling him so he's kept off-balance. By all means bring this person to Hogwarts but do it on the day of the second task, all the family will certainly be here that day."

This presented another problem though, one that Hermione picked up on immediately. "Not all of them know what's going on, and that's the way we want it to stay. Why have Luna, Susan or Hannah worrying over this when there is nothing they can do about it." Hermione aimed her question at their father. "I'm assuming Sapphire now knows, since she works for you?"

"Our department are heavily involved in this, she simply couldn't work there and not know. Jenny of course has no idea what's happening, and I think we would all agree that's for the best. Neville, please congratulate your grandmother on an astute piece of negotiating. That was a masterstroke she pulled to get her ball."

Arthur was running the current suggestions through his mind and liking what he was coming up with. "I could sit with this representative during the tasks, I would need your help keeping your mother at the other end of the stadium however." Bill and Percy quickly agreed to that. "After the task, this representative could then meet with the people involved..."

"Those meetings would have to be short. It's father's birthday, I won't let anything interfere with that." Harry's declaration brooked no argument. They had gone to a lot of trouble to get their father here on his birthday, they weren't about to then waste that by sitting in some meeting.

With that part agreed upon, Arthur headed off to watch three of his sons play quidditch for Gryffindor. Barchoke could then bring those remaining up to date on the Gringotts side of things.

"Finding a method of bypassing the wards is not looking promising. We're basically trying to build a Loki Talisman, something that has been taboo in our society for centuries. It doesn't sit well with our people that they are trying to discover methods of bypassing the very things that protect us. There is also the fact that these attempts would usually be enough to see heads rolling along the floor. The Director has called a halt to the research, while berating himself for having that one we confiscated destroyed."

Harry hadn't really expected any other news. "Gringotts wouldn't be safe while one of them existed, destroying the talisman was the right thing to do - the only thing to do."

That Neville agreed with Harry surprised no one, that he spoke so passionately about it did. "Harry's right, can you imagine what would happen if one of those devices fell into the hands of someone like Riddle? It's far better to know our families are safe, and then rely on Amelia getting those wards down. I also think we need to know when the final task is. With gran, Tonks and Amos on the panel they should be able to decide it amongst themselves - long before involving Madam Maxime and making it official."

Padma could see where her Neville was coming from with this, she just hoped he was looking forward to the weekend before that task as much as his betrothed was.

Blood bonding was traditionally done as part of a couple's wedding ceremony, neither she nor Hermione had been able to find any information on couples undergoing the ceremony years before actually getting married. Padma wasn't sure whether the bonding played any part in her feelings, perhaps it was the extreme danger they knew they would be facing shortly, something though was playing havoc with her hormones. Neville just needed to smile at her and she was ready to rip the shirt of his back. Only hearing from Hermione that she was the same, with Harry of course, kept Padma on an even keel.

Agreeing with Neville that was a good idea saw Barchoke move on to the next matter. "Since Harry has announced to everyone that day is my birthday, I really have to be seen inside the stadium. Ramrao is taking my place in the roof. You'll again have three fathers protecting you, and none will hesitate to put a bullet into any threats. All our intelligence and analysis is pointing to a portkey for the last task, but we won't be taking any chances on the twenty ninth either. Umbridge has passed her latest package to Riddle, we're waiting to see what he gets back to her with."

His father not being one of the shooters didn't bother Harry in the slightest. With both girls going to be involved in this task, he was certainly happy to put his trust in that particular trio to keep them safe.

The Ambassador's attention now turned to Tonks, Barchoke then gave out the best news he had for them. "Tonks, we think your portkey can be adapted to take you to wherever Harry is - the portkey's blood binding passing straight through any wards."

The room had provided two large sofas for the meeting. Tonks was currently sitting between Padma and Hermione, their respective partners on either side of them. Her arms shot out and hugged both girls to her, all three had tears in their eyes. "Thank you, Barchoke. You have no idea how much this means to me."

"I'll tell you what it means to me, Tonks. The chances of these four getting through this just took a huge jump in the right direction. From the way Padma and my daughter are clinging on to you, they believe that too."

"That might be news you want to pass on to Amelia and Mr Weasley, he can now tell this muggle representative we have a responsible adult with us."

A smiling Padma may have been wiping tears from her cheeks but that didn't mean she was going to let such an opportunity slip bye. "Stretching the truth a bit there, Harry. Tonks, a responsible adult?"

Bill had the last word though. "If she's going to be in this fight, then it's time she started training with you four - and there's no time like the present."

A Hogwarts' elf appearing with her duelling robe gave Mrs Lupin some idea of what she'd just volunteered for.

-oOoOo-

Harry kissed Hermione, hugged Padma, Sapphire and a giggling Gabrielle before picking up his broom case to wait on Fleur saying cheerio to her younger sister. Watching the French champion smile as Padma and Sapphire took Gabrielle by the hands and walk away with Professor Snape was a massive turnaround from the last task, all three champions were looking forward to this.

They left Hermione, Cedric and Roger at the main door of Hogwarts with Professor Sprout while Master Flitwick escorted the champions to the stadium. Their route was currently under canvas so none of the champions could glimpse what awaited them, Filius explained that the canvas would be removed so the crowd could then see, since this would become the marked safe route for their ground hostages to get to the stage.

Filius shook all their hands as he left them in the changing room, a changing room that this time didn't have silencing charms on it. Hearing how your fellow champion performed was not considered an advantage for the second task, since they all knew what they would be facing.

Fleur was excited rather than scared this time. She kissed both her fellow champions on the cheek just before leaving, crediting Harry for her change in attitude. "I decided to take a friend's advice, just go out zere and do my best."

While waiting on Fleur's attempt at the course to start, Viktor nodded toward Harry's case. "I see you decided to go vith a broom?"

"Now Viktor, that would be telling."

-oOoOo-

Graham Cole thought he'd seen and heard it all. For the last twenty eight years, the psychologist had been working more and more for the government. It all started pretty innocuously, assessing Foreign Office staff for overseas embassy postings. As his reputation for getting it right grew, so did his security clearance. He now worked almost exclusively for the country's security services, assessing assets before and after they were allocated sensitive assignments. He was renowned for his cool and calm manner, no matter what he heard. At the moment, Graham Cole's cool head was in imminent danger of exploding from trying to process what was all around him.

It had all began when that Arthur fellow had asked him to touch an old boot, humouring this strange request saw Graham transported from Surrey to Scotland in an instant - and things had just gotten weirder from there.

Graham was here to discover why these people thought it was acceptable to let four children fight three deadly terrorists. All his preconceived ideas though had vanished by the time he was standing on Scottish soil - in front of the most magnificent castle he'd ever laid eyes on. The stadium that was their destination didn't look too shabby either. The food stalls were familiar territory, the little creatures serving the food though were a complete mystery to him, as was a good percentage of the audience.

Only after being led to his seat in the stadium did Graham realise he was now surrounded by some of the very people he had hoped to meet. The name Emma Granger finally kicking his brain back into gear. The woman was holding a baby in her arms and made no attempt to hide her hostility, hostility that was aimed in his direction.

"Mrs Granger, I understand you and your husband are dentists. Where is your husband, will he be joining us?"

Sirius had erected a charm that meant anyone trying to listen in to the group's conversation would just hear a faint buzzing sound. Knowing it was safe to talk, Emma didn't hold back. Indicating Smita and Alice, who were also part of the group, she told Graham where their menfolk were. "All three of our husbands are currently concealed in the stadium roof, armed with rifles and ready to blow the head off these terrorists if they dare to show their faces here today. We will do whatever it takes to protect our sons and daughters, and Dan and I especially resent our own government insinuating otherwise."

Seeing she apparently represented the view of everyone present, Graham decided honesty was not just his best policy here - it was the only thing that stood any chance of him receiving the information he'd been sent to gather. "Mrs Granger, you of all people must know how strange this is for us. We simply don't understand the situation, I'm hoping it can be explained to me today."

Barchoke, Ragnok, Rainha, Amelia, Remus, Neville and the Blacks completed the group that surrounded Arthur and Graham, it was Barchoke who took up the explanation.

"The information you were given on the Potter killers is relatively accurate, though not complete. A prophecy was made that claimed a child would be born with the power to defeat Voldemort. Not one for taking chances, this so-called dark lord acted to ensure this prophecy could never come to pass. He murdered both Harry's parents but, when he used the same curse on baby Harry, his curse rebounded and destroyed Voldemort's body. This unfortunately left Harry an orphan, one that I immediately adopted - and I am prouder than I could ever put into words of my son."

Sirius then took over the narrative. "Voldemort is such a sick puppy, he had delved deeply into the dark arts in an attempt to make himself immortal. He was partially successful with his efforts in that he didn't die that night. Those measures have been gradually stripped away and he's now mortal, the bastard is still fixated on killing my godson though. He's set this entire scenario up as an elaborate trap, not knowing we're monitoring his every move. If only we knew his location, we wouldn't be sitting here having this conversation - he would already be dead."

"Mr Cole, my husband and I were aurors, almost a cross between your police and a soldier. We both fought Voldemort in the last war, there is no way on this earth we want our Neville involved in any of this. We all want to see this conflict end so people can get on with just living their lives, this is currently the only option available for achieving that outcome. That these criminals are concentrating all their efforts on this attempt is also the only reason why your people aren't up to their armpits in dead bodies, and these four know this."

Graham switched his attention to the boy, though he used the term boy in the loosest possible sense. This young man physically appeared much closer to sixteen or seventeen, rather than his reported age of fourteen. His eyes though seemed to belong to someone much older, eyes that were constantly scanning his surroundings. Graham didn't miss that his hand was also on the hilt of what appeared to be a sword. "And what do you think of this, Neville?"

The shrug of his shoulders would be recognised by parents of teenagers the world over. Graham was merely being humoured here, Neville apparently had far more important things on his mind.

"Voldemort wants Harry dead. He'll have to go through us first to get to Harry, it's as simple as that."

"Surely though, that terrible task shouldn't be left to the four of you?" Graham understood he'd made a mistake when the teen's steely gaze now fixed on him.

"Instead of asking stupid questions, open your eyes and really see what's right in front of you. Amelia has this place flooded with aurors, while Director Ragnok has warriors and centurions all around us. Those three bastards turn up today and we won't have to lift a finger, it will be all over in seconds. We don't think he'll come today though, otherwise I wouldn't be wasting my time talking to you."

They all then heard the real reason for Neville's anger. "Our parents are having a hard enough time dealing with this, they don't need outsiders making the situation worse. I'll give you some free advice however, upset our girls today and Harry will kick you out of the castle as quickly as your government withdrew your offer of help. Our previous deeds see us recognised as adults in both our societies. If yours can't or won't accept that, tough luck. Just stay out of our way."

Alice had her hand on his arm now. "Easy son. You just said it yourself, nothing will touch them today."

Neville merely nodded, his eyes returning to scanning for any signs of trouble.

Graham never got to say anymore as a stunningly beautiful woman made her way onto the small stage, the announcer letting him know she was the French champion. Watching as she climbed onto her broom destroyed every myth about witches he'd ever heard. The countdown was loud with the entire crowd being whipped up by the announcer, reaching zero saw her shoot off that stage like a rocket.

Not for the first time, Graham's chin was resting on his chest as this blond bombshell zoomed over, under and between obstacles, all while flying hazards continually tried to knock her out of the air. It was a breathtaking display of ariel acrobatics that would make the R.A.F.'s Red Arrows display team appear as if they weren't really trying. Passing through the last obstacle saw her swerve onto the tallest tower in the castle, picking up a passenger who could only be her younger sister. Blonde hair streaked behind the siblings like a victory pennant as the broom was now piloted along a protected route at breakneck speed, coming to a screaming halt on the stage as the crowd were now going crazy.

Her task though was only half done as she leapt off the stage with her wand now in her hand, Graham at least recognised what this was. There were large boulders dotted between the stadium and the castle, some offering concealment for animated soldiers that attacked. Fleur had to subdue them, fighting her way through to her second volunteer. As she reached Roger, Professor Sprout shouted go. This released Roger to act, he grabbed Fleur's hand as they raced for the stadium to finish the task.

"One last push love, Gabrielle's waiting on us. You were magnificent!"

Needing what breath she had for the final sprint, Fleur didn't answer her boyfriend but instead gave everything she had left to the run. The crowd were roaring her home and a hyper Gabrielle was jumping up and down on the stage to encourage her sister to even greater efforts. Roger's arm around her waist swept Fleur up the steps and onto the stage, where both were immediately engulfed by a crying Gabrielle. Her little sister's wide smile though told everyone these were happy tears. To Fleur, that was worth all the effort she had just expended. Roger and Gabrielle's arms were the only thing currently keeping Fleur on her feet. She couldn't help but think Harry was right, neither scores or time mattered at the moment. Fleur was happy simply knowing she'd done her very best.

The entire stadium was still on its feet applauding her efforts, the crowd only quieting down to see what marks were awarded. When Tonks, Amos, Augusta and a very proud Olympe all awarded fives, the highest mark they could give, the applause became thunderous.

Fleur was being led away by a beaming Roger and Gabrielle, with Madam Pomfrey needing to do nothing more than dispense a mild pick-me-up potion, as they headed to the seats reserved to watch Viktor and Harry's attempts. Both girls spotted their parents in the crowd, their mother and father were still on their feet and applauding like crazy.

Graham couldn't help but comment on the reactions of those he was sitting with. "I thought this was a competition? You seemed rather pleased that the French champion did so well."

Emma soon put him straight. "Roger is one of Harry and Hermione's best friends, while the Delacour family spent Christmas with us in Kingussie. Sapphire's taking part in the next task, and she is certainly someone considered family by most of us sitting here."

An angry Remus indicated one of the judges to Graham. "That lady is an auror and has been Harry's full time ministry bodyguard since the Azkaban breakout, she is also now my wife. We married at Harry's Kingussie estate over the Christmas holidays, and spent what was left of those holidays honeymooning on his private island. You better believe we consider all four of these teenagers family. Thanks to some outstanding work by Director Ragnok's people, my wife is going to be in this fight with them. If there was a way to get any more of us in there from the start, don't you think we'd be taking it?"

It was unusual for Sirius to be a calming influence but that's what he needed to do here. A steadying hand on his best friend's shoulder reminded Remus they were all in this together, surely this arsehole could see how much this was costing the family?

It was Henrica's turn to let this man know their views, she held her daughter in her arms as her emotions added weight to her words. "Harry is Astrid's godfather, Remus' wife her godmother. Jamie is Harry and Hermione's brother while Neville and Padma are his godparents. What you need to understand is that to Voldemort and his death eaters, both these beautiful children are nothing more than vermin. Purely due to their circumstances of birth, he wouldn't hesitate to kill them both. We fight to protect our children, these two here and those yet to be born."

The verbal assault, that's really the only way Graham could think of this, was temporarily halted by the arrival of the Bulgarian champion. Whatever his final report to his waiting superiors concluded, he was already certain of one thing. This was a very close-knit family who were clearly hurting from this horrendous decision. Any thoughts of the children being coerced in the slightest way to do this was simply a nonstarter.

All these adults clearly didn't want their children anywhere near this, it would appear as if they had no other option for stopping this homicidal madman. One thing even his government was adamant about, this maniac and his followers had to be stopped.

Having only seen one person fly a broom before, Graham was in no way an expert on the subject. He didn't need to be though to instantly tell the Bulgarian was even quicker on a broom than his French counterpart had been. He was reminded of slalom skiing, and how the true experts could shave a little off their times by taking a slightly tighter line through the gates and maintaining every ounce of speed they could.

The crowd were cheering like mad as he shot through the last gate and took aim for the tower, he hardly seemed to slow down as the goblin female jumped on the back of his broom and the pair streaked down the marked route to the stage.

Viktor dismounted the broom at a run, Sapphire's encouragement ringing in his ears. His training with Harry and his friends was now paying off. Not only did he feel fitter than at any time in his life, he had also practiced similar scenarios to this in that fantastic room Harry controlled.

It seemed like no time at all before Viktor and Cedric were racing down the safe route to reach the stage, and stop the clock. To great cheers, Viktor completed the course eight seconds faster than Fleur.

Turning to his girlfriend, Roger didn't see the disappointment reflected there he'd expected. Instead, Fleur's expression was almost one of awe. "I got within eight seconds of Viktor?"

This saw her receiving a kiss from her boyfriend. "When I said you were magnificent, I was talking about your efforts today - and not just about you in general."

Fleur then returning Roger's affections saw Gabrielle sigh. "I can not wait to come to 'Ogwarts."

With all the judges already awarding Fleur fives for her efforts, there was no hesitation in awarding Viktor the same score. He had certainly earned it.

As the applause finally began to die down, the six friends were all now congratulating each other on their efforts - while waiting on Harry's arrival in the stadium. It was now common knowledge that Harry had promised to put on a show, the crowd were expectantly waiting on this show starting.

It was in these few moments of silence, Amelia made her opinion known to the representative of the muggle government. "Mr Cole, taking these lunatics down is the job of my department, one I can assure you we intend to fulfil. Voldemort is going to try and sneak a device to Harry like the one you used to get here today, this will take Harry right into a supposed trap. His friends anticipated this though and took measures to ensure they would be at Harry's side when this happened. I don't mind admitting I cried tears of joy when I was informed our goblin friends had managed to include Auror Lupin in there too. Sorry Remus, but we all know her being there swings the odds more in our favour."

Remus could only nod to acknowledge Amelia was right. His whole world however was now going to be in this fight, he just didn't know how he was going to survive if they didn't.

"What we need from you, Mr Cole, is to inform your government we have no intention of letting them fight this battle for us. Harry is using himself as bait to lead us to Voldemort, their job is then to survive until we can get there and take care of it. Since these five are exceptionally gifted, and I intend for the time involved to be under a minute, you can perhaps get some idea of why we're backing this. If we had a safer option, I can assure you we would be taking it."

There was silence from the group now as Harry entered the stadium, Graham had to admit the first impression Harry made on him was certainly not that of a fourteen year old boy. Dressed in a tunic that clearly displayed some kind of rank, and with a sword strapped to his back, the word 'gladiator' was the first thing that came to his mind.

An expectant hush fell over the stadium as Harry sat his case on the stage. Viktor had easily won both quidditch matches against Hogwarts opposition, no one had really expected anything else. He was currently in the lead here too, but this time his opposition was the Hogwarts champion, Harry Crow. As Lee started counting Harry down, you could almost taste the expectation in the air as the crowd screamed the descending numbers along with the announcer.

As they got to three, Harry opened his case and removed something that clearly wasn't a broom, it only took a few seconds for everyone to discover what this item was. At zero, a now golden Harry jumped off the stage and began with the ground course. The first duelling dummy that jumped out was blasted right back as the pump action shotgun claimed its first victim. The second one faired even worse as it went down missing its head.

The vast majority of the crowd had now seen guns being fired, at tiny clay disks though. Watching what this weapon could do to an opponent temporarily hushed the crowd. As Harry proceeded to make mincemeat of the ground course, Viktor was using the lull in noise to ask Sapphire a very pertinent question. "How is he going to rescue Padma with that thing?"

"Wait and see, Viktor, wait and see." The smirk she was wearing told the Bulgarian he'd already lost the second task.

With the gun now empty, Harry dropped the weapon and his sword dealt with the last two remaining automated opponents - without using any magic. He soon reached Hermione. "Ready to go, love?"

"What kept you?" With that, she raced passed him before leaping into the air. Hover however was doing nothing of the sort, the kestrel was flying down the safe route marked for their return. She was instantly joined by Swift as the crowd went wild. It was Hermione who touched down on the stage while Swift deliberately flew around her before tackling the second part of the task. The obstacles were laughable to the bird and, being so small, Swift didn't trigger any of the automated defences.

Severus was up on the tower with Padma, awaiting Harry, and had instantly figured out what was going on here when the other two transformed. "It would seem you are about to be part of this show. Make it good, Miss Patil, make it something they will always remember."

Padma was now standing on the very edge of the tower with her arms spread wide. "Oh we intend to, Professor."

"As soon as the Centurion passes over you, I will call your release. You are good to...go!"

Padma did indeed make it look superb. As soon as the professor said that word, she dived off the tallest tower Hogwarts had to offer.

The crowd that had been cheering only a second ago were now screaming in horror. Those screams became ones of relief and then amazement as they watched the third person today change into a bird. The speed that Padma had generated from diving off the astronomy tower carried Sabre most of the way to the stage, and left Swift barely able to keep up.

Hermione stood on the stage with her arms spread as Harry performed his favourite form of landing. With Sabre transforming into Padma on the stage, Swift landed on Hermione's chest and Harry soon had his lips locked with his mate. The entire stadium was on its feet, going absolutely crazy at what they had just witnessed here today. Green sparks coming from the tower and the entrance informed the four judges that, like the other two champions, Harry's 'rescues' had met with the rules of the competition.

The judges again were all happy to award Harry maximum points, they really had no other option. His time was easily the fastest, making him the outright winner.

Roger was too busy having a playful go at Sapphire to worry about any scores at the moment. "You might have warned us, I nearly had a bloody heart attack when Padma jumped off the tower." A smirking Sapphire didn't get a chance to answer her friend as an amplified voice rang out from within the stadium, and it wasn't Lee's.

"I wish to lodge an official complaint. Not only are the rules of the competition being flouted, the very laws that govern our country have just been broken - in front of thousands of witnesses too!" Albus thought this was his moment, he had them now. Their own arrogance would be their undoing.

"These three have benefited from being considered adults, they now have to realise that these benefits come with certain responsibilities too. All three are clearly animangi, yet none of them are registered. That is against the law, and carries severe custodial penalties. They should be arrested at once, not rewarded by applause and maximum points."

Amelia stood to a now silent stadium, Sirius had cancelled his charm to allow her to be heard. Casting her own soronus, the head of the D.M.L.E. answered those allegations.

"Assistant Headmaster Dumbledore is of course correct..." Amelia had to pause for the groans and cries of 'no' to die down, she was also letting Dumbledore have his moment.

"...being an unregistered animangus is a criminal offence. In his haste to see justice done however, the good professor has overlooked the circumstances here. Centurion Crow is just that, a goblin citizen and a centurion. The ministry has no right to insist any member of The Nation register their abilities. Miss Granger is the centurion's mate, and also a citizen of The Nation, she too has no need to register any abilities."

Both of these proclamations were greeted by cheers, and Dumbledore's mood darkened with each one. Amelia was looking forward to totally ruining his day.

"Miss Padma Patil is not actually a British citizen, her family moving here less than a decade ago from India. She too has no need to register with the Ministry of Magic, though that will change when she becomes a Longbottom next summer. I'm sure the next Lady Longbottom will comply with our country's laws. I happen to know her future in-laws very well, and can state with some certainty that will be the case."

Harry had a girl in each hand as the trio then bowed to Amelia in respect, having worked all this out beforehand. They had figured Dumbledore wouldn't be able to resist, and a public dismantling of his arguments should help keep him off-balance. His fixation on Harry and his friends was now on a par with that of Voldemort, and they planned on treating him the same. When this was all over, Dumbledore and Umbridge were both going down too. They may not get the death penalty, but the odds currently favoured both of them dying in Azkaban.

Lee had quickly done the math and read out the combined scores. "For coming second in the time trial, Viktor receives seventeen points, adding his scores from the judges and the first task gives the Drumstrang Champion a total of seventy nine points."

This was greeted with great cheering from the stadium before they then quietened to hear the rest of the scores.

"Fleur received fifteen points from the time trial part of today's task, added with her other scores gives the beautiful Beauxbaton's Champion eighty points."

Along with the cheering from the stadium, a bewildered Fleur found herself being congratulated by Roger and Gabrielle - she was still in front of Viktor in the tournament?

The stadium now fell silent, this was the score they wanted to hear, Lee didn't keep them waiting too long. "After setting a quite unbelievable time, Harry won today's task and is awarded twenty points..." Some of those in the audience had already worked out the totals for themselves and were cheering loudly. Only Lee's amplified voice being able to pass that same information on to everyone else.

"Combined with his other scores, this gives the Hogwarts Champion eighty two points - and the lead!"

As the spectators now did their best to blow the stadium roof off with the noise they generated, Graham Cole found himself now beside Director Ragnok. He easily remembered Arthur's briefing on this person, classing him as both a monarch and government leader. Graham knew it was no accident he was now next to this particular goblin.

"As Friend Longbottom suggested, I want you to take a good look around you. Goblins, witches wizards and muggles sitting in this bright cold day but warmly accepting each other's company. This has not happened for centuries, and these four teens are almost totally responsible for this wonderful sight."

The three on the stage had signalled for their six friends to join them, all nine were now greeting each other and the applause just continued.

"Harry is a Centurion, a not inconsiderable rank in our society that has never been held by someone not of goblin birth before. His mate, Miss Granger, has been taken to the heart of our Nation like no one has ever managed before. So much so that, in their last battle with these dark wizards and witches, warriors were ready to throw themselves in front of curses if that was the only way to save her. Friend Patil is going to be the first witch or wizard ever to apprentice under a goblin master."

Had Graham not already felt that what he'd witnessed here today was enough to send him into shock, this would have finished it.

Ragnok could see he got through to this man. "Our Nation is taking a grave risk allowing this trap to be sprung. I will be there when it is, and would personally throw myself in front of a curse to protect any one of those four. Our Nation would survive my passing, the goblin presence in Britain might not survive theirs."

There really was only one way Graham could respond to that. "I think I have more than enough information to make my report. Let them enjoy today, and his father's birthday. I will speak to Arthur about taking me home. If it's any consolation, I think my government was wrong to withdraw its offer of help before having this investigation. I certainly hope I can be kept informed of how the final conflict goes."

Ragnok found himself being joined by his mate. Rainha had of course been listening to every word, she smiled as she told Graham the only thing they were certain of. "Believe me, Mr Cole, the entire world will find out how this ends."

Goldskin and his family were sitting in the stadium, watching as his daughter had just participated in a quite astonishing event. His daughter was now being held up in their society of what it was possible for goblins to achieve. That she was a female just added to that sense of achievement, he didn't think he could be prouder of her.

Dolores could only look on in disgust as the pureblood wizard was now clearly in last place, and Dumbledore had been verbally taken apart by a supremely confident Amelia Bones. She also noticed the Bulgarian Minister of Magic sitting beside Fudge for today's proceedings. Cornelius Fudge was beginning to take on the mantle of a statesman, and both ministers appeared to have enjoyed themselves. Disturbingly from Dolores' point of view, neither went anywhere near Albus Dumbledore.

Even she was forced to admit Crow had been impressive today. Using a mixture of muggle and goblin weaponry, combined with those unbelievable animagus transformations, was a breathtaking sight. The Order of Merlin, First Class, Centurion showed himself to the thousands present here today as a formidable opponent. Combined with his equally powerful friends, they just might be unstoppable. After witnessing this, she was beginning to doubt whether Albus could now accomplish his lofty claims.

The only thing stopping Dolores throwing herself onto Bones' mercy was the utter certainty she wouldn't receive any from that hard bitch. Dolores was committed to whatever plan Dumbledore had formed, She simply had no other options.

A/N thanks for reading.

A/N 2 I'm finding myself increasingly busy as we fight to save our school, hence the reason why this chapter is later than usual. Thanks to those few readers who supported our twitter page, (at sign)saveTHS. I completely understand the lack of response, as apathy amongst the parents is one of the greatest problems we face in our current task.

100. Centurion

Harry Crow

A/N this story has now passed the seven and a half million hits mark, my heartfelt thanks to everyone who has taken the time to read my efforts. I never, ever thought I would be writing Chapter 100, but here goes...

Chapter 100

Knowing that they had months of hard work ahead of them, the four friends were even more determined to enjoy Barchoke's party that night. The guest of honour was also thrilled to be spending his special day with his children and their extended family. The present that seemed to capture his heart though was by no means the most expensive.

Little Danielle Dugan had raced ahead of her parents to hug Barchoke, and wish him a happy birthday. He almost didn't need to open the present she'd gotten him, since Danielle began describing it in great detail before her mother even handed the gift over for unwrapping.

"I did a drawing of me and you, mummy got me a frame and we put the drawing in it. Mummy did help me, a little…"

Barchoke could see the lovely ornate picture frame was really his gift, what it contained though was way more precious to the goblin. Here was a child's drawing, like the ones drawn by children all over the world since time immemorial. This one though featured the little girl who'd produced the drawing holding hands with her friend, Barchoke. it was never going to win any prizes in an art competition, but to the goblin portrayed in the picture it was priceless.

"Mummy helped me with the writing, I did the kisses though…"

It was indeed clear she'd been helped with the writing, the sentiment however was pure Danielle.

To my friend, Barchoke. Happy Birthday. Love, Danielle. xxx

"This is wonderful, Danielle, thank you so much. I shall hang it in my office so everyone can see it, and know that we are friends." That just made both their evenings.

All three of the trio involved in today's tasks had thanked their parents profusely for frightening off the government man so they didn't have to speak to him. Harry was beginning to think he might have made a mistake though by putting on such a show. The trio dedicated their efforts to Barchoke, but those same efforts were in danger of overshadowing his birthday.

Luna and Colin had a tiff over it, apparently he wasn't too happy his girlfriend had known they were animagi and didn't tell him. Luna had replied that it wasn't her secret to tell, and she was now waiting to see how long her boyfriend was going to sulk for.

Euan, Denis and Orla were in total awe of the trio, Euan asking if Neville could do that too was a question that had to be quickly dealt with.

"If Neville could do that, he would be breaking the law - since he's not registered." Harry didn't need to say any more, these three were quick enough to work the rest out for themselves.

The friends then found themselves being joined by a rather grumpy Sapphire. "It's bad enough some of the younger ones are looking at you four in awe, my own bloody family though are doing the same thing to me. You'd think they didn't know who I was, first one of them to ask for my autograph is getting a smack around the head."

This resulted in laughter, along with Draco and Pansy joining the group. "I was surprised you gave that secret away today, that's bound to make its way back to Voldemort."

Draco's comments just saw Harry shrug his shoulders. "Of our forms, Sabre is probably the most dangerous. Actually, Neville can make a quite compelling case for Padma being the most dangerous of us in her human form too - but that's another matter. If you were getting attacked by a hawk, what would you do?"

This had Draco thinking. "Well, that would depend on how much damage I wanted to do. Something like a flame curse would be pretty effective though."

"When you think about it a little more, you'll see you're spoilt for choice. Our forms are handy for surveillance and travel. In any magical fight, they quickly become liabilities. Yes I'm certainly mobile as Swift, but I can't shield and activating my armour reduces my speed to a point where I would be easily picked off. Voldemort though will soon be factoring that ability into his plans, an ability I have no intention of using when we face each other."

Pansy was certainly enough of a Slytherin to appreciate those tactics. "He'll be prepared for you to use that, and probably surprised when you don't."

This saw Harry nodding. "He'll also be preparing a defence against the shotgun, something else we won't be using. Even if this only buys us a couple of seconds where it sees him hesitate, those seconds could be priceless."

A droll voice came from behind Harry. "A very astute analysis, Centurion, one I'm sure you don't want overheard."

"I trust everyone in this room, Potions Master Snape, otherwise they wouldn't be here. I know you were quite a bit away from the stadium today but I was wondering what you made of Dumbledore's outburst?"

"Albus always thinks he knows more than everyone else. Can I assume, since Amelia so effectively destroyed his argument, that incident was planned?"

A nod was Harry's only answer but Hermione elaborated further. "We have some very clever people helping us, Professor, you are certainly included in that group. I hate to think the mess we would make of it if we tried this alone."

"Never gonna happen..." This was practically growled out by Neville, earning him a kiss from Padma. It had been hard for him to sit there today, waiting to see what would unfold. Without the threat of Voldemort gatecrashing, Neville would have been sitting back and laughing with the rest of their friends who were in on the animagi secret.

His mate had no idea just how sexy she looked, standing on the edge of the astronomy tower before fearlessly diving off. Her transformation into Sabre had the stadium going crazy, and Neville's chest swelling with pride. He had noticed some of the older wizards practically drooling over Padma but Neville wasn't worried in the slightest. Padma herself would kick their arses if any dared make a move or suggestion she considered inappropriate, his mate was one scary witch when she wanted to be.

Hermione finally got a chance to dance with their father. "How has your birthday been?"

"Since this is the very first birthday that I've ever gotten the chance to dance with my daughter at, I would have to say it's my best ever. Thank you so much for helping arrange this."

"Oh I can't accept any thanks, since this was a purely selfish act on my part. I wanted to be with you on your special day, I know it's something Harry really wanted too."

They looked over to where Harry was sitting beside his godfather, both had a baby on their knee. "Those two are more alike than would seem possible…"

This drew a smile from Barchoke. "Perhaps it's because both want the same things from life, things they perhaps thought they would never have. It was a very fortunate day for my son when he met you on that train. Because of you, all his dreams are coming true…"

"Harry features heavily in my dreams too, Father. That's why I could never lose him, and will be at his side in this fight." The Nation would know when she and Harry completed their bond, Hermione's status would change within Gringotts. She was trying to lay the groundworks here so their father wouldn't be shocked when it happened. The wise, now sixty year old goblin, managed to surprise his daughter.

"I couldn't imagine you allowing him to fight alone, even though that's probably what he was hoping for. Part of him knows he needs you, Padma, Neville and Tonks with him, another part however hates the very thought that he's putting you four in danger. I assumed, it would appear correctly, that you will complete your bond before the final task. Dan and Emma have made the same assumption. Accepting you were old enough to face Voldemort was a lot harder than something we all knew was going to be in your future anyway. You won't get any grief from there either over this."

This news had tears welling in the corners of Hermione's eyes. "It's your birthday, you're not supposed to be the one handing out presents today. That is such a precious gift, we really don't want to deceive anyone with this. We will be going to the island the weekend before the final task, Remus and Tonks will be there too - along with Padma and Neville."

Barchoke could feel his daughter trembling as she said that, it was time to put her mind to rest. These four certainly had enough to worry about without adding something else to their burden. "Again, not something unexpected. All the parents involved seem to be of the opinion that this is justifiable, considering what else you are facing. Providing you don't then expect to be living as married couples after that, I think all concerned will be happy to pretend it didn't happen. Personally, as long as you two come back to me after the fight, you can live your lives whatever way you want. Just come back to us, that is all that matters."

Hermione had stopped dancing and was now just standing there hugging the wonderful person that she was proud to call father. Barchoke thought that was simply the best birthday present he could ever have.

-oOoOo-

The Hogsmeade weekend was only two weeks later, people were already noticing the subtile changes though even in those two weeks. The four friends were already a pretty driven bunch but that intensity had gone up a few notches. As their training had intensified, and gotten more specialised, they were forced to exclude Viktor and Fleur from these lessons. Both champions still trained with them every morning, having clearly felt the benefits during the second task, but now only participated on a Sunday with Roger, Cedric and the Weasley twins.

The Hogsmeade weekend again saw Harry and Tonks taking charge of security for the students' visit, Neville, Padma and Hermione were once more riding shotgun on Crow's Marauders. Since Valentine's Day fell on the Sunday, Harry and Tonks were worried that some couples might try to slip away for some alone time. There had been no death eater activity but neither wanted to offer up any easy targets.

Luna and Colin stuck with the group. Both were very proud of now being marauder trainers, with that position though came certain responsibilities. They got to spend the day together, walking around Hogsmeade in the company of friends while holding hands. The young couple were happy with that.

Hermione didn't get to see Harry until their now customary walk back to the castle, the head count telling them everyone would soon be safely back inside Hogwarts. The four friends were going to have a quiet dinner together in the room tonight, Barchoke's revelations to Hermione if anything had brought the two couples even closer.

Harry was making his way downstairs to meet Hermione and Padma in the Ravenclaw common room when he found himself faced with a nervous Roger, who'd clearly been waiting on him.

"Harry, I don't know what's the matter but clearly something is wrong. If we've done something..."

"Aw shit. Sorry Roger, no one has done anything, it's just something we're dealing with at the moment. Our new training is brutal and it would seem we've let some of that intensity spill over. We should get used to it in a few more weeks."

"If you're sure that's all it is? A few of us were just worried about you four."

"We're fine, Roger, but there is something you can help us with."

"Anything, Harry."

"Well, you know the four of us are getting married next summer. Being the organised people that they are, Hermione and Padma have already chosen their bridesmaids. With the way things are progressing between Parvati and Blaise, it's looking like he'll be part of the wedding party too. That leaves Neville and I having to find one each, would you be my best man, Roger?"

It was a stunned Roger who could do no more than state the blindingly obvious. "You want me to be your best man?"

"I don't think you'll mind too much if I told you Neville would have been my first choice. Since he'll now be a groom that day too, yours was the next name I thought of. You've been a friend to us since we first sat at the Ravenclaw table, we hope to continue that friendship for many years to come. So, will you do it?"

"Harry, I'd be honoured…"

A firm handshake of thanks later and Harry was on his way, leaving behind a Roger who'd gone from being nervous to utterly bewildered. This bewildered version finally caught up with his girlfriend at the entrance to the great hall.

"Are you feeling poorly, Roger? You seem, 'ow do you say, distracted. Did you talk with 'Arry, is zat what is wrong?"

A quick kiss of greeting settled Fleur down and allowed Roger to lead her over to the Ravenclaw table. "There is nothing wrong, with me or Harry, love. It's just their new training that has them acting a bit different. Harry just asked me something that totally blew me away, he wants me to be best man at his wedding…"

A happy squeal from Fleur alerted everyone that something was going on, she didn't care though. She knew how much her boyfriend valued Harry's friendship, to see that Harry valued his just as much would easily account for Roger's current dazed expression. Fleur had also since learned it had been Harry's suggestion that Roger should ask her out, something they were both pretty happy about. Roger's good news was soon spreading throughout the hall, along with his explanation on why the four friends had seemed so distant lately. They all reached the same conclusion, there couldn't be too much wrong if they were planning for their weddings.

Harry was currently telling the other three what had happened, leaving Neville shrugging his shoulders. "I was originally thinking Colin might be a good choice, seeing how he reacted after the second task has left me thinking I'd be better waiting a while. If he and Luna weren't still together next year it could get really awkward, and that's the last thing we need. If not Colin, I was thinking of Cedric or Draco."

All agreed with his thinking although Padma had another concern. "How did our friends pick up on this so quickly? I wasn't even aware we were acting differently."

"It's the bloody training. We've spent the last three and a half years learning to fight, now they won't let us. I know Amelia means well but I think we stand a better chance of pulling this off if we stick to what we're good at. Shielding and dodging until they pull those wards down might sound right to them, it just doesn't feel right to us."

A kiss from Harry soon had Hermione feeling a lot better, that and his reminder that this was a date - so no more talk of unpleasant things.

They would be surprised to discover they had an unlikely champion of their cause.

-oOoOo-

Amelia had been badgered until she had to come and see for herself. She was standing watching this and simply couldn't see anything wrong. The three sworn-to-secrecy aurors were firing curses at their opponents, and hitting nothing but the occasional shield. "Mad-eye, I just don't see what the problem is here. The plan is working perfectly. They survive until we pull down the wards, and then we'll deal with those bastards."

"Amelia, you know there's is no such beast as the perfect plan. It's goin' well because none of them are hit. When one of them goes down, the whole thin' crumbles. You're the one who told me about the bond between this lot, and how it was their main strength. That strength becomes a weakness when one of them goes down, they would literally do anythin' to help each other."

She could just imagine the rest of them standing over whoever fell, taking whatever curses came their way in an effort to protect the downed friend. "What are you suggesting, Alastor?"

"Let them loose, release the shackles this strategy puts them under and allow them to do what they are simply brilliant at. At least let me show you what I mean?"

Since she was already here, Amelia didn't have a problem with that. A signal to Shack saw him call a five minute break, Mad-eye intended to use those five minutes constructively. He headed straight for the defending group to have a quiet word.

"I can see none of you are really happy with this strategy, personally I agree with you. The best way to survive a fight is to take the other bastard out as quickly as you can, somethin' you lot have been trainin' at since you were wee firsties. How about we show Amelia just what you're capable of?"

That put smiles on their faces as Mad-eye made his way back to Amelia, the five had some planning of their own to do.

As Shack called fight, a blitzkrieg of magic hit the three unsuspecting aurors. One was taken out immediately, the other two were swiftly manoeuvred into positions where they couldn't help each other and soon succumbed. Mad-eye shoved his stopwatch under Amelia's nose, it was stopped at twenty one seconds.

"The aurors weren't prepared, you didn't tell them the rules had changed."

"Amelia, there are no rules in a fight. Voldemort is only expectin' Crow so he's in for a surprise too. I thought that was a fair test, one those five just passed with flyin' colours."

"It's hardly a fair test, comparing three aurors to what they're really up against."

"I'll give you that one, Amelia. What about me, you and Shack? Do you think that would be a fairer comparison, and we would know what to expect from these five."

This was too important, she simply had to get this right - even if it meant facing the five of them in combat. Amelia nodded her agreement before getting ready to fight. Mad-eye handed his stopwatch to one of the aurors who would now be sitting in the shielded area before deliberately picking a fight with their five opponents.

"Now children, let's see how you fair against some real opposition. Remember, I still owe you lot an arse-kickin' from way back." He was deliberately winding them up so they would come at them with everything they had. "Oh, and Crow, you won't learn anythin' lettin' this room do your fightin' for you."

"You have to admit one thing though, taking Dumbledore down like that - it was funny!"

As Mad-eye laughed at that, his own lack of constant vigilance then came back to haunt him. A starburst charm sent a wave of pain directly to his brain as his artificial eye couldn't adjust quickly enough to cut out the blindingly bright flash of light.

His wand was in his hand and he had his strongest shield up, it was all to no avail. A golden Harry had raced over and physically swept the legs from under him before a stunner put Master Auror Moody out of the fight.

Amelia felt as if she was fighting for her life. Tonks, Harry and Hermione were barely giving her time to breathe, far less do much else than try to survive the onslaught. She thought the odds had been evened slightly when one of her curses got through Hermione's magical shields, only for her goblin one to deflect that curse away. That the girl had the presence of mind to not only do this in the middle of a fight, but also deliberately deflect that curse at Shack was really frightening. That Amelia's own curse distracted Shack enough for Neville to then take him down meant the fight was as good as over, their far superior numbers meaning Amelia soon joined her two colleagues on the floor.

After being revived and helped to a seat, Amelia once more found a certain stopwatch filling her vision, Mad-eye was not happy.

"Twenty eight seconds, they fuckin' took the three of us down in twenty eight seconds! If I didn't know how quickly they got me, I would think these three were takin' the piss to try and make themselves look good."

The three aurors Mad-eye was indicating toward didn't take any offence at his remarks, they were still too shocked at how quickly that had been over. Mad-eye was right though, this lent some credibility to what they had previously considered an abysmal showing. The three most powerful aurors at the ministry had only lasted seven seconds longer.

Mad-eye pushed home his advantage. "Yes we will keep practicin' their evadin', we would do that anyway, but we need to allow them the freedom of bein' able to slip the leash and attack too. Another few weeks of this and I'm willin' to bet the centurion here would have taken that decision out of our hands."

Not surprised the scarred old auror had figured that out, Harry thought he might as well confirm his suspicions. "Amelia, we really appreciate everything you're doing to keep us safe but we will be the ones in there. These four will be my responsibility - I have to make the decisions that will hopefully see us all safely home. We need to use the time we have to get Tonks fully integrated into our group, so she knows instinctively exactly what we're going to do in any given situation."

Having just had her arse effectively handed to her, Amelia couldn't fault their logic or arguments. She also knew, in any real fight with this group, goblin steel would also be used. "Harry, you have any help The Ministry are able to give. I know that, on the day, you will all do your best to look out for each other. That's really the most important thing here."

"Amelia, on the night they attacked your home, none of these three really saw how we fight. We have spent the last few years developing this method of fighting, and made damned sure no one outside those we trust have ever seen it. This will be our surprise for Voldemort. We'd rather pin our hopes on this than try to evade while you pull the wards down."

Amelia could see the other four agreed with this, as did Mad-eye and Shack. Harry though had more to say.

"The area we have to fight in will be determined by whatever they ward. Without a building or structure to tie those wards to, increasing the area weakens the wards. We think this fight might take place in an area not much bigger than the pit. Remember, those three are only expecting me - and certainly won't want to give me anything to take shelter behind. We need to use everything we have to gain any advantage, this is what we have."

All six of the aurors who had faced them that morning couldn't really argue against any of that. Amelia though had one last card to play, she handed Neville and Padma black dragon skin wallets. Both opened them to find freshly minted special auror badges inside.

"This is to provide you both with a degree of protection. As Head of the D.M.L.E. you are hereby authorised to do whatever is necessary to survive this battle. There certainly won't be receiving any censure from the ministry, this just makes it official and stops anyone else interfering."

She then turned her attention to Hermione. "There is certainly a badge available for you too, we just weren't sure what the protocol is for offering one to the mate of a centurion."

Harry really appreciated the gesture but was quick to point out it wasn't really necessary in Hermione's case. "As my mate, Hermione is classed as a citizen of The Nation, there will be no need for a badge - unless she wants one?"

The lady in question took a moment to think the offer over. "In goblin society, females can't be warriors. This would actually legitimise my right to fight by Harry's side in that community's minds, I'm also pretty sure there has never been a goblin auror before."

A smile from Harry encouraged Amelia to remove a third wallet, Hermione Granger was now a special operative within the auror department too.

The entire great hall couldn't miss that it was a far happier group of four who sat down to lunch that Thursday. Harry answered Roger before he could even ask his question. "I told you we would get it sorted."

-oOoOo-

Dolores was desperate, bluffing with the crazy bitch, Lestrange, wasn't her idea of fun or excitement. While Rookwood was reading the Prophet's report of the second task, his girlfriend wanted to know how Dolores was going to accomplish hers.

"I still have some friends in the ministry. They have no idea what I'm involved in but know and share my views on Crow and the beasts..."

"...he's an animagi? It says here his form is a bird."

"Crow is actually a swift, a name he lived up to. As a bird, he's lightning fast and far more manoeuvrable than any broom. There's a book on those birds sitting in the kitchen, I thought our master would want all the information he could get. Anything to see Crow dead."

Both death eaters could see how much Dolores wanted that to happen, they had just given her the means to do so. "Place that on the cup, a sticking charm should do. You activate the portkey using the phrase written on the parchment. It will only work for Crow, touching the cup will bring him to us."

Bella had grabbed the newspaper out of her mate's hands the minute he mentioned Crow was an animagus. "We were also going to get you to hamper the other two champions, it would appear that won't be necessary. Despite you marking him down, everyone recognises he's won both tasks so far. The third task is always to retrieve the cup from wherever they place it, and through whatever obstacles are in the way. Touching that cup will be the last thing he ever does, his moment of triumph will soon see him die. We'll send his body back to his little mudblood mate, the press are sure to print pictures of her crying over it. That is an issue of The Prophet we certainly want you to get a copy of for us."

Imagining that tearful scene was enough to make Dolores smile, she would certainly be buying a few copies of that issue.

Behind the bedroom curtain, a certain beetle was imagining a completely different headline, one she would take great pleasure in writing. Rita Skeeter would get to tell the entire story of Voldemort's downfall, and the part Dumbledore and Umbridge played in it. Rita now knew enough about goblin culture to understand that, should anything happen to any of the four teens fighting Voldemort, neither Dolores nor Dumbledore would see Azkaban.

Director Ragnok would demand they were both fed to the Gringotts dragons, and there wouldn't be a voice raised in magical Britain against that being allowed to happen. Minister Fudge would probably personally hand them over to Gringotts.

-oOoOo-

Things at Hogwarts soon settled back into a routine for the four friends, a routine that saw some of their family 'visit' the Blacks either Saturday or Sunday of every weekend. The family were determined to support their children in the lead-up to the final task, either the Longbottoms, Grangers, Patils or Barchoke were inside Hogwarts once a week to see the four as they took their usual lesson with Sirius. It was a very proud Neville who showed his mum and dad their new auror badges.

The final task had been unofficially set for the twenty fourth of June, meaning they would be leaving for the island after potions on Friday, the eighteenth. Thanks to Hermione's plan, this was the date that was at the forefront of the four teenagers' minds.

The only day they allocated themselves off training was the second of May, Padma and Parvati's birthday. Smita and Ramrao were the 'visitors' that Sunday, and had brought some news that would take the four's minds off what they would be facing for a while.

"Parvati, I've been contacted by the Zabini family concerning a betrothal between you and their son. I have the forms here, only needing my signature, and I understand Blaise was hoping you would be wearing his family's ring to your birthday party tonight. The choice though is yours to make."

Smita now had her arm around Parvati's shoulder, offering support and confirming what her husband had just said. "The decision is yours to make. If you don't want this, or even think you need more time to make your mind up, we'll support you."

"Mum, dad, I want this. Blaise has been fantastic with me, standing by me while I eventually grew up. He's sweet, kind and handsome - what more could I want?"

"I notice you didn't mention love in there, was that deliberate?"

"I really like Blaise, mum, more than any boy I've ever met. I think we could be really good together, and I would be satisfied with that. I can see us being happy together for the rest of our lives, whether that's love I don't know - and honestly don't really care. I almost ruined my life with that romantic rubbish, not any longer. Blaise is now my best friend, and becoming so much more. I took my sister's advice, and she was right…"

Tears began running down Parvati's cheeks at that, suddenly she was out her seat and throwing herself at Padma. She was clinging to her twin while trying to talk through her sobs. "You're going to be my bridesmaid, you need to be there - I need you to be there - promise me you'll be there…"

"Pav, I promise I will do everything in my power to be there, and these three will be helping me keep that promise."

She managed to get her crying back under some control, Parvati was in danger of setting a few people off. "I know you will, Padma, you four have your own weddings to look forward to as well. It's just so hard, sitting here and not being able to help."

Sirius practically growled his response to that. "You are not alone in feeling like that, Parvati, we're all sharing that pain."

This confused the four, though Padma as usual was quickest with her answer. "You are helping us, immensely. Just knowing we have everyone's support means so much to us, and seeing some of our parents every weekend was a brilliant idea. Our family keeps growing, I'm gonna have another brother, and we're all happy about that. We may have the strangest family in the world, but it's also the greatest."

Harry's smile at that lit up the room. They all knew who Padma already considered her brother, something a certain centurion was ecstatic about. His sister wasn't quite finished yet though.

"Kissing my betrothed as a fifteen year old is the best feeling in the world, Pav, just wait until you try it."

She was currently sitting next to her twin, with Neville on Padma's other side. This was just too good a chance to pass up though. Parvati effortlessly slid onto Neville's lap and had both arms around his neck. "Well, Padma, if you insist." Parvati leaned in to a clearly panicking Neville, and gave him a sisterly kiss on the cheek.

Once again, Hermione noticed the similarities between her mate and his godfather. It was hard not to, since both were laughing so hard they had slipped off their chairs and onto the floor. Every time they looked in Neville or Padma's direction, their laughter would kick off anew.

Henrica had a giggling Astrid on her knee. "Your daddy is such a silly wizard, isn't he my darling."

This increased her giggling before the entire room heard what came next. "Dada, Dada..."

Sirius had stopped laughing, his smile though was wide and one of wonder. Astrid was scooped into her father's arms as Sirius wanted to hear that sound again. "Did my little princess just say Dada? Let me hear that again?"

A pair of pudgy little hands smacked Sirius on either cheek, as if his daughter was emphasising just who she was talking about. "Dada, Dada..."

The proud father was now dancing about the room with his giggling daughter in his arms. "She's a daddy's girl, my little princess is a daddy's girl!"

His wife was trying for a miffed expression, and failing miserably. "Oh please, have you seen the two men in her life? Her poor mummy never stood a chance..."

She found herself being scooped into her husband's spare arm and receiving a kiss while their daughter had an arm around both their necks.

Harry was back sitting with his arm around Hermione, clearly moved by the scene in front of them. "...and that is why we fight!" He hadn't meant for anyone else other than Hermione to hear, his emotions were all over the place though and Harry's voice was louder than intended. The entire room heard, and everyone currently in that room agreed.

-oOoOo-

Albus thought what he held in his hands was a work of art, in more ways than one. It was specifically designed to be placed on the base of the Triwizard Cup. Its real genius though was the fact it made no attempt at hiding, it actually did the exact opposite. Hiding in plain sight was utter genius, as was just how this impossible feat had been accomplished.

The attachment would fit onto the trophy like a glove, it literally had been made to measure. Its other purpose was to display the names of previous winners of the Tri-wizard Tournament - with even a space left to add this year's winner's name. Instead of trying to hide, it screamed 'look at me'. Albus couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of all three champions admiring the names on the portkey, and hoping their own name would soon join this illustrious company. That was never going to happen though.

Dolores had even been supplied with her cover story to attach the portkey. The cup was currently being held at the ministry, in Dolores' old department. If she was unable to sneak in there and do the deed without anyone knowing, Dolores was to say she had it made especially for the tournament - and then forgot all about the piece after her involvement ended. The portkey itself showed negative to almost every magical scan, needing Harry's touch to activate it.

That last part was the second reason why Albus thought this was a work of art, and also the reason why it had taken him over three weeks to decipher the bloody thing. That task being accomplished though, he had then been able to add a little touch of his own. It may raise Tom's suspicions but Lord Voldemort wanted Harry Potter dead, he needed to kill the boy and wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth.

Tom would kill Harry, completing the prophecy, and then Albus would save the country. Save the world even, Albus Dumbledore liked the sound of that!

A/N thanks for reading.

A/N 2 I think it would be appropriate to finish Harry Crow on the 5th of June, exactly two years after I posted the very first chapter. since I currently don't have one word of the next chapter written, not sure if I'll manage that. I'll only know it's time to end the story when I have nothing left to say - think I have at least four chapters worth still spinning around in my head. You'll just have to do the same as me - wait and see!

101. It's Time

Harry Crow

Disclaimer - JKR owns all things Harry Potter

Chapter 101

Quidditch fever had once more gripped Hogwarts. The last two round robin matches had been contested over the previous weekends, resulting in this Saturday's final being between Slytherin and Durmstang. With Viktor and Draco being part of the large group of friends enjoying lunch that Monday, the conversation was never going to stay away from quidditch for long.

"So Harry, vill you be coming to vatch the final on Saturday? I am looking forward to playing against Draco, surely you could miss training for just one day to vatch your friends compete?"

"We will be missing training this weekend, Viktor, but won't be spending that time watching quidditch. Tonks thinks we have been overdoing the training this term, and has ordered us to have a weekend of rest before I have the final task next week. To us, the best place to rest is on my island - we'll be leaving for there right after our potions class on Friday. Since Tonks is still on protection detail, she and Remus are coming too."

This drew a quip from Padma, wanting to divert attention away for the real reason behind their trip. "We're not sure whether Tonks is just saying we need a rest so she and Remus can have a holiday too. As Neville and I are included as well, we really don't care. There's no way we would refuse a weekend in the Maldives. Sorry Viktor, no quidditch match can live up to that."

Pansy was quick to confirm she agreed with Pama's assessment. "Too true. Even with Draco playing, I'd still rather be on Harry's Island."

Her comments even found agreement from her seeker boyfriend. "Pansy in her bikini or Viktor in his quidditch robes is no contest for me either. If there are any spare invitations going, you could count Pansy and me in too!"

This was something they wanted to nip in the bud, Hermione got in first. "Sorry Draco, the idea is for us to get away and forget about everything for the weekend."

Viktor could hardly believe his ears. "This must be some island, Harry." The Bulgarian was quickly assured it was by anyone sitting there who had visited it.

Also wanting to divert attention away from this weekend, Hermione made an on the spot decision. "We held a birthday party for these two there last year. I think we should do the same again this summer - and everyone sitting here is invited. You'll then be able to make your own mind up, Viktor."

While this delighted everyone, it also opened an unexpected can of worms. it was Morag who set the ball rolling. "Have you made holiday plans for this summer yet?"

Looking around their friends told the four this was something that had been getting discussed. Susan, Hannah and Luna were all now staring at their plates in embarrassment, something Harry was never going to stand for.

"I'm really sorry, everyone. All four of us have gotten so wrapped-up in our training that we haven't made any plans for summer. Whatever our plans are though, you know we'll want to spend some of that summer with our friends and family. I think we should organise a family meeting for the following weekend, we can all sit down and plan our summer from there."

Looking on as Luna, Susan and Hannah all broke into smiles was actually painful to watch, Harry could only hope they forgave him for not including them in the loop. Parvati, Pansy and Draco's expressions were rather strained, all three just hoping the entire family were available to sit down that weekend to plan their summer.

Trying to keep the good mood going, Hermione made a point of letting Fleur and Viktor know they were certainly classed as friends, and they would be planning to see them at some point over the summer. With a joint birthday party on a tropical island to look forward to, and the distinct possibility some of them would also be included in further holiday plans, talk of quidditch actually took a back seat for the rest of the day.

Blaise had noticed his betrothed flinch during the holiday conversations but waited until it was just the two of them to talk with Parvati about it. "Do you want to tell me what's going on? There was all that talk of holidays yet you appeared as if that was nothing but bad news, you love those holidays."

"I know, and I'm really looking forward to them this year. I can't tell you any more, Blaise, it's not my secret to tell. I promise you this though, you will know everything before that family meeting - and also be included in it."

After watching the arse Colin had made of himself with Luna regarding the animagi incident, Blaise was certain this was the same scenario here. He was also certain the same players would once more be centre stage and had no intention of forcing Parvati's hand on this one. "Can you at least tell me that these concerns are to do with your sister, and have nothing to do with our betrothal?"

A passionate kiss later and Blaise's last question had been answered. He was also smart enough to figure out what was going on. Between all the training those four put in, and the event that that was scheduled to take place between these two weekends, his as yet unanswered question just became a lot clearer.

"I'll be right beside you during the third task."

"Thanks for understanding, Blaise, and I have this terrible feeling I'll really need you to be right beside me on that day."

With Crow's Marauders taking place that evening, the couple spent a quiet few hours alone together contemplating just what the future might hold.

-oOoOo-

With the summer now well and truly upon them, Emma and Dan were enjoying the Highland sunshine by taking Jamie down to the playground. This was one of the parts Harry had insisted be left after the fayre and, although the carousels, puppet shows and all the other forms of entertainment were now gone, it was still a well used facility. Both had gotten used to meeting the other parents as they too used the playground for their children, and Jamie certainly enjoyed sitting on a blanket with a couple of his goblin friends who were also too young for the swings and such.

Harry would be delighted to know his Kingussie estate was becoming a real community, it wasn't too difficult to imagine Astrid Black sitting on that blanket along with Jamie and their little goblin friends, while the parents all sat having a chat in the sunshine.

Even thinking about her other children nearly had the tears flowing for Emma. She and Dan both knew Hermione would do absolutely anything to fight by Harry's side and help keep him safe. They also recognised that, although Harry probably didn't want Hermione anywhere near this fight, they would certainly be safer together.

Neither she nor Dan were too bothered about this weekend their children had planned. Both knew what would be happening during that weekend but how could you complain when Harry was whisking her off to a beautiful tropical island, it was only a few months before Hermione could do so legally, and this time next summer they would all be embroiled in planning their wedding.

What had reduced Emma to sobs was Barchoke informing them Harry and Hermione had made their wills, there was certainly no comfort from knowing Jamie would be the main beneficiary. The very thought of them needing to write their last will and testaments was far more terrifying than any hangups over them losing their virginities to each other, something that was always going to happen anyway.

The mother in Emma was struggling with the decision that would put both Harry and Hermione in deadly danger, no amount of logical explanations would change that. She could only pray the five of them came through this unscathed, Emma simply couldn't contemplate any other scenarios.

-oOoOo-

Another family were also enjoying the Scottish sunshine, though there were certainly no goblins within sight of the Flannan Isles. This was a very special day for the family, Marvolo Rookwood was now one year old. Augustus had risked a late night raid on a muggle store to make this day special for his son, they even had cake and a few toys as presents. Their master wasn't one for sitting out in the sun, so it was left to just the three of them to enjoy Marvolo's special day.

Since delivering the portkey to Umbridge, their only task left to accomplish was to kill the boy on the twenty-fourth, now only nine days away. Augustus would have to say that his time spent here, this last year especially, was the happiest of his life. He had always thought his chances of having a loving wife and family were at best a pipe dream. Now he, Augustus Rookwood, had a stunningly beautiful wife and the most wonderful son imaginable.

While he now thought their chances of pulling this off next week were good, Augustus certainly drew comfort from knowing that their son would be found if anything happened to Bella and him. Watching as Marvolo took his first teetering steps in this world, Augusta thought their boy deserved a better life than hiding out on this remote island.

One thing Augustus was sure of, by next weekend Marvolo would begin that journey to a better life. He could only hope it was Bella and him who led their son to this promise of a better life.

-oOoOo-

Harry was leading them off the castle grounds when they came across Parvati and Pansy waiting on them, Hugs were exchanged before the six left the Hogwarts grounds and portkeyed away.

"I suppose I should be jealous, knowing how they are going to be spending this weekend. Then I remember what they're facing on Thursday, and any jealousy gets its arse well and truly kicked. When Blaise and I have our first time together, I don't want it to be because we might both be dead by the following weekend."

Seeing the tears running down Parvati's cheeks, Pansy soon had her arm around her friend. "Draco and I are in the same position. Sometimes I wish we didn't know what was happening…"

"Oh no, that's much worse. I've tried that and your imagination can paint all different pictures of what's really going on, It's much better to know the truth."

While offering comfort to Parvati, Pansy couldn't really agree with that analogy. Perhaps it was because she couldn't think of anything worse than to willingly face the people who had tortured her father to death.

The six found themselves facing three chalets with the lights on, and the path from the beach lit so they could make their way safely to their accommodation. Going from the long summer day at Hogwarts to night in the Maldives took a moment to acclimatise their eyes to.

Sensing their nervousness, Tonks broke the awkward silence. "Well, I don't know about anyone else but I thought that was a bloody long week. I plan on spending a nice quiet evening with Wolfie here, I'm sure you four will be able to keep yourselves entertained. We'll take the middle chalet, that lets me do my job of keeping you lot safe better." With that, she dragged Remus away.

Padma was glad it was dark so no one could see how much she was blushing, she grabbed her mate's hand and started dragging Neville off to the chalet on the extreme left of the row.

Harry offered Hermione his arm as they headed right, he soon changed that to his arm being around her waist as he could feel his mate tremble. They entered the chalet and Hermione could see Harry had thought of everything. There was soft music playing in the background and there was a candlelit table set for a romantic dinner for two. Hermione hadn't come here to eat though.

"Harry, this is beautiful and so thoughtful. If you don't take me into the bedroom right away though, I'm going to rip that shirt right off you and we'll end up on the floor…"

"Aw Hermione, I like this shirt…" Harry then found himself lost for words as he could see the lust reflected in Hermione's eyes. Wanting to let her know he felt exactly the same way, he ripped his own shirt right off and threw it away. Harry obviously got it right because Hermione launched herself at him, her hands wandering everywhere while their lips were locked.

Without breaking their kiss, Harry lovingly scooped her up into his arms and headed for the bedroom. Their relationship had slowly progressed to the point where there would be no embarrassment tonight, just natural concern that they could each make the experience as pleasurable as possible for the other. It was understandable then that both had their attention on other things, neither noticing the golden glow radiating out the room at the exact moment their bond completed.

-oOoOo-

Henrica found Sirius standing beside their daughter's cot, his gaze never shifted from Astrid and tears were slowly running down his cheeks. She wrapped her arms around her husband, not even needing to ask the question. Sirius though wanted to say what was on his mind.

"I feel oh so blessed, love. Having you and our wonderful daughter in my life are more than I ever though possible, probably more than I deserve. That same life has taught me though things are always in balance, there will be a price to pay for this happiness. I just can't shake this horrible feeling that the price is going to be paid on Thursday, by some of our family. I love every single one of those teens, and Tonks is not only family but married to my best friend. Not being able to do anything is killing me, I don't know how their patents are coping with this. I just look at our little Astrid and I'm the blubbing wreck you found standing here."

Gently kissing her emotional husband, Henrica understood at once what the problem was here. Sirius was worried he was failing his godson, his family, and by extension their daughter. Both Astrid's godparents would be right in the middle of this.

"Using your own balance system, did it never occur to you those scales of life were overdue to swing in a positive direction for my wonderful husband? I know you've had a shitty life, love, and are struggling to accept you should be this happy. You are a loving husband, wonderful father, and Harry thinks you're the best godfather on the planet - after him and Neville of course. We've done everything we can, now all that's left to do is support the members of our family as best we can. Between now and Thursday, during that entire day and after too, we'll all need each other."

Sirius' arms snaked around his beautiful wife. "I'll need you way past Thursday, I need you every day for the rest of my life."

"Well it's a good job you married me then, because I'm not going anywhere. Mum and dad are arriving tomorrow too, supposedly to watch the quidditch but they'll be staying in Scotland until after the third task. What do you say about having an early night and trying to make them grandparents twice over?"

"I would say that's a wonderful idea..." Sirius' thoughts wandered for a moment before he told his wife where they had gone. "You know, I don't think any of the family would mind if those girls came back from that island pregnant. As long as they come back from this fight on Thursday, they will be forgiven for just about anything."

"I agree, but there's no chance of that happening. Tonks made sure the entire situation was taken care of, for all three of them."

This puzzled Sirius. "I thought Tonks wanted a family?"

"Oh she does, stop and think for a moment though. If she found herself pregnant, there isn't a chance in hell either Remus or Harry would let her anywhere near this fight. When this is finally over, you might not see Remus for quite a while. Tonks has a fair bit of leave stacked up from the last two years, and I can't see Amelia turning down her request to use it. Tonks intends to be pregnant before the new term starts in September."

This actually coaxed a smile from Sirius. "Remus is indeed going to be busy, I seem to remember you mentioning it was time we got busy ourselves. Let's go and see if we can come up with a little sister or brother for our Astrid."

They left their sleeping daughter's room, Henrica thinking her mission was accomplished. Sirius was certainly in a better frame of mind than when she first entered.

-oOoOo-

Due to the unprecedented circumstances, his friends didn't want Barchoke to be celebrating the completion of his son and daughter's bond alone. Since this would usually occur the same evening as the couple's bonding, the parents would normally still be at the celebrations.

Ragnok, Sharpshard, Pitslay and the proud father all shared tankards of grog as Hermione officially became Barchoke's daughter, a citizen of The Nation and the new Lady Potter. As with all events like this, reminiscing was at the forefront of their minds.

""It doesn't seem that long ago he was just a little bundle being deposited on my desk, now he's married his mate.""

""I called him Crow and he used cunning that bird would be proud of to turn that back on me. Had I known then what we know now, I would probably have called him Emir..."" The Director was halted from saying any more by Barchoke's loud laughter.

It took him a moment to recover before the Ambassador could answer his three friends. ""I'm sorry but you would find that as funny as I did if you knew more about the muggles, their Queen has a grandson called Prince Harry.""

This did indeed set the other three off laughing, the quantities of grog being consumed might have had something to do with that though. Pitslay offered his opinion. ""Your son truly is a prince, Barchoke. He also chooses his friends as wisely as he picked his mate. They are such a force for positive change that Gringotts has already progressed beyond where I had even dared to dream was possible."

Sharpshard's sentiment was of a completely different kind. ""He was well-named Crow, the name for a group of them is a murder. That's what it will be on Thursday, we'll murder these honour-less child-killing cowards where they stand before they can hurt anyone else - and then I intend to be drunk for a week!""

""I don't think The Nation has such a grog reserve old friend..."" Barchoke still raised his glass though and toasted with the rest of them to that, that wonderful outcome might see Barchoke drunk for a week too.

-oOoOo-

It wasn't the first time Harry had woken with Hermione in his arms, it was the first time though doing so while both of them were naked. Just thinking of last night saw his arms tighten even more around his mate, causing Hermione to make a noise similar to that of a contented Moonlight. He kissed the top of her head as Hermione snuggled in even more, if that was possible.

"Mmmm, I could get used to waking up like this for the rest of my life."

"Only one more summer to go, Hermione, then that's exactly what will happen. I hate to say this love, but I think we need to get up..."

"Harry, you mention us both needing a shower, I swear you'll be sleeping in the other room tonight."

"Aw, I was looking forward to washing your hair too. Unless you intend to spend the entire weekend in this chalet, we should get up and ready for our run."

There was a moment of silence while Hermione considered her options. "Staying in this chalet is a very attractive option..."

Looking at his naked mate, Harry certainly agreed with that.

"...but we still have to face people. A run and then breakfast with everyone sounds good, how about an afternoon siesta though?"

"I knew you were the brains here, that sounds wonderful."

"So does getting my hair washed in the shower, let's go..."

Meeting Padma and Neville could have been awkward but both girls grabbed each other by the hand and then raced ahead, leaving Harry and Neville no choice but to follow on.

There was no awkwardness between the boys either. They may have ran in silence but the shit-eating grin Neville was wearing told everyone he was very happy with his life at the moment. The occasional bout of giggles coming from the girls meant they were being discussed but again Neville just smiled at Padma as if she was an angel who'd fallen to earth just for him.

They must a have run over a mile before Neville broke the comfortable silence. "Harry, we are the two luckiest blokes on the planet."

There was no argument coming from Harry on that subject yet he recognised that his brother in all but blood had more to say.

"I'm not scared anymore, Harry. Oh sure, I'm still frightened of what could happen when we face these bastards but I'm not scared anymore. Padma did that, she made a man of me in more ways than just the obvious. My journey started when we first met, you offered me your hand in friendship and introduced me to the most wonderful witch in the world. I'm trying to say thanks, Harry, for everything."

"Nev, are we lucky - hell yes! Do you need to thank me for anything, absolutely not. Friendship and family is a two-way thing, you've more than held up your end of the bargain."

His smile might not be able to widen any further but Neville nodded in acknowledgement and thanks.

"Hermione thought this weekend would show us what our future held, and make us all fight harder to make that future come true. As usual my beautiful mate was right. Next summer those two become our wives, and I will do absolutely anything to ensure that happens. I don't give a shit whether it's a magical spell, goblin steel or a muggle bullet that puts Voldemort down, just as long as the bastard goes down. Hermione taught me that, we really are lucky..."

The two witches must have finished their conversation as, with a jump that didn't even break their stride, Hover and Saber took to the air. Buff and Swift were right behind them as they flew around the island in formation.

Tonks was delighted she won her bet. "Told you Wolfie, not only are they exercising as usual but will be over here for breakfast. Puts that supposed werewolf stamina of yours to shame, you didn't get out of bed for two days..."

Remus kissed the teasing witch. "I didn't get out of bed because a certain auror wouldn't let me, and I thought my legendary stamina more than proved itself over those two days."

"That it did, lover, that it did. Now, I need you to lock your marauder side away - you will not tease any of these four today."

"Aw, you're spoiling all my fun..."

"Be a good little Wolfie and I promise to make it up to you later. You can tease me as much as you want."

A kiss later and their bargain was sealed.

-oOoOo-

The quidditch matches at Hogwarts were proving to be incredibly popular. With today being the final, and Viktor Krum playing for Durmstang against Slytherin, Dolores chose this time to make her move. Since she was effectively breaking into her old department, the Department of Magical Games and Sports, Dolores couldn't think of a better opportunity to carry out her task.

Armed with the dark lord's portkey, and her cover story, she was pleasantly surprised to discover the department was totally deserted. She had a small chuckle to herself at the irony of the situation. The department was empty because they were all away watching the quidditch, a match that wouldn't be taking place at all if it wasn't for Crow's interference. Dolores savoured the delicious thought that Crow was playing a part in his own downfall, and that now there was no chance of her being linked to the kidnapping. Her revenge was going to be oh so sweet.

She placed the plate with the names of the past winners carefully on the base of the cup, a sticking charm making it appear as if it had always been there. Activating the portkey caused the entire cup to glow for a second, after that Dolores' scans couldn't read any magical signature from the trophy.

Having ridden her luck, Dolores got out of there as quickly as she could. Dolores was quite proud of herself, for accomplishing what was another difficult task. Now all that she had left to do was look forward to Thursday and practice a concerned expression for when the goblin lover was whisked away from the stadium. Not as easy as it sounded, since Dolores would really be wanting to stand up and cheer.

-oOoOo-

Even those not close to the four could easily see the difference when they walked back into Hogwarts on Sunday evening. They appeared happy, refreshed and now didn't look as if they had the weight of the world on their shoulders. Their friends would have to wait though as the quartet had bolted to greet their Swedish visitors, having not seen Moa or Lukas since Christmas. The two visitors were delighted to see the four looking so well, and would be able to pass on that news when they left Hogwarts for Kingussie after dinner. They would of course be returning to the castle with the rest of the family on Thursday.

Taking their seats at the Ravenclaw table gave their friends time to catch up, Fleur summed up the feelings of all those not in the know.

"Mon Dieu, you look fantastique! 'Arry, you could make a fortune renting out ziz island if a weekend can do zat."

It was with a cheeky grin Hermione answered her. "Fleur, we consider that Island one of our homes, it's for family and friends only. Oh, and Harry already has a fortune."

"I think my lady is forgetting that is our fortune..."

A blushing Hermione was still smiling as she kissed her husband, the Potter ring having magically appeared on her finger after they completed their bond. Thankfully, like Harry's head of house ring, only people who knew about it would be able to see that magic now considered her Lady Potter. The couple were now considered married in two of the societies they inhabited, their wedding next summer would complete the trilogy.

While catching up, it didn't take long to discover that Victor had won the quidditch tournament for Durmstrang. All of their Hogwarts friends, with the possible exception of Roger, were now hoping Harry would get his hands on the Tri-wizard Cup. None picked up on the involuntary shudder that passed through the four every time lifting that particular trophy was mentioned.

-oOoOo-

Albus took particular care with dressing this morning. Today was the day he would return to his rightful place in magical society, and it was important he looked his best. That bastard Crow slicing his beard off had called for an entire change of image. Instead of his flowing silver locks and beard, both were now neatly trimmed to make him look more like a warrior for the light - rather than the elder statesman his previous image projected.

He had also avoided choosing some of his more outlandish and eccentric sets of robes, though deep purple with gold trimming couldn't really be classed as demure. Like Dolores, he had also been practicing projecting a demure and heartbroken demeanour - Albus was sure he could even manage to shed a few tears over Crow's dead body.

Knowing all eyes would be on him later, Albus checked his image one more time in the full-length mirror and was satisfied with what he saw reflected there. It was time to head to the stadium, Albus wanted a good seat. One way or another, this would end today.

-oOoOo-

Fleur and Viktor were in the changing room, waiting not only on the third task starting but also the third champion showing up. When he eventually arrived, Harry wasn't alone. Hermione, Padma, Neville and Tonks all accompanied him.

Viktor recognised something was wrong right away, it was the expressions they wore. As a professional sportsmen he'd seen that intense concentration before, they had their game faces on and someone was in deep trouble. He was pleased and relieved he managed to concentrate on their faces, since all wore skin tight body armour that emphasised every curve of their bodies.

Viktor thought he was looking at three of the sexiest girls he had ever seen, and that was with a veela in the room too. Since two of them currently had razor sharp swords strapped to their backs and the third was an auror, Viktor's restraint in not ogling them was understandable. Throw in Harry, Neville and these girls were also friends of his and it just couldn't happen, that didn't mean it was easy though.

It was the veela amongst them who broke the stunned silence. "What is going on 'ere, 'Arry? Are all of you competing?"

"Fleur, Viktor, I'm really sorry we couldn't tell you sooner. There is no third task..."

"Vat! Are you making vith the joke?"

"No Viktor, we're not joking, this is certainly not a laughing matter. It was Voldemort who arranged for my name to be put in that goblet, he wants me dead and this is all part of his scheme. Voldemort thinks he's tricking me but we've known every move he's made. I also want to assure you both that you were never in any danger throughout the tournament, well not from Voldemort at any rate. Three of our fathers have been concealed in the stadium roof for every task, armed with guns that were a lot more accurate and powerful than the one I used in the last task. Had any of them appeared, they would have been cut down in seconds."

"Zis does not make sense, 'Arry."

"Both ours and Viktor's Ministers of Magic are currently explaining exactly what has been happening to Madame Maxime, they will be here shortly to confirm everything I've said. She will need to take her seat in the stadium because Voldemort has people helping him, and they're here today. Viktor, one of them is Dumbledore..."

This had the Bulgarian champion sitting down. "Are you sure, Harry?"

"Positive, though even Voldemort doesn't know that part. Umbridge was tasked with getting a sample of my blood, we think Dumbledore told her how to do that. Her personal elf stole my bloody towel after one of our morning practice sessions with our blades. It was a really bloody towel, since these three also bled on it!"

"You knew, and still did zis?"

"Fleur, this has been handled at the highest levels of our governments, it's not just us against Voldemort. We all want this to end, today is our chance. The cup has been transformed into a blood-bound portkey that will take me to Voldemort's trap, he doesn't know we're setting one for him. Again I hope you can forgive me for keeping this from you..."

Fleur flew at Harry and had her arms wrapped protectively around her friend. "You are ready to face Voldemort but worried about what we zzink...you silly man. Do not worry about us, just concentrate on what you 'ave to do."

As Fleur stepped back, Viktor almost pushed her out the way in his haste to shake Harry by the hand. "You have nothing to vorry about vith me. I vant to go too - Durmstang's honour demands that I do."

At that, Amelia entered with both ministers and Ragnok. "Mr Krum, we expect them to be trapped behind wards we will have to pull down. We would welcome wands we could trust to help with that task..." She hardly got finished speaking when Fleur jumped in to add her name to that list too, raising a smile amongst the four. They were sure the rest of their friends would understand too.

All four bowed to Ragnok, the director was actually wearing armour. It would appear that he too was determined to be part of this fight today. Cornelius was shaking all their hands, but this was not the handshake of a politician.

"I swore I would stand beside you when you faced him, Harry. I'm here today to make good on my promise, along with every wand we can muster. Most of them don't really know what's happening yet, and won't until we announce it."

Amelia also wanted to make sure there were no misunderstandings, though her instructions were simplicity itself. "When you hear me scream 'down', that's exactly what you do. Hit the ground immediately, because the stuff flying above your head will be lethal."

Borislaw was shaking Viktor's hand. "Ve fight today to avenge our countrymen these bastard's murdered at the Vorld Cup. The British have asked to deal vith Dumbledore and I agreed, ve do not vant him back in our country anyway. Durmstang vill have a new headmaster and deputy in September."

Checking her watch, Amelia signalled to Cornelius. "Minister, it's time." She then hugged the four teens and Tonks before the entire party headed out the dressing room to enter the stadium.

-oOoOo-

Albus wasn't listening to the inane banter coming from the commentator, nor was he too bothered that the third task appeared rather easy - he would surely have come up with something more challenging than a maze. No, his entire concentration was focused on the tunnel that would lead the champions from the dressing room into the stadium. This was why he was totally surprised when someone sat next to him.

"Albus, Albus, I told you to return to Bulgaria and forget about Harry. You didn't listen, and now no one can help you..."

Before he could answer, Albus felt cold metal being pressed into the back of his neck as the seat on his right side was suddenly occupied too. This time he could see that Alice Longbottom now had a gun pressed into his side.

"Frank might struggle with his speech but everything else works just fine. You need to believe he's ready and capable of putting a bullet into that fucking manipulative head of yours. My godson, his mate and our children are about to go and face Voldemort, and you helped those evil bastards get to them. You have no idea how much I want to put a bullet in you myself. Give me an excuse, Albus, just give me an excuse!"

Cornelius, Borislaw, Barchoke and Amelia walked into the stadium, Harry's party and the other two champions followed on. An auror handed a microphone to the minister as Lee's routine to warm up the crowd came to an abrupt end.

"As you can see, we have a slight change of plans today. In fact, the third task has just been cancelled." There wasn't a sound from the crowd, the aurors and warriors now streaming into the stadium might have had something to do with that.

Cornelius then proceeded to tell everyone exactly what was going on, the wizarding wireless had been denied the right to broadcast this event live for this very reason.

"Centurion Crow's name was placed in the Goblet of Fire by Dolores Umbridge, acting on the orders of Voldemort..."

That did raise some noise. The three aurors who normally trained with Harry's group had been tasked with arresting Umbridge, they found themselves having to try and defend the witch. There had been a group of Crow's Marauders sitting a couple of rows behind her, Dolores was taken down before the three aurors could get there. Two had to shield while the third levitated the unconscious witch out the stadium. Some very accurate spells though left her barely recognisable as human, far less as a witch called Dolores Umbridge by the time they got her out.

At any other time Cornelius would have enjoyed watching Dolores get taken apart by students, not today though. "Madam Umbridge was not working alone, Albus Dumbledore was advising her on how best to help Voldemort. Have you anything to say, Albus?"

All eyes may now be turned in his direction but this was not how Dumbledore had planned it. He still hoped to talk his way out of this though. "If I am to be publicly accused, I would at least think these good people deserve to hear what proof you have..."

He didn't get to finish his impromptus speech, Alice's grow interrupting him. "Wrong answer, we don't have time for your games today. This is for the greater good, Albus, just not yours."

Dan had removed some of the power from their bullets, not wanting anyone else injured should it pass straight through the old goat's body. There wasn't a loud bang but Dumbledore's scream made up for that as the elbow of his wand arm was just shattered. "Okay, Severus, do your stuff. If he puts up too much of a fight, I can easily put another bullet in him. I've got five left!"

Albus was in a great deal of pain and shock when Severus just added to that, by standing and attacking his mind. Normally he would have been able to repel Severus' attack, but things weren't normal. The pain emanating from his shattered elbow was intense, there were also guns being pressed into the back of his head and now his right knee too. The horrendous agony from his elbow was irrefutable proof the people who held these guns were more than willing to use them.

While Albus and Severus fought their battle of wills, Cornelius explained to the crowd that the trophy had been turned into a portkey to whisk Harry away to where Voldemort had prepared his trap. Telling the crowd that Professor Snape was trying to get whatever information Dumbledore had out of him, since Voldemort would get suspicious if his trap wasn't sprung soon, saw an unprecedented swell of support head in Severus' direction.

It was a now heavily perspiring Severus who once more sat down, he certainly needed a seat. A few deep breaths were also required to centre himself before casting the sonarus charm to give everyone the news.

"The portkey is set to take the centurion to a field overlooked by a statue of a knight on a horse, it's at a place called Bannockburn..."

This caused great celebration amongst the crowd, and when Minerva McGonagall shouted she knew exactly where that was even the family were cheering. Severus though had more to say, he held his hand up for silence before continuing. "Dumbledore here added his own little twist to Voldemort's plan, he built a stunner into the portkey. Should Harry touch that cup, he will arrive in Bannockburn unconscious."

The sound of a gunshot was clearly heard this time...

A/N thanks for reading

A/N 2 What? Would you rather have the cliffhanger in the middle of the battle? Next chapter, the fight - with no cliffy (I promise!)

A/N 3 thanks to all those who asked how the very real battle to save our school is progressing. Latest news is now available on our blog page

3W's dot Notomerger dot org dot uk

102. The Battle of Bannockburn

Harry Crow

A/N warning - as promised, no cliffy!

Chapter 102

The dark lord looked upon the statue of Robert the Bruce and wasn't impressed. Then again, very little impressed him. One thing did imprint on a young Tom Riddle however, one of his primary school teachers had a way with words that simply mesmerised and inspired the children in his care.

Listening to the enthralling tale of how this noble knight had failed twice already in his quest, and was then forced to hide for his life in a cave, was a memory that still stuck with him after all these years. Hearing how The Bruce gained hope by watching while a spider tried and tried again until it managed to spin its web was awe inspiring to a seven year old Tom Riddle. This was the tiny seed that eventually germinated into his 'never give up and your schemes will come to pass' mentality. Lord Voldemort certainly now realised that part of the story was probably nothing more than an old wives' tale, but it was undeniable that Robert the Bruce won a great victory on this very spot. He also became ruler of his country - which was what had brought the dark lord here.

Unlike The Bruce, Lord Voldemort had spun his own web and now it only remained for his victim to fall into his clutches. When he killed Potter, the dark lord intended to transfigure this statue into a giant likeness of himself before placing the boy's dead body in the effigy's outstretched hands.

They would then remove the muggle repelling charms from the site and head out of the country, returning to their base only long enough to pick up Nagini and the baby. Like Robert the Bruce, Lord Voldemort was destined to rule over this country too - and that journey would start over in earnest today.

-oOoOo-

The echo of the gunshot wasn't heard, Dumbledore's screams of pain drowning out any chance of that happening. After listening to what he'd intended, Alice's finger had tightened on that trigger all of its own accord. The spirit of her best friend, Lily Potter, might have had something to do with this, though Lily would surely have aimed higher up. Alice's gun was now aimed considerably higher up, right between Dumbledore's eyes.

The bullet that had destroyed his knee also caused the old wizard to tumble right off his seat, Dumbledore was now lying on the floorspace between the rows of seats, writhing in agony while an armed Alice coolly towered over him - poised and ready to finish the job.

"You sick bastard, have you ever spoken the truth to us?"

A hand very gently pushed her gun arm down. "Wwwwe're better than him, l…love."

"I know, darling, and he really deserves to spend the rest of his miserable life rotting in Azkaban. Anything happens to our family though, nothing and no one is going to stop me shooting the bastard again."

Severus then stunned Albus, removed his wand and wrapped him in chains for good measure. With a shattered elbow and knee, Dumbledore wasn't going anywhere under his own steam.

Emma was determined her children weren't going anywhere either. She handed Jamie to Sapphire, a crying Luna was sitting next to her goblin friend with Colin trying to comfort his girlfriend. Colin nodded he would take care of all of them before Emma headed down to be with the group. Knowing there were effectively two prime ministers and the goblin ruler standing there, and that Harry was an officer in that same goblin army, Emma couldn't go charging in as protective mummy with all guns blazing. She intended that her opinion would be heard though, and was delighted to see Dan seemed to be on the same wavelength.

"Won't your armour protect you from that spell, Harry?"

"Normally that would be a yes, Dan, but touching that cup with my armour won't activate the portkey. it needs skin contact, specifically mine. It will also stun anyone else who touches the cup along with me."

Emma waited no longer. "Now we know where they are, can't you just all go and get them?"

Harry hated having to give this answer, he just didn't have another. "They're behind wards, mum. By the time we could set up wards of our own to keep them there, they would be long gone - and we would have missed our only chance. We have to be in there to give our warders the time they need to complete their task, before those three disappear again. We are talking about ten seconds, mum, and Amelia will already be using those precious seconds to start bringing down Voldemort's wards."

Hermione wanted to let everyone know Harry wasn't going anywhere without her. "Betsy can make sure I'm right behind you. Between my arrival, Tonks, Neville and Padma - along with the hundreds turning up outside their wards, that should buy us the seconds we need for me to revive you."

"Can't we get that stunner removed from the portkey? This scheme was already too dangerous in my opinion, you arriving into their clutches while unconscious is bloody madness..." Only Dan's arms wrapping around Emma halted her race to hysteria. It was a close call though, and she couldn't rule out visiting that location later.

The Longbottoms and Severus arrived to destroy Emma's last desperate suggestion. "I'm sorry about this, Emma, but it took Dumbledore hours to weave that spell through the portkey. It would take him hours to remove it too, but that was before Alice put a couple of bullets in him. He couldn't do it now, even if we trusted him with a wand - something I wouldn't recommend. Having looked into his mind, Albus Dumbledore is one sick, twisted individual."

It was Barchoke who summed the situation up. "They have a plan that has a fair chance of working but we're going to need a decision - and soon. These five are the ones who are going to be in danger, I think it's their decision to make..." The Ambassador found himself being interrupted by Neville.

"I think it's Harry's decision to make. We'll be right behind him but it's his life that's on the line here. He says go, Padma and I will have his back." Tonks quickly agreed with that sentiment, where Harry went she would follow.

Taking Hermione's hand, Harry asked for her help with this decision. "It's us, Hermione, from now until the end. This is certainly something that affects both of us, so what do you think?"

"I think we might not get a better chance, a chance we've all trained bloody hard for. As I've just said, Betsy and I will be right behind you - with the revival spell already on my lips. Then we dance. We can't live the rest of our lives looking over our shoulders for the ambush we know would come one day. Now is our day, Harry, this is our hour."

That was exactly how Harry felt, Hermione just put those same emotions into words far better than he ever could. They both discovered though that someone had already done that job for them, brilliantly too. Professor McGonagall's Scottish lilt was thicker than anyone there had heard it before, as Minerva recited something she obviously knew well.

"Now's the day, and now's the hour; See the front o' battle lour: See approach proud Edward's pow'r- Chains and slaverie! Edward Longshanks wasn't known as the Hammer of the Scots for nothing, and he didn't distinguish between magical and muggle. Rabbie Burns wrote that about the Battle of Bannockburn, something that has a special place in every Scot's heart. That abomination, Voldemort, wants to destroy that association forever, and Dumbledore was helping him! I can make Amelia portkeys that will drop her aurors right on top of the bastards..."

There were a few others in the audience shouting they could do the same. With the mission now a go, there was a load of organising to be done, and quickly. Mad-eye, Shacks and the trio of aurors they had sparred with were prepared for this moment. The aurors were split into five groups and received a rapid refresher course on the best spells for pulling down wards.

Bill had his own group who were doing the same. His group might not rival the auror groups for size but they won hands down on commitment. Arthur, Percy, Penny and the now of age twins were just the members of Bill's family that were involved. The Blacks, Hobsons and Remus would also be hitting those wards with everything they had. The other two champions had been joined by Roger and Cedric, Amos also choosing to fight beside his son. Madam Maxine had insisted on joining too, as had Pomona Sprout, Filius Flitwick and Severus. Since Amelia was in overall charge of the battle, Borislaw and Cornelius intended to fight alongside this group too.

Minerva was making her contribution with the portkeys, she needed to sit down for the last couple and had nothing left to take to any fight. Dan had his own squad of shooters, with Barchoke, Frank and Ramrao. Not one of the fathers would hesitate to put a bullet into any of the three murderers.

Ragnok had teams of warders ready to stop anyone leaving the fight before it was finished, while four squads of warriors were itching for their steel to taste blood. The women, children and warriors these three had murdered that dark afternoon in Diagon Alley would be avenged today, they were all hoping the price paid wouldn't be as high though.

Knowing their centurion was going to enter this battle unconscious, relying on his mate and their friends to rescue him, elevated all five of their statuses even higher within the warriors' ranks and The Nation. If they pulled this off today, the Hall of Heroes would be seeing a new tableau commissioned.

The three mothers were currently hugging the five who would face this. Emma, Smita and Alice considered all of them family, devastated wouldn't even come close to describing their emotions if they didn't all come back.

Amelia was looking over everything, while trying to think of anything they might have missed, when she felt a tug on her robes. She recognised Dobby and Betsy at once, and they had four other elves for company.

"Missie Bones, we's went and seen bad wizards. We's like to show you before you'se go there."

Amelia wasn't sure what was being offered here. "You can show me this, Dobby, without Voldemort knowing about it?"

All six elves were enthusiastically nodding in sync, though it would seem Dobby had been elected spokes-elf. "We's cans do that, easy."

The half a dozen elves began waving their hands and the ground in front of Amelia quickly transformed into a scale model of the battle site. It took her a moment to get her breath back before Amelia shouted, the urgency in her voice stopping everyone. "Harry, you'll definitely want to see this, and so will quite a few others."

A quick explanation of what this was saw the Granger women fussing over a blushing Dobby and Betsy, Harry made a point of thanking the other four too. They all now knew the warded area was slightly smaller than a quidditch pitch. Barchoke was already talking with the elves on the best place to transport his warders while Dan was carrying out the exact same process with the shooters.

They were running out of time, though all were now far more prepared than they thought they could possibly be. Only Harry being stunned was holding them back from cheering at all the good news coming their way. The three couples shared needy kisses with their spouses before getting into position, ready to give the signal.

There were witches sitting in the stadium who had once fancied they had a chance at the Boy Who Lived, watching this drama unfold just emphasised why their chances had always been nil. Harry was deliberately placing his very life in Hermione's hands, and she was prepared to go toe-to-toe with the trio of Voldemort, Lestrange and Rookwood in an effort to save him. As much as they might have coveted the title of Lady Potter, none of them were crazy enough to even contemplate doing that.

Amelia's voice rang around the stadium. "This is it people, do your jobs and the first round is on me. When Harry leaves, we're all right behind him. Counting down, five, four, three, two, one, go!"

The mock-maze supposedly arranged for the third task had long since been vanished, Harry stood in the centre of the arena and reached for the cup. He had no sooner left than Hermione was gone too, holding the little elf's hand. Tonks shouted, 'Potter emergency, go, go, go!' before she was also gone, Padma and Neville were also traveling by holding an elf's hand, the couple quickly leaving too. Within seconds, an arena that had been bursting at the seams was empty, except for the three mothers and Augusta. Sapphire made her way over to return Jamie to his mother while Hannah and Susan brought Astrid over as the group were left with nothing to do but wait for news. A crying Luna raced to the group and was now clinging to Emma and Jamie, this had been a total shock to her.

The rest of the stadium could only sit quietly and await news. Some like Molly, who was sitting trying to comfort Ginny, now had a large stake in this battle too, most of her family had just portkeyed away to fight Voldemort. It was only the sheer number of those who had left to fight alongside them that was offering her comfort, even Voldemort shouldn't be able to resist when faced with what was effectively two armies.

Parvati was weeping in Blaise's arms, having said all that needed saying to the four of them before the event began. Parvati knew if she'd gone down there then it could have affected Padma. They would probably have needed to stun her before she would let her twin go to face this. Blaise had his suspicions but this was way beyond anything he'd imagined. Draco and Pansy were sitting beside them, trying to offer some comfort.

"I guessed what they were planning way back, a part of me wishes I hadn't. It's been horrendous watching them train for this and not being able to help in any way."

Parvati was trying to control her sobs as she spoke. "Just being there for them is all they wanted, Draco. Blaise, we need to go down there, mum will need us now." The four headed to where the group was anxiously waiting for news, knowing today's battle would be measured in minutes - if that.

All around the stadium, children were being comforted by parents or friends. Natalie was nearly as upset as Luna, she clung to her parents - seeking their assurance everything would be okay.

Little Danielle Dugan knew her daddy, Harry, Hermione and Barchoke had all gone off to fight the bad wizards. In her case though, she was the one actually offering comfort. "Mummy, the bad wizards won't stand a chance, not with my daddy and Harry fighting them together. Barchoke and Hermione won't let anything happen to them either." Deborah wrapped their precious daughter in her arms, hoping Danielle was right.

Maggie Creevey was simply inconsolable, it didn't matter what anyone said, she wouldn't believe them. Nothing would work except seeing them all come back.

Jenny was a nervous wreck, clinging to Euan for comfort. Bill had kissed her before a lot of people she knew really well basically just headed off to war. She didn't know anything about magical wars. What Jenny did know though was that, in any type of war, very rarely did everyone make it home alive and in one piece. She was praying like she'd never prayed before that this would be one of those oh so rare occasions.

-oOoOo-

The elation that flashed through the dark lord when the wards warned him there was an incoming portkey was indescribable. Here was his chance for revenge, his chance for redemption in the eyes of his deserting pureblood followers, his chance to get off that bloody island.

The elation vanished instantly though when an unconscious Potter arrived, something wasn't right here. All three already had their wands in their hands, those wands immediately tracked to the girl who had just appeared at Potter's side.

Betsy placed Hermione right beside Harry, she was alarmed though at the three wands now pointed at her beloved mistress. With a snap of her fingers, the trio were knocked onto their arses. "You will not hurt my family…"

After reviving Harry, Hermione could see how much the loyal elf had taken out of herself buying them that time. She was swaying about as if drunk. "Betsy go, be safe."

When Tonks appeared beside her master and mistress, Betsy popped away to the other side of the wards. She would be staying to watch in case her mistress needed her again.

Augustus scrambled back to his feet, disbelief written on his features. Not only were there now three opponents inside their blood wards, what seemed like hundreds more were appearing outside them. Knowing their trap had just been reversed, he looked toward his master and mate - and knew instantly he would die today. They should have left immediately but that wouldn't be happening. His master was enraged beyond reason at being thwarted again, and getting knocked on his arse by a house elf was clearly an insult too far for him, while his beautiful Bella had the bloodlust in her eyes. They wouldn't be going back to collect Marvolo after this battle.

Augustus wouldn't be going anywhere at all. His last thoughts proved to be those about his mate and son, since none of them had seen the witch and wizard that an elf had placed behind them. Powerful cutting curses from Padma and Neville slammed into him, his very last memory was that of an enraged Bella turning to face these new attackers.

The goblins had their ward up in record time and the magic users were all hitting the dark lord's blood ward with everything they had. Warriors and centurions were poised to charge the instant the wards came down, knowing those same magical users would be firing over their heads.

Padma and Neville were in way over their heads. Putting Rookwood down had swung the odds to five against two. When those two were Voldemort and Lestrange though, those odds still weren't in their favour. Bellatrix was faster, deadlier and more powerful than anyone they'd ever faced. She was also clearly mad, as in more than just angry. Foam and spittle was coming from her mouth as curses spewed out her wand, all of them powerful, dark and deadly.

Both of their goblin shields had already been sacrificed to save them from some really nasty shit. When Padma stumbled on the uneven ground, she thought it was all over. Lestrange was on her in a flash, a cruciatus heading in her direction - only for Neville to throw himself in front of the torture curse.

His screams were loud and piercing as Lestrange couldn't resist a bit of taunting. "Oh look, another Longbottom at the end of my wand. I'll need to make sure this one doesn't recover…"

It took four warriors to pull Frank down. Seeing his son under that hated curse caused the retired auror to open fire, even though the wards had yet to come down. There were bullets ricocheting everywhere and someone was going to be hurt. The warriors were as gentle as possible, they just needed to get Frank to stop pulling the trigger.

Harry already had his shield on his arm when he'd touched the portkey. Hermione's revival spell saw him roll and then get to his feet, with his armour now active and his knife in his hand. The sword of Gryffindor was soon out the sheath at his shoulder and in his other hand. He would need everything he had as Voldemort appeared to be seriously pissed-off. Padma and Neville then taking out Rookwood certainly didn't improve Voldemort's mood any. His roll had placed Harry to Hermione's right, with Tonks covering her left. All three were firing spells at Voldemort but he was still managing to return deadly spells at them.

The ground under their feet was just a field, not the best for dodging around on - and that was before spellfire started churning it up. Every time Harry would attempt to get close enough to use his sword, Voldemort increased the rate and ferocity of his spells heading in Tonks and Hermione's directions. Harry was then forced to fire spells and move back to help cover the girls, there would be no victory in taking out Voldemort if it cost one of them their lives. This tactic was effectively forcing Harry to fight Voldemort's type of fight, but all the combatants knew it wouldn't be for much longer. Hence why no one was holding anything back, this was sheer bedlam.

There was an unprecedented amount of magic being poured into those shields so the clock was ticking. Since Both Hermione and Harry had already had their goblin shields shattered too, it simply couldn't go on much longer without someone getting seriously hurt. Harry's worst fears were just borne out as Neville's screams reverberated over the battlefield.

Tonks had no option but to attack Lestrange, the fact that the three of them were barely containing Voldemort at the time couldn't be taken into consideration. Harry was about to change tactics again when Voldemort beat him to it.

Seeing the pink haired one having to switch her attack gave the dark lord the opportunity he'd been working toward. He didn't want to just kill the Potter brat today, he wanted him to die a broken man - and Lord Voldemort knew exactly how to achieve that. Seeing she was distracted by the delicious screams coming from her friend, three curses left his wand in the direction of Potter's bitch.

She managed to dodge two but not the third. It didn't really matter that it only hit her right shoulder, when the killing curse hit - you were dead. Watching her topple to the ground froze Potter, and gave the dark lord a few seconds to enjoy his victory.

"Ah Potter, another mudblood bitch dies trying to save you - and fails. It's time to die, Harry Potter."

Neville's screams had forced Tonks to change targets, the auror was now hitting her aunt with everything she had. Bella though was dealing with it all, and still had time to chat.

"Oh look, a half-blood Black dares to attack her betters. I'll show those sisters of mine who's stronger, they'll know for sure when they're weeping over your body. Avada kedaaaaaa…."

Bella never got to finish the spell as she had just made a critical error. Bella had dismissed Padma, not something that a person who had just tortured Neville should ever do. The enraged witch charged the short distance between them and her flashing blade, with the Longbottom name engraved along its length, sliced through Bella's arm just below the elbow. Tonk's hit her aunt with a stunner just as a second cry rang around the wards, the anguish dripping off this voice would have melted hearts of stone.

Seeing Hermione lying there unmoving, Harry's sword seemed to move on its own. As a heartbroken scream left his lungs, his magic poured from the fabled blade. His grief was mighty and everything he had left was channeled toward defeating his enemy.

Voldemort was just about to cast another killing curse when a bolt of blinding white light shot from the sword and there was no wand left to cast the spell - there was no arm there either. The raw magic had simply vaporised everything it touched, his wand, arm and part of his shoulder before continuing on its way and impacting on the ward.

Dan had tried their doctored bullets the instant they arrived, quickly signalling to the other three they wouldn't penetrate the wards. He was standing watching what appeared somewhat like the deadliest New Year celebrations on the planet. Magic was being poured into the shields, the flashes of light also causing flakes of twinkling magic to drop down on the combatants inside like macabre confetti.

Those inside were also supplying fireworks of their own with spells being fired off at an incredible rate. Seconds almost seemed like hours as they were forced to wait on the wards coming down, never more so than when Neville screamed. Watching as Hermione was hit with that green curse of death seemed to make time stand still, his daughter appeared to take an entire lifetime to collapse to the ground.

Harry's anguished scream restarted time and Dan was firing before he knew it. Harry's magic also hitting the wards was the final push needed to bring them down, Dan's bullet was perhaps the first thing to pass through them. Since Barchoke had shot at the exact same time, it would be impossible to tell who was first. What was unmistakable though was that both bullets impacted with Voldemort's head, he was dead before the maelstrom of spells hit as he fell to the ground.

Tonks had heard Amelia's 'DOWN' and pulled Padma to the ground, the witch was intent on using her blade to finish Lestrange. She pointed Padma at Neville before turning to see a sight that was totally heartbreaking. Harry was crawling to Hermione, trying to protect his mate from any overhead spells by covering her body with his own. The shout of 'CEASE FIRE' brought silence to the field of battle.

Harry was lying protectively over Hermione, knowing it was too late but not caring. He was crying while tenderly moving her beautiful hair from her face, whispering softly in her ear as he embraced the woman he loved. "You are mine, and I will always be yours - now and until the day I die. I am so sorry my love, you fought so bravely..." Harry couldn't say anymore, his imagination was playing tricks on him. He could have sworn Hermione's chest had just risen but the dead don't breathe. He then examined her shoulder to see it was bleeding, something the dead don't do either - and the killing curse doesn't leave a mark. There was no mistake this time, her chest had just risen again.

Warriors had formed a circle around the centurion and his fallen mate, giving him a little time to grieve. They were facing away to provide their centurion with some semblance of privacy so the warriors couldn't really miss both fathers trying to comfort one another. Barchoke had his arm around Dan's shoulder, this was possible because the distraught father was currently slumped on his knees sobbing. Both fathers couldn't quite believe what they heard next.

""Alive! She's alive. We need a healer, get a healer over here quick...""

Ragnok himself was first through the line of warriors protecting the couple, closely followed by a couple of healers. Dan struggled drunkenly to his feet, desperately wanting to believe what he'd just heard but terrified to do so. Leaning on Barchoke was the only reason he was able to approach their fallen daughter. Both gained a semblance of hope from watching the healers work, there was nothing for a healer to do when someone was dead.

Cutting her dragon hide top away, the healers were at once able to see what had happened. ""Centurion, your family armour saved your mate's life. The killing curse can be stopped by a physical barrier, though that barrier is often destroyed. Her golden armour has been blasted into her shoulder and will have to be removed. The shock from that probably knocked her out, however I would not recommend reviving her at the moment. She would and will be in a lot of pain until we can clean that shoulder up.""

Ragnok wanted there to be no chance of errors here. ""Healer, she will live?""

""She will have trouble wielding a sword like she has before, apart from that I would expect her to make a full recovery...""

The healer was prevented from saying anymore as Ragnok let out a bellow that was part celebration but a good portion of relief too. This was immediately picked up and repeated by Barchoke and the other goblins, spreading right across the battlefield as jubilant warriors announced to the world in general that their warrior princess had defied the odds again and survived. Swords and axes drummed off shields as a total victory was now being wildly celebrated.

Dan held the emotional wreck that was Harry in his arms, it was the only way the healers could get to work on Hermione.

"I thought I had lost her, Dan, I can't lose her - I just can't."

"She's still with us, son, though who's going to tell her mother?"

Both felt hands on their shoulders as a knackered Sirius stood with them. "I'll do that, you'll need to go to Gringotts with Hermione. I'll bring the rest of the family, Gringotts is going to be busy tonight."

With Sirius mentioning family, it suddenly hit Harry he hadn't asked about anyone else. Seeing his Hermione lying there had blocked everything and everyone else out. "Neville, Padma, Tonks, how are they?"

"Neville was hit with the cruciatus and is being treated as we speak. Padam is fine but won't leave his side. Tonks has been inconsolable, she thought she failed you..."

"Tonks was magnificent! We would never have lasted without her, those were the longest seconds of all our lives."

He would get no argument from his godfather on that one. "I'll tell her that, she just about fainted when the word spread Hermione had made it. I'm puzzled though, I thought her armour only covered her shield side and part of her torso. That's her other shoulder, did you change it?"

This had Harry shaking his head. "We haven't done anything. That's why I thought she was gone, I knew that shoulder was unprotected."

It was a smiling Barchoke who enjoyed proving his son wrong. "I beg to differ, have you tried it since completing your bond?"

Harry was still standing with Dan's arm around him as the healers had Hermione on a stretcher and would soon be ready to portkey her away. He kept his head down as he answered. "No, we've only done light training since returning from the island."

Seeing his son was uncomfortable with this subject, Barchoke press ahead. Now this war was over, their new situation would have to be dealt with. The only way to do that was to get the subject out in the open and talk about it. "I think the magic released when you completed your bond would have been enough to extend her armour, there was certainly plenty magic present when you initiated your bond. That was three years ago, and you're both a lot more powerful now."

Harry still had his head down. "I never noticed, in either of those occasions."

Dan pulled Harry closer. "Listen, son, I know Hermione wanted to complete your bonding so she could save you. If that saved her life too, then you'll certainly get no grief from me about it - or your mum."

At that, they were ready to go. Both fathers accompanied their children to Gringotts, leaving Sirius with the task of returning to Hogwarts and breaking the news.

Amelia stood with Cornelius, Borislaw and Ragnok over the body of Voldemort, he wasn't coming back from this. Between bullets, multiple spells and Amelia had seen at least one fireball hit, the dark lord was truly gone.

"Do you want the body to display? I know that is your custom."

Ragnok nodded to the minister in thanks but declined the offer. "While it is our custom to display the heads of our enemies, this piece of shit doesn't even deserve that honour. We have been avenged, and had plenty of our people here to witness it. Rookwood is also dead but what about Lestrange?"

Cornelius quickly answered that, seeing Borislaw was more than interested too. "Oh you have my assurance she will be dealt with, permanently. We will need to interview her first about what happened to any baby, she was pregnant after all, and also to discover if anyone other than Umbridge was working with them. Then she will receive an overdose of veritaserum."

Both Borislaw and Ragnok were satisfied with that. The group then found themselves being approached by Rita Skeeter and asked if any of them would like to make a statement.

-oOoOo-

Harry was asked to leave as the healers worked on Hermione. She needed delicate work done, not something to be hampered by her mate pacing up and down while glowering at them. He found both fathers waiting outside, and Betsy cowering in a corner. He approached the little elf and knelt down beside her.

"She's going to be fine, Betsy, Hermione is going to be with us for many years to come."

"Master is sure?"

"I'm sure..."

She flung herself at him and cried into his chest. "Betsy thought she had lost her mistress..."

"So did I, Betsy, so did I." As the little elf regained control of herself, still determined to wait outside the place her mistress was, Harry, Barchoke and Dan headed off to find Neville. They walked into his room and Harry was attacked by a witch, Padma had her arms around him and was kissing all over his face between words. "Are you alright? I thought we'd lost her..."

"I'm fine, Padma, and Hermione will be too."

Sounding remarkably like his father, Neville still had the shakes from the cruciatus exposure, he nevertheless tried to crack a joke. "Hhhey, Hhharry, anything going on yyyou two want to ttell us abbbout?"

Standing with his arms around this beautiful witch, Harry just couldn't resist. "Yes Neville, Padma and I are getting married..." This announcement was greeted with total silence. Harry squeezed Padma to let her know there was a punchline coming, and to stop her belting him one.

"...to the two most wonderful people on the planet!"

Barchoke started it but soon Dan, Frank, Ramrao, Neville and Padma were all roaring with laughter. This just seemed to upset Harry though. "Aw, c'mon guys. You wait until Hermione isn't here and then you laugh at one of my jokes? You know she'll never believe this..."

That just made the six of them laugh all the harder, knowing what Harry said was true.

-oOoOo-

Augusta had made a portkey that would bring some of them right back to the stadium. As the minutes ticked by, the worry felt by those waiting climbed exponentially.

"Something must have happened, they should have been back with news by now."

"Emma, we don't know that. I was an auror, this is always the worst bit."

They were huddled in a group, trying to ignore that every pair of eyes in the stadium was focused on them. Alice's words providing a little comfort until another minute passed. It was Smita this time who let her nerves get the better of her.

"Amelia hoped to have those wards down in thirty seconds, they left nearly ten minutes ago..." She was halted by the appearance of the Blacks and Hobsons in the middle of the arena.

Sirius wasn't going to hang about, he knew there were thousands of people here waiting on news. Casting a sonorus on himself, he gave them the ultra-short version of what had happened. "Voldemort is dead, and our people are all okay..."

The roar this generated would have deafened the shooters had they still been hidden in the stadium roof. The four then headed straight over to the family who were all hugging each other while crying tears of relief. Knowing Sirius as they did, all could see he had more to say.

"You need to remember what I just said is true. We have some injuries but they'll soon be fine. Lestrange hit Neville with the cruciatus..."

Alice had her hand over her mouth at that, trying not to scream at the pain her son must have suffered.

"He's fine, Alice, and receiving treatment in Gringotts. That Padma took Lestrange out with her sword is probably the best tonic he could have at the moment."

She may have tears in her eyes but Alice Longbottom was made of stern stuff. Turning to Smita she attempted a smile. "Have I told you that I love my daughter-in-law? She's certainly good for my son."

Sirius then turned to Emma. "Harry and Hermione are really mates now, both are the only known survivors of Voldemort's killing curse. It hit her armour and she has an injury similar to the one Barchoke received in the ministry, the healers are removing pieces of her golden armour from her shoulder as we speak."

Emma had first-hand experience of just how good goblin healing was, Hermione being in their care was actually reassuring. She just needed to hear confirmation for herself. "She's fine though, Sirius, Hermione's in no danger?"

"Only of my godson never letting her out of his sight again. For a moment we all thought we had lost her, Emma, that was not a good moment. All four fathers travelled to Gringotts and are waiting for you there."

That was all Emma needed to hear, they were all safe and waiting on her. "Are you okay to travel, Sirius? The four of you look done-in."

"The four of us are, Emma. We could see them all fighting for their lives, their opponents weren't holding anything back. You better believe we all put everything we had into bringing those wards down. They were handing out pepper-up potions back at Bannockburn but we knew you would be desperate for news. We'll all follow on shortly, after a visit to Poppy."

She kissed Sirius' cheek while Henrica collected Astrid. Emma then called for Dobby and asked if he could arrange transport for all of them to Gringotts. It only took a minute for all the family to be standing on the front steps of the goblin bank, only Augusta staying behind to look after Hogwarts. The goblin guards knew exactly who these people were, especially with Sapphire amongst them, they were escorted straight to the medical facility.

-oOoOo-

Hermione slowly opened her eyes to find herself looking into that special pair of green ones she loved so much, then what happened earlier hit home.

"Oh Harry, I'm so sorry, I let everyone down. What Happened? How's Neville..." Hermione was stopped from saying anymore by the simple fact of Harry kissing her.

"Everyone's fine, love, the job's done and you didn't let anyone down. Just take it easy, it's not everyday you get hit by a killing curse. The entire family are waiting to see you, but there's someone you need to see first."

A signal with his hand and Betsy was very nearly in the bed beside Hermione. "Mistress needs to do what master says, take care of herself and get better."

"I will, Betsy, and thank you for today. You were wonderful, probably saved all our lives. I need you to look after yourself too. Will you do that for me?"

The little elf's head was nearly coming off with the eagerness of her nodding, trying to please her mistress. "You take a good rest, Betsy, we'll soon be back home."

A happy Betsy hugged her mistress before popping away to follow orders, she could do with a nap.

"Harry, how did I survive the killing curse?"

"Your bracelet that says 'best friends forever' wouldn't let Voldemort take you from me. The person who gave you that bracelet thinks forever should mean forever. Father suggested completing our bonding now has your armour covering all your body, that was a conversation I could have done without having with your dad..."

Hermione was giggling at that when Luna and Sapphire stuck their heads in, both rushing into the room when they realised she was awake. "Oh Hermione, you're awake! We've got a rota going where we take turns checking to see if you were - I'd better go and tell Emma."

Luna shot out of there, giving Sapphire a moment to talk. "Once the girls got over the shock, they understood why you didn't tell them. I didn't want you worrying about it, I don't want you worrying about anything. Oh, and the whole goblins bowing to you might be back with a vengeance, but don't expect me to be doing it." Sapphire barely had time to hug Hermione before the door was flung open and their extended family began streaming in.

The room was soon full and Harry stood back to let everyone see Hermione was indeed alright. Watching Neville enter was just the icing on the cake. He might be leaning a little on Padma but he would be back to normal in a day or so, both Neville and Hermione would certainly be fit enough to attend the family meeting where they arranged this summer's holidays. Tonks and Hermione hugging settled the last of any unrest amongst the family, none of the four underestimated the crucial part she had played in ensuring they were all here tonight to talk about what happened today.

Harry felt his father standing beside him and reached out to pull the goblin into a hug. ""We have a fine family, father, a family that is all here. I think this counts as a special occasion.""

""Indeed, son, getting humans to appreciate our sense of humour is no small achievement.""

Watching as father and son held each other while they laughed their heads off was the best medicine Hermione could have. That was until Padma dropped the bombshell that she and Harry were getting married...

A/N thanks for reading.

103. Aftermath

Harry Crow

A/N I had hoped to get this out yesterday but have had an incredibly busy week. Therefore it's a belated happy birthday to Alix33, the lady who has been checking over my attempts at writing for years now - and helping to make me a better writer. A gentleman never reveals a lady's age, all I'll say on the matter is that she's much younger than me.

Chapter 103

While enjoying the impromptu party that had broken out in the stadium, Ginny wasn't the only one whose eyes continually scanned the path into Hogwarts. First sign of people appearing, Ginny was off and running. The wide grin on her face began to fade the closer she got as Ginny noticed there were a lot less people than she'd been expecting, and just two of them had red hair. It was also hard to miss that none of them were celebrating, or even smiling.

She slammed into the twins at full pelt, only to discover their return hugs were just as needy as hers. "Where is everyone else? Why all the long faces? I thought we won, and everyone was fine?"

Fred tried to smile but his heart wasn't really in it. "One question at a time, Gin. Dad, Bill, Percy and Penny are all working now. Can you ask mum to make sure Jenny either gets home with the McDonalds or ends up at the Burrow? Bill had to go on one final mission and doesn't think he'll make it back to Hogwarts in time to pick Jenny up."

"Why can't you tell her yourselves? There's a great party going on…" Seeing both twins shy away from the idea of a party, the entire group actually all reacted exactly the same, had Ginny really worried. "What aren't you telling me?"

After an involuntary shudder, George tried to explain their reactions to his sister. "Ginny, that was without doubt the worst experience of my life, and last summer an inferus chewed my ear off. We had to watch those bastards trying to kill our friends while we attacked the wards, Neville's screams while Lestrange had him under the cruciatus is something I could have done without ever hearing."

Roger had his arm around a shattered Fleur, his girlfriend only sparking to life when she spotted Gabrielle running toward her. As the sisters embraced, Roger added his two knuts worth. "Hearing Harry roar when Hermione got hit by Voldemort's killing curse will give me nightmares for years. it was as if his heart had been torn out…"

The smallest redhead could hardly speak at that, her voice now barely above a whisper. "Sirius never mentioned that, he said everyone was okay…"

"Everyone is, Ginny, or at least they will be. Bill told us Hermione's bracelet is some of the finest work goblins have ever produced, it has just about every protection enchantment possible on it. Even so, everyone was still surprised the first time it began to expand like Harry's armour - it shouldn't be able to do that."

Fred now had Ginny in his arms, offering his sister some much needed comfort. "The killing curse hit that golden armour, and we're taught only physical objects can block that curse. Hermione's armour saved her life, Ginny, though she will need to get pieces of it removed from the wound on her shoulder. Bill also said that's at least the second time Hermione's armour has saved her."

Needing to have armour save your life twice before you were sixteen was not something Roger wanted to contemplate. "At least now we know the reason behind all that training, and why they have been a little strange recently. Imagine knowing that was coming to face you? I also can't think of any other group who could have pulled that off. We four will ace our N.E.W.T. defence practicals, but those four are in a whole different league from us."

George had the last word though. "They needed to be."

As Severus followed the weary group up toward the castle, his mind couldn't help but drift back to the last time celebrations were held over Voldemort's defeat - he didn't celebrate that day either. He also understood exactly how Harry felt when the centurion thought Hermione was dead, Severus had felt as if his heart had been ripped out his chest on that terrible Halloween Lily had been murdered. The difference here however was Hermione hadn't died, and she clearly returned Harry's feelings with as much love and passion she could.

He'd made a promise to the woman he loved that very same Halloween, Severus Snape would do his best to avenge her death - and look after her son. Today he'd upheld both of those promises. Her son was safe and Voldemort was no more, Dumbledore was surely finished too.

Everyone was now free to get on with their lives. Both Black and Lupin had already married well, it was time for Severus to break from the past and begin living in the present. He already had an offer from Augusta to teach here again next year, as well as a position waiting on his return to Gringotts. Severus would take the first few weeks of the holidays to see what he wanted to do with his life before he made any decisions. Just having those decisions available to him meant he was already in a better place than he had been for many, many years.

-oOoOo-

With so many people involved in the battle, and all the spectators in the Hogwarts stadium, news of Voldemort's final demise quickly spread around the country. The next edition of the Daily Prophet was still eagerly anticipated though, especially as Rita Skeeter was rumoured to have been at the scene of the battle. Neither Rita nor their daily newspaper disappointed, the readers actually got a lot more than they had bargained for.

The picture on the front page cranked up the drama from the instant they unrolled their newspaper, an unconscious Hermione being carried on a stretcher by four centurions, Harry, Dan and Barchoke at her side. Clearly visible in the background were three aurors standing guard over Voldemort's dead body. As if that picture wasn't iconic enough on its own, Rita's headline took it to another level.

The Girl Who Lived!

That particular headline dispelled any remaining doubts the country had about this witch one day marrying their hero, they were obviously fated to be together. Rita's article then went on to give a practically spell by spell account of the battle, especially how the three terrorists were dealt with before explaining exactly what had saved Hermione's life.

She also painted a fuller picture of the battle by including a lot of the background action, describing how aurors had tears running down their cheeks as they tried their utmost to get Voldemort's wards down. Watching those five brave people fight and not being able to intercede went against everything they stood for. Frank Longbottom having to be restrained for his own safety while Bellatrix Lestrange used the torture curse on his son was understood and heartfelt by every parent reading Rita's compelling words. She also described how over a hundred warriors began physically attacking those same wards with goblin steel as Miss Granger fell, desperate to avenge her. This might go some way in accounting for their wild displays of jubilation on discovering she had survived, Miss Granger is clearly a well-loved figure within The Goblin Nation.

Rita also had quotes that other journalists would kill for. The Bulgarian Minister of Magic was magnanimous in his praise for the efforts he had played a small part in here today.

"Last summer, like the rest of the world, I was shocked and appalled at the horrific attack after the Quidditch World Cup. The British Ministry of Magic and our friends from the Goblin Nation have been methodical yet relentless as they pursued these three murderers. What you witnessed here today was the result of almost nine months of careful planning, reversing Voldemort's trap and then finally ending it at Bannockburn. I perfectly understood the need for secrecy, I myself only becoming aware of this operation due to Minister Fudge needing my assistance with a matter regarding Albus Dumbledore. I don't want to say any more about that but I will say Viktor Krum and I were honoured to participate in justice being done on behalf of our fellow countrymen."

Borislaw knew his final remark would be popular. He just didn't realise that everyone else would have to follow suit, not that they wouldn't want to anyway.

"When I return home, I shall be recommending to my government that these five heroes receive recognition from the witches and wizards of Bulgaria for the crucial part they played here today."

Cornelius and Ragnok echoed the same sentiments, including looking at rewarding the heroes of the hour. Amelia though had something a bit more substantial to say. She didn't want there to be the slightest doubt about what happened here today.

"What is already well documented is that these four teens have extra training four days a week. What is not so well known is that, for the last two years, their training has been identical to that afforded to trainee aurors. Their tutors and I have been so impressed with them, Miss Granger, Miss Patil and Mr Longbottom have been awarded the rank of Honouree Aurors - all will be able to wear auror dress robes when accepting any awards. Harry is of course a Centurion, though my department would certainly be blessed to have any of those four working there."

Rita promised that future editions of The Daily Prophet would have full details of how this plot of Voldemort's was discovered, what steps were taken to overcome Voldemort's scheme and the part Albus Dumbledore played in aiding the dark lord. This guaranteed these future editions would sell every copy printed.

The paper's owners had literally begged Rita to return, offering her any position she wanted at the Prophet. With her growing reputation and rapidly swelling vault, Rita took great pleasure in turning them down - then screwing even more gold out of them for her future exclusives.

It was a subdued Hogwarts great hall who read what their fellow students had faced yesterday. It was beginning to dawn on them just why the four friends and two champions who had fought to bring Voldemort's wards down didn't want to talk about it. There were no Hogwarts lessons today, Augusta and Minerva taking the view that the students would have been almost impossible to teach today anyway. Their minds were clearly on other things, or other people.

Augusta was also down three professors, the extended family all staying in London last night. She wanted to be there herself but had a school to run, Augusta was also receiving constant updates from the family, indicating everything was going to be fine. The family meeting was planned for Sunday, she could wait until then to hug them all. Just knowing everyone had survived this time was enough for Augusta.

-oOoOo-

Hermione left the goblin medical facility on the Friday evening, her arm in a sling and warnings about overtaxing herself ringing in her ears. The plan was to stay in Gringotts for a couple of nights, the healers wanted to check on her for the next few days anyway, attend the family meeting in Hogwarts on Sunday before returning home to Crow's Nest.

All four students agreed to give the last week at Hogwarts a miss, Padma, Neville and Hermione had sat their potions O.W.L. the week before. Hermione's wand and writing arm would be in a sling for most of that week anyway, and Neville was still getting odd bouts of the shakes. The couple had taken down Rookwood and then Padma parted Lestrange from her arm, there were now more important things to be dealt with between them than being inside the castle for the final week.

As Harry and Hermione sat in father's apartment, Jamie happily sitting on Harry's lap with his sister right next to them, it was time to discuss the first subject of importance. All three parents were pleased to see the subject in question totally catching the couple out.

"I have spoken to Dan and Emma to explain my, and The Nation's position on your relationship. You are both considered adults in our society, adults who chose to complete their bond. If you hadn't taken that action, we would have lost the daughter, sister and wife who means so much to all of us here. In my eyes, and the eyes of our people, you are mates - husband and wife - married. While you are inside Gringotts, you will be treated as such."

Hermione didn't know it was possible to be embarrassed and excited at the same time, she looked to Harry but her mate appeared to be in a different world. Jamie was chatting with his big brother as only a toddler can, his little fists wrapped around two of Harry's fingers as he pulled that hand around and giggled. Harry seemed as enraptured as Jamie was, his mind though was in a different place - and a different time.

"Father, how did you go on? When I thought my Hermione was gone, there was nothing here for me anymore. I would have gladly gone with her, I don't think I could have continued without her."

It was as if all the air had been sucked out of the room, only Jamie seemed unaffected. Barchoke struggled to answer his son. "When my mate passed away, I had a newborn son who needed me. When he then left a few days later, I was an empty shell. I did my best for Gringotts and my clients but I was simply going through the motions. That all changed the day you appeared on my desk, I suddenly had a son who needed me again."

The goblin's gaze shifted slightly to Hermione, all there seeing the unshed tears in the corners of Barchoke's eyes. "I know you are truly my daughter because that feeling returned with a vengeance when you fell. A large part of me was missing again, only to be repaired by Harry screaming for a healer. I am not ashamed to say Dan and I clung to each other like a couple of scared little tots who were afraid of the dark. That continued right up until we got confirmation from the healer that you had survived, then things got a bit crazy."

Dan wasn't the only one wiping moisture from his eyes. "I was jumping up and down like mad while hugging Ragnok, only his guards doing the same prevented me being beheaded. Apparently our girl here is something of a celebrity in The Nation, a well loved one at that."

Taking a deep breath, he then continued with what he wanted to say. "Your mother and I have been talking about the marriage issue too. The only thing against us accepting this outright is the age we know both of you currently are. Since you certainly behave and physically appear older, we have decided just to ignore the numbers. Having witnessed what happened on that battlefield, I can certainly understand Harry not wanted to be parted from Hermione for the foreseeable future. Rather than have you sneaking about behind our backs, we give you our blessing - though the wedding next summer will still go ahead as planned."

This was soon confirmed by Emma. "I know you are both sensible, and have major plans for your future. Let's just make sure Jamie is a good bit older before you make him an uncle."

Harry kissed his brother on the forehead before carefully leaning into Hermione and capturing her lips. He'd always intended spending the night with Hermione but here they were being given oh so precious permission by their parents to do so. "I don't really know what to say, except thanks."

Dan summed it up for all three parents. "In a choice between a new baby or another battle, we'll take babies every time. Please you two, my heart couldn't take going through that again - no more battles."

"Dad, it's over - I have no intention of fighting any more battles. I still hope to keep our morning training up though, it should also help me get this shoulder back in action. I'm pretty sure we're finished with hammering ourselves four times a week however."

Harry agreed with his mate. "I hope the only battles we fight in the future are diplomatic ones. We've been taught you only fight when there are no other alternatives, it's going to be father's and then my job to make sure it never comes to that again."

Now that was something all of them could accept and readily agree on.

-oOoOo-

It wasn't the pain from where her arm was now missing that had Bella in such a state. Nor was it the loss of her mate and their master, Bella was certain she would be joining them soon. No, it was the uncertainty over her beautiful baby boy that had her climbing the walls with anxiety. She'd known Augustus was dead before she'd been stunned. Just the demeanour of those who woke her in this cell told Bella their master had suffered the same fate.

The instant she regained her senses, Bella began reciting Marvolo's location - irrespective of what question she was asked. The truth serum had soon followed with Bella spilling every secret she knew, though she fought it to keep repeating her baby's location. Then nothing. Apart from passing food and drink into her cell, she'd had no contact with anyone. Shouting the instant the hatch opened brought no results either. Bella was going crazy thinking of her little Marvolo, hungrily crying for his mummy and no one attending to him.

Bellatrix Lestrange was a cruel, sadistic bitch of a witch. She was far more likely to be proud of that fact, rather than attempt to deny it. Bella thought the torture she was undergoing at the moment was worse than anything she'd ever dished out to her hapless victims, this not-knowing the fate of her baby was killing the doting mother a piece at a time.

The cell door opened to reveal Mad-eye, a black auror and her pink haired niece. "You're comin' with us. Please believe that if you try anything, you'll be missin' another limb when it's time for your sentence."

Bella certainly believed Moody wouldn't hesitate to do something like that, she couldn't resist having a verbal pop at her niece though as they walked along the corridor.

"You are still too weak to win this war, using stunners in a fight just emphasises you don't have the stomach for this battle."

Tonks however was more than ready for her aunt, she also knew what was to follow here today. "When a schoolgirl can cut you down with her blade, I thought a stunner was appropriate. I also stopped that schoolgirl from finishing the job, purely because I didn't want Padma having your death on her hands. The couple had already dealt with Rookwood, and the Longbottom family would have cherished their newest addition even more if she had put her blade through your chest too. I just thought the ministry should deal with vermin like you, it's actually what they pay me for."

All three aurors could see Bella was desperate to attack Tonks for that, it was never going to happen though. With her remaining arm attached to the restraining belt around her waist, that option for retaliation was not available. Her ankles were also shackled, a fifteen inch tether meaning she could move no faster than a shuffle. With a trio of wands on her, Bella wouldn't be doing anything they didn't want her to do.

She was led into a room and fastened securely to a chair, Moody couldn't resist a parting comment as he and Shack left Tonks with her. "If I had my way, this wouldn't be happenin'. You never showed your victims the merest scrap of mercy, you shouldn't be receivin' any now. The Minister says that's why we're better than you, and why we won in the end. Personally I would rather see you die without knowin', takin' that anguish to your grave. That might be because I've seen enough of the poor bastards who you sent to theirs, or maybe it's time for me to retire before I become like the people I hate the most."

Tonks stood with her back against the wall, ignoring her aunt's taunts and waiting for the fireworks to begin. She didn't have long to wait.

Elspeth Parkinson entered the interview room, with Cissy's arm around her waist and a toddler in her arms. It was like a bolt of lightning passing through Bella.

"Marvolo, my baby. Mummy's here, son. These murdering bastards killed your father but mummy's still here."

Elspeth held the sleeping child lovingly in her arms, he'd been spelled to nap so as not to cause the toddler the slightest hint of distress. "He's not your son anymore, nor is that despicable name still attached to this beautiful baby boy. This is Bruce Parkinson, our son."

That Cissy bent to lovingly kiss the baby's head, before then doing the same to Elspeth's lips set Bella off like a rocket.

"I will not have my gorgeous boy raised by a couple of witches' witches. I don't give a shit how pure your blood is, my son will need a strong male in his life if he's one day going to rule this country."

"Oh I agree Bella, our little Bruce is gorgeous. We called him Bruce after the statue your master was finally defeated under, they burned Tom's body just where it fell. Bruce here will also have plenty of strong male figures in his life to aspire to, Draco, Sirius and Severus are just the first three that sprung to mind. He's about the same age as Astrid Black and Jamie Granger too, we're hoping all three can be friends..."

"Cissy, you bastard. I was forced to marry that poofter, Rodolphus, while you got stuck with Lucius. It was only Augustus that taught me what a real man was like. Don't do this to my son, we don't need another poof in the family. I certainly don't want my boy mixing with the wrong sort either, creatures and mudbloods!"

This had Cissy shaking her head. "He will grow up loved, with two mothers, a brother and a sister. His sexuality will be something for Bruce to decide when he's older. We didn't get to choose who we loved, I guarantee he will get to make that choice for himself - just as he will get to choose who his friends are too."

Elspeth glanced at Cissy before addressing Bella again. "You tortured my husband to death and I hated you for it. In his own way, Edmund Parkinson was a good man. You took my husband from me, now I've got your sister and your son - I'm happier than I've ever been and certainly think I got the better of the deal."

Tonks then really stirred the cauldron. "Did you know your beloved master had set the wards around your son to fail if Tom died? Bill Weasley led a team of curse-breakers, warriors and aurors to your hideout, just in time to stop a bloody great snake eating that baby. It was in the corridor leading to Bruce's room when the warriors made short work of it. My mother and Aunt Cissy are his two closest living relatives, the ministry have already awarded custody of Bruce to Cissy and Elspeth - two widows who have paid a high price for this war."

Tonks wasn't sure if her aunt had heard a word she said, all her attention was focused on the baby in Elspeth's arms. Bella was now struggling like a maniac in her futile attempts to get free, foaming at the mouth as her promises of retribution against those who would 'harm' her son got darker and darker.

Cissy led Elspeth and the still sleeping Bruce out the room before glancing over her shoulder at the thing her sister had become. "I won't be at your sentencing, Bella, so this is goodbye. I'll leave you with my promise to look after your son, and love him as if he were my own."

When Moody and Shack returned, they were left with no other option but to stun a now crazed Bella and levitate the unconscious witch back to her cell. Seeing her condition drew a smirk from Mad-eye. "Perhaps I was wron', it looks like this bitch got a doze of her own medicine after all. Now all that's left is to give her an overdose of veritaserum tomorrow."

"Isn't there going to be a trial?"

"Tonks, she's already had the death sentence passed on her before you took her down. We have enough confessions of torture and murders to see that sentence carried out a dozen times over, tomorrow is nothin' more than a public execution."

Seeing this troubled the young auror, Shack tried to put her mind at rest. "This isn't like Sirius Black, Tonks, this piece of shit is really, really guilty. I personally heard her confess to cutting a little girl's throat, just because her last name was Potter. She also butchered Edmund Parkinson and Harry's aunt, we don't need the entire country hearing that. I wish I'd never heard it."

Dumping Bella on the little bed in her cell, they removed the restraints and left her there. Tonks also decided she wouldn't be there tomorrow when justice was finally done, this would be her goodbye to her crazy aunt. She had already arranged that, as soon as the trials were finished, Tonks was going on extended leave. With the Hogwarts term finishing at the end of the week, Remus would be free then too. Tonks had never looked forward so much to a summer in her life before, she also hoped to be pregnant by the end of it.

-oOoOo-

Arthur always seemed to be busy with his new position. He may have gotten a large raise in salary but he was having to work bloody hard for it. That he actually loved the work he was now doing meant Arthur hadn't enjoyed himself this much in years. He and Bill were briefing members of the muggle government on how the battle had gone, and that the Potter killers were no more.

There were copies of The Daily Prophet spread around the table but all eyes were glued to the goblin viewer displaying Ragnok's memory of the fight. Bill had to adjust the volume control to a lower level when the goblins discovered Hermione had survived.

As the memory faded, eyes moved to Graham Cole. "I think there are a few of us at this table who now owe you an apology, Graham. I'm sure I wasn't the only one who wondered if your report on these supposed kids had been magically enhanced. It was hard to tell from watching that memory which one of the five was the auror."

After a few nods of agreement, their attention returned to the Weasleys. "Her Majesty's Government would also like to offer an unreserved apology if we suggested either of your governments were in any way complacent in using what we considered children to fight this battle. Graham's report highlighted this couldn't be further from the truth, we just got to graphically witness that here today. Even with the foreknowledge that they all survived, that was still incredibly difficult to watch."

A few 'here, here's' were followed by a question. "Why did you ask us for help with technology when that viewer sitting there is more advanced than anything we posses? Being able to store and replay a memory is a wonderful invention."

"This is goblin device," Bill said, "As a people, they have a national archive of memories going back centuries. That does not take into account families who keep their own generation after generation. History is very important to The Nation, they treasure it, and teach it to the following generations. The young man you saw fighting there, Harry Crow, intends to attend one of your universities to study history and politics - his fiancee hopes to attend the same university to study law. Padma will apprentice under The Nation's most prestigious Potions Master while I don't think Neville had looked past the battle all four knew was coming."

Stopping for a drink of water, Bill took a moment before continuing. "None of those four chose this, Voldemort is the one who believed in the prophecy and went after Harry - killing both his parents in his first attempt to murder him almost fourteen years ago. Harry told his three friends the danger they might be in the first week he met them, all three wanted his friendship so accepted the dangers. I have been teaching those four every Saturday and Sunday for the last four years. If there was any way I could have taken their place inside those wards, you have my solemn word that's where I would have been. Those four are like family to me, and family means everything to us."

His father's hand on his arm stopped Bill saying any more. "You'll have to excuse us if we get rather emotional. We lived what you just watched and didn't have the benefit of already knowing the outcome. Myself, four of my sons and a young lady who will soon become my daughter-in-law were all stood there, pouring everything we could into bringing those wards down. Penny actually fainted from relief on hearing that Hermione was alive. She was their prefect at the boarding school for three years, holidayed with them and now works for Harry's father. This whole thing is very personal to us but we're here to do a job." It was Arthur's turn to need a drink of water before he could continue.

"We asked for help specifically with technology none of these three would know, therefor wouldn't guard against. Harry actually came up with a solution that worked brilliantly. We understood why the offer was withdrawn but, as you clearly saw, this was not an option we entered into lightly. Most of our people are celebrating the defeat of this dark lord, that does not include anyone who witnessed the battle. We all know how close we came to losing someone very dear to us. Had Hermione fallen, our two governments would have been in mourning - that's how close we came to losing. Make no mistake, defeating Voldemort and losing any one of those five would not have been a victory."

"We can all see that you have had a traumatic few days, unfortunately I am just about to add to that. Her Majesty is most anxious to hear how this went, I would ask if you could repeat your presentation for her?"

Neither Arthur or Bill felt they could refuse which was why two Weasleys were soon in a government car and making the short trip to Buckingham Palace.

-oOoOo-

The story that the Potter killers were no more broke in the muggle press on Sunday, the story that was reported essentially being the truth. These killers had set a trap for Lord Potter but he and his security forces had reversed the trap and ended the conflict. While two of the trio of terrorists had been killed outright, the third was not expected to live past the weekend. Lord Potter's party had taken some injuries but nothing too serious.

Like the rest of the country, and certainly most of Crawley, the Reverend Robert Richards studied the story intently. His intended sermon now lay forgotten as he scribbled down notes for a new one. This may be a national story but it had touched Crawley. While the entire congregation had known the Dursleys and knew the Grangers, Robert now understood there would be a lot more to this story than what was reported here. He could also make a good guess just who those private security forces were.

As he stood in church to begin today's service, Robert's entire face lit up as he noticed who just walked in the door. Too late, he realised why the group had deliberately arrived at this late time, obviously attempting to avoid attention. The Reverend Richards staring at the door with a wide smile on his face saw a few heads turning in that direction, a couple of gasps later and the entire congregation was facing the church doors.

Harry was standing there with Jamie in his arms, at Hermione's insistence. She loved him to bits but his continual hovering to see she was alright had really began to grate on her nerves. Just because her arm was in a sling didn't mean she couldn't still do things for herself. That Harry constantly blamed himself for her injury wasn't helping either, giving him Jamie to look after allowed Hermione a break - it was also a solution that both boys were happy with too. Padma and Neville had come along as well, both liking the Reverend Richards. They were flanked by Dan and Emma, the trio of Blacks bringing up the rear.

Knowing this group would have wanted to avoid attention, Robert started speaking before the congregation broke into applause or something just as stupid.

"I was just thinking about you this morning and intended to lead the congregation in prayers for your safety, it would seem our prayers have been answered. Dan, Emma, Lord Potter and Lord Black, it's delightful to see you and your families again - Jamie and Astrid are getting so big."

This drew all eyes back onto the reverend, the fact he knew everyone who had just walked into his church was a surprise to all in his congregation.

"We have of course known the Grangers for many years. Due to circumstances beyond their control, the family were unable to attend church. That didn't mean their church couldn't go to them, or should that be their minister. I have stayed in their beautiful home in Kingussie, christening their son, Jamie, back in September of last year. I returned during the Christmas holidays to preside over the marriage of two family friends. Next summer sees a double wedding on the estate, Lord Potter and Hermione being one of the couples I'll join together that day. Let us all rejoice that they are once more safely back amongst us by singing the first hymn…"

They had almost reached the first chorus before the congregation got into its singing stride, so shocked were they at their reverend's revelations.

With Hermione sitting on one side of him, Sirius on the other, Jamie on his knee and Astrid taking the same position with her father, Harry was very happy to be in church. He kept waking up during the night in a cold sweat, only discovering Hermione was laying right beside him and still breathing allowing the possibility of sleep to return. Harry knew he was driving Hermione crazy but both also knew he couldn't help it. They couldn't wait for all this to be over and then head for the island, perhaps there he would be able to relax.

After the service, all knew the interrogation would begin. While Dan and Emma were busy telling everyone they would be moving to Scotland permanently, the younger members of the family were answering different questions.

"You're getting married, Hermione?"

She thought for a second about the terrible joke Harry had coined and decided not to go there. "Yes, Harry arranged the date with the Reverend Richards when he was up in Kingussie to christen my brother. August 4th next summer, the wedding will be on our estate."

"What happened to your shoulder?"

"Oh, I was shot in the shoulder. My body armour absorbed most of it though, the sling is to stop me using my arm before it's properly healed."

This halted the questions for a moment, Harry standing beside her still with Jamie in his arms meant Hermione could cope with anything today."

"So, you're not coming back to Crawley?"

"No, Kingussie is our home now. After our wedding, we'll be searching to see what university we'll apply to. It's been nice seeing you all again but we have a long journey in front of us now."

With that, the Grangers' association with Crawley ended. They would certainly be keeping in touch with Reverend Richards, he'd already been invited to spend some time with them on the island, but there was nothing else here for them now. Dan, Emma and Hermione were all different people from when they lived here, Kingussie was home to all of them now - something Jamie would certainly benefit from.

-oOoOo-

The three older Longbottoms were at a different kind of ceremony. Bellatrix Lestrange was led into the sparse facility, the charges she'd been found guilty of read out before an overdose of veritaserum was administered. Once she became unconscious, the murderer was taken away to die in her cell. So ended the life of the dark lord's last follower. Now all that remained were the trials of Umbridge and Dumbledore.

Those would be far grander affairs though and, since the wards would allow them to enter, be held in the Wizengamot Chamber. After Rita's explosive expose today, neither Augusta, Alice nor Frank would be surprised if their sentence was the same as the one Lestrange had just received. When they thought about it, none of them were bothered by that prospect at all. Dumbledore's image as a light wizard had been well and truly destroyed.

A/N thanks for reading

A/N 2 Next chapter - both trials and end of term. There will then be a chapter where we time skip to get a glimpse of some significant events in their lives. Finally, still on schedule for it being the 5th of June, a small epilogue to end the tale.

I rarely know what I'm going to write until I pick up my iPad so there is still a bit of flexibility in there. I am very nearly at the point where I write 'the end' though, thank you for sticking with this story.

104. Time to pay the Piper

Harry Crow

Chapter 104

Albus sat alone in his cell, deep under the ministry. Since he would be representing himself in his trial, a list of the charges Albus would be facing were sitting in front of him. The ministry clearly thought they had him this time but Albus could see there was really only one damning action he needed to talk his way out of. Placing that stunner on the portkey would be enough to see him convicted of assisting in the attempted murder of the boy, no one could seriously doubt that there would be any other outcome from that matchup.

He currently had two ways to approach this dilemma, claim it was to give Harry a painless ending or deny all knowledge of placing the spell. It would really only be his word against Severus', since all the magical evidence would disappear after the stunner was triggered. It was something he was going to have to give a lot of thought to. Then again, he wasn't exactly in a position to do anything else at the moment except prepare his defence.

-oOoOo-

The extended family portkeyed from Crawley to Hogwarts and arrived just as Sunday lunch was about to commence. They were all made welcome and sat as the four usual did for lunch, with their friends and the Potter Scholars. Jamie loved all the company though Astrid was rather used to it, she would spend time like this at least once a week with her godfather.

The four confirmed they would be missing the last week of Hogwarts but there would be enough of the family staying in the castle to let everyone know what was decided today about holidays. One thing was already certain, both Harry and Neville's birthdays would be celebrated on the island with a massive party - and everyone currently sitting at the table was invited.

"Harry, Minister Oblansk contacted me to say the Bulgarian Ministry of Magic voted unanimously to honour all five of you. He vas hoping a date for doing that could be arranged soon?"

"Thanks, Viktor. Minister Murphy has already made the same offer from the Irish Ministry."

"Don't forget Harry, we'll have the ministry summer ball and The Queen also wants to meet us. They're both talking about some kind of award as well."

It was just too good an opportunity to miss for Padma. "Don't listen to misery guts here, Hermione's just worried her chest won't be big enough for all these awards they keep throwing at us."

Even Hermione chuckled along with the laughter, but this time Harry had the last laugh. "I happen to think my wife's chest is absolutely perfect just as it is."

This had everyone looking at the couple for confirmation, until Hermione displayed the Potter matriarch ring. "We are considered of age in two of the three societies we live in, therefore Harry is now my husband. Our wedding still goes ahead next summer at Kingussie though, that will then make us legal in all three."

Hermione was fine announcing they were married, she just wasn't about to discuss the mechanics of how that came to be - there were first year present and the older ones could work the details out for themselves. Due to her injury, she found herself receiving gentle hugs of congratulations while Harry found his hand being shaken quite a lot. Neville didn't miss Dan and Emma sitting there smiling, or the look of longing on Padma's face, so there would soon be a discussion between the Patils and the Longbottoms. Padma had been sneaking into his room the last few nights as they drew comfort from each other over what they had just faced, declaring themselves married too would permanently solve their sneaking-around problem.

Hermione was having a quick whispered conversation with Padma on that very subject. "We didn't even ask for this. Father offered, then mum and dad agreed. We weren't about to refuse, and have no intention of hiding this either. The plan was to announce it to the rest of the family later today, Harry though has been wanting to shout it to the world since he put this ring on my finger last night."

Sapphire and Barchoke arrived amid all the merriment, she hadn't known about this development either and was just as excited for them. As Hermione's new ring was being admired, Harry asked Fleur for a quiet word - Roger was invited along too. standing in a quieter corner of the hall, Harry got straight to the point.

"Since Gabrielle is attending Hogwarts next year, I want to put her name forward for a Potter Scholarship. I just wanted your opinion before I did so."

"Zat is sweet, 'Arry, but the Delacour family is a wealthy one."

This drew a smile from Harry. "When the scholarship was first proposed, how financially equipped the family in question was to send their child to Hogwarts was one of our main concerns. That is not now the case, those families have the safety net of the sponsorship program to help. The scholarship is awarded to those we think would benefit most from becoming part of the family we are building here. I think Gabrielle falls firmly into that category. She would attend a school where friends would already be waiting on her, and there is a comprehensive support system already in place. Roger and I would still be here too."

"Zat would really be a dream for Gabbie, it is 'ard for a veela to make friends. My father zough would probably insist on paying somezing…"

"I happen to know a veela who made loads of friends at Hogwarts, I'm delighted to be considered one of them. If your father wishes, the Delacours could offer a scholarship in Gabrielle's name to a witch or wizard who couldn't otherwise afford seven years of Beauxbatons. That would also replace the student Madam Maxine is being denied by Gabrielle coming here."

"Zat is a wonderful idea, but are you sure 'Arry?"

His gaze drifted to Luna, she was chatting with their friends and Colin was at her side. "Luna lost her mother, and Xeno wasn't coping too well with that loss either. She was like a little lost waif the first time we met. Just having friends allowed her to grow into the wonderful young woman you see sitting there. She is like a sister to us and Emma has practically adopted her, Luna is family - simple as that. Pauline too has benefited greatly from being a Potter Scholar, it completely removed any stigma over what her father tried to do. I want the same level of acceptance for Gabrielle, to be able to see her happy and reach her full potential is all we ask."

"Oh 'Arry, 'ow can I say non to zat! I will write 'ome today and let my parents know. Zank you so much."

"Hey, just trying to help out a friend. With Gabrielle attending Hogwarts, we'll be able to keep in touch with her big sister. I know that is something Roger wants to do..."

"Thanks Harry, but I can do my own chatting up. I think you should get back there to your wife, and leave my girlfriend alone." All three of them couldn't help chuckling at Roger's comment, though both he and Fleur had already discussed what they would be doing when she returned to France. Neither wanted their relationship to end, and there would be a fair amount of travelling done over the summer by the couple.

The family meeting was a happy affair. All recognised the black cloud of impending doom that had menacingly lurked over them was now lifted, there were only two trials left to deal with. Amelia had sent word with Augusta, Frank and Alice that those trials would began tomorrow - and just whose presence would be required.

Actually planning any holidays was proving a nightmare as there would be three ministry events to attend, whatever The Nation had up its sleeve and then The Queen's request needed to be factored into any plans too. They might be able to influence when the first four happened but The Queen worked to her own calendar, when she set a date and time then that was when you arrived at Buckingham Palace.

"Okay, Harry and Neville's birthdays are sacrosanct, everything else gets arranged around those dates. To be honest, I really just want to relax this summer. Moving between Kingussie and the island would suit me fine. Maybe next year Jamie and Astrid will be old enough to enjoy Florida or some other locations, the island's beach and Kingussie's play park will probably keep them happy for now."

Hearing his name mentioned, Jamie smiled at his sister and attempted her name. "Hemi…"

While smiling back at her brother, all could hear the determination in her voice. "Family rule, only those aged two and under are allowed to shorten my name. No Sirius, mental age doesn't count."

That cracked Barchoke, Sapphire and Harry up. "Love, you've finally got it! That was pure goblin humour."

"Oh dad, please shoot me now…" This just made the goblins in the room laugh all the harder. When Jamie and Astrid laughed along too, the rest of the family couldn't help but join in.

-oOoOo-

Joshua Logue wasn't laughing, he felt sick. Then again, he'd felt sick since the ministry had contacted him to represent Dolores. Oh how he would have loved to say no but Dolores knew of his indiscretions, and wouldn't hesitate to bring him down with her. What was making him sick though was today's issue of the Prophet, it blasted all their arguments clean out of the air. The ministry, and now the country, knew every tiny detail of what had transpired - including what they had considered to be private meetings.

He watched as the colour drained from Dolores' face as she read details that blew their decidedly feeble defence apart. With only Dumbledore left alive, she had intended to portray herself in as positive a light as possible during these meetings. They had decided to go as far as saying Dolores had been tortured to force her to comply with Voldemort's scheme, she would open her robes and let everyone see her scarred breasts if that was what it took to get out of this predicament. That idea was now as dead as those Dolores was sure couldn't contradict her version of these events.

"How could they possibly know all this?"

"I have no idea. I'm also assuming from your reactions that it is all accurate, in which case there is no other alternative but to plead guilty."

This did not sit well with Dolores. "Am I supposed to throw myself on the Wizengamot's mercy? We both know there won't be any coming in my direction. I had hoped you were better than this, both our futures are at stake here."

"Dolores, I can only work with what I have. The Prophet just left us with nothing. It was always going to be a struggle to keep you out of Azkaban, the entire country being informed of what actually happened during these meetings just made that task impossible. Since the ministry made its position on Voldemort and his supporters crystal clear, what we really need to avoid now is the charge of treason - and the penalty that brings with it."

That was something she hadn't considered, and didn't want to consider now. "They couldn't do that, could they?"

"Voldemort didn't just want to kill the boy, he wanted to rule the country. He never hid his ultimate aims, and those aims are treason. Anyone assisting him in those aims could easily face that charge." Joshua pointed to the open newspaper. "They clearly have evidence that you did assist him, evidence we can't counter because it's the truth. If the ministry really wanted to, they could make the charge of treason stick."

He gave her a moment to mull this over before continuing. "If you plead guilty, we can still play the 'caught between two powerful wizards' card. You went to Dumbledore for help, Dumbledore said he had a plan to solve everything, why wouldn't you go along with that? You didn't approach the ministry because your professional relationship with Fudge and Bones led you to believe, rightly or wrongly, there wouldn't be any help forthcoming from that direction. Our task now is damage limitation. Avoid the treason charge at all cost and hope for a sentence that's less than the rest of your life in Azkaban."

Dolores sat there, the tears now freely running down her cheeks as the reality of her situation kicked in. Dolores' instincts were screaming for her to fight this with everything she had, they couldn't do this to her. One glance at the Prophet in front of Dolores confirmed she had nothing, it was obvious they could do whatever they liked to her - she was well and truly screwed.

Her nod of acceptance brought a sigh of relief from Joshua, he never wanted to have Dolores answering questions in the chamber. Now she would quietly sit there, appearing broken without even having to act, while he handled everything. By pleading guilty, though still pushing as much of the blame onto Dumbledore as possible, Joshua hoped to avoid the treason charge. Anything other than life in Azkaban for Dolores would be an unexpected bonus.

-oOoOo-

Amelia watched on as the chair containing the chained and now sobbing witch sank into the floor. Her gaze then sought out Harry, his slight nod indicating he thought they had done the right thing. While not as severe as it could have been, a twenty year spell in Azkaban was by no means a light sentence. If Dolores survived it, she would certainly be a changed witch at the end of her stretch.

The entire chamber seemed to recognise that Dolores was nothing more than the appetiser, the main course was just about to be served.

As Albus was representing himself, he couldn't really be chained in the accused's chair like Umbridge. Any thoughts he might have had about making any kind of powerful entrance to the chamber he once presided over however were immediately and comprehensively quashed.

He was led into the chamber at multiple wandpoints, wearing drab prison issue robes. His original robes had a few bullet holes in them, along with quite a lot of Albus' blood soaked into the material. Dumbledore was also shackled at the wrists and ankles. These restraints would not only hinder his movement but actually suppressed his magical abilities too - though there was no intention of letting him anywhere near a wand.

Since Dumbledore was representing himself, he didn't have someone like Joshua to warn him that the truth was all over today's Prophet, including how the Bulgarian Minister of Magic was brought into the secret so as not to sack Albus after his debacle at the first task. Albus had been kept incommunicado and didn't even know how the final battle had unfolded. The chamber was hostile before Amos began reading out the charges Dumbledore faced. Taking a deep breath, Albus answered 'Not Guilty' before setting out on his defence.

"Members of the Wizengamot, you all know who I am. Having worked side by side with the vast majority of you, I hope to put that familiarity to good use today. I'll start with a simple question, when have you ever known me to do anything without a good reason?"

This was greeted with silence, encouraging Albus to continue. "I will admit some of my actions may seem strange, even severe, but I can assure everyone in this chamber there was a very good reason for those actions. We were dealing with a situation that was controlled by a prophecy. Until that prophecy was fulfilled, all our hands were tied. The prophecy is this:

The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches ... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies ... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not ... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives ... the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies ..."

In the silence that followed that revelation, Amos asked a question. "Would the accused like that prophecy to be entered as evidence to his trial?"

"Of course I would."

"Do you have any means of corroborating that this is an actual prophecy, and not something you manufactured whilst sitting in your cell awaiting trial?"

Albus stared at Amos as if he had two heads before the Chief Warlock explained his stance. "A true prophecy isn't remembered by the seer who makes it, did anyone else hear it?"

Albus had spotted Severus sitting behind Amelia Bones, he couldn't help here though since he didn't know the prophecy in its entirety. "It should be stored in the hall of prophecy..."

This had Amelia intervening. "Anticipating something like this, a search was instigated of the hall of prophecies, a search that generated no results."

Those words triggered a memory for Albus, his first meeting with Barchoke. "Harry must have it, he and his father knew about it."

Turning his attention to Harry, Amos asked what might have seemed a stupid question. "Centurion Crow, you are under no obligation to confirm or deny the existence of this prophecy. Would you like to say anything?"

Taking a quick glance at Hermione, still with her arm in a sling, Harry didn't hold back. "Chief Warlock, this man had information that could have helped us. Instead, he chose to weave a stunner into the dark lord's portkey and my wife ended up getting hit with Voldemort's killing curse. Dumbledore has had his own agenda all the way through this conflict, going right back to before my parents were murdered. He's never helped me or mine, I have no intention of helping him in any way now."

Dumbledore was still reeling from the wife and killing curse news, that was why he forgot to deny he had anything to do with that stunner. It was imperative the prophecy was entered as evidence otherwise the issue about that spell was immaterial anyway. Albus was racking his brain for a solution to his dilemma when help came from an unlikely source. "Chief Warlock, I am prepared to allow that to be admitted as evidence..." His relief though was short-lived as Amelia outlined her price.

"...providing Dumbledore allows this book to be entered as evidence too." Holding up a copy of 'The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore' started a few sniggers inside the chamber, Albus though wasn't smiling as Amelia continued.

"I have stated in this very chamber that I couldn't find one untruth in this entire biography, and the accused here didn't contradict me at that time. I again offer him the chance to point out the lies, or allow this book to be entered as the truth - and vital evidence in this case."

Albus was between the proverbial rock and a hard place. Without the prophecy being admitted as evidence, his case was already lost. The price of that admission though was a high one. In the end, it was a price he simply had to pay.

Signalling his acceptance, Albus was then asked by Amos to explain his interpretation of this prophecy to the chamber.

Rattled at how things were unfolding, but feeling he was back on safer ground here, Albus gave a basic explanation - intending to go into greater detail later as he justified each of his actions. "The first part is rather simple. It could initially have indicated either of two children, both born at the end of July. Voldemort made his choice though and marked a child that Halloween evening. 'And either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives' is also self-explanatory, one had to kill the other before there was any chance of ending this war."

Again Albus was taking the silence as proof he was being believed, until Amos broke it.

"You never mentioned this power the Dark Lord knows not?"

Going for dramatic effect, Albus lowered his head slightly and managed to inflict just the right amount of sadness into his voice. "That power should have been love, something Tom Riddle certainly knew nothing about, but Harry's upbringing with the goblins robbed him of this. Harry Potter would have recognised that sacrificing himself for the greater good of wizardkind was not only the right thing to do, but really the only thing to do. As we all witnessed just a moment ago, Harry Crow has no forgiveness in his heart. The goblins made him into a warrior, then gained great political advantage by promoting him to the rank of centurion. Harry and his goblin masters would see us all perish to achieve what they want."

Albus expected the boy to explode, those rabid rantings would surely further reinforce his case against Harry Crow. He got his explosion, it just didn't come from Harry.

"That is the biggest pile of dragon shit I have ever heard spoken in this
chamber. Considering some of the shit we've had proposed in here over the years, that's really saying something." Amelia's outburst raised a few twitters but she was only getting started.

"Unlike you, Dumbledore, I know the outstanding young man you tried your damnedest to condemn to an early death. He has a wife who loves him so much, Hermione completed their blood bonding so she could fight by his side - knowing those wards would then accept her as well. Harry loves and trusts her in equal measure. Thanks to you, he entered the battle stunned and relied on Hermione to revive him. They have friends who sent their blood to Voldemort too, refusing to let this couple face the challenge alone."

Dumbledore couldn't hide his shock at this and Amelia went for the jugular. "Her close friendship with the group, and special permission from both The Ministry and The Nation, allowed the creation of a blood bound portkey that put one of my brave aurors right in there with the four friends. These now famous five took down Rookwood, defeated Lestrange and vaporised Voldemort's wand arm before we could get those wards down and finish the job. Only one other person wanted the centurion to become a sacrifice, Voldemort offered to leave the country if we did his killing for him. I was very proud this chamber unanimously rejected that idea, and it sickens me you seemed to be setting Harry up like a pig to be slaughtered."

This actually generated some applause inside the chamber, though Albus certainly wasn't clapping. That Harry had defeated Voldemort was almost as shocking as discovering they appeared to have been onto his plans from the very beginning.

Amelia though was just getting warmed up, it was time Albus Dumbledore discovered just how much things had changed in Britain since his absence. "Could you tell this chamber how Voldemort supposedly marked the centurion as his equal?"

"By giving him a scar..." Albus' words died in his throat as the flaw in that statement became obvious.

"Scar? I don't see any scar. I have seen Harry cut as he fenced with his friends, I hardly think that qualifies as marking him either - do you?. Your interpretation of this prophecy doesn't stand up to even the most basic of examinations, do you want me to tell you why that is?"

Recognising a rhetorical question, Albus knew there was no way to stop Amelia telling everyone her opinion.

"At no point does this prophecy mention the dark lord by name, you just assumed it meant Voldemort."

"Madam Bones, are you suggesting that this prophecy could possibly refer to someone else?"

"Yes, Dumbledore, I am. You!"

Among the shocked gasps and angry growls, only one voice was raised in Dumbledore's defence - his own. "That's preposterous!"

A cool Amelia just twisted the knife. "Is it really? You insisted the prophecy become evidence in this case, I intend to offer a different interpretation of its meaning from yours. It will then be up to this chamber to decide which version they believe. That's how our system works, Dumbledore, we don't withhold crucial information and plot to get innocent teenagers murdered."

This was certainly not something Albus had thought possible, far less prepared a defence against. It was clear from the onset though that Amelia was well prepared, and also out for blood.

"We need to start right at the very beginning, before some people sitting in this chamber were born." A smile to the four teens was at odds with the verbal dagger she plunged into Dumbledore's heart.

"Can you tell the chamber, whilst Headmaster of Hogwarts, how many interviews of prospective staff did you hold in the Hog's Head Tavern?"

"What?"

"Oh come now, Dumbledore, it's a simple question requiring a one word answer. Bearing in mind that even Tom Riddle's interview for the defence post took place inside Hogwarts, it surely can't be that many. Would that one word answer actually be one? Taking into consideration of course, we would certainly expect the names to match whatever number you give us for verification."

Albus was left floundering, allowing Amelia to push on and leave the entire chamber with the impression that Dumbledore's answer actually was one without him actually admitting it.

"We are then expected to believe that a handsome young potions prodigy just happened to be hanging about the Hog's Head, an establishment frequented by a rather coarse and craggy clientele even back then. This same wizard just happened to hear this prophecy, oh what a pair of coincidences. After being discovered hearing this absolutely crucial to the war effort piece of information, Severus Snape was sent on his way with nothing more than a slapped wrist - with that information still in his head. Every single person in this chamber can instantly see the necessity of using an obliviate on this young wizard, in all my years in the D.M.L.E. I honestly can't think of a better case for using that spell, but you didn't. You are also on record as saying you never do anything without a good reason, what was your reason that night?"

"That's not how it happened..."

Ignoring Albus, Amelia pushed on with her point. "Could it have been that the prophecy was just a bunch of useless mutterings from a seer of questionable abilities, unless Voldemort heard and believed it? After Severus Snape came to you looking for help, you then blackmailed him into working for you. A tactic you attempted on Bill Weasley and also used successfully on Dolores Umbridge - and those are only the ones we know about."

"You are making large jumps with your assumptions there, Madam Bones."

Amelia then hit the protesting Albus with some damning facts he couldn't refute. "I, like you, was also in this chamber when a certain young goblin asked who had cast the fidelius on his parents' cottage. You kept silent, knowing all along it was you. When that cottage was attacked and destroyed, did you rush to aid the Potters? No, you sent a gamekeeper who had his wand snapped and was barred from performing magic. Hagrid already had strict instructions from you what to do with Harry, how could you possibly know that baby would survive? You denied a godfather his legal right to care for his godson, and then said nothing while knowing Sirius couldn't have told Voldemort where the Potters were hiding. From where I'm standing, Dumbledore, those actions are all pretty dark."

Albus had no comeback, stating that he trusted Hagrid with his life wouldn't win any points here. Amelia though was relentless as she pursued her argument.

"You claim a scar that was healed in a matter of days was the dark lord marking Harry as his equal, I disagree. I know the centurion very well, being rejected by wizardkind, and then the muggles whose doorstep you left him on left a mark on Harry far deeper than any scar. It is also undeniable the Dursleys made it crystal clear they wanted nothing to do with the magical world in general, and the Potters in particular. You dumping that baby on their doorstep directly led to the entire family being tortured to death by Voldemort and his death eaters..."

"That wouldn't have happened if they had just done what they were told and kept the baby."

"So, not following the great Albus Dumbledore's instructions, supplied in the form of a letter I have here, and adopting a wizard child the family had already made clear they wanted nothing to do with, led to their death?"

"Yes!"

Amelia tried not to appear satisfied that Dumbledore had just admitted being partly responsible for the murder of three people. "Well, by his own admission, there are three more deaths we can also lay at the door of Dumbledore's manipulations. 'As his equal' - what does that mean? We all know Dumbledore is a transfiguration master, and an alchemist of some renown. Harry is already an animagus and also directly responsible for a new transfiguration course now being taught at Hogwarts. His class will be the first to sit the new O.W.L. exam next summer, I'm reliably informed the practical content of that exam falls just short of the current N.E.W.T. one. Harry is also something of a potions prodigy, Master Pitslay assessing his abilities as already well beyond N.E.W.T. - I can certainly see the similarities."

It was clear to Albus that the chamber could too, he just couldn't think how to counter this argument - and Amelia was relentless.

"We all witnessed the centurion destroy Dumbledore's wand in this very chamber, he defeated you again at the Yule Ball - and let's not forget the basilisk fiasco that saw you leave the country. These four teenagers not only solved the riddle, they opened the chamber, defeated the biggest bloody basilisk the world has ever seen, saved the life of the hostage and helped ensure only the guilty were punished. The compassion the centurion displays is helping to change our world. Harry insists only the guilty are punished, could that be why he has no compassion or forgiveness for you?"

"Madam, you are taking a few facts and painting a picture to suit your needs..."

Amelia jumped all over Dumbledore's protest. "You took a few lines supposedly mumbled by a witch who can barely see past the end of her nose and proceeded to map out peoples' lives so they would fit your interpretation of it. What I am doing is due legal process and done in front of the people who make our laws. What you did was secretive, manipulative and, something I intend to prove here today, criminal."

Taking a moment to control her anger, Amelia then continued to build her case against Dumbledore. "Albus Dumbledore considers himself a great leader but the facts don't support that. A great leader listens to the opinion of those around him, shares vital information and reaches decisions for the greater good of those who have placed their lives in his hands. That is not a description that can be applied to Dumbledore, how many of your 'Order of the Phoenix' survived the war against Voldemort?"

"You said it yourself, Madam Bones, it was war. Every one of those deaths weighs heavily upon me, I know you lost family Amelia."

Ignoring his familiarity, she continued building her case. "In this, Harry is not your equal but vastly superior. This I offer as the power the dark lord knows not. Unlike Dumbledore, Harry Crow is a born leader."

Amelia then began giving examples of what she meant. "We have all seen memories of how events in the chamber of secrets played out, what is not so well known is that Harry was responsible for those extra ghosts being in the castle. He shared their suspicions with the Lady Ravenclaw and that resulted in a lot of lives being saved, some of them aurors and also included my niece. When watching that event unfold, we saw Harry immediately summoned reinforcements and listened to his troops' opinions at every turn. There was never any doubt who was leading that rescue mission however, and he brought everyone out alive."

She needed a drink of water before covering the next bit. "When Voldemort and all his death eaters attacked Bones Manor that New Year, Harry was again decisive. He led the attack on Voldemort while I organised the defence of my home. In a single battle, the death eater threat was effectively destroyed - and we didn't lose a single person. Like everyone who was present at Voldemort's final battle, that event will stay with me for the rest of my life."

A genuine smile was aimed at Hermione and the entire chamber could hear the sincerity in Amelia's voice. "You have no idea how pleased I am to report that once more we suffered no casualties. Albus Dumbledore wasn't at that battle though, he was already under arrest at Hogwarts."

Amelia then summed her argument up. "In building a case for Albus Dumbledore being the dark lord of this prophecy we need to consider the facts. In the deaths of James and Lily Potter, his negligence - if not outright manipulations, led to their demise. He then left a baby, barely a year old and with a horcrux in his head, on a muggle doorstep. This action painted a large target over this muggle family, one that eventually led to their deaths too. Did Dumbledore spend the next decade searching for the horcruxes he at least suspected were out there? No, instead he hatched and attempted a plot to separate an eleven year old boy from the only parent he had ever known. Only the sorting hat's intervention stopped Harry Crow being lost to us forever."

This wasn't something that was widely known and quills could be heard scratching on parchment as members took notes. "As we have all read in the Prophet, and then heard confirmed at the previous trial, Dumbledore not only knew what Voldemort was planing, but assisted in every way he could. It was Dumbledore who suggested a method for collecting the blood, he arranged the purchase of the books needed and then placed his own modification on the portkey - all with the clear intention of causing the death of Centurion Crow. Dumbledore knew the location of the final battle but again kept that vital information to himself. We were left with no option but to forcibly recover that information, a decision that certainly played a part on us suffering no casualties when ending this war."

She then spoke to the chamber in her final summation. "Albus Dumbledore faces many charges here today, being a dark lord isn't one of them. My intention is not to add that charge to the list, rather show how easy it is to make those words of the prophecy fit whatever scenario you choose. Dumbledore has already admitted he chose a certain interpretation of this prophecy and no doubt based all his actions on that. I would like this chamber to judge that he was wrong to do so, and that this then in no way excuses these criminal actions he is charged with today. Allowing Severus Snape to use ligilimens on an injured Dumbledore was a 'greater good' situation, letting that same wizard inform Voldemort of this prophecy certainly was not."

As she sat back down, Amelia took Albus' hopes with her. His arguments that had sounded so strong sitting in his cell now seemed at best weak in the harsh reality of the Wizengamot Chamber. There was no plan B though so Albus just had to do his best with what he had. He could see however that every one of his arguments was now being compared to the version Amelia had previously given, and not favourably. Just by installing doubt, Amelia had done her job. Albus needed the vast majority of the chamber to accept his interpretation of the prophecy, and therefore excuse his actions, that clearly wasn't happening here. Even finishing with 'everything I have done was for the greater good of wizardkind' had little effect, Amelia had even taken that away from him with her earlier prime example.

The members of the Wizengamot then asked a few questions to clarify some points, that they were almost exclusively focused on points Amelia had mentioned further marginalised Dumbledore. Reading aloud the letter that had been left on the doorstep with the baby, and then hearing Harry's description of how Dumbledore tried to get an eleven year old facing his first trip away from home to renounce his father was shocking to those in the chamber. Bill Weasley also confirmed Dumbledore had attempted to blackmail him, after arranging a reporter to cover Harry's private visit to the cemetery.

Amelia then threw in that Dumbledore wanted the original rules of the Tri-wizard Tournament upheld, forcing Harry to face a dragon unarmed. That he then disregarded those same rules to inform Durmstrang's champion of what the task actually was just summed up the wizard in her opinion. Albus Dumbledore was a wizard who didn't think rules or laws applied to him, she wanted the chamber to let him know his opinion on that matter was wrong.

As the questions dried up, Amos started the procedure of casting and counting the votes. Although a few gave Dumbledore the benefit of the doubt, the vast majority found him guilty. Amelia then stood to propose the sentence.

"If we were to stick to the prophecy as rigidly as Dumbledore, then his sentence would have to be death - at Harry's hand. I have no intention of following that piece of fiction. Albus Dumbledore though has proven time and time again that he considers his great power and intelligence sufficient excuse to make decisions for other people, moulding them into some greater good scenario only he can see. He has been doing this for so long that it's almost second nature to him now, that just isn't going to change. With that in mind, my recommendation is that Albus Dumbledore should spend the rest of his life in Azkaban."

After handing twenty years to Umbridge, no one baulked at passing that sentence to Dumbledore. Since this would be his last time with an audience, Albus decided to say his piece before being led away.

"You will need me again, when the new dark lord in your midst makes his real intentions known. He has corrupted all of Hogwarts, building his own private army so he can someday rule over us with a power base Voldemort could only dream about. When that day comes, you will once more need Albus Dumbledore to take care of the problems not heeding my advice caused."

As Albus was staring straight at Harry, he stood to answer those charges. "Dumbledore is going to be in Azkaban for a long, long time because I have no intentions of ruling anything. I have enough trouble trying to get my way in my own house." This raised a few chuckles before Harry continued. "The marauder clubs are breaking down house, blood and even gender barriers at Hogwarts. They are something that's having such a positive influence on Hogwarts that they have become part of the curriculum. Dumbledore held final sway over who made prefect - along with head boy and girl for years, was he building his own army?"

A few people knew their plans for the future but Harry thought it was time to kill these accusations once and for all. "My wife and I will actually be leaving Hogwarts next year, after our wedding we intend to study to access a muggle university. There, I will study history and politics for four or five years while my wife prefers law. My only ambitions are to be the best husband and hopefully father I can be, and one day take over from our father as The Nation's Ambassador to the ministry. I have no wish to rule, just as I have no wish to see Albus Dumbledore ever again. I will make this promise in front of witnesses though, should we ever discover proof Dumbledore set my parents up to be murdered - Azkaban won't protect him from me."

With that, a defeated Dumbledore was led away to begin his sentence. Harry already knew the powerful old wizard would be wearing magic inhibiting cuffs for the rest of his life, one escape from Azkaban was enough for the ministry.

With their troubles all behind them, Hermione just wanted to go home. It was now time to start living the rest of their lives.

-oOoOo-

The discussions between the Patils and the Longbottoms had gone along the same lines as those Harry and Hermione had heard from their parents. No children until they were at least a good few years older, and the family were still looking forward to the wedding next summer. That was why Padma was waking up in Neville's arms and not having to worry about sneaking back to her room.

Something else had also changed, they couldn't seem to sleep past what Padma had previously considered to be the middle of the night. After getting up every morning to exercise, their body clocks were now used to rising at this time.

One thing Padma could certainly get used to was cuddling into the handsome hunk her husband certainly was, which caused another change she couldn't yet quite believe. Their bodies were currently this shape due to all the physical exercise they did. Since Neville adored her body this shape, and they tended to be awake at this time anyway, Padma had suggested they continue exercising in the morning.

They had found that, without the impending threat of battle, morning exercise was actually enjoyable. With Hermione hopefully able to fly again soon, they would be able to stop running too. She kissed her husband good morning before rising to get ready, Neville loved watching her squeeze into her lycra training gear almost as much as seeing her taking it off.

-oOoOo-

Draco awoke with Pansy draped over him and then remembered what had happened yesterday to cause this wonderful phenomenon. On arriving home from Hogwarts, they found the manor empty of all their guests. With Voldemort finally defeated, they were able to leave the sanctuary of Malfoy Manor and return to their old lives. With both their mothers saying they wanted to raise Bruce at Parkinson Manor, that left Draco and Pansy alone.

After wandering around to enjoy the peace and quiet once more, Pansy had taken him by the hand and said it was time. They had spent a wonderful night together. The tap, tap, tap reminded Draco that something had woken him from sleep, he disentangled himself before opening the window to the post owl.

Draco was reading the letter the owl just delivered when a sleepy voice interrupted his train of thought. "Draco, unless that letter is more important than me, I want you back in bed."

The parchment he held in his hands was from Gringotts, informing Draco his status had just changed. Due to them completing their bond, they were in the eyes of Gringotts married. That meant Draco now had access to the Malfoy vaults. A 'Draco' from his mate saw him weighing up the parchment against a waiting Pansy, the parchment was dropped on the floor as he climbed back into bed with his mate.

-oOoOo-

An excited Hermione could hardly wait for Harry to wake, he of course wasn't helping by pretending to be still sleeping. Her kisses soon dispelled that ruse.

"What has got you so pleased this morning?"

"Oh Harry, the healers said I could try flying today. It's also the first day of the holidays, we'll have people staying with us."

"Hermione, we always have people staying with us..."

"...not since I became your wife. This really is our home now."

Harry kissed the slight scar on her shoulder, left from getting hit with the killing curse. "You are mine, and I am yours. I also don't want you pushing too hard today, we don't have to push that hard anymore."

"I won't, and this wasn't your fault. We swore we would share everything and now we have one killing curse each. Even though I know I can be competitive, I have no wish to pull ahead of you on that score..." She found Harry's arms tightening around her.

"Sorry love, that's just not funny to anyone who watched you get hit. Even goblins wouldn't laugh at that."

"Yet Hemi cracks you up every time Jamie says it, Astrid is doing it now too...Harry, don't you dare, Harry!"

Harry's laughter resounded around Crow's Nest as the young couple got ready to face the day.

A/N thanks for reading.

A/N 2 next weekend some time skips as I cherry-pick a few events, I really need to include the wedding... Still on course to finish with a small epilogue on the 5th.

105. Looking Forward

Harry Crow

Chapter 105

The entire family were early risers this morning, and it wasn't just Crow's Nest that was buzzing with excitement. The entire glen was thrilled today, it was Jamie's first birthday.

The girls had been so proud of the party they had thrown for their husbands on the island, and rightly so. Well over a hundred guests had portkeyed onto the island on the afternoon of Neville's birthday, an island that was already packed to capacity with family and friends who were staying there.

There were games organised on the beach, snacks and drinks available all day and of course loads of swimming too. As the sun began to set, the more formal part of the event took place. It may be hard to describe loads of tables on a beach, each lit by lanterns hanging from a palm-fronds parasol, as formal, but that was as formal as it got on the island. After dinner, two birthday cakes appeared as everyone joined in singing the traditional song. Once pieces of delicious cake had been enjoyed, it was dancing time.

Doing so on a beach, under a tropical sky, actually gave Hogwarts a run for its money in terms of sheer beauty. At the stroke of midnight, a fabulous fireworks display had everyone enraptured. Most thought this was the end of the party until Hermione announced it was now Harry's birthday. This lent new impetuous to the celebrations and the party carried on for at least another two hours.

Those portkeying back to Britain got something of a shock on realising it wasn't yet nine p.m. They had partied the night away but still returned home at an hour their parents approved of.

Padma and Hermione had basked in the praise of their friends and family for throwing the best party ever, only for Harry to steal their thunder some days later.

It had all started off so innocently too. After a summer where they received awards from the Irish, Bulgarian and British Ministries, it was time to meet The Queen. Having heard over and over how important family was to this group, Her Majesty took the unprecedented decision to present their awards at Balmoral Castle. This was her holiday home in the Highlands, and a lot of her family would be there too.

The five were to be inducted into The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle, an order of chivalry associated with Scotland that was a gift from a grateful monarch. All five were to become Knights of the Thistle, with Neville and Harry now known as Sir, while Padma, Hermione and Tonks became Ladies of the Thistle.

There were some historic references that Robert the Bruce had introduced this award on the battlefield of Bannockburn, therefore everyone felt this award was more appropriate than The Most Noble Order of the Garter. When Harry read the motto, Nemo me impune lacessit (No one provokes me with impunity) he was convinced it must have been written by a goblin.

Although this location made the event a great deal more informal, it came at a price. Each recipient was only allowed to bring two people with them. Padma, Neville and Hermione all chose their parents, with Tonks being accompanied by Remus and her dad. Harry of course wanted his father to be there but was then left in a bit of a quandary. He eventually decided Parvati should really be present, but still intended to take Jamie in his arms. Although too young to have any idea what was happening, Harry still wanted his brother to be present on this special day.

Harry was sure a grandmother wouldn't kick a toddler out of her home because there was one too many in their party. Turns out he was right, her security were far more concerned about this group that had appeared out of nowhere - and four of them were wearing swords.

Neville and the three witches had chosen to arrive in dress auror robes, as had Frank and Alice, all with an impressive array of awards on their chests. Harry was in his dress Centurion tunic, now sporting his traditional Ravenclaw blue and bronze cape. The impressive medal collection along with the sword at his hip marked Harry as dangerous, the toddler on his other hip was probably the only reason those same security forces relaxed.

The Queen performed the ceremony in an anteroom that had been set out specifically for this purpose. It was made even more special when Her Majesty asked each of the teens in turn for their own sword to carry out their induction into the order. Hermione was beaming as The Queen used the sword that now had Crow engraved on its blade to dub her a Lady of the Thistle, her mum and dad were sharing tissues as they looked on.

They were all then invited to an informal family tea, and that's where the trouble started. It began innocuously enough, Her Majesty inquiring if they could perhaps see a little magic. The few trusted servants in attendance almost fainted where they stood, with good reason. Priceless pieces of silverware were now fluffy white rabbits that were hopping about the table.

Jamie was sitting on his mother's knee, clapping at the display, but the toddler already knew exactly what he wanted. Still clapping his hands, Jamie began to bounce and chant. "Fly, fly, fly..."

Harry stood and bowed to The Queen. "Excuse me ma'am, I think you'll like this." With barely a jump, Swift was then flying around the massive room - performing stunning aerobatics as he weaved his way in and out the chandeliers at speed.

Jamie was laughing and clapping before turning his attention to his sister. "Hemi fly, Hemi fly..."

While those who hadn't seen this before currently had their jaws hitting the table, Padma, Hermione and Neville joined Harry in the air. Jamie was giggling with glee, especially when Swift would fly really close to him. The four birds became teens again, bowed - curtsied before resuming their seats at a stunned table.

"That was extraordinary, can all witches and wizards do that?"

It was Remus who answered The Queen's question. "No Ma'am, very few actually. My wife though has a magical ability that is even rarer."

While kicking Remus under the table, Tonks changed her hair colour a few times before morphing into passable impersonations of Hermione and then Padma.

The looks of envy coming from the other side of the table were explained by Her Majesty. "That is indeed a rare talent, one all of us I'm sure wished we possessed. It would be nice to occasionally go out without everyone recognising us, and then photographing our every move."

That drew a chuckle of understanding from Harry. "We know exactly how that feels, Ma'am. We are renowned inside Gringotts and the magical community..." And that's when trouble struck as Harry had an Idea.

"Ma'am, I hope I'm not being too presumptuous here but we are having a party for Jamie's birthday in Kingussie. There will be a roller coaster and flying carpets for the older kids, while I'm sure our father could convince Gringotts to put on a dragon display if you wished to visit. Dan also has a clay pigeon shooting range set up for any adults or teens who would like to try it..." It was only then that Harry noticed every pair of eyes in the room were focused on him, Hermione's were almost burning right through her husband.

A lot of those pairs of eyes then switched to The Queen. Although The Monarch, she was also a grandmother - and having all her grandchildren staring at her with looks of wonder and longing in their eyes would have been too much for anyone.

"I don't think we have a protocol for something like this, I assume it will be safe for them?"

Barchoke answered that one, the rest of the family were still in shock. It was hard to tell who was worse, Hermione or her mother. "Ma'am, you will all be perfectly safe, and if I may say, thoroughly entertained. Our children chose to live their lives with a unique blend of our three cultures. Kingussie has played host to people from all of those cultures, each have felt at home there. We can easily arrange to have some friends around their own age show your grandchildren over the glen, leaving the adults free to pursue whatever takes their fancy. Kingussie is so safe, not even these Scottish midges can get through its defences."

"Sir, while I would love to see a dragon, banning midges from an entire glen impresses me more."

No one knew what to do when The Queen cracked a joke but members of her own family chuckling along told them it was alright to do the same. Barchoke informed her that the leader of their nation and the Minister of Magic would be present, both would have their wives with them and just be there to enjoy themselves. This event was certainly classed as a social occasion, not a state one. The Queen agreeing to attend saw some very excited grandchildren, and Hermione's pallor matching that of the Lady Ravenclaw.

They had hardly set foot back in Crow's Nest when Barchoke sprang into action. "I'll get my department onto this at once, Bill, Jenny, Penny and Percy can accompany our special visitors around the glen. Harry, you contact the Potter Scholars, they can help look after the young princes and princesses. I'll also contact The Director while Arthur can inform the ministry. There's no protocol for this so we're making it up as we go along. We're looking at another day where history is being made in Kingussie."

Seeing the shocked appearance of the returning family, it was Sirius that asked the question the rest of them wanted to know the answer to. "What in the name of Merlin happened?"

"My husband happened! Luna, remember you wanted to meet The Queen? You're going to get your wish. My husband here invited the entire bloody Royal Family to our brother's first birthday party - in less than a week!" Taking a deep breath, she then turned to her now nervous husband and just about kissed his socks off.

"Part of me wants to strangle you for dropping me right in it - again! Another part wants to drag you away and properly reward you for bringing our three cultures closer again."

Hermione then wiped the smile of her husband's face. "Unfortunately, we now have to get our home ready for this royal visit, we're going to be working our arses off."

As Hermione started issuing tasks to her 'volunteers', Dan couldn't quite hide his groan. He did only whisper to Emma though. "I could quite happily have done without ever hearing that in my life."

Neither had long to fret on it though as their daughter had tasks for them too. Only Barchoke escaped, he needed to organise The Nation's response to this - and inform Arthur.

Elves, goblins, witches, wizards and muggles had all worked very hard to have the entire glen sparkling like a new pin, and have an itinerary in place that Her Majesty had readily agreed to. Now all they had to do was pull it off.

The Creeveys, McDonalds and Abercrombies were pulling double duties today. Not only were they offering advice on their Royal visitors, they were introducing the family of this year's muggle born Potter Scholar to their new world. While young Mark Evans seemed to take everything in his stride, his parents just kept looking around them.

This had the senior Creevey chuckling at their obvious discomfort, while trying to allay their fears. "We all know exactly how you feel. I'm a milkman who has two wizards and a witch for children. After accepting that, little things like meeting The Queen today don't seem such a big deal. Both our sons love Hogwarts, and our Maggie just can't wait to go."

Mary McDonald was more than ready to take another young couple under her wing. "Our Natalie adores Hogwarts too, Colin and Luna looked after her during her first year there - they still do now. We've actually met the leaders from the magical and goblin societies before, but this is the first time The Queen has visited. As you can imagine, it's a big day for everyone around here. Harry and Hermione will have more time to talk to you later, once they get this visit over with."

Harry and Hermione were currently standing waiting on the portkey delivering their special guests. Bill, Jenny, Percy, Penny and Sapphire had gone to Balmoral to bring them here. Sapphire had argued she needed to be involved, giving the goblins a presence on the visiting party. Astrid had started calling her grandfather 'Papa', Jamie then doing the same for Barchoke brought a tear to the goblin's eye. This meant that Jamie's Papa had to be at his birthday celebrations, leaving Sapphire as the obvious candidate to accompany The Queen and her family.

As there was no protocol for this, when Harry introduced Her Majesty to The Director, she held out her hand to be shaken. Hermione instantly thought that historic event made all the worrying and work worthwhile. After shaking Ragnok and Rainha's hands, Her Majesty then did the same for Cornelius and his wife before moving on to greet the rest of the guests in the house.

Using his Hogwarts connections, Harry had managed to borrow a 'horseless' carriages to transport The Queen and Prince Philip around the glen. The elves and goblins then did a fair amount of work on this carriage, leaving it glimmering with gold trim and certainly now fit for a queen. Hagrid provided the thestrals, getting to spend some time with a dragon being more than enough payment for him.

The younger members were going to be sightseeing by flying carpet, no one had thought it suitable to ask The Queen to sit on a rug. Percy and Penny led the Potter Scholars in looking after the young princes and princesses, they would fly around the glen a few times before rejoining their grandparents at their visit to the goblin settlement.

The Queen was chatting with Jenny, using her own experience of placing her son in a Highland boarding school to understand how the young mother felt allowing her child to enter an environment she knew so little about. They at least had some inside knowledge, with Charles' father attending Gordonstoun at the same age.

Prince Phillip appeared really interested that Sapphire was already apprenticed, and then posed a question none of the three could answer. As Sapphire excitedly spoke of Harry and Hermione eventually going to university, he asked why she didn't join them there.

Bill sat back and experienced what was nothing short of a master class in diplomatic skills. This couple had been doing this for so long, it was now second nature to them. Both Sapphire and Jenny were made to feel extremely comfortable as they chatted, and it was easy to see there was genuine interest in their answers. Bill had initially apologised for the three of them being delegated to accompany the Royal Visit, knowing this was not the usual protocol. The Queen had shot him down at once, saying she understood goblin protocol placed someone's birthday as the most important event of the year. This dictated that the family really needed to be at the scheduled birthday party, not showing guests around their glen.

Hearing the noise and laughter being generated from what was originally the kiddy zone put smiles on all there faces, as did watching her delighted grandchildren wave like crazy as they flew past on a couple of magic carpets.

Jamie was having a grand time, their play park was full of children and he was the centre of attention. Being so young though, all the excitement and activity soon began to take its toll. It was a tired little tyke who was laid down in the area they had set up as a little nursery for a nap. The birthday boy was soon joined by Astrid, Bruce and a couple of goblin toddlers. There were silencing charms over that area so the noise wouldn't disturb their sleep, with Dobby monitoring the situation closely. The Granger family elf was already devoted to the little master.

Such were the changes being made in their society that pureblood, muggleborn, veela and goblin toddlers all taking a nap together wasn't even commented on, apart from how cute they looked.

Jamie was still napping when The Queen rejoined his birthday party, though the older children - including her grandchildren - would soon be leaving to ride on the roller coaster and visit the dragon exhibit. The amount of children having fun couldn't fail to put a smile on any parent's face.

The guests of honour were then led to a table where tea, sandwiches and cakes just appeared - this was service that even exceeded what they were used to. As she sat sipping her favourite tea, The Queen realised just how wrong her government were to withdraw their aid from this young man. Every single person she had met today, wizard, goblin or mundane, all had genuine affection and admiration for this couple. Seeing that exhibit where they fought the giant snake was terrifying, the young red-haired man describing what had happened that day was almost as harrowing as watching that memory of their battle at Bannockburn.

The British Monarch was now delighted to have presented these five with the awards they so thoroughly deserved and, after speaking with some of the goblins who now lived and worked here, fully supported what was happening in Kingussie. Being Queen she couldn't actually say so, that didn't mean her Prime Minister wouldn't soon be doing that job for her. She intended to have a chat about this with her Prime Minister at their next scheduled meeting.

Watching her grandchildren troop off with playmates their own age to have a good time is exactly what she wanted for them. Even although this situation could never be considered normal, it was still a rare occasion where she could relax and witness that. Her Majesty was also sure Philip had planted a seed in Sapphire's mind, a seed that she intended to see her government offering any assistance needed to ensure it germinated. British universities were full of students from all over the world, a goblin should be able to fit in without too much difficulty.

-oOoOo-

The Following Year...

Barchoke found himself back in the Hall of Heroes, something he'd been doing more and more. He always stood in the same place, right in front of the tableau that featured his family - most of whom were in tears the first time they saw it. He may be slightly biased but Barchoke thought it was a work of art, nothing short of a masterpiece of goblin craft and storytelling.

It of course featured the Battle of Bannockburn, and all the main players that day. Rookwood was already down and unfortunately so too was Neville - though clearly only temporarily. All knew the story of how he had ended up there however, throwing himself in front of the torture curse intended for his mate.

Padma was poised to take off Lestrange's arm with her Longbottom blade, the green glowing curse at the end of the mad bitch's wand was never going to be cast. Harry and Hermione were both fighting Voldemort, and his wand too glowed green at the tip, as he prepared to unleash that horrible curse on Hermione.

The master craftsgoblins who created this tableau clearly understood The Nation would never accept a work where Hermione was lying on the ground. Irrational as it might seem, Barchoke himself knew he wouldn't be nearly as fond of the scene if that was the case. Seeing his daughter lying there in real life was one of the worst moments of his life, he had no wish to be reminded of it ever again.

At its unveiling, the family had stood in stunned silence while they attempted to take it all in. Muggles, goblins, veela, a werewolf, house elves, witches and wizards were all here, every single one of them giving their all to ensure the five heroes survived. It was Sirius who noticed them first, his gasp of surprise being only a short step away from a sob.

There, amongst the aurors who were pouring their magic into those wards were James and Lily Potter, both doing the same. It was left to Dan to try and put into words what their family was feeling.

"Harry, we believe our loved ones never really leave us. I think it's fitting that your mum and dad are up there, still giving everything they have to keep their son safe." Hermione certainly wasn't the only person with tears in her eyes but her wide smile to her father let Dan know he'd gotten that just right.

The tableau was a massive hit with The Nation but Barchoke liked to come at quieter times, it allowed him to speak with two old friends. "James, Lily, it's finally time. They've left Hogwarts and are now ready to start on the next phase of their lives, but first we have a wedding to celebrate - and what a wedding. There will be three Ministers of Magic there, and of course The Director and his Mate. You'll be delighted to know, Lily, that there will even be representatives from your Royal Family in Kingussie too."

That had Barchoke thinking back to what he had once hoped tomorrow could be, only for every single one of those hopes to be exceeded by a massive margin.

"I hope it's like Dan says, you're both with Harry tomorrow to see our wonderful children get married for yourself. You'll also see the beautiful witch your godson is marrying too. Frank, Alice and Augusta adore Padma nearly as much as. Neville does. Our children are entering a period where Dan and Emma will have a bigger influence on their lives as they study to attend university, that's as it should be. Sirius and I have steered them through Hogwarts, this is now the Grangers' area of expertise."

""I thought I would find you here, old friend. Shouldn't you be in Kingussie by now? I would hate for any of your family to be worried over you, tomorrow is a big day.""

"I have a little while yet before I'm expected, Director. Were you looking for me for a particular reason?""

""I was wondering if your Assistant Ambassador had reached a decision yet about his future? There have been a number of enquiries about his availability. He has impressed at everything he has done in all his years with us, none more so though than in his time with you.""

This put a smile on Barchoke's face. ""He has finally asked Jenny to marry him, and she said yes. I think that will rule him out of going back to being a curse-breaker, his days of raiding tombs in the remotest corners of the world are over. He also knows I've got my eye on Jenny to come and work for us after she gets her Law degree, Bill might just decide to stay where he is. Harry has two years of study to get into university, then at least another four years after that before he can take up his position. I think Bill will be staying where he is for at least another couple of years.""

That news had The Director laughing. ""With his brother and sister-in-law in your department too, you really are making it a family affair."" Looking at the tableau, Ragnok grew serious once more. ""Building that family has stood Gringotts in good stead, so you just keep on doing what you're doing. In a few years you might even see that family grow, grandchildren are such a blessing.""

""Both want to finish university first, and Padma starts her apprenticeship in September. I'll be ready to retire by the time any grandchildren come along.""

""Rainha and I are looking forward to tomorrow, we'll see you all then.""

As Ragnok left, Barchoke thought it was time for him to do the same. He'd lived all his life in Gringotts but now thought of Kingussie as home. Then again, that's where his family lived.

-oOoOo-

One of the hardest decisions for any bride is the dress. With two brides and such a mixture of cultures, Padma and Hermione's decision was harder than most. Yes it was a muggle ceremony but they were back to sending out the right signals again. Hermione didn't want a traditional muggle dress, just as Padma shied away from a sari, their auror dress robes were out too for the same reason. They almost settled for their marauder training robes, that club was such a big part of their life, when Hermione hit on an idea.

"I think I fell in love with Harry from the moment I laid eyes on him. You saw how he was dressed, it would be hard not to. What if we had wedding dresses made from the same period?"

"Oh, and the guys could all be tailored like Harry was too - I like that."

When the goblin tailors had shown them some designs and materials, both girls knew this was exactly what they wanted. While their dresses might still touch the ground, there was no wide skirt, train or veil. The white silk flowed around their bodies like petals of a flower that was about to bloom. Each bodice was a mixture of silk and lace which also enhanced bodies that still exercised every day, being sleeveless and practically backless too. Both had beautiful belts around their waist, and while inlayed with gold and jewels, they were not purely for decoration. Neither Padma or Hermione would be without those swords that had Longbottom and Crow engraved on them.

Padma was surprised and delighted that her parents decided to forgo their traditional form of dress to adopt the same 'Pride and Prejudice' theme as the rest of the family. She thought her father was very handsome as he escorted her down the aisle, dressed as an Indian version of Mr Darcy. Parvati, Luna and Sapphire walked behind them, wearing white dresses that only differed from both brides in that they had a much simpler bodice - and of course no belt and swords.

Hermione may have written the invitations but that didn't mean she wasn't still surprised at the number of people here. Knowing there would be over four hundred guests and then seeing them all was two different things. Harry seemed such a long way away as the music had them walking toward both grooms.

As her dad led her to Harry and Reverend Richards, her smile got wider as she thought they were keeping him busy. Since he'd married the Lupins, Tonks and Remus had asked Robert to christen their son, Teddy. Hermione and Harry had stood as his godparents at yesterday's ceremony, held in Kingussie of course. With Henrica heavily pregnant too, Hermione knew she would be drawing godmother duties again soon.

Both fathers soon passed their daughters on to their grooms, before sitting down beside their tearful wives. Reverend Richards then got the show on the road, it was time to marry these two couples.

Hermione had held herself together well, right up until Harry slipped that ring on her finger. She had moved the Potter matriarch ring to her right hand, leaving her finger ready to accept this final band of gold. It was what this represented that finally released Hermione's tears, though they were certainly tears of joy. Here was a goblin crafted work of art, made right here in Kingussie. It not only symbolised Harry's love for her but how far their societies had come. As Harry uttered 'with this ring, I thee wed' Hermione was about to become Mrs Crow - and the entire country supported them in this.

When the Reverend finally said 'you may now kiss your bride', Hermione put her very soul into their first kiss as a couple who were now husband and wife in all three of the societies they lived in. The cheering as both couples kissed was tumultuous.

Standing in the receiving line as all their guests congratulated them seemed to take hours, they even managed to smile as Ron and Lavender wished them well. Ron had calmed down a lot over the last year and inviting the rest of the Weasleys without him wasn't really an option. Neither was inviting him without his girlfriend, hence Lavender got to set foot in Kingussie again - just for today though.

Blaise and Roger had enjoyed winding Colin up that he, as the youngest, could give the best man speech. When the time came, it was Roger who stood to do the honours.

Learning about goblins saw Roger get straight down to business, something he thought his four friends would appreciate. "Meeting Harry Crow changed my life, how many here can also say that?"

Hermione, Neville and Padma had their hands straight up in the air, this generated some laughter before every single person then raised their hand too.

This drew a smile from Roger. "That's just about what I expected…" He was halted for a moment as elves who had just served them a wonderful meal began appearing with their hands raised too. "…and that will please these four even more." This led to applause that soon spread right around the tables. The area in front of the swiss chalet had been expanded so they could all eat dinner there while the section in front of Crow's Nest that had earlier held the wedding ceremony was now being set up as the dance floor for later.

"I had a front row seat as these four became inseparable from their first week at Hogwarts, Harry taking down a troll in those first few days to save these two brides and one of their bridesmaids is something Blaise specifically wanted me to thank you for." This again generated laughter as everyone knew that story, it had now passed into folklore.

"Hermione had already made her mind up she was with Harry before the feast was served at Hogwarts. She hadn't been in the castle an hour before Hermione jumped from the Ravenclaw table to be at Harry's side. If Dumbledore was sending Harry home, then Hermione was going too. In a matter of days, Padma and then Neville had joined them - the Fab Four were born."

Roger was quite pleased that got a few laughs, until he noticed it was only those with muggle connections that were laughing. He'd need to ask Hermione about that later.

"This might be two couples but they were incredibly close right from the start. Fred, George, Cedric and I were lucky enough to take part in their extra training, we spent the next few years getting our arses kicked on a weekly basis. Even adding Victor Krum and my fiancée, Fleur, didn't help - it at least took them longer to defeat the six of us." This generated some genuine laughter as everyone knew Roger hated getting beat at anything.

"When the story eventually came out that both couples were bonded, it wasn't exactly a big surprise. We all could see how close they were, how hard they trained yet how normal they wanted to be. It's a testament to them that seeing these four in the Prophet and reading about the latest thing they had achieved just became normal to us - this is who our friends are."

He then expanded on that idea. "I've spent five years in Hogwarts with them, gone on holiday alongside them, visited that wonderful island and of course spent time with all four here. I thought the Baron's Fayre was one of the greatest things ever to happen in this country, but today tops that.

Roger now directed his comments to both couples. "I've twice watched my four friends go off to war and done the best I could on both of those occasions. The last time was hopefully the war to end all wars, we could do with a good few peaceful generations. You four played a massive part in that, you have all our thanks for that. I think it's now time to raise our glasses and toast four best friends who today became two of the nicest married couples I know. I give you the brides and grooms!"

Harry found himself on the dance floor for the rest of the night. After his first dance with Hermione, he and Neville swapped brides as he then danced with Padma. Three bridesmaids followed, then three mothers, Tonks and now a very pregnant Henrica. He had a promise to keep to Rainha next too.

"This is very inconsiderate of you, Harry, arranging your honeymoon when I'm due to give birth. Who's going to carry me into St Mungo's while you're lying on a beach with Hermione."

"I think you're forgetting, our wedding date was set well before you went and got pregnant. It's also Moony's turn to be godfather, he'll carry you if Sirius can't manage it."

This had both of them laughing before Henrica came back at him. "There is still quite a queue of ladies waiting to dance with the groom, one of the disadvantages of having a large family."

"It's a price I'm happy to pay, Henrica. Besides, I've got Hermione all to myself for the next two weeks. The elves will let us know when the happy event happens, I think it will be sooner than that."

"Oh Harry, I certainly hope so!"

Between the Delacours, Moa and Henrica, there were five veela in Kingussie waiting on a dance with the grooms. Both though only had eyes for the beautiful witches they'd just married.

-oOoOo-

Hogwarts was busy but just didn't feel the same without the four friends being there, that all changed when the students walked into dinner and found a quartet of visitors sitting at the Ravenclaw table. After all the squeals of greeting, they finally got some answers.

"It's Crow's marauders tonight! The clubs run up until the end of fifth year, who else is going to take you lot?"

Luna wasn't the only one who wanted confirmation but she was the only one who asked. "Do you mean the club is still going to run this year, Harry?"

"Yes, Luna, we're going to be here every week - and for the Christmas parties too."

This was very good news but Harry had more to say. "I'm Hogwarts' Champion, now one of the three responsible for the Potter Scholarships and then there's also the marauders program to consider. I may no longer be a student here but I intend to be returning to the castle for many years to come."

This was something that pleased everybody, and not just Crow's Marauders. Augusta then approached with a pair of scrolls.

"Since you dropped in, I now won't have to owl these. They are invitations to the Merlin ball, I hope you can make it?"

Neville tried not to laugh, his gran was well aware they would be arriving in Hogwarts tonight. "Gran, you know we wouldn't miss it."

Harry quickly agreed with Neville before adding even more. "The Lady Helena is opening the room for the marauder clubs, she will also open the room for you if it's needed for a ball or something special. I've also arranged for the goblin tailors to visit for our new first years the weekend before the Merlin ball."

It was the happiest dinner since returning to Hogwarts for the students. These four may no longer be in the castle every day but it was now clear they hadn't really left Hogwarts for good.

-oOoOo-

Six years later...

The couple ran alongside the docks, watching the ships being loaded with supplies for the oil rigs. Turning right saw them heading on to the promenade as they raced along Aberdeen's sea front.

"I can't believe this is our last day here, the time just seems to fly past. Our last exam is today!"

This had his wife firing right back at him. "You weren't saying that back in November when the North Sea was coming right over that wall, you were turning the air nearly as blue as we were. I told you we should just have stayed in bed that morning, we were soaked and half frozen to death."

"Hermione, once you start staying in bed, it just becomes harder to get out that same bed the following morning."

"When it's below zero and blowing a gale, you better believe it's hard to get out of bed - especially when my toasty-hot husband is lying beside me."

As they reached the River Don, they turned left to cut inland before turning again to head back to their flat - just a hundred yards or so from Aberdeen University.

"Whose turn is it to make breakfast this morning?"

"I'll get it love, it's actually Sapphire's but she's stressing out over this exam. We both know she'll pass it easily but she wants that top mark. As the first actual goblin to attend university, Sapphire knows the eyes of The Nation will be upon her. She's desperate for the words 'First Class' to be on her Honours Degree."

"She's certainly worked hard enough for it, those slight glamours certainly helped - so did going to every class with her 'brother'."

"It will be great to get back to Kingussie and see our own brother..."

"Harry, it's not even a fortnight since we were home for the weekend. In the last four years we could probably count on the one hand the number of times we went longer than a fortnight without spending a weekend at home."

"I know, but I still miss it. You were right that day when you first walked in, Kingussie is home. Crow's Nest is where we live and I miss it when we're not there."

"Well, we were supposed to go out and celebrate after our last exam - you fancy skipping and heading straight home?"

This got a smile from Harry. "That sounds great, and Sapphire will certainly vote for that. Tony is building up his courage to ask her out on a date - again. This is our last day and there's a hint of desperation about him now."

"I thought that was because you were practically growling at him. He likes Sapphire, and she likes him ... just not like that." She couldn't help but chuckle as Harry almost stumbled at her teasing.

"Oh so not funny Mrs Crow. All these years and we still need to work on that sense of humour."

This just had her laughing more as they put a sprint on toward the flat they shared with Sapphire. Today would be their last day in Aberdeen, just returning to collect their degrees. It was almost time to start the next phase of their lives, at least they wouldn't have to worry about getting a job. Harry and Sapphire were already set, and Hermione had more offers than she knew what to do with. They would discuss that over the summer, it was time for the Crows to fly home.

A/N thanks for reading.

A/N 2 this chapter fought me more than the 100+ that preceded it. Only a short epilogue to go now and we're done, hopefully by the end of the weekend.

106. Epilogue

Harry Crow

A/N I always said I would finish this story, and two years later here we are. A great big thank you to everyone who came on this journey with me, I hope you like the final destination we reach here.

Chapter 106

Platform nine and three quarters was buzzing with the sounds of friends greeting friends they hadn't seen since before the summer holidays, and families saying goodbye to their children. The family near the far end of the platform probably counted as the largest there, though absolutely no doubt existed that they were by far and away the strangest.

That a pair of muggles stood beside goblin parents would see them win that contest hands down, and that was before the rest of the company were taken into consideration. This was Jamie, Astrid, Bruce and Zakkclaw's time to head for Hogwarts, all were eleven years old. Jamie and Zak had been best friends since they were toddlers growing up together in Kingussie. With Astrid and Bruce being frequent visitors over the years, all four were really close.

This was what saw Zak heading to Hogwarts, the first goblin to attend since Harry Crow. As the precedent had already been set, Zak also had a specially manufactured knife similar to the Assistant Ambassador's. What convinced Zakkclaw's parents to allow this though was the silver pin on his robes. It was a copy of the Potter family crest and marked their son as a Potter Scholar.

That their son would have the support this offered inside Hogwarts, his three friends would also be there with him and the Assistant Ambassador visited the castle practically on a weekly basis were the main reasons they were allowing him on this train.

The other sets of parents were on the platform too, as were the proud grandparents - Moa, Lukas and Barchoke. The Lupins and the younger Longbottoms completed the family lineup, for the moment. Neville was now also a proud parent, cradling their four month old daughter in his arms. She looked like a tiny version of Padma, only her skin being a light coffee colour, and Neville thought she was the most beautiful girl on the planet - next to her mother of course.

Their wonderful daughter was named after Neville's godmother, and to honour their best friends - and of course her godparents. Lily Longbottom however had already captured her father's heart and soul.

"They're still not here. It's not like them to be late, do you think something has happened?"

Emma knew she and Dan were far more prepared for Jamie getting on this train than they were for his big sister's journey. In all honesty though, that wouldn't exactly be difficult. She tried to ease her son's fears. "There's no way they would miss you lot heading for Hogwarts. If anything had happened, we would already have heard."

Their attention was then occupied by a beautiful witch with long black hair rushing up to the group, Barchoke receiving the first hug. Danielle then turned her attention to the four new first years. "You all set for a trip to Scotland?"

Miss Dugan really was a beautiful witch, her marauder trainer robes emphasising the fact she would come of age in January. She didn't need to be wearing her Potter Scholar badge to know there was going to be a massive party planned for then, Danielle had been a frequent visitor to Kingussie since she was five and certainly considered part of the extended family.

Padma was smiling at Bruce's usual reaction to Danielle, his crush reminding her of another young first year - that boy though had an ever-present camera. Colin and Luna had parted as friends during their sixth year, Ginny Weasley quickly moving in and snapping him up. They were now married and Luna was happy for them, she just preferred the life she now led as Harry and Hermione's private secretary.

With both being such high profile individuals, Luna looked after their diaries and was the only way to get near the Crows. Luna was very protective of them and, with Sapphire performing the same function on the goblin side of the divide, all four were happy and content with the way their lives were unfolding.

Padma also couldn't help but smile at how Astrid tried to direct attention away from her friend's blushing, these four were as close as another quartet that had been formed in Hogwarts.

"I don't see why I have to take the train to Hogwarts. I've been living there most of my life, why can't I just portkey with you guys? That's what I usually do, this seems such a waste of time."

The adults could see what Astrid was up to but Sirius answered his daughter anyway. "I met your Uncle Remus on the train to Hogwarts, and your favourite story has always been how Harry met Hermione on this very same train. It's an important part of growing up, you can meet people today who will be your best friends for the rest of your life..."

He was interrupted by his father-in-law. As the tallest, it was Lukas who spotted them first. "I think they're coming. It's hard to see but I don't know of anyone else who could cause that kind of reaction amongst a crowd."

Lukas was of course right, every head on the platform was now turned to see what was causing all the excitement. To the Hogwarts students, this was just a couple they knew well from their frequent visits to the castle. It was the parents who were in total awe of them. Luna and Sapphire were practically having to push a path through the crowd for the couple, Harry refusing to budge from a very heavily pregnant Hermione's side.

Neville handed Lily to her mother as he and Tonks lent a hand, the two aurors soon had a path clear for them to reach their family. It was a tired Hermione who hugged her brother. "I didn't think you were going to make it, sis. I was sure the healers were going to keep you in. You are about the size of a house, you know."

She lovingly ruffled his hair. "Since I'm the one carrying this house about with me, then you better believe I know what size I am."

"What I can't believe is that I'm going to be in Hogwarts when I become an uncle, you will send me some pictures?"

At that Dobby popped beside them. "Dobby will let little master know as soon as he becomes an uncle. Dobby will also bring pictures when Mistress Emma takes them."

This seemed to ease Jamie's doubts. "Thanks Dobby, you're the best."

Hermione though had more to add. "You know we visit the castle a lot, we're going to be bringing the baby with us. The Lady Helena asked especially, and you know Harry's not going to disappoint her."

After greeting the four heading off to Hogwarts, Harry noticed the other two looking unhappy in the background. Not something he was ever going to allow. "Teddy, Luke, why so sad?"

His godson was first to answer. "Uncle Sirius says you meet your best friends on this train, Luke and me don't go until next year. Does that mean they won't be our best friends anymore?"

He wanted to laugh but could see this was really troubling them. Harry gently explained the situation to both boys. "Teddy, you live in the castle - you'll be seeing them every day for the next seven years. Luke, you live there too, and Astrid is your sister. My goddaughter is hardly likely to forget about the bane of her life." This drew a smile from both boys, all knew how close the Black children were.

"I think you guys could do with a few more girls in the group anyway, Astrid has her hands full trying to keep the five of you in line."

All clearly heard the admiration in Luke's voice, it was bordering on awe. "...but she has Dannielle to help, and she is amazing."

This generated quite a few chuckles and earned the now red-faced Luke a kiss on the cheek from the 'amazing' witch in question. His mother though was left shaking her head. "Only ten but already charming witches, he's certainly his father's son."

That comment from Henrica just seemed to please both Black males, generating more chuckles within the family group. The warning whistle saw final hugs being exchanged as Danielle got the four loaded on to the train. She may be a Potter Scholar but they were family, and she knew how well that same family had looked out for her over the years. Danielle intended to ensure these four settled in well to Hogwarts, she could do no less.

They had barely stepped on the train when Luna whirled on Hermione. "Okay, you've seen them off. Now can we go?"

This was so out of character for Luna that the entire family was now focused on this pair. "In a minute, Luna. I just want to wave as the train leaves."

This led to a harumph from Luna. "I think I'll go and tell the driver to get his finger out. Perhaps then you'll actually listen to sense."

The family now couldn't fail to notice that Harry was practically supporting Hermione, and Emma shifted straight into worry mode. "Is there something wrong, something you're not telling us about?"

Luna tried for sarcasm but it just came out as pleading. "Apart from the fact she's in labour, everything's fine. She refused to stay in the medical facility. Hermione Crow decided she knew better than the healers and came here."

Sapphire was also clearly worried about the situation. "Harry, please! Hermione needs to get to the medical facility, talk to her."

Harry gazed into his wife's beautiful brown eyes. "I can't believe you're doing this to me... Our child is going to be heading to Hogwarts on their birthday, that is simply unacceptable Mrs Crow."

"My husband has some good connections at Hogwarts, I'm sure he'll think of something. I married a very smart goblin, and they are sneaky little devils. Our baby is coming, love, and they are coming soon..."

This left Sapphire shaking her head in frustration. "You two are as bad as each other. I don't know how Luna and I put up with you..."

Harry then easily scooped his wife into his arms as Hermione rested her head on his shoulder. "Exactly fourteen years ago in this very place I helped a young girl onto the train, best decision I ever made." A loving kiss followed as the train whistle signalled it was departing.

"Hey Harry, how come I didn't get a kiss like that? Remember when I was in your arms, in labour with Astrid?"

"Probably because your husband was standing right next to you. I happen to know this beautiful lady's spouse, and he positively encourages me to kiss her as much as I want. Time to go now, love?"

Hermione could only nod as the contraction hit. Emma, Dan, Barchoke and Luna all grabbed on as Harry activated his emergency portkey.

Sapphire let out a sigh of relief as she watched them disappear, those two were too headstrong for their own good - it certainly made her and Luna's jobs interesting though. Sapphire was still on duty here as she approached the goblin parents.

""Zakkclaw really will be fine, you know I've stayed in Hogwarts many times before. As well as Sirius, Henrica and Remus, he will also know his new potions professor well too...""

This had Padma chuckling. "I thought goblins were good at keeping secrets?"

"The train has left so they won't find out until they see you sitting there at the feast. Teddy and Luke now know a secret that those four don't, but they won't say anything..." A wink from Sapphire really cheered both boys up. They were sons of marauders, and now in on the prank on their best friends.

Sapphire was going to use her portkey to take Zak's parents home to Kingussie before heading back to Gringotts. She didn't want to miss the prank Harry and Hermione had planned for the family. Only she and Luna knew the secret, which was why they had been so worried, but the news would be all over the country by tomorrow.

Barchoke had dropped some heavy hints that he was looking forward to having grandchildren and retiring, Sapphire could be the Assistant Ambassador sooner than anyone though.

As the Blacks, Lupins and Longbottoms left for Hogwarts, Sapphire was heading to where she now considered home - Kingussie.

-oOoOo-

The concentration on Albus' face was total, this really was tricky without the proper tools. Since his present accommodation didn't allow any tools whatsoever, not even for eating, Albus was just having to do the best he could.

After arriving in Azkaban, Albus discovered that Harry had arranged for the Daily Prophet to be delivered to his cell. The boy obviously thought this would torture Albus, reading about how easily the Crows were subverting his country, but they hadn't reckoned on his brilliance. Albus had taken the method of his supposed torture and turned it into his tool for bringing down the Crow dynasty - and pushing the goblins back underground where they belonged.

It was all here, right in front of him twenty four hours a day. Daily Prophet articles relating to Harry Crow, his wife, along with their supposed family and friends. Albus would carefully tear them out of the Prophet and stick them onto his cell wall. Through years of experimentation, he discovered that licking the back of the article would then see it stay on the walls best. After that, there was no stopping him.

Those articles on Hermione opening up her own law offices in Hogsmeade should have set alarm bells ringing in the magical community. They didn't, and the goblins got away with another ruse. It wasn't long before Hermione and the Lovegood girl were lobbying to have wizarding laws changed. It was now a crime to mistreat a house elf, even telling them to punish themselves counted as mistreatment - and could see your servant legally taken away.

Albus looked up at those particular fading articles and was left shaking his head. His eyes then travelled around his walls, the articles speaking to him as the portraits in his office once did.

One wall was exclusively for their friends and acquaintances. Just being Crow's friend was enough to get your name in the paper, and bring you to Albus' attention. They were all here...

The Longbottom boy breezing through auror training, and already a Senior Auror, while his wife was a Potions Mistress. Their daughter being born was actually front page news.

The Weasleys were a family who seriously disappointed Albus. Their eldest marrying a muggle, while their only daughter took a muggle born as a husband, was really shocking. Nearly as shocking as two of their sons working for Gringotts while the twins now owned a joke shop. With the future head of the family married to a muggle, the Weasleys would be shunned in their own society - even with Voldemort gone. Molly would be distraught, but Albus had no sympathy for any of them. Neither Arthur, Molly nor William would listen to him, now the entire family were reaping what they sowed.

Draco Malfoy was proving his Slytherin ancestry by brilliantly aligning himself with Crow. His two sons would certainly benefit from their father's manipulations, especially considering how both their grandfathers died. Malfoy was certainly someone Albus considered could be brought around to his side, when he got out of here.

The Davis boy was lost to him, marrying that veela and then moving to France took him out of Albus' sphere of influence. Diggory's son bringing that Chinese girl into their family would maybe shut his father's boasting up, oh how the mighty have fallen.

Albus had agonised before finally placing Severus up here, this one was like a dagger through his heart. His former comrade's actions at the third task that day cemented Severus was lost to Albus forever. Severus had made what he obviously considered a better deal with the goblins. It really was hard for Albus to refute that Severus was right, since his picture kept appearing in the Prophet with a pretty witch on his arm.

Albus' concentration and efforts finally paid off as the article on the goblin student attending Hogwarts was carefully torn out today's Prophet with nice, straight edges. On any other day, Albus would be excited about this. Surely having real goblins attending Hogwarts would be that final step too far. They should have been rushing to his door, proclaiming 'Albus, you were right - we need your help,'

That was never going to happen though, because once more he had to doff his cap to the goblins. They had handled this entire situation brilliantly. Albus found that article on page eight, that was because the first seven pages of the Daily Prophet were dedicated to the twins Hermione Crow just gave birth to - on the same day a goblin went to Albus' beloved Hogwarts!

No one gave a shit about the goblin catastrophe, they were far more interested in their newly born prince and princess. On reading the articles, that's just what it felt like to Albus. They were being treated like royalty, ministers from all over Europe publicly sending them messages of congratulations. She had supposedly given birth to them inside Gringotts, meaning no one could even say for sure if the twins were really their children!

The real masterstroke though was in selecting their names. Harry claimed they wanted to honour all three of their fathers, and named their son Barack Daniel Potter. That this baby would one day become Lord Potter had Britain's magical society falling over themselves to congratulate all involved.

Since it was well known they had a brother called James, and a goddaughter Lilly, their daughter was being named Emma Alice Potter - again to much acclaim.

These developments would push Albus' plans back a few years. All this positive publicity would again mask what was really going on in the British magical community. The goblins were slowly but surely taking over, they even had Rita Skeeter now running the Prophet.

Albus could see it all however, his walls told him the truth. He was a patient and powerful wizard, the dementors didn't even affect him now. What those walls didn't show was Albus' reflection, otherwise he would perhaps have realised he didn't have those years available.

His tongue, lips and beard were all black. With Dumbledore's skin resembling dried leather and his eyes were almost continually bloodshot and itchy, the diagnosis was not good.

It was a good few years before a visiting healer picked up what was happening here. In licking the back of those articles that were festooned on his cell walls, Dumbledore was ingesting trace amounts of the inks used to print the newspaper. Since these inks contained things you didn't want in your body, predominantly lead, Dumbledore had been slowly but surely poisoning himself.

When they stopped delivering his daily paper, the withdrawal symptoms experienced by the prisoner might have been mainly psychological but they were real none the less. A decision had to be quickly made. The effects of the lead were cumulative and the metal couldn't be flushed from a person's body. They also affected a wizard's mental capacity, and Dumbledore was already badly poisoned.

As Dumbledore was going to be here for the rest of his life, and the lead in his system actually protected him from the debilitating dementor effects - because it was already working on his brain - a decision was reached to let him have his newspapers again. This stopped all the stress that not having his newspapers was causing Albus, and no one really knew whether the immediate high levels of stress or continual slow poisoning was worse for his ancient heart.

If Dumbledore really was the dark lord of that prophecy then it could easily be construed that he would eventually die from Harry's hand, since it was him who paid for the Daily Prophet subscription. It was also decided at ministerial level never to tell Harry about this, he had already rid them from one dark lord.

Albus Dumbledore was now drifting deeper and deeper into his own fantasy world, somewhere not even the dementors could reach. He was a thin and wizened old man who rattled about in his cell, one who was not long for this world. When an inmate died in prison, they were buried on the island. One thing was certain, Albus Dumbledore was never leaving Azkaban. This would be his home and final resting place.

They had reserved him the space next to Dolores Umbridge who passed away last year, with barely half her sentence completed. It took determination and belief to survive a stint in Azkaban, Umbridge had neither and slowly wasted away. She, like Dumbledore, would neither be missed nor mourned.

-oOoOo-

As all three were soon given a clean bill of health, Hermione couldn't wait to get out of the medical facility. She and Harry each had a baby cradled in one arm, while their free hands were joined.

"Time to go home, love. The rest of our family will be waiting for us."

With that, it was a very happy family of four who portkeyed home to Crow's Nest.

The End.

A/N thank you so much for reading and supporting this story.