Disclaimer: The Harry Potter universe belongs to the proverbial Duchess of Magic, JK Rowling, Scholastic, Bloomsbury, Warner Bros and some other high falutin' companies. No matter how much I whine about not owning anything related to the HP universe, other than a few fanfic plots, I do not profess to own - and would never dream of making any money off - JKR's wonderful world... Damn it!
A/N: Quite a few reviewers - of the reviews I manage to read, at any rate - mention about how there's no sign yet of Daphne or Fleur. I take you back to the Author's Notes in Chapter One: This story will move slow; a lot will happen in a short amount of time. To prove that point: When Harry wakes up at the top of this chapter it will be the morning of the ninth of December; it will have only been fifteen days since the First Task. Just how fast is the boy supposed to move to bring the other two into it? Sheesh!
Chapter Twenty Two - Oh, Snap!
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
When he woke from yet another good night's sleep, Harry was hoping that the day would have nowhere near the drama of the previous day.
Today though, when he finally made it down to the dinette, the Granger adults were already up, dressed and eating breakfast.
Harry checked to ensure the dinette window was open for the Daily Prophet owl and Hedwig before checking to see what was for breakfast. A 'Full English' cooked 'lite', as he referred to it - there was no fried food as what would have been fried was poached or grilled, instead. Poached egg; grilled tomato, bacon and breakfast sausage; mashed potato 'cakes' and some tinned spaghetti. Harry had taken quite some time to explain the how and why for the food to be cooked that way to Dobby. But, Dobby immediately understood and didn't have a problem with it, anyway.
Harry went for two slices of toast with a poached egg on each slice, two tomato halves and two sausages. And that would only be his first helping.
While it made him feel somewhat like he was channelling Ron Weasley, he knew it was the potions that were causing this. He was now also eating a small meal between breakfast and lunch, another between lunch and dinner and would come down and 'mooch' food at about 9.00pm before he went to bed to sleep.
He'd just taken his first bite when the owls came in. He knew it was a matter of pride for Hedwig to deliver the paper to her master first; and living at the Granger residence was no exception. She ducked in through the open window about half a yard ahead of the other bird.
Harry was only surprised to see her because it meant she'd been able to 'bull' her way through the mail redirection charm that was back on him again. Or, maybe it had something to do with how she was his familiar as well as mail owl. It didn't matter.
Harry was not as quick as usual to free his familiar of her load before handing her a couple strips of bacon. He first cast a short string of detection charms on her load - even if it was her delivering it, even if it was the Daily Prophet. She gave a pleased 'Prek' sound, anyway, took her 'due' in bacon strips and flew out to go land in her tree in the backyard. Mayhap his familiar was also concerned with how he needed to reduce chances when mail arrived for him.
Getting the conversation back to where they were before the owls arrived, Monica asked, "You were saying about your plans for today?"
"Ah, yes," said Harry. "I was hoping for some mail from certain people so I could go through it with Hermione to show her the various differences between common and informal, but..." And shrugged.
"It's all going to the aurors now, right?" asked Monica.
Now he felt like an idiot. He'd just gotten through thinking how Hedwig had managed to get past the charm, while also forgetting the charm would redirect all his other mail.
"Oh-kay," he sighed. "I just had my own 'daft moron' moment."
"Pardon?" she asked.
He explained. He didn't try to make any excuses about his thinking, either.
"Ah!" she grinned. "Yes; I see what you mean."
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
As the Grangers left for work in separate cars again, the senior auror on shift at that time, a male, handed Harry his owl mail.
There were two letters, this time; one from Neville and one from Marchbanks.
For no other reason than it was the one on top, he opened Neville's letter first.
~ # ~
Harrison J Potter
Lord of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter
c/- Hermione Granger
Granger Residence
Wimbledon
Harry,
Thank you for owling me and letting me know you safely arrived at Hermione's home. With four aurors escorting you I wasn't worried, but confirmation is always nice to receive.
Though I was not sure whether I wanted to come home or not, Gran told me to. So, home I came.
I wish I had thought of offering my help to Professor Sprout, as you suggested, before then. I might have been able to use that as an excuse to remain at the school. I don't know if it might have worked, but it was worth the try.
At least at home now I can work on my own greenhouses. I dislike having to rely on our house elves to do it for me. I know they can do it, but I prefer to be the one who works them so I can pick up any problems that look like coming up and deal with them before they become a problem.
Gran is still very upset with you being, as she put it, 'disrespectful of his seniors'. I know you weren't and I appreciate you weren't. I finally got my own wand out of it. Now with my own wand I'm able to do a lot more magic with a lot less power. And I'm having fun out the back of the Hall going back over all the charms and transfiguration spells we learned and practicing them.
Gran tried to stop me doing that. But, I firmly reminded her I wouldn't have to if I'd had my own wand from the start. She didn't bother me about it after that.
She also 'ordered' me to inform you she has found a Proxy to sit the Longbottom Seat on the Wizengamot. But, she's not told me who that will be. I'm worried about it, because I think it might be my Uncle Algie. He's the one I told you about who first shoved me off that jetty in Blackpool, where I nearly drowned, and then dropped me out of one of the upper windows at the Hall.
I really don't want him in the job, but it seems I have no choice in the matter. Gran does not want to let go of control of the House and she knows Uncle Algie will do as she tells him. At least that's what I suspect.
The next Wizengamot meeting is next Tuesday and Uncle Algie will be taking the Seat then.
Anyway, I hope you're having fun at Hermione's and you're keeping out of mischief. Please also be aware Headmaster Dumbledore is back at the castle. But, he's not Headmaster any more, just a normal professor. Watch your back, Harry. But I'm sure you already are.
Your friend,
Neville
Neville F Longbottom
Heir Apparent of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Longbottom
~ # ~
By the time he'd finished reading the letter, Harry was furious. He'd specifically told that blasted woman he didn't want to see that infanticidal git anywhere near the Longbottom Seat; and that's who she goes ahead and puts there in her place?
'Right!' he thought. 'She's had her warning. Time to get serious!'
"Sirius," he quietly muttered. "I know it's going to upset Andi but he's... No, she wants Sirius to stop gadding about so, now she's back in the Black family, she can go and do the search in his place."
"What are you muttering about?" he heard in Hermione's voice from behind.
Snap-spinning about, he saw it actually was Hermione.
"Woah!" she said, taking a quick step back. "I hope that anger's not directed at me!"
Squashing his emotions back under control with his eyes closed, he took a deep breath, released it and opened his eyes again. "No." he flatly replied.
As she came forward, she asked, "Do you mind telling me what's got you all hot and bothered, then?"
Instead of answering as he knew he'd lose his temper again, he snapped out his hand with the letter in it and offered it to her.
Taking the now crumpled and unfolded sheet of parchment, she read it through.
"Augusta Longbottom wants to put a man who 'accidentally'..." he sneered, "... almost killed her grandson and ward, Heir Apparent Neville Francis Longbottom of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Longbottom, onto the bloody Wizengamot!" he snarled.
"It says here, Neville only suspects it," she said.
"There's no reason for Augusta not to tell her grandson who it is unless it's to keep me from finding out about it," he snarled. "Plus, Neville is a day older than me and due to take the damned Seat for himself on the seventeenth anniversary of his birth. That's less than three years!
"And that stupid, bloody Rosier-born woman is playing games with the Seat of the family she married into that will soon belong to my friend and peer.
"More and more, I suspect she's effectively committed Line Theft by a legal channel that sits in the grey area. At the least, she's committed temporary Line Theft, even if that's not an actual crime!
"Well! The bitch is going to rue the day she decided I was not worth her effort and decided I'm now nothing more than jumped-up boy, who should let the experienced adults run things in his place!"
"Harry," she quietly said. "You need to calm down and tell me what the prob... no, I can see that. But, I can't see why it's such a big deal to you."
Harry whirled on her again and stared at her for a few moments before he gave a huff and said, "The next lesson from me to you is on the big two alliances - the Potter-Longbottom Alliance and the Black Alliance. You need to know both because, besides now being a representative of families in leading roles of both, it'll give you the context of why I'm incensed."
"Alright," she quietly replied. "That sounds like it will be enjoyable―"
He gave a snort of amusement and turned a wry grin on her. "Only you, Hermione, would think studying political and social alliances could be enjoyable."
"I enjoy learning something new," she returned. "And this is something new."
As Harry stood there, deep in thought of what he was going to do, she said, "How about you talk to me about something else for a minute or two. That should help."
"Hunh?" he asked, having been distracted. "Oh! I received two letters today." And whirled back to the table.
Picking up and holding up the letter he received from Marchbanks, he said, "I also received a letter from Lady... I mean, Headmistress Lady Marchbanks."
Looking at it in his hand she could see it didn't appear to have been opened. It had been, though - by the aurors.
"Have you even read it, yet?" she asked.
"Errr... no," he replied.
"Then, how about we do," she suggested. "It should be in answer to the letter you sent her yesterday about the house elves, ghosts and portraits spying on the students."
Surprised, he said, "Actually, you're probably right."
Then pulled out a chair again and sat before opening the already-broken Hogwarts seal and opening the letter up.
Reading through it, he found Marchbanks confirmed that 'someone' had been using the house elves, ghosts and portraits to spy. But also said it was only three students; he, Hermione and Ron. And the last two only when they were with him, Harry.
She'd now ordered them to stop doing that and report to her if anyone tried to give any of them a similar order. The letter made it clear there would be no spying on students while she was Headmistress.
"I'm not surprised on either main point," shrugged Harry.
Hermione thought, 'That's disturbing. But, at least the change of subject has calmed my Harry down again... My? Where'd that come from?'
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
Harry wasn't the only one receiving a letter that day that angered them.
At Hogwarts, Dumbledore had been to breakfast before returning to his office. As he expected, his mail was waiting for him. One of the perks of being a professor was having your correspondence delivered direct to your office, rather than to the high table at breakfast. Only his copy of the Daily Prophet was delivered there; not even his copy of the Quibbler.
A quick shift through it all and he found one addressed to him in Harry Potter's handwriting.
Excited for news on the boy, he brushed all the rest aside and quickly opened it.
Eagerly beginning to read, his first reaction was a spike of anger at the address block on the top of the letter. However, his anger continued to rise as he read. Not even having considered clamping down on his Occlumency shields before reading and with his focus on the letter, he wasn't consciously aware of what was happening.
The more he read, the angrier he got. Then, as he reached the bottom of the letter and read the final line, his anger released in a great burst.
Jumping to his feet and flinging the offending parchment away across and over the desk half-crumpled, he screamed his anger to the room. As he did so, he snatched his wand out of his belt and began firing curses of all sorts at the parchment, only to miss each time.
He'd cast his fourth or fifth curse, pretty much all of them borderline dark, when Fawkes finally decided he'd had enough.
With a mighty scream of his own at Dumbledore's back, he severed the bond between them and disappeared in a flash of white-hot flame, almost plasma. The quick flash, lasting only a split second, was still hot enough to reduce the perch to slag, sear the back of Dumbledore's robes and frizzle the back of his long hair almost to a buzz-cut. The light of it was so bright it was as if many camera flash bulbs had gone off at the same time.
It was also hot enough that, if it had lasted any more than the tiny fraction of a second it did, would have instantly set everything in the room afire. Instead, just about everything was at least slightly scorched with the parchment on the desk either side of Dumbledore that had felt the direct blast was crisped without catching fire. His desk chair, having been closer to Fawkes at the time, had all the polish on the back, side closest and top edges burnt. It left the chair smelling of burnt polish with faint wisps of smoke rising off it.
The letter Dumbledore had just received from Harry was now on the floor about five feet in front of the desk and had been protected from the flash by the desk, itself.
As for Dumbledore, the moment Fawkes brutally severed the bond it knocked the old man unconscious. The flash of the heat combusting and expanding the closest air around the bird, knocked the now unconscious man forward over the desk, bending at the waist; before the weight of his legs and hips, almost hanging off the side of the desk, dragged him slowly back until he collapsed in a heap behind.
The house elf that was standing invisibly in the corner over near the door leading back out into the classroom and watching all this unfold was instantly, though temporarily, blinded by the bright light and drying of his corneas and had to call for help over the bond to other elves to come help him. He was lucky he wasn't standing closer at the time. His blindness might have become permanent.
Once the elves collected their injured compatriot and rushed him off for treatment from healers of their own kind, one returned to take note of what happened.
Knowing the new Headmistress would not want anything touched, he gave a nod to himself and elf-popped to her office.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
Marchbanks had only just returned to her own office - she had about the same distance as Dumbledore to travel, but she was about two thirds slower due to her need to use a cane, much shorter legs, and less spry nature - a house elf popped in.
"Yes?" she asked it.
"Lady Headmistress," it replied. "Bevvy must be tellings you old Perfesser Whiskers is... un-con-shus.
Cocking an eyebrow at the elf, she asked, "And, do you know how that happened?"
"Yes, Lady Headmistress," it replied with much sadness. "Firebirdy Fawksie did breaks his bond with Perfesser Whiskers. It be sad."
With both eyebrows now raised in surprise, she exclaimed, "Well, well! Old Fawkes finally had enough, did he? Well, it's about damned time!"
Looking back at the elf she said, "I do not want the room touched until I get down there and confirm things for myself. Am I clear?"
"Yes, Lady Headmistress," it replied. "All elveses know not to touch Perfesser Whiskerses office."
"Thank you. You have done well in letting me know immediately. You may go," she said, giving a little 'shoo' gesture with her cane tip.
As the elf popped away, she gave a little cackle to herself, turned around and exited the office again. She knew she need not hurry. After the severing of such a bond the old fool was going to be unconscious for hours, at least. Then, be bedridden for at least a day.
As the door closed behind her, the portrait of Headmaster Black laughed; loudly and gleefully.
From nearby, the portrait of Headmistress Mole scolded, "Really, Phinneas."
That had the other portraits begin discussing this new development.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
Harry had run upstairs to bring his mirror down with him and sat at the table with it in the dinette alongside where Hermione remained waiting for him.
"Now that you're officially part of the House of Black, plus my betrothed, it now means you're allowed to know more of what I'm up to," he said by way of explanation for why he was making the call in front of her.
"I didn't know that would happen," she frowned.
"You weren't told because... let's face it... you're addicted to learning new information," he replied. "I didn't want the idea that you would learn about what I'm up to to be an influence on your decision. That would be me, playing on your desires. And that would have been manipulative."
"Hmmm..." she said, smirking at him a little. "And scaring Hell out of me about how a magical guardian could effectively 'sell' me, didn't?"
"That was not my call," he firmly replied with a frown. "I wanted you to make the decision on your own, decide you'd go through with it, go through with it, then we'd tell you. But your Dad didn't want to leave anything to chance."
"He was protecting me," she quietly said.
"I know," he said. "But, I still thought it was unfair."
She was a few long moments of deep in thought before she said, "He currently knows me better than you, Harry."
"I know," he replied. "But―"
"Harry," she said, getting him to focus on her more fully from where he had slightly looked away out the window. "He was right."
"Hermione," he said just as seriously back. "The scare would have only meant you had Sirius as your new magical guardian. It did not mean you needed to enter into the Betrothal Agreement."
She frowned and again thought for a few moments before she shook her head. "No. I've had all night to think about it, now. I even dreamed of it. I'd have delayed it with the excuse I needed more time. Then delayed, delayed and delayed more.
"By the time I finally decided to go through with it, it might have been too late. We don't know how long it's going to be until the new Headmistress picks a new Head of House for Gryffindor. And the new Head of House would probably already be in place, by then. And then might not have been agreeable to release magical guardianship of me to Sirius. It was too big a risk.
"Now that it's been done, I'm kind of relieved I don't have to worry about it any more. You know what I'm like when I've got a big decision to make. I procrastinate until I've worried the matter to the bone. Getting it done last night means I'll not be worrying about it."
"Just remember," he said. "Don't say them now because it will activate that clause; but, all you need to do is say that line to me and the Agreement is terminated and voided on the spot."
"I know," she softly smiled. "Who's idea was that, anyway?"
"The wording of the clause was Ted's," he replied. "But, I was insistent on it, or some other form of it, being included. Your father was very relieved when he heard me demand that.
"I respect his protectiveness of you, you know? He seems to have found the perfect balance between being this knight, who stands before you ready to defend you against all ill-intentioned comers, while also letting you go off and find your own way.
"I hope I'll be half as good as he is at the role of being a father when it comes my time to be one."
That earned him a long, gentle lips-to-lips kiss.
With her eyes sparkling a little she gave her throat a little clear, nodded with her chin to the mirror and softly said, "Call your godfather."
With a quick change of posture on his part, she watched him change from sweet and loveable Harry into the powerful, young man she knew him now to be and then give a firm nod. She liked it.
"Padfoot."
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
Marchbanks was in the process of trying to unravel the security and privacy charms Dumbledore had on his office door when she suddenly stopped and sighed. 'Idiot,' she thought of herself.
"Hogwarts," she firmly called. "As Headmistress and for medical emergency purposes, I need immediate access to the office of the Professor of Transfigurations. Please remove all security charms and the like from the door."
She almost felt the magic take effect.
Giving herself a firm nod, she stepped forward and twisted the door handle. And the door opened inwards.
"Tch!" she clucked.
Stepping inside she took a moment to look about and saw the damage caused by the forced severing of the bond. Looking directly at the golden perch the phoenix had sat upon as she continued into the room, she thought, 'That must have been very hot to have done that.'
Reviewing her memories of what she'd read of other severed phoenix bonds, she realised she was seeing pretty much exactly what was described.
'Yep,' she thought. 'Severed bond.'
As she closed the distance between her and the desk, ever mindful of where she placed the tip of her cane lest it catch a crack of loose stone or something, she saw the half-crumpled sheet of parchment. And immediately recognised the writing upon it. 'Lord Potter,' she thought.
Drawing her wand, she summoned it up to her hand, took a closer look at it to confirm it was Lord Potter's handwriting and slipped it into her pocket.
Once she reached the desk, she rounded it and saw the results of the searing flash upon the desk, chair and parchments. And that's where she found the old fool.
He was almost folded in half and, with the burn damage on the back of his robes and hair, appeared as if he'd stood too close to a fire with his back to it. Seeing how close he must've been standing to the bird when Fawkes severed the bond, she knew he was.
"Idiot," she muttered. "Was it you receiving a letter from the young Lord that had you do something that caused Fawkes to sever the bond, Albus?"
She knew she wasn't going to receive an answer to that question until the next day, at least.
"May I have an elf, please!" she called.
"Yes, Lady Headmistress?" the elf immediately asked when it popped in.
Tapping Dumbledore's prone and half-folded form with her cane tip, she ordered it, "Take this old twit to the Infirmary and inform our medi-wizard that he was standing too close to the site where his phoenix severed its bond with him, would you?"
"Yes, Lady Headmistress," the elf bobbed.
Two flashes of white light later, one where the elf stood and one where Dumbledore lay, and the room was empty of anyone but her.
Giving the room another once-over she then gave a huff and made her way back out the door again. She shut it closed behind herself but didn't bother with locking it or re-warding it.
Then made her way back to her office. Step tap-step. Step tap-step.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
Once Harry had spoken to Sirius about what he'd planned regarding his 'problem' with Augusta Longbottom, his godfather asked to speak with 'the newest member of the House of Black'.
Hermione had voiced her reservations about Harry's plans but knew not to interfere.
Finishing up the call, Sirius told her, "Just remember; you can ask to borrow the mirror off Harry at any time and talk to me. If you don't want him listening in, just tell him. He'll understand."
After she glanced at Harry, who nodded back, she turned back to the mirror and said, "I will and he does."
"Good," replied her new magical guardian. "Mirror off!"
With the call now terminated she said, "You play for keeps in the Noble and Most Ancient Houses."
"Yes," he agreed.
"Do you think she'll find out?" she hesitantly asked.
"I plan on her doing so," he replied.
"You don't think you'll get in trouble for it?"
"I will, to some degree," he replied. "However, as this is business of the Potter-Longbottom Alliance, no one but the other alliance members are going to do much of anything about it. Even then, only the Longbottom matriarch can do anything.
"They may wail and gnash their teeth about it; but, in the end, they can't do a thing to stop me - even her. The charter of the alliance has me permitted to do this.
"Besides, if I'm right... and I'm pretty sure I am... it's going to neuter her power on the spot."
"And Neville's going to think you're the next coming of Merlin," she added.
"Not at first, no," he said. "But, he'll forgive me later... I hope."
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
Back in her office yet again, Marchbanks carefully made her way to her desk and sat behind it. She popped her cane into the little bracket she'd already permanently transfigured from a broken quill and affixed to the edge of her desk that was made to hold it in place.
Pulling the half-crumpled sheet of parchment she'd picked up off the floor in Dumbledore's office, she laid it on the desk and cast a charm on it that removed all wrinkles and fold marks. It even removed its 'rolled-up state' memory.
With it perfectly flat she carefully read it. And, as she read, she began to, at first, chuckle. Then she began to lightly laugh. Finally, she was cackling away.
'The young Lord Potter is proving to be both a font of information and a very amiable young man. But, his humour is just delicious.'
He certainly made her day interesting.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
It took making the mirror call to Sirius for Harry to fully accept the idea that he and Hermione were betrothed. Before then, it had been just a concept to him - a mind exercise. Now, it had become more real.
He turned to her and asked, "How well have you gone over the copy of the Agreement Ted left for you?"
"I've read it through a couple of times, now," she replied. "I've also taken notes. However, I'm not ready to discuss it through, yet."
"That's fine," he shrugged. "We don't have to go over it at all, if you don't want to."
Yeah... umm... listen," she stammered a little. "That clause about us, you know, progressing a sexual relationship..."
"Yes?" he asked.
"I know what I said right after the meeting, just after Sirius and Ted left," she replied. "But, at some stage, I would consider the idea of progressing. Just... not to the point I'll become pregnant, alright?"
"That's fine," he replied, blushing away. "We already kiss. Each stage will come as it comes."
Before things could get uncomfortable again, even though he appreciated the way she got them through the previous day's uncomfortableness, he changed the subject.
"I promised I'd also teach you more about the matters relating to the alliance," he said. "For this, you need to understand that this can never be discussed where anyone can overhear it."
When she gave a nod back he called Dobby.
"Yes, Master Harry?"
"Can you go and collect my folio of the documents relating to the Potter-Longbottom Alliance, please?"
"Yes, Master Harry; right away."
Before either teen could say anything, the little elf popped the folio onto the tabletop in front of him. It was a little thick, measuring about an inch deep as it lay flat on the table. It was also about fourteen inches tall and eleven wide
The folio appeared made of hardened leather tied with a red ribbon and had the words Potter-Longbottom Alliance in gold embossed lettering where you'd expect it to be for it to be a title.
Undoing the bow that held the ribbon knotted closed, Harry stripped it away before opening the 'cover'.
When Hermione pulled parchment and quill over to take notes he firmly said, "No, Hermione. I'm sorry, but you can't take notes about any of this. If you did, those notes would have to be included in this folio when I tied it shut again. Therefore, it's kinda pointless."
She gave a grimace back, but nodded.
"Now, you're getting to see this because of the betrothal," he explained. "But, it has an odd sort of spell involved on it that is a powerful privacy charm related to the House of Potter. Magic, as does the House of Potter magic, currently sees you as the Lady Presumptive of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter. That's why you can currently see what's written here," he indicated.
Hermione looked at the top sheet and could, indeed, read it, "Potter-Longbottom Alliance Charter," she muttered.
He smiled back and said, "Exactly. Now, you were concerned about how I could get in trouble for what I've asked Sirius to do some research on..."
He flicked through the document until he hit on the section he wanted. A quick peruse through it and he found what he was looking for.
He slid it across so she could properly read it and said, "Read that. Not out loud, please."
As she read through it her eyes widened in surprise. "That's―"
"That's what grants me the authority to do what I'm going to do," he said. "It's also what granted her the authority to get me out of Dumbledore's grasp - and she flat-out refused to do it. That's why I have no qualms about doing what I'm going to do.
"Besides, if I'm right, it's definitely the right thing to do for Neville. I just hope Andi or Sirius can find the right one. If she or he does, then my chances of accomplishing this will be almost guaranteed."
For the next few hours Harry stepped Hermione through the alliance and the role, as a Betrothed to the Lord of one of the two founding Houses, she had to play.
"But, the House of Potter is not part of the Black Alliance," he explained. "As current Heir Tertiary I know a little about it. But, most of what I knew was stripped from my mind by a similar privacy charm when Sirius named cousin Andi as Heir Presumptive and, again, when he named Dora as Heir Secondary not long afterwards.
"As a magical guardian to the Lord you're probably allowed to know an even smaller amount than I. But, I can't tell you; that's Sirius's job and you're going to have to speak to him about it. There's that privacy charm again. Understand?"
"Yes," she nodded. "It makes a lot of sense."
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
After a break for lunch the two teens were trying to work out what to do next when a house elf popped in carrying a package.
Holding it out to Harry, he said, "This bees for you, Sir."
Indicating the dinette, Harry said, "You can put it on the table, thank you."
With a snap of its fingers of its other hand the little unknown elf popped the package right to where Harry wanted it.
"Don't touch it until I've scanned it all, Hermione," he told his betrothed.
"I won't," she agreed.
"Thank you," Harry told the elf after he turned his attention back to it. "Who are you and whose elf are you, anyway?"
"Benny be Benny," replied the elf. "Benny be proud to be servings House Tonksy."
"Very well," replied Harry. "Thank you for your service. You may go."
And the little elf disappeared with yet another snap of its fingers and flash of white light.
Harry cast what detection charms he knew over the package, with every one of them coming up clean. He was now aware the package did not contain a mind-altering charm or portkey component. It also didn't contain a poison or was dosed with an illicit potion.
As the house elf couldn't lie to him and it didn't appear to have been tricked by anyone else to give him the package, he used his wand to charm it open and slide the contents out.
They were, as expected, documents. The top one he immediately saw was written in Ted's hand.
Picking it up he read through it.
"It's from Ted," he muttered.
After all the usual falderal, the section of the body that was most important said...
~ # ~
Included are the details of the records held by the Ministry relating to the items you asked your godfather to research for you. A task he gave me to do.
I've also included the details from off the items from where you said they would likely be located on each device.
Further, I have included the same material on a fourth, similar, item.
~ # ~
After verifying the signature as Ted's, Harry knew the risk now associated with the documentation was so slim as to be virtually non-existent.
He quickly started to sort the information out. As he did he said, "Alright, Hermione. You can help me sort this lot out, if you like."
"What is all this?" she asked.
"Evidence to present in Sirius's case if the aurors press forward with charging him regarding his motorcycle," he replied.
"Oh, that," she said, understanding, before taking a closer look at the documentation she was sorting through. When she quickly realised what she was looking at she asked, "Wait... Is this about what I think it's about?" And tapped the document she was holding.
"Yep," he grinned.
"And there's a law against doing this?" she asked.
"Yep," he again replied.
"Well, it's no wonder you're confident you'll win the case!" she declared.
"Uh-hmm," he replied. " I now need you to pair the Ministry documents with the information Ted's managed to dig up on each. That way each is one section."
"From that, I need to make some telephone calls."
As the afternoon wore on, Harry used the White Pages telephone book to hunt down who he needed to talk to. He sat on a stool he'd pulled out from under the dinette side of the breakfast counter and 'let his fingers do the walking' while Hermione shuttled documents back and forth from the counter to the dinette table.
Working in reverse chronological order he already had the information on the first item before moving onto the second. He also received an earful from the PR woman at the manufacturing company, who wanted to know who was trying to set her up for a prank.
When Harry finally convinced her he was 'writing a book' on the history of that type of item, the woman began to tell him enough information that proved to Harry that the folks in the 'Obliviator Headquarters' office at the Ministry were... just like every other witch or wizard... daft morons.
Moving onto the next one took a bit more work as the company that manufactured the item had long since gone out of business. However, he was able to track down an enthusiast of the history of the devices who related to him a not-so-dissimilar tale to the previous woman.
Harry thanked the man and hung up.
When Hermione read what he wrote, she disbelievingly exclaimed, "You're kidding!"
"Nope."
"That's... that's..." she tried.
"Yep."
The next item - the one Ted added - was going to be, in some ways, risky. He needed information from a huge government department that was currently going through privatisation of its main asset.
However, the frazzled public servant on the other end of the phone call couldn't have cared less Harry was asking the questions he was, but gave him a similarly weird story to the first two.
Hermione shook her head in disbelief of what she'd read from his notes and said, "When you go public with this, people in the Ministry are going to get fired, arrested, charged, gaoled, fined or any combination of those!"
"Not my problem," he replied. "I'm not the one who wrote the laws. I'm not the one who blatantly and outrageously defied them. I'm just the new uninvested Lord who is going to be defending my godfather, the newest uninvested Lord, from a stupid law."
"I don't think it's stupid, so much," Hermione disagreed. "Just... so poorly written as for it to be impossible not to breach."
The final item was the biggest of them all. Harry also had to ring another muggle government department to find out the history of it. However, this time he would have to go into their offices and pay a fee to collect any records on it held there.
He took down the details he needed and where to go to collect the information and would be sending that back to Ted to organise. Either that or the aurors would need to be prepared for a day trip into muggle London. And he didn't want to do that as it would tip-off the aurors what he was up to.
Hermione had told him that she'd been told the previous day that the aurors on their detail were not permitted to speak about what Harry or the Grangers were up to with anyone else not already on the detail. But, surely, one of them would let something slip out at the wrong moment.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
Later that afternoon and at Hogwarts, about an hour after Harry finished making his calls just in time for when most government office workers think about heading home for the day, Dumbledore finally woke up in the Infirmary.
As soon as he saw the ceiling and smelled the scent of the wing he knew exactly where he was. But he also smelt the scent of burnt hair over the top of it.
Looking down at his beard, all seemed in order; so he couldn't figure it out.
He'd no sooner woken up and was sitting up when the new medi-wizard walked in from his office and he felt a light waft of breeze on the back of his neck.
"Good afternoon, Professor Dumbledore," he said.
"What day is it?" Dumbledore immediately demanded, reaching around to the back of his neck.
Shocked at what he felt he cried, "My hair!"
"Yes, it is!" the Robinson returned. "And I'm feeling pretty chipper; thank you for asking. As for―"
"Don't be flippant and answer the bloody question!" snapped the old man.
"Well, if you must know it's about fourteen hours before you're free to go on Thursday morning; tomorrow morning. And, as I was saying, as for your hair, it appears your now ex-phoenix did it to you with a great flash of heat. It's that, we suspect, which burnt the back of your hair off, singed the back of your robes, charred your office desk chair, and a few other things.
Spotting his wand on the bedside table he picked it up and cast a quick Tempus charm.
4.30pm
With a grunt of annoyance he realised he'd been out for about eight hours.
"Why wasn't I enervated?" he demanded.
"You were unconscious because your now ex-familiar decided to sever the familiar bond with you," replied Robinson. "We do not enervate people who have been knocked unconscious because of a severed bond. It's unsafe.
"Instead, we allow them to wake naturally - which is what happened with you.
"Now, since you've naturally woken and had your questions answered, I'm afraid you need to lie back down. I need to monitor you for the first twenty four hours of the severed familiar bond to make sure of the stability of your health."
"Go to Hell!" snapped the old man. Then he hopped off the bed and stormed from the room.
'Does that man not know of any other mode of travelling by foot other than storming about the place?' thought the medi-wizard. 'Cranky old bastard.'
Returning to his office, the medi-wizard made an internal floo-call to the Headmistress.
As it connected, she asked, "Yes?"
"Dumbledore just woke and, as I told you he would, he treated me appallingly and stormed out," he replied.
"Very well," she said. "Ready his bed for him again and, in a few moments, he'll be returned to it by a house elf. As soon as he arrives, secure him to it and tell him I'll be along shortly to speak with him."
"Yes, Headmistress," Robinson replied.
Pulling his head out of the flames and allowing the call to disconnect, the medi-wizard walked back out into the Infirmary, stood at the foot of the bed Dumbledore had so recently vacated, readied his wand to cast and waited.
About five to six seconds later there was a flash of white light and Dumbledore was back and flat on his back on the bed.
Almost before the old man had any idea he had been popped back to the Infirmary by a house elf, he was already securely tied to the bed with an Incarcerous charm. His wand was summoned out of his hand a bare moment later.
"What...?" asked a very surprised Dumbledore. A moment earlier he was 'walking' towards the grand staircase to climb up to the floor of his office.
"Welcome back, Professor," said Robinson.
"Wh-what is the meaning of this?" Dumbledore spluttered. As soon as he tried to move to hop back off the bed he realised he was tied down. "Damn it! Release me at once! Do you not know who I am?"
"You are Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, apparently," replied the calm medi-wizard. "A significantly disgraced former Headmaster of this school and now a simple tenured Professor. You are also my patient and, until I or Headmistress Marchbanks says otherwise, you will remain my patient.
"Besides, the Headmistress is coming here to talk to you about your behaviour of late. Each time you are here you are offending me with both your curtness and tone. You have been and are being quite rude.
"Now you are going to lie there, shut up and wait for the Headmistress to arrive or I will be forced to gag you by way of a silencing charm over your bed."
"Now, see he―" was as far as Dumbledore got before the threatened silencing charm was placed.
When Marchbanks walked in about five minutes later, it was to see Robinson checking his stocks of potions in the wheeled portable potions cabinet while Dumbledore was trying to rant through a silencing charm.
She had to smirk to herself at the sight.
Toddling up to the side of the bed she stood there until Dumbledore shut up and glared at her. Then she removed the charm.
As soon as she did, Dumbledore yelled, "How dare―" And received, for his troubles, the cast of the Filthy Mouth charm on him. A charm perfected by some parent well over a century earlier for washing a child's mouth out with soap if the parent deemed the child deserved it.
She immediately recalled the time, back when Dumbledore was a child and she babysat him, his sister and baby brother, she used it on him when he'd back-chatted her.
He almost instantly began spitting soap suds and liquid soap out of his mouth and spluttering as he cleared it away.
With soap suds still 'decorating his beard and moustache around his mouth he stared at her in shock.
"Remember the last time I cast that charm on you, Albus?" she asked. "What did I tell you back then?"
When Dumbledore scowled and refused to answer, she threateningly raised her wand.
"Don't ever back-chat you again, or I can expect another dose," he hurriedly replied.
"Exactly," she said. "That was almost a century ago, but I keep my word, Albus."
When he refused to look at her any more, scowled and turned away she chose to ignore his behaviour. As long as he wasn't trying to speak when she was speaking, or just interrupt her, she was happy with that.
"Now, Albus," she firmly said. "I have made it a condition of employment here that, regarding the nature of the health of the staff, the staff are to obey, without complaint, the orders and directions of the medi-staff. I made sure you knew this when you returned to the castle from your most recent stay in the holding cells of the DMLE.
"It seems I've had to come down and remind you of that. That is not something I will countenance without issuing punishment. If you do it again I'm going to dock your pay a fine. If you do it too often you will reach the point with me I'll know I can successfully take the matter to the School Board to have you fired; tenure or not.
"Now you can, of course, get out of that bed," she continued. When he looked ready to accept she went on to shoot him down. "All you have to say is, 'I quit my tenure as a member of staff at Hogwarts, effective immediately'. As you won't be a member of my staff, neither I nor medi-wizard Robinson can order you to remain a-bed in this Infirmary.
"However, unless you state that, you will follow the directions of medi-wizard Robinson as if they were an order from Hecate herself. Have I made myself perfectly clear to you this time, Albus?"
Dumbledore looked for any possible way he could get around the directions she gave him and could find none. She'd even given him a way to get off this infernal bed, but it would mean he'd also be immediately tossed from the castle. And he needed to be here.
"Yes," he all-but snarled.
Good," she replied. "Further, if I hear any further complaints from medi-wizard Robinson that you've been rude to him, as well as writing down that infraction to add to my list I'm compiling for reasons to fire you for the Board, I'll yet again dock your pay. Have I yet again made myself perfectly clear to you, Albus?"
"Yes," he more clearly stated.
"Your current orders from medi-wizard Robinson relating to your health is for you to remain in this bed until, I believe, about breakfast time tomorrow morning. Follow them!"
With a swish of her wand she vanished the ropes.
When the old man didn't try to rise but, instead, folded his arms and practically pouted, she made a short little 'hmm' sound, turned about and walked back out of the room.
Dumbledore remained on the bed smelling of burnt hair, crisped robes and sulking.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
Closing out another day, Scimitar received his next report from the watchers.
"Well, well!" he told the others. "The young knight has entered into a Betrothal Agreement with the Bookworm. And a report from Hogwarts has it that the phoenix severed its bond with White Beard."
"White Beard no longer has access to phoenix-travel?" asked one. "Thank Merlin for that!"
"Yeah," replied Scimitar. "That's news the 'big-wigs' are going to be right pleased about. It means ongoing research into blocking that form of magical travel can be scaled back for the time being. Thoughts on the BA?"
"It's a brilliant move," said their strategist. "It means the young knight's managed to turn the Bookworm pawn into a queen. It further protects him from her being used against him."
"Agreed."
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
While Dumbledore thought he was putting up and projecting a good image for the student body, he was accomplishing anything but.
In the Slytherin common room the few remaining students, mainly first and second years who couldn't go home because their parent or parents were away overseas or similar, were paying attention. To outward appearance they were disinterested or just mildly amused. In reality they were approaching the point they were cheering Potter on.
They knew who was responsible for everything that was befalling Dumbledore. And they were in both surprise and awe at the Slytherin-like strategy and style the Potter Lord was employing to deal with the old man. But, now finding out from a senior year that the old man's phoenix had severed its bond with him over something Potter did to him? That was both information gold and left them all fearful Potter would turn his ire upon them next.
While the Slytherins were employing their cunning and sneakiness to acquire the information, the Hufflepuffs were gaining it through a different kind of sneakiness. They simply turned 'puppy dog' eyes on their targets of choice, made themselves look pitiful and harmless and said please - the evil little bastards. Their usual targets being the Ravenclaws or the staff.
When they found out what the old man had done to a lot of people, including their very own Pomona Sprout and Poppy Pomfrey, the loyalty of the badger brought forth its fierceness at an attack upon their own. Dumbledore now represented a clear threat to the Cete and needed to be dealt with before any other badger fell before him. Cedric Diggory managed to rally the Cete sufficiently to have those 'forced' to remain at the castle work together to gather information. 'Know Thy Enemy!' they now declared. And were, as one, cheering Potter on.
The Ravenclaws were simply so inquisitive and so embarrassed over the 'Lovegood Scandal', that they needed to do something to lift their image among the other Houses. No longer was Hufflepuff seen as the worst House to be in by the others but Hufflepuff; theirs was. So they began a campaign to lift the image of their House by offering assistance to the staff at every opportunity available to them.
Plus, the Ravenclaws were often approaching the remaining staff seeking something to study or read. And through contact with the staff, were asking for various pieces of information, here and there. The 'Claws weren't being subtle about it like the Slytherins either. They didn't believe in subtlety. That information was brought back to the Nest and collated. The image it was painting of Dumbledore had them all cheering Potter on.
In Gryffindor, the remaining members had fractured into three factions too small to be effective in any way. The first were those who at first hated Harry Potter for getting their Head of House and Headmaster arrested; then embarrassed when they found out what the two had done (or should have done and didn't) to him, others, or the school in general; then angered with both, but mainly Dumbledore, for making them believe in him when he never truly earned it. The second agreed with the first, but that didn't stop them from hating Harry Potter for bringing it all to light; while the first wanted to apologise to him. The third were those who always and still supported Harry Potter as they 'knew' he couldn't possibly have done anything wrong; and were now smirking at the other two in 'justified arrogance'. The third group also consisted of the small 'fanboy' and 'fangirl' contingent, of which Harry was aware and hated with a passion.
However, irrespective of all of the above about their fractured House, all three were united in one goal; Albus Dumbledore must be taken down. He was a remaining embarrassment to the House. To that end those capable of sneakiness used that ability, those capable of using their wiles used that, those capable of brashness used that and they all gathered information of their own.
It effectively meant that there was not one person in the school who was fooled by Dumbledore's 'public' behaviour and the false bonhomie and elder statesmanship he still tried to project. And, by that evening, everyone knew Fawkes had severed his bond to the old man and, likely, why.
Many owls were sent out to family and other contacts that day and evening. One even winged its way to Harry.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
That evening at the Grangers was a quiet one and much welcomed by the residents. They all even managed to be in bed early.
Down in the servants' quarters, which the 'residents' rarely thought about now due to the magics employed on that part of the house to somewhat mask it, the third auror of the rotating detail was checking the ward monitors and alerts for any tampering - there was none.
The Grangers might have been horrified and deeply embarrassed at the sheer amount of remote magical monitoring that was going on but, to the aurors, what they didn't know about wouldn't embarrass them. Their task was to keep Potter and his now betrothed safe. However, there were no sight or sound monitors on the master suite or either Hermione's or Harry's. The only ones in any of the three suites were monitors to detect if there appeared anybeing or anyone besides them.
While the aurors on the protection detail wouldn't speak about personal details of Potter and the Grangers, things like Potter and the Granger girl entering into a Betrothal Agreement was not just a personal issue, but a security issue as well. That information was passed up the chain and modified orders came back down. Potter was still 'The Protectee', but had now been joined by Hermione Granger as 'The 2nd Protectee'. The teams immediately and accordingly adjusted.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ