Tuesday, June 25th, 1994
Sirius Black was currently in his Animagus form as Padfoot, as he walked down the sidewalk around the Crawley neighborhood where the Grangers lived. His best friend, Remus Lupin, and cousin Nymphadora Tonks were walking together a few feet behind him. It had been Amelia's idea to have them pose as a couple with a dog taking an afternoon stroll through the neighborhood, in an undercover role of sorts, as they searched for any possibility of spies who might be following or watching the Grangers.
Sirius had laughed when Amelia had made that suggestion. In another world, Tonks may have been a perfect match for Remus Lupin. She knew about his illness and still wanted to be his friend. She was cute, young and spunky, something Remus needed. Unfortunately for his pal, Moony, Sirius could see that Tonks had her eye on somebody else. Sirius didn't know whether she would succeed with her fancy, but he would just sit back and watch. It would be most interesting to see where it went. If it didn't work out, he could always set her up with Remus.
Amelia Bones and a couple of privately funded Ward Builders were at the Granger House building the protective enchantments. Amelia had hand-picked the Ward Builders herself, and had put them through rigorous security tests to make sure they were trustworthy. They had passed with flying colors.
As Sirius sniffed the air, he came across a particular scent. He had not smelled such an odor in many years, but it was still familiar to him. He growled, alerting Remus and Tonks, then sped down the sidewalk toward a group of bushes. He jumped over the bushes and found a man hiding there. The man yelped, but before he could move, Sirius pounced on him and pinned him to the ground.
"Back up, Padfoot!" Remus said, "Heel! Good catch! You got him!"
Sirius backed away from the man and transformed back into his normal form. He whipped his wand from his robes and pointed them at the man.
"Dung Fletcher!" Sirius said, "Long time, no see!"
"Black?" Mundungus Fletcher said, "Lupin? That you? 'Eard ya was free, I did, Black. Good to 'ear. Truly is. Never saw you as the guilty type. But what the 'ell are you doin' round these parts? Bloomin' scarin' the shite outta me, man!"
"We'll ask the questions here, Dung," Sirius said, "We'd like to know what you're doing here."
"Jus' though' I'd take a kip for a trifle," Dung said.
"A kip?" Remus asked, "Bit of a coincidence, it is. Napping down the street from where a young Muggleborn witch lives. A Muggleborn who just happens to be friends with Harry Potter. That young man is staying with the Muggleborn and her parents right now."
"Potter?" Dung asked, "Really now. I did not know that. He nearby? Kin I meet him?"
"Oh, he is nearby," Sirius said, "As is Amelia Bones, the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. I'm sure she'd be real interested in why you are here."
"I din't do nuttin'!" Dung said, "I din't – oh, bollocks! Dumbledore! Albus Dumbledore! He made me do it, he did! Wanted me to spy on tha' wee miss and Potter! Said he'd pay me some good money fer it! I ain't saying 'no' to a bit of gold when I kin get it! You gotta believe me!"
"I believe you, Dung," Sirius said, "But you're still coming with us."
Dung sighed and stood up. He grabbed his half-smoked cigar from the ground, brushed off the end and put it back in his mouth.
"It is three on one, Dung," Remus said, as they started walking back toward the Granger house, "You try to escape, and I'll make sure you splinch yourself so bad that we have to find you again before you go anywhere."
"I ain' goin' nowhere," Dung said, "You haven't changed one bit, Lupin. Threatenin' me like that. It is why everyone though' you were the traitor all those years ago."
"Pettigrew fed you lies, Dung," Remus said, "He voted for you to stay in the Order, and that made you like him. Just what he wanted. He told you what he told everyone. That I'm a Dark creature, so I must be a traitor."
"If you saw past his lies, why did you let him be, then, eh?" Dung asked.
"We didn't see past his lies," Sirius said, "Not until it was too late."
"Oh," Dung said, "That makes sense, I suppose."
"You haven't seen him lately, have you?" Sirius asked.
"No, I haven't," Dung said, then grinned, "I mean – yeah, yeah I have! Lemme go, and I give you the good tips!"
"Liar," Tonks said, "You just don't want to see Madam Bones."
"Kin ya blame me?" Dung asked, "I got me a bad rep wit' her. She hates me."
"She hates criminals, Dung," Sirius said. "You're a criminal. Therefore, she hates you."
Dung huffed. Two minutes later they approached the Granger House. Amelia Bones grinned like a cat who caught the canary when she saw Mundungus Fletcher.
"Caught Fletcher hiding behind a bush down the street, boss," Tonks said, "Said he was taking a nap, but we knew he was lying. Convenient that his nap spot was just down the street, in perfect view of the house."
"We got the truth out of him though," Sirius said, "He admitted he was spying on Harry and Hermione for Dumbledore. Apparently he's doing it mainly for the Galleons."
"What do you have to say, Fletcher?" Amelia asked, "You're guilty of stalking and mischief, both against minors. On top of everything else I know you've been doing over the years. That is several years in Azkaban."
"Amy, I think we should let him go," Sirius said.
Amelia, Remus and Tonks looked as if he was mad.
"Explain yourself, Sirius," Amelia said.
"Dumbledore will be looking to get information out of Dung," Sirius said, "I think we should be in control of what he tells Dumbledore. By Saturday, Harry and Hermione will no longer be here. We need Dumbledore to believe that he has no reason to come here. We could have Dung tell him that he overheard the Grangers and Harry talking about going on holiday for the remainder of the summer."
"How exactly would we go about doing that?" Amelia asked.
"Modify Dung's memories," Sirius said.
"Really, Sirius?" Remus asked, "You suggest that knowing you've been a victim of that very thing?"
"Do you want Dung telling Dumbledore that we're onto him?" Sirius asked. "Dumbledore likely suspects Amelia knows a few things about him. But us? He doesn't know that we know. Obliviating Dung would merely make Dumbledore suspicious. But modifying his memory so that he forgets all of what happened today and remembers a different scenario? Best idea we have. It would protect Dan and Emma, on top of the Wards being added today, and Dumbledore would think Harry and Hermione would be out of the country for a while."
"I like it," Tonks said.
Amelia nodded. "Alright. Even if I did arrest him, I'd have to follow protocol. Put him in front of the Wizengamot, and Dumbledore would probably find out exactly how he was arrested."
Remus grudgingly agreed, though he seemed a bit disappointed that Sirius had come up with such a plan.
"Will you do the honors, Amelia?" Sirius asked.
"Probably best," Amelia said.
Sirius and Remus held Dung's arms while Amelia pointed her wand at him and concentrated. Two minutes later she was finished. Then she Stunned him, and he fell unconscious in between Sirius and Remus.
"Cadet Tonks," Amelia said, "Please Side-Along Apparate him to an empty alleyway in Knockturn Alley. You have my permission to douse him with an Inebriation Charm. Make him think he slept off a binge."
"Yes, ma'am," Tonks said, "I'll be right back."
Tonks grabbed Dung's shoulder, and Sirius and Remus let go, just as she Apparated with Dung.
"We need to talk about your reckless ideas, Padfoot," Remus said, "Even though Harry is Emancipated, you're likely still going to be watching him as a pseudo-Guardian over the next few years."
"I don't think Harry's in danger of learning any bad manners from Sirius, Remus," Amelia said, "The lad knows what he wants already. Actually I'm quite pleased with Sirius' suggestion."
Remus looked surprised, and Sirius grinned.
"No, I'm not just saying that because he's a potential love interest," Amelia said.
"'Potential'?!" Sirius echoed.
Amelia sighed. "Sirius, I know you want to be back in the Auror Department before too long, but your godson will be back at Hogwarts before that happens. Until then... I want you to work with me."
"I'm listening," Sirius said.
"I'm a busy woman in my Department, Sirius," Amelia said, "Between that factor and the chance that Minister Fudge could be breathing down my neck means I can't focus on Albus Dumbledore too much without Fudge finding out. If it was up to Fudge, he wouldn't allow me to start an investigation until the day Dumbledore is no longer pardoned. By then it will be too late. So I am turning the investigation over to you."
"An excellent idea, Amy!" Sirius said. "I'm not at all affiliated with the Ministry right now. He'd never suspect me investigating him."
"Correct," Amelia said, "Look for any connections. Any Allies like Fletcher. Any dealings he has been doing lately. Albus is an excellent Potions Master in his own right. But he doesn't brew his own Potions if he doesn't have to. He hires others to do it for him. Watch for any possible new substitute for Snape and Molly Weasley. Rumor is he is bringing back Horace Slughorn for Snape's old post. Make sure Slughorn is only doing it for the Professor job, and nothing else. Also make sure Albus isn't visiting any Apothecaries, public or private. You have all that?"
"Yes, ma'am!" Sirius said, grinning.
"You're going to Potter Manor soon?" Amelia asked.
"Saturday," Sirius said, "Harry's been hinting that both Remus and I will be living there with him, Hermione and Tonks."
"Hmm," Amelia said, "Susan has been wanting to get to know Harry and Hermione better. Maybe we can arrange a day to visit Potter Manor. The kids can hang out, while we further discuss the investigation."
"I'll bring up the idea with Harry," Sirius said, "I'm sure he'd accept. May not be able to get around to it until a week from Saturday, since you're busy at the Ministry during the week."
"Very," Amelia agreed. "I agree with that day."
"I'll talk with Harry and send you a letter," Sirius said, "I might suggest he write a letter to Susan formally inviting her to Potter Manor."
"I'm sure she'd appreciate that," Amelia said, with a smile.
Tonks walked up to them, apparently having come from down the street.
"Well, the Anti-Apparation Wards seem to have gone up shortly after I left," she said, "They work by the way. I forgot for a moment where I wanted to Apparate. But I've been training myself to feel Wards like those."
"Continuing your self-studies then?" Amelia asked, "Excellent. I better tell the Ward Builders to put a bit more power into those Misdirection Wards. Dumbledore could easily bypass them right now. We don't need to worry about it ourselves. Once we go through the process where Miss Granger takes control of the Wards and keys us in, nobody who isn't keyed in – well, they just better stay away. Come on. We better get ourselves keyed in before the Wards eject us."
Amelia led Sirius, Remus and Tonks back into the house, where they proceeded to do just that. By the time they left an hour later, the Granger House was the most secure residence in Crawley.
Wednesday, June 26th, 1994
Wednesday morning, after his morning jogging session and shower, Harry Potter was sitting at the desk in the guest bedroom penning a letter. Per Sirius' suggestion, which he had heartily agreed to, he was writing a formal invitation to Susan Bones to Potter Manor one week from Saturday.
He had spoken about the idea with Hermione, and had considered inviting Daphne and Luna on that day as well. But Hermione reminded him that they would both be out of the country on holiday by then. She had also reminded him about his idea of a social party in August for the Great Alliance, including his three Betrothed. Between that party, and the final match of the Quidditch World Cup, in which Susan had invited him, Hermione, his other Betrothed and their friends to tag along – Luna would be going with her father, but would likely be able to meet with them – there was ample time for him and his Betrothed to hang out together before next term at Hogwarts began. Luna had accepted his invitation to join him, Hermione and Tonks in the Lord's Quarters. Now he just needed to finalize arrangements with Susan and Daphne, and perhaps Daphne's girlfriend, Tracy Davis, as well.
He would have an opportunity to cross another name that list soon enough. He would be meeting with Daphne that evening at the Greengrass Manor for dinner and the last Betrothal Contract meeting.
As he was finishing up the letter to Susan, he heard a pecking sound on the bedroom window. He stood and walked over to the window and found Percy Weasley's owl, Hermes, perched there. He opened the window, and Hermes offered one of his legs. Harry untied the letter from the owl's leg, and Hermes flew off. Harry noticed that the owl had other letters attached to his talons. Apparently he had other places to be.
Wondering why on earth Percy would be writing to him, he walked back over to the desk, sat in the chair and opened the scroll. He found that the letter was not from Percy, but Ginny. Not sure whether or not he'd regret it, he began to read the letter.
Dear Harry,
I'm sure you're mildly surprised that I am writing this to you. I fear I might have come off as bit of a bitch when we last spoke. I have done a lot of thinking since then, and I wish to formally congratulate you on your Betrothals. Luna wrote to me recently, and she seems fairly excited. I know I've come across as somewhat of a fan-girl of yours. I admit, with great reluctance, that I do fancy you. But I am going to do my best to move on. Even if you could accept me, I know I could not handle sharing you with other women. I'm sure there is someone out there for me as good as you.
But that is not why I am writing. I am writing for several reasons.
The first is to formally thank you for your generous decision to give me a share of the Basilisk harvest's fortune. I must get one thing off my chest though. Two million Galleons is a lot of money, Harry! There I said it. As you can guess, I was completely shocked. But I understand it was an equal split between the other victims as well. I have given a quarter of the fortune to my family. It should be able to last for several years. As of yesterday, my share of the fortune is now sitting in my very own personal Vault at Gringotts. It will truly help me in my future, wherever it will take me. Thank you again for your generosity, and for all you did for me during my first year at Hogwarts. I will never forget it.
Moving on. I am sure you heard all about one of the recent hardships my family has suffered through. My mother is now a five year resident of Azkaban prison. Though my father is hopeful her sentence will be reduced greatly in the future. I was informed by my father of exactly what my mother was doing. I want you to know I had no knowledge of my mother's plot to use Love Potion on you or Hermione in order to fall into a false love with me and Ron respectively. I swear it, and I would make an Honor Vow on it if I had to. Though I do fear Mum would have snagged me into her plot eventually. That scares me to think about what might have happened.
Speaking of Ron, I suppose I should tell you something you might not have heard about yet. Remember his muteness and flatulence problem at Hogwarts? Apparently he was poisoned! Madam Amelia Bones, of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement believes that Albus Dumbledore is behind it. I'm not supposed to tell anyone that, but I think you should know. My Dad seems to believe Dumbledore wanted to use my brother against you and Hermione! Makes me ill thinking about it.
I suppose I should also mention this: Madam Bones came up with a suggestion for Ron. You see, she believes if Ron goes back to Hogwarts, Dumbledore would poison him again. So she wants him to leave Hogwarts and go to another school – Brighton Academy, the sister school of the Auror Academy! If Ron were to attend, then he could go to the Auror Academy after he finishes up. He would only need one year of Auror Cadet training before he could be an Auror! Ron is still thinking about it. He has a month until he has to make his decision. I'm sure he'll make up his mind before then. Dad asked me, Fred and George if we wanted to leave Hogwarts, but we answered with a resounding 'no'! We'll be fine. Ron is the one we're worried about.
Now for some really good news! Minister Fudge has personally invited me and my family to the final match of the Quidditch World Cup in August! I'm so excited! We'll be sitting in the Minster's Box. Do you plan on going? Maybe I'll see you there.
In case you're wondering, I haven't thought too much about the whole Mental Healer thing this summer. But I think I'll talk to Dad about it soon. At least I can afford the appointments now!
I suppose I should end my letter here. Percy is writing a couple letters and I want to send this with Hermes as well.
Give my best wishes to Hermione and your Betrothed, and take some for yourself.
Your friend,
Ginny
As Harry finished reading the letter, he heard footsteps behind him, and he turned around. Hermione was standing there.
"You almost finished writing your letter to Susan?" she asked, "Daddy wants to begin today's knife-throwing session. He really believes we can complete the basic session by Friday!"
"I should be done shortly," Harry said, "It appears I have another letter to write as well."
He raised Ginny's letter to Hermione. She walked over to him, and he handed her the letter. As she read through it, Harry finished his letter to Susan.
"I'm honestly confused exactly how I should feel about this," Hermione said. "At first I thought she was coming onto you, but it truly feels as if she is doing her best to get over you. Her statements concerning her mother's Love Potions just confuses me more. I thought she was guilty of collaborating with her mother and Ron, at least in the future, but now I'm not so sure."
"I don't want to think about it honestly," Harry said, "I've been trying to figure out whether everything I felt for her during sixth year was real or not. I don't know whether it was Love Potions or hormones. But that was in the past... technically. I'm with you, we're Betrothed, and I am Betrothed to three other girls as well. Ginny is the past. This is my future."
"Good," Hermione said, then glanced at the letter. "So Madam Bones thinks Ron was 'poisoned' by Dumbledore. Which means everything we did to Ron, she blames on Dumbledore."
"Probably a good thing," Harry said, "I mean you did put an Imperius Curse on him."
"Looking back, I could have done it differently," Hermione said, with a shrug. "I'll be more careful next time. However, it seems we may not have to deal with Ron anymore. Brighton Academy really is a fantastic school. I read up on it. If Ron goes, he could have a brilliant future. It is hard for me to say this, but good for him. I truly hope he takes advantage of it. Especially if it keeps him away from us."
"Me too," Harry said.
"So it appears the Malfoys have been replaced with Ginny and Ron's family," Hermione said, grinning, "That should put a damper on Malfoy, on top of what we're planning to do to his dear old Daddy. You reckon Amelia's tickets for the World Cup are in the Minister's box?"
"I'm sure they are," Harry said, then whistled, "Between the Weasleys and Amelia's party of guests, on top of everyone else, the Minister's box will be full!"
"Which means we'll have to see Ron at least one more time," Hermione said, "By then Rita Skeeter will have the story published about the Betrothals, as you promised. Well, we'll just have to deal with it as it comes."
"Yep," Harry said, "I need to write a letter to Ginny. I do believe that letter deserves a reply."
"Alright," Hermione said, "Try not to sound too flirty though."
Harry laughed, then promised he wouldn't when he realized she might be serious. He quickly wrote a reply commenting on almost everything Ginny had talked about. He mentioned that he would indeed be going to the final of the Quidditch World Cup, as well as who he would be going with, and that it would likely be in the Minister's Box as well. He did not, however, comment on his Betrothal to Hermione, deciding Ginny could find that out along with the rest of Great Britain on his birthday – he did promise Rita the article, of course. He ended the letter, offering best wishes to the Weasley family and finished with 'Your friend', as well as adding 'Lord' to his name, and his official title as Head of the Potter House.
He stood and tied the two scrolls to Hedwig's leg.
"Long trip today, girl," Harry said, as he fed her an owl treat, "Bones Manor, and the Burrow. I'll likely be at Greengrass Manor when you return, so I'll see you this evening. If they wish to reply to the letters – which I am sure Susan will – please wait for a reply. Go on. Safe travels."
Hedwig nodded, nipped him affectionately on the finger, then flew out the window. Harry turned and followed Hermione out of the room. A knife-throwing lesson was a great way to work up an appetite for dinner at Greengrass Manor after all.
For the third day in a row, Sirius and Remus were at the Granger House. They were currently in the sitting room with Tonks, and that was where Harry and Hermione found them with her parents when they arrived at six-thirty that evening. For some reason, Sirius was holding a towel.
"You planning on participating in some interstellar hitchhiking in the near future, Sirius?" Hermione asked, with a grin.
"Your mother said that exact same thing!" Sirius said, "What am I missing here?"
"Just a Muggle reference, Sirius," Hermione said. "Why are you carrying a towel?"
"It is a Portkey," Sirius said, "Castor Greengrass sent it by post to me just this afternoon. It will leave at precisely a quarter-to-seven and take us to the front yard of Greengrass Manor."
"It is probably best we use the backyard for Portkey travel," Remus said, "I'd hate on the off-chance that it ruins this lovely room."
"That rarely happens, Moony!" Sirius said, then cleared his throat when Remus glared at him. "Okay, it happened to us three times when we were teens. Backyard, it is!"
The large group talked about innocent things for a few minutes before they moved into the backyard. Hermione hugged her parents goodbye, and Mr. and Mrs. Granger wished Harry the best of luck. Sirius promised that Hermione, Harry and Tonks would be back home between nine and ten that evening. Then he spread out the towel, and the five magicals each took hold of the towel. Remus glanced at his pocket-watch and counted down the last ten seconds.
Harry felt the familiar pull on his navel, as he was lifted off his feet. A short time later, he landed on the ground, and did his best to remain standing. He knew the trick was to keep his feet moving and hit the ground running. He grinned to himself when he found he had remained standing, though very windswept. Near him, Hermione had also remained standing, as had Sirius and Remus. Tonks, however, had fallen on the ground. Hermione helped the older witch to her feet.
"Thanks, Hermione," Tonks said, as she waved her wand around her, vanishing grass and dirt, "Portkeys and clumsiness do not mix well."
Harry grinned and looked around at his surroundings. A few yards in front of him stood a large two-storied Victorian-style, white-wash manor-house known as Greengrass Manor. Sirius led the group across the grounds toward the front door of the house. When they arrived, a house-elf was waiting for them at the open door.
"Greetings, guests," the house-elf said, "My name is Petal, the Head Elf of Greengrass Manor. Welcome to the home of Castor Greengrass and his family."
"Thank you, Petal," the familiar voice of Daphne Greengrass said, "I'll take it from here. You may return to the kitchens."
The house-elf bowed and snapped her fingers, vanishing. Daphne appeared at the door.
"Greetings everyone," she said, with a smile, "Come on inside."
Harry smiled at Daphne as he lead the others inside.
"My family is in the dining room," Daphne said, "Follow me please."
Harry, Hermione and their group followed Daphne through a brightly-lit hallway. Soon, they entered an extravagantly decorated dining room. Castor Greengrass stood as soon as they entered.
"Greetings, everyone," Castor said, "Welcome to Greengrass Manor. Please be seated."
"Thank you, Lord Castor," Harry said.
"Please, I believe we can do away with formalities," Castor said, smiling, "Do call me Castor."
Harry sat down between Daphne and Hermione at the nearest side of the long table. Daphne's sister, Astoria, was sitting on her other side. On the other side of the table, Sirius, Remus and Tonks sat together.
"Allow me to introduce my wife, Illiana," Castor said; sitting down and smiling at his wife, who was sitting at the opposite end of the table.
Aside from their hair color, it was easy to see where the Greengrass girls got their looks. Illiana Greengrass had jet-black hair and piercing blue eyes. She was just as beautiful as her daughters.
"You know my daughters, of course," Castor said, "Daphne and Astoria. Though you might have only seen Astoria during mealtime in the Great Hall at Hogwarts."
Harry smiled in silent greeting. Astoria's cheeks colored a light pink when she smiled in his direction. As he was the reason they were there that evening, Harry decided he would introduce everyone who had come with him. Daphne and Astoria knew Remus, of course, as their Defense Professor. They seemed quite happy to see him again. When Harry introduced Tonks, she changed her hair to pink, before changing it back to black for the evening. Astoria giggled lightly at that.
"I am sorry I could not be present at your trial, Sirius," Illiana said. "I was here with my daughters at the time. I was quite happy to hear you were found innocent. My congratulations."
"Thank you, Illiana," Sirius said, "With complete hope that Castor does not take offense, may I say you have only grown more beautiful with age."
"Thank you, you old charmer," Illiana said, smiling; Castor simply seemed amused, as if he was not surprised at Sirius' antics, "Would anyone like something to drink, while we wait for dinner? We have iced tea, butterbeer and of course water."
"Butterbeer, please," Harry said.
As the others requested their drinks, Harry was rather surprised when a glass of chilled butterbeer appeared in front of him.
"Our house-elves are very good at what they do," Illiana said; obviously noting his surprise.
"Petal was very polite to us when we arrived," Harry said, "I can see your elves are very well-treated."
"Is that something you are supportive of?" Illiana asked, "Elf rights?"
"I know Hermione is rather supportive of it," Harry said, glancing at Hermione, "I'd be in trouble if I wasn't."
Several chuckles were heard around the table.
"I admit, when I first learned of house-elves," Hermione said, "My mind went directly to slavery, which I do oppose. But I've done my fair bit of research. While I would like to see elves gain freedom, I do realize that they like to work, and unfortunately need to have Masters and Mistresses to survive. I would like to see better Elf rights though in the future."
"In your research, did you read about the benefits of owning house-elves?" Illiana asked, "Aside from having them work for you?"
"I'm not exactly sure what you're referring to, ma'am," Hermione said.
Illiana smiled. "House-Elf magic has a benefit that is like a positive form of leeching. Most house-elf owners have one thing in common. Their residences have protective enchantments and Wards. When a house-elf uses their magic, a small percentage of it seeps into the ground, powering up the magic of protective enchantments which are anchored into the ground around the residence. The more house-elves you own, the stronger your wards are. However, if you own too many, you can overpower your wards which could be very bad. Similar to lightning. The air charges up, causing lightning. Sometimes lightning can cause damage."
"Too much magic could cause an outburst!" Hermione said.
"Yes," Illiana said, "It rarely ever happens amongst wand-users. It might happen in massive battles, but not in places like classrooms. It is just not charged constantly enough in a confined area. But it happens with house-elves and leeching."
"What about Hogwarts?" Hermione asked, "there are hundreds of house-elves in that castle, aren't there?"
"The castle has been around for more than a thousand years," Illiana said, "It can survive a lot of damage, physical and magical."
"The secret to taking down Hogwarts Castle's wards," Castor said, "Double the amount of house-elves. Not fool-proof, but it could happen."
"But most people look down upon house-elves, so they never think to use them that way," Remus said.
"What would it take to change house-elf rights?" Hermione asked, "I'm simply curious. Would the Great Alliance at full power be able to pass a law like that in the Wizengamot?"
"Possible," Castor said, "Though there are problems. Not every family in the Great Alliance would support your views on Elf rights at the moment. Then there is the fact that the Boots and MacMillans have practically broken away from the Great Alliance. One push in either direction would result in whether they stay in the Alliance or depart."
"I am planning on hosting a dinner party at Potter Manor in August for the Great Alliance," Harry said, "Would inviting the Boots and MacMillans swing them in a positive way?"
"It truly would," Castor said. "The reason they wish to search for new Alliances is because they believe the Great Alliance is dying out. They're sick of waiting around for you to take your place on the Potter seat in the Wizengamot."
"Well, I'll invite them to the dinner," Harry said, "But if they give me any reason to doubt their support in the Alliance, I'd show them door myself. What they're doing is shaming my Grandfather's memory."
Castor grinned. "I wholeheartedly agree and so would other Heads of Houses in the Alliance."
At that moment, Petal the house-elf popped back into the room.
"Dinner is served," she said.
And with a snap of her fingers, several dishes, and pots of various food appeared on the table. As Harry looked at it all, he realized there were several of his favorite foods that he usually ate at Hogwarts. He glanced at Daphne and Astoria and wondered if either of them paid attention to what he ate and had suggested it for dinner.
"Thank you, Petal," Illiana said; after Petal bowed and vanished, she continued, "Feel free to serve yourselves, everyone."
For a few minutes, the only noise at the table was the movement of dishes as those at the table filled their plates. When everyone's plates were filled, the discussion resumed.
"Castor," Harry said, "I'm rather curious as to why you accepted to Betroth me to your daughter. I mean no offense. I asked Xenophilius Lovegood the same thing. If Susan's parents were alive, I'd like have asked them the same question. I'm merely curious."
"No offense taken," Castor said, "It is an excellent question. There were several reasons. The first was that about a month before your father came to me with the proposition of uniting our families through the act of Betrothal, Lucius Malfoy came to me with the same idea. He wanted to Betroth Daphne to his son, Draco."
Daphne grimaced. "Thank goodness that didn't work out."
Castor smiled at his daughter. "The Greengrass Family has always been a Neutral Alliance, Harry. Lucius Malfoy tried his very hardest to convince me to leave the Neutral Alliance, and your Grandfather's Alliance, and join the Dark. He even offered me a large bride-price. I immediately saw it as a bribe. Draco was already Betrothed to Pansy Parkinson when Lucius met with me. Pansy would take the Lady Malfoy name. But Lucius seemed to be under the impression that Draco would have two titles to his name before he reached the age of majority."
He glanced at Sirius. "He was under the impression Draco would gain the title of Black."
"I'd use the phrase 'over my dead body', but dear Lucius would probably like that," Sirius said.
"He seemed to be under the impression," Castor said, "that Sirius' involvement in the Great War would lead to an early demise."
"But Lucius forgot one little thing," Sirius said, "On the off-chance I don't have children, I get to name an heir as the next Head of the Blacks. Lucius would argue, of course, that it would have to be in the Black bloodline as close as the last three generations, and believe has checkmated me. He seems to forget that your Grandmother Dorea was a Black before she was a Potter. That is two generations. Just because Draco is older than you by a little under two months does not mean he automatically becomes Head of the Blacks if I were to kick it without an heir of my loins."
"I knew that, of course," Castor said, "But even then, I wasn't going to take Lucius' offer. But I knew he would keep coming for me. Then came the day your father gave me a letter asking to Betroth my daughter to his son. Truth is, I accepted just so Lucius Malfoy could leave me alone. Sure, I also accepted because a marriage between my daughter and the grandson of the Alliance's founder would greatly help the Alliance. But I did it to rub dirt in Lucius' face."
"That didn't stop him though," Illiana said.
"No it did not," Castor said. "When Astoria was born, Lucius attempted to try to convince me to betroth his son to her. He didn't favor the Line Continuance Option, so he didn't agree. You see, James had already made the promise to me that Daphne would have one of the family's official titles. He just wasn't sure which and would leave that to his son to choose."
"Only the Peverell title is available," Harry said, "The title of Lady Potter was recently taken."
Daphne blinked. "Explain that, Harry. I know for a fact Susan and Luna are using a Line Continuance Option."
"When I informed you I had three Betrothal Contracts to my name," Harry said, "I was off by one. I didn't know that at the time."
"There's a fourth?" Daphne asked. "Who?"
Hermione raised her hand.
Daphne's eyes widened. "Alright. Now I am just more confused."
"Long story," Harry said, "My parents met Hermione's parents when she and I were little. Her mother was attacked by a wanna-be Death Eater trying to get into the ranks. Her father put a knife in his spine. My father, and Sirius, were the Aurors on duty. Friendships were created, my parents worried for the Grangers' well-being. A few months later, a Betrothal Contract was signed so the Grangers could be placed under protection of my House. We only learned of this very recently."
"Somebody decided to modify my memories along with Hermione's parents," Sirius said. "That is another long story that needs more answers before we can get into it."
"As of yesterday, Hermione and I are Betrothed," Harry said.
"A Muggleborn Betrothal," Daphne said, "Now I've heard everything. Why does everything seem to happen to you, Potter?"
"Daphne!" Illiana said, in a scolding tone, "Manners, young lady!"
"It is okay, ma'am," Harry said, "I find myself asking the same question all the time."
Astoria giggled and quickly covered her mouth. Illiana looked rather offended at the manners of her daughters, but Castor looked amused.
"Daphne, does the title of 'Lady Peverell' sound favorable to you?" Castor asked.
"Yes, Father," Daphne said, "I would be honored to take that legendary name and pass it on to my children."
"Good," Castor said, "Then that part is settled. With that, I suppose we should move our conversation to the Betrothal Contract. I suppose we should discuss the official sections of the Betrothal Contract. If Daphne was my only daughter, the Line Continuance Option, originally penned in the Contract written between myself and James Potter, would have come into effect. But that can go to Astoria when it is her time to marry. She doesn't have a Betrothal Contract in her name."
"Lucky me," Astoria said, grinning.
Castor smiled. "I assume you do not wish to be married until after you finish your education?"
"Yes, sir," Harry said.
"Very well," Castor said, "If you agree, I would like to propose that you be married to my daughter before or on the day of her nineteenth birthday. That would give you plenty of time after leaving Hogwarts to prepare for the wedding."
"Xenophilius Lovegood mentioned that idea of a joint wedding between me and all my Betrothed," Harry said, "He would even allow Luna to marry before she enter her seventh year at Hogwarts. I have a feeling I would favor that idea."
"Well, it would be your decision, of course," Castor said, "Do you know what it means to be a First Wife?"
"No, sir," Harry said.
Sirius swore under his breath. "I knew I had forgotten something! I should have seen this coming, due to the multiple future brides. Please do the honors, Castor."
"Of course," Castor said. "First Wife is a term given to one specific wife in a marriage with multiple wives. The First Wife would in a sense, be the leader, of her sister-wives. She would be the first wife – where the term comes from – that is introduced during social parties. Also, thanks to a Ritual – which I will not describe now because it is not fit for a dinner table – the First Wife holds a sort of enchantment over her wives. You see, her sister-wives cannot get pregnant unless she gives them express permission first. That is so she can choose whether or not to have her husband's first child. Aside from that, there isn't much to it, unless other options are decided amongst the husband and wives."
"I see," Harry said, "Well, I suppose that won't matter for a few years. But I think I'd leave that decision to my Betrothed to figure out who would have that role."
"Probably best," Castor said. "That brings us to the topic of children. As there is not a Line Continuance Option, I see no reason to have a deadline when to expect the first child, or number of children. That will be up to the two of you."
"Thank you, sir," Harry said.
"I assume you want children, Harry?" Illiana asked.
"Yes, ma'am," Harry said, "I didn't grow up in a good family. Because of this, I have a great desire for family. I can see now I'll likely be getting that. I already have a good surrogate family."
Illiana smiled, quite satisfied at this answer.
"I believe we can end that part of the conversation there," Castor said, "I'll just require your signature on the Contract made penned by your father and I. That can be done before you leave. Is there any issues you have?"
"No, sir," Harry said, "Though I do have a question. As you know, I am now a Lord. I will be living in the Lord's Quarters at Hogwarts. Both Hermione and Luna have already agreed to live in my quarters, and their parents agreed. I simply wish for my Betrothed to live there so we can get to know each other. May make it easier in the long run. Practice for when it becomes official, you could say. I just need your permission to invite Daphne to the Lord's Quarters. Professor McGonagall required it."
Castor looked at Daphne then his wife. Illiana gave a short nod.
"I'll allow it," Castor said.
"Thanks, Daddy," Daphne said.
Throughout the rest of dinner and dessert, more innocent topics were discussed. Castor and Illiana wanted to know more about Harry and Hermione and their personal lives. The Greengrasses also discussed their plans for holiday.
"When do you plan to return to England?" Harry asked.
"First week of August," Castor said.
"I asked because I'm trying to figure out when I should schedule the dinner party for the Great Alliance," Harry said. "The only conclusion I've come to is it will definitely be before the finals of the Quidditch World Cup. Hermione and I, and possibly others, will be in France for my birthday at the end of July."
"Once we are back in England, I could try to round up the Great Alliance," Castor said, "If everyone is in England, I'll let you know, so it would be easier to plan an exact date."
"That would be a lot of help, thank you," Harry said.
"I can see this party is meant to be mostly a surprise for the Great Alliance," Castor said.
"Only my friends and Betrothed and their families will know," Harry said, "I think it would be best. A surprise party in which topics about the Great Alliance is discussed may be more beneficial if I didn't give everyone time to prepare a story."
"It would ensure honesty," Castor said, "A very good plan. And here I thought you didn't like politics."
"I guess I must change my views since it fell into my lap," Harry said.
Several chuckles were heard.
Castor smiled. "You'll fit right in at the Wizengamot Council. Of course, you need a Proxy when you reintroduce your House to the Council at the Winter Solstice Session. Emancipated or not, nobody under seventeen is allowed on the Council."
"Sirius?" Harry asked. "I'm aware this may not be the right place or time."
"Nonsense," Sirius said, "I'll be happy to be the Proxy for the Potter and Peverell seats. I have to reinstate my House in December anyway."
"I think we'll get along quite well, Harry," Castor said, "You make decisions quickly, but still put a lot of thought into it. Good man."
Harry smiled. He liked Castor. For the father of one of his Betrothed, he was someone Harry could get along with quite well. And so the conversation went on. Halfway through dessert, Astoria wanted to see more of Tonks' talents. Laughter was heard around the table as Tonks turned her nose into different shapes including that of a duckbill and pig snout.
"Daphne," Illiana said, when dessert was done, "How about you escort Harry and Hermione to the sitting room and talk amongst yourselves? Astoria, I want you to leave your sister and her friends alone."
Astoria pouted but nodded.
"Harry, I'll have that Contract ready by the time you leave," Castor said, as Harry stood with Hermione and Daphne.
Harry nodded in understanding and left the kitchen with Hermione and Daphne. Daphne led them into the sitting room which looked homely and comfortable. A nice hearth brought firelight and crackling noises into the atmosphere of the room.
"Daphne," Harry said, "What do you think I should do about Tracey? I can't exactly ask her parents permission to let her stay in the Lord's Quarters without giving a reason why."
"Let me take care of that," Daphne said. "Tracey and I have plans this summer to reveal our secret to our families. I'll let you know at your dinner party whether or not to ask Tracey's parents permission."
"Alright," Harry said.
"Something I failed to ask you ever since we discovered we're Betrothed," Daphne said, "How did you feel when you discovered I would be one of your future wives?"
"I decided to keep an open mind," Harry said. "Yes, I was wary at first because you are a Slytherin and I'm a Gryffindor. But my experiences with Slytherins revolves around four things: Malfoy, Parkinson, Crabbe and Goyle."
Daphne snorted. "I completely understand. One meeting with them, and you can't help but get a bad opinion of the Slytherin House. I'm nothing like them, I promise."
"A pleasant, nice, friendly Slytherin," Harry said. "A year ago, I might have thought that was impossible."
Harry was quite surprised when Daphne gave her first genuine smile of the night.
"Wow, Harry," Daphne said, "I never heard you crack a joke before."
"You just don't know me," Harry said, grinning, "I can see it was a mistake that I never took the opportunity to speak to you in the past. Of course, you could blame that on Ron Weasley."
Daphne snorted again. "Weasley – I never understood how either of you could be friends with him. Around someone like him, I can't blame you for being anti-Slytherin. I am sure he convinced you my house bred Death Eaters."
"The day I met him – he told me there wasn't a Slytherin who didn't go bad," Harry said. "I can now say he was wrong. Of course, not all Gryffindors are good guys either. Peter Pettigrew was a Gryffindor, after all. I hope you're not biased around all Weasleys. There are a few good ones."
"The twins are an interesting pair," Daphne said, "Their sister, though... she has a mad fancy for you, Harry."
"She wrote me a letter this morning," Harry said, "She's going to try to get over me and gives her best wishes to me and my Betrothed."
Daphne raised an eyebrow. "I'll believe that when I see it. You're a part of my life now. I'm not going to let just any girl flirt with you."
"Would you be open to the thought of Harry having more than four wives?" Hermione asked.
"Hermione!" Harry groaned. "Where did that come from? I haven't even considered that idea."
"I know you have an interest in at least one girl you're not Betrothed to," Hermione said.
Harry spluttered. "I-I don't want to talk about it right now. We'll talk about this later."
"I suppose I would be open to it," Daphne said, shrugging. "Tracey and I have talked about what would happen when I marry Harry. What if she and I are still together? She's talked about being my Mistress. When she spoke of that, I asked her what would happen if she wanted a child of her own. And she – well -"
She hesitated. Hermione detected this. "What did she say?"
"She said she wouldn't say no if Harry offered to father her child or children," Daphne said.
Harry's eyes widened.
"She said it was only one option," Daphne said, "She and I might not be together by the time I marry you, anyway."
"I'll simply say we'll see what happens if it comes to it," Harry said, "How would a Mistress work anyway?"
"There isn't an official process to having a Mistress," Daphne said, "She'd basically be my unofficial live-in wife if you allowed it. Basically my girlfriend on the side. Several men and women in society have them. Most don't even make their spouses aware they have them. As you said, we'll see what happens if it comes to it. I suppose you want to know my opinion of this Betrothal?"
"Sure," Harry said.
"I've known since I was a little girl that I was part of a Betrothal Contract," Daphne said, "Most purebloods grow up knowing they might be Betrothed. I just didn't know who my future husband was going to be. My parents assured me it wasn't Draco Malfoy. But they wouldn't tell me who it was. Now that I understand it is you, I suppose they didn't want me to think of myself as the future wife of the most famous boy in wizarding Great Britain. Maybe they feared it would give me a big head. Still, before they told me, I wondered if it would be a fellow student in Slytherin. I feared it might even be someone older than I. There's a lot of ugly trolls in that house. Every time a bloke hit on me, I feared they'd be my future husband by contract.
"I was completely surprised when I found out it was you. First, because I thought I wouldn't know about the identity of my Betrothed until I was at least sixteen. Before I found out it was you, but knew I was in a Contract, I deduced it was someone who had reached majority, and thought my fear of it being someone older than I would come true. I realized you had achieved your Lordship. The second reason I was surprised was because – well – if I was to be married to any of the Children of the Alliance, I never thought it would be you. Boot and MacMillan are prats. Longbottom would have been my second choice if it wasn't you. At least he is a nice boy. A bit timid and shy, but nice. Longbottom is a good House to be a part of."
"And now that you know it is Harry?" Hermione asked.
"Fine," Daphne said, "I shamefully admit I might have been one of your fan-girls, Potter, very briefly during our first year. Albeit a silent one. I had a reputation to protect. Then I realized that wasn't something you wanted. Then I saw you take on Draco at the first Flying Lesson, then heard how you saved Hermione from the troll. Then I saw how good you were at Quidditch. I admit, with great reluctance, I had a fancy for you, more than a simple fan-girl would. Something that embarrassed me. A Slytherin actually crushing on the Gryffindor Golden Boy? Sure there were Slytherin girls who liked you, but only because of your fame. I had a real fancy."
"I suppose if I had to pick a Slytherin bride, you'd be my first choice," Harry said.
Daphne grinned. "Lucky for you, it happened to fall that way. I find it quite ironic... and hilarious... that you have a girl from all four Houses as one of your Betrothed."
"I see it as a perfect start to unite the Houses," Hermione said.
Daphne snorted. "Fat chance."
"I must agree with Daphne here, Hermione," Harry said.
"I'm not talking about immediate results," Hermione said.
"Results is the only word I hear," Daphne said, "Take it from a Slytherin. I know of only three people in our year, in my house, who would favor House Unity: me, Tracy, and Blaise Zabini. Everybody else – I repeat, fat chance. Give up on it. Three out of four ain't bad. Even then, you aren't going to get everyone in on it."
Hermione sighed. "Fine."
"You have a good heart, Hermione," Daphne said, "And a brain everyone in our year in Slytherin – but would never admit it - and even several Ravenclaws are jealous of. Use them for other goals. You'll go farther and – no offense – live longer."
Hermione nodded. The three kids continued their discussion with more get-to-know-you questions. About an hour after Harry entered the sitting room, Sirius, Remus and Tonks came in with Daphne's parents.
"Alright, Daphne," Castor said, "I think it is time for Harry and Hermione to head home. Hermione's parents are probably sitting around and waiting for them. But first, I have the Contract you both need to sign."
Castor set the Contract on the coffee table, and took a Blood Quill from his robes.
"I was given permission from my Vault Keeper to use this for the Contract signing," he said, "Aside from Contracts, it is illegal to use otherwise."
Harry, then Daphne, signed the Contract, which soon shone a bright golden color.
"Very well," Castor said, "Daphne, Harry, you are officially Betrothed."
"Say good night to your friends, Daphne," Illiana said, "They need to be going."
Daphne glanced at Harry and hesitated slightly. She then kissed him on the cheek. Harry glanced at Hermione, and she merely rolled her eyes.
"Good night, Harry," she said, "Hermione."
"Good night, Daphne," Harry said.
Hermione echoed him and Daphne left the room. Harry turned to his hosts.
"Lord Castor," Harry said, "Lady Illiana. Thank you for inviting us into your home this evening. I will return the favor before the end of the summer."
"We look forward to it, Lord Potter," Castor said. "Thank you for an entertaining evening."
The others said their goodbyes, and Harry and his group made their way back to the front grounds. Sirius had another towel. The group each touched the Portkey and vanished, returning to Crawley and the Granger House.