章 25: Chapter Twenty Five - Godmother Conspiracies
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!
Chapter Twenty Five - Godmother Conspiracies
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Harry received the papers from Margaret Pentridge regarding the setting up of the Lily Evans Memorial Scholarship Fund, and read through them to make sure everything was still as he wanted.
Along with them was a note informing him Ackerman and Co were happy to interview the staff for the Board and employee positions. Remus would be thoroughly interviewed, told he'd been recommended for the opportunity of winning the position, and then given it a couple of days later.
First chance he got he signed the papers and sent them back.
It was time for classes before they headed to the Room of Requirement to practice his silent and minimal wand casting once classes ended. Then they'd be returning to the apartment to, again, plan.
At least, since Dumbledore had come down hard on the behaviour of his pet Death Eater, Potions was now a much nicer class. Harry even found that he enjoyed it as it gave him time to think.
What surprised Snape were the major improvements in all the other classes, bar Slytherin. He was even giving consideration to realigning the bars for what earned an Outstanding, Exceed Expectations and down. Students across the board and across the ages were now doing much better in the subject.
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While Madam Bones was in the process of finding Death Eaters, wannabes and blood bigots within the ranks of the Aurors and Hit Wizards, Madam Longbottom was keeping the Minister and his staff hopping. This was something Madam Bones deeply appreciated, as it kept the Minister and his flunkies from finding out what she was up to.
While Madam Longbottom was berating a flunky, the one who wasn't quick enough to run for other parts of the Ministry building, the Minister was holed up in his office with his Senior Under-Secretary. Even Dolores Umbridge was unwilling to face the wrath of Augusta Longbottom when the woman had the support of the majority of the Wizengamot behind her; and seeing the Potter-brat receive the Order was definitely something the majority of the Wizengamot wanted to see happen.
"What do we do, Dolores?" the Minister practically whined. "Lucius and Dumbledore, both, are adamant Potter not receive the Order of Merlin. However, both the Wizengamot and the public want to see him receive it. If she goes public that I'm seen to be blocking it..."
"We need to find something else to concern her, Minister," Umbridge simpered. "Something that will take all her attention."
"But, what?" he begged.
Umbridge practically paced in the expansive office; thinking hard.
She suddenly stopped and looked to the Minister. "Her son and daughter-in-law," she said, an idea coming to her. "That's her weakness."
"What about them?" he asked.
"They're in the permanent spell damage ward at Saint Mungo's," she said.
"Yes, yes; I know that," he said, a little exasperated. "Get to the point."
"If either of them shows an improvement..." she said, "The old hag will dash over there to be at their bedsides."
"And how are we supposed to accomplish that miraculous feat?" he asked, going from worried to irritated.
"One of those little tidbits of information I've discovered is that both are being regularly dosed with a senility-inducing potion," she smiled.
Stunned, the Minister sat there for a few moments, still confused, he asked, "But, why?"
"Dumbledore wanted them out of the way, for some reason," she replied. "And he wasn't up to just killing them, or having them killed."
"He's both providing the potion, and bribing a healer, to see to it the Longbottom couple is kept in a near-comatose state."
"But, why?" asked Fudge again, completely forgetting he'd just asked that same question.
"Unknown," replied Umbridge. "But, does it matter to us? You?"
While Fudge tried to figure that one out, she continued. "If we... discover... the healer has been dosing the Longbottoms with the senility-inducing potion, we can see him arrested. I don't know if it's possible or not... not being a healer myself, of course," she simpered. "But they may soon thereafter 'wake up'. Of course, after so long under the effects of the potion, both are going to need long term care to help them regain their faculties..."
"... And our Madam Longbottom will dedicate her time to providing that care!" exclaimed Fudge, finally understanding. "I'll be her hero for discovering the truth!"
"Of course you will, Minister," simpered the Pink Toad. "At the same time, it'll get the woman to stop pushing for the Potter brat to receive the Order; and she'll feel beholden to you."
"Yes!" said Fudge, quite gleefully. "Get it done, Dolores. It's time the Longbottoms received justice."
Umbridge detested having to give up one of her little known secrets, as it rendered the knowing of the secret useless as a tool for blackmail. One as big as this may have eventually been used to bring the Great Dumbledore to heel. But, sometimes, it was unavoidable. This was one of those times.
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Back at Hogwarts, the three were putting final touches on their plan to have Dumbledore find out about the ring horcrux.
"It's going to take very good acting on the part of all three of us to pull it off," said Hermione. Looking at Harry, she said, "You, to show confusion and a little fear. Not too much, mind. And us, to show worry and concern for you."
"It has to be enough to show a reason for actually talking to the old fool," said Daphne. "He has to believe it worries you, and us, so much that you're willing to... overcome... how much we detest the man to actually tell him something we might consider personal."
Harry nodded. "We'll need to practice that," he said. "I don't think I can pull it off without us role-playing it a fair bit."
"Agreed," replied Daphne, while Hermione nodded.
"In the meantime," said Hermione. "How goes your practice at maintaining and controlling the Aguamenti Charm?"
"As much as I don't like to blow my own trumpet," he replied. "I think I've mastered it. That is, mastered it enough to make it quite effective as a form of propulsion for the second task."
"It actually propels you through the water?" asked Daphne.
"It does," he replied. "I practiced it in the Prefects' bathroom. Even I was surprised by how well it works."
"And minimalist wand motion and incantless casting?" asked Hermione.
"Quite good, I think," he replied. "I've almost got it so slight it could somewhat pass as 'point' casting. And I now incantless cast... let's see... Aguamenti of course, the bubblehead charm, the severing charm, the summoning and banishing charms and the Confundus charm for in the water. I've also got down the jelly-fingers curse, the tongue-locking hex, the silencing charm, the impediment curse, the blasting hex, the cutting curse, and the reductor curse.
"I've figured those last few will come in very handy for when I'm in the graveyard. I've also been practicing batting hexes and curses aside rather than just shielding or dodging. And I've been practicing rapid conjuring and hovering charms to place objects between me and the magically unshieldable curses."
"Sticking with the second task, for the moment," she said, "The rescue plan?"
"Again?" he near whined.
"Again," she said.
With almost a sigh he said, "We're fairly certain it will be one of the two of you. If you get summoned late in the afternoon, the day before the task, it'll be you. I'll take your primary wand and you'll carry a conjured copy of it when you leave.
"I'll also tag you with a tracking charm..."
"We'll need to tell Dobby and Winky not to remove that charm," Daphne quickly cut in.
"Good point," he agreed. "I'll tag you with a tracking charm."
"Now the morning of the task?" asked Hermione.
"On the morning of the task I'll dress in that thermal swimwear you had your mum pick up and send. Good idea, that, by the way. I'll have my primary wand in my right holster and yours in my left under a Notice-me-not charm. I'll also have that diving knife and scabbard you organised for me strapped to my left thigh, also under a Notice-me-not charm. I'll warn Delacour to stay out of the kelp beds because of the grindylows, just in case.
"Just as they're about to send us into the water, I quickly swallow the gillyweed I'll have on me. I dive in, draw my wand and... using the power of my new flippers and the modified Aguamenti charm... I power my way to the merpeople village. If necessary, I stop every now and then to check I have the right direction from the tracking charm using the point me charm.
"Once in the village, I quickly go to you and use my knife to cut you free. Once you're free I cast the bubblehead charm on you. If you wake up, I hand you back your wand. If you do not, I'll tuck it in your sock on your right lower leg. That way, as soon as you reach the surface, you'll have access to it. The bubblehead charm, if it doesn't wake you up, will create sufficient positive buoyancy to see you reach the surface pretty quick smart.
"If the bubblehead charm does wake you up, you'll remain with me but about twenty feet above to ensure the other hostages are rescued; especially little Miss Delacour. When we see the last of the Champions approach and are going to be okay, we two head to the surface, together.
"You then conjure a small boat and lie on it; and cast a warming charm on yourself. I then push you back to the jetty. I come out of the water once the gillyweed wears off."
"Then?" asked Daphne, with a small smirk.
"Then, if you weren't asked to participate in the task this time around, I do my nut at Dumbledore using the Sonorus charm."
"Good," said Daphne, giving a little sigh of satisfaction. "You're ready. Now, what about what you're going to do in the third task and graveyard?"
Harry ran through his main and contingency plans. Both still needed a light tweaking. However, he was much further along than he thought.
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With the reduction in the amount of wand movement Harry was now using, he was also finding his speed of casting increasing. This now meant he could no longer just think of a Curse or Hex off the top of his head. Now he had to start creating what he read in Combat Magic, a book he found in the Room of Requirement when asking for help in training for combat, as spell chains.
However, he couldn't rely on the example spell chains that were in the book. He needed to create his own. After all, it was highly likely Riddle had also read that book, and knew the chains. Therefore, if he could figure out what spell chain Harry was using, he would know what Harry was going to cast and when.
After having decided he wasn't going to make the mistake of simply stunning his opponents, this time through, Harry was making the chains as lethal as possible.
He knew they also had to be quite creative. So, remembering Luna had devised some very creative uses of Charms within duelling during the days of the DA, Harry called on and asked her for her help. Help she was very willing to provide.
Once Harry then mentioned he had no interest in casting to incapacitate; and was, instead, aiming to kill; Luna became positively gleeful - and vicious.
Harry and she had just returned from one of their sessions in the Room of Requirement when a very excited Hermione grabbed Harry and dragged him over to a couch.
Luna simply smiled and went into Hermione's old room, where she now kept at least one full change of clothes and a second set of personal hygiene products. This was not because bullying of her had started back up again. This was because she'd simply taken to spending more time with the three. And she much preferred to shower in the ensuite in Hermione's old room after one of their sessions, than have to trudge back to her dorm before almost always returning again.
"Hermione, I'm all sweaty!" he exclaimed, as he was forced to sit on a couch.
"Shower in a minute," she rapidly said. "Neville was sent through the Floo in McGonagall's office to Saint Mungo's about an hour ago."
Shocked, Harry asked, "Why? What's wrong with him? It's not his grandmother, is it?"
Rapidly shaking her head while wearing a big grin, she said, "No. His parents have woken up."
Stunned, Harry sat there gaping in shock. "How the Hell did that happen?" he asked. "They never woke up in the old timeline. Nothing we did could have triggered a change to them."
"Unknown," said Daphne, who was sitting opposite. "All we know, so far, is that his parents have woken up, and he's been sent to Saint Mungo's because they're demanding to see him."
"He was originally supposed to have been taken to the Headmaster's office to be Floo'ed, but the Headmaster had already left. Apparently, he raced there as soon as he could. I met Neville as he was hurrying from the Headmaster's office entrance to Professor McGonagall's office with her. And he told me."
"Damn," Harry softly said. "But, what is it we've done to the timeline that could have effected that change?"
"No idea," said Daphne. "However, I think we caused a change in the behaviour of someone; who, through however many different intermediaries, did something different regarding their treatment. And that difference is what has lead to them waking up."
"But why would Dumble..." Harry began before he suddenly realised something. "Order of the Phoenix. Frank and Alice were members. As was Sirius. And, Neville's the possible second child of the prophecy."
Harry went and retrieved his communications mirror before returning to the couch. He quickly opened it and muttered to its surface, "Padfoot."
While he waited, the girls tried to figure out what had led to the Longbottoms waking up; and when they would expect to see Neville again. Daphne was instructing Hermione on not barraging the boy with questions when he returned. And how to ask the right question, and when.
Suddenly, the mirror cleared. As soon as the image of his godfather appeared, the old dog said, "Hiya, Pup! What's up?"
Not wanting to beat about the bush concerning people Sirius would have considered close friends, he replied, "Frank and Alice have woken up."
A completely shocked Sirius looked back for a few moments before he asked, "When? How?"
"When was sometime over an hour ago," replied Harry. "That's when Neville found out and was sent through to Saint Mungo's. How is unknown. We hope to hear from Neville about that when he returns, whenever that may be.
"Dumbledore also shot out of the castle, at the same time, without even letting his Deputy know he was going. Other than both Frank and Alice were in the Order, I have no idea why Dumbledore left with such haste."
"This means you get your godmother back, Harry," said a happy Sirius. "I'm so happy for you!"
Again, stunned at the news, it was a moment before Harry replied. "I hadn't even considered that," he softly said.
Obviously Hermione and Daphne were listening in. Both witches immediately came over and hugged him from either side.
"Oh, Harry," said Hermione, quite softly. "I'm so happy for you, too!"
"And me," said Daphne from her side.
Interrupting, Sirius said, "If you don't mind, Pup; I'd like to get over there right away. I know I'll probably not be allowed in to see them so soon, but I'll be able to find out extra information. I'll let you know what I can."
"Alright, Sirius," replied Harry. "And, thank you."
He quickly shut the mirror to break the connection and put it on the coffee table before sitting back.
"Harry, you know I love you, right?" said Daphne, moving away a little.
"Of course," he replied, wondering where his wife was going with this.
"Well, with love in my heart for you, I need to tell you, you stink!" she said.
Harry snorted in amusement and said, "I'd already be in the shower if it wasn't for one of my wives demanding I hear news from her before I cleaned up."
"Well, now you have the news," said Hermione. "Go shower."
"Yes, Ma'am!" Harry shot back, standing and making his way to their room.
"Prat!" she shot right back as he quickly ducked into the bedroom.
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Sirius stepped out of the public Floo at Saint Mungo's and, not needing to bother the Welcome Witch as he already knew the way, headed up to the fourth floor.
Nearing Ward 49, the Janus Thickey Ward for long-term residents, Sirius found two aurors and Dumbledore outside the doors. Dumbledore was arguing with the aurors to allow him entry.
"Dumbledore?" he asked. "What's going on?"
Turning to Sirius, Dumbledore replied, "Ah; Sirius, my boy. You're looking much better."
"Yes, yes; back to being a debonair handsome ladies' man again," Sirius replied a little irritably. "Now, please answer the question. What's going on?"
"Well, I've been involved in a discussion with these two gentlemen of the law about allowing me entry to visit with my two friends, Frank and Alice; as well as pay a visit to Gilderoy. Were you aware Gilderoy, Lockhart that is, accidentally cast an Obliviate on himself? He was in the company of your godson, at the time. Quite the story, that."
"Dumbledore, whenever you're up to something you don't want people asking you about, you tend to immediately prattle on with nonsense and try to redirect their line of thought," said Sirius. "So, I now know you're up to something.
"And, whatever it is, obviously has something to do with my godson's godmother. If you do anything... and I do mean anything... that will harm the relationship reforming and building between my godson and his godmother, I'll come after you with a lit wand. Have I made myself clear?"
"Yes, Sirius, you have," Dumbledore looked sadly back. "Azkaban has left your soul hardened, my boy. I hope it doesn't lead you..."
"If you even think to imply I'm going dark, old man," growled Sirius. "I'll actively work with every knut I have to utterly and publicly shred your much vaunted reputation. If there's anyone going dark here, Dumbledore, it's you. You've developed this bad habit of justifying to yourself everything you've done wrong against some amorphous notion you call 'The Greater Good'."
"Yes; well," said Dumbledore, a little flummoxed as to how to handle the situation. Instead, he chose the easy option. "I see there's no reasoning with you, at the moment, Sirius. So I shall take my leave and speak to you some other time."
With that, Dumbledore swept away, back down the corridor from which Sirius had so recently come.
Making sure the old man had gone, Sirius turned to the senior of the two aurors standing before him and asked, "What can you tell me?"
After the two aurors shot a glance at each other, the Senior Auror, Savage, replied, "It'll be in the hands of the Prophet by now, anyway, with the Minister involved.
"It seems the Minister had run an off-the-books investigation into the care and treatment of Frank and Alice Longbottom. Through that investigation it was discovered their Healer-of-Record had been dosing both with a senility-inducing potion of unknown origin. The Minister, accompanied with the Senior Undersecretary, Madam Bones and two aurors... as he put it... swooped in yester-evening and caught the man with the potions in his office in a private potions stash.
"After questioning the healer, he was taken away and... further questioned. Apparently, the Minister was just in time as the healer was getting ready to dose them again. With some of the potion on hand, a hospital Potions Master was able to develop an antidote and the Longbottoms were immediately dosed with it.
"They woke up this morning. That is, the potion was neutralised, allowing them to come back to their senses, this morning. They're now, in there, with family and a new healer and medi-witch team."
"And, you're here, because?" asked Sirius.
"Orders. Apparently, direct from the Minister, himself," said Senior Auror Savage. "'If anything happens to them after they've so recently woken up, it would disastrous!' were his words, I think."
"Let me guess, said Sirius a little sarcastically. "The story in tomorrow's Prophet will be something along the lines of how the Minister, himself, solved the problem of the Longbottoms' long term insanity, and saw to them getting their sanity back."
Savage just smirked and was about to say something back when the door opened. Madam Longbottom stuck her head out.
"Dumbledore gone?" she asked.
"Yes, Ma'am," replied the other auror as Madam Longbottom looked about.
When her eyes recognised Sirius she looked at him for a moment before she said, "Get in here, Black." Then she held the door open.
Sirius said to the two aurors, "Nice talking to you. And, thanks for blocking Dumbledore."
Both aurors smiled and nodded as he stepped between them and through the open door.
As soon as Sirius stepped in, Madam Longbottom shut the door, pointed with her chin and said, "This way."
She led Sirius down the length of the ward and through a set of hospital shielding curtains.
She immediately said, "Frank, Alice? Sirius has arrived."
Stepping within, Sirius could see both were sitting up on their beds, with both beds pushed closer together. Both looked about how he looked when he first escaped Azkaban; but, a lot cleaner.
"Frank, Alice," he said giving both a smile and nod. "You both look like shit."
The comment earned him a wide grin back from both but an angry rebuke from Madam Longbottom for both his remarks and his language.
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After dinner, while Harry was pacing the floor in their apartment unable to concentrate on assignments, he felt his communications mirror vibrate. Whipping it out he opened it up and waited for the screen to clear.
As soon as Sirius appeared on the screen he asked, "Well?"
"I am. Thank you for asking, Pup," his godfather cheekily replied.
While Harry rolled his eyes in annoyance, Sirius gave a little chuckle before he said, "I've been in to see them both. I only left their bedsides about ten minutes ago, actually; when I was tossed out to allow them to rest."
Before Harry could even ask his first question, Sirius continued. "They're both well. Both have their full mental faculties back. However, they're also both quite weak. That's understandable. It's going to take them quite some time to rebuild their wasted muscles and be able to at least move about unaided.
"The first people they asked to see were Madam Longbottom and Neville, of course. However, while I was there, Alice asked after you. She wants to see you. So, I'll be organising a time for you to visit with Professor Flitwick. I also had to tell them that you are bonded to two witches in your year as I expect you'll want to bring both when you come in to visit with them. I didn't want to tell them more than that because I didn't want to shock them with it.
"Neville will be spending the next few days living at Longbottom Hall and will return to school on Sunday afternoon. He's not happy with that. However, he has to attend school and, therefore, cannot take too much time off.
"While I was there Madam Longbottom and I had a private chat. Apparently, their Healer-of-Record had been dosing the both of them with a senility-inducing potion. He'd been paid by someone to keep them in that state. That person had also been supplying the healer with the potion. The DMLE cannot get the name of the person who's been doing that due to a Wizard's Oath. But, current unsubstantiated belief is that it was Dumbledore.
"Dumbledore?" asked Harry. "Why would Dum... Ah!" he said, suddenly understanding.
"Yes," said Sirius. "Because of either who Neville might be; or because Alice is your godmother; or both. Plus, the potion used is supposed to be something no one's ever seen before. And that includes the team of Potions Masters and Mistresses employed by the hospital. They say it's almost alchemic in nature."
"And Dumbledore apprenticed under the world-renowned Alchemist, Nicholas Flamel," said Harry.
"Precisely," agreed Sirius, before he changed the subject. "I hear from her that Daphne wrote to her asking her to investigate why you've not received your Order of Merlin yet."
"Yeah; I'm not that bothered by it, but both my ladies are," replied Harry. "As slaying the basilisk was something I did, not something my parent's did for me in eighty-one, I'm willing to go along with it."
"Well, she's now going to be busy with tending to Frank and Alice," explained Sirius. "So, starting tomorrow, I take over the investigation."
"Of course," said Harry. "And thank her for tending to it until now. It is very much appreciated."
"I already have, knowing how you'd have reacted," said Sirius.
"Thank you," said Harry, honestly moved his godfather was looking out for his interests and knew exactly how he'd react.
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The second task was only a couple weeks off, but Harry's mind was almost fixated on the Longbottoms and how they came to be woken up.
It was a few days later, on the weekend, when Harry and the girls were picked up by Sirius from Hogwarts and taken to Saint Mungo's. They Floo'ed directly from Professor Flitwick's office, this time.
"Remus has a job," said Sirius by way of saying hello.
"I know," said Harry. "He's working for the Lily Evans Memorial Scholarship Fund."
"He's the Bursar," said Sirius.
"That means he runs the fund," said Harry, not expecting Sirius to understand the muggle term.
"You set it up for him," said Sirius, not even asking.
"Did not!" denied Harry.
"Did too!" disagreed Sirius.
"Did not!" said Harry.
"Did too!" said Sirius.
"Did not!" said Harry.
"Did too!" said Sirius.
"Stop it, you two," interrupted Hermione.
Both just grinned at each other.
Arriving directly at the public Floo point at Saint Mungo's the four made their way directly to the fourth floor and to a private ward just the other side of the Janus Thickey ward.
Sirius gave a nod to the lone auror on guard outside the door and led the three Potters inside.
Walking in, Harry saw Frank and Alice, of course; but also present were Augusta Longbottom and Neville, Amelia Bones and two other adults Harry hadn't seen before, but looked a lot like those born as Longbottoms.
Both beds were close together. And Harry could see from the marks on the floor that they were often pushed together and pulled apart. A large window was letting in the morning light that was showing a dazzling display of colours from the various vased flowers throughout the room. Neville was carefully going through the various vases muttering to himself.
As soon as he saw it was Harry, Daphne and Hermione who walked in behind Sirius, his face lit up both in happy surprise and, it looked like, relief.
"Harry, Daphne, Hermione!" he exclaimed, turning away from the vase of flowers he was looking through. He quickly crossed the room to be with them.
Surprising him, Hermione reached out and embraced him in a hug. Daphne gave a little snicker from the look of trepidation he wore while hugging back and looking at Harry, and stepped in for her own hug. That helped the other boy relax.
Harry stepped forward and said, "Don't expect me to hug you." He stuck his hand out to shake and, as Neville almost solemnly shook it, said, "Expect a hearty handshake and..." slapping Neville on the arm, "... an even heartier 'attaboy!'. So, attaboy!"
That earned him a grin in return and smiles from everyone else.
A raspy male voice from the beds said, "Yep. That's James's son, alright."
"Harry?" asked a tentative female adult voice almost as raspy as the male voice.
Harry turned to look back at the Longbottom parents, smiled and replied, "Yes, Ma'am. Harry James Potter, at your service... godmother."
With a smile Alice held out her hand and said, "Come here, Harry. Let me get a good look at you."
Harry walked over to Alice's side of the two beds and held his own hand out to the woman. She grasped it in her own and pulled him a little closer.
"Yes," she softly said, peering at his face and letting her eyes drift over his features. "The Potter mop for hair. Lily's eyes, colour and shape. Your paternal grandfather's jaw. But you're rather undersized for a Potter. Potter's are usually a little on the larger side than the norm."
Instead of explaining why, Harry just smiled back. "It's good to see you, godmother."
"Now," she said, still holding his hand. "I've been told you have found yourself in a three-way soul bond." Turning to look at Hermione and Daphne, she asked, "I take it these two lovely young ladies are them?"
"Yes, ma'am," he replied, also looking at them.
Letting go of Harry's hand she beckoned to them both. "Well, come over here and let me get a look at you."
Harry stepped back as his two wives came forward.
Reaching out with both her hands, Alice grasped one each of Daphne and Hermione. Peering at Daphne she said, "You'd be Daphne. I can see the Greengrass and Pinegrew bloodlines in you." And, turning to Hermione, asked, "And you'd be... Harmony?"
"Hermione," Hermione softly corrected.
"My apologies," replied Alice.
"It's a common mistake," said Hermione, softly shaking her head. "I'm not offended."
"Thank you," said Alice. "He takes care of you?" she asked, looking to them both.
"He does," said Daphne with a small smile. "He's very good to us."
"Let me know if he ever needs setting straight," Alice said quite firmly.
Both girls nodded.
As the ladies were talking, Harry moved out of the way and beckoned Mesdames Bones and Longbottom and Sirius over to the side.
When they joined him, he quietly said, "Something about all this has been bothering since I learned the news Frank and Alice were back with us."
Frowning, Madam Longbottom warily asked, "What do you mean, young man?"
Ignoring the unspoken put-down in the older witch's voice and words, he replied, "It's the timing of it all."
That got their attention.
Turning to Madam Bones, he asked, "Who, among your aurors, did the Minister use to investigate, as he claims?"
"No one that I know of," replied Madam Bones. "I've been asking that same question. None of my aurors have admitted to being involved until the day we came to arrest Healer... the healer."
"That's what I thought you'd say," he said.
"Why?" she asked.
Gathering his thoughts, Harry said, "What I'm going to say is going to make me sound like a conspiracy theory nutter. But, please, hear me out."
He received a nod from Madam Bones and Sirius but Madam Longbottom just frowned at him.
"A little over a week ago, Daphne wrote to Madam Longbottom asking her to investigate why I've still not heard anything about that Order of Merlin Chief Investigator Fitzwilliam practically ordered the Minister to award me for slaying the basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets.
"Madam Longbottom immediately set about to discover why, only to find out it was being held up in the Minister's office. Like a terrier after a rat she went on a tear throughout the Minister's office, and just wouldn't quit.
"Now, the Minister is always one for garnering publicity. And, awarding an Order of Merlin to whom the populace of magical Britain consider a hero, would be a win-win for him. He could use that to easily boost his own popularity. So, I asked myself, why is his office deliberately trying to block it?"
Harry could see the three adults hadn't thought of that. And it was making them really think.
"He was either bribed, or someone had something over him," Madam Bones mused.
"Either way, he was obviously under pressure," said Madam Longbottom, now coming to understand where Harry was going.
"Irrespective of whether it's a bribe or blackmail, he was clearly under pressure to block it," said Harry. "Personally, my money is on either Dumbledore or Malfoy... or both for different reasons."
"Alright, I've got that," said Madam Bones. "But, what does that have to do with Frank and Alice."
"Getting there," he said. "Now, the Minister's in a bit of a pickle. He has to block me getting the Order, but he also knows Madam Longbottom won't quit. So, he's between a rock and a hard place. He can't go against Dumbledore or Malfoy and, if she keeps going, Madam Longbottom is eventually going to force him to make the award.
"So, he works out... or, I suspect Dolores Umbridge worked out... their only hope laid in getting Madam Longbottom to stop. But, how to get her to stop? What was more important to Madam Longbottom than her responsibility to the alliance?"
"Family..." said Madam Longbottom softly, suddenly understanding.
"Exactly," said Harry. "Now, threats were never going to work. Especially, against someone who combated three inner circle Death Eaters and another, and captured them. Nor against someone who sits on the Wizengamot and is used to the pompous blustering fool we call a Minister, and his pet pink toad of an Undersecretary.
"So, what I'm horrified to suspect I'm right about," he said, carefully watching their expressions. "I think the Minister... or far more likely the Pink Toad... has known about this healer dosing Frank and Alice with that horrid potion for quite some time.
"The Pink Toad knew that Madam Longbottom would drop everything and rush to their bedsides if Frank and Alice came out of their... illness. Nothing else would be as important to her. Nor, should it be."
Harry could tell Madam Longbottom, let alone Madam Bones with her decades of investigative experience, was putting two and two together and coming up with the desire to kill a Minister and his Pink Toad.
"Now, let's put the facts together," said Harry, forging ahead. "The Minister apparently, according to him, runs an off-the-books investigation into the health of Frank and Alice, more than a decade after they were hurt. Madam Bones is unable to discover who of her aurors was involved in that investigation, if any. This so-called investigation reaches its conclusion right in the middle of when Madam Longbottom, who also happens to be the mother and mother-in-law of the two who were hurt, is on a tear through his office. This, at a time when the Minister is far too busy trying to fight off the effects of Madam Longbottom on his office to get much work as a Minister done, let alone anything else. It also happens to be the one thing, or one of the very few things, that would cause Madam Longbottom to break off her tear. And what are you left with?"
Harry could see the three adults well understood. Madam Bones was both stunned and appalled, as was Sirius. But, Madam Longbottom was definitely building up a head of steam.
"The bastards!" Sirius softly but angrily muttered.
"I'm going to kill him," growled Madam Longbottom. "I'm going to call him out; him, and that Pink Toad."
"Gus; no!" said Madam Bones, a little fearful for what her friend would do. "You leave them to me. Let the law handle this."
"He's mine!" softly snarled a now thoroughly worked up Regent Longbottom, hoping not to be heard by her children.
"No!" snapped Madam Bones. "I need him alive so I can force him to tell me who pressured him to stop your investigation. I want all the answers."
"I'm going to kill him!" snarled Madam Longbottom, again and just as softly as last time.
"No, you're not!" snapped Harry. "Augusta Longbottom, you're going to stop acting like a bloody Gryffindor and listen for a few minutes. You can kill him later."
Shocked that Harry would speak to her that way, the elderly witch stopped for a moment.
"We've got him, Augusta," he said. "Him and that Pink Toad that simpers about him. If you go and kill him his replacement is likely to be just as bad.
"Fudge is only interested in four things. They are: Holding on to power, his reputation, his life, and the money he's obviously collecting in bribes; probably in that order. We can use that. With the threat of going public with what we now know, we can blackmail the shit out of him. We can force him to do just about anything.
"Threaten him with going public and he'll be forced to know, if we go ahead with it, he'll get fired by the Wizengamot as Minister, his reputation will end up in tatters, his bribe money will dry up, and those who bribe him will probably kill him for you anyway. Just kill him and he's a wasted asset.
"Plus, we don't know when he... or, rather, the Pink Toad... figured out what was going on with your son and daughter-in-law. It may not have been that long ago. Or, it might have been years ago. We don't know.
"If we threaten him and keep him where he is, he's ours to control. Amelia can still get out of him who it was who demanded he stop your investigation or block me receiving the Order. She can do it in secret. It's time to use their modus operandi against them."
"Alright!" she snapped back. "But, afterwards, he's mine!"
"Fair enough," replied Harry, calmer now that Madam Longbottom was not just going to immediately hare off and kill the man and his toad. "Now, I personally think this has Umbridge written all over it. If Fudge knew before now he'd have immediately used it to boost his popularity. Especially after what came out about me and Sirius a few months ago.
"Think about it. Why hold back something like this if the only one you can blackmail is a lowly healer? No. Umbridge was after, or already knows, whoever it is that got the healer to do it. I think, however, she was still trying to figure that out and gather proof. That leads me to suspect it was someone in power who is a political enemy. And that leads, most likely, to Dumbledore."
"Why Dumbledore?" asked Madam Bones.
"Dumbledore knows there's a prophecy about me in the Hall of Prophecies. I think it's about me facing Tom Riddle. So, Dumbledore wants absolute control over me," he explained, unsure of how much he could tell them. "So he can, as he would put it, directly guide me to my destiny."
"But what does that have... Alice is your godmother," said Sirius, suddenly figuring it out. "Just as I'm your godfather."
"Exactly," confirmed Harry. "Dumbledore demanded magical guardianship of me. He'd never have that if Sirius wasn't in Azkaban, or Alice rendered... mentally incapable... of looking after me. My guardianship would have been given to either or both in joint custody."
"You honestly think Dumbledore would stoop so low?" asked Madam Bones.
"Yeah, I do," he sighed. "Think about what he's been up to recently regarding me. He sent me to live with relatives outside of the magical world, and he blocked me from receiving mail from it. Both of those led to me having no idea about the magical world, or my place within it, until I reached Hogwarts as an eleven year old. I was... magically clueless.
"Lately, he tried to stop me from clearing the air about what my life was like, he tried to stop me from telling the world Voldemort's real identity, when my magical guardianship was stripped from him he tried to get it back, when I was emancipated he tried to have it overturned and to again be awarded magical guardianship, and he's tried to stick his nose numerous times into my House business. Why?
"Simple. He wants control of me and have me stupid. There's no doubt, in my mind, he's aware of the same prophecy in the Hall of Prophecies. And he thinks he's the only one who can guide me to fulfilling it the way he wants it fulfilled."
Turning more fully to Madam Bones, he said, "Amelia, I need to get into the Hall of Prophecies to hear that prophecy. I think it holds much of the answers as to what's going on. And, I want you and Sirius, at least, there when I hear it. Can you organise that?"
She looked back for a few moments before she said, "First, I want to confirm there is actually such a prophecy there. If there is, I'll organise for you to hear it."
"Thank you," he replied.
"I'd like to be there, too," said Madam Longbottom.
"You'd be welcome," he replied.
"In the mean time," said a clearly determined Sirius, "I'm going to take up where Augusta left off with the investigation. Fudge... or Umbridge... might have thought they've won this round; but, I intend for them to learn they've simply replaced a terrier with a grim that's just as tenacious.
"Maybe doing that will help us to learn of the identity of whomever it is that's pressuring Fudge to block Harry's Order of Merlin."
"Be careful when you do so," Harry said firmly. "When they realise, as you put it, they've just exchanged a terrier for a grim, they may try a more... permanent measure."
Sirius nodded back and said, "I'll be careful, Pup."
"Good," said Madam Bones. "And I'll attack him from the other side with questions about how he learned of the activities of the Healer-of-Record."
"Then we begin to... extort... what we want out of him," added Madam Longbottom, equally determined.
"Then we have a plan, and a puppet." said Harry. "Now we just have to figure out how, and in what way, to make it dance to our tune."
_‗_
—==(oIo)==—
ˇ
When the three returned to Hogwarts Harry immediately told them of his talk with Mesdames Longbottom and Bones and Sirius.
"But, Harry; that's a lot of guesswork," said Hermione.
"Yes, but also likely," said Daphne. "It fits with what we know and makes sense. It also shows a likely explanation of why the Longbottoms were woken in this timeline, but not in the original one.
"My letter to Madam Longbottom had her go after the Minister and his office. That caused the Minister and, likely, Umbridge to come up with a way to stop her. Umbridge, in response, used her knowledge of what was happening to the Longbottoms to redirect Madam Longbottom's attention, which she didn't have to do in the original timeline. And, the Longbottoms were revived."
"Yes," replied Harry. "Plus, I think it was evidence against Dumbledore being the one paying the Healer-of-Record to keep them mentally incompetent she used against him when she turned up here in our fifth year. I think it's why he was such a wimp against her and her activities. She might not have actually had the evidence; but, telling him she did, might have been enough to get his compliance."
"This is what's had you so mentally distracted these last few days, isn't it?" asked Hermione.
"Yes," he replied.
"You know you can use us as sounding boards, don't you?" she asked.
"Yes," he sighed, realising she was right. He should have. "Sorry," he sheepishly said. "It's just... I used to always just use my inner voice to do this when I was... before I came to Hogwarts."
They both understood.
Neville returned late afternoon on the Sunday and immediately sought out the three.
"What did you say to my Gran, Harry," he demanded, as soon as the door to the apartment was opened for him. "She's been furious about something ever since. I know it's not me, because she'd not have kept it from me. But, she's clearly upset about something."
Harry sighed and said, "Take a seat, Nev."
Neville walked over and sat down on the edge of it, still looking quite antsy. And clearly still wanting answers.
"I figured out the Minister... or Madam Umbridge, more likely... knew your parents were being dosed with that hideous potion well before he, the toad and the aurors stormed into the healer's office," Harry explained, getting right to the point.
"I also pointed out how it looked... how it was such an incredible coincidence that the Minister discovered what was happening to your parents, as it was the same time your Gran was on a tear through his own offices about me not being awarded the Order of Merlin he's supposed to award me, yet.
"And how, something happening to the health of one of her family would be about the only thing that would instantly stop your Gran continuing her investigation."
Harry watched as Neville's face morphed into one of great anger.
"It's just an incredible coincidence that what was happening to your parents was discovered and acted upon at the same time your Gran was making life extremely difficult for the Minister? I think not," replied Harry, answering his own question. "That's what your Gran, Madam Bones, Sirius and I were discussing that angered your Gran."
Neville suddenly shot to his feet and began pacing. Harry was thankful that the young man wasn't immediately talking about going and killing the Minister. But, the future Head of House Longbottom was now clearly in evidence.
The young man suddenly stopped and glared at Harry. "How is it Gran hasn't gone straight over there and confronted him with it? I'd have expected her to challenge him to an honour duel on hearing something like that."
"There are... plans in the works," replied Harry. "We convinced your Gran not to behave so brashly with this. We're going to use this information to get concessions and further information out of the Minister and his Pink Toad, first. However, when the time comes, your Gran will exact her vengeance on both of them. Do not concern yourself with that."
"What are the plans?" he snapped.
"I'm sorry, Nev. I spoke to your Gran as Regent Longbottom; one allied House to another," replied Harry. "I really shouldn't have told you as much as I have. But, I consider you my friend. And, if your father still remains unable to take the mantle, you'll be the Longbottom and Head of House soon enough. I think you had the right to know that much.
"However, the plans must remain secret. Only four people will know what is going on, and they're all Regents or Heads of Ancient Houses. You need to trust in your grandmother to do what is right for House Longbottom."
Neville scowled back but didn't disagree.
"You've had a Hell of a couple of days, Neville," said Hermione. "Here you were, another day of school at Hogwarts. Suddenly, you're told your parents have... woken up from their conditions. You're quickly sent through to see them. You probably don't even believe it until you actually get to lay eyes on them and see it for yourself..."
He nodded back, a little sadly.
"A couple of days later and you're beginning to accept they're back," she continued. "Suddenly, Harry's there telling your grandmother something. She becomes quite angry about what he's told her; and, she's been angry ever since. And you now find yourself happy about your parents, but worried... if not a little afraid... about your grandmother."
Again he nodded.
"It's completely understandable," she said, walking over to give him a hug where he sat. "Has what Harry told you helped?" she asked, pulling away from him a little.
"Yeah," he croaked, a little emotional.
He looked to Harry, cleared his throat a little, and asked, "So, you think the Minister knew about what Healer Tompkins was up to and didn't act until he needed a way to... divert my grandmother?"
"Close," replied Harry, surprised Neville figured out that much so quickly. "I think Madam Umbridge, the Pink Toad, figured it out... when, I don't know... and gave that tidbit of information to the Minister, so he could use it to divert your grandmother's attention away from her investigation.
"I'm sorry it's upset your grandmother, Nev; when she should be experiencing a period of great happiness..."
Neville gave a wave off gesture. "You were honour-bound to tell her, Harry. I know that," he sighed, sitting further back in his seat to lean back onto the backrest.
"But now you know what happened," said Daphne. "You're going to need to keep that you know a secret. How're your Occlumency shields?"
"Pretty good," he replied. "I might not keep out a powerful Legilimens; but, I'll know if they're rummaging around in there."
"Good," said Daphne. "That should do. We're worried someone like the Headmaster might get it into his head to read your mind to find out what you know."
"He's tried. So has Snape," he replied. "They've not tried since I first detected them both, though. That was in first year."
"Yeah, same with me," said Daphne.
"You both know that's illegal, right?" asked Harry.
"Yes. But, where's the proof?" asked Daphne. "Unlike when Dumbledore tried it on you in his office, he'd have cleared his wand before we could get the aurors here."
_‗_
—==(oIo)==—
ˇ
During the days leading up to the second task, Harry trained a fair bit more, but also made both his wives also train minimal wand movement casting. His argument was, if either of them were taken down to the bottom of the lake, they'd also likely be casting spells underwater.
Of the two, Hermione was managing it a bit better. Her wand gestures were more precise - and, therefore, lent themselves better to minimal casting - and were quicker. But, Daphne was more accurate and able to think more creatively.
As soon as classes finished for the day, a Monday, the three hurried back to their apartment. Once inside, both girls handed off their wands to Harry. But, with a slight change of plan, both girls strapped their second wands to the inside of their thighs with tape.
Harry looked on, amused. "Do I need to be jealous of a wand? I think those two sticks are going to get more action than me, tonight."
"You get enough," Hermione smirked back.
Not wanting to appear as if they knew what was going on, the three went down to dinner, as per usual. It was as they were about to leave that Professor Flitwick asked the three of them to accompany him to his office off his classroom.
Once in the charms corridor, as it was unofficially known, the Professor ushered them inside his office.
After taking seat, he turned to them and said, "Mister Potter, have you determined the nature of the second task, yet?"
"Yes, Professor," he replied. "Some... item... I place great personal value in will be taken from me and will end up in the lake. My task will be to recover it."
"Errr... not quite," the Professor corrected. "A... person... will be taken and placed in the bottom of the lake."
"That's not what the clue states, Professor," Harry angrily retorted. "It states: 'Come seek us where our voices sound; we cannot sing above the ground. And while you're searching, ponder this: we've taken what you'll sorely miss. An hour long you'll have to look; and to recover what we took. But past an hour - the prospect's black; too late, it's gone, it wont come back'.
"That means it's something... not someone."
With a sigh the little Professor said, "Be that as it may, it is hostages that have been chosen for you for the four of you to rescue. I suppose that's what they mean by 'it'."
Shaking his head, Harry asked, "So they want a hostage. Any idea who they've chosen for me? Or, don't I get to know until I find them?"
"That's what this meeting is about, Mister Potter," replied Flitwick. "For the three champions a hostage was selected without their awareness. The champions won't even know that until they arrive on the dock of the Black Lake.
"However, you're a little different. Because you're sharing an apartment with these two ladies, if one of them was to be taken the evening before, you'd immediately know of it. And then you'd spend the evening and night searching the castle for them before calling in the aurors.
"And that's why the three of you are here. If anyone other than one of these two ladies was taken, it would not be someone you'd sorely miss. So, I convinced the Headmaster... especially given the nature of your bond and your heightened level of protection over them both... you should be told one would be taken and put in the lake."
Harry snorted and said, "You can tell the Headmaster you've just saved his life, at the worst, or saved him a long stay in hospital, at the least. That aside, I take it you're asking permission for one of these ladies to be placed at the bottom of the Lake?"
"That's it exactly," the Professor replied.
Harry turned to his wives and asked, "Are either one of you willing to do this? Remembering, of course, I really don't give a toss about the whole thing."
Daphne and Hermione looked at each other before both turned back. Hermione said, "We've decided, and it'll be me that get's taken."
"You're sure?" asked Harry. "I know I'll get to you well before the hour's up, but it means you're going to get wet and look pretty bedraggled coming out of the lake."
"We're sure," smiled Hermione.
"I have no idea, other than voyeur thrills, why a hostage needs to be taken," said Harry turning back to the Professor. "But, it seems Hermione's volunteered and willing to be taken.
"However, if Daphne's taken because Dumbledore's decided other than my choice. I call the aurors rather than jump into the lake. I'm telling you, in advance, it will be considered a kidnapping, and I will press charges against him."
"Understood, Mister Potter," the little Professor replied.
Daphne and Harry left Hermione behind in the Professor's office and, quite tense, quickly headed back to their apartment.
"Did you cast the tracking charm?" asked Daphne, as soon as they were in the door.
"Of course," said a somewhat distracted Harry.
"She'll be fine, Harry," she said.
"Hmmm?" he asked before he said, "Oh! Your wand." And pulled her wand from his pocket, handing it to her.
"That's not what I said; but, thank you," she said, taking it from him.
"Do you know, this is going to be the first night we've been more than a couple of rooms away from one another since we got back?" he asked.
She softly sighed and replied, "I know. And the first night we've not all slept in the same bed since returning from the Christmas break."
"You also realise this means I don't get to yell at Dumbledore for kidnapping one of you two, right?" he asked.
"I know," she replied. "But that was only a bonus. It has no effect on the task at hand.
Harry, worried and muttering to himself while he tried to work on homework, soon gave that up as a wasted idea. He sat back and said, "That's not going to work."
Setting her own homework aside, she moved to sit next to him. "Do you want to go through the plan again?"
"No," he sighed. "It'd just worry me more."
"Ancient Runes memorisation charts?"
He thought about that for a few moments before he sighed and replied, "Why not. Let's give them a go."
"Which set?" she asked. "Elder Futhark, Younger Futhark or Anglo-Saxon Futhorc?"
"Elder, I think," he replied. "I think it's easier to work with."
"Elder, it is," she replied.
After about an hour of memorisation testing, together with examples of how the rune could be used in modern wizardry, Harry called it quits.
"Sorry," he said. "I think that's more than enough."
"Actually, you did very well," she said. "When you stop trying to let your head get in the way, and just rattle off what you now instinctively know, you do brilliantly."
"Something to work on, I suppose," he said, still distracted.
With an annoyed sigh, she called Dobby. And the little elf popped in.
"Yes, Mistress?" asked the little elf.
"Could you bring me a Calming Draught, please?" she asked.
"Yes, Mistress," replied Dobby, before he popped away.
He was back a moment later with a small phial of potion, and handed it direct to Daphne.
"Thank you," she said.
And he popped away again.
"Pack everything up," she said to Harry. "We're going to bed."
Once everything was packed away, Daphne dragged him into the bedroom, where they both readied for bed.
For her part, she simply stripped off and climbed in.
Once they were both in, nude, she handed him the phial and said, "Drink."
He downed it and laid back, hoping he'd drift off soon; but Daphne had other ideas. She reached across and grasped him, beginning to massage him.
"Errr, Daph?" he asked, a little surprised by her ministrations. "You do realise you just gave me a Calming Draught, right?"
"Of course," she said. "But, I don't think a Calming Draught, alone, is going to get you to sleep."
"And what do you intend to do to help, when what you're doing is keeping me awake?" he asked
"This," she said, before suddenly ducking her head under the blankets.
A moment later and Harry moaned, "Oh, my!"
He wasn't even able to return the gift before fading off to sleep.
_‗_
—==(oIo)==—
ˇ
クリエイターの想い 
H3llhound2dea1h
H3llhound2dea1h Once again this is not my work. Original work is written by Sinyk on fanfic.net
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