Capítulo 260: HPWW215
Chapter 212
She stared at him in shock for over ten seconds before she quietly breathed, "Merlin! You've cured them!"
"Cured them, Madam Bones?" he innocently asked. "To use a Dumbledore expression, 'I'm sure I don't know what you mean, Amelia'."
"Bloody hell!"
"Now, do you know if she is going to try to install someone into the Longbottom Seat as Proxy?" he
asked. "And, if so, who?"
"Sorry? What?" she asked, still shaking off her shock. "A... proxy?"
"Yes," he replied.
"Then, no," she replied. "There was, until recently, a line item in the agenda she was going to install her brother, Algernon Rosier, into the seat. But, that's since been removed."
"Good," he said. "There's a couple... of people, that is... who will want to talk to you about him, when they get the time and the chance. Just... get ready to charge that bastard with two attempted murder charges for attempted murder of an Heir Apparent of a Noble and Most Ancient House."
"What do you know about some attempted murders?" she demanded.
"Legally, I don't know anything," he replied. "All that could be considered what I know is hearsay. And, as such, it isn't evidentiary. It's only what I've heard has happened from someone else.
"I've been trying to encourage that person to speak out about it, as he's also the alleged victim. However, I can foresee there's a couple of people who will talking to him about that, too.
"I'm sure they'll convince him to speak out about it with you within very short order. Then, you will have your case. It could have something to do with the Heir... allegedly... being tossed off Blackpool pier when he was a toddler and... allegedly... dropped from a third floor window, head first, only a couple of years later."
"And just why did you not tell me this, this morning?" she asked, with an ominous hint of danger showing.
"Because your next stop was going to be at
Longbottom Hall," he replied. "As I said, I do not want that woman to know what is going on until it is time for her to know what is going on."
_ ̳_ ―==(oIo)==― ˇ
After Bones left, Harry was finally able to return to his letter to Frank and Alice.
He knew this might even be the last chance he had to write to them, so he was going to make sure they knew everything right up to the point he'd be sending them the letter.
Again, he'd just pulled it before him when Sirius returned with Ted in tow.
Not wanting to show them he was disappointed they were here, he again slid the letter to the side.
"Sirius, Ted," he smiled.
"Pup," said Sirius.
"Lord Potter," said Ted.
"Teh-ed," he whined. "It's 'Harry' for my friends, remember?"
"This is official law-wizard business, Lord Potter," Ted immediately and easily countered.
As Sirius and Ted moved to the dinette, Harry was just about to go and get Hermione when she walked in.
"Just in time," Sirius smiled at her. "Shall we get started?" asked Ted.
Harry gave a nod and pulled out his stack of defence arguments for Sirius's case the next morning.
"You know all this depends on the behaviour of Regent Longbottom, don't you?" he asked.
"Only on when it gets started," said Ted. "If necessary, you leave her to me." And grinned a shark-like grin.
_ ̳_ ―==(oIo)==― ˇ
Once Ted and Sirius left again, Harry returned to his letter. This time Hermione stayed to help.
However, her first 'help' came in the form of asking Dobby to make some sandwiches for Harry.
When he was about to ask her how she knew, she smiled and said, "Your stomach's growling again, Harry."
Then she seemed to have a bright idea and ordered him, "Harry, go stand by the door again. Today marks
the end of the first full week you've been on those potions."
After he was measured he came in at just over five foot ten.
She gave a nod and said, "Mum was right. Five inches for the week."
He gave a sigh and replied, "Then, if I haven't stopped growing in height already, I should be stopping soon."
"That's a good thing," she agreed. "However, we don't know what else the potions have still got to do. For all we know, your height will be only the first thing to have reached your proper potential. We don't know how much more work it has to do on your internals."
"Way to kill the mood, Love," he grumbled.
She was about to add some encouraging comments when she realised what he'd just said to her. And she
stopped. He'd called her, 'Love'.
Now she was a feeling all 'gooshy' inside.
Harry was shocked when Hermione suddenly grabbed him and hugged him in a 'Hermi-hug' of old, before she then backed off a little and planted a big, tonsil- searing kiss on him.
When she backed off due a lack of air and need to breathe, he gasped, "Wow! I like those sort of congratulations!
_ ̳_ ―==(oIo)==― ˇ
Amelia Bones had returned to her office and thought long and hard about what the young Potter Lord had told her when she paid him her second visit.
The more she thought about it, the more she was sure
the young man had actually managed to accomplish it. That is, he had found someone who could cure the Longbottoms of their permanent near-comas that had resulted from their being tortured for so long under the Cruciatus curse. And they'd done it.
That's why he had them grabbed from Saint Mungo's. There was no way the staff at the hospital would have let anyone but their own staff treat one of their patients. It was policy! Therefore, he had to get them out of the hospital to get them treatment.
The Longbottom regent would never have gone along with that. Her own behaviour over the past couple of days was proof enough of that. Even when she was informed they'd been removed to receive treatment, she flatly refused to allow it go on and demanded someone take her to go and immediately get them.
As such, his action in taking them and hiding them while they got that treatment was the only logical way he could get them help. It was the only way he could
do it without the Longbottom regent blocking it.
He also believed the Longbottom regent was completely unwilling to release the Seat. She liked the power too much to willingly let it go. That's why he claimed the Longbottom regent was deliberately blocking them receiving treatment.
According to him it was a way to commit temporary Line Theft; and it was upon a Noble and Most Ancient House. The bugger of a thing it was, it was completely legal. She'd checked.
As Regent, the Longbottom regent had the right to block any medical treatment a member of her House could receive if that member was either under-aged with her as guardian, or unable to voice their own wishes; such as the case of the Longbottom Lord and Lady. When she'd contacted the hospital to get a report on what treatment the Lord and Lady were receiving up until they were taken, she was informed that information had been restricted to Head of House
only on the orders of the regent. Which made Lord Potter's claim that much more likely to be the truth.
And there wasn't a damned thing she could do about it.
However, Lord Potter used the Charter to do so. And it, she strongly suspected, would all come crashing down on the head of the Regent sometime just before lunch during the Wizengamot meeting the next day.
_ ̳_ ―==(oIo)==― ˇ
It was mid to late afternoon before Harry was finally able to write what he now knew to be his final letter to Frank and Alice.
So he would time it to arrive with them at around their thirty-second or thirty-third day, leaving them three to four days before the time dilation chamber had
completed its course. ~# ~
Frank and Alice,
Well it's been quite the interesting morning and early afternoon 'out' here. I also estimate you'll be receiving this letter somewhere around day thirty-two or thirty- three in the chamber. Not long to go now, folks!
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Chapter 213
Firstly, Neville cracked the code in the letter I sent him, as I thought he would. My first indication of that was having Amelia Bones turn up at Hermione's place with a couple of aurors in tow. She's now the Director
of the DMLE, if I haven't already told you that.
She was there to interrogate me about your disappearance - or, as she put it, your kidnapping. She got quite confused when she asked me, "Did you kidnap the Longbottoms?" When I, of course, replied, "No."
Once I was able to get her to calm down and sit down, I told her I would only talk to her as Regent Bones of the Noble and Ancient House of Bones. She agreed.
Once she did, I told her I did remove you, not kidnap you, from Saint Mungo's and why. I did not, however, tell her you were in Gringotts. All she knows, even now, is that I had you taken somewhere where healing you was the priority; whereas all Saint Mungo's were doing was keeping you sedated and not doing a damn other thing.
I also pointed out to her where in the alliance Charter I had the right to do it. And she admitted she'd read it
and could see I was right. Which meant she then couldn't arrest me as no crime had been committed. That had her frustrated, no end.
[...]
I knew Neville would worry that he had somehow let me down; or that he had turned his back on our friendship; or that he had just given up his only real friendship for a 'guess' that might not have even be right... so I wrote him a short note and had it delivered directly to him by house elf this morning. That note told him I thought he'd done the right thing and that I backed him in his decision.
I also told him that, no matter what his 'Gran' told him, he should be at the Wizengamot session tomorrow. It would prove most interesting for him. I hope he keeps up with the backbone I know he's developed of late and does it. I want to see your reunion with him.
[...]
So, now Madam Bones is 'fairly certain' I've miraculously cured you and it's 'possible' you'll be turning up at the Wizengamot before lunch. Well, "first thing" is "before lunch", is it not? Heh heh!
Now, you're going to need to prove you actually are Lord Franklin and Lady Alice Longbottom. Otherwise, no one's going to believe you. So, I've been coming up with ways for you to do so. After all, you could be wearing a rune-based glamour like Sirius had been wearing while on-the-run from the law, you could be wearing a simple glamour or you could have taken Polyjuice potion.
All of which, except the first, would be just silly. But, hey, we're talking about the witches and wizards of the Wizengamot. And you already know what I think of most witches and wizards.
So, here's some ways:
1. If you have a known Patronus, cast it. Patronus
forms are known to only change after a severe traumatic experience, therefore yours might have changed. If it hasn't, that's good evidence.
2. Houses elves know who their masters and mistresses are, even if they're wearing glamours, hiding under invisibility cloaks, or whatever. And they are certainly not fooled by such magics. Call your house elf or elves and have them identify you.
3. Magical oaths and vows can do it; but, do you really want to go down that path?
4. Take a goblin with you to perform and inheritance test right in front of them.
5. Call your Head of House ring to yourself right in front of them.
As you can see, it's easy to prove who you really are with a bit of thought put into it. And it's the sort of proof none of those old fogies can counter.
[...]
Ted's happy with my plan for Sirius's trial, tomorrow
morning. He thinks it'll be fun watching all those old stuffed robes get force-fed the stupidity of how their own laws are daft, the one's they were supposed to have drafted. He wants to watch me clearly demonstrate to them how pathetic this law, at least, was in its design.
He hopes it will lead to a review of all other laws. More work for him, more fun using common sense and logic to destroy wizarding laws for me. I think that counts as a win-win situation.
[...]
Anyway, time to sign off. I need to spend time with my betrothed and just relax for a little while. Today was quite the tiring day.
See you in a few days (your time). Harry and Hermione
~# ~
After he'd finished, he looked to Hermione and asked, "Think it's ready?"
"Definitely," she replied. "And, checking the time, your guesstimate about it arriving there somewhere about their thirty-second or thirty-third day is going to be darn close if you sign it and send it with Dobby right now."
That's exactly what he did.
_ ̳_ ―==(oIo)==― ˇ
Dumbledore had tried to 'obtain' permission to spend a day in Diagon the next day to, as he claimed, rebuild his wardrobe back up. He claimed he had lost four sets of robes in the last couple of weeks, alone, due to his treatment at the hands of the DMLE and from
losing Fawkes.
Marchbanks immediately denied him.
"You don't want to go shopping for a new selection of your wardrobe tomorrow, Albus," she said. "You want to go to the Wizengamot meeting, you expect to see the young Lord Potter there and you want to take the opportunity to talk to the boy.
"I don't like being lied to by my supposed staff, Albus. Therefore, the answer is a resounding no; you do not have my permission to leave the school tomorrow."
Frustrated Dumbledore spun about to storm from the office, yet again, when she said, "However, Albus..."
When he turned back she said, "Your garish wardrobe has been making me consider bringing in, or re- establishing, a dress code for the staff.
"Back even as shortly ago as when Headmaster
Dippet was the headmaster, all staff had a dress code of base black. Certain... liberties... were allowed among the staff with the Headmaster's blessing. However, those liberties were restricted to styling, not colour.
"When I do grant you leave to leave the castle for the day, you might want to think about purchasing new robes that would meet those requirements.
"Thank you, Albus. You may go."
Horrified, Dumbledore didn't finish storming from the office, leaving the door wide open as he'd done each other time. Instead, he quietly made his way out and even closed the door behind himself when he did.
When she was sure he'd descended the staircase, she gave short cackle of laughter.
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The portrait of Eupraxia Mole also openly laughed.
The other portraits then discussed dress codes and when the one for the staff had last been in effect.
_ ̳_ ―==(oIo)==― ˇ
When Andi arrived home that evening she was 'dead tired'. Ted was beginning to really worry.
After dinner, he sat her down in her favourite chair while he sat in his own and said, "Alright, Andi. Talk to me. What's got you working all hours beyond your normal shifts?"
"Research," she replied. "I'm doing research into curse scars."
"Curse scars," he replied. "You mean, like Harry's?"
"Yep," she replied. "Just like Harry's."
"Why is it such a big deal for you now?" he asked. "I mean, considering Harry's, he's only bothered with it because it's the thing everyone stares at for a moment when they realise it's the 'Boy-Who-Lived' standing in front of them."
She was quick to reply, "It's because there's more to it than that in a lot of cases. For instance, when it's caused by dark magic, why does the area continue to emit a dark magical aura. The spells used are not supposed to do that. So, what causes it?
"If we can discover that, if we can find out what causes it and can reverse it, we are well on our way to removing the scar itself."
She hated lying to her husband this way. But, if she didn't, he'd keep pushing for more information trying to help her. And she simply couldn't tell him.
He gave a shrug and said, "I know magical healers are not ones to try muggle techniques, but have you considered a non-magical operation and excising the tissue out? Once you have the tissue that's causing the dark magical aura out, you should then be able to employ normal magical means to heal the resulting, though a little larger, wound."
Andi froze. Her husband may have very well just hit upon the answer. Could that be the way?
Turning her gaze on Ted she quietly but emotionally said, "Have I told you how much I love you, lately?"
With his boyish grin he reserved just for her, he said, "Yep; but I can always hear it more often. I take it I might have given you a possible solution?"
"Merlin, yes!" she replied before she leapt at him across the short distance between them and proceeded to snog him.
Typically, Dora chose that moment to pay them a visit by walking in through the front door without even knocking.
She took one look at them and exclaimed, "Eeeeewwww!"
As the two older Tonkses pulled apart, her dad pouted at her.
"Your timing could do with improvement," he drolly said.
"Do I need to remind you two that you currently have a live-in guest staying here at the moment?" she asked.
When both just shrugged back she gave a huff and said, "I'm hungry." Then went into the kitchen to raid the cold box.
Ted just chuckled. 'Kids,' he thought.
_ ̳_ ―==(oIo)==― ˇ
On their thirty-second day under time dilation both Longbottoms thought they'd not likely receive a letter from young Harry before they got out. However, and surprising both of them, they did.
As it was handed to Frank he read it first.
The two were using the break from training, brought on by the letter, to cool down. They'd been going at team duelling a magical target for quite a bit and needed the rest.
After replenishing her fluids and towelling her self down, Frank handed Alice the letter without a word. Then he towelled himself down and drank plenty of water himself.
When she finished she looked to her husband and asked, "Harry's belief your mother deliberately withheld treatment of us after the first couple months?"
"I don't know," he sadly replied. "I don't want to believe it, but... it makes a lot of sense."
"I know," she replied. "But he might also be wrong."
"He could," he nodded. "And I certainly hope he is. But, I think we need to keep an open mind about this."
"Agreed," she said. "That was nice, what he did for Neville."
Recognising his wife was deliberately changing the
topic he wasn't averse to it.
"Yes," he replied. "He took a great risk, doing that; just so Neville wouldn't worry any more. He's clearly a good friend to our boy."
"He cares," she sighed. "These letters we've been receiving from him and his lady are proof enough of that."
"Three and half days left," he sighed.
"They'll be over before we know it," she returned.
_ ̳_ ―==(oIo)==― ˇ
After a last snack, Harry was earlier to bed than his usual. He knew he had a very busy day the next day and wanted to be as rested as he could be.
Before going to bed herself, Hermione was pulled aside by her mother.
"Harry's going to have a very full and busy day tomorrow," she explained. "Even more full and stressful than what today turned out to be. He will likely need your support."
"He'll have it as he always does, Mum," Hermione replied. "And he's prepared. You wouldn't believe all the variables he's taken into consideration of his plans.
"But, I will be there with him and for him. I made that decision soon after he rescued me from that troll on Hallowe'en in first year."
As she walked down the stairs from the top floor, Monica was wearing a self-satisfied smirk. 'Yep. My daughter's utterly smitten.'
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Chapter 215
At just after 5.00am, normal time, Lord Franklin 'Frank' Longbottom and Lady Alice Longbottom walked out of the time dilation chamber back into the normal world. As expected, they were greeted by Sirius. He was grinning his head off at the two of them.
Both grinned back in pleasure.
As soon as they were both out he embraced the pair of them in a 'group hug'.
"Merlin; but, you two are a sight for sore eyes!" he declared.
The change in the two of them since he saw both was quite startling. Gone, was the frail, elderly-appearing
state he last saw of them. Both now appeared on a par with him.
There were still strong hints of the ravages of their time while 'ill'. But, for the most part, it was only a trace; and mainly showed as a somewhat haunted look in their eyes. If anything, they appeared even more healthy than he did himself.
Frank stood at about five foot eleven and roughly on par with Sirius. Due to the training inside the chamber he was quite fit and had what was known as a runner's physique. His hair, which was balding, thin and cropped right back when he went in, was now back to full and healthy, had a healthy shine and was down almost to his shoulders.
Alice, stood proud in her five foot three (and one- quarter inches! Never forget that!) frame. Her hair was oddly streaked blonde and grey; the blonde from before the curse, to the grey from afterwards. She, too, appeared quite fit and toned.
Looking them both over, Sirius asked, "How, in Merlin's name, did you two gain a suntan while in there?"
"Sunlamps," said Frank. "It's supposed to be a muggle concept. You lie on this muggle bed thing for half an hour―"
"Frank," Alice firmly said, cutting him off. "There will be time to discuss everything we went through in there, later."
Eyes twinkling while grinning at Sirius, Frank said, "I felt like a roast being cooked in an oven on a low heat."
Herself looking to Sirius, Alice asked, "Harry's last letter to us arrived four days ago. What's happened since then?"
"Alice, he sent it in only ten hours ago," smiled Sirius.
"For the last six, at least, everyone's been sleeping.
"However..." he grinned at them both and pulled from his pocket two wands.
In shocked glee both accepted them. Both immediately felt the warmth as the wands re-bonded with them.
"How?" asked Alice.
"Harry had his house elf sneak into Longbottom Hall about an hour ago and recover them for you," he explained. "Two fakes have been left in their place."
"Time for you to go, wizards," a goblin suddenly said. "Time is money and you're wasting mine." He was offering them a portkey.
Sirius gave a nod back, accepted the portkey and turned back to the Longbottoms. "Right. Take hold."
As they did so, he turned to the medi-staff that had gone into the time dilation with the Longbottoms and gratefully said, "Thank you."
As they nodded and smiled back, with the Longbottoms also holding the portkey, he was about to activate it when the goblin barked, "Activate!"
And they were gone in a flash of goblin portkey magic.
_ ̳_ ―==(oIo)==― ˇ
In the Tonkses' home, Ted was sitting in his favourite chair while trying to go through his pocket-sized carded prompt notes for the trial, later that morning. They were a matched pair with Harry's.
He had one of the lounge curtains open to watch for the tell-take flash of the goblin portkey, which would arrive just outside the front gate only a hundred feet
away.
He wasn't looking out the window when it happened, but the flash of light caught his eye and he immediately looked out.
Seeing the three start to walk up the front path to the front door, he was quickly slipping the cards into the inside breast pocket of his robes as he shot out of his chair to stride quietly to the front door.
Only he and Andi were home, at the time, but he still didn't want her to wake, fearful of any unusual noises coming from the main part of the house.
By the time he opened the front door the three were just walking up the front steps onto the porch.
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