"Merlin, just take me now."
Harry shuddered the moment his eyes made contact with luxury vehicle that was parked only a few yards away from the hospital's loading bay. This was Harry's primary exit due to the privacy it provided from the prying eyes of the non-magical populace that worked at the hospital, and it was the closest door leading to a usually empty parking lot. Harry tended to drive himself to work but that was contingent to his morning routines with Teddy-er-Ted. He preferred the non-magical ways of transportation especially when traveling with a minor prone to mischief, but if they were running late the ability to side-apparate was handy in a pinch. That morning had been one of those mornings. Ted had switched off his alarm clock and his back-up notification on his phone. So when Harry did wake up, he was already running forty-five minutes late and then there was the rousing of the sleepy ten year old. The boy could sleep most of the day if he was given the chance. Then there was the skirmishes with every morning routine. What clothes to wear, how he would wear his hair, and his preference to his morning meal. The boy was on a Vegan kick that Harry was hoping, wishing and almost contemplated banishing the phase away with magic. The last fight of the war was the daily 'lost shoes debate'. Harry had refrained for the most part of not using magic for daily tasks and to raise Teddy-er-Ted to be self-sufficient and not spoilt by the ease of magic. But Teddy-er-Ted had put a valiant force this morning so Harry accioed the missing garments, tapped the boy's feet and rolled his eyes at the boy's triumphant smirk as the shoes flew on to his feet and double knotted the laces. Harry took hold of the boy's hand and apparated in the alley located behind Teddy's private charter school. So with a firm hug, and a menacing glare Ted and Harry departed ways. One to spend his day with his teaches, peers and recess and the other off to a day of monotonous yet difficult tasks that revolved around caring for the sick and wounded.
Harry went straight to the hospital since it was the second Wednesday of the month, so he was on rotation to assist various wards. The tasks kept him busy throughout the morning and the war was quickly forgotten as Harry lost himself in his patients. He spent the down time between patients planning his afternoon. He was only scheduled for a half rotation which he planned months ago but the reason was lost in his mind. He chalked it up to spend with Teddy-er-Ted since it was a difficult time of the year, so he pieced together a few ideas such as picking up the boy from school, walking to his football practice and then grabbing some fish and chips on the way to a movie. There was a new spy film that Teddy-er-Ted was dying to see. He had been bringing it up in conversation since he saw the preview while at some birthday party. But the moment his eyes locked on the luxury vehicle that belonged to Narissa Malfoy, he knew his plans were no longer a possibility and the reason behind his half-shift came floating up from the depths of his subconscious. The car was to collect him from work, and transport him Grimmauld lace so he could accompany Narcissa to a black-tie gala benefiting one of the many private charities that was near and dear to one of the Royal family's heart. Harry never quite understood the difference between a private charitable cause and one that was public. He found them equally intolerable. But Harry couldn't remember which member of the royal family was which, so truly the difference mattered very little. He moved closer to the car, noticing the chauffeur, Lazlow Briggs, was catching up on his slumber. This made Harry wonder just how long he had been waiting to collect him from the hospital. The meddlesome Narcissa Malfoy and his placating secretary, Helena Torre. He filed away a chat he would be having with his Helena about divulging personal information to anyone even if he considered the person family. Harry roughly opened the back passenger door, knowing that Lazlow was a stickler with protocol and his passengers had to sit in the back. The jostling of the car from his added weight, and the slamming of his car door was enough to wake Lazlow from his afternoon siesta.
"Good afternoon, Mister Harry." Lazlow greeted while he discreetly covered his mouth to hide a yawn.
"I guess you could say that, Lazlow." Harry responded. His voice was sullen due to his afternoon plans being usurped. "Did Narcissa have that little faith in me that she sent you to retrieve me from work?" Harry locked his eyes with the driver in the rearview mirror. The chauffeur answered with a shrug of his shoulders. "That woman needs a grandchild." Harry remarked while he glanced at his reflection in the mirror and a smile grew across his face when he heard Lazlow snort.
"Not likely going to happen with Master Malfoy always mucking it up with Miss Astoria." Lazlow commented as he merged the car into the early afternoon traffic.
With Saint Anne's on the other side of town, Harry knew it was going to be a least a half hour to possibly an hour drive depending on traffic conditions, so he let his head fall back into the plush Italian leather of his seat. There was a time when the ostentatious wealth that came with the Malfoy's world caused him discomfort. A world of designer labels, hedge funds and staff once baffled Harry and it would cause him to shuffle from foot to foot as he did not belong. But with friendship, fate, and the longer he lingered, Harry came to terms with wealth and began to understand and see what a private car meant in this world. There were different meanings, to some such as Draco Malfoy, a private car had a practical yet snobby use. The Malfoy heir used a private car for transportation but also as a barrier to keep the muggles at bay. He explained to Harry and Astoria that he if associated with muggles that there was a risk of losing his magic. "Why take the risk, if their non-magic could be catching?". After he finished his asinine theory both Harry and Astoria forced him to a muggle dance club to test his theory. Draco did not think he was better than his peers. He believed he knew for a fact. Draco also used a private car for an amorous yet lewd use. A private car provided a comfy space that afforded the users privacy for a conversation, a meal or a passionate embrace. Draco would constantly frequent the private car during galas and charitable functions to pass the time with different celebutantes. He didn't have notches on his bed post. He had stitches in the fine leather upholstery.
He was a right tosser.
Narcissa's need or use of a private luxury car was another way to establish her social status in her new found world. Narcissa was born in a world where money was power. As a baby, she was clothed in the finest of fabrics and had the best toys. She was looked after by nannies and au-paires that hailed from around the continent. France, Croatia, Germany, Italy and her least favorite was Russia. Her parents never employed a Spaniard due to a sordid affair her father had years before her birth. As she grew, so did the understanding that social classes existed and she belonged to one of the richest and oldest. Her play group was filled with the children related to the one percent of the one percent. It was a tradition that started generations back, as a way to acclimate and build lasting relationships for the children and the future members that would run the world. Loyalty that sprouted from the time of nappies and sandboxes. Many believed that Lucius and Narcissa met while attending Hogwarts but the truth was Narcissa studied magic at Beauxbaton Academy. An honored tradition that was stipulated in the pre-nuptial agreement settled in the marriage contracts between her grandparents. The founder of the Academy could be traced in her patrilineal grandmother's bloodline and it was understood that at least one Crabbe- Black descendent would attend each generation. The rule grew lax as time passed, but Cygnus's mother Irma pushed that if there was a child that favored the Crabbe disposition, blonde hair, fair skin and high cheekbones that the child would summer in England with the family but would attend Beauxbaton for their magical tutelage. So the majority of her childhood, from the ages of eleven to seventeen, Narcissa spent most of the year in France with her paternal grandparents. This was a blessing due to the strained relationship between her parents but also because of the lack of stability of their oldest child, Bellatrix and her jealous tendencies. The nannies reported various bruises, scratches and strange incidents that occurred around Narcissa at a young age. Such as the nursery catching fire while Narcissa was napping, her pet bunnies and favorite horse turning up deceased due to unknown causes. The Academy during her tenure was also a finishing school, so alongside the practical arts of Transfiguration, Charms and Arithmancy, she learned how to set a table for thirty, the art of flower arrangements and the proper way to walk in various heights of heels. After finishing at the academy, with a score of perfect NEWTs, she met Lucius and the rest was history. This all boils down to Narcissa was conditioned to live a certain way her entire life. A life of luxury and social status, so when the Wizengamot conducted her trial and debated about her sentence, it was decided that she would pay a hefty fine, lessening her considerable wealth and stripping away her magic for a finite time. This would effectually force her to live as a muggle. The Ministry of Magic thought this would ruin the Malfoy Matriarch as they believed a muggle lifestyle would destroy Narcissa but she didn't have any issues with not having magic. She rarely used it, and it was Lucius that took offense to muggles. He was crazed about blood purity and thought his pureblood made him better. Narcissa just knew she was better than everyone. Humility was not a Malfoy trait. At most the only magic Narcissa used daily were simple spells for summoning items, magical brews and ways to travel. Without the floo network, flying or apparition she was limited but not without options and Narcissa Malfoy adapted by doing what was normal by buying things. Cars. She collected them with reckless abandon, not having much knowledge or brand loyalty. She went with the pureblood adage, 'The most expensive is the best." Her garages were filled with Mercedes, BMW, Range Rover, Aston Martin, Porsche and Bugatti. All of the vehicles had less than ten thousand miles, all with the recent technologies but Narcissa was just the ultimate consumer without preference. Even with her magic restored, Narcissa traveled like a muggle and whenever she needed to go somewhere, Narcissa deferred the vehicle choice to Lazlow. Narcissa loved and trusted the chauffeur because of his gentle soul, strong presence and protective nature. He was one of the few staff members that was not magical. Lazlow had a heavy foot and loved going fast.
Astoria Greengrass was another story. She had been an enigma to Draco when they first crossed paths. He was attracted and she wanted nothing to do with the Malfoy heir. She grew up a similar lifestyle as the Malfoy's, as her family was one of the Sacred Twenty Eight, but her father was a practical man with a realistic outlook on the world. He forsook his ancestral bloodlines when he would not bow before the Dark Lord, and he was cast out of the family. He was only reinstated after the death of both of his brothers, and his father did not have a male heir to carry on the family name. The relationship between father and son was tainted but the family name commanded respect and advancement in the world. Astoria had no qualms with private cars, and relished in the comfort of Italian leather feeling as it rubbed against the satin or silk fabrics of her ball gowns, but she preferred the means of magical transportation to a muggle car. She was perpetually running late, and being able to move across town, or to Diagon Alley in no time.
For Harry, his introduction to this world happened when Teddy-er-Ted was about to start primer school. He had been re-connected with the Malfoys and Narcissa had loaned him the use of her Range Rover when he had expressed his concern with the boy and his tendency to jerk away when they travelled by apparition or floo. Harry wouldn't even consider fly with the spastic toddler. He tried to decline the elaborate vehicle because it was large, boxy and ostentatious and the cost worried him. Also, he had little to no driving experience, so after being forced into the level of wealth, he had to sit through two sessions of driving instructions from Draco. They both were short and tense sessions where verbal threats to ending the Malfoy lineage followed the superior ribbing of the inadequacy of being the boy-who-lived. Then Draco riled Harry about what his back story was going to be when he was asked why a man of his age didn't have his driving certification. The pair schemed for a weekend perfecting for a thorough investigation by the Prime Minister's secret police. But he was terribly let down by an anticlimactic when he was told to take a number, fill out a form and then not smiling for a picture. He paid the registration fee and was told to expect to receive the certificate in the post. The picture still made everyone chuckle as if it was a rite of passage. Draco suggest to banish it, but muggle photography couldn't be altered. Something to do with the chemical process, oxidation and film. Then once he grew comfortable driving the Range Rover, it was if Teddy's needs for material items grew exponentially. Teddy was past the age of prams, the posh ones, but he stowed one for rugged terrain if the day called for lots of walking. There was also the extra sets of clothing for the many outfit changes for forgetfulness, sickness, messiness or temper tantrums. Teddy-er-Ted was prone to three for the four examples. Shoes were a given since the boy had a talent of losing one, typically the right show. There were totes, one for activities such as books, car games, and muggle-children electronics. Another tote was filled with snacks that ranged from healthy to pure sugar and juice boxes. Harry also carted a bike, helmet and a training broomstick that was locked in a magical compartment. Car seats, booster seats and pac-n-plays interchanged in the back hatch. The ease of this luxury car helped Harry feel comfortable in the world of wealth. That and his friendships with the Malfoy family. It took a bit for the familial relationship to develop and Harry's dislike for the Malfoy heir almost prevented the reconciliation.
Harry felt the car drift into the carpool lane, and he was momentarily jolted from his memories of the past.
"Lazlow, how long have you worked for the Malfoys?" He asked the stoic driver. Harry had known Draco for almost two decades. He hated the heir for practically half the time, but for the last five they grew to be like family. So much had happened between the four year gap. If it hadn't been the impetuous Albus Dumbledore, Harry was certain his and the Malfoy family's path would have never crossed. Harry wondered at times if it was his actions that kept the majority of the Malfoy family from serving time in Azkaban. But there needs to be some background before that can be explained.
Flashback
It had been two quick but short months since the chaotic ending of the Second Wizarding War, and everyone was meeting for supper at the Burrow. Molly had sent a host of owls containing a proclamations so attendance was required. Molly was situated at the head of the table, the end closest to the kitchen with Fleur on her right with Bill by her side. The pair had entered the Burrow almost late to dinner in what seemed to be the middle of a heated discussion. Fleur was muttering in French and when she took a step away from Bill his hand reached quickly about her wrist. It stalled the fleeing blonde but her eyebrow arched and Bill released her hand. The air was still tense between the pair. On Molly's left sat Percy and his new girlfriend Audrey. That was Ginny's speculation because Percy introduced her as a friend and coworker. The petite brunette strayed from his side but they tended to remain in the same vicinity. Charlie was seated next to Audrey and the first to arrive due to the misprint on his invitation to dinner. Molly had altered the time by two hours so he showed up half an hour early. His hair was a mess but he was clean shaven. He spent thirty minutes in the garden banishing gnomes and cursing his mother to the high heavens. Across from Charlie and to the right of Bill sat George who was silent and morose. Most of the Weasley family was surprised to see him at the table due to his aloofness but everyone carried on as normal. As normal as possible with the family missing one of its most rambunctious members. The loss of Fred was noticed by everyone, but mostly to George and Arthur. George was the brains behind the pranks and the Weasley Wizarding Wheezes merchandise but it was Fred that was the gregarious of the twins. Fred was also the one Weasley child that shared a love for muggle artifacts. His father and Fred would waste hours in the garden shed charming and jinxing different muggle electronics to see what magic did to the appliances. Some might think that the Weasleys were family lucky to only suffer the loss of one child while other families lost branches or the entire tree, but the loss still stung. The other half of the table was Andromeda with baby Teddy on her lap. Harry sat next to her to assist with his godson and Ginny at the very end and to the left of Arthur. Across from Andromeda and next to Charlie was Hermione and Ron with an empty space on Arthur's right. The family just sat down and tucking in when the back door swung open by a soggy Kingsley Shacklebolt. The weather had been in a constant downpour so no one batted an eyelash to the late interim Minister of Magic with water dripping from his traveling cloak and mud tracked up to his knees.
"Good evening Weasleys." His deep voice bellowed his greeting while he disrobed. A few members responded out of courtesy but most of the family was mid-bite. The family had pushed the dinner to accommodate the Minister of Magic's schedule. "Sorry for the lateness. The Gamot ran over." Kingsley explained as he took his seat at the table. He started to load his plate.
"Was it a productive meeting?" Arthur asked his current boss. Kingsley grunted.
"The group has finally agreed to try the cases for the second wizarding war." Kingsley replied and Arthur paled at the mention of the war and sent a cautious glance in George's direction. The lone twin was busy pushing food about his plate. George was aimless and had no direction. As if the loss of Fred was the loss of a loadstone and George could no longer find north.
"That's good news to hear." Arthur commented. "I mean I figured they would since the conducted the last Trials." Kingsley nodded.
"It was quite a debate. The Gamot wants the Trials to be better this time-"
"Zis time?" Fleur asked as the conversation about the Trials were more interesting to the constant nattering of Molly Weasley pushing for a grandchild.
"Yes, Mrs. Weasley." Kingsley answered and winked in Fleur's directions to indicate that he was joking. "The last Trials were before my tenure but it was a dark time for the Gamot and the Ministry." A dark time is an understatement for the corruption that ran deeply in the Wizengamot and Ministry during the first Wizarding War Trials. The trials were to deliver justice and bring peace to the victims. But in reality, the Trials turned into a witch-hunt with side deals, brokered for information and names. Testimonies were fabricated and sentences were purchased. Many of the guilty were able to skate the trials. The Gamot was contaminated by the reaches of the Dark Lord. "So we want to tread carefully and not rush the process." Kinsgley explained while dicing up another bite of chicken.
"How soon do you think the first trial will be?" Bill asked focusing his attention to the interim Minister of Magic. Bill had eaten before the family dinner of steak cooked as rare as possible.
Kingsley shrugged. "Hard to say. The Gamot will likely try most of the lesser crimes quickly and in about three weeks-
"Bloody hell." Ron interrupted with a mouth filled with potatoes. Kingsley eyes shifted to the youngest Weasley son. "I mean it has been a long time since the end." Ron started to explain his outburst and blushed as he received an admonishing look from his parents and stuck up siblings. Hermione had pinched his hand beneath the table. Before the minister could respond, Hermione pipped up with an answer.
"Three weeks is quite fast for the Wizengamot. It takes quite a bit before the group can meet for a trial." Ron rolled his eyes while Hermione continued. "Before a trial can be called, it takes a majority of the members to meet to even conduct a session. Then they have to put it to a vote to try a case which takes a two-thirds majority of the whole Wizengamot. And in the end, they have to debate and discuss the situation until they all agree that it is beyond a reasonable doubt before they will deliver a sentence." Hermione rattled off as if she was reading from her magical history text in Professor Binns' classroom.
"How in the bloody hell do you function?" Ron whispered but tried to smirk it off as a joke. Hermione flushed at his callous remark and back handed humor.
"Hermione is right on the sickle with the ways and means of the Wizengamot. But getting the votes has been easier with the numbers of the group greatly diminished as of late." Kingsley interrupted the quick spat brewing between Ron and Hermione.
"Is it not true that a case took almost twenty years to resolve?" Audrey asked and all eyes fell onto the new comer of the Weasley dinner table. "I just recall from History-"
"You are quite right." Kingsley answered.
"Merlin's balls."
"Ronald Weasley, I will curse your mouth full of soap!" Molly swore at her youngest son. The table chuckled at the image.
"Yes, Miss Audrey. Again this was before my time with the Gamot." Kingsley continued.
"Why did it take so long, Kingsley?" Ginny asked.
"Evidence was destroyed. Witnesses went missing or recanted their testimonies. It only ended when the convicted dropped dead in a duel he instigated. At that point the Wizengamot voted him guilty for wasting their time." Kingsley sent a sly smile to Ginny who giggled at the minister's dramatics.
"So three weeks?" Arthur asked. "Will that be enough time to summon the group together and investigate the convicted?" Arthur lived through the aftermath of the First Wizarding War. It was a troubling time for the Wizarding community as a whole, families were regrouping, the ministry was piecing itself back together and there were suspicious dealings behind every door. Arthur was a junior member in his department and had just become a father for the third time. Bill recalled the time because his parents restricted his use to the Daily Prophet. They poured over the pages wanting to shield his curious eyes from the dark dealings of the time. There wasn't much to gather from the sporting sections and the articles about quidditch but Arthur and Molly wanted to be cautious.
Kingsley shrugged, "They don't have much of a choice. The numbers of the Gamot has diminished greatly with this last war. It's like Voldemort stuck the members as a contingency for if his agenda failed."
"Amelia Bones." Murmured Molly.
"Grant Hughes." Charlie whispered.
"Albus Dumbledore." Percy offered were some of the names supplied by the people surrounding the table. Everyone sat in silence reflecting on the loss not only to the Wizengamot but to the magical community.
"Quite right. This brings me to another agenda item that caused the meeting to last so long. A name was put to the Ledger. We had to vote on the initiation process." Kingsley pressed on.
"A Ledger-Name post. That is a great honor." Molly remarked. Kingsley nodded.
"A Ledger-Name, I don't think a Ledger-Post has happened in almost fifty years." Arthur questioned.
"Not in my lifetime-"Kingsley began.
"But 'ow iz zat possible. Monsiuer Kingsley is not zat old." Fleur interrupted. The Weasley family chuckled at French infused accent. "Vat!" She demanded but rolled her eyes when she realized they were laughing at her. The Weasleys, although accepting, could be quite ignorant towards non-blood related family member feelings. It caused her annoyance and angered when they laughed at her lack of English vocabulary and thick accent. English was not even her second language. She felt her husband place his hand just above her knew and squeezed softly, offering reassurance through his silent actions. It was Kingsley to come to her aid and answer her questions.
"That's ever so nice of you to think I am that young. No, it is often that anyone named head of a ministry department or the Minister of Magic gets a seat on the 'Gamot. I earned my position almost ten years ago when I took the Head Auror post. A seat on the Wizengamot is for life, so you can imagine how hard it is to convene a meeting, let alone put anything to a vote." Kingsley explained and grabbed a roll from the table.
"So den vat iz dis Ledger post name?" Fleur pushed on and it was Hermione to answer the question. It was if she was back in the classroom and her hand shot up to be called on which brought another burst of laughter to the table.
Hermione rolled with the embarrassment and started to answer, "The Ledger-Post process is the common name for Le'Response-Je Dwardin. It is a process of appointing a civilian to the Wizengamot without having a government affiliation or being an Elder in the community. It was first used in the fourteenth century when Claus Je'Dwardin was nominated to the post for his acts of bravery and his contributions to the wizarding community. He was voted on by a two part process. It starts with the name being supplied by an Elder or someone in the position of Fourth Warlock or above. Then the name must be accepted by a member of the chancellor group. Once that is complete the group must vote on the submission. It takes ten 'yay' votes for the name to stick." Hermione spouted off the history and process of the Wizengamot. Harry beamed at his friend's mind but it was Ron's big mouth to ruin the moment.
"I swear you are a walking encyclopedia. Good thing you are cute." Ron winked but his comment forced Hermione to flush and turn away. Before Harry could rush to his friend's aid Ron jumped from his seat only to fall back down when his knees collided with the thick wood surface of the table.
"Bollocks Gin, what was that for?" He yelled furiously while rubbing his shin.
"For you being a prat." She smirked and glowed when Harry pressed his lips to her cheek. Hermione sent her a grateful smile. Many of the Weasley's sons gagged as the public display of affection between the couple.
Ron pressed on, "So it takes two people to nominate someone to the Gamot. I don't see how there aren't any more Post-Ledger names." Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Ledger-Post." She corrected, "The person has to contribute to magical achievement or perform exemplary acts for society to be considered." Ron rolled his eyes at the haughtiness of Hermione's voice.
"I dunno, a faster broomstick or a quidditch WMVP could be sizable contribution-"
"Are you mental?" Hermione scoffed.
"No." Ron retaliated and flushed at the accusation.
"You want a bunch of jocked up dunder-heads to govern and make laws?"
"You know that I did not mean that. And I was just saying-"Ron began to return her snap but was interrupted by a new voice.
"Bloody hell do either of you ever shut up?" George asked slamming down his goblet to the table. He had been drinking the last bits of his punch and he snapped to the present from the verbal sparring. His glare quickly dissipated to the vacant look and Arthur kicked Ron in the other shin to stop his cutting retort.
"You are quite right, George." Arthur said and turned his attention back to Kingsley. "Why put the name to the Ledger now?" He asked. Kingsley let his hand waffle in the air.
"This time is as good as any and we need more forward thinking members. Plus, I want to get the Trials over as quickly as possible or at least well on their way before I hand the Ministry of Magic to the next schmuck." Percy perked at the mention of the ministry.
"Is it possible that you could just stay on?" He asked and Kingsley shook his head.
"I'm not the man for the job. I don't have the stomach for politics and I want to return to the Auror department. We need to wipe out any of the remaining supporters of the dark lord."
"So then, who this honored individual?" Molly asked looking down at the Minister of Magic's plate. She wanted to start passing the dessert but didn't want the rush the ministry official. Teddy began to coo, and Harry turned to smile at the baby, but was distracted when the entire table went silent. He glanced about the table noticing the entire table.
"Of course it would be Harry."
***888***
An end of flash back. Look who is back. I have been struggling with this story. It has been bouncing about my head for the past few months/years and has gone through multiple revisions. This will be similar to Forgotten Bonds, but a bit different. There will be flashbacks in the past to support the present day story line. The past will show in italics, and present day will be plain.
Reviews are read and appreciated, but I don't beta my stories. My process is to write the chapter on paper, then transpose it to a Word document via my IPad or computer, and let Microsoft office go through the grammatical and spelling. I truly don't have the time in the day to be bothered by the semantics of grammar. That is atrocious of me, but I try my best. Also, I have only visited the United Kingdom twice in my life, and it has been nearly ten years since I last been, so a few of the names of places and places of things may not exist. Please forgive the spacing. I don't know what happened. Again this is fiction, and I hope you can enjoy!
Thanks for reading and welcome back to my creative mind.
I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING,
Ema
