Chapter Eight: Arrival
Narcissa entered the Manor house to find Lucius was exiting study, clearly on his way out of the house. "Lucius? I thought we were having dinner together this evening?"
"I have to make a quick visit to the broom shed." He replied with a slight smile on his face as he hurried out the door. When he returned a few minutes later, the smile was quite a bit large. "A certain Cleansweep broom is in the broom shed."
"Really?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. "I thought..."
"Apparently I managed to get through to him after all." He said as he escorted her to the dining room. "The Hogwarts Express should almost be arriving at the station."
Once they were seated, with the house elves having placed Narcissa to Lucius' right since it was only the two of them. "Draco didn't look at all upset to be heading off to school."
"Our son has been looking forward to going to school since you told him about attending," Narcissa said as she found herself smiling at her husband in spite of the emotional distance between them. "He promised to write as soon as possible. I fear it won't be until this weekend though."
"I certain that when the students learn of the excitement going on at Hogwarts, we will hear from him much, much sooner." Lucius drawled as he added "This time the Defense Against Dark Arts professor didn't even start the school year. Turns out that Quirrell was killed by Macnair as well as Yaxley."
"Was Quirrell...? She trailed off, not sure she wanted to know if he had been a death eater.
"Not to my knowledge." Lucius carefully answered. "I was in Hogsmeade with the Board of Governors regarding Yaxley's body being found at the school. Dumbledore kept silent about it."
He saw his wife frown and was certain that it was her dislike of the old man, but he knew that his wife worried about Dumbledore's political power even more than his magical abilities. Now that Lucius knew what he had learned from his 'death' the old man was controllable.
When he had filled her in on the rest of the story, he saw her eyes crinkle for a moment then she seemed to be struggling not to laugh. "Narcissa?"
"While in Diagon Alley this afternoon, I saw Dumbledore's Phoenix. It flashed in while I was at Gladrags." She stated with a slight upturn to her lips. "I think I know who is going to be the new Defense Against Dark Arts professor."
"Would you like to share whatever seems to have you so amused." He inquired.
"Gilderoy Lockhart was being fitted for robes. It was rather clear that the simpletons in the shop were rather taken with the wizard." She said with a slight sneer before her smile returned along with a slight giggle. "He was bemoaning that it was too late to insist that his future fans be required to purchase his books. Something about being required to use the ones already purchased for this upcoming year, but that he was going to be allowed to request they have them for the next year."
Groaning, Lucius looked at his wife and said "Lockhart is an empty-headed inadequate wizard at best. Surely, not even Albus Dumbledore is this gullible."
"Maybe he is no different than the young witches out there taken in with his supposedly attractive smile." She replied with a smirk.
"With our son starting his first year at Hogwarts, I would prefer a professor that at least might have opened the book to read it before attempting to teach the subject." He replied.
Pride
Harry, Neville, Hermione and a rather peeved Draco Malfoy were floating across the Black Lake towards the castle to begin their new school, the blonde upset at Hermione.
As he stared at the muggleborn witch, she grinned back unrepentant. "What gives you the right to treat me that way?"
"Well, you were being a right berk. Draco, seriously, if we are going to be friends, you need to learn that just saying please and thank you isn't enough. You have to MEAN them." She scolded. "Anyhow, what is your issue with that kid?"
Glaring at the water, he bit his lip then said "He made fun of my name. Besides, why was he already at the lake when we got there. He should have come to school with the rest of us."
"Okay, but pushing him into the lake, not a good way to start the new year." She said with a sigh understanding that Draco had simply reacted to the snigger the way she had always longed to when picked upon in her old school.
Draco was glaring at the Weasley boy who had been thrilled with the attention he had been given by most of the first years in regards to his near escape from death at the Ministry. He had just ignored him until the other boy had mocked his name.
Weasley had quickly changed his tune when the half-giant who worked at the school had told the weasel that while how Draco had reacted was wrong, so was his mocking him. Weasley had forced to apologize by the large man and Draco had reluctantly done the same when he had noticed the others frowning his way.
Exiting the boats and milling around with his classmates, he saw the stern witch coming their way and then throwing a drying charm at the Weasel. She pursed her lips and nodded when Hagrid told her what had happened. Her eyes turning towards the Weasel and then himself.
Following her into the main part of the school and ordered to wait, Draco turned to Neville and Harry to ask. "Where do you think you will end up?"
"With my luck, back home with my grams," Neville replied with a sad attempt at humor. Listening to Ron Weasley, Draco grimaced when the redhead went on about being in Gryffindor.
"I still want Ravenclaw." Hermione softly announced.
"I don't care," Harry replied with a slight shrug. "My parents were in Gryffindor, but I would prefer to believe that they would be happy no matter where I ended up."
The great doors opened and the older witch standing there, directed them to stand between two of the long tables while up front a shabby looking hat was seated upon a stool.
Hermione and Harry were discussing the enchanted ceiling when the hat suddenly became animated and began to speak. Draco tuned it out for the song and was watching the old woman as she called for Abbott, Hannah. One of the giggling girls that Granger and he had run into earlier that day on the train.
Draco watched the students already seated, looking bored as the hat sorted the students out. He heard Bulstrode and Crabbe end up in Slytherin, then eventually the witch called out Granger's name just after Goyle was sorted into the house of the snakes.
Hermione rushed forward, her hair looking as if it was alive when the sorting hat settled in. Two minutes in and the group began to get restless then it looked as if Hermione was scowling for a moment before the hat shouted out "Gryffindor."
She walked at a nice clip to the house of red and gold where its clapping students awaited their newest lion. A few minutes later, she was joined by Neville Longbottom who looked rather sheepish as he had removed the hat and then had been about to carry it to his seat.
Draco moved forward and was soon seated upon the stool when he felt the hat land on his head. He had expected it to immediately send him to Slytherin, but to his shock, he became a hat stall as the voice began to speak to him.
"Hhm, a few months ago you had no loyalty, but now, you have it in abundance but the rest of the Badgers would drive you batty." The hat said with a slight sigh. "You are smart enough for Ravenclaw, but I suspect that they would soon bore you as you aren't the sedentary type."
"You clearly show bravery in that you want to walk your own path, but I fear that without friends and a support system...my oh my, you have friends in the house already, do you?" The hat said in a silky tone. "As for Slytherin, you would do well in that house, but it is not the best fit. You are a little too blunt for the house of cunning, Mr. Malfoy."
"But-." Draco felt sick to his stomach as the hat went on and on chanting the names of all four houses, "My dad...Slytherin. Proud of me...please?"
"Answer me one question, young Malfoy." The hat said, "This boy you wish to rescue, why?"
"He needs to be saved from those nasty muggles," Draco replied.
"Your friend, Ms. Granger is a muggleborn witch, young man." He said.
"I-I, I don't know..." Draco felt confused and that wasn't something he was used to as the hat seemed to be thinking.
"You know, a relative of yours was once in your shoes. Having to learn what is right from what is easy. He did well with his choices, made a couple of great friends and learned to accept help and friendship from others. I think that is what would be best for you."
With that, the hat announced "Gryffindor."
There was silence in the room as Draco stood, his legs trembling as he removed the hat. He struggled with what to do, he didn't look at his godfather, fearing the disappointment he was sure he would see in his eyes, he didn't want to look at his new housemates, sure that they no more wanted him in their house than he wanted to be there, until the sound of two sets of hands clapping, which soon led to several more, all of which came from the house of Lions.
Draco settled in next to Longbottom and across from Granger, his mind whirling as he wondered how he was going to explain this to his father and mother. He barely heard anything else, until there was a lot of clapping at the table of the lions as Harry ended up there.
When the emerald-eyed boy settled in next to Granger, he looked at him and asked: "What took so long?"
"I. AM. IN. GRYFFINDOR. POTTER." He said in a clipped tone. "Of course it took a while. I think that the hat is broken."
Harry grimaced and said, "I uh, it wanted to put me in Slytherin, but I asked for here since all three of you are here."
That had Draco smiling faintly as he looked at the three sitting near him and then he said "You're right. None of us really wanted to be here and yet, here we all are."
There was another boy now seated on Harry's other side who introduced himself as Dean Thomas. Harry shook his hand and then asked if he knew anyone else in their house.
"Seamus Finnegan, he sat with me on the train," Dean said as he pointed out the other boy who was speaking to the Weasley twins. "There was a girl too, but she giggled a lot."
"Lavender," Hermione said while looking at Draco.
Draco shuddered at the mere name, then seeing Hermione smirking laughed and said "It's not funny. Potter, she giggled and was rather interested in meeting you."
"Save me," Harry asked Hermione as he reached for her arm. When the redheaded boy joined their table, they all clapped for him, minus Draco who simply pretended he hadn't noticed them gaining another boy.
When Blaise Zabini had joined the house of the snakes, the headmaster stood and made his announcements. All frowned at the warning regarding the third floor and then whispers began as the Headmaster announced that their new Defense Against Dark Arts professor was delayed until Monday.
"That isn't what I heard." Ron Weasley said wearing a frown. "I was at my doctor's appointment this morning and when they brought me straight to Hogsmeade, I overheard an Auror Shacklebolt tell my dad that some guy named Quirrell had died on the path from the village to the school and that he had been hired to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts."
As the students all talk about how creepy that was, Harry noticed that the Headmaster seemed to be staring at Draco and then himself before frowning every few seconds. Looking at the teachers, he asked a nearby older student who each of them was.
The taller redhead, who introduced himself as Prefect Percy Weasley replied starting with the closest end. Harry soon had faces to go with the names he had already been told as the older boy ended by telling him about Snape and how he wanted the Defense Against Dark Arts job.
Turning back to his classmates just as dessert arrived, he felt a dark shadow and looked up to see that the tall greasy haired professor was standing behind Draco who looked rather scared. "Sir?"
"Stay seated, Mr. Potter. Mr. Malfoy, please follow me into the hall for a few minutes." The professor stated as he turned to exit the great hall. Draco swallowed the last bite of his Yorkshire pudding and wiped his mouth before doing the same.
"Draco."
"Sir." Draco had been warned against calling his godfather by his given name at School so he struggled with what to say.
"I saw the hat stall, but did it offer an explanation for it and how you ended up in Gryffindor?" Snape inquired and Draco took a deep breath and tried to repeat word for word, silent moment for silent moment.
When he was finished, he asked: "Do you think my father is going to be furious?"
"I am not sure, but it is rather clear that something rather extraordinary has happened. I will write to him tonight if you would like to send a note along. I would be happy to send it with mine." Snape replied. Then noticing the trepidation on Draco's face, he seemed to soften a bit. "Draco, no matter what, I will always be proud of you and love you."
"Thank you." He whispered and then was hurrying back inside just as his new housemates exited the great hall, following Percy Weasley who beckoned towards Draco to join them.
Upstairs, they were introduced to the Fat Lady and then Percy filled them in on the house rules then seemed to be indicating for them to never bother him with anything. Draco frowned, recalling what his godfather had told him about how the prefects were there to help the new students. Determined to mention this to Severus when he gave him the letter to his parents, the blonde sat down and to his shock, the letter he had expected to be hard to write seemed to be filling parchment with ink at a rapid pace.
Returning downstairs, he used the floo to call for his godfather who sent him a note to allow him to be in the hallways that evening. Arriving in the dungeon, he knocked on his godfather's door and was soon invited inside.
A long talk later which had his godfather alternating between frowning and amusement, Draco was exiting his quarters and returning to his dorm when something occurred to him. "May I ask a question?"
When his godfather nodded, Draco hesitated and then told the older wizard about what Hermione had said about his lack of manners. The soft baritone chuckle had him scowling until his godfather replied. "She is correct, Dragon. It is rather impolite the way you reacted. Now, I suggest that going forward, you simply think before acting."
Draco groaned. "My father is always telling me to do that, already."
"Get back to your dorm." He replied messing up the boy's rather flat and well-gelled hair. "Draco, one more thing."
Looking at his godfather, he was touched at what he was told. "There is always going to be someone watching you, judging you. Be yourself. Ignore what anyone other than those who are truly your friends tells you. Be true to yourself and nothing else will matter."
Pride
Severus entered the quarters of Minerva McGonagall early the next morning, joining Filius Flitwick and Pomona Spout for their annual paying off bets. Soon settled in with a cup of tea, he gathered his meager winnings, amused as Minerva seemed full of herself that day.
Soon tossing a few galleons into the next betting pot, this one regarding Quidditch, the house cup and whose students would take grade honors, he surprised Flitwick by not betting on the Eagles like usual, instead, he chose the Lions to the shock of the others.
Seeing Pomona staring at him, he said "My godson is rather intelligent, that girl Granger according to him is wickedly smart, Potter's magical aura is all but visible. I think that they are going to give your Eagles a run for the top spot."
"I gather you are conceding that your new Snakes aren't up to the task of knocking Filius students off the list," Minerva asked beyond stunned at Severus Snape suggesting that any Gryffindor was equal to an Eagle when he so loathed them.
"Unfortunately no. Nott is more interested in the stars than planet earth, Goyle and Crabbe together won't equal the grades of even Longbottom. Zabini has the smarts but his ambitions don't coincide with school work. As for the girls, Parkinson, Greengrass, and Davis are being groomed towards marriage and won't care about grades. Bulstrode is more interested in magical creatures. In that class, I expect her to be up there close to the top, but otherwise..."
"Pomona?" Filius turned to the quiet woman. "You haven't said much."
"I am conceding with this year's class. I ran into the Granger girl in Flourish and Blotts this summer. I think that she will excel and don't count out Longbottom. He has some potential." She stated.
"So it is Eagles versus Lions," Flitwick said rubbing his hands together with glee. "I have to go up to the Great Hall, my Eagles will already be awaiting their class schedules."
All four teachers joined the remaining staff then went to hand out their class schedules to their students. Minerva took a good look at the Lions that Severus mentioned and saw a very interesting dynamic in her group.
Weasley, Thomas, and Finnegan were talking about Quidditch, the girls minus the Granger witch were giggling and watching the boys that that young woman was seated with. The quartet was already looking over their schedules and discussing classes.
Returning to the head table, just as the Headmaster joined them, she was motioned closer and grimaced at hearing his request. "Albus, you would be better off leaving that alone. It could backfire on you if Potter finds out that you are trying to choose his friends. Besides, Weasley seems rather happy with who he has already befriended."
Pride
Lucius was speaking to his wife when the large black owl named Democritus entered through the owl chute and landed on a nearby perch. Standing and removing the letters attached, he handed the one from his son to his wife and then took Snape's for himself.
Walking to his chair, he was about to sit down when he heard his wife gasping. Turning, he saw her holding the letter out to him, so he quickly returned and removed it from her hands, worried about what could have her so upset.
He knew from his first go-round in this timeline that not much had happened so he had not been concerned. Reading his son's note, shocked beyond speech, he sank into the chair next to his wife and then weakly gasped "Gryffindor?"
His wife's replied pulled him out of his shock when she said: "Poor Draco, he looks terrible in red and gold."
Lucius smirked at that comment, then looking down read the rest of the letter hoping for an explanation from his son. Reading about the hat stall and what had been said, he let go of his dismay as he realized that all of this was his own fault.
His attention to his son and his requesting his help with his special project had changed Draco immensely and clearly he would not have been a good fit with the other Snakes anymore. Still, how to use this to his benefit and make things easier on his son at school? Thinking about it, he was bemused to realize that he could use what was going on to further his secondary agenda.
Reading about Draco's train ride to school, his befriending the annoyingly smart muggleborn witch Granger and then Longbottom and Potter, he grimaced. He had hoped to fly under the radar regarding Potter, but it was becoming clearer that maybe just maybe he wouldn't need to.
"Dearest?" Lucius turned to his wife and saw she was concerned about how quiet he was being.
"It's fine, Narcissa. I can't help feeling that this might be the best thing for Draco and ourselves. Besides, need I remind you that the Blacks have often landed in houses other than Slytherin over the years. Our son is just another in a long line of them. Now, you should read the rest of the letter, he has befriended a few rather odd choices. One, I find that I approve of." His odd tone had his wife reaching for the letter he was holding out.
He watched over the top of the letter he was holding from Snape; pretending to read it but in truth watching his wife's expressions. He saw her lips quirk up at the complaint about the Granger girl telling him he didn't have any manners and when she nodded her head in agreement to what had been written, he found himself wanting to laugh in spite of himself.
Her shock about Longbottom and Potter, then her worriedly biting her lip had him saying as casually as possible "Narcissa, Longbottom knows who Draco's family is, he still befriended him. It will be fine. As for Potter..."
She folded the letter then looked at him. "I was expecting him to befriend Potter, unfortunately. We should keep a close watch on the situation, Lucius, but I can't help feeling it is important for Draco to make friends with who he wishes. I am more concerned with his rooming with the Weasley boy, considering the bad blood between our families."
"I am rather sure that Arthur Weasley's youngest is no danger to Draco, Narcissa, unlike what he might have had to deal with regarding the Snakes in a few years. Now, do you want to hear what Severus has to say?" He asked already knowing the answer.
Reading out loud, he reported, "Lucius, before I inform you of the events after your exit from the castle this afternoon, I must inform you of the rather surprising turn of events that happened during the opening feast."
"He goes on to repeat what Draco wrote then mentioned that he feels that our son is rather pleased with his placement," Lucius stated. "He also said that he was rather surprised to notice that Potter and Longbottom had accepted Draco so easily, though that the Granger girl seemed to be a fourth in the group which as you know is rather odd, that normally with first years, it tends to settle into circles of friends with the same sex."
Lucius scanned the next part with a slight frown followed by a chuckle. "He tried to use passive legilimency on the Potter boy and only ended up with a headache. Turns out the Potter boy took to Occlumency like a duck to water after reading that book I gave him. I knew he was good but wasn't so sure he could keep Severus out of his mind. If he can avoid Severus looking at his memories, the Headmaster should be no problem."
"He said that Minerva McGonagall seemed rather pleased to have our son, the Potter boy and Longbottom this year." He stated.
"I am sure she is. From what Andromeda told me, the four heads of house bet on who ended up with highest grades and top students every year. She has repeatedly lost out to Ravenclaw." His wife replied.
"That isn't all that they bet on." He answered. "Severus told me that they have several different pots throughout the year for various circumstances."
He had also told him something Lucius had not known during his last life, that the teachers often met to discuss students and the best way to help them. It seems as if the Headmaster often kept things silent from the Ministry that should have been shared. One of them had given Lucius the in he had needed to start pressing his fellow purebloods on not marrying too closely via bloodlines.
Reading further he said "Weasley was the big star in Gryffindor for surviving the attack by Umbridge, he didn't take the train but rode the boats to school with the other students. Draco apparently forgot to mention that Weasley harassed him and that Draco shoved him into the lake. That moron half giant dealt with it in an acceptable manner though."
"The rest of this is regarding the headmaster and what was said regarding the late Quirrell." He stated then excused himself to head to his study. Stopping in the doorway, he said "You were correct, by the way. It is Lockhart who it to be teaching Defense Against Dark Arts."
In his study, Lucius sat down at his desk, pulled out a piece of parchment and a quill. Taking a deep breath he gained control of his anger then reread what he hadn't told his wife. The Headmaster had spoken to Severus after the feast, asking questions regarding Draco and his upbringing. Severus had added that he wasn't sure he was comfortable with the rather thoughtful expression on the man's face when he had dismissed him.
Lucius read again how the Headmaster hadn't wanted to the students to know about the dead professor but that the Weasley boy had made it public within minutes of the students arriving. Lucius was almost thankful to the redhead. He had known the headmaster would try to cover this up, he had been expecting to have to use his own lines of communication to make things public.
Writing to his son, then to his friend, Lucius was about to send the letters when he stopped for a second, thinking about the changes he was going to be making and if that meant he could keep Severus alive this time, after all, that had long been one of his regrets about his previous life; betraying his best friend to protect his son.
Narcissa finished her note to her son, arranging for a care package for him and his friends before going to search for her husband. Locating him holding two letters of his own, she smiled and handed him hers, mentioning that she was off to brunch with some of her fellow pureblood wives. "Anything you need disseminated?"
"You might want to consider taking up that I have been rather busy researching some obscure topic as a result of my appointment to the Hogwarts board. Tell them that I found something that the headmaster wanted to be kept quiet and that I intend to speak to their husbands. Oh, get Zara Zambini off to the side, then mention we would like to have dinner with the Nott and herself. That should get her spreading rumors."
"If they ask about Draco's placement." She inquired.
"Just give them an enigmatic smile and then say that you deferred to your husband regarding placement but that you had achieved your goal regarding Draco's attending Hogwarts." He said as he thought about how often she had done this. "Narcissa, I know I don't say this often enough, but thank you."
"For?" She truly looked confused and Lucius couldn't help thinking that this was one of the reasons he had made so many mistakes in his previous life. He had not told her how much she meant to him.
"This, and all you have done over the years and what you will do in the future to protect our son and our marriage. You are brilliant and every bit as intelligent as most of my compatriots. I just wanted to say, thank you."
Across the United Kingdom, many families received letters from their students both returning and first years. Augusta Longbottom had been shocked to read about her grandson befriending Draco Malfoy but had fought her instincts to write him to tell him not to speak to the boy when she read that he was also friends with Harry Potter and a young muggleborn girl. Taking the letter with her to visit her son and daughter in law, she sat down and read to them what Neville had written.
At the Granger residence, the two dentists had been surprised when a snowy white owl had pecked at a nearby window and they opened it when they saw the attached parchment. Reading their daughter's rather long and exciting letter, her father was thrilled to read that she seemed to be finding acceptance after years of torment in primary school.
His wife had gone to follow their daughter's instructions regarding the owl. Watching as it ate the toast and drank the water from the bowl she had set in front of it, she asked. "I wonder where the owl came from?"
"This boy she mentioned, Harry Potter. It is his. Or rather she is. Her name is Hedwig." He replied as he handed her the letter then moved over to the bird. "Do you like to be touched, Hedwig?"
The bird dipped its head as if to invite him to pet her, so Dr. Granger did just that, amazed at how soft the owl feathers were. "Hermione says that if we want to reply we need to tell you to wait. Will you be able to understand us?"
The owl nipped at his finger with her beak and he chuckles saying "I will take that as a yes."
Across the country at a house tilting in the wind, Molly Weasley was reading the second letter she had received from her sons. Her older son Percy had written to tell her about the train journey and the high jinks of the twins, then mentioned Ron was now a lion. His letter added as an afterthought who the other first-year Gryffindors were and she couldn't help frowning and returning to Ron's note.
"Mum?!" Ginny demanded to read the letters, so she indulgently handed her Ron's, knowing that she had to be missing her sibling who had been closest to her in age. Molly went to locate her husband who was still off work due to what had happened thanks to Umbridge.
Finding him puttering around in his shed, she handed him Percy's letter and said Draco Malfoy ended up in Gryffindor. Arthur frowned and read the letter clearly surprised by the news. "I wonder what Lucius is up to? Whatever it is, I am sure that the Headmaster will know, he doesn't miss much."
"What he is up to? Seriously, Arthur did you not read the rest of what Percy wrote. Harry Potter is in the same house. I am sure that Malfoy is going to try and influence that boy. I don't trust him not to try and turn the boy toward his agenda. I wrote the headmaster and told him that I didn't locate the boy like he asked and with Ron missing the Express, who knows who he met on the train."
"What does our son have to do with anything?" Arthur asked looking at his wife with a slightly confused expression on his face.
"Albus wrote to me, it seems as if he missed telling the boy how to access the train, he wanted me to be on the lookout for Harry at Kings Cross. He wasn't there when I arrived. I was concerned he had missed the train, but clearly, that didn't happen. Albus also requested that I ask Ron to befriend the poor soul as he doesn't actually know anyone in the magical world yet. Now because of that attack by Umbridge, Ron missed his chance and I just know that Malfoy took advantage of that fact and told his son to befriend the Boy Who Lived first." She wailed annoyed at the mistake.
"Are you insinuating that the Headmaster and Lucius Malfoy had the same plan, Molly?" Arthur quietly inquired. When he saw her frown at his interpretation of her statement, he said: "That is what you just told me, that Lucius was successful in the same plan that the headmaster had wanted to use our son for."
"It is not the same thing." She said.
"It certainly sounded like it. Either way, Harry Potter and who he befriends should be between that boy and his new friends. The Headmaster nor Lucius Malfoy should be involved. Neither should we." He firmly stated as he looked at his wife. "Now, I have to go to the ministry this afternoon. Oddly enough, Amos Diggory has requested that I help him with something in his department."
"You are on medical leave." She reminded him what the healer had said the day before.
"I can't go into the field, which is why I have been asked to take this position. Molls, it will be regarding helping repeal some of the laws that Umbridge put into place." He said knowing she would approve. "Besides which, it means a bit more pay while doing so. Not much, but enough that we can start saving a bit for next year when we have five children at Hogwarts."
"Maybe we could use it for Christmas. It might be nice to be able to get Ron that broom he so badly wishes for." She replied.
Arthur went silent, knowing no matter what he said, she would not save the extra funds. He was well aware that galleons didn't stay long in the vault. He did however state. "It won't be enough for that, Molly. Maybe for store-bought gifts for each of the children this year since we will be in Romania visiting Charlie."
In Little Whinging, no letter arrived, but a rather corpulent siste- in-law did come to visit her family. She was filled with glee about forcing that unwanted brat to do whatever she ordered him to as the train pulled into the station and her dog was freed from his travel cage.
Her brother greeted her and helped her load her luggage into the boot of his car then filled her in how happy and proud he had been to drop his son off at his old alma mater hiding how he had barely scraped up the funds. "What about the other one?"
"Oh, we shipped him off to St. Brutus." He cheerfully lied. "Anyhow, how was your summer?"
At the house on Privet Drive, Marge frowned at the loss of her favorite target but when she entered the house to find Petunia waiting with tea, she soon forgot as Ripper ran around the house. When her brother returned and announced his intention of taking both of the women out to dinner, Marge said she must take a rest then, that she had been up since early morning on the train.
Heading up the stairs, she went to the room she usually stayed in to find that it had been redecorated. Turning to her brother who had moved further down the hallway, she said: "Did you purchase new furniture for the master bedroom?"
Vernon's face tightened and turned slightly puce before it smoothed out and he replied. "No, that is the same furniture we have always had. Now, with how small the guest room is, I had to place some of your luggage in Dudley's room but since he isn't here I hope it won't be an inconvenience, dear sister."
"What are you talking about, Vernon?" She asked only to notice him opening the door to her nephew's second bedroom. Seeing the familiar furniture, she asked "I refuse to stay in that broom closet, Vernon. What on earth is going on in this house? Why is your furniture in my guest room?"
Vernon glared at his sister and then said "This is our guest room, Marge. I don't know what you are about, but if the size of our spare room Isn't to your liking..."
Marge wanted answers, but knew from experience she wouldn't get them from her brother when he was in this mood and she couldn't go home, not just yet. She had to wait until her neighbors had calmed down, so she simply thanked him for his hospitality, entered the room and shut the door before promptly bashing her knee on the footboard then her elbow on the dresser. Tripping over Ripper she fell onto the bed and cursed quietly.
An hour later she was sneaking down the hallway towards what had been the master bedroom only to find no proof of a door. Running her hands along the wall, finding no indentations, no new construction, she frowned as she used the steps to hurry downstairs.
Taking Ripper outside to do his business herself, she casually walked around to the side garden and counted windows, finding that the window she knew to be from the master bedroom was still there even if it wasn't.
Returning to the house, annoyed to have had to deal with Ripper herself when she had expected to have the boy to forced to do so, she returned upstairs to await her brother's return from work, ignoring his wife who was cleaning up the kitchen.
In the hallway, she was muttering about the missing room when her already sore elbow hit the door to the linen closet. Noticing that Ripper had waited until they had returned to the house to finish his business and forgetting that the boy was no longer there, shouted for him. "Potter."
When Petunia came up the stairs, Marge was about to shout again when her sister in law asked what was wrong. "Nothing, I forgot the boy wasn't here and Ripper forgot himself and made a mess."
Petunia who had been forced to do the actual housework for a few months now, after years of not doing so saw the mess, she gritted her teeth then put a smile on her face. "There are paper products in the hallway bath, Marge. I must return to my dishes."
Marge was muttering threats against the boy and Petunia while cleaning up the mess her dog had made. While Petunia didn't hear them, a small creature with large ears who had been overseeing the Dursley household had and was not very happy.
With narrowed eyes, Dobby looked at the large mannish woman and when her last dire threat was heard, he removed all memory of the master bedroom and then with a click of his fingers used the same subtle tactic on her he had been using on Vernon.
Later that evening as they left the house for dinner, Marge frowned when her clothing restricted her breathing a bit. Vowing to worry about her weight a little later, she took on a full English dinner involving many, many courses and of course ending with dessert.
Petunia grimaced as they left both her husband and sister in law looked like a sausage squeezed into too tight of a casing as they exited the restaurant with several of their neighbors dining nearby. Just as Vernon went to sit down in the driver's seat, they heard a loud rip and Marge gasp.
At the house, Vernon pulled the company sedan into the garage and helped his sister out of the car, her skirt seams having split along with several buttons on her blouse had popped off. Once inside, she needed Petunia's help in getting off her too tight shoes. The next morning, Marge dressed, relieved to fit into that outfit, unaware that by dinner time, it would also no longer fit.
Petunia, on the other hand, was well aware of the situation as it was often happening to Vernon as well. She had talked to her husband's doctor. Vernon had been furious when ordered to lose weight. Now, thanks to the exhibit his sister had put in, her husband had reluctantly agreed to a small change in diet, nothing too big, but a change none the less.
Petunia listened as her husband dealt with his angry sister when she found out that they now ate yogurt and fruit for breakfast instead of the traditional lard filled meal that she had become accustomed to at their house. When her husband outright lied and said that it was now of a longstanding plan, denying his wife had gone to get the food that morning, Petunia hid her relief when her sister-in-law demanded to be taken the train station immediately, saying she could tell when she was no longer wanted.
Petunia was about to leave the house for the day when she saw Mrs. Figg their neighbor watching her from the nearby pavement. Now that they no longer needed the woman, she snapped at the woman's rather nosy questions regarding the freak. "My family is none of your business, Arabella Figg."
With that, she went to her car and drove off, meanwhile, Arabella went home and wrote to the headmaster that nothing was odd regarding the Dursleys and Harry which was exactly what she had been saying all along.
Arabella was a squib and she didn't like muggleborn witches or wizards, but she had to pretend because she had been expelled from her pureblood family for not being a witch. Oh, she didn't hate the Potter boy, but she simply couldn't be bothered nor did she understand why the Headmaster was so interested, after all, Voldemort was dead, so why did the Boy Who Lived Matter.
She did as required by the old man, at least on the surface. She watched him on occasion, sent the old man photos on the sly, making sure to show the boy to the best advantage in order to keep her cushy life. After all, she was paid to live in a house she now owned with her cats that she kept as a hobby. No, Arabella Figg didn't care one way or the other so she simply wrote back that things had been normal before the boy had left for school and that she was sure the family was missing their nephew.
In London, Lucius put together everything he had regarding his visit to the Ministry and then sent out a few specialized invitations. Finding he had to put on the back burner his plan to deal with his sister=in-law, he ignored the complaints he had been given by the Reaper and arranged for the deaths of two more death eaters, minor ones to be sure, but ones that helped clear the way for a brighter future. Besides, he was sure that killing off Goyle and Crabbe would be of no consequence to anyone but their own families who would be better off.
Returning home to find a note from Nott, he chuckled and sent the older wizard a reply asking him to meet him the next day at his office. Taking out the paperwork he had been sent, Lucius let out a low chuckle and considered his next step.
Unfortunately for him, a rather intelligent first-year Hogwart's student was going to offer another of her classmate's some advice which was going to throw Hogwarts into chaos. That chaos was going to create a situation that would require him to change his plans. Those plans...well if Albus Dumbledore had known what his own manipulations were doing, he would have locked himself in his tower and never left. Because Albus Dumbledore was about to make a mistake...
TO BE CONTINUED
