Lionfire Hall, or better known as Potter Manor, was the ancestral home of the Potter Family since Godric Gryffindor first had the home built. The estate was located just outside Godric's Hollow and encompassed over three hundred and fifty acres of land.
Harry and Ginny had taken the floo to a small wizarding pub in Godric's Hollow itself and made twenty minute walk to the property with Charlie giving them space, but still keeping them in eyesight. Adults or not, Ginny was still his kid sister and Harry was still his little brother. This gave Harry and Ginny both a chance to cool down a little after dealing with Molly.
"I can't believe her!" Ginny screamed.
"I know. But at least the rest of the family seems to have accepted us." Harry said.
"Yes. But still…"
"I know sweetheart." Harry said as he wrapped her arm around Ginny as they walked on. After reaching the edge of the property, Harry closed his eyes and demanded the wards to let him see his ancestral home. A moment later the estate appeared behind a large wall with a gate in front of them flanked by two large lion statues which stood upon pedestals on either side of the gate. Charlie stood next to them looking around and not seeing anything. Harry placed his hand on his arm and then he too could see the gates.
As they approached the gate, the two statues sprang to life and began to pace in front of the gates and growled. Harry simply raised his right hand and spoke to the two lions. "Thank you for protecting my home."
Both lions turned to Harry and bowed before they returned to their pedestals and their statue forms. Once the lions were back as statues, the gates opened and Harry Potter took his wife's hand began to walk towards the manor itself with Charlie following. As they continued to walk towards the mansion, they saw many different forms of wildlife: Lions, tigers, bears, hippogriffs, griffins, unicorns, panthers, deer, wolves, and many other small, medium and large creatures, some magical some not.
"Harry, I am going to check out the animals if that is alright with you?" Charlie asked.
"Why don't you come up to the manor with us and then we go on a tour alright?" Harry suggested.
"You're the boss little brother."
As the three of them approached the manor doors, they swung open and exposed a very well lit entry hall. Inside were six house elves, each one wore clothing with the Gryffindor/Potter crest on them.
"Lord Gryffindor, my name is Brent, I is the head house elf and chief butler for Lionfire Hall. This is my wife Brianna, who runs the kitchens, and our sons Jama and Rama, who handle the stables and the grounds. Then we have Tana and Anga our daughters whom help with the Mansion. Welcome to Lionfir Hall. It has been many years since we has being seeing you last."
"Thank you Brent. May I present my wife and soulmate, Lady Gryffindor Ginevra Molly Potter, and her brother Charles Patrick Weasley of the Noble House of Weasley." Harry said.
"Lady Gruffindor, it is an honor to bes seeing yous. Beastmaster Weasley, you is almost as well known to wes as Hagrid. Hes bes a great tender of animals."
"Thank you Brent." Charlie said, somewhat surprised.
"Would yous be liking a tour?"
"Yes thank you. Brianna, we will be having twenty guests for dinner tonight. Please have dinner ready by 7 seven o'clock." Ginny told the little elf.
"Of course Mistress Gryffindor; Brianna will start preparing. Wills this be an official dinner?" Brianna said.
"What does that mean?" Harry asked
"Begging your pardon sir, but it is customary for the Lord and Lady of the Manor to host a dinner party their first night in residence." Brent explained.
"Then yes, it will be a formal dinner. Here is the list. Please let them know." Harry said as he handed the list he conjured over.
Brianna looked over the list
Lionfire Hall Official Homecoming Dinner
Hosts
Harry and Ginny Potter, Lord and Lady of the Ancient and Most Noble Houses of Black, Potter/Gryffindor, Noble House of Flamel, High Lord and Lady of Hogwarts, High Lord and Lady of the Council of Twelve of Great Britain
Guests
Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Lord of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Dumbledore
Minerva Michelle McGonagall, of the Clan McGonagall
Rubeus Hagrid
Severus Snape (+1)
The Noble House of Weasley
Arthur William Weasley, Head of the Noble House of Weasley
Molly Weasley (Undecided)
William Arthur Weasley
Fleur Delacour
Charles Patrick Weasley
Percival Ignatius Weasley
Penelope Clearwater
Fred Weasley (+1)
George Weasley (+1)
Ronald Bilius Weasley
The Ancient and Most Noble House of Black
Andromeda and Theodore Tonks
Nymphadora Marie Tonks, Daughter of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black
Hermione Jane Granger, Daughter of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black
Remus John Lupin, Uncle of the Ancient and Most Noble Houses of Black and Potter
Brent took Harry, Ginny, and Charlie on the tour of the Manor and the grounds. After seeing the master suite, main sitting areas, armory, potions, lab, main bedrooms, guest rooms, formal dining room, and game room, Brent took them outside.
"Lionfire Hall is the name of the ancestral manor itself. The rest of estate is simply called 'Lionfire Estate'. The entire estate consists of the main manor house, two sets of stables, two barns, workshop, boat house, 20 acres of open grass land, over 300 acres of farm land, and almost three quarters of a mile of forests. We also have a rather large lake completely stocked with many different muggle and magical water faring creatures.
"As you know we also have many different forms of land dwelling and air borne animals." Harry was impressed with estate. It was huge, but Harry had no idea where the money came from to pay for all of this. Also, this much work for six little elves seemed cruel, Harry needed to fix that.
"Brent, with this much stuff to do, why don't I hire you some help? And while we are at it, where does the money come from to buy things?"
Brent smiled slightly, "Lord Potter, we is a fully sufficient estate here. All of the employees, which not only include us elves, but fifteen other creatures including veela, vampires, and a couple of werewolves live here on the property. Many of them live on the far side of the meadows in the out lying buildings. The wards on the property, which was recently upgraded by the goblins, allow us to leave whenever we wish. We is been selling things in the local market for many years and no one is any wiser. We have our more human looking employees handle the selling and buying of goods and services. However, Griphook is very good to us and makes regular stops to check on us."
"Hey Harry, do you mind if I go out and check on that griffin we saw. She looked like she was hurting. If there are people here to help, I can get her over to them and then go and get cleaned up for dinner." Charlie asked
"Go ahead Charlie." Harry said. Charlie nodded and took off at a jog for the griffin they saw earlier.
Harry was surprised that so many people were working for them on the grounds. He just assumed that the elves were the only people who worked for him. Ginny, who was just as surprised as Harry, decided that she wanted a few changes to be made around the property. After finishing the tour, where Harry and Ginny met many of their staff and learned about the griffin Charlie saw earlier, the group returned to the sunroom where Brianna had prepared tea. After having to order Brent to set down and join them, Harry spoke up.
"Brent, Ginny and I want to make some changes around Lionfire. Many of them are simple, but there are going to be some major ones. We wish for you to officially become the General Manager of Lionfire Estate. Now are you all paid?" Brent simply nodded, unable to speak due to the fact that he was shocked that Lord and Lady Gryffindor had given a lowly elf this position.
At this point Ginny took over, "Excellent Brent, now everyone will receive a hefty pay increase and I want all the employee's residences to be cleaned and remodeled. You will be responsible for everything that happens here, that includes the health and safety of everyone here. Once a month, I think on the first of the month, we are going to hold a meeting, whether it will be here, Hogwarts, Gringotts, or anther location; at that meeting you will present me with a monthly report.
"This report will detail everything Harry and I need to know about the estate: profit and loss reports, general welfare, etc. We'll have Griphook train you on what you need. Do you agree to these terms?"
"I, Brent, chief house elf of Lionfire Hall, accept this challenge and this responsibility." With that done, Harry and Ginny retreated to the Master Suite so that they could lie down for a while before dinner.
Hermione, Ron, Dora, and Remus all took a portkey to the Granger's residence. When they arrived, they took a moment to check out the damage. According to the official report, the muggles in the neighborhood were told it was a gas explosion and that Hermione had been out with friends when the accident happened.
The house itself was in shambles. The front door had been blasted in, but was covered by plywood along with most of the other windows on the first floor. Hermione lead the group around back to where the sliding door was. This door was blasted apart as well but the plywood had been installed with hinges to serve as a door. Walking into the house Hermione pulled out her wand and began to blast different things out of her way.
Remus and Dora remained downstairs and began to pack up the fine china and silverware which had somehow remained undamaged. Ron and Hermione went upstairs to the master bedroom. Hermione quickly sorted out her mother's jewelry and shrunk her cedar hope chest along with a few pictures and small items. After they were shrunk, Ron placed them in a box.
Finally Hermione and Ron moved to her room where she shouted out "PACK!" and watched as the entire packed into the second trunk that Remus had given to Hermione before they arrived. Finished upstairs, the two returned to the living room where Dora and Remus were waiting.
"Did you get everything you wanted?" Remus asked.
"Except for Mum and Daddy to come back, yes" Hermione said.
"I know baby, I know." Ron said.
"Ron what am I going to do?"
"You and I are going to take your car and drive to see Harry. We are going to have dinner and then I am going to get you very drunk and put you to bed for the night." Ron said matter of factly.
"Only if you are sleeping nearby" Hermione admitted to her quasi-boyfriend.
"Only if you agree to go out with me" Ron said cheekily.
"Alright, Ron I will go out with you." Hermione said as she kissed Ron's cheek and headed outside.
As they sealed the house, a man appeared. He was a tall white gentleman with auburn hair and blue eyes. He was dressed in a muggle business suit and carried a clipboard.
"Miss Hermione Granger?" He asked.
"Yes." Hermione answered her wand still in her hand along with the others.
"I am Mr. Stephen Douglass. I was asked by Master Griphook of Gringotts to handle the provisions on your parents' Last Will and Testament. I am retained by the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black for all legal services."
"Mr. Douglas, I am Nymphadora Tonks, Daughter of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black. We have retrieved everything Miss Granger wants from the house. We are going to be taking the Aston Martin and the Mercedes Benz in the car shed with us today. Is there anything you need from us?" Tonks said.
"No. I have everything I need. Miss Granger, would you like to keep the house and rent it, or just sell the lot?" Douglas asked.
"Deal with the insurance company, rebuild the house, and then sell it. If there is anything of value, sell it. I have all I want from here. As for the Dental Practice, Dr. Bartlett was an old friend of theirs and they always asked him to look after the practice when we traveled. He'd take good care of the patients. If he wants it, he can buy it for a very reasonable price. I am going by the office to clean out what I need from it. The deeds to the office, the house, and all the important papers are there. Here is the combination." Hermione said handing him a piece of parchment.
"Very well Miss Granger. I shall take care of everything and owl you of necessary. Also, I am sorry for your loss. If you wish, I do know a muggle therapist who knows about our world."
"Thank you sir, I will think about it."
Hermione and the others moved to the car shed where the Aston Martin was sitting under a tarp. After pulling it off; Hermione took a moment to stare at it. It was blue, the same blue as Ron's eyes, and was in perfect condition. The tires were in good shape and so was the body. Hermione began to go thru the checklist her dad and she made up when they were restoring the car.
Hermione explained what she was doing to Ron, who was very eager, while Remus and Dora did the same thing to Mercedes E-Class Sedan. They checked the oil, water, power steering, and transmission fluids. They then checked the windshield washer fluid before inspecting the belts and then the tire for any cracks, holes, or hazards.
Seeing that it was safe, Hermione jumped in behind the wheel and started the car. The Aston Martin came to life and sat there purring. Dora walked over and cast the communication charm on the car that would allow Hermione and Ron to talk to Remus and Dora. Once done, the two cars pulled out of the car shed and headed the Granger's Dental Practice. After a quick trip inside by Ron and Hermione, the two cars took off for the Lionfire Estate.
Just before they left the Granger's dental practice, Remus sent a patronus message to Harry. "We're leaving now. See you in a few hours."
Albus and Minerva returned to Hogwarts thru Albus' office. Once they cleaned the soot off, Minerva noticed a change in the office.
"Albus, where is Phineas and where did that door come from?"
"Minerva, I think you should sit and have a drink. The tale I am about to tell you will literally knock your socks off. You have already heard part of it." Dumbledore said.
After pouring Minerva a drink, Albus sat down and began to explain all about the Alterrans and the origins of magic to the secret love of his life.
Severus Snape was looking over the potion he received from the mutt Sirius Black's Will Reading. It was a very strange potion, it included small amounts of phoenix tears and basilisk venom and a number of components that Severus had not figured out yet. But the study of the potion was just an excuse to keep him away from what he really needed to think about.
"Harry James Potter" Snape murmured. "How could I have been so wrong about you? How could I not see what was wrong with you?"
Being a half-blood, Severus was raised in an environment where he was hated by a parent. His father, a muggle, tortured him mentally, physically, and emotionally because he did not understand magic. His mother, an alcoholic, never did anything because she was too scared of Tobias, Severus' father. Severus had gone to the muggle authorities but Tobias Snape was a wealthy and powerful man in the muggle world and carried a lot of weight with the authorities. Because of that, he always walked with a swagger.
It was that same swagger that Severus had seen in James Potter. Severus had seen it in his own father and transferred the hatred he felt for his father to his new school rival.
"You know, if it wasn't for the fact that he swaggered like my father, I might have been friends with him and the others." Severus said.
"Thanks Severus. I never knew you had a heart" Said a voice.
Severus jumped to his feet, wand in hand, and looked around the room. There was no one there. After a few minutes, Severus lowered his wand and began to relax.
"BOO!" The voice said.
This time Severus spun and launched a curse right at the ghostly vision of James Potter. The spell went right thru him.
"Sorry Severus. I couldn't resist." James said.
"What have I done wrong to deserve this punishment?" Severus asked no one.
"Snivillus, shut up." James said. "I don't have time for this. I only have precious few minutes here and I need you to listen to me."
Snape saw the determined look in James' eyes and knew he was serious. Snape sat down in a conjured chair and waited.
"Thank you." James started. "Now, first off, Lily would be here, but she is getting Sirius situated in his new home on the other side of the veil. So that leaves me. If I had it my way, I would never even come here, but I learned that I screwed up when we were kids and Harry thought that I had drugged Lily in order to marry me."
"What! That is just plain stupid. Even you wouldn't drop that low to do something like that." Snape responded.
"Thank you Severus, I appreciate it. Now while I am here I need to tell you something. I am not very good at this, so bare with me." James exhaled a deep breath and spoke again. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for what I did to you in school. It was unfair. Also, I can understand how you would hate me because I was a spoiled little brat. It was one of the reasons why Lily wouldn't go out with me.
"Then when we started dating in our 6th year, we had a long discussion about you. I was ready to start over with you, but then you had taken the Dark Mark and I couldn't see past it. When we had that duel in our 7th year, I was ready to kill you. In fact I would have, except for Lily made me take an unbreakable vow not to purposely kill you in the duel."
"That is why you didn't finish me off!" Snape said. "You knew I took the mark, but you still did not kill me. Black couldn't believe it if I remember correctly."
"Well Sirius was always a hot head. In fact I need to have a chat with him about that temper. It caused Harry to live with the Dursleys. But that is neither here nor there."
"Then why are you here?"
James took a deep breath "To ask for your forgiveness and to tell you about your godson, Severus."
"Draco is gone. My godson is in America, thanks to Black and your son, Potter!"
"Drop the act Severus. You know as well as anyone that if Draco and Cissy did not leave, then Voldemort would have marked Draco and given him a suicide mission to kill Dumbledore or even yourself. You don't want Draco marked anymore than you wanted to be marked, but it was a means to an end."
"How did you know?"
"That you killed your father? My father and I were the two Aurors to find the body. After we completed our investigation, I asked my father to bury the case because the bastard deserved it." James said.
"And that moment of weakness has plagued me for twenty years now."
"Not for much longer." James stopped and looked off into the distance, not seeing anything. "I only have a few minutes left so let me tell you a few things that Harry didn't mention. Draco is a bright young man. He is going to excel in America and he is going to great things. He'll make you proud Severus. And he is going to become a force for the light. He is going to work with people that will literally reshape this world into a better place. Just watch. You need to be patient and love him, even from afar."
"How do you know this?"
"Sorry Severus, that is against the rules." James looked off into space for a moment before returning to the conversation with Severus. "I need to go. Severus, I'm sorry. Don't worry about Draco, and please do not blame my son for my actions. And don't blame Sirius either; he was in just as much trouble as you were growing up."
"Yes. He was abused as much as I was. Could you imagine if things had happened differently? You, Black, Lupin, and myself all friends?" Severus laughed.
"You would have been a great Gryffindor, but probably ended up in Ravenclaw. But think about the pranks we could have pulled." James laughed.
"It would have been interesting, providing the castle survived." Snape agreed.
"Yes it would have been." There was a gong sound coming from no where. "My time is up, take care Severus, and do yourself a favor, go with Albus and Minerva to dinner tonight and give Rolanda Hooch a fire-call." And with that James Potter was gone, leaving Severus time to think. After a moment he made his over to the fire and floo called Albus, telling him he would like to join him and Minerva for dinner tonight.
Albus agreed and forwarded the request to Lionfire Manor via Fawkes. He also sent a note to Minerva to invite Rolanda Hooch to dinner as well. 'I wonder what made Severus decide to join us.' Albus thought as he went back to his paperwork.
Molly Weasley arrived to an empty Burrow. The chickens were quiet, the gnomes were hiding, and the ghoul in the attic wasn't banging on the pipes. In one word, the Burrow was empty. It was at that moment that Molly knew had messed up. Molly fell to her knees and cried. Cried for everything that that had happened. She cried for Sirius, she cried for Harry, she cried for Percy, and she cried for her family.
She knew her daughter, she would not forgive. It was in the female Weasley nature to forgive easily. Ginny was still a Weasley, even though she was now a Potter; Ginny Potter, Lady Gryffindor and the Lady of the Hogwarts, who would have thought? When she was little, she said wanted to marry 'The-Boy-Who-Lived' and now she was.
She was in her thoughts and did not hear Fleur Delacour enter the kitchen. Fleur, who had been dating Bill for the past year, knew that Molly spoke without thinking and decided she needed to talk the Weasley Matriarch.
"Madam Weasley? Are you alright?" Fleur asked.
Molly jumped to her feet in surprise. "Oh, Fleur, what can I do for you?"
"I came to talk to you about your youngest children."
"You heard?"
"Bill told me about the soul bond."
"Oh Fleur I have made a right mess out of things." Moll wailed.
"I know, Mamma, but it is fixable."
"How?"
"You know how to fix this. What has the Weasley Matriarch given each new couple for over seven hundred years?"
"The Weasley Family Grimoire? The Potters are a much older family; their grimoire contains better spells and knowledge than ours."
"That is not true. The Potters have been well known for their dueling skills and their Defense Against the Dark Arts. However the Weasleys are renowned for their wards and their healing. It is one of the reasons why their soul-bond is so special, both families gain in the end. Besides, it is the Weasley Grimoire, and if I remember correctly, it can only be given to a new couple by the Weasley Family Matriarch only if the Matriarch approves of the union and if they are in truly in love."
"Yes." Milly said, brightening up. "Are you sure Fleur dear?"
"Yes, Mamma Weasley. I am sure. I hope that when Bill and I are married, you will extend the same honor to us." Fleur said as she held out her engagement ring.
"Oh Fleur! Of course. But first thing's first. I need the family grimoire. Can you contact Bill and ask him to talk to Arthur for me?"
"Of course; I should be going. I will see you at dinner." Fleur said as she left. Molly paid her no mind as she went to get the Grimoire.
The Family Grimoire was the source of power for many magical families. The grimoire contains the history of a family and also any spells, potion instructions, or other knowledge that are considered family secrets. The magic that is imbued when a magical grimoire is created is part of the magic that is passed down thru the bloodline of a family. When a child of the family married, it was customary for a small piece of the grimoire of the bride's and groom's families to be brought together to create a new grimoire.
When the Patriarch and Matriarch of a family die, the master grimoire is passed to the oldest son, or Heir Apparent of that line. When a daughter from a family marries into a family whose history is older than their own, an ancient spell is used to create a new grimoire. Unlike the other versions of the grimoire, this is a complete copy, including the magic. This spell could only be used by the rightful Matriarch of a family for this purpose.
The purpose of this spell would be to give the new couple a good start by combining the magics of both families along with their histories. Also by the Matriarch being the only person who could caste this spell, it signified that she accepted and welcomed the new family.
Ron, who had learned to drive from his father when he was young and received further instruction from Hermione, was driving, allowing Hermione to sleep. The last set of potions included a mild sleeping potion which allowed her to sleep. She had not slept since her parents' deaths and Ron was really worried about her. They talked a little, but Hermione was beginning to pull a Harry and shut him out. Ron knew that was not a good thing and vowed to make sure Hermione would be ok. Even if he had to piss her off to no end to release the anger she had built up. He only hoped that Madam Pomfrey hadn't left Hogwarts for the summer.
They had just past Godric's Hollow and were following Remus as he turned down a dirt road that was not there when Ron first looked. As soon as he turned onto the road, the dirt road changed into a perfectly paved road that led thru woods and fields. Ron was listening to The Who on the CD player in the car and started looking for the Manor.
"Ron, you need to stay close, the wards protecting the manor require you to be led in by someone who has been there before." Remus spoke thru the communication charm.
"Understood Moony" Ron said as he pulled up to the bumper of the car Remus was driving. A moment later the woods opened up and Ron saw Lionfire Hall. As he crossed the border he heard Godric Gryffindor speaking in his head, 'Welcome brave Gryffindor. You and your mate are always welcome here.'
The Manor itself was lit up. Every window had light coming from them and the main entrance looked as if there were thousands of fairies lighting it. "Ron, there is a garage around back of the Manor. It is where we used to park the motorcycles and cars when James and Lily lived here."
"Understood Moony; I'll follow you."
A few minutes later, both cars were parked and engines off. Hermione had woken up and was amazed at the Manor. As they got out, Rama came up to them. "Welcome Lady Hermione and Sir Ronald to Lionfire Hall. I am Rama and I shall take care of your vehicle. Lord and Lady Gryffindor are inside waiting for you."
Ron handed the keys to the car over to the elf as they walked out. As they exited the garage, they turned with Remus and Tonks and saw Jama and Rama placing both cars up on magical lifts and beginning to service the cars.
"They always service the vehicles when they get here, even if they had just serviced them. They'll also place a number a charms on them like invisibility, autopilot, and flying. They will be the safest cars in the area." Remus explained.
"Wow." Ron said.
"They really don't need to." Hermione said as they left the garage. Everyone knew she wasn't feeling well when she didn't go on about Elf Rights.
"Now, remember, this is a formal dinner tonight. Harry has already prepared a number of things for you, so just go with the flow until you're told otherwise." Remus said as they entered the main entrance. As they crossed the threshold, their clothing was transfigured into formal robes.
"Announcing Lady Nymphadora Marie Tonks, Daughter of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black, escorted by Lord Moony, Remus Lupin." An elf in formal attire cried as they entered.
"Announcing Lady Hermione Jane Granger, Daughter of the Ancient and Most Noble Houses of Black and Potter escorted by Sir Ronald Bilius Weasley, of the Noble House of Weasley."
After they were announced, Harry and Ginny appeared and welcomed them to their home. "Welcome to Lionfire Hall my friends. Just so you know, tonight we shall be proceeding by the proper rules of protocol." Harry said.
"Hence they formal robes, right Harry?" Ron asked.
"Yes. Now everyone else should be here within the hour. I would suggest that the two of you go up to Hermione's suite, change into your formal robes and sit down with the absorption pensieves and brush up on proper etiquette and protocol." Ginny said.
"That's a good idea. Dora and I are going to go to Grimmauld Place for a moment, if that is alright with you? I have some old formal robes there and Dora has some of the Black Family Jewelry there as well." Remus said.
"Not anymore. Dobby and Winky found me four elves to serve Grimmauld Place. I have already had them move your personal items to the Marauder's Den in Hogsmeade. That is your home now Remus, and don't think about arguing with me. Anyway, Brent said that both of your formal attire is upstairs in your old suite here Remus." Harry said with a fierce look.
"Alright Harry. I assume that you made sure I have new robes as well?" Remus asked.
"No. Dobby and Winky said and I quote, 'Sir Moony needs proper clothing because he is Lord Potter's favorite teacher.' Oh Hermione, as a member of the family, the elves have made sure you have the proper attire, same with you Ron as her escort."
Everyone nodded.
"Now remember, the other guests will arrive in about an hour and my wife and I have yet to christen this house, so no funny business." Harry told his uncle with a straight face. Remus blushed and Dora's hair turned bright red. They both muttered something and left. As they were leaving, Harry caught Hermione's look. Deciding to change his plans, he kissed Ginny's cheek, asked her escort Ron to their suite and took Hermione out for a walk on the back garden.
"It's a little much isn't it sis?" Harry asked as they looked over the gardens.
"I lost mum and dad, then learned I am part of Sirius' family, and now I am a Potter too. All I want is my family back!" Hermione cried and fell into Harry's outstretched arms.
'Ginny, I could use a little help here!'
'I'm dealing with Ron at the moment. Use that knowledge you downloaded.'
"Hermione, sis, there is not a day goes by that I don't miss them. I only remember my parents' death, not anything else. You got to be with your mum and dad for almost 16 years. I would give up everything for that chance. And then there is Sirius. I lost him the same night mum and dad died. Then I found him and lost him again in a way that I know is my fault.
"Hermione, I understand what you are going thru, I really do. But you know I discovered? It gets easier. It got a lot easier when I met my brothers in Ron and the Twins, and then I met my sister in you. You guys are my family. And although my soulmate owns my heart, there will always be a part that belongs to you and Ron."
"I understand. But I fell like part of heart is missing. I killed Bellatrix Lestrange Harry. I killed her. I reduced her to liquid goop. How can I ever be forgiven for that?"
"Do you regret doing it?"
"Yes and no. Yes I regret killing her. Killing is wrong, it is a sin. But she deserved it. If she didn't die than who knows how many people would have died at her hand." Hermione said thru some tears.
"First off, the commandment thou shall not murder, not kill. You did not murder Bellatrix; you killed her in self defense. Never forget that. Also, as long as you fill remorse, you're fine. If you don't believe me, then let this be all the answer you need."
Harry called for his phoenix friend Apollo. Apollo was Fawkes' brother and had been friends to Potters for hundreds of years. Apollo looked at Hermione and began to sing. The song was a mournful song, which reminded Hermione about her parents but there also a strange joy in it as well. As Apollo finished, Hermione looked a little better.
"Better sis?" Harry asked as Apollo settled on his shoulder.
"Yes. Thank you Harry."
"Good. Now go upstairs, get ready, kiss Ron and tell him how much you love him." Harry said as he walked Hermione back inside.
"How do you know I love Ron? Or that Ron loves me?" Hermione asked her brother.
"Because you two have been dancing around each other for years; now if you hurry, you might be able to share the shower with him." Harry told his sister as started to climb the stairs.
A few minutes later Ginny came down the stairs laughing.
"What?" Harry asked.
"Ron and Hermione threw me out of the suite because they wanted to have 'happy time'. When I closed the door, I saw them beginning to glow."
"Another soul-bond; that is unusual, we have a few minutes before the others arrive." Harry said walking his wife towards the living room.
An hour later Rama and Jama had hitched a war unicorn and a wild unicorn to a carriage and began to transport people from the apparition point outside of the manor wards to the main entrance of the manor. The wards around the manor itself would not allow anyone who had not been keyed to them to enter without the permission of Harry. Harry had already keyed Ron and Dora to the wards. Hermione and Remus were keyed in because they had both adopted into the Potter Family, Remus many years ago, Hermione only hours ago.
The first to arrive were Ted and Andi Tonks. As always, Brent announced them. "Announcing Lady Andromeda Nicole Tonks, Daughter of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black, and her escort Sir Theodore Herman Tonks."
After the pleasantries were made, they were served drinks and enjoyed the atmosphere. As per tradition, Andi brought a gift for the Lord and Lady of the Manor. In this case it was a small photo album of Sirius when he was younger.
The next couple to arrive was Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall. Dumbledore wore midnight blue dress robes made of velvet and silk while McGonagall wore robes of Gryffindor Red and her family plaids "Announcing Lady Minerva McGonagall of the Clan McGonagall of the Highlands of Scotland, Professor and Head of Gryffindor House at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and her escort, Lord Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft of Wizardry, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot of Great Britain, Defeater of Grindelwald, and Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards."
"Lord and Lady Gryffindor, it is an honor to once again dine at Potter Manor. It has been many years since I last enjoyed a formal dinner here." Dumbledore said.
"Thank you Lord Dumbledore, the honor is ours." Harry responded in proper fashion.
"Lady Gryffindor, the gift we bring is for Lord Gryffindor, it is something that Hogwarts herself created just before we left." McGonagall said.
Minerva removed a small package the size of a chocolate frog card and expanded it. When Harry looked at it, he cried. It was a portrait of his parents and Sirius. "According to Hogwarts, they will awaken after the ambient magic of Lionfire Hall has infused it. Unfortunately we have no idea how much they will remember about their lives—"
Harry wrapped McGonagall and Dumbledore into a tight hug. "Thank you. This means a lot to me." Harry snapped his finger and one of the elves appeared "Please hand this in the hall of portraits and place a ward that will tell us when they awaken."
"Of course Master Gryffindor, sir" The elf said before disappearing. Albus and Minerva crossed to speak to Remus and the Tonks family, who were discussing the last times they were all in the home.
Next came the last minute couple added because Albus requested it, even though Harry already put the man on the guest list. "Introducing Miss Rolanda Hooch, Instructor of at Hogwarts, and her Escort Lord Severus Tobias Snape, Head of the House of Prince, Professor of Potions and Head of Slytherin House at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." The couple in question arrived in dazzling robes. Snape's were black with silver and green accents, while Madam Hooch's were dark blue with silver and bronze accents.
"Lord and Lady Gryffindor, it is an honor to join you for dinner this evening." Snape said.
"Thank you Lord Snape, the honor is ours." Harry responded in proper fashion.
"Lady Gryffindor, Miss Hooch and I bring for you memories of our youth. You will find hers contain the quidditch finals of her four years with the Holyhead Harpies when they won the Quidditch Cup each time. My memories include times with Lily Evans before she started school and also a few random times during the years." Severus said as he handed them the vials.
"Thank you." Harry and Ginny both said.
"Also, there is a memory that I wish to sit with you when you watch it. It was from earlier today. But besides that, I have a number of memory extracts regarding Potions Making, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Sword Fighting, and some on recognizing the Dark Arts. There are enough for the rest of the Quartet." Snape finished.
"Once again, thank you sir, you too ma'am. Please enjoy the evening." Harry told his guests. ft."
Over the next ten minutes, more people arrived: Fred and George were the next to arrive, escorting Angelina Johnson and Alicia Spinnet respectively. Each couple brought some of their prototype defensive products including cloaks and instant darkness powder. Charlie arrived with Hagrid Charlie handed his brother-in-law a new pair of dragon-hide boots and matching vest and for Ginny a new pair of boots and matching gloves, both made from the same hides Harry's was made from. Hagrid brought Acromantula Silk. It was enough to make Hagrid a few robes. The elves took it immediately and placed it under the proper stasis charms.
Percy arrived in proper robes with Penelope Clearwater, who was smiling because Percy was finally back his family. Though having the date at the Savoy the night might have added to her smile. Percy brought with him two series of books, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare and The Ministry of Magic: Everything You Need to Know. The Shakespeare collection was first edition written on parchment and held in a leather bound book. It was a true find. Penny also brought two collections of books. The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Canon Doyle and The Greatest Generals in History: Muggle, Wizard, Goblin, and Squib compiled by Penelope Clearwater with a foreword written by Albus Dumbledore and Nicholas Flamel. The four sets of books were truly priceless and would placed in a place of honor in Lionfire Hall. While thanking the couple, Harry noticed the engagement ring on Penny's finger and made sure that Percy knew that he knew and wished them well. He also mentally reminded himself to give them a nice wedding present, a few hundred thousand galleons.
The last two couples arrived within minutes together. "Announcing Madam Fleur Delacour of French House of Delacour, escorted by her fiancé Sir William Arthur Weasley, Heir Apparent of the Noble House of Weasley." This of course brought the room to their feet with congratulations. Fleur and Bill presented Harry and Ginny with ancient books on wards and curse breaking as well as deserts from France.
Finally Brent announced the last invited couple "Announcing the Matriarch of the Noble House of Weasley, Lady Molly Weasley of the Noble Houses of Prewitt and Weasley escorted by Lord Arthur William Weasley Head of the Noble House of Weasley."
After a few tense moments, Ginny greeted her parents "Lord and Lady Weasley, welcome to Lionfire Hall. Lord Weasley, you are always welcomed here. Lady Weasley, you have dishonored my family and I cannot stand for that. I give you one chance to redeem yourself."
"Lady Gryffindor, I am sorry for what I said to you and your husband. I cannot take back what I said, but I wish to present to you our gift." Molly handed the new grimoire to Ginny. When she touched it, the grimoire flared with magic and disappeared from her hand. It reappeared floating in the air along with the grimoire of the Black, Flamel, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Potter, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin families.
"I Molly Anne Prewitt Weasley, the rightful Matriarch of the Noble House of Weasley do hereby give Lord and Lady Gryffindor a grimoire of the Noble House of Weasley with my blessing for a happy and productive life. I only hope to lots of grandchildren from them, but not for a few years."
When the words were out of Molly's mouth, the grimoires merged into one new grimoire and Harry and Ginny were engulfed in an aura of Weasley Red. When the glow stopped, Harry could feel where the other Weasleys were and also now had a faint speckling of freckles.
Harry and Ginny thanked Molly before giving her a one crushing hug, and then asked everyone to join them for dinner. Dinner was a loud affair and reminded Harry that life was getting good. Fawkes and Apollo flamed in and gave their two Knuts about different things being talked about; mostly they responded in just short songs and chirps but occasionally they cuffed different people on the back of head. Albus and Harry received most of the cuffs to the amusement of the gathered family.
At the end of dinner, Albus stood up from his seat and spoke. "Lady Gryffindor, dinner was excellent. Please thank your staff for the meal."
"Thank you Lord Dumbledore." Ginny said formally.
"Yes thank you Lord Dumbledore. However, there is something that we must discuss here tonight. And it may not be pleasant." Harry said.
"What is that?" Dumbledore asked.
"As you said earlier today, your time as the Leader of Light has come to an end; this war is not yours to fight, it's mine." Harry said.
"I agree, but you must have a leader, Harry. Though you are powerful, you still lack the wisdom to lead. I thought about this situation this afternoon and I believe that I should still remain the Leader and you as my chief Lieutenant."
"I don't think so. You see Lord Dumbledore, I know for a fact that you are past your prime. Your duel with Tom Riddle in June cost you a lot of power. You are relying on your ties Hogwarts to recharge your magic. Now that I am the High Lord of Hogwarts, most of the magic that you were using is now mine. I am sure you feel it. I can see it in your posture and they way you talk. You are tired and old. I'm sorry Albus, but your time has come and gone. You and I both know it.
"You are still a leader in our world and the second best tactician I know, second only to Ron; I would be honored if you to step aside and let me, 'The Chosen One', take my rightful place as Leader of the Light with you at his side as my chief advisor." Harry told his mentor.
Dumbledore thought for a brief moment before answering. It was true, a number of the strands of magic that connected Albus to Hogwarts were now gone. Though they were not critical to his living, they did make him slow down a little bit more than he would have liked. What Harry said was true, he was old and it really wasn't his war to fight. As he was thinking he remembered what Nicholas had told him earlier that day. "You need to trust in him Albus. You trained him well. Even if you were an ass for the way you did it. He is smart, resourceful, cunning, loyal, and very brave."
With a smile Albus looked at his protégée and nodded. "Harry, you are correct. At long last, you have learned the one lesson I hoped I would be around to see. Mark this day, for it is the day that the apprentice overtakes his master." Dumbledore bowed his head to Harry. "You are right Lord Gryffindor, it is time for me to step aside and allow our new leader to step forward."
"Thank you sir" Harry said to his Headmaster.
"Call me Albus, Harry."
"Alright, Albus it is." Harry said with a smile.
The group retired to the main sitting room where they discussed fun topics including the Marauders and Hogwarts and some funny stories about a young Albus Dumbledore and also many stories about a young Minerva McGonagall. No one realized that Minerva and Albus were just as bad with pranks as Fred and George. They just were better at hiding what they did. Ted and Andi talked in detail about how Lily, who grew up only a few blocks the Tonks, used to talk to Ted and Andi about James and how they used to talk to Sirius and made sure he understood what Lily wanted so that they could get together. They compared their relationship to that of Hermione and Ron.
The group stayed up late talking and enjoying the company of the others. Finally at 2am, Harry called the evening to a close when he saw both Ginny and Hermione were asleep. After saying their goodnights, Harry and Ron carried their women bridal style to their beds while Remus escorted Dora to their room. Mrs. Weasley helped Ron change Hermione out of her clothes before Ron climbed into the bed next to Hermione after removing his robes, shoes, and socks. Molly was about to say something about them sharing a bed, but when she looked at Hermione's face when Ron wrapped his arms around her, she saw Hermione visibly relax. She knew they were made for one another and so she kissed their foreheads and left the room, closing the door as she left. She checked on Harry and Ginny to find that they were both asleep in the same manor.
With her youngest children safe, Molly headed downstairs and took the floo home with her husband. All was right with the world, for the time being.