Chapter Ten: The Aftermath of a Dream:
Alvin was a bit upset that he would not get to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas. Yet it was not safe, already Voldemort had tried to recruit him and until his safety and that of his family was secured they would stay somewhere safer for the Christmas holidays. That was how he found himself in a rundown part of London standing before two tall, large but very rundown Victorian townhomes. He looked at the paper before him and showed it to his family, the twins took a few moments to read it (they were five and so just learning to read) and Randy burned it to a crisp with a snap of his fingers after that. Number Twelve came to view then and Alvin sighed with relief, the building looked welcoming and he was grateful for that. He counted four stories and an attic and knew this was a very large home indeed.
They were ushered in by the scarred, mutilated form of one Alastor Moody who kept scanning the area with his vivid blue eye (and really magical eyes did not need to look so eerie) into a long hall with stairs at one end. The place was warm and inviting, though Alvin could feel dark magic had been here and not too long before. A painting of a man with short black hair and beard clad in robes of green trimmed in purple seated in a throne like chair was watching their every move with his gray eyes in a pale noble looking face on the wall. A huge Chinese vase was now an umbrella stand; everywhere they looked they could see a clean, bright home. True the chandeliers were snakes and there were snakes on the wall lamps but the oak wainscoting gleamed, the walls were a butter color and the floor and stairs were covered in a carpet that looked like a forest floor.
"If you are done gawking at master's home than Kreacher can show American house elf where professor Stone and family things goes." Came a croaking voice.
"I am called Randy." Randy said to the ancient house elf (with lots of white hair coming out of his ears) before him clad much as he was with the Black coat of arms on his tunic. "You are Kreacher?"
"Kreacher is Kreacher, Kreacher show you where the bags go." Kreacher said, "master is insane to let Americans here, mistress, no mistress dead, but master good, brings curse-breaker Weasley to clean home and honor master Regulus."
"Right, thank you Kreacher, and Randy is it? Thank you as well."
Alvin turned just as Mary did to see the woman who had spoke to the house elves. She was short, pump and clad in a long blue gown with a flowered apron and thick heavy boots. Her flaming red hair was tied back in a bun and she had kind brown eyes and freckles all over her round face. Next to her was a tall young man with long red hair the same color as his mother, barely contained in a ponytail. He had blue eyes, a patch of hair on his chin, freckles over his nose and he was clad in clothes that would not look out of place at a rock concert, as part of the act. The fang earring had magic in it Alvin could tell and the dragonskin boot's buckles and the buckles of the leather jacket were all heavily enchanted with protection charms.
"Hello, I am Molly Weasley." Molly said, "you must be hungry after your trip."
"A little." Ruth said.
"I am starving!" Josiah said getting at look from both parents. "I mean yes please."
"Very well, come with me, I have been cooking, did you know that Kreacher will not let me clean? He would be insulted if I tried, I am not used to be waited on and he is a dear little elf for sure."
She talked on how this house had been cleaned out with her son (a curse breaker don't you know) leading the way with the house elf Kreacher helping out quite a bit. How the house had been so dark and dreary but when Bill was done with it, well one could see the results. They were lead into a dining room (the kitchen was as good a place as any but Kreacher would not have it) and lead to some seats. Fred and George sat down by the twins and Alvin let them, if they did anything they knew he would turn them to ash and then let their mother deal with them. There was tired looking Remus Lupin (clad in simple brown suit and robes) and fully questioned Sirius Black who looked like the man in the painting only with longer hair and a goatee instead of a full beard. He was clad in a maroon robe over yellow shirt and maroon waistcoat, pinstriped trousers and no shoes. Ron and Hermione came into the room and Alvin wondered where Harry was.
"Where is Harry?" Alvin asked.
"He had a connection to the dark dork." Ron said, "something like a possession."
"Oh so he did created Horcruxes." Alvin said, "what an idiot."
"Professor Stone!" Molly said appalled.
"Ma'am I do not coddle my students as I am sure you know, the more they know the better they are in not doing evil things, besides I have covered these in seventh year." Alvin said. "My children even have an idea what these are, very long sad story as to why, well that is a tale for another day."
"He has, covered these foul stupid things" Fred said.
"Basically you have to be a fool to create one of these." George added.
"True that, they only anchor you to the mortal plane for a short time no matter what happens to your physical self. But you have to be mad to do such a thing. Your eternal soul is doomed, and when you die for real all is lost, for you." Bill said.
"You have to know that you have a soul, really know." George said.
"It's stupid." Josiah said over his roast, "I mean who want's to destroy that which God created?"
"Out of the mouths of babes." Fred said grinning and messing up Josiah's hair.
"So short story ol' snake eyes comes, kills Harry's family, he survives due to a miracle but a shard of the dark lord lodged in his forehead, we have a priest here taking care of it." Bill said, "Harry will be alright."
Alvin had no doubt about that, he knew that to get rid of a Horcrux was easy as long as it was not in a living host, destroy the vessel and that was the end of that. However that was not something you did to a fifteen-year-old boy, so an exorcism it was, or you could have the one who caused the mess cast another killing curse at the boy and end the Horcrux that way, the first option was the best, of course. Hours later, with the children tucked into their beds Alvin was seated in the sitting room by the fire playing a fierce game of chess against Ron. Ron was amazing, Ron had beat him three times running but Alvin was determined to not let him win the fourth game. He looked up to see two teens come in the room grinning, one was Harry the other was Ginny and a priest that looked familiar, as in The Princess Bride movie familiar, Alvin wisely kept his mouth shut.
"Well it was tough but I got it, banished it and the rest should follow nicely now." The priest said. "Though these two wish to get married."
"No they are too young!" Both Molly and Mary said as one, they looked to each other (and if not friends before were very much so now). "Much too young!"
"I agree, you are a bit too young pup." Sirius said, "give it a few years."
"But I love Ginny!" Harry said.
"And I love Harry!" Ginny replied.
"And you will have time, if your father and I could wait, than so can you." Molly said, "it will be hard but you can do it, I know you can."
"Bloody hell mate, why do you want my sister?" Ron said, the next minute he was howling on the floor with what looked like a mucus horror beating him from his nose, "muuuummmmm!"
"Ginny take that off now." Molly said and Ginny did, "Ron do not upset your sister again."
"Yea, look what happened last time." Bill said looking put out, "me and my big mouth."
"She claimed eldest daughter status?" Mary said.
"Yes, and now she is not bound by the trace, and can use magic when she wants." Bill said.
"I did not goad her into that, you did." Ron said. "I thought you had brains?"
"Come here you little…." Bill said his wand out and a very unfriendly spell on his lips.
"WILLIAM WEASLEY IF YOU DO ANYTHING TO YOUR BROTHER SO HELP ME I WILL TURN YOU INTO A TEACUP!" Molly shouted.
"Sorry mum, but runt here…."
"Come on, we need to get out of here." Fred said getting on one side of the Stones.
"Yup, library, now, this is not something to stay around for." George said.
Soon enough eight people were in the library in safety away from Molly who was going off on her eldest son. She had warded the room so no sounds got out and that was something Alvin was grateful for. Still she was scary and he muttered thanks to Randy who handed him and Mary cups of cocoa while Kreacher handed out tea for everyone else. The two elves were now fast friends and were watching Dobby who was waiting on Harry and Ginny at this time. Fred and George were grinning and Alvin was not sure he was happy to see two teens so close like this, it was clear Dobby saw her as his mistress already and there could be problems if things did not work out. It could hurt more than two people that was for sure.
"So where is Mr. Weasley?" Alvin asked, "I did not see him all evening."
"Well he was bit by a large snake." Sirius said taking out a photo of a snake and showing it to them, "this was there where he was."
"Wow, those are poisonous." Alvin said.
"I never could have told if you had not said anything." Mary shot back sarcastically, "he should be fine with the anti-venom."
"The what?" Sirius asked.
"You don't have the anti venom?" Alvin replied.
"No, what is anti-venom?" Remus asked.
"Randy!" Mary said and the elf appeared.
"Yes ma'am?"
"Do you have anti-venom for this in our first aid kit?"
"Yes I do."
"Good, then can you take it to St. Mungos and get it to an man named Arthur Weasley?"
"Yes ma'am."
With that the elf was gone and Alvin had to explain that deadly snakes were very common in America and it was standard in magical homes to have all sorts of anti-venom on hand (kept in magical cooling pouches ready for use). It was one more way that magical America was different than magical Europe. The others were very impressed and relieved, they knew that Randy would get the healers at St. Mungos to pay attention and give the antidote, they did after all have to treat him like a person as he was a citizen not slave of America. Harry looked a bit glum at this point and Alvin had an idea what had happened.
"What happened?" Alvin asked.
"I saw, I was, I mean I attacked Mr. Weasley." Harry said.
"Oh I was not aware your Animagmus form was a snake." Alvin said.
"It's not, I mean well…"
"Meet Mr. Tweet." Sirius said.
"I hate you so very much." Harry said to his godfather.
"Not as bad as Mr. Moony." Remus said.
"Ouch that is so wrong what with your furry issue." Mary said, "who came up with that?"
"Dear ol' James, his idea for some really stupid names, Tweet I love your dad but his choice in names, well, nothing for it then… oi not my hair you little brat!" This at Harry calmly hexing Sirius's hair a nice bright blue, "this means war…"
"So about what happened?" Alvin asked.
"Oh well this prat here ended up sucked into ol' Snake faces mind." Ron said, "he saw him attack dad, sounded the alarm and saved dad."
"Yea he did, very brave, and strong." Ginny added, "dad would be dead if not for him."
"I still have a connection, I need to work on my Occulumency, need someone strong for that." Harry said.
"I think I could find someone for you." Alvin said.
"Um, that will be interesting." Remus said calmly sipping another cup of tea, "do that, I need some entertainment."
"What?" Sirius said, "who are you thinking of? Sure I want to strangle Dumbledore but you could bring him here, I won't hex him too badly now."
Sirius had learned about how Harry had been raised and was unhappy with the headmaster to say the least. Just because Harry had been given a house to live in and the law was followed in how he was raised did not mean he was treated well. Alvin had let Sirius know and Sirius had promised to leave the Dursleys alone as they had followed the law and contract, he could not touch them. Sirius had gone off on Dumbledore in a colorful, roaring howler that Dumbledore had taken a few days to recover from. Yet it was not Dumbledore that Alvin had in mind, no it was Severus Snape, and he knew that Sirius was going to go through the roof, he would have to keep his children away from that mess.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
So yea, I had to get the Stones to Grimmauld place and do you really think Voldemort would not try to recruit someone of Alvin's background? Voldemort is stupid though, he did not do any research on Americans and so does not realize that Alvin as a defense and defense against the dark arts teacher from America would never join a dark lord. Though Hogwarts is perfectly safe Alvin is taking no chances whatsoever in the safety of his family. So Christmas at Grimmauld place (when he stated he was going to the American embassy) would not be a stretch.
As you are seeing here Alvin does not know everything, how could he? He is not involved in the order, nor is he going to be. However as a defense against the dark arts master he knows about Horcruxes and how stupid they are. His children do too and though very young there is a reason for this. I brought in a priest to take care of the problem.
As for the anti-venom kit, I have had one on me many a time going on hikes. Mine did not have anti-venom (that stuff needs to be stored cold) but it had lots of other things. There are very poisonous snakes here in America, yet where I live we are fortunate to only have the rattlesnake and copperhead, down south they have the coral snake and cottonmouth or water moccasin added to that mix. Add to that the two main types of poisonous spider (brown recluse and black widow) and yea, anti-venom is very much needed all across the country. As the Stones are magical they can keep the anti-venom on them and to them its no big deal to have it as everyone magical has the same kit back home and knows how to use it.
I have stated before and will again, Alvin is not super powerful, nor are Americans, if we had magic it would be a blend and we would be like a magical version of the Boy Scouts, nothing more.
As for Harry and Ginny, they go together, they have seen and been through some horrible stuff. Ginny should have been shaped more in cannon, what we do have of her is a young girl who ended up loosing all innocence at a young age from what Tom did and knowing the darkness much as Harry does. I know people keep calling for Harry and Hermione, though I like Hermione and wrote one Harry/Hermione story it would not work as well as everyone thinks. Hermione would end up, not really meaning to dominating Harry, he would do what she told him to in order to not upset her and would never grow. With Ginny he would grow into the kind of man needed. They share a bond that few others could understand through the trials they share.
Anyway, review please!