Chapter 33: An Interesting Christmas, Day Five, Boxing Day
The next morning everyone got up to the smell of a sumptuous breakfast waiting on them in the dining room.
"That smells wonderful," Jonathan says smiling," A person could get used to this."
Glenda curtsies and says," Thank you Mr. K"
"You're welcome Glenda," Jonathan says.
"Mr. K?" Harry asks.
"Best I could get from them. Better than master." Jonathan says with a grimace.
"At least that will pass muster with the locals without sounding suspicious," Hermione says smiling while she takes a sip of her coffee," Ahh, I so love my coffee in the mornings."
Everyone snickers and digs into their food.
When everyone had finished Harry announces," Who is up for a trip to Glendale and the dairy farm?"
Everyone raises their hand and don coats to proceed out to the limo for the ride. After about forty minutes into the ride Harry and Hermione notice a three rail white fence pop into view on their left and notice the horses and cattle running loose. The fence seemed to run towards the back and along the road as far as they could see. Another two miles brought them to an arched gate with a large sign that said "The Magic Elf Dairy and Equestrian Center" and in small letters below:" a division of Potter Industries." The limo turned left through the gate, catching the eyes of everyone there.
"Did you see that?" one elderly lady customer says," Potter on the license plate."
"We get to finally meet the owners, hopefully," The person standing next to her says.
As they turn into the parking area they see a large building on the right, facing the road, with a sign that says "General Store" with about fifty parking spaces in front of it. On the left is another large building facing the drive that was the riding stables. It has about twenty five spaces in front. The entrance drive continues through the parking area toward the left side of the store where it curves around to a large wrought iron gate with a large "P" on it that hasn't opened in some thirty five years. The gate magically scans the occupants of the limo and swings open when it recognizes the Potters.
"Definitely the owners," The customer says again," That gate hasn't opened for anyone in a very long time. It'll be good to have the Lord and Lady back again."
"What do you mean?" the person standing next to her asks?
The elderly lady looks over to her companion and says," I see you are too young to remember, but the Potter family are British royalty. That will probably be the grandson of the man that bought Glendale and made it what it is today."
"He'll be magical then." He says.
"Most likely," She replies.
They separate and go on their way with her going to the General Store while he goes to the stables to take his horse out for a ride.
Meanwhile the limo pulls up in front of a colonial style red brick two story home with white columns and shutters on each side of the windows on the home. The Potter crest is displayed proudly next to the double front doors which open as they approach with an elf in the doorway bowing towards them.
"Welcome to your home in Glendale, Lord and Lady," He says.
"Thank you…" Hermione hesitates?
"Franklin, M'lady," He responds," You're welcome."
"Would you mind showing us around?" Harry asks?
The elf turns and leads them into the house where the door closes itself. The entrance way opens up into a large Fourier with a wide stair case curving around the right side with a polished mahogany banister going up to the second floor. (We're in America now) To the left of the stairs is a French double glass paned doorway leading into the main part of the house with a formal dining room to the right and a master study on the left. Beyond that is a modern kitchen with a smaller dining room for regular family meals. The hall empties out into a large gaming room with a billiard and snooker table along with a few pinball machines. (AN: I always wanted a game room like that). The second floor consists of six large bedrooms, each with a king size four poster bed and en-suite bathroom using runes for water and waste. No cold water in this house. There was a stair at the end of the upstairs hall that went up to the observatory, which had a decent telescope and good view of the country side. When the tour was finished they all gathered back in the entrance area.
"Uncle Jonathan," Harry says getting his attention," I need you to accompany Hermione and I to meet the manager of the facility so we can introduce you as the family representative for the center. I don't plan on interfering in operations as it seems to be doing just fine as is. But I want you to be known in case you are needed for a decision that only a family member can make. I have no problem deferring to your judgment running this type of facility."
"Thank you Harry," He says, gesturing towards the door" Shall we?"
Harry looks at the others and says," Hermione, Uncle Jonathan and I have to do this, the rest can follow along or relax and get settled in. We will be here until after the New Year, so there is plenty of time to look around and go shopping."
The ladies decide they will stay in where it is warm and let the younger folk do what is necessary.
The trio walks down the lane and notice a private entrance to the store in the back. They go up the stairs to the door on the second floor and it opens as they approach.
The door is located between the general manager's office and the owner's suite and is never blocked. The manager notices the lights come on in the owner's suite a few seconds before the door opens and is up like a flash to greet his boss. The manager is a man that looks like he is in his early forties but in reality is nearer to eighty as he is a wizard and has been here since the business opened. He was friends with Mr. Potter and was left in charge when he went back to Britain all those years ago. He hadn't heard anything since and hoped everything was alright. He was a bit surprised when a thirteen and fourteen year old pair of teenagers entered followed by someone he recognized. He could sense the power radiating from the pair and immediately bowed to them saying," Welcome to the Magic Elf Dairy and Equestrian Center My Lord."
"You don't have to bow to us sir," Harry responds while reaching out to shake his hand.
"I know, but I respect your station," Would you introduce me to your lady friend? I already know Mr. Kent from business dealings."
The Harry could sense he was a wizard so he said," This is my wife and soul mate, Lady Hermione Potter."
He takes her hand and kisses her knuckles while she blushes," Nice to meet you too my Lady."
"My name is Mr. Worthington and I knew your grandfather Mr. Potter." He says by way of introduction," Shall we go into your suite and talk?"
Harry notices the door with his name on it and opens it for everyone to enter. He walks around and sits behind the desk with Hermione sitting beside him. With a wave of his hand he conjures comfortable chairs for Mr. Worthington and Uncle Jonathan.
"How do you know Mr. Kent?" Mr. Worthington asks.
"His wife is my mother's twin sister," Hermione says," They were separated at birth and just got together this last week. We just found out about this place a couple of days ago. We are very impressed so far and have no intentions of interfering in day to day operations."
"Uncle Jonathan is here at my request as he knows how to run a large farm and will be the family contact for any major decisions that need to be made," Harry takes over from Hermione," He has a direct connection to us and we can be here on a short notice when needed."
Mr. Worthington turns to Mr. Kent and shakes his hand," Welcome aboard," This will make decisions about capital expenditures a lot easier to get approved."
The sign on the door recognized Harry's command and changed to read from top to bottom: Harry and Hermione Potter and below that was Jonathan Kent.
"This will be your office Uncle Jonathan when we are not here and we will definitely rely on your advice for those kinds of decisions," Harry says.
He looks back at Mr. Worthington and says," Since you are the leader of this part of my operations we will tell you some things you need to know."
"What would that be?" he asks worriedly and then looks over at Jonathan to see him smiling back at him.
"You'll like this," he says.
Harry and Hermione look at each other and stand up. They morph into their Pantheras personas and say in unison," We are the Pantheras, Hunters of Truth and Justice; we are also the Elders of the Universe. We are here to bring this world into the Galactic Community of Planets."
He had seen the news casts like most of the world and was in awe of them, realizing now why he sensed the power in them.
They returned to their normal look and Harry says," We found out that Glendale is a magical town with mundane and magical people living and working together. This is our ultimate goal for the whole planet and people like you are who we need to lead the movement towards that goal."
"That's a tall order that will take years to accomplish," He says.
"Due to our soul bond, Hermione and I are immortal, so we will make it happen. We want to explore Glendale and see how everyone gets on and see about establishing other towns like this one. America is probably the best place to start as there is no discrimination once the facts are understood. This will have to be done one town at a time to slowly change the way people think. We are going to take a tour of Glendale later in the week and meet the mayor and get his input. Also we want to arrange a big New Year's Eve celebration. Since the Center is close to Smallville and Uncle Jonathan's farm, this will be our home in America that we visit most often." Harry says.
"That is very welcome news sir," Mr. Worthington says," and you can call me Charles, as I was good friends with your grandfather when he lived here."
"Very well Charles," Harry says," We should let the rest of the senior staff know we are here and who we are."
Charles gets up and goes into his office a moment, where he uses the intercom to call in his staff," All senior staff to the owner's suite."
As the staff came in and Harry saw how many there were he conjured chairs for all of them to get comfortable and asked them to be seated. They all looked at him and Hermione curiously as they appeared so young and worried about the changes that might be coming. Some were worried about their jobs thinking they might not meet up with the owner's standards. Their worries were put to rest when Harry spoke up.
"First, introductions are in order," Harry says," On my left is my wife and equal in every way, Hermione Potter. On my right is our Uncle Jonathan Kent, who lives in Smallville."
"I had Charles call you all here to introduce our selves and to find out who you are," Harry continues," Charles says you all do an outstanding job, so I will defer to his judgment in this regard. The only policy I have, is do your jobs well and honestly. If you find a discrepancy of any kind or a customer that has special needs let Charles know and if he can't make it happen he will contact our uncle who has the means to contact us anywhere in the world. I want to make the Center the best place in the area for boarding and riding horses and the General Store the supply depot that everyone wants to shop at."
With that said, Harry and Hermione stand and go around the desk to greet each staff member individually and shake their hands. Everyone in the room could feel the power and confidence coming from the couple and knew they were in good hands. And to prove they were still children; Hermione turns to Harry and asks," Can we go see the horses now?"
Everyone chuckles and returns to work.
Harry turns to Uncle Jonathan and says," You can come with us to the stables or go back to the house if you like."
"I'll go with you. I want to see the horses too." He says smiling," I grew up riding and would like to take it up again."
"Good," Hermione says," You can teach Harry and me the proper way to handle a horse."
Harry and Hermione, followed by Uncle Jonathan, walk out the office doors and down the stairs to the main floor. As they walk towards the front doors every employee, who were really elves with their glamor on, bowed their heads when the couple passed. Harry and Hermione nods back at them without thinking about the effect it was having on the customers in the store.
When they made it out the doors one customer asks," What was that all about?"
One of the elf employees answered," They are the Elders of the Universe, also magical King and Queen of England. On top of all that, they are the nicest people you will ever meet."
"You've met them," she asks?
He nods at her and returns to work, refusing to say anything else about them.
Meanwhile, Harry and Hermione walk over to the stables and notice a vet's work vehicle parked by the entrance. Concerned, they hurry inside where they are met by the stable manager.
"No visitors until after lunch," He says.
"We're the Potters," Harry says," what's going on that you need the vet on the day after Christmas?"
"Well," he says nervously when he realizes who he is talking to," One of the mares is giving birth and one of the stallions broke a leg today and may have to be put down if the vet can't save it."
"Show us where the stallion is," Harry commands.
"Yes sir," the manager says and leads them into the stables to a stall where the vet has a horse up in a sling to keep the weight off his leg.
"How's he doing?" Hermione asks, concerned.
The vet looks up and sees two children with the stable manager and realizes they must be the owners everyone was talking about, especially with their accents giving them away.
"He is not doing well. I can't get the swelling to go down. I've given him a shot for the pain but I'm afraid it is all I will be able to do. I can end his life peacefully if you give the order."
"That won't be necessary," Hermione says forcefully," We'll take care of it."
"Uncle Jonathan, if you can keep him distracted, Hermione and I will fix his leg," Harry says.
Uncle Jonathan nods and walks to the front where he starts talking soothingly to the horse while Harry and Hermione get down on their knees by the broken leg. They each place a hand gently on either side of the swollen area and close their eyes to concentrate. Their hands take on a soft white glow as they heal the break, calming the horse down as the pain goes away. When the Potters are done, they stand up and with a wave of their hands the bandages vanish and the horse is lowered to the ground where it stands and stomps it hooves, testing the leg out. He whinnies in delight while turning around in the stall and nuzzles the Potters affectionately. Who said horses don't have feelings.
"Would you like to go for a ride boy?" Harry asks?
The horse nods his head in a big way and snorts.
"That was amazing," the vet says while the manager scratches the back of his head." I've been a vet for twenty three years and never seen anything like that. Thanks for not allowing me to put him down. I had heard stories about some horses being smart. He sure seems to like you and understands you as well."
"All horses are smart," Hermione says while rubbing the side of the stallions head," They just tend to ignore us dumb humans."
They heard a lot of whinnying and snorting start up and looked over to the other stalls where the other horses, which had been watching and listening in, were nodding and agreeing.
"See, told you," She says smiling while turning to the manager," I would like a nice mare to ride with my husband if you please."
One of the mares in another stall was stomping and nodding, indicating she was volunteering for the job. The manager gets the message and opens her stall where she walks up to Hermione and nuzzles her face. Uncle Jonathan picked a horse and showed the Potters how to saddle and put the bit in for the reins. They walked the horses outside where they mounted up and went for a ride up to the dairy farm.
On arrival they went inside to see how the cows were milked and didn't find what they imagined. They had both seen movies of cows being hooked up to machines and milked mechanically, but that was not what was happening here. Since the whole place was run by elves the cows were milked magically. An elf would place a bucket below the cow's udder and snap its finger and the bucked would start filling with milk. When it was full the elf would levitate the bucket to a large bin where it was poured in. The bin was lined with runes around the rim to insure impurities were filtered out and kept clean by an elf by a snap of its fingers. When the bin was full it would be levitated to a pumping station to be loaded into large tanker trucks where it was hauled to the processing plant. The whole milking area was kept clean and sanitary the same way. Runes on the floor of each stall made sure any waste from the cow was vanished as it came out. Each cow took a few minutes to milk and then they were turned out to pasture for a few days. The cows were rotated so that each one had time in the pasture before being brought in to be milked again. There were a lot of cows as this was the main source for dairy products in this region of the US. The elves all nodded to Harry and Hermione while keeping the operation running smoothly.
After inspecting the dairy operation the trio rode out along the fence line checking out the pasture where the cows were roaming. They rode over to the area where the horses were running and as they got inside the fence line the other horses gathered around them sensing that this couple was special. They paced the riders on each side and were whinnying and snorting to the stallion and mare like they were having a conversation of some kind. Harry and Hermione laughed at one point which caught the attention of the horses and Uncle Jonathan.
"You can understand them?" he asked with wide eyes?
"Yes," Hermione answers," Harry and I can understand all animals. We can't speak the horses language, because our vocal chords can't make the sounds right, but they can understand us when we talk. Any animal that has been around humans for long will pick up the language of the locals but mostly ignore us as not worth their time. Cats are a good example."
"Yea, you should see Crookshanks when he is in one of his moods," Harry says. Hermione laughs and agrees with her husband.
This was all observed by the stable manager who went back inside when they were approaching. As they got to the front they dismounted and led the horses back inside where Uncle Jonathan showed them how to remove and store the saddles and reins. Then he showed them how to brush down the horses coats and feed and water them.
"Thank you for that lovely ride," Hermione says to her mare while Harry was doing the same to the stallion," Would you like to ride again later in the week?"
The mare and stallion both nod their heads and walk into their stalls to eat and relax. They had a lot to tell their friends.
The manager walks up to his horse feeling a little silly but determined and asks," Is it true you can understand me?"
The horse nods and stomps its front hooves.
"Well I'll be. You can bet there will be changes around here in how we teach our riding students on how to treat their horses," he says smiling. He has always loved horses and knew how to train them but didn't know they were intelligent beings. This changed everything.
The Potters who were listening approached him," You are a good man sir. You finally understand don't you?"
"Yes I believe I do. I've loved horses all of my life and to know they understand me when I talk to them is a joy to my heart. I will have to learn how to interpret their language so I can meet their needs better," He says, "By the way, my name is Samuel Stone."
"Pleased to meet you Samuel," Harry says," This is my wife Hermione and our Uncle, Jonathan Kent."
They shook hands and talked some more about the business of running a stable. Harry and Hermione assured him that if he needed anything at all he could contact the Kent's with his request. After leaving the stables they walked back up to the house through the gate, which opened and closed for them automatically. The crowd outside watched them go with awe and respect in their eyes and hearts. The legend of Harry and Hermione Potter continues to grow.
Once arriving at the house the group goes inside and is met by Franklin, who takes their coats and hangs them in the hall closet.
"The ladies are in the game room sir," He says," Dinner will be served in a few minutes."
"Thank you Franklin," Hermione says.
He bows to them and pops away to alert the chef that the mastered have returned. As the trio approaches the game room they can hear the clacking of billiard balls hitting one another. When they walk in Mrs. Granger looks up and says:
"You're father and I like it here Hermione. We would like to come here as often as possible."
"We have already told Mr. Worthington that this will be our home in America," Harry responds, while Hermione nods in agreement," We will be going into town tomorrow to talk to the mayor and see about a New Year's celebration of some kind."
"That sounds like fun. Can we go as well?" she asks.
"Of course; one of the reasons for going is to get a wand for Aunt Martha and set up training for her," Harry replies," we'll get mum her wand from Ollivanders."
Franklin walks in and announces," Dinner is served."
Everyone follows him to the dining room where Harry takes his seat at the head of the table after holding Hermione's chair for her. They tuck in to a good ole American dinner of roast beef with potatoes and carrots along with a green bean casserole and yeast rolls with apple pie for desert. When dinner was done the guys went into the game room as they hadn't had a chance at the tables yet and soon Harry and Hermione were engrossed in a game of eight ball while Jonathan was on the pinball machines trying to see how many pints he could rack up. Clark was sitting on a high bar chair watching his father play while rooting him on. Soon it was getting on in the evening and it was time for bed. After saying good night everyone headed in that direction and settled in for the night.