Chapter Nine- In Which a New Friend is Made
Helen sighed and rubbed her eyes tiredly, she had slept poorly and now had two hyperactive children playing in her back garden whooping and yelling about cowboys and Indians, plus she still had not figured out what the hell to do with regards to money. She needed to visit Gringotts but she didn't feel it the right time to take her two young charges into the busy Wizarding street. Here they may be acting like children, but around a large group of strangers like that they were likely to panic or withdraw.
Looking up from the sink she peered out the window, startled by the sudden quiet and her heart jumped into her mouth, both children were at the fence that separated their garden from their neighbours', and leaning on that fence chatting animatedly to the children was Elphinstone Urquart. Just as she thought this couldn't possibly get any worse she saw his wife Minerva McGonagall step outside and head towards the children too.
She hurriedly dried her hands and dashed outside getting to the children just as Minerva did.
"Hello Miss Smyth, who are these two adorable little things?" the older woman smiled politely at Helen. The woman had never really spoke to her neighbour since she had been her professor in school, and she was worried to see that the girl had bags under her eyes.
Helen smiled back, McGonagall had never been her favourite professor, far too biased towards her lions for that, but the woman was a good person at heart. "These two little monsters are my wards Harry and Poppy, I'm caring for them and will be for a while." There she thought that is the truth without giving away either of their last names, as long as she doesn't look too hard
Elphinstone chuckled, making his thick moustache twitch and in his warm voice he mentioned that they didn't look like monsters, pretty puny ones if they were and Helen couldn't help but chuckle with him, he just had one of those laughs.
Considering that Minerva hadn't recognised the little boy, she decided to take a risk.
"I know this is a dreadful imposition Professor, but would it be possibly for you to look after the children for an hour or so this afternoon? I have to make a trip to Gringotts and don't think that Diagon Alley is quite the right place for them just yet."
"Minnie and I would love to!" boomed Elphinstone before Minerva had a chance to turn her down, and with a tight smile his wife agreed.
With a relieved smile Helen said that she would see them at 1pm, and after thanking them profusely she stepped back towards her home and whistled, causing both children to run inside after her.
Minerva turned and glared at her husband who raised his eyebrows and held up his hands in apology "Sorry Minnie! I just thought that it would be the neighbourly thing to do!"
Minerva managed to keep glaring at him for a few more seconds before drooping and leaning in to cuddle her husband "I'm sorry Elph, I'm just a grouch sometimes. If I'd married you the first time you'd asked me, we could have grandchildren that age now, as it is you're stuck with me."
Elph stroked her hair and gave the top of her head a kiss "I wouldn't change you for all the world Minnie, sure I'd have loved to have children with you. But I have you and that's quite enough for me."
She kissed him gently, then gave him a smack on the head for being cheeky at a comment that they could always go try for kids again if it would make her happier.
Inside their cottage Helen had sat down with the children to have an important discussion
"Now, remember your names are Harry and Poppy Daniels, ok? Not Harry Potter. You have to pretend to be brother and sister outside of the house." Both children nodded and she continued "Today I will be leaving you with our neighbours, I promise that I will come back and get you by 6 o clock at the latest" when the children looked puzzled Helen showed them what the clock would look like at that time and they nodded their understanding once more.
Once she was sure they understood, the little family set about making some lunch, both children proud to be helping. Once they had eaten and the children were presentable they trailed round to Minerva's cottage and rang the doorbell. Both children shrunk against Helens legs as the large figure of her husband opened the door. "Well well what have we here?" he boomed only to wince and step to the side as Minerva smacked his shoulder
"Honestly Elphin, stop looming at them" smiling at them Minerva invited them into the living room.
Both children stood awkwardly shuffling from foot to foot till Helen whispered to them to sit down. After some mindless chatter and warning both children to be good, she kissed their heads reminding them that she would be back and popped away.
Both children moved that bit closer to each other and looked up at the two elderly people with anxious eyes, who in turned looked at each other with confusion. Neither had any idea how to go about entertaining the two solemn faced children in front of them.
Clearing their throats they addressed Harry and Poppy
"We don't really have many toys in our house, so I'm afraid there isn't very much we can give you in the way of toys to amuse yourself. I'm going to be in our reading room and I'm sure I've a few story books there you may look at"
"and I will be in the garden in my greenhouse, so you are more than welcome to play outside if you wish" interrupted Elphinstone.
After a wordless conversation, both children decided that they would like to play outside again and followed the man to the back garden and Minerva went to go through some paperwork for the upcoming school year.
Albus Dumbledore was sat in a holding cell in a muggle prison, and he was livid.
He was wearing a hideous grey jumpsuit, his wand was in some evidence box somewhere, and he had just watched his plans crumble round him. This was something that made him particularly displeased, as he was a man who liked control at all times.
Harry bloody Potter. He'd bloody known that he should have checked up on the brat earlier, but he had been banking on the muggles obeying the compulsion that was placed on the baby to take him in, their revulsion at a magical nephew must have been great indeed to overpower it. He'd fully expected Potter to come to Hogwarts skinny, ignorant and without any friend of his own. The boy would be desperate to please and it would just have taken a few well placed friends for Dumbledore to have kept eyes and ears on the boy always.
He sneered to himself at those plans being disrupted, but only for now he reassured himself. As soon as he was back in England he fully intended to call the Old Guard together so he could start a countrywide hunt for Harry flaming Potter, the boy would be taken to his relatives, they would be imperio'd and they would bring him up exactly as was planned or there would be disappearances.
The Weasleys could be troublesome. Molly would be no problem, but Arthur was weak at heart, he'd want to take the boy in himself no doubt- ridiculous since they'd already bred so much most of the Weasley fortune was gone down the drain, couldn't afford to raise the Potter brat, plus it would be the wrong environment entirely. No, he had to be brought up by muggles if his plan was to get back on track at all. Still, the Weasleys would be a good family to get Harry under his thumb, the youngest boy was about the right age to be his friend… plus he had Severus still firmly ensconced within the school thank merlin. If there was one thing that he could count on it would be that Severus would loathe the child and make little Potter come running into Albus's open arms with the fear it caused.
The old man couldn't help but smile, and those nearby him edged away at the air of danger he was giving off regardless of his elderly visage. Oh yes, he would have the Potter boy firmly back in his grasp soon enough.
AN:- Thank you everyone for your kind reviews, I'm glad people are enjoying it, and I promise a slightly longer chapter next time. This is as far as I could go without going further than I would like to go in this Chapter. Elphinstone is mentioned on the Potter Wiki, and I thought him and Minerva's story was rather sweet. I wanted a chance to write him.