Harry Potter And The Great Getaway

Chapter 11: Should I Stay Or Should I Go?

Harry sighed as the credits started to roll. They'd actually done it. These crazy Muggles who didn't even have real wizards in their world had not only made a movie about his life, but eight of them. Eight actual movies. And for all the crazy things they got wrong, that alternately made Harry laugh, sigh, or howl, they'd gotten so many things right that he didn't know how he should feel.

Hermione turned off the DVD player. "So... what are you thinking?"

Harry shook his head. "This is... this is just too much. I think I'm ready to go home."

"You're sure? I don't know if I can swing a second trip if you change your mind."

Harry paused. "Yeah, I'm sure. This has been an amazing two weeks, and I'll always be grateful you brought me here, but... it's too strange, living in a world where everyone thinks I'm a fictional character. I'd have to spend all my time remembering a different name, a different identity, and if I ever slipped, they'd lock me up in a nuthouse."

Hermione smiled reassuringly. "No nuthouse. There are plenty of people here who already think they're you, or me, or someone else we know. And they're treated like harmless nuts. You'd really have to work at it for anyone to take you that seriously."

Harry shook his head. "Regardless, I think I'm ready to go home. There's a real world back there, with real responsibilities for me. And while it's been nice to get away from it all for a little while, I have to go back." He paused and looked around the room. "But I wish I could bring back just a few souvenirs with us..."

|Hermione tapped her foot. "I told you up front – no souvenirs. Who would you show them to? They'd immediately think that someone had broken the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy, and there'd be no end of investigations into how Muggles made things like hats with the Hogwarts logo or fake wands or plastic vibrating Quidditch brooms."

Harry laughed. "That one alone I'd love to give to the Weasleys. Imagine the fights Arthur, Ron, and Ginny would have over it?"

Hermione tried to keep a straight face, then giggled. "My money's on Molly winning that one."

"Huh? Why would Molly... ew! Ew! I'll NEVER get that thought out of my head now!"

"Arthur and Molly didn't find seven children in the cabbage patch, Harry."

"I beg of you, shut up now." Hermione just grinned. After a moment, though, she got serious again. "So, you sure you're ready to go home?"

Harry slowly nodded. What's the saying again? 'Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home.' I can't stay here."

Hermione gave him a slow nod in return. "OK, then we'll go back tomorrow." She paused to make some quick calculations. "I think we'll have been gone for about ten days, and if we leave at noon tomorrow, we'll get back by breakfast."

HP HP HP HP HP

Harry spent a week relaxing at home before he finally sent Malfoy another owl. For one week, he did absolutely nothing of substance. One day he rearranged several rooms in Grimmauld Place. Two days later, he put them back. He spent one full day lounging in London bookstores, each store arranging for about 100 Euros of books to be delivered to a random school. One night he spent sampling each and every single craft beer offered by a Muggle pub. (That's why there was a day between the rearranging and restoring.) This time, however, he offered to meet Malfoy at a place of his choosing. Malfoy chose a quiet office he'd opened specifically for Black family business.

"Malfoy."

"Potter. You look... tanner."

"I got quite a bit of sun while away. Quite a refreshing change from around here. So, how have things gone for the family business?"

Malfoy slid papers across the desk, then leaned back, hands templed. "Rather better than I hoped. Many of the family's old friends are remarkably intrigued in your sudden interest in Great Family politics. About a quarter are hoping you'll restore the family to its old ways, another quarter hope you'll swing it around completely, a third quarter are too terrified to do anything without your blessing, and the final quarter are denying they ever had anything to do with the Blacks." He smiled. "Which is almost exactly what I expected going in."

Harry nodded. "So, you've restored about three-quarters of the Family's influence?"

"Closer to half. Those still uncertain about how you want to go won't put their necks out for you just yet. You might have to make a few dramatic moves to get them off the fence. Make a few more examples to inspire them."

"You said 'more' examples?" Harry raised an eyebrow.

Malfoy nodded "You should be aware of a minor Ministry functionary named Higgins. He'd done some small services for the Family in the past, for which he had been given small considerations. When I reached out to him, he was extremely curt and informed me that he had no further interest in any such matters; he just wanted to do his job and eventually collect his pension." Malfoy smiled. "Within a week, one of Higgins' superiors, a fellow named Jeffers, suddenly started having all sorts of difficulties with Higgins' performance. Nothing seemed satisfactory, and he was actually worried about losing his job. At about that time, I spoke with him again, and was further rebuffed."

"I'm not sure I approve of all this, Malfoy."

Malfoy waved a dismissive hand. "Oh, the tale's not done. Another fellow in Higgins' bureau saw what was going on, and saw a chance to snatch up a moderately talented drone. This fellow, Richardson, put in a request to have Higgins transferred to his office, and Higgins is so grateful that he's doing better than he ever did under Jeffers. So well, in fact, he reached out to me to reiterate his utter disinterest in restoring his links to the Black family."

"You seem inordinately pleased at his wriggling out of your grasp, Malfoy."

"Pleased? Yes, But certainly not inordinately. Did I neglect to mention that both Jeffers and Richardson were acting on my behalf? Higgins won't do anything for us, but he will do anything for Richardson – and Richardson will cheerfully ask Higgins to do whatever we wish him to."

Harry found himself quite impressed. Malfoy had demonstrated both power and restraint. "So much for power corrupting," he muttered.

Malfoy scowled. "I can't believe how many Muggle aphorisms I know better than you. Lord Acton's original observation was "power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." What he didn't take into account, however, is what might happen when you invested power in someone who has already been corrupted once, and seen in his own home just how corrupting absolute power is."

Harry nodded. He and Malfoy had never discussed what it had been like for Malfoy to have Voldemort living in his home. He had seen enough in Malfoy's haunted eyes whenever the topic had been even vaguely alluded to, and saw it there again.

"So, now that I'm back, what do you advise me to do now?"

The shade in Malfoy's eyes quickly faded. "My recommendation would be to review my reports here and see how well I lived up to your expectations, which you never actually shared with me. I also expect you'll want to meet with your unknown 'observers' who you had keeping an eye on me and see that my reports are actually honest and complete. At that point, you'll have to a hard decision to make."

"And what would that be?"

Malfoy's smile was anything but humorous. "Whether or not you trust me enough to let me in on your big plans, and whether you can persuade me that it would be in my and my family's best interests to aid you. As you said, I could be a useful ally, or a bit of a hindrance to your schemes."

"And what do you think my schemes are?"

Malfoy shrugged. "I have theories, but nothing I'd wish to express, let alone invest in. I'd rather wait and see what you have to say."