A/N: Hello again everyone! I'm back with lucky Chapter 13! This chapter just flowed, so I'm happy to be able to post another one so quickly.

I hope the start of spring (in the northern hemisphere, autumn in the southern) is treating you all wonderfully! It's been a calm start for us, but the promise of more hectic work days lie ahead. I'm just enjoying the sunny weather today!

As always, I claim no ownership of anything you recognize. Only the mistakes are mine.

Enjoy!

Chapter 13: New Perspectives

July 13, 1995

"Are you sure you want to go through with this, Harry?" Amelia asked as she and Harry ascended the steps into Gringotts.

"Absolutely. I'm the one who invited them to leave their lives behind even for a couple weeks, so I want to do this for them," he answered, "Besides, I can't wait to see the look on their faces."

Amelia laughed, knowing how Susan would react to what Harry was arranging. "I'm glad that Hannah was able to make the trip," she said, testing Harry's reaction to the girl who seemed most hesitant in her interactions with him.

"If you want some entertainment, watch Neville when she gets to the Burrow," Harry grinned at her, "He's had a bit of a crush on her for a while."

With a groan, Amelia followed him up the stairs. "Great, and we're all going to a tropical island paradise together? That won't be awkward for them at all," she said.

Harry held the door for her to enter, grinning at her sarcasm. "Luckily we'll have you and Sirius along to chaperone."

"Rascal," she returned his grin.

Leading the way into the lobby, she joined him in waiting for the next available teller. "Good morning, teller. Harry Potter to see Grinlast at his earliest convenience," he declared.

The goblin gave him a toothy smile. "Grinlast left word to escort you to his office whenever you present yourself to Gringotts. Follow me."

Amelia and Harry shared a look before they shrugged and followed the goblin. He eventually led them to Grinlast's door. The Potter Account Manager looked up at their entrance. "Ah, Mister Potter and Madam Bones! What brings you to my office today?"

Harry and Amelia took seats in front of his desk. "I'm about to go on vacation for a couple weeks, and it occurred to me that some of my friends who are coming along might need muggle documents like a passport as well as clothes suitable for where we're headed. Since I invited them all to spend time with me, I want to fund their purchases and airfare." He went into detail about what he wanted and how he wanted it disbursed.

"We can arrange funds and travel documents for you without difficulty, Harry," Grinlast answered as he scratched yet more instructions.

"Great! I'll wait here for all of those and then hand them out later on."

While they waited for the documents and cards to come back, Amelia looked at her ward. "Do you know what your long-term plans are for all of this?"

Harry gave her a calculating look. "I have an idea for what I want to happen, but I don't know if I can pull it off. A lot has to happen and a lot has to go to right for what I intend, but I think I manage it. We can talk about it in more detail when we get out of the country."

Further replies had to wait as a goblin appeared with an armload of documents. Grinlast shrunk them all down and handed the bundle over to Harry, who slipped them into his satchel. "Thank you, Grinlast. Does Gringotts have branches in other countries?"

"We either have branch offices in areas allied to Britain like Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and others, or we have relationships with the banking offices in other countries."

"Excellent. Thank you very much for your help once more, Grinlast. I hope that our continued association fills your coffers to overflowing."

"And may your enemies soon find themselves nothing more than a forgotten footnote in the dusty pages of history, Mister Potter," Grinlast replied with a bow.

Harry and Amelia returned the bow before leaving his office. A few quick steps out of the bank and they were at the Leaky Cauldron and taking the public Floo to the Burrow.

Molly didn't even let Harry get the soot off of him after sliding across the floor out of their fireplace before she'd pulled him up into a rib-straining hug.

"Oh, Harry! Ron and the twins told us about those awful muggles you grew up with but I wasn't sure it could be as bad as they described!"

"Missus Weasley! Need air!" Harry tried to gasp around her embrace. Despite its warmth, it had the unintended effect of spreading soot to herself as well as him. He tried to stifle a sneeze from the soot but couldn't stop it.

"Oh my, I'm sorry. Here, let me help you with that," the older woman apologized, cleaning him and herself off with a cleaning spell impressive for the silent casting she used.

With a flaring of the familiar green flames, Amelia popped out behind him. Her exit from the fireplace was graceful and firm, just like the woman herself. "Molly," she greeted, "Thanks for having us here. I take it the kids talked to you?"

"Yes, they did. Normally I wouldn't allow them to go off to the other end of the world on their own, but with you and Sirius Black going along, I think they'll be fine," the redhead answered, "Xeno said the same for Luna, or at least I think he did. Just kind of waved at her when she asked, I guess. He hasn't exactly been right in the head since his wife passed a few years ago."

"Excellent. I heard from Susan over at the Abbott's this morning that Hannah can come along as well, so we just need to check in with the Grangers about Hermione. We were supposed to meet back at my house but this one," she gestured to Harry, decided that the magical-raised needed to look like muggles when we travel and decided to take everyone shopping today. I contacted the children earlier via Floo. After the shopping, we can get the children back to Bones Manor to make the final preparations. Susan and Hannah should be Floo-ing over momentarily."

"Ron can Floo-call Neville while you meet Hermione and her family," Molly offered, "but can you tell me anything about where you're going to be headed? All he or Ginny would say is that a beach is involved."

"That's all Harry's told me," Amelia said, shooting a side-eye at the boy, "Apparently he feels that keeping the destination to himself is a security measure."

"Well, after what we learned about Albus, I can certainly understand that!" huffed the Weasley matriarch, "I think we can trust Harry to visit a property his parents left to him with you and Sirius there, too, Amelia. Trusting Sirius Black with our children; I certainly never thought I'd say those words!"

Amelia returned the chuckle, understanding the sentiment completely. If she hadn't seen the change that being out of Azkaban and involved in the life of a younger person like Harry had wrought on Sirius, she wouldn't have believed it either.

"So, Ron, Ginny, Luna, and Hannah will go to have some lunch at the Leaky Cauldron. You, Harry, and Susan will go to the Granger's. When you're ready, you'll meet up with them through the muggle side of the Leaky Cauldron?"

"That's our plan. We'll go shopping for clothes for the trip in muggle London, and we've set it up with Gringotts to arrange the muggle-style travel to avoid both Voldemort and Dumbledore," Amelia explained.

"Oh, my husband will love hearing all about that when you get back!" Molly laughed, "Okay, I hope you all have a great time on this vacation."

After a little bit more small talk, Harry called for Dobby to take them to Hermione's house.

"What's wrong, Hermione?" Mary Granger asked, seeing her daughter sitting on her bed, a wistful look on her face. Light from the window over her desk spilled across the room, illuminating the pale blue walls and giving the room its airy appearance that Hermione had always loved.

"Oh, hi mum," the girl answered, looking up, "I was just thinking about what we all learned about Harry the other day at Susan's house. His house now, too, I guess."

"Who is Susan?"

"Susan Bones. She's a Hufflepuff in my year, and really nice. We've had a few classes with the 'Puffs over the years like Defense and Herbology, and I always got along with her. Hufflepuff is the house of the hardworking, kind, and loyal, so she was easy to work with on projects.

"She's also the niece of Amelia Bones, the Director of all Magical Law Enforcement. When Harry finally got his parents' will read, it said that Amelia was to be his guardian until he comes of age, so he was able to get away from his awful relatives and into a safe home. Plus, she's high up enough in the Ministry, and powerful enough as a witch, that she will be able to help protect him from just about anything."

"Why does she live with her aunt?"

"Her parents were killed in the first war with Voldemort in the 1980s, just like Harry's parents were. Amelia took her in when she was a baby and raised her as her own."

"That speaks volumes about this Amelia's character. I remember you told me a little bit about Harry's relatives when you went to find him, I remember," Mary said, sitting down next to Hermione, "And then a little more about his adventures at school that night. No one should have to live that way. In fact, if you hadn't found him, we were going to call the authorities ourselves that night."

"That's right! You're both required to report child abuse! I should have thought of that. Oh well. At least now he's healthy and with a safe, caring new guardian," Hermione said.

Giving her daughter a calculating look, Mary tried to figure out how to phrase her next question. The answer was obvious from all her letters home, but she needed to know if Hermione knew the answer for herself. "Hermione, I don't think I would be overstepping, nor do I think it would be an earth-shaking surprise necessarily, for me to assume that your concern for Harry is somewhat more than it might be for any other friend?"

Hermione's mouth, opened to respond to her mother's initial assumption, dropped open in surprise. With a bright red blush, she turned back to her bed and muttered something only she could hear.

"Hermione?"

"Yes! Yes, okay? I have a crush on Harry!"

Mary chuckled, reaching out and drawing her little girl into a hug. "There's nothing at all wrong with that, dear. You're a teenaged girl; he's a teenaged boy. It's kind of the most normal thing you've had to deal with since going to Hogwarts."

"But half the witches at Hogwarts have crushes on Harry. What would he want with a shy bookworm like me?" Hermione asked, downcast, "And living with Susan just complicates things."

"Why would that matter?"

"She's beautiful, mum! Her skin is the healthy kind of pale, she has these gorgeous waves of auburn hair, kind blue eyes…when I was over there to swim yesterday, I ran into her after she changed and mum, she's so much more developed than I am. I mean, one of hers is bigger than both of mine! Why would Harry even consider me when he's already living under the same roof as someone like Susan Bones?"

"Don't worry about that right now," Mary urged, "You're only just shy of fifteen years old. Be his friend first and foremost. From what you've told me about him, that's what he needs more than anything else. If he returns the feelings, he'll find a way to let you know."

Hermione bit her lip before deciding to go ahead and reveal her biggest secret to her mother. "I definitely do have a crush on Harry, but what if…mum, is it normal to have feelings for more than one person at the same time?"

"At your age? Absolutely. You're still learning about who you are and who you want to be. Just have fun for now, getting to know people and staying friends. Is there any one in particular other than Harry that you're attracted to?" Mary asked, sensing the answer.

Hermione was chewing on her lip by that point. "I don't really know yet, but maybe? I don't really want to talk about it until I have the chance to think about my own feelings."

Mary gave her daughter a hug, but before she could say anything else, there was a knock at the front door. "Wasn't Harry supposed to be arriving this morning?"

"Yeah, but not just yet," Hermione answered. "Who could that be?"

There weren't many people lower on the list of those she expected to see at her door over the summer holidays than Albus Dumbledore, Hermione reflected as she opened the door. "Yes, Headmaster? What brings you to our house today?"

"Ah, good morning, Miss Granger. I was wondering if I might come in for a conversation best not suited for outside ears," he explained, looking around.

"I don't think that would be a great idea, Headmaster," Hermione declined, "I was at your trial, remember. I don't know how much I can trust you. Certainly not around my parents."

"I'm here to try to find your friend Harry, Miss Granger. He needs to be in a safe place right now," Dumbledore persisted. "I really must insist I come inside for this conversation. You wouldn't want to be implicated as the reason for magic being seen in a muggle area, would you?"

She hated it, but the man had a point. Plus, if she could keep him occupied and in one place long enough, Amelia might show up and arrest him. "Sure, come in," she said, keeping a wary eye on the man and her right hand near her wand. Once the door was closed, she reiterated her question as she guided him into the sitting room just out of sight from the front door, gesturing for him to take a chair that faced away from the rest of the house. "What brings you here today, Headmaster?"

Dumbledore folded his hands and looked at her. "I was merely wondering if you knew anything of the whereabouts of your close friend Harry. These are dangerous days, and with him not living with his loving relatives any longer, I fear for his safety."

"Loving relatives? You mean the same ones who attacked him and nearly murdered him? Those loving relatives? If you think he's going back to that prison ever again you must be out of your mind!" Hermione growled at him.

Out of sight on the stairs, Hermione's parents were standing and waiting to see how their daughter would handle the confrontation. She had always been respectful of authority figures growing up, sometimes to the point of hero-worship, so the way she was standing toe to toe with her own headmaster spoke volumes for her growing independence.

"Now, now, Miss Granger," the old man said, managing to look disappointed rather than annoyed at her intransigence, "That is no way for a prefect to speak to her Headmaster."

Unbeknownst to anyone in the house, Amelia, Susan, and Harry had popped right on the front walk just behind the Headmaster as he went inside. Amelia whispered for the two teens to stay on the front walk while she snuck into monitor the situation. With no real reason for Dumbledore to be at the Granger's house, she wanted to keep the girl safe. She opened the door without a sound and slipped in on the balls of her feet, hiding in the front hallway and listening to the conversation around the corner in the sitting room.

"Prefect?" Hermione asked, voice wavering. It had been one step in her planned Hogwarts career to make prefect and hold that position on her way to becoming Head Girl, but the way

"I was going to have Minerva inform you when she sends your supply list, but this attitude is so unfortunate that I thought it would be best to let you know of exactly what you stand to lose should you continue to disrespect my authority."

"According to what I've read in Hogwarts: A History, your authority as Headmaster of Hogwarts doesn't extend to its students over the holidays, especially when you're not that student's guardian. I won't be bribed or bullied to tell tales on my best friend!" she shot back, eyes fiery.

"Enough of this! I insist you tell me where Harry is at this moment! If you continue this unconscionable disrespect to my authority, I will have no choice but to expel you from Hogwarts!" Dumbledore thundered, determined to cow the young girl into submission.

Hermione's mother gasped at the threat, and her father was raging, but Hermione's next words held them in place. "You go right ahead and expel the top student in my year, Headmaster. My very next stops will be The Daily Prophet and The Quibbler. I think magical Britain would love to see how their adored Headmaster treats another one of his best students on matters that have nothing to do with him, especially when that student has just gotten out of the hospital after his 'loving relatives' almost beat him to death! Then I'll be off to France to enroll in Beauxbatons. After that farce of a Tournament, I doubt Madam Maxime would have any problems accepting me as a transfer student. Would you care to wager on my prospects of getting Harry to transfer, too?"

Raw, naked fear flashed in Dumbledore's eyes for a fraction of a second, but it was there, and she saw it. Without hesitation, he turned around and pinned her with a glare. Hermione felt a pressure in her forehead. "Ouch!

Amelia chanced a peek around the corner. Dumbledore was glaring at the girl, forcing eye contact. Hermione stood stock still, but appeared to be fighting him off. That was enough for her. She sent a silent banishing charm straight at the old man, breaking his eye contact and sending him crashing into the wall. So strong was her anger that he actually cratered the dry wall and sent picture frames tumbling.

Surging to his feet, Dumbledore moved to confront the threat, only to find two formidable witches pointing wands right at his head. "Performing legilimency on a minor in her own home, Dumbledore? If you move more than to put your wand on that end table and hold your hands out for me to arrest you, I'm going to take it as a threat and blow your head right off your shoulders," Amelia growled as she tapped a signal on her badge, "That is a distress call to the DMLE. Aurors will be here in moments to take you back into custody."

Dumbledore stood in shock, wondering what the Fates had against him to have Amelia-bloody-Bones dogging his every step. Knowing the game was up, he reached for an emergency portkey and twisted it, saying, "Until we meet again!"

He disappeared in a swirl.

Hermione blew out a breath of pure relief before turning and hugging a surprised Amelia. "Thank you, Madam Bones. He had me frozen. I was really worried he was going to going to figure out where Harry was."

"I'm glad I could be here to help. The timing couldn't have been better," she explained, seeing two adults who had to be Hermione's parents, from the photos she'd seen on the wall. She smiled as they came down the stairs and wrapped their daughter in a hug. "Call me Amelia, Hermione. You too, Mister and Missus Granger, I assume?"

"Thank you for defending our little girl," the mother said, extending her hand, "Call me Mary, please and this is my husband Michael. You rescued her from an attack, so the very least we can do is to let you call us by our names."

"Call me Mike," Hermione's dad insisted with his own handshake, "After that, you're always welcome in our house. And that's even before we talk about how you've taken in Hermione's best friend."

Said best friend was standing on the walk with Susan, waiting to see what happened. Dumbledore was one of the two most powerful wizards in the world, so Harry was worried about his friend and guardian.

To take his mind off what might be happening, Harry started examining the house. Even without knowing what Hermione's house looked like, Harry would have pictured exactly what he saw when Dobby dropped them off. A moderately-sized dark brick house with large bushes guarding the walkway to the front door, with white-framed windows perfectly situated for letting in whatever sunlight happened to be about, it was a lovely home.

Before too much longer, the door opened to reveal Amelia beckoning them in. "Everything's okay and Dumbledore is gone."

Harry approached the door with Susan following close behind. Amelia led them around the corner, where a woman whose appearance alone told him this was Hermione's mother was standing with Hermione and an older man. Hair the same shade of brown, even without the bushiness, and kind eyes that crinkled at the corners when she saw Harry and smiled. He would have had no issues trusting her as a dentist, had the Dursleys ever taken him to see one.

"Harry! Come in! Hermione's told us so much about you!" Missus Granger exuded, drawing him into a gentle, but warm hug after the door closed behind him. "And you must be Amelia's niece Susan? Hermione was just telling me about you this morning."

A mortified, "Mum!" sounded from behind her.

Susan smiled, extending her hand. "Susan Bones. Pleased to meet you."

"Mary Granger, and it's a pleasure," she said, shaking hands. "Hermione's told me a fair bit about you as well, but all I really needed to know was that you and your aunt took in her best friend when he needed it most. You're always welcome in our home."

"That's right," said Hermione's father. Taller than Harry even after his nutrient potions, Hermione's father had a pale complexion, a sandy tint to his own brown hair, and the same kind eyes, "That told us all we needed to know, Missus Bones. Sorry, Amelia," he apologized and corrected off her look. He shook Susan's hand as well.

"Well I'm glad to hear that, at least," Amelia smiled, "Harry is a wonderful young man, as I've gotten to know since I met him in the hospital."

Blushing, Harry looked down at the floor. Fortunately, Hermione picked the exact right moment to rescue him from the adults. "Why don't I explain what we're going to be doing today?"

"That would be a good idea, Hermione. You told me something about shopping for a vacation, but not much more," Mike Granger said. He gestured to couches and chairs lining the sitting room for them to use.

"Well, as you can see, it's not just Voldemort that poses a danger. Dumbledore is after me to fulfill a prophecy about me and Voldemort, but on his own terms. I want to get out of the country for a while to see how they each handle me not dancing to their tune. To that end, I was intending to take all my friends shopping today for muggle clothes for them to go with me. I think we could all do with a break."

"And for you, too, Harry. Remember that Auntie wanted to take you shopping soon. You could use a new wardrobe," Susan chimed in with a wicked smirk.

Hermione grinned at his discomfiture. "It's true, Harry. Not only have you grown, but those disgraceful rags that your relatives had you wearing aren't fit to be burned."

Amelia made it unanimous. "Like Susan said, I was planning to take you clothes shopping this summer anyway, Harry. Might as well get it over while the girls are shopping." She was about to say more, but the sound of pops outside had her checking the windows. "Those should be my aurors that responded to my signal. I'll go outside and inform them of the situation."

She left via the front door as Harry threw up his hands. "I guess I'm outvoted. Time for the dreaded…shopping trip…" he mock-shuddered to general amusement.

Mike decided to throw the kid a bone. "We're a little hesitant to allow Hermione out of the country without us for two weeks. Or, I should say we were a little hesitant. The little display your Headmaster put on this morning is kind of changing that. Is there anything you can tell us about where you're going?"

"Well, Mister Granger, I could absolutely do that, but do you remember what Amelia said Dumbledore was trying to do to Hermione?"

"Legmens – something like that?" Mary responded.

"Legilimency, yeah. It's a magical tool that lets the legilimens – the person performing legilimency – read someone's mind. Not like reading a book, it lets them have access to the thoughts in their head. He was trying to read from Hermione's mind where I'm living. As muggles, you have even less defense against a mind attack, much less any legal recourse," Harry ran his hand through his hair, "I guess what I'm trying to say is that if he comes back here to try that on you, well you can't betray what you don't know, right?"

"What's that? Dumbledore tried to mind-rape a student of his? He's in so much hot water," Tonks piped up as she followed Amelia into the house. "Wotcher, Mister and Missus Granger. My name is Tonks. I'm an auror, a magical police officer."

The Grangers looked amazed at the pink-haired young woman that entered their sitting room. Harry shot up and gave Tonks a hug. "Hey, Tonks! I'm glad to see you again!"

"Tonks here was one of my bodyguards while I was in the hospital recently," he explained to Hermione's parents. "You're one of the aurors that responded to Amelia's signal about the old goat?"

"Better than that, buddy boy. I'm going to be your bodyguard for the duration, on special assignment from the DMLE," she retorted.

Harry looked at his guardian. "Amelia?"

"It's true," the older woman huffed, pretending to be annoyed at the girl, "I was going to explain it all, but Tonks here jumped the snitch. I wanted an extra auror to watch over you and your friends while we're overseas, and possibly even after we get back if the situation doesn't improve. I was able to get Tonks the assignment."

"Excellent!" Harry enthused.

Hermione and Susan shared a look.

"Anyway, what I can tell you is that we're going to a property my family owns that I didn't know about until recently. It's large, with at least ten bedrooms, all with their own bathrooms, and fully staffed by house elves," he finished with a gulp, looking at Hermione.

"Harry James Potter!" she exploded.

Harry flinched away from the noise.

"Hermione!" surprisingly the scolding remark came from Susan. "That was totally un-called for! Look how badly you startled him!"

"But house elves are slaves!" the girl persisted.

"They might have a bond of servitude to their owners," Amelia interjected, wanting to avoid the conversation getting too far off-track, "But it's a symbiotic relationship. Without the family magic of a wizarding household bonding them, the elves will waste away and die, often going insane before the end. They use a magical family's very magic to survive, and perform service in thanks for their life essence."

Hermione gaped, looking like a goldfish at such an effective rebuke from a woman she respected. "I…I didn't know that," she admitted, "I'm sorry for startling you, Harry. I shouldn't have done that."

"Bloody hell! That's all I had to do?" Harry said, drawing laughter.

"She's always been a bit driven," Mary explained with a grin.

With a huff, the girl sat down and folded her arms across her chest, knowing she looked like a petulant child but not caring.

"Anyway, the property is somewhere tropical, with a private beach, and a staff of elves that will do laundry, cook when I can't convince them not to…"

"He's a really good cook," Susan interrupted for his benefit, smiling when he blushed. Tonks snickered at his bashfulness.

"Thanks," Harry grinned back at her, "And it's apparently got some of the best secrecy and privacy protections available in the magical world. The goblins assure me that once we're there, we're as safe as we can be. I've arranged to pay for the clothes everyone is buying today, as well as passports for everyone but Hermione – since I assumed that she already had one and we're traveling muggle-style to ensure no one in the magical world can track us. Amelia will be there, my godfather Sirius Black will be coming along, and now Tonks, too, so there'll be three adults to chaperone eight teenagers. It's just for a couple weeks. Are you sure we can't convince you to come along, too?"

Mike and Mary looked at each other. "We were going to take a vacation in August before Hogwarts started up again. I suppose if we make some calls, we might be able to find someone to cover the practice for us," Mary said.

Hermione jumped up, whooping in joy as she threw her arms around her parents. "Oh, this will be so amazing!"

Amelia smiled. "We're about to head down to the muggle side of the Leaky Cauldron to find the kids' friends. Would you like to join us for lunch and shopping?"

"I think that would be a great idea. We'll need tonight to pack, but a day shopping with these friends of our daughters would be wonderful," Mike answered.

Harry gave a mischievous grin, a look that had Hermione putting her head in her hands. "Oh, God. What now?" Tonks and Susan watched on, enjoying the show as they learned more about Harry.

"Mister Granger, would you like to see some magic?"

"First off, call me Mike please. If we're going to be getting to know each other over the next couple of weeks, let's lose the formalities."

"And call me Mary, Harry," Hermione's mother smiled at the rhyme.

"But yes, I think we would be very interested in seeing magic," Mike finished.

Harry smirked at Hermione. "Dobby!"

Hermione groaned as the elf popped in next to Harry. "Yes, Master Harry?" Dobby greeted.

"Dobby, these are Hermione's parents. She's my best friend, and they are all going on vacation with us, but it's kind of last-minute for them. Would you be so kind as to help them pack?"

The elf stared at Hermione's parents intently for a moment before disappearing again with a snap.

"What in the world?" Mary asked.

"Give him a moment," Harry said, keeping his grin.

It was just a moment later before Dobby reappeared with four suitcases. "All packed, Master Harry!"

"Thank you, Dobby! You really are the best. You may go and rest or work as you need," Harry said with a pat on the elf's shoulder.

"Wait!" Mike interjected. "Your name is Dobby?"

"Dobby is Dobby, sir," he bobbed his head.

"Thank you, Dobby," the man said, "We really appreciate the help."

Dobby blushed before disappearing once more with a pop.

"What an amazing creature," Mary breathed.

"House elf magic is remarkable," nodded Harry, "and one that most magicals don't fully comprehend."

"Well, shall we head off for lunch?" Amelia asked, looking at her watch.

"So, Harry…are you going to tell us what's in the bag now?" Hermione pressed as they got to the private room at the Leaky Cauldron he'd arranged.

Looking around the room, Harry saw that it had been set up according to his specifications, with a long table around which everyone could sit. His friends took up one side while adults – including Tonks – occupied the other. He grinned at Hermione. "I think once Amelia and Sirius put up their strongest privacy wards, I can start explaining, yeah."

Without hesitation, the two adults moved to seal the room off against eavesdroppers and intruders. Ron took the opportunity to approach him. "Harry, mate, I wanted to tell you that Mum told Ginny and I we could go with you, but Lavender contacted me this morning. She wants me to visit a few times over the next few weeks before her family goes on holiday…" he trailed off, leaving the sentence unfinished but the sentiment clear.

Harry took a critical look at his friend. Although the boy had made amends after his betrayal in the early days of the Tournament, and had helped capture Dumbledore, the anger in his face when Harry's name came out of the goblet was never far from his mind. Trust is so easily broken and so hard to repair afterwards. He would miss Ron on the trip, but the other boy's presence had become uncomfortable of late. Nodding, he took Ron aside and reached into the bag he filled up at Gringotts, handing him a thick packet. When the redhead nodded his understanding, he gave his fellow Gryffindor a pat on the back and escorted him to the door. Ginny saw what was going on and frowned, matched by Hermione.

After Ron left to great puzzlement from the rest, Amelia and Sirius gave him a nod that their wards were complete. Harry cleared his throat, idly reflecting that he seemed to be getting practice in addressing large groups of people. "Thank you all for coming. It means the world to me that you're willing to come on this little vacation with me. There are some new vulnerabilities, though. Amelia?" he said, gesturing to his guardian.

"This morning, Albus Dumbledore entered Hermione's home and attempted to use legilimency on her to find out Harry's whereabouts," Amelia explained to general gasps.

"We're not sure if he figured anything out, but Amelia was right there to stop it, so he might start putting two and two together. So, this trip now has an added sense of urgency," Harry continued, "I stopped by Gringotts today to take care of some things. Long story short, we now have our muggle travel documents for the trip, including plane tickets and passports, and I set up muggle credit cards for you all. These will pay for the shopping today but they have an astronomical credit limit."

"Harry James Potter! What do you think you're doing?" Hermione exclaimed, quickly getting shushed by her parents.

"Easy, Hermione. I'm taking care of my loved ones," he answered in a quiet voice, "Dumbledore was willing to mind-rape you today to find me and keep me under his control. Does anyone here have any doubts that he would do the same to them?" Harry asked a suddenly quiet table. "Does anyone believe they could keep him out of their heads?"

Nobody answered.

"The money is for emergencies. If, after we get back from this little trip and Dumbledore or Voldemort start causing too much trouble, we can escape. They're both too arrogant to pay attention to the muggle world; with those passports and the credit cards I set up for you all, it should be relatively easy to disappear in the muggle side of London. Tonks, I'll contact Gringotts tomorrow to get one for you since you're coming too."

"No need, Harry. I have a muggle passport and wardrobe already," the auror said.

"But I'm still going to get you a card tied to a vault so you and your family can disappear if you have to."

Sirius nodded. "They're family. Cousins, Harry, so I appreciate your forethought."

That ended Tonks' protests, but she shot a dirty look at Sirius.

"Just how much can those cards spend, Harry?" Mike wanted to know.

"I set up a special vault to fund each one; the goblins are seriously pissed at Dumbledore and wanted to do anything they could to help me. Each vault now contains two million galleons," he ignored the round of gasps and murmuring, "and since the Goblins have an affiliation with a muggle bank set up by squibs to liaise between the muggle and magical worlds, the goblins will convert those galleons to sterling and transfer them to their muggle front to pay any charges."

"That's so much money!" Mary said with wide eyes, "How could you possibly arrange that much?"

"Please tell me you didn't use your money from killing the basilisk, Harry," pleaded Susan.

He shook his head, holding his hands up in a placating gesture. "No, Susan, I promise I didn't. Missus Granger…"

"Mary," she interrupted, reminding him of their earlier request that he use their first names.

"Mary," he grinned, "I recently discovered that my family was far wealthier than I ever dreamed of. Trust me when I say this doesn't even put a dent in my vaults. Even beyond that, protecting everyone in this room is worth way more than gold to me."

Touched, Hermione got to her feet and moved to his side. Wrapping him in a gentle hug, she sniffed into his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Harry. I know taking care of your friends is important to you; I just wasn't thinking."

"It's okay, 'Mione. Now, here are the passports, and credit cards. I'll distribute the tickets when we get to Bones Manor and are ready to go. I still don't trust Dumbledore not to find a way to take the information from someone's head."

Nods greeted his assessment as Harry passed out the documents. "There's enough money on these cards to cover today's clothes shopping, too. Not everyone here has a full muggle wardrobe, and I wanted to be sure to take care of that since I'm the one who invited you all."

Neville and Ginny looked like they wanted to protest, but no one wanted to refuse Harry's generosity. With all matters settled, he nodded to Amelia to dispel the privacy wards, allowing their waitress to bring in menus.

"That was delicious!" Mary exclaimed as they left the Leaky Cauldron back onto the Charing Cross Road.

"Magically delicious," Mike grinned, showing off his 'dad joke' sense of humor. "I can't remember a better stew that I've ever had."

The entire party groaned, but Harry chuckled after the groan. "The Cauldron's food is always good. I stayed there for a few weeks before third year after I escaped my relatives."

The statement got him several worried glances from his friends and the adults. Tonks in particular gave Amelia a questioning glance.

"Later," the older woman mouthed.

"So where are we headed for this shopping experience?" Susan asked from her position on Harry's left.

"Well, we're not all that far from a shopping mall. It's not as big as Harrods, but I think that kind of works in our favor. I know I need new clothes and a bathing suit. Hermione might not need all that much," he nodded to the girl on his other side, "But I still wanted her to be able to get anything she wanted."

"What's a shopping mall, Harry?" Luna piped up from behind him.

"Think of Diagon Alley with three times the shops and totally enclosed inside a building. There are shops selling everything from luxury and formal clothing to toys, food, and other trinkets."

Hannah's eyes bulged. "Sweet Merlin!"

Susan gave a light, musical laugh at her friend's reaction. "Come on, Hannah! Shopping awaits!"

It was a short walk over to the mall, but with the higher-than-normal temperatures that had made swimming such fun the day before, they were all grateful to get inside the air conditioning. After looking over at Amelia and Mary as they were chatting, Harry had a smile on his face. The magical-raised were staring wide-eyed all around them. Luna and Ginny were gaping, but Hannah in particular was almost hyperventilating and looked to be about to pass out. Neville was quick to put his arm around her shoulders to steady her.

Susan had stopped entirely, staring all around her in wonder. Hermione moved to distract her when an evil idea popped into her head. It would be a small, but apt revenge on Harry for setting up all that money without warning them in advance. She moved over to the redheaded girl and linked arms before whispering her plan into Susan's ear. The Hufflepuff girl got a malicious smile just like Hermione's as the girls turned to the adults. "Aunt Amelia?" "Mum?" they called.

The older women turned. "Why don't we let Sirius and Daddy take Neville and the others on a tour of the mall for a bit?" Hermione started.

"Then the four of us can ensure that Harry gets fitted for the best possible wardrobe," Susan finished.

Tonks laughed as Harry's eyes grew wide. He knew new clothes were in his future, but he figured he'd pick some out in the right sizes and then be on his way, not that he would be a live mannequin for the girls to play dress-up with.

"I'll stick with Mike and Sirius on this one, Harry. You have Amelia with you, so you'll be fine," the auror noted.

Mary and Amelia understood immediately what the girls were smirking about, and agreed completely. "That sounds like a wonderful idea, girls. Mike and Sirius?" Amelia called, "Can you keep an eye on the other teens while we four take Harry shopping for clothes?"

Mike grinned. "Sure, I think we can manage that. How about we meet up at the outdoors store later on?"

"Traitors!" Harry accused. He received no sympathy from the older men.

"Give us two hours," Mary grinned at Harry's groan.

Hermione and Susan cackled as the others moved off and Harry dropped his head like a man being led to the gallows.

"I think you're right, Susan. He favors autumnal colors: maroons, golds, oranges, and greens," Hermione mused as Harry emerged from the changing room in a forest green plaid button-down shirt and dark brown khaki slacks.

"He really looks good in that combination," the redhead breathed in agreement.

Hermione nodded, struck at how handsome her friend was. The right colors and cuts of clothes brought out his attractiveness to the fore. "Thankfully he has to wear robes at school, or he'd be fighting the girls off with pointy sticks," she said.

Susan snickered at the imagery, but agreed with the sentiment. Harry in those muggle clothes was doing funny things to her insides.

Harry's legs were getting sore from standing and turning as much as he had over the previous ninety minutes. It was an experience he never wanted to repeat, but when he started to get frustrated with the constant changing, sizing, and commenting, he realized just how special the occasion was. After that it was easier to bear, but he was getting very bored and antsy.

Amelia was the first to notice his increasing discomfort and decided to call a halt. "I think that's good, girls. He's got six pairs of pants, a dozen shirts, plus at least two weeks' worth of boxers and socks, then trainers and a couple pairs of dress shoes. He should be set for a while."

Hermione and Susan mock-groaned, but Harry fell back onto a chair with a sigh of relief. Mary just chuckled at the spectacle. She and Amelia had shared more than one amused glance at the apparent camaraderie between Susan and Hermione as they helped dress the boy. Far from the jealousy or competitiveness that she expected her daughter to show in the face of the buxom redhead sharing living space with Hermione's crush, the two girls appeared to get on extremely well. They shared laughs at Harry's apparent embarrassment over the clothes, compared notes as to how he looked, and in general were as thick as thieves.

When it was all over, Harry labored out of the store with no less than six heavy bags. Winking at him, Amelia took them and made off to the nearest restroom. Alone, she used her wand to shrink the bags and stuck them in her pocket. Harry's questioning gaze on her return saw her patting her pocket with a wink.

Hermione came by her intelligence legitimately. Mary picked up right away on what must have happened and gave a wistful sigh. "What I wouldn't give for the ability to do that…"

Chuckling, the group made off to meet their friends at the outdoor sportswear store. Mike and Sirius were waiting with their friends. Luna and Ginny appeared to have calmed down, but Hannah looked like her eyebrows wouldn't ever be rejoining the rest of her face.

"So, what did you think of your first visit to a shopping mall?" Hermione grinned.

"It was amazing!" Luna gushed, "I never knew muggles were so creative! Having so many different stores under one roof is wonderful!"

Hannah nodded wildly, looking like Dobby at his most enthusiastic. "This…this is unreal! Why can't we arrange the use of elecstrisity?"

"Electricity," Hermione corrected with a grin, "I know. There has to be a way to shield electronics to work. Maybe through runes?" she shrugged.

"Now let's get some bathing suits!"

Inside the store, which had a huge section used for bathing suits, the group split along gender lines. Mike and Sirius took Harry and Neville over to the men's side while Amelia and Mary shepherded the girls over to the women's suits.

Mike decided to use the opportunity of having Harry away from Hermione and Mary to get to know one of the two lads that Hermione had spent the best part of four years writing to them about. He knew some of the boy's history, from how his daughter had handled the search for the lad. He had a bad home life, and was probably abused if Hermione combing through hospitals looking for him was any indication, yet the lad had been unfailingly kind and polite. He held Hermione in extremely high regard, if the tales of him jumping onto the back of whatever a troll was were any indication. The only trouble was that they were in a muggle area, so talking about magic was out of the question.

"I've wanted to meet you for a long time, Harry. Hermione has written home to us talking about you so often over the years I almost feel like I know you. I don't think I can thank you enough for jumping on something's back, if you know what I mean."

Harry jumped slightly at the oblique reference to the magical world. "I was just glad I was there at the time. None of us knew much about what to do in that case. We got really lucky."

"I'll say," Sirius chimed in, "But it made me so proud."

"I didn't know you were there, Sirius."

"Oh, I wasn't. But we watched what happened through a special device yesterday. I'm sure once we get where we're going Harry could be persuaded to share with you and Mary some of his experiences," the older man grinned.

"I think I would like that very much," Mike smirked at Harry's wide eyes. "What I meant to say, Harry, was that I'm really glad Hermione's always been able to count on you. She didn't always have such good friends before going to your school, so it meant the world to Mary and me to see how she wrote of you. I know you'll always be there to take good care of her."

The hidden second meaning in Mike's words went right over Harry's head. "Hermione's my best friend, sir. She'll always be able to rely on me."

That was good enough for Mike. With a pat on the lad's back, the males chose their trunks from the wall. After spending two hours trying on different clothes, Harry was in no mood to go through that again. He just used the sizes the ladies decided on and picked one dark green pair and one orange pair out.

Over on the women's side of the store, the ladies were snickering over Hermione and Susan's retribution for Harry's sneaky generosity. "You two are evil!" grinned Hannah, "Boys don't like clothes shopping!"

"That's what made it perfect. He was so uncomfortable, but he stood there and did it without complaining. Something clicked about half an hour in and you could see him calm down and almost enjoy it for a while," Susan answered.

"You showed care for him," Luna said quietly, "You saw how he grew up. Abuse and hatred all day, every day, then he goes to Hogwarts and is either the second coming of Merlin or the next Dark Lord, depending on the mood of the day. That was the first time anyone has ever taken him shopping for clothes. We take it for granted, but he's never had someone sitting there, telling him what he looks good in. Harry must have realized that and understood what it meant."

"That poor boy," Mary murmured, thinking of a child growing up without love.

Amelia's attention was focused on the racks of bikinis. "Um, Susan? Are you sure you want to get suits like this? They're a little…daring."

Mortified, Susan looked at the older woman. "Auntie! Hermione said that these are the kinds of swimming suits muggles are wearing these days!"

Realizing this was part of a culture she knew very little about, Amelia turned to Mary. "I'll defer to your judgement on this. Bathing suits in our world are much more restrained."

Giving the woman a smile, Mary gestured at the display. "These would be perfectly acceptable on any beach in the world."

"Think about it this way, Madam Bones: we're going to be just with ourselves on private beaches, and even when she's back here, your pool is private, so she won't be subject to scandal," Hermione explained.

The other girls liked this explanation, with Hannah, Ginny and Luna moving to take bikinis off the rack in their preferred colors; Hannah picked a floral pattern in yellow and black; Ginny chose a geometric design that was emerald green as a base color with white shapes patterning the fabric; and Luna chose a similar style in a light purple with butterflies.

Susan took her aunt's hesitance as acceptance and picked out a black bikini with no pattern along with another one so skimpy that it had her blushing just for picking it up.

Hermione already had a bikini, but after Susan picked out her second suit with a halter top, she decided she had to be bold as well and chose a bright candy-apple red with a bottom that would have her blushing the same shade when Harry saw it on her. The girls moved toward the changing rooms to try them on as Amelia sought out Mary once more. "It's fine, Amelia," Hermione's mother said, "As my wise daughter just said, the only people who will see these suits are going to be the people in this group who are all close enough to family."

"Oh, I know. I understand and totally agree. I just was hoping you could help me pick out one for myself?" she asked with a self-deprecating chuckle.

Mary grinned at her newest friend and guided her over to the racks of suits.

In the changing area, Luna and Ginny were occupying adjoining changing rooms with Hannah in between them and Hermione and Susan on the far end. Each changing room had a mirror, but for a more all-around look, the row of changing areas hidden by its own door had a raised platform at one end with mirrors on three sides.

The redhead holding up her bikini in front of her. "I can't believe this is going to be my bathing suit!" Ginny whispered, "My mum would kill me for even thinking of wearing this in front of other people!"

Luna laughed. "It certainly feels empowering to wear something that bares so much of my body. I don't have the curves that the older girls do, but at least I feel like more than just a kid in this."

"You have wonderful curves, Luna," Ginny dropped her voice to a whisper.

"Do you think they'll let us share a room?" Luna wondered.

"I don't think that will be a problem. They know we're friends, and we're the same age, so that makes it easier."

"Thank Merlin!" Ginny breathed.

Hannah heard whispers but couldn't tell what they were saying. Shrugging it off, she donned the bikini, and checked herself out in the mirror, not quite believing that she was about to wear so little in front of Neville. Her crush on the shy Gryffindor boy had developed over the years to the point where she was beyond infatuated. Spending two weeks on a beach with him was the chance she needed to try to draw him out of his shell. If nothing else, showing this much skin should at least remind him that she was a girl.

On the other side of Hannah, Susan was trying not to lose her bravery. Of the two bathing suits she picked out, both were far more daring than her usual neck-to-knees coverage at home, but the halter-top set would show more skin than anyone outside her dorm room had ever seen. The back of the bottom rode up much more than she expected, but made her feel hot just from putting it on and it wasn't uncomfortable at all. Looking at herself in the mirror, she had to stifle a squeak at her appearance. Hermione's voice from the end changing room told her she wasn't entirely successful.

"Susan? Is everything okay?"

"Yeah," she tried to keep her voice under control, "I'm just a little surprised at how this suit looks and feels."

"I just got mine on, too. Step out here and let's take a look at it in the mirrors."

Susan took a moment to adjust the straps on the halter top to be sure it stayed up, and checked the ties on both sides of her waist. With a deep breath – noting how much it pushed her chest out – she stepped through the curtain over the changing room.

Her mouth instantly went dry.

Hermione was already out there, turning this way and that as she admired the bright red bikini. Hers wasn't a halter top like Susan's, but the bottom was just as daring. Instead of a traditional bikini-style bottom, hers was a T-back, showing off most of her bum. The redhead just stared at the girl's physique as she turned to each side, amazed at how fit and trim Hermione was. The girl may be slender, but she had a lot of apparent wiry strength.

Finally noticing the redhead, Hermione looked back at Susan. "Wow! That bikini looks outstanding, Susan!"

Finally swallowing enough to wet her throat so she could reply, Susan managed not to croak as she answered, "You picked a great one too. That bikini looks like it was tailored just for you."

The brunette blushed. "Well it's a good thing I'm getting it, then! Come on, your turn. Hop up and take a look."

Regardless of Hermione's urging, there was no way Susan was going to be hopping anywhere in that suit, at least until she could be sure that hopping wouldn't lead to popping out of it. She stepped up on the platform to look at her body from all angles. Her aquamarine suit, chosen to match her eyes, wasn't a T-back like Hermione's, but it still showed off far more of her rear end than she would have ever done before. Something about being around Hermione's casual confidence and worldliness was imparting some of the other girl's Gryffindor courage. The top was just as daring, showing almost all of her substantial cleavage.

As she was admiring the way the suit cupped her body and showed off her assets, a strangled squeak from behind her made her turn to make sure Hermione was okay. She was just in time to see a flushed Gryffindor turn tail and duck back into her changing room. "Hermione?"

The brunette was indeed turning the color of her bikini, but not because of Harry's appraising glance. Seeing Susan in her daring suit sent a spike of heat through her entire being. She'd never felt that way in her entire life before, and needed to collect herself. "I'm fine!" came the high-pitched shout, "Just needed to fix my straps. Didn't tie them that well."

Ginny, having just emerged to check her own suit, looked confused for a brief moment before her mind put the sequence of events together. A knowing look came over her face, but when Susan shot her a questioning glance, the younger girl just shook her head. It wasn't her place. Besides, Luna had emerged from her own changing room.

Nonplussed, Susan made her way back to the changing room to try on the more conservative bikini.

It was a tired, but excited group of teens and adults that made their way to Bones Manor. Shrunken bags lined the pockets of Amelia, Mike, and Mary, the latter of whom was still wistful at the ability to make shopping easier.

When the girls were done purchasing their bikinis, they moved on to the regular clothing stores. Harry tried to voice the desire to dress them as they had him, but was laughed off. Mike took him aside and explained that the women would not appreciate his input on their sartorial choices.

He didn't exactly understand it, but after riding the high of having his best friend, someone who was rapidly becoming a great friend, and the closest thing he'd ever known to a maternal figure helping him pick out an entirely new wardrobe, he rolled with it and followed along as Mike showed Sirius and Neville the wonders of a muggle electronics store.

As the girls retired to Susan's room to pack their new treasures into their bags for the trip in the morning, Harry, Neville, Mike, and Sirius moved into the study to play some cards.

"I wanted to ask you a question or two if that's okay, Sirius?" Mike began.

"Go right ahead," he answered.

Mike thought over his words, trying to phrase them properly. "We've heard a lot from the kids about what has been happening in the wizarding world, and it's pretty bleak. What I was wondering is the why – why is this evil person trying to take over and why does it involve Harry?"

"Well, the previous war, in which Susan's and Harry's parents were all murdered, and then the current one, were both started by this Tom Riddle, who calls himself Voldemort. Those that are drawn to his side are those that believe in pureblood supremacy – the idea that families which have magical parents on both sides back many generations are somehow superior to those which have a muggle in the family or a muggleborn. My own family was a dyed-in-the-wool pureblood supremacy family, which is why I ran away when I was sixteen and lived with James Potter, Harry's dad."

"That's…absurd! You're saying my daughter will be a second-class citizen?"

"Third, actually. She's a muggleborn. Unfortunately, that means that many careers will be out of her reach, and even if her intelligence were to get her a job within the Ministry, she would be passed over for promotions anytime there was a pureblood or half-blood competing with her," Sirius acknowledged with a frustrated nod.

"So what options are open to her?" Mike wondered, shuffling the cards that Sirius handed him.

"Not many. Quite a few muggleborns and squibs – people without magic born to a magical family," he clarified off Mike's questioning look at the term, "end up going back to the muggle world to find employment."

"I'm starting to see why Minerva McGonagall didn't tell us this part when she gave us our Hogwarts visit," Hermione's father grumped.

"What did you learn this morning, Headmaster?" Severus asked as he joined Dumbledore in the older man's office.

"Less than I had hoped. Miss Granger was most truculent, and outright refused to cooperate. When I pressured her, even threatening her with expelling her if she didn't tell me where the boy is, she called my bluff and told me she'd be contacting the Prophet if I did right before she transferred to Beauxbatons."

"Did you read her thoughts?"

"I tried, but before I could get anything other than an image of red hair, Amelia Bones showed up and blasted me into a wall. She tried to arrest me before I used an emergency portkey out."

"Red hair," Severus mused, "I think given his previous associations, it means that the Weasleys are the most logical choice for the Potter brat's new guardians."

"You are most likely correct, but I cannot ignore the seemingly omnipresence of Amelia Bones. Ever since Harry went missing, the woman has been everywhere, hounding me like a werewolf," Albus mused, "I will need to go to the Ministry to check the guardian records to be sure."

Before Snape could respond, he gasped at the burning sensation in his forearm. "I must leave at once, Albus. I am being summoned to the Dark Lord's presence."

"Go with all haste, my boy. Do be judicious with what you tell him that we've learned," Dumbledore warned.

With a nod, Snape disappeared through the Floo.

One hour later, Dumbledore slid the file drawer closed. It was as he had feared: Amelia Bones was now the legal and magical guardian for one Harry James Potter.

Prying the boy out from under her influence back to his gentle guidance would take all of his finesse, but luckily, he had nothing but time to plan.

"What have you learned, Severus?" Riddle hissed.

From his bowed position, Snape had to project his voice to be heard. "My lord, it appears the Potter boy is under the guardianship of the Weasley family. The old fool used legilimency on the Granger mudblood and found a mental image of red hair. It is well-known throughout the wizarding world that the Weasleys have been Potter's family in all but title since he rejoined our world."

"The embarrassment Potter caused me in the cemetery cannot go unanswered. We must make plans to rectify the situation with all haste. Perhaps a visit to Azkaban is in order to get my most loyal followers back."

"My lord," Snape started, asking for permission to continue.

Voldemort nodded.

"The Umbridge witch was most embarrassed at the trial when the blood traitor Black was freed. Perhaps a suggestion to her would provide us with an ally in the Ministry?"

A moment of silence as Voldemort mused over his words. "An excellent idea, Severus. Make it happen."

A/N: Dun dun dun! I know it's a long time coming, but His Noseless is finally back! I hope you all enjoyed this update. Reviews are always welcome!