Chapter Fourteen
House Party
Jareth was dealing with the latest wished away child, then went to speak to his father about the uptick in wished aways. "It has been happening more frequently since Hereweald was brought below."
"I will look into it," Oberon stated then admitted that there might be a connection to their staying close to the aboveground world and the uptick. "How are things with your Sarah? How is she adjusting to the return of magic to her life?"
"They are going well." He said with a nervous look on his face, concerned he was about to get a lecture regarding obeying the courtship rules. "Sarah has agreed to supervise with Cassiopeia the children from Hereweald's school that are to be staying this weekend."
"Yes, Ethberg mentioned something about that when we met with the council regarding what to do about the poaching of a dragon egg. Gorem agreed to your suggestion of allowing things to simmer but there are others in the Kingdom who expressed concern that we are letting it go unpunished so soon after finding out about the Flamels." Oberon explained.
"I rather fear that both events are connected to the same manipulative fool. I took away his power via the International Confederation of Wizards that he tried to steal for himself. Up next is dealing with his potions master. I am going to end Severus Snape's employment at Hogwarts."
"I have expressed my concern regarding his potential replacement. Horace Slughorn is not a belligerent and bellicose fool like the other wizard, but he still is a fool." Oberon pointed out.
"I wish to remove Snape's presence from Hogwarts in order to keep him far away from my son, Slughorn is a social climbing ambitious fool, which Hereweald has plenty of experience in dealing with already here at court," Jareth stated with a grimace. "I have to return to Wales, the nurses are going to be taking care of the young wished away and I have a house full of magical children who need supervised."
Sarah was overwhelmed with the need to giggle as she heard this Brown girl's latest proclamation about loving something. Clearly, Lavender Brown was the sort of social butterfly that she had dealt with in high school, girls were the same world over, no matter if they were magical or not.
From the pained expression on Hermione's face, as Lavender waxed poetic about the estate they had just driven onto, Sarah was certain that she would throw herself out of the vehicle if they had to listen to the air headed blond girl much longer.
Thankfully, they could now see the manor house and she was pulling to a stop just as Forbes came to the door and greeted herself and the two young guests. "Master Harry is entertaining his guests in the orangery, Ms. Williams. I will take charge of your luggage if you wish to join them."
"What about Mr. Brenin?" she asked hoping Jareth was at the house.
"Mr. Brenin was called into work Miss, he left a note upon the mantle for you," Forbes stated then watched as the two younger girls rushed inside to go locate their friends while Sarah continued inside at a more sedate pace.
Harry was laughing and watching the clock at the same time, wondering what was taking Sarah and Hermione, so long. They were to arrive around noon and it was now just past noon. When he was smacked with the badminton birdie, he caught it and then tossed it back to Neville who was apologizing for accidentally smacking him with it. "No worries, Neville."
"So, this is what you do when I am not around?" with that, Harry turned to embrace the wild-haired girl who was bounding towards him. He soon was greeting Hermione and when he had finished, he noticed Lavender who was looking between the two of them with resignation and after shrugging went to greet Parvati while her sister came to speak to Hermione. "Harry, this is great."
"Dad set up the orangery for a few muggle games and then made sure that the glass was unbreakable before he left," Harry replied with a grin as he directed Hermione towards the nearby thick rattan furniture. "My Aunt Cassiopeia is supervising the chef she brought with her from her home. We are going to have a late lunch."
"Sarah went to speak to your aunt, while Lavender and I came to check out what you were up to and who had already arrived," Hermione explained as she settled down near Harry while watching as Neville and Seamus were explaining the rules of badminton to Lavender. Dean had already played a game partnered with Harry and was walking around the large glass house in awe of the sculptures kept there and itching to sketch some of the fantastic artwork.
Padma who had followed Hermione and Harry to the settee settled down in the nearby chair and leaned in to tell her friend "I claimed you for a roommate, it's bad enough rooming with my sister during the school year, but I utterly refuse to room with her while away from Hogwarts."
"There enough bedrooms that no one has to room with anyone else." Harry pointed out to Padma who was shaking her head no.
"There might be, but my parents insisted on us sharing rooms with either each other or another girl." She stated. "It's a cultural thing, Harry."
"Okay," Harry replied understanding what she meant. "The boys, however, have decided to take their own rooms for the weekend. Mainly to enjoy the reprieve from snoring."
There was a bit of giggling as the other two girls joined them and Lavender announced: "I have heard Ron's snoring in Binn's class, I would hate to have to hear it all night long."
"We have all become fairly adept at silencing spells." Dean ruefully stated. "They work well when he closes his curtains but when he doesn't, it only works part way."
Minerva McGonagall was not a happy witch after having had the headmaster snapping at her all week regarding the Potter boy going home for the holidays. She wasn't sure what the problem was, but she was growing rather tired of it. Add to that that there was still a problem with the wards in her dorms and she was growing rather annoyed.
"Did the goblins give you any ideas what the issue could be?" Pomona Sprout was asking as they held their weekly head of house staff meeting.
"No, but they did declare that whatever it is it isn't dark magic." She said with a sigh of relief. "Though, I have another issue. When Mr. Ronald Weasley left for the holidays, he forgot to take his pet rat and while the house elves do have the ability to feed it, they can't clean its cage."
"Weasley and that rat have been an issue all year long." Flitwick pointed out.
"I had Kettleburn take care of its cage and he has moved it into his quarters until the boy returns, but I am going to have to insist that it go to the Weasley family home, enough is enough." She was telling them and then inquired of Filius how his holidays were progressing.
"I spent part of the week with my brethren." Flitwick left out that they were very unhappy with the headmaster's attempts to access the Potter boy's vaults and had questioned him in a rather telling manner that had Filius rather concerned for Hogwarts. "It is good to be back."
"Yes, now that you have returned, Minerva, I must insist on being allowed the time away." Severus Snape demanded and the others avoiding looking in his direction as they found his still being decorated like a Christmas tree amusing. "As I told Albus, I refused to spend one more minute under the same roof as that woman."
Shaking her head in disbelief, Minerva McGonagall replied. "I do understand your request, Severus, however, Albus is being rather stubborn regarding dealing with Sybil. I would like to suggest that you spend a few days away and I will try to figure out what on earth has come over her."
"As you are aware, it isn't potion based." He coldly pointed out sounding a bit smug at having proven he had nothing to do with the chaos.
"It isn't being done with charms or any other known magic." Filius pointed out. "Are you sure that her feeling for you aren't genuine, Severus?"
When the black glare fell upon the dueling champion, he hastily agreed that the crush the divination teacher had upon Severus was more than likely magical in nature. "Yes, time away seems like a good thing."
Snape left the staff room and was soon packing up what he would need for his week spent away from Hogwarts. He was determined to be gone before the headmaster figured out he had deliberately gone against his orders to escape the lovelorn witch who was making so much trouble in his life.
When Toccal and Smee snuck into the manor house in Wales, they quickly spoke to their king and were ordered to leave the next part of the plan to Jareth. Jareth quickly changed his wardrobe so that it was more aboveground acceptable as he changed into denim pants and a white dress shirt. When he was finished, he hurried towards the study where Forbes had informed him that Sarah was along with his sister.
Greeting his beloved and then his sister, he inquired about the children. "Are Harry's friends here?"
"Yes, all of them came, including Mr. Longbottom," Cassio told him. "His grandmother wishes to speak to you when you have returned. I put her off until Monday, but you are going to have to allay her concerns."
"What is the issue with her?" Sarah inquired.
"Augusta Longbottom lost her son and daughter in law to torture, they are patients in a long-term ward and she is the sole caregiver for young Neville. I rather fear that she is a tad bit overprotective of her grandson, but considering what has gone on, it is understandable." Jareth explained. "I need to speak to her as well. It will be the start of my plan to go public with my Aboveground persona."
"How are you preventing the goblins and those from the underground from showing up this weekend?" Sarah asked then admitted, "I was hoping to see Sir Didymus but then realized that a talking fox who thinks he is a squire might not work."
"I have barred the goblins, we are using the Potter family house elves to take care of things here along with Forbes," Jareth replied then with a regretful look told Sarah. "I am rather afraid that seeing Sir Didymus is out of the question this weekend. I can arrange for them to pay you a visit once you return to school."
Thanking him, she asked, "Shall we go find out what the children are up to?"
Walking down the hallway, Jareth held Sarah's hand where it was placed upon his upper arm and was telling his sister that her husband was joining them later that evening. When they arrived in the orangery, they found Dean Thomas was using a muggle pencil and a napkin sketching one of the statues of Hercules that was based there while Harry and two girls were seated on the settees arranged by the fireplace while two more girls and two boys were attempting to play badminton.
"Father." Harry stood and went to greet his dad and the two women. He spoke about when he arrived and then whispered: "The wished away?"
"He is with the nurses and will be sent to his forever home later this week after he has been healed," Jareth stated then was quickly introduced to the children. Assessing each of them, he found them acceptable companions, even if two of the girls were rather giggly as they greeted him. "Hermione, it is nice to see you again."
"Thank you, sir." She said as she stood to greet Jareth. "My parents asked me to tell you, thank you for your offer and that they wish to accept your protections."
"I will send my staff to take care of the situation," Jareth replied then looking at the badminton game that was winding up, asked if they were all ready for lunch. "I believe that Harry asked my sister's chef to make pizza for lunch."
For Dean and Seamus, this was met with a cheer as they along with Harry attempted to explain to the purebloods what pizza was. Soon all were seated at the dining room table and were quietly eating their delicious lunch.
"Harry, what sort of juice is this?"
Looking at Neville who was reaching for his glass yet again, clearly enjoying his drink, Harry took a drink and announced "It is iced tea, which is more of an American drink but with peach juice. Just wait, dad arranged for peach cobbler for dessert. We grow all sorts of fruit in our orchards but peaches are both dad's and my favorite fruit."
Severus Snape was not a happy wizard as he let himself into his cold and dark house in Cokeworth. He was however relieved to have escaped the sudden romantic attentions of the Divination's professor. Tossing his bag onto his leather couchette, he used his wand to light up the place, and then to start a fire in the brick fireplace after removing the notice me not charm he had placed upon himself to get home in peace.
Tomorrow morning, he intended to go speak to the goblins about his vault. While he was tied to Hogwarts as long as the Potter boy was a student due to the vow made to the headmaster the night that Lily passed away, he was going to start to plan for afterward, because he could not take teaching too much longer.
As he went to his bathroom, grimacing at having to look at his hair, he was torn between surprise at the fact that his hair was its standard black and anger at the prank. Soon changing into more casual wear, he went to sort through the mail that had gathered while he was at school.
Most of it was muggle nonsense, but he did on occasion receive mail from magical sources. Tossing most of it into the fireplace to burn, he was a bit surprised to find a letter from the Ministry that was addressed to his mother using her maiden name.
Opening it, he frowned as he read how they were trying to track down relatives of the Prince family and that his mother and her descendants were the last of the family. A bit surprised to find that there was a vault and that all he had to do to claim it was to pay a visit to the Ministry and claim his family's magic.
Not sure he could considering his mother was disowned, he decided that what could it hurt, so placing the letter in his valise, he went to get something to eat. As he sat there, thinking about the possibilities, he was considering talking to the headmaster, but that meant going to Hogwarts which was the last place he wished to be seen.
Remus Lupin was reading the note from the Ministry and was frowning as he leaned down to talk to the headmaster through the floo. However, the great man was unavailable and had been for the last few days. Finally deciding to just go see what the Ministry wanted on Monday, Remus went back to the stack of photos he had located for Minerva McGonagall of James and Lily.
She had contacted him earlier that week, mentioning that she was putting together a photo album for young Harry. That she intended to have Hagrid give it to James' son as it wouldn't be appropriate for her to do so.
As he went through the photographs, Remus struggled with his desire to destroy the ones of Sirius, but something in him just refused to give in to his anger. Finding himself reminiscing of old times and better day, Remus eventually drifted off to sleep having been up the night before as it had been a full moon.
Bill Weasley was speechless as he listened to his youngest brother carelessly dismiss the fact that he had abandoned his pet at Hogwarts for the holidays. "The house elves will take care of him."
Shaking his head, knowing that Ron wasn't the smartest of the Weasley children, but really? "Ron, that isn't their jobs. You are responsible for any pet you bring to Hogwarts. It is in the letter that they send to you that you are responsible for the feeding and care of all pets."
"It's not like I wanted that stupid old rat," Ron muttered. "Dad is the bloody Minister for Magic and I am stuck with a stupid hand me down rat for a pet. It's not fair."
Bill knew that his father had considered giving Ron a better pet but had decided to take a wait and see attitude considering his brother's lack of personal responsibility. "Where are your books, I was thinking I could help you get your homework done?"
"I left them at Hogwarts, 'sides, why would I do homework on holiday?" Ron stated as he gathered up his parka and gloves as he opened the door to his hotel room. "I am going to go flying."
"Ron didn't you hear what Charlie was saying. We aren't allowed to fly because they have a Norwegian Ridgeback who is about to give birth and she sees anything flying as a threat to her egg." Fred was saying as he exited his room. "You could join George and me, we are going sledding as the muggles do."
Bill waited until Ron who after complaining about the no flying rule ruining his vacation, then went to speak to Percy yet again. When his younger brother let out a put-upon sigh at the news about Ron's pet and his lack of intent regarding his homework, Bill once again stated that Ron was responsible for Ron. "I just wanted to ask you about Scabbers."
Percy answered his older brother's questions and with that Bill went to speak to his father who shook his head and said: "I will send a note to Minerva McGonagall requesting that she send Scabbers home for the rest of the school year, hopefully, we can try again next year."
"Where is Mum?" Bill asked. "I haven't seen Ginny or her at all this morning."
"Your mum is attempting to teach Ginny to knit," Arthur answered while shaking his head. Molly and he were going to be having a long talk when they returned home to the Burrow and while he disliked having to take his wife to task, he was finding that he was going to have to put his foot down on what she was doing to their daughter and how she was allowing Ron to skate on taking care of things.
By the end of the Saturday night, Sarah was exhausted as she helped Cassio ride herd on Harry and his friends. They had spent the previous evening playing muggle board games and billiards but that morning, they had split off into individual groups. Dean Thomas had been thrilled with the artwork found at the manor and had been grateful when Jareth had handed him a true artist sketchbook and charcoals.
The Irish lad had taken charge of Neville and he and Harry when he had split off from Hermione had spent the entire day introducing Neville to muggle sports including archery. Hermione and Padma had found the library and after hugging Harry when he had invited them to read whatever they pleased, then when Jareth had echoed his son's offer they had done the same to her boyfriend [?]
The other two girls had been so excited to meet Harry's aunt Penelope who had offered to take them shopping, that they had been the least troublesome. Then after dinner, Harry and Jareth were talking to the other children and they had decided to go ice skating.
Sarah had impishly decided that Jareth and she would join them and she was now paying for the fun they had had with aching muscles.
"I could offer to massage away the pain." Jareth offered from the doorway with a twinkle in his eyes.
"You could but you won't be, not on my watch." His sister announced from behind him with her husband who was quietly chuckling. "Jareth, behave."
"Where are the children?" Ethberg asked when he noticed how quiet it was.
"They are playing muggle games again. Charades and Pictionary this time." Sarah stated as she found herself seated next to Jareth who had joined her on the chaise lounge. As he reached to enfold her hands into his, she blushed as she saw his sister winking at her.
Draco Malfoy's holidays had been spent with only his father's company and while he didn't understand his father's acceptance of those beneath them like muggleborns, he found that he did enjoy the one on one time spent playing chess and reading quietly in his father's library.
When his father invited him to pay a visit to the Ministry with him, Draco did reject the offer, reluctantly mentioning that he had homework that he had to finish. "McGonagall gave us a devilishly long assignment on transfiguration and Slughorn has us writing out the differences regarding chopping techniques."
Draco went to his room, worked on his homework, while his father went to the Ministry. Lucius had lost most of his influence due to having bet on Fudge ending up Minister, but he still did have some power and he was still plotting against Dumbledore.
He did find it amusing how Dumbledore's lapdog Arthur Weasley had turned on his master and was taking up legislation that didn't have the headmaster's approval. Not that Lucius was too comfortable with removing a criminal's magical abilities but the offset had been cutting the funds spent on holding criminals thereby lowering his taxes which he did like.
When he was done speaking with his base, he frowned at what they were telling him regarding the Unspeakables who were trying to locate various family members to see who was eligible to take up certain seats, mainly because Malfoy wasn't sure how it would affect the current balance of power.
Exiting the Ministry after getting a list of the open seats, he returned home to his manor house in time to see his wife exiting the floo. "Narcissa."
She gave him a cold nod, they had once had an acceptable marriage but his change of attitude regarding muggles had quickly ended whatever peace they had found in their arrangement. Narcissa had only one use for muggles and that was one that Lucius even with his relaxed attitude found intolerable. As she went to her jewelry box and retrieved her ruby and diamond necklace, he asked "Where is your sex toy? Surely you didn't leave him alone?"
She sniffed in disapproval at his question. "Why would you send our son to St. Petersberg?"
"Why not? Are you ashamed of your behavior?" He sneered. "As for Draco, I was hoping to rip away his blinders regarding you and your behavior."
"Draco is a Black, he will never accept muggles as our equal. He understands that they have their place and that is beneath us." She said as she tossed in some floo powder and quickly returned to her private party.
Dudley Dursley was pouting as he looked at his meager Christmas gifts. His aunt had actually given him a fairly expensive gift, but a bike was not anything he had any use for. So far his holiday had sucked, he had been forced to visit with his mother and that had been a complete disaster during which she had started screaming at him that he was a freak of nature and that she hated him.
Her doctors had quickly sedated her and his father had taken him out to eat at a nearby all you can eat buffet to make up for the terrible visit, but then they had gone home to their pitiful home where he had been disappointed to find out that there was only one television and that he was going to have to watch what his father wanted to.
Finally having had enough of the dreariness, he decided that if he wasn't going to get the gifts he deserved, he would find a way to get what he wanted for himself. "Dad, I am going to the mall to see if I can find someone to hang around with."
With that, Dudley exited the house carrying his school backpack and grimacing at the lack of choice rode his bike to the nearby mall. While he couldn't find a store without security cameras with which to help himself to something more suited as gifts, he did find an open back door to the cinema as a clerk snuck out to smoke.
Thrilled to find a box of theater size of Kit Kats among a huge pile of unopened candy boxes, he quickly unzipped his bag and tossed it inside and moved stealthily through the theater, seeing a full drink cup outside the men's room, he let out a chuckle and stole it as he looked at the movie offerings. Finding a particularly violent one, called Highlander a quickening, he soon found he was the only one watching the movie in the entire theater.
By the time he exited the theater, Dudley had eaten half the box of candy and was debating returning home but decided to take the long way around, eventually ending up in the less affluent part of town. He biked slowly down the lane, checking out to see if he could find a shop without security cameras and to his surprise he found one thankfully just in time as it began to rain. Propping his bike against the edge of the door, he spoke to the clerk, knowing that if she was relaxed and believed he was inside only due to the storm, she would not watch him as closely as if she believed he was there to steal something.
By the time the storm let up, Dudley had filched a few different items that had caught his interest and with as innocent a smile as he could manage, he exited the store and was on his way, flush with adrenaline at getting away with the theft.
Once home and back in his bedroom, he dumped his backpack onto his bed, then smirked at the sight of about fifteen king-sized chocolate bars, two comic books, a yo-yo, and a fake plastic rat that he had found in the thrift store.
Jareth was amused when before breakfast he found the more serious of the twins already in his library, reading one of the mortal/ non-magical history books. "Ms. Patil, if you truly find that book so interesting, I gift it to you."
The dark haired girl flushed and sputtering as she realized she had been caught out of bed at dawn, was soon at ease when she realized that Harry's father wasn't unhappy at her interest in the books. "I..."
"It's fine, Ms. Patil. That is one of my son's primary school history books. I assure you, he is quite finished with it." He stated. "I do suggest, however, that losing sleep to read is not a healthy thing to do."
She looked down and then admitted "I find their world fascinating. My father wouldn't approve though, he wants us to fit into the British magical world and they don't study their non-magical counterparts like we would have if we had lived in India."
"I will speak to your father, if not about the book." He said as he used his magic to change the title of the book to one about the mores and ethics of the magical world. He saw her wide-eyed reaction to his doing magic without a wand and announced: "My magic is quite unlike what you study here in England."
"I knew it." She quietly said, her eyes going wide. With a shocked expression on her face that slowly changed to a pleased one, she said: "You are the goblin king."
A bit surprised, he asked, "How did you figure it out?"
She signed and admitted "When I was nine and ten, until we came to Hogwarts, I found out about you, did some research in my father's library and often thought of wishing my twin sister to you except that my parents would have been pissed and I didn't wish her to be a goblin, merely mute."
With a quiet chuckle, he looked at the young dark-haired girl with assessing eyes and said: "Your mind is protected against intrusion."
"Of course, my father considers it a necessary skill from infancy he has been teaching us. Even Parvati is skilled in the art." The last statement made it clear that she considered her sister learning to do so astonishing.
"It is imperative to my son's protection that you not speak of my title when you go back to school and well, to keep it a secret from your sister." He announced expecting her to protest. "Ms. Granger knows but no one else except my son."
"And Sarah?" She asked relieved to know that Hermione was aware of who he was.
"Of course my beloved knows," Jareth stated then hearing the sound of footsteps was amused to find Hermione stealthily entering the library. "Ms. Granger, you like your friend here, may take any book you wish with you to school. My son is quite capable of sending them home to me and please feel free to ask him to retrieve any other books you wish to read. You too, Ms. Patil."
With that and clearly having pleased the young ladies, Jareth left them taking with him the files on Augusta Longbottom, Amelia Bones, and Arthur Weasley. Once seated in the orangery, he called for his secretary and inquired "Arthur Weasley went to Romania for the holidays, I wish to know the outcome of his visit when he returns. Make sure you have assigned spies to watch over him."
Albus Dumbledore was in quite the quandary, he was running out of the elixir he had created last summer from the Flamel's stone and magical strength as he was unable to draw on the magic of Hogwarts but he was determined to regain his position as Supreme Mugwump that as far as he was concerned he had earned on the International Confederation of Wizards.
Then there was the confusing situation with the Potter boy, he had expected the boy to be completely different than he was. He had expected a shy boy, desperate for an offer of friendship, in truth, it was why he had set Molly Weasley to look for him and to introduce him to her son. He had expected a boy grateful for any crumbs thrown his way with less than stellar study skills considering who he had sent the boy to live with.
Instead, he ended up with a self-assured, studious boy with very easy social skills who preferred to study with his friends and who clearly found Ron Weasley an unacceptable friend which put a few of his other plans in jeopardy. A boy who should have been thrilled with landing on his house quidditch team who merely played out of obligation.
A boy who knew more about magic than the headmaster was comfortable with, he thought as he recalled what he had found out from the Head Boy and Girl when he had questioned them about what had gone on during the Halloween celebration. Now to know that he gone home to spend the holidays with the Dursleys had him wondering what had gone so wrong?
Augusta Longbottom was hiding her chuckles as she listened to Susan Bones and her friends implore her aunt for permission to attend the Weird Sisters concert. When Amelia gave in when the Diggorys offered to chaperone, Augusta politely turned down the offer to have Neville join them.
"Neville is spending the holiday with his housemates at the Potter boy's home. He went to stay with them on Friday morning. I am retrieving him this afternoon." She replied only to hear the young Abbott girl giggling and whispering to her best friend.
Amelia took a deep breath when the Diggorys and the preteens had exited and joined Augusta where she was seated on the sofa. "Thank goodness. Silence... I didn't realize how much I had gotten used to it when Susan was gone. I swear every other sound out their mouths were giggles. I often find myself hoping that I wasn't that silly when I was their age, but alas, fear that I was."
Augusta laughed and admitted "Neville was much more animated when he was home, but mainly about his friendships he had made and excited to be spending time in a half muggle home like he was going to be staying this weekend. Young Mr. Potter has proven to be a godsend in helping Neville with his homesickness and with his exploring more than just our limited world."
"My Susan and her friends mentioned young Mr. Potter a few dozen times," Amelia admitted. "From what I gather from what they had to say and combined with what I saw at Hogwarts the few times I saw him, that is one thing that the headmaster has gotten right. I regret all the time I wasted arguing against his sending young Mr. Potter to live with those muggles."
"I agree, but do have a few questions about whomever Mr. Potter is living with," Augusta said. "It's why I asked to speak to you this morning. I have to go pick up my grandson and was hoping that you would be free so that you could come with me."
Amelia looked at Augusta Longbottom and then asked: "What is it?"
"Nothing, merely something that is nagging at me. Some remarks that Neville has made during his time home and things he has written to me. I suspect that we are going to find that Mr. Potter isn't with relatives. I do believe that he was raised among magical folks. I also question the supposedly close relationship that Albus Dumbledore says he has with Mr. Potter."
In Wales, Seamus was regretfully telling his friends goodbye and that he would see them in the New Year. When the Irish lad left with his eldest sister through the floo, Dean turned to his parents who had arrived in time for lunch and then thanked Harry and his father for the invitation.
The Thomas family were speaking to Jareth and Sarah, clearly a bit confused as to their relationship as they soon headed back to Liverpool. The Patil twins had already left, their parents mollified with the chaperon situation and their father speculating on betrothing his daughter to the young heir only for his more practical twin chuckling and telling her father that Harry would end up married to Hermione.
"You can't be assured of that." Her father was saying. "Money is often a consideration in situations like these. You certainly have more to offer not only monetary but we can help with helping raise his social aspirations."
"Dad, Harry is a Potter, one of the original Twenty-Eight." She pointed out.
"Exactly, so he will wish a wife who can mingle with the right crowd." He pointed out as they walked through their large home to get caught up as they often did when she spent time away.
"I can't explain the reasoning without giving away things that I can't tell you about, but Father, trust me, Harry is quite as high as you can be socially and frankly, he will marry for love and only love. Plus, Hermione might be a muggleborn witch, but his father married a muggleborn too. It doesn't matter to the Potter family and I once believed it didn't matter to you either."
With a sigh, he hugged his little girl and admitted "I just want you settled with the best possible husband when the time comes and that young man has manners, clearly is intelligent and you seem to get along very well with him. I just..."
"Daddy, there will be plenty of time to chase me down a husband, but promise me that you will let go of the idea of Harry Potter." She said shaking her head, amused at her father's trying to settle her into marriage when she was barely eleven, let alone with Harry who she was quite certain would end up married to her closest girlfriend.
"It's just, the young man in your class...I have met a few different males in your year and I rather fear that the majority I find unacceptable." He said shuddering as he recalled meeting Lucius Malfoy's son and the Minister's youngest.
TBC