Chapter 21
An American Adventure
June 14, 1995 came too slowly for Harry and Hermione Potters' taste. They were leaving on their planned vacation to Massachusetts, in the United States that day, and they were hoping to relax for two weeks without any interruptions or mention of the war with Voldemort. Aberforth Dumbledore had graciously allowed them use of his vacation home, and they had quickly jumped at the opportunity to spend some time alone without being charged for lodging.
Harry and Hermione awoke at six in the morning, and quickly showered and dressed. Their belongings were still packed from Hogwarts, as they didn't even bother to unpack them for the one night they were spending at Potter Manor. They went downstairs to find Dan and Emma sitting at the breakfast table, with Dobby serving them a piping hot breakfast. Draco was nowhere to be seen.
"Hey, where's Draco?" Harry asked as he walked into the kitchen. "He's missing out on the party."
"We thought it would be best if we just let him sleep in this morning," Emma explained. "You know how he gets when you wake him up too early. Besides, do you really want him falling asleep as he waves goodbye to you in the airport?"
Harry and Hermione reflected on that image for a moment before breaking out in laughter. "No, not really," Harry said between laughs.
The four ate their meal while discussing what Harry and Hermione planned to do on their vacation. Most of the responses tended to be rather vague, and included spending time together and a change of scenery. After breakfast, the two Potters went back to their room to grab their bags and haul them downstairs. Dumbledore had gifted them with a reusable portkey to Heathrow Airport, so that the Grangers could return to Potter Manor after delivering their two children to the plane. The portkey once again took the form of a length of rope. Apparently, Dumbledore had a thing for rope, but Harry and Hermione couldn't figure out why.
After using the portkey to a secluded area of the terminal at Heathrow, Harry and Hermione produced their tickets, which they had bought through Gringotts before the school year had ended. Security at the terminal was rather lax, so the Grangers were allowed to the waiting area with Harry and Hermione.
They waited for over an hour before Harry and Hermione's flight to Logan International Airport in Boston, Massachusetts was announced.
"Flight 437 to Boston! Flight 437 to Boston now boarding," the stewardess announced over the speaker.
Harry and Hermione grabbed their carryon bags and bade the Grangers goodbye. Emma hugged both of the teens, while Dan kissed Hermione and shook Harry's hand.
"Oh, screw it," Dan said and pulled Harry into a hug. Harry parted from Dan with embarrassment written on his face. He quickly joined Hermione, who was giggling behind her hand.
The Grangers waited until the two Potters were safely aboard the plane before they found an isolated portion of the airport to portkey back to Potter Manor.
Meanwhile, Harry and Hermione had purchased coach tickets, so as not to appear out of place. It looked more believable, they thought, if two teenagers traveled in coach instead of first class. Attention was not their friend on this vacation. They were traveling as teenagers, as it was not uncommon for teenagers to travel alone, but would apply the glamour charms to make themselves appear older once they reached their lodgings.
They found their seats near the back of the plane. Harry allowed Hermione to have the window seat, and he took the middle. From what they had been told at the check-in counter, the flight was not completely booked, and they shouldn't have anybody sitting next to them. Quickly, the plane took off, in an exhilarating rush that Harry immensely enjoyed. Hermione, meanwhile, gripped Harry's arms until her nails dug into his skin. Apparently, she was not one for adrenaline rushes.
Harry wandlessly cast a silencing charm around the two, a trick that he had found useful on many occasions. He wanted himself and Hermione to be able to talk freely, without worrying about word of magic getting out. He also cast a notice-me-not charm around them to prevent the muggles on the plane from paying attention to them.
The latter charm was proven useful almost immediately, as Hermione pulled out her old copy of Hogwarts: A History and began to read. It wouldn't do any good for a muggle to peer over the seat behind them to find a book about a magical school.
Harry, meanwhile, pulled out the diary he had bought and written in four years prior. As he flipped through his memories of his first seven years at Hogwarts, he began to realize how much things had changed. Now he couldn't foresee any way most of the events of his fifth, sixth, and seventh years could play out the same way again.
About an hour into the flight, Hermione nudged Harry. "Hey, Draco's probably awake by now. I think it's time you talk to him."
Harry moaned. "Do I have to? You were the one who said I shouldn't play the overprotective father. Now you're telling me to do just that."
"No I'm not," Hermione objected. If it had been possible for her to put her hands on her hips angrily while sitting down, she would have. "You just need to talk to him. Don't tell him what to do. Listen to what he has to say before you say anything. Remember, you are legally his father. I think you may also be his father figuratively as well, even if you are technically the same age. He looks up to you, Harry. Don't abuse that." With that, she turned back to her book and began to flip the pages once again.
Harry sighed and reached into the backpack he had carried on with him. He pulled out one of the two-way mirrors he had given to the Grangers a few years before. "Draco Potter," he called, and waited for an image to appear. As he waited, Harry glanced at his watch. He had charmed it to adjust to different time zones as they entered them, so it now read one hour earlier than London time. By his watch, it was now nine in the morning.
Suddenly, Draco's face appeared on the mirror. "Hey, Harry. What's up?"
"Hey, Draco. You know, I realized we've never really talked about you and Ginny since I woke up. Yes, I know that was three weeks ago, but still, I've purposefully avoided it. I've never been good at relationship conversations. Just ask Dan. So I never broached the subject with you."
The image of Draco looked down at his feet. "Yeah, I guess so. So what did you want to talk about?"
"Look, Draco, I'm sorry about how I acted a few months ago when we talked about it last. It's just that I had my feelings on the matter, as well as my experiences to back me up. I just never realized that you and I are not the same person. What may be right for one is not always right for another. I'm sorry I was too thick to realize that."
Draco looked back up. Whatever he had been expecting, it wasn't this. "That's okay, Harry. I can't say I was too happy with you then, to be perfectly honest. But as I thought about it, you were just looking out for me. I could tell that you cared about my wellbeing, and I just wasn't used to that, I guess. I've never had anyone who really cares for me."
Harry willed himself to not break down. He must not show weakness. He must appear to be strong. But as he opened his mouth to speak, his voice cracked. "So…anyway, how are things going with you two?"
"Really well, actually. We went on a few dates and then I asked her to be my girlfriend. Of course she said yes," Draco said, puffing out his chest.
"No need to be humble about it, Draco," Harry jested, relieved that his moment of weakness was over. "So things are going well?" Draco nodded. "Why don't you invite Ginny over when Hermione and I get back, so that we can really get to know her. I mean, we already know her, but we don't know this version of her. It'll do us all some good."
"Actually, Harry, I kinda already invited her over…without asking," Draco said sheepishly.
Harry was silent for a moment. "Oh, I see," he said, pressing the tips of his fingers together in a steeple. "Well then, I think you should invite her over again, once we get back. Now, I've been meaning to ask something else. Is she over her petty crush on me?"
"And you were telling me to be humble," Draco huffed mockingly. "Now you're asking about your popularity with the ladies. Can't have it both ways, Harry. But to answer your question, she actually mentioned it on our first date. I can't say I was too happy to be talking about her past crushes on our first date, but I couldn't complain. After all, we were on a date. But anyway, she said she realized how childish it was to fantasize about a person she didn't even know, just because they were a hero figure. So yes, she's over it."
"Good. Maybe I was wrong about her, then. Maybe she'll be just right for you," Harry said, earning a small smile from Draco. "So when's the wedding?" Harry asked in a serious tone.
Draco's eyes went wide before he realized Harry was joking. "Don't even go there, Harry. I'm nowhere near ready for that. I'm only fifteen, it's way too early for me to even think about marriage."
"Draco, I can't believe you even responded to that joke. That means you've already given it thought, you know," Harry said mischievously. Draco's face registered fear as he realized he had been set up in a trap.
"I'm not even going to dignify you with a response," Draco said wisely. He knew better than to follow Harry down the dark pathway to embarrassment again.
"Fine, ruin my fun," Harry pouted.
"Hey, it's your fault that you tried to bait me. Well, Dobby told me he saved me some breakfast, so I'd better go eat. Talk to you later, Harry."
"You too, Draco," Harry said, as he closed the mirror. He turned to Hermione, who looked up from her book.
"So, how did it go?" she asked.
"You were sitting right here!" Harry exclaimed. "You didn't hear everything we said?"
"Well, yeah I did," Hermione admitted. "But I was trying to gauge your feelings. Sorry if I offended you," she huffed.
Harry figuratively smacked himself alongside the head. He had stepped in it this time. "Hermione," he began, taking her hand, "you didn't offend me. I wasn't even mad at all. I was just pointing out the obvious, as I tend to do. It makes me feel smarter to act like I know something. Anyway, I'm sorry. It came out completely wrong, and I didn't mean it like that."
"I guess I overreacted, Harry. I'm not even sure where that came from, to be perfectly honest."
"Hey, it's alright, love. But to answer your question, I think I can live with them being together. The more I thin about it, the more I think you and Draco are right, that this Ginny isn't the same Ginny we once knew. It'll be hard for me to get used to that."
The rest of the flight passed smoothly. Hermione fell asleep on Harry's shoulder, and Harry followed soon thereafter, with his head resting on top of Hermione's. To all outward appearances, the couple appeared to be in a cute, if uncomfortable position for their necks. But neither of them noticed. Both were shaken awake by the sudden downward lurching of the plane, as it descended for landing in Boston.
Once again, Hermione grabbed Harry and held on for dear life, as she thought that the pilots would lose control as they braked so rapidly. Harry though was confused. He would have thought Hermione would have read about planes at some time or another. But apparently, that wasn't the case.
In any event, Hermione let go of Harry's arm as soon as the plane came to a complete stop, and both grabbed their carry-on bags and disembarked the plane. Fifteen minutes later found the two with all of their luggage, trying to find a secluded corner of the airport. They had studied a map of the area provided by Aberforth before they left, and had found where they were going to be staying. As soon as they were alone, the two apparated to the vacation home.
Harry and Hermione appeared in front of a small, yet cozy looking house, that looked to be built at the end of the nineteenth century. The house was white, with a large porch on the front of the house. From the looks of it, there was also a second story, as there were three dormer windows poking out from the roof. Looking around, Harry found that they were in a wooded area, with no roads to speak of nearby. Only a cobblestone path led to the porch. There appeared to be only trees on all sides, with a clearing visible in the distance behind them, and no houses in sight.
Sure that there were no witnesses nearby, Harry levitated their bags so that they could walk to the house unhindered. Harry used an unlocking charm on the door, as he had been told that was the only way to unlock it, and picked up and carried Hermione over the threshold before closing the door with his foot.
As he put her down, he gave her a tender kiss. "I never got the carry you into a house," he explained. "Even if it isn't our house, you still deserve it."
"When did you turn into such a romantic, Harry?" Hermione asked as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Hmm…about the time I met you," he replied with a smile as he looked into Hermione's eyes.
"Good answer, Harry. Good answer."
The two looked around. They were in a small front room with two couches and a table between them. The walls were a cream color, with a white chair rail around the walls. From what they could see, this color scheme and paneling continued throughout the house. On one wall of the living room, there was a fireplace with a white mantle, and brick surround.
Next to the front door was a staircase that led upstairs. They would explore that later. For now, they followed the short hall out of the front room, which had a door to a bathroom in it, and found themselves in a small, but serviceable kitchen. In the middle of the kitchen, there was an island, with two stools on one side of it. There was also a small dining area just off the kitchen, with a table large enough for four.
Both Harry and Hermione thought that the accommodations were perfect for just the two of them, and walked back to the staircase. Levitating their bags again, the two made their way upstairs, to find a short hallway with three doors in it. One, they found, was a guest room, while the other was a second bathroom. The last door they opened led into the master bedroom, which was decorated in a similar style to the rest of the house, and was roughly twice as large as the guest room.
In the middle of the room, there was a king size bed, with a dresser on one side of it. In one corner of the room, there was some sort of vanity. To what extent it was actually a 'vanity' was uncertain, as the owner of the house was male, but it would serve such a purpose for Hermione.
They dropped their bags and set about unpacking, organizing their belongings in the dresser. They had mainly brought just clothing, as well as both pairs of wands for safety, along with a few other items such as the two-way mirror. Before they had left, Harry had visited Gringotts to buy plane tickets for their trip, but at the same time, he had taken out a Gringotts debit card for use on their trip, that tied in directly with his vault there. The goblins had told him that it would operate without use of a PIN number, as it was magically tied to him and Hermione, an only they could use it. Also, it would compensate for all currency variations, and use appropriate currency in whatever country they were.
After they had completely unpacked, Harry turned to Hermione. "So, any thoughts about what you wanted to do today?" he asked.
"Well, maybe just walk around and explore the area," Hermione posed. Harry agreed to this and the two pulled out their wands and applied a glamour charm to themselves. They had agreed to an age of about thirty, so Harry aged his face somewhat, and even gave himself a handful of gray hairs, but not too many to grab someone's attention. Hermione darkened her hair and lengthened her features, while making herself appear a little taller. When they were done, the two went downstairs and outside. Harry made sure to lock the door using the locking charm, and he and his wife took off down the path from the house.
A few minutes and several turns in the path later, the two found themselves on the side of a rural road. Based on how long they had been walking, they judged the house to be about a half mile from the road, making it perfectly secluded.
Another fifteen minutes of walking brought Harry and Hermione to the town of Ashfield, Massachusetts. A small town, Ashfield was made up of a grocery store, a police station and courthouse, a miniature library, and a café, among other buildings. For the most part, there was just the one street that ran through the town, but it made for a quaint sight for the young couple.
Harry and Hermione visited Ashfield Grocery first, to pick up some food for their stay. Hermione let Harry do most of the shopping, because, ever since he had made her breakfast in bed, she had insisted that he do a fair share of the cooking. Harry was all to happy to oblige. They spent about twenty minutes in the store, collecting various foodstuffs, before going to the cashier. Their bill topped one hundred Dollars, but Harry paid with his debit card, not paying attention to the amount. He also took out a good amount of cash as well, in case they visited somewhere that didn't accept debit.
The two then found a dark, hidden area between buildings and shrunk their purchases down and put them in the purse that Hermione had brought with her. Then, for Hermione's sake, they visited the library. While not as impressive as the one at Hogwarts by a long shot, Hermione still lost herself in the myriad of books, leaving Harry to wander on his own through the various sections.
When Harry found Hermione again almost an hour later, she was in the small metaphysical section of the library. She looked up as he approached with a smile on her face.
"They have books on magic here!" she exclaimed in a whisper. "It's funny that they think they're not real. But I was looking through them, and they're all accurate. I wonder what it takes to check books out here?" Harry put up one finger to tell her to wait, and disappeared.
He walked up to the librarian's desk, where an elderly, bespectacled man sat.
"Excuse me," Harry said politely, and the librarian looked up. "I was wondering how I would check out a book from here."
The man examined Harry over his glasses. "So I take it you don't have a library card?" Harry shook his head. "Then you just need to fill out this form here. This is a small town, so we don't require everyone to have a card. But having a card saves time having to fill out the form every time you wanted to check out a book."
"We're from out of town," Harry explained. "We're just visiting for a couple weeks." He looked down at the form, which only asked for basic information such as name, address, and contact information. "Let me just get my wife so we can fill this out. I'm sure she has an armful of books already. Somewhat of a bookworm, you see," Harry added with a smile.
"I heard that," he heard from behind him, and Harry spun around to see Hermione standing there, arms full of books. Harry reached behind his head to scratch in a boyish manner, then looked at his feet. Hermione burst into a giggle at the sight.
After recovering from his faux pas, Harry led Hermione to one of the empty tables in the library so that they could fill out the form. First up was name. Both quickly decided they shouldn't use their real names while on vacation.
"How about…Thisis Notmyname?" Harry suggested playfully. Hermione slapped him on the side of the head.
"You'd never make it on your own for two seconds without me, would you?" Hermione asked. Harry shook his head fervently with a broad smile. "Oh, get your mind out of the gutter, will you?" Hermione admonished.
"Who said I had my mind in the gutter?" Harry asked innocently. "In fact, since that was the first thought your mind went to, I'd wager your mind is in the gutter."
"You know, Harry, you already pulled a trick like that with Draco today. Don't think I'll fall for it too."
Harry hung his head in shame. "Well, it was worth a shot. But what about Harvey and Harriet Potter? Not too different for us to forget, but not too similar to tell who we are."
Hermione thought on it for a moment. "That's not a bad idea," she said finally, giving her acquiescence to Harry's idea. Harry put down the names on the form, as well as the address for the house they were staying in for their contact information. Finally, he listed the books that Hermione was interested in checking out on the bottom of the page. Pretty much all of them were magic related, but Harry was surprised to see Hermione check out some fiction as well.
Satisfied with their choices, Harry brought the form and books up to the librarian, who compared the list on the form to the physical books, to make sure they were all accounted for. He gave them a large plastic bag to carry all of the books in, and bade the Potters good day. Once outside, Harry shrank the books and put them with the groceries in Hermione's purse. Harry glanced at his watch to find that it was nearly four in the afternoon already, so the two began the return journey to the house.
The road was lined with hundreds of paper birch trees, a sight that caused Hermione to silently wish they had visited in the fall instead, so they could see them changing colors. All the same though, it was a beautiful sight. Harry pulled Hermione close when he saw her admiring the view, and the two walked as one for the rest of the journey.
As soon as they entered the house, Hermione sat down on one of the couches and immediately set to work on the books she had just checked out. Harry, meanwhile, went into the kitchen to begin working on dinner. He hadn't told Hermione what he had in mind, but he knew she would love it. Two hours later, it was nearly finished, so he fetched Hermione.
Harry walked into the living room to find his wife in the same position he had left her in, with a book on her lap and a look of intense concentration upon her face. She looked up as she saw him enter the room.
"Harry, did you know there is a U.S. Department of Magic? It says so right here in this book. Well, technically this book isn't legitimate by the library's standards, but there is still a lot of information in it that is real. They also have an Auror force here too, but they call them Preventers."
"That's great Hermione, it's really interesting," Harry said convincingly. One of the things Harry had learned about dealing with Hermione over the years was how to convince her that he found everything just as interesting as she did, even when he didn't. "Come on, dinner's ready," he said.
Hermione produced a bookmark, since she apparently had a supply of them wherever she went, and put it in the book. She then got up and followed Harry into the dining area just off the kitchen. Harry had found a full selection of cookery in the house, and had used an assortment in his cooking for the evening.
Harry pulled out one of the chairs for Hermione and allowed her to sit down before he pushed it in for her. He then pulled the lid off of the large pan in the middle of the table, revealing a steaming hot pan of lasagna.
"You cooked that?" Hermione asked in shock, inhaling the wonderful aromas.
"From scratch," Harry said proudly. "But that's not all," he continued, producing a loaf of homemade French bread from the oven, which had just finished cooking. That, combined with the fresh salad Harry had also made by hand, made for an incredible meal, even for Harry, who had slaved over a hot stove for hours just to see the look of contentment on Hermione's face. Now he had two reasons to be happy with his work.
The meal passed comfortably, and Harry cleaned up the plates after they were done. He put them in the sink in the kitchen to wash in short order. Since he was on vacation in a muggle area, he thought it would be not only best, but fun, to live as a muggle as much as possible. That's not to say that using magic was forbidden, but they would try various things without it for a change, after going so many years relying on magic.
After he was done cleaning off the table and washing the dishes, Harry retired to the living room, where he found Hermione again sitting on the couch with her books. As it was approaching eight in the evening, Harry lit a small fire in the fireplace and laid down on the couch, with his head on Hermione's lap. Hermione stroked his hair while she read, luring Harry into a comfortable sleep.
Harry awoke two hours later to Hermione's gentle shaking. It had grown dark outside, and the fire was beginning to die. With a stretch and a yawn, Harry sat up.
"I think we should get to bed," Hermione suggested, giving her husband's disheveled appearance a small smile.
"Um, yeah," Harry said, not yet able to form a coherent thought. Hermione, ever the helpful one, guided Harry upstairs to their bedroom. She helped him change into his nightclothes, and then changed herself, before the two climbed into bed. With one final kiss, they fell asleep in each other's embrace.
The next morning, Harry and Hermione walked to Ashfield for breakfast. They could have apparated, but they enjoyed the walk far too much for that. They ate at the café, known as Cathy's Corner Café, and found the food to be excellent. Harry had ordered a full spread for his meal, including eggs, bacon, toast, and hash browns, privately citing to Hermione that he was a growing boy. This was heard by the waitress, who laughed at the joke, due to Harry's appearance as being much older. Hermione, meanwhile, simply ordered a bowl of oatmeal with raisins and brown sugar. Both enjoyed their meal.
Afterwards, they spent the day exploring the immediate area outside of Ashfield, including some forest paths and other areas of natural beauty. This was how the first several days of their vacation were spent; relaxing, and not really accomplishing anything other than taking in the pristine beauty of the American east coast. They also spent time alone in the house as well, partaking in various activities.
Five days after their arrival, Harry suggested that they travel down to New York City for the day. Harry had been itching to see one of the world's largest cities, and had even found a map of the city to study for apparition. The two dressed for the day and looked at the map. They soon found a quiet, unassuming spot to apparate to, known as Times Square. Satisfied that they wouldn't be seen by any muggles as they suddenly appeared, Harry took Hermione's arm and apparated the two directly out of the house.
The Potters appeared in the midst of a throng of people with a soft pop. Instantly, Harry began to panic at the thought that they might have been discovered. But as he looked around, he realized that none of the people rushing about around them paid any attention to them. If they had pulled out their wands and began cursing people at random, he doubted anyone would notice either.
Before leaving, Harry had made a list of the sights he had wanted to visit in New York. Chief among those, was surprisingly, FAO Schwartz toy store (A/N: I do not own FAO Schwartz or any of the other stores herein, just the idea that Harry and Hermione are visiting them). There were a few other places Harry wanted to visit, but this was on the top of his list.
After studying the map of the city, Harry and Hermione realized that New York City was a very intelligently laid out city, with streets and avenues making logical sense. All they needed to do was find out from a passerby that the toy store was located on Fifth Avenue and 58th Street. They made their way from their current location at Seventh Avenue and 47th Street to the toy store, with the journey lasting only about fifteen minutes.
As soon as they walked in the door, Harry regressed into a child, needing to touch and experience all of the novelty toys available. Hermione's eyes watered as she watched her husband, who by all accounts should be twenty five, run to and fro in a toy store. She was immediately reminded of the fact that he was never given a childhood to speak of, only abuse at the hands of the monstrous Dursleys. But now that those days were behind him, she was determined to make him feel loved and wanted, a feeling he never had growing up.
But Hermione didn't stand there watching Harry, she was actually convinced to participate in the frivolities as well. Harry waited in line and convinced Hermione to play the giant piano on the second floor with him. Even though Hermione knew how to play the piano, she was admittedly a bit lost on the giant keyboard, as she and Harry attempted to play 'Blue Skies' for the waiting crowd. In the end, it didn't turn out too bad, and they received a light round of applause as they put their shoes back on.
All told, they spent just over an hour in FAO Schwartz, before Harry decided he had had enough. In the end, he was actually the one who had to drag Hermione out of the store, as she was just starting to admire some of the more intricate and expensive items.
The two walked further down Fifth Avenue until they reached Tiffany & Co. jewelry store. Harry had heard stories about the lavishness of this store, and he just had to see it for himself. The two walked in only to be greeted by two security guards, one on either side of the door. Harry was immediately struck by how seriously security was taken here.
Harry left Hermione to look around for a few minutes, gaping at some of the prices. Even though Harry was ridiculously wealthy, that didn't mean he spent his money frivolously. He returned to Hermione after several moments to find her admiring a set of diamond and ruby earrings, set in gold. Coming up behind her, Harry could hear Hermione sigh as she walked to the next case. Harry walked up beside her.
"See anything you like?" he asked.
"No, not really," she replied, turning to him.
"Well, I hear there are a couple more floors above this one. Why don't you go take a look and see if there's anything you can't live without."
Hermione nodded and made for the elevator. As soon as the doors closed, Harry turned to the salesman behind the counter Hermione had been standing at.
"How much for these earrings?" Harry asked, pointing to the ones Hermione had been admiring.
The salesman looked at the tag. "9995 dollars," he said. Harry nodded at the amount.
"I'll take them," he announced.
"Certainly, sir," the salesman said politely. Harry knew then that if he had come into the store as a teenager, he wouldn't have been given the time of day. He just had to be thankful that an unintended benefit had been found for aging themselves for the trip.
The salesman handed Harry the small box after Harry had paid with his debit card. Harry had specifically asked not to have a bag, as he didn't want Hermione to find out he had bought them yet. They would make a perfect anniversary gift in less than two months.
Just then, the elevator doors opened to reveal Hermione. Harry quickly pocketed the box and walked over to her.
"Anything up there catch your eye?" he asked innocently. Hermione shook her head.
"It's all so expensive," was her excuse.
"So? You're worth it," Harry said sweetly. "You can have your pick of anything in this store. Just tell me what it is, and it's yours."
Hermione smiled at Harry. "That's really sweet, Harry, but I'm fine, really. We don't need to go spending our money on things like this. You don't need to buy my love. You already have it."
Harry smiled as he grabbed Hermione's hand and the two walked out of the jewelry store. Harry was careful not to let their swinging, intertwined hands brush up against his leg, where the earrings were in his pocket. As they walked, Harry noticed a large clock that said that it was nearly one in the afternoon. Just seeing the time reminded his stomach that it had not yet eaten lunch.
The two searched for a little while for a suitable place to have lunch, before settling on simple cheese steaks from a roadside cart on Wall Street. Harry and Hermione were amazed by the food, and were even more amazed that something so delicious could come from such a small establishment.
Their next, and final planned stop was Rockefeller Center, and more specifically, the Top of the Rock. The view from there was supposed to be legendary, so naturally, the tourist in Harry needed to see it. Hermione wasn't difficult to convince. It wasn't that she was afraid of heights that made her nervous about flying, apparently. It was the uncertainty of control. For that reason, Hermione was perfectly comfortable on top of a seventy story building.
On the way up, Harry and Hermione paused to have their picture taken in front of a faux background of Depression-era New York. The picture would be available for purchase in the lobby at the base of the building after they were done.
They took the elevator to the top floor and stepped out onto an observation deck. Harry, who loved the sensation of being high up, ran to the edge and looked down. The people on the street below appeared as ants to him, and he found the sight breathtaking.
The Potters purchased the picture of themselves on the way down from the top of the building, chuckling at the poses they had made in front of the fake background. Realizing it was getting late, they apparated back to the house in Massachusetts so that Harry could make dinner again. Since there was enough time to spare, the two made a quick trip down to the grocery store for a few supplies, but Harry once again wouldn't tell Hermione what he was making.
In the end, Harry made chicken parmesan with pasta, along with another salad. Hermione was quickly beginning to appreciate the value of having Harry as a husband.
After dinner, the two sat in the living room, talking about their trip to New York that day. It was Hermione that came up with an idea while they were talking.
"Hey, why don't we visit Washington, DC?" she suggested. "I know we hadn't planned to, but I'll admit, I had a lot of fun today, and maybe we could do it again in another city?"
Harry looked at her with a grin. "But I thought you didn't like big cities," he said slyly.
"Well, yeah, but…I had fun today, and…well, but Washington would be such a great historical site to visit!" she said finally, coming up with a suitable excuse for herself.
"Hmmm…" Harry said, as he appeared to think it over. "Okay. How about tomorrow? Then we can spend the rest of our time here just relaxing here at the house."
Hermione smiled broadly and hugged Harry. "I love you," she whispered in his ear.
Harry closed his eyes and smiled contently. "I know," he whispered back, earning him a light slap.
Harry awoke early the next morning to prepare breakfast for Hermione. While he was reminded of his time with the Dursleys, this was far from indentured servitude, or outright slavery, as he had been subjected to there. Now, he actually wanted to cook for someone, as he wanted nothing more than to see Hermione happy.
Just after breakfast, the Harry noticed the portable mirror in his pocket begin to vibrate. He pulled it out and opened it, revealing the faces of Dan and Emma.
"Hey, kids, how's the vacation going?" Emma asked.
Hermione stepped up behind Harry so that she was visible to her parents. "Really great," she answered for him. "We went to New York City yesterday, and I had a blast, even thought I thought I wouldn't."
"Wow, Hermione actually admitted she was wrong," Harry whispered into the mirror in an astonished tone. Dan laughed audibly at this.
"What's so funny?" Hermione asked suspiciously. Obviously, she had not heard Harry.
Dan quickly covered for Harry. "Nothing, sweetheart. Just a little inside joke between men."
"Honestly, I'll never understand you two," Hermione huffed, her hands on her hips.
"And that's exactly what we count on," Harry replied, earning another laugh from Dan.
Just then, Draco walked into the picture, standing behind the couch Dan and Emma were sitting on. His arm was outstretched out of the picture. "Hey, Harry. Hermione. I just wanted to introduce someone to you." He pulled with his outstretched arm, and the image of Ginny Weasley moved into view. "Harry, Hermione, this is Ginny. Ginny, you know these two."
"Hi there, Professors," Ginny said shyly.
Harry opened his mouth to say something, but he felt Hermione behind him, pinching him between his neck and shoulder tightly. Harry instantly got the hint to 'play nice.'
"Don't call us 'Professors,' Ginny. It's the summer, and we're only a year older than you. Don't make me feel like I'm going gray already."
"But you are, at least in your disguise," Hermione joked.
"Anyway," Harry said, giving a glare to Hermione, who smiled at him innocently, "if you're going to date my son here, you might as well get on a first name basis with us. Don't you agree, Hermione?"
"Oh, absolutely," she agreed.
"Harry!" Draco exclaimed. "Don't call me your son. We're the same age for Merlin's sake! At least call me your brother!"
"Ah, but don't you remember the terms of your entering the family? In all legal aspects, I am your father. So I'm going to milk it for all it's worth. Now, Ginny, what are your intentions towards my son?"
Dan let out an uproarious laugh at this, and Harry finally understood some of Dan's attitude towards torturing suitors. It was just plain fun.
"Now, Harry," Emma scolded lightly, "I think that is more appropriate if you have a daughter, not a son. It just doesn't work the same."
"Nice effort though, son," Dan praised. Harry beamed with pride. "So, anyway, what are you two planning for today?" Dan asked.
"Oh, we were just thinking of taking a trip down to see Washington, DC," Hermione answered. "I've always wanted to see the Smithsonian. I think I could spend all day down there."
"I bet you could too," Harry muttered under his breath. Hermione pretended she didn't hear him.
"But that's what we were going to do today," she continued. "I swear, without this magical transportation, we wouldn't be able to do nearly as much as we have already."
"Well, I think we'll let you two get going, then," Emma said, bringing the conversation to a close. "It was nice talking to you two. Have fun today."
"Bye!" Harry and Hermione said at the same time, as the connection closed. Harry closed the mirror and put it back in his pocket.
"Well, Ginny seemed nervous," he said. "I think she only said…" he counted on his fingers, "three words to us during the entire conversation."
"Oh, give her a break, Harry," Hermione said. "She's probably nervous to meet you. No matter if she still has a crush on you or not, you're still Harry Potter. Not to mention we're her teachers. That alone has got to make anyone nervous."
"I guess you're right," Harry admitted.
After getting ready, the two apparated to Washington, DC. Ashfield Grocery carried a wide selection of maps of the east coast of the United States, and the two simply picked up one of the capital city to study.
The Potters apparated to an alleyway near the National Mall, and made their way to the large park. The grassy area was bordered on all sides by national monuments and historical locations. Harry and Hermione simply stood in the middle of the Mall for a few moments, taking in the atmosphere of the area. For some strange reason, a sense of power and majesty permeated the entire landscape, lending an air of importance to their surroundings.
Hermione dragged Harry into the Natural History Museum first, and Harry begrudgingly paid for their tickets that would grant them access to all of the museums in the Smithsonian, including the Museum of American History and the Air and Space Museum.
As they walked into the first museum, Harry and Hermione were eyed suspiciously by a man in a black suit. When they passed, his gaze turned to the next visitor.
Harry had to admit that, as they walked around the Natural History Museum, he was actually quite interested in some of the displays. He had been expecting a showcase of various scientific data, but instead he found himself enthralled by the humongous gems and crystals, as well as the various life-sized animals on display.
At one point, Harry was so enraptured by a display, he stepped backwards and tripped over another person. Both Harry and the other man fell to the ground in a heap.
"Ooophf…" Harry moaned as the other man fell on top of him. They both quickly picked themselves up and brushed the nonexistent dust off of themselves.
"Sorry about that," Harry offered to the other man, offering him his hand. Harry took his first real look at the man he had just fallen on. He appeared to be in his mid-thirties, and was about six feet tall and well built.
"Oh, not at all. Not at all," he replied kindly, taking Harry's hand. "Say, you don't sound like you're from around here," he perceived, judging by their accent.
By now, Hermione was at Harry's side. "Actually, we're here on holiday for a few weeks. I'm Harvey, and this is my wife Harriet. We're actually a bit lost right now in this place. It's really impressive," Harry added.
"I'm Jonathan, and this is my wife Rhonda," the man said, gesturing to the woman at his side. "And this," he said, patting the head of a brunette girl between them, "is Elizabeth."
Hermione leaned down slightly, and offered her hand. "Nice to meet you," she said to the young girl. Elizabeth appeared to be about ten years old or so, judging by her height, but she took Hermione's hand all the same, not saying a word.
Jonathan chuckled. "She can be a bit shy with other people. But we always told her not to talk to strangers. Anyway, you said you were a bit lost. We actually live here. Well, not in the museum, but in the city. We could show you around if you'd like. It's no fun going on vacation and having to wander around aimlessly. Trust me, we know." Jonathan received an elbow in his ribs for that last comment, leading Harry and Hermione to believe there was some back story involved.
Harry looked to Hermione for guidance, but she just shrugged her shoulders. "Sure," Harry responded. "We'd love to take you up on your offer."
"Great!" Jonathan exclaimed. "I always love this part. See, we like to get to know people from around the world. Makes us feel more cultured, even though we know full well we aren't. Just call me Jon for short." The group started walking in another direction, following Jon's lead. "So, you're British, eh? Well, about the only experience I have with the British is the movie 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail.' Have you seen it?"
Harry and Hermione shook their heads. At this, Rhonda donned a worried look. "Oh dear, you have no idea what can of worms you just opened," she warned.
"'And that, my liege, is how we know the Earth to be banana-shaped!'"
Harry laughed heartily at the quote, but Hermione just rolled her eyes. They had been walking with the Maxwells, as they were now known, for over an hour, learning about their lives, and being regaled with recitations from what was apparently Jon's favorite movie.
They had shared a number of stories with the Potters, and the two Britons had done the same, albeit watered down, magic-free stories. From what they had learned, the Maxwells were foster parents, and were taking care of Elizabeth, who was orphaned at an early age. Harry immediately felt a kinship with the girl, due to their similar backgrounds.
At the moment, Harry and Hermione were walking in front of the other family. While they were not quite leading the way, that was how the random walking pattern of the group had sorted itself out temporarily.
"So, you two," Rhonda began, trying to steer her husband away from quoting the movie, "how would you like to join us for dinner tonight?"
"We'd love to," Hermione answered for Harry. She had become quite taken with their guides, at least as much as one could be in an hour.
Suddenly, Harry and Hermione heard a series of small, but familiar pops behind them. They spun around, quickly drawing their wands without giving a care to who saw. They were immediately faced with four Death Eaters in full regalia.
Harry didn't even let the first speak. "Avada Kedavra!" he shouted, firing the killing curse at one of the Death Eaters. He fell to the ground, dead, before he could begin to utter a spell.
Hermione, meanwhile, was more original in her dealings with another of Voldemort's followers. She quickly levitated him up, as fast as she could, into the ceiling, where his head impacted with a hideous crunch. She then let him fall to the ground, just as dead as his partner.
As Harry and Hermione turned their attention to the other two Death Eaters, they found that the other two had used the momentary delay to fortify their position. Each one was holding a hostage as a human shield. Specifically, one was holding Jonathan, while the other was holding Rhonda. The Death Eaters' wands were pressed against their throats. Harry and Hermione each trained their wands at one of the Death Eaters.
"Potter, I hate to say it, but your new look doesn't suit you," snarled a familiar voice. Quickly, one of the Death Eaters snapped his wand towards Harry and Hermione. "Finite," he said, and Harry and Hermione reverted to their original appearance. "That's better," the Death Eater said, as he put his wand back against Jonathan's throat.
"Malfoy," Harry growled, realizing that the Death Eater in front of Hermione was none other than the patriarch of the Malfoy family.
"The very same. But I must say, Potter, that I'm quite disappointed that you took in that pathetic son of mine. He'll be nothing but a hindrance to you."
"That's where you're wrong," Harry retorted. "He's already become a greater man than you'll ever be."
"Such big words coming from someone in your position," Lucius Malfoy said smugly. "Look at your situation, Potter. The instant you try to attack us, we kill the hostages. It's as simple as that. So what are you, the hero of the wizarding world going to do? Drop your wands now, or watch these muggles die."
What do I do? Harry thought. As soon as I attack, the Maxwells die. But if I disarm myself, I would die. Then the Maxwells would die too. Death Eaters never keep their word. They have hostages. They're already as good as dead.
But as much as Harry could justify it, he just couldn't bring himself to sign the death warrant for the Maxwells. They're innocent. They probably have no idea about the magical world, and here they are, caught up in our war. War. That's what this is all about. War is an unsavory business all around, and in war, there are casualties. There's no two ways about it. No! I can't think like that. They've become friends. I can't just let them die.
But you must. For the greater good, you must attack. Another part of his mind told him; the more logical part. You may care about them, yes, but how many more innocents will those two Death Eaters be able to kill if you let them go? Besides, how can you be so sure that you won't save them?
The entire exchange in his mind took only a fraction of a second. Harry then took a moment to size up the situation. He was standing right in front of a Death Eater, who had his wand pressed up against Rhonda's throat. Hermione was standing in front of Lucius Malfoy, who was holding Jon hostage.
At first, Harry tried to take the easiest way out. He tried to apparate behind the two Death Eaters and take them by surprise. But he was unable to, likely due to some anti-apparition ward or spell set up in the few seconds of confusion at the beginning of the altercation. He had to come up with another plan.
Rhonda's shorter than the Death Eater, Harry thought. In an instant, he made up his mind.
Summoning all of his training in agility and accuracy, Harry jumped to the side quickly, and aimed his wand at the exposed head of his Death Eater.
"Avada Kedavra!"
The green beam shot towards the Death Eater. Harry heard Hermione, a second later, cast the same curse at Lucius Malfoy. Just as Harry's curse hit his Death Eater, he heard two voices shout as one. "Sectumsempra!"
The Maxwells began to fall to the floor, blood gushing from their open throats. Harry's unnamed Death Eater fell to the ground with them, dead from the killing curse, while Malfoy ducked Hermione's curse and quickly crouched behind Jonathan's falling body. Harry saw him reach into his pocket for something, and then vanish. Harry hadn't had the opportunity to fire another curse at him.
Full of adrenaline, Harry took stock of the situation. There were five still forms on the ground, three of them dead Death Eaters. Making eye contact with Hermione for a split second, the two ran to check on the Maxwells.
Testing for a pulse through Jonathan's blood soaked neck, Harry found none. He looked at Hermione, who shook her head sadly. Rhonda had met the same fate. They were dead.
Harry closed Jonathan's lifeless eyes, which had remained open, just as several more pops were heard. Harry looked up to see a number of men dressed in black suits approach them. He pulled out his wand again, just in case.
The suit in the lead walked toward Harry, wand drawn and aimed. "Drop your wands!" he ordered to Harry and Hermione. Harry, having just experienced a Death Eater attack, was not so quick to comply.
"Not until you tell me who you are!" he replied angrily.
The man reached into his suit jacket with one hand, causing Harry to tighten his grip on his wand. Instead of pulling out a weapon, the man pulled out what appeared to be an identification card.
"I'm Special Agent Michael Gladstone of the U.S. Department of Magic. We're here because we detected unauthorized dark magic in the area. Now, drop your wands," he commanded again.
Harry eyed the identification card carefully, before slowly lowering his wand to the floor before letting go. Hermione, following Harry's lead, did the same. In an instant, both wands were summoned into the hands of another agent.
"Now, would you care to explain yourself?" Agent Gladstone. "Or shall I let the bodies do the explaining for you?"
Harry began to stand up, but Gladstone pointed his wand at him again. "Not so fast. Slowly now," he said, as Harry slowed his rise so as not to arouse suspicion. "That's better."
"We were attacked by Death Eaters," Harry explained exasperatedly. He looked over to Hermione, who had also stood, but was consoling a terrified Elizabeth, who was clinging to Hermione's side.
"Death Eaters?" one of the other agents said with a mocking tone. "In America? What're you gonna tell us next? That you're Harry Potter?"
Harry didn't even dignify that with a verbal response. Instead, he just brushed his hair away from his forehead to show his scar. Silence swept the area. "Yeah, you might say that," Harry said cheekily.
Gladstone, for his part, used his wand to cast finite incantatum on Harry, but nothing happened. Next, he produced a vial of liquid from his suit pocket and handed it to Harry. "Drink this," he instructed. Harry looked at Hermione, who simply nodded, apparently having a better grasp of the situation than he.
Harry drank the liquid and waited for a few moments. Nothing happened. "What was that?" he asked Gladstone, handing him the empty vial.
"Polyjuice reversal potion. I had to make sure you were who you said you were. No glamours, no tricks. Now, I must ask you to come with us."
"You've got to be joking! We were just attacked on your soil, two innocents were killed, and we have a distraught young girl here. Why should we go with you, instead of going back home?"
"Because we're your only ticket out of here. Face it. We could prosecute you for illegal use of dark magic. You used the killing curse on more than one occasion. That's grounds for prison time here. Your other option is to come with us so we can get this all sorted out," Gladstone replied.
Harry and Hermione finally relented, not wanting to cause any more trouble. Granted, they had only defended themselves, but at the same time, they had created a bit of a literal mess. Hermione took Elizabeth's hand and the three followed Gladstone and three other agents out of the area. Several more were left behind to clean up.
They followed Gladstone out of the museum and across the National Mall in silence. Gladstone led them to the base of the Washington Monument, where he opened a well concealed door that led to a staircase. Harry, Hermione, and Elizabeth, along with their government guides, descended several flights of stairs before reaching an extremely long corridor.
The corridor took another five minutes to traverse, before a great metal door impeded their further progress.
"Any chance of getting somewhere soon?" Harry asked sarcastically. He was not in the mood for games.
"You Brits have your hidden Ministry of Magic," Gladstone said. "And we have our Department hidden underground as well. Don't go trying to act all high and mighty here, Mr. Potter." He then proceeded to cast a series of complex charms on the door. After a moment, it slowly began to open.
"You know, I get the distinct impression you don't like me," Harry observed.
"Well, your attitude isn't helping any," Gladstone offered. That shut Harry up immediately. He was right. Harry had been nothing but rude since they had been met by the agents.
"Fine, you're right, I'm sorry. I've just seen several people killed, two of them at my own hand. I'm just a little on edge right now," he apologized.
"It's perfectly understandable, Mr. Potter. It's just that we're people too, and we don't like to be spoken to like that. So hopefully, you can understand my point of view too. Anyway, here we are."
Harry looked past Gladstone to see what looked to be the lobby of a large corporate headquarters. It was a massive room, which was longer than it was wide. The walls appeared to be made of glass, and it looked as though they were outside, rather than underground, due to the outdoor images on the walls. The ceiling, which towered over a hundred feet above, appeared to be charmed like the ceiling in the Great Hall, to display the midday sky, with the artificial sun producing the light for the lobby.
There were a series of desks lining two walls, one on each side. Behind each, there was a door in the alleged windowed wall. Each desk was labeled with a different department or office, such as the Office of Magical Creatures, the office of Magical Education, and many others. At the far end of the lobby, which was a few hundred feet long, Harry and Hermione could make out a desk, much larger than the others, which was for the Office of the Secretary of Magic.
As Harry tried to step into the room, he hit an invisible wall just inside the door. He looked to either side to see two security desks, one on each side of him. One of the guards staffing the desks looked up at him and laughed lightly.
"Please fill out your name and business on this form," he said to Harry. But as Harry went to do so, Gladstone waved him off.
"He's with me, and we have their wands. Now just please lower the barrier for us." The guard looked at Gladstone skeptically for a moment before complying. Harry saw a brief shimmer of light, indicating that the barrier was down. He gingerly tested to make sure it was, by stepping forward. This time, he met with no resistance.
Gladstone led the three to a desk labeled for the Office of Magical Law Enforcement, which was near the Office of the Secretary of Magic. The other three handlers had separated from the group as soon as they entered the lobby. Gladstone nodded to the receptionist at the desk before the door opened before him. He led Harry, Hermione, and Elizabeth into another hall.
This hall was more normal looking, but was much more claustrophobic than the entry hall they had just left. They were led around several corners before entering what appeared to be a somewhat large meeting room. The table in the center had several chairs on each side, so Harry and Hermione took a seat, with Elizabeth between them. The young girl had not said a word since she had seen her guardians murdered, but was clinging to Harry and Hermione for support.
Gladstone sat down across from Harry. "Now, as you may have guessed, I'm with the Preventers," he began. Harry had to bite back a retort about how they hadn't prevented anything. "The question is, why are you here?"
"My wife Hermione and I are on vacation for a few weeks here. We're staying up in Massachusetts, and we decided to apparate down here to see the sights. Something wrong with that?"
"Not at all. It's just that we don't get too many of you Brits coming over here and making a mess like you did today. We've always been insulated from your wars."
"Well, it looks like you're not insulated any more. Two of your civilians were just murdered in cold blood by followers of Voldemort. You know who that is, right?" Harry asked. Gladstone nodded. "Why here of all places? Why now? We've been in this country for over a week now, and they haven't made a move on us. We were sitting targets in Ashfield, but they didn't attack us there."
Gladstone's eyebrows rose at Harry's last statement. "Ashfield, you say? Well there's your answer. Ashfield is a prototype town. We built it as a haven for magical people. Yes, that's right. Every person there is magical. But it was meant as a retreat for witches and wizards in America to live as muggles with their own kind. I take it you were given an address of a house there to stay at?"
Harry nodded at the question. Aberforth Dumbledore had given them the address of the house before they left. "See, the entire town, and the surrounding area, is under the Fidelius charm. As soon as you know the address of a building within it's confines, you are able to see the entire town. We thought that would be the best way to protect the secrecy of the magical community."
Now it was starting to make sense. Even if they were being followed, they couldn't be touched in Ashfield. It also made sense that Aberforth would own a house in a magical area. "But we visited New York yesterday, and nothing happened there," Harry argued.
"Did you notice anyone suspicious during your visit today?" Harry and Hermione racked their brains, but couldn't come up with something. "It's possible you were spotted, and your position was relayed to the Death Eaters. We may never know for sure."
"So what now?" Harry asked.
"I need to know exactly what happened, and what spells you used at the museum today. With any luck, I can get you out of trouble. The problem is that here, your celebrity doesn't count for as much. You can get away with some things, but I doubt you can get away with whatever you want, at least not without a good excuse."
So, Harry and Hermione regaled the story of the attack to Gladstone, who summoned what appeared to be a Quick Quotes Quill to take down their testimony. After a few minutes, Harry reached the part where the agents had arrived, and he concluded his tale.
"I see," Gladstone said, sitting back in his chair. "Now tell me, exactly, how two fourteen? No, fifteen year olds were so able to take down several Death Eaters?"
"Well, actually," Hermione explained, "we're the Defense Against the Dark Arts professors at Hogwarts. We are certified Defense masters."
"Hmpf…Well that would explain a lot. I'm going to rule that your use of Unforgivable curses was valid in these circumstances, as not much else is effective against Death Eaters. Now, I do believe that is everything-"
"Not quite," Harry interrupted. "We still have the most important issue to discuss."
"And what would that be, Mr. Potter?"
"Your country getting involved in the war against Voldemort," Harry said simply.
Gladstone didn't respond. Instead, he picked up the receiver of a phone on the table dialed a few numbers. It wasn't lost on Harry or Hermione that American wizards used some muggle technology.
"Hey, Gretchen, it's Agent Gladstone," he began, "I was wondering if the Secretary has a few minutes to spare. Uh-huh. Okay. Well, can you tell him I have a certain Harry Potter here with me who'd like to speak with him? Yes, I'll hold."
Harry looked at Gladstone confusedly. The agent put his hand over the mouthpiece to speak. "You'll want to talk to the Secretary of Magic about any involvement in your war," he explained to Harry. "He will?" Gladstone said into the phone again. "Great. We'll be there in a minute." Gladstone hung up the phone. "Well, it appears your celebrity does count for something here. The Secretary will see us immediately without an appointment. It's this way," he said, getting up and leading them out the door.
Two minutes later found the group in front of the door to the office of the Secretary of Magic. Gladstone opened the door and walked in first.
"Ah! Michael! I hear you have someone who wants to talk to me?" a voice said. As Harry entered the room, he saw that the voice belonged to a short, but imposing man in his mid sixties. He was almost completely bald, and what little hair he had left was turning white.
The room itself was a dark green color, and was quite large, with a huge, ornate desk in the center. Behind the desk sat the Secretary, and behind him were more of the charmed windows. The nameplate on the desk revealed that his name was Richard Newton.
"And you must be Harry Potter!" he said jovially, appearing too eager to get on Harry's good side early. The Secretary stood to shake Harry's hand. Harry played along, as he realized that the only way to get the help of the Americans was to ingratiate himself with the Secretary.
"Mr. Secretary," Harry said respectfully as he shook the older man's hand before sitting down in one of the chairs in front of the desk.
"Now, what can I do for you, Mr. Potter?" Newton asked, still wearing a smile.
"Sir, I take it you are aware of the attack at the Smithsonian earlier today by a number of Death Eaters?" Harry asked.
The Secretary nodded his head gravely. "Terrible business indeed. We never thought your war would make it to our shores."
"But now it has, and two of your citizens are dead. This could mark the beginning of a new front by Voldemort. Are you prepared to fight such a war?"
"Mr. Potter, this was an unfortunate, random attack today, not the beginning of an invasion. As such, I see no reason to involve ourselves in a skirmish an ocean away. It doesn't concern us."
"But you're part of this world, aren't you? Voldemort will not stop with Britain. He had designs that reach far beyond our tiny isles. If Britain falls, the Continent is next. How long do you think you can manage with a Voldemort who controls the entire continent of Europe?"
"I am fully aware of your heroism, Mr. Potter, but I think even you may be blowing this out of proportion."
"Out of proportion? You've seen that over the last several months, hundreds of civilians are dead, and our Ministry isn't able to do anything about it. They are fighting a faceless, invisible enemy, who strikes to instill fear into the hearts of the masses."
"If your Ministry can't even find him or stop the attacks, what do you want us to do?"
Harry paused for a moment. He had been hoping to get support easily. Now he wasn't sure exactly what he wanted from them.
"Intelligence, for one. You have to have agents in Britain." Newton remained indifferent to avoid revealing the answer. "For now, what we need is intelligence. Any information you have about the location of Voldemort, or where he's going to attack next would be invaluable. Even the tiniest shred of information is helpful. But when the time comes for open battle with him, we will need everything at your disposal. We can't fight this war on our own."
Secretary Newton appeared to think this over for a few minutes in silence. "I will have to discuss this with the President. No decision of this scale can be made without his approval."
For the first time, Hermione spoke up. "You mean the President knows about magic? I thought that position has always been held by a muggle?"
"It has, Miss…"
"Mrs. Potter," Hermione corrected.
"Mrs. Potter. But the President is privy to information that most are not allowed to know exist. Before a President takes office, there is a secrets briefing, in which national secrets are passed from one Chief Executive to the next. Our Department is included in that briefing. Now, we'll be in touch with your Ministry about are ability to help. If you'll excuse me, I have another pressing engagement I must attend." Newton nodded at Gladstone, who led the way back out of the office.
As they were walking, Gladstone spoke up. "Actually there's one last place we need to visit before I can allow you to leave." They walked down a hallway and through a door. As they passed through it, Hermione caught the name of the room out of the corner of her eye. It was the Obliviation Chamber. The name didn't' register with her until the door was closed behind her.
"Oh no you don't!" she exclaimed, seeing a lone wizard sitting behind a desk in the otherwise white room. "You aren't going to be obliviating us!"
"It's not for you," Gladstone explained. He nodded towards Elizabeth, who was still silently standing between Harry and Hermione. "It's for her."
"And what good will it do to erase her memories?" Hermione challenged.
"She knows about the magical world now. She saw your battle, and we can't afford to let that knowledge out."
"She just saw her foster parents have their throats slit a few hours ago, and now you want to add to the mental trauma?"
"It's for her own good. She won't remember their deaths, which will be better in the long run for her," Gladstone explained.
Hermione crouched slightly to come down to Elizabeth's level. "Elizabeth, sweetheart, these men want to make you forget everything that's happened today. You don't want them to do that, do you?"
"No," the young girl said quietly, looking up and making eye contact with Gladstone.
The agent's gaze faltered for a moment before he recovered. "We don't have a choice. Policy is clear in these matters. She is a muggle, and muggles can't be allowed to find out about the magical world." Gladstone nodded to the sitting wizard.
The wizard stood and pointed his wand at Elizabeth before starting to walk up to her. Just as he got within five feet of her, he suddenly flew back with great force and hit the wall. He slumped to the ground, unconscious.
Instantly, Gladstone whipped out his wand and trained it on Harry. "How dare you attack a member of the Department of Magic!" he bellowed.
"I didn't do anything," Harry replied calmly. "In case you don't remember, you still have our wands. I think little Elizabeth here was trying to defend herself with a bit of accidental magic."
"Impossible. I know for a fact that, when you entered the Department earlier, she showed up as a non-magical person."
"Well, believe what you want, but I wonder what the reaction would be to you obliviating a witch for finding out about the magical world. The public outcry in the magical community would be fierce."
Gladstone thought this over for a moment as he revived the fallen wizard. "Fine. But what do you want us to do with her?"
Harry knelt down. "Elizabeth, do you have any family you can stay with?" he asked. She shook her head. Harry looked at Hermione for guidance, and her eyes gave him all he needed. "How would you like to stay with us for a few days until we figure out where you can go?"
Elizabeth looked up at Harry, then at Hermione, with hope in her eyes. "I'd like that," she said softly.
Harry stood back up. "That settles it. We'll take care of her for a few days until our vacation is over."
"But what will you do with her then?" Gladstone asked skeptically.
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Now, I think our business here is concluded. Can we have our wands back?"
Gladstone nodded grudgingly before leading the Potters and Elizabeth back to the security desk. They walked back down the long hallway and up the stairs until they were again outside the Washington Monument.
Safely outside the confines of the Department of Magic, Gladstone gave Harry and Hermione their wands back, before turning and returning to the Department without a word. Looking around to make sure they weren't seen, Hermione spoke to Elizabeth.
"Now, Elizabeth, this will feel really weird, alright?" Hermione warned. The girl nodded.
Hermione took Elizabeth's hand, and the three apparated out of Washington, DC and back to the house in Ashfield. Harry unlocked the door to the house and led the other two inside. Once inside, Hermione started to laugh, an act which confused Harry.
"Sorry, Harry. But I can't believe you pulled that wandless stunt back there. Sirius would be proud of you," she said between laughs. Harry began to laugh with her.
"Yes, I do believe I handled that one perfectly," Harry said proudly, earning a playful slap from Hermione.
When the two had calmed down, they looked over to see Elizabeth sitting silently on one of the couches looking at them strangely. Harry and Hermione sat down on either side of her.
"So, Elizabeth, how old are you?" Hermione asked.
"Almost eleven," she said with her head down. Hermione wrapped her arm around the girl's shoulder and pulled her close.
"Hey, it's alright. You haven't cried all day, even though you saw some terrible things you should never have to see. Come on, let it out," Hermione said gently.
Elizabeth began to silently cry, tears sliding down her cheeks. Soon, she was sobbing. Harry couldn't blame her. She had seen her guardians brutally murdered earlier in the day, something that no ten year old should ever have to witness. The fact that she had lasted this long without breaking down was incredible.
At the same time, Harry was not a emotional person. Sure, he had his occasional breakdowns, but he could not relate well to people who were emotional. He found himself lost when faced with a crying person, such as there was next to him. As a result, he was thankful he had Hermione there with him to help.
As Elizabeth cried, Harry silently extricated himself from the situation and walked to the kitchen. He pulled out the mirror from his pocket. "The Grangers," he called. A moment later, Dan and Emma's faces appeared.
"Hey, Harry, how's it going?" Dan asked as soon as the image appeared.
"Well, remember how we said we were going to Washington, DC today?" Both Grangers nodded. "Things didn't turn out exactly as we planned. We were attacked and watched as two others were murdered by Death Eaters. Now their foster daughter is here, spending a few days with us, and I don't know what to do."
"The question is, Harry, what do you want to do?" Emma asked. "That's the first question that needs to be answered. Do you want to see this girl leave to go to a random home?"
"No. The U.S. government tried to obliviate her today. If we let her go to another family, there's no stopping them from trying it again."
"Then there's your answer. How's Hermione taking this?"
"She's treating Elizabeth like the daughter she's always wanted. The two get along great. I mean, I don't get along with Elizabeth that badly, in fact I get along with her quite well. It's just that she and Hermione seem to have developed some sort of bond."
"Then it sounds like Hermione has started to form the mother-daughter bond with this girl. And trust me, Harry, that that bond is not something you want to trifle with."
"Wait, are you saying that we should adopt Elizabeth?" Harry asked, his eyes wide. He wasn't sure if he was ready for that kind of commitment.
"Absolutely not, Harry. I wouldn't dream of telling you two what to do," Emma said. "But at the same time, I think you should spend some time with Elizabeth. You said she was staying with you for a few days. Get to know her, and then you can make that decision. But trust me when I say that I have a feeling how this will turn out in the end."
Harry nodded and shut the mirror. He returned to the living room to find that Hermione and Elizabeth had not moved from their previous position. Harry took up his original spot and grabbed hold of Hermione's hand behind Elizabeth. He would make the effort to relate to the young girl.
The next five days were extremely relaxing for Harry and Hermione. They spent almost every waking moment with Elizabeth, taking her into town and on various walks, as well as simply talking with her. She still had the occasional emotional breakdown, but it seemed as though she was recovering from it quite well.
Due to all the time spent with Elizabeth, Harry and Hermione hardly had any alone time, or other time to themselves. But at the same time, Harry almost didn't notice that fact, as he was enjoying watching Hermione connect with Elizabeth.
Through it all, Harry seemed to be bonding with the ten year old easily. Once he dismantled the emotional wall he had put up, he found it easy to care deeply for Elizabeth. Hermione watched her husband grow to care for the girl as his own with pride. He was experiencing the same connection she had made with Elizabeth days before.
The day before they were scheduled to return to Potter Manor, Harry and Hermione sat Elizabeth down in the living room for a little talk. The girl had become more talkative over the past few days, and was no longer resorting to simple head motions to answer questions.
"So, Liz," Harry began, "how have you liked spending time with us?"
Elizabeth, who Harry had taken to calling Liz, looked at Harry and Hermione. "It's been great," she said. "But where am I going to go tomorrow? You said you were leaving for home, which means I have to go to another foster family, doesn't it?"
"That's actually why we wanted to talk to you," Hermione said. "We wanted to know if you wanted to go to another foster home."
"No, they're never my real family. I've gone to three different families, but I always know I don't belong there," she replied sadly.
"Then how would you like to stay with us?" Harry asked.
"That'd be great!" Elizabeth replied. "But it would be just another foster home, wouldn't it?"
"No, you wouldn't be our foster daughter," Harry said, earning a rejected look from Elizabeth. "You would be our daughter."
Elizabeth looked at Harry with what appeared to be hope in her eyes, masked by unshed tears. "I'd like that," she said quietly.
"So you want to be a Potter?" Hermione asked. "You'd leave everyone you know behind, but you could live with us in our house, as our real daughter. Is that what you want? We just want to be sure."
Elizabeth nodded her head fervently. "More than anything."
Harry smiled at Hermione. "Alright then, we need to make it official. Why don't you go get ready, and we'll leave in a few minutes, okay?"
Elizabeth nodded and ran upstairs to the guest room, where she had been staying for the past few days. When they were alone, Harry turned to his wife.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Harry asked, wanting to be sure this is what they both wanted.
"Harry, you saw the look on her face. There's no doubt in my mind that this is the right thing to do. You and I both know how much you love her, and I can't help but feel the same. We all three need this."
Their conversation was interrupted by Elizabeth tearing down the stairs and into the family room, her shoes untied due to her rushing. Harry and Hermione chuckled. It was clear that she was excited about the prospect of a permanent family.
The three made the short walk to Ashfield, and the town's courthouse. As this was a magical town, any business conducted in the courthouse would have implications in both the magical and non-magical worlds. Also, since they now knew Ashfield to be magical, Harry and Hermione could no longer rely on their aliases for cover. The adoption would have to be conducted with their real names. But that was a small price to pay for them.
Harry and Hermione filled out the paperwork and signed in two boxes at the bottom of the page. Finally, with a shaking hand, Harry offered the page to Elizabeth, and indicated that her signature belonged in the final box near the bottom.
Without a moment's hesitation, Elizabeth signed her name on the bottom of the page. The three boxes glowed blue for a moment and then the paper disappeared.
Harry wrapped Elizabeth in a hug after the page disappeared. "That's it," he said. "You're our daughter now." He then kissed his new daughter on the top of her head. After a moment, Harry turned Elizabeth over to Hermione, who also gave her a huge hug. Both she and Harry were the happiest they had been in a long time.
The three then left the courthouse and went over to the café, where Harry treated them to ice cream. While a far cry from Fortescue's parlor in Diagon Alley, the café produced serviceable ice cream that was perfect to commemorate the occasion. Afterwards, Hermione returned the books they had checked out to the Ashfield library, before the group returned to the house.
The rest of the day was spent packing up their belongings for their return home the next day. Elizabeth only had a few things to her name, most of them being simple clothes that Harry and Hermione had picked up for her over the previous days. Those were packed up with Hermione's things.
Harry also ran a quick errand that evening as well. He apparated to Logan International Airport to buy an extra ticket back to London for their flight in the morning. Harry and Hermione had originally only bought two, but now they were bringing an extra body home.
The Potters went to bed that night content with their vacation overall. It had not gone as expected, but had ended with a more joy present in their lives than they had had in years.
The door to Harry and Hermione's room at the vacation home opened slowly at six in the morning the next day. Elizabeth Potter crept into the room to see her new parents tangled up with each other, and a pile of clothes on the floor.
As she saw her parent's bare shoulders over the sheets, Elizabeth's eyes grew wide, and she quickly turned to flee the room. As she did so, she tripped and fell with a crash. The sound awoke Harry and Hermione with a start, both of whom turned red with embarrassment as they took in their state of undress.
Hermione sat up, clutching the sheet to her chest, and causing Harry to groan in displeasure. "Morning, honey," Hermione said, still blushing. "What're you doing in here so early? We didn't expect you."
"I can tell," Elizabeth said, picking herself up and not looking at Harry or Hermione.
Hermione steeled herself for what was to come. "Now, honey, when two people love each other very much-"
"Mione, it's too soon. Let's not have this conversation for another few years. I don't think I could take it," Harry complained.
Hermione eyed Harry carefully. "Elizabeth, your father and I were just sleeping. That's all. You just took us by surprise."
"That's all?" Elizabeth said suspiciously. "Anyway, I just wanted to see if you were getting up. It's almost time to go?"
Harry looked at the clock, which said it was five minutes after six. "Excited much, Liz?" he asked.
"I just thought we should get ready to go," Elizabeth explained. Harry chuckled lightly.
"Alright, we'll get up. Why don't you go downstairs and start getting some breakfast stuff out while we get dressed, okay?"
Elizabeth nodded and left the room, closing the door behind her.
"Well, that was certainly embarrassing," Hermione said, getting out of bed and putting her clothes back on. Harry's eyes lingered for a moment as he did the same. "But you know she'll be curious now, especially since we didn't have the talk."
"Hermione, we've been parents for all of one day. I hardly think it's time to talk about the birds and the bees with our ten year old daughter. She's too young for that. Besides, since I won't let her start dating until she's forty, I think we have plenty of time."
"You know, you're sounding more and more like my dad every day, Harry," Hermione said with a smile.
Harry shrugged his shoulders. "Father's prerogative. Good thing we put up the silencing charm though," he added with a grin.
After a few minutes, Harry and Hermione walked downstairs, where Elizabeth had gotten out eggs, bacon, and bread for breakfast. Harry set to work cooking, while Hermione told Elizabeth about her parents and Draco. She also told their daughter about their life in England, not sparing any details about magic.
"Do you and dad work?" Elizabeth asked. Harry's heart stopped for a moment as he heard himself referred to as 'dad' for the first time.
"We're teachers at a special magic school," Hermione explained. "It's a huge castle filled with cool things. You'll love it there, since you get to live with us there during the school year." Hermione was trying her best to put it into youthful terms. Harry thought it was cute, as Hermione never used the word 'cool.'
After breakfast, the three grabbed their bags and apparated to Logan International Airport for their flight home. Elizabeth had never flown on a plane before, and as such, she was doubly excited for their trip. After just over an hour of waiting in the terminal, their flight was announced, and they boarded the giant plane.
The flight went smoothly. Harry and Hermione allowed Elizabeth to have the window seat, and she spent the entirety of the flight with her face glued to the window. The Potters erected the same privacy spells they had used on their first flight, and under their cover, Harry and Hermione slept. They had had a late night and were awoken far too early that morning.
Several hours later, the plane touched down at London's Heathrow Airport. Wanting to introduce the newest Potter to the Grangers as soon as possible, the three grabbed their luggage and left the plane. In the end, Harry was left carrying the heavier checked luggage, while Hermione and Elizabeth carried the carry-on bags.
Just outside the terminal, the Potters were met by Dan and Emma, and this time they had brought Draco with them. As they approached, Hermione ran to Emma and hugged her, while Dan grabbed Harry in a one-armed hug as well.
"And who is this little angel?" Emma asked innocently. Harry had not let Hermione know about the conversation from a few days ago.
"Um, mum, dad, this is your new granddaughter," Hermione said nervously.
"Wow, Harry," Dan began, "you two sure do work fast. It took us nine months for Hermione. You two did it in two weeks!" Harry blushed slightly at his insinuation.
"Daddy!" Hermione exclaimed, turning bright red for the second time that day.
Introductions were made all around, and the Potters and Grangers grabbed onto the rope that served as a portkey, and were whisked away to Potter Manor. When they arrived, Elizabeth's jaw dropped to the ground as she saw their house. From the outside, it looked to be the same size as some of the museums they had visited earlier.
Harry and Hermione gave their daughter a tour of her new home, as well as letting her choose what room she wanted. She chose one near her parents', a thought which made Harry and Hermione slightly nervous.
They also introduced Elizabeth to Dobby, an event that was entertaining to say the least, as Elizabeth's eyes seemed to leap from their sockets as she caught sight of the house-elf. But with some explanation, she took things at face value, and was slowly getting used to the idea of magic.
Since London was five hours ahead of Massachusetts, the day was much shorter than usual for the three returning Potters. They spent most of the day unpacking and touring the house before they retired at just after ten in the evening. They were all eager to start their new life as a real family.