Chapter 26 – whoops I missed!
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It was defined as a Quidditch match but everybody would define it a bit differently. It was the anticipated grudge match between Slytherin and Gryffindor. I long lost count of the penalties against Slytherin and I had already ejected one of the Slytherin's beaters. It seemed the Slytherin beater couldn't determine the difference between a bludger and the heads of the Gryffindor players. Gryffindor won which meant the next match would be played in a dirtier Slytherin fashion. I now had a slight break so with many free weeks I decided to tackle the trunk I got from my real parents vaults. It was more in curiosity then a longing for people I never knew. I ran across a journal over the marauders and thought I'd let Peeves in on a couple of pranks for Dumbledore. I still wanted to slowly strangled Dumbledore with my own hands but in real life it would be difficult to do that without severe consequences. The veil or other things that they could come up with for strangling Dumbledore, well that could wait for now. A couple of days later I hit a real jackpot in my father's diary on how to become an Animagus. It reminded me that I had not registered with the Ministry. Then I thought how much fun it would be to theoretically thumb my nose at the Ministry of Magic by registering in America rather than in England.
Ravenclaw versus Hufflepuff was not a duel of the Titans but it was a clean game. Ravenclaw stomped Hufflepuff 300 to 60. And so I was free for the next couple of weeks, other than escorting Natalie after she was finished with her classes. A really tough job this wasn't. The Slytherin versus Hufflepuff was a total slaughter of the Hufflepuff team. Of course Lucius is back at Hogwarts without his wand as the ministry hopes of finding out who stole Lucius's elusive wand were nonexistent. The Dailey profit assured everyone the Ministry was on the job and would shortly find the wand of the dedicated DADA professor as he continued his outstanding performance at Hogwarts. The wand apparently had been stolen, yeah right.
Now came the dreaded gathering of the professors to discuss school business now that Dumbledore wasn't busy bailing out his illustrious professors from the Ministry's holding cells. I made sure that Natalie and Daphne were with Luna before I ambled up to the headmaster's office. I smiled as the gargoyle leapt out of the way without a password. I kept that smile as I entered Dumbledore's office as I saw the sorting hat and Fawkes obviously not showing interest at my arrival, should Dumbledore be looking. The other professors were arranged in various chairs that they probably had been conjured to meet their comfort standards.
"Mister Potter we were just about ready to…"
"That's Lord Gryffindor you murdering bastard."
"Such venom makes one wonder about your position here at Hogwarts."
"I'm sure that my wives and I can find better positions than having to deal with Death Eater lovers and kidnap supporters such as you."
"How dare you insinuate…"
"Insinuate? No I charge you with killing my first two wives. Care for a honor duel to the death?" I was laughed out loud because to accept one of us would be dead and then where was his great plan? Of course that was based on how many soul jars he had stashed away.
"You embarrass yourself with falsehoods and innuendos."
"Very well Albus I challenge you to an honor duel to the death, will you accept?"
"I find this meeting to be unproductive due to your intransient believes Mister Potter. We shall re-assemble at a later date."
It was hilarious in that if he accepted and killed me his plan was gone, if he accepted and I killed him his plan was probably to come back and start all over again. Win, win for somebody, I still wanted to strangle the bastard. This time, on a tablet somewhere, a checkmark was made as well has several lines were erased. Somehow I felt super good as I exited the headmaster's office. The assigned elves could now release Malfoy and Snape from their full body bind and silencing charms. It really was cool having some control of the Hogwarts elves.
/Scene Break/
Now while I had not killed Dumbledore or Malfoy I made sure that Peeves would continue his assault as I delivered more materials for him to work with. It was great to see Malfoy covered in some tar-like substance that took Madam Pomfrey a while to painfully remove. I luckily didn't get to see but the rumor mill did describe Snape in his dirty underwear. Seems that all his clothing had mysteriously disappeared and some students had seen him storming to the Headmasters office. Then I had a meeting with the entire house elf staff to have all dark artifacts removed from Hogwarts and sent to the Department of Mysteries. Mister Eggers later reported they were seriously bogged down with all of the dark artifacts that they had received from the school.
/Scene Break/
Number of days later I was headed up to meet Daphne when it was like someone had finally released me to? progress further? I couldn't understand the feeling but it was just there. Natalie class had been finally released and I escorted her down to our quarters. She turned and looked at me and I leaned forward and we kissed, oh yes we kissed! She drag me to our bed and she made sure I had my way with her.
Now with Luna's fetish with whipped cream and chocolate syrup I felt obligated to apologize to the elves who maintained our quarters in that always immaculate condition.
"Not to worry Master Harry many elves wish you luck and thats yous let us become nannies too your many children." About then I had the equivalent of, "Oh my God!" were any of the girls pregnant already? Being a dumb male I hope that they knew what they were doing. Besides a family would not make me unhappy but their families were another problem.
/Scene Break/
All my wives apparently were doing well in their own areas at Hogwarts but this left me alone most of the day. Today I had an unexpected visitor as Fawkes showed up, "Hatchling would you quit walking around in circles and let's go wing it for a while." I transformed and we got into the air and soon were playing tag over the forbidden Forest, it was great break in the boredom of being a flying instructor.
/Scene Break/
"Harry Hogwarts is getting boring, when can we get away permanently and have some fun." Natalie inquired with a look to tell me I best come up with an answer.
There was nothing better than hitting a Muggle library and borrowing their computer to find out what was going on in Europe. It wasn't long before we all decided that most of Europe wasn't impressing us as a final get away. We decided on a little trip to America like for the next thousand years would be nice. It wasn't like we didn't have other alternatives but as soon as Luna had finished her testing we were out of England, but exactly where? Somewhere where there were no dedicated drones led by Dumbledore to cause my family problems was at the top of our list. Dumbledore could plot his plans for the return of Voldemort while we were enjoy our fantasies at Disneyland.
Upon returning to Hogwarts..."Harry you best it going as you have a class starting in just a few minutes." Daphne information sent me scurrying.
I was moving at a pretty good pace and was almost at the bottom of the Grand Stairway when a number of things happened. The Great Hall doors opened and Dumbledore stepped out when I heard someone behind me shout, "Avada Kedavra". I've been around magic and a killing curse for too long to do stupid things like thinking. I was not interested who threw the curse or from where it came as I dove over the banister and fell ten feet to the floor. I looked up to the top of the staircase ready to send my own curses but saw no one. That's when the screaming started. I slowly made my way around the staircase keeping my eyes on the balcony above. A quick glance toward the Great Hall's doors found Dumbledore laid out and quite dead on the marble floor. Most of teaches were restraining the students from leaving the hall while Prof. McGonagall stood over Dumbledore's body in shock with her hand over her mouth. When Snape exited the hall I was surprised that he didn't try to verbally attack me but I was also surprised that he was not the one to have sent the curse from the balcony. That left Lucius. This of course brought the Aurors, Madame Bones, the Minister of Magic and numerous reporters all clamoring for entry and with a million questions. Finally after I provided a copy of my memory and received three drops of Veritaserum the Ministry finally conceded that it was not me who threw the curse. That was at that moment.
The rumor mill was in full gear by breakfast the next morning. "Did you hear? Somebody stole Dumbledore's body out of the hospital wing last night." Lavender whispered loud enough for the entire table to hear.
"Who would want to steal that body?" Parvati asked as she's shuttered in disgust.
"Well what I heard was a Dumbledore pulled a Harry Potter and just shrugged off the killing curse." Colin enthusiastically asserted.
Daphne turned to me and whispered, "Well whatever happened one thing that certain and that is Dumbledore will not be returning to Hogwarts since he is officially dead."
"Well tomorrow is our anniversary, would you like to celebrate with dinner in London, fast food in our apartment or would you' all like a huge party here in the hall?"
/Scene Break/
If I thought that every thing would be smooth sailing from that point on, well I was wrong. Yes the school year passed and summer started but the uproar continued. Someone had offed the Great Leader of the Light so no one involved was going to leave England until all the politicians and news media were satisfied. The Dailey Profit of course was insinuating that I had not been asked the right questions in Dumbledore's death. Even with my testimony under Veritaserum no one had any answers so we were stuck here in England until...
"Harry why don't we leave these morons and this country, if they don't like it they can try and find us!" Natalie growled.
"I'm not sure, what do the rest of you think?"
Whatever was the response from the girls, I interrupted..."Dam! I have to be at Gringotts at the stroke of midnight tonight." I had almost forgotten about that and I wasn't about ready to have the goblins play any games. "I'll be turning seventeen tomorrow and its going to be very expensive if I don't pay off the contract. You girls may want to come this is going to be very interesting answers one way or the other."
"Lord Potter, here to enjoy our 24 hour banking service?" Knifethruster queried with a goblin grin on his face. "Knifethruster I'm here two minutes before my birthday starts to pay off any outstanding contracts that may come due on my seventeenth birthday."
"But of course, if you will follow me we will head to my office for a full accounting and payment."
I had not told the girls any of the details as I was not interested in getting into a discussion over what this contract was worth or the money it would cost. If the girls had learned of the contract or had asked the goblins for details the goblins should not have said anything. So! all the girls would know was that the goblins had found nothing or did nothing. I wasn't getting anyone's hopes up discussing the purpose or possible outcomes of the contract. Have we all settled into Knifethruster's office he began...
"We've located a total of ten soul jars costing you at 10,000 galleon's per jar…" This produced Luna bouncing up and down in her chair while Natalie looked confused. Daphne looked like she was ready to jump up and argue. I was trying to get my mind to grasp the number, 10!
"While it is not specifically written into the contract these items are considered extremely dark and required cleansing at cost to you of on additional 10,000 galleon's per jar. Would you like to dispute the total or would you like to pay and end the contract?"
"By all means take the full amount out of my family vaults. As a few minutes ago I am now seventeen years of age and have full control over all my vaults."
"Harry aren't you going to ask? Daphne growled.
"Haven't you noticed that grin on Knifethruster's face, he's waiting for one of us to ask?" I was right as Knifethruster continued...
"You're no fun, but to answer your question the excess soul jars were not all Tom Riddle's but also Albus Dumbledore's."
"He can't come back, he can't come back!" Giggled the still bouncing Luna.
While Knifethruster was explaining my properties and companies around the world Severus Snape was searching his secret compartment hideaways at Spinners End. Dumbledore's body lay in the back bedroom awaiting a ritual to reanimate the ancient body. Snape knew 'The Riddle ritual' couldn't be done again as how much is left of the bones of Dumbledore's father after 200 years in a grave. At least he had retrieved Dumbledore's body. Snape was damn sure he wasn't going to allow himself to be possessed and if Dumbledore's diaries ever surfaced Snape would in a very large pile of Dragon dung. The diaries AKA soul jars were strictly an anchor but maybe… Where the hell were those soul jars?
/Scene Break/
"Harry this jewelry from your family vaults are just unbelievable." Natalie gushed.
"That was quite a tour of all your vaults. When we decide where we want to live a lot of that antique furniture will look nice in all the different rooms." Daphne was explaining when suddenly my wives leapt upon me dragging me to the ground.
The green killing curse barely flew by our heads killing one of the goblin. I only had time to look in the direction of where the curse came from to realize Lucius Malfoy would not be bothering us ever again. The goblins had already lopped off his head and were carrying it out to the front of the bank to be mounted on a pole. Now the media and the Ministry would have the goblins to yell about and we would be no longer be the front page news.
/Scene Break/
Luna had finished her education and the rest of us quit Hogwarts and we all headed for the wild wild West and the United States. It wasn't long before I enrolled myself into Auror training just in case one of the dark Lord's return. Daphne started teaching Ruins in the local school. Natalie herself a job as a Muggle bank executive while Luna is working at the Ministry in the Department of Mysteries. I do have one question in my mind and that is will I live to be 180 years old and end up sending my grandson back to England. I wonder how they'll take the real story on how the two Dark Lord's met their end.
Fin