Author's Notes: I took a look at the original plot line and realized that my current vision is totally different and much longer with involved plot arcs. This one is a case in point.

It all got started when I read one of Stephen Ratcliff's side-stories to his "Summer Rituals/Ritually Yours" series. This story, "You Should Be Ashamed", is Minerva McGonagall at her finest, laying down her opinions on the vandalism that took place to and around the Potter cottage in Godric's Hollow. Rather than creating a clone of this story and probably ticking off Stephen and causing all sorts of issues, due to a case of rampant plagarism, I'm going to make the assumption that Minerva's written a similar Letter to the Editor in the context of this story. Please navigate over there, read the story and come back here. If you get stuck and wind up reading all of the Harry Potter or Star Trek stories, I won't hold it against you. It's what I did when I first bumped into one of Stephen's stories.

As always, I've only borrowed from the original writers and producers. They still retain full copyright privileges over their works.

AN APOLOGY, I've just noticed that I'd written several chapters ahead of my storyline and have posted them to before I'd written the intervening chapters. This is one of those intervening chapters that really needs to be slotted in rather than using the trope of sudden memories. What I will be doing is removing the out-of-order chapters, inserting the new one and then placing the other chapters back in close to the order that they should be.

_oooooo_

The Great Hall, Friday, November 3rd, approximately 8:30AM

Harry was laughing with Myrtle as they walked into the Great Hall when they realized that everyone was silent and holding a copy of that morning's Daily Prophet in their hands. What was more of a shock was that they all had the same expression, a mixture of embarrassment, concern and just-plain-gobsmacked. Actually, only one person present did not share that expression. Minerva Potter nee McGonagall.

She was staring at her copy with an expression that frankly said the that proverbial crap had been scared out of her.

Harry nudged Myrtle and nodded towards Minerva. Myrtle nodded and leaned over and kissed Harry full on the lips and then headed over to their usual seating location and started picking up her breakfast from the usual platters that had been laid out by the Hogwarts house-elves.

Harry walked over to the Staff Table and sat down on the table and scooted across it width to place a kiss on Minerva's cheek and whispered in her ear, "Should I Obliviate everyone now or after you tell me what the heck happened to everyone?"

Minerva snickered and put her copy of the Prophet down and spun it around so that it faced Harry and tapped her finger on an article. "My fault. I went to put some flowers on your parents' grave yesterday and saw the state of your parents' cottage and everything. As soon as I got back, I fired off a Letter to the Editor. I didn't really expect them to publish it and put it on the front page."

Harry picked up the copy and slowly read the article then looked back at Minerva. "As bad as that? "

Minerva nodded and wiped at a tear trickling down her cheek. "The stupid thing is that the cottage must be a massive blind spot in the mind of the Order. None of us ever thought about it, and none of us ever really thought about following up on you or the cottage beyond what the Ministry had done. I guess that we're all to blame."

Harry pulled Minerva up unto her feet and then into his lap and hugged her as Minerva broke down and howled into his shoulder. He studiously ignored the expressions of the other staff members.

When she slowed down to sniffles, Harry performed a wandless Accacio for his handkerchief and passed it to her. "Better?" he asked and Minerva nodded back, wiping at the tears streaming from her eyes and the wet cheeks.

Glancing around, he saw that the other wives had gathered around, either sitting on the table beside or around him, all reaching out and placing their hands on Minerva as is trying to pull off some of her despair. Harry's heart gave a thump and he realized what he should be doing.

"Can we all go over this morning and take a look around? I mean, I really should see my parents' grave and put down some flowers, too. It seems that I've been just as blind as you are or were. This is something that I should have been doing years ago, not sitting around and doing a whoa-poor-me-MouldyShorts-is-trying-to-kiill-me-again-this-year kind of day. Enough of me being a little boy. I have duties and obligations that take precedence. Today, you all will see the start of a new Harry Potter."

Minerva's smile and head-nod were echoed by everyone else. Professor Sprout leaned over and said, "I'll put together nice bouquets for all of you to take. Severus will sign the paperwork for you all to have the day off. 'Family obligations' is the right category, isn't it, Severus?"

Snape sniffed and schooled his expression into something like his usual sneer. "As much as I'd like to say otherwise, you are right, Pomona. " Taking a quick glance at everyone, he said quietly, "I'd also change out of your school uniforms and put on your best outfits, though ones suited for the occasion. As much as this will probably gall Mister Pitter, I recommend staying en femme as people would be less likely to recognize you and cause a commotion."

Harry looked down and realized that somewhere along the way cold water had found him and had triggered the Jusenkyo curse. Sighing, he nodded.

"Okay, everyone, grab breakfast, head back to the Solar and get changed. I just need some help getting some suitable clothes, and not some hentai ecchi fuku uniform like yesterday."

Everyone snickered, and Minerva whispered into his ample chest "but you looked so cute in it... " Pushing herself upright, she stood and looked at her fellow staff members then at her fellow spouses. "Okay. Let's go, girls as we have a half-hour to get ready. Professors, can I leave the school in your hands for the day?" Nods came from all sides as people shifted away from the table and headed on their assigned duties.

- Half an hour later, at the fireplace in the Headmaster's Office -

Harry looked down at the refined-but-appropriate dress and sweater that he was wearing and then at everyone else, similarly attired, then sighed and looked at Ranma, who somehow had gotten triggered that morning as well. "I guess that one thing that you learn is a sense of fashion." Ranma nodded and snickered cutely.

"That and how to use feminine wiles, but that's lessons for another day. Ah, here's Professor Sprout and it looks like she's gotten a packed lunch for everyone. Japanese bento boxes from Akane from the looks of the knots."

Akane whiffed her hand across her husband's head. "Everyone else contributed so you don't have to worry about my accidentally poisoning anyone. And for your information, dearest husband, I am well past that for years. However, I could always do a classic Akane's special dinner especially for you tonight. Hmmmmm?"

Ranma blanched and grabbed Akane about the waist. "No need for that, dearest wife. I much prefer my dinner staying on the plate and not attacking me or running around the room." He kissed her soundly as she mock-fought him.

Professor Sprout coughed and stepped around the two. "Enough of that for now, you two. Here are your bouquets, everyone. Safe journey, take your time and return when you're done. Professor Flitwick has given me a portkey for you to use which is keyed to the wards and to you, Minerva."

Sprout passed each member of the party a different bouquet, laden with fresh cuttings, and then handed Minerva what looked like a pocket watch with a fob that resembled Hogwarts itself. Minerva cocked an eyebrow, and Sprout continued.

"Not sure where he dug that one out of, but a darned sight more practical and discrete than the usual piece of rope or old boot. Just name your destination: Potter Cottage at Godric's Hollow or Headmaster's Office at Hogwarts."

Minerva laid the watch and fob on her hand and extended it out. "Okay, everyone. Reach out and get a grip somewhere. Everyone ready? Right, and here we go: Potter Cottage at Godric's Hollow."

With a flash of light, the six disappeared from the office, leaving Sprout looking at Akane and Ranma. "You are going to have to explain to me someday just what your little by-play about Akane's cooking is."

The two Japanese looked at each other, smiled and started to leave the office. "That, my dear Panoma, is a long and convoluted tale, but with a happy ending," Akane chuckled and winked at Sprout then mouthed behind her husband's back "tomorrow at lunch..."

_oooooo_

Godric's Hollow, Friday, November 3rd, approximately 9:30AM

Everyone handled their arrival a bit better than before, what with the hook behind the navel and getting dragged through a very small straw by the bellybutton.

Ginny looked the worse for wear, with Minazuki hanging on and supporting her, while it looked as though Minazuki would rather be tossing her breakfast into the nearest garbage can, which actually was within five feet of her. Everyone took several deep breaths and centered themselves, straightening up and looking at each other.

Finally, Harry decided that he or rather she had to be the one to comment first. "Well, that one was better than the usual sort. We arrived on our feet and stayed there, at least. Ginny, Minazuki-chan, how are you two hanging in there?"

Minazuki scowled up at him from where her head rested on Ginny's shoulder. "I don't think 'chan' or 'kun' should be used in reference to me. Right now, the right term escapes me but I'll find out and let you all know. Well, as soon as my stomach and brain decide to stop sharing the same body cavity."

The others chuckled while Ginny groaned and leaned back. "You had to go and say that didn't you, Mina..." She took several deep breaths and then looked up at Harry. "say, Harry...uh Harriette, this is your day. What do you want to see first, the grave and memorial or the cottage itself."

Harry looked around at the small crowds of people coming and going through the arrival point on their way to whichever destination they were going to. With Godric's Hollow being a small village, the list of possible destinations was quite limited.

Minerva looked around, blushed and whispered. "It wasn't this crowded when I was here two days ago, before I wrote ... That...letter. I guess that a lot of people decided to pay a visit, no thanks to the Prophet."

Harry nodded and straightened his back. "Well, no one's charging up and going all ga-ga over me. Guess that the Prophet hasn't published my newest pictures. Let's walk on over to the memorial and see what's going on and then move on to their graves."

Minerva nodded and pointed in the direction of an obelisk off to the side. "Better keep a low profile and be quiet. Just look and observe. Then we can react and discuss this later. Okay?"

They walked with the flow of traffic towards the ton square and the obelisk, which gradually changed to a diorama of a loving couple with a child on their laps. What surprised Harry was the fact that the lady, his mother, bore more than a passing resemblance to his current form. He looked over at Minerva who looked back and nodded. "Later, but this is a surprise to me that you and Ranma have that form and so does Lily. I'm wondering if someone is playing God to our perceptions."

After a few minutes of looking, the crowd moved on to the graveyard and went over to the Potter gravesite and especially James's and Lily's shared grave and headstone. What surprised Harry was that the grave was now overflowing with bouquets, votive candles and other items. Letting the flow of traffic bring them to the front of the grave, everyone laid their bouquets and stepped back, taking a moment for silent prayer, and then moving on towards the exit. Minerva stepped outside the lychgate, she stepped to a nearby empty bench facing the graveyard but large enough for everyone to sit down.

She took a quick look at everyone and quietly asked, "Can I assume that everyone is pretty well freaked out? I mean, when I was here on Wednesday, it was an empty graveyard and no one else in sight. Now, it's like a steady flow, judging by the pile of flowers and items on the grave, and the large pile that's over to the side, and it's only been a couple hours since the Prophet came out this morning. "

Harry nodded but Hermione cut in before he could express himself. "I've heard of this happening when someone famous dies, but this is a result of your letter, Minerva. You must have reached out and touched a lot of people who realized just what you did. We all have been blind to this, never thinking of visiting. Sort of something like a Muggle-repelling spell, but some sort of pay-no-attention charm that your letter caused to break. No, something happened before that because why did you suddenly remember and come here?"

"Ahem." came the quiet voice from the next bench. "That would probably have been us, or rather, Death; possibly even Harry."

Everyone one turned and saw a young couple, wearing indoors clothing but obviously not noticing the cooler temperatures of the day. What really grabbed their attention was the more than passing resemblance to Harry in both his male and female forms, plus the fact that they were pretty well translucent with the bench and scenery behind them showing through them.

"Hello, Minerva. Pardon me for not saying hello when you were here on Wednesday but we were a bit occupied at that moment. However, we did like what you'd written in the Prophet,. Everyone seems to be talking about it," said the female form.

Harry quietly stared and then went "Mum? Dad?"

Both ghosts looked over and then went to a gobsmacked expression and then James Potter shook his head and said slowly, "I hope that you're using Polyjuice Potion or a really good disguise charm, because I'm getting all the right feelings that you're Harry Potter, Head of House among other notable titles."

Harry shook his head. "No, Dad, it's me in all my glory. Just a Chinese magical curse from a Jusenkyo spring called the Nyannichuan or Drowned Young Girl. Long story short, it was easier to stick with the cursed form today rather than trying to transfigure my clothing appropriately as hardly anyone knows what I look like in this form, while the regular male me gets swarmed whenever I get out in public with wizards and witches around."

"James, don't bother him about that. I think that it's cute and you do look like my daughter, since red heads, short stature and big breasts do run in the Evans family. I got the hair and boobs, and poor Petunia got the short end of the stick. Sorry about the terrible remark but I couldn't resist."

James smirked and nudged his wife who then nudged back. "Now that we've got the embarrassing things over with and the elephant out of the room, we've got to pass along our conversation with Death..."

"Uh Dad, not all the elephants are out of the room, yet. Let me introduce Myrtle, who until recently was haunting the first floor girls washroom, Hermione Granger from Gryffindor, Ginny Weasley who is also from Gryffindor but a year behind me, Minazuki Haruka who is the Seeker for the Minato All Girls Quidditch Team who is doing a one-year exchange trip with Hogwarts, and Minerva McGonagall who is Headmistress of the crazy-house known as Hogwarts and is Gryffindor Head-of-House and who recently got youthed by Severus Snape accidentally in a Karaoke competition. All of them have been blessed with a love-curses as have I and are now my Ministry-recognized wives and are collectively known as the Ladies Potter or Harry's Harem."

James Potter was absolutely gob-smacked or as gob-smacked as a ghost could get. Lily Looked at the crowd of embarrassed young people and then at her ghostly husband, and then started laughing out loud, covering her mouth with her hand. "I'm sorry, James, we really should be shocked but your expression and you did talk about elephants in the room, and..."

James smirked, looked at his wife, and then back to the row of young ladies on the bench opposite, and then started laughing loudly. "God! If that's not the truth, that has to be the prank of all pranks!" People started looking over at them and then started moving on faster, realizing that there were two ghosts sitting down and laughing at the row of young ladies facing them, whispering among themselves about some people no knowing that this was supposed to be a proper graveyard and some people had no respect for Harry Potter and his family.

Those whispers got through to the eight corporal and non-corporal people, who turned around and watched the small crowd pushing along and trying to get the people ahead to move along faster, then finally lost it and all roared with laughter and finally got themselves under some control.

Lily took a deep breath and snickered, then shifted her expression to hold back any more laughs. "I think that we've got to get Death's message passed along before he pulls us back 'behind the veil' for not doing our jobs. It's been an absolute pleasure to meet all of you, and I, no WE, heartily approve of your situation. On Wednesday, we wound up sitting here, facing a nattily-dressed Muggle or so we thought at the time. He very rapidly disabused us of that assumption and passed along the message he wanted us to deliver to you. Death is mightily pissed at Tom Riddle who is generally known as He-Who-Not-To-Be-Named or all sorts of names, or Voldemort..."

"I call him MouldyShorts," Harry interjected. Everyone snickered, gathering another set of glares for the very serious passersby. "Please, go on."

James looked around and shrugged. "Here we are, having a normal conversation and passing along vital information from Death to the living, and no one is trying to pay attention to us. Quite the opposite, especially when none of us decided to cast a notice-me-not charm or anything related to it."

Hermione shrugged. "Expectations of what is supposed to happen in a church graveyard. Or not..."

Minerva coughed into the had. "I think that we need to get along with this. While I really enjoy meeting with two of the finest former students of mine and Harry's parents, as Lily implied, Death is not a patient man in the current situation. Shall we continue?"

Lily Potter chuckled and straightened herself. "Second person on Death's shit-list is, strangely enough, Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. In Death's own words, 'those two have been playing fast and loose with mortality, one to be immortal and rule the world and to kill off anyone who opposes him, and the other to ensure the defeat of the first while giving everyone who follows that prat innumerable chances to reform themselves at the expense of everyone else's peace and safety all in the name of FOR THE GREATER GOOD and then having the gall to lock two innocents into eternity stuck in a quiet churchyard and to raise their innocent son in no way matching his parents' expressed wishes and will (make sure that you mention that to him, dear Lily) in a totally unloving way to ensure that he becomes the mindless tool and probably the next Dark Lord when he finds out about all the manipulation that APWBD has been doing all of his life.'"

While Lily gathered her breath, James leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. "As you can see, Harry, Death's rightfully pissed and has his own plans in play which he is sharing with you and giving you all the option of trusting his judgment. That summarizes the next half hour of conversation which involved a lot of yelling and shouting on the part of your parents, followed by a lot of yelling and shouting when we heard about upcoming events that make even less sense than Trelawney's normal predictions and her one and only Prophesy, which started all of us down the path that our lives have taken."

Lily put her hand on her husband's shoulder and held up a silencing finger. "OK, speaking of Trelawney, Death did have one direct order for all of you: to tell Trelawney to pull her finger out of her quim (his words, not mine, I'd have used arse) and speak the words as they are vital and need to be said to set history on the right path. He also said that you could go ahead and tell her that there's this wonderful little lavapit in Niffleheim with her name in it if she doesn't - well, you already have the rest of that message."

Harry and the girls snickered.

James tapped Lily on the knee and nodded at her. "The second item is probably why we didn't react much when you announced your wonderful wives. Death had already mentioned them to us (and we spent another half hour yelling and shouting at him about that wonderful piece of news). He did want us us to mention one important item. He said, "six is not a good magical number for Harry, seven is and she will be arriving shortly. He went on that Harry's already met her but she wasn't in the best of moods at the time and refused to give any more this toothy grin and that chuckle of his that came straight out of someone's crypt."

Lily nudged her spouse. "My turn. Wait for Dudley. Listen to him and make up your mind if you want him in your life. That's it. I'm guessing that Dudley is my sister Petunia's son. Crazy thing is that he almost fits that double-damned prophesy that links Harry and Nevil Longbottom but was born five weeks early. From what I can glean from Death's soto-voce comments, there may be no love lost between you two. Remember that there's no harm in listening to what he's actually saying and not letting your emotions rule your reactions."

James sighed. "and the hardest job falls to me. Death was really straightforward: 'rescue the cottage.' That's all that he said and no amount of argument and questions from us could drag anything more from him beyond a couple shrugs and grunts. Finally, he stood up, looked at us, smiled and doffed his hat and walked away. Since then, we've been throwing it back and forth, and the only thing that we can come up with is removing the spells and charms that are preserving the cottage that we all lived in, and either restoring it or just pulling it down. What he'd said before about Dumbledore really strikes a chord with this. I, or rather we, think Death gave us the clues when he said that Dumbledore had locked us into eternity in a quiet churchyard and not being Beyond The Veil like we're supposed to be. Which means that we won't be able to have chats like this."

Harry wasn't the only person with damp eyes at this point. Looking down down at his hands clenched in the hem of his dress, he sighed and looked up. "Yeah, I know. To win, I have to let you go right after I've found you."

"Well, that's not necessarily true," came a voice from behind them.