Chapter Twenty-Eight: Ministers and Machinations
"Severus, my boy, were you successful?" Dumbledore asked as they entered the Headmaster's office at Hogwarts. Remus Lupin had left them at the international portkey station in London a short time earlier.
"Yes, Headmaster, although I must say that the brat is already a strong Occlumens. Still, an image of a Park entrance did appear and I believe with that information, the Dark Lord would have enough to locate and challenge Mr. Potter. But are you convinced this is the only way?"
Dumbledore looked at his Potions professor carefully, no hint of a twinkle at all in his eyes. Instead his gaze was sad. "Much as I might wish to leave young Harry alone, the prophecy cannot be ignored. He is fated to meet Tom in a duel and I am afraid that young Harry must die. The greater good of our society and our world calls for this.
"I have tried to call Mr. Potter to Britain three times now with no success. He has refused the call of prophecy and the call of his country – so if I cannot arrange for Harry to meet Tom here, then I will arrange for Tom to meet young Harry there."
Snape was inwardly shaking his head. Not for the first time he thought that Albus was going insane. "But what about his purported death back in October 1994 due to the Blood Summoning ritual?"
Dumbledore's face grew introspective. "I will admit that there would have been some consequences of the failure of the Blood Summoning ritual on Mr. Potter. I even believed for a moment that indeed Miss Granger was the new Head of House Potter – I thought the forgery of the Head of House ring to be almost convincing.
"However, I refuse to believe that Magic would allow the fulfillment of a prophecy to be undone by a mistaken use of a Blood magic spell. No, Harry is Harry Potter and it is his destiny to face Tom and die. Only then can we approach Tom and convince him to end this blood war."
Snape had long given up trying to convince Dumbledore that the Dark Lord had no intention of giving up his blood war. He felt again a great fatigue – he was stuck between two powerful and deluded old men who refused to listen to reason. But he had to continue the dance for some time to come.
"So what do you wish me to do with this information about Potter's location?"
"I believe that it may be time for you to make a visit to our friend's location and fill him in on your trip to New York," Dumbledore said with a return to his earlier serene state. "Please advise me on how your visit went when you return."
Snape turned and left on the first stage of his trip to the Dark Lord's throne room.
"Who was that black robed git?" Harry asked Hermione and Kingsley as the party of seven sat down again around the meeting table.
"That was Hogwarts' potions professor," Hermione said in a hard tone. "A more unpleasant and bullying person you would never want to meet – his greatest joy was to pamper his Slytherins and persecute everyone else."
"But then what was he doing here?" Harry persisted. "Snagtooth, what did Dumbledore tell you?"
The old goblin looked thoughtful. "He said that he had brought him to answer any questions you might have had on Hogwarts should you have decided to take him up on his offer to enroll you in his school. Methinks that he had another motive in bringing him.
"My assistant said that he had had words with Snape and that he had to ban him from coming into our meeting room. He also said that he was very unpleasant for a wizard."
Harry now chuckled. "If he was here to sell me on the school, his personality and manner of addressing me shot that down in a hurry.
"But what was that pain in my head when he looked into my eyes? Alex, you mentioned a word – legilimency?"
"Harry, if you remember your occlumency lessons, then the spell to allow someone to enter your mind is called Legilimency." McKenzie replied.
Harry's face took on an angry red color. "You mean that git was trying to pick my mind? Any chance that Dumbledore was right – that it was an instinctive reaction upon seeing me?"
Sebastien took this time to shake his head. "Harry, no legilimency attack is just an accident. This was a deliberate move on his part."
"But why would he try to read Harry's mind?" Fleur asked.
Things were clicking rapidly in Hermione's mind. "I believe he did that deliberately – to force you to think about something. Did you remember seeing anything when you felt that pain?"
Harry thought, and then nodded. "I suddenly found myself thinking of the Central Park entrance. Why, is that important?"
Kingsley took this moment to join the conversation. "Yes, Lord Black, it could be very important. I take it that this entrance is important."
Harry, Hermione, Fleur and Sebastien all nodded without saying how it was important.
"Severus Snape is a complex individual," Kingsley continued. "He was a former Death Eater who supposedly switched sides near the end of the first Blood War and now works with Dumbledore and his group to combat the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters.
"Death Eaters?" Harry asked.
"Followers of the Dark Lord – his minions if you want a better term."
"So you have a former Death Eater now working for Dumbledore who decides to pick Harry's mind to find out how to locate him?" Hermione shot out.
Sebastien, Fleur and Harry's faces paled at the thought. "Dumbledore isn't giving up, is he?" Harry asked.
"He usually never does." Kingsley confirmed. "Dumbledore has always believed in his wisdom and in his plans for the greater good - a term he uses to justify the actions and plans he takes. No one really knows what that term means – how does Dumbledore determine what is the greater good, no one can guess.
"But Snape is in a class by himself. He supposedly became a spy for the light side during the last war with the Dark Lord and when the Dark Lord was vanquished and the surviving Death Eaters were put on trial, Dumbledore vouched for him and said he had performed valuable services for the light.
"Once the Dark Lord had returned, Snape began returning supposedly as a spy for the light. He spends time with the Dark Lord, acting as if he were still a Death Eater and then reported back to Dumbledore and his followers."
Hermione was still trying to follow the logic. "So we have a spy for the light who decides to force open Harry's mind to discover a more precise location on where he can be found – what can be done with that information?"
McKenzie saw it first. "Dumbledore has tried three times now to lure Harry to Britain and to force him to face his destiny. I believe that the old man thinks Harry's destiny is to meet your Dark Lord in a combat of some kind."
Sebastien then spoke. "And if he cannot get Harry to Britain to meet the Dark Lord, then…."
"He will try to lure the Dark Lord to America to meet Harry here," Kingsley said, his face suddenly ashen.
McKenzie looked at Kingsley sharply. "Auror Shacklebolt, I need to know if this policy of Dumbledore's is also the policy of your Minister."
"NO! I swear that Minister Bones had no idea that Dumbledore would try such a thing. However, it sounds like something he would come up with – for the greater good."
"Are you aware, Auror, of the events which have recently occurred in this nation on September 11?"
Kingsley shook his head while dawning comprehension lit the faces of Harry, Hermione, Fleur and Sebastien.
"On September 11, a group of Muslim terrorists seized four aircraft and steered three of them into buildings in this city and in Washington, DC. The people in the fourth hijacked plane regained control of the aircraft before it crashed into the ground, killing all aboard.
"The loss of life in this city and in Washington was over 3,000 people and this country, both magical and non-magical, shifted to a war footing. We are now at war with terrorists and any nation on this planet who either encourages or supports terrorists of any time or cause to attack this country will face terrible consequences.
"If your Chief Warlock succeeds in luring Voldemort here to face off against Harry, our country will be forced to declare war against Magical Britain.
"And that, added to the warrant we already swore out against Dumbledore – the decision of my government in regards to Magical Britain would not be very favorable."
Kingsley swallowed several times. Blast that fool Dumbledore. This would be exactly the kind of move that he would pull to ensure that his version of the prophecy would play out. And the fact that he would be condemning his country to an unwanted war with the Magical United States would not even cross his mind.
Harry interrupted his thoughts. "Kingsley, you said you had a message for us from your Minister?"
He swallowed again and cleared his throat. "Minister Bones simply wants to open up a dialogue with you and wants you to know that she wishes to respect whatever decision you might make in regards to coming to Britain or not.
"She would like to come and meet you herself."
The two young women and Harry looked at one another and seemed to be communicating silently between themselves before Harry nodded. "As long as her agenda is as you have described, she can contact Snagtooth and arrange for a meeting.
"But I believe that we have to discuss how to prepare for the possibility that this Dark Lord will be coming to this city and how we are going to react."
McKenzie looked at his British counterpart speculatively. "Auror Shacklebolt, I need to know what the policy of your Ministry is in relation to the use of non-magical weapons against magicals"
Kingsley's eyebrows went up. "What is the Magical United States' policy toward the use of non-magical weapons?"
"Simple – we will use any means possible to stop a threat against our citizens or our state – magical or non-magical."
"That's where we would have a conflict, Special Agent McKenzie. For many in magical Britain, the only kinds of weapons which can be used by one wizard against another are magical."
"So if Mr. Wells decides to use non-magical weapons to take down your Dark Lord?"
"Several leading wizards including Dumbledore would cry foul and would seek sanctions against Mr. Wells for stooping to use illegal methods against another magical."
"And your Minister?"
"Minister Bones has a similar attitude to that of your country, Special Agent. Whatever it takes to stop a Dark Lord would be accepted as long as it is not Dark itself. In fact, there have been a lot of heated conversations between Minister Bones and Dumbledore over her allowing more powerful spells to fight the Death Eaters. Dumbledore believes that only stunners and binding spells should be used against them – something about keeping them open to repenting and reconciliation back to the Light."
Sebastien shook his head in disbelief. "In the last war, we only began winning when you're Ministry under Bagnold and Crouch allowed the use of more powerful spells. The Dark Lord and his followers are only terrorists and they have no scruples about the use of their curses and spells."
"Well, Auror Shacklebolt, you need to tell your Minister that we are inching closer to war unless we coordinate our approaches in regards to both Dumbledore and your Dark Lord." McKenzie said.
"I will take this message back to Minister Bones and will contact you, Snagtooth, to finalize when and if we can meet," Kingsley said, rising from the table.
Everyone else waited until the black auror left before Harry turned back to McKenzie. "So Voldemort might be coming here?"
"I think it will be more certain than just a maybe," McKenzie replied. "We need to prepare and I have some ideas on how we can deal both with Voldemort and with this manipulative Chief Warlock."
The rest of the group leaned in closer to hear what the Special Agent had to say.
"The old fool! The old goat molester! Take my country into a war with the Magical United States, will he?" Amelia Bones' vocabulary only got worse as she thought about the Americans' and Shacklebolt's analysis of the next moves of the Chief Warlock and his potions professor.
Kingsley's analysis was sound given what she knew of Albus and his emphasis on the greater good. He had kept back much information about the Dark Lord and he had continually stressed that the efforts of her Aurors and Hit Wizards were only making more difficult the ultimate reconciliation between those following the Dark Lord and the Light.
In all the years she had worked with or beside Albus, she had rarely seen him adjust or accept information that contradicted something of great importance to him – and it appeared that the inclusion of Harry Potter or Harry Wells as he called himself now was extremely important to Albus Dumbledore.
Even if it meant getting into a war with the Magical United States.
She would not allow this – even if she had to cut Albus loose and let the Americans handle him.
Still, how could she arrange a meeting with this Harry Wells? She could not break the blockade lines that had been set up by the ICW to isolate the two combatant sides in what was clearly now a British magical civil war. But nothing precluded her from making a private visit to the Magical United States – just as long as she did not seek official government assistance.
She turned back to Kingsley. "Thank you for sharing that information. It is critical and I will have to think on how we can respond to this. But how firm is the US government on this point?"
"Very firm. I did some research while I was in New York and on the way back. Security is extremely tight and there is a palpable rage in the country. Another terrorist attack of any kind will be met with deadly force and if we are somehow connected with He Who Must Not Be Named's arrival in the U S, war would definitely follow."
"And your message from Lord Black or whatever he calls himself now?"
"A positive response provided that you are not seen to be carrying the torch for Albus. As well, Madame Minister, the evidence presented by their side about the impact of the Blood Summoning Ritual were pretty convincing even if the Chief Warlock did not seem to take them into account. Miss Granger is definitely wearing the Head of House ring for House Potter and I also noticed that Mr. Wells, the former Harry Potter, was wearing the Head of House ring for House Black."
"And Snape tried a Legilmency attack? In Gringotts New York of all places?"
"Yes, Ma'am."
Bones was silent for several minutes as the implications of this information ran through her mind. Finally she gave Kingsley a sharp look. "Contact the goblins at Gringotts London that I would like to set up a private meeting with the Wells Potter party as soon as possible.
"Also, dust off the law books on aiding and abetting terrorists. We have to proceed carefully, but quickly and quietly. If Albus is doing what you think he is, I want him to be slapped down and slapped down hard. No way is my Ministry going out on a limb for him on this."
Kingsley rose and bowed his head, then turned and left the Minister's office.
"So Severus, my slippery friend, what news do you bring me from the old fool?" Voldemort asked from his throne in Malfoy Manor.
"The location of the Potter brat, my Lord," Snape replied with a bow.
"So the Potter whelp is alive after all? And have you confirmed this?"
"Yes, my Lord. I saw the brat with my own eyes and actually was able to attack his mind with Legilimency myself."
The Dark Lord looked directly at his Potions Master and Snape could feel his Master's presence in his mind. His touch was surprisingly gentle this time, and after a few moments, he withdrew.
"New York City in Central Park – a carousel with the meaning of an entrance of home? It is a long way for me to go, Severus, or to even send some of my trusted servants. Things are at a stalemate here and the loss of any of my key followers could give Bones and the Ministry party the edge they need to push us back. I am not sure that Harry Potter in New York is a major threat to us," Voldemort said in a reflective tone.
Now Severus had to use the arguments that he and Albus had crafted over the past two days. The two combatants had to face off against one another or so the prophecy seemed to indicate. That Snape would have been happy if Potter, Voldemort and Dumbledore all died in some major duel went without saying – and was well hidden in the deepest recesses of his mind.
"My Lord, Dumbledore is planning on announcing the successful discovery of the Boy Who Lived to the British wizarding public tomorrow in the Daily Prophet and the fact that he is considering returning to Britain to face you." Snape said.
"But you just shared that the Potter brat turned the old man down flat."
"Yes, but Dumbledore plans to release the location of the Potter brat's home in a bid to pressure him to return. As well, it appears that the Minister herself is planning to meet young Potter with a view to seeking his help. News of that visit plus his successful discovery will increase morale among your enemies my Lord and might prove decisive.
"As well, think of what the impact of a quick small surgical strike would be if you could bring Potter back as either your captive or your victim. The one person who managed to evade you, the one who in the British public's eye managed to defeat you – now dead at your feet. Their savior now dead before you. A victory such as that, my Lord, could be decisive for you and crush the morale of those still believing they can resist you."
Voldemort considered Snape's words. "So the Potter brat is refusing the old man and is without protection back in New York City. Perhaps there is merit in your proposal, Severus. I will think further of this – but definitely, a small surgical strike could be quickly organized and with my presence, the Potter brat could finally pay the price for the insult he gave me 20 years ago.
"I will consider this."
Interlude 1
Rockefeller Center Ice Rink
December 6, 2001
"But 'arry, 'ermione, I am a French woman from the sud, the south. I live for the sun, the beach, swimming, bikinis. I know nothing about skating," Fleur tried out her trademark pout on her two companions, but could see that despite holding back giggles on Hermione's part and a smile on Harry's part, her whining had no takers.
"Fleur, I'm not much better on skates than you are – but I learned that winters in Wisconsin are pretty cold and pretty long, so I decided to take up winter sports. And besides, I think Harry asked us both here for some important reasons," her bushy haired friend replied. Both women turned innocent eyes on their male companion.
Harry just sat there lacing up his skates and stealing glances at his two Companions. The aftermath of the first real test of Triad had changed them all – while they could not read each other's minds anymore as the magical bond linking them had ended, there was sensitivity to each other's feelings and thoughts that had not been there before. Each now knew the depths of love and commitment they had towards one another – and each knew they could call upon one another, both for magic and for other support at a moment's notice.
It was clear from their shared experience that the bonds between Fleur and Hermione were closer than that of friends, but not that of lovers. There would be no sharing at that level – yet Harry was well aware that there appeared to be no jealousy between the two women. It was as if they knew where each fit in regards to each other and to Harry.
The trio had also found that the relationship between their parents and themselves had also deepened. For obvious reasons, Vincent and Diana made their acceptance and love for what Vincent was jokingly calling his two new daughters clear to all. However, the support tendered by Dan and Emma had also cemented their relationship with the trio – the last reservations that Dan had in regards to the unusual relationship appeared to have been swept permanently away.
Sebastien Delacour had called the experience "l'etablissement" – explaining that as a new Triad, they would have had to go through an experience similar to the Mirror of Erised test to 'lay the foundation' for their relationship and cement their new bonds together.
"Of course, mes chers, we, your parents, have also now solidified our role as your anchors and supports. Maman and I were already committed – but without magic, it would be more difficult for Dan and Emma or Vincent and Diana to tangibly act as your anchors. This, however, is no longer a problem."
Still Harry felt a desire to formalize what was happening between them. While everyone might assume that they eventually would link up and get married, he had not yet acted in a formal sense. This was something he wanted to resolve this evening.
After all, Winterfest was only a month and a half away.
"Ladies, you forget that I am no great skater either – after all, there are few rinks down below the city streets. But I have sampled the hot chocolate across the rink and I for one would like to escort my two favorite women to share in one of my few sins." With that, he rose up, took one hand of each of his two Companions and began to slowly pull them around the rink for a quick skate.
Minutes later, their cheeks rosy from the chill air, Harry guided them to an outdoor table and then left them, only to return carefully shepherding three paper cups of steaming hot chocolate. Hermione and Fleur each took a sip and the pleasure on each of their faces was unmistakable.
"'arry, this chocolate is divine," Fleur said in a tone of appreciation. Hermione nodded her approval. "You can take us out for this kind of sin anytime, Harry Wells," she added.
Harry waited until they were both sipping once more and then decided now was the time.
Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out two small boxes and as they came into the light, both women's eyes focused on them immediately.
"Harry?" Hermione began even as Fleur's face turned slightly pink. The green-eyed young man, however, only smiled and put up a hand to silence them.
"I would very much like to escort you, Miss Granger, around the rink. Do you think you would do me the honor of giving me your hand?" he said with the smirk that Hermione had grown to love.
"Mlle Delacour, if you would be so kind to enjoy your hot chocolate? I would like to follow up my circuit around the ice with a chance to enjoy practicing some French with you, non?"
While Fleur's face turned a brighter red even as she was nodding her approval, Hermione wordlessly took Harry's hand and together they glided off into the beginning of a long skate around the ice rink.
Silence lay between them as they completed one circle around the arena and then Harry nervously cleared his throat. "I've been looking for the right time to ask you something, Hermione – ever since Halloween," he began.
She opened her mouth to reply, but Harry gently squeezed her one hand in what she interpreted as a request to allow him to continue.
"I had wanted to give us – you, I, and Fleur – some different memories for Halloween. Of course, the events that happened that day kind of blew that all to pieces and back. I will admit, though, that what happened in our first in depth Triad only confirmed what I wanted to do.
"I spoke to your mom and dad last week and did the old fashioned thing – asked them for permission to talk to you about us," he continued, his eyes now looking down at the ice even as he and Hermione continued another tour around the rink. Hermione found her heart beating faster – she could almost guess where things were going now.
"I know that we've talked in a general sense about Triad and even have kind of accepted that the three of us will be together in some sense, thanks in part to my baby sister's prophecy or whatever you want to call it. But I think it is important to me that I share with you my desire to formalize our relationship and Christmas is an excellent time to ask you something."
Hermione was silent, her ordinary flow of thoughts silent for the first time in a long time.
"Hermione Jane Granger, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"
There it was her wishes now clear and manifest before her. However, there would have to be a different answer to this question, based on what the goblins had only told her two weeks before.
She gathered up her courage and prayed that her companion, her friend, her hopeful male consort would understand and put things together.
"Harry, I cannot say yes. Magic compels a different direction."
The young man took a misstep in his skating glide as he came to a stop. "You are saying 'No?' Magic is compelling a different direction?" She could feel the hurt in his body as her words seemed to cut him open.
Softly, she continued. "Think of who I am – my title and my position, Harry. Think of that and what you might have learned about family magics. Then, perhaps, you might be able to ask the right question."
Harry began skating once again, not letting go of her hand, but not saying anything for several seconds that seemed to prolong into several minutes. Then, after two more circuits around the rink, he suddenly stopped. "I think I've got it. Is it connected with your headship of the Potter family?"
Hermione nodded, curious to see if he could follow that thought home.
"From what the goblins taught me, it is the Head of House who determines if a relationship is entered into or not for another family member," he was thinking now aloud. "Of course, I am not a Potter magically anymore, but I love you and I would like to join our lives together."
He was silent again, and then went on one knee before her. "Lady Hermione Granger-Potter, this humble man wishes the honor of joining his life to yours and of joining your illustrious family. Is this allowed?"
Tears were now coming down freely as she lifted her raven-haired companion up and kissed him recklessly. "As Head of House Potter, I consent to your petition to join the Potter family and propose to you the position as my Consort, Lord Harry Wells-Black."
Harry was returning her kisses and then embraced her. "Would Lady Potter consent to a humble token of the affection of Lord Wells-Black as a promise of his acceptance of her kind invitation to him?"
"Prat!" was Hermione's only reply even as she nodded her head in joyful abandon. "Now magic is fulfilled."
"Will Lady Potter excuse this humble applicant so that he can take care of some pressing house business of his own?" Harry said after several minutes of just enjoying his new Head of House to be.
Hermione only swatted him lightly. "Go ahead and speak to her – after you fulfill my first request as your new Head of House. Go get me another hot chocolate – a large this time."
With Lady Potter taken care of for several minutes, Harry now approached the other member of Triad. He could see that Fleur had been following the action around the ice and her eyes were bright with tears as he approached her.
"So did you ask the right question of your new 'ead of 'ouse, 'arry?" she said as he glided to a stop in front of her.
Harry showed his surprise. "You knew about that old magical family stuff?"
The young French witch was smiling broadly. "We figured that you would come out and do something soon, 'arry. 'ermione figured that you wanted to ask her on Halloween."
"Well Mademoiselle Child of Flame, how do I follow up that request of my new Head of House? I spoke with your parents three weeks ago when they were last here and they both gave me their blessing."
"Blessing for what, 'arry?" Fleur was now being coy.
"Let's take our own circuit around the ice, mon petit chou (literally my little cabbage, a term of endearment in French)," he said even as he gently took her hand and guided her forward.
Despite her earlier protests of not being familiar with skates, the young French witch was graceful and felt light in Harry's arms. He was well aware that he had already expended much emotion in the skating session with his first companion, but knew that she deserved something special of her own.
"Fleur Annalise Delacour, from the moment I met you, I knew there was something special about you. Not your beauty though it is there. It was you – the beauty of the inner woman inside. You were patient with me, concerned for my family, worried about ensuring that I would learn about magic, but not be overwhelmed.
"My family has grown to love you, and I have learned that I cannot live without you. Even while in Triad, I learned while joined with you and Hermione of the depth of your love and commitment to and for me and her.
"Would you do me the honor of becoming the Consort of the Wells-Black Head of House and a permanent member of this new Triad?"
Fleur's only response was a graceful twirl along the ice into his open arms and then a fiery warm kiss that threatened to force him to the ice on his knees.
"Oui, Oui, Oui – I humbly ask the permission of the Wells-Black Head of House to join his house as his consort," she finally said after the two had come up for breath.
Harry could only nod his acceptance even as he produced the second box and opening it, gently extracted a ring in diamond and platinum for her.
It would be a few more circuits around the ice before the two could calm down long enough to join the Head of House Potter along the sidelines. Of course Lady Potter exacted a penalty for having kept her waiting – still more hot chocolate.
It was an excited trio who made the descent to the Hub. The cold weather had brought out pink tones to all three young people's faces and they had only begun to warm up as they reached the warmth of the community's library. There, seated in a confrontation that was becoming a classic Down Below, was Dan and Vincent engaged in another titanic battle of chess.
Emma and Diana were engaged in a hobby of their own – quilting. The discovery that the sophisticated dentist and the driven profiler preferred to relax gathering up squares and quilting was a surprise to both of them – but one that cemented the already firm friendship.
Of course, the arrival of three excited and happy young people was a force of nature that could not be ignored. All four adults stopped their chess game and quilting session to carefully look their children over.
"Methinks Vincent that our young people look like the cat who swallowed the canary," Dan began.
"Or perhaps my son has truly put his foot down a path of no return," the tunnel's leader replied.
"Men," Emma and Diana found themselves saying as one in response to their spouses' comments.
"Mom, Dad," Harry and Hermione began even as Fleur looked at Diana with tears of joy in her eyes.
"The questions were asked and the right answers given," the French witch blurted out.
Quilts and chess pieces were forgotten as the four adults rose and gathered around their children of heart, flesh and spirit. Anew Harry found himself crying as he thanked his stars for the magic which made it possible for him to cross the Atlantic and find this world where he was loved and accepted.
Now he felt the circle was complete.
After mutual congratulations, the seven adults sat down, but it was Vincent who broke the joyful silence which followed.
"Have you decided when the joining will take place?"
Even the young women were curious as to what Harry was going to propose. He only smiled and then, looking at his parents, said with a twinkle in his eye.
"I thought that Winterfest would be the best time. It is after all when we celebrate light coming out of darkness, warmth out of cold and when we reaffirm the values of our community."
Both Diana and Vincent were already nodding their approval of Harry's idea. "We can at the same time formally welcome Hermione's and Fleur's parents as members of our community."
Dan and Emma were very curious about the Winterfest ceremony. Vincent, as a natural story teller, explained that Winterfest, held always in late January, was the premier festival of the Underground community where helpers and dwellers Down Below celebrated the creation of the underground world.
Diana felt a sudden burst of impatience, uncharacteristic for her. "Vincent, why don't you continue filling in Dan. Emma, Hermione, Fleur – now that my son has finally formally done what he needed to do, it's time that we step out and do what we need to do?."
The women rose even as understanding dawned in Emma's eyes. "Oh yes – girls, we have weddings to plan.
"And shopping to perform," Fleur said, the excitement catching her now.
"Women," were the three males' only closing comment.
A/N: Well, we are very close to the actual confrontation between Dark Lord 1 and Harry. The pieces are now in place and we move rapidly to 'lights, camera, action'. In case you haven't noticed, we have not focused on Horcruxes other than the soul fragment that was in Harry's scar. No, Voldemort will come to the USA and experience good 'ole American hospitality. But then, so will our Dark Lord 2.
Stay tuned folks.
