Chapter 37 - Off to Hogwarts we must go

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Upon arrival at Grimmauld place only to find that our summer would be full of surprises and problems. The moment we set foot in the house Dobby appeared. Dobby got in one word "EEP" and a half step before he was prostrated on the floor.

"Dobby, why are you laying on the floor?" Dobby always had been a weird house elf but this was not normal even for him.

All I got from Dobby was him pointing at Loren and saying, "high elf, high elf"

"Dobby you will stand and listen to what I have to say." Loren commanded, "I wish for you Dobby to act toward me as you do towards Harry I also wish for you to inform all of the other elves to do the same. Do you understand Dobby?"

"Yes exalted high mistress."

That order took an hour to get explained and clarified so that every house elf we ran across didn't act like Dobby and glue themselves to our legs.

It took quite a while, days even, for us to come up with a viable excuse and story as to who Loren was and how she came to be Lady Potter. There was a couple of areas I really wanted to really lie about but Loren was ready to prank and to take the Mickey out of the magical bigots.

In real time we had not been gone but a couple of weeks so I had no fear in adding a visit to Diagon alley to do school shopping with Loren. We were hoping that the alley would be quiet and peaceful not like the last minute school rush in August. Loren of course needed everything from robes to a school trunk. We had just entered the Leakey Cauldron…

"Harry I think we have everyone's attention." Loren laughed.

"Do you think it is our clothing or our weapons?" I was used to seeing a quiver full of arrows and a large bow on the back of the elves, or a sword in Loren's case, but here in Diagon alley even seeing a wand was unusual, robes were the in thing covering everything.

"Well you do look dashing in your knee high boots and leather vest and that sword strapped to your back makes you look quite macho." Like Loren was dressed differently.

Somehow I didn't think people were looking at me as much as Loren. While she also had a sword strapped to her back her figure in her tight fitting outfit was drawing all the attention, I would put galleons on it in a flash.

"Harry we're going to have an interesting stop at Gringotts. The minute we walked inside the bank they are going to know that we are high elves or connected to high elves because the swords we carry."

"Is that going to cause problems?"

"It shouldn't. It's kind of a running contest between the goblins, dwarves and high elves as to who makes the best swords."

Lauren was correct as we no sooner walked up marble steps of the bank when the guard's eyes and heads snapped to our swords. The Teller was grumbling about inferior quality sword craftsmanship but we got our galleons and got out without any major problems.

I directed Loren to the jewelry shop where we picked out appropriate rings. I still hadn't received a satisfactory answer to why we had to return to Hogwarts, but in any case on with the shopping. We had just stepped out of the shop when …Voldemort apparently had been busy in his attempt to regain a body. Whatever shape he was in he had enough clout to fill the alley with about thirty Death Eaters. This of course was pathetic and wasteful use of his soldiers as Voldemort was not with them.

As the Death Eaters stormed down the street indiscriminately throwing lethal curses I put up my silver shield while erecting an anti-Apparition and Disapparition ward. Loren did the anti-port key ward. We then turned to look at each other and Loren asked…

"Burn them up, blow them to pieces, or just stun the idiots?"

"Let us gives the Aurors something to do, so let us just stun them. I'm sure these Death Eaters will be coming back later for some of our other options."

By now we had been spotted and curses were bouncing off my shield. Loren and I are sending volley after volley of stunning spells. First we had great success but soon the Death Eaters had their shields raised or were unconscious. We just had to increase the magical flow from the Ley lines into our stunning spells. Death Eaters shields cracked and fell, soon to be followed by the Death Eaters themselves.

That's when the alley started to fill up with problems. First came the Aurors rushing in from the Leaky Cauldron (the wards were still up). They were giving Loren and I the eye as they handcuffed and transported their prisoners away. Next came Lupin and a number of people from the Order of the Phoenix.

"Harry what are you doing here? Where have you been?" Lupin was not happy.

"Lupin where is Sirius?"

"He's busy at this time Harry."

"Cut the crap Lupin, I want to know where Sirius is and I want to know right now!"

"I'm sorry Harry but I can't tell you as its Orders business."

That's when things got even better with the arrival of Albus Dumbledore via Fawkes. "Mr. Potter! When you were dismissed from school I directed you to go to the Burrow. I expect you at the Burrow within the next ten minutes or you will fine the consequences most severe. Do I make myself abundantly clear, Mr. Potter?"

"Harry, who is this obnoxious old man?" Loren asked.

"A misguided fool who expects me to cow into submission, but before we leave I have a question for you Dumbledore. Where is Sirius?"

"That Mr. Potter is none of your business!"

"Fair enough, since we have no further business my wife and I shall be attending to our lives. Good day Mr. Dumbledore."

The power that radiated off of Dumbledore indicated that he was about to take action, a quick thought/wand-less spell took care of that impulse. Lupin's wand was in his hand and almost pointing at me when he froze. The point of my sword was at Lupin's throat as I said, "Stand-down or this sword will do a 180 and you and Dumbledore can join the headless hunt. Now my wife and I are going to be leaving so you can continue playing kiss ass with the old man. Just be advised that he will not unfreeze for the next hour. Oh! Do tell the old fart that he has never had nor will he ever gain control over me."

"Just give it up Harry, you're going nowhere! There are anti-apparition and disapparition wards as well as anti-port key wards surrounding the area…" POP...was our response to his statement.

The next stop for Loren and me was level two of the Ministry.

"That about wraps it up Madam Bones. Sirius has been gone for weeks and he hasn't sent as much as an owl. He's either dead or has been kidnapped."

"Lord Potter I will definitely be looking into the situation and again congratulations on your marriage."

/Scene Break/

September 1st rolled around and we entered our compartment on the Hogwarts express. Loren and I had discussed Dumbledore extensively. Surely by now he had to recognized I wasn't buying his greater good control. He must recognize that I had fought and walk away from the Dark Lord so I must be fairly powerful. Loren wasn't so sure. Loren felt that Dumbledore was on a mission and therefore was wearing a very special kind of blinders.

"Harry did you have a good vacation?" Neville asked as he entered a compartment and put his trunk in the upper storage rack.

By the time that Susan Bones, Hannah Abbott, Daphne Greengrass and Tracy Davis entered the apartment I tapped the wall. The compartment expanded and provided additional seating just in time for Luna to enter also dragging a large trunk.

Before I could make first name introductions all around... "What no T-shirt this time Harry? Susan asked with a big smile.

"Sue, he must have given up T-shirts for that sword he's carrying. And I also wouldn't mind an introduction to the lovely lady sitting next to you Harry." Neville commented.

That's when Daphne noticed Luna shaking her head with her hand over her mouth,

"What's wrong with you Luna?"

Luna removed her hand and stated, "Sorry but its Harry's secret to tell."

"Oh! Sorry guys Loren is actually Loren Potter my wife." That got the girls squealing starting to chatting and asking questions such as where we got married and what kind of dress she wore, etc., etc. Luna just looked at me and shook her head and said no more.

"So Loren, where were you going to school before and what made you decide to come to Hogwarts to continue your education?" Hannah asked.

That's when the prearrange story we made up got released by Loren…" It's kind of a long story but my father is not a wizard and my mother is not a witch. You might say I was farmed out for schooling. The school was like an old-fashioned farm schoolhouse where there wasn't more than half a dozen students at any given time. I'm coming here because I met Harry. In your terminology I guess I'm called of Muggle born transfer student."

I decided to pick up the story before somebody said something stupid…" I was really in a lousy mood over Hermione's death and with the headmaster ordering me where I must live… I decided to get lost in a small village in the middle of nowhere. The elder there set Loren on me so to get rid of some of my anger. When Loren wasn't whacking me with that sword of hers and we got to talking, and not too long later, we just clicked." Mentioning Hermione was to change the subject in the compartment but Draco Malfoy and his sons arrival decided a little air pollution was in order.

"Hay Goyle, it looks like the loser club is having a meeting. Hey pretty girl what you doing here? I am Draco Malfoy heir to the Malfoy fortunes why don't you join me for some refreshments in my compartment."

"I don't think the Lord of one of Wizard Britain's founding houses will appreciate your attention to his wife. So, why don't you just toodle along Nancy boy." Loren also had a sharp tongue.

Unbelievably Malfoy only shrugged his shoulders and left. Draco was on the top of the list I had responsible for Hermione's death; he only needed to give me an excuse.

Conversation return to our vacation and what would be new at Hogwarts and before we knew it we had arrived at Hogwarts.

Now while the school rules stated that we must wear school robes there was no instruction on wearing swords or where we had to wear our swords. Loren and I both knew that we were going to have confrontation over the swords that we wore on our backs. Dumbledore was going to lose because along with all of the houses that I picked up during my inheritance test there were a few prominent titles.

We were sitting with Susan and Hannah when Hannah asked, "Harry who is that fat guy sitting next to Professor Lupin?"

"No idea Hannah, I just wondering how the hell Snape is sitting at the head table and not in Azkaban."

The sorting had been completed when Dumbledore started speaking, "and now our newest Muggle born transfer student will be sorted…

I was trying to understand why Dumbledore used those words in that announcement when …Professor McGonagall called, "Potter, Loren"

A couple minutes later the hat yelled…

"UNSORTABLE…INDEPENDENT STUDENT!"

Professor McGonagall picked up the hat and the stool and carried them away while she was shaking her head.

Dumbledore arose and in his deep voice which carried around the Hall, "I have only two words to say to you, Tuck in."

"About time," said Ron Weasley in a loud voice to rival Dumbledore's as he looking hungrily at his golden plate.

The golden plates filled with food as selected by each student's as their taste demanded.

Between bites of food Ernie Macmillan asked about my sword.

"First off it is a gift from Loren and it's durable and will last forever without tarnishing or rusting. She told me that an ancestor made the sword and imbibed it with their magical capabilities." I wasn't about ready to say it was full of high elves magic.

As the students were digesting another magnificent feast which had finally came to an end, Professor Dumbledore had risen to his feet. He was smiling around at the students, his feature changed as he announced , "As ever, I would like to remind you all that the forest on the grounds is out-of-bounds to students, as is the village of Hogsmeade to all below third year. As Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me, to tell you as a reminder all magic is not permitted in the corridors between classes, nor are a number of other things, all of which can be checked on the extensive list now fastened to Mr. Filch's office door.

"We have had three changes in staffing this year. We are very pleased to welcome back Professor Lupin, who will be taking defense against the dark arts; we are also delighted to introduce Professor Slughorn, our new potion instructor; and of course you all know Professor Snape who will be our new student counselor." The last announcement put the entire hall in a complete dead silence whether it was in shock and/or total disbelief.

Susan Bones broke the silence by asking me, "Harry they can't be serious! No student in their right mind would ask Snape for advice no less ask for counseling."

I was happy that the ensuing discussion was broken up by Professor McGonagall. I was exceedingly happy that she led Loren and I to our new marriage quarters and not those that I had previously occupied with Hermione. I still had feelings of love, and of course, anger racing in my thoughts. Then McGonagall drop my mood further by stating that Dumbledore wants to see me first thing after breakfast in the morning.

/Scene Break/

"I shall accompany you this morning to the headmaster's office, shall I."

"I wouldn't have it any of the way my dear. If anything if we keep the headmaster flustered enough we may miss our first DADA class."

After a filling breakfast Loren and I popped past the gargoyle and use the large knocker to announce ourselves just outside Dumbledore's office.

"Enter" came through the thick wooden door.

We no sooner stepped through the doorway when, "Harry my boy, I see you brought your lovely wife. Why don't you both have a seat, lemon drop perhaps?"

"First off headmaster I am not your boy. You will address me as Sir, Lord, Duke, or Baron and when you find the appropriate title for which you feel comfortable with you will use it in the future. I will provide the surname that accompanies that title you select."

"Harry my boy only the English Muggle's use the title of Duke and I can assure you you're not related to any of them in this current day."

"Well headmaster I suggest you might want to research Robert of Taranto's offspring and a connection to magic and the award of magical titles at the time. You will find me the Duke of the lands encompassing Hogsmeade village. Funny how titles are acquired, I am presently Lord Potter and I might ask where is Sirius Black or I'm I now also Lord Black?"

"Harry my boy I actually called a up to my office to talk to you about your carrying a sword, swords are not allowed here at Hogwarts."

"Harry, I see what you were on about when you talked about dealing with senile old men. He is apparently hearing impaired as he is not recognizing what you just explained to him. Even a Baron is authorized his sword. I suggest we leave him in his world as he removes the Gryffindor swords from his office wall and Hogwarts."

"I do agree, so my lady let's…

"Harry my boy I will not stand for…

"I believe you're correct my dear. Since we have missed the beginning of our first class of the day might I suggest a stroll down by the lake, we are not accomplishing anything here."

"I agree with the relaxing stroll by the lake unless of course he becomes violent. He does seem to believe that he's in charge and we are here but for his manipulation."

I was not about ready to look at Dumbledore to see if he was sputtering, red faced or ready to start throwing curses. We departed his office in laugher and appearing to be in a happy mood.