Chapter 38 – The Two Great Motivators, or however many are needed
Harry woke up feeling everything he'd put his recovering body through in the last few day and walked over to the window all the while stripping off everything except his underwear and singlet and pushed open the windows breathing in the morning air.
"Crisp…" Harry jumped out the window transforming with more ease than if he'd tried yesterday.
He spent a much of the early morning sitting on the loch thinking through the multiple problems that were now presenting themselves.
Well Dumbledore's sorted…I should have dealt with him earlier…
'But you didn't because he still held something over you.'
Hello…you…I know…I did think…well I held out the possibility that…
'Snape wasn't a spy for.'
That Snape was a spy for only Dumbledore…but that is now going to come back and bite him…
'Yes…'
No words of wisdom…I must be certain… McGonagall can take over as Headmistress, that isn't the least of my concerns…
Harry looked around the lock and ducked his head under the water then continued to sit on the almost still lock like a content duck.
Voldemort and what to do with him.
'And the others?'
The others…Hermione and her parents can return home, the portkeys should minimize the danger especially with the new ministry protocols, Remus and Tonks will return to Sorrento or if they wish Grimmauld…I have some research to be doing…and Draco, can't forget him, he can return to his parents once he's well enough.
'That a plan.'
Who knew my subconscious could be so…urgh, and still I'm talking to myself.
Harry shook his head launching himself out of the water back to his room. An hour later he was down stairs handing the cards to the Grangers.
"They should deposit you inside the reception area of the French Ministry of Magic."
"How…"
"Bilateral agreement, France won't get into the war they however are providing 'tertiary support'." Harry said remembering the minister going over the finer points of running the government.
"Oh Hermione you can use magic…another…"
"Ministry…"
"Yeah, so I can take you back now if you'd like…"
"Harry are you well enough to be doing this?"
"We could give them a lift to the train station..." Peter offered, while the discussion of portkeys went over his head he understood 'bilateral agreement and tertiary support'.
"Nah I'm fine, the sooner you're home the better you'll feel. I checked it out Bill was watching your house…"
Harry stood to the side while they thanked Peter and Jane.
"Harry what about my trunk…and…"
"I'm sure we can replace everything in your trunk Hermione." David said gently to his panicking daughter.
"We'll come see you in a few days Hermione." Remus waved to her.
"Now if you'll all join hands…"
"What's with the hand holding?" David asked curiously.
"Well while I am talented…if I were to try this without the physical connection…I might end up taking the table, the chair or a bit of the house with me…so…" With that Harry took David and Sarah's hands and they disappeared in a swirl of wind, to reappear inside the Granger's kitchen.
"There we go…"
Harry wandered out of the kitchen around the house waving his wand everywhere, there didn't appear to be anything around.
"Just checking there isn't anything in the house…"
"Harry…thank you…" Hermione hugged him.
"Yes…Harry thank you for…"
"It's fine…Hermione…I might be….busy these holidays, but please feel free to contact me…"
"Where? You disappeared last time."
"That I did, if you can send an owl send it to Remus."
"And if I can't send an owl?"
"Apparate to Grimmauld Place."
"I didn't finish the licensing."
"You know the theory, I'm sure if you desperately needed to…" Harry smiled at her.
"Harry do you know the chances…"
"Probably, the ministry should be dropping round some information soon…"
"Why didn't you tell me before." She hit him.
"Sorry, I've got a lot on my mind." Harry paused and hugged her. "I've got other things to sort out." He pecked her on the cheek.
"See ya Hermione, Sarah, David." Harry waved as he disappeared.
Harry reappeared in the front entrance to Grimmauld Place, it sounded as though an Order meeting…or a fight was breaking out.
Harry poked his head around the door.
"Yep a fight." He muttered to himself. Harry chucked a fireball onto the table, it his the bare wood and fizzed, everyone stopped arguing for a moment.
"Hi, just wondering if you picked up Hermione Granger and Draco Nocturnis's trunks after the…attack?"
Everyone stared at him, Harry noticed the absence of Dumbledore.
Harry sighed and chucked another fireball on the table.
"That's an expensive table, boy!" Someone shouted.
"Obviously you're new to the order so I'll say this once, and once only. I'm not a boy, this is my house and you're a guest in it…so answer my question or I'll get angry…" Harry said as he walked into the room looking across the faces.
"They're up stairs Harry, we brought them here instead of to Hogwarts, we separated out the Slytherin's trunks from the others." Bill was standing next to McGonagall.
"Thanks, where's Dumbledore?" Harry asked randomly.
"It says here that you're sueing him and removing him from the Wizengamont and from Hogwarts." The man who bore an odd resemblance to Vernon stood waving a piece of parchment.
Harry took it and looked it over.
"So it does…"
"Dumbledore ensured me that my involvement with this group would assist my family during the war…"
"Who is he?" Harry asked the table.
"This is Mr Lawler, he's supplier of battle robes in Diagon Alley, he also is the general manager of the Potions Supply Group." McGonagall said with some distaste.
"That would be?"
"I control the supply of all the potions sold within Diagon Alley…"
"I'm sure I've heard your name before…" Harry said out loud.
"Now boy, I'm sure you have but I still don't see what gives you the right to…" He didn't have time to say anything else Harry had dived across the table and they together had disappeared.
"Laxey's Elixir, approval to collect the main ingredient signed off by the general manager…interesting that the main ingredient, to what is basically a psychotropic stimulant is an endangered some would think extinct maple tree. 'General Manager of PSG flees Canada to England…' I knew I'd seen your face before…"
"What where are we…" He said reaching for his wand Harry grabbed that from him and pointed behind him. There was a flag with the emblem of a maple leaf red and white.
"Bindus." Harry said with his own wand and walked over to the desk where the man at it was staring wide eyed at him.
"Hi, I believe you're looking for this man."
"I am?"
"Can't for the life of me remember his first name, he's General Manager of Potions Supply Group…PSG, I saw a wanted poster in the American ministry, I'm pretty sure it was for America and Canada…thought I'd bring him here…"
"Th…Thank you…" He picked up a pipe and was barking commands into it.
"Gotta go, big day and all that…" Harry turned around a corner before the man could stop him.
Harry stepped back into the meeting.
"Sorry about that…"
"Harry…where did…"
"Canada…"
"Why?"
"We really should pay more attention to international politics…" Harry shook his head and smiled.
"I'll just pick up the trunks got things to do."
"But Harry…wait…"
"What am I to do, I won't run the order for you, Dumbledore's not here, I suggest…" Harry sighed walking to the door.
"You suggest…"
"Let Moody do something, Bill can back him up with Tonks and whoever else if they think he's doing a rash thing."
"Where is…"
"Safe." Harry gave them a wave and walked around a corner by the time anyone thought to follow him he had disappeared.
Harry picked up Hermione, Draco and Remus's trunks shrinking Hermione's and carrying the others and made a quick trip back to Hermione's.
"So how's Draco?" Harry said behind Jane who jumped, considering she was watching the lock from the end of a small pier that creaked when you walked along it him appearing did unnerve her a little.
"Harry…how did you…magic."
"Sort of…if you'd like…"
Jane stared at the young man, the first time that she'd met him he'd had wings like a bird.
"I…"
Harry pointed past her.
"You see the other side of the loch…"
Jane turned to look and Harry took her hand, the pair disappeared and reappeared on the other side of the loch.
"There's your house." Harry whispered pointing across the loch to the house.
"I…that was…I can't believe it…"
Harry smiled.
"We're not even touching the iceberg."
"I can see why you keep your world secret."
"It's their world, I just live in it."
"But still…"
"If all of this came out, it would probably do more damage than good, but there's nothing wrong with sharing it with a few friends…"
"A society that closed…"
"Has its own problems yes…more than you'd think. Come on." Harry offered his hand, Jane smiled and took it, the reappeared on the terrace.
"Jane I was just looking for you…"
"Harry was just showing me…"
"Magic…"
"I thought you said…"
"Different sort, not even registrable."
"How long have you been…"
"Finishing other people's sentences?" Harry pondered this one while his hosts stared at him. "A little while, I've had it pointed out to me that it's an annoying habit."
"Just a little Harry. Your friend Draco is awake."
Harry nodded and followed him inside.
Draco was up and going through the contents of his trunk muttering to himself.
"Hey Draco…Peter said you were…" Draco grabbed for the sheet that was wrapped around him.
"Harry bugger off, don't you know how to knock." Draco muttered at the door. Harry chuckled.
"Sorry Master Draco, it's not as though you've got anything I haven't got."
"Speak for yourself bird boy."
"Who's a little bit grumpy after a long sleep?" Harry muttered. "I just wanted to know how well you're feeling and when you want to go home?"
"Home?"
"To Jennifer and Jonathan."
"Home! Yes Gods Harry I…oww…" Draco said.
"Should I come in?"
"Just remnants of the slashing and cutting curse."
"Yes…definitely curses that should be relegated to the garden." Harry said through the door.
"Very funny Harry you weren't on the receiving end of them."
"Been the recipient of much worse things than that."
"I can imagine…How about you give me a few minutes to get cleaned up."
"Fine Draco, I'll be downstairs."
"There's a downstairs?"
"And an upstairs where you are hence the down and the stairs."
"Ha ha."
"Remus, Tonks, enjoying the view."
"Yes…Peter tells us we're still in Scotland." Tonks gazed out across the loch.
"Yep."
"It's so different from…"
"Hogwarts?"
"Yes…"
"Different places and spaces and all that jazz…So…once I've got Draco off to his parents what do you want to do?"
"Harry?" They both turned to him.
"Well, I have…things to attend to, stuff to look into and things to plan."
"You're being vague again Harry." Remus gave Harry a knowing look.
"Well yes probably. I have a few theories here and there, some things I want to try…this stuff with Dumbledore among other things…so where would you like to go after here?"
"After here?"
"Well Tonks while I like it here…I don't want attract any extra danger here than absolutely necessary…" Harry trailed off looking back to the house where David and Jane were relaxing.
Tonks and Remus nodded.
"The Order was a mess." Harry blurted out.
"The Order?"
"They were at Grimmauld Place I stopped in to find out about the trunks."
"You said that Tonks should…" Remus trailed off.
"Well with Moody and maybe someone like Bill, three people leading should provide some balance and make sure you're not on wild goose chases like last holidays."
"That goose was you Harry." Tonks muttered.
"And I escaped uncooked if you recall."
"So you think we should return to Grimmauld Place?"
"Remus, no, but that might be the easiest place for now, I'm sure Dobby and Winky have brought it up to scratch…"
"But you're not going to be spending much time there." Remus looked hard at him.
Harry shifted uncomfortably.
"I'll drop in more often…but I have some planning to do…elsewhere, I also need somewhere for a base of operations, probably Sorrento, but you're welcome to stay down there if you want…."
Tonks looked at Remus and they nodded.
"We'll stay at Grimmauld Place…there's still the war…after the Station…"
Harry nodded and they continued to look out at the water until they were called back for dinner.
Following a delicious meal Harry asked Jane if it was safe to move Draco.
She looked at him, he gave her puppy dog eyes which made everyone chuckle.
"Fine, but nothing strenuous or you'll start to bleed again and if you do that you'll most definitely be left with some scars."
"Thanks Jane…and Peter, for helping me here…"
"That's perfectly fine Draco, it has been an interesting couple of days…"
"Well Draco we'll get your…"
"Got his trunk…"
"And your…"
"Remains from the battle got that here."
"Ok now I know…" Harry started.
"How we feel?"
Remus and Tonks grinned at him.
"You're worse than…"
"The Twins." They grinned together at him.
"Come on Draco, I've got your trunk…"
Harry wandered over to the trunk grabbing it and passed the other bag to Draco, and offered his hand, Draco took it and waved a goodbye as they misted away.
They reappeared early in the morning in front of Jonathan and Jennifer's cottage.
"Mum, Dad…." Draco called out, they ran at the door as Draco walked over calling.
"Draco…." He winced a bit as they hugged him.
"He's a little tender." Harry said setting down Draco's trunk.
"Tender? You haven't been…" Jennifer raised an eyebrow.
"Not that way mum…" Draco muttered bashfully.
"There was a fight Death Eaters attacked the express, Draco was hit with multiple cutting curses, protecting others I seem to recall…"
"Harry said that he'd bring you…we were starting to worry, we were preparing to journey to Hogwarts…"
Harry slapped his forehead.
"Totally forgot to drop in and tell you what happened…Anyways, I took him and a few of my friends to a friend's place I…over extended myself hence the not immediate call."
Harry carried the trunk inside for them.
"Before I go…Draco the ministry is allowing you to use magic and apparate…unless you've learnt already."
"I know how to…just don't have my license."
"Well you might get the owl, dunno, I'll send a copy on if you don't…."
"Harry will you be able to come by…" Jennifer asked.
Harry shrugged his shoulders.
"I've got quite a few things to do, it's like juggling apples and knives and trying to peel them while they're in the air…"
"I can…" Jonathan stared at him. "See how that could be tricky."
"Anyways I have a few things I need to look into over this break…so if I don't turn up until a few days before school starts, don't worry, I haven't forgotten you." Harry smiled and gave them a wave. "Be seeing you." Then he disappeared from their presence.
The following day Remus, Tonks (who Jane and Peter were still calling Nymphadora) and Harry bade the goodbye and thank you for their sanctuary.
With a breath of air the three disappeared and left the quiet loch to be just that.
They reappeared in what could be best described as a bar room brawl, in a kitchen, just without too many fists, just a lot of wand waving.
"Scuse me, seems I have a meeting to get control of." Harry and Remus stepped quickly out of the way as Tonks ran into the kitchen wand ready.
"She seems…."
"Proactive…"
"I like that." Harry said picking up their trunks. "I'll find a room for myself."
"I'd better go and see what Tonks is up to." Remus said drawing his wand as he heard calls of Experlliarmus and other things.