We all headed into the lounge which was now fitted with a 'TV' just like the one in Dave's tent. It looked very strange to me to be in the room that I had grown to love and enjoy so much during my time with and then as a part of the Weasley family. But even after only a few movie nights in Dave's tent I could also see it becoming a great source of enjoyment for the family.
As he got to the TV unit Dave tapped his mirror phone to it and then pressed a few buttons. Soon we were looking at a floor plan of the main foyer of the British Ministry of Magic.
"Nice floor plan Drunkmouse." Dave exclaimed with a smile, "Is that the most recent one on file?" He asked.
"That it is Syd." Drunkmouse answered.
"Thanks mate. When the others get here we will ask Kingsley to describe how it is going to be configured for tomorrow's activities." Dave answered.
Dave looked like he was about to say more when he was grabbed from behind turned around and engulfed in a rather large hug. He must have had an idea of who it was as he had a strange smile on his face at the event. When he was eventually released from the hug he faced his 'attacker'.
"I take it that everyone is happy and healthy then?" Dave asked a still rather emotional Gawain Roberts.
"Yes, they are, thanks to you and your team." Gawain said with unshed tears in his eyes, "I can't thank you all enough for what you did." He added in a voice still thick with emotion.
"There is no need to." Dave said with a friendly smile for Gawain, "It was a team effort from us all. We just wish we had known earlier what was up. You play your cards very close to your chest mate."
"Even with our bugs in your office it still took almost a month to get out of you what exactly had happened. After that it was only a matter of figuring out where she was being kept."
"But once we knew, there was no way we could in good conscience do nothing to help her, and you." Dave stated as he and Gawain shared a very warm and solid handshake.
"What do you mean 'bugs in my office'?" Gawain asked his face full of curiosity.
With an almost embarrassed smirk on his face Dave spoke to the TV, "Drunkmouse could you put up on the screen the feed from Gawain's office in the ministry?"
"Coming up now Syd." Was the reply from the TV. The picture soon changed to that of an office with a rather cluttered desk and several sets of filing cabinets around the edge of the room.
The expressions on Gawain's face were rapidly changing between the emotions of wonder, shock, anger and disbelief.
"You are telling me that you can see and hear everything taking place with in my office?" He asked unsure if he should be angry or impressed.
"Yes. But it isn't just your office, we have most of the Auror Office bugged, along with the office of the Director of MLE. The chief assistant to the Minister. Some of the Wizengamot offices, almost all the Ministry Tea Rooms along with the Café down stairs." Dave explained a little sheepishly.
"How?" Gawain asked as his professional curiosity won out.
"I do believe that is one of the things that we will be teaching you and your team." Dave added with a sly smirk, "We could make it part of the training. A 'scavenger hunt' across the Ministry offices to see if they can locate all of our bugs as well as a few from some local criminal organisations." Dave suggested.
Gawain had an odd little smile on his face at this new information. He was still staring at the screen when Arthur, Kingsley, Chief Williams, Rowdy, Goose and Guz walked in.
"That looks just like Gawain's office." Kingsley exclaimed in surprise.
"Correct Minister." Dave answered, "It is Gawain's office." He chuckled, he then tapped a few times on his mirror phone and the view changed.
"That's the main floor of the Auror Office." Kingsley remarked as he went a little pale seeing a few of his Aurors walking around and hearing some of the conversations. Dave then tapped the screen on his Mirror Phone again, this time the picture changed to show the desk of his personal assistant who was working on the weekend preparing for the visit tomorrow of Ivan and his formal delegation.
"Looks like he is editing your speech there Kingsley." Dave said rather amused, "Would you like us to make a copy of it for you so you can practise it?" He asked with an evil smirk on his face.
Kingsley fixed him with a look of resignation and asked, "Is that how you got my personal schedule?"
Dave glanced to Ivan, I'm guessing to obtain permission to disclose that bit of information. Ivan nodded his agreement while struggling to contain a smile.
"No Minister actually it isn't." Dave answered, "We got your schedule as we are on the mailing list to be notified about changes to it." He explained.
"What?" Kingsley blurted, "How?" He asked.
"You never questioned the existence of 'The Minister's Office of Public Excuses and Cover ups' and why they needed to know about your personal schedule?" Dave enquired.
Kingsley looked completely gobsmacked, "I thought that the idea of that office for the previous Ministers was certainly a good one." He admitted shamefacedly, "Personally I was hoping to never have to use their services. But then again you never know, do you." He said with a sly grin at Dave.
"So, you are telling me that they are not a real office in the Ministry then?" He enquired.
"They are a 'real office' in your Ministry. They have however only been in existence since we arrived in the country." Dave explained with a sly smile.
"It is a rather small office seeing as lately it has only really been Percy running it." Dave admitted with a shy grin, "Lots of other government departments and offices didn't know about the office either. However, as the bureaucratic mind doesn't like to admit that they are uninformed about ANY office relating to the Minister no one challenged the existence of our newly formed office."
"This was even more true when word got around about how 'helpful' we could be in covering up both the minister's mistakes as well as their own, they ALL became VERY helpful in terms of supplying us with information." Dave disclosed while looking a little embarrassed.
"I think I'm going to have to amend a few mailing lists in the ministry." Kingsley decided while regarding Dave with a look of amused wariness, "I'm beginning to see why you said our Ministry 'leaks information like a strainer leaks water' when we first met."
Dave only grinned by way of reply.
"Any other surprises that I should know about?" Kingsley asked Dave a little worriedly.
"Not at this point in time minister." Dave answered evasively.
"Have Uncle Arthur and Chief Williams brought you up to speed on what we have recently learned?" Dave asked Kingsley.
"No, they haven't." Kingsley replied, "They only mentioned that it was urgent and that it shouldn't be discussed in the Ministry Offices."
On hearing this Dave looked to his father with a question on his face. Ivan cleared his throat and Kingsley turned to face him with a questioning look on his face.
"Earlier today we captured a group of 'watchers' who were carrying out surveillance on Bill and Fleur's home." Ivan explained, "During interrogation one of the people who was captured informed us that he was hired to participate in an assassination attempt tomorrow at the Ministry."
Kingsley face went pale and then flushed with anger at this statement. Chief Roberts and Chief Williams were in a similar state themselves.
"The information that has so far been extracted from this person leads us to believe that he was hired as either a distraction or what the muggles call 'cannon fodder'. As the information that he does have leads us to believe he isn't part of the main attempt."
"Given the number of high profile targets who are going to be in your Ministry tomorrow we thought it best to bring you and Gawain in to organise a planned response to this probability." Ivan suggested.
"Agreed." Kingsley replied in an emotionless voice, "Do we know as yet who hired the person you have captured?" Kingsley asked.
"No, we don't." Ivan answered, "He himself doesn't seem to know either. As the people who hired him went to great lengths to keep their identities secret."
"Do you have a full list of the attendees at tomorrow's event?" Gawain asked Kingsley.
"I do indeed." Kingsley replied as he placed a sheet of parchment on the table for all to see.
"Why is the MACUSA Ambassador on this list?" Gawain asked, moments before Ivan was about to ask the same question.
Kingsley smiled when he heard this question, "He requested to attend, as apparently the two of you are 'old friends' as he explained it to me." Kingsley informed Ivan. Ivan only looked at Kingsley with a confused look.
"I'm not sure who the current MACUSA Ambassador is to the UK so I couldn't say one way or the other." Ivan replied still with the confused expression on his face.
"He tells me that he got to know you when he was the Legal Attaché in the MACUSA Embassy in Australia and you were the Director of M.L.E." Kingsley explained to a still confused Ivan.
"Does the name Theodore Edmund Fontaine mean anything to you?" Kingsley asked.
Hearing this Ivan's face lit up with a brilliant smile, then he and Sandra both began to laugh.
"What's so funny?" Kingsley wanted to know.
"He wasn't pulling your leg Kingsley." Ivan said as he wiped away a few stray tears, "I do indeed know him and his family quite well."
"It's just that when he left Australia last year he feared that he was going to be offered an Ambassadors position some place." Ivan said still struggling to contain his laughter, "He was dead set against accepting such a role as he isn't one for 'diplomatic niceties'."
"That's probably why the two of you always got along so well." Sandra remarked with a twinkle in her eyes.
"I wouldn't bet against that." Ivan chuckled, "He also had a rather large bet with his wife that he could wangle his way out of any Ambassadors position that he was likely to be offered. As he is very good mates with Samuel Quahog, the Head of the MACUSA's Department of International Magical Co-operation."
"He was so sure that Sam would 'save him' from any such offer that he bet his wife, that in the event of him ever getting such a position he would take her to dinner in Paris once a month for an entire year." Ivan said with a rather large smile on his face. The rest of us had a laugh at his news.
"Doesn't she have that same bet with you?" Sandra asked Ivan with a cheeky twinkle in her eyes.
"Why would she bet with you about her husband becoming an Ambassador?" Kingsley asked with a degree of confusion.
"Our bet isn't about her husband being an Ambassador." Ivan remarked with a rueful smile, "But the 'prize' of the bet is indeed Dinner in Paris. But not every month." He chuckled.
"What's your bet with her about then?" Molly asked.
"The bet is about whether or not we are indeed related." Ivan explained with an amused expression, "As she is positive that our family trees are connected somehow."
Everyone was a little surprised by this statement, none more so than Harry. Seeing the look on Harry's face, Ivan explained further. "I told you when we first met Harry that I and my father had been told many times over the years that we bore a striking resemblance to one family or another."
"Yes, you did." Harry agreed.
"Well Ted's wife is one of the most incessant in her claim that we are indeed members of her family." Ivan told him, "She has her family tree traced all the way back to about 1655. In that time, virtually her entire family have been in America. No one left to go elsewhere and she hasn't been able to find any recent links to the UK. Even with all that she is still convinced of a link between our family trees."
"She even has her own dedicated research staff that are looking into her family tree as she is fascinated with her family history. Even more so than my dad was with your family." Ivan remarked warmly.
"She is adorable in her determination and drive to find out one way or another. But I do believe she is barking up the 'wrong tree' as they say." He said with a chuckle at his own joke.
"That joke is still as bad as when your dad first tried it on." Sandra told him with a smirk of her own. There were a few sets of chuckles at this comment.
"She thinks that you are part of the Fontaine family?" Hermione asked.
"No, she doesn't think that we are part of her husband's family." Ivan replied, "She thinks we are part of her birth family."
"Which family is that?" Hermione asked.
"Potter." Sandra replied with an amused look at the expression on Harry's face.
"Potter?" Harry asked bewildered, "Are you sure?" He asked hopefully.
"Extremely." Ivan replied, "She has her family tree traced back to one Abraham Potter. He was apparently one of the original twelve Aurors in MACUSA when it first formed back in 1693." Ivan explained to an extremely surprised group of people.
"When she first proposed her thoughts on this link it caused a bit of friction with my father." Ivan said sadly, "As at the time the thought of any link to ANY Potter family was rather painful for him. But Kat can be rather insistent and she eventually wore him down and brought him around. Especially when she got him to understand that her family wasn't in the UK at the time of his encounter with the Potter's there." Ivan explained.
"Why does she believe so strongly in a link between your families?" Harry asked eager for the information.
"I'll let her explain that to you Harry." Ivan said as he smiled warmly at Harry, "If I explained her hypothesis to you and robbed her of the chance she would never forgive me." He chuckled.
"Too right she wouldn't." Sandra agreed still showing her amusement, "Neither would any of her sisters." She added with an evil smirk.
"Don't remind me." Ivan said with a rueful smile and a shake of his head.
"If Ted was planning on being at your Ministry tomorrow anyway, I do think we should let him know about this assassination attempt that we have uncovered." Ivan explained to Kingsley, "At the very least he will want to let his own protective detail know about it if he still decides to attend."
"We might even be able to get him to assist with our plans." Ivan said as a certain wicked light entered his eyes, "Ted used to be an Auror in his younger days and he is one of the best duellists that I have ever seen."
"Would it be ok with you Arthur and Molly if I extended an invitation to him to meet with us here?" Ivan asked them both.
"It certainly is." Arthur replied after a quick glance to Molly.
"If he is willing to help, I won't say no to more friendly assistance." Gawain offered.
"Me neither." Chief Williams agreed, "I remember 'playing' with him back home at the academy on a few occasions." He recalled with a small smile at the memories.
"I don't have any objections either." Kingsley offered, "As long as the choice is his." He suggested.
"Always." Ivan replied, "I wouldn't try to pull the wool over his eyes on something like this." Ivan said as he began checking his pockets for the pen and paper that he eventually brought out. He quickly wrote a brief note and signed it, then placed it in a very formal looking envelope. This he then handed to Dave.
"Take that and deliver it to the MACUSA embassy. Tell them who it is from and that it is 'eyes only' to the Ambassador." He ordered Dave.
Dave stood to attention and snapped his heals together. He then quickly 'changed' back into the body of 'John Citizen' that he had been wearing when we first met him. With a quick smile to Gabrielle (she was a little surprised at this, but she happily returned his smile) he grabbed Guz and the two of them exited the Burrow and made for the Apparition point.
"Why did he change like that?" Harry asked as he watched Dave and Guz disappear from the Apparition point.
"It makes it easier for him to move about in public." Ivan explained, "When he was first over here he would often have trouble being in public as he frequently attracted a lot of… let's call it attention."
"Or you could call it crowds of girl's wanting his autograph, or a photo with him." Fireball added while happily chuckling away, "It drove him more than a little nuts." She said as she laughed to herself. Gabrielle had an amused smile on her face at this news also.
"Is that what happened?" Ginny asked her face alight with mischief, "It's not how he described it to us when we first met him." She said with an evil grin.
"How did he describe it?" Sandra asked.
"He said something like 'When I was spotted a mob quickly formed' to explain why he wasn't himself." Ginny told them.
"A mob?" Fireball remarked, "I can't wait to tell that one to Grandma. She will have a fit." She said with a laugh.
"Jasper, play nice." Sandra chided her.
"I am mum. I am." She replied.
"If the girls are finished with their schemes?" Ivan asked as he gave them both rather amused looks, "At first he thought it was his height brining all this attention, so he made himself to be only six feet tall."
"This only made the problem worse." Ivan said with a chuckle, "I still remember some of the descriptions that Jimmy wrote about incidents that happened." Ivan recalled chuckling at the memory.
"For some reason, Dave was a little stubborn about wearing a 'different body full time', but once we convinced him of it the issue was resolved and he had much more freedom to move around in public."
"He still hasn't realised the reason behind it?" Harry asked looking slightly amused at the situation.
"Nope." Shelly said with a straight face at Harry. But eventually they both began to grin almost uncontrollably.
Grins were beginning to spread around the room (except for Ivan who was wondering what they were all smiling at), when we heard some knocking coming from the door to the scullery.
"Auror Syd, requesting entry." Came the voice on the other side of the door, "I have with me the MACUSA Ambassador to the UK and his wife." He stated.
When he heard this Arthur quickly went over to the door and inserted his key and then opened it. On the other side were Dave and Guz, directly behind them was a very surprised looking man and woman. The man had the polished look one would expect from a professional diplomat, but there was also something around his eyes that indicated a tendency for mischief.
The woman on the other hand looked like someone who had only recently escaped from a well-loved library. Her eyes were a delight. They were so open and friendly, while being penetrating and curious at the same time. Her face was one that you couldn't help but smile at, especially when she was smiling (which was often).
When Dave and Guz cleared the door the two on the other side could clearly see Ivan and Sandra. The man immediately crossed to Ivan and embraced him warmly.
"It's so good to see you again Ivan." The Ambassador greeted Ivan, "I was so deeply saddened to hear about James. It was a great loss to the wizarding world his passing." He said to Ivan while holding him by the shoulders and regarding him with genuine affection.
"It is always good to see you also Ted." Ivan replied with a smile, "I thank you for your thoughts on Jimmy. I also certainly appreciated the letter that you sent when you heard about his death."
"We both did." Ivan remarked with a glance at his wife. Sandra came over and also warmly embraced the Ambassador.
While she was doing so, the woman approached Ivan and wordlessly held her arms out to him and embraced him warmly.
"You have my deepest sympathies over the loss of your wonderful little boy." She said to Ivan as she wiped away a tear from her eyes, "I almost didn't recognise him when he turned up at the Embassy last year, with an offer of extraction for us."
With that she turned and quickly embraced Sandra as well, "You also my special lady." She said with a smile, "I have certainly missed you since we left Australia. While your letters have been lovely they're nothing compared to you."
"Thank you, Kat." Sandra replied, "I have certainly missed you also. Our 'girls' nights' just haven't been the same without you." She said with a slightly naughty giggle.
After these obviously old friends had greeted each other Ivan and Sandra quickly introduced them to Arthur and Molly. They were both delighted to meet each other, Kat (as Sandra called her) was over joyed to hear that Molly was Sandra's little sister. She was also thrilled to meet Molly's family. Everyone was warmly welcomed on both sides.
Kat was especially delighted to meet my Bill, especially after she found out that he was the 'Bombshell' that she had heard mentioned so many times in Nat's stories. Poor Bill was beginning to get an understanding of Harry's views on celebrity status. It was very amusing to watch.
When I was introduced to them both I immediately found myself liking them both. They were hard not to like and their obvious enjoyment at meeting friends and family of Ivan and Sandra was infectious.
Ivan introduced Kingsley who they had both heard of but never officially met as yet.
"I certainly hope that you last longer and have a safer end, than the previous holders of your office." The Ambassador chuckled to Kingsley.
"Thank you, Ambassador, I certainly plan on achieving that goal myself." Kingsley chuckled by way of reply.
Molly then introduced Hermione who was also warmly greeted by them both. As she went to introduce Harry though Kat squealed with delight when she laid eyes on him.
"Oh… He IS a true Potter." She said with a delightful smile on her face. This of course completely confused Harry and his look of bafflement only served to encourage her more.
"That expression is oh so familiar as well." She exclaimed joyfully, "It must be programmed into the Potter boy's at birth."
"Excuse me, what do you mean 'a true Potter'?" Harry asked her as he tried to make sense of her comment.
"Hair that rampageous can only be found in the male Potter's of my family, young man." She chuckled to Harry, "All the boys in my family have had hair like that. It didn't matter what colour hair it was or how much or how little they had. Their hair was a glorious monument to disorder and chaos." She said as she regarded Harry fondly.
When she said this Ginny, Ron and Hermione were all struggling mightily to hold back some serious laughter at the utterly perplexed look Harry was displaying.
"I have seen your photos in the papers here quite a few times. Along with those dreadful wanted posters that the Ministry put up. But none of them did your hair justice my dear boy." She stated enthusiastically to Harry's bafflement and Ginny's delight.
"The hair never lies young man." She told him, "In every image of the boys in my family tree you can see that same hair. Thankfully the Potter women avoided such a dreadful fate." She remarked playfully to him.
"Kat, I would like to introduce you to Harry Potter." Ivan said as he too was struggling to contain a smile on his face, "Harry I would like to introduce you to Katherine Emma Fontaine. Ted's wonderful wife and a very proud member of the American Potter clan." Ivan said smiling.
The two of them shook hands warmly, but Harry was still unsure just what to make of this Kat.
"Kat, we recently learnt that young Harry here is indeed related to the Potter's that accused my father of his crimes." Ivan explained.
The eyes on Kat's face went wide with surprise and she turn to Ivan to get confirmation of that piece of news. It seemed to sadden her.
"Young Harry however was completely unaware of his family's actions however as he lost both his parents when he was only 18 months old. After which he was sent to be raised with some muggle relatives who absolutely hated magic in any shape or form. As a result, they gave him a very rough time when he was growing up."
"They couldn't break him though and he has turned out to be one of the finest young men that I have ever had the opportunity to meet." Ivan remarked while smiling warmly at Harry (who happily returned it), "He has also offered his assistance in looking through his family vault for any information about what happened to my father."
"See, I kept on telling you and your father that not ALL of us Potter's are bad people." She pronounced proudly as she swatted him on the arm. This generated several sets of laughter in the room.
"You sound just like Dave." Ivan chuckled.
"If he agrees with me he must have grown into a very smart young man." She stated confidently. This also caused Dave's sisters, cousin and team members to burst into laughter. Ginny and Gabrielle were also succumbing to their own gales of laughter as well. I wasn't far behind them either as I happened to glance over to Dave, who was still 'dressed' as John Citizen and looking very amused.
Ivan and Sandra were also having a great deal of trouble keeping a straight face at this comment and they both looked over to Dave. Seeing the look on his face Sandra broke down and joined in the laughter as well. Ivan ended up laughing at the expression on Sandra's face.
Kat and Ted both walked over to Dave looking at him suspiciously, "I thought you said your name was Syd?" Ted asked Dave.
"I never said my name was Syd, Ambassador." Dave answered, "I said you could call me Syd." He chuckled.
"I see." Ted replied, "So what is your actual name then?" He asked.
"My name is David Fabian Gideon Webb." Dave replied, "But you can call me Dave." He added with a very cheeky grin while he shook hands with them both.
Ted turned to Ivan and asked, "He really is your son?"
"Yes, I have to admit that he is." Ivan said playfully as Sandra swatted him in the arm.
"Well he certainly lucked out in the looks department." Ted said to a suddenly quiet room, "As he looks nothing like you."
This caused everyone to break out into laughter at the expressions on the faces of Sandra, Ivan and Dave. They were all sharing a laugh but for different reasons. Dave was laughing at the expression on his mother's face. While Ivan was laughing because he had a good idea of what Ted's reaction will be when he asks Dave to return to his natural form.
"What's so funny?" Ted asked Ivan.
"Show him Dave." Ivan requested.
At this Dave slowly reverted back to his natural form. His body just seemed to flow from one form to the next as though it was liquid being poured into a Dave shaped bottle. When he had finished changing form Ted and Kat both looked at Dave with wide eyes of surprise.
"The poor unfortunate sod." Ted exclaimed, "Of all the people he could have taken after, he gets to look just like you." He said in mock despair and there was some nervous laughter around the room.
He then walked over to Dave and placed one hand on his shoulders and consoled him with, "You have my sympathies my boy. It's a tough break to end up looking like that lump over there." He said with a chuckle.
After they had exchanged another warm hand shake and a laugh Kat walked over to Dave and gave him a very close looking over.
"I'm so very happy that you have FINALLY emerged from your 'ugly duckling' phase young man." She said with a smile as Dave's sisters were all sharing very evil grins. Gabrielle also had an extremely amused expression as she watched the play of emotions across Dave's face.
"I was deeply saddened to hear of your Emma's passing also." She said with a tender expression as she warmly embraced Dave, "She was a truly wonderful young lady." She whispered into Dave's ear before pulling back and wiping some tears from her eyes.
"Thank you, Kat." Dave replied, "I know that she thought the world of you and it would have thrilled her to hear you say that." Dave said smiling at her.
She then very confidently walked back to Ivan and held out her hand and rather smugly demanded, "Well. Pay up."
"Pay up what?" Ivan asked her very amused.
"Our bet." She stated
"You can't look at him and not see my brother." She remarked before catching herself and then saying, "Well maybe you can't but I'm sure Sandra can." She added as she looked over to Sandra with a loving smile.
"Hair like that only runs in one family tree." She stated confidently.
"I'm sorry Kat." Ivan replied, "Your hypothesis about the genetic traits of hair are not proof enough to claim that bet. As I and just about every geneticist you have ever spoken to, has told you." He said with a smile at her. Sandra was also enjoying this exchange between them.
"Theory!" She stated rather forcefully.
"Hypothesis!" Ivan replied just as forcefully, albeit with a smile. "To be classified as a theory it has to be proven with objective evidence and make testable predictions." He explained patiently. This exchange had the airs of a familiar and long running argument about it between the two of them.
"Blood calls to blood! You stubborn old fart." She exclaimed cheekily, "Your father might have been cut from the tree by some misguided idiots many years ago..."
"No offence intended there young Harry." She said as she smiled warmly at him. Harry could only smile back in reply as he was totally caught up in this display in front of him.
"But I on the other hand am still part of the mighty oak that is the Potter family tree." She remarked standing to her full height and pointing her finger at Ivan's chest, "And I know what I'm seeing standing here before my eyes."
"I'm formally laying claim to you, along with both of those wonderfully scruffy looking young men behind me." She said with a brilliant smile as Dave's sisters, cousin, and mother along with Ginny and Gabrielle burst out into a fresh round of laughter, "And I'm more than willing to fight anyone who tries to deny my claim."
Harry and Dave were clearly greatly amused by this exchange between Ivan and Kat. Molly was also eagerly watching the proceedings as well. Although I think she was a little wary of someone else laying claim to 'her' Harry.
"Is that enough proof for you?" She almost demanded. When Ivan didn't change his sceptical look, he was giving her she exclaimed, "Bloody Aurors and their need for 'objective evidence'."
"Care to double our bet then?" She asked him with an arch little smile, "I mean now there are two lost branches that I need to re-connect to the Potter family tree."
"Harry can bet with you on his own family if he likes." Ivan said with a grin, "I'm not silly enough to go and make more bets with you than I already have."
With that comment, Kat turned to Harry and asked, "Well my wonderfully scruffy looking young man. How about it?" She asked Harry.
"P… Pardon?" Harry asked caught completely off guard.
"The bet is dinner in Paris. If I'm right it's on you, if I'm wrong it's on me." She said with a cheeky grin at Harry, "I'll even let you bring your lovely young lady over there, if you like." She added pointing to Ginny.
"It will keep the newspapers from talking." She remarked to Sandra with an evil chuckle. This set the girls laughing again. Harry meanwhile was unsure what to make of her offer.
"Don't look so stressed Harry." Dave advised him, "For you it is a simple bet easy to prove." He advised.
"Is it?" Harry asked, happy for the interruption, "How?" He asked.
"One of those muggle DNA tests will show if you share the same Y-Chromosome with her brother." Dave told him, "Depending on how far back your link may or may not be it will also likely tell you how closely you are related also."
"Really?" He asked as his eyes lit up, "Did you do one of those tests also?"
"I didn't but dad did." Dave replied, "It didn't show anything however, as we are 'broken' so it gave a non-result. The first ever I believe." He added a little sadly.
Kat came over and put her arms around Dave, "Don't worry Dave. I'll get you and your father eventually." She said with a grin as Dave happily returned her brief hug.
"So, young Harry. Are you going to accept my bet?" She asked him eagerly.
"Go on Harry. Do it." George encouraged him with an eager smile.
"Yeah Harry, go for it." Ron told him also smiling encouragement. Harry looked over to Ginny for her thoughts.
"Sounds like a win-win to me." She said with a grin lighting up her face, "As I get dinner in Paris no matter the result." She remarked as her grin turned into a brilliant smile at thought.
Personally, I think it was Ginny's smile that ended up convincing Harry to take the bet and the DNA test. The result of which was to profoundly change his life and forge a set of new connections that he could only have dreamed about.
After taking in the expression on Ginny's face and how happy she was Harry turned to Kat. "Ok then. You're on." He said as he held out his hand to shake on the bet.
"There's no need to be so formal Harry." Kat told him as she engulfed him in a hug.
"What's involved in doing a DNA test?" Harry asked her once she had released him from her hug.
"It's very simple Harry. You just scrape these around the inside of your mouth." She explained to him as she pulled out two items that looked like small chunky combs. "They then go into these tubes and off to the DNA lab. They send the results back to you in a few weeks." She told him eagerly.
"Then you can take me and your lovely lady out to dinner in Paris." She said with a joyful laugh, one that Ginny also joined in on.
"All right then." Harry replied, "Let's do it."
I'm not sure who was more excited Harry or Kat. But she quickly had instructed Harry how to use the odd-looking combs and collect the samples correctly. They were both soon secured in the tubes and put back in her purse. Kat also promised Harry that she wouldn't peek at the results until they could look at them together. He agreed to this also.
"I'm glad that's settled." Kat remarked as she gave Ivan a smugly knowing look which caused him to smile.
"I understand Dave that you have been keeping my little brother busy the past 2 years. With all your letters to him." She enquired.
Everyone turned to Dave, we all were rather curious as to what she was referring to. With a shy smile, Dave answered, "Yes we have exchanged quite a few letters between us."
"Who is your brother?" Harry asked Kat.
"Professor Potter." Kat replied happily, "It has a wonderful ring to it don't you think?" She asked him.
"It does actually." Harry agreed.
"As to his name, it is Abraham 'Abe' Jackson Potter." She told him, "He is the History of Magic Professor at Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in America." She stated proudly.
"Because he loves questions about magic of all sorts I thought he would be a natural choice to answer Dave's rather incessant ones." She said with a smile at Dave.
"He certainly does love to answer questions about the history of Magic." Dave agreed, "The move obscure the question the more it seems to delight him. I was very pleasantly surprised when he agreed to help me in my quest for the information that I was after" Dave replied with a smile on his face.
"Because of his job, he has access to one of the greatest magical libraries around." Dave explained, "I think he has just about checked every book in it personally." He explained sounding impressed.
"And?" Kat almost demanded, "Was he able to help you with your endless questions?"
"Yes. Yes, he was actually." Dave said with a smile, "He was able to help a great deal. The information he provided filled in a great many blanks for me."
"The contacts he gave me filled in a great many more also."
"What questions did you have for Kat's brother Dave?" Ted asked him.
"I was asking him if it was possible to destroy a Dementor." Dave replied to an astonished room.
"Destroy a Dementor?" Ted remarked, "It's impossible, isn't it?"
"Actually no. It isn't." Dave replied, "It is just extremely difficult, and more than a little painful. But very possible." He stated in his professional voice.
"So, that's where you learnt how to destroy them." Ivan said with his eyes wide in wonder, "Kat's brother told you how to do it?" He asked.
"No, he didn't tell me exactly how to do it. But he did show me and Jimmy some extracts from some very old books that talked about it having being done before. This validated that it was (or used to be) possible to do. Knowing that it was possible at one point in time kept our hopes alive and encouraged us to keep looking into it."
"He also gave us a great many tools that proved to be extremely helpful." Dave explained.
"The biggest piece of the puzzle he provided was, he put me in contact with a Mage over in China." Dave told us, "This Mage had specialised in studying the magic associated with many of the ancient Chinese legends. With the goal of understanding and then replicating the magic that they would have involved."
"His favourite legends were the ones around magical folk destroying Dementors." Dave said to a surprised room.
Kat's eyes were alight in excitement, "And you have been able to pull it off?" She asked him.
"Yes, I have. I destroyed 14 of them in the yard outside the day I first met this lot." Dave said with a grin. "Fireball destroyed one also."
"Have you told Abe about this as yet?" She asked excitedly.
"No, I haven't yet written to him with that news. Jimmy and I were only able to reliably replicate the results from the old Chinese legends the week before we were sent to the UK on our current mission. Since that happened we have been rather busy." Dave told her, "We still have not as yet figured out the 'Flaming Sword' that is described as the most effective option to deal with Dementors though." Dave said with his disappointment clear to see.
"I see…" Kat replied, "Can I tell him about your progress so far then?" She almost begged Dave.
"If you wish." Dave answered her smiling at her exuberance.
"Thank you." She replied almost dancing with delight.
"What exactly is a Mage?" Hermione asked Dave.
"As it was explained to me by Yuan Zedong, the main difference is that a Mage deals primarily with elemental magic." Dave explained to a confused group, "Elemental magic is both more 'RAW' and more powerful than what is commonly known as magic around the world. For this reason, it is also significantly more dangerous than 'normal magic'."
"He also told me that as a consequence of this people are not typically accepted into training to become a Mage until they are in their late 40's." Dave advised.
"Their late 40's?" Hermione exclaimed, "How old was this Mage that you spoke to?" She asked.
"He claimed to be 214 years old." Dave replied, "But I have no means to independently verify that claim currently."
"If that is indeed his age I can say he has aged very well indeed." Dave added with a chuckle.
"Dave, you didn't, did you?" Ivan asked with a look of worry on his face.
"Not to worry dad." Dave replied with a smile on his face, "He invited me to partake in a friendly little duel under training conditions. As he wanted to assess my capabilities before he would tell me anything." Dave advised.
"How did it go?" Ivan asked as his own curiosity got the better of him.
"He tells me that I apparently held my own in the duel. But it didn't feel like that to me." Dave replied.
"How did it feel to you?" Fireball wanted to know.
"To me it felt like he kicked my arse into next week." Dave replied with a chuckle, "It was great fun."
"You consider getting your butt kicked 'fun'?" Ron asked in disbelief as Harry and Ginny looked on with similar expressions.
"In training, yes it can be." Dave replied, "While you typically learn something from every duel, you learn far more when up against an opponent who can best you, than when you are up against someone who can't." Dave explained.
"Everyone has their own idea of fun." Ivan stated with an odd look at his son, "Some are more enjoyable than others." He added with a chuckle. There were a few nods of agreement at this statement, along with some odd looks at Dave.