It seemed like nothing ever happened in Greengrass Manor until one day suddenly the manager of one of Cyrils Greengrasses holdings in London died unexpectedly. Cyril saw this as a wonderful opportunity to train his daughters in the sense of business. The establishment was a house not far from Diagon Alley that allowed discreet meetings and interactions of any kind between Muggles and Wizards. It required a certain sense of delicacy, because to the Muggle eye it must not appear to be anything extraordinary and the staff must be able to keep any secret and if it were the Minister for Magic himself who was meeting his mistress (not that that had ever happened before).
So Cyril thought about his two daughters for a while and decided that Astoria was not really the one he felt comfortable giving this responsibility. Discretion had up to this point never been one of her virtues. He had high hopes that giving this chance to her sister but not to her would impress upon her the value of responsibility in a more effective way than his words had ever been able to communicate it.
„I am ashamed of you, Astoria," said he, in his most dignified manner; „I am ashamed for the extremes to which I am driven. Never have I thought I would treat my beloved daughters differently and yet I don't see that I have a chance. I sincerely hope that the next time an opportunity like this comes along, you are ready."
Astoria listened with some level of shame and some sorrow, but then escaped as quickly as possible and was soon able with a cheerful form of selfish introspection to conclude that her father had made this a very dreadful business. There was really no need. She was perfeclty fine with Daphne being the first. That meant that the next time an opportunity like this came around she would have her sisters expertise supporting her and another opportunity would surely come around soon enough.
The plan was quickly set in motion and since there was no way that Mr. Cyrus Greengrass could spare the time to introduce his daughter to the world of business, a business executive by the name of Grant was hired who would soon enough teach Daphne everything she needed to know, while at the same time reporting back to Cyrus how she was handling herself.
The time had now come when Cyrus expected his sister–in–law to take a bigger role in the education of Harry. Harry was off age and his aunt Emely would be just the right person to help him find employment and learn to stand on his own feet. This came at a point in time when his own financial circumstances were less fortunate than they had been. One of his businesses was importing rare potions and wand ingredients from North America, but the MACUSA (Magical Congress of the United States of America) had recently decided to put some of the creatures under protection, which almost ran that business into the ground. He discussed the matter with his wife and on one of the following evenings Celia mentioned the subject to Harry: „So, Harry, you are going to leave us and live with my sister. How shall you like it?"
Harry was by far too surprised to do more than echo his aunt's words, his voice trembling, „going to leave you?"
„Yes, my dear; why would this be surprising? You have been with us for six years and it was always the plan that we sisters share the task of bringing you up. But you know that aunt Emely walks over to our manor almost every day, so you will be here almost as often as you are now."
The news was as unwelcome to Harry as it had been unexpected. He had never received any form of kindness from his aunt Emely and had no feelings of love for her.
„How shall I like it?" he asked, „I shall be very sorry to leave" said she, his voice starting to fail him.
„Yes, I believe you will; my dear child, you feel it most keenly, which is natural enough. I suppose you have had as little to annoy you since you came into this house as any creature in the world."
„I hope I am not ungrateful, aunt," said Harry shyly.
„No, my dear; I hope not. I have always found you a very good boy."
„And am I never to live here again?"
„Never, my dear; but you will remain in a comfortable home where people love you. It can make very little difference to you, whether you are staying with us or my sister."
Harry left the room with a very cast down and worried; he did think of the difference as being so very small, he could not think of living with his aunt Emely with anything like pleasure. As soon as he met with Daphne he told her of his distress.
„Daphne," said he, „something is going to happen which I do not like at all; and though you have often persuaded me into coming to terms with things that I disliked at first, you will not be able to do so now. I am going to live with aunt Emely until I can support myself."
„Indeed!"
„Yes; aunt Celia has just told me so. It is apparently quite settled. I am to leave Greengrass Manor, and go to Greengrass Cottage, I suppose, as soon as aunt Emely can make room for me."
„Well, Harry, and if you were not against the plan, I would call it an excellent one."
„Oh, Daphne!"
„It has everything else in its favour. Aunt Emely is acting like a sensible woman in wishing for you. Who would not want you around as company. She has the time and the connections to help you find work that you enjoy and become independent. Can you see how sensible these steps are for your future? I hope it does not distress you too much, Harry?"
„It does: I cannot warm up to it. I love this house and everything in it: I will love nothing there. You know how uncomfortable I feel around her."
„I will not even start to defend the way she treated you as a child; but it was the same with us all, or almost at least. She never knew how to be around children. But you are now old enough to be treated better; I think she is behaving better already; and when you are meant to be her only company, you must be important to her."
„I can never be important to anyone."
„What is stopping you?"
„Everything. My situation, my lack of education and my awkwardness."
„As to your lack of education and your awkwardness, my dear Harry, believe me, you've never had a shadow of either, you are creating an unbeatable standard for everyone if you call yourself lacking education. There is no reason in the world why you should not be important where you are known. You are sensible, and polite, and I am sure you have a grateful heart, that could never receive kindness without wishing to return it. I do not know any better qualifications for a friend and companion."
„You are too nice to me," said Harry, colouring as he heard compliments like that; „how shall I ever thank you? You have taken such good care of me. Oh! Daphne, if I have to leave here, I will remember your goodness to the last moment of my life."
„Why, indeed, Harry, I would hope to be remembered at such a distance as Greengrass Cottage. You speak as if you were going to France instead of only across the park; but you will belong here almost as much as ever. Aunt Emely is here every day of the year anyways and so will you be. The only difference will be that you will become more independent. Here there are so many behind whose backs you can hide, but with her you will be forced to interact and that will be a good thing for you. I wish people would listen to you more and ask you more questions."
„Oh! I don't think so!"
„I do think so and therefore I must say it, and I say it with conviction. Aunt Emely is much better fitted than my mother to help and guide you now. She is of a much more active temperament and can do a great deal for anybody she really interests herself about, and she will force you to finally live up to your potential."
Harry sighed, and said, „I cannot see things as you do; but I believe you to be right rather than myself, and I am very grateful to you for trying to reconcile me to what must be. If I could only believe that aunt Emely really cares for me, I would be the happiest person in the world knowing that I mattered to anybody. Here at Greengrass Manor I am of no consequence to anybody, but I have learned to love the place so much!"
„But the place, Harry, will still be yours even though you leave the house. You will still be free to walk in the park and gardens as always. I see that your attachment to this place comes from true affection and is part of your loyal and constant character. But even your heart does not need to fear the change, because it is truly just in name. You will take the same walks, have the same library to choose from, the same people to look at, the same broom to ride."
„Very true. Yes, dear old Nimbus! Ah! Daphne, when I remember how much I used to dread flying, what terrors it gave me to hear everybody talking about it as likely to do me good, and then think of the troubles it took you to reason and persuade me out of my fears, and convince me that I would like it after a little while, and how right you proved to be! My first school year proved it right away. That I should be selected to play Quidditch! I hope you will always prove to be such a prophet."
„And what a horror that proved to be for poor Slytherin House," laughed Daphne, „as long as you were on the team we did not win a single game against Gryffindor." He spoke softer now: „Listen: I am quite convinced that your being with Mrs. Fernsby will be as good for your mind as riding a broom has been for your health and for your happiness."
On that note they ended their conversation which in Harry's opinion turned out to be a complete waste of time, because aunt Emely had not the smallest intention of taking her. It had never occurred to her as something to be attempted, but only as a thing to be carefully avoided. To prevent anyone from expecting it, she had refused to leave Greengrass cottage, that was accidentally the smalles property the Greengrass family owned on their land. It was only just large enough to receive herself and her elf, and allow a spare room for a friend, of which she made a very particular point. The spare rooms had so far never been wanted, but the absolute necessity of a spare room for a friend was never forgotten. All her precautions in the end only led to this: Cyril and Celia Greengras thought that perhaps, her constant discussion of the importance of a spare room might be the indication of a change of mood on Emely's side. Celia soon observed this to her sister:
„I think, we might do some redecorating when Harry goes to live with you."
Emely almost started. „Live with me, Celia! what do you mean?"
„Is he not going to live with you? I thought you had it all settled with Cyril."
„Me? Never! I have never spoken a word about it to Cyril, nor he to me. Harry live with me! That ist the last thing in the world that I would ever think of, and should be for anybody that really knows us both. Good heaven! What would I do with Harry? Me, a poor, helpless, widow without any means. I am in no posistion to take care of anyone! I am too weary most of the time. You don't know what it asks of me, ot put on a façade of cheerfullness anytime I am here. And what would I do with a boy of that age? All the hormones still raging, just the age when he will need the most attention and help. All of that would put the most cheerful spirit to the test! Surely Cyril could not seriously expect such a thing! You two are too keen on my well-being. Nobody that wishes me well, I am sure, would seriously carry through with such a plan. How was it that Cyril came to speak to you about it?"
„You know, I honestly don't remember! I suppose he thought it was the best for everybody involved."
„But what did he say? He could not say he wished me to take Harry. I am sure in he could not possibly want me to do it."
„No; he only said he thought it very likely that you would want to now; and I thought so too. We both thought it would be the best arrangement for you both. But if you do not like it, there is no more to be said. Harry is not in the way here."
„Celia, if you think about my situation, how can he be of any help to me? Here I am, a poor widow, deprived of more than just a few good years with my husband, my nerves ruined in the years he was resisting the Dark Lord and trying too hard to make a statement, when he spent nights at his desk running numbers and I brought him something to eat and did not get any sleep myself. Then the Dark Lord is finally defeated and instead of being restored to former status, being compensated for my husbands sacrifice, I get nothing." She was getting more and more agitated and her voice sounded almost shrill at this point. „All my peace in this world destroyed, all my money gone with hardly enough to support me in my position, thrown at the mercy of my family and hardly able to live in a way that does not put the memory of our family to shame! What possible comfort could I get from taking in Harry at this point If I wanted it for myself, I would not do such a disservice to the poor boy. He is in good hands, and is doing well. He is such a credit to you, my dear Celia! I must struggle through my sorrows and difficulties alone as best as I can."
There was nothing to be said after a speech like that. So all Celia said was: „Then you won't mind living by yourself all alone?"
„Celia, I am not a person to complain. I know that I will not live the way I am used to, the way we grew up, but I have learned to economize and be a good manager of the little that I have left. I am not ashamed of my situation, but I would be if I did not practise economy now. I must live within my income, or I will not be able to face myself in the mirror. Our families reputation will not suffer from this. I have to confess it would make me very happy if I were able to do more, to lay a little money aside for bad days or to pass on to my nieces or my nephew."
„I believe you would. You've always been concerned with the well-being of others, haven't you?"
„My biggest goal in life, Celia, is to be helpful and leave the ones that come after us in a better position than myself. It is for your children's good that I am trying to economize. I have nobody else to care for, and nothing would make me happier than leaving them a little money when I am no longer around. In the meanwhile I am trying to leave them with as much of my wisdom as I can possibly give them."
„You are just too good a person, but please do not worry about our children. They are well provided for. Cyrus is making sure of that."
„Well, you know, Cyrus talked about the North America business struggling and I wonder what an impact that is going to have on your overall finances."
„Oh! That will soon be settled. I am sure of it. Cyrus has been writing messages to North America on a daily basis."
„Well, Celia," said Emely, moving to go, „I can only say that my only desire is to be of use to your family: and so, if Cyrus should ever bring the subject of me taking Harry up again, you can tell him that my health and spirits make it quite impossible; also I really don't have a bed to give her, because I must keep a spare room in case a friend comes by."
Celia repeated enough of this conversation to her husband to convince him of how much he had mistaken his sister-in-law's opinions; and so Emely was from that moment perfectly safe from all expectations, or the slightest allusion to expectations from Cyrus side. All he was left with was to wonder at her outright refusal to do anything for a nephew that she had been outspoken in taking responsibility for while at the same time being the first to defend the value of familiy in front of anyone. But as Emely took great care to make him and Celia understand that whatever she possessed was one day ment for their family, Cyrus soon reconciled himself with the idea of being the sole benefactore for Harry and learned to take quite a lot of pride in that matter.
Harry found out soon enough how unnecessary his fears of move had been; and his spontaneous, unstudied happiness on the discovery, gave some consolation to Daphne who was a little disappointed at first because she had truly expected this to be a great and important step for Harry's independance. Aunt Emely retreated to Greengrass Cottage and everything at Greengrass Manor went back to it's usual routines for a while.
Mr. Grant turned out to be a friendly and sociable man, that was a great joy to have around the house even when no business was to be talked about. He had his faults, of course, and aunt Emely, observant as she was, soon found them out. Mr. Grant was very fond of eating, and would have a good dinner every day. Considering the ammounts he consumed it was a surprise that he did not look it in terms of his figure, but he had a red face that grew even redder when he was agitated. He payed a personal cook and did not use an elf as most people would have done in his case and gave him quite high wages. Aunt Emely could not speak of him without making at least a small reference to the quantity of butter and eggs that were regularly consumed Mr. Grants the house. „Nobody loved good food and hospitality more than herself; but how anybody who spent this much time on his food could get anything done and this much money on it and still not lack anything else was something that she could not understand. His store-room next to the kitchen would surely be large enough to house a person, she was sure. And she would soon find out how much the gentleman made to support such a wasteful habbit."
Celia listened without much interest to this sort of thought. She could not enter into the world of economy and was much more interested to know if there was a Mrs. Grant and if not if he might be interested in finding one, maybe one that was as frugal as her sister.
All of this was discussed only shortly before it turned out that it would be necessary for Cyrus to travel to North America to sort out his business affairs there in person. He took Astoria with him to give her the oportunity to learn about business as well. They left England with the prospect of being away for a couple of months.
The necessity of taking care of his finances and the hope finally teaching Astoria some kind of sense, reconciled Cyrus to the idea of leaving behind the rest of his family, and of leaving his other daughter to the direction of Mr. Grant at this crucial and most interesting time of her life. He did not believe him to quite substitute him in all question, but was finally able to leave without too many fears.
Celia did not at all like to have her husband leave her; but she was not worried about him and felt that there were enough people around her to provide company during his absence.
The only person to be pittied was maybe Astoria, because her father was no object of love to her; he had liked her pleasures, and to have to travel with him was an idea of horror for her. Harry's relief, was quite equal to Daphnes; but his humble nature suggested that his feelings were ungrateful, and he was very upset for a while because he seemed unable to be upset. „Cyrus, who had done so much for him, and who was gone perhaps never to return! that he should see him go without grieving! it was really shameful." He had said to him, moreover, on the very last morning before he left, that he hoped he might see Hermione again in the course of the ensuing winter, and gave him directions to write to him and invite him to Greengrass Manor as soon as possible. „That was so thoughtful and kind!" and would he only have smiled, and called him „my dear boy," while he said it, every former frown or cold word might have been forgotten. But he had ended his speech in a way to sink Harry in sad mortification, by adding, „If Hermione does come to Mansfield, I hope you may be able to convince her that the many months which have passed since you last saw her have not been spent on your side entirely without improvement; though, I fear, he must find you pretty much unchanged since you left school." Harry went to his room and cried bitterly over this reflection when his uncle was gone.