Chapter 41
October 23rd 1992
Hogwarts
Harry felt very proud over the following two weeks,
It felt like the secret meetings of the Archmagi were truly doing something good.
They were standing up when the adults where to incompitent to do so.
And they were really learning magic.
Since they obviously would not be learning it anywhere else.
The classes taught by Delores Umbridge and Pius Thicknesse now collectively known as the Ministry Duo were jokes.
They just spent their time reading.
And especially with Home Ed, a class the Ministry had mandated for this year, the fact that they were screwing their own class up made a lot of people laugh.
For Daphne who was actually looking forward to the new class she had quickly gained a strong dislike of Delores Umbridge.
So instead during the two classes Harry, Daphne and the rest of the Archmagi had taken to remembering satisfying memories of their most recent meetings, remembering how Layla had successfully disarmed Edmund, how Sally had mastered the Impediment Jinx after three meetings' hard effort and how Daphne had produced such a good Reductor Curse that she had reduced the table carrying all the Sneakoscopes to dust.
They tried to meet as often as possible. Edmund soon devised a very clever method of communicating the time and date of the next meeting to all the members in case they needed to change it at short notice,
He gave each of the members of the Archmagi a fake Galleon
"You see the numerals around the edge of the coins?" Edmund said, holding one up for examination at the end of their fourth meeting. The coin gleamed fat and yellow in the light from the torches. "On real Galleons that's just a serial number referring to the goblin who cast the coin. On these fake coins, though, the numbers will change to reflect the time and date of the next meeting. The coins will grow hot when the date changes, so if you're carrying them in a pocket you'll be able to feel them. We take one each, and when Harry sets the date of the next meeting he'll change the numbers on his coin, and because I've put a Protean Charm on them, they'll all change to mimic his".
"You can do a Protean Charm?" Harry asked "I'm impressed".
"Yes," said Edmund "Thank you".
"Does using those Galleons sounds like a good idea? "Harry said.
There was a murmur of assent and everybody moved forwards to collect one from Edmund.
"That was a good idea Ed" said Harry as he slipped his Galleon into his pocket and gave one to Daphne. "I suppose the only danger with these is that we might accidentally spend them."
"Well I guess we'll just have to be vigilant, "Daphne said.
SCENE CHANGE
October extinguished itself in a rush of howling winds and driving rain and November arrived, cold as frozen iron, with hard frosts every morning and icy draughts that bit at exposed hands and faces. The skies and the ceiling of the Great Hall turned a pale, pearly grey, the mountains around Hogwarts were snowcapped, and the temperature in the castle dropped so low that many students wore their thick protective dragon skin gloves in the corridors between lessons.
Before they knew it then December arrived, bringing with it more snow and a positive avalanche of homework for the fifth-years.
Sadly the Archmagi meetings would have to stop over the holidays, as nearly everybody would be spending the time with their families.
Harry was proud of their progress though.
The Archmagi by the holidays will have learned Confundus,Diminuendo,The Disarming Charm, The Full Body-Bind Curse,The General Counter-Spell,The Impediment Jinx,The Tickling Charm,Protego Duo,The Reductor Curse,The Shield Charm,The Stunning Spell and Stupefy Duo.
It was good progress.
And Harry on his own had advanced much in learning bending.
When they went to the Greengrass's for the holidays he could talk with Master Dao about how to proceed.
He gulped.
Going home.
Working more on the wedding.
That was also something to look forward to when break started.
Ha ha ha ha.
Hmm.
Arriving early in the Room of Requirement for the last meeting before the holidays Harry and Daphne started getting things ready for today's session.
A review of everything they had worked on for the past two and a half months.
Soon the door creaked open and people started to pour in all breathless and very cold.
"Okay," Harry said, calling them all to order. "I thought this evening we should just go over the things we've done so far, because it's the last meeting before the holidays and there's no point starting anything new right before a three-week break so we can practice in pairs," said Harry. "We'll start with the Impediment Jinx, for ten minutes, then we can get out the cushions and try Stunning again."
They all divided up obediently;
The room was soon full of intermittent cries of "Impedimenta!" People froze for a minute or so, during which their partner would stare aimlessly around the room watching other pairs at work, then would unfreeze and take their turn at the jinx.
Harry walked around the room and watched the others.
Daphne and Layla seemed to be pairing off a lot.
He was glad to see that.
After ten minutes on the Impediment Jinx, they laid out cushions all over the floor and started practicing Stunning again.
The Space was really too confined to allow them all to work this spell at once; half the group observed the others for a while, then swapped over.
Harry felt himself positively swelling with pride as he watched them all. True there were issues still but everybody was making enormous progress.
At the end of an hour, Harry called a halt.
"You're getting really good," he said, beaming around at them. "When we get back from the holidays we can start doing some big stuff "
There was a murmur of excitement. The room began to clear in twos and threes; most people wished Harry and Daphne a "Happy Christmas" as they went. Feeling cheerful, he collected up the cushions with Daphne, Layla and Edmund and stacked them neatly away before they all headed back to the Common Room.
SCENE CHANGE
The next day Harry and Daphne got a letter at Breakfast on the last day before the break.
"We've been scheduled to meet with Umbridge." Harry said, handing the parchment to Daphne.
She scanned the letter.
"Hmm,two o'clock"She said "I think we are supposed to bring our things as well".
Harry nodded "Interesting." He said to himself.
"What do you think she's going to say or talk about?" Daphne wondered.
"I dont have the slightest clue,"Harry said.
A few hours later they trugged to Umbridges room telling their friends that they would meet them on the train.
Walking in Harry felt very uncomfortable.
Seeing only a small sofa in the corner they walked over there.
It looked like it was going to be a tight squeeze.
Or at least it seemed that way until Daphne chose to sit on Harrys lap.
Surprised, he saw Daphne give him a grin before looking at had looked up from her papers to look at them.
What papers could she be looking at?
It wasnt as though she was actually teaching anything.
Umbridge then spoke.
"Ah, here we are.' Umbridge quipped as she opened a file, and took several sheets of parchment out and set them on a clipboard
She then looked and smiled genially at them.
"Well, why don't we get started, hmm?" Umbridge said as she flipped a few pages on her clipboard. "I dont know if you know or not but on top of my work as the Home Ed Teacher for this year I conduct the interviews for the students that will be involved in the British Family Act ''.
Harry nodded "We are aware"He said remembering Edmund talking about his own interview with Umbridge.
"Well"Umbridge said "My apologies that it has taken this long to get to you"She then looked down at the file "I'm told that you intend to marry next year".
"Yes"Daphne said "On August Fifteenth we will both be sixteen and of a legal age then to marry so we will".
"Why did you not wait for the results of your tests to come out so that you could be sure that you were placed with the best person possible?"Umbridge asked.
"I am placed with the best person possible Madame Umbridge"Daphne said "I have known Harry for pretty much all of my life and we have been dating for nearly two years now"She said "There would be no one else that I would want to marry and start a family with".
"I see." Umbridge said politely and made some notes on her clipboard. "Well, as you are fully aware, the British Family Act was created as a way to prevent the extinction of witches and wizards in England, Scotland and Ireland and looking at your grades it looks like that promises you to have strong, healthy and powerful children."
"Thank you"Harry said, not sure if that was ment as a compliment towards them or not.
Umbridge looked at Daphne "You are aware that under the terms of the law, you must conceive your first child within one year of your graduation, and a second within two years after the birth of your first with a few more years then before you will need to conceive a third dear"
"I am aware,"Daphne replied.
"It seems like the two of you have a strong and healthy relationship"Umbridge said "But do you both understand just what marriage means".
"Marriage is an unbreakable bond between a man, and a woman to trust, honor, and respect one another above all others "Daphne said "In order for a marriage to work both partners need to be a team with nothing coming between them".
Harry nodded along.
"Wonderful "Umbridge said "May I ask if there has been any physical intimacy between you yet? I know that it is a personal, and embarrassing topic, but it is important. After all, if one can't talk about it, how can we expect for you to be able to produce children when the time comes?"
"We are waiting until our wedding day Madame Umbridge "Harry said "That's the best time".
"That it is dears "Umbridge said "Do you intend to plan for that over the break".
"Yes "Daphne said "We intend to spend a lot of time planning for the wedding over break".
"Well I don't want to keep you then "Umbridge said "Just wanted to check in".
"Thank you "Harry said as they took their leave of the classroom and hurried to the Hogwarts Express.
SCENE CHANGE
Once they got off the train they meet up with Cyrus who quickly brought them back to the Greengrass Manor
Immediately after getting there it seemed like Daphne got whisked away by Adeline.
All he heard was Flowers. Jewelry. Fabric and Venue
Feeling bad for his girlfriend he was dragged off by Master Dao for an exhaustive training session.
Wow.
The next day he woke up and headed down to the kitchen for breakfast meeting a tired Daphne along the way.
"Hey I heard daddy and Master Dao are going to be doing some planning with you later "She said.
Harry groaned.
Daphne poked him "Hey watch it mister "She said "Mom's French seamstress friend is going to be here sometime today to start making my dress and I think they may be hiring a professional wedding planner as well".
"Wow, "Harry said.
They entered the kitchen to find Adeline and Cyrus standing and talking with a very tall woman with the blackest hair he had ever seen before.
Adeline turned to them "Hello Harry,Daphne this is Madame Maria Bezobrazova,She's here to help with the wedding. She does coordinating invitations and guest planning as a job in Russia" Adeline explained
Harry and Daphne looked at Maria.
"Hello," The woman said in a thick Russian accent, "It's an honor to meet you. I am here to make sure dis wedding of yours is absolutely perfect".
"Thank you,"Daphne said.
"You're quite famous in Russia then,"Harry asked.
"Indeed,"Maria replied.
"How did you get her then?"Harry asked Adeline and Cyrus.
"Master Dao knows her from their time in the Grindlewald War ''Cyrus replied.
"Yes' 'Maria said "And because of your new law here Ive decided to stay in England for two years now to help with the weddings and you're the first one".
Wow
Maria then turned to Daphne and looked at her quite thoroughly.
"Come"She said "I must speak with you a bit".
"My friend will be getting here soon"Adeline said "Cyrus, can you let me know when she arrives" before the three women went into another room.
"Uhh"Harry asked.
"Dont ask"Cyrus said "Gabrielle will be here soon"He said "She helped Adeline and me for our wedding"He said "She's tough but good".
"This is going to be a very busy break isint it? Harry said.
"Very much so,"Cyrus replied.
Author Note In this Umbridge has no reason to hold any sort of a dislike for Harry