A/N. Twas the night before Christmas... I forget the rest. All I know is that I'm awake delivering you all a Christmas present. Am I an elf? Who knows. But what I do know is this. I have a lot of reader's from a lot of different countries, and we all celebrate different things during the holiday season. I'm an atheist, so for me the holiday is about celebrating family and coming together to celebrate the year. We like to keep it fairly simple with a bbq by the pool, having done most of our preparation today. If it get's too hot (like we expect it to be tomorrow), we move the celebrations inside and chill out. So no matter what you celebrate, I wish you all a very happy and safe holidays.
Chapter 9- Sorry but- I'm a what?
The sunrise over Potter Manor truly was a beautiful sight. The land seemed to simply come alive as the early morning rays washed over the delicate dew of the night. Harry turned in his sleep, being gently awoken by the rays that began to light his room. Ditching any attempt to continue his blissful sleep, Harry yawned before sitting up and admiring the view of the lake outside rippling gently, looking like a sheet of living crystal in the early morning. Giving a final stretch, Harry hopped out of bed and went to investigate his ensuite. Fresh towels had already been laid out, as well as an assortment of potions and lotions to clean with. Harry decided to begin by cleaning his teeth in the large marble vanity. While there were charms that could be used to quickly clean teeth, using a brush and toothpaste were always the most effective. Magical toothpaste was different from Muggle toothpaste in that it actually did all the things that it claimed- something that Harry sorely needed. While he had tried to maintain as much hygiene as possible while living with the Dursley's, it was hard to wash one's teeth with only a finger and a pea-sized amount of the cheapest toothpaste available. Thankfully Harry had no lasting damage, but his teeth could certainly use a deep clean.
Once Harry was happy with how his teeth gleamed, he grabbed an assortment of potions and headed for the large shower. As he turned on the rainwater shower head, he knew that this was a morning ritual that he would never see as a chore. The hot water was heavenly; the perfect temperature and the perfect pressure. Harry decided to wash his hair first, as he was in desperate need of a deep conditioning. Harry breathed deeply as the scent of green tea from his shampoo potion permeated the air- it was definitely a scent that he would purchase again. Leaving the matching conditioner to sit in his hair a bit, Harry began work on his body. As he began working his way down his now very scrawny chest, he winced in pain as he touched a spot under his ribs too hard. As he looked down, he was greeted by a large swollen bruise- a final parting gift from Dudley it seemed. Harry had no doubt that there were many more bruises on his body; he would have to see if Hermione had anything that would help heal them faster. He knew it would break her heart to see them, but he would rather that she didn't think he was trying to hide them from her.
Rinsing off his hair and body, Harry left the shower and towelled himself down a bit before casting a drying charm on his hair. For once his hair actually looked good and maintained. He considered it for a moment before using his wand to change the length a bit- more like how it looked when he was hunting for the Horcruxes, and less like the bowl that his aunt had used when she attempted to cut his hair. With that done, Harry began the last step in what would be his daily routine- applying his new Scar-Be-Gone potion. Years of abuse had left him with many physical scars. Thankfully, if he applied the potion every day, all of the scars would clear up in the next six week. The only thing that the potion didn't work on was curse scars; something he was glad that Hermione didn't have to deal with anymore. Harry dressed in a pair of casual jeans and a black t-shirt before heading towards the casual kitchen and dining area on the same floor, hoping to whip up a surprise for his new family.
Down the corridor, Hermione was beginning her day much the same as Harry was. Before she showered though, she practised some of her yoga stances, working on centering her core. Her balance was a bit off as she grew used to her younger body, but overall it was fairly effective. Her head felt clearer, and she could feel her magic pulse. Orthello had popped in before her meditation to explain to her that she would be able to use magic within the Manor, telling her how Harry had levitated her to bed. Hermione also decided it would be best not to use her Ollivander's wand, for the same reason as Harry. And so, using her Ravenclaw wand she transfigured her pyjamas back into the clothes they originally were. She marvelled at how well the founder's wand interacted with her magic. The transfiguration was effortless, even with her still-developing core.
Hermione then showered, using some of the new potions that she had gotten to help tame her hair. She was amazed at how easy they were to use; they simply replaced the original shampoo and conditioning potions that she usually used. Once she was out of the shower, she then sprayed her still wet hair with a final potion, before using a drying charm on the usually deranged hair. The end result nearly made her cry for joy. Her hair looked just as groomed and manageable as it did for the Yule Ball- but with nowhere near the amount of time and effort. And the potions she used had a semi-permanent effect as well- the more she used them, the longer her hair would stay as it was. As is, the current effects would last a week before she would need to reapply them, even if she was washing her hair with her regular potions in that time.
Feeling refreshed, Hermione put on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt before checking her Manor Map to see where everyone was. It looked like her dad was still asleep, and her mum was in the shower. She saw Harry's name in the kitchen and decided that she should try to help him with whatever he was cooking.
As she approached the kitchen she began to smell an array of wonderful smells- Harry must have really been cooking up an assortment of food! She could smell the sizzling bacon, sauteed onions, and vanilla. What made her heart sore though was what she heard- Harry was singing Bohemian Rhapsody to himself, and doing remarkably well. Hermione had introduced Harry to the music of Queen during their fifth year when she had managed to find a record that would work on one of the record players that the Room of Requirement could supply them. Harry had loved it, as it was so different from the prim and proper music that the Durley's listened to; they had believed that Rock music was an invention of Wizards after Sirius had sent Lily a Howler when she was home from Hogwarts. The contents of the Howler were simply the Marauders belting out We Are The Champions, yet Petunia had believed that it proved that rock and roll were apart of the evil magic community.
Harry had tuned out the world around him as he cooked; there was bacon and eggs, onions, sausages and beans. He was also trying his hand at waffles- something he had only cooked a few times for the Dursley's. While he hated that he was basically a slave to the Dursely's, cooking was one of the things he genuinely enjoyed doing. Just not for them. During the hunt, he could be found most mornings cooking with Kreacher before Ron woke up. The one time that Ron saw Harry cooking, he threw a fit, saying that he was wasting his time doing Kreacher and Hermione's job. Despite knowing that with all her finesse in potions, Hermione couldn't cook to feed a pig.
Hermione could see that Harry was in a world of his own. Rather than distract him, she sat down at the small dining table and observed the room. The kitchen was state of the art- it was obvious that some member of Harry's family loved to cook. She saw that every once in awhile Harry would look for an ingredient, and if he couldn't find it he would call out to Cookie, the Manor's chef elf. Cookie would appear, take note of what ingredient Harry needed and then return with it, but nothing more. Cookie must have been well conditioned to allowing her Master's to cook, otherwise Harry would have been having arguments with her like he did with Kreacher. It took a long time for Kreacher to stop screaming every time Harry began cooking, believing that he must be failing as an elf if his Master felt the need to cook for himself. It was a good thing that Ron was a deep sleeper and that the silencing charms they tended to put up around the kitchen held up.
She found it fascinating to watch Harry cook. He took such care in preparing his ingredients, making sure that things were at the proper temperature. Just as she did with Potions. And yet, cooking escaped her skills. She tried and tried, yet things were always off. Sure she could cook well enough to sustain herself, but that was about it. Harry looked like he was just about done cooking, as he moved to start preparing tea to go with the food. Hermione could see completed platters of food on the kitchen bench, so she began to move them to the middle of the set table. Harry still hasn't seen her, which made her smile. It was great to see Harry drop his guard and be so carefree. He had gotten so paranoid during the hunt that he was unconsciously detecting people's magic in the area. It made him constantly twitchy and prone to outbursts of irritation. And with a lack of meditations, he wasn't able to centre himself and release the pent up energy he had accumulated.
Harry was just finishing preparing the tea when Dan and Jean walked into the kitchen. Dan's eye's bulged at the breakfast feast that was laid out on the table. "Gee Harry, your elves really do know how to put together a big breakfast," Dan exclaimed, salivating at the thought of tucking into the hearty meal.
Hermione giggled at a combination of her father's reaction and Harry finally realising that she was sitting at the dining table. "While I have to agree Dad that Harry has wonderful elves, they didn't make any of the food. That was all Harry," Hermione said, taking pride in the look of appreciation that her parents gave Harry. Harry looked a bit flustered at the praise, not used to being thanked for doing a chore.
Harry levitated the bulging teapot and teacups to the dining table, letting everyone serve their own cup; it was such a personal preference after all. Hermione liked hers with lemon and honey, while Jean liked hers with a little bit of milk. Dan drank his straight, while Harry liked a teaspoon of sugar.
While enjoying her tea and the spread of food in front of her, Hermione admired the simple room. She could see why the Potter's preferred to use this room over a separate dining room; there was a certain homeliness and casual atmosphere that the room had that would be very hard to replicate without a kitchen.
The southern and western walls were entirely glass, giving an unobstructed view of a section of the Potter grounds. Hermione could see what looked like stable's, as well as what appeared to be a small Quidditch pitch in the distance. Hermione was not at all surprised by its presence. The Potter's were inherently Quidditch mad it seemed. The cooking section of the room was made up of a large marble kitchen bench and cabinets along the northern wall, with a kitchen island running parallel to it. Equipt with bar stools, it would make a wonderful spot for a bit of quick breakfast like toast or cereal, or to simply chat with whoever was cooking. The eastern wall was a large walk-in pantry. Hermione had seen an assortment of herbs and spices as she walked past it, and could see a large charmed area at the back of it for refrigerated items. The beech wood table that they sat at was located on the south-west corner of the room, with space to seat eight people, though it could easily be extended. The room was painted in shades of a light grey-blue, giving the room a slight beachy feel without any of the tacky ornaments.
As the group began to finish up their meal, the group began planning out their day. Jean and Dan were going back to their house to gather some things with the help of a Potter elf, before visiting a real estate agent to sell their dental practice and put the house up for rent. It was decided that it would be safest for the pair to live at Potter Manor until Voldemort was dealt with. Besides, in the old timeline, they had already been planning on retiring soon. While they loved their work, it was time for a change. Jean explained how she wanted to take up gardening, and Dan wanted to try his hand at woodworking. Pastimes that would keep them busy and content at Potter Manor. Hermione explained how she and Harry were going to sit in the Library for awhile and properly debrief on the events of their old timeline. Both were curious to see what they could potentially change this time around if they took the right steps.
Cookie popped in and began clearing away the plates before Harry could tell her otherwise, humming increasingly louder to herself to help drown out her master's protests. Harry sighed good-naturedly when he finally gave up. While he was more than happy to deal with the dishes himself, he saw the genuine joy on Cookie's face as she was allowed to help in any way she could. He would have to get used to letting the elves have their way it seemed. With a farewell for the day, the group split up and went their separate ways. Dan and Emma went to the Floo room to be Disapparated by an elf, while Hermione and Harry walked towards the Library.
Harry could see that Hermione was already deep in thought as they approached the room. To his surprise, she successfully walked past all the books before stopping at a desk, grabbing parchment, ink and a quill before continuing on to a cluster of reading chairs with a small coffee table. On the top of the parchment she immediately wrote "Basic Timeline", before sitting back and looking at Harry.
"Harry before we start this, I figured it might be best to talk about what happened a few days ago before it begins to eat at us too much. And by that I mean talk about how we ended up in this situation in the first place; Our deaths. Because ultimately, that's what we need to prevent first. And I don't know about you, but I can vividly remember how I died, and it haunts me. Even more than being tortured by Bellatrix. I can only imagine what it must've been like for you, " Hermione said with a sad look in her eye's.
Harry sighed with relief. "Honestly, I'm glad you bought it up Hermione. I was going to ask you about it, but was worried about how you might react. Do you want me to go first?" At Hermione's nod, Harry continued on. " The whole time we were at Hogwarts I felt fuzzy and not in full control of myself. It must have been the potions that Ron was giving us. My scar was burning the whole time, and there are some things that are just so blurry that I don't even remember them. Like, I remember key things, but not how I got to them? I remember watching Snape's memories and hearing Dumbledore saying that I had to die because of the Horcrux in me. I remember learning that Snape wasn't a bad guy, that he was a pawn of Dumbledore for all those years. I was confused when I realised that I was alone, that for some reason you and Ron weren't watching the memories with me. When Voldemort called for me to come to the Forest, I just… started moving. I remember opening the snitch and finding the Resurrection Stone. The last Deathly Hallow. The snitch opened because I knew I was going to die in case you were wondering. I used the Stone. My parents were there, as well as all the others. Sirius, Remus, Tonks, Fred… even Snape was there, hovering in the background. They gave me the strength to do what I knew I had to do. In the end, my death was quick. Don't get me wrong, it hurt like a bitch, but it was quick at least. And then I ended up in Valhalla with Gabriel." Harry concluded, taking a deep breath as he felt the weight begin to lift off of his shoulders.
Hermione had tears in her eyes as she heard Harry calmly talk about his death. At some point in his story, she had taken his hands into her own. She gave his hands a gentle squeeze in support. "Oh Harry. We will make sure that that will never happen again." Harry gave her a small smile, before nodding in her direction. It was her turn.
Taking a deep breath, Hermione started shortly after she last saw Harry. "I was also feeling the effects of the potions so I know exactly what you were talking about. Everything was hazy, and I found myself agreeing with nearly everything that Ron said. When you went to view the memories, Ron dragged me to go and check on his family. They were grieving for Fred. Ginny pulled me out of the room and started shouting at me. At this point I was feeling so drained and drugged by the potions, I don't even recall what she was saying. I think she was trying to blame me for the death of Fred, something about not being smart enough to fix all this before it started? Next thing I know, she has me locked in a broom closet. I don't know how long I was in there, but I heard Voldemort's message about how he had killed you. I wanted to cry but I couldn't. Ginny had put me in a full body bind spell, and with the state of my body, I couldn't gather enough magic to free myself. Shortly after Voldemort's victory speech, the fighting began again. But this time it was different. The death eaters were clearly winning, and the Light had lost all of its hope. Honestly, I'm glad that no one found me. It terrifies me to imagine what would have happened to me if I had been found by a death eater. As the fighting progressed, I could feel the castle around me. It was falling apart. In the end, the ceiling above me collapsed. I must have been hit right in the head because the next thing I know I'm being talked to by an awkward angel in a trench coat. I've had to sleep with a light on the past few nights. The darkness just takes me right back to that closet, " Hermione shivered at the thought.
It was Harry's turn to comfort Hermione. He kneeled down in front of her chair, pulling her into his arms. Hermione gave a quiet sob in his arms, embracing him tightly. They stayed like that on the floor for some time, before their breathing returned to could faintly sense Hermione's emotions in his mind, as gentle as a breeze. It took him a moment to realise that it wasn't his own emotions, but hers. After a few minutes they parted, returning to their chairs. Hermione gave one final sniffle, before turning to the task at hand.
The pair drew out a basic timeline of what happened over their years at Hogwarts. The Philosopher's Stone, the Chamber of Secrets... All of the major things that defined each year. They needed to have a basic scope of the situation before they began looking at each year in more detail- would changing something one way negatively impact something in the future? For example, if they captured Peter Pettigrew as soon as they got to Hogwarts, would it lead to the release of Sirius, or would it lead to the early return of Voldemort if Pettigrew escaped somehow? And they had to take into consideration the butterfly effect. How would their actions, even small ones, change the future?
With a basic timeline established, the pair began to look at everything that happened first year, from Harry's first visit to Diagon Alley to his return to the Durley's. The first issue was the Philosopher's Stone stored at Gringotts. Because of Gabriel's meddling, Hagrid would still be at Diagon Alley that day to collect the stone and take it back to Hogwarts. Harry and Hermione considered warning the Goblins about the potential robbery, but decided against it. Even in a symbiotic relationship with Professor Quirrell, Voldemort was dangerous. And the only thing that would destroy him in that form was a touch from Harry. With a start, Harry realised that this wouldn't be difficult to do at all. All he needed was his invisibility cloak and the Marauder's Map. Then, he simply needed to find Quirrell and touch him. It was literally foolproof, because it could be done at any time. Even in the presence of other people. He knew that he would get the cloak for Christmas, so all that left was retrieving the map from Fred and George. He had always liked the twins, and was certain that they had no idea that their brother and sister had been drugging Harry and Hermione. With some luck, they would be able to rekindle that friendship this time around.
The next issue was the troll. In case Harry couldn't touch Quirrell before it happened, they were going to have to deal with the troll in the dungeons again. They were stumped on this- Hermione wouldn't be in the same situation again, so there was no need for Harry to go and rescue her from the troll. But if they let the teacher's deal with it, who knew what the outcome would be? For now, Hermione put a question mark next to it, and would come back to it later.
Both Harry and Hermione were concerned about the measures that were put in place to protect the Philosopher's stone. Thinking back on them, they realised how simple they were. Simple enough for a group of first year's to solve. It was obvious that Dumbledore had done this on purpose. But why? Was it a test for Harry and his friends?
As they began to work through events, Hermione began tapping her fingers. There was something that she wanted to fix, but she wasn't sure how to go about it. And for some reason her thoughts were fixated on it, almost as though she was being mentally pushed to solve the issue… sighing, she simply wrote one word on the paper. Neville.
Harry frowned at the name for a moment. Neville was plaguing him as well. Neville had always been a true friend to Harry, and if it hadn't been for the loyalty charms and potions that he had been plied with, would have been his best mate. They were god-brothers after all. Harry had seen how Neville's confidence had dramatically increased after his training with the DA. During the Battle for Hogwarts, Neville had an air of confidence and leadership that Harry had never seen from the young man. What would Harry and Hermione have to do to make sure that Neville could be this confident young man again, and sooner rather than later?
The pair must have been thinking about the issue quite hard, for neither realised the sheet of paper that had appeared on their table for some time. When they did finally notice it, it was obvious that the Fates were paying attention. The note was from Gabriel, and stated how he was dealing with a new death from the previous timeline. And low and behold, it was Neville. In a fit of Gryffindor bravery and stupidity, Neville had attempted to kill Voldemort himself. Apparently his grandmother had just been killed in front of him, and he simply snapped. Gabriel explained how the Fates looked at the Tapestry of Life again, and could see a strong thread connecting Harry and Neville. And so, the Laws of Nature were allowed to be broken once more, sending Neville and his grandmother back to the current time with their memories intact. Gabriel explained that it was the last time something like this could happen, as the old timeline began to implode under the small changes that Harry and Hermione were already making.
While they were sad to hear that Neville and Augusta had died, they were glad that the pair would now have their memories of the old timeline. Neville would hopefully retain his confidence, and Augusta would be a powerful ally to have in the Wizengamot. She was well respected by many of the old families, regardless of their magical affinity for light or dark. As they began to work out how to work out how to contact the Longbottom's, Orthello popped in to let that pair know that they had a Floo call waiting for them.
Hermione realised that it was most likely the Longbottom's, as Augusta would have known about the location of Potter Manor. That and Gabriel probably told the pair how to get into contact. Low and behold, it was Neville's face that Harry and Hermione were greeted by. Hermione opened the Floo connection to allow Neville and Augusta to travel through to the Manor.
As they arrived through the fireplace, Neville quickly walked over to Harry and Hermione and gave them both a friendly bear hug. "Blimey guys, it's great to see you both alive again. I thought it was all over when Hagrid carried Harry's body to the castle. And when we couldn't find you Hermione, we assumed the worst. Gabriel caught us up on everything that's been happening over the last few years that lead to the future. We are going to do everything we can to stop it right?" At the nods of his two friends, Neville stood tall, ready for anything. Neville had become a battle-hardened warrior over the last year. He would do anything to protect his future. Magic's future.
Harry felt a slight humming coming from his crown, but it wasn't enough to distract him from the matter at hand. Looking behind Neville, Harry was greeted with his first sight of Dowager Lady Augusta Longbottom. Harry had never had the honour of meeting her in his original timeline, and so he wanted to make a good impression. He walked over to her and extended his hand. " Dowager Lady Longbottom, it is my honour to welcome you and your heir to Potter Manor," Harry said as confidently as he could, kissing the back of her hand. Harry was surprised when he was instead pulled into a bone-crushing hug by the older woman.
"Oh dear boy, none of that aristocratic nonsense. Save it for the Wizengamot. I will not have my grand godson treating me like a pompous arse. Especially when I heard the juiciest secret from that feathered friend of yours." Augusta said, pulling back and beaming at Harry and Hermione. "I never thought we would see the royal lineage of the Founder's ever again, and now we have two! With a Soul Bond no less! And my my Harry, two House's? You have no idea how giddy it makes me!"
As Augusta talked more and more about the Founder's, the buzzing atop of Harry's head became more insistent. Harry could see that Hermione was feeling the same thing. As the buzzing seemed to reach its peak, a single word echoed in both of their minds. 'Heir. Heir. Heir.' Harry and Hermione both looked at each other, before looking at Neville. The echoing got louder and more insistent. 'HEIR. HEIR. HEIR.'
Hermione moved first, going straight to the Floo. At Neville and Augusta's looks of surprise, Harry simply told them to wait and see. Hermione was soon greeted with the face of Ragnuk. "Ragnuk, I apologise for calling so urgently, but we require the bank's services again. I think we have another heir situation on our hands here."
Ragnuk's eyes bulged, and without a word he hurried off to collect Gringott. Within moments the pair stepped through the fireplace, with the same tools used when testing Harry and Hermione's heritage.
"Harry mate, what's going on?" Neville said, bewildered at the events rapidly unfolding in front of him. And was that the legendary director of the bank himself?
"We will know soon enough Neville. Best to see what happens first before we tell you. Don't want to get your hopes up, just in case," Harry said, hoping that Neville would humour them for a moment.
Neville had heard about inheritance tests, yet had never witnessed one. Blood was something that the Longbottoms never really put much stock in, and so no one was ever really tested. He was confused as to why his friends wanted him to take one, but went along with it.
Neville pricked his finger and let a drop of blood hit the parchment. It was fascinating to see the drop of blood form a perfect sphere before spreading out and forming the same rune that appeared on all blood tests. The rune shined before disappearing, being replaced with text written in his own blood. What Neville read though made his blood run cold.
Crown Prince Neville Frank Longbottom
Heir to the Ancient and Most Noble House of Longbottom,
Heir to the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Hufflepuff,
Heir to the Throne of Hogwarts.
As Magic says, so mote it be.
"I… What?" Neville managed to stammer out after looking at the paper for a minute. Hermione looked over his shoulder to see the result. Reading what she suspected, she simply gave a hum of approval. "How… How can I be good enough to be an heir to the Throne of Hogwarts? You two I understand. But me? I'm just Neville, the kid with his potions master as his Bogart. The kid that messes everything up," Neville continued, oblivious to the excitement going on around him. While Neville already wore the ring of House Longbottom, he still needed to be accepted by the ring of House Hufflepuff. Gringott was rapidly summoning the ring, as well as details pertaining to Neville's potential new vault at Gringotts.
Harry put a hand on Neville's shoulder, trying to calm him down. "I know it's a lot all at once Nev, but you should feel the energy that's coming from the Crown's of Hogwarts. It really wants to test you. And I think it will have no problem accepting you." Harry's words seemed to calm Neville a little bit. Not a lot, but enough to stop the boy from bouncing on his feet from nerves.
Gringott stepped forward and indicated that Neville make his vows to the Ring of Hufflepuff. If all went well, it would accept him.
Neville steeled himself, calling forth his most commanding voice. "I, Neville Frank Longbottom, do solemnly swear to uphold the values and magic of the House Hufflepuff, for as long as I live. I swear to leave a legacy that future generations will benefit from, and bring honour to my House. So I say, so mote it be."
The ring instantly glowed, indicating that it had accepted Neville as it's Lord. "Huh. So I guess that makes me Lord Hufflepuff when I come of age right?" Neville asked. While he knew that it was true, he just needed to voice the thought to make it feel more real. Less like the fairytale he seemed to be living in.
Harry unveiled the Crown of Hogwarts on his head, giving Neville and Augusta their first look at the ancient piece. Neville felt drawn to the object. Just as he was about to lift his hand and touch the artefact, he felt a wash of energy surround him. Neville had never felt a power as strong as this, even in the presence of a full powered Voldemort. Just as quickly as it came it settled, but never left. Neville could feel it in his core as a Crown of Hogwarts materialised on his head. It was a foreign sensation, but was far from uncomfortable. It was though the Crown had always belonged there, and was simply returning home. Neville looked around and saw that the Goblins, as well as his grandmother were bowing deeply towards him. Harry and Hermione both shook his hand, giving him small bows.
"I've got to say Crown Prince Neville, that Crown looks right at home on your head." Harry said with a cheeky grin. It was a game that the pair had played over the years, making fun of the aristocratic members of society.
Neville instantly fell into character, having missed this while Harry was gone. "Rightfully so I'd imagine. And I must say, your Crown is rather dapper as well Crown Prince Harry. And Crown Princess Hermione looks simply radiant with hers as well." Neville couldn't continue any further, as he and Harry broke down in laughter. Both found it ironic that after years of making fun of the snooty pureblood brigade that they were both the highest possible ranks that any magical person could be in their aristocracy.
Augusta was talking to the Goblins about the new vault that Neville possessed. To be keyed into the vault, Neville would first have to visit it. Hermione told Neville how he should expect to find a wand that would more than likely suit him perfectly, and potentially a weapon that Helga favoured. While it had been a short visit, Augusta and Neville decided it was best to go to Gringotts for now, and return to Potter Manor in the evening to make plans for Hogwarts. With a final farewell, Harry and Hermione were left alone once more.
It occurred to Harry how easy it was for the Longbottoms to access the Manor now that the War Wards were down. Did that mean the Dumbledore could now access the property? When Harry summoned Orthello and asked about it, the head elf told Harry about the Potter Ledger, a list of people that could access the Manor by Floo. Orthello assured Harry that Dumbledore was no longer on that list. Only the Lord or Lady of the Manor could change the ledger. While Harry was not recognised as a Lord by the Wizengamot yet, he was still considered to be Lord of the Manor.
Orthello led the soul mates to a large study that belonged to the Lord and Lady of the Manor. On the bottom floor between the Floo room and the formal dining room, the study was home to the Potter Ledger and other important family documents. Orthello was quite pleased to be showing his young master this room, for it would surely make him happy. "Master Harry, your mother and father left behind a gift in this room for you to one day make use of. I think you will find it most useful," Orthello said as he opened the large doors leading to the cosy study. The western wall was as usual entirely glass, with bookcases lining the southern and northern walls. There was a small seating area in the middle of the room, with two large mahogany desks running parallel to the bookcases. It would make for a good meeting and planning room in the future.
"Well look at that, he finally made it here. Welcome home Prongslet," A voice that Harry recognised said from behind him. Harry whipped around and was greeted with a sight on the eastern wall that he thought he would never see.
"Mum? Dad?"