Bill took Ron directly to his quarters, pushing him into an armchair and standing to block him from getting up. "What is your problem, little brother?"
"My problem? Harry Potter is letting the Malfoys live in his house and you ask me what my problem is?" Ron answered incredulously.
"Yes, what is your problem? Harry is extending good nature and forgiveness to Malfoy and his mother, which speaks very well of him," Bill answered tightly.
"So what? After the way they lorded it over our family? The way his dad treated ours? The chamber of secrets with Ginny? Torturing Hermione? Letting Death Eaters into the school? Katie Bell? Dumbledore? I'm just supposed to forget all of that, am I?" Ron demanded hotly.
"No, you're not supposed to just forget all of that," Bill responded, taking a seat on the nearby sofa. "But Ron, some of those things you just listed are the fault of Lucius Malfoy. You can't hold them against Draco and Narcissa."
"Why not? They're all the same, the same way of thinking. Rich, arrogant, judgmental snobs! They should have banned every Slytherin from the school! Not a good one in the lot of them!"
"Ronald! There are plenty of Slytherins who have done good things for the wizarding community and fought against Voldemort. Slughorn, Snape…"
"Snape is as dark and evil as they come. I don't care what Harry saw in his memories! He let the Carrows torture students last year. He went after Harry all the time! He should be in Azkaban not headmaster with an Order of Merlin."
"Ron… we are trying to reunite the wizarding world and the school. We can't do that by ostracizing Slytherin house. And getting rid of the house won't accomplish anything. The traits that the Sorting Hat recognizes will still be there."
"So? They'd disappear after a while when they were sorted into the other three houses."
"Ron, that's not true."
"Then they should go to Durmstrang with the rest of the evil wizards to study the dark arts," Ron said flippantly. "And Professor House is as pro-Slytherin as Snape. He stands up for Malfoy all the time. I'll bet he's really some Malfoy relation and this whole background of being a muggle doctor is just a lie."
"Ron, just stop. You're really out of control with anger. I think you need to talk to a mind healer and get some of this out and worked through," Bill said seriously.
"A mind healer? You think I'm crazy, do you?" Ron asked hotly.
"No, not crazy, but I think you're struggling emotionally with all that happened last year. I think you need to talk to someone and I'm going to let Mum and Dad know," Bill answered. "In the meantime, try to relax and let go of some of that anger. It's going to poison you and all your relationships."
"Can I go now? I'm late to class," Ron responded mulishly.
"Yes, let me give you a pass," Bill answered. Ron stood up and pushed past his brother and out the door without a word.
Bill shook his head and went to the floo, calling his father at his office.
"Bill, good to hear from you. How is it being a teacher?" Arthur greeted his eldest with a worried smile.
"A lot different than working at Gringott's," Bill answered. "I have a class waiting on me, but I needed to talk to you. Ron is having a lot of trouble so far this year. He's angry all the time and arguing with everyone, teachers and students, including Harry and Hermione. This morning, he discovered that Harry has invited Professor House, Draco and Narcissa Malfoy to live in Grimmauld Place. It seems that the Professor's landlord told him to get the Malfoys out or be evicted. He chose eviction," Bill explained.
"Harry's generous to a fault and good-hearted," Arthur commented. "I've never liked the Malfoys but I must confess feeling a bit sorry for Draco, growing up the way he did, and I don't like the way the Ministry is handling their situation. Considering the way Harry grew up, I can understand why he would extend the offer and not want them homeless."
"Unfortunately, Ron doesn't even try to understand," Bill said with a sigh. "He accused Harry of being the Heir of Slytherin in the Great Hall this morning and the two nearly came to blows. Dad, something has to be done to help Ron. I know this is a result of the war and Fred's passing but he seems to be more affected than the rest of us. I think he should see a mind healer."
"You may be right, Bill. Let me think on it and talk with your mother. George still hasn't spoken a word; it may be that the whole family could use a bit of counseling. How is Ginny?"
"She's extra quiet and keeping to herself. I worry about what's going on with her as well."
"Keep a close eye on them, Bill. I'll speak with your mother tonight and we'll decide what to do."
"Thanks, Dad, I will. See you later." Bill ended the call and headed off to his waiting class.
Once classes were over for the day, House decided to go and speak with Jesse MacDougal. He was still in shock over what he'd found out but he wanted to ask a few more questions. He stood outside the office door for a full minute trying to get up the nerve to knock before he finally did.
"Professor House," Jesse said as he opened the door. "Come in."
"If you're busy I can come back some other time," House offered as he nervously stepped inside.
"I'm not busy. Tea?" Jesse offered, trying to find strike the right balance of being welcoming without appearing too excited to speak with him. He didn't want to send House running away again.
"Sure," House answered, walking slowly into the room and taking a seat as Jesse summoned a house elf with a tea set.
"How are your classes in muggle studies doing?" Jesse asked as he poured them both a cup of tea.
"Pretty good so far. I've been teaching them parallel current history at the moment, trying to point out that the ability to wield magic is the only thing truly separating us," House responded. "And I've introduced the current interest in paganism and fantasy as theoretical proof of genetic memory from a time when magic wasn't hidden."
"Wow. That's a lot different than what muggle studies used to be. I'm finding wizard studies fascinating. The students are learning a lot from each other, bridging the gap between the muggleborns and the purebloods. I can't imagine why it wasn't taught before. Without understanding wizard society, muggleborns are at quite a disadvantage and making social gaffes that they don't even realize," Jesse said earnestly.
"Well, if we make a good showing by the end of the year, maybe we can get them both permanent and required instead of electives," House mused. "We could do some crossover classes later on in the year, if you like. I'm thinking about a field trip of some type but I don't know what that will entail at a boarding school, let alone for wizards."
"It's complicated but possible. I think it would be good to show the crossover between our classes." Jesse took a sip of tea and decided on another tangent to keep him talking. "Are you enjoying teaching or do you miss being a healer?"
"I like teaching a lot actually. More than I thought I would. But no, I don't miss being a healer. I got burnt out doing that. I'm thinking about doing some research on the crossovers between muggle and wizard medicine, maybe write a paper on it or a teaching manual if I get enough to work with," House answered. Jesse smiled and nodded; it was easy to see the passion his brother had for his former profession even now.
"Well after what you did for Headmaster Snape, I think St Mungo's would be very open to a paper or manual on the subject."
"Maybe." House lapsed into silence for a moment and Jesse stayed silent as well, seeing that he was steeling himself to ask some questions.
"You really think that he was looking for me?" House finally asked quietly.
"I do. He spent two years that I know of and may have spent more time before I was old enough to be aware of it. He still has the picture of himself and the woman in his desk at home." Jesse paused for a moment, watching House nervously fidgeting with his tea cup. "I haven't contacted Father yet and I won't until you're ready for to speak to him. But I think he would be glad to finally meet you."
"Maybe not so glad when he finds out about me," House muttered.
"What's important is who you are now and going forward, not who you were," Jesse reminded him. "Isn't that what you tell Draco and the Slytherins? That applies to you too. Besides, Grandmother will want to meet her long-lost grandson."
"She's alive?" House asked, surprised.
"Yes. Wizards live longer than muggles."
House stared into his tea, thinking over the ramifications of this. He had gone from no family but his mother to suddenly having a family; he wasn't sure how to feel or go about meeting them.
"Tell me about the family," he said after a long silence.
"Sure. Our great-grandfather, Robert, married Angela, a muggleborn. The had three children, Robert Jr., Helen, and Alexander. Alexander married Elaine, a muggle and they had two children; David and Herbert, our father. After you were born, Father married Isobel Lanton, a muggleborn. I was the first born, then Alice, Jamie and Lyla."
My wife is Caroline Fawcett, and we have two children, Bella and Baron, yes they're twins and ten years old, so they'll be coming to Hogwarts next fall," Jesse confirmed with a grin.
"I'll consider myself warned," House chuckled.
"Alice married Kevin Alderton. They have three children; Garrett who's eight, Michael, five, and Liam, two."
"Jamie married Flora Deverill. They have a daughter, Violet, four years old."
"Lyla married Apollo Smethwyck. They have a daughter, Hera, who has just turned two and expecting another child at Christmas time."
"Seven rugrats and one on the way," House counted with a smirk.
"Could be more than one, you never know," Jesse warned with a grin. "And that doesn't count Uncle David's family. David had five children, they're all married and have eleven children between them. Holidays are loud and crowded when we all get together. Did you have any siblings or cousins in the muggle world?"
"No. No siblings. I had an aunt with two cousins but we lost touch with her when I was twelve," House said, his face darkening at the thought of how different his life could have been.
"I put together some pictures of the family for you to see," Jesse said, getting up to fetch a photo album and hand it to House. He flipped through the pages, amazed at the moving wizarding photos, chuckling at some of the pictures, while Jesse identified the people in each picture. House handed the book back to Jesse but he refused it.
"I made it for you, those are all copies."
"Thanks," House said, pleased with the gift but unsure how to feel about the time and effort it had taken to put this together over the weekend.
"Listen, Jesse," House began hesitantly. "I didn't have a good experience with family, not as a child and not as an adult. I don't know how to act or what to say."
"You just be yourself," Jesse said firmly. "We'll do the same and we'll all get to know one another that way."
"One more thing. I'm living with Narcissa and Draco Malfoy in Harry Potter's house in London. I don't expect that to change anytime soon. In fact, I'm kind of hoping that it doesn't change. So if you or the family has a problem with that, well… better that we don't meet and get our hopes up."
Jesse nodded seriously. "I don't have a problem with it. I can't speak for the rest of the family. You do know that the Malfoy reputation isn't good and you'll both have to endure some questioning and proving her commitment to change, don't you?"
"I do and so does she, so does Draco. I just want them to be given a real chance to change, like I've found the chance to change by coming here," House answered resolutely.
"I understand. When do you think you'd like to contact Father?"
House blew out all of his breath in a huff. "Go ahead and write to him. Send him the pedigree from Gringott's. Tell him, my mother Blythe and him met while she was living on base in Germany and her husband was deployed overseas. Tell him… if he's willing, I'd like to meet him."
"I'll do that. Unless I miss my guess, be prepared for a quick response," Jesse agreed as House got to his feet. "By the way, what is your first name?"
"Gregory. But everyone calls me House. Except Narcissa," he said with an air of surprised realization. "She's started calling me Gregory."
"Well, I'll call you House until you give me leave," Jesse said with a smile as House left his office. "See you at dinner."
As soon as House had gone, Jesse went to the floo and called his father's home.
"Jesse! I thought you'd still be buried in lesson plans, how are you?" Herbert greeted him with pleasure.
"Oh, I am buried in lesson plans and now the homework I assigned that needs grading. Can I come through, Da? I have something very important to tell you."
"Of course you can come through," Herbert said, disappearing from the grate to allow Jesse to floo to the house. "Now what's so important it can't be said over the floo network?"
"Da, that boy and his mother you were looking for when I was young, the woman in the picture you have? I met him, Da. He's a teacher at Hogwarts and here's the proof from a Gringott's pedigree spell," Jesse said, pushing the parchment into his stunned father's hands.
"You… you met him?" Herbert asked distractedly, unrolling the parchment. He paled and fumbled for a seat. Jesse helped him into the chair and squatted down next to him.
"He's teaching muggle studies and introduction to healing at Hogwarts this term. He was afraid that we would reject him," Jesse said as Herbert traced his finger along the pedigree lines.
"Where has he been all this time? What school did he go to? Why couldn't the aurors find him?"
"His step-father was in the muggle military and moved around a lot, overseas as well. He never got a letter to a wizard school. He became a muggle doctor, quite a good one and well-known as I understand it. He said he got burnt out as a doctor and came here to seek out the wizarding world. He only knew about it because he met Headmaster Snape when they were both 13 year old boys one summer," Jesse explained.
"All this time," Herbert breathed, hardly daring to take his eyes off the parchment for fear it would disappear. "I searched for him for years, with your mother's blessing. What is he like?"
"He's got quite a wit and a strong personality. He doesn't take any guff from the students. He found the answer to bring Headmaster Snape out of his coma and has been helping him in his recovery. He didn't have a good childhood though, Da, and from what little I've learned, he's had a hard life as an adult as well, and… it shows in his personality. He's withdrawn and defensive. He had some sort of injury that has left him with a pronounced limp using a cane. He is seeing a healer at St Mungo's for it."
"Why is he afraid we'd reject him? Didn't you tell him how long I've looked for him?" Herbert asked, stricken that House would feel that way.
"I did and it was more than he could understand. I think he's been rejected a lot in his life and I think his step-father rejected him as well. He thought he was little better than a squib and expected to be ignored on that basis. When he learned that many wizarding families would rather have a squib than an illegitimate child, he thought his fate was sealed. To learn that you wanted him, that you searched for him for years… it shook him up pretty badly. He still isn't sure that you'll accept him."
"He's my child, just as sure as you, your brother and your sisters are," Herbert declared.
"There's something else he wants you to know before you meet him," Jesse said, pleased with his father's response.
"What's that?"
"Almost since he came here, he's shared his living quarters with Narcissa and Draco Malfoy. He moved out of his flat in Hogsmeade because the landlord wanted the Malfoys out. Currently, Harry Potter is letting them live in a Black family residence in London. He likes Narcissa, Da, and he wants them both to be given the chance to prove that they have changed."
"I know all of that, they've been in the Prophet all summer. I can't believe I didn't pick up on his name and face," Herbert responded. "I guess I'd given up on ever finding him. To have my son after all these years, I'll give Narcissa and Draco Malfoy a fair chance. It's a small price to pay. When can we meet him?"
"I'll tell him at dinner tonight and let him pick the time and day. Don't bring anyone other than Mum with you though. I don't think he could take the whole family yet. Maybe at Christmas," Jesse suggested.
"Yes, all right. If he is as afraid as you say, being confronted with the whole clan could be a bit much. Thank you, Jesse, for convincing him to make contact," Herbert said, pulling his son into a bear hug. "I've got to go tell your mother!"
Jesse watched his father go off with a spring in his step at the prospect of finally meeting his long lost son before going back through the floo to Hogwarts and dashing off a letter to his wife to tell her the news. He went to House's side and told him of Herbert's desire to meet him and willingness to give Narcissa a chance. "You set the time and day and he and my mother will be there."
"No one else though?" House asked hopefully.
"No, not yet. Just them for now," Jesse assured him.
"All right. Friday night then. We can meet over dinner, after classes. You come too."
"I'll let them know and yes, I'll be there," Jesse agreed and returned to his own seat.
