Molly and Arthur accompanied Bill down to his office after leaving the dinner. "So how is Ron doing?" Arthur asked.

"He's not speaking to Harry and Hermione anymore and he just radiates anger," Bill said with a sigh. "He has attracted a few other students who are also having issues. Right now they just talk but I feel sure they'll move to attacking students if something isn't done. Professor McGonagall has written to their parents and guardians, in her role as Deputy Headmistress. I really think a mind healer is needed here."

"Well, we've talked about it and how silent George is, and I think you're right, Bill," Molly said. "Your father is going to contact St. Mungo's and sign up us up for family sessions and for individual sessions for them. Will you be able to get free to come?"

"Yes, I'll make arrangements to be there," Bill agreed.

"Good, good. I'll send you an OWL when it's set up then," Arthur said.

House was riding high on the good results from the dinner with Severus. Molly Weasley even sent a care package with get well wishes to the Headmaster and House was pleased to find himself a recipient of a care package as well, along with a note that said he looked peaky. He had appreciated the thought and the food. She was a wonderful cook, almost as good as Wilson.

Friday came and House was nervous and on edge all day for the impending meeting with his wizard family. He talked himself out of canceling the dinner several times over the day and by dinner time, found himself standing outside of Jesse's quarters, trying to work up the nerve to knock on the door. At long last, he knocked.

Jesse came to the door. "Come in," he invited with a smile. House stepped in and focused on the couple sitting in a pair of armchairs near the fire. Herbert barely restrained himself from jumping up and coming over to his newly found son but one he could see that Jesse's words of caution weren't exaggerated. That didn't stop him from taking every inch of him in with his eyes.

"Gregory House, may I present Herbert and Isobel MacDougal," Jesse said as House followed him into the room.

"Won't you sit down?" Isobel invited with a smile when neither father nor son could find words to speak.

With a small nod, House took one of the remaining arm chairs.

"Can I get you something to drink?" Jesse asked.

"Fire whiskey," House responded.

Jesse poured him a couple of fingers and took his own seat.

"I am very glad to meet you at long last," Herbert said, finally finding his voice.

"I'm not sure I can say the same yet," House said honestly. "But I want to ask some questions that I think only you will know the answers to."

"I'll answer any question that I can," Herbert assured him.

"Tell me how you met my mother," House requested.

"All right. I was doing research for my journeyman exams that took me to Germany, where your mother was living. Some of the research that I needed was in a special magical section of the public muggle library and that was where I met her. After speaking to her a couple of times, we went for coffee. Over the course of a month saw each other quite a bit, went out to dinner, for beers, and dancing. Your mother was intelligent and charming, fun loving. After a couple of months we slept together and did so for a couple of weeks. I decided to show her that I was a wizard. She was horrified, convinced I was insane and ordered me away from her. I gave her some time to calm down and went to see her again. It was then that she told me she was married. I had to erase her memories of me, under the Statute of Secrecy. It was only a couple of weeks later that I returned to Britain."

"A couple of months later, one of my fellow apprentices saw her and noticed that she was pregnant. He sent me an owl and within three days, I returned to Germany to find her. I wanted to know if she wanted support for the child or if she was going to put you up for adoption, then I would take custody of you. I couldn't find her anywhere. I asked for her by name but discovered she gave me her maiden name when we were together. I spent years trying to find her again, to find both of you. After a couple of years, I discovered who she was married to through public records but I was never able to locate her or you. I'm sorry that I failed."

House took a swallow of whiskey, staring at the head of his cane for a couple of minutes in silent. "We were constantly moving. John House was a pilot in the military and we lived all over the world when I was young. I'm not surprised you weren't able to track us down. So you didn't know she was married at first?"

"No, I didn't," Herbert assured him.

"If she hadn't disappeared, what would you have done?"

"I would have wanted to have been a part of your life, to have you know your step-mother and your half-brothers and sisters. I knew there was a chance you'd be born a wizard and wanted to be certain you got into a wizarding school if you were. At the least, I would have provided support for you. I did set up a trust fund for you at Gringott's."

"They told me I'd have to speak to the head of the family in order to find out if I had access to vaults," House replied. "Did you love her?"

Herbert smiled softly. "I liked her a great deal and I thought we were both coming to love each other."

"You married Isobel within a year of my birth."

"I did. I knew there was no chance of a relationship with your mother. I did tell her about having a baby out there somewhere when we became serious with each other."

"And you were okay with that?" House asked, turning a laser gaze on Isobel.

"Not at first. But when Herbert explained the full facts to me, including that he was trying to find you, to be part of your life and provide for you, then I supported him and helped him search for you. Had we found you, you would have been very welcome in our home and in our family," Isobel told him sincerely.

A house elf popped in and announced dinner, serving it as soon as the four were settled around the table then popping out again.

"Will you tell us about yourself?" Herbert asked hopefully.

"Well, I grew up a military brat. We moved once a year or so, different countries, military bases. The bright side of that was I learned to speak several languages. Didn't have a lot of friends though. New schools, new countries, new groups of kids. I was smarter than most of them and smart mouthed on top of that. Mom got me started on piano lessons young and I still play. Well, not for the last few months. I sold all my stuff when I moved to Britain. Went to university and became a medical doctor."

"Did you ever have accidental magic?" Isobel asked.

"I don't think so," House mused. "John was already abusive; he would have been incensed if anything like that had happened."

Anger flared briefly in Herbert's eyes that his son had been abused but he quickly controlled it. "Well, if you didn't that might be another reason why you didn't get a school letter," he commented. "When did you learn that you were a wizard?"

"When I was thirteen. We were stationed in England. I met up with Headmaster Snape when I was running around in the summer. He was telling his friend, another muggleborn about some magical creatures. I had seen some of them in the different countries we were stationed in, especially Japan. That's when he told me I was probably a wizard but since I couldn't do any magic, he thought maybe I was above a squib but not enough to go to school. We moved that fall."

"And so you became a doctor? What specialty?" Isobel asked.

House told them about his specialties and places he'd worked, including quite a bit of information about his time in Princeton and diagnostic medicine, as well as the bare bones facts why he had walked away from it all and chosen to try life as a wizard.

"And what do you think of your decision so far?" Jesse asked as the dessert plates were cleared and coffee served.

"It's been good," House replied with a grin. "I met up with Snape again, helped him recover. Met Narcissa and Draco, got a crash course in wizard life and customs from her and spells and potions from him. I've got a job I never would have imagined I'd be in but I like it a lot. It's giving me a lot to learn and keep my mind occupied. I met you. That's something I've wanted to do since I was twelve and figured out John wasn't my father."

"So, Jesse told me about the family, well more of census really," House smirked, drawing chuckles from everyone. "You said you were in research for journeyman exams. What field are you in? Did you get a mastery?"

"Yes, I did get a mastery," Herbert replied with a smile. "I'm a metal charmer. We cast spells and charms on metals that give them magical properties, like the snitch in quidditch. These objects can activate to specific persons or families, they can serve as warning alarms against intrusion, dark magic, and the like."

"That's intriguing. Do you work?" House asked, looking over at Isobel.

"Yes, I work for the Ministry of Magic, in the Muggle Liaison Office. We work with events and incidents that happen in muggle areas, like the Quidditch World Cup where over a hundred thousand wizards gathered in one place. The head of our department also works with the Minister of Magic in his liaisons with the Muggle Prime Minister."

"What did you do before teaching here?" he asked, turning his attention to Jesse.

"I also work for the Ministry of Magic, the Improper Use of Magic Office, which helps maintain the Statute of Secrecy by investigating and preventing magic in muggle areas and monitors restrictions on underage wizards. I've been detached from the department to teach here for two years. After that, I'll have to choose whether to stay and teach or return to the Ministry."

"Are you going to pursue becoming a healer here?" Isobel asked House curiously.

"I don't know," House responded with a grimace, looking down and away for a moment. "I'm not sure that healing would be as demanding and intriguing as diagnosing rare conditions was and even that had started to become less intriguing. I probably will get some kind of certification though, since if something happened near me, I'd get involved and do something if I thought I could. Better to have the certification to act," he said with a shrug, giving them a half smile as they all chuckled and agreed.

"But I do really like teaching here. A lot more than I thought I would," he continued. "And I like seeing young doctors, healers, open up their minds and really get how to think and diagnose for the patient. If this year and the intro to healing courses go well… I could see myself staying on to teach here. I like working with the kids and teens better than adults."

"That's good," Herbert offered. "Not many people who master their craft are also good teachers."

"And I find potions really interesting so I'm going to see if I can convince Snape to take me on as an apprentice."

"In addition to teaching and getting certified as a mediwizard or healer?" Isobel asked, openly surprised.

"Sure, why not?" House shrugged. "Potions goes hand in hand with healing after all."

"That's very true," Herbert agreed, near bursting with pleasure and pride at the accomplishments and goals that House had set for himself. Clearly, what had sounded like a flip comment about being smarter than the other kids in school had really been an absolute fact.

"I hope one day you'll visit our home," Herbert remarked, turning the topic of the conversation. "We have a piano and I would like to hear you play. Your brother, Jamie, plays as well as Alice's oldest boy, Garrett."

"One day I will. Just… not right away. This is all I can handle right now," House answered soberly.

"You have a standing, open invitation to come to our home whenever you're ready, son," Herbert answered, yielding the timing to House but wanting to impress upon him that he was wholeheartedly accepted as one of the family. "And I'll go to Gringott's tomorrow to have your trust vault registered in your name as well as put you on the access list for the family vault as well. Did you set up a personal vault?"

"Yeah, I did, put in a chunk of my muggle money once exchanged and directing my teaching pay there."

"Good," Herbert nodded. "Do you still want us to keep you a secret from the rest of the family?"

House hesitated, showing clearly that part of him did want that very much but part of him was intently curious on knowing their reactions as well. "You can tell them, but I don't want any calls or anyone showing up here to visit."

"How about letters?" Herbert negotiated, knowing his children, nieces and nephews would want to contact him.

"Letters are okay. Just tell them not to expect lengthy or frequent responses," House agreed.

"And what would you like to be called?" Herbert asked with care. "Jesse told us that you prefer to be called House here at the school. What do you want the family to call you?"

House looked down at his lap, biting his lips as he thought this one over. He only had Narcissa who called him by his given name, and before that only his mother, Stacy, and occasionally Cuddy had done that. But this was family, his biological family. It might be a slap in the face of their acceptance of him to insist on being called by his step-father's surname.

"Call me Greg. You too, but only in private," he added, looking over at Jesse.

"Absolutely," Jesse agreed easily.

"I don't think I can call you anything other than your names," House added, looking worriedly at Herbert and Isobel. "Dad and father don't have good memories for me."

"That's all right, Greg," Herbert reassured him. "In private, my children call me Da'; hopefully that's different enough not to bring bad memories up for you."

"Da', huh? Really bringing out the Scottish then?" House asked with a grin.

"For we are Scotsmen, you know," Herbert said, puffed up with exaggerated pride which had all of them laughing.

"And you can call me Isobel, Greg," she said gently. "I won't compete with your mother."

House nodded his thanks to her for that. After a few more minutes, he was more than ready to leave, at his emotional limits and then some. He bid them goodnight and left the room, feeling wrung out but good all at the same time.