Unspoken
by Teddylonglong

Please refer to chapter 1 for my disclaimer and warnings. Thank you.


By the time the school year ended shortly after Connie's and before Harry's tenth birthday, they had managed to produce a special Seeker's broom. As before, Nicholas made a contract with Nimbus under the same conditions as with the Paws & Turtle 1, claiming the patent on the broom for Unspeakables Paws and Turtle. On July 1, 1990, the broom was officially released, and Nimbus promoted it under the name "Paws & Turtle Seeker".

Harry and Connie were still practising to produce the Philosopher's stone, and Harry, Nix and Nicholas were still inefficiently working on their other project.

Harry's, Connie's and Artemis' attempt to develop a cure for lycanthropy remained equally inefficient.

"Connie?"

"What's wrong?"

"Sorry," Harry apologized, knowing that she could feel the sudden change in his mood. "We're not getting anywhere with our research concerning the time travel, and I'm getting frustrated. I only have a year, before I'll have to go to Hogwarts. Perhaps, I should forego the last year of the primary school and concentrate on the research. What do you think?"

Connie thoughtfully ran a hand through her long hair. "First of all, we need to practise some more for the Potions NEWT if we really want to take it at the end of the holidays."

Harry nodded. "Yes, we need to do that in any case."

"After that, I think it would make sense for you to concentrate on the research. I'll join you after school then. Of course, I'll miss you, but we can always think to each other."

Harry nodded, feeling extremely relieved at her kind words.

"Lucy will appreciate some more time to play with Marlin, too." Connie grinned, as she gently played with the canine's ears.

Harry shook his head. "She'll sleep through the morning anyway. All right, I'll tell Mum then. I hope she and your parents won't be upset."

Connie smiled. "They won't, even if they can't know the exact reason. They'll still understand."

"Thanks, Connie. You're the best."

"I know." Connie chuckled.

HP

"Minerva, Albus, have you seen that? Nimbus has brought out a Seeker's broom. That sounds absolutely amazing. Do you think we could buy two for the school?" Rolanda's voice was laced with excitement.

Minerva inwardly grinned, knowing that her grandchildren were the inventors. "I have some connections, and I can try to get them for a reduced price," she offered. "I can't promise anything though."

"Thanks, Minerva. Please do so. I'd appreciate if someone could gift them to the school, as we don't have the means to buy such high-level brooms as school brooms."

After dinner the same day, she went to Regina's house to see her surrogate grandchildren, who immediately promised to have their colleague Archie talk to Nimbus about gifting two Paws & Turtle Seeker brooms to Hogwarts.

"If they don't agree, I shall gift them." Harry smiled.

"Ah, thank you, Harry, but I can't accept that," Minerva politely refused, unwilling to have a nine-year-old pay for brooms for Hogwarts, for which the headmaster was not willing to spend money.

"You can. We get ten percent each of every broom they sell, and they've already sold hundreds of the Paws & Turtle 1." Harry's voice was firm and convincing.

"Harry, let's just do that. If you gift one and I the other, we don't even have to bother Archie and Nimbus." Connie grinned. "Rebecca, can you please help us to buy two brooms and have them sent to Hogwarts?"

Rebecca nodded, before she sent out two feline Patroni in quick sequence. "Minerva, relax. The kids know what they're talking about. They're already rich at the age of nine and ten," Rebecca reassured her, only to add, "Good for our first-born having wealthy godparents."

"You're expecting?" Minerva only then noticed that Rebecca's figure clearly showed that she was pregnant.

"Yes. The baby is only due in November, so it's still a long time ahead though."

"Congratulations, dear. What about your Arabella Figg persona? Won't the transformation harm the baby?"

Rebecca smirked. "No, as it is not a transformation per se. I wouldn't change into my Animagus form, for example. Taking on Arabella's features won't harm the baby, and my belly is charmed to only allow people to notice my pregnancy whom I've already told about it."

By the time Minerva returned to Hogwarts late that night, she felt as happy as she always did after spending some time with what she thought of her family.

HP

As soon as at breakfast the following morning, two owls made their way to the sole table that remained in the Great Hall during the holidays. Each was carrying a broomstick and let it fall onto the table in front of Rolanda Hooch, causing plates to scatter and tea to spill all over the table.

"Sorry for that," Rolanda uttered, as she took one of the brooms into her hands, wide-eyed, while Poppy reached out for the second.

A small parchment was attached to each of the brooms. "A gift for Hogwarts from Paws, inventor of 'Paws & Turtle broomsticks," Rolanda read aloud, amazement evident in her voice.

"This one is slightly different," Poppy announced. "A gift for Hogwarts from Turtle, co-inventor of 'Paws & Turtle broomsticks. Well done, Minnie, whatever you did."

Rolanda stared at the brooms with a combination of amazement and bewilderment. "Minerva, how in the world did you make that work?"

Minerva smirked. "I believe that in my age, I should be allowed to have one or the other secret."

"Minerva, do you know Paws and Turtle? Weren't that the two Unspeakables who took their Potions OWL a year or two ago?" Albus cast her an enquiring look.

"I think that were the names, but do you remember Tony Haley? He was a Gryffindor many years ago and is working at Nimbus. Where do you think I am getting my own brooms from?"

"Ah, I did not know that. Please relay our thanks to the sponsors."

"Yes, please thank them from me, too," Rolanda quickly agreed.

"I will," Minerva promised, inwardly grinning. 'The more questions Albus asks, the more lies I will need to tell him,' she resolved, still feeling extremely upset at the headmaster for his decisions concerning a young Harry Potter. 'Thank Merlin Rebecca took care of him at that time.'

To her relief, Albus refrained from asking further questions, and Rolanda quickly ushered her and Poppy out onto the grounds to test the new brooms in a series of Seeker scrimmages.

HP

During the remaining weeks of the holidays, Nicholas intensely made them work on the Philosopher's stone. Connie was not able to finish one just by herself, as there were several steps which required magic. However, Nicholas used the stone she was working on to show Harry how to proficiently cast the required spells, and at the end of the holidays, two red stones were sitting on the shelf in Nicholas' Alchemy laboratory at the Unspeakables' office.

"Now, as you are supposed to take your Potions NEWT next week, you're going to concentrate on your Potions studies. After your exam, I shall teach you to brew the Elixir of Life. Only if you're proficient at brewing the elixir, and no, Connie, it doesn't afford magic, we will try to adjust it to our special project."

"Thank you, Nicholas."

"Thank you, Nicholas," Harry echoed.

"I suggest that you leave the stones here for the time being, considering that the lab is charmed to only let the three of us in. I will teach you a series of safety charms, before I'll allow you to take them home."

"Why are they not safe at home?" Connie cast the old wizard a questioning look.

"Because anyone might be able to brew the Elixir of Life using your stone. What if a person such as Voldemort came, stole your stone and became immortal by simply brewing the elixir? We'd be in great trouble."

Connie frowned. "Wouldn't it be possible to cast a charm at the stone to only allow the owner to use it in the elixir?"

Nicholas nodded. "Actually, that is a good idea, and we should discuss the matter with Rebecca. She's good at Charms. Perenelle might be able to help as well."

Harry and Connie smiled. During the almost five years since they had joined the Unspeakables, they had only met Nicholas' wife about five times, but they liked her a lot.

tbc...?

Thank you so much for the kind reviews for the last chapter. Are you still interested? Please tell me what you think and what you would like to see in this story. My muse appreciates it.