Chapter 8: Well hello there!
It was now Saturday morning, and Cyrus found himself walking into Gringotts, to do something rather risky. However, he would stand firm about his case. After all, this was for his daughter Astoria, who he loved rather dearly. As he stepped in, he began with his greeting.
"Good morning Master Goblin. May you use the skull of your enemy as a savings container, after you skin them alive. May your profit be as endless as the sea, and your transactions as numerous as the leaves on a tree."
Cyrus Greengrass waited and then was surprised when Sharpsand smiled.
"Ah, Lord Greengrass, the word has been getting around! Excellent greeting, yes! Go ahead to see Ironbow."
Cyrus Greengrass found himself walking into the VIP lobby behind the counters, as he headed off to the Greengrass Lobby. He opened the door and sat down as Ironbow, the banker who had handled their affairs for the last two centuries, greeted him kindly.
"Ah Lord Greengrass, what can I do for you?" the Goblin asked.
"I need to get a message to one of your more prolific clients. The person I am looking for is responsible for the deaths on Monday. More importantly because of his expertise, I am looking for a cure for my daughter. Astoria tested positive for the Greengrass blood curse and at his point, I think you need no further explanation."
Ironbow's face softened as Cyrus explained why he was asking him to speak to the Potter Banker.
"I will do anything to save my daughter. Even if the Goblins are angered by me trying to reach out to a private customer through you as my banker, I must persist. What am I to do, I love my family and I love my daughter as much as all the trees in the world. I am willing to pay a substantial penalty if necessary."
Cyrus then placed the memory and letter on the table. When Ironbow felt the magic in the parchment, he realised that he had signed on his magical oath. There was genuine distress present in both of the articles, and Ironbow considered his options.
"Cyrus, let me see what I can do. I know that you are looking for the Storm-Lord and he is truly a student of Gammarye, or magic as you call it. If there was ever a solution to this problem, perhaps he might find it. I also have heard that he is quite agreeable when he isn't committing acts of mass violence. Although you must agree, eliminating some of the competition hasn't been a bad thing one bit for our business prospects?"
"I have been considering that – I could absorb the customers that Crabbe and Goyle used to have. But most importantly, I hope he can do something for my little girl?"
"Make no mistake, if the person who you are looking for is interested in your offer, you better be prepared to meet him soon. We who know of him, often wonder if he is part goblin sometimes. Let us say he is ruthlessly efficient. Wait here." replied Ironbow.
Ironbow after making a small walk around the tunnel system, knocked on Bloodaxe's door, and yelled in Gobblydook:
"Bloodaxe, Ironbow here. Can I have a word? The situation is…..complicated."
"Come in!" Bloodaxe replied, brightly.
Ironbow opened the door and found not only Bloodaxe but Lord Peverell present. And even more surprising was that they were openly sharing a small food item. It seemed that a joke had been told not too long ago, and both of them were grinning. Ironbow was aware that the new mining implements had been designed by the young man and his sister, but to see him so carefree? Almost as if the young man enjoyed his bank visit? Only the Master Artificer Invictus Peverell, was the only man who had been granted an audience with the King willingly so many centuries ago. Perhaps this was to be expected, as the boy was his distant descendant. Ironbow spoke in English so that Lord Peverell could also hear the unusual request:
"Greetings Lord Peverell. Not to worry about protocol, as the situation at hand demands urgency. My client Lord Greengrass asked that you look at his letter. He is reaching out because his daughter Astoria is suffering from a terrible blood curse. It has claimed many of the Greengrass line and she will die before her 20th birthday. However, some of the Greengrass girls have been known not to make it beyond a couple of months, and we have no idea what fate holds. I have always had excellent relationships with the family for many centuries, and I would prefer if my client and his family were in good health."
"Ah, can I have your name if you don't mind, Master Goblin?" asked Harry.
"Ironbow, Lord Peverell."
"Right Master Ironbow. By the way….." Harry then handed him the basket with the samosas.
"Try some. Grandmother's recipe. Don't feel shy."
Ironbow then took some of the items and Harry gladly passed a small container with condiments. As Ironbow ate the item, which was rather delicious, Harry also passed him an orange juice as he explained why he did not seem surprised:
"I left a clue with Lady Greengrass on Monday when I took the trash out in Diagon Alley. I had hoped she would find my mother. But if her daughter is sick, let us say that my mother Lilly Potter would be very unpleased if I did not deal with this immediately. See, Lilly Potter and Opelia Pinegrew were best but secret chummies at Hogwarts. I suppose the letter has the details? Let me have a read."
Ironbow was surprised when the boy opened the envelope and read the letter and read a rather large amount of information in five seconds flat. He also passed his hand over the ink, felt the magic and understood the contents were honest. He had a good grasp of wandless magic. He then took the bottle with the memories and placed it in a pocket. Ironbow who was looking on at Bloodaxe realised that he took no offence whatsoever. He casually waved his hand away, almost as if the event was nothing to be considered. It was never good practice for correspondence between different account holders to occur through Gringotts (unless the King had given permission) as the bank was a neutral party according to their charter. However, it seemed that Bloodaxe did not feel like the issue needed any discussion. Ironbow began to wonder if the rumours that he had heard were true – that Bloodaxe held the confidence of the King? Perhaps he was confident that the King trusted him to secure Goblin interests? As the Greengrass banker considered these possibilities, the boy raised his eyebrows, as a severe expression overtook his face:
"Master Ironbow, thank you for being forthright with me this morning. I like drama and theatre, but some things we don't mess around with, one bit. Not particularly with the daughter of my mother's best friend. Hold on, let me just check in on my sister."
Harry then tapped his communicator and both Goblins only heard the words that the boy spoke. Ironbow realised that somehow, he could carry out a live conversation with a remote party, instantaneously – or so it seemed. That was an impressive piece of magic.
"Moine, still resting?" Harry asked.
"No, your mum checked me again. It was an utterly terrible three hours of pain, early this morning. My magical growth spurt felt like a dragon stomped all over me. But I am okay now, I can cast even faster. I have a surprise for you!" Hermione gushed.
"Okay. Sadly, that might have to wait, as we have bad news. Astoria Greengrass, Daphne's younger sister has a blood curse. Lord Greengrass decided to reach out through Gringotts. She is very sick and as you know from the Peverell Lore, blood curses supposedly take root in their first week, whatever that means. All I know is that that window could be closed by tomorrow. From the details in the letter and we need to get this sorted quickly. Yes, we are flying blind, but we have to do something. Today is going to be a long day. Zap over in twenty? We are on the clock."
"Alright. The usual thing, then. Let me get a shower, snacks and your mum. Good thing she has an off day." Hermione replied.
"Leave mum at the manor. We will bring them to us. Just get something from the kitchen and have it in the workshop, for us to eat. Also, ask one of the elves to make a bouquet from my personal rose patch, and get two bottles of wine and some chocolates. Standard gift bag for Aunty Ophie. Dress casual, walk with your weapons and shields."
"Alright, I am incoming….." Hermione replied as she began to apparate around the manor, as she challenged herself to get sorted quickly. Her magic, now far stronger than before hummed – she had undergone her first magical maturity, and with the regular practice her power levels were off the chart. Suddenly the boy tapped his ears, and he confirmed Ironbow's predictions.
"Master Ironbow, just tell Lord Greengrass to wait half an hour. And tell him that both of us are going with him, immediately."
Ironbow smiled.
"Very well. Lord Peverell, on behalf of my client a gracious thank you" Ironbow replied, as he realised that the young Lord who was well known by Gringotts employees, was one of the easiest going people he had met. However, he was quite aware that when the young man was angry, his rage was that of a dragon. He had seen the Monday spectacle himself, and even he had to admit that Goblins were not that violent.
As the door creaked open, the impatient man was already on the Goblin's case. However, Ironbow decided that perhaps he could play a little joke:
"Well?" Cyrus asked, clearly anxious.
"Lady Magic has blessed you. Both he and his sister have received the message."
"Oh, that is a relief. Astoria has been sleeping all day and I have no idea what to do. I hope their reply will be favourable."
"Oh Cyrus, you didn't hear the best part. I spoke to him directly. He and his sister are coming in exactly an half hour. I quote his words: Both of us are going with him….immediately"
"What? Really?" Cyrus asked.
"I am not joking. If I had to guess, he is just preparing whatever artefacts he might need. I was quite surprised when the young man said his mother Lilly Potter would be rather unpleased if he hesitated. Your wife knew Lilly Potter? He said that they were…..secret friends?"
"Yes. I went to the muggle hospital to see Harry when he was born. I even spoke to James Potter too. That night is very much a night that my wife holds with a lot of endearment."
"Not to worry. Let us wait until our guests arrive. I too am surprised. I knew of Lord Peverell, but I had no idea he was Harry Potter. Suddenly Monday seems to make a clear amount of sense. I can't help but admire his ambition. Are you aware that he broke Sirius Black out of Azkaban?"
"Yes. And we saw his weapons and his extermination of the Dementors from a leaked memory. We even suspect that he assisted with building Priya Singh's Medi-Bracelet. She did adopt him after all. He has a lot of talent - he is like both his mothers. His combat ability is truly something else…."
"Indeed…"
At Peverell Manor, where Hermione had spent the night, there was a lot of activity. Priya had been given the weekend off. Unlike others who were limited by Portkey access, she was apparated by her trusty blue-feathered avian friend. She found herself barging in the previous night (to surprise Harry) only to find Hermione was undergoing her first magical growth spurt. It had truly hit the young brown-eyed girl, like a literal truck. Priya after doing her morning Yoga, she found Hermione scampering around the house like an energetic rat.
"Mione dear, what is all this fuss about? You should be resting?" Priya asked.
"I am fine. Already using wandless magic. See?"
Hermione grabbed a water bottle across the table easily. Before her large growth spurt that occurred last night, she had only ever been able to float a small aluminium ball. Now, the speed of the bottle had almost been like a flash. She was bloody fast.
"Wow! That is amazing! Harry is not that fast?" Priya replied.
"I know, that is what is unique to me. But let me explain the sudden fuss. Harry had left a trail for Ophelia Greengrass as you know, and she figured it out in a week. The reason why they are reaching out to us is that her daughter Astoria is suffering from a blood curse. The Peverell Lore has some information about blood curses and all that we know is that they are unremovable approximately after a week. We are on an accelerated schedule to solve a problem, that we know nothing about that is already been active for four to five days. We are bringing Astoria immediately to see what we can do, even though we are not sure of how to…...go ahead. Totally headless chicken vibes this morning." Hermione explained.
"Oh dear, not good, not good. Alright. Let me get a bracelet, and I will wait until you bring them. Let me make some calls, alright? Camilla might be able to prove me with unexpected supplies. You need help with anything else sweetie?"
"Just a standard gift package for a Lady of the House. Wine, chocolate and roses for Harry's little haven. Going to shower!"
Priya headed off to organise everything, while Molly and Amba put aside some small finger food items for Harry and Hermione. The Peverell Manor kitchen was empty because all the elves were split between the London kitchen and fabricating the Thunderbolt frame at the workshop. Camilla, the head healer at the French trauma unit, was one of the few people who had been given a modified smartphone. Priya called her co-worker and asked the obvious:
"Need help with an emergency case. I might need medical supplies. Can I send Grace?"
"Pri, whatever you need sweetie. I guess you aren't relaxing, aren't you?"
"At this madhouse Camilla? Never happening. We are solving the cause of blood curses today. Be on standby, if you aren't busy. After I am done, we are going someplace nice to eat in Paris, bill on me."
"Merci. That I can do!" the witch replied, as she got changed into casual clothes and put together some emergency supplies from the hospital inventory.
Hermione was now in all blue jeans, jacket and long sleeve jersey, with her pistol strapped to her leg, and her multiple shielding arrays attached to her body. Priya merely handed the bag and the flowers over and said:
"My friend Camilla offered to come over if we need help, and I can get medical supplies on demand. Let us see what is happening, alright?"
"Nice. And excuse me, I want my hug before I go running off?" Hermione laughed. Priya who considered the girl to be her daughter, was only too happy to rub her messy bun, as she said:
"Alright you troublemaker, here you go."
"Gracie? To Harry's location" Hermione yelled before a ZAP! was heard.
Cyrus was now twiddling his thumbs impatiently before he heard a knock on the door.
"It is the trouble-makers! We are here!" said a bright sounding, but deep voice. Suddenly, Cyrus' eyes were on the door, as he realised that he was about to meet two of the most powerful wizards in magical England. He stood up and dusted his robes, as he made himself presentable. Ironbow reasoned that Bloodaxe had given them directions, to get around the tunnel system.
"Come in!" the elderly goblin replied.
As the door opened, Cyrus was greeted by a young man and woman who almost looked like fourth and third year students respectively. They were decked out in fashionable clothes, and it was clear that both of them were physically fit, and rather mature looking. Hell, he wondered if they were magical models. The boy looked just like James Potter – he seemed to have a mischievous look on him. However, his shoulders were broad, and his arms seemed big. His walk was ever so graceful, as he closed the distance between the door where he stood, easily. His eyes possessed a dull green glow. He had heard that his great-grandfather Albion Greengrass had possessed such a visage, and it was the trait of an absolutely powerful wizard. Just his presence commanded respect. Cyrus also examined the other girl who was truly a mystery to him – this person was someone Harry considered his sister. She was truly a beautiful young girl and her jaws and nose were almost aristocratic. She had an almost severe look about her, but her smile was kind. Her blue clothes along with the streak of blue in her hair matched aesthetically. Her movements almost seemed like a sparrow – they were quick and agile. Her hair was clearly in a messy bun and her eyes - they were brown and they glowed.
At this time, it was usually polite to follow through with introductions. However, Cyrus could not take his eyes off the fearsome weapons strapped to their legs. He reasoned that they did not come with their full armour, but the leg and arm mounted artefacts and the vambrace, offered some type of functionality, that allowed them to feel unthreatened. Cyrus bobbed his head along, as he forgot to introduce himself, as he stared curiously. As soon as Harry realised this he laughed, as he extended his hand:
"Well hello there! Lord Greengrass, Harry at your service? This one here is Hermione."
Cyrus was greeted by an unthreatening but very firm grip from both "teenagers" as he shook both of their hands in succession.
"Hello, Harry. Hello Hermione. Thank you for coming on such short notice. I had not expected such a prompt reply?" he asked, as he continued to stare at the weapons. Somehow the handshake had felt somewhat slippery. Almost as if he hadn't touched any flesh? There was a small silvery glow but he decided that he would ask about the odd occurrence later.
"I know Lord Greengrass. Let me be succinct. We are on borrowed time. The blood curse is not permanent yet, we have probably a day to get rid of it until it permanently sets in. We are flying blind as to how to solve the problem, and we need every possible minute to work on the situation. We are burning the candle as we speak. As you already promised in the letter to keep the information of the Storm-Lord and the Storm-Priestess secret….."
Harry extended his hand and summoned his wand like it was a casual affair - and he did it wandlessly. When the girl followed through with the same action, Cyrus began to understand his wife. He did feel a bit like a first-year student looking at the Professors. Harry and Hermione intoned the necessary oaths.
I, Harry Hadrian Potter as Lord Peverell, swear to keep the Greengrass business and personal information secret, as I try my best to be of assistance to the Greengrass family in this trying time. Should I break my oath willingly in the name of deception, let magic strike me down."
"I, Hermione Jean Granger as Lady Granger swear to keep the Greengrass business and personal information secrets, as I try my best to be of assistance to the Greengrass family in this trying time. Should I break my oath willingly in the name of deception, let magic strike me down."
"There. All done. Now, are you carrying us to meet our aunt?" asked Harry in an almost humorous and cantankerous tone, that sounded exactly like Lilly Potter.
Cyrus was surprised that such binding oaths had been given freely. His house was in a position to squeeze if he wanted, and yet the boy seemed impatient and very worried. He decided he would find out the particulars later. But perhaps his wife had been right - Perhaps he was Lilly's son, indeed. He also found the idea of Harry calling his wife, 'our aunt' very endearing. He replied:
"I certainly think so. We will be flooing to Greengrass Manor. Our floo has a password. Whisper 'lush forests' as soon as you yell Greengrass Manor." Cyrus explained.
Cyrus then led Harry and Hermione to an exit-only floo, and soon enough three shouts of "Greengrass Manor" were heard in the empty hall by Bloodaxe. He hoped that the young man would once again triumph, as Ironbow filled him in on the details. Bloodaxe suspected that the Greengrass family were Harry's next acquisition. They along with House Black would be a truly powerful political rival that would link the Neutrals and the Light side Houses in a manner, that was not under the control of Albus Dumbledore.
As soon as the floo flared, Astoria who was having a hamburger (which was one of the few recipes that Ophelia had learnt) rushed to hug her father. Astoria buried her face into his legs and then said:
"Daddy, did you bring anything for me?" she asked, in her characteristic hopeful voice.
As Ophelia watched on, she was surprised to see two additional people come through the floo. Then, she realised that not only was her husband successful, but he had also managed to bring the son of her deceased friend to her kitchen, along with another straggler. Astoria was still hugging her father and had not registered the two new visitors. Before Ophelia could say anything, a voice that reminded her very much of James spoke, although the mannerisms sounded just like Lilly:
"Oi short stack! Do you want a snack? Do you like chocolate? You do kind of look like a Sourpatch kinda girl? Maybe you should try one?" Harry Potter joked as a delightful smile lit up his face. Ophelia's face took on a soft expression, as she realised that Harry Potter was sassy just like his mother. Astoria then swung her head around her father's outline as she looked at the two people. She surprised everybody after she attempted to punch the boy in his leg and the shield flared and stopped her hand dead before she pulled away.
"Ouch! That is not fair! I was supposed to punch you!" Astoria complained.
"Uh huh, you and everyone else. You are a terrible Slytherin to assume I am not armed!" Harry snickered.
"You made me look at the wall when you were talking to mummy in the alleyway! Yes I know who you are, I know who daddy went to find this morning! You are a meanie!" Astoria shouted. Cyrus and Ophelia suddenly realised that there had been a stowaway last night, during dinner. However, the boy took no offence as he squatted, and was now at her height.
"Meanie? Very correct, but only if necessary. Your job is to relax and play, and not be bothered about adult business. And I was discussing adult business in the alleyway young lady. That was not for your ears, at all." he grinned.
"You aren't an adult!" she replied.
"Sweetie, after seeing the Dark Lord kill my mother, I could never be a child. You can't even begin to understand that burden, my young grasshopper. The boy had to die. But no offence is taken. It is confusing that you seem less reserved and openly brazen? I almost want to think you are a roaring Gryffindor."
Suddenly Astoria was very quiet - she had been made out, quite accurately. Cyrus began to wonder if the events on Monday had changed her daughter's perspective. She often seemed rebellious lately, which was different from her usual sneaky behaviour. Harry then got up, and he flicked a rune on his wrist, and the shielding flared into nothing. Cyrus immediately realised that the artefact had projected a selective Protego shield. How could that fit merely with the bands that he wore? As the Storm-Priestess shut off her shields, now he had confirmation that the cold handshake was probably when his hand had met a protective barrier. Ophelia was not offended by the comments that Harry had made – she considered it rude that Astoria would attempt to punch a guest in his leg, and not just any guest, but one who was easily the most heavily armed person in magical England. She slowly walked up to Harry after giving her daughter "the look" and examined the boy intently with a soft expression. The boy now had a large lopsided grin on his face, but his eyes were alert and curious. Ophelia then held Harry's hand, before holding his face very tenderly. It almost seemed motherly, and she said nothing as she gave him a suffocating hug and spoke softly.
"I looked for you for so long. Many nights I thought Lilly would be angry with me in the afterlife. I had failed to find you. I could do nothing. And yet after I failed to protect you, now I must ask you for help. Others stepped up to protect you, and you had to suffer so much! And then after all of that, you rose to protect others. I feel inadequate after I consider what I promised my best friend." she sobbed.
Ophelia was surprised to see that Harry had tears in his eyes. He then replied, in a gentle and resolute tone of voice. Then Cyrus felt sad when he realised that the boy had suffered greatly, as his wife had suspected.
"If the pain that I suffered, was the cost for everything that I have today, and if it is the cost of freedom and justice for others, I would gladly bear it a thousand times over, so that no parent or child would be separated from their loved ones. No, nothing to forgive – how could you find me? No, Lady Magic has made it that I was supposed to find you. No, I know my biological mother well enough, she would only wish for your happiness. No, she would never be unsatisfied. I am sure you tried your best, and there was a time when even that in itself, was a luxury. I am very happy to be here, Aunty Ophelia and Uncle Cyrus. I will do anything to help your little girl. Anything for the friend of my biological mother," the boy spoke softly as he held her hands. Ophelia was suddenly touched not by the comment alone, but also by the steadfast magic that seemed to radiate off the boy, like a bonfire. Ophelia then made her way over to Hermione, who suddenly produced a large bouquet of roses.
"Hello, Aunty Ophelia. Not that you know me, but I know Harry. Which implies you have no options. We are sort of a package deal?" Hermione grinned.
"I realise. Welcome to Greengrass Manor and welcome to our home. Ophelia Greengrass, and Cyrus Greengrass, my dear husband. And my daughter, Astoria Greengrass." Ophelia replied as she received the roses.
"Oh, such lovely names. Harry Potter, Lord Bighead. Hermione Granger, Lady Bighead?" Hermione replied, and Cyrus was laughing. Even Astoria was smiling. Hermione continued, as she observed the flowers in Ophelia's hand:
"These were for Harry to give to you, but that didn't work out. Can't blame him, he has gotten the unfair end of the stick for too long. I think I will hold this memory as a sacred thing to look back upon, many years into the future. Under all those tears, his chest is doing a conga line dance." Hermione continued. Suddenly Harry was choking from laughter. He had to wipe his tears from his face, as Hermione began to laugh and the Greengrass kitchen was animated and lively. Hermione continued, as Ophelia received the gift bag:
"Ah Yes, we brought some small gifts for you, but we don't have time to talk. We are on the clock. Let Harry explain….."
"Oh thank you, both of you are too kind. Harry?" Ophelia asked, gently.
"The Peverell lineage comes directly from Rome itself. We do have some lost magical lore. All we know is that we have a one or two day window to figure out a problem that nobody has any recorded information about, before the situation becomes unsavable. We are burning the candle as we speak right now. We do not have time to chit chat, take you on tours, answer your questions, or explain our armour and guns – no. When we begin to work, we are to remain uninterrupted. You are going to be apparated to our workshop and you are going to see all sorts of things that Wizards consider impossible. Whatever you witness, you will ask no questions until we are done. Get dressed, and don't worry about anything else. Whatever else you need, we can provide."
Harry then bent down as he spoke to Astoria, who was now excited.
"Astoria, I know you have questions but if you want a long and healthy life, your job is not to ask anything for the next two days. You can tell me if you are hungry or thirsty, or if you need a restroom break, sure. After we fix you, I promise you can ask what you want. You can also eat what you want."
Astoria still wanted to ask him about all the books he had read, but Harry saw the look on her face and continued, "No, those books you read are wrong I don't have a castle and a harem of witches. What utter stupidity."
"I used to like when mummy told me stories about you. Then Draco said you were half mudblood and I started to believe him." Astoria admitted ruefully.
"And who had a sword on his neck last Christmas? Perhaps Draco believed that I lived in a castle and was jealous, as a stupid little boy. I generally prefer weapons of mass destruction as my preferred possessions. We will wait here until both of you are ready."
Astoria nodded, but the excitement could be seen on her face. Cyrus realised time was of the essence and instructed his wife appropriately:
"Ophie, grab one of the emergency travelling bags for us, meanwhile I will keep Harry and Hermione company, while I finish my tea."
Ophelia nodded, as she carried Astoria, who still was asking many questions. Harry Potter was in her house, and he was "extremely fascinating" according to the girl. Cyrus offered Harry and Hermione a seat at their table, as they waited.
"Are Neville, Luna and Ronald working for you?" Cyrus asked.
"Yes, they are. How did you figure that out?" Harry asked.
"We will explain how we managed to work backwards. The only people who know the entire story are us, and the Davis family. I get the feeling you do not like Albus Dumbledore one bit?" Cyrus asked.
"Not one bit, Uncle Cyrus. He left me to suffer under Petunia's roof. By the way, we have been testing what you call a communicator. I want you to imagine a small item you can clip onto your ear, and you can speak with anyone. This device is useful because it allows me to eliminate the inefficiency of sending a letter. I do keep in touch with my three students via this method, but a brand new two are getting them in a bit….."
"Daphne and Tracey?" Cyrus asked.
"Correct. By this evening you will be able to speak to Daphne, no different than if you were standing right next to her. We will set you up at my workshop."
"Thank you. That is an impressive accomplishment and yet I get the feeling it isn't a big deal. I can see the lack of excitement on your face?"
"Oh, we can't wait for you to see the mischief that we get up to – we will give all of you are tour when we are done," Hermione answered.
Astoria had entered the kitchen, and she was now holding a dragon Teddy Bear. She accidentally dropped the creature as she was somewhat nervous. However, it never reached the floor as the plushy stopped midway. Hermione had her hand stretched out, and she was openly controlling the magic with her right hand. Cyrus had not even seen when the girl had extended her hand, as she was that quick.
"Heeeeeeeeey Haaaaaaaarry. Suuuurpriseeeeee!" Hermione giggled.
"Nice! So, see wandless magic is possible for normal folks if they just let go of the idea of a wand always being necessary. Not bad at all Hermione. Me likey. Damn, you are fast. I can sense it!" Harry replied. Ophelia and Cyrus were shaking their head, as they listened to their casual conversation. Ophelia looked on in shock with her husband as she realised that they were dealing with magical savants.
"That is my branding I suppose. I like the idea of being your support if you are hitting them hard. I am all about crowd control. Or being your scout, I like running fast."
"No argument there" Harry replied, as Cyrus listened to the conversation and he finished his tea.
"If I can do it, Neville and the rest can catch on. They just need the exercise and the right type of mental exercise. Astoria, there you go!" Hermione replied as Astoria found herself gaping in open awe of casual wandless magic. Astoria was now clapping, as she said, "Can you teach me that?" she asked.
"Sure. If you are willing to put in the work. I am not special, I just practice and study actively. Now, Harry has a phoenix called Grace, that can apparate people. She will be taking the group of us to Peverell Manor. Don't be alarmed by her sudden appearance and the feeling of being transported. Everybody stand next o me and close in, yes good….." Hermione explained.
The entire group gathered in the kitchen and then a sparking and humming noise was heard. A silver whisp flared successively and the Greengrass guessed that they were enabling their protective devices. Cyrus and Ophelia were very excited, as they wanted to see the bird for themselves that they had discussed, in the alleyway from the Pensieve.
"Grace, find me at Greengrass manor. Transport for five to the workshop!" Harry yelled. Naturally, Cyrus and his wife found it unusual that an animal could take verbal commands. Before they could question if the bird was truly that intelligent…
ZAP!
The beautiful bird alighted on Harry's shoulder and not a moment too soon another ZAP! was heard, as the Greengrass family found themselves in the "workshop" after feeling themselves being unassembled. They were pleasantly surprised to find themselves facing the woman who had made it all happen - Ophelia and Cyrus were now looking at Master Healer Priya V. Singh, Order of Merlin First Class, who already had her award winning Medi-Bracelet in her hand.
"Welcome Lord and Lady Greengrass to Peverell Manor or as I like to call it, the madhouse!" she laughed as she proceeded to rub Astoria's head gently.
"Come here little one, you come and sit in this funny-looking chair right over here, and we are going to deal with this issue," she added, as Astoria decided that she liked Harry Potter's adoptive mother very much.
"You are so pretty! Your hair is really nice!" Astoria giggled.
"Aww, thanks. When we are done with you, you are going to be fit as a fiddle. I promise." Priya replied.
For most pureblood Wizards who had no idea how the Muggle world worked, Cyrus and Opelia found themselves shocked. Immediately their eyes were assaulted by the weapon collection and the armour alcove. There were any number of wands scatted all over the place. As Priya carried Astoria to the "elf cradle", her parents could not stop staring at the items that were being built. The lights and the multiple stacks of sophisticated server equipment seemed intimidating, and the multiple CNC machines hummed away. There also seemed to be hundreds of small trays, and all types of tools that implied that the Storm-Lord and Storm-Priestess were very much muggle. Priya made the little silver-haired girl sit, as she attached the bracelet and she began the diagnostics. Cyrus who was curious about the machines came over to a large ESAB CNC machine and observed it closely. He stood in awe as he saw a block of pure steel being made into a "gun." He began to realise exactly what Augusta had experienced, on her first visit to the manor. Ophelia who had never seen welding, realised that Harry possessed at least twelve elves and they were all building some type of frame that looked like a bird? Did they seem different and almost childlike? They all held specialised tools in their hands as they consulted some device that looked like a stone slate. As Cyrus gazed at the tool change on the CNC machine, he soon found a huge man walking toward him, and he immediately realised that Remus had packed on massive amounts of muscular growth. Not even the feared Fenrir Greyback was that big. Remus merely smiled in his customary turtleneck, as he shook Cyrus's hand.
"Hello, Lord Greengrass, a pleasure to meet you. We got the news about Astoria's health issue this morning. While the circumstances are dire, it is nonetheless good to meet you."
"Likewise, Mr Lupin. It is good to see you after so many years. I do find myself curious. Where are we? This place is so fantastic! I get the feeling everything I know is wrong?" Cyrus asked.
"The muggle world is not as backward as people think. This is one of our workshops. Harry and Hermione prefer to do their experiments here. We have other places where we manufacture items. We are manufacturing some weapons for the French – they are now carrying Harry's guns, and they placed an order for five hundred of them."
"So everything is made in-house with Muggle methods?" Cyrus asked.
"Yes. I am responsible for overseeing all of it. I think Harry is calling you. Not to worry your daughter will be fine." Remus replied.
Cyrus nodded as Harry seemed to push a large portrait that contained an old grumpy man. More interesting was the "thing" that was hooked up to the portrait. What had he done to it? It was the biggest portrait he had ever seen and the man looked fairly old. But the background of the portrait? The images were so alien, and he found the art fantastic. Ophelia sat down as she observed the display that came from the Medi-bracelet as she spoke to Ms Singh:
"Hello, Master Healer Ms Singh it is a pleasure to meet you! I had heard about this artefact but seeing it in person? How have you managed to conjure these images into the air?"
"Pleasure to meet you, Lady Greengrass. Priya is fine, I don't stand on ceremony. Hermione is talented with illusions. Illusion casting has become a lost art, because it is wandless by nature. What Hemione did was build a system using arithmancy, where we could utilise illusions to display writing and other pictures. Instead of conjuring information into parchment, we have this instead."
"Oh, that is very….fancy! Arithmancy? I would like to see how that is done?" Ophelia queried.
"Yes, it is very fancy and my initial design did not possess this one bit. As for your little one, I am doing a full diagnostic. Then we can work backwards and see what is happening. Honey, is Gramps ready?" she yelled, clearly talking to Harry. The portrait then replied on the intercom speakers and the shop was filled with his voice. Cyrus and Opelia then began to reason that Harry had done modifications for the portrait to control muggle implements. After observing the spray-painted insignia on the walls, she reasoned that perhaps he was a Peverell portrait. The old man, in the fantastic robe in the picture frame, replied
"I already started the search. Going through every repo…I will have to read a lot of the accounts and then translate them personally. Good thing I work quickly. I will work as fast as I can…" Invictus replied.
"Repo?" Ophelia asked.
"Repo is short for a repository. You could think about it as a small library. The devices are computers. They can handle massive amounts of information. By converting the information from magical books to electronic documents we can search entire books for a single word or phrase. We have at least half of the restricted section from Hogwarts, and the entire book collections from the Longbottoms, the Lovegoods, the Weasleys, the Peverells, Dagworth-Grangers and the Blacks. We also have special access to some of the books from Beauxbatons and even the curated collections of Master Painter Clementine Delacour. Hermione also inherited scholarly work from Morgana LeFay herself, so we do have a lot at our disposal."
"Morgana? Hermione is of her lineage? Holy Hecate! And you can find a single world with the muggle items in all of that?" Ophelia asked.
"Hermione is of her lineage, but not by blood. Morgana's Inheritance depended on pure capability. To answer the other question, we are going to search for information on blood curses and we are going to compile the necessary information. These types of information retrieval tasks are common in the mundane world. We are merely using magical information as the starting point?" Priya explained before she asked, "Old man, how are we looking on the time?"
"Probably one hour, daughter. Only 500,000 pages to search. Making those Xeon Processors work their money!" Invictus replied. Suddenly a large cinema-sized projector flared to life as it displayed a search being run as thousands of pages. Invictus compiled all the information into a new document, as he began to cross reference all the Peverell accounts. As Cyrus and Ophelia gazed at the massive library collection, Harry was now looking at Astoria and his eyes were glowing luminescent green. Hermione looked through the information as she read at a speed that left the adults flabbergasted. She looked impressive behind the multi-monitor setup, as she stirred her tea, wandlessly. Harry could be seen gulping large amounts of hot coffee, as he spoke with his mother.
He looked utterly unearthly.
As if things could not get even more impossible, Sirius walked in with a six-pack of beer and handed one each to Remus and Cyrus. Remus scourgified the tops of all the cans, as he instructed Cyrus on how to pull the tab. Cyrus found the beer to be far better than anything he had at the Leaky Cauldron. He read the can.
Guinness.
Sirius then shook Cyrus' hand, and he realised that he was looking at the new Lord Black. The Obsidian was well known to political circles in wizarding England, as it often had presented pureblood supremacy in the old days.
"Hello Cyrus, I suppose you are here with us now. Not to worry about Harry's eyes, he has a rare gift called Mage sight. He can see magical fields. He is looking over your daughter. Not to worry, if there is a cure he will find it. Have a seat with me and let me answer your questions. Trust me, it is a wild world," Sirius explained.
Meanwhile, at Hogwarts, Ronald had managed to pass the communicators after the trio had visited the hospital wing. After he had walked the snakes through the operation of the devices, Daphne and Tracey soon left the hospital wing, with the device disguised in their ear canals. Madam Pomfrey had decided that they did not require any further hospitalisation, and they found themselves entering a ghost town as they made their way to their dorm room and they shut the door. When they began to test the objects, Daphne realised that this "communicator" was truly a great piece of magic.
"So, you are telling me you can contact each other any time of the day, secretly no matter how far apart you are?" asked Daphne.
"Yep. The silencing function helps us to speak even within large crowds. We look like insane loony bins who mutter a lot, but hey…..excellent! We like when they are left confused. As to where it came from, under oath."
"Makes sense. Can I talk to my parents with his?" asked Daphne.
"What do you think my Grandmother is organising right now? Of course, that is if your father agrees to keep some secrets." Neville replied, after HArry informed him about the change in plans.
"Ha – you underestimate how much my father adores me. I am indeed as they say…Daddy's girl!" Daphne laughed. Tracey then brought maximum perversion to the conversation:
"Do you know how much people could masturbate to each other's moans and groans with this device? Oh, just imagine the possibilities. House affiliation is of no concern! Hook-ups everywhere!" Tracey joked. Daphne was now mortified, but it seemed that Luna thought her observations were funny.
"I almost want to give Draco and Pansy a pair of these. Just imagine if we could provide a printout of that conversation in the Quibbler. We could sell out!" Luna laughed.
There was a roar of laughter among everybody, and the Slytherins in the other dorms were none the wiser. Two of their snakes were in open conversation with people from other houses. Neville suggested that they work on the Charms homework, as he began to take the Slytherin girls through the modified cantrips that Harry and Hermione had developed. Tracey soon enough asked a relevant and interesting question:
"Can we get muggle music on these? I like Heavy Metal and I play the drums!" she explained.
"Excellent Ms Davis. My name is Ronald Weasley and I happen to be an aspiring guitarist. Are we forming a band?"
"Maybe. If we can sneak a drumkit into my dormitory. Ask for your super special friend to help us out?" Tracey wondered.
"I will ask Ms Davis. Let us say that the person in question, absolutely loves jokes" Ronald replied.
Charlie and Percy at the same time were now discussing ideas that Professor McGonagall found to be very interesting, as they related both to Quidditch and the hostility between Gryffindor House and Slytherin house. She had to admit, that this was certainly good news for her – and she had no plan to tell Albus anything.
No, this quidditch season was hers.
"So Charlie, you are saying that Peverell Industries is diversifying their Quidditch products, and they produce beater bats?"
"Correct – as you had mentioned if the Storm-Lord is working through people, I really have no idea why my family was selected. But yes, George and Fred had an opportunity to suggest to Mr Snuffles some ideas that they had, after flying Stormbolts all day. They asked if the new pushy bits could be put on a beater bat. Well, you know where that went. And they were given a percentage of the product line, too."
"They have always been brilliant. They are just not interested in school, are they?" Professor McGonagall asked.
"Professor, I have given up with them," Percy replied.
Charlie continued, "I think all of our agreements included a clause where we could be asked to test Nimbus gear. So yes, the bats have been designed with something called a polymer and they absorb shock quite well. The bats put a lot of force on bludgers. So, as long as nobody knows, we should be able to wipe the floor. I also heard that Mr Padfoot will come by and personally outfit the entire Gryffindor team. Only their absolute best Quidditch armour and robes."
"I often wonder if this is the way that Slytherin used to feel when they knew that they had the best brooms in the school. Oh, I can feel the maddening sense of superiority. Now Percy, you have always been an excellent student, but I have heard that you are responsible for breaking up some small engagements around the castle. I have been hearing your wand work has become excellent?" Minerva asked.
"Quite correct. Let us say that Neville has shared some of Lilly's Potters cantrips and the morning exercise has been benefiting us. I have invested a lot of time in shielding, and during the holidays I encouraged Fred and George to toss whatever they wanted at me. After they were done, I could flick anything away and I have been using this skill to stop fights."
"I must congratulate you. I understand you have a suggestion from what you told me yesterday during class?" Minerva asked.
"Correct – to cut the Gryffindor pranking it would be wise to penalise our house members in a manner where they will not think to get involved in throwing spells at anybody. I am suggesting triple penalties. Tell them that we are cutting bullying out and that failure to comply will bring shame to Godric Gryffindor. No, I am not joking. If we can keep the lead in our Quidditch matches, we could afford to lose some points to some student indiscipline as some will not comply initially. Perhaps we can try the system for a term, and see how it does? Even if it costs us points in the long term, it might….change society? A sacrifice for the greater good, I guess? I don't think Godric Gryffindor would have disapproved."
"That is a truly novel solution. I will bring it up at the stall meeting between Albus and myself as a private project. We will see where it does. Thirty points to you, Percy for thinking about how we might heal old wounds. We must be willing to sacrifice, for that which is noble. As long as we win the Quidditch cup, the house cup can go to somebody else. Slytherin can continue to have it if they want. Off both of you go, gentlemen. Charlie, I believe Hufflepuff has acquired your brother as their keeper, so we will have to investigate. It seems he has an instinctive gift for tracking objects, so I heard from the other fifth years who were a part of the Herbology class, during the incident." Minerva replied as the boys left her office.
As Percy and Charlie made their way back to the common room, they sat down in a corner far away from everyone else, and Charlie spoke about what was on his mind:
"I know exactly who are the two people who did the rescue of the other people yesterday. But I won't mention anything until Christmas. You don't have to confirm anything, I am just saying that there are only two people crazy enough to fly at that type of speed. We had seen their victory lap from the defence tower"
"I can't confirm anything. Use your best judgement I suppose?" Percy replied.
Charlie nodded and Percy continued to work on his notes. He went off to the library not only to read but to scan some of the titles in the restricted areas. The Hogwarts elves had been helping with this activity, and he was sure he could be finished within the month. They were eager to help, asked no questions and were happy when he transferred magic into them via his wand. They even asked if he wanted anything special, and Percy could often gate late night snacks delivered for himself and Charlie.
"Prefect Peesy Weezy" became a favourite and a priority with the kitchen elves.
The first weekly staff meeting was now in progress at Hogwarts, and Harry had Invictus recording every scrap of the conversation, as he continued to search for the root of Astoria's issue. So far, from the initial testing, the blood curse did absolutely nothing to the body itself, as all the vitals returned were solid. Harry could see that magic was being leached out of her system, via her neck. He began to consider if he could push magic into her system to offset whatever was bleeding her core dry. With Harry and Hermione working at full speed, Sirius had taken the opportunity to give Cyrus and Ophelia, a small tour to put their minds at ease. This way, they would not have to sit down and stare for hours on end, and Harry was grateful that he and Hermione were not crowded as they worked.
"Sorry about making you work on your holiday mum, it is always something at this place." Harry grinned.
"Well, I don't have multiple patients to hustle and bustle about with, just this little cutie over here. Don't worry, we will figure this out. Suggestions?"
"The records show that there are any number of animals that live in the nether realms – they are alternate magical dimensions. I can see the magic being drawn out of her neck. I think we will need Luna. But for now, we need to get her core to accept magic from the generator. Hell, I haven't managed to do that myself, even though I considered the idea for a long while. I am wondering if we could undertake the shaping of her magical core. Nobody has done that before….. "
"That is a tall order, isn't it? I have always been able to feel the various tendrils that make up a person's core but I have no idea how to manipulate them." Priya replied.
"If you wanted to manipulate anything, you need to see it. If I can see a part, I can use my fingers. Let me see if I can see her core structure in her mindscape. I can remember seeing mine, as I got deeper into the meditation." Harry suggested.
"What if we could get her cooperation – if we could command her to mentally focus herself? She is too small, to have that skill yet. But we could force her to do it with a magically assisted hypnosis?" Priya suggested.
"I have a crazy idea. Time to use the unforgiveables, in the way there are supposed to be used. How about a nice gentle warm Imperio?" Hermione suggested.
"That – wait….that makes sense?" Harry wondered.
"I told Luna to be on standby. Let us work on this first, and then we can see about bringing her in a little bit?" Hermione suggested.
"Well, Cyrus and Opelia I have decided to give you a little tour because Harry and Hermione don't work well when they are crowded. In the meanwhile, I suppose you have too many questions, and I don't blame you one bit.." Sirius explained.
"This is the most interesting morning I have ever had. I almost feel like a little child here. Harry and Hermione built all of this? And why does your chair float?" asked Cyrus.
"Yes, they are stark raving mad, but in a good way. As you agreed to keep our secrets let me tell you how all of this got started. Kreacher, something from the vineyard for Mr and Ms Greengrass? And yes the chair floats because Harry thought it was funny?"
Kreacher, who had lost a great deal of his hook-like appearance nodded and soon bought not only the wine but a small cheese tray with miscellaneous items.
Kreacher had changed – as the time had passed and he was healed, he began to find himself capable of asking questions. And there were a lot of discussions among the house elves. Harry and Hermione had done too much to fix all of them. Now they all owned clothes, jewellery, bank accounts, personal implements and even had time off to pursue hobbies. Kreacher had even sat down and shared a drink with Sirius as he admitted that he too was sorry, as he did not know better under Wallaburga's control.
"Well Kreacher, as I say, In Harry, we trust."
"Indeed Master Sirius, in Harry we trust." Kreacher had replied, as he touched Sirius' glass with a clink.
As Kreacher presented the tray and the wine to the Greengrasses, he had a rather pleasant smile on his face. He was looking forward the Table tennis match between himself and Dippity. As his master asked for an update on the Thunderbolt project, he looked at the Greengrass girl and hoped that Master Harry and Mistress Hermione would cure her.
"Thanks buddy. How is the welding coming along?" Sirius asked Kreacher.
"The main structure will be complete today, Master Sirius. Master Harry will have to install the prototype engines. Perhaps he can aim for a small trip around the yard. Young Ms Weasley has taken well to the carbon fibre layup for the dashboard, in the secondary shop. Much talent in her little hands?"
"Good, I will come and take a look at the Hydraulics, I understand the easier parts of the system. Harry will have to deal with the main pump. The calculations are over my head, honestly." Sirus replied. The elf, whose appearance was shocking to the Greengrasses, popped away.
"Why are your elves so different?" Cyrus asked.
"That is one of the many discoveries that batch over there have made. So from the beginning…well, it starts with Lilly postulating that wands can remember their last known state. From there…..." Sirius began.
"Alright Astoria, I am going to try something utterly new. I take it you are familiar with the Unforgivables?" Harry asked.
"Yes?" she answered.
"Those spells are Peverell innovations. Master Healer Lucretia Peverell created them for healing. That is why Protego, which is a defensive spell for blocking combat spells, doesn't work with the unforgivables. They were never combat spells in the first place. The spells eventually fell into misuse, and they became what they are today. Hermione is going to put you under an Imperius not to manipulate you, but to relax your mind." Harry explained.
"Oh, um why do you need to do that?" the girl asked shyly and nervously.
"This chair can push large amounts of magic into objects. One of the things we have never done is to push magic into a person. I believe the blood curse isn't a condition, but rather it is some type of foul creature that is stuck onto your neck. We are going to connect your body to the chair and push magic into your body. Just as magic can flow in the human body, it can flow in our devices. We are trying to join two streams together if you want to think about it like that?" Hermione answered.
"But I am not seeing anything? What creature are you talking about?" Astoria asked, totally confused.
"Correct Shortstack! These creatures reside in a place which is called 'Between the Veil' and it is a realm that only a few people can see. We know someone who has the gift. However, before we attempt anything, we want your magical core stable. Without a stable magical core, you won't heal properly. I am going to attempt to use guided meditation to make a connection between your core and the machine. You already know how it feels for your core to be empty – if I had to guess always sleepy and lethargic?" Harry explained as he looked for confirmation of his suspicions.
"I hate it! I feel half dead all the time now!" she whispered.
"I know. Trust us. We will take care of you." Harry said as he held her hand and the silver-haired girl nodded.
Hermione whispered "Imperio" gently, as she asked the universe at large to help her save the child. Harry whispered Our Father prayer, and Priya recited the Gayatri Mantra, which was a favourite of hers when she required moments of absolute focus. The primarily thought on their mind was simple – they wanted to help the girl and they hoped that she would return home healthy, and fully capable of living out her life. Harry who had been humbled by yesterday's events, went deeply into himself as he felt a strange buzzing. He reached out to the girl's mind and suddenly whispered:
"Don't be afraid. Trust me to take care of you, in the same way, that I protected you in the alley. Trust me to do right by you. Tell me your fears, your hopes, the things that you are – tell me who you are."
Harry then saw a series of images that represented Astoria. She loved her family, and she wasn't sure what she liked – she had dreamed about being a princess in a manor, but now she wasn't too sure. Harry even saw that initially, Astoria had hated him and Hermione. After hearing the girl scream, she changed her mind. Harry also noticed that there was bravery in her soul. After she had realised that she could die, she decided that she was going to enjoy her life anyway. If Draco touched her, she was going to 'kick him in his hanging bits'
Harry made a warm laughing noise as he offered to share a little of his experience in the cupboard, and how he had met his adoptive mother. He showed his encounter with Hermione, his grandparents, Remus, Sirius and the many evenings of studies, discipline and practice that he had committed to, all in the name initially of revenge. And somewhere it had changed. He didn't feel threatened anymore. Now he felt compelled to do what was necessary in the name of what was good, in the name of Lady Magic, and in the name of his God. He shared his Bible readings and his endless pondering of how the universe worked, and he shared his biggest dream – a quiet life where he could solve the problems that mattered, and then a tip not to the Moon or Mars, but to Titan, Jupiter's moon. Astoria soon understood that Harry wanted to build a great ship that could take him to the stars. That was his primary goal after the war was won. Harry laughed as somewhere in this free trade of ideas, he recognised a feeling where Astoria came to conclude that Harry Potter was a far better person than all the trashy books he had read.
But interestingly enough, Hermione's memories began to flow into the picture and Harry found himself confused as he saw Hermione's loneliness, and how she had prayed to God for a brother for many years. And when she had continued to stay lonely, a singular question plagued her mind.
What did I do wrong? Why won't God answer my prayers?
Suddenly the memories shifted to the labs and the memories of all the mischief that they had participated in, together. Hermione had finally gotten what she had always wanted through Harry. She had gotten a brother. Hermione had made up her mind on the night of her first dinner with the extended family that she would look after Harry's happiness, and she would help him to win the war. Anything he needed.
As time passed, Hermione began to believe again, not literally in the idea of organised religion as an establishment, but more in the idea that the universe was alive, and it was beautiful. She always had gratitude for all the small things in her heart, and she found herself happy and content. She loved her parents and she hoped one day to develop the capability to produce enough food to cure world hunger. She saw herself as a person, who was equipped sufficiently to handle the job. She wanted to crusade against injustice not by making articulate speeches, but by putting tangible resources in the hands of people, who needed them the most.
Suddenly the mindscape disappeared, and suddenly Harry and Hermione found themselves back in their environment. However, their minds were connected and Hermione who could feel the connection, tested the waters.
"Harry can you…sense me?" Hermione asked.
"Yes? Are you thinking about Crookshanks? He likes to hang out?"
"In the tree outside? So that is where he goes. Er, Harry maybe you want to connect the tendrils from her hands and feet to the magic flowing out of the machine? They are"
"the most accessible place, a lot of surface area. Wait how do you know I was thinking about…..oh."
Harry and Hermione realised that they were sharing the same mental workspace.
"Oh yeah…this is unusual. How did we achieve this?" Hermione asked.
"Simple Mione. By opting to communicate with"
"our hearts. The brain can't do"
"everything. Sometimes we need"
"the heart. Why do we"
"sound like"
"the twins?"
"Alright well…I will"
"work there, you will join"
"there, should take about"
"30 mins? Let us ask my mother?"
Harry and Hermione had finally achieved the goal of battle meditation, as they began to silently work in total coordination. Harry who was aware of the outside world said aloud, "Mum you are being pulled in, into our little mental party!"
Priya soon found a piece of herself being dragged into Harry's mindscape as she began to share her love for her entire family. She soon realised that Harry had discovered some type of mind link and was amazed at how well her magic interacted with Harry and Hermione. As the memories began to unravel, Priya's contribution was the absolute pain she had felt when she had looked at Harry in her classroom. Harry could see her frantically casting every diagnostic spell that she knew, as surveyed his broken bones and his bad state of health. Then there was the call to Lorna and the plotting. There was a rush of memories that followed – she felt so proud of Harry as he began to excel. There was so much happiness when she saw Hermione rise to the challenge of becoming his sister, and how they provided her and Lorna with any amount of laughter in their private time. Now Priya's magic felt motherly, as it seemed that she spent a lot of her spare time fussing over the both of them, even if her facial expressions had never indicated that. Suddenly Harry Potter became "my son", and between her and her parents, he became the boy that they all fussed over. Hermione became "my adopted daughter", and it was never a question about if Harry belonged to Hermione, as a proper sibling.
Harry was royally spoilt now!
Eventually, the mindscape turned to fear, as she began to worry if her son was too ambitious – and then Harry saw a tender memory where she had knelt in her mandir as she prayed that the deities would protect her little family. Then any number of his more ambitious plans happened, and he began to win, consistently. Then the fear became a resolution – as she became less of the school teacher and more of the healer, as she promised to support her son through thick and thin. Then finally, the memories became painful, as Harry and Hermione realised that some could not be saved, and she had seen deaths in the I.C.U ward.
Harry's eyes were full of long glistening tears along with Priya and Hermione, Family. They were Family.
Astoria was behind a mental partition that Harry had summoned when he had detected Hermione. The girl was not privy to their exchanges, but she could sense some type of magic being forged. And then she understood that Harry's power came from one singular thing.
His love for his family. He did everything in the name of protecting his loved ones and then protecting the innocent.
Priya's magic began to hum, as she instinctively flicked her wand as she began to see through Harry's eyes. As he directed his eyes, her irises glowed and became visible. She was now sharing his Mage sight. Hermione feeding off of her knowledge began to detect a trace of some kind of contaminant. She instructed her four elves to fetch the necessary equipment and tools for Granger Manor. Priya continued, as she made some temporary changes to the magical core of the girl. She began to grow magical connections from her core into the nerves of her entire palms and feet. It did not go unnoticed to the rest of the people in the workshop, that some kind of arcane sorcery was occurring. Cyrus and Ophelia began to hope, as Remus looked on amusedly at the multicoloured, silent flicks that seemed to come from Priya's wand.
"Well folks, that is what a usual day looks like at this place. That could be possibly Order of Merlin, First Class #27" Sirius joked.
"You mean they have 26 other discoveries? " Ophelia asked.
"Probably more? We are just being conservative. As I was saying, get Daphne and her friend Tracey enrolled in Muggle education. Knowledge is knowledge, let none convince you otherwise. I think you Cyrus will appreciate the business books I bought recently. Harry and Hermione's genius comes from their open-mindedness. " Sirius explained proudly, as he considered the par his children too. Cyrus nodded and listened to the tale for the next hour as he described Harry's portrait ink, the modifications done to Invictus, and then the development of the Medi-Spray.
"So yes, over the next couple of months, all the plans were centred on busting me out. After Gracie probed the points and we used the muggle technology to extrapolate the position, they built that drone over there. They are common in the mundane world for pictures. And they are used as weapons platforms too. Harry purchased one, and then continuously modified it until it became what it is, today. He and Hermione could now remotely deploy items, cast spells and collect surveillance while being invisible. And all that while eating a sandwich from that little corner right over there. That drone has been key to our ability to act quickly. Naturally, the designs advanced, as Harry and Hermione broke stuff regularly."
"It surely is a powerful device, as you say? And the device was able to fly through the magical concealment?" Ophelia asked.
"Correct. Muggle repelling spells and wards can trick the eyes of people. They cannot trick cameras. This also implies that Muggle communications can see the magical world plainly and that there must be an organisation far beyond the reach of the Ministry of Magic, that has been responsible for erasing the digital footprint of the Wizarding World. We want to believe that it is a group of muggleborns who have been acting on our behalf. Or perhaps it may not be people, but merely a group of algorithms that have been responsible for ensuring that the satellite evidence is washed out. Still, it implies that muggleborns have been keeping the magical word quite safe." Remus explained.
"That admission would anger Lucius and his supporters. Muggleborns keeping the magical world safe from the mundane world? It is rather hilarious, in retrospect. What about the next set of steps to prepare Harry to break into Azkaban?" Cyrus asked.
"Harry and Hermione began to continue to push through with the armour development. The repeatable and controllable magic along with the ability to boil magic down to mathematics, and the rune reflection? That allowed them to keep most of the rune schemas home. The jetpack and the armour plating allowed us to fly and be magically safe. The shields gradually improved, from being an arm-mounted device to being distributed, and then automatically summoned. The shield and the weapons along with the flight is what won us the day. That..and perhaps...Harry's gigantic temper?" Remus joked, uneasily. As the work and Astoria continued, the explanations about Harry's preferred doctrine for war and his system of combat were illuminating for the Greengrass family. His methods were so modern and tactical that Wizards could not conceive of how to get around the simple but glaring exploits that Harry utilised all the time.
Cyrus and Opelia realised the rumoured "Legion of three thousand" that was the general propaganda that the Dark Lord was of no consequence. Harry and Hermione had enough armaments to probably go toe to toe with all of his followers, easily. And they were not done with innovations yet. As the multicoloured flicks continued, Sirius took Cyrus and Ophelia through the capture of Priya and how that was the night that Harry and Hermione had used every scrap of their gear. They had won under the command of William Granger, who was currently a dentist but also was on the S.A.S reserves. Cyrus understood that Willaim was an absolutely dangerous man. After all, he had trained both of the children, and he continued to monitor the weapons training regime at Peverell manor on the weekend. Cyrus and Ophelia considered that when they were worrying to send Daphne to charms school, Harry was already charging into fully grown men and splattering them, because that is what his world demanded of him. He could kill and save his mother, or he could hesitate and lose everything. Now the statement had been illuminating.
The boy had truly died.
And while Daphne and the rest had gotten some introductions to basic magic and could cast one or two spells, Harry had literally surpassed everyone by studying and building objects for hours every day. Harry and Hermione's schedule had almost been frightening for the adults. And it was certainly a product of taking Muggle education. Cyrus understood immediately, from the accounts of kindergarten and primary school, that the charm school that Purebloods visited three times a week was a little unimportant walk in the park. Cyrus and Opelia were amazed as Sirius took him through a P-90 weapons demonstration, followed by Sirius' new Pulse SMG, which he preferred because of its compact size. Remus had his combi-rifle, and he gladly demoed the device after putting in large holes in metal plates that were easily 400 metres away. Combat at one thousand feet was mind-boggling to Cyrus, and rifle optics was something that had changed his idea about how to pick a target. Cyrus had even tried out some of the pulse pistols and had even asked if he could see the bigger "gun" in action.
"Oh, that is the Demolition cannon. It is for breaking down some of the more stubborn things. That can crumple buildings on full power. Yes, let me get a powerpack for it, you are going to enjoy this." Remus laughed.
After the weapons demo, was some video footage of the fiasco that had happened at Hogwarts yesterday. Cyrus was proud – His daughter had saved a life, and so had Tracey. He considered that Lucius was truly stupid, and disconnected from reality. Remus began to talk about the afterburner and the casual approaching almost 400mph that was a joyride for the mad pair of children.
Astoria opened her eyes. Her palms and soles were buzzing, almost as if something had grown into her palms? She looked at her hands, as she asked:
"Why do my hands and feet feel funny?"
"We connected your magical core to your hands, temporarily. It is something we can undo when the procedure is complete. Your nerves are acting as pipes to put it in Wizarding terms. We are going to start the magical generator and we are going to pump the magic into your core. All of us are still in your head, but we will guide it. Invictus, start the cradle?" Harry requested.
Invictus switched on the generator, which was located in another portion of the mansion. Astoria began to feel far better and her almost silvery-blond fair suddenly became jet black, as her depleted core began to fill with magic. Suddenly her body, which needed to convert the raw magic into something more appropriate, began to signal her hunger centres in her brain.
She complained, "Harry, I feel better but I feel hungry! I could eat the entire house!"
"Not to worry short stack, we got you covered!" Hermione replied.
Astoria Greengrass ate most of the food that Harry had brought for the morning, and suddenly her paleness was gone, and he seemed far more alert. She seemed to be a never ending pit. She even asked for some of Harry's coffee, which she found delicious.
"Got more? Who made this food, it is amazing! Why am I so hungry?" she asked.
"That is my grandmother and Ms Weasley. We own a kitchen. I think your body needs the food to convert the magic into bodily energy. We have noticed that magic can be used to enhance a person's strength, so this is how it probably works. Let me make a call to get some more." Harry replied. Soon enough there were boxes of food, and Astoria rampaged through everything, without stopping. Even Ophelia, who had noticed the change in hair colour, came over and asked for clarification, while her husband followed. Naturally, Harry explained his suspicions about the ravenous hunger:
"Her core is full now, and the extra magic is being drawn from her neck. She is looking better, as you can see. I am going to call my friend Luna, and we are going to see what kind of creature we are dealing with – I hope it doesn't get dangerous, but that is a rather low expectation to have in our line of work"
The boy seemed to scratch his head for a moment, before settling upon a decision on how to proceed. He commanded firmly:
"Padfoot! I want the elves out, and I want Kreacher and Mipsy with Pulse SMGs. I want everyone wearing shields and I want the deployable cover set up. We have some kind of weird non-corporeal creature and I am taking no chances. Grace…collect Luna for us!"
The bird who had been relaxing out casually on her perch disappeared. As she arrived at the castle she found Luna waiting for her, after Hermione had messaged her the specifics.
"That is a fantastic bird you got there," Cyrus replied as Sirius and Remus slipped on the shielding devices for the couple. Suddenly the shields flared as the interlocking fields coalesced into a singular shape, as they adapted to the unique body dimensions of the couple.
"She is the reason why I survived Vernon Dursley. Gah, what a terrible set of people they are." Harry replied.
ZAP!
Luna was now in casual clothes, as she came over to Harry's location.
"Hello everyone. Greetings Lord Greengrass and Lady Greengrass. I hear we have an unknown magical creature within the veil?" asked Luna.
"We do. Just use those eyes, and tell us what you see?" Harry asked.
Luna sent the magic through her eyes and found herself looking at a fifteen foot, three-headed monster that looked like a mixture of a centipede and a scorpion. More alarming, was that the creature was getting larger, and it seemed to be materializing into something real. And the creature seemed intelligent, as it looked on at Luna and it clicked its pincers. It threatened her in a low rumbling tone….
"Yeessshhhhh Yeesshhhh, fresh meat! Sooooesss mucheeesss magicssss! Greats will bees my feastingsss! The endssss is neeigghhhhhh yittle hooman!"
Luna cut her vision immediately and spoke to Harry.
"Harry, help me draw a memory out of my brain, you are going to need to see this" she whispered, as she became pale. Harry immediately knew that the curveball was here.
