Chap. 7: The past two weeks, and Greenhill Manor.

It was now Wednesday, July 17th, and it had been two weeks since Harry had contacted the Greengrasses. Cyrus had wanted a cooling-off period before the meeting, and to have time to contact his solicitor. Harry referred Cyrus to Odius for a conference on his part.

During the last two weeks, many things had occurred. All of Harry's equipment had been delivered and set up in the sitting room at the cottage at the Hollow. He now had four HP Designjet 330 wide-format monochrome printers connected to a router, and then they were routed to an HP PC running Windows NT 4.0. The layout software was QuarkXPress, which had just come out for the Windows platform, and he had a flatbed scanner connected to the PC to scan in B&W photographs. On top of that, he had purchased several stacks of paper that were already cut to size in both full and half-sheets, which were now sitting in the corner of the kitchen by the side door that led to East St..

He had the telephone connected, but it was only for the internet, and the line went straight to a modem. To make calls, he purchased an Ericsson EH237 cell phone, which he now carried with him.

The "HotBot" search engine was wonderful, Harry thought, especially when he started searching for an artist's image of an eye. Well, Harry thought, the internet was wonderful in itself, especially the published history that one could find on the uni's websites.

In what would have been the sitting room or parlor, Harry had set up two desks, one for him, and one for a fellow editor, as well as a new pine round table with six chairs that he had purchased locally. That was for the gossip queens to sit at and have tea while they conjured their stories.

In the largest upstairs bedroom, he had created a small photographic set to stage photo shoots. It contained a bed and a few pieces of furniture at the moment, as well as a new Canon EOS ELAN II 35 mm camera on a tripod, and two floodlights with white umbrella diffusers on tripod stands. The lights could be run from portable batteries as well, which was very convenient. Everything, including the walls, was transfigurable to match what they needed.

The newspaper boxes were now under construction, and they were made out of oak, and completely weatherproof, of course, with an opening glass-fronted door, which would allow one witch or wizard to retrieve one paper without paying. They worked very similar to a vanishing cabinet, where seven wooden boxes, to load from, were to be placed at the shop.

The public boxes were charmed to react to any spell being cast at them, where they would simply, but very quickly, "pop out of the way," and reappear about four feet to either side of where they had been sitting. If one tried to remove them by hand, they would find that they were stuck in place by a charm similar to a permanent sticking charm. Trying to destroy one, manually, would lead to one of several very nasty jinxes being applied to the offender. St. Mungo's would end up treating several cases after they were first set out in the middle of the night at Diagon Alley and at Hogsmeade.

On the back of each box was attached a tin sign, which then appeared above each box. On the sign, and to the right, appeared a cartoonish character of a witch, who had a scandalized look upon her face. Beside her was the text, quoting her, saying "Oh The Scandal, Surely Not!" At the very top was the new newspaper's name, "The Magic Eye," which had a picture of a single eye just below the name. Under that was the new paper's motto, which stated, "Printing The News That's Not Fit To Print!" The eye, Harry found, would magically shift about when someone walked close to the box. Below the witch, it said, "Take A Copy, They're Free!"

Harry had also taken the time to purchase some new clothes in London; both muggle and magical. He bought two suit ensembles off the rack, which fit him well enough, and he had a few robes created at Twilfitt and Tattings. He had also purchased himself a new pair of trainers, along with a nice pair of Oxfords as well.

The evening before, on the 16th, he had dined in London for supper and had stayed the night at No. 12 Grimmauld Place. The place, Harry thought, was a filthy wreck. The Fidelius charm was now compromised, as everyone who knew the secret could speak it. He wouldn't replace the charm until after he had the place refurbished, and he was now in search of a good magical contractor.

Harry had also removed several books from the Black Library, which were about some very dark potions, jinxes, hexes, and curses, which he had taken back to the Dursleys earlier that day, and locked them in his trunk. One of those books, which was hand-penned, had a rather curious name, and it was called "Magic Most Evil" written by Godelot. Harry had learned to use a silencing charm on the book, to stifle its wail when it was opened.

Another book on the dark arts, which he had found magically locked inside the library's desk, and which required the application of his ring to unlock, was Secrets of the Darkest Art by Owle Bullock. It was another hand-penned book from the Middle Ages, by the looks of it. Inside were many old and horrible forms of magic, but, Harry thought, to defend against those things, one had to know what they were. Plus, Harry thought, if a Death Eater was on the other side of his wand, and was casting dark curses at him, he might just let them know that he knew a few as well. The next time Bellatrix said, "Oh, he knows how to play, 'ittle bitty baby Potter," he would know just that, and, she would not like the results.

Harry knew that he was powerful, for his age, but what he didn't know, was that when he came back from New Orleans, he would be feared by those like Voldemort and Bellatrix.

Harry made his way down the steps of the stoop at No. 12, and out onto the sidewalk. He then went down the steps that were fenced off by a black railing, which led to his basement and made sure the door was locked and warded before he climbed the steps back up to the sidewalk. Here, he walked across the street and made his way to the small public square in the middle, which was a small park that was surrounded by a black wrought-iron fence. Next, he fished his cell phone from his jacket, and called his aunt, since it was now 9:30 in the morning.

Harry listened as the phone rang three times before it was picked up, but it was Dudley.

"Dudders? This is Harry. Hey, do me a favor, and tell Aunt Petunia that I will be home this afternoon, will you?"

At Dudley's acknowledgment, Harry hang up and made his way over to a clump of shrubs in the center of the park. Here, he turned on his heel and disapparated.

Tonks had taught Harry to apparate, but he despised it. He did, however, learn, and took his test yesterday morning, on the 16th, where he received his license. Wilkie Twycross, an old, thin, and wispy individual gave him the test, but he didn't approve of how Harry had learned the skill.

Tonks had also gotten her revenge, as she had apparated them as slowly as she could, dragging him through the ether in what felt like a very long hose pipe, before reappearing. She had quickly walked away from the young wizard, and laughed aloud, as he honked up what was still left in his stomach. Once he stood, and they started making their way to the Tonks' cottage, she elbowed him in the side, and told him, "I told you, payback's a bitch, Potter!"

Harry remembered meeting Andromeda for the first time, and that had spooked him to the point of wanting to draw his wand, though he didn't, but she did favor Bellatrix to an awful degree. However, he found that she was a very nice witch, as well as Tonks's father, Ted. Harry had been thinking of this just before he apparated. However, he had cleared that from his mind and thought about his destination, which he also learned yesterday, and that was a location on the "Main Road" at Crockham Hill at Edenbridge, Kent. Harry had to snort at the name, as Crockham literally meant the "home of the crock," where "ham" is an old word for home. Crockham Hill was close to Sevenoaks and Oxted, and it was also close to the outskirts of South London.

Gareth had taken the time, while Harry was at the ministry the day before, to quickly side-along apparate them to the entrance of Greenhill Manor. Harry did have to know where it was physically located in order to apparate to it. After that, Harry had apparated to No. 12.

This morning, though, found Harry now standing back at the black wrought-iron gate sided by brick posts for Greenhill Manor. Harry did as he was told, where he walked over to the gate and tapped it once with his wand. He no sooner had his wand slid back up his cuff when a small house-elf appeared with a slight pop. "Hmmm," Harry muttered. Why send an elf when a brick gatehouse was located just on the other side, and a nice one at that? Didn't anyone live in it, now, Harry wondered?

"Who's yous be," The little male elf said, "and who's yous be here to see?"

Harry cleared his throat and gave the little elf a smirk. "I am Harry James Potter, and I have an appointment with both Cyrus and Daphne Greengrass."

The little elf's eyes looked to be ready to roll out of its head, before it collected itself, and said, "The Great Harry Potter bes visiting Greenhill, and wills bes seeing Master and Little Miss Daphy?"

Harry almost groaned at the epithet, but he merely smiled and nodded. He thought Daphne's nickname to be hilarious, as well, but he wouldn't push his luck by using it.

Here, the elf snapped its fingers and the gates opened, allowing Harry entrance to the graveled drive.

"Do we, er, just walk up," Harry asked the elf, "or what?"

"Splodgey wills apparate the Great Harry Potter tos the front of the manor, if he's being ready, sir?"

Harry almost snorted out, again, but he took the little elf's hand, and they disapparated with a slight pop.

Harry stood in front of the large brick manor, gawking, and he knew he was. Splodgey had left him there but did point out the front entrance, which was a door located under a small portico.

The huge mid-19th century Victorian manor, which was mostly brick, but also partially of post and beam construction with stucco walls, was three stories tall, though some of the upper rooms had dormer windows around the roof for the second floor. However, there was what he would call a central tower, which was, one could say, four stories tall. It had a partial roof around it, but about two-thirds had been opened up, which had a deck and railing, as well as a covered sitting area from what he could deduce. In other words, they had their own lookout tower! He'd also bet there was an owlery up there.

Here, Harry swallowed, built up his nerve, and made his way to the front entrance, where he clapped the knocker twice on one of the two white wooden doors.

It wasn't but a second or so that the one to his left opened. Splodgey had opened it and was holding onto the handle from the inside.

Harry smiled at the small elf and stepped over the threshold into a reception hall. There, standing before a round oak table that held an ancient-looking Chinese vase on top, and which was supported by a carved coiled snake in the middle, was Cyrus Greengrass and his wife, Helen. To Cyrus' left was Daphne, and to Helen's right was Astoria.

Here, Cyrus took two steps forward and gave Harry a small bow. "Lord Black, it is good to finally meet you, and to have you visit us at our humble home."

There wasn't anything humble about the home, Harry thought, but he plastered on a smile, and gave a small bow back, before he took Cyrus' outstretched hand, and shook it.

"Mr. Greengrass, the pleasure is mine," Harry said, "but please, call me Harry."

"Very well, Harry," Cyrus said, "but you must call me Cyrus. We are, after all, about to become family."

Here, Harry could have sworn that Daphne gave a slight wince, but she kept up her polite but cool persona.

"Harry, allow me to introduce you to my lovely wife, Helen." Here, Helen gave Harry a curtsey.

Harry took Helen's hand after she presented it, bowed, and gave it an air kiss. "A pleasure, Mrs. Greengrass."

"Now," Cyrus said, "this is my youngest, Astoria." Here, he whispered to Harry, "she can be quite the handful."

That caused Astoria to blush, but she curtsied as well, and Harry gave her hand an air kiss too. "It's good to meet you, Astoria, and much better than only seeing each other from across the Great Hall at Hogwarts."

"Thank you, Harry," Astoria timidly said.

"And now, Harry, my eldest, and your betrothed; my daughter, Daphne," Cyrus said.

Daphne stepped forward, curtsied, and held out her hand. Harry gave her a bow, but this time, he actually kissed the back of her hand, which made her ears turn red under her blond hair. "As beautiful as always, Daphne. It's just a shame that we've never been able to meet at school," Harry remarked.

What had happened to Potter, Daphne thought? This was not some bumbling idiot dressed in rags as she had expected. No, he actually had manners and was wearing a respectable brown Harris Tweed muggle suit. She also noticed his shoes, which were not the worn-out trainers that were literally falling apart, but were a pair of new Oxfords. This caused her cheeks to blush, especially after she noticed his emerald eyes staring at her.

"Heir," here, Daphne stopped and cleared her throat, "Potter, it's good to see you again." Why was she feeling so hot all of a sudden, and why, by Merlin, was Astoria smirking at her?

When Harry looked over to Cyrus, he directed Harry toward a large arched doorway, which everyone began making their way through. Once through the doorway, he found himself standing in a large and long great hall, where he noticed a large dining table at the far end, and by a very fancy fireplace.

To his left was a winding staircase, which had a dark green carpet runner that had borders of a gray floral motif along either side. The wallpaper, in the great hall, and in the stairwell, was a flat silver, but it had a raised gray floral motif on it, in what looked to be velvet. All along every wall was a large moving portrait, and a few looked familiar for some reason, especially a man and his wife. The man was a slender redhead, who kept his head sort of bowed, and his wife had black hair that was shoulder-length. Both smiled and waved at Harry, so he gave them a nod back.

The floors were oak, in a herringbone pattern, and were covered in nice Persian rugs, and the white plastered ceiling, which had large white decorative beams running across it ever so often, and were held up by white Greek columns, had a large white plaster cornice running around it in an egg, dart, and dentil design. All the chandeliers were hung from the center of large plaster rosettes as well.

The furniture around the room was antique, Harry could tell, and most of it was mahogany or black walnut. The furniture looked to range in date from the Victorian days to the end of her reign, and just afterward to the thirties.

The last thing that Harry noticed was that they had electricity in the house, which surprised him greatly.

Harry's jaw had almost dropped, though, but he held it closed before he saw Cyrus motioning toward a door off the great hall by the fireplace.

"Come, Harry," Cyrus said, "and we'll all take our rest within the library."

Harry gave the man a nod, where he followed the family through the door, and into a rather large room at 18'-6" x 24', which could easily hold two of the sitting rooms at the Dursleys. If this was the library, Harry thought, how big was the bloody drawing room?

Inside the library was just as swanky, where matching large oak bookcases were set about every wall not holding a window, and the room had two bay windows in it. It also had a fireplace in the wall facing the great hall, and before that were two plush-brown stuffed chairs, and a long, burgundy leather sofa. A large cocktail table sat in the floor between them, and small side tables, which were antique and on spindly legs, were at the end of each arm of the sofa. These tables had a box-shaped top, with a small door on the front, and the top held a removable wooden tray, with handles, which he thought was neat.

Cyrus and Harry took up the two chairs across from one another, and Helen, Astoria, and Daphne took up the sofa. Harry noticed that a roll-top desk was set just behind the sofa against the outer wall, and he sort of felt out of place here, but he would have to get used to it, he knew.

Next, Cyrus called out, "Splodgey!"

Splodgey appeared in front of Cyrus with a small pop, and looked up with adoration at his master.

"What can Splodgey bes getting for Master today?"

"Splodgey," Cyrus said, "if you will, please bring us a tea service for five."

"Yes, Master Cyrus, Splodgey wills be right back!" Here, the small elf snapped his fingers and disapparated away.

"I like that elf," Harry remarked, causing Cyrus to smile. "I have two, and one is a toe rag, the old Black elf, Kreacher, and I have Dobby, the old Malfoy elf. Well, Dobby is a bit eccentric, which is the best that I can say, but he would do anything for me."

Before Daphne could stop herself, she asked in surprise, "How did you end up with the Malfoy's elf?" This caused every eye in the room to turn to her, which made her blush.

Before Harry could answer, Splodgey reappeared and began making everyone their tea. After Harry took his first sip and sat the fine china cup back onto its saucer, he looked over at Daphne and smiled.

"Now, about your earlier question, Daphne," Harry replied. "I tricked Lucius into freeing Dobby during my second year. Would you believe that Lucius tried to curse me, but Dobby protected me and hexed his old master? Then, the sneaky little elf bonded with me, and I had no idea until just a few weeks ago."

Daphne, Helen, and Astoria all gasped, but Cyrus let out a chortle at that, and said, "You did what?"

"Oh yes," Harry said with a proud smirk, "it was Lucius responsible for what happened during our second year. He had slipped a cursed journal into Ginny Weasley's cauldron at Diagon Alley, and it began to possess the poor girl, forcing her to open the Chamber of Secrets. There was a very old basilisk down there, and that was what was petrifying the students!"

"You're kidding," Cyrus said, slightly unnerved, "but they kill with their gaze!"

"In everyone's case, they were extremely lucky," Harry explained. "They either saw its gaze through something, or only saw its reflection, and that was enough to petrify them, including Mrs. Norris, Filch's cat."

"So, I take it that Dumbledore found the chamber, and dealt with the beast?" Helen asked.

Here, Harry couldn't hold back his snort, and said, "Of course not! He wanted to close the school! It was me that figured it out, and I, along with Ron and the fraud, Professor Lockheart, made our way down to the chamber, where I killed it with Gryffindor's sword. I was actually bitten by it, but was saved by Fawkes, Dumbledore's Phoenix, which cried into the wound. I would have died if it hadn't.

"The rest of that tale, I'm afraid, is a state secret, but Gareth knows, and he can tell you if the ministry feels it's okay to do so. Scrimgeour has now classified many of my exploits, labeling them a state secret. Why, I don't know."

When Harry looked around the room, Cyrus looked stunned while holding his teacup about two inches away from his mouth, without taking a sip, and his eyes were open wide. All three of the Greengrass witches' eyes, though, looked as if their eyes would pop out of their heads.

This made Harry a bit uncomfortable, and he squirmed in his chair. He cleared his throat, and looked down at the cocktail table, before muttering, "Uh, eh, well, yea."

One could have heard a pin drop for a few minutes, until Cyrus cleared his throat, and began the discussion about the elephant in the room.

"So, Harry, what are you looking for in this contract?"

Here, Harry glanced at Daphne, who suddenly sat ramrod straight, and that cold but calm look spread over her face. He decided, then, that he didn't like that look on her.

"Mr. Greengrass," Harry said with a sigh, "I want everything fair between us, that is, between Daphne and I. There are many things in these old contracts that I will not allow, nor do I agree with, such as having a mistress on the side. If I am to be married, then I will respect my vows, and, my wife."

This made both Cyrus and Helen look somewhat relieved, but Harry noticed that Daphne was still very uptight.

Before Cyrus could say anything else, Harry said, "Mr. Greengrass, do you think that Daphne and I could have a talk, maybe, outside, and have a stroll over by the fountain; all within your and your wife's eyesight, of course?"

This caused Daphne to quickly look over at Harry, and stare at him.

Cyrus thought about this for a moment, and then he slowly nodded his head and agreed. "As long as you two stay within our eyesight, then I will allow it."

"Thank you, sir," Harry said as he stood. "Daphne," Harry said, as he held his right arm out to her, which she latched onto with a slight huff. Harry suppressed his smirk at this.

The two made their way back to the front entrance, with Cyrus and Helen following behind them. They would watch the young couple through the large bay window in the drawing room after they watched the two make a left toward the fountain.

Harry and Daphne hadn't made it far past the low wall that separated the main drive from the side of the house facing the gardens and fields down the hill, when she broke away from Harry and quickly made her way to the fountain.

Harry slowly caught up with her and found her staring off in the distance, where one could see farm country for miles from where they were on top of the rolling hill. He knew that she was chewing over her words before she spoke.

Finally, she took a seat on the stone bench by the fountain's pond and patted it.

Harry sat down beside her but stayed quiet.

"What did you mean, Harry, when you said that there are 'many things in these old contracts that I will not allow, nor do I agree with?'"

"It's just that, Daphne," Harry explained. "They make you into nothing but chattel, something to be sold off. They also allow for the husband to have as many women on the side as he wants, and I'm not like that. No, if we're to marry, I want things to be on equal terms between us."

Daphne nodded and thought about this for a second. "What do you think of pureblood customs, Harry, especially things like our holidays?"

"I'm not one to tell anyone how to live," Harry responded, "unless it hurts others in some way."

"So," Daphne said, "you're saying that you're not like some muggle-borns, who come into our world, and wish to make it like the muggle world? That was what Dumbledore wanted, in many ways."

"Well," Harry said, "no, I don't want that. I know many purebloods celebrate different holidays than muggles, and I'm alright with that. Most muggle holidays are tied to Christianity, anyhow, and they're the ones who once hunted us down."

"Exactly!" Daphne exclaimed, before she swiftly spun in her seat, and stared at Harry. Here, she studied him for a bit before she looked back out at all the farmland in the distance. "Do you think all pureblood families are dark?"

Here, Harry sighed and shook his head. "When I first came into this world, I did, but that was because of what I had been told. You see, I was reared by my mum's sister and husband, who are muggles. Well, I think that Aunt Petunia and Dudley may be squibs, but Vernon is the most muggle of muggles and has all their bad traits.

"Next, Hagrid collected me for Hogwarts, and he didn't have good things to say about purebloods, and then I met Ron, who I have to admit is a bit of a bigot toward those who're not a Gryffindor, and are part of the Sacred 28."

"What do you think, though?" Daphne asked in a haughty tone.

"I've met several decent purebloods, Daphne, including members of the Sacred 28. I know better, now, but you'll never hear me saying anything good about the Malfoys."

Here, Daphne couldn't hold it in, and gave out an unladylike snort, before she gave Harry a quick smirk. "Nobody really likes the Malfoys, even if they play up to them for a favor, Harry. Draco is an insufferable prat!"

Here, Harry chortled out, "Tell me about it."

"Are you upset to be dragged into a betrothal contract," Daphne asked with a light voice.

"Well," Harry replied, "it was not the way that I had planned on finding my mate, I can tell you, but I could have also become hooked up with someone that I would be miserable with, too, so, who knows?"

"Do you think that I will make you miserable," Daphne asked in almost a quiet voice.

"No," Harry said, "though I don't know you very well, at all, but I've never noticed you say anything bad about anyone, including about Hermione, who's like my sister."

Here, Daphne gave Harry a short nod and stared back out at the fields in the distance. "Tell me, Harry, what do you think about the dowry?"

"I'll pay it to Cyrus, so he won't have to," Harry said, "but you won't need it, as I plan on you sharing everything, including my wealth, with me. You'll never want for anything, and it would all go to you if something, Merlin forbid, ever happened to me. You can have a private vault if you want it, and a dowry, but you won't need it. That will need to be in the contract, by the way."

Here, Daphne let out a little high-pitched sigh, and he noticed her shoulders slowly deflate. She was truly a beautiful witch, Harry had to admit, and he could see why all the guys said that she was the best-looking bird at Hogwarts.

"Really?" She asked, and at his nod, she studied him again. Finally, she stood and held out her hand. "Come, and let's go find Mum and Da', as we have a contract to finish."

Harry stood, and took the young witch's hand, where both made their way back to the manor. It just hit Harry that he had just obtained himself a fiancée.

Before the two made it to the entrance doors, Harry looked over at Daphne, who was about four inches shorter than him. "Hey, Daphne," he said, "how would you like to go on a shopping trip with me to muggle London?"

Daphne's eyes lit up at this. "Where to, Harry?"

"Harrods," Harry replied, and Daphne almost squealed. She had been wanting to go there since Tracey Davis had told her about it in her first year!

"You're on, Potter!"

A/N: Thanks for the reviews!