DISCLAIMER! This Harry Potter story was written for fun. All rights belong to the wonderful lady (JK Rowling) who gave the world Harry Potter to read and enjoy. Just playing on her beach.

This is the end of Put a Taboo to Use. I appreciate all the reviews and look forward to reading your stories in FanFiction.

SCENE && Adams, Massachusetts

Just before 9:00 AM on August 27, a tall and skinny teenage boy appeared in an out-of-the-way path between a few buildings in Adams, Massachusetts. There were trees with a few birds singing their songs across the morning air.

Harry whispered, "Thanks, Fawkes."

The phoenix vanished silently, and Harry checked on his fellow passengers – Dobby, Apollo, and Hedwig appeared fine. He commented, "Phoenix travel is much nicer than apparition or portkeys. And I won't even mention spinning around in the floo!"

"Now, elves go invisible, Come on, Hedwig, let's find the Visitor's Center."

He walked along the dirt path to a sidewalk and saw a large sign 'Adams Visitor's Center' just one building over. Harry thought it strange the amount of empty land around each building and the width of the road.

'And the cars drive on the wrong side of the road,' he noticed immediately. 'We're not in Britain anymore.'

As he approached the visitor's center, he heard a woman and a girl arguing. "Yes, Mama, I packed all those winter clothes the school said I needed."

"I don't know why they don't open a campus down South where the winter weather is not so cold."

"Daddy says it's because the cold winters keep the students inside, so they study more. At the day school outside Atlanta, we played and walked outside on nice days in December."

The mother and daughter approached the Visitor's Center from the opposite direction, the girl shared few features with her mother except for the same honey blonde hair.

The girl smiled at Harry and said, "Hello? Who are you?"

Smiling back, Harry bowed and said, "My name is Harry Potter, and this is my first day in Massachusetts. May I have the pleasure of knowing your name, miss? And your lovely sister?"

The older woman (witch) grimaced and replied, "I am Mrs. Pansy Bennet, and this is my daughter, Annie."

"Did you say this is your first day in Massachusetts?" asked the daughter, now named Annie.

"Yes, I just arrived from Britain."

Boldly Annie asked, "Are you looking for a particular place this morning?"

"Yes, Clarice Breckenridge wrote me to be here on 27 August."

"Me, too!" Annie said.

Mrs. Bennet said, "Let's find the entrance, shall we?"

She whispered to her daughter rather loudly, "And don't be making friends with the foreigner. You don't know where he's been."

"Mother, he's probably a transfer like me," replied the teenage girl, her tone exasperated with her parent's directions.

Deciding not to interrupt the family conversation, Harry moved along the sidewalk to the entrance to the Visitor's Center and saw a slow flicker of light just to the left of the front door. He glanced back at the girl, and she smiled and followed him. Harry stepped through first and found himself in a courtyard surrounded by large buildings. The architecture appeared to be some Georgian style using red brickwork but most unusual, the buildings were all connected by raised and enclosed walkways.

"Good morning," greeted a young wizard in a school uniform consisting of a dark grey open robe, gray trousers, shirt, and jumper. The clothes were grey, but his smile was welcoming. "Welcome to Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

Harry nodded his head and replied, "Thank you. I'm Harry Potter."

The wizard grinned and said, "Mrs. Breckenridge said you'd show up sometime today."

"Wait," called a voice from behind Harry. "I'm Mrs. Pansy Bennet, and this is my daughter, Annie. We have an appointment at 9:00 AM with Mrs. Breckenridge."

The young wizard nodded and said, "Yes, ma'am. Mrs. Breckenridge is expecting you. Mr. Potter, if you'll wait here, I'll escort these witches to Mrs. Breckenridge before I take you to your first appointment."

"Thank you," Harry replied. As the young wizard escorted the woman and her daughter away, Annie turned back and winked at the young English wizard.

'I think I'm going to like it here,' Harry told himself.

Dobby and Apollo became visible and waited patiently. Apollo said, "The lawns be needing elven touch. Not many elves here working on gardens and grasses."

"Wait until we talk to the bosses before you do anything. They might be working with different fertilizers and stuff. You know, like professor Sprout did all the time."

CHANGE && Health Services

Hedwig ruffled her feathers, and Harry promised to set her free as soon as possible. Dobby kept his eyes moving around, watching the few wizards and witches on the brick walkways, crossing the raised walkways, and the very few who looked outside the windows of the buildings surrounding the courtyard. It was ten minutes before the young wizard returned.

"I apologize for taking so long. Mrs. Bennet had many questions, and she wasn't happy that I kept deflecting them to her meeting with Mrs. Breckenridge."

"Do not concern yourself," Harry replied. "I am not offended."

The wizard grinned and said, "Listen, you don't have to use the formal highbrow language here. Americans expect you to be polite and clear with your words but you don't have to use thee and thou like over there.

Harry laughed. "Thee and thou? The purebloods don't use that, but they do beat their formal language into everyone."

"Come on, I'll take you to Health Services. That's where you, your elves, and owl have to go first," the wizard said. "I'm Jeffrey Culp, by the way. I am starting my last year of studies in September."

"I'll be starting my sixth year here…is that right?" Harry asked.

"Mrs. Breckenridge will tell you all about that when you get to her office."

"Can I ask about the raised walkways between the buildings?" asked Harry, pointing to the connectors between the buildings.

"Sure. We call them skyways. The winter weather here on the mountain is so cold that we don't go outside much, if at all, from December to late March. The sun might shine, but it is twelve below zero on the mountain many mornings. The skyways let us cross from dorms to classrooms without going outside."

"I'll have to get used to lots of things…I know the Centigrade scale."

"Oh, we use Fahrenheit here. There'll be a book somewhere in the library to teach you about it."

Jeffrey left Harry and his companions with Healer David Lister, who also summoned an Animal Healer to examine Hedwig and the elves.

While they waited, Lister said, "We have only eight elves here at Ilvermorny, and they work in the cafeteria and laundry."

"Does they cook and clean and washy clothes?" asked Apollo.

The healer nodded and said, "I believe that is all they have time for. Or the magic to complete. Our elves are not very powerful."

Dobby said, "Elves mustses be happy. We find out how to make happiest and fixes."

"Slow down, guys," Harry said. "Let's get accepted here first."

The Animal Healer was a witch with a stern manner but very gentle hands when she examined the owl and elves using her wand and fingers. Magical reports were created, and she sat to talk with Dobby and Apollo while Lister took harry into his office for the physical and magical examination.

SCENE && Medical History

Hedwig sat on Harry's shoulder while the healer cast many spells on the teenager.

"Your magical core is huge – one of the largest – if not the largest – I've ever seen. And it is still growing," Lister said. "Has anyone ever taught you how to access that power?"

"No, sir," Harry replied.

Lister made a notation and said, "The professors in Enchantment and Dueling are best to help you. In the classes for Fighting, the professors tell you to use every jewel of power with every single cast."

Harry shook his head and said, "That wears you out too fast."

While reading the long report magic had created about Harry's medical history, Lister kept frowning and casting more spells. Hedwig chuffed patiently to keep her young wizard calm, which helped the healer's work.

"How did you not go all Sasquatch on people and blast them into a pulp at some point in the past five years? Who were the people that starved you before that?"

Harry frowned but explained his past with the muggle relatives.

"And they disappeared?"

"They won the lottery and ran away to escape magic."

"I think you're being truthful and didn't dispose of them yourself," Lister said and wasn't surprised at the glare delivered by the protective familiar. "No, your familiar wouldn't have approved. And remember to call people without magic 'no-mag' or 'mundane'. The other word is a pejorative here."

"How did you repair the damage to your bones, organs...?"

"My elves are very knowledgeable about potions, and they healed me."

"And that curse that was in your head? Did you die for a few minutes? How did you come back?"

"That's a long story."

Lister sat down and replied, "We got all day."

"Well, the Angel of Death was hanging around magical Britain for a while. And several Horcruxes had to be destroyed – Azrael hates them. There was a fight in the school where a professor was possessed by a magical wand, and he killed me with the killing curse."

Lister stared but nodded slowly. Harry continued, "In purgatory, Azrael told me I could return because I delivered one piece of a dark lord's soul to him."

"Azrael was there?"

"With other people, yeah."

The healer swallowed and asked, "And he sent you back? Why?"

"The piece of the dark lord's soul was in my scar, and in purgatory, it left my head. Azrael picked it and turned it into a rock."

The healer looked surprised and asked, "Where did he put it?"

"Into a box with the other pieces he was collecting. He said he liked to shake it and aggravate the pieces."

"Holy Merlin and Thunderbird! The shamans of the native wizards will want to talk to you while you're a student here. They talk about pieces of souls turned into rocks that they use in rattles to summon demons and devils in their rituals."

"Well, they need to be careful and not get Azrael looking in their direction," Harry said. Hedwig ruffled out her feathers and glared at the healer again. The door opened, and the two elves padded into the room with the Animal Healer following behind.

She asked, "Everything okay in here? The elves were getting agitated."

Both adults noticed the elves took defensive positions in front of the wizard.

"I think everything is in order with Mr. Potter's medical files. His elves are healthy, and his familiar is strong and healthy."

CHANGE && Administrator for Transfers and Delinquent Accounts

Clarice Breckenridge had not enjoyed the interview with Mrs. Bennet. Her daughter, Annie, remained quiet during the list of questions her mother asked, and Clarice wondered if the young witch picked Ilvermorny to be this far from her mother. As often as the witch mentioned hating cold weather, Breckenridge figured they didn't have to worry about the mother visiting on parent weekends.

Mrs. Bennet settled into a waiting room with coffee, Danishes, and magazines (no-mag and magical) to keep her entertained for the next few hours while Annie took her examinations. Then her student assistant appeared once again, with Harry Potter.

'He's a looker for certain. Only sixteen, so his house father will have to have the talk with him,' she decided.

She welcomed him to the school, asked about his travel. She scheduled a meeting with a government official to mark his passport so that he could use no-mag travel if needed without any problems with customs leaving the USA or entering Britain.

"Your grades were very good, and I expect you to test well. But let's talk about the atmosphere and schedule here at Ilvermorny," Clarice said before she explained the semester system, the autumn (fall) schedule, dormitories, house parents, professors, classrooms, sports, and the suitable wardrobe for the winter weather on top of a mountain.

"We have winter for six months of the year, two months of spring, two months of summer, and two fall months before winter returns to close the mountain very effectively."

"Mr. Culp mentioned the skyways, I think he called them."

"And there are tunnels connecting each basement across the campus," Clarice said. "We go for months at a time without stepping foot outside."

After they discussed the fees for the fall, and Harry paid using his black credit card, Clarice took him to the testing rooms, where Annie was already on her second examination.

When the evening finally arrived, Harry was tired – his day had been extremely long, and Mrs. Breckenridge had not considered that. During lunch, Dobby and Apollo popped into the cafeteria with extra food for their wizard, and they made certain he ate well during supper. Dobby placed a couple of extra servings on Annie's plate as well, which her mother missed.

Shown to a room for the night by Jeff Culp again, Harry changed and fell into bed without many thoughts in his head except that he liked everything about Ilvermorny so far.

SCENE && Well, This Sucks

The results of his examinations placed Harry with his year group in all his classes except for English composition, Potions, and History. He would be with students one year younger in all those classes, which didn't concern him even if it meant he had to rush between classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. He was disappointed to learn the Quidditch pitch was closed until the second day of the term so that he couldn't fly anywhere, and the library wasn't open yet either.

Healer Lister met with Harry and the professors for Enchantments to discuss lessons on accessing his power easier in his spells. "And you'll learn to moderate the power and not use all of it in just a few spells."

Unfortunately, a shaman appeared that second day and claimed to have 'felt' a wizard of great power arriving on the mountain. The headmaster, Mr. Benjamin Threadgill, was careful not to offend the shaman but was reluctant to expose a new student to this aspect of magic in America so quickly. The European magical settlers maintained a truce with native magical peoples to not interfere with each other's practices.

"But this boy is dangerous with this much power!" the shaman declared.

Harry grimaced and said, "Well, this sucks."

There was a change in the temperature in the room for an instant, and suddenly, another figure was standing beside Harry Potter. Azrael was dressed in his regular robes with a thousand eyes staring at the mortals in the room, but upon his head was a headdress of feathers, and he held his box of rocks in his hand. Clarice Breckenridge placed herself between the visitor and Annie Bennet.

But Harry said, "Hi, Azrael. Sorry, you got pulled into this mess."

The angel of death smiled at the young wizard and replied, "Harry Potter! One of my favorite mortals. I've not monkeyed around with the locals here in quite some time. European idiots, African warlords, and Asian dictators have captured my attention lately as you well know. But now this loco shaman wannabe thinks he can siphon off your power to summon bad spirits to do his bidding.

"But…you can't be here!" the shaman protested. "This is protected ground."

"If it were protected, it wouldn't have let you in!" Azrael replied.

The shaman shook his rattle, and the angel of death pretended to be affected for a moment, but then he snickered, grabbed the shaman's hand, and vanished. He returned one moment later to explain, "I protected the mountain from charlatans in the future."

"Thank you," replied Headmaster Threadgill carefully.

"And this healer shared the information with the shaman," said Azrael as he glared at Healer Lister. "Will you deal with him appropriately? Or shall I?"

Threadgill immediately turned to Lister and said, "You're fired! Your confidentiality contract was violated, so you will leave now and not speak to anyone about anything you know about this school or our students."

The healer vanished with a loud pop, and the angel of death was satisfied. While the others watched, Azrael whispered to Harry, "I think a taboo on knowledge of your core is something you should do today."

Then the angel of death said, "I shall visit several lodges and speak with the true shamans to curtail these wannabes who are disturbing the inhabitants of Hell. It wouldn't do for any of them to come to visit."

Once the adults calmed down, Annie slipped closer to Harry and said, "You know if your friend had shown up when you arrived, I bet my mother would have been more polite."

"Uh, don't tell your mum about Azrael showing up," Harry begged.

"Oh, I'll not tell anyone, parental unit, classmate, or professor," Annie assured him. She motioned toward Mr. Threadgill and Mrs. Breckenridge, whom both looked peaked.

Then she leaned in and said, "But I am curious about the taboo he suggested."

Shaking his head, Harry said, "Not something I can talk about."

Scrunching her face up, Annie said, "Well, Mr. Potter, you are quite interesting."

"Miss Bennet, may I say that you are equally interesting," replied Harry with pureblood poshness though his eyes danced merrily seeing the light in Annie's eyes.

"Oh, poo!" declared a new voice. Harry turned toward the sound and grinned.

The voice continued, "We missed all the fun!"

"Luna!" shouted Harry. "Are you here too?"

The phoenix who'd brought the young witch and her companion wizard into the room at Ilvermorny sang a sweet song of reunion as Harry and Luna hugged for just a moment.

"Harry, let me introduce you to Rolf Scamander. He's the grandson of our previous Headmaster and Deputy Headmistress.

"Mr. Scamander, I am pleased to meet you," Harry said as he shook hands with the boy, one year younger.

"Mr. Potter, Luna, and my grandparents have told me so much about you. Please call me Rolf, and I hope you'll let me call you Harry,"

Then Harry turned to Annie and motioned with his hand, "Rolf! Glad to make friends! This is Miss Annie Bennet. She's a transfer student like myself, just beginning her education at Ilvermorny in September.

"Miss Bennet, this is my friend Luna Lovegood who attended Hogwarts with me last year. The young wizard is Rolf Scamander, the grandson of a wizard and witch I greatly respect," Harry continued the introductions.

While everyone exchanged greetings, Mrs. Breckenridge decided, 'The phoenix wouldn't be around the boy…wouldn't have transported the boy if he was in league with anyone dark.'

Luna sighed, "Rolf didn't believe me about Azrael visiting today."

Rolf smiled, "I believed you, Luna, I just wasn't that interested in a conversation with the Angel of Death."

Annie asked, "So Miss Lovegood, does Mr. Potter always attract unwanted attention?"

Grinning widely, Luna said, "Always and without fail."

Rolf ignored the girls and asked, "My grandfather swears you are the best seeker he's ever seen fly on a broom. Will you play here at Ilvermorny?

"I hope so. Are there any restrictions to wait for a year or something when you begin attending this school?

"Nope," Rolf replied.

CHANGE && Sorted and Classified

Sometime over the next two days, Harry found the time to cast the taboo on sharing the size of his core. His professors could know, and in his presence, they could discuss his capabilities and the classes needed to refine his control, but they couldn't write about it or share the information with anyone. He also talked with Apollo and Dobby, who discovered the free elves at Ilvermorny needed to be bonded to the school.

Mr. Threadgill and Mrs. Breckenridge said they would take the suggestion under advisement without agreeing to a decision date. Seeing the teenager was displeased by the answer, Mr. Threadgill discussed the situation that evening with the Animal Healer. She confirmed the boy's information by comparing the power level of the school's house elves with the two helping now that belonged to Harry Potter. There was a noticeable difference in the taste of the cooking, and Mr. Threadgill was pleased with how spotless his office had been for the past few mornings. Mr. Potter was summoned, and with the help of his two elves, the local house elves were fully and firmly bonded to the Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The change in service was immediately noticed by the adults.

The first night with all the students present was September 2, and Harry continued to adjust his thinking about the date being presented differently. The new students were sorted, beginning with the first years. When it came to their turn to be sorted, Annie Bennet went into Pukwudgie, the house that favored healers. Harry Potter, the only other transfer student, was sorted into Thunderbird, no doubt because he had great amounts of power and had many adventures. Then everyone devoured a spectacular welcoming feast.

Rolf was in Thunderbird house with Harry, and Luna was in Horned Serpent house. Harry was pleased to have a private but small bedroom. There were several study rooms where Thunderbird dormmates congregated to study. The school offered more shared study rooms that allowed Harry and Rolf to see Luna regularly. And more importantly, Harry got to talk with Annie outside of class and in the cafeteria in these rooms. The pair shared charms, math, enchantment, and transfiguration.

Harry was in the English composition class with Rolf, while Annie welcomed Luna into her advanced English composition class. Rolf and Luna joined Annie in the potions class, so Harry made more friends with the younger students in his class. And then Annie learned about Harry's library steamer trunk, and she talked incessantly about the charms his mother (definitely a genius) had to have used to create such a marvel.

Before Halloween, Harry and Annie were officially dating. Quidditch proved exciting with the Thunderbird captain blown away with Harry's seeker skills. Rolf played reserve blocker, and with Harry's encouragement, there were soon drills for all the students playing blocker. And despite the objections of Jeff Culp (captain in Thunderbird), Harry began working with the other seekers and two younger members of his own house on seeker plays, moves, and plans. He wouldn't allow anyone to train for Wronsky Feints until after the new year. Harry thought he had a good feel for everyone's strengths by then.

That entire year, Harry and Annie dated at Ilvermorny. They remained at the school during all holidays, only venturing to the Scamander home in Vermont for Boxing Day – a new holiday for Annie that Harry and the Scamander and Lovegood families continued in their families.

During the summer between their sixth and seventh year, Harry traveled to Tara, Georgia, to meet Annie's extended family at an annual magical barbeque. The food (pork roasted outside on a spit) intrigued Harry and his two elves. The tribe of pleasant aunts, friendly uncles, and Quidditch mad cousins pleased Harry. And his skill as a seeker smoothed his way with Mr. Bennet, who was part owner of the Birmingham Steel Quidditch team.

However, Pansy Bennet didn't warm to Harry at all.

SCENE && Tara, Georgia

After the third Quidditch match in as many days, with Annie's relatives making up both teams and Harry catching the snitch in all three games, he began talking about running plays to improve all the players.

"He's a true professional," Michael Bennet told his daughter while listening to Harry talking with the men, boys, and girls who wanted to pay.

"He's a very nice person and perfect gentleman, too," his daughter assured her father.

"Well, you would know best about that, but I'll still warn him off trifling with your heart," the man said.

Smiling, Annie said, "Thank you, Daddy. I think he's pretty close to owning my heart already."

"Merciful Sasquatch! Don't say anything to your Mama. She's been planning your wedding with the Hicks boy from Chattanooga since you were four."

"Daddy, I ain't gonna marry Steven Hicks! I don't care what Mama says 'bout his family line," said Annie, her Southern dialect appearing as she grew angry.

Later that same day, on a porch on the other side of the large house with breezeways running east to west and north to south, Harry was educated in the Bennet and Jackson family histories.

"Of course, neither family owned slaves here in Georgia," claimed Mrs. Bennet. "The Jacksons and Bennets bought and sold cotton."

Annie's mother told a good story about the family history. Harry admitted he didn't know much American history and said, "I'll have to read more about that history when I go back to school."

"And my family has a tremendous amount of influence hereabouts," Pansy continued. "We've been here for two hundred and fifty years.

"That's a considerable length of time."

"It's an extraordinary amount of time," Pansy insisted, and Harry nodded his agreement. The witch continued, "In the 1930s, there was a powerful book titled A Magical Wind Blew Through Georgia. It wasabout the War of Succession here in the states. The main characters work their magic out of a beautiful plantation house called Tara. My mother was so taken with the book and the names, she named me after the heroine* and then influenced everyone to agree to change the town's name to Tara."

"What was the name before your mother convinced everyone to change it?"

Pansy frowned and stood, indicating Harry should follow her to where the older ladies sat. She asked, "Mama, what was Tara called before they changed the name?"

"Tara?" asked an older witch with plentiful grey in her blonde hair. "It was called Corinth by the no-maj people. I think they still call it that, but magical folk call it Tara. Why?"

"This boy, Annie's friend from school, wanted to know."

"Mr. Potter, wasn't it?" asked the older witch.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Well, Tara is a good southern name, and we thought the town was better named that. What is Corinth anyway?"

"I agree that Tara is a good name. Among the Irish witches and wizards, Tara was the site of the "stone of destiny" where their kings ruled Ireland before the English conquered the island.

"Irish?" asked Mrs. Jackson. "Are you sure it wasn't English?"

"No, ma'am. We don't have Tara in England."

"Is that where you're from? England?" asked Mrs. Jackson.

"Yes, ma'am."

"You do have a lovely accent. No wonder my granddaughter smiles with her eyes when she speaks about you."

Displeased with the conversation, Pansy asked, "And what did your family do there? Why are you here now instead of over there?"

Rather than allowing Harry to speak, she answered her own question, "Probably like all the other vagabonds who come to the New World as an adventurer and scoundrel."

Mrs. Jackson reminded her daughter, "Pansy, dear. Remember Rhett Buttons was a scoundrel in the book, and he won Pansy O'Hara's heart."

*In her original manuscript, Margaret Mitchell's heroine was named Pansy O'Hara. The editor convinced Mrs. Mitchell to change the name to Scarlett. The witch who stole Margaret Mitchell's manuscript changed the title and the storyline to be one for the magical people in the MACUSA but never altered the heroine's name. Author liked the idea of changing Butler to Buttons.

CHANGE && Family Matters

That autumn, Harry and Annie spoke and planned for after graduation. Both young magical adults wanted to pursue mastery in their chosen fields – Annie in Charms and Harry with Enchantments. His study with the Potter cloak and his parents' work with Prime Numbers made electrical appliances work around magic. He had to refine it for public use, spurring interest in discovering new forms of magical transportation. Lately, he'd begun to study Fawkes and her mode of moving about with the idea of opening some doorways for instantaneous travel.

A letter from Mrs. Bennet ordering Annie home at Christmas time was not welcomed, but Harry counseled his girlfriend not to defy her parents. "Go talk to them. Your dad is reasonable."

She smiled at her boyfriend and said, "I'll introduce them to the idea that we're going to marry next summer."

Harry took his girlfriend's hands and said, "Annie, I do love you and want to marry you. Do you think we can reconcile them to the idea before then?"

"You're not marrying them – just me. They will discover what a wonderful man you are when you change the world."

"And I will change the world!" Harry assured his girlfriend.

"And my mother is blind. She has written every ten days this fall about what a nice young wizard Steven Hicks has grown up to be. He has magical bowling alleys and owns a no-maj baseball team.

"I don't know what baseball is," Harry admitted. American no-mag sports were not his forte.

Grousing, Annie said, "My mother thinks wealth solves all problems and makes you untouchable."

"And what do you think?" he asked carefully. He'd not revealed the extent of his weath to his girlfriend. Vault Manager Herr Keller found a large account hidden in banks in muggle England and invested in stable, profitable businesses.

"I don't care if you are penniless…knotless…knutless, whatever! Harry Potter, I love you!" declared Annie, stumbling over the strange British magical coinage system.

Taking his girlfriend in his arms and kissing her for a long while, Harry released her when they had to breathe and said, "And I love you too, Annie Bennet!"

When it came time for Annie to travel home (without Harry), he asked a favor, "Will you let me send Dobby with you to Tara?"

"Dobby?" asked Annie. "He's a cute fellow and lots of help with clothes. Sure, but tell him he has to stay out of my mother's kitchen. She watches Ruthie, their cook, like a hawk."

And so, Dobby Potter House Elf traveled with Annie Bennet to Tara, Georgia, for Christmas 1997. When Steven Hicks was invited to dinner the night after Annie's arrival, the young witch wished very much that she knew parseltongue to be able to cast a taboo on the wizard. (Harry had slowly been sharing some of his secrets with Annie to not scare her with big reveals – he wanted to marry the woman and spend his life with her).

Of course, when Steve's outer robe and trousers fell apart, leaving him in his briefs in the living room with the rest of the family, Annie said nothing while Hicks borrowed a pair of trousers and departed via her parent's floo. When Annie retired for the evening, she called Dobby and hugged him, the first of many hugs she gave the elf that holiday.

At dinner the next day, with just Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, their grown son and his wife, and two younger daughters present, Pansy listed all the reasons her daughter's relationship with this Potter boy was a mistake.

"Who are his people? He's been very quiet about them. Are they criminals?"

"What's he ever going to accomplish in life? He might play Quidditch for a few years, but no one makes a lifelong job out of playing a game. The owners are the ones who make the money – like Steven Hicks."

"How can that boy afford to pay for a place to live? How will he keep you in new dresses? Or pay for children? None of you were cheap to raise, let me tell you. What if you marry him and have a baby right off?"

Annie said, "We're going to get married next summer and then take our honeymoon around the world. I'll wait to start our family after our honeymoon."

"Next summer? Has he touched you? Where will you live? What do you mean by a honeymoon around the world? Jackalopes in ballerina tutus have a better chance of traveling around the world than that boy!"

After that last diatribe, Annie replied to her mother's jackalopes, saying, "Harry tells the funniest story about his old school, Hogwarts. There's a tapestry in the castle of some wizard trying to teach goblins or trolls to dance ballet. He's got them dressed in tutus, and he's standing on his toes."

Her younger sisters laughed while her brother and sister-in-law smiled behind their hands.

"Are you listening to a word I said?" Pansy demanded. "Annie Bennet, I am talking to you!"

"No, you're yelling at me like when I spilled sweet tea on the carpet in the living room when I was eight years old," her grown daughter replied.

Angry, Pansy drew her wand and cast a stinging hex at her daughter, but the hex bounced back and hit the witch in her wand hand, making her drop the wand. And mysteriously, the wand rolled underneath the china cabinet and couldn't be summoned by her husband, son, or daughter-in-law.

While Mrs. Bennet fussed, helpless without her wand, Annie spoke quietly to her father. He frowned and told his daughter not to leave, but she was adamant that she would make her way back to Ilvermorny to spend the rest of the holiday with Harry Potter.

"She can't leave!" her mother declared. "How will she travel? No one is making portkeys on Christmas Eve."

SCENE && Merry Christmas, Marry Me!

Only five minutes after Annie said she was leaving, the witch disappeared from her family home outside the small town of Tara (Corinth), Georgia. It took three pops across the eastern United States for powerful house elf Dobby to bring Miss Annie Bennet back to the common room in Harry's dormitory. It wasn't past curfew, but Harry was in his room studying. Apollo prompted the wizard that he had company in the common room, and Harry wandered down the stairs.

"Annie!" he shouted.

"Merry Christmas!" she called, running toward him.

"What are you doing here?" Harry asked while he swept her into his arms.

She smiled and said, "My mother convinced me to marry you next summer!"

"Huh?" he reacted.

He shouted, "Yes!" Then he grabbed her and pulled her close to kiss her with all his love in his heart.

When he released Annie to let her breathe, he looked worried for a minute and asked, "Are you sure?"

"Never surer of anything in my entire life," Annie answered as she grabbed him and kissed him as ardently as he'd kissed her.

Dobby needed hugs from Harry and Miss Annie to recharge his magical batteries. Apollo provided tea for Mr. Harry Potters and his Miss Annie Bennet and berries for Dobby Potter Elf. Then the couple spent the night wrapped in each other's arms on a sofa in the common room. The House Parents checked on them around midnight and wished them 'Merry Christmas' so long as the clothes remained in place.

Annie's messenger Patronus (a Pukwudgie) appeared at the breakfast table in Tara Georgia, announcing the safe return of Miss Annie Bennet to her school on Christmas Eve before 8:00 PM. Michael Bennet wondered at the speed of travel for his daughter and hoped she wasn't exhausted or splinched. Pansy fussed the whole day until her mother arrived and set her straight.

"You hated me when I tried to run your life. Annie's not any different," Mrs. Jackson told her daughter.

CHANGE && Christmas at Ilvermorny

There were a few presents for Annie under the Christmas Tree in the Pukwudgie dormitory. When she met Harry for an early lunch, he was laughing when he showed her one of the presents, he'd received. The book was titled Albus Dumbledore (A Life of Service) ANNOTATED AND UPDATED. The original manuscript was written by a witch named Minerva McGonagall and the edited version was written by a reporter named Rita Skeeter. Annie stared disbelievingly at the cover photo of the wizard in garish robes, seated on a throne in the Great Hall at Hogwarts.

Harry explained, "This was written two years ago as a biography, but now Miss Skeeter has added a lot of material and corrections. It's not listed as a biography any longer but as fiction."

Looking at the table of contents, Annie said, "You're listed here as the topic of two chapters. What did this showman do to you?"

Harry said, "We'll read the chapters this afternoon and figure it out."

"Okay, but don't think you or the elves can make this book disappear!"

"No, ma'am," Harry replied with a grin. "And since you're now my fiancé, I have something else for you.

"What?" she asked, seeing the mischievous look on his face.

"Well, we owe Fawkes a gallon of chopped-up fruit for making a special trip to London this morning and bringing this back," Harry said as he pulled out a ring box. He dropped to one knee in the school cafeteria and formally asked, "Annie Bennet, will you make me the happiest man in the world by becoming my wife?"

She said yes, and then he opened the box to display a gorgeous sapphire engagement ring.

"Sasquatch and Thunderbird, Harry!" Annie asked as he slipped the ring onto her finger. She looked at him closely.

He blushed and admitted, "I might be sorta rich, and the Potter family goes back about a thousand years."

"Rich? A thousand years?" Annie asked as she looked closer at the ring. "Mama brags about the Bennets and Jacksons being in Georgia for two hundred years."

She paused and asked, "Were you joking about a honeymoon around the world?"

"Nope, that's what you said you'd dreamed about, so we'll travel around the world for our honeymoon. It might take a year, but we can go at our own pace and visit every place you want to see."

SCENE && A Long Honeymoon

The trip around the world continued with luxury hotels and historical sites in Rome and Florence. The newlyweds used a portkey to travel to Paris. In the City of Lights, they checked into another luxury hotel, spent ten days wandering through museums, and explored the intimacy of being man and wife. Then in a surprise, Harry explained they would move to their next destination using mundane trains.

"Okay, but why?"

"I've always wanted to see the chunnel underneath the English Channel," Harry explained.

Annie grinned and said, "You're still a boy at heart."

"Forever!" declared the wizard as two invisible elves packed their bags. The couple arrived in London at midday and took the time to visit Kings Cross Station, where he showed his wife the entrance to Platform 9 ¾.

"It reminds me of the Welcome Center in Adams," Annie said, thinking of the day she had first laid eyes on Harry Potter. On the platform, where none of the mundane citizens of London could see them, Harry called for Dobby and Apollo to carry them to Bembridge.

Landing outside the wards, Harry welcomed Mrs. Annie Potter first inside the wards and then inside the house his parents had built. They spent several hours exploring how the runes and prime numbers were applied inside the house, and Annie was overwhelmed (again) by her husband's power and knowledge.

Then Harry introduced his wife to four more house elves. The next two weeks at No.27 Ducie Lane, Bembridge, were an enjoyable extension of their honeymoon.

With the help of the six Potter elves, destinations were scouted, and safe points for apparition arrival and departure were located. The newlyweds played tourist at the Tower of London, Harrods, Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, Stonehenge, Bristol, Edinburg, the British Museum, the National Gallery, a second trip to the British Museum, Canterbury Cathedral, Hogsmeade, Diagon Alley, and a third trip to the British Museum.

They also visited with Neville Longbottom and his betrothed Hannah Abbot, promised to attend their wedding in June, and dined in London on two different nights. The Daily Prophet carried photos from one night, and there were a few inquiries about meeting Mrs. Potter, but the couple met with no one else and the letters stopped after a couple of days of fruitless owl letters.

At the end of the second week in Bembridge, Fawkes arrived with a letter from Luna reminding them to return to Vermont for her wedding, and Annie laughed. "Her wedding isn't until May."

"But we've been traveling around the world for ten months," Harry reminded his wife. "It's April now."

"No! April? Have we been on our honeymoon for ten months?" Annie asked. She grinned and whispered, "Mamma will be cross that we missed Christmas, and Daddy will pout that we missed the Quidditch Super Bowl in February."

Harry shrugged and said, "We sent postcards twice each month. And your mother sent that letter while we were in Sydney."

Annie grinned and reminded her husband, "And she gave me a list of names for our children. Michael Potter named for Daddy, David Potter named for Mum's father, and Edward Potter named for Dad's father."

"Hey, I got family names too," Harry complained in a good-natured manner.

Annie grinned. "And she listed several names for girls – Pansy, Alice, and Bennet."

Harry's smirked. "Your mum's name is Pansy, her mum is Alice, and Bennet is your maiden name. Is that normal?"

"Southern families do that to their children sometimes. My aunt Ruth named her eldest boy 'Bennet'."

Harry took his wife in his arms and said, "Your mum reminds me of several witches I've met."

"And you are unlike any other wizard I've ever met," Annie replied. "You made me fall in love with you, and you've shown the whole world. San Francisco, Alaska, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singapore, Sydney, the Outback, Wellington, Cape Town, Alexandria, Athens, Rome, Florence, and then Paris."

"Paris was the most beautiful city, but London is very beautiful," Harry said. "Especially with my lovely wife in the foreground of every picture I've made."

Then Annie asked, "Is all of England as perfectly green as Bembridge?"

His wife listened and learned as Harry explained, "That's partly the climate, and it's partly the work of happy house elves. The neighbor's yard and flowers are cared for by elves – our elves – when they don't have enough work, and the whole village is a gardener's paradise."

After she learned that the perfect flower beds and lawns around the village were the result of happy elves laboring at something they truly enjoyed, Annie insisted on hugging each elf and thanking them.

"How can any place be prettier than No.27 Ducie Lane?" she asked innocently.

Harry grinned and whispered, "Now, you've done it."

Dobby bowed so low his ears flopped on the clean floor of Harry's den at No.27, and the elf asked, "Does Mrs. Annie Harry Potter's Wife wish to see the most beautiful gardens in whole entire magical worlds?"

"Where do you mean, Dobby?" the young witch asked.

The elf glanced at Harry Potter, who would deny his wife nothing her heart desired. "It's time to show her, Dobby."

The six elves surrounded Harry and Annie before popping them outside the gates of a beautiful manor house. The iron gates opened, and Harry led his wife forward; the gravel drive was smooth, with green plantings on both sides, perfectly sized trees, and planters filled with blooms every ten meters.

"What is this place, honey?" Annie asked, seeing the hint of green lawns and red brick Georgian Manor through the trees.

Smiling to hear his wife call him that pet name, Harry said, "Mrs. Potter, welcome to Potter Manor. The ancestral home of my family in Britain."

Shocked for a moment, Annie stood still and then asked, "And you didn't grow up here?"

"No. Remember my stories about the Dursleys, the old senile headmaster, and his minions? Dumbledore and the minions kept this from me."

Grabbing her husband, the witch cried just a moment. "You're the best man I know, wizard or mundane, Harry Potter. Those people deserved whatever fate they met."

Kissing her ardently, Harry said, "Come on. Let's look around before the elves all faint from the public display of affection."

The gardens along the drive slowed their walk with Annie asking a thousand questions about flowers, borders, topiary, and fountains that were answered by the elves. Annie smiled broadly when she said, "Mama and Daddy will be unable to speak when they visit."

Looking at her husband, she said, "And they need to visit soon so I can show Mama she was wrong about you. The stories she'll tell to her sisters, aunts, and cousins will keep her busy for a year or more."

Hela spoke, "Mrs. Annie Harry Potter's Wife wishes to have first guests in her new home soonest?"

"Hold on, guys and gals," Harry ordered. "Let Mrs. Annie Potter see the house. You will wait until I tell you to begin preparations for the invasion by the in-laws."

Grabbing Harry's hand, Annie pulled him forward and into the house. The witch's reaction to the beauty of the entry hall was heard by every portrait in the manor.

"Harry! Is this a palace? How does this belong to you? Is this heaven? Look at the murals! Harry, is that chair made out of gold? Is that a real Van Gogh? Holy Thunderbird! Potter, you didn't tell me you were this wealthy!"

Harry laid one arm around his excited wife and explained, "We are this wealthy. The money is nice for our honeymoon, and it'll pay for my research and pretty dresses for my lovely wife. And it'll impress your mum and dad."

"Suffering Sasquatch, Potter! When Mama and Daddy see this manor, the only way we'll ever get them to leave is to use a taboo!"

The EndOMAKE: Potter Children

Harry Potter was proud of the five children that Annie Potter (nee Bennet) presented to him. Throughout his long life, he considered his happy family his greatest accomplishment.

Each child was delivered by Healer Andromeda Tonks at Potter Manor. During each delivery, Harry fainted but only once for each baby. Dobby took care of the wizard while Hera and Bobby prepared for another baby to pamper.

James Michael Potter was born on January 5, 2000 (Named for his two grandfathers)

Fleamont David Potter was born on March 4, 2003 (Named for his two of his great grandfathers)

Martin Edward Potter was born on May 1, 2006 (Named for his two of his great grandfathers)

Lily Marie Potter was born on July 31, 2008 (Named for Harry's mum and Lily's mum).

Luna Scarlett Potter was born on October 14, 2011 (Named for Harry and Annie's friend Luna Lovegood and 'Scarlett' because Harry chose not to give his mother-in-law any satisfaction).

SCENE && The Battle of the Names

There was a contentious battle between Mrs. Bennet and her son-in-law about naming the first child and the animosity between the two kept the Bennets from ever having a close relationship with their grandparents. This argument began early in Annie's first pregnancy at the end of the Bennet's visit to Potter Manor in the summer of 1999. Despite all the evidence of Harry's family wealth and influence in Britain, Pansy Bennet insisted that her husband name should be the first name for the baby. Annie was distressed by her mother's attitude and Harry ordered the elves to ban the woman from the manor. Mr. Bennet followed his wife with the bags and they spent three days at the Leaky Cauldron in London because all the hotels were booked full.

As a consequence of the fight, the Bennets didn't hear from the Potters until after the delivery of James Michael Potter in January 2000. Mrs. Bennet immediately argued for reversing the order of the names for the baby, and the call on mobile phones ended abruptly. When the grandparents were not invited to attend the naming ceremony where godparents also were named, all attempts at communication ended for a period of ten months.

After several months, Michael Bennet broke the ice with a letter begging to meet his grandson, and a visit was arranged for late summer 2000. Pansy Bennett was desperate for photos of her grandson in the opulence of Potter Manor to show to her sisters and friends, so she was contrite and guarded her tongue during the visit. However, none of her cameras worked; she complained and was informed that one of the dratted house elves would supply her with selected photos for display in her home.

Harry warned his mother-in-law, "None of the photos could be duplicated, and they will not print in newspapers or magazines. If you try to duplicate them, they will fade away."

"But Michael's picture should be seen!" Pansy protested, ignoring the name 'James'.

Annie looked at her parents and reminded them, "Harry and I are very private about James and our home."

"But I want to brag about your home! What good is a rich son-in-law if I can't brag about him?"

Over the coming years, Michael and Pansy argued regularly about the infrequent visits between Britain and Georgia. As Harry Potter's magical accomplishments spread his fame, Pansy feared the power of her son-in-law and never reconciled herself to the anonymity of her grandchildren.

(The careful placement of taboos on photos and information regarding the children and Potter Manor kept them out of the limelight).

Mr. and Mrs. Bennet were present for subsequent naming ceremonies and the selection of godparents for the other Potter children. Pansy was unpleasant when none of her other children or relatives were ever selected as godparents. Harry and Annie always selected Rolf Scamander and Hannah Longbottom (nee Abbot), or Luna Scamander (nee Lovegood) and Neville Longbottom as the godparents for their children.

Other Accomplishments of Harry Potter

Safe use of Electricity in Magical Homes (ICW Award for Magic 2001)

Harry shared the award with his deceased parents: James and Lily Potter. They pioneered the magic of Prime Numbers in Runic Arrays that Harry used to provide the magic to every magical home and business.

First Magical Portal for safe, instant transportation across the Continent of Europe (ICW Award for Magic 2003)

Harry attributed the development of this magical device to his study of Fawkes, the phoenix once associated with Hogwarts but who migrated to Vermont in the mid-1990s.

Magical Portal for safe, instant transportation between Europe and North America (ICW Award for Magic 2005)

Magical Portal for Transportation around Globe (ICW Award for Magic 2009)