Halfway through August, the happy mood of the holiday is shattered when Minister Fudge quite literally turns up on the doorstep.
Dobby pops into the "Missy Mummy," a name Dobby adopted for Naomi when she wouldn't stop teaching him table manners or life skills, "Minister Fudge is at the doorway."
Naomi looks up from where she, Harry, and Hermione, are packing for a trip to the Southend Central Museum and Planatarium, followed by a visit to Southend pier and Peter Pan's playground after dinner.
"Who?"
"The Minister of Magic."
Naomi huffs, "Well tell him to come back tomorrow, we're getting ready to go out."
Dobby disappears with a pop, before reappearing a moment later, "Dobby is sorry, but Mini Fudge says that it's urgent he speaks to The Great Hari Potter Miss."
Naomi sighs, "Ok you two, keep loading the car and I'll go and see what he wants. Hermione, you're only allowed one book for the journey, and it has to be fiction. No, Dobby, you're not allowed to help either, as this as much about learning what's needed for a trip as it is packing the car."
A minute later she comes back into the garage with a puzzled expression on her face, so Hermione asks, "Are you ok mum?"
Naomi shakes her head, "I left the kettle on."
"Mum, there isn't a kettle in here. What did the Minister want?"
"The Minister, oh right, I'll go and see what he wants."
A minute later she comes back in looking puzzled again, "Mum, how did it go?"
"Oh, I came back because I think I left the oven on."
"Dobby, do you think you could take mum to see the Minister?"
Dobby takes Naomi's hand and disappears with a pop, reappearing on the porch where a portly man, wearing green robes with a matching bowler hat, stands looking at the door impatiently. Behind him are a couple of burly Aurors who look like they were chosen for their size more than their intelligence.
Naomi puts her hands on her hips, "Well!?"
The Minister turns around quickly, "Madam, we thought you were in the house."
Naomi pins him with a glare, "Well, I would have come through the house, but for some reason I couldn't get to the door. How can we help you?"
"I'm here to talk to Harriet Potter, to ensure that she's safe."
"Not until you've told me why you want to talk to her, as I'm one of her legal guardians."
Fudge takes off his bowler hat and turns it worriedly in his hands, "Well, you see Madam, there's an escaped convict on the loose, one Sirius Black, and we have reason to believe he's after Harriet."
Naomi nods, "We saw something about that on the news. He's a terrorist that escaped from a maximum security prison up north isn't he? It was in the news over a week ago."
Fudge coughs, "Yes, well, it took us a while to find her address, as her wand isn't showing up on the trace. Neither is the wand of one Miss Granger, a muggleborn that shares this address."
"Well, you've delivered your message. Now if you don't mind we're about to go to Southend for a day trip."
"Um, about that, we'd really rather you didn't. As it could be dangerous for Miss Potter to be out and about. We would also like to place some protections over your property so that if he does come here, he won't be able to get in before the Auror's arrive."
"No, you can put up the protections, as long as they don't stop us from getting into our own home, but we're not putting our life on hold because of a prisoner that was last seen in the North of England. I would also like you to leave a list of whatever protections you do put up."
"Yes, well it will take us an hour to put them up."
"That won't work, as I said we're going out today and won't be back until late evening. I'm working tomorrow, but my husband should be around for the day if you could do it then."
One of the Aurors speaks up while the minister is thinking, "Either way ma'am, we will need to see both of the children, and their wands. As evading the trace is a very serious issue."
Naomi sighs, "Dobby, could you tell the children to get their wands, and come around to the front please?"
While they're waiting for Harry and Hermione, Fudge suddenly exclaims, "I know, we'll assign you a guard until Hogwarts starts, that way you can still go about your business and we know that the girl-who-lived is safe. Dawlish, head back and ask Madam Bones for an Auror who can blend in."
Dawlish disappears with a crack, and while they're waiting, Harry and Hermione both come round the side of the house carrying their wands. Once they're standing just off the porch, the second Auror draws his wand and casts a rather complicated charm. Once he's finished, he nods, "Everything seems to be in order Minister."
Hermione, ever inquisitive, asks, "What was that spell?"
"It checks to see if the trace has been tampered with, as well as checking your magical maturity. There have been families in the past that have forced their children's magic to mature in order to evade the trace. As you can probably imagine, this can cause problems for them growing up."
Naomi nods, "Thank you for that explanation, Hermione, Harry, put your wands away and make yourselves a drink. We're going to be a little late leaving."
In the end, it takes them another hour to leave with a young trainee Auror who has been assigned this as part of her final evaluation. Her cover story is that she's a university student earning a little money by playing chaperone to the children while the parents do their own thing over the summer. Much to Naomi's annoyance, that extra hour meant that they got caught in the holiday traffic on the A127, and then it took them another hour to find a parking space, despite being during the middle of the week.
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Cruz looks up from the latest letter from the Grangers, and then at both of the children in front of her. Wordlessly, she hands the letter over to Godric, "Harry, I think it's time to teach you to defend yourself without your wand. I know you've been doing a few things with Rick here, but I'm going to give you one of the Queens Ogres, and I want you to start practicing with it. It will allow you to safely drain monsters if you come across them."
Godric nods, "Indeed, and the young wizard should join the young sorcerer in learning the sword, as it's far easier to learn when you're facing a student of roughly equivalent skill, with a master correcting you, than against a master." Hermione looks longingly at the pile of books, seeing her look, Godric laughs as he continues, "Also, I believe that I will add a request to your parents that all of your books on magical subjects be sent here. As it is past time that you should have learnt to come to this realm on your own. If you fail to learn the necessary skill by the end of the week, I will instruct young Mrs Potter to no longer bring you to this realm upon sleeping."
Hermione's eyes widen, "You wouldn't."
"Aye lass, I would. It's not uncommon for students to need, an incentive to learn skills that they find difficult. If you haven't learnt the skill by the midwinter holiday, I will have the school bar you access to the library."
"But…But…But how will I do my homework?"
"By only using the materials that are in your textbooks. Hmm, oh that's the other thing to add to the letter to your parents. The professors are talking about allowing you the use of a time turner in order to attend all of your classes. I do not believe that you would be well served with either Divination or Muggle Studies, for that matter young sorcerer neither would you if you were so inclined to take those courses. In the time that I've known either of you, you have shown no special insight into the events of the future, or those of distant locations. It is also quite clear that you are currently living in the muggle world, so any studies that you may partake of in the school would be dwarfed by your lived experiences."
Cruz returns with something that looks like a leather coat, and two queenslayer blades, along with a strap of leather, "Ricky, would you be able to wrap the hilt of Hermione's sword please? Only she's still human so the ichor channels will cause her damage if you don't."
Godric sighs, "Certainly my lady, young wizard, come and watch as I do this, as undoubtably you will need to learn how to do this yourself."
While Godric shows Hermione how to wrap the hilt, Cruz shows Harry how the ichor channels work, both in the blood code as well as the sword. Hermione is barely able to keep her eyes on the actual wrapping process, as the fact the blade is easily longer than she is tall keeps drawing her attention. However, it doesn't escape her attention that when Godric grips the hilt nearer the blade, short needles pop up along the side of the grip. Needles that look like they're insanely sharp. From that point on, her eyes don't waver from what Godric is doing, as she tries to commit it to memory.
When he finishes, Godric hefts the blade a couple of times with a grunt as he finds the balance point on the grip, "My lady, while I wouldst not normally question the weapons of another master. I do have to ask why these swords are overlarge?"
Cruz looks over, "Leverage. The monsters attacking our world were immune to conventional weaponry, with wounds that would heal over almost as fast as they were inflicted. These swords were designed to be used one handed by revenants to inject ichor in quick, precise, strikes and stabs. The blood code itself contains 'teeth' under the shoulders, and while it's worn it will act as part of the user. It also takes in a little blood from the enemy with each strike of an ichor weapon, that can then be used to power some of the effects inherent in a Revenants blood code."
Godric nods, "How did you get them so light?"
"Titanium alloy, I've got the ratios on a tablet somewhere as I seem to still have access to the mistle network at home. It took them a long time to develop the alloy, but it was needed."
Godric nods sagely, "I must confess that I do not know what Titanium is."
Cruz nods, "Neither did I, however one of Harry's primary school books had a table of elements, so I was able to match up the names from my world with the names from this world."
As Godric's eyes start to sparkle, Harry and Hermione grab their swords and flee back to their house.
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Sebastian looks over at the Auror who's hair has just turned bright pink as she laughs at Naomi arguing with Dobby about using utensils for eating.
"Hello Miss, I don't think we've actually been introduced."
The Auror gets control of herself, "Sorry, I'm Auror Tonks. Well, Trainee Auror, but Madam Bones has made this part of my final evaluation."
Sebastian nods, "Understandable. Do you have a first name we could use, as I don't think a university student would go with Tonks."
"Um, I really don't like my first name."
Sebastian chuckles, "You're not alone in that, Hermione used to hate hers until she started reading Shakespeare. I should also point out that we don't know your actual first name, so whatever you tell us is what we'll know you as."
The auror thinks for a moment, "Dora, you can call me Dora."
Sebastian smiles, "Nice to meet you Dora. Now, do you mind explaining what was funny?"
Dora shakes he head, "It's just the fact that I have never seen someone able to keep a house elf sat at a table for long enough to even start doing this."
Sebastian nods, "And how many people would have even tried?"
Dora immediately sobers as she thinks about it, "Honestly, I can't think of anyone that would."
As Harry finishes her food and puts her utensils down looks over at Sebastian and hesitantly asks, "Papa, erm, would it be ok if I went to see my mother now?"
Sebastian smiles, "Sure, just remember we're watching a film at 8."
Dora looks over at Harry in surprise, "Now hold on, I wasn't told you have a mother. As I'm supposed to be looking out for you I need to know where you're going."
Harry looks back at Sebastian, who laughs, "Go on, you may as well take her with you."
Harry nods reluctantly, and leads Dora into the living room before sitting down, "You'll want to be sitting down for this."
Dora shakes her head, "Sure kid, but I'm not going to just fall asleep so you can sneak off somewhere else."
Harry just takes her hand, and pulls Dora to see her mother.