Chapter 44

Narcissa Malfoy provided her son with their Gringotts key and a list of things to pick up in Diagon Alley. Harry and he were off after a few mild protests from Lupin that he should be along for protection and for them to be careful since Harry wasn't going to let him out of the house if he continued to complain.

Their first stop was at the family solicitors with a letter from Narcissa giving Draco limited power of attorney in family affairs so they could separate themselves from the rule of Lucius Malfoy, and another filing for divorce and legal name change. Apparently Narcissa was done having anything to do with her husband and his estate.

She would take all of his money and he could have the estate. Since he was in Azkaban he really didn't have much to say in the matter. After a matter of time and the verification of Narcissa's wizard's mark their vault's were changed and Malfoy, soon to be Black, and he were in their cart speeding down to the family vault.

Harry wasn't surprised to find their vault lined with gold, much like his own, not quite as much since the Black's money had been laying in the family vault collecting interest all these years and Lucius Malfoy had been dipping into his for 'donations' to Fudge's pocket not to mention his own extravagant lifestyle.

There had been almost no conversation between the two except for when they left one place to go to another. They rented a trolley at Beasley's and made on with the list of purchases for Narcissa.

The afternoon wore on and they finally came to the end of the street near the Leakey Caldron.

"I'm beat," said Harry.

Draco nodded, quietly.

They took a taxi to Grimmauld place and unloaded everything onto the curbside. Harry thought of the address to number twelve and they took one last look around before entering the house.

Narcissa met them at the door. "Goodness, looks like you purchased a little of everything, doesn't it."

***********************

"Remus stayed behind for the week so she wouldn't be alone."

Hermione smiled, "That was nice of him."

Dumbledore entered the Room of requirement followed by the remainder of the Order of the Dog Star: Neville, Luna, Ron , and Ginny.

Dumbledore conjured a large round table with several chairs to surround.

"I have received the official report on today's activities, however, I thought I would like to hear a version from another voice, and it might be a special treat for the others to critique the strategies of the participants."

He waved his wand again and a scaled down version of the rooms in question appeared on the center of the table.

Hermione seemed very eager to see how things appeared from an outsiders view.

Dumbledore gave a small tap on the model and the scene started in motion. Six little figurines popped into the bedroom and another figurine that was already there ran up and grabbed a tall black clothed new-comer.

"Hold on."

Dumbledore tapped the model and the motion stopped. "Yes?"

"Is that supposed to be Sn ... Professor Snape?"

The headmaster adjusted his glasses and peered at the occupants. "Why yes, I believe it is."

Harry rolled his eyes. "That was Malfoy's mother that ran to hug Draco, not Snape."

Dumbledore tapped the model and the figures switched and the scene continued.

They watched on as one figurine approached the door as it opened and flung the stunning spell.

"That's Applegate. Did a Stunning Spell then a Locked Door Charm."

They watched on as the door slammed shut and everyone else started grabbing bags except for two figurines which looked alarming like he and Snape.

The Harry figure held his wand out at Snape in a threatening manner and then turned to the door, blasting away.

"Stop."

"Yes?"

"Malfoy and I were the only ones grabbing bags. Snape was yelling for everyone to use their shield spells. That's when I dropped the bags and shot the wall. See there's the first four Death Eaters on this side of the door. I heard they were about to blast it open. Snape tried to stop me but I didn't threaten him, the prat."

Small chuckles surrounded the table.

"Let us keep this civil, Harry. What charm did you use for the wall?"

Harry looked down. "Blasting Charm, sir."

Harry was poked in the ribs by Hermione. "That's a seventh-year charm, Harry."

He only nodded.

Everything went on as described from there on out except the part where Snape threw a hex from the top of the stairs that rebounded off a mirror and hit Bellatrix Lestrange a second before Harry hit her with the Popping Boil curse.

"Who gave this report? Snape? He was in the bedroom hiding ... protecting Mrs. Malfoy."

Dumbledore ignore his question . "Anyone with a comment or question about the actions taken?"

Ron popped up. "I think it was brilliant!"

Luna followed. "Quite brave of them."

Neville and Ginny just nodded their heads.

"Hermione?"

She looked at Harry and back to Dumbledore before he could catch her with his eyes.

"The mission parameters were broken. Professor Snape lost control of the unit. Once Harry had blasted the wall they should have left right away to secure Mrs. Malfoy's safety before taking any additional steps ..."

Harry could believe what he was hearing. His own fiancé was tearing down his brilliant capture of seven Death Eaters!

"... Tonks and Applegate were pinned down at the bottom of the stairs without hope of getting away. The dumbwaiter was by far the boldest and most indefensible position in the entire house. If anyone would have even had a glimpse them they'd have been dead."

Everyone around the table blinked several times with the exception of Luna who sat open-eyed.

"Very astute observations, Hermione, and quite correct on all counts."

Harry was mortified. "But ..."

Dumbledore shook his head. "No buts, Harry. The mission should have ended very soon after it began. By forcing the issue you had endangered the lives of everyone present."

"But Tonks and Applegate left first."

"Only after confirming the presence of Bellatrix Lestrange. Otherwise they would have stayed, and you would have left Malfoy Manor, post haste."

Harry stood up slinging his chair backward. "We captured seven Death Eaters and the person who killed Sirius and tortured Neville and his parents with an Unforgivable Curse!"

Neville stood as well. "I'm with Harry, Professor. What he and Malfoy did was the right thing to do."

"Hear hear!" Ron commented.

Luna and Ginny nodded as well.

"May I continue?" asked Hermione.

Harry looked down at his fiancé and picked his chair up, slapping himself down in the seat. Neville followed his lead.

"As I said before, all the mission parameters were broken, but taking into account what was at stake and what was standing to be gained with the removal of Voldemort's top lieutenant and several followers ... well I don't think that there was much of a decision to be made. They had to seize the opportunity and cripple the opposition while they had the chance."

Dumbledore stood and waved his wand making the table and the accompanying model disappear. "Well said. I think in light of the days events we should practice the Blasting Charm that Harry used to disable the majority of his foes."

"That's it?" asked Harry after no explanation was given from Dumbledore.

"I'm sorry, Harry was there something you wished to add?"

He shook his head. "Was it the right choice to make?"

The headmaster held his hands together in front of him and looked quite somber at the moment. "Harry, in war there are very few right or wrong choices to make. There are only missed opportunities. You chose not to miss this particular opportunity."

He still didn't know whether or not that was a yes or a no and decided to think on it some more, after class.

***********************

Later, after the Order's defense class, Harry sat at the workstation in front of Phineas' portrait.

"Now before you place the Fire Diamond in its perch you must cast an Ever-Clinging Light charm on the base."

Harry had long ago stopped asking why and just followed Phineas' instructions. He soon discovered the sessions were over that much quicker. Later, he found out that the charm captured the ambient light in the room and filtered it from below so as to reflect outward the various colors of the diamond's facets.

He recalled the charm and set his wand in the middle of the perch. "Leuk Hearth Manere!"

"Now the stone." Phineas instructed.

Harry picked it up with a pair of silver pincers, by the sides, and set it on top of the perch, watching from close up to make sure every angle was even.

Phineas look rather pleased and eager. "Almost done, Potter."

Harry blinked. "What?"

"The final spell to bind the stone to the ring and activate the combined charm. Haven't you been paying attention?"

Harry looked back down at the ring. "Yeah, I just thought it was going to take a lot longer."

Phineas looked smug. "Must be my excellent teaching skills."

"Or perhaps Harry's advanced enchantment ability," Dumbledore noted as he closed the door to his office. "Please pardon my interruption. I wanted to be present at this stage of the ring's creation."

Harry turned back around and lifted his wand and looked down at Phineas' journal for the final charm and stalled.

"Problem, Harry?"

"I have to name the ring." He looked over his shoulder. "I don't have a name."

Dumbledore stood still for a moment. "If I may suggest ..."

Harry nodded.

"Cuperious." (a/n : Pronounced Q-pair-E-us)

"What's it mean?"

Dumbledore shrugged his head lightly. "Oh, a rough translation would be 'Love's brightest desire'.''

Harry nodded.

He looked back down at the journal once more, closed his eyes and cleared his mind.

"Stan Band Wihring! Bicomen On Nectere Sawol On! Namo Cuperious!"

A familiar soft glow emanated from the stone and surrounded the ring becoming steadily brighter until it was hard to stare at it any longer.

"Now, the curse!" Phineas yelled.

"Freraeden!"

The brightness absorbed the red flash of light Harry sent at it and in a moment the light died out leaving the occupants of the room a bit breathless.

Phineas beamed with pride looked around the room at the other portraits. "That, my dear former headmasters of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, is how you enchant a ring. Excellent work Harry Potter! Couldn't have done any better myself."

One of the portraits, Harry didn't know which, said, "He'll be hell to live with now."

"Care to take me up on that offer, Harry?" asked Dumbledore.

*************************

"... and now I have another tutoring session with someone Dumbledore's bringing in just for me."

Harry sighed in resignation.

"There goes any free time you might have had, mate." said Ron with much sympathy.

Harry leaned forward and rubbed his temples. "I think my brain hurts."

Hermione came in to their study from the common room and set down a cup of steaming tea in front of her fiancé. "It's a wonderful opportunity."

Harry looked up and smiled his thanks for the tea. "You have seen my schedule haven't you?"

He pointed behind him on the wall. "I wake up at six in the morning so I can prepare for classes, followed by six hours of teaching seven different grade levels five days a week. Then from two-thirty until five I tutor with a different professor every day. Afterward three days a week I have practice with the Order for another hour and a half. I only have three hours off a week before I'm back in my room studying and trying my best not to forget if I've forgotten something."

Ron smirked, "You forgot Saturday and Sunday."

Harry burned holes through Ron's eyes with his. "Saturday is a makeup day since I'm being pulled five different ways from Sunday. You want to know why we don't spend any time together, Ron. It's because I have no time. And now I have another course to have even more no-time."

Hermione stood there with her mouth partway open looking back and forth between Harry and Ron. "That's it. You're taking tomorrow off."

Harry was still burning after his rant. "I'm what?"

"You and I are taking tomorrow off. I will plan a picnic down by the pond and you, Ron, Luna and I will attend. There will be no discussion of Order business, nor any talk of school, or anything responsible whatsoever."

Harry leaned back in his chair, "Hermione, I can't take a day off. I have to go to Diagon Alley and purchase a book on Enchantment."

She didn't seem defeated in the slightest. "What's the name of the book?"

Harry looked down at the course information Dumbledore had given him earlier. "Enchantments for the Enchanter."

She spun on her foot and approached the large bookshelf set into the wall and pulled out a two inch thick silver tome, spun back around and dropped it on the desk in front of Harry. "Anything else?"

"I need some new quills?"

She smiled at his attempt at humor and opened a drawer at her desk, pulling out a small handful and showed him.

Harry looked at Ron. His friend smiled. "Got you in a vise, mate."

"Fine ... but I want turkey sandwiches."

Ron held a finger up. "No mustard on mine, thank you." And he took out his hand mirror, "Luna." A few moments went by.

"Hi Ronald! Miss me already my big strong sweet potato?"

Ron blushed, knowing Harry and Hermione heard that. "Um .. Luna? Picnic with Harry and Hermione tomorrow ... a regular picnic?" he corrected before she could answer.

"Of course, sounds fun."

"Right then ... um ... see ya."

"Ronald ..."

Hermione poked him in the ribs. "Tell her you love her, you dope."

He gave Hermione the evil eye. "Love you, bye."

"I love you too, Ronald, bye."

Harry chuckled to himself, "Next thing you know he'll be saying 'yes, dear'."