Chapter Fourteen: Review
It was Thursday afternoon. Harry was dressed in his uniform and standing outside a courtroom with the five other trainees. They were being called to stand before the Commodore one by one for their reviews. Nathan Brennan was first. He came out smiling. He had received a notation of commendation for being part of the capture of the privateer. He was also given leave for two weeks then told to report to the Calais, when it docked at the Naval Yard.
"I'm on a dreadnaught. My first ship."
Jamie Tarr was called in, and then there were four. Jamie came out with a grin. He had to go to Scotland, to the Yards near the Firth of Forth. They were going to train him further but he could not elaborate.
Then there were three, then two.
Ben Farley and Harry Potter waited, then were told to enter together. The Commodore sat at a table with two captains on either side of him, with Captain Grissom sitting in a chair at the side. He looked at the report then turned to Captain Grissom. "These are the two?"
"They are, Commodore."
The Commodore looked at Farley. "Your father is Commander Sir William Farley, is he not."
"Yes, Sir."
He turned to Harry. "And you are Lord Henry Somerset."
Harry was slightly startled, but recognized the name. "Yes, Sir."
"Why did you not inform the Captain of your station?"
Harry was at a loss of what to say. He could hardly admit without explanation that he did not know.
"If I may be permitted to speak, Commodore," Ben Farley said, and received a nod. "I asked Lord Henry that same question. He told me that he did not want to be judged by his family. He even asked my aid in helping the others to think of him as merely Harry." Farley gave Harry a wink.
The Commodore nodded respectfully. "That was commendable of you, Lieutenant Somerset. And who signed you on board as this Harry Potter?"
Harry tried to remember his relationships but his mind was fluttering. "That, um, The Duke of Cambridge, Commodore. He is the Godfather to my brother, Lord London." Harry started kicking himself for sounding so pompous, but it seemed to work. The Commodore gave him a look of complete understanding, which only confused Harry all the more.
"Which of you discovered the means of defeating the sorcery that was cast."
Both boys said the same thing at the same time. "He did, Sir." This caused everyone else in the room to laugh.
"It was Potter, Sir," Ben Farley said, "Lieutenant Somerset, Sir. He noticed the spell did not affect him when he closed his eyes."
The Commodore turned to Harry.
"It was Lieutenant Farley, Commodore, who immediately understood the implications and began to reach for his revolver. I was still trying to figure out how to put an end to the spell. He figured out how to work around it."
"Honesty is a most commendable virtue," The Commodore told them. He looked at Farley. "And so is lying to cover a friend's social blunder. Very commendable." He picked up a rolled parchment with a heavy wax seal attached, and stood up.
Farley was motioned forward, and everyone else in the room stood up as well. The Commodore handed him the parchment. "By order of His Royal Majesty, for exemplary duty in the service of the empire, you are to be entered into the Order of the Chevalier. You will report to the Naval Office in London on June 23." As he shook hands with the surprised Lieutenant, he added, "If you have any questions on what to expect you may ask your father. He is in the Order as well, if I am correct."
"He is, Commodore," Farley said, awed by what had happened.
"You earned it, boy," the Commodore said. "It was a near thing at best and you turned the tables. You deserve the honour."
"Yes, Sir," Farley said and stepped back into place, still grinning.
The Commodore turned to Harry and said lightly, "You already have a title. Another one will not mean much to you. Therefore, you have a different reward. You are relieved of duty until the First day of July. That should give you enough time to take care of family matters. You will then report to my office as to further instructions."
"Thank you, Sir. The time will be useful."
"There is one more point I must make, least you think too much of it. Regardless of what position either of you may hold, both of you are considered to be Lieutenants of Rank. Is that understood?"
Ben Farley smiled, but Harry did not. Captain Grissom shook his head. "It means, Harry, you are a career officer. You are stuck with us." He smiled. "But you also get half pay when you are on leave." He read the look on Harry's face. "By God's Good Grace, lad. You never thought about being payed?"
"In that case, never mind," the Commodore said. "We can save the money."
Harry was still blushing with embarrassment when someone handed him one of his newly cleaned jackets. They had changed the insignia to that of a full Lieutenant.
"Are you a real officer?" Roger asked, as they sat in the train compartment, on their way back to London.
"I am," Harry said, feeling pride at the way his brother looked at him. He enjoyed having a real family.
"His talent does run in the family, you know," Lord Bontriomphe said, expressing his own pride in how Harry handled himself. "I am satisfied that he did not become an embarrassment to you, My Lord."
Roger gave a frown as he thought on something, then smiled. "You mean Lord James."
"Excuse me, Lord Bontriomphe. Who is Lord James?"
Lord Bontriomphe was surprised, then remembered Harry's secret. "Have you ever heard of the Bristol?"
"I have, My Lord. When I was on the Hermes, after we captured the privateer, I heard several of the men referring to myself and Farley as Bristol Boys. I also heard them using a phrase: They stood fast like Bristol Men. I did not understand the reference until I read a book on Naval History that Captain Grissom loaned me."
Lord Bontriomphe smiled. "You should relate that anecdote to His Grace the next time you see him. He will appreciate knowing that his son is well remembered."
Harry nodded, "Lord James was his son, and he was on the Bristol?"
"He commanded the Bristol. Do you know your connection to him, Lord Henry?"
"Not really," Harry admitted.
"The Duke was the eldest child in his family, and Lord James was his only son. The Duke's brother, after whom Lord Robert is named, was born fifteen years after the Duke. Lord Robert's daughter, Jessica, was your mother. I assumed you knew their names, but I may have been wrong."
"Thank you for telling me, My Lord. As you well know, I never had the chance to know either of my parents."
When the train reached London, Harry disembarked with his family and began walking to the waiting coach which would take him home. He paused when he spied Nathan Brennan ahead of him. The boy was greeting his parents. Harry pointed him out to Roger. "We trained together, you know. It was only two weeks but it seemed much longer than that."
"Is he the one that helped you?"
"That was Farley. You met Brennan when you came to Dover."
Roger frowned. "You never showed me the one who helped you."
"I did not know it was that big a thing," Harry admitted. "Next time I save the Empire, I promise that you will be the first to know."
"I want to meet him," Roger decided in the firm voice of a seven-year-old (who will assure you that he will be eight in nine weeks).
"My Lord?" Robert asked of their guardian. "It would be nice to know the friends that Lord Henry makes."
Lord Bontriomphe nodded, happy in the thought that he could finally return to work in the morning. One more indulgence would not be too much. "I will ask his parents to dine with us. As their son served with Lord Henry it will not be amiss."
Lord Robert grinned. "I understand, My Lord. It would not be proper to talk in the streets with common people."
"Do not tease me, Robert. I will have none of it. It would not be polite to engage them in conversation on the street. Think of them, having to follow protocol in public. In private we may wave such niceties and enjoy each other's company."
Lord Bontriomphe walked forward. "Goodman Brennan, Lieutenant Brennan, My Good Lady, I am Lord Bontriomphe, legal guardian of the children of the Somerset family."
Lieutenant Brennan bowed politely. His mother curtsied and his father bowed deeply.
"Thank you for the courtesy, but I must impose upon you. If it is not inconvenient to you, My Lord the Marquis of London has asked if you will join us for dinner. He would very much like to meet his brother's fellow officer."
"Daniel?" Mrs. Brennan said as she put her hand on her husband's arm. She thrilled at the chance to dine with a Lord.
"I thank you, My Lord," Daniel said hesitantly. He was not a rich man. He had his shop to get back to. It was only because of what happened that he came to meet his son in London. Otherwise he would have stayed in Manchester. But his wife had been so worried. He looked at her and saw her eyes. This was a rare chance. "We would be delighted, My Lord."
"Where should I send the coach, Goodman Brennan?"
"Uh, My Lord, we were not planning on staying."
"May I suggest that you join us for the afternoon as well," Lord Bontriomphe offered. He was intruding. It would be wrong to embarrass this family. He did not wait for an answer. He summoned the coachman and ordered him to take the luggage, and to hire a second coach immediately. He then turned to the Brennans and smiled to let them know he understood. Lord Bontriomphe was always proud of being proper in all things. (Harry and Robert would joke behind his back that he was born at the age of thirty-two.)
The three boys had walked up at this point, and Harry caught his friend's eye. "Nathan."
"Harry," Nathan replied. "My Lord Lieutenant," he said suddenly and saluted.
Harry returned the salute with a puzzled look until Nathan gave him a telling look and nodded toward his shoulder. Lieutenant Brennan was saluting a superior officer.
Lord Bontriomphe smirked. "It seems Lieutenant Brennan that you have read the newspaper. Lord Henry has not."
Harry groaned. Something else had happened that he knew nothing about. "What is it?"
Nathan reached under his jacket and pulled out the local newspaper, and showed him the headline.
"FOUNDLING SON LOST AT SEA, RETURNS. PRIVATEER SEIZED."
"Everyone knows all about me?" Harry asked. He had offered to ride with the Brennan's and was accepted, but then Roger wanted to ride as well. It was Robert's idea that all four boys ride together. Lord Bontriomphe was very easy to manipulate.
"It was obvious you knew nothing about this, Harry. And it explains a great deal about your lack of knowledge of most things. I was surprised when I was given a copy to read. Remember, this paper is two days old."
Harry nodded. Robert, sitting next to him put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Now you know how I felt, dear brother. Knowing that everyone around you knew more than I did. It was a happy day when my memory returned."
"I am ignorant, not forgetful," Harry said, but smiled just the same.
They arrived at the townhouse to a peculiar sight. Lord Bontriomphe was lending his hand to Goodwoman Brennan, and all three adults were laughing at some shared jest. In the short ride from the station, the stodgiest man in London had made it so that two social inferiors felt completely relaxed in his presence.
"I did not know he could do that," Robert admitted.
"I think he is on to us," Roger said in agreement.
Harry looked at Nathan. "I have no idea what they are talking about."
Nathan grinned. "The matters of Great Lords have always been too much for my simple mind."
Dinner was a relaxed affair. Harry learned that his friend's father owned a leathershop in Manchester, where he was apprenticed. "I have an Uncle in the Navy. He is always First Lieutenant on any ship he serves, and he expects to be Commander within the next year, two at the most. I happened to tell him that I loved ships the last time I had seen him, and he remembered that remark, even though I was seven at the time.
"My uncle had joined the Navy when he was my age, and I suppose he thought I would do the same. He never said how he did it, but one of his superiors wrote a letter of endorsement for me and forwarded it to Naval Enlistment. I found out when a marine walked into the shop and asked for me. ME. BY MY NAME. No one ever asked for me by my name or anything else. He handed me the letter which said I had been accepted and where and when to report.
"I admit that I was wide-eyed after reading it, and I handed the letter to my father." Daniel Brennan nodded, smiling at the memory. They were going to make his son an officer. "I looked at Father, trying to gauge his reaction but his face told me nothing. Then the marine cleared his throat, and I turned to look at him. He was holding something in his hand. The King's Shilling. I stared at it. That coin was frightening and beautiful at the same time. To touch it would change my life forever. I was afraid. Afraid of what father might think. Afraid of what mother would say. But most of all, I was afraid of what would happen if I said no.
"I grabbed that coin so quickly I surprised everyone, including myself. I squeezed it as hard as I could to make sure it would not disappear on me, and . . . the marine saluted me. Tears were running down my cheeks, my eyes would not stop them as I returned the salute. It was the first decision I ever made for myself."
Harry smiled as memories filled his head. In a sense, the same thing happened to him, but it wasn't a marine. It was Hagrid. He had turned his head that day as he walked out the door of the hut and asked, "Are you coming?"
"I want to join the Navy," Lord London said after a pause.
Lord Bontriomphe did not laugh despite the desire to do so. "You can not. You are the Marquis of London. You have your responsibilities. You may not run off as you please."
"It is not that exciting," Harry said to console his little brother. "You look at water most of the time and eat raw fish and stale bread."
"Is that true?" Lord London asked of Nathan Brennan, who had captivated the room with his tale.
"Not for me, My Lord," Nathan replied.
Robert watched his brother search for his next question. "Perhaps, Lieutenant Brennan, you could tell Lord London what it was like for you, being at sea."
Nathan's eyes unfocused as he remembered all the recent events.
"Everything was an adventure for me. I had been on a ship once before. My uncle took me out on a Naval Cutter as it did its patrol of the port, but now I was traveling to Dover, where the dreadnaughts were. My first day on board was a dream. I was helping in a small way to sail a ship. Every thing that happened was a new experience. I never wanted it to end." He looked at the Marquis. "I never want it to end."
"What happened the second day?" Lord London asked, hoping to hear more than Harry had ever told him.
Nathan nodded. "I was making my way to the main deck when the call to All Stations came. All I could do was stand out of the way as everyone rushed around me. All the sails were let out and within minutes we were underway, heading east. I thought it was a drill but I saw the look on the Captain's face. I raised my scope and looked in the direction he was facing, to the aft, and saw the ship, a Brigantine that was flying no flag. In moments I was told that she had spied us and was in pursuit. We had no means of defense, but we had speed and we tried to run." Roger obliged the story by gasping at that point.
"That first day of flight the winds were haphazard. The privateer had only two masts but she had engines and, as we found later, sorcerers on board her to keep them running. She was slower but her speed was steady. She was near the horizon at morning, but had closed within two miles as the sun set. We tried flying in the dark but the sky remained clear and the moon was filling the night. Every seaman on board cursed the fair weather that night. But then we caught the wind, full and strong, and the game of cat and mouse began anew. Dawn the second day saw them twice as far away.
"But winds are always fickle and can never be counted on for long. The privateer would not lose us and would not give up the chase. We were well off our charts and sailing where we would not be easily found, and she, that devil craft, stood between us and friendly port.
"All that day and night and the next as well, the winds would ebb and flow. We were turned, but north not west and could not spare the time for ought but our flight. For six days and six nights we kept our race, but it was the seventh day that sealed our fates. As the sun rose to its zenith, the winds died. There was no shift of breeze. Only silence. And the distant hum of the privateer. We were caught and all hope seemed lost."
"But you had guns," Roger cried. "The newspapers said you had guns."
Nathan smiled. "Eighteen Cannons, all fifteen pounders. But we were a training vessel. Training officers. We had no need to supply the cannons, and carried no powder. We had eighteen useless pieces of metal beneath our feet." Roger frowned, trying to puzzle it out, but Nathan was into his tale. "They did not know that we did have Grim Pete as our Captain. And he would not go easily. He had all the rifles and revolvers passed out so that every officer was armed. Anyone without a firearm had a sword or a club or anything to fight with. The word at sea is to hold fast. If you hold to the ropes you will not be lost to the sea in storm or gale. But now the word was to stand. If you stand fast, you can win the day. At the least, you win your honour."
"What happened then?" a voice asked, and Lord Robert looked up in surprise as he realized he was the one who had spoken.
Nathan grinned. "Remember the sorcerers I told you about. As their ship came up, they cast a spell, and everyone dropped their weapons without a thought. The men of the Privateer set up their boarding ramps without anyone stopping them. But when their Captain stood up and demanded our surrender, Grim Pete laughed at him. Grim Pete lifted his foot and stomped on the deck. The men below were not caught in the spell and opened the ports. Nine useless pieces of iron poked out, but the Privateer did not know that, and their Captain paused. Then Harry did the unthinkable. As all of this was happening, he closed his eyes."
"He didn't," Roger cried, refusing to believe such a thing.
"He closed his eyes, and he smiled, My Lord. He had discovered the fatal flaw. As long as we watched them we could hold no weapon, but if we did not watch . . ."
Roger smiled, "If we closed our eyes."
Nathan nodded. "Then we could do what we liked. Harry told his companion, Ben Farley, and Ben shut his eyes tight while Harry told him where to find his revolver. We watched in fascination but one by one we understood. It was only a minute, but all of us aged an hour or more, and we were armed, each man with a firearm his eyes shut. Next to him another man directing his aim. And the enemy captain stood caught in a trap of his own making. He could not attack, and he could not risk fleeing. He thought the cannons must be real as well. And as enemies will, he took the cowards way out. He took his own life and left his crew to fend for themselves. The Brigantine was ours."
It seemed funny to Harry that everyone applauded, but it also felt right. Nathan was a natural story teller. Even he was caught up in the telling, and he had been there. It was Nathan's father who spoke first.
"If I ever doubted your choice, son, you have proven me wrong. I know you will always make me proud." He turned to Harry. "Thank you, Lord Henry, for being there. You deserve to be called a hero."
"Heroes came cheaply that day," Harry said, uncomfortable at the comment. He looked at Nathan and added, "You could find them everywhere."
Harry paused after he said that. He did not even hear Lord Bontriomphe utter the remark of "Well said." He was thinking about Nathan. When he looked at him, he did not see a friend, although friendship was there. He saw the uniform. Something had happened. He was not the same Harry that stood stuttering on the dock that first day. There were many changes that had happened. The King in this world had signed the papers that acknowledged that Harry was a legitimate child. Lord Robert de Somerset was, by law, his older brother by some few minutes. Lord London was his younger brother. His parents where dead in this world but he did have a Grand Uncle as well as Uncles and Aunts and Cousins. Harry Potter had a family, and a family name. He had the one thing that he wanted more than anything else in the world. And he had something else.
He and Nathan Brennan were not friends. They were fellow officers. It was a deeper, more personal attachment. Nathan told a wonderful tale and it was true, but it was not real. The reality was being there. That was what changed Harry. It is one thing to say the man shot himself, but Harry was there. He saw the man lift the revolver. He saw him pull the trigger. He heard the shot and saw the spray of blood and watched the man slowly fall over between the ships. And he heard the sound as, in the silence, the body hit the water below. He had seen a man die, and knew that, because that man had died, he would not.
Lord Robert interrupted him when he heard Harry ask, "What will I tell Ron?"
"Are you . . . okay?" Lord Robert asked.
"Yes," Harry replied. "I was lost in my thoughts."
"It is time," Lord Bontriomphe said, after the Brennan family had left following a wonderful breakfast.
"Where are we going?" Harry asked.
"Back to school. You are already a week late."
"I had forgotten. It will be good to visit my friends again," Harry admitted. "Where is Lord London?"
"He is sleeping late. I think he is afraid to say goodbye." Lord Bontriomphe looked at Harry carefully. "You are wearing your uniform."
"I have become used to it. I should change."
"Perhaps not," Lord Bontriomphe said casually. "You will be going back to your school. You may want to show them."
"That would be fun," Harry admitted, as he thought of how everyone would react.
"It will help them understand."
Harry paused. Lord Bontriomphe had said that in such a way that it reminded him of what he had said. He would be visiting his friends. He was going back to finish the school year. Then he would be returning home.
Harry managed to sneak into Roger's bedroom to find Robert already there.
"You see," Robert told him, "Harry had to come, too." He turned to Harry. "He thinks we will not come back."
"We have to come back," Harry told Roger. "This is home."
Robert smirked. "There it is. We have both told you."
Roger smiled, and agreed to say goodbye.
The twin boys were led to the laboratory where Professor Quirrell was waiting for them. He ushered them to the side room where their bundles were and scolded them for being late.
"We had company," Harry insisted.
"Company? How could you have company when you are supposed to be traveling between physical planes? You were supposed to be here an hour ago. Cambridge is not that far from London."
"Actually," Lord Robert said, "We were supposed to be here last week but Lord Henry got lost."
"It was not only me," Harry said in his own defense.
"Grab your bundles, then," Quirrell said with exasperation. "We do not have that much time."
"They should be waiting, Professor," a journeyman said.
"Very well," Quirrell muttered as he was handed the stone. "Take hold of me, My Lords."
Each boy grabbed an arm and the Professor set his will upon the control stone. The laboratory faded out, and the waiting room of the headmaster's office faded in.
Professor McGonagall was there, reading the London Times, except it was from the London that Harry had left this morning. "You finally decided to come back," she said, but her voice was filled with obvious relief. She walked toward them and began her prepared speech.
"While the two of you are here, you are not to use your titles, is that clear?"
"Yes, Professor," Robert answered, "but I must ask, am I to be Robert or Charles."
"We have told the students that your memory returned and that you corrected us on the use of your name. You may be Robert."
"We have another problem," Harry said. "Are we Potters or Somersets?"
Professor McGonagall smiled as she understood what was behind the question. "Until I receive official word, Mr. Potter, I think it best that you remain Harry Potter. We can deal with changing your name over the summer. Robert?"
"If they still think I am a Potter, I will remain one. We can explain later."
"Very well. The two of you may go. If you hurry, you can still make lunch." She noted the way they were dressed. "Do you wish to change or show off?"
Robert and Harry looked at each other. "Show off," they said, and laughed. Robert had the chance to elaborate. "Professor Dumbledore did not keep our destination a secret. It might be a good idea to show our friends what some of the differences are."
"That is commendable, but I should warn you. Although I was informed about why you were late returning to the school, I didn't tell any of the students until you were about to miss your return time. They will be eager to see you" She paused, and added as an afterthought, "Now go. I know you don't want to spend the day with me. And leave your bundles. I'll have them sent to your dorms."
As both boys quickly left, Professor McGonagall turned to Professor Quirrell. "Harry looked like a little gentleman in his uniform. Is it real?"
"Oh, quite real, Professor. You did read in the newspaper. He is a Naval officer."
"Even though he's only twelve?"
Professor Quirrell raised an eyebrow in surprise. "In your world, Professor McGonagall, he became a student of magic when he was only eleven. I still find that to be unusual."
