Chapter Eighteen: What's Normal?
"So, I think we have an opportunity here. Bill," Harry took a deep breath, remembering what Ginny had said earlier. He looked around at the Weasley men congregated in his office. "I think we ought to call a meeting of the Order here, tonight."
"Done, Harry," Bill nodded. "Charlie, can I get you to notify McGonagall? Ron and I will pull the others together?"
"Sure, Bill..." Charlie nodded.
As the men turned to the door to leave, Harry spoke. "Arthur, can I speak to you for a moment?"
"Of course, Harry," Arthur turned back. "What is it?"
"Arthur..." Harry watched as the door closed behind Ron andhis brothers. "I spoke to Ginny..."
"Yes?"
"I don't think it's wise to send the children back to school after the Christmas break. I know that some of the others were thinking that things have calmed down enough..."
"Harry, if you don't think it's wise, then we'll..."
"I was talking to Ginny, Arthur, and I realize... well, I have no right to tell them what is best in this case. Ginny suggested a family meeting to discuss..."
"Ah, yes.," Arthur smiled ruefully. "True democracy at work."
"Ginny seemed to think so," Harry agreed.
"Well, I think it's got it's merits, Harry, but..."
"But?"
"Well, it's probably been twenty five or thirty years since we had a family meeting... perhaps Ginny's memory is... deceiving her."
"How so?"
"Harry," Arthur sat down. "Family meetings, at least within the Weasley family, tend to be rather... loud. And as you know, when everyone is busy shouting, little gets decided, either way."
"Oh."
"And, in the end..." Arthur smiled. "It generally tended to be Molly and I doing what we felt was best, regardless."
"Ah," Harry nodded. "Well, I have the right to do that with my children, Arthur, but I know Ginny, and..."
"Ah, yes.," Arthur nodded. "No explanation necessary, Harry. I've lived with her predecessor for nearly fifty years. Shall I call the meeting, or will you?"
"Um... well..."
"Yes," Arthur grinned. "Harry, I may be the..."
"Patriarch." Harry supplied dryly.
"Yes... the patriarch..." Arthur's mouth twitched with amusement. "But this is still your house."
"I think it might be..."
"I see," Arthur was finding it difficult to stop from laughing. "Ginny. Right, then, son... I'll take care of it, shall I? An hour?"
The first Weasley family meeting in over twenty five years was held in the War Room, as it was the only room that would fit them all. The adults left Ginny's girls in charge of the younger ones in the playroom upstairs, and hoped that the younger children would mind their elder cousins.
Although everyone seemed rather surprised at first when Harry took a seat between Ginny and Hermione, leaving the chair at the head of the table to Arthur, they quickly adjusted, and the discussion revolved around the education of the children, the safety of their schools, and the living situation at Potter Manor.
Harry was actually quite surprised when it came out that the consideration of returning the children to their community schools had been more in his head than reality. In fact, George and Fred and their families seemed shocked that it had been considered.
"Harry," George spoke. "There is something that we need to discuss, secondary to the children's education."
"Yes?" Harry looked at George.
"We're all living under your roof, and... well... some of us have been here for some time..."
"George, it's not like we don't have the room," Harry smiled.
"I know, but... we're not contributing," George flushed. "and you and Ginny have had no privacy... and it doesn't sit well with me that we're living on your dime."
Harry was surprised. He hadn't even thought about that.
"George, that isn't a problem..."
"It is for me, Harry," George replied. "We Weasley's may not be flush, but we do have our pride. I have a problem with you footing the bill for everything while we all live here."
Harry swallowed, then spoke quietly. "You're family, George. All of you are family. Family doesn't ask for... payment... if that's what you're talking about."
"I don't want to pay you, Harry... I want to contribute to the household expenses."
"Rightly so, Harry," Ron said. "We know that this is the safest place for us right now, but once it's all over, Mione and I will be moving to the cottage, until then, you need to take something for our keep."
"Ron, you've always lived here..."
"Yes... because it made sense. But now..."
"Harry," Arthur said. "I agree. You've been wonderful for all of us, but..."
"Arthur," Harry turned to his father in law. "For seven years you and Molly provided the only home I knew, other than Hogwarts. Every summer, after I put in my time with my aunt, you welcomed me. Are you telling me that you would have been more comfortable if I had paid room and board at that time?"
"Of course not, Harry..."
"Then don't even bring that up with me now," Harry said warningly. "I've gotten more from your family, from all of you, than I have ever given back. More than I could ever repay. Any one of you would be welcome here at any time, and I will not take money for your keep."
There was a moment of silence before Harry spoke again.
"I just want you all safe, and this is the safest place there is right now, besides perhaps Hogwarts. I can't be sure of anyone's safety if they aren't here, or there... and in all honesty, I don't have the time to be worried about it. Hopefully this situation will be... over with soon. Until then, I really don't want to hear any more about it."
Harry was seated in his study later when his cel phone rang. Harry picked it up and looked at the small screen. Not a number he recognized.
"Potter," he answered it.
"Mr Potter... my name is Scott Metcalfe... I'm with social services..."
"Yes?"
"I... Mr Potter, I understand that you are the next of kin to Mr Malcolm and Mrs Marion Rivers? Mr Rivers was your cousin, I understand?"
"Yes, I am," Harry replied.
"Well, Mr Potter... I'm sorry to have to give you this news... the authorities have been working on your cousins' street, and... we have recovered the bodies of Mr and Mrs Rivers. They were found in the rubble under their home..."
"Yes." Harry sighed. "I rather thought..."
"Mr Potter, are you alright?"
"Yes, yes... thank you. It's just... my cousin... well..."
"Yes, I do understand, Mr Potter. Now... I understand that you have Mr and Mrs' Rivers' children staying with you?"
"Yes... they were spending a few days with us when...when the news came of the... explosion."
"Yes, of course..." Metcalfe paused. "Mr Potter, unfortunately... there is no record... Unfortunately the... size of the blast decimated most of the town, including, from what we understand, Mr and Mrs Rivers' solicitors office... and their solicitor's home... and unfortunately, their solicitor... so we have no record..."
"Are you telling me that you're intending to take David and Susan?"
"Oh, no, Mr Potter! On the contrary! We... well, we were hoping that you might shed some light on the options available for the River's children... and perhaps on what Mr and Mrs River's wishes might have been."
"Malcolm and Marion were both alone in the world, except for me. To my understanding, at any rate. My aunt and uncle, Malcolm's parents... raised me. I'm afraid I didn't know Marion's family, but David assures me that there was no one else."
"I see, Mr Potter. Well... this rather puts us between a rock and the proverbial hard place."
"How so?"
"Well, we have no indication of what Mr and Mrs River's wishes might have been. You appear to be the only remaining family, and David and Susan are already in your care, suggesting to me that you were trusted by Mr and Mrs Rivers..."
"And?"
"Well, normally in cases such as these, the children would become wards of the crown, and you would have to apply to take over their care, but... with the fact that the children were already with you, I'm hoping you'll tell me that this situation may continue, and save me a lot of paperwork."
"My wife and I have already discussed this, Mr Metcalfe. The children have a home with us for as long as they should want it."
"Lovely! So, all that remains is the home inspection..."
"Home inspection?" Harry blanched.
"Yes... of course. I mean, we can hardly approve the fostering if the home is unsuitable... I'm sure it will be fine, Mr Potter... we only need to ascertain that the environment is a normal, healthy one for the children to grow up in."
"Ah... normal. Yes. Of course," Harry nodded, thinking of the two dozen extended family members currently living in his home, the Order meeting due to be held that evening, and his pregnant wife and five other children.
Three of whom went to a boarding school in Scotland that the Muggle social services were unlikely to have any record of.
Not to mention the presence of Hermione, known as Maura Kennedy in the muggle world, and now viewed as a crackpot who wrote about the reality of a fantasy world in the UK's biggest tabloid.
All wonderfully normal.
"I'm assuming that this is not an issue, Mr Potter?"
"Of course not..." Harry took a deep breath. "And when would we be able to do this... home inspection?" Because it had better be soon, as I might be dead come Thursday.
"Well, I could be there in, say... an hour?"
"An... hour?" Harry said faintly.
"Yes... I can bring the paperwork, and we can have a quick chat, and we might be able to have everything settled, at least for the interim... immediately. You are in London, I believe?"
After Harry disconnected the call, he sighed, then stood, walked to the door and, opening it, bellowed for his wife.
Scott Metcalfe was a slim, tired looking man of indeterminate age. Harry had him pegged at around forty, but Ginny later said that she felt he must be around fifty five. Harry allowed that Ginny might be much more able to gauge the man's age, as he didn't make a habit of checking out men nor speculating on their age.
After frantically spending the past hour trying to organize things to make things around Potter Manor appear as 'normal' as possible, and having Ron take Hermione to Hogwarts for the afternoon, at Hermione's insistence, they were ready with minutes to spare for the visit from the Children's services.
They had all decided that attempting to clear out all the visitors to Potter Manor would be ludicrous, and Molly had suggested that, as it was still officially the holidays, they could dismiss their numbers by saying they were having a family reunion while the children were out of school.
Harry had sighed with relief.
And now, the man who Harry had spoken to was standing in their front hall, having his coat taken by Harry, and being welcomed by Ginny.
"What a lovely home..." he looked around the large vestibule and up at the oak stairs that led up to the three stories above. "And quite large..."
"Yes... we have... a large family," Ginny smilied. "Potter Manor was left to Harry by his parents... it's been in his family for generations."
"I see," Scott Metcalfe's eyes darted around, taking note of the expensive furnishings.
"Why don't we go into the stud..." Ginny paused at Harry's head shaking, panicked, behind their guest.
"Owl," he mouthed.
"Ah... lounge." Ginny smiled, turning and leading them down the hallway and into the lounge, where Mary and Maddy were playing a game of Exploding Snap.
Harry took a sharp breath and let it go when Mary quickly gathered the cards and stood. Thank Merlin the cards had not chosen that moment to explode, or Harry would have had either some fancy explaining, or some fancy wandwork to do.
"Mr Metcalfe... these are two of our daughters, Mary and Madeline," Ginny introduced them.
"Lovely, lovely... and how many children do you have, Mrs Potter?"
"Well, Mary and Madeline and their sister Megan are from my first marriage... and Harry and I have the twins together, and now..." Ginny indicated to her distended belly.
"First marriage?" he enquired.
"Yes... my first husband passed away seven years ago."
"I see... "he made a note in his booklet. "Now, are there any other occupants of the household?"
"Well, currently, we're bursting at the seams," Ginny smiled. "During the holidays, we've been having a family reunion of sorts. My brothers, and my parents, and the inlaws of one of my brothers... and their families."
"My... rather a lot of people for one home..."
"Yes... well, there is plenty of room. We have the largest home, so we hosted the... reunion." Harry said awkwardly.
"Rather different than the home you were raised in, Mr Potter?"
"My aunt and uncle were of more modest means, yes. Mrs Rivers was my mother's sister. My mother married into the Potter family."
"Why didn't they choose to live here... as your guardians...?"
"This home wasn't their style at all," Harry said. "They felt they had to raise me to be more... appreciative... of the things wealth cannot give you. I inherited this home on my eighteenth birthday, as per my parents wishes."
"I see... and you will obviously have enough room for the children? They will each be allowed their own room, I take it?"
"Of course," Ginny smiled, but Harry could tell it was rather more strained than it had been.
"I'd like to see the children, of course, and if you could show me the main living area of the home, and in lieu of references, I would be happy to meet some of your family... then we can discuss the children's educational plans?"
Harry gulped, Ginny gave a rather brittle smile, and then stood to go and find David and Susan.
Afterwards, Harry was sure that he had lost ten years of his life from stress. And, of course, having to adjust the man's memory after the interview to remove any information, like the address of Potter Manor, from it, and his written notes, was nerve-wracking in the extreme. But in the end, they had the signed fostering order, proclaiming them the guardians of David and Susan Rivers, and Harry sighed with relief.
After seeing Scott Metcalfe into his car, and quietly performing the spell that would erase all sensitive information from his mind and notes by the time he reached the corner, Harry returned to the house and collapsed on the sofa in his study.
"Harry?"
"I really do not want to go through that again, Ginny," he sighed as Ginny sat down next to him.
"I know, love. But I think it went well. If it hadn't, I'm certain he would have taken the children with him."
"When he asked about the children's education..."
"That was inspired, Harry! Telling him that we had decided to keep them close and hire a private tutor... I could tell he felt that was a positive thing."
"I think the thing that Scott Metcalfe was inspired by was the size of our house and the apparent size of our bank account," Harry sighed, closing his eyes and leaning back against the upholstered arm of the sofa. "If I hadn't adjusted his memory when he left, I am quite sure he would have spent the remainder of the afternoon looking into exactly who I am."
"You told him," Ginny giggled, remembering when the man had made a joke about Harry's name, and the attention he must get from it.
"You really have no idea. My name being Harry Potter has caused me problems for years," Harry had said with a smile. "But in reality, I am just a businessman with some varied investments and interests. Rather a boring alternative, I know, but it pays the bills."
"Well, Mrs Potter..." Harry turned to her with a smile. "It looks as though I really have married a true Weasley, if the number of children we now have between us is anything to go by."
"You promised me lots of babies, Harry..." she curled up next to him on the sofa, tucking her head in under his chin and sighing contentedly as his arms came around her to pull her close. "Number eight will be here in early summer... you know, I think ten is a nice, round number..."
"Tell me that in the middle of delivering this one, love, and I might think you're halfway serious," Harry murmured. "I should get ready for the Order meeting."
"In a minute, Harry..." Ginny yawned, rubbing her cheek against his sweater-clad chest. "This is so nice..."
And twenty minutes later, that was where Molly found them, curled up and sound asleep in each other's arms.
So, I'm looking at three more chapters, folks. The response I've gotten to my mentioning the possibility of a prequel has pretty much decided that it's going to have to happen. But I'm going to take a bit of a break between. I want to write the entire thing before posting, because I want it to be "right". But it will only be maybe four chapters... I'm not sure yet as I don't even have an outline written. We'll see.
Merlindamage: I think you've been the first reviewer for the past three chapters or so! You must live on your computer! Confusion is good... it keeps you out of my head!
Larna Mandrea: I said Tuesday, I meant Tuesday! Anyhow – looking like three (???) more chapters after this one... unless my muse is playing mind games again, which is of course possible! The title came from Harry's lack of faith in people to love him, and in his own abilities to be more than a "saviour" to anyone. This fic is about the strength of that love, and the power that having faith in it gives. I hope to start the prequel shortly after I finish here (because I know I would be hunted down if I took time away from THIS to do it!) and I'm hoping to post it all at once. It's only going to be a few chapters, so it shouldn't be too long a wait! And I've already got another idea... well... later, gator!
Shotgunn: Ah. Sprogs. Yes, now I get it. You really need to stay out of my head, you know that? Did you see the Liverpool/Charlton game? Brilliant. I LOVE Garcia!! I hadn't heard that Man U beat Arsenal, but hey, anything that brings them down a peg or two...
James Milamber: See? I knew you could see it my way if you REALLY tried... now... as to the Dark Lord thing... keep trying. I'm sure it will come to you!
Whimsical Firefly: Toronto, huh? I lived there for nine years. My brother lives in Metro (the core of the Greater Toronto Area or GTA – which is made up of about six cities all together). It's not so bad, if you like that kind of buzz. It's... cultural, shall we say? I prefer the pace of Calgary, but hey... that's just me. There are some AMAZING clubs in Toronto, though, and the services are wonderful. If you want it, at any time day or night, you can get it. Keep me updated, as I'm in T.O., normally, about once a year. And no, it isn't bad of you to hope he doesn't accept it, if it's not what you want. I can only say, be honest with him about it. Maybe he thinks that you'd be happy to go?
Gigifanfic: Thanks! James didn't like my explanation of Snape's relationship with Lily... and I have to admit to being hesitant over it myself, but that's the way the muse made it happen, and sometimes, there's no going back on that!
Gorman99: We would have to have words? Have you met Larna Mandrea? She managed to keep me posting pretty regularly with a mixture of gushing loveliness and underhanded threats... what can I say? It seems to work, as my muse keeps coming up with this stuff...
CQ