Authors Note: Well I am back from what could best be described as a disastrous holiday, so here is the next instalment of my fluffy story.
Chapter 10. Witches and Wizards.When the four of them arrived back in the kitchen Jemma was waiting calmly to talk to Harry, "Mr Cadoc Elfick has sent us an owl, he is the manager of your office in the village. He would like to know whether or not it is your intention to reopen the office in the house again in the near future? He told me that there are many more staff than in years gone by, this is because Mr McMahon had told him to use the offices as a source of employment for local witches and wizards that were in need of work, so now all of the staff working at the office are magical."
"Well I fully approve of the employment idea but I must make sure that we pay well," Harry said, "and I haven't given any thought at all to moving the offices back here. Maybe we should invite Cadoc and all the other staff to the party on Monday and I can possibly talk to them about whether they would in fact like to move. Do you mind if they come to your party Ginny?"
"Oh! So am I having a birthday party then?" she answered his question with one of her own and a cheeky grin.
"You know very well that we wouldn't dare leave you without a birthday party," Hermione said trying to look above suspicion, "after all we wouldn't want you sulking for a year, would we."
"I would not sulk for a year," Ginny said with a pretend pout that broke into a big smile, "it would only be for eleven months and the more the merrier at my party."
"So that's it then," Harry said to Jemma, "will you please invite all of the staff of the Potter offices and they may bring partners or parents if they wish. Do you know that I don't even know what the offices are called or how many people work for me there?"
"The invitations I will do straight away and you now have forty seven people working for you in the offices and the vast majority if not all of them are witches." Jemma replied, "The organisation is called, 'The Potter Investment Trust', they call it the PIT, Mitsy will point the building out to you, she is ready to go with you to the village, that is if you still would like to go."
All in all, the Village, when they reached it was pretty much a waste of effort, very little of the original rural village remained and most of what did had been completely desecrated by Muggle development. Looking at it logically it was the streets and roads that had caused a lot of the problem, Muggles needed to get from one place to another so in the main they used cars and busses, of course these required made up roads. Hermione informed them that there were more than ten times as many Muggle cars in the country as there were witches and wizards, also the Muggles believed that it was there divine right to all go somewhere at the same time.
After they had been out for a while Harry noticed that Emma was having a problem looking at some of the buildings, in reality it was those that belonged to magical folk. He believed that it was her powers of observation that were changing due to her constant exposure to the magical environment in the Potters Wheel.
Emma and Ginny were looking across a park with Mitsy at 'The Potter Investment Trust' building and Harry said quietly to Hermione, "We need to talk because we will have to do something about your mum, all this magic is changing her."
Having looked long enough at the rest of the village they had started to make their way back to the house, Harry fell behind with Ginny and he said, once again quietly, "When we get back to the house will you take Emma for a broom ride for an hour or two, there is something that Hermione and I must do?" Ginny looked devastated, "No! No it's not that. We have to decide what to do about her mum, Emma wants to be a witch or at least absorb as much of the wizard world as possible. Apart from anything else we have to find out what Hermione's dad wants and what is achievable, although we are in a rather grey area with what is achievable, I feel that I could make her a witch if that is what was wanted."
Ginny was now smiling happily and said, "I thought that you were going to... well you know what I thought." She kissed him and continued, "Of course I will let's catch them up and I will ask her."
When they caught up to the others Ginny put her arm around Emma's waist and rested her head on her shoulder then said dreamily, "Emma would you like to come flying with me for a while after lunch?"
Emma's expression changed from one of confusion, at Ginny's actions, to one of elation at her suggestion. She immediately put her arm around Ginny's shoulders and rested her head on the top of Ginny's then with a huge smile said, "I would love to. Are we going to try to do a loop? Please? Oh please? Pretty please with a cherry on top?"
You could say that Emma was pleading, however Ginny was unmoved and replied, "Harry said that looping with two on a broom was too dangerous. However I know that he is working on it, so I would have him as well as Hermione and your husband after my blood if I were to hurt you. But have patience I am sure it will all work out for you in the end, don't tell them that I said this but both Harry and Hermione are very clever and if there is a way they will find it."
From the point where Ginny had first spoken to Emma, both Hermione and Harry had been highly amused because they had noticed that the party had started hurrying and this was obviously at the instigation of Hermione's mum.
Because it was only eleven thirty, lunch wasn't ready when they arrived back at the Potters Wheel and Ginny volunteered to go and get her brother and Luna; when she found them she told Ron that he stunk and to go for a shower then come for lunch. She added the threat of 'they weren't going to wait,' Luna was reading a book and she told Ginny that she would wait for Carrot.
Back in the house Ginny found Harry alone in Merlin's study, he told her that Hermione had gone for a shower and after she had asked he told her that she had time for one as well, he also promised her that they wouldn't start lunch without her.
Twenty minutes later Jemma called them and told them that lunch was ready, they found Emma impatiently waiting for them in the dining room.
All through lunch Ron was talking about going back out to the Quidditch pitch after lunch but as soon as Luna had finished daintily eating her lunch she said, "Ronald and I are going to Merlin's room to study this afternoon."
If certain looks are priceless then the one on Ron's face was one of those, nobody would have taken it off you at any price and he slumped dejectedly out of the dining room behind Luna.
Ginny finished her Sticky Toffee Pudding and Custard then she quite casually asked Emma, "Are you ready?"
"Bye dears." Emma said as she disappeared out of the door followed more sedately by Ginny who gave them a big wink before departing.
Harry was quiet for a minute and then he asked Hermione, "Do you know where your dad is?"
"He's right here," said Dan hurrying into the room, "and he hopes that he is in time for some lunch. What did you want me for?"
Suria brought in a huge platter of steak, chips and mushrooms, she placed it before Dan whose eyes lit up as he thanked her, then he added, "Where's Emma?"
"Mum's outside flying around on a broomstick behind Ginny and it's about her we need to talk to you." Hermione had started but she and Harry split the task of explaining Emma's increasing enthralment with the wizarding world between them. Suria replaced Dan's empty steak platter with a dish of Sticky Toffee Pudding and Custard in the middle of the explanation and they reached the end shortly after he had cleared his plate.
"I thought that it didn't matter how much Emma wanted to be a witch, it just isn't possible." Dan said.
Harry stood up and said, "Before we go any further with this discussion, I think that we had all better go to my study."
When they were in the Masters study with the door closed Dan asked, "Why have we come in here?"
"This room is completely shielded and nobody can overhear what we talk about or observe us in any other way." Harry said then he continued, "A week ago I would have agreed with you, about giving magical powers to Muggles but now I am not so certain. But before I try to do anything with Emma I wanted to get your views on some things. Do you want to be married to a witch? Would you like to be a wizard? I don't really know if it will work but I am asking you if you want me to try and do it?"
"If there's a million dollar question that's it," Dan answered, "and strait off the top of my head I don't know the answer. If I say no and Emma ever finds out then I'm a dead man."
"That's one of the reasons we are in this room dad." Hermione said with a small smile.
"Look," Harry said, "you don't have to make a decision immediately, it is very important that you make the right one for both of you."
"But I feel that I should decide now." Dan said, "Whenever Emma and I have jokingly discussed this in the past I have always thought that I would rather like to be a wizard and my immediate instinct is to say yes."
"If you do say yes," Harry said, "I would try to change you first and if it doesn't work then we can explain what we have done to Emma and tell her that it is not possible. If we try to change her first and we fail then she will be devastated, her disappointment will be immense."
Suddenly Dan sat up straight and said, "I want to be a wizard and I would love to be married to a witch."
Hermione asked, "Are you sure dad?"
Her father looked her in the eyes and said, "I am absolutely certain."
Harry stood and Hermione knew that he was going to try so she also stood, she was to his right and slightly back from him. Dan also realising that Harry was starting a ritual stood before Harry who waved one hand and Dan's Muggle clothes were replaced by a set of Red and Gold wizard robes.
"Are you certain that you wish to become a wizard?" Harry asked.
"I am." Dan replied.
Harry held out his hands and Dan took them and Harry said, "Peri y dyn Dewin." (Make this man a Wizard). A white light engulfed Dan and spiralled upwards and disappeared through the ceiling.
"I believe that that is it." Harry said quietly. "Where is your wand Hermione? See if Dan can do the levitation charm?"
Hermione put out her hand and her wand, that had been in her room, appeared in it, "Watch carefully," she said to her father as she swished and flicked her wand saying, "Wingardium Leviosa". A blank piece of parchment that had been resting on a small table rose about four feet in the air and as Hermione lowered her wand it gently settled back down on the table.
"Ok dad," Hermione said passing her father the wand, "you just point the wand at the parchment like I did and say 'Wingardium Leviosa' and the parchment should rise up in the air."
Her dad swished and flicked the wand but before he could say anything the parchment burst into flames, Dan said, "I'm sorry so sorry."
Harry was laughing as he put out the fire and vanished the ashes, "Well that proves it anyway. You are now magical."
There was a banging on the door and when Hermione opened it Ginny rushed in but Emma couldn't enter until Harry gave her permission.
"What's going on," burst out Emma, "we saw a bright white light go up to heaven, we thought that there had been a disaster?"
"Mum come and sit down, said Hermione calmly as she closed the door, "and we will tell you all about it."
"Well there nearly was a disaster," said Dan laughing, "but that wasn't when you saw the white light."
Emma sat down and then Hermione, Dan and Harry between them explained what had transpired.
As soon as they had finished explaining, with a huge smile Emma said, "Is it my turn now please Harry?"
Harry stood and the others knew what he was going to do so Hermione stood one side of him and Ginny the other they were both slightly back from him. Dan also realising that Harry was starting the ritual again stood off to one side.
Emma stood before Harry who waved one hand making silken Red and Gold wizarding robes replaced her Muggle clothes.
"Are you certain that this is what you want?" Harry asked her seriously.
"Absolutely positive." Emma replied.
Harry held out his hands and Emma took them then Harry said, "Peri y gwraig Dewines." (Make this woman a Witch). Again a white light engulfed Emma and once again spiralled upwards and disappeared through the ceiling.
"Again I believe that that is it." Harry said quietly. "Hermione lend your mum your wand and let her wave it."
Emma took Hermione's wand and for a few seconds she was engulfed in a golden glow and red stars issued from the end of the wand, she was amazed.
Harry said, "There is no need for you to wave it as it is obvious that not only are you magical, but this is the correct wand combination for you. So Emma your wish is granted and you are now a witch."
Harry took Hermione's wand from Emma and handed it back to its rightful owner saying, "We must inform the Headmaster, he is the expert in training new witch's and wizard's, so Hermione can you go and find him and ask him to come as soon as he can."
Hermione left to find the Headmaster and Harry continued, "You two must have your clothes changed back to your other clothes." Harry waved his hands and their clothes reverted to those they were wearing originally and then he said, "I now believe that we have a very serious job for Ron."
Ginny looked puzzled, "What do you mean a very serious job for Ron?"
"Well," said Harry with a cheeky smile, "I rather thought that the first thing that Emma would like would be some lessons on flying her own broom and that Ron would be the ideal person to teach her. Let's all go and find him."
Emma was almost bouncing as they headed straight to Merlin's Study where they found Ron. When he was asked he looked very sceptical but he finally agreed and then with a parting shot of 'and don't be late for dinner', the pair of them disappeared.
Harry wasn't certain that he was doing the right thing but he summoned his first year schoolbooks and gave them to Dan to read through suggesting he started with Charms and then Transfiguration.
After about ten minutes Hermione arrived back, "The Headmaster can't get here until the morning," she said, "but if we give them our first year books to begin reading it will give them a start." She summoned her first year Hogwarts books and continued, "These are for mum, if she ever gets off that broom and I see that you have already given yours to my dad, clever boy."
Harry spoke quietly to Merlin's portrait then he took Ginny and Hermione to the vault in the Masters study.
Merlin was waiting for them in the picture frame on the far wall and he said, "The cupboard nearest this wall is full of wands, you will find that they are all neatly filed and labelled. I would suggest that you try Cedar with Unicorn tail hair for Hermione's father."
Ginny soon found a wand that matched Merlin's suggestion for Dan and Hermione found one that was identical to her own for her mother. For some reason she was quite reluctant to part with her own wand although she knew that she would probably never ever use it again, it was like an old friend and they had been through some exciting times together.
When they were back in Merlin's study Ginny offered the Cedar and Unicorn tail hair wand to Dan, when he held it a golden glow surrounded him for a few seconds and a few red stars came from the end of the wand.
Everyone was smiling and Hermione took it back off him saying, "Well that is obviously the correct combination for your wand and we will keep yours and mums until Professor Dumbledore comes here to see you tomorrow morning. Now I thought that we three were going to explore the cellars this afternoon?"
"Come off it Hermione, I don't fancy some musty old cellars," Ginny said, "I need to get rid of some pent-up energy, how about finding your mum on our brooms or better still a snowball fight?"
"A snowball fight?" said Harry noncommittally.
To their surprise Luna said, "I fancy a snowball fight if you all do."
"Well who are we to deny Y Cyfriniol a snowball fight." Hermione said with a smile.
The decision was made and as they started going up stairs Harry said, "I must do something about my clothes first."
With an evil grin Ginny said, "Now that's the best suggestion I've heard all day, let's all help Harry do something about his clothes!"
There followed a chase upstairs and around Harry's room, when the three girls had cornered him Luna was given the honour of unbuttoning his shirt but Harry pleaded, "I was going to put more clothes on not take these off."
Luna was obviously enjoying herself and said, "I have been given strict instructions to remove your shirt by my hostesses and I don't want to upset them, so this shirt is coming off!" and it did.
I would be lying if I told you that Harry didn't enjoy the frivolity that ensued at this time, however eventually they all agreed that more and not less clothes would be required to enjoy a snowball fight.
Two and a half hours later they were returning from the roof and they were having problems with Luna, she wanted to join the three of them in Harry's hot tub and the other two girls would not allow her to. Eventually the argument was solved by Harry who asked her what she thought Ron would do if he ever found out that she had been nude in a hot tub with Harry. When she thought about this she realised just what she was suggesting had just apologised and was on the way to her room when they met Ron and an ecstatic looking Emma.
Ron immediately asked Luna what she was doing, when she told him that she had just spectacularly lost a snowball fight, but so had everyone else and she was going to soak in a hot tub. He looked like the cat that had been locked in the cream factory over the weekend and they disappeared rapidly in the direction of her room.
"So how was it?" Hermione asked her mum.
Emma was radiating delight and she kissed Harry on both cheeks then said to him, "Thank you for the second best gift anyone has ever given me, it was wonderful, totally wonderful."
Hermione looked at her mother strangely and asked, "The second best gift?"
"Of course," Emma said smiling lovingly at Hermione, "you were the best gift anyone could ever possibly wish for."
Hermione turned the brightest shade of red any of them had ever seen on anyone's' face and she grabbed her mum in the biggest hug her mother could ever remember receiving from her.
Eventually Emma broke away and said, "I must go and have a shower because I must whiff quite a bit!"
"We're soaking wet from snow fighting," Harry said, "and we're freezing cold, we better soak in a hot tub."
"You three go and soak." Emma said and as she set off she looked over her shoulder, winked then added, "Together is better!" as she disappeared around the corner.
"Cheeky mummy!" Hermione said with a big grin.
"She's right though," put in Ginny, as they headed for the hot tub in Harry's room.
Half an hour before dinner when the three of them entered Merlin's study Emma asked, "Did you?" when Hermione nodded she added, "Good."
"No," Hermione said looking dejected, Emma looked crestfallen, "Not good, it was great." Emma couldn't stop herself laughing out loud.
"Would you mind answering a question?" asked Dan seriously.
"We will all of us answer any questions we can." Ginny said.
So he asked, "Fundamentally what are we trying to learn from these books?"
Emma was listening intently to Harry's reply, "I don't think that you are trying to learn anything in particular at this time, I believe that you are trying at a fundamental level, to understand how magic fits together and even most of the Hogwarts professors are only partially aware of that."
"When Harry turned me on," everyone burst out in fits of giggles, "not like that you dirty minded shower," Hermione was blushing violently again but giggling as well, "as a Magi, turned on my Magi powers. I suddenly acquired an understanding of how all kinds of what I had previously thought of as different magical principals, were all in fact part of the same whole. I assume that it is perfectly reasonable to suppose that Harry, who has greater power, will see even more of the whole magical spectrum than I do."
"Thank you both for those answers," Emma said, "so what will be the main thrust of what Professor Dumbledore will assign people to teach us?"
Hermione grinned at her dad, "I would have thought you would of figured that out already dad, wand control. How to control and use the power you can both generate through your wands."
Dan said, "Thanks again, that will do to be going on with." He and Emma went back to their reading.
The trio sat talking for a few minutes before Jemma came in to tell them that it was time for dinner so they all stopped what they were doing and went to the dining room for dinner.
It was the first time that Dan and Emma had spoken to Arthur and Molly since their conversions and some confusing conversations were taking place. That was until Ginny said, "Mum, dad this afternoon Harry worked out a way to convert Muggles into witches and wizards because Dan and Emma wanted to join in everything we all do so he converted them."
"Oh my!" Arthur said. "The ministry is trying to find a way to remove the magic from serious criminal offenders, not how to give it to Muggles. I don't think that they are going to be very happy. No offence to you Dan and Emma, personally I am very glad to have you with us, I was just warning Harry of the Ministry's probable reaction."
"I know that I shouldn't be like this," Harry said, "but frankly I am beyond the whims of some petty clerk in the Ministry, Dumbledore knows and nobody can touch them, they like all of you are under my protection. That means that to do anything untoward to or with any of you will require someone else having at least as much or more power than I have and at the last count those people totalled exactly zero.
You can, if you want to, tell the Ministry that I have told you that the only living wizard powerful enough to remove someone's magic power is myself. Also I would only consider doing that with a detailed case-by-case consideration and my first instinct will always be to say no, Ginny and Hermione would help me to decide. Unless the subjects last name just happened to be Malfoy of course."
Everyone laughed and the tension that had been building evaporated, from what they had seen for themselves in Diagon Alley and what Hermione had subsequently told her mum and dad about the Malfoy's Dan and Emma were also in on the joke.
"Well Emma," Molly said lightly, "as soon as you have learned to control your wand we will have a great time. I will teach you all of the household charms and spells that I know."
"Couldn't we just have a house elf?" asked Emma.
"House elves are not for the likes of us," said Molly. "You need six million Galleons before you can have one, then you can have another one for each additional nine million Galleons you have. Don't ask me why the odd numbers I tried to find out years ago but nobody seemed to know but it's much more likely they just didn't care. But you and I don't have enough work for a house elf, he or she would get bored then be very unhappy, if ever you or I need a really good spring clean I'm sure our daughters would lend us one for a day."
"I hate ironing!" Emma said emphatically.
"I used to," Molly agreed, "but I found a charm for the iron to do it on its own, the trouble is the iron gets cold so you have to keep an eye on it."
"Electric irons don't get cold until you turn them off," Emma was musing, "I wonder if we could adapt your charm for an electric iron?"
"Weasley!" Molly said in a very irate tone, both Ron and Arthur looked scared, "not you Carrot," Ron looked relieved but his dad's scared look became near terrified. "If I discover that a Muggle electric iron can be given a temporary charm to do the ironing unsupervised then you're a dead man. How long did you hide yourself in that Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office pretending to work?"
"So how did my mum do on her broom Ron?" Hermione asked hopefully changing the subject.
"She did brilliantly Hermione," he answered, "the only person I have ever seen do better straight off was Harry and you know how good he was, but your mum was first class."
"Anyway," Luna said, "Ronald and I are going to study all day tomorrow to make up for what we missed today, aren't we Carrot?"
"Yes Y Cyfriniol," Ron answered, "I really must get on with my homework."
"What's with you wanting to get on with your homework?" Ginny asked, "You don't usually do yours until about August the 28th and then you start to panic."
"Well I have been reading those history books," Ron replied, "and really our family has a lot to be proud of and I want to live up to it all."
"That's a very fine sentiment Ron," Hermione said, "and seriously you do have a lot of fantastic history there, make them all proud of you."
Harry had been thinking and asked, "Jemma would you mind coming please?"
"What can I do for you Harry?" Jemma replied as she appeared.
"Will you send a party invitation to the Minister for Magic and any one else she wants to bring, please?" Harry asked pleasantly.
"Consider it done." Jemma said as she disappeared.
"So Ginny," Ron asked, "Merlin said that your destiny was to become Magi, so when will this happen?"
Ginny told them, "Two days time, on my birthday."
"So how does it happen?" Molly asked, "How do you know exactly when?"
Harry answered, "The when bit is easy, it will be on her birthday because that is when we decided that I should change her and it's no use asking me how. I can tell you that it is an ancient very secret ritual and it is one of those that if I tell you about it you will lose some of your memory, just how much of your memory I do not know."
"Why do you think it is that you don't know?" Hermione asked and sounding slightly puzzled she continued, "It seems like an almost insignificant thing to keep secret."
"I think that it is probably deliberately vague," Harry answered, "the fear of not knowing just how much you will forget should deter you from pushing for an answer and if you keep pushing you won't know anyway. Does that make sense?"
"Yes it does," Molly said.
"This whole subject sounds a bit dodgy to me," said Arthur, "are you lot going studying again?"
"Yes I think we are," Emma said, "there are two books I want to finish reading as soon as possible."
The table was being cleared and the majority of them were making their way back into Merlin's study, Molly and Arthur were once again heading for the television room to watch a video.
When the seven of them arrived back in Merlin's study Godric Gryffindor was in the picture frame with Merlin and they appeared to be having an argument.
"What's the problem?" Hermione asked them pleasantly.
"Him!" they both said at once however Merlin was pointing at Godric but Godric was pointing at Harry.
"What have I done wrong now?" Harry asked Gryffindor.
"I like Muggles," blustered Godric, "so what have you been and done to these perfectly adorable Muggles?"
"Oh Godric you old sweetie," Emma burst in immediately, "you say the nicest things, I never thought that you would find me perfectly adorable." Gryffindor had started blushing but she continued, "Harry gave us something that I have always wanted, but it doesn't stop me from being me and we still know everything about Muggles so we can still chat, can't we handsome?"
"Dear sweet lady please forgive my outburst earlier?" Godric asked apologetically, "and of course we can still chat." He disappeared looking very contrite.
"Well done mum," Hermione said as they all settled down to their reading.
Harry, Ginny and Hermione were very close together on their circular sofa when very quietly he said, "You see how the non defined deterrent works now don't you?"
"It certainly stopped my mum dead in her tracks." Ginny said.
"Yes I think that she has her suspicions that in some ways are pretty near the truth," Hermione added, "but she dare not probe further for fear of what she may forget."
Nothing more of interest occurred that evening and much later they all went to bed.
Authors Note: PLEASE REVIEW
From here on this is just waffle and not relevant to the story. As I said before we are back from our disastrous holiday it started with us losing our cat and went downhill from there what with lousy weather etc. The kindest thing I can say about Merlin's bridge is that it has been over run by Muggle development and sadly roads rule. Fairy Hill however was a treat that well deserved its name and is worth a visit from any intrepid travellers, there is an excellent hostelry nearby called the King Arthur Hotel.