AN 22 September, 2016-more cleanup.

Chapter 2, Two Princes

Link awoke with the sunrise on All Souls Day, 1981. He wandlessly cast a quick cleaning charm on himself, transfigured his clothing into a morning suit with a grey Homburg hat, and stepped out of the back of the Stutz. The Lord Keeper joined him, magically hiding a video camera beneath his arm. The Hyrulians, unlike wizards elsewhere, used muggle technology freely, and enchanted it where needed. With most of the fifty-four million Hyrulian subjects being some form of spell-caster or other, Wizarding Secrecy just wasn't possible.

The two men approached the steps to 4 Privet Drive just as Petunia Dursley found a nephew with the milk delivery and screamed. Her husband Vernon joined her and accosted the two men, rudely asking, "What is this? Who are you to leave a baby on my doorstep?"

Link answered, "Good morning sir, my name is Link Arlisson. I did not leave your nephew on your porch, nor do I approve. I have some unpleasant tidings to give you, tidings I'm sure you don't wish to share with your neighbours. May I come in?"

Vernon asked, "Are you two freaks as well?"

"Probably bigger freaks than you will ever realize, sir. Should we continue this conversation inside?"

Vernon answered, "Hell no! I insist you leave here at once and take the baby freak with you!"

Link replied quickly, before Vernon could slam the door, "That's what I want to do, sir. But you are due recompense for your time, and to ensure that other 'freaks' as you call us bother you no further! If you would be so kind as to answer a few questions, and sign a receipt for the money, we will leave and not bother you again."

Vernon opened the door and asked greedily, "How much money?"

Link answered, "Two thousand five hundred three pounds each for you and your lovely wife, but you must answer a few short questions honestly, and you must also each eat a cup of vegetable pottage, or stew. Quite tasty stuff, really, but the way the wizarding laws work, it's the only way we can keep the man who dumped the child on your doorstep from doing it again.

"It is my sad duty to tell you that James and Lilly Potter were murdered early yesterday morning. You, Petunia Dursley, are their last living relative. By wizarding law, you are being expected to raise your nephew as your own son without compensation from their government.

"However, there is a way out of this inconvenience, based on old wizarding law. If you sign a bill of sale, and accept payment, the boy will be put up for adoption and you will never need see him again, nor will any other wizards bother you again about him. The boy will be raised by people who want to raise him, and no one need ever know about your association with the wizarding world. Does this interest you, sir?"

Vernon answered, "Yes. What are the questions?"

William verified the video camera was still taping as Link said, "Each of you must answer honestly. Do you love your nephew?"

Vernon and Petunia both answered, "No."

Link asked, "Will you raise him as your own son, seeing to his health, comfort, safety, and happiness as if he were indeed you own son?"

"No" the two answered again.

Link then said, "Finally, do the both of you sell the child known as Harry James Potter to me, Link Arlisson, unconditionally in exchange for payment of two thousand five hundred three pounds for the each of you, including thirty pieces of silver and a cup of vegetable pottage each?"

The two Dursleys hesitated for a moment, then both answered, "Yes, we do."

Link took the briefcase he was carrying and set it on the sidewalk. He withdrew it and took out two bundles of fifty-pound notes and two muggle change purses full of silver Edwardian florin coins. He handed Vernon and Petunia in turn a bundle of fifty pound notes. He then opened each change purse, showed Vernon and Petunia, along with the video camera that each purse contained thirty silver half-crown coins, and handed Vernon and Petunia one change purse each. He then conjured two cups of pottage, and handed them to Vernon and Petunia. He said, "There is nothing harmful in this pottage. In order to seal the deal you must eat it."

Vernon and Petunia quickly ate the pottage, noting that it was quite tasty. Petunia asked, "Do you have the recipe for this?"

Link nodded, and silently handed her a note with the recipe on it. Vernon then said, "Well, the deal is done. Is this real money?"

Link answered, "Of course, sir. I paid you in cash, and in real cash. The florins are ten p face value each, but you can get at least three hundred pounds for the silver at a coin dealer. Since they are all almost uncirculated you may get even more than that."

Vernon answered, "Good. Now, take the kid and go, before I have you arrested for trespassing!" They stepped back into the house and slammed the door. Little Harry, who had been watching the exchange too afraid to make a sound, started to cry at this.

Link picked the boy up and soothed him. Harry stopped crying, and started to fuss about, as he was hungry. Link carried the boy back to the car with William following, grabbing the empty briefcase as he went.

As the chauffer drove them away, Link asked, "You get that on film, William?"

The Lord Keeper answered, "Yes, Your Grace, the videotape got everything. I've also got a bottle of formula ready, and a nappy changing kit, as it smells like Harry needs it. Shall I change him?"

Link answered, "No, I've got it." Link quickly changed the soiled nappy, washed Harry's bottom, and put a fresh nappy on him. He then handed Harry a bottle of formula and helped the toddler feed. Link looked into the brilliant green eyes of the black haired toddler, and his heart melted. He thought to himself, "I truly wish I could keep you, childing. But it's better if you grow up with your father and mother's friends, if they will take you. But I promise you, Harry, that you will come to no harm, so long as it's in my power to protect you."

Harry smiled wistfully at that, as if he could read Link's mind. He quickly finished the bottle and said, "Pancake."

Link answered, "It's too early for pancakes, Harry. Try to sleep for a little while. If you do, I'll give you pancake then." Harry giggled, and closed his eyes. At first, his little face was scrunched as if in concentration, then the child was back to sleep. But Link, having raised many children, knew that wouldn't last for long.

He said quietly, "William, have you found the Longbottoms yet?"

The Lord Keeper answered, "Not yet, Your Grace. We're driving to your house in Greenwich for the day. We expect to find them in the next day or so, and it will take a day after that to make sure we arrive at a time when Dumbledore is not there, and to confirm that they won't give the child back to Dumbledore if they get him. After all, we don't want the Dursleys getting Harry back, do we?"

"Heaven forbid!" replied the Duke of Hyrule.

Within the day turned out to be almost a week. Link was not happy about the delay at all, for he and the child had developed a parental bond, as only Kokiri could. Were it not for his desire to not cross Albus Dumbledore completely, he would have long since returned to Castleton with Harry and started the adoption proceedings. After all, he had a signed bill of sale for Harry, and he had videotape of Vernon and Petunia Dursley accepting thirty pieces of silver and a cup of vegetable pottage each in exchange for Harry. Said payment was known as the "traitor's payment," because Judas Iscariot sold Jesus of Nazareth to Caiphas for thirty pieces of silver, and Esau sold his birthright to Jacob for a cup of vegetable pottage. Accepting this payment barred the Dursleys from ever trying to get custody of Harry, or accepting custody from anyone else.

Harry though wasn't waiting for the Longbottoms, or anyone else. He had picked his new parent, and that was Link! The first night, the nightmares came, and the only way Link could get Harry back to sleep was to have the toddler sleep across his chest, as Link's own children had last done centuries before. The second night, Harry threw a fit, and refused to sleep in his cot, or anywhere else save across Link's chest. The third night, Link was awakened at two in the morning by Harry vigorously suckling his right nipple! After a short lecture telling Harry that he didn't give milk like that, and in future to wake him some other way, Link gave Harry a bottle of formula. Harry quickly drained the bottle and returned to sleep. The fourth night, Harry prodded Link's cheek, and said, "Bottow, pwease!" to his new dad. In fact, Harry called Link "Dada" and refused to call him anything else.

Link in turn couldn't help but want to keep Harry. Though the boy could be willful at times, he was never really bad, and his green eyes seemed to pierce Link to his very soul, as the eyes of his first wife Saria had so many centuries ago. Link was desperate, nonetheless, to find the Longbottoms, and hand Harry off while he still could. If he didn't do it soon, he would never be able to, nor would Harry accept it either.

Today was the morning of the seventh of November 1981. The Longbottoms were no longer in hiding, and were in fact in their house in the north end of London. This was where Link and Harry would drive that very morning. Link's plan was simplicity itself. He and Harry would drive in the Stutz to the Longbottoms' house. If they were agreeable, Link would leave Harry with them, and secretly keep them under watch to ensure the boy wasn't returned to Dumbledore, and thusly to the Dursleys. If they kept their word to Link, he would support their efforts to raise Harry. If they tried to give Harry back to Dumbledore and the Dursleys, Link would kidnap him and spirit him off to Hyrule, and deal with the consequences.

Harry was quieter than he had been as Link gave him his morning bath. The boy asked, "Dada, Hawwy bad?"

Link answered, "No, Harry. Why do you ask?"

The boy answered, "Dada take Hawwy to new place, leave Hawwy."

Link swallowed hard; the boy was bright and perceptive, nothing less than the truth would do. He answered the child, "When your first Dada and Mama went away, they wanted you to live with someone who loved you, who they already knew. You like Nevo, right?"

Harry thought, and answered, "Hawwy like Nevo. But you Dada now, not Nevo! Nevo baby wike me! Hawwy no go Nevo!"

Link answered the crying child, "Harry, Nevo has a Mama and Dada too! They love you just like Nevo! If you have Nevo's Mama and Dada for you, you'll get to play with Nevo all day, forever!"

Harry stopped crying, and thought. He answered solemnly, "Hawwy no wike. But if Nevo pway wif Hawwy aw day fowevew, Hawwy wet Dada weave wike fiwst Dada weave."

Link answered, "Deal, Harry. But only if they really love you. If not, we go home, and I'll be your dada forever."

Harry answered, "Deaw, Dada."

Harry was cooperative, but obviously sullen as Link dressed him, and fed him a breakfast of a pancake and fruit. Navi, who had not come out of Link's mind the whole time asked telepathically, "You aren't serious about keeping Harry, are you?"

Link answered in his mind, "You know I am, Navi! I can't bear to let him go now. But, if Frank and Alice Longbottom will take him, not give him up, protect him from the harm his fame could cause, and raise him in a loving home, I must let them. Lilly wanted me to protect him, not necessarily to raise him."

Link and Harry left Link's Greenwich estate at half-two in the afternoon, Link dressed as an ordinary English wizard. The arrived at the Longbottom's house in north London at three in the afternoon to find out that all hell had broken loose!

Aurors were swarming the house! Reporters and photographers from the Daily Prophet and the Wizarding Wireless Network were standing on the sidewalk in front of the house. Link wandlessly cast an invisibility charm and a notice-me-not charm on himself and walked into the house to find out what had happened.

He didn't have to look far. Frank Longbottom's elderly mother was levitated out of the house under a sheet, apparently quite dead. Link walked into the house to find orderlies from St. Mungo's hospital bundling up Frank and Alice, whose minds were gone, perhaps for good. Link could smell the after-effects of the Cruciatus curse plainly on their bodies. He overheard the Aurors speaking of the battle that had taken place not thirty minutes earlier, where three Death-Eaters, Voldemort's followers, were finally captured, after having their way with the Longbottoms for several hours! Link looked around frantically for any sign of Neville Longbottom, hoping against hope that the boy was somewhere else. But, he found out that Neville was not somewhere else. The boy had rendered himself silent and invisible. Link at first couldn't even see the boy. But, Link felt the sorrow of the boy's heart, and smelled the soiled nappy, and quickly found the invisible child.

Link silently picked the boy up, and left the house. Whatever he was obliged to do with Neville Longbottom wasn't getting done there. He carried the child into the Stutz and cast a countercharm, making Neville visible again. As they drove away, he gave the boy his voice back, and Neville started to scream in anguish!

Link let him scream for the moment, not knowing what to do, or how to comfort the boy. Finally, Harry shouted louder than Neville, and the boy was quiet. "Nevo, Hush!"

Neville stopped screaming and said, "Hawwy?"

Harry answered, "Hawwy."

Neville sobbed, "Nevo bad, Hawwy. Mama tew Nevo hide. Nevo get tirwed no hide. Bad bads make Gwama die, Mama and Dada hurt weaw bad! Mama and Dada wose Mama and Dada. Nevo wanna go away! Nevo wanna…"

Harry answered, "No! Nevo no go away! Nevo stay with Hawwy! Hawwy wose Mama and Dada! Hawwy no wose Nevo!"

Neville looked at Harry in amazement. He answered, "Nevo sowwy, Hawwy." The two boys hugged each other.

After a few moments, Harry said, "Are you still my dada, Dada? Hawwy be good, pwease?"

Link answered, "Harry, the people who were supposed to take you can't. I will never leave you. I will never make you leave me, no matter how bad you are. I love you forever, Harry."

The boy asked, "Will you be Nevo Dada too?"

Link asked, "Neville, may I be your Dada?"

Neville answered, "Nevo bad. Nevo too bad for Dada."

"No, Neville, you were not bad. The bad people were bad. You need a Dada. Harry needs a brother. May I be your Dada?"

Neville though a moment, and answered, "Will you be my Dada Fowevew too, wike Hawwy?"

Link answered, "Yes, Neville. You and Harry are my sons now, and I am your Dada. I love you both forever. I will never leave you. I will never make you leave me."

Link bent down onto the floor of the limousine, and hugged both boys, who hugged him back. He wandlessly opened the divider window and said to William, who was riding up front with the chauffer, "We drive to King's Cross. See to it that my train is waiting at Platform 10.5; we leave for home as soon as we get there. We now have two princes, Prince Harry and Prince Neville."

William was somewhat surprised, as he didn't see the invisible Neville when Link brought him into the car. But, it's second nature for a successful Lord Keeper to deal with surprises. He asked in return, "Your Grace, when should I have Witenagemot ready to hear your report."

Link answered, "I will speak to a secret joint session the day after tomorrow. The Chancellor and First Secretary are to meet me at Hyrule Castle Station when we arrive."

Link spent the rest of the drive changing nappies, cleaning bottoms, and entertaining two emotionally traumatized but recovering toddlers as they tried to magically destroy the limousine they rode in. As he did so, he thought to himself, "I've bought the Phoenix, Harry Potter. I've rescued the Lion, Neville Longbottom, though his magic feels more like that of a Griffon. Now, I get to raise two magical children. God help me that I raise them right."

Navi came out of Link's mind for the first time in a week right after Harry and Neville dozed off. She said quietly, "You'll do fine, Link. The real challenge will be getting those dunderheads in Witenagemot to go along with you."

Link answered, "Perhaps. But that will take hours at most. I'll be obliged to let Harry and Neville go to Hogwarts whether they need to learn anything there or not. That's not quite ten years from now. Less than a decade to prepare the boys for what they'll face, can I possibly do it?"

"Of course you will, Link. They're your sons after all. And your sons have yet always done well for the Realm, for you, and for themselves."

Link could easily argue with Navi, for not all of his sons did nearly as well as she said. But, he was too tired to argue, and too happy to have children again. He picked up the tired boys and held them to his chest. The three of them napped until they reached King's Cross Station.

At King's Cross, they were met by an entourage of plain-clothes Constables (the police and Aurors of Hyrule) and escorted to Platform 10.5. As they were leaving thirty minutes before the scheduled evening train to Castleton started boarding, there was a small gathering of Hyrulians near the shoeshine stand that was the gate to the enchanted platform. No one said a word, though, as the party was escorted through the gate, onto the platform, and onto the Duke's private train.

The train set was originally of American origin, though built for the smaller tunnels of the United Kingdom. However, it had been modified over the years, both magically, and in the arenas of muggle technology, so that it was indeed state of the art, despite the fact that it was built just prior to America's entry into the Second Great War.

Navi, Link (who carried Harry and Neville), and William boarded the observation carriage, which was the last carriage of the consist, and was also the first car they came to as the train was backed into the platform.

William asked Link, "Your Grace, do you realize that we are committing two acts of kidnap?"

Link retorted, "William, do you realize that I don't care? Albus Dumbledore consigned Harry to a fate worse than death itself! I was obliged to rescue Neville from his own magic, because of what he saw happen to his birth-parents. They are now my sons, because no one else could raise them properly, if at all, after what they've suffered.

"You are my Lord Keeper, William, and that entails any number of duties. I will relax and take supper here in the observation carriage, with my sons. As they are already waking, and will be full of energy, I will play with and entertain them until they can be put down for the night. When that happens, they will probably both prefer to sleep as proper Kokiri children, thus I will be indisposed, though I can keep them from being disturbed if you have word to bring to me then.

"In the mean time, you will converse with the Chancellor and First Secretary. The three of you will work out a way to 'paper' this crisis over. If an over-annulated schoolmaster can consign two children to death or worse, surely you can see to the appropriate drafting of a law to preserve said lives."

As the train pulled out of King's Cross, William sensed that his "audience" was over for now. He went forward three carriages to enter his train-board office to make the necessary phone calls.