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Mad Bombers Abound
They'd gone from the wand shop to the Burrow, where Rose was very happy to see both her father and Ron. In fact she made almost as big a fuss over Ron as she did Harry. The Auror took this to be a good sign and settled with Rose on his lap while Harry hesitantly showed Molly his new wand.
Rose was delighted that her daddy had learned magic while she was away, and Ron caught his mother dabbing at her eyes as well. Harry was still looking rather tired, so Ron cut the visit ruthlessly short, explaining to his niece that they all had come over in their lunch times and had to get back to work now. Rose accepted the lie with equanimity, and Hermione went through the Floo first to steady a drooping Harry when he emerged into his own home. Ron was moments behind and together they cleaned all the soot off, a spell that Harry helped with, and headed upstairs for a nap. Ron was grateful that Harry had such a big bed and the three of them could fit onto it comfortably.
Harry was still on a bland diet as a precaution, so Ron made porridge with cream and sugar for dinner, which was followed by ice cream. Hermione disappeared after dinner to visit her dad and check on his healing ribs, and Ron persuaded Harry back into bed with the promise of a snogging session. The fact that the Cambridge professor fell asleep mid kiss was an indication of how exhausted he was, mentally and physically. Ron didn't mind, he just wrapped himself around the sleeping man once more and followed his example.
Hermione rejoined them for breakfast, which was scrambled eggs and toast, in keeping with Harry's bland diet. Now that their case was over, the Aurors planned to send the paperwork into the office today, and then check with the Muggle authorities to see if they had made any progress on catching the bomber. Just as they were arguing over who would go to work to fetch the papers and who would stay home with Harry - who was looking amused and a little gratified that they both wanted 'time' with him to themselves - when there was a terrific banging on the front door. For a moment, Ron thought that Peeves had somehow tracked them from Hogwarts after Hermione's emergency dash there earlier this week, but then the voices accompanying the banging got through to him.
Harry was already on his feet and heading for the front door, obviously recognising the voices as Ron followed him and tried to make sense of what they were saying. When he did realise his blood ran cold and he sent Hermione a fierce look, indicating that she should be at the ready.
"Bomb! Bomb!" Harry pulled the front door to the accompaniment of those shouts and two older Muggles burst in, the man grabbing Harry by the shoulders and shaking him hard, while the woman charged for the stairs, only to bounce off Ron and the unobtrusive blocking spell he'd set up. If there was a bomb he wasn't going to let the Muggle run further into the house and if there weren't then it would not be prudent to allow her further in to spread more mayhem.
"Where's Sarah?" she cried, even as she staggered to keep her feet, "We've got to get her out of here!"
"She's at my mothers," Harry snapped, breaking the hold the man had on him, "She's safe."
Even as he snapped at the couple that Ron had identified as Rose's maternal grandparents, Harry was ushering them outside, his robe flapping over his thin pyjamas. Hermione had called the Muggle authorities and joined Ron in searching the area for the threat. They located a cardboard box shoved against the front steps and gingerly pulled the top open, revealing a burning fuse and a collection of bright yellow tubes. Ron extinguished the fuse with a quick spell and Hermione put a containment charm on the box.
By this time Harry was standing in the middle of the street with his erstwhile in-laws and a collection of neighbours who had heard the fracas and exited their own homes to see what was going on.
"All clear!" Ron called from the front steps and then went to Harry's side. Harry had left his wand upstairs, and was bare foot as the house was warm enough with the doors shut. He was shivering and Ron hit him with a sneaky warming charm, which earned him a grateful look. Mr and Mrs Gardener were glaring about, their neat suits and expensive coats very out of place among the mismatched clothing of the neighbours. Harry's neighbour hood was comfortable and unpretentious. People got on with it and left their neighbours to do the same, although the distance was not unfriendly.
"Young man, you cannot possibly expect us to leave Sarah in your care any longer," Mr Gardener barked suddenly, making a lot of people jump, Harry included, "It's far too dangerous for her to remain anywhere near you. I insist you give to us at once!"
"Her name is Rose," Harry's face was pinched and his hands were clenched in fists in the folds of his robe, "And she is perfectly safe at Mums at the moment. I sent her there when I realised the nature of the threat."
A Muggle car with a light on the roof and a blaring siren burst around the corner and everyone got out of the way in a hurry. Ron made sure he stayed at Harry's side, sensing that this confrontation was only just beginning. Several other noisy cars followed and Ron noticed out of the corner of his eye that Hermione was directing them to the bomb, and Inspector Parker was hurrying towards Harry and the Gardeners.
"Mother! You're an orphan! You've got no past, no family standing and no right to keep Sarah from us!" Mrs Gardener shouted, her face red and as ugly as the words she was spitting out like hexes, "We are her grandparents and we have every right to remove her from a dangerous situation!"
"My foster mother, then," Harry's voice was calm by an effort of sheer will, and Ron was impressed that his friend wasn't shouting in return. He would have been, which was why he kept his mouth shut and stood close for morale support. This was Harry's fight, though Ron was prepared to stand by him no matter what.
"Foster mother! You told us that you had no contact with your family at all! What other lies have you told us? You have lied and now you're endangering Sarah with whatever this is! I insist upon seeing her at once!" Mr Gardener waved his arms for emphasis and Ron had to bite the inside of his lip to keep from smiling at the ridiculous picture he made. The situation was far too serious for humour, and Harry needed his friends to be sombre now.
"How can we trust that the paternity test results were true if you've lied to us about not having contact with your former foster family? You will submit to further testing at once, and in the meantime, Sarah will stay with us. There can be no question that she is our grand daughter, no matter what her father was!" Mrs Gardener sneered and the colour that Harry had gained since he'd left hospital drained away from his face in mere seconds.
"You will take my daughter from my cold dead arms, and not before. As to a second paternity test… talk to my solicitor," Harry's voice was laden with cold threat and both Gardeners stepped back from the sheer fury in his eyes. Though they didn't know it, this was a man who had survived against incredible odds in the face of mortal danger. The glare he was using now had all the power of Harry's past experience and horrors. Ron put a hand on Harry's arm, more to remind him of his presence than restrain him and Parker, who had been standing silently to one side all this time, spoke up.
"There was no question of the veracity of the results," he said calmly, "And as to the identity and motive of the person targeting the Professor, we have a suspect in custody."
"Obviously not the right one," Mrs Gardener exclaimed, "They left a bomb on the front door step! If they had been in custody then the bomb would not have been there."
Parker smiled coldly, and even Harry shivered in response to that look. Snape would have been impressed had he been there to see it, and as Harry knew from personal experience Snape could give a person frostbite with a single smile.
"The person targeting the Professor didn't leave that particular device," Parker gestured and a couple of Muggle Aurors stepped forward and began ushering the Gardeners into cars, ignoring their protests and threats. Parker turned to Harry.
"Your neighbours confirmed to me that the Gardeners lingered with a box at your door for a moment before raising the alarm. I'd suggest that wherever Miss Potter is at the moment she stays there until this can all be sorted out," Parker murmured gently, "If you'd care to get dressed and come to the station when you're ready, sir, that would be most appreciated. I'll contact your solicitor on my way to the station, and have her meet you there. The house has been cleared as safe."
"Thank you," Harry mumbled, and Ron took his hand gently squeezing it. That got the red head a smile as Parker headed for his car. Hermione came up on Harry's other side and looked at him anxiously. He put an arm around her waist and the three of them watched the Gardeners and the Muggle Aurors drive away.
"Come on Harry," she said after a moment, "The sooner we sort this out the sooner we can go to the Burrow."
Ron smiled his thanks at his friend as Harry cheered up a bit and led them both back into the Hutch to dress and prepare.
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