Authors Note. Things are a bit quieter in this chapter; I hope that you like it.
I am having difficulty keeping up with writing and editing the nine thousand words a week required to regularly update this story and H.P. Love is all You Need so either or both could start slipping.
Harry Potter and the New Neighbours.Chapter 7. Saturday Morning.
Hermione came into Harry's room at six thirty on Saturday morning to start kissing him and she told him that she had been lying awake since five missing him terribly, he told her that he had been awake at least as long as she had and he was feeling exactly the same way.
Then Hermione asked, "Why do you think that it was so easy to get rid of those Death Eaters, our level seems way above theirs?"
"I have been thinking about much the same thing," Harry answered, "and the only conclusion I can reach is that in the greater scheme of what we have to achieve Voldemort is no more than an annoyance to be removed so that we can concentrate on the really important things. Do you think that we were a bit blasé in Courtroom ten?"
She thought for a minute and said, "No. There and at Azkaban we were sending a message to Voldemort, if he has any sense at all he will know that he should be on the defensive, I think that if he were to try to attack us it would be all over in no time."
She was lying on top of the bedclothes and they languished into silence, Hermione had left the bedroom door wide open so at seven thirty her mother came in she asked, "Have you been in here all night?"
"No," Hermione answered, "Although I wish that I had but I came in about an hour ago I just couldn't stay away any longer and we have just been talking mostly. We'll get up now that you are awake."
Jane went down stairs as Hermione tumbled Harry out of bed so they followed her mother downstairs to the kitchen for breakfast.
Just as they were sitting down an owl arrived carrying a copy of the 'Daily Prophet' Harry removed the paper and the bird flew away, without waiting to be paid, which Hermione remarked upon as being unusual, even special editions normally had to be paid for.
As they were opening the paper Tonks came in and they realised why the owl hadn't waited to be paid.
The headline across the top of the page read.
Fudge with 116 Death Eaters Removed from the Ministry by Aurors and
'The Lord and Lady of the Light'
Underneath was a photograph of the Lord and Lady taken when they had arrived in the reception of St Mungos Hospital, there was a small write-up on the front page and it was continued on pages 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7.
However across the centre of the page was the reason why they didn't have to pay for the paper, another bolder headline read;
HARRY POTTER SAYS 'AMELIA BONES' SHOULD BE NEXT 'MINISTER FOR MAGIC'.
Underneath the headline Harry's letter extolling the virtues of Amelia's fight against the dark side despite Fudge's best efforts was printed in its entirety.
Just as they had finished breakfast there was a knock on the front door, Matt went to answer it.
It was Amelia and after greeting them with a big grin she said, "Greetings Oh Lord and Lady of the Light from the newly appointed Minister for Magic and I thank you for your letter. I am not sure that Dumbledore will be too pleased but I had the necessary majority of votes by eight o'clock this morning, including one from Amos."
Yawning Tonks said, "God I'm tired we didn't get to sleep until four this morning. Amos is a politician Minister, he knows that there are some plum jobs going after the clearout yesterday."
Amelia asked, "Talking of plum jobs, is there anyone who you think deserves a plum job Harry?"
"Well, Tonks already has a plum job looking after me," he answered with a deadpan expression gaining snorts from several people, a poked out tongue from Tonks and a playful slap from Hermione, "is there anything going to do with Muggles? Because I think that Arthur Weasley deserves promotion, but he loves working with Muggles."
"I had already decided to make Tonks a Senior Auror at the first opportunity, so that will happen on Monday."
She continued, "Zachariah Balustraté, one of the most bigoted pure bloods I have ever had the misfortune to come across, went in yesterday's clearout so the 'Director of Muggle Liaison' job is up for grabs. Thank you for reminding me about Arthur, he's a good man Harry. So I will go now and persuade Arthur that what he really wants is to be 'Director of Muggle Liaison' and if I were you lot I would disappear somewhere away from here for the weekend. I will get some of my people to keep an eye on the house," and after saying goodbye she 'Apparated' away.
x-x
At more or less the same time that 'The Daily Prophet' had arrived in Little Whinging a copy arrived in the Burrow, Ginny was sat at the table so she took the paper from the delivery owl and opened it.
"Mum look at this." She said in a hushed voice.
Molly took one look and called up the stairs, "Arthur come quickly and look at the paper."
He arrived in the kitchen in seconds and was quickly shown the paper; the three of them sat reading it.
A few minutes later there was a small tap on the open back door and Amelia Bones voice called, "May I come in please?"
"Of course," called Arthur, "what can I do for you Director Bones?"
"Save your congratulations for the moment, but it is no longer Director it is Minister, thanks to Harry, that letter persuaded the other possible candidates that it was safer not to fight. As you can see from the paper, most of the top echelons of the Ministry have been decimated by the Death Eater clearout and I really need someone who knows and likes Muggles to run the department, would you please do it for me Arthur? You get to call me Amelia if you accept."
Ginny and Molly realised what was being offered slightly quicker than unassuming Arthur and their eyes went wide, then Arthur asked incredulously, "Director?"
"Yes," she said, "Director of Muggle Liaison."
Arthur was totally shocked so Ginny pointed to the picture on the front page of the paper and said, "I swear that we will tell no one, but that is Hermione and Harry isn't it and have they been working out or something."
Amelia started writing on a card as she answered, "I believe that none of you will break their trust so I will tell you, yes it is them."
Molly and Arthur were flabbergasted and he said, "Those two did all of this, Amelia?"
"They were absolutely incredible," Amelia said, "and I am glad that you have accepted the job Arthur. Because I know that you wouldn't want to get yourself in trouble by calling me Amelia would you?" She was smiling as she passed the card she had written to Ginny and continued, "Please come, it is Susan's birthday and you will be most welcome, it starts at midday in the pool and I have absolutely no idea when or where it might finish."
A short time later Amelia and Arthur left for the Ministry, they had a lot of organising to do before Monday morning.
Molly asked her daughter, "How did you recognise Harry and Hermione with them dressed like that?"
Ginny smirked, "I have seen Harry enough times in his Quidditch tights to recognise him anywhere."
"Ginevra Weasley!" Molly said sternly, then she hesitated and giggling added, "He is a big boy though, isn't he?"
Ginny just smiled and went up to her room to write a letter.
x-x
Jane asked, "Where shall we go then?"
"The Potters Place." Hermione answered immediately.
"Why there?" asked Matt.
"Harry has said that he doesn't want to go to Godric's Hollow," Hermione stated. "Goodness knows what we will find when we go to the island that Sirius left him, or for that matter his original family home that Merlin told him about yesterday. Château Potter sounds a bit grand more like a posh holiday than a hopefully relaxing weekend so I concluded that 'the Potters Place' was the most logical choice for us.""It sounds like 'the Potters Place' in fifteen minutes to me. Do you want to go and get everything you want for the weekend Senior Auror Tonks?" Asked Harry cheekily.
"Certainly me Lord," said Tonks, saluting then poking her tongue out again then she Apparated away to get her things.
Twelve minutes later when Tonks returned she had Remus with her and she told them, "You said that I was to bring what I wanted for the weekend, so I brought Remus, oh and some clothes of course."
After greeting Remus the six of them took hold of the Portkey, this looked like a four foot long silken cord from a dressing gown and Harry touched it with his wand; it was nothing like a normal Portkey.
It seemed that they were floating on clouds but only for a few seconds then they settled in a very nice entrance hall and their backs were to a door that Remus assured them was the exit to the front garden. To their left was a very large fireplace that had a big tub of Floo powder next to it and to the right hand side of them was a very strange looking door.
The double doors in front of them were opened by two female house elves and Remus said, "Hello Jemma and it's Jiffs isn't it?"
Both elves smiled and the taller of the two, who was wearing a red kimono, said, "Yes she is Jiffs and I am Jemma, if you don't mind she will go and bring the rest of the staff to meet the new master of the house?"
Harry smiled and said, "We don't mind at all Jemma."
After Jiffs disappeared Jemma looked at Harry and said, "As you have probably gathered I am the Senior Housekeeper and you are so like your father and mother Harry, I will be very happy to be your friend."
"And I will be very happy to be yours Jemma." Harry said his smile widening.
Hermione's lovely smiling face held a look of wonder and happiness.
Jiffs arrived with the other elves, the females were all wearing different coloured kimonos, so Jemma started to introduce them, "Jiffs is the Librarian and she will find you anything you may require from the library."
"Next we have, no let's do the one who is fidgeting he is Lodi the gardener," he was wearing a shirt and trousers, "and he is in the middle of setting out some Mandrakes so he thinks that his time would be better spent in his greenhouse, go on back to your greenhouse then." At these words from Jemma Lodi disappeared with a pop. "Actually Lodi is also an expert with potions so if ever there is anything you need all you have to do is call him."
Four of the visitors were smiling but Matt and Jane looked confused so Remus said to them, "Really Mandrakes are a pain, I don't envy him having to set them out and I think that if you are up for it we should find some books for you to read." Matt and Jane were nodding in agreement.
"Ok, so Suria is next she is the cook," Jemma said, "and her job is just as important as Lodi's, some would say more so."
"Now we come to Memo who, apart from all of the normal house elf duties which we all do, is an expert on Muggle installations in magical environments, we have electric lights, telephones, computers, television and things." Memo was also wearing a shirt and trousers.
"Finally we come to Mimi who is a ladies maid, she will do your hair, nails and help you to dress, if you want her to."
Jemma had come to the end of her introductions so Harry started his, "As you all seem to know I am Harry, Harry Potter and I would like to be your friend if you will let me? You all seem to know Remus as well and the young lady with him is Tonks she is a Senior Auror and they are both my friends, I hope that you will be friends with them as well."
"The lovely young lady next to me is Hermione, she is my fiancé and I am certain that she wants to be your friend," Hermione had one of the biggest smiles on her face he had ever seen.
"Lastly, Hermione's mother and father are called Jane and Matt, I know that they will want to be your friends but they are Muggles and I don't think that they have ever met house elves before. So if they ask you some strange questions about yourselves or other thing around the house please try to answer them or if you can't tell them to ask one of us and we will try to explain."
The party moved through into the inner hall it was large, thirty-five foot by fifty-five foot at a guess and they would find that comfortable understated elegance could well be used to describe virtually the whole house not just this hall.
Everyone was talking amongst themselves when Jemma said loudly, "I am happy to see that you have all brought bags, we hope that you are going to stay for a long time. Harry, Memo will take your bag and Hermione's he will put them into the Master and Mistress's rooms. The others can leave their bags here to be brought up after Mimi has taken them around so that they can find suitable rooms for themselves; but you should come with me, to take control of your house."
Hermione happily held Harry's hand and was almost skipping as they followed Jemma across the inner hall; they went through a door to the right of the main staircase, which the others had started climbing following Mimi. A short way up the corridor they took the second door on their left, Hermione took four or five paces into the room, she thought that she had died and gone to heaven. There were ten-foot wide double-sided floor to ceiling bookcases disappearing into the distance and the ceiling was at least twenty foot up.
"We lost count about one hundred and fifty years ago when we passed fifty thousand volumes," Jiffs said to her in answer to her unasked question, Jiffs had reached the library before them, "and I have taken the liberty of placing some books about the wizard world also some about the house in the reading room for you and your visitors."
"Thank you Jiffs," Hermione said still in a daze.
A voice from behind them said, "We all are aware that you are the Lord and Lady of the Light and none of us will tell anybody."
Turning around they saw a large portrait of Godric Gryffindor, Harry smiled and said, "Good morning sir, it's nice to see you again."
"You should not call me sir, call me Godric and that applies to both of you." Godric continued, "If you are doing the rounds then I had better let you get on before I get myself into trouble, again, I usually manage it somehow."
Jemma led them out of the library and straight across the corridor into a reading room, it was not small but it was extremely comfortable, almost cosy, a portrait of Merlin said, "Hello again you two, started slaying the dragons already we hear. So you just have a quick look in here for now, we will have plenty of time to talk in the future."
After greeting Merlin the pair of them took a quick look around at the small tables, a couple of desks, three very comfortable looking sofas and six armchairs in the room then independently concluded that it looked remarkably like the Gryffindor common room. There were a few bookcases with some books in them and Harry realised that the room had electric lighting although it appeared to be controlled and directed magically.
Leading them back into the corridor they turned right and continued on down the corridor into a very large, well equipped kitchen, bypassing some stairs on their left Jemma led them to the second door on the left and said, "You just have to open this door normally Harry, now you have entered the house nobody else will be able to enter this room unless you give them permission."
Harry opened the door and the house seemed to take a deep breath and pull itself up straight, he said, "That was weird, the door opened just like a normal door but the effect was, well weird as I said."
Jemma said, "You have to hold the door handle and tell the door who is allowed to enter the room at any time without you being present, the elves need to be able to clean and anybody else you think, but for the moment I would limit access to Hermione and us."
He knew that it was no good feeling stupid where magic was concerned so he held the door handle and said to the door, "I give my elf friends and Miss Hermione Jane Granger permission to enter this room whenever they need to."
Then they entered a beautifully comfortable room that could well be described as a hideaway, it was a bit of everything. It was around thirty by twenty foot and there was a large picture window in one wall, which over looked a tranquil garden.
There was a fascinating assortment of very comfortable looking furniture spread around the room but before they had time to look at it a voice they knew well said, "Good morning you two how are you now?"
"Elfin!" They both said at the same time and Hermione continued, "Why didn't you tell us that you could come here?"
Jemma squealed, "Great mother!" she gasped as she threw herself flat on the floor in front of the picture and then she started crying.
"Stop crying my child." Elfin said, in a most soothing motherly tone, "I have come to help the Lord and Lady free you all from your bonds. Now come on up you get," Hermione was helping Jemma up, "you must be strong to help and support them."
Jemma pulled herself together and apologised saying, "Sorry Great Mother."
"There's a good girl," said Elfin, "now you give Harry his book, then you go and make sure that Hermione's room is ready for her, I won't be long but I need to talk to both of them. And Jemma, rest assured that 'everything' will be put to rights."
After taking a book from a shelf and handing it to Harry, Jemma left the room and Elfin continued, "There is a long story of deception, abuse and neglect pertaining to the enslavement of the elves, it is detailed in this book." A book floated from a bookcase into Hermione's hand, "You read that one whilst Harry reads his. The elves call me Gaia the great Earth Mother and it matters not that the elves know that I was here, to them I am the ultimate symbol of freedom, but nobody else should see me here without our prior agreement, so only call me in this place when you are alone."
"Now before I leave I need to teach you two spells the first, 'Rhyddhau hwn ellyll wrth caethiwed,' this means, free this elf from bondage, it is like 'finite incantatem' for you and it will release the original bondage spells from a single elf. Jemma will help you because the effect will be extremely noticeable and you should use it on at least some of your own elves to assess its effect, before using it on any others."
"The second is far more powerful and will only ever need to be cast once. It must be cast by both of you simultaneously and it will have the same effect as the lesser spell but on all elves throughout the world so you must carefully choose the right time to use it. The incantation is, 'Rhyddhau holl coblyn wrth caethiwed,' talk to your friend Amelia there are some big meetings coming concerning magical beings and creatures, which the Lord and Lady should attend, please right this wrong."
Elfin disappeared from the picture frame and was replaced by the view of an impressive old stone castle perched on top of an island which rose in shear cliffs from the middle of a lake, on a small brass plate was the inscription 'Babilon'.
"Well that doesn't look like it's in Iraq." Harry said looking at the picture, he continued, "So what should we do now?"
"Elfin seemed to think that we should read these books straight away, they're not very thick so they should only take about fifteen minutes to read." Hermione said, "But I rather wanted to make love to you for a couple of hours, what do you think?"
He gave her a lingering kiss and said, "I think that we should first read the books because we have never been able to take anything to the Library, then to give ourselves time to digest what we have read we should go to the Library for a swim and whatever."
Returning his kiss she said with a cheeky smile, "Well I am certainly up for the whatever."
Settling themselves on a nearby sofa they quickly read their books, when they had finished Hermione was obviously steaming but Harry held her Amulet and said, "Library."
Before she knew what was happening her sarong was gone and Harry had picker her up, at the same time as he was kissing her he was carrying her somewhere, then he jumped into the pool; the couple surfaced a minute or so later to break the kiss and take on air. Another five minutes of him kissing her every time she tried to rant about her book and she couldn't care less about the book, then they started making love.
In the Library, the only guide they had as to the time was their hunger, after Hermione eventually finished telling him what her book had said about the elves they had made love once again and then fallen asleep. Having just awakened they were very hungry, so they had a shower and went back to the room in the Potters Place he had mentally christened the hideaway.
It was eleven fifteen, lunch would be about another two hours so they went to see Suria and were given a couple of fairly large Cornish Pasties, which they proceeded to eat as they were still warm. Halfway through eating their pasties they noticed tiny fuzz ball whizzing around the kitchen, it was Pig, Ron's owl and Suria said, "He has been here a few minutes but he wouldn't let us catch him Harry."
Having seeker reflexes he grabbed the owl out of mid air and whilst Hermione was removing the letter Pig was carrying he said, "Don't worry Suria this owl is always the same, this is just an insane courier."
Hermione removed the letter from the owl and read it so Harry released Pig who disappeared out through an open window, she said, "Ginny wants to come and see us. Of course she doesn't know that we are here, so what should we tell her?"
Harry thought for a moment and then he said, "Well we could go by Floo and see her, I can soon open it all of that sort of thing was in the book I read, although we should tell the others where we are going, so that they don't worry.
Do you know where the others are Suria?"
"Now they are in the reading room talking to Merlin, Harry." Suria answered.
"Thanks Suria." Harry said as they left the kitchen heading for the reading room.
The happy couple arrived in the kitchen of the Burrow to the surprise of Ginny and her mum who were about to have a cup of tea, but the pair were soon engulfed in cuddles from Molly.
Ginny had a big grin and she said, "Well my Lord and Lady what matter of great import brings you to the modest abode of such a lowly scullion as myself?"
Hermione was grinning, "Forsooth comely maiden 'twas thou who requested visitation upon us and we have made pilgrimage from afar to carry you off unto our domicile of this time."
Ginny was looking confused, "Sorry Hermione but what did you just say?"
"Oh it's my fault." Hermione apologised, "When you called yourself a scullion, I thought that you had been in a school play like I was when I was about eight or nine, that's where I learned loads of that stuff. Any way we are spending the weekend in one of Harry's houses and we wondered if you would like to join us?"
"Scullion was something that Malfoy called me so I looked it up, I still owe him for that." Ginny said, "But yes I would love to come if mum doesn't mind."
Molly said, "Of course you can go, I would like to come as well but Arthur is in work and it wouldn't be fair for me to go gallivanting off all over the place. Go and get your things then."
Ten minutes later, Molly having told them about Arthur's promotion, the three of them arrived by Portkey in the hall of 'the Potters Place.' Jemma met them and she had Jane with her, after Ginny had been introduced to the pair the housekeeper said, "You have not seen your rooms yet so I will show them to you and we can find a suitable one for Ginny at the same time."
So the quintet walked straight across the inner hall and up the main staircase, bearing left then right they passed another staircase on their left and Jemma told them, "These lead up to the other two floors and the roof, the other side goes down to the kitchen you have seen them there."
She continued by leading them to the left and straight through the door in front of them, "I thought that Ginny would like this room?"
The room was very pale lemon, it looked about twenty by twenty-five feet with two doors in the middle of the end wall there was a desk with a chair, a bookcase, a pair of comfortable armchairs, two bedside cabinets and a seven foot square bed. Going through the left hand door they entered a fifteen by ten-foot dressing room, "You don't want me to run out of space hanging up my things, do you Harry?" Ginny said as she rested her small bag on a chair.
"None of us has brought any more clothes than you Ginny." Hermione said as they came out of the dressing room and entered the bathroom, it was spectacular; the bath was five by ten foot, the shower was five foot square, there were double inset marble sinks and there was a separate little room with a w/c and bidet.
"So will this do Ginny?" Harry asked with a small smile.
She answered with a smile of her own, "Well if I were to close off a third of the dressing room and stay in the other bit then I could pretend that I was in my room in the Burrow. I love it Harry, thank you and thank you too Jemma."
"We have two more rooms to see before lunch, next Hermione's room." Jemma told them as she led them out of Ginny's room; thirty-yards straight to the far end of the corridor and into another identical bedroom except this one was very pale blue. It did not take long for Hermione to decide that she liked her room.
As they were leaving to go to Harry's room Jemma said, "You three go on it's the door in the middle, I must just show Hermione this." She led her into the dressing room and told her to quickly step through the mirror and back again.
When Hermione arrived back she had a big smile on her face and she said to Jemma, "That was Harry's dressing room, wasn't it?"
Jemma was nodding and Hermione gave her a big hug then as they followed after the others Jemma said quietly, "Elfin asked me to make this ready for you, you and Harry are the only ones who can use that portal."
"I like the room a lot better now." Hermione said with a big smile.
Harry's room was red with gold, it was considerably larger than the girl's room's with four comfortable chairs, two sofas, a telephone and it also had a nine-foot square bed with two bedside cabinets. However in general ambiance it was much the same as the other two rooms they had seen, the bathroom and the dressing room were identical.
The verdict was unanimous they all liked Harry's home and so they went to lunch.
Authors Notes. As you all know 'many reviews make write work' what a horrible play on words, or should I adopt it as a slogan?
To put me out of my misery PLEASE REVIEW.