Spontaneous Magic
This Harry Potter story was written for fun. All rights belong to the wonderful lady (JK Rowling) who gave the world Harry Potter to read and enjoy. Love the movies showing again on TV for the holidays.
++***++ Introduction:
06 The Invitation to Hogwarts19 September 1989When Frank turned ten years old, Mum and Dad wanted to sit with him one afternoon and talk about his birth parents for the first time. However, Oliver and Andrew kept interrupting the conversation from their playpen with demands for 'Frank pick up!' and 'Play now!' This prevented any serious conversation. Watching her husband cope with the twins didn't concern Gwen Scott; her fourth pregnancy kept her from bouncing up to deal with the demands of the three-year-old twins.
"When are Roger and Daisy coming home?" asked John, hopeful of some relief from placating the twins while trying to have a conversation with his ten-year-old precocious son.
"Dad, I know what I want for my birthday," Frank said.
"If the next words out of your mouth are 'another brother', I'll skin you alive Frankie!" swore Daisy as she came into the room, threw her bookbag on a chair and lifted one of the twins from the playpen. "I placed an order for a sister this time!"
"Feeling a little outnumbered, eh?" asked John of his eldest child.
"Totally. Mum and I can't keep you five men corralled for five minutes before one of you makes a break for the front door."
"What do you want for your birthday, Frank?" Gwen asked to get the conversation back on task.
"I want a house elf to help with the babies," he replied.
John and Gwen exchanged glances but Daisy said, "Yes! We need a nanny elf to help with the terrible duo. And with the new baby due in another month, you're going to be worn out again Mum."
"House elves are expensive," John said.
"I'll watch the twins while you talk with Frank," Daisy assured her parents.
++***++ BREAKING SCENE
With Frank walking between them, John and Gwen went to the sitting room near the nursery.
"How you feeling tonight, Mum?" the boy asked after kissing helping into her favourite chair.
"I feel fine but fat," Gwen replied.
John took his wife's hand and whispered, "You are the most gorgeous woman in the whole of Britain!"
The couple turned to Frank and John continued, "We want to talk to you about something very important because today is your tenth birthday."
"You know you have money at Gringotts that comes to you from your birth parents and a godfather. And I took you to Gringotts the other day to meet with Axeblood and we talked with you about balances and investments."
Frank nodded but frowned. His dad and the goblin talked about huge numbers of galleons and investments in football teams, grocery stores, IT companies, and real estate. There were some investments in magical businesses but the economy of Magical Britain was so small it barely registered on the totals in the vaults. He remembered the goblin telling him, "For the last five years, we've had no one using any galleons for personal expenses, bribes or gifts. Gringotts recovered the monies taken and not used for your upkeep. With your father's guidance in the muggle world, the whole of Gringotts has grown even more wealthy."
"Now, that money came to you from your first parents and from your godfather."
Frank nodded and replied, "You're my parents but I remember that those people loved me. I have always felt love from my first mum and dad. That's why it felt so right for you to be my parents."
"Their names James Potter and Lily Evans. He was a pureblood wizard and she was a muggleborn witch. They married just after they graduated from Hogwarts, you were born a couple years later, and they were hunted by the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters. He found them on Halloween 1981 and killed them before somehow they killed him and left you an orphan."
Frank stared at his parents for a moment and then asked in a whisper, "Am I Harry Potter?"
"You were… but more important, you are Franklin Hatcher Scott, my son!" Gwen insisted as she took the boy into her arms to reassure him.
Dad continued with the explanation, "They attended Hogwarts after we graduated. And your godfather, Sirius Black, was best friends with James. Apparently, he became your sworn godfather just after you were born and he named you as his heir."
"Wait a minute," Frank insisted. "That Dumbles fellow announced that 'Harry Potter' died last year. And all those books with him on the cover…I don't look like that!"
"You never looked like that. There was never any scar on your forehead and after we adopted you, you got Dad's brown hair," Gwen said.
"We think he made that announcement to prepare for when Harry Potter does not appear at Hogwarts in a couple years," John added.
"Politics stinks." Frank paused and then asked, "Didn't he get kicked out of the Wizengamoodle because of that?"
"Yes, he lost his seat there and his position in the ICW for not protecting the boy-who-lived," continued John.
Seeing her son cringe to hear that moniker, Gwen said, "We wanted to start talking to you about this so that when you go to Hogwarts next fall, and you hear people talking about 'Harry Potter' you aren't as affected."
"So, I have to pretend to not be affected when the purebloods slander that name?"
"No, but you have to be crafty about it like a Slytherin, brave like a Gryffindor, smart as a Ravenclaw, and hardworking as a Hufflepuff," John said.
Frank snorted and Gwen asked her husband, "Have you been reading some article written by Twinkles again trying to justify his actions with platitudes?"
"I think I may inadvertently read something," John admitted.
"But what about that wizard named Sirius Black? Isn't he locked up in Azkaban? How did that happen?" Frank asked before he called for Dobby to bring him a book on magical oaths that he had been reading.
"A little 'light reading' there Frank?" asked John as his son skimmed through the book.
Shrugging his shoulders, Frank explained, "Roger said something about the oaths that Aurors have to take at the ministry."
Seeing his parents tense up, Frank said, "He's not going to join. A friend did and was telling Roger about the oath he had to take."
The three Scott family members discussed the oath that Sirius Black had taken to become the 'sworn god father' of the baby named Harry Potter. At the conclusion of the discussion, Frank said, "He couldn't have betrayed my parents to the dark turd then."
He looked at his father and asked, "What can we do for him?"
"Nothing today," John replied. "We can discuss this with Axeblood and set Ragnock onto the trail of tracking down the wizards who imprisoned your godfather but we can't draw too much attention to it. Someone might want to know why anyone is interested."
"Someday, I'm going to explode and shout to everyone that Harry Potter isn't really dead!" the boy muttered.
"Once you're through with Hogwarts," Gwen said. "Once you've taken your Owls and no one can interfere."
After a moment Frank asked, "Can I get pictures of them? I want to know what they looked like."
++***++ BREAK SCENE
Later in September, with Daisy and Roger both attending classes at University, Frank came to his parents and again insisted on the family purchasing a house elf or two.
"Frank, house elves are expensive," John replied. "We have money but I don't want to tie up the money in house elves."
Now Frank smirked and said, "But you've been telling me how rich I am. Daisy and I talked with Roger about the little kids being too much for Mum by herself and he agrees. Axeblood wrote and said I already have a dozen house elves taking care of different properties I own. I want a couple to help Mum here at the house with all the cleaning and midnight feedings."
"They remain invisible when any muggles come over and our magical friends won't even know they are here…except if they go into the nursery. No persons are ever allowed to go inside the nursery without Mum or Day present," Frank reminded his parents as the twins woke from their naps and demanded attention.
"Frank up!" demanded Oliver. Frank grinned from ear-to-ear with each demand from his baby brothers. With a squirming three-year-old in his arms, Frank laughed and slowly spun around to entertain the toddler.
"Are any of your elves nanny elves?" asked Gwen, considering the possibility.
Having Frank in the household had added extra magic to the atmosphere and one night John and Gwen forgot the charms to prevent conception. Ten months later the twins were born and the whole family bonded over the adorable boys. Eighteen months later, Gwen fell pregnant again. Daisy teased her mum endlessly about needing a refresher class in casting contraceptive charms and Roger gifted his Dad with muggle items at Christmas that embarrassed everyone when Frank asked the purpose of a prophylactic and how it was used.
"No, but Axeblood wrote there are several elves for sale this autumn. Lots of magical families had babies in 1982 and 1983. Those kids don't need nannies now and they are unloading the elves in the market."
When asked about the elves during dinner, Daisy endorsed the idea completely. "I think Frank's right about getting some elves to help Mum with the twins and little 'Buttercup' when she makes her debut. It's great of Frankie to offer to get help for the house since you said he's got vaults at Gringotts."
"When did Mum and Dad agree to 'Buttercup'?" asked Frank. "You spent a month talking about how our sister should be named 'Iris'. What changed?"
BREAK SCENE ++**++
And so it was in late September 1989 that Axeblood purchased three house elves to act as nannies and housekeepers for the Scott family. Working through Gringotts, the house elves lost all allegiance to their former masters and once introduced to 'Mr. Frank', got their magic from him and his family.
After several years of profligate spending to remain out of prison and then paying bribes to influence government policy, Lucius Malfoy felt the painful pinch of not having access to the Black family. Once she became aware of the situation with her husband's estate, Narcissa insisted on taking over financial matters and after ending her husband's membership in various 'clubs' around Britain, she raised come needed gold by selling the extra house elves they no longer needed.
Draco was an only child and she bitterly saw no reason to keep three house elves that specialized in care for infants and small children if there weren't going to be more children.
One of the nanny elves wasn't actually trained in caring for infants–Dobby specialized in taking care of a young wizard and when he arrived at the Scott home, he attached himself to 'Young Mr. Frank' permanently. The other two elves, his parents, were glad to see their elfling settling into caring for the young wizard, and in a quiet conversation with Mrs. Gwen and Mr. John, convinced the parents that Dobby would take care of their middle child very well over the next years when he went off to school.
"But Hogwarts doesn't allow students to have elves," John remembered.
"Dobby knows that is the rule but most of the snotty purebloods have their elves in their dormitories anyways. Dobby asked some of the elves there and the head elf frowns but says that headmaster full of farts trying to hide elves being there."
+SCENERY BREAK+
23 September 1990Minerva McGonagall did not enjoy notification meetings with half-bloods and magical persons who rejected Magical Britain's social structure. Her specialty was convincing the muggleborn to waste–uh–invest five years of their lives at Hogwarts before running back to live with the muggles. The daughter of a Presbyterian minister and a squib, Minerva converted to worshipping at the alter of Magic under the tutelage of Albus Dumbledore. She lost all contact with her parents and siblings by her fourth year, spending her summers with friends who supported her wish to become a full-fledged member of Magical Society.
In her years as Transfiguration Professor, she was vaguely aware of some students who were actually nieces and nephews followed a few years later by their children, but she never bothered to acknowledge the family connection–they all went 'back' after their completing their Owls. It was part of her duty as Deputy Headmistress to devote herself to convincing muggleborns to attend Hogwarts. The more students they had from among the muggles, the more money the school had to pay for salaries and supplies.
In 1990, there were two students who turned 11 years old on 19 September and Professor Sprout declined to apparate to London to visit the Scott boy when Minerva would be a very short distance away at the residence of a muggleborn named Hermione Granger.
"The Bouncing Orange vine is blooming this week and I have to harvest the fruit on Saturday. You know Dumbledore and Snape want that juice for the potions they promised the minister. We can't visit during the week with the students back, but you can visit both of the prospective students on Saturday," Pomona argued. "The Scotts are a magical family and they have talented, powerful kids. It won't be a burden to add one more visit.
As a consequence, Deputy Headmistress McGonagall found herself standing outside the wards of a large, well-kept house in suburban London on Saturday afternoon following a visit with Miss Granger and her unhappy parents. When it began to rain, McGonagall's attitude turned sour and she knocked on the wards perhaps a little harder than was necessary.
She was visibly surprized to see a boy of eleven years bound out of the house, an umbrella over his head as he raced down the short walk to the gate and invited the witch inside.
"Be guest welcome, Professor McGonagall," the boy said.
Nodding her head as the umbrella was lifted over her head to give the illusion of preventing the woman from getting wet, Minerva said, "Thank you, Mr. Scott. Lead on."
"And professor, please do not knock that loudly again on our wards if you visit again."
"What?"
"You woke my youngest sister from her nap and my mother is unhappy. Buttercup is colicky this afternoon," the young wizard admonished the older witch.
When admitted into the entry hall, McGonagall found John Scott and his older son, Roger waiting for her. She remembered both wizards as average students in her transfiguration classes in years past. A young witch walked down the stairs and Minerva recognized Daisy Scott, a witch gone from Hogwarts for five years.
"Professor McGonagall, welcome," John Scott replied. "I must say we were expecting either Professor Flitwick or Professor Sprout to make this visit."
"They both had busy schedules this week with the students back at Hogwarts. I had another call this morning and so it only made sense for me to speak with young Mr. Frank Scott about attending Hogwarts."
"My wife is attending to our youngest child," John explained though there were no sounds of a crying child from the upper floor of the house.
"I had no idea you were so blessed with children," McGonagall replied. "I thought I remembered young Mr. Scott being your youngest when he left Hogwarts two years ago."
Roger answered, "We don't care to share information where it can reach the ears of those sympathetic to Death Eaters, professor. Just as you will not mention the existence of my youngest sister to anyone."
Frank spoke up, "Can you obliviate her Dad? Can I watch?"
Her wand in her hand instantly, McGonagall frowned and said, "You and your children are lost, John Scott. You should be in Magical Britain where children are taught manners."
The deputy headmistress noticed that none of the Scotts looked nervous and when she looked closely, Minerva discovered that her wand was actually a muggle fruit called a banana.
"Frank apologise," commanded John Scott. The boy did offer a convincing sounding apology and Mr. Scott reminded the professor that as a guest in his home, she was safe from all harm.
By that time, Gwen Scott appeared and reported, "The baby is asleep again. I hope she will sleep at least an hour to calm her stomach."
John smiled at his wife before turning back to McGonagall and saying, "Now, professor, Frank received the letter of invitation to attend Hogwarts and he has some questions about taking some other classes…"
"What classes?"
"I would like to test out of first year classes at the beginning of the term," the boy replied. "With my studies here at home, I think I can start with second year studies."
"No, the headmaster will never allow that. You must be in first year with your classmates," she replied. "They will be with you for all seven years you attend Hogwarts."
"It is most likely that our son will end his education at Hogwarts after he sits his Owls, professor," replied Gwen.
"University is more important and then working on a mastery of your preferred subject matter," added Daisy.
Undeterred, McGonagall replied, "No, we cannot allow advancement such as that."
Frank looked disappointed but then said, "How about Hogwarts allowing me to have some tutors come for extra classes?"
"What classes? What tutors?"
"Geography, science, advanced math, literature…things like that I would get in a muggle school," the boy explained.
"And the tutors? Muggles can't see Hogwarts or know about…"
"My tutors will all be muggleborn witches and wizards," Frank replied. "I really want to keep up with my muggle studies."
Professor McGonagall frowned but found none of the four adults shrank back from the sight and the boy actually smirked.
"I know it's different but think about the selling feature for the other muggleborns who are worried about losing another year," John said to support his son.
Frank added, I'll show that they can continue with muggle classes while attending Hogwarts."
Roger spoke up, "It'll help you convince reluctant muggle parents to let their children attend…"
"I shall speak to the headmaster," McGonagall replied without any real conviction in her voice. Very shortly thereafter, Minerva McGonagall exited the Scott home and apparated back to the gates of Hogwarts. She did explain the situation to Headmaster Dumbledore and he dismissed the idea without any discussion or further consideration.
SCENE +++ BREAK
In the Scott household following the visit, Frank was reluctant to commit to attending Hogwarts.
"Can't I just get some tutors here at home?" he asked. "I enjoyed working with them last summer."
I think you need the socialization with the kids your age," Gwen said. "Magical kids."
"And there are lots of great books in the library," Daisy replied.
Roger frowned and said, "Yeah, but Frank's got access to two great magical libraries already."
Dobby popped into the room with several papers in his hand that he thrust into Frank's hands while saying, "Mr. Frank read these papers Dobby copied from Mean Kitty's bag."
"Dobby! You didn't steal them, did you?" Mum asked.
The elf stood tall and explained, "Mrs. Gwen, these papers have magic in them and they all have Mr. Frank's name on them so Dobby thinks Mr. Frank needs to read them. Then Dobby will destroy papers and slam head in oven door for five minutes as punishment."
"No!" Daisy declared. "You will not punish yourself!"
After reading the papers, Frank handed them to his Dad and Mum who read them and shared the information with Daisy and Roger.
"There is a young witch on the other side of town who has the same birthday as Frank. She had her visit with McGonagall just before she visited us."
"The 'Mean Kitty' has been out recruiting more muggleborns for Hogwarts," Daisy said, repeating Dobby's name for Minerva McGonagall.
"I don't know this girl. She must go to a different school," Frank said. "But I think we should introduce ourselves as a magical family and get her to take the extra classes with me. If two firsties arrive at Hogwarts studying Dickens, the other students will take notice."
With Gwen remaining at home – Buttercup was teething and despite the best efforts of the elves, the baby still preferred to lie in her mother's arms when she was fretful – John loaded Frank into the car and drove across Crawley to the home of Dr. and Dr. Granger on late Saturday afternoon.
The doorbell rang and Daniel Granger strode from the lounge to the door, peering through the hole first to find an average looking man standing there in regular clothes, not those weird robes that crazy woman wore. When he opened the door, he found the man and his son standing there, hands at their sides to appear non-threatening.
Mr. Granger? My name is John Scott and this is my son, Frank. We live on the other side of Crawley and after we had a stranger visitor this afternoon and discovered that you were visited by the same lady, Frank here wanted to come meet with you and your daughter.
"Dr. Granger," the man inside the door said to correct the visitor.
John nodded his head and corrected his greeting by saying, "Dr. Granger."
"Why did the professor tell you about us? She kept stressing that this had to be kept secret."
"And she is correct. But she dropped some papers from her bag during out visit to our home. Frank here read them and recognized your daughter's name."
"Dan, who is it?"
"More of those people apparently." Daniel replied. "They live on the other side of Crawley and their son recognized Hermione's name."
"Well invite them in and don't be a pillock about it," came the voice of the woman.
Leading the visitors into the lounge, Dan motioned father and son to the vacant sofa while he sat in a chair near the one his wife occupied.
"Mrs. Granger…"
"Dr. Granger," Dan said to correct the guest a second time.
John Scott glanced at Frank and noticed the smirk on his son's face before he replied, saying, "Apologies, Dr. and Dr. Granger. I applaud the hard work it took for there to be two doctors in the same household."
"How can we be of assistance this afternoon?" asked the wife.
"My son, Frank, was invited to attend Hogwarts next year and he thought it might be nice to get to know another student ahead of time," John replied.
"What school is the boy attending now?" the wife inquired.
"I am enrolled in Saint Crispin's Day School," the boy replied rather than let his father answer. "It is comparable to your daughter's day school on this side of Crawley."
"Mother, I was reading…" came a young voice as the daughter walked into the room with a large book about British history. She stopped when she saw the strangers in the room.
Frank stepped forward, held out his hand and said, "Hello. I am Frank Scott and after Professor McGonagall came to visit me this afternoon, I wanted to meet another student who'll go to Hogwarts next September."
"Hello, I'm Hermione Granger," the girl replied though she didn't offer to shake Frank's hand. "Are you…"
"Yeah, I'm magical like you," Frank said.
"And your parents? The professor said that my parents might have had some magical ancestry from long ago but they didn't have magical cores to be able to be wizard and witch. How long does it take for a family to produce a witch again, I wonder?"
Frank grinned and said, "You won't find any answers in the history book. Everything is hidden from the people like your mum and dad."
Hermione frowned and asked, "But not your parents?"
"Nope. Mum and Dad are magical and so are my sisters and my brothers. Well, we think Buttercup will be magical. She's still a baby but the twins exhibit some signs of magic already."
"How do you know about this separation thing that Professor McGonagall mentioned?"
John Scott spoke up and explained, "Because my ancestor, Charles II was the monarch who established the Ministry for Magic in 1660. King Charles made all his bastards Duke and Duchesses in Britain. My grandfather is the Duke of Bristol and my dad will be duke next."
"Are you related to Princess Diana?" asked Hermione.
"Only distantly," replied Frank. "We're related closer to her than to Prince Charles but it don't matter."
"Mr… Lord Scott, are you Viscount Scott?" asked Daniel Granger, horrified that he had spoken in a snobbish manner to a member of the noble class.
"Nope," he replied, giving evidence of where Frank learned to pop the 'p' in the word. "My older brother is viscount and welcome to it. My wife and kids are enough for me along with my work."
"Where do you work?" asked Mrs. 'Dr. Granger'.
"MI-5 most days," John replied. "Can't stand the magical ministry snobs."
"I'll send you a copy of Hogwarts A History later today," Frank told Hermione. "But you can't let any professor at Hogwarts know you have an unabridged edition."
"Abridged? What did they take out? What are they hiding?" Hermione demanded to know.
++***++ SCENE BREAKING ++***++
After a rocky beginning, Hermione and her parents calmed down about the Scott family and their connection to royalty and magic. There were a few visits back and forth between the two sets of parents but the two children were the primary parties invested in the next twelve months of lessons, books and arguments.
The Grangers endorsed the Scott push for more tutors for their children at Hogwarts for muggle studies. There were monthly excursions to Diagon Alley and to Hogsmeade to visit magical shops and sample candy and books, and to view potion ingredients. Frank managed to quietly get Axeblood to set up an exchange of pounds for galleons for Dr. Granger though his accounts.
Then in April, Hermione learned about house elves. On a visit to the Scott home, she found Daisy playing with the twins and baby Buttercup in the lounge with two very odd magical creatures helping clean up after the twins demolished a snack tray.
Frank casually replied they were 'house elves' and belonged to his family. After growing angry, Hermione lectured her friend and then called Frank a 'slave master'. Despite the protests from Dobby that Mr. Frank was the bestest friend a house elf ever had, all communications between the two households ended for a lengthy time though Gwen reached out twice to Mrs. 'Dr. Granger' about getting the children together again.
There appeared to be a stalemate and Frank mourned the loss of his first magical peer who might have been a friend. It took a visit from Daisy Scott to the far side of Crawley to convince Hermione that she was making a terrible mistake by alienating her brother.
"Frank is the best young wizard in the whole of Britain, Miss Granger," Daisy said once she sat with the young witch with her parents in their lounge. "How many books has he gifted you with that have given you a broader understanding of Magical Britain? Hasn't he brought you into our home to begin practicing magic?"
Hermione nodded but maintained that slavery was wrong.
"I agree. But house elves are not people. Without a connection to a wizard's magic core, house elves dry up and turn to dust. They are almost totally made of magic and they can't generate their own."
"How do…"
Daisy held up a hand to stop the questions and pulled out a book that she handed over to the girl. Hermione read the title 'Magical Origins of House Elves' and the subtitle 'How the Hogwarts Founders Used Magic and Brownies to Create House Servants'.
"Read this and then you can apologise to my brother," she said firmly.
Hermione turned bright red imaging how she would feel when she apologised but she would make the effort – Frank Scott was a good friend – in fact he was her only friend.
++***++ BREAK SCENE ++***++
Frank was grateful for the range of conversations and exchanges that made up his 'friendship' with Hermione Granger. Roger commiserated with his brother about 'women' and urged the younger wizard to wait until he was twenty before falling in love. Mum and Daisy took his side naturally but they did argue Hermione's side of several arguments. Dad listened quietly to Frank's complaints about 'friends' and 'girls', and reserved judgment on most items.
But John made one last important point with Frank.
"No matter how much you want, do not reveal your birth name to anyone. Once told, the story can never be taken back. Axeblood paid to place a geas on that name to keep it and the 'boy-who-lived' from being used by wizards for profit. And your mum and I have never told Daisy and Roger the details. They don't care about anything except to protect of their brother."
"I like being Franklin Hatcher Scott," his son replied. "I feel sorry for who I would have been if I was still Harry Potter."
"Now, there's some news," John said. "An acquaintance in finance from The City has a son who will be attending Hogwarts with you. Pierce Finch-Fletchley's son, who is named Justin, will be on the Hogwarts Express with you. I hope you and he can meet."
++***++ BREAK SCENE ++***++