AN: Hey everyone It was pointed out that my original draft of this chapter was confusing. I reread it and can agree that it was. So here is the new version, hopefully it is easier to understand the weird ways the monster in my head has been trying to get me to write.
I strongly dislike using "So mote it be" given this is a neopagan saying taken from the Masons, who came from the Rosicrucian's. "Whats done is done," Comes from that Damn Scottish Play. It also comes from Labyrinth as "What said is said, and every time I type it, I can still hear David Bowie's voice. I do pull random references from other sources, and I use names of various other characters however, they generally are not the same person, just someone with the name as pop culture or whatever type reference. This is sooo not a cross over.
No beta, all mistakes are my own, and if you leave a review, I might just fix it.
I own nothing. I make no money, this is just an exercise to try writing something that I can actually finished. I'm sure you all know the rest of standard boilerplate dealing with copywrites.
R&R let me know if you like it, or if you don't and what could be better.
Hopefully I will have the next chapter up in a few days. My muse has not been letting me rest until I write down what they want.
Stay Happy, Healthy, Sane, or some semblance there of.
There is discussion of violence in this chapter I've tried my best to let you, the reader, imagine how bad it really is.
~ooOoo~
Chapter 13: Do you know where your towel is?
September 22, 1990 Morning.
Harry grasped at the scar that covered half of his face. The eye that it passed through throbbed, and he felt a migraine coming on. Before anyone could react, he slumped over and fell. When he came to, the last thing he could remember was that he had been sitting in a chair confused about the whole issues of his inheritance. His uncle used to berate him over the issue of never receiving any compensation for taking care of him.
Roghosh had interrupted the reading at one point. "Since Sirius Black was Mr. Potters godfather, he had set terms allowing a sum of money to go to whoever became responsible for Harry. In the event of his death, they were to be paid two thousand pounds per week. That the will also referenced Alice Longbottom as his godmother, was being ignored as well. It is my belief that he had intended this to go to her."
Someone had very carefully hidden Harry with his mother's sister. Both goblins could see the desired outcome and the possibilities that it would have created. "Lord prince, would you like for us to call her here?" Grimfang smiled, he thought he knew who that someone was, and he would gleefully see them brought to goblin justice.
"No, I wish to take full responsibility. She has her hands full already."
Harry rubbed at the scar gingerly. He quickly did the math for what the Dursleys were being paid each year. "One hundred and four thousand pounds a year and they could only give me scraps from their table." He opened his eyes slowly, there were multiple people standing over him and looking down.
Severus looked at Harry with concern. "What do you mean by one hundred and four thousand pounds per year?" He took Harry's arm and helped him sit up slowly. 'Are the Dursleys getting paid that amount? The money has to go somewhere.' He looked the boy over carefully. There were minor changes that he could beginning. The scar was inflamed, and there was mild bruising around it.
Harry winced and went to rub the back of his head. There was a large goose egg there. "That's how much my relatives were paid to take care of me."
Lucius, Narcissa, and Helena gasped, they had all seen what he looked like. Draco just looked at them, confusion written across his face. "What is a pound? And why would someone want that many? Are they like kilos?" Draco screwed up his face in thought.
His parents shot him a look that promised that this would be a hard lesson to learn once they got home. He quickly relaxed his face back into what they felt was a proper inquisitive look rather than the almost scowl that he had adopted from his godfather. "Sorry, mother, father," he said quietly.
Helena took pity on the boy, "a pound is a form of currency. Think of it like they were being paid the same sum in galleons."
Roghosh stared hard at the boys, "the exchange rate is not the same, but it is a reasonable comparison. While your aunt, and uncle were being paid an exorbitant sum of money for muggles, they were only being paid twenty-one thousand one hundred galleons per year. As I am sure you know young master Malfoy, this is merely a drop in the bucket for the Black fortune."
Draco nodded, and thought, 'that is still over two hundred thousand galleons that they have been paid. No wait almost one hundred and ninety thousand. I forgot that he had to have been at least a year old. Merlin's sour farts and stained pants, that is a small fortune. I doubt that some families would even see that in a lifetime.'
Severus shook his head at his godson's antics. "We seem to be getting off topic. I am sure the Malfoy's, as well as the Laconice's, here do not wish to spend their entire day listening to the details of an investigation that will likely take some time to continue. Grimfang if we could I would like to get today settled. Am I, or am I not here to take custody of my son?"
The goblin nodded, "Do you wish for this amount to be reimbursed from the muggle account still in use?"
Before either Severus or Harry could answer, Lucius interrupted. "Severus, surly you don't suggest that he would be safer at the castle, than he would at the manor?" He snorted, "I am sure that Dumbledore would have krups if you took him back with you."
"You do have a fair point dearest. Severus, by rite of kinship, I request that he be allowed to stay with me and my family at least till he is feeling well enough."
"What rite of kinship can you claim Cissy? The Blacks may be distantly related to the Potters, but he is still my blood. I was told he died early in the morning of November first. That he did not even make it a day after that mess of a battle nine years ago." Severus seethed and stalked around the room like some great predatory beast. "Poppy was the one to inform me. Surely you don't mean to call her honor into question. He glared at her hard.
"Now I find out that he is alive, unwell, treated poorly by the look of it, and I have not only been stripped of my parental rights by a man who is apparently trying to defraud us all, but time as well. Yet still, you call upon the rite of kinship? If anyone had legitimate claim to do that, it would surely be myself."
He glanced over at the boy who was attempting to cower in his seat. He took several calming breaths and felt a push against his mental shields. Spinning around he narrowed his eyes at the girl that was supposed to be his sister. His voice dripped acid as he looked back and forth between the mother and daughter, eyes narrowing to the barest hint of a slit. "Madam Laconice, please control your daughter. I do not approve of others attempts at penetrating my mind. Perhaps you should have taught her that such attempts have severe consequences."
Hermione's eyes grew wide. "I didn't know. I can't control it, it just happens. I'm sorry."
Lucius gaped like a fish at this revelation. Before Narcissa could rectify the situation, Severus spun back around and fixed her with a look that neither had seen from him. "I would be very careful with the next words out of your mouths, Lord and Lady Malfoy. You won't like the outcome if you keep pushing me down this path."
Narcissa took a breath and started reciting the vows required to invoke the rite of kinship. She wanted desperately for Harry to have a mother who loved him and would care for him. She pulled out a long and dangerously sharp bone hair pin, that held up her long hair. She stabbed the palm of her wand hand, drawing forth a large bead of blood before withdrawing it.
She handed it over to Severus, before she squeezed her hand together, dripping blood onto the very stones of Gringotts. Narcissa knelt and slammed her bloody palm into the small puddle that had accumulated. Her eyes raised defiantly to meet Severus' gaze, "What's done is done." She slowly stood before placing the bloodied hand on the desk of Roghosh. The two goblins nodded, and a ringing gong from within the bowels of Gringotts could be heard.
Severus recoiled as if struck, he slowly nodded. Deep inside of him he had wished as a young, abused, forgotten, and tormented boy that someone would have done this for him. He had watched this performed once prior when James had taken kinship, and the role of father from him. He had been expecting it then, but not this time. He turned away from Narcissa, "What's done is done," he replied, accepting her vow.
Lucius growled, he stood and moved away from Narcissa, and spit on the handprint his wife made. "I will have nothing to do with his vow. Narcissa, if you do not rescind it, then perhaps you should think of moving into the Black town home." He removed the wedding ring from his hand and tossed it into the fire. "I, Lucius Abraxas Malfoy, bind, oof.'
Before he could even begin to dissolve the vows between Narcissa and himself, Helena had sprung from her chair and knocked him off his feet. He swung his arms out trying to keep his balance and accidentally flung himself into Narcissa. The two of them hit the floor, and her head bounced with a resounding crack.
"Mother!" Draco's eyes went wide, as he saw blood beginning to flow from her head.
Oblivious to everything else, he watched the woman fighting Lucius. 'Sweet Salazar, did this woman get trained to fight by goblins? She certainly acts like a demon.' Severus' thoughts paused, 'what had she just said?' He knew that she had quietly said something right before attacking Lucius. It had almost sounded like a prayer. He tried to hear what she was saying, who she was quietly praying to with each breath. He caught the name Persephone, and Hecate. What she really praying to the Greek gods of old.
He had thought them to be only myth. Tall tales, and parables of the people of Greece that had come long ago. Zeus a cheating husband, only a story to keep people from following in his footsteps and angering his wife. Hera the affronted wife who took out her anger one each of her husband's conquests, reminding young girls to reject the advances of a married man. 'She truly believes in them. Is she some form of muggle pagan? Though I hate to admit it I think I should get Tobias, if she wants a really good row, I know he will give it to her.'
A low, menacing, primal, growl came from Lucius' very soul. He had been ready to divorce Narcissa. The vows that she took, and Severus accepted, bound them together as tightly as her marriage vows. 'If Helena wants a fight, I will give her one.' He rolled and sprung to his feet, striking at the woman who had taken a defensive stance. Helena was a stronger fighter than he was, so he began to wandlessly flinging spells at her. He did not see the injured Narcissa, or the blood that pooled around her, his sole focus was the fiery Greek woman.
The silent spells hit her, not all connected, or did the damage that he was expecting. She struck him several times. A large black bruise blossomed at Lucius' left temple, coming down to encompass his eye socket, and ending on his sharp cheekbone. The was an audible snap as his nose broke, causing blood to gush forth down his face, dripping on the bare stones beneath him. Much like the fight she had just had with Severus, refused to back down.
Accidental magic began to manifest from each of the children. Hermione's hair began writhing on its own, while lightning snapped back and forth in the tangle of curls. Draco's magic flowed out, hitting his mother, who was lying unconscious on the floor. The pool of blood that surrounded the back of her head, began flowing back into her, and she drew a shuddering breath.
As Harry's magic burst forth there was a blinding white flash, and both Lucius and Helena fell to the ground, in a heap. As the wave rebounded and hit Harry, he screamed. His body convulsed and shuddered as it washed over him. He seemed to soak the magic inwards. It dragged the boy into the void of unconsciousness again.
Narcissa regained consciousness slowly. Her vision swam, as she tried to stay conscious. Bile filled her mouth as she tried to swallow it back. As she rolled herself over, Draco could see the extent of damage to her back and neck. There were dark bruises everywhere.
Grimfang sprung over the desk sending papers flying, surprising Hermione as he pushed past her. He skidded to a stop and fell to his knees in front of Narcissa. He began chanting, reaching out with his magic to help heal the injured woman.
Lucius knew he missed something. While fighting him, Helena had started chanting. He felt liquid dripping from his face. Looking down and saw blood splats and dribbles down the front of his robes. He tossed the outer layers aside, and rolled to his feet again, continuing the fight. He turned his head and locked his gaze with the madwoman who sprung up from the ground.
Roghosh braced himself, he was a battle seasoned warrior, but he knew when to break up a fight. "ENOUGH!" He cried, and both Helena and Lucius looked at him. It seemed that he alone saw Helena's and aura shift about her. "I will get the guards back if you cannot act like civilized adults. Now then, Mr. Malfoy are you truly intent on divorcing your wife who has been gravely injured?"
Lucius turned to see his wife still laying on the ground, as Grimfang tried to heal her. He rushed over, "I am sorry my darling. I didn't mean it. I take it back. Please stay with me." He shook his head and began casting what healing spells he knew. It didn't take away all the bruises, but she was able to sit up after a few moments.
Narcissa looked hard at her husband. "Foolish man," She Slapped him hard across the face, Leaving a bright red handprint on the right side of his face.
~ooOoo~
Outside of the confines of Diagon Alley, Vernon Dursley sat with two other gentlemen that he was meeting with. He halted their conversation and twitched. Deep in Vernon's bones he felt a quick pressure that blossomed into staggering pain. His associates stared at him in confusion, before he held a handkerchief to his mouth, fighting not to vomit.
"Sorry, it would seem my stomach is still feeling a bit off."
"Probably just stress Dursley, I'm sure our meal will arrive quickly." The gentleman was not as beefy as Vernon, but he was just as intimidating.
"Of course, gentlemen, of course." Vernon's gave a greasy smirk, trying to ignore the pain he was in.
~ooOoo~
Far away from Britain, a slightly stooped and frail looking elderly man with bright amber eyes paused his conversation with an elderly woman. They had been in the heart of Sparta's market square. The man leaned heavily on his cane made of yew and ash. It was intricately carved, and in a nearby tent, wood shavings could be seen on the ground. The crone was holding and twisting the ear of Tobias Snape. Her clouded, blind eyes widened, as she gasped. She had been very upset with her grandson and was again bringing him before her old friend. Her voice sounded hollow, it seemed to resonate in her chest. The sound that poured forth was not her voice, but that of a young female. Bright and clear without the hint of hoarseness that had come with years of smoking.
She spoke several times, taking moments of quiescence where she seemed to be listening to something unheard by others. When the odd echoing sound of her voice reached its end, she grabbed the shirt of the amber eyed man. A brilliant flash of light, and a sound of masculine laughter enveloped them. The ground beneath their feet rumbled as they vanished from sight.
~ooOoo~
Deep in the bowels of the ministry, at its very heart, a thunderous burst could be heard. The soundwave echoed throughout the Department of Mysteries. It pressed against the ancient wards and barriers that surrounded the sheltered department, folding in upon itself and quieting to a low hum which lasted for several minutes. Alastor was momentarily taken aback as he paused in describing his theory to Amelia, Minerva, Peony, and the two unspeakables.
The taller of the two moved to take off their headdress and nodded to the other. Slowly the face of Arthur Weasley was revealed, "Well I guess this is as good a time as any." He nodded to the Ladies each in turn, ending with a quick nod to Alastor. "Ladies. Mad-eye. I do not stand here before you today as a supporter to a belief in the fate of the wizarding world, but as lead investigator into the prophecies related to the Dark Lords of our world." He raked a hand across his balding head, clutching at the hairs at the nape of his neck. His normally cheerful blue eyes somber and downcast.
"I think you all know that I really dislike the formality that is called for, and I hope that you all do not mind if I try to keep things as straightforward as possible. It seems several prophecies have just come to pass. Personally, I do not want to place much faith in them, but the boys in the hall swear by them." He sighed, "well the truth will out, either way. Mad-eye, thank you for the memo. I have started a team pulling whatever research we have for this. Please accept my apology for the interruption and continue. What you have said so far has me really intrigued."
Alastor nodded and picked back up where he left off his eyes held onto Arthur's, disbelief showing on his craggy face.
Arthur was interrupted as six spheres formed in front of the small, assembled group. Their warnings spoken at once creating a cacophony of the same voice making it difficult to understand. He quietly asked the cloaked unspeakable to take the orbs to the hall of prophecy before returning. Until then he would let the door remain unlocked.
"What in the nine hells was that?" Alastor tossed himself gracelessly into an empty chair.
"It was all Greek to me. Honestly, I think it was truly Greek, a mix of Attic, Doric, Koine, and modern, if I am not mistaken. I know two of the four, but with them mashed together like that, well, I will need to separate each translation out. Once Edwards gets back, we can continue. I can grab a pensive later and start working on separating each out."
"Who is Edwards?" Amelia was frustrated, she ran the DMLE for Godric's sake. "I need to know if this is going to alter my investigations or not, and I needed to know this last week. I don't suppose there is a way to accomplish that though is there."
Arthur slowly shook his head. The less who knew about the time room and the study of the turners they had created, the better. As it was, he was just returning from a disciplinary leave. Truly he liked the work managing muggle artifacts, but he would rather continue with his own studies down here. "Edwards is all of us. While you are down here at least. I am Edwards, you are Edwards, everyone is Edwards. Well, everyone except old Mad-eye here. Sorry mate but your reputation precedes you."
Alastor shrugged. He knew that he was rather infamous, it had never hurt him before though.
After a few minutes of idle chatter, the door opened, and Edwards entered. The hooded unspeakable shook their head. It seemed that this was not the news that Arthur was hoping for.
~ooOoo~
Dumbledore stormed out of his office. He had spent the last two hours cleaning and reorganizing by magic, and he still needed to tidy the chaotic wreckage that had been his office. It had seemed that as soon as he finished with one task and began on another, an earlier task was unorganized and cluttering up the office again. He had tried several different starting points as he went along, sometimes he got further than the first three, but one that he had planned as next had gotten worse.
He had tried to force the Bloody Baron into removing the thrice damned spawn of Eris, known more commonly as Peeves. The Baron slowly shook his head. Certainly, the headmaster had powers, but the ghosts were not answerable to him the founders had seen to that. Much like the very first wards, a ghost became permanent. It had been their belief that one could best learn history from those who had lived it. That had been the reason Professor Binns still taught. Well, that and he was cheap. Binns just wanted payment in the things he missed. Leftover food was his preference, and the house elves were always willing to provide.
The doors of the Great Hall slammed open under the force of his aura alone. 'Well at least for once the castle is obeying her master.' Albus thundered into the Great Hall, seated students scrambled out of his path. He stopped halfway up the aisle. Sitting there in his chair having a quiet conversation with Filius, was a young boy no older than ten. Albus had often told both Regulus and Severus to keep the boy to their rooms. He was not pleased at the lack of decorum the boy displayed. 'Just like the boy's true father, arrogant, lazy. I will likely end up covering for this child's misdeeds too, and with no payoff to show for it."
Slowly the boys head turned and fixed him with a stare that raised his hackles. Siruis' grey eyes narrowed at the sight of the headmaster, and one perfectly arched eyebrow raised in challenge. 'Ah the things he has learned from Severus,' Albus thought. 'At least I have him chained tightly in vows. If not for that I would hate to see how he would turn on me.'
"Regulus Aucturus Black," the hall took a collective breath, the headmaster had never shown such outwards signs of contempt as to dress down a professor in full view of the school. I believe I have told your and Severus that your nephew, Sirius' only son and heir, was not to be in the Great Hall at any time until he is sorted at the proper age. Not only have you defied me in this, but you also allow him to sit at the head table where no student has ever been allowed before." The headmasters tone shifted, "here I thought you had previously been a perfect law, and rule, abiding example of how one from an Ancient and Noble House properly behaved. You bring shame upon your poor mother's memory. Shame, shame, how she must be turning in her grave."
He turned his gaze to the head of Ravenclaw, "and master Flitwick, his voice dripped with sarcasm. "I should think that as a senior member of my staff, head of house, and second only to Professor McGonagall would have reminded Mr. Black of those very rules."
For a moment it was so quiet, that you could only hear the scurrying of invisible house elves, until they too stopped and remained silent. There was a growl from the Gryffendore table, and the children erupted into loud protestations. Furtive whispers about how odd the headmaster was behaving, could be picked out from other tables.
Their voices overlapped in a din. "Is he cursed?" "Is he crazy?" "I can't believe the gall he has to address a Lord like that." "I heard from my uncle that Dumbledore has treated him the same way at wizengamot meetings." "He's gone mad." "Bad example? The Potions professor? I would think that the headmaster was the one being a poor example of decorum." "Oi! You can't talk that way to people you old hack!" "Yeah, have some dignity!" "Have you grown so careless in your old age that you forget that both professors can call for a duel?" "Are you Barmy?" "He's as mad as a bag of ferrets, he is!" The students yelled at each other, and at the headmaster who continued to ignore them and glared at the young boy.
Filius turned and looked at the headmaster, who attempted to school his features back into the genial old man that he pretended to be. This was not the first time that students had seen cracks in the headmaster's façade. The man standing in the middle of the hall unconsciously pushed the rows of tables to the sides of the room causing an uproar from students, as they too were forcibly shoved. Seeing the headmaster in this state was quite new. The last time he had seen it was years ago when he battled Grindelwald.
As head of Ravenclaw, he had learned a few tricks; that he was also a senior staff member, and a dueling master also helped. Filius rapped his knuckles against the head table in cadence. Four doors appeared beside the main entrance to the great hall. "Students shall quickly, but orderly exit from this hall by way of their house door." His squeaky voice was amplified by a silent sonorous.
The noise picked back up as the students started filing to their house door. "My Gran was right about you." "I heard he was once in league with Grindelwald." "You have to be kidding mate. Grindelwald? Really? You're the one who has gone round the twist." "I can't see what is going on!"
From in the crush of people a small voice could be heard. "Get off me! Stop Pushing!"
"Move it you muppet!" an older boy shouted at the one he had been trying to step over.
"I want my mummy!" A first year cried out
"Avada Kedavra!" The elder boy shouted.
One of the boys next to him growled. "Mate you have to mean it! Unforgivable don't work like normal spells that's why they are unforgivable you twit."
"Calling me a twit, ehe? You're the bloody knobgobbler."
"Well, mate, it may have escaped you, but he can dress down whomever he likes. He is after all the greatest wizard of our time."
"Oh, shut it. You're just a brown stain on Godric's woolen braies, you Gryffindor cheese eating surrender monkey."
The teachers sighed at the behavior that the Gryffindor's seem to display towards the other houses. It was clear that Dumbledore's favoritism had cause the sense of entitlement that they had.
Regulus took the hand of his son Pollux and began heading to the staff entrance, a spell cut in front of them barring the door. They turned and Regulus all but dragged his son to the Slytherin table. "Under you go. Now, straight to the dorms. I do not care which one I will find you when it is safe."
Pollux nodded once, and dived under the table, scurrying to catch up with a group of first years that he blended into once he emerged.
"E's jus a child, E is. Leave im alone will ya, you bloody ol wazzock!"
"Yeah, He's right! Shut it you scrubber and leave the ankle biter alone."
"Sluggus Ercto."
"That not a spell, you tosser."
The older students yelled at the headmaster. Some had tried to protect Pollux as he ran one step ahead of each blast from Dumbledore's wand. They ended up stunning other students, and not hitting their stationary target. Remus shook his head, it seemed they needed to start the week off with aiming and dodging practice again.
Spells continued to sound off from the students, all blending into a constant chant of offensive and defensive casting. Their aim was off or at least easily deflected, but at least most of the younger years had made it out of the hall and back to the dormitories safely. That was really the only thing that the seventh years wanted.
Albus cast spell after spell at the house tables trying to find the next generation Marauder. Multiple spells hit the headmaster at once, and his attention was drawn back to the head of the hall. Several teachers had leveled their wands at him. Snarling, he drew his wand and began dueling in earnest with half of the senior staff. He toyed with Lupin, and Filius, entangled Pomona in her own robes, forcibly transfigured the floor around Regulus, causing it to encase his lower body and wand arm in a thin shell of marble. As spell after spell was cast his way, he disarmed or incapacitated each teacher in turn.
"Stupefy!" The head girl yelled. The spell hit Dumbledore dead center to his back.
He staggered for a moment, 'it will take more than that if they think they can best me.' He stalked up the hall, slowly closing the distance between himself and Regulus. plucked the younger man's wand from his hand. He spun. "Don't you all have studying to do?" He growled, and snapped the popular potions teacher's wand in half, tossing the pieces to the side, and ripping out the shinning strand of unicorn hair.
The head girl watched the hair as it drifted to the floor, before taking a silent spell from the headmaster straight to the chest. Dark blue light sped towards her hitting in the dead center of her chest. She fell silently backward to the floor below, landing with a loud thud.
"Finally, the flesh reflects the madness within." Remus snarled
Dumbledore looked over his shoulder at him. He was curled in on himself, but an eerie yellow glow shown in the man's eye as the wolf attempted to come forth and protect the child he looked upon as his own cub. "Well, you would know all about the madness within, wouldn't you Remus?" Dumbledore raised his wand and stunned the professor again. The wolf howled and attempted to take control.
The other professors looked on in horror, had the headmaster lost his mind? They quickly turned to the defense instructor and attempted to calm the man who was convulsing as he fought off the change. Hidden up in the rafters of the great hall a lone phoenix watched on. Tears flowed from the creature's eyes dotting the castle floor far below. It let out a low warbling trill that filled the hall calming the hearts and minds of those in the castle.
A shake of its head dislodged two small feathers from the bird's crest. They floated down onto the destroyed Slytherin table below, along with the remains of a nest lined with the pumpkin, tan, and brown colored feathers of a recently fledged saw-whet owl. The great phoenix spread its wings and glided down to perch on the headmaster's shoulder. It dug its long talons deep into Dumbledore's shoulder, and in a flash of fire the two were gone.
Far across the country, the phoenix reappeared with a subdued headmaster held tightly in his talons.
Albus looked at the young man stationed at the admittance desk of St. Mungo's. Albus squinted and read the nametag pinned to his scrubs. "Ganymede."
The admittance wizard looked up. "Yes, how can I help you today sir." He hadn't recognized the headmaster at first. He didn't even look like himself.
"I believe I need to be seen and checked for curses." The phoenix trilled. "Ah yes, thank you Fawkes old friend, you are quite right. I should also like to see some of the doctors from the Janus Thicky ward as well."
~ooOoo~
The bright flash around Leonide subsided. He looked at Tobias as the old woman shoved the two of them forward.
She pointed at a door just ahead of them in the dark stone corridor.
Tobias sighed; this was not what he had agreed to when his grandmother asked to be escorted to the marketplace.
Both men walked over and Leonide knocked roughly on the wooden door. He was astonished that his Hermione opened the door.
"Pappous, what are you doing here? Is everything alright? Did you come because mother left father?" her questions continued, but Tobias could only stare at the young girl.
From inside a rough voice called out, "what do you need. We are rather busy in here."
Leonide squared his shoulder, "Darling, let us enter. It seems we are expected at this meeting by the gods themselves."
She opened the door further and both men went inside. No one noticed that Tobias' grandmother, Casandra, was gone with a bright flash.
Grimfang and Roghosh stood, looking at the two wizards that had entered. They had not expected to see the elder Spartan for a few days. Grimfang shook his head 'Greeks can be like that sometimes. British wizards too.' I would offer you a chair Lord Laconise, however it would seem like your niece prefers to use them as weapons."
Tobias chuckled. 'That's Helena for you.' His eyes met those of his eldest. He nodded at Severus; he could feel the distance rolling off his son. 'If looks could kill.' He watched as the elderly man approached the hellcat that was his great niece, and embrace her before turning to… "Is she mine?"
Helena's eyes snapped to him. "Don't you dare touch her. You wanted nothing to do with us then; you will have nothing to do with us now." She spat out the words at him, raised her left hand as if to stop him. The back of her right hand quickly slapped the other. "Na."
Hermione watched as her mother continued to make different hand gestures, 'why is uncle turning red? She's only telling him OK and talk to the hand.'
"Helena!" Leonide stepped between the former lovers, "I taught you better than that." He quickly conjured several comfortable chairs. "Sit and behave, are you an adult or are you a toddler like your tantrum shows."
Severus snorted. 'This is going to be interesting.' "Tobias."
"Severus."
"It would seem that you need to take care of a few family issues." Lucius helped his wife stand up. He held her close as she wobbled on her feet. "I think it would be best if we take Draco and head back to the manor for a bit. If you all are so inclined. Perhaps joining us for dinner. It would please us if you would come, say at seven thirty."
Leonide smiled at the offer. "Thank you, sir. My family and I would be honored to join you at that time. Wouldn't we Helena."
"Yes sir," her voice was quiet, "it would be an honor."
Narcissa smiled wobblily, "It will be a formal affair, I shall have the house elves hold nothing back. Are there some specialties that you would permit my house elves to learn from yours?"
"I don't have elves; Arachne's children help me out."
"House spiders, that is quite different. Still would you mind having my elves learn from them." She was hopeful, she did not want this day to sour her budding friendship with Helena.
"Very well," Leonide agreed. "Though I would be honored if you allowed the talents of your chef's to be shown off."
"Come Draco, we should be going."
"But father, mum promised me Florian's and Harry said he had never tasted ice cream before."
"We can have it for pudding dear." Narcissa smiled at her son. She could still feel his magic bolstering hers as things continued to heal.