20/08/95
The Travelers found themselves in Diagon Alley. The Morning before their School Letters had arrived.
The Six of them were wearing or carrying their new Foci. They were Planning to swing by Ollivander's after the Bank.
At the Window, Potter withdrew three hundred gold from his trust, knowing that the others would pay him back later. As they stepped toward the doors, the Gathered Goblins saluted the squad. Potter and Granger mimicked the goblins, as the Weasleys just frowned in confusion.
"What's that about Mate?" Ron asked.
"I might have given a gift or two to certain goblins, and the guards are just saying thanks." Harry paused at the top of the steps.
"But you did the same back?"
"A Sign of Respect." Harry looked over his shoulder at the Redhead.
The group entered the wand shop. As the Bell tinkled overhead, Harry felt the energy of the room.
"My my. So many wands, Mister Potter. You have your Holy and Phoenix, an Alder and Thestral, and six… no eight not of this Earth!"
Harry drew a scalpel wand, for his left hand and placed it before the Wand-crafter. "This one likes light, quick magic. Does not like me using my full power, but I can spin a web out of morning dew that will last a whole week."
Harry watched as the old man first looked it over, before lifting it between his forefingers. Taking the base in hand, he ran his finger of his other hand along the shaft. "The Five others, they are the same. Blackthorn with Hydra Heartstring. Never used it myself before, because the wand-cores do not come out the same thickness. A dragon's heart breaks down into dozens of almost universally sized strings, varying only by the breed of Dragon. That these Wand's Crafter was able to find three set of two that so perfectly match…"
Harry took the wand back and slid it home in his belt. "Yeah. But where it was Crafted, the Rules are a bit looser than what you have to obey." He slid out one of his Septures, and set it on the counter.
Ollivander quivered as he picked up the club-like focus. "A Limb bone… hollowed out and filled with…" He put his ear to the shaft, as he stroked a finger along the other side. "Roc pin feather, Thunderbird pinion, bound with … a spider's webbing?" He pulled the bone weapon from his ear. "But not Acromantula."
"Arcane." Hermione sighed, pronouncing it 'Are`Ca knee'. "A breed of talking spiders that are spellweavers as well as silkweavers."
Ron shivered and pulled away. "Never Again." he muttered.
Reslinging his scepter, Potter leaned on the counter. "I am needing a wrist holster for my Holy and Elder Wands. I was thinking, a left forearm, for myself, not needing a Hit wizard level holster." A basic wrist bracer landed on the counter.
As Harry buckled the fancy leather cuff on, Ron set his short staff/mace on the counter, followed by his wand.
Ollivander checked the wand over and handed it back."A bit of wax build-up." He picked up the mace. "Iron Wood, carved with runes…not known to me, wrapped in dragonhide, and capped in a metal, again unknown to me. Not a suitable focus for everyday magic, but for what it was crafted for…"
"It raises and controls Golems." Ron mumbles. "Men of Stone, that look like an oversized Chess Set."
The wild haired old man nodded. "Good." He smiled at the Lanky lad. "Anything else?"
"A hit wizard cuff." And a black bracer landed beside the mace. Ron collected his things and went to stand by the door. The twins placed their alternate foci on the counter… but the old man frowned.
"No… these hold no real power of their own, other than to guide you to use Music as your Focus. By now you could go to the second hand shop and pick any instrument and work your new craft." Ollivander was saddened by the offerings of the twins.
The Twins shared a look that caused their siblings to shiver. "In that Case…
"Two Hit wizard Cuffs."
Hermione stepped forward, and laid her first book on the counter, "A standard cuff will do, please."
The Old man passed her a cuff matching Potter's, as he looked through the book. "This is beyond my ken." He closed the book and pushed back at her. There is a Hag Down Knockturn alley at the 'Burning Book', you might want to see, lass."
Ginny removed her 'gloves', allowing the wand-maker to inspect them. "Hit-wizard cuff please."
"I See… These are like the Rings of the Eastern Casters… and they bestow upon their user, a Beastal Gift." Ollivander sneered, "Combined with your mantle… In time, you will be little more than a Beast yourself, if you continue to use them." He tossed her cuff on the counter. "Will that be all?"
"Six deluxe care kits, please." Potter reclaimed the prime spot at the counter, as he started counting out gold. "And the total for the Cuffs and check ups."
"You're really carrying the Elder Wand? The Death-Stick?" the Wand Master asked as he scratched out a receipt.
"From Albus' hand, just last week." Potter read the sheet, and counted out the gold, adding a bit extra. "Keep the change." He led the way out.
"Hermione. Why don't you get the books? Plus two for light reading." Harry handed her his book list. Ginny and Ron did the same. The Twins exchanged a look before they too offered up their list, only they had more than what was needed for class.
"What are you going to do in the meantime?" The Bookworm frowned at the three youngest of them.
"Quiditch." Harry smiled at her. "The three of us need new gloves, and broom care kits. I thought, and these two most likely agree, that you would prefer prowling the book shelves then the sports store. Besides, I was hoping that the bribe of two Books of your choice would take care of everything."
"Mister Potter." The bookworm hissed as drew herself to her full height, her arms crossed under her breasts. "What type of Girl do you think I am?"
"We know what type of Girl you are, Miss Granger." Harry pulled her into his arms and kissed her brow. "Now we are just haggling on the price."
Granger just blushed, but hit Potter with her fist to his off hand side. "Just for that, you are paying for the shopping trip." She kissed his check, and turning the store, held her hand to the twins for their list.
"Really Harry, must you rile her up so?" Ginny hissed as they watched the muggleborn stomp off.
"Only if we are to keep her Birthday gift shopping a secret." Harry quickly counted out one hundred gold. "I need old grimoires, from Knockturn Alley. You twins have the best nose for finding trouble. I need three to five, good thick books and any handwritten journal you can find. You do me right, and not only will I let you keep the change… I will double down on the triple W."
"Right Boss." twin one smiled
"Also we need new bats and broom care kits." twin two smiled.
"Done." Harry sighed.
HPWS
Hogwarts, Headmaster's office.
Albus exited the Floo. He had just spent most of his political currenancy getting sprung from the DMLE wing of St Mungo's, and what little he had he would need to hold onto his Headmaster-ship. He would have been pissed if he was not so exhausted.
He stumbled to bed, drank his rejuvenation potion, and crawled into bed.
He embraced the void of sleep, as the potion did its work.
Hours later. He awoke as the Sun started to set. He staggered to the Loo, before refreshing himself, and staggering to his desk where he ordered a full brunch. An omelet, filled with slivers of ham, mushrooms, chives, and spinach. Hash browns and scones. A jar of jam, and a bowl of butter. And to finish him off, a fish and chips, in a charmed box to keep the food hot, fresh, and crispy.
As he ate. The Old Headmaster handled the paperwork that continued to breed whenever he turned his back on his desk.
After three hours, he placed the last 'chip' in his mouth, as he wiped his hands, and stood to return to his chambers. Feeling the ache of missing the Elder Wand, he stumbled to a life size painting of a sleeping frumpy witch, a long dead ancestor of Professor Sprout, that he opened by touching a small stone beside her frame, and pouring his magic into it. The frame swung out from the wall, revealing an old muggle vault safe. Spinning the three tumblers, he felt more then heard the lock bars retract, as the great iron door swung out, and allowed the old wizard within.
Moving more by memory than sight, Albus drew down an old Ollivander's wand box. His fingers shook as he pulled out an Elm and Dragon heartstring creation. As the butt settled in his hand, his arm lost it's tension… in fact all tension was quickly leached from his limbs and bones.
He breathed deep for the first time in years.
"Hello Old Friend." he murmured, "I have missed you."
As he exited, a wave of his hand, and the vault closed, the tumblers rolled, the bars dropped, and the painting eased back into place.
Albus made his way back to bed, where he downed another potion, and rolled into bed.
HPSW
21/08/95
Harry was in the Dueling chamber, working with the #2 wands as he blasted the golf ball sized target spheres that Remus and Hermione were floating around the far side of the room as Black would fire off hexes and jinxes at him. He would fire three piercing hexes before flicking Blacks spells either back at him or into the 'golf balls'.
The two 'book worms' were trying to tag Harry with their balls, and while not in direct Line of Fire, they were each working on controlling multiple orbs at a time. Remis was driving seven spheres, but they moved in a row like ducks. When Harry hit one, the whole line was affected. Hermione was driving five, but each of hers was alone, knocking one of hers aside, would often open a pathway for another to press the attack on Harry.
Now Lord 'Dread Pirate' Black would fire a hex or Jinx at Harry, then use his Rapier to block or fling Harry's spells back at him.
Or at least that was the idea…
Lord Black, the Dread Pirate, was now tie-dyed, rainbow afroed, and waddling like a penguin.
Then a timer dinged.
Potter moved… the orbs popped, the Lord Black was tripped, hog-tied, and tied-dyed again, while the 'bookworms' were disarmed, and their orbs pinned to the far wall.
He whirled his wands, and slung them into their loops. He cressed the pistol gripped wood with a forefinger. Both #1 wands were straight, yet light, like a surgeon's scalpels.. All four Wands, the #2s and #3s were more like the pistols of Old. The firearms of the Nobles, the Pirates. The #2s were faster, but the #3s were heavier hitting.
"Under thirty seconds." Remus muttered, "and that is after holding us off for five minutes." He shook himself out. "Okay, 'Grim'. Reset Padfoot, as I set up 'Wands' For his next drill." The old wolf herded the boy to the other side of the room. " Past this line is a shooting range. The targets are the size of plates. They will pop up and hide at random intervals. When you hit them, they hide, and the counter ticks over." He pointed to a clockwork flip-wheel clock and point counter. "When you hit fifty targets or five minutes pass, phase two engages, and the targets fire back. When you hit another fifty or another five minutes pass, they will increase in speed. At the half hour mark, they will go and silent, and let you out. The Targets will be using muggle paintball pellets. When they hit, they will sting and stain. Good luck." Lupin flicked his wand, and ducked out as the fourth wall solidified. "The clock began to count up the seconds…
Harry drew his #2 wands and started picking off the dinner plate sized targets. But not all of his targets were the size of 'Dinner plates', some were Tea Cup Saucers, and some were smaller. He tagged the fiftieth plate at 4:37.
Both counters reset to zero, and an acid green orb, half an inch diameter, passed through the space his head was a second before. His wands blurred as he spun and fired, ducking by the narrowest of margins. This time when he hit Fifty, he had a time of 4:45, and was hit three times.
After twenty minutes of dancing about the paint pellets, including jumping, rolling, diving, and flipping, he was covered in pink paint, bruises, anches muscles. As the wall fell he struggled to walk to the stairs to go clean up.
He did not get two steps before five wands trained on him, and Hosed Him.
Now that he was soaked, shivering, and clean, Harry unbuckled his belt, and stripped to his boxers. Wearing only his boxers with his belt over his shoulder, he padded from the sub-basement training room, to his second floor room, where he changed into a dry pair of boxers, and climbed into bed, the belt under his pillow.
Just as he began to drift off, the door opened and a Fuzzy Furry padded into the room.
"Oh, my poor Pussy. Did that mean 'old dog' do this to you?" Harry lifted the sheet to allow the kitty-witch to climb in and snuggle with him.
Hermione did not mind her kneazle side that much, but when Sirius was playing with her, he liked to use Tiger prints, or to make her look like a Siamese. But only Harry calling her a Pussy did not hurt. She knew that Sirius only meant it in good clean fun, and on the day that she truly beat him, she would explain, in detail, to the mutt that his words and actions hurt.
As the two snuggled down for a nap, Harry drew a #3 wand and locked the door, before pulling her close.
HPWS
At midnight, the Clock in the entry hall struck the first bell, causing Harry to sit up, and ease out of bed on the far side. He was careful to not wake the sleeping witch. Pulling a dressing robe about his shoulders, he ghosted to the window, looking out into the night.
"Slinger." her soft voice from behind him brought him about. "What is bothering you?"
"Druid and Seer are not the only ones I will find on the First. I will also meet the Necromancer and the Dryad. But not just as allies, but as wives." Harry leaned on the wall.
Hermione stood up from the bed, still dressed in her denims and blouse, though she had removed her bra before entering the bedroom. The wild kitty features were gone. She snuggled into his robe, hugging him, as he wrapped the robe about them both. "I know Harry." She buried her face in the crook of his neck, rubbing the top of her head into him. "She told me too. She gave me their items, as she gave you the items for Druid and Seer. Yes they will be your Wives, but she did promise me that by taking you in hand, now, I will be Lady Potter. Necromancer and Dryad need you to protect their Houses and Continue the Line. She hinted that there might be more. She also promised me that we would return next Summer to continue our Quests." She pulled back to peer into his face, "I know of three books that I need to find over there."
"You and your books." Harry chuckled. "Now, is that what you are sleeping in? Or do you want to change?"
"Night Harry." a peck on the lips, and she left him.
As the door closed, Harry sighed, before returning to bed himself, the robe tossed across the foot of the bed.
HPWS
The Morning of the First dawned with a London Fog and Drizzle.
Everyone was awake, and Hermione had the bright Idea to use the Floo to get to 9 ¾. As Harry exited in his usual manner, Ron just snorted. The Twins pulled out a matching pair of ukuleles and proceeded to heckle Potter in song.
Ron grunted somethin about finding out who was 'Quiditch Captain' and wandered off. Ginny guided Harry and Hermione to a Compartment that held a Blond reading a magazine upside down. "Here we are." Her saber-fang crawled under the bench. "Oh, Basil wants a cauldron cake when the Trolly witch gets here." She slung her trunk into the overhead racks, and headed out.
Storing their trunks, Harry and Hermione waited for the Blond to set her paper aside.
"Are you waiting for me to leave?" the blond turned the page of her paper.
"No." Hermione smiled, as she dug into her ever present book bag, and pulled out a wrought olicum framed mirror, about eight inches in diameter. "Grimoire greets Seer and returns her Mirror."
As the blond concepts the Mirror, the glass foggs over before clearing to show a blond witch in her mid twenties, holding a babe in her arms. "Luna, our darling moonbeam. If you are seeing this, I have died, and you have just received a Mirror. At some point in your near future, you will need it to do your part. They are now your Family. Take care, and tell your Father that I love him." She kissed the babe's head. "Love you Moonbeam."
Hermione caught the crying witchling, as her pent up pain was leached from her heart. Hermione patted her on the back while whispering words of comfort.
Harry just stood there feeling helpless… this was not something he could fight.
HPWS
An hour into the ride, the door opened and two witches entered, before closing it behind them.
"Potter." The Blond had sneer on her face. She almost always wore a sneer. "We need a word."
Harry smiled. "Dryad." He nodded at the Blond, "Necromancer." A nod to the redhead. "We have something for ya both." He shifted to sit beside Hermione and Luna, allowing the two new witches to sit opposite them. As they sat, Harry clasped his hands. "You have come to see me about something important. Please …"
"We were hoping for a private word." Bones blushed.
"I share everything with Grim." Harry offered a soft smile. "That includes the two witches that are looking for a 'Line Continuation'."
Greengrass gasped. "How?"
"Over the Summer, I saw an Oracle. She foretold that I would be caught between Love and two contracts. She also said that you two have lovers of your own, and that they would need to be welcome in our union as well." Harry frowned at Susan, "But I fear Hannah's days will be numbered."
"But Why?" the redheaded witch frowned.
The door opened.
"Ah Potter… got a minute?" ,