A discussion among the Potter and Greengrass families.
Once the older couple and Junior had returned to the manor, Harry sent Junior to wake everyone up while he and Daphne went to the kitchen area. Soon they were joined by Mrs. Weasley and Junior in preparing the breakfast. Dobby, who had already been hyperventilating at watching Harry work, nearly fainted in hysterics when Junior joined in. The love for cooking that Harry Potter held was a source of mystery for his wife and friends. Everyone expected him to hate it given how much he had been forced into doing it, but Harry didn't think so. The Dursleys had forced him to become good in it, and now he felt comfortable in it. Molly Weasley got another mild shock as Harry easily passed over her objections and let Junior help them. An hour later, all the mansion visitors were treated to a large spread after dragging themselves to the dining hall. When the Greengrass's joined them during the mid-meal, they were quite surprised to see the ruckus that was a usual Weasley family breakfast. While Natalie Greengrass looked ready to faint when she saw her grown-up daughter participating equally in the commotion, it was much worse for Munchkin, who was looking at the scene with undisguised horror. All her rational thoughts in favor of Harry Potter evaporated as she observed her future betrothed conversing with both twins, Percy and Bill, at the same time. She tried consoling herself that at least he was not as bad as Ronnie, who was talking with his mouth full of food.
Once the plates were cleared, the Weasley family left for their home with strict instructions to not let Ginny know anything. Since the six-time travelers had decided to start training their younger selves, it was left to Jean and Susan to coordinate with all the families and create some sort of plan. Left alone, Munchkin asked or rather commanded Junior to join her for a walk in the gardens. The teenager looked around for help, but all he got was amused faces. Grumbling, he left with her, already thinking about ways to get back at his elder self. Once the younger ones had cleared the room, Daphne turned to look at her parents.
"There are some points that we need to discuss."
"There are?" Harry enquired with confusion. Seeing a raised eyebrow as a reply, he nodded.
"Ahh, Yes. There are. Daph, would you mind telling your parents that we want to discuss."
Sparing her Husband a long-suffering look, she conjured a notebook and pencil. Harry had tried to convince her to use Pen, but she was more comfortable with a pencil.
"Due to the betrothal agreement, Harry is the head of the House for five houses, Potter, Black, Peverell, Slytherin, and Greengrass."
She continued speaking over her father's attempt to speak.
"Yes, I know that you are the Head of House Greengrass, Father, but that is for now. After you, it will pass over to Harry and me due to our marriage."
"Not to Junior?" Natalie Greengrass inquired.
"No. I am much more experienced and magically able than Junior. Given the nature of the family magic of all five houses, they will always choose me first." Harry replied absently.
"Yes, but that's not something we want. So, here is my proposal. Harry will make Junior heir to all House except House Black while Munchkin is already Heiress to House Greengrass. Once it is done, Harry will step down from House Potter and House Peverell headships, making Junior their head once the debacle of Goblet of fire is over. It will leave both families with two seats, one of which would be of a Most Ancient and Most Noble House, and still allow Harry to keep the Potter name."
A hint of distaste appeared on her face as she continued.
"Since this would leave open a potential situation for conflict in future, I propose making a betrothal contract between heirs of both families which would not activate until after three generations."
A heavy silence spread in the room as all others looked at her with surprised faces. The outburst, though, was not what Daphne had expected.
"Are you pregnant?" Natalie Greengrass nearly shrieked.
"What, No, I am not. How..." Daphne's words failed her as her face turned red.
"With the way, you were talking, that was the most logical observation, Daphne." Jonathan Greengrass spoke in an amused tone. Kicking her sniggering Husband lightly, she took a deep breath.
"No, I am not pregnant, but now that we are in relatively safer times, I would like to have a family, as would Harry."
When the Greengrass couple turned to look at him, Harry shrugged.
"I have always wanted a family of my own. It was Daphne's decision to wait in the future."
"Hmmm, and what do you think about the division of houses?" Jonathan inquired.
"You taught your daughter well, Jon. She is good at it, so the matters of the Houses are her department. My interference happens only when someone needs to get their ego popped."
Somehow, the Lord and Lady Greengrass managed to look impressed and shocked at the same time at his words, and that made Harry feel squirmy. Daphne, having faced such situations before, continued on.
"So, what do you all think about this proposal?"
Her husband was the first one to speak.
"I am okay with the Houses, but why the Bethrotal contract. I mean..."
Natalie Greengrass was the one to answer.
"Despite how distasteful it might seem, Daphne's proposal is the correct way to go. You and Junior would have an understanding, Mr. Potter, but the same might not be true for your children or Grandchildren. With both families holding the same blood flowing through them, the Head of House's position would always be contestable. A betrothal contract will ensure that eventually, both the families assimilate into one after the blood has been diluted enough."
Harry once again looked at her wife, who nodded.
"Very Well, If you say so, I will talk to Junior about it."
"Good, Mother and Father would talk to Munchkin for it. I believe she will be agreeable to more than Junior would be."
"Muggle upbringing," Harry said at the inquiring look of Jonathan Greengrass. His father-in-law was silent for a few minutes before addressing him.
"And what are your plans for House Greengrass, May I know?"
"It will be your decision, father. Given that you are the current Lord, you have the power to choose which of us will inherit the house after you."
"I will be allowed to you mean."
"Yes, Father," Daphne replied bluntly. As both father and daughter stared at each other, his mother-in-law took it on herself to explain it to a confused Harry.
"Given everything we have heard about you, Mr. Potter, we believe that our family magic will choose Daphne as the next head even if we want it to go to Da... Munchkin. Essentially, my husband is stating the fact that Daphne is allowing her father to make a choice."
"Sooo, let it be."
"Yes, let it be, Mr. Potter.", Natalie replied with a laugh. The sound was enough to pull Daphne and Jonathan from their staredown, both of them glaring at their spouses.
"Oh, that's enough from both of you. Daphne, what else did you want to discuss with us?"
"The second thing is the finances. If I remember it correctly, all the House Potter and House Black vaults' combined worth is between 10 to 15 million galleons. There is no money in the Vaults for House Peverell and House Slytherin, but both the houses have a considerable estate. Since we won't be doing much this year, I would like to use the money and House Black's property in Godric's Hollow to start a business."
"What business?" Harry enquired with interest while Jonathan Greengrass leaned forward.
"What property, Daughter?"
A sad smile appeared on her face as she answered.
"Sirius had bought a house in Godric Hollow a few months before the attack. Gringotts handled the purchase, so the deed was stored in House Black's vault after his transfer to Azkaban. I am not sure what Harry's godfather instructions were, but the estate that the Goblins bought is a gigantic farmhouse with acres of empty land in the property. It is also less than a hundred meters from The House, just outside the village."
While emotional thinking about what had happened, Harry didn't miss the gleam that appeared in his father-in-law's eyes.
"Does the purchase include the lands around it?"
"632 acres with boundaries firmly marked and no claims, Father."
Harry couldn't help but shiver at the identical expression of controlled joy on both Daphne and Jonathan's faces.
"What's so special about this property?"
Jonathan answered before Daphne could.
"Mr. Potter, Godric's hollow is a magical enclave. That means it is only inhabited by people who have magic. With less than ten such enclaves established around the country, it is challenging to buy a property there, not to mention the higher than average cost. After the regretful incident with your parents, the village became a popular destination, pushing the land costs even more. I can name at least five different families that have tried to buy property there to start some type of business, but the locals are a tough bunch there. Lord Black's property can be considered as good as a Gold mine perhaps, if adequately used."
Harry was silent for a few minutes, his eyes unfocused. The other three held their words, knowing it would be ultimately his decision.
"And what business are you planning, Daph?"
A slightly red tinge appeared on his wife's face as she answered.
"There are a lot of them. I have..."
He grabbed her hand in a comforting motion, and she was relieved to see a slight smile on his face.
"Summarise it, Love."
Daphne took a deep breath before answering again.
"I want to break the monopoly of Diagon Alley."
"You are talking about a completely new Wizarding Market." Her father observed.
"Yes. If we really want to change things, we have to break the Dark families' financial backbone. A collection of such families owns Diagon Alley, with the rent and backroom deals earning them a significant portion of their income. Not to mention we would be able to help the muggle-borns and Halfbloods for whom getting a place in the alley is next to impossible."
As she waited for her husband's decision, Daphne was visibly nervous.
"This would not be easy, Daph."
The nervousness disappeared and was replaced by smugness.
"I am the chosen one's wife, Lord Potter."
"You are right, Lady Potter. My apologies for doubting such a great woman."
After a few seconds of staring at each other, both of them broke out laughing, lighting the atmosphere a little. While Natalie Greengrass was murmuring about their immatureness, Jonathan was more interested in his son-in-law's reaction.
"This venture would directly affect the village, Mr. Potter. Are you okay with the disturbance it would create in your parent's resting place?"
Harry, who had calmed down by then, gave a sad smile to him.
"Considering how my father was in school days, I am sure he would prefer resting near a place of fun and joy than one of silence. Not to mention how he would consider this a giant prank on all the Dark families."
Everyone in the room agreed to that. James Charlus Potter was not a man who would ever be comfortable with silence and serenity. None of them knew, though, that the same could have been said for Lily Evans, the girl who returned everything James Potter did to her tenfold. After wiping his suspiciously wet eyes, Harry leaned forward.
"When do we start?"
"Why not now? I don't think any of us have anything major planned." Jonathan inquired. Seeing everyone nod, Daphne stood up.
"Let me get Junior and Munchkin. After all, the Star celebrity who would be sponsoring the new alley should have the knowledge about it."
Jonathan shook his head.
"If young Mr. Potter becomes the face of the alley, it is going to bring a lot of people in."
"Really? I don't think that many people like me right now."
The Greengrass couple looked at him with astonishment before Jonathan spoke up.
"Mr. Potter, The number of people that are on your side far outnumber the ones who are not. Your name has a considerable influence, even if you have never used it. The storybooks, adventure novels, and other merchandise ensured that every Magical household in Britain and the European countries had heard your name at least once. He-who-must-not-be-named was not called the Dark Lord just like that. People across the world were terrified of him and his influence, and when he was killed... or, let's say, banished by you, nearly the entire magical world was relieved. I can give you an example of the power that your name and you wield. In your first year, after it was known that you had chosen Nimbus 2000 as your broom, Nimbus received so many orders that it ran out of the unique trees needed to make the broom in two weeks. Being the one among many who were contracted for supplying more after that, I was able to sell my entire stock at three times the price. Even then, there was a waiting period of months for some time. Other companies' orders book became empty, with a company name Flyte and Barker closing down operations only months later. That is the amount of influence that you hold, Mr. Potter."
"Which was one of the reasons that the ministry went so hard after you. I keep telling you that they didn't just hate you for the news about the Dark Lord; they feared you for what you could do, but you never believe me." Daphne added from the door, Junior and Munchkin standing next to her.
Both the Potter men looked shocked at Jonathan's words, Junior, who looked ready to faint.
"Bu... but, I never knew about this. Nobody told me about this."
Hearing the pain and anger in Junior's voice, Harry collected himself back.
"That was an unintentional mistake by Dumbeldore, Junior. He claimed the regency over your affairs to justify his choice for keeping you hidden but didn't look upon it any farther than that."
"Why would he do so? Didn't he realize..."
"No, I don't think so. I believe that he never learned what a normal child being means with his past and old age. He was powerful and talented since a very young age. His experience at handling fame made him think that you would do the same easily, never realizing that you would be just an 11-year-old boy when you know about it. He didn't consider what effect it would have on us to learn that we were famous for defeating a Dark Lord who killed our parents before us."
"And that man is our Headmaster," Munchkin observed in a neutral tone. The implication of that sentence was enough to make everyone in the room wince. Munchkin ignored them all and focused on Harry.
"Father spoke about the Books and Merchandise sold in your name. I would like to know whether you received any royalties or payment against it?"
Harry looked at his wife, who shrugged.
"I have no idea. Given what had happened with Gringotts, the goblins only agreed to forgive me and let me access my vaults after withdrawing three-fourths of the money in Potter Vaults and acquiring any other income sources present. I believe if there were anything like it, the Goblins would have taken it."
Munchkin was silent for a few seconds as she stared at Harry.
"You don't like Goblins much, do you?"
All she received was a raised eyebrow in reply.
"I believe Potter needs to visit Gringotts. He needs to know about the status of his vaults, among other things. There is also the matter of his key, which is currently is someone else possession."
"I told her that it is with Mrs. Weasley..." Junior replied, but Munchkin cut him off.
"And I informed him how much dangerous and unethical it is. A matriarch or a member of a family should never hold the keys of another family's vaults. It is one of the first rules of Gringotts. Would either of you would like to escort us to the alley?"
"Us?"
"Yes. As his betrothed, I believe I have the right to know about it. Unless you have a problem with it, Potter?"
After the questioning session earlier, Junior, who was feeling overwhelmed, glanced at his older self and took a deep breath.
"No, Greengrass, I do not."
Munchkin nodded at that and looked back at the group of amused adults before her. With Daphne agreeing, Harry started to stand up but was interrupted by The Tonks family entering the room. Teddy, who had left with Andromeda the night before, ignored him and ran into Daphne's embrace. He couldn't help but grumble at the injustice. Seeing a smiling Nymphadora talking to Junior made him reconsider about going to the alley. After a bit of persuasion and some instructions to Junior, the trainee Auror was off to the alley along with Junior and Munchkin, not knowing that she was going to get the shock of her life in Gringotts.
Hello all. In the end of the previous chapter, I wrote about rewriting the fic starting from the first chapter with every update. But thee rewrite is still in work and there have been multiple suggestion about making the rewrite another fic, which I am still undecided about. By the next update, you should see a rewrite.
Guest:- Yeah, a little truth without bashing.
Pascal Dragon:- Harry can't help be but be perceptive after everyhting he has gone through.
Hank 1967:- Thank you. I am not sure what last bit are you talking about. Thank you for your words though.
theunimaginative idiot:- Exactly khan fanse ap Dumbledore pe?
stylo:-The details about law will come up in future chapters. Yeah, I am trying to work on using the words better. It was still a devlping plot so I defintely half assed. The rewrite would be better. The headmasterheadmaster is Grammarly's fault. Chapter was supposed to be an emotional rollercoaster, but I know its not even close to it. Once again, look for the rewrite. Oh the death eaters will be hunted down, I have some intresting scenes planned for them. I am not going easy on any of them. Till now all that has happened is just dicussion. The action would start in few chapters.
Thundersphinx:- Yeah the peverell family was not known at the time of Gringotts. I am making it that some member of it survived and kept on living under different names. There is a reason I chose Ron, it will come up soon. Dumbeldore has an intresting arc in this story.
Oldsarge01- Thank you
Spiderdreams:- Maybe not. But I was still devloping the plot. I know it extended far more than it should have., so the rewrite would be taking care of this issue.