Chapter 23: Meetings and Probings

Harry returns to Black Manor where he is greeted by Binks who asks, "is there somethings I can be doing for Master Harry?" Harry thanks Binks and asks if he would lay out some fresh clothes and bring a pot of tea to his room. Harry was going to shower and dress for the day and visit some of the allies that James, Lily and Sirius had seen the day before. But first Harry had something he had to do. He had to go to Peverell Manor. He had put it off long enough and he had to see if he could set it up as a safe house for his family, friends and the new women and children he was suddenly responsible for.

Harry calls the Peverell Lord's Ring to his finger and he says, "any elf loyal and bonded to house Peverell, please come to your Lord now?" Harry had no idea if he had any elves loyal to his house or if he did if any were still alive. Harry waits for what seemed liked many minutes but was actually about 30 seconds when he hears a series of pops in his room. Before him stands five elderly, well-dressed but weaker looking elves. They seem disoriented but one finally speaks and says, "I am Lucky, Head-Elf for the most Ancient and Most Noble house of Peverell! These others be Chancey, Risky, Tuney, and Lottie.

Harry kneels and tells them, I am Harry James Potter-Black-Peverell, along with a list of other titles. Harry tells them he is happy to meet them and that they look dapper in their outfits.

Lucky says previous Mistress wanted her elves to be part of the family and wanted them to be dress liked family.

Harry tells them he feels the same way and he would like them to continue to serve House Peverell if that is what they desired.

Lucky says we wants to stay with Lord Peverell, and Harry says," just call me Harry or if you must use and honorific then Mister Harry unless some is present."

Harry asks if they are bonded to House Peverell or to the Lord of the House?

Lucky says wes be bonded to the House and House magics has kept us alive but it bes getting weak as we haven't had a Lord in so long. We would love to bond with the new Lord as we will get stronger and bes able to take care of the Manor better!

Harry asks if they all want to rebond and they all agree. Harry calls each by name and he rebonds them to himself, they immediately seem to stand straighter, and have a better look about them. Harry asks them where House Peverell is located and can they take him there.

Lucky says Peverell Manor be on the coast near Brighton and they would be happy to take him home. Lucky takes Harry's fingers and with a soft pop they disappear.

Harry stands in front of a broken gate that once led up to an old house that was in total disrepair, but Harry knew this was a powerful spell that was hiding the Manor that was there.

Lucky tells Harry to touch the gate lock and it will take a small drop of his blood to confirm he is the new lord and when Harry does the glamor fades and before him is a beautiful, well-kept easily as big as Black Manor but not quite as large as Potter Castle.

Harry slowly walks up to the door and Tuney opens it as he gets there and says," welcome home, Master!"

Harry smiles and says give me the two-dollar tour and then show me the Master Ward Stones, I have to make this unplottable and impregnable from our enemies. There will be more of our family coming here and I will key them into the wards, you will treat them the same as you would any family. There are evil people running loose that are trying to kill our family, I will not let it happen and I may need your help. I need you to gain your strength back and make sure we have everything we need here to take care of fifty or more people at any given time.

Tuney says that won't be a problem as we has more than enough rooms for that many and more. We grow many of our own vegetables and if Master will let us once again use his money, we will stock up on everything wez be needing's.

Harry is led to a picture just inside the Lord's Office and he can feel the pull on his magic, there is something either behind the picture or inside the picture. Harry runs his finger with the Peverell Lord's ring on it around the frame and he finds a sharp pin that pricks his finger, the picture is disillusioned, and a doorway is there. Harry steps inside and he can feel the entire Manor as if it had a pulse, and the pulse was getting stronger. Harry sees a book, a grimoire, sitting on a pedestal and as he places his hands on the grimoire, he has flashes of memories going through his mind and a comforting feeling comes over him welcoming him home! Harry read over the section regarding the ward stones and he again pricked his finger allowing his blood to be absorbed into the stone and it began to glow a hazy blue color and Harry could feel the magic and power being renewed. Harry then restructures the wards to allow only those he gives permission to pass, and those who need to be rescued by elves loyal to house Peverell. Harry then cast a new Fidelius Charm on the Manor with Lucky as the secret keeper until he can transfer it to Lily. She will be the secret keeper and will have an emergency port-keys for her, James, and Sirius. He will also get port-keys to his friends and allies.

Harry does a quick tour of the manor and tells Lucky to continue with their work and to make sure they rest often. He also tells him to make sure to resupply the potions, food stuffs and be prepared for guests at any time. Harry then apparates back to Black Manor where he gathers Lily, James and Sirius and they all go to visit their friends and allies.

First, they visit the McKinnon's, Sirius knows Marlene as they had dated a few times and they are invited in the McKinnon's Hall.

Sirius introduces everyone and he explains that if they would like and approve Lord Peverell, Harry, would put up new wards around the Hall, place it under a fidelius charm with Marlene as the secret keeper, and give them port-keys to his own Manor in case they were targeted.

Lord Peverell tells Lord McKinnon that they would likely be targeted as Voldemort and his death-eaters would likely want to strike back at anyone who would side with House Black, Potter or Peverell. He also asks if they had family outside of Britain they might could go visit for a while for extra precaution.

Lord McKinnon tells Harry that they have family in the States and that they had wanted to visit them and take in some of the sights in America.

Harry and Lily tell them that now would be a great time for that vacation and to keep their port-keys on them at all times and make sure that their house elves could help them in an instant.

They all visit for a little while and Lord McKinnon thanks them for their help and tells them that they have his full support and the support of House McKinnon when needed.

Marlene walks then back to the gate of the Hall and tells them how much she appreciates the help and protection.

Sirius tells her that it is something they would do for any of their friends and to make sure they stay inside the Hall until they are ready to travel and to send a message to Lord Peverell through Gringott's when they were leaving. He also tells her he would see her again as soon as possible, but to stay in America until they had gotten rid of the dark wanker and his cast of clowns. The four them pop away to visit the Bones's.

Lily is about to tap on the gate but the Bones's house elf Ossie pops over and escorts them inside. Lily introduces Lord Peverell (Harry) to everyone and Ted invites them all into the parlor for tea.

Lily tells them that Lord Peverell is with them today to cast the Fidelius Charm and make Ted the secret keeper. He would also be putting some new touches on the wards that Lily had cast the day before.

Harry tells everyone he is glad to meet them, he especially holds Amelia's hand a little longer than necessary after shaking it, remembering her from his past and how formidable she was. Harry is determined she would not suffer the same fate this time. He told them to make sure they stayed inside the wards as much as possible, use their elves for any business they could handle and to make sure that they never went anywhere alone. Harry tells them that the port-keys when activated using the activation code "safety" would take them to Peverell Manor which was as safe from all threats. Do not hesitate to use it if you have even the slightest inkling of a threat, Harry says. I will be alerted immediately and I will come, Lily will also be alerted and as they say in muggle movies "the calvary will be on the way!"

With me taking out so many of his followers Voldemort will be looking to strike at anyone with ties to me and I want you all to survive this war.

The Bones's all sort of cringe as Lord Peverell uses the name of the so-called dark lord.

Harry notices this and he gets a little flustered and says, listen, do not cringe at a name, especially a name that is made up and is a lie. The so-called Dark Lord, Voldemort, is actually Tom Marvolo Riddle, son of a squid daughter of the House of Gaunt and a potioned-up Muggle father Thomas Riddle. He is a half-blood at best and definitely not a Lord. Don't give in to fear when you know the truth!

Amelia looks at Harry and asks how do you know all this and Harry says, "I make it a point to know everything about my enemies, that way I am never surprised."

Ted, Julie and Amelia thank them and they are just about ready to take their leave when Lucky, the Peverell head elf pops in and says Master Harry, we have a visitor that popped into the manor with her elves, they be scared.

Harry tells them he has to go now, but James, Sirius and Lily say they are coming to and then Ted says, "I will also!"

Harry says Ted you, and Sirius lock down your home, recheck everything. Lily contact Lord Black and Lord Potter and make sure Aunt Mel and "Aunt Dorea" are safe, then you go to them! James, you're with me! Don't argue just do as I ask and everyone will be safe. If I am correct, we have some of the lower death eaters sniffing around looking for easy targets. We will show them the error of their thoughts, now everyone go!

Harry puts his hand on James shoulder and disapparates them straight into Peverell Manor. Harry finds Lady Mulciber crying in a chair with her two house-elves, Tody and Starry, trying to calm her. Harry walks over and kneels, takes her right hand and kisses her knuckles and asks, Miri, what happened?

Miri says she was talking to Starry in the dining room when there was a gong as something came against the wards the Goblins had put up at his request. She says she panicked as she remembered Lord Peverell told her there might be people who would look at her as an easy target and she told Starry and Tody they had to go and she activated her port-key and it brought them here.

Harry tells her to relax, that she is safe and that Lucky and the rest of the Peverell Elves would take care of here and her two friends.

Harry says James are you ready for a fight? They may still be poking around looking for a way past the wards, I say let's give them a warm welcome, we may even let one or two live! James gets a shit-eating grin on his face and says, Sirius is gonna be pissed he missed this.

Harry says he will get his share before we finish this. Harry again takes James by the arm, disillusioned themselves and silently pops them away to Mulciber Manor. Harry tells James to quietly make his way around the left side of the wards while he takes the right. Harry looks into his father's eyes and says take no chances, if they fight, put them down hard, there is no do-overs.

James disillusions himself and casts cushioning charms on his shoes, then he slowly makes his way around the left side where he finds two young men sneaking around trying to find a weakness in the ward. James makes his way behind them and aims his wand at the first and stuns him and repeat before the second could react. He casts a incarcerous totalis and slowly continues around the ward-line.

Harry meanwhile has cast a strong notice-me-not and makes his way towards the rear of the manor. He finds another two men, these somewhat older probing the wards when he stuns them both and just as he was going to tie them up, he feels a spell coming from behind him, he steps to the side and lets the spell hit the ward, it is a purplish spell that Harry recognizes as being very deadly so he spins and casts a cutting curse that strikes the man across the chest essentially cutting the man in half.

James has made his way around to Harry and sees the man Harry has basically decapitated on the ground and the two that Harry had stunned. He asks Harry what do we do with this garbage?

Harry replies that since they wanted to get inside the manor, we should accommodate them! Harry calls Lucky and asks if Lady Mulciber or Miri was up to coming to the Manor for a few minutes. Lucky pops away while Harry and James levitate the four unconscious morons into the manor's basement/dungeon because it really was a dungeon as it has cells with magic resisting bars.

Lucky returns with Miri who is still shaken but knows Lord Peverell will not let anything happen to her.

Harry asks her if she recognizes any of the four and Miri says two of them, I have never seen, but these two pointing to the two closest to the cell's doors were distant relatives to the former Lord Mulciber, she thinks they are Lannister's. They were part of the family that no one liked to talk about or have anything to do with.

So says James, they were just here looking for scraps? Which means they will be back or others will be doing the same.

Harry says these won't be back and if the right message is sent then no one will follow their stupidity. Harry asks Miri if she would be willing to stay at Peverell Manor for a while?

She says she would feel safer there and she calls Starry and Tody, and asks them to please gather her things, that they would be staying at Lord Peverell's Manor for the time being. They both popped away and started gathering what their lady would be needing. Miri asks Lord Peverell what he was gonna do with these men?

Harry tells her she would be better not knowing, but feel safe knowing they won't ever target her again!

Starry and Tody pop back in with Lady Mulciber's things and Harry tells them, "take Lady Mulciber to Peverell Manor, report to Lucky that you will be staying for the foreseeable future and take care of your Lady, you have done well in protecting her, you should be proud! They both swell their chests a little and take Lady Mulciber's hands and pop away.

James asks Harry what he is gonna do with the intruders?

Harry tells James that he is going to send a message to anyone that looks to come after his family or those that are under his protection, and there is only one way to do that.

James looks at Harry and asks "You aren't going to kill them are you? They are defenseless and incapacitated!

Harry gives James as stern a look as James thought was humanly possible and asks, "what would they have done to Miri? What would they have done to Mum, or Aunt Mel, or Grand Mum?" They deserve no mercy; I have told you I will show these barbarians no mercy, either you have the stomach to do what is needed or you can stay and keep Mum safe and leave the fighting to those that are willing to do what is needed! I will think no less of you, for killing is never an easy thing, but is something that has to be done in order for this evil to be stopped. You are either ready to fight or you are not, the choice is yours, Father!

James looked like he had been slapped by a hippogriff! His son, his future son had just called him on the carpet for being weak and he really couldn't argue, he knew what would have happened if these criminals had gained entry into the Manor, Lady Mulciber would have been raped and murdered. James took a deep breath and said let's be about our business then!

It would be two days later That "The Daily Prophet" would report that five bodies were found nailed to a few trees outside of what was once Mulciber Manor, one nearly decapitated, and the other four with their throats slashed! It also reported that the property was now owned by Lord Peverell, and it appeared no one had been in the property lately. They also reported that the investigation was ongoing and further updates would be forthcoming.

A/N: I am gonna stop this chapter here as dealing with Malfoy and the Wizengamot will take place after Yule. While not pleased with what Harry and James did at Mulciber Manor Lily understands, Lord's Potter and Black silently smile at their nephew and grandson!