The Eighth Year Universe
Love Wins
Life Has a Way of Rewriting the Story
The chapter title is from the song:
99 Years by Josh Groban (with Jennifer Nettles)
Longbottom House
28th of September
Harry was in shock, and the rest of his family found this hilarious.
He was pacing the drawing-room of Longbottom House while Neville sipped firewhiskey, and Daphne and Lilly drank wine.
"Draco Malfoy," Harry began, "The pathetic little urchin whose father heard about everything. The little boy who cried in the Forbidden Forest then sobbed like a baby when a Hippogriff scratched him…."
He shook his head, "The pretentious twat who paraded around like he owned the school, who called Hermione a mudblood and acted like the Death Eaters were the best thing since sliced bread."
Harry paused for the fireplace, "I could get my head around him changing his surname to Black and Hermione falling in love with him. From the minute she told me she had a crush on Krum, I knew she would never end up with Ron if I'm honest."
Lilly snorted, and Daphne smirked, then sipped her wine.
Harry shook his head again, "And I managed to cope when he became a brilliant Auror and my partner, and one of my best friends. But then he became Minister for Magic, and he saved the goddamn world."
Lilly bit back a grin and glanced over at Neville, who was chuckling into his whiskey glass.
"But this…" Harry took a few steps then turned to look at them, "He passed The Wizarding Welfare Act, in capital letters – The Wizarding Welfare Act."
Lilly nodded solemnly, "Yes, he did."
"He convinced the Wizengamot to agree to fucking taxation," Harry said in disbelief.
"We know, Harry," Neville said calmly.
"We were there," Lilly agreed with an amused look.
Daphne sipped her wine and leaned forward. "And I must say, the way Draco convinced the Wizengamot to do that….well, he clearly has some of his father's political savviness, as much as he would hate to admit that."
Harry shook his head and looked at the piece of parchment on the coffee table in front of them.
"No, because Lucius Malfoy would never use that power to pass a welfare act and then casually drop this in at the end of the session."
"But Narcissa Black would have done," Lilly said with a slight smile, "And Draco has far more of his mother in him than his father, thank Merlin."
Neville smiled too, "And he married Hermione Granger. Of course, he cares about blood status. Maybe, in his mind, this is his final apology for the way he treated her in school."
"Hell of an apology," Harry remarked.
"This is Draco, remember? He's dramatic," Daphne remarked; she rolled her eyes and sipped her wine.
"His father had peacocks," Lilly added.
Harry smiled slightly and sat down. He tapped his fingers against the parchment and looked into the fire, "The world is changing."
Daphne put her wine glass down and got to her feet. She took a few steps and perched on Harry's knee, gently turning his face away from the fire towards her face.
"For the better," She promised.
Harry smiled and nodded. Daphne leant forward and kissed him lightly, and when she drew back, he reminded himself in a whisper.
"For the better."
Godric's Hollow
The 29th of September
Harry couldn't believe how emotional he felt as he leaned against a post box and looked at the scene before him.
He had always loved Godric's Hollow; it was a quaint little town – one that seemed like it was frozen in history. The houses were all old, had timber frames, and all of the names in the graveyard belonged to the same few families who had settled, lived and died out here over the centuries.
It was steeped in good and bad history, and you could feel that in the air. It was a very special place to him, but today was different because it was the day that 150 households from the Closes were relocated here.
Most of the big houses had been converted into four large flats. To someone like Daphne, Harry supposed that was still a 'modest' living. But to these people, who had come from shoebox flats where the only view was Diagon Alley or the brick wall behind it, this was heaven.
Every block of four had a shared garden, and there were green spaces everywhere. They had a town square, a village shop, an apothecary would spring up before long, no doubt. This would be a wizarding-only village, after all.
"It's their safe haven," Harry said aloud.
Draco was leaning against the wall by his side. They were watching a group of children running around on a grassy square while photographers snapped away and reporters scribbled and gossiped.
Draco couldn't be more invisible right now despite him being the Minister, and he didn't seem phased by that.
Harry looked from the grassy square to the little church and graveyard. He swallowed a lump in his throat as he temporarily wondered how his parents would have felt if they were still alive to see this.
Draco patted him on the shoulder, and Harry turned away from the church. His eyes fell on the statute close by – the one in memory of his parents and his 'defeat' of Voldemort in 1981.
He blinked out the tears in his eyes and said quietly, "It's funny. How it all started and finished here, in the end."
Draco smiled sadly and looked at the statue too, "It's poetic."
"It's ironic," Harry said; he laughed tearfully, "A Potter started it, and a Malfoy finished it."
Draco chuckled but shook his head, "No, a Potter started it, and a Black finished it. Which makes it all the more ironic."
Harry wiped his eyes and laughed, "They would be proud, my Dad and Sirius."
Draco looked over at Harry and nodded. He looked back out to the grassy square and let out a content sigh.
"I'm proud of what we've done here."
"So am I."
The Hermione Granger School for Young Witches and Wizards
The 30th of September
The school's great hall was packed, and everyone was chatting between themselves – the sounds of several voices bouncing off the walls and echoing around the large room drowned out any other noise. It was a mini 'Great Hall', designed to look like a miniature version of Hogwarts.
Susan was the one chairing the meeting, and she knew it would be boisterous. If every business was represented, then there were 46 business owners in this hall – these people had worked out of Diagon or Knockturn Alley for years. In some cases, their families had been there for centuries. Telling them that the alley would not reopen wouldn't make her the most popular landlord.
Susan cleared her throat, sent some sparks into the air and said, without the need for a Sonorus charm, "Listen up, please!"
The hall fell silent, so Susan began.
"I know you are all eagerly awaiting news, and you have done so very patiently, for the most part. I spent all morning in a meeting with the Minister for Magic, and I now have the information you require. But there are a lot of you here, and the circumstances are different for each business, so please bear with me while I run through this in the most sensible order that I can."
That caused some grumbling, but Susan continued anyway.
"First of all – Child Protective Services – the Minister has informed me that with the community from the Closes having moved to Godric's Hollow, along with the Ministry moving to the village's outskirts, the most sensible option is for CPS to move there too. The Minister has sourced an appropriate building, I believe it's the old town hall, and CPS will operate out of it, but in an increased capacity, allowing for the hiring of administration staff, a Healer, and perhaps with some boarding to help those who find themselves temporarily homeless."
Rob, the representative for CPS, raised his eyebrows, "Well, I'll have to send my personal thanks to the Minister then, I suppose."
Susan smirked at him, "I suppose you will. If you accept the Ministers terms, then you may leave, Rob. I'm sure sitting through the rest of this meeting isn't how you want to spend your night."
"Absolutely not," Rob snorted. He got to his feet and waved a hand, "Adios!"
And with a boyish grin, he left the assembly hall.
Susan turned her attention back to the others and continued, "Now, I know this will come as a shock to some of you, but the Minister has made the difficult decision not to reopen Diagon or Knockturn Alley."
Several shouts, grumbles and boos went around the hall at this.
Susan managed to resist the urge to roll her eyes which Daphne, who was in the meeting on account of being a co-owner of Potter and Weasley Curse Breaking, was quite impressed with.
"Settle down!" Susan said, raising her voice just enough, "Yes, it comes as a shock, and it is saddening because the alley meant a lot to all of us. But the Minister did not make this decision lightly. He made it with the best interests of the nation at heart. Diagon Alley is no longer safe, so the Minister proposes moving the shopping district to somewhere that is safe, under the protection of Hogwarts Castle and its esteemed Headmaster – Hogsmeade."
Some people still grumbled, but the mutterings became more enthusiastic then.
"So," Susan carried on, "I want to start by addressing those who already have premises in Hogsmeade. I know you will lose some profits by dropping a shop, but you will pay half the rent, and you will have the residents of Hogsmeade and everyone who shopped with you while you were in Diagon Alley at your custom. I do not believe that you will lose any money from this venture, and I swear to freeze all rents for the next five years to aid the financial recovery from the Diagon Alley attacks."
She paused for a breath, "Weasley's Wizard Wheezes – what do you say to the proposal?"
Ron looked at George, who muttered something to him then spoke up, "The money we would save on rent from giving up our Diagon Alley lease would enable us to expand our Hogsmeade premises. But we will lose the nightclub we own in Diagon Alley, which generated a lot of money for the business.."
Susan nodded, "Well, you like a challenge, don't you?"
George narrowed his eyes at her, "Yes, why?"
Susan smiled and sent a scroll of parchment his way, "Those are the blueprints for the Shrieking Shack. Do you think you could turn that into a new nightclub with a small grant? It's far away from the town, keeping the townspeople and the other shopkeepers happy. Providing you place the appropriate warding and silencing charms on it, the location should be ideal."
George looked at the blueprints and grinned, then he nodded at Susan, "Deal."
"Excellent," Susan remarked, "Potage's Cauldron Shop. What do you say to the proposal?"
Paul Potage, who had inherited the family business, nodded, "As George said, what I'll save on rent in Diagon will enable me to expand in Hogsmeade, so I accept."
Susan bowed her head, "Madam Puddifoots?"
Gladys Puddifoot, the daughter of the woman who had set up the teashop, nodded, "I would need to expand my Hogsmeade premises also, but I do accept the proposal."
Susan looked from the list to the crowd, "And, do we have a representative from Ollivander's here?"
A hand went up, then the person it belonged to appeared, "Me," Luna Scamander said.
At that, some heads spun around in surprise, so Luna elaborated, "Prospero was my Uncle."
Because Ginny had once told her in casual conversation at the Burrow, Daphne knew Luna's mother was Pandora Ollivander. But it seemed that not many others did.
Luna said, "The shop belongs to Rolf and me now, and I think the offer to resettle in Hogsmeade is more than adequate. But if the need arises, would we one day be able to open a branch in Godric's Hollow?"
"Possibly," Susan said with a nod, "It seems the Minister has created Godric's Hollow as a wizarding-only village to make it the new Hogsmeade, so yes, that may well be possible."
Luna smiled then sat back down, "Okay, thank you, Susan."
Susan nodded and looked back to her list, "And finally, Dogweed and Death Cap?"
The owner of the chain of Herbology stores got to his feet and nodded, "Yes, we accept the offer to relocate to Hogsmeade."
Susan flicked the page over and cleared her throat, "Wonderful. Now, for the stores that were either destroyed by the explosions or very badly damaged by the subsequent fires, things are a little more complex than they are for the rest of you. But I can provide new premises for the Leaky Cauldron. I have acquired the Hogs Head for that purpose if that is satisfactory?"
Susan owned the Leaky Cauldron, but the staff had to make that call. Felicity and Tom would have done that job, but they were both dead. So the Head Barmaid, Sophie Knight, got to her feet and nodded.
"I think Felicity would have been thrilled to accept that offer, and she would have dove into the challenge headfirst, so yes, we accept the offer. Thank you."
Susan smiled at the girl, who she had known for years thanks to Addison's friendship with her. Ron was silent, but probably because he didn't feel like it was his place to say anything. Felicity had been his wife, but the Leaky Cauldron had been her responsibility, so only those who worked for her could know exactly what she would have wanted.
She looked down, then up again, "Both the Apothecary and Slug and Jigger's Apothecary were destroyed. But sadly, Mafalda Weasley, who managed the Apothecary, died in the attack, and her family have elected not to take over the business. So we propose that Slug and Jigger's rebuild in Hogsmeade."
The only surviving owner of Slug and Jiggers, Mr Jarvis Jigger, spoke up, "And what about J. Pippin's Potions in Hogsmeade? It's already a competitor. All they sell is ready-made potions. We had to start selling some of the more popular potions to compete."
"Yes," Susan agreed, "But they do not sell potions ingredients, so if I were to tell you that the move comes with a contract that makes you the sole supplier to Hogwarts Castle, would you accept it?"
Mr Jigger raised an eyebrow, "The sole supplier?"
"The sole supplier, the Potions Mistress and the Matron will not deal with any other apothecaries," Susan promised.
Mr Jigger bowed his head, "Then it's a deal."
Susan nodded and continued with her negotiations. The Junk Shop had been destroyed but would not reopen in Hogsmeade because its owner, Mundungus Fletcher, had died in the attacks. Irena Geppetto, the granddaughter of Florean Fortescue, said that she did not wish to reopen the ice cream parlour in Hogsmeade because she felt that it was cursed. The Ministry Press Office, which had been badly damaged by fire, agreed to move to a building adjacent to the new Ministry of Magic outside of Godric's Hollow, and then it fell to the more difficult shopkeepers.
"Twilfitts and Tattings Clothing Shop," Susan said, "Your property was badly fire damaged – do you accept the proposal to rebuild in Hogsmeade?"
One of the owners narrowed her eyes at Susan, "Alongside Gladrags Wizardwear?"
"I know they are a competitor - "
"They are not a competitor," The other woman said, "Nobody who dresses in Gladrags could afford our clothes."
Susan raised an eyebrow, "Then I fail to see the problem."
"The problem is they don't want their luxury brand to be diminished if 'common' clothing shops surround them," Daphne cut in sharply, "But the truth of the matter is that those of us who have the money to buy from Twilfitts and Tattings and are under the age of 60, don't. We simply shop in Paris, instead."
Susan bit her lip and said, "I am afraid nobody asked for your opinion on the matter, Marchioness Potter."
She emphasised the title on purpose, and Daphne smirked at her old friend in response.
"If it appeases you," Susan added, looking back to the two women in charge of the shop, "You can have premises at the opposite end of the alley from Gladrags."
"Yes, it does appease us," The more uppity woman said, "And on those terms, we accept."
Susan then had to put up with a rant from Whizz Hard Books (who specialised in unique books, mainly relating to experimental magic) about how they would have too much competition in Hogsmeade. She counteracted that by reminding the owner that in Diagon Alley, he had three other bookshops to compete with, and as all of them specialised in different sorts of books, she failed to see what the problem was.
This appeased another two business owners – those who owned Obscurus Books (specialising in rare, expensive, antique books) and those who owned Second Hand Books, who had asked to relocate to Godric's Hollow because the majority of their customers had been from the Closes.
But it led to a debate with Flourish and Blotts about how they would face competition from Tomes and Scrolls – the generalist book shop in Hogsmeade. In the end, Susan managed to appease them by telling them that their entire premises could be moved to a prime spot in Hogsmeade, ensuring there was no confusion over their validity.
They were almost an hour into the meeting, and Susan hadn't even managed to get through the destroyed or fire damaged stores. So she took a breath and pushed on.
Helga's Hotpot elected not to reopen, primarily due to the charges being pressed against the owner for unsafe building work and bribing the planning office to approve blueprints. As the press had rightly pointed out in the wake of the attack, the entire second floor should not have given way like it had.
Terror Tours, the wizarding travel agent that had been destroyed when Helga's Hotpot came down, agreed to move to a desk inside the Hogsmeade Post Office, which left one business to contend with.
"Potter and Weasley Curse Breaking," Susan said, giving Daphne a pointed look that plainly said ', don't argue with me, I'm fed up enough right now.'
Daphne smiled and bowed her head, "We agree to move to Hogsmeade," she said simply.
Susan let out a sigh of relief, then flipped the page in front of her once more, "Thank you for bearing with me if I haven't gotten around to your business yet. The remaining businesses are all intact, giving us more options regarding moving them to Hogsmeade. If the building is well established or historical, I will consider moving it. Still, if not, I would like shopkeepers to move into vacant premises in Hogsmeade because there is only the provision for 12 businesses to move their entire premises to the village."
So she began to go through the list, and most people agreed to move to new premises, so long as they were suitable [i.e. the same size or bigger than their current premises, and most certainly not smaller]. Amanuensis Quills agreed to move after some grumbling about the competition they would receive from Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop in Hogsmeade. The Barbour shop decided to move, under the condition their new premises were close to the Hairdressing Salon in Hogsmeade. The second-hand shop, Broomstix, asked to move to Godric's Hollow, as did the Second Hand Robes shop, and Susan granted both of those requests. Buffet La Buff agreed to move to new premises, as did the Diagon Alley Arts Club, so long as they could get a building with a long hall, which Susan agreed to.
Eeylops Owl Emporium argued for complete relocation because their building was iconic and custom-built for owls already; therefore, recreating that would be difficult, and Susan agreed.
Gambel & Japes Wizarding Joke Shop complained that so much business had already been taken from them by Weasley's Wizard Wheezes so that they were on their last leg anyway. There was no way they could compete with that and Zonkos, so the two best friends in charge of the shop decided it was time to retire.
A representative from Gringotts agreed that the bank remained in Diagon Alley, so long as the façade in Hogsmeade was located in the town square. It had to be close to the fountain and thereby visible to everyone – it also had to be made from marble and real gold leaf, which made several others groan and roll their eyes.
But Susan knew how picky goblins were, so she readily agreed to his terms. They were far better than they could have been, after all.
The House-Elf Placement Agency argued that its entire premises had to be moved because they were custom-built, and Susan, who had been in there and knew how most of the doorways were at house-elf height, nodded and agreed that was a fair request. Megan Jones, who owned Jones' Florist, decided to move to new premises, but Madam Malkin made a fuss.
She argued that the building was iconic and custom made, so Susan agreed to relocate the entire building. But then she argued further about her placement in Hogsmeade, and eventually, after ten minutes of negotiation, Susan had struck a deal with her.
Madam Primpernelle's Beautifying Potions agreed to new premises. Still, the Magical Menagerie argued that their building was also custom-built, so they were permitted to move the entire building to Hogsmeade. McHaverlocks Wizarding Headgear agreed to move to a new building. The Museum of Muggle Curiosities owner asked to remain on Knockturn Alley when it reopened to the Muggles as a melting point pot of cultures.
Quality Quidditch Supplies fought for their entire building to be moved and had a rant about how Spintwitches Sporting Needs would be a rival to their business. Susan had expected that, though, and offered them a contract as the sole supplier of brooms and Quidditch supplies to Puddlemere United (also owned by the Bones family), which appeased them into agreeing to the move.
Rosa Lee Teabag decided to rebrand as a reasonably priced café and convenience store and open in Godric' Hollow. The old wizard in charge of Scribbulus Writing Instruments irritably informed Susan that he would retire before working in the same town as his younger brother. The latter had betrayed him and opened up the rival store Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop in Hogsmeade.
Shyverwretch's Venoms & Poisons didn't have a representative at the meeting, and Daphne told Susan she had been reliably informed that the secondary fires and explosions had revealed the presence of some less than legal venoms in the building.
Sugarplum's Sweetshop was less than thrilled at the prospect of sharing a town with Honeydukes, but Susan talked them around by offering them premises at the other end of town, close to the joke shop, which would likely generate business.
The Tattoo Shop and the Betting Shop agreed to move, under the pretences that they were located close to the White Wyvern Pub. Susan decided to move them all to the empty street leading up to the Shrieking Shack. They were quite amenable to that, as she suspected the residents of Hogsmeade would also be since that was as far from the residential area as possible.
The Daily Prophet Main Office argued for a complete relocation, owing to the amount of equipment built into their building that they did not wish to attempt to move. Susan agreed, just as she agreed for The Undertakers, another custom-built business, to be moved in its entirety to the far reaches of town, between the Shrieking Shack and the railway line.
That left The Starry Prophesier, who agreed to move to new premises, provided they were small, dark and shadowy, and Wiseacres Wizarding Equipment. They put up a fight and got Susan's agreement to move the entire building and have it on the opposite side of town from their Hogsmeade competitor, Dervish and Banges.
With that, Susan adjourned the meeting three hours later.
And when it was done, Daphne and Bill hung back to check on her.
"That seemed stressful," Bill remarked.
"It was," Susan muttered, "I'm going home to drink a glass of wine or two."
Daphne chuckled and leaned against the lectern Susan stood behind, "Just have a bottle; you were great just then."
Susan smiled tiredly, "They all agreed, eventually, and I only had to accept nine proposals to move buildings when we have twelve spaces, so that was something. But meeting everyone's placement requests is going to be a nightmare."
Daphne waved a hand, "It's just like doing a table plan for a wedding. I can help you with that part if you provide wine."
Susan laughed and held out her hand, "Deal."
Daphne smiled and hugged her, murmuring, "You look like you need it."
"I do," Susan murmured. She squeezed Daphne tightly, then drew back, "Thanks."
Daphne just nodded and let go of her friend, "That wasn't easy, commanding a room like that, but you made it look like it was. You'll make a great Headmistress one day."
Susan laughed, "If Theo ever retires."
Daphne shot her a knowing look, "Or maybe even a Head of College?"
Susan chuckled, "Maybe."
Bill smiled and shoved his hands in his pockets, "You wanna get a coffee before heading home, Daph? I reckon we've got some stuff to talk about after today."
Daphne nodded and smiled at Susan, "If this gets too much, don't be too proud to ask for help, okay?"
"I won't be; I was in Hufflepuff, not Gryffindor," Susan joked.
"Oi!" Bill exclaimed, "I resent that."
Daphne rolled her eyes and nudged him in the ribs, "Resent it quietly then."
Susan laughed at them as they headed out of the school together.
Salisbury
Half an hour after the meeting…
"Why are there so many tanks here?" Bill asked as they crossed a road behind a large, armoured vehicle.
Daphne shot Bill a sceptical look, "Because this is a military town with an army base nearby," she replied as if this were common knowledge.
"Why did you say that like I should have known?" Bill scoffed.
"Because you grew up around here," Daphne pointed out.
"I grew up in the south of Devon. You probably grew up closer to Salisbury than I did," Bill pointed out.
Daphne sipped her coffee, and they continued their stroll through town, "Hm, probably. It's not too far from Surrey."
"Do you ever find that weird, by the way?" Bill mused, "That you and Harry grew up in the same county but never met?"
Daphne smiled slightly, "It's not unusual that we didn't meet. His Aunt and Uncle were very anti-magical, and I lived in a pureblood manor hidden to the Muggle eye. We did grow up very close together, though."
Bill looked over at her, "Really?"
Daphne nodded, "You know that Greengrass House is at the base of the Surrey Hills, right?"
Bill nodded, "Yeah."
"Well, one of the towns at the base of those hills is Little Whinging, where Harry grew up," Daphne explained, "We decided to go for a coffee with my father once, after visiting Harry's Aunt Petunia and we realised that we had grown up a 15-minute drive away from each other."
Bill chuckled, "Well, if I didn't believe in fate before, I do now."
Daphne laughed, and they walked in step together, stopping at a road as another tank rolled through town.
"Seriously?" Bill remarked, "What do you think they're doing, setting up a security guard around Stonehenge in case we try to reclaim it?"
Daphne scoffed, "I doubt it."
"Oh my gosh!"
Bill and Daphne forgot about the road they were waiting to cross and turned around to see a woman in her mid 20's staring at them.
"Are you magical?" She asked in a whisper.
Daphne shot Bill an amused look and nodded, "Yes, we are."
The woman's eyes lit up, "Oh my god, I can't believe it! I hoped some of you lived in Salisbury! I mean, how can you not with Stonehenge, right?"
Bill laughed, "Neither of us is actually from Salisbury. We're just meeting up for a coffee here."
"But yes, Stonehenge," Daphne said with an insincere nod, "Iconic."
The young woman didn't pick up on Daphne's sarcasm.
"Yeah! So it was made by witches?" The woman asked, "What was its real purpose? I've studied it for years, please, I have to know!"
Daphne held up a hand, "Okay, just calm down…uh?"
"Becky," The girl said quickly, "Sorry, my name's Becky."
"Okay," Daphne said, "I'm Daphne, and this is my friend, Bill."
Becky nodded a little manically.
"Uh, do you want to walk with us, Becky?" Bill asked, "I have no idea where we're going, but Daphne knows Salisbury."
"We're going for a walk along the river," Daphne said, shooting Bill an exasperated look.
"Right, of course, yes," Becky said, she nodded again, and the three of them crossed the road.
"So Stonehenge was originally built by witches and wizards, you are right," Daphne said while they walked, "It was built where it was to harness the power of the moon or the sun when astronomical events happened. A community of witches and wizards would get together and use that power to perform magical rituals that they couldn't perform on their own."
"I knew it," Becky breathed, "People thought I was as crazy as my sister when I told them my theories!"
Bill raised an eyebrow at Daphne, then asked, "What made your sister so crazy?"
"Oh," Becky waved a hand, "She was convinced the lost city of Atlantis existed, and she blew all of the inheritance our Grandmother left us on finding it. She didn't, though, then she got admitted to the psych ward for a while. She's fine now though; she works the checkout in Sainsbury's."
Daphne shot Bill a smile, "Should I tell her or will you?"
Bill grinned, "Oh, go on."
"Plato was a wizard and a bit of a trickster," Daphne explained, "He threw the myth of Atlantis into his tale because he knew it would drive people crazy, and he got a kick out of that."
"Son of a bitch," Becky muttered.
"More like son of a witch," Bill joked.
Becky laughed and asked, "How do you guys know so much about it? Do you learn about this stuff in your magical school?"
Daphne shook her head, "Not all of it, but Bill and I are curse breakers, so we make it our business to know which myths are true and which aren't."
"Curse breakers?" Becky asked eagerly, "Like…Lara Croft?"
Bill didn't miss Becky looking Daphne up and down, and he assumed that Daphne hadn't either.
"Uh, sort of," Daphne replied, slightly amusedly.
"Or is it more like Indiana Jones?" Becky asked, giving Bill the same look she'd just given Daphne.
"It's nothing like Indiana Jones," Bill muttered.
"Breaking into cursed tombs in Egypt isn't like Indiana Jones?" Daphne countered with a raised eyebrow.
Becky jumped a little, "Wait, was Tutankhamun's tomb really cursed?"
"Yes," Bill remarked. He gave Daphne an amused look because he remembered her quizzing him about that on one of their first jobs together.
"But only until 1925, then curse breakers broke it, so all the deaths after that were coincidental," Daphne finished.
Becky opened her mouth to ask another question, but before she could, Bill said, "And no, Lord Caernarvon's dog did not die at the same time as him. It died four hours later; nobody took the time difference into account."
Becky shrugged, "I mean…it's still creepy, right?"
Daphne smirked over at Bill, "Right."
"Anyway," Bill said, "It's been nice chatting Becky, but we actually have somewhere to be so…."
"Right, sorry," Becky said sheepishly, "Uh, here's my number. If you ever wanna, you know, chat about this stuff with me."
Daphne and Bill nodded politely and accepted business cards from 'Becky Hill – Seeker of Truth and Explorer of the Extraordinary.'
"Bye guys!" Becky chirped, then she turned and jogged off in the direction they had come.
"She seemed…nice," Daphne remarked, a little sarcastically.
"She seemed batshit insane," Bill muttered, "And I couldn't tell which one of us she was hitting on."
"Both of us, I think," Daphne chuckled.
Bill shook his head in amusement, "Anyway, we came for this walk to discuss the business. Didn't we?"
Daphne nodded, "Where do we go from here? Both of us have accepted teaching jobs for the next year."
"I didn't think we would reopen," Bill admitted, "Every time I asked you about it, you were vague."
"I didn't know what to do," Daphne said honestly, "But I felt like a break was maybe something that we both needed. I think we both know that it's time for us to take a step back."
Bill nodded, "You're thinking of selling?"
"Not exactly," Daphne said. She smiled slyly, "I'm thinking that Potter and Weasley Curse Breaking gets a facelift, allowing the younger generation to come into play."
Bill laughed, "You think Charlie Nott's ready?"
"You'd know better than me," Daphne pointed out, "He's your future son-in-law."
"He's the leather jacket wearing, tattooed tearaway who got my daughter pregnant," Bill pointed out.
"Not that dissimilar to what Fleur's daddy thought of you, I expect," Daphne smirked.
Bill rolled his eyes, "I'm serious, Daphne. Do you think he's ready to lead the place?"
"Not on his own," Daphne replied honestly, "But it's called Potter and Weasley curse breaking, and I know one day Arthur wants to follow in your footsteps, and Thea wants to follow in mine. It will fall to them if they want it, but I think Charlus can lead under our guidance."
Bill smiled slightly, "You want to train him over the next year while we teach?"
Daphne smirked, "Hogsmeade isn't exactly far from Hogwarts."
"No," Bill chuckled, "It isn't. You're a genius, and you know it."
Daphne's smirk widened, "Yes, I do."
"Still," Bill said; he held up his hand, "Good call."
Daphne hi-fived him, and they carried on down the river, sipping their coffees.
- TBC -
