So Binns is not a Dumbledore plot device, and he's about to be binned… maybe. Trope? *shrug* not sure. Herr Heisenberg is Werner's son and heir… if you know who Werner is. Dumbledore got to be friends with him through the anti-Nazi efforts and was allowed to borrow a family time turner for his own use.
This chapter contains Young Love - or my best shot at it. I apologize to all Harmonians who think it's crap. Also, there is a discussion about ages of wizards; I swear I wrote this LONG before that discussion occurred on the fic board on FB.
One reviewer mentioned they were glad that I glossed over the year in the time chamber. You'll find I gloss a lot. I'm a one-shot writer, almost always. This is a really weird thing from me – a multi-chapter story. But as I stated in the first, it IS complete, I'm just fixing format as I paste into ff.
Also, I don't have a beta (obv) and one of my faithful reviewers is pointing out all my myriad mistakes. LOL. I am often tempted to do the same thing when I review, so I get where you're coming from. But I'm old and it's taking me HOW LONG to upload these chapters? Yikes. No way am I pulling them down and fixing them. Hope you're cool with that! And now, with no further blathering, on with Part the Next (5?).
~~ this is a scene break ~~
Harry and Bianca exited the plane and made their way to short-term parking. Jason had driven to Heathrow to pick them up after Winky had confirmed that there were no magical trackers on the vehicle. Just the previous day, a tag had shown up on the car at the practice – obviously Dumbledore had someone who had figured out where Jason and Bianca worked. Winky made short work of it, and she'd yet to see a magical lingering at the practice (either she or Dobby remained at the surgery when Jason was there, as a layer of protection).
It was troubling; Dumbledore's group was not known for its operational security. Both Hermione and her father agreed: the sooner the Grangers sold to the Sutcliffes, the better. (Although Winky did wonder why the beardy meddlesome wizard man hadn't bothered her family more than he had. Bad old master had talked about beardy Dumbles being a tiresome busybody more than once.)
Bianca hurried her step when she saw Jason, the regular smile on her face brightening with happiness. Jason pulled her into a strong embrace, closing his eyes. "Good to have you home, love."
"Good to be home! Or wherever we're headed… not the house?"
"No," he shook his head before turning to Harry. "Harry, you look very healthy!"
Harry shook Jason's hand. "Sir, good to see you. I have to thank you for lending me your wife's presence for the last few weeks. It's meant a great deal to me."
"Son, she wouldn't have let you stay there by yourself and neither would I. Now, pop your things in the boot, we have a bit of a drive due to traffic."
As they were driving toward the Grange, Harry noted that traffic wasn't quite as bad since they were not heading back toward London.
They weren't heading toward the Grangers' house.
"Sir, I want to apologize."
"For calling me sir? No need. You can call me Jason, Harry."
Harry sighed. "It's just… you've given up your home for me. You'd have been able to go back to your house if I weren't with you."
"And Hermione would still be ill if it weren't for you. And I would have always lived in the Grange if someone hadn't capped my memories of magic. There's a river of if's, but we don't need to cross it. We're fine."
Harry nodded his head in acceptance. Was this what real adults were like? He felt as though he must have been exposed to caricatures his whole life. He let himself be silent and look out the window as the Grangers caught each other up on what they hadn't already told each other through the mirrors.
They had barely pulled into the drive when Hermione came running out of the main entrance.
"Mum! Welcome home!" She flew to her mother, and that lady wrapped her daughter in a warm hug.
"Hermione, you look beautiful! Oh, I'm so glad we went to Mayo! Let me see you!" Bianca pulled away and studied her daughter's face and physique. Though she'd seen Hermione after she'd been treated, the weeks intervening had put glow back into the girl's skin and hair… Hermione looked more vibrant than she had in years, though Bianca'd never noted it.
Her husband followed her line of thought.
"We're going to have to find trustworthy healers here or make a yearly trip there. She's not going to be at such a disadvantage again," he stated firmly. Bianca nodded grimly.
Meanwhile, Hermione had pulled away to greet her best friend.
"Harry!" she exclaimed as turned to him, "You look… oh!" words weren't enough and she flew at him and wrapped him in a huge hug.
Harry smiled into her bushy hair. He was a full head taller than she was now.
"Eh-hem." Her father cleared his throat, the couple broke apart and Harry grinned sheepishly.
"Daddy!" Hermione blushed then turned back to her mum, but kept hold of Harry's hand. "How was your flight?"
"It was brilliant," Bianca answered, "but I'm longing for a cuppa. My schedule is all off. We left in the morning there, and it's still morning here though it's over half a day later, and I'm exhausted!"
"Myself, I need to walk the kinks out. I mean, the plane was super comfortable, and thanks for making it first class! Really! But we've been sitting for so long…" Harry was apologetic, but Hermione would have none of that.
"Oh, we've loads of room to walk. And for you to fly! Let me show you the grounds!" Tugging on his hand, she led him to the gardens. The elder Grangers looked on with almost patronizing amusement before going into the house. Bianca stopped before going over the threshold; it was a stunning home! The door opened; the little elf looked upon the humans just as the humans had looked on their young.
"Welcome to Grange, Mistress Grangey," she squeaked. Bianca smiled and walked in, anticipating the tour, already seeing their things scattered among the obviously inherited Dagworth-Granger pieces.
Meanwhile, Harry and Hermione ambled toward the green at the side of the house. They hadn't walked more than a handful of feet before Harry was accosted by a white-feathered, petulant owl.
She landed on his shoulder and picked at his hair meanly.
"Don't be like that, Hed," he begged as he scratched at her belly feathers. "I had to go to the doctor's in a far-away place. Winky took care of you, right? I mean, you look fantastic!"
The owl preened a bit, but still had a look of scorn in her eye.
"Hedwig, remember what it was like at the Dursleys? Because I did this we NEVER have to go back there!"
Hedwig barked then seemed to study her boy a bit more closely. She chuffed him once with her wing then picked at his hair more gently. While Hedwig studied Harry, Hermione did also. The mirror had showed his fuller face, the brightness of his eyes. But now she could see how his frame was not just taller, it was more filled out.
"I never realized just how unhealthy you were. I feel like a terrible friend!" she whispered, horrified.
"No!" he shook his head. "You were a kid, and I was conditioned not to talk about it. The healers in the TCC helped me realize who's really to blame. The Dursleys, of course, and the folks that left me there."
"Headmaster Dumbledore," Hermione stated, sadly. Yet more evidence that the man wasn't worth the respect she'd afforded him.
Harry nodded and agreed, "Dumbledore, sure, but McGonagall, too. And that Figg lady was apparently a friend that Dumbledore placed in Little Whinging to watch out for me."
"She should be fired without reference," Hermione growled. Harry chuckled without humor then sobered.
"I'm more concerned that Pomphrey never noticed…"
"She never noticed, or she never did anything. Both options are equally horrific. Mum and Dad are going to find us a trustworthy healer here in Britain, as you heard. It's crazy that we have to worry about that." Hermione shook her head. "But anyway, look at these gardens! Aren't they gorgeous? Dobby and Winky have been helping me work at them. Wish I could have Neville come and look but, well, war wards. I added you to the book, and Mum of course. But I'm not really willing to add anyone else right now."
Harry nodded grimly. "I know what you mean. Betrayal has played a big part of how I ended up where I am. Pettigrew, of course is the one who let the Dark Twit into Potter Cottage, but he's hardly alone in betrayal and blame."
"Oh?" Hermione prodded, sitting on a bench and encouraging him to sit next to her. He couldn't look at her though, and instead calmed himself with petting his beloved owl.
"When I wasn't studying – in the chamber – I spent time reading my parents' journals. Hermione, that prophecy… they went into hiding because one of Voldemort's death eaters gave him part of it. Mum figured out it was her childhood friend – Severus Snape."
There was a second of silence before Hermione burst up from the bench.
"That… ooh, we knew he was a death eater! The headmaster swears he is on our side but…He betrayed your parents?"
"He supposedly was best friends with my mum. Best friends. And then, well, the will. It told that Peter was the secret keeper and that Sirius was my oath-sworn godfather. It proved his innocence. And everyone would have known had Lupin ever had the balls to read the will. But he just took his inheritance and asked no questions. His thanks for a free property was to leave me to the tender mercies of the Dursleys and to leave Sirius in Azkaban. I don't know that, if I ever fix Potter Cottage up, I'll allow anyone but you in." Harry took Hermione's hand again smiling bitterly.
"Well, Ronald did betray you already with the tournament, and maybe with potions, too," Hermione reasoned.
"Ron isn't my best friend," Harry smiled, swinging their entwined hands slightly. They started to walk again. Hermione smiled.
"As official best friend to Harry Potter, I'll swear an oath to not knowingly betray you, if you want."
"I wouldn't accept it. I don't need it. You and me, we don't betray each other, Hermione. We're all we have in that world."
Hermione nodded, her eyes filling with tears as she hugged into his side.
Hedwig hooted indignantly.
"And you too, Hedwig," Hermione smiled, thinking she sounded like Velma or Daphne.
"So," he sighed, after they had walked a bit more of the extensive grounds, "tell me about Greece!"
They continued walking and she chatted and rambled about all the places they would be going and how they would get there and what they should attempt to see and do and eat and… he asked pertinent questions and his attention never wavered.
She stopped again, tilting her head as she studied him.
"You're so different," she mused quietly. He puffed himself up a bit.
"Well, I am a year older now. I'm even older than you! Does that mean I can be the boss of you now?"
"Prat," she laughed, then continued, "No, I mean it. Last summer, you and Ron would let me ramble, but you never really paid me any attention."
Harry looked at her seriously.
"I paid attention, just not enough. Ron is a big distractor, you know, and has always pushed me into being more of a kid than I ever was. It was, in a way, kind of refreshing to not be held to the "be silent and do work" standard the Dursleys always held me to."
Hermione nodded and was silent a moment. They started walking again, ambling through a pergola, before she continued.
"It's more than that, though. Don't get me wrong, you've always been a good friend; you've always listened when it really mattered. But when I would ramble about silly things, you just let me and didn't pay me any mind. I think you listened to every word I said about Greece, just now."
Harry nodded, acknowledging her point.
"I just spent a year with a handful of adults. Dr. Singh – he has a muggle degree in psychology, too – was my mind healer. The man is something like 200 years old, Mione."
"Well, yes. Armando Dippett lived to be well over 300. Professor Dumbledore is young compared to some. You know Madame Marchbanks – who gave us our owls – administered his, also?"
He nodded, "Yeah, and she didn't look that much older than him. Clean living?"
"See?! You're listening again!"
He grinned. "So, yeah. Me and three adults for a year. One of them was Dr. Singh. He made me talk about a lot of stuff, and no, I don't want to talk about it all right now. I will. But now is a good moment. But I got used to talking and listening. And I also… well, I just missed my life. I was gone a whole year!"
"What did you miss?"
"Hmm, I missed Hedwig," the owl in question barked then flew off to a nearby tree, watching her boy. "I missed the food from the elves – Americans don't do pasties or bangers or anything right, really. Of course, they had me on a strict diet, but still. I missed flying, oh, I missed flying. And I missed people my own age. I missed goofing with Ron and the twins, talking with Nev. But mostly? Mostly I missed you."
"Harry," She breathed.
"I was going to wait, but I don't know if it's fair. We've been talking the last two weeks on the mirrors but it's not the same. I wanted to give you time," he ran his hand through his hair as he thought about how to say what he needed to say.
"We both agreed to stay in the betrothal for protection. But Hermione, to me, it's more. I… Gosh this is hard. I've been raised, you see, – conditioned was the word Dr. Singh used – to believe I didn't deserve anything or anyone for my own. From my earliest memories, the Dursleys scared off anyone who was kind to me and took anything that I was given."
Her jaw set firmly but she didn't say anything. She wanted to give him time to say what he wanted. But those Dursleys… they were on her list.
"He made me realize that pattern continued at school. If I had something, I was expected to share it. Hagrid didn't even get me a trunk that locked. I had no idea how much of my stuff walked… until Dobby found most of it in Ron's trunk. He swept the school and found a bunch more in the Boy Who Wouldn't Die Fan Club kids' stuff. Someone, apparently, has been selling my stuff to them."
"That's awful!" Hermione gasped.
"No joke. I thought my jerseys got ruined in the laundry. Turns out three of them had been sold. Someone even had a pair of my pants."
She made a face that made him think perhaps he'd be seeing whatever she ate for breakfast, and as the thought made him want to retch, he sympathized.
"So, anyway. It was only after talking a lot with Dr. Sing, in between him repairing my mental magics and some other nerve-type stuff," Hermione let out a huff, thinking of all the things done to Harry over the years. "He got me to think about what I really treasured. Now that I was strong enough to start to realize my own wants and needs, I realized that there was one person I simply didn't want to live without. You."
He heard her sniffle and she squeezed his hand in support. He smiled but looked off in the distance.
"Ron kind of claimed you in third year, you know."
"He did not. He's never wanted me, just my family money," Hermione grumbled.
"He took you to Hogsmeade. I know that's not how it was but that's how it seemed, to a lot of us. To me especially. But even if his feelings for you are real… It's taken me a year of mind healing to realize that I don't owe Dudley or Dudley 2 anything. My feelings, my desires are just as important as theirs. And here's the thing." He stopped and looked down at her, channeling all of his Gryffindor courage. Smiling just slightly, he reached up and brushed a lock of her hair behind her ear. Then he cupped her face.
"I want you, Hermione. I want you, if you'll have me. I want you as my best friend, as my partner in hijinks, and as my girlfriend. I want you any way you'll have me, actually. It's up to you what I am to you."
His voice was so earnest, and his eyes practically shone with sincerity. Hermione threw her arms around his neck and kissed him.
Could she really do anything else?
After a few very pleasant moments, their lips separated. He lowered his brow to hers. "I guess that means you want me back?"
"You'll have no other partner in hijinks, Potter. And I've always, since troll night practically, wanted you as my boyfriend. I almost told you so many times. But I was afraid…" she worried at her lip.
"And you were under spells potions and so was I. We haven't lost anything. Our friendship has been amazing,"
"Now, it's more," She smiled, kissing him again.
As they eventually approached the house, they held hands. Bianca watched them through the window and sighed. It looked like Harry had finally made his move. It was about time.
~~ this is a scene change ~~
"What are you kids going to do today while your father and I are bringing home Hedwig's bacon?" Bianca asked her daughter as she drank her morning coffee. Hermione was up and showered. She sat at the breakfast table, feeding Crookshanks the last of her kippers. Harry was showering off the sweat he'd built up during his work out.
"Well, I wanted to take him to Aylesbury and show him around. I've my full driver's license now, so I can take your mini, if you'll allow it."
"Hmm," Bianca concurred. "I know I don't have to tell you to drive safely. Where do you think you'll go?"
"Not sure. Depends on where Harry wants to go, I suppose." Her confidence in their new relationship was not so strong yet.
"I bet that a coffee shop is on the list," Bianca arched a brow at Hermione who just smiled.
"I did promise him to let him try one. But he might not like it and it would be ever so disappointing…" Hermione sighed. She remembered him promising her a coffee date on the plane, but she doubted he remembered. Something of her doubt must have shown on her face.
"I'll have you know, daughter of mine, that we were in Seattle, the self-proclaimed coffee capitol of the states, for over a week. Harry did have some coffee, and he seemed to enjoy it as he asked to stop a few different nights, but he refused to try espresso, cappuccino, or latte because he promised you. 'Hermione said we would go try my first one.' That boy is gone on you."
Hermione's eyes lit with pleasure and Bianca rose, her job done. "Call us at the practice when you finalize your plans. Your new mobile is charging in the living room. Take it with you when you go; it'll be good to have when you get away from this magic palace. Jason, we need to get moving," She called to her husband, who was puttering on his computer in the magic-shielded living room his dad had apparently built for him. They had most of the mod-cons in there, including a telephone and television. The Grange was certainly the best of both worlds.
"Coming!" he replied. He made his way to the foyer as Harry came down the stairs from his shower. "You kids have a good day."
"You too!" Hermione replied.
Harry watched the older couple drive off before heading to the kitchen to break his fast. He'd done a good workout that morning and was ready for some calories.
Hermione trailed after him, watching Winky take over at the stove, to her boyfriend's consternation.
"I can make eggs, Winky."
"Winky cook in Winky's kitchen, young sir. Sit. Drink juice. Eat fruit. Dobby bring mail from gobliny bank for you soon."
Harry sighed and sat. The females in his life were sure bossy. He supposed he liked it that way.
Hermione giggled and sat next to him, reaching for his hand. He played with her fingers for a second before lifting them to his lips.
"What do you want to do today, my fair maiden?"
Hermione rolled her eyes, but her pleasure in the meaning was obvious.
"Well, I wanted to take you out for coffee, like I promised, but what if the order has a tracker on you?"
Harry's brow knitted as he thought about it.
"Most - if not all - of the foreign magics on me were eradicated in the TCC. I suppose if Dumbledore has a blood tracker it might still work outside wards. Better safe than sorry, I suppose. If I go to Gringotts, I can claim my family rings. At least one of them will most likely have anti-scrying properties. According to Neville, most of them have at least one portkey and an anti-scrying ward embedded."
"Super!" Hermione smiled and bounced a bit in her chair. Dobby popped in, saving Harry embarrassment from watching Hermione's actions a little too closely.
"Your mail, Master Harry."
"Thank you, Dobby. How are you?"
This strange ritual his new master had – of asking him every day How Dobby Be – took some getting used to.
"Dobby be excellent. Master Harry's magics so much more stronger now. Dobby be able to pop to America now. Master Harry not leave Dobby behind again."
"We're not planning on going back to America any time soon," Hermione stated, getting some parchment and a self-inking quill out, "but we are going to Greece. Will you accompany us, then? While Winky takes care of the Grange?"
Dobby nodded emphatically. "Dobby's Master Harry be getting into all sorts of hot waters without Dobby."
Harry grinned. "Can't argue there. I'm a big fan of hijinx, especially."
Hermione blushed. "Here," she said, pushing the parchment at him, "Write a letter to your account manager requesting an appointment time."
Harry wrote as instructed and Dobby popped the letter to Gringotts with all alacrity. When he popped back in, Harry noted the time of the appointment (1 in the afternoon), and so Hermione began planning their local outing for the next day.
That afternoon, Harry returned to the Grange, apparating under his own power. Hermione had watched him turn and pop away earlier with just a small amount of jealousy. She supposed it was the same jealousy that Harry demonstrated when she showed him her driver's license – glad for her and wishing he could have the same. Her dad had offered to give him driving lessons, and the speed with which he accepted the offer made Hermione laugh.
He'd not been under the strict tutelage of Jason Granger before; it would be interesting.
"So, let's see them, then," Hermione demanded as she sat next to Harry on what had become "their" bench in the gardens.
Harry grinned and closed his eyes. Three rings became apparent on his hands.
"This one," a rather plain-looking gold ring with a dull red stone, "is the Gryffindor ring. I can command the elves of the castle with this. Not that I plan on doing so, except in emergency, but contingency plans! Oh, and it has a permanent portkey to Hogwarts."
Hermione oohed a bit over it. Had Godric Gryffindor worn it? It was not clear. But it was certainly an ancient ring.
"This one," he pointed to a platinum ring with an onyx set deep into it, "is the Black reagent ring. It only has anti-scrying as there are so many Black properties." Hermione noted the script – toujours pur – and wondered what was supposed to be pure? The blood? The magic? The spirit? Whatever it was, Harry must have met the conditions or the ring wouldn't have allowed him to wear it.
"And finally, this one," he said quietly, pointing to the ring on his finger of power of his wand hand. It had a light brown pyramid-shaped crystal mounted in a mithril setting. "My dad wore it last. It's a really rare crystal – found only in Wales and two other places on Earth. It had, of course, a portkey to Potter Cottage. The government claimed the cottage, though, so that portkey is now defunct. Grimsneer is moving to get the property back under my aegis as it's been in the Potter family for centuries and the ministry never even paid a knut to my vaults for it. It also seems to have some kind of – I don't know – tutor? in it?" He studied it, shaking his head. "It's like I can feel its approval and disapproval at certain decisions I make. And I always have the urge to stand up straight now. Oh. You may want to ask your folks if you can go to Gringotts and get your family ring. I could probably enchant it with an emergency portkey here and anti-scrying wards, if it doesn't have them already. If you'd trust me to do it, that is. I could practice on another ring or something, if you want, though family rings tend to be able to hold magic better. Voldemort and Dumbledore might be scrying for you, too, though they probably don't have blood-trackers."
Hermione nodded. "I'm going to go call my parents right now. If they say yes, I'll have Winky pop over a request to Account Manager Custos." She bustled off and Harry sighed and ran his hand through his hair. So much for some time in the garden with his girl.
His new Potter ring commiserated.
After dinner that night, Hermione explained some of the places she wanted to visit when they went out the following afternoon.
"There's a store nearby – they do VHS and audio tape transfers. We could drop your mom's tapes off and get them transferred. Not that you could listen to them easier, but they'd be less likely to be ruined under magical wards."
"Oh, I need to show you. I picked up a magical CD player. CD's work by laser, which is light, so, like records, they work fine in magic."
"Are you sure it will work at Hogwarts?
"Well, it worked in the TCC, so I would think so," Harry murmured. He brought the CD player down from his room and Jason loaded it with one of his Moody Blues CD's.
As they played a game of scrabble, they listened to Justin Hayward appeal to someone to tell him again, and Harry felt at peace as he never had before. He didn't care that he was getting stomped horrifically at the game. (Even though he had a competitive streak a mile wide, he never expected to be anything but last in a wit competition in the Dagworth-Granger household.) He didn't care that Hermione seemed to be planning to get him more clothes and he'd be her dress-up doll for the day. (The Blacks had been filthy rich, he supposed, since he was able to buy a broom, get his healing, and his trust was still healthy.)
He supposed, for the first time, he felt completely normal. It wouldn't last, he knew, but he was going to enjoy this as he could.
~~ this is a scene break ~~
The extended Granger family enjoyed their short stay at the Grange in early August. Jason and Bianca were stunned to get a fantastic offer on their former home that, coupled with the offer from the Sutcliffes for the surgery, removed most of their connections to their former life. They'd always had few friends and kept in casual contact with them as they always had. Jason still paid his club dues and would still attend when the mood struck.
The two of them talked of volunteering with Dentaid – they would still use their dental skills but would be safely out of the UK for large swaths of time. Harry and Hermione listened to this proposal with pride and relief. Her parents would be safe.
Harry and Hermione spent their days in the Grange, mostly, though they did venture out infrequently. To Harry, it was a vacation just being in a quiet, relaxing atmosphere with no one making outlandish demands from him. He practiced magic – mundane activities like charming his new clothes – and gloried in stealing moments with his girlfriend when her parents weren't watching.
He came into the sitting area of the house fresh from a shower. He'd taken to doing some sort of physical exercise – flexibility or strength training or aerobic work – as well as flying, daily. It just helped him center his mind. Hermione joined him for yoga and sometimes for core strengthening exercises, but when he ran or swam (the grounds had a good-sized lake for fishing and swimming), she gave it a pass. He found her sitting at a table, carefully perusing a book he'd not seen, and so absorbed that she didn't even notice he came in the room. That happened often. But this book was hand-written.
"I'm so easily replaced by a book," he sighed and smiled as she looked up at him and flashed a smile.
"Well, not just any book. But I have to admit, my family grimoire is almost as captivating as you are, under some circumstances." Carefully closing the book, she looked at him curiously. "Shouldn't the Potter family have a grimoire? They're older than the Dagworth-Granger family."
"They do, or did, according to the note my Dad left. I didn't see any in the vault, and I had Dobby look through the vault very carefully for it while I was being healed. No sign of it."
"You know," Hermione pondered, "Dumbledore had the invisibility cloak. Could he have more of your family's things?"
Harry scowled. "I suppose he could. Dobby?"
The elf popped in, ready to help Harry in any way that he could.
"Dobby, is it possible for you to search Dumbledore's office, rooms, and house (if he has one) for any of my stuff he might have… saved for me?"
"Yes, Sir!" Dobby had a wicked smile. He didn't like the beardy headmaster anymore, having eavesdropped enough to know that man had let people hurt and steal from his Good Master Harry.
"Well, be safe, don't get caught, and have fun?" Dobby's grin, impossibly, widened and became almost sinister. Then he popped out.
Within the next day, the elf struck gold. All the possessions – clothes, furniture, doodads and bric-a-brac - that his parents had in the house in Godric's Hollow was in a large trunk in a storage room in Hogwarts. The dust on the trunk indicated Dumbledore hadn't touch it since it had been collected. Dobby moved the trunk to the Grange. A cursory glance showed it was full of furniture and trinkets that would fill a house – they'd spend time over the Christmas holiday sorting more carefully through it. The real treasure, though, was the family spell book that Dobby popped straight to his master. The Potter grimoire had been in the Headmaster's office.
How Dumbledore could justify stealing this was not something Harry even wanted to contemplate. The oldest of entries dated hundreds of years prior – this was Harry's history. It was weird, though. Any ancient book Harry'd seen before, even in pictures, was in an almost foreign language. He'd seen manuscripts where s's looked like f's even a few short centuries before. He shouldn't be able to easily decipher this book. The Potter grimoire, though, read almost easily to Harry, though the language was formal, he didn't have any trouble deciphering the text.
Magic was just astounding!
Harry looked up at his elf friend. "Dobby this is great! Was it trapped in any way?"
"Beardy headmaster had it on a hidden shelf. The evil book the snakey bit is there, too. Dobby sniff out Master Harry Potter, Sir's magic and found hidey hole. Potter book smell more like Master Harry Potter, Sir."
"You are so awesome Dobby. Thank you," he smiled, hefting the Potter grimoire.
The little elf preened at the praise his good master had given him and nodded, popping out. While he was out, he decided to try to help his master more. The next day, he found Harry with Hermione in the same room, reading through their books of family magics.
"What is it Dobby?" Harry asked upon seeing the elf.
"Dobby did be wondering if there be family spell book for Master Harry Potter Sir's Black family," Dobby stated. "Kreacher would not tell Dobby at first. But Dobby tell Kreacher that he not supposed to give book to Master Harry Potter, Sir, because it sure be full of the bad magics and traps. Kreacher bad elf. He probably gives you book if he thinks it hurts yous."
Harry laughed. "He is a very contrary elf. If he does bring it, how do I avoid traps?"
Hermione looked up, "Blood, Harry. Mine was blood-bound. Once you add a drop to the binding, if it approves of your family connection, it will allow you to open it."
"I didn't have to do that with this one," Harry raised the Potter grimoire.
Hermione shrugged, not wanting to say a conclusion that would almost certainly raise Harry's temper. But he deserved to know. "Headmaster Dumbledore had your grimoire, and he access to your blood."
"That…" Harry didn't even know how to express his anger at the betrayal. Stealing a family's magic because you just want to? He was muggle-raised and he still knew it was wrong on a level that made him feel slightly ill.
The next day, a Gringotts' owl delivered the Black family grimoire to Harry. How Kreacher had managed to get it delivered, Harry wouldn't know, but after he added his blood to the binding, the grimoire opened and the words flowed on to the pages. He couldn't read them at first, so he got his glasses from the adventurer's kit to help translate. The notes were a bit more disturbing than the entries found in the Potter family history, but they were interesting, nonetheless.
When they were packing the day before they left, Harry decided to take his family grimoires with him. He felt as though he was really getting to know his family magic through them, and he wouldn't have time to do that at Hogwarts. Though they were vacationing, there would surely be down time where he could read.
He was traveling with Hermione, after all. He knew just what would be a vacation for his girlfriend!
The trip to Greece would be the last family vacation, potentially for a long time, so was planned quite thoroughly. They'd rented a vehicle for the duration so that they could easily travel to and from their rented bungalow and make small excursions to the countryside. Hermione, using a magical atlas she'd purchased when her parents had taken her to France, put several magical villages of interest on the list.
Though they flew coach on this journey, Harry's enjoyment wasn't lessened at all. He sat in the middle seat, holding Hermione's hand through takeoff.
Brooms were still better, but this wasn't bad at all.
Three hours or so later, they landed in Thessaloniki. The airport wasn't so very different than the others he'd seen that summer, but when they went outside…
Greece was so very different than Britain or the states!
They got their car and wound their way to the western side of the country, taking in the sites as they drove. A lovely late-lunch provided fuel for the last leg of their travel. By the time they got to their rented villa, the sun was at its nadir for the day, though it seemed to hang over the water almost like a magical globe. As they were unpacking, Harry called Dobby to him (the elf had popped to the Mainland the day before, getting close to his master's destination, so that he wouldn't be tired when his master needed him.) By the time they were ready for a late, light supper, Dobby was cooking it and shooing them to the table on the porch where drinks were waiting.
The first few days were nothing but relaxation. The frantic month of July was behind them and they had no commitments to pull them or push them in any direction. They took day trips to other coastal towns, to the city of Ioannina, to the magical enclave. There, Harry and Hermione found an open-air market that had stalls of wondrous magical wares not found in Britain.
Hermione's first purchase was an enchanted hairbrush that the purveyor swore would calm her naturally curly hair. Harry translated all of this with his adventurer's kit translator; the Grangers were especially glad they invited him along as they got a deeper exposure to local culture as they could understand and be understood easily.
Other day trips were more educational, as there were several sites of ancient Greek ruins strewn about. The Grangers took one such trip to Dodoni, as Hermione had wished to do. The temple to Aphrodite was a marvelous ruin as was the crumbling theater. Of course, the Romans had sacked the Greek town, but there was still evidence everywhere of the older culture. The elder Grangers were sitting in an enclosed area, watching a video about the archaeological work while the kids hiked through the open areas of the rough terrain.
Harry was pointing out some obvious rune clusters in one part of the ampitheater when a young woman in a plain linen dress approached them directly.
"Fate's child," she looked directly at Harry's faded lightning-bolt. "You will come," she demanded and turned, obviously expecting Harry to follow.
Harry and Hermione looked at each other. The oracle of Zeus was thought to be long gone. At least, that's what the archaeologists had said. Muggle archaeologists.
Was Dodoni still an active site on the magical side?
"Hermione, I don't know if we should…"
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think we should. They might have information that can help you – different than that stupid prophecy. Harry, maybe they can help!"
He looked deep into her eyes and, trusting her, nodded shortly. They followed the acolyte through the ruins to a shining barrier they hadn't noticed before.
Perhaps no one noticed unless they were invited?
The smell of old incense permeated the air. The acolyte bowed to an altar at the foot of primeval oak tree and then turned to Harry.
"Light the oak and olive," she indicated the fresh incense offering with her hand, "invite the wisdom of Zeus to you."
Shrugging, Harry pulled out his wand. A quick incendio did the trick, but he had once again underestimated his own strength. The fire burned bright as the sun. He closed his eyes to shield them and when he opened them again, he saw a beautiful woman: her eyes blue as the sea, skin aglow with magic or deity or he knew not what. Her voice was the thunder of the waves and the trickle of a stream. He could not stop watching, he could not help but listen as he fell to his knees.
"Child marked by fate… marked by man… marked by men. Two men. Opposite yet concordant. The light and the shadow. The coin sides reversed. The currency is power; you are the key to that which they seek to purloin. None shall prevail, all shall fail, all shall fall unless the auguries no longer hold but are cleansed. Then, child of fate shall be child of fate no more."
"I…" Harry exhaled and blinked and all was gone.
"Harry, Harry!" Hermione's frantic voice and her hands shaking his arm brought him back to himself.
"Harry!"
"Did you get it? I think I got it all but…"
"Get what? Harry! What happened? We walked through that hidden portal and you just fell to your knees and I didn't know what to do… you wouldn't say anything…" She took a shuddering breath and started crying in both fear and relief.
"It was the goddess of the oracle. I think she was a goddess? She wasn't… I don't know. I was here but not here. There was a huge oak right there…" he pointed to where an unadorned adderstone sat in the shadows cast by the ruin behind them.
"We have to go back…" Hermione pulled at Harry and they went back through the portal. Harry was silent the whole way. When they were on the other side, he pulled out his journal and fountain pen from his bag and sat on the stony ground. He wrote down all he could remember (and as his occlumency was coming along, he remembered quite a bit.)
Hermione shook her head, wiped at her face, and sighed. She sat on the ground next to Harry, fear adrenaline having fled from her and sapping her strength. Leaning her head on his shoulder and looking out over the tourists walking through the ruins, she sighed. "The weirdest shite always happens to you, Harry."
"Hmm," he agreed but noncommittally, adding one phrase and nodding. That was what she had said, to the best of his recollection. Without a pensieve, this was the best he could do.
Hermione looked over his shoulder to what he'd written.
"What is that? Squiggles? Harry? Are you okay?"
He shook his head. Looking down at what he'd written, he, too, saw squiggles… but words too? Maybe his glasses were malfunctioning? He took them off and saw the words he'd written: "Child marked by fate…" he read and continued reading what he wrote.
"You're hissing," Hermione whispered frantically at him.
Parsletongue? He'd written in parsletongue?
"I want to go," she said, her voice tense. "I want to find Mum and Daddy and go."
"Yeah," Harry agreed, pulling her to him and holding her as he kissed her hair. He stood, helping her, and holding her just a bit longer to stabilize them both before they left the site.
But as they walked back to reality, his eyes continued to stray back to where the portal had been. It was nowhere to be seen.
~~ this is a scene break ~~
Albus was sitting at his desk, staring again with disgust at his useless wand hand. Severus's latest efforts had mostly stifled the progress of the curse, but there'd be no getting around the fact that he was cursed, and if he didn't find a way to stop it, he'd be dead before Halloween. He was going to rapidly lose his strength and magic if he didn't do something drastic. He had an idea but... The floo flared and Moody entered the room after he was given permission.
"Albus," he started, then stared at the other man's obvious injury. "Where did you run into a withering curse?"
"Tom left me a present," Dumbledore prevaricated.
Moody grunted and shook his head. "Did you at least take the jinx off the DADA position?"
Sighing, Albus answered, "No, this was another present."
Moody raised an eyebrow, realizing he wasn't going to get any further details. "Well, say what you will about the man, but he's prolific."
Dumbledore let out a humorless chuckle. He hoped Tom wasn't too prolific. "So, Alastor, what brings you to Hogwarts today? I assume it's not to ask after my health?"
"Nah. Found that Potter came back into the country last week."
Albus sat back in his chair, unconsciously shielding his dead arm. "He's here?" he asked with muted surprise. His tracking charm hadn't reactivated. Moody shook his head shortly.
"Nope. He was here. Gone again. Greece this time. I have contacts there. Want me to track 'im down?"
Albus thought about it. Shaking his head, he looked thoughtful. "No. Your search might raise the curiosity of the death eaters – and make them search Greece, too. Let's let the boy have a few final weeks of freedom. The prophecy will consume him soon enough."
"You're too soft on him. He should have been constricted into training years ago."
"Alas, he has neither the talent nor the aptitude for real training," the aged headmaster lamented in a quiet voice.
"What good is he, then? Are you just going to lob him at Tom like an explosive potion? Hope he does some damage then the rest of us take Tom out?"
Dumbledore looked resolute.
"They'll both meet their fates. We all will, someday."
