Merit and Inheritance
Chapter Fifty
Let's See if This Works
Harry went over his conversation with Roberto Mendini many times. He tried to force himself to put it out of his mind, although that never worked very well for him. Daphne was always a pleasant diversion. Harry found himself wishing she had chosen a different profession, one with regular hours and no shift work, just so he could enjoy her companionship when he wasn't in his own office.
Still, he had his investment properties, the townhouse at #12 Grimmauld Place and Potter Manor for diversion. He had Kreacher, Mort and Daisy to keep busy. He'd given his maintenance and decorating elf couple so much work they had become de facto Potter elves. That was convenient while also obliging Harry to make sure they had plenty of challenging tasks to give their magic regular workouts.
After Ricardo Mendini sent his first owl, Harry briefed Pansy on a regular basis. She was a close associate and had participated in some of his earlier encounters with Dieter and Marcella. Harry hadn't asked if Pansy wanted to have an adventure or meet an infieri or any of the other things they'd done, just trying to keep Romilda out of the hands of her impossible relatives. He owed her transparency in all of his dealings with them, for her own protection.
When Harry sat down with Ricardo, Pansy insisted he let her stay nearby and watch for signs of treachery. She used a bit of simple glamor to change a feature or two and sat at a window in the ice cream shop, taking her time with a dish of the lemon-vanilla with coconut sprinkles.
Pansy and Harry went over the conversation several times. Neither wanted to accept Ricardo Mendini's peaceful overture at face value but neither could either one find gaping holes in his account. If his intent was what he said it was, there wouldn't be any harm coming to Romilda if they passed on Ricardo's greetings. If she wanted to follow up, that would be up to her. On the other hand, Ricardo might have actually been nice to Romilda at Our Place and was acting, for the family, as a bit of benign bait to lure her out from her sanctuary so they could get…what? What did they want from Romilda? Did they want the Swiss francs she'd taken? Return of the jewelry the old Baron had given her? Her life? Did they know about her son, who might actually be the Baron now?
At the end they agreed they couldn't discern the Bergs' intent, peaceful or otherwise, and would do nothing that might expose Romilda. At the same time, they felt an obligation to let her know Ricardo had reached out. For good or ill, a member of her late husband's family had been in contact with Harry, and the subject was Romilda.
Shortly after Ricardo's visit, as part of his effort to keep the Bergs and Our Place from occupying an inordinate amount of his thinking capacity, Harry made a mental checklist of things he had considered, let slide and never followed up. Things like some sheep for the front green. An elf to help Daphne with anything that would be inappropriate for Kreacher.
"Your mother has a lady's maid elf, doesn't she?" Harry asked one evening. "Fluff is hers, isn't she?"
"Yes and yes," said Daphne. "Why?"
"I was wondering if you thought, if a good one who was looking for work came our attention, that you would like to have her join us? If you could give her enough things to do to keep her fit and happy. Draw your bath, maintain your clothes and lay them out for you when you're doing all your coming and going, manage your life in our various households, et cetera," Harry said.
"Nice of you to think of it," said Daphne. "I'm pretty good at life without a lady's elf, or I thought I was."
"You are! You are!" Harry said. "I didn't mean you aren't. All I meant was if you'd like some help, I'll ask Kreacher and Daisy if they know of any candidates."
"Don't protest so," Daphne said with a little smirk. "I was being a bit of a tease. Let me think it over. We have been getting busier. A competent bath-drawer and pedicurist might be a perfect fit."
Harry knew she was still having a bit of fun with him but he let it go.
"Where does a manor go to get some sheep?" he asked.
"Good question," said Daphne. "Don't you rent out some parcels? To farmers? Who grow crops, raise livestock, that sort of thing?"
"True," Harry said.
"Perhaps a farmer would know better than a healer where one goes to get a sheep," Daphne said. "Unless you want me to write a prescription."
"Fine, message received," said Harry. "I'll see if anyone is raising sheep. You're feeling a bit feisty tonight, aren't you?"
"Yes," said Daphne, although it was more of an announcement. "The calendar says the next seventy-two hours would be a very promising period, if you would like to try again."
Daphne plucked a grape from a bunch in the center of the table and put it to her lips, holding it there for a moment before sucking it in. She stared into Harry's eyes as she chewed the grape, taking her time working it around in her mouth.
"Merlin," whispered Harry.
Harry arose feeling energized and alert, as if there were no problem he could not solve, in all likelihood getting it done before he stopped for lunch. Daphne had driven Ricardo and his cousins completely out of Harry's consciousness. The Berg-Mendini's were still there, of course, but they were safely contained and had ceased causing distress. Harry could get them out and puzzle over events and conversations when he was good and ready, not subject to their whims.
Harry called for Kreacher and a carafe of coffee as soon as he arrived at the office. Pansy wouldn't be getting to the tea room until nine. That left an hour for contemplation and coffee before he could sit down and take a joint decision on how they would approach Romilda with the news of Ricardo's visit.
Opening his desk drawer, Harry got the smaller orb out and put it in the middle of his desk. Even if he gave Ricardo full credit for telling the truth about Our Place, Amalia and the great-aunt, Harry knew there had to be details missing. Perhaps the orb had something to contribute.
An hour of orb study left Harry with a few questions, ones he hadn't thought of before. If those had answers, and he could get them, the picture would clarify.
Harry enjoyed a pot of the green tea and two of the little biscuits while he waited for Pansy to get a few free minutes. The tea room showed no sign it would be clear of customers anytime soon so Harry kept his remarks short. His main interest besides enjoying the green tea was confirm Pansy would be coming by Potter and Associates later.
He went back to his office by way of Gringotts. His account manager agreed to work his contacts to locate a few sheep for Harry's lawn. Harry left the breed selection up to the account manager. He did stipulate he'd like a black lamb or two, if it was possible to arrange those things.
Harry and Pansy went into conference as soon as she returned to Potter and Associates. They didn't work from an agenda. They did revisit all of the interactions of Romilda and the Berg-Mendini's with Harry, Pansy and the people around them. Whenever one of them had a question they re-worked the history until they were both in agreement on every detail. By late afternoon they were sure they understood as much as they could, given the information available.
"Ready, then?" Harry asked.
Pansy gave him a smirk.
"Harry, one can't ever know, with you, can one?" she said.
They walked into the green flames as Harry gave the destination.
"#12 Grimmauld Place."
Harry got Pansy seated at the big plank table in the kitchen and asked Kreacher to fix them up two coffees. He left Pansy with Kreacher and went out, coming back just minutes later with some parchment, ink and a quill. They talked over the wording, crumpling up a number of sheets of parchment and tossing them into the firebox of the wood-fired range before they got the message reduced to its bare, urgent minimum.
"Want to write?" Harry asked.
"Why me?" asked Pansy.
"Female handwriting," said Harry. "Mine's all blocky. Clumsy-looking."
Pansy sighed and reached for the writing materials.
"Re: POTTER!" she wrote. "Cottage, now. R."
"Perfect," said Harry.
"You are a stereotyping, witch-hating wizard, Harry Potter," said Pansy. "Female handwriting. FEE-male HAND-writing. Uggh!"
"If we live through this, you're going to get a substantial raise," said Harry. "Want to meet Caesar?"
Harry led the way to the owlery. The little owl that had attached itself to him hopped up and down, expecting a treat, a flying job or, possibly, both. Harry began with the treat.
"Need you to take this to Ricardo," Harry said as he tied the little scroll to the owl's leg.
"HOOT!" said the owl as it looked at Pansy.
"Oh, Pansy, this is Caesar, Caesar, this is Pansy. We work together," Harry said.
"HOOT!" said Caesar. It hopped onto Harry's shoulder where it waited impatiently for the opening of the louvered shutter, before disappearing into the London night.
"You're all set?" Harry asked. "I'll get there as soon as I can but I do have to make one stop. It shouldn't take very long. Dressed warm enough? Know some good warming charms?"
"Yes, all of that, get going," said Pansy.
Harry continued with his questions while they descended the stairs.
"Wand? Here, take this one, you might need a backup."
"This is your wand, Harry," Pansy protested.
"It is, but I've got another one," said Harry. "I'll feel better if you have an extra."
The got to the front vestibule and Pansy took a moment to look at Harry.
"Well," she said.
"I should be in the lane in half an hour, maybe less," said Harry.
"What do you want me to tell Daphne, if this goes all squirrelly?" asked Pansy.
"That it wasn't supposed to and it wasn't your fault," Harry answered.
With that, Pansy stepped out onto the front steps and disapparated. Harry counted to thirty, slowly, then followed with his own disapparation.
Pansy materialized on her hilltop where she had sat upon a flat rock in the sunshine, studying the Scottish countryside where she had come to grips with her love for Morag MacDougal. Just being there as sunset came on put a smile on Pansy's face. She gave it a minute or two before taking herself in hand and walking back toward Livia's cottage, now the home of Romilda and James Parkinson Vane.
Harry materialized once again on the rocky shelf between the sea and the hidden cave. He had his steps blocked out in his mind so this time there was no wasted motion. As he stood before the enchanted wall Harry reminded himself to be very careful and not touch the rock as he had before. Instead, he drew the Elder Wand and performed a clean cutting spell, cupping his palm and letting a little blood pool before flipping his hand toward the wall. The enchantment accepted his blood sacrifice and the wall slid aside.
The boat appeared as usual, taking its time. Something about the charms and spells in the cave seemed to be fixated on hyping the drama surrounding every movement.
"Riddle," said Harry to himself, shaking his head.
The island looked to be just as he had left it, although there was no sign of Marcella Berg. Harry didn't feel bad about leaving her behind. Not after she'd cut him with a dagger. He had no doubt she could have killed himself, Pansy and Romilda without a second thought.
The little cube that contained the shrunken, petrified Dieter lay at the bottom of the basin, the potion waiting for some unimaginative person to drink the basin dry. Harry had a plan for the potion. Drinking the basin dry was only the backup.
The Elder Wand performed as if it and Harry conjured odd artifacts several times a day. Harry picked up the siphon hose from the rock floor and put one end in the basin. He squeezed the rubber ball at the other end five times and started siphoning the potion out of the basin. It took less than a minute for the basin to empty. Harry picked up the cube and put it in his pocket, tapping the opening to seal it closed. Siphon hose in hand, he stepped into the enchanted boat and pushed off for the far shore.
He had taken so little time the rock wall was just beginning to slide closed, so Harry slipped out to the cliff face and disapparated, heading for Scotland.
"Over here," said a quiet voice as Harry approached the cottage.
"Thanks," said Harry.
"Mission accomplished?" asked Pansy.
"Complete success," Harry said. "Now, let me explain a couple of things."