Harry Potter belongs to J. K. Rowling, I am just playing in her world
Intrusion
As this was the last day before the Grangers returned to their dental practice, it was decided to get the new lodgers in after lunch. The dowager would arrive when healthy enough to leave the hospital. It would be nice to set up a united front against the witch that was trying to destroy Heather's life. They had finished lunch when Kreacher brought Madam Bones across the wards and into the drawing room. This was where the five of them were gathered to receive.
"Madam Longbottom will likely never be coming here." Amelia told them cutting to the chase. "She was attacked earlier today, a little after I had left her, and is now beside her son and daughter-in-law in the long term spell damage ward of the hospital. The prognosis isn't good for her recovery."
Heather flipped through several emotions. Initially she was extremely happy, while frustrated she wouldn't get a chance to let the Madam Longbottom know what she thought of her. This was when she had heard she wasn't coming to live with them. Those changed to feeling guilty that she had been happy. Especially the additional happiness she couldn't control on first hearing the dowager had been attacked. Finally she felt sorry for Neville that would have another reason to recall what had been done to his parents. Three guardians attacked, and each now left in the Janus Thickey ward of St. Mungos.
"Thankfully we caught the attack in time. Also with my new requirement for forced Veritaserum questioning with due cause, we learned of a second plan of attack against you. We could have unknowingly brought a hag that planned to kill everyone here while she pretended to be Madam Longbottom. This was the reason the hag decided to kill Augusta." Amelia informed them.
"Well that wouldn't have worked." Heather said. "I have to provide the name of who I allow to cross the wards and I wouldn't have used the hag's name."
"Actually when they wear the skin of one they have killed, magic would think them the person they imitate. Thankfully hags can only imitate one person at a time. They must wait several weeks, to lose the ability to be the first person, before killing a second to get a new skin to wear. However, one of the reasons that the magic world discriminates against hags is because they kill other wizards and witches to live forever. Creatures that live within the border between the magical world and the fae, like hags and goblins have been throughout history our greatest threats, after ourselves."
"Is this the same with polyjuice potion?" Hermione inquired.
"Yes, otherwise Barty Crouch Junior, who you told me about before using it, wouldn't have escaped Azkaban's wards. The wards saw his mum and dad leave, and him still in the cell. It is also that way for animagus too. That is why we thought Sirius was about to die. When he was just changed into padfoot in the cell, the wards stated he wasn't there. When we initially checked, and always found him in the cell it was thought he was close to death.
"The guards were told to not check up on him when the ward went off. The reason was stated that we didn't need to help him stay alive. In fact the alarm was even turned off for his cell. That caused a huge nightmare when it was discovered on the daily inspection that he had escaped, let me tell you. Later on they thought he had escaped multiple times but returned to Azkaban because he wanted to help other prisoners escape too. Finally, giving up when whatever method he used wouldn't work for his friends for some reason."
"So our polyjuice and glamour option does solve the problem. Heather will never have to sleep with Neville!" Hermione screamed and the five were all high fiving and hugging each other in front of a completely confused Amelia.
"Can you run that by me Hermione? How does this mean Heather will not have to sleep with Neville? It is pretty iron clad in the contract that it will happen at least once in seven years." Madam Bones inquired.
At the end of the description she was astounded that no one had ever thought of this before. She also gained new respect for Moody's constant vigilance. The magic world should be all like Moody. They had so many ways to compromise identity, but it was rarely thought about. Also hundreds of people would now have an out to an unfair contract. It might actually stop contracts being written as they couldn't be known if they were enforceable any longer.
They couldn't let this information out yet. This could destroy the magical world more completely than any dark lord had succeeded in doing before. However, once they had solved their current dark lord problem the magic world was about to be rebuilt thanks to Hermione's different view on what you can do with magic. It was obvious why Croaker wanted the three of them so badly. They were obviously a unit. Thinking of Croaker made her recall his request.
"What do you know of Unspeakables?" Amelia asked.
As she had guessed, Luna knew the most having been raised in the magical world. Surprisingly Hermione knew a fair amount on the research branch of them. Heather only lit up once she heard the department. Which made sense, as it was in their department that they had fought the death eaters a couple of years ago.
"Well this is from the combat branch that Luna mentioned a bit about. What she didn't know is that the department of Mysteries is actually the second branch of the government. It is referred to as the Shadow Government."
'So they were the losing party in the last election?" Mr. Granger asked.
"What?" Amelia replied thrown for a loop.
"Well after the election the winning party has the Minister of Transportation, while the losing side decides on a Shadow Minister of Transportation. This person's job is to monitor what the current Minister is doing and inform his party. If they decide to, they also will inform the public with what is being done, in their opinion, wrong. This way hopefully if they can point out all the things the current government mishandled they can win the next general election." Mr. Granger informed an obviously confused War Marshall.
"Well the monitoring is definitely in their charter but they are excluded from holding a Ministerial Office. I am unsure if they allow information to get out to the public. They are actually very secretive. One of the people that are really high up within that department saved my bodyguards and my life a few days ago. I don't know if he is the Department Head. He acted when I met him yesterday as if he had missed me, because he arrived after I had left a meeting. The meeting was where the Minister and the Head of the Department of Mysteries had sworn me into the war Marshall's office. However, that could be his ploy to keep the known person and the unknown Department Head appear different individuals to me. Even if he isn't the head, I think he is probably someone who reports directly to the head.
"He is in the combat branch and the scariest person I have ever had a dual with. That is saying something as I have dueled your Professor Flitwick a dueling champion, trained with Moody, and Dumbledore. I have also in the first war, had the dubious honor of nearly losing to you-know-who before help arrived, and he left me close to dead. None of those four are as wild, unpredictable, and crazy-scary to duel, as Croaker is. Dumbledore and you-know who have known preferences, the first to transfiguration, and the second to dark curses.
"He probably isn't of the same power level as you-know-who and Dumbledore, but I am unsure on this, he could be. However, it his repertoire of spells that is insane. You never know what is coming next. If he had gone on the dueling circuit, he would have wiped Professor Flitwick off the floor not to knock the Professor's fantastic skills. He is just that much better in unusual unknown spells that mimic other spells, until you are actually hit with it. Where you find the shield you thought would work useless, because it wasn't the spell you thought it was. The other three areas he is better in are being random, speed in firing spells, and never seeming to run out of magical energy.
"Anyway he is interested in the three of you. Willing to train you in exchange for a chance to talk to you, and look at the active lockdown wards. I think he wants to recruit you to the Department of Mysteries. I need to warn you though that even if you only accept formal training, you will not be able to hold a political office in the Ministry. You can sit and vote your Wizengmot seats, but you can't have a position higher than a team lead in any of the departments of the Ministry of Magic.
"If Heather you were still interested in becoming an auror, your highest rank you could obtain would be Chief Special Operative. If you chose to work for me I couldn't promote you above Second Officer. Even if you had the skill, you would be excluded by magic from a higher commissioned officer's rank and the political and leadership aspects associated with those ranks.
"I thought a few years after I graduated from the Auror Academy that they were targeting me, but then they clammed up, and stopped the meetings that I had been having with Croaker. It was prior to them leaving that I had found how scary he was to dual. At the time I was interested in finding out more, but they just stopped meeting with me. When I viewed in a pensive his saving of my life the other day, I realized that he had been holding back in those crazy duels he used to give me. I have no idea what I did to fail their selection process. It's the only thing I've ever failed at.
"Well that exhausts the information I have on the Unspeakables. So talk amongst yourselves what you want to do about his offer. Is it okay if I go and get everyone here now?" Amelia wrapped up and asked.
"I'll come with you. Kreacher first safely check the area, and then take Amelia and myself where you last picked her up." Heather said.
A moment later both Amelia and herself were inside the Abbot's entry way. Several trunks, assorted cases, and boxes were stacked against the walls. There were three adults, and four children standing aside them. She knew three of the children, and assumed the fourth was Hannah's younger sister, Sarah.
"Hermione, I really am sorry about this. Do you think Heather will be okay with me?" Hannah immediately asked. Crossing to the Gryffindor she knew from Herbology, History of Magic, Arithmancy and Ancient Runes classes, and bringing her into a hug. "Are you mad with me too, Hermione? I really want to marry Neville and I will be totally open in trying to get along with Heather." She asked because the hug had been rather tentative from Hermione. Nothing like she was used to.
"I'm polyjuiced for security to look like Hermione, Hannah. I need to be here to get you all accepted to cross the wards." Heather said
Hannah immediately let go and stepped back uncomfortably. "I am sorry Heather I didn't know. I thought…"
"It's okay Hannah. I am sure we will be great friends, if you are friends with Hermione. Luna and Hermione are my most favorite people. If you will excuse me I will call a few house elves to get the belongings and get us all back to Grimmauld Place. Then we can have a cup of tea and talk."
"Miss Black you have permission to request a few house elves to do that." A lady, likely Hannah's mum informed her.
"Thank you Madam Abbott. Brillit, Marley, Hindy, and Jopel." Heather stated and then when the house elves arrived. "Neville, which are your things?"
"Mine are these Heather."
"Jopel, please take Master Longbottom's things to his room." Heather then turned back to Madam Abbott. "Is it okay to send all the things to your suite and then we work out later where everything goes for your daughters?"
"That will be perfect Miss Black. Those things there belong to Madam Bones, the rest is ours."
"Brillit Marley and Hindy, please take these items to the Abbot's Suite. Kreacher, please take those to Madam Bones's room. When the elves get back we will pop to the drawing room, and I will introduce you to Luna, Hermione, mum, and dad."
"Mum and dad, I thought with Sirius gone you were an orphan, Miss Black?" Madam Abbott asked surprised.
"I was an orphan. Hermione's parents have adopted me. They are mum and dad to me now."
"Isn't Harry Potter with you too, Heather?" Susan asked. She was thinking this was her chance to spend some time, and get to know the young wizard. He had broken up with Ginevra at Dumbledore's funeral, so was available.
"He is, but he wasn't there when I left. He is busy with something, and I've rarely seen him this summer." Heather truthfully answered.
Susan's hopes were dashed. Well if she was in the same house she was bound to run into him sooner or later, she looked for the optimistic chance she still had. Who would be her main competition? This summer was her chance. Granger was supposed to be in a relationship with Ron. Suppressing a shudder at the Gryffindor dustbin, well it removed her hardest rival for Harry's affection at least. Sarah at ten was too young to worry about, and Luna well who knew what was going on in that head. It was unfair she had to watch her mother die.
Perhaps she was lucky in never having known her parents. Having been raised by her Aunt, she of course was told that her parents were heroes killed in the first war against you-know-who, but the emotional attachment wasn't there too. For sure every time it came out that her parents had died, she would be showered with pity and a learned response that she had been denied something precious, was born. It was not as debilitating as the pain Luna had been forced to suffer. To know you were there, and did nothing to help. Unable to save you own mum, because you were too young and unknowing.
The self loathing, guilt and destruction of your own self worth, as you constantly blame yourself for killing your own mother. No matter that everyone and common sense tells you it was not your fault. A child can't help but think it is. A bit smarter or faster to respond correctly and your mother can survive. If there was something between Harry and Luna already, could she willing force herself to break it for her own happiness at the expense of Luna's? It had only been a few days. There couldn't be anything yet for her to break up she assured herself.
At that point the house elves started returning and Heather touched each elf to give it the magic it needed for their next task. She set four of them up with a pair of travelers to each. Leaving Kreacher to bring herself back after everyone else had popped across the wards. Each group arrived in the drawing room of Grimmauld Place, where upon the five elves left.
After everyone had been introduced and sitting with tea served, there was silence as everyone was unsure what to say. Susan put down her half finished cup. Got up and crossed to the Black tapestry, with the eyes of everyone following her, as the only moving person in a room of rather uncomfortable individuals.
"Well I think it makes sense to start on room and floor breakdown." Heather began, hoping to remove the uncomfortable feeling. "Harry Potter has room, bathroom and his war office in the attic that is restricted. He has a secret passage keyed to him straight to the kitchen, so he doesn't have to worry about four flights of stairs and as he doesn't have access to the fourth floor, which will be the girls' floor. No boys have access to it.
"The third floor has an empty small suite still. It has Neville's room along with two other much smaller empty rooms. There are also on the third floor a bathroom to serve those three rooms, and then three taken suites. Those suites are being used by my parents, grandparents and one for the Abbotts. I am unsure if you want Sarah in that suite with you or on the fourth floor with Susan and Hannah. I also don't know if you wanted a room or suite here too Madam Bones."
"I was planning on just putting some stuff in Susan's room but if you plan to have her share with Hannah and Sarah then I would like a small room if you could spare it. I don't expect to be here too often." Madam Bones stated.
"I was hoping Heather that you would share with Sarah, while Hannah and Susan share. You are closer to her age. Are you twelve or nine?" Madam Abbott asked.
"She's twelve, I see her on the tapestry. Her birthday is October the thirty-first too. You must be so angry being forced to marry on your birthday. Oh and Harry James Potter is on the tapestry too. You're related to the boy-who-lived, Heather, so cool!" Susan interrupted before Heather could reply. Each of Susan's comments causing its own emotional baggage that Susan was oblivious to.
"So Heather would you share with my daughter Sarah?" Madam Abbott queried once more.
