After Hogwarts
Chapter 4
After telling all the pertinent people about the upcoming wedding Harry and Hermione returned to Potter Manor for a well deserved rest and meal. Both Harry and Hermione were surprised to see Dobby still in his "uniform" and even more surprised to see several other elves in the same uniform walking around the property. When Harry asked what was going on Dobby said it had been decided that Harry needed more protection than most wizards and they had set up a roving patrol for the Manor and he was in charge of it. Harry just smiled and Hermione giggled a little, they were a well protected wizard and witch.
When they entered the manor they found another surprise, all the elves were now in uniform, the males were in tunic and pants and the females were in either dresses or skirts and blouses and each had the House of Potter crest on their left upper chest. Daisy was there but her uniform had a second crest on it, the crest of the Black family that Hermione represented. "Will Lady Hermione be sleeping in her room or that of Lord Potter now that you are betrothed?", Daisy asked and Hermione blushed, as did Harry. Hermione said that for the time being she would stay in her own room.
The following morning Harry and Hermione were up and outside at 530am and by 6am they were running their 6 miles. After their run the two went and swam for a a few laps, then showered and then came down for breakfast. The two didn't have any set plans for the next few weeks and were surprised when the mail came and it included a letter from Alana.
Dear Harry,
We have discovered a 9 year old girl who has your name and that of Ms. Granger's' family, Black. Usually we would just settle her in with our other students but as we know the both of you, and she is an orphan, I thought it best if you were notified and given the chance to visit her and talk with her. She is a potter in the truest sense of the word as she makes pottery as a hobby, and does it quite well. From what we can determine she is what you Brits call a "muggle-born" and is attuned to both Earth and Air.
Her name is Elizabeth Marie Potter and she came to our attention due to an incident of "accidental" magic that involved her adopted father and several bullies. It appears that the bullies tried to intimidate the "father" and when one of them pulled a gun Lizzy, as she prefers to be called, called up an Air elemental while a mount of earth rose up to protect the father. According to Lizzy, this is the first time Annie, as she calls her elemental, has shown herself to anyone except Lizzy. The bullies were found several miles away in a very tall tree, the local fire department had to be called to get them down. All of the men were known to the local police and were wanted men.
When I talked to Lizzy she said Annie first showed up when she was four and had been around from time to time ever since. The last time Lizzy remembers seeing Annie was when a tornado destroyed her house and killed her parents. Annie protected Lizzy and then disappeared only to show up again a year later when Lizzy needed help in the worse way.
Hope to see you soon,
Alana
"Well, want to go to America and see a 9 year old girl?" Harry asked after Hermione had read the letter. Hermione's response was "Give me an hour to get ready"
The two decided to wait until after lunch to go as that would take advantage of the time differential between England and America. The trip was uneventful as they just port-keyed straight to Peaks from the manor arriving just after breakfast for Alana, who was glad to see her two favorite students. The three talked about the first summer session that had just finished and Alana was glad to hear it had gone so well. Now it was time to go visit Lizzy at her home.
Alana apparated to the house and Harry and Hermione just followed along behind. Alana took the lead as she was known to the family and the young girl. After introductions were made Harry explained that it was thought that he might be related to Lizzy and as such he had come only to talk with her.
"Alana has told me what happened before you met her and I would like to hear the story from you Lizzy. Let me say up front that I don't doubt any of it, I just want to hear it from your view." Harry said.
Lizzy looked a little frightened but told her story anyway. After she had finished Hermione asked if Lizzy knew much about her relatives on either side of her family. Lizzy explained that as far as she knew her father's family had come over from England, as had her mother's family but she knew very little about her mother's family. She had met her grandfather and it had been he who gotten her interested in making pottery and had taught her how to identify and collect natural clay for her work. "You know, I just remembered it but before the only time Annie showed up was when I had my 'magic stick' that daddy made me." Lizzy said and this caused looks to pass between the three visitors.
When asked Lizzy said her daddy had taken a piece of wood and whittled her a "magic wand" after she asked for one when she heard the tale of Snow White. "Daddy worked on that stick for a long time and I had forgotten about it by the time he finished, but it was one of the best gifts I ever got because he made it for me" Lizzy sad tearfully.
Hermione asked Lizzy if she thought she could get Annie to come back, but outside of course. Lizzy said she didn't know and she hadn't called Annie in a long time until those men tried to hurt her new daddy. The two went outside and Lizzy tried to call her friend Annie, nothing happened. Hermione asked Lizzy if she could keep a secret and Lizzy nodded her head. Hermione called Windy and asked her if maybe she knew Lizzy's friend Annie. Windy said she would check to see if any of the other elementals knew the one called Annie or the human called Lizzy. Windy disappeared for a few minutes, during which time Lizzy had a few questions such as "Can anyone do that? How did you learn to do that?" Hermione answered the questions by saying, "Only special people can do that and Alana was the one who taught me how when I was about your age".
Windy came back and was accompanied by another elemental, Annie. Both Lizzy and Annie were surprised to see each other and Windy explained to Hermione that the reason Annie had come to Lizzy's rescue was because she had gotten worried when she hadn't heard from her human in a long time and came to check on her. While Annie and Lizzy caught up with each other, so did Hermione and Windy. It wasn't too long before Harry came out to tell Hermione that they were about ready to leave, that was when he saw Annie and knew that Lizzy would be going to either Peaks or Hogwarts that coming September.
Harry got Lizzy's attention and asked her if she would mind telling him more about her family as the more he heard the more he thought she was related to him and Hermione. It turned out that the "magic stick" was made from a fallen branch off of the tree in their yard and wasn't a wand after all, just a special gift from father to daughter. Lizzy was surprised when Harry spoke to Annie and Annie answered him; nobody had ever spoken to Annie but Lizzy and Annie had never spoken to anyone else. Harry explained that like Hermione he had a special friend and that he had found out that these special friends could hear anybody but just their friends could hear them. "Hermione and I both talk with Windy and I can usually understand what Windy has to say. If I have trouble then I ask Windy to call her brother Windford and he explains everything to me or I call him myself. I have another friend named Firebeard, he is made of fire and was one of my first friends. Would you like to meet him sometime?" Harry explained as Lizzy nodded her head.
It was finally decided that the only way to be sure was to ask the Goblins to do a linage test on Lizzy. That was when they found out that a couple of elves had been following Harry and Hermione around ever since they left the Manor. One of the elves explained that Dobby had sent them to keep watch on Lord Harry's back and to keep him safe, but to remain unseen. The elf said that as Lord of the Ancient and Noble House of Potter he had the means to determine the linage of a person close enough so as to not need to pay the Goblins for doing it unless it concerned major issues within the bloodline. Harry was told that all he had to do was to call Gustus and he would explain it a lot better, Gustus was called and he did explain that Harry could determine his own bloodline without paying a fee to the Goblins. The only time you had to pay the Goblins for that was when it concerned a major issue with the bloodline that only they could decide. Gustus sent the younger elf back to the Manor to get a few items from the Master's study.
When the elf arrived back he had several sheets of parchment, a few silver pins, and a couple of potions. The procedure was explained as Harry and whoever he wanted tested each placed a drop of blood on the parchment, on opposite ends, and then dropped some of the potion onto the parchment. If the two people were related then the drops of blood would meet in the middle, if not then they wouldn't. Harry explained the procedure to Lizzy and she said she would try it since she too was curious now. When Lizzy and Harry tried the test the two drops of blood jumped to the middle of the sheet and the same thing happened when Hermione's blood was used. So, it was decided that Lizzy was related to both Harry and Hermione's bloodlines, this provided another link between the two houses, one an Ancient and Noble house and the other an Ancient house only.
It came time to decide where Lizzy would attend school, Peaks or Hogwarts, if she went to Peaks then she could start in September whereas if she attended Hogwarts then it would be two years before she was eligible. The only fair thing to do was to ask Lizzy her preference. Lizzy's adoptive parents said that it was up to her, if she really was related to Harry then she should stay close to family. If she wanted to go to England to go to school then the would find a way to pay for it. That was when Harry said no matter where Lizzy went to school her costs would be covered by the House of Potter even if Lizzy elected to not attend either school the cost were to be covered.
Lizzy was confused and asked if she had to decide right then, Hermione told her "Of course not, you have two to three weeks to decide. We would need a week to get you set up, moved, and all your supplies gathered. This isn't the type of decision you make quickly. Since you are related to both Harry and I we will see to it that you have as much time as you need to decide. There are advantages to both schools and disadvantages to both schools so it isn't an easy thing to decide. The only thing is that you will have to attend one of them so you learn how to use your skills without hurting yourself or anyone else."
As Harry, Hermione and Alana were leaving a car pulled up and two men got out and approached the house. "Hey old man we don't know how you did it but you got our friends arrested and we intend to make you pay for that" one of the men shouted. That was the last anyone heard from the two men as they were both caught in the sights of Harry, Hermione, and Alana, but it was Lizzy who jumped in front of her dad and shouted "NO, YOU WILL NOT HURT MY DAD" and a burst of energy came from nowhere and the two were gone. Harry, Hermione, and Alana looked at each other and none of them had done anything. "That is a very strong young witch, we might need to consider binding her magic until she gets in school." Alana said. Harry and Hermione looked at each other and shook their heads, that would be a very last resort type thing.
Lizzy was crying when Harry walked over and knelt down in front of her and asked quietly, "Where did you send them Lizzy? We aren't mad but we need to find them so they won't hurt anyone else." "I don't know where they went. I was just thinking they were going to hurt my dad and they needed to leave us alone. Then I felt something kind of snap inside of me and they were gone" Lizzy replied. Harry was puzzled what they had just seen was an accidental magical outburst and he was sure someone would be here soon to investigate. It wasn't five minutes later when two people, a man and a woman, popped into view and approached the house. Alana intercepted them and explained what had happened, the man got a little rude and said this was the second incident and if they had to fix another of the girl's messes they might have to just bind her magic, permanently. His woman partner saw the looks in Harry and Hermione's eyes, raised her hands, and started to back away. Harry exploded on the man and read him the riot act up until the man went for a wand.
The female member of the response team said she had warned the man that he was going to run into someone who wouldn't take the bad attitude very well and might just respond in the same manner. She said her name was Shelia and that she needed to call a supervisor. Harry told her that might be a good idea, a supervisor would be needed. The team's supervisor showed up shortly and tried to release his man, but nothing worked. The supervisor thought he recognize Alana and once he was sure he asked her what had happened. Alana explained that they observed the outburst of magic in response to a threat and that when they tried to explain this to the response team the male member just threatened to try and bind the young girl's magic. This statement upset Harry who tried to explain that binding the magic wasn't the answer, the man tried to draw his wand but Harry and Hermione had been quicker with wand-less magic.
The supervisor took another look at Harry, then smiled. "Aren't you the guy who asked for some help with a particular dark wizard a few months back over in England?" Harry just nodded his head. The supervisor walked over and held out his hand, "I was one of the volunteers and it is a pleasure to shake your hand. I guess this idiot was lucky you didn't have that sword with you. If you don't mind, could you release this idiot so I can remove him from his duties and get him out of my squad?" Harry laughed and released the man only to have him try again to get a wand out, this time his own supervisor stunned him and took him away after telling the female to make sure her report was complete – including the part about her ex-partner being an idiot.
Once the supervisor left Harry started to laugh and was soon joined by Hermione, Alana, and then Shelia. Shelia talked with Lizzy first and got the same story she had told Harry. Shelia made sure to document everything and by the time she was finished her report was several pages thick. Before she left Harry asked her if she could do anything about the car parked out front, the one the two guys who disappeared had left. Shelia said she thought it might be best if the car was taken as evidence of why she and her ex-partner had been sent there anyway. Shelia left after shrinking the car and putting it in her pocket.
Lizzy was almost speechless watching how easily Harry, Hermione, and Alana dealt with the situation, not to mention the magic they had used. Lizzy knew that she needed to learn all about magic now so she could do all those cool things too. Lizzy's adopted dad was also amazed at what he had seen, and what his daughter had done to protect him and his family. Harry, Hermione and Alana said their good-byes again and left.
When the trio arrived back at Peaks they decided to give Lizzy a few weeks to make up her mind but Harry repeated that as a Potter her educational needs were to be covered by him. Hermione's comment of "We'll talk about that later" brought a smile to Alana's face. Alana suggested they sit down and enjoy a late lunch or afternoon snack and they could catch her up on what was happening back in England. The three friends talked until it was time for supper and Harry and Hermione were invited to stay the night, they accepted after sending a message back to Potter Manor letting Gustus know of their plans.
In a lonely shack in the middle of nowhere two men suddenly appeared out of thin air, very thin air, and their appearance disrupted an experiment and cause an explosion. The person conducting the experiment was tall, thin, had dark hair that looked oily, and had a hook nose. He was not pleased that the two men had interrupted his experiment and made his displeasure known to them. When one of the men attempted to point a weapon at the man they both found themselves tied up with very strong ropes with the man was pointing a stick at them, again with those sticks. Shortly afterward a young woman arrived at the shack and introduced herself as Shelia. When she heard what had happened and saw the two men she just smiled and told the occupant that she would remove the two mundane men as they were wanted by her supervisor in connection to another case. The woman and her "guests" left shortly and were never seen again by the occupant of the shack, which suited him just fine.
When Harry and Hermione woke up the next morning and prepared to do their daily run they were surprised to find a note from the MBI saying the two men from the day before had been located and had been dealt with and they should not be any further problem since they couldn't remember their own names. Harry just laughed out loud and showed the note to Hermione who joined him in the laugh. When they saw Alana she had already been told about the men and said the MBI was very efficient at times and that Lizzy would have one less thing to worry about now. It was after breakfast when a crow arrived with a letter for Alana, from Lizzy.
Dear Ms. Grimmore,
I know this is much quicker than you expected but I have made up my mind about school. Harry and Hermione both explained that here I could start school come September while if I went to England then I would have to wait until I was 11 to learn about my special skills. After yesterday and talking with my dad, I have decided to ask if you could ask Harry and Hermione to come back to see me as I have questions for the two of them. I would be glad to see you also as you could probably answer some of the questions – like what happened to those two men yesterday? Am I going to be in trouble if they don't find them? Will they come back to cause my dad more trouble?
I found out last night that I can call my friend Annie if I think very hard about her and really want to see her. Annie explained that the more often I call her the easier it will be to reach her, she also explained that Hermione's friend Windy has told her many things and that now she was friends with Windy too. I was surprised when Windy showed up last night and I could almost understand what she was saying before Annie repeated it. Windy said she had come to see me because Annie asked her too and her mother had said she could.
Hope to see you soon,
Lizzy Potter
Alana showed the letter to Harry and Hermione then it was time to go see Lizzy and hear her answer in person as well as to try to answer some of her questions. Hermione had a few questions for Lizzy also concerning Windy's visit the night before. When the three adults knocked on Lizzy's door it was opened by her father and they were welcomed inside. Once Lizzy had joined them Alana explained that the two men had been found and they wouldn't be causing any more problems, at least not for Lizzy or her family. "You remember the young lady from yesterday who took that car away? Well, it seems that she was sent out to take care of another problem and it turned out that the two men had interrupted an experiment and caused an explosion. The person doing the experiment was explaining how rude it was to just appear out of thing air and disrupt his experiment when one of the men tried to use a weapon. The two men were given to the law to have their memories adjusted, but it seems they were wanted by the non-magical law also. So only the information concerning your family and what happened yesterday was removed and they were sent to jail for a very long time. Shelia also said to tell you that thanks to you a few criminals have been caught and put in jail and that if you come across any more just to let her know and she will have them picked up for you."
The smile on Lizzy's face was bright enough to light up the room. Hermione told Lizzy that she took after Harry in that he had a thing about putting bad guys out of the picture. Hermione looked at Harry and mouthed the word "Draco" which cause Harry smile even bigger. "Now Lizzy Alana tells us you have a few questions for Harry and I; so ask and we will try to give you some answers" Hermione said.
"If I decided to go to England is there any way I could start learning about magic now instead of waiting 2 more years? If I stay here and go with Ms. Grimmore will I ever see you and Harry again? Why is it just now that I find out I had family in England and not when my mom and dad were killed? Why did that weird test with my blood show the same reaction to Hermione as it did to Harry?" Lizzy asked.
Harry and Hermione looked at each other and then at Alana before Harry started to answer, "Well, you sure ask some interesting questions and I think I will try and answer the last one first. The reason that blood test reacted the same way to Hermione's blood as mine is that you are related to her also. It would appear that somewhere way back in your family history your mother's family was an offshoot of the same family as Hermione's so you two are related just like you are related to the Potters. Does that make any sense to you or did I just confuse you more?"
"Oh, in a way it makes sense. I'm related to you on my father's side of the family, but related to Hermione on my mother's side. Is that right?" Lizzy replied.
"Right as rain there Lizzy, as these Americans say. In answer to another question, it wasn't until Alana heard your name and saw you that we even knew about you. Neither Harry or myself knew we had any long distance relations over here in the States. If the records here are as messed up as the ones in England there might not even be a record of our ancestors even coming here to the States. As to whether or not you would ever see us again if you go to school at Peaks, the answer is you would see us more often than you think thanks to one of Harry's special abilities. We would not forget you or about you. Besides, you are invited to our wedding which we plan on doing during the Christmas break." Hermione relied as Alana got a surprised look on her face. "You didn't tell me you two were getting married. What kind of friend is that?" Alana interjected.
Everyone got a laugh at that statement and Hermione just blushed. "You would have been told when everyone else was, when they got their invitation. As to Lizzy's question about starting early in England, I have been thinking about that. Harry and I could arrange something similar to what was done for us, private tutors." Hermione continued.
Lizzy just sat there for a few minutes then looked at her father, "What do you think? For the past year you have taken me in and raised me as your own. But now I find that I have additional family I didn't know about and would like to get to know them, but I don't want to hurt you and mom in doing this."
"Elizabeth Marie Potter, you know how we both feel about you. But you also know that family is the most important thing a person can have. We never even considered asking you to change your last name to ours because of that. You won't be hurting us any more than when you are an adult and move out to be with your new husband or move off to college. So if you want to go with Mr. Potter and Ms. Granger then I say enjoy your new additional family, but don't forget us since we love you just like our own child we never had." was the tearful answer the old man gave to Lizzy's question.
"You know I think Lizzy should stay here and go to Peaks for the next two years then when she is ready she can go to Hogwarts or continue at Peaks – her choice. It not that I don't want her around I would love to have a younger cousin or sister. But Lizzy you have something I didn't when I was growing up, you have a family that loves and cares about you. During school you wouldn't get to see much of Hermione and I anyway since we would be at Hogwarts and you would be somewhere else. This way you can spend your summers with us and still see your wonderful family. The important thing is that you learn to control your magic so it doesn't cause you or anyone else any problems. I will make sure you have a special wand and anything else you need to make it easier for you but the one thing I can't give you is the love of, your parents, your family that you already have." Harry replied as he dried his own tears.
The decision was made, Lizzy would stay and attend Peaks and Harry and Hermione would visit as often as they could. Lizzy would spend time in the summer with Harry and Hermione as they toured around the US. Lizzy accompanied Harry, Hermione, and Alana back to Peaks where she was able to select her wand and core materials. She would end up with a Willow, Eagle feather, and Basalt wand, finding the Basalt wasn't easy but Harry had Lizzy's wand almost complete by the end of the day. Harry and Hermione ended up spending the night again but this time at Lizzy's house, the only problem was that Harry and Hermione had to share a bedroom and bed. "As close as you two are that shouldn't be a problem" was Alana's comment as she laughed and left.
Harry and Hermione got to experience something new, a family dinner that hadn't had any magic used in its preparation at all. Lizzy was especially proud when Harry and Hermione asked for a second helping of her dessert, a bread pudding with raisins and a caramel base. When Hermione suggested that she help with the dishes magically Lizzy asked "Why, when we have to do them without magic anyway. Besides it only takes a few minutes to load them in the dishwasher and turn it on". Hermione was unable to answer that question and she had never seen a dishwasher before since her mother never had one.
Sharing a room was one thing but sharing a bed was something neither Harry nor Hermione had ever considered. Since they had not come prepared to stay for two days they would have to transfigure something to sleep in. For Harry it was just a simple pair of pajamas but Hermione had other thoughts and had been looking at a few catalogs with Lizzy and had seen several different types of sleepwear for women, and none of them were the type of pajamas she slept in at home. Once the two had gotten used to the idea of sleeping together they did enjoy the closeness of each other. Harry woke up first and discovered that he had a face of bushy hair, he was holding something very soft, and he needed to go to the bathroom. His movement woke Hermione and she discovered that she liked the feeling of Harry holding her and she had something poking her in the rear, oops that was Harry.
After several seconds of embarrassment the two worked everything out to their satisfaction, for now. Harry soon realized that it was way too early for breakfast and that he might as well go for a run. He told Hermione where he was going and she said she would join him if he would wait a few minutes so she could change. All this talking and moving around woke Lizzy and she asked if she could join them, she would need a few minutes to get her clothes changes and her shoes on.
The three of them were enjoying their run when Lizzy asked if they had to go so slow, it turned out Lizzy liked to run and usually ran about four miles but at a little faster pace. Hermione told her to set the pace and she and Harry would keep up. The three were really enjoying the run and with a much more comfortable pace for everyone. When they reached the two mile mark Harry asked if Lizzy wanted to turn back or continue on with him and Hermione as they usually ran six to ten miles at a time. Lizzy said she could do the six, so they continued on their way for another mile before circling back.
When the threesome reached the house again Lizzy was winded but said she felt good, then she called first use of the bathroom for her shower. Harry and Hermione just used a simple charm to clean themselves and then transfigured their clothes into clean ones similar to what they had worn the day before. Mrs. Nelson fixed them a simple country breakfast of bacon, eggs, hot biscuits, grits, and gravy along with juice and fresh coffee, there was milk for Lizzy since they thought she was too young to have coffee. Harry and Hermione had never had biscuits or grits before and they were excited to try something new. When Lizzy asked if they wanted some homemade jam for their biscuits Hermione said yes and fell in love with peach jam.
After finishing breakfast Harry asked if there was anything he could help with as he wasn't really used to just sitting around. Mr. Nelson said he did have a few chores to do and that if Harry wanted to change into some comfortable clothes and help he was welcome to. Harry transfigured his clothes into something similar to what Mr. Nelson was wearing and went out to help. It turned out what they were trying to do was remove a very stubborn stump from the middle of a field. Harry asked if it might be easier to just blow the stump up and was told that they would need a special permit to get any type of explosive. Harry asked if Mr. Nelson wanted the stump moved quickly and then cast a Reducto at the stump which exploded into small pieces. While Mr. Nelson was starring at the hole in the ground Harry gathered up all the pieces of wood into a pile so they would be easier to take away. "There no explosives needed and nobody saw anything. I would be in trouble if it wasn't for the fact you already knew about magic. I don't use magic if there is anyway to do something without it. But, in this case I see it as a chance to help you and in a small way thank you for all you and Mrs. Nelson have done for Lizzy, I hope you don't mind." Harry said.
"Young man if it is that easy for you to remove stumps, how about removing a few more. These are even more remote so unless someone flies over nobody will see a thing. But one question, can you do it so that the pieces are a little bigger and we can use them for firewood this winter." Mr. Nelson asked.
Harry had a better idea, he transfigured the wood pieces into a couple of chairs and asked if they were okay. Mr. Nelson looked them over and said they were really good and would be useful around the house. Harry sent the chairs to the house,up to the bedroom where he and Hermione had stayed. Harry was shown the other stumps and saw that they were larger and a different type of wood. Harry asked if they should be turned into firewood or more furniture and was told that firewood was always useful, but so were good chairs as the chairs could be sold or used as gifts. The stumps became furniture and the Nelsons would have to finish them by sanding and sealing them.
When Harry and Mr. Nelson got back to the house Hermione wanted to know where the furniture had come from and Harry told her. Lizzy asked when she would be able to do magic like that and was told that the transfiguration would be after her third year at Hogwarts if she was a student right now and a first year. The Reducto probably after second year, it depended on her strength – her magical core strength. Harry disappeared for around an hour to retrieve Lizzy's wand and once he was back he had her claim it before she was allowed to try it out on a simple spell. Hermione wasn't surprised when Lizzy was able to do a simple household spell that most girls learned by her age at Peaks, the Repairo spell.
Harry and Hermione were reluctant to say farewell but they had to get back to England. It was this need that provided for Lizzy seeing another of Harry's special skills, he turned into a phoenix to flash them home. They promised Lizzy they would return before school started to take her to get her school supplies and then take her to school. Lizzy had to promise not to try any more magic until she had been taught the correct way. Alana had said that since Lizzy was a relative of one of her best students she would come by from time to time to see if Lizzy or her parents needed anything. What Harry didn't tell anyone was that he would arrange for a small monthly deposit to the Nelson's bank account to help cover some of their expenses.
As soon as Harry and Hermione had arrived back at Potter Manor they had to explain where they had been and why. When Dobby heard that Harry had a new family member he made sure that there was an elf watching over Lizzy at all times just in case. Harry and Hermione had arrived just in time for supper, so they enjoyed the meal prepared for them before they started to try and catch up with what had been neglected while they were away. Hermione also decided that she liked waking up next to Harry and that they would continue to sleep together, but no "hanky panky", yet.
The following day after their run and breakfast the two went to Hogwarts to continue the renovations and upgrades. Hermione had already decided on the books she would use in Transfiguration classes and gave McGonagall a list of them. Harry had yet to find books for Defense but continued to look at several that seemed promising. Neville had also found his books and turned in his list. At the end of the day Hermione wanted to stop by Diagon Alley to see if she could find a little something for Lizzy, it was so great to have a new niece, or little sister. After Diagon Alley the two went by to see Dan and Emma Granger to tell them about Lizzy, the two ended up staying for supper with Hermione's parents.
It was four days later when a package arrived addressed to Lizzy and inside was a selection of primer books for young witches that listed several useful spells that didn't require a wand. Also inside the package was a note telling Lizzy to ask Alana to get her a special computer that would work around magic and several programs that were for young witches and wizards only. When Alana came by and saw the request she just laughed and said that was Hermione always wanting everyone to have the best education and resources to be found. The laptop arrived two days later and Alana showed Lizzy how to use it and the programs.
It was a week and a half after Harry and Hermione had left when the first problem arose. The male member of the response team had been transferred to another department and wasn't happy, he showed up to seek revenge and ran into a problem named Ralph, the elf assigned to watch out for Lizzy. It be came apparent that the man attempted to curse Lizzy from a hidden location but Ralph intercepted the curse and turned it back on him. When the man staggered out of hiding and tried again Lizzy saw him throw a spell at her mother and the man interrupted another experiment in that shack. The tall thin man in black robes wasn't pleased, it had taken all this time to correct the damage that had been done the last time and restart the experimental potion.
It was a different response team that arrived at the shack and recognized the ex-MBI agent. By the time the resident of the shack had finished yelling about unannounced arrivals and wasted work the team had little choice but to take the newest arrival in custody for breaking and entering, and destruction of private property; his wand was snapped by the department head. When word of this latest episode got back to Shelia she knew just where to go for more information, she went to see Lizzy and got the full story – except for the part about Ralph. Shelia made sure that Alana was told of the incident, who told the regional director, Rick Green; things went downhill for the wizard from there.
The wizard was brought in front of Rick who told the man exactly who he had tried to attack, a member of Harry Potter's family. "The last person who attacked that family met a grisly end at the hand of Mr. Potter. Your ex-supervisor and I were there and saw what happened. I was also one of the ones who trained Ms. Granger and believe me you do not want that witch mad, or even upset with you; she is very powerful and vindictive when riled" Rick explained. The wizard didn't seem impressed, not even when Rick explained that Ms. Granger held masters certifications in both Charms and Transfiguration and that in addition to those masters Harry Potter was a master in Defense. In the interest of international relations, and the wizard's safety, he was transferred to a completely different area and banned from the area around Lizzy or Peaks for a period of four years; and nothing was to be mentioned to Harry or Hermione for that same length of time.
It was the week before school started and Harry and Hermione hadn't forgotten their promise to Lizzy about supplies and taking her to school. The two showed up on the doorstep of the Nelson's at 9am on a Monday to take Lizzy, and her parents if they wanted to go, to get her supplies. When Mrs. Nelson saw who was at the door she grabbed both Harry and Hermione in a Molly-Weasley-like hug. Mr. Nelson gave Hermione a hug and a firm handshake to Harry. Lizzy hit the two like a whirlwind and latched on to both at the same time. After a fresh cup of coffee the whole family got ready to go shopping for Lizzy's supplies, Harry stepped outside and called Ralph and asked that he keep an eye on the house and property while they were gone (Dobby had let the cat out of the bag so to speak and had been forced to tell Harry about Ralph).
Harry side-alonged with the adult Nelsons while Hermione took Lizzy and all five arrived at the magical shopping area together. There were three sets of large eyes once they got their balance back and their stomachs settled when they saw all of the different shops. Hermione suggested she take the girls and they shop for some new clothes for Lizzy while Harry and Mr. Nelson picked up some of the other items on Lizzy's list, except books of course. The boys went to get cauldrons, scales, and potion ingredients plus a good trunk for Lizzy. When Mr. Nelson saw all this he couldn't believe it would all fit into the trunk, until Harry said one word, "Magic". The two groups met up at the lunch stand and enjoyed their lunch before going to get Lizzy's books. It was while getting Lizzy's books that Harry found the books he wanted to use for Defense at Hogwarts, so he bought the teacher's edition (after the bookstore contacted Alana and she verified that Harry was indeed an instructor) plus one set of student books.
As they were exiting the bookstore they ran into Rick and Lucy. Harry mentioned that he already knew about the wizard trying to attack Lizzy and her mother and that he probably knew more than Rick did as to why he didn't have much luck – an elf protector. When Rick heard that Lizzy had an elf watching over her he had to ask if it was one of the elves from the battle, Harry said yes and Rick laughed loudly. This was the first time Hermione had heard about the attempt and she was very angry, until she was told that Ralph had taken care of the problem along with Lizzy. When Lizzy heard about the elf she asked, "What is a house elf?"
Hermione explained, "A house elf is a magical creature, in England they are sometimes slaves but we are getting that changed. They take care of a witch's or wizard's household by doing all the things that need doing around the house. At Hogwarts they do the cooking for the staff and students plus they take care of keeping the castle clean. At Peaks they still do most of the cooking and cleaning but are paid for their labors. The elf who has been watching over you and your family is a special elf in that he has received training so he can use magic to protect you. While you can't take an elf to school with you Harry will probably ask him to watch over your parents while you are away. I am sure if you ask Harry will introduce you."
Just at that moment a house elf was walking by and Harry stopped him. "Excuse me, I know you are busy but my ward here has never met a house elf and I wondered if you would mind speaking with her for a few moments. If you are too busy I can understand, and thank you for your time any way." The elf looked at Harry for a second then said, "For the great Harry Potter I would be glad to speak with the child and since I work for Peaks, if she should ever be a student there I would be honored to watch out for her". This surprised Harry, that an American elf knew him – but if that elf worked at Peaks then it might just remember him. The elf took a few minutes to speak with both Lizzy and her parents before continuing on its way.
Once the group was back at the Nelson house Harry called Ralph and introduced him to the family. The Nelsons were a little surprised to see that Ralph wore BDUs instead of regular clothes, Harry was surprised to see a set of Sargent stripes on the elf's shoulders and the Potter crest on it's chest. Harry explained again that Lizzy couldn't take an elf to school but if the Nelsons would like, Ralph could stay with them and help out. Harry would take care of the pay and Ralph would respond to either adult. Mr. Nelson asked what the elf could do since it was so small, Ralph answered that question when he pointed at the fireplace and a nice pile of firewood appeared. Ralph looked around the room and waved his hand and the room was spotless and smelled fresh.
The Nelsons were convinced and asked where Ralph would sleep while there, Ralph volunteered that he could stay anywhere – like in a cupboard under the sink. Mrs. Nelson said that would never do, if he agreed to stay he would need to sleep in Lizzy's bed and use her room, and of course he would eat with them. Ralph's eyes got even larger than normal and he stuttered when he asked, "You would treat Ralph like a member of your family? Only the great Harry Potter and his Mione have ever treated an elf like that. Ralph would like to stay and take care of Miss Lizzy's family, if that is allowed. Ralph will make sure no other human is seeing him unless Miss Lizzy's family is saying so". Harry just nodded and received an elf hug on his legs.
Harry and Hermione agreed to stay the night and escort Lizzy to Peaks the next day so they would have time to get back to Hogwarts for the start of term. That night Hermione called Ralph and explained a few things to him. "Ralph, I know how elves do everything they can to please the people they work for, but these people aren't used to having an elf so let them say what you do. These are proud and hard working people and they might not feel right if you do everything for them. Just make sure nothing bad happens to them and you will make Harry and I very happy and proud of you. You have been around Harry and I long enough to know how we think an elf should be treated and the Nelsons might want you to wear regular clothes around them, that is allowed as you are only on loan to them so giving you clothes isn't a way to dismiss you, but a way of showing they care about you and accept you as a member of their family. You might want to make contact with Peaks and see if they will keep you aware of any problems Lizzy might have. We met an elf from Peaks today who said they would look after her there if she became a student so you would have some help there too. I know you are a good elf or else Dobby wouldn't have let you come watch over Lizzy, and you have done a very good job of that and I thank you for your help".
The next morning Hermione woke up first and found that Harry had again spooned up against her back and was resting his hand on her breast, and she liked that feeling and closeness. She woke Harry and the two of them went for their run, only to be joined by Lizzy just as they went outside. After another one of Mrs. Nelson's wonderful breakfast, the three bid farewell to the adults and went to Peaks to get Lizzy settled. Alana said she couldn't show favoritism but agreed to keep an eye on Lizzy. There was no need to sort Lizzy since she already had an Air Elemental she could call, kind of like Harry and Hermione had done when they started at Peaks. Soon it was time to say farewell to Lizzy and return to Hogwarts. Harry, as well as Hermione, weren't too happy about that as they had grown attached to the little girl.
A/N: Well Hogwarts is about to start its term and we will see what surprises are in store for the students there and how they handle some of them. Will Draco Malfoy return this term? Will there be more trouble for Harry? I guess you will have to wait and see what my imagination comes up with – just like me.
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