Advice from Unexpected Quarters
Disclaimer: I have not claim to characters or scenes from the Harry Potter series, which belongs to JK Rowling and associates. I get nothing from this except the enjoyment of imagining and writing the story. If I did own any of the Potterverse, I could stop having to work for a living.
Time frame – Post–DH except for the epilogue which I am ignoring, for reasons that should become obvious.
Once Hermione and Harry arrived in Australia, it took about a week to locate her parents, a couple of days to get close enough to them to reverse the memory charms, and about a week for the yelling and screaming to come down to a level that they could talk about things calmly, between crying jags, group hugs, and temper tantrums.
It had taken a week to locate Monica and Wendell Wilkins, as they had joined the Royal Flying Doctor Service providing medical services in the 'outback'. The Service was extremely happy to have the pair of top-notch British dentists, who had decided to emigrate to 'Oz'. Their professional credentials (expert forgeries, thanks to the goblins at Gringott's, for a fee of course) were quickly and gratefully accepted after a brief examination, as experienced staff were always welcome and needed, as the outback had many small settlements that could not afford full-time medical services. Wendell and Monica found that they were doing as much good, in a month, as they had been able to do in England in a year (as far as they could remember their life in the UK, recollections of which were strangely fuzzy). The two pairs finally met up in Alice Springs in the centre of the island continent. Harry and Hermione said that they had come from England, and that some people had asked them to look up the Wilkins while they were 'down-under' (not mentioning that the 'some people' were themselves).
The older couple thought that the young tourists seemed very familiar to them, in ways they just couldn't lay a finger on. The two young people were obviously very close, but apparently not a couple, as they had separate rooms at their hotel. They might have been brother and (married) sister, as they had different last names, but their physical appearances were different enough that it did not seem likely that they were related (possibly adopted or in-laws), and Hermione was not wearing a ring. The young man seemed rather paranoid, always looking around as if to see if someone was following him – they thought he must have been robbed or attacked in their travels, but he held himself as if he could handle anything that came along. When they went out to eat, it was also very strange that the young man would look horrified at the prices on the menus, but always insisted on paying, regardless of the cost of the meal – it was almost like he was raised poor, but had come into a fortune later in life and felt guilty about it. Another odd thing about the young people was that they were never to be seen walking back to their hotel. Once they left a room, they just seemed to vanish.
One evening, Harry and Hermione had invited Monica and Wendell to dinner at their hotel. Hermione was fiddling with a strange stick as if she was going to wave it around. Wendell asked about the stick, as he said he had never seen anything like it. Hermione smiled and said that since they had come to Australia, she and Harry had visited with a number of aboriginal tribes (years earlier, she had learned from Fred Weasley that one of the three classic ways to lie was to tell the truth, but not all of the truth). Monica mentioned that she and Wendell had been to many aboriginal tribal camps to do dental work, but had never seen a stick like the one the young woman now waved in what looked like a purposeful manner. Hermione mumbled something that sounded like Latin, and the mental floodgates opened.
Once Wendell and Monica Wilkins returned to being Gil and Elly Granger, they had a mix of emotions. One was the shock of remembering that they had a beautiful brilliant daughter who happened to be a powerful witch. Another was rage over what she had done to them (even though it had been with their full knowledge and consent), mixed with sorrow and admiration that she had felt she had to do this to protect them from the horrors that she (and the young man accompanying her) had to face. And relief that she and her man (or apparently, men, as another close companion was mentioned a few times, although there seemed to be some growing sadness over that topic) had survived and had come to bring them back to life, as it were.
Once Gil and Elly had come to terms (at least to an initial stage) over what their daughter had done to them, they started to wonder what to do next. They asked their boss for a couple months off, as they wanted to go back to the UK to see their estranged daughter (whom they had never mentioned before) for Christmas. They promised to return by February, when the need for medical help was highest in the heat of the summer. Their manager agreed to their leave of absence, but felt that there was something suspicious going on, and it might just have something to do with the young couple who had come to visit.
The couple told their boss that he was correct, and the young woman was actually their daughter, Hermione. They promised to explain when they returned, and confided that they had been part of a protection program, but the murderous gang had been caught and punished, so they were now free to resume their lives. They promised to return with their actual credentials and a full explanation (although they planned to leave out such details as their daughter's unusual skill set).
Before leaving Australia, Gil and Elly showed Hermione and Harry some of the sights, like Uluru and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. They returned to England, stopping at Angkor Wat, the Taj Mahal, Petra in Jordan, stop in Egypt to see the pyramids, the Minoan Palace at Knossos, and the Acropolis in Athens. In many of these locations, Harry could feel the old magic which had been used to build the monuments, which was why they had not been completely destroyed by time.
One evening, while they were on Crete, while the ladies were off doing some shopping for souvenirs, Gil and Harry sat in a beachside taverna watching the waves. By this time, Hermione had filled her parents in on all the happenings since they went away, and details about events at Hogwarts which she had neglected to tell them before (suspecting rightly that if they had known the full extent of the horrors she and her friends were subjected to, her parents would pulled her out of the school). Although horrified by the injustices and events that had occurred, they were extremely impressed with the abilities of the young woman they had raised, and very impressed by her companion. They were saddened when Hermione confessed that things had not gone well with Ron for some time and that they had finally broken up, and that things were not going smoothly for Harry and his girlfriend either. Gil was privately pleased that Hermione had finally come to her senses and split from Ron, whom he had always felt was not right or good enough for his daughter (even telling himself that it was a father's job to feel that way about any boy looking at his little girl as if she was a woman).
They had spent the day on the beach, and the women (to Harry's surprise) had dressed in the standard southern European style of swimwear, that being a bikini bottom and no top. Being a style that was also common on Australian beaches, and having taken winter vacations to the Greek Islands and the Costa del Sol, Gil was not surprised by the appearance of his wife and daughter, but Harry was stunned. He stared at Hermione (and Elly), then back at Hermione, while Gil quietly chuckled to himself at Harry's reactions to the sight of his daughter's body– the kid had grown up awfully innocent, given the death and destruction he had faced and indeed had dealt out first-hand himself, and the fact that Harry and Hermione had lived together for months in a tent, an environment not exactly replete with privacy. It was obvious to Gil that, however intimate Harry and Hermione were intellectually, they were not intimate physically (at least, not yet).
Harry was now learning the thrills and dangers of ouzo, while Gil was sipping a glass of local wine. Gil was reminiscing out loud about the tales his daughter had told him, with Harry confirming or elaborating the events from his own point of view.
Gil said "So, in your first year, one of your professors was possessed by this Voldemort fellow, and he let a troll into the castle, and none of the staff detected it, with all their safety measures, what do you call them, wards." Harry nodded.
Gil said "And in second year, a monster was let loose in the castle, from a secret chamber that none of the staff could find over several centuries, but a student found and opened." Harry nodded again. "And in third year, your godfather broke out of your highest security prison, when Dumbledore and others had known he was innocent for at least 10 years and had left him these for political reasons." Harry nodded, looking sadder and sadder as the questioning went on and the flaws in the magical society became more and more obvious.
Gil said, "And in fourth year, a transformed follower of this Voldemort character was impersonating a teacher and teaching for the better part of a year, and put your name in this chalice-thing, with no-one's knowledge." Harry nodded again.
"And in fifth year, you had this woman torturing students, and nobody was doing anything about it." Harry nodded again. Gil continued "And all the while, about one-quarter of the student population were being led by bigoted bullies, who at the very least threatened other students, and most likely were guilty of molestation and rape."
Gil looked sharply at Harry. "And you say that this was the best protected place in Britain, run by the smartest and most powerful wizards and witches in the country. Is this correct?"
Harry had never looked at it from that point of view. He nodded again. He said, "In the last case, the school was under serious political pressure from the Ministry, trying to discredit me. The Ministry was in part afraid of what I knew, and in some cases was being bribed to not look too hard."
Gil shook his head. "Harry, think about it from my point of view. Just how stupid are this inbred, bigotted bunch of idiots? The most powerful wizards and witches in the world can't keep their students safe, can't detect monsters and demons in the castle, can't solve problems that a student cracks, and allows the abuse of its students by bigots and racists! Hermione tells me that you were lied to, and lied about, for most of your life. You were even put on trial for defending yourself against monsters that they refused to acknowledge had gotten out of control! Yet you fight to protect these people! Harry, I have to ask, just how stupid are you?"
Harry gulped, and answered, "It was actually more just protecting my own life and my friends. Voldemort kept coming after me, over and over and over. But when you put it like that, I guess I was a bit distracted from seeing the overall picture."
Gil smiled and laughed, "Good answer, kid. But it wasn't just Voldemort. What about the troll? You could have run out with the rest of the students. But you didn't. You stayed to rescue a little girl that I am rather fond of but that you were definitely not fond of, at least at the time. I know Gryffindors are supposed to be brave, but really. There is an old saying in the military, that a hero is just someone who does something courageous and stupid while there is an officer watching who can recommend him for a medal. I haven't really decided whether you were just courageous, or really really stupid – even your Professor McGonagall called it 'pure dumb luck'! Either way, I am very thankful you did what you did. You saved Hermione over and over. You made it so we can come back and meet our daughter again."
Harry said "With her knowledge and reading up on stuff, Hermione saved my life over and over too. I'd say that, from my point of view, we're about even on that."
Gil said "Harry, I am not required to be grateful for what she did for you. But I, we, are very grateful for what you have done for her."
Gil paused and thought for a moment. He said, "Harry, I am going to recommend you read a couple of books. I know this would horrify Ron – I have to admit I never thought much of that boy, brave though he may be. I didn't think he was right for our Hermione. But then it's a father's job to not think anyone is good enough for his daughter, but the fastest and most disastrous way to drive two young people together is to try and separate them, so I kept quiet, mostly."
"Anyway, one of the books is called 'Black Like Me' by an American named John Howard Griffin. It's about racial bigotry. When you read it, any time you see the words 'black' or 'nigger', insert the word 'muggle'. See whether it sounds familiar to you."
"The other book, or shall I say books, are by an American science-fiction author called Larry Niven, about a version of the future in space, calling it 'Known Space'. A number of the stories talk about artefacts of a long-ago war between a race of powerful telepathic creatures, referred to as the 'Masters', and their controlled servants. One story told how the Masters were incredibly stupid, so a lot of their servants died because the Master in the story forgot to let them eat, sleep or whatever. Eventually, one of their servant races with a strange name managed to organize a secret revolt which wiped out both races."
"Harry, I know that you learned how to cook (Hermione raves about your apple cobbler and your omelettes), and that you found where the kitchens were at Hogwarts, and that you have made friends with the house elves, which you treat like humans and even friends. Harry, most of the people in your world, even the ones you like, treat the elves like slaves at best, and consider most non-human magical folks as vermin. I know you own elves, and that you treat your elves well, but you are an exception in this. Harry, I still have a lot of trouble with the fact that you have elves as bound servants, whatever you call them. And yes, Hermione has told me her story; sad, and terrible – that is going to be a burden she will carry the rest of her life."
"Consider, Harry, your society still holds slaves – in my eyes, elves are owned, or bonded to the families, or to individuals, and that makes them slaves. I know Hermione has said that the elves claim it is their own choosing, but it still looks like slavery to me. (By the way, another book for you to read; 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' by Harriet Beecher Stowe.) My society gave that up almost two centuries ago, although I am ashamed to say that there are many places in the world where it still happens."
"They say that no country is more than three meals away from a revolution. Harry, how many of your magical humans could even feed themselves if the elves disappeared, or would survive if the elves revolted violently. Hermione tells me that when you freed the elf called Dobby, and Mr Malfoy tried to attack you, Dobby did something that flung him down the hallway. I suspect that if the elves ever got fed up with their treatment, the wizards and witches would not survive long, either by violence, or by starving to death because they can't find the kitchen. Either that, or the fact that there are so few of them that the inbreeding is wiping them out – look at how many of your so-called 'pure-blood' classmates are the only children in their families. And frankly, from everything that I have heard about them, good riddance!"
"Harry, Hermione now tells me that these bigots, in order to keep the power in the 'Great' families, insist that you have two wives, which in my culture is a crime, although other human cultures have other ideas about that. And I gather you were just going to roll over and do it, because you think that that is the world you need to live in. It looks like they want you to personally repopulate the world that they are destroying, or provide them with fresh genetic material as they have contaminated their own."
"Harry, the British aristocracy used to behave like your Great families and your Wizengamot, passing laws to protect their own privileges and keep the power in their own hands. In the 1600's, the people finally revolted and cut the king's head off! Harry, unless you plan to spend your life fighting, or plan to lead a revolt to overthrow the entire system (you know, maybe not a bad idea, that), you are not going to be able to change the way things are run. You can live under that system, like the blacks in the old American South. Or you can get out."
"Not being magical myself, I don't know where might be a better place where you can be yourself. I know that in the aboriginal tribes in Australia, or in the south Pacific islands, or in Africa, they say that magic is part of the culture, but I have never seen what you and Hermione can do." He laughed bitterly, and said "Well, maybe I have, and they altered my memory – that seems to happen to me sometimes."
"Harry, I don't want to push you into something you don't want. But please, think about it. I think there is a strong possibility that I may become your father-in-law, or maybe one of your fathers-in-law, if you take that route. I don't think I would want the latter, but then, that would be Hermione's decision, and maybe even yours, if she lets you have any say in the matter - she is the most stubborn woman I have ever met (and between just us, this is after living with her mother for a quarter century, and Elly can be awfully stubborn). Elly and I have talked it over, and she is having a similar discussion with Hermione. I don't want to see my daughter hurt by your world, and I fear that being muggle-born (as you call it) it is going to happen sometime, and that it might be as bad as the last couple years. She indicates that a new Dark Lord keeps appearing every now and again."
"Another thing, Harry. In my estimation, the two things which are constant features of humanity are bigotry and curiosity. We've talked about the bigotry. But where in your world is the curiosity? The only people I have heard you two talk about, people who are curious about other things and the world outside their experience, are Arthur Weasley and Luna Lovegood, and both are ridiculed and despised by most of your society. Arthur's a nice guy – we have met several times. But even with his curiosity, consider that one of his passions is to figure out how airplanes fly without magic. Muggles figured out the basic principles of aerodynamics over a century ago! He could have picked up any elementary physics text, and had his answer. But they don't teach physics in the magical world, because you have control over the natural forces, or else your elves do it for you. Where's the curiosity? Where are the magical Universities? There aren't any and Hermione has always been hungry to learn – she isn't ever going to be able to satisfy that hunger in the magical world!"
"I suspect that you and she are going to find yourselves living between the magical and mundane worlds, not really accepted by either. You may find others in the same state, but this is one of the reasons why I suspect that you and she will end up together. If so, take care of my little girl."
Harry smiled, remembering the afternoon on the beach and the way Hermione looked in her bathing suit, and responded "Mr Granger, I don't know if you have noticed, but Hermione is not a little girl anymore."
Gil shook his head. "Harry, you will know once you have kids of your own, no matter how grown up they get, your daughters will always be the little girls that you held on your lap reading stories to them at bedtime. Only in your case, the fairy stories will be non-fiction."
Ron Weasley was called into the manager's office at the Cannons headquarters in Chudley. The manager looked a bit embarrassed, and said "Ron, please sit down."
Ron sensed that this could not be good. In terms of his childhood dream, he was right, but in the long term he was not.
The 'boss' said, "Ron, I'm afraid we're going to have to let you go. You're just not fitting in with the team's plans."
Ron shook his head in disbelief. "Bob, I can work harder. I can put together some new plays, and come up with some new formations. I can do this."
Bob shook his head sadly. "Ron, I know you are an excellent player. You are a great keeper, but the owners feel that they want a different man for the job. I am sorry. Anyway, here's your pay packet." Ron stood and said "I don't need it. Keep it for the next guy" as he left the room, crushed.
That evening, Ron was sitting in his apartment crying. Why had Harry done this to him?
His fireplace/floo connection flared green, and a heavily accented voice said "Ron Veasley? Is Viktor Krum. Can I come through?" Ron said "Sure, why not? Can you bring some more whiskey or vodka or whatever? I seem to have run out."
The green flames flared, and the Bulgarian quidditch star walked confidently into the room. He said "I brought some Slivovitz. Made by my father. Good stuff." He looked around the room at the several empty bottles, and said "Maybe later."
Ron looked up from his chair "Have you come to gloat? Did Harry tell you to come laugh at me? Or you coming to tell me Hermione is with you now that she dumped me?"
Viktor scowled, "Ronald, I vill be friend, and vill assume is only drink speaking, not my friend Ron Veasley. Why are you blame Harry? He sold his share in Chudley Cannons several months ago. I thought you knew. He wanted your success to be yours, and yours alone; no suspicion that he was 'fixing' for you. Ron, if is necessary, Harry would die for you – you know that. Ron, I am sorry you not know that Harry not own Cannons no more!"
Ron's jaw fell. He had been blaming his best friend for his troubles. His tears increased.
Viktor nodded sadly. "Ron, you have two problem! Most important, you have no confidence in your own good-being. Tell me what you think of this man. When twelve years, he join friend to save life of little girl that he not know well, and what he know, he is not like. Over years he fight with friends, but always be there for them. When he eighteen, he arrive to find friends being possessed by evil talisman and he destroy, saving friends from life worse than death. At same time, he is great quidditch player – first time, he knows he will lose game, but thinks best friend give him lucky potion. But friend not give lucky juice, and the man win game! Makes good plans, good strategies."
"After get out of school, drafted to English Primary League, right out of school. Unheard before. Team known for losing games. Him in goal, team begin winning!"
"What you think of that man? Good, yes? Yes! Ron, that man is you!"
"Ron, I know, Hermione tells me, you feel your family only have you because they want girl, and you born instead. Ginny come next, and then they stop because 'job done'. When growing up, you told 'Protect little sister' – you feel mother thinks Ginny more important than you."
"Is crap! Ron, your mother love you for yourself. Yes, she love Ginny, and she ask you to protect her – the world has very many nasty bads, and pretty girl from poor family is always in danger. Always! Needs strong, good, older brother to protect her until she strong enough on her own, and sometimes even then.
"Second problem is, you got temper hooked up with gonads, and gonads are drunk at the moment! Much jealousy. Hermione is friend only. We write, she tell me about England, Scotland, Hogwarts, I tell her Bulgaria, Durmstrang. Differences, similarities. Interesting stuff."
"Ron, Hermione is, to you, brother-in-arms! Yes, yes, brother with tits and uterus, but brother. Sometimes is good to hold brother-in-arms in arms; when wounded, hurt, needs comfort. Sometimes not so good. Ron, you two not good for each other. You fight together against evil ones, but then you fight together against each other. You like sport, great quidditch player. She like books, learning, hates flying – she come to quidditch games to be Gryffindor, to be friend. Sometimes to prevent nasty curses from other team. Not for The Game, like you and me. I love quidditch, too. Hermione not good for me either. Besides, my Sophia probably not like. She say, 'Viktor, you good player. Big star! Have groupies. But Viktor, no extra on side, you understand! Or I cut things off you would rather keep!'"
Ron said "But you kissed her at Bill's wedding!"
Viktor shook his head, laughing, "Ron, you so English! You never travel. In Europe, is how friends greet each other, nothing more. On cheeks, not lips."
"Ron, I must tell you something you may not have notice. Chudleys are professional team. You still trying to play school game. Professional teams about making money, first, last, always. Not win game, not win house cup. Make money!"
"Ron, Chudleys lose games, or win by small margin only. Their fans love, what is English word, underdogs. You join team, they start winning, big! Fans stop coming, gamblers start losing money on bets, bookies unhappy. Team owners start losing money. Ron, you too damn good for Chudley Cannons!"
"Ron, I hear you not with Cannons no more. I glad you not Cannons no more. So. I come to make offer. I am assistant coach for Bucharest Bozhe Mois. I need playmaker, I need good keeper. Ron Veasley, I am need you! You! Good salary, bonuses for winning, European league, lots of travel."
"And Ron, Bulgarian tomatoes!"
Ron looked disgusted "You're trying to bribe me with girls?"
Viktor looked puzzled "Girls? I don't, ...ah I see, in English 'tomato' is pretty girl. No, no, no. In Bulgaria, is grow best tomatoes. At Hogwarts, I try tomatoes at meals. Feh! Not worth eat! At home, two tomatoes and glass of wine, is great lunch all by self. Flavour you not believe, from having tomatoes here. Ron, I have seen you eat, you like food. Or else, you eat lots because you looking for taste you are not finding. Come, join team, eat good food. Maybe even, meet my sister Magda, no?"
Ron sat silently for a couple minutes. Then he nodded and smiled. "Thank you Viktor, I accept. When do I start?"
Viktor looked around the room at the empty bottles. "I think you need to sober up first. Not good apparating with this much drunk. Very messy at other end of trip." The two men laughed. Ron said "Shall we break open that 'Slipperybits' (or whatever it is) and toast my new job!"
In early March, Harry was sitting reading in his living room at the manor.
He had become really engrossed in the science-fiction books that Gil Granger had recommended, and found that Hermione also read science-fiction, along with everything else ever published. They got together and talked about all sorts of topics, such as whether apparating qualified as faster-than-light (FTL) transportation, and how one would go about testing it (as the only way to really see how fast you could go would be to have a very distant destination, such as the moon or Mars, and then see how long it took you to get there and then back. One immediate problem is that they didn't have the apparition coordinates of any of these places. A second was that, as Earth was the only place you could survive without a space suit, how would you survive, with the leading option of learning to do a bubble-head charm covering your entire body.
Harry was thinking about some things that Gil Granger had said, and he was wondering about elf magic. Could an elf go to Mars and back safely? How far could they go? What else could they do that he couldn't even imagine. He knew that he needed to ask, as they had found that assuming things could be disastrous.
Another thing that Harry noticed was that in muggle writings (and in real life), people did things in teams or in groups. Other than in quidditch, Harry had never seen wizards and witches working as a team, and even there, everyone on the team was doing something on their own. There was no magical equivalent of tug-o-war, or a sea shanty where everyone was doing the same thing together to increase the power or effectiveness – this seemed to be manifest in the fact that, other than the school song, no one at Hogwarts sang together. If one wizard or witch was incapable of the task, it just didn't happen. They never combined their strengths! Harry thought this rather odd, and started to wonder if it was even possible, or did the nature of magic prevent it.
His fireplace flared green, and Harry heard Arthur Weasley's voice asking if he could come through, with Molly and Kingsley Shacklebolt. Harry agreed. He hadn't seen Mr Weasley since he and Ginny broke up, and he missed the Weasley family, who had taken him in as one of their own years before. Breaking up doesn't just separate you from your lover, but also their family (who, by that point, you may prefer).
Shacklebolt's presence indicated that this was not going to be purely a 'family' visit.
He offered them all drinks. Molly and Kingsley accepted tea, but Arthur was fascinated by the muggle drink 'cider' that Ginny had told him about, and that Harry's staff produced from the apples on the estate. Harry joined him in this, as much to make him comfortable with the choice as really wanting anything alcoholic during what promised to be serious discussion.
Harry had been helping out on the farm's orchard, as the apple and plum trees were coming into blossom, and the constant hum of bees was as pleasant music as any other he knew. In addition to the cider which had been a traditional product of the farm, Harry had taken up mead making, given the plentiful honey production from the bees, and partially in honour of the late Professor Dumbledore's well-known fondness for oak-aged mead.
Kingsley started the conversation. He seemed hesitant at first, and then said, "Harry, I am sure you know that there were, and are, a number of wizards and witches who, although not Death Eaters themselves, were in sympathy with Voldemort and his crew, and some were outright supporters. Supplying materials, funding, those sorts of things. Maybe they were out for their own gain, maybe they were blood-purists, maybe both. We know that Delores Umbridge was not a Death Eater herself, as she was just in it for her own personal power, but she had the potential to try to be the next Dark Lord (or Lady, I guess). Anyway, you and the Ministry stopped that when you were able to show that she was providing support to Death Eater families both at Hogwarts with her Inquisitors Squad, and at the Ministry – she was trying to use them, and it came back to bite her."
"Now that Voldemort is no more, those of us in the Order of the Phoenix have decided that we need to continue the fight against the programs that he was pushing. Otherwise, all the sacrifices will have been in vain." Molly looked pained at this statement, and had tears creeping into the corners of her eyes remembering one of the sacrifices that the Weasley family had endured.
Kingsley continued "Even if at the end of the day, he was using the pure-blood bigots for his own purposes, they are doing things that he would have loved. Things like trying to pass laws so that unmarried wizards and witches would be forced to marry, and use this to both 'restock' the bloodlines of the pure-blood families that were almost wiped out in the war, and incidentally make sure that the laws were set up to make sure that the power was kept in pure-blood hands. One they did manage to get through does require the Heads of Ancient Houses to have an official wife, and if as in your case, a wizard heads two houses, you are required to have a separate official wife for each house – apparently, this is intended to either sow dissension, or keep the wizard otherwise occupied and distracted while they play their manipulative games."
"One of the laws that they were trying to push through the Wizengamot would strip you and Ms. Granger of your Orders of Merlin, because (they claim) as muggle-born or muggle-raised, you are not worthy of this great honour. As such, you would be stripped of your inheritances as well, because they fear your financial and potential political power. Fortunately, the proponents of this law tried to 'influence' some staff, who were not as welcoming as they had hoped, and not as receptive as they might have been in the past; several high-born wizards are now serving long terms in Azkaban for attempted bribery."
"We are worried that there are going to be more attempts to subvert what we did, what you did, in getting rid of Voldemort, and turn the clock back.
Molly Weasley began, "Harry, I know that you and Ginny..., well, it didn't work out between you two. I have to say that I am sorry, and I wish it had gone differently, but you are two different people and it was not to be. Harry, even if you are not going to be my son-in-law, we feel you are part of our family, and we miss you. Arthur and I hope you and Ginny can still be friends, and yes, I know it's a standard kiss-off line when a couple splits up, but she's still the little girl you played quidditch with, and helped run the DA when you and Hermione were gone that winter. She was a good friend, and we hope she still will be. "
"Now, having got that off my chest, " Molly looked down at her ample bosom, and snickered, adding "Well, still lots there. Anyway, we are worried about some of the people hanging around Ginny. And I don't just mean Arthur and myself, I mean the Order! We're known as blood-traitors in a number of circles, and some of the people around Ginny are from purist circles."
"Now, I know Ginny is loving all the attention she is getting. I fear that we spoiled her a bit when she was young, my fault really, and that she has a deep need for the attention and all the acclaim. I worry that she is not going to be as careful as I would like. Maybe the young men around her from purist families learned something in the war, and aren't tempted to follow their families' patterns, but we worry that the purists will try to take their revenge on us through her."
Arthur spoke next. He held up is glass and said "Ginny was right, this is good stuff. But that's another matter. Harry, the Order would like to work with you again. We are not asking you to go to war and fight again. God knows you've done far more than your share, and we don't want to put any more burdens onto you."
"We suspect that they are going to come after you and Hermione, too. If you choose to do so, you two would be the biggest threat to their plans. We would like to share any information we discover with you, and ask that, if you come across any information that the Ministry or the Order should hear, you pass it on."
"Harry, we expect that there will be those trying to influence you, or use your fame and your fortune to their own ends. We would like to suggest that you set up some holding companies to manage your affairs, and maybe keep an eye out for suspicious activities. I gather that you are making some efforts along those lines already. You know people who have connections, as the muggles say 'you know a guy who knows a guy'. For example, we know that some of your classmates were in pure-blood families who wanted nothing to do with Voldemort and his people, and were against their ideas but couldn't really speak up due to the Death Eater children at Hogwarts. Mostly Slytherin, but not all."
Harry remembered how Marietta Edgecombe in Ravenclaw had betrayed the DA at the request of her mother who was a corrupted Ministry official.
Kingsley spoke again. "Harry, you also have connections inside the Quidditch world. Ron and Ginny do too. I know you have walked away from your own personal involvement, but you have ownership interests and a lot of friends in that area, that we just don't have access to. Can we ask you to just keep your ears and eyes open?"
Harry thought about what his guests were saying. It sounded like Gil Granger's fears were coming true. He had already been thinking about what to do, if only to keep people off his own back. The help of the Order, and the Ministry, looked like a very good thing to have. However, it did seem like the future was going to be a bit darker than he had hoped.
Molly started to speak, but Harry could hear a bit of a sob in her voice as she choked slightly, and then said "Harry, I know that it's not really something I can ask, given how things are between you two, but can you please keep an eye on Ginny? I am really worried about some of the people around her. You must know I wasn't thrilled with her doing that calendar, and I am really unhappy about the photospread she did. I love my daughter, and I don't want her to be a joke to everyone we know. I know she is a strong capable young woman, and that with her brothers being the way they are, or at least the way they were, she learned to look after herself in most ways."
"But I don't think that she really thinks about the evil that some of these people are capable of. I think they are trying to use her, either because she is a beautiful girl herself, or there may just be gamblers wanting to influence her playing, or even trying to hurt us through her. Artie and I have been in the Order, fighting these people for longer than you have been alive. We have seen what they can do, and they scare me. I don't want to see my little girl hurt."
Harry assured the three that he would do what he could. He explained that he had already engaged a former classmate as a social advisor to deal with matters involving wizarding society, as his upbringing had been sorely lacking in such information. When he told them the identity of the person, they were shocked given her history of affiliation with children of prominent Death Eaters. Harry assured them that the witch in question had addressed his concerns in that direction to his satisfaction, and that her affiliations had been purely on a social nature due to family ambition. He let them know that, on her own suggestion, he had questioned her under the influence of Verasitaserum, and that he had accepted her Unbreakable Oath of personal loyalty. This further shocked the trio, as Verasitaserum was a controlled substance, but they were also impressed that Harry had taken such extreme precautions (given the woman's history).
Harry gave the three a tour around the property while they chatted. By the end of the afternoon, the old alliance had been renewed.
After the three left, Harry summoned Bruce the elf, and called Pansy Parkinson (head of what Harry thought of as his Wizarding MI-5) and they talked long into the night.
A couple days later, Harry arranged a meeting with the Arthur and Molly Weasley, Ginny Weasley, Hermione, Pansy, Gwenogg Jones (captain of the Holyhead Harpies), and the elves Florrie and Misty. Misty was the Weasleys' elf who was 'attending' Ginny. Harry explained to the group that he would like to have Florrie keep watch on the Harpies, as a security precaution. As Florrie had worked with Ginny before, she was attuned to Ginny's presence and needs, and so would be able to fit in more easily. He rapidly assured Misty that this was in no way saying that Ginny or the Weasleys or him or anyone else was dissatisfied with her exemplary work, and he hoped that she would not take it as a harsh criticism. She was a good and honourable elf and they appreciated her for it. However, Harry was concerned about some bad wizards who might try to harm Ginny and her teammates, and he asked Gwenogg if this would be alright with her and the organization.
As the captain of an all-female team in a rough sport, Gwenogg (call me 'Gwen') was somewhat taken aback by this request. She felt that she and her people could look after their own security (thank you VERY MUCH!) as they had been fending off over-amorous boyfriends, ex-boyfriends, assorted perverts, etc. for many years, very successfully. With their annual 'Naked Quidditch' calendars, dealing with wizards who tried to plant recording devices in their locker room was just par for the course, and she could handle it. She also pointed out that the team also received copious hate-mail, mostly from people who had lost money gambling on games, and most particularly betting against the Harpies since Ginny became their first-string seeker.
Again, Harry asked Gwen not to take it amiss, just as he had for Misty. He pointed out that some of the mail that Ginny was getting was not just the run-of-the-mill marriage proposals, outright propositions, very explicit requests for dates, and such, as these were, as Gwen pointed out, just the normal course of business for a women's sports team in a competitive (and largely testosterone-driven) league.
He showed her some of the letters Ginny and her parents had received from anonymous senders (some of which Ginny had forwarded to her parents, with copies to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement office, with some directly to personal contacts in the Aurors Bureau Special Action Squad – the infamous 'SAS'). Some were very explicit in the details of the abuse or torture that the daughter of blood-traitors could expect, should she fall into their hands. Some detailed plans to go after her family and friends, particularly that disgusting half-blood and his friends, mudbloods and blood-traitors all.
Reading some of the planned 'party activities', Gwen's face blanched. These were definitely beyond the usual crop of horny young wizards trying to score with one of her team-mates. These were something much darker and more dangerous
Harry commented that, as the aforementioned half-blood, he felt that these were an attack on himself personally, and so he felt the need to intervene personally. He pointed out that the sentiments contained in the letters were things which he had been dealing with all his life, and the ideas they displayed were along the lines of what Voldemort (the group gave a collective shudder at the mention of 'the name') was trying to accomplish. As such, he felt the need to step in and do something. Harry's face took on a sad anger, as he said, "A lot of people died fighting those attitudes. I am not going to let their deaths be in vain."
Harry pointed out that he, and his advisors (nodding to Pansy and Hermione) and their teams, were going to discover the perpetrators, and deal with them in an effort to eradicate the bigotry and prejudice from their society. He would appreciate her (and Misty's) help, but it was going to happen one way or another.
Gwen took another look at the parchments in her hands, and shuddered. She looked at Harry and nodded, saying "This is way out of my league, and I would really like to keep it that way. Go ahead. Florrie, if you would like to stay at my flat when you're not looking out for my girls, I would be happy to have you." The elf was obviously please that she had a person to help in her 'spare' time, rather than just hanging around in a women's locker room under a disillusion charm so her presence was not obvious to those who weren't looking hard enough. She announced that since Harry had got so many elves because of his prowess beating up bad wizards, she had very little to do. As an elf, not being busy was just not acceptable to her, and frankly, she was getting bored. She welcomed the chance to 'do' for Gwen.
Harry asked the elf, "Florrie, would you prefer to be bonded to Gwen?"
Florrie shook her little head. "No, Master Harry. My loyalty is to you and your cause, as you and your Hermione have deep concern for the welfare of all elves. But I want something to do! Thank you for giving me the opportunity, even if it is not in your own house, but that of a friend. I helped with your Ginny, when she was your Ginny, and now I will help with your Miss Gwen."
Gwenogg stated to protest that she was not 'his' Miss Gwen, as Harry was protesting the same thing. The two looked at each other, and as Florrie looked at them smugly, laughed as they realized the futility of arguing with an elf. They had been 'had', and they knew it.
Harry looked at Gwen, who nodded her agreement at the arrangement. Over coffee, tactics were discussed, and then Pansy got up, and said, "Harry, I'll be at the office for the next few hours if you need me", and disappeared.
Harry and Gwenogg spent a couple enjoyable hours discussing everything quidditch.
After Gwenogg left, Harry apparated over to Pansy's office. The office was in her residence outside London, to be near the DMLE headquarters if she needed to contact them quickly. She was meeting with her senior elves.
Harry took a few of the more personal letters in his hands, saying "I want these people found."
Bruce (Harry's head elf, who he had working with Pansy's team) said "Mr Harry, sir, we have put "Find-me' charms on the letters. We call the charm 'Mal-where'. Everything you do has your magical signature on it, and we can trace who wrote these, where and when. We have already ascertained that these two (holding up one note about Hermione's mudblood status) came from Hogwarts. We haven't traced which house and which student, but it does not have the signature of any of the staff. Harry, we're on it, and we will let you know. As you asked, we are passing along copies of the more vicious ones to the DMLE, with our assessment of the sources."
Harry nodded his thanks. He said "Sounds like you have it in hand. Good. Just keep me in the loop, particularly if it involved any of our friends or the Weasley family. Also anything else that you think I should know about."
With that, he returned home, thoroughly annoyed with the state of his world.
A/N: MI-5 (originally Military Intelligence Department 5) is the British internal counter-intelligence department (equivalent to the FBI in the USA), as opposed to MI-6 (or SIS) which is the external intelligence service (roughly equivalent to the USA's CIA). Other countries combine both functions within different departments of the same overall organization like the KGB in the former USSR, or CSIS in Canada.