Chapter 2
David returned to the castle until such time as the double wedding was scheduled; the delay was a purely legal, or at least conventional, one, in waiting for Grace to be over the age of consent. They were getting married by muggle ceremony for this reason since she would not be of age in the wizarding world for another whole year and she and Draco had no more intention of waiting than Molly and Arthur Weasley or Krait and Severus, though they had at least been over age. Lucius had put forward a suggestion to bring that into line with the muggle world and then actually enforce it rather than leave it to custom with younger girls too often forced into prostitution. Surprisingly, Lucius had said that Kordach was keen to see it pass too; he despised perverts.
During the meanwhile, the double wedding would be a social event for the villagers near Malfoy Manor and Lucius was throwing a feast for them, since only those of the wizarding world would be a part of the celebrations in the Manor and its grounds. Harry and Ginny were happy to get married anywhere, and whilst Molly might have liked to have launched her only daughter from her own home, Arthur was not displeased that Lucius was defraying much of the expense! Charlotte had asked Molly to be as much a part of the planning as herself and Narcissa and Molly and Narcissa had discovered that partiality for their respective offspring allowed them to put aside a lot of animosity and a lot of conversation revolved around how terrible it was that youngsters should take such awful risks and how disobedient they could be and how now they were embarking on married life they would finally understand how hard it was for parents. It even led to Molly deploring the hole-in-a-corner way Ron and Hermione had got married when it had been suggested to them that they make a triple wedding of it.
Ron had been aghast; and Hermione had needed only a little persuasion to make a quiet ceremony from her parent's house and with the Weasleys invited at the last minute so there was no time for Molly to work on Ron. Molly, upset that she would have nothing to do with either of her younger children's weddings was delighted to be involved in the preparations of the double wedding that she was in her element.
Harry escaped as often as he could to the cottage in Godric's Hollow that he had been doing up as a marital home. There had been some outcry in the wizarding community about not leaving it as a memorial; but Harry pointed out, quite firmly, that his survival was the memorial that his parents had been most interested in; and if keeping their house, the Potter family house in which they intended to raise a family, in its ruined state left him, Harry Potter, killer of Voldemort homeless, which of the wizarding community was prepared to give up THEIR house for him if they expected him to give up his, merely as a keepsake?
Plenty of people were willing to offer him a home with them; but that, as Harry said, was not the point. It was his cottage and he would do as he pleased with it. The memorial to his mother's sacrifice lay in her blood; and her blood would be in his children who would grow up there and hopefully endure through many generations.
Ginny said,
"If lessons have been learned then the remains of the cottage will not be needed to reinforce them. If – as is more likely – the message of how someone like Tom Riddle could cause so much trouble has NOT been learned then no amount of ruined cottages will be able to reinforce it. WE remember; WE shall teach our children and our children's children. The living at Godric's Hollow are the testament to the valour of Lily and her son."
There was very little more said on the subject!
David was glad to be well out of it.
He was less glad when the American gas-guzzler roared up the castle drive and three near caricatures of American tourists leaped out. They consisted of a cigar-chewing man in a travesty of plus-fours, his wife in a showy string of pearls and a dress that made her look fatter, and their offspring who at around ten probably weighed four times as much as David.
"Hey boy! You the caretaker's son or sompen?" demanded the man.
David looked down his nose.
"Excuse me? Are you addressing me?" he said with as much of the manner of Draco as he could manage.
"Sure I'm addressing you, kid. Ain't you the caretaker's son?"
"I am a prefect at Hogwarts school; my people moved locally" said David, not entirely mendaciously. "Are you lost?"
"Not a bit of it!" the man waved a cigar "Mind you this is the damndest place to find! We've come to look over this little old pile and ask for a PROspectus for our son here. Junior fancies a nice English school with a spot of grouse shooting and fishing on the side!"
David looked at junior and thought that he could out-Dudley Dudley when the boy had been at his worst. His heart sank. Then he thought of something.
"You had an invitation from the head then?"
"An invitation? What the dooce are you talking about?"
"Gee, don't you just love his accent?" put in the wife "All Lord Peter Whimsey and upper class English!"
"I am afraid, sir, that unless your son has received an invitation he will not get a place. This is a very SELECT school you know; one has to be of the right family" David drawled.
"Aw, we can get over that" said the American "I can let your head have some kind o' grant, I can afford the best for my boy!"
"I'm afraid, sir, we don't DO things that way in England" said David "We consider bribery frankly rather vulgar; and I do not think that the Professor would like to even have such a thing suggested to him. I am so sorry you have had a wasted journey."
"The hell I have! Here, what'll it take you to take me to your head?" he heaved out a roll of notes and started peeling them off.
"I find your attitude insulting" said David coldly, letting his fury show "How DARE you try to bribe me? I have half a mind to call for the police and have you arrested! Now get off this land, you are trespassing!"
"I ain't going until I've see your head!" said the American.
"You'll see him in court with a law suit against you if you're not careful" said David. "Ah, Hagrid."
Hagrid had arrived.
"Wha's up, David lad?" he demanded.
"These….people…..appear to have very strange ideas about how we conduct matters in England" said David "They appear to think they can get anything they want by paying for it, like some third world country. They won't leave. I can't think that Professor Dumbledore should be bothered by them as their son has NOT received an invitation to partake in our school's education. Of course, people with any level of courtesy might have written first; but that of course is why we have so select a policy; to keep out the hoi-polloi."
"Here!" protested the American "D'you have any idea who I am?"
"Yer a big fat ugly bastard – begging your pardon David – wha's going to be on the road in minutes two or I'll be helping you on yer way" said Hagrid.
"How dare you? I'll see you gaoled for such threats!"
"What, I suppose you think you can bribe a magistrate too?" said David disdainfully "Think again. The law in England permits reasonable force to eject any trespasser; Hagrid's not going to lay a finger on you. He IS going to drag your car off our lands, however. If you choose not to go with it I shall then call the police. Now leave; or be ejected."
The American could not believe it.
"We can't go, Pop, I wanna go to school here in that cute little old castle!" whined his son.
"You hear? Our baby has set his heart on it!" said the woman "And we never deny him anything!"
"Madam; perhaps he would grow up a better human being if at times you managed so to do" said David. "Very well, Hagrid; get that pile of rubbish out of my sight, please!"
Hagrid grinned.
He was a fairly fearsome sight; a half giant is a frightening enough sight even when they do not have a massive crossbow in their hands. He laid this down carefully however, and strode towards the car; and began to drag it.
Not knowing anything about muggle technology he did not let the handbrake off first.
"STOP! You'll DESTROY it!" howled the American.
"Perhaps you should have thought of that before you were so insolent towards your betters" said David, enjoying himself no end in some ways. Dumbledore would back him; the point of concealment by obviousness was to seem normal, and he knew that boys from places like Eton could be utterly insufferable, because Justin Finch- Fletchley had told him so, having been glad to come to Hogwarts instead.
The Americans ran after Hagrid, and finally managed to persuade him to let them drive away instead.
"I wonder how much a new transmission for that thing is going to cost?" murmured David to himself. "Won't be able to get one over here I don't suppose. And see if I care anyway!"
oOoOO
When the Minister for Wizarding Education, Clorinda Vale, turned up a couple of days later, and Lucius Malfoy with her, Hagrid was in a blue funk.
"If them Americans complained, we was within Muggle law" he said defensively.
"What Americans?" demanded the Minister.
"They were rude and pushy and wanted to see over the school" said David "And of course I'm not allowed to confund them to suggest that they had been as I'm under seventeen" he added virtuously "But they were trying to wave money at somebody because their repellent brat had set his heart on coming here. I had the idea of telling them that attendance at so select a school is only by invitation" he added.
"Ah, brilliant, Mr Fraser" put in Lucius, smoothly. "An excellent way of smoothly getting rid of the more obnoxious muggles, don't you think, Minister?"
"Oh yes, absolutely Mr Malfoy!" said the Minister breathily.
Plainly she was completely in awe of Lucius and would agree to anything he said.
"I asked Hagrid to drag their car off the premises" said David "As they would not leave of their own free will; and threatened them with the police."
"Which would have been my muggle cousin Archie I believe" said Lucius dryly.
"Even if he were not, sir, nothing that Hagrid or I did is outside of what is 'reasonable behaviour' on which British law rests" said David "Hagrid could probably have hit it hard enough to flatten it in the middle and folded it up into a metal cube and still got away with it. May I ask, Ma'am" he addressed Madam Vale "To what we owe the pleasure of your visit if it is not about these contumelious muggles?" if she was impressed by Lucius a short burst of Severus-speak probably would do no harm
"Oh it's just this exciting new concept of concealing by obviousness; I wanted to see for myself how it was going!"
"Well, ma'am it's early days yet; these Americans were I feel just an unfortunate incident and not likely to be typical. Any reasonable person will write for a prospectus and an application form for their child, and can be told kindly that the waiting list is so long that they are better to seek education elsewhere. I'm sure Professor Dumbledore has it well in hand; he is used to dealing with muggles" said David.
"Oh absolutely" murmured the Minister.
"Young David Fraser is my choice to teach muggle and squib relatives about the wizarding world in Rowan House when it opens" said Lucius "Obviously he can't teach during its first year, since he will be doing his NEWTs; but I was hoping, my lad, you might devote your fertile brain to writing down a rough curriculum. You have such extensive experience of both worlds without being quite so er, unnecessarily highbrow as Miss Granger – Madam Weasley I should say."
"Why – th-thank you sir!" stammered David, taken aback "I should certainly hope not to let you down! Hermione is very good, but I suppose she can be a little high falutin' at times" he added "And she's so clever she expects everyone to live up to her standards. She'd be excellent teaching arithmancy with crossover mathematics if I may say so."
"Thank you; I shall bear that in mind" said Lucius. "Severin Prince and his wife my er, relative are to be the governors there, but I have been asked for my input as governor of the main school. I know they too think very highly of your ability."
"I believe you are a Gryffindor, Mr Fraser?" asked the Minister.
"Yes ma'am" said David.
"Well, I have every expectation that you will be a luminary of our house" she said.
David took that as tacit approval of Lucius' suggestion that he teach the more because she was an ex Gryffindor herself!
It was quite a shock to think that in a couple of years time he might be 'Professor Fraser'; but the chance to develop the curriculum of the most important class at the new school was so exciting!
"It will be a real challenge, sir, ma'am to put together a course of study" said David seriously "But I hope I shall rise to it. But it may be that there will need to be changes to the curriculum as we see in practical terms what works."
The minister waved a hand.
"Oh that is true of every new subject" she said "Professor Black is only now fully satisfied with the geomancy course, after the first trial OWL exam."
"It was for me an easy exam" said David cautiously "But I believe others found it more challenging. Did Professor Black think it too easy?"
"Oh, are you the only one with the 'O' grade then?" asked the Minister.
"I don't know ma'am; I haven't had my results yet" said David, his heart hammering.
"Well the examiner said there was one boy got back from his labyrinthine course before he'd even finished his tea, who produced as well so comprehensive a piece of written work that Professor Black should look to his laurels" she said.
David blushed fierily.
"Well he was still in the staffroom with a cup of tea when I got in" he said "And I really enjoyed the written paper."
"Well, I fear I have spoiled the surprise for you then Mr Fraser" said the Minister. "Congratulations!"
David was grinning idiotically.
"Well done lad" said Lucius. "With something like that you'll be in demand at the ministry as a tracker or plotter or guide; higher paid jobs than teaching."
"I'll act as guide for Draco or Harry any day" said David "But I think I'd prefer teaching to working in the ministry."
He had been about to add more about not wanting to work along side the sort of idiots the ministry attracted but remembered just in time that this would be scarcely tactful to the Minister of Education.
Lucius just caught his eye and smiled slightly. David was pretty certain he had guessed exactly what he had nearly blurted out!
Lucius was all right.
And Lucius too understood the need to understand muggles better and to use other means than pure concealment to protect the wizarding world from them.
Lucius spoke such thoughts aloud.
"As you see, Minister, a very exclusive, even snobbish school that is rude to Americans or indeed anyone 'not of the right background' is something muggles understand; and in Britain it is something they RESENT but ACCEPT. It is things they do not understand that make them react in a disproportionately violent way. We all know how much valuable ministry time is taken up by having to confund muggles who have seen something they should not have seen, or to disillusion our normal means of transport. So long as proper muggle documentation is arranged, a far easier confundment than to cover a slip, we can arrange more enchanted aeroplanes and – and jellycroppers."
"Helicopters, Mr Malfoy" said David.
"Exactly. Excellent boy, knows exactly what I mean" said Lucius "Be Minister of Muggle Relations before we know where we are, Hmm?" he grinned at David's outraged look.
"Yes, it saves a lot of valuable time and helps conceal us in a world of increasing population and – so I understand – increasing numbers of muggles prepared to believe" said the Minister.
"Yes; with a decline in beliefs in religion, there are muggles turning to ever stranger beliefs, some of which come close to our own practices because they have come upon old books that have some truth within them" said Lucius "Short of destroying all these books – a mammoth task, especially with the mass confundings of any who might have read them – it is easier to take the joint steps of pooh-poohing such beliefs in public through such of my muggle acquaintances who have influence and of making sure that there are less things for such discerning muggles to see. And I would also argue for investigating such muggles rather than confunding them out of hand and building up a cadre of those who know and who have some stake in our society – the right to stand, for example, as muggle representatives and to vote in elections. That way, should it become expedient at any time to make wide spread disclosure, we shall have friends who will help to ease the knowledge in, as it were. You'll be at the wedding, by the way, Mr Fraser?"
"Yes, thank you Mr Malfoy" said David "Wouldn't miss it for worlds."
The look the minister gave him was a little jaundiced. David reflected she had probably not been invited.
But then, he was friends with both brides and both grooms; and she was not.
David's OWL results arrived right before the wedding; and a small package much like that in which his prefect badge had arrived. Puzzled – and wondering if Professor Dumbledore had decided to swop him to another house or something – David opened that before he opened his results.
It was a Head of House badge.
David gasped.
It was rare for someone in the lower sixth to be Head of House; but then, Ginny Weasley had no natural successor in the year below her so perhaps Dumbledore felt that he David would rise to the challenge! He ran to show Gran.
She hugged him.
On Severus' potions she seemed years younger since she had been living at Hogwarts and she really enjoyed every aspect of her life there; and David was reminded again of Lucius' idea of having muggle friends. The marauders of course were on good terms with their actress friend, Grace Sylvia; and had been firmly introducing her to the squib Colonel Smith as she seemed to have no luck with choosing her own boyfriends. That sort of thing would be a start.
And there again, how many muggleborn were descended from squibs who had sought to make a life for themselves in the muggle world but who still carried the genes that determined the magically active?
"David, you'll make Severus, Albus and Minerva proud of you" said Gran, of the badge.
"Oh dear" said David "But I shan't get to argue a case for who should be head boy or girl if I'm a house head because I'll theoretically be a candidate."
"Was there anyone likely to be a house head you had set your heart on then?" asked Gran.
David shrugged.
"Not really; though I'd as soon NOT have a Ravenclaw. Not that I know who's likely to be chosen; one of the Greengrasse girls for Slytherin I guess, either one would be a good House Head. Lester Bane in Hufflepuff is a good sort; I'd not object to him as Head Boy, though he'll be a little pedestrian after Draco and Ginny. I guess you can't always have someone who'll set the world on fire" he shrugged.
"Is that your results?" asked Gran.
David nodded, ripping into the envelope, suddenly eager to see if the Minister had been right about his Geomancy.
And there it was, Geomancy grade 'O' alongside Potions, Arithmancy and Care of Magical Beasts, all at 'O' and a bracketed confirmation of his early 'O' grade in Defence against the Dark Arts. Five 'O' grades were not to be sneezed at even if such a result would disappoint Hermione, he thought, grinning to himself. And he had attained an 'E' in both Transfiguration and Astromomy, which was better than he had hoped for with the latter; and had at least attained an 'A' grade pass for Charms, Herbology and Muggle Studies. That rubbish about power stations probably had dropped him a grade, but maybe too it had enlightened both examiner and Madam Burbage. Madam Burbage meant well but knew very little about muggles for real! Really one might as well have someone teaching DADA who could not even drive off a boggart….but then David recalled, there HAD been Gilderoy Lockhart before he had started Hogwarts. Ten OWLs! He punched the air.
Gran read through the list and hugged him.
"I'm so proud of you" she said "And I'd have been proud of you even if you'd failed them all, with all the effort you put in to fighting that nasty little man. I'm so glad you found your way into Hogwarts! Your parents would be proud of you too I know; they were both ready to support you if you did not outgrow your desire to be a soldier, even though I know they had reservations, as parents must when their children stand into danger. Sometimes there's no choice; your grandfather was older than I and he fought the Nazis. And his father had been a conscientious objector; but he changed his mind when Hitler showed what he was capable of, and joined the Home Guard willingly. I hated the time when you were fighting; but I know it was necessary….ah." she said.
"Ah?" said David, apprehensively.
"You are still a warrior for peace, aren't you?" said Gran "Something in your look tells me it isn't over…."
"There's still Odessa" said David "The ones we think sent the huorns… they rode on the back of the organisation of the same name that supported – and supports – members of the SS; they are racial supremacists only of the wizarding kind, exploiting the mysticism of the SS and effectively using them as muggle agents little short of slaves though I doubt the muggles realise it. Because of Granddad among other things I pledged to fight them."
"Then I will be as much of a support as I can be" said Gran "And at least the Bloodgroup helps keep you safer and your comrades and leaders in that actually care about their troops. I have to say, I have no time for Molly Weasley's hysterical rubbish; kids die in war as much as adults and to my mind any way of protecting them that works has to be good. As this Blood Ritual seems to have done. Far too sheltered, some of these wizarding folk if you ask me!"
David hadn't asked her, but he agreed.
Only the deep infiltration of deatheaters into the Ministry had forced some of the idiots to take their heads out of the sand!
"I'm glad we got a new style of government" he said "One that actually does something."
"I never thought I'd agree that something worked better than democracy" sighed Gran "But the wizarding world is too socially primitive for true democracy. They're stuck somewhere mentally in about the fifteenth century. Think Florentine and Venetian Renaissance."
David was much struck; and he laughed suddenly.
"With Lucius Malfoy as our stand-in for Niccolo Machiavelli" he said.
oOoOo
The wedding went like a dream; both brides were radiant – as brides are supposed to be – and both grooms were faintly bemused – as grooms are wont to be. Grace shone with the beauty of happiness that made Draco catch his breath, and Ginny was definitely an auburn haired beauty without a whisper of 'ginger' anywhere. David – at the request of both grooms – had worn a Fraser sept kilt and played 'Black Bear' on the bagpipes, which he was now getting quite good at. With its war connotations it had special significance for all of them.
Ron was best man for Harry of course; and Hermione matron of honour for Ginny. Draco and Grace chose Severus and Krait for those offices.
The reporters from wizarding news services were there in force of course, and Lucius tolerated them up to a point until the wedding party was due to retire to the Manor, when well-rehearsed bridesmaids – Jade, Lydia, Erica, Lynx Black-Weasley, Senagra and Gabrielle Delacourt - thrust posies into the hands of the reporters who were still thinking how sweet they were when the portkeys operating from the posies took them in different directions to the middle of the countryside. Avice and Alienora were bridesmaids too as was Lilith; but considered too young to hand out portkeys reliably. Hawke and Abraxus had to firmly distract their twin sisters to prevent them complaining that they had not handed out bouquets too. Lilith's look of comprehension as the reporters vanished boded ill for her great uncle Lucius later for leaving her out; but she bided her time, and Severus quickly captured his small daughter and explained mendaciously that Lucius had been afraid the silly reporters might have picked up a small girl who was so very sweet and accidentally kidnapped her and her twin cousins.
Severus was a very good liar and Lilith had not yet attained legilimensy at her tender years and accepted the explanation.
After all, there was nobody as cute as her, as she informed her daddy.
Severus briefly wondered about a lecture on vanity and decided that this was neither the time nor place.
Kordach had come to the wedding and slid into the grounds with the wedding guests. He was nattily dressed as always in a pearl grey hat with a sharp point, pearl grey gloves and a robe in charcoal grey trimmed with tasteful silver. He looked just the wrong side of being snappily attired. Hawke, pointing him out to the other marauders, said that nobody could ever mistake him for anything but a crime boss. Kordach meantime was looking for Lucius.
"I know I'm not perhaps welcome, Mr Malfoy" he said to Lucius "But we goblin folk are conscious of the debt we owe your son and Harry and their wives among others; and I'd be grateful if you'd let me drink a toast and wish them well, and then I'll go. I know how we'd have suffered under Voldemort."
Lucius nodded.
"You stay, Kordach" he said "And welcome too now I here you're starting to legitimise. You're a man of substance and we'd do well to listen to your ideas. I'll ask you to be…discreet; we have something new and I don't want it tainted with your old image. I hope you understand?"
"That's very fair and civil of you Mr Malfoy; I understand. One day I'll hope to hold up my head as a prominent member of our society without a whiff of crime about me; and if not me, perhaps my children."
Lucius nodded.
"Maybe so" he said.
So that was Kordach's ambition; to be someone. And perhaps helping to satisfy that might even help to put controls on the goblin underworld at that!
Kordach circulated the edges; greeting the young Marauders politely, and thanking them again for their intervention over Grang.
"I want to make sure my people keep honest" he said "Crime has been in my family for generations; the time has come to dissociate myself from that. I hope you'll bear that in mind, that I wish to see more honesty amongst my employees."
"Oh absolutely, Mr Kordach" said Hawke smoothly "Or should that be 'cousin'?"
"I – I beg your pardon, Mr Malfoy?" said Kordach, taken aback.
"Why, I refer to your ancestor's liaison with a muggle slave whose descendant sired a son on a Malfoy woman" said Hawke "Such a tragic and romantic story! Uncle Lucius has of course had the poor young man interred in our vaults…you do not know the story? Let me enlighten you" and he told the story of Cosmo Malfoy.
"And Lucius Malfoy acknowledges him as kin? Well, well I am surprised! He has mellowed!"
"Acting a lie as a deatheater did take its toll on his temper" Abraxus lied smoothly. "And he had to act correctly for the role he played too of course. Naturally he cannot publicly acknowledge the familial connection while your own transactions are still seen as, er, dodgy but once you are generally recognised as an honest businessman that would be a different matter; the connection is legally and morally dubious, but what family does not have skeletons in their metaphorical closet, hmmm? WE have any number!"
"Which we put on display to frighten away the neighbours" added Hawke cheerfully "We have one ancestress in the sixteenth century who reputedly had a competition with a muggle whore over who could service the most men in a given time. And of course the usual collection of murderers, thieves and even the odd pirate. I think the only crimes Malfoys haven't committed at some point are Barratry and Incest."
"And that's only because no-one is really sure what Barratry is" grinned Abraxus.
Kordach chuckled.
"Well, that makes honest thieves and gamblers almost respectable!" he said. "I don't touch slavery – never have done – though I have smuggled enough over the years; some of the prohibitions are silly. But my people do not touch the running of live snidgets. It's totally wrong and ruins a good game. I do not agree with those who say the live snidget makes a better game than an artificial snitch; do not agree at all."
"Well I'm sure that the sillier laws may be revised in time" said Hawke "Though I must say I agree with some; being a Slytherin as I am I get very upset by the traffic in runespoor eggs and the like; or amateurs trying to make basilisks."
"And THEY are so many fools" said Kordach. "Nobody in their right mind wants to make a Basilisk!"
"Well considering the improper uses old Salazar's pet was put to, perhaps you're right" said Hawke.
They reported later to Lucius that Kordach was still smuggling as part of his business and might continue to do so unless warned off personally; but that he would probably continue to hold shares in a smuggling business he could distance himself from. They had hardly needed legilimensy to learn that much from the Goblin crime lord; not after their studies with Severus.
"At least he doesn't touch slavery or snidget procurement" said Lucius "Those ones I could NOT shrug off. Nice job, boys."
"Thanks uncle Lucius" they chorused, Romulus and Kinat too.
They had enjoyed the wedding.
They had been page boys, but had accepted it with good grace as a means to be near the central guests to surreptitiously cast the fluorescent fart jink on the most pompous ones and the ones they did not like such as Sephara's mother. Sephara had refused to be a bridesmaid on grounds that her mother would make a fuss, and the new Marauders were out for vengeance on their blood sister's lack of self confidence. And they had achieved it, not only with the jinx on her anal eructations but also by casting a subtle version of the babbling curse to make her speak the absolute – and total – truth all afternoon.
She had offended at least a dozen people to date.
The marauders felt it had been a very successful occasion!
a/n you can find 'Black Bear' in a variety of versions on Youtube including the snippet from 'The Longest Day'