Disclaimer: I don't own any part of Harry Potter or Oh My Goddess
When Urd finally retired to her bedroom after several hours of celebration, she was only slightly surprised to see a phoenix waiting for her. She had read Dumbledore's file, after all, and knew that the phoenix currently known as "Fawkes" had been accompanying the aged wizard for some time.
Well, she had read all of the file that had been made available to her. I hate trouble-shooting prophecies, they always withhold information because "it might invalidate the prophecy", bunch of useless nit-pickers...
Forcing such thoughts from her mind, she gave the immortal firebird a wide grin. "Hello Fawkes. I have been expecting you."
Fawkes trilled a bit of song. To a human it would have uplifted their soul while giving an impression of being a question. For Urd, Goddess Second Class (limited), Norn of the Past, it was just another language she had learned...well, a while ago. Even goddesses don't like to talk about their age.
"Don't be like that, Fawkes. I know that you know who I am. Of course I was expecting you."
Fawkes sang a bit more. Urd sighed.
"He's using you for letter duty? Well, I suppose it would be more secure than those owls they seem to favour, but really. Using a phoenix for the post? Actually I shouldn't be surprised. The last human who could speak to phoenixes died centuries ago. It was a bit much to expect you to be relaying a message directly."
Fawkes warbled sadly. Urd nodded in agreement.
"I'm afraid there's no helping that. Still, if the old man has seen fit to write to me I had better look at what he has to say."
Fawkes squawked loudly.
"I'll call him whatever I want. And he is an old man. Now are we going to chat all night or can I read the letter now?"
Fawkes sulkily presented a leg, allowing access to the letter. Urd first cast a quick charm, which revealed that no compulsion or tracking charms had been cast on the missive before it had been sent. Fawkes glared at Urd, who huffed in response.
"I don't trust him an inch, Fawkes. Now, let's see what we've got here..."
Dear Urd Odinsdotter,
I write to you in regards to our mutual concern, Harry James Potter. Following our recent discussion, I have researched the topic of Blood Wards extensively and have come to the conclusion that I have made several significant mistakes regarding their use. This has led me to believe that Harry should not return to the Dursley household for the foreseeable future.
Nevertheless, his future does require further thought and discussion. I hope to meet with you and Harry in order that this matter be resolved. Please send a time for a meeting to me via my companion Fawkes.
Yours,
Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Order of Merlin (First Class), Grand Sorceror, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards and Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Urd snorted gently. Oh yeah, I'll just invite you along to a face to face meeting with the boy you have utterly failed for the past 8 years. Not going to happen, old man.
The tan goddess looked directly at Fawkes. "Does he seriously think I'm going to dance to his tune?"
Fawkes gave the phoenix equivalent of a shrug. Urd sighed and grabbed a pen and some notepaper.
"Give me a minute, I'll have a response ready for you shortly."
Albus Dumbledore was having another late evening, although this one would hopefully not see him stay awake until dawn like he had the previous night. He was anxiously waiting for a response to the message he had sent to Harry's new guardians, and as the hours passed his anxiety increased. He had tried to fill in the hours by attending to paperwork on his desk (he still marvelled at how that particularly muggle expression had wormed its way into a magical society that still used little other than parchment) but that diversion had come to an abrupt halt an hour before when he had achieved that particular form of nirvana that resulted from having finished the entire backlog.
Several portraits of previous headmasters had passed out in shock. Unfortunately this rare and delightful occurrence had done little to ease Albus' stress, and he had now taken to pacing his office.
If they aren't willing to talk, I'll have no option left but to resort to force. The old man thought to himself. And that will require allies. Which will require explanations. Which risks security. There are too many people still loyal to Tom present in society, telling more people the truth of the situation risks them finding out and attempting to...
His pacing was interrupted by the fiery return of his faithful friend Fawkes. Dumbledore paused to give himself a small mental pat on the back for his unintended alliteration, before he all but ran to Fawkes' perch.
"Has she sent a reply?" He asked breathlessly. Fawkes gave him a look that Dumbledore swore was amused before extending a leg. Albus relaxed marginally when he saw the attached letter. He quickly removed it from his companion and moved to sit behind his desk.
The letter was brief and to the point.
London
Buckingham Palace
Main Gate
Sunday 25th June
11:10 am
Be there. Come alone. Don't be late.
Urd Odinsdotter
Well. It was not the friendliest letter he had ever received, but it was at least a step in the right direction. He was relieved that the Odinsdotters at least seemed willing to talk.
Dumbledore placed the letter in a secure drawer of his desk before he stood up. He was heading towards the door of his office with the intention of retiring to his quarters, when he paused. There was something about the letter...
He returned to his desk and pulled the letter out. Upon re-reading it, he realised what it was that bothered him.
It never said that Harry would be there.
On Sunday morning, Harry woke up at his customary early hour. Not that it was customary by choice. Years of being forced out of what passed as his bed to make breakfast for his overweight cousin had forced a habit of early rising.
He awoke confused again, but this time the confusion was quickly replaced with comprehension as he recalled the events of the previous day. Introductions to his new family. Discovering magic. Involvement in some magical circle that scanned him or something. A peaceful day spent gardening with his cousin Belldandy. Then Keiichi's proposal, and the celebration that followed.
Of course, this had required no small effort on his part. Urd was a mediocre to poor cook at the best of times, while Skuld's idea of food preparation started (and stopped) at the microwave oven. The result was that Harry's hard-earned culinary skills were called forth while the two sisters acted as his assistants.
That in itself had been a small revelation. For the first time in his life, he had cooked for people who not only appreciated his efforts but were willing to help him prepare the food. There was no shouting (well, Skuld had shouted at Urd at one point, but it didn't have nearly the venom that the Dursleys had reserved for Harry), no criticism and plenty of gratitude once everything was ready.
Harry had been surprised that cooking in an environment like that was actually enjoyable. Skuld had noticed his apparent delight and had commented that he should spend some time cooking with Belldandy. Harry found himself looking forward to it, especially if she was as nice in the kitchen as she had been in the garden.
A quick glance at the illuminated display of his alarm clock revealed that it was already seven in the morning. Harry could have sworn that the display had shown it to be six o'clock when he had woken up. He could hear vague noises outside his room that hinted at movement, so he clambered out of bed and quickly donned a dressing gown and slippers. Opening his door with a bit more confidence than he had displayed the previous day, Harry headed in the general direction of the dining room.
Downstairs, he discovered that Belldandy was just in the middle of placing a platter stacked with English-style pancakes. This was a breakfast dish that Harry had prepared for Dudley many times in the past but had never been allowed to try for himself.
The only other person in the room was Keiichi, who had buried himself in one of his English primers. As Harry entered, Keiichi's book lowered and Belldandy looked up with a smile that warmed the room.
"Good morning Harry. There are fresh pancakes here, and there is sugar and lemon juice just in front of Keiichi. Please help yourself."
Harry needed no further encouragement, and eagerly sat down and helped himself. Keiichi poured him a glass of milk as Belldandy left the room to fetch her sisters.
Harry concentrated on his food as Keiichi seemed intent on multi-tasking, attempting to use one hand for reading while using the other two to eat. Unfortunately the young man only had two hands to do the work of three, and the result was that Keiichi kept losing his place in his reading. Eventually the engineer gave up and put the book away, turning his full attention to his breakfast.
Belldandy re-entered the room, followed by the semi-comatose forms of Urd and Skuld. The barely conscious sisters quickly woke up when they saw the food set in front of them.
"Wow! This is really nice, big sister!" Skuld said. Urd just nodded in agreement.
Belldandy's seemingly ever-present smile went from warm to radiant. "Thank you, Skuld dear. Now, let's all eat before it gets cold."
Conversation was kept to a minimum as they all devoured the culinary delight that Belldandy had prepared. Once they had finished and the table had been cleared, Urd coughed gently to get everyone's attention.
"I have to go out this morning, but should be back by lunch time. I thought we could discuss the scan results this afternoon. Is that OK with you two?" The eldest Norn asked her sisters.
Belldandy responded first. "Certainly, Urd. I thought Harry and I could work on the garden a bit more this morning before it gets too hot. What will you be doing, Skuld?"
Skuld looked thoughtful. "I'll finish work on Banpei and Sigel. It shouldn't take too long."
"I will help you in the garden," Keiichi put in. "there is not much else for me to do right now."
"Fine," Urd said as she stood up, "OK with you, Harry?"
Harry was still unused to anybody asking him if he agreed with their suggested course of action. "Yes, that's OK."
Urd headed in the general direction of the living room, while everybody else moved towards the kitchen to clean up.
At precisely ten minutes past eleven o'clock on Sunday the 25th of June, 1989, Albus Dumbledore arrived in the general vicinity of Buckingham Palace's main gate. The area was packed with an eager throng of tourists, making Albus glad that he had consulted with a muggleborn friend regarding his choice of clothing for today's meeting. He was, he had been assured, dressed appropriately for a man of his apparent age and would blend into the background easily.
The Headmaster took a moment to look around for the person he had come to meet, but could not see her in the crowd. He moved towards the back of the multitude of tourists before he took another look.
Music of some sort had begun to play, though Dumbledore could not see the band producing it. He was about to check his surroundings for the person he had come to see when somebody tapped him on the shoulder.
"Good to see you came on time, and alone. We'll just wait here at the back of the crowd, that way nobody should notice us having a nice chat. They'll be too busy watching the show."
Albus turned around and saw Urd Odinsdotter grinning at him from close range. I never caught the vaguest hint of her sneaking up behind, he thought, just who are you, Miss Odinsdotter?
Putting those thoughts to one side, he smiled genially. "What show is that, Miss Odinsdotter?"
Urd raised both eyebrows. "For shame. You've lived in this country for over a century and you aren't familiar with the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace?"
Dumbledore turned around to see what had attracted the crowd here and saw various soldiers in ceremonial uniforms marching in some choreographed fashion. He did not understand what was going on at all, but he immediately saw why Miss Odinsdotter had chosen this time and place for the meeting. With this many muggles around, including soldiers, his ability to use magic would be constrained.
"Very crafty, Miss Odinsdotter. Shall we talk while the ceremony takes place?" Albus asked.
"Of course. And please call me Urd, Miss Odinsdotter is a bit of a mouthful." Urd replied airily.
Dumbledore hesitated for a moment, before he tried to restart the conversation. "Miss Urd. I wanted to talk to you about-"
Urd cut him off. "- Harry's placement and our guardianship of him. Yes, I guessed as much. Considering our last face to face encounter, I'm guessing that you don't approve of us taking care of our cousin." Her voice was chilly.
Dumbledore nodded. "I researched the nature of Blood Wards, and I can now understand why you disposed of them so quickly. Now that I know that they are not an option, Harry's future needs to be considered carefully."
Urd glared at the Supreme Mugwump through narrowed eyes. "Harry's future is as uncertain as any, Headmaster, but for the moment it is fairly clear. We have adopted Harry into our family, both legally and emotionally. The forms I submitted in both the magical and non-magical worlds are iron-clad. Which I'm sure you've already discovered, considering that you asked to meet me in person rather than send a legal summons. We will care for Harry and undo the damage done by the Dursleys. You, on the other hand, will leave him - and us - alone until he is ready to begin his formal magical education. There is no room for negotiation here, Headmaster, so do not try."
The Chief Warlock sighed. Not a good start. "Is there anything that could make you change your mind?" He asked hopefully.
"An act of god," was the abrupt reply, "and for all that you may be revered by your fellow wizards and witches, you aren't god. Nothing short of that will change our minds regarding Harry's situation. Not you, not your Minister of Magic, nobody. As I said, there is no room for negotiation."
Dumbledore used his best "disappointed elder statesman" look on the young woman, but saw that it had no effect. Time for a different tack. "There are threats to Harry that go beyond even normal magical attacks."
"Like that evil wizard he supposedly vanquished in 1981," Urd said mockingly, "yes we know about that. I'm sure you saw our ward work when you visited us on Friday. We are not amateurs, Headmaster, we know how to defend ourselves against dark magic. Harry will be safe at our home - a lot safer than he would be anywhere else in Britain."
Albus frowned. "Just how is it that you know about the threat posed by Voldemort?" To his disappointment, the name of the dark lord did not faze Urd even slightly.
"Why, you told me yourself." This statement was accompanied by a smirk.
"I am sure that I would remember telling you something of that magnitude," Dumbledore replied sternly.
"Oh, Headmaster. You are so skilled at legilimency and occlumency and yet you didn't even notice when I played you using a trick older than you are?"
Albus frowned. What trick?
Urd chuckled. In the background, the ceremony seemed to be reaching some sort of highlight, based on how the crowd was reacting. "I went on the attack the minute I had you inside my place of residence. That put you wrong-footed, as you aren't used to that kind of attitude. Then I hit you with my knowledge of the Blood Wards. That shocked you enough that your occlumency slipped, not a great deal but enough to get a glimpse of what was right at the forefront of your thoughts at that instant." Urd reached out and tapped Dumbledore's forehead gently.
"I am a master legilimencer, Headmaster. I got enough out of you in that unguarded moment to be able to construct the bigger picture. You aren't just scared that Voldemort will return, you are absolutely convinced that he will and that he will place Harry high on his list of priorities. Close enough?"
Albus was equally flabbergasted and awe-inspired. This young woman had managed to penetrate his own mental defences? And he hadn't even noticed? He had underestimated her yet again.
For her part, Urd smiled internally. She was, in point of fact, highly skilled in mental magic. She had no doubt that she was better than the best human legilimencers and occlumens alive. The same applied to Belldandy, and Skuld would be in the same position once she quit procrastinating and learned to use her magic properly.
But she had not used those skills to learn about Tom Marvolo Riddle and the threat he posed to Harry Potter. She had read the file on the prophecy and learned the full story there. She needed a cover story, however, and this would explain her knowledge of things Dumbledore thought were secret while intimidating the old man into backing off. At least, she hoped it would intimidate him. If this didn't work to get him to keep his distance, she might have to actually give him a real taste of what she could do.
Dumbledore was silently considering his options. The wards he had seen at the church on St Francis Close had been extremely impressive. If Harry's Norwegian relatives were that skilled with wards, their claim to be able to defend the Boy-Who-Lived might just be valid.
He glanced at his conversation partner. "Are you certain you are up to confronting Voldemort himself?" He asked point-blank.
"Of course. He may have intimidated your nation into a being a bunch of spineless cowards, but I am fully confident that we have all we need to keep your supposed dark lord at bay." Urd replied dismissively. Dumbledore bristled at the insult to his country, but kept his temper under control.
"Then it appears I have no alternative but to leave Harry in your care for the moment." He stated.
"Correct." Was the only reply.
"Then I believe we are finished here." The Headmaster continued. He was surprised when Urd shook her head.
"Not so fast. Here is how we will proceed. We will take care of Harry for the next two years, until he is old enough to commence his formal magical education. At that time we will not stand in his way if he chooses to attend Hogwarts. On the other hand, we won't force him to attend your school if he decides to get his magical education elsewhere. I would advise you to avoid anything that might alienate Harry, and do your best to make Hogwarts seem like the best choice."
Dumbledore was puzzled. "Why would he go anywhere else? Hogwarts is the finest school of magic..."
Urd cut him off. "...in the world, blah blah blah. You just keep telling yourself that. The fact is that you're only the best in Europe, and several schools are rapidly catching up. If you want to ever live up to your boast, you had best make some changes."
Albus was silent for a moment, before he spoke up again. "Anything else?"
Urd grinned at the bitter tone. "Yes, do your homework. It took me throwing your ignorance in your face for you to realise that you had made a right hash of things with the Blood Wards. The fact that it only took you a day of research to identify your error says a lot about how you didn't do your homework back in 1981. If you are really concerned about this so-called Voldemort, forget arguing about the living arrangements for one orphan and concentrate on finding out just how the bastard avoided death. Assuming he did and you aren't just being paranoid to the point of delusion."
Dumbledore snarled. "I have 'done my homework' in this case, Miss Odinsdotter, and I assure you that I have had no luck in finding anything solid. There are dozens of things Voldemort could have done to prevent his final passing, and I have no evidence for any of them."
Urd glared. "Then you're going about it the wrong way. Don't look at every possible method of avoiding death and focus on those that Voldemort could have discovered. You know enough about the man to be able to narrow down the list of possible methods. Then, maybe get out of your ivory tower and do some serious looking. You won't win this with a text book, Headmaster, so if you aren't willing to do the hard yards...find somebody who will."
Albus returned the glare. "It is bad enough that you know about this. The more people who know, the greater the chance that Voldemort will find out and take action."
"And if you don't trust anyone, you'll never get anything done." Urd replied bluntly. "One man bands are only entertaining for the comedy value, Headmaster. Please don't let this whole thing descend into farce. I believe we are finished here, good day."
With that Urd turned abruptly and walked off. Albus glowered after her, before he turned away himself and headed back the way he had come.
When Urd returned to her new home, she found her family inside preparing for lunch. She had taken her time getting back to Hinckley, making some diversions to acquire potion ingredients. Getting back after the first round of gardening had been done was excellent timing from her perspective.
"Hello everybody. Did you have a good morning?" Urd asked.
"Welcome back, Urd. Yes, things went well. Did you finish your business?" Belldandy asked pleasantly. Urd could hear an undertone that indicated that Belldandy knew exactly what Urd's business had been.
"I think it went fairly smoothly. We can discuss things after lunch."
With Harry assisting Belldandy in the kitchen, lunch was prepared and served in short order. Belldandy kept the conversation light while they were eating, choosing to discuss her plans for the garden. Skuld mentioned that she had Banpei back up and running, but Sigel was apparently sulking because her legs were still inactive. Keiichi remained quiet, apparently still unsure about his English, but Harry did contribute to Belldandy's comments about the garden.
Once they had finished, Urd caught Belldandy's eye and motioned her to one side. A quick whispered discussion later, and Belldandy turned to the other three people.
"Urd, Skuld and myself need to discuss various issues this afternoon. Keiichi, can you please keep Harry company? Maybe you can work on your bike together."
Keiichi nodded. "OK. I think we can keep busy. Alright, Harry?"
Harry just nodded. He was interested in the bike anyway, working on it would be good.
"Fine. Well, you two can get started while we clear up in here. I'll bring some drinks out later." Belldandy punctuated her comment with a small kiss on Keiichi's cheek. Keiichi blushed, before he escorted Harry outside.
"What's going on with you two?" Skuld asked.
"We need to discuss those scan results for a start," Urd began, "and then we need to talk about how we handle the next two years."
"What do you mean, handle the next two years?" Skuld demanded.
"We're here and established. That was step one. We retrieved Harry from the Dursleys and handled the legal side of becoming his new guardians. That was step two. Now we need to educate Harry and prepare him for Hogwarts when he is eligible in 1991." Urd stated.
"So?" Skuld inquired.
"So we also need to consider the bigger picture." Urd said as she carried plates into the kitchen behind Belldandy.
"We have our cover identities, but we now need to work them to make them real." Belldandy explained. "For example, your sister Urd will be establishing her own potions shop in Diagon Alley. The background created for us here has taken into account our existing knowledge and skills, so Urd has an official Potions Mastery that she can use to start her own business."
"That way I can establish myself in the wider magical community here," Urd continued, "it'll mean that when I turn up in Hogsmeade I won't be a complete stranger. That could be useful later on."
Skuld nodded. It made sense.
Urd went on. "Belldandy is going to be a very traditional married witch and be a stay-at-home mother. This is very common and it won't attract attention. She will spend time in the communities of Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade, shopping and so on, so that she is also fairly well known. We want to be members of the magical community, not strangers."
Skuld nodded again. "What about me?"
Urd fixed her with a stern look. "You, squirt, need to make a firm decision about your future and make it fast."
Skuld bristled. "What decision?"
Belldandy intervened before things got too confrontational. "Skuld dear, both Urd and I have mastery over our magic. Our established backgrounds here have given us both Masteries in Charms and Transfiguration to account for our skill. We have also completed the field agent training course in Asgard, which gives us information and skills necessary to integrate with life here on Midgard without difficulty."
"Remember when you learnt how to ride a bicycle?" Urd asked. Skuld just blushed, that had been an embarrassing part of her life. "The field agent course includes stuff like that and more. That's why Bell and I can do everything from riding a bicycle to driving a car. We even got taught how to fly aircraft if the need arises. You, on the other hand, skipped all that entirely when you came down here chasing after Belldandy."
"So, what do I do?" Skuld asked timidly. She had no idea that she was so ill-prepared for Midgard.
Urd sighed and faced Skuld directly. "You have two choices. Our established identities here in Britain have you marked down as being 16 this year, with a birth date of the 20th of March, 1973. If you had been raised as a witch here in Britain, you would have started at Hogwarts in September 1984. You would be right at the end of your fifth year, and would start your sixth year this coming September.
"The problem is that your magical training is sub-par by the standards of the local magical population. Frankly, you're behind the eight-ball in Asgard as well. So the most important priority for you is to get trained in how to use your magic properly."
Skuld glared, but said nothing. It was true that she had neglected her magical lessons for a long time. She was probably the first goddess to receive an Angel without having passed her basic magical exam first, which was an achievement that was a source of both pride and embarrassment.
"So, here's what we can do. You can return to Asgard and enrol in a special training course that will get you up to speed in two years. We need you up to speed by 1991, so that's the time limit we are working to. We'd pass this off locally by telling people that you were back in Norway attending the Norwegian Magical Academy." Urd explained.
Skuld blinked. "What's the alternative?"
Belldandy fielded this question. "You stay here, but we get you a full simulator system and you undertake the training here. The problem with this plan is that training in the simulator is inherently inferior to the regular training course, so you will have to work a lot harder and will have less spare time."
Urd picked up the thread of the conversation again. "It is up to you, Skuld. Going back to Asgard will be the easiest way to get your magical skills up to scratch, but you'll lose the chance to properly bond with Harry. Which might be important down the track. Staying here means you'll be closer to the progress of our plan, but it will also mean a lot more work."
Skuld's face fell. Some choice. "Caught between a rock and a hard place." She muttered. Belldandy nodded sympathetically, but Urd was predictably less supportive.
"You brought this on yourself, Skuld, when you broke every rule by chasing after Belldandy. You should have stayed in Asgard and finished your training with all of the teachers and facilities we have up there. When you came down, you got stuck with Bell and myself, plus you seemed more interested in building your toys than you were in learning what you needed to know. Well, the chickens have come home to roost, and now you'll have to play catch-up. I don't envy you, kid, but maybe next time you'll pay attention to your teachers before you blow off what they have to offer you."
Skuld blinked back tears. Urd was absolutely correct, but that didn't make it any less hurtful.
Belldandy glared at Urd, who rolled her eyes in response. "Bell, it is the truth and you know it. Sugar-coating it won't make it any less distasteful."
"I know that, Urd, but you could be more considerate in how you say things to your sister." Belldandy said sternly.
"Sheesh, OK. Sorry about dressing you down, Skuld, but it is important that you learn from this experience. Now, you think about how you want to handle this. For now, let's look at the data from that scan and work out how we treat Harry."
Outside the house, Keiichi led Harry towards the rather ramshackle garage that faced onto St Francis Close. It was currently being used to store Keiichi's new bike and the few tools he had managed to bring over from Japan. Keiichi had plans to demolish the structure and build a brand new garage and workshop combination, until then Belldandy's car would be parked on the street.
The young engineer turned to Harry. "We will work on my motorcycle. I will try to explain how it all works. I hope to teach you how to ride motorcycles one day. Do you know how to ride a bicycle?"
Harry's heart leapt as he heard that he might be able to ride a motorbike. They had been a strong feature of his dreams for a long time. Then reality kicked in, and his face fell. "No, I was never allowed to touch Dudley's bikes."
Keiichi's face hardened for a moment, before he smiled. "Well, Belldandy can teach you how to ride one. Until then, I will teach you how to look after a motorcycle. I may get excited and start talking in Japanese, if that happens please remind me to speak English. I need the practice."
Harry nodded, as they entered the garage. In the gloom, he could see the distinctive outline of Keiichi's Triumph Bonneville.
In a certain magical school in Scotland, Albus Dumbledore was in his office glaring out the window. The nerve of that woman to tell him his business!
Still, there was nothing he could do now. His only option to get custody of Harry now was to mount a full attack. That or try to discredit his new family in the press, but that was a dangerous course to take. Harry's Norwegian relatives already had full legal custody over the Boy-Who-Lived, and might just leave the country if a negative press campaign started. It would take such a campaign time to mobilise public opinion against the Odinsdotter sisters, and in that time they could easily move to Norway.
He could go directly to the Minister of Magic and try to get the adoption overturned. Unfortunately, he knew that trying this would alert too many people to Harry's current location and status. The Minister's office leaked like a sieve, and in any case such a legal challenge to the adoption by blood relatives would inevitably end up before the Wizengamot. If there was one thing he wanted to avoid, it was scrutiny from that bunch of busy-bodies.
Similarly, a physical assault to retrieve Harry was too risky. He had no doubt that he would need most of the Order of the Phoenix to help him breach the wards at that church. Throwing around that much magic would attract a lot of attention from all sorts of people, which would lead to unwanted questions. Plus getting the Order to help him attack a seemingly innocent family would also require a lot of explanations.
No, he would have to accept the status quo, much as it irked him, and figure out some way to salvage things. He would now have to gain the boy's trust after he arrived at Hogwarts without the advantage of Harry actually needing a guide and saviour.
The Headmaster turned away from his window and sat at his desk. Plans began to form, as he considered what resources he could muster over the next two years.
The Norns had just finished reviewing Harry's scan results, and had managed to categorise most of the problems.
"OK," Urd began, "I can deal with the problems associated with his previous malnutrition with a course of potions. That should handle most of the trouble. Bell, can you deal with the continuing issues regarding old injuries?"
Belldandy nodded. There were at least two cases of broken bones having not healed properly, and some lingering problems left over from a head injury. "I think I will be able to handle that Urd."
"What about his eyes?" Skuld asked. "Can we fix his eyesight so he can get rid of the glasses?"
Urd shook her head. "Not until he is an adult. Trying to fix his eyes while he is still growing would cause problems down the track. We'll just have to leave his eyes as they are for the moment, though we should take him to an optometrist to get his prescription checked."
Skuld nodded, before she turned to the last set of results that needed to be discussed. "About these results from his scar..."
Belldandy and Urd both looked worried. "I've never seen anything like this. How about you, Bell?"
Belldandy shook her head. "This is new to me as well. I think we need to consult with an expert."
"Who do we go to, though?" Skuld asked. "I mean, we can't just ask Father."
Urd looked at the Norn of the Present. "I'm guessing you have a person in mind, Belldandy."
The newly engaged goddess nodded. "I was thinking we should send all of this data to Eir and ask her for a full diagnosis and recommended course of action."
The other two Norns paused, before they thoughtfully nodded in agreement. "Makes sense. She is really busy, but I think this case has enough priority on it that we can enlist her skills. Skuld, can you please package all of the scan results into a proper report and send it through to Eir?" Urd said.
Skuld brought up her terminal and started work immediately. "Sure thing. It should take me a few minutes to get ready."
Belldandy walked over to Skuld and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Have you thought about your decision, sister?"
Skuld bit her lip for a moment, before she replied. "I'll stay here and train with a simulator. I think I need to be here and be connected to events, so returning to Asgard is out."
Belldandy seemed to consider this for a moment. "Agreed. I will send a requisition up tonight. We will install the simulator in the garage for the moment, until we can get the renovations complete."
In Asgard, the goddess Eir was relaxing with a cup of herbal tea when her computer terminal dinged, indicating that she had mail. Sighing, she set her cup down and inspected the bane of her existence. It was never-ending, an incessant stream of messages addressed to the Goddess of Healing, all asking for advice on topics that usually required a "take two sugar pills and don't see me in the morning" response.
This one was from Skuld. That was unusual, Skuld rarely bothered anybody not directly involved in Yggdrasil's system administration team. It had a large packet of information attached as well. This might be interesting, Eir thought as she opened the message and read through it.
Ah, that's right, a category 1 - or is that category A, I can never remember - prophecy that went awry. Seems that the Norns have some healing to do.
The more Eir read of Skuld's report, the higher her eyebrows climbed. Most of the medical issues were fairly mundane and it was obvious that Belldandy and Urd had things under control. But this last item that had apparently baffled all three Norns...
Eir suddenly leant back from the screen and rubbed her eyes tiredly. Whenever I think that humanity can't get any more creative at causing itself pain, somebody comes along and proves me wrong.
The Goddess of Healing strode over to a vast bookcase and extracted a dusty tome. Goes to show just how rarely anybody has to deal with this kind of...abomination, Eir thought to herself.
Returning to her terminal with the book in hand, she settled in to write a very long report. She made a mental note to forward a copy of her findings to the Almighty.
At Harry's new home in Hinckley, Keiichi and his young apprentice had returned to the house for dinner. After several minutes spent scrubbing motor oil off his hands, Harry had headed for the kitchen to assist Belldandy. He was intercepted on the way by Urd.
"Hey there, Harry. Skuld is helping Belldandy at the moment, so there's no need to go in there yet. For now, I need to show you something."
Urd led Harry into the dining room, and showed him a small bottle that was next to his place on the table.
"We know the Dursleys didn't feed you properly, and that has had an impact on your health. I've prepared a series of potions that will fix things and get you back to where you should be. This is the first one - drink it all before we eat tonight. There'll be one every night for the next fortnight. After that, you should be OK. Understood?"
Harry nodded. "Thank you. Um, did this cost..." Urd interrupted.
"Forget the cost, Harry. This is for family, the price doesn't enter into it. Just drink it down and try to ignore the taste. I've tried to make these things taste pleasant but it never seems to work."
Harry nodded again, before he picked up the small bottle. Uncorking it, he swigged it down as fast as he could. Coming up for air, he grimaced as the taste caught up with him - it was bitter, very bitter. "Yuck..."
"I know, I know." Urd said sympathetically. "Like I said, there isn't much I can do about the flavour."
At that point Skuld entered with a large basket of fresh bread. "Belldandy says to eat some of this before she brings out the main course. Harry, you aren't to help tonight with the cooking, though Belldandy says she wants to teach you how to make some special desserts tomorrow."
Urd immediately gravitated towards the fresh bread, followed closely by Harry and Keiichi.
Later that evening, after Harry had gone to bed, Keiichi cornered Urd.
"Urd," he started in Japanese, "what was that potion you gave to Harry?"
Urd suppressed a groan. "Harry's ex-family didn't feed him properly at all. He's suffering from a number of problems associated with malnutrition. I've cooked up a series of potions that will fix things and get him to where he should be at his age, but he'll be taking them for two weeks. At least."
Keiichi looked sick. "His family did that?"
Urd had a stony expression. "That and more. Belldandy will be healing a number of old injuries that never healed properly, starting tomorrow. All thanks to Harry's 'loving' relatives and their friends."
Keiichi looked away for a moment, before he met Urd's eyes. "I hope you did something to punish those bastards."
Urd smirked. "Well, I couldn't do much with Belldandy there. Even she would admit that the Dursleys are scum, but she doesn't like to take justice into her own hands. But I did leave a little something."
Keiichi looked curious. "What did you do?"
Urd now looked gleeful. "Oh, something I think Vernon will notice tomorrow. It won't damage him, not physically anyway, and it won't destroy him completely. Just something that will allow him to know that his actions do have consequences."
With that, Urd disappeared in the direction of her bedroom. Keiichi shrugged and left to find Belldandy.
Author's notes: thanks to everyone at Caer Azkaban who have helped me with various bits of this story. I'd list you all by name but I'd crack 100,000 words if I did.
Four chapters in, and I've managed to finish Sunday. Next time: more stuff happens.