Still not mine...
Chapter 6
I enter the family dining room and say good morning to Lord and Lady Potter. I take my seat and as soon as I sit down, Zoe is there with a fresh cup of tea and a plate of bacon, eggs, sausages, tomatoes and toast.
I blink at the amount of food on my plate and make a mental note to visit the kitchen after I finish eating and tell the elves that I normally only have fruit salad and yogurt and occasionally cereal for breakfast.
"Alex I have had time over the last few days to discuss what happened with the Goblin curse breaker that came to the Manor to remove the soul fragment from Imogen. We have discovered with the help of Charles -who is the elf that put Imogen into stasis, that the intruders could gain access through our wards because they did not have any malicious intent to Imogen or the Potter family."
I must be getting a handle on this magic caper. That actually made sense.
What Lord Potter said next confirmed my thoughts.
"Their minds were filled with only one thought. Rescue the Potter Heir at all costs. She is in danger." He paused to make sure that I was still following him. I took a sip from my tea and nodded. "The minds of these poor men had been totally reprogrammed with a curse that has not been seen for over a century."
"It is called the Assassins Curse. It was designed to totally destroy everything about a person that is unique and turn them into a mindless servant whose only purpose is to carry out he will of their master. Whatever the caster wanted or desired was all that the victims lived for. They had no more thoughts or feelings."
"They were mainly used – as the name suggests - as assassins, and the beauty of this curse is that it leaves no magical signature of the person who cast it, so it is totally untraceable. The totally repulsive thing about the curse apart from what they can be used for, is that it is totally irreversible. There is no cure, and the only way to stop them is to kill them."
"Even killing their master will not erase their programming for whatever task they have been set. Once they complete their task, they are either destroyed by their masters or put into stasis until they are needed again."
I nodded in understanding as I finished my breakfast, consolidating everything I knew of this dimension from the books and what I continued to learn every day that was different. One of the elves popped in, retrieved my now empty plate and deposited another full cup of tea in the place of its almost empty predecessor, smiled at me and popped out.
When I joined the Army and went to Iraq for the first time - I was 19 at the time. I was constantly amazed at what I was seeing, and the lengths a person would go to, that would fuck over, fuck up or just plain fucking maim or destroy another human being in the worst possible ways imaginable.
After 15 years of seeing the same shit and so much worse in so many different fucked up countries, I am somewhat amazed that I can still be disgusted at what one person can invent to cause suffering to another. In a way I am actually pretty happy that I can still feel disgust.
Working in combat search and rescue we tend to see the absolute worst of the worst.
This is even more so when you are dealing with hostage rescue. After seeing so much shit, you run the very real risk of becoming an absolute basket case and no longer be able to function. The fact that I could still feel, proved to me that I had yet to cross that line.
Another thing to add to the list. I need to get hold of a GP and get a referral to a councillor. No, not to discuss magic, just so that I can unload about the stress of combat. I can honestly tell the story of a recently discharged vet who needs someone to talk to about what I have seen. Trust me, talking to professionals about this shit actually helps. That idea now gets underlined in red.
I shake myself out of my thoughts and once again turn my attention to Lord Potter, apologising for drifting off into my old memories. He waves my apology away, it was not even worth disusing and with a growing smirk he went on to tell me how he, his wife and Cody managed to blackmail the Goblins to send a curse breaker to remove the soul fragment from Imogen.
Apparently, even though the Potters do not hold alot of gold in Gringotts, they do own a massive portion of shares in Wizarding businesses as well as the fact that they are one of the oldest families in the Wizarding world. It seems that the Potters have their fingers in just about every pie.
After I had passed out from the cruciatus Lord Potter had sent Cody with a letter that he had dictated the little elf to write to the head curse breaker of Gringotts, asking for their assistance with a matter of grave importance and offering to pay handsomely for the service.
Lord Potter received a reply that basically said sod off, your dead.
Charlus then had Cody deliver a small empty portrait to the curse breakers main office in Gringotts in which he proceeded to inform the curse breakers sitting at their desks that while he may be dead, there were several vials of his blood in stasis in Potter manor that could be used by his Head Elf to sign the papers that would divest the Potter holdings of the entirety of their magical shares and call forth all of the outstanding loans from the Potter Trust.
Apparently if this happened, it would basically bankrupt magical Britain – and possibly Magical Spain as well - within forty eight hours. Needless to say, the Gringotts curse breakers fell all over themselves sending a team of three of their best and most experienced goblins to Potter Manor.
Once they completed a scan of Imogen and realised what they were dealing with, they had summoned a pig and forced the soul fragment out of her head and into the beast.
According to the Goblins, to transfer a Horcrux from one item to another, it had be like with like. For example. Living tissue to living tissue. Inanimate to inanimate.
And no for those of the class that are keeping up, conjuration and transfiguration does not work. It has to be living.
Make sense now hmmm?
A benefit of the soul fragment being destroyed meant that the scare on her forehead was also destroyed. I was overjoyed at this news. Mainly because it meant that primary way that people in the Wizarding world used to identify the 'Girl Who Lived' no longer exists.
There is also the fact that while chicks may dig scars on a guy, they friggin hate them on themselves.
So there is one potential crisis averted there when puberty strikes. Oh shit, why did I have to remind myself of that? Brain bleach someone please.
God I hope that I can rescue her parents, if for no other friggin reason than getting out of the birds and the bees talk.
Ok sorry, freak out over...
The beast was then taken straight to the smelting pits of Gringotts and after the senior curse breaker had cleared the smelting room of all personnel with the exception of his team and the Chief of Gringotts. They cast the pig into the furnace. The head curse breaker was then sent back to Potter Manor to give Gringotts assurances that if the Potters find the location of any more of the evil things, they are to be called at once and they will dispose of them.
According to Lord Potter, approximately eight hundred years ago, a Goblin Chief had killed the Heir to the Egyptian magical throne in battle. His opponent had made a Horcrux and had rebirthed himself and then killed the Goblin Chief and his entire family and clan while they slept. Since that time, the Goblins have had an absolute hatred of Horcrux's.
It is an instant death sentence for any Goblin to found in possession of or passing on information on how to create the things. Any human who is found to have made one would be instantly bared from Gringotts and their family bared for ten generations. If after they were bared, they entered into any Goblin territory, their life was forfeit.
There was the sound of running footsteps and the door at the end of the table burst open and a flying red head raced around the table and launched herself at me.
"Alex I was so worried about you." Imogen sobbed into my neck telling me that next time I had to run away with her. I gently rubbed her back and whispered into her ear that I was fine and that everything was ok."
She got herself back together and turned around on my lap and proceeded to eat the breakfast that had been delivered for her. I just raised my eyebrows at Charlus and Dorea who both smirked at me. I just shrugged my shoulders and we turned our conversation towards the coming move to Bora-Bora.
After Imogen had finished demolishing her breakfast I told her to go and get ready for a day out and that we are going to go to London to do some looking around. She lets out a girly shriek and bolts from the room, red hair trailing along behind her.
Once we are alone again, Charlus calls for Cody and after the Head elf appears he instructs her for several minutes on how to replicate the charm that Dumbles had placed on her all those years ago, but he also taught her how to modify the charm so that any Potter elf and myself could find her where ever she might be.
Once she had nodded that she understood what was being asked of her, she popped away to assist her Mistress with getting ready for her first ever day in London, with the instruction to bring Imogen to the Masters Study when she was finished.
After Cody had left, Charlus instructs me to follow him to the Masters Study. I enter the room that I first met Lord and Lady Potter and I was told to go to the bottom draw on the left of the desk. In the bottom of the draw was a box that almost filled available space. Once I lifted it out he told me to put it on the desk and leave it as only Imogen could currently open the box. When I asked him what was inside, he just smiled at me and told me to be patient.
Ten or so minutes later, Cody popped into the room with Imogen holding onto her hand. The little ten year old let go of her elf and came over to the desk when told to by her grandfather.
Charlus told her that she had to kiss the Potter coat of arms in the centre of the lid and think of the potter motto as she did. I looked at the portrait with a funny look on my face and he explained that
"While the Goblins and most of Wizarding Britton are still heathens when it comes to blood rituals, this however is a family chest. What does a normal family do Alex to show their love for one another?"
I nodded my head at the rhetorical question, but he answered it anyway and I looked over to Imogen to see that she had a questioning look on her face.
"They kiss each other my dear." He smiled to take any potential hurt out of the words. "Trust me child, both your mother, father, grandmother and myself used to kiss you all the time. You were and still are the light of our world, and you will not understand until you have you own children how much you are truly loved."
Imogen now had tears in her eyes and was wearing a smile that threatened to split her face. Without waiting any longer, she bent and placed a kiss on the coat of arms and stood back. Nothing happened for a few seconds, and then the coat of arms seemed to come to life. The purple of the background lit up and the lion roared and ran around the lid of the box before coming to rest where he previously stood.
There was a click and the lid slowly opened to reveal dozens of rings laid in seven circles inside each other. These were all cantered on a large ring in the exact centre of the box. I would put money on it that this was the Potter Signet ring.
"Now my dear, you cannot take the Potter ring until your eleventh birthday, however, I want you to pick a ring from the third row from the centre. They are paired one male ring, one female ring."
Imogen nodded her head showing that she understood her Grandfather. As she looked at the circle of rings, Charlus continued.
"The rings that you are looking at are the Heir rings. When an Heir to an ancient and noble house are born, they are given a bracelet to wear showing their status. When the child turns five, they remove the bracelet and are told to choose a ring from the ones you are looking at now."
He broke off his explanation, as with a gasp, Imogen had held out her hand to reach for a ring, when the ring she had chosen left its place in the box and gently floated to her hand. with no hesitation, the young Heiress, placed the ring onto her right ring finger and was immediately surrounded by a purple glow that encompassed her entire body.
I stood still watching in awe as Imogen continued to glow for another minute. When the light show stopped she turned to her Grandfather and I in amazement.
"It talked to me." she exclaimed. "The ring is called Bethany, after the first Potter Heir who wore it in thirteen forty five." She was almost gushing. "She told me that she will be able to protect my mind from mental attacks and my body from minor attacks."
Needless to say I was happy with that bit of information.
"She is also excited as she had only ever been worn by her original owner as she was created for Bethany Potter because none of the rings that were in the box at the time suited her so Bethany was made for her."
"After Bethany Potter died in fourteen sixteen, she was placed into this box and has not been out since. She is also excited because she will once again be mated with the main signet ring when I turn eleven and she will get to speak to her first Mistress again."
I looked at Charlus with the obvious question on my face.
"This is a Potter Family Secret Alex." He told me sternly.
I didn't say anything, I just waited. It might seem a bit petulant, but I was getting a bit tired of the implication that I would tell tails out of class. When I got him alone again, the former Lord Potter and I were going to be having a discussion.
As the silence drew out with neither of us saying anything, just looking at each other, Imogen realised that something was wrong.
"Alex?" she asked timidly.
"I am waiting for Alexander to acknowledge that what we have just shared with him is a Potter Family Secret and he is not allowed to tell anyone about it." Charlus informed his Granddaughter haughtily.
Hmm, maybe we will be having that discussion right about now. I continued to look straight at the portrait not saying a word.
"Well?" The Painting asked.
"Well what?" I said straight back to him.
"Are you going to acknowledge my order?"
With that I turned to Imogen. "I'll be in the kitchen little one. Come and get me when you are ready to go. I've got to tell the elves to stop over feeding me at breakfast time."
With that I turned and left the study ignoring the demands that the former Lord Potter made trying to summon me back to face him.
Just as I left the study I felt a surge of power behind me and I fought the urge to hide around the corner and listen in. The surge I felt was at least one of the Fates appearing in the study and if I was correct, Lord Potter was about to get his ass whooped. I smiled to myself and kept walking.
About twenty minutes later Imogen entered the room, to find me chatting with Ziggy, Tiggy and Diggy, who were respectively the Head Chef, the Souse Chef and the Maitre d of the Potter family. The three elves were ecstatic to meet the 'Great Master' who had saved their Mistress. The three elves were not ecstatic to find out that I only wanted fruit salad with yogurt and cereal for breakfast.
But we eventually reached a compromise. They would serve me my requested breakfast on Monday to Saturday, but on Sunday, because I took that day off my training to give my body a break, I had to have a fry up for breakfast. Though they did agree to make it a smaller serving than what they had been.
Once Imogen entered the kitchen the three elves rushed over to greet their Mistress and asked if there was anything she needed. They seemed to deflate when she told them that she was just here to pick up her stray body guard as I had promised to take her shopping.
With that she bit the elves goodbye, grabbed my hand and proceeded to drag me out of the kitchen and into the entrance hall, where Zoe was waiting for me with my new over coat.
"Master Alex I is getting you a coat like you is asking for." She exclaimed, bouncing on her toes. I took the coat from her and held it up by the shoulders. It unrolled and I was surprised when instead of stopping at my waist like I had assumed it would, it almost reached the floor.
Grinning to myself – I had always wanted a full length leather coat – I swung it over my shoulders and thrust arms through the holes. Yep I was right, it was exactly what I had always wanted.
Black.
Leather.
Reaching to the tops of my combat boots.
Looking bad ass.
I unclipped my thigh holsters and looked at Zoe. I opened my mouth and was about to ask her to get my belt holsters, when the little elf disappeared and reappeared not more than ten seconds later with the items I was going to ask for.
"Thanks Zoe, you are the best." The little elf was practically vibrating with happiness. One thing I did remember from the books was that elves both lived to and loved to serve their Masters and Mistresses. To be given praise for a job well done was often enough to bring an elf to tears of happiness because they had pleased their masters.
Conversely, elves who had been given clothes, the stress of being thrown out of the family often shocked them enough that it was fatal. This was because that by being given clothes they were forbidden to fulfil their greatest wish. And that was simply to make their families happy.
I shake myself from these maudlin thoughts. There was no way in hell the Potter family would ever treat their elves in such a horrible way. If they did, I would be having words with whoever did.
I swapped my magazines and pistols to my clip on holsters and secured them to the belt in the small of my back.
I handed over my thigh holsters to my little assistant and thanked her again. She smiled at me and popped out. I turned to Imogen.
"Ready to go have a great day getting lost in London?" I asked her.
She grinned at me and called for Cody. Her elf appeared beside her with a pop and a now familiar ring box in her arms. She leant down and kissed the coat of arms on the lid and once again the box popped open.
"After you left, Clotho appeared and really yelled at Granddad for treating you the way he was." She told me with a giggle. "He looked so embarrassed. She told him to get his head out of his ass and that you were sent to this dimension to protect me and that you would die before you ever betrayed Me."
Her voice hitched a bit at this and she looked down at her shoes, and I immediately knelt down in front of her and put my hands on her shoulder.
"Hey, I'm right here remember." I told her gently. "Remember what you told me the other night in our room?" she raised her face to look at me. "You told me that you were going to keep me around until you were old and grey."
"So how could I die and not stick around for my favourite girl?" I was immediately given another crushing hug that was laced with some sobbing and I remembered that this child had never been shown an ounce of affection.
Dick head.
Of course her emotions were going to be all over the place where I was concerned. I was her knight in dark black body armour. I saved her from her uncle's house. Of course she was going to be worried that I would leave her.
Dick head.
"Ok." I said to her once the sobbing had stopped and I had given her another hankie from my pocket. After she had dried her eyes and blown her nose, Zoe popped back into the foyer with a fresh hankie for me, took the used one from her Mistress and popped out without a word being spoken.
"Thanks Zoe." I said to the empty space my elf had just disappeared from. I had a feeling that she would hear me regardless of where I was. "Ok." I repeated. "What is with the ring box? I thought you had already been chosen by Bethany."
She immediately became a bouncing ten year old and she clapped her hands excitedly. "After Lady Clotho finished tearing into Grand dad she turned to me and I think that her and Bethany had a conversation because she heated up on my finger and then she told me to get Cody and take the ring box to you."
She paused and looked down at her hand for a second with a confused look on her face.
"Are you sure that will work Beth?" She asked while she stroked her ring with her thumb. "Umm ok." She looked back at me. "Beth wants you to put your right ring finger on her." She told me while holding out the finger with her ring on it.
I don't hesitate. Once thing had been made clear to me during the time that I read the books, watched the movies and now am living the life. You don't fuck with magic. It is sentient. It has its own laws and it has been around for a lot longer than we have. If it wants me to touch a ring with my right finger, that is exactly what I am going to do.
So that is exactly what I did. A second or so after my finger made contact with the ring, it warmed up slightly and I heard a new voice in my head.
"Greetings Alex." The voice was musical and light. And it seemed to be coming from a certain point in my mind. I focused on that spot and suddenly a lady that looked about my new age appeared in front of me. She had jet black hair that was tied in a curling braid that reached half way down her back. And she had blue eyes that seemed to miss absolutely nothing.
I mentally bowed to her. "Lady Bethany. You wanted to talk to me?" she waved off my formal language.
'None of that Alex. You saved the Potter Heir. For that I and all of the family thanks you for it." She must have seen the confusion on my face. "Each of the rings in the box are sentient. We remember the lives that we have lived while on the fingers of our chosen Heirs. There is a ring in this box that has been worn by every Potter from the time the family first existed."
"These rings when not in use, have nothing to do, so in a similar manor to the portraits we can converse with each other." I nod my understanding to her. And she continues. "Under the top layer of rings is another six layers. The first six layers are for the Heirs. The seventh layer is similar in design to the top layer. It has several rows of rings surrounding a main centre ring. It is the ring of the Protector of house Potter."
"The Protector is a title, a calling, a job, a dedication. Call it what you will. The Fates have sent you here to this dimension to protect the last scion of the Potter's and so far you have performed this duty with distinction. You have several tasks before you not the least of these is to rescue the current Lord and Lady Potter from their captivity."
"I am working on it Beth." I tell the image in front of me. "But I have hit a wall so to speak. I have got no idea on how to conduct a solo rescue on Azkaban. I need help to complete the mission." I bow my head to the young woman.
"My time is up." She said to me. "When we have finished pick up the Protectors ring and place it on the same figure that is holding our connection open. It will also speak to you. It may be able to give you assistance to secure the release of Lord and Lady Potter." She started to fade. "Keep working on Clotho about getting your team back. You have almost convinced her." She gave me an impish smile and vanished.
I opened my eyes and took my finger of Imogen's ring. I smile at the ten year old. "Thank Beth for me little one." Imogen gave me a smile and nodded her head. She looked at the ring on her finger and smiled.
"She said your welcome." Imogen turned to Cody and waved her hand over the open box. Obediently, the top six layers of ring floated up and hovered about six inches above the box. As soon as they stopped moving, a large ring floated itself out of the box and landed in my open palm.
As I pick up the ring to examine it, I absently notice that the trays with the Heir rings have descended back into the ring box and the lid closed itself with a snap. I looked at the Protectors ring and noticed straight away that the coat of arms was slightly different. On the Heir rings, the Lion was facing from right to left, with his tail pointing towards the wearers' pinkie.
On the ring that I was holding, the lion was crouched down on his front paws facing towards you with his mane sticking out from his body, tail standing straight up and his mouth open in a silent roar. This lion was telling you in no uncertain terms to back off.
Back off or I will attack you.
Wondering if my ring would talk to me the same as Imogen's Bethany, I placed the ring onto my right hand ring finger. And waited.
After almost ten seconds I suddenly felt an extremely powerful foreign presence in my head. I instinctively closed my eyes and focused on the same spot in my mind that I had spoken to Bethany in. As I entered that part of my mind I saw that there was already a figure waiting for me.
An extremely attractive female figure to be precise. She had almost paper white blonde hair that fell in thick slightly wavy lines to the middle of her back. Her skin was almost as pale as her hair and she had eyes that were an incredible shade of deep purple. I had never seen eyes like that before. They mesmerised me for a few seconds until I mentally kicked myself.
She was clothed in figure hugging black leather that showcased her slim hips, small bust and a rippling six pack was visible under her top, which showed just how much physical exercise this person had undergone to have a body that was this fit.
On her back there were two hilts that crossed over her shoulders, and she had an assortment of knives strapped to various places on her body. Including I noticed, one tucked into the tops of the knee high boots she was wearing.
This appraisal took only seconds and the entire time, I had the impression that she was doing exactly the same to me. She nodded seemingly to herself once and it appeared that I had passed her test – whatever it was. She crossed the intervening space between us and held out her hand to me.
"Greetings Commander." Her voice was incredible. It was as light as a summer breeze, but laced with strength and power. Overall the presence that this person exuded commanded instant respect and obedience. It was the presence of a person that expected obedience. There was never a question that you would disobey.
She had my instant respect.
"My name is Samantha. I was the first Protector of House Potter." I took her hand in mine and I placed a chaste kiss on the back of her hand.
"Pleased to meet you Lady Samantha." I bowed to her.
"Please Alex, there will be no bowing and scraping between us. "We are equals in the service of House Potter." I nodded my head in agreement. She gracefully sat on the ground and motioned me to join her.
I tried to think how I would explain this to someone. Sitting on the 'ground' in my mind, while having a conversation with a beautiful woman who had been dead for millennia.
Hmmm fail. No one would friggin believe me. So the solution was rather easy.
Don't friggin tell anyone.
Samantha smirked at me and I had the feeling that she knew exactly what I was thinking.
"Not totally Alex, however, going off your facial expressions, I have a pretty good idea." The smirk became a musical laugh. And I noticed for the first time the elongated canine teeth and I had to thank god for having to work with people from just about every corner of the globe. I am unable to judge a person on their race or skin colour. Or in this case, the fact that I seemed to be sharing my head with a friggin vampire.
Nope, not even gunna bother trying to explain this. Not at all.
After she got herself under control, she told me that yes she was a Vampire and her clan were day walkers. She explained that while we are in London today, she will try not to talk to me at all, but when I went to bed tonight, we would be able to have a more in depth conversation. She was similar to Beth in that it had been at least five hundred years since the Potters had had a Protector, so she was looking forward to seeing what had changed in the last half century.
She told me that as long as I wore the Protector ring, she would be with me in my head. She was also able to protect my mind from any Legilimency attacks – not that I needed that apparently, and she could act as a type of sixth sense to warn of approaching danger.
Nice.
I open my eyes to discover that Imogen was watching me with a smile on her face. I wordlessly extend my right to her with my ring finger extended and she touches both of our rings together.
All of a sudden, I am back inside my head, this time I am face to face with both Beth and Samantha. Beth who does not look to happy, and Sam with a hint of amusement on her pale face. I feel a new presence beside me and turn towards them to discover a surprised Imogen.
"Wow that was so cool Alex, did you know that would happen?' she asked me in excitement.
"Imogen Lily Potter, what possessed you to merge the rings?" Beth scolded her Head of House. I turned back to Imogen as the harsh words seemed to hit her like a strike from a fist. I pulled my principal into a hug and turned to face Beth.
"Enough." I growled and both Beth and Samantha took an involuntary step back. "Stand still and keep your mouths shut. I will speak to you both in a minute." They both nod their heads. I turn my attention to the shaking ten year old in my arms.
"Hey little one, I'm here. Remember nothing is going to hurt you while I'm with you. Ok?" I rub her back and continue to whisper comforting words into her ear as I held her. After five or so minutes, she starts to calm down and she pulls away from me, but still keeps hold of my hand.
"Lady Potter I sincerely apologise for my outburst." Bethany bows low to her Heir. "What you and your Protector have done has never happened before. And it scared me."
"And what exactly has happened Bethany?" I ask her coldly. She was supposed to protect Imogen, not upset her. I was friggin furious with the spirit in front of me. "Might I suggest that we start there?"
The spirit of Imogen's ring blushed slightly and bowed her head in my direction, acknowledging my rebuke of her behaviour. She then turned to Imogen and began her explanation.
"Imogen, when you put my ring on this morning, it created a mental bond between both of us. With that bond, I can give you advice on being Lady Potter, protect your mind from outside influences and also allow you to access the collective minds and memories of the entire Potter Line who has worn one of the rings that are in that box."
"When Alex put on his Protectors ring, it created a similar bond between Samantha here and Alex. While you can access all of the Potter memories, Alex can access all of the Protectors memories including battle strategies, how to fight hand to hand and with bladed weapons. Most importantly, he can now access and command the combat ward controls for all of the Potter properties." She paused and looked at the two of us.
"Because you touched the rings together, you have done something that has never been done before. Alex now has the ability to access the same knowledge as what you have access to through me and you have access to the same combat knowledge as what he does through Samantha."
"There is also the possibility that you will now be able to talk to each other through the rings as well as visit each other when you are asleep."
Imogen got a massive smile on her face at that last bit of information. "That will be great." She clapped her hands and started to bounce on her toes. "That means that when I have a nightmare, Alex can come into my dream and rescue Me." she turned to me and continued before Beth could continue. "Now you really are my Protector Alex." She gave me another massive hug. Then pulled back.
"Oh come on, we have to go shopping." Saying that, she disappeared from my mind. I looked to both a now bemused Beth and Samantha.
"I guess we should go." Saying that I opened my eyes and blinked at the seeming harshness of the lights around the entry foyer. There was a pop beside me and Cody appeared. I glanced at my watch and realised that only minutes had passed since I put my ring on.
Imogen reaches out and takes both my hand and Cody's and tells her that we are ready to go, and asks that she takes us to the Leaky Cauldron so we can get to London.
"Of course Mistress, Cody bee's happy to." She takes out a bundle of notes and hands them to me. "This is a thousand pounds of muggle money for today Master Alex." She informs me. I nod and quickly place the wad of cash into my wallet and make sure the button on my back pocket is done up. Once that was done, I nodded to Cody, took a tight grip on Imogen's hand and we vanished from Potter manor with a pop.
Thanks for reading...