A/N: Yes, I know that I have gotten a bit behind lately. I have 3 in progress stories right now but I am planning to put "Whatever Happened to Draco Malfoy?" on hold until I get farther ahead in this story and "Seriously, Black" where I can give my full attention to it. The reason that I am putting that story on hold is that it is the least read and reviewed story (sorry about that excessivlyperky). I will finish it but I have reached a point where the muse's well has run dry…HW
Chapter 20
Busted! (pt 1)
'Noble's Dorm'
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
A month had passed and Halloween was drawing near. It seemed that it was shaping up to be a typical Potter Halloween just like the ones before. Something always seemed to happen on that day to screw up the holiday for Harry. Although Voldemort had been fairly quiet, the nattering nabobs of the press had been getting to the point of ridicule due to Harry's inability to bring Bellatrix to account for her misdeeds. He was getting frustrated himself, but at this time he could not see any way out of the situation.
He was, on the other hand, feeling a bit better about his love life. Daphne had made it known to him that she found him attractive and that she would like to go to the next step, exploring their compatibility. Harry was originally a bit gobsmacked that she would be so forward but in retrospect saw that it made perfect sense. She was, after all, the Head of her house and an equal in all ways. He still refused to allow her to pick up the cheque when they went out together. He was still a bit old fashioned about things like that. The problem that he was facing today was also associated with his love life, however it was a situation that caught him completely by surprise.
Daphne had come to his room with some shocking news. It seemed that she had gone into the girl's loo to find Jennifer Dumbledore quietly sobbing in one of the stalls. After a bit of girl-to-girl sympathy she had gotten the story behind the young lady's distress. Daphne had then sent Jennifer to her room with strict instructions not to speak to anyone about the situation until she rejoined her. She was now filling Harry in on the conversation.
"Harry, when it was all said and done, she admitted that her brother had sent her some potions to slip into your food. The poor girl, knowing her family's history with you, got a bit suspicious and took the potions down to Professor Slughorn to analyze them. It turns out that Jon Dumbledore is trying to hook you up with his little sister. The potions were a series of mild love potions that would work in small stages to make her more attractive to you without doping you up to the point that you would be so besotted that others would notice. You would find yourself falling in love with her and it would seem totally natural. Slughorn said that there was a second set of potion that would make her fall for you. Those would not have to be ingested, but could be mixed with perfume or makeup. She took all of her makeup and toiletries down to him so that he could check them, but they all came up clean. I figure that her brother would have sent the second part later in some sort of gift."
"You know Daphne, Jennifer is a nice girl. So she obviously doesn't feel that way for me and is conflicted. It's kind of nice knowing that she didn't get the Dumbledore scheming gene. I do have to wonder what her brother's motivation is though. Why on earth would he be trying to put the two of us together."
"That's just it, she does have an attraction to you but she could see that we are together and didn't want to interfere. She also said that if she were ever to date you it would be because you wanted to, not because you were doped up. That potion is really nasty because the effects are cumulative and do not wear off. After a certain amount of time there is no turning back, the effect is permanent."
"So Jennifer fancies me. That must have made it a bit awkward of a conversation."
"Not at all. You could do a lot worse than a sweet girl like her."
"What! Are you trying to tell me that you want to dump me? Is there a problem? Something I said? Something I did?"
"Whoa, Potter! Don't get you knickers in a twist. Everything is fine between us. But haven't you realized that you are going to have to end up with more than one mate?"
Harry had been drinking a butterbeer while they were talking and this last comment from Daphne caused him to spit a good portion of it across the room. "Wha… more than one wife? Is that even legal?"
"It's rare, but in wizarding society it most certainly is legal. In fact, in certain cases like yours, it is almost a duty. Think of it. You are the holder of two House titles, one Dark, one Light. If we marry, that makes three titles that we have to have heirs for. Now I don't plan on being some baby factory. Large families with a bunch of kids are okay if you are a Weasley or something, but not for most folk. If we did not allow plural marriage in cases like that, many lines would die out without an heir. Another thing to think about is the fact that an heir from a Dark witch and you, effectively a Grey Wizard, would not really be well received by light families in the Wizengamot. In our case the firstborn son would be heir to the House of Black since that line is strictly patriarchal and the second child would be the Heir to Greengrass since my line can be inherited by either sex. The Potter line is also patriarchal, something which cannot be changed. If you also married into the Dumbledore family and Jon Dumbledore had no children, then your secondborn son would be an heir through Jennifer. That line is also patriarchal. Daughters of that union could only become regents and their husbands could never take that Head of House title without being magically adopted into the clan, somewhat the way your godfather did you."
"Egad, what a headache! I have enough problems trying to figure out one female, let alone two! It sounds almost like a business merger instead of a marriage built on love."
"Of course. A lot of pureblood unions are made that way. It is really nothing new, just look at the muggle royal family. Do you really think that these princes and princesses just happen to fall in love with each other to the exclusion of all of those many commoners out there? Harry, you are really sweet but you are also very naïve."
"Okay. So now the question is, why is Jon Dumbledore trying to set me up and what does he get out of it?"
"Why don't you ask him? Maybe in a way that he would have to tell the truth."
"Hmm… good idea. Dobby!" There was a POP and Harry found his leg in a tight hug from the little elf.
"Oh, Mr. Harry Potter sir! Dobby is so glad that he can do something for youse!" Daphne was silently cracking up. What the hell was it with Potter and House Elves? She had seen one of his Quiddich "Elves Gone Wild" episodes at the manor house. He was much too lenient with the creatures, but it seemed to work for him. Those elves would die for him, not out of duty, but rather out of love.
"Dobby, I need for you to do something for me in complete secrecy…" Harry got no farther than that before Dobby began to gesture and snap his fingers, pointing at different spots on the wall and ceiling, shooting threads of magic around the room.
"Dobby, what are you doing?"
"Dobby was making it secret, turning off the goblin magic so that they cannot hear and see you." His ears drooped. "Unless Harry Potter sir does not want the goblins to not see."
"Goblins? What do you mean? Can they see me in my room here?"
"Oh, yes. The stink of goblin magic is strong here and in your houses. Did Harry Potter sir not know that the Goblins watch all important wizards everywhere?"
"Uh, no I didn't. Daphne, do you know anything about this?"
Daphne was turning red. "No I didn't. What do you mean by 'all important wizards'?"
"Dobby means just that. Anyone who can help or hurt the Goblins are watched. Dobby thought all wizards knew about it and just wanted the Goblins to see. House elves that are bonded to a house cannot see the goblin eye and ear magic unless they know about it. But many times elves find out but then forget."
Harry was putting two and two together and coming up with a very ugly number four. He remembered the scene in Flickaxe's office where he watched Albus Dumbledore scurrying around his office trying to retrieve Harry's belongings that were disappearing back into Harry's vault. He also thought of the great service that the Goblins at Gringotts had given him, having things prepared seemingly before he even requested them and always having the right answers to his question. Well, of course they knew the answers, they had time to research the questions! Harry was beginning to see red when Daphne took his arm to calm him down.
"Okay, first things first. Harry, what did you originally call Dobby in for?"
"Oh yeah, Dobby, I want you to go to the house where Severus Snape is staying and tell him that I need some Veritaserum. Then I want you to go to all of my houses and tell every elf that I want them here in the girl's bathroom on the second floor at seven o'clock tomorrow evening. Understood?"
"Oh yes Harry Potter sir!" Dobby looked a bit wistfully at Harry, then asked, "Is that all Harry Potter sir?"
Harry looked at him, then remembered what Blinky had told him. "Dobby, how is Winky?"
"Winky is still very sad, Mr. Harry Potter sir. She is still drinking and not taking care of herself. She is here at Hogwarts, but she wants to be a real family elf again. Dobby is afearing that Winky will just waste away."
"Dobby, do you think that Winky would like to be my elf? And even more than that, would you like to be my elf?" Harry was not prepared for the love mugging that he received from Dobby.
"Oh, yes, yes! Dobby has always wanted to be Mr. Harry Potter sir's elf! Dobby knows that Winky also wants to have a real master, one who would be kind to her." Dobby suddenly looked down and scuffed his foot like a small child. "Mr. Harry Potter sir, Dobby would also like Winky to be his Elfwife."
"Well Dobby, if Winky is agreeable to that, so am I. You two would be my personal elves here at the school. When we went to one of my houses you would help either Kreacher or Blinky, but at Potter Manor you would be my number one elves. So ask Winky about it before you go and if she is agreeable then turn in your notice to the Headmistress. Do not tell her who you are going to be working for however."
"Thank you, thank you Mr. Harry Potter sir! Dobby will do that now!" With that, he popped out of the room. Harry then realized something.
"This could be pretty convenient. Dobby was so excited that he didn't take down his Goblin silencing charm."
"So, what are you going to do about these situations? Dumbledore and the goblins?"
"I have a few ideas. First, Jon Dumbledore. I plan to……."
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Gringotts Bank
Flickaxe's Office
Flickaxe and Warcry had just come in from the Board meeting where they had discussed assistance to Harry Potter in order to help him carry out his threats against Bellatrix Lestrange. They had talked for quite a while but nothing solid had come out of it. They also discussed the various tutors that the Nobles would be employing. All in all it was a wash. The tutors were doing their jobs well and helping to bring Potter's attitude in line with other wizards of privilege rather than the plebian attitude of the commoners. One report that was a bit disturbing was that there seemed to be a budding movement that was very dissatisfied with the way the government was set up. This organization appeared to be made up of all commoners. It would bear watching.
Warcry went to the monitor room and began scanning to see if anything interesting was going on. He looked at all of Harry's homes, the common room and McGonagall's office. When he got to Harry's room however, he got a surprise. Nothing showed on the screen and there was no sound. He called Flickaxe.
"Sir, I think that you need to see this."
Flickaxe came in, looked at the screen and said, "See what?'
"That's just it, sir. This should be showing Lord Potter-Black's room. Either something is blocking it or the charm has failed."
"I doubt that anything is blocking it, wizards can't even detect that charm. Is everything else working?" At Warcry's nod he continued, "The idiot that put up the charm must not have used enough power. Find out what incompetent did the job and have him fired. I'm running a bit low on snacks, that should take care of it."
"Yes sir, I'm right on it."
Life was good.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Moaning Myrtle's Bathroom
Harry entered the bathroom to find quite an amazing sight. He did not realize that he owned this many elves! The bathroom was literally packed with elves. They were on the floor, balancing themselves atop the stall dividers, smaller elves sitting on the shoulders of taller elves, on the sinks and the towel racks. He cleared his throat for silence.
"First things first." He walked over to the sink, cleared the elves off it and hissed in Parceltongue. "Open!" The elves gasped as one when the sink opened exposing the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets.
"Dobby, go down and check for any goblin monitoring magic. If it is there, get rid of it. I kind of doubt that there is any, it takes a Parcelmouth to open it, but you never know." Dobby slid down the slide, but Harry heard a distinctive "Whee!" coming from the hole. Dobby popped back a few minutes later.
"Mr. Harry Potter sir, there was nothing from the Goblins down there. Did Mr. Harry Potter sir know that there is a really big dead snake in there?"
"Oh, yeah, the basilisk. Is it pretty rotten?"
"Oh no sir. Basilisks do not rot. Their poison kills of the rotting bugs that might destroy the carcass."
"Wow. I bet that thing would be worth a fortune in potions ingredients. First order of business is to smuggle Severus Snape into here and let him harvest all of the good parts. I need you guys to help him. Then it should be skinned and the skin preserved. I would bet that skin should be worth quite a bit also. When the basilisk has been harvested, get rid of the leftovers. Once you guys know the location, can you pop in there without me opening up the chamber?"
"Oh, yes." Blinky stated. "We will need you to let in Mr. Snape though."
"Good. When you get him, let me know and I will open it. What I need from everyone is to make the place into a secure meeting and training area. I want to make sure that no one can monitor it, Goblin or otherwise. It needs to be cleaned from top to bottom, a conference table and chairs put in, the whole works. Kreacher, any and all books and magical articles I want put into the Black vaults. I also want stairs built in place of that slide. Try to get that done first, Snape will need them. I also have to figure out how to change the password to English so that other trusted people can open the chamber. So how about most of you getting started on that. Kreacher, Dobby, Winky, and Blinky, please stay up here for a minute."
Most of the elves popped out to begin work leaving the two supervisor elves and the two free elves. Kreacher and Blinky gave distrustful looks at the 'pervert' free elves. Harry walked over to Winky and Dobby. "So Winky, have you decided if you want to be bonded to me?"
"Oh, yes Master Harry! Winky wants to be your elf more than anything!" Hearing that, the supervisor elves softened their gaze toward Winky. Harry then asked her if she wanted to be Dobby's Elfwife. When she agreed, Harry asked what needed to be done to bind the two elves to him.
Dobby and Winky bowed in front of him and offered him the pieces of clothing that they had been freed with. Dobby also vanished the other sock and the 23 knitted hats that Hermione had left around the dorm in her misguided attempt to free the Hogwarts elves. Harry then took the clothes and promised to care for and protect them. The elves joined hands and Harry gave them permission to be mates. There was a flash of magic and then the two were dressed in Potter House uniforms. Winky looked like a new elf, no longer a sopping drunk, but rather a smart, clear eyed, almost cute, elf. Kreacher and Blinky congratulated them on the fact that they were no longer 'perverts' and wished them good fortune and much fertility.
After telling them to inform him when Snape arrived, the elves popped into the chamber and Harry then closed the entrance.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Harry then went to the Noble's dorm and, one at a time, took the members into his room and informed them about the goblin monitoring. He got them to promise not to give the game away, but that they should say nothing in their rooms that they didn't want the goblins to hear. Harry told them that they would soon have a way to meet without fear of being overheard. He also asked them to think of ways to turn the situation to their advantage.
The last thing he did before bed was to send an owl to Jonathon Dumbledore inviting him to dinner at Potter Manor the next weekend.