Chapter 20—I wish I could
Everyone who was important to us was now in the know on what we are now called, where we lived and where we worked. The wive's parents were authorized on our 'floe' network. Once they arrived they still had the elves to get by so we felt relatively safe. While going anywhere was a pain, unless we used a glamour charm, still we were more visible. More visible was more attacks and the bad guys were learning our weaknesses. It's nice to be able to throw curses, along with one's wives, which will take out thirty Deatheaters with one spell. There is however collateral damage. Not everyone or everything in the line of or behind the Deatheaters was safe. Nice to eliminate a dozen Deatheaters but destroying the store behind them or innocent people running for cover was not acceptable.
Flashback:
"Harry we need new dresses and you need a new set of robes…" Daphne said and I cringed, another shopping day.
"Yes it shouldn't take too long and they we can visit Ragnok" Susan added.
Yea! Right! Not long, just the rest of the day and if I'm unlucky half the night.
~"I heard that dear, shame on you not wanting your wives to look good."
~"Yes dear. I lose again so let's go."
So off to Diagon alley. "Oh I just remembered we need some stationery" Tracy stated, followed by Hermione, "I could just pop into Flourish & Blott's and see what's new. "Susan and I will be in Madam Malkin's" Daphne was dragging Susan along. The funny part was the shop we were originaly heading for was long down the Alley past Ollivander's. Fluer was already headed to Florean Fortescue's. This left me twiddling my thumbs in between Madam Malkin's and Flourish & Blott's on the street.
I was feeling lucky I was not dragged along some where when Deatheater poured out of Knockurn Alley towards me, while more poured down the street from the other direction. This of course left me and a crowded street in the middle. The street as you will remember is not straight, it curves around and back again. I have to make a decision, leave the girls, not likely. Fire curses into the Deatheaters and kill some shoppers, not an option. I ruled out dying here in the street so I went airborne. I was a large bird but smaller than Harry Potter and I was mobile and those Deatheaters began to look like that tree on my first flight. I did mess up the cobblestones on the street but I definitely made a bunch of crispy critters out of the Deatheaters. The shoppers of course decided that elsewhere was the place to be, the street emptied quickly. I was happy to see the Aurors show up as flying and tossing lightning bolts is a little exhausting, besides my singed tail feathers. I don't know what was worse, where my wives had to apply the burn cream or being the butt of the jokes that followed.
End Flashback:
We were not the only ones being attacked. The Deatheaters were of course making sport at killing muggles or attacking villages. Diagon alley was their preferred magical area to hit.
/Scene Break/
"Ragnok, I feel remiss in not checking out the orphanage for magical children I support. Could you arrange a visit that doesn't bring Voldemort along?"
"I'll have one of the staff meet you here and you can 'floe' directly their as potential donor. Just use a new glamour and everyone should be safe and happy."
Being one myself I had insured that sufficient funds were made available so no magical kid ended up on the street. There is still the thought that checking the place out would stop me from thinking that some kid ended up at a Dursley type home. We spent the day checking out classes, sleeping arrangements and even eating with the kid. They all seemed happy, well as happy as you can be in an orphanage. Towards the end we all were sitting around chatting or answering questions.
I was chuckling to my self as most of the girls were sitting around me and the boys around my wives. The only out of place thing was learned by a statement by one of the boys, "I sure wish I could afford to go to Hogwarts."
"But you all are, haven't they told you yet?" Hermione was as surprised as I was.
"Aw, you're kidding us." A girl stated.
"No we are quite serious, each of you will receive a letter and each of you has a trust vault at Gringotts right now." Susan added. Mrs. Jameson confirmed this to them and sho'ed them off to bed. She explained to us that there was no reason to tell or not tell them, so now they knew.
We 'floed' to Gringotts and Ragnok grabbed us and dragged us to his office.
"You took the right time to enjoy yourselves; the Ministry was attacked this evening. We are still getting reports on casualties and what Voldemort was up too."
"What about Amelia?" Susan was indeed worried over her aunt.
"She is alive and not seriously injured; I don't think anyone came out without some minor injuries."
"Well did Volde take the Ministry?" Fleur asked.
"Not really, he was driven off but a lot of his people came out of the woodwork and turned on their fellow workers. The automatic lock-down on the Atrium worked perfectly but the person in charge of the 'floe' network let Voldemort and the Deatheater in the building. If they were not having a large Auror meeting at the time they would have been near defenseless."
"We are off to the Manor I'm sure at least Amelia will be their sooner or later to check on Susan. Of course drop by if you want a glass wine or the world stops turning." I was feeling a bit helpless.
/Scene Break/
At first there was a flurry of visits and calls to make sure we were all safe. It's not like the Potter clan was going to get into trouble or anything. After a couple of days everything was back to normal and a few days after that, "I'm bored" was heard.
"Squeaky" POP, "Yes Master Harry."
"It's a long way but can you POP us over to the island?"
"It's too far for so many. Largo can get more elves and it's possible."
"Thanks Squeaky, you come if you have nothing else that has to be done."
"Largo" POP, "Yes Master Harry.
"I need you to put together any free elves so we can pop to the island, and that of course is with some of our clothes."
Largo had this huge grin on his face, he probably knew that it would take a small army to move enough for the girls, even if it was just an overnighter. One look at the girls and I knew that they had nothing to wear and we needed to go shopping. A deserted Island and they needed to dress up.
/Scene Break/
Thus started the movement of the military division that was followed by reconnaissance at the stores for suitable battle garb and spying on future enhancements of needed articles. Transport was provided by the support division. Arrival was not met with fanfare but the squawk of some parrots.
The place was really, really nice for a twenty room cottage on the sea. There appeared to be next to the cottage that water-fall of fresh water falling into a small lake that was in the travel brochure. The problems then started for me while my wives did reconnaissance of the terrain.
I was hoping that I would be sitting in a lounge chair on the beach with a cold drink from which I would be sipping. Not even close, "That was tiring" said Squeaky. So I told all the elves good night and for them to head to the House elf village. Largo called a couple of elves and then he went to get some sleep. Then I noticed that there were no wards. I would not have expected them on the island but on the cottage and our secluded area I found none.
I know wards and threw up a couple but the masters were the Goblins so a House Elf was dispatched to Gringotts for assistance. Their arrival and setting up of the wards took well into the night. So with exhausted elves, Goblins and me I hear, "Harry it's getting late and I'm up on the schedule." Daphne's sweet voice carried well across the beach as did mine. "HERMIONE!"
"Yes dear?"
"Please make my apologies, and rearrange or delay the schedule, I am going to get a cold drink", POP the drink arrived, "and sit for awhile on the sandy beach watching the waves." That's where they found me the next morning.
They summarily dumped me onto the sand, dragged me to the shower and demanded a tour of the island.
"Largo", POP, yawn... "Yes Master Harry."
"We have been ordered to take a tour of the island, please have it arranged."
"Yes Master Harry." Yawn.
They were not done, a lot was just starting or partly built, I had my mouth open during most of the tour. There were things that resembled a water world park, there was this strung out area with cabin like rooms all with mini-pools. On the ocean was a pier stretching at least fifty yards into the water. There were a couple of boat houses but what got me the most was they were hollowing out a small mountain for water storage. The rocks taken out of the mountain were being put into the sea to extend the island. The island felt like it was at least twice the size as I remembered it. The little choo choo train that ran throughout the complex that took people to other areas such as the restaurant and horse riding stables. I never did see the Elf's village but hidden on the other side of the mountain was farm lands with all kinds of stuff growing. Sheep, pigs, cattle and chickens were being raised elsewhere. The next time we visited I knew that I had opened my big mouth again in front of the wrong people with big ears.
"Merlin, this is amazing, all they need is a theme park over there with some roller coasters and this place could compete with Disney world." I was kidding of course but not by much.
At least the boredom was gone for awhile even thought it was lay around the beach or swim on the beach before lying around the beach. One of the wives had a slide put in for the waterfall lake. That kept the giggling, shrieking and laughter going for quite awhile after the elves figured out how to keep water coming down the slide. I had even moved my lounge to face the slide. We had gone to clothing optional after the second day, it was a deserted island.