Chapter 38 – I'M Crazy, what about you?
The next day we ventured into Diagon Alley to see, help, hell just what was going on, this was our world after all. The Alley was crawling with Aurors, part of them were still cleaning up the mess from last night. As we were strolling along arm and arm viewing what we could see and heading towards Gringotts we suddenly found an Auror now in step with us.
"Hi Harry how's it hanging?" It could only be Tonks.
"It's a thing you need to ask my wife, Hermione meet Tonks."
"A shame you can't share he is very good-looking as you know."
"Yes, sharing is not part of our relationship."
I just stayed away from the exchange as I was not sure where this was going. Then there was the problem of seeing a pretty girl and how does one hide anything from a mind link?
"Amelia wants to talk to you to about all the fried Deatheaters in the alley last night."
"Well you will just have to have her contact us when we have the time, for now we say to you good day." Hermione was not being nice. She dragged me to where she could calm down which was Flourish & Blott's book store.
"Yes I am being bitchy but she is just too forward." Hermione finally said.
"I err."
"I don't blame you Harry it's just irritating."
We walked out of Flourish & Blott's.
"How about an ice cream at Fortescues's?"
"Yep, great idea there Paws."
"Don't move, Aurors! You are to come with us to the DMLE office!" Tonks said with two Aurors accompanying her.
~"I don't like this and I won't stand for it!" Foxy was pissed.
~"Ok, on three we flame to the apartment."
"We find your attitude offensive, to a lord and lady. You may leave!" I said.
"Don't make this difficult Harry." Tonks said.
"Well you can leave, and if you are not out of our sight we will have to take action." Hermione stated.
"That sounds fair, one, two, and three." Suddenly three Aurors were temporarily blinded by bright light and when they could see they found Harry and Hermione gone.
"So what are we to do now?" Hermione asked.
"Well under normal conditions I would have just gone to see Amelia but that was way to heavy-handed. They can cope while we are gone." I too was unhappy by what had happened.
"Gone? Do you have something on your mind or a place you would like to go?" Hermione asked.
"Oh yes, I just have to find the exact place for us to flame to." And I did and we flamed.
/Scene Break/
SharpKnife had a contact in France who had a contact with an American Casino in the middle of rolling hills. They made the reservations which normally took a month to get. When we Flamed to the parking lot and entered the lobby we could see why it took so long to get reservations. This was a reservation but not tents or teepee, this was a full-blown place of money. We were escorted to our room which made anything I have ever seen pale in comparison, we had access to the private pool, golf course etc. This place looked and appeared like it was brand new but the Indian's casino had been in operation for decades.
Later we strolled into the casino and were instructed to get a card not unlike a credit card with an orange bungee cord attached. When they gave us the cards we noticed immediately that they were the top color showing high rollers, SharpKnife had paved the way. So putting the card in a slot machine showed that if a dollar was put in the machine the hundred of thousand on the card were available. We started small but soon Hermione was trying to gamble the Potter fortune away on the dollar machines. She must have the worst luck that any casino has ever seen.
I was lucky that she was having fun but had not noticed that we were in the open casino and not in the high rollers area. She had no interest in the high rollers blackjack or roulette rooms and apparently had not notice the special room with the slots. She was pushing the play button as fast a she could and was getting nothing. She gave me a look that could kill when I hit the jackpot on the machine next to her but it added thirty thousand to what she could gamble with.
Now when I say she was into the dollar machines there was the option of all nine lines which actually made each push fifteen dollars times nine. She would get three Indians which was paying seven dollars and jump up and down and kiss me, she had the fervor. Finally pissed at that machine she moved over to one that would hit and started pushing the max button. She had a real melt down when I hit sixty thousand on the machine next to her. I finally dragged her off the machines to the all you could eat buffet for nine dollars and ninety-nine cents. She was eating but you could see she wanted back at the machines. That was when I made her swear a wizard oath not to gamble on the machines unless I was with her. She was so interested in getting to the machines that she did the oath; she would be seeing someone over her addiction. It was not about the money, she could gamble like she was and it wouldn't scratch the interest of our money. The point was she had no control so I had the Goblins deal with the monetary side and Madam Pomfrey helped with the medical side. Hermione could not see she had a problem even after her parents tried to explain it to her.
While we enjoyed the excellent food and service we ended up playing the slots everyday. I was wondering if there was some kind of gambling god that decided that Hermione would never win any thing and that I was to hit the super jackpot every time I played. She did sit over my shoulder for half and hour while I played blackjack but she grabbed the closest machine that she said was calling to her and that it was going to pay off. She had no interest that in that half hour I had ten blackjacks and had won all but five hands. I left to watch her as the pit boss was starting to pay attention to my winning. Thankfully St Mungo had a cure for the gambling fever and hit her with the maximum dose.
/Scene Break/
Well since we were back in London we decided to check out the cinema and a restaurant. Being my luck we headed to the Savoy in London. As we entered we were greeted.
"Lord Potter and his charming wife." Neville was being quite formal.
"Ah, Lord Longbottom such a surprise to meet you here this fabulous evening."
"Lord Potter", said an elderly woman in the company of Neville.
"Might I introduce my grandmother Dowager Longbottom" Neville half bowed and steered via an arm an elderly lady.
"My honor Dowager Longbottom" after the formal hand kiss, "may I introduce my wife Lady Potter.' Hermione did a cute curtsy.
"Our other company is Dowager Whitlock of the Whitlock's." Neville introduced in the formal manner.
"Indeed a pleasure Dowager Whitlock." And again I did the hand kiss.
"You are quite the gentleman I see and not at all as the Profit had described you."
"Indeed their loss my lady."
"Good now that all that is done, would you join us Harry?" Neville asked.
"Well if it's not an inconvenience, we just showed up without a reservation."
"None at all please, it would be at our benefit if we could pick your brain." Dowager Whitlock stated.
"Then it will be our pleasure." I answered.
It was all small talk with the lobster, shrimp etc, etc. Then the real business started over a glass of wine.
"Harry we have heard many things about you and your wife and well we would like to get to know you more. This gathering is not social as much as business, you hold a few titles of ancient and noble houses and will be a great influence on the Wizengemot. We would like to get to know you and you us as we need to stop that upstart Voldemort.
I was surprised that no one flinched at the name.
"I think that is a fabulous idea. He is just a half blood with delusions of grandeur and needs to be stopped." I stated.
"Good, the next gathering of some of our group is next Saturday. It's a luncheon for those who think they are important and their muggle guests. We have no problems with muggles but it's such a bore trying to be social and not revel we are magical. Some of the muggles you will run into will think they are really important. They of course work for our people in the muggle world and contribute to and for our profit, so the luncheon is important.
"No need to explain Lady Whitlock as I was raised by muggles and in their jobs they knew they were the most important things in the world. I have no hate for muggle but I understand their ideals and motivations as I do with magically inclined folks."
We discussed many topics and drank a lot of wine. We were given a 'floe' address and told to come dressed in formal muggle. Finally the dinner broke up with goodbyes and thanks.
/Scene Break/
The week sped by for both with watching new released films on DVD and interaction with our parents. Then there was the formal clothing that had to be purchased at Harrods, with Dan and Emma there with advice on cut and color.
Then came Saturday and arrival via the 'floe'. I hate the 'floe' but protocol did not allow 'apparition' into the home. Flaming in would be hard to explain, especially if we arrived in the middle of a group of muggles. We arrived in a large reception room where the elves got rid of the soot, took our invitations and pointed to were the muggle affair was being held. We entered though the double doors and were announced.
"Lord Baron Harry James Potter Heir of the Ancient and Noble houses of Potter, Slytherin, Gryffindore and his Lady Hermione Potter." Well that got the rooms attentions especially one person, "YOU!" Vernon Dudley was very close and for some reason angry.
While Vernon was charging towards Harry with what appeared to do violence he did not take into consideration that Harry was not a six year old to be beaten and thrown around. Vernon was an over grow, fat, obese idiot and when he got to Harry and he found that Harry was not defenseless. Vernon huffed and puffed up to Harry and took a meat hook swing at him. Only to find that the kid was not there and he now had a very sore stomach. With all the fat he barely felt much and turned to charge Harry. What he got was a number of strikes to his fat face which broke his nose and lips. Suddenly he was hit behind the knee and that cause him to fall backward. He struck his head on the stone floor and he went out cold.
"Harry must you always make a spectacular entrance?" Neville shouted as he, Amelia and Dowager Longbottom and Whitlock joined Harry. Harry made a gesture as if he was dusting off his tux and said, "Interesting party when does the action start?"
That broke the ice and the majority of the party resumed the night's entertainment. Vernon was hauled off by security. Vernon's boss was not happy being responsible for the disruption in front of his contemporaries. He tried by explaining about problems Vernon was having at home.
"Goblins cut off all the money he was being paid for taking care of some relative. He forgot to tell anyone that the kid wasn't there since age six so there was a lot of money to pay back. He has been grousing over the kid for months." Vernon's supervisor added, "And I suppose we have just met that relative?"
/Scene Break/
It was not my party but it seemed to be a success. I meet a lot of people who made the wheels turn in the society and seemed receptive to change. Hopefully we made a good impression. There was one other snag and that is when Amelia wanted to know why the DMLE and of course her, was snubbed by the simple request of coming by to report what happened in Diagon alley.
Hermione answered that in a flash, "How dare you send some one who gets familiar with my husband and then comes back with two Aurors demanding that we come to report to you immediately?"
"I only wanted to talk with you two and the talk was really at your convenience, you are a Lord and Lady not some scum that the Aurors have to scrape off the street."
"Well you talk to Tonks as she demanded that we accompany them, then and there!" Hermione was working up a head of steam.
~"Hay Foxy, how about a run and a secluded picnic when we are finished here?"
~"That would be really nice." Foxy was smiling a very sexy smile.
Morgana I loved her and that smile made me ready for an extended picnick deep in the forest.