Chapter 20 : Now What?
After the departure of the Hogwarts staff and the Malfoys, there was a bit of a silence . . . then Molly got going with her "All right everyone" organizing skills. Ron, Hermione, Harry, Ginny, and the twins were ordered into the parlor, along with Dan, Emma, Rupert and Tom. Mad-eye took his leave while Remus and Tonks decided to Floo to her parents house. Molly then had a sit-down with Kreacher, Dobby ( after he returned from Malfoy Manor ) and Winky, who was listening with rapt attention to all of the things that had been happening and how she would have a part in their future plans.
"Now Winky," Molly started, 'The Burrow is not a fancy house, as was the Crouch's, but there are lots of rooms, nooks and crannies to be dusted, lots of the family coming and going all the time and there's also a ghoul in the attic, but he's perfectly happy to be up there by himself."
"Yes, Mistress Weasley. Winky is understanding." Although she looked attentive and happy, Molly could see the little House Elf wringing her hands in agitation.
"Well, if you're going to come and work for our family, I want you to call me Mrs. Molly and you can call my husband Mr. Arthur . . . the Mistress and Master titles are a bit too grand for our liking."
"Oh, yes Mis . . .I mean Mrs. Molly . . . . wait, is you saying Winky is going to be your House Elf? ? . . . Winky will have a new home?" Her already big eyes got wider in excitement.
"Yes, I've made up my mind and I'm sure Arthur will agree wholeheartedly with me that it's about time I had a little help, now that all the children are grown and will soon be moving out to start their adult lives . . . of course, that will mean helping with our grandchildren in the future!"
"OH! MRS MOLLY!" the diminutive creature cried out, as she threw herself into Molly's arms and sobbed.
"I'll take that as a yes." Molly replied, smiling at Dobby and Kreacher. "And I want to thank you, Kreacher and you, Dobby for suggesting Winky for the job. It was very clever of you, Kreacher, to have here her to display her skills, so I would know she was very capable and she'll make a fine addition to our household."
Dobby poked Kreacher in the ribs, and the old Elf poked him back before answering Molly.
"No thanks be necessary for Kreacher, Mrs. Weasley. Him was only doing what was right; helping a fellow House Elf and Master's friends and family." Kreacher tried looking humble and failed miserably, but that went unnoticed by Molly as she grabbed a tea towel to hand to Winky, so she could wipe her tears and stop her sniffles.
"Dobby is happy Winky is finding a new family, too, Mrs. Wezzie, as her was very sad at Hogwarts," he added, nodding his head. "Now her has a proper family and is a proper House Elf again."
Winky ran over and hugged Dobby and then Kreacher, who looks absolutely thunderstruck! Molly dissolved into the giggles.
X X X
"I'm having a bit of a sense of déjà-vu, as we're back to Christmas Day, again!" Ron settled onto a sofa and pulled Hermione down beside him.
"Ron!" Hermione squeaked, as she landed, awkwardly, next to him.
"Well, if we're going to get married, I don't see why you shouldn't sit with me."
"Next to, fine, but not on your lap, not with everyone here!" she hissed at him, blushing.
"Yes, Ron," Emma laughed. "Your marriage is a few years off, so don't rush . . . you'll have plenty of time for snogging and all that teenage romance stuff."
Ron's mouth dropped open. "I wasn't going to snog her . . . not here . . not now . . ." he sputtered.
"OOooooo," Fred turned to George. "We need a camera . . . . "
"Too right, the blackmail potential is too good to pass up!" George rubbed his hands together.
"Shove off, both of you!" Ginny gave them a push toward the door. "Why don't you two go and start making plans for your store!"
"Brilliant!" Fred nodded, then 'pop' was gone, presumably to the upstairs bedroom.
"Excellent idea!" George agreed and 'pop' he was gone, too.
"Smooth, Ginny," Dan smiled at her as he passed by her on the way to the DVD box. "Want to watch some of the 'behind the scenes' stuff about the movies?"
"Yeah," Harry replied. "As long as you can stop it if we have questions to ask."
"Sure," Rupert flipped through the DVD's and found the one he thought would be most interesting to them.
"And we've got a lot of questions for all you, too," added Tom. "For instance, well, actually, I guess I should ask Severus this one . . . why do you all have to drink those vile potions . . . can't anyone in the Wizarding world figure out how to make pills or capsules?"
"I've asked myself that every time Madam Pomfrey shoved that "Skele-gro" bottle into my hand after Lockhart deboned my arm!" Harry laughed. "Modern methods, especially if the Muggles use them, are not very accepted by the Wizarding world; ' this is how it's always been done' attitude. Bloody backwards, if you ask me."
"Well, I think I'll have a little talk with Draco about starting a company to make Magical pills . . . maybe get Severus on board as an advisor . . . Draco could make a packet! After this is all over, I mean. Would be his own source of income, get him out from under Daddy's thumb, too!" Tom announced, looking very pleased with himself.
"Ah, your Slytherin side is showing again, Tom," teased Rupert "Maybe he should talk to Fred and George . . . they might have a few contacts to help get the whole thing off the ground."
"Will do! It'll be a surprise for Draco, when he comes back on Friday."
"If he can get away," Dan reminded him. "He and Narcissa will have to be careful and find a time when Lucius isn't around the Manor."
"Right, forgot that bit . . . but they'll manage . . . they really ARE Slytherins!"
X X X
As Severus Snape descended the cold stone stairs to his private potions lab, he couldn't get the thought out of his head; even though he knew it was a Muggle movie, even though he knew it was a fictionalization of their future lives, the fact that both Lily and he had said 'always', was making him both elated and saddened. That they both were thinking only of Harry, that they were both striving for the same goal, made him smile, inwardly. However, she would never know his part in it . . . but, then . . . maybe she did. . . maybe she has seen everything . . . if her spirit, and those of Pott...James and Black... Sirius and Lup...Remus were there, too.
Ah, well, this time, it will be different! He'd gotten a second chance; to make it right and also to survive, with a bit of luck. He almost chuckled at that slight pun, as he reached the heavy, ancient wooden door. Waving his wand, he lowered the wards, the lock clicked and he entered the high ceilinged room.
The weak winter sunshine barely made its presence known, as it shone through the deep set leaded windows. A wave of his wand and scores of candle flames ignited, chasing away the shadows and making the rows of bottles and jars lining the shelves sparkle, despite the light coating of dust on all of them. Another wave and a thick, ancient volume floated from the bookcase and landed with a soft thump on the work table in the center of the room. Shrugging off his cloak, and then his frock coat, he rolled up his sleeves as he flipped through the musty pages, looking for the formula he'd need for the 'Felix Felicis'. As he scanned the ingredients list, his eyes flicked to various shelves and specific jars and bottles began floating over, landing with small thuds, to line themselves up on the table's broad surface. A flick toward the fireplace and flames burst out from under the largest cauldron hanging there. Next, a cutting board and several different shaped knives landed on the other side of the table, along with several bowls of various sizes.
Severus looked around at the gathered implements and ingredients and a small smile played at the corners of his lips . . . he dearly loved the brewing of potions, the precise stirring and simmering necessary to get the recipe correct . . . one missed drop of this or leaf of that and the whole could be a disaster . . . or in Longbottom's case, an explosion . . . he shook his head. He'd have to concentrate totally on the job at hand or it really would be a disaster!
Picking up his favorite knife, he reached for a packet of herbs and sliced the string binding the brown paper.
X X X
Minerva put down her teacup and looked at Albus. She knew not to interrupt his musings, so she contented herself with watching the square of sunshine, coming through the window over her head, where it hit the wall opposite, creeping its way upward as the sun set. It really moved like a flat, golden snail, determinedly climbing over the stones until it grew faint and then faded away. She flicked her hand and various lamps and candles started glowing, bringing the light level back up in the round room that served as the Headmaster's office. The increase in the light level seemed to catch the attention of the elderly Wizard behind the desk.
"Oh, Minerva, my dear! I've been terribly remiss, ignoring your presence all this time. My apologies!"
"Nonsense, Albus, we both had a lot to absorb in the last couple of days and now we have the same days to think through what we've learned," she answered, with a wave of her hand.
"True. Time travel does have that advantage, given the right circumstances." His eyes twinkled as he stood and stretched. "Let's take a long walk through the castle on the way to dinner and we'll chat as we go, shall we?"
"Excellent. Work out the kinks in my knees and the kinks in our plans at the same time." Minerva rose and shook her robes to straightened them.
Dumbledore opened the door to his study and ushered his Transfiguration Professor out to the staircase. Armando Dippet looked over to the portrait of Dilys Derwent.
"It looks like this coming year is going to be very exciting, eh Dilys?" Armando grinned.
"I'm concerned that it involves 'Time Turners' being used by Muggles, but then, these are modern time and obviously, it was thought serious enough a situation to warrant such drastic measures!" she shot back. "You seem to think it will be great fun, where as I think it sounds quite dangerous."
"Dangerous! Poppycock! Not with Albus running the show!" countered Headmaster Dippet.
"And it seems my Great-great-grandson will be in the thick of it, so stop fretting, Dilys!" Phineas Nigellus Black added. "We Blacks know how to take care of things."
"Oh, yes, your Great-great-grand-daughter, Bellatrix, is a good example of that!" countered Headmistress Derwent. "She and that Tom Riddle are a fine pair!"
As Albus and Minerva descended the spiral staircase, they could hear the voices being raised behind them.
"Oh dear, they've started already," chuckled Minerva.
"Indeed . . . I dare say I can expect all kinds of helpful advice in the coming months." agreed Albus, as they reached the bottom and strolled away down the corridor.
X X X
The next morning at Malfoy Manor, Narcissa went looking for Draco and found him in the parlor, gazing out the window that overlooked the rose garden. He turned and smiled at her.
"Father gone?"
"Yes, his end of year meeting at Gringott's"
"Ah, should have known even a late night at Aunt Bella's wouldn't keep him from business."
"Indeed."
Narcissa sat down on the sofa and patted the cushion next to her. Draco obediently sat beside his mother, knowing this talk was going to be life changing.
"Dobby certainly doesn't hold a grudge, does he?" She asked her son, with a bright smile.
Draco's mouth literally hit the floor; small talk about their former House Elf was the last thing he was expecting as the topic of conversation.
"What? Well, no, I suppose not . . . but then, Dobby and you always got on . . . it was Father that mistreated him . . . mostly," he added quickly, seeing her eyebrow rise. "All right, I wasn't very nice to him, either, but I thought . ."
"You thought that your father's attitude was the one to emulate. You've been brought up to be just like him, the 'Malfoy Heir'. . . as his father raised Lucius and his father before him. Stubborn pride has always been the keystone of the Malfoy men's persona . . . so much so that it killed your Grandfather Abraxas; refused treatment for the Dragon Pox he'd contracted . . . insisted it was 'nothing of the sort' . . . until even he had to admit how ill he was becoming . . . and then it was too late for treatment . . . and he fussed and fumed and bellowed orders to one and all, until the end. Do you know your father was actually proud of that show of 'Malfoy Pride'. Thought his father was right to refuse treatment, it was just his age that worked against him fighting off the ill effects of the poison. Although he wasn't all that heartbroken at being the new Master of Malfoy Manor, I can tell you that!" she added.
"Mother! I know Father . . . enjoys being in charge of the Manor and head of the family, but"
"How many times have you said 'wait until my father hears about this . . . how many times have you written letters telling him about all the little things that didn't go your way at school?"
She waited for an answer and watched as a blush rose on her son's cheeks.
"Exactly! Just because your last name is Malfoy, doesn't mean the world owes you your every whim! As you've learned, that will lead to our destruction at the Dark Lord's hands, Draco."
She held up her hand as he opened his mouth to protest.
"I know, I know, we survived - or will survive - if things go unchanged. But at what price? All of those lives lost needlessly; your friends, my family, your schoolmates, innocent people. No, Draco . . . now that we know what would happen, we will do it all differently and make sure, as much as we can, that we survive and that, even more importantly, other people survive, who didn't deserve to die, because of our blindly following that maniac Voldemort."
"Mother!"
"Well, it's his name . . . Harry was right . . . he's just Tom Riddle with a silly title he made up! Is he a powerful Wizard? Yes. Am I frightened of him? Yes. Will I let him ruin my family, my son's life, my husband's? No."
Mother and son sat in silence for some minutes while they both thought about what it would all mean to them.
"Father can't know any of this." Draco finally spoke, making his mother start a bit.
"Absolutely not . . . not that he would betray us willingly, but he'd not be able to hide anything from the Dark Lord."
"He'll get caught in the Ministry, again, and go to Azkaban, won't he?"
"I think, although unpleasant, it's the safest place for him. I know that's harsh, but . . "
"But true. You'll have the hardest time, if he comes here to stay."
"That shouldn't be until after Dumbledore's supposed death, so more than a year away . . . and that might not happen, either."
Draco shook his head. "We're putting our necks in the noose no matter which way it goes."
"I'm willing. I'm destined to do just that, lying to him that Harry was dead, so if I don't have to do that again, it'll be too soon." Narcissa smiled and Draco nodded his head.
"Why did you - would you - will you? You know what I mean . . . what do you think made you do that?"
"I think I was trying - as was your father - to get to you; to see that you were still alive . . . we were desperate and because Harry was alive, even after being hit with an 'Avada Kadavra' curse, I decided he was our better chance of getting into the castle and finding you. I had to try and help him, in the only way I could."
"Emma says she liked the way, in the book, you two went running though the castle looking for me in the thick of the battle, and then after, when we were just sitting by ourselves with nobody paying us any attention . . . although the film's way of seeing the three of us walking away from it all was a bit of a good ending for our involvement, too."
"So, if things change, we might not have a battle, at least not like the one we saw, and Harry and everyone will already know we're on their side . . . that doesn't make it any easier or safer, does it, Mother?"
"No, son, it doesn't, but if we can help Harry and get rid of Voldemort, we'll not only help ourselves survive, but the rest of the Wizarding World." Narcissa sighed, almost overwhelmed by the enormity of it all.
"Emma told me of a Muggle saying, "If I knew then, what I know now, I'd have done it differently". Looks like we get a second chance to get it right, eh?" Draco smiled and leaned back, stretching out his long legs.
"Dear me," muttered Narcissa.
'What?" Draco looked at her, puzzled.
"Stand up, dear," she ordered.
"Why?" Draco asked, even as he did as he was told.
"We need to go shopping for some new trousers, dear; you're shooting up again! Look at how high those cuffs are riding!"
"Must we? Can't you just use a lengthening spell or something?" Draco whined.
"Those have already been lengthened, last summer. No there's nothing for it. I'll just get my bag and we're off to Madam Malkin's."
"Mother . . . really . . . I "
"Then to Fortesque's for a hot fudge sundae!"
"Oh, well, if you're going to bribe me . . . lead the way . . . " Draco swept his arm as he held the door open for his Mother to pass through, on her way to the front hall. "I want extra whipped cream on mine," he added, as he closed the door, Narcissa laughting, even as she summoned her purse.