Chapter 21- Good Company
Remus Lupin was feeling conflicted. There was nothing new to him in that. Ever since he was bitten by that bastard Greyback he'd had the Wolf inside him with its own emotions and drives.
It was the circumstances that were a little unusual. Remus had spent so long away from the Wizarding World that on his return he felt like a stranger in a strange land. So many things that used to be 'normal' now stood out to him, starting with the Leaky Cauldron and its inhabitants.
Wizard robes just looked wrong after living among the Muggles for so much of the last twelve years, like a caricature of themselves, and the fact that he was wearing his own new high quality set did nothing to dull the sensation. Nor did the many visits to the pub change it in his eyes from the dirty and dingy place it now seemed.
He was surprised to hear an old familiar voice call his name as he was heading towards the entrance to Diagon. Looking over, he saw someone he used to consider a friend, waving him over.
Taking a seat, Remus unobtrusively scanned the place with his wand and his mildly enhanced senses, confirming it was safe. "Good morning, Mr Dumbledore."
"Ah, good morning indeed, Mr Lupin. Most fortunate, in fact, that I found you here. If you will permit me?" Without even waiting, Albus drew his wand, casting a series of privacy charms around them, looking back only after Remus had gotten his irritation off his face.
"I was hoping to contact you soon enough anyway, as I find myself being able to offer you a most rewarding position. In addition to the usual salary and perks of the job, and getting to spending more time in the Wizarding World as you should, I would also allow you more contact with James and Lily's boy, young Harry."
Remus felt the urge to give a harsh bark at this offer. If he hadn't managed to find Harry on his own, if he had still been stuck with casual, unskilled jobs, Remus was dismally sure he would have jumped at the chance, no matter what conditions were placed upon him. Now, he had no need of the old man who had kept Harry from him and denied Harry knowledge of Prongs and Lily.
Indeed, Remus had just come from breakfast with Harry, in fact, one that Harry's clone had even cooked especially for him - prime scotch fillet, extra rare, absolutely delicious - before they chatted about old times and new pranks.
Remus fought down the rage with the ease of long practice against the Wolf, putting on a smile. "And just what is this job you have in mind?"
"Oh, there is a vacancy for a Professor for Defence Against the Dark Arts."
"Isn't that job cursed? The last holder of the job almost ended up in prison, and no one seems to know where the previous one went," Remus asked incredulously.
"Now, my boy, there is no curse on the job, of course. The finest minds have looked and found nothing of significance. Unfortunately, due to the lower enrolment I cannot offer you the normal remuneration, though a suite of rooms are available." Albus' twinkle was in full force as he sought to make his pitch. In truth, he was quite prepared to offer well above the usual salary if needed.
DADA was one of the core courses, and he was quite stuck. Last year, only that fool Lockhart had applied, and this year he had not even a single applicant. He couldn't afford to give the Ministry another chance to establish their influence at Hogwarts. It was hard enough holding the reins with that pack of fools on the Board of Governors, always telling him that Snape was a problem. 'What would they know? I have been at Hogwarts for over half a century. Besides, dear Severus needs to act that way so that when Voldemort returns, he can be in position to aid the Light.'
While Dumbledore was woolgathering, Remus was again having to fight down the Wolf at Dumbledore's lies. He knew well that Dumbledore really meant himself by 'finest minds', such arrogance, and there were no such budgeting problems. If there had been, Minerva would have told him all about it in one of their discussions. Thinking of her brought a smile to his face. She had come around recently, both to the Kitsune Compound and in her opinion that Albus Dumbledore was not the great and wise figure they were led to believe.
He had also teased her about the young man with a crush on her, even if Harry was keeping it under control, ever since. Thinking about Harry brought Remus back to Dumbledore's offer.
"I would have to give notice on my current job, Mr Dumbledore. I can't afford to do that if I'm not certain of a new job. I have a spotted record already and quitting a job will not help me one bit to secure a new one."
"Oh, have no fear of that, Mr Lupin. You can take this offer to Gringotts."
"May I get that in writing?"
Albus was hurt that he was being questioned like this, but produced parchment and quill, another thing that struck Remus as deliberately out of step, writing out the offer in his loopy handwriting and adding his initials. "Here you go, Remus. I shall expect your owl soon with your acceptance, then."
"I have no owl to send," 'Just like Harry didn't when he got the standard letter instead of the muggle-born version.' He grumbled. "but I could stop by here once I have an answer and Floo call the castle."
"That will be fine, Remus. I look forward to working with you." Albus stood up, trying to end the meeting here before this opportunity slipped through his fingers. He really had far too many things to be doing to spend time on finding a suitable DADA teacher.
"I'll be in touch." Remus smiled, knowing that the Muggle expression was vaguely confusing to the older man. You can't stop a Marauder. He watched the old man hurry on his way to the Floo calling out "The Ministry."
Remus watched the people around him for a minute then recalled his own original reason for coming to the Alley. He got up, shaking his head when he realised Dumbledore had forgotten to take down his privacy spells after the interview and decided to leave them in place. If Tom had a problem with it, well, he could take it to the Headmaster.
Waving to the man, Remus headed on back to the entrance to the Alley, another thing that used to be exciting which was now marred by the form chosen to disguise the place. 'Why not something easier on the eyes or, especially, nose?' He tapped the bricks with his wand, stepping through the arch into the Alley proper, heading up to Gringotts. After converting some Pounds to Galleons, he did some window shopping on his way to pick up extra potions ingredients.
The Wolfsbane Potion he took used some rare ingredients, and while he was perfectly capable of harvesting them himself, several of them were on a restricted list which meant it was illegal for him to do it since he was a Dark Creature in the Ministry's eyes. It was another idiotic measure intended to make it easier to monitor Werewolves since they couldn't make the Potion without it. What they failed to consider, or did but simply ignored, was that all the measure really did was make Werewolves have to pay through the nose for the items they needed, or break the law.
'Either we pay in gold or pay in suffering,' Remus thought again. His anger over the issue never truly died out, but it was cooled down to just embers for now. There were of course those who just flouted the law. Some did it because they were already criminals in the Ministry's eyes, ranging from petty thieves and pickpockets to scum like Greyback. Others did it as a way to protest the unfair treatment or simply so they could better hide their condition. Remus hid his condition, and actually kept the cost down, by buying other ingredients as well so that his purchasing habits wouldn't suggest Wolfsbane to any curious soul.
Remus stepped past a group of beggars after giving them what change he could spare, noting that the Muggle-borns in the group outnumbered the rest despite them being a minority in the Wizarding World. Nothing was said about it to Muggle parents, but it was far harder for their children to get a job in their new world than for those who were raised in it.
In part, it was the same bigotry that led to the Death Eater raids under You- under Riddle, he corrected himself. Another part, though, was simply that a lot of businesses were passed down within the same families for generations, and they naturally employed their own relations before they looked outside. In the Muggle world, that wouldn't have worked. It was too big, too competitive, too changeable. While it still occurred there from time to time, a lot more jobs were openly advertised. Here, it was the reverse.
He quickly made his purchases and left, heading home, taking the long way since some of the purchases might react badly to magical travel and Remus was attached to his limbs, and intended to stay that way.
Once in the door, he headed to the living room, asking one of Naruto's clones if he could get a Clan meeting on the way. By the time he got there, everyone else was waiting for him. With a quick grin at that, he added. "It wasn't urgent, but it may be important."
After relating his trip, Naruto nodded. "Thank you, Remus. Should we assume that you are going to take up his offer?"
"Right now, my intent is to tell him to go to hell. I like working here, I like living here, and most of all, I like getting to spend time with Harry, giving him what he deserves. That said, if it will help Harry more to do something else, then that's what I'll do."
"Thank you, Uncle Moony," Harry smiled as he walked in. "I got the message from Tsunade-mum while I was out on a run and cut it short. So, Dumbledore wants to hire you as DADA Professor? Did you ever hear what happened to Professor Quirrell?"
"... that was the first time I met that terrorist at Hogwarts. The second time was down in the Chamber of Secrets where I learned his real name, like I showed you." Harry wound down from his tale.
"You killed your teacher?"
"Yes, Uncle Moony, once he called Vol- Riddle his Master, he had made his choice clear. Especially as he was trying his best to give the terrorist leader his body back. It was kill one person who had chosen to serve a mass murderer, or allow him a chance putting my friends at risk. It was a simple decision, and the right choice was clear."
"But, I'm sorry, Harry, but you're only twelve. No kid should ever be put in that situation."
The reactions from the Clan were mixed. On balance, they agreed, no one should be put in that place, but all of them had been, or knew those who were, when they were that young. Naruto tried to break it to him gently. "Remus, in an ideal world, you would be correct but this is far from an ideal world, though admittedly it's better about preserving innocence than our home. Harry found himself on the spot and having to choose. He had the training which made it his responsibility. Who could he have told who we could trust to do the job for him? Dumbledore? Hardly. It was his responsibility but he'd done nothing for the entire school year. That meant either Dumbledore wouldn't do anything if told, or couldn't be trusted to be competent for the task."
Harry added, "Uncle Moony, in school we're taught about World War II, the rise of the various extremists, and from the old issues of the Daily Prophet we learned that a lot of that was due to the Dark Wizard Grindelwald covertly helping them. Dumbledore is supposed to have defeated Grindelwald eventually after resisting calls for years to go do it, years while tens of millions died and Dumbledore did nothing. And when he finally does something, when he finally defeats the Dark Wizard, he lets this monster live!" Harry took a deep breath to calm himself. It had not been a happy discovery for anyone in the household that Grindelwald was still amongst the living, unlike his Muggle counterpart in the war.
"No, if Dumbledore wouldn't save millions of people, then I couldn't risk going to him for 'mere' thousands. More died every day Dumbledore waited than that, after all. I was there, I knew how to do it quickly, cleanly, even painlessly though Quirrell didn't deserve that mercy. When it was over, I went to bed, and tried to sleep." Hinata-mum was suddenly behind Harry, hugging him tenderly.
"Our world has to deal with horrible things, Remus, so my family created some techniques to cope with the horrors. We experienced more of them than most, so it was a matter of survival for us. As Harry is our son, by our laws that means I could and did teach him, including techniques that guard his mind at all times, even from his nightmares. That night, Harry needed that help for the first time in years, dealing with the emotions. We did our best for him, and Harry's handled it well, but don't mistake that for it being easy for him to carry through. It took a lot of courage for him, since he knew going in that it would be hard." Ino-mum was talking to him in a low voice while Hinata-mum helped their son.
The Marauder nodded. "You're right, it's just that it was hard enough for us to do it and we had another half a dozen years on him, growing up during Riddle's rise."
"We were raised to it, most of us, and it still wasn't easy. Sometimes, violence is the answer, and it's better that the good guys win. There's more to it than that, but that's what it comes down to really. You don't think Harry made the wrong choice, do you?" Remus barely had time to shake his head. "You don't hate him for what he did?" Ino-mum asked carefully with a hint of stern protectiveness.
"Merlin, no!" Remus shouted before calming down. "No, I don't. I've wondered for years if things would have been different if we had aimed to kill rather than capture more of the time. But Dumbledore was so adamant about giving them a chance to repent, and none of us stood up to him because he was Dumbledore, he couldn't be wrong."
"And even if you had, Remus, it wouldn't have changed his mind. He wouldn't even listen to his friend McGonagall about dumping a child on a cold wintery night. If he wouldn't listen when he's so obviously wrong, when confronted by one of his oldest friends, then he wouldn't have listened to a teenager who is suggesting an escalation of violence." Tsunade-mum finished with an air of authority.
Ayame-mum had something else in mind. "You mentioned passing some beggars, noting that too many of them were Muggle-borns, Remus."
"Well, yes, they're a minority in our population but there were five there in a group of eight. A lot of businesses will only hire from their family, maybe from close allies, when they need to replace someone. It's the system they know, and it works for them, so that's what they use. Relatively few even bother to put up ads. For one, they already know the types of people they want, for another, it's an extra cost, but also, there's the element of trust involved. They trust their family, but don't trust a stranger. They'd rather get a barely-competent son or nephew than a competent stranger of unknown loyalty.
"Add in the prejudice against the Muggle-borns, and it's a lot harder for them in the Wizarding World. Some lucky ones have money or support from their families, or make the right friends at school. The rest have to get by as best they can."
"Why on Earth was none of this in the briefing given to Hermione or Justin?" Harry growled.
"At a guess? Minerva does her best to help them make their way, and doesn't like being reminded of the way society just throws away her hard work. She's doing what she can already. Talking about it would just make her feel guilty for something she can't change. So, she represses it as much as she can. If you asked, I think she would have explained it, but how would anyone know they needed to ask?" Remus sighed.
"So that means that these Muggle-borns are often poor, underemployed, have all the basic magical skills and unlikely to escape the trap of their new society after being ripped out of the old one. Add to that the facts that they're often the targets for violence from Death Eater types as well as random people in the street, and it makes you wonder why that society shouldn't be destroyed." Anko growled.
"No, well, yes, there's that, but I was thinking that this provides us with an opportunity to accomplish several of our general goals. We could help those who need it, make money that will be useful, and hopefully start to improve their society, if we started up another business. One of the first year spells Harry learned is the Mending Charm, and that alone has enough potential to make a lot of money. At a guess, there's more work than we could ever do that way.
"I think we could also sell it to the magicals as a charitable trust." Ayame-mum smiled. "It would be an elegant solution if we use some of the profits from the business to pay for some charity."
"If we do that, then we would have to do it right and get every advantage we can out of it," Yuugao-mum noted.
"Of course," Ayame-mum replied, "and we would want to see about training them to defend themselves, too."
"Then we also want a good name." The discussion took off from there, quickly shifting to the large hall so more of the clones could get involved in brainstorming the idea. Remus was lost in the discussions about the business itself, drifting towards the discussions about the magics involved and what was needed or useful and what was simply a hindrance.
By dinner time, the Clan already had a remarkably complete draft together.
The company would have three major divisions plus ancillary staff to work on essentials like accounting and legal. The major divisions would be Combat, a natural choice given who was starting it and including field medics and R&D, officially termed the Darwin Division after the famous scientist. Next was Charity, starting with an equivalent to Meals on Wheels, search and rescue, and a public library under the heading of Lily's Lifeguards. Last of the three divisions was the one that was supposed to pay for the other two, the paid businesses starting with repairing items for resale in either world.
A stray comment from Remus had indicated two other potentially profitable avenues for them. "The Ministry doesn't like admitting that so many wizards and witches don't have decent housing, or admitting any of their failures. For example, they are supposed to take care of cleaning up disused magical sites littering Britain and while they do have a department assigned to the task, the fact that it only has a single part-time employee shows the priority they assign to it."
Now, they were going to look into cleaning up those lands and then selling them on at a profit, as well as building houses. The Clan could do a lot of that job themselves, of course, and their labour and most of their materials were essentially free. With that advantage, they believed they could make money hand over fist even while undercutting the market. The important thing was that, as far as they knew, none of their allies were in that business yet, which meant they wouldn't risk hurting those relationships.
They would check their information before they went ahead with that, but the other two industries were just vacant niches in the marketplace, ripe for anyone with the idea and the start-up capital to develop.
When Remus asked why they were taking it this far, Ayame just looked at him like he was mad. "The more we do with this, the more money we can make for Harry. He's going to have options when he completes his schooling, as many as we can provide, and so will his ladies and friends. This? This gives us a chance to do that, something any parent would want, as well as making a difference in that society. This isn't taking it too far, it's only the beginning."
Harry overheard that and decided that provided an opening. "Uncle Moony, you know I was sorted into Hufflepuff, but the Hat said I had the attributes prized by all the Founders, including the ambition and cunning for Slytherin. Knowing my family, you can understand where I got that from, now."
"Slytherin?"
"Yes, I know they have a bad reputation, one they've done their best to deserve too. I told the Hat if it put me in the green and silver, that the House would be destroyed. Can you imagine how the children of Death Eaters would react to what I really am, to what the Clan is? They would be a threat to the lives of my family as long as they lived. In the end, it agreed that Hufflepuff would be the best choice. I was already working 70 hours a day thanks to the Shadow Clones and had just demonstrated loyalty. Maybe it was that, or my request, I don't know, but it gave me what I wanted, a place in the only House where Dumbledore would bother me the least, where I already had friends in Justin and Hermione, and where hard work was expected and praised.
"Since then, well, Hufflepuff works for me." Harry trailed off, blushing at having gone on about it. "But that doesn't mean ambition or cunning are bad things, either, nor the other attributes the Founders wanted. That's all I'm saying."
Remus smiled, "I understand, Harry. It's always interesting around you."
"Better than boring!" They laughed, heading out for a jog now that the weather was a little cooler since they'd skipped it earlier in favour of the brainstorming session.
"Your mother would be proud, Harry, both your parents would be, at what you're trying to do, though she'd also be horribly embarrassed about putting her name on the thing. James wouldn't, of course. He would agree it was a great name, and a good way to stick it to the Death Eaters." Remus grinned, while Harry shook his head smiling.
"It's not as good as sticking a kunai in them, but it's a good start. The real aim is to break their power and influence, after all. Taking their lives would do it, too, but I'd rather do this with a minimum of bloodshed. Then we can take on the other obstacles from a position of strength."
"Harry, if I didn't know better, I'd say you were working against the Ministry."
"Of course, doesn't everyone." His grin was unrepentant, knowing Remus would protect his secrets. "Besides, it seems like a bit of a family tradition. I can't break with that!"
Remus laughed and sped up their run, Harry easily matching him, and they talked of other things.
On Harry and Remus's return, Amelia was there and waiting, along with Susan. The ladies still visited the Clan often, enjoying the chance to relax in good company even more than the wonderful food. After dinner, Harry and Naruto took turns explaining their idea for the Lily Potter Foundation, as they would call it.
Both aunt and niece were proud of Harry for what he was doing, even though he explained that it was Ayame-mum's initial idea and the Clan's hard work. "That doesn't matter, Harry, what does matter is that you're doing something to make a difference and putting your own money behind it."
That gave him pause, he knew that the money had to come from somewhere, and it only made sense to him that they use the Potter fortune rather than letting it sit idle. "Well, of course. It's bearing the Potter name and operating in the Wizarding World. It will be simpler to use existing Galleons than trying to convert Pounds Sterling first. Cheaper, too."
"It's also a good use of your fame." Amelia was pleased he was willing to do that.
"Hey, it has to be good for something." His grin brought out matching ones from the ladies.
While Harry and Susan watched a movie, the adults, plus one of Harry's clones, talked more about the idea. Susan decided to ignore the film halfway through, moving onto Harry's lap and melted into him, kissing and cuddling for as long as she could get.
Amelia in the living room was offering what help she could for the project, telling them about the various laws they would need to examine as well as the people in the Ministry who would take an interest in these developments, both because of their jobs like the 'department' in charge of magical clean-ups or the magical tax office, and for more personal reasons. "Naturally, all the more politically minded will be all over this! Boy-Who-Lived, Lily Potter, new charity, and new tax or bribe sources? How could they stay away.
"Now, Cornelius Fudge is going to insist on trying to get involved. He'll try to demand something is thrown his way since it's such big news, whether that's a public appearance or gold or something else entirely." Amelia growled, "I've tried to get rid of the corruption in the Ministry, but I'm swimming against the tide. Just keeping the DMLE clean is more work than it ought to be."
Quite a few of the Clan were sympathetic to her plight, having had to spend years doing similar things.
"We understand. As for the Minister, while we would love to refuse him outright, that wouldn't be the most practical option. I also don't intend to give into extortion or give any endorsement to him. How about we point out the extra employment and taxes this will bring in, making him look good as long as he leaves us alone?"
They talked over various tactics and strategies, Amelia having decided to spend the night there. The prospect of a Harry-cooked breakfast may have played a part, she admitted to herself, but mostly it was the intelligent discussions. While Amelia Bones had no real interest in the Minister's job or moving outside her DMLE, that didn't stop her from having useful insights or information on the various players.
Nymphadora Tonks made a couple of impromptu visits with her parents, having been assured that they were always welcome, and she fit right in with Harry and the Clan with their joking ways. Ted was often drawn either to the kitchen to learn more cooking tips and recipes or to the growing Clan library, especially with the Hogwarts books. Just a hint of their existence had him practically drooling at the chance, and he gave his wife Andromeda a rueful smile before offering to swear an Oath if they would just let him at the books. Sakura grinned at her fellow bibliophile, and quickly told a relieved Andi that as long as they didn't tell anyone outside their growing circle of friends, they didn't mind. Ted immediately made an Oath of it, before a laughing Sakura guided him to the purloined treasures of knowledge.
Andromeda sighed. "Now I won't see him for the rest of the day, you know. Still, I do enjoy a good read, too. I, Andromeda..." After taking the Oath, she looked at her daughter with a triumphant smile as it was her turn next.
"I, Nymphadora," she scowled, "do solemnly swear to protect the secrets..." Nym completed the Oath and turned to Harry. "I just hate having to use that name for these Oaths, Harry."
"Well, I suppose I had better make it worth it, then." He produced a few clones for them, guiding the Tonks girls to their seats while they were still surprised, and went through the standard explanation and question and answer period.
Andromeda smiled, "Harry, thank you. Now, I better understand how you can keep all those girls happy. You are keeping them happy, right?" Again, there was that glare that promised pain, but Harry was confident of his answer.
"I'm trying my best, Mrs Tonks. They seem to be very happy with me, at least."
"Good, Harry, good. They have trusted you with their hearts, and I wouldn't want to see you throw that away. You have impressed me so far, and I would like to see you continue."
"Mum's right, Harry, you're definitely impressive. Care to impress us more?"
Harry grinned. "Too easy. Watch this." Harry turned around and walked up the wall, across the ceiling and down the far wall back to the surprised ladies.
"We've got plenty of time for telling you all about it, Cousin Nym."
"Nym?" Tonks said dangerously, only for her mother to speak up.
"Well, he did save the school from that basilisk and the acromantulas, Nymphadora." Andromeda was barely hiding her grin at her daughter's reaction to that, and it would be a start towards getting her to accept the lovely name they gave her.
"Fine, Mum, he can call me 'Nym'," she conceded then looked back at Harry, "but lay off that 'cousin' bit, it was just some fun. You know me sense of humour."
"Sure, Nym." Harry was gracious in his victory, and changed the subject to cooking and what they would like to eat for dinner that night, then explaining what was in the Library so far. "I haven't got as many as I wanted since this year I had to keep my clones guarding the students. When we go back, I'll be able to add to it again."
Harry was most pleased about that. Having to miss out on copying for most of the year had set him back, but he was now up to a total of twenty-four clones active concurrently, and working hard on increasing that total. Given his record, his parents were willing to let him cut back on time training to put more clones at the two schools. Naruto had added, "Pampering your ladies is good, protecting them too is better. Just don't let your training lapse, my son."
Andromeda Tonks admired the way Harry already had a head for business, at least by Wizarding World standards, seeing that using his own Galleons was cheaper was something that too many witches and wizards wouldn't have thought of at all. To many of them, it would simply be that Galleons were the 'only' currency they knew. She, personally, had to find that out the hard way when she eloped with Ted.
During the week, they stopped in at the Ministry for all the paperwork needed in setting up a new business and charitable trust, paperwork that had increased in size over the centuries since the Ministry's creation and probably added another layer to the restrictions on Muggle-borns creating new employment. Harry and the Clan doubted that this was deliberately targeted against them, simply because increasing bureaucracy was one of the few things that all settled societies seemed to experience.
At first, the low-level Ministry workers were obstructing or delaying their efforts for whatever reason, but on seeing the Potter name they sat up and took notice. The rumours had again done their usual mutation, but at least they were getting through the red tape quickly now and without resorting to bribery or intimidation.
On Thursday, Cornelius Fudge made an appearance in person, along with a short, squat woman with a flabby face, reminding onlookers of nothing so much as a toad. She turned her nose up at the sight of Harry's parents, dismissing them as Muggles, and Harry had to stop himself from laughing outright. Even still he smiled mischievously thinking of how wrong the witch was. Fudge himself dismissed them for a different reason, however, already zeroing in on the Boy-Who-Lived.
They had planned for this, however, with Naruto stepping between them and taking the Minister in what looked like a friendly grip by the arm. Fudge discovered to his shock that he couldn't escape from the hold, however, certainly not without losing all dignity, and put on a smile as he was steered away.
"Minister Fudge, what a surprise to see you here." Naruto's friendly grin was perfect.
"Why, of course I had to come, Mr Todd, such a significant event demands recognition after all."
"Oh, nothing of the sort, Minister, I assure you. Just a boy wanting to do something to help those in need to get back on their feet and into honest employment, revitalising the economy, don't you know."
Fudge took the bait, eyes lighting up at the thought of extra tax revenue he could divert and good news he could steal. "Nonsense, something this wonderful should be spread far and wide, to inspire other acts of philanthropy."
Naruto looked surprised. "I hadn't thought of it in quite that way."
Fudge was pleased at the idea of winning in public even if it was just a Muggle, and continued on, "Exactly, and that's why you should allow the Ministry to hold a press conference, and naturally it will be in the papers, too."
"Oh, there's no need to go to that expense, Minister. We will be happy to do that work ourselves, and to give full credit for the idea, of course."
Fudge was even more pleased, good publicity and free, too! "Then I look forward to seeing this in print, sir. If only everyone could be as honest and upright." And he bustled away, pleased with himself for getting what he wanted even if he didn't get to have a photo opportunity with the Boy-Who-Lived. No, being associated with a charity and a boost to economy was better, more lasting.
The Clan had listened in on the private conversation, of course, especially since it was being held in a public place. Kin in particular was gleeful since it just gave her more material for the plays she put on for the Clan. Really, all the Wizarding World was rich in inspiration for her comedies, but the Minister took the prize, at least until she finally got to see Albus Dumbledore. Luckily for her, he turned up just as they were leaving, eyes twinkling and doting old grandfather routine firmly in evidence, along with his 'interesting' taste in clothing.
At least they had managed to keep their anger in check on seeing him. Giving themselves away with their Killing Intent would have been a bad idea, even if seeing the old goat choke on his fear - or his tongue, if they were lucky - would have been fun and appropriate given the life of fear he had arranged for baby Harry.
Leaving the Ministry, they headed to Diagon Alley from the Muggle side. None of the Clan particularly trusted magical travel and it gave them an opportunity to sightsee in London, where there were always new things on display. Once back in the quaint and dirty shopping district, they headed to the offices of the Daily Prophet to make their statement.
The Clan were familiar with the liberties the paper routinely took with the truth, and had decided that a combination of carrot and stick would be best here. With Harry in the lead and Naruto at his back, their group easily got the attention of those present. Harry addressed the receptionist out front.
"Good afternoon, I was hoping you could direct me so I can make a statement regarding a new charity my family is starting." Harry had put on his best smile for the occasion. Just because he hated his fame didn't mean he hadn't been trained in its use.
"Name, please?" The receptionist humoured the boy, at least he had a nice smile.
"Harry Potter, starting the Lily Potter Foundation." His words got an instant reaction, the receptionist's eyes darting to his forehead before she remembered that those illustrations were fakes, and only afterwards remembering her manners.
"Of course, Mr Potter, right this way." The other people waiting to complete their business didn't think to object to his special treatment until he was long gone, and even then, well, he had been polite and they were used to the special people getting special treatment.
In one of the offices, reporter Andy Smudgley looked up at the knock on his door. "Yes?" he asked rather testily. He had a deadline and nothing of substance to report, which made his job harder than he liked.
The pretty receptionist entered with a big smile, mouthing "You owe me" at him. As the group entered, he gave her a brief nod, he certainly did!
"Ah, welcome, Mr Potter, welcome! And what can the Daily Prophet do for you, today?" Smudgley smiled ingratiatingly at the Boy-Who-Lived, lazily conjuring chairs for his guests before a wave invited them to take their seats.
"Well, I was hoping to just squeeze in a little announcement that with the help of my family, we will be starting up a new initiative to provide aid and employment to those in need..." Harry began, giving the speech they had rehearsed for this or a similar moment. Harry dutifully mentioned the Minister suggesting they come to the paper, so he could at least say he tried.
The way he mentioned it conveyed correctly that it was Fudge trying to muscle in on a good story, and Smudgley decided that he would give the Minister a mention as having welcomed the development, but nothing more. The reporter was sure he could spin this out to fill his column for weeks, at least. The extra advertising revenue from the Foundation's job ads wouldn't hurt, either, since he could argue to the Editor that it was his idea thus he should get a cut. Well, he could hope, anyway.
The demand to publish the story factually was expected, and it was clear they knew they had the upper hand, too. Viewed in that light, the conditions of only reporting facts, and checking with Harry before writing anything else about him or his friends, were rather light compared to what some like that Malfoy would have insisted on including, and playing down the Boy-Who-Lived's direct involvement was a pleasant surprise. He couldn't give them all of what they asked, of course. This was the first major news story for the Boy-Who-Lived, after all! Smudgley discounted the one from the year before, where it was just the kid killing a rumour. It was a non-story, and besides, someone else had scored that coup.
Still, they did secure his agreement not to play it up, which made them happy, and he had a story he could use for weeks, which made him happy. The hint at coming to him for any future stories had him willing to jump through hoops to get that set in stone.
Once they left the newspaper's offices, they sent out owls to their friends and allies to let them know ahead of the story that the Foundation was official at last. The Browns' reactions to that wording were rather typical. "'At last'?! They set up a major new enterprise in a week including Ministry approval! Lavender, stay close to that boy. He knows how to get things done." Lavender just smiled at that endorsement. Now, they couldn't complain about her wanting to spend more time with him, and oh, those kisses and massages.
The Lily Potter Foundation wasn't really completed, of course, nothing like it in fact. It was, however, now a duly recognised charity and business, licensed for the various work they wanted to do. The ads were put in the papers calling for young wizards and witches with a view to advancement and willing to expand their horizons. Similar calls were also made through other channels to the poor and unemployed, with those who applied asked if they would be willing to take Oaths to keep the Foundation's secrets. Such Oaths were common enough the few times outsiders were allowed to work at other businesses, so that didn't raise any concerns, and the prospect of room and board, as well as real training, before they started work was a powerful incentive for the hungry.
The Clan were prepared to subsidise the Foundation, but soon found they had absolutely no need. Politicians of all stripes found it a good idea to be seen making donations, even if they couldn't get any kickbacks from Harry or the Clan, if only so they didn't get left behind by their rivals. Besides, they were tax deductible.
They purchased some otherwise useless land as cheap as they could find, setting up some basic layouts for a compound. Their employees were told that the housing would come without any magic, but since most of the ones who passed the initial screening were Muggle-borns, that wasn't a problem for them, and the rest quickly dropped all complaints on seeing the houses.
These people had expected dingy, dirty, falling-down hovels, since that is what they had been led to believe was what happened if you didn't have magical support, so the clean, well-built homes were a real surprise. Even the most insulated of the employees quickly adapted to the luxurious fittings and furnishings, and complied also with the hygiene requirements, finding that it was both easy and good for them. The food, while mass-produced, was still restaurant quality and available in sufficient quality that no one had any complaints.
Indeed, the only complaints heard were along the lines of "Why didn't anyone else do this sooner?" These people knew well that to complain about their new employers would be a bad idea, and the work they were asked to do was incredibly simple and even repetitive, just repairing broken items for as long as they could each day. Some were given a variety, some just the same kinds of items in about the same kind of disrepair, while the Clan got a better idea of how much could be done.
Most of their employees in the beginning could only Reparo a few major items or maybe a hundred small items before exhausting their magic. After that, they needed to rest for varying lengths of time between half an hour to the rest of the day.
One of their early vacancies had been for a Healer to keep an eye on things. She had at first been appalled at what the Clan were doing, before she was told that this was getting them information that would better allow the Clan to suit the jobs to each employee, and thus work out appropriate rates of pay. After assurance that these poor people wouldn't get kicked out onto the streets no matter what, she settled in to her job, giving each of them a thorough examination and monitoring each one that came in magically drained. There were the usual minority that had gone further than they should, and the ones who hadn't worked as hard as the rest, but they got each sorted out over time.
Since the tests were done on old rubbish that would be marketable if restored, the intent was that even this wouldn't be terribly costly. The results they got were above their fairly low expectations, and within days they were starting to make back their investment.
Harry saw none of the progress made by the foundation, though the Clan were giving him updates, since it was time for him to head over to the Grangers for the night, before they all went on their trip across the Channel for a holiday. They were going to pick up a hire car on the French side. Athena squealed in her excitement when he arrived before dinner, making Hermione chuckle before getting in her own special hug from her sexy young man.
Matt and Liz arrived, with Matt about to give a cough to get their attention when Harry gently released the man's daughter. Harry held out his hand to Matt Granger who took it with a nod and a look that said Harry had made the right call. Liz Granger ignored his hand and gave him a hug and a smile, before inviting him more fully inside. Harry set his pack down in the guest room and washed up for dinner. While it wasn't Clan cooking, the home-cooked meal was still every bit as good as it had smelled from the moment he arrived.
After dinner, there were checks that everyone had packed correctly, even Harry, before they settled down, watching a quick TV show before bed. In the morning, Harry insisted on cooking breakfast in thanks for their hospitality. Liz was cut off protesting that by Matt who just smiled. "If Harry wants to cook for us, then let him, honey. We all enjoy it and it means you can relax." Left unsaid was that Liz's protest really was just for show and that she had no intention of causing him to retract the offer.
Hermione and Athena woke up to the smell of bacon, walking into the dining area where a full English breakfast had been laid on for everyone. The girls were still waking up, but Hermione knew from the first bite. "Thank you for breakfast, Harry." She gave him a brilliant smile as did Athena before they dug in with a passion.
Harry helped Matt load the car they were taking to the station, knowing that it was a big sign of trust that one of the Clan would be waiting to take it back home for the Grangers, and generally getting ready. Once everyone was packed and loaded in, they were off, playing travel games like I, Spy and other classics simply because they were classics. Once at the station, they dragged their luggage with them over to the train, settling in and looking out the window. When Athena claimed the seat next to Harry's window seat, Hermione just smiled at her sister and sat on his lap instead. The gasp from Matt brought her back to earth, but he just shook his head and looked away. He and Liz had had a long talk with the girl before the trip, The Talk, as well as trying to set boundaries on what Hermione did that they could all agree to.
Hermione tried to insist that she knew what she was doing, but neither parent agreed with her there. They knew well that in the heat of the moment, someone could go far further than they ever intended. That was how Hermione was born, after all, thanks to a Christmas party that went too well. While neither of them regretted it for an instant, they had intended to wait a few more years for their business to get established before they started expanding their little family. They had been more careful after her birth, and Athena came along just when she was wanted.
Liz sent Matt out of the room to save him from the embarrassment before explaining to a blushing Hermione just how hot the moments can get, and that Hermione needed to know how to control herself even when her body was telling her to do more. Hermione nodded along, even made a list which she shared with her mother to look over, adjusting it as needed to get her approval, but she knew that she didn't want to wait for years and years. so she would just have keep it from them. The thought gave her pain, she didn't want to lie to her parents, but she couldn't fool herself that she would wait either.
At least she trusted Harry to respect whatever boundaries she set. She smiled to herself. Really, it was because he respected her that she was willing to go further and faster. The way he kissed her didn't hurt, either. Oh, and those magic fingers of his!
She was brought out of her heated thoughts by Harry whispering to her. "Hermione! You need to stop squirming, please, your father's still watching us." Harry had reacted to her movements, and she suppressed a gasp as she felt just how much reaction she could feel.
Soon enough, Harry was relaxed, Athena chatting away and showing where Hermione got her ability to speak entire paragraphs without having to breathe, while the elder sister cuddled into Harry, talking about everything they were seeing.
Once in Paris, and on their way to the hotel, they were all enjoying the opportunity to relax. Harry had mentioned that he had clones available for security, and the Grangers were smart enough to accept the help. The last thing they needed was for someone to ruin their holiday.
Liz smiled after lunch, she had been planning this for a couple of days ever since she noticed the ad in one of the brochures. She waited until the kids were out of earshot and Matt was just sipping at his iced coffee before asking innocently. "Oh, honey, when we head to Bordeaux, I was thinking we might visit Euronat, you know that nudist beach on the coast." Liz got more than she bargained for, when not only did Matt cough and splutter, but Harry turned beet red too. "Oops," she grinned wickedly, "I forgot Harry's got great hearing."
Harry refused to tell Hermione what had made him blush like that beyond that he had overheard something by mistake. It was only when Hermione got her mother alone that she got an answer, and she blushed even worse than Harry had. Liz just concluded to herself that it wasn't just Harry's family who were pranksters.
That night, Hermione dreamed of going to that beach with Harry, and some of the things she might do with him. In the morning, she had trouble looking at anyone until breakfast was served, breaking her out of her mood. Liz just loved the entertainment, though she did resolve to keep it light.
Over their holiday, the five English tourists did a lot of tourist things, visiting the Eiffel Tower and a dozen different museums, as well as a few beaches including one near Bordeaux, though definitely not the naturist one. They had a quick attempt to look in the French magical shopping districts, but the language barrier and the French arrogance were almost as omnipresent on the magical side as on the Muggle side. Besides a few minor variations, they didn't see anything of interest before the attitudes drove them away.
Seeing mountains and beaches and hiking on trails, was more enjoyable by far. Hermione had developed some real muscles since starting at Hogwarts, or rather since starting to exercise with Harry. The best bit of the hiking for her, better than the feel of nature around her, better than the glorious views, was that each hike ended with a massage from her Harry. In the end, it was only the knowledge that her parents were nearby that had stopped Hermione from taking things further with the handsome boy.
The other two Granger girls were keeping an eye on things. For Athena, it was simply that Hermione was her beloved big sister and role model while Harry was cute and treated her like the big girl she was, never talking down to her. She loved him all the more for that, though the way he and Hermione would include her on games was also great.
To Liz, well, it was a source of delight to see Hermione happy, as long as she didn't take it too far, and she admitted to herself that Harry was becoming a handsome young man. After catching Harry with his hands on Hermione, she was skeptical at first that it was only a massage. She recognised her girl's moans were not so innocent, but Harry swore a magical Oath that that was all he was doing. "There was a flash and everything, Mum!" Athena added, smiling brilliantly.
It was a surprise, finding out that both their girls were witches, but for the moment, the biggest one was just how good Harry was with his hands. They could deal with the other matter later, after all.
"Now, Harry, you mean to tell me that you got my little girl that relaxed just with a massage? This I have to try for myself." She lay down on the table Hermione had just left, a little nervous at first that she was right to doubt him, but the nerves and all doubt left her as he worked his fingers into her, dealing with knots and aches and pains she had all but forgotten. She was a touch sad when it was over, and sighed, letting Athena get the treatment too. "Alright, Harry, I will let you keep massaging Hermione on one condition. That you provide the same for us if we ask." She gave him a conspiratorial smile, which he returned and nodded, still working on Athena's calves.
A pout from Hermione and he produced another two clones, getting hugs from his girlfriend and a proud smile from her mother. "You're the best, Harry," Hermione pronounced.
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