Chapter 36 - Building the Foundation
The first of Harry's teachers to visit was Minerva McGonagall. She spent far too much time in meetings with Snape once the students went home. To be fair, it was only three hours but any time spent with Snape was too much for most people. Add in the other minutiae of her positions such as making sure Transfiguration supplies were ordered and budgeted, checking the Gryffindor dorms for items left behind and lastly, looking at the records of detentions and points gained or lost, the woman was more than ready for a break.
That it had taken over two weeks to get that chance could be put squarely at the feet of her employer who was busy with national and international politics in the Wizarding World. Five times he had delayed staff meetings, something that severely annoyed the staff, even Pomona Sprout who didn't have other plans was put out because of how it affected the staff who did have plans. Well, that and she had arranged to work in the greenhouses, work that did need to be done, that she needed to put off again and again.
While this was nothing new - Albus had delayed or cancelled meetings before in favour of some 'vital' bit of politicking - Minerva was not the loyal terrier she had been in years gone by. No, Minerva was again a lioness, protective of her cubs and deserving respect as a fearsome killer in her own right.
When Albus tried a sixth time to delay the meeting, she showed her teeth in what could only in the loosest sense be considered a smile. "In that case, Albus, I will lead the meeting in your place. Since the agenda includes telling the staff of their evaluations and other administrative details, I am sure that will be within my capacity as Deputy Headmistress."
Albus had paled at the implied threat to his pet Snape. Placing Snape on probation would be something he could not undo once it was done and would have to run its course. The least period of probation Minerva would rightfully require of the hated man was three months. Since Snape would never meet the required conditions for even a day, that would cost him political capital to retain the reformed wizard despite the objections of hundreds of parents and the moves of certain political opponents.
Alternatively, it would require him casting memory or compulsion charms on his staff and too many of those would do him more harm than good.
No, he would just have to let the Albanian third Undersecretary for Domestic Production make up his own mind about which broom company's contract incentives to accept for the purchase of half a dozen second-tier brooms, trusting that good British Galleons would win the day.
At the meeting, Albus quashed the efforts of the other three Heads of House to censure the remaining one and suspend him, or put him on probation pending an improvement in his behaviour. By this point, none of them expected anything else, and Snape's self-righteous and satisfied sneer was closer than ever to being wiped from his face by hostile spellfire. The firm voice of Albus Dumbledore was the only thing stopping it as he remonstrated not with Snape for his provocation but with his other staff. In previous years, this had been the end of it, but since the arrival of Harry Potter in the school, the staff were beginning to remember his unfailing support of the Potions Master against his students, his hand-picked staff and against all reason.
The confidence Albus had for Snape was now coming at the cost of his staff's confidence in him. Albus was certain he could rally them to him at any time he chose. He really had much better things to do than check every little thing going on at Hogwarts, especially with the Tri-Wizard Tournament coming at last.
Upon Minerva's arrival at Harry's home, exactly on time, she was met by Harry and his father, Naruto. Harry led her inside, since he had provided the invitation, providing her with a tall, cold drink on this hot and rather muggy day. Minerva gratefully accepted it, then beamed at her friends' son when with a flourish he produced a corporeal Patronus charm, demonstrating his mastery of a spell that was beyond most adults.
"Well done, Harry!" She favoured him with a warm smile since she wasn't acting in the capacity as one of his teachers right then, just a friend of the family. He was fast growing into a capable and confident young man, or at least she was coming to accept it, appreciating what his new family had done for him.
He smiled and accepted the praise. After that, they talked more about his classes and the Lily Potter Foundation which Minerva called the greatest change in their world in the last fifty years. Given that this period started with the defeat (though not execution) of Grindelwald, Harry felt this was high praise indeed.
Minerva listened with a sense of wonder as Harry described the operations of the Foundation in detail. His breadth of knowledge and understanding of what the Foundation was doing would have been surprising in an adult wizard a decade his senior. That Harry managed it before his fourteenth birthday while still attending two schools showed just how remarkable he was, Minerva thought.
Harry wasn't finished by the time lunch arrived, and upon seeing the two Marauders present, Minerva greeted Remus warmly, intending to greet the others later.. "Good afternoon, Remus. I must say I was surprised not to see you at the staff meeting."
Remus frowned. "I was not informed of any staff meeting, Minerva. And I see you were not informed of the changes to staffing at Hogwarts. Albus saw fit to fire me for being friendly with Prongs' son."
Minerva's good mood was wiped in an instant. "You mean to say that that.. that Sassenach had the unmitigated gall to get rid of someone for 'doing what was right, not what was easy' to use his favourite phrase?"
"Oh yes, and his letter made it quite clear that he expects me just to take it when he breaks what was supposed to be a fairly straightforward employment contract. Obviously, the old man knows that with my medical condition and his fame and power, I could never win against him either in the court-"
"-assuming he let it get that far-" Sirius growled.
"Or in the court of public opinion. This is just more of the same abuse of the law for his own needs." Remus finished calmly.
Harry nodded. "Amelia Bones agreed, when we consulted her. While the Chief Warlock got some egg on his face during Sirius' trial, he wasn't the only one. His reputation and power are only barely diminished as a result of that because of how the blame was spread around. Too many people still trust him unthinkingly or feel they owe him for us to bring him to justice over this. And that's not even considering all the bigoted idiots who would demand that Remus be locked up for endangering their children, no matter how wrong they would be."
Sirius nodded, as serious as he ever was. "Moony made sure he would be far away from the castle each full moon, not just dumped in the Shrieking Shack but back here at the Compound, in a comfortable set of rooms and fully locked in for the night."
"So that's where you went," Minerva teased. "I knew you weren't in the castle at all, and I didn't see you at the Shrieking Shack when I checked. I was worried you were somewhere horrible."
Sirius cackled, "Oh Merlin, no! Moony here was on a thick rug in front of a fire with fresh cuts of steak on demand. The Wolf only put up a fight if Moony tried to leave before the transformation was over."
"It's true. These have been the easiest transformations I've had, even more so than when I got to run in the Forest out back. Plenty of great food, the raw power of the fire in front, the comfortable rugs and couches to lay on."
"Trust Harry to have found a way to tame the wild wolf." Sirius laughed. "He's done so much else that's impossible in his life, what's one more thing?"
Minerva smiled proudly at Harry. "You are a very impressive young man, Harry."
"That isn't the end of it," Moony put in. "Harry's already offered to extend the accommodations to other werewolves so long as they agree to a couple of conditions, like they never again put others at risk if they can help it, and don't try to hurt Harry or his friends. It's not backed up by a magical Oath, but it won't need to be, really. I'll be surprised if he doesn't get several wanting to stay full time."
Harry nodded and grinned. "That's the idea. If they don't want to be anywhere else on the full moon, they'll do what they can to be there. And that means for any werewolf who is here, they can't be out there attacking innocent people, even if they don't have Wolfsbane. I am hoping this will work to cut down on attacks as well as cutting down on the fear that props up the bigotry."
"Oh, James and Lily would be so proud of you, as I am, Harry Potter." Minerva's eyes were moist. Moony and Padfoot were nodding, ruffling Harry's hair and smiling.
Harry swallowed and changed the subject, "So how did that staff meeting go?"
Minerva sighed. "Just more of the usual. Every year, we meet to review the staff, talk about issues that cropped up and so forth. Everyone agreed that the Dementors were awful, and that it was a great thing they were gone. There was more agreement that whoever caused them to flee from the Quidditch Pitch deserved a special reward, Harry." Her lips twisted in mirth at his expression. "Though Albus pooh poohed such concerns to the disbelief of most of us. He felt that even though there were only a dozen adults there, and not even all of us could perform the Patronus charm, the students were perfectly safe from the hundred Dementors and the panic such an attack would cause."
Minerva noted the shock in her audience, nodding. "Exactly. When we just ignored his objections and even Snape dismissed his claim, he seemed quite put out. His twinkle disappeared for a full minute before it was back again. We also had the usual attempt at curbing Snape's behaviour and putting him on probation for the coming year. Albus just dismissed the calls and said Severus had his full confidence.
"Filius snidely added 'That's fine for you, Headmaster, but he does not have our confidence, full or otherwise.' That- that man Snape just sneered at us, knowing that Albus would never take action." Minerva took a moment to calm herself again. "There were the usual words traded back and forth, and also there is a big event coming. He reminded us of our Oaths not to divulge the sitting Headmaster's secrets before telling us the details."
Harry was annoyed at that. He hated knowing there were secrets but that he couldn't penetrate them.
Minerva had a mischievous look as she went on. "Of course, that won't stop the Ministry employees from spilling the secret, will it?"
The Marauders laughed. Minerva had just kept the secret, keeping within the letter of her Oath, while telling them exactly how they could find out if they wished.
"Now, Harry, have you booked for the World Cup yet?" Minerva asked.
"No, I wasn't going to go. The Cup's over in America this year and the Final has been booked out even if we could make it." Harry replied, thinking of football.
Minerva looked at Harry confused. "No, Harry, the World Cup Final is being held in England."
Sirius grinned, "Harry, she's thinking of Quidditch, of course."
"Oh! Sorry, I was thinking of the world game." When that didn't clear up her confusion, he added, "I mean football. Here." Harry offhandedly cast an Illusion jutsu, showing a memory of the FA Cup final between Manchester United and Chelsea. "Completely different games. There's going to be millions watching the World Cup of course, well, hundreds of millions really."
Those numbers were completely outside Minerva's experience, and she almost dismissed them out of hand before she actually thought about it. Slowly nodding, she smiled. "I guess I can understand that, Harry, with you living in both worlds as you do. Especially if this is the first time you have heard of the Quidditch World Cup."
"It is, Minerva, thank you. So who's playing?" Harry smiled back.
They chatted after lunch about Quidditch for a while, and Harry decided he would see if he could get enough tickets. Otherwise, well...
"It's only Quidditch," Harry said, provoking Minerva to open her mouth then settle for a mild glare at his teasing.
"Just like your father." Minerva glared at the Marauders when they laughed.
As promised, the news was circulating in the Ministry about the 'big event'. Though it hadn't made the papers, which was as obsessed with Quidditch as the people who bought them, it was a simple enough matter to arrange to overhear everything they needed to know.
After several failures to revive it over a century or more, Albus Dumbledore had managed somehow to convince enough people in the right places to bring back the Triwizard Tournament. That didn't sound terrible, but on investigating deeper, Harry and the Clan, and most of the Muggle parents along with them, were shocked at the idea of holding a tournament where students of all ages were put at risk taking on dangerous challenges for the entertainment of their schools, with the winners granted prize money this year of 1,000 Galleons.
The Tournament was indeed dangerous, and the last one had resulted in the deaths of multiple Champions. It was nothing more or less than the same sick excitement of the Roman gladiatorial games. Injuries were commonplace and deaths far from rare, which eventually led to calls to put a stop to the contest.
It was far too late to stop the stupidity, and from what they heard, Albus Dumbledore thought it was a great way to promote international friendships and cooperation. The cult of personality around the elderly wizard meant others just accepted that rather than examining the idea critically. Personally, Harry thought it was a great way to get students killed.
Harry was cheered up considerably when two of his ladies made a visit late that day. Lisa Turpin and Cho Chang, Ravenclaw witches, had called and asked if they could see him. They sounded urgent, but Harry would have agreed in any event. He was concerned about what was going on, though.
When they arrived a short while later, he saw small signs that the girls had been crying and had tried to clean it up. Taking their hands and guiding them to a cozy room with just the three of them, they made to sit on either side of him, facing him on the couch.
"What's wrong, Cho? Lisa?" Harry asked gently.
Neither girl knew quite how to tell him, so taking it in turns, they described how Cho was staying with Lisa for a couple of days over the summer, which Harry knew, and that they had shared a room so they could talk more.
Harry nodded. "I think that sounds very sensible, girls."
Lisa and Cho blushed. "Unfortunately, Harry," Cho replied quietly, "it didn't work out quite that way."
Lisa nodded. "You see, when Cho and I had gone to my room for the night and got changed for bed, we stayed up talking, just as we had planned. Well, we got to talking about you and how much we love you."
Harry smiled, he couldn't help it. "What's wrong with that?"
"Nothing!" Lisa blurted then blushed. "But from there, our talk drifted onto other things, right?"
"Right, it happens all the time."
"Only, we got to talking about what we enjoyed doing with you, and to you, and, well, we got a little hot as we talked about it. God, I thought my nipples could cut glass as I listened to Cho telling me about how you took her in the Library!" Lisa groaned.
"And Lisa was so naughty doing it in her parents' bed with you." Cho grinned at him.
"And after that, well, I couldn't keep my hands off myself, and Cho noticed since she was the same, and, um..." Lisa trailed off blushing harder than ever.
"And I kissed Lisa," Cho explained. Lisa nodded, still red as Cho continued. "I didn't stop there, it felt so right to kiss Lisa."
"I know what you mean, Cho," Harry smiled. "Is that it? That you were worried I'd be upset about you kissing her?" He kept his voice gentle as he tried to encourage the girls to speak their troubles, his arms around each of them, cuddling.
"No, then I pulled Cho on top of me, Harry." Lisa made the admission with a small voice. "She made love to me, and I loved every minute of it! I'm sorry, Harry, I know you must hate me now."
"Lisa, Lisa, why must I hate you for loving each other? You know I love you, right?" He waited for a nod. "And you know I love Cho." Again a nod. "So you know I know you're both lovely." Nod. "Why then should I hate you for seeing the same thing in Cho I do? A beautiful girl with a good head on her shoulders, right?" Another nod. "Should I hate Cho for seeing in you a smart, sexy girl with a playful streak? I don't, you know. I think it shows Cho has good taste in girls."
"But, we did it without you there." Lisa whispered, not really wanting to fight Harry's forgiveness on this, but not yet trusting it either.
"Yes, and you made someone I love happy." Harry looked at Cho who nodded.
"Very happy, Harry."
"You see, you did nothing I wouldn't want to do." Harry ran fingers through her blonde hair gently.
"I just feel guilty that we excluded you, Harry." In response, Harry kissed her tenderly, then kissed Cho so she wouldn't feel left out.
As she watched, Lisa got an idea. From her roommates, she heard things about what other boys liked. "Would you like to watch what we did, Harry?"
"You can join in any time, my big, strong lover." Cho said huskily as she pulled the other girl closer.
Harry grinned and nodded, leaning back to let the two girls kiss.
With his girls now at peace with themselves over his reaction and all three of themselves counting themselves very lucky indeed, Harry made sure they got home okay and got an extra squeeze from each girl and a whispered thank you before he left them back at Lisa's home.
For Harry, he had another visit to prepare for. Rubeus Hagrid, Professor of Care of Magical Creatures, was coming to stay for a few days. Professor McGonagall, who was coming from Hogwarts anyway, agreed to take Hagrid down from Scotland by Side-Along Apparating him then staying for morning tea before going on her errands to meet more incoming students for their first shopping experience at Diagon Alley.
At five minutes past ten, the enormous man arrived and just about fell on top of the woman who had transported him. Harry was there and made it look like a lucky save as he righted the big man and offered Minerva a hand as soon as he had stopped her from getting squished. Grateful for the save, she almost hugged him in the heat of the moment.
"Welcome to the Kitsune Compound, Professors McGonagall and Hagrid." Harry smiled up at them.
"Call me 'Agrid, 'Arry," Hagrid said.
"And please call me Minerva, Harry." The Transfiguration Mistress reminded him.
When they walked inside out of the heat of the morning, Minerva found a cup of tea waiting for her just the way she liked it, while a rather larger cup was ready for Hagrid. Minerva took her seat, smiling and sipping at the refreshing beverage, taking a moment to relax before opening the conversation.
"So, Harry, what have you been up to lately?"
Harry chuckled, drawing a single raised eyebrow from Minerva and a questioning look from Hagrid. "Sorry, I was just thinking that for a holiday, well I have been getting very busy." Harry smiled innocently at Minerva who saw another meaning in his words. "Let's see. I have gone swimming with my family, visited the cinema and theatre, and taken in a play. I've gone on a picnic with some of my ladies, heard a few interesting rumours from the Ministry," a glance from Minerva confirmed that she knew what he meant, "and booked tickets to the Quidditch World Cup. Oh, I have also held a couple of parties, gone to some myself, visited and hosted friends. Oh and found out my godfather, Sirius Black is starting a serious relationship."
Minerva was shocked. "Sirius Black is settling down?"
Hagrid was taken aback at first by the length of the list of activities of his favourite student. He liked Harry who never seemed afraid of his cuter creatures even when the others were looking to run for the hills. Harry was always willing to pitch in and help clean up at the end of the lesson, too. The mention of Sirius made Hagrid squirm in his chair, making it squeak as his large weight shifted about.
With Harry now looking at him, Hagrid mumbled. "I'm sorry again, 'Arry, for what happened, that night. I'm sure you were too young to remember, but you were such a cute little thing, you know, and it broke me heart to hear Dumbledore say your parents were gone. Oh, and 'ere's the motorbike!"
Harry watched as Hagrid pulled a miniature motorbike from deep within one of his enormous pockets. He picked it up, looking in wonder at the bike he remembered from dreams when he was young and later from the memory explorations his parents took him on.
"I do remember, Hagrid. I remember all of it." He had an ethereal tone as the memories threatened to overwhelm him.
"I remember that coward as he attacked my parents, James telling Lily to take me and run. Lily shouted back that she couldn't get out of there, only I don't think James heard her, not that it mattered. He was buying time for us with his life. The door burst open. Voldemort telling her to stand aside so he could kill me and not her. She refused, of course. What mother wouldn't? The green light. My mother Lily falling to the ground, already dead. Then the bastard turned to me and raised his wand, and then pain, so much pain, and the house was wrecked.
"I remember that Padfoot came to take me in. I remember you telling him that he had to give me over to you on Dumbledore's orders. Padfoot was already torn between the need to keep me safe and the need for vengeance on my parents' behalf. I can see the look in his eyes as he seized the lifeline that let him get both, or so he thought. I would be safe for the little time it took him to find Wormtail and find out what had gone wrong. He gave you this very bike to ride far away, safe from the battle he would find, and thinking he would be back to get it, and me, as soon as that was done."
"How in Merlin's name, 'Arry, how do you remember that?" Hagrid sounded afraid for the first time in Minerva's experience. Not that she could really blame him given what he didn't know.
"Dad and my mums, after they took me in, taught me, guided me, walked me through my earliest memories. They had healed me up from what the Dursleys had done to my body, got rid of that bloody scar that Dumbledore wanted me to have for the rest of my days. I was feeling better, physically, but I was still very fragile emotionally, and I needed an anchor. They gave me one. They told me that James and Lily weren't unemployed layabouts, weren't drunken fools who died in a car crash like the damned Dursleys told me, and I needed to know they loved me.
"So they helped me to examine my memories, not the years of neglect and abuse at the Dursleys that Dumbledore condemned me to, but the very first ones. At first, they were very simple, primary colours, blurred shapes and distorted sounds. But I did get to see their faces smiling at me in my crib. To remember a lot of good times. They gave me back my first family. They also helped me see past the twinkling eyes of Dumbledore to the man's actions, stealing me away from my godfather, placing me with people who he knew would hate me, putting a spy in place to watch how I was treated. Making sure I was raised with no clue of who I really was or of how your society saw me."
Hagrid wanted to object, but he knew it was all true. He still didn't understand any of it, but he remembered Minerva objecting to it at the time when Albus wanted to place Harry with the Dursleys. Meanwhile, Harry took a breath, releasing his anger.
"They also helped me learn to deal with my emotions, because you can bet that the Dursleys didn't. They just wanted me to bottle them away and be a good little slave.
"Hagrid, I know you didn't mean me any harm, but you need to think things through more."
The big man nodded glumly. It was one of the things that Aurora and Septima had constantly been trying to teach him all year. While he knew he was making progress, Harry's past was a harsh reminder that more was needed.
"That's enough, Harry." Minerva put in mildly. When he looked at her sharply, he saw the understanding in her eyes and sighed, agreeing. It was enough. While Hagrid had been the instrument of bringing so much pain into his life, he truly had good intentions.
She drew her wand slowly, noting the razor-sharp awareness shown by Harry when she reached for it, and cancelled the shrinking charm on the bike, a second spell keeping it levitated. The growth of the bike drew Harry's gaze in wonder.
"If you will excuse me, I will be right back. I need to look for Sirius." Harry disappeared through the door, returning with an eager Padfoot a minute later who transformed back into a wizard when he saw his prized possession.
"My bike! I really did think it had been destroyed you know, Hagrid. Thanks for keeping it safe all these years!" Sirius hugged the big man. His back was protesting a moment later when Hagrid's bear hug nearly broke his spine.
With the ice broken, Harry decided that a prank was in order. "Hey Hagrid, I've got a few friends I would like you to meet of the big and cuddly variety."
Hagrid beamed, glad he was forgiven, and looked about, following along when Harry led the way to the back of the Clan's property, past the high mesh fence with warning signs on it saying "Danger. Authorised personnel only. All guests must be escorted past this point."
Harry was mildly surprised that Hagrid took it seriously but also happy he didn't have to try to lay down the law. Opening the gate, Harry led them down a path to a clearing before he let out a piercing whistle, a signal to the tigers and dogs to come and show themselves. While the tigers were well trained, they were still cats and Harry hadn't sent a combat command but one to signal that the people with him were not to be harmed.
Still, just over half the tigers turned up within a minute, a dozen of the fearsome predators padding up to Harry and nudging his hand, demanding petting. Harry smiled closed-lipped and gave them scratches and rubs, prompting Minerva to smile in the same way seeing Harry treating the big cats well.
Hagrid for his part was already giving attention to some of the tigers by him who were soaking it up. He thought he was in love. "Such beauties you got 'ere, 'Arry."
Harry smiled, he knew that they would be a hit, and the dogs revealed themselves as a pack. While he was stroking Cesarina's flank, he had a fun idea. "How would you like to ride them?" With a quick signal, Cesarina and two other tigers had knelt down ready.
Minerva was surprisingly comfortable with the idea, though she needed a little help getting in position, and Hagrid was the one wary. It soon transpired he was just concerned about his weight, as he gave his mount a rub on one of its massive shoulders and muttered his thanks.
Riding the tigers, Harry led them through the forest. The play of light and shade, the different flora and fauna, always struck Harry as beautiful, and the shade provided welcome relief from the gathering heat of the day.
Minerva had to head back early. She still had to get ready for the shopping trip, and Harry switched places with a clone who would keep an eye on Hagrid while he saw off the Deputy Headmistress. "Thank you, Harry. No matter how often I think I have figured you out, you still defy expectations.'
"Thank you, Minerva!" Harry smiled. "To me, that's high praise indeed. Besides, can you imagine how boring it would be if everything stayed the same?" He shuddered and loved the rare sound of her laughter at his jest. He treasured the trust shown him.
With Minerva gone, and Hagrid happy to wander the forest for a while before he took to sitting down and petting the tigers, Harry was headed inside to grab an iced drink. While he was inside, he saw an amused Anko-mum headed his way. Harry still got occasional flashes of her and him together but was able to ignore them for the most part. Like Vicky had told him, just because he got the desires, it didn't mean anything was going to happen, and he was free to appreciate her in the new way.
Still, that expression on her face signalled interesting times ahead for someone, and he thought it might be him. "Hey Anko-mum, what's up?"
"Oh, nothing much. I just got off the phone with that kinky haired bookworm of yours. She was hoping you were free to visit her."
"When?"
"Right now, Harry. And it's rude to keep a lady waiting, you know."
Grinning, Harry replied, "I know!" He was already running through a mental checklist for preparations. He kept a bag packed as a matter of course with gear ready for an extended trip. Storage seals made it so easy to take everything you needed, though they were themselves vulnerable to damage, of course.
Finishing his routine, he was already in his bedroom, picking up the bag and settling it on his back then using Body Flicker to get to the front door. Anko-mum met him there, smiling. "Take this with you, Harry."
He pocketed the bag and gave her a kiss on the cheek before heading out, wondering what was the matter. Since Hermione apparently wanted to see him quickly, he didn't waste any time, keeping out of sight from the road as he travelled with the aid of his parents' techniques.
Arriving at her front door, Harry rang the bell and smiled when Hermione answered it less than a minute later, pulling him in. "Hello, Harry, you were quick." He didn't have time to reply as she was soon kissing him and wrapping her legs around him. When they came up for air, they were sharing a smile and he was caressing her back with one hand, the other had migrated to her butt, supporting her. "Take me to the living room, please."
Once there, she straddled him and kissed more, before doing something he found alarming, taking out a pin and pricking her finger. The girl in his lap disappeared and he heard laughter from upstairs as Hermione came down them quickly, giving him her own kiss. "Mmmm the Shadow Clone technique is the best!"
"Mmhmm!" Harry hummed as he kissed his girl more. He chuckled after they finished. "Nicely done, honey. I wondered what was going on. I didn't know that you had completed the technique already! Congratulations!"
Hermione just kissed him again, melting into him for a little while before snuggling. "Thank you, Harry. I can see why you love it, too. It gives me more time to do everything! My clone and I were able to read two books at once, well, we were reading at the same time, and while real-me was eating breakfast, clone-me was still reading. I just got clone-me's memories, too. It's the best of both worlds. More time to study, and more time to play." She giggled and snuggled closer. "Mmmm, and it means I can also do this! Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Hermione called as she performed the Shadow Clone technique and another clone of her appeared to replace the one she dispelled, and both of them snuggled in on either side of Harry, caressing and kissing each side of him. While the real Hermione kissed her Harry, her clone whispered in Harry's ear.
"We're all alone for the next few hours, and I've been dying to try something for ages." The real girl nodded and together they pulled Harry up to her bedroom and closed the door. She really was his kinky bookworm and he loved her just as she was.
As Harry had said to Minerva, the Lily Potter Foundation was doing well. Very well indeed, as it happened. The basic repair spell had massive business potential, so long as the witch or wizard in question understood what they were trying to repair.
Thus, old or valuable furniture and silverware were easy enough for them to fix, but their experiments with machines had not gone well at all. There were discussions continuing about the desirability and utility of training their workforce in various mechanical disciplines in order to tap new markets.
The attempts to have the wizards repair computers had been discontinued quickly when all of them caught fire. From later examinations, it appeared they had got the power 'repaired' but without any control, and that was swift death for any sensitive equipment. Still, what they could do was definitely valuable, and repairing antiques to their original state was probably the single most profitable use of their workforce.
Their other efforts were also encountering problems but solutions to them were being worked out. The land restoration division was already paying for itself. Old battle scarred sites of magical combat were hazardous both to wizards and normal humans alike. While many artefacts or spell remains were specifically targeted to magical threats, some of the remainder were from Dark Fools of one sort or another. Almost all of them hated the non-magical people who dominated the world, and they created magical weapons accordingly. The rest didn't discriminate in who they killed, maimed or otherwise affected.
In order to clean up these sites, the traditional method involved spending countless hours to analyze and counter all the spells cast in the heat of those long ago battles. Only then after more time and effort could they repair and restore the area to match the surroundings. This was a painstaking and laborious task and provided the Ministry of Magic with no reward save in foreign relations.
The LPF were taking a different approach. Firstly, unless an item found on the battlefield had sufficient value when restored either on the market or to the Foundation, they were all consigned to the furnaces to be reduced to their component elements. From there, a measured wind blew the ash through a tunnel. The elements separated themselves according to their weight and were then collected and refined where appropriate. The sheer amount of gold would have made the process attractive, but it was the rare earths they accumulated that were the true prize. The price of gold was artificially inflated and so subject to dropping too far to be worth the trouble. However, other metal markets were not so volatile. Already, the Foundation were setting up contacts in the real world.
With each acre of land cleared, the Ministry paid a bounty. This was the remnant of an old initiative aimed at getting wizards and witches to do the Ministry's work for it. It had quickly fallen out of favour when the hopefuls, usually Muggle-borns, discovered just how much work there was to do for the pittance the Ministry was offering, especially as the work was not without its dangers.
The Ministry had tried a few times to raise the bounty offered but the reputation had stuck. That and the lack of capital needed to make a viable business meant no one had done it in nearly a century. To deal with the dangers, the wizards and witches worked in groups that kept in close communications.
They also made liberal use of protective clothing. Dragonhide-covered and reinforced coveralls, independent air supplies and some amulets that were supposed to guard their minds. These last didn't seem to do anything when in operation though they seemed to work. They couldn't test them beyond a few spells. The Cheering Charm worked perfectly, but any Confundus spell, meant to confuse or disorient the target, failed to connect. There weren't that many amulets available, and like much else, no one knew how to make more since the family that created them had been killed off by an earlier Dark Lord a century ago.
The first battle site, some kilometres across, was just finished a week ago, and the various concealing magics had been taken down under cover of darkness. Now, the Foundation was in negotiations with developers for the rights to the land. The land had been purchased from the Ministry for a single Galleon, and at that, the Ministry bureaucrat had thought they were getting the better end of the deal.
The Foundation was required, as part of the purchase, to remove the residual magic from the land within five years or they would be liable for fines that would increase the longer they failed to clean it up. Better still, from the Ministry's viewpoint, it was the first significant reduction in the amount of magical wasteland under Ministry control in over a century. Her action authorising the sale was going to paint her in a good light to her international colleagues, colleagues who had been sneering at her department for as long as she had worked there.
In only eight months, thanks to the different approach and the mass of people thrown at the task, the land was already fixed up. In addition, several kilos of gold had been recovered and a lot of metal from the previously enchanted armour and weaponry left lying around. The enchantments had not survived exposure to 3000 degrees Celsius, but then again, few things could. Since the Clan had effectively free power from their Lightning techniques, they were also looking into supplying electricity for sale back to the grid. There were various issues there that meant they might never get the needed permits and so on, however.
With Hermione now able to muster a Shadow Clone, her parents were more willing to allow her to go out with her friends, since it didn't stop them seeing their beloved daughter. They were also more aware that they would have trouble preventing her doing so if they banned her. She couldn't use the Clone technique as freely as Harry could, however. She had to conserve her supply of chakra whereas he could refill his whenever he had a moment of privacy to perform the special jutsu.
Her next goal, rather than learning that technique, was the speed reading and memorisation techniques the Clan had on offer. It was only the sheer appeal of being in multiple places at once that had put those learning techniques in second place for the curious young witch. Of course, now that she had the Shadow Clone, she could have the clone staying home, and getting in some practice of the learning techniques, while the real Hermione was free to visit her magical friends. It also meant her parents could enjoy more of their own favourite foods as the clone Hermione left didn't get hungry or thirsty. Since it was a chakra construct, just like Harry's clones, they were free to choose foods for themselves.
When Hermione visited Lisa next, they both got excited by all the possibilities. For nearly two years, the girls had been aware of Harry's clones, but now it was they who got to spread their wings.
It was an exciting time for all of Harry's friends, especially little Athena and Astoria, and gave him a chance to teach them how to use their new gifts. That was something he enjoyed in its own right seeing those close to him grow. However, it wasn't what others would consider significant compared to some of the other events that month.
Firstly, he had visits from his teachers. Professor Sprout had managed to get time away from her greenhouses in order to check out the forest the Clan managed. She was still amazed any time Naruto or the others demonstrated their Wood bloodline that allowed them to grow even a giant tree in a matter of seconds, and all without any magic, just more of that "chakra stuff" as she called it. While she had received an offer to get a bloodline transfer, she was too busy (and too set in her ways) to accept. The idea of changing her body like that was too alien to her.
She did accept the offer to restore her bones, though, groaning as all the little aches and pains vanished for the first time in decades, and thanked them profusely. When Sprout returned to her beloved plants, she could work faster and easier, and she sang as she took care of her other 'children'.
Aurora Sinistra and Septima Vector decided to make a day of it, arriving together earlier in the morning than expected and catching sight of Harry doing a heavy workout when Naruto guided them inside. Unheard by them, Harry muttered about crazy parents. He knew as well as his Dad that there was no reason for the ladies to be taken that path other than to show off Harry at work.
He cooled down and headed inside, meeting the young professors in the 'toy room' as Ayame-mum called it. There, the ladies were chatting idly with Naruto who remembered something he had to do. That was a blatant lie but the smiles from his guests showed they welcomed the privacy.
"Would either of you like any refreshment?" Harry asked politely, noticing the absence of any drinks.
"No, thank you, Harry." Aurora replied for both of them.
"Now, what's this I hear about some new developments?" Septima smiled at her student.
"Ah, it turns out that the new software is finally out of initial testing phase and ready for beta testing." At her blank look, he smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, I slipped into computer jargon. The machine for making Arithmancy calculations is ready for you to try. They can't call it finished, not until you confirm it's working correctly, but they're ready to let you look at it."
"Let me look at it?"
"Well, yes, programming isn't something that you can expect to get right the first time for anything complex. Even if you did, you'd want to be sure of it before relying on it. For this program, there are hundreds of thousands of instructions involved and even if they were entered correctly the first time, they may not work to do what you want. Like combining an order for a ham sandwich and jam sandwich wouldn't be tasty for most people. So they spend time working on the product to make sure it doesn't do anything bad that they can find. After that, they let others try to find problems that have to be fixed."
"Ah, that does sound sensible," Septima agreed.
He gave a big smile in return, then led the witches over to the computer in the corner where the software had been installed and loaded it up. Septima was fascinated by the interface, enough so that she had to be prompted by Aurora to try some Arithmancy calculations, assisted by Harry to make sure she knew how to input the parameters. She and Harry made notes of various features that they liked or hated.
The one she liked best was that, right or wrong, the computer's solutions to her calculations appeared almost instantly.
Getting up, and chatting animatedly about it all to an amused Aurora and confusing Harry with some of her own jargon, they drank some tea before Harry brought out the other development he had hoped to share.
He demonstrated that the telescope was self-aiming, automated and would take pictures of any spot in the sky you named. The whole apparatus was high quality and had a new finish to it. Here, Septima stood back and watched the usually serious Aurora run a hand lovingly over the telescope before taking a closer examination of it all. Best of all for Aurora, this was hers to use any time she wished and Harry demonstrated that she could use it to look at various stars during daytime. She only mourned the fact that she couldn't take it to Hogwarts with her.
"Amazing! Wondrous! Stupendous! I never would have been able to do this at Hogwarts, Harry."
"Ah, you should be able to look there, too, as long as you can find the stars you want. That requires aligning the telescope and..." Harry explained how to do that, plus the importance of good timekeeping to reduce the time taken to find whatever you're looking for.
He also showed the ladies another computer program, one for showing what the sky should look like at any point on Earth during the year. They stayed for lunch and dinner while they learned more about what Harry was showing them, leaving late that night for Hogwarts and sleep with their heads swimming with new ideas.
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