Chapter 75 - Life and Death
Ever since Harry first picked up a broom, he had enjoyed flying. It was a feeling that wasn't shared at first by his best friend and now beloved Hermione. She didn't trust them as a safe form of transport, plus she wasn't terribly impressed with the witch on a broomstick stereotype. However, that was long past. She had been a Chaser on the Hufflepuff team since her second year at Hogwarts as she had studied and found brooms were far safer than she first thought. They weren't perfect by any means but they weren't the death-traps she thought, either, about as safe as a mid-range car.
Indeed, looking at his lovely Jewel flying with him, he saw no hint of her earlier fears. Like him, she was now comfortable in the air and her brown eyes were alight with pleasure as they got ready for their next Quidditch match the following Saturday against Slytherin. With Malfoy removed as a Prefect and Snape removed from the school entirely, he had also found that his place in his House had taken a real beating. A side-effect of those changes was that Astoria Greengrass, now in her fourth year, had gained a place on the team as a Chaser.
He gave a chuckle as he remembered Malfoy's face on hearing the news that she had been chosen. "I didn't choose her so how did the little Blood Traitor get on the team?" Malfoy had demanded of his House.
"Detention, Malfoy, tonight." Professor Vector had been wandering by, knowing that Malfoy was almost certain to do something that would require staff presence and it was her turn to ensure that school discipline was enforced on the unruly young man. Peter Scunthorpe, the Slytherin Head of House was busy taking care of the First Years, a job that had grown with the growth of the student population.
Harry brought himself out of the memories, watching his Jewels run through their drills before calling out for the reserves to come onto the pitch. They were younger students than the current team but Harry saw some decent talent among the ten players.
They still had a long way to go before they replaced any of the current team, even if they were already showing the teamwork prized in Hufflepuff.
Harry's mind wandered again and Hermione broke off from her Chaser duel, heading over to him.
"What's wrong?"
"Sorry, just thinking about the holidays." Harry replied. "It's going to be amazing."
Hermione leaned over and gave him a one-armed hug. "That's certainly one word for it. Are you ok with it?"
"I guess. I understand why they did it that way and I know Luna deserves her early gift."
"Of course she does, Harry, but that doesn't mean you don't." Hermione looked around then gave Harry a quick kiss. "We will talk about this later, Harry. For now, you had better get back to the job at hand, Mr Quidditch Captain."
She softened her command with a smile, zooming off to her abandoned partner in the duel, picking up where she had left off. Harry watched her go, briefly admiring the sight before he looked at the rest of his team and the reserves.
Almost before Harry knew it, it was time for the yearly match between Slytherin and Hufflepuff. Thanks to another of Headmistress McGonagall's reforms, all the Houses now used the same brooms, removing another source of inequity in the Quidditch Cup. Saturday the first of March was a brisk, chilly day with a light wind out of the north which saw the players and audience coping with the cold in their own ways.
Madam Hooch looked determined to have a fair game, something Hufflepuff earnestly wanted as well and not only because such a thing favoured them for victory. She had even checked each of them for charms or hexes before the match, something that almost everyone thought should have been standard already.
With the last checks completed, Hooch ordered both teams into the air. The Flying Master blew her whistle and the match had begun.
Slytherin got the Quaffle first, racing off to an immediate 10-0 lead over the Cup favourites to the boos of the Lions and cheers of the Snakes. The Badgers were bemused that the House rivalries were felt that strongly. The situation was reversed a minute later when Hermione scored for Hufflepuff. This time the Snakes and a few Ravens jeered while the Badgers cheered. It was only human nature that some would be jealous of the brilliant witch especially those who blamed her for 'turning their saviour against the Wizarding World.'
With the scores evened up, there was a sense of both teams settling in and getting to work. It was quickly clear that the Slytherins had learned from their earlier matches against Hufflepuff, forgoing their usual cheating in favour of brutal but legal play.
Fortunately for the Badgers, they had all accepted the enhanced strength and durability that the Clan offered their friends and allies. As a result, while the physical style of play was still somewhat painful there was little true damage or impairment of their skills. They had chosen to go with a fast-paced game, using their advantages in energy and endurance to play a furious paced game.
Their training paid off. Quickly the Slytherin Beaters and Keeper were purely on the defensive, fending off a dozen shots at goal but letting through a few dozen more as the Badgers raced to a lead of 500-210 over the next hour. Eventually, Athena spotted the Snitch and dived for it, having put her opposite number into the turf once before in the match with a well executed feint. She raced unopposed for the Snitch, snatching it and holding it aloft for everyone to see. The cheers of the crowd drowned out the whining of the upset minority.
"Well done!" Hermione was the first to congratulate her little sister in the changing rooms.
"Thanks! Though you scored more points for us than I did." Athena happily reminder her Chaser sister.
It was true. The Hufflepuff Chasers had taken to keeping the shots on goal even between them or as close to it as practical. Not only did it work well with the House's philosophy of teamwork and fair play, it also meant that the other teams couldn't work out who to block. The rest of the team made it a group hug before splitting up to hit the showers and return to the castle for the post-game afternoon party.
In an effort to keep reducing the House barriers, the Headmistress had gone along with the idea for an unofficial party. Officially, the party was unsanctioned meaning no staff would be present. Unofficially, a platoon of student members of the Potter Alliance would be on hand to keep the hundreds of students from getting out of hand, stopping fights and so on. Half a dozen staff would monitor the event remotely to watch the watchers, and the Headmistress herself watching them.
Within the first half-hour, a dozen students had to be ejected for trying to disrupt the upbeat mood of the crowd. These young witches and wizards, half of them Slytherins, found themselves a few minutes later laying in the middle of the ground floor corridor leading to the Great Hall with no memory of what they were doing or how they got there. After Draco and the other misfits were removed, the students relaxed and let their hair down. Reaching for their wands, each miscreant found a note telling them that their wands could be found back in their dorms and a warning against trying to crash the party again. Draco's also reminded him he wasn't allowed a wand so he should stop expecting to have it.
The next couple of weeks were filled with the usual concerns for students, homework, exams and excitement at the coming spring holidays. The only unusual note was how hard the work was, as for the first time in decades their complaints had real merit. The new standards were still being felt across all of the years. By the time of the Leaving Feast, Cho, Katie, Alicia and Angelina were about ready to collapse.
"Harry!" Alicia cried as the brunch ended, hurrying with her sister Chasers to catch up to him. "Do we have time for a massage before we get on the train?" The three girls demonstrated their teamwork with a combined attack of puppy dog eyes.
"No, we don't, ladies." Harry didn't need to be a master of observation to see how his girls reacted to that. "However, I believe we can work out something once we get there if you trust me." He gave them a grin that melted their unhappiness.
"Ok, Harry." Katie grinned at him. "I'm sure you'll make it worth the wait." And just to tease him, she and the others turned away, swaying their hips and catching the eyes of most of the males in the hall.
"Naughty minxes." Harry chuckled.
"Naughty vixens, you mean." Hermione corrected him with a wink. Daphne and Sophie rolled their eyes but Padma and Cho reacted differently, picturing the Gryffindor trio in other ways.
Harry maturely ignored the opening, opting instead to follow the others to the train. He had a surprise to spring.
That evening, a trio of supremely relaxed girls awoke alone in an empty compartment. The train was just entering the outskirts of London and they sleepily realized that they needed to wake up and get ready to head home.
Angelina groaned as she got up and stretched. "Damn that was a good sleep."
"How did we get here?" Alicia asked, struggling to remember.
"I- you know, I have no idea. The last thing I remember was Harry's hands descending as he was about to give me a massage. After that-" Angelina broke off with a blush.
"After that, you just felt wonderful, right?" Katie asked to confirm the others had the same experience.
"Yes, that's exactly it." Alicia replied. "All my aches and pains vanished and time lost all meaning. The next thing I know, I'm waking up with you two."
Katie managed to get enough energy together to stand up, swaying a little on unsteady legs, then determinedly walked out of the compartment looking for Harry. She found him in the last carriage, just where he'd said he would be.
"What did you do to us, Harry?"
"Nothing you didn't ask for." Tracey Davis told her firmly.
"But?"
"Yes, it's a lovely one." Harry grinned when she rolled her eyes. "You each wanted a massage and you personally said I should make it worth the wait, didn't you?"
Katie blushed. "Still, I wasn't expecting that, Harry."
"Be careful what you wish for." Cho answered in a sing-song voice.
The girls laughed, even Katie after a second joined in. "So how long were we asleep?"
"Well." Hermione grinned. "Alicia passed out after five minutes. No endurance on that one. Angelina lasted twelve minutes before she was screaming marriage proposals at us. Not bad. But you lasted a hair over half an hour as Harry massaged you into a boneless puddle. I was most impressed. After your session, we let you sleep it off in a silenced compartment until a few minutes ago when my little sister here loyally went to knock on the door."
Katie smiled at Athena. "Thank you. I'm sure we would have kept on sleeping if you hadn't woken us up. I feel so much better after that nap."
Athena beamed at the tall Gryffindor. "You're welcome!"
"So what is everyone doing tonight?"
"We're heading to the Compound, of course." Cho put in from behind Katie who turned around to face the other girl.
"Where were you?"
"Oh, I had my own special session with Harry, too. I really needed it after all that stress. As I was saying, we're all headed to the Compound. Our families have been invited over for a 'Welcome home' party, like the Clan put on every holidays."
"Are we invited?"
"Of course, you are, silly." Luna giggled at the look on Katie's face. "Harry's parents probably thought it would be a good prank to keep it a surprise until the last minute like this."
"And they managed to talk your parents into going along with it." Harry confirmed as he hugged her from behind. "You don't mind another party, I'm sure."
"A Gryffindor never turns down a good party." Katie assured him to the laughter of the others. "Let me tell the others."
"No need." Susan called out. "I just came back from telling them about it. They were a little miffed that their parents pulled one over on them, but they're happy to go to another party, especially when I told them about the catering."
Katie shook her head, smiling. "I'm not surprised. Only Harry here would consider Clan food nothing special." She blushed when Harry kissed her cheek in front of the others but made no protest.
Soon, the train pulled in and the students disembarked in a rush. Harry and his Jewels stuck together as they exited onto the platform, his eyes picking out the dozens of Aurors in the crowd as he looked for his parents. He found them at the centre of a large knot of people talking to various parents and members of the Potter Alliance, walking up with his ladies to meet their families at last.
Katie, Angelina and Alicia were astounded at their warm welcome at the Kitsune Compound. Not only were their parents staying the night before being taken back to their homes and their regular jobs, but all of Harry's adoptive family. All three had given their Oaths against betraying Harry or his family, in exchange for his Oath regarding theirs, which brought them into the mutual pact that bound the core of the Potter Alliance. Now, Angelina noticed that there were more people around than there should be.
"Harry?"
"Yes, dear?"
"How is it that your father is in three different places?"
"We better get inside, Angelina. Everyone else we have told has needed a seat before the explanation was over, even me."
Almost bursting with curiosity, she followed him into a nicely appointed lounge room, taking a seat and a butterbeer while they got settled.
Each of the young women could see that Harry was nervous as he visibly put his thoughts in order.
"Ladies, as Angelina noticed, there were at least three Naruto's out front just then. I'm sure you're all now wondering how that happened. Before you start thinking of glamour charms or Polyjuice, I can tell you there was no magic involved at all in the process. In fact," Harry paused and drew his wand slowly, "I am offering my Oath that everything I tell you in this room is the truth as best I know it."
Katie shook her head. "I don't need that, Harry. I trust you." The other two nodded a touch reluctantly. Whatever this was, it must be big.
"Ok, well, the truth is there weren't three of him out there, there were thirteen, ten of whom were hidden and standing guard. All bar one of them were what is commonly known as Shadow Clones, solid copies of the original created with the same memories and personality as their creator. This and other abilities my parents have rely on energy they call chakra, something that I can tell you from experience is different from magic. You see, they worked out a way to give that energy to me, too."
At that point, Harry deliberately used the seals to create three clones of his own. The one on the far left gave a wry smile as it knew what was coming next. "These clones know everything I do, and when they dispel, they return their memories to me and to any other clones I have."
Picking up a cheese knife from a tray, the clone held a hand out palm upwards and deliberately cut a finger. After a second, the clone stopped bleeding and burst in a puff of smoke.
"That's how!" Angelina exclaimed once she got over her initial shock. "That's how you can please all the Jewels!"
Harry nodded with a small smile. "Exactly. There are limits, I can't keep on creating them forever, but at this point I can sustain around a hundred clones. As you guessed, this is how I manage to spend time with everyone and it also helped me learn at school. None of the clones has an ounce of magic, in fact magic doesn't work with chakra at all, but they could do the reading and essay writing for me with no problem. That freed up time, especially in my first year, to get the spells to work. I had a lot of trouble at first, since my chakra made my spells fail and even hurt me. That problem has been solved since then."
Harry waited while they digested all of that.
Alicia spoke up next. "So the clones let you be in multiple places at once. You can have your clones do your chores while you practice for the Quidditch team! That sounds amazing!"
"That it is. There are a lot of things you can do with the energy, with training, but I think the clones are the most useful all around."
"What else can you do?" Katie asked.
"For a start, I can arm wrestle Hagrid because of that energy. It's increased my strength, toughness, speed and stamina. There are also ways to use it for combat much like spells. The Fireball technique can make a fireball as big as this room, for example. Also, there's a restricted version of Transfiguration, I guess you'd call it, like one that creates a wall out of earth."
Angelina was still stuck on the 'stamina' Harry had mentioned. "Are there any more fun uses for it?"
Harry blushed and nodded before licking his eyebrows.
"...So, any other surprises for us, Harry?" Katie asked once she got her own blush under control.
"Yes, my parents are from another world, which explains why you've never heard of this chakra before."
The trio nodded, the information not really sinking in.
"And they brought Luna's mum back to life."
"What?! Why would they turn her into -"
"No, they really brought her back, all the way, not an inferi. They're just putting her through a final medical check-up this afternoon. All the tests show she's alive and healthy, with all her memories and her magic intact."
Unsurprisingly, all three girls were stunned and Harry and his clones moved in, hugging them while they processed the news.
Over the next while, he answered a lot of questions on all sorts of subjects, ranging from things like what it was like growing up in Cranleigh to how many clones the other Jewels could make and, of course, questions about Dark Magic and the like. In the end, though they didn't ask for it, Harry did swear an Oath to them that it was all true and no evil magic had been used whatsoever. He added that Selene had been asked if she wanted to come back thanks to the use of the legendary Resurrection Stone. He also promised that they could examine everything for themselves after if they wished. Eventually, the girls wrote it all off as just more of the weirdness that Naruto and the others took with them wherever they went. They also promised Harry not to hurt Selene or Luna.
The three Jewels on probation were surprised to discover how often Hogwarts staff dropped by at the Kitsune Compound, even more surprised than they were to find out that they were permitted to stay over for the whole Easter break by their families as long as they attended certain family functions.
Headmistress McGonagall, so stern and strict at Hogwarts, was a regular visitor over the holidays as were Professors Vector, Sinistra and Hagrid. Less common was the presence of Deputy Headmaster Flitwick who only showed for the party before he left Britain for a fortnight in the tropics. The Charms Professor would soak up the warmth while staying at a resort built and run by the Clan.
The morning after the students headed home, the Headmistress sat down with Amelia Bones and the Kitsunes to discuss their progress.
"First of all, thank you for an excellent lunch."
"You're most kind." Naruto replied with a smile. The Clan had decided he would speak for them.
"Not at all. Also, I am looking forward to discover the appeal behind this day spa you told me about, Amelia. However, business before pleasure."
"Yes, to business. Have you gone through the end of term results?"
"I have." Minerva replied. "And they contain a couple of surprises. For all of the initial grumbling in certain quarters, it seems some of the older families have managed to dig out their old notes and such from before most of the classes were watered down. Early expectations of poor results from their children have been exceeded in most cases, though not by as much as they would prefer. Certainly not enough to put those students above their peers in the Alliance."
Minerva wasn't sure whether she truly welcomed their improvement or not, given she was really talking about the children of Death Eaters who, in the main, were following their families' footsteps. On the one hand, she was a true teacher who wanted to see her students do well in their subjects but on the other hand, she knew all too clearly what some of them would do with that knowledge.
"Also, some of the 'Neutral' and 'Light' families have done worse than anticipated. These are the people who haven't joined the Potter Alliance and therefore lack their resources and support network."
"They have all been offered a chance to join, Minerva." Naruto reminded her. "We will not force anyone to join nor do we have an obligation to help people who refuse to do the same for those in need."
"I understand, Naruto. However, I would be remiss if I didn't want the best for all my students."
Naruto nodded, accepting the point.
"And lastly, the children who have joined the Potter Alliance, either in their own right or as part of their families, have done very well. The memorization techniques, the clones that write homework while the students practise their spells and most of all, the atmosphere that encourages them to do well, these have all set them above their peers. Despite the extra workload and required reading, not to mention their regular schooling, their marks have barely changed, consistently averaging Exceeds Expectations across the group. This remains true despite the amount of fun they're having with their friends, thanks to their clones giving them more time to do everything."
"Excellent. Thank you, Minerva." Amelia smiled at the other witch.
Naruto grinned. "You should see their school results here. As you know, while the young witches and wizards are busy at Hogwarts, their clones are still attending regular school. The wizard-raised among them struggled a bit at first to adapt but the extra numbers of Muggleborns in Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw went further than we expected to help out. By now, well, the results have evened out enough that you can't tell if a student was raised in one society or the other by their marks or behaviour."
"And that tells me that the program was the right idea. We can lecture all day but the wizard-raised, Purebloods especially, often have no understanding of how people live without magic."
Harry came in and sat down. "Just like I had no idea how people lived with it, until you came and introduced it. I was full of questions."
"How I remember." Minerva said in a repressive tone, though the quirking of her lips said otherwise. "Questions are good, however. I don't know how but the Wizarding World lost the habit of asking questions."
"A subject for another time." Amelia replied firmly before the debates could start again. "Before we go off-track, I wanted to get us all on the same page regarding Hogwarts. We have talked about the new exams and so forth. What can you tell us about the quality of teaching?"
"Well, as Headmistress, I am in general happy enough with the teaching staff. Rather than a dozen complaints a week, most about Severus, I am down to a few per month. I haven't been able to sit in officially on as many classes as I would like but I have sent clones to monitor each teacher at least once per week. The new hires have settled into their jobs and I am generally satisfied with their performance."
"How about the students, Harry?"
Minerva's eyebrows raised on their own before she admitting to herself that their opinions were also important to consider.
Harry glanced at his Headmistress before replying. "I agree. While none of the staff are perfect, they're far better than they were when I started at Hogwarts."
"Harry, when you started at Hogwarts, Albus was paying the Dark Lord to teach you DADA." Her lips twitched. "And should I ask if you consider me to be 'far better' now?"
Harry shook his head. "There's no safe way to answer that one, is there? I will say that Hogwarts now feels like a real school, a good one, not a social experiment gone wrong. The teachers are doing their jobs rather than fighting each other or abusing students. Short of expelling all the troublemakers, something that would invite an attack on the school, bullying is about the lowest you can reasonably expect."
Minerva shook her head. "Harry, I've looked at the records. Bullying is at its lowest since before I started at Hogwarts, the lowest in centuries. Do you really think it could go lower?"
"I think my parents could get hold of the records to find out for sure, but I'm pretty sure that even now, Hogwarts has more problems than most good schools in that regard." Harry told her regretfully. "That's not your fault!" Harry added hastily seeing her crushed expression. "Those schools don't have such violent tensions in the background, for a start."
Naruto added her own reassurances. "Harry is quite right. Considering what you have to work with, you should be proud of your accomplishments. Since the start of the nineteen ninety-three school year, Hogwarts has seen a continual drop in incidents."
"But Mr Nott?"
"There are always outliers, unusual events. Always. Now, bullying is an unusual event rather than the norm, despite how often we hear about it. That is why Nott and Malfoy and the others have been acting the way they have. They don't know how to deal with the changes so they are using the methods that used to work for them."
"They've lost their status within the school. That can be hard on anyone but these are pampered privileged bullies. They have less self-control and more desire to lash out at others."
"That is why they need to be watched more, to protect others." The Headmistress found herself feeling better despite the shame that was determined to linger.
"And you have seen to that. In addition, they are being shown weekly that they will have to work to get what they want in life. That's a lesson they sorely need."
"So says the Hufflepuff." Minerva pointed out with a smile that grew seeing Amelia's glare. "Speaking of Hufflepuff and the Houses in general, what is the school's opinion on the Heads of House this year?"
"Mostly they were confused at first. It was a change from what they knew and, unlike me, they didn't know it was coming. It wasn't easy for some of them to adjust, especially those with aspirations of following in the footsteps of the Marauders, but it looks like it's working well. For now, I wouldn't worry much about them. How did they do with teaching essay and homework writing?"
"Quite well, Harry. The First and Second Years did significantly better than in previous years and Madam Pomfrey had a drop in headache complaints from the staff by around a third. It wouldn't be enough of a saving to the school to justify their salary if that were all they did but it has helped to defuse complaints from the Board about spending more money."
Amelia gave an unladylike snort. "The Hogwarts vaults are filling up rapidly due to all the new students and they still don't want to improve the quality of education. Are they on the Clan's 'little list' too?"
Naruto smiled angelically. "I'm sure I don't know what you mean."
That afternoon, Luna received an invitation to head to the private rooms held by the Clan. The young woman took Harry with her for support for what she feared would be an emotional time for her.
When the pair walked in, Luna looked around. "Where's Daddy?"
Harry held her hand as Tsunade walked forward. "He's not coming, Luna. We invited him but he turned us down. I think he doesn't quite believe we can do this and doesn't want to risk being disappointed."
Luna nodded sadly. Harry rubbed her shoulders until the moment passed. "Thank you, Harry." She was just about to kiss him on the cheek when the door behind Tsunade opened revealing someone Luna hadn't seen in nearly a decade.
"Mummy!" Luna was out of Harry's arms and bowling over her mother in an instant, arms wrapped around her as she tried to get years' worth of hugs all at once.
Selene Lovegood was glad for the Clan's insistence on strengthening her muscles and bones. Otherwise her 'little girl' would have broken her spine with the force of her greeting. "Oh, Little Moon. I've missed you so much."
Luna basked in the love and affection from her mother. She felt years of loneliness melt away in the heat of her happiness. Still holding on, she felt extra arms wrap around her as Harry came up, taking a moment to wipe away her tears.
Her eyes were closed, head buried in her mother's shoulder, as she felt the pair of them get moved to a comfortable couch so they could sit down and catch up.
Slowly, Selene pulled back, making Luna look up quizzically at her, bottom lip quivering as she wondered what she had done wrong. The brilliant smile on the face so like her own reassured her and Selene completed the process by cupping her cheek. "My beautiful girl. I am so proud of you and I love you dearly."
As Luna said she loved her mother too, Harry tried to slip out unseen to allow the pair their reunion but Luna's hand shot out quick as a snake. "Stay. Please?"
Selene looked at her daughter then at Harry and nodded. "It's okay, Harry. We need to talk anyway."
Harry felt like groaning. Selene wasn't back a full day and already he had to meet her as a future mother-in-law.
Selene Lovegood grinned at his reaction, still experiencing a full Luna limpet hug from her daughter who showed no sign of letting go any time soon.
After a little while, Luna's tears had dried up and she was leaning against her mother wearing a smile only surgery could remove. Her mother was wearing a matching smile. "You've grown so big, dear. Now, shall we talk with Harry?"
"Ok!" Luna cheerfully ignored Harry's mutter of 'traitor' as she basked in her mother's smile.
"Now, Harry." Selene's lips twitched. "What do you intend to do with my daughter?"
"I-"
"Be careful how you answer, Harry Potter." Selene loved the frustrated expression on the young man's face. Anko was right! Pranks could be so much fun.
"I intend to do my best to keep her happy and safe and loved." Harry answered quickly before she could stop him.
Luna beamed at her Harry and her mother melted at the sincerity of his answer.
After that, the three settled in for a proper conversation. An hour later, Mrs Lovegood blushed as her stomach rumbled having forgotten all about eating.
Luna cuddled with her mother for a few seconds then took her hand, dragging her out to the casual dining room.
When they reached it, Harry held the chairs for both ladies out of reflex while his Jewels walked in one by one.
Harry looked around at the ladies. While he had been with Luna and her mother, his clones had been busy talking to each of the Jewels.
"Ladies, I would like to introduce you to Mrs Selene Lovegood. Mrs Selene Lovegood, my ladies." One by one, Harry named each of them who came up to greet her, making sure to let her know that whatever happened with the wider world that she would always have somewhere she would be welcome.
Over dinner, the Jewels made sure to include her in the conversation, in the process giving her a crash course in the changes to the world since she was last up and about in it. The absence of her husband Xeno was a wound that her daughter did her best to heal, sitting by her over the meal and afterwards, too. Between them, the older Jewels Diana, Amelia and Angelique supplied her with a mature viewpoint that she appreciated deeply.
As she went to sleep, despite a few misgivings, Selene Lovegood decided that she had made the right decision to accept the Clan's offer.
The next morning, while their newest guest and potential member of the Potter Alliance was catching up on events by reading old editions of the papers, the Jewels were having a meeting of their own.
Keeping her eyes on Luna, Amelia asked Harry one question that had been plaguing her since the day before. "Why on Earth didn't your parents warn the Alliance about this latest stunt?"
Luna winced and found Padma and Lisa on either side of her, hugging her to give their reassurance.
"I'm sorry, Luna. I am glad to see your mother alive and well. However-" Amelia seemed to struggle with explaining herself.
"However, as Minister, you feel you should have been told of this before it happened?" Diana asked calmly.
"Yes! We all should, shouldn't we?"
"And what would have happened if they did?" Angelique enquired with a delicately raised eyebrow.
"Well-" Amelia faltered as her mind painted a picture. "Someone would have objected, wouldn't they?" She finished in a different voice. "People would have argued over whether it was the right thing to do, delaying action for months or even years. Over a thousand people, at least as many opinions and families clamouring to be first to have their loved ones returned to them. Or denouncing it as the work of Dark Magic, the Devil or who knows what else."
"That's right, Amelia." Harry squeezed her hand gently. "A lot of the time, 'it is better to beg forgiveness than ask for permission.' Or at least, that's how my parents think. Sometimes, they're wrong. This time, I think they got it right. And for what it's worth, they did ask permission first from the three people they felt had any right to make that call. All three of the Lovegoods agreed so they did it."
"As self-sufficient as the Kitsunes are, it doesn't surprise me that they don't give their full obedience to any government. Between their abilities and their literally out of this world origins, it would be a shock if they did. They spoke to the Lovegoods because they had an obvious interest in the matter. They didn't ask the rest of us because they didn't think it was our place to interfere in a family matter, right Harry?"
"Pretty much. Though there are other reasons I could think they would have chosen this way. First of all, they get to prove to the Alliance that they can resurrect wizards and witches. That proof means that when they make the offer to return others, they won't deal with disbelief. Next, they chose Luna's mother not just because of her connections but also she has skills that could be useful to everyone. My parents are big on people contributing."
"We've noticed, Mr Hufflepuff." Susan grinned at her man.
"Also, it forces the issue. It's not the polite way to go about things but it does force us all to acknowledge the technique's possibilities and what it can do for our people. It makes us consider the idea seriously when a number of people would rather ignore the idea entirely. And I don't mean just on the magical side. There will be more than enough regular folks in the Alliance who will be made uncomfortable by the thought that the dead can be brought back to life.
"And last of all, it shows that they're willing to provide this for allies ahead of, well, me." Harry grimaced. "I know it's the Potter Alliance but it's also an alliance not 'Harry and his vassals'. While everyone knows James and Lily Potter were murdered, they weren't the people brought back first."
"Are you ok with that, Harry?" Hermione asked tenderly.
"Yeah, surprisingly I am. I'd hoped I would be, Luna." He shot the girl an earnest glance. "But I really am. I've still got questions and things, but I'm certainly willing to wait my turn. The Kitsune Clan have always done well by me, raised me as their own son. I have parents and I didn't miss James and Lily in their own right. That sounds terrible, but you can't miss what you didn't have. Luna knew and loved her mother when the accident happened. Luna's need was greater than my own, and I love my Little Moon so I'm overjoyed to see her happy to be reunited."
Harry found himself with a lapful of blonde witch hugging him tight, a hug he gladly returned. While he knew what he said could be considered cheesy, Luna knew he truly was happy seeing her happy and that's all that mattered.
Selene Lovegood had already been offered, and accepted, the standard chakra bloodline and accelerated training package available to all of the Potter Alliance. While her Shadow Clones were off doing other important things like spending time with her not-so-little Luna or catching up on years of changes in both worlds, the witch herself had a meeting she would not delegate.
She Apparated to a field near Ottery St. Catchpole with her destination firmly in mind. While she knew that she had always been welcome at this place, that was before. She walked up to the edge of the wards, using her wand to do the equivalent of ringing the bell to alert the occupant.
A few minutes later, just as she about to give up and try elsewhere, the door opened and her heart skipped a beat.
"Xeno?"
Xenophilius Lovegood looked in shock. "Selene? My Selene?! How can you be here?"
"I had a lot of help from our daughter's friends. I've missed you."
Xeno started and invited her in, realizing to his horror that he had been keeping her waiting outside. "I'll put on a pot of tea for us. Milk and two sugars?"
Selene smiled and nodded. "Please." It had always been her husband's way to find something to do with his hands when he was nervous.
As he busied himself in the kitchen, Selene took her favourite chair, sighing as she relaxed into it. "I'm so proud of you, my love. You have done very well by our daughter for years but I am here now to help. You don't have to be strong any more."
Xeno smiled as he heard that. It was such a relief. He tried to tell her but his mouth wasn't working right. Now, his legs were failing him. His arms felt so cold but he welcomed the change. It was for the best. His Luna needed someone strong and he was tired, so tired, of being strong when he was so broken inside. Selene was always stronger than him anyway. It should have been him that died.
Selene gasped in horror, dashing over to her husband. He was turning blue and wasn't responding to anything she did. Even as she held him in his arms for the first time, she knew it would be her last. Through the tears, she saw the smile on his face, the acceptance, but it didn't really register.
"No, not now. Please! Xeno!"
Later, Selene managed to get herself together enough to stumble inside the place that had been their home. She started the fire and threw in a pinch of Floo powder, calling three times for the Foxhole. The flames turned green and she turned blindly towards them. She must have said something though she had no idea what came out of her mouth.
The rest of the day passed in a haze. First, people rushed through to examine the body. Luna arrived at some point, carrying her back to the Kitsune Compound where she was led to a comfortable bed. Her daughter was guided to join her on the same bed. Selene heard something about an investigation and tried to answer questions for a little while before everyone left her. Everyone except for Luna and Harry, who wouldn't leave her daughter alone in her grief.
Dinnertime came and went. She barely noticed the passing of time until Harry brought her a bowl of vegetable soup to taste. She tried to refuse but he was persistent, appealing to her to set a good example for Luna. That did the trick. First, she fed Luna one bowl, then Luna fed her the other. Food helped. Food told her she was alive, told her that life did go on, no matter what.
After dinner, one of the Clan entered the room, a blonde woman who asked if Selene wanted any help with anything. Without thinking about it, Selene blurted that she was afraid of going to sleep. At some level, she expected to be given a dose of Dreamless Sleep potion but that's not what happened. Instead, the woman gave her some bracelets and touched her forehead for a second.
A time later, Selene lay down again, exhausted and emotionally drained and fell asleep.
The sunshine woke her up.
Selene opened her eyes and blinked.
"Hello?" she croaked then blinked again as somehow a glass of water was ready at her lips to drink. She sipped gratefully, somehow terribly dry, then the same person helped her sit up. "Hello? Harry? What are you doing in my room?"
Harry shook his head. "This is Luna's room. Last night, the both of you slept here."
Selene took a look around, seeing that Harry was right. Her head still felt stuffed with cotton. "Ok. I don't remember that but I don't really remember much of yesterday."
"That's probably for the best. At least for now. How did you sleep?"
"I slept well. It's odd? I feel that somehow I shouldn't have had a good night's sleep and yet I really did."
Luna cuddled into Harry as she answered. "Ino asked if you wanted any help. You said you did, so she used a special family technique, one that gives you a guardian in your mind against nightmares."
Selene found herself nodding. "Yes, I remember now. A, a man fought off the monsters." In the morning light, she could see how silly a lot of the creations had been but when she had been in the grip of her fears, that was the last thing on her mind. She had simply run away to the guardian who strode forth and slew the nightmarish creations of her own mind with a ruby-encrusted sword.
Luna got up from her bed and plonked herself in her mother's lap, smiling as her mother's arms came up around her automatically. The pair of witches spent time like that, drawing strength from each other. Harry popped out, returning with a full English breakfast for each of them, using light conversation to distract them from the fact that they were eating every bite.
Likewise, Harry removed the plates unobtrusively when they were done, allowing a steady stream of visitors to keep the pair company and show them they weren't alone in their pain.
It wasn't an immediate cure by any stretch of the imagination for their sudden loss but what it did was to allow the grieving ladies to reestablish their bond when they needed it most. The way that Luna had lived a further seven years cast their relationship in a different mould, almost sisterly rather than motherly, and Selene found herself guiltily relieved at the change. She didn't want to have to be strong, perfect, in front of anyone right now and so she wasn't. She cried when she needed it, not caring that Harry saw her.
The young man took care of both ladies, happy to be there for them when they needed someone.
Understandably, the members of the Potter Alliance were curious and concerned when they each received a special messenger asking them to attend a meeting in just over a week without any indication of the reason for it.
Unknown to the others, each messenger confided that there was some big news to unveil and that while they thought it was a great thing, they weren't allowed to spoil the surprise. Using this and other means to help prime their audience for the reaction they wanted, the Clan were preparing to reveal the newly alive Selene Lovegood to their allies first. They wanted to invoke the secrecy clause of their mutual Oaths, but that could backfire much as asking for them had done years before.
The Angels took the time to ask the Jewels their thoughts on the matter. This had the added benefit of turning them from outsiders on the issue to co-workers, making them look at it from the angle of how to get everyone else to accept Selene Lovegood's return. In doing so, their own acceptance was accelerated beyond what having Luna as one of them was already doing.
Soon enough, the Angels were guiding their guests into a room specially made for the meeting. The acoustics had been checked, speakers and microphones arranged appropriately and the surroundings made as perfect as the Clan knew how to help keep people calm.
"Ladies and gentlemen of the Potter Alliance, friends and allies one and all, thank you for sparing the time out of your busy lives to attend this afternoon. We have had a major development and wanted to ensure you knew about it before it got into the papers."
Naruto paused for the chuckles from his audience to die down and to build the suspense a little further.
"We will have clones ready to answer all of your questions at the end but for now, I would like to welcome on stage for her first public appearance in nearly a decade, Mrs Selene Lovegood!"
Stunned silence answered him until from the right of the stage, the witch herself walked out accompanied by her nervously smiling daughter, Luna.
At that point, there was an eruption of sound. Through the chaos and cacophony of voices, the listening Clan picked out plenty of shock and surprise but very little denial or rejection. Yet. Their experience in political matters told them to move quickly to keep the initiative before any negative reaction could settle in.
First impressions were vital.
As Selene Lovegood met Naruto, Luna broke the plans and hugged her Mum tight. The genuine emotions of love and happiness on her face made a better statement than what the Clan had prepared. Seeing Selene hugging her back, tears of joy on her face, helped seal the deal for many watching, though not all.
Naruto eventually got everyone's attention after they had mostly settled down. "Thank you. As I am sure you will all agree, something this amazing should be shared with friends first. I know you will have questions, and I can answer some of them right now. Yes, Selene is fully alive. She will live out her life as normal with no further treatments needed. No dark magic was used at all in the process. And the process requires people willing to return. It simply will not work on any wizard or witch who prefers to remain wherever they are."
Naruto deliberately left out the most controversial information. That would be far better to tell their allies quietly!
"Are there any questions?" A sea of raised hands rose in reply. "Yes, Minister Bones?"
"My question is for Mrs Lovegood. Did their treatment hurt at all?"
Selene smiled wider. "No, Minister Bones, not at all. One moment, I simply opened my eyes and took a deep breath of clean air. Their tests, on the other hand! Merlin, they kept making sure I was ok, kept checking my memories were intact and that I was myself! I came this close to hexing them at least a half-dozen times!"
Naruto chuckled. "Guilty as charged, Mrs Lovegood. We needed to be sure that you were healthy again, and quickly, before we would introduce you to the world again. If there had been any problems, Harry and his Jewels would have never forgiven us. Come to that, we wouldn't have forgiven us, either. However, as you can all see, we got it right, just as we were sure we would."
Selene faced the audience, Luna still holding on. "Over the course of this afternoon, I would like to talk to my old friends and meet some new ones. As I do this, you can check for yourself that I am really me. As shocking as this is, I don't want anyone to be afraid of me because of the techniques used to bring me back."
Together, mother and daughter stepped down the stairs in front of the stage, already starting to mingle with the people they found. Naruto and his Angels brought in more clones, each of them going to talk to their allies. While Mrs Lovegood was doing her best to meet and talk to everyone, the Clan were explaining a little more of the process, including the high cost involved. For Mrs Lovegood's resurrection, the Clan had sought out someone who was willing to volunteer for the process. They had found a young man who wished only for death and offered him a chance to help someone else in the process.
In the end, the man who wanted to remain nameless got a comfortable and peaceful passing while he gave a girl her mother back. He died with a smile on his face.
The next day, the Daily Prophet carried the story.
LOVEGOOD RETURNED FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE!
- Mrs Lovegood credits the Potter Alliance and the Lily Potter Foundation
- St Mungo's confirms new treatment free of Dark Magic!
- Minister speaks, welcomes the return of the brilliant spell researcher
Most of the first five pages were devoted to various parts of the story, pushing back such 'news' as reports on the latest magical socks and the state of well-known joke supplies shop Zonko's in the new economy.
And on page ten, it carried the announcement of the passing of Xenophilius Lovegood, long-time friend and ally of Harry Potter and the Potter Alliance. His funeral would be held the day before the train would take students back to Hogwarts, giving Luna and her friends the chance to attend without disrupting their education.
The paper sold out in record time, even garnering international interest. For the first time in decades, they were also selling well overseas, too. David Greengrass was pleased about that, even if most of his attention was on more important matters than the contents of his vaults.
Already, there had been anonymous threats to the paper's offices demanding the secret and Lucius Malfoy had paid a 'friendly' visit, asking if they had any additional information they wished to share with a pillar of society.
Greengrass grinned like a shark as he recalled that meeting. The Chief Editor had been only too happy to share that memory in a Pensieve. 'Maybe we can sell the chance to see it?' Greengrass mused.
"Mr Malfoy."
"Lord."
"Mr Malfoy. We at the Daily Prophet run a newspaper. We are in the business of putting out articles for people to read so that they will buy our paper and make our advertisers happy. We are not a repository for arcane information. Neither have we been entrusted with secret details of deals. There is nothing for you here and even if we did know more, we would not share it with criminals and Dark Wizards like you."
Lucius forgot himself, reaching for his cane before good sense prevailed. "How dare you?!"
"Very easily, Mr Malfoy, I assure you. Everyone knows you bought your way out of Azkaban after your master fell to the cunning and magic of a Muggleborn and her infant son. You throw a lot of money around but that does not make you a pillar of any society worthy of the name."
"You will learn your place soon enough. People like you owe everything to our traditions."
"Are you actually threatening me, Mr Malfoy?"
"Not at all." Malfoy sneered. "I am certain, however, that you will remember your loyalty to our people soon enough."
"And if I should somehow reject such a path?"
"Then I am sure your replacement will be more amenable once you are no longer in charge."
Malfoy hated having to do it but disguising his meaning really was crucial here. He was already skating the edge of the law if the fool took the matter to the DMLE. Unfortunately, he couldn't afford to get involved in a court case over this. Lord Voldemort's instructions had been clear and that limited what he could do the uppity Halfblood.
This was just as clear to the Chief Editor, however, who narrowed his eyes at his guest.
"Thank you for your concern, Mr Malfoy. I assure you I will keep it in mind and thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to come see me." The words were polite enough but his glare told Malfoy what he really meant.
Lucius rose at the dismissal, fuming but unable to do anything under the circumstances. He would ask the Dark Lord later if he could lead the raid on the paper.
That was far from the only visit from people clamouring for more information. Like the people at the paper, he had people from the Wizengamot, the Ministry and shopkeepers all demanding to know more. One and all were told the same thing.
"It is a proprietary technique belonging to the Lily Potter Foundation. You will have to ask them about it."
Naturally, many did just that. There was a crowd of hundreds in Diagon Alley looking for information at the Foundation's market and public face. Within fifteen minutes, a new barrier had been erected creating an aisle just for people looking to find out more about the revolutionary change.
After lining up, witches and wizards could speak to a temp who would give a fairly standard response to general enquiries.
"It is a new and incredibly expensive technique which was only performed after the Lovegood family volunteered despite the risks. The procedure was a dangerous experiment and will not be attempted again without sufficient investigation. It relied on a long chain of nearly impossible events to succeed and there is no guarantee they can reproduce the success. There is still a lot of research to be done before it can be called safe. In fact, Mrs Lovegood's long term prospects are uncertain. Anyone who tries to copy their results risks loss of life and destruction of their soul. The Lily Potter Foundation consider themselves extremely fortunate that Mrs Lovegood was not maimed or horribly disfigured in the process and, with her permission, they will be observing her condition over the coming years."
And on it went. The script the temp used emphasized that the process was not something to do lightly and that trying to copy it was a terrible idea. As a matter of policy, the Clan tried to keep the outright lies to a minimum in the script in order to allow them to put a new spin on it later if they changed their minds. For the foreseeable future, however, the only people in the world able to perform the technique were themselves and they weren't sharing. Certainly not with the Wizarding World who were both unable to do it themselves, lacking both the basic abilities and the experience, and utterly untrustworthy as a whole.
As unsettled as things were in British magical society, there were certainly worse places. The recent problems overseas with proposals to force their local Muggleborn populations into becoming criminals or abandoning their families was proof of that. As a result of this and other issues, no one outside of the multinational Potter Alliance would be given any real idea of the resurrections. What would horrify most wizards and witches was that the Clan would feel less uncomfortable giving this power to Muggles.
For the people in the Potter Alliance, well, their secrecy clause had been invoked for the details of the process. Ash, dust, smoke, massive chakra expenditure, a complex Seal array on top of three other interlocking ones, lots of magic suppressing cuffs, medical techniques, all of those were no real issue as far as the Alliance were concerned. The issue was simply that it cost a life to return a life. The way the Clan had sought a volunteer for the process was the single biggest reason they hadn't faced a mass revolt from their allies at paying such a price.
Which meant that the other type of reaction was distressingly common. "Can you bring back my husband/wife/son/sister?"
In general, the answer had to be No. For almost all of the deceased named, they didn't know if they would want to come back. Without that, it wouldn't work and without the assurance of its success, the Clan was unwilling to perform it. The Resurrection Stone, previously a revered artifact but not one in especially high demand, was now the most coveted item around. There had been hundreds of request for its use just in the last twenty-four hours and a proposal to cancel any previous bookings for it in order to free up more time for short but frequent uses to contact dead loved ones. The idea had merit but those who had already booked, and in many cases waited for weeks, didn't want to give up their chance now.
In the end, a compromise was made. Anyone who had already made a booking was free to cancel or shorten their booking and they could either get the rest of their time later or accept a payment from someone who wanted to jump the queue. It wasn't a perfect solution but it would hopefully work long enough to get through the rush.
The Kistune Compound was inundated as well. The Jewels and their parents all had their real bodies or at least clones there with no sign of leaving. In response, Harry and his parents made an effort to create a relaxed atmosphere. Spas and massages were the order of the day for the ladies while the men got to enjoy movies, games and a variety of sports, both to play and to watch.
The mood at the Malfoy Manor was incredibly tense. Already, two Death Eaters had died, one to a hasty hex from an overly nervous recruit, the other in a duel after an innocuous comment was misinterpreted. The brooding Dark Lord had angrily ordered the nearest minions to take care of cleaning up the mess, fingering his wand menacingly as he did so. They had scurried to obey before they joined their erstwhile fellows.
After that, the Inner Circle had made themselves scarce, all except for Bellatrix Lestrange. The witch kept loyally at the Dark Lord's side, ready at the slightest whisper to perform whatever mission he needed. It was, she reflected, far safer to be the feared enforcer than it was to be one of the rank and file. Trust a Black to think of it, and trust a Black to be powerful enough to keep the prized position.
For the next week, all Death Eaters had been ordered to keep on high alert for any details they could get on Lovegood's resurrection. Since the Ministry had signed off on it, it was unlikely that anything too Dark had been used. That Bones bitch was a pain in his side but she would also hinder the Mudblood Foundation's work if she even suspected them of breaking her precious laws.
Besides, it was inconceivable that that Lovegood witch had used any of his own rituals in pursuit of immortality. That meant someone had found another way.
He must have it! Lord Voldemort deserved nothing less.
Thank you for reading and for your patience with the recent chapters. I look forward to your feedback. As always, I have to thank my wonderful betas, Cloud Zen and Daisy-Duck39, for their hard work improving and editing my story.