Disclaimer: The Harry Potter universe belongs to the proverbial Duchess of Magic, JK Rowling, Scholastic, Bloomsbury, Warner Bros and some other high falutin' companies. No matter how much I whine about not owning anything related to the HP universe, other than a few fanfic plots, I do not profess to own - and would never dream of making any money off - JKR's wonderful world... Damn it!
Chapter Twenty Two - The Social Event of the... Whatever
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―==(oIo)==―
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As winter finally released its hold on Britain and the temperatures began to warm up again, Harry was getting quite comfortable being back on Earth and now living at Potter Manor with Luna.
Because he wasn't sure just what he needed time-wise for what he needed to learn to pass his NEWTs in the subjects for which he was studying, he left all the scheduling for that up to Luna. She then arranged everything with the tutors.
It was in March that she suggested to Harry he hire Narcissa Black, now brought back into the House of Black by Sirius, to become his appointments cum social secretary.
Confused, he asked, "Why?"
"Because, since we've moved into here and except for your Wizengamot sessions, you've become a bit of a hermit. You need to get out more."
He frowned and said, "I don't like all the staring."
"I know," she soothingly returned. "However, all that staring won't stop until the populace have had a chance to get it out of their systems. And the only way to accomplish that is to give them all the opportunity to stare at you."
He thought about that, sighed in acceptance and said, "And what does this have to do with hiring Narcissa Malfoy?"
"Black," she immediately corrected him. "She knows all the contacts and functions of the so-called elite of magical Britain, plus more on the continent.
"Further, another subject you need to be taught is the etiquette of the wizarding world, especially of high society. And Narcissa Black, I've no doubt, will be an excellent tutor of that subject."
He sighed and grumbled, "Fiiiinne. If you think its best, hire her."
She beamed a smile at him, kissed him on the cheek and, without a word, skipped off to the floo; literally skipped.
He just gave a snort of amusement and returned to the assignment he needed to write on Mandrakes and the Mandrake Restorative Draught.
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Narcissa Black, on invitation from Luna, turned up that evening for dinner with 'The Potters' at Potter manor.
When she turned up, she was clearly wary. However, so was Harry.
Luna just gave a snort of amusement and firmly scolded them both. "Stop it, the pair of you."
Turning to Harry she firmly said, "Harry. As I've already told you, Miss Black was not a Death Eater. She was forced into a situation, due to her marriage, where she had to support Riddle. It was not her choice to do so."
Then she turned to Narcissa and said, "Harry knows you were an unwilling supporter of the dark tosser. However, he's concerned you hold him to blame for what happened to your ex-husband and son."
"I do not," Black firmly stated. "Lucius and Draco were responsible for what happened to them, themselves; no one else."
Then she looked to Harry and said, "Lord Peverell-Potter, I swear to you I mean you and yours no harm. As I stated to your betrothed, Miss Lovegood, I am willing to make a vow on my magic and very life to that effect."
Harry gave a sigh and said, "Let us have dinner and an open discussion about matters. If, at the end of that, you are still open to the idea of providing etiquette lessons and be my appointment secretary... then we'll see."
The dinner turned out to be an excellent idea.
At first things were a little strained, as expected, between the two. Luna, though, was quite relaxed and even nudged the conversation in all the right directions for the two to communicate.
Thankfully and by the time desserts were served, both had relaxed quite a bit.
Only half an hour later, though Harry didn't force it, Narcissa made her vow to Harry with Luna as the bonder. And Harry then immediately offered her the position of etiquette tutor and appointment secretary.
She was quick to accept.
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―==(oIo)==―
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Narcissa was back the next day with a schedule of all the main events due over the next six plus months, plus the date of the Ministry Yule Ball, in wizarding Britain and for which she believed Harry should attend at least half of them.
She also brought with her a small stack of wizarding etiquette 'primer' books she insisted Harry read over the next month and a large scheduling planner she laid out on the breakfast table in the kitchen she beckoned him over to see.
Then she also pointed to the 'Potter' wedding date and how it had to fit in with a lot of other events that were due to occur at around the same time.
"Sorry," said Harry. "But it has to be sometime within the last two weeks of August. We have guests coming from the colonies who have already scheduled it in within their own tight schedules. It would be best if it was the final weekend of August, too."
"Very well," she said, not fighting him on it. "Then I shall inform those who need to know that the date cannot be moved due to prior commitments of certain overseas VIP guests. I'm sure other functions can be moved, where necessary, to allow for it."
Then she indicated a long list of names with the details of who they were. "These names represent the 'really should invite' guests you should invite to the wedding.
Harry took one look at the length of it and blanched. "Errph! I was hoping for a small wedding. Close family and friends; plus a few important personages."
"Such as?" she asked.
"The Minister and her partner, the Chief Warlock and his wife, a few of the movers and shakers off Wizengamot plus their partners, that sort of thing."
"Oh, no, My Lord," she smiled. "You are a triple awardee of the Order of Merlin, First Class. Invitations have to be sent out across the world, not just within magical Britain. For a start, you also need to invite the Supreme Mugwump of the ICW plus her husband; and the other living Order of Merlin, First Class, awardees plus their spouses.
"The reason why I will not have too much problem convincing the organisers of the other events in late August to move their own functions is because your wedding will be the social event of the year; if not the decade. As such, everyone is going to want to be there; and that includes the hosts of the other events."
Harry just gave her a pained look back.
However, it appeared such an expression was like water off a duck's back to her. She only smirked back, clearly unwilling to give even an inch.
Luna just giggled.
"Let's keep things as minimalist as possible, Miss Black," he grouched. "Both for the number of functions I'll attend and the number of guests attending - especially mine and Luna's wedding.
"Besides, I'm working hard to earn my NEWTs at the moment. I'm undertaking a two year course and cramming it into eight months, just so I can sit my exams this August before I'm married."
"I shall endeavour to accomplish that, My Lord," she nodded. "However, I believe what you believe is maximum, will turn out to be well below minimum."
He just gave her another pained look.
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―==(oIo)==―
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It was only two months later, while they lay in bed together before dropping off to sleep, when Harry finally admitted to Luna he believed it was good idea to hire 'Miss Black' for her role.
"I know," she replied. "Having her as your first point of contact when people want you to attend or do things have greatly reduced the number of those. The Minister, etcetera, kept trying to push me into agreeing on your behalf. They don't try that with Narcissa, because they know it won't work."
With a slightly angry frown, Harry asked, "They tried to... push... you?"
"Nothing terribly overt, Harry," she replied. "Just more along the lines of... nagging. No one is willing to upset the fiance of the man who killed Riddle and his minions; which would, in turn, upset him.
"However, locking yourself away from all the starers and gawkers was doing you no favours. People like to see their heroes out and about; it gives them a sense of peace and security."
During the previous months and under Narcissa's tuition Harry had come to understand just why there were those who were feeling insulted by him due to them feeling shunned when he turned down their invitation, as host or hostess, to attend this event or that. That he... or, rather, Luna on his behalf... had turned down every invitation was irrelevant.
Narcissa had used the excuse that Harry had been in basic solitude for the past few years between the battle at the Department of Mysteries and when he returned as to why he hadn't been attending any. However, that excuse had already worn overly thin and it was time to become more 'social'.
That's why, over the previous month and a half, he had attended a few 'small' gatherings. One he had attended was at Longbottom Hall and was kept to only the 'Light' faction on the Wizengamot. It was the first 'public' showing of Hannah Abbott debutanting as the presumptive next Lady Longbottom and Neville's fiancé.
Besides being an event where Harry could begin to mingle with his peers, it was also a golden opportunity to speak further with Neville and, now, Hannah. He was still a little miffed with her concerning her behaviour towards him in his fourth year; but she, realising that was why he was a smidge cold towards her, immediately apologised for that behaviour claiming she was both a young girl and under peer pressure from within her own House.
Harry accepted the apology, but did not let on that he thought her excuse was both too late and should have been offered without an accompanying excuse.
Of course, as with the other functions Harry reluctantly attended, he was asked all sorts of questions regarding how he managed to become so fast and what his life on Hadrian was like. He gave somewhat honest, but a little begrudging, answers. He made it seem as if he really didn't want to talk about it. He most definitely did not share his casting speed was related to time dilation magic. That was a secret that was firmly restricted to those he deemed family.
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―==(oIo)==―
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Two months shy of the Lovegood Peverell-Potter wedding, Narcissa laid out for them the guest invitation list, the arrangements she'd already made and other matters relating to the wedding.
On seeing the list, Harry nearly had a panic attack.
"Three hundred and twenty eight guests?!" he loudly exclaimed.
Sirius, who was there and watching, snickered in amusement.
"Yes, My Lord," she firmly replied, ignoring Sirius. "And I've no doubt they, except a small few, will all accept."
"Gahh!" he exclaimed. "How the hell are we supposed to sit all these people? Is there actually anywhere that'll be big enough!?"
"Space expansion charms, of course," she returned.
Harry was reading down the list and said, "I don't even know about ten percent of these people, let alone their partners!"
"I'll be adding their details once they accept," she explained. "For instance..." she pointed to a name near the top and said, "That's the Supreme Mugwump and her husband..." and another, "And that's an awardee of the Order of Merlin; he's from Africa and saved a magical village from a Nundu attack back about twenty years ago."
He already knew the Supreme Mugwump and the other Awardees, of course
"Gods," he whined. "I don't think I really want to know."
"You need to, Harry," said Luna. "I've no doubt Narcissa will be supplying you, where she can, with photographs of each of the important peoples; so you can identify them if... when... you bump into them at the reception or at other functions."
"That's a wonderful and clever idea, Miss Lovegood," said Narcissa. "I shall start arranging for such photographs, immediately. The idea is also a clever one for other functions Lord Peverell-Potter and you need to attend even before that.
"However, I believe our Lord met a great many of these people at that awards dinner just before Yule." And looked at him.
Harry frowned and looked down at the list again. Then started comparing a lot of the names with who he was introduced to on that night. He could then start to picture them all.
With a sigh, he said, "She's right; I do. However, I have no idea why we have to invite them to my wedding."
"They're too important not to," said Narcissa.
Harry just sighed and said, "Fiiiinnne. I wish you luck in finding a suitable venue for both the wedding and the reception, though."
The Druid's Ritual reception centre," Narcissa immediately stated. "They're used to handling large weddings and will have everything very well organised we want organised by them.
"Any idea on who you want to perform the rites?"
"Yes," Luna stated, before Harry even had a chance to say he had no idea. "My uncle. He's a celebrant and well experienced in performing the rites. He'll also be a family member guest of mine at the reception."
"Mordacai Wilburton?" asked Narcissa. "Good choice. And I'd forgotten he was skilled in the old druidic rituals. You'll contact him and ask, Miss Lovegood?"
"Yes," Luna nodded back.
When they both looked to Harry he quickly raised his hands in surrender and said, "Don't ask me. If Luna is happy, then I'm happy."
Both witches smiled at him.
"Good choice," said Narcissa.
With a mental sigh of relief Harry turned back to the list of 'guests'. "So, we have this list to go through to remove those neither of us really want to see attend?"
"You have this list, My Lord, to add the names of those close to you of which you need to add," she replied, slightly chidingly.
Harry, once more, aimed a pained look at her.
As always, she was unmoved.
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―==(oIo)==―
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After grumbling about just how big a public spectacle his wedding was turning out to be for the next week, Luna called in his godfather to have words with him.
"You need to just grin and bear it, Harry," said Sirius. "The only way to get out of this is to cancel the wedding. And, even then, people will still look down at you for doing it.
"You're now considered... even more than before you offed Riddle for good... as a National Hero. People are always going to want to rub shoulders with you and know what it is you're up to.
"As such, you're simply wasting energy being upset about it and, worse still, making it somewhat unpleasant for those of us who are close to you. It's time you got over it."
Harry sighed and muttered, "Fiiiinnnee."
Besides, pup," added Sirius. "You've got to focus your energies on passing your NEWTs. You won't do well on them if you don't let go of your annoyance and irritation concerning how your wedding is going to turn out.
"Let the experts deal with the wedding while you focus on your arrangements for your honeymoon."
"Visiting the Potter properties around the world," Harry immediately replied. "I'd also like to know, if it was possible, if we could spend a few days at Black Island."
Sirius smirked and said, "Other than Black Island, where about the only things you can do is snooze and swim, what do you plan to do at the other places?... Besides that, I mean."
"U-uummm..." stuttered Harry.
Sirius gave a snort of amusement and said, "You might want to look into activities you can do while staying at each of those properties, pup. For instance, have you ever been to an amusement park?"
"Ummm... no?" replied Harry. He'd also forgotten he'd promised Luna he'd take her to one.
"Well, that's just one idea," said Sirius. "See if you can arrange any sightseeing tours or the like."
Harry gave a sigh and slumped a little in his seat. "Where can I―? Travel agents."
"Pardon?" asked his godfather. "Why would you need to see a travel agent? You already claim to know where you're going."
"A travel agency will have knowledge of and information on what activities one can undertake in just about any location in the world. As such, they'll have information about 'touristy' ideas for the locations around where each Potter property is located."
"Non magical, yes," said Sirius. "But what about magical areas?"
"For the next couple of years, I think, I'd have to go in disguise or under glamour to any magical tourist spot," he replied. "We can save that for another time. It's not as if I can't afford a holiday touring the magical world a few years from now."
Sirius nodded back and muttered, "Sounds like a good idea, yeah."
"I intend for us to visit the Potter Penthouse in New York in the USA and see if we can catch a show or two on Broadway. I seem to remember, from my time at the Dursleys, that Broadway is in New York and that there are supposed to be plenty of theatres there where they put stage plays on. I think a night or two watching some of them might be nice.
"I also intend to spend some time staying at the Potter Vineyard in Australia. I think it's at a place called... Baroosa Valley, or something. It's one of their grape growing areas, anyway. I'm sure we could enjoy ourselves going to wine tastings for a day or two.
"Potter Retreat in France also sounds nice. I don't know much about it, other than it was supposed to be somewhere Potters before me went to unwind and relax for a while.
"I guess I'll have to find out more about where those other places are to see what we can do around that area. Of course, there's also apparation to take care of the longer distances."
He shrugged and said, "I've not laid out an itinerary yet. I'll go see what I can find out from a local travel agent and make more locked-in decisions once I have a better idea."
Sirius had been nodding along and, once Harry wound down, said, "Sounds like a wonderful idea. And, just because, I'll also keep it secret from everyone else. The last thing you need is for the media to find out and you end up having some nosy journalist or two follow you around just to take photos of you and Luna on your honeymoon."
"Yeah, thanks Sirius," said Harry. "I was going to ask you to do that, so it's nice you actually offered first."
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―==(oIo)==―
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A relief to both Luna and Narcissa, Harry spent the weeks of June and early July working hard on making sure he was ready for his NEWT exams to be held in the examination centre attached to the offices of the WEA at the Ministry. The exams were held in mid to late July to give those who studied at Hogwarts and had to defer their exams the opportunity to sit them then.
After sitting a whole heap of 'mock' exams written for him by his tutors and being informed he'd done well, he knew he was finally ready.
For the last week before the exams Luna told him to relax and lightly review. "You need a fresh mind to sit your exams, Harry," she said. "That means no stressing out, no over-studying; just light revision."
"Luna?" he overly-innocently asked. "Did you know that sex is considered an excellent stress reliever?"
She rolled her eyes, gave a huff of amusement and smirked back. "Yes, Harry," she replied. "I actually was aware there are some who believe that. Did you know, though, that there is actually no evidence that supports that theory?"
"Still," he returned. "I find I happen to sleep very well after a night of love making."
She laughed and said, "That, I'll acknowledge."
Once the date of the first exam came around - Monday, 10th July - Harry was as ready as he could be. He went into the exam confident he had prepared as best he could for it. It was Transfiguration.
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―==(oIo)==―
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Ten days later at the WEA examination centre, Harry set his quill down with a sigh. He had just finished the written NEWT examination for History of Magic, the last exam he would have to sit unless he came back at another time to sit exams for Care of Magical Creatures and other subjects he'd not studied for, before receiving his 'Diploma' showing he'd earned his NEWTs.
He already knew that the exams, both written and practical, he'd sat over the past week and a half were a fair bit easier that the 'mock' exams he'd sat a couple of weeks earlier. And had also confronted Luna about that after the third day.
"You tricked me!" he'd declared.
"No, Love," she'd disagreed. "We prepared you to sit the exams in such a manner you would find them easier than you expected. That way you would perform much better and, as a result, score higher than you expected you would."
That led to him sitting the final exam and sitting back in relief, knowing there was no follow-on practical for the subject, as he laid his quill down.
Once the proctor, Professor Tofty, rang his little bell - off a child's bicycle, of all things - Harry obeyed the instruction to leave his completed exam sitting face down on his desk and left the room with the other three, younger, examinees and made his way out. Before he left, though, he thanked the man for his service.
As a parting remark, Tofty said, "You should receive the results of your examinations by owl post no later than two weeks from now, Lord Peverell-Potter."
Harry smiled and said, "Thank you, Professor." And quickly left.
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―==(oIo)==―
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After giving a quick 'doorstop interview' to the reporter off the Daily Prophet who'd caught wind he was sitting his NEWTs and would have his last one that day, he hurried to the atrium to floo home to Potter Manor.
He gave the interview because Narcissa had told him that if he didn't give such when and where appropriate, then the Prophet journalist would just write what they liked.
"If you give them something to write... to quote... they're far less likely to make something up," she'd told him. "That way, you have some control over what they write about you. Plus, you can then use you no longer providing such interviews to force some level of compliance out of them to not use the opportunity to besmirch you."
When he stepped out of the floo he was shocked to find that all of his 'family' were there and waiting for him. There was Luna, Sirius, Remus, Tonks, her parents and even Narcissa.
He'd barely managed to straighten up from stepping out of the floo before Luna practically tackled him to the ground and resoundingly kissed and hugged him, all excited.
That had everyone, bar Narcissa and Andromeda (Tonks), cheering and laughing.
"Dobby!" called Sirius. "Champagne!"
And it was less than a minute later before everyone had a glass of the sparkling wine in their hands.
"A toast!" declared Sirius, raising his glass. "To Harry! Congratulations on finishing your NEWTs!"
"Hear, hear!" declared Ted (Tonks), Remus and Tonks. Again, Narcissa and Andromeda remained silent. However, both ladies still joined for the obligatory sip.
Harry laughed at all their antics and joined in.
However, his joyful relief was shot down a little later when, while the two were almost huddled together apart from everyone else, Luna said, "Now we have to decide what Masteries you're going to undertake."
The look he turned on her had her giggling away.
When she calmed down, she quietly said to him, "Actually, there are other NEWT level subjects Hogwarts didn't offer, but used to, that I think you should study first."
"Like what?" he just as quietly asked back.
"Alchemy, Art, Druidic Magics, Enchanting, Languages, Rituals... that sort of thing."
"That's why you first suggested I study Enchanting for NEWTs this time around, isn't it?" he asked.
"No," she replied. "I thought you might turn out to have a flair for the subject, like me. However, it seems your flair lies almost purely with cast magics."
"You don't think I'll be any good at enchanting?" he asked.
"No, that's not what I meant," she disagreed. "I mean, you're not going to turn out to be a prodigy of the subject. I still think, if you apply the same dedication to picking up a NEWTs in Enchanting as you did in the other subjects, you'll eventually get it.
"However, I saw early on that you weren't going to get it with only eight months of study of the subject; it'll take you much longer than that. That's why I removed it from your tutoring schedule."
"Ah!" he softly returned.
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―==(oIo)==―
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With his NEWT exams now out of the way, Harry was able to turn much more of his attention to the rapidly approaching wedding.
He'd had to step back and away from almost all involvement in organising the 'nuptials' because he was finding himself stressing-out over it. A lot of big things were happening and, according to both Narcissa and Luna, had to happen. However, that did not mean they didn't freak him a little.
Thankfully both Harry and Luna were able to change, or have a decent impact on, certain things. For instance, both would only have two attendants. For Harry it would be Sirius and Remus. For Luna it would be, of all people, two professors from Hogwarts; Bethsheba Babbling and Septima Vector - the Professors of Ancient Runes and Arithmancy, respectively.
When Harry asked why those two, she calmly replied, "Besides Professor Flitwick, they were my mentors for both my time at Hogwarts and my main supporters for me going for my Masters in Enchanting. They're friends."
"Oh," he almost sadly said. "I know your circle of friends is incredibly small, but I thought that was because of the war and having to continually avoid Dumbledore."
"That was partly the reason, yes," she shrugged. "But my... peers, age-wise... I have nothing to do with."
Harry didn't push it because he already knew that, until Sirius had cast a proverbial stinging charm up Flitwick's bum over the way she was being treated by her housemates, Luna was treated appallingly by them. He had thought she'd made friends with at least some of them after that. Clearly not.
However, he would not push for further information on that, as he knew it was Luna's story to tell and she would tell it on her own schedule, not his.
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―==(oIo)==―
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After seeing what he later found out was some of the planning for the wedding, Harry stepped right back from it and pretty much refused to have anything else to do with it; other than what he specifically needed to do as the groom.
Luna had just smirked at him over it and didn't push it. She even spoke to Narcissa and told her not to bother Harry too much about it. He was bordering on a panic attack concerning just how many people would be attending and how much he would be standing out in the limelight.
"He'll do his part, don't you worry," said Luna. "Let me make sure of that."
Narcissa just nodded and raised the issue of the reception, specifically the menu for the event.
What Narcissa was organising, with the very valuable assistance of a professional magical event organiser, was everything to do with the wedding and reception; but not the honeymoon.
She needed a professional because the sheer scale of the event was beyond even her expertise in organising large scale events, such as what used to be the Annual Malfoy Summer Ball in August. That turned out to be a fortuitous happenstance as the weekend of the wedding used to be the nominal weekend of the Summer Ball; and was, since the 'extinction' of the House of Malfoy in Britain, now otherwise free.
After finding out that, Harry gave a direct look to Luna. She just serenely smiled back, looking like the proverbial cat who got the cream.
He never directly said anything because both Narcissa was present at the time and he already knew Luna had used her ability to foresee that well in advance.
He also never learned until after the next Christmas that the same weekend was now 'booked' to be the new and annual 'Potter Summer Ball'.
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―==(oIo)==―
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It was eleven days after sitting his last NEWT exam and while sitting enjoying his lunch that Harry received an owl from the WEA via a Ministry owl.
As he first took a fortifying breath and mentally prepared himself for what he'd find within, Luna just sat back and calmly watched him with a pleased smile on her face. As usual, Narcissa was also present as she now, more often than not, joined them for the midday meal. She never said a word, just watched.
Opening the envelope and withdrawing the stiff sheet from within, Harry was quick to unfold it and read. And, as he did, his slight look of apprehension morphed into one of relieved pleasure and even a little surprise.
"Well, My Lord?" asked Narcissa after Harry had just sat there staring at the sheet for about fifteen seconds.
Snapping a smirk in her direction, he quickly looked to Luna before again returning to look at the sheet.
"Outstandings in all ten subjects," he quietly said.
As Narcissa let out a quiet gasp, he began to list them.
"Ancient Runes, O; Arithmancy, O; Astronomy, O+; Charms, O+; Defence Against the Dark Arts, O++, Best in Europe; Herbology, O; History of Magic, O+; Muggle Studies, O+; Potions, O; and Transfiguration, O++, Best in Europe. Ranked first of fifty-seven in wizarding Britain for the year 1999/2000. Ranked third of four hundred and thirty two in Europe," he softly said, with a wide smile.
"Sweeeet Merlin!" Narcissa softly uttered.
"Very well done, Love," said a happily grinning Luna. "With those results you will be able to undertake just about any Mastery you want, without anyone being able to claim you could only do so because you're the famous 'Harry Potter'."
Turning his own grin to her, he said, "That's why you kept from me just how well I was actually doing, didn't you?"
"Yes," she freely admitted. "A lot of what those tutors were teaching you over the past month or so were actually what you'd have been taught if you were already undertaking a Mastery with them.
"So. Planning on doing a Mastery next?"
He thought about that for a few moments before he gave a slight shrug and said, "Possibly. However, that will not be for at least a year. I think I've earned a year's break, don't you?"
"Yes," she nodded.
"And what next for you?" asked Narcissa.
"First up and after we finish lunch; I'd better go visit Sirius to let him, Remus and Tonks know," he replied while sliding the parchment down to Luna for her to read. "From there, I think I need to go in and see Madam Marchbanks. She's added a handwritten note where she's asked me to come and visit her. Then I'd better think about writing Hermione and letting her know. After that... we'll see."
"I meant longer term, My Lord," explained Narcissa.
"I think I need to get the wedding and honeymoon out of the way before I then begin to focus on anything else for the time being," he replied. "I know there'll be calls... even begging... for me to undertake a Mastery in Combat Magics, but I currently feel I've already done my supposed duty in fighting the Dark for the wizarding world. If anything I think I might give being a scholar a go for a while. Then I might... I don't know yet."
"I think you might enjoy teaching, Harry," said Luna. "However, you'll want to pick up at least two Masteries before you do that."
Harry nodded, knowing it was Luna's gift Seeing something. So he was not quick to dismiss it. He'd give it a great deal of thought.
"Not for quite a few years, Love," he said. "Even then, I'd only take on such a role if you took on such a role with me."
"I can see that," she nodded. "I think I'd like to teach Enchanting, one of these days; after the last of our children reach Hogwarts graduation age."
"So... at least about twenty years, then," he said. "That is, of course, if our last child is born no later than about six years from now."
"Agreed," she said.
"I would have thought you'd see yourself as either Minister or Chief Warlock," said Narcissa.
Harry gave a mock-shudder and wry grimace. "I'll pass on that, thanks. Politics, other than how it directly impacts me and the Houses of Peverell and Potter, bores me."
"And yet many times the way to best protect your House is to be in the Wizengamot tiers and in charge of one faction or another," she argued. "Politics may be dirty and uncomfortable for you, yet it may be the way to best protect your house."
Harry frowned at her and, though he knew she was right, didn't really want to hear it. "Stop being logical. You're beginning to annoy me again."
She just smirked back and Luna tittered in amusement.
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―==(oIo)==―
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The wedding turned out to be as pleasurable and as irritating as Harry expected it to be.
The ceremony/hand-fasting/bonding was, of course, the highlight for Harry. While he managed to stand tall and proud in his wizarding formal wedding robes and say what he needed to say with a strong and assured voice each time the druid, Luna's uncle, called on him to do so, he was also protected from anyone approaching him by the needs of the ceremony itself. On Luna's insistence, he also wore his kara kesh, as if it was piece of jewellery.
It was also nice to have Hermione there. However this time, instead of in the company of her parents, she was in the company of a young man the same age as her who wore glasses and just seemed completely bemused by the whole thing. This was 'her man'. The one Luna said Hermione would marry in a couple of years and was currently studying Biological Anthropology at the same university she was currently attending and studying Law.
Harry found him to be quite nice and felt relieved, now that he'd met him, that his once best friend would be marrying a man who looked like he would do very well by her.
The ceremony was a blend of muggle and wizarding traditions. Luna wore a wedding gown, was escorted up the aisle by her proud and happy father - who actually didn't wear outlandish colours out of respect for his daughter and her about-to-be husband - and soft music played as they did so.
Once at the altar, the magical side of the ritual took over - the hand-fasting. The druid used the old forms of address and the two before him were bound at the hands by the old words of magical vows. Then the muggle side came back with Harry escorting his new wife out of the venue while the recessional played.
It was in the reception that the hyenas felt they could finally make their move. And they weren't the political hyenas that Harry expected.
It was just as Harry was winding up his speech to thank those who had worked so hard to make the day a success that they were 'rudely interrupted'.
He had no idea at the time who they purported to be, but they arrived by a powerful portkey just outside the main doors to the dining hall cum ballroom in which they were all sitting; and immediately stormed into the room.
There were half a dozen, all dressed in face-obscuring, hooded, flat black robes. And at least two of them immediately moved to grab a young witch each and hold them with a wand tip to their captors' heads amongst screams and frozen-deer-in-headlights inactivity from nearly everyone else.
"Potter!" barked the clear leader of the group, striding forward onto the middle of the floor.
Harry gave a clearly heard sigh and said, "If it's me whose attention you want, you address me as Lord Peverell-Potter... you ill-bred buffoon."
The 'leader' stood there with his wand drawn. He didn't immediately say anything back, but it was easy to see the anger he was projecting by how he held both hands in tight fists with his elbows slightly cocked. "You killed the dark lord!" the man finally snarled.
Already on his feet as he'd been in the middle of giving a speech, Harry calmly began to walk to the side to walk around the end of the head table. As he walked he said, "You're going to need to be a bit more specific than that. The way I see it, I took part in the death of three dark lords, just in the past year alone.
"The year before that I managed to end a system lord. That's someone who makes even the worst dark lords you can imagine look like a toddler throwing a temper tantrum."
And rounded the end of the table to start to calmly walk forward.
"So, specifically, which one were you referring to?" he calmly asked, coming to a stop about twenty feet from the idiot.
"The dark lord, you half-blood mongrel," the man snarled.
"Ummm..." said Harry, giving the impression he was really trying to figure it out. "Nope. Sorry. Doesn't ring any bells.
"Oh! Do you mean Albus Dumbledore? After all, he―"
"I mean Lord Voldemort!" the man shouted.
With a sudden snort of amusement, Harry grinned and said, "Naahhh... I didn't kill anyone named Lord Voldemort. I think you mean the half-blood, bastard-born son of an impoverished near-squib witch, Merope Gaunt, and the muggle, Thomas Riddle, Tom Marvolo Riddle. He was no lord... whoever you are.
"Though, I will admit he was certainly a dark wizard, he was no―"
"You lie!" the man shouted.
"No... no," Harry smirked. "I definitely killed him. Piercing curse to the middle of the forehead. Blew the back of his head out as the curse exited his skull after passing through and mulching his brain. According to the Master Healer, death was instant."
Harry was deliberately antagonising the man for, one, so he wasn't focused so much on where Harry was or what he was doing and, two, so that he would make a very major mistake and attack him.
However, part of that plan came unstuck when the man seemed to give a start of surprise before he said, "Enough!" Then he raised his wand more threateningly and said, "Drop your wand, Potter; or my people will kill their hostages."
While this had been going on very few people had moved and were frozen in immobility, unsure of what to do. The only ones who had were Bones, Tonks and Hammer, who had slunk off to the sides of the room and were trying to move down the wall to get closer to the hostages; and both Sirius and Remus, who were trying to do the same down the same wall as Tonks, opposite Bones and Hammer.
Harry just smiled back and said, "That is never going to happen. You see... at the moment... the only thing keeping you alive is that you haven't actually harmed anyone yet. If anyone who was invited to be here comes to such harm... well, you'll wish I only killed you and whichever of your foolish followers caused harm to one of my guests.
"Because, I will not just be satisfied with just killing you and them in retaliation. No, I'll hunt down your entire families and... after declaring blood feud on them... wipe out your families simply for making the mistake of being related to you."
The man clearly gave a start of shock at hearing that. "L-Li... D-drop your wand!" he tried.
Seeing it and hearing what the man tried to order, Harry chuckled. "You're one of those stupid bastards who think I'm a light wizard, aren't you? You seem to think I'll do anything to see that no harm comes to another, even laying down my wand when that would have to be the most stupid thing I could do. I'm not light, I'm more... dark grey."
Again he chuckled. "As I said, that is never going to happen. No, what is going to happen is one of three choices of which you are currently the chooser. One: You and your minions are going to immediately drop your wands and unconditionally surrender to our mercy. Two: You or one of your minions is going to do something stupid, such as harm someone at this little party of mine, and I'm going to kill the lot of you - no mercy, no quarter offered. And three: I'm going to soon reach the point at which I no longer give a fuck whether you're going to surrender or not... and simply kill you. If you're lucky no one else, but you and your minions, are going to get hurt; which means your families will not soon follow you into early graves, as they would if any harm befalls even one of my guests."
Drawing his wand and aiming it at the moron, Harry said, "Choose now, or not. Either way, the only way you will not be leaving here in magic inhibiting DMLE handcuffs is if you are dead.
"Time's ticking; and I'm silently counting down to the time I'll have had enough and simply kill you."
Then he just waited with a slight smirk on his face. The 'leader' stared back at his cold Killing Curse green eyes that were locked on his own, boring into his soul.
Harry was just waiting for the 'crease'; that very slight gesture, always there, that tells a dueller when his opponent is going to move. Sometimes it might be a slight tic or twitch in the face, sometimes it might be a very slight shoulder shrug, sometimes even a small finger twitch, but it was always there.
He wasn't sure, even later, what it was. However, he saw the crease and instinctively snap-raised his kara kesh, activating it immediately.
"Crucio!" the man suddenly blurted, his wand first beginning the twirl with the incantation on the jab forward at Harry.
The dark, dirty red curse sped the twenty feet to Harry... and was blocked by the kara kesh shield.
Not even stopping in surprise that the kara kesh actually blocked one of the supposedly unshieldable curses, Harry turned off the shield device as the curse splashed harmlessly away and immediately countered.
'Break! Stab!' he thought. The second cast in motion before the first even hit.
However, the first, the Shield Breaker Charm, actually did nothing; because the man was standing still in shock that Harry was able to successfully shield against the Cruciatus curse. His second, the same Piercing curse he'd killed Riddle with, flew true with the same effect. He nailed the man high, but right between the eyes.
With a small fountain of blood and brain matter erupting from the back of the man's head, the body was launched backwards as if yanked by the hair to land on its back. It then slid about five feet across the polished dance floor before coming to a stop, still on its back.
That's when the screaming started again.
Knowing the man was dead, Harry ignored the screaming and focused on his other unwanted guests. Then started walking towards them, completely ignoring the now dead body.
"BE SILENT!" he bellowed.
Surprisingly, he got it almost immediately.
Still walking forward he stopped at a position he was still able to watch the other five.
"Just so you know," he said. "Other than being scared a little, none of my guests have been hurt yet.
"And just so you also know, I faced Riddle and his thirteen Inner Circle Death Eaters on my little lonesome. None of them, including Riddle, survived. And not one of them even nicked me.
"So, what's it to be? Are you going to be smarter than your leader, drop your wands and surrender? Or do you die? No other options are available to you.
"The time is... once more... ticking."
Then he raised his wand and gently settled into a duelling stance.
One almost squeakily snapped, "Activate!" but didn't go anywhere.
"That's not going to work, this time," smirked Harry. "I had plenty of time to erect super-strong anti-portkey and anti-apparation jinxes before I even faced your leader."
He'd done it while working his way around the head table with his wand down by his side.
"Surrender or die," he almost snarled. "I'm beginning to tire of this!"
Almost immediately wands started clattering to the floor and hands were being raised in the signal for surrender. It started with one who wasn't holding a hostage; but the rest quickly followed. Only seconds after his last word all five had surrendered.
With a smirk on his face he stood back up, but didn't lower his wand. "Good choice! Director Hammer; they're yours."
Quickly, aurors that had obviously been waiting outside after being called - probably by either Tonks or Hammer though their auror badges - hurried into the room and took the men into custody; professionally stripping them of portkeys and the like as they did so.
Two others hurried past him to the body now twenty feet behind him on the floor. They quickly had it on a conjured portable stretcher, the blood on the floor cleaned away and the stretcher hurriedly levitated from the room.
After the last one was hustled out of the room with Hammer and Tonks joining them as the two with the stretcher passed through the doors, Harry holstered his wand, spun on the spot and said, "Right! I was right in the middle of my speech, wasn't I."
As he walked back towards the end of the head table, he called out, "Sorry about that. Some people are just so rude! They could have at least waited until I'd finished my speech!"
Suddenly he was receiving tumultuous applause, with people rising to their feet while applauding.
It was still going on when he finally reached his seat again.
Raising both his hands he double-gestured for people to sit down and quiet down again. The did so, although it appeared a little reluctantly.
Again with his slight grin he said, "You're supposed to save the applause until after the speeches, folks."
That earned him a few weak chuckles.
"Now; where was I?..." he said. "Ah! Yes. As I was saying... I would especially like to thank Miss Narcissa Black. If it wasn't for her near tireless efforts on mine and Luna's behalf, this little soiree would not have been as wonderful as it is.
"I was far more prepared to take Luna, kidnap a druid and have him marry us before releasing him again; and for the both of us to immediately shoot off on our honeymoon without anyone the wiser. It is because of her efforts that you were actually able to witness Luna and my bonding and enjoy this wonderful reception!"
Then he led applause for the woman, who gave no sign she was pleased for the recognition other than a light pinking of her cheeks and small smile of pleasure. She waited a few moments before she stood from her seat and lightly curtseyed to Harry, before taking her seat again.
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―==(oIo)==―
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It was as Harry and Luna were ready to leave when Director Hammer returned - obviously from the Ministry.
Taking him aside, she said, "The leader of your attackers was young Lord Nott. As for the other five, they were all hired mercenaries from off the continent. They have no idea what Nott's beef was with you, but they were well paid for the job so didn't inquire."
Harry gave a nod back and said, "That's actually a relief."
When she gave him a curious look, he explained, "I was worried a new dark lord had popped his head up, now that Riddle was dead. That it was Nott with hired mercenaries means the likelihood of that, based on this, is back down to being quite small."
She gave a nod back and said, "That's my view too. I just thought you should be the first to know. It'll be in the Prophet tomorrow, as there's no way I could possibly keep a lid on this anyway."
"And I thank you for informing me," he immediately returned.
She just gave him a head nod of a bow and quickly walked off again, probably back to her partner for the evening.
When the two left only twenty minutes later, everyone thought they were immediately heading off on their honeymoon. They weren't.
Knowing it was going to be a long and stressful day, Harry had arranged to start their honeymoon after lunch the next day. This evening they were headed back to Potter Manor for the night, just the two of them.
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―==(oIo)==―
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The next afternoon, now dressed a lot more casually, the two newlyweds arrived from the swirl of a portkey on Black Island. They'd brought Dobby with them.
While Harry then slipped the hand-carved wooden ring of the Black family permanent portkey to the island into his pocket, he was looking around at where they'd found themselves. They were standing inside and in the middle of a small open-sided pagoda with a palm-frond thatched roof. In one direction and less than a hundred feet away across a wide lawn, stood what appeared to be a small 'Polynesian' cottage on five foot high stilts.
Though that is what it looked like, both had been warned by Sirius that looks were deceiving. It had been built with permanent expansion charms on the inside. It was actually a double-storied mini-manor with six bedrooms with en-suites upstairs; and a lounge, kitchen, dining room, office, small library, laundry and other amenities downstairs.
In the other direction the lawn stopped at a stone wall edge before becoming beach. Beyond that was, of course, the ocean.
"Very nice," said Luna.
"Mmm..." said Harry. Then, offering his elbow to his new wife, he looked to her and gestured to the house with a nod of his head and asked, "Shall we go see what our accommodations for this week are like, Lady Peverell-Potter?"
She grinned back and took his elbow. "Lets! Lord Peverell-Potter."
After an afternoon of first exploring the house and taking a walk up to the highest peak of the island, as suggested by Sirius, the two returned to the pseudo-hut just in time for a Dobby dinner.
Apparently the little guy had brushed up on his cuisine for island fare, because there was a lot of tropical fruits and the like, especially pineapple, in their multi-course meal.
That was also the last time they wore actual clothing for more than about an hour for the rest of the week. Luna had risen the next morning from their bed, showered and didn't put any clothes on but a 'wrap'.
"A little under-dressed, aren't you?" he smirked.
"I'll wear this for breakfast to not embarrass Dobby," she replied. "Otherwise, I consider myself over-dressed. I intend for my first swim in the ocean to be as the Maker intended - nude.
"There is no one on this island, but us three. No one's going to see us and no one can surprisingly visit us because we have the only portkey that would allow anyone in."
He laughed and said, "So be it."
After finishing his own ablutions he joined Luna downstairs wearing only an overlapping wrap tied at the waist.
By the time the two left the island a week later, both were now sporting light beginning tans and were only a little red on areas that otherwise didn't receive any direct sunlight.
And Harry had also determined that having sex in the fairy grove on the Lovegood land wasn't the only place outdoors Luna wanted to make love. If she thought she could get away with it, she was happy to have sex outdoors wherever she wanted.
Harry now planned to create a small glade in the woods on the property on which Potter Manor stood, just so Luna could continue to enjoy her outdoors sex kink once they returned to magical Britain. Of course, he'd also first be making sure he warded that glade to hell and back to prevent unwanted attention.
With their week over, the two once again dressed properly and Harry readied their portkey to their next destination - magical France and Potter Retreat by way of the French Ministère de la Magie.
They first had to go to the French ministry to check in as tourists, while Dobby headed directly to Potter Retreat with their luggage and to ready the place for their arrival.
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―==(oIo)==―
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