Chapter 131 – Godfathers
"Oh, I forgot to tell you. I spoke to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley tonight. They said they want to name their baby Harry and they asked me to be godfather!"
Severus let a beat go by as he processed the news of the naming of the newest Weasley, and of the family's request that Harry stand godfather. He could not profess to be the least bit surprised that people who knew Harry would want to honor him in this way. Merlin knows, rabble in the wizarding world had been naming their sons in his honor for years now, and the recent proliferation of "Harriets" out there suggested this wasn't just limited to sons. This particular naming was at least sincere.
But being a godparent in the wizarding world carried very specific responsibilities, not to be taken lightly. Severus still believed that had not been the case in the Potters' choice of the mongrel to stand in that capacity for Harry, but that was another matter. Severus had always intended to have a conversation with Harry about this, but he'd miscalculated the timing. Given the responsibilities involved, it was tradition that no one who was not regarded as an adult themselves be asked to stand as a godparent, and he'd assumed he had time. Of course, their bonding had accelerated Harry's arrival at full adulthood in their world, so this was a completely appropriate request, from that perspective. But he'd assumed that Harry would not actually be approached directly until he'd at least finished school. Apparently not.
All thoughts of getting any sleep at this point vanished. No time like the present.
"Harry, that's quite an honor. Let's sit down and have a talk about what it means to be a godfather," he suggested.
Harry eyed Severus nervously, clearly concerned that he was about to learn yet another significant aspect of wizarding life that had managed to completely elude him for the past almost-seven years.
Severus caught his expression and simply shook his head. He said "No, nothing is wrong, Harry. I assume you accepted?"
He guided Harry into his spot on the couch and took his usual place in the chair nearby, not wanting to be too dramatic about this, as his reaction had clearly had rattled Harry. Harry nodded in the affirmative as he sat.
"Being a godparent in this world carries a firm commitment to make a home for the child if the parents are no longer able. For that reason, only someone who is in a position to do that, an adult themselves, would be an appropriate selection. I had imagined that this would not be an issue at all for you until you had graduated from school, as it is virtually unheard of for a witch or wizard who is still in school, even if of legal age, to stand as a godparent. As a consequence of our bonding, though, you became a legal adult in our world over a year ago, and would be quite able to fulfill your obligations."
Harry seemed a bit indignant. "Of course, I would fulfill my obligations! The Weasleys are as good as family to me," he growled.
Severus bit back a comment about Gryffindors and their utter lack of forethought in assuming obligations without understanding what they were, but thought better of it. Instead he tried to placate Harry and derail the snit toward which he seemed to be heading.
"I would not ever suggest that you would not honor something when you gave your word," he began, pleased to see Harry relaxing somewhat at his words. "You and I would jointly be quite capable of fulfilling any such obligations. And, before you think this is about the Weasleys, let me assure you it is not. They are about the only family that might make this request of you at this time whose request I would agree should be granted. There is clearly a closeness and familial bond there, and I am happy to encourage and support it."
Harry apparently hadn't been expecting that. "So what is the problem then?" he wanted to know.
Severus leaned back in his chair, relaxing a bit himself. "The Headmaster and Hickory McFarlen from the Ministry have been declining numerous similar invitations sent to you over the past year. I'll have to check with them to get you a current count. But just as you received numerous gifts in the wake of our bonding, and then again when you were identified as king of the Winter Lands and later the entire wizarding world, people have wanted to create a relationship with you, and what better way than to bind their children to you as a godchild? There were over three hundred requests last time Albus mentioned the tally to me, back over the summer."
Severus almost laughed at the look of shock bordering on outrage that crossed Harry's features with that number.
"I don't know three hundred people altogether. . " he sputtered.
"This has nothing to do with whether you know them or not. They just want to brag that you are the godfather to their child," Severus answered, but then continued as he sensed that Harry might take offense at the way that came out. "I do know people, personally, who have agreed to stand as godparent to as many as 50 babies over the years. For me, I think it's absurd, but there is a certain amount of honor shown when you are asked, and some people just love that. The odds are that all of those babies will happily reach adulthood with their own parents there to tend to them, so the godparents just send gifts at the appropriate times and all is well. If you wanted to accept all invitations, we'd simply start ordering silver picture frames by the gross – Gringotts can handle this. Although you would need to understand that there might come a time when you'd need to take on much more significant responsibilities for your various godchildren."
Harry looked dazed. "No, of course I don't want to stand as godfather for everyone who asks, whether I know them or not. I'm astonished that people would ask this of a stranger, really."
Severus shrugged. "That's how people are, although do consider that you are not a stranger to them, at least in their minds."
Harry nodded at that. He recalled his first meeting with Severus' extended family at Briarwood Hall, and how much people thought they knew about him, just from reading nonsense in the various magazines and newspapers. It still seemed absurd to him, but they did seem to feel that they knew him.
Severus went on, "As I said, this request from the Weasleys is completely appropriate, and I support your agreement to do this. I imagine you will be asked many times as the years pass, by the other Weasleys as they begin their families, and by many of your classmates. Not just from Gryffindor, and not just from your own year. And let's not rule out the families of your classmates. When word gets out that you accepted this invitation, and it will, I assure you, be prepared for more persistent efforts from new parents to reach out to you more directly, to get your attention."
Harry worried his lip. The wizarding world had rules for so many things – maybe he didn't have to come up with a way to avoid this. Maybe there were words already worked out that addressed this, properly. "Is there a particular way one declines such an invitation without creating a blood enemy, then?" he asked.
Severus was pleased that Harry saw the issue for the social form it represented, and chuffed at the reference to making enemies. "As I said, through the Headmaster and Mr. McFarlen at the Ministry's Office of Very Important People, you've already declined several hundred times. You tell the person who asks how very honored you are by the request, but you must decline this honor. You do not get into a discussion about why; you stop right there. You do not point out that you have no idea who they are, or that you are still in school, or that you have to get to a Quidditch practice. Once you have thanked them and declined, etiquette has been satisfied and they have no complaint with you."
"That's easy enough. I can do that. But I still can't fathom why anyone I don't know would even ask," Harry marveled. He was just able to add "Are you going to try and get some sleep" when the alarm in the bedroom announced "Time to get up! Time to get up!" When it realized the wizards who needed to get up were not in the bedroom, it jumped down from the nightstand and went in search of them. They heard it in the bathroom as it looked for them there, and then heard it skittering across the floor to look in the sitting room. When it realized they were both already awake, it quieted down and returned itself to the nightstand.
Severus took a deep breath and sighed. "Apparently not. I'll have a quick shower – that will wake me up. Would you ask an elf to bring some strong coffee? That will help, too."
X X X X X X X X X X
Harry looked around as he entered the Great Hall that morning and was surprised at how crowded it was for a Friday morning. It wasn't just the continued presence of some extra members of the Weasley family, either.
After their initial appearance en masse at Hogwarts shortly after Harry was revealed to be the king of the wizarding world, the number of Vikings who remained at Hogwarts to protect Harry had dwindled down to a usual compliment of 20 to 50 at the castle at any one time. There had been only about 20 Winter Lands warriors at Hogwarts at the time of the muggle attack. Even though the Headmaster had asked them to either stay inside the castle or out of sight, and the Vikings saw for themselves that the muggles could not even get close to the castle at all, they took the attack very seriously. More warriors had begun arriving via portkeys that same night. By now, there were well over 200 in residence in tents surrounding the castle. Most of them preferred their tents to the castle, and preferred to take their meals there, but a few enjoyed their meals in the Great Hall.
However, today, leaders from the Winter Lands had arrived, a rather unusual event. They were all in the Great Hall, at the much-expanded Head Table. Harry spotted Alrik Brand there, although he was actually familiar to most as he had spent some time at Hogwarts over the past months, rotating in with the warriors who came to protect Harry. But there were at least half a dozen Vikings up there with him, presumably senior members of the Winter Lands community. Harry recognized Asgeir Brand among them, the first time the Lord of the Winter Lands had come to Hogwarts. In the midst of all the enormous Vikings was the much smaller figure of Sirius Black, carrying on an animated conversation with Asgeir and Alrik.
"Bloody hell, it looks like we're having a convention here," Ron observed as Harry scooted in between him and Hermione.
"Looks like we have company from the Winter Lands, actually. The warriors have been arriving since the attack, but I see Severus' brother-in-law Alrik and Alrik's father up there at the Head Table. And Sirius is here with them. I wonder if something's going on in the Winter Lands." Harry answered. He looked around and spotted Neville a few seats away. "Hey, Neville. Have you been to the Winter Lands lately? Is there a problem up there?"
Neville swallowed the bacon he'd been chewing, and choked a bit, needing a strong pat on the back from Seamus to get it down. He looked up, eyes still a bit watery. "I was up there last maybe two weeks ago, working on the plans to prepare the farms for the winter. They were all very happy, said it had been years beyond memory that they'd had a harvest like this one."
Hermione looked up at that. "Harvest is over already? It's just fall!"
"But up in the Winter Lands, the end of October is when winter weather really starts. The days are already very short, a lot of the farms have already had their first snow. They've been working to get all the crops in for the past few weeks before the heavy snow covers everything," Neville explained. "I imagine by now, most of the farms are pretty well all in for the season."
Hermione, ever the curious one, wanted to know, "Is the entire country cold like that?" From what she'd learned over the months since the Winter Lands and its inhabitants came to her attention, it was an economy based mainly on farming and mining, and the weather pattern Neville described suggested that sort of life must be difficult, indeed.
"Most of it is. The compounds and farms closer to the shoreline get a few extra weeks before snow arrives, but they get a more bitter winter from the winds and storms off the North Sea. There are a few tiny pockets here and there that have very different growing seasons – places protected by rock formations, or near thermal springs, that sort of thing – where they can grow even tropical plants year-round. Those are very tiny and isolated farms."
Neville blushed when he realized that his exposition on Winter Lands weather patterns had captured the attention of everyone at that part of the table. It felt a bit like he was showing off. Harry smiled at his friend, as he thanked him for the information. It was about time that more people began to appreciate that Neville was smart, as well as strong.
To the more general audience at the table, Harry asked "Has anyone heard anything going on up there that would suggest why their leaders have all come to Hogwarts?" He'd not seen anything in the Daily Prophet, and Severus hadn't mentioned anything, but maybe someone else was paying closer attention to the news.
It was no great surprise that no one had any information, and the conversation quickly moved on to the upcoming Quidditch game on Saturday.
X X X X X X X X X X
A note appeared on Harry's plate at lunchtime, asking that he come to the Headmaster's office as soon as his last class of the day was over.
Something was clearly up. The Head Table had expanded even more. Diana Brand had taken Sirius' spot and was now sitting with her husband and father-in-law, perhaps not a surprise. Sirius was elsewhere, joined now by Remus. Also, maybe not a surprise. But the Minister of Magic herself was up at the Head Table, as was Lucius Malfoy and a few other people from the Ministry. There were a few others rather formally dressed. A tenseness settled itself into Harry's stomach.
Harry kept his sense of nervousness to himself, because the talk of the table at lunchtime was news from Ron. "Since Bill and Charlie are at Hogwarts, my parents decided to have the baby's christening this Sunday, rather than wait!" he announced with pride.
This was the first time Ron had demonstrated any genuine enthusiasm over the arrival of the new baby, and Hermione seemed to appreciate the change in attitude as much as Harry. They exchanged a quick smile at the announcement.
"And what's the little one's name, now?" Seamus asked.
As Harry felt the beginning of a blush forming, Ron replied "They are going to name him after Harry, of course, and he's agreed to be the godfather."
An assortment of congratulations were sent Harry's way at that news, and Ron continued, "His full name will be Harry Remus Walter Weasley."
Hermione was surprised to hear Remus' name in there. "I never realized that Remus and your parents were so close, Ron! They certainly seem to have known each other a good while, but this surprises me."
Ron agreed. "I was a bit taken aback, myself, but Dad explained that they'd always admired Remus and especially now that he was on the Wizengamot, it seemed appropriate to honor him like this. I think it's rather cool, myself, the first magical animagus, and all."
Since Harry already had the beginnings of a blush going when he was identified as the man for whom the child was to be named and its godfather, no one noticed that the blush had kept deepening. Possibly he alone among his friends understood the real connection between the arrival of this child and Remus Lupin (or, more precisely, the event of Remus going feral about nine months ago). Had Mr. Weasley explained the impact of feral transference to his wife? Or had she gone along with the idea of giving their son Remus' name on the same basis as had been explained to Ron? For that matter, did Remus himself understand this connection? Wait until he told Severus!
At least, the distraction of the connection to Remus distracted Harry from the other issue – whatever was entailed in a christening and standing as godfather was not something he had to worry about in the future. Whatever this involved, it was going to happen in just two days time.
X X X X X X X X X X
Harry was almost hoping that his last class of the afternoon, Transfiguration with Professor McGonnagal, would last longer, as he had a gnawing worry about what awaited him up in the Headmaster's office. He'd puzzled over what might have drawn the particular group he'd seen at the Head Table at lunch, and remained puzzled. The only consolation was: had it been something truly serious or dramatic, he'd been pulled out of his classes in the past and that did not happen today. It couldn't be that bad.
It was a relief, actually, to find that just he and Severus were meeting with the Headmaster, when he finally rode the circular staircase up to Professor Dumbledore's office.
"I assume you noticed we had guests in the castle, Harry," the Headmaster began as he directed Harry and Severus to seats and offered his traditional starter of lemon drops.
"Yes, sir. I've seen Alrik Brand here before, but couldn't help but notice his father, Lord Brand, was here for the first time, and some of the other leaders from the Winter Lands, along with Sirius. And then at lunch, all those people from the Ministry, and some I didn't recognize. Is something wrong?" Harry answered, a certain nervousness in his voice.
Severus looked concerned, as well. "I saw my sister at lunch, and she said that when Alrik told her he was visiting here, she took advantage of the opportunity to see him, and I assume that's Lupin's story, as well. But the Minister and Lucius – and those others from the Ministry and business – do not have that excuse," he observed.
Albus nodded his head, bobbing a bit from side to side.
"Well, there is something of an issue with the Winter Lands, and that's behind the various visitors we have right now. I believe you know that Mr. McFarlen at the Ministry has been receiving numerous immigration requests directed to Harry. It would appear that people from around the world want to move to the Winter Lands. He's been telling people that it was quite impossible – no infrastructure up there at all for visitors, and certainly not for longer-term residents."
Harry and Severus sent questioning looks at each other. Even with the dementors gone, the Winter Lands still had the Grendlings, and who knows what else. Plus, its name gave away the fact of its general weather. It was a harsh and dangerous place, certainly not a typical tourist destination.
Albus sensed their puzzlement, so he went on. "I gather Sirius has been quite successful in expanding market interest in their plants and potions ingredients, following on a year in which they had their largest harvest in memory. Things are changing up there, maybe a bit too fast, and business interests are pressing for more change. Lord Brand wants to get some ground rules sorted out, and asked if he could have a meeting here this weekend. Immigration is one of the big issues, and it's one on which they feel they need Harry's blessing."
Color rose in Harry's cheeks. "They said that they are a self-governing land. Why do I have to be involved?" he asked, anger rising in his voice.
Albus smiled, pleased at Harry's desire to remain out of the middle of this situation. "I don't think for a minute that Lord Brand does not know exactly what he wants to do. However, given the pressure he's getting from business interests, especially the ones with ties to the Ministry that have involved the Ministry, he is of the opinion that Harry's ratification of his plans will eliminate some of the pressure."
Albus watched as Harry processed that. "In fact, he and Sirius asked to speak to you now, before the formal meetings begin. They'll be able to explain what's going on in greater detail and answer your questions."
While Albus' words suggested that the request was to meet with Harry alone, it was clear from Severus' body language that he had no intention of not accompanying Harry. Albus noted with relief that it seemed equally clear that Harry had every intention of including Severus, even when the meeting included Sirius. While neither Harry nor Severus were particularly forthcoming with the details of their relationship, small signs like this confirmed to the Headmaster that they were not only getting along, but learning to rely on each other.
Albus ushered them out of his office and across the landing to Harry's office, where the door was standing ajar. Harry smiled broadly as Sirius flung it open and opened his arms for a hug, which Harry immediately provided. Sirius added a quick kiss to the top of Harry's head.
"Sirius, it's so good to see you. You've been doing well, I hear?" Harry asked in greeting.
"And it's good to see you, too, kiddo," Sirius replied, as he stepped away, his place taken by Lord Brand.
"Sir, very nice to see you again as well. I understand that things are really looking up in the Winter Lands these days," Harry said to the older man, as Severus and Sirius looked at each other with suspicion and exchanged the merest of nods in greeting.
The Viking had already shaken Severus' hand, and shook Harry's hand, also making a slight bow over it. "Things are better than we could have hoped, especially so quickly. We appreciated your help last winter. But we had no idea that your request that we allow Lord Black sanctuary would have such a great impact on the progress we would be able to make. That is at the root of our visit to Hogwarts today."
Severus ushered the other three into seats, and nodded to one of the ever-present house elves to bring tea and beverages for the group. As he the levitated the tray with cups, glasses, pots and bottles in the center of the table so each could serve himself, Severus took the seat closest to Harry, the look on his face almost daring Sirius to say anything. For once, Sirius controlled himself.
Asgeir ignored the beverages, and began.
"I'll start with a brief overview of the Winter Lands approach to land ownership, which is a big part of the issue today. All citizens of the Winter Lands have the right to a home and farmland, but we don't have land ownership as you know it here in Britain. We need all men and women to be able to support their families, so anything that might concentrate land ownership in the hands of just a few, and deprive it to someone by virtue of birth into a larger family, is contrary to the best interests of our society. When it is time for a Viking man or woman to separate from his or her parents and begin a life on their own, or with a spouse, they are provided with farmland, if they are farmers. If they require space in one of the compounds for their trade, they are provided with that, and can build on it what they want. A family might retain a farm or a home over many years, but the land is never actually theirs."
Asgeir stopped to pour himself a cup of tea, watching Harry's face to see if he seemed at all concerned by what he disclosed. Harry was listening, but perhaps not fully understanding where this was leading.
"We have a small population, and frankly, over the last hundred years, between the Grendlings and dementors, it got smaller. We once had many more compounds, several rivaling the size of the one you first visited in our lands, but they were abandoned when not enough people remained to live in them safely. Same for farms. As we had fewer people farming, for safety purposes, they worked land in places closer to the remaining compounds. We assign the acreage, and everyone has the benefit of the fruits of his or her own labors. This is an unusual approach, but it's uniquely suited to our land, and it's worked well for us."
"I imagine this makes requests for immigration from all over the world a bit of an issue for you, though," Severus observed.
Asgeir nodded. "Well, that is part of it. If someone is allowed to become a citizen of the Winter Lands, they would automatically be entitled to land to farm or on which to build a home. Until a year ago, that might have been just fine, actually, although of course, we had no requests for immigration then. Now, with much greater safety and significantly greater yields from our farms in particular, we are seeing much more interest, right at a time we expect our own population to expand back to numbers we haven't seen in centuries."
Sirius spoke up. "And the farms have come back, at an amazing pace. Neville Longbottom has been a wonder. He had some ideas as to what would grow best where, proposed some different crops, suggested optimal times for planting and harvesting. The Winter Lands was able to meet their own food needs this year, for the first time in years."
Asgeir added, "Not having to buy our food from the muggles this year – well, that was a point of great pride for us. And the potions ingredients trade! Lord Black reached several of our most remote compounds, and through his business contacts, helped us expand the number of items we could offer in trade. Your Mr. Longbottom helped several of the farms that specialized in growing for the potions market expand their yields, as well as their offerings. Beyond the farms, we were able to harvest more of the many potions ingredients that grow only in the wild, now that the dementors are out of the picture."
Harry was smiling at the praise heaped on Neville, and Severus couldn't help but notice. He was sure Harry would be mentioning this many times in the future.
"So, we want to expand our trade opportunities, but not at the cost of impairing our own population's opportunity to grow. Nor will we compromise our ability to generate the surplus that enables us to trade," Asgeir summarized. "Right now, we've got requests from several wizards and firms in Britain who wish to buy large tracts of land in our country. That land is our collective birthright, and we have no intention of agreeing to sell it. As we've considered how to go about protecting our land and creating an environment that will allow our population and economy to grow, we've decided it best to position this as a matter of our immigration policy."
He proceeded then to outline his plan.
The Winter Lands was going to restrict immigration to just those identified by the Winter Lands as persons the Vikings wanted to invite to have the right to live there. Only someone who had the right to live there permanently had any right to an interest in property in the Winter Lands. Others would be permitted to visit, for periods of up to six months at a time, as guests only. Specifically to foster trade, one of the larger compounds that had stood vacant for decades had been identified as a market town, a place where the people of the Winter Lands could meet with people from elsewhere in the wizarding world to trade their goods.
Harry was relieved that the Headmaster was right – Lord Brand knew exactly what he was going to do, and seemed to have thought it out rather carefully. A quick glance over at Severus suggested that he was impressed with the Viking's approach.
Before anyone had the chance to comment, Asgeir went on.
"While there will be no public announcement, we held a Council just before I came here, and voted to invite just three men to become citizens of the Winter Lands at this time. You, Lord Black, and Mr. Longbottom have each been granted citizenship and are invited to live there, with your bondmates or spouses, of course, and any children you may have. It is possible that we'll invite some more, over the years, but it's just you three for now."
Harry stole a quick look at Sirius at that last, and saw the big grin on his face. Clearly, Sirius had found some measure of fulfillment in his work in the Winter Lands. He'd been so on-edge and uncertain just a year ago, and it was a relief to Harry to see his godfather finally looking comfortable and pleased with his life. A smile formed on his own face.
Harry missed the slight sneer that had formed on Severus' face, as he pondered the astonishing Gryffindorishness of the Winter Lands, beyond even his original estimate. Severus was first to speak, though. "Might I ask, who has been seeking to purchase land in the Winter Lands?" He was still puzzling out the reasons for some of the well-connected faces who had graced the Head Table at lunchtime.
Asgeir had expected this question, and wasn't surprised that it was Severus who brought it up.
"The most persistent was Lucius Malfoy, a fact which my daughter-in-law told me would be of no surprise to anyone. He has not sought citizenship, but asked to purchase 1000 acres personally, and a business interest in which he seems to have a controlling interest submitted a proposal to acquire a significantly larger parcel. Thurston Landon has petitioned for citizenship and exclusive trading rights, and his business interests have sought to purchase a very large tract, indeed. Wizard Steel has indicated that they would like to acquire several hundred acres near the mines, presumably to build their own mills there. Plus, there were bids from half a dozen or so firms with businesses related to the potions industry for various parcels."
Harry followed up. "And citizenship, beyond Mr. Landon?"
"We have received at least a hundred individual petitions over the last few months, and we've been declining those, as I understand you have done as well through your Ministry assistant. Most concerning, though, have been the development proposals that accompanied the bids to buy our land. Most of the potions businesses want to establish not just farms or processing facilities, but communities or compounds near the farms and processing facilities, with residences for employees they want to bring there. They each estimate that they will have up to several hundred people as part of their extended business operations, once we count their employees, families, and the support network for a small community."
"A veritable population explosion" Severus observed.
Asgeir nodded. "And one we cannot afford, if we wish our homeland to remain as it is."
Harry was curious about Sirius's enthusiasm for becoming a citizen of the Winter Lands, but decided that was for a private conversation, not here. He looked instead at Severus, for a sign as to how he could bring his role here to a close. Severus seemed to be pleased that Harry had looked to him, and he spoke again.
"I believe we all appreciate the situation in which the Winter Lands finds itself right now, Lord Brand. Your plan to manage the situation through a restrictive immigration policy seems prudent and will no doubt be effective. Permit me to observe that you will have to be more to-the-point with Malfoy. He owns significant amount of land in several countries around the world, and is a citizen of only Britain. He will not see any connection at all between land ownership and immigration. It might be advisable to articulate specifically that non-citizens may not own land in the Winter Lands, to cover that aspect."
The tall Viking smiled at Severus and then at Harry. "Thank you for that advice, Lord Snape. Lord Malfoy has been, as I said, most persistent. It was he who got your Ministry involved. I will adjust our position to address land ownership as well as our immigration policy."
Asgeir then looked at Harry. "We have a meeting among representatives of the Winter Lands, business interests and your Ministry in the Ministry Annex here tomorrow, and a reception later this evening. May I state that Harry Potter has endorsed the policies that I have proposed to you this afternoon?"
Harry stole a quick glance at Severus, who gave him the merest nod. "Yes, Lord Brand, that would be very acceptable. I'd appreciate anything you can do to avoid giving anyone the impression that this issue is subject to appeal to me. I am happy to add my name to a decision the Winter Lands made as part of its self-governance."
Severus looked at Harry with pride, both because thought he'd handled that well, and he had sought out Severus' input rather than the mangy mutt's. However, it was clear from the looks Harry had given said mutt that Harry did still want to hear more from Sirius about what was going on with him and his wolf.
As they all stood, Severus observed "I have some work to accomplish before dinner. Lord Brand, may I escort you back to the Ministry Annex, on my way? I suspect that Harry and Sirius have some catching up to do."
Asgeir appreciated the offer of an escort – the castle was awfully big and offered far too many opportunities for a missed turn.. It was clear that both Harry and Sirius were surprised by but pleased with the offer of some time to visit.
Severus was surprised himself when Harry joined him back in their rooms just before it was time to head off to dinner in the Great Hall. He had just finished up grading some essays and was clearing off the desk.
"Severus, would you mind awfully if we took our dinner in here tonight?"
Severus' eyebrows arched elegantly at that request.
"Of course, I have no objection to a private dinner, and given the crowd that is in the castle, it's unlikely my absence would even be noticed at the Head Table. But why on earth are we in hiding here?"
Harry had the grace to blush a bit at the reference to hiding, for that pretty much summed up his request. "Um, well, based on what Sirius told me, it sounds like things are really heated over this meeting tomorrow about the Winter Lands. He thinks the reception tonight will be the opening round of arguments about all the different points of view. I am not invited to the reception and I want to keep it that way."
Severus chuckled. "A remarkably Slytherin approach to avoiding an unwanted invitation, Mr. Potter," he observed. "Not that I blame you, of course."
Now it was Harry's turn to chuckle. "I passed by the Ministry Annex on my way down here, and I heard an argument already going on in there, even though the door was closed. I'm pretty sure it was Mr. Malfoy yelling at someone, insisting that they support him. Of course, it might have involved something that had nothing to do with the Winter Lands, but given everything, chances are it did."
Severus' heart sang at Harry's use of the man's formal name, ignoring the oft-extended request that Harry call him "Lucius." He also cursed himself for not remembering that Lucius was in the castle. Even when the place was as full as it was right now, he truly hated the idea of Lucius have any chance of access to Harry without his presence.
"I suspect you are correct to assume it was connected to the Winter Lands, just by dint of the fact that the conversation was happening here, now. Although I am also certain that Lucius has expressed those sentiments to Ministry leadership on numerous issues, many times. I'm glad to hear the door was closed, in any event."
While the house elves were already tasked with serving dinner to a full castle and a triple-sized Head Table in the Great Hall, they were absolutely delighted to hear from Master Harry Potter's Beloved Bondmate, and even more thrilled to be asked to deliver dinner for him and Master Harry Potter to their rooms. As the two wizards tucked into their favorite dinners mere moments later, Harry told Severus about his chat with Sirius.
"Sirius told me that he's met loads of farmers and people who harvest potions ingredients, and they all want to expand their markets. That Mr. Landon he's been doing business with? He has done fantastically well this year, and it really bothered Sirius that now he wanted exclusive trading rights to potions ingredients in the Winter Lands. Even Sirius wasn't working with him exclusively! Of course, he's not going to get any such thing. It bothered Sirius enough that he is thinking of ending his relationship with the Landon firm entirely. We met Mr. Landon's son – remember? The one who came though the floo with Mr. Malfoy when Voldemort attacked Malfoy Manor?"
Severus had to admit, that was one of the more memorable moments of all those spent in Harry's offices up in the tower. "Yes, yes, of course, I remember. That particular arrival was one I doubt I'll ever forget. But, take a breath. Eat something," he admonished.
After assuring himself that Harry was, in fact, eating his dinner, Severus felt it was safe to allow some conversation to resume. "So, Mr. Landon's plans to create a monopoly on the potions ingredients in the Winter Lands have fallen through?" he began. Severus knew that potions ingredients from the Winter Lands already commanded a premium in the market place, and as a Potions Master, it offended him that those already steep prices might be driven even higher by a particularly venal distributor. He suspected that the extra money the consumers would have to pay in that case would not be going into the pockets of the Vikings.
Harry nodded, his mouth working on a large piece of roast.
"I'm glad. Your dogfather at least accomplished that, then."
Harry smiled. It really pleased him that Severus and Sirius were at last not each totally riled by the other. It was at best an uneasy truce – he'd seen the curt nods that passed as a greeting between the two upstairs before. But they'd actually refrained from hostilities in front of Lord Brand at the meeting.
A bigger achievement was the fact that neither had been particularly snippy in references to the other when he'd spoken to them privately. Sirius was the most surprising, as he'd never before demonstrated an ability to keep his emotions in check when anything connected to Severus was in the conversation. Granted, their conversation had really been about his plans with Remus, not anything connected to Severus, but it was pleasant to have a talk without having to hear invective heaped on his bondmate. And now, even Severus was being remarkably calm, and had even paid Sirius a compliment!
Having now swallowed, Harry continued. "Anyway, Sirius is rethinking his arrangement with the Landons. He's got another big project lined up, anyway. Lord Brand has asked him to set up the market town. He's got a great big compound, and he's working with some wizard architect firm in London to design it. And get this – he's opening a large inn! People who come up there to the market, who want to spend overnight rather than portkey right home, are going to need a place to sleep. The Vikings have people who run tea rooms and pubs in their compounds, but they've never had an inn up there, so they asked him to set one up."
Severus was taken aback. What on earth did Sirius know about that business? His years in Azkaban could hardly qualify as training in the hospitality industry! Maybe he'd done some travelling as a younger man, but even once he escaped from Azkaban, his status as one of the wizarding world's most wanted convicts would have prevented him from using the services of any reputable inn or hotel.
With an inward sneer, Severus chalked this up to yet more of the Gryffindor tendency to rush forward with no thought whatsoever. This appeared to be a trait the Hogwart's Gryffindors shared with the entire populace of the Winter Lands.
"And, he and Remus are going to build a house for themselves up there, too!" Harry enthused. "They use the house at Grimmauld Place when they need to be in London, but Sirius said he and Remus have been talking about getting a place for holidays. They both love the freedom of the forests in the Winter Lands, and of course, even the Grendlings give Mooney and Padfoot a wide berth, so it's not a particularly dangerous place for them. There was a small unused compound close to the one that will be the market town, and Lord Brand is going to let Sirius use that one."
Severus was inwardly pleased with this development, more than he could explain to Harry. While the dog and the wolf had been at Hogwarts only infrequently this year, he was acutely aware that could change. Lupin had his Ministry work in London, and it would seem that Black was quite busy up north. It just felt better to Severus knowing that the two were less likely to consider Hogwarts a good mid-way meeting point, if they had an alternative residence at which to rendezvous.
Harry rambled on for a bit longer, sharing far more about the two Marauders activities than could possibly matter to his bondmate. However, he remembered what he learned at lunch, and realized to his surprise that Sirius hadn't mentioned it.
"Oh, and did you know? The little Weasley baby is going to be named Harry Remus Walter Weasley?"
Severus wondered if this was a test to see if he'd actually been listening to the prattle, and he looked up from his dessert sharply.
Harry was grinning as he caught Severus' eye. "Really. Ron told us at lunch. The christening is this Sunday. Ron explained that his father had decided to honor Remus as an old friend, the first magical animagus, and a member of the Wizengamot. What do you think?"
For once, Severus had been told something to which he had no response other than to burst out laughing, joined quickly by Harry.
X X X X X X X X X X
Harry heard from Draco at breakfast a bit about the reception Friday evening. While Lord Brand had not divulged what his answer was going to be at the meeting on Saturday, he had made some comments at the reception that his father interpreted as bad news for his bid to purchase land in the Winter Lands. Several of the other witches and wizards representing various business interests were similarly concerned about where this was all heading. Draco's father and three or four others had said that they were going to try to talk to Potter about this, giving Harry all the incentive he needed to stay out of circulation until the meeting was under way.
Harry's practice of sitting with his classmates rather than at the Head Table was his salvation here. He saw Severus fielding some questions as he took his seat, but Harry himself ate and was safely out of the Great Hall before any of the self-important luminaries could get to him. And he kept it that way. He spent the morning in his rooms, and he used one of the little-known exits from the castle down by the dungeons to depart for the Quidditch pitch
Most of the dignitaries were gone from Hogwarts by the time the Hufflepuff Seeker caught the Golden Snitch, propelling the Badgers to victory over the Ravenclaws. As Harry joined the masses moving along back to the castle for lunch, he and his friends kept a wary eye out for any adult dressed too finely for a brisk morning game of Quidditch.
Lord Brand had listened to the impassioned pleas from assorted business interests at the meeting for an hour before he ended the debate with his own announcement of the decisions that he and his Council had reached on these matters, none of which were changed as a results of the arguments advanced that morning. Not too surprisingly, his announcement had been met with heated protests by the businessmen, quelled slightly by Lord Brand's added observation that Harry Potter supported the Winter Lands in this decision and would entertain no appeals on this subject. Minister Bones was herself then subjected to those appeals, but she recognized them as the venting they were; she had no authority here, especially if Mr. Potter had agreed with Lord Brand and said he wanted nothing to do with this issue himself. While politics dictated that she be here, she was inwardly very pleased with both the eventual outcome and with Mr. Potter's position.
Minister Bones was not among those who left in pique after the meeting ended, as she wanted to look in on Molly Weasley and see the new baby. She wasn't particularly close to the Weasleys, but knew Arthur from work and had heard that Harry Potter himself had agreed to stand as the child's godfather. She'd mentioned her plan for this visit to Diana Brand at the reception, and was not terribly surprised that the other woman proposed to join her.
Molly was pleased for the visit of two such prominent women, and they took lunch with her in her rooms off the Infirmary, joined by Poppy Pomfrey. Of course, Poppy knew Amelia well, as they had been students at Hogwarts together, albeit in different Houses. The Minister, now Amelia to the others, was happy to congratulate a member of the Ministry family on the birth of a baby, especially at a time otherwise so occupied with concerns of war and destruction.
Diana Brand was unknown personally to her luncheon companions, although Molly knew that she was Severus' sister. In the quiet conversation over lunch, she showed herself to be a warm and witty woman, a mother of two herself and clearly quite fond of her oldest brother.
As a consequence of the lovely time the women had over lunch, Molly noted that the new baby was to be christened the next morning and she'd be delighted if Amelia and Diana, and Diana's husband and father, wished to join them in the celebration. Only as an afterthought did Molly mention that Harry was to stand godfather for the baby, and that Remus Lupin, as well as his bondmate Sirius Black, would be there as well.
X X X X X X X X X X
The christening of Harry Remus Walter Weasley was held in the castle, given all that was going on in the world and who was participating in this particular rite. The vicar of the church in Hogsmead, the same man who had married the Weasleys themselves many years ago, was happy to travel to the castle after services at his church in town were concluded, to perform the christening. The castle was happy to configure the Room of Requirement into a small chapel with an exact replica of the baptismal font that stood in the church. And the house elves were happy to provide a complete excess of food and beverages when the service was over to celebrate the occasion.
The whole event happened quickly enough that Harry's nerves never got the best of him. He stood where he'd been told to stand, responded as he'd been instructed, and all went well. Little Harry cried a bit as the cool water was poured on his head, but the fussing subsided quickly with Molly's expert soothing.
It wasn't quite the private affair that he'd expected, but that was surprisingly alright. Just having the immediate Weasley family alone would have meant a good crowd, but "family" for an event like this included a number of Weasley and Prewitt aunts, uncles and cousins. He idly considered that Draco Malfoy now fit into the "family" category here, standing as he was with Charlie – how strange was that? He wasn't quite sure where to fit Hermione and her parents. Did he need an "almost family" category? Or maybe they were seen as already "family"? The "old friends" category expanded the numbers to encompass the people who were not family by birth but in pretty much every other way, like Madam Pomfrey. Harry decided that he and Severus, together with Diana, Alrik and Asgeir, Remus and Sirius, and even Minister Bones, were in the "new friends" category, no less welcome than anyone else.
Harry's heart swelled with a feeling of belonging.
The formalities concluded, the room reconfigured, from a church to a comfortable salon, with sunny views of the lake beyond tall curtained windows. Some of the older aunts sought out the comfortable-looking chairs and settees arranged near small tables, while others in attendance mingled and caught up with each other. Harry happily accepted the good wishes and congratulations from many, and posed for more photographs with his godson than might have been strictly necessary, but he even managed to get Severus into a few, to his great delight.
He kept an eye on Severus, noting with glee that Severus seemed to be doing the same to him. Severus was standing with his sister and her husband, which was a safe arrangement, given that Sirius was a large in the crowd. It appeared that Remus was sticking with his bondmate, but still better to keep Severus occupied.
When Harry was finally able to escape into the crowd and mingle a bit, his path toward Severus took him past a table full of Prewitts, with whom he had to stop for introductions and a chat for a few minutes, then Lord Brand, who had just parted from a few words with Sirius and Remus.
Lord Brand seemed pleased to see Harry. "Ah, Lord Potter, congratulations, to you and your godson! What a lovely ceremony, and I have conveyed to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley how honored my family was to have been invited to be here for this happy event."
Harry was equally pleased to see the Lord of the Winter Lands. "Thank you, sir. I understand that Diana joined Minister Bones in a visit to Mrs. Weasley after the meeting yesterday, and how nice that you were all able to come today." He'd gotten the barest of information (no doubt slanted toward his father's perspective) from Draco about the meeting, and he was bursting with curiosity. "Sir, if I may ask, how do you feel the meeting went?"
Asgeir chuckled. "It went as I expected it would go, Lord Potter. Much fussing and posturing, all driven by self-interest and greed. I'd not given much away at the reception, so I let them all have a few minutes at the start of the meeting to make their points, but it still all came down to greed. After allowing the businessmen and private parties to state their cases, I stated our position. Some seemed to have expected this, others seemed furious. I cut off the arguments with the statement that you were in agreement with our approach and would entertain no appeals from this decision of ours. I got the impression that your Minister agreed with us, even though she had to endure some of the fussing and complaining herself."
Harry was pleased how Lord Brand had handled the situation. While it was possible that someone had spoken to Severus or the Headmaster, or maybe Mr. McFarlen was fielding requests, but he'd heard absolutely nothing himself about the outcome of that meeting. He smiled at the older man warmly, as he said "I appreciate how this all turned out, Lord Brand."
Then it occurred to Harry to ask about some that had occurred to him after Sirius told him about his plans to build a home up in the Winter Lands. The two men were huddled in conversation for a good fifteen minutes, as Harry posed his questions and Lord Brand provided information. Harry looked very pleased indeed by the time he shook the older man's hand in parting, and went in search of his bondmate.
A/N – Sorry this chapter took as long as it did to finish. It proved harder to write than I'd expected. And if you're enjoying the story, I'd really appreciate a comment or review (and I welcome constructive criticism, if you think I've lost my way here). Thanks.