Chap. 23: The train and Black Manor.

Harry levitated Daphne and Astoria's trunks up and onto the overhead racks, as Astoria took her seat. When Harry turned, Daphne threw her arms around Harry, stood up on her toes, and gave him a rather long snog, which caused Astoria to clear her throat. Astoria was fearful that things might turn indecent with those two, and she did not want to witness that.

When they broke their kiss, and after Daphne stepped away, Harry turned to Astoria with a smirk. "Got your mirror?"

"Yes, I didn't forget it, and thank you for the present, Harry."

"Good," said Harry who then looked down at Daphne sitting beside her. "You have yours as well?"

"Of course, honey," Daphne said, "and we'll call you if we feel that you are needed. Of course, I'll be calling you on mine every day."

"Don't allow anyone to bully you, got it? Watch over Astoria, Daph," Harry said, "and let me know if you have any problems. Also, remember all those spells I taught you, and teach them to Astoria as well, yeah?"

"Yes, yes, but dear, the second whistle is about to blow!" She had already taught Astoria several of them.

"I know, I know," Harry said, who then bent down and stole another kiss. "Let me know how the sorting went this evening."

Here, Harry fled through the door and hopped off onto the platform just as the whistle blew.

"You actually love him," Astoria said with surprise while watching Harry make his way toward their parents.

"Yes, sister, dear, I actually do," Daphne said. "Oh, hello, Tracey, grab a seat!"

"Oh, where is he," Hermione said with a scowl as the train was leaving King's Cross.

"With Daphne, I figure," Ron replied. "We have to be in the prefect's compartment, so come on!"

The two left Neville and Luna behind and made their way to the first carriage, where they entered the prefect's compartment, which was almost full. The first thing that they noticed, though, was that there was no Malfoy, who they both thought would have the position. Pansy was there, but her counterpart was Blaise Zabini, so Nott was out as well. Hermione gave Ron a look at this, which seemed to fly over his head. Of course, neither Crabbe nor Goyle would be selected, as dimwitted as they were.

All through the meeting, Hermione noticed Blaise give Pansy lecherous looks, which she grinned at and even returned. What was going on, Hermione wondered?

When the meeting broke up, the two had corridor duty, and they, well, Hermione, really, had already interceded into a few minor rule violations when they came to the last carriage. Worse, though, they had run into a girl named Romilda Vane, who acted really coy while twisting her legs together, in fact, and was looking for Harry. She explained that her mother was the receptionist that sat outside the minister's office.

Once they started making their way down the corridor, they noticed three students standing at a compartment door, and there was shouting. One was Zacharias Smith, and the other two were Cormac McLaggen and Wayne Hopkins.

Before the two could make their way there, however, there were flashes of spellfire, where Smith grabbed his crotch and gave out a loud and high-pitched "Whoa-GEEAHHHHHHHH!" before dropping to the floor in a squirming heap. Next, Cormac jumped and started to dance a jig while cursing several times, where Ron and Hermione noticed a large patch of frost collecting on his crotch, and Wayne did a runner toward the two prefects, where he almost bowled them over.

"What's going on, here!" Hermione exclaimed, and then started marching toward the two remaining boys, when Daphne, Astoria, and Tracey stepped up to the compartment's door with their wands in hand.

Daphne quickly applied the counter to the Torquent Testiculis on Smith, and Astoria reversed the Congelo Testiculis on Cormac.

"If I ever hear you say such filth to Flora or Hestia again, I will not counter the charm, and your bollocks can fall off. DO I MAKE MY SELF PERFECTLY CLEAR?" Daphne roared. "Just because they have relatives like that does not mean that everyone in the family does it!

"I might even consider removing your tongues if you utter such filth again! Now, GO!"

Here, a whimpering Cormac and Zacharias fled as fast as they could, with Zacharias still bent over while clutching his bollocks. Cormac was doing his best to cast a warming charm on his crotch.

"What did you do to them?" Hermione said with a huff, and with her hands on her hips.

Daphne merely raised an eyebrow, and replied, "Family magic."

When Hermione started to question what the spells were, Ron grabbed her shoulder and quickly shook his head.

"What?" Hermione asked with a scowl.

"A magical does not ask about family magic, Hermione," Ron said, who was now serious, "it's private. We have our own spells as well!"

"Why, I've never heard of such utter..." Hermione started to complain.

"It's a Potter and Black specialty," Astoria chirped, and Ron grimaced. "Daphy's husband taught her, well not the Bollocks Freezer, that was Daph's, but Harry knew it, too. Those two cretins will be feeling it for a while, I'd say."

"Harry," Hermione exclaimed, "where is he?" Here, she barged her way to the door and found Flora and Hestia wiping their eyes from crying. Harry wasn't there.

"What happened?"

"That filth," Daphne spat, "come by to ask the Carrow twins to perform a sexual act, which they had the audacity to say ran in the family! Let them say it again!" Daphne huffed and retook her seat. "Are you all right, girls?"

Flora sniffed, and gave a nod, when Hestia said "Thanks," in a timid voice.

"They didn't?" Ron said.

"Oh, yes," Tracey said with a sniff as she sat down as well, "and Daph and Astoria took them to hand. They'll not do it again."

"But, where's Harry?" Hermione asked, again.

"You don't know that he won't be back?" Astoria replied.

"WHAT!" Hermione yelled.

"Harry is busy with the ministry, Hermione, and fighting a war," Daphne explained. "I would have thought that he explained this to you. He now chairs a War Committee for the Wizengamot."

"Well, he never said...," Hermione muttered, who was now stunned, and for once, speechless.

"But what about school?" Ron asked.

"Oh, he's hiring tutors," Astoria chimed in, "and will sit his exams at the ministry for his NEWTs. He passed all his OWLs, and Mum and Da' are satisfied. He's Daph's husband after all."

There that word was again, which caused Hermione's head to whip around.

"HUSBAND?"

"Well, he will be just after the first of October," Daphne said, "and you'll be invited to the wedding. I'm just getting used to calling him that, you know."

"Daphy's looking forward to the honeymoon," Astoria giggled out.

"Yes," Daphne said with a sniff, as she whipped her blond hair over her shoulder to stare out the window, "I've saved my virtue, so I can honestly wear white."

Hermione felt like melting into a puddle of goo on the floor. Ron, though, blushed to his roots.

Just at that moment, a small second-year witch appeared, and handed Daphne and Astoria invites to Slughorn's luncheon.

Hermione sat down in her compartment seat with a scowl and a huff, where she glared at the door once Ron slid it shut. She ignored Neville and Luna, who were sitting together, and she did not notice what Luna was reading.

Once Ron sat down beside her, Neville nodded toward Hermione.

"What's got her knickers in a twist?"

This, of course, made Hermione's scowl grow larger.

"She just heard some disturbing news is all," Ron said.

"Disturbing?" Luna asked while reading the Saturday edition of The Magic Eye.

"Harry won't be back," Ron said with a sigh.

"I figured as much after what Gran said," Neville said.

"You knew?" Ron inquired.

"Even father said the same," Luna replied, but then kept reading.

"He's a busy man, mate," Neville said, "and he can sit his NEWTs at the ministry."

"What's this War Committee about?" Ron asked.

"Oh, it's big, and Gran's on it," Neville explained. "The minister is, too, as far as the ministry's end of things, and they're working on the means to defeat You-Know-Who. Gran thinks that the minister and Harry are working with the Yanks in some way, and may be behind the new paper."

"WHAT?" Hermione yelled.

Here, Neville shrugged. "Well, Fudge used the Prophet against Harry and the headmaster, so Gran thinks that turnabout is fair play. I have to agree with her, as people despise those that have now been outed. It's the talk all over Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade. Plus," and here Neville grinned, "Harry and the minister have their thumb on Fudge, and they're making him dance around like a poppet! Can you imagine what they've learned of?"

Here, Ron set back and chortled.

"Harry wouldn't do such a thing!" Hermione exclaimed and went back to scowling at the door.

"This is war, Hermione," Neville said with a shrug, "and you learn to drop your scruples during those times. If you don't, you'll lose.

"Gran said that Harry was behind bringing Mad Eye back. The Aurors are all complaining about his extra training," Neville said with a smirk, "and Harry wants them to use every curse available to them, including the unforgivables. Gran thinks the minister will allow it."

"Father said that Churchill used similar tactics against the Germans," Luna spoke up, and remarked, "and Father's thinking about doing something similar, especially revealing the Rotfang Conspiracy. What was it Churchill said about Europe; 'make the enemy burn and bleed?'"

Ron gave Neville an incredulous look but wisely kept quiet.

"Hey, guess what," Ron said while trying to cheer everyone up, "Malfoy and Nott didn't come back!"

"I didn't think they would," Luna said, "after what I read in this paper."

Hermione's head shot around lightning fast. "Please tell me that you're not reading that filth!"

"Everyone is, Hermione," Neville said. "Much of it has been verified, too."

Hermione gave out a loud harumph, and glared at the door, again.

"Well, Minister," Harry said, "shall we give it a try?"

Minister Scrimgeour looked down at the gold-plated men's bracelet he was wearing and scowled. The DOM told him that the portkey would pass through any ward, and deposit he and his wife, who had the bracelet's mate, safely at the "second ministry."

"Yes, yes, let's get on with it," Rufus grumbled.

Harry placed two fingers on the bracelet, and said "Intrepid."

There was a flash, and the two disappeared from the minister's office, leaving Gareth behind.

Harry and the minister arrived just inside the gates at Black Manor, and inside the wards. Here, Scrimgeour looked up at the old brick 18th-century manor and scowled.

"I've not been here since Arcturus died. Is it still all black?"

Harry sighed, but began walking up the drive. "Yes, I'm afraid so, or the hall is, at least for now. I've got it clean, the roof fixed, and any damage repaired. I also had new bathrooms installed, which cost a bloody fortune, let me tell you! I look to recoup that from my Lestrange suit."

Here, Scrimgeour smirked and glanced over to Harry, who was walking beside him.

"About that, Harry," Rufus said, "the fix is in. You'll clean them out, and we do owe it to you for what you've done. That paper has been brilliant! Why, none of those names can now show their faces around decent company."

Here, Harry chortled out. "You know, it was Fudge and the Prophet that gave me the idea after they tried to trash me and the headmaster. I just thought that I would show Cuffe how propaganda is really done. You can thank the muggle SOE and SIS for that since their training manual is where I learned it. My grandfather, Ernest Evans, was in the SOE when WWII started. He was dropped behind the lines in France."

"A good and brave man, then," Scrimgeour said, "and I'm glad that you've learned what you have. Fudge is an incompetent imbecile, you know, and Dolores wasn't any better. They were behind your smear job."

"Yes, I caught that early on," Harry groused. "Well, anyhow, here we are, Minister," Harry said, as he walked up the steps to the portico, and opened the large oak door on his left.

The two stepped inside the entry hall, and it was done in a black wallpaper, though this had been repaired, and the hall was now as clean as a hound's tooth.

Rufus looked up at the ornate plaster ceiling and at the chandelier overhead, where he noticed that it was freshly and professionally painted white and that the chandelier was polished and shiny clean. In the end, he noticed that the staircase had a new carpet runner, in a dark green, running up the treads.

Rufus followed Harry into the first room on their left, which was the dining room, and was wallpapered with a dark red wallpaper. He noticed that there was no dust on the shelves nor on the figurines in the two round-backed niches on either side of the fireplace and that the antique Victorian mahogany table and chairs had been refinished.

They left this room and walked across the hall to the study, to which Rufus gave an approving nod to. It held a huge mahogany desk, much like his own, and the walls were surrounded by dark oak bookcases holding rare books on magic, with many being considered dark. He thought that they might just come in handy.

Harry led him out of the study, and back into the hall, where they entered a short hall on their right, which held a door to their left. Harry opened this door, and Rufus followed him into the drawing-room, which was at the rear right of the manor. It had paneled oak walls that were once painted black, but Harry had them redone. Now, they were varnished, and the oak glistened through.

"I'll bet that cost to have these walls stripped," Rufus commented, as he noticed the furniture had also been re-upholstered in a dark green velveteen fabric that had a satin-like floral pattern weaved into it.

"It did," Harry groused, "but Daph wouldn't have it any other way. It was too dark for either of our tastes. Luckily, the painters knew some spells to strip that off, and even remove it from the wood's pores. However, they had to refill all the grain and sand it multiple times to bring it back to this. It took days."

Harry had really sunk some money into the old manor, Rufus thought, and he would need the gold coming from the Lestranges. They did owe the lad, over Bellatrix killing Sirius.

Next, Harry opened a door under the staircase and stepped into a small rear hall, where he then opened a narrow door to his left. Inside, Rufus noticed, was the downstairs loo, or powder room, which had been completely redone in a brown marble. There was a new and modern toilet and sink inside.

Next, they walked back into the entry hall and made a right down a long hall behind the dining room, which led to the kitchen. Harry had electricity installed, and they also had new kitchen appliances in place as well, especially a new double-door icebox, and a new AGA gas stove, with an oven.

"Here, you can have a quiet breakfast," Harry said, as he motioned toward a round table for four by one of the windows. "Now, let's head up onto the first floor, and I'll show you where you can stay."

Here, Rufus followed Harry to the stairs, and made his cane ready, as he followed Harry up to a landing where they turned to the left, and then up the rest of the stairs to where they arrived in that floor's hall.

Harry walked straight ahead and opened a door, which led to a huge remodeled bath in a grey and white marble, with all new fixtures, including a clawfoot tub, an enclosed shower, a toilet, and a bidet.

"This is the master bath, and that door leads to your room," Harry said, as he opened the door.

Rufus followed Harry through the door and found himself in the master bedroom, which held a king-sized four-poster bed, with green silk curtains. The room also had a sofa and two chairs by the fireplace, and there were two large and matching mahogany armoires for clothes. The walls were in a dark oak paneled configuration, which one would find in these old homes.

"I would go ahead and bring some clothes over, just in case, Minister," Harry said. "Daphne and I have the room just over you, upstairs, and we have brought many of our clothes here in case we have to flee, or if we just need a place to come to."

Rufus gave Harry a sly smirk at that. He had been a teen once, himself, after all.

"You and your wife have the run of the house if you need to come here," Harry said, "but I'll also need you here, in a few days, when we cast the Fidelius Charm, so that you both will be in on the secret as soon as possible."

"Right, right," Rufus said as he looked around. It was one hell of a bolt hole in case things turned sour, but he wasn't about to allow Voldemort to get the drop on him. Their escape plan was now set, and they now had an alternative headquarters to run a government in exile from, if need be.

He knew that Harry had also turned the large farm shed into an auror camp, but he needed to get the camp beds moved in, and their supplies. However, things were occurring much quicker than he expected, and it was all thanks to Harry coming on board.

"Well, lad, are you ready for our speech?"

"Oh, for fek's sake, no," Harry complained, but then smirked at the minister. "I guess the masses do need to hear from us, and what we've accomplished, but they always seem so fickle and capricious."

"That's politics, my boy, that's politics!"

A/N: The history leading up to, and the trip to New Orleans is next.