Chap. 46: Boxing day, Snape, arrival in England, and Tom.
Boxing day had gone by with a lazy morning, where the Potters and family were invited by Ambassador Brathwaite to the horse races at Bridgetown later that day. There were eight races, starting at two in the afternoon, at the Garrison Savannah Track, which was close to the George Washington House on Garrison Road. The house, once known as Bush House, was where George Washington supposedly stayed with his ill brother, Lawrence, in 1751, when George was nineteen. Lawrence was suffering from TB, and George had become infected with Yellow Fever while there, where he was nursed back to health.
The races had ended that evening at seven o'clock, where they made their way to dine at a very good restaurant and pub in the wizarding district. After that, Harry, Daphne, Cyrus, Helen, Astoria, and Tracey made their way back to Wytchway, though they heard about a rowdy beach party going on, but decided to not chance it that late.
Everyone hit the sack at around ten, and here Harry and Daphne were in bed discussing the day's events, and what was to come.
"How much did the ambassador lose, Harry?" Daphne inquired.
"About two-hundred-fifty, from what I could tell," Harry replied with a snigger.
"What about father?"
"Ah, you caught that, did you?" Harry was proud of his sly wife.
"Yes," Daphne said, "now, how much?"
"About a hundred."
"You lot and your gambling," Daphne huffed as she threw her leg across Harry's thigh, and lay her head on his chest.
"I sort of dread tomorrow," Daphne complained, "since we've already been to the Mount Gay Visitor's Center."
"Oh," Harry replied, "we're not going there. First, we'll go to Harrison's Caves, again, which you well know are close to us. Next, we're going to their distillery at the north of the island, where Cyrus has a meeting set up. While he's occupied with that, we'll get the tour, take a mixologist class, and be able to relax in their library with our drinks. After that, we'll visit Snape, since he'll be leaving the hospital soon.
"I think Cyrus is supposed to also go to Bridgetown with the ambassador to look at a small warehouse at the port. However, we'll come back here to relax around the pool."
As Daphne snuggled, she nodded her head and started to think.
"What about the Dursleys, Harry?" Daphne asked. "Especially while we're gone."
"What about them?" Harry replied as he run his fingers through Daphne's fine golden hair.
"Have you heard anything from them since you moved out?"
"Not really," Harry said. "They're safer with me not there, to be honest, and Tom knows that I'm no longer there. Dumbledore and the Ministry warded it, and are checking their mail. Plus, Scrimgeour has been sending someone to keep an eye on the place, and I believe that Dumbledore has been as well."
"How are things with your relatives now?"
"Not good with Vernon," Harry dryly remarked, "nor will it ever be, and even though my aunt and I came to an understanding, there's still too much bad blood there from things over the years. Plus, I believe that she began seeing me as a way to have an influence in our world, and she was beginning to put on airs about it. I, at least, can stand Dudley now, and I did send him that Christmas card that you filled out.
"I also know that Aunt Petunia sees me as a way of avenging my mother and that I intend on doing, however, as far as visiting regularly, that would be a no. Maybe Dudley, after he's moved out, but that's it. There are just too many bad memories for me there."
Here, Daphne sighed out as she run the tips of her fingers up and down Harry's hairy chest. She wished her husband had a happy childhood like hers, but she knew that he didn't, since Harry had been revealing more and more about his upbringing, which was just cruel. She didn't have anything but spite for his uncle, either, and only thought that protecting Petunia was the right thing to do because Lily would have wanted it.
She remembered looking through all those photos, and at the one on her husband's desk in the study that was taken on Lily and James' wedding day. They sort of reminded her of Harry and herself, and then she thought about Harry's unborn sister, where she almost choked up. Such morbid thoughts. Voldemort would pay, and they would make sure of it.
"How's Hermione been?" Harry asked.
Here, Daphne sighed again. "Are you sure that girl is mentally stable, Harry?"
Harry gave out a low chortle at this. "A bit high-strung, and she tries to hold onto too many of her muggle beliefs. Plus, she has a hang-up about purebloods, and especially, Slytherins, but not the Weasleys over the way she's been treated by some in school."
"I think she still can't understand why you and I fell in love," Daphne said as she snuggled into Harry's side even deeper. "Plus, if she wouldn't try to be so bossy and act as if she knows it all, many would leave her be."
"I'm going to have to have a talk with her one of these days," Harry replied. As he run his fingers through Daphne's hair some more, he sighed, "I think she compares me to Ron, and never really did know the real me, only the myth behind my name. When we first met on the Express, she said, 'I know all about you, of course,' and it had all come from books that she obtained in Diagon Alley.
"Also, I think she believes that I hated every Slytherin, and that's just not so. There are several in Slytherin that has never done me any wrong, and I have no ill will toward them. Even though you and Tracey stood with Pansy outside the classrooms, neither of you was ever involved in her wicked ridicule."
"That was Draco's doing, that was," Daphne said. "Pansy wanted to marry the ponce and would do anything for him. Now that he's gone, Blaise is using her to satiate his sexual urges in the school's broom cupboards."
"I could have done without that image in my head, dear," Harry said with a snort, which caused Daphne to smirk.
"Oh," said Daphne, "Blaise was telling Tracey and I about catching Ron and Hermione in one of those cupboards, too."
"Really?"
"Oh, yes," Daphne said with a giggle. "He said that he and Pansy opened the door of a cupboard on the third floor, and there was Hermione, who was bent over and holding onto a shelf with her knickers down to her knees, with Ron behind her pounding away. Blaise said that he and Pansy high-tailed it before either could say anything to them.
"Then, Hermione came to me just before the holidays to ask what red wings were."
"She didn't!" Harry exclaimed, and then chortled out loud.
"Oh, yes," Daphne replied with a snigger. "Evidently, she was wanting to do it during her time of the month, and someone told her about Ron receiving his red wings if they did.
"You know, we've never done that, and I told her so."
Harry first looked as if he would comment, but shook his head instead. Daphne laughed.
"Anyhow, husband of mine, I believe that she sees herself in competition with me, just like in class, and slept with Ron before we were married. Remember when she was wincing as she sat down at the Wands & Wizards?"
"You're kidding me," Harry replied.
"Nope, not at all," Daphne replied. "I think that she is still trying to outdo every pureblood witch, or every witch born in our world, to prove to herself, and to everyone else, that she's somehow better. That's not stable, Harry. I'm also afraid that she'll find herself pregnant before graduation, too."
Here, Harry groaned out. "I'll have to talk with her when we get back."
"That might do her some good," Daphne said as she nuzzled her cheek into Harry's chest. "Now, it's getting late, so, goodnight, darling."
"Goodnight, Daph," Harry said as he kissed the top of her head, and then closed his eyes.
Harry, Daphne, and their family toured Harrison's cave, and then made their way north to the Mount Gay Distillery. They drove by the sugar cane fields on their way, and after arrival, they not only noticed that many of the buildings were very old, but an old stone windmill, or what was left of one, was still there. They used the wind to grind the first cane to retrieve the juice to make molasses, sugar, and rum.
After the tour, and after Cyrus ended his meeting, they split up, where Cyrus left for Bridgetown, while everyone else made their way to the hospital.
"I must say, Snape," Harry said after conjuring everyone chairs at the same spot they were at the other day, "that you look somewhat better than you did when you were brought here."
"Yes," Severus drawled, "and I'll be released tomorrow." Here, Snape looked at Harry and Daphne and winced. "I wish to thank you, Harry and Daphne, for the help. I would not have made it if you hadn't."
"Where will you be going?" Daphne inquired.
"Back to Hogwarts, for now," Snape replied. "The Headmaster needs me there, and after his passing, I'm looking to move on to greener pastures."
"Greener pastures?" Helen asked.
"I think he means Argentina," Harry remarked.
"Argentina?" Astoria and Tracey inquired at the same time.
"That is where Narcissa and Draco are," Harry remarked, "isn't it Severus?"
"Yes," Severus replied, but he had a look of shock on his face. "How did you come to that conclusion, if I may ask?"
"As the head of House Black," Harry explained, "I am privy to a lot of information, such as the properties the Malfoys own, and their investments. A horse farm is a good investment."
When Severus looked as if he might complain, Harry held up his hand cutting his old potions professor off. "I will not stand in their way. Narcissa has never, really, done anything to me, and I hope that Draco will change his ways by being there. Also, I will not say anything about them taking half their money from Gringotts, though the Ministry knows about it. As far as they're concerned, now, it's leave them be."
Here, Severus sighed in relief and began speaking about his plans for the future.
Everyone stayed for about another half-hour and made their way back to Wytchway. Once Cyrus returned, they were heading out to have supper somewhere in the Bajan wizarding quarter, and probably do some shopping beforehand.
The rest of their vacation went in a similar fashion after seeing Severus off. On Friday, the 30th, they were back at their embassy to take an international portkey back to the Ministry of Magic.
Upon their arrival, it was now two in the afternoon, though nine in the morning when they left Barbados. Awaiting them were Gareth, Meridith, and Minister Scrimgeour.
After the back-slapping, and you look wells, they started making their way toward the lifts.
"Harry," Scrimgeour said under his breath, "You Know Who is back in Europe."
"Is he, now?" Harry muttered, before casting a privacy spell on them.
"Yes," Scrimgeour replied, "and we think he's either still searching for the Elder Wand, or that he will try to find one that selects him. He could even be trying to find a custom wand."
"Custom wands are very expensive," Harry said. "I know he has hardly any money of his own, so that tells me that something bad will happen with the wandmakers that he runs across."
"We have sent out warnings to our Eurasian embassies, and they are contacting the wandmakers that they know," Rufus replied. "They'll warn them to be on the lookout, and that's the best we can do. Hopefully, the ICW will have their hit wizards and aurors trailing him everywhere he goes."
"He could end up in Africa, or in the Americas as well," Harry said. "What a mess."
"The Yanks are spreading the word in the Americas, and our embassy in Cape Town will try to send word to the large cities on their continent, though getting word to those out in the country will, most likely, be impossible. We're worried about the word spreading in parts of Central and South America as well. Worse, are the many islands around the globe - places like French Polynesia, you know."
"Well," Harry gloomily replied, "let's hope that one of their hit wizards hits their mark, and relieves me of having to top him. However, I'm worried about what will happen afterward. Will what's left of him try to possess someone else, again, like he did Quirrell? Also, will we learn of his supposed demise in time for Gareth and I to destroy the last artifact, which should vanish him for good? I highly doubt it, and I'd much have him here to ensure that he's dispatched properly.
"Also, has the Dementor's method of destruction been determined yet?"
"There are some misery incantations, old town or hamlet curses that we've found, which might draw them back to Azkaban. They're looking at creating a type of ward stone to anchor them on the island. We're thinking about trying to move the archway there, from the death chamber, and then trying to funnel them into it. It's too dangerous to try and lead them to the DoM to do it."
"It can be moved?" Harry asked.
"Well," Scrimgeour stated with a chuckle, "the bloody Romans moved it here from their neck of the woods, so we should be able to relocate it."
At this, Harry nodded and dropped the privacy spell, since they were now at the lifts.
As everyone stepped inside, less the minister, Scrimgeour smiled at Harry, Cyrus, and Gareth. "Don't forget lads, that we have a hunting trip planned for the first of February. Higgs' son said he's looking forward to seeing you again, Harry."
"Yes, Terence is a good bloke," Harry said as the lift's accordion doors slid closed.
"Have a good New Year, all," Rufus said as the lift began to leave.
A/N: The family arrives back in England, and this chapter was to set up what is to come.
BTW, we had our water freeze up for a few days, and then had a major leak, which our plumber fixed, over the "bomb cyclone's" deep freeze dying away. It's been one thing after another since then.