The rise of the Black Rod

Chapter Seven: Mayday mayday

Harry was eating a hard-boiled egg, trying to ignore the noise of the children 'eating', when Andromeda sat down at his right.

"Good morning Harry," she said, "Surely it must be nearly time for you to go to Australia?"

"Australia?" asked Harry.

"Your children – the unborn ones. They must be nearly ready to come out and face the world?" asked Andromeda.

Harry counted in his head … it was nearly ten months, he supposed.

"Hmm," he said, and swallowed. He looked over at Daphne, who was idly reading a magazine while eating kedgeree with a fork.

"Daphne?" asked Harry "When are the children due?"

"Well not till mid-May" said Daphne. "Why?"

"It's the first of May. Or Beltane, if you want to be dramatic." said Andromeda. "Have either of you considered the logistics of travelling internationally with seven infants?"

Harry wondered that – he counted arms… four. He'd need… more people.

"We'll need some staff to come, obviously" said Daphne. Harry smiled – she'd thought of it, obviously.

"Which staff?" asked Andromeda, pointing to the rest of the table, populated by under-eleven orphans. And the odd child minder.

"Um," said Harry uncertainly.

"Have either of you considered that some of them might act up the tiniest bit if you're not here?" asked Andromeda.

Harry pondered that. None of his adopted orphans were in Dudley Dursely's league for acting up. But also, he thought… had magic, and liked stories and games and… having sort-of-parents.

"Do you think we should get some more staff?" asked Harry.

"Nannies" said Andromeda. "Because I distinctly remember cursing leaving the family when Nymphadora was born. Ted and I didn't have a house-elf, obviously, and neither of us got any sleep for months. That was," she paused, "one child. Not seven. And, to be blunt they're not all going to be born on the same day, without medical intervention – and that's ill-advised."

"Not all on the same day?" wondered Harry aloud. "What sort of spread would we get?"

"It's literally a lottery after nine and half months" said Andromeda, "And could take ten and half. It's not unheard of."

"So… a month in Australia?" asked Harry. "What's May like there anyway?"

"Winter – so not scorching hot" said Daphne. She frowned "Andromeda, how many nannies would you think we'd need?"

"My grandmother had two for one child, apparently. Working in shifts," said Andromeda. "Of course she was a Black, and not a hands-on parent. Though, after a month I would have killed a goblin for a nanny, just so I could get some bally sleep."

"Metaphorically" said Daphne.

"Obviously – especially to someone as close to the goblins as you" said Andromeda. She tilted he head at the staff "They're not overworked, but there will be ructions if you're gone for a month."

"Um," said Harry, "can you do medical call?"

"Obviously," said Andromeda, "I'm their grandmother. I wouldn't expect Daphne's mother to take shifts on medical call."

"She could but… she doesn't get it," admitted Daphne.

"Well, I recommend you get a nanny per child, and two shifts."

"Fourteen?" asked Harry "Where do I find fourteen nannies?"

"Ask your friend at Social Services," suggested Daphne. "Older sisters, mothers… who no longer have children." she said and sighed.

After breakfast, Harry wrote a letter to Alexa Foley, laying out the scope of the plan, and added 'definitely get them checked by DMLE.' Then, with a pop, his mail-inbox was suddenly covered with letters.

Almost all of them were from the children at Hogwarts, informing him that exams were coming, and that they were, firstly being really diligent, secondly, needed books, because the library was out of the textbooks they needed, and thirdly, that they personally, weren't having problems but that one of their peers – another of Harry's orphans was not coping at all, snapping and generally running amok.

Harry put the first letter down and made note of the books required, and the child with problems. By the time he'd got to the last letter, the list of children with problems was…. At least as many, in many cases the same ones, that had written letters. And he had a massive book list. On the upside, his creepy snake ring wasn't hurting. So there was that. Not a problem Salazar Slytherin felt like punishing him for anyway.

Daphne came into the office, and looked at the lists, the pile of letters. Harry explained. She volunteered to go get the books; she'd get Flourish and Blott's to mail them directly.

"Does this happen to every parent?" asked Harry.

"We told them to get good marks," said Daphne thoughtfully. "They're taking us at our word."

"Did you write home for books?"

"Sixth year – couldn't get a runic concordance from Pince. Someone always had them out." said Daphne. Harry suspected he knew who'd been working on a 'special project.'

He was just in time for medical call before lunch. Skinned knees, and a few runny noses.

Daphne's mother came to visit that afternoon, and suggest that her grandchildren's nannies be sworn in with Unbreakable vows. Just in case.

Harry felt like a bit of berk going to see Alexa and add that to the job description, but Alexa just looked at him and shrugged "You 'tract lots of hate, Mister Potter. Pays to be careful."

Harry went home a little irritated – he wasn't going out of his way to attract hate, that was just the old Death Eater 'sympathisers.'

That evening, he went over to Black Manor, and checked with the Carrows – there was technically accommodation for another fourteen people… provided they lived in rooms that had not originally been guest rooms. Harry went home and wrote a note to the builders to… well spend another pile of money. The curse-breakers would hopefully have made headway on the accursed east wing plumbing.

He made it to bed, and a nice back-rub before midnight.

The next morning he and Daphne were visiting Slytherins' school for small snakes – Harry and Daphne had been roped into reading books aloud to classes, when a terrier patronus burst through the wall, and stopped next to Harry.

Ron's voice said "Hermione. St Mungo's. She's been attacked." and the Patronus faded out.

Harry had stood up before he realized he had, the book falling from his hands to the floor.

"I've got to go," he said to the children, "do be good," he said, and fled the classroom, and peered into the next classroom, where Daphne was reading a story to a mat covered in small children. She looked up, and frowned.

"Medical emergency," he said, "St Mungo's. Hermione."

Daphne stood up "Children, we have to go. We'll be back to read more stories." Daphne handed the book to the teacher and stepped out of the room, and grabbed his left arm firmly.

"Apparate us, Harry." she said. "It'll save time."

"There are anti-appration protections here, you know." said Harry.

"Your protections, you should slip through of you give it a bit of effort," said Daphne, lifting one eyebrow ironically. Harry took a deep breath, visualised St Mungo's front room, and twisted – and the compression felt like it nearly stove his head in, but he popped back into the real universe next to the Welcome Witch's sign, Daphne swinging briefly off his arm, then finding her feet.

He checked Daphne, and she seemed intact. Daphne quickly felt her own ears, the tip of her nose, and checked her hands. Harry checked his – all there.

"Well, not my best idea," admitted Daphne, "But we're here now. And not splinched."

"Lord Slytherin," said the Welcome Witch.

Harry got his breath back, and stood up straight "I'm here to see my friend – Hermione Granger ,she'd been injured?"

"Um… fourth floor" said the Welcome witch.

Harry and Daphne got into the lift with several people who stared and then, inevitably asked stupid questions. Harry tried to clear his mind.

Daphne smiled more politely than Harry could manage right now, and said "We're here to see an injured friend."

As they got out of the lift on the fourth floor Daphne muttered, "Wish I had my armour."

"Yeah your minions really clear a room," agreed Harry, and they stopped at the ward desk, and waited for a medi-witch to come.

Instead, Ron, in his uniform, came out of a door down the hall and waved them over.

"How is she?" asked Harry.

"Stable," said Ron, "Someone cursed her in the back at the Ministry."

"Right," said Daphne, "DMLE are getting it… not offence Auror Weasley."

"None taken," said Ron, "Wizengamot meeting had just ended."

"Was she still in regalia?" asked Daphne.

"Yeah, why?" asked Ron.

"We can play up the 'the Wizengamot are not safe' angle" said Daphne.

"She's brilliant but scary," said Ron idly.

"You married a werewolf" countered Harry.

"Nah," said Ron, "she's only a deadly monster a few days a month. Practically a vacation."

Ron looked at them critically, "You dropped everything and came, din'ya?" he asked.

"Yes, why?" asked Daphne.

"Well, you two forgot to dress up. She's not in the dress, for starters." said Ron.

Daphne shrugged, "They'll live." she said "What was Hermione hit by?"

"Blood boiler," said Ron, "you realize Witch Weekly will likely run an entire section on how this outfit represents a massive change in your politics?"

"You will rot your brain reading that" said Harry.

"Says the number one cover for Witch weekly in the last five years," said Ron, "far as I can tell – I'm only an Auror, after all, they've got the blood replaced, and well… there's loads of tissue damage."

"Ouch" said Harry.

"Yeah – more than overnight," said Ron, "One of our trainees caught her just after the curse hit her, so she was at St Mungo's in under thirty seconds. Room still smells of cooked pork though."

"Ew" said Daphne.

Ron shrugged. "The answers to the next two obvious questions… no, we had no indications that the threat level had risen, and no, we didn't capture whoever did it."

Harry felt his temper fraying.

"Steady on mate!" said Ron "Don't blow up the hospital wing treating Hermione."

"I'm fine," said Harry through gritted teeth.

"I think," said Daphne "We should bring in all the vassals, question them, you know… the usual."

"Well I couldn't possibly comment," said Ron. "That stuff, according to the brains of the department, isn't going to make things better in the long run."

"But right now," said Harry, "there are a dozen Death Eater's families who I can question."

"Well, just saying" said Ron "Don't go summarily executing them."

"Is that Ron or the DMLE talking?" asked Harry.

"DMLE," said Ron. "Unofficially, if one of them copped to it, bring them in anyway, and we can try them for attacking a 'mot member in the course of their duties. That's Azkaban, even for a dungbomb, so unless DMLE prosecutions are actually brain-dead, life in Azkaban."

"Sue Bones has a good head on her shoulders" said Daphne.

"Wheover did it was bloody stupid," said Ron, "Cos they must know you're going after them, and well… when I say bring them in, I'm hardly gonna do a wand check on Harry if he brings in a wanted criminal."

"When do you get off today?" asked Harry.

"I won't," said Ron, "At this rate, the entire 'mot's gonna be in an uproar, and everyone will want an Auror detail till the culprit's caught."

"Could be a problem," said Daphne.

"Nah, there aren't any Aurors dumb enough to stick around if Harry comes calling" said Ron, "Unoffically."

"But that will be more Wizengamot time, and Hermione's in hospital for while?"

"Healer thinks a week at least." said Ron "And not well for a while after."

From the lift, someone with a whiny voice said very loudly, "GET OUT OF MY WAY, scum!"

Ron shifted his weight, and drew a wand. Daphne started muttering a spell. Harry turned and in the distance, could see… Theo Nott, in a waistcoat over a white shirt rolled up to his elbows, and black trousers, shoving some witches to one side. He was headed for Harry, and made eye contact. Nott's brows were down, and for a weedy bookworm, he looked fit to curse.

Harry sighed. "Daphne, immobilize Ron, will ya?" he asked.

Ron had time to say "Wot?" before Daphne poked Ron in the ribs. Ron flinched and gritted his teeth "Gotta poke harder than that," he grunted, "Used to Hermione."

"Ron – just don't do anything stupid," asked Harry. Nott arrived at the door, teeth clenched.

"How is she?" asked Nott.

"Blood boiler," said Daphne, "Stable, will recover. We're discussing options."

Nott inhaled sharply, "How DARE they!" he said loudly.

"Wot?" asked Ron.

Harry sighed. "Ron – Hermione moved on okay."

"Nott?" said Ron derisively.

"Shut up, Ron" said Daphne.

"I'll flay them" said Nott angrily,

"Shh. Not in front of the nice Auror" said Harry.

"At least put it back on before bringing them in to DMLE," said Ron, "Not that I said that."

"I want to see her," said Nott.

Ron frowned, and opened the door he was effectively guarding. The sound of healers talking in technical latin, and the odd incantation spilled out, Ron stepped in, and held the door mostly shut behind him.

He came out a moment later.

"Well, she's not conscious, obviously" said Ron. "But if you don't get in the way – and try not to freak out."

Nott stepped in boldly. He came out not even a minute later, his face pale and sweaty. He swallowed with obvious difficulty. "She'll be here a week at least."

"The second she can get up, she'll leave," said Harry.

"A week at least," said Nott. "Potter, can you… please help?"

"I'm going to go home and call in all the families that swore vassalage," said Harry "And ask simple questions."

"They'd lie," said Nott.

"With Veritassium, if I could … " Harry stopped.

"I might have some saved," said Nott, "for a rainy day."

"It's pouring down," said Ron, "officially I can't condone giving people Veritassium. Remember not more than three drops, and administer the antagonist within ten minutes."

"And give them a bucket" said Nott.

"You could just throw them into the floo and send them off," said Ron, "course, if that was fifteen minutes after the antagonist… they'd end up covered in sick."

"Wouldn't want to make that mistake" said Harry.

"Course not" said Ron.

Once they got home, Daphne vetoed sending the questioned heads of family off to be sick, and got buckets ready instead. And went off to put on her armour, to make a certain statement.

Harry was pleased that when she clanked into the ballroom they were going to use, she wasn't wearing human scalps on her belt. So there was that. Harry didn't call up Slytherin's hat or use the silver robe illusion spell.

Theo Nott arrived half an hour later with a fairly large bottle of veritassium, and another of antidote, and a sack that clunked when the put it on the floor.

"Sack?" asked Harry.

"Magic-suppressing cuffs," said Nott, "you can imagine that my father's collection of things was quite horrible."

Harry sent Patronus after Patronus off, and the rest of the day was questioning surly heads of vassal families. None of whom knew anything, had seen anything, and all of whom were quite ill afterwards.

Afterwards, Nott was packing up the magic-suppressing cuffs, and Daphne took off her helmet.

"Does Hermione know you've got those?" asked Daphne.

"Um," said Theo Nott.

"Maybe anonymously donate them to the DMLE," said Daphne. "They could use having more, and you won't be stockpiling borderline illegal artefacts."

Andromeda came into the ballroom quite coincidentally. "Ah, there you are" she said. "What was the emergency?"

"Hermione was attacked at the Ministry," said Theo Nott. "We just finished questioning his lordship's vassals."

"Who, of course, knew nothing," said Andromeda, "Veritassium?"

"Yes," said Daphne.

"If they were involved they either got themselves obliviated, or did it through stewards. Great-grandfather used to tell his steward to go see to things, and well, what he didn't know, didn't happen." said Andromeda.

"My father was more hands-on," said Theo Nott.

"Yes," said Andromeda, "I knew him before you were born. Some new political alliance?"

"Theo's seeing Hermione," said Daphne. "Everyone's understandably agitated."

"And the DMLE?" asked Andromeda.

"Will be guarding the Wizengamot," said Daphne, "but this was almost certainly an attack on Hermione, as a reformist."

"Bother," said Harry realising there was yet another fly in the ointment, "with Hermione in hospital, who'll do the voting?"

"Mr Nott is here," said Andromeda politely, "Is Mr Nott privy to family travel plans?"

"Um," said Harry, and then he realized Hermione would be in hospital when they left. He made a decision "Yes." he said.

"Nott," said Daphne, "We're going to Australia in a few days. We'll be gone a month or so."

"Oh," said Theo Nott, "But with Hermione in hospital…"

"I will, doubtless, be forced into a purple robe that does not suit my colouring" said Andromeda "And have to go. At least the poor girl's got four weeks before the next meeting."

"She may not be particularly mobile," said Nott, "Blood boiler in the back at close range."

"Ah," said Andromeda quietly, "That sounds quite dreadful. I will see to it that voting occurs – hopefully Miss Granger can give me direction. You will need to give W.A.S. a proxy form tomorrow, Harry."

"Right," said Harry. "Nott… thanks for helping."

Nott picked up the sack and left the room.

"You trust him in the house unaccompanied?" asked Andromeda.

"Banishing him into the fireplace seems a bit rude," said Daphne.

After dinner that night Daphne said quietly to Harry, "Now, are you planning on going out tonight?"

"No," said Harry, "let's try letting the DMLE do their jobs, and not get sucked into an ambush."

Daphne nodded "That's a very careful attitude."

"I have a family to think of – and I really can't miss the portkey to Australia." said Harry.

"Well you could," said Daphne "But I'd sleep in another room for a month. Another room in another country."

-==0==-

Harry was touching the portkey when it went off. As were the fourteen staff, all casually dressed.

Australian Customs insisted Harry and Daphne read several pages of warnings.

'You do not have a visa to enter the following countries of the C.O.U.S.'

And a list about three feet long.

"The C.O.U.S.?" asked Harry.

"Coalition of unaligned states. A lot of the old countries here don't join the I.C.W." said the Customs officer. "But they've been living what amounts to another plane for millenia, so I.C.W. doesn't really have an issue."

Harry nodded.

"Right" said the officer "You are prohibited from entering the following list of muggle places – Maralinga, Pukapunyal, Woomera, Jarvis bay, Shoalwater bay, and may only enter the following places if you stick to not using magic, and that includes apparation and portkeys. Mount Stromlo, Tidbinbulla, Parkes, Murchison, and Uluru. No flying over any of those sites either. Most of them have loads of muggle technology that gets the dick if anyone does magic near it. Uluru's sacred, and the one site most foreigners have heard of. If you go to Maralinga you will die, muggle bomb tests poisoned it."

"And you're THE Harry Potter?" asked the officer.

Harry handed over his ID card from the ministry.

"Kept goin' back for seconds when surnames were being handed out didya?" they asked.

"My husband had poor legal advice," said Daphne, handing over her ID card.

"You're the one from British Witch Weekly?" asked the officer "Where the dress?"

"In my luggage," said Daphne.

"Right" said the officer "You're not bringing in, hypothetically a suit of goblin battle armour?"

"No," said Daphne.

Behind Daphne, the founteen staff milled about awkwardly.

"Good – it's on our prohibited list." said the officer. "Seein' it's you lot. You should talk the big bloke behind me. The one with the spear and the hat. He's official with C.O.U.S., and I think he's the cousin of the president of one of the nation's in C.O.U.S., so they're really rolling out the red carpet. By their standards, for foreigners."

Behind the officer, Harry had assumed the dark-skinned man was a fellow traveller – if a bit scantily dressed in only a loincloth, necklace and straw hat. The spear didn't look magical.

Harry was waved past, and he and Daphne waited politely. The staff answered questions from customs.

"You the snake talking fella?" asked the man in the hat.

Harry nodded.

"You stay out our lands. You not touch our snakes," said the man. "We get on fine. Fighting lady, she not come fight?"

Daphne shook her head, "we're here to pick up … parcels." she said.

"Nothin native to this land?" asked the man.

Harry shook his head. "We're only going to Melbourne, actually."

"You go Melbourne, pick up parcel, leave but" said the man. "Good good."

"Do you want to see our ID?" asked Harry.

"Why have a whitey and do the work yourself?" asked the man. Then he hissed at Harry "She talk snake?"

Harry blinked, concentrated and replied "ah no. Is Parseltongue common in … your land?"

"Learn the hard way," hissed the man. "You get magic happy, we got big bone to point at you. Pale bellies can't stop you, we can stop you." The man smiled without his eyes smiling, "You break the law we stab your leg." he added in English.

"Wow," said Harry, "you don't even have an accent. That's amazing."

"You hiss funny. Never talked to northern snakes," said the man. "Remember, keep out of our land, no starting nothing. Even with the whiteys."

Harry nodded. That sounded eminently acheivable, as Andromeda might say.

"My sister's cousin, she's a big fan of fighting lady. Gonna compete next year? Bets to make." asked the man.

Harry looked over at Daphne, whose ears, unless he was imagining it were a little pink.

"Possibly. I may be too busy," said Daphne.

"That fella knock you down, you need to knock him down, teach him respect." said the man "And your bad news man there needs to keep out of the ring. Sister's cousin try to get visa to go kick his arse."

"I have told him that yes," said Daphne.

"Good good. No fighting, no taking scalps. No hunting rainbow serpents." said the man, nodding. "All good now." And he lifted his spear, and pulled it vertically in front of himself, and disappeared.

"Did he just apparate silently?" asked Harry.

The customs officer behind him said, "Nah. Went to the other place. Theory is they don't live in this dimension. Nobody's sure, they don't say."

"He was quite rude," said Daphne.

"That was the nearest thing to a red-carpet welcome I've ever heard. Even spoke snake lingo for him, but from the sounds the welcome was probably because of fighting lady," said the Customs officer, "Go on, bugger off to Melbourne the lot of ya. Bet it's raining."

"What about the threat of stabbing?" asked Daphne, turning.

"Well, that's law enforcement in the C.O.U.S." said the customs officer. "Just don't go anywhere sacred."

"Does everyone in Australia speak to snakes?" asked Harry.

"Most kids learn to say 'don't bite me'" said the customs officer "Seeing as how the top eleven most venomous non-magical snakes are all native here."

"What about magical snakes?" asked Daphne.

"The top fifteen most dangerous magical snakes, except basilisks, which aren't naturally occurring and runespoors," said the customs officer, "Victoria, mostly brown snakes. Be careful crossing tall grass or bush, specially with leaf litter. Stick to paths, you probably won't see any."

Harry and Daphne went to the back of the customs hall, and got stopped at the doors.

"Excuse me," said a witch in a tall hat with a blue robe on, "Do you have anything to declare?"

"No," said Harry.

"If you'd just unshrink your baggage and place it on the table," she said.

Daphne's dress had her stopping "This is snakeskin" she said. "You didn't declare it. What's the species."

"Basilisk," said Daphne rather cooly.

"That's very endangered," said the custom-witch, "Trade in endangered species is frowned upon in Australia, and illegal on the muggle side.

"It was a family pet till it died," said Harry.

"Well, farmed is all right," said the witch, "Do you have any other snakeskin?"

Harry opened his suitcase and pulled out his arming doublet. "Daphne's got one too" he said "Also basilisk, just a shed not a whole skin."

"You can't wear that anywhere a muggle can see," said the customs-witch, and she took a form out from under the table, and started filling it in.

Harry looked over at it – it listed Daphne's dress as 'Basilisk hide dress, green' and the arming doublets as 'Basilisk skin sportswear, white.'

"Now is there anything else you forgot to declare?" asked the witch "I'm going to seal and copy this, so when you leave, we can check you're not trafficking in indigenous magical animal products. We have heard rumours your wife here might be angling to get Rainbow Serpent hide for a dress."

"I assure you," said Daphne, "I would never hunt a rate magical creature."

Harry was quite irritated half an hour later when they finally left out the doors, and found the same portkey-seller they'd used last trip.

They took a slightly more expensive portkey straight to a hotel in Melbourne, where they could all take timezone potions and go to sleep.

Daphne waited till they were in their room before saying "We would never be treated like that in Britain."

"Someone tipped them off to mess with us," agreed Harry.

"As if I'd hunt something rare," said Daphne.

"Well, at least they're trying to protect the local snake species" said Harry.

"Hmmm"

-==0==-

The next day, waking merely very late, they dressed muggle, ate breakfst in their suite then apparated and walked to the clinic, and checked in on 'progress.'

Dr Greene, a woman in her forties who seemed welded to a tall coffee mug explained, between sips of coffee.

"They're all quite healthy, no sign of FAS or FMS, and should be any day now," she said.

Harry wondered what FA or FMS was, but didn't ask.

It wasn't till Thursday that they got a phone call from the clinic – Two of the surrogates had gone into labour… and several hours later, a girl and a boy were born.

Within a few days, their babies were in the suite, with an excess of nannies, and Harry holding his children. Daphne spent hours just holding them. Harry of course could merely stare in wonderment. They were a bit bluish and wrinkly really, he assumed that would iron out later.

"We made these," she'd say. Eventually they picked names from the list Daphne had thrashed out over the last several months. Eladora and Frerick. Harry felt proud that he hadn't called his oldest son Fred. Fredrick was a completely different name. Within a day all the nannies called them Ellie and Freddie.

A week later, on the next Thursday, another boy was born.

A day later, another girl, was born.

A week went by, the suite had four babies ; Jasper and Almira, then a boy was born on a Tuesday.

He clung to the toy tiger from the maternity ward, and that was apparently Hobbes, so he was Calvin. Daphne smirked serenely – her father would assume is was because of his name. Harry paid off the hospital maternity ward, and Calvin kept his Hobbes.

Then, two days later, on a Thursday, Harry quipped 'always Thursdays,' a girl.

Margaret, after Slytherin's wife, Finally, a week afterwards, on the Sunday, the last one, a boy.

They called him Harold. Harry lobbied for Harold Cyrus, because he was slow. Daphne smiled indulgently from her nursing chair.

The suite had a distinct eau-de-baby.

It was a day later, and Harry eyed the hotel suite, full of cribs.

"We got them all" said Harry.

Daphne yawned "mmm, and I'm not breast-feeding all seven all the time."

Harry froze. He looked over at Daphne without moving his head. "um, course not" he said.

"Well we need to go home" said Daphne "So the children can meet their baby brothers and sisters."

"I'll get the portkey from the Australians." said Harry.

"hmm – any chance of some more Macadamias too?" asked Daphne.

It was June the eighth before they got home, not having seen a single snake, nor broken, as far as Harry was aware, any laws.

On arriving at home, of course, Andromeda rushed out and took stock of all seven.

"Fantastic" she said, "A little weird that there's seven, but it makes a twisted sort of sense."

Daphne sent her mother a Patronus once the children were in cots in the drawing room.

Ezabet cried "My grandchildren!" and swooped over, Cyrus got a particularly stupefied look, and followed, and by the looking at cot nameplates, was trying to learn names.

"Oh. That one's a Cyrus" he said, and smiled. "And a Calvin as well. Modest, not too much like my name. Thank you Daphne."

Daphne had a particularly tolerant smile on her face.

Harry sent Mrs Weasley a Patronus – they were going to be here all afternoon, and she'd be a bit catty if she wasn't invited.

The house was basically, Harry realised a day later, filled with crying babies. Comforting them took up most of every day, along with food and a few nappies, and well, not exactly perving Daphne feeding the babies, but watching – she sat quite still and looked quite wise, and well – his babies. The nannies did most of the work, and Andromeda had been right – two each, shifts, and well, they didn't get any translations done, but they had newborns.

And a few days later they went to Caer Peverell , and up to the workshop, the nannies put babies in cots, and retreated down a floor, and once the wheel was spinning, the room darkened, and a group of shadowy figures slowly appeared and got less and less fuzzy.

"What's going on?" asked Remus.

"Welcome to Peverell castle. This is the prototype of the resurrection stone" said Harry. "But far more importantly – these are our children."

"Why are there seven?" asked Lily.

"Mrs Potter, big fan of your workm" said Daphne "not just Harry either," she paused. Lily shook her head, and Daphne continued, "we used surrogates, and seven was a convenient number, given family inheritances, and already counting Teddy."

"Names?" asked Sirius.

"This is Fredrick James" said Harry, "he's named after a friend that died in the war…"

"Who was named after Fabes Prewitt" said Remus.

"That's Jasper" said Harry, pointing out Jasper. "He's got blue-green eyes, not green like mum and I."

"This is Almira," said Daphne "She's named after my gran's sister who died young. Harry's broken the curse that did that. I think she's got her fathers colouring."

"This is Calvin" said Harry "He's named after a comic-book character, because seven names was hard."

Daphne sighed "He's named after the comic book character because he cuddled the plush tiger he got given in Australia in the maternity ward."

"This is Margaret" said Harry quietly "She wakes easily. She's named after one of mum's long-ago ancestresses, but making the name more modern."

Lily frowned "Who?"

"Margarita" said Harry "Slytherin's wife, her daughter's our um, ancestress."

"I blame marrying a Slytherin for him being a social climber," said Tonks.

"Oh please," said Daphne, "It's all him. I'm just trying to keep up."

"And Harold" said Harry, patting Harold's bonnet "Because Harry and great-grandfather Henry, so we thought another H name."

"And if there was another Henry Potter, some old people would assume we were sending a political message" said Daphne. "Though he's probably a Peverell once he's of age. We're trying to have, obviously ,two each for each family name, so we can split up the Wizengamot voting and property ownership, make it less of a burden."

"The one with the cute nose is Eladora" said Harry "She's named after great-great grandmother on dad's side."

"No Euphemias?" asked James.

"We wanted to make the names family names but not just grandparents or great-grandparents."

"We wanted to send a political message. Traditions, but not rigidly so." said Daphne.

"It does seem strange to think of Harry voting in the Wizengamot" said Remus mildly, "given his attitude to homework."

"I had a lot on my mind," said Harry "And I have a proxy to do the voting, so I can spend more time with all the orphans and now, with ours."

"Though the Orphans are all practically family, well the little ones anyway." said Daphne.

"The teenagers are a bit – " said Harry.

"Well, teenagers are like that," said Remus drolly.

"I was lovely," lied Tonks.

"You dominated the school duelling ladder," said Remus mildly.

"That's not all she dominated," said Sirius.

"Not in front of the children," said Harry.

Lily frowned and James snorted.

"He was so tiny, and now, he's a dad," said James, sniffing.

"Well, not dying will do that," said Harry.

"Harry, not okay," said Lily. "We did what we could."

"So has Sirius found anyone in the afterlife?" asked Daphne.

"Oh loads of birds," said Sirius.

"In the afterlife, well… it's a bit more mental. So he's left with little to offer" said Lily.

"Lils!" said James.

Lily smiled.

"There was that nice Neanderthal girl," said James.

"Is this pick on Padfoot week?" asked Sirius.

"Someone could have kept their head and raised our son." said Lily evenly.

"I was distraught," grumped Sirius. "So, there's what. Potters and Peverells?"

"A couple of Slytherins too," said Daphne, "eventually people will stop treating Slytherin like anything special. Like the Smiths."

"But they're only relations of the Hufflepuffs" said Tonks. "I mean nearest relations, but …."

"Well, we're just descendents of a squib line" said Harry. "Obviously, not squibs any more."

"What if… one of them is?" asked Lily.

"Our lawyer says they can vote in the Wizengamot, and that's the important thing" said Daphne. She smiled like a knife.

"They're adorable" said Lily.

"Teddy is cuter" said Tonks.

"Seven's a lot," said Sirius.

"Honestly, surrogates. Necromancy. It's like you're … " said James.

"A scary wizard with a witch he wants to keep onside?" asked Daphne.

"Well yes," said James. "It's all very old-school."

Sirius poked a baby, who started crying.

"You've upset Eladora" said Daphne crossly.

"Oops," said Sirius. "It's the chubby little cheeks."

Harry stopped the wheel, and the shades faded out.

Daphne picked up Eladora, and comforted her. She stopped crying fairly quickly once her mum was holding her close.

"Well, they met their grandparents and stuff," said Harry.

"Teddy is not cuter." said Daphne.

"You waited till Tonks was gone."

"I'm not arguing with a woman who died when her son was a few weeks old" said Daphne.

Harry put tarpaulin over the big wheel of the prototype resurrection stone. To keep the dust off.

"Even if she's wrong" Daphne added.

Harry had to invite Hermione – who was still bed-ridden, and Ron – who shook his head at all the children. "It's like a zoo!" he said.

But after meeting all the babies, who admittedly didn't talk or anything, Ron took Harry to the office.

"So" said Harry.

"We've got nothing." said Ron bluntly. "Well, not exactly nothing, we got a small Death Eater remnant cell. Three people, but they didn't know anyone outside their cell. They got messages from another cell via a magical dead-drop – tiny vanishing cabinet, only big enough for notes. We asked the Unspeakables if they could track the other end, and they said they'd look into it…"

"And?"

"And nothing. Chief Auror came back from visiting the Unspeakables and kicked his wall. They're studying the box, but who knows when anything will come of it." said Ron.

"Not ideal." said Harry "There's another cell of Death Eaters out there."

"Nott's got some idea or other" said Ron "Hermione's cagey about what it is. I really appreciate that, you know, as an Auror, but as a mate, I just want in on whatever the insane plan is."

"I dunno" said Harry "Someone tried to get us in trouble in Australia, leaked that Daphne was after Rainbow Serpent hide for a new dress."

"So, is she?"

"Not at all. Won't hunt rare creatures." said Harry. "And before you ask, her bloody dress nearly got confiscated by customs."

"Was she wearing it at the time?" asked Ron, with a grin.

Harry laughed… "No." he said, once he'd stopped.