Chapter 12: House of Chang
Jing Chang was a peaceful man... for the most part. His name had been chosen well by his father. It was quite curious that a legendary Post Master like his father had chosen such a name. Perhaps he needed some tranquility in his life of war. Jing and his wife Daiyu had received the shock of their lives when Neville Longbottom, scion to his House, contacted them to apologize profusely and to let them know that their daughter Chyou, not Cho as people thought*, had been kidnapped as they tried to save former Auror Alastor Moody from execution. They had no idea she was a part of any subversive group, let alone one that was risking their lives to help Harry Potter.
House of Chang was neutral. After all, China was their homeland, not England. They tried to keep to themselves and not step on any toes out of respect for the nation that welcomed them and did business with them every day. They didn't need the problems that choosing a side would potentially bring. Jing had hung his sword, literally, as a decoration on the mantle of his fireplace. That sword had seen battle, it had known glory. Now, as a businessman, he continued to apply war strategy for, after all, what is a negotiation if not a polite form of battle?
Lord and Lady Chang had earned their honorary titles due to their contributions to the Ministry of Magic and as a recognition to their family's noble origin and their significant financial impact on the local economy. However, since they moved to London ten years ago a lot had changed and it became impossible for them to stay unaffected, especially when their daughter's boyfriend, their dear Cedric, had been murdered by Voldemort himself. They had high hopes that the teens would pursue a more formal courtship once they graduated but that psycho had gotten in the way.
Chyou had almost been lost to them that year. She went into a deep depression. Then, when she went back to school, she mentioned something about dating Harry Potter and then about not dating him anymore. They had been selfishly glad she ended things with the famous wizard. They didn't want their daughter in harm's way and both parents felt that Harry would inevitably end up murdered just like Cedric. They feared what could happen to their sweet girl if she lost two boys to that madman. Anthony Goldstein, their daughter's suitor had told them he would be glad to marry her if the kidnapping had consequences that could not be hidden. To say that both parents had been violently ill when they read this would be a gross understatement. They hadn't thought of that at all. Perhaps that wasn't accurate. Jing feared it, but as he asked around, Voldemort seemed to be in dire need of funds, which was predictable seeing how many Ministry officials had been paid off to 'cooperate' with their cause.
The Chang family knew the history of England and their dark wizards. Had they had an emperor, or a competent queen that was more involved and less a decorative ornament, things would have never gotten to the point they did with Grindelwald and now with this sick bastard. It was shameful really. But now, Lord Chang owed a life debt to whoever had saved his daughter's life by extracting her from a most horrific situation that could have gotten a lot worse if she hadn't been saved. He received a letter from Harry Potter who was smart enough to make sure Chyou added her own note so that Jing would believe his words. She stated that both her and Luna Lovegood, the other girl who was kidnapped, were safe and healthy. His daughter couldn't say enough good things about her hosts. This calmed Jing a bit, but his wife was still terrified for her daughter.
The Potter elf that came to get them, Dobby, was quite apologetic when he stated he couldn't bring them to their safe location until Lord Potter approved and that most people there had to do fealty oaths to remain there. Their daughter had apparently done a fealty oath. Lord Chang wasn't opposed to follow his daughter's example. Chyou was a very smart girl, and she wouldn't do that unless it was warranted. She knew it was a life-long commitment that one could not get out of unless the person involved in the oath released them. Dobby left with a promise to come back to bring them to their location if his master agreed. He asked that they packed for a warm climate.
"Husband, we need to contact our friends. We will need to get involved. We have to fight," Daiyu sat next to him.
"Yes, I will write to my contacts. The last thing these backward wizards and witches expect is that there are better, more lethal warriors than them that have no need nor use of wands," Jing replied. "Please pack some clothes for our daughter and us while I do so. Maps would also be helpful. And tea... British tea is just not as good as ours."
"Of course. Please remember to pack the Imperial and Family Seals, love," she replied with a smile.
"This is a great idea!" Hermione exclaimed looking at the draft they had made regarding the bounties on Death Eaters. "The only issue I see is that the Death Eaters don't really go out to muggle areas much..."
"We will make them," Remus smirked. "We will force them to come, and they will be caught or at the very least so severely injured, the non-magical way, that their healers will not know what to do with them."
"Any hindrance and delay we can accomplish will buy us time to finish the task we have," Sirius smiled. "We will need to help the non-magical warriors by disarming the Death Eaters."
"Once they are wandless, they are going to be easy to overpower. Most of them are significantly out of shape. Which brings me to insist that everyone on this island needs to get stronger and faster and better at dueling and hand combat," Tonks added.
"Can we join?" Luna asked.
"Of course, as soon as my mother clears you and Cho for stronger physical activity, you can join," Tonks smiled at the girl.
"Thank you."
"Harry, I think you are settling too much money on them though," Hermione looked pensive and embarrassed.
"We are. Hermione, you gave me the okay when I asked you, you don't get to take it back," Harry poked his tongue out.
Hermione rolled her eyes at him playfully. "I am not taking it back. I just wonder if 250 000 galleons," the witch was interrupted by a coughing fit from Cho who almost choked on her drink, "wouldn't be better spent on weapons, armors, potions or something else."
"250 000 galleons? You mentioned 5 people, so you are willing to spend over 1 million galleons out of pocket to get rid of them?" Cho asked with a shocked voice.
"Yes," Harry replied like it was the most obvious thing on Earth.
"Wait, but 250 000 galleons would be...?" Dudley asked, scratching his head.
"Around 1 245 000 pounds per person," Cho replied, still aghast.
"1 244 950 to be exact," Hermione nodded at Cho with a smile.
"And you can just drop that?" Dudley's eyes widened.
"A while ago, after months of starvation and freezing in a bloody tent, Hermione suggested we should throw money at the problem. After all, what is the point of having a fortune if we die before we get to enjoy any of it?" Harry shrugged.
"But Harry, won't that make you broke?" Cho asked with a frown. "I cannot believe that affording this beautiful island and its upkeep is cheap. Not to mention you have a full-time healer on payroll and three Aurors."
"Well, 2 and a half for the next months," Tonks corrected, patting her belly.
"No. That won't make me broke. Is it a significant expense? Yes. But I choose to see it as an investment. No expense is too big if it means Riddle will suffer and struggle. No expense is too big to keep my loved ones safe. This is the least we could do."
"Hermione," Remus sat next to her and held her hand. "I know it sounds like an exorbitant amount of money. But if your head is worth 100 000 galleons, theirs cannot be worth less than yours. Money is a very strong motivator. I guarantee you that even former Aurors and retired Defense Masters will be tempted."
"That kind of money can change a person's life forever," Luna nodded.
"True. Mione, your head is worth all the money in the Potter vault and then some," Harry squeezed her other hand. "Never doubt that."
Hermione blushed and returned the squeeze.
Remus stood up, "Alright. Luna, do you have everything you need to contact your father?"
"Yes, Professor Lupin," the blonde replied. "May I go do so now?"
"Of course, go ahead."
Pop!
"Harry Potter, sir!"
"How did everything go? Are you okay?"
"Yes, Dobby is okay. Lord and Lady Chang is requesting to come. What should Dobby do?" the elf asked with bright eyes. Ever since Hermione imbued him with her magic, he was rarely tired.
"Hermione?" Harry asked.
"I don't mean any disrespect by this Cho but... Can you vouch for your parents?" Hermione asked.
"I understand, Hermione, no worries. Absolutely," Cho replied. "How are they, Dobby?"
"They is good. Dobby is thinking they is relieved to knows you is safe," Dobby smiled at the girl.
"Thank you."
"Alright then, Dobby, go back and bring them," Harry replied.
"What about Luna's dad?" Cho asked.
"He needs to stay in England to run the Quibbler and post the reward notices. We will bring him in for a visit, hopefully soon," Harry smiled.
Pop!
"Lady Chang, Dobby can be helping with that," Dobby said enthusiastically making the woman jump.
"You are back so soon. We were not expecting a reply until tomorrow," the woman handed Dobby a full suitcase that he shrunk and pocketed.
"Time is being essential. Can you be leaving with Dobby?" the elf asked.
"Yes... Jing! Dobby is back! They agreed. We should get going," Lady Chang exclaimed as she rushed downstairs only to see the front door open to reveal a young man of jet-black hair dressed in his military uniform and carrying a weekender bag.
"Māma! Please tell me she's okay!"
"Longwei! When did you-?" Lady Chang embraced her oldest son.
"That doesn't matter. We need to help Lord Potter," Longwei replied.
"We are about to leave."
"Can I come too?"
"Dobby?"
"I is checking," Dobby pulled out a mirror and after a tap and a few whispers, Hermione's voice replied.
"Are you okay?"
"Yes, mistress. Sorry to scares you. Lady Chang wants to know if her son can come too," Dobby enquired.
"Can I talk to her, Dobby?" Lady Chang asked.
"Sure, Dobby, give her the mirror, please... Hello, my name is Hermione Granger," the young witch in the reflection smiled.
"Miss Granger, I could never thank you enough for what you have done for my daughter. My son just got home; can he join us?" Lady Chang asked.
"Is he too young to be left alone?" Hermione asked with concern.
"No, he is an adult."
"Dobby can only move two people at once and we would rather not bring anyone here that is not strictly necessary," Hermione looked apologetic as she said this.
"I can be very useful to you, Miss Granger," the young man replied from out of frame. "I am a lieutenant for the Imperial Magical Army in China. I only requested a leave of absence to come to find my sister, but now that she has been found and saved, my loyalty lies with those who saved her. My leave is for a year."
"I see. Would you be willing to enter a fealty oath toward Harry Potter?"
"Yes, as soon as I see my sister is okay."
"Dobby, bring Lord and Lady Chang and then go back for Mr. Chang," Hermione stated.
"Thank you, Ms. Granger. We are in your debt," Lady Chang replied.
"It was the least we could do," Hermione smiled and vanished from the mirror.
"This is most clever, Dobby. Where can we purchase some mirrors like this?" Lady Chang asked as they walked toward the study where her husband was sending the last letter.
"It is not being for sale. Master Moony is makings them. Maybe he can be teaching you how," Dobby replied feeling proud.
"We would like that," Lady Chang replied. "Jing, our son is here!"
Lord Chang sent their crested serpent eagle, Xìnshǐ, out of the window and proceeded to hold his son tightly. "Are you coming with us?"
"Yes, sir. Dobby is coming back for Mr. Chang when he gets you and Lady Chang to the location," Dobby nodded with a smile.
"Wonderful," the man-made sure his sword was concealed down his back and held on to the hand that Dobby offered. Lady Chang took the elf's other hand and they vanished.
Longwei ran to his room to retrieve his own sword and place it between his shoulder blades. He packed quickly and minimized his luggage. He paced the study while he waited. His father forgot the seal. Longwei took the seal and their special wax and pocketed both.
Lord and Lady Chang landed in the middle of a living room to find several wands pointed at them. Neither moved.
"Lord and Lady Chang, we need you to do an identity oath," a woman with bubble gum pink hair requested, without lowering her wand.
The couple complied and the wands were lowered. A black-haired blur dashed past the sofa and into her parents' arms. Dobby nodded at Hermione who waved him away to go get Cho's brother.
"Chyou!" Lady Chang kissed her daughter all over.
Harry and Hermione shared a confused look "Chyou?" they mouthed at each other. They looked questioningly at Luna who shrugged.
They began speaking rapid-fire Chinese while the girl cried and laughed at intervals. Everyone watching just stayed still and quiet. It was a beautiful moment to witness a happy family in the middle of so much stress and bad news.
"My family believes in the old ways. To whom do we owe a life debt?" Lord Chang asked. "And how can we repay such a debt?"
Sirius looked very uncomfortable, but he stepped forward. "Sirius Orion Black, Lord Black, at your service, Lord Chang. It's a pleasure to meet you although I am sorry for the circumstances."
Lord Chang smiled. "Not at all, Lord Black. These circumstances you regret are a blessing to us. We could have met at Chyou's funeral. But Buddha protected her."
"We are very glad we managed to extract your daughter and Luna from enemy territory. As for repayment, I have a proposal to make," Sirius looked at Cho who was still being held by her mother, and marveled at how she looked like an entirely different person now that she felt truly safe. Lord Chang noticed Sirius staring at his daughter with a smile and immediately frowned.
"We follow tradition, sir, but I will not have my Chyou marry you. She could be your daughter!" Lord Chang's face reddened in anger.
"What?!" everyone exclaimed in shock.
"Merlin! No, Lord Chang... I would never even consider that. I was just noticing how she actually looks like she finally feels safe now that you are here. My proposal has nothing to do with your daughter and everything to do with you."
"Me?" Lord Chang raised a brow at Sirius.
"Your contacts, your military expertise, and all the advantages both things could give us when the battle starts," Sirius explained.
"Mhmm... Well, as a former chief strategist, allow me to tell you your first mistake, Lord Black. This battle started the day Lord Potter's parents were murdered. Where can we sit down to talk about this?"
"Follow me. Kids, Remus, Tonks, come with us," Sirius motioned for them to move.
"Pardon my cousin, Lord and Lady Chang. He spent too many years with uncivilized company," Tonks frowned at Sirius who blushed. "Lord Chang, this is Lord Potter of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter, his um... best friend Hermione Granger. This is Remus Lupin, former Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts, and my husband. My name is Nymphadora Tonks, and I am an Auror."
Harry nodded at Lord Chang, "Harry Potter, sir. Lady Chang, nice to meet you both."
Lord Chang looked at the teen with an inscrutable expression. Harry felt measured to the core, "Thank you for hosting my daughter and keeping her safe, Lord Potter."
"Of course, ma'am. We had to get them out. Please don't feel obligated to do anything for us because of what we did. It had to be done. It was the right thing to do," Harry smiled at Lady Chang.
Lady Chang approached Harry and placing her hands on his shoulders whispered something in Chinese. "Dī shuǐ zhī ēn dìng dāng yǒng quán xiāng bào," she said this with teary eyes and a motherly smile.
Harry smiled back tentatively but had no idea what had just been told to him.
Chyou smiled at Harry and translated, "The favor of a drip of water should be reciprocated by a gushing spring."
"All I need is for you to be safe," Harry placed one hand on top of Lady Chang's. "Kreacher, can you please bring a tea service here?"
"Won't Lady Chang join us?" Tonks asked with a slight frown.
"I appreciate the invitation, Mrs. Lupin, but war is not something I am good at," the woman replied with a mysterious smile. Jing chuckled. "You are in good hands with my husband."
Sirius motioned and was followed.
When Lady Chang was about to pour the tea for her daughter and Luna, a pop made her stop.
"Longwei!" Chyou ran to her brother and almost made him topple over.
"Chyou! I am so glad you are safe!" he pushed her away to check her over. He noticed the fading bruises with a slight frown.
"I didn't know you were coming too! Oh, I am so happy to see you! I have missed you so much!" Chyou rested her head on his chest. "Come with me to have some tea. This is Luna Lovegood, the girl that was taken with me," Chyou smiled.
Luna looked at Longwei with her sparkling sky-blue big eyes, "Hello, Longwei..."
The young man smiled at the girl, "I am so glad you were both rescued."
"Thank you."
"Luna, dear," Lady Chang said. "Where are we exactly?"
"Somewhere in the Caribbean," the blond replied taking a sip of her smoothie. Kreacher had taken to bringing her six smoothies a day, each more nutritious than the previous one. She still wasn't comfortable with utensils.
"Why isn't it hot in here, then?" Lady Chang inquired.
"Air conditioning. Non-magicals have created so many useful things. It's a machine that works as a permanent cooling spell except you can turn it on and off. There's also electricity here. They have the most interesting appliances. So far, my favorite is the blender," Luna replied pointing at each thing she mentioned. "But do take heed when you go outside because it is hot and humid. The sun will burn you if you let it."
"Thank you for the warning. Who else is here?"
Draco winced as his aunt Andromeda cleaned his burned forearm. She was very apologetic because she couldn't really do much for his pain. His fealty oath had overwritten the hold on his core that the previous subservience oath to Voldemort. The blisters would rupture and as she drained them, water, blood and ink dripped down to the towel the healer had placed under his arm to protect the sheets. Draco refused to cry or complain. He had much to be grateful for. His mother was safe and sleeping soundly in the next bed. Maki was making sure they ate and had their potions.
Somehow Hermione had done something to save her. Maki had been too battered to heal and miraculously she now looked better than ever. Every time someone would mention Hermione, her eyes would sparkle. That woman was something else. Enough hours had gone by for Draco to think about her kindness. He couldn't be sure that if roles had been reversed, he wouldn't have mocked her instead of helping her as she did him.
Draco started going over the other people on the island in his mind, particularly Luna. Luna Lovegood was a strange one. The day after his panic attack, she unceremoniously hopped onto the end of his bed without a word and sat there cross-legged. He looked at her questioningly the first time she did it. The girl shrugged and in her usual slow, airy speech she said: "I know you wish I was... D- someone else. I am not. But you need company to feel safe and so do I. We don't have to talk. I know you don't even like me," she shrugged and opened a book on her lap. "I will just exist in your presence."
Draco blinked and stared at her for a while. She didn't look back up at him or engaged him in conversation. She would just sit there and read, stopping every half hour or so to look at him quickly just to make sure he was okay. Even Cho, who Draco couldn't remember saying more than a couple of words to, neither of them nice, was being kind and respectful toward him, but especially toward his mother. Narcissa had been more hurt than Draco and as such, she was healing much slower. She insisted that she needed an actual shower to feel better. Andromeda didn't even have to ask Cho. The girl came with a fluffy towel, a robe, and slippers for Narcissa. She helped move and hold Narcissa up while Andromeda helped her clean herself with difficulty. Then she helped her dress and look good. By the time she came back to her bed, Narcissa was looking better than she had in weeks.
Draco realized that for the first time in possibly ever, he was truly, completely, and genuinely grateful to the most unlikely people. Everyone here treated him so well. He found himself quickly growing used to Luna existing in his presence. She was a grounding, calming presence. If he fell asleep and was having a nightmare, she would be there waking him up slowly. He would be terribly embarrassed, but Luna would wave him off and hold his hand to calm him down until he fell asleep again. He asked her why she cared, she simply shrugged and said, "I can see your past and your future. You have a lot of potential to change... Draco, you could have forced yourself on Cho and me with impunity. You didn't. You tried to heal us, and you seemed disgusted at what had happened. We weren't friends, not even acquaintances really. As I said, you don't like me as a person, and still, you helped get us out."
"You have The Eye?" Draco looked deeply into her eyes.
"I do... So did my mom. You know, people think talking about losing my mother affects me because I miss her and she was a wonderful mom."
"And that's not true?"
"I do miss her, and she was a good mom for most of my life. I was 6 when she died. She had been severely depressed for months and wanted to end her life."
"May I ask why?"
"My younger sister, Sol, died a few weeks after she was born... sudden infant death syndrome. She had been put down to sleep on her back. Somehow through the night, she rolled over... When my mom went to check on her in her crib at dawn, she was on her tummy and was already cold."
Draco's eyes widened. He couldn't even imagine the horror, "Fuck. I am very sorry for your loss, Luna."
"Thank you... Pandora, that was my mother... She had a stronger Eye than I did. She knew she would be killed by the new spell she was creating. My mother went to Gringotts and created a will. She then went and bought a plot of land at the cemetery. She even arranged the dress she wanted to be buried in and made a flower crown for her head. That day Pandora made me my favorite breakfast and transcribed the recipes to my favorite dishes for my dad to be able to make. Then, she hugged me, kissed me, and left for work. I would stay with my dad because staying with her was more dangerous."
"Mrs. Lovegood was a spell crafter?" Draco asked with interest. She must have been brilliant. Spell crafters needed six different Masteries as a minimum to even have their foot in the door.
"Yes. As she knew it would happen, the spell backfired, and she died on the spot. When Daddy was told that her lab had blown up, he went to find her. She was smiling and had her eyes closed. She had wanted to die. We didn't matter to her. I needed her but the pain from losing my sister was more important than the fact that I was a child too and needed her, that my father needed her.
Draco was stunned. No one he wasn't close to had ever been so open with him or trusted him with such delicate information. He felt quite awkward. Malfoys weren't physically affectionate, but he found himself wondering if he should hug the blond.
"My dad has never been the same since then... I know that a lot of people think we are crazy," Luna shrugged.
Draco blushed. He had thought that a couple of times. To his credit, he had seen Luna walk out of the Forbidden Forest barefoot in the height of winter.
"But the possibility of there being magical creatures that can affect a person's behavior was my dad's way to try to rationalize my mother committing suicide to me. He couldn't tell his 6-year-old that her mother just gave up and decided to die regardless of who needed her. He couldn't bring himself to tell me that my mother knew what would happen and she went ahead and ended her life anyway. So, he told me fabulous tales of tiny, invisible magical creatures that influence people to do stuff... Stuff that they wouldn't do otherwise." Luna trailed off.
Draco was speechless. Luna said all that in a monotone. Her eyes were far away from the present moment. She didn't cry. She sounded beaten and resigned. Draco could not imagine the pain of such a thing. He could always count on his mother, no questions asked. He would be crushed if his mother gave up and preferred death over caring for him now. Imagine a six-year-old dealing with that all the while knowing what her father is trying to do. Luna was a lot smarter than she looked. With difficulty, Draco sat up on his bed, wincing as his injuries complained.
"You need a hug, blondie?"
Luna looked apprehensive but nodded. Draco opened his arms and she held onto him. He forced himself not to squeeze, not to hold her. His arms sort of hovered around her lightly. He didn't want her to feel unsafe or uncomfortable. He had noticed she wouldn't eat and was instead living off weird-looking drinks of various colors and thicknesses. After how that fucking McLaggen brutalized her, she was terrified of putting things in her mouth. Poor thing.
Draco sighed. Being an only child, he had never had anyone younger depending on him for understanding, protection, or anything. He figured this was probably what that felt like. Luna even looked like his sister with her blonde hair, even if it could use some hairdressing, but it had lots of potential.
"I would like that," she whispered. He could feel her smile against his shoulder.
"What?" Draco asked perplexed. He hadn't said a thing.
"I would really like to have an older brother... If you don't want me as a younger sister that is okay," she shrugged. "As for my hair... Well, it is messy because my father never knew how to brush it in pretty hairdos. It was my mom who did that. His hair is very different in texture, so I started wearing it down like he does to let him know I didn't need a mom to do it for me."
Draco blinked as his eyes teared up. He looked at his mother who was staring at him with a sad smile. "I would be honored to be your brother, Luna. We will fix your hair, don't worry," he smiled as the girl pulled away and looked up at his gray eyes. There was something about the way she looked at him that made him feel like he could never lie to her. "For the record, I do like you, Luna. You are cool," he said somewhat lamely.
"No one has ever thought I was cool before," she smiled with a blush. "Maybe Harry... You are cool too, Draco."
"Thanks, blondie," Draco smiled back. He had been called a lot of things by many people. Both people who hated him and people who loved him because they wanted to climb up the Death Eater ladder. He had never been called cool by someone so transparent. He quite liked it. Luna had no agenda. She was just herself always. He admired that. His father would be appalled at this development and that was exactly why Draco vowed to be a good brother to Luna. Knowing that his father would disapprove was an incentive to do a great job at it.
"Lord Potter-"
"Harry is fine sir," Harry interrupted.
"Harry, I will ask my contacts about their willingness to do this, but with such a generous amount in a reward, you will not lack people trying their best to get him," Jing nodded at him. "This throwing money at the problem idea is great, Harry."
"Thank you, but it was all Hermione. My plan had us starving and freezing," Harry blushed.
"Harry, we didn't know better. If anything, it was Dobby that saved our lives," Hermione patted Harry's hand.
"Would you want to include your own message when I write to the generals and the veterans, Harry?"
Harry shared a look with Hermione, and they nodded. "I think it would be wise."
"Pardon me. I don't mean to be disrespectful but... why is it that every time I ask a question or comment on strategy everyone looks at her to corroborate?"
Hermione frowned, "Is that a problem, sir?" she asked without missing a beat.
"Not at all... I just find it curious," Jing kept his expression unreadable. "Are you the Post Master here?"
"Well, Hermione has kept me alive since I was eleven. She has managed despite my best attempts at trying to die... I have faced a possessed professor, a gigantic basilisk and a possessed diary, a deadly tournament I didn't want to be in, the d-death of my godfather, a psychotic murderous pink obsessed toad of a professor, the death of Dumbledore, and being on the run hunted by Snatchers every single day. I survived betrayal from someone I would have died for... Hell, I haven't had a wand for a couple of months, and I am still alive thanks to her," Harry said with a smile.
Jing shook his head as if to clear it, "I have so many questions... But first, isn't Lord Black your godfather? As in the dead godfather you mentioned?" he pointed at Sirius with a very confused expression.
"Yeah, he resurrected somehow," Harry shrugged.
"In the same body?" Jing blinked repeatedly.
"Resurrected, not reincarnated, sir," Hermione smiled.
"I can show you my memories later," Sirius nodded. "Harry and Hermione saved me from being kissed by dementors."
"I remember reading about that. You were accused of mass murder," Jing replied.
"Falsely accused," Sirius corrected.
Hermione added, "He was never even given a trial and still spent 12 years in Azkaban."
"I see. That is quite unfortunate. What is that you said about a basilisk?" Jing asked. He couldn't imagine a grown, experienced warrior facing such a creature. He took a sip of his coffee.
"Yeah, during my second year-"
Jing spat out the coffee, "SECOND YEAR?! You faced a basilisk at twelve years old?!"
Hermione handed him a napkin. "I'll go get the pensieve."
Harry nodded and shrugged. "Honestly, the Acromantula that ordered her baby spiders to eat me and a former friend was scarier. At least I could talk to the basilisk in his own language."
"You speak parsel?" Jing asked as he dabbed his mouth.
Harry nodded.
"You have had an interesting life, huh?"
"You have no idea. Sometimes I still wonder how the fuck I am still alive. I know I am supposed to be a teenager, but I feel ancient," Harry sighed.
Hermione walked towards Harry's bedroom entirely distracted making a list of questions to ask Lord Chang in her mind. She was moving quickly until she crashed into a solid tall muscular body and bounced back. She would have fallen on her bum, but arms encircled her and brought her back to her feet. She found herself staring into dark brown almost black eyes.
"I am so sorry!" Longwei exclaimed. "I was just coming out of the bathroom, and I didn't see you. Are you okay?"
"Mr. Chang, right?"
"Miss Granger," he shook her hand gently. "Thank you for everything you did for Chyou."
"Don't mention it. I am so embarrassed, though. Everyone at school has always called your sister Cho. Today when your parents called her Chyou I felt so bad! But she has never corrected anyone."
"I think she probably got tired of trying to get people to pronounce it well," Longwei smiled. "I know I did. I studied at Mahoutokoro School of Magic, much to my father's chagrin. He wanted me close to home, but I needed the extracurriculars there to get the job I have now. He never made the connection between me studying Japanese growing up and my choice of school."
"Nihongo wa utsukushī gengo desu," Hermione smiled. [Japanese is a beautiful language]
"Inshō-teki darō," Longwei replied, nodding with a smirk. [Impressive]
"I know very little. I had a few years when I was obsessed with manga. I only learned a few phrases," Hermione blushed.
"Very good pronunciation, though. I am waiting to talk to you and Lord Potter about my contribution," Longwei offered.
"Of course. We are speaking to your father. You are welcome to join in the conversation. Down the hall, the double doors to the left," she directed.
"Arigatō." [Thank you]
Hermione blushed and walked away. The Chang family really had good genes. Longwei was very good looking as was Cho- NO! Chyou. She made a mental note to apologize to her.
Dudley was happy to be busy. He skipped lunch to work on the training area. With Mr. Tonks' help, they had already finished the first part of the obstacle course. The weights were placed on a platform as were the workout mats and Dudley marveled to see how with a few hand motions, Mr. Tonks created sturdy structures that would have taken hammers, drills- he sighed. My dad would have freaked out seeing all this, he thought.
"This looks sturdy enough," Ted slapped the metal of the base of the handrail. "Dudley, do you want to try it out?"
Dudley looked at the man in surprise, "You mean I get to use all these?"
Ted was perplexed, "Of course. We need everyone on this island in shape. You look strong enough, but we need you to be the muscle. True, you are not a wizard, but you could still help in hand-to-hand combat so, get to it."
"Awesome! Thank you!" Dudley went to the racks of weights right away.
Jing sat back on his armchair and massaged his temples. He and his son had been watching memories for about an hour. Longwei was covering his face with his hands as he tried to make himself believe that what he saw was someone's actual life and not one of those non-magical motion pictures.
Jing took a deep breath. He couldn't process some parts still. How the hell had this kid survived all the bullshit Albus Dumbledore put him through? It had to have been the girl sitting next to him. She looked like a strong wind would knock her over, but the memories had him thinking she was a fearsome thing to behold live on a battlefield. Sitting on the sofa next to Harry, sipping a cup of tea demurely, wearing a modest but feminine dress with her hair up in a messy bun, she looked more like one of those models in the magazines his daughter loved than like a seasoned fighter which is what she was.
"Harry... When I first heard about you from my Chyou, I thought she was exaggerating. Reading The Prophet for years I really thought you were just a famous self-important ego-driven kid that didn't deserve the notoriety anyone gave him," Jing raised a hand to stop any comebacks to that. Hermione looked ready to break the coffee table on his head. "However, when I saw the abysmal coverage of Cedric's murder, I stopped reading that garbage paper and started listening to my daughter. She told me about the D.A. after the fact and I wasn't happy that she was putting herself at risk, but I understood she needed to do that to process losing Cedric."
"Everyone loved Cedric. Losing him was a blow to everyone, but especially to Chyou," Hermione said with a sad smile.
"Yes. She was quite heartbroken. But now that I have seen your life in sum, I believe that you have never been given enough credit. I have seen battle, bloody and raw. But the men in those battles were grown men, professional soldiers, not kids. Especially not kids pushed into a corner like there is no other choice."
Harry shrugged, "It must look like a lot to see years in an hour. Sorry if it was too much information."
"Don't apologize. You have much to be proud of. Many of my best-trained soldiers wouldn't have survived half the things you did... That you both did," Jing nodded at Hermione who nodded back. "You have done remarkable for untrained children without a strategist to guide you who can see the bigger picture."
"Harry, Hermione, I want to help you win this. I took a year-long leave from my position. Let me-" Lioweng was interrupted by his father.
"Let us help you," Jing offered.
"Where do we start?" Remus asked to test the waters and Tonks kept taking notes.
"We will follow the bible of warfare, of course!" Jing replied.
"What?"
Lioweng took out a miniature book and enlarged it. It was thick and had a hardcover and pages with golden borders, "The Art of War, of course."
"The reward you established is a great start. Their stupid move of placing Ms. Granger on the cover of The Prophet, stating she's dangerous when she looks lovely and normal... you are already achieving something very important," Jing smiled.
"We are?" Harry scratched the back of his head.
Jing nodded, "Balk the enemy's power; force him to reveal himself," the man took the book and patted the cover.
Longwei smiled, "They have gotten things started for us. However, we need the press. Have their faces plastered everywhere! Make it so they cannot step anywhere without everyone knowing exactly who they are and what they have done."
Remus frowned, "Is that wise? It could backfire on civilians."
"Trust me when I say that muggle law enforcement is a lot faster than the DMLE," Hermione shrugged.
"Plus, 'If your opponent is of choleric temper, irritate him,'" Jing tapped the book. "When people are angry, they are not thinking clearly or of the long-term consequences of their actions."
"Oh, I like you two already. How can we get some pictures?" Tonks asked.
"Leave that to us," Hermione smirked. She would teach Dobby how to take pictures with a non-magical camera.
"Okay. So, that is our first order of the battle plan?" Tonks asked. "Press?"
"No, Mrs. Lupin... Exposure. I am not talking about just the local press. I mean local, international, magical, and non-magical! Printed press, television, radio! The sky is the limit!" Jing exclaimed.
"I have several contacts across Europe and Asia that can help us," Longwei smiled. "I know you are throwing money at the problem, but I know some people who will post house-size posters of those bastards everywhere for free as long as we provide them with the posters."
"So do we. Harry, can we have Dobby withdraw some gold?" Sirius asked.
"Of course, as much as is needed," Harry smiled.
"Provided that we can still eat and afford medical care," Hermione added hastily with a frown at Sirius.
"It goes without telling!" Padfoot threw his hands up.
"It's two Marauders!" Hermione said to Harry.
Jing and his son looked at each other. Marauders? They shrugged.
"Oi!" Remus complained.
"Two Marauders that we love, but still!" Hermione laughed.
"Hey, I am going with them..." Tonks frowned.
"Need I say more?" Hermione laughed harder. "That is no guarantee!"
"You know junior, sometimes I think you need a new godmother," Tonks looked down at her belly then rolled her eyes at Hermione as she left with her husband and her husband's boyfriend. She had decided to call him that.
Later, Harry and Hermione felt a lot better about the next few weeks. The Changs were something else. Hermione had a color-coordinated list of smaller lists.
"You said something about phases, before," Hermione said questioningly as she dried a complete parchment with a spell.
"War goes by phases. Today, we begin phase 1," Jing enlarged a whiteboard and pointed at it with his wand. The letters E-A-S-T appeared vertically down the board.
"That it reads East is a happy accident, right?" Hermione asked amused.
"Of course," Jing winked. "E stands for Expose"
"A stands for Anger?" Hermione asked.
"Yes, very well. S stands for Subdue," Longwei replied.
"T, my personal favorite, stands for Trick," Jing smirked. "We put all of this together and Riddle will realize that he has met his match and that he is in trouble."
"You mean you guys, right?" Harry asked, feeling intimidated by the board.
Jing shook his head, "No, I don't. I mean you. You and Miss Granger, of course."
The teens blushed and shared a look of incredulity.
"Now," Longwei stood up and motioned for them to do the same. "You are fit-ish. However, to do the things that need to be done, we need to turn your bodies into war machines. You need more muscle. Your healer told me that you are in a nutritious potion regime and that you are slowly but surely gaining weight. She also told me that you have a training space. I want to create a plan to get you into war mode."
"You are hired," Harry smiled.
"I'm sorry, what?"
"Your leave is without pay. Your job will be one of the most important we have here, and we wouldn't want you to feel like we are taking advantage of you," Hermione answered with a smile.
"Absolutely not. Feed me and let me live here with my family. That is all the payment I need. We have taken the fealty oath and as military men, our word is our bond."
Harry nodded.
"You may live to regret agreeing to feed him," Jing laughed. "If it hadn't been for the months he spent away at school, we would have gone broke!"
"Dad!" Longwei complained. "You know that this body needs the calories!"
Harry and Hermione laughed. Hermione looked Chyou's brother appreciatively. Harry frowned. He better put on some muscle mass.
"When can we get started?" Harry asked.
Longwei offered his hand and pulled him up. "Immediately. Before I set your workout plan, I need to know how you are doing so we will do a fit test first."
"The way you say fit test makes me fear for my life," Hermione grimaced.
"You will survive... But you will probably regret it because I can guarantee you that you will be sore in places you didn't even know you could be sore," Longwei grinned.
Garrick Ollivander wasn't a man that had a lot of friends left. When one was his age, one had already buried too many people. His body had been on the mend, within reason, for his age. Dobby and Kreacher were always making sure he ate and had his potions. Healer Tonks would come and help him walk around his room. Luna and Cho would come to talk to him sometimes. Unfortunately, he couldn't see the ocean from his room, but he could hear it and it gave him peace. There was a knock on his door.
"Mr. Ollivander?" Sirius asked.
"Come in."
"How are you feeling, sir?" Sirius sat on a chair by the bed.
"Much better, Lord Black," Garrick smiled. "Please tell me, how can I help you and Mr. Potter?"
"We find ourselves with the need of a wandmaker. Harry's wand was broken. I and four more people need wands," Sirius replied.
"I see..."
"We will pay you for your services of course," Sirius replied.
"It is not about the money, Lord Black. I have no tools, no components, no wood," Garrick sighed sadly. This was the longest he had ever been without making wands.
"But you have contacts... And we have money. Let me get you what you need," Sirius offered.
"I need to write a few letters."
"Of course, Kreacher!" Sirius exclaimed. The elf appeared next to Padfoot with writing supplies, handed them to Sirius, and vanished.
"Do you feel up to a walk? Or maybe I can push you around on a wheelchair," Sirius offered.
"Oh, yes, please. I would appreciate that. I haven't been able to leave this room since I got here."
The island was beautiful. Sirius levitated the wheelchair to the sand and for the first time in several decades, Mr. Ollivander felt the ocean lap at his feet. But this water was different, it wasn't icy cold. The weather outside was warm and windy. The water was cool and transparent, and the sand was white. Garrick took a few deep breaths.
"Lord Black, I need to speak with Mr. Potter. He needs to know the information that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named tried to torture out of me."
Sirius' eyes widened, "I'll go get him right away."
"Mykew, my friend... I hope you are still safe," Garrick sighed looking at the sky.
Ollivander knew that there were other ways for Voldemort to track his friend, and when he did, Garrick was absolutely sure that Mykew would be killed in the most horrific of ways.
A/N: Thank you for reading! I tried my best with the Asian languages. I am not using the language written in its own alphabet because it may skew the format. FF doesn't have a lot of options. For those of you who speak those languages, pardon any errors. I will try to keep their use to a minimum. *I always took issue with the name Cho. Chyou means autumn and it seems significantly better than a generic name that felt a bit forced and thoughtless in canon. I hope you are safe and healthy, wherever you are. -Lux-