The rise of the Black Rod
Chapter Eleven: Your father will hear of this
A ghastly pale Justin Finch-Flethcly came to see Harry at breakfast, holding a red despatch case.
"Lord Slytherin," said Justin, "a most urgent message from my employer." He sounded… odd.
Harry checked, as best he could for an imperious curse. Justin seemed to be in his own mind, and his eyes didn't look glazed.
Harry decamped to the office, Daphne following, looking peeved.
Justin put the case on Harry's desk and opened it. Inside was a letter.
Justin stared at the letter like it was going to bite him.
"The um," said Justin. "The royal archivists have found your Peverell ancestor."
Harry smiled "That's good right?"
"No," said Justin, in a tone Snape might envy, "It's not."
"But… it's not like what crimes some ancestor committed matter to me?" asked Harry. "They don't do they?" Harry suddenly felt uncertain – nobody really knew much abut the Peverells. Well, he knew about the Thestrals and the Hallows.
Justin took the letter out, unfolded it, and read a little.
"A Marcher lord who repudiated his sovereign, Edward the first, and was executed." said Justin bluntly. "The Welsh border wars of the thirteenth century are a bit complicated for me, let alone the magical bits that have been rather hidden. But it looks like one of the triggers of the Second Barons war."
"You should ask Isobel Lufkin," said Harry, "She's good at History." For some strange Justin Finch-Fletchly reason, Justin started to blush. It looked ,though Harry, much preferable to him looking so pale.
"But that's not… enough to…" asked Daphne , trailing off as Justin shook his head. "A writ of Dérogeance is a forever thing. They'd been erm, killing the kings men that came to complain."
"Well, Peverell castle is erm… a magical castle." said Harry "It's a pentacle."
"Wow," said Justin, "Not… defensive?"
"Well there's a wall, but the bit where it wasn't in normal space probably did more," said Harry.
"So, one of the things they did, was build a new castle when they were explicitly forbidden to build a new fortification as part of a treaty" said Justin.
"We're not demolishing it," said Daphne sharply, "The children love the tower rooms, and its… well it's a proper, magical castle."
"And has some immovable things we're keeping" said Harry.
"Then of course, the son of that Peverell tried to blackmail Richard the third about the death of the princes … the quote ah 'I bringge them that cannot speake, that they may tell the truthe of their fates'. Well, of course, that didn't go down well."
"Oh god," said Daphne, grimacing, "Trying to blackmail a king?"
"Well, that not the last time either" said Justin.
"Oh god," said Harry, "Are they all jerks, throughout all history?"
"Well the last Royal complaint is when they attempted to blackmail Henry the eighth. Seeing as he had a lot of dead wives…"
"Because he kept executing them!" said Daphne, pointedly.
"I'm not defending that," said Justin. "But the letter in the archive from Peverell to Henry the eighth has her majesty quite annoyed – she feels quite close to him, what with being the namesake of Elizabeth the first."
"What… idiotic, necromancy did he threaten?" asked Daphne.
"To bring all the dead ones to the king's last wedding," said Justin.
"Oh bollocks," exclaimed Daphne "That's… so rude."
"Didn't he execute them for just … not having sons?" asked Harry.
"Well, yes, and that's terrible, but… ruining a wedding by raising the dead. That's… " said Daphne. She looked lost for words.
"Bad manners, yes" said Harry, with a sigh. "Not gonna do it."
"Like I'd let you," said Daphne.
"Like I'd raise Princess Diana," said Harry, "I may not be mr Political, but I know a bad idea when I see it."
"Correct" said Daphne. "Besides, they were divorced anyway."
"So… does that mean I don't get to be a Baron?" asked Harry.
"Yes. Her Majesty is aware that you are not responsible for your ancestors, but… they spent centuries being a massive pain in the arse." said Justin. "And got a second writ of Dérogeance, banning the Peverell line from ever being ennobled in Britain again."
"That's… it makes sense" said Harry "Should I join the British Communist party, do you think?" eh asked jokingly.
"Do you want to sleep on the couch?" asked Daphne.
"Not unless you're there," said Harry.
"I'm leaving before this turns into a domestic dispute" said Justin.
"Sir Justin, this is nowhere near the worst thing he's ever done, and I married him, and have seven beautiful children with him," said Daphne, "However, as he is now a father many times over… he seems to want to tell dad jokes."
"The orphans count as forty two-more," said Harry, "I'm the dad'est dad alive."
"And yet, your dad jokes are still not funny," said Daphne.
"Um" said Justin, closing up the paperwork and returning it to the briefcase. "One thing… I was um… talking to Professor Lufkin, and she was very interested in how we um… cocked up with Gringotts."
Harry groaned.
"We're not spending the cursed gold, and getting interest, it's perfectly all right," said Daphne confidently, "– So Ragnok gets to be wealthy. A happy goblin is a tame goblin."
"Is that actually a saying?" asked Harry.
Daphne shrugged, "I remember daddy saying a goblin with a sack of gold was a happy goblin. And he's making a lot of profits."
"Stimulating his economy" said Justin, and Harry snorted.
"Is there something that I, as a goblin knight might need to know?" asked Daphne.
"I already told you." said Harry. "He had goblin erm… ladies hand feeding him."
"So… he resorted to a dirty joke. Justin, I'm disappointed in you," said Daphne. "You need to get a girlfriend and settle down. I'm sure you mother would be very pleased."
Justin nodded "Oh yeah," he said woodenly, "She'd be over the moon." he added, sighed, and picked up the despatch case. "Well, I've got to go. ArbouriousDiggle has put a foot of parchment on my desk today."
-==0==-
And having to take the kids back to Platform 9 ¾ for the new school year.
"Furmann Peverell, your father will hear of this" said Daphne, glaring at Furmann, the owner of the trunk full of fire-whiskey. "UGH!" she added.
