"It's good to see that you prefer doing things yourself rather than using Fizzy," Hermione said as Harry got them tea from the kitchen. All of them went to the parlor and sat, just talking to each other while enjoying their tea.
"There were no servants Underhill. They were my cousins that my grandfather and his partner had and some people that have sworn their allegiance to my grandfather mostly for their protection."
"Why would they need protection," Hermione asked.
"Think of my grandfather like a king who has subjects," Harry tried to explain. "My grandfather is a Seelie princeling and technically king of the territory he created out of mist that makes up the other world until somebody imprints their will upon it. There are many dangers in the other world just like they are in this one. There is Unseelie or dark sidhe who would take great delight in causing trouble for someone perhaps even getting them injured or killed. Think of the Unseelie like pure blood who don't care about anyone except themselves and the Seelie like regular magicals if you need a comparison. In any case, there are many other dangers not just the Unseelie. Other types of fairy creatures for example. Some never bother anyone unless provoked but others will try to trick you or kill you just because they can or because you entered what they consider their territory. My grandfather will protect those who swore allegiance to him if he finds out they are in trouble. He had to leave several times while I was growing up to deal with such a situation and left me with my grandmother and my cousins, people he knew would look after me properly while he was gone."
"I think I understand," Hermione said, as she thought about what Harry had told her.
"Thinking of Harry's grandfather like a king is a good comparison," Neville said speaking up. "From what I've read really that's just what they are, except there's not just one king or prince, but every Seelie has their own territory with many subjects or at least people or animals that call that particular territory home. Every Seelie would fight off enemies in their territory not just to protect their subjects but because it's their home and there's no way that they would allow anyone to take it over and perhaps kill the people within it."
"You already know that Seelie kidnap abused children all the time and they often have those to protect along with their own if they happen to have any who aren't grown. The of age kids would fight alongside their father of course and possibly the father's partner who might or might not be their mother. It depends if there are any underage kids still in that Seelie's holdings, as to whether the partner fights alongside everyone else if their happens to be a battle of some sort."
"My grandfather of course, doesn't consider himself that way," Harry said. "He'll defend those that can't defend themselves and he's a protector for the weak and the defenseless mostly children. He's spent a great deal time teaching me everything I need to know to survive when Voldemort finally comes calling in a few years. He was very gentle and patient with me and I was never as overworked as I was when I was living with the Dursleys. Also, I was more than adequately fed. My grandmother, his partner, actually knows how to cook and the ingredients come from this world she was always doing fresh baked cookies not kenned. Kenned is where something is created out of magic," Harry explained before Hermione could ask. "Something created by magic though never taste quite the same, as baked fresh or cooked, which is why grandmom baked those cookies instead of just creating them from magic. Kenning is a particular talent for the Seelie. I could do that and not buy presents if I really wanted to. Grandfather taught me how to control my Seelie magic and now I'm learning how to control my wizarding magic at Hogwarts."
"Magicals can't create food out of magic," Neville told Hermione. "We can transform something edible into food, but not actually just create it out of nothing, so in that way Seelie magic and wizarding magic are different."
"That's rather interesting," Hermione said with an intense expression. Hermione loved learning new things and that would probably never change.
The three friends continue to talk and laugh until dinner time where Fizzy served up a grand meal for the five people currently in the house.
~~~Dave and Harry~~~
4 years later
"Do we have to?" Harry asked not for the first time.
"If you mean do we have to go get supplies for your fifth year then the answer is yes," Dave said. "I know how much the headmaster annoys you, he annoys me too, but I know you'll miss your friends if you don't go back."
"I can see them on Hogsmeade weekends and in the summer," Harry countered. "My patience with the headmaster is nearly exhausted. As for Potions Class, it has gotten to the point that I can't enjoy it, because of Snape grudge against my father. He is bound and determined to get a reaction out of me and when I manage to control my temper, he never looks very pleased. At first, it was just an annoyance, you know? Nothing I couldn't handle, but he's getting worse and worse every year, because he hasn't gotten a reaction out of me yet so he can give me detention. The one time he tried to do so for no reason I went to McGonagall and she reversed it once she had learned what had happened. She warned him that if he tries anything like that again with Dumbledore's approval or not he would get a warning. Three of those and he would be summarily dismissed.
"Really, all that means though, is that he has to get a reaction out of me so he has a legit reason to get me in detention. I am absolutely at the end of my tether when it comes to patience with the both of them. Next insult and Snape is going to find himself hexed into oblivion and he'll be lucky if I don't do worse then that. He's held a grudge against a man that's been dead for about 13 years now, which is ridiculous.
"Snape is holding onto his grudge so tight that he can't see that I'm totally different from the man I share DNA with. I look like my father and that's enough for him to harass me until I'm ready to strangle him. He blames me for everything that happens inside the school whether or not I was involved. Dumbledore's schemes are also getting on my nerves and even though I've never got myself involved it doesn't mean that I'm not tired of him trying to test me."
"I'll tell you what," Dave said finally seeing that his grandson was indeed at the end of his patience with certain members of the staff. "You go back this year, complete your O.W.L.s and you can take your N.E.W.T.s at the ministry. You have to swear though that you'll study and still take them."
Harry considered it then nodded. "I suppose, I can do that," Harry said finally.
"Good," Dave said pleased. "I understand your frustration with the headmaster and Professor Snape, grandson. Dumbledore has not broken his word, although he has skirted awfully close a few times, but unfortunately, he knows how far to go, just far enough that he hasn't technically, broken the promise he gave me. Still, he'll get what's coming to him I promise you. I am getting tired of his schemes as well, especially since he is trying so hard to involve you in them. As for Snape, I'll deal with him I promise you."
"Only if I don't find a way to do it first!" Harry declared fiercely.
Dave nodded, because he couldn't understand where his grandson was coming from.
"First year, was the Philosopher's Stone and when I didn't respond like he expected me to he kept giving me rather disappointed looks. It wasn't too hard to guess what he was so disappointed about, like I cared. I suppose it's possible, probably even likely, if you hadn't come and rescued me from my relatives that I would have responded exactly as the headmaster hoped and fought off the spirit of Voldemort. I probably would've ended up in the Hospital Wing afterwards if I had done so."
"You did go after Ginny Weasley when she was taken down to the Chamber of Secrets," Dave pointed out still rather upset about that incident even a couple of years later.
"I know," Harry sighed remembering the punishment he had received from his granddad. It hadn't been as harsh, as it could have been, because Dave knew that Harry had only done so to save a student's life, a student who was only 11 years old and had been possessed by a very powerful magical artifact.
Even Ron had been grateful, Harry remembered. The two of them couldn't be considered friends, as they were like oil and water, but at least Ron had finally quit trying to barge his way into his group of friends.
Harry had heard from the Weasley twins that Ron had been lectured about manners and being an annoyance. He had heard that while Arthur Weasley was rather mild mannered he did have a temper if properly provoked. Ron's father had made his son promise that he would stop trying to barge his way into Harry's group without even a by your leave.
According to the twins, Ron had been told it was very rude and showed a lack of proper manners for him to try to attach himself to Harry, just because he was a famous celebrity.
According to the twins their father's exact words were. Didn't you even bother to ask if you could sit with them? Did it ever occur to you that most people don't like a person when they're rude? Trying to claim Harry's exclusive attention is not only rude, you could start a wizarding feud between our families. Harry has made it clear to the twins that all of them are at the end of their ropes with your attitude and both the Longbottoms and Potters are powerful families. Your lack of manners could have them coming after our family as wizarding feuds have been started over much less insulting behavior. While both of them are minors all they would have to do is tell their guardians about what you were trying to do and there could very well be serious repercussions for our family. We could be heavily fined for instance, something that we can't afford. Both boys would have every right to call you out, through their guardians, for your lack of etiquette, and your lack of manners."
Molly hadn't been happy with the discussion, but she also knew her youngest son wasn't the brightest and Fred and George warning had come through loud and clear. The warning was that the Potter heir was getting rather annoyed with her youngest son's attitude and how he kept trying to barge their way into his group of friends, while pushing those same friends aside. If he had only asked politely that would've been a whole different situation. Fred and George had said that Harry was really a nice guy, but he was getting tired of telling Ron he wasn't welcome because of his attitude.
Fred and George had made it clear that they were friends with Harry and that he wasn't full of himself at all, that he just wanted to be treated as himself and not as the Boy Who Lived. The Boy Who Lived was just a title that the public had foisted off on him, but not who he was.
Arthur could understand this very well and so could his wife so they tried to explain it to their youngest son who didn't seem to understand and neither parent was sure if that was because he truly didn't comprehend the difference between the Boy Who Lived and a boy called Harry or if he was being dense on purpose.
Arthur had warned his youngest son to lay off Harry and his friends, so Ron had been forced to obey unless he wanted to be punished severely for his disobedience.
Arthur had explained that their family could not afford a heavy fine or a feud with both houses of Longbottom, Potter as well as Black, since Sirius Black was Harry's guardian.
Harry was just glad that Ron avoided him when he came back to school for his second year and Neville, he knew, was just as happy.
The twins of course, had found Ron being in trouble rather amusing, even if they also sympathized with their youngest brother's plight. On the other hand, they well knew that their brother had brought it on himself.
"I felt like I had no choice that time, because a student's life was in danger and I knew the staff wouldn't do anything until it was far too late. I mean Ginny was only 11 and it was only her first year of school. She was probably very lonely due to the fact that I know she didn't have any close friends. Not everybody makes friends easily and being possessed by that diary would've made it difficult, even impossible to make any. It didn't help that her siblings were ignoring her, not paying attention to their youngest sibling who was obviously not like her usual self. I mean she had four of her older brothers right there in the same house, Percy, Fred and George and Ron and yet none of them noticed she wasn't acting like herself. I mean Percy should have at least noticed, as he was a prefect, but he was so busy quoting the rules to the younger students he wasn't actually fulfilling the role. Prefects are supposed to help the younger students find their way around the castle, particularly the first years. You're supposed to be able to come to them if you're homesick or have a problem. You can't do that with Perfect Percy, as he's too obsessed with his own self and quoting the rules to the younger students, as if they're the Holy Grail," Harry said.
"I know, which is why I didn't punish you as harshly as I could have once you came home for the summer," Dave said, as he put a hand on his grandson shoulder.
"I know," Harry said quietly. "I knew I would be punished if I did it, but I just couldn't let a young girl die, because the headmaster is not one to act until he absolutely has to. He likes to see how things play out and by then, it's usually to late to do anything. I'm sure he would grieve for Ginny if she had actually died, but he probably would have just said it was for the greater good. The Weasleys only daughter and the first girl born in quite a few generations. I won't claim he's uncaring, but he's so emotionally detached that he doesn't seem to really connect with the students. He seems to consider that sacrifices must be made, even if that sacrifice is a young girl whose barely had a chance to live. I won't deny that I really enjoy certain aspects of Hogwarts, but not enough to put up with people like Snape who hated my dad so much, even after all this time, that he takes it out on a boy who hadn't even been conceived at the time. Just looking like my father's enough for him hate me."
"I know it hasn't been easy for you especially last year," Dave admitted.
"Well, at least you didn't punish me when my name came out of that stupid Goblet of Fire," Harry snorted.
"Because I know it wasn't your fault in that case," Dave explained and Harry nodded. "I know you well enough to know that you wouldn't've wanted anything to do with such a dangerous tournament like that just to supposedly be covered in glory."
"And that's another bone of contention with me," Harry sighed. "Most of the student population still believes I entered my name and when I managed to get out of it by calling on the goblin expertise they thought I was a coward. I am so tired of the sheep of the wizarding world."
"That was a very smart move, grandson," Dave told Harry not for the first time.
"Who knows more about contracts then a goblin?" Harry said blushing at the implied compliment.
"Not many people," Dave said with a smile or pride. "I won't say the goblins are the only ones that know that kind of thing backwards and forwards, but it's certainly not a very common talent. I can't really blame you for being tired of peoples attitudes either," Dave added. "Not all magicals are like that just the ones in Britain. There're some like that in other countries too, but luckily, they're not as numerous as they seem to be here in England.
"Well, I intend to explore some of the world, as soon as I'm of age so I can see for myself," Harry said.
"So any girlfriend I need to know about?" Dave asked suddenly and Harry blushed right on cue.
"Not really," Harry stuttered.
"Hmm," Dave said in a tone of disbelief. If there was one thing about his grandson it was that he was overly modest. While this was not necessarily a bad trait, it could also be annoying, because it kept him from accepting accolades for his accomplishments at least not without considerable embarrassment on his part. Dave had a feeling that his former relatives were to blame for that, though Dave supposed, it could just be a natural part of his grandson's personality. He had to admit that the way the public fawned over the Boy Who Lived Dave couldn't really blame his grandson for not liking the attention.
"Is there at least someone you like?" Dave inquired and watched in hidden amusement as his grandson blushed again.
"Can't we change the subject," Harry begged.
Dave simply gave his grandson a look and Harry caved. He knew that his grandfather wouldn't tease him like Sirius would.
"Fine," Harry grumbled, "There is this girl in Slytherin I like."
"Have you approached your yet?" Dave asked and watched, as his grandson shook his head.
"I haven't, because Slytherins and Gryffindors don't exactly get along," Harry tried to explain. "It's not so much the teasing that's bound to occur, it's more the fact, that certain Slytherins and Gryffindors are going to violently object. We'd both have to watch our backs every second once word of our relationship got out and I wouldn't put it past someone from either house to hex us right into the Hospital Wing. Dumbledore is unlikely to punish the culprits beyond a few detentions and that's only if he bothers to investigate in the first place. He has a bad habit of letting the culprits go with no more than a warning or a few detentions. I've seen this for myself numerous times where Draco Malfoy gets off with no more than a slap on the wrist because the Potions Master is Head of his House, while students from another house get punished far more harshly, especially if they're Gryffindors. As far as I know, Dumbledore has never stopped his abuses and he's been teaching there for quite a few years since the early 80s at the very least.
"If we started dating it would be bound to be found out eventually, because of the Hogwarts grape vine. I can think of several students that will react and want to get back at us, for going over to the enemy and that doesn't even take into account the Potions Master's reaction. I have no doubt that Severus Snape would only encourage his students to bully us until we broke up and I doubt very much that the headmaster would do a damn thing about it, probably agreeing with Snape's actions. I don't doubt for a second that he does not want me to get involved in a relationship with somebody from Slytherin, as I know he considers all of them, well, not evil precisely..."
"I think I understand what you're saying," Dave said thoughtfully. "You fear that the girl you like will be seriously hurt if you start dating, because of the animosity between your two houses."
"That's only part of it," Harry further explained. "For one thing, I'm not sure that she actually likes me, although I think she does, all indications point to it, she's just had to be very subtle. She doesn't seem to be one of those purebloods that believes in blood purity. However, she also has to be careful, because some of the Slytherin would make her life hell within Slytherin House if she dared tried to date a Gryffindor, especially Harry Potter. Besides, as much as Snape hates me, well, his reaction would be explosive once he found out."
"Yes, I see what the problem is," Dave said finally. "Still, I think you should take the risk and just not be seen in public until you're not in school anymore and by then it won't matter."
"There's also the matter of how her parents will react to find it now she's in a relationship with none other then Harry Potter," Harry added with an expression of distaste. "Not to mention I wouldn't be surprised if Dumbledore in particular tried to talk me out of having a relationship with her simply based on her house, as he doesn't like Slytherins very much, if the bullying by our separate houses didn't work.
"While I admit that a lot of Voldemort's followers come from their house there have been ones from other houses as well. I'm sure Dumbledore would love to see me get with someone like Ginny Weasley, simply because her family are his followers. While he knows I forge my own path, I think he believes that he can still manipulate me into doing what he wants, even though so far he has not succeeded. Personally, the sooner I get away from him the better before I do something I'll regret later. I am very close to at least punching that old man in the nose and I'm sure that me using physical assault instead of magic would shock him."
"I hadn't realized things had gotten that bad," Dave winced. He had known that his grandson had a temper, much like his mother, but had done a wonderful job in learning to control it. Dumbledore had apparently ticked off his grandson often enough over the last four years of his schooling that Harry was very fast losing his patience with the old man.
"I've about reach my limit if you want to know the truth," Harry offered. "We never exactly started off with a good relationship, considering that I've never really forgiven him for leaving me with the Dursleys in the first place. Forgiveness has to be earned and he certainly hasn't earned mine, because he's done nothing, as far as I know to do so.
"In fact, he's done quite a bit to earn my eternal dislike at least. While I won't say I hate him, I certainly don't like him in the slightest. I can respect all he's accomplished over his long life, but I certainly don't like his attitude of: Oh! We can leave these children petrified until the Mandrakes are ready no matter how long that takes just because those kids aren't purebloods. Who cares about the dregs of wizarding society after all?
"Now, while he didn't actually say that he certainly didn't do anything to get those children unpetrified and some were like that for months. He was so concerned with protecting his reputation that he didn't seem to care that those children were exactly that, children. He didn't even do the decent thing and get somebody to help them through what had happened to them, while they couldn't move. They could hear, but they couldn't do anything else. The way that he handled that did not impress me in the slightest, as I wouldn't be surprised if the kids that were petrified had nightmares after they were returned to normal.
"I bet you anything, he didn't inform the parents of what had happened to their children, because he's too concerned about protecting his reputation and I won't be surprised if money was also involved in that decision. The Mandrakes would've had to come somewhere else, as the ones in the Hogwarts Greenhouses weren't mature at the time and weren't for months.
"That doesn't even include the older issues I have with the headmaster, including him placing me with the Dursleys, not bothering to check up on me and leaving Sirius in Azkaban just because he was my godfather. He seems to be rather careless with other peoples lives other than his own.
"His distinct lack of caring for the children under his care is one of my main issues with him. That doesn't even include the fact that he does nothing about the severe bullying that goes on in individual houses, as well as between houses. He considers it children just acting out and in some cases that might be true, but in other instances, students have considered leaving Hogwarts or even taking their own lives, which they believe would be better then put up with bullying that is so bad that they would do anything in order to stop their tormentors."
"You sound like you have personal experience with that second option," Dave said carefully.
"I have," Harry said. "I discovered this girl, who's a Ravenclaw, that has been bullied so severely by her own housemates that she was actually thinking about ending her own life. She's had her possessions stolen and her homework ruined before she has a chance to turn it in and so forth, by her own housemates no less. They think she is fair game just because she's a little odd. From what I learned her mother died due to an experiment gone wrong when she was nine. She sat with her mother until she passed away and the father discovered them when he came home from work. The father didn't exactly take news of his wife's death well and has no idea how to look after a child by himself, especially not a girl child. She's been basically on her own ever since her mother's death. I won't say her father is a bad man, he's just doesn't know how to look after a little girl who is growing up. I doubt very much that Luna has told him her problems she's having probably not wanting to worry him, as she's very independent."
"What has the headmaster done about this bullying problem?" Dave asked his expression grave.
"Absolutely nothing, as far as I'm aware," Harry said his disgust evident. "Of course, there might be something he did that I'm not aware of, but considering his usual action is to do nothing I very much doubt that."
"If that's true, he's not the man I thought he was," Dave said shaking his head looking upset. "I truly believed that he was just misguided, but after all you've told me, well, I won't class him as evil, but his seemingly uncaring attitude disgusts me, just as much as it does you, especially as a headmaster of a school he should care about all the children. I can definitely understand why you want to leave."
"What astonishes me more is that this is a man that the magical population here in England looks up to," Harry said with a snort of derision.
"I'm sure that's only because they don't really know about most of his actions," Dave said
"Probably true," Harry agreed soberly. "I have a feeling however, that many would not believe he could possibly do wrong, because as I've said many times the magicals here in England are sheep."
Grandfather and grandson were quiet as each contemplated what had been said. Still, the quiet was not uncomfortable. In fact, they both considered it a very enlightening conversation.
Dave for instance knew that Harry wouldn't say many of the things he had except to him and possibly to Sirius, because Harry knew that he could vent his feelings to him and he wouldn't judge his grandson at all. It always amazed Dave at how some parents wouldn't listen to their children and just brushed them aside.
Parents often needed just to listen to them as there could be serious problems going on in their lives like the severe bullying that Harry's friend Luna had endured for several years, which had apparently gotten so bad that Luna had nearly committed suicide, just to escape her tormentors. Many children committed suicide throughout the world yearly, and while most of the parents grieved for their children if they had paid attention to them in the first place it probably never would've happened. It was always a sad day when so many children felt their situation was hopeless and therefore, took their lives just to escape their various situations.
~~~Dave and Harry~~~