oooOOOoooOOOooo Chapter 7
The group went through the Leaky Cauldron and out into Muggle London. Hermione reached into her bottomless bag and pulled out her mobile. She pressed a few keys while Neville watched in interest before she started talking.
"Mum!" Hermione said when her mother answered. "You would not believe the day I've had. Is dad there with you? Can you put me on speaker phone?"
Neville looked at Harry, "What's a speaker phone?" Harry tried to explain while Hermione kept speaking.
"And then I found out I was the Marchioness Dagworth-Granger! Dad, did you know anything about great grandfather Rodbert being of magical descent? I'm also Lady Ravenclaw through your line, mum!" Hermione was listening to her parents respond. Harry could hear them exclaiming on the other end of the line.
"That really is insane, you know," Harry said to Neville. Neville nodded in return. The twins started fussing and Harry gave them a dummy, hoping he could change them once they got back to the alley.
"Harry's had quite a shock. Yes, the girl just left the twins with him on the train! No, I won't say who she is. She tricked Harry into signing a surrogacy contract and duped him for 100,000G! Of course he's happy about it. He has a family now. That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about."
Harry cringed to hear Hermione put it all that way! He wasn't upset with Luna and he didn't feel duped out of money. He felt duped out of sex and that was worse, more personal somehow. He wished he could talk to her again and find out why?
"You know how you and dad were planning to fully retire this year? Well, mum, you are 69 years old and dad is 74! You deserve some fun and some rest and maybe a post retirement job as a governess. For Harry, silly! You'd come live in the castle. We'd get to see each other every day. It would be lovely! Of course you'd get paid. Well, how much do you want and I'll negotiate for you," Hermione said, her ear to the phone and a serious look on her face. She laughed brightly at what her mother next said.
"Silly! No, I will not ask Harry for a galleon per year for you. At least 30,000G per year for a full time governess for two small children, even if you will have two helpers. You didn't think I'd leave you to that much work, did you? I'd guess raising babies is more difficult than running an office part time, since you're both semi-retired as it is. Yes, I know you have 17 dental offices but you also have a fantastic Manager and CEO to watch out for your clinics and a fantastic CFO to watch out for your finances. I know you were just joking but I am deadly serious," Hermione stared off in the distance for a few minutes, listening before she handed a surprised Harry the phone.
"Here, they want to talk to you," Hermione said, handing Harry the phone. Harry was shocked that Hermione had thought of her own parents as a governor and governess for the babies. It was a fantastic idea. Hermione was a kind, loving, intelligent, and loyal person. She loved a good adventure and made a lot of noise about following the rules but she broke them with abandon when someone was in need. She was exactly the type of person he hoped his kids would grow up to be.
"Er, hello?" Harry said into the phone, looking at Neville in a panic. Harry didn't know what to say. Neville looked equally as panicked. He shrugged his shoulders spasmodically, unsure of what to do.
"Hello, Harry, dear. I'm Emma Granger and this is my husband, Dan." Harry heard another voice say hello.
"Er, hi." Harry cringed at his repeated greeting.
"Hermione tells us some congratulations are in order. Unexpected congratulations but well earned anyway," Emma said with a teasing smile in her voice. She didn't want to upset the lad.
"I understand you want to raise these babies? Not put them up for adoption, which is a perfectly valid thing to do," Emma said, gently.
"Er, yes. They're my family. I'm keeping them," Harry said, with a stubborn glint in his eye. "I'm their da," it was the first time he'd even thought the words. He swayed on his feet. Hermione steadied him and looked at him worriedly. He waved her off and kept listening.
"My husband and I were planning to retire. If you'd like us for the job, we'd be delighted. We can be ready by Halloween. Will you be okay until then?" Emma asked, gently.
"Yes," Harry squeaked out.
"Good boy. I bet the children are lovely. We can't wait to meet them," Dan said. Emma smiled at Dan. He knew her biggest fear was that their daughter would be all alone when they left this world. They were realists. If they had 10 years left, they were lucky.
Hermione had also been a shock to her parents. She was a completely unexpected change of life baby . Her mother was 54 when she found out she was pregnant. Now, 15 years later, she wasn't sure if she was being selfish to have a child at all. Hermione was still so young. Her mother knew it was old fashioned and not done anymore but she'd love to see Hermione settled before she died. She had spoken of this boy, Harry, incessantly since the day they'd met. Even before they truly became friends. Was it so wrong of Emma to hope it turned into more? Emma knew this opportunity was a way for Hermione to give Emma the grandchildren she'd feared she'd never meet. She appreciated the chance to spend time with Hermione's best friend, his precious babies, and her own precious baby while getting to spend what might be some of the final years of her life in a magical castle. She was jumping at the chance to say yes.
"I'll pay you. Like Hermione said, 30,000G. I just really need the help," Harry said, desperately.
"That's not necessary, love. There's a 5 pound to a galleon conversion rate, at least. That would be 150,000 pounds. It's way too much," Emma said, kindly. "Honestly, I'd pay you for this chance."
"No, I insist! Harry said. "There's two of you and I'm sure you could make more than that in the Muggle world. Trust me, I can afford it," Harry said.
Emma and Dan grinned at one another. It would all go to Hermione anyway. If what their daughter had just told them was true, she wouldn't need it. "If you insist," Emma said, deciding she'd put half the funds in a trust for the twins and half into a trust for Hermione's future children.
"Thank you," Harry said, practically crying. "I can't tell you how much I appreciate this!" He gave the phone back to Hermione.
"Mum? Dad? Yes! I'm so excited for you to be at Hogwarts. Don't worry. We'll work out where you're to stay next weekend. We'll need to send you the contract to sign. Hardblow put it together for us; we just have to fill it in. I'll write to you both this week with the details! Love you." Hermione hung up her phone and turned back to her friends.
"Muggles have stuff like that? That's amazing! I always thought Fellytones sounded better than owls," Neville said, excitedly. Hermione's parents had been able to talk to her instantly from their office in Kent! It was amazing progress to a traditionally raised boy.
Hermione grinned at him, "Yes. They have much more than this, Neville. You'll have to come visit our house this summer and see some more." Neville grinned back at her and agreed.
oooOOOoooOOOooo
The three teens went back through the Leaky Cauldron and grabbed some lunch. The twins had to be changed and fed but they seemed quite content in their baby buggy. That was a good thing because it was only 11:30am. They had 2 ½ hours left to take care of everything else they'd need to buy before they were due at the Shrieking Shack.
They quickly made their way through the sweet shop, the apothecary, the plant store, and the stationary store. They walked past Madam Malkin's Robes for all Occasions when Hermione stopped. She looked over at Harry with a screwed up face and took a deep breath.
"Harry, I hope this doesn't upset you but it needs to be said. You need some new clothes. You're never going back to your relative's house, now. There's no reason to hide your money. Please, let me take the twins to the bookshop and you and Neville go in there and get you kitted out. I promise we'll be waiting for you when you come. Maybe go down the street there," she said, pointing out a shop, "and get some new glasses as well." She looked down at his feet, "Maybe some new shoes, too. Go on now. I've got the babies," Hermione said, bossily. Harry laughed at her and looked at himself. He guessed he really could use some new clothes.
Harry watched Hermione until she entered Flourish & Blotts. He turned to Neville and said, "Do you mind? If you don't want to come, you could always shop around and meet us back at Flourish & Blotts," Harry offered.
"Nah, mate. I'll come with you. I could use a pair of gloves myself," Neville said with a smile.
The boys were much quicker at shopping than a lady would have been. Basically, Harry got measured, speed walked through the store with the shopkeep telling her yes or no on way too many items, then paid her a whole heap of gold, and left the shop. They were done in 20 minutes. Twenty more minutes and Harry had a new pair of dragonhide boots, a pair of trainers, and a pair of school shoes. It took as long to get glasses as it took to get both clothes and shoes. Harry was annoyed with the whole process and in a hurry to get back to Hermione and the babies. He shouldn't have been.
Hermione was sitting down in the children's book aisle, while she read a cutesy story to the sleeping twins. There was a worryingly tall stack of children's books beside her. Little did they know that she had two more stacks just like it in the bottom of the baby buggy.
"Ready to go?" Harry asked, quietly, trying not to startle her. Hermione still jumped.
"Oh, certainly. I found these books for you and the babies. I found three parenting guides and a book of child developmental milestones. I also plan to buy this for my godchildren. It is a book that plays 28 classical music favorites. It also acts as a nightlight with an accurate image of the sky projected on the ceiling and walls. They already love it," Hermione said, gently patting each baby.
Harry appreciatively took the stack of books Hermione handed him and followed her as she pushed the buggy to the front of the store. Hermione let him pay for that stack and half of one of her other stacks. She paid for the rest. Neither of them cared who paid, they just wanted the babies to have everything they needed. To Hermoine, that meant books. Harry didn't want to disagree.
They left the bookshop and headed back into the Alley. They only had about an hour left now.
"Right, what else do we need?" Neville asked. His arms felt empty for all the shopping they'd done. He just had a little bag with his gloves inside.
Harry and Hermione glanced around, thinking when Harry spotted something he thought they'd need.
"Come on," Harry said, leading the group to the Trunk Bunk.
"Good idea," Hermione said. "I need a library trunk. You'll need a library trunk and another trunk for the babies' things."
"I was thinking something a little bit bigger," Harry said, turning to look at Neville and Hermione. "I'm going to need more room, Hermione. If your parents do come to stay at Hogwarts, they won't be able to stay in my rooms all the time. Neither will Julius and Jameson," Harry said. His son's names felt natural in his mouth. Even their names were perfect, in his eyes.
"What does that have to do with anything?" Hermione asked, shaking her head.
"At the Quidditch World Cup, I saw a bunch of amazing tents, but I also saw some amazing trunks. Did you ever wonder how big a trunk could get, Hermione? I bet you haven't considered it. If it can be bottomless and someone could manipulate the space, they could do anything," Harry said.
The shopkeeper walked up to them as Hermione's jaw dropped open at the realization.
"How may I assist you? In need of a new Hogwarts trunk, perhaps?" the man asked, a little snidely.
"No, I was actually hoping you could tell me if you have trunks with, like rooms or houses in them?" Harry asked, excited now. He could own his own home and live in it in Hogwarts.
The shopkeeper became much more friendly. "Yes, we do. What did you have in mind?" That's when the shopkeeper noticed the babies. He did a double take. This bunch was much too young to have babies. He decided to mind his own business and soldier on for the sale. He could always tell his opinion of these… people to his fellow shopkeepers later.
"Perhaps you're looking for something more family oriented?" he asked only slightly condescendingly.
"Yes, actually. What's the biggest house you have available? Without being ostentatious, of course. I'm a more down-to-Earth guy," Harry said. Even though he looked better with his new glasses, clothes, and shoes, he was still a teenager and therefore beneath this arsehole shopkeep.
The man led the teens back into the store. "The largest I have in stock is a lovely 12 room colonial on 100 acres of land set in the French Riviera. There is a small section of simulated beach at the edge of the property behind the house. This model also includes a quidditch pitch and circular drive with a four car garage."
Hermione had to see it to believe it. Harry put the babies in slings and touched the medallion that would allow him entry into the house. The trunk itself was a very sturdy black dragonhide leather with brass fittings that brought out the scale pattern in the leather. A large bronze medallion was set in the center of the front of the trunk. The man explained that his family crest, if he had one, would go there.
Harry waited for Hermione and Neville to arrive inside before he moved. He was instantly stunned by the view that he saw. The inside of the trunk seemed much larger than 100 acres. The sides of the trunk seamlessly stretched out to the most realistic wizarding special effects that could be found so it seemed the sky stretched forever above them and the beach stretched for kilometers down the coast on either side. The feel of the warm, gentle Mediterranean wind tickled the hairs on the back of his neck and he swore he could taste the sea. It was amazing. The house itself was set back from the beach by a significant distance of about 20 acres while 40 acres of thick grass and immaculately kept gardens led to the quidditch pitch. A lovely forest of Aleppo pine and other evergreen trees curled around the last 40 acres or so, lending their wonderful scent to the area.
The house was a three story colonial, shining with windows. It sat tall and beautiful before the ever shifting sea. As they started walking up the path, the shopkeep started trying to sell them on the virtues of the trunk before he smacked them with the price.
"As I said before, this model has 12 bedrooms, each with an ensuite and a small sitting room. The bottom floor houses the foyer which is accompanied by a walk-in closet and a powder room, a lovely Georgian staircase that rises to the full height of the third floor. The bottom floor also houses the entrance hall, a study, the formal sitting room, an entrance to the library, the formal dining room, an informal dining room, and the kitchens.
The second floor houses two master suites, four bedrooms, a family sitting room, an entrance to the library, and two additional studies. The third floor houses six bedrooms, a playroom, and a classroom for the children. The attic housed a lovely set of four rooms, a bathroom, and a sitting room that would be perfect for elves or human servants." He went on to explain the safety charms and maintenance needs of a trunk of this caliber. Harry was barely listening.
This place was huge but it felt homey and inviting to Harry. It had plenty of room for the Grangers, the twins, the elves, himself, and Hermione. There was even room for their other friends, if they wanted to come visit, too. He guessed between Hermione, Neville, and the twins, he had a good start on lifelong friendships.
"Does it come furnished?" Harry asked.
"For an additional 10,000G, it comes furnished," the shopkeeper said, expecting them to balk at the price. They didn't.
"How much is the trunk?" asked Hermione.
"15,000G," the salesman said. "It comes with a 100 year lifetime guarantee. We do all maintenance in house or at your placement location at a set rate of 500G for every 10 years of service."
Harry looked at Hermione and Neville. "What do you think?" He asked.
"I think it's lovely. It's a steep price but it has a lengthy guarantee and sound safety features. Can it connect to the floo?" Hermione asked.
"Yes," the shopkeep asked. "It has its own address, already applied. You just sign the forms and pay the fees, and we can have it set up for you with the ministry." He practically had his fingers crossed behind his back, hoping for this sale to go through. It would make his month.
"They can last a lot longer with good maintenance. My Gran still has one that her Gran received when she first married. It's a lovely garden scene. Gran has her desk set in it. She does her Wizengamot work in there," Neville said, helpfully.
Harry grinned at them both and turned back to the shopkeep. "I'll take it. Do you also have one that's a more woodsy scene? Maybe with just a four or five bedroom house in it? But with a garage, definitely?"
Hermione looked confused until Harry said one word, "Padfoot." She quickly nodded her agreement. Sirius could use a place to live. He had nothing right now. Harry wished he'd thought of getting some clothes for him. Oh well, next time.
"Yes, I have just the thing," the man said, giddy for an even larger sale. He quickly showed Harry around a lovely little five bedroom craftsman house set in a hundred acre wood with a lovely three car garage and a huge circular track that you could drive all the way around your enclosure.
"Perfect," Harry said. "I'll take two. Please make sure they're fully furnished. How soon can we get this done? Sorry, but we're in a bit of a rush now. We have somewhere else to be in 30 minutes," Harry said, glancing at his watch.
"I can have everything done in 20," he smiled at the teens, now very happy they were in his store. "Do you have any preferences on furniture, colors, styles?"
"Pretty much exactly what we saw. Please make one of the craftsman cabins in red and golds, and the other in milder tones. Also, please reinforce all three trunks with dragon hide, and if you can, please reinforce the muted tones trunk with silver under the dragonhide," Harry said, trying to be nonchalant.
"Would you like the doors and windows reinforced on the house, too?" The salesman asked, shrewdly.
"Please," Harry said, looking anywhere but at the salesman.
"That'll cost you an extra 4,000G. We call it our moon madness package," the salesman said, not really caring. This kid was about to drop almost 65,000G. He could have peed on the floor and the salesman would have made sure he still signed the bill of sale.
"Could you throw in two library trunks and two regular trunks, as well?" Hermione asked.
"Certainly. Do you have any family crests to display?"
"Yes, but maybe we could write them down. It'd be easier," Harry replied, blushing at the thought of his new titles. He noticed Hermione was pink cheeked about it, too.
The teens left the shop and headed back into the Alley. They looked around for somewhere to sit when it was Hermione's turn to drag them off, though she was dragging Neville, not Harry.
"I thought we should get your wand checked. I noticed it wasn't sparking properly in class last term," Hermione said.
"I think that was because of me and not my wand, Hermione. This was my dad's wand. It worked great for him," Neville said, dejectedly.
"That's even worse than I thought! The wand chooses the wizard, Neville. We have 20 minutes, let's just go see," Hermione said, pulling him along. The twins started whining so Harry hung back to change them and get them a new bottle going before he joined his friends. He was starting to get the hang of this stuff.
Harry entered Ollivander's to find Neville trying out new wands. "His old one is done for?" Harry asked Hermione. She was watching Neville try wands while Ollivander seemed to be having a great time helping him find the right one.
"No, it just wasn't a good match. Ollivander's offered to mount it for him for free. He's going to keep it on display and use his own new wand."
"That's a good idea. I wonder what happened to my parents' wands?" Harry asked. Hermione looked at him sympathetically and shrugged.
"I've no idea, Harry. Maybe we can find someone else to ask," Hermione said.
They looked up as a wand in Neville's hand began to rain down yellow and gold sparks. It was a pretty display that shimmered in the dim light.
"Eureka! We've got him!" Ollivander cheered. He quickly rang Neville up for his new wand and convinced all three teens to buy a wand holster. He cringed when he saw Harry's sticking out of his back pocket and Hermione's tucked away in her purse. That was no way to carry a wand so that you were prepared!
The teens went back to the Trunk Bunk and gathered their purchases before hurrying back to the Leaky Cauldron to use the floo.