Good evening all! I know it has been months and months and I'm sure some of you are wondering if I've abandoned it. I have not, the thing is that other things have invaded and it seems my imagination has all dried up. I'm trying to do a lot all at once and its become quite a lot. I have also reread reviews and trying to get my story straight while writing which again from the reviews i'm probably failing but oh well. I am hoping to get over my slump to carry on and can only apologise for the jumble that I deliver. For those that review, thankyou i do appreciate it as it helps me to go back and become more familiar. Hope you enjoy the chapter and fingers crossed the next one is more exciting.
"That's it, that's it, that's is it! I can't handle another second with that woman."
"Tracey, calm –"
"Oh do not tell me to calm down. Are you seriously telling me to calm down?! That awful, heinous human being in there who just…eurgh!"
"Its not all bad, come on we can –"
"Not bad! Not bad! Been coming here for four year and this is the respect I get!"
"Oh for Merlins sake so you didn't get the strawberry mice it is not the end of the world!"
"Not the end of the world! How ever will I survive until the next Hogsmede trip! Plus Halloween is coming up and I'm at that point in my cycle where I NEED sweet things!"
"Trace, we can always order some via owl post. And Padfoot sent me a food basket that I still haven't got through."
"Thank you Harry, see Daphne that is a true friend, helping me through my troubles with a clear solution. Not just telling me to calm down."
"I was trying to help your dramatic arse."
The arguing continued as they entered the Three Broomsticks and Honeydukes disappeared behind the closed door. It was the second week of October and already the wind was cold as it blew through the gaggle of Hogwarts students who were enjoying their first weekend of freedom.
"Good afternoon you lot, what can I get'cha?" Rosmerta asked with a cheery smile as the five wrestled their way to the edge of the bar.
"Butterbeers for us all please, and one of your sandwiches for the starving child, please." Neville said with a grin.
"Course, oh and if you hang around the table in the window, I think that group are leaving soon."
"Thanks Rosie." They all chorused as the bottles were handed over and they shuffled through the chattering groups to hover near enough to the table that they could snag it but far enough that they weren't crowding.
"How's the farm doing? You haven't given much away about it, very secretive." Theo asked abruptly.
"Not trying to be secretive." Harry defended himself quickly. "Just had other things to talk about. But its going well thanks, the new arrivals are settling okay and we have more singles now and with the potion they're able to go out and work while knowing they have a safe and secure place to return to."
"You manage to talk to them all?" Tracey asked, a few cheese and onion crumbs clinging to her lips.
"Every time. Sirius makes sure to take the mirror so that I can exchange a few words with them and I've been sending letters to them all. Theo, I thought you'd been sending some to Bobby and Sammy?"
"Hmm yep, they're good kids and Bobby seemed interested in Hogwarts so I thought I could help out by answering some of his questions."
"That's…surprisingly sweet of you." Tracey said with a genuine look of amazement.
"I can be sweet." He replied looking affronted.
"Since when?" Daphne asked.
"Since forever, I just hide it from you people because you'd make fun of me."
"Well I've been stuck with you for four years and I've never known you to be sweet." Tracey shot back.
"That's because you can be a bit of a cow."
"And you can be a bit of a douche!"
"And you can –"
Harry tugged Daphne back with a secretive wink and caught Neville's eye who also took a small step away from the bickering duo who barely noticed it.
"Gran says that we should hold back where it comes to Umbridge, she's asked a few subtle questions to the Minister when they've passed each other in the hall and according to her; Fudge thinks that she's the best thing since wands were made. He feels she's entirely dependable and completely in line with the Ministry and also wants the best for the children."
"Sirius said the same thing though in more impolite words." Harry noted.
"If we carry on studying and wait to see what else she'll do then we can go from there."
"Do they think she'll try to provoke him again?" Daphne asked, looking at both of them not just Harry.
"Well its already been several weeks and she hasn't done anything like that, but I do get the impression she's building up to something, you know." Neville replied thoughtfully.
"I'm so glad someone else said it! I keep feeling her watching and it looks like she'll say something but then the moment passes. But why didn't you say something to me?" Harry asked.
"Well why didn't you?"
"I thought I was being paranoid!"
"Because you haven't had enough training to see it differently!"
Harry pulled back sharply a little hurt, he knew he hadn't been raised like the others but his head had been stuffed full since the summer. Neville noticed it immediately and filled in before the hurt completely clouded the green eyes.
"Harry, you haven't had this drilled in on you since birth, you haven't gone to every single birthday party and Christmas do knowing that every hand shake and gift means something. That politics talk isn't questioning people on their agenda but asking if they're going away for the summer." He paused for a breath. "Everyone had an agenda, that's what we're given from birth. You've only been living by it for less than year. Its not just thinking that something is off, its pinpointing it, making notes in your head of the times and the environment of the time." He smiled wearily at his friend. "Its something that is pushed on you so many times that it becomes ingrained."
Mollified, Harry nodded in understanding remembering Daphne's response at their start of her friendship and how disbelieving she always was. It took a lot of time before she'd thawed towards him, he glanced towards her and at her smile and the gleam of recognition in her eyes he wrapped an arm around her waist.
"I think we should hold back…" Daphne put in after a few moments of peaceful quite between the three. The other two still debating who was sweeter.
"Yeah?"
"Hm, I think we need to carry on doing our own studying and falling in line with her rules, but perhaps we need to see how far she is willing to provoke. Fudge is clearly wrapped around her little finger and it'll be interesting to know how that progresses."
"What do you mean?"
"We all heard the speech she gave, how long do you think before she starts making a few changes around here? I, for one highly doubt that she's going to carry on teaching for long. There has to be another reason why she is here, even if its not to act against Harry personally."
"What are we talking about?" Injected Tracey, a dull flush still covering her neck and a glare in her eyes that showed the others who had lost the argument.
"What Umbridge is up to and how long it will take her to start making changes." Neville said easily.
"Do you think she'll focus on the teachers or the students?" Theo asked.
"Meaning?"
"Well she seems quite eager to provoke the Slytherins and the Gryffindors to something, I'm surprised she hasn't put anyone in detention. But I've seen her glaring at Hagrid quite a few times and she only shows McGonagall and Dumbledore a shred of respect. But all her comments are strictly professional, I'm still not sure what to make of her."
"Hmm…Oh quick, tables free." Tracye said and immediately darted round before the third years who were eyeing the table could move forward.
Harry reached into his pockets as the others settled into more casual conversagion about lessons and homework and happily reread about Sirius' and Remus' latest antics, the farm was really quite busy with quite a few day staff as well as permanent residents. Crops had been planted and children were being taught, they had started a weekly dinner with a few individuals from the Potter group to help them not feel so isolated and abandoned by wizarding society. Sirius and Madam Longbottom were matching each other in bringing new reforms to the current laws and Neville had reported that his grandmothers letters seemed to have a new hold of life.
It wasn't until the end of the letter that the happiness from hearing from his guardian turned into excitement. Killick had managed to destroy the curse on the ring, it was still a horcrux and they had to take extra care but they were now able to examine it more closely and diligently. The other point of interest was that Vexmoor had managed to have quite the chat with Madam Bones who was incredibly interested in what they were doing and promised to help in anyway she could while still remaining true to her post. Killick was eager to get started on the hunt while Robbins had agreed to take over her research into blood magic.
A whiff of vanilla drifted past his nose and glanced to his left as Daphne pulled her chair closer to him and wrapped an arm through his.
"Anything interesting?" Said a soft voice before a pair of lips ghosted over his cheek.
"Nothing that can't wait." He murmured back as he twisted his head to catch them.
"Have you heard anything from your parents? Decided what you're doing for Yule?"
"They're still not sure, I think Dad is wanting to see how the next wizengamot goes to decide if they're going to stay or leave. As for Astoria, she can't wait to go home but wants to see how many of her friends will stay. I'm not sure if I'm going home yet but probably, with everything that is going on I want to spend as much time with my family as I can, I just need to decide for sure. What about you?"
"Bit of the same, I'm thinking of heading back too. I've really missed Padfoot and Moony, think I want a proper Christmas with them, plus if Umbridge is staying around the castle I definitely don't want to be here."
Daphne sighed heavily but nodded in understanding.
"Also I think Sirius wants me to consider hosting a Ball, or at least using the Potter Manor to host a ball."
"Wow, that's a bit of adulting right there, what do you think?"
He shrugged and leant back in his chair in order to wrap an arm around her, she glared a bit at the students who were taking more interest in them but didn't shrug it off.
"I wouldn't mind doing it to be honest, but I have a feeling it would be less of my party and more a schmooze fest."
"There's no reason you can't have both. I'm sure you can make it so that enough of your friends are there, would you consider inviting the farm guests?"
"You think I shouldn't?"
"I think you should think of everything that could go wrong and everything that could go right and weight it carefully. You're not wrong, there will most likely be important officials from the Wizengamot that you will need to invite or at least Sirius will make you invite. And the behaviour displayed will reflect you, as much as I know you hate it you need to consider all the possibilities."
Harry thought about her words, reigning in his first response that would have made a painful conversation. Daphne emptied her butterbeer and snatched his to steal a couple sips while he remained quiet.
"I acknowledge the damage they could do,,," He said slowly. "And I'm not ignorant of how that will effect my standing. However…" He paused and Daphne finished his sentence.
"You feel like they deserve a break and to be included as you want to make them all feel included and not just part of the farm."
He kissed the side of her head with a grin and she shook her head at him in exasperated humour before they tuned back into the conversation before them.
"Gran says that the Wizengamont has more that 15 of its seats empty since the last of the Death Eaters have been sent down, they don't know how to proceed as many of the heirs are too young." Neville was saying.
"Won't they just leave the seats? I thought that was how the House of Brockwell ended?" Harry asked, brows furrowed as he tried to dreg up the memories of learning from Sirius.
"Some houses really don't have an heirs, or the families aren't prepared to spend that much money on going so far back and so the seat remains vacant." Theo intoned.
"Do you think Mini Malfoy will take the seat?" Tracey asked.
"Its possible, but I wouldn't be surprised if Lady Malfoy doesn't allow it. She will be proxy unless Malfoy has specifically ordered that another has taken over the role. However she is a Black, I doubt she would have let him give that power away." Theo remarked leaning back and rubbing a hand over his face.
"Agreed, I think she'll be taking over and going grey. Especially with Sirius, she won't want to do anything to invoke his rage and have him realise how much power he has or at least provoke him into using that power." Neville said.
"What do you mean?" Tracey asked and this time Harry was the one who spoke.
"They mean that Sirius – as head of the house – could annul their marriage, she would lose everything and Draco would be declared illegitimate essentially and have no claim on the house. The dowry that the Blacks put in when they married would revert to the estate and any investments that had come from it would also go back to the Black seat. Sirius could break the whole family down."
"Woah, that's some power." Tracey said, looking rather surprised.
"Padfoot won't do anything unless they push. He also still hasn't made contact with the rest of the Black family and he still is meaning to put the Tonk's back on board."
"Why hasn't he contacted them yet?" Neville asked, spinning the empty bottle in his hand. "From what I remember no one has seen Andromeda since she ran away with a muggle, their daughter went to Hogwarts though."
"Hmm Nymphadora she –"
"Sorry…Nymphadora?" Tracey said, lips twitching and eyes gleaming as she barely contained her giggles.
"Yes. As I was saying she was a Hufflepuff, left the year before we all came and has joined the aurors in training now." Harry commented quickly and then at the raised eyebrows he clarified. "Sirius keeps an eye on them all, he just doesn't know how. Andromeda never visited him in Azkaban and even now has yet to contact. Moony and I have both told him to get over himself but he's waiting for 'the right moment' or some nonsense."
"Do you think he'll ever talk to them?" Theo asked.
"He'll have to. I sent Hedwig off yesterday with a letter to them." He grinned at their faces.
"Why on earth did you do that?" Asked Daphne in complete surprise.
"Sirius needs to reconnect, and I want to know more about them. Andromeda is quite something and her husband is an excellent attorney in both muggle and magical law, I wonder if maybe that could be helpful."
"I thought you had Julian?" Tracey said wiggling her eyebrows in remembrance of the handsome Frenchmen.
"Julian was appointed to us technically, but he also has his own practice in France and is involved in usually higher cases. I have no doubt he would help if we asked but then that's still going back and forth, but to have someone in the family…" Harry shrugged before hurriedly saying. "Of course I do want to get to him too you know not just –"
"Harry you don't need to explain, we all know what you mean. Besides like it your girlfriend she's practically beaming that you figured something like that out." Neville interrupted with a roll of his eyes.
Harry glanced and indeed Daphne was smiling at him, she nudged him. "That was your Slytherin side."
Roughly 400 miles away in the Crow and Dagger, Lord Selwyn requested a corner table and immediately swept his overcoat off, London in October was grim, grey and ghoulish.
"A red wine preferably merlot and earl grey, please." He asked of the mud-blood barmaid who smiled at him with crooked teeth and whose hair hung brown and lank.
Five minutes crawled past before he had the drinks placed sloppily in front of him, the tea spilling onto the white China saucer that had green leaves twirling round the edges.
He sipped the tea while waiting for the wine to warm up as he considered his problem. His Lordship had given him the honour of planning the death of Black along with Snape's help, tricky for many reasons the first being that any mention of Sirius Black made Snape simply want to act far to Gryffindor for any plan to be pulled off without a hitch. Not only that but the Black Family was one of the oldest wizarding families, they're homes would simply not be found so it would have to be an ambush. Unfortunately they didn't know anyone who knew Black's schedule which would mean imperius but then that comes with its on difficulties. Not breaking the law, that didn't concern him but who to pick and where it should happen; it meant more planning.
Things were much more simple in the old days he mused, simply lock a family in their homes and setting fire to it. Now everyone was prepped and primed for any visit. He almost missed the time before His Master returned and it was more focussed on politics. He quickly shook the thought from his mind as he realised he was heading into dangerous territory and after finishing his wine he vanished out the door to do some more planning.