Chapter 7

Harry and Dan were seated outside Fortescue's, each enjoying an ice-cream. "Emma would nag us for hours if she knew we were eating ice-cream, 'way too much sugar', 'bad for your teeth', 'you're a dentist, you should set a better example'."

Harry laughed at his impression of Emma and how much it reminded him of how Hermione would go on about homework. "Worth it though." Harry licked at his ice-cream, the same clotted cream strawberry ice-cream he had the day before. Dan hummed in agreement as he enjoyed his own rum raisin cone. The two of them were celebrating signing the contract. Garrick had lit up when Dan and Harry had walked into his shop, and for almost an hour they went over the paperwork. They reviewed the contract and the patient paperwork, and Harry got to experience a blood quill for the second time in his life.

Once all the paperwork was done Harry gave Garrick the rune array he used and explained how it worked. He explained how the array had an open spot in it that needed to contain a unique symbol that paired the two rings, so that the master ring would know which ring to summon. After that was done, Garrick told Harry about how he intended to go forward. Harry's ring design of a pair of simple wooden rings was brilliant and that would be the basic design that would sell for a few gallions a pair, but Garrick was also going to make a deal with a jeweler he knew and create premium rings that would sell for quite a bit more, with a good margin for him and Harry even after having to buy the rings to enchant. He would also offer a service if anyone wanted to convert a ring they already had.

Harry has been surprised by just how much Garrick intended to do with his design. It seemed that the wand maker really wanted to make a go of the rings. Harry had asked about that and was a little surprised by the answer.

"There isn't much gold in making wands Harry, my business is even subsidized by the Ministry. As much as our society needs wands, most witches and wizards only ever buy one in their entire lives. I make most of my gold on the wand holsters and wand polish, occasionally a bit of consulting if someone needs an expert on wands. Honestly, a new product that I can hopefully make some gold on is just what I need."

Harry took another lick of his ice cream and leaned back, just watching the people walking past who were going about their business and doing some shopping. Their relaxing afternoon eating ice-cream was suddenly cut short by the arrival of Hedwig, who flew down and landed on the small table between him and Dan. Harry immediately turned his attention to his familiar and gleaned two things: first, Hedwig was worked up; something had happened to her that she didn't like. The other thing he noticed was that she had a note tied to her leg. Harry untied and opened the note that was written on normal note paper instead of parchment.

Dan, Harry,

There are wizards at the house! They are claiming that they are here to return Harry to his relatives. You need to come home quickly.

Harry was stunned. What wizard would want to return him to the Dursleys? Then he remembered Dumbledore. Harry had thought that he had managed to get around the headmaster, but he must have found out that Harry wasn't at the Dursleys somehow.

"Harry! Do you have a way to quickly contact Director Bones?" Dan asked him. Harry got the impression it wasn't the first time Dan had asked that question in the last few moments.

"Uh...contact Director Bones...I could send a note with Hedwig." Harry quickly rummaged through his pockets looking for something to write with and came up empty. His gaze fell on the quills and parchment store and he quickly dove in, not even bothering to pay normally but just grabbing what he needed and tossing a galleon at the old woman behind the counter. He quickly wrote two notes, one for Director Bones and one for Tonks and tied them to Hedwig's leg.

"Hedwig I need you to hurry, OK? Find either Madam Bones or Tonks quickly." Hedwig gave him a quick nip on the finger before she took flight. Harry turned back to Dan. "We need to wait in the pub, I told Director Bones and Tonks we would wait for them in the Leaky Cauldron."

Dan nodded and took off towards the pub, Harry only a half step behind him. The pub was mostly empty as it was after the lunch rush on a weekday; the two anxious men sat at a table waiting impatiently. Harry was worried about being sent back to the Dursleys, and Dan didn't like the idea of not rushing back to his wife while a number of unknown men with magic were throwing their weight around their home.

Fortunately the two of them didn't have to wait very long. Not 15 minutes after they set foot in the pub the fireplace flashed green and out stumbled Auror Tonks. It was most definitely Auror Tonks, not Cousin Tonks, as she was wearing the deep red robes that came with the job. Harry rushed over to her and started trying to explain what he knew, but the young Auror interrupted him. "One second Harry, the boss lady is right behind me; no point in explaining this twice."

About 10 seconds later, the fireplace flashed green again and this time Director Bones stepped out far more elegantly than Tonks had been able to do; she also had a rather ruffled and annoyed looking Hedwig seated on her shoulder.

"Right Harry, what's going on?" Tonks asked as Director Bones brushed the ash from her robes.

This time Harry was silent and just held out the note that he had received from Emma. Tonks quickly read it before handing it over to Director Bones, who did the same.

"OK, the two of you stay here, Auror Tonks and I will go and see what is going on." Director Bones told them, and without even waiting for a reply the two of them turned on the spot and disappeared, leaving an anxious Dan and Harry behind waiting for news.

-ϟϟϟ-

Tonks landed and looked around for her boss, only to notice that she was alone. Damn it! Rookie mistake. In her rush she had forgotten to check with her superior where to aim her apparation. Director Bones had probably gone to a secluded area and would be here soon. Tonks, who was more familiar with the house, had aimed to land in the garden, where she had been a couple of weeks ago to celebrate Harry's birthday.

"I keep telling you, my daughter is a witch. There is no need to modify mine or my husband's memory. She is Harry's closest friend, that's how we met him." Tonks could hear Mrs. Granger's voice coming from inside the house.

If the wizards were talking about obliviating the Grangers, she had to get in there quickly. Fixing a modified memory was a dicey business at best. She reached for the door handle and hoped it wasn't locked. While she could perform the unlocking charm nonverbally it did nothing to hide the sound of the lock itself disengaging.

She was in luck, the door opened quietly and she was able to slip inside the Granger's kitchen. "What's taking so long? You sent that note to your husband half an hour ago. You better not be lying to us, there are much worse fates than getting your memory modified and just forgetting about us you know!" Tonks could hear one of the voices.

"Keep your robes on. Remember muggle transportation is useless. The boy is underage, they probably have to walk back or use one of those slow aut-O-mobiles, just be patient." A second voice calmed the first.

Tonks crept through the kitchen getting closer to the door to the living room. "Should we just modify her memory now? It would save time!" The first voice said again. Tonks didn't have any time to hesitate; she rushed across the last part of the kitchen, knocking a stack of clean dishes off the kitchen work surface as she went. She stood next to the door so that if anyone wanted to cast on her they would need to come right up to the door and called out.

"This is the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. You are under arrest for suspected Muggle baiting and attempting to remove a minor from their lawful guardian. You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not mention during questioning something which you later rely on during your trial before the Wizengamot. Anything you say may be given in evidence. Drop your wands and come quietly."

There were a few sounds of surprise then a voice called out. "We are the DMLE!"

At the same time Mrs. Granger called out "Tonks? Oh thank god."

What the hell? Why would MLE be trying to move Harry back to the Dursleys? She looked around the door to see who was inside, it was Auror Cavendish and Senior Auror Dawlish. Seeing that it wasn't a group of criminals, Tonks stepped into the room, but given that Dawlish had just threatened to wipe Mrs. Granger's memories of magic she didn't put her wand away.

"What are you doing here, rookie?" Dawlish barked at her. Tonks was surprised she hadn't recognised Dawlish's voice; she spent enough time listening to him bark orders at her, most of which had nothing to do with investigating a crime. She would have taken offence, but he was like that with all the rookie aurors.

"I just got a report of unknown wizards attempting to abduct Harry Potter from his home. I came and found you two doing just that. Care to explain why that is?"

"Damn rookie can't even read a good damn report properly. It's two muggles who have taken Harry Potter from his relatives without the permission of his magical guardian. Now sit back and watch how someone who knows they are doing deals with this." Dawlish snapped back. He turned to Mrs. Granger and said, "OK, this is your last chance. Tell me where the boy is or you can say goodbye to your memories, and I won't be too careful about what I erase."

Tonks moved and stood between the woman who had taken in her cousin where she and her family had failed, and the man who was threatening her and gave Dawlish a glare that, if witches could petrify, would have put a basilisk to shame.

"What do you think you are doing, rookie? Get out of the way, now!"

"You can't modify her memory! Her daughter is a muggleborn. She is well within her rights to know about magic!"

"Not this story again, rookie, now listen to me. Suspects and criminals, they lie. They lie about what they did, they lie about where they were, they will lie about anything if they think it will get them out of trouble. Just because she said she has a witch for a daughter doesn't make it true. There is no evidence of a witch daughter here. Now get out of the way."

"You haven't even looked for evidence of a witch daughter." Tonks knew this because if he had looked upstairs she had no doubt that he would have found all Hermione's school supplies. "I personally vouch for Mrs. Granger."

"You don't have the seniority to vouch for the stench of dragon dung, rookie. GET! OUT! OF! THE! WAY!" He was bellowing in her face like a demented parody of some the auror training programs instructors.

"And what about my word, Dawlish? Because I also vouch for Mrs. Granger's daughter being a witch. And a damned intelligent one at that." Dawlish froze struck dumb at the sound of the voice and he and his partner Cavendish turned around in shock.

"Ah Director Bones. It's good to see you again. Even if it's under these circumstances," Emma said shakily.

-ϟϟϟ-

Harry Potter was more than a little queasy as he appeared in the Grangers' back garden. Tonks had just brought him and Dan back to the house by side-along apparition, and it felt as though Harry's stomach had been filled with a bunch of rocks somewhere along the journey. After a few moments of fighting, he was able to get himself under control and just managed to avoid throwing up all over the Grangers' patio. Dan however lost his battle and threw up over the paving slabs. Tonks vanished the acrid smelling contents of Dan's stomach, saying "Don't worry about it, most people throw up the first time they're taken by side-along apparition. it's a little better if you can do it yourself, but not much; you have to give it its dues, though, it's a fast and convenient way to travel." Harry wasn't sure he agreed with the convenient part, in fact he thought he might just stick to brooms whenever he could.

About twenty minutes after Director Bones and Tonks had left, Tonks had returned to Dan and Harry, telling them that everything was OK now and that no-one was being sent to the Dursleys, and that Emma was a little agitated but completely fine. A quick journey through the outer reaches of hell, or as it was more commonly referred to 'side-along apparition' had taken them back home. Director Bones was waiting there for them drinking a cup of tea with Emma. Emma, seeing that Dan and Harry were back, relaxed. Dan was quick to seat himself next to his wife and she slumped against him.

"What happened, Director?" Harry asked the woman who was wiping at her tea.

"Somehow a report made it to the desk of one of the DMLE's senior aurors. It said that you had been removed from your family by the Grangers' and that you need to be returned to them as soon as possible. The auror didn't bother to check if there was already an active file for you, and after getting his partner the two rushed here to save you." She stopped for a few moments sipping on her tea to get the time to order her thoughts. "Aurors Dawlish and Cavendish arrived to find you missing and treated Mrs. Granger like a suspect in a kidnapping. As of right now, nothing is going to happen. As long as the Granger's are OK with the arrangement you will stay here."

Dan interrupted Director Bones here. "Harry isn't going anywhere. He is staying with us." Harry was a little surprised by how firm Dan was when he said that Harry was staying. As much as they made sure he felt welcome, he still had trouble seeing himself as worth that level of commitment.

The head of the DMLE smiled at Dan's words. "Excellent. As I was saying, you are staying here and not returning to your relatives."

"What is going to happen about those two men?" Emma asked, still a little shaky but recovering quickly.

"Well, I'm going to drag Dawlish and Cavendish into my office and yell at them for half an hour for not checking if there was an active file before running off. Dawlish especially, as a senior auror should know better."

"That's it? They threatened my mind! How can being yelled at be the only thing that they are facing?" That Emma felt that was nowhere near enough was clear in her voice. Dan stiffened on hearing this, and you could easily see the tension in the man.

"Despite the fact that if they had checked the files this would not have happened, Dawlish and Cavendish thought they were dealing with a kidnapping case for one of our world's most well known people. Every law enforcement the world over is rough in such situations, threatening suspects with the harshest punishments available. The child that needs protecting comes first." None of them liked that, even if they could understand it. Harry particularly didn't like being called a child. Hadn't he done more than most adults? He had faced a troll, a basilisk, dementors, LeStrange, and Voldemort. He wasn't a child, not anymore anyway.

Amelia sighed before continuing "What I want to know is where did the report of a kidnapping come from? I doubt that the Dursleys would have filled such a report. As I understand it, Mr. Dursley was quite happy with the idea of walking away from all contact with the wix community. But who else would take an interest into Harry's living arrangements?"

"Dumbledore." Everyone turned to look at Harry when he spoke.

"Please explain." Director Bones asked of him.

"During the last school year, Dumbledore called me up to his office. He had shared that he knew I had spent Christmas here and wanted me to go back to the Dursleys this summer. He kept saying things like "They must miss you" and "it's his job to return students to their families at the end of the school year". He wouldn't listen when I tried to explain and said he was going to write to you about it."

"Oh, I remember getting a letter from Mr. and Mrs. Granger now about that, but I never received a letter from Dumbledore. I assumed that the man had dropped it."

Tonks spoke up. "Boss, Mr. Dursley did turn up when Harry got off the train and tried to take Harry home. He said something about getting a letter that he needed to collect Harry."

"Well, it looks like I have a lead to follow up on. Auror Tonks, I want you to stay here and get their official statements, and then I will see you back at the ministry." The director said her farewells and then went into the back garden to apparate back to the ministry.

Tonks sighed. "Great, paperwork, fun."

-ϟϟϟ-

Dumbledore sat in his Chief Warlock's Office at the Ministry looking over the report from the DMLE. He hadn't thought that there was a good chance to get Harry back on track with his original plan, slipping the report into an auror's inbox, but the relatively low risk of fallout made it a shot worth taking. Even when Director Bones had come sniffing around about the report, he was able to quickly wave off her concerns. He was the Headmaster of Hogwarts after all. If he found that a student had not returned to their family after leaving the school, then it was his job to file a report. And if he had used his position as Chief Warlock to put a report directly on an auror's desk...well, it wasn't protocol, but a minor's safety was top priority over a little bit of paperwork.

The only downside was that Director Bones took the time to explain to him why she had removed Harry from the Dursleys. Now he wouldn't be able to claim ignorance and continue to try and send the boy back there. It mattered little, he was going to need to put together a new plan anyway. He just didn't like having an option totally removed from the board. He would also need to be hands off for a while. He wished that Director Bones hadn't taken a personal interest in Harry's case. The woman was good at her job, and in the long run, when Tom was able to return that competence would save a lot of innocent lives. She did however complicate things in the short term. Even if he stayed within the law, investigations had a habit of uncovering things best left in the dark.

Albuse sighed and rubbed at the bridge of his nose, pushing up his glasses while he massaged where they normally rested. It didn't matter; he needed to keep his eyes on the big picture, and Harry would be back under his influence in a few weeks. Then, he could update his plan to save everyone from the evil that Tom would inflict on them.

-ϟϟϟ-

The rest of Harry's week could be summed up in one word, uneventful. Apart from a few chores around the house that he had to do, Harry was pretty bored. Unlike the Dursleys, the Grangers didn't expect him to do all the housework, but it was his home and he was expected to do his share. He didn't mind, because Dan and Emma always appreciated the help.

Monday rolled around and Harry perked up. Hermione was coming home today, but Daphne and Tracy were also coming over for a week. Hermione had apparently arranged it on his birthday. Harry would finally have someone to talk to after a week of being mostly alone. Dan and Emma were great, but talking with them was hard. Not only were they two adults whose life experience was confined to the mundane world, they also both worked full time jobs.

Harry was broken out of his thoughts by the door opening and someone coming into the house. He turned and just caught a glimpse of bushy brown hair before the person it was attached to jumped on him, wrapped her legs around him and proceeded to try and kiss him. The problem was, unlike in films where the actor knows what is about to happen, Harry had no clue and didn't have a chance to brace himself for a person to barrel into him. The end result was the two of them falling onto the sofa that was luckily behind him

"Ow." Harry said as he felt Hermione's head slam into his.

Hermione sucks in a breath before muttering to herself. "Bad plan, that was a bad plan... are you OK Harry?"

"I will be. Nice to see you too, by the way." Harry smiled up at her trying to hide a wince as his head throbbed. Trying to hide it was useless, though, when Hermione was only a foot from his face. Instead of saying anything, Hermione leaned forward and captured his lips. Soon the two of them were kissing as if they hadn't seen each other in months, despite the fact it only been a week.

"OK, calm down, both of you. There is no need to go over the top."

Harry looked over Hermione's shoulder to the woman who had come in behind her and tried to communicate to Hermione's nan, Ms. Richards, that 'I don't have much of a say in this' with a look. The older woman shook her head and made her way to the kitchen, were Harry could hear her *put the kettle on.

"I missed you Harry." Hermione said as she buried her head in the crook where his neck met his shoulder.

Harry inhaled deep taking in the smell of her. Of everything that he missed about Hermione when she wasn't there, it was her scent. Vanilla (as Hermione had changed her shampoo again) mixed with the ever present scent of parchment and an unnameable quality that was distinctly Hermione. "I missed you as well."

Ms Richards came back into the room holding a cup of tea. "Good morning Harry, it's nice to see you again." She ignored that Hermione was still sitting in his lap.

"It's good to see you as well Ms. Richards. How have you been since Christmas?" The three of them engaged in small talk for twenty or so minutes before Ms. Richards left. She probably would have stayed longer, but she wanted to see Emma before she went home and both Dan and Emma were stuck at the surgery for most of the day. Most parents tried to schedule their kids' check-ups during the summer break, and as Dan and Emma had taken a week off for their vacation in France, they had been dealing with a fully booked surgery since.

Harry and Hermione spent the rest of the morning and the early part of the afternoon preparing for their guests. That mostly involved Harry moving his trunk to Hermione's room, putting a fresh bed spread on his bed, and setting up the Grangers' camp bed in his room. Harry was giving up his room to the two girls and was bunking with Hermione again.

Originally Harry had assumed that Daphne and Tracy would share Hermione's room. However, Hermione had told him differently. It surprised him that Dan and Emma would be so relaxed about him sharing Hermione's room, now that his and Hermione's relationship had progressed to include the physical. But it seemed as though the two of them had accepted the inevitable. It would be a little cramped, sharing Hermione's single bed with her for a week, but the two of them would manage.

A/N

Fun fact, I initially planned for Harry and Dan to go with Director Bones to investigate what was happening at home, but when I came to write it didn't make sense; a cop wouldn't take a civilian to an active situation unless they had no choice.

*Put the kettle on - common saying in the UK that means to make a cup of tea, referring to the act of filling a kettle and setting it to boil

Sorry again about the long wait. I know i said i would do better but then my internet died on me. And thanks to Ronna it's taking a long time to get it fixed as we need an engineer to come to the home and they are massively delayed. Right now I am using my very kind neighbours wifi so can do a little bit but it will be at least another week until i have everything up and running again.