hello, Harry

I'm sorry this is getting to you so late, I have been out of our rooms from sun up to sundown my father is instant I learned to serf like a pro in 3 days. I am so sore I can hardly move but I have had a blast I think you would like surfing it's a bit like riding a broom.

I have also talked to my parents and we'll be back home the day before your hearing, so you best believe I'll be there IN FACT they've permitted you to stay the night before the hearing so will be able to go. my dad said that if your good enough they just might decide to keep you so ill warn you now that my mother is a bigger hugger than i am.

I would of course love to come with you when you come to France amd show you around there's so many beautifully places I want to show you especially the beach the local beach to our resort is shall we say "clothing frowned upon," I would love to take you there if for no other reason than I'm pretty sure your head would explode.

I met a girl there today a few years older than us name Fluer Delacour, and guess what! she is a witch! we had a blast after the sun went down she and.her mother invited us to their chateau (her father is cheif deputy under the French minister of magic) and I was able to show my parents actual magic and madame Delacour and flyer showed them what fully qualified witches can do.

although Fluer and her mother and little sister are what's known as Leela, so have this aura that makes most men's brains go all funny so if you never meet them I'll try not to hold anything against you

they are all very pretty.

I'm meeting fluer tomarow amd shell be taking me to the French version of diagon ally for a day of "shopping" she has insisted on paying so that I can't say now when she tries to stuff me into what ever ridiculous outfit she had in mind. but it should be good fun.

very excited to see you soon

with love, Hermione Granger

Harry folded the letter back up, put it on his desk, and stroked , in the KS for the delivery. "Go on to bed, Hedwig. I'll write to her in a few days." The owl quickly fluttered to her perch and hid her face under her wing."Smaragain?" The snake opened her eyes, but he did not speak."I've been wandering. how are you so young?"

"what do you mean, morsel?"

"Well, through our bond, you, your energy ,your mind that connection that we both feel, you feel young.

"ahhh, yes I suppose that would seem odd."

my mind has been thus way since birth I know not if it's a characteristic of all basilisk or if it is something that my father did to ease communication. I have never met another of my kind I have no idea if my species is normally as mad as a cockatrice. as for how I remained so for a thousand years?... I was in my father's service for 70 years. when Salazar left the howarts four he left me there deep in a magical sleep tied to a stasis charm.fueled by the very wards of hogwarts. he left me there to await being woken by his true heir to purge those from the school he saw as unfit. I was as the dead since then untill a young man woke me up. and shortly after that my mind mottled over, the broken one did something to me I could not think for myself or act for self. it was like that untill your presence shattered what spell I was under. this is why I was so desperate to bond to you just incase when ypu left my presence I would revert. and my worries were well founded by the time I retrieved my father's chalice for ypu I could feel myself slipping back under what ever was wrong with me. so my mind personality and experience is only 150 or so even if I am actually much older wich to a species as long lived as mine is quite young."

"But...if you were seventy when you were put into stasis, how are you so big, once you were under stasis.especially one powered by hogwarts you shouldn't grow right? youde have no food to fuel the growth. not unless basilisks can feed on ambient magic."

smara then made that skating sound like rocks bouncing off ice. (the sound of Smaras laughter still unnerved him.)

"I am not this large through normal means. my father developed a process that would greatly enhance the natural growth cycle of any creature.it is detailed in a book in my father's, personal library ...I shall need to take you there when we are back ay the school."

and Hermione I go to an ancient hidden and long lost library full of personal hand written books by one of the founders of Hogwarts and possibly other lost or forgetten knowledge

she'd kill me."

"be that as it may youngone. the day grows long amd it is time for you to get ready for this dinner with your cousin. you have only been jabbering about it all week."

"A fine point, Smaragain."

with that, Harry climbed into his new truck it was supposed to be a library buuut he only had enough books for 3 shelves, so he figured he'd use it as a closet in the meantime. he grabbed some pressed and folded robes and his hogwarts uniform shirt and slacks both black and then a sweater vest tried with gold and crimson. they were after all the nicest clothes he had, he had to restrain from smacking himself for not thinking about buying clothes that actually fit him yesterday. clothes and dress shoes in hand, he climbs out of his trunk only to stop midway out, and his aunt and uncle were standing their eyes wide. uncle Vernon very rapidly turned a very violent shade of puce.

"WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT YOU DOONG THIS UNNATURALNESS IN MY HOUSE; HOW DAR!--"

Aunt Petunia had flown around and clamped her husbands mouth shut. " "OUT! I'll not have it! every time you two have it out, the neighbors look more and more curious. with any luck we'll be rid of him in a week untill then you WILL behave your self!" Both of you!"

she turns quickly to face Harry as Vernon gullumps off down the hall.

"How long will this dinner take? Vernon has a very important possible client coming for a dinner if he arranges a deal, he could facena promotion as well as a substantial commission, and we can't have this dinner ruined by any unexpected disturbances."

Harry sits and listens as his aunt explains. "Well. I don't know how long it will last. Andromeda seemed to like me, so I don't think she's have any problem with me staying late. I know. Don't mind if u wouldn't come back here if I had a choice." Harry glances in the direction his uncle disappeared in.

"it's four now." his aunt said,"When will Mr. Tonks be around to pick you up? The masons will be here at 6."

"Oh. Oh no, Mr. Tonks will be here at 6 as well."

Aunt Petunia stiffens now even she was about to start berating the boy,but it hit her that the masons had made plans after harry so it wasn't his fault she was trying to keep the peace right now so she couldn't outright blame him no matter his fault or not.

"WAIT," said Harry. "This might benefit you all."

"Vernon walked in having been passing back by getting everything ready for the night. "Explain," the walrus said through squinted eyes and gnashed teeth.

"Well, Mr. Tonks is a lawyer." explained Harry calmly. "If I leave at the same time ypurnclients get here, then you can explain to them after a brief introduction. that I'm your nephew, and I'll Introduce Mr.Tonks. and that we were going to dinner for the junior law society. Mr. Tonks gives a business card. the masons are impressed, and I am out of your hair for the evening. That sounds perfect, right?"

Vernon, Harry thought, looked rather impressed by this impromptu plan.

"Well. alright then. that sounds like a good plan, then. but you better dress properly, boy. I've seen the get ups your lot wear."

Harry smiled. "that's the thing Mr.tonks doesn't wear robes unless he's infront of the wizengamot." at the nonplussed looks his aunt and uncle had harry explained. "our. magical societies governing and judicial body."

"YOUR LOT IN GOVERNMENT. oh that explains so much no wander this countries going to the dogs."

"errrr. right. well, he doesn't wear robes so he won't show up in them. but if I'm in the junior law society then it could be explained than I'm reigning judge for the night and that I liked the outfit I just wanted to wear it out. I'm a kid we do weird things so theu won't think much of it."

Vernon stood deep in though for a minute and then nods. "that might work well. good . we'll go with that then."

so I was 2 hours later that the Masons arrived and at first looked askance at carries odd outfit untill it was explai ed than he was infact headed to meeting and dinner with the junior law society.

with the arrival of Mr.Tonks and a short discussion with Masons an exchange of business cards amd a hasty farewell. saw harry and Mr.Tonks

out of the house and some quick wamd work the masons hadn't a.second thought about the fact that no other car had been in the car park before they left. a shortnapparition trip later that barely bothered harry at all. and they arrived at the tonks house, he could hear semi loud music from inside that grow louder when Ted opened the door and walked in.

" I'm back!"

"Oh good ,that took longer than expected".

"yes, well, Harry's aunt and uncle had guests so we had to do a bit of a hat trick to get out of there. your looking at the newest member of the junior law society!" he says as a claps harry on the shoulder.

"granted i did buy some books yesterday on Wizarding law so I guess you could say we didn't lie I'm just the only member. everyone had a.good chuckle at that one.

"Well, come on. come in. dinner is almost ready for another 45 minutes or so. and I guess you're staying late. to avoid any trouble with your uncles dinner, Ted has mentioned how the man is with you." Andromeda said this with a face that said she was FULLY unimpressed with his reletives. she turned and yelled, "MYMPHADORA! HURRY DOWN YOUR COUSIN HAS ARRIVED!! "

quick foot steps were heard as well as several loud thumps and a quite loud expletive that made the older woman drop her worried look and scowl instead. and then a young girl tried down the stairs but managed to catch herself before she tumbled. "damn! that dorlish is trying to kill me, mum. I know it. he had me changing my height so much this week I can't find my footing no matter what my brain either thinks my feet are to small are to short that wander is going to be the death of me just you wait." The young woman them seemed to notice Harry as she stopped mid rant. "wotcher Harry!" the girl smiled and she stood out her hand to shake his ,and he was about to reciprocate the gesture but then he noticed the girl, nymphadora's eyes where cycling through every color of the rainbow before settling on green with a bright red Corona around the iris. "WOW!!! how do I learn to do that?!"

"HAH!" she laughs solidly for a moment .

"Sorry, Harry, no can do. I am a metamorphmagus who was born not made. I can change every aspect of my aperance at will. I got perfect scores in concealment and disguise during the auror exams. it was great stealth nearly got me, though .I'm dead clumsy, you heard my walking just now."

" it's great to meet you, nymphadora-AAAHH!" Harry had to jump and dodge 4 or five times as she jumped into trying to her him. it surprised her when he was not only able to avoid amd dodge her spells but that he did so in a way to got him closer to her and he was.able to snatch her wand for her hand and point his at her. and then the second heart attack as a snake crept down Harry's sleeve and hissed at her. the red orange eyes of the snake seed to glow slightly in the semi-dark room.

"sorry harry no offense. it's a reflex. I do it to everyone except (she points to amdromeda) her, who calls me that name. it's Tonks please just Tonks."

the snake and Harry share a look, and it slides back up his sleeve and pops out of his collar.

"Why don't you like your name." Harry returms her wand.

" You wouldn't like your name either if your fool of a mother named you nymphadora."

"NYMPHADORA! there is nothing wrong with your name. Nymphadora is a perfectly lovely name, and it's family tradition to name our children for the stars and cobstilation. let you note that Harry, you've black blood, and it's a fine tradition. "

Harry smiled at the mention of a family tradition "sirius, Andromeda, Nymphadora, Arcturus. I like it, although i must say I'm with tibks on this one. nymphadora is a tad ridiculous." The older woman scowls at him. " I thought introducing you to might be a bad thing. I can see a fast friendship already forming." she then smiled brightly at the you children."It's good you two get along. My daughter has been too long deprived of familial companionship.

my cousin Sirius and I were inseparable as children, even young adults, until..

" she hung her head and turned away.

"You've mentioned this sirius aciuple times now, I think. what happened to him?"

"She stopped her path and witurning that, "that Harry is a conversation for another time. I'll check on dinner. Dora would you entertain harry for a bit maybe some of your advance defense books" and she turned this time with a smirkm" or take him to the back yard and show him just how good a duelist you are. Harry, you can do magic here it won't register too much ambient magic for the trace to function correctly."

and so everyone separated tonks led Harry to the backyard.

"So Harry, you ever been a duel?"

"errr? no, I'm only just now going to second year."

tonks shrugs. " It doesn't really matter. her hair cycles different colors and then shrinks to shorter than his while being a wild sky blue. Do you know the stinging hex Harry?" At his nod, she smiles and backs away. "perfect, now the point of a duel is normally to incapacitate your opponent in some way but I think we'll stick with a five point system one point per spell contact, now since your just an ickle firsty I'll go easy on you you only have to get me 3 times and I have to get you have times. only non harmful spells of you, please Harry. I don't want to have a mom patch either of us up cuase you send out a difindo or some such. are you ready?

Harry gets a serious face and nods slowly

"Good, first we raise up a wand to cover our faves hand touching the center of your breast bone straight backed. good, just like that. and the. bow flare your hand out and to the back." Harry does this.

perfect

1.

2.

3.

ictus. ictus. ictus.

Harry dodges each of her spells . dodges back to the way he came lumges and jumps towards Tonks, and while in the air, he sends a "petrificus totalis!" wich stuck her right in the chest and she froze as her arms and legs snapped straight and she fell straight back.

Harry walked up. " I would send those stinging hexes at you, but that might be overkill. finite incantatum. " Harry sends the spell at her, unfreeze her

"No fair! " I didn't expect you to know that one that's a 3rd year spell at least, and hogwarts doesn't teach it!"

"yea" Harry chuckles. "I have a friend who likes to read ahead she used it on another kid who was trying to stop us from leaving the common room last year." At her incredulous look, Harry quickly explained why that had happened.

"Well, round 2 then?"

of course, though, I do t think I'll be able to surprise you this time."

and it was true Harry, while able to duck and dodge very well, just didn't have the experience to tell Tonks on with put tricks. he was down 3 days in 10 minutes. as Harry lay in the grass, breathing hard, a question popped into his head.

"tonks?"

"Yea, Harry?" she said from beside him.

"You said a word earlier that I don't know, aurror, what is that.

"Oh! that's my job. well, I will be after I get the catiob out of the way.

an aurora, Harry, is a dark wizard catcher. we go after the big-name criminals and the dangerous operations. while the everyday stuff like parroting eith pit a license or shoplifting is handled by the magic law enforcement patrol. the aurors are the best of the best. the have to be outside having the highest standards for hogwarts graduates. they also require 3 to 4 extra years of education and training after graduation to even earn the title. I'm currently starting the third core of the training program. since I was accepted right of hogwarts."

"That sounds amazing. maybe I can get in sounds like the kinda thing that.wod help me if voldemorts Ghost keeps popping up."

you could you deffinatly have the right instincts for fighting. how's your potions grade?"

Harry squint and wrinkles his nose, causing Tonks to laugh.

"It would be a lot better if Snape didn't constantly grade me 2 to 3 places under what I probably should."

tonls sits up at that alarmed. "Do you have proof of that harry?" I know snakes a.biased ass as much as any student of hogwarts. but saying he purposely sobatages your grades is a big accusation."

"Of course I don't have any proof. if I did , I have submitted it to dbledore."

"KIDS! DINNER"

"I AM NOT A CHILD MOTHER!"

Andromeda smiles ath her duaghter.

"Of course you are a child. duaghters never grow up. They remain 3 years old with pigtails and skinned knees forever. now come along before I send your food to Charlie. I'm sure he could do with it far more than you anyway."

and so dinner was had. the conversation was light and cheerful once Harry got done retelling the story of his first year. which sent the Tonks family into a near apoplectic rage, except for Tonks, who almost seemed jealous.

after dinner was eaten and dessert was devoured. and the stories of youth and people passed were over, Ted gestured for Harry to follow him into his home office.

As Harry sat at the fine mahogany desk, he glanced about the cozy room. the office was decorated in steel greys and quiet greens. a few unknown plants decorated the tops of the various bookshelves that were filled out with what Harry believed to be law reference books. the desk itself was sparsely decorated with only a green placemat with what seemed to be a gold ink pot and a stand with 2 fine eagle feather quills, a favorite of Harry as well.

"So we are in the home stretch as the Americans would say. your hearing is next Friday, and so far, it appears that Dumbledore is none the wiser about our schemes. with any luck Mr.Potter, we can catch him whole unawares.

I do t think that he will miss the hearing, but where Dumbledore is concerned, the more wrong-footed we can make him, the better it will possibly be for us. the less time he has to prepare a defense for his actions and inactions and their consequences on your life.

To that end, I have arranged for you to meet with 2 well-respected members of the wizengomat, both leaders of their respective factions, and they no doubt will have others from their factions in their meetings as well. you Harry are about to be rubbing elbows with some of the most important people in the country. to be precise this Sunday, you'll be meeting with Madame Longbottom, who leads the 4 largest factions in the wizengomat, "the marginal progressives." Great name, right? it's technically a sub-faction of the number 2 spot led by Dumbledore that he simply calls "the light," a rather pompous way of saying everything he does is right and. just and in no way harmful to anyone.

the other person is Cyrus Greengrass, who leads "the centrists. traditionalists, some are blood supremacists, a bit bit, and most just care about preserving Wizarding traditions in a changing world. I noble goal that I largely agree with on principle even if most centrists only care about their bottom lines. they are the reason that muggle "artifacts getting banned in restricted like paper or ballpoint pens. wouldn't want the quill and parchment sales to decrease after all." Ted rolls his eyes," so madame Augusta Longbottom and Cyrus Greengrass I believe you know their grandson and daughter. respectively."

errr. Yeah, Neville is in Gryffindor with me, and Daphne Greengrass is a Slytherin. Why would her dad...why would any of these important people want to help me?"

"Can you not think of a single reason, Harry? not one?"

Harry sits and thinks for a few minutes but can't come up with any answer that makes logical sense.

"No, sir. I can't. I simply don't know either of them very well, so I can't say I can predict why their. families act in any way."

ok, Harry, let me explain. It's quite simple, really, political capital. simply put if they help you, you will be more inclined to help them later down the line. you, Harry, do not come from an irrelevant family or lineage. you are online to receive not 1 but 2 of the largest fortunes in the nation, built throughout over a millennia, the Potter family fortune. and the black family fortune, which has been frozen ever since the last lord black, Orion passed some 7 years ago. it should have gone to Sirius but he will most likely never see the light of day again so the black fortune was put into contest by luscious Malfoy who thought that the fortune should go to his son and thus his family. but so something happened, and I guess the family seal rejected his son. they tried Andromeda and even Tonks then. they eventually gave up and went to Sirius to sort it out. I'm his lawyer, so I was brought as well with a lot of half-mad ranting he was able to tell us that he named your successor the day after you were born. it made sense that there was a war on, and Luscious was on the other side. If Sirius was killed, then the fortune would fund the very people he was fighting against at the time, anyway..."

"So these people are just trying to -"

"Harry, stop."

the two set silent for a minute before Ted continued.

"I said the reason was simple, but that's the most obvious reason and most likely the reason for Cyrus' interest. but don't hold that against him. politics is a delicate and precise balancing act, currying favors is a simple part of it that you will understand the benefits of when you are older and cooled that hot head of your son, don't write Cyrus off as a bad person either he's an ass yes and a blood supremacist in someways but he cares more for Wizarding culture and tradition than who your parents are the man sees wizards as superior but he doesn't even necessarily hate muggles either. In fact, he invests heavily in muggle businesses. now madame Longbottom, however, has other motivations for helping you aside from the usual tit-for-tat. the potters and long bottoms have been aligned for the past 7 generations her main focus is helping you in the reinvigoration of that partnership. both politically and economically, you see aside from the political partnership, your grandfather's grandfather set up a business deal with the Longbottoms.

your family is land-rich. You have tracts of land. I don't know how much in Somerset, but potters are better pioneers than planters, and the Longbottoms have no land but generally have a very green thumb. they put the two together and started Potters Pots and Potes an apothecary in Diagonally that closed after your grandfather's death James had no interest in potions and the war prevented him from organizing the sale of the business or restructuring it to be run by others. after the death of your parents, the family properties went under lockdown, and the business summarily fell apart anyway. the building is still empty. You probably noticed it is the number 94 Diagon Ally.

but there is also another reason these people want to help you, one which I can't believe you can't think of. care to guess?"

"I don't know, maybe because I'm an orphan."

"You're close, Harry," Ted smiles but somewhat sadly.

"You're, you the boy who lived. the boy who seemingly rescued us all from that terrible creature known as Lord Voldemort. you're the boy that everyone in this nation feels that they owe and if taking you away from a situation that you not only don't like but is physically harming you. honestly, Cyrus Greengrass might be a more staunch supporter of getting you out of here. than, Augusta. He hates child abusers and legislation that helps. children is the only time she will always vote for a bill to pass.

so your meeting with August is on Sunday and with Cyrus on Tuesday. I want you to come over Monday night. My wife will show you how to comport yourself like a proper little lord in training. Does that sound good? any questions?"

"No, I think you covered everything."

"Good in the meantime," Mr. Tonks heads a large book from under his desk, shrinks it, and tosses it at Harry. catches it easily and gently."I want you to read this tomorrow a book on proper etiquette for traditional Wizarding events. This will also teach you how to behave before the wizengomat. now" with a quick tempest charm ted. checks the time" is close to 10, so I think we should get you back home."

Harry stands and proceeds Ted out of the office, and to his surprise, tonks and Andromeda are standing there waiting. Andromeda approaches first

"it was lovely to have you over Harry despite how your aunt and uncle brought you up. I can tell that Lily especially would be quite proud of how you behave. you remind me a lot about her. it's not just her eyes. You have. Your inner nature is all lily. I would. like it if you came over more often now. there is one friend of your father who remains free and unfettered, Remus Lupin. I'll look him up and see if he has a desire to see you after so long. I'm sure he does, but Remus tends to stay away from others, especially after your parents' deaths."

tonks ran up, then seemingly unable to contain herself anymore..or maybe she was just bored. She threw her arms around Harry in a tight hug. "it was great meeting you, Harry. I hope to see you again before you go back to school. and be warned next with the mongrel locked up and unable to perform his godfatherly duties next summer. You are taking me on several dates. someone has to show you how to please a woman for when you turn in the dating pool comes up!"

Harry blushed at the mention of dating but met Tonk's eyes that were alight with mischief and nodded. "Sounds good, NYMPHADORA!" With that, Harry laughing ran out of the house under a hail of stinging hexes still managing to dodge every single one. Ted laughing followed him out in a hurry, and a few seconds later, a slight crack of apparition was heard. The two women looked at each other, smiled, and began laughing.

it was close to two hours later. and Harry lay in his bed, replaying the nights events. Harry smiling drifted off to an easy sleep.