Modified Blood Brandy Vegas Challenge
While the original challenge calls for a simple Harry going to Vegas I thought it would be fun for him to go in a group. The more I thought on it the more I settled on Neville Harry Hermione going. All 3 will end up married to someone. I will be playing fast and loose with some of the DC timeline. Also Hogwarts starts at 12 because then after OWLS they are all legal adults. This will be important for the story. We will be jumping right into the battle in the DOM.
Harry had just watched his Godfather fall through the veil of death when he felt something truly strange happen. He felt a rush of magic unlike anything he had ever felt before. While this is going on he watches Bellatrix run off cheering about killing Sirius. Once he is feeling back to himself after what felt like hours but was truly mere moments he gives chase believing he can at least avenge his Godfather. When he finally catches up to Bellatrix it's in the Ministry Atrium. He yells and she turns only to then fall dead. He is stunned but before he can really make any decision on what's next Voldemort himself shows up. After seeing Bellatrix dead and Harry standing by the body, Voldemort attacks.
Spells are traded for what seems like forever but is truly mere minutes. This is a duel unlike any that had been seen before. While Albus and Gellert had the greatest dual of all time no one was there to see it this one is done in front of witnesses. In the middle of the duel the Minister and his entire senior staff as well as the entire Auror force come flowing in through the floo. This gives Harry the opportunity he needs and a piercing hex lands dead center mass and blows a hole the size of a baseball right through Voldemort's chest.
After Voldemort's body fell Harry turned fully expecting to be attacked again only to stop and relax as he saw Dumbledore standing there. He breathes a sigh of relief and for the first time in what seems like hours he can simply stop and breathe.
"So you were telling the truth the whole time. I truly didn't want to believe especially after the last war almost left us all under his thumb." Fudge states.
Harry nods "Yes and I do believe he is truly dead this time and if not well we went 16 years without him the last time. We can ensure that he is at the very least without support if he does come back but something is telling me he won't be."
Fudge nods. "Yes and assuming we do that I could go down as the greatest minister in history. Now I do believe honors are in order. I believe anyone who fought in defense of the ministry tonight should be given an Order of Merlin 1st class. Now Mr. Potter can you give me a list of those who you brought?"
Harry nods before beginning his list "I brought Luna Lovegood, Neville Longbottom, Hermione Granger, Ron and Ginny Weasley. As far as Dumbledore's people I saw Tonks, Remus Lupin, and a few others I didn't recognize."
The negotiations go on but in the end everyone who fought got their Order of Merlin. While all marked Death Eaters would be put on trial under truth potion.
When Sirius fell through the veil the Black Family Magic reacted poorly. It hunted down the family that would dare to kill its own head of house and protector of the Family Magic. When it settled on Bellatrix it exacted its price only to not be satisfied as she hadn't been in control of herself. It then decided to hunt down the one who was responsible. Through the dark mark on her arm the Family Magic was able to trace back to the source. When it found the source it delved through his mind and found him wanting. When it came to the part where he stole the Heir Black's blood to be reborn it decided on a course of action, one that had not been done since before the first Lord Black.
The Family Magic decided that to fix the crimes against House Black the perpetrator would have their Magic taken and fed into the Family Magic. The last time this happened was when Morgana Le Fey stripped the magic of Merlin and created House Black with it. While when it was done to Merlin it happened in a matter of moments, because of the Horcruxes it ended up taking significantly longer as it had to do it on each Horcrux.
When school lets out for the summer Harry moves to Grimmauld Place and seeing as the wards would fall in a few months anyway Dumbledore didn't see any reason to fight on this. While staying there Remus Lupin came over to talk on the regular. During one of these talks Remus explained about a fun little Potter tradition.
"When a Potter turns 17 and is declared a legal adult they take the remainder of their trust vault and go on a gambling binge. Your father and the rest of the Marauders and a few others went to Vegas and we ended up staying a month before we returned home. It's where he won that cottage in Godric's Hollow. Your Grandfather took a river boat gambling tour and ended up doubling what he took. As far back as I can tell its been tradition. Think about it as a prediction of the future of the family." Remus explained
Harry nods "So you're saying that you want to have me go to Vegas with my friends? And then gamble a bunch of money."
"Basically yes. The idea is that it is one last hoorah before you really settle into adult life. Sirius was going to go with us and try to do at least one thing your parents would have." Remus explains.
"Well reach out to 'the ministry 6' as the prophet so elegantly named us. That would be the group I would want to go. Well the twins as well but they just opened a shop so they won't be able to go." Harry explained.
Remus nods "I'll have the invites sent out later today. Now normally you would go by yourself, but Sirius and I were planning on going with you. Now though with everything going on I believe me and Tonks are going to be your escort for security reasons. Don't worry though we will be staying out of your way."
"Gran I have been invited to go to Vegas with Harry for our birthdays. Something about a Potter tradition." Neville begins
Augusta smiles and begins "Of course you can go. Your father went with his after all. Now that your grown I can explain some things about your father that I would rather you not have known when you were growing up but as a man you will need to know."
Neville nods "I'm always happy to hear stories about them. I know its hard having them so close but so far. I can't imagine what it's like for you."
Augusta smiles "It truly is hard but some of this will just be easier now that I don't have to worry about destroying the image of your father in your eyes as a child. What you need to understand is that your father while a good man never found his passion unlike you with your plants. The war really kicked off after everyone came back from their Vegas trip. When they came back, Frank, while never the best with a wand, doubled down on his work and decided to do his part and join the Aurors. If the war had never kicked off he likely would have been a Lucious Malfoy type spending his days playing politics. That said, you have found your passion and I'm thrilled. I think you should go and cut loose. How much is left in your trust vault?"
Neville smiles "I have about 500 left after that new watering system."
Augusta smiles "Well that just won't do. That's far too little to go have a good time. Take 5000, that should do nicely."
"Thank you gran. When this news reached me I was excited to go so much more so after getting news that the worlds biggest garden show would be going on during the trip and the keynote speaker is a young lady a few years older than me who has been working on the most awesome stuff." Neville mentions very excitedly
Augusta smiles before shaking her head in that way parents do before saying "Only you would go to the gambling capital of the world for a garden conference. Make sure you bring me back some boysenberries as I have never been able to grow them here but they are wonderful."
Hermione gets her invitation at breakfast with her parents. She opens it and immediately gets a huge smile on her face. "Well I have been invited to celebrate Harry's coming of age party. It's in Vegas apparently it's some kind of family tradition to go to a gambling den when they turn 17. So can I go?"
Her parents look at each other before her dad says "Of course. Now I know we haven't made our plans for the summer so how about we make it a family outing? I'm sure they won't mind a few extra eyes on everyone."
Hermione smiles extra big "I'm sure they won't mind. You should know though that it doesn't have an end date. The invite says that it goes either until Harry runs out of money or school starts so knowing Harry's luck, we will be back August 31st."
After arriving in Vegas everyone checked in at their hotel. "Now this is America not Britain so the rules are different out here. Magic here is more of an open secret. With all the craziness of all the superheroes magic has been revealed. It all started after the Grindelwald war. They realized that mass exposure was inevitable and so they integrated. Once aliens and things became more a reality here magical creatures came out as well it helps that they don't have things like dragons out here. Honestly the strangest 'creature' they have is goblins. They actually run a bank here that is loosely affiliated with Gringotts." Remus explained.
Once everyone is settled and money is exchanged and put on cards for easy access they settle in for the night. The next morning after a great breakfast buffet they all decide to go their own way. Neville goes to the garden show while Hermione decides to go see the sights with her folks and Harry decides to simply walk around without a plan. The idea is to meet up for dinner at 7pm then all hit the tables.