Hey everyone,
Now some of you might have read that last AN and thought that this chapter is going to be split between Remus and Poppy. And while I might get an urge to write Sirius' reaction to the news at some point, I really don't want to keep threading on this old topic over and over and over and over again. I want to focus on the future of this story, lest I write myself into another corner and stop writing for several weeks.
Again,
Venquine1990
Chapter 33
Lady Regent Pomfrey – Part 02
14th of November 1995
Radiant Garden
Poppy's POV
Emptying the other four Vaults hardly took more than an hour's time, though both William, Even and Dilan were all very impressed with everything that was in the Potter Vaults. William especially got a very hopeful look on his face when he saw how much James and Lily Potter had managed to store in their respective vaults before going down under and I had even recognized a few of the objects and hummed: "Hmm, looks like they lived with copies of their furniture for a bit. Nicely done."
This had especially been true for the rocking chair that had been found in Lily's vault, which I know James had personally had someone make for her when he found out she was pregnant and for the bookcase found in James' vault, which I know was from his personal study and had been a gift to him by his father upon the man's own passing, something Sirius told me was a family tradition. Dilan had, therefore, been double-super-ultra-careful with these objects and so had Even.
"I sure feel a lot easier telling Harry and Sirius about the damage done to Godric's Hollow now that I know about this." William had said upon us finally leaving Gringotts, but I had shaken my head at him and said: "Remus demanded he be the one to do so. He still felt some resentment and felt the best way he could release it would be alongside those closest to him. It would give all three of them a chance to vent, so I agreed upon the idea."
And while he had said that he would be willing to share this news, do I still grin as William sighs: "Oh thank Merlin. I felt better about it, but still didn't feel like actually doing it, you know?" I had nodded and we had parted ways, me taking the small bag that contains all of Harry's Trust Vault contents back to Hogwarts and William going back to his job at the office. And while I still felt glad to find an empty Wing, empty bar the Chaser girls who were also happy to hear how well the move went.
I called Harry, but got Sora instead, the brunette telling me that Harry and the others were all busy venting and that it was better if no one disturbed them for a bit. I had winced but agreed and said: "I'm done moving his vault's contents. Tomorrow, I'll make a quick trip to the Garden to discuss where the contents can best be kept more permanently and after that I will return to England to manage my Wing, find a replacement Matron and help the girls. After that I'll return to the Garden again. I'll probably be back before Christmas."
Sora had promised he would relay my messages and then we both heard a tremendous sound that was similar to an overpowered Bombarda spell or something. "Uh oh, I better go and check. They might break down the wall to the badlands if they keep this up. And I don't think they can take being overwhelmed by the Heartless at this point." Sora had said before cutting the connection. And while this had worried me, had I taken solace in the experience the lad had with stuff like this.
The rest of the day had gone by quite smoothly with only one student coming into my wing for accidentally causing himself some damage by trying to succeed at a spell he had major trouble with and putting too much power behind his efforts. I had healed the poor Third year, sent him on his way and taken the girls to the chambers where we spent the night. And earlier this morning, Even had called me on my Gummi phone with the news:
"Poppy? Greetings and good morning. I might have someone who can help you permanently store Harry's vault contents as well as anything else you might take with you when you check out the other properties. Though I also have a message from Harry and the others. They don't want you to take anything from Godric's Hollow. They want to visit it first and say goodbye before they take anything with them and want to do so themselves."
Even makes sure to emphasize each of these words and I nod as I say: "They don't have to worry. My focus is on all the other properties. I have no interest in Godric's Hollow, I know how important it is to those three. I would never do such a thing to them. Now, if you could call on a corridor, I'd like to meet this person or being you're talking about." Even nods with a smile and after making sure I have everything and greeting the girls, I leave through it.
Yet as I pass through the corridor, I suddenly realize something. I pass through the corridor and get greeted by the handsome blonde researcher working for Ansem the Wise along with a duck that wears a top hat and a very handsome business suit and that, like Ragnok, has a walking cane, but then a regular one made of brown wood. Having already learned about the many magical beings living in various worlds from Sora, I don't feel surprised at seeing this and just greet them both.
Yet when Even wants to greet me back do three smaller, younger ducks suddenly run into the room and over to the older looking duck. The duck turns around and asks: "Ah, good day, laddies. What can Uncle Scrooge do for yah?" And the middle one, who is dressed in a red shirt and cap, pulls a couple of small golden crystals out of his pocket that are shaped like diamonds from a card game. "We'd like three ice cream bars, please Uncle Scrooge."
The red-dressed boy says, but Scrooge replies: "Ah laddies, you know the shop doesn't open until tomorrow at noon.""See, I told you so." The one in blue angrily tells his brothers before Scrooge goes on, gently taking the diamonds and saying: "But, I'm always willing to consider this you boys paying in advance. I'll keep three bars apart for you boys to pick up tomorrow at noon, alright?" The three cheer and then the last one, dressed in green, asks:
"Do you have time to meet with us, Uncle Scrooge? We worked hard with the ice-cream machine you gave us for the Dream Festival a few years ago and have invented a new flavor. We wanted to come and ask if you could come taste it." At this Scrooge pulls a small brown book out of his pocket and pages through it, humming as he does before he says: "I've got a spot for you lads tomorrow at ten past two. Will that work?""That's perfect. Now we have time to perfect the flavor and make sure we produce it every time we use the machine."
Scrooge smiles at the boys over this and puts his book away as he says: "Alright lads, I've got you down for noon tomorrow to pick up your ice cream bars and ten past two tomorrow to taste your new flavor." The boys let out a cheer and run to give the man a huge group hug, the older duck laughing as he returns it. And as they dash back out the way they came in, do I myself smile widely as Lea comes in and jovially says: "Scrooge, just the man I was looking for."
"What can I do for you, Lea?" Scrooge asks while Even sends me an apologetic look, but I shake my head at him, not even caring that this is taking a bit longer than planned. "I was wondering if there was a spot at the Bistro. Say around six on Saturday?" Again the book comes out, but this time Scrooge grimaces and says: "Sorry lad, I already have all of the reservations for six. Though there's still a spot open for seven."
"That's great too. Harry doesn't like seafood with shells on them, but he loves treacle in his desserts and tomatoes in most of his other meals. You know I hate food that gets cold fast and please no spaghetti. It's too cliché. Also yes, it will be a date; our first actually." This intrigues me and I ask: "What about the last Hogsmeade weekend?" But Lea shakes his head and says: "That was more Harry and his friends showing me and mine around the town, not really a date." I nod while Scrooge makes his notes and says:
"There done. I'll make sure the chef gets your requirements and to reserve the quiet corner for you and the lad.""Great, thanks. See you then, Uncle Scrooge." And while I feel amazed at how close the two are that even Lea calls the duck his uncle does Lea wave at Even and me as a greeting before he leaves. Scrooge then turns to me, but before he can open his beak to apologize, do I smile widely and say: "Mr. Scrooge, I am definitely looking forward to do business with you." Making both the duck and Even grin at me.
I take a look around and suddenly notice that the wall to my left has both a floor to ceiling window covering it and a huge sheen of ice covering the other side, making it impossible to see what is on the other side. "We managed to categorize and sort through all of Harry's valuables and treasures. But because it was so much, we had to stack it all up several floors. The ice is to make sure no one can see exactly how rich Harry really is." Even explains to me.
"Alright lass. Let's leave these men of science to their work. Come on, I have something I want to show you." Scrooge says, waving with his feathered hand for me to follow, which I happily comply with. And as we leave the mechanical office, the office that is attached to it and a huge labyrinth, made up of a stone wall and floors as well as pipes that are spread all over the walls and the ceiling, some of them going from one spot to another, others broken and leaking drops of water.
"You know, lass. I've seen your kind of magic and I must say, I'm quite impressed." Scrooge says as he leads me through these hallways and I smile as he goes on: "So here I was, thinking of how I could strike a deal out of an opportunity like that and then it struck me. You lot can provide my vaults with extra security through your magic and in return, I open a few more newer vaults for you and your friends to store your precious stuff in. Whaddayah say to that?"
Yet while the duck sounds incredibly excited, do I grin at him and say: "First let me see where these vaults are located, let me inspect how well they are secured and what can be added to their security measures and then I'll decide if I want to make this deal with you, Mr. Scrooge." At this the duck laughs and says: "Lassie, you are a gall to my old beatin' heart. You can call me Uncle Scrooge, yah know. Everyone here does."
I nod as we pass several gorgeous, white marble stairs that lead down to a beautiful plaza with an inner and outer ring, the inner one being sunken into the ground and having the four corners covered in huge and gorgeous fields full of the most luscious flowers I have ever seen. My eyes widen in amazement t this, even though this is the same plaza we came to when we arrived here the other day and I whisper: "I don't think I will ever get used to how beautiful this place is."
"Aye, this place is called Radiant Garden for a reason. Ah, yes Lea?""Sorry to bother you again, Uncle Scrooge, but I remembered something after I left. You have that theatre back in Twilight Town as well, right? Are there any good movies that play before seven on Saturday? Any you would recommend for a first date?""You're in luck, laddie. Jiminy and I have been working on one that we planned to premiere on Saturday at five-thirty. Tickets will be 8 Munny a piece."
Lea smiles at this and digs into his pocket, only for his grin to fade as he pulls out the pieces of Munny. "Darnit, I only have 14 on me. Can I pay you the other 2 later? I'm pretty sure I still have some Munny back at home.""That's fine, lad. But I want that Munny no later than Friday night, alright?" Lea nods, gratefully hands the man the small golden diamonds and greets us both before he turns around and leaves.
"So what's this movie about?" I ask, feeling intrigued as we continue our walk. Scrooge smiles at me and says: "It's a compilation movie, lassie. All of the greatest moments of Sora, Donald, Goofy, Riku, Kairi and the others' lives. And don't worry, I already have all of their permission. I told them Jiminy and I have plans to eternalize the journals and asked if they'd be okay with it. They were." This really amazes me and I can't help but ask: "Has anyone decided on a conversion system yet? For the Galleons and the Munny?"
"We have, lass. Ansem the Wise, Sirius and Even decided that we would let Munny have the same value as what your non-magical kind calls pounds. Though because Munny doesn't have anything other than Munny, while pounds also has something called pennies or pences or something, we decided to just count down.""So where a Galleon is worth 2 pounds and 50 pennies, in here it's just worth 2 Munny, right?""You got it, lass." The duck tells me proudly.
He stops and looks around, a suspicious, wary look on his face. Instantly I pull my wand out and cast a few spells before I say: "We're pretty much alone, Scrooge. It's just us and Lea over there who's heading the other way.""Good, thank you, lass. Could you use that magic of yours to make it look as if we're heading for that white building over there? It's where I usually do my business. We just need to take a turn right and head between those two houses over there instead."
The duck explains to me, motioning for a two-story building with white paint on the walls and a small side street that is hidden in the shadows between two other two-story buildings. I nod and keep my wand on me, casting the glamour and the illusion charm just before we pass between the two buildings. And a huge grin adorns Scrooge's face as he sees two perfect replicas, that are only slightly transparent but not enough for it to really be visible, walk on where we left off.
I keep myself hidden just around the corner and when the two reach the building I whisper the opening charm and cast a very light depulso to make the door open. Then, once the two are inside and I make the illusion of Scrooge send a suspicious look around the street, do I negate the illusion charm and cast a locking charm on the door, making it look as if Scrooge closes it instead. "Now that was some excellent work, lassie."
Yet while Scrooge compliments me, do I sigh and mutter: "The world we came from, Mr. Scrooge, was on the brink of war. When I became Harry's regent, I started teaching myself these spells to make sure I could keep Harry safe, especially because the one who would lead the dark side of the war has been after him since he was born and would surely be after him even worse if he found out about Harry having a baby. Not even the idea of Harry having a soul mate of another world would have stopped that monster."
"Aye, I heard of him. Riku compared him to Ansem, the Heartless of Master Xehanort. Nasty piece of work, according to what I heard. I can see why you'd teach yourself spells like this in a situation like that. Now come on, we're nearly there. It's down here." Scrooge says, pulling the lid off of a sewer pipe. And while this makes me smile and think: "I guess this is this world's version of Gringotts." Does the sight that greets me once I have slid down the side bars of the staircase that leads down into the sewers prove me quite wrong.
The whole room is gigantic, reaching up almost as high as the ceiling of the basement where Harry's valuables and treasures are stored and the whole area is made of metal plates and bars that run between several of the plates as well as more pipes that run crisscross all over the place. There are also bulbs and other sources that emit light from time to time. "This is – most impressive." I mutter to myself while Scrooge climbs down the ladder himself.
"It is, isn't it? All of the water and electricity that is used by the households of Radiant Garden go through here. It's known as the storing and distribution center of the two, but I also store one of my vaults here. And just between you and me, my vault here actually holds the majority of my own riches. I just have everyone else believe that it's stored elsewhere. For safety, you know?"
I nod, but this knowledge also reminds me of the realization I had when getting through the corridor that brought me here. I take another look around and mutter: "Can you give me a minute?" Scrooge nods, an intrigued look on his face and I move along the wall behind me. I run my hand over the metal plates of the wall and knock on them at various points.
The first time I do this, I feel a little disappointed to hear a hollow sound coming from the other side, yet at the next plate it feels as if there are various plates or even some cement or something build behind the plate as it feels much sturdier. I turn back to the hollow plate and ask: "Tell me, what's behind that bit of wall over there?" And Scrooge answers:
"The electricity cables of the family that lives on the right side of the side alley we walked into. The family there might live in a small two-story house, but they do use more electricity than most of Radiant Garden. Because of that, they needed more cables, so we needed to dig deeper than we did otherwise to make sure we had enough space for the extra cables as well as the plumbing and other pipes and whatnot."
I nod and turn my head the other way as I ask: "So the space over there is as sturdy as it is here?" Scrooge nods and says: "Yeah, most cables, plumbing and other pipes are as high as those pipes you see above there." And as he says this, he motions for a bunch of pipes that are at least two stories above me. This makes me smile and I turn to the duck as I say: "Let's head up to your office. I think I have an idea that will make a lot of people happy, especially the ones that came with Harry."
Scrooge looks intrigued and once we are above ground again I pull out my wand and cast a spell to hide us both from view. "There, we're invisible. Now we can go around the office and sneak into it from a point where others can't see us. From there I'll be able to leave through the front door and pick up some people who, I think, can help us with what I have planned.""Sounds good, lass. I'll just file all of the reservations I wrote down today while I wait."
We head for the white office building and I cast a quick spell on the windows on the right side, making it so that the people in the office on the other side of the side alley won't be able see it open. We climb through and Scrooge goes to sit behind the desk that is set in the office room we entered. "I'll be right back. Trust me, you'll love my idea. It will be a great way for my friends and me to contribute to the Garden and help ourselves at the same time, especially long term."
This makes the duck send me a large and excited smile and I head out again, casting a small, silent charm on the doorknob just to further prove my own usefulness to the helpful and interesting creature. I head over to where Lea had provided housing for everyone. And to my pleasure I spot the Weasley twins outside, apparently silently discussing something while enjoying the delightful sunlight of this gorgeous place.
"Fred, George, would you two mind coming with me? I have some plans that I can really use your help with and someone I want you boys to meet who can also help me with them." I tell the two and the boys nod, getting up and following me as I head back. "You two alright? You seem saddened by something." I ask gently as we walk and the two sigh as they mutter: "It's the news Lupin told us the other night.""Yeah, it still stings to know how – how right we were all along."
At this I nod and say: "I can get that. I've had the last 24 hours to get used to the idea that I had been working alongside a bastard like that for years, but – I understand why the wounds are still fresh for you kids. How is Harry faring through it all?""It almost went wrong.""He got so angry, Lea had to knock him out, lest the darkness got control of his heart.""We even saw his hand flicker, as if it wanted to transform into a claw or something."
This really worries me and I whisper: "I better run another check on him once I'm done discussing my plans, just to be safe." The two nod as we reach the office. I knock on the door and am let in, Scrooge's voice sounding from a little bit away, proving that he is probably still behind the same desk. And just like me do the twins not show any signs of shock or amazement when they see the duck putting a large folder up on a shelf build into the wall behind his desk.
"Scrooge, these are Fred and George Weasley. Great jokesters, incredible inventors and brilliant Beaters for the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Fred, George, this is Scrooge. Even recommended him to me to help with storing Harry's valuables from the vaults that I emptied the other day." All three look at each other in intrigue and Scrooge says: "Scrooge McDuck, but you lads can call me Uncle Scrooge. So, lassie, how do you think these two can help us?"
I take a seat at the desk along with the twins and the duck, who seats himself on the other side of the desk as I say: "Here is what I have planned. In my eyes you and the others of Radiant Garden are not using the sewer system to the full extend. The empty bits of space, that aren't used to storage and distribute the water and electricity that this city needs, can be used for Vault space. And I know what you're thinking, that Vaults are way too big to fit into those spaces. Boys?"
The two nod before one of them opens his robe to put a hand in the inner pocket of his robe. And to the amazement of the duck on the other side of the desk, his hand goes in quite further than it normally would. "We keep all of our merchandise in here. You know, to keep it hidden from mum who wants to see it all destroyed and Filch who just wants to confiscate it all." The other twin explains, opening his own robe to show his own multitude of pockets.
"And – the same can be done – for the walls of the sewer?" Scrooge asks and I nod as I say: "We can make rooms that, to the outside, are no bigger than a cupboard or a single doored wall-closet or something and that can be, say, one-fourth the size of the sewer room itself on the inside. And not just for Harry's treasures, but for the riches of all families that might, alongside him, decide to move here. After all, I know for a fact that Sirius is already planning to move his own stuff sometime soon."
I motion with my head for the twins and say: "Not to mention that these two might just be able to come up with either a couple of spells or even inventions that will work as, say, guards to keep the vaults safe.""Yeah, we can do that.""Though the inventions will only be used at a certain price, of course.""Yeah, the spells we're willing to invent in return for a good enough deal." And just by the grin on the duck's face do I feel confident that they will be able to make this deal.
Hey everyone,
So yeah, the whole thing with the move is becoming more and more of a thing and yes, I do plan to have everyone who came with Harry and their families moved to the Garden. Though when it comes to the Blacks, it won't be the entire family, just Harry, Sirius, Damian – and maybe Tonks and her parents, but I am still debating with myself on that one. Also next chapter is going to be brilliant and a bit of a nod to To Read And To View.
Hope you enjoy,
Venquine1990
