I do not own Harry Potter, the Wizarding World, or any canon characters.
Extended Family
Chapter 141 – Pirates of Potter Village
Takes place after chapter 114.
"Daddy/Papa Harry?"
"Yes girls?" Harry said, looking up with a smile.
"We need help," Dahlia said and Hailey and Hadley nodded in agreement.
"What can I do to help?" he asked, wholly serious.
"We want to be pirates."
"Okay," Harry said, not bothering to ask the obvious question. "I don't know how to help with that though."
"We need a ship," Hadley said.
"Oh, well, hmm, at least I can sort of help with that then." Harry thought for a moment. "Right. I got an idea." He went to the cellar of their house and moved a few boxes around with the bunnies holding up a lantern for him. "Let me see. I'm pretty sure I had it here and-ah ha yup, found it!" He pulled a bundle of rolled up cloth from a box and carried it outdoors.
"That looks like mummy's cloud," Dahlia said excitedly at the long cloth hammock that Harry unfurled.
"It's one of the early prototypes," Harry smiled. "It floats and can carry a person or two, but the cloud part didn't work as well. The material wasn't good for it. But it can carry two adults so you three shouldn't be a problem. Just in case though." He waved his wand over it a few times and murmured several incantations. "There, some more reinforcement, floats a bit lower over the ground to limit getting hurt from falling."
He had the girls bring him a few older blankets that he stuck to the sides of the hammock and transfigured them to look like wood. A thin pole stood in the center as a mast and a sheet was stuck to it for a sail. He then took an older pizza paddle and wrote a few runes on it so that it emitted a very light breeze and with some testing, it pushed the newly made floating pirate ship at a gentle pace.
The girls dashed around it and cheered, hugging Harry hard. "Thank you!" they shouted.
"You're welcome!" Harry patted the newly made ship. "I'm pretty impressed that it works."
"We need clothes and a flag," Hailey said.
"That I can't really help with as well, but I'm sure Auntie Luna can," Harry said. "You also need a name for the ship."
The girls looked at each other for a moment. "The Hedwig!" they said together.
"Perfect," Harry grinned. He did some more transfiguration and fitted the front of the ship with a bowsprit and a stylized wooden carving of Hedwig with wings outstretched at the front. He then wrote Hedwig on both sides of the bow. "There, now it's pretty much ready," he smiled. He kissed the enthusiastic girls back and watched them sail off in the ship towards Luna's house.
-0-
"I love it," Luna exclaimed, seeing the ship drift slowly into her gardens. "What a lovely ship!"
"Thank you!" the girls trilled.
"Daddy is the best," Dahlia said.
"He sure is," Luna agreed. "Marvelous spellwork."
"Can you help us with pirate clothes and a flag?" Hadley asked.
"I most certainly can! Let us see here." In a remarkably short time, the little girls were outfitted in frilly blouses and pants with long belts and bandannas. A few wooden spoons were turned into wooden knives and swords. Finally, Luna put a black flag on the mast with an emblem of a bunny in a bandanna and a pirate hat emblazoned on it.
"Thank you, Auntie Luna!" the girls shouted, hugging and kissing her.
"You are very welcome!" She kissed them back. "What are you pirate girls going to do?"
"Go pirating," they said matter-of-factly.
"Of course. How silly of me. Have fun!" Luna smiled as the newly attired girls sailed their ship out of her garden and down the lane. Her smile grew as she walked back to her studio and set up her canvas. She flicked her wand and her paints moved about and arrayed themselves around the canvas and her brushes did the same.
"I love those girls, always giving me lovely ideas," Luna said as she began to apply sea-green paint to the canvas.
-0-
Daphne looked up quizzically. She was working in the shared greenhouse that she and Alicia maintained while baby Heather kicked happily from a sling on her front, and a knock on the door caught her attention. She put her shears down and walked to the door and opened it, smiling broadly at the sight before her. "Well what do we have here?" she asked merrily.
"We're pirates!" the girls said.
"I see! Am I about to be attacked?" Daphne asked with a look of false fear.
"No!" they gasped, appalled.
"Pirates were not very good people," Daphne said gently. "They preyed on the weak and helpless and stole from them."
"Oh, I don't like that," Hadley said, with a frown.
"We just wanted to sail around and wear fun clothes," Dahlia said weakly.
"I know, you are very good girls," Daphne said kindly, making them smile.
"Maybe we can be a different kind of pirates," Hailey suggested.
"You can help us with things and be rewarded," Daphne suggested. "Giving things to put in your treasure chest and bury it."
"Oh yes!" the girls said happily.
"Wait, we need a treasure chest," Hadley said.
Daphne smiled. "Help me water some plants and I will give you a treasure chest and your first bit of treasure. Deal?"
"Deal!" They carefully watered the plants that Daphne pointed out and she in turn found them a small wooden chest that she charmed to be featherlight as well as durable. She then let them pick from the stones she used as part of her planters as well as balls of glass. They hugged her and boarded their ship and sailed off, cheering.
"I am sure you will be having such grand adventures soon too," Daphne cooed to a giggling Heather.
-0-
"What on earth?" Katie looked out the window and watched as the Hedwig slowly sailed past. She waved back to the bunnies, deeply amused. "Where did they get a floating ship?"
"I made it," Harry said, walking over with Iris babbling in his arms. He bounced her a little and smiled when she reached for his hand and held onto his fingers with her two little hands. "They said they wanted to be pirates and I made them a ship from one of the old hammocks."
"That's a really good-looking ship," Katie praised. "And I assume they went to Luna for the clothes and the flag?"
"That's right," Harry nodded.
"Why did they want to be pirates to begin with?"
Harry paused. "You know, I have no idea. They just asked for help and I sort of went with it."
"I love that about you, always supportive without question," she said and kissed him sweetly. "Might want to not do that when they're older though and try to borrow the brooms and go off and do things we might not condone."
"Oh yeah no, I like to think I won't operate automatically at that point," he said weakly while she laughed.
"How's it moving? There's no breeze today."
"I took the old pizza peel and wrote a wind-blowing array on it. I also put safety charms on it all over and it floats pretty low in case it capsizes."
"You think of almost everything," Katie smiled.
"Besides the obvious questions," Harry laughed.
"Eh, sometimes it's more fun that way not questioning everything," Katie giggled.
-0-
"Sacre bleu!" Fleur laughed. She had just arrived home to the Village/Barony and a pattering of knocks on her door made her go answer it readily. She was unprepared to see the miniature floating ship at her door and the pirate bunnies and it made her smile from ear to ear and laugh merrily. "Am I to be assaulted?!"
"No!" Dahlia cried. "We're helpful pirates!"
"Ah, then you are privateers," Fleur smiled.
"What's a privateer?" Hailey asked. "Other than something you shouldn't hit."
Fleur looked questioningly at that until Hadley whispered in her ear and Fleur laughed even harder. "No no, different word," she said, face red from laughter. "A privateer is a someone that operates with government permission but is not part of the military. So like an allowed pirate as long as they only assaulted targets the government said they could. They also enjoyed some protections from said government."
"Do they help people too?" Dahlia asked.
"They can," Fleur said. "To a degree."
"Then let's be privateers," Hadley said. "Can you be our government?"
"I will, but I must have a portion of the treasure you obtain," Fleur said. She smiled when the girls looked at their treasure chest. "I will take it in hugs and kisses." She laughed when the bunnies happily did that. "Very good! From now on, you and the…Hedwig! Of course! You and the Hedwig are official privateers of House Delacour. We must make some changes." In a short time, the girls wore small jackets of blue with white trim and they had another flag to add to their mast: a field of navy blue with an ivory medieval tower emblazoned in the middle.
"Who are we allowed to target?" Hailey asked eagerly.
"Hmm, well, House Delacour is protected of course, as is the Potter home. I will leave it to your discretion to decide on other targets, and if you should help or hinder them." Fleur's smile turned mischievous. "Also, I just remembered something very fun that your ship needs. You still have those little balls that shoot water, yes? Then this will be very fun."
-0-
"Harry James Potter!"
Harry opened the door and started laughing. "What happened to you?!"
"You and your daughter and your goddaughters happened to me!" Hermione poked him with a finger and she glared at him, soaked from head to toe.
"Oh my goodness, what happened?" Katie asked, smiling when she saw Hermione.
"I get home and find the girls rummaging through my kitchen," Hermione said, a smile fighting with her frown. "They cleaned up for me and took out the trash, even put away a few books, but then they made off with some snacks! Said it was under the direction of House Delacour and then sailed away in an incredibly clever ship but shot me with a cannon!"
"Sounds like you should be mad at Fleur then!" Harry retorted while Katie howled with laughter. "And I made the ship but I didn't make the cannon! Was it filled with the reusable water balls?"
"Yes, yes it was," Hermione said, holding her arms wide and showing off her soaked state. "As you can see."
"You can dry yourself at any time you know," Harry said, deeply amused.
"I didn't to make my point," Hermione pointed out.
"So why is this my fault?" Harry asked, smiling.
"Because it's your daughter and goddaughters," Hermione said. She smiled begrudgingly. "The ship is wonderful though and it is really cute."
Katie was still giggling as she dried Hermione off with a wave of her wand before handing her Iris. "Here, hold your goddaughter and relax with us. And you can join us for dinner to make up for the snack nicking."
Hermione cuddled a cooing Iris and smiled. "And tell me how you made the ship. Oh wait, why are they doing this by the way?"
"I have no idea. I thought it was something you did actually. They usually get their stranger ideas from you or Luna," Harry said. "I just went along with the request to make them a ship."
"Not me this time," Hermione sighed.
-0-
"Mum, I can clean my own house," Tonks sighed.
"So why is it not clean?" Andromeda asked, waving her wand and tidying up Tonks' messy living room and kitchen.
"I said I can, not that I do," Tonks muttered.
"Mmhmm," Andromeda grunted, giving her daughter a look as she continued to clean. She looked at the door, hearing a knock. "Were you expecting visitors?"
"Not really. No one usually knocks and waits. They either run in if it's Dumpling or the sprogs or knock and then open the door if it's the adults. I'm coming!" Tonks walked to the door. "Oh hey girls-wait is that a bloody can-AAAAAACK!"
The ship had been lined up with the door and the moment the door opened and Tonks stood in the doorway, the girls let loose and shot a barrage of water balls at Tonks. They hit her solidly and Tonks did not have her wand in hand and was pelted and drenched.
"That was from House Delacour!" the bunnies shouted.
"For beating Auntie Fleur at cards!" Hadley said.
"Sorry Auntie Dora!" Dahlia said.
"Let's go girls! Make way!" Hailey said. They pushed off with the pizza peel and the ship zoomed off. Fleur had modified the runes a little to make it just a bit faster.
Andromeda slumped on the ground, laughing until tears flowed down her cheeks at the sight of Tonks standing there looking gobsmacked and soaking wet.
"Did that just happen?!" Tonks shouted.
"I love those girls so much," Andromeda wheezed.
"Right, time to go pirate hunting," Tonks said, picking up her wand and ran out of her house.
-0-
"And the bunnies claimed a new victim," Katie smiled. They had heard squealing and shouting and had gone to the door. They saw the Hedwig zooming along in the air and Tonks running after it. The bunnies shot more water balls at her with the cannon and Tonks deflected them, shooting water back and flinging the water balls back too.
"It shouldn't go that fast," Harry said worriedly. "I was sure to make it go slow to prevent accidents."
"Fleur probably did it, and gave them the cannon," Hermione said sourly.
"I want a little cannon," Katie said. "It'd be really useful for work. You know, to get my point across."
"What happened?" Harry asked when Andromeda walked up to them.
"They basically ambushed Dora," Andromeda said, still laughing as she hugged them. "She opened the door and the girls shot her with the cannon and sailed away, citing revenge for House Delacour."
Tonks ducked the latest cannon shot and waved her wand. Coils of rope grew out of the ground and ensnared the ship, keeping it from moving. "Prepare to be boarded!" Tonks shouted and ran up to the stuck ship.
"Ahh! Fight back!" Hailey cried and she and Hadley and Dahlia began to poke and thwap at Dora with their wooden spoon weapons.
"Tante Fleur! Help!" Dahlia shrieked as Dora suspended her in the air and hit her with a Tickle Jinx, giggling as she was unable to escape.
Fleur came running. "They are privateers for the Delacours!" Fleur shouted.
"Using them for a personal vendetta?! Real mature!" Tonks cried and blasted Fleur with water.
"You have no right to comment on maturity!" Fleur retorted verbally and blasted her back with water magically. The conflict became a duel. Fleur and Tonks dueled with one another while the bunnies interfered on the side of their governmental patron and water and paint charms and all sorts of things were flying about.
"Oh wait, I think I know where they got the idea," Hermione said all of a sudden. "Mum and Dad were babysitting them the other day and they watched a movie. Must have been that."
"That makes sense," Harry said. "Should I put a stop to this?"
"Too late," Katie giggled. The bunnies tackled Tonks and Fleur tied her up in ropes. She led the victory dance around a wriggling Tonks before Fleur levitated her into the air and followed the triumphant bunnies as they approached.
"We're here to ransom a captive," the bunnies trilled.
"I left my purse at home," Andromeda said with the biggest smile.
"Mum!" Tonks screeched.
"How about pizza for dinner," Harry smiled. "Is that ransom enough?"
The girls conversed quietly.
"Pizza and snuggles," they countered.
"You drive a hard bargain, but I accept," Harry said seriously. He shook their hands and then Fleur let Tonks down and undid her bindings.
"Where did you get this cannon?" Katie asked.
"It is a toy from my childhood," Fleur smiled. "It is rather simple. A launching charm shoots out what you put inside and there are safety charms to prevent injury."
"We shouldn't show the ship or the cannon to Fred or George," Hermione snorted. "Or actually, maybe we should." She shook her head at Fleur. "I can't believe you made them your privateers."
"You should have," Fleur said, eyes sparkling with joy.
Harry looked up and cast a spell swiftly. "And you should know what happens when Tonks loses," he smiled.
Before she could ask or say anything, Fleur screeched as a veritable wave of water came crashing down on her, as if a storm's worth of rain was combined into a single stream and she fell and floundered as she was drenched.
"I'm a sore loser," Tonks said with a vindictive smile as Fleur floundered in a very large puddle.
"Generally not something to be proud of," Andromeda snorted as the fight began anew.
-0-
"We watched Pirates of the Caribbean," Jean admitted. She and David had come to the Village for dinner and had greatly enjoyed the story of what happened that day.
"Well that answers that question," Katie laughed.
"I am impressed the girls wanted it more for the aesthetics," Daphne smiled. "Though they did eventually follow suit to nature I suppose."
"The desire to be naughty was too great," Hermione snorted. "Though in this case, they were encouraged to be by Fleur."
"Not a boring day goes by here," Andromeda said lovingly. She smiled as the bunnies sat on Tonks and fed her pizza as a form of contrition.
"Isn't it great?" Harry said happily.
"That's incredible," David said, admiring the painting that Luna brought to show them. It was not finished yet, but depicted three women on a ship sailing the main, and each bore a striking resemblance to one of the bunnies.
"I get the best ideas here," Luna said happily, working on a sketch of the earlier duel she managed to see between Fleur and Tonks. "It's really great."
-0-0-0-
odonnellzoo99 - I thought ti would be a nice way to show how he has subtly changed in this and how much he appreciates his family while still feeling like Percy.
TheSphynx - Thank you. I tried to have this Percy still feel like Percy from canon, with just a slightly different motivation and focus to him.
tainted1992 - I'm glad that you have enjoyed them and that I could help you smile. Thank you for reading.
alix33 - Thank you, glad you enjoyed it.
poka - Thank you. I was pretty happy with that line.
Ghostwriter - I can see why we didn't like him much in canon, he was written to feel different from the other Weasleys but I always felt a little bad for him so my goal in this setting was to have him feel like Percy still, but a kinder one.