"My Pup Does this Old Dog proud." A voice Harry recognized even as he stood drawing both wands and spinning. A stunning hex fired from the Yew, at Sirius, as Holly came to a stop aiming between Moony's eyes.
"Bad Master should know how fast Master can be." Kreature snickered from where he stood on the table, beside the pizza boxes, still holding his hat box.
"Great Wizard Harry Potter Sir be Fast, Strong, and Rarely misses." Dobby nodded from the bench beside where Harry had been sitting.
"First you invite us here, and then you stun Padfoot the minute he says hello." Remus had his empty hands in the air.
"How well do you understand temprail magics?" Harry moved to put the table between the two wizards.
"Enough to know that use of them makes headaches matched only by Firewhiskey benders."
"And this last year, we had Moody for DADA. I think you can connect the dots." Harry flicked Yew at Sirius, bringing him awake, as Holly spit a ball of fire at the fireplace.
"What hit me?" The Grim Animagus asked as he climbed to his feet, before sniffing the air. "What smells so good? I think Lily used to make something like that."
"In order," Lupin clapped his friend on the shoulder, "Moody's latest disciple, Pizza, a Margarita and a pepperoni and bacon, I believe, with an anchovy chaser."
"Anchovy." The man had a twisted face, "Who would want Anchovy on a pizza?"
"Kneazle Familiars that are missing their human." Harry sat, before taking the smallest box and setting it aside. "It never was intended for human consumption." He raised his voice. "Crook! Dinner!"
The Ginger Tom trotted in, dragging the leash, with something in his teeth, but before Harry could identify it, he swallowed it.
Harry shook his head, clucked his tongue at the beast, as he set the small pie box on the floor and opened it.
"Dobby, Kreature. You two will sit beside me. You can use the hat box as a booster seat before I send them to the Weasleys. Padfoot, Moony, sit. We will be eating as a family. We have Mischief to Manage."
As the Elves repositioned themselves, the two wizards sat across from them.
"Why did you have them sit there?" Black kept an eye on Kreature.
"Unless we are Hosting, we will be dining as a family. The Elves are members of My Family."
"Even that…" Black sneered at Kreature.
"Yes." Harry grinned. "Gampy Kreature has finally completed Reggie's Last orders, and is preparing to begin teaching the new Elves of House Black and Potter the way of Service."
Kreature's chest puffed up in pride, allowing the Light to glint off his Locket.
Sirius raised an eyebrow at the sight of the relic around the Elf's but something finally clicked in his head…
"Wait a second," He turned to look at his best friend. "You said 'Disciple of Moody'. As in …"
"Constant Vigilance!" The three Wizards chorused.
A three count, and then the two older men started laughing. "Okay," Black sighed, "That's a little creepy."
"Did I see two wands?" Lupin asked.
"Let's put everything on the table." Harry sighed, as he drew both wands and set them on the table. "I expect you two no doubt have sniffed me enough to know that I am your Harry. I also know that my Elves will defend me should you attack me. Kreature because he is a Black Elf that has a bone to pick with Padfoot. Dobby is very loyal. Ask any question, I will tell you no lie." He opened both pizza boxes side by side. "Kreature, Dobby. I want you both to try some of both. I will need you to know what pizza tastes like. These are the most common in this house. The pepperoni and bacon is more for Hedwig."
$I sense Heat. Coming out.$
"In the spirit of 'on the Table', the second thing that needs to be talked about is coming out to coil up before the fire. Do not panic. She will not hurt anyone here unless they attack her."
From the pocket of his robes, the snake emerged and slid across the floor between the two wizards, tasting them, on her way to the fire.
$hmm, real fire. Real civilization.$ Nagini signed.
"Pup." Sirius watched the twenty foot snake slither past. "You are not telling me something."
"I am not telling you alot." Harry helped himself to a slice of the Margarita. "When I finish eating, I have a couple boxes to seal, shrink, and send to my business partners. Tonight, after business, we will finish our talks in the den, while you two enjoy a bottle of whiskey."
"That bad?" Lupin asked.
"Worse, Moony. It involves little Teddy Lupin…" Harry sighs, "My godson."
POMP
Hedwig, aka [Snowfall Death] was flying back to [Reckless Storm, formally [Reckless Chick]. She is traveling the black paths of the humans. The big boxes caused enough Jetstream flow that she could ride the wake and only use one third the energy of flying the same distance, and if she got tired, she could land and ride the boxes…
She was returning from having delivered a scroll for the [two females from one egg] to add them to his Parliament.
[Flashback]
Leaving the night of the feast, allowed her to avoid the damn cage. It was nice to use as a portable nest or roost, but she liked to be able to stretch her wings as needed.
Finding the Hatching Nest of the two females was chick's play, and making it in the night was something even the air headed screech owl that she called [Wind Wad] after his speed and something Her human called a spitwad.
As she ghosted down to where the Man was breaking his fast with a set of two from one as well. Touching down as gentle as a downy feather. He frowned at her as she extended her leg. When he took the scroll, she bounded into the air and drifted to the females to beg [crispy pig] and scratches.
As the man finished reading the scroll, he swore. "That Bastard Potter had defiled the girls."
One of the ladies swirled her tea as her sister cooed over the owl. As she drank the tea, she glared at her husband. She read the tea leaves in the bottom of the cup…
"No… the girls are untouched… but will jump the poor boy if you push any of the other contracts." She looked at him. "Please reread the note."
He did so. "Padma says that Heir Potter has sullied them and seeks to rectify his acts."
The witch scratching the Owl snorted. "Remember that Ball they had back at the Solstice? Paddy wrote about how the boy asked her to the Ball, and then just sat on the sidelines and ignored her. His sidekick did the same thing to Pav."
"So… His sullying our girls was more Social then Physical." She rotated her cup as she watched the shadows of the soggy leaves in the bottom of the cup. "Does she say anything about how the boy wants to redress the issue?"
"She says that he is willing to meet me at Gringotts to complete the contract between our Houses." He frowned at the note, "she says contract, not contracts…"
"He is asking for both." The witch scratching the Owl smirked.
An hour later [Snowfall Death] was winging to where [Reckless Storm] was going to be.
[Flashback end]
Following the black paths and riding the wind wakes might take a bit longer, but it was not as exhausting as flying straight there. As the chick was not in a hurry, she had time to enjoy the flight.
When she got to London, the sun was setting. She locked onto [Reckless Storm] and followed it across the rooftops. Finding the 'Nest/Roost' that [Reckless Storm] had claimed, she tucked her wings in and dove into the chimney.
When the House Owl had died the Owl Access Ports had closed. This amounted to the only way in was the Floo. It was a tricky endeavor, with the heat in her face, the fire at the bottom of the Floo, and the tight space the chimney allowed hindering her wings…
'Let's show [Reckless Storm] how it's done!'
She fell into the sooty brick opening… and seconds later burst into the Kitchen, the flames tickling her tail feathers.
#Now that's a rush!# the Mistress of the Night Winds crowed in in her Human's head as she crash landed on his arm.
POMP
Just outside of the Village of Catchpole, a house, little more than a cottage on the ground floor. The place was a cross between a cottage and a Wizard's Tower. The upper floors swayed when the wind howled.
Welcome to the Burrow.
Tonight a storm was brewing… and the author is not talking about the weather.
Fred had snuck up and caught little 'Pig', while Fred had written a final draft of a letter to the Potter Account Manager.
"Sir.
We were made an offer by the Heir Potter. We are willing to swear in blood that we are on the Level.
While we admit to being Makers of Mischief, our Elder Brother, William Weasley, made sure we knew the difference between the time for Mischief and the time for Business.
This is the time for business.
Heir Potter made some noise about being under a Postal Ward and was not looking to break it until September First.
The owl that delivered this letter is exempted so that the owner can write him as needed.
We ask that you set up a time window for each day for the next week for us to meet with you and Heir Potter to have talks on Business and Profit.
In Blood we swear…
(Two bloody thumb prints)
Fred Weasley
George Weasley
The little owl was wrestled to the desk by one twin as the other tied the scroll to its leg, before the bitty bitey blighter was defenestrated from the room by way of the open window.
POMP
Harry watched, with a grin, the two older wizards fight over the last slice of Margarita pizza. He had already set the last two slices of pepperoni and bacon aside for Hedwig.
Suddenly he perked up and brought his left arm up and across his chest…
Seconds later a sooty white blur burst into the Kitchen, the flames tickling her tail feathers.
#Now that's a rush!# the Mistress of the Night Winds crowed in in her Human's head as she crash landed on his arm.
"Evening my beautiful girl." Harry swung her to the side, as he picked up the Holly wand, and waving it over, hoovered up the ash and soot from the Floo. "There. I guess we need to open the Owl Access Ports tonight. Gampy Kreature, please take care of that when you are finished with your pizza."
The hatchet nosed Elf had used the Owl's arrival and the Wizard's distraction to grab the wedge of tomato paste covered bread and was eating it with relish.
Sirius was put out, because he knew that the Elf was enjoying the last slice mostly because He wasn't able to get it first.
He was correct. The Pleasure of denying 'Bad Master ' the joy of the last slice was the best part of the last slice. The pizza was good too.
Colour coding the Hat boxes, Harry set the owl on the table and opened the other box. Putting away his wands, he stood.
"Dobby. I need the passageway to the Den and the Den itself cleaned before I get there." He paused as Dobby crouched, quivering… "And… Go!"
Dobby vanished.
"Kreature. Once you're finished. I need the path to Reggie's Room and Sirius' Room cleared. We can clean it tomorrow. I will be talking to my uncles in the Den. Odds are they will be drunk by the time we go to bed. Before we go to sleep, Sirius will bond Winky to House Black."
"Good. Then he will take on her hangover." Kreature snickered before popping off to open the owl access portals.
"Why am I bonding the Elf?" Sirius stood and led the way to the Den.
Harry passed one box to Lupin before grabbing the other and following. "Simple. I already have two. Moony is not a Black…yet. And you need to be watched and looked after."
"I feel that there was an insult in there and I missed it." Padfoot opened the door to the Den to see a decanter of Firewhiskey and two tumblers waiting for the Adults.
Seeing the booze on the coffee table, Harry grinned. "Go ahead and get started. I will be there in a minute. I just need to write up a letter to your successors and ship them a few things."
FG
The matching your Jumpers is the Doxies. The one matching Ronald's has a surprise for him, but the material within is for you.
HJP
He then shrunk both boxes , set them beside the scrolled note. After allowing Hedwig an hour or two to eat and rest, he would send her to the twins.
"Okay." He sat in a leather wingback chair as the wizards sat across from him. "On May first of the year nineteen ninety eight, just before midnight, I died."
TBC