It was the tenth of December when the Hogwarts Express ran for a special journey. It had been decided that, because of extenuating circumstances, the school year would run into half of July instead of just half of June. One month more for the ones that hadn't had the chance to attend Hogwarts this year so far to catch up with their classmates. The train carried all those students, including the muggleborn first-years, to the school for a short introduction of Hogwarts and to give the older students the information what topics had been covered so far.
For any class not taking OWLs and NEWTs that would mean they also would get compressed repetition classes on the things taught so far. On board of the train were also several prefects and the new headboy and headgirl, who had also not had the chance to go to school. The number of students wasn't that large, but it was substantial. About perhaps a quarter of the school had not been present this year so far.
There were only twelve days left until the train would return those students that wished to spend Christmas at home, which would be nearly the whole school, after the terror of the first term. People wanted to see their loved ones and celebrate that they had survived the regime of Tom Riddle. Kingsley Shacklebolt was currently Minister of Magic and working relentlessly with the support of those that were all for change at the Ministry. Their goal was to get the ones that had supported the Death Eaters, as well as those Death Eaters that had survived the loss of their magic, pay for their crimes.
Percy's List, as it was now called, was invaluable to the investigators. Kingsley was honestly impressed when he heard how Madam Bones had started the process of cleaning the Ministry when she had still been alive. Right now all those remaining at the Ministry had to work overtime, as they lacked a lot of man power. Kingsley had already found one solution to moderate the workload and was putting things in place for a second. He had cut off any kind of activity that wasn't vital. Meaning, things like control of other magical races was cancelled, they could govern themselves in his mind and it would be for a later time to try and mend bridges. The floo regulation was cut down to two people. Just setting up new floo accesses and making sure that the system didn't break down was done.
Control of fireplaces like in the past was cancelled. They could take care of small fry criminals that might use the network, once they found out about the reduced staff that was, when the bigger fishes were fried. The Games and Sports Department was down to three people that simply made sure that the Quidditch league was informed about certain rules being changed again. Like only letting purebloods play. The teams were happy that they could get their best players of other blood statuses back.
The second way was inviting all the ones that had applied for jobs in the past, but had been refused because of their blood status. If they were still interested, they were welcome to take up a job that they were qualified for. Right now there were too many jobs and too few applicants. And Kingsley set up a team that ensured that only qualification was the deciding factor for filling the positions.
Harry and Hermione were treated like heroes on the train. Some of their classmates that had also gone on the run or left the country with their parents, were now back to finish their studies. The Daily Prophet had printed news about the victory over Voldemort and who had played the deciding roles in it. Thankfully, this time Harry wasn't the only one to experience the praise. Bill, Fleur, Professor McGonagall, the ones to take the Ministry back and of course Hermione, were also getting their fair share of fame. To Ron's anger, Ron was marginalised and he of course blamed Harry for it. Harry and Hermione refused to talk to him after his temper tantrum over his small mention in the papers.
Hermione had bluntly told him how she could as well tell the press how he had abandoned them in the tent, how he had put her under love potions and tried to force her into a relationship she would have detested, as she didn't like him at all. She had tolerated him for Harry and thought that over time he could become a good friend, nothing more. Ron was in a royal snitch over Harry and Hermione being a couple now. It had ended in him having to be treated at St. Mungo's for a severe case of powerful transfigurations to parts of his body. In fact Hermione hadn't held back at all over the insults he had thrown into her and Harry's faces. He had got biting orange flowers for hair, which bit him every five minutes at least, more if he cursed, his arms were turned into spider legs, which made him freak out, his eyes became those of an insect, which was complimented with ant mandibles at his mouth.
Next to that she had turned his remaining body into a bright yellow chicken and every time anybody addressed him by his name, he was forced to painfully lay an egg, which always exploded under him, burning his backside. The only one to really try to admonish Hermione had been Mrs Weasley, but Hermione had slapped her in the face and unloaded all her pent up fury against her and called her everything from an assistant to raping innocent girls to a crazy old bitch that couldn't accept that the world didn't revolve around her screwed up world views. At that point Mr Weasley had taken Mrs Weasley away to prevent the eruption of Harry, who had been turning more and more angry over the things Mrs Weasley tried to blame on Hermione. The two hadn't had any contact with Ron and Mrs Weasley after that and Mr Weasley had sent them a formal apology in the name of the Weasley family for the transgressions against them, also thanking them for not filing charges against Molly and Ron.
Harry and Hermione had agreed that they would wait with that, as they didn't want the other Weasleys that they liked to suffer from the stigma that the idiots that couldn't think for themselves would level against the whole family, and not just the ones that deserved it. And Mr Weasley, Bill, Fleur, Charlie, Percy and the twins didn't deserve any blame for the situation, and Ginny only a small part, which, while they couldn't agree with it, they could somewhat understand. Brainwashing was hard to overcome, especially with untreated mental heath problems from a severe trauma after the Chamber of Secrets.
Ginny had written both Harry and Hermione a letter, sincerely apologising and describing her reasons, even if they weren't justified, which she had finally realised, after talking with Madam Pomfrey and a mind healer a lot. As she was voluntarily seeking medical help and Harry hadn't really suffered from her actions, he was willing to give her a second chance, which made Hermione take a wait and see stance for now.
When the train reached Hogsmeade, Harry and Hermione organised that everybody was safely in the carriages. It was honestly too cold to send the first-years over the lake. It had snowed and everything was covered in a thick layer of snow. No, that would be totally irresponsible. The carriages, which were equipped with skids instead of wheels, due to the weather, took the students to the castle and, after passing the gates, they found a large number of people holding lights waiting for them. The cheering of them when the students got out of the carriages was a really nice touch. Though Harry and Hermione were overwhelmed when they exited the last carriage from Hogsmeade, which they had taken after making sure that every student was on the way to Hogwarts.
All the students loudly cheered and applauded, making them both blush and Harry put his arm around Hermione's waist to have some physical support from her closeness and to give her the same. The teacher in charge of the welcome committee was Professor Flitwick.
"Welcome everybody, please come in, it's much warmer inside the Great Hall," he told them all and the students were only too happy to follow the advice, "If the new first-years would please follow me into the chamber at this side, we'll have the sorting ceremony soon."
The ten children followed the small Professor and looked a bit nervous. The others were taken by their friends and shown into the Great Hall, all of them talking excitedly. Harry and Hermione went over to Neville and Ginny, who were the leaders of the ones that had given the Carrows the hardest time in taking control over the school. Luna directly besides them.
It took ten minutes for Professor McGonagall shooting a noise spell into the air.
"I know that you're all eager to greet your friends back properly, but we really need to have the sorting done so that we can start with our feast. There will be plenty of time to talk to everybody," she said with a smile.
The students nodded, having increased their respect for their headmistress massively after her vital role in the demise of Voldemort and the neutralisation of the danger that his followers had presented. They separated to their house tables and Professor Flitwick led a group of about twenty first-years towards the head table.
The Sorting Hat opened its mouth and started singing.
One thousand years have come and gone,
Since Hogwarts was created.
No one back than would have dared hope,
Believing history was started.
We've been through times of peace and war,
Have seen great deeds achieved,
If anybody back then predicted the time,
They wouldn't have believed.
There were four people that had a dream,
They wanted to teach Magic,
To all those children far and wide,
That had the talent for it.
The first of them was Hufflepuff,
The loyal, kind, old Soul,
To give all children the chance to shine,
Was her declared goal.
The second one was Gryffindor,
A brave man of noble deeds,
He looked for those that shared his code,
And all that did, he'd teach.
The third of them was Ravenclaw,
The wisest of them all.
Her wits, her smarts and Cleverness,
Made many follow her call.
The fourth of them was Slytherin,
Cunning and ambitious,
To see his prized student's plans succeed,
Was to him the most delicious.
For years they taught in harmony,
As each had a house of their own,
But with problems mounting all the time,
Discontent soon was shown.
One of the last things done by all of them,
Was giving me their minds,
So that once they were here no more,
The house placement would be kind.
All four of them have gone since then,
Leaving me to choose behind,
To make sure their ideals survived,
In the children's ready minds.
We just survived a horrible war,
Our heroes will be lauded,
But don't repeat the mistakes of the past,
Or the sacrifices will be voided.
Don't let differences part you,
Stand strong in what unites,
It doesn't matter what colour you wear,
What counts are your feelings inside.
The four that we all hold so dear,
The four that are remembered,
Were once the closest friends there are,
And wouldn't have surrendered,
To hate and greed or fear and lies,
United they were strong,
And woe the ones that tried to harm,
The ones that did belong.
Through outside action, Slytherin left,
Leaving three mourning friends behind,
Swearing to protect his true legacy,
Not the discord that tainted his mind.
Now listen hard and learn this well,
As much history was forgotten,
All attributes that those four cherished,
Only together make you strong.
I have to sort you in a house,
One that suits you best,
That doesn't mean that I don't worry each time,
As it always is a test.
Now it is time, my song is done,
Listen to my warning,
I don't want to hear that hate and greed,
Again disturb this place of learning.
The students clapped loudly for the new song. Then the hat opened its brim again.
"For those students that wish to have a resorting done, now that they don't have to fear repercussions from their parents or other Death Eater relatives anymore, I will make an exception to not doing resorting," The Hat called out before lying still again.
"Well, you heard our Sorting Hat. I would ask any student that is unhappy with where he or she was sorted and only did so because of family pressure, to step forward and join the others. As some of you see, we already had a few students that asked for this chance before the Hat even offered it to all of you," Professor Flitwick stated.
A lot of children looked at each other and slowly, but surely, about thirty others stood and joined the group of twenty that already waited for their sorting.
Harry could hear Ron groan over this taking much longer and delaying dinner. He shot him a harsh glare that thankfully made him shut up. One after another the students were called up, seemingly the list had a spell on it that updated it automatically, and the first and second-years were sorted into their right houses. Many of the second years looked incredibly happy to change houses. And it weren't only Slytherins that had changed houses. There were Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors in the group as well. When the hat called out the new houses for them, their uniform trim changed.
Finally they were all sorted and Professor McGonagall opened the feast with the statement that the announcements could wait for after dinner.
Then it was time to eat. Hogwarts feasts were always special and great and everybody appreciated the massively changed atmosphere in the Great Hall. Students talked to each other, laughed, cried, and overall, coped with the terror that had been inflicted on them. After an hour, everybody was filled to bursting. During the reign of Snape and the Carrows, there rarely was food this splendid except at the Slytherin table. It was a clear show that they thought that house superior to the others, as it only had purebloods and the very rare halfblood from an old family in it.
Once the tables were cleared of food, drinks and tableware, Professor McGonagall stood and after a minute the Great Hall was silent enough for her to speak.
"We have come a long way this year through hard times. For the first time in living memory, Hogwarts had to bow to forces from the outside that had no other goal than oppressing the students of this school to confirm to their way of thinking. The attendance for children not from magical background was forbidden, because a number of cruel and stupid people decided to make up an absolute lie, which anybody with a brain would have been able to see through as ridiculous. But with them having taken over the Ministry of Magic for a while, we had to bow to violence to at least be able to protect those students that were here.
"Today I'm very happy that this mistake is corrected and everybody that wants to learn how to use his magic is welcome at Hogwarts once again. I tell you this now and I will repeat it, forget everything you learned in the Muggle Studies classes this year. Everything you learned there was a lie. It was meant to brainwash you to the Death Eater way of thinking. This mentality will no longer be tolerated and anybody using their slang, insulting others with despicable terms like mudblood and blood traitor, will be in very hot water.
"In accordance with the other teachers, I am now telling you what exactly will happen, should we find out that one of you used those words or bullied somebody because of a ridiculous idea as blood supremacy. Something like that doesn't exist. There is absolutely no proof that any blood status holds more power than the other. Any first offence against this will lead to one week of detention in combination with the loss of fifty house points. And the detention won't be a soft option like in the past. The second offence is suspension for a week and one month of detention with a hundred points being taken. If you should be so stupid to test our patience a third time, you're out of here permanently. You'll be expelled. The mentality that stands behind using insults like that, is what caused this war and the one in the seventies. Thousands of people were lost on both sides, costing our community many families.
"The hourglasses showing the ranking of the houses in the house cup have been reset to zero each. We will have a completely fresh start from here on. As there have been massive discrepancies in the giving and taking of points in the past, the teachers also have set up a new system of how points are given or taken. For this to be explained, I ask the new headboy and headgirl to me now please," McGonagall said and Harry and Hermione stood up from their seat, knowing what the headmistress wanted to say already.
McGonagall summoned a number of sheets from behind the head table and then banished them all over the house tables, making sure that all students had a paper for two of them.
"On these papers are the guidelines how points are going to be given or taken. There have been some changes. For one, regularly occurring things, like getting spell in class first, or giving a correct answer to questions asked, have got standardised points. This way one teacher won't decide on other numbers than his colleague. Similar procedure will be taken with point deductions. The prefects only have authority to take five points for a found misbehaviour. They can't give detentions anymore. In case a prefect finds a student severely going against the rules, the student will be taken to a teacher to decide on further punishment.
"The list with what counts as severe rule breaking has been handed out to the prefects. Now the headboy and headgirl have more authority. They can take points up to ten at a time and they can set detention. You can go to your head of house if you think a detention was given unfairly, but be warned, if you think that this is a soft option, if you're lying, and we will test for that, you'll get double the detention that has been set before. So think twice about accusing these two of lying about your misbehaviour.
"We can easily prove anything with just seeing a memory in a pensieve. There are charms that can verify an entered memory, so there is no chance to cheat and lie. We have let discipline around the school slip before this painful period happened and I won't repeat the mistakes of the past."
She left that statement hang in the air for a while to make the students realise how serious she was about this.
"On a nicer note, we found new teachers for our vacancies and will be able to start classes again tomorrow. Some of you might remember him, returning as Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher is Professor Lupin," she said and those in fifth year and up applauded loudly, "Now, many of you know that Professor Lupin has lycanthropy. As he is staying at home each night, as his wife is pregnant and expecting her first child around March next year, there is absolutely no danger to anybody. I want to make it abundantly clear that it won't be tolerated to harass Professor Lupin about his disease.
"He's taking wolfsbane potion that allows him to keep his mind on the nights of the full moon. When I went over the exam results of all Defence teachers in the past ten years, Professor Lupin has by far the best quota of O's achieved in OWLs and NEWTs," She pointed out sternly and most students that might have protested quivered under that glare.
"The next new appointment is Professor Clearwater, who is taking over Muggle Studies. Professor Clearwater is muggleborn, and therefore knows exactly what she's talking about. We have agreed to make Muggle Studies a mandatory class for the first two years, as there have been more and more reports from the Obliviators prior to the hostile takeover of the Ministry of Magic, about wizards not managing to blend in with the muggles. We can stop those problems easily by letting all of you learn the basics. And to counter what rubbish Alecto Carrow taught about muggles, the other years will also take the class until the end of the school year next summer. After that it will be an elective from third year up again," Professor McGonagall pointed out and some polite applause greeted Percy Weasley's ex-girlfriend.
"The next concerning subject was History of Magic. I'm pleased to inform you that Professor Binns has agreed to retire and pass on. For History we now have Professor Irving teaching," Professor McGonagall said and the students applauded again, "Professor Irving will also hold two weekend courses about the terror of the Death Eaters for all students in sixth and seventh year. Those courses are mandatory. Not knowing the past led to many students falling prey to the lure of power, which in the end cost them their magic. If two weekend courses can prevent that ideologies of blind followership of a murdering maniac can even save one student from it happening again, it will have succeeded."
Then she motioned Harry to step forward. He nodded and got ready to tell the students a few things.
"As I know that you're all tired and full of food, I'll make this short. I spent four months on the run from Death Eaters and Tom Riddle, better known as Lord Voldemort, because people let corruption spread into every part of the Ministry, the press and the largest businesses. I was the top target of them, because Riddle feared that I was the only one that could kill him, thanks to a prophecy that was made before I was even born. In the end that was complete nonsense. I didn't do anything special. What I did though was asking people that knew more than I did for help. Bill and Fleur Weasley gave Hermione and me the key to the defeat of Riddle. He had mutilated his soul and hidden away his anchors. I won't tell you how to make them, only that it was the biggest mistake he could make.
"I learned that if you split your soul, you opened yourself for attack if an opponent ever got to your soul piece that you had hidden away. I used a fairly simply ritual to call all parts of his soul back together, including the part that was in his main body, that he had created with a dark ritual at the end of my fourth year, forcefully taking my blood for it. Riddle was so afraid of death that he decided to not only mutilate his soul once, but he wanted to have seven pieces of his soul, the most powerful magical number. As soon as Bill and Fleur knew what he had done, they told me how to beat him. It was that easy. We had already found one of the containers. We extracted the soul piece and trapped it in a special amulet. From there on I only had to call all pieces back together, as I had the largest magical reserves. But anybody can perform the ritual.
"Professor McGonagall was the one to finally end the regime of terror that Riddle had created. She used her position at the school to have the magic of the soul trapped in the amulet be drained and added to the wards of Hogwarts. A side effect of that was that all Death Eaters lost their magic, as they were bound to Riddle's magic through their dark marks, the mark that proved that they had tortured and killed innocents," Harry said with a hard and cutting voice, "Proper investigation has shown that the imperius curse defence that was really popular after the first fall of Riddle, was nothing but a sly trick of those that had enough money to bribe the right people. It will never work again.
"The now squib Death Eaters are arrested and awaiting trial. The loss of their magic doesn't absolve them from paying for their crimes. It just makes it easier for us to ensure that they can't do something like that again. But the past one and half years, where Riddle and his followers were allowed to run amok, the terror that those that were here in the year 1992/93 experienced, when the Chamber of Secrets was opened, could have been prevented if we had just made sure to not let criminals walk away with a slap on the hand. I'll make sure that it doesn't happen again. And I'll see to it that there won't be a repeat performance of another dark lord rising from the ashes of the one we just got rid of.
"It is time to face the unpleasant past and not play ostrich. Trying to ignore things won't solve problems. It will hurt, it will be embarrassing, and it will reveal unpleasant secrets. It will also take years to bring everything out into the open. But we're doomed if we don't make a cut here and now and do the work to make our world into a place where we can feel safe and where it is pleasant to live. Where the rights of the individual are protected, including that the press can't print blatant lies and propaganda. You all are going to go out into the new world and I want you to ask yourselves, what kind of world do you want? What do you want to be in the future? Now we all have the chance to lay the foundation for it. So, no complaining about having to take more history lessons, we got into this situation because the generation before us refused to face facts. No more, I say! Think about my words, thank you," Harry ended his speech and was greeted with loud applause and standing ovations.
The best reward was the kiss from Hermione thought. And he couldn't care less about the cat-calls. He loved her and he wouldn't let this wonderful girl go again. And he had an idea that he needed to talk about with his account manager at Gringotts.
Harry and Hermione were really busy during the twelve days that were the period until the Christmas break would start and all students would return to their families. There wouldn't be any staying at Hogwarts. Even those that had lost their families in the war, were going to relatives or friends. Everybody here needed to have a Christmas among their loved ones. The war and the takeover of their world by the dark had taken its toll and many needed to pick up the pieces and rebuild their lives.
The first morning, during the scheduled History of Magic lesson for the first-years, Harry and Hermione led the new firsties around the school to help them find their classrooms easier. Some older students also joined, as the tour included other important places as well, and the Carrows had forbidden any kind of exploring of the students. It was classes in the classrooms or the greenhouses, meals in the Great Hall, studying in the Great Hall during fixed study hours, or staying in the common rooms. Except you belonged to a select group that the Carrows used to keep control over the school. The junior Death Eaters. They had even put the books needed for homework research onto a small bookshelf and other books weren't allowed to be used. More of their brainwashing.
So many students didn't know their way around the school very well. They were grateful to now have the chance to learn where certain locations were. The Ravenclaw firsties had stars in their eyes, laying eyes on the great library for the first time. Sure, they had their own private one in Ravenclaw Tower, but this one was so much more impressive. The tour took about one and a half hours and Harry and Hermione told them that they could come and ask them if they had problems if their prefects couldn't help, or they needed the help of the headboy or headgirl specifically.
It would be a long way for everybody to recover.
When the Hogwarts Express reached London, Harry and Hermione oversaw the prefects and made sure that no luggage was forgotten on the train before leaving it themselves. Harry had convinced Hermione to come with him over the holidays and told her that he had prepared a surprise. But he wouldn't tell her what the surprise was. When the other students had been greeted by their families and left, he took Hermione's hand and side-along apparated her to the mansion, which he still kept under the fidelius charm. It was simply a useful precaution, now that the press was hounding him again.
He gave Hermione a bright grin and led her into the house when she looked at him in confusion.
"Okay, Harry, I have been really patient, but I really want to know what kind of surprise you have," she said, "We could have as well stayed at Hogwarts, as the time is too short to go and search for my parents before we have to be back at school."
"I know, but I had a great idea and for this idea to fully work out, you had to come with me over the holidays," Harry replied grinning.
"What kind of idea?" She asked.
"Come with me into the lounge and you'll see," Harry told her.
Hermione nodded and followed him. Before she could open the door, he stopped her and put a blindfold around her eyes.
"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed exasperated.
"Come on, let me do it this way," Harry pleaded and she huffed, but nodded.
Harry opened the door and gently led Hermione inside, positioning her with look onto two people that had a bright smile on their faces.
"Okay, Hermione, you can take the blindfold off," Harry said and she did so, looking shell shocked at the two people lounging in the armchairs.
"Mum, Dad!" She cried out and shot forward into the waiting arms of her mother, "How is this possible? I'm so sorry. I should never have obliviated you. I wasn't thinking straight and was under potions. I'm so sorry, can you forgive me?" She rushed out.
"Breathe, darling," Monica Granger chuckled, "We know already. Your boyfriend wrote us a very informative letter, which was given to us by a Gringotts employee in Australia. He explained everything that had happened and how you were drugged and manipulated by people that you thought you could trust. It explained a lot of things that we had noticed, but which we could never really discuss with you, as you became distant from us. I'm really happy that you're back to yourself."
"Harry, I wish to thank you for everything you've done for us. Not only did you protect our daughter from falling into the hands of a boy who would use love potions to force her into a relationship, but also stopped her from going away from us forever," Wendell Granger addressed Harry.
"It was my pleasure. I knew that Hermione was close to you two and I didn't want her to lose her parents. I know how hard it is to not have parents," Harry replied.
Hermione, once she had hugged her father, went over to her boyfriend and kissed him passionately for as long as they had breath.
"Thank you so much, Harry, this is the best Christmas present ever!" Hermione brought out after ending the kiss.
"It was my pleasure," Harry told her sincerely.
"How did you manage to have Gringotts find them?" Hermione asked.
"That wasn't too difficult. Thanks to Bill's report, I'm on the good side of the goblins. It didn't hurt that I inherited a lot of gold by default thanks to the draining of the magic of the Death Eaters. Sirius once told me that all the pureblood families are somehow related. Well, that was especially true for the Blacks. And thanks to my grandmother being born a Black, I was the one next in line to get some of the largest fortunes in our world, which shocked me massively when I got the owl from Gringotts. But the Malfoys, Lestranges, Rosiers, Selwyns, Rowles and Averys were all related to the Blacks. And I'm the only remaining heir. Though I fully intend to set up a very large vault for Andromeda, Ted, Remus and Tonks. Andromeda was the sister of Bellatrix and Narcissa and deserves to get her inheritance. And with Tonks and Remus expecting a baby next year, they need all the money they can get," Harry declared.
"But how would you inherit? I mean, I understand the Black fortune itself, as Sirius was your godfather, but the others? They were only married to daughters of the Blacks," Hermione asked surprised.
"No remaining heirs. I did a bit of research and found out that many pureblood families were completely marked by Riddle. They died out in the male line. In case that happens, the goblins trace the lines back and the spouses' families are considered. Though disinherited members are skipped. And my grandmother Dorea was one of the few Blacks that wasn't blasted from the family tree. After all, she married a pureblood wizard from a powerful family. It didn't matter that her son fought against the pureblood ideals and married a muggleborn. It wasn't blamed on her. Otherwise Sirius' mother would have had to blast herself off too. She had done her duty to the House of Black. And Walburga Black was too busy with her disgrace of a son to care for Dorea Potter.
"Now, when all those Death Eaters lost their magic, they also lost claim to the family fortunes. A squib, if they were lucky to survive, isn't fit to inherit anything. Not to mention that the trials sent all Death Eaters to prison for life, also taking them out of the line of inheritance. There won't be any more heirs coming from them in the future. Which is why the goblins looked for available heirs. In those cases where underage children remain, the fortunes are frozen and will be passed on once they turn seventeen. A trust fund manager will take care that tuition for school and a stipend for living expenses are paid, but the main part will not be accessible before they come of age.
"The Blacks were numerous some generations ago and the connection gave me the right to claim the gold. I plan to use a good part of the gold to help with the rebuilding and have some be used for progressive new businesses that need start-up loans, like I did for Fred and George. We have a great chance now that the worst bigots are out of the picture. And I want to direct our world in the right direction without totally controlling things," Harry explained.
"That's a great idea, Harry," Hermione beamed.
"Yes, well thought out," Wendell complimented.
"You still didn't explain how you had my parents found so quickly and got them back here for Christmas," Hermione reminded him.
"True. I asked the goblins if they had a branch in Australia, which they confirmed. I explained to them how you sent your parents away to be safe from the war and how I wanted to surprise you for Christmas with them being here. I got a discount for the job. They simply had some experts on muggle communication ways look up if there were any new couples that had arrived within the past six months, called Wendell and Monica Wilkins, who had got a house and registered for the phone books. It only took four days to be sure that they were the ones I was looking for and an expert on mind magic undid the obliviations, as you had created them with the intention to be easily able to undo them.
"I have arranged for a portkey for them to take them back to England if they wanted to. They did and here they are," Harry told the story.
Hermione kissed him again. She was incredibly happy.
Christmas with the Grangers was better than Harry could ever have imagined. Not only was Hermione deliriously happy to have her parents back, but the elder Grangers readily accepted him as Hermione's boyfriend and included him in their Christmas rituals. He had a lot of fun baking biscuits with Hermione and Monica, as she insisted he called her, went out to get a good Christmas tree with Wendell and Hermione and sang Christmas carols with them all. They all went shopping in Bristol, as they wanted to avoid the traffic in London and not risk being noticed by some witches and wizards. With Diagon Alley being there and the Ministry knowing about Grimmauld Place belonging to Harry, they were better off not going anywhere near wizarding hot spots.
They wanted to have a peaceful Christmas. Harry asked to make dinner for Christmas, which Monica agreed to, as long as he let her make her special Christmas cake. It was the one exception to looking out for the sugar intake in food with the two dentists during the year. Even if you had to brush your teeth after eating the cake. Hermione told him that that also was a tradition. Harry prepared a honeyed roast with small potato fritters, potatoes au gratin, buttered peas, broccoli, sauce hollandaise, spicy gravy and he got two bottles of wine, which he had asked Wendell to recommend.
Together with the delicious Christmas cake, all four ate much more than they should have done, but it was too good to not do. They decided that a walk, one hour after eating the cake, would do them all good and they went to the promenade that oversaw the beach. While it was cold and a light wind came from the sea, they all loved the sight of the beach, only illuminated by some lanterns here and there with the moon being half full above them in a clear sky.
That night Hermione decided that she wanted to sleep in Harry's room and he happily let her. They didn't do more than cuddling, some exploring and kissing. They wanted to take the physical side of their relationship slowly. They were happy that they now could do that.
Christmas at the Burrow wasn't as happy as the one Harry and the Grangers had. While all Weasleys had come together for Christmas dinner, there was a lot of tension in the air, with Molly not having fully accepted that her actions were the reason why her family was like this. While she had started going to sessions with the mind healers again, they didn't have the time to do a session each week right now, so she only had the dates set for a one month long stay at a closed ward in February next year. Everybody looked out if there was any kind of potion in their food or drinks.
It killed the exuberant mood that normally belonged to a Weasley Christmas. Sometimes Molly would grumble about not being in the wrong, but all the other Weasleys, with exception of Ron, who was just that thick-headed, quickly shut her up. She was in an especially bad mood, as Harry had sent the jumper and fudge she had sent him back. With a letter that he didn't want to take anything from her ever again, after what she had done to him and Hermione. Ron had ranted for Harry hurting his Mum, but Arthur had harshly reigned him in again. Right now he was acting like the head of house that he was and didn't let Molly get away with anything.
He had confiscated all her cauldrons that weren't used for cooking, had had the twins double check the whole house for potion ingredients, including the gardens, had Bill set up wards that would alarm him if Molly was attempting to get to the stock of potions they kept in the house and Percy had left reading material about mind healing that he had got through his connections. Molly didn't like it at all, but Arthur was consequent this time. He didn't want the catastrophe that had been prevented in Bill's seventh year come to pass now that emotions were still running high. The public would eat them alive should anything about the attempts to potion the heroes of the war be found out.
Ron Weasley was really angry. He didn't like the new situation he found himself in at all. Why would it matter how he got Hermione? He had a right to her. He had shown that he wanted her and, in his mind, that was enough to make her his by right. He should have more fame for his role in the fall of You-Know-Who, but did he get it? No, Hermione, Harry, Bill, Fleur and Professor McGonagall were the heroes that everybody talked about. Sure, the Weasley family overall got more respect now, as everybody knew they had fought against the Death Eaters all the time, but he didn't get the personal fame he wanted and thought he deserved.
No, Harry got it, again. It was always Harry. He was rich, he now had the girl Ron wanted, when he could have had any other girl, he was famous and everybody openly admired him. Ron wanted that so badly. But because the horcrux had messed around with his head, he wasn't there when the deciding part of the war happened. Oh yes, he was part of the force that took the Ministry back, but he was one of many. Sure, people knew his name and greeted him for being a Weasley, but they didn't admire him personally.
Ron didn't notice that his older brothers and father were already making plans to also send Ron to a mind healer in the new year when things had calmed down a bit and he was done with school. He was certainly the one who had eaten up their mother's ideas and opinions the most. Well, she had had two years where she had been alone with him and Ginny at the Burrow while the older ones were at Hogwarts or working already and one year to fully concentrate on Ginny.
Harry had asked Wendell to talk about an important thing while Hermione and Monica were headed to a beauty day for just the two of them. As Wendell and Monica didn't plan to start working again before the summer, using the 'sabbatical' Hermione had arranged for them in the way it was meant to be, the young dentist that ran their practice only got a visit where they told him that they were enjoying their free time and that they would probably return in August. It gave the young man a good timeline and them some much needed down time. They planned to travel to the US while Harry and Hermione were at Hogwarts and visit all the places that they found fascinating, but hadn't had the time to really discover.
Now both men were sitting in the lounge, a bottle of beer in their hands.
"So, Harry, what did you want to talk about?" Wendell asked, deciding to get to the point.
"I have been thinking a lot about how great things have been going, ever since Hermione and I go rid of Ron. The time that we were working together to find the horcruxes and she was herself again, it was incredible. I have liked Hermione for a while. I was always impressed by her sharp mind and her ability to put clues together. I missed that in our fifth and sixth years at Hogwarts, mainly the sixth though, and during the time Ron was still with us on the hunt. Before that Hermione would always have had my back. I could always count on her standing by my side, no matter what happened.
"And it was her idea to come to this house and use it as our new base. Ever since we came here, I got to experience how it would be to live together with Hermione. I love the idea. We actually had the time to talk seriously, while still having fun at times, when we didn't do work for our NEWTs or the hunt. I never got to see many movies, but she made us see lots of them, from James Bond to Independence Day. I missed out on a lot growing up with relatives that couldn't stand my presence. I know that I like this house as well. It is perfect if you keep the need to have a safe place away from the wizarding world in mind.
"I set up the fidelius charm to protect Hermione and me from Death Eaters, but it also keeps rabid fans out. And nobody can make the connection to me and Hermione, as they have no idea how to navigate in the muggle world. I would love to go wild in the garden and form it to my ideas. I had to do all the garden work at Privet Drive, as my aunt couldn't be bothered, but, like cooking, I actually like gardening if I can do things my way," Harry tried explaining.
Wendell nodded, waiting for the younger man to get to the point where this was going.
"Hermione told me that the house was planned to be sold after the renovations were done. She also told me that her uncle didn't expect the money before next summer. I would like to know how much you exactly want for the house. I'm really interested in buying it. And if things between Hermione and me work out like I hope they do, I might have a ready-made place to one day raise my children."
"Well, I have no problem to seriously consider your offer," Wendell said, "If you were anybody else, I would give you a long-winded speech about treating my daughter right, but you have saved her life so many times over the years and she yours, that it would be ridiculous. I can also see that you have a very special bond. I would say your chances for this being the one love that lasts until you're old and wrinkly are very good. My brother-in-law told me that I have some leeway in how much to ask for the house and the surrounding grounds. I would say, if you keep the furniture at least for now, you'd be good with four hundred twenty thousand pounds. I can argue for a family discount."
Harry quickly did the maths.
"So I would have to ask Gringotts to transfer about eight thousand four hundred galleons. They can transfer money to muggle banks, I already asked about that when I went there to see to the vaults I inherited by default," Harry pondered.
"You don't seem to think it would be too much to pay," Wendell stated.
"No, I don't. While I never had any money growing up, and I didn't know how wealthy the Potters really were before I finally got a complete statement for my accounts, I know that the house is worth it. It would work perfectly for both Hermione and me, as we both grew up in the muggle world and are out of our comfort zone in a completely magical house. Here we can have the biggest advantages of magic while still having all the devices that are simply better in the muggle world than in the wizarding world. We also will have our privacy, which means a lot to me. I hate it if there are nosy neighbours that gossip about everyone and everything. There aren't any neighbours here for three kilometres.
"And once we have children, which I really want in some years, there would be enough space for them to play, learn to fly a broom safely, perhaps even play a little Quidditch," Harry smiled happily at the images in his mind, "And honestly, all the money is better spent getting a house that we both already like than sitting in a vault and collecting dust. I have many times that amount, even if I set up really generous vaults for the Tonks and Lupins."
Wendell nodded.
"I'll have a solicitor draw up a notarial sales contract in January. We can then discuss the clauses you want to have in it in detail. I think we can go with a simple version. The house is newly renovated and an official did the acceptance of work back in September. So you should be spared large additional costs in the near future. And if I understood it right, even those wouldn't pose a problem for you," Wendell commented.
"No, they wouldn't, but that the house is finished is a major point in its favour. Thank you," Harry replied honestly, "Could you keep it secret from Hermione until I tell her? I want to surprise her."
"I can do that," Wendell agreed.