Harry Potter and the Secret Nurse

Chapter Thirteen
The Basement of Black

"Ginny get down from there this minute!" Mrs. Weasley called out.

Mrs. Weasley was standing angrily with her hands on her hips and holding a large can of Doxycide.

"Oh cracking, mum has chores!" George called out.

"We could have gone to Paris this summer," said Fred, "But I'm so glad to volunteer myself to menial labour."

Harry landed gingerly onto the kitchen floor and the chair transformed itself back again.

"I'll bet you'd have loved to have gone to Paris," said Mrs. Weasley as she pulled out a copy of the Daily Prophet, "I've read about how you two have been carrying on, and who with! You said you wanted to do your bit for the Order you can start by picking up a little around here."

"Is that all we're here for? Killing demented pixies?" asked Fred.

"Well they didn't exactly let me into the Order for my Bogart killing skills, now did they? We are all going to chip in," said Mrs. Weasley.

"Mrs. Weasley, the upper floors are in fine shape," said Harry, "It's nothing at all like last year. Hermione and I have been cleaning them up all week."

"You have a lovely house Harry," Mrs. Weasley said beamingly, "But some members of the Order have been making comments about the basement."

"The basement?" asked Harry.

For a second Harry thought about it as everyone looked at him.

"I've never been in the basement," said Harry, "I don't think any of us have."

Hermione took the can of Doxycide from Mrs. Weasley, who left for the upstairs, and Hermione began to have a cautious look on her face. The entrance to the basement was a door in the short hallway that linked the kitchen to the laundry room. Harry wheeled over to the far side of the door and Hermione opened it cautiously with the can oxycixycide held in front of her ready to spray anything that sprung out.
Opening the door let very little light into the staircase, which looked rather rickety and descended into utter darkness. There was no light switch on the wall and the wood panelling looked ancient.

"You've never been down there?" asked Hermione.

"It's dark down there," said Harry as everyone smirked at him, "I'm serious!"

"Right," said Hermione as she addressed the gang like they were the DA, "If we're going down there, wands out!"

Ginny was right behind Hermione with her wand and Harry in his chair levitated right behind her. All the Weasley brothers brought up the rear with their wands out performing the Lumos charm, which barely provided enough light to see where to step.

"Better not be any spiders," said Ron who walked down holding Luna’s hand.

Luna patted Ron and asked, “Oh, how bad can they get?”

"Never seen any, here," said Harry, "Not big ones, anyway."

"We’re going to perish down here, I just know it. I wish I could have ridden that scooter before coming," said Ron, "It's one wickedly serious ride."

"Well if you want to see a serious ride, you better get down here," Hermione called up the stairs.

Intrigued, Harry descended the stairs and saw from his lit wand the basement walls became massive stone with huge wooden beams that made up the foundation of the house. Everyone gathered onto the stone floor and Hermione searched the walls for magical lamps.

"How serious is this ride?" asked Ron.

"I didn't say SERIOUS ride," Hermione explained, "I said Sirius' ride."

She touched a Lumos charm to three lamps and they revealed, only in the immediate vicinity of the basement an enormous black motorcycle. Everyone oohed and aahed at the sight of it.

"It looks like one serious ride to me," said Ron.

"Dog's bullocks! That's Black's famous flying bike, isn't it?" asked Fred.

George got right up to the gas tank and looked it over closely, "I wonder what kind of charm it's got? It must be loads better than the one dad put on that Ford."

"It's a beautiful bike," admired Ginny, "What is it?"

Before anyone could read the tank Hermione said, "It's a Norton 850 Commando, early 70’s model, largest one they ever made back then, too."

Harry tugged on Hermione's shirt and asked, "You read up on bikes, too?"

"Just a hobby, I got interested in them looking at pictures online," said Hermione, "Never ridden one though. Magical or not, Harry, this is one quality machine."

"Let's levitate up the stairs and go for a spin on it!" said Harry.

"Harry, you can't ride a bike yet, your legs," Hermione said delicately.

"What do I need my legs for?" asked Harry, "Look, there's the gas and brakes, right there on the handle bars."

"That's the clutch," said Hermione as she had to explain about bikes to Harry, "See, down there by the left foot rest is the shifter, and by the right foot is the brake for the rear wheel."

"The shifter is by the foot?" asked Harry.

Hermione asked Ginny to hold her wand and she straddled the bike. Deftly she got the bike off the pegs. She braced her right foot on the floor, pulled on the clutch, and with her left foot demonstrated how shifting was done.

"See? Going back shifts up, kicking forward shifts down."

"Turn it over, Hermione!" George called out.

Raising her eyebrow, Hermione straightened out on the bike, pulled on the clutch and gave the starter a good solid kick . The engine sputtered just a little from being left alone for so long, making a squealing sound, but Hermione gave it some gas from the accelerator on the right handle and revved the engine to life with a deafening roar that rattled the whole basement.

Ginny covered her ears and screamed, "IT'S MARVELOUS!"

Hermione revved it a few times and then let it die.

"Cool!" Ron called out.

"That rocked, Hermione," said Harry, and then noticed Hermione looked lost, "Hermione?"

"Huh? Wha-?" she stammered, "Oh, sorry, it's just... "

Hermione stepped off the bike and put her hand to her mouth, making sure there wasn't any fang sticking out. She then noticed there was a silver bracelet dangling from the handle.

"Hey, I know what this is," said Hermione.

Confidently she put the bracelet on and tapped it three times. Everyone but Harry jumped back to see a motorcycle outfit suddenly appear on Hermione. A long heavy brown leather jacket hung off her that dangled down to her knees. There were thick dragonhide gloves and boots. She was also wearing an old police style motor hat and goggles.

"Not a bad fit," said Hermione.

"Hermione! You look ready to punch out a gang of mods in that outfit!" said Fred.

"You would see it that way," said Hermione, and she tapped the bracelet to change back.

"You wore it so well," Harry complimented, "You think that was Sirius' outfit?"

"Well I doubt his mother rode this machine," said Hermione, "No surprise it almost fit, your Godfather was always a bit on the thin side, Harry. I felt a bit thick and bulky, but when I go riding that's the kind of protection I want."

Hermione put the bracelet back on the handle.

"Since when do you want to ride it?" asked Harry.

"Since... never mind," said Hermione, "I think it's more practical than a broom, really, I wouldn't mind travelling around without a wooden stick wedged up my arse-cheeks."

Hermione took her wand back and looked into the darkness. The light generated by the lamps just disappeared into darkness in all directions. There was an empty air that felt like the basement must have went on the whole length of the house. Lamp by lamp, Hermione made her way in, lighting them all until she touched one lamp that reacted violently by jumping a flame from torch to torch until the entire cavernous basement was lit.

“My freaky darlings, are we still in the house?” asked Fred.

It wasn’t so much as they ran into a magically enlarged room, that they stumbled into an underground canyon. The basement floor faced a massive sunken rock ravine.

“It’s the bat cave!” Harry called out.

“BATS? Where?” Ron asked in a panic.

“It’s just a muggle phrase, Ron,” said Harry, “Read a comic book or something, will you?”

“I don’t like bats,” said Ron, and Luna comforted him.

The basement was like a giant stone patio that faced a gaping cavern that seemed to descend into infinity. Back in the direction towards the staircase, a stonewall was carved out to house a line of massive cauldrons, and stacks upon stacks of magical ingredients lined upon heavy wooden shelves.

“Jackpot!” Harry cried out, “Look at this! It kicks the piss out of the Hogwarts’ dungeon!”

They all marvelled at the shelves as Hermione read aloud certain ingredients that were particularly rare and valuable.

“Gillyweed... Boomslang... Bicorn...” Hermione read off the labels, “Harry, we could make enough Polyjuice potion to transform all of Gryffindor with this!”

“It’s obvious how they made their fortune,” said Harry as he peered over the lip of a cauldron, “They were potion masters.”

“More like potions industrialists,” said Fred as he pushed against a cauldron without being able to budge it, “These aren’t some cheap tin-bottom cauldrons. You could cook 100 gallons in there day and night for as long as you wish.”

“Yeah, Percy would go nuts over these,” said George as he rapped a cauldron with his knuckles, “That’s four inch thick of iron that is. That’ll pass his thin-bottom standards by at least three and three quarter inches.”

Ginny stuck her head way in and with her voice echoing she asked, “Think they ever cooked anyone in these?”

“Oh three or four a day at least,” Luna joked, as she teased Ron, “Look for some human bones while you’re in there, Ginny.”

Looking through the shelves taking stock, Hermione thought she saw movement way in the back of one of them behind some jars. Something alive back there was emanating light. Hermione got Harry’s attention and pointed. Harry took out his wand and skilfully fired off a stunning spell to flush out whatever it was. Several Doxies came out and Hermione took aim with her can of Doxycide and fired. Instead of the Doxy falling to the floor, Hermione was extremely surprised to see it, and several close to it, explode into a shower of light.

Aghast, Hermione looked at the can of Doxycide and blurted out, “What the hell?”

Harry tugged on her shirt and said, “Uhm, that’s Snape’s recipe.”

“Oh really?” said Hermione suddenly regarding the can like a deadly weapon, “I remember, you asked Snape to make this. He probably spiked it to make sure he wouldn’t have to make another. There’s probably enough of whatever the heck this is made out of to kill every Doxy in London.”

“And then some,” said Harry, “I’ll bet he brewed it down here.”

Hermione didn’t have to watch her aim too much as long as everyone stood behind her when she fired, and when she did a Doxy only had to come in contact with the edge of the spray to instantly perish in a spectacular shower of light. Unfortunately the Doxies caught on to Hermione’s deadly hunt and began to hide among boxes and cauldrons more effectively. Luna and Ron got separated and Hermione noticed she got into her wandering kind of habit again, looking lost.

Hermione got Harry’s attention and said, “Hey, Harry, watch this.”

Hermione walked right up to Luna and carefully explained Ron had some cobwebs stuck on his head and told her she better take them out before Ron noticed and panicked. Luna looked like she barely acknoged ged Hermione and made her way to Ron more like she was wandering again, rather than deliberate. Harry and Hermione watched as Luna brushed against Ron’s side.

“Oh look at you,” she said, and she started pulling webs out of Ron’s hair.

Harry caught on and said, “She acts normal every time she touches Ron.”

“Yeah, bizarre, eh? I thought she was acting out of character when she was holding hands back in the kitchen,” Hermione speculated, “Why do you think she’s like that?”

“It’s not so unusual,” said Harry, “I remember what it was like when I was being possessed by Voldemort. It was almost like being around a Dementor. There was this unbearable depression I couldn’t shake no matter what. Whenever I came in contact with you, it just went away.”

“So you think Luna’s odd behaviour might have something to do with depression?” asked Hermione.

“She lost her mum, remember?” said Harry, “I thought the way she described it was kind of odd. Maybe it’s just a way she copes with it, by avoiding the reality of her situation.”

“That’s sad,” said Hermione, “So being with Ron makes her like her old self again, maybe?”

“Well, you know what that would mean.”

“They’re in love,” said Hermione.

Hermione felt a little overcome with emotion and hugged Harry.

“Hermione! Heads up!,” shouted George as he pointed with his wand, “They’re getting away!”

The twins had chased the Doxies with stunning spells to a door and Hermione caught up running at full gain with her can of Doxycide ready. She pulled the door open and lit a series of lamps with her wand, then was stopped in her tracks.

“Whoa.”

“What is it?” asked Harry as he caught up.

“Looks like a big library, no wait, it’s a storehouse,” said Hermione.

The room looked as big as the great hall with plain looking wooden shelves lined up like library shelves walled with drawers that almost looked like wooden bricks. The drawers varied in size from top to bottom and were labelled with ancient yellowing display cards. Harry caught up in his fast chair and surveyed the room.

“It could take a week to track them all down in here,” he said.

Hermione spotted the Doxies at the far end of the room and said, “Harry! Scooter!”

Harry shook his head and had the wheelchair transform itself into a scooter. Hermione climbed onto the back and together they raced down to the other end where a set of ornate glass doors lay slightly ajar. The Doxies escaped through the door and Hermione jumped off the scooter to pull them fully open. On the other side was a greenhouse.

“Good Lord, just how big is this basement?” asked Hermione, “It just goes on and on!”

“Where is the sunlight coming from?” asked Harry.

“It’s a spell, Harry, don’t you remember professor Sprout’s class?” said Hermione, “The Hogwarts greenhouse worked the same way. No matter what the weather was like outside the plants always got all the sunlight they needed.”

“Yeah, but who would have figured the spell worked through solid stone?” asked Harry.

The Weasley’s and Luna caught up to them and marvelled at the greenhouse, a little exhausted from running down.

“We’ll never find all the Doxies in there,” said George.

“Besides, I’ll bet the Black family deliberately bred them in that place,” said Fred, “Doxy eggs have a lot of magical ingredient qualities. Really valuable.”

“Well, now we know where they all come from,” said Hermione, “We’ll just keep the door closed.”

She was about to shut the door when Luna pointed and said, “Oh look! A flower garden! It’s beautiful, let’s go have a tour, please?”

The arboretum ran adjacent to the greenhouse and the path ran in a circle around a large white marble fountain that had pixies living around it.

"This place is gorgeous," said Hermione as she held Harry's hand as they went through it with awe, "Who would have thought the Black family ever had a place like this?"

Harry saw some elf footprints in the dust and said, "I don't think anyone has been down here in years. No one human, anyway. But now we know at least where Kreacher was hiding all this time."

Fred was struggling with some vine that seemed to wither in the sunlight and said, "You're going to need another house elf soon, Harry."

"Yeah, gardens like this are pretty high maintenance," said George, "It takes a lot of professional care. Mum's had to hire a gardener just to help care for the Burrow after we moved out."

"I'd sure hate to see this place fall into disrepair," said Hermione.

"I'll ask Dobby if he'd like to take over here when we get to Hogwarts this year," said Harry, "Maybe he or his sister would like to work here. And don't worry! I'll offer him whatever wage he asks for, and argue like heck to double it. It's not like I can't afford a few sickles a week."

Hermione bent down and kissed Harry on the forehead, right on his scar. Ron was climbing around the fountain looking for coins.

"I always wanted to do this," he said, "Muggles toss their money into these things all the time."

Luna and Ginny were laughing and wading through the water with their shoes off and pant legs rolled up.

"I found a galleon!" Ron called out, "Oh cobblers, it's just a loonie."

"Canadian money?" asked Harry, "Toss it over."

Ron had no trouble at all in givingthe the coin as a Canadian dollar roughly had less than one eighth the value of a Galleon. He flung it to Harry, who caught it, and went back to looking for gold in the fountain. Harry fingered the coin and wondered where the heck it could have come from.

Harry flung the coin back into the water at Ron and said, "Oy! Remember that's me fountain yah creepin’ monghead!"

"Piss off gov! Finders keepers!" said Ron.

Ron splashed at Harry, getting Hermione mostly wet. Both Luna and Ginny splashed back at Ron, then the twins jumped in the fountain and splashed everybody. Hermione climbed right in to the fountain and wrestled Ron down to soak his head under water. It was a melee after that. Harry wheeled up to the edge, climbed in and practically had to swim through the water to reach anyone and start splashing. Struggling forward as fast as he could, Harry zipped through the water a ducked into it, completely immersing himself to avoid an incoming splash. As he frolicked Hermione noticed something and yelled at Harry, pointing and jumping like mad.

“Harry! Your legs!”

Harry looked down and was elated to see his legs kicking up a splash.

“My legs! Hermione! I’m kicking! I’m doing it!”

Hermione leapt onto Harry and they rolled in the water, laughing and splashing like a pair of loons.

Ron, befuddled, gaped at them and said, “That’s a funny thing to get chuffed about.”

“You thick-headed bludger brain!” said Harry, “That’s the most I’ve got from them in nearly two weeks!”

“Oh,” said Ron, a little embarrassed.

Ginny delicately asked, “You must hate your Uncle for putting you in that chair. You should press charges.”

“You’re Uncle?” shouted Ron, “You told us it was the battle at the ministry.”

Ginny and Ron contradicted each other and Harry interrupted.

“It wasn’t either!” shouted Harry as he looked reproachfully at Hermione, “It wasn’t the battle and it wasn’t my Uncle.”

Harry sighed a bit as he decided to choose his words carefully.

“Dumbledore warned me to keep mum about it because some people might blame me for it,” said Harry, “The night Voldemort died, my connection to him was broken violently, and I was crippled. That’s how I wound up in the wheelchair. Everyone warned me to learn Occlumency as best I could and I didn’t. Now I’ve paid for it with my legs. That’s the truth, it’s my fault for not listening and doing what Dumbledore asked.”

Everyone let that sombre story sink in, but Fred and George were a little too clever for their own good, and instantly caught onto a little detail Harry skipped.

“Why were you being so dodgy about it?” asked George.

“Yeah, just what were you doing the night Voldemort gone phut anyway?” asked Fred.

Harry was prepared to answer that and said, “You want to know what I was doing that night, then I’ll show you.”

Reaching up, Harry pulled Hermione down in the water and held her, giving her a very daring kiss and didn’t stop. Ron looked and embarrassed and turned his head away a little, but not his eyes. Everyone else, especially the twins hooted and hollered.

“Well, I could understand why you wouldn’t want to go into detail about THAT,” said Ron, “But honestly, I assumed you two have been doing that all summer.”

“Yeah, and then some,” said Fred.

“You two remind me of Luna and Ron whenever mum’s not around,” said George.

Ron pushed George into the water and wrestled with Fred, the girls joined in and the rough housing started all over again in the fountain.