Sir Harry J Potter GCOM

### GRIMMAULD PLACE ###

Monday morning had more of the finishing off spells directed at number thirteen, the soon to be Zabini residence. As a tutor Ronald was very thorough, insisting that the small details were just as important. Something that Draco understood and Harry did not. However, for the sake of a quiet life, Harry knuckled-down under the direction of a fastidious friend and the whims of a pernickety partner.

The rest of the week’s doings were tinged with a growing excitement as the Halloween night came nearer. The anticipation was honed by the older students practicing their meditation techniques for longer periods each evening.

Special arrangements for a Wizengamot holiday had the denizens of Grimmauld Place all at the London house in ample time early on Saturday morning for the Zabini Parents to instruct them. Because of the vacation, the consortium had agreed not to meet in the evening.

“Nothing more to eat after your midday meal ladies and gentlemen,” advised Ernesto: “You may, however, drink water to stave off the pangs of hunger. I hope you’ve been practicing your meditation techniques.”

Draco smiled wanly: “We’ve almost worn our beads out, thank you Sir.”

“And other parts of you as well, I suspect.” Ernesto grinned: “That is off limits too, you know.”

Harry chuckled: “You did tell us, so we were chaste last night; at least as long as hugging wasn’t taboo as well.”

Ernesto winked at him: “No, even chaste kisses are alright too.”

“See … I told you so, Harry.”

“Maybe … But what starts out as a chaste kiss doesn’t usually end that way with us, does it?”

“Okay, Lover, you’ve made your point … And I agree! It was better not to risk it and I do so want to quiz my godfather about the relationship Mother hinted at.”

“He’ll probably tell you to mind your own business.”

“I used to be able to wheedle him when I wanted something badly. I bet you could play the loving Lily card and he’d eat out of your hand, too.”

“Have you carved your grotesques yet?”

“Not yet, Winky says she wants the insides for a special vegetable stew.”

“Yes! Vegetarian lunch on the menu, Draco;” Harry looked impishly at his partner.

“Ugh!”

“Don’t be so dismissive, you know how good a cook she is.”

“It’s just the idea of it I suppose, a bit of strict Malfoy upbringing showing through, c’mon let’s get our turnips carved.”

Ernesto showed them the patterns, explaining that the grinning faces had to have certain symbols showing as well, so as to keep away certain malevolent beings and the like. Winky had a lot of ingredients for lunch because all of the learners spoiled at least one vegetable before Ernesto’s ideal of perfection was reached. Draco’s familiarity with the Dark Arts was exercised when he realised which fiends were being forbidden entry; so he described what he knew, giving instances of things he had seen or been subjected to. Harry was able to relate some counter-curses which applied, from his extensive researches into DADA. The whole process turned out to be a very interesting, if messy, extramural lesson.

“As a pair, you two are formidable,” remarked Lollobrigida: “I’m so glad you’re on the side of the light.”

The two lovers glowed at her compliment. Justin and Blaise just giggled.

### VISITORS ###

Just before coffee and biscuits cracks of apparation were heard, not expecting anyone, the students drew their wands and went to investigate. They were met on the stairs by Arthur.

“I hope you don’t mind, Harry, but we have someone with us who needs some secure accommodation and the holding cells at the Ministry are a bit bleak at the weekend. So we though you might put her up for a few days.”

“She represents very little security risk, Harry,” added Kingsley appearing behind Arthur.

Harry could see some female robes following the Chief. However Draco construed who it was first.

“Mother!” Draco pushed past the two Ministry Men: “How is it you’re here? Isn’t this marvellous, Harry?”

By this time Narcissa had appeared down the steps.

“Wow! Um … Welcome to House Potter/Black, Aunt Sissy, how long can you stay?”

“That depends on you being able to accommodate me, Harry, and my guard approving of the residential arrangements.”

Arthur grinned: “We had thought that the room Molly and I shared might be available, Harry; but Ernesto and Lollobrigida have bagged that one.”

“If it’s any help, we’ll move into another one?”

Pop: “The Second Suite’s available Harry!”

“Thanks, Kreacher!”

“Okay, we’ll move there.” Lollobrigida grabbed Ernesto and disappeared inside the Master suite, calling for their elves.

Meanwhile Digitallance had appeared behind Narcissa and the procession was now entering the Tapestry Room.

“My, Harry, what a difference! The place feels happy again, like it did when I was a child.”

“Thanks, Auntie. A lot of it is due to Kreacher’s and Winky’s industry.”

Narcissa smiled at Kreacher, who looked bashful and polished his locket. Two more pops interrupted the proceedings:

“Ooh! Mistress have you been pardoned? It’s so good to see you.” Grouchy said with Huppert nodding her agreement.

“Not, yet, I’m afraid; but the authorities have granted me domiciliary arrangements whilst my trial takes place. I understand that you recognise Sir Harry as your new master.”

“Yes Mistress, but he’s paired up with Master Draco, so we supposed that you’re still part of the family.” Huppert looked at Harry questioningly.

“Yes, Huppert, that is correct. Perhaps a better explanation from Uncle Arthur might be given?”

“Yes, Harry. Narcissa is not the first mage to be given domiciliary arrangements with their next of kin when their trial came up,” explained Kingsley: “We hope to obtain the best results for them, and being relaxed helps. Mrs Malfoy has no wand, as could be expected, and has given us her word that she will not try and escape. Nevertheless Digitallance will be here acting as guard and protector. So far the Prophet has not found out what we are doing, therefore we hope that no-one will try to attack her. Then again, I have one of the best DADA instructors on hand, plus some of his ablest students, haven’t I?”

Harry grinned cheekily at the Chief: “And there is this little ceremony planned for later isn’t there, Kingsley.”

“Oh! Really! What’s that?” Kingsley put on an air of mischievous innocence: “Do you have the rings yet?”

“Rings?”

“Yes, Harry … Rings!”

Draco looked down at his feet and mumbled something. Harry went white.

“You should have told me before, Lover. We could have arranged things, you know.”

“Can I guess, Harry. He has no money and cannot afford a ring.”

“Yes Auntie.”

“Here’s a key, Draco. Not to a Malfoy vault but a private one in Abraxas’s name. Arthur, Kingsley and a Gringott’s Goblin have vetted it, so it’s all above board. I think there is a ring in it that would suit. You and Harry go and choose. Now Harry, I know there are lots of rings in the combined Potter/Black vaults, take my son with you afterwards and choose something suitable, please. I imagine he was thinking of the twisted string of tradition. I think we can be a little more upmarket than that, don’t you?”

Draco went and hugged his mother, and Harry followed a close second.

“Is Sir Gallus available?” Kreacher was at the fireplace.

“I’ll find the Governor, one moment please, Sir Kreacher.”

More than one moment elapsed.

“Hello Kreacher, I thought we were having a day off?”

“We were, until two of my knightly masters decided to become official partners.”

“Are they there?”

“Yes!”

“Congratulations, Harry and Draco. Oh! [Muttering in the background] and from Gertie too. Do I take it you need something from the vaults?”

“Yes they do,” Kreacher took over the conversation: “I think that Governors can open vaults out of hours, can’t they?”

“It’s not out of hours yet; the bank is open on Saturday mornings now. Shall I apparate to Number Twelve first.” Gallus was looking round the room and had spied Narcissa.

“It might be prudent, yes. I’d forgotten about your new opening hours.”

“See you in five.”

“Very good.” Kreacher turned to Digitallance: “I have a room for you just across the passage from Draco’s Mother. If that’s all right?”

“Fine, thank you!”

“We can stay at our house if you need, Kreacher.”

“We’re okay at the moment, thanks, Justin.”

Narcissa was looking agitated, but before she could say anything Mr and Mrs Griphook arrived.

“Hello Gallus, Gertie. Have you met my Mother before?”

“How-do-you-do Lady Malfoy, we have met occasionally at Gringott’s,” Gallus offered her a hand.

Narcissa looked askance at the goblin and then caught Draco’s eye. He nodded imperceptibly and Narcissa carefully shook Gallus’s hand: after that Gertie was introduced.

“Draco. Darling; had you better explain?”

“Sorry Mother! Gallus is one of the new Knights along with Kreacher. Ronald Weasley, Hermione Granger and Neville Longbottom are the others. As we all are of equal rank we call each other by our familiar names; most of our friends do the same. I’ve grown so used to it that I forgot to tell you.”

“You see, Aunt Sissy,” Harry added: “We are trying to be egalitarian wherever possible. We have our normal roles to play out, but can be friends as well.”

“I see …” Narcissa thought for a moment: “Well … As I am wife of one knight-under-penance and pseudo-mother to another you had better call me by my familiar name too; don’t y’think?” She smiled brightly and offered Kreacher her hand.

He was more diffident that she had been with the Griphooks and took some coaxing.

The others were introduced, Justin and Blaise settling on Auntie as her title, as did the various Weasley siblings when they popped in. Molly and Narcissa had a hugging match when she appeared later in the afternoon.

### VAULTS ###

The trio flooed into the Governor’s office and then took the trolley to Harry’s vault; noting in passing the various repair-work going on. When Gallus assayed to wait outside, Harry called him in. They found a table and some chairs where Draco and the goblin sat whilst Harry went off in search amongst the jewellery chests. He came back to the table holding a heavy, many-drawered ring depositary in front of him in a Levicorpus charm.

It took three-quarters of an hour to choose a suitable ring. There were all kinds, from the gaudily expensive to the downright measly. Some were too effeminate; others were too brash, so much so that they wondered who might dare to wear such an item; until one of the stored Elizabethan portraits told them off, showing himself covered in the trinkets. Eventually a gold ring with platinum settings for a ruby and an emerald was chosen.

“There’s room for you to have an interlinked ‘HD’ Monogram between,” remarked Gallus: “Bertie’s got a teller who could do that for you.”

That decided upon they went to see the teller, and whilst they were in the Abraxas vault he incised the monogram.

Draco had a lot of fun exploring the vault – nowhere as vast as Harry’s; but it contained many hidden treasures even then. Gallus said that all the contents had been approved by the Joint Security Commission; therefore Draco said he had no worries and invited the goblin sit with them. They found an almost identical ring for Harry, the difference being in the shape of the settings, Draco’s was a narrow oval and Harry’s was an elongated diamond shape. The teller duly inscribed the same monogram on that ring. Harry quietly slipped him a few galleons for his service.

As they came out of Gringott’s they met an old witch with a young baby in a pram.

“Hello, Auntie Dromeda, how’s young Teddy?”

“Hello Draco … Harry. He’s all right for a young ’un, I s’pose. Keeps me up all hours, you know.”

“Can’t your house elf help?”

“It might, if I had one, young man. Not all of us are as lucky as your family, you know.”

“Sorry … I didn’t mean …”

“… Nice to hear a Malfoy apologising. You must be influencing him properly Harry.”

“Thanks Mrs Tonks, I’m learning from him too.” Harry was squatting down and Teddy had hold of his finger, burbling.

“Call me Auntie please … I see he recognises his Godfather, look his hair’s changing to your colour.”

“Hmm … It is too Harry … Auntie this is a friend of ours, Gallus Griphook.”

“Hello Sir Gallus, congratulations on your knighthood.”

“Thank you Mrs Tonks, it was all Teddy’s Godfather’s doing, you know.”

“Mmm … He’s always doing well for people; must be a crazy Gryffindor trait; or something.” Andromeda smiled, but the three onlookers could see the strain beneath the mirth.

Harry made up his mind: “Aunt Dromeda, how about coming back to number twelve for lunch. Call it a Godfather’s treat, if you like.”

Draco caught on: “Yes, Auntie, we need to heal the family rifts and now’s a good time to start.”

“You should see the place, Mrs Tonks. It positively glows with bonhomie, now Harry’s in charge.”

“Well … I’d like to see my old family home … But …”

“… Auntie, I know I’m very busy, but at least I could be with my Godson for a time, please?”

Andromeda smiled: “Okay, I’d love to … I just need to withdraw some galleons and then I’ll be with you.”

“Allow me to escort you, Madam. We’ll fast-track your business.” Gallus made a slightly mocking bow.

“Why thank you, Governor … What it is to have friends in high places.” Andromeda returned a very slight curtsey.

Gallus was as good as his word, bypassing all the queues at the tellers’ desks. The company returned just in time for their vegetarian lunch; of course the Griphooks had been asked to have lunch with them. Andromeda was understandably surprised to see Narcissa there and, from being very wary of each other, they made a start at peaceable negotiations.

Winky appeared and took a shine to young Teddy; Huppert did too and, after bottle feeding him, they took him upstairs for his afternoon nap, with hardly a murmur from the baby. Once Andromeda found out about the Samhain arrangements she became intrigued, so Harry took the chance and asked her to stay. That also meant that Gallus and Gertie received an invitation. In the end it was only Teddy who was indulged in his proper feeding times. The company sat round quietly in the drawing room, preparing themselves for the big event.

### GREETINGS ###

There was to be no bonfire but Kreacher had produced a big brazier, which Ernesto said would suffice excellently. At eleven o’clock the participants filed upstairs into the roof garden. The deck chairs and tables had been removed and the glass roof folded back. Instead, around the already lit brazier was a half circle of prayer mats. Ernesto was M.C. and, taking their cues from him, each one of them took a brand from the brazier and lit the candle inside their effigy. Saying the appropriate charm they placed the grinning face at the foot of their prayer mat facing outwards. They sat between their guarding figurines and the brazier, also facing outwards. Out came the prayer beads, or such other items each was using to heighten their contemplation. Silently they closed their eyes and began their mantras within their heads.

It was like gazing at the Mirror of Erised, Harry thought. There was a shiny mistiness and figures began to form in it. He knew that if he opened his eyes there would be nothing there so he concentrated hard.

‘My … What an excellent son you have become, Harry.’

‘Hello, Father, thanks for coming to see me.’

Lily came towards him and he could feel her hug him. Then she kissed his forehead: ‘We’re very proud of you, Harry. Don’t be afraid to take Draco as a partner, we’ve had a long talk with Albus and Severus and they approve too.’

The two apparitions sat on the prayer mat and Sirius appeared behind them: ‘Harry, don’t worry about how I passed through the veil. I’m sorry I had to leave you but it was pre-ordained. You did well to cause the death of that monster without harming your soul with the killing curse.’

‘What’s happened to him?’

‘He wouldn’t recant, even before his Creator. He therefore condemned himself to Hell. Ernesto was very clever teaching you all about those masks; otherwise that devil might have been able to break through.’

“About Chantry Cottage, Harry.”

“Yes, Mother?”

“Rebuild it please. We always feel sad when we visit and see it in such a sorry state.”

… Their conversation drifted into more personal areas …

‘Now Godson, what have you been doing?’

‘Hello Uncle Sev. Getting attached to a very intriguing Gryffindor. That is okay, isn’t it?’

‘Pity you two didn’t do that a long time ago. Still … you both had to be toughened up for your roles, I suppose. Don’t suppose that it will be a bed of roses either, you both have some tough times ahead, especially with Lucius.’

‘So-o-o, Godfather, you never let on about you and Father.’

‘As Harry has said, it’s none of your business. However we had a very happy time together for just over nine years. I’ve made my peace with James and Lily now; earthly attachments seem not to matter as much in our new realm. There is a lot to explore here and I’m having fun doing so.

Another being appeared at Severus’s elbow.

‘Now, Grandson, the contents of that vault are for you. I could see my son being influenced badly at school, but he would not be persuaded otherwise. I set the vault up without his knowledge, entrusting the key to your mother.’

‘I’d like to share some of its contents with her, if you don’t mind, Grandfather.’

‘I expected you might want to if things went badly, so I put some extra in. Now look after her, she was very much hurt by Lucius. I’m ashamed to have been his father in some ways. You had a good Godfather and I thank our Creator for arranging it so.’

… That conversation turned into more domestic items as well …

‘Let Harry and Draco take some of the strain, Mother. I’ve learned quite a lot from Severus. He cared deeply for Draco. If they offer, give up the old house, it only has bad memories left. Teddy deserves to be brought up in a less troubled environment and they can provide it.’ Tonks was very firm with her parent and had the support of Lupin and Ted hovering in the background.