Dinner At The Potters'

DISCLAIMER: That part of this world and those characters you’ve seen before belong to their Creator: JKR. The rest is mine - although I cannot quit my day job as I make no $$$

A/N: Never really liked bits where Harry goes all mideivile on the Dursleys even it they might deserve it. They don’t suffer near as long as they should.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE: DINNER AT THE POTTERS'

Saturday, June 26, 1993

Harry stepped back into the Entry Hall. Dobby had left for Gringotts immediately after they had entered Harry’s room, closed the door and Dobby had reapplied the room’s wards. Two of the girls were waiting when he entered: Daphne and Ginny.

“How’d it go?” Daphne asked.

“I guess it could’ve gone much worse to be honest,” Harry said. “When Dobby and I left the room, we could hear Uncle Vernon yelling at someone. He was really mad and when he finished yelling at whoever it was he wanted to yell at me for some reason. Soon as I entered the kitchen, he threw the phone at me.”

“What’s a phone?” Ginny asked.

“What did he do that for?” Daphne added.

“A phone’s a Muggle communication device,” Harry said. “I heard about something called Floo calls? I guess it’s something similar. He threw it at me ‘cause he was furious about the call and caller and tore the thing off the wall when the conversation was over. Took a chunk out of the wall when he did and he blamed me for it. Apparently, one of my 'freaky’ friends called and was a little too obvious that he was not a Muggle.”

“Did he hit you?” Ginny asked.

“Does he do that sort of thing often?” Daphne added.

“Who used that phone thing to call you?” Ginny asked again.

“First,” Harry said, “no he missed. When he’s really, really angry he throws stuff - usually at me even if he’s not angry with me. Hasn’t hit me yet, then again I always duck and that thing would’ve hurt if it hit me. As for who got him that way… ,” he looked at Ginny, “… it was your brother Ron.”

“He can be thick,” Ginny snorted. “Doubt he’s even seen one of those phone things before much less used one. I wonder how he got hold of one. You know why he tried to talk to you?”

“No. I’ll write him a letter and tell him that perhaps he shouldn’t try to contact me that way again.”

“Don’t be so - um - uncertain. ‘Perhaps’ doesn’t mean ‘don’t’ to him or the twins. Maybe he did that to avoid writing?”

Harry shrugged. “So anyway,” he continued, “it got off to a bad start. Dobby took care of things and I laid it all out for them. Don’t know how Vernon took it ‘cause he was being… difficult, so I had Dobby shut him up for the rest of the meeting.”

“Did they get the point?” Ginny asked.

“My Aunt did for certain. Don’t thing my Uncle got the point ‘bout the wards or how important they are, but my Aunt did and they both got the point about the money.”

“So they know about us then,” Daphne asked.

“Managed to avoid that bit. Didn’t tell them how long the wards will last, only that they are tied to me and Aunt Petunia and if they collapse that family is in serious danger. She seemed to understand that even if her husband did not or doesn’t want to. Still, we’ll see.”

“I thought they understood,” Ginny said.

“I know my Aunt did. To be honest, she might be the only one in that house with half a brain, but she’s always been a doormat. Muggle term. Her husband walks all over her - not literally - and she rarely if ever stands up to him. Hopefully the real threat of losing everything - including his head - will keep that fat idiot from doing anything stupid. So, where’re the others?”

“You ran a little over, Harry,” Daphne said. “The Grangers, Luna’s Great-Grands and Hannah’s Mum all arrived right at ten - fifteen minutes ago - so they’re off upstairs getting the tour.”

“And your folks?”

Daphne shrugged. “Four kids - daughters. Takes time to get them going and such. They should be along soon. I take it you’ll be in the kitchen?”

Harry nodded. “I was about to head there…”

“May want to wait for my Mum. We love whatever you make, but my younger three sisters can be a little fussy. She might give you some ideas.”

“Harry?” Ginny asked. “Can… can I help you or at least watch?”

“Um… sure? Why?”

“Don’t want to spend the day alone,” she said sadly. “I don’t feel right about being with the other families and… and while I know why my family’s not here - I understand - I haven’t been alone since I got here aside from when I was asleep. Please?”

“Sure.”

“Thanks Harry!” Ginny said with a smile.

“I think I hear them now,” Daphne said a moment later and there was noise of some sort coming from the door that led to the Greengrass access trunk. The door opened and a little girl ran straight at Daphne calling her name. Daphne knelt down to hug her sister.

“Where you been, Daphne?” the girl asked. “You’ve been gone days and days!”

“Now Michelle,” Daphne said, “it’s only been three days…”

“Day, day, day,” the girl said counting on her fingers, “days and days! Where you been?”

“I’ve been here.”

The girl looked around at the huge room and all the tapestries. “Wow! Is this Hogwarts?”

Daphne laughed. “No Michelle, it’s not Hogwarts.”

“Mummy said you’s married. Is that true?”

“It is, in a way.”

“But I wasn’t there! How can you be?”

“I’ve already promised Mummy and Daddy that when I’m older, I’ll have a proper wedding so you all can be there, okay?”

“Kay. Is that him?” she said pointing.

“You shouldn’t point.”

“But is it?”

“Michelle, you should wait for a proper introduction,” a voice said. Harry looked and saw that Mr. and Mrs. Greengrass had entered behind three other girls, all seeming to resemble in some ways their mother and older sister.

“Mum is correct, Michelle,” Daphne said. “Harry, this is my family. You’ve already met my parents…”

“It is good to see you again, Mr. and Mrs. Greengrass,” Harry said.

“And this little one is my youngest sister Michelle. She’s four.”

“Am not!” Michelle snapped. “I’m almost five!”

“She’ll be five in August. And this is the next youngest Cynthia. She’s six and will be seven in December. This is Jenna who’ll be ten in September. And finally, this is Astoria who’s eleven and will be starting Hogwarts this Fall Term. Everyone, this is my Husband Lord Harry James Potter, Head of the Ancient and Noble House of Potter, Heir Apparent to the Ancient and Noble House of Black, Earl of Finchley, Hereford, Abengale and Hwicca and Baron of Loch Sheen.”

“Harry Potter?” Cynthia asked. “You mean like the Boy-Who-Lived Harry Potter?”

Harry rolled his eyes.

“This is the real one,” Daphne said. “The one in the books is made up.”

“Oh.”

“Next to him is his Betrothed, Ginny.”

“Wait a tick,” Jenna said, “how can he have a betrothed if you’re his Wife, Daphne?”

“Actually, he has four wives and a betrothed,” Daphne replied.

“Four wives?” Jenna and Astoria asked.

“I’ll tell you all a little later. Do you want to see my rooms?”

“Yeah!” Michelle said.

“You live here?” Cynthia asked.

“Yes, we live here, Cyn,” Daphne replied, “and now it’s time to show you around. Come on.”

“I’ll catch up in a bit,” Mrs. Greengrass said as the others followed Daphne to the stairs. She looked around at the Entry Hall. “Very impressive, if a bit Spartan. Is the rest of this house as empty?”

“No Ma'am,” Harry said. “This is just the Entry Hall.”

“Looks more like a Ballroom, if you ask me.”

“Okay, I knew this place was missing something,” Harry chuckled. “I guess this could do that as well. I take it you wish to speak with me?”

“Um… Well, Daphne’s letter said we’d be having dinner here and I was wondering if I could have a few words with the cook.”

“Okay.”

After a long pause, Mrs. Greengrass gave him a slight glare which Ginny saw and had to suppress a chuckle.

“Perhaps you could call your cook?”

“I am the cook for tonight,” Harry said.

“Share duties with the others, do you? I suppose the lot of you clean and dust as well? Don’t tell me you have no staff.”

“I do have one and no, we don’t clean or dust or take care of the gardens. There’s eight elves in the Primary House Staff who do that and another six on call from the Garden Staff to take care of guests in residence. There’s an additional ninety-one working the grounds…”

“Ninety-one?” Mrs. Greengrass all but shrieked. “Isn’t that a bit much?”

“For forty or so square miles of land, most of which is farms?” Harry replied. “It’s about one-and-a-half elves per square mile, not including the twenty-eight working maintenance and processing what we grow here full time, and they are augmented by the farmhands. Labor wise, I’m told it’s the bare minimum for an estate this size.”

Mrs. Greengrass did not know how to respond.

“So, what is it you wished to ask?” Harry continued. “Any allergies or such I need to be aware of?”

She shook her head as if clearing it. “Um… well, that’s unexpected,” she said. “No, no allergies or any of that. Are you planning to serve the same thing to all of us?”

“It was the plan,” Harry said. “I can change it within reason.”

“Now Daphne’s old enough to know better, I should assume. You’ve cooked for her?”

Harry nodded.

“And it was whatever?”

“Got a full pantry, but yes,” Harry said.

“And Astoria’s about to start Hogwarts,” Mrs. Greengrass continued, “and needs to accept that she can’t always eat what she wants or what one of our elves will make. But I’d rather not deal with the other three that way - especially the younger two. I don’t expect you to understand, but…”

And for the next few minutes, they discussed the kids menu. In the end, while Mrs. Greengrass had never heard of many of Harry’s suggestions - and he had cooked for his cousin who’s list of things not to be eaten was rather large which was amusing considering the boy’s girth - she was satisfied with the selections.

“Um,” she finished. “Er - where can I find my family?”

“Seeing as they haven’t come down,” Harry said, “your daughter’s room is at the top of the stairs there, second door on the left. If they aren’t there, they’re probably in my rooms - at the end of the corridor.”

“Thank you,” she said as she turned for the stairs.

“Well,” Harry said turning to Ginny, “I guess we have our marching orders.”

“But you never really said what you’d make,” she protested. “And aside from cutting up stuff, Mum never showed me how to do anything!”

“First, I know what we’re going to make,” Harry said, “and second, you will help. Between the two of us and Burt - he’s the full time cook - and Summer and she’s his primary assistant, we’ll make them drool!”

Harry was busy working on his dinner menu and helping Ginny who he had placed in charge of the “kid’s dinner.” She may have worked with her mother in the kitchen, but in Harry’s opinion, she was a long way from being a true cook. Still, she took direction nicely and Harry was nice about it, something she commented upon for her mother was all this and that and if it wasn’t this or that she didn’t explain it too well to the girl. Ginny liked this approach. She didn’t understand a lot of what Harry was asking her to do, but he was patient and did his best to explain the whys and such. She was doing her best for Harry and Harry was not overly critical and she liked helping this way.

“Milord Potter, Sir!” a voice called - fortunately not at a critical time for either of the humans present.

Harry looked up from what he was doing.

“Higgins?” he asked.

“Milord,” the elf replied. “The other ladies are wishing to know whether we might entreat their families to a few days of Time Compression, Sir. They’ve not told me why, Sir. But one can imagine that to show this estate to its fullest extent might well take more than an afternoon in real time, Sir.”

Harry nodded. “Is Dobby back yet?”

“No Sir,” Higgins replied.

“When he returns, set it up. Have the ladies' elves bring changes of clothing for their families and such. Dobby can see to the Time Compression programming, unless I’m truly needed.”

“Milord!” Higgins said with a bow.

“Did you find out what the wedding presents were?” Harry asked some time later.

“Oh yes, Great Harry Potter Sir. Dobby be learnings stills, but Dobby be’s brinings thems back from Goblins Place, Sir!”

“And what are they?”

“Trunkes, Sir! Trunkses like this ones is, Sir! Well, not justs likes, but likes, Sir! If Great Harry Potter bes understandings, Sir.”

“More than one?” Harry asked. He was busy with what he was doing.

“Far mores,” Dobby replied. “Sevenses actually. Fours beings developses. They’s got alls plantings and such and scoreses and scoreses of Elveses to bes takings cares of thems. Threes beings new. Twos new ones being trunkes your Granfathers be buyings afore he be gettings sicks and dyings ‘cause he’s be needings mores for his Elves. Twos Oldies ones be wedding presents for Great Harry Potter’s Mums and Dads ands be really pretty. Ones be for Harry Potter, Sirs. Lasts being Harry Potter’s present for his owns, Sir.”

“How much land?”

“Sir! 40,000 acres each total. 120,000 bes developses already. Rest being ready to be developses, Sir.”

“Um… How much total?”

“Ifs wes be makings this trunks its full sizes Sir, and wes be adding the three new ones what beings undeveloped, Sir; it bes 500 squares mileses, Sir!”

“What can I do with so many trunks?” Harry mused to himself.

“Sir?”

“I mean it’s not like they’re interconnected or something,” Harry continued.

“No Sir, its not being that ways yet, Sir,” Dobby replied. “But theys cans be. Harry Potter’s Mum’s and Dad’s two trunks be one trunks or one place ‘cause theys be connecteds that way as does Harry Potter’s grandfather’s trunkses. Dobby bes pretty sure all eight can become one big estate.”

“Guess that explains why some of the roads here go to the wall,” Harry said.

“That what Dobby be thinkings too Sir.”

“Give me a report and a plan - especially a plan if we can make them all into one estate. Not today, Dobby. Take your time. I’m in no rush…”

“Of course, Harry Potters Sirs! Dobby be seeings its dones, Sir!” They spoke for several more minutes about what Dobby had discovered.

“Did Higgins see you,” Harry said changing the topic.

“Higgins beings good Elf, Sir. He sees Dobby whens Dobby bes comings back from Goblinses, Sir. He be askings ifs we cans do some Time Compressions for guests, Sir.”

“Can we? I only had ninety-two hours after this past week.”

“Not includings recharges, Sir! Magics something powerful here, Sir. You’s may have spent 840 hours this weeks, Sir and had only ninety-twos in Charge when yous begins as afters, buts yous have over 270 hours yous cans use, Sir. Theys onlys be wantings 96. Yous be earnings 90 minutes for every hour yous no beings dischargings Time Compression, Sir.”

“Four days is all they want?”

“Dobby talks to thems. Ladies Elves be brinings theirs things. Four dayses, Sir.”

“Can you set it up? I’m a little busy right now.”

“Dobby cans be doings it, Sir!”

The dinner had been a success, although to Harry and the five young ladies who now lived with him this was not much of a surprise. He had worked up two separate meals actually following his talk with Mrs. Greengrass. The adult meal, which was served to everyone but the youngest three guests, was seafood. The appetizer featured Muscles. The soup was a stew made with oysters and clams. The salad had langoustines, a relative of lobster. The main course had a filet of sole and crab cakes. Only the desert was without some kind of seafood. Harry made it a point to tell the guests that the seafood would be about the only food item he would ever have to buy once the “farm” was fully up and running. For the three girls, Harry had chosen certain Italian dishes he had cooked for the Durlseys - although improved versions of them. He was certain these were dishes children liked for, as portly or whale like as his cousin was, the boy was a surprisingly picky eater. There was ravioli - which allowed him to sneak in certain vegetables that Mrs. Greengrass wanted her daughters to eat but which it was always a losing battle to get them to eat. The girls were oblivious to the trick and were not told what was in the ravioli until they asked for seconds. Surprising their mother, they still wanted seconds. There was also spaghetti and meatballs and pizza and a few other dishes that disappeared. Needless to say, when Mrs. Greengrass inquired as to the ingredients she was pleasantly surprised. Ginny had helped Harry prepare the dinner and she had done most the work on the girls' meals so when Mrs. Greengrass asked for the recipes, it was Ginny who provided most of it even though she was only following Harry’s directions.

Following the dinner and the dessert (which was the work of the Head Elf Chef Burt) and as the younger two Greengrass girls tried without success not to nod off, Harry explained the Time Compression to the guests. He explained that while a couple of days (in Hannah’s case) or slightly more may have passed for them, he had been at the Manor for forty-three days, Hermione and Luna for forty-one, Daphne for twenty-four, Hannah for sixteen and Ginny for eight. He explained that he cooked dinner and breakfast for each of his “girls” on the evening of their arrival and the next morning as he had the previous real Monday evening when the Grangers visited but the rest of the meals were cooked by the elves. He then outlined how they had used their time: the mornings exploring their new “home” and getting to know each other, afternoons training (swimming, practicing spells and such) and late afternoons finishing their summer assignments, studying bonds and wizarding marital contracts, Potter family matters and other interests. He left out more prurient details such as his “girls” chosen attire and any discussion of sleeping arrangements and intimacy.

“So,” Mr. Granger asked, “have you figured out how this trunk thing works?”

Harry nodded. “It was one of my evening projects once we were clear on a plan about the Weasley Contract - although while our plan was sound, events didn’t unfold the way we had thought they would.”

“Oh?” a few of the adults asked.

“Oh yes,” Ginny all but sighed. “Much better, really.”

Harry then explained the meeting with the Weasleys and the revised plan he came up with once he learned the Weasleys too were victims of a plot.

“So what is her status?” Mr. Greengrass asked in a disapproving tone.

“As far as we’re concerned, Sir, it is that of a betrothed - period. She’s not yet reached bonding age so that is the most she can be in any event. But, whether I marry her soon after she reaches her bonding age or sometime later, she will become my wife one day if she wants to. I am aware of the general attitude to her magical status as a concubine, Sir. I am also aware that by declaring her as my betrothed - as I have done in my contract with her parents - she loses much of that stigma and, more important, she comes under my House protection. Should anyone think otherwise, they will learn that I have learned what my status truly means.”

Mr. Greengrass nodded and then looked at Ginny. “Is that your understanding?” he asked.

She nodded. “Not at first, of course,” she said softly. “Even when Harry first explained it. But now? The only true difference between my place in this family and that of my new sisters is I am not yet of bonding age. As for keeping me betrothed and not married beyond that point, that is…”

“A cover story more than anything,” Harry said. “Dumbledore will find out about all of this come September and we need to keep him from messing with it. We don’t know what Dumbledore’s reaction to all this will be, but we are not about to give him any chance to mess with what has happened. My new contract with her parents says I must marry her by the time she is sixteen and I intend to do so, but the boons Dumbledore was to get from that have been destroyed by taking her as a concubine now rather than later. It was merely a way to get her out from his control and keep her safe from his plans. We all don’t want to think what he would have done otherwise…”

“Hold on,” Mr. Granger said, “I thought her parents were in on this? Why are you granting them anything?”

“They weren’t it turns out,” Harry said. “They signed a betrothal contract that would see to it their seven children could attend Hogwarts. They were unaware of the rest of it and apparently trusted the man so much they never bothered to read the rest of it before signing their daughter away. A few days later or so, they were obliviated. When I confronted them, they had no memory of that contract or the betrothal. Since they have no memory and were not lying about that, then they are as much victims of that man’s schemes as the rest of us as was Ginny. We could not find a complete way out for us so I will have to marry her in time. But, seeing as I had those other contracts I could not get out of, that was not the issue. This new arrangement removes the real issue and punishes the schemer and not his victims - or so we hope.”

It was clear that the adults - especially the magical ones - were very concerned about Ginny’s new status as a concubine. Harry carefully explained the contract that led to it and the plan they came up with to defeat the worst aspects of that contract. He described his meeting with the Weasleys where it was clear that they were not truly party to the scheme and how they ultimately agreed to this arrangement and assured them that aside from just how Ginny became a part of his family, she really was not in a different situation. She would become his wife one day and that marriage would be finalized only if and when they both agreed, otherwise it could be annulled when they were twenty-one.

“Annulment is not something I’m planning on with any of them,” Harry continued. “I hope this works for all of us in the end. I hope fifty years from now we are all still together watching our grandkids and such. I never had a family before - or at least I don’t remember my true family. Before Hogwarts, I never had any friends. What has happened has given me a true chance at both and I don’t want to lose that just because the circumstances that made it happen are not what I - or any of us really - would have expected.”

“Still,” Mrs. Abbott asked, “if she’s a Concubine, that’s different than the others, right?”

“Well said,” Mr. Greengrass replied.

“It can be,” Harry agreed. “It’s not in our case. First off, I have a valid and enforceable marriage contract with the Weasleys now, one I signed on my own behalf as an emancipated Heir of an Ancient and Noble House. I am bound by that promise. Moreover, she will be receiving one of my titles that will pass to her first born son or, if she only has daughters, first born grandson. This is the same situation that Hermione, Luna and Daphne have. The Potter family has many titles, each having its own rights to its seat on the Wizengamot. Without a plural marriage, all of those estates pass to the eldest born son. This includes situations where there was more than one wife, but the latter marriages followed the death of the earlier wife. In a Plural marriage, I can divide the titles amongst my sons of different mothers since they are designated as a wife with a specific title. Hermione is the Countess of Finchley. Luna is Countess of Hwicca and Daphne is Countess of Abengale. Ginny will be either Countess of Hereford or Baroness of Loch Sheen when we marry.”

“That leaves one other,” Mr. Greengrass noted.

“I have no plans on taking another wife for the vacant title. My plan is that title will pass to my first born son by any of the House Potter wives. All I ever wanted to be was normal, whatever that is. It seems that for reasons beyond my control and since I was born, what I thought was normal was never in the cards for me. Still, as close to normal as possible under the circumstances would do nicely…”

“So,” Mr. Granger continued changing the topic, “just how does this trunk work?”

Harry relaxed for this was a less nerve wracking topic. He understood the concepts behind this trunk if not the details.

“Okay,” he said. “Basically, as I understand it, the trunk has two parts to it. The cloakroom is the result of a fairly basic expansion charm…”

“We’ll learn how to do that before we finish school,” Hermione added.

“… but the doors are a form of portal,” Harry continued. “The rest of the trunk, while quite real in many ways, is… well I guess the best explanation is it is its own reality or little world connected to our world by the portal. It exists and yet it does not exist at the same time. The only ways in or out are through the trunk, a floo connection or a special… well it’s called a shunt that allows for post to arrive and can be keyed to allow for authorized portkeys or apparition - forms of magical travel…”

“Kind of like magical teleportation or transporters,” Hermione added for her father’s benefit. “We’ll be taught one of those as well when we’re older.”

“And what if someone or something destroys the trunk?” Mr. Granger asked.

“The trunk is destroyed,” Harry replied. “This place, however, is not. Basically, I’d lose that way of access and nothing else.”

“And your control room?” Daphne asked.

“It’s part of this reality, not part of the expansion charm. If my trunk were destroyed, my door into it would open directly into the control room.”

“So this place is indestructible?” Mr. Granger asked.

“I don’t know that for certain,” Harry replied. “But once it’s set up its existence is not tied to the existence of the trunk itself. According to the manual or whatever that book is, so long as I could hook into the floo network or knew how to apparate, I could still come and go. What I’d lose is mobility…”

“Explain that.”

“Well, the trunk can be moved, right? If it were destroyed - and assuming there were no other access trunks - if I wanted to apparate in I’d have to go to the place in the outside world where the trunk had been to do so or at least I’d have to have some idea where that was. But I’m not too worried about that.”

“Why not?”

“First of all, ‘cause I have the other access trunks. To totally cut off that method of access they all would have to be destroyed. Then there’s the fact that that’s easier said than done. Those trunks are all heavily warded to prevent damage or destruction. I guess a nuclear blast would do it, but not much else.”

“So this is like its own world, separate and apart from the world outside?” Astoria asked.

“That’s pretty much it in a way, although it has limitations…”

“Such as?” Mr. Granger asked.

“Gravity for one,” Harry said. “While I doubt anyone’s experimented, the gravity in here is tied to that outside. While up is always up here and down is always down regardless of how the trunk is sitting outside, the gravity that makes up and down is tied to the outside world. The air in here comes from outside and is replenished from the outside on a regular basis. Same’s true with water, although we don’t replenish it nearly as much. Without air or water outside, there can’t be air or water inside so I guess this wouldn’t work at all in space or on the moon or something like that. To that extent, this world is dependent upon the outside world to exist - or at least to exist in a way that we can live in here. But, since I doubt Earth’s about to lose all its water and air, no worries there for now.”

“It’s like your own little world,” Mrs. Granger observed.

“Surprised I’ve never heard of these,” Mr. Greengrass added. “If there was ever a way to hide our world from the Muggle one, this is it. Is it new?”

“The magic to create this - er - world has been - well known about I guess for two hundred years or more. Well, the theory has at any rate. The trunks themselves were invented about fifty years ago but they’re expensive and as I understand it there’s no real good way to make them less so. This trunk can have up to forty thousand acres which is about the maximum amount. Much larger than that and the magic becomes all but impossible for some reason and least for one trunk or whatever. I learned today it’s possible to connect two such trunks to create a larger world but there seems to be a limit to each - um - trunk part or whatever. Volume is another limitation. More than fifteen hundred meters top to bottom and you also hit a magical wall. This one’s nowhere near that high but once you set the limits as to area and volume, it’s set and can’t be expanded beyond it. Right now, this ‘world’ is not at its designed limits so I can expand to those limits but not beyond it.

“As I understand it, the theory that led to these trunks was made by a wizard who thought that this would be a great way to hide magic from the Muggles. It took a long time for someone to figure out how to make it practical at all and few can afford even a basic trunk. This alternate world is not cheap. To create a world just the size of this house would run about ten thousand and to expand it to the limits of this trunk is another twenty-five. Don’t ask me why, but it is. Add to it that it’s not in the real world and there’re few of them out there. For some reason, even those who can afford these don’t seem terribly interested. The guy who made the first of these has made a total of twenty and has only sold fourteen of those since 1952. They take close to three years to make. The trunk shop had this one, but I’m told it had been there for years. Maybe there’d be more of these but given how difficult they are to make, their cost and the fact that it’s not real world land… well…. Course, I don’t mind this at all and knowing that I have seven more…”

“Seven more?” several people asked.

Harry nodded. “Apparently my grandfather bought two. I know there’re full sized in terms of area and developed but what that means I don’t know. Guessing farms, but I can’t say. Dobby’s checking into it. My parents had two as well again developed but can’t say more than that. And no, I have no idea why they were not living there when they were killed. From what I’ve read, Voldemort could never have gotten to them had they been in one of these.”

“That’s only four,” Hermione noted after a moment.

“My grandfather bought two more, but they’re not developed. Apparently he never got ‘round to it before he died. The last one was for me when I got older apparently. They apparently can be interconnected somehow but don’t ask me how that works 'cause I don’t know yet.”

“So if they were interconnected,” Mr. Granger began, “how much land are we talking about?”

“A little less than what House Potter owns on the outside,” Harry said. “Five hundred square miles…”

“FIVE HUNDRED?” a few voices asked.

“Is that trunk or outside?” Mr. Greengrass added.

“Five hundred in the trunks,” Harry replied. “House Potter owns more real land than that apparently. About another sixty square miles… although that land’s all scattered about in much smaller parcels and aside from a few hundred acres here and there at the outside residences, most of that land is leased out to others. House Potter makes most of its money as a landlord.”

“As do many old wizarding families,” Mr. Greengrass said. “This is especially the case where the land has not been in a family since before the Treaty of Separation.”

“Treaty of Separation?” Harry and the Grangers asked.

“It’s a treaty between the Crown and the Wizengamot dating from the thirteenth century. In many ways it was a precursor to the International Statute of Secrecy in that it separated the wizarding world from the Muggle one permanently - at least on those lands owned by wizarding families as of the date of the treaty. We are free to manage our own affairs on those lands without interference and the Crown cannot tax those lands directly. Diagon Alley is such property as is Hogsmeade valley and some large tracts of properties near Tinworth, Godric’s Hollow, Little Hangleton, Ottery St. Catchpole, Colne, Getworth Common, Arden Moor, Brenton Heath and a few other places. Those places tend to have large wizarding populations although they do rent lands to Muggles there as well. Most of the land owned in our Britain is Treaty Land, as it’s called. Unless its owner chooses to lease to Muggles, it can be warded against them such that they’d find it undesirable. Still, if trunks like these had been in use back then we might’ve used them instead.”

“And now?” Mr. Granger asked. “It seems like an ideal situation for hiding magic and there are far, far more people in Britain today than then.”

Mr. Greengrass nodded. “Harry says there’s only twenty of these in Britain and I have no reason to doubt him. Don’t think they’d be marketable to tell the truth.”

“Why not?”

“It’s not real land. True, it’s harder and harder to get a decent parcel. Warding Treaty Land is not a problem as most Muggles are unaware that it ever existed. But there are also far more witches and wizards than there were when the treaty was signed and the land rich families tend to try and keep their land rather than sell it or divide it up among their children. Having real land is a status symbol and Treaty Land is a greater symbol than non-treaty land. To a witch or wizard, a trunk like this lacks that status ‘cause it is not an ancient family property nor is it cleverly hidden from Muggles in plain view as non-Treaty properties are.

“Cost is another. Thirty-five thousand is ten years pay for the average witch or wizard. You’d have to have that kind of money to spend ‘cause I don’t think there’s anyone who’d lend you money to buy one. It’s a load of money and that cost doesn’t include the cost of obtaining elves to maintain it. Unbonded elves can run as much as five hundred a piece,” Mr. Greengrass added as if it was no big deal.

“You buy elves?” all three Grangers asked in shock.

“Harry, don’t tell me you bought our elves,” Hermione began clearly upset with the notions.

“I didn’t,” he began.

“Potter elves then,” Mr. Greengrass said.

“No, not Potter elves either,” Harry replied. “Well, they are now but not when they came to join us. Yes it’s true that to get an elf if you don’t have one you usually have to pay for it. Elves are not property, however. You’re paying its wizarding family for the loss of the elf’s services since otherwise the elf would serve the family it was born into for life. Grown up elves must be bonded to a witch or wizard because without such a bond their magic will fade and they will die. Young elves don’t have this problem. It sets in around the age of twenty or so and don’t ask me why ‘cause neither they nor I know. So, if your elf has children and you can’t employ them - and they need work as well for some reason - you have to find it a suitable family. By custom that family pays for the elf although there’s no reason to believe it couldn’t have gone the other way. Anyway, the reason they’re expensive is 'surplus’ elves are not common. Most elves only have enough children to replace themselves when they’re older so that most households with elves are served by their elf families.”

“So, if you didn’t pay for them how’d you get them?” Ginny asked. The truth was Harry had not told them how he had got the elves aside from Dobby. Dobby had told him later in the day when he had bonded with them but it didn’t seem important and none of his ladies had asked.

“Well, you all know how I got Dobby,” he said as the girls nodded and he then explained what had happened to his guests. “Dobby was the one who got the others.” This is what the girls had understood but now it seemed there was more to this story. “As I said, until an elf is around twenty or so it does not need to be bonded to a witch or wizard, right?”

There were nods in agreement.

“But elves are considered grown up in their families when they are twelve. At that age they know enough to work and if they are not bonded at that age they work anyway as a kind of apprentice with older, bonded elves. Between their coming of age as an elf and their bonding age, however, they are capable of leaving their families of their own free will. Most do not ‘cause there’s no guarantee they’ll find another wizarding family to bond with them. But that’s not to say that all young elves want to stay with the families they were born into. After all, can you imagine Dobby or any elf wanting to stay with the Malfoys if they could leave and bond with another family?” No one could. “Some of these elves came from Hogwarts and a couple of other places where the ambient magic is high enough to sustain them without a bond. Hogwarts also uses family elves who are younger and who will take over for their parents in time but for whom there’s not enough work to sustain them with their families. Most, however, are young ones who ordinarily would’ve stayed with their wizarding family or been sold at some point before their bonding age. The younger ones are all under bonding age and left their families given the opportunity. All Dobby did was somehow put the word out and they all showed up within hours. According to Dobby, well over half the young elves in Britain are now Potter Elves and he guesses the others are working for decent families who have more than enough work to ensure that they’ll be kept on when they’re older. The word’s still out there too.”

“What’s that mean?” Hermione asked.

“It means that if there’s a young elf who’s about to come of age in elf society and does not want to stay with their wizarding family and does not want to trust to fate that their wizarding family with let them bond with a decent witch or wizard, they’ll show up here eventually.”

“Interesting,” Mr. Greengrass said.

“How so?” Mrs. Granger asked.

“It’s interesting in a few ways. First off, it skirts around some laws and customs. By custom you’re supposed to compensate and elf’s witch or wizard for the loss of potential service. By law, to take an elf that is bonded or is expected to bond is more than theft but less than kidnapping. But law and custom does not prevent an un-bonded elf from absconding of their own volition and to bond with such an elf violates neither custom nor law. The thing is it rarely ever happens. Elves don’t run off even if they can ‘cause they have to have somewhere to run off to. True, most witches and wizards do not have elves and would probably love to have one - and would probably treat their elves with respect. Most of those who have elves and treat them such that they would consider absconding go to great lengths to prevent those elves from seeing it as an option. Unbonded elves are not permitted to interact with witches and wizards outside of the family nor to leave the family estates so that they could learn of other opportunities and bonded elves are ordered not to tell their young about such things - orders which their magic compels them to obey. That being said, there’s nothing a witch or wizard can really do to prevent an un-bonded elf from leaving aside from making sure they can’t learn of that option. And, I should add, most witches and wizards with elves order them not to 'put the word’ out as Harry called it. Since Dobby had no such orders from Harry and Harry had need for elves, well the word got out and it’s fair to say that any elf old enough to understand - say older than three or four - now knows this is an option. Once they turn twelve, unless they like their circumstances it’s a fair bet they’ll turn up here looking for a family. Naturally, the effect on the families that couldn’t keep them will be a loss of service and with so many elves ‘gone missing,’ getting new elves will be even more expensive. Some families may soon find themselves having to hire humans for staff - humans who won’t tolerate the more harsh working conditions - or do without; most likely do without. It won’t happen overnight, but in time those wizarding families who treat their elves poorly will find they can’t get new help at all unless they change their ways - and many won’t which means no new elves for them and a marked decline in their standard of living.”

“So they lose a few elves,” Mr. Granger said. “So?”

“The families that have enough elves to have young ones need such a staff to maintain their homes and livelihoods,” Mr. Greengrass said. “If they lose the children of those elves, there are no easy replacements. The families whose treatment results in a young elf absconding are the worst sort: they are frightfully wealthy and arrogant to a fault - and they are lazy. Take away their labor - free labor mind you - and it’s not as if they can make a go of it themselves. In time, they’ll be ruined. True, it will take years, but the elves that came to Harry basically have ended any chance of replacements for the families that effectively drove them away.”

“Families like the Malfoys,” Hermione added. Her parents had heard a fair bit about that family and had encountered Lucius Malfoy once. With people like the Malfoys at the top of society, revolution was a natural consequence and sooner or later most such movements succeeded much to the chagrin of the previous powers that had been.

Mr. Granger nodded. “Couldn’t happen to a nicer group,” he said sarcastically. “People like that always wind up the first with their backs against the wall when the revolution finally comes,” he added. “Back to the topic, you said a trunk like this is not marketable due to the cost and the fact it’s not real land in the outside world, is that saying it has no purpose?”

“I left out the third reason why this marvel may not be marketable,” Mr. Greengrass said. “It’s not well known. I for one have never heard of a trunk of this - er - magnitude. But its greatest failing is its novelty.”

“So unlike our world,” Mr. Granger said. “Something new, novel and expensive tends to attract buyers if for no other reason than to later be able to claim they were among the first or few to have such a thing. There are people buy the newest electronic gadget more to say they have one rather than because it really is any good. Those who have the money and must have the newest and the best typically find their new possession antiquated and ‘yesterday’s news’ not long after purchase, so they get the next hot thing. Something like this? Those who have the money would seriously consider such a purchase not just for the novelty or scarcity but because of the potential uses of the land itself - assuming they’re into land at all as more than just an investment.”

“Your world looks forward, ours looks back,” Mr. Greengrass said. “New and novel are not popular words and to attempt to sell something as that is a sure way to see it gather dust on a shelf. If one were to say it’s an improvement of a tried and true existing idea, that’s another thing altogether. But if it is something that never existed before, it can take years and even generations before it becomes accepted. I would say that those who purchased trunks like these are not representative of the typical mind set in our world. Harry asked for a comfortable way to spend his summer with his - as I understand - vile Muggle relations and accepted this place as such. I can’t speak for his ancestors and from what I understand this trunk was acquired before he learned that his family owned others…”

“I only learned of the others this morning,” Harry said. “According to Dobby, it seems my grandfather bought his to farm. I can’t say more than that seeing as House Potter was land rich before he bought one. But as I said, House Potter rented out almost all of its land holdings. Perhaps he just wanted a farm of his own. I can’t say. I don’t know what my parents' trunks were for. What little Dobby could and did say about them suggests they’re different somehow. My grandfather’s other trunks seem to be expansions to his farm purchased when his elf staff grew too large to be fully employed in the original, but that’s just a guess on my part. Well, Dobby seems to think the same way. He’s checking them out and stuff and will tell me more when he knows more.”

“So there more elves then?” Daphne asked.

Harry nodded. “Don’t know how many, though. ‘Scores and scores’ is all I know.” He was silent for a moment. “I can’t help but think what might’ve been if my parents had used their trunks or my grandfather’s trunks as a place to live rather than where they were when it happened.”

“Harry,” Mrs. Granger began, “your parents impressed upon us the need for you, Hermione and Luna to be together at the time. That may’ve been why they were not hiding in a trunk.”

“Besides,” Luna added, “You-know-who was winning and might have won it all had he not been stopped by whatever happened that night. You and your family might have been safe in a trunk like this, but you can’t hide the whole world from that madman and his followers, can you? It is one thing to try to be hidden as they were and another to simply run away as the world comes crashing down. It seems to me your parents chose to live the way they did ‘cause they were not the types to run away. That being said, I also think the only reason they were hiding at all was to keep you safe. If it was just them, they would’ve fought.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Harry said with a sigh.

“So, what are your plans for your estate?” Mr. Greengrass asked after a pause.

“With all of you we talked about the wards on my relatives' house,” Harry began and aside from Astoria Greengrass, (the younger three had fallen asleep), the others nodded. “As discussed, I need to reside there so long as those wards remain - or I should say I should reside there. They protect me and my family from magical threats. True, it’s not a total protection as my last two years at Hogwarts prove; but I should’ve probably died those two years and I did not. You can say I was lucky and I won’t argue, but I think those wards may have been part of it as well and, well it would seem a good idea to keep them just in case they were. So, for now this trunk will remain at my relatives - as I made them a deal they’d be fools to ignore - and our home for the foreseeable future. Might well be our home even longer seeing as I can’t access my family estates ‘til I’m older anyway and who knows? We might not like them as much. But I’m not going to hide away from things outside either. This will be our home, but as large as it is and will be it is not the entire world for us.”