Quality Time

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:

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX: QUALITY TIME

Saturday, July 31 st 1993

It was the second day after the Potters had been revived. Much of the first day had been spent driving from the cottage in the Valley back to the Manor. Harry had ordered Dobby to stop long before they reached the long lake at the end of the Valley. There were elves working in a meadow. There was a large pile of lumber and elves cutting tree trunks and logs into boards and Harry went to talk with them. The others had followed. Harry was simply curious because this operation had not been here the day before. The lumber was being cut for the project he had ordered the day before. True, the elves could just transfigure stuff, but it would lack permanence as it was not part of the original plan for that trunk so the project would work best if it was truly built. Harry and his girls learned that while the Valley was not a farm in the traditional sense, a form of logging had been going on from the start. The elves thinned the forest from time to time and cut the thinned trees into lumber which was then sold outside. They did it in such a way so as not to be noticeable. They said it was good for the forest to take a tree here and there and allow for new growth and no one questioned this.

Dobby had chosen a different route back to the Manor. Not far north of the long valley lake, the road forked. The left fork was the road they had come up the day before and led into Harry’s trunk. The right fork led to the north east and somewhere else. It crossed over a river which Dobby said began in the mountains in The Valley and flowed all the way to the Great Lake. It drained five trunks, more than any other river on the estate and it was the longest of the rivers. Further on, they came to a crossroad. To the west, the crossroad crossed over the river on a stone bridge. About a quarter mile to the east was a collection of buildings. Dobby explained they were the various mills and such for the Old Farm and it was in this area that the elves would built the village. Already it seemed there were hundreds of elves busy in the immediate vicinity. They seemed to be staking out plots or, in some cases, already laying foundations. Harry again got out and spent some time talking with the elves. The crossroads appeared to form two sides of the village square and already lanes had been staked out in many directions for the numerous cottages. Seeming to be satisfied with the stop, Harry climbed back into the car and they drove on into one of the new trunks.

Their trip would take them to all three new trunks. The first one, to the east of Harry’s trunk, was mostly vegetables fields or the massive extension of the herb and spice gardens. To the far north were purely recreational lands around the Great Lake. There were groves of trees there, and lawns and two golf courses and the first of the guest houses located on the shores of the lake which earned the rather unimaginative name “The Lake House”. The road when around the huge lake and they entered the trunk to the north.

There was an island in the lake they were told had some small guest houses upon it. They could see the island and one of the houses. It was set up to be what Hannah called a getaway within a getaway. So the island became Getaway Island and the houses were called the Island Retreat Resort. Miles further along through fields, orchards and pastures they came to another golf course, gardens and another guest house. This one was not as large as the Lake House which had some fifty guest rooms. This one only had about twenty. They decided to call it the Garden House as it was surrounded by flower gardens. They then turned west and eventually passed into the trunk to the north of Harry’s trunk. Here there was a new vineyard, more pastures and orchards. In the midst of the orchards, there was a lake with the final guest house which had a nearby horse stable. Dobby told them it was about three miles to the north of the manor and should the ladies decide on a particular horse - for there were more than a few to choose from at either of the older estates - they could be stabled here. The guest house would be called the Stables. The drive took them to the far west where Dobby had said there was the tropical beach and it was exactly as Dobby had described. It was the headwaters for all the rivers in this trunk and Harry’s trunk. They had enjoyed a picnic lunch by the Lake House earlier in the day and arrived at the manor about an hour and a half before dinner which gave Harry plenty of time to show his parents around and see to it they were set up in one of the guest rooms for now.

Thankfully, they stayed away from heavier topics of conversation that evening.

“Where is everybody?” Lily asked. She had James had entered the large hall. They had taken a stroll through the flower gardens and beyond following breakfast. Hermione and Luna were seated and reading books when they entered, but no one else was around.

“Would the Potter’s like some tea?” an elf they had not noticed asked as they sat down across from their son’s bondmates.

“That sounds lovely,” Lily said and a tea service appeared before them.

“House tea is best with lemon,” Luna said. “We use our own honey for a sweetener.”

“Um, thanks. Again, where is everyone else?”

“Ginny’s upstairs lying down,” Hermione began looking up from her book.

“She’s going through her first monthlies,” Luna added. “It’s why we’re in time compression ‘cause she felt really bad about feeling really bad on Harry’s birthday. This way she gets through it and will feel like her old self well before his birthday really gets started.”

“I don’t think I needed to know that,” James mumbled.

“Hannah and Daphne went for a bicycle ride,” Hermione said ignoring the comment. “Harry’s in his kitchen.”

“His kitchen? My son has a kitchen? Or do you call everything here his this or that?” James asked.

“His kitchen as in his and his alone,” Luna said. “No one’s allowed in without an invite except Burt and Harry’s in charge in there. He’s making dinner.”

“Why is he making dinner?” Lily asked.

“‘Cause he likes to,” Luna replied as if it was obvious.

“What’s he making?”

“We won’t know ‘til he serves it up,” Hermione said. “So far, however, whatever he makes is fantastic. My Mum decided it was better to enjoy his cooking than to be jealous about it. I never learned, so I guess having elves and Harry’s a good thing seeing as I can make soggy toast and burnt water.”

“My son cooks?” James asked as if this could not be possible.

“It was one of the chores the Dursleys required of him,” Hermione said. “We’re pretty sure he could care less about cooking for them, but they left him alone when he was cooking so he enjoyed that about it. He does enjoy cooking for people he likes and for people who appreciate his efforts.”

“He also says he’s a fair gardener,” Luna said. “It was another chore he did where he was left alone. But he doesn’t do that here. Then again, it’s one thing to garden a few hundred square feet of land and quite another to garden a few hundred square miles.”

“What did my sister do to him?” Lily growled.

“Now, now,” Luna said, “whatever she’s done it’s sorted. Harry’s put the fear of Dobby into them,” she added with a giggle.

“You mean the fear of God?”

“No, Dobby. He told you what Dobby did to them and they’ve been told Harry was holding the little guy back. I don’t think Harry’s lying about that. Dobby would’ve finished them off if Harry had let him. He’s very protective of Harry.”

“You’re not supposed to let House Elves do that,” James said. “He needs to learn…”

“What?” Hermione asked. “Needs to learn how to be like all the other idiots?”

“You stepped in it, James,” Lily said.

“Look! I didn’t even know about House Elves before I came here,” Hermione continued. “Had I learned about them at school, I would’ve thought they were no better than slaves and that every witch and wizard who had one was ignorant or evil or both. I know that’s not how it really is. I know they need us. But still. There are many who either take them for granted or take advantage of them and that’s wrong too! So what if Harry allows his House Elves to defend his family? Perhaps if wizards weren’t so damned full of themselves and a few had allowed those guys to do what they can to protect their families, idiots like the Death Eaters and Voldemort could not exist! In my opinion, any rule, law or convention that suppresses the rights or abilities of any sentient being to favor wizards is morally wrong and an immoral law is no law at all! No wonder this world is so messed up! It’s but a small step from repressing House Elves to repressing Muggle Borns and seeing Muggles as little more than animals, isn’t it?

“It’s a good thing Harry didn’t learn about House Elves from wizards, I think. ‘Til he met Dobby, he never knew of them either. And he learned about them from Dobby just as I did! He doesn’t see them as servants or slaves or serfs or inferiors. He sees them as friends and more importantly as family! There are over two thousand House Elves on this estate and he sees each and every one of them as his responsibility as head of this family! I think he’s got the right idea about them.”

“I’m not disagreeing with you, Hermione,” James said. “But it’s one thing for an elf to defend his family and another for it to be set upon someone for revenge. That’s what it sounds like.”

Hermione snorted. “They got off easy, if you ask me.”

“Okay,” Lily said. “Not that I’ll disagree, but what do you mean?”

“Um, well his relative were… well, he hasn’t said much. We don’t ask ‘cause if we do he won’t say anything. But it comes out.”

“Especially when he’s angry about something,” Luna said. “Like where the elves were living. That’s why he has them building a village of cottages and such. He said no elf should live in a cupboard. It was bad enough he had to for ten years of his life.”

“What!” Lily shrieked. “A cupboard? My son lived in a cupboard. That's…”

“Child cruelty and neglect,” Hermione finished. “His aunt and uncle should be serving time in prison for what they did. Harry has not ruled that out. That, Dobby and Goblin justice are daggers he has to keep them in line. I don’t think they beat him. Not really…”

“Not really? What’s that mean?”

“Not enough or badly enough to get the Crown involved,” Hermione said. “But something should’ve happened and it didn’t. Either the Dursleys live in a black hole of incompetence or someone went out of his way to cover things up so Harry would remain there.”

“Dumbledore,” Lily growled.

“He all but admitted he knew things were bad at the end of Harry’s first year, but tried to make it sound like it was necessary. True, there are wards tied to family that are… useful. But they cannot justify what happened. Then again, maybe wife beating and child abuse are not crimes in the Wizarding World given they’re more than a century behind the Muggles in such ideas. Maybe the old man didn’t know any better and can’t understand why it’s such a big deal in the Muggle world. Or maybe, he does and is just an evil git hiding behind his leader of the light façade!”

“This was not supposed to happen,” Lily lamented. “He’s not what I expected.”

“And what did you expect?” Luna asked. “He’s had two powerful wizards wanting to interfere with his life practically from the day he was born and doing so since the day you two supposedly died. What could you expect? That he would be like any other boy? He’s not. It’s not possible. Thanks to those two wizards, he never had a childhood and I doubt he could have truly had one.”

“If my plan had worked… ,” Lily began.

“You still need to explain it to me,” James said.

“What’s to explain?” Luna asked. “Nasty, evil wizard wanted the lot of you dead. A wizard of questionable motives put you on a loyalty potion so you would agree to his protection. Lily smells a rat or two and takes action. Before Dumbledore could get to her she sets up her plan. She finds an old, probably familial spell that could protect the lot of you if the worst happens and sets it up. Evil wizard hunts you down and tries to kill you and her plan worked… mostly. Instead of dying, you wind up in your trunk under stasis…”

“Why stasis, Lils?”

“I had no idea what condition we would be in,” Lily admitted. “The trigger was not precise. He could’ve really hurt us short of triggering the spell and I didn’t want us to arrive an inch away from death without a safeguard. By arriving in stasis, the elves could patch us up.”

“Why did you set things up so that only Sirius or that Lupin fellow could revive you?” Hermione asked. “You could’ve left it to the elves as well.”

“Unlike you and Harry, I did not learn about elves from elves, Hermione. I regret it now for I… well, I never considered that option. I should’ve, but I didn’t. Still, what I don’t understand is why Harry did not arrive with us.”

“We don’t know what really happened that night,” Hermione said. “We only know something did and Harry was there and Voldemort was gone.”

“I’m somewhat surprised none of you think I’m somehow dark considering it was blood magic,” Lily said after a long silence.

“Magic is intent based,” Hermione said somewhat dismissively. “Dark and light are meaningless distinctions. All you need for proof is Dumbledore. Everyone says he’s light. They’re wrong. The man is evil but unlike Voldemort he refuses to admit it. He’s a walking contradiction. He preaches redemption and forgiveness and claims to be opposed to killing people on the one hand, but he certainly takes advantage of pain, suffering and other people’s deaths on the other. He will allow people to suffer for whatever he believes is right when he should use his authority to stop the suffering. He preaches tolerance and yet allows bigotry to run rampant and unpunished in school. Intent is everything. I don’t know what he intends, but it can’t be good. Add to it the wards he placed on Harry’s relatives' house and that leader of the light flies out the window. He used blood wards; very illegal ones. Now it seems they’re illegal ‘cause they allow people to evade the strictures of the law within those wards and prevent magical enforcement. We know he placed certain charms to overcome some of the more - erm - questionable effects, unless you consider that as far as we know it’s only Dumbledore who can monitor the place…”

“And it would seem that his monitoring did not envision House Elf magic,” Luna added.

“Or that Dobby would transfer certain of the more annoying monitoring charms, such as the one that tells him where I am, from me to the trunk,” Harry said.

“I thought you were making dinner,” Lily commented.

“It’s almost lunch time,” Harry replied. “I take a break for an hour or two - two or so today since things are working out better than I anticipated. So, talking ‘bout the wards?”

“We got onto that topic,” Luna said. “Didn’t start there. Your Mum began by saying you weren’t what she expected.”

“Oh?”

“I don’t know what I expected,” Lily admitted. “You’re more mature than…”

“Give him a chance,” Hermione snarked playfully. “He can be as immature as any boy his age under the right circumstances.”

“Hey!” Harry protested.

“But those are rare enough,” Hermione added.

“So I’m not like other boys my age?”

“I think I speak for all of us when I say thank goodness for that!”

“Ron’s about average for the age,” Luna agreed.

“This would be a nightmare of sorts with a boy like Ron,” Hermione agreed.

“You’re far more mature than I expected is all,” Lily said.

“Yeah? Well, it’s not like I’ve had much of a choice what with Voldemort trying to snuff me the last two years and all that. All I ever wanted to be before Hogwarts was normal, whatever that it. But I guess if I was I’d probably be dead by now. That doesn’t sound like a load of fun at all.”

“But if we had… ,” Lily began with tears in her voice.

“If that night had never happened the way it did, I could’ve had a normal life?” Harry finished.

Lily nodded.

“A few months ago, I might have believed that. Now? Now there’s Harry Potter normal and normal for anyone else.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, what did I learn this summer? Let’s pretend Voldemort and Dumbledore never had it in for me. My life would still be different. First off, I’m Head of an Ancient and Noble House. Least I was. And I will be. Given how many of those there are in Britain, that sets me apart from most of the kids my age right there. Then there’s the compatible magic bit. Having compatible magic with a witch is rare enough, but two? We haven’t found another example of that. Still, means nothing if we never bond. But you and Dad saw that possibility and would’ve set things up so that at least one of the bondings if not both were more likely than might have been the case. With one bond, I get two wives ‘cause either bond would bring in Daphne. Hannah’s contract was predicated upon a plural marriage - specifically either Hermione or Luna or both and Daphne. Bond with both and I get four wives. Or was it the other way around. Doesn’t matter. I did bond with both and have four wives as a result. Perfectly legal under the circumstances, but hardly normal. So normal was never really in the cards for me. Throw in Dumbledore trying to ruin my House and that’s how I ended up with four and a betrothed. Now add Voldemort and you get me. At least I can put off the Head of House stuff for several decades now…”

“Umm,” James began.

“I’m stuck with it aren’t I?” Harry replied seeing the sheepish expression on his father’s face. “What else is new? Why?”

“It legally passed to you, Harry,” James replied. “The Goblins had you sign those documents as Head of House - which you could claim at age eleven or twelve only if there were no others to claim it. That can’t be changed. As Head of House, I was legally dead and the only way that could change such that it did not pass to you was for me to have been revived before you assumed the title. Once title passes, it can’t be returned. I’m not sure there’s a direct precedent for what happened to me, but there’s one close enough in another house where the Head went missing and years later was declared legally dead by the Wizengamot and the Goblins and then, after his heir assumed the title, showed up again. It was ruled he lost it - his title that is. And while he was clearly alive and kicking all that time - he had run off with some young witch and was living abroad even if no one knew it - that was a situation where the heir requested he be declared dead so that the heir could take over. You’re too young to have done that so even though the situation is different, I’m pretty sure you’re stuck.”

“Great!” Harry grumbled.

“What’s great?” a voice asked. Harry’s other three girls had joined them.

“I’m stuck! I’m Head of House Potter! What do I know about being Head of House?”

“And you assume I know more?” James answered the rhetorical question. “Given what happened to us, Harry, we should probably forget calendar ages. I might be thirty-three by a calendar, but I’m twenty-one by years of experience. I’m eight years older than you by that count and not much more prepared than you are to take over House responsibilities. Do you think I got lessons in being Head of House from the time I was in nappies? Think again. My training to date consists of two trips to watch a Wizengamot session, sitting at the dinner table when my father - who was not yet Head of House, mind you - spoke about such things and getting dragged to this boring social function or that one. By rights, I should be forty years or more away from taking the Potter seat.

“The youngest Head of our House was Silas Potter who became head in 1348 after his father and grandfather died of the Black Death. He was about six months younger than you were when you assumed the title back in June. Since then - and not including the two of us - there’ve been nineteen Heads. Do you know how many assumed Head of House before the age of seventy?”

Harry shook his head.

“Including my father, there were three. Dad was sixty when granddad was killed in a Death Eater attack in ‘76. Had there been no war, Granddad might still be Head of House, although he’d be 108 which is around the age our ancestors have abdicated in favor of their sons assuming they didn’t pass away first. That was why Dad bought the trunks. He was not the Head of House back then and knew he was decades away from that headache and wanted something to call his own. We’re supposed to be grandfathers or great-grandfathers when we get our seat. True, we might be named as a proxy sooner and might be Head in all but name, but we usually are in our seventies or older when we get the title and all that goes with it. At sixty, Dad was young for a Head and I was still in school when he became head. I was out of school all of a year and a half or so when he passed away. I had no training. Usually the real training would not have begun until my children were in school and maybe even later. I was a hit wizard when it fell to me, not even twenty-one at the time. Your Mum and I were already in hiding when I could have become Head in all respects.

“I knew I might be younger than average for our family when my turn came, Harry. Mum and Dad were older when they had me. Dad was forty-four so I figured I’d become Head in my sixties or so. None of us figured I’d only be twenty.”

“You mentioned abdication,” Hermione began.

“Harry can only abdicate in favor of someone in the line of succession. I am not in that line. If Lily and I had another son, he would be next in line at least until Harry had a son of his own. Basically, the way things work I’m no longer eligible for Head of House.”

“So I’m stuck,” Harry sighed.

“You could just let a proxy do whatever…”

“I can’t do that! I won’t! I could’ve just let Dumbledore get away with that marriage contract with the Weasleys and left the House in their hands. What kind of Potter would that make me? True, I knew none of this and certainly would not have wanted this even two months ago. But Dumbledore tried to steal my family’s legacy which means I can’t give it up just ‘cause it’s inconvenient. Not that it matters today as I can’t even control my proxy 'til I’m seventeen or take full control 'til I’m twenty-one. But I can’t ignore what was left to me. I was and am more than willing to let a Potter take charge, but if not you then there is no one else! Our House is over a thousand year old! How could I throw that away?”

“Already a better Head of House than I was,” James chuckled. “I wanted nothing to do with it when it came to me and gladly signed off on managers and a proxy. True, Augusta Longbottom is an ally and was holding Frank’s proxy while he was serving as an Auror, but it was still ducking the bludger.”

“You might’ve thought differently had Dumbledore tried to rob you to advance whatever his agenda is at our expense,” Harry said trying not to sound upset.

“I certainly would have. But that was not the situation I found myself in. Harry? Believe me I know how you feel to some extent considering this was dumped on me well before I thought I was ready for it. And here’s the thing: I may not be in line for Head of House, but I am a Potter. That means I stand with my House. You can’t do much until you’re seventeen, but starting then you can decide who plays the Quaffle and how and I’ll be there to help you along.”

“Thanks… Dad.”

James smiled. “I’ve only known you - this older you a couple of days, Harry. I think I speak for Lily in this. I’m proud of you.”

“There may be something you can do sooner rather than later, Mr. Potter,” Daphne said.

“Please! I keep looking for McGonagall when I hear that! Sorry. What?”

“For now, the marriage and emancipation is not known outside of those of us who were parties to it.” She decided her sisters did not count. “That means Dumbledore has no idea Harry’s married and no longer subjected to his guardianship. It was, after all, a Gringotts marriage and they’re not obligated to announce such things or even notify the Ministry or anyone until such time as it becomes necessary. In our cases, that’s September 1st ‘cause the school needs to know at that time but no sooner. Based upon what we’ve learned, it’s a fair bet Dumbledore will seek to undo at least the emancipation. We’re pretty sure he can’t touch the marriages. He seems somewhat obsessed about keeping Harry under his control, after all, and Harry’s emancipation takes any such control away. We don’t want him to get it back, but he is the Chief Warlock and Headmaster and Harry’s a magnet for trouble. As I see it, he could easily blow something out of proportion and claim Harry cannot be trusted with emancipation. We probably can’t stop that if he tries. But, as you are clearly not dead and you and your wife are his parents, should he succeed in revoking emancipation, there’s nothing he can do about you becoming his guardians, is there?”

“That’s brilliant!” Harry said.

“Naturally,” Daphne said. “What do you expect when you’re married to five of the brightest witches at school?”

“Why would he try that if we’re back?” Lily asked.

“Ah, but no one knows that, do they? There’s no reason to let that out just yet.”

“Why keep it secret?” Harry asked.

“I get it,” James said. “That’s devious Daphne.”

“Well, I’m not in Slytherin for my looks.”

“True,” Harry said. “You’re too good looking for that. But why keep it secret?”

“If it’s known that Lily and I are back, Dumbledore won’t try and challenge your emancipation,” James said. “Doing so gains nothing for him really. If, however, he does not and he prevails and then Lily and I crawl out of the woodwork, his scheme really backfires.”

“How so?” a few voices asked.

“Many will assume Dumbledore knew we were not dead. He could deny it until the next time his Chudley Cannons win the League, but aside from the few who truly believe everything he claims, everyone will see it as attempted Line Theft. It might not result in a charge, but it would cripple him politically.”

“So we keep quiet about you two?”

“It’s for the best,” Lily agreed. “Our resurfacing will raise questions right now. I don’t want to reveal how we survived.”

“If we resurfaced when Dumbledore is publically trying to reassert control over Harry, most won’t care about the how,” James said. “They will assume anything bad had to be his fault.”

“If that’s okay with you…?” Harry asked.

“Harry. It’s a great prank. How could I possibly refuse?” James replied.

“For what he allowed over the past twelve years, the more pain the better,” Lily added.

“Do you always eat like this?” James Potter asked as he tasted the pork in the main course.

“Only when Harry’s cooking,” Hannah said.

“Which isn’t all that often, really,” Daphne added.

“We got a lot of things to do,” Harry said. “Even if it’s just something I’ve done before, that means a good part of the afternoon would be spent in the kitchen. I don’t mind, but our current outside activities would… well, I’d be missing it.”

“And what are those?” Lily asked.

“Currently, we’re spending our days on a beach in the south of France,” Hermione said. “We’ve been to Normandy, Mont St. Michel, Paris, the Loire Valley, Grenoble, Avignon and so on. I am SO going to have to revise my History of Magic paper! We’ve seen loads of magical sights here as well.”

“We’re going to Beaubatons Academy tomorrow after Harry’s Birthday,” Daphne said.

“That’s the French equivalent to Hogwarts,” Ginny added.

“Is it just for the tourist thing, or is there an ulterior reason?” Lily asked.

“Well,” Hermione said, “it’s mostly for the tourist thing as it’s on the list of magical spots to see on a brochure we picked up in Diagon Alley at the beginning of the summer. But you never know. Dumbledore is a problem for Harry and that means for the rest of us, so we’re checking it out for that reason as well. That’s merely a contingency. We’re pretty sure we can deal with him and certainly make his life miserable if he pushes whatever he tries to push.”

“We’d rather stay at Hogwarts,” Harry said. “We do have friends there. Besides, as annoying as Dumbledore may be, I don’t think he’s nearly as scary as Voldemort and I’ve already had to handle that wanker twice since I started school.”

“Harry!” Lily scolded.

“He’s allowed such language when talking about that cretin,” Daphne said. “After all, the thing deserves it.”

“Fine, I suppose,” Lily said. “Where’d you learn such language?”

“Oh please!” Ginny said. “He’s a bloke! You should hear my brothers.”

“Ron is one for colorful expletives,” Hermione said with a hint of disgust.

“Bill’s worse. Mum says being a curse breaker’s a bad influence.”

“My cousin Dudley’s been a foul mouthed git as long as I can remember,” Harry added. “‘Course, he keeps it to himself around Aunt Petunia. Hides his girlie magazines. Doesn’t smoke. Outside the house 'though…”

“You better not tell me you smoke or…” Lily began.

“I don’t.”

“… have any other vices,” Lily finished.

“Is Quidditch a vice?” Luna asked.

“Can be,” Hermione said. “It’s all Ron talks about. If there was a course on it, he’d be the most studious in our House. As it is…”

“He’s not anywhere near the bottom of the class,” Harry countered.

“But you’d be so much higher if the two of you weren’t goofing off as much!”

“Yes dear,” Harry said quickly. “And I should remind you I am taking Runes and Arithmancy and Ron was insisting on Divination and Muggle Studies.”

“Sorry.”

“Fast learner,” James quipped. “Harry, my advice to you as your Dad is never forget that response. The "yes Dear,” I mean. Best way to avoid… difficulties."

“James… ,” Lily growled.

James pretended to ignore her. “While ‘I am taking Runes and Arithmancy’ may work for now, the ‘yes Dear’ is a long term skill you should master.”

“James… ,” Lily’s growl was louder.

“Oh I don’t know, Mr. Potter,” Hannah said. “I think if we really get annoyed with him all he needs to do is cook us a fancy dinner like this.”

“I prefer no annoyed witches,” Harry said. “One would be bad enough, but annoying one would probably annoy another and then another. Five very smart, very capable witches annoyed with me is very, very scary. Rather face Voldemort, to tell you the truth. Not that I mind cooking fancy dinners for them, mind you.”

“Better a meal than sleeping on the couch,” James said.

“JAMES!” The name sounded more like a firecracker going off than a word. “I swear the couch may be too good for you! We miss twelve years of Harry’s life and what’s the first thing you do? Seems you’re trying to turn him into a miniature version of yourself! I tremble at the thought of what might have been had you had that twelve years!”

“Lils, what did I do? What did I say?”

“I did not like the direction this conversation was taking!”

After a long pause, Hannah said: “Okay, that made no sense.”

Harry relaxed. He was thinking the same thing and now saw that his girls were as confused by that outburst as he was. He really did not think his father was anywhere near any sort of line misbehavior wise. Apparently, neither did anyone else except for his mother, and that remained confusing. While Ron might think girls were mental, he didn’t. But that seemed to be something that could support Ron’s opinion.

“Sorry dear,” James said. “It’s to be expected, given her condition,” he said to the others.

“James,” the low growl returned.

“Condition?” several voices asked.

“It is one that I hope the lot of you avoid for several more years…”

“James!”

“We’re expecting.”

“Fine!” Lily said with a snap. “Not the way I wanted this announced. You can be such an insensitive prat!”

“Oh, and your way was better?” he asked her before turning to the others. “She was all for grilling the lot of you on the birds and bees and such before mentioning this at all! I told her that given the fact that you lot are all married - or betrothed,” he added looking at Ginny, “and your parents know about it, the in depth discussion of reproductive biology was probably unnecessary. But she…”

“JAMES!”

“So expecting,” Harry said innocently. “Expecting what? Rather cryptic, don’t you think,” he added to the girls. They did their best to stifle a giggle. “Can’t think of what they could expect given they’ve been out of it for a dozen years.” The girls were having a harder time of acting as if nothing was happening. “Surely they could not’ve expected this. I sure didn’t. Didn’t wake up one morning expecting I’d have four beautiful, smart wives and a gorgeous, smart and sparky betrothed. Not that I’m complaining, but I didn’t expect it and I’m sure they didn’t can I can’t think of what they could expect that requires no explanation…”

“We’re going to have a baby,” Lily said in exasperation. “He’s as bad as you were,” she added turning to James.

“Not at all,” James said. “There has been not so much as a single prank the entire time we’re here and you know there would’ve been when I was his age.”

“A baby?” Harry asked. He was a little surprised even though he did have a good idea what his father had meant. “Rather quick, don’t you think? You’ve only been back a couple of days, I mean.”

“Don’t be silly,” Lily said. “There’s no way to find out that soon…”

“Modern home pregnancy tests can give a positive reading within days of conception,” Hermione countered. “Not sure if they had those back then. Now that’s not to say you’d get a positive reading that soon in every case, but you can.”

“No detection spell works that fast,” Hannah countered.

“I meant what Muggles use these days,” Hermione said.

“Really? They can find out that quick?”

“And it’s do-it-yourself at home,” Hermione nodded. “You still should see your doctor - that’s what they call Healers - to confirm it, but a false positive is very, very rare. Has something to do with hormones or something like that and no, I don’t know exactly how it works other than it tests for hormones that can only be detected that way if you’re pregnant.”

“Well, we didn’t use any such test,” Lily said. “I’m a little over two months along.”

“You don’t look… ,” Harry began.

“You don’t become noticeable this early,” Lily said. “They still don’t teach this at Hogwarts, do they?”

“Just what young witches need,” Harry said. “And they only teach that to the witches. They don’t teach us blokes anything like that.”

“And how do you know that, young man?”

“They told me. Thought I should know given that we’re together and all.” He then told them about what they had told him and their intimacy rules. “They need that stuff. The bonding process at our age suppresses my - er - what’s it…?”

“He’s not randy,” Luna said. “He won’t be while we’re bonding.”

“They can run around naked and nothing happens. Don’t get me wrong, I still think they’re very pretty. But nothing else happens. Good thing I know about the suppression. Might think I was broken or something.”

“You’re definitely not broken, just a gentleman,” Hannah said.

Daphne snorted. “Unlike most boys at school. Certainly unlike any in Slytherin, ‘cept maybe Zabini but he’s Italian not English.”

“What does being Italian have to do with it?” Ginny asked.

“He doesn’t act like he’s entitled to something,” Daphne shrugged. “The other Snakes seem to think either they own the world or their friends do.”

“Um… ,” Harry interrupted for he did not want to hear about people like Malfoy. “So you were… ,” he began.

“Yes Harry,” Lily said. “Still am. The spell I used to keep us safe would keep her safe as well.”

“A sister?”

“Now we don’t know that,” James said defensively. “Lilys says it is, but we don’t know!”

“Still,” Harry laughed, “if you’re a true Potter it probably is. Two to one at least girls to boys for generations. I have looked, you know.”

“Girl or boy,” James shrugged. “You should know we never planned on just one. We wanted a few.”

“A few?” Hermione asked.

“More than a couple,” Lily said, “less than a Quidditch Team,” she added with a glare at her husband.

“I only said that once!” he replied. “Once! And I never hear the end of it. I was joking!”

“So,” Harry snarked, “you set all this up to get a Potter Quidditch Team?”

“What’re you on about?”

“Four wives, not that I’m complaining. Then again, you could say you got lucky that they're…”

“We’re what?” Hermione growled not unlike his mother.

“Not Bulstrode or Runcorn or Parkinson or… There are plenty of girls at school I’d rather have nothing to do with. I didn’t know Daphne before this summer, but she wasn’t on that list. Her only… well, she is a Slytherin and we know how well Slytherin and Gryffindor usually get on. Then again…”

“Then again, Potter?” Daphne said in full on Slytherin mode.

“Well, you’re not like most of those Snakes are you? Very cunning. The hat hid one of the best and smartest girls in our year in a House the other Houses don’t look at. All you had to do was fend off the Snakes and as they’re a bunch of idiots mostly…”

“You need to work on your compliments, Harry,” Daphne smiled. “But I get what you were trying to say, thank you. Worked a little too well, seeing as you didn’t notice me.”

“Given who he is, noticing girls was never his problem,” Hermione said.

“And what’s that mean?” Lily asked.

“Thanks to whatever happened that night, Harry here is the most famous wizard in Britain.”

“There’s going to be hearts breaking throughout the country when all this gets out,” Hannah said. “Harry Potter, Britain’s most eligible bachelor is off the market!”

“Don’t be so sure,” Ginny said. “Witch Weekly may well think he’s collecting or something.”

“Great! That’s all I need,” Harry groaned.

“What’s the problem?” James asked.

“Harry’s never liked being famous,” Hermione said. “Can’t blame him. He can’t know if someone likes him because of who is really is or because of his fame and stuff.”

“Well, it’s harder,” Harry said. “You lot like me for who I am.”

“Being rich helps,” Ginny snarked.

“Says the former fan girl,” Harry chided.

“I admit to that. The only reason for the rich comment is you can… erm… afford us? Not that any of us have expensive tastes or any of that. This isn’t coming out right is it. Harry's… Well, he doesn’t have to be rich or famous to be the best catch even if I have to share him. All I mean is that we don’t have to worry about whether he can take care of the family. I’d hate to find myself in the bind that my parents found themselves in when Bill was set to start school. Then again, I would’ve sent them to St. Michaels rather than sign that contract.”

“We think they would’ve too, had they read it first,” Luna said.

“If you were planning on having more,” Harry said to his parents hoping to change the topic, “why the contracts?”

“They were by no means certain,” Lily said. “The compatible magic was the reason for the ones with the Grangers and Lovegoods. We could not know that either of the bonds would ever form and those contracts did not require us to really push you together. You can’t force a bond. It either happens or it doesn’t. All those contracts did was recognize they could happen. If they happened, well it’s like giving you our blessing in advance. As for the other two, they required the bonds. The Greengrasses were or are friends and wanted to stay out of the betrothal market for their daughter. The Abbotts were friends too, and we knew how bad things were. Justin was in the thick of the fight just as we were so there was always a risk.”

“Besides,” James said, “House Potter’s been living dangerously for generations. My parents had trouble having a kid. Mum said she had something like ten miscarriages. They suspected a curse or something until I came along. They now suspect her ancestry as she was from a ‘proper’ pureblood family - meaning arranged marriages often to cousins. Too often and there are all sorts of problems.

“Anyway, my great-great granddad was the last Potter to have more than one kid. He had two. The oldest was a girl who married into the Turpin line and they were in the line of succession until you were born, Harry. They’re out of it now. Too far removed.”

“There’s a girl in our year names Lisa Turpin in Ravenclaw,” Harry said.

“If she’s descended from Great-grandaunt Penelope, she’d be your third cousin,” James replied. “Don’t know if she is without looking it up.”

“So, I’m going to have a little brother or sister?” Harry asked hopefully.

“Late February, near as we can figure now,” Lily nodded.

“Wonder how Time Compression affects that,” Hermione thought allowed.

“Well,” Luna said, “if it’s anything like monthlies, every day in Time Compression counts. The baby will grow.”

“Probably is like that,” Harry said. “The cows are not affected, meaning the calves are born after so many days time compression or not. Cows live the same life span in outside time, but have calves in inside time. Asked one of the elves ‘bout that. Same’s true for plants and our bees and all of that. Oh!” Harry finished as if a thought occurred from him.

“What is it, Harry?” Hermione asked.

“The blood wards!” He replied. He explained these wards to his parents. “They last so long as the youngest person who shares Mum’s blood is under seventeen! We were planning… well, if a few years from now we still need those wards one of my girls would have to… But if I have a younger brother or sister, that changes everything! Looks like you’re off the hook, Gin. This time next year, you’ll be a Lady Potter!”

There was a squeal of delight from Ginny.

“Don’t misunderstand,” Luna said to the Potters, “we all have no issue with taking a bludger for the team as Harry put it. We just didn’t want to have to do so before Harry was seventeen.”

“Or we took our O.W.L.s,” Hannah said.

“N.E.W.T.s,” Hermione said as if correcting her. “After O.W.L.s was only if needed for the wards.”

“I still have a line to rebuild,” Hannah countered.

“And you still have plenty of time to do so,” Daphne said calmly. “No reason why you can’t wait until you finish Hogwarts to do that now that the Wards can be extended.”

“But that means they’d have to live here,” Luna said with a hint of disappointment.

“Is there a problem?” Lily asked.

“Not really,” Harry said. “Luna just prefers clothing to be optional when it’s just the six of us about.”

“What?” Lily growled. Harry found the tone far less amusing when it was directed at him.

“Now don’t blame him,” Hannah said. “Our choice of attire when it’s just us is our choice. He never asked, nor insisted…”

“Except for me at first, but that was because I am his concubine and as such…”

“WHAT! What’s that all about? I can’t believe my own son would…”

“It’s not what you think,” Harry said quickly realizing they had left out this little detail.

“And just what should I be thinking?”

“It was necessary,” Hermione began.

“And you lot were in on this too?”

“It was that or lose House Potter,” Daphne said. They had explained generally about Dumbledore’s attempt at taking control but had avoided any discussion about how they managed to thwart his plans. The Potters had not asked. Now Daphne told them exactly what had been the case and how Harry had dealt with it in the end noting that everyone present aside from Ginny had worked hard at finding a way around the problem short of needing to bind Ginny in such a way.

“Don’t misunderstand,” Harry said. “If that plot extended well beyond Ginny and if Ginny was a willing participant and not just a pawn, I wouldn’t have bothered with trying to find an alternative. I would’ve been seriously tempted just to enslave her outright! Glad I didn’t. There are people who deserve such a fate and she does not. She’s going to be a Lady Potter now and I have no problem with that at all. If I had to have a fifth wife, I am glad it’s her. I like her and she’s a decent girl. I don’t like that this had to happen to get Dumbledore out of my House affairs. But I don’t regret the bit about her becoming a Potter one bit! We’ve talked with everyone concerned: the Grangers, Mrs. Abbott, the Greengrasses, Luna’s Great-grands the Tennysons and I even spoke to the Weasleys first once I realized they were as much victims of the old coot as I was. I wanted a less… permanent option. No one came up with anything that would protect the House short of killing Dumbledore that did not involve binding Ginny to me. Not saying I have any objections to killing the bastard, I don’t. But that’s easier said than done and I don’t want to spend my life in prison because of that man! This was not an impulsive act, but one taken after weeks of research and consideration.”

“So lay off my fiancé!” Ginny added. “I am okay with this, Mrs. Potter. I don’t regret it. In many ways, I think I better off with the way things are now than I would’ve been had this never happened.” She then told the Grangers about her first year and what she feared her summer and family would have been like had she not been taken away when she was. “I’d probably be a real mess right now,” she concluded. “And, just so you know, I have no problems with clothing optional days when it’s just the six of us either and that has nothing to do with our bond! Harry was going to hold off on marrying me until you two came around just in case one of us had to get pregnant to continue the wards and the others chose not to. He didn’t need to. Right now, I would do it if it was in the best interest of the family! I think any of us would, but the one left holding the Quaffle was me and I would have done so with no regrets!”

“But it’s not necessary,” Harry said. “Unless, of course, the two of you choose to live somewhere other than this estate after the child is born. If the child lives here and at least one of my trunks is at your sisters, the wards will charge. If the child lives somewhere else, we’re back to Plan A if the wards are needed.”

“We don’t mean to impose,” James began.

“Tosh!” Hermione said. “You’re his parents. It’s the least…”

“It’s no imposition,” Harry said. “Hermione’s right but it’s not like you have to live here in the Manor. The Estate includes all five hundred square miles. That cottage counts. Any of the places here counts. Heck, I could build you another place and that would count. I wouldn’t mind your living here in the Manor even if it cramps Luna’s casual dress choices, but you don’t have to for this to work. Besides, if you live here at the Estate then we’ll have plenty of time to spend together from here on out.”

“But you’re going to Hogwarts,” Lily countered sadly. “We won’t see you then…”

“You think we’re leaving this place just to go to school?” Harry said with a smirk. “These are trunks, after all. We all can have access trunks. It’s already set up that the girls' families will have trunks and, within reason, will visit us here whenever they like during the year. The only difference between you and them going forward would be that your living here, not visiting.”

“Besides, Lils, where would we live? Harry’s Lord Potter now and until he rekeys the wards, the Manor and other properties outside are inaccessible to us or anyone else and he can’t do that ‘til he’s twenty-one.”

“That,” Daphne said, “and by living here at the Estate you won’t risk exposure. After all, we may need to spring you on Dumbledore at some point and the fewer people who know you are not as dead as people thought you were the better. And you won’t be alone. We’re going to live here after all. To be honest, I see this more and more as home and - well, I’ve never seen Potter Manor. If it were me - and I know it’s not my decision - I’d be inclined to live here and use that as the outside place only.”

“Besides, hopefully by the end of the summer there’ll be another person living here in a form of hiding,” Harry added.

“Who?” James asked.

“You’re talking about Sirius Black, aren’t you?” Lily added.

Harry nodded. “So long as the Ministry wants him dead, he’s not safe out there. The Ministry can’t get here.”

“Throw in House Protection, and you’d make life very difficult for them if they tried,” James added before describing what that meant. They had come across that term and a few others but had not yet found what it could truly mean. Over dessert, they discussed modifications to their plans going forward.