Mirror Image

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 $$$

CHAPTER THIRTY: MIRROR IMAGE

TUESDAY, AUGUST 10 th 1993

Harry stumbled out of the fireplace and into a sitting room of some kind. He really hated travelling by Floo even though he had only done so on three occasions, most recently the day before. He much preferred a broom or an Elf form of what wizards called side-along apparition to Floo travel. He wondered how anyone managed not to stumble since once it activated and you disappeared in a burst of green flames you were spun around and around until you were spat out at the other end. Naturally, this tended to make you very dizzy.

“Milord Potter,” a voice announced and he saw an Elf in a uniform not unlike the ones worn by Higgins and Dobby back at the Estate. “I am Dalton, Head Elf of House Longbottom. Lord Longbottom awaits you in the South Salon. If you’ll follow me?”

“The rest of House Potter has not arrived yet, Dalton.”

“I beg your pardon, Sir. We shall wait then.”

“With your permission, for reasons of security I would request that they be brought here by my House Staff?”

“That would be acceptable, Sir. House Potter is keyed into the Wards. But how…?”

Harry twisted his new ring. Among the many magics it possessed it could be used as a crude but perfectly secure communication device. It was tied into the rings his wives and betrothed wore and they would twist the same way as his ring would. In this case, if Harry twisted the ring one way it meant they had to come by Floo and the other meant the elves could bring them. He preferred to use the elves. While he was fairly certain the ministry could neither detect much less monitor his estate floos, he was not so certain about House Longbottom and as remote the chances were they were monitoring House Longbottom’s floo, Harry was not about to risk the safety of certain members of his House namely his parents and Sirius Black. He was also concerned for his mother although he had not spoken to her about that. She was pregnant after all. He was less concerned about his girls' safety. Still, he was dusting the soot off his clothes and did not think his girls would appreciate having to do the same. In short order Dobby, Higgins and Albert the Younger (as the Head Elf of The Valley was now known) arrived with his parents and Sirius and the girls arrived with their personal handmaidens.

“I see,” Dalton said. “Lord Longbottom would like a one-on-one meeting with Lord Potter before meeting with the full houses. Is that acceptable to you, Lord Potter?”

“I understand that is customary for an initial invitation?” Harry asked.

“Indeed Sir, but by no means required.”

“I think it may be easier for us to begin one-on-one.” Harry had talked about this before coming. If the Longbottom Elf had not suggested the traditional meeting between Heads of Houses Harry would have. Neville was a very nice person and a loyal friend and knew at least two of his ladies, but everyone agreed he was also shy and to suddenly invade his home “with a hoard” might prove counterproductive. No one had any idea what productive was aside from re-establishing the thousand year old alliance between the Houses.

Harry was led to what he assumed was the South Salon. Harry was dressed in informal muggle attire. He entered the Salon and saw his friend Neville who was wearing wizarding robes over what looked like informal attire.

“Hey Harry!” Neville said.

“Good to see you, Nevile,” Harry replied. “Isn’t there a formal way to do this? You’re letters made this sound very formal.”

“There is. A whole bunch of bowing and Milord this and Milord that. It’s really… cold. It’s also only truly required if we didn’t know each other or we were enemies or some such.”

“Good,” Harry relaxed. “I’ve only begun learning this stuff this summer and… well, it’d seem weird having to do such stuff with a friend.”

“We’d have to do it if this was some kind of society thing…”

“Ah! But as friends it would be more along the lines of shoving who and what we are in the faces of people we don’t like and whose beliefs we don’t like and stuff.”

“That’s what Gran’s said,” Neville chuckled. “No robes?”

“Aside from last year’s Hogwarts stuff, I haven’t picked any up yet. Was planning to at the end of the summer when I get my school supplies.”

“Makes sense. I’ve had Longbottom robes for as long as I can remember, but that does not mean I like them. Okay, they’re fine when it’s cooler out but…”

“Bit much when it’s warm?”

Neville nodded. “Have a seat?”

After they were seated Harry said: “I understand it’s customary to bring a gift - small one of course - for the host or hostess, especially in the case of a first meeting between two Heads of Houses?” After Neville nodded Harry continued. “Usually it’s a bottle of wine…”

“Gran would appreciate that,” Neville said, “but she’s probably ban me from my plants for a week if I accepted since by custom we’re supposed to drink it.”

Harry laughed. “I was going to say something similar. We’re a bit young for more than a glass. I was going to suggest something more - well, something you can’t get into trouble for.”

“I consider that an acceptable alternative under the circumstances, Sir,” Neville said. His tone was more in jest than anything.

A moment later, Dobby appeared with a tray. On it was a large, clear glass pitcher with a yellow colored liquid and ice in it, two large tumblers and a serving plate piled with biscuits.

“Is that lemonade?” Neville asked.

“Yep.”

“I’ve had it a few times when we went to Blackpool. Love the stuff. But Gran’s traditional so it’s that thick pumpkin juice which is all they give us at Hogwarts.”

As Dobby poured the drinks and handed them to the two wizards Harry replied. “If I ever have a taste of that stuff again, it’s too soon. Guess I got a little spoiled this summer. But we’ll get to that. By your letter, I assume you have taken your family titles?”

“This stuff is excellent, Harry,” Neville replied. “I have. Bit of a story. Of course, it’s really in name only for now but it does make me exempt from the Reasonable Restrictions on Underage Wizardry. Formally, I can now say I’m Lord Longbottom, Earls of Colne, Pendle and Marston and Barons of Tulhume and Halden Moor. You know you have a few of those yourself.”

“Found out this summer: Earls of Finchley, Hereford, Abengale and Hwicca and Baron of Loch Sheen. Two of them are recognized as members of the Muggle Peerage.”

“Only one of mine is: Earl Pendle. Just this summer?”

“Never knew a thing ‘bout my wizarding family before then aside from my parents were in Gryffindor and Voldemort killed them. Didn’t learn that much 'til after I got my Hogwarts letter. My Muggle relatives never said much at all 'bout them and what they did say wasn’t very nice.”

“You do know that our families have been allied for ages?”

“Learned that this summer too. More than just allies as I understand. We seem to intermarry every four generations or so. My great-great gran was a Longbottom as are four other great grandmothers with so many numbers of greats.”

Neville nodded. “Five of my distant grands are Potters. The last was my four times great Gran.”

“Five of seven then. Also learned that seven Potter girls married a Longbottom, although it’s been a while. Then again, it’s been a while since there was a Potter girl. Used to be you couldn’t swing a cat without hitting one. Last few generations, not a one. My Dad, Grandad and Great-Grandad were only children. But we’re a little young to be talking ‘bout marrying kids off, don’t you think?”

“Yeah. Just wanted to know if you knew that stuff. Would’ve told you if you didn’t. Always bothered me that you didn’t know this stuff. Then again… well you’ve seen the way the ‘new money’ prigs like Malfoy strut about. I’m not as old fashioned as Gran and think a lot of this aristocracy stuff is drop dead dull rubbish, but I do agree with the notion of ‘quietly’ wealthy. Rather people like me for me than because I’m Lord Longbottom.”

“And I’m doubly cursed,” Harry chuckled in agreement. “Least you’re not The-Boy-Who-Lived.”

“Odd that,” Neville said. “Most people see that and not the next Lord Potter - which would be similar I think.”

“At school when we’re older and girls start thinking that way,” Harry replied. “Can’t walk through Diagon Alley without people staring at me and it’s been that way since I first went. It’s almost creepy. The one thing I liked about France was they don’t know The-Boy-Who-Lived at all. ‘Course, the French Magicals don’t like us Brits at all so we had to act like a Muggle Born since they seem friendlier and more helpful to Muggle Born Brits. Not that it was all that hard for me…”

“That’s right, your letter said something about that. How was it?”

“Aside from the fact they mostly spoke French, it was wonderful. This has been the best summer I’ve ever had - even if it has been kind of like school and certainly weird.”

“School?”

“From the evening I got… got to where I’m staying… I’ve been learning all kinds of stuff ‘bout my family and history and stuff. No regrets. But had I not tricked Draco’s dad into freeing Dobby here - my Head Elf - I probably would still be clueless about this stuff. Dobby’s loads better at teaching history than Binns.”

Neville chuckled. “There’s not a plant in my gardens that could be worse at that. Tricked Malfoy?”

Harry then told the tale of how he freed Dobby, which led to the tale about how Dobby had bought him his original trunk. “All I wanted was a nice place to stay and stay away from my relatives. Guess you got to be careful what you ask for with an eager elf.”

Neville chuckled. “Okay, that sort of thing hasn’t happened to me. I already had four of those trunks from Granddad Longbottom and my parents. Six actually, but only four are developed. Granddad bought one as soon as they were available. Once he had more elves than work, he got another. Bought four more in the seventies as a long term investment and opened a third and my Gran opened the fourth when I was eight. You know getting real land for magical use is bloody near impossible these days.”

Harry nodded. “Turns out my family was doing the same thing. Dobby didn’t know this and I only found out after a trip to Gringotts back in June. Had four more trunks in operation from my parents and grandparents and three spares. The elves have placed those in operation as well. Bit much for just my House, but I’ve got loads of elves apparently so… I do like it.”

“Better than a green house. Keeps me in rare magical plant cuttings and seeds, that’s for sure. Don’t need an allowance or Trust Fund when I earn my own income. Been doing so since I was nine, by the way. Yours interconnected?”

Harry nodded.

“Same here. Need an elf to get around. That or it’s a long walk, not that I mind.”

“We came up with something like a motor car. It looks like one, drives like one but it’s all magical. I can get from the main house to the cottage in the Valley - which is the furthest point from my house by road - in about an hour. Elf or portal is faster, but you don’t see anything that way and I like the ride.”

“How’d you do that? Sounds like a brilliant idea, but you can’t pop something like that into a trunk. Did you take it apart or something?”

“Nah. Made a suggestion to Dobby and he and some other elves popped about to various Muggle junk yards scrounging scrap metal, tires and stuff, stuff they could pop into the trunk, and several transfigurations and charms later and I have something like seven really nice cars - all convertibles which means the top can come off or be folded way to enjoy the view - and six that are large motor coaches. They only work in my Estate. As you said, you can’t pop them out and they run off the ambient magic of the place. If you could get one into the real world… it would look nice, but wouldn’t work, assuming the magic that made it didn’t fade away and leave you with a pile of junk.”

“Sounds… useful. Why so many?”

“Don’t want to spend all my time there alone.”

“Makes sense, Harry. Anyway, aside from… well, I always intended to invite you over. We’re actually at my farm - those four trunks I mentioned. Something happened earlier this summer that I want you to know about. I could’ve waited ‘til September 1st, but would rather a friend knew before hand.”

“Oh?”

“And it’s not that I got a new wand,” Neville added clearly avoiding the topic.

“You did? What was wrong with your old one? I mean, Ron broke his when we crashed his Dad’s flying car into the Womping Willow to begin last year, but…”

“My old wand belonged to my Dad,” Neville said. “I still have it. But it wasn’t working for me and when the other stuff happened, Gran took me out to get my own wand. She was… well, she’s always been very protective of me. With my parents… well, I am the last Longbottom. I have other relatives, but they’re all on my Mum’s side of the family or Gran’s. No other Longbottoms. She didn’t take me to get my own wand right off. As I know I told you, there were those who thought I was a Squib and she didn’t want… she knew I wasn’t but wasn’t sure, you know? Had I gone to Olivanders and was one… She didn’t want that. Of course, getting a Hogwarts letter meant I couldn’t be one. But with all that’s happened to my family she was… cautious. Besides, family wands do work on occasion. She was surprised that mine was not a match at all considering I can do magic with it although it’s bloody hard and leaves me knackered if I try too much. Says I must be one powerful wizard to get a stick of wood to act like a wand which is what an unmatched wand is, you know. New one’s bloody brilliant, Harry. But Gran says I should still use the old one as well. Forcing magic makes it stronger, she says.”

“I’ve been told something like that,” Harry agreed. “I’m not sure if it’s the forcing bit. But pushing yourself ‘til you’re tired from it is supposed to help build your magic. But this is not about a new wand, is it?”

“No. ‘Bout two weeks after I got back from Hogwarts, Gran had a visit at our manor in Lancaster from a couple of old friends she’s known for ages. It turns out they were long, lost relatives of hers and mine for that matter - very distant great-grans. They’re now known as George and Mary Tennyson but were once known as…”

“Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel,” Harry finished.

“You know of them?”

“Like you, met them not long after the start of the holiday,” Harry nodded. “Like you, they’re distant great-grans of mine. When they were known as Edward and Catherine Standbridge, their oldest daughter married my ancestor George Potter. She was his third wife, the first two having died in childbirth and she was the only one who bore him a son.”

“Weird.” Neville commented. “Um… well, they explained some things to us. Before, I wondered if I was going nutters or if I was a Seer or something. Turns out that wasn’t the case - either of those bits. Had to write McGonagall as ask to drop Divination for something useful. Anyway, since my eleventh birthday and until they showed up I had this constant sense that everything had happened before…”

Harry did his best not to react.

“Bloody annoying ‘cause…”

“You still didn’t know what was going to happen next,” Harry finished.

“You too?”

Harry nodded. “Pretty much ended right after I freed Dobby. Actually, it ended when I accepted Dobby as a Potter elf. Still happens on occassion when I look at the paper and some things happen that have nothing to do with me, but yeah. And they did explain that to me. You have any of those future memories uncap?”

“Not yet,” Neville said. He seemed to relax. “Makes this easier. I mean that it happened to you too ‘cause it’s really unbelievable otherwise. So you can guess how this happened to me?”

“Same way for me. Something from years in a future; one we want to change.”

“Have you had a memory uncap, Harry?”

Harry nodded. “Few weeks ago. It’s about that guy in the papers…”

“Sirius Black?”

Harry nodded. He could talk about this apparently. He’d have to ask Hermione or the Tennysons about how this was possible although were he to guess, he’d say it was probably because there was a Tennyson Fidelius over Neville’s situation as well and those ancient people connected the secrets somehow so that they would be able to talk about it without bringing in Secret Keepers. Maybe Neville was his own Secret Keeper.

“My Cousin and Godfather…”

“But…”

“And a Godfather who takes such an oath to the child’s parents…”

“Can’t possibly do something that might ever harm the child - not knowingly at any rate. The oath would kick in and kill them and he’s obviously not dead. But… then why’s he in prison or why was he? The Ministry says…”

“And it’s all a bunch of lies,” Harry growled. “It’s possible the Ministry doesn’t know the truth but it’s clear they never tried to find out. Black rotted away in that place for a dozen years and never did anything to get sent there except get caught being at the scene of a magical explosion. A Death Eater named Peter Pettigrew killed all those people and left Sirius holding the bag. Don’t know how knowing this now helps things later, but you know me. I had to do something. But we’ll get to that…”

Neville nodded. “Anyway, that was not all. Before the Tennysons showed up… well, I never said anything ‘bout it 'cause… well, it really is nobody else’s business and it's… well, it might not’ve happened at all but… Okay!” he sighed. “I was betrothed. Knew it and to whom before I ever got a Hogwarts letter. Gran set it up when I was little. She negotiated a marriage with the Greengrass family for their daughter Astoria. She’s Daphne Greengrass’s younger sister and is supposed to start Hogwarts this September. Gran also set up a line continuation contract with House Bones. I’ve known Susan for years and we’re friends since we were little but I needed a Lady Longbottom to marry her and that was Astoria’s role. Didn’t meet her 'til this summer but I like her so… So I knew 'bout those two. If Tori’s older sister had been anything like those other Snakes, I would’ve been inclined not to go through with those contracts. As far as I can tell, she’s not. Daphne Greengrass never said much to me, but she’s never been mean or that like the others.

“But the Tennysons told us there were other contracts out there as well. These were made by my parents before - before we lost them. Gran didn’t know about them at all. It turns out I have something called Compatible Magic with a couple of other witches…”

“Really?” Harry gasped.

“Heard of it?”

“Yeah. Know what it can mean, too. Two witches? Bloody rare that.”

“Yeah. As far as I know I’m the first with two. You know that sort of thing is detected upon the birth of the younger of the two, right?”

Harry nodded.

“Well, they’re both in our year, but they’re both older than me so…”

“So you’re the first,” Harry said. He did his best to hide any reaction. He was pleased he was not the only one out there in this situation and even more pleased that the other was his friend. And Neville was right. He was the first as far as Harry knew. Neville’s potential bonds were detected upon his birth, a few hours before Harry’s whereas Harry’s second bond was not detected until Luna’s birth over a month later.

“One’s a Muggle Born, the other isn’t,” Neville said. “My Mum set things up so that we’d grow up together but something happened after I lost them - we don’t know what - and everyone left forgot. Anyway, so once it was clear to the parents that we did get along and once the Muggles understood about such things and what it could mean for their daughter, the contracts were drawn up, although that brought in another girl and then a family we’ve been close to for ages wanted their daughter betrothed too and my parents agreed and, well I met two of them this summer and by mid July… Well, the bondings took and… and now…”

“Triggered all those contracts, did it? Left Hogwarts thinking maybe one day you might have two wives or a wife and a consort and now…”

“Yeah. Wanted to tell someone before school ‘cause this’ll be big. You don’t seem… I don’t know. I guess I was expecting…”

“This explains more than I thought. We’re very much alike, Neville and there may be a reason why that is and it has nothing to do with our families' long, long alliance. Course, it may be a coincidence as well. But aside from walking ‘bout Hogwarts for two years knowing about a betrothal or two, my summer’s been surprisingly similar. And I do know why neither I nor they knew anything about it.”

“Married too?”

“Four and a spare; or three Potters, a Line Continuation and a Betrothed who I’ll probably marry next summer. And I take it you haven’t made yours public either?”

Neville nodded. “Grigotts, you know. Not like we’d have any decent photos for the papers. That, and something happened those years ago and… well…”

“Best to keep it quiet until it’s too late for whatever to mess it all up?”

Neville nodded. “Same with you?”

“Except we know what’s messing with me, or who.”

“You-Know-Who?”

“This has been subtle. Voldemort is in your face. No, it’s someone who most people would know but never suspect. I can’t say where you fit into this, Neville. Can’t even say if we share the same enemy although it looks like we do. I can say that we don’t think he’ll accept what’s happened this summer and leave us alone to move on to other things.”

“So who is it and what do we do?”

“I think we should bring in the others, don’t you?” Harry said. “Don’t know ‘bout you, Neville, but the Ladies are the brains of my House.”

Neville nodded. “Gonna tell me who they are first?”

“What’s the fun in that?”

“I told you!” Neville whined although Harry knew Neville well enough to know he was joking.

“Two out of six,” Harry said. “You still have four mystery girls out there.”

“Give me one of your five and say it’s even?”

“Daphne Greengrass,” Harry said. “My parents set that up and it was contingent upon my bonding with one of two of the witches who share compatible magic with me. So in that way we’re also very similar although you’re still the first. After all, I am younger than you and my only hint is one of my two bondmates is younger than me. Daphne was saying how it seemed her sister was never around this summer.”

“She was home - or at her home - a fair bit but she was here a fair bit. They may have just missed each other. So we’re even then. Bring them in first?”

“Sure. As I understand it I introduce mine to you and yours first, right?”

Neville nodded. Moments later Daphne entered, walked over to Harry and kissed him on the cheek.

“Lord Longbottom?” Harry said formally, “I’d like to introduce you to my wife, the former Miss Daphne Greengrass of Slytherin, now Lady Daphne Potter, Countess Designate of Abengale.” After Neville bowed, kissed her hand and said it was his pleasure, Harry continued. “Daphne, my friend Lord Neville Longbottom, Head of the Ancient and Noble House of Longbottom, Earls of Colne, Pendle and Marston, Barons of Tulhume and Halden Moor, Peer of the Realm.”

“Milord,” Daphne said with a curtsey.

“I have come to learn, Lady Daphne, that as a Greengrass you are clearly one of the few true Slytherins attending Hogwarts,” Neville said. “To hide such charm, grace and beauty in that pit of snakes shows cunning beyond cunning.”

“Thank you, I guess, Lord Longbottom.”

“Neville, please. Harry’s a close friend and I don’t stand on formalities once the necessaries are done with.”

“Astoria?” Daphne asked. “What are you doing here?” She gasped when Astoria stood on the tips of her toes to kiss Neville on the cheek.

“House Potter?” Neville said. “I’d like to introduce my betrothed Miss Astoria Greengrass. Upon our marriage - which will probably be the summer after next - she’ll become Lady Longbottom, Baroness of Tulhume.”

“Our parents set this up with Neville’s Gran when I was about two,” Astoria said. “I didn’t find out ‘bout it until after you and yours were off to France. How was it, by the way?”

“It was lovely,” Daphne said. “But I’ve been home several times and had everyone over this past Saturday and everyone said you were away with friends…”

“I was,” Astoria chuckled. “I’m glad they didn’t say old friends seeing as I only met most of them after you lot were off to the Continent. Then there was this Fidelius Charm they used for the Summer, which may be why none of our big mouthed sisters said anything.”

“Way to ruin the fun,” Daphne pouted in jest.

“Of course, Daph, you can always forget I mentioned that just as I can always forget that you told me all about the trip to France and we can torture the little ones with accusations of keeping secrets from us.”

“Okay,” Daphne laughed.

“Hey!” Harry protested. “I like your sisters!”

“You didn’t have to live with them,” Astoria said. “Don’t get me wrong. We like them too. But it’s a sibling or sister thing to needle the younger ones ‘cause you can bet they do the same to us.”

“And play dress up with our clothes…”

“And nick our dollies…”

“And otherwise be a pain…”

“And…”

“And,” Harry said, “I think only children Neville and I get the point. There are others and I think you’ll find this interesting Daph. I’d say the same to you Astoria, but you already know who will be coming through the door.”

“Probably the only one who knows everyone who might be coming through the door,” she added sticking her tongue out at Daphne.

“See what I have to put up with,” Daphne said to Harry.

Harry chuckled as he was soon joined by Hermione who kissed his cheek.

“Lord Longbottom - as Miss Greengrass already knows - may I introduce my wife and Bond Mate the former Miss Hermione Granger of Gryffindor, now Lady Hermione Potter, Countess Designate of Finchley? Hermione, Lord Neville Longbottom,” and after repeating all of Neville’s titles Harry added, “and you’ve met his betrothed Astoria?”

“Really?” Neville and Hermione seemed to say at once.

“Well, there goes that idea,” Neville said. When Harry, Daphne and Hermione gave him a questioning look, he explained. “There was talk of a betting pool next year. You had to pay a Sickel per bet and had to bet what month between now and the end of our Seventh Year you two would get together. Of course, you could also choose Never, in which case you had to pick who each of you would get together with.”

“And who would be running this illegal pool?” Hermione asked. “It is against school rules, you know.”

Harry snorted. “‘Fraid I didn’t. There’s always one of those floating about.”

“Fred and George Weasley,” Neville said. “Others suggested it, but they were going to run it to… to keep it fair.”

“Let them start it then,” Hermione said. “If it’s set like you say, seeing as we got together no later than June 21st and probably earlier if you think about it - we certainly had our first kiss earlier although we didn’t begin bonding ‘till then, then anyone fool enough to put in their Sickels loses. Better yet, we tell them and allow our good friends - and only our good friends - to bet for before Third Year, so that they win and all the other fools lose!”

“I think you and the others are having a bad influence on our rule abiding Hermione,” Harry laughed.

“Oh hush you!” Hermione said with a smile. “You know it’d serve those idiots right!” She then blushed. “Sorry Neville.”

“No worries.”

“And congratulations, Astoria.”

“Thanks.”

Another girl had entered from what Harry now saw as House Longbottom’s side of the room - a door opposite the door he and his two girls had entered.

“House Potter,” Neville said, “my wife and Bond Mate the former Miss Sally-Anne Perks of Hufflepuff, now Lady Sarah Longbottom, Countess Designate of Pendle.” Once the long introduction was over, Sally-Anne spoke.

“My parents had no memory of this until after we got to Gringotts and were shown some of the paperwork. Neville wasn’t there with us then, that came later. We were called in the day after we Muggle Borns returned from school. Once my parents saw their signatures, they remembered everything.”

Hermione gasped. “It was the same for my folks as well, although they already knew Harry and I were close and likely to get closer.”

“I was already pretty sure that House Longbottom was tampered with by the same bastard who’s been mucking with House Potter!” Harry said. “That’s too close to what happened to us to be a coincidence! Neville? Were there any surprise contracts? Ones signed between your Grand and one Albus Dumbledore?”

“No. Nothing like that. Why?”

“He’s probably the one who messed with your older contracts. Did the same thing with Hermione’s and another and as those contracts triggered others, that meant none of them would trigger or so he hoped it seemed. He made one after my parents died that would effectively have given him control of my House and certainly its votes. We’ve dealt with that, but not with him. We’ll explain more once everyone’s here and up to speed.”

Neville nodded.

“He tried to steal our futures?” Sally-Anne asked.

“Something like that,” Harry said.

“Neville told you ‘bout the Tennysons and the déjà vu?”

Hermione gasped and looked at Harry who nodded to both.

“I wasn’t having it for some reason at least not any more often than normal. We don’t know why. Near as we can figure, we were friends then just as we are now,” Sally-Anne said. “Neville’s been a friend since First Year. He helped me and a few other girls with Herbology and we helped him with other courses although Potions seemed to be a lost cause. He gets it. He just can’t do it if Snape’s around.”

“What? None of us blokes?” Harry asked.

“You’re a friend, Harry. But let’s face it, girls are prettier.”

Harry laughed. “Who would’ve bet Neville’s the stud of our year!”

“Neville’s a perfect gentleman,” Astoria said. “Having said that, he’s also dreamy with serious hottie potential.”

“You can get lost in his eyes,” Sally-Anne added.

“Um… if you’ll excuse me I need to find a bucket to throw up in,” Harry quipped. “You never say stuff like that!” he said turning to his two.

“Not to your face,” Daphne said.

“We’d rather not deal with the buckets,” Hermione quipped.

“But we can, ‘cause it’s true for us as well.”

“Definitely need a bucket!” Harry moaned.

“So,” Hermione said changing the topic, “when did you bond.”

“‘Bout a week later or so. My folks and I talked about it. They remembered why they did it and said it didn’t have to happen, but they thought it would be wonderful if it did. Besides, at our ages it’s not like we really have to jump into it as it were. I mean, I do sleep with Neville, but not that way. We can wait 'til we’re older and more comfortable before we do that sort of thing. So far, it’s been really nice even if I do have to share. I guess it’s a good thing I like all my new sisters.”

“That certainly helps,” Daphne agreed.

“House Longbottom,” Harry continued after another minute of friendly banter and his next wife had joined them, “may I present my wife and Bond Mate the former Miss Luna Lovegood of Ravenclaw - she’s a year behind us although only a little over a month younger than us - now Lady Luna Potter, Countess Designate of Hwicca.”

“So your friend Neville has a family like ours?” Luna asked after all the introductions.

“Surprisingly similar,” Harry chuckled as did the others. “Amost identical.”

“Really? Do his ladies prefer not wearing clothes at all when it’s just them?”

“What?” the Longbottoms asked.

“We do,” Luna said. “We’ve spent days and days at the estate without having to worry about what to wear because we don’t wear anything at all. Harry does. We haven’t seen him starkers yet. But if we don’t have to, we don’t. I was always sort of that way. But the others are that way as well. Of course, we didn’t go topless on the beaches in France. Then again, only our Harry should see us that way.”

The Longbottoms did not know what to say except it seemed that Sally-Anne was thinking about it.

“You are a corrupting influence,” Daphne noted.

“I don’t think so,” Luna replied. “I prefer to see myself as… inspirational. Besides, it’s what we like. Harry has never… He would not say anything if we didn’t but we all like that he likes it when we do.”

“I’m sure he does,” Neville said.

“They went through many of the things we did, Luna,” Harry said trying to change the topic.

“Oooh! You mean they had the French Word thing and Life Flashy thing too? And they’ve been victims of an evil wizard everyone thinks is good?”

“Don’t know about the Life Flashy thing, but yeah,” Harry replied. “She means the persistent déjà vu and the other thing was a sense of that future life passing before your eyes when you bonded.”

“That happened too,” Sally-Anne said. “It was a little disturbing. Would’ve been more so if the Tennysons hadn’t told us to expect it. It happened to me even though I did not experience the déjà vu. The Tennyson’s think it had something to do with the bonding or that I was somehow tapping into bits of Neville’s future memories because of the bonding. We tried to remember what we could. We wrote down what we could, but even with their help, it doesn’t make sense aside from saying that future is pretty bleak. That and Neville and I never bonded in that future.”

“We didn’t bond in that future either,” Luna said sadly.

“House Potter? May I introduce my wife and bond mate the former Miss Padma Patil of Ravenclaw, now Lady Padma Longbottom, Countess Designate of Colne.”

“Seems we’re the Claws laughing now, eh Luna?” Padma said when the formal introductions ended.

“Indeed. True, we have to share with our sisters, but we did bag the only two Snorkacks at school.”

Padma chuckled. “Indeed we did. Where they do live, Snorkacks are very rare, highly prized and very hard to catch,” she explained. “Luna and I are sort of outcasts,” Padma said. “We are top of our years in Ravenclaw, but most of them are and act like narrow minded Brits. Few have ever been abroad and never want to go abroad. If they had been in our world, they’d realize a lot of what Luna’s Dad writes about is not as fantastical as they think. Some of it is. A discerning reader can tell the difference between what he writes for fun and what’s more serious. Snorkacks are real, for example. If there’s anything faulty with his stories it may be his theory that they’re an invasive species in Europe. They’re native to the Far East where they are called something else. Still, his concern that magical species may be moving to new parts of the world is not without merit and in a new environment without their natural enemies about, they can become real problems. But this is an island and no one thinks that can happen here.”

Hermione snorted. “Guess wizards never heard of the North American Grey Squirrel or rats, come to think of it.”

“Oh?” several voices asked.

“Neither are native to the British Isles,” Hermione said. “Rats came from ships, most likely and certainly in the case of Brown Rats and the Grey Squirrel was brought here by some people who thought they were cute. They’re all pests and have caused damage to the native environment. Some think the Grey Squirrel may well drive our native Red Squirrrel to extinction. They’re other examples of plants and animals beging introduced places that have caused all sorts of problems.”

“Really?”

Hermione nodded.

“You should see that Daddy learns of this,” Luna said. “Muggles have studied it?”

“One might say out of necessity,” Hermione replied, “at least those who are in those fields.”

“As for myself,” Padma said returning to her topic, “aside from not thinking the Quibbler is absolute rubbish like ‘a good Ravenclaw’ would, I made the mistake of telling my insular housemates that being a Parseltongue is revered in India. A person with that talent can make a very, very good living keeping the fields clear of dangerous snakes. They think I’m nutters.”

“Parvati said the same thing,” Hermione said. “We took her at her word about that. Lavender said that maybe its dark connotation in the West is ‘cause most of the famous ones were dark and others who had the talent were not well known.”

“Makes sense,” Harry said. “Trait’s been in the Potter family for a long, long time ever since an ancestor of mine married Slytherin’s granddaughter or some such. Don’t know if my Dad had it. I talked to snake in the Zoo before I even knew what Hogwarts was. I don’t see it as dark except that snakes have a bad reputation in the West.”

“It’s probably ‘cause they’re dangerous and because the Old Testament says that Satan used to appear as a serpent,” Hermione said.

“Doesn’t help that they have no legs,” Sally-Anne added. “People seem to get the goose bumps about things with fewer than two legs or more than four.”

“ And I’ve had to deal with both creepies,” Harry hissed. The reaction was as he thought it might be. “Ruddy Basilisk crawling in the school and a load of Acromantulas crawling about the Forbidden Forest.”

“ Acromantulas?” Neville hissed back. “Those are great ruddy Spiders, right?”

“ Ron and I encountered a huge nest of them after they took Hagrid away.”

“ He must’ve loved that.” Neville laughed.

“Okay, that’s creepy,” Sally-Anne said.

“Why are you two hissing at each other?” Astoria added.

“We weren’t hissing,” Neville said. “Harry was telling us about the Acromantulas in the Forbidden Forest.”

“There’re Acromantulas in the forest?” Padma asked. “That can’t be good. They’re not native to Britain! They’re no Ardites here!”

“Ardites?” several asked.

“Why were you two hissing?” Astoria asked again.

“We weren’t,” Harry said. “I was speaking parstletongue and he spoke back in the same.”

“I did?” Neville asked.

“Doesn’t anyone care about the Acromantulas?” Padma added. “How many? How big?”

“I thought you might be able to, Neville. You do have that in your bloodline if only from your five Potter something great-grans. And as for the spiders, there’re a lot of them and some are bigger than dogs and one - which used to be Hagrid’s pet - is bigger than a car.”

“That’s horrible!” Padma explaimed.

“What?” Neville asked. “That I speak to snakes or that there’re great, ruddy spiders in the forest.”

“The spiders! They’re from the Far East too and were it not for Ardites, they’d kill everything! As for snake talking - you know that’s considered a revered talent where my family is from. But those spiders? They have to eat and what happens when they eat what’s in the forest? Ten months out of the year there’s hundreds of us nearby at school! Without Ardites, they’ll keep eating and breeding and eating and breeding… and growing!”

“Ardites?” several asked.

“Small bug,” Padma said. “It prefers to lay its eggs on the backs of those spiders when they are big enough - the spiders I mean. The eggs hatch and the larvae burrow into the spider eating it from the inside and killing it. In the wild, those things are rare - the spiders I mean and they rarely get to be the size of a house cat ‘cause the Ardites kill them off before they become a problem. But without them…”

“Hence the problem with non-native species my Daddy’s been on about for years,” Luna said. “Wizards have been very irresponsible that way. Of course, they don’t like hearing that or reading that even if it’s true. My Daddy’s out east somewhere searching for evidence of a Snorkack migration. I could post him a note about the spiders and see if he could come up with some Ardites.”

“Make it a lot, ‘cause there’re a lot of those things,” Harry said.

“Um,” Neville began, “House Potter, may I introduce my wife, the former Miss Parvati Patil of Gryffindor now Lady Parvati the Baroness Designate of Halden Moor.”

“Okay,” Parvati said when the formal introduction was over, “seems like I missed an intense conversation.”

“We were talking about Spiders,” Luna said, “and the balance of nature, talking to snakes, irresponsible wizards and running around naked.”

“Don’t see how they’re related,” Parvati said. “Tell me more about the running around naked.”

Daphne snorted with amusement. “We call ourselves sisters, but Lord Neville really has sisters.”

“It became a package deal once our family learned she had compatible magic with Neville. Our parents were not about to agree to a betrothal for one of us without having one for the other. It’s not to say they meant that we’d both be betrothed to Neville here. It was more along the lines of saying they’d agree if they found a suitable match for me as well. Neville’s parents made the deal for both of us. Guess they didn’t want to wait around to see if there was another deal out there for me. Before you ask, I most definitely am not complaining. I think the girls here would agree that aside from Harry here, Neville’s about the only boy around our age who isn’t an immature berk. It also doesn’t hurt that he’s really nice and very, very cute.”

“Wasn’t like I was not going to have a few betrothals,” Neville chuckled. “What’s one more? Not that I’m complaining. I was friends with Parvati before we learned this and barely knew her sister. My little study club - as Sally-Anne and Parvati might call it, had a surprising lack of Ravenclaws.”

“While I am loath to admit it, there is a bias in my house regarding whether anyone from another house can lead a study group,” Padma said. “Besides, I was doing well in Herbology. Parvati was not - or at least not as well.”

“Okay,” Hermione said. “But why is it that only one of you bonded?”

“Fair question,” Padma said. “Identical twins are practically identical. We share identical DNA. But we can have differences. That should be obvious seeing as we are in different Houses. Our fingerprints are not the same and, most importantly for bonds, neither are our magical cores and magical signatures. Hers is different enough that she does not share compatible magic with Neville.”

“Or anyone else apparently. There’re other forms of compatibility,” Parvati said. “I may not be a bond mate of Neville’s, but I know deep down we’ll be fine. We’re already very close. So spiders, snakes and running about naked?”

“We’ll talk about that later, once we’re all introduced,” Neville said.

“House Longbottom? May I introduce my wife and Consort Lady Hannah Abbott, Baroness of Tinworth.”

“Hey everybody!” Hannah said. “Okay, I’m guessing House Longbottom has a lot in common with us? Either that or Neville a stud and no one noticed.”

“He is and no one did, aside from a few of us,” Parvati said.

“But you’re right about there being a lot of… interesting similarities between House Potter and House Longbottom,” Astoria added. “It’s almost creepy.”

“So Roomie,” Sally-Anne said, “Harry’s yours?”

“Not exclusively, obviously.”

“Never figured you for running around naked,” Sally-Anne said.

“Luna did bring that up,” Harry said when Hannah looked startled.

“It’s a House Potter girls thing,” Hannah shrugged. “I am a Hufflepuff after all. We are loyal.”

“Explains why you stood against the ‘conventional wisdom’ of our House ‘bout Harry as expressed by one Ernie MacMillan.”

“His argument made no sense. So what if Harry talked to a snake. He had no cause to go after Justin and if he was one to be that way, Hermione would’ve been an easy target. After all, they were together most all of the time. Now I might’ve believed the opinionated one had it been Malfoy in the Hospital Wing.”

“Ernie had said nothing despite the rumours until it was a Puff that had been attacked. Fact is, none of us really thought that way until after Justin was attacked. It was only then that Ernie put two and two together and came up with eleven. Not that I believed him. I didn’t know what to believe. Sorry Harry.”

Harry shrugged. “I could understand Ernie and the others. I was just as worried and scared as they were. Some of the Gryffindors, however. They at least knew me better. They knew how I reacted whenever Malfoy went after Hermione - or any other Muggle Born come to think of it. Truth is a few of us were convinced it was Malfoy.”

“Which proves why he’s a legacy Slytherin and not a real one,” Daphne said. “He’s too much of a loud mouthed braggart to be cunning. I mean if you were going to do something evil like that, you wouldn’t spend a year or more going off about it and making yourself the prime suspect. A cunning person would at least keep that rubbish to himself if not behave just the opposite. I thought it was Malfoy too only because he’s the type to do such a thing not because he’s cunning enought to pull it off. Whenever someone got it, he acted the same way he does when he gets one over on people he doesn’t like. Who else could it have been? True, Harry did hiss at that snake and that was suggestive and it would be very, very cunning to be the hater of Muggle Borns whose best friend is one. But any thoughts of that vanished when Hermione was petrified. The truth is aside from Malfoy I thought it had to be a Firstie or a Fifth Year or higher.”

“Why?” several voices asked.

“A vile and cunning First Year who knew how to do it wouldn’t wait a few years to do it. I figured it more like to be an upper year who had learned how to do it and a Second Year couldn’t possibly have known how. Then again, I also assumed it was a spell of some kind like one might find in some old, dusty, private family journal.”

“It seems I’m missing and interesting conversation,” a new voice said.

“House Potter?” Neville said, “let me introduce my wife, the former Miss Tracy Davis of Slytherin now Lady Tracy Longbottom, Countess of Marston.”

When the formal introduction was completed, Tracey had a huge smile on her face and ran over to hug Daphne. “We did it!” she exclaimed. “We’re both out of the Snake Pit!”

“Or in it,” Padma said.

“Oh?”

“Among topics of conversation missed was the one where we all learned that our Neville speaks parstletongue just like their Harry.”

“Really?”

Almost everyone nodded.

“No worries, Neville. You know what I would’ve been facing before you married me had I been in the Pit. Don’t care about whether you can converse with snakes or not.”

“The only ones I want to converse with are in this room.” Neville said.

“Always the smoothie,” Tracy said. “So I’m guessing a lot of the strange stuff we’ve been talking about since we got married to our Neville may’ve been happening to you and your new family?” Tracy asked Daphne.

“More, in fact,” Daphne said it. “We’ve had memory uncaps.”

“Really? Wow!”

“We’ll talk about those in more detail when everyone’s together,” Harry said. “To do that completely, we’ll need all the introductions as a lot of the details are covered by additional Fidelius Charms. The more I think about it, the more I’m convinced - seeing as the Tennysons knew about the lot of us - that their Fidelius anticipated this so we don’t need our Secret Keepers to reveal this to each other. Same can’t be said for some of the other news which is under different charms in our House.”

“Makes sense,” Hermione said.

Tracy’s references to the Pit had not elicited comment. By this time, there was no need. Each new family had heard over time just what went on in Slytherin House, or at least what the younger girls were led to believe might happen when they were older. Neither Daphne nor Tracy knew for certain that those things happened. They never happened in the Common Room and like all the Houses in Hogwarts, there was magic that prevented boys from entering the girls' dormitories. But nothing prevented girls from entering the boy’s dorms - or being dragged off there. For the Second Years, it was commonly believed that without the right protection, they could well find themselves as frequent visitors to the boys dorms whether they wanted to be such or not. A boyfriend in Slytherin was one such protection, although it meant sleeping with that boy, not just dating him. Betrothals could be such protections, but that depended upon whether or not the boys feared the person or family to whom the girl was betrothed - particularly if the betrothed was not a Slytherin.

The fear was rape. It didn’t take long in Slytherin House for a girl to get the idea that this was a real possibility and imagine the ways it could be carried out by an upper year boy and especially by a skilled one. There were all sorts of spells and potions that could work such that any real resistance was futile. It was also possible that such magic would remove any knowledge of the assault. The only clue that anything had happened would be the loss of time and state of the victim when she regained her senses. Rape was a crime in their world and grounds for expulsion. During their First Year two rather dim witted Sixth Year Boys had been expelled for the alleged rape of a Fourth Year. Neither Daphne nor Tracy knew for certain whether those things really happened (aside from the expulsion), but they had heard about such things from upper year girls practically since they first arrived and even more so going through their mentorships. That was not something you hoped was just a tale to scare the younger witches. They both wanted out of that House because they were otherwise marked as they saw it. Both of their families had been neutral in the War, which didn’t gain them any respect from those whose families had strong connections with the Death Eaters or had been such themselves. Both had rather well known “Blood Traitors” in their pasts. They both thought that arrogant Pure-blood Supremacist gits like Malfoy might, when they were older, see that as justification to teach them “their place.” That veiled threat had already been made.

Neither of them wanted to take what they saw as the easy way out of that dilemma. The easy way was known and they had seen it. There were girls who would sleep with just about any boy who asked without hesitation. Those girls made no effort to hide their activities from their housemates. After all, they were doing it more or less willingly and all the boys knew they were, so why hide it? There was one who pretty much told the younger girls that giving it up was the only true protection. She even bragged about her detentions with their Head of House, suggesting but never saying that she had offered herself to him many times and it was far less disgusting than cleaning cauldrons. Neither Daphne nor Tracy wanted to know whether their house was really that way and neither wanted to take the chance.

Both Heads of House had already decided to request married quarters and were certain to get it. Generally, married or not, they were too young. You and your spouse had to be at least sixteen. But there was an exception to the rule for bonded couples. The younger ones needed to be together for the bond as consummation was not truly possible and even if it were, it had to be without protection and at the highest risk time of the young woman’s cycle meaning pregnancy was a real risk. The rule was Bonded couples got those quarters regardless of their age. Another rule suggested that if the bonded couple held the quarters and should the husband take another legal wife, the new wife was treated “as if” bonded. The only question mark for all concerned were the betrotheds, but access trunks eliminate that question. Tracy and Daphne were determined to use these rules to ensure they never set foot in Slytherin House again.

“House Longbottom? May I present my betrothed, Miss Virginia Ellen Potter. I will explain this after we’re all here - all the wives and such at least.”

“House Potter? May I present my wife and consort, Lady Susan Bones, Countess of Airwryn.”

Harry then explained at length about the marriage contract between Dumbledore and the Weasleys and why Ginny Weasley was now Ginny Potter, although Ginny as Secret Keeper had to reveal that she was his concubine. It helped that his ladies were calm about it because it was clear that House Longbottom were shocked about the whole thing.

“Ah!” a new voice said, “it appears we are all here and it appears I have missed some interesting explanations.” A much older woman entered the room. She wore very old looking witch robes and a large, ugly hat with a stuffed vulture on it - a real stuffed vulture.

“House Potter? May I present my Grandmother, Madam Augusta Longbottom. She currently serves as House Longbottom Regent and holds the House Proxies in the Wizengamot.”

“Madam Longbottom,” Harry said once the full introductions were over and relieved that Ginny’s complete status was omitted, “it is a pleasure to meet you. Am I correct in understanding that you also Hold House Potter’s Proxies?”

“I do indeed.”

“I understand that it is not required that I received notifications regarding pending legislation until I am seventeen?”

Madam Longbottom nodded. “I had hoped to meet with you before now to introduce myself. I was unable to locate you before you attended Hogwarts and Professor Dumbledore has advised me that it would not be prudent to do so since you have started.”

Harry frowned. “I would like notifications of legislation under consideration, Madam Longbottom. I would ask, however, that you use your discretion. I doubt I will find interest in everything under consideration nor will I find it educational.”

“And what would you ask for?”

“Certainly any legislation that you feel would affect the interests of House Potter one way or another. Otherwise, only such items that you feel would benefit in the education of one who must one day hold a seat.”

“I was thinking of beginning such with my Neville this year. I was concerned that doing so outside of school holidays might distract him from his studies which, at this stage in your lives, should be considered the priority. With all that has happened this summer with House Longbottom and, dare I say, House Potter, it is been brought home that neither of you are typical heirs. The long apprenticeship you should have enjoyed has been taken from you and in less than a decade it shall fall to you to maintain your House. But there is the matter of communication. I have heard that sending a post to Harry Potter is all but impossible.”

Harry nodded. “I have learned that. In many ways, I’m not the least bit upset with that. But what mail I do receive is restricted in ways outside of my control. Address your correspondence to Potter Farms and it should get through. That address is good throughout the year.

“Now, House Longbottom, I would like to introduce three adults who are currently residing at my estate and under my House Protection. That is official and the statement to that effect is on file with Gringotts. When they are introduced you will probably understand why such statements have not been filed with the Wizengamot or Ministry at this time. Their identities are protected under a Fidelius so I shall ask my family Secret Keeper to introduce them.”

“House Longbottom?” Ginny said. “House Potter would like to introduce you to three people about whom all the Wizarding World knows and believes are lies and falsehoods perpetuated in support of a nefarious plot against House Potter and which we now believe has adversely affected the interests of House Longbottom as well. May I introduce Harry’s parents: James and Lily Potter and Harry’s cousin and godfather: Lord Sirius Black, Head of the Ancient and Noble House of Black, Earls of Hangleton and Falthsome, Baron of Savoy.”

A/N: Rats and grey squirrels are invasive species in England. The Black Rat (infamous vector of the Black Death) was native to Asia and migrated west following trade routes and other human migrations arriving in Europe during the Roman Empire. Brown or Norwegian Rats did the same thing but much later arriving in Europe in the 16th Century. Both probably got into England from ships (as did certain rat borne diseases such as the Plague). Grey Squirrels were deliberately brought in by wealthy land owners in the 19th Century for no reason other than as stated.