chapter 13
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29th, 1995 – SEVENTH TIME COMPRESSION.
The two new girls entered. They wore their school robes and ties and it was obvious that they were Slytherins. Harry and Neville both recognized the one who walked up to Neville. The dark hair and almost violet eyes of one of the school famous "Ice Princesses" looked at Neville and a smile broke out on her face.
"Hello, N-Neville," she said.
"Tracey Davis?" he asked.
She nodded. "Contrary to rumors, I do like guys. But you know what kind of them are in Slytherin. Rather marry a sheep or something, to be honest. And I'm not into that either!"
"I … I …," Neville began.
"I hope that by the time our time is over, you will know that these robes don't make me evil. I won't bite … unless, of course, you want me to."
"Rosario Rosier," the shorter red head said. "Though I prefer Rosie, Harry Potter."
He shook her hand. "Can't say we didn't see something like this coming, Rosie," he said. "Just promise us that if there's two Slytherins for each of us, the other two are not Parkinson or Bulstrode."
"You honestly think Hermione would let those two pigs play in her sandbox," Tracey said. "We don't even let them play!"
"Sorry."
"No worries," Rosie said. "We're not evil. Most of the others are total gits, but we like to think we're what Slytherin should be: cunning and ambitious, but not evil."
"Harry?" Neville asked nervously.
"Hermione and Ginny are behind this, Nev," Harry said. "We've gone with it so far. They're just girls, right? Never said a harsh word to you or about you so far as we know. I say we ignore their robes."
"Which we intend to ditch as soon as we get upstairs," Rosie said.
"And hopefully never have to wear again," Tracy added. "Rather it be House Longbottom robes than this rot!"
"Why?" Neville began.
"You've seen our other House mates," Tracy replied. "You really think a sane person wants that? I know nothing much about you, Neville, but if this gets me away from them, I really don't care!"
"Same here," Rosie nodded. "I'm a Third Year, Harry, just so you know. We both want out of that and out of the contracts our families were forced into or are being pressured into. All that is required to make them happy is we marry better than they have or can arrange. Ancient and Noble Houses? That's way better than the likes of the Slytherin boys!"
"Daphne said they're no better than barnyard animals," Tracy nodded. "You ask me, that's an insult to barnyard animals!"
"Please? Give us a chance?" Rosie said with tear forming in her eyes. "Just 'cause Gryffindors hate us doesn't mean we deserve it entirely!"
"Rosier, Harry!" Neville said, "they were Death Eaters!"
"That was my father's First Cousin!" Rosie said. "We broke from that family ages ago! We don't hold with those barbaric ideas!"
"One of the reasons we're outcasts in our own House," Tracy said. "No one has ever called a Slytherin a Blood Traitor, but by that definition, our families are! When this came up, we decided that at least for us it was time to show them our true colors!"
"They're very pretty," Neville began.
"And feisty!" Harry added. "I think I can like them!"
"Okay then," Neville said, "we'll give this a go."
Two girls leapt into the arms of the two boys in front of them.
"Okay," Neville said slowly, "I think this is a first."
Harry chuckled. "They usually wait to get us upstairs."
"Which we should do," Neville nodded. The two boys led the girls away.
Harry and Rosie entered his Private Apartment and he led her to the main living room. She looked sacred.
"Do you want me to strip?" she asked.
"Um … do you want to?"
"No. Not really. I know I'll have to eventually, but…"
"It's your call, Rosie. It's always the girl's call. Although losing your robe and tie might be an idea."
"A Slytherin would expect me to," she said, "under these circumstances. Thank You." She did take off the robe and tie, however, and unbuttoned her blouse a bit. "So," she said, "I - erm - I like the balcony."
"Then that's where we'll go," Harry replied. He took the younger girl by the hand and led her out to the balcony. Rosie suddenly hugged him and buried her face in his chest.
"You're scared, aren't you?" Harry said.
"Terrified," she replied nodding into his chest.
"Makes two of us then," Harry said softly. "I know if we do this it's forever. It scares the heck out of me. That bloody dragon was nothing compared to what's now happening."
"Oh?"
"We do this, you're my wife. Yes, I have six others now, but it still scares me. My life out of this place - it never taught me how to love or care or be a Dad or Husband. My relatives are not nice people. They never loved me or anything. Snape thinks I'm some kind of spoiled brat, but I never had a decent meal that I can remember before coming here. I was told I didn't deserve it. Detention with Filch is nothing compared to my time with the Dursleys. He's hardly half as scary as he thinks he is. I'm scared because I want to be a good person. I want to be a good Dad, and I know I don't know how."
"You weren't the 'Pampered Prince' as Professor Snape says?"
"I was starved more than half the time, beaten when they felt I needed it or just because I was there and lived in a closet until I came here - and I do mean a closet, not a small room. I'm told most House Elves are treated better than that."
"I … I didn't know," Rosie began. "Hermione said some things but.."
"I never told her everything," Harry said. "She knows some, but not all. I don't even like thinking about it. I came here, and this was my way out of that life I thought. But every summer Dumbledore sends me back and it's still hell. They tell their neighbors I go to a school for incurable criminal boys! Their son is a criminal, although they would never admit it. Truth is, I'd rather be locked up than sent to them ever again. And now I have children coming? What do I know about that? It scares me, Rosie! What if I turn out as bad as they are?"
"I don't think you can be," Rosie replied. "I admit I barely know you personally, but we've all watched you from time to time and we've heard loads about you almost all year long from girls who really do know you like Ginny and Hermione. You can't be that way because you know it's wrong. You want a family more than anything and you don't consider them a family because they're so wrong about everything. Finally, we won't let you be that way. Should you ever try, you'll have at least seven angry witches there to keep you in line."
Harry smiled. "I suppose you're right."
"Of course I'm right," she laughed. "I'm a woman - or at least I will be once you make me one. You've been with six of us already and with Hermione for years. Haven't you figured that out?"
Harry raised an eyebrow.
"The woman is always right," she giggled. "All good men know that."
"No," Harry chuckled. "It's more like we know it's better not to disagree."
"Prat!" she said, but then kissed him. "But a very cute and kissable one," she said sometime later.
"Why are you doing this?" Harry asked. "And I mean personally. You all begin by talking about what's happened before and this Tournament and how you all think something is terribly wrong. You all add you believe that the Prophecy means something at least and Dumbledore is as much a problem for me as Voldemort, just in a different way and how by helping me - and Neville - we might be able to make a huge difference. But what do you gain from this?
"Hermione loves me and has wanted to be a big part of my life forever, so she's easy to understand. Hannah has that Line Continuation Contract and, since Hermione was first, I can now keep her family from dying off. Katie thinks I'm smoking hot, she says. But as a Muggle Born, she knows this world is all but closed to her and by coming here she closed the doors in the Muggle World as well and needs to marry well to hope to have a career worthy of her abilities. The same is true for Marcia. And Padma and Luna are getting out of very undesirable marriage contracts. What's in this for you, Rosie?"
"Undesirable marriage contract is one," Rosie said. "I won't say who. It's no longer important except that my parents will probably support this choice because you're a better catch than the bastard they arranged for me. But I also want out of Slytherin House and this is a way out."
"Out?"
"Yes Harry, out! I've never liked it there. Not all of us hold to it's conventions, but we are a minority and the only way to avoid abuse is to keep our opinions to ourselves, and I don't like that! I don't believe Purebloods are better than everyone! They do and they're fools! Look at the Fifth Year Prefects! The only Purebloods are from Slytherin! Had Katie Bell been named, three of the eight would have been Muggle Borns! My year is an exception that Snape holds out as proof! Three out of the top four students are Purebloods! But our Number Two is a Muggle Born. In your year, the only Pureblood in the top four is Daphne Greengrass and she's third! Hermione's first and it's not even close! Fifth Years, three of the top four are Muggle Borns. The only Pureblood is Lucinda Urquhart. Superior? Rubbish."
"I tend to agree," Harry said. "Then again, with Hermione as a best friend it's hard to see it the Pureblood way at all. Still … you do know that the Sorting Hat really, really wanted to put me in Slytherin."
Rosie's jaw dropped. "It did?"
Harry nodded. "Kept trying to convince me to go there. I kept telling it anywhere but there and it finally relented."
"So you hated my House even then?"
"Didn't know a thing about it except that Malfoy was in it. I'd already met him and decided he was nothing but bad news and wanted to be as far away from him as I could get."
"He's among the worst of the lot," Rosie said. "But most are not much better. I suppose I dislike the entire House system. I mean, I understand it kind of. Quidditch would be less interesting without it and the House Cup is supposed to encourage students to behave and work hard and without House pride, it'd be useless. But aside from that, it divides us - all of us. Even in the other Houses, most don't have friends outside their House. Most that do knew them before they started. I guess Neville is the major exception. He has a gift with plants and helps people with Herbology mostly without regard to House. Although," she smirked, "he was asked to help Malfoy and his friends who are terrible at it and told Professor Sprout he'd stop tutoring everyone if he was forced to accept them.
"Us Slytherins? We don't have friends outside of our House. It's not allowed."
"But you are now…"
"We decided it was worth it to effective tell our Housemates to shove it. And we don't care what Snape thinks either. It's wrong, he's wrong, end of discussion."
"How does marrying me help that?" Harry asked.
"As married students, the rules say we're allowed separate quarters."
"All of us?"
"So far as we've been able to determine, you and Neville are the first to have a Plural Marriage while in school. There are family quarters here of a sort. They are separate from the other dorms. Right now, there are no married couples in school. But every couple of years there's at least one. According to the books, those quarters have a bedroom for the couple, a 'common room' and a bathroom. There are supposedly spare rooms for children, but since the mandatory use of Contraceptive Potions began well over a hundred years ago, those rooms haven't been used. But by being married, we get out of the dorms."
"Doesn't sound like much," Harry said. "I mean, I have six for certain already and that seems cramped."
Rosie nodded. "But then, we have this Wing! Bent some rules to be sure, but it is built for our purposes now. Each of us have our private apartment within the family's Private Apartment. You've seen the others, I suppose?"
Harry nodded. "Same, yet all very different."
"We each decorated to our tastes, but yes if you take out the furnishings and such they are identical in all respects. We have our bedroom, closet, bath - two actually - sitting room, study, spare closet and nursery."
"Nursery?" Harry asked. He really had not thought about that. "But that's months away!"
"We're all going to have a child when all is said and done. I can't speak for the others, but at first our baby will sleep in my room. But we'll be here until all of us are finished with school which, for me, is four years from now and the children will need their own room at some point."
"I only saw Hermione's and she said it was a spare, but it's pretty big if you ask me."
"It's their playroom too," Rosie said.
"And - I'm surprised I hadn't though of this before - what are these children going to do while we're in class? I doubt the Professors will let them come with us."
"Some might," Rosie said. "Can't say. Most won't. I'd really not want to bring a baby into Snape's class - or any other class with Slytherins. They'd probably do something bad. But that's what House Elves can do."
"House elves?" Harry asked.
Rosie nodded. "They're very good with young children."
"But we only have two! Dobby and Winky!"
"Actually, we have fourteen here now. Many of us have our own Elves here. They're our friends and we couldn't not let them be a part. If Neville brings his personal elves, it'll be sixteen. Four boy elves and the rest girls and the girls tend to the young children in the better magical homes. My Ellena is actually looking forward to it and - before you ask - she is my bonded Elf, not my parents so our secrets are safe with her, including this."
"Why haven't I seen them?" Harry asked.
"Elves generally are not seen, Harry. They do their work unseen. But … Ellena?" she called.
An elf popped in front of them. It was a female, judging by the light yellow dress.
"Harry, this is my Elf and friend Ellena," Rosie said. "She's been a big part of my life for as long as I can remember. Ellena? This is the gentleman I told you of."
"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Master Potter," the elf said with a slight bow. "I look forward to serving my Rosie and your family."
Harry was stunned. "You - you don't talk like Dobby or Winky."
"Of course not," Rosie and Ellena replied in unison.
"Not every family is like the Malfoys and Crouchs," Rosie said. "We treat our friends with respect. The broken English is a sign of abuse for them. Just wanted you to meet him, Ellena," she added and the Elf popped away. She turned to Harry. "In time, Dobby will speak that way as well. The other elves are very impressed with how you and Hermione have taken Dobby and Winky into your lives. Although Ellena does say that Dobby will probably always wear mismatched socks."
"Oh?"
"You saw to it his former bond was broken when you tricked Malfoy Senior into giving his Elf a sock. It wouldn't work for me to try that. You have to hate the elf or at least so dislike them that you want to be rid of them for clothes to break the bond. The Malfoys hate most everything, so good prank on your part, Harry."
"And the socks?"
"According to Ellena and the other Elves, one symbolizes the sock that freed him from those vile people. The other symbolizes his bond to you. As the two are different, so are the socks and none of the Elves here consider his display unworthy, given the circumstances."
Harry could not respond right away. It was one of those annoying, emotional things.
Rosie's rooms were - well - flowery. The furniture was flowery, the upholstery was, the curtains were, the bed linens were, and so was the wallpaper, or whatever. Harry thought it was tasteful, bright and airy in a way, not that he wanted his room to look the same. Each of his girl's rooms were very different and, as he had learned so far, very them. Rosie was sunny in many ways and to see her rooms so like this made sense. It was her.
Harry "made her a woman" as she put it on their fourth day together. They had worked up to it, progressing from kissing - which she eagerly engaged in on day one - to more and more and more as she was ready. Harry had told her the girl set the pace and Rosie learned Harry was totally serious about that - and totally wonderful. She knew she had made a very good choice in agreeing to do this. She was not alone. When they finally met Neville and Tracey for breakfast on Day Six, the first of their training days, it was obvious Tracey was head over heels. That the two Gryffindors had overlooked their House and let them become who they were becoming only made it that much more special for Rosie and Tracey.
Training changed. They had finished with Arithmancy for now and those exams waited to be marked by Professor Vector. Their non-wand material was now a potions review, and given they had Snape for a professor, any review in a less stressful environment (especially given the point system the girls came up with) was welcome. For wand work, Neville continued to use Ginny's wand as it worked well enough for him. Now they had moved on to dueling and the "evil" Slytherins were teaching them hexes and curses, some of which were probably borderline dark, but quite useful in a duel. They were not yet matching up against and opponent, just the practice dummies in the spell casting training room. As with the girls before them, Rosie and Tracy would achieve their patronus by the end of their month. Rosie's would be an eagle and Tracy's a wolf.
Harry was in the library on the Training Floor and looking through the well organized shelves. Something told him Hermione had something to do with this because it was easy to find things despite the huge number of books. When in doubt, though, all he or anyone had to do was call Winky. Hermione's Elf was the resident librarian and in Harry's opinion, Madam Pince - the school librarian - could take lessons from the little Elf. He was looking up books on dueling when he came across it. It was a manuscript of some kind, Rosie told him. It was clearly never published before. Unlike even the oldest books he had seen at Hogwarts, this was neither printed by a press nor the work of a scribe. There was no calligraphy. It was written as one would write a letter or a personal journal.
"It looks like a grimiore," Rosie said looking over his shoulder.
"A what?"
"It's not from one of our families and a few of them are in here," she said. "If it is, it's a book of private, family magic that is passed down through the generations. A lot of the magic in those kinds of books isn't terribly private, just tips on doing it better. But any grimiore is still treasured. What family is it?"
"It doesn't really say," Harry began.
Rosie read it.
The Art of Dueling
I, Argus Caldwell hereby dedicate this to my Great-great Granddaughter Lana Caldwell, last of my line in honor of her acceptance to Hogwarts this 30th Day of June, 1710. These are the true secrets to my success, My Child. Use it well.
"Bloody hell!" Rosie said. She sprinted off into the bookshelves.
"Eeep!" another female voice cried, and Harry saw Tracey doing the same thing.
Neville had been sitting across from him. "What the bloody hell was that about?"
Harry shrugged and chuckled. "We're on our seventh girls, all of them brilliant and beautiful and - well I don't know about you - but talkative…"
"They are that," Neville nodded. "Not that I mind a bit."
"And I still can't say I understand women at all."
"Perhaps we're not meant to understand them," Neville replied. "Not completely, anyway. Perhaps we're merely meant to try to and appreciate them while we try."
"That actually makes sense of this whole thing," Harry chuckled.
"Which is what I've been trying to do all along, Mate. Me! Neville Longbottom! I never saw this coming, not in a million years! I take Ginny to the Ball and now, a few months later - outside - she's my wife for all practical purposes and I have five more and maybe six? I don't understand this at all. Maybe I never will. But it is - er - interesting to try."
"It is indeed."
"They're all scary smart," Neville continued. "Hermione's probably the smartest, but the rest are scary smart as well. We've got the top four Third Years between us and three of the top four Fifth Years and I'm betting that Slytherin Prefect is a part of this as well. All of our Fourth Years are top ten in the class. And they're all lookers, if you know what I mean!"
Harry nodded. "They are that."
"Course, I know better than to try and win an argument with them unless I'm really, really prepared, but I do love my girls."
"Me too," Harry nodded just as Tracy and Rosie returned with some books and began pouring through them for the next few hours while Harry and Neville studied potions.
"Argus Caldwell!" Rosie said after that few hours. "Auror and Master Duelist. Lived from 1567 to 1712 and died in his sleep of old age, rare for that apparently. It says here he holds the record for the most consecutive competition dueling wins and never, ever lost a real one - one to the death. During his life, many thought he had a special wand, but it turned out it was just a regular Ollivander wand which is now displayed at the shop - the unicorn hair core removed in accordance with his will. He always maintained it was his ideas about magic that made him what he became - ideas he never taught but was said to have passed on to his children, yet nothing seems to have come of it. Harry! This is what he passed on!"
"What's it doing in Hogwarts?" Neville asked. "It's not any of you girls' family magic is it?"
"No idea, Neville, and no it's not. The ones we brought only we can remove from the shelves here. You know that's the way it usually works!"
Neville nodded. For Harry, of course, this was all new. It was explained to him that those kind of books could only be read by family.
"Does the book have a Hogwarts stamp?" Rosie asked Harry.
At least he knew what that meant. All the library books had a stamp in them on their inside cover that had the school crest showing it was property of the school. He checked. "There isn't one."
"She must have lost it," Rosie said.
"Who?" Harry asked.
"The Lana in the book! It says he was planning to give it to her and she was becoming a First Year. She must have either lost it or hid in in the Library! It wasn't donated or confiscated by a teacher or such or it'd have the stamp! This might be an important find!"
"Technically it's a family grimiore," Neville said. "Technically, we shouldn't even look at it without their permission! It might not be the law, but it is the respected tradition!"
"In which case," Tracey said looking up from her own books and notes, "you probably can debate which of you is family."
"What are you on about, Trace?" Neville said firmly, although there was a smile that told her he was not really questioning her, just asking her to explain, which she now understood.
"Lana Caldwell, the Great-great Granddaughter of the duelist, to whom that book was dedicated and arguably given, married Edmund Potter in 1721. They had two children who had families that survive to this day. Their son William is Harry's ancestor and their daughter Agnes married one Harris Longbottom…"
"Bloody hell!" Neville exclaimed. "That's one of my ancestors!"
"Until now, no one else bothered to read more than the title," Rosie said. "Hermione said she found it stuffed behind some dusty books and it looked useful. But if Tracey's right - and it seems she is - only a blood descendant or their wives or husbands could read it at all!"
"But…" Harry began.
Rosie stood and muttered a charm and her belly glowed in a golden light. Tracy did the same, it seemed, for the result was the same and the two girls were smiling. It was Day 21.
"We're both pregnant," Rosie said with a smile. A smile that led to kisses for both girls and a romantic, candle lit dinner as was now the custom and the contracts and the pictures on the wall and finally the letters and roses on their last day together.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29th, 1995 – EIGTH TIME COMPRESSION.
"Your guess this time," Neville said as they sadly watched Rosie and Tracey leave them.
"For me, my bet it Greengrass and for you it's that Prefect. Urquhart, I think."
"You're reasoning?" Neville said.
"The other six. We each have a Fourth Year from the other Houses but I'm short one from Slytherin. We each have two girls from the other Houses, but only one from our year. The other is either a Third Year or Fifth Year. In my case, I now have two of each, but you're short your Fifth Year. Then add to it the one's who we do have are all scary smart and very, very pretty. We have the top four Third Years in the school and three of the top four Fourth Years between us and we know who the other two are: Greengrass and Urquhart. That and I'd doubt Hermione or Ginny would have anything to do with the other Fourth Year Slytherin girls."
"Good point," Neville said. The bell sounded indicating Time Compression had been reactivated. "We'll see if you're right."
Soon, two blonde girls in Slytherin robes entered. The one with the Prefect's Badge walked up to Neville and the almost statuesque one with no expression on her face walked up to Harry. Harry was proven right.
"Lucinda Urquhart," the Prefect said to Neville. "My true friends call me Lucy."
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Lucy," Neville said taking her hand and bowing slightly.
"Daphne," the other said to Harry.
"Nice to meet you, Daphne," Harry said taking her hand.
"So what happens now?" Daphne asked nervously.
"You don't know?" Harry replied.
"And we were led to believe our other girls told you everything," Neville chuckled. "Well, the custom now is I take my date up to our apartments and Harry takes his to theirs whereupon our dates have their way with us."
"Or not," Harry added. "Neville and I are gentlemen and we do or do not as our lady desires."
With that the two couples separated and headed off to their quarters hand in hand. When Harry and Daphne entered the Potter apartments and the main living room, she let go of his hand and looked around. Harry could tell she was looking at the pictures of the others with him on the wall. She then hung her Slytherin robes on a convenient coat rack and her tie and unbuttoned the top of her collar. She spent a moment looking at the seven photographs on the wall.
"What do you think about all of this, H-Harry?" Daphne asked.
Harry chuckled. "To be honest, after Hermione told me about this and I realized that this was probably the only way to gain control over my life, I tried not to. I figured that it was more important to focus on the girl I was with then than dwell on … well, all of this. Then again, at that time I was thinking it would be four girls total, not eight and counting."
"It will only be nine," Daphne said.
"Really? I thought you weren't supposed to tell me too much."
Daphne turned and looked at him. "Hermione told me I could tell you that and some other things. But I'm not allowed to tell you who she is."
"Great! It had finally reached the point where we could guess and now I have no clue."
"Guess?"
"Neville and I recently noticed a pattern. We were each getting two girls from each House, one a Fourth Year and the other being either a Third or Fifth Year. Each was among the smartest in their years and each was also very pretty. After Rosie and Tracy continued that pattern, it was almost easy to guess that you and … it's Lucinda, right?" Daphne nodded. "That the two of you were next. We had already learned she was in the top four in her year and we already had the top four Third Years and you're in the top four in our year, and along with Tracy one of the two Slytherin girls who's a beauty."
"Pansy's not too hard on the eyes," Daphne countered.
"And you don't seem to hate our guts," Harry added.
"You were almost wrong," Daphne said.
"Oh?"
"Originally, Tracy and I were to become yours if we went through with this. Rosie would have been Neville's."
"What changed?"
"We're women. We reserve the right to change our minds," Daphne chuckled. "Actually, we Slytherins talked about it. We each have our reasons for agreeing to be here in principal. In part, we saw the same pattern you did and thought it wise to continue that. But the real reason was to stick it to Malfoy. I don't think he knows Rosie exists and he can't stand or stand up to Lucy, so neither of them are on his list."
"List?"
"Girls he takes into his bed. There are three he beds regularly. Parkinson is one, Bulstrode…"
"Gah! You've got to be kidding!"
Daphne shook her head. "Considering he swings both ways and shags his goons as well…"
"There's an image I don't need at all! That's even worse!"
"Despite that, he wants to add to his collection," Daphne said, "and Tracy and I are high on his list of collectables. We haven't given him a chance and have hexed him several times for pressing the issue. It doesn't seem to discourage the bastard. One of our reasons is to shove this in his nose. The only thing worse than turning down his advances would be to do so in favor of boys he hates on sight. We decided the only thing that would infuriate him more than the both of us with you is if one of us was with Neville. To lose us to the two of you … well, he might finally begin to question his manhood," she added with a chuckle. "Besides, Tracy thinks she's a better fit with Neville and Rosie was already thinking the same way about you."
"I hope there is more to what you're doing than sticking it to the git."
"That was a minor reason," Daphne said with a smile. "It's a fun one, to be sure, but not really all that important to us. It is not the reason why I chose this. Like I suppose everyone else, we believe this is the right thing to do, even though the easy thing would be not to do it at all. But I think each of us has a personal reason beyond that."
Harry nodded. "They all have. A contract?"
Daphne shook her head. "I'm not under contract. Not yet. In a way, I'm doing this for my family."
"Oh?"
"I was born in January 1980 during the war. My family did not support You-Know-Who or the Death Eaters and managed to keep a low enough profile not to attract their attention. It had been the custom in my family to marry outside of the British magical aristocracy, usually someone from the continent. My Mum is from France. Until me, the Greengrasses had managed to have about four generations with boys and no girls. My Dad thinks they were using a specialized potion to do that, but does not know for certain.
"When I eighteen months old, the Death Eaters finally took note of us. They weren't winning the war. They weren't losing, but they weren't winning and … Anyway, they started putting pressure on us neutrals. They wanted money, more Death Eaters and political and social connections that might swing the balance back to them. In the case of my family, they put pressure on my father to betroth me to one of their sons. He managed to stall them long enough for - for that night to occur and the war to end.
"My sister Astoria was born after You-Know-Who fell. Within the last few months, certain old Death Eater families have begun pressuring Dad again about marriage contracts for me and Astoria. Specifically, the Flints wand me and the Notts want Astoria. We want nothing to do with them at all, but Dad thinks their efforts mean something bad is about to happen. Knowing what I do now about that Prophecy and your experiences with You-Know-Who, I would agree that it looks like he's coming back and his former supporters know this.
"By marrying you, I'm off the market. More importantly, it would make an alliance between my family and an Ancient and Noble House."
"How does that help?"
"If I marry before any contracts are made for me or my sister, the alliance means that you have control of her fate."
"You want me to marry…" Harry began.
"No! She is not one of us. She is only a Second Year and a young one at that. She won't turn thirteen until May. But the alliance gives you the right to approve marriage contracts of the allied families. Arguably, it gives you that right for all marriages, but the custom has been that the Senior House did not involve itself in marriages by consenting adults based upon their own wishes. Basically, when you and I are married, Astoria can't be forced to marry into a House that stands in opposition to yours."
Harry thought about it for a moment. "Wait a tic, I can't believe I didn't think of this sooner! If Voldemort comes back, by even associating with me your lives are in danger! I'm his priority target and he'll try an get you as well! All this time, I've been waiting for the shoe to drop! I never had good luck before and…"
"HARRY, STOP IT!" Daphne yelled. That got his attention. "You think your luck is bad? You have had two of the most powerful wizards alive trying to ruin your life since before you were born, yet you're alive and are actually one of the most decent people at this school. Considering how your deck has been stacked against you, I'd say your luck is surprisingly good!
"As for placing us in danger, what makes you think we're in any more danger than before?"
"I don't understand."
"Hermione has a target on her back just for being your friend. Not that it really matters. She's a Muggle Born and if the Death Eaters returned, she's a target just for that reason. They killed Muggle Borns for sport! In their view, Muggle Borns are an abomination who don't deserve to live! The rest of us are from families that refused to support You-Know-Who or openly opposed him! We all lost family to him and his followers during the last war! My Uncle was killed by his Death Eaters for refusing them! Do you think they'll forgive us?"
Harry shook his head.
"We all know this might place us in more imminent danger if he returns. But we'd be in grave danger in any event, even if we never heard of Harry Potter! Get over yourself!"
"Still…"
"There's no still! We're all doing this because we believe that it's the right thing to do; that under the circumstances, this is the best use of our lives, minds and talents not just right now, but for years and years to come! We also believe that in the end being with you and Neville makes us safer should the worst happen. It makes our families safer!"
"How?"
"You have any idea how powerful you and Neville are?"
Harry shook his head.
"Let's just say, we have good reason to believe that you and Neville may well be the two most magically powerful wizards alive today."
"But Dumbledore…"
"Is a powerful wizard magically. He's also powerful politically - which is a power neither you nor Neville have yet and it's something we plan to work on over time. But what really makes Dumbledore scary is skill. He's been studying magic for well over a hundred years, Harry. There are very few who have done that - ever! Merlin probably did. Nicholas Flamel is said to have as well. The Founders probably did, if they lived as long which we don't know. Most witches and wizards stop at some point - many not long after they finish school. Dumbledore never stopped! Neither did You-Know-Who, apparently, but he's sixty years or more behind Dumbledore which is probably why he fears the Old Man! But in terms of raw magical potential, you and Neville have them both beaten!
"Neville's been passing his practicals with a wand that is only slightly better for him than any other stick of wood! That means he's scary powerful! In your case - well there are far too many examples. The best one, though is the Patronus Charm! You mastered that at thirteen!"
"So did Ginny," Harry protested. "The only one lacking a corporeal Patronus so far is Neville and we're convinced it's his wand!"
"We don't know if she's mastered it," Daphne replied. "She's never faced a Dementor and that's the real test isn't it? You drove off well over a hundred of them with one cast! The people who know are not certain if anyone could do that! Add to the fact a lesser known point: according to Susan who heard it from her Aunt who's head of DMLE, the Department that runs Azkaban and supposedly controls those things, some of the Dementors were destroyed that night! That's never happened as far as anyone knows!
"If it every came down to raw power, you'd wipe the floor with any witch or wizard with the possible exception of Neville - assuming he gets a new wand, of course. But power is meaningless! Skill trumps power all the time! And that's what you lack! Your time here has not been just about getting to know us and making babies, has it?"
"No. Not that I'm complaining about that bit."
"Boys!" she muttered. "We've been helping you two learn and perfect everything we can! Hermione came up with that plan and from what I've heard it's working! While I'd like to think that the two of you could never knock me out of the top four, from what I've heard you might well be able to give me a run for my money! By the time this real day is over, you two will have completed everything through the end of this year in those studies, and probably do quite well on any exams. But we're not done with you yet, Harry Potter! Not by a long shot!
"Once this phase of Hermione's plan is done, we'll all be together again. As we speak, Hermione and Ginny are trying to figure out what to do about the Weasley Twins birthday bash. Do we all go? Could be a problem for us Slytherins. There's also the problem that you have grown. You're probably six inches taller than you were this morning and certainly - er - hunkier. We can only hope that most people lack observational skills.
"April 2nd, the lot of us are going to Diagon Alley. It's the Hols, so as long as we're back before curfew, we can leave. We need to go to Gringotts about the marriages and then so that you and Neville can go over your family accounts. It won't be too detailed, just an overview as I understand it. We then need to get Neville a proper wand from Ollivanders and we all probably need to do some shopping."
"For what?"
"Clothes for one! We're all bigger than we were when this began and while we can alter what we have magically, those alterations don't last! That and we girls need - er - maternity clothes. Then there's your wardrobe. It really needs work, Harry."
Harry nodded. It was hard to disagree since aside from his school robes and such, what he wore was what his relatives provided which was pathetic, to say the least. The grossly oversized Dudley hand-me-downs would never fit properly. He was taller, not wider. The others were stuff from second hand stores - although Harry would not be a bit surprised to learn if his Aunt had picked at least some of them out of the odd dustbin.
"Then there's baby stuff: clothes, cribs, prams, nappies, bottles and the like."
Harry paled slightly.
"Don't worry, Harry," Daphne laughed, "you and Neville can skip that bit. But it might be a good idea to check out the toy stores."
"That sounds fine," Harry sighed in relief.
"And books of course," Daphne continued. "Hermione says there's no such thing as too many of those. And she wants to head out to Muggle London as well. Again, for books and clothes. That sounds like fun!"
Harry rolled his eyes.
"Toy stores," Daphne grinned and Harry smiled. "We figure the shopping may well take us into Friday as well," she continued. "That works in a way as our guests begin to arrive then."
"G-Guests?"
Daphne laughed. "Of course! What do you think the upper two floors are for? We're going to spend the weekend in Time Compression. Not the whole time, but at least fifteen hours and we're doing it during daylight as now. Given that in fifteen months that means the babies will be born and may be at least six months old by the end of the hols, we need Healers. We have two coming. Lisa's Dad is one and the other is named Ted Tonks, who's a friend of Rosie's and Hannah's families. Well, his wife is the real friend and she's coming too. That and we've invited some Professors."
"Please don't tell me Snape is one."
"Why would anyone invite him anywhere?" Daphne said. "Lisa's Mum is a Potions Mistress. We invited them because Hermione hopes that by the end of that Time Compression, we can all sit for our O.W.L.s at the very least. That would allow all of us to drop those courses at least for this year so we can focus on our children and training and such."
"That would be useful."
"And then there're the families," Daphne continued.
"Wh-what?"
"Harry, even in the Muggle world it is considered appropriate that the young man meets the family of his intended bride, usually before they marry."
"Great! They're going to kill me!"
"We won't let that happen," Daphne laughed. "It would be bad form to kill our husband and the father of their grandchild. Besides, I'm sure that once my parents get over the initial shock, they'll see the merits of this and I know they will come to love you."
"Hermione's parents," Harry began.
"Will be in our world, won't they? Hermione thinks they'll accept it in the end. Kind of hard not to, if you think about it. They will be here for a weekend outside, but all through her pregnancy, delivery and the early months of the child's life. Besides, you won't be alone."
"You're not inviting the Dursleys! No way!"
"Not them," Daphne smiled, "your godfather and Professor Lupin."
"Will it be safe for him?" Harry asked meaning Sirius.
"We think so," she replied. "The wards control entry and exit. Only those we allow in can enter and they need our permission to leave. It is our hope that by the time the hols are over, there'll be a lot of people demanding he gets his chance at a trial. Before then, even if they wanted to, they can't run off for Aurors and even if they could, the Aurors can't get in. These are keyed wards, Harry. If you're not keyed into them, you can't break them and as all the warding runes are inside the Wing, you can't get at them to break them. It would take an army of curse breakers to pull down these wards from the outside. We are about as safe here as we could be anywhere."
"And Professor Lupin's - er - problem? We have a place for that?"
"His lycanthrope is tied to the lunar cycle, Harry. He can only transform under a full moon and it's not until the 16th, long after we're through with this."
"Oh."
Before this had begun, while Daphne wanted to be a full part of this, she did have an image to maintain. She was known as the "Ice Princess" and wanted to keep up the persona just a little while longer. Her plan was to stay out of Harry's bed until Day 11, one day longer than anyone else. She could afford to wait that long as she would not begin to approach peak fertility until Day 14. In the end, she failed miserable. She decided that four days was more than enough and never regretted that decision because Harry was even better at that than the others had said. She already had begun to really enjoy his company, but that last bit was too amazing for words. One Day 24, the inevitable result of her new passions was revealed as she too was now expecting and, as per custom, the two signed their contract that night, one day after Neville and Lucinda.
Training continued as before with Potions and what they were now calling Dueling. In that regard, Harry and Neville had come to believe Caldwell's book was a work of genius. None of the other books on dueling compared really. And some of the things he suggested were possible, with the right magical training, seemed unbelievable, but he had anecdotes to back it up which could be compared to other writings about his duels. Physical training was a major part of his work, which differed from all the other texts but was also something the boys had already been working on for months. For the girls, their major training was the patronus charm, which they both managed by Day 25. Lucinda's was a wild boar. Daphne's was a flamingo, which she admitted she always had liked.
The time seemed to fly by for Harry and the others and soon their month together was up. The traditions continued with the pictures, letters and Roses. Then their time caught up with real time and the two girls, dressed again in their school robes, kissed their boys and left.