Disclaimer: Everything concerning Harry Potter belongs to J. K. Rowling. I own nothing, nor is this done for any purpose except my own enjoyment and the enjoyment of anyone reading this. There is no attempt to make any profit.
The Most Ancient Magic
Chapter Twenty Eight: Coming Home
The Great Hall grew noisy as people and students filed in from the courtyard. Hermione had seated Harry in a comfortable chair next to the door. The guests filed in and greeted the newlyweds. The Weasleys were the first in line, followed closely by their guardians and friends.
The guests from the ministry came in next with Dumbledore in the lead. As he offered his congratulations he leaned close and whispered to Hermione, "I wouldn't eat too much if I were you."
Hogwarts students made up the bulk of the next group to come through the line. Most were staring at their softly glowing robes and not knowing quite what to say. They only stopped long enough to wish them well.
The last person in line was indeed Victor Krum. He was very stiff as he greeted them and it seemed he had worked very hard on what he planned to say to them, "My congratulations, Potter. I vas sorry to hear about ze attack upon you. I do not know vat I vould do if I could not play Quvidditch any longer. You are an amazing flyer." he seemed genuinely distressed. He looked at Hermione with tears in his eyes, "I didn't hear about your parents, Her-MY-o-nee, ve got the news ven ve heard of your vedding. I am so sorry vith you."
"I'm sorry I didn't write to you, Victor, there was so much happening," Hermione apologized. She stepped forward and gave him a warm hug. "Thank you for coming. I'm going to get us some refreshments. Will you please come and help me? Do you mind, Harry?"
Krum looked pleased to be asked. Harry shook his head no, so he and Hermione walked toward the tables where the refreshments were being served. Victor returned a few minutes later with some sandwiches and punch for Harry. "Where's Hermione?" he asked.
"She vished to talk to somevone, a Professor Lupin I believe."
Looking around the Great Hall Hermione wasn't hard to spot. She was talking to Lupin and they had their heads together.
"It is not right, vat happen to you, Potter, your life deserve much better. I vish you please take care of Her-MY-o-nee."
"Thanks for the sandwich," Harry said feigning bitterness, "but it is more likely she will be taking care of me. I'm sorry for the way I sound, and I do appreciate your sympathy. You're right, she's the most wonderful person I know. You are still playing for the national team?
They chatted about Quidditch, meanwhile Hermione was having an earnest discussion with Lupin. "I know Harry paid his aunt and uncle for their signatures. Do you know how much he paid them."
Lupin gave her a wolfish smile as he steered her back toward Harry, "Well, he offered them fifteen thousand Pounds, but we sent Mad-Eye around to pay them and apparently they wound up giving Harry the fifteen thousand as a wedding present. I'd appreciate it if you didn't mention it to your husband for a few days. Are you worried about money, Mrs. Potter?"
Hermione blushed, "Well, maybe a little, I saw what was in his vault last August and I know that locket he gave me was expensive and our rings weren't cheap either. Please call me Hermione, it's going to take a little while to get used to my new title."
Lupin gave her a big hug. "I was just teasing, Hermione. I want to tell you again how happy I am for you two. You are the best thing that has ever happened to Harry. Know that if you need anything, all you have to do is ask. By the way, yours is one of the most beautiful rings I've ever seen."
"Thank you again," she said as they got back to where Ron had joined Harry and Victor's Quidditch discussion.
A shadow fell across them, Harry looked up to see Snape standing before them. He was glad Krum was there, he didn't figure Snape would be too snarky in front of witnesses. He totally ignored Harry addressing his wife instead, "Mrs. Potter, though I trust you will find new ways to occupy your time, I expect to have your homework handed in done to the standard I have come to expect from you. I will accept no excuses." Without giving anyone time to reply, he turned on his heel and swept away. Leaving Ron snarling in his wake.
It didn't seem long before Krum rose to leave, he extended another invitation for them to visit him in Bulgaria. Then he walked back toward the Apparition point.
As wedding receptions were not a usual part of Wizard weddings it did not last as long as a Muggle reception would have. Two hours later found Harry and Hermione leaving the Great Hall. Hermione looked back, "You realize, Harry, that we won't eat in here again until the leaving feast?"
Harry nodded as they made their way toward Dumbledore's office, "Regrets?" Hermione shook her head no. They found Ron, Ginny, Luna, Neville, and Dumbledore waiting for them. The farewells were all heartfelt. Harry and Hermione truly appreciated what the others had done for them. There was no need for long good byes, they would be back in a week, but the last hours had put a gulf between them that would take years before the others could catch up.
After their friends had gone, Dumbledore spoke to them. "Because of your marriage I can not make you Head Boy and Head Girl as I had considered. However, your marriage will confer a status beyond a mere badge. Please be open to the students around you. Offer them what advice you can when you can. Even though the Board intends for you to be segregated, please be involved as you can be. I'll talk more about this with you after the holidays."
He left for Number Twelve. Hermione threw the floo powder into the fireplace. As the flames turned green, Harry surprised her by picking her up as he stepped up to the fireplace. She wrapped her arms around his neck and tucked her feet in as he uttered, "Number Twelve Grimmauld Place!" He managed to keep his balance as they stepped into their kitchen.
Dobby and Winky bowed when he put her down, they found Arthur, Mad-Eye, Lupin, Molly, and Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall all smiling at them. "We took the liberty of stocking your kitchen for the week. It's all food that can easily be reheated, plus some fresh fruit, bread, and cheese. We'll see you next Sunday, when you return for your classes," said Professor McGonagall.
Molly asked them, "If you need anything, you know how to get in touch with us?"
"Yes, ma'am," answered Hermione.
"Then we'll leave you to get settled." They all Disapparated, leaving the newlyweds with Dumbledore and the house-elves. "Welcome home, Master and Mistress Potter, we wanted to greet you before we left." Hermione looked puzzled. "We has work to do elsewhere." With a snap of their fingers they vanished.
"Thank you for seeing us home, Professor," said Hermione.
Dumbledore smiled. "Turn around, Mrs. Potter, I have a surprise for you. We couldn't let such an important day pass without their presence."
Hermione turned around to face the door leading into the hall. Two people were removing Invisibility Cloaks. Harry caught her as her knees gave way in shock. Her mouth fell open in wonder, "Mum? Dad? Is it really you?"
Her parents were standing there with tears in their eyes. Unable to speak they both nodded yes. Hermione ran to fling her arms around them, "I thought you were dead! How?" Hugh and Janet gathered her into a family hug.
Hugh managed to croak, "Harry, don't you stand over there, you're family too." Harry joined them.
"Oh, One," Janet cried, "that was the most impressive wedding I've ever seen. I never imagined anything like that for you. You are the most beautiful bride-"
Dumbledore interrupted, "There is a dinner set up for you in the dining room. I expect you have a lot of things to talk about. I will leave you to it, I do hope to see you soon. The little kettle here on the table is a portkey to take you home when you are ready."
Harry led the way to the formal dining room. The table was set for four. After a few minutes Hugh began, "One, you asked how we came to be here. It seemed to start after you went back to school, just a feeling like we were being watched. Then it seemed like there was no joy left at home and it was always cold." Harry and Hermione exchanged anxious glances. "On the day we were attacked, we had just sat down for breakfast when this tall, black man came through our back door. He said 'Follow me now if you want to live," we got up and followed him. We hid in the bushes in the back yard as the house just exploded. He shielded us some way. We saw several people in cloaks poke through the wreckage, they left when the emergency vehicles started to arrive.
"We were brought to a safe house for a week, thereafter we were taken out of the country. We can't tell you where."
They talked about the wedding for a while until Hermione asked, "You don't sound right, Dad, are you angry with me for getting married? I thought you were dead, the funeral was so horrible."
Hugh looked at her, "No, One, not at all. Didn't we teach you that once you make a decision don't go around second-guessing yourself. You won't get anywhere if you navigate backwards half the time. You and Harry made a decision based on the best information you had at the time. It's not your fault it was wrong. You may make many decisions like it in your lives. What you need to remember is that when you do decide you just make the best of abiding the consequences.
"Your memories of the funeral are our best protection, incorporate them into your mental defenses. The Order can't keep the watch on us that they once did. If ever Voldemort finds out about us, we don't stand a chance. Remember us as John and Karen Griffin, distant friends of your parents."
Hermione frowned, "John?"
Her father smiled ruefully, "You know me, One, I needed something easy."
"One? Could you show us your home?" asked Janet.
"I haven't been here in a while, it looks and smells a lot different. Harry better show all of us.
After dessert Harry rose to give them a tour. As they stood, Harry was sad to notice that the light was fading from their robes. The dark brown filigree was starting to show in Hermione's and his had taken a definite tint of green.
He showed them the kitchen and the small rooms on the first floor where the members of the Order of the Phoenix rested after pulling all night watches. He showed them the formal sitting room and where all the portraits had been removed. Though the house had been cleaned and generally fixed up, the years of neglect and the evil that the occupants had practiced still left their marks on the place. The shadows were deep and there were still areas that smelled musty and damp. The parts of the house that were generally unoccupied showed how it had looked before the Order had moved in.
On the second floor he showed them the better guest rooms and the library. Hermione was surprised to find her books and a new cherry-wood, roll top desk in one corner of the spacious room. She had known the library was here but she hadn't seen it since it had been cleaned up. "How did all this get cleaned, Harry?"
"House-elves from Hogwarts came to clean it. They did it because the house was going to be mine. If you go up the staircase we'll be in our apartment."
He led the way up. When he got to the top his jaw dropped in surprise. Candles softly lighted the room. Several arrangements of fragrant flowers decorated their bedroom. A large four poster bed dominated the room. He showed them the dressing room with its antique wardrobes. Hermione found her clothes already in one of them. "Wow, Harry, I never dreamed it would be this nice. You worked really hard on this."
"We did it last summer. But I didn't do the flowers and these candles," answered Harry.
Hermione took his hand, "No, this looks like Mrs. Weasley and Professor McGonagall."
"Harry, may I talk to you in the library," asked Hugh.
"Yes, sir," he said as he started back down the stairs. They left Hermione and Janet examining the flowers and making some plans for doing some minor redecorating.
In the center of the library there were several chairs grouped in front of the fireplace. As they walked into the room, Hugh noticed the picture of him and his shipmates sitting on Harry's desk and his old chess set displayed on a table in the corner.
He smiled at the way his mementos had been lovingly displayed. His smile faded as he sat down with Harry before the fireplace. "We overheard a couple of teachers talking. I'd like to know when Hermione got her memories about the assault back and why you didn't tell us. We were told that she wouldn't remember until she was ready to get married. I understand she has had counseling for a couple of months now."
Harry was stunned. "Y-Y-You know about it," Harry stammered, "Hermione told me you didn't know, that your memories had been modified. She begged me not to tell you, because she didn't want to hurt you anymore. She got her memories back the Tuesday before we left."
It was Hugh's turn to be surprised. "Oh, no! The night she was sick, right after New Years. I feel so stupid. You hid it from us," there was a note of accusation in his voice. "Why did she think our memories had been changed?"
"When she got her memory back she remembered that you were going to the police. She overheard you talking in your rooms, she knew you thought you failed to protect her and … Mum was upset." She thought that you must have had your memories modified too, because you didn't go.
Hugh smiled slightly, "Janet will be pleased to hear you call her Mum. We didn't go to the police because the ministry told us that man who attacked her was dead."
"You mean, Hermione killed-," Harry was deeply shocked.
"No. The magical reversal squad bungled. They thought they had him boxed in, but he ran into traffic and was hit by a bus. The police suspected him in some other cases. Hermione, apparently, was the fourth and youngest girl he attacked. He mistook the squad for the authorities and he panicked. They didn't realize how desperate he was.
"We were about to leave to go to the station when we someone appeared out of thin air. We were so upset it almost seemed like an hallucination, but he explained Hermione was a witch and told us he was going to change her memory so she wouldn't remember the attack, which was what we desperately wanted. They came back with her Hogwarts letter the next week and you know the rest. What triggered the recovery of her memory?"
It took a few minutes for Harry to decide what to say, but he confessed what he and Hermione had been doing and he took the responsibility for what had happened.
His father-in-law gazed seriously at him in silence for a minute or so. Then he sighed, "You can't take all the blame, Harry, but I am pleased that you are man enough to try. I guess we were naïve to give you so much freedom, we should have checked on you two from time to time. We had forgotten how tempting sex could be. It doesn't matter now. Thank you for getting her the help she needed, that was wise, to realize your limitations.
"You are starting a great adventure, my son. As you live you will come to know Hermione better than anyone else in the world, spiritually, physically, and emotionally. It will be up to you to meet her needs. She will crave your affection, she needs to know that you love her. Hold her hand, kiss her, rub her feet, give her little sentimental gifts from time to time, open doors for her, and flowers are nice too. She will need for you to talk to her. I know that talking may be hard for you, but, for her sake, you must try. Confide in her, she has wisdom, ask her advice and follow it if it seems good to you. She needs for you to be honest with her. When your children come, please be involved, so many young husbands throw away a lot of blessings by expecting their wives to raise their children without their involvement. Especially at first, help as much as you can, I promise it will be worth the effort. I know from last weekend that money will not be an issue for you two, but, Harry, money can't do everything, when it is all said and done, Hermione needs you."
Hugh stood, "Wait here for a minute," he walked out of the library. Shortly he returned with a familiar box. "I know you found the box, but Headmaster Dumbledore gave it back to me so I could hand it to you as I hoped to do. I hope you will enjoy these books as much as I did, and I meant what I wrote."
Harry took the box of books, "There was nothing that hurt me worse in going through the wreck of your house than finding this box. It showed a depth of love I have seldom felt before. I'm glad to still be able to feel it." He went to a shelf and placed the books on it.
As he finished, Hermione came down the staircase followed by her mother. "John, we had better be going, you remember what Headmaster Dumbledore told us about making too many memories."
"You're right, Karen." He looked at his daughter and son-in-law. "Bury this meeting as deeply as you can, it is our main defense," he explained as they made their way to the kitchen. "The more memories you have of us the harder it will be to shield them."
In the kitchen they exchanged hugs and kisses as they wished them well. "I will hold you to your promise, Harry," Hugh said as he prepared to touch the portkey, he nodded to his wife, they touched the kettle and were gone.
Hermione took Harry's arm, "What promise?"
Harry explained about the conversation he had had with her father. "You touched a nerve when you told them that you weren't going to come back. They want to help but they know they won't be able to. So I promised that I would keep them informed about what and how we are doing. What took you so long upstairs?"
"Mum had some things to tell me."
"Like?"
"We talked about you and how I was to be your wife and take care of and support you. How you would need for me to make a safe home for you, and be your companion. Stuff they've been telling me for years."
"Let's go clean up the dinning room," Harry suggested. When they got to the dinning room, the table had been cleared and there was no sign of a dirty dish to be found in the kitchen.
"Do you think Dobby and Winky are still here?" Hermione asked a little apprehensively.
"No, not if Dobby said they were working elsewhere. I don't believe he'd lie to me." Harry began to blush, "Are you ready to go upstairs?"
Hermione gave a small swallow and merely nodded her head. When they arrived in their bedroom she walked into the dressing room and closed the door.
Harry slipped out of his dress robes, which were almost back to their normal green color and hung them up. Then he pulled on his pajama pants and turned down the comforter and sheets.
After what seemed like an hour the door to the dressing room slowly opened. Hermione came out wearing a filmy nightie. Harry's mouth dropped open. He had never seen so much of her. She hadn't attained her full figure but her curves were the most wonderful things he had ever seen.
She was looking shyly at him, waiting apprehensively for him to say something.
Harry swallowed and managed to croak, "Wow, Hermione, you're so beautiful." She smiled back at him. "When did you get this?" he asked.
She blushed slightly. "You're not going to believe this, but Professor McGonagall took me to buy it last Monday after class."
He walked up, took her in his arms, and gently kissed her. Sensing his approval she melted against him. He held her for long wonderful minutes, then he released her and taking her by the hand he drew her into his bed.