Ancestry 13 - Walking These Boots All Over You. by Voracity2

Ancestry 13 - Walking These Boots All Over You.

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Ancestry 13 - Walking These Boots All Over You.

Hermione was at the train station with the rest of the students, almost all of them, and waiting on the train to get there. It was coming, they could see it. It was just a few minutes late. The headmaster was coming down huffing, puffing, and already screaming. They all ignored him to get onto the train and let it take them back to London.

The train didn't want to move since the headmaster was on the tracks. The aurors showed up to calm everyone down but the students wouldn't move. A few got ordered to go back to the school by families showing up but the girls among them refused and told their families why. Most didn't care but some parents stuck up for them.

One got kicked out and another one offered her the spare bed in her room. That mother showed up and yelled at the father, put the daughter back into the family, and they all got to watch the screaming match that set of parents had.

The headmaster pointed at that mother and yelled at how she had turned her daughter into an improper whore instead of a lady so that wife rounded on him and sent him flying with a well placed curse. Still on the tracks unfortunately. The aurors sighed at that.

The daughter came storming out to yell at him herself about having never touched a boy, and wouldn't be touching a boy since she didn't like boys, and even if she did have a wife some day, the wife could bear children for both of them. The mother gasped. The young lady glared at both her parents and told them off. Her father's ideas of her marrying well to uplift the family was now broken and everyone knew it. So they had to suck it up! She stomped back onto the train.

"Malfoy, go make the train run him over!" she bellowed.

He looked up the hallway at her then sighed. "I cannot do that. My father could do that. And probably wouldn't mind with how much work that moron has given him." He looked out at his father. "I'm being supportive, Father."

"I can see that." He looked at the headmaster. "If he gets run over, he's old enough to get out of the way." He looked at the aurors. "The students warned that there would be a walkout today if things were not fixed. You support that man's ideology and problems. Hogwarts is now closed as there's only four students left up there."

"Six," Hermione called, leaning out of a compartment to look at him. "There's six, Mr. Malfoy. By Hogwarts: A History that means the school has to stay open as there's five or more, but they'd leave if they wouldn't be disowned." She closed the window and went back to her compartment on the other side of the train with Ron, Ginny, and Luna. Harry came in to join them. "You all right?"

"I'm good. Just have a headache from the yelling." He settled into a seat again.

Lucius looked at one of the board members, who went to check for his own children, who weren't there. He went up to tell them they could leave so the school could close. Possibly for good. They got brought back and boarded the train. "There's three students," he said, pointing at a few parents. "Your younger one. Harold's two."

Harold went to tell his children they didn't have to stay. The other got fetched by a house elf and their things packed for them. That left a single student, who was an orphan. Hermione offered to let her stay with her for a few weeks until things could be arranged. The girl smiled and accepted.

Dumbledore came running up to the train. "What are you doing?" he demanded. "You're endangering the school! Over such petty things!"

"I doubt being forced to marry someone who'll rape me night and day as I'm just a womb to him is *nothing*," a female student sneered. "And it will not happen. Should I marry I'll pick one I like with my parent's approval. Not have some grungy little headmaster do it for me." She stared at him.

"We are not going to be treated like objects who're too stupid to handle our own lives or needs, Mr. Dumbledore. Yours was bad enough on us, his is intolerable. If you do not like it, help the board find someone better and we'll be back after the holidays." She reboarded the train and sat down with a huff.

Her father nodded. "She's right and she is to kill anyone who tried to touch her against her will. Hopefully in a most messy manner to make sure no one else tries." He sniffed a bit but looked at his wife, who nodded once and smiled at that. "Do we have nice people to introduce her to?"

"Yes, out of the country," she agreed. "That way they're not cousins breeding for the empire."

Lucius looked at her. "Narcissa has been looking in the Middle East for Draco's future wife. Very nice witches down there who may have brothers. Many wealthy."

"That's actually not a bad idea. I had thought of Eastern Europe as we come from northern but that may be nice as well. I'll write to her for the name of the people she's looking through. Thank you, Mr. Malfoy."

"It can only enhance our society to have happier couples who aren't related having children. Even Miss Granger someday perhaps. Weasley's not picky."

"Not likely," Ron called. "Actually, hell no!"

"Ron!" Ginny shouted then the sound of a slap. "Mum would soap your mouth!"

"Not the mother," Ron quipped. Then he leaned out to stare at one mother, who grinned at him.

"She would soap you for that."

"She'd agree, I'm not marrying Hermione." He looked the other way at his father calmly storming their way. "Want Ginny, Dad?"

"I want both of you to go back to the school."

"Hell no!" Ginny said, storming out to get into his face to yell at him about all that had went on and how bad it was and how she wasn't a simpleton to be treated like she had no idea how to clean her own messes up. She also wasn't going to allow herself to be given away by some idiot man who had no idea who she was or what she liked. Her father tried to calm her down but it didn't work. Nor did a calming charm.

Lucius sighed. It obviously fell to someone stronger to stop all that noise. "Miss Weasley, you truly are turning into your mother," he noted calmly and patiently.

She looked offended. "What a horrible insult!" she complained, stomping off again to go sulk.

Ron grinned. "Thanks!" He waved and went back to his seat.

Arthur Weasley looked at Lucius. "Her mother would be pleased but want her to be more delicate."

"She gets it naturally as your wife isn't."

He went to talk to the headmaster about his ideas. And Dumbledore, who was complaining that man had destroyed the school he had worked so hard to uphold. Someone sent a list at Arthur so he read it and handed it to Dumbledore, who glared at it then at the headmaster, going into more faults of his.

Dumbledore looked at Lucius. "I can put myself back in charge."

"No you may not," he said dryly then smirked a bit. "With your conviction you're presently breaking house arrest, Dumbledore. You cannot be a headmaster from jail." The aurors shared a look and one came to lead him back to his house and lock him back in it. Lucius looked at the other school board members there to try to talk the students back to the school. "We have been given until the end of the holidays to find a suitable replacement or the school closes for good." They all groaned.

"At least no one'll attack us this year," a second year called from her spot in the Slytherin cars. "If those ones show up they're going to have nothing to do."

That one's father gave the train an odd look. "Why would they?"

"It's happened every other year," a fifth year Slytherin told him. "We're not stupid enough to not realize that Umbridge and Fudge were liars about what happened and just got happy from the torture." She looked at her mother, who was horrified.

"We *all* saw what happened. And heard about the other times! I wouldn't have come back next year at all if it kept up because I don't want to die!" She went back to her seat. Hermione came up to calm her down and hand her notes on how to shield things like rooms and how to protect herself and housemates. She smiled. "Thank you, Granger."

"Welcome. Protecting yourself and others is always an ideal if you can. If not, move countries. He's kept himself mostly to England." She went back to her seat.

She read them over, nodding at the ideas and notes on spells and shields she could do. She got with some of her friends to go over them. They all needed to learn them. They had plenty of time to study now. Not like they weren't studying by themselves all the time anyway.

The parents had to give up and let the children travel back to London. That gave the parents time to calm down and make reasonable arguments to get their children back to the school once it reopened.

Harry decided he'd rent a room for the break. Or he'd do that tonight and talk to Xander about where he could hide. Or he'd go to the castle. He did need to use the family library and learn from Allisandra's ghost. He decided on that and it was good enough. He'd just have to find a semi-private floo. Of course, he had to duck around Molly Weasley when he was leaving. She was storming in to nag her children.

"Hermione," Molly said happily, giving her a hug. "Coming over?"

"No, my parents are waiting on me." She smiled a bit. "They're probably in the parking lot making calls to patients." She gathered her two bags and trunk, going to find her parents, who were indeed in the parking lot. She looked over.

"Harry," she called quietly. "Ride with us. Go from my house." He nodded, going with her. They escaped before Molly could find him. "Hi, Mum, Dad." They both stared at her. "I didn't lead it. And the girl I invited over got offered a spot with her girlfriend, the non-sexual kind, so took her up on that instead."

"I know, dear. And Harry too?"

"I'm going to the family home, I just need a floo," Harry said. "One that's semi-private."

"I can fully understand." They smiled and honked at Molly and her kids, backing out and heading for the main street. "That woman is very...."

"Mothering," Hermione said then cleared her throat. "She's already decided we might as well be her children."

Her mother looked at her. "Is she trying to make you be more girlish too?"

"Of course. She tries her daughter too, and Ginny ignores most of it." She sighed and looked at Harry, who grinned about that. "Are you okay?"

"Not like we were learning anything in class with him busting in all the time to overrule the teachers and nag you girls."

Her mother stared back again. "Still?"

"He tried to block the train too but a younger Slytherin sent him flying. Then Dumbledore showed up to nag him. He offered to come back as the headmaster but Lucius Malfoy pointed out he was under house arrest."

Her mother sighed. "What for?"

"A lot of things," Harry said quietly. "The court case originally had nine counts. More got added." Hermione patted him on the arm. "It's okay, 'Mione. I'm okay. Xander said I could ask the family's ghosts to teach me about the heir stuff I have no idea about."

"That'll be good," she agreed with a smile and a nod. "Let me know if you need help."

"Of course."

"Is it pretty there?"

"It is but it's got a locked floo for heirs only."

She sighed but nodded. "Your cousin teased about the family library."

"There is one." He grinned and nodded. "And an old pirate ship rotting out back."

"Wow." She shook her head. "Why?"

"I'm assuming a family member owned it." He shrugged. "I'll see if I can find out."

"Let me know. They sound like they were interesting relatives at least."

"They seem to be." They let Harry off at the Leaky so he could floo to the castle. He got it wrong the first time and it didn't work but the second time he got it right and got sent through. Dobby showed up to help him get things into the house and look over the kitchen for needs. Which needed everything, including wood for the fireplace and stove. Dobby got him what he needed and came back to help him fix lunch.

Allisandra's ghost floated in. "Harry, dear?"

He grinned. "The whole school walked out over the headmaster's treatment of the girls." She moaned at that. "So I'm doing some private study time. Xander said I should come talk to you about a few things. Like how to shield myself so weird things quit happening?" he asked, looking pleadingly at her.

"Yes, you have the natural cursebreaking gifts, dear." She patted him on the head. "We'll talk after you eat."

"Thanks. We didn't get a great breakfast before we all hiked to the train station." He sighed. "He was so horrible to the girls."

"Some men aren't good to women. I'd hope you'd be better."

"I probably will be once I realize what girls are for."

She patted him again. "You'll figure it out soon, dear. Go back to eating. You're a growing boy." He sat down to eat and go over what his homework was going to be. She led him to the main library this time and opened it for him. His heir's pendant had to be used on the door to open it. He walked in and gasped. "Yes, Alex was a book nerd. He had everything he found copied. It's in that section." She pointed.

"He was right, Hermione would beg to come study up here," he said in awe. She giggled at that. "I'd taunt her with pictures but she'd try to sneak here."

"You could let her come if you wanted to. Any heir can."

"No, not yet." She nodded. He looked at her. "I want the house to be safe in case Voldemort finishes his reign of terror. I know I have to take him out but...."

She held up a hand. "Why must *you* take him out?"

"A prophecy." He showed her the copy he had made of it to go over.

She frowned. "Of course you're not living yet, Harry. You're too worried and focused on all that to do young man things." Harry looked confused so she sighed. "Really. Most young men go out to find themselves by exploring the world and meeting new people, and even sometimes dating or sleeping with some of them." He nodded once at that. "You're not doing that because you've been so focused on all this mess that got shoved onto you."

"True," he agreed. "And my aunt."

"Yes, I'm trying not to lose corporeality from my anger at her." She stroked over his cheek and smiled. "We'll get you to the point where it'll let you have a good life, Harry. You need to have some living in your life. And take Alex with you. He could use some happiness before he becomes a ghost like I am. Probably by doing something stupid to save others. Like jumping in to help a slayer." She grimaced. "The girls needed it but he wasn't able to do much." She sighed again. "I really must go nag him."

"Dobby can show you where the house is."

"He has it blocked off, Harry. There's some frightful nags in this family and they're all aiming at him." She grinned at him. "You'll meet some of them later. Come on, let's go over where things are and how they work." He nodded, going with her. The library was extensive. It covered a lot of fields. It made him nearly drool at some of the topics. He could definitely find a way to defeat Voldemort in here.

She knew what he was thinking and led him to the defense section. "Start at the lower levels and work your way up or it won't work when you need it to. Like all skills, you learn tiny things then bigger things, Harry." He nodded, going to find a book he hadn't seen yet. She got another ghost, Des, who was Alexander's grandmother, to come tutor him in defense things.

That had been her area when she had been alive. He showed her the notes he had made from the other books he had studied from. It made her moan like a ghost but that was fine. She got him where he needed to start and went over the first few things with him.

***

Ron sent a message to Harry for his mother. Before she sent a howler since he hadn't even visited. Dobby appeared to grab it when he called and brought it then brought back a response. From someone named Destina Dumass. He showed his mother and got out of the way of the yelling. He was nice enough to pull Ginny with him because she was going to explode at the gentle turndown of needing to send Harry to them for a rest. He had a whole house to roam around in and learn about his former family.

Ginny looked in there then at Ron. "Tell me if I do that," she said quietly.

"I just walk away, Ginny." He grinned. "That way I don't get deafened." She pouted but went to hide in the orchard area and pick some fruit. He went to degnome the garden. It needed to be done and kept him out of being yelled at.

"Ron?" Molly called.

"Garden, Mum," he called back, tossing a gnome. He plucked out another one to spin and toss. She came to the door to glare at him. He did it again with a grin for her. "Harry wanted to learn about his relatives, Mum. He might need a break from studying but he's probably safe."

"No one's there to take care of him!"

"Mum, this is Harry. He's been cooking since he was four for that aunt of his," he said bluntly. "Even with it being a stove like ours instead of a fancy modern muggle one, I'm pretty sure he can manage and he has Dobby there if he needs too much help learning how to use a cookstove."

"He's a house elf!"

"So?" He shrugged. "They know how to cook and can show Harry how to cook."

"He's got no one to talk to!"

"He's got a ton of family ghosts and family portraits. Harry told me that one of them helped him learn about the heir's rituals when he got sent there by his cousin Xander." She glared at that. "He's safe and fine, Mum. No one can get there. At all. Even by muggle means apparently." He shrugged and grabbed a dizzy gnome to spin and toss farther this time so it wouldn't come back. He looked at her again.

"Harry's fine, Mum. If he wanted company he'd show up. He's probably liking being without people staring at him and his forehead. He's got books, he's got his school books. He's got to have food and stuff. He's safe. Leave him to rest and study. Who knows what's in there since some had been cursebreakers."

"They don't do books," she snorted.

"They do find books, a lot of books," Ginny said as she came back with her shirt full of apples. "Bill said he found an ancient library and got really happy reading from it as they cleaned it up." She handed over the overshirt. "All the ripe ones, Mum. None from the ground." She walked off again. "They don't destroy the books and scrolls they find on jobs."

"Dumass was said to be the sort of guy to copy things," Ron added with a nod. "So their family library probably has a lot of weird things. Bill told me he found an ancient story about some king making a deal with a kraken to take the throne when his dad died instead of his older brother, who he fed to it." He shrugged.

"He's fine, Mum. If there were dangers, Dobby knows to bring him here or somewhere safe. Maybe Sirius' house." He grabbed another gnome peaking her head out to check on things. She got free by biting him, making him yelp, but he grabbed another male one. The females may have kids to protect.

"He doesn't have any adults there," she said firmly.

"Harry's a sixth year too, Mum." He stared at her. "Just like I am."

"I'd never leave you home alone!"

"You left Percy." He stared at her until she huffed off. He rolled his eyes and got back to gnoming. Ginny was still hiding so that was good. It meant less work for their mother to have to deal with. He'd sneak Harry a note later warning him that his mother was going to have a fit if he didn't write her regularly and brag about what he was doing.

***

Xander looked at the book on his desk then sighed and sent it at Harry to make sure he knew someone was writing about him. Harry was going to be horrified and try to hide. He had to handle that bad press though. And Xander could help him, somewhat. He didn't want to step into the open. Even if all that war was ended he didn't want to step into the limelight again.

The death eater problem he'd help handle but he had a lot of them around here too. Vampires were probably more annoying than death eaters. They had worse plans too. He went to the library to get sucked into the problem of the week, getting a few dirty looks. Oh well. He looked at Giles. "I heard something from the cousin. Apparently their whole school had a walkout and it shut the school down until after the holidays. Mostly because of that headmaster hating the girls."

"How bad did it get?" Buffy demanded. Xander pulled out the list Harry had sent him to let her see it. She read it over and shuddered. "Isn't he somewhere around here? They let that in US schools?" she demanded, letting Willow snatch it.

"England," Xander said. "And no. Which is why they had a walkout that shut down the school until after the holidays." He looked at Giles again, letting Willow hand that to him. Willow was muttering about idiot men. "Most of the boys stood in support of the girls," he told her. "Including Harry. He even helped make dinner the night of the sit in since the headmaster said that they wouldn't get fed until they stopped all that." He looked at Giles again.

"Oh, dear," he mumbled. "That's going to be very bad. They'll have yearly tests to take."

"Nothing's stopping them from reading their schoolbooks," Xander reminded him with a grin. "Apparently Harry's been doing a lot of that."

"It gets worse."

"Yes it does." He nodded, taking it back to put into his pocket again. "Also, saw Dru earlier this morning," he said, looking at Buffy. "She was lurking around your house when I was on my way home." She winced and called her mother to warn her to lock everything up. Dru was weird, she could maybe find a way around the invitation issue. Willow walked off still muttering about bad schools.

Giles shook his head. "That is not encouraging news from home," he said quietly, taking off his glasses to rub his eyes then putting them back on.

"Especially not with the war restarting." He stared at him. "Can we send our bad guys to eat their bad guys?"

"England has plenty of vampires. We may be able to see if a few would go be altruistic and eat the death eaters," Giles said dryly. "But I doubt they'd do it without a good reason." He gave him a pointed look.

He grinned back. "Harry's idea was to link the snake fucker to the hellmouth to see if they could fight each other. I pointed out that would be a problem." He snapped his fingers, handing over something. "On the mark? Before it starts to show up everywhere? England can only hide so many killings of normals with fairy lights shining above the houses. Especially with the internet starting to really be world wide."

"It won't show up on film."

"It does show up on film and the US and France both have techies in the community. Not to mention Japan's." He smirked a bit. "Harry said one of his buddies got a camera from the US mag groups and was using it to tape his rants nightly."

"Oh, I hadn't thought about that." He considered it. "That would be a big shock to many of them."

"Well, yeah." Xander smirked at the man coming in with a huff. "Yes, Principal Snyder? I'm sharing news from a cousin who's from over where Giles used to live. He went to the same school apparently and they're having a really horrible headmaster problem. He decided girls having periods was the evil in the universe and tried to have them kicked out of school."

"That's pathetic," Snyder sneered.

"True. So the kids staged a walkout. All but a few who couldn't leave." He looked at Giles again then at the principal. "Big problems? I need to come help lift the soda machine off someone again?"

"No! Seeing what filth you were bringing in here, Harris! Rosenburg was muttering about you again."

"No, I showed her what the headmaster had done. She's going to express solidarity through womanhood." The principal shuddered but huffed off again. He cast a simple jinx to make the man fall down the stairs then sighed in pleasure. "I hate bullies. Unless I'm picking on someone who needs it. Shall I get the books out?"

"Please," he said dryly, staring at him. "What's this about the mark? I can't translate this, Xander."

"Neither can I. It's in Sumerian." He grimaced. "We know he got the process from some ancient Egyptian magics. It's soul linking somehow. Oh, and I talked to Harry about that resurrection rite." He handed over the notes he had gotten off Harry. Then he smirked. "He made a *huge* mistake taking off the protection that kept him from touching Harry."

"Oh, dear." He read it over, frowning at that. "That's....Egyptian as well actually."

"I know." He grinned. "Found it in the books in the family library for Harry." He strolled off because he could hear Cordelia nagging someone. "One prophecy or two today?"

"Two just in case please," he said patiently. He put it away so Cordelia couldn't read it when she stomped in to nag Xander about something. Who just grinned at her.

"You're an idiot! Why are you just smiling?"

"Because you look great when you're that angry? It gives you a halo around your hair to make it shiny, and your bra's come undone." He got out of slapping range but she did groan when she realized he was right. "By the way, the one you're nagging me about, for some reason, is her own person and you should go nag her. A lot. She broke into a house."

"Rosenburg?" she demanded.

"Yeah." He nodded. Then he pointed. "Go there. No windows. Dead end shelves. The pot committee probably has the girls' bathrooms already." She did that and came out with her bra fixed. "Beyond that she's complaining about my cousin's school. They just had to have a walkout."

"Poor kids." She frowned at him. "I don't have a halo."

He pointed at a mirror nearby. "You're glowing for some reason, Cordy."

She looked and then sighed. "I'm going to paste her!"

"You might suggest that Harmony learn the meditations," he quipped with a grin, getting out of slapping range. "She's been floating her hair in history class when she's bored. Probably without realizing it."

She paused to stare at him. "What?" He nodded. She went to figure that out. Harmony Kendall with magic was a *bad* idea. Even worse than Xander with magic would be. Though she did remember when she was possessed. She'd get onto him about that later.

Xander looked at Giles, who was shaking his head but going for a few books. "She can do yoga, Giles. It's even trendy. It'll give her the same meditative focus."

"Point, that could help her." He went to find Cordelia to suggest that. He found her and hissed in her ear, getting a nod back for that suggestion. "Thank you for telling her about that wardrobe issue. I'd hate for her to be embarrassed, Cordelia, but it's not appropriate for me to note it to her." He walked off again. Cordelia was easing Harmony into seeing she had a bit of a problem, though the girl was denying it greatly.

Willow sighed and came out to stare at her. Then she floated a pencil, making Harmony squeak. "You've been doing the same thing to your hair in history class. We've all noticed it."

"Giles suggested yoga could help you figure that out," Cordelia said. "Rosenburg, he said to note that your socks are mismatched." She looked down then sighed and changed them magically before going back to the library. Cordelia sat Harmony down. "You can just do the yoga stuff and meditate a bit. That'll make you aware of it so you can hide it better. Before MOO comes back."

"Yeah, that'd suck," Harmony said, playing with some of her hair. Cordelia pointed at the other side floating to match that side and she sighed. "That's going to suck. Boys won't like that."

"Boys around here only like boobs, Harmony. Find a better man and he might not mind." She shrugged. "But try yoga before the other girls notice?"

"Yeah, I should. I don't want to be seen like Madison or Rosenburg." She let her hair go and went to look up yoga stuff in the town's library. They even had a class locally. She could join that and it'd make her more flexible for cheerleading.

Cordelia sighed, rubbing her forehead. Buffy paused by her. "One of my former cheer team would've freaked out and tried to end herself to stop it going on. She was *way* phobic of anything fantasy like outside her own." She grinned slightly. "But yoga is good for you. My mom said it'll teach you things about your body."

"Yeah, it's supposed to." She looked at her. "Is Rosenburg off her fit?"

"I hope so. We were going to shop tonight." She walked off again.

Cordelia looked at her back then shook her head with a sigh. She was not that shallow. Buffy couldn't be that shallow for real. She just couldn't and be a human being. She went to cheer practice instead to go over the next routine they'd need. Harmony could learn it later this week. Maybe she'd learn things to help them do pyramids and other tosses better.

***

Xander decided to give up the old house with the fake people, cleaning up his messes and the simaculums then bringing everything to the actual house. He went to unrent that house through the landlord, claiming his parents had left town for good but had forgotten about him.

The landlord, like everyone else in Sunnydale, didn't ask any questions or think it was odd. Or at least he didn't say anything about it. So Xander handed him back the keys and went home to his real home. And his real borrowed house elf, who had tied up Buffy and Willow for him. He stared at them then at Dobby. "Nice work!"

"Master Dumass sir, they was breaking in."

"I can see that and you did good defending the family home, Dobby." He patted him on the head, looking at the pouting girls. "Didn't we have a talk about you guys breaking in?"

"You're not hiding it anymore," Willow pouted.

"Yeah but you're not allowed in the family home." He smirked a bit. "Just because the cousin said I could stay doesn't mean you can visit. I should let the security system tentacles play with you two again." They both pouted. He looked at Dobby, telling him where to bring them in the nets and drop them off there. Then he came back to help Xander in the kitchen. "I can actually cook, Dobby."

"Dobby bored!" he complained. "Great Harry Potter sir never does anything! He studies."

"It's good for him and I did that too. Though I did have a few girlfriends." He considered it. "I'll talk to Harry later." Dobby beamed and nodded, and made him cocoa for that offer then disappeared to go nag Harry into doing things. Xander drank his cocoa with a grin, going to gather up what he'd need to bring with him.

He really did have to give Harry a few lessons from his own experiences. Including on fighting on the hellmouth. He locked up the house with impenetrable shields and found a vampire in the garden that shouldn't be able to get in there. "Hey, Dru, how did you get in?" he asked dryly, smirking at her.

"Kitten." She smiled at him, playing with the security tentacle. "The stars said you're from my home." She stood up to come stare at him. "That you know who I was."

"Yeah and I know the head of your family, Dru. Harry's nice but he's young." He finished his cocoa and put the mug down on a nearby flat surface. "Why?"

She stared at him. "The stars speak of bad men. Ones without noses."

"Yeah, that's Voldemort. He's in love with his snake pet too." He nodded a bit. "So damn pathetic."

She giggled. "He has bad plans for my family's good name."

"Well, yeah. Though a few of your relatives have already broken the good name part. Not Sirius but one of the sisters in that generation. Bellatrix is more insane than you pretend to be." She grinned at that. "Anyway, if you want to help the bad man quit picking on muggleborns and muggles, then go have him eaten. Save Harry some work, Dru."

"You could talk to him about my allowance. He's the family's daddy now."

"I can ask him about that when I see him later." He smiled at her. "Anything else, Dru?"

"Can you defeat the bad man when you're pretending to be Xander?"

"Hasn't stopped me yet." He smirked a bit. "I'm a partial Xander now, Dru. I had to change over the last twelve years."

She nodded. "I can tell. The stars say you're lickable but not bitable. You're too important to be a snack today." She reached out and touched his cheek with her claws. "But you don't guard yourself anymore."

"You'd be shocked. I'm a cursebreaker, Dru. I can decreate all forms of magic with a bit of work." He smirked a bit. "Including potions and I'm immune to most poisons."

"That's no fun," she pouted. She put her hand down with a pout. "Why?"

"Fishy things."

"Oh." She nodded. "You have fun pets."

"I do." He grinned at her. "They're to keep Rosenburg out of the house."

"Pity they're not very strong."

He turned up his security system, making her moan at the pain it was causing her. "I had it on low," he defended with an evil looking grin. "Now it's on medium." She moaned and nodded, stepping back. "Anything else you wanted to talk about tonight?"

"The DuLac cross?"

"Yeah, I know about it. It's not that hard. Or anything else in this town. I haven't wanted to. I didn't want to consider my old life too hard. But now that I'm partially back I could do that."

"Spike could help."

"Spike could help if I wanted him to but do I really need to charm a minion today?" he quipped with a grin. She shivered. "Have a better night, Dru, and I'll tell Harry about you." She nodded and fled the yard after one last pet to the vine.

Xander turned up the security system to high, which would've evaporated her instantly. He really had to keep it up all the time. It might stop Willow again. He went to the castle, wincing as the wards went around him. "I know! I was on a hellmouth," he complained. It let him walk on. "Got to remember to use the camp moving spell instead."

"Can it get past wards?" Harry asked him.

"Yeah, it can." He grinned and nodded. "One of your relatives wanted me to talk to you about giving her an allowance."

"Bellatrix?" he guessed.

"Druscila."

"Druscila?" He frowned, going to find a family lineage book for the Black family. He found it and stared then sighed. "Who is she and what is that mark?"

Des looked over his shoulder. "That means she's now a supernatural being."

"She's a Scourge of Europe," Xander quipped as he walked in. "Grandma Des." She stared at him. He stared back. "I survived. Do not nag me a single bit." She nodded, floating backward some. "Though I have been helping save the world again." He looked then pointed.

"That mark means vampire and that one beside her name means seer. Which she is. She has tea parties with the stars." He patted Harry on the shoulder, making him flinch a bit. "Yeah, haven't been around people too much, Harry. You get unused to them. I did that a lot on digs." He pulled out a better book to hand to him.

"The various noble and older families. Magically updated to the late twenties I think but it can be forced to update." He did that and looked at their family line, which made Des moan. "Yeah, I screwed up the birth control spell, Grandmother. Harry proves it." He looked at Harry. "Dobby said you're boring and never do anything but study."

"I need to take a day off," he sighed, nodding at that wisdom. "How would I give her an allowance?"

"Let her be a legal heir in the Black family trust?" Xander guessed. "Ask the one you worked with at the bank."

"I can do that. Thanks." He went to call him to see about that idea. Blackrock did answer himself. "It's not a huge question but Xander...the main Dumass heir, found out that a relative of the Black family has been turned." He let him see that book's entry. "Druscila is apparently still around. Xander's seen her."

"She's a Scourge of Europe," Xander called as he walked behind him. "Spike's sire and daughter of Angelus."

"Oh, dear," Blackrock said, then shuddered. "We've been told stories of them, Mr. Potter. What did she need from the family?"

"She asked Xander to ask me about an allowance? How would I even do that?"

Blackrock stared at him then looked up that file, frowning as his finger ran down the tiny scrawl of words on the parchment. "Does she still have magic?"

"Xander said she's a seer."

"Yeah, she's still got mental skills," Xander said, coming back with a plate to hand to Harry with a pointed look. "You're skinny." He looked at him, nodding. "Blackrock."

"Dumass." He stared at him. "Can you prove she has magic?"

"She totally mind screwed Giles when Angelus broke the soul restoration spell on him so Angelus could torture him. Before Buffy sent him to hell for a few months. Now he's back to being Angel and angsty since he can't get laid. By the way, that curse had an out of 'a moment of perfect happiness' which was him laying his girlfriend Buffy Summers for her seventeenth birthday and taking her virginity." Blackrock made a note on that. "It's back now. Rosenburg put it back."

Harry looked at him. "She did a spell that the story said took a whole gypsy clan to do?"

"Right out of a coma and failed first attempt," Xander told him with a nod. "Yeah, we're a bit worried since she's stolen books off Ripper Giles. Who is Buffy's watcher."

"Things are very twisted out there," Blackrock said, making that note as well. He stared at him. "Do you have knowledge of Ethan Rayne?"

"Yeah. He's showed up a few times. A few years back he had all the costumes in his Halloween shop magicked so they could turn us into them." He grinned. "I went as a soldier with a simple gun from the shop because we were forced to help kids trick or treat. Totally overrode things to make me PFC Harris." He wouldn't mention that's what weakened the shield around him.

The diverger blinked a few times. "He did what?" he demanded.

"Yeah." He nodded. "American aurors of course never stepped in, it's Sunnydale." He shrugged but smirked a bit. "But he's shown up a few times. I'm expecting one in about a year's time or so based on his last few's timings."

"Oh, dear."

"By the way he's the head priest for Janus now."

That note got made too and a nod with it. "All right. I will have someone look into that incident."

"Ask Ripper. He's a watcher now and has to keep notes."

"I shall do that."

"And I gave him something to have translated as well."

"I can check to see if we can help that."

"Great. We're having an ascension for our graduation." He beamed at that statement. Blackrock looked displeased and a bit horrified. "Which my high school class will have to fight!" He waved and hung up. "He can call back after shuddering to help you put Dru into the family's trust if you think it's a good idea."

"Sure." He went to eat at the table but Xander closed the books and took him to eat outside. Harry clearly hadn't had sun in a while. He settled them on some rocks and taught him the sensing spells he'd be able to use. That helped Harry center himself in the magic. It made him calmer and meant he could sense all the catacombs and stuff buried around the castle. Harry frowned at one thing's feeling then looked at him. "Is that from the divergers?"

"Which? Though yes there are. And if we mention it they're going to try to demand a war starting to get it back. It was an altar statue that Allisandra liberated. There's a few others they'd probably really want back. And a few things Justinius really wants to own because it'd give him power." He sighed.

"My brother's an idiot demon summoner who killed a unicorn foal in my bedroom. One I was helping nurse as the mother had refused it thanks to him stabbing her with a charmed blade and us having to save her life." Harry shuddered.

"Yeah. Justy's not a good being. At all. And if you see him, run the other way. Especially if he's being polite. It means he's up to something. Like Ethan Rayne, he's into chaos and he's worse. One of the worst the family's ever produced and kicked out." He looked at him. "He was eleven when he did that. Just before he went to school."

"Gross," Harry complained.

"Yeah. He tried to stab me too. I spent a few months hellishly sick thanks to that." He shrugged. "The unicorns that used to live at the new house liked me a lot." He grinned. "I used to toddle out to eat from them and things. We used to watch over the herd and make sure they were taken care of."

"Wow." He stared at him. "Why?"

"By law a unicorn can live wherever it damn well pleases. The only reason you can drive a unicorn off is to protect it from death. They liked our family's lands out there." He shrugged. "We had a huge herd on the farm most years. And cows.

"I used to be the one that went out to feed the baby unicorns and brush them. I was a foal sitter a lot of times. And any that got rejected I bottle fed. I slept in the barn really often some years. And they protected me when things got hairy in the house." He stared at him. "You have Dobby for that."

"I've noticed that." He looked to the side at Dobby appearing, grinning at him. "Thank you for helping me, Dobby."

"Harry Potter sir is welcome. Uncle is very upset that Harry Potter sir has not written him yet."

"I've got a letter started to Remus. I'll finish it later. After I learn sensing stuff from Xander."

"Dumass sir is very good," he said, staring at Xander. "And will protect Harry Potter sir."

"He's a Dumass too, Dobby," he said simply, getting a nod of that. Dobby disappeared with the plate. "We do protect each other. Outside Justy and Melanorma."

Harry looked at him. "Like named after the skin cancer?"

"I think she was named after a character in a play but I have no idea. She was just older than me. Between me and Justy. Those two were close." He patted him on the back. "C'mon, I'll teach you what common curses on stuff looks like and how to prevent it from sticking to you. Then I'm going to go stare at the curses on Hogwarts to see what new ones have come up."

Harry grinned at that but went with him to the catacombs. There were some fascinating things down there. Including a present for a fairy wedding that was supposed to happen sometime in the next century. And some tiny elven butt plugs for some reason. Harry didn't want to touch those. That was a bit weird to him.

Things had stories and Xander told him a great many of them. Allisandra floated in to tell him more of them. It was great to have a family that told him things.

***

Ron rolled out of the floo at Remus' house, handing over a letter. "From Harry and Dobby. Dobby brought it and I kept Mum from seeing it." He grinned. "She thinks I'm going to bother a classmate up the street from you." Remus smiled at that. "Harry's being barmy up at the castle. He did say he'd show up in public in a few days to go to the bank over something or other in the Black family." He sighed. "He told me unicorns are soft too."

"They are," Remus agreed with a grin. "The Dumass clan used to be known for having some on their property. Alexander was known to fuss over them and drink unicorn cream in his tea."

"You can do that?" Ron asked.

"Yes. It'll taste different depending on how your magic leans."

"Oh. Didn't know that." He nodded. "I'm going to help Luna study."

"Have fun, Ron." He pointed. "She's that way." He nodded, going to talk to her. It got him out of the house and Ginny could follow in a few hours to 'find' him.

Remus opened the letter, smiling at the antics of the young man. Harry's letter wasn't complete but the note at the bottom said that Dobby had taken it when Harry had fallen asleep writing it. That figured. Harry was working himself too hard.

***

Harry walked into the bank with a big, fancy bag that looked like a shopping bag made of tapestry fabric. "Hi, I need to see Blackrock about the Black trust please?" he asked.

"You bring in weapons?" the guard asked.

"No, this is something that my senior heir had me bring here to him as a peace offering." He grinned. "He found it in a closet."

"Oh." He called out Blackrock. Who came out a few minutes later. The guard followed.

"Xander said hello and we found this in a breached catacomb. One of the moles that're psychic apparently broke in to snuggle up to it and broke it in thirds but he said Aunt Allisandra said to bring it back. She's pouting. She said it was a present upon her wedding and first child's birth." He put the bag on the table. "And he connected me with Druscila Black, who is...interesting to say the least."

"From the rumors she is," he agreed. "What is that?"

"It's a statue of some sort. Xander said the psychic moles were sucking off the magic and had grown as a colony so he banished them to the Forbidden Forest again." He let Blackrock have the bag. Out popped a flower first, making the banker smirk at that. It was his wife's favorite flower so he plucked it off to put aside. Then he opened the bag wider and gasped.

"I have no idea what that is. He packed it, not me," he said at the look the banker gave him. "Said it was better served back here where it could be healed? And the one underneath it came from Allisandra's tomb. She said it was from her own prayer altar as a cursebreaker? I have no idea about any of that. I'm delivering since I had to be up here."

"It's... actually a very special altar item in our main temple. It was given to her as a present for the birth of her first child because her delivering then stopped us going to war." He cleared his throat. "I will give this to our king with his compliments, Mr. Potter." He stared at him. "Thank him for us."

"He's back at home. He did that yesterday then had to go back to classes."

"That figures. The man is never idle." He carefully put it onto a chair and pulled out the paperwork. "Do you want to include her?"

"I said she could have a quarter of what anyone else got if they got a monthly one. She clapped and cheered at the shiny gold coins she could use to create a circle to call down her stars for a better tea party?"

"She's a seer," he said. "Oh, dear."

"That's what Xander said, she's a seer. And Spike's a former Watcher guy I guess. Angelus is kinda...weird. Very weird to me."

"Yes, the rumors would lead you to think him pretty and vain. Plus very dangerous."

"He's helping the slayer out in Sunnydale."

"That figures." He shook his head with a sigh. He went over what they could give to Druscila and send to a bank in the US so she didn't have to come back to her homeland. Harry signed off on that and left to go get a few pieces of candy and lurk until he found Remus. Ron found him first, thankfully with just the twins.

Blackrock looked at the guard. "Let me lock my office and you can escort me to the king." That got a nod. He did that and sent up his daily paperwork, bringing the bag with him respectfully. He bowed when the king saw him almost immediately.

"Sire, the head of the Clan Dumass said he found this in a broken catacomb. Mr. Potter said something about psychic moles breaking into that catacomb to get close to it to bask in the energy. They also apparently broke it." He handed the bag over. "And underneath is something from his Aunt Allisandra's altar as a cursebreaker."

The king put the bag on his desk and opened it to see it. "Oh," he said in awe. "Well, the moles did a nice job breaking it. And draining it." He pulled out the statue, making the guard gasp. "We gave this to Allisandra because her ill timing with her birthing stopped us from starting an inter-clan war."

He frowned, finding the other two pieces. "It can be repaired and reblessed." Underneath it was a statue to Loki, who oversaw all the cursebreakers. He moaned at that. "Oh, that frees her altar and her from his service." He swallowed. "Allisandra said she was going to keep it safe forever. To be the pin that held the cursebreakers together." He looked at Blackrock. "Why did he send that one back?"

"He did not tell Mr. Potter to note more than it was in there. We can try to summon her ghost."

Des's ghost floated in. "Allisandra said the damn thing quit working so he's in trouble too." She grimaced. "Said freeing herself would let him have the energy back to wake him and free himself from whatever is going on. She also noted to have Harry trained by him too please. Him, Weasley, a few others up at the school if it ever reopens."

"That is kind of her to protect the God over Cursebreakers." The king stared at her. "Destina, do you know of your nephew?"

"Of course. I raised the little shit." She smirked a bit. "Xander's a good boy. Not as good as he was as Alexander, but Alex got changed by his twelve years over there. He's not the same Alexander. Now he's claiming he's halfway between Xander and himself. Which...probably. I know he's got a worse temper.

"Justinius tried to get into the castle and nearly got fried for it." She smirked at them. "That statue got broken by those stupid moles. Who were still searching for that stolen ruby but it's locked up better." She shrugged. "They got banished to the Forbidden Forest. Even if they do go break the school's foundation walls."

"That would seem to be something your grandson would enjoy seeing," Blackrock said.

"Only if they ate Dumbledore before the rest of us got him," she said bluntly. "Because that man, he's enough to make me go wake myself up and come out to duel him. And I would win."

"You were fierce in your day," the king told her. "As your grandson was in his and probably is growing into again."

She smiled. "You have no idea what Xander's done, do you?" He slowly shook his head. "You should look at the demon's intelligence files on him. The slayer thinks he's just a guy, just a normal guy who bad things are drawn to."

"Oh, dear."

"Oh, yes." She smiled and nodded. "Also, he's not wanting to go clean the area out but he should. He could use it to buy himself a spouse so he wouldn't be all alone any longer. It'd help him a lot if he wasn't." She waved and disappeared.

The king cleared his throat. "We can look into that. Talk to our brethren over there as well." He looked at the guard. "Go tell the old King?" He nodded, going to get him so that could be passed on. It was the old King's job to handle the temple now. The old man came limping in. "Did one of the grandchildren trip you?" the new King asked with a smile.

"Two of them tackled me because I quit telling them histories." He looked at the pieces. "How did it get broken?"

"Psychic moles from what Alexander Dumass told Mr. Potter," Blackrock said, bowing to him.

The old king considered that. "Is he still being Xander?"

"He's integrated but yes," the new King said. "Probably. His grandmother wanted him to gather artifacts to buy himself a spouse so he wasn't alone."

"That could help things," he admitted. He took the bag to put the pieces in. "I'll have our top crafters repair it so we can dedicate it again." He looked at the other statue. "His?"

"Allisandra's. She thinks he's trapped and needs the energy back."

"Oh, dear. But it could help him I suppose."

"She also passed on to have Harry Potter and a few other tutored by him if the school's ever reopened and he manages to go teach again."

"That's...the Potter heir?" the old King demanded.

The new king nodded with a grin. "And Heir Secondary of the Clan Dumass. Alexander's grandson."

"Oh, that's going to be a mess. He's already got the heir's ring on."

"He wears three and the Dumass pendant," Blackrock said. "Peverell. Potter. Black. They picked how they wanted to lay so they're out of traditional order. There's a fourth but it's not a known heir's ring that I'm aware of."

The old king nodded. "Great news. Is he a good cursebreaker?"

"Alexander and Allisandra have both been training him. He had a shielding issue the last I saw him and today he had none, it was rock steady and impenetrable," Blackrock told him. "So I'd say better than a minor gift towards it."

"We can't let him go into the regular fields. It could get him dead. He has no heirs."

"He did note that Druscila Black is still around," Blackrock said. Then he smiled. "She's one of the Scourges of Europe." The old King stared at him oddly. He nodded. "She's a still seer and has enough magic to use mind magics on the watcher out there. Who was Ripper Giles. Also, we need to look into how Ethan Rayne, high priest to Janus, used a costume shop to turn all the ones who wore them into said costumes for a Halloween night."

The new King blinked a few times. "We should end that town."

The old King nodded. "We should but we can't. The hellmouth's too strong. That's why we've coded it no entry. Which is why he got put there. Which figures. The biggest and brightest curse breaker ever, and the one who found the most trouble, being put onto the place where trouble comes into being." He hugged the bag. "I'll have this repaired. Let me know of anything interesting that you decide about that town or area."

"I shall. Thank you, Sire."

"Welcome." He left, limping back to the temple to call the crafting guilds together. He put the pieces in front of them. "Alexander found that some psychic moles had broken into where it was hidden and broke it. Then sucked it dry."

They touched it and went over how to fix it and have it reblessed. It was their holy icon. The clan had clearly guarded it but with that heir not being around, no one had been able to check on it. Hence moles moving in. It was another point that showed their past failures to guard their people properly.

***

Harry looked at the twins and Ron, shrugging some. "I had to do something at the bank." The twins grinned, walking him off by force. "Hey! I need stuff."

"You can come back for it," Ron quipped. "Before Mum loses her mind."

Harry got free gently, staring at him. "I know she's worried about me but I'm actually ahead on my homework. And learning other stuff. Including shielding so things quit being drawn to me." Ron frowned at that, shaking his head slowly. "Yeah. The natural cursebreaker stuff? It came out on me again. Thankfully I had some great tutors from the ghosts and Xander himself when he showed up for a few hours. He even told me about some of my grandfather's siblings since two weren't the nicest of folks."

"Why?"

"One's still alive but kicked out," one of the twins quipped.

Harry grinned and him and nodded. "Yes he is. He's tried to get into the family home too. Did you know they used to protect a herd of unicorns?"

"It was said they did," the other twin agreed.

"Apparently my grandfather used to be the one who took care of any abandoned foals." He looked at Ron again. "Really, I'm good."

"We can come back with you," Ron offered with a smirk.

"Locked floo."

"Shite," he muttered.

"I have no idea how I'd let anyone in. Half the time I mispronounce it so I can't get there." He shrugged. "I've got to hit a few stores if if you want to come with me."

"Mum's going to demand we bring you back with us," Ron said.

"While I love your mother, I can't deal with nagging," Harry said, eyes wide. "Grandma Des' ghost does that a lot. Especially about our bad educations because there's not been a standard defense teacher. She's really mad at Dumbledore for many reasons. If she were alive she said she'd call him out."

Ron shivered. "That's a bad thing."

Harry shrugged but grinned. "No clue really. I know she was a tops in her day defense person though. Their books are really hard. A lot harder than ours are."

Ron nodded. "Everyone said the younger generations are getting more stupid."

"Could be we're forced to be," Harry said with another shrug. "I'm going to get paper, candy, a few new books that Des ordered, and a few other things. Wanna join me, guys? You can keep people from grabbing me." He glared at the one sneaking up on him. "Hey, Luna."

"Harry." She grinned. "Are you okay up there all by yourself?"

"There's a few amazing family ghosts. Des's been teaching me defense and other stuff. Allisandra's been going over the formal stuff I never got. It's been pretty neat and I'm ahead on my homework. The only thing they can't teach me is potions because apparently we're all miserable in there."

She nodded. "It's said that the Clan Dumass was all miserable in there and herbology. Snapes were the potions and herbology people." She patted him on the arm. "We should get out of view," she said quietly. "You're drawing attention."

Harry looked around then nodded. "I'm going to pick up a few things. Wanna join us?"

"Sure!" She walked off with the guys protectively around them. "What're you studying now?"

"Shielding. It's helped a lot." He smirked at her. "And the journal of the distant uncle way back about four generations who is the reason there's a pirate ship up there. He brought her home again when he retired from being a profiteer. He had inherited it from an uncle."

She looked at him oddly. "Why was he doing that?"

"He was bored. It let him travel. Allisandra's ghost said that he was probably a natural cursebreaker too but it wasn't a career choice in those days." He shrugged but held open the door to the pen shop for her. "Allisandra's ghost is teaching me manners." She giggled at that, going into the shop first. Harry patted himself down.

"I hope I didn't lose the key." One of the twins handed it and Harry's wand over. "Thanks, mate. Did you get the money pouch too?" The other twin handed that over. Harry grinned at them. "Hi, I need more paper. I'm almost done with all my homework," he said happily to the staring cashier.

"Just parchment, not formal stationary, Mr. Potter?"

"I'm not ready for formal stationary yet. I have no idea which one I need to use for which type of letter yet. The family ghost is teaching me that later this week." She giggled and nodded, getting him a few boxes of paper to choose from. He made his choice and got two, then paid for it and went to the bookstore with his charming escort team. He smiled at the cashier, who looked amused. "My family's ghost Destina Dumass said she called up to find some books for me."

"We don't usually take orders from the family's ghosts but I'll go ask. Name?"

"Harry Potter."

"Oh, I didn't recognize you without the scar." She left to tell the owner, who brought out the three older books. Harry beamed and paid then put them into the bag with the paper and got a few comics too. He paid for them and left with the other teenagers. "That was really him?"

"He had a specialist deal with the curse scar for him. The Americans said so. Came out in the court case," Mr. Flourish told her. "Poor guy." He went back to his office to make a note that he had picked those up. If that family ghost was looking for specific books to help their heir, Harry Potter, there was probably a reason. Destina had been a force of nature when she had been alive.

***

Ron leaned into the kitchen from the floo, letting Luna leave behind him. "We let Luna come back with us so she didn't have to Knight Bus, mum."

"That's fine, she doesn't live that far away," she said happily. "Did you get everything?"

"We kinda forgot to go shopping. We ran into Harry. He had to drop something at the bank and pick up a few books his family's ghosts wanted him to read." Her face lit up and she wiped her hands off. "He's back at their house, Mum. Destina Dumass' ghost showed up to nag him about taking so long out in dangerous territory before he could duel properly like a real Dumass. He sighed and agreed, going with her."

"I remember her. She was quite a matriarch of the family," she said, staring at Ron. "Was he all right?"

"Yeah, he's fine, Mum. He said he's nearly done with all of his homework. Said he fell asleep in the library the night before on top of a book about creatures and defense stuff." He grinned again. "Looked a bit tired from that but he said the table's not real comfortable and the ghost that plays the harpsichord kept him up for a bit last night."

"They have a what?" she asked.

"He said it's a former music teacher way back when and he stayed when he died," George said as he leaned around Ron's head. "Fred went back after the onions, Mum. He'll be right back." She sighed, staring at them. He grinned. "Harry just needed some candy, a few books, and some paper. Said he's got all the homework done."

"I suppose that's good but he's up there all alone with ghosts."

"And Dobby," Ron said. Dobby appeared. "Is Harry really doing okay? Mum's worried."

Dobby looked at her and nodded. "Harry Potter sir is being boring. He is studying and not much else, Mrs. Loud One. Harry Potter sir is doing just fine, even if Harry Potter sir forgets he has a bed to sleep in sometimes. And he won't let Dobby cook!" He huffed as he disappeared, taking the bag George was hiding behind Ron's back from him. It had Harry's candy.

Ron shrugged. "See, he's being a good boy."

"It's still just ghosts and a house elf!" she complained. "We should invite him down. Or let you go visit, Ron."

"He said the floo's locked," George said. "He's not sure how to let people into it and it's heir locked, Mum. No one can get there."

"Oh." She frowned. "We can get letters to him and he can get out."

"He's not being held hostage, Mum," Ron sighed. "He could leave if he wanted to. He and Remus spent a few minutes together too. Remus apparently forgot he was going to be down there today."

She huffed again. "He could at least visit."

"Then write him a letter and invite him for lunch," George said. She frowned at him but did that. For the next day. "Mum, give him a few days," George reminded her. "He may be in bed for the day." He walked off. "Like Bill, he'll end up keeping weird hours."

She fixed that and made it for three days from then, and invited Hermione too. Though she wasn't sure the girl was a good influence on her poor, innocent daughter. Ron left her to her plotting too. When Fred got there with the onions she needed, she smiled and patted him on the cheek. "No better ones?"

"That was the last ten they had, Mum. He said it's been dry so nothing's growing great. He did give you a discount since they're so old." He handed her the change and went up to his room to talk to his twin. His mother was being weird again.

***

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