Chapter Text
Our Lady of the Blessed Do Over
Chapter 12
Hogsmeade
Sunday
1 Sep 1991
09:00
"Everyone ready?" Harry looked around and caught the nods. Everyone stood dressed in their gray silk robes. "All right on three, one, two, th--"
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Hogsmeade
Sunday
1 Sep 1991
09:01
"--ree." Harry looked around and smiled; they had deployed perfectly. Daphne's laugh burst out and took the rest of them with it. The platform was empty and the train was sitting there dead and cold. Harry looked around sheepishly.
The bonded laughed. Cho finally managed, "I told you the train doesn't leave till 11:00, Harry."
"I know, but I thought it would be, uh, fired up already. I mean, it is a steam engine--and Gordon took forever when his fire went out. Toppem Hat went spare."
"What?"
Harry dug his toe into the flags of the platform as the bonded with Muggle knowledge rolled on the ground laughing. Even some of the strictly magical who had young nieces and nephews were howling with laughter.
Carina stepped up beside Harry. "What's wrong with them?"
This sent the now recovering witches into fresh paroxysms. Harry shrugged.
Ginny finally recovered. "Harry, that was a kids' show!"
Harry blushed; they just barely heard, "I didn't have anything else to go on."
Ginny took Harry in a hug. "Sorry, Harry. We weren't laughing at you, baby."
Harry nodded and finally hugged her back. He grinned. "Was a bit daft. How do they get the steam, though?"
Dora smiled. "Magic, Harry."
Harry gave a blazing grin. "Okay, well, still the same mission. Let's get the teams together, check the train and the platform, and Hermione, your team Transfigures the robes and checks the station. Questions?" No one spoke. "All right, go."
Harry started toward the train, with Bella and Ginny leading small groups. They reached the back of the train, dropped onto the tracks, and made their way to the front as Tonks and her crew worked their way through the train. Daphne and her team took care of the platform.
Frank and Alice Longbottom appeared with Sirius, James, Amelia Bones, and Alastor Moody. Alastor watched the Potter bonded work with a critical eye. "Ought to give 'em badges now," he growled.
The other Aurors nodded. This was a good tight Auror company they were watching. Frank suddenly beamed. Alice looked at him. "Uh-oh!"
Frank tried to look innocent. "What?"
"'What' my hind end, Frank. I know that look. You'd better talk to Lily before you do anything rash or she'll have me gut you."
Frank looked at her, aghast. "And you would?"
Amelia growled. "If she didn't, I would."
Frank pouted as Alastor laughed. "You thought you were in charge of something? Come on, let's go find Captain Potter of the first reserve company and torture him for a while."
Amelia and Alice shook their heads. "Lily will kill you, Frank!"
Frank looked at Alice. "I don't think so. The rules have never been rescinded from the last war, so this would provide cover for Harry and the girls should anything untoward happen. Remember what the memoirs say. Harry knows some very Dark curses now; should he use them, it would help if they were--uhh--"
James helped Frank out. "Undercover Aurors or hit wizards."
Frank nodded his thanks. "It would give them at least the veneer of legitimacy, unless it was something completely heinous."
Amelia suddenly nodded. "And we don't have to tell them. We can just add an instructor in the law and make them take the course."
Alice snorted. "I'd like to see you 'make' Harry do anything if Lily doesn't want him to. Besides which he and Tonks are already Auror qualified."
The group of MLE officers continued the discussion as they watched and walked toward the front of the train.
Moody was well pleased. Harry had dropped a member of his squad on guard at the rear and in the middle of the train, Daphne had DONE the same these two witches linked up and stood guard as pairs, and Dora did the same with singles inside the train.
As soon as Hermione's group returned, three of the witches with her went to join their wives on the train and Harry, Dora, Hermione, Bella and Daphne gathered in the middle of the platform as their remaining squad members broke into pairs and began a roving patrol.
Harry watched the engineer wizard arrive and start up the engine as the first children, mostly ickle firsties too anxious to wait any more, and their parents arrived.
Buster Cronault and his wife and daughter had negotiated the barrier in accordance with the parchment of instructions they had been given at the Malfoy Center and looked around in wonder just inside the platform.
Su, who had taken up a station on one side of the entrance with Parvati, her partner, on the other, cleared her throat. "Move along please, keep the way clear for others. Thank you." Su wished a Prefect, two actually, would show up so she could detail them to this.
Buster started from his amazed stupor and moved his family and their trolley along. They gravitated toward the ravishing violet-eyed young woman standing with the three children in the middle of the platform. Buster suddenly came to two realizations. The woman looked like a very young Elizabeth Taylor, right down to the violet eyes, and it was Lady Bellatrix Black Potter. The Potters' pictures were all over the Malfoy Center. If Lady Bellatrix was here, then Lord Potter wouldn't be far away. Natalie was going to go spare, just like she did every time she saw him. "Margaret." Having caught his wife's attention, he nodded at Bellatrix.
Margaret shot her husband a glare. While he had been staring, stupefied, at Lady Bellatrix she had already seen the Potters in those gray silk robes, the Aurors in their maroon robes, and the entire platform. Margaret turned her head back; holding Natalie's hand, she stepped up to the group. "Lord and Ladies Potter, so nice to see you!"
Harry turned and saw the Cronaults. "Mrs Cronault, Mr. Cronault." Harry smiled. "Natalie, how was your summer?"
Margaret looked at Bellatrix and smiled as Natalie squeed, hugged Harry, and exploded into nearly unintelligible high-speed preteen speak, while hugging Hermione then Daphne and getting a hug from Bellatrix.
The next two people through the entrance had been fifth and sixth year Prefects and Su had delegated them the entry control mission with instructions to be nice and direct the arrivals to Harry's group. As they were Ruth Rookwood Potter and Percy Weasley, this was easy. Kathryn Nott Potter and Claude Rosier Potter were next and were directed to start moving students to stow their baggage and get on the train. Ruth and Percy, who had a list from Su, were to direct the Prefects to Harry, who would assign them duties as required.
The children and graduate students under the Prefects' direction--well, Harry's through the Prefects; there were a few of those little "who died and left you in charge" flaps that Harry had to drift over and settle--loaded the train and lined the windows, talking to their parents. This kept the flow going while still containing the crowd.
The MLE crew and parents watched in amazement as the train was loaded efficiently and with minimal disruptions. Compared to the normal chaos it was a new world. Several reporters on scene watched and scribbled notes in between camera flashes.
The MLE crew watched this and the light dawned. It was a setup--a crowd control plan so subtle it was not noticeable to the crowd. The group in the center of the platform naturally attracted the students and parents, keeping the entrance clear and the crowd localized. Harry was free to move to crisis points with a nod, a slight frown and and an 'excuse me please'.
James was beaming. "Very bright. Good plan."
Sirius was pretty happy too. "The only problem being, now that he has them contained, what will he do? How will he get the late comers on the train?"
Moody barked a laugh. "Already handled. Hannah and Susan are holding a lane open to that first passenger car door. I wonder what would happen in the face of a threat, though?"
Amelia chuckled. "You'd better not try to find out. Harry might cut you in half."
"Or Ginny, Bella, any of them actually." The whole group jumped and Andromeda laughed out loud and got off a "Constant vigilance!"
Moody growled and received a raised brow and continued laughter. He finally recovered. "Andromeda, we should--"
"Make them reserve Aurors? Certainly, but you James and Frank have to sell it to Lily."
"Sell me what?"
As the sales job began, Harry kept greeting and herding students and parents. Su was developing a plan as she watched the upper years respond to Harry. That virgins'-taking blood thing Luna had come up with could very well work. Oh, not Harry taking them like Ginny wanted, but these witches would do a small thing to help him. After all, it kept a mess off the sheets. Yes, and Bella was the one to talk to them.
Harry, oblivious to all but the mission, finally saw the last of the students on board and got Hermione's group out to sweep the station one last time as his group swept the undercarriage of the train.
Dora's crew had secured and enlarged three compartments at the rear, middle, and front of the train. When Hermione and Harry reappeared on the platform, Harry boarded the train last after waving to the engineer and the train pulled from the station, nearly lopsided from children hanging out the windows.
The parents lingered a moment as silence descended, and then after waving goodbye Apparated home or left to catch transportation home through the Muggle world. Lily thought a parents' group would be a nice project. Muggle schools had them, after all.
On the train it was a madhouse as upper years settled in and lower years got comfy. The firsties were in awe of it all. Then the first of the upper year girls found the Potter bonded. Harry's plan for sleep went right out the window--not that he minded, as he was having a blast talking to everyone and visiting around as he checked the train up and down with Bella and Dora. The other bonded had broken into pairs and were doing the same thing. After an hour the train settled and everyone found seats with their friends for serious talking--well, gossiping anyway. The three Potter compartments were expanded to the limits of magic and the rest of the train was a ghost ship. Only the trolley witch and the Prefects on rounds traversed the halls.
Fred and George were telling that horrible troll-wrestling-for-Sorting story and scaring the firsties witless until Ginny bat-bogeyed them and told the firsties not to worry, that they wouldn't be required to do anything they couldn't. She soon had a following of first year boys. Harry grinned as all his bonded grew clusters of wizards, much to their chagrin. At least he grinned until the first one got Petrified and stuck to the ceiling for an inappropriate touch. Dora reholstered her wand, which she had faked using, after blowing on the end like that Clint Eastwood fellow in one of those spaghetti westerns she so loved. None of the other bonded had a problem after that, as the binding marks around their wrists became visible; perhaps "more visible" was the phrase.
This caused immediate discussions amongst the witches, mainly as to why they all had one circle of ivy around each wrist. The wizards listened carefully and immediately backed up a little. The Malfoy Center and its contracted instructors drilled respect for bindings into all its students. The Potter daughters present in their gray robes were the next focus, as only Wendy had the circles of ivy. Wendy having been Handfasted to Harry last winter after a ten year campaign of taking her marriage to him as fact. The others, Clarice and Cynthia Rosier Potter, Ruth and Jillian Rookwood Potter, Kathryn Nott Potter, and Harlequin and Heather Avery Potter, just smirked and coyly didn't answer.
They knew by now that Ruth might be the only one besides Wendy to bond with Harry and they had accepted it; but they were, after all, women, and weren't about to let out what else, if anything, might happen. If people were too stupid to figure it out, then they would just have to remain ignorant. Harry was gorgeous, powerful, not blood related, and they were living with him. It didn't need a seer. That their mums had decided they were happy and safe with Harry was no one's business but the bonded's, and their decisions were the same--no one's business but those involved.
Conversation soon moved on, leaving Adrian Pucey quite forgotten, stuck to the ceiling nearly wetting himself as that green-eyed glare swept over him occasionally, usually followed by a violet-eyed glare that promised infinite pain.
The games of Exploding Snap started along with Famous Wizard card trading and General discussions. One of these discussions of course turned to Quidditch. "Oi, Wood, be ready this year. Five teams."
The other Quidditch captains, including Pucey, went still--well, none as still as the Petrified Pucey. "What five teams, Potter?"
"We opened the Potter Quarters and we're authorized a team." Harry grinned at the results of his bombshell. It was momentarily pandemonium as runners took off to relay the news to the other expanded compartments and the students in Harry's compartment whispered madly.
Oliver wood finally closed his mouth and grinned. "You're mostly firsties, Potter, no experience; we'll mop the pitch with you!"
Harry's smile turned predatory. "Care for a little wager, then?"
The twins blanched, pulled Oliver down, and sat on him. "No, Harry--"
"--no wager."
Fred looked at George and they laughed as the rest of the compartment groaned. Angelina Johnson looked at the twins and then at Harry. "Fred, George, what do you know?"
The twins fell to the floor as Oliver surged upward; as George groaned and rubbed his butt, Fred said, "They've been playing together as a team for ten years, since they could ride training brooms."
George added, "They practice nearly every day."
The Quidditch captains and players, minus Pucey, glared at Harry, who was laughing like an idiot. Harry smirked and dropped his next four bombs. "Play starts in October this year. Salem, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang are fielding teams too, and then April, May, and June will be a top-plays-bottom tournament. The Junior Atlantic League champions will be the winners of the game in June. Here's the schedule; dates haven't been fixed yet but some of our games will be away at Salem, Durmstrang, and Beauxbatons." Harry handed the parchment to Oliver.
October November December January February March
Gryffindor/Slytherin Gryffindor/Salem Gryffindor/HufflePuff Gryffindor/Potter Gryffindor/Ravenclaw Gryffindor/Beauxbatons
Ravenclaw/Hufflepuff Ravenclaw/Slytherin Ravenclaw/Gryffindor Ravenclaw/Potter Ravenclaw/Durmstrang Ravenclaw/Salem
Potter/ Beauxbatons Potter/Hufflepuff HufflePuff/Beauxbatons Salem/Hufflepuff Potter/Salem Potter/Durmstrang
Durmstrang/Gryffindor Durmstrang/Slytherin Durmstrang/Salem Slytherin/Hufflpuff Durmstrang/Hufflepuff Durmstrang/Beauxbatons
Salem/Slytherin Beauxbatons/Salem Beauxbatons/Slytherin Beauxbatons/Ravenclaw
Harry continued, "The Ministry is authorizing international Portkeys. Oh, we get to practice half of one day a week at the others' pitches too, Saturdays. I already booked Potter for their away practices. I'll be glad to only take one day a week for practice at Hogwarts--I booked Tuesdays for my House. You'll have to arrange for the cost of the international Portkeys, though. I'm sure your House alumni can help out."
Just then the four combined decks of cards in a particularly large and up until then vigorous game of Exploding Snap went off, leaving Seamus Finnegan looking like a character from the Road Runner Cartoon Hour, and Pucey, who was stuck over the discard pile, singed. The compartment emptied in seconds and the rolling laughing party carried on in the passageway. Oliver and the Quidditch-crazed stuck the parchment to a window and argued fiercely while Pucey strained, attempting to hear them.
As this was going on, further down the train Draco stretched luxuriously. It felt good to be out of the compartment for a bit. Although it was actually fairly spacious, with so many Weasleys and Potters and other members of the Potter Alliance laughing and talking a mile a minute, gradually raising their voices higher and higher to be heard over each other, it seemed far more crowded than it really was.
He stared out of the window, listening to Fred and George's uproarious laughter as they played yet another prank on some poor--although not necessarily unsuspecting--victim.
Then the door to the compartment everyone had moved to opened, and for a moment the noise flowed over him at full volume before someone closed it again. Before Draco could turn around, a hand descended lightly onto his shoulder.
"Everything okay?" It was Ron.
Draco turned to look over his shoulder. "Oh yeah, sure. It was just kind of hot in there and I needed to move around a bit. Long ride, isn't it?"
Ron nodded. "Too right." He looked up and down the corridor, which for the moment at least was empty except for them. "What do you say we look around a bit, do a little exploring?"
Draco shrugged and tried not to look too eager. He was more than happy to spend time with Ron, even if they were far from alone, surrounded as they were by hundreds of their fellow students.
"Sure." Draco pointed up the corridor to where the trolley lady had stopped outside a compartment a few doors away. "We'll be in the way there. Let's go this way." He turned and started down the corridor toward the rear of the train; it was too narrow for them to walk abreast, so Ron followed behind.
The train began to make a long curve and its regular rhythm broke for a moment, throwing them off stride. Draco threw his hand out to catch himself and Ron reached to steady him. "Careful," he said. His hand lingered at Draco's waist for a moment, and Draco leaned into it just the slightest bit, relishing the feeling. Then the moment passed; Ron dropped his hand, and they continued down the corridor.
When they came to the door at the end, Draco looked back at Ron and raised his eyebrows. Ron shrugged and nodded, so Draco pulled the door open and they went through into the next car. It proved to be the rearmost car, and they made their way down the heavily vibrating floor until they reached the door to the fantail. To the boys' surprise, this prime spot was currently unoccupied, so they stepped out into the small, windy, railing-enclosed space and closed the door.
The novelty of watching the landscape recede behind the train was interesting for a while, but soon other, more interesting things filled their minds.
Ron offered, "Fred and George say that the first years get to ride to the castle across the lake in little boats, with torches to light the way." Draco made suitably interested noises. Ron continued, "They say there's a giant squid in the lake and sometimes it swims among the boats." He snorted. "Honestly. They think we'll swallow any old story."
Draco shivered. "A giant squid?" He looked a little worried. "I'm not much of a swimmer. It sounds a little...dangerous."
Ron looked at him. "You don't swim? Well, I wouldn't worry. It's just the twins telling stories to wind up us first years, most likely. If it was really dangerous the school wouldn't have us doing it. Right?"
Draco didn't look convinced, but he said nothing. He folded his arms in front of him and leaned on the railing.
"Hey." Ron shoved his shoulder gently.
"Hmm?"
"Let's make sure we get in the same boat, okay? Then if you fall out, I can jump in and save you," Ron joked.
Draco could picture it clearly: himself falling out of a wildly rocking boat--squid tentacles waving madly all around them--Ron dragging him back into the boat and then proceeding to perform mouth-to-mouth...um, resuscitation.... His imagination stalled at that point and he drifted pleasantly for a moment.
Ron watched Draco, wondering what had put that dreamy expression on his face--an expression that seemed to find a home there more often than not lately. It suited Draco's delicate features; he looked like some romantic elfin child out of a fairy tale, dreaming of derring-do and rescuing fair maidens.
Fair maidens? Suddenly Ron felt a little spurt of melancholy; he didn't know why.
Just then a Prefect opened the door and looked out. "Oi, what are you two doing out here? It's nearly time to change into your school robes. Come on now, back inside."
Ron and Draco followed him into the car and he closed the door firmly. "Off to your compartment, now," he said in a patronizing tone. They rolled their eyes but had no choice, because he accompanied them all the way back to their own car and even opened the compartment door for them. "In you go," he directed and, reluctantly, in they went.
As he closed the door behind them and officiously took himself off to ruin someone else's fun, Ron whispered to Draco, "Too bad he's not a first year."
"Why?"
"We could invite him to go in our boat and see that he had a little accident, oh, about halfway across the lake. Tasty little squid snack he'd be, yeah?"
Draco grinned. He still wasn't crazy about the idea of the boat ride, and he hoped desperately that the twins were only joking about the giant squid. But knowing that Ron would be in the same boat (pun intended) went some way toward making Draco feel like it might not be so bad after all.
Meanwhile, back near the epicenter of the riot that was the student body, Hermione stuck her head out of the compartment she was in, rolled her eyes, mouthed "Boys!", and pulled her head back in. Ginny watched and snickered as she joined the still ongoing quidditch argument--errh, discussion--at the window.
Soon enough they were about an hour from Hogwarts and Harry wanted to brief them on how he wanted the train emptied. The upper years listened, and finding no holes in the plan and agreeing that it would go faster, acquiesced. Everyone separated, changed into robes, and waited.
Bella cleared her throat, got Dora's attention, and looked at the ceiling. Dora followed her eyes and glared with Harry-green eyes at Pucey.
He had wondered for the whole trip how he would apologize, finally settling on prostrating himself and offering a heartfelt, abject apology. Dora Finited the curse and charm, and Pucey apologized from his knees. Dora nodded once and he scrambled away. As soon as he was gone Bella sniffed. "Not a man amongst them. How ever did we get so stupid?"
Harry kissed her, and Bella let it go for now. Class was going to be hard for some of these, though. Lessons would need to be given, lessons in respect. She would have to offer Sylvia and Daphne some of her time in the magical customs class.
The train coasted to a stop and Hagrid was stunned when the students quickly and quietly exited and the first years gathered at his knees--errh, ankles, "First years, then?" He smiled as he got nods all round. "Harry Potter. Good to see you again, Harry!"
"Hagrid! We just left this morning!" Harry smiled anyway; Hagrid was a friend. Not exactly a confidant, but a friend. "Come on, Hagrid." Harry walked off toward the boats, wand aloft and lit by a Lumos.
Hagrid watched for a second. The boy had grown; he didn't get to see him much, but that should change now that Harry was here. "'Alf a mo, Harry, tha's my job!" Two long strides put Hagrid back in front of the crowd and he dropped his pace to a shuffle to let the smaller firsties keep up.