Chapter 27
“So, we all need to go.” Tonks said. “That means, James and Lily need a wagon.”
“Actually, I was thinking about that.” Harry tilted his head. “I don’t think they really do. They’re not going to be going trading, not to the same degree that we are, so a shop-cart isn’t really needed. Although, dad’s little cart would work just as well for that, if he wanted it to. And as for all their stuff? We can shrink it and store it in a trunk in their cart. Sirius rides with me, in my shop-cart. Dad drives my wagon and everyone else is sorted. We only really need to give Rover time to recover, before we head out.”
“Not just Rover.” Lily objected. “You, Colin, Fred and James need time, too.”
“Yes, mum.” Harry gave his mother a smile. “Never thought I’d say that.”
“Never thought I’d hear it.” Lily’s eyes were glistening.
~~~
June 7th 2920
Following Remus’ wagon, as their friend guided them out onto the East-West Road, James and Lily Potter looked at each other and shared a stunned look.
“Sweet Merlin…” Lily whispered.
“Holy hell…” James muttered at the same time. “Our kid…”
“He had this all laid out by lunch time, less a day after arriving.” Lily just shook her head. “How?”
“I have no idea, Lils.” James answered, disbelievingly. “I didn’t think it was possible.”
Lily was in much the same state. “He went with you to speak to old Will’s son. He had the cottage cleaned, from top to bottom. Emptied the vegie garden. Packed up your kiln and all your unfired work, as well as the fired stuff. Packed the furniture from the cottage. And saw to having all our stuff packed, too.”
“And now, he and Sirius are off to Bree, to meet with the Trade-Master there, before following us.” James huffed.
“He’s…”
“He’s grown up.” James nodded, he knew his wife well enough to know what she was trying to say. “Into a fine young wizard.”
“Dwarf.” Lily corrected.
“Sorry, a fine young dwarf.” James replied. “And a strong leader, if you listen to Fred and Remus.”
“That DA he mentioned?” Lily asked.
“Yeah, I asked Fred about it.” James nodded. “It wasn’t just a couple of friends helping each other practice.”
“No?”
“Oh, no.” James snorted. “The Ministry had control of Hogwarts, no more than two students in a group, outside of classrooms or common rooms. Harry ignored that. Our son… ran an illegal group, where he trained underage students with intent to fight a war.”
“He what?” Lily stared at James, not able to believe what she was hearing.
“And worse?” James’ expression wasn’t much better. “Dora and Remus both agree, without them having Harry’s training, Voldemort would most likely have killed most of the students.” Lily just shook her head in disbelief. “I… I wasn’t sure if I could believe that… then Fred gave me a training memory of one of Harry’s ‘classes’ and… yeah…” He sighed. “Remus said that Sirius and I should watch the kids’ training sessions, one morning. It was… enlightening…”
“I saw that.” Lily said. “I couldn’t believe it, Harry’s like a demon with those knives. I wish he wouldn’t use them and I made the mistake of saying so, where Fred could hear.” She winced.
“Yeah, I heard that.” James grimaced. “Is it really so bad to not want him to fight?”
“No, but as Fred said, it’s unrealistic, especially given that we know there’s a war coming.” Lily answered. “Harry’s our son, and do you really think that he’d sit and watch someone else fight?”
“No.” James sighed. “I doubt it.”
“No.” Lily agreed. “Fred says that Harry has a… a ‘saving people’ thing.”
“Oh, lovely…” James huffed. “Oh and Remus warned me. He was a bit judgemental about some of Harry’s actions, soon after he arrived here, things that most Aurors do on an almost daily basis.”
“Yes…?” Lily wasn’t sure where this was going.
“Harry tore into him, then later that night Dora did the same.” James said. “The next day, Harry explained that it was an ‘ethics thing’ and he didn’t have high ethical standards and told him why. And, oh gods, between Petunia keeping Harry in a cupboard for years, Dumbledore letting the purebloods harass the muggleborns, McGonagall’s hands-off policy in Gryffindor, the Ministry’s denial of Voldemort's resurrection, Ministry personnel using the unforgivables at Hogwarts and the Wizarding World backstabbing Harry whenever he did something they didn’t like? The fact that our son is even sane, is… it’s astounding… Oh gods above…”
Lily leant against James and shuddered.
“Those three kids?” James went on. “The only person that defended them and taught them magic that could save their lives? That was Harry. Our Harry. And Remus reminded me that only Colin is underage. Lavender is eighteen, this last February, Harry is seventeen, nearly eighteen and Fred is twenty. Treating them like children is going to result in problems for us.” Lily shook her head. “Yes, it is. They don’t need us, Lils. They don’t need us, at all. Harry’s travelled nearly a thousand miles, most of it with a baby, without any ‘adult’ help. Remus and Dora have been with them for less than three weeks and Harry’s the one that all of them turn to, when they have a problem.”
“Out baby’s all grown up…” Lily whispered, “and we missed all of it.”
“I know…” James sighed. “But at least we’re getting to know him now?” It came out as more of a question, than he intended.
Lily choked out a laugh. “Better than not knowing him at all.” She agreed.
“How’re you feeling this morning?” James asked his wife.
“Cancelling a contraceptive charm that’s been in place for over seventeen years, isn’t easy.” Lily mock-glared at James.
“Hey, I’m sorry, okay?” James replied. “I’m sorry that my little bit of wandless didn’t include the contraceptive charm’s counter charm.”
“And so you should be.” Lily chided. “If you want more kids, it had to go. But take heed, Potter, my next monthly is going to be vile, completely and utterly foul.”
“And we’re travelling...” James sighed. “Oh, great…”
~~~
“So, Harry?” Sirius looked at his godson. “Where’re we going?”
“Checking in with the Trade-Master in Bree.” Harry answered.
“And why?”
“If we want to be able to sell stuff in Bree, it’s only proper that we approach the dwarven Trade-Master and get whatever permits we need, to do that.”
“Is that why we’re in your shop-cart and not Prongs’?”
“Yes, Sirius.” Harry said patiently.
“And we’ll still be able to catch up with the others? Before dark?”
“Yes, Sirius.” Harry smiled and shook his head in amusement. “We’re less than an hour by wagon from Bree. Even if we spend the entire morning with the Trade-Master, we’ll still be able to catch up to the wagons. Golly’s had a few days of rest and a round of vita-enhancer potions, as well as plenty of good feed and daily doses of Hagrid’s booster-treats.”
“He looks good.”
“He looks great.” Harry corrected. “Mum tested him, she apparently knows these charms that will tell her the age of an animal or person.”
“Aetate Revelare.” Sirius nodded. “It’s an age diagnosis charm, taught in seventh year charms, but only if you’re doing the field healer’s aid sub-course.”
“We… we didn’t get offered that.” Harry said. “Mind you… I didn’t go back for seventh year.”
“Yes…” Sirius drew the word out. “Well, we can correct that, if you want. I mean, between Lily, James, Remus and I we got NEWT O’s in everything that Hogwarts offered.”
“That’d be good.” Harry shrugged. “I guess that’ll happen, once we have a base?”
“I’d say so.” Sirius nodded. “And what has that to do with Golly?”
“Right, well, mum did the charm and even in the few days that we’ve been here, his physical age has decreased.” Harry answered. “Not his chronological age, but his physical age, according to his papers.”
“And the difference is?” Sirius asked.
“Chronologically, he’s twenty years old. But… When we arrived, his physical age was twenty-five and even then, his condition had improved from when we’d bought him. This morning, mum said it’s reversing, her charms said that his health is improving to the point that he’s physically getting younger.”
“How’s that possible?” Sirius frowned.
“The only thing I can pin it on, is the booster-treats.” Harry said with a slightly confused expression. “They’ made for magical cross-breeds, using magical plants, brewed by magical people. It’s the best explanation that mum or I can come up with.”
“Huh.” Sirius let his head rock backwards and forwards as he thought about that. “Is there any way to prove it?”
“Yep.” Harry grinned. “We’ve got another stallion. A Draught Cob, like the ponies that pull the feed wagon and Remus and Tonks’ wagons. But he’s in poor condition and is documented as being nineteen years old.”
“And? Why haven’t I seen him?”
“And… He’s currently transfigured into a statue, shrunk and being stored in a stasis box.” Harry replied.
“Ah.” Sirius nodded.
“Yeah.” Harry agreed. “So we’re going to use Storm as an experiment and see if our theory is correct. Then, it’s a case of seeing how far this will progress. And also seeing if it will slow a pony’s aging down or will it only rejuvenate them to the best they could be at their current chronological age.”
“Uh…?”
“Is the potion actually de-aging the ponies? Or is it just improving their health to the peak of condition for their current age? Will it slow their aging down? How will if affect their pregnancies? How will it affect a growing foal, like BlackJack?”
“Like who?”
“BlackJack is a weanling colt foal, he’s also transfigured and in stasis.” Harry said. “We’ve got so many mares that paying stud fees would be stupid, buying our own studs is going to be more economical.”
“Hence Golly?”
“Hence Golly, Storm and BlackJack.” Harry nodded. “But we can’t really do much more than research and planning, until we have a place where we can remove the ponies from stasis and cancel the transfig on them. Then we can look at testing if mum’s theory is right or if mine is. Until then? It’s just… pie in the sky, wishful thinking.”
“Right, best leave that alone, then.” Sirius grimaced. “Lils gets frustrated when something gets in the way of her experiments.”
“Yeah, I heard.” Harry snorted. “Both dad and Remus warned me.”
“Oh, joy…”
The subject was dropped as golly trotted along the road. The morning was bright and warm, but the breeze stopped it from becoming hot. The dappled light through the trees gave a feeling of being in Hogwarts’ Long Gallery with the sun shining through the stained-glass windows.
They entered through the wooden ramparts and after a brief word with the Gatekeeper, Harry turned Golly in the appropriate direction and the stallion carefully wended his way through the dirty streets.
“Kinda glad we’re not moving here…” Sirius muttered under his breath.
“Yeah…” Harry replied just as quietly. “But don’t let on why.”
“Got it.” Sirius nodded his head, fractionally. “How far, now?” He spoke in a normal volume.
“Just up here, we turn to the right and it should be second building on the left.” Harry replied.
“Right.” Sirius nodded properly this time.
They turned at the appointed places and Harry eased golly to a stop, in front of the building. He handed Sirius the reins and stepped down from the cart and approached the guard at the gate.
“Ma’idmî.” The dwarf nodded to Harry, after studying his beads for a few seconds.
“Ashamâkh.”Harry nodded back. “E bahir aglibi id-Usjâr-Tarbûnel.” He stated formally, in Khuzdul.
The guard nodded and opened the gate wide enough for Harry to lead Golly through. He’d already discussed the matter with Sirius and the pair had decided that Sirius would stay with Golly and only if needed he would tell anyone that asked that he’d been raised in a city of men and didn’t speak Khuzdul.
“Ala thurkhu.” The dwarf gestured and Harry followed him into the building.
It was over an hour later before Harry emerged from the building, with a sheaf of parchment in his hands.
“Mahal’s Mahâd aya astû.” The dwarf bowed to Harry and hurriedly opened the gates.
“Mahâd aya astû ala nurt.” Harry replied and climbed up into the cart alongside Sirius, who had quickly joined him. He handed the parchment to Sirius, picked up the reins and gave a quiet, “move out” to Golly.
Sirius waited until they were out of town, before speaking.
“Well?”
“Not good.” Harry shook his head. “The dwarf there is… he’s practically useless. Hopefully, Thorin can get him replaced.”
“And why would Thorin be able to do that?” Sirius frowned.
Harry turned his head to look at Sirius. “Uh… Thorin’s the King in Exile of the dwarves. He should be able to get one useless administrator replaced with a decent one.”
“Ah.” Sirius just grunted.
“Yeah.” Harry snorted.
“Right…” Sirius nodded slowly. “How long is it going to take for us to catch up to the others?”
“We’re three, nearly four hours behind them, but they’re only at walking speed, while Golly’s trotting along quite happily.” Harry shrugged. “Two hours… and a half… maybe?”
“Right.” Sirius repeated. “So…? I was thinking…?”
“Yeah…?” Harry looked at Sirius, suspicious of that phrase, things never went well when someone used it.
“About what you said.” Sirius went on. “Making a living, here.”
“Yeah…?” Oh, gods, what was he thinking?
“I was thinking that maybe…” Sirius paused, “maybe I could run the halfway house? I might not have appreciated it much, but I was trained to run an Ancient and Noble House… At least until I ran away to your dad’s. And even then, Monty insisted that I knew what to do, just in case Grandfather didn’t remove me as heir.”
“Huh…” Harry grunted.
“Yes.” Sirius nodded. “I didn’t want to learn, but that was mostly because of my family and not wanting to be a part of it, than anything else.” He shrugged. “I don’t have to, but it makes sense. I can train someone to take over for when the quest happens.”
“Hmm…” Harry hummed.
“It leaves you lot free to travel, means that there’ll always be someone you know and… hopefully… trust, running the place.”
Harry tilted his head as he thought about it, about the pros and cons of it. “Alright. Draw up a plan. For the building and the business. Where you expect it to be in one year, in five years and ten years. Also what you expect to happen and how, when we the quest happens. What would happen if we all moved to Erebor, what would happen if we didn’t and what would happen if only some of us moved.”
“Great.” Sirius beamed and leant back, his mind already racing with ideas.
Other than slowing and letting Golly drink at the stream just west of what had been James and Lily’s place, Harry kept them on the move. Yes, he pulled Golly back to a walk every half hour for a few minutes, but as the stallion never seemed to be in distress or overly tired, Harry let him trot as much as he wanted.
A short break for lunch and they were on the move again.
It was less than an hour later that they caught up to the other wagons and after checking that nothing was coming the other way, Harry let Golly move up alongside Fred’s wagon.
“Heya, Fred.”
“Heya, Harry, Sirius.” The redhead replied. “You better get up front, pretty quick, Remus has screwed up twice already today. He tried to take a turning that would have led us straight back into the Barrow Downs, when the road curved around to the north. Then, after lunch? He almost had us headed back towards Bree. James and Lily had to yell at him.”
“His sense of direction is rubbish.” Sirius shrugged. “Who let him lead?”
“Ah…” Fred grimaced. “I think he did.”
“Yeah, not a good idea, that.” Sirius shook his head.
“Nope.” Fred agreed.
“Right.” Harry nodded and encouraged Golly towards the front of the caravan.
As they past Lavender, the girl waved and called out. “You going to have to demote Remus, Harry, he’s got no sense of direction.”
“So, I heard.” Harry waved and continued on.
Going past Colin, the boy grinned and laughed, but made no comments, he’d heard Lavender.
As Harry pulled level with his own wagon, now driven by his father, he slowed Golly to keep pace with the Raven and Athena.
“I hear Remus nearly got you lost.”
“Oh, gods…” James groaned. “I’d forgotten what his sense of direction was like.”
“I’d assumed that Dora would keep him going in the right direction.” Lily added.
“Apparently not.” Harry huffed and with a cluck-cluck, Golly picked up his pace, again, until Harry was alongside Remus and Tonks’ drive-seat. “Wotcha Tonks, Remus.”
“Harry…” Remus sighed, almost in relief.
“Wotcha, Harry.” Tonks quietly snickered.
“Hey?” Harry looked at Tonks. “Can I take Teddy for a bit? I miss my Teddy time.”
“Sure.” Tonks nudged Remus. “Pass him over.” Remus sighed again, but slid Teddy from his wife’s arms and just shook his head as Harry stood up in his cart, to gently snaffle the infant from the other dwarf. “Did the Trade-Master give you information about what’s in front of us?”
“Nope, he was completely useless.” Harry snorted. “However, one of his guards was much more helpful. When we see the point of the Barrow Downs to the left, about a mile on from there, there’s a turn to the north. Half a mile up that road, there’s a camping area that’s owned by an old dwarrowdam. She rents parts of it to travellers, a florin a wagon or a sovereign for a quarter acre.”
“And how far are we from the point of the Downs?” Tonks asked.
“Oh, we should probably reach it by mid-afternoon.” Harry replied.
“An early day, then?” Remus asked.
“Yeah.” Harry agreed. “I don’t want to push Golly or Rover too hard, just yet.”
Tonks nodded. “Rover’s knees weren’t swollen this morning, but Lily said that could change after a full day on the move.”
“True.” Harry nodded.
“You better lead the way and let Golly cool down a bit, then.” Tonks suggested and Remus snorted.
“You just don’t want me getting us lost.” Remus huffed.
“That too.” Tonks leant over and kissed Remus’ cheek. “Off you go, Harry.” She waved her hand in a dismissive gesture.
Harry laughed and Golly felt the change in the way that Harry held his reins, his stride lengthened and he eased forward, until Harry guided him into position in front of the caravan.
After setting up camp, washing and feeding the ponies, as well as seeing to a meal for the magical dwarves and their familiars, the enlarged group sat around the ceramic firepit, that sat on a log stump.
“So?” James grimaced. “What’s the plan for tomorrow?”
“Harry leads the way.” Lavender said firmly, a flat look was thrown at Remus.
“...ugh…” Remus grunted.
“Might be best.” Sirius snorted and nudged Remus’ boot with his own.
“Oh, shut up…” Remus glared at Sirius. “You and Harry took off and nobody else seemed ready to step up.”
“Liar, liar, pants on fire…” Lily chided. “You didn’t give anyone a chance and you know it.”
“Alright, enough.” Harry laughed. “How’d Rover pull up?”
“His knees are warm again, not swollen, though.” Lily answered. “I’ve given him a general booster, a full dose, not one of Harry’s treats, and an anti-inflammatory potion.”
“Thanks, mum.” Harry gave his mother a smile. “But let’s leave him out of harness, again tomorrow.”
“Yeah, I was thinking that, too.” Lily smiled back. “But what about the cart?” Delilah and Dancer had taken turns pulling it today, but Harry was uncomfortable with pushing the two pregnant mares. Even if they were only two months along, the constant travel was close enough to light work, that he didn’t want to add more to it.
“Well…” Harry pursed his mouth. “I was thinking about that… How would you feel about Sirius and Golly taking your cart, just for the moment? And you and dad driving the feed wagon?”
“You just want to go back to driving your mares.” Fred snickered.
“Shut up…” Harry glared at the redhead. “Golly’s fine, but he’s not Onyx or Ebony.”
“I’d rather ride with you.” Sirius looked at Harry. “I’m not… I’m not comfortable driving, not by myself, anyway.”
“I’ll drive Golly.” Lavender spoke up. “He likes me well enough. If we’re in the little sulky, he’ll be fine.”
“And what about our cart?” James asked.
“Hook it up to the back of the feed wagon,” Lavender replied, “the same as Fred and Harry’s shop-carts will be, to their wagons.”
James blinked and nodded to himself, as he thought that through. “Okay. That might work.”
~~~
June 8th 2920
Lavender listened to Harry’s briefing on the road ahead, the information that the Trade-Master’s guard in Bree had given him had been quite extensive, for all that they’d only had a few minutes to talk. After Harry finished, Lavender nodded and studied the map that Fred, Remus and Sirius had created, using the same Map Maker’s charm that Harry had so frequently used during their travels.
“If we camp near the Brandy Hills turn-off,” she said, “we might be lucky and the mill there might be frequented as a way-station at the junction. There’s plenty of space around it.”
“Fingers crossed.” Harry agreed.
“Yes.” The girl nodded. “There’s enough creeks between here and there that we shouldn’t need to crack a barrel to water the ponies.”
“And the third creek?” Sirius entered the conversation. “On the far side of it, there’s a large empty space, large enough for us and then some. We could have lunch there.”
Harry ducked his head and focused on the spot that Sirius was talking about. He looked at Lavender and raised a brow in question and watched as the girl looked from one point on the map to another.
“Yes.” Lavender said slowly. “The north side of the road is larger, but that house? The clearing is almost in their front yard. I’d suggest using the southern side of the road, the clearing isn’t as large but it's still plenty big enough for us.”
“And tonight’s camp?” Sirius asked.
“Best off to ask at the mill.” Lavender replied. “They’ll know if any of the open spaces are spoken for and who owns what.”
“Huh.” Sirius grunted. “Hadn’t thought about that.”
“I figured that.” Lavender said with an amused expression on her face. “We done, boss?” She asked Harry.
“As soon as Colin’s back with Almond, we can go.” Harry replied. “The farrier was just about to start on her, after finishing Latte. Remus was bringing her back and going to harness her up, while Almond was being done.”
“Okay.” Lavender nodded. “Want to give me a hand with Golly?”
“Yeah, why not?” Harry answered.
Twenty-five minutes later, all the ponies necessary were harnessed and hitched to the appropriate wagons, or sulky in Golly’s case, and ready to start the day’s travel.
“Everyone ready?” He called to his enlarged family and watched as people ran for their wagons and ponies’ ears pricked up. “I’ll hold Golly, ‘til you’re up.” He nodded to the sulky’s drive-seat.
“Thanks, Harry.” Lavender petted Golly’s silky nose, then ran her hand down his neck and across his back, to pick up his reins. Golly felt the pick-up and turned his head, as far as he was able, to look at who held his reins. Once he saw Lavender step up into the sulky, the stallion nudged at Harry, clearly wanting to move.
“Easy, Golly, steady on, old mate.” Harry soothed the stallion until Lavender was ready, then he gave Golly a treat and stepped back, quickly heading for his own wagon. By the time he was up on the seat, Golly had eased clear of the confusion of ponies and wagons. “Onyx, Ebony, move out.” He called, as he accepted the reins from Sirius.
“On the move, again.” Sirius grinned tiredly.
“I’ll be glad to have a permanent base.” Harry agreed.
“I think we all will.”
That evening they made camp beside a brook that was little more than a trickle. So much so, that it took Fred and Harry an hour to enlarge and line a space, subtly aided by aguamenti, to get somewhere large enough to wash the ponies. By the time they’d reached the mill at the Brandy Hills turn-off, all the camping spaces were taken and the miller had told them about this space, less than a mile further alone the road and one of the travellers had told them that when they’d gone past, less than an hour before, it had been empty.
Once that was done, Harry and Lily took their turn preparing dinner, tonight it was seasoned, spatchcocked chicken, roasted over the coals with baked mixed root vegies and a pair of salads, one tomato and onion and one lettuce, capsicum, onion and cheese. Lily watched as Harry, now inside the HIPS charmed area, used magic to knead bread dough for rolls.
“You’re going to have to teach me that one, sweetheart.” Lily mused.
“It’s just a potions’ stirring charm, but instead of using a wand or mixing rod, you flatten the charm surface into a curve and add a rise and fall to the depth.” Harry answered.
Lily blinked. “Excuse me?”
Harry glanced at his mother. “You know the stirring charm? Suscitari?”
“Yes…?” It came out very hesitantly.
“And you know how to shape things into a curve, like a spoon?”
“Yes…” Not quite so hesitant, this time.
“Reverse it so the rise of the curve is the stirring or kneading surface. Then add a depth rise and fall to the mix and off you go.” Harry shrugged.
“I…” Lily blinked. “You just modified a pre-existing charm potion's to get a bread mixing charm?”
“Yes.” Harry answered absently and went off to fetch some cherries from a tree nearby.
Remus sidled up to Lily. “He’s done it before.”
“He’s what?” Lily asked, her mind still on Harry’s revelation.
“The modifying an existing charm, thing? He’s done it before.”
“But the Suscitari charm was Severus’ creation.” Lily argued.
“And the first charm I heard about him modifying, was created by the brightest witch in his generation.” Remus replied.
“How?” Lily demanded.
“I don’t think anyone told him that altering a charm, is next to impossible.” Remus sighed.
“But…”
“Nah.” Fred joined them. “Harry knew that it was going to be hard, but he needed it and he’s not afraid of hard work, it’s all he knew until he got to Hogwarts. So, ‘hard’ means nothing to him. Plus, he knew Hermione, knew how her mind works and was with her when she created HIPS.”
“And what about the bread charm?”
“Oh, that.” Fred grimaced. “That took him weeks to do. He was already working on that, when he found me in mid-April and he didn’t get it right until… um… second week of May… I think…?”
“So a month?” Lily asked.
“Probably about six weeks.” Fred corrected.
“Six weeks… to modify one of Severus Snape’s dedicated potions’ charms…” Lily looked almost faint.
“Who did that?” James only heard the second half of Lily’s comment but he knew how hard it was, he’d tried to do something similar after leaving Hogwarts and gave up after six months.
“Harry.” Remus grinned.
“He modified one of Snape’s charms?” James blinked. “Really?”
“Actually…” Remus remembered the slicing charm that Harry had used when repairing his wagon. “I think he’s done it to a few of them.”
“How long did take him?” James frowned. “Hang on… Didn’t Harry leave Hogwarts before his NEWTs?”
“He left at the end of sixth year, yes.” Remus nodded.
“But wasn’t the spell modification component… late seventh year?” James asked.
“Yes.” Remus nodded again.
“And Harry didn’t do seventh year?”
“No, he, Ron and Hermione went on the run from the DeathEaters.” Fred answered.
“So, he didn’t do that component?”
“No, he did not.” Remus agreed.
“So… where’d he learn to modify charms?” James asked, frowning.
“Taught himself, I assume.” Remus answered.
“Self-taught and he still managed to modify one of Snape’s charms?” James’ eyes went wide. “Wow.”
“And?” Remus smirked.
“And?” James looked sidewise at his friend, he knew that expression and was instantly wary of it.
“And he didn’t start working on it until after he arrived in middle-earth.” Remus’ smirk grew.
“But…” James’ jaw fell. “But that was mid-March.”
“It was.”
“He modified one of Snape’s charms in less than three months?” James whispered.
“Two and two.” Remus corrected. “He’d finished it before they met up with Dora and I, last month. And not just one charm, but at least two.”
James and Lily just looked at him.
“I think there’s more than that, but it’s hard to tell, with Harry.” Fred said. “He’s either absolutely pants at something or he does it so easily, that he makes Dumbledore look like a first-year.”
“Oh, lords above…” Lily sighed.
“What now?” Harry said as he re-joined them, his hands full of cherries.
“Just talking about Snape.” Fred said innocently.
“Ah.” Harry nodded. “Can someone make a note to send him a letter with a proper address, once we have a property.” He wasn't sure he wanted direct contact with the potions Master, but someone needed to keep him in the loop on where they were.
“Will do, Harry.” Remus nodded. “I’ll add it to the list of things to do.”
“Snape?” James asked. “What do you mean, send Snape a letter?”
“He’s here.” Harry answered. “Or well, not here, here. But here in middle-earth. He’s out east, in the Iron Hills. He knows that Fred and Lavender are here, but nothing about the rest of us.”
“And Albus is there, too.” Remus added. “And he also only knows about Fred and Lavender. Harry’s not forgiven him, for not telling him about the prophecy and a few other things, so didn’t want to let him know that anyone else was here.”
“Oh, Merlin…” James sighed, he’d conveniently forgotten that Harry had told him that Snape and Dumbledore were in middle-earth.
“Yeah.” Harry grunted. “And both of them said that while they were prepared to offer advice, neither were in a position to provide anything more than that.”
“Did we find out anything more about the two in the west?” Remus asked.
Harry grimaced. “Two males. Been here for over fifteen years, didn’t arrive at the same time, but close to it. Both graduates of Hogwarts. Other than that? Nothing new.”
“Damn it.” Fred grunted.
“Once we have an address, you can Patronus them again and tell them where we are.” Harry added. “That way, they can come find us... or send us a letter, if that’s how they want to do it.”
“You mean…?” Lily looked from Harry to Remus to Fred and back, in shock. “There’s more than just us?!” She obviously hadn’t paid enough attention to Harry’s explanation, if she missed the fact that her former best friend and the Headmaster were also in middle-earth. What else had she missed?
“Yes, mum.” Harry said. “We did Point-me’s for former Hogwarts’ students and well…? Fred literally fell at my feet, but we went looking for the rest. Lavender was first, then Colin. After that, we figured that was it. Because I stuffed up the Point-me’s search conditions. It wasn’t until after I saw Tonks through a farmhouse window and saw Remus in the field next to the house, that Remus pointed out that I was only searching for Hogwarts students, not former students.”
“And the difference is?” Lily asked.
“Student implies current, where former student means anyone that had already left Hogwarts, like you and dad.”
“Ah.” Lily grunted.
“If you can come up with anything that will work better, please do.” Harry grinned. “We’re open to suggestions.”
“I’ll show you what we’ve come up with, Lils.” Remus said. “If you ride with me tomorrow, we can work on it.”
“Musical wagons?” Harry snorted.
“Sure, why not?” James asked.
“I’ll ride with Prongs.” Sirius volunteered.
“That would put Tonks with me?” Harry asked. “Cool, more Teddy time for me.” He grinned, earning himself laughter from his parents, godfathers and chosen brother.
~~~