Harrods Alley and bondings
Rob found Conrad and Lilly in one of the downstairs restaurants in the food hall, he spoke to head waiter and was escorted over to their table. He sat down and found the pair eating a strawberry tartlet and Lilly having a Coke while Conrad was having a tea. Rob quickly ordered his refreshments from the waiter who was serving their table. He looked around, this particular restaurant was almost hidden away in the food hall, but even so it was still busy.
Harrods has a number of restaurants ranging from a sea food bar to a Michelin star restaurant. Rob knew that after Severus had seen Father Christmas then everybody in their party would make it to the chocolate fountain restaurant, where the best decadent chocolate drinks and cakes etc. were served. Then a quick trip round the food hall and Christmas shop and they would all go to the Winter wonderland in Hyde park, ending up at the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang play in the theatre district, hopefully the day wouldn’t be too boring for Lilly’s friend Bella, after all mundane world must seem so bland in comparison to magical world.
The food hall at Harrods were decorated very ornate and old worldly thought Rob, it was a was about three large rooms split into sections or halls as they were called. In one hall was the fresh meat, cooked meat, chilled goods and cheeses, as an example the cheese counter had on display the normal cheddar cheese indifferent strengths to specialist cheeses including Goats to Buffalo cheese.
Other halls included the fruit and veg hall, that displayed a number of fruits that were in season, the halls themselves were decorated with tiling depicting different patterns and murals on the walls. Rob still thought that you could get most of the goods at a local supermarket for a quarter of the price. But coming to Harrods with the children during the year was a day out, and if it was a nice day then you could walk from Harrods to Oxford street via Hyde Park.
He looked at the two sitting at the table and updated them on what was worrying Severus, Lilly looked aghast and said “I didn’t force Severus to buy the presents, and I had the money with me…”
Conrad stopped her and smiled, and Rob continued the conversation “Lilly! Nobody is angry with you… you did what you thought was best and would make Severus happy” Lilly nodded at this “But although Severus has severe learning difficulties, for whatever reason….he is still quite intelligent and he may not understand the reality of what things cost……he still knows that you paid out of your own money his presents he was going to buy people….he thinks what he did was very bad, allowing you to buy his presents out of your own money”
Lilly looked at Conrad and Rob wondering if they would think and say that she had tried to bribe or buy Severus love or friendship “But I was just going to buy Severus mum’s the chocolates he picked out…he had written to me and wanted a very special Christmas present for her, so I suggested Harrods Diabetic Chocolates…I knew he wouldn’t have enough money, but I had my pocket money saved up and thought that I would just put the rest to it…..and then Severus saw these other things for people and then the teddy he liked…it is a one off, every Harrods dated Christmas bear is different…..and he looked so happy when he knew he could afford the presents……I just brought them for him, and then the teddy he picked out….I really wasn’t to trying to….”
Conrad sighed and continued interrupting Lilly “I think that both of you may have got carried away, and nobody is disappointed or telling you off Lilly…but we need to find a solution that will satisfy Severus…and I think the way to do that is you and Severus agree both to buy every bodies presents together except for your family’s presents. Severus will be happy and you will have money to spend on Christmas presents” with that Conrad settled the matter, he would give Lilly back the money she had spent on Christmas presents, and tomorrow all the children would be able to spend time happily Christmas shopping at Lakeside.
Lilly felt relieved that Conrad and the rest of the adults believed her that she was only trying to make Severus happy, but she also had a warm feeling inside of her, that she had helped Severus and made him happy without wanting anything from doing so. Lilly still felt that she returned to the bratty princess that she had been too often, but it was moments like this when she felt that she was perhaps slowly making progress and turning into a person that Bella and her family could be truly happy to know and love.
Rob suddenly looked up dismayed and asked in a wondrous voice “Severus and you didn’t by any chance plot together to come and visit Harrods today?”
Lilly looked at the table in front of her guiltily and Conrad saved her from Robs continual questioning “No leading questions Rob, any way what else was we going to do today apart from visiting winter wonderland in Hyde park, which we are apparently doing after this”
“Conrad” asked Lilly “How did you break your hand” and with that Rob fell about laughing as Conrad tried to explain the fight with the Rev Collins.
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Christopher Brandon was making slow progress recovering from his stroke, he tired very easily and his left side of his body would not co-operate at all. But the most frustrating thing for Christopher was the difficulty speaking, he had always been a smooth talker as most people would testify. But the worst thing was that Christopher had given up, oh the therapist and nurses tried to motivate and encourage him, but he wasn’t interested. He would be quite happy he admitted to himself to lie in bed for ever.
He loved all his children, even his youngest son Articus, he had hoped that Articus would grow up to be more like his eldest son Tom, but the fates and lady magic had laughed at him. Now he felt he had failed Articus and his other children, how would his two daughters ever be able to bond to who they wanted to. He had known he should have sent Articus to that American magical camp for wayward children, when Articus report at the end of the first year quite clearly showed where he was heading. But he had given into Lydia’s demands and Dumbledore’s explanations regarding Articus behaviour and work ethic. Well he reaped what he had sown as the mundanes said, of course he could blame the fact that he was ill with a serious heart complaint, and the stress of trying to send Articus away, and Lydia’s reaction would have made the complaint worse.
He was also very worried about his youngest son Articus, even though the teenager was a lazy idiot, he loved him and only wanted the best for him. He had always blessed the gods that Lydia had given him four children, three who had turned out very well indeed. He was also aware that he had only two known biological children, one was Muriel a daughter he had loved unconditionally and Articus, the son who had inherited all his worse traits. Tom and his two younger daughters were not his, Tom was of course Dumbledore’s and his two daughters were conceived when his wife had affairs with numerous men, they could even be Dumbledore’s children like Tom was for all he knew or wanted to know. After all one of the mundane procedures to cure him of his illness had left him infertile.
It was after Articus was born, that Christopher had found out that he was in ill health, his consultant called it cancer, it was luckily caught early and with treatment he had survived and beaten the illness. Lydia had been oblivious to Christopher and his illness, she had decided that Christopher was scamming and obviously the mundane inferior healers were just taking his money. Lydia had attended all the new way followers events, including the house parties. Christopher had attended a few, with her and they had separate bedrooms in the manors they stayed in. When his wife had told everybody she was yet again pregnant he had kept quiet, why should he ruin at least two children’s life’s by disowning his official bonded Lydia. But he had informed her after the their last daughter was born that he had been persuaded to have a mundane procedure called a vasectomy. From that day onwards Lydia had hardly spoken to him, like her mother she took to her bed with nerves every time bad news or discussions she did not approve off were acted on. Lydia must be making his brother in law Fitzwilliam Darcy hell now, for making the decisions about Articus that had to be made and implemented.
Christopher knew that like his cousin in law and one of his best friends Rev Charles Collins, Fitzwilliam Darcy would ensure that what needed to be done was, Lydia’s beseeching’s and carry on’s would not deter Fitzwilliam. Articus would be bonded to the first family that would have him now he was an Omega. What had the child been thinking off, Articus knew about potions and the dangers of being poisoned by them or charms, Christopher had numerous times sat down and told his children the dangers of people slipping potions into their food and drinks, and the letter had come telling him that not only had Arthur been date raped as the mundanes would term it, but he was now a forced Omega, with no rights at all.
That was for Christopher when his life might as well have ended, for a person to be date raped or raped as the mundanes classed it was bad enough. But Christopher as the rest of the family knew, that the blame would be put at Articus door, Christopher had thought like most parents (wizarding and mundane) that although the children at Hogwarts were housed in co-ed dormitories, that there would be in situ wards etc. to stop the children from sleeping together, or even being allowed in the opposite sex dormitories. Christopher had thought that the children were housed in single sexed dormitories named as houses at Hogwarts. He had been astounded when Charles had informed him the true sleeping arrangements of the children.
He had immediately written to the deputy headmistress and head of Articus house to demand an explanation, she had written back ensuring that there was no way the children could be alone in each an another sex’s rooms. The girls rooms and dormitories were heavily warded and charmed to stop the boys from entering the area or rooms. Like a fool, he had thought that the same precautions were placed on the boys dormitories and rooms. Obviously he was wrong, he had still planned to send Articus to the American magical school after his end of his first of years report card. Articus was not even trying in his school work and his attitude was appalling. Christopher remembered when Articus had started to change when he started to attend Hogwarts, Articus had come back at Christmas holidays, to Christopher’s horror even worse than when he had left for Hogwarts that September. Articus had always been lazy but now his personality had developed to being a very nasty self-opinionated bullying little b…..rd, which believed that the world owed him and every Gryffindor a living. When Christopher had tried to talk reason into Articus the sneer he had returned to him scared him, the boy informed him that he was in the light house and valued his Godfather Dumbledore opinion more that Christopher who was Articus said according to Dumbledore ‘A stupid bitter little man, who had spent too much time with the savage mundane army. How could Articus had taunted Christopher ‘Use the title Colonel, like his uncle used the title Rev, when everybody knew at Hogwarts and in the magical society that both had no justification for using the titles’ Christopher had looked at Articus opened mouth, he was so upset that he didn’t even clarify to Articus what right both Charles and himself had to use the titles they did.
So Christopher was going to do for Articus what nobody had done for him, when Dumbledore had visited him and with his wife’s wailings and shouting he had caved into Dumbledore’s assurances that the students at Hogwarts found it almost impossible to have sexual liaisons, with the wards etc. on the school. So Articus had still been allowed to attend Hogwarts, but he had ensured his two youngest children had been educated abroad in Japan and St Lucia’s magical schools. So out of all his children, Articus the only child to be educated at Hogwarts and had been the one to be date raped. He would have loved to been at the first inclusive parent and governor Hogwarts meeting, and seen the expressions on the magical people present when the mundane parents and press had their say on the issue.
Christopher just knew that this was part of Dumbledore’s larger plan, to gain hold of his children’s estate, but hopefully Fitzwilliam was strong and intelligent enough to stop Dumbledore’s nefarious schemes regarding his children inheritance.
Christopher glanced up to see his Fitzwilliam and Charles Collins striding down the wards corridor, with them was his valet and retired butler Mr Hudson, the three men stopped at the nurse’s station and the nurse asked one of the doctors a question. Apparently the doctor agreed to something, and the three men slowly made their way to Christopher’s bedside. What Christopher didn’t realise yet, was that although he had given up on himself, the other members of his family hadn’t especially his personal valet Hudson.
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Bellatrix Black was a complicated young woman, in some ways she was as old or even older then her second year school mates, she was very intelligent as well. But she was also like a small child as well, for her certain things and people she believed in. Really much like the Goblins did, she believed in Father Yuletide or Father Christmas with a passion of a young child, it was this innocence that her family had tried to keep for her. Because her family knew that soon enough the cruel and hostile magical world would be tearing her apart.
The main reason for the family ensuring that Bella stayed with friends this Yuletide (and the Blacks would always be grateful to Lilly’s family for hosting their daughter. Was that they didn’t want Bella to be hurt by the fall out of her oldest sister Andromeda’s scandal.
Andromeda over the years had belittled, emotionally hurt Bella with her and Sirius taunts about her Black madness and how the only bonding agreements would be from ugly old wizards who needed a brood mare. The taunts of here comes retard and cuckoo from Sirius and Andromeda had left their marks though the years. Bella’s sister Narcissa had tried to deflect and stop the bullying, but the black duo had still managed to hurt Bella.
By ensuring that both Andromeda sisters were staying elsewhere for Yuletide holidays, the Black family could focus on sorting out the mess and scandal that Andromeda had glad got herself into.
It wasn’t often that Bella was entranced, after all she had grown up in the magical world where she and other upper class magical children were told that the mundanes still lived in shacks and hovels, and had done of the comforts or advances of the mundane society. After all Dumbledore and his supporters had informed everyone in magical society that mundanes were more like magical creatures or animals then magical people (he never said that out right, but the hints and general conversation told people what he thought of the mundane world and mundanes)
It was true to say that Bella had been apprehensive if not afraid about staying in the mundane world, but at the present time Bella was almost hoping that she would never have to go back to the boring magical world. Take today, you went on a train UNDERGROUND mundane London, to get to this covered mundane Diagon Ally! That was warm and had lights from the ceiling. Mundane personal in smart uniforms opened the doors for you, and moving paintings on the floor moved and made funny patterns when you stepped on them. You even went and handed your coats and bags etc. into a room where nice mundane people kept them till you were ready to go, after all the mundane Diagon Alley was so warm and inviting, that wearing your cloaks and outerwear would ensure you were to warm to be comfortable!
Everything you wanted to buy was on counters or hung up and you just picked up what you want and paid for it at a counter. Bella had even overheard a mundane order a scarf from a ‘shop assistant’ as they were called. It was so different to Diagon alley, there you were measured, pulled around for clothes. The shops were small and pokey and some assistants were rude, even when you were polite because you were from a dark family, and seen as being a little different form other people.
Lilly had explained very nicely, that this Harrods Street was very expensive to buy from and that only the very rich mundanes shopped at Harrods Street normally, for most people it was treat to come here. Bella could understand this, after all she was there standing with Severus in line to see Father Christmas was so fascinating. Mundane’s Father Christmas was their Father Yuletide, but he must like the mundane’s more because he only allowed them to see him. To get to see him you had to wait in a line and who wouldn’t, Bella would have waited all day and night to get to speak to Father Yuletide. Why wasn’t anybody else going to see the man, didn’t they know how lucky they were to even see him and to meet the man and his elves was just awesome.
When she was waiting in line to see Father Christmas with Severus, Severus turned to her and had stated “that really they were too old to see a funnily dressed man and tell him their Christmas present list. Anyway he knew that Uncle Mike cut the real Father Christmas hair and that everybody above the age of five or six knew to ensure that your letter detailing exactly what you wanted was given to your parents so it could be sent to the real Father Christmas!”
Bella had tried to get Severus to tell where this Uncle Mike lived, Severus had shrugged his shoulders and pointed to his cousin Charles and said “Charles da cuts Father Christmas hair, everybody knows Bella that the last customer Uncle Mike has in the shop is Father Christmas….so we have to be so good even on Christmas Eve…he even has he his personal mobile number!” Severus whispered even lower “Pearl has even told me that nobody knows who Father Christmas really looks like….we could see him in the street and not know who he is”
“But Father Christmas looks like Father Christmas!” Bella exclaimed logically
Severus stood there examining his nails and said in a most professor Snape way “Really! Why would Father Christmas go around dressed as funny man in red outfit with a false beard all the time?.....no it makes sense that the real father Christmas does not look at all what we think he does….In fact I know who the real father and mother Christmas is”
“Really! Really!...who is it….tell me if you know….please..please..Severus…please Severus?” pleaded Bella
Severus took pity on Bella and whispered “not here! The adults and others can over hear…and Father Christmas would not be happy for his identity to be widely known….I’ll tell you when we are alone….promise!” and Bella couldn’t wait to find out who the real Father Christmas was!
Bella was beside herself, not only did you get to speak to a Father Christmas employee and tell him what you wanted and explain about those few little hexes to Andromeda over the year (she desevered them) but you even wrote a letter and asked again for the presents you wanted) and now her and Severus were making their way through Santa’s magical kingdom where it was nice and warm, but there was still snow on the ground and Father Christmas House elves had ensured that the paths were snow free (even Hogwarts had snow on its paths), there were twinkling stars in the big Christmas trees of different colours and they moved around. The animals moved with the snowmen. And music played all the time, Bella could have stayed here all the time, but finally with Nanny Jean they made it to see pretend the Father Christmas, and Bella told him what she wanted, after all apologising for that very nasty hex to her cousin Sirius (she made sure to explain why the little git deserved the hex more than her sister Andromeda). Included in her list was a tee-shirt (Lilly had called it) and a handbag she had seen on the way here, there was a picture of a very pretty woman on the items (Harry had told her it was Marilyn Monroe and the pictures were from a painting by the artist Andy Whoral). Of course Bella wouldn’t get them, it was too soon near Yuletide day after all, but perhaps next year.
Then Bella and Severus got their own present from Father Christmas and had a picture taken with him, and a big cup with their picture on it. Which Bella knew she would have to take a copy to Hogwarts with her, after all nobody would believe her when she told them about meeting Father Yuletide employee in person.
They joined up with Lilly and her dad and Granddad Grumpy in the winter wonderland shop, MUNDANES COULD BUY ORNAMENTS that went on their Christmas trees, there were balls in different colours, animals and fairies. They even could decorate their gardens with the ornaments and special lights if they wished. There were lights that went on either real trees or Yuletide trees that mundanes made form a material called plastic. There were large garlands and baubles that hung from the ceiling and already printed parchments with pictures on them wishing people a merry Christmas and a happy new year, all you had to do was add your name to the parchment. Bella had asked Rosemary if she could have a set of these parchments, and Rosemary said that they some already at home that Bella could write on! Everybody got a bauble with their name and the year on it, with a Harrods dated bauble to go on Grumps and Gran Christmas tree, Bella got one as well to hang up as well. She also got her parents a Harrods dated bauble as well for their Yuletide tree.
But the whole of Harrods Diagon Alley was decorated with Christmas decorations, and mundanes wore such funny clothing. Some mundanes wore traditional magical robes and clothes, and the rest of the mundanes wore different clothing. Bella even saw a man wear a top that said
‘Father Christmas I have been very good this year,
Alright Good this year
Sometimes bad this year (but I can explain)
Oh forget I will buy my own presents’
So did that mean Father Christmas brought for the mundane grownups as well. Everywhere was hustle and bustle, people laughing and joking and children trying to get their parents attention. It was so magical, and wonderful, that Bella just wanted to know why Diagon Alley couldn’t be like this. Even at Yuletide the Diagon Merchants looked down their noses at dark family members. Many times Bella mother had been forced to wait till every light family member or mundane was served before them, but in Harrods Alley there was even a rope barrier that everybody waited behind patiently to be served. Some people of course got served first, but Bella noticed they either only had a few items, or were old or had difficulty moving and the other mundanes in the queue let them in!
They all then trooped to the Chocolate heaven, oh wait until Bella told everybody in Slytherin that the mundanes had something even better than Fortescue’s ice cream shop….they had a Chocolate restaurant in their Harrods Alley, where you were served hot chocolate in large glasses with whipped cream and ice cream on top. You could have chocolate cake, small chocolate cakes, ginger chocolate coffees etc. Severus whispered to Bella “If you think this is good, I’ll get them to take us to the M&M shop”, Bella nodded yes, after all she didn’t know what M&M’s were, but if they were anything like this chocolate she would be in heaven literally. After her fourth drink after all she had to try all the different type of Chocolate drinks (and there were a lot more for her try, if she was allowed to return with Lilly’s new family) everybody made their way to the next venue.
But Bella was so frustrated that she had to wait for Severus to tell her who the real Yuletide Father was. Was he that Black mundane man. She hoped it wasn’t that frightening looking stern one eyed man, or perhaps it was the nice old white man who had all the toys. It might even be the small Chinese looking man, because if Severus was right, then Father Yuletide or Christmas might not even be white!
Petunia was glad to see Severus and Lilly actually liking each other and mucking about, Severus and Lilly had been taken to one side by Uncle Conrad and she heard Severus even tell Lilly off about something. And then the both of them were teasing a very happy Bella, who looked devastated when she was told they were moving on to Hyde Parks Winter Wonderland. Alright Harrods was great for a day out, but it was after all only a very expensive crowded shop. Magical society must have better and more spectacular shops than they had in the mundane world had.
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Mary Prewitt had been graced with a new Korean name by her family she was now known as Choi De mimon delin and was married to the third son of a very traditional Korean magical family. The child that she was carrying would be blood adopted by her bonded Choi Darcy, and he was happy to ensure that she was left at the mercy of her new mother and sisters.
Her husband was a respected academic that taught at the local magical/mundane university. He cared more for researching and teaching Charms then for anything else. Darcy was in fact asexual in nature, but for his families honour and his bloodline he needed to marry, and if money came with the bonding it was a bonus. De mimon delin as she was now known had needed to bond quickly, so that her family escaped the scandal of her being pregnant without being bonded. She could still hear her father shouting that she was like “those rutting animals the mundanes, whose daughters became pregnant at twelve at the latest!” and her mother’s weeping.
And then Stabyoumotherf.intheback the family’s account manager had approached her father, there was a solution to the problem. But it involved marriage into a foreign magical family, would cost the family all the remaining wealth and assets they had. When her father had heard the word Mr Darcy, he had nearly snapped the goblins hand off.
But her bonded was not the Mr Darcy she had seen leaving Gringotts that day, her Darcy was an ugly, intellectual bore who left her to his families mercy. If Choi De mimon Delin thought that Slytherin and old family traditions and strict hierarchal statuses were harsh it was nothing to her new her new family’s lifestyle. She was a virtual prisoner within her families homes, including her childhood home. Every moment of the day she was escorted and chaperoned by family members if she was allowed outside the family homes, or by the families house elves if she was at home.
She knew that her bonded whilst not a harsh or abusive man like her father was, did not care for her but only for ‘their child’ she was carrying. As long as she had all the physical comforts she needed, then she could be at the mercy of her crone of a mother-in-law. And the woman was a bitch from Dantes inner circle.
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Percy Prewitt sat in his sons one bedroom flat and listened to his bonded never ending nagging and wailing. Well Albus Dumbledore the ultimate Slytherin that his father had warned him was right Goblins were the scum of the earth and should be eradicated. He tuned out his bonded’s rantings and remembered the interview in the Korean interview with the Darcy Goblins account manager.
Flashback
Dumbledore joined Percy and his family at the table in the interview room in the Korean embassy, the room was basic and held an oval table with ten chairs round it. It was carpeted and there were decanters of water with glasses on the table.
Percy would never forget being escorted to tis room by a mundane employee, it was scandalous that they were not trusted. The official had stated that all visitors even the Queen of England would be escorted around the embassy. There was after all a lot of secretive and confidential information held at the embassy. As if anybody magical would stoop so low as to want to find out mundanes petty business.
The family had sat down and waited for the Goblins representative, Percy knew he would never live down the shame of his daughters bonding day. To have to walk out the bonding room with his daughter now married to the modern mundane elephant man was shameful, and then to bear the congratulations of the Darcy’s and the traditional followers was almost more than he could endure.
Standing in the receiving line waiting to greet all the guests to his daughters travesty of a bonding breakfast was horrific and embarrassing. He knew the guests were smirking behind their covered hands literally.
The mundane Korean official (known to mundanes as the master of ceremonies) made sure to announce each guest correctly and as tradition dictated, he had also announced the happy couple full title to the audience. Of course instead of saying that ‘I Present Mr and Mrs Darcy’ the idiot said ’Mr and Mrs Darcy Choi may I present Mr and Mrs Darcy’ not once oh no for every guest that was received by the bridal party.
Of course you couldn’t fault the bonding breakfast menu, it consisted of
Salmon ceviche with Vanilla, pink peppercorns and dill crème fraiche
Ramyeon soup with Mandu (dumplings)
Truffle roasted duck
Pork secretos with artichokes and red wine tapioca
Chocolate cylinder and smoked hazelnut praline
Cheese board and biscuits
With the wines, and champagnes to go with the menu of course all free courtesy of the bride’s family footing the bill! As per the old ways tradition the guests gave the ‘happy couple’ money as a gift and the money went straight to the Goblin opened account for their first born son. Not a single penny would be making it into Marys old family’s hands, the goblins and the Choi family had seen to that.
The first waltz was led by the happily bonded couple, and of course the Rev Collins just had to stick it to Percy with his ‘If only I had known what splendour and status my son Thomas would have married into, if I allowed the bonding of the Prewitt’s girl to him….oh how I should have listened to Albus and Augusta Longbottom all those years ago! But I didn’t, and as the good book says you reap what you sow’
The room was decorated with the white lily’s and blue bell flowers theme from the actual bonding ceremony, with the each table having a flower centre peace consisting of mistletoe, ivy, snowball, orange blossoms, narcissus, violets, daffodils.
The tables and chairs were covered by white silk covers with blue bell coloured edging. At the wedding speeches the Rev Collins in his pompous voice wish “the very clearly happy bonded couple a Romany gypsy blessing passed down his blood line ‘a very long life to you and yours, the health for you and yours that you wish on others, and for you and yours to reap the harvesting of you labors and sowing of your seeds’ Everybody of course politely clapped the Reverend. And there were of course oohs and arhs when Mary’s new bonded gave her as a bonding present a gold and platinum bracelet and necklace with daffodil, day lily, daisy, and narcissus flowers jewels inter woven in it.
The couple thanked both set of parents for their support for them on their bonding day, two bunches of flowers were given to both bonded mothers, and then dancing and greetings took up the rest of the bonding breakfast.
All through the wedding breakfast that had literally cost the Prewitt’s their last knutt, Percy and his bonded had to sit and make nice. Pretending that they were so happy for the bonding of their daughter to a inconsequential academic Korean from a trade, instead of the rich Egyptian cousin of Mr. Darcy of Pemberley. Oh yes heads would roll for this momentous cock up today, the Prewitt’s would soon be reimbursed for the money and hardship they had suffered. Of course they would accept the apologies from the goblins with good grace, but they would ensure that never forgot this traitorous move on the goblins part.
So here they were sitting around this table with Albus the leader of the new ways sitting with them trying to sort out this mess. Really the quicker the mess was sorted out the better.
The door opened and in walked Thickone, Stabyoumotherf.intheback and Terickster32oureniemies followed by the Gringotts bank manager. He was glad to see that the Goblins had brought in to the meeting the Rev Collins.
Gringotts bank manager sat down, and motioned the Rev Collins to sit beside him. Percy noticed that the three other goblins stood behind the Gringotts bank manager much like a mafia godfathers retinue would be expected to.
The old goblin asked Percy “Lord Prewitt! What grievance has the Goblin nation through Gringotts its English magical bank done you?”
Dumbledore cleared his throat and started “It is with great…” suddenly there was a goblin sword at Dumbledore’s throat and the bank manager sneered “I did not ask the great and good leader of the New Ways Albus Dumbledore to speak on behalf of the complainant…..he will hold his peace unless his evidence or opinion is called for….the petitioner Lord Percy will speak for himself and his family…please proceed Lord Prewitt”
Percy cleared his throat and stated “My daughter was bonded to the wrong wizard today. I did not grant the bonding rites or sign the contract for my daughter Lady Mary Prewitt to bond with a Darcy Choi a Korean….I signed the bonding agreement for my daughter Lady Mary Prewitt to bond with Egyptian Choi Darcy….therefore I demand re compensation for the error and mismanagement the Goblin Nation through their bank Gringotts have caused!”
The Goblin Godfather coughed and was handed a scroll, which he unrolled and asked of Lord Prewitt “Is this your signature here and here?” Percy nodded, the Goblin looked at the scroll and sneered there is nothing wrong with this agreement, your daughter Lady Mary Prewitt was bonded to the right wizard”
“No! he wasn’t! I demand re…” The goblin looked very bored, turned to the Rev Collins, who stood and bowed to the Goblin and kissed the Goblin ring finger and asked “Rev Collins, who did you agree to bond to whom when you signed this bonding agreement?”
Charles looked very contrite and said “The bonding of Lady Prewitt to Mr. Darcy Choi of Korea, the bonding was to be held in Mr. Choi’s countries mundane British Korean embassy”
Percy stood up frothing at the mouth and shouted at Charles “How much are the back biting, thieving little shits paying you Charles holy that bloody thou”
Charles looked at Percy and said very slowly just keeping his temper in check “I would watch your tongue Percy! Dumbledore cannot help you from this mess you put yourself in this time……DO NOT INSULT MY FRIENDS OF MANY YEARS!” and with this Charles included the three Goblins behind the Godfather Goblin “Also it is very UNWISE TO PISS OFF THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE JUST GRANTED YOU A LOAN….AKA THE GOBLINS….your whore of a daughter Lady Mary Prewitt date raped by cousins son by potions…bringing great distress to his father and family….IF YOU HAD READ THE BONDING AGREEMENT AND TAKEN TIME TO SEE THAT IT WAS A KOREAN WIZARD YOU DAUGHTER WAS BONDING…” with this Charles respectively took the bonding agreement form the Goblin, spread it out and showed the part where the bonders nationality was mentioned, and it clearly stated that Darcy Choi was Korean, he then continued “Or even researched other wizarding countries correct family titles…you would have realized that in many oriental traditional wizarding families they are addressed by their family name first then their first name, in the case the Family Choi, and the son Darcy….but you were to pompous or greedy to read the contract Lord Prewitt! Were you not?”
End of flashback
And all Percy could do when he finally realized what he had signed away, was listen to the anguish sobbing and wailing of his bonded by the side of him. The Prewitt family were now literally back to where his great great great grandparents had started, the family living behind their shop. In fact the Prewitt family were now worse off than Percy’s long ago dead relatives, they hadn’t owed anybody money, but the Pewitts did!