Chapter 14 - Bones

While Harry was getting ready to head off on their mission, he felt surprise coming from Hermione via their bond. Her mother had entered Hermione's room, and they both thought she was there to try and talk her daughter out of going. Hermione's surprise changed to a completely different set of emotions when her mother, right out of the blue, hugged her daughter. There were tears, there was laughter, Hermione was clinging tightly to her mother, and once more Harry found himself being swamped by his betrothed's emotions.

That these were positive emotions left Harry with the opportunity to try combatting this debilitating side-effect of their bond, rather than having to spring to Hermione's aid. He tried concentrating on the meeting they'd eventually held yesterday with the team of four who would accompany them back to Britain today for their mission.

-o- flashback -o-

After Bill's bombshell about rituals, they had searched Tom's memories and were pretty sure which one he would try. It would take too long to fabricate a believable excuse as to exactly how they came about that information, especially since Bill and Amelia were two very smart people - and they were already scheduled to be visiting Little Hangleton tomorrow. On this day for revealing the truth, Harry and Hermione told Amelia and Bill just about everything.

As the curse breaker and auror were digesting all that new information, Harry then informed all four of them what ritual they thought Riddle would use. Harry's suggestion of vanishing Tom's father's bones to prevent this happening immediately set Sirius off.

"If you empty that grave, Wormtail will stop the ritual - and then we're no better off. What we want to do is replace those bones with something that really screws up the ritual - and hopefully Voldemort's new body too."

This idea of possibly weakening a reborn Voldemort appealed to all of them, with Remus asking Sirius just what he was suggesting.

"Can you imagine replacing those bones with, say a transfigured dead squirrel? If that bastard took on any of the animal's traits, he would be finished with his pure-blood followers. Bow to Squirrelmort, the only dark lord in history with a bushy tail."

This was generating some sniggers but Sirius was serious and showed it. "This second prophecy says he will return greater and more terrible. What if we transfigured a pile of hippogriff shit and used that? Voldemort would return as a greater pile of shit, and smell really terrible."

Bill tried to be the voice of reason here, amongst the sniggers that particular image had produced. "We really don't want to give him any more advantages than he already has. Squirrels are incredibly agile and lightning quick. While using shit might be really appealing, imagine if he took on any attributes of a hippogriff? A flying Voldemort with razor-sharp claws as well as a wand is not something we would want to face."

Seeing the sense behind that, Remus voiced aloud their problem. "I know Wormtail will panic if nothing comes out that grave when he summons it, so we need to replace those bones with something. The question we need to answer here is what?"

Sirius came back with another suggestion. "A dead pigeon, transfigured to look like bones. While Voldemort is busy puffing his chest out and boastfully bobbing his head, Harry can wring his neck"

Trying to ignore Sirius' latest suggestion, Bill gave them some guidelines to work within. "Whatever the decision, the material has to have been living and animal to see the ritual complete. Something like stone or metal will cause the ritual to fail. While a squirrel would probably work, a tree branch wouldn't. I think all insects should be avoided too, a six foot beetle is a scary enough thought before adding in Voldemort's power and intelligence."

"A dormouse." Sirius was sure he had picked a winner this time. "Think about it, Voldemort would spend most of his time sleeping!"

It was Amelia who then asked the obvious question. "Why take any chances? Let's vanish those bones and replace them with a different muggle? I'm assuming it's only because the muggle is his father that Voldemort would receive any benefit?"

Remus loved that idea. "This is a ritual where each part in turn gets multiplied by the next. Bone of the father, you will renew your son. With no power coming from the first part of the ritual, it should seriously affect the rest. We know Peter isn't a powerful wizard - assuming he's the servant. That would leave them needing to get their hands on a very powerful foe, and with only Peter there to accomplish that. If Voldemort makes it back to having a body, I think we want that body to be as weak as possible."

-o- present -o-

A knock at his door pulled Harry back to the present, and a concerned Hermione.

"What happened? You seemed far away. I thought for a second that you had gone after that horcrux without me..." A gentle kiss instantly settled his betrothed's nerves. Both were still getting used to their bond.

"Sorry, I was getting swamped by your emotions so tried concentrating on something else. It worked."

Emma popped her head in to see Hermione wrapped in Harry's arms. Her daughter had gone from elation to anxiety in such a short space of time, and then shot out of her room. Thankfully for Emma, Harry's room was right next door to Hermione's. Just by looking, it was easy for Emma to see her daughter was back on a much more even keel.

"Her father says you're good for Hermione, I can see what he means. I feel as if we got off on the wrong foot in that restaurant, and we haven't really had a moment alone to talk since. I was wondering if we could start over? I'm Emma Granger, Hermione's mother."

Taking Emma's now outstretched hand, Harry turned that hand over before bending and kissing the back of her knuckles. "I'm Lord Harry James Potter, your beautiful daughter's betrothed - and your host here in Italy - but you can call me Harry. We'll clear some time tonight after dinner when the four of us can sit down and chat about where we go from here, if that's ok with you and your husband?"

Seeing the mischievous twinkle in the boy's eyes, Emma was reminded of a much younger Daniel Granger. Dan never had this boy's confidence though, neither of them did. Seeing that very same sparkle in her daughter's eyes, Emma had to conclude Dan was right. She hardly knew Harry but could easily see these two being good for each other.

"I'll talk to Dan, he's waiting just down the corridor to help me with the stairs. Poppy's medicine is absolutely wonderful, but I still feel a bit shaky."

Offering Emma his arm, Harry had a Granger lady on each arm as they walked to where Dan was waiting. Tonight's family meeting was quickly agreed upon but, with messages of taking care of each other ringing in their ears, it was now time to leave.

-oOoOo-

When Bill had told Ginny that Poppy becoming her temporary guardian wouldn't mean he stopped being her brother, it didn't take the youngest redhead any time at all to confirm this was what she wanted. Even in her short time at the institute, Ginny knew this was the future she wanted for herself.

Ginny also knew her mother would never allow her to attend here instead of Hogwarts. If Ginny had to choose anyone at the institute to become her guardian, Poppy would be right at the top of her list. It was wonderful for Ginny to have an adult, a female adult, she could talk to. Talking with her mother was simply not an option, Ginny's only choice was to sit still and be lectured by the Weasley family matriarch. Molly Weasley had her daughter's life all mapped out for her, and this was regardless of what Ginny wanted from her own life.

She was currently having a conversation with Poppy that would probably have resulted in the windows rattling in the Burrow with the volume Molly would use to scream blue murder at her daughter.

"I can't believe Harry had all that going on in his life, then I dumped all my rubbish on him too. He and Hermione are still being nice to me. Do you think they mean it - or are they just trying to help my treatment along?"

Ginny was pacing up and down while she ranted, that was until a smiling Poppy put her arm around her. "It was Harry who suggested to Bill that I could possibly be your guardian. Both Harry and Hermione know you were not responsible for what happened, and certainly don't blame you for it. Now, how about telling me what's really bothering you?"

She was embarrassed and yet pleased at the same time that Poppy had seen right through her. "Do you think they will be okay?"

"I think Harry and Hermione will be fine, otherwise neither Sirius nor Remus would have let them go."

Hearing the truth in Poppy's words, Ginny hugged the woman who was rapidly becoming so important to her.

-oOoOo-

The subject of their friends' revelations yesterday was also the hot topic amongst the rest of the teens. Sitting around the corner of the pool, dangling their feet in the water, they were discussing how best they could help their two friends.

Neville rather succinctly summed up all of their feelings. "This is easily the best summer holiday I've ever had, and we haven't left Harry's house yet. We need to find a way to let Harry know that, and have him believe us. Harry has enough to worry about without thinking he's disappointing us."

"That's Harry though, he thinks of everyone before himself. Having Hermione as his betrothed should soon cure him of that, she thinks of Harry before herself." That Ron was an authority on his two best friends meant they all respected his opinion on this matter.

Millie was resting her head on Ron's shoulders as she spoke her concerns to the group. "They should be sitting here with us, not returning to Britain hunting dark artefacts that can possess or kill you."

They were interrupted by Headmistress Sprout. "Sorry to disturb you all but I have something here you might like to see, and a question for Miss Lovegood. I have received what I believe they call an 'artist's impression' of the Potter Institute from Miss Rossi and was wondering if a copy of this could be attached to the articles I know you're sending to your father today. It is only a few drawings but they say a picture is worth a thousand words..."

They all stepped over to the nearest table where Pomona unrolled the drawings, and a pair of twins immediately dropped to their knees to plead.

"Please Headmistress, you have to let us come here..."

Studying the drawing, Neville let out a low whistle while Luna corrected the Headmistress. "This is worth way more than a thousand words. This will have everyone who sees this wanting to come to the institute, this is genius."

There was a large drawing of the entire building, and three smaller - more specific - drawings of particular locations within the building. The quidditch pitch was still sitting proudly at the bottom of the π but the rest of the space between the legs was now taken up with a free form swimming pool and seating areas around its greatly increased length of available edges. Since the friends were only minutes ago sitting dangling their feet into Harry's pool, they immediately saw the advantage of this.

The large outdoor seating area Harry's original drawing had here was moved up onto a roof terrace along the bar of the π that contained the classrooms. There was also a landscaped roof terrace above the student accommodation leg, with a large raised terraced quidditch viewing stand at the end of the leg. The other leg also had one of these quidditch stands, each of which looked capable of holding everyone who would be attending the institute on its own.

"Miss Rossi's suggestion is that, once the Potter Institute is established, we could play quidditch matches against visiting schools. There will also be something called a cinema in the stand at the pupil accommodation while a gymnasium will be placed in the other stand. I thought I would miss the enchanted ceiling in our new hall but again Miss Rossi has done us proud."

Indicating the middle of the specific drawings, Pomona passed on the information the Italian architect had given her.

"We will have a glass ceiling, and massive windows on each side. The glass will be charmed to keep the hall at a pleasant temperature range, and also become tinted as the situation requires to prevent excessive light getting through."

The drawing to the left of this showed a room in the accommodation block, complete with a veranda looking out to sea and its own bathroom with shower too. The final drawing was an impression of their new library, complete with attached outside reading and working space.

The main impression these drawings gave of the institute was that it would be light and airy. No fireplaces, no suits of armour, no gargoyles, no stone towers and no freezing corridors. The former Gryffindors and Ravenclaws also appreciated no moving staircase and not having to climb to the sixth and seventh floors. These drawings appeared to bring Harry's dream one step closer to reality.

"Miss Rossi was really hoping to see Harry to discuss these changes, and will return tonight. Even accepting this might be nowhere near what the finished article will look like, it certainly more than shows what we are trying to achieve here. Having these printed along with the articles on the Institute should see droves of people heading to Gringotts for application forms. It also gives us something to show parents of our potential new muggle-born first years."

Witnessing the enthusiasm these drawings had ignited amongst the students, Pomona couldn't ignore the problems standing in front of her any longer. "Fred and George, if you get parental permission to attend the Institute then you will be welcome here - providing your behaviour meets our criterion and your course results starts to reflect the very clever wizards that you are. The whole of magical Britain will be watching us very closely and the yeargroup you would be joining will be the first to sit external exams. Those results will be public, and reflect how the Institute will be judged by others. Providing my students are giving of their best, I will be happy with that. Understand though, I won't settle for less than your best efforts."

The twins were ecstatic at that news. Four years at the Institute or three at a Hogwarts that had Snape as its Deputy Headmaster wasn't a difficult decision for them. Their enthusiasm was such that both ran and jumped into the pool, causing laughter amongst their friends before they too did the same. Luna was the exception though, she was getting copies of the drawings to send to her father. Since Hermione wasn't here at the moment, she decided to ask Dan or Emma what a cinema and gymnasium were so she could offer an explanation to the Quibbler's readers.

-oOoOo-

Amelia was waiting on the group from the Institute when they arrived just outside Little Hangleton, and wasted no time in showing who was in command here. Rather than being upset about this, Harry and Hermione were delighted that someone else was stepping up and taking the responsibility.

"Harry, we'll need your abilities to get us in there. Hermione, you're here to monitor Harry in case he misses something and gets into trouble. Bill, your job is to get that abomination out of this house and destroy it with the basilisk fang these two supplied. I'll be there to provide security, just in case things go pear-shaped. Any questions?"

Sirius was first in there, harping on at an old matter that Amelia thought had been settled during there previous meeting in Italy. "I think Remus and I should be there as backup too. Once the horcrux is destroyed, we could then go to the cemetery and switch these bones."

Seeing how much this meant to his godfather, Sirius really wanted to be there for him, Harry offered a suggestion that might help. "While I think the four of us should be able to handle this, the ring has some very nasty curses and a very strong compulsion charm on it. If any of us try to put it on, they would need to be stunned immediately. It might not be the worst idea to have these two out of range of any compulsion but still within stunning distance. Hermione and I have now come across two situations where emotions from one can overwhelm the other over our bond. We could never fire a curse at each other, so that might leave us short."

Fixing Harry with a stare, Amelia demanded to know why they hadn't brought this information to the table before.

"The second situation happened just before we left to come here, the first was when we tackled Malfoy and Parkinson. We're learning new things about our bond almost every day, I would hate for anything to go wrong because of it. After we destroy this, you and Bill are heading for the Ministry. We could accompany Sirius and Remus to the cemetery and then portkey back to the institute with them once they've switched the bones."

While conceding the argument, Amelia had another question for them. "How will this affect you going on tomorrow's mission? We all know that will be much more dangerous, and we don't need your parseltongue abilities. This might be a case of leaving it to the adults?"

Seeing Amelia's point, Harry offered a counter argument. "You don't need my parselmouth abilities but you might need Voldemort's memories. If we can work on a communication system then Hermione and I could be in the cavern without having to cross the lake to the island. Like Sirius and Remus today, backup for the backup."

Since Amelia wasn't comfortable seeing what she regarded as children put in danger, she quickly accepted Harry's counteroffer. This offer also pleased Sirius, Remus and, funnily enough, Hermione. She explained over their bond that being included pleased her nearly as much as him not being put in danger.

Even with their minds being practically joined, Harry swore he would never understand women.

As they approached the dilapidated cottage that Voldemort's mother was raised in, the four adults didn't even try to hide their shock. Hermione had studied these memories enough to get a good idea of what had happened here.

"The Gaunts were an old pure-blood family, direct descendants of Salazar Slytherin. Tom was proud of his heritage, until he saw this - and discovered his father was a rich muggle who lived in that big house on the hill over there. For someone who had been raised in an orphanage, discovering you had family was a dream. When Tom's family didn't fit the dream he was building, he effectively wiped them all out on the same day."

The group of four were hanging on her every word, Hermione didn't disappoint. "Tom was disgusted by everything about his uncle, and enraged to discover his father was a muggle. He stunned his uncle, took his wand and headed for Riddle Manor. Like my Harry, Tom Riddle was a handsome boy - I saw him in Harry's memory when he faced the basilisk. Like my Harry too, Tom really resembled his father - that's where all similarities end. He murdered his father and grandparents using his uncle's wand. He even memory charmed his uncle to think he had committed those murders, his uncle died in Azkaban. Tom Riddle Junior also died that day, and Lord Voldemort was born."

Taking Harry's face in her hands, Hermione gently kissed him. With their foreheads touching, Hermione revealed more to their close support group than she intended. "We have access to all these memories, no one on the planet knows him as well as we do - and there lies the problem. My Harry keeps seeing these similarities in their lives, and is terrified he could go the same way..."

This caused an immediate reaction amongst the four adults, all proclaiming that would never happen. Harry and Hermione though were concentrating on each other, she'd felt her betrothed's revulsion as she mentioned quite innocuous similarities between Tom and him. Hermione knew instinctively this was something they had to completely quash, otherwise it would eat away at him. 'You are mine. You will be my husband, the father of our children, this needs to end now. My dad wants a gun, and training to use it, so he can put a bullet into any Death Eater that comes near his family - does that make him dark?'

'Of course it doesn't...'

'And our actions against them don't make us dark either. We know what they are, and our actions are an appropriate response to these monsters. You need to let this go love, I can feel it lurking at the back of your mind. If it consumes you, then I will be next. I won't leave you, I'll be your Dark Lady if that's what it takes to stay by your side...'

That was like striking a bull's eye, her Harry would never allow that to happen. With another quick peck on the lips, they joined the real world to find themselves being confronted by an angry Sirius.

"I was raised in a dark family. I ran away and was taken in by the Potters. For the first time in my life, I saw how a real family operated. Harry, you are not dark, and never will be while you have Hermione, your family and your friends. I'm so sorry for the burden you both carry around with you but prouder than I can say of the way you're handling things. People who are going dark don't burst their arses spending a fortune to open a new school that will help witches and wizards."

Bill and Amelia voiced their agreement before Remus had the last word on the matter. "I think we're all guilty of forgetting you're not yet fourteen, and that's one hell of a burden for anyone to carry. I wish we could share that burden but you are far better having Hermione in your head than say Sirius. Now that could turn you crazy - never mind dark."

While Remus achieved his objective of putting smiles on their faces, Amelia was all business. "I need to know if you're both up for this today. If not, or not even one hundred percent certain, we need to cancel. These horcruxes are not things that can be taken for granted."

Harry and Hermione put their game faces on. "Amelia, we got this. Our bond is new, but unbelievably important to us both. Hermione was just dealing with something before it could become a problem. If Dumbledore had taken that attitude with Riddle, we wouldn't be stood here now."

As Harry and Hermione approached a solid oak door, both thought this was easily the most sturdy part of the structure. Harry wondered what was holding the rest of the house up, until Hermione quipped back a one word answer - magic!

The dead snake hanging from the door wasn't just there to put anyone off who made it past the notice-me-not charms that were on the building and surrounding area, it was also a guardian for most of the defences Voldemort had set on the house. Harry giving the password in parseltongue saw all but one of those defences disabled.

Opening the door, Harry tried to get everyone to stay outside while he disabled the last trap, that was never going to work. Hermione pushed past him and then Bill followed both into the dilapidated house, careful to only step where they did. Hermione approached the massive stone fireplace that took up most of the end wall of the house and, using her wand, tapped specific rocks in a predetermined order. All three heard the magical release as a small trapdoor now became visible in the bare wooden floor.

As Bill now took over this part of the operation, Amelia was covering them with her wand from the doorway. "You two can get out of there now."

Harry's eyes never left Bill as he shook his head, Hermione answered for both of them. "Same reason why we need to be there tomorrow. If Bill needs a question answered, we need to be here to instantly supply it."

This was ably demonstrated when Bill had the trapdoor open but the small jewellery case inside wouldn't levitate from the hole it was placed in - it simply refused to budge. Harry saying §release§ in parseltongue saw the case float out the hole.

"Sorry Bill, Voldemort wanted you to open the box while it was still in there. The entire hole has compulsion charms layered on it to make you do that very thing, and reinforce the ones on the box and ring to get you to put it on. Putting the ring on in here would reactivate all the defences, and then we would really be in the shit. Bill, Bill?"

Bill was sweating and trembling, managing to croak out Amelia's name before the compulsions took over. She didn't hesitate for a second and stunned Bill. Hermione caught the box with a levitation charm before it could hit the floor, and set off those defences.

"Amelia, our bond is protecting us as the compulsions would need to defeat both Harry and me at the same time. Move well aside and let's get this out of here. Harry, bring Bill."

Amelia hadn't moved back far enough though and could feel the compulsions calling to her. As she mover toward the small chest, Sirius dropped her with a stunner.

"Guys, stay where you are. Hermione and I will handle this but be ready with a stunner if one of us reaches for the ring." Harry was levitating Bill and placed him beside Amelia, before taking the dragon hide gloves and basilisk fang from the curse breaker, then joined Hermione to do what was needed.

They were working silently but both Remus and Sirius were used to this now and could easily see they were in constant communication with each other. Hermione pulled on the left glove, with Harry wearing the right. He picked up the basilisk fang while their free hands joined and their fingers intertwined.

Hermione opened the box with her gloved left hand, Harry was slamming the basilisk fang into the box's contents a mere second later.

Harry dropped the fang as they both retreated from the box, sliding off their gloves too. They had reached Amelia and Bill, being joined by Sirius and Remus as smoke started to belch from the tiny chest.

Amelia was regaining consciousness when she heard screaming, this immediately focused her attention on a terrible sight. Smoke had formed into a face that she instantly recognised as Voldemort, those red glowing eyes were a bit of a giveaway. The terrible screams were coming from where this head's mouth should be, that mouth was rotting away though and the rot was consuming the rest of this horrible face. For some reason, those red eyes were the last thing to disappear, and then they were left in silence.

Silence and Sirius though were incompatible companions. "Fuck, and this was the easy one..."

Bill sat there with tears in his eyes. Not because of any failure on his part, those tears were for his baby sister as he now understood exactly what she had faced. "Ginny never stood a chance. That thing blasted through my occulemency shields as if they were tissue paper. I've never encountered power like that. An eleven year old witch would be easy prey, and I'm so grateful to you too for making this bastard pay. We've underestimated this task, and need to reconsider the next one. I recommend we cancel the attempt tomorrow."

Amelia was embarrassed at how easily she'd fallen under the thrall of that horcrux and had to agree with Bill. They would have to reconsider everything now, as Harry and Hermione had just snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. "I have to agree with Bill, we simply weren't prepared for today - and it almost cost us. As Sirius so eloquently put it, this was the fucking easy one too. I have no idea how you two were able to resist the compulsions on that."

Harry tried to give all of them an insight on how that feat was achieved. "The night of the dementors, we gave Fudge some information trying to get him on our side - and get Sirius a trial. Dumbledore didn't want that happening so obliviated the Minister, before casting legilimens on me to discover where I got my information from. It felt like he was trying to drive Hermione out of my head, something neither of us would stand for."

Hermione's hand was still in Harry's as she seamlessly took over their story. "Both of us reacted instantly, and blew Dumbledore right into the infirmary wall. Poppy wanted to call the aurors but Dumbledore had already obliviated the Minister, it would be our word against his. Poppy then obliviated an unconscious Dumbledore and Dobby popped him back into his own bed. Our plans to leave Hogwarts and Britain began forming that night."

It was easy to hear the awe in Sirius' voice as he commented on what these two had achieved. "I thought saving me that night was pretty special, then I discovered what else they had been up to. Don't underestimate these two, Amelia, they may be young but already have abilities and experiences way beyond our own."

Harry was almost blushing as he tried to change the subject. "While cancelling tomorrow isn't the worst idea I've heard, all the protections are designed to stop you getting your hands on the horcrux. You could probably wear the necklace for a short while without feeling any different - I wouldn't recommend it though."

Amelia then made the decision for the group. "I think today proved we can't go after these things with only one course of action plotted. We need a few options for getting this horcrux out of that font, and at least half-a-dozen plans to deal with a lagoon full of inferi. Let's take a couple of days to think it over and then see what we bring to the table."

None of them could argue with that, and none of them really wanted to. Harry had written to Ragnok about Bill joining their team, and the curse breaker would be dropping the destroyed ring off at Gringotts before heading for the Ministry and a talk with his father. Amelia had kindly offered to help in her official capacity so Arthur would be getting summoned to a meeting by the Head of the D.M.L.E. His father's answers to the many questions Bill had would see where the Weasley family progressed from there.

-oOoOo-

The graveyard wasn't hard to find, neither were the Riddle graves. An eight foot high muggle representation of the angle of death was a rather ostentatious grave marker in what looked like a cemetery for ordinary local people. Having found their target so easily, Sirius then went on a search for suitable bones to replace the ones in Tom Riddle's grave.

Whatever criterion he was using for selection, after half-an-hour none of the many headstones Sirius had examined had lived up to it. Remus was beginning to get annoyed when a wide smile suddenly appeared on his fellow marauder's face, Sirius waved them over.

"I've been doing a lot of thinking about this prophecy, and how we can help it along. Not knowing what we would find here, I was walking around waiting for inspiration to hit - it just did. If we want him to be greater as the prophecy suggests, then we have to provide the best - and here she is."

Hermione read aloud the inscription on the gravestone. "Theresa Best, beloved mother and grandmother. She's been dead for the best part of eighty years though, so it's a fair bet most of those grandchildren won't be around either."

Remus however wasn't impressed. "This is your great plan?"

"Hey, I never said it was a great plan but at least it is a plan. George Greater or Timothy Terrible don't appear to be buried here, this is the best I could come up with. Using Theresa Best as a substitute can't hurt, and it just might help. Other than the time I spent looking, what have we got to lose?"

A smiling Harry put a supportive hand on Sirius' shoulder. "I think this is a crazy idea, but crazy enough it just might work. It's certainly better than his pigeon idea. Can you imagine the mess Voldipigeon would make shitting on your car?"

While Hermione shook her head at Harry's attempt to be humorous, Remus checked again to see they were still alone in the graveyard before he drew his wand. "Ok, I think you're both as nutty as squirrel shit but find myself agreeing that using these bones can't hurt. I'll do the switching spell."

They had already swapped the bones of Tom's grandparents with two randomly chosen graves as an extra precaution so, as soon as Remus had cast the switching spell on Theresa, it was time to go home.

As they got ready to portkey out, Harry had a weird thought. Hermione agreed with Harry's opinion that it seemed strange to consider Italy home after such a short time but there was no doubting he certainly did. She offered an explanation that Harry was certain Hermione got spot on. 'Home is where our family and friends are. For us, that's now Italy.'

-oOoOo-

Narcissa was leading her son down a street of rather drab houses. That these were muggle dwellings, built to house workers and packed end to end along the entire length and on both sides of the narrow street, should have drawn at least a snarky comment from Draco. Since the night he discovered his father had been killed though, Draco had hardly said a word.

Even the announcement that House Potter was initiating a blood feud on House Malfoy didn't provoke a reaction from her son. Seeing his father dead by the hands of a muggle had deeply affected Draco. Since nothing in the world was more important to Narcissa than Draco, she was walking down this street seeking help - rather than the both of them fleeing the country with the gold she had been able to put together.

Stopping at a door that appeared identical to dozens they had already passed, Narcissa was pleased to see the numbers on this one identifying she was at the right house. Muggles were such strange creatures who built things with so little character they had to then number them so people could tell the difference.

It took a moment after she had knocked for the door to be answered but the relief Narcissa felt was almost overwhelming. "Severus, we're in trouble. Will you help us?"

Rather than answer verbally, Severus just stood aside to allow them both to enter his home.

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