Disclaimer. As usual I don't own Harry Potter, or any of the characters, things, or animals, that are mentioned in the Harry Potter books, I do how ever own the plot in this little venture into the Potter verse.
A deal with death.
Harry James Potter leaned his head up against the bathroom wall, his hands beneath his forehead balled into fists as he once again tried to calm his temper. He stared down through the small window into the back garden where there was a birthday party going on. Rose Weasley was celebrating her twentieth birthday and all the family were down there. Harry glared at his wife Ginny, who he had hated since he discovered just five years ago she and her mother had used a love potion on him. She stood there looking just like her mother, fat and frumpy. His gaze drifted over to his best friend since he was eleven years old, who he was sure had also been fed a love potion.
He had no evidence to prove Hermione had suffered the same fate as him self except looking at her now almost spherical husband, and remembering just how much they argued all the time. How Ron seemed to love to hurt and belittle her in some way, he seemed to go out of his way to make her cry each and every day as often as he could. Ron was what had caused Harry to be where he was. It was the only place in the house he could get privacy and get angry at the fat jerk yet again without being seen. The fat git had once more tried to show Hermione up and had called her a bad wife and mother in a none to polite manner and it made Harry furious.
Now that he was grown up and far more mature, Harry could see no way that the brilliant Hermione he had known all those years ago would without Harry have ever even considered Ron a friend let alone fall in love with the idle layabout who had become grossly overweight and now was bigger than Dudley by half as much again.
As he looked at his best friend he could not help admiring her, even now at forty three years old and after giving birth to two children, she still looked like a super model, to Harry she was like a goddess, she looked no more than thirty years old at the most. He looked at her shapely figure and those oh so sexy legs. He shook his head a little and said quietly, "I've known she was beautiful since we were kids. Maybe if it had not been for that foul love potion it would be me down there with Hermione as my wife, instead of hiding up here away so I don't kill the fat freckly jerk and my dumb fan girl wife Ginny potion queen ruddy Weasley. I wouldn't treat Hermione the way that fat git does. She should be treated like a queen, wearing beautiful clothes instead of rags, given freedom to fulfil her ambitions, not working all hours to provide what that fat creep cant be bothered too provide. She should be loved not hated."
Harry tried to pull his anger back down to a manageable level before he left the bathroom to face the three kids that he only had because of a love potion and the rest of the Weasley family once again. Again he thought of Ginny, who over the past fifteen years or so had come to look like her mother Molly's doppelganger, and had mollycoddled their children the way Molly had done with Ron and herself. Turning all three of them into mental duplicates of Ron, he had heard them all calling Hermione a mudblood and several other names learned from their mother. In fact he was tired of telling them off. It was strange that both his and Ron's kids were the same toward Hermione. Taught in their younger years by Molly, and her two youngest offspring because they knew the ways of the magical world and he and Hermione did not. Had he known at the time what they were being taught he would have put a stop to it, but he had been to busy forging his career in the DMLE. He had never seriously thought of the Weasleys as purebloods, so the very idea that they could be such vile bigots teaching their children to be the same had not once entered his mind until it was far too late. That was just another thing he was angry about, not paying enough attention to what his children were being taught by that vile old woman he had once thought so much of.
Looking at the woman he had been potioned into marrying he wondered just how long he would be stuck in this pathetic existence. Unable to escape because of magic and the stupid binding marriage vows he had taken all those years ago.
To bring his temper under some form of control, Harry did as he often did, and stared at the beauty of his best friend Hermione, even if it did bring with it some sorrow, it always brought the love he had for her to the surface. He had regretted since just after his wedding all those years ago, not asking her out as his girlfriend while they were young. It had been that regret and his truly strong feelings for her that finally after years of struggle enabled him to overcome the potion he was being fed long enough to get help, and to learn why he never asked the girl he still loved with his whole heart for a date. Each day that passed he cursed the fact that there could be no divorce in the magical world because of the stupid wedding ceremony and the vows given tying their magic together until one of them died.
As he threw some water on his face he was startled by a deep baritone voice behind him. Spinning around he found him self face to face with death, scythe and all. "You're the master of death Harry; why on earth don't you do something about the way things are?" the tall figure asked, his voice sounding rather like a deep baritone music.
"Huh, like I could do anything when thanks to those wedding vows we made my magic would stop me, much as I would like to send them both to hell my magic wont let me," Harry replied sadly.
Though he could see no eyes or lips Harry got the feeling that death was smiling at those words. Then the voice came again, "I don't agree with destiny for what she has allowed the fates to do to you just because you called her a few things. After all you went through I think you deserve a reward, so stuff what the fates or destiny think, if you want to make me a deal, I could help… especially if you made it worth it."
What felt like four hours later, but had been in real time just a few minutes, death happily holding tightly to the deathly hallows he had foolishly given to three humans so many centuries before, bid goodbye to Harry with the final words, "Don't forget our deal Harry, promise to do your best to make the bearded fool pay for the innocents he sent my way and I'll restore their original life spans, oh and Riddle gets left with just that one tiny part of his soul, the one that kept him alive, no more, and then it's only so that you can complete that prophecy in some way. I will release no more of him. He will not escape me again. There will be no more horcrux to hunt. No more of that bearded fools idiocy, no need for you to die. You got that, no more stupid quests… just give me that bearded incarnation of evil earlier this time. Oh and if you were to keep the Flamel's stone, which is locked in the top draw of Dumbledore's desk at the Black house, for your self and your lady I will not complain. You can be my new Nicolas and Perenelle and change that evil world for the better."
Harry nodded and shook the large skeletal hand and then death walked out of the bathroom going straight through the wall. Smiling Harry stepped out of the bathroom to find himself stepping out of the court room at the ministry where he had just been tried for under age magic. As he had before, he found Mr Weasley outside waiting for him. What he saw almost had Harry fainting, even after listening to death explaining things that had been done to him and Hermione over the years, and making their plans about what was going to happen next. Even though for what felt like the past few hours, he had listened carefully to what death had to reveal and what their plan was, he had not really been prepared to be sent back in time so soon or so suddenly and without some sort of warning. As Arthur Weasley asked how things had gone, Harry was going over their plan in his head, he was thankful that he could remember it all and was ready to carry it out come what may.
It was a very thoughtful Harry who followed Arthur Weasley into Grimmauld place thirty minutes later. He almost fell on to his butt as his best friend collided with him as she dragged him into a bone crushing hug. Harry wrapped his arms tightly around her waist and smiled as he bent forward. He was so elated that deaths promise was working. That he was actually back in the past, he could not resist carrying out this first part of the plan right away. Holding her tight he kissed her rather passionately. As he broke the kiss with the shocked Hermione, who had responded just as passionately, Harry heard voices he had not heard in many a long year. Sirius Black, his godfather, who he had never really got to know, stood with Remus and Dora Lupin his surrogate aunt and uncle, and Kingsley Shacklebolt a man who had become a good and close friend over the years. They were standing at the kitchen door having a quiet conversation about what he and Hermione were doing, and the kiss they had just shared.
Harry still had his arms around Hermione's waist much to the annoyance of several of the Weasley family who were standing in the crowded corridor. Harry started to put the rest of deaths plan into action and stepped forward and greeted his godfather and surrogate uncle before he turned to Nympha'dora' Tonks and Kingsley Shacklebolt. "I'm glad you two are here, I have use of your services." Harry said turning to Sirius he continued, "Is it ok if Dora and Kings carry out a contraband search Sirius?"
Harry did not wait for Sirius to answer before he turned back to Dora. "Dora I am asking for your support in this as my second cousin and therefore a member of my family. I need you to search Mrs Weasleys belongings for love and compulsion, or other illegal potions." As soon as he stopped speaking he could hear Ron stomping toward him while growling angrily at him saying he was going to beat the crap out of him. Harry did not give the red head a chance as he spun around and landed an extremely powerful roundhouse punch on Ron Weasley's face sending him unconscious to the floor. Fractions of a second later he slapped Molly's wand from her hand as she pointed it at him.
Molly went down like a sack of bricks as she was hit by a stunner from Kingsley mere moments after Harry had disarmed her. Chaos and bedlam seemed to reign for a short time until Sirius cast a percussion hex at the ceiling. "Right I have no idea what is going on here but I intend to find out," Sirius shouted as he looked at the Weasley family. "Dora, Harry obviously has a reason for you to do as he asked, go and do a thorough job of it. Kings keep your eye on this lot till we sort this out, and thanks for the stunner because there is no doubt Molly was just about to cast something nasty at Harry."
Hermione looked upset and scared at what was happening, but even so she was standing by Harry, she was not about to leave him for anyone or anything, not after the way he had just kissed her. Harry wrapped her up in a tight hug as they waited for things to develop. It took Dora just ten minutes before she joined everyone who had all moved into the kitchen. Both her arms were filled with potion vials, there were around fifteen different potions in the pile that Dora dropped carefully in the centre of the table.
"Well, well what do we have here, Amortentia… and keyed to Ron, with Hermione's hair attached, ooh look another Amortentia and guess what it's keyed to Ginny with a supply of Harry's hair attached. Oh now this one is a little nasty, lust and fertility mixture. Loyalty obedience and compulsion potions as well. There is even a potion tied to Bill Weasley with pink hair attached to it. It seems Arthur that your wife will be spending some time behind bars, maybe even some of your off spring if they knew about any of this." Sirius said in anger.
"Ron knew, I'm sure of that, because he kept saying that Hermione was going to be his soon." Harry announced as he looked at the still unconscious red head.
Shacklebolt was as angry as Sirius was, and was reading the riot act to Molly who had been awakened. It was then that Albus Dumbledore walked into the kitchen and after having had a quick explanation from Sirius about what was happening set about speaking to the small crowd. "Now, now all of you. I'm quite sure that Molly had perfectly good reasons and so we can all forget th…" he was saying while surreptitiously pulling out his wand, when Harry stepped in front of him and beckoned Albus to lean closer as if he wished to whisper something to him.
Albus glanced around and then with a small frown he leant toward Harry to listen to what the boy wanted to say. As soon as the headmaster was where he wanted him Harry slammed a magic fuelled punch into the side of the old mans head, knocking him out cold while he was still on his feet. Seconds later as Dumbledore stopped rolling across the floor Harry disarmed him, removing all the jewellery and other decorations as well as his two wands from him. Lifting up one of the medallions Dumbledore always wore and never removed, Harry called for Fawkes, Dumbledore's phoenix. A quick flash of flame and the phoenix arrived on the centre of the table.
"There will be no obliviations today old man," Harry growled. "Sirius, I'm sure the old git was about to obliviate us all, can you cast the fiendefire spell, and would your oven contain it?" Harry asked.
Sirius nodded and answered "No doubt Dora, Remus, and Shack can all cast it too, what's going on Harry?"
"You'll know shortly Sirius," Harry said as he threw Dumbledore's medallion into the oven then stepped away to allow Sirius at the oven. Sirius stepped forward and after a quick look back at Harry, cast the spell at the medallion and then quickly slammed the oven door closed. It was a little over a minute later that Fawkes jumped into the air and flew around the room and started to trill loudly, every one in the house knew that the phoenix was celebrating freedom, and all were completely shocked as they realised why.
It was Dora who said what they were all thinking, "Did that old bastard have Fawkes bound to him with dark magic?" she almost screamed it out before she aimed a kick at the unconscious old mans ribs, but managed to stop herself just before she connected. "Damn you evil old git. If I wasn't wearing this badge I would rip your head off for binding a phoenix," she cussed and then turned to stroke Fawkes who had settled down on the table.
Dora suddenly looked up in surprise, "Fawkes says, Dumbledore bound him when he found him minutes after a burning. Says he belongs to Alice Longbottom's family, says it was one of Dumbledore's spells that put the Longbottom's in the condition they are in; he wants Harry and Hermione to be at 's with Neville in the morning. He has several others of Dumbledore's secrets he wants to talk to us about, but for now he needs some rest to recover from that old thief stealing some of his power. Oh and Harry he says to lock the thief where you he and the hat met the snake together." She told them with her eyes wide in awe at having the phoenix talk to her out of all those members of the order in the room with her.
After Harry agreed with Dora, Fawkes vanished in a flash of flame. Harry turned and looked at Hermione who was still hanging on his arm, while she tried to work out what was going on. "Harry, was Mrs Weasley going to feed us love potions… and… and why did you hit the headmaster? How did you know about Fawkes?" she asked with a tear forming.
"Yes, and I hit him because it was his idea for the love potions. He got Snape to brew them and then passed them to Molly to use on us. He has some rather nasty plans for our futures Hermione, futures that I want no part of. Let's get a couple of things sorted then you and me can go and sit and talk about all this. I'll tell you what was told to me when we have time." He told her before he turned to Shacklebolt. "Shack, er I think you should fetch Madam Bones here, I learned something else today in that courtroom, I think she should be the only one to hear it though."
While Harry had been speaking Dora had taken great pleasure in tying up Dumbledore and the Weasley family. She had not hesitated at all when it came to tying up the younger ones, Ron, the twins, and Ginny as well as their father Arthur. She intended to obtain some Veritaserum really soon and spend some time finding out what the hell they were playing at, and what their plans were.
Shacklebolt shoved his head in the fire and made a floo call to the ministry and spoke to Madam Bones. Ten minutes later after sorting out a few things at the ministry Madam bones arrived. Harry explained to her that he needed to talk to her in private, and then asked to borrow Sirius's family pensieve. Together Harry and Madam Bones locked them selves into one of the drawing rooms and began their talk.
Harry started off by extracting an oath from her that after he had told her what he knew, she would not try to mess with his mind like Dumbledore did, unless he asked her to do so. Using the story that death had told him to use, he then told her he had discovered while at the ministry that morning, that Voldemort had a plan to attack her at home with the help of an informer from the ministry by the name of Yaxley. He could tell by how she looked at him that she had been reading the prophet news paper and was beginning to believe he was as crazy as they were saying he was, Yaxley was one of her senior Auror's and was well trusted. He ended up convincing her by swearing an oath on his life that he was telling her the truth about the attack as he knew it to be.
With her accepting what he had told her was the truth he then started telling her about his adventures at Hogwarts, how stupid Dumbledore actually was in putting student's very lives at risk for his so called greater good. He told of his encounters with Voldemort and with Fudge along with what he knew of the ministers lackeys like Dawlish and Umbridge who would and had killed anyone that went up against the useless minister Fudge. She was horrified when he told her what he knew of the mass murders of muggleborns and other sentient beings that Umbridge and others had plans for and dreamt of carrying out to keep the purebloods in power when Voldemort took over.
Amelia Bones had not risen so high in the ranks of the wizarding government by being stupid and she wanted to know how he knew about such things. It came as a surprise to her when he told her Fawkes had come to him while he was in the rest room at the ministry and showed him what to do. He also told her how Fawkes had been freed of Dumbledore's binding and had chosen to talk to Tonks.
Having finished telling her all the death eaters he knew of and where they could find them and Voldemort and everything else he had to tell her he asked her to keep the fact that he had told her to her self due to what the prophet was saying. As he finished speaking and Amelia cast the unlocking charms on the door Tonks entered the room, and handed Amelia a rather thick well used journal. "Fawkes delivered this to me boss, I think you really need to take a read of it."
The head of the department of magical law enforcement was shocked as she read some of the journal of Albus Dumbledore. There was enough material in the journal to get Dumbledore sentenced to the Dementors kiss several times over. The old fool had details of all the deaths he had plotted, including Harry's four grandparents and his parents at Godrics Hollow. How he had planned for Harry to have an abusive life with his family so that the boy could be used to carry out his further plots, and how he had Snape be abusive to all those none Slytherin's at Hogwarts, how he had Snape brew the love potions for Molly.
When Harry and Madam Bones left the room quite some time after entering it she knew of every death eater that Harry had seen in the grave yard along with others that he knew of. She knew of Dumbledore's plans and just what his greater good would be, a world where the magicals and the Muggles were all subjugated and ruled over by Dumbledore and a few wizards of his choosing. She knew where to find Voldemort and how to finish him off. She also left determined to bring them all down, starting with Fudge and his ministry. And thanks to Harry she had a safe place that she could move to so that she and her niece Susan would be safe until Voldemort was gone. She had also promised him that she would take him and Hermione with her and have them taught magic properly with proper tutors and not the second rate people that Dumbledore was so fond of hiring.
Harry left the room with all the horrors of his future life fading from his mind, as the memories of his life disappeared from his mind Harry stepped out of the room as a fifteen year old boy with his entire future to look forward too. All the fighting, wars, and things that had given him nightmares for all those years were gone, wiped away by death as part payment for the hallows and for carrying out their plan to stop all the deaths of so many before it was their time. All that was left were the horrors he had faced in this life up to that day. Which meant that the worst of what he remembered, was the past fifteen years of his life. Including his fights with Voldemort at Hogwarts and the death of Cedric during the tri-wizard tournament, just a few weeks before. A death which he found he no longer blamed him self for. He was left with just the memories from the future that he would need… the memory of discovering the Weasley and Dumbledore treachery toward Hermione, himself, and Fawkes, though death would return a memory on a temporary basis if and when needed.
It was a far happier Harry who walked out of the room and went in search of Hermione. He had an idea of where to lock away Dumbledore, guaranteeing he could not escape nor could he rally his usual supporter's that would ensure he got away with any crime. Harry would refuse to open the chamber until Amelia could be sure of him standing trial for all he had done. He would then open the chamber just an hour before the trial was due to start. As was usual he found Hermione sitting in the library with a book in her lap, though he could tell that she was not really interested in it and that her mind was on something else.
Harry sat down next to Hermione with a large smile on his face. "So miss Granger, would you do me the great honour of being my girlfriend please?" he asked the still in shock girl.
Hermione turned to stare at him, "Harry, you kissed me, I mean you really kissed me." She rambled as she placed her fingers on her lips as if to show him where he had kissed her.
Harry gave a small chuckle, "Yes I did, and you kissed me back. I would like to do it again, but with your permission next time. So what's your answer, will you take me as your boyfriend?"
Hermione simply sat and stared at him for quite some time before she broke out in a goofy smile, leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on his lips before she leaned back and said "Oh and yes I will be yours Harry, I have wanted to be yours for the past four years."
Harry jumped up and threw his fist into the air while yelling "YYYYEEEEESSSSSSSS!" before he pulled his new girlfriend up and kissed her again rather passionately, after which Harry told her what he could remember about Dumbledore's journal, and about the Weasley plot to potion them both, and as he finished explaining to her he suddenly remembered Flamel's stone that sat in Dumbledore's desk. Together they entered the old mans office and with Hermione's amazing intelligence they quickly had the drawer open and the stone tucked in Harry's pocket, knowledge of how to use it suddenly appeared in Hermione's mind as a memory of some Muggle book she had read many years earlier. It was an odd change to the plan death placing the method of using the stone into Hermione's mind and not Harry's, but death had decided Harry was hopeless at potions and they would need her skill at brewing. Leaving the office holding her hand he said "Come on love we have some things to do. Need to lock up the Weasleys and Dumbledore where they won't get away. Like Fawkes said, I know the absolutely perfect place. While we are there you can take a look at that basilisk that took you away from me for all those lonely days in second year."
It did not take the new couple long to find the other occupants of the house as they were all sitting in the kitchen. Their prisoners were all sitting tied to chairs with Dora watching over them rather diligently. "OK Folks can we get these cretins to Hogwarts? I have the perfect place to keep them locked up and if you are good, I'll even show you the ruddy Basilisk that had the nerve to petrify my Hermione… might be a bit smelly after two years though." Harry said as they walked into the room.
Three quarters of an hour later everyone who had been at Grimmauld place with them except Amelia who had gone to collect her niece, was helping Harry to clear a path through the rock fall that had blocked the way into Salazar's chamber. It took them just a few minutes to clear the rock and to shore up the roof. They all stood fascinated as Harry opened the final set of doors into the chamber.
Walking down the centre aisle of the chamber they all came to a sudden stop. Sirius said what they were all thinking when he shouted "BLOODY HELL!" There in front of them lay the basilisk, all sixty three feet of it. It was still fully preserved in the condition it had been on the day its long life came to a brutal end.
Hermione turned to Harry and said "I think your description of it being a big snake, might have been just a little understated Harry. That thing is an enormous ruddy snake." She then shivered as she thought of him at twelve years old and how small and skinny he had been, and yet he still managed to kill such a monster for petrifying her. "I love you Harry Potter," she whispered before she kissed him.
"How? I mean, how?" Minerva McGonagall asked unable to say any more.
"The thing looks like it's just fallen asleep," Remus announced with a hissed breath.
"Worth a small fortune is that Potter," Mad eye Moody informed them rather loudly, he continued after a minute of silence "Voldemort doesn't stand a chance against you if you could do away with that monster at… what were you 'twelve'?"
Harry looked around him, there were ten or eleven people from the order with him and all were looking at him with awe. "How come that Dumb ass never got you an order of Merlin for killing that thing?" Shacklebolt asked stepping up casting a spell to take measurements of the snake.
"I wonder do those who were students at the time know that they all possibly owe you a life debt?" Dora asked no one in particular, quietly.
The Weasley family were gaping at the basilisk, the twins and Arthur turned and thanked Harry for saving Ginny from something so huge. Molly was simply cursing as she thought of what Harry could have done for her family with all the gold he would get for the carcass, knowing that now they would never get a Knut of it.
"Harry I think we should lock Dumb ass and his crew in the tunnel rather than in here, I have a feeling there has to be a away out of here, that thing had to be getting food from the forest or it would have starved to death hundreds of years ago." Sirius suggested seriously as he stared at the huge snake.
Several of the order members agreed with him and the decision was made before Harry even spoke. Professor McGonagall suggested that Harry sell the carcase to the Goblins once Dumbledore and the Weasleys had been sorted out. Twenty minutes later the last of those accompanying Harry and Hermione stepped off the stairs from the chamber and into the bathroom where moaning Myrtle was waiting to once again offer Harry the stall next to hers if he should die any time soon. It had been Hermione who had suggested to him that he try saying the word stairs as she could not see Salazar Slytherin making the chamber with no way out except by broom. Harry felt just a little foolish when the stairs had appeared but he quickly forgot about that as Hermione gave him a kiss as they waited for their turn to leave the tunnel.
Hermione looked at the ghost and said, "He better not die Myrtle, I want a family, at least three, maybe even four kids," she then winked at the ghost as Harry stared at her in shock at what she had said.
Arriving back at number twelve Grimmauld place they found Amelia Bones waiting for them along with her niece Susan. It was only a matter of minutes after saying hello that Hermione and Susan were having a girl talk as Hermione revealed that Harry had asked her to be his girlfriend. The story of their visit to the chamber and what they had seen was told to Amelia by several people as they crowded around her.
While Amelia and the members of the order were all talking Harry and Hermione called for two elves that they knew. Dobby was quickly sent off to Gringotts to obtain a portkey to one of the Potter homes, and Winky was asked by Hermione if she would be willing to check out if the house was ok to live in, Hermione then added "oh and Winky could you help Harry and I to pack our belongings, oh yes and shrink our trunks for us?"
Winky left Grimmauld place wearing a large grin, Hermione's last words could be interpreted as an order, and as an order that would mean that Hermione was in charge, and Winky intended to use that to change her life, just as her life mate had done with his wizard. Winky would accept from that moment on that she was bonded to the brown haired witch. Winky doing so would actually create a bond between them, which is what the little elf wanted.
After listening to the stories and having drunk a cup of tea, Amelia left Sirius's home with the three teenagers and headed for the house they would be staying in for the foreseeable future. Arriving by port key three of the four of them were surprised at the house they had arrived in. Potters farm was a large eight bed roomed farmhouse along with two small two bed roomed cottages standing in what was a huge farm yard.
"Ok folks, you can either stay in one of the cottages, or you can choose to stay here in the main house with me and Hermione," Harry announced as he sat on a leather couch in front of a huge fire place.
"After all I have heard about you Harry, I trust you and Hermione together, so I think Susan and I will take one of the cottages. After all we might well be here for quite some time before we get rid of the creature that calls itself Voldemort and all his minions, only then will it be safe to go home." Amelia answered after looking at her niece and getting a nod.
After taking a look around the house and then the cottage that Amelia had chosen, Hermione had a question she was rather anxious to ask. "Harry… what about my mum and dad. Do you think they will be safe where they are?"
Harry studied her for a few seconds as a strong deep baritone voice spoke to him in his head. He then told Hermione exactly what the voice had said "They will be safe for a short time until Amelia starts the purge on the death eaters. After that we should try to get them to stay here with us, we can hire Dobby and Winky, they will help pack away your folks belongings and place them here in storage until the world is safe again."
After chatting with the two Bones women for a short time, and then bidding them goodnight as they left to sort out the cottage they were going to use the two teens went back into the living room and sat down together on the comfy couch. Harry and Hermione spent a little over an hour kissing and cuddling in between planning what they would do next. It came as a shock to Harry when Hermione said that she did not wish to return to Hogwarts.
"After all that has happened to us over the years, then the tournament, someone tried having you killed with Dementors, then your trial for defending your self, and what the head master had planned for us, I don't think I could ever feel at all safe there again. I think I would like to look into what I need to learn to take up my Muggle education, maybe I could eventually catch up then get a place at a university. Become a doctor, or maybe a dentist like my mum." She told him sounding a little worried.
She broke out in a huge smile when Harry said he too would like to become a doctor. "We could study together here at the farm; we could even study magic at our leisure. If we drop out of the magical world altogether, we won't need to take OWL or NEWT's exams. Just teach our self what ever we want to learn, when ever we want to learn it. To be sure we are safe I think maybe we should get some weapons, a pistol or something in case that mad man attacks us here." He said rather enthusiastically, even before they had made their final decision he was looking forward to being with Hermione for years to come, thoughts of their children flashed through his mind. Having her to him self and safe at the farm and not having to worry about her being seriously injured or petrified again was a comfort to his soul. He was in agreement with her that as a muggleborn she would not be safe at Hogwarts. He also found it a rather pleasant thought when he realised she would no longer have to put up with being called Mudblood and other names by the pure blood bigots, nor would she have to listen to Ron and his arguing. Neither of them would have to put up with the red headed boys jealousy and irrational anger ever again.
After their plans were decided the two teens headed up stairs to choose them selves a room. Harry chose a rather comfortable looking room close to the staircase and Hermione chose the room next to it. Neither of them thought anything about how clean the house was or the fact that there were clean sheets and bedding on the beds.
Two house elves were smiling as they made them self comfortable in the attic on some elf sized furniture that was already there. "You's think master and mistress will want breakfast early Dobby Potter?" Winky asked before having a little chuckle at how her new mistress would react in the morning.
Though she was a little disappointed that Harry did not try to go a little farther than simple kissing while they were alone in a rather big house together, Hermione knew of Harry's high moral standards and was oddly pleased that she could feel so very safe with him. After a long kiss goodnight they both went to their rooms and were quickly fast asleep.
While the two small families of Bones and Granger/Potter slept, two little beings known as house elves, having had a short rest Dobby and Winky, worked to clean and stock the houses with what ever their new mistress might want. Every thing from food to new clothes for the master were bought with gold from the Potter vaults and by breakfast their humans would find they had all they needed to live quite comfortable lives. Just as Dobby had secretly bound him self to Harry, Winky bound her self to the young witch who had summoned her while they were at Hogwarts School. Both elves were determined to take good care of their masters. Dobby also took it on him self to go to the Bones home and bring their elf to the farm, to look after her family.
The following morning the two teens were woken by the pleasant warm aroma of a full English breakfast being cooked. After a quick shower the two of them made their way down to the kitchen to discover Winky doing the cooking.
"Good morning Master Harry, mistress Hermione, breakfast will be ready in a minute or two." Winky said as she pointed at the table.
Hermione was halfway through her breakfast when what Winky had said suddenly registered in her mind, that and the fact that she was doing the cooking and Harry had not yet had a chance to hire them. She looked at the happy little elf as she pottered around the room cleaning things, putting away food and other things in the various cupboards. There was no sign of the little elf's previous depressed state. Turning to look at Harry she could tell he had not yet noticed anything. "Er Harry? how does a person get bonded to an elf?" she asked quietly.
Harry looked at her for a few seconds before he had an answer, "I'm not exactly sure, but I think Dobby just sort of decided I was his wizard and took it from there. Why?"
Hermione pointed to Winky who was quite happily clearing the stove of the breakfast things. "It would seem that Winky is already here and we haven't hired her yet, that and she called us master and mistress. I think she took me summoning her yesterday as me bonding with her. You know I don't believe in that sort of thing Harry, what am I going to do?"
"I'm afraid there is nothing you can do really, unless you want to treat her like Crouch did. It's obvious it's her own choice, and she has done nothing that would deserve being treated so cruelly again. I recon we should keep her, this is a big house, and I'm sure we will need help in keeping the dust away." Harry said turning back to what was left of his food.
Hermione could find no fault in what Harry said so she shrugged her shoulders and resigned her self to accepting the elf as a member of the family. "I suppose you are right, so we will keep her on along with Dobby, but I wont give up trying to get them the right to be treated properly if we ever return to that world." she muttered as she lifted some toast to take a bite.
Over by the stove Winky did a little triumphal dance and had a huge smile on her face, she had a family, a real family, not some draughty old castle. She silently swore to be a good elf for her mistress Hermione.
A little later after having a better look around than the night before Harry found some documents about the farm. It was fourteen hundred acres and there were two tenant farmers who worked the land, it was situated on the Cheshire plain near a village Called Byley. Not to far from the house there was a small stream that was for some reason known as Puddinglake brook, which they both found amusing. From the upstairs windows where the land could be viewed over the tree tops there were some magnificent views that called out to be explored when they had the chance. Though he looked through the paper work quite carefully he could find no reference to any nearby towns that were within walking distance and so together the two teens decided that at the week end they would go on a tour of discovery around the local lanes to see if there were any bus stops they could use.
They had been living at the farm for almost a month and due to their rather frequent visits to the surrounding countryside Harry had bought them both a pistol each that they kept on them at all times, hidden under a disillusionment charm. As the first of September was fast approaching and neither of them had any intention of returning to Hogwarts, Hermione wanted to visit her parents to let them know what was happening. She told Harry that she did not think it would be fair if they sat back and did nothing when on the 30th of August, Hogwarts would remove the twelve thousand pounds tuition fees they charged for muggleborns from her parents account.
Harry was in full agreement with his girlfriend and on the Saturday they used the local bus stop to catch a bus to the nearest railway station then made their way to Oxford on train and then caught a bus to the end of the lane where the Granger house was. They had just entered through the garden gate when they were surprised by the sound of several pops out in the lane behind them. Harry cautiously popped his head out around the hedges and then pulled back in rather sharply. He did not want to believe what he had just seen but he knew his eyes had not played tricks on him. Voldemort and six of his inner circle were making their way toward the Granger house as if on a Sunday stroll.
Harry's hand was shaking as he pulled out his pistol and whispered to Hermione, "Voldemort and six others."
He could see the fear in Hermione's eyes but he was filled with pride when she took a deep breath then pulled her own pistol out and quietly pulled the slide back to load the chamber. She would fight to save him and her parents even at the cost of her own life. Harry cocked his weapon just as she had done and then motioned for them to both lie down at the side of the path where they would not be seen until someone entered the garden.
Voldemort was the first of the wizards who walked through the open gate, his minions following on all looking forward to what their master would do to the parents of Potters mudblood. The first two shots both hit Voldemort in the forehead almost simultaneously causing the back of his head to explode outward. The two bullets carried on and hit Lucius Malfoy who was right behind his master, in his throat. The rest of the death eaters had no idea who was killing them as they stared down at their fallen master, Harry and Hermione emptied their magazine's into the black cloaked figures, before the death eaters could react.
As the last death eater fell to the ground dead a shaken Harry called for Dobby. Dobby arrived with his usual slight pop sound and was about to begin his usual greeting when he noticed both his master and mistress staring at something behind him. Turning slowly he was quite shocked to see a pile of bodies in the gateway. "M… Master?" he managed to say.
Harry took his eyes of the remains of Voldemort and looked at Dobby. "Dobby can you go fetch Amelia please?" he asked a little quietly. The shock of just having killed seven men was beginning to sink in and the adrenalin that had started to rush through their veins as soon as they knew they were facing Voldemort was beginning to ebb away.
Like Harry, Hermione was staring at the dead dark lord, the most feared man in magical Britain. She could not believe just how easy it had been to end his life and thus his reign of terror. She stood staring waiting to see the usual escaping wraith as it fled away from them, but it did not appear. There was nothing but the dead body lying in her parent's gateway, bleeding all over the concrete path.
The two teens were dragged from their trance like state as they were each grabbed into a tight hug. Richard Granger was hugging his daughter and his wife Helen was hugging Harry. All four were starting to recover from the initial shock when Dobby arrived with Amelia Bones, her arrival was quickly followed by the arrival of ten Auror's who took up positions on the lane.
"Harry, Hermione are you ok? What happened?" Amelia asked as she walked over to them.
"We shot them Amelia." Harry said pointing at the death eaters "It was so easy, they just stood there pointing their wands. I can't believe they didn't even have the brains to dodge."
Amelia looked at the pile of bodies and she could tell from how they had fallen that they had reacted just as Harry had said. It then registered in her mind that the one lying on his back in the middle of the group was Voldemort. With him was Malfoy, Avery, McNair and the LeStrange's, all three of them, though it was not possible to recognise Bellatrix from what was left of her face, it was easy to recognise everything else about her. Giving her self a shake Amelia called for the Auror's to take the bodies back to the morgue at the ministry. It took just a few seconds for the death eaters to be removed, as Kingsley Shacklebolt was placing a portkey on to the body of Voldemort she told him to take the body to the ministry atrium. "It's time Fudge was shown to be the utter idiot he is." She told him, she then added that she would join him in a few minutes.
"Right you two lets get you into the house, you can explain what happened later when you are over the adrenalin shock," she told the two teens as she nodded to the two adult Grangers. Once she was sure that the two teens were comfortable Amelia said she would see them later and then with a rather quiet pop she disapparated to the ministry. She had a stupid minister who had been denying the return of Voldemort and slandering anyone who believed Harry Potters story of the dark lords resurrection to deal with.
Amelia had just joined Shacklebolt when minister Fudge and his side kick came storming into the Atrium shouting for Auror's to arrest who ever it was that was spreading the vile rumours about He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. As the minister came to a halt in front of her Amelia took hold of his arm and said quite plainly for all to hear.
"Cornelius Oswald Fudge, I am arresting you for aiding and abetting known terrorists, anything you say can and will be used against you in the Wizengamot. You too Umbridge, same charges. Oh and Cornelius I wouldn't bother saying anything, the whole wizarding world has heard and seen what you have been doing to cover up the evil bastards return. Everyone also knows that you have been taking bribes from Lucius Malfoy to do so. Considering we have the freshly dead Voldemort right here nothing you say will make any difference at all." As she finished two Auror's joined her and quite happily placed cuffs on the minister and his side kick and led them away.
News that the body of Voldemort was lying in the ministry very quickly spread through the wizarding world of Britain and people were coming from all over to try to get into the ministry Atrium. Most of them hoping to get a look at the most evil wizard known were disappointed as Amelia had the body moved down to the chamber where the veil of death was. The only people who were allowed into the chamber with the Auror's were several members of the press who were given the story of how Harry Potter and his girlfriend had finished off Voldemort after a brief battle.
Richard Granger had thought that his daughter and her boyfriend were suffering from the horror of having actually killed someone; he soon learned that the two teens were just shocked at how easy it had been to rid the world of some of the most vile and prolific murderers and rapists ever known. The two teens quickly recovered over a hot cup of tea and told the elder Grangers what had happened, what the vile monsters had intended doing at the Granger home. The two elders were a little taken back when Harry said. "You have no idea how glad I am that we were here to stop them before they raped and tortured you, and I would willingly kill everyone of their kind the same way. There was a time when I would have felt guilty over what we did, but that time passed when they killed Cedric just for being with me. There is no way on earth I would have let them harm my Hermione."
Harry then had to tell how Cedric had died at the end of the Tri-Wizard tournament. Hermione told her parents of the murders, rapes, and tortures of so many people. She then went on to tell them about the Weasley plot to use love potions on both her and Harry, and how they had decided that they wanted nothing more to do with a world where they had almost died each year since they entered it. As she expected her parents did not like the fact that the two teens had been living together in one of Harry's houses.
Harry calmed them some when he invited them to join them for a few days. Those days turned into weeks and then into months and eventually Richard and Helen Granger became permanent residents as they taught the two teens what they would need to know to go on to university and then medical school.
Harry and Hermione both qualified as doctors one month before they got married in the local church. As their three children were born and grew up they were home taught all the magic they would need to pass their NEWTs if they ever took them, Harry and Hermione never again entered the magical world after they had rid the world of Tom Riddle. Both of them aged slowly which was something they passed on to their descendants.
On his daughters twentieth birthday Harry looked out of the bathroom window and just for a moment he thought he saw a figure that looked like death standing there holding a scythe and smiling at him. A quick blink of his eyes had him refocus and he saw a large black plastic bag trapped on something in the garden, he left the bathroom chuckling at him self, while out in the garden the large plastic bag floated away on the wind with a large hidden smile on a face of bone. Death was happy at how his plan had worked out perfectly, all those who had died an early death but should have lived in Harry's previous timeline, were all fit and happy living their lives without a dark lord causing death and mayhem in their world.
An extremely happy Dr H. J. Potter rejoined the party and kissed his wife Dr H. J. Potter on her cheek before he picked up a glass of beer and wished his daughter a happy birthday with a kiss to her cheek for the tenth time that day. As far as Harry and Hermione were concerned leaving the magical world was the best thing they ever did.
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