Birthday Surprise
DISCLAIMER: That part of this world and those characters you’ve seen before belong to their Creator: JKR. The rest is mine - although I cannot quit my day job as I make no $$$
TWENTY-FOUR: BIRTHDAY SURPRISE
Thursday, July 29 th 1993
A week had passed since the uncapping of Harry and Hermione’s memories. Aside from that day and the day that had followed, it had been sunny in the south of France and they had spent the days on the beach below their rented villa. Although the girls had talked about it before, Harry had not truly paid attention to discussions about appropriate beach attire. It was not until they first went to the beach that he realized that at least some women beach goers wore no tops whatsoever. He had been both stunned and somewhat disgusted and to the delight of the young ladies in his company, after getting over his initial shock he was not distracted by the others ladies. He preferred to ogle his ladies. Besides, for every half-way decent looking younger woman waking about nearly starkers there seemed to be several much, much older ladies doing so. He thought there should be a rule against women old enough to be his grandmother walking about like that in public and another about unattractive women doing so but he wisely decided not to voice this. He was certain that while his ladies would appreciate the fact that he preferred them, some of them (Hermione) might take offense at his notion of rules not because they disagreed per se but because it was shallow. He did not ask, but none of his ladies chose to dress that way for the beach. Deep down he was somewhat pleased. He was already thinking that was a privilege reserved for him alone.
There had been no new memories. Harry truly doubted there would be anytime soon. The papers contained news of the manhunt for Sirius Black and it was obvious to Harry and now the others that the people back home had no clue about anything really. His memories told him that the fools at the ministry would never get close to catching his Godfather. His worry was their changing of the timeline. They had come up with a plan and it seemed a good one, but it the plan fell apart… He’d rather not think about that. Besides, there was nothing to do right now. They figured the earliest that Black might be caught (by them) was August 2nd and the latest was August 6th based upon his memories and that was still days away. The earliest they could really put their plan in motion depended in large part upon catching Pettigrew which could not happen until near the end of the summer. Even then, their plan regarding the use of the Wizengamot Charter to thwart the Ministry and Dumbledore - assuming it worked - probably could not go forward until September at the earliest. He decided not to worry about such things for now.
This was another of their Trunk breakfasts. Again, there was nothing in the papers that triggered any additional memories. What surprised Harry, however, was the mail. There was a letter that from the addressing probably came from Neville Longbottom and this puzzled him.
“Something the matter?” Hermione asked noticing Harry looking at the envelope but not opening it.
“Um… well, something’s different,” he said.
“Oh?”
“Remember that letter I got from Ron earlier this summer?”
She and the others nodded. The others had taken some interest in this conversation.
“Well, although the place was very different, I got a sense of déjà vu about the letter and certainly had it when I read it.”
“So did I. So what’s the deal with that one?” Hermione asked.
“No such feeling,” Harry said as he opened it cautiously.
“Perhaps this didn’t happen that time,” Luna suggested.
“Can’t think of why Neville would write now when he didn’t seem to do so last time,” Harry said. “I have no idea what could’ve changed. Any of you lot write him?”
No one had.
“Could’ve been one of the adults,” Ginny suggested.
“But why?” Harry asked. There was no answer.
“It’s not going to bite you, Harry,” Hermione said noticing he still had not opened it.
“Hermione’s right,” Ginny said. “Now if it was from Fred or George…”
“The elves would probably have taken it apart magically and physically,” Daphne said. “I’m sure it’s alright.”
“Still,” Harry began as he opened it.
22 July 1993, Longbottom Manor
To: Lord Harry James Potter, Heir Apparent Ancient and Noble House of Potter, Earls of Hwicca, Abengale, Hereford and Finchley, Baron of Loch Sheen.
Your Grace:
It has recently been brought to my attention that you have accepted your birthright. I too have only recently accepted mine under some rather unusual circumstances which I feel are better discussed in person and in private rather than in a letter. For generations, House Potter and House Longbottom have been allied and have strove as they might for the common betterment of our world. While we remain young, and therefore unable to fully marshal our full potential towards the goals of our respective Houses and families, I wish to offer the opportunity to reaffirm the alliance which has served both our families well for so long.
I humbly request, Your Grace, that our Houses meet to discuss such matters. I would recommend the 30 th or 31 st , wherein we might also celebrate our 13 th birthday, but can understand if your House has made other plans. Do not feel you need to change such plans for you House on my behalf. In any event, a meeting before this September 1 st would be most appreciated. I am looking forward to what I hope is a favorable reply to my request.
Your Obedient Servant,
Lord Neville Algecyrus Longbottom, Heir Apparent Ancient and Noble House of Longbottom, Earls of Colne, Pendle and Martson; Barons of Tulhume and Halden Moor.
“Okay, this makes no sense,” Harry said passing the letter to Hermione. Neither Hermione, Luna nor Ginny said much of anything about the letter.
“Rather formal,” Daphne said. “Reminds me in a way of our meeting at Gringotts.”
“I hope there is no relation or connection!” Harry protested.
“It’s a formal request for a meeting between two Noble Houses,” Hannah began after she read it.
“I got that bit,” Harry said trying not to grumble with impatience. “And what’s with the Your Grace and Obedient Servant stuff?”
“Those are common salutations in such letters, Harry,” Hannah said. “It’s a formal way of being polite. I wouldn’t read anything into that one way or another. He wants to meet about old family alliances. What is odd, if you can call it odd, is he has claimed his birthright as well. You were only able to do so ‘cause you got married…”
“Four times over,” Daphne added.
“While I can’t say if Neville had or did not have a betrothal contract,” Hannah went on, “I doubt he had a magical bond to allow him to marry which means his guardian must have allowed him leave to assume his birthright and that is unusual. Then there’s the fact that this invitation is to your House. That might be a mere formal convention, but whether he knows something or not, if you accept this it requires you to bring the five of us along. Ginny is, after all, a Potter now and we are your wives which makes the six of us House Potter.”
“He’s going to be in for a shock if we accept,” Ginny sniggered.
“Just hope he doesn’t pass out,” Daphne said.
“I wouldn’t sell Neville short,” Hermione huffed. “He might be a little shy, but he’s no coward.”
“Snape seems to scare the piss out of him,” Daphne offered.
“And this makes him different that most stdents because…?” Hannah asked.
“Point conceded,” Daphne said.
“Should I reply?” Harry asked.
“It is expected,” Hannah said. “And unless you really cannot meet him at all between now and September 1st, I suggest you accept the invitation.”
They discussed the reply for a time and then, once breakfast was cleared away, they went to the library to write it.
29 July 1993, Potter Farms
To: Lord Neville Algecyrus Longbottom, Heir Apparent Ancient and Noble House of Longbottom, Earls of Colne, Pendle and Martson; Barons of Tineswood Heath and Barstow.
Your Grace:
I have received your letter of the 22 nd . I am honoured for your request and am eager to discuss matters of mutual interest. That being said and despite the above Heading, House Potter is currently on holiday in France and shall remain here on the Continent through the 2 nd of August. (My correspondence is being routed through the above location which may explain the delay in receipt as I received it only this morning in my post. I am sending this with Hedwig and shall ask that she await a reply so as to avoid any such delay on return post.) Certain other matters demand my attention and the attention of my House through the 8 th of the Month and I and my House have a social engagement previously scheduled for the 11 th . Any other date in August is acceptable.
Due to certain circumstances I shall not discuss in a letter, House Potter is not free at this time to offer its estates to host such a meeting. Please feel free to recommend a date, time and location for our meeting.
Your Humble Servant:
Lord Harry James Potter, Heir Apparent Ancient and Noble House of Potter, Earls of Hwicca, Abengale, Hereford and Finchley, Baron of Loch Sheen.
Saturday, July 31 st 1981
Harry had climbed through the access trunk and walked through the Villa to the dining room. It’s large windows looked out over the sea. Since they arrived here a little over a week ago, and aside from those three mornings where they had breakfast in the Trunk, they had all of their breakfasts here and a fair few of their other meals. They had also eaten at the local cafes and a couple of nice restaurants. But the one thing that had not happened in their time here was cooking. Harry could see no reason for Mrs. Granger to cook meals on her holiday even if she was willing and Harry now preferred his kitchen to any other should he decide to cook himself. He had done so a few times. He insisted doing to about once a week if for no other reason than he enjoyed doing to and wanted to keep up the practice. But most meals were prepared by Burt and his elf staff and served either in the Trunk or here.
He entered the dining room and saw that most of the travelers were already seated and eating. Only Ginny and Mrs. Granger were missing.
“Happy Birthday!” several cheerful voices said.
“Oh no!” Harry gasped. He couldn’t believe it. “I totally forgot!”
“How could you forget your birthday,” Hannah asked, although she seemed immediately ashamed at the question.
“It wasn’t exactly a popular occasion at the Dursleys,” Harry said trying not to sound glum. “My best ones were always the ones they forgot completely. But thank you. I really had forgotten. I hope you all haven’t done anything special…”
“Well,” Daphne said, “we may have bought you some gifts.”
“Nothing too fancy, mind you,” Luna added. “But that’s for later.”
“Tuck in,” Hermione added. Harry did not need encouragement seeing all the food.
“Where’s Ginny and your Mum?” he asked.
Hermione seemed to blush.
“Ginny wasn’t feeling well this morning,” Luna said. “Mrs. Granger’s checking on her although we’re all certain it’s nothing to worry about.”
“Um… ,” something told Harry not to ask. “Well, I hope she’s not upset about it being my birthday and all, considering I would’ve forgotten…”
“She is a little,” Luna said. “But it can’t be helped.”
Mrs. Granger then entered and sat down.
“Is it?” the other girls asked.
Mrs. Granger nodded. “It is. She’s right put out about the timing, but she’ll be right as rain in a couple of days. It’s a pity it didn’t happen sooner. There’s a place here that would’ve been perfect…”
“What’s going on?” Harry asked as it seemed everyone else knew something he didn’t.
“She’s going through menarche,” Mrs. Granger said.
“Men… OOH!” Harry said with a blush. After a moment he added: “Why does a place make a difference?”
Hermione blushed as her mother chuckled. “Well, it’s a girl thing Harry,” Mrs. Granger said. “When Hermione went through it as soon as we could after she was through it I took her out for a day of pampering…”
“You don’t want or need to know the details of that,” Mr. Granger cautioned. “It’s really a woman thing. Makes shopping look tame.”
“Guess I don’t need to know then,” Harry agreed quickly.
“We can still do it when we get home, can’t we?” Hermione asked.
“I don’t see why not. We’ll have a girl’s day out.”
“But won’t that be different?” Mr. Granger asked. “I mean with all of you.”
“Don’t be silly,” Mrs. Granger said. “I already talked to Ginny about it and she’s fine with it, even if she doesn’t know what I mean yet. She knows the day’s about her. She even suggested we do it on the eleventh which is her birthday to kill two birds with one stone as it were. I was willing to argue the point, but she really doesn’t want to be that much trouble considering…”
“Considering what?” Harry asked.
“That she feels so icky on your birthday. She was so looking forward to it.”
“Well, she still can.”
“It’ll be a couple of days,” Mrs. Granger said.
“Luna? You went through your monthlies first. Tell Mrs. Granger how it works in time compression.”
“That’s brilliant! She can still enjoy Harry’s birthday then!” Hermione said.
“What are you talking about?” Mrs. Granger asked.
“We learned that while time compression does not change when monthlies begin,” Luna replied, “if you enter time compression after they start, they end just as quickly. I mean, once it begins it ends in time compression time not outside time. Is that what you’re thinking?”
“We’ve got close to a full charge right now,” Harry said. “We haven’t used it since the day before we left to come here so… After breakfast, we could head into the trunk and I could give us a week or so. When it’s over, it’ll only be later this morning.”
“That sounds like a nice idea, Harry,” Mrs. Granger said. “Bob and I were going for a walk. We could meet back here for lunch?”
“You sure you wouldn’t want to join us?”
“It’s not necessary. You lot have fun.”
The last person Ginny expected to see sitting on her bed was Harry. She tried not to be mortified. He wasn’t the only one there. The others were with him.
“I’m so sorry Harry,” she said sadly. “I didn’t mean to ruin your birthday!”
“Why would you say that?” Harry asked.
“‘Cause it’s your birthday and this had to happen.”
“And it still will be my birthday when this is all done.”
“But it can take days… Oh! Time Compression?”
Harry nodded.
“Harry, you didn’t have to…”
“No. But what could be better than a week alone with my lovelies. You really feel like lying in bed?”
“I don’t know. Maybe just ‘til lunch?”
“It’s my birthday. If that’s what you want, that' fine with me.”
“Harry, birthdays are supposed to be about what you want…”
“Since I never really had one before and since fate seems to think that what’s normal for others isn’t for me, why should this be different? We’ll be about. Come down when you feel up to it.”
He and the others left after he kissed her forehead. He paused at the door and turned the three cards around so they were all green. He turned and gave her a mischievous grin as he left her room.
It was like it had been before back when his girls were joining his family. They were seated at the edge of Hermione’s Lake, one of the three lakes in the Trunk, and enjoying a picnic lunch. Harry kept his mouth shut about their chosen attire although he knew he should not have been surprised. He was pleased Ginny was feeling a little better. She was wearing only a pair of knickers given her current condition. His other four girls were dressed as they usually dressed when they were not expecting a visit as in not at all. He had thought of making some comment about their being in birthday suits for his birthday, but thought that was probably a little too cheeky. He decided it better to enjoy their company.
They were talking and enjoying the basket filled with sandwiches and other things when an odd noise caught his attention and then the attention of the others. The one thing about the trunk was the absence of noise. There were no birds as far as they had seen and no other animals or people and thus none of the noises one would associate with such things. Aside from a breeze rustling the leaves in the trees and the sound of their own voices, the place was always quiet and peaceful until now. They looked up to the road which seemed to be the direction of the strange noise and there was…
“A car?” Hermione asked. It certainly looked like one, although it looked like a really old fashioned one. Harry did not know much about cars, but he had never seen one like that before. It stopped and he heard a door close wondering what this was about. He then saw an elf coming around from the front and walking towards them. He recognized the elf almost immediately but said nothing. The elf stopped before them and bowed with a goofy grin on its face. He had gotten used to the Potter Elves and their bows, but Dobby always seemed to do so in a way that he had to try and not to laugh.
“Happy Birthday, Great Harry Potter Sir!” Dobby exclaimed.
“Thanks, Dobby. What’s that?”
Dobby almost looked upset at the question. “It be one of Great Harry Potter Sirs presents. Does Harry Potter Sir not be likings it?”
“Um… I don’t understand it. What is it?”
“It’s beings an… an ‘automotive carriage.’ Also be calleds a velocipede and other nameses Sir. Muggles be havings them, yes?”
“But what’s it doing here? How’d you get it?” Harry had loads of questions because he did not think you could get a car into the trunk.
“Oh, we be’s makings it, Sir.”
“You made it?”
“Yes sir! And others as well.”
“But why?”
“Because it being Harry Potter Sirs birthday, Sir!”
“But a car? Why do I need a car? Can it go outside the trunk?”
“Can'ts be out of the trunkses Sir. It be becauses of trunkses magic. It be movings with trunkses magics. But it be drivings likes the muggleses ones. We be makings it and others because the trunkses be dones, Sir. Dobby be hopings that Harry Potter Sir and his ladies be wantings a ride about the trunkses. It beings too fars to walks and Harry Potter Sirs' Miss Hermione nots be likings to fly far. It beings too fars for bicycles to, Sir.”
“But… but we were only adding fifteen thousand acres.” Harry could not realize how ridiculous that sounded. The girls snorted or giggled.
“Yes Sir. That’s be finished. But Harry Potter Sir be askings Dobby about connecting other trunkses and theys be connecteds and finished as well. Higgins cans be explainings betters, Sir.”
“Higgins?”
With a slight pop, Higgins stood before him. “Happy Birthday, Milord,” he said with a bow.
“Um… thanks. What’s Dobby on about?”
“Dobby is excited and nervous, Sir. Regretfully, this leaves him tongue tied and he reverts to his old patterns of speech. That being said, Sir, he is worried he may have been presumptuous.”
“How so?”
“He told you about the other trunks he picked up from Gringotts.”
The truth was Harry had totally forgotten about that. “Um… well yes. Forgot about them.”
“You asked some questions about them and he assumed they were suggestions as to what you wanted done with them. He assumed you wanted them all interconnected into a single estate once you were told that was possible and so that is what we have done while you and your ladies were enjoying your holiday. I hope this meets with your liking, Sir.”
“Um… well, I hadn’t really thought about it and to tell the truth I really have no idea what I would have wanted had I done so. I was probably going to leave it up to Dobby anyway seeing as we have discussed the extension to this trunk in some detail.”
“Yes Sir, that was our understanding as well. Based upon those discussions and what your parents and grandparents trunks already had and what was already here, we like to think we’ve come close to what you would have wanted.”
Higgins went on to explain. He began with the trunk Dobby had acquired at the beginning of the summer because Harry and the others were familiar with it. Each of these trunks had a total maximum “foot print” of forty thousand acres or sixty-two and a half square miles. When Harry and the others had first entered the gardens, Harry’s trunk was less than that at only about twenty-five thousand acres, the rest of its potential being just that: potential. It was now expanded to its full size with the additional lands being pastures for dairy cattle, some grain fields and purely recreational lands including a tropical jungle like area and beach on a large lake lined with palm trees and two golf courses - that he had asked for because two of his fathers-in-law played and he wanted a place to practice to minimize embarrassment. Harry’s trunk was typical in that at full size it was a square not quite eight miles on a side. The land could vary in height little more than one hundred meters from its highest point to its lowest which in the case of this first trunk was what they called the Great Lake into which all the water flowed. It had an additional fifty meters of “head room” about the highest point of ground.
The three undeveloped trunks he had received from Gringotts were identical in both maximum size and dimensions. They had been arranged and connected to Harry’s trunk to create a two hundred and fifty square mile box not quite sixteen miles on a side. The center of the box was the greatly expanded Great Lake now over five times its previous size. The new trunks were modeled on the original in terms of land use. It was mostly farmlands with orchards, huge fields of vegetables, fields for grains, pasture lands, some small by this scale formal gardens and uncultivated recreational lands which now included a horse stable, riding trails and five additional golf courses. After all, if Mr. Granger and Mr. Greengrasses musings were true, one could never have too many golf courses. The Herb garden was now five times larger than before meaning more spices, herbs, tea and coffee and now cocoa. Harry’s farm could now make its own chocolate. There was also a new vineyard. Harry’s trunk was now the southwest quarter of this box.
Harry’s grandfather’s two trunks were the oldest. The first had been acquired about forty years earlier. The Potters owned plenty of real land, but most of it was leased to others. The amount of land for the exclusive use of House Potter in the “real world” was actually smaller than the great lawn and formal gardens here in the trunk that were but a fraction of the total lands in the original of Harry’s trunk. Harry’s grandfather placed almost all of the land in his first trunk under cultivation. His farm was less diversified. Although he had orchards and grew vegitables, this was but a small fraction of his farms. Most of the land was either pasture for cattle and sheep, fields of grains or vineyards. He produced beef, pork, poultry (with loads of chickens as well as some ducks, geese and turkeys) and flour from breads and such. But he also made wines, beer, ale and whiskey which were the major cash exports. Not long after Harry’s father was born, his grandfather bought a second trunk and connected it to the first expanding his pastures, grain fields and vineyards. These two older trunks now extended some sixteen miles to the south of Harry’s southern boundary connecting with both Harry’s trunk and the new one to the east.
South of his grandfather’s trunks were his parents' trunks. These were not the same. Combined they were fifteen miles long and eight and a third miles wide. The land dropped thirteen hundred meters from its highest accessible point to the lake at its lowest point. It was a mountain valley and was not under cultivation at all. Maybe some of it would have been at some point. But it had been set up primarily for recreation. It turned out Harry’s father - in addition to liking Quidditch which could be played on the pitch in those trunks - also enjoyed hunting and fishing. The lake and river were stocked with fish and the trunk with deer, mountain goats and game birds such as quail and pheasant. His mother enjoyed hiking in the mountains, riding horses and skiing and apparently there were slopes for skiing when the winter came. The mountain valley extended south from where it now joined the southern boundary of Harry’s grandfather’s farms.
All told, Harry now had 360,000 acres, 170,598 of which was farmland of some description, 29,660 acres of pasture lands, eleven lakes covering over sixteen thousand acres (almost half of that being the Great Lake) and over eighty thousand acres designated recreation lands including formal gardens such as the flower garden and now nine golf courses as his father and Grandfather also played apparently. Harry’s manor was one of eight “residences” in the trunks. Harry’s parents had their mountain chalet and two guest houses close to either the lake or the skiing. Harry’s grandfather had but a single manor in what was now the northern trunk of his farms. The remaining “residences” were guest houses - small hotels really - in the other three trunks. Harry’s manor was the only residence in his original trunk. There were roads and trails throughout and because the new estate measured some sixteen miles east to west and forty-five miles north to south at the extremities, getting around it all by walking or bicycling was impractical. Given that few would fly that far even if they could and the elves came up with the car they now saw as well as some others.
It sounded wonderful to Harry and his ladies seemed gobsmacked at the idea. But Harry had done probably more than his fair share of gardening in life and knew how little it took in the way of neglect for a garden to get out of control. The gardens here appeared to be meticulously maintained just has they had appeared when he first saw them. That was when this was only twenty-five thousand acres and now he had more than ten times that amount. He had been told back then that his staff of a hundred and twenty elves could manage the full sized trunk, but additional staffing would have been ideal. He was not told, nor had he asked, what would be an ideal elf to acre ration, although he was not really thinking in such terms.
“How will we maintain all of this?” he asked almost rhetorically. “I mean, there’re only a hundred and twenty elves and…”
“Oh, no Sir,” Dobby said. “There’s bes mores and mores.”
“More? How? Where’d they come from? How’d they get here?”
“They be with Harry Potter Sirs parentses and grandparentses trunkses Sir and theys be more elves than theres be works for them, Sir.”
“Okay,” Harry said slowly, “and how did that come to pass?”
It was Higgins who answered for again Dobby seemed nervous about the way things were going. “The original trunk had a staff of around two hundred to start, Sir. That was back in 1951. The older Potters were not like many witches and wizards.”
“Meaning?”
“Elves are not usually allowed to form families and have children, Sir. It is understandable. Muggles cannot know of Elves less the secret of magic become known and were elves to have families without restriction, there would be more elves than jobs.”
Hermione snorted. “Perhaps. Or perhaps it’s just that there are plenty of witches and wizards who would like to have elves but don’t or can’t because those who do have them keep them to themselves.”
“I cannot speak to that, Miss,” Higgins said. “You may be correct. But there is the added fact that the children of an Elf couple are bound at birth to the family of that couple. But that bond is not for life for it fades upon their twelfth summer solstice. When they reach such maturity at age twelve they can they seek another family if they so choose. Yet while their infant bond has weakened such that they can leave, many would choose not to. Many would choose to stay with their families if not the humans then the mother and father who bore them. Thus, to allow their elves to have families, the wizards must have work available for the young ones when they reach an age of apprenticeships at around twelve years. There may well be limits to how much extra work is available in a wizarding family, Miss.
“The original staff had children and there were few limitations placed upon their families by the Potters. Eventually, the second trunk was purchased to provide work for the young ones. Master Harry’s parents' trunks were also purchased to provide work for more young ones. Two of the three new trunks were purchased in anticipation of needing to expand acreage so that there would be enough work. Including Master Harry’s elves, there are 1,387 elves who have attained working age.”
“Bloody hell,” Harry gasped. The others were too stunned to correct his language.
“There are also, as of today, 828 elves who are not yet of apprenticeship age which they attain following their twelfth summer solstice. They will attain such age between next summer and the summer of 2005. In about five or so years it may be necessary to obtain an additional trunk, but for now we have just enough elves to handle the work load, Sir.”
The two elves told Harry and the others that three quarters of the elves that lived and worked on the “older farms” had been born there. The remainder had been like Dobby, Higgins and the other elves now living and working Harry’s estate. They had been born elsewhere to elves bound to other families. Many had been like Harry’s elves. When they joined House Potter they were young, between the age when they could choose to leave their families and the age when their magic needed them to bond to a wizarding family or find a place to live with a very high level of ambient magic, and those places were few and far between even in the wizarding world. The young elves made up a majority of the “outside” elves that started Potter Farms, coincidently the name Harry’s Grandfather had given to his trunk estate. The second trunk was “seeded” with similar elves as well as the older children of the Potter Elves from the first trunk. Harry’s parents' trunk had a different demographic. They sought elves during the height of the Wizarding War and older elves were also in abundance. Many wizarding families had been wiped out leaving their surviving elves unbonded so many were collected and employed in House Potter.
“But it doesn’t make sense,” Daphne said. “My family has some elves and they have an elf child, just one. What you’re saying and the numbers you’ve mentioned tell me that for every elf who came from somewhere else, three have been born on those estates. Elves don't… well, they don’t have families like that!”
“In most cases, Lady Daphne,” Higgins said. “It is not so much a question of what elves do not, rather it is one of what under the circumstances they cannot. Elves cannot have children if they are not married. Actually, that term does not aptly describe the bond the couple must have, but it is the closest word in your language. An elf couple cannot marry unless it is possible for them to have a child. This means their wizarding family must allow it, for once bound we are bound to follow their wishes in such matters. It also means there must be a reason for the child. There must be work for it when it comes of age either with its birth family or elsewhere. The high birthrate here has been because House Potter allowed it and had planned the expansion to support it.”
“But how could it continue?” Daphne asked.
“What?” Harry responded.
“Higgins said there’s over eight hundred young elves who have not yet seen their twelfth solstice! How? They’re parents are not bonded! And how could there be so many? By what Higgins said it means the original elves had six children or so; three times as many elves have been born here than came here from somewhere else!”
“The youngest elves include grandchildren and great-grand children of the original elves, Lady Daphne. As for how…”
“Harry’s parents died before any of those elves were born,” Daphne added.
“While an elf bonds to an individual, the bond is not to that individual, but to that individual’s family. The bond exists so long as the family exists. Thus the bond survived the deaths of Lord Harry’s parents and grandparents because the family survived. Specifically, Harry survived. And now Harry is joined by the five of you. So long as one of you survives or, dare I say, any child of your family, they remain Potter elves and their child elves are born into House Potter.”
“What would’ve happened if Harry had never - um - received those trunks?” Hermione asked.
“Sadness in time,” Dobby said. “Elveses what be bondeds to House Potter, Elveses what be sharings their naming when theys be but babes, theys be bondeds to the House of the Great Harry Potter Sir. When theys betweens childs and fully growed, betweens theirs' twelveses and twenty-firsteds Solstice, theys can chooses to leaves and be trying to be finding new family for bonds. But fews tries that. Only unhappy elveses or unwanted ones will leave the family of their births. Most elveses here would nots be leaving and thens not be bondings. In time, after theys old enough to needs bondings, if they nots be havings one, their magic fades away and when it be gones, Elvses be passing on. Elveses here younger than theirs' fourteenth Solstice nots be having namings with a Potter; they nots be recognized as a Potter and when theys older if nots a Potter and nots another, theys not be bondeds and magic fades. Older elveses not fades, but in time there be no more young ones. Elves live a long time, but not forever and one day in distant future, there nots be enough elvses to keep trunks happy. The gardens turn brown, the rivers and rains stops and rich, green lands turn barren and trunks die and elvses die and it be over for them all, Milady.”
There was a long silence as what Dobby had said seemed to sink in. Harry stood and started pacing back and forth, clearly agitated about something. “No!” he exclaimed. “Damn it!”
“Harry!” Hermione began.
“What’s the matter?” Daphne asked.
“Nothing!” he said cryptically. His tone was not that of someone saying that nothing was the matter. Something was. “There’s nothing!”
“Harry?” Luna asked.
“No déjà vu! Nothing even close. You?” he added looking at Hermione. She shook her head as did Luna.
“I seriously doubt this happened the first time,” Daphne began.
“Don’t you get it?” Harry said in frustration, although even Daphne realized he was not frustrated with her. “There’s nothing! Had I known about the trunks, about those elves there would be something; some sense I was aware of it before even if it has nothing to do with what that other me is trying to tell me. I would have sensed I knew this before somehow! But there’s nothing there! Don’t you get it?”
The others shook their heads.
“We did whatever we did a long time from now! Eighty years maybe! Dobby? If no one from my family were to ever meet or bond with the elves from those trunks, how many would be left eighty years from now?” This question raised a gasp of understanding from the others.
“Dobby cannot knows such. Not certainsly. The young elves what not be named by a Potter or marrieds or called a Potter Elf, they’s be gones long, long befores then. Even the ones not borns yet woulds be gone. Oldest elves may be as well. A thousand? Maybe mores?”
“A thousand and maybe more,” Harry repeated. “I know I knew nothing of this! We don’t know precisely what happened in that other time, but we do know of the five of you the only one I married was Ginny. That meant that contract was enforced, probably. Maybe I didn’t care. Then again, if I didn’t know what I was losing why would I? And we now know another result of what Dumbledore’s trying to do. A thousand elves. Maybe more! A thousand lives lost ‘cause I didn’t know and couldn’t do anything even if I did! All because that old man wants his dream and does not care what the rest of the world might think of it - unless of course they try to stop him! I can’t let him win. I won’t. Dobby? How many are fading?”
“It bes too soons, Harry Potter Sir. The ones which nots be bonding have years before theys be in danger.”
“Well, I’m not waiting. Not a year, not a week! Can we gather all the elves today?”
The two elves looked at each other. “Dobby cants gathers them, Harry Potter Sir. Dobby be Harry Potter Sir’s Head Elf and the elves Harry Potter be bondeds to Dobby cans call. But the others not being Harry Potter Sirs elves yet, Dobby cants be callings them. Harry Potter Sir must be meetings and bondings with the other Head Elves and there be two of thems. Ones be Harry Potter Sir’s grandfather’s Head Elf and the other Harry Potter Sirs father. We cans see them, but wes must goes to them, Sir. Dobby can drives you to them, Sir.”
“Then what are we waiting for?”
“Um… Harry?” Hermione asked.
“Yes?”
“If we’re going to meet new elves, I think I and the others should be appropriately attired.”
“Agreed,” three other voices said.
“Oh pooh!” Luna added. But she did not seem serious.
They stood before a large house. They could not decide if it was a manor or just a large house at least not from the outside. It seemed somewhat smaller than the exterior projection of Harry’s place but it was certainly larger looking than the Granger’s home near Slough and Daphne and Hannah both agreed it was larger looking than where they lived. But, as they knew with Harry’s place, what it looked like from the outside was not all that important here in the trunks.
Dobby told them this was the only residence in the two trunks that had belonged to Harry’s grandparents. It was at the end of a long, circular drive amid trees, a closely manicured lawn and clearly formal gardens. They had ridden here from Hermione’s Lake in that car like thing Dobby had brought. The roads took them through the gardens they were familiar with and into part of one of the new trunks which had an extension of the vegetable gardens that seemed to extend to the horizon to the east and then a left turn that brought them into the oldest of all the trunks. They passed though grain fields and pastures before entering the rolling hills and vineyard that was adjacent to the gardens and this house. Dobby had told them he chose the most direct route from where they had been to this place. It had given them some idea of just how large their world had become for, although they had no idea how fast Dobby was driving this open topped car, it was much faster than their bicycles and it had still taken a half an hour to get here. As a group and with Dobby, they walked to the front door.
“Should we just walk in?” Harry asked looking at Dobby and the others.
“Why not?” Ginny said. “It is your place too, isn’t it?”
“Dobby bes thinkings yous should be knockings, Harry Potter Sir. It be your place, but it be polite for the elves what works here.”
Harry chose to knock.
The door opened after a few moments. Before Harry stood a female elf wearing a dress not unlike the ones worn by the female house staff at his manor. The Potter crest was plainly visible about the left breast area. To Harry, this elf looked much older than the elves back “home.” He knew he should not be surprised as there had been elves here for forty years or so.
“I’m sorry,” the elf said formally. “Master Charlus and Mistress Dorea are no longer with us and the current Lord Potter is not in residence. Good day.” She ended with a finality and the door closed.
“Well, that was rather rude,” Hermione huffed.
“It was not out of character for House Staff,” Hannah said. “It was odd, however. You’d think the elves would know this isn’t the outside…”
“And that not just anyone can walk up to the door,” Daphne said.
Harry looked at Dobby.
“Dobby can'ts be explaining strange elf. Ladies be rights. Great Harry Potter’s staff nots be turnings away guests but be knowings that guests cants be comings and goings neither. Great Harry Potter’s elves knows they lives in a trunk and what’s nots in the trunks can’t be there without Great Harry Potter sayings they cans be. But maybes these elves nots be knowings? Maybe peoples cans be comings and goings? Dobby not finding reasons to thinks peoples cans be comings and goings. Dobby be seeings control rooms of all trunks and whiles theys be differents in lookings from Great Harry Potter Sirs, they be the sames in whats they be doings and there be fews who’s ever been allowed access to this trunks, Sir.”
“We’re here,” Hermione noted.
“Trunks be connecteds now,” Dobby replied. “Being ables to goes to and out of ones and you cans with all, Lady Hermione. Dobby be goings to talks with Head Elf here. His name is Albert and he’ll sorts it. He is a bit… gruff…”
There was a pop and Dobby was gone. There was not much to do but wait and hope Dobby did manage to get it all sorted. None of them knew how to drive that magical car like thing and they all knew it was a long walk back. Several minutes later the door opened again and the same elf greeted them. She apologized claiming she was unaware of an appointment suggesting they had one to begin with. She led them in.
The house seemed very formal to Harry as they walked through a very wide corridor that seemed to run from the front of the house to the back. A wide stair led up one side to the floor about and off either side were various rooms, all of which were filled with stuffy looking furniture and things and while it all looked to be in good condition, it also looked old. He noticed Hermione looking into one of the rooms. When he looked too, he noted a disapproving look on her face and saw why. If he had to guess, that room was the library and while large by some standards it was a broom cupboard compared to the one back at their place. Dobby had claimed he had copied every book House Potter had and it held every book his girls had as well as a copy of any additional books House Abbott had. He did not know how many books they had all told and would only say it was an awful lot, but it was certainly more than there were in this place’s library and theirs looked brighter and less stuffy as well.
There were paintings on the walls here. It seemed there were not nearly as many as there were in their home. If there was a noticeable difference, far more of these seemed to be of places rather than portraits. Aside from one sitting room where he recognized the portrait of his Great-grandparents Edward and Chastain Potter who he knew were murdered in 1976 during the war. The group was led to a small office at the back of the house. Inside, an elf was at a desk writing something with a quill.
“Not pleased with you, Lad,” the elf growled not looking up. “Your father dead for over a decade and you take your sweet time to get to it and set a new Head Elf over us without such as a by your leave not to mention taking a few hundred acres of good pasture land out of production for an unnecessary lake and river system. You haven’t been here in over a decade and… Then again, no one ever said James Potter did sensible…”
“James Potter?” Harry and at least three of his ladies said in unison at the elf who seemed more intent at whatever he was writing. “James Potter was killed almost twelve years ago,” Harry said.
The elf looked up. There was a look of surprise on his face for a brief moment, and then it became stern again. “You resemble James Potter, but you sure aren’t him. Too short! Too young! Way too young. Who are you and what are you doing here?”
“Harry Potter,” Harry said trying to sound confident. “James was my father, ‘though I have no memory of him or my Mum. You want the long or short story as to why I’m here?”
“Son? James Potter had a son? Blimey! Didn’t even know the boy was married! Who’s yer mum, Lad and where is she? You got business with this estate it should be your regent unless you’re young looking for seventeen…”
“Mum’s gone too,” Harry said trying not to show emotion. “She was Lily Evans…”
“Ah yes. Remember her. James brought a load of friends from school ‘round for a visit back the summer before his Seventh Year. Most were forgettable. He’d had that Black lad and Lupin around before. Lupin was the only decent one of that lot if you ask me, but Lord Charlus made plain they were just lads into lads’ notions of fun. Mayhem’s a better word. Evans… yes, she made an impression. Asked all sorts of interesting questions. To be honest, didn’t see her marrying James. She seemed to be too smart, too level headed and too mature for that lot. You said she’s dead too? And how old are you, Lad?”
“My parents were murdered Halloween of 1981…”
“Dark times then.”
“I just turned thirteen.”
“Right, then how’d you get here? Security is such that only the current Lord Potter could grant you access unless…”
“I am the current Lord?” Harry suggested.
“Ya ain’t wearin' no Lord’s ring…”
“Haven’t picked it up yet…”
“And yer too young fer one anyway! Thirteen! Need to be emancipated to…”
“I am emancipated…”
“On what grounds?”
“By virtue of the fact that four of these lovely ladies with me are my wives. May I introduce Lady Hermione, Countess Designate of Finchley; Lady Luna, Countess Designate of Hwicca; Lady Daphne, Countess Designate of Abengale and Lady Hannah, Countess Designate of Godricston. Finally, there’s my betrothed Miss Ginny who will become either Countess of Hereford or Baroness of Loch Sheen.”
A brief look of surprise passed over the elf’s face. After regaining his composure, he stood and bowed to them all. “That would do it. I apologize Sir. I am Albert, Head Elf of the Potter Farm. Been running the place practically since the beginning - over forty years, Sir and when Lord Charlus passed on… Well, I suppose I’ve let my responsibility for this Potter property get the better of me. I apologize. It was rude of me to think… well, to think this was yet another in a long series of tiring pranks of James Potter. Had I…?”
“How could you?”
“How indeed. What brings you to the Farm, Milord?”
Harry gave the elf a brief rundown of the trunks. “I asked my Head Elf Dobby to see that they were all interconnected.”
“Explains why we’re under Time Compression without my authorization. Thought the controls were dodgy. Also explains the lake, I guess. But that was good pasture.”
“There’s plenty more to the north.”
“North?”
Harry pointed in the direction that they called north.
“The new lake be necessary for water flow from Great Harry Potter Sirs father’s trunks,” Dobby added. “Dobby woulds be askings you first, but the other elves not be telling me wheres to finds you and Harry Potter Sir be wanting this done…”
“You don’t expect us to talk like that do you?” the older elf asked.
“No. I’m not Dobby’s original family. Those slime expected such speech from their elves. I expect elves to sound as smart as they are, but it may take a while, I’m told, for Dobby to get over old habits. Now, as for why I’m here…” he then told Albert about what the elves had told him earlier in the day. “I would like to… well, I don’t want elves who don’t want to be here, but those who do or who want their children to be recognized, I’d like to get that done.”
“Aye,” the elf Albert said. “We’re not yet in need of such things, you should know. All the older elves who reached adult bonding age since Lord Charlus passed away were born here and had the naming ceremony when they were little. As such, they remained House Potter elves upon attaining such age. Still, I’m sure they’d appreciate it even if magically unnecessary. But, Sir, you must realize there’s over two hundred such elves here. There’s more than that when you consider those who had not gone through their Naming Rites. Then there’s the couples which we elves recognize as married, but House Potter has not… not yet. It’ll take hours to go through them all proper. I’m sure the Farm would like to make a to do about it, given all involved. Not something I can see knocked together in an afternoon. Not if you want to do it right, Sir.”
Harry nodded. “I’d like that… seeing it done right.”
“There be many elveses in the others trunks what needs this too, Harry Potter Sir,” Dobby said.
Harry nodded. “That means another Head Elf to talk to, yes?”
Dobby nodded.
“And, I think it would be prudent to allow our staff to be involved as well.”
“It be a good idea as theys be Potter elves too, Sir.”
They spend a couple of hours talking about the plan for the ceremonies, deciding to hold it at the old farm if for no other reason than it was the most centrally located, not that it really mattered to the Elves who could apparate within the system of Trunks. It was also the first of the Trunk lands which to Harry made it important in a way. They also talked about other things. The most important two were the redistribution of labor as the Old Farm had a significant surplus that could use more work and the other was the status of Albert going forward. It was decided he would become the head farmer with responsibility for all the farmlands with the exception of the Herb Garden which was left to Dobby as the old head had no experience with those crops. All that was left to decide was the date and Albert wanted at least a couple of days to make sure the work was up to speed so that all the elves could attend if they wanted to.
“Anything else we can discuss?” Harry asked.
“Um… ,” Albert began nervously. “Well, we’re hard working elves, Sir. But even we need rest and sleep and with so many elves… The barracks are crowded, Sir.”
“Barracks? Show me!”
He was led to the basement of the house and then to a series of doors. Behind each door was what could be described as a small, dark closet with shelves on one side, usually several, and robes hanging from hooks on the other. It reminded Harry of how he lived. It reminded him of the cupboard under the stairs at Privet Drive. It did not matter that this was only used for sleeping.
“NO! No, no, no, no, NO! Dobby?”
“Yes, Harry Potter Sir?”
“You and the others back at the Manor; you don’t live like this, do you?”
Dobby’s ears drooped hearing the displeasure from Harry. “We’s not be havings so manys in each Sleepings Chamber, Sir…”
“But you do use something like this?”
“Yes Sir. Dobby being ashamed if Great Harry Potter is mad. But elves be livings this way for…”
“I don’t care how other wizard bastards let or expect you to live! This is unacceptable! My damned Aunt and Uncle made me live this way for years and I’ll be damned if I allow anyone to live this way! Do the elf families live this way too?”
Albert nodded.
“NO! This ends now!”
“And where would we sleep then, Sir?” Albert asked cautiously.
“I have five hundred square miles of lands! I’m sure I can afford to give up a few hundred acres or even more for a village. I want cottages. You can make them elf sized, but they must have bedrooms and a living area and a garden. Each family’s to have their own cottage.”
“And those elves who do not yet have a mate or young ones?”
“Blocks of flats,” Harry said. “None of this rubbish!” he added waiving at the closet. “Proper elf sized beds and no more than two to a room with a living area. You can build those at the center of the village. Maybe over shops and stuff where elves can get their clothes or whatnot? And there should be a large… I don’t know… meeting house? Church like place? Some place where the whole village can gather for naming ceremonies and such. Whatever, but no more cupboards! I want that village to be your top priority!”
The village would be built not far from where they were at a location where all of the “Processing” facilities for the old farm were located. That location had a meat packing plant, flour mill, dairy, a small cannery, a bakery, as well as the brewery, distillery and winery and Harry ordered that all such structure be relocated there as well. He put Albert in charge of the project adding that it was for all the elves of the combined Manors and would serve the entire estate. He wanted it done yesterday. He would soon learn just how quick a project this could be for a thousand or more eager elves. His ladies said nothing. Each in their own way understood this. If helping the elves helped Harry get over his past, it had to be a good thing.
Harry and the others went back to the car and Dobby drove them away. He did not turn towards their home, but in the opposite direction towards the mountains to the south. After almost a half an hour, they crested a rise and saw a second lake (the first apparently was the “bottom” of one of the farms' water system and the top of the others). The lake was longer than it was wide and they were at one end, the other end was flanked by towering mountains. They were entering what they could call the Valley - the southernmost trunks and the lands that had belonged to Harry’s parents.