Secrets Revealed

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 $$$

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR: SECRETS REVEALED

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1 st 1993

“Is everybody in here alright?” a voice asked. Harry looked up for the first time in he did not know how long although it probably was only a few minutes. While he had heard everything that was going on around him and even participated in the conversation, he had somehow become fascinated with the robe on the floor. The source of the voice was the man R.J. Lupin according to his trunk; the man who had been asleep on the bench in the compartment since before the train had even truly started loading up with students for this trip. Voices called out that they were okay.

“Nothing a little chocolate couldn’t help,” a voice said behind him. Harry guessed it was one of the first years.

“I stand amazed,” the man said. “I had been led to believe this school as suffered from a drought of poor or worse Defense Professors.”

“You were not misled,” Oliver Wood said. “If anything, they began as bad and have been progressively worse.”

“And yet, before me is a most confusing picture. First off, I am pretty sure this compartment did not look this way when I boarded…”

“Expansion charms,” Harry began.

“Yours?”

“Not exactly. Dobby?”

Harry’s Elf popped to his side. “Would kind Sirs be wantings in a snack? Beverage? Dobby be havings a large choices of juices at the snack table. If Sirs be wanting somethings more adultsish, Dobby cans be accommodating, Sir.”

“This is my elf Dobby, Sir,” Harry said. “I asked him to modify this compartment so my friends and I could ride together.”

“You do realize I am going to be one of your professors,” the man said.

“It’s why I chose this compartment, Sir,” Harry replied. “While most of us like to think we’re well behaved, I knew that the Weasley Twins would probably join us and they’re said to be the legendary Marauders closest rivals.”

“Now Harrykins,” one of the Twins said. “Only closest rivals?”

“We’d like to think we are building upon greatness…”

“Not merely following it…”

“Or simply repeating the feats of merriment of yore.”

“Why just last year, McGonagall herself told us…”

“That’s she’s already gained more gray hairs from us in our first four years…”

“Than she did from said Legendary Marauders in their first four…”

“Suggesting, however…”

“That we may yet fall short in equaling their final three years.”

“Having known the Marauders personally when I was your age,” the professor chuckled, “I shall be keeping an eye on you two. I would be loath to dock points or assign a detention unnecessarily. But I will not hesitate if I catch you in what I deem to be a pedestrian prank.”

“I do believe that is a most refreshing attitude from a member of the Staff, Fred.”

“Indeed it is George. Most of his soon to be colleagues would see us docked for even thinking…”

“Even looking like we might be thinking…

“About thinking…”

“About maybe considering…”

“Actually engaging in…”

“Prank-like activities,” they finished together.

The professor laughed. “Well,” he said, “in my day Professor McGonagall was Professor McGonagall and she took a keen interest in the activities of the Marauders. Of course, that may also have been because they were in her House. I, on the other hand, was just their lowly roommate and their year’s Prefect who tended to look the other way lest he become the attraction and not the spectator.”

“Perhaps some pointers?”

“Suggestions?”

“I’m afraid that would be crossing a line,” the Professor said. “Back to my original point, I was told that the quality of instruction in defense has been lacking and yet… and yet unless I was mistaken, when a dementor attempted to enter this compartment, there were quite a few corporeal patronus charms case, far more than I can see upper years. And you knew that chocolate would aid in recovering from the effects of exposure. Not to mention this,” he added indicating the robe on the floor. “Is this what I think it is?”

“It’s all that’s left of the thing that came in here,” a voice said. “That great, white deer tore it to pieces.”

“I have heard tell of a patronus powerful enough to harm a dementor, but not one that could destroy one, much less two.”

“Two?” several voices asked.

“Indeed. Ten or more of the charms from this compartment had cornered another dementor at the end of this carriage and the stag finished it off as well. This is all that was left,” he dropped another robe on top of the first. Harry had not noticed it. “I must say, I’ve never heard of anything that can destroy a dememtor so don’t ask me how it happened now. May I ask who the casters were and their houses so that points may be awarded? Mind you, you will have to await your first lesson as the awarding of points cannot be official until after the beginning of the term?”

Eleven hands rose in the air.

“Name, House, patronus form and year, if you please beginning with you, young man,” he said looking at Harry.

Harry glanced at Neville who nodded. “Dobby, seal the compartment,” he commanded and there was a flash of magic. “Much of what follows may be under a Fidelus charm, Sir,” Harry explained. “For that our Secret Keeper will be asked to reveal such information. Much of what is not will probably become public perhaps as early as tonight, but… better yet, Hermione? Our names and status?”

The professor noted a girl nodded and began uttering a long incantation. He recognized it. “You can do that too?”

Harry nodded. “She can. We know that for certain. We were taught it and other things that many think we’re too young to learn. We’re of the opinion the many are too lazy to teach. Are we set?”

“Aside from the final setting of the Secret Keeper,” the girl nodded. “Same as before?”

Harry nodded and turned to the Professor. “Lord Harry James Potter, Head of the Ancient and Noble House of Potter, Earls of Finchley, Hereford, Abengale and Hwicca, Baron of Loch Sheen, Sir. Gryffindor, rising Third Year, the Stag.” Harry noticed the man’s jaw drop and heard some gasps from behind.

“Lord Neville Aloysius Longbottom, Head of the Ancient and Noble House of Longbottom, Earls of Pendle, Colne and Marston, Barons of Tulhume and Halden Moor, Sir. Gryffindor, rising Third Year, the bear.”

“Lady Hermione Potter, Countess Designate of Finchley, Sir. Gryffindor, rising Third Year, the otter.”

And it continued through the wives of Harry and Neville. They were followed by four others.

“Miss Virginia Ellen Potter, Betrothed of Lord Potter, Sir. Gryffindor, rising Second Year, the horse.”

“Miss Astoria Greengrass, Betrothed of Lord Longbottom, Sir. I’ve yet to be sorted. Rising First Year, the Wild Boar.”

“Mr. Peter Parker, born as Nicholas Flamel 1326. Again a rising Firstie for the seventh time. The Hawk last is my wife Perenelle now known as Amanda Crosby.”

“Mine was the swan,” the girl indicated.

“They’re my Great-grandparents,” Luna said. “Or at least they were a few days ago.”

“You know, Luna, we have a lot of distant Great grandchildren in this room,” Amanda/Perenelle said.

“But I am the most recent,” Luna said brightly.

“You are indeed.”

“What’s with the Virginia Potter, Ginny?” George asked.

“Our parents betrothed me to Harry after he lost his parents,” Ginny said. “Dumbledore signed on Harry’s behalf. Had that contract remained as it was, I would’ve cost Harry his Head of House status. He saved my life end of last year and was able to make me a Potter without marrying me or adopting me so that the contract can’t do that. Were I still been a Weasley when we get married - which will be next summer - he would lose everything he was born to when he turns either seventeen or twenty-one. It’s more complicated than that, but that’s the short version. Mum and Dad didn’t know it’d do that when they signed. We think they found out and were obliviated.”

“What’s that mean?” a voice asked.

“It means having your memory erased,” Hermione said.

“You can do that?”

“I can’t. But yes, it can be done with magic. Magic can do all sorts of wonderful things, but it can also do some horrible things. It’s like technology. We can save and improve lives with technology, and we can kill millions in an hour or less as well. Like anything, magic is not good or evil. That distinction lies within the magician.”

“Well said,” Peter / Nicholas said.

“I take it then that you taught these young people?” the Professor said after a long pause looking at the former Flamels.

“We taught them the Fidelius Charm and are teaching them Occlumency - something we will help our new classmates here present with,” Nicholas/Peter said. “The patronus charm was taught by Lord Potter’s godfather Sirius Black.”

“But… but… but…” the Professor began.

“Ginny?” Harry said.

Ginny walked forward, stood beside the Professor and looked at the crowd of faces. “Everything you have ever read, everything you have ever been told about The-Boy-Who-Lived and what happened in Godric’s Hollow that night in 1981, aside from the fact that Voldemort popped by for a visit - and not a friendly one - is a lie. James and Lily Potter did not die that night, although they were in no state to do much of anything until this past July 31st. Sirius Black was not their Secret Keeper, that was Peter Pettigrew. Sirius Black did not kill Peter, nor did he kill a dozen Muggles, nor was he ever a Death Eater or supporter of Voldemort. He was and is Harry’s Godfather. Pettigrew killed those Muggles and faked his own death in such a way that Lord Black was framed for it all. And whatever you may have heard about Lord Black’s visit to Gringotts last month, aside from the fact he was there and was seen, is also a lie.”

“So the bit about Harry surviving the Killing Curse?” Katie Bell asked.

“We don’t know what really happened that night after my parents' spell was triggered and they were replaced by doppelgangers,” Harry said. “Basically, they had prepared for that attack. What people found later and thought were my parents were actually a couple of elaborately transfigured pigs as in the barnyard kind, bacon and all. There was a third one that was supposed to replace me, but that didn’t happen. I have no memory of what did happen and last I checked, Voldemort’s not given any interviews. To say I survived actually being hit by that curse is pure speculation. Aside from a dead body, that curse leaves no sign at all and in my case… there wasn’t the dead body, was there?”

The Professor sat down. “James and Lily are alive? How?”

“The how is complicated,” Harry said in a kind voice. “I can’t even begin to describe what they did beyond what you’ve been told already. When Voldemort cast the Killing Curse at each of them, it triggered the magic. James and then Lily were transported to the Valley. At the same time, their doppelgangers replaced them. The curse hit the doppelgangers which were already quite dead. My parents were transported to a place under a stasis charm. Neither they, nor the elves could lift the charm. They assumed that either Sirius Black or their other friend Remus Lupin would come to the Valley where the elves would take them to where they were to lift the charm. I think they’d say there was a flaw in their plan. Namely that neither of their friends ever came. It was only by pure happenstance - namely my bondings and marriages that resulted in my gaining the Valley as a marriage present - that I was able to do it instead.”

“And Sirius? He’s innocent?”

“Well, he didn’t do anything they say he did or anything that should’ve seen him chucked into Azkaban without a trial. But this is Sirius Black. Innocent and Sirius Black are contradictions.”

The Professor snorted. “I didn’t know. All this time… My best friends…”

“Sir?” a voice asked.

After a few minutes, the Professor gathered himself together. “This is under your Fidelius, right?”

“We haven’t set the parameters, Sir,” Hermione replied. “So it is.”

“What’s a Fidelius?” a voice asked.

“It’s a type of charm that can be used to keep secrets. The details are complex. Essentially, once I set the secret, only the Secret Keeper can tell others. That’s why Ginny told you about Sirius Black and Harry’s parents ‘cause for now that information is under that kind of charm. Ginny, as Secret Keeper can tell others. The rest of you will know, but cannot tell. You magic prevents you. It is so effective that those witches and wizards who can search your thoughts can never find it. There are potions that can force you to tell the truth, spells that take over your will, none can get to the secret from anyone but the Secret Keeper.”

“Wicked!” the Twins said.

“It’s an easy charm and yet exceedingly hard at the same time. The more people who know of the secret before the spell is begun, the more complex the secret, the harder and harder the spell becomes. So in all probability, if you two are thinking of hiding the school loos from the Slytherins, you’d need to be Merlin like to succeed.”

“You’re no fun,” one of them said.

“You were saying, Sir?”

“The Marauders were known as Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs,” the Professor said. “Later on, there was a fifth one who was never named, at least she never had a Marauder name. Prongs is James Potter. Padfoot is Sirius Black, Wormtail is Peter Pettigrew, the one who betrayed his friends. The unnamed one was a Prefect and later Head Girl: Lily Evans now Lily Potter. Finally there’s Mooney, also a Prefect. Prongs would become Head Boy. So, you two would be usurpers of Marauder notoriety, you may see why McGonagall does not think your final years will be as interesting. Are either of you Prefects?”

“That would ruin our self-image,” one of the Twins said although no longer convinced.

“Not to mention our carefully crafted reputation,” the other said.

“But it would’ve given us the perfect cover,” the first said. The two shrugged. “No worries,” one said. “We have that covered.”

“Oh?”

“The unknown suspects who never get caught: Lee Thomas and Alicia Spinet are Prefects.”

“Should not have told me that…”

“It’ll be under Fidelius,” Hermione countered.

“So, Wise One,” a Twin said, “who is or was this Moony chap?”

“His name is Remus Lupin. He is me.”

Two jaws dropped realizing they were in the presence of greatness.

Albus Dumbledore had actually arrived much earlier than he had thought. He now felt as if it would have been wiser or at least less stressful had he arrived at the last minute. He stared at the documents before him, as he had in private for half an hour before calling this meeting of his four Heads of Houses and Madam Pomfrey. The papers were notifications from Gringotts about several students with supporting documentation. There was a stack that included five such notifications that really did not bother him. It was the stack of four that had him concerned.

He had placed gaining control of House Potter way down upon the list of things to do and things to watch. He now knew this had been a mistake. His schemes assumed certain things, things he thought he had well in hand. Obviously he had missed something very important. His plan worked only so long as Harry remained in the dark about everything at least until he married the Weasley girl, at which time it would be too late. His work all those years ago was to eliminate complications, and Harry’s bonding with either of those two witches was a significant complication as he would gain access to his House files, including the Betrothal Contract for the Weasley girl.

Somehow he had missed Harry getting close to Granger. He knew they were friends. But it was a long way between friendship and a bonding even where there was compatible magic. And yet here was the notification. They were bonding. He had completely missed out on the Lovegood girl. How did that happen? But again, she too was bonding with Harry. Those bonds had been turned into marriages the next day and the parents of Miss Granger and Miss Lovegood’s father and Great-Grandparents had agreed to it, not just back then but just two months ago.

Any other attempt to subordinate his contract to another one would fail. There was a clause that prevented Potter from getting out from under Dumbledore’s thumb on his own. Were he to enter into his own betrothal or run off with another witch, Dumbledore’s contract allowed those things to be invalidated as if they never happened. But those contracts signed by his parents and re-executed when James Potter took full control of House Potter were exceptions. Not even Albus Dumbledore could declare such contracts invalid just because they were inconvenient. They predated his own and therefore had priority.

There was a weakness in the Vassalage clause. It was not a certain one for there had been no case that said it was. But he knew that many on the Wizengamot might well use this weakness to thwart his plans. The Weasley girl had to be the primary if not only wife, otherwise it could be said that contract could not be enforced and he could not make the Weasley girl the primary wife after the fact. He could not even do it back then. That was the main reason he capped those memories. Whether Harry married any of the others was not nearly as important as who he married first. So long as it was the Weasley girl, the plan was safe.

Keeping Harry in the Muggle World, despite its risks of radical ideas, should have instilled him with their mores. A Muggle Raised wizard like Harry would balk at marrying more than one witch. He would balk at marrying before the age of eighteen. Such things just were not done or were illegal in Muggle England. But that had failed for some reason. Harry was twelve when he married not just Granger and Lovegood but Greengrass and Abbott as well. Dumbledore’s pick for the Lady Potter was now fifth in line. He needed some way to change this to advance his own choice and preserve that Vassalage Clause. It was a pity bonding age was an absolute. It would be almost a year at least before any marriage between the Weasley girl and Harry could even be considered.

He looked at the faculty in the office.

“It would seem,” he said trying to sound bemused, “that a few of our students had a rather eventful Summer Holiday.”

Snape snorted. “While I am sorely disappointed that my two brightest students in that year are mixed up in this nonsense, I don’t see it as changing anything. They are under sixteen after all. We are not required to recognize either their so called marriages or any other so called privileges.”

“That is not entirely true, Severus. We are required to recognize their marriages. The rules are harsh on students who should attempt to take liberties with a married student or to seduce a student who is another’s spouse. In this regard, the attempt is considered as serious as a successful assault. We can also be expected to address the young ladies by their married names. But yes, it is not as if they are sixteen.”

“So they shall be required to live in their dormitories as before?” Snape asked. “That would be my recommendation. I doubt these are consummated relations and would consider it irresponsible for us to… encourage such relations. Keep them as they are and this matter shall go away in time.”

“They have until twenty-one to consummate,” Sprout countered. “I doubt separating them now will matter one way or another.”

“My concern is for the House System,” Snape said. “The rules for older students is clear. While in school, if a couple marries, the wife is permanently transferred to her husband’s House in regards to lodging, class assignments, meals and I would add Quidditch were the affected young women from my House players. As I said, Miss Greengrass and Miss Davis are my two top students academically. To shift them over to Gryffindor…”

“So this has nothing to do with the young gentlemen in question?” McGonagall asked sarcastically.

“My opinion of those two… gentlemen… is well known here. Be that as it may, the fact remains that Miss Greengrass ranks third in her year and Miss Davis seventh. My next highest is Mr. Zabini at twelfth. All the others in my House in that year are in the bottom half and five are in the bottom quarter.”

“Including the four lowest standing students,” Flitwich said. “It is not as if your House has been setting any academic records for stellar achievement in recent years, Severus. Nor can you blame either the two Gentlemen in question or their two brides for their predicament. These were contracted betrothals made long before the children had even seen this school; even before you were hired. Mr. Potter was less than a year old and Miss Greengrass not a year and a half. Both Miss Davis and Mr. Longbottom were under the age of seven. The potential effect on your academic standing could not have been a consideration in entering into such an agreement.”

“And,” Severus countered, “I have the further concern that to encourage such promiscuity would be detrimental for all concerned.”

“Your House is not known for its sexual restraint, Severus,” McGonagall said. “It is well known to have looser morals than the others.”

“I concede we are not hampered by the archaic Muggle mores. But to encourage or even support the situation presented? Is this what we wish for all of our students? If it is, I dare say we will need to either admit far more witches or far fewer wizards so that each young man can attain his herd of fillies. Or perhaps we should just marry them off right after the sorting and be done with it.”

“It is true they are young,” Dumbledore said. “But they all have obtained bonding age which means at least within a range of a couple of years, they may consent between themselves without legal recourse. Moreover, our laws do recognize bonding age as the true lower legal limit for valid marriages provided the proper grounds for a minority age marriage exist. While we have no reason to suspect pregnancy - and please tell me this is the case, Poppy.”

“Without an examination, I cannot say. But all the young ladies were neither sexually active with boys nor pregnant at the time of their last examinations prior to these marriages. Mr. Potter’s marriages occurred within a week of the commencement of his summer holiday. Mr. Longbottom’s were well within less than a month. As the girls are under sixteen, they cannot refuse contraceptive potion so I have no reason to believe any of these marriages are predicated upon the young lady being in the family way.”

“I find this discussion as to the activities of the young ladies in question distasteful,” Flitwick said. “Two of the young ladies are from my House after all and more importantly their bonds are among the reasons which justify a marriage at such a young age without regard to questions of their sexual activity or virtue. I can read the Gringotts notification as well as you can. Miss Lovegood and Miss Patil have shared compatible magic with their young wizard since the birth of the younger of them and the magic shows they have begun to bond. So long as that is the case and they have attained their bonding age, all other questions are academic. They may marry at that time or anytime thereafter with or without consent of parent or guardian and are to be deemed as adults under our law as of the date of that marriage. In my view, this means they are entitled to married student quarters. The age restriction was to discourage young pregnancies and marriages arising from young promiscuity and to encourage all students to sit their O.W.L.s. A bond can neither be encouraged or discouraged. It either happens or it does not and the rest of the arguments raised do not change this fundamental fact.”

“Fine then,” Snape said. “Allow these bonding ones a reward for their… behavior however benign. But it does not follow that the same consideration need be extended to those witches who do not share a bond with the young… gentlemen… in question.”

“Are we not then deciding that one marriage is more valid than the other?” Sprout said. “Both of my students are regents of Ancient and Noble Houses in their own right and their marriages to these young men are by Line Continuation, reiterating their hereditary positions in our society. Are you saying that because they share no bond they must be treated as any other student as opposed to the Regents that they are - through no fault of their own? Would the Head of Slytherin be willing to concede that mere Muggle Borns may be treated as adults at a younger age than a de facto, emancipate Head of an Ancient and Noble House? Given the expressed attitude of your Students, your position flies in the face of what your own students would seem to accept as proper!”

“We are dealing with bonds, without which none of this could have happened in either family,” McGonagall said. “These marriages were arranged between the families; all of the families. I have no reason to doubt that the families knew of each other and knew this was a very real possibility. We are not dealing with a situation where the young people themselves behaved in any way irresponsibly…”

“I would disagree with that,” Snape said. “Or I should at least say there is no evidence that would allow us not to question the behavior that led to this situation. Correct me if I am wrong, but my understanding is bond such as these are sexual in nature?”

“In that they can only occur between a man and a woman of bonding age, you would be correct,” Madam Pomfrey said. “A sexual act, however, does not create such a bond. The bond is magical and emotional, but not sexual in nature. At their ages, sexual activity might well be counterproductive and it is entirely probable their bonding process represses rather than encourages such desires and behavior.”

“What I was saying, Severus,” McGonagall continued, “is that we’re not dealing with young people who married at this age because they behaved irresponsibly and the marriage is deemed both appropriate and necessary to legitimize the results of their irresponsible activities. Likewise, this is not a situation where they could marry without a contract or bond and did so despite their youth. The young men and most of the young women for that matter are not Slytherins trying to avoid a distasteful situation of their parents making…”

“Enough!” Dumbledore said. “We are not here to cast such aspersions one way or another. This is a question of how do we as a school handle this development, not why it happened in the first place. The question of why is one better left to their families and, as these documents show, their families have - most regrettably - decided the issue. Despite how this appears on paper, I do not think the situations between the Longbottom arrangements are in any way similar to the Potter arrangements. That may well have been the intent of their families, but it is not the reality as we sit here today. We cannot, in my opinion, treat them as the same situation.”

“I disagree entirely,” McGonagall said. “We are not the Wizengamot! Nothing in our Charter grants us that degree of discretion!”

“Without regard to the legal mumbo jumbo,” Madam Pomfrey, “from my position as a Healer there is no relevant difference.”

“Mr. Longbottom and Mr. Potter are very different young men…” Dumbledore began.

“Yes and no,” Snape agreed. “They are both Gryffindors. Their similarities end there. Longbottom is a dunderhead and borderline Squib. Potter is a spoiled, arrogant little prince.”

“You are the only one on the staff who is of that opinion, Severus,” McGonagall shot back. “What little I know of Mr. Potter’s life outside of Hogwarts - and I know far less than I believe I should - he is anything but spoiled, unlike many of your students! He may be more arrogant today than when he arrived here two years ago, but after what he has been through and done since arriving that is perfectly understandable and given what he’s been through and has done, he is entirely modest…”

“I said it at the time,” Snape said smugly, “he should never have been elevated to your House Team at such an age.”

“This has nothing to do with Quidditch! Or do you forget about his struggle with a Mountain Troll at age eleven? I admit I docked him fifty points that year for being out after curfew, but his reasons for being out could be justified and my only real issue was he should’ve come to me before hand. The same could not be said for Mr. Malfoy. Mr. Malfoy’s motivations were entirely selfish and spiteful. Mr. Potter and his friends were trying to help a member of this staff with a potentially dangerous situation, namely a young dragon. Then there’s the situation with the Philosopher’s Stone, a situation might I add that may not have happened had I taken them seriously at the time and would not have happened at all had Albus not seen this Castle as needed for a personal project unrelated to our mission of providing an education. Then there’s this past year! The entire school turns against the boy again and again and in the end he is the one who dealt with the situation, again because we failed to do our jobs! As for Mr. Longbottom, I know for a fact he is using his father’s wand. Clearly it’s no match for him and yet he stands in the middle of his year in spell casting practicals. Most students would be hard pressed to perform as well under such circumstances!”

“Mr. Longbottom ranks at the top of his year in Herbology,” Sprout nodded. “I dare say, he would probably rank at the top of almost any year right now. He runs a study group in the Greenhouses and has since First Year. Since First Year he’s been tutoring students from all Houses and any year and that has included O.W.L.s!”

“Their performance in my Class… ,” Snape began.

“Please!” McGonagall interjected. “While you can claim far more success with your N.E.W.T. candidates than we enjoyed with your predecessor, you cannot possible claim the same thing for lower years! It is curious how poorly the other Houses perform in Potions as compared to Slytherin at least until they sit for their O.W.L.s. It is amazing to me how many of your poor students from the other houses do far better on that exam than their prior performance would indicate and how many of your Slytherins fall far, far below expectations based upon their performance leading into that exam!”

“Enough! This is not about teaching methods!” Dumbledore said. “I said there were differences between Mr. Longbottom’s situation and Mr. Potter’s and there are. I was not at all suggesting those differences or any similarities have or could have manifested themselves in class or even in school! Mr. Longbottom has been raised in our World by his Grandmother, the Widow of a Head of his Ancient and Noble House and Regent and Vote Holder of that House. No doubt, Mr. Longbottom has been raised with his future responsibilities to his House and our society in mind. Mr. Potter, on the other hand, is Muggle Raised and I can assure you had absolutely no knowledge of his heritage prior to setting foot in our world…”

“And whose bloody fault it that?” McGonagall began.

“What’s done is done,” Dumbledore said. “In addition, while these notifications do not mention it clearly, Mr. Potter is formally betrothed to another young woman. That betrothal was made without the knowledge of these prior arrangements.” It was not a complete lie in that the Weasleys were not aware of those arrangements at the time. “My point is that one boy knows what is expected in his situation and the other does not. In my view, Mr. Longbottom should be afforded married student accommodations for himself and such of his ladies who may elect to join him while Mr. Potter’s living arrangements should remain as they were at least until he fulfills all his outstanding commitments.”

“And when will that occur?” Madam Pomfrey asked.

“Does that matter?”

“It does if it is your intent to send Mr. Potter, Miss Granger and Miss Lovegood home for the Christmas holidays in a pine box for their funerals!”

“That sounds rather dramatic, don’t you think?”

“It is the nature of their bonding process! They must be together intimately and for a significant portion of each day until their bonds mature which will not be for several months and might not be for a few years. By that I do not mean it is necessary that they have intimate relations. As I said, their maturing bond suppresses such need. But they must share the same bed every night. Their magic is fusing or melding, for lack of a better term. If they are kept apart their magic will bleed away completely. If they are kept apart they will die. Their bonding, once begun, must be seen through to completion or you condemn them to death.”

“Impossible!” Dumbledore said. “While it’s true Mr. Potter seems to have spent the latter half of the summer holiday with Miss Granger’s family, he was with his relations for the first month! I sincerely doubt his Muggle relations allowed such living arrangements. To be honest, even if Miss Granger’s parents would be inclined to allow such arrangements for their daughter - which I doubt as they are Muggles - it is folly to suggest they would extend such hospitality to Miss Lovegood as well. Muggles in this Country would not accept such a situation!”

“The paperwork suggests otherwise, Albus,” McGonagall said. “Miss Lovegood’s book lists were posted to the same location as Mr. Potter’s and Miss Granger’s. Moreover, the Gringotts paperwork shows that Miss Granger’s parents were present for the Marriage of Miss Lovegood and Mr. Potter and Miss Lovegood’s father and family were present for Mr. Potter and Miss Granger’s nuptials. They obviously were aware of this situation and I dare say took the necessary steps - however they managed it - to further their bonds. You are saying it is necessary these bonding couples cohabitate, Poppy?”

“Unless you wish them permanent magical injury or death, yes,” Madam Pomfrey said.

“Then our only choice is to allow that. Any other option is murder and given who the young gentlemen are might even be considered attempted line theft or usurpation.”

Dumbledore sighed. “Fine.”

“That reasoning does not extend to them all,” Snape said. “Neither of my students lives are at risk. I do not see why I should lose them to support this folly.”

“I agree with Severus,” Dumbledore said, “if only because there is the outstanding betrothal. It would be a disservice to the family of that girl to set up a situation that might discourage that marriage. I would see allowing Mr. Potter to cohabitate with all his wives as a situation that would close him off to his obligations under that betrothal…”

“We cannot treat these marriages as separate things,” Flitwick said.

“I agree,” Professor Sprout said. “Although I might add shouldn’t this be their choice?”

“Oh?” Dumbledore asked.

“The bonding couples - although that’s somewhat an inaccurate term - they should be together in married student quarters. That we cannot avoid. But we do not know the minds of the other young ladies. They should be allowed to choose either to live with their husbands or to live in their dormitories. They are, after all, adults in the eyes of our law by virtue of their marriages.”

“I agree,” McGonagall said.

“We will put it to them,” Dumbledore sighed. “I will insist, however, that Mr. Potter’s remaining betrothed be allowed the same choice so as not to discourage that agreement.”

“And what if Mr. Potter objects?” McGonagall said.

“That contract is binding on him,” Dumbledore said almost losing his temper. “His objections are irrelevant! Set it up, Minerva. I want to see all students in question immediately following this evening’s Feast.”

Remus Lupin had been enjoying a conversation with Fred and George Weasley, although he still could not tell them apart, and Harry. He apologized profusely to Harry for not being there either for Harry or for Harry’s parents. Harry told him not to worry. He could not have been even if he had tried. The wards that protected him at his relatives would have kept Remus away as well and they had kept Sirius at a distance. As for his parents, the flaw in their plan was forgetting how efficient the Ministry had become at protecting estates upon the death (or in this case believed death) of the owner. His parents' trunk was tucked away in the Potter Vault within hours of the attack and there was no way he or Sirius could have gone there without their own access trunk which, apparently, neither of them had. That was the flaw in his parents' plan.

The conversation with the twins had been those two describing their past achievements to the former Marauder. He made it clear from the beginning he would not regale them on his previous activities until he knew about theirs. He said that a teacher should never assume his students prior knowledge of the subject matter, hinting of more to come.

There was a knock on the door to the compartment.

“Bugger!” one of the twins said looking at the door. “It’s our dementor of a brother.”

“Excuse me?” Remus asked.

“Older brother Percy.”

“Head Boy, now…”

“Big Head then add Boy…”

“Sucks all the fun out of a room just by being there.”

“And the girl?” Remus asked as Percy was not alone.

“Penelope Clearwater,” one of the Twins replied.

“Ravenclaw Prefect in his year.”

“Possibly Head Girl.”

“Definitely in his mind,” one of them sniggered.

“I suppose this is business,” Remus seemed to sigh. “Let them in.”

“The Fidelius was cast. The door is no longer sealed.” Harry said.

Remus waived the two in.

“This is not authorized,” Percy Weasley said imperiously when he saw the rest of the compartment.

“Consider it authorized,” Remus replied. “As a Professor, I do believe certain utilizations of magic are within my discretion.”

“Sorry sir.”

“I do not believe you stopped by to hand out detentions or dock points?”

“Sorry sir. No sir. I was told there would be a Professor aboard I was to report to regarding any unusual incidents, Sir.”

“Let me guess, the presence of Dementors aboard this train qualifies?”

“That and inappropriate use of magic, Sir.”

“Inappropriate? Something more than the usual nonsense that has been known to occur aboard this train?”

“Something was cast at those… dementors, Sir. I don’t think such spells are…”

“I take it then, you are not familiar with the Patronus Charm?”

“Excuse me, Sir?”

“I thought not. I was told Hogwarts Defense instruction has been substandard for some years. You should have been taught that spell.”

“It was not required for our O.W.L.s,” Percy seemed to protest.

“Has anyone died?” Remus asked.

“Excuse me Sir, but…”

“Answer the question! You’re Head Boy! I assume you’ve inspected this train front to back since that incident! If you haven't…”

“We have, Sir…”

“If you hadn’t, that would’ve been in my report, I can assure you. Now answer the question: did anyone die?”

“The students are a little shaken up…” the girl began.

“Anyone includes more than students. Is anyone dead?”

“No sir.” They both said.

“You’ve accounted for Mrs. Marks?”

“Who?”

“The woman who sells confections from the trolly!”

“She’s okay,” the girl answered. “She’s passing out chocolate up forward.”

“For free, I might add,” Percy snorted.

“As well she should!” Remus replied. “At least someone other than myself knows what to do to counter the effects of a Dementor.”

“Still, the unauthorized casting of spell… ,” Percy began.

“You should consider yourselves and everyone else aboard this train lucky.”

“Sir?” Percy replied.

“It would seem that several students are not content with merely doing what your Professors consider required. Hence there were some more than capable of a proper Patronus Charm. In fact, I must say, they had theirs off dealing with those things before I could even draw my wand. Do you know what a dementor would have done had it found a person alone?”

“I’m sure the Ministry had the situation in hand, which is why…”

“Did you see any Ministry personnel aboard this train? I did not!”

“N-no Sir. But surely…”

“You assume those things are under the full control of the Ministry? They are dangerous and even more so without a handler in the immediate area. People are lost to those things at Azkaban all the time, and I don’t mean the prisoners! Had anyone been found alone by one of those things, their family would be need to be notified that their child is either now a permanent resident of St. Mungos or where to pick up their loved one for burial. We should all be thankful that someone knew how to deal with this situation.”

“But…”

“I was a Prefect when I was in school, young man. I was told my responsibility was first and foremost the safety of the students. Nothing else matters but that! And if following the rules allows for an unsafe situation to develop or continue, than the rules are to be overlooked and the situation dealt with! I would assume you were told that, but I guess things have really slipped. When I was a student Prefects were chosen for their maturity so that someone other than a member of the staff would be available to maintain safety and order and that means more than just following the rules, but using your judgment to know when the rules must not and cannot be followed.”

“But if the Ministry…”

“Assumes that the Ministry had anything to do with the situation,” Remus said. “It further assumes that if someone in the Ministry did, that they could expect to be in their job next week when word of this gets out and it already has. It’s entirely possible those things were outside of Ministry control. Either way, there’s likely to be an inquiry.”

“Because someone interfered…”

“Because those things were loose on a train full of children! Were it not for the expeditious use of what you seem to think was inappropriate magic, I can assure you children would’ve been permanently harmed or killed! You seem to assume someone knew what they were doing. If anyone was responsible for those things being here, I’m fairly certain that when they are identified, they will spend the next several years getting to know those things very well as residents of Azkaban Prison! Now, having reported the only relevant and important information to me - namely that those things are gone and no one suffered permanent harm - is there anything else?”

“No Sir.”

Harry was sharing a carriage to the school with Hermione, Luna, Ginny and her brothers Fred and George.

“We have to ask,” one of the Twins said.

“Our duty as brothers of the only Weasley girl in generations demands it…”

“Our duty as brothers to a sister demands it, but that makes it more important…”

“What are your intentions towards our sister?”

“She is my betrothed and I am hers,” Harry said. “We will marry at Gringotts next June once she’s attained her Bonding Age. Until then, she’s too young.”

“Not what we meant.”

“You meant the sex stuff.”

“Crude, but…”

“We will behave in an age appropriate manner and as for that stuff, it will not happen before marriage and will not happen until she’s old enough and we both agree it is the right thing to do. In other words, you should be asking her that question because whether and when that stuff happens will be her decision.”

The two nodded.

“Had to ask.”

“Truthfully, you’re one of the few blokes we can stomach as… well as even a potential boyfriend for our Ginny.”

“Just about anyone else…”

“Our plans were to prank them mercilessly.”

“Good to know I don’t have to worry about being pranked by you two.”

“We didn’t say that.”

“We just said we wouldn’t do so mercilessly.”

“Crosby, Amanda?” McGonagall called out. The Sorting was underway for the year. Amanda / Perenelle walked to the stool. The hat seemed to take a while before calling out “Gryffindor!”

The students applauded as she headed off to that table.

“It was put out that I argued with it,” she said to the few who knew the truth. “Wanted me in Slytherin, it did. Haven’t been there in a while. We figured this would be the better choice all things considered.”

“Greengrass, Astoria?” McGonagall called out after others were sorted.

“Gryffindor!” the hat said.

“Not that I’m complaining,” she said when she sat down. “Honestly, I thought it might be the Pit for me.”

“Parker, Peter?”

“Spiderman!” a few of the First Years sorted and waiting called out as he walked towards the stool. All had been in the compartment during the trip. “Go get ‘em Spidey!” another called.

“Why’s he called that?” Ron asked who was seated nearby.

“Peter Parker’s a name in the Muggle World not unlike Harry Potter is in ours,” Hermione explained. “Except Muggles know it’s all made up. That boy just has the name and none of the made up rubbish. Peter Parker’s the name of a Superhero with spider powers.”

“Okay, that’s just wrong. And creepy,” Ron mumbled as “Spiderman” became a Gryffindor.

“A few announcements before we become distracted by our bountiful fare,” Dumbledore said standing from his seat at the Staff table. “First, there have been some staff changes from last term. Professor Kettleburn has retired after many years of service from his positions as Professor of Care of Magical Creatures in order to enjoy time with his remaining limbs. I would like to introduce our new Professor, our very own Rubeus Hagrid…”

“Thought so,” Harry said with a smile for he was pleased at this development.

“You did?” Ron asked. “We didn’t even know the other guy left.”

“Yeah. But he sent me that book for the class for my birthday before the book lists came out. I figured how would he know unless…”

“Makes sense, I guess. Bloody things a nightmare, though.”

“Stroke its spine,” Harry said. “It may still be one for anyone else, but it will be fine for you.”

“Really?”

Harry nodded.

“Next,” Dumbledore said after a surprisingly long applause. “As Professor Lockhart was unable to continue with us, I would like to introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor: Professor Remus Lupin!” Aside from those who had shared a compartment with him there was less applause.

“He was close friends with my parents,” Harry said to Ron.

“Really?”

“Yeah. Turns out two of those Marauders you brothers Fred and George are all on about were my Dad and him.”

“This should be good,” Ron said.

“The Ministry of Magic,” Dumbledore continued, “believes that the escaped prisoner Sirius Black poses at least some threat to the school and has, for our protection, decided to post dementors to guard against him. Dementors are among the most foul things know to us. While the Ministry may maintain they pose no threat, do not approach them. They cannot be reasoned with nor will they show mercy or restraint. In this, I urge absolute caution and for all of you to restrain your youthful curiosity. They will not see any difference between you and those they guard at Azkaban Prison just because this is a school and you are students. In case you think otherwise, you all experienced their more pleasurable effects on your train ride today. They can and will do much, much worse without provocation.

“Finally, the following students are to meet in Professor McGonagall’s office following the Feast: Abbott, Hannah; Bones, Susan; Davis, Tracy; Granger, Hermione; Greengrass, Daphne; Longbottom, Nevile; Lovegood, Luna; Patil, Padma; Patil, Parvati; Perks, Sally-Anne; Potter, Harry and Weasly, Ginevra. Please enjoy your meals.”

“What’s that about?” Ron asked.

“We shared a compartment on the way up here,” Harry said knowing that wasn’t the reason at all.

“Bit tight, all those people… ,” Ron began.

“We used magic to make it bigger.”

“Oh. Guess they would want to see you ‘bout that. Can’t make it smaller, can they.”

“Don’t know. That might be it.”

Astoria followed the others to the meeting. Although little had been said to her, it was obvious to everyone what this was about and since Ginny had been singled out, she felt and other agreed she should be there as well. The group filed into the Transfiguration Classroom where they saw all four Heads of House, Madam Pomfrey and Professor Dumbledore were waiting in chairs behind Professor McGonagall’s desk. They all took seats in the classroom at various student desks.

“Miss Greengrass?” Professor Dumbledore began. “You were not among the students summoned so as this does not concern you personally, I would suggest you wait outside.”

“Am I mistaken in understanding my name wasn’t called?” Daphne asked.

“I meant your younger sister, Miss Greengrass.”

“If this is about what we think it’s about, this does concern her, Professor,” Daphne said.

“I can’t see how… ,” he began.

“If it concerns Miss P… Weasley, then it concerns my sister for similar reasons. She is betrothed to Lord Longbottom.”

“Lord?” Snape snorted. “This rubbish must really have gone to his…”

“Severus, please,” Dumbledore said. “Very well, Miss Greengrass,” he added with a sigh. “It has come to our attention that you have… married. Now, as you should know while Hogwarts has quarters available to accommodate married couples, the rule is that such accommodations are not usually made available to a couple where either one of them has not yet turned sixteen. However, we are aware that some of you are… um… bonding through no fault of your own, I add. Being as that may and mindful of what that entails, to stick to the letter of the rules would not be in your best interests or, I should say, in the best interests of those who are undergoing the bond. Under any other circumstances, given your ages you would be expected to reside in your dormitories as before. But the bonding process cannot allow for strict adherance to such rules. Consequently, those of you who are bonding will share accommodations with your spouse or spouses as the case may be in married student quarters. Furthermore, Miss Patil and Miss Lovegood, as you were not members of your Husband’s House before, that means you are now Gryffindors from this day forward at least as far as Head of House, quartering, meals and class scheduling is concerned. You two may, if you so desire, also purchase and wear Gryffindor accessories in place of your Ravenclaw attire or may at your discretion retain your Ravenclaw affiliation in that regard. But it’s either option and not both.”

“And the rest of us?” Parvati asked. “Aside from Ginny and Astoria, we are married as well.”

“Indeed. That caused quite a discussion earlier, let me tell you. We feel it inappropriate to require you to share quarters with your… husbands. Our married student quarters are hardly spacious or luxurious and would be a tight fit for three people, much less more. They were never designed with the possibility of Plural Marriages in mind and I do not recall a situation where there ever was one among students. There have been young ladies and a few young gentlemen who were betrothed into such circumstances, but their nuptials did not occur until after they finished school and the last such situation was before even I was a student here. In other words it has been quite a long time.

“That being said, we cannot as a matter of policy treat you any different than the others. By that I mean we cannot refuse you should you desire to share such cramped and inadequate quarters with your new families. In other words, we will neither tell you that you must live there from here on out nor that you cannot live there at all or until you’re sixteen. The choice is yours and must be made before we leave here tonight. Should you choose not to, you will reside in your original Houses for now. Should you choose to live with your spouse, you will be from here on out Gryffindors. While I understand it is said that women reserve the right to change their minds, this is not such a situation. Your decision tonight cannot be changed. If you decide to live with your new family, you will live there until all of you finish school. If you choose not to, you will remain in your Houses until you finish school.”

The families had discussed this beforehand. They knew the school rules regarding married students better than anyone. They did not know how the Staff would interpret those rules and were somewhat concerned. Access trunks could get around the difficulties… they hoped. They did not know this as they did not know whether the school wards might prevent this. They thought not as the Trunks were a recent development and they had no reason to believe another student had ever used one at school, but one could not know this for certain. They were certain the main trunks would work, however. Still, they had already decided that if presented with this choice they would take it. It certainly made things easier for all of them.

“I’ll live with my husband,” Daphne said. She was followed by Tracy, Parvati, Hannah and Susan in expressing the same sentiment.

“It will be tight.”

“We’ll manage.”

“Now, as to the betrothed,” Dumbledore continued. “First of all I must ask. Miss Weasley, Mr. Potter you do know you are betrothed, yes?”

“Yes Sir,” they said.

“And you know what it means?” The Headmaster added failing to hide a smirk.

“We’ve seen it,” Harry said. “We know what it means.” Harry did not smirk in reply. House Potter knew it was no longer worth the parchment it was written upon. Had Harry not taken Ginny as his concubine and signed the new betrothal agreement, he could now get out of it. But he had. There was no way he could have known then that his parents were still alive. The truth was he had no regrets about what had happened. Ginny fit in well with his family. “As my current status allows it, we plan to marry next summer when Ginny’s of Bonding Age. Course, that’ll have to be at Gringotts which is… not what one would expect.”

“Very good then,” Dumbledore said. “The betrotheds - fortunately both Gryffindors - will be allowed access to said quarters from 7:00 A.M. to 11:00 P.M. seven days a week, but only if it’s convenient to those who reside there provided, of course, they are not expected elsewhere such as in class.”

“Or in detention,” Snape added.

“All detentions for any of the students in this room shall be submitted to me for approval before they can be imposed,” Professor McGonagall.

“Minerva,” Dumbledore began.

“You may have faith in Severus, but his… dislike of Mr. Potter and Mr. Longbottom is hardly a secret. I will not stand for him taking out his… ire or derision on these young ladies.”

“Agreed,” Flitwick and Sprout said.

“Very well, so be it,” Dumbledore resigned. He was not about to get into this what with all that was happening outside of the school and the attendant fact that for the foreseeable future McGonagall would be effective acting as Headmistress. It was clear to Harry and the others that Snape was not at all pleased as if it had been his plan all along to stick the lot of them in detention after detention.

“Which brings us to the final point in tonight’s agenda,” Dumbledore said. “As you will be attending classes together - at least most of you - we need to decide how you shall be addressed. It will be necessary to make it known that you are, in fact, married. The betrothals are a separate issue in this regard and it is up to you whether you want those known to others. It would be difficult if not confusing to address you by your married names. Mrs. Potter or Mrs. Longbottom would apply to too many obviously. I would recommend use of your maiden names…”

This was another matter discussed. It was left mainly to Harry to decide this issue when it came up and had everything to do with sticking it to Professor Snape.

“Actually, it would be Lady Potter or Lady Longbottom,” Harry said. “And it will be Lady Bones and Lady Abbott as they are now Regents of their Lines. But I think Lady Finchley for Hermione as she is Countess Designate by that title and Lady Hwicca for Luna and Lady Abengale for Daphne for similar reasons. That should avoid any such confusion in House Potter.”

“Lady Sarah of Pendle for Sally-Anne,” Neville nodded, “Lady Colne for Padma and Lady Marston for Tracey as they are Countess Designates for those titles and Lady Parvait or Halden Moor for Parvati as she is Baroness Designate.”

It was clear that Snape hated this idea. “And Lord Potter for Harry and Lord Longbottom for myself as we are Heads of Ancient and Noble Houses, Earls and such.” Snape hated that idea even more, but Dumbledore made it so.

A/N: While I get the joke, I never really liked the “We’re Not Worthy” bits that pop up in fanfics when Fred and George are introduced to a former Marauder. (That, and this is not an SNL / Wayne’s World cross-over.)