22-23

Chapter 22 Meetings and a Party

November 13, 1991 Potter Manor

It took a couple of weeks for everyone to relax after the capture of Pettigrew. They all were on edge for that time and when the dust settled and Peter was in Azkaban then the adult Potters felt it was time to see how their teams were doing. So they called a meeting. The Hunters gathered at the Potter manor, and the meeting started with Augusta.

"Those books were Merlin sent, though with my bad eyes it took me a while to read them, however I did learn a lot about Mr. Riddle. I now know that he graduated at the top of his class and received an award to the school for turning in Rubeus Hagrid for opening the Chamber of Secrets. I talked to Mr. Hagrid and the poor man never even had a trial. They were just so happy to find a scapegoat for the death of young Myrtle that they simply expelled him and snapped his wand," the Longbottom Matron said, there was a great deal of pity in her voice. "That was a bit before my time, and I had only heard rumor that there was a death and that the person responsible was caught. Headmaster Dippet must have hushed it up. I wish there was something I could do."

Lily reached across the table and gathered the withered old hand of the slightly distraught woman. "I'm sure you'll try," she said in a consolatory voice, gently patting the hand. "However, it might not do any good. Anyone with half an eye can tell Hagrid is a half giant. If you ask for a trial it'll be denied. Especially with that hag Umbridge on Fudges side. She was bad enough in her last appointment, now with her as an Undersecretary…brrrrrr," the redhead shuddered at the thought.

Remus, who felt the brunt of all the laws that woman tried to pass, nodded. It was a good thing that James was on the Wizengamot, or his life would be hell.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about Dolores, we have plans for her," James said slyly as he shared a look with the other two Marauders.

"Don't underestimate that toad," Lily warned, and then turned back to Augusta. "So you see there isn't anything you can do."

"I know, I know, I just feel like I should do, or say, something. Now that I think about it, and knowing what I know about Tom, it is almost without doubt that he was the one to open the Chamber," the older woman said, pulling her hand back and dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief.

"Oh, I have no doubt about that," Sirius said, wondering if they could get Harry to find it. It would be wicked to see where one of the Founders hid when he was fighting with the others. Well, perhaps after they kill the monster. He would have to ask Sally why the man felt a basilisk was a good idea for a school.

"To right," the older woman said with a nod. "Continuing on, after Tom graduated, he was offered all manner of jobs in the Ministry and to everyone's surprise took a job at Borgin and Burkes. Well, this was after he was turned down for the professorship of the DADA. Headmaster Dippet said he was too young, and told him to reapply again when he was older," she lectured, more composed now. She stopped to sip the ever present tea. "Which he did, right before he disappeared, but Albus denied him the position. I don't know the reason why, but rumor has it that he was the one to cast the curse on the position."

"Can you imagine us or our kids being taught by Voldemort?" James said with a full body shudder, just thinking about the horror that would be. The school might as well change its name to Durmstrang.

"Well, if you think about it they sort of were. I mean, Quirrell was possessed by the man. It is a good thing you stop him," Remus said. Then after a minutes' thought he added, "If he had become the DADA professor, I would think that either I wouldn't have been invited at all or more weres would have joined the student body."

They all got thoughtful at that until Sirius let out a yell, breaking the silence.

"Ahhh," the long-haired man said a look of mock terror on his face, "I can only think about how I'd've been treated, going against my family and all."

"Yes, well," Augusta said with a small chuckle, "all I know is that after some shady deals that lead to a few deaths, he simply disappeared. No one I've talked to knows where he went. Then after about twenty years he came back, but he wasn't Tom anymore. No, now he was Voldemort. He kept a low profile for quite a while. There were some mysterious deaths and disappearances, but nothing the Ministry could pin on him. Then you know what happened after that," she finished, sitting back indicating she was done.

"Well, that's more information than we had," Albert said, writing it all down. "Try and find where he went if you can. We know his family comes from Little Hangleton. And if I am not mistaken, Team One has already been there," he said, looking at the fore mentioned team.

"Oh, we went, alright. Damn near lost our lives getting this ring," exclaimed Wayne as he took out a lead box and placed it in front of him. The box gave off a Dark aura and no one wanted to touch it. "That hovel his mum grew up in was riddled with traps, no pun intended. The curses he laid on it were bad. Be careful there is a compulsion charm on it. I almost put it on, it was thanks to Kenton I didn't," he nodded to his partner, who gave him a reassuring smile.

"It took us five days just to get this one out," Gifford said, looking at the box. "We might want to get some more help. We just don't know enough about wards to break them down fast. As it was we had to look most of those up. And in the end bash through them with joint force. They were in parseltongue."

The rest of the group looked at them with a bit of awe, then shook their heads and nodded. It was something to think about, but for now they were going to keep it small and hope the rest of the horcruxes weren't as secure.

James leaned over the table and brought the box to him. He didn't look inside; he just set it next to his plate and continued with the meeting. "So we now have two of his soul pieces, the necklace and the ring. Augusta see if anyone can tell you if he tried to get heirlooms or special pieces that wouldn't really fit with Borgin and Burkes merchandise. It might give us clues as to what else we are looking for. Amelia, do you have a good standing with the goblins?" he asked, turning to the Head of the DMLE.

Madam Bones shook her head from her thoughts on ward breakers and sat up straighter. She was glad that she was now part of this group, even though this was her first official meeting. When James approached her, after she said she wanted in, she was more than happy to take the vow. Now, she could be doing something, since Fudge was hamstringing her Aurors. Budget cuts indeed. "I do," she answered with a nod. "It is amazing how much respect you get with goblins if you show that respect first. I do not get to speak to the ruler, but I can get in touch with some of the higher ranking goblins if I need to. Why?" she asked, hoping they were not going to ask her to break the rules of Gringotts. She worked hard to get her standing and didn't want to jeopardize that.

"I was thinking" James said, earning a sputter from his mates, who he glared at, "that Voldemort might have sent some of these horcruxes with his followers. Do you think you can inform them that there might be cursed items in those vaults? See if they can retain or destroy them. I know in my agreement for my vault, it stated that I could never store an item that could harm the goblin nation. If what Lily says is correct, there is a possibility that one of these can possess a person and drain their soul and life to… I don't know… create a new Voldemort, then there would be two Dark Wankers running around," he explained as he went over in his head what the agreement said, making sure he covered the correct points.

"I'll warn them and ask them to let me know of the outcome," Amelia replied, already going over who to talk to and what to say without breaking her vow.

"That's a start," James said as he smiled at the woman. She might be a huge help later in this… conflict. "Okay, Lily has some great news for us." He beamed at his wife.

"Well, as you know, we've been studying how to get rid of these things without being possessed ourselves," Lily started, picking up her notes and going through them. "We think we've found a way using the dust we used to dispossess Quirrell. The problem we were having is what happens to the soul piece once it's out of the container. The research I have says that once bond is released, or the container is destroyed… the soul piece dies —unless there's someone or something around for it to possess. Which was the main problem, how to kill the piece and not get taken over at the same time." She laid her parchment down and cast a look around the table.

"Did you find a way? I mean we can destroy the containers, and that would be a shame seeing as how they are ancient artefacts, but we can do it. I, for one, don't want to be the new Voldemort," Sirius laughed, though no one else did, so he stopped.

Rolling her eyes at the prankster she continued, "We're thinking of putting the container in a warded room and using a fan to blow the dust to it. That way when the soul piece comes loose it will float around for a few seconds, get caught in the wards and die soon after."

"That, my dear wife, is simply brilliant," James said, getting up and hugging and kissing her. "You too, Albert, simply brilliant, but I'm not kissing you."

Everyone laughed for a minute and then got serious again as he retook his seat.

"On another topic, what are we going to do about Skeeter? The second trial and a week in low security Azkaban was a good start and she has backed off, for the moment. But, we all know she will be back, with a vengeance," Remus stated, always worried about his family.

"I don't know why that woman hates us so much," Lily said in disgust as her nose wrinkled like she smelled something bad. "I mean we've never done anything to her."

"You denied her a story," Augusta said simply. "How many times did you turn her down before she started printing untruths about you?"

"But, after what they said about us, we turned down everyone," the redhead said in a defensive voice. And they had. Well, after they realized that no one was listening to them in the first place. They had given a few interviews about what happened that night and were criticized in the paper as an unreliable source. They even gave one to Skeeter at the beginning and her story was the most vicious.

"Ah, but, our dear Ms. Skeeter feels she is special and should never be denied a story. That is why she makes things up about people. Her column was well sought after, and before the crystals were sold her words were taken as truths. Now, after your lawsuit and her prison time, the people are now thinking with more rational minds. She is on the low end of the totem pole, and she blames you," Ms. Longbottom stated, tapping her finger on the table to emphasize her point.

"Well, back to what we do about her, Gary thinks she's an Animagus. He has all the Mutineers looking out for her at Hogwarts," James said in a proud voice. He then turned to Amelia and asked, "Is there anything you can do?"

"Not unless we catch her. I don't have a way to check everyone who comes into the Ministry to see if they are illegal Animagus. Besides isn't that the pot calling the kettle black of you and your friend here?" the head of the DMLE inquired with a raised eyebrow, looking between the two Marauders.

James and Sirius blushed at the question; it was true they still hadn't registered. And now that they had important work to do they didn't plan on it. Padfoot would be invaluable at getting into places humans can't. Prongs might not work quite as well, but you never know. Remus just chuckled; he had warned them ages ago that their secret might get out. It was a good thing they all took that vow.

"Yeah… well… ummm… we promise that once Voldemort is gone for good, we'll register," Sirius said seriously. He knew it had to come to that and he didn't want his friend in the DMLE to be caught ignoring the law.

"Thank you," was all Amelia said. "Perhaps you can make me a map of the Ministry?" she asked hopefully.

"We could, but it will take a while. We have to be able to roam freely. We had Wormtail do all the scouting last time," Remus said, knowing he would be doing mostly spell work for that project. He was not welcome at the Ministry.

"Well, see what you can do. Any help would be appreciated," the Head of the DMLE sighed.

The meeting broke up soon after as they put the problem with Rita and the map on the back burner and all decided to ward their homes against Animagus so as to not be caught unaware. As they were leaving James reminded them of the party the Potters were throwing on Boxing Day. They would have one or two meetings between now and then, but he didn't want anyone to double-book. He was happy when he got the confirmations from many. And on that note, the group left.

The same day Hogwarts, study hour in the Great Hall.

The Mutineers and all their study-buddies were at the Hufflepuff table doing their homework. Harry and Gary were sitting with the Patil twins, Lavender, Susan and Hannah. They were talking about the new DADA professor. The Headmaster told them a week ago, that while Quirrell was alive, he was too traumatized to continue teacher. So they got her. And if Gary thought Dumbledore's favoritism was bad, but it was nothing compared to this woman's.

Her name was Professor Lauren Steele. She was a retired Auror, who only agreed to teach for this year. She was a very pretty older lady of forty-five; slender with blonde hair and blue eyes. She had retired early due to injury and was quite happy in her solitude. She was actually pretty good and they were learning a lot. The problem was that she was a Boy-Who-Lived fan and would treat Gary special.

Said boy was getting tired of it and complaining. "I can't seem to make her stop," the younger twin grumped as he slouched in his seat and folded his arms across his chest. "I've tried and tried to get her to see that I'm just a student, but she keeps going on and on about how powerful I must be to have taken on such a powerful Dark Wizard." He really hated being mistaken for the savior. Sometimes he wished everyone would listen to his parents and just leave him and Harry alone.

"Poor Gary," Susan said mockingly, patting him on the head. While she did sympathize with her friend it was funny to watch the woman fawn all over him in class. "Whatever will you do, a pretty woman praising you over your every word and movement?" She gave him a wink he didn't understand, so she just sighed and patted his head again.

"You think it's funny, but have you seen some of the looks I'm getting from some of the other students. They're starting to think I'm not earning my grades. It's embarrassing," he defended himself. This was just the type of thing that he and Harry had been hoping to avoid; it could only end badly in the long run.

"Maybe you should talk to McGonagall and see if you can't get independent grading. She can make an announcement or something," Padma suggested. She too had seen the glares thrown Gary's way.

"Maybe, but I think Dumbledore will try and stop that. He seems to want the world to think I'm all powerful and stuff," the unfortunate boy said thoughtfully. "What do you think, Harry?"

"I think you should at least try." Harry glanced his way with an encouraging look.

"Or, maybe, you can get one of the new ghosts to haunt her and give her lectures about harassing students," Hannah giggled at her own suggestion. That would be a sight, a ghost following a professor around, preaching about proper teaching habits.

The rest of the group around her chuckled or giggled at the image.

"Seriously though, what am I going to do?" Gary continued his rant, still pouting and making wild gestures. "I don't want people thinking I'm getting privileges that I'm not. Then again I have no idea if she is grading me up or not. Should I complain to the Board? Or my parents? Can they do anything? Plus, she keeps bad mouthing Harry— in front of the class. She also tells me that I'm letting him hold me back, which she can't prove, because his grades are as good as if not better than mine. He is in Ravenclaw for crying out loud," he all but shouted, earning a look from Flitwick, who was monitoring this day.

The group could tell this was really bothering him, but didn't know what tell him, except to tell McGonagall.

"Maybe a letter to the Board wouldn't be a bad idea. You'll just have to word it correctly," Padma suggested as she tapped her quill on the parchment in front of her. "If you can be professional and try not to sound like you are whining, I don't see why that wouldn't work."

"I can do that," Gary said with resignation. He hadn't wanted to write to them, because no matter how he worded it, it would come off as asking for a favor. "I think I'll go to McGonagall first. It'll be a test to see if she will actually help me. I mean, she's pretty deep in Dumbledore's pockets," he whispered to his friends, and then sat back up. "Yeah, she's my Head of House," he said in a louder voice. "She's supposed to help me." And with a decisive nod, he gathered his books and notes, stuffed them into his bag, and went to her office.

He knocked on the door and went in when he heard his teacher say, "Enter."

"Good afternoon, Professor," Gary greeted her as he took the chair in front of the well-organized desk she was sitting at.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Potter. What brings you to my office?" McGonagall asked, after putting her grading aside.

"I'm having a problem, which really isn't a problem, but it really is, or could be," he stuttered out and then took a breath and started again. "You see, Professor Steele is giving me special treatment in class and she's bad mouthing Harry."

That caused the woman's lips to purse. "What are you asking?" she inquired, hoping the boy wasn't asking her for special favors. Not that he seemed like the type to do that, but the Headmaster said they should treat him exceptionally well.

"Well, I need it to stop," Gary said with a sigh as he slumped in his chair. "It's causing me difficulties with the other students."

"Oh, how so?" she asked, taking up a bit of parchment to jot this down.

"Well, one of the reasons it is causing issue, is the other students think I'm not being graded fairly."

"Yes, that could be a problem," McGonagall agreed, noting that down.

"And she goes on and on about how good I am when I don't even do any better than the rest of the class. Is there anyway her class can be… I don't know… monitored in secret or something? Or somehow have my grades done independently? I mean, I know she's only here until the end of the year. But, she is creating a breach with the rest of the first years and I don't know how to fix it." His voice and body language were showing a great deal of frustration.

"I had heard something along those lines," the formidable woman said as she adjusted her glasses, "and heard Professor Steele claim what a good student you were. However, I didn't know she was quite that… biased," she finished as her forehead creased with worry over one of her cubs so hindered.

"She is," Gary said with a nod.

"I'll see what I can do, but I can't promise you anything. Fortunately, your class is in one of my off periods. I can observe it, because I am the Deputy Headmistress. I want to thank you for bringing this to my attention and not trying to fix it yourself. Your parents will be proud," the teacher said with a nod of her head and a slightly pitied look in her eyes.

"Okay, thanks, Professor. I'll wait and see what happens, but if you can't solve it I'm taking it to the Board," the messy haired pre-teen stated firmly. "I might write them a quick note anyway, just as a precaution."

"Do what you must, but for now off you go. Leave the rest to me, Mr. Potter," the Deputy Headmistress stated firmly, not wanting any more issue with the Board, but seeing the young man's point of view. She just hoped he kept it formal.

"Bye, Professor," Gary said as he gathered up his bag and went out the door. He headed back to the Great Hall and rejoined the group. He relayed what she said and with nods all around they went back to their homework. He wrote a small letter to tell the Board what was happening, what was being done and what he feared might prevent him and his brother from being graded fairly.

Hphphp

A few days later during the DADA, they were working on the tripping jinx. Everyone was still trying to get it right and Gary was downplaying his ability— especially in this class. He made sure to get the wand movements incorrect and was fumbling right along with everyone else. After about ten minutes, three other students got it right and were awarded two points each.

The non-Boy-Who-Lived felt this was a good time to do his right, so he did. He was awarded ten points, with the added comment that his brother was holding him back or he would have been first. The glares he received made him blush with embarrassment.

Then out of the shadows stepped Professor McGonagall.

"Never in all my years of teaching, with exception of one other, have I seen such a blatant act of partiality. Tell me, Professor Steele, why did you award Mr. Potter more points than the other students? He was not even the first to achieve the goal. And why are you ridiculing a student? That is against the rules you signed when you took this post," she stated, looking over the top of her glasses and tapping her foot in agitation.

The students looked on with smiles or open-mouthed awe. They had never seen McGonagall tear down another teacher, though they had hoped the first time would be Snape.

"He is the Boy-Who-Lived," Professor Steele said as if it were obvious.

"And?"

"He deserves the extra points. His brother must be the reason he is not doing well, it was in the Prophet after all," the woman said, truly confused as to why that would even be questioned.

The Deputy Headmistress sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, making her glasses ride up. "Mr. Potter is a student —nothing more," she said sharply. "If this is how you award points to him, all of his tests and homework will need to be re-graded, to make sure he is receiving correct marks. His brother's as well. You will desist awarding him points at all, unless he is the first to achieve whatever is assigned. You will leave his brother alone. I will be monitoring the award sheet from now on." The Transfiguration professor glared at the younger woman.

Gary gave a huge sigh of relief and said, "Thank you, Professor, I've been telling her that for ages."

"It is not a problem, Mr. Potter. It is good you came to me to discuss this. The rest of you should also go to you Head of House if you see something like this happen again. Mr. Potter has expressed time and time again that he, and his brother, wants no special treatment. You should heed his words and not words of gossip," the Head of Gryffindor chastised the class.

Some bent their head in shame. They had heard him complain about the special treatment he was receiving, but figured he was doing that to save face.

"But, but, he is the Boy-Who-Lived. He saved us all," the flabbergasted reply came. Professor Steele did not understand why her hero wasn't being treated as he should.

"Professor Steele, please keep your worship outside of the classroom." McGonagall could see this was something that went far beyond a little bias; this woman could start a cult if she wanted to. It was a good thing they only had to put up with her one more term, Christmas was coming; maybe, she could talk to Albus about finding someone else.

The Professor's proclamations also showed the other students just how nuts their teacher was. They decided to start looking beyond the gossip from now on.

The retired Auror glared at McGonagall, she was not happy to have her privilege taken away. She was going to go to the Headmaster about this. He promised her that she could run her class the way she wanted. She huffed and sat at her desk. She would run her class as she saw fit, until Dumbledore told her otherwise. Still, she could see the glares from the other students, that used to be directed elsewhere, were now on her.

Hphphp

Gary's and Harry's tests and homework were re-graded and Gary lost a few marks and Harry gained a few, but nothing too bad. The professor continued to lavish praise on his poor head, with the Headmaster's blessing. However, she couldn't award points, nothing she said gave her back that right. She took it to the Board, but because of Gary's letter, her privilege was denied. Gary made sure to never be first in her class, and Harry did the exact opposite. She couldn't speak ill of Harry after being berated in front of her class and the Headmaster stated that it could alienate Gary more. That and she didn't want to get fired over some mediocre first year.

The rest of the quarter went off with little drama and soon enough the gossip turned from the Boy-Who-Lived to who was breaking up with who, and other such teenage drama. It helped the Parvati and Lavender were spreading those tales as fast as they could. Then talks turned to the coming holiday and what everyone was going to be doing over the break. Harry and Gary made sure to remind everyone of their party on Boxing Day.

Time Skip

The Christmas break had been great, they played many games and went sledding almost every day. If one of the Mutineers wasn't at their house, they were visiting them. Daphne and Susan seemed to come over quite a bit, which confused Harry, because Daphne didn't like outdoor games. She would just sit and watch the boys play. He asked her why, but she just blushed and said she liked spending time with him, which in turn caused him to blush. Susan would bring Hannah and they would join the twins. They were both very good a snowball fights and had no problems keeping up with the boys.

Soon enough it was Christmas and the Potters had a quiet celebration with just family. They kept the gifts simple and the meal was a small affair, since they were having a big party the next day. They all went to bed early and the house elves were frantically decorating for the festivities. Lily and the boys would help when they woke, but the hyper little creatures hated to wait.

December 26, 1991 Potter Manor

When the Potters woke on Boxing Day, the entire manor was decorated, which frustrated Lily something fierce. She had wanted to help.

The house was decked out in simple holly, ivy and mistletoe wreathes. There were also laurels and bells swathed along the ceilings. Candles were floating all about the halls and in the ballroom and dining room. Gold and white cloths were draped on all the tables with elaborate Christmas crackers scattered for anyone to choose from. Food and drink would be on those tables later in the day, but for now they were empty. Music crystals filled the air with dance music for those who wanted to make use of the ballroom.

The Missus of the manor made sure to thank the tiny beings for doing such a great job, even as she complained to James that she didn't get to do anything.

They all ate a nice breakfast eggs and soldiers, and played until around noon, then they went to prepare for the night. It wasn't the first party they had, but there were a few politicians that were coming that had never been invited before. One was the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, who had told them he could only stay for a short while, because he was also invited to the Malfoys' party.

It was just after 3 p.m. and the Potters were all dressed up in their finest waiting for their guests to arrive. Lily and Harry were in the Floo room and James and Gary were at the front door. Sirius and Remus were in ballroom to show those who entered where they could sit or what was on the buffet table.

James wore an open front plain black robe over a black suit with white button up shirt and bowtie, which he kept fussing with. Gary and Harry were just as formal in identical dark blue suits with light blue button up shirts, dark blue bowties, and black robes. Lily was wearing a floor length formal salmon gown, which was a simple cut of tight bodice and straight skirt, with a lavender open front robe.

The Potters were never about flare, they were down to earth folks that once in a while dolled up, but that was it. Finding them out of their jeans and t-shirts was a hard-pressed thing to do. Well, except for school and going to the Wizengamot, but those were uniforms so they didn't count.

The way they dressed tonight might offend some of their guests, because though they did look elegant, the clothes they wore were a mix of non-magical and wizard. However, that was the statement they wanted to make, so it was okay if some old biddy's sensibilities were ruffled. As long as they were polite and didn't say anything offensive, they should be acceptable.

A few carriages started pulling up, the Floo started flaring, and pops of Disapparation could be heard. Some people were walking up the pathways, and there was even a car or five —the guests had arrived. James and Gary greeted each person with a hand shake or kiss on the knuckles. They would then have a house elf show them to the ballroom. Lily would kiss cheeks and Harry would do the handshakes or knuckle-kisses. After about an hour the door was left manned by Tilly, and the Potters joined their guests. The Floo was staffed by the other house elf, Taffy.

As they entered the ballroom, they took flutes of champagne, or butterbeer, and James cast the Sonorus and said in a soft voice, "Happy Christmas, one and all. Thank you for joining our celebration. I hope your festivities went well yesterday, and that all your wishes came true. Please, feel free to take part in the buffet, the wassail or champagne. Mingle, dance and have fun. Thank you." He silenced the spell, and started to talk among his peers. Lily joined the mothers that were gathered together and the twins made a beeline for the Mutineers.

"So, how long do we have to stay with the adults?" Spencer asked. He was a quiet boy who had been with the Potters all through primary. He was slotted for Ravenclaw when he went to Hogwarts next year.

"Dad said at least until dinner," Harry answered, and was greeted with a lot of moans and groans for his trouble. "Good news is that's in about a half an hour."

This brought smiles to the kids' faces.

"Yeah, so try not to fill up now," Gary added with a smirk. "I should warn you that a lot of adults might be coming in and out all night. Not everyone invited has ever seen the room. So no talking about Mutineer stuff," he added with a wink.

Nods or confused looks were given at that little tidbit.

"What kind of Mutineer stuff shouldn't we talk about?" Leeann asked curiously. She was part of the pro-Dumbledore group so wasn't privy to a lot of information.

"You know stuff that would bore the adults," Parvati improvised. "Like our study group or homework. Boring stuff. We should keep it to what's going on at the school and what's new in fashion. By the way, I love that dress. Where did you get it? I wish I could pull off something like that," she fawned, leading the topic to fashion.

"Or we could talk about what we got for Christmas, but right now we have to be formal and talk with the adults. Padfoot said let them pick the topic and try to stay polite," Harry said with a bored look. He hated politicians as they always toadied over Gary and ignored him, like an eleven year old would boost their career.

"We should rejoin our parents now and regroup after dinner," Padma said, grabbing her sister's hand and started weaving through the crowd.

The kids split up and did just that. This time Gary joined his mum and Harry went reluctantly to James. Not that he didn't like his dad, but the older Potter was surrounded by the old geezers from the Wizengamot and Harry knew it was going to be a boring wait.

"Oh, and this must be young Gary," said the Minster, still holding his bowler hat as he watched Harry approach with a glint in his eyes.

James took a quick look at the scar and said, "No, Minister, this is his twin, Harry. Harry, say hello to the Minister."

"Hello, Minister Fudge. How are you this evening?" came the reply as Harry politely held out his hand in greeting.

"Very well, very well indeed," Fudge said, shaking the hand vigorously. "It is not every day one gets invited to the Potters, no, not every day. A good evening indeed. Thank you for asking, young Harry," he enthused, not showing his disappointment about meeting the wrong twin. He didn't want to alienate James, because though he took Malfoy's money, Potter could drum him right out of office. This man single-handedly had half the Wizengamot in his pocket without spending a Knut to do it. With the greeting out of the way Fudge turned back to James and said, "While, it has been a delightful time. I really must be off. I told Lucius that I would be there for dinner and I mustn't be late."

James shook the Minister's hand and said, "It was a pleasure having you, Cornelius, perhaps next year you could stay for dinner with us."

"Perhaps," the Minister said. And he put on his bowler and left.

James and Harry made sure not to sigh as they turned their attention to the remaining politicians. Talks went on about laws and there was a heated argument over the Muggle Protection Bill. James finally put an end to that, stating this was not the time or place.

Harry decided to let the adults talk and rambled nonsense to his brother via their link, which made Gary laugh and his mum glare.

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At 4:30 p.m. a house elf came and informed them that dinner was served. The guests 'ohhed' and 'ahhed' when they first walked into the room. They were greeted with two long tables, dressed up in white and gold tablecloths, with candelabras spaced between every six chairs. It was the floral centerpieces that caught the women's eyes, and they fawned over them as they took their seats. Each table could hold twenty-five people. In the back of the room were two smaller tables with glass globes instead of candle stands. Thank Merlin for expanding charms.

The dishes set around the tables consisted of; roast turkey, goose, chicken, and duck served with stuffing and gravy. There were also sides of; pigs in blankets, devils on horseback, roasted chestnuts, cranberry sauce and redcurrant jelly, bread sauce, boiled, mashed and roast potatoes, Brussels sprouts and parsnips.

Everyone exclaimed over the lovely set up as they took their seats, and soon light talk was heard all around the tables. Mothers talked of childrearing, other women talked of fashion, and the men talked of work or Quidditch. The kids keep it to fashion, yesterday's festivities and school work.

Soon pudding appeared and this entailed; Trifle, mince pies, Christmas cake and pudding, brandy butter, or cream for the kids, and a Yule log.

Soon everyone's bellies were full and the diners divided into groups and went to separate rooms. Some couples made use of the dance floor, commenting on the handiness of the crystals and the wonder of the beautiful waltzes that were playing.

The children went to the game room most lost their robes, jackets and ties upon entering. There were only two or three kids there that weren't part of the Mutineers, and the gang had no problem showing them what everything in the room was for.

Gary, Harry, Padma, Neville, Susan and Mandy were all grouped on the couches.

"Thanks for the broom, you guys. You didn't have to get me one you know, the book on the Amazon Jungle was enough. Besides, I already have two," Neville said with a smirk.

"You know how it is, one group present and then special ones. We even bought Ron and Seamus one so they couldn't complain that we were sucking up to their siblings. Can you imagine the complaining we would hear if they were the only ones in the dorm not to get a broom? I mean, even Dean got one," Gary explained with a twinkle in his eye.

"Besides, it's not like they're top of the line or anything. They're only Comet Sweeps," huffed Harry as he sat back on the couch.

"Yeah, I heard the Weasley twins complain how hard it was to play Quidditch on their old brooms, so…" Gary added with a shrug.

"You two are so thoughtful. I, for one, am glad for the new broom. Auntie wouldn't let me get one until next year. She still won't let me take it to school, but I rode it all day yesterday. So thanks from me too," Susan said as sat between the twins and gave them both a one armed hug. She made sure to linger over Gary, but the meaning was lost to him.

"I really don't like flying," Padma said with a small lift of her shoulder, "but I know brooms can be useful, so thanks."

"Did you enjoy the books we sent you?" Harry asked, hoping to move the conversation along.

"Yes," came four responses.

"That one you sent me on Wicca tradition was really good. I was up all night reading it. Even after all we've learned on the Internet there is still so much about that religion that I don't know," Mandy said with a bright smile. She was always interested in other cultures and could be found on the computer most of the time. Her parents had to lock the study in their home at night so she would not stay up all night researching.

"I think that is because it is still so new and is still evolving," Padma guessed, tapping her finger on her chin in thought. "I know it comes from an old religion, but they are trying to adapt it to modern times."

"Let's not talk religion," Gary suggested, holding up his hands, if there was one thing he learned about parties it was never talk about religion or politics. "I'm going to go and show the two new kids what a computer is for. Why don't you guys talk about the rest of you gifts?" And with that he got up and wandered over to the two lost looking teens that were just standing off to the side like they were afraid to touch anything.

As he approached the two he held out his hand and greeted them, "Hi. I'm Gary Potter," he said, ignoring the gasp and the quick looks at his scar, "welcome to Potter Manor."

"Hello, I'm Lewis Hawkinstomp and this is my sister Ellie. Our grandfather knows your father from the Wizengamot. He was ever so ecstatic for being invited," the tall boy said, taking Gary's hand. "May I ask, what all this stuff is?" he inquired, waving at all the gadgets, TVs and computers.

"Well, I don't know if you were told, but this is a magic null room. It's where we play games, do our homework, watch movies or just cruise the Internet. Here let me show you the computer," he said and taking their elbows gently guided the nervous siblings to the computer area. "As you can see we have five computers, we use to have more, but when people started setting up their own rooms, we gave a few to charity. Here sit here Lewis, Ellie you stand behind him," he suggested, setting them on the farthest computer away from the other kids.

"Okay," Lewis drew out, not sure what to do with the blank machine in front of him.

"Okay, I'm going to turn it on and a picture is going to show on this blank looking glass. So don't freak out or anything," Gary said as he pushed in the power button, and then sat in the chair next to Lewis. After a few seconds a log in screen came to view, and he put in the user name and password. Then a nice Christmas picture filled the screen, a country house in the snow. "Okay, just let me pull up the Internet and I will show you how cool this is." Once the browser window popped up he said, "Name one thing about Muggles you always wanted to know."

"Ummm… well… ummm, I always wanted to know how they dressed. So, you know, I can blend in when we go out to the Muggle world. Not that we've done that yet, but it might happen," Ellie said, twisting her hands in front of her, not wanting to sound petty to the Boy-Who-Lived.

"Very smart, you'd be surprised at how some wizards dress," Gary smiled at the flustered young girl. "Okay, so I'm thinking you want modern teen girl fashion. Here let me pull it up," he said, typing away in the search bar.

Seconds later, links started to fill the monitor. Gary explained what they were and how to click on them and guided them to one that stated it was for school fashion. After clicking the link the page showed girls in jeans, slacks and casual shirts. Ellie looked on with wonder, leaning over her brother's shoulder to get a closer look. Then the younger Potter showed her how to get back to the search page and linked her to summer dresses. While she was getting into the clothes, Gary took Lewis to another computer and showed him the non-magical sports.

The younger twin watched the two play on the Internet until their granddad came and pulled them away. He told them about libraries, so if they couldn't get computers of their own, they could go there.

The messy-haired Gryffindor rejoined his Ravenclaw brother and said, "Two more into the fold."

Harry laughed and smacked his twin's shoulder. "Come on, the party is breaking up and we have to put our ties and robes back on and see the guests out," he said, picking up said items and putting them back on.

Gary groaned, but joined him all the same.

This time Lily and Gary were manning the door, while James and Harry were attending the Floo room, Sirius and Remus had already left to go and party at the pubs. After seeing all the guests out, it was just the Potters and they all climbed the stairs wearily and got ready for bed. Lily went into Gary's room and sat on his bed.

"Did you have a good night?" she asked, brushing the hair from his forehead, wishing he would still let her hug and kiss him goodnight.

"Yeah," Gary replied tiredly, "I think I got two more pure-bloods hooked on computers."

"Really? Who?"

"The Hawkinstomps. The boy's in Hufflepuff, a few years above me and Harry. The girl's in Ravenclaw, a year above us. They said their grandpa works with Dad," he answered, giving a huge yawn and snuggling down in his pillow.

"Yes, I remember meeting him tonight, and you might be right. He was asking about our 'Muggle' stuff," his mum said thoughtfully, ruffling his bangs into his eyes, which cause him to tiredly swat at her hand.

"I'm tired, Mum. It is a good thing Sally let us have a few days off. Too bad she doesn't celebrate the Holidays," the exhausted boy complained, once more snuggling into his pillow.

"Alright, sweetie, don't forget your crystal. Soon you guys will be ready for your Animagus training. Did the Mutineers ever vote on that?" Lily asked out of the blue as she stroked his hair.

"Where did that come from?" he asked, quirking an eyebrow at her.

"I was talking with Amelia about it, and she thinks it's a good idea, as long as you register. She did say she might hold off on that until the Dork Lord is taken care of, but after that… well, you get the point. Anyway did you get it all decided?" she asked as she got off the bed.

"Yeah, we figured that it was too good of an opportunity to pass on," Gary said with a yawn as he rolled over and started his crystal.

When he rolled back onto his back, Lily leaned over and gave his forehead a quick kiss and left before he could complain.

She met James in the hall and leaned tiredly against him. He put his arm around her waist and pulled her close, kissing the top of her head. "Poor, Lily-flower, all tuckered out. It was only a party, how did you get so tired?"

"Do you realize how boring most of those people are? There's only so much fashion I can talk about. I don't even like witches fashion," she complained, using her free arm to smack his chest. She gave a yawn and then said, "Gary said they voted on trying Animagus training. I was thinking this summer?"

"I'll get with Padfoot, and we'll set up a schedule," he said, kissing her hair again. "Come on, sweetheart, let's get you to bed."

A big yawn was his answer as he guided her to their bedroom and as he closed the door he couldn't help but think that it was a successful party.

Chapter 23 Friendship, Rivalry and… Love?

January 5, 1992

Harry and Gary were headed to the Great Hall for their normal study hour, when Draco Malfoy approached them. He seemed nervous, but his pace was sure and steady. "I've been meaning to talk to you two. I received a letter from my father to form an association with you. I was wondering if we had any common grounds to start with," the young blond said in his normal stuck up voice, though you could hear the anxiety in it. It was faint but there.

"Sure, Draco, you've done nothing to make us dislike you," Harry said with a small smile to put the boy at ease. And he hadn't; after the talk on the train they hadn't heard anything bad from this pure-blood. "Though I'm not sure how a relationship will work if it is on orders from your dad, but we can give it a go."

Gary looked at the other boy warily. He didn't trust Malfoy Sr. but they had so far not caused conflict with anyone and it would be bad to break the mold now.

"Well, I know we don't and probably never will agree about Mud… Muggleborns. So I was thinking we could discuss Quidditch and whether it is true that you two will be trying out for the teams next year," Draco said, relaxing his defensive stance.

"Well," Gary said with a side-long look at his brother. "It really is up to whether or not we get good grades. Mum says if we don't get in the top twenty then there's no way she'll let us play." He quickly thought to his brother, "What do you think? I mean, does he really want to be friends, or it is just his father's orders?"

"It's kinda hard to tell," Harry thought back, "but, I'd hate to disregard a son for the sins of his father."

"You're right, we'll play it by ear," Gary projected as he kept up the talk with the first year Slytherin.

"Really?" Malfoy asked getting excited. "Which position?"

"Seeker," they both replied.

"Me too," the young blond said excitedly. "Father said the same as your mum. I have to do well in my studies and he would get me a new broom, just to try out."

"That's great, Malfoy," Harry replied with a nod of his head. Their parents had said the same. He looked at his watch and said, "We've got to get going, how about we talk about this tomorrow at an earlier time?" he offered politely.

"I can't," Gary said with a shake of his head. "I promised Dean that I would help him with his Transfiguration tomorrow." He shrugged and sent an apologetic look to the other two boys.

"It's okay, Gary, I'm sure we can carry on a conversation without you." He smirked at his brother.

"Prat," Gary said, shoving his twin's shoulder.

Draco looked on wistfully; he had always wanted a sibling. His father was content with one child though.

The three parted and Harry and Draco did have their talk the next day. Though it didn't stay with Quidditch, somehow politics was brought up, but there were only discussions and no arguing. They agreed to disagree and parted good-naturedly. Little did they know, they were being observed, not that Harry cared. He could make friends, or acquaintances, with whomever he wanted.

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It was about two weeks after the break when Professor Flitwick came and gave Harry a note that stated that the Headmaster wanted to see him after dinner and that he had enjoyed a good piece of fudge over the holidays. Having talked to Gary about the strange note, he was told that was probably the password. He, of course, asked his Head of House to accompany him.

The diminutive professor came to him when afters were finished. They made small talk about Charms, and how Harry was doing in that class on the way to the office. After giving the password and going up the winding stairs, Harry took a deep breath and knocked. Upon hearing 'Enter' both professor and student went into the office.

Dumbledore was sitting, as always, behind his cluttered desk. "Ah, Harry come in, come in. Please, have a seat. Thank you for bringing him, Filius, you may leave," the old man said, waving Harry into the office, but giving Flitwick a dismissive look.

Harry took the chair on the right and sat straight with no slouching and not relaxed as his brother had. He wanted to come off as proper as he could, so this man would have no reason to ridicule him.

"You know better than that, Albus. I will stay with my student," Flitwick said, taking a seat next to the boy in question.

"Of course, though it saddens me so that young Harry doesn't trust me," Dumbledore said in a disappointed voice as he looked over the frames of his spectacles.

"Can you really blame me, sir? After all you did try and make me and Gary squibs," Harry said and noted the genuine surprise that flitted across the Headmaster's face. Maybe he really didn't understand magical twin bonds.

"I don't understand, Harry, my boy. I would never want to hurt you or your brother," the old man stated, rubbing his beard in confusion as hurt was mixed with surprise in that grandfatherly voice. Dumbledore wondered if what Harry said was true. If it was then things would have to be rethought.

"If you had listened to my mother when you tried to separate us at a young age, you would have known that tearing us apart would have strained our magic. It would have continued to search for the missing twin. If the distance was great, and had you succeeded it would have been, then the tension would have been too much and it would have left us as squibs," Harry explained, hoping this man finally got it through his head and left his family alone. He doubted it, but one could hope.

"Would that happen were you to be separated now?" the Headmaster asked then holding up his hands at the affronted faces in front of him. "Not that I want to do that, just an old man's curiosity," he quickly backtracked.

"It would happen even faster now. Gary and I are very tightly bound," Harry said in a very firm voice, his eyes narrowing at that manipulative man in front of him. He really hated that Dumbledore as so set in his ways and thought he was always right. It was just so darn frustrating.

"Well, on to other topics. I noticed that there are quite a few Slytherins in your study group. Are you sure that is wise?" Albus asked in a kind voice that was full of concern.

"I thought you wanted the Houses to get along, Headmaster? I don't understand what the issue is," the messy-haired first year stated. He glanced at his Head of House and noted he also had a curious look about him.

"Oh, I do, truly. I think it is wonderful that you are getting on so well with all the Houses. My concern is that someone may think you, my boy, are going Dark. After all these are well known families that are not, as they say, on the Light side," Dumbledore explained as if it were obvious.

"Nor are they Dark," was the rebuttal. "All of those students' families in our group are Neutral and have been for centuries. They do their best to stay out of the wars and promote peace," Harry said, defending his friends and study-buddies. Most of the Slytherins that were in the study group were half-bloods and had a hard time in their House. The group was a reprieve for them.

"I also noted that you had a conversation with young Draco. Would you care to tell me what it was about?" Dumbledore asked, leaning forward. He was still very unsure over the boy in front of him and if the child was 'hanging around' darker element, it might not bode well for Gary. It would not do for the Boy-Who-Lived's brother to be seen with the Malfoy's son.

He'd have to do research on the twin bond, if what young Harry said was true then perhaps he would have to stop trying to separate them. At least until he could find a way to prevent Gary from becoming a squib. He was still certain that the bond would lessen Gary's power, the boys' grades and performance in their classes confirmed his belief.

"Not that it is any of your business," the young boy all but snapped, trying to keep his tone polite, "but Draco and I were merely discussing Quidditch and political points of views. He is still under the impression that Muggleborns should not be invited to the Wizarding World, and I tried to dissuade him of that notion. We agreed to disagree and parted amicably," he stated with a shrug. He had actually invited Draco to come and visit over the summer, but was turned down.

"Be that as it may, it might make your brother look bad that he is seen consorting with a non-Light family," Dumbledore said, looking at him in mild reproof.

"Headmaster, you do not have a say in who my brother and I decided to 'consort' with. Most of the people in our group have been friends with us for years, and we are not about to abandon them now that they are sorted into Slytherin. All Houses are welcome to study with us. And if we decide that we want to try and make pure-bloods see that they are wrong, where is the harm in that?" It was the note of finality in Harry's voice that caused the Headmaster's shoulders to slump in defeat. The elder twin had kept his speech formal throughout so that he would be taken seriously.

"Albus, you know better. I would have never thought you would stoop so low as to dictate who any of your students could befriend. It is outside your role as Headmaster," Professor Flitwick finally joined the conversation.

"Alas, it was not a dictation, merely a suggestion. You are correct and I apologize to you, young Harry, that is not what I meant it to come across as," the old man said, making placating gestures. Though you could see there was no twinkle in his eyes.

"I don't really trust you, sir, but I accept your apology. I still think you are trying to split me and Gary up, to try and make sure I don't 'steal' his power. If I were you, I would stop trying. It is not going to work," Harry said as he stood headed for the door.

Flitwick threw a hard look at his employer and followed his student.

Harry told his brother mentally about the meeting, and they decided that they would start to hang out together more.

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Later that week one of Sally's ghost scouts came to Harry and told him about what Dumbledore tried to push in the Board meeting.

"He tried to get a rule passed, that none of the Houses could study together outside their own House," the veteran ghost said. He was dressed in a British type military uniform. You could see the hole in his shoulder where he had bleed out, because he was too far away from any one to get help.

"How did the Board take it?" Harry asked, sitting on his bed in his green pajamas. He had just been getting ready to put on his crystal when the spirit floated through his bed hangings.

"There was quite a bit of arguing for a while. It was Lucius Malfoy that settled it all, stating that they didn't have the right to do so. And wasn't the Headmaster going against his own preaching? Never would have thought old Lucius woulda had it in him. He's usually the one trying to separate the Houses more. Wonder what changed?" the old soul said, rubbing his chin with long thin fingers.

"Thanks for that bit of information. I'll let my parents know tomorrow, and we'll act accordingly. I'm too tired to play the Headmaster's game tonight," Harry said, knowing it was because the man wanted Draco to be friends with the Boy-Who-Lived.

The ghost said its goodnight's and left the way he came.

The dark-haired first year sighed, turned on his crystal and settled down into his pillow.

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The next day, after Harry told his parents what the ghost said, was uneventful. The Potter adults told him not to worry about it; they'd take care of the Board.

The study group was once again at the Hufflepuff table and there was quite a bit of chattering. Daphne brought up the subject about when they were going to start the practical part of their studies. She felt she had a firm grip on theory and wanted to start casting outside of class.

"What do you think, Harry?" Gary asked, when she posed the question.

"Well, one of us should go and talk to McGonagall. She can get us a room or tell us where we can go. I believe she has all the schedules for all the clubs. It's kinda her job to keep all that organized. I don't think we should ask the Headmaster, he might try and deny us access," Harry said, tapping his finger on the table in front of him, deep in thought. "I don't want to use the Come and Go Room," he thought to Gary, "It would be seen as sneaking around and we want to prevent that."

"I agree."

"Why would he do that?" Daphne asked, tilting her blond head to the side. She was sitting on Harry's right and Gary was on his left.

"Well, let's just say a little bird told me that he tried to break up our study group and leave it at that for now," Harry explained vaguely. He gave Daphne a small wink and mouthed 'later' and turned back to his brother. "You should take a few people and ask the Deputy Head. Don't go by yourself or it might look like your trying to get in a favor. Or wait, we'll take a vote to see who'll go. We can make it a group effort with no leader, per se," he said. After what happened in Defense and the conversation he had with the old man, he didn't want to give anyone anything that could be used against them.

Professor Steele was still teaching and she still looked at him darkly. It was a good thing she was monitored by one of the Halloween ghosts. Sally did good bringing all of them here; they did so much more than the House ghosts did. Though Death was putting the fear of… death into them and they were doing less whining and being more active with their Houses.

"That is a wonderful idea, Harry," Padma said from across from him. She had been following the topic while doing her Potions homework.

"Okay then, Daphne, your handwriting is better. Could you, please, write a note asking the question and pass it down the table? Remember to put that me and Gary don't want to go. If anyone asks tell them to mirror call us tonight and we'll explain why. Try and be discreet," he said in a whisper.

So she did and soon enough the vote came in that Susan, Dean, Terry and Tracey would ask for a room. They decided it would be the next day during study period.

That night was filled with mirror calls, first a few people asked Gary and Harry why they didn't want to join the group going to McGonagall. Then those people called other people and so on. By the end of the night every Mutineer, and then some, knew what was going on between some of the staff, including Dumbledore, and the Potter twins. Well not everything, but they had a general idea that the old man was trying to keep them apart, again, and the DADA teacher was still bias. This action formed a stronger public opinion for the twins and they had many more supporters.

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Towards the end of study hour the next day, Susan came and sat next to Gary. "She was real supportive," she started, perhaps sitting a little closer to Gary than necessary, which made Gary fidget and move away from her, causing the young girl to pout. "She said we can use the old Charms classroom, but we have to talk to the professors and see if one of them will be in there with us. She doesn't want us to practice without adult supervision, though she did say if none of them had time we could ask the Head boy or girl. I was thinking Sprout or Flitwick."

"Or maybe, we should ask one of the other teachers that don't have two positions. That and I think we should ask one of the ghosts as well. I mean, they aren't doing anything," Daphne said in her place next to Harry.

"Marvelous idea, Daphne," Harry said with a smile, causing the girl to blush lightly.

The same committee was dispersed to ask the professors and ghosts. Those that weren't Head of Houses were more than happy to help. The spirits lingered in the room when spells weren't being cast, and they would report to a teacher if things got out of hand. So the group started working on their practical every Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday before dinner. That left the weekends still open for leisure. Everyone was happy with that arrangement.

A time skip with short narrative

The rest of the year was uneventful; no new rumors floated, and the Headmaster left Gary and Harry alone. They didn't expect it to last next year, but they had kept their noses clean and gave him no ammunition. Though their study group had grown quite a bit, there were no new Mutineers. They did invite some of the new people to come and play in the game room and with all the good things said about it, they had many takers. The Potter manor would see lots of traffic this summer.

Minor pranks were played, nothing too embarrassing, just enough to get a laugh out of everyone and keep the relationships they were trying for going. Things like hair color changes or robes shorted. They kept the pranks in-group for now, so they couldn't be accused of targeting anyone. They even reined the Weasley twins in.

The boys finished in the top fifteen of their class with tie scores. Harry was better in Defense and Gary topped in Transfiguration, this let some of the other Mutineers get ahead of them. They had planned it that way ages ago. The pro-security group knew why and took complete advantage of it.

Susan and the Weasley twins were inducted into secret group. They were given the basics in Occlumency, which Susan already knew, and let in on all the secrets. They were each given a new map and mirror.

Fred gave the old map to Lee Jordan, who was thrilled to have it. The Weasley twins had first asked the Marauders if they wanted it back, but were to give it away and keep the legend going. The redhead doubles were hoping that next year Lee would be a part of the Mutineers. This year the gang wasn't recruiting anyone, for fear of spies. 'Always remembering Peter', was the motto.

Gary had made a few ventures with some of the pure-bloods, always treating them as future business partners. Harry was even approached by a few and gave the same response. Draco had taken it rather well, especially after a letter from his father. That letter expressed that he was proud of the young blond for making acquaintance with the Boy-Who-Lived. They never became friends, just sociable associates.

The Hunters continued to look for the horcruxes, but had yet to find another. They had a rough idea what a few might be, thanks to Augusta's teas. They knew they were looking for Founder items, they asked Sally to ask the Founders about them, but even the Founder spirits never knew what happened to them after they died.

Amelia did talk to the goblins, but that was sent to a committee of elders to be debated on. They were all hopeful that it would progress soon.

The Maunders decided to hold off on Animagus training, until the youngest Mutineers had at least one year of Transfiguration under their belt.

July 11, 1992 Potter Manor

"Come on boys, everyone will be here soon," Lily called up the stairs. It seemed like she was forever saying that.

They were all leaving at 9 a.m. and it was 8:15 now. The family was taking a large group of wizard-raised kids and their parents to Chessington World of Adventures. It had been some busy weeks since the start of summer, which wizard-raised children and teens came to the house and looked on the Internet. They decided that it was time to take them to the Muggle World. It would be fun to see how they reacted to a theme park.

Most of the Mutineer kids decided that they would stay home this time and let the Potters deal with the wizard-raised, as long as pictures were taken. The gang would go on the boys' birthday. The Greengrass sisters, Tracey and Susan wanted to join this venture, since they were unable to join the birthday celebration this year. Their guardians were attending other business, and were more than happy to trust Lily and James with their children.

James and Sirius were paying for everyone to get in and food, but if anyone wanted to play the games or buy souvenirs then the person had to fend for themselves. They had explained the non-magical money system and hoped everyone remembered.

"Coming Mum/Lily" was the replies she got. The usual noise followed.

Harry came down first, dressed in tan shorts and a plain green t-shirt with sandals on his feet and sunglasses on his head. Gary trailed after him in dark brown shorts and a red t-shirt, also wearing sandals and sunglasses. James followed the boys down. He was attired in black trousers and a white polo shirt with white socks and trainers.

Lily, who was wearing a simple floral sun dress and sandals, huffed at them. "What took you so long?" she asked, guiding Harry into the kitchen to hurry him along. The other two followed, not wanting her to get more upset then she already was.

"We didn't want to look alike today, but we had to keep changing, because every time we came out of our rooms we were wearing similar outfits. Finally I said 'let me dress and then I'll come to you and you find something different' and it worked. Sorry, Mum," Harry said self-consciously. It was true, after dressing the same way for most of the year; they still hadn't got into the separate mind set. It was one of the pitfalls of the bond.

"I guess that makes sense, still you guys should've figured it out earlier. Why didn't you just do your twin thing and think it to each other?" She noticed their embarrassed looks and sighed, "Come on, let's eat." She didn't even ask James what took him so long, he probably had his heart set on a shirt he couldn't find.

They had a quick breakfast of tea and pastries, since there would be food where they were going so they didn't fill up.

At 8:30 a.m. people started arriving. When everyone was gathered, they made sure they were all dressed appropriately, slathered with sunblock, and that they had non-magical money and knew how to use it. Wands were to be left in purses or backpacks. They had been going to make them leave the wands behind, but there was too much protest.

Everyone chattered excitedly as they exited the manor and got into the bus that the Potters had rented for the day. The driver was a Muggleborn and was tickled to be driving such a large group of wizards. Plus, he was being paid for the day and could still enjoy the park. After many comments on how much more comfortable the seats in this bus compared to the Knight Bus, everyone finally settled.

When they arrived at the Park, the wizard-raised were in awe. They eyed the large crowd of non-magical people. 'Where did they all come from?' was the thought that flickered across many minds.

Lily assured them that this was not a special event, and that it was a weekend and this was the normal summer crowd for this type of venue. She also told them that this was a small fraction of people compared to the population of Britain. After a bit more on that discussion, they all stood off to the side of the ticket booth while James and Lily counted heads.

"Okay, we have sixteen adults, five over twelve and eighteen under, so that's thirty-nine all together." James counted and started going through his wallet for his credit card, which he had set up during the years the boys couldn't go into the wizarding areas. "Everyone stay here and stick together. Remus and Sirius have been here before so stay close to them." And he and Lily went to get the tickets. They were just glad they had called ahead to get the group rates.

When they brought them back, they noted that the group had splintered into smaller groups. So the boys and their godfathers must have told them there were different themes to the park. The more adventuresome people were with Sirius and the less hardy were with Remus. There was a third group of teens and pre-teens, which James would take around. Lily went with Remus.

"Okay, here are your tickets. If you want food we," he pointed to the Marauders and his wife, "have the money for that. If you want to play a game or buy a souvenir then you will have to pay for it yourselves. Ask one of us if you don't remember how to use the money. We'll meet at the map in the front at closing time. There are rest areas for those who for some reason get bored. If you splinter off from your group and get lost there are park employees that will take you to an area where they can call out to the park for us to find you, ask them for help," James said as he handed out tickets.

"Do not use your wands on anything," Lily warned as she noted a few wands sticking out. "You'll put the whole park in danger if you start casting spells. Emergencies only. Believe me when I say, you'll have a good time without magic."

The crowd grumbled a bit, but then looked at the wonder of the park and conceded the point. It did look fun. They took the tickets and went inside. They looked at the map and decided where they wanted to go. Remus' group went to the zoo first; they'd go to the kiddie rides when they were through there. Sirius' group went straight to the Transylvania area, to ride the roller coasters. While James' group decided to start with the Market Square and work their way up.

Harry, Gary, Susan, Tracey and Daphne decided to stick together. Though they didn't part from their group, they were off to the back. Harry and Gary were getting a kick out of the other teens' faces. Astoria went with Remus' group to the zoo, she wasn't a thrill seeker.

"So what do you think, Daphne?" Harry asked the blonde girl, who was dressing similar to him in tan shorts and a green top.

"This is wonderful, to think all of this and no magic. Are you sure the rides are safe? All that metal and noise makes me think they will break down any minute," she asked, giving a wary eye to the merry-go-round.

Tracey just grinned at her friend, she'd been before and tried to explain it all to her, but Daphne didn't believe it.

"Yeah, these rides have been operating for years. They make sure they're safe every night," Harry answered.

"I think they look like fun," Susan said as she bounced at Gary's side. She was also dress in shorts and top, but hers were in shades of pink. Neither girl got out in the sun very often as they both had pale white legs. Tracey, on the other hand, had a light tan. "Let's go on the merry-go-round, Gary," she said, turning to the twin with big pleading blue eyes.

"Sure," Gary said with a blush and took her hand and went to his dad to let him know where they'd be.

"Do you think those two will ever get together?" Daphne asked as her cheeks also dusted with a blush. Though it was very faint and could be put off to the heat. Her Ice Queen persona, which she used in Slytherin, was nowhere to be seen. She only used that personality in school to protect her and Tracey from the bullies, and never around the friends.

Tracey just grinned and decided to make herself scarce and joined the other teens to help with the guiding, then maybe her best friend could talk to her crush.

"Aren't we a little young to worry about that?" Harry replied quizzically, looking to the two who were now getting in line for the ride.

"Well, you do know girls mature faster than boys. I think Susan has her sights set on your brother," Daphne said also looking at the couple, and then wondered where Tracey went. She spotted her getting money for some food and turned back to Harry.

"Yeah, I know, but I don't think that we, Gary and I, are quite ready to be dating yet. Besides, we have the Dark Wanker out there still. Maybe, in a few years," Harry said. His cheeks now tinted pink as he ran his hand through his ever messy hair.

"Well, how about you and me stay close to one another today, in a non-date way, and you can see how you feel being around a girl?" the blond girl said slyly, taking a side-long peek at the embarrassed dark-haired boy next to her.

Harry shuffled his feet and rubbed his head some more. He knew this would happen someday, but thought it would be years from now. He never really gave thought to having a girlfriend. Daphne was sure cute enough and it might be fun.

"Sure, we can give it a try," he answered. And that's what they did. Harry even won her a stuffed panda in the games booth, which earned him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. She kept that panda the rest of her life and considered it his first token of love. Girls are weird like that.

Meanwhile with Gary and Susan

Susan wasn't quite as subtle as Daphne; she took Gary's hand and said, "Today you and me are keeping each other company. You will be staying by my side and going on all the rides with me," she announced in a voice that stated there would be no argument.

"I will?" Gary asked then looked at her determined face and nodded his head and reiterated, "I will." He like Harry didn't think he would be dating girls until much later. Their dad had given them The Talk before they went to Hogwarts, but told them they had plenty of time and not to worry about all that. Their mum had told them that females weren't quite that patient. Now he could see his mum was right.

"Don't worry, Gary, we're just friends who are enjoying each other's company. My aunt won't let me date until I am at least thirteen," Susan said with a giggle. While she liked Gary, what she stated was true. Besides, the poor boy looked terrified.

The youngest Potter sighed with relief and enjoyed the rest of the ride. He and Susan did keep each other company the rest of the day, but made sure they interacted with all the kids. They didn't want anyone to think they were being left out.

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James looked at his sons and the girls accompanying them and smiled. 'Lily will get a kick out of this development,' he thought amused. And with that thought he turned his attention to the rest of his group, taking pictures and handing out money for food.

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The rest of the day was wonderful, no one got lost, no one used magic, though there were a few close calls, and everyone one had a great time. It was an exhausted, but excited group that went home that night.

"Do you think everyone had a good time," Lily asked as they were settling in one of the sitting rooms.

"I think they did," James answered, cuddling up to his wife and putting his feet on the coffee table, which were joined by hers, since both of their feet were achy. They had to do this again in a few weeks with the birthday boys and the Mutineers. "I saw the boys on dates today," he said with a chuckle, after a few minutes of comfortable silence.

"You didn't," Lily rebutted with a giggle. "Harry told me firmly that it was a 'non-date'. That he was too young. I agreed with him," she said, giggling again and leaning back against James' chest.

"Darn, I didn't win the bet. I was hoping they'd take after me and find their true love when they were young," he said, relaxing into the back of the couch, trying not to let his eyes close.

"Silly man, they're too young. Maybe next year they'll start thinking about dating, but even then it'll be mild. Like some blushing, a lot of handholding, and maybe a kiss on the cheek. Quit trying to push them," Lily said also trying to keep her eyes open.

James kissed the top of her head and nodded sleepily into her hair. "Yes dear, whatever you say."

The two sat in silence and soon fell in to a comfortable sleep.

Meanwhile the boys were thinking

Gary was pondering the day. Susan had been surprisingly good company. She had wanted to go on all the same rides he did. He didn't think that girls would do that, though he should have known she would after all the fun they had this past Christmas. Still, most of the girls they had taken to the park had stuck with the merry-go-round and other simple rides, but not Susan. No, she wanted to go on the rollercoaster and other thrilling rides. Maybe, girls weren't so bad after all. But did she have to keep holding his hand?

Harry was thinking as well. He had a good time with Daphne, she didn't want to go on all the rides, but that was okay. He enjoyed playing the games and taking in the shows. They pretty much kept their distance without leaving each other's company. But there was no handholding and except for the hug and quick peck on the cheek he got for the panda, they really didn't touch one another. So he didn't understand why he blushed the whole day.

Soon the two boys drifted off to sleep with Pandora's voice echoing in the air, giving them sweet dreams of future relationships.