22 chapter 21:New Year

"Madam Longbottom, welcome to The Pottery." Harry said with a bow.

"Lord Potter, it is an honor to be here." Augusta Longbottom replied equally formally as her grandson emerged from the Floo behind her.

"Hi, Nev." Harry grinned and Madam Longbottom winced slightly as Neville replied.

"Hey, Harry. Nice place. Big windows."

"Thanks." Harry laughed. "So, for the rest of today and tonight I'll be your host. Hermione and her parents phoned to say that they've just set out so they'll be a couple of… what?"

"Phoned?" Augusta repeated the unfamiliar word carefully. "What does that mean?"

Harry paused for a moment as he thought about how to put it in terms she would understand.

"Ummm, think of it as a two-way audio scrying spell and you're most of the way there. It… uses a mechanism called a telephone, or you can shorten it to just phone, to direct the spell via a ritual which consists of pressing between six and eleven numbers in a specific order depending on who you wish to talk to."

"Sounds complicated." Augusta sniffed. "But you said it's a muggle thing, so how does it work in a magical environment?"

"It's in a special room I had installed," Harry explained. "Along with a lot of other muggle things and… you know, I think that since Hermione's going to take a couple of hours to arrive, I really should show you something. If you want to hang up your coats first?"

Harry waited for the Longbottoms to hang their jackets on the wall-hooks, then he led them through the main area of the house to a small room. Pulling out his wand, he placed it in one of the twenty small display cases on the wall, tapping the glass door as it closed to make it flash blue.

"The boxes will only open to your magical signatures." He stated as Neville followed his example and Augusta gave him a suspicious look. "The room beyond is designed to drain the ambient magic inside it and expel it into the rest of the mansion. You probably don't want to risk your wand in there."

Augusta finally pulled out her wand and placed it in one of the glass cases, closing and opening it several times to check it wasn't a trick.

"If you'll come through, I'll show you something from the Muggle world you may find interesting." Harry said as he opened the second door. "It's a tale about King Arthur and his court magician Merlin…"

"Sounds… acceptable." Madam Longbottom allowed as she swept through the door.

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Augusta Longbottom was still in shock as Harry finished rewinding the tape and returned it to the box.

"That was incredible!" Neville laughed as he leaned back in his seat. "And each box that you have is a different Muggle story? That's… that's more tales than we Wizards have!"

"…Muggles thought that we packed like that?" Augusta finally managed. "And… and…"

"It's a tale based on the Legend of King Arthur." Harry explained as he returned the video to the shelf. "You'd be amazed how much the Muggles know about magic, even if they think it doesn't really exist."

Augusta shook her head. "And all of that was contained in that little box?"

"Yep, but opening it up shatters the spell." Harry said, stretching the truth a bit in the interests of not having his burgeoning film collection destroyed by accident. "There are quite a few stories, some set on other worlds or in different times, some animated like the one you just watched while others are more like the moving pictures in the Prophet, but with sound and proper colors…"

"I shall have to see about having one of these rooms installed in Longbottom Manor… and learn how to use this… equipment." Augusta mused as she rose from her chair to follow her grandson. "It has been a long time since I saw something truly new… I… quite enjoyed it."

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.

"And left here." Hermione said firmly.

"Are you sure?" Ronald asked as he hit the indicator. "It doesn't really look like much of a road. More of an overgrown farm track… if that."

Hermione leaned forwards and placed her hands on her parents shoulders.

"Ah, it looks better now… just like how that pub appears in London when you hold our hands!" Ronald exclaimed. "So, here we go."

The car bumped slightly over the first portion of the driveway, then the road smoothed into a lane of irregular slabs perfectly fitted together leading up to a building unlike anything they had seen before.

"Is… is that a tower made of glass?" Joan asked as she stared at the building they were approaching.

"It looks like…" Hermione agreed, then her eyes moved down. "Um, it seems that the bottom few feet is stone and there are solid walls inside… but what a place to live in!"

"The curtains must have cost a fortune." Ronald joked as he pulled up outside the front door. As they came to a stop, Harry and Neville stepped out and Hermione quickly undid her seat-belt.

"Harry! Neville!" She called as she scrambled out of the car and both boys laughed as she caught them in a hug. "What a place!"

"I know." Harry smiled. "The builders that Gringotts hired for me did a wonderful job."

"I thought Gringotts was just a bank." Joan commented as she got out of the car and Harry shook his head.

"They are, but they're more than that." He explained. "They also act in other areas as well. For example, they have an entire department of Cursebreakers who are trained to locate and liberate buried treasure such as the tombs of the ancient Egyptian Mage-priests. They also have a Healer department, which is kind of necessary given the things the Cursebreakers face and which I used before starting Hogwarts, although it did cost quite a bit. Anything they don't have themselves, they can hire and for a fee, they will act as intermediaries."

"Huh." Ronald managed as he closed the drivers-side door and moved to the boot. "I didn't know that."

"It's something that you need to be able to pay for." Harry shrugged. "If you take out a loan with Gringotts, they don't mention the other services as you obviously cannot afford them. It's similar to you not having a Vault, they can't check how much you have and so they don't offer."

"Harry, was this place always so…?" Hermione paused, unable to phrase what she wanted to ask and Harry laughed as she finally released them from the hug.

"No, it used to be a classic stone tower with fairly small windows. I like the feel of the sun on my skin, so when they showed me the plans, I had some changes made. I heard that they sourced the glass from the Muggle world as making it by magic would have been far more expensive… and almost impossible to create without bubbles or changes in thickness. Wizards really don't get the idea of producing things mechanically."

Hermione looked up at the five-storey glass tower, then the wings that extended outwards. The glass shone brightly, but certain panes were frosted instead of clear.

"Are those the bathrooms?" She asked, pointing to the nearest frosted pane and Harry nodded.

"Yep. Oh, hey. Let me help with the luggage and once we get it to the guest rooms, I can show you around."

Ronald's eyebrows shot up in astonishment as Harry effortlessly lifted the heavy suitcase he had been struggling with.

"He does that." Hermione sighed as she saw her father's shock. "Some sort of not-accidental accidental magic… or something."

"Sure, let's go with that." Harry chuckled as he led the group into his house where Neville and Augusta Longbottom were waiting.

"Mister and Mrs. Granger, may I introduce you to the Dowager Duchess and Regent of Longbottom House, Augusta Longbottom. Madam Longbottom, may I introduce you to Doctors Ronald and Joan Granger, parents of Hermione Granger."

"It is an honor to meet the parents of my grandson's friend." Augusta said regally as she took Ronald's proffered hand and shook it.

"The honor is ours." Ronald replied as Augusta shook hands with Joan in turn.

"Nev, if you and your gran would go to the library, I'll show the Grangers where their rooms are and then we'll join you."

"Library?" Hermione asked, almost teleporting to Harry. "You have a library?"

Harry ignored Neville's sniggering as he carefully extracted himself from Hermione's excited grip. "Come on. Let's get you settled in."

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"Wow!" Hermione breathed as Harry led her and her parents into the library that took up the outer half of the left wing. Her eyes took in the large numbers of bookcases, shelves which were less than half-full.

"Why so few books?" She asked almost mournfully, causing her mother to raise her hand to muffle her chuckle.

"I had the library expanded slightly... I decided I didn't need the second dining hall." Harry explained as he walked to the middle, where sectional sofas surrounded a dropped section. Neville waved as Harry stepped down and sat on the sofa on one of the shorter sides.

"So, welcome to the library of The Pottery." Harry joked as Hermione craned her neck to take in the various sections. "Don't try to get to the inner upstairs section, it's warded so only members of the Potter family can access it."

"So… you for now." Neville stated.

"Yep, me… for now." Harry agreed solemnly.

Hermione looked at the area in question and her eyes picked out the rune-engraved pillars flanking where the walkways and stairs met the platform that Harry had warned them about.

"What's up there?" She asked before she could stop herself and Harry gave a bittersweet smile.

"The journals of my family and ancestors." He sighed. "The personal diaries and grimoires of generations of Potters. Their thoughts, discoveries and beliefs. Even a few parchments by the founder, Linfred the Potterer."

Hermione stared at him. "I've read about him! He was a potioneer in the twelfth century!"

"And his son took the surname Potter to remember him by." Harry confirmed.

Hermione gave the platform another longing look, causing everyone who knew her to stifle their laughter before she could take offense.

"So, I've managed to procure a large amount of finger-food and snacks to see us through the evening, thanks to Tom at the Leaky Cauldron, Aberforth at the Hog's Head and Madam Rosmerta at the Three Broomsticks plus a visit to the local Tesco… that's a large Muggle food shop, Nev." Harry commented. "I've set up the food in the dining room, we just need to open the boxes to break the stasis charms on their contents, meaning the hot stuff will still be hot and the cold stuff will still be cold."

"Sounds useful." Ronald mused.

"Yeah, but the charms only last a few days." Harry shrugged. "I do have stasis cupboards, but they're reliant on runic arrays which need to be carefully carved, inlaid with metal and then charged."

"Still useful." Ronald shrugged. "Sounds like a better version of our refrigerators."

"What's a… refrigerator?" Neville asked.

.

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"Aberforth."

"Albus." The Barkeep of the Hog's Head growled. "Shouldn't you be presiding over those brats?"

"Minerva is looking after them until I return." Albus sighed as he placed a package on the bar. "I wish you a happy new year… brother."

Aberforth watched Albus leave, then opened the package that Albus had left for him. A dusty bottle lay inside and he slowly picked it up.

"…a good vintage." He finally allowed, looking at the bottle of Firewhiskey as it reflected the lamplight, then he placed it on one of the shelves behind him.

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The radio announcer went quiet as the chimes of Big Ben began.

"Happy new year!" Joan, Ronald and Hermione chorused as the final chime sounded, a statement followed seconds later by Harry and Neville while Augusta simply smiled and raised her glass in salute.

"Nineteen-ninety-two." Harry laughed. "This will be my first full year as a homeowner in my own right."

"And quite a home it is too." Augusta allowed. "I will have to see about getting a conservatory added myself. The large double-layered panes of glass trap the heat quite efficiently, it will allow some of the magic used for heating to be diverted to other, better uses."

"Gringotts knows which company to contact." Harry offered and Augusta nodded in gratitude, then Hermione yawned, despite her best attempts. "Aaaaaaand now we've made it to the new year, it may be time to start winding down."

Neville failed to prevent himself from yawning too and Augusta finished her drink.

"Indeed. I am starting to feel a bit fatigued myself, so I am afraid that I will have to depart soon. Neville, the choice is yours."

"I do have a spare bedroom if you want." Harry offered and Neville smiled.

"Please."