Tuesday, November 3, 1994 - Morning
Heavy cloud and rain spoke of the changing seasons. The Great Hall was nearly empty when Harry arrived for breakfast. At her place at the end of the Ravenclaw table, Luna smiled and waved to Harry as he approached.
“Good morning, Luna! At least I hope it is a good morning.” Harry returned Luna’s smile.
“Apollo spoke to me as soon I fell asleep. The Gods will be happy for you to release me from the vassalage. They know that I won’t desert you. You can do this for any of the vassals. If any of us try to turn against you, then Zeus will make the bond again. All you have to do is to write a message to me saying ‘Luna Lovegood, I release you from your vassalage to me from this time on.’ Then you sign and date the message and that is it. A page in our notebooks will be fine.” Luna laughed at Harry’s goofy expression.
The Potter notebooks came out. Harry filled in the release statement and signed it, filling in the date underneath his signature. The page appeared in Luna’s notebook. Luna gasped.
“Since the vassalages were announced, I had the feeling of something tied around my throat. It was odd. It felt good, but it was odd. There was nothing there. As soon as you signed the release that feeling faded away. The tightness around my throat must have been a sign of the vassalage, like a choker. I wonder if I will miss it. We shall see.” Luna had a faraway dreamy look.
Harry saw a way out of the vassalage disaster. If any of the others changed their minds, he could work with them until they got their House Potter rings, then he could release them. If that gave him alliances instead of slaves, he would be much happier.
As breakfast progressed an owl delivered a note from the headmaster requesting a meeting with him in the headmaster’s office.
“I shall see you at lunch, Luna. Thank you for everything, you are a life saver.”
“I don’t know about that, Harry. See you at lunch.” Luna hurried out to her classes.
The headmaster took Harry to a corridor past the Ravenclaw tower. The corridor ended at a portrait of a quidditch player in Hufflepuff colours, a beater as he carried a beater’s bat.
“This is Angus McLeod, Hufflepuff beater in the 1910’s.”
The headmaster gave the password.
“Catch-the-snitch.”
“Harry, my boy. Welcome to Merlin Tower, the home of the Potter School of Magic until the end of the tournament at least, and perhaps longer. This tower used to be the home of Merlin House, which was one of the houses Hogwarts brought to life when the Founders houses were full. You might want to take the name Merlin House into the Potter School of Magic, but that is up to you.”
The common room inside the entry corridor was similar to the Gryffindor common room with armchairs, study desks and settees. The colour themes were in pastel shades with light green, subdued reds, light brown and blues predominating. The tall windows looked out over the Forbidden Forest. They were on the opposite side of the castle to the Gryffindor Tower.
A corridor to the right led to a hall arranged for dining. It could seat more than 100 diners.
A doorway inside the dining room corridor led to stairs down to a lower level.
A doorway to the left of the entry was marked ‘Head of Merlin House’.
The dormitories were different with individual rooms for each student, each room having its own bathroom. The bedrooms were large with big four poster beds, a good-sized desk and storage space. There was accommodation for fifty-six girls and fifty-six boys.
“Headmaster, this is big enough for a whole Hogwarts house.” Harry was more than bit surprised.
“Yes Harry, Merlin House was just one of the extra houses Hogwarts could provide. You can move in as soon as you like. There is a Head of House office and living accommodation for a Head of House for your school. I would recommend appointing one as soon as you can. You will eventually need a headmaster as well. I would like to make a recommendation for the Head of House post, if you would like to hear it.”
“Yes! Certainly! Headmaster.”
“My recommendation is Miss Miriam Dawes, who is the Unspeakable who spoke at our meeting at the Ministry. She is expert at charms, runes, and warding and is more than capable of teaching DADA as well. If you like I will speak to her on your behalf and offer her employment terms at the same rates as the Hogwarts Heads of House. I must point out that the Department of Mysteries is more than a bit interested in everything that you are going through this year.”
“Who would pay her.” Harry suddenly realised that he didn’t know who owned this new school and who was going to pay the bills.
“You will, Harry.” Dumbledore smiled a small, sneaky smile. “Don’t worry about it though. As Head of House Potter, you have more than enough galleons to cover the expenses.”
“Nobody said anything to me about money.” Harry also caught up with the fact that he knew nothing of his own financial situation.
“Harry, you should send an owl to Sharphook and ask for a meeting to discuss your Gringotts vaults and accounts, of which you have more than one. You may leave the school at any time you like to attend to your businesses. After all, you are an adult, and the head of a Noble and Most Ancient House. You don’t need my permission for anything. We have to work together as collaborators, not as headmaster and student.”
Dumbledore turned and headed for the entrance. “Harry, you will need to have your own school house elves. Touch your Lord’s ring and call for your Potter family head elf. Just say ‘head elf’ with the intent of calling your head elf.”
Harry was not sure about this, but he did what the headmaster asked him to do. A female elf popped into the common room in front of Harry.
“Master Harry! My name is Polly. I am happy to be looking after everyone here in our school. The Potter elves have been waiting for you for many years. Now you can call us we are very happy.”
“Can you work with the Hogwarts elves?” Polly nodded.
“Polly, I want you to manage the Potter elves and help co-ordinate the elf work with the Hogwarts elves.” Harry wondered where that came from.
It was my Lord’s ring. Since I’ve been wearing it, I have started giving orders. It seems to work. Polly looked happy. I must be careful though; I don’t want to start ordering people around for fun.
Harry had missed the first class which was History of Magic. The second class for the day was transfiguration. The transfiguration class assembled in Professor McGonagall’s classroom. The houses in the class were fourth year Gryffindors and Ravenclaws. Harry sat on his own for the lecture.
“Pair off for the practical session.” Professor McGonagall called to the class.
Harry was left on his own.
“Miss Li, you will work with Mister Potter.” Professor McGonagall commanded.
“Pardon me, professor. I do not wish to work with him.” Su Li replied with sneer.
“Miss Li! I heard what happened at breakfast on Monday. Professor Flitwick was correct in what he instructed you to do. You will work with Mister Potter for this practical session.”
Su Li stared back at Professor McGonagall. “Professor McGonagall, I agree with what Hermione Granger said about him at the meeting on Sunday night. I will not work with him.”
“Very well Miss Li, that will be a week of detentions with me. I’m sorry Mister Potter, you can’t complete the practical without a partner. You can take the rest of the period as a spare. You will be given full marks for the practical.”
The afternoon crawled by, then at last 5pm came close. Harry and Luna found the narrow place behind Greenhouse 3. They waited.
“Potter! Are you alone?” Tracey Davis and Daphne Greengrass hurried up to them.
The Slytherins approached Harry and stopped. They suddenly seemed reluctant to be there.
“We are alone, ladies. What can I do for you?” Harry was puzzled by their reserve.
“Harry! We both have to apologize for our family’s behaviour towards you at that meeting at the Ministry.” Daphne Greengrass suddenly looked like she was going to cry.
“You might not have heard me in all that shouting. I was not happy with you, and I called you every foul name that I could think of.” Tracey Davis was crying.
“What has happened to make this change?” Harry couldn’t think of what had got into them.
“Both of us went home with our families that night. We slept in our own beds at home. We were so upset and angry that we didn’t want to go back to Hogwarts.”
Daphne sniffed and then continued.
“We were visited in our dreams by Athena and then Hecate! Athena told us that the Edicts were right. They came from the Gods of Olympus. Hecate threatened us, we were terrified. She told us to get ourselves straight back here, apologize to you and to do everything you told us to. If we have another visit from Hecate, we are going to go mad.”
Tracey took up the tale.
“Our parents had dreams, all the same. They were all visited by Apollo! He told them to instruct us to apologize and to get ourselves onto your team. My parents are both Unspeakables. They told me that we were all wrong and then sent me back to Hogwarts. They went to the Department of Mysteries and checked everything themselves. They messaged me to get a meeting with you, apologize and start doing what you told us to do.”
Daphne looked over her shoulder, she seemed to be checking for enemies.
“The Greengrass family are tough. We have tough enemies. We have fought against criminals and Death Eaters and won. That morning, my parents were both frightened. They ordered me, no backchat allowed, to get back here and make it up with you. We both have to join your school as soon as possible.”
Harry knew he had to get these two out of Slytherin tonight. They were both in danger from Malfoy and the junior death eaters.
“Do you have sisters or brothers in Slytherin?”
“I have a sister in second year.” Daphne replied.
“She will have to come out of Slytherin with you.”
Daphne looked relieved.
“Oh! Yes! I was frightened about leaving her there.”
“You will all have rooms in the Merlin Tower. That is where the Potter School of Magic is located, starting today. After supper tonight I will take you there and you can pick out your own rooms. You must bring your sister, Daphne. I will ask the house elves to move all your things for you. You must not go back to the Slytherin common room or dorms, ever.”
Harry turned to Luna.
“Luna, are you ready to move tonight?” Luna nodded.
“While we are on the subject of talking to the Gods of Olympus, Luna is a real Oracle of Apollo. She regularly talks to the Gods and reports what they say to me. These are direct orders. You will respect Luna. You will defend her person and reputation at all times. She may talk about nargles and wrackspurts, you will let her say what she wants to. She is talking about what the Gods have shown her. You are all to move into Merlin Tower tonight, no arguments.”
The Slytherins nodded.
“Let’s get out of here, we have been here too long.”
Damn! They are taking risks with even thirty seconds talking to me. My ring isn’t giving any alarms. I hope that means that they won’t hex me the instant my back is turned. Luna didn’t object either. What a mess.
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