Chapter 9

The fourth House, the Greengrasses, were still Headed by Cygnus Greengrass; the same person who was responsible for the marriage contract between he and Scion Greengrass, Daphne Greengrass, Heiress Presumptive to the Noble and Most Ancient House. That letter would take time to write as it required to be one combining both the re-establishment of the alliance between Potter and Greengrass, and re-establishing/introducing himself to the father of Daphne. The books he had procured were adamant in their instruction he not contact the girl directly until they had been formally introduced.

Speculation held that the Greengrasses were considered a grey and neutral House, so it behooved Harry to take care in contacting them. A neutral ground for the first meeting would be considered prudent. However, the betrothal contract made such a choice moot and indicated the meeting should occur at hispreferred location as the betrothed groom. However, as he did not currently have a place to call his own, he would give the Greengrasses the 'hometown advantage' and hoped, just as with the Boneses and Longbottoms, it showed he was giving them his trust.

Before, sending the letter to the Greengrasses, though, Harry intended to speak to both Mesdames Longbottom and Bones to get their views on how he should proceed. He felt asking for their advice, and probably acting upon it, would help cement the newly re-established alliances with those two Houses.

If he wasn't already old friends with his ongoing headache the politics of the situation would give him another.

In the mean time, he kept reading and learning as much as he could about the wizarding world.

At precisely 6.00pm on the 26th August, the fireplace flashed to light with green flames. Stumbling out to land on his butt was Harry Potter. He wore formal robes without crest of a dark, almost black green silk. His under-robe shirt was of an emerald green to match his eyes.

A young boy of similar age with sandy-coloured hair and wearing his own formal robes of deep red stepped forward with a grin and helped Harry back to his feet.

"Thank you," said Harry, with a sheepish grin of his own. "I'm not used to floo travel."

"It can take some getting used to," the sandy-haired lad replied before stepping back and, in a formal voice, saying, "I, Neville Francis Longbottom, Heir Longbottom, formally welcome you to Longbottom Hall and offer to you our hospitality this evening."

Harry, recognising the formal phrasing from his reading of the wizarding world etiquette, replied, "I, Harry James Potter, Heir Potter, thank you for and accept your welcome and offer of hospitality, Heir Longbottom." Reaching into his robes he brought forth a small gift-wrapped package and, offering it, said, "I offer you this gift as per the old ways."

Accepting the gift, Neville replied, "I accept and thank you for your gift, Heir Potter."

Letting go with a relieved sigh, Neville said with a grin, "Thank Merlin that's done with. You can call me Neville, by the way." And offered his hand.

Harry shook the boy's hand with a wide grin of his own and said, "Call me Harry, please."

Standing a little straighter again, Neville said, "I'm now to escort you to the Sitting Room where Gran - errr – Madam, Dowager Lady, Longbottom awaits us."

Giving a nod, Harry said, "Then by all means; please, lead us."

Neville led Harry into the Entrance Hall of the Hall, across and through another door. In there he was greeted by a witch appearing in her middle ages for a muggle but in her seventies for a witch. He formally greeted her before she gestured to a seat opposite a coffee table. He waited until she took seat before he sat down. Neville sat on the same side as his Gran but a little apart.

"Now that the formalities are out of the way," she began, "How have you been, Mister Potter?"

"It's just Harry, please, Ma'am," replied Harry. "After all, you're the grandmother of my godbrother, Neville. And I've been well."

Neville, a little startled, blurted, "Godbrother?"

"Neville!" Madam Longbottom scolded.

Neville looked a little abashed at the scolding.

"Yeah, Neville," said Harry, to quickly skip over the uncomfortableness of the situation. "Your mother is my godmother. And, from what I can gather, my mother was yourgodmother. As far as I can see, that makes us godbrothers; brothers in all but blood."

"He is correct, Neville," said Madam Longbottom. "Both your parents were close and became even closer when Dear Alice and Lily both fell pregnant at the same time." Turning back to Harry she said, "And I'm very sorry for your loss - Harry. I loved your parents as if they were my own children."

"Thank you, Ma'am," said Harry with a little sorrow. "I appreciate your sentiments."

Giving only a nod in response, and with a slight hesitation before continuing, Madam Longbottom then said, "And, as you are Neville's 'godbrother' as you put it, perhaps you might find it within yourself to refer to me as Neville does, as Gran."

A little startled, Harry was a little hesitant before replying, "Thank you - I think I'd like that - Gran." And gave a small smile.

"Good," she replied. "Now, perhaps you can tell us where you've been for the past ten years?"

With a small sigh, and not a little weariness, Harry decided to tell them both a rough abridged version of his life. He kept secrets, of course, but he gave them some detail. He just didn't know how much to tell them yet so decided to withhold some information.

Halfway through the telling of his biography a house elf popped in and reported dinner was ready. Harry continued his story after it was finished and they were once more sitting in the Sitting Room. Madam Longbottom was drinking a sherry while Neville and Harry were drinking butterbeers.

While he was reticent to do so, Harry felt it would be an overt sign of trust to show the letter from his father to the Dowager Lady. So, he offered it and allowed her to read it. He was surprised to hear the prim and proper witch muttering quite sulphurously about what she had read.

"It appears, Mister Potter," she said returning the letter, once she'd calmed down a bit, "that you should have been raised here at Longbottom Hall."

Surprised, Harry asked, "Pardon? I was led to believe Uncle Frank and Aunt Alice are - currently incapable of caring for me."

Realising what he'd said he apologised, "Sorry, that was rather - abrupt - of me."

With an expression of slight pain she said, "Not your fault, dear. But I think I should explain."

Harry gave a small nod and gesture for her to continue.

"You see, your parents and you were attacked on 31st October," she explained. "Frank and dear Alice were not attacked until almost a week later on 5th November."

Harry nodded in understanding.

"However," she went on, "according to what you've told me, you were placed with those muggle relatives of yours on the evening of 1st November by Albus Dumbledore. That was four days before Frank and Alice were attacked."

With comprehension dawning, Harry said, "That means I should have been here, at Longbottom Hall, instead of with the Dursleys, when Uncle Frank and Aunt Alice were attacked!"

"Yes, dear," she replied.

"Please forgive me for asking; but, could it have been that Uncle Frank and Aunt Alice rejected me because they, too, were at risk of being attacked? Maybe they thought I'd be safer if I wasn't with them?"

Shaking her head, she replied with a frown, "No, they'd have never done that. If, as this letter suggests, Frank and Dear Alice were listed as the first option for your care when - if - something untoward happened to your parents, then they would not have turned you away."

With a sigh Harry growled, "Dumbledore. He completely ignored my parents' wishes. That - man - I find more and more to blame for what happened to me under the oh so tender mercies of the Dursleys. What I cannot figure out is why he did it."

"That, I cannot tell you," she replied.

Straightening himself up a bit Harry said, "Anyway, that's something I intend to ask him directly when I finally meet him. In the meantime, I wonder if you can offer any advice about how to deal with the Greengrasses and the betrothal contract between myself and Lady Daphne."

After a short discussion on how to handle the situation, she offered Longbottom Hall as a neutral venue. However, he declined the offer but accepted her advice. Her advice, thankfully, matched his already recently established views.

At the end of the night Harry was pleased he had met one of his father's requests, to re-establish the alliance with House Longbottom. And he had answers to some of the questions of which he'd been plagued over the past month. He also agreed to meet up with Neville on the train to Hogwarts the next Sunday morning.

"I will, of course, probably be sitting with Lady Daphne, at least," said Harry. "She is, after all, my betrothed. I hope this will not be of concern to you?"

"Nope," said Neville. "I've met Daphne. I like her. She'll also probably want to be with her friend Tracy. And, I have no problem with her, either."

.

.

.

Subscribe to me Patreon for more advanced content...

Read the complete novel in PDF, available at my Patreon Store!

patreon.com/Nesto_