Chapter 123: Relaxing day

Alt-Hermione and Alt-Ron were looking with a bit of worry at Harry through the window of a door leading to the balcony. Just half an hour ago their best friend had a private meeting with the current Minister for Magic, Alt-Rufus Scrimgeour. They didn’t know what was said and were in fact waiting for Harry to tell them but he had been nowhere to be found until now. Of all the places, the balcony of his room had not been very high on their list. It wasn’t Harry’s usual behavior to seclude himself in restricted open space like that. The fact that he was humming a song was the final nail on the coffin called ‘worry’. In all the years they had known him, he had never hummed once.

They exchanged a look and Alt-Ron opened the door, letting Alt-Hermione step outside first then following her.

“Harry?” she asked tentatively.

Harry turned around and gave her a curious look “Hm?”

“Are you alright, mate?”

“I am, why?”

“Well… you’re humming and like…”

“You never hummed before.” Alt-Hermione cut to the chase.

“Oh. I…  There wasn’t any reason for me to do so before.” Harry’s reply was punctuated by a smile. “I mean… I… Am free?” he blinked a bit as if wondering if those were the correct words to express how he felt. “Voldemort is going down and it’s just a matter of when not ifs, now. I’m not expected to fight him myself or alone and save Magical Britain on my own. There is… no real expectation on me anymore. No fear about the future, about who might die, who might live, what’s going to happen once Voldemort is defeated, what the people will think about me or what they will expect of me. The only thing there is… now? The sun is bright, there is a small breeze and the grass smells nice. I just feel… good. Great, even. Better than I did in years if ever. Does that make sense?”

Alt-Hermione and Alt-Ron shared a happy smile.

“It does, mate.”

“I’m very happy Rose talked to you. And even more that you didn’t just hear but listened.” she went to give him a rib crushing hug.

“Me too. She put things in perspective. It took some time to understand but… I’m good.”

“How about Scrimgeour?” Alt-Ron wondered. “What did you want with him anyway?”

“Take my life in my hands.” Harry smirked mysteriously. He quickly spoke when he saw mount Alt-Hermione was about to erupt. “Kingsley told me Scrimgeour wanted me to be the poster-child of his administration. Endorsing his actions against Voldemort.”

“Oh, Harry, you know what kind of-

“I had conditions, Hermione. I didn’t say yes. In fact I told him point blank that I didn’t like him because his methods were the same as fudge. Be seen doing something but not the correct thing. I did also tell him that I liked him more than Fudge because I do believe he is serious with dealing with Voldemort and the well being of Magical Britain. I’m ready to support him but not as a puppet and he asked what I wanted in return.”

“Expect a politician to know when a deal is happening.” Alt-Ron muttered to himself.

“What did you ask?”

“First, that once Voldemort has been dealt with, my involvement is not put forward above everyone else’s. That each will get fair recognition for their deeds. I don’t want to be put on a pedestal to be continuously put down then back up again. I want to be at the same level as everyone else.

Second, that he helps me pass a law against the liberal press. People are free to say what they want but they shouldn’t be free of the consequences of their words. I reminded him that for two years Magical Britain dragged my name to the mud and that now that I was proven right they expected me to forget it all and throw myself at Voldemort when I’m not even an adult yet.

Third, that very soon I will be Lord Potter and that I will present more equal laws as the currents one are the reason there are been two wizarding war already and that if we don’t change them there would be a third twenty years from now then a fourth forties years from now and so on and so on. I want him to help me pass them, of course I’m open to discussion about it.

Fourth, that my mother receives posthumously an Order of Merlin first Class for her defeat of Voldemort the first time. It was her that created the protective charm to defeat Voldemort in the first place at the cost of her life. I did nothing.

Fifth, that every single one of Voldemort’s followers or suspected followers would be interrogated the same way. Meaning the lords and ladies would not be able to deny the use of Veristaerum. Had it been used at the end of the first war many Death Eaters wouldn’t have gotten away with the imperious curse excuse. Of course just like Rick suggested I said it should be temporary and only during war time.”

“And?” Alt-Hermione asked for the rest.

“He agreed to them all. The third condition will be a bit complicated because he has his own beliefs about how to lead Magical Britain but he agrees that the current laws are what resulted in the situation we are in today. Honestly, I think this is fine.”

“That’s great, mate!” Grinned Alt-Ron. “I’m still surprised you worked a deal with any kind of authority though.”

“I had too. Had I not, people would have kept talking about me like I’m something special who serves them. I’m no house elf. I was treated like one by the Dursley and I say: no more. People will talk about me regardless but I will not let them step on me like I’m a doormat.”

Alt-Hermione finally exploded in joy. “About time! Seriously, Harry! You have the courage to go after a sixty foot long Basilisk, Voldemort five times and yet you always let people walk all over you!”

“Not always!” Harry defended himself. “But yes. Most of the time.”

“So what’s the plan? Regarding Voldemort?” Alt-Ron wondered.

“In one week, on the 30th there will be a raid on Malfoy Manor. Scrimgeour nearly shat bricks when he saw Dumbledore.”

“Seeing Bellatrix must have been worse.” Alt-Ron joked.

With a chuckle Harry answered; “You have no idea. It took him some time to be convinced they were all from an alternate reality. The use of a pensieve helped a lot. Anyway… Dumbledore showed Rick’s fight with Voldemort and explained the plan. One demonstration later and Scrimgeour was convinced. He’s still wary of Bella though.”

“So am I.” Alt-Ron said. “I mean… Not like I think she’s evil like our world’s Bellatrix but she is crazy and she could do almost anything. Like… If one day I get up and find myself hanging upside down, fully naked, Fred and George are not the only names I will have in mind at first for the one responsible.”

Alt-Hermione let out a small chuckle. “I know what you mean. She’s crazy, yes but I think… She’s more passionate than anything. To an extreme.”

“I’m staying there for a bit more, guys. You can stay if you want.” Harry said and turned around, leaning against the stone rail to enjoy the sun.

At the same time in another part of the manor two men were waking up. The previous night had been the full moon and both Remus and Alt-Remus had tested the rings that Lily had made. Remus let his alternate keep the first prototype and took the second one she had given him.

“Hmmm.” Alt-Remus opened his eyes and yawned. He got out of bed and stretched himself.

“Morning, me.” Remus greeted him.

“Morning.”

“It worked.”

“Hm?”

“We’re still clothed. Look.”

Alt-Remus looked down and saw he was still in his pajamas. Had he turned, the transformation would have shredded them to pieces.

“It worked!” He exclaimed happily. “And I feel great. Is it a result of the ring or the pills?”

“The ring. The pills make the transformation painless but the body still goes through something very straining. In the morning you feel heavy and a bit sore.”

“Merlin, Lily is truly a genius.”

“Don’t I know it.” Remus smiled knowingly. “Now lycanthropy is going to disappear over time. Although I’m pretty sure she will find a cure before that. Come on, let's share the news.”

They left their sealed room and went to have a late breakfast. They found Albus writing some notes on a parchment. Narcissa drinking tea and reading a book and James, Sirius and Bella nursing a massive hangover. Molly came in and distributed a cure for that. She told the two Remus to sit down, she’ll bring the breakfast leftover she had put aside for them.

““Morning everyone.”” They said a bit loudly and smirked when the three alcohol poisoned groaned in pain.

“Good morning to the two of you. Can I venture that Lily’s rings worked from your happy faces?” Albus inquired.

““Yes.””

“Not feeling on edge the past week had already been a blessing thanks to the pills but not turning? I could cast a patronus on the memory alone.” Alt-Remus replied and Remus nodded in agreement.

“Albus, what are you working on? I never saw you making notes before.” Remus wondered intrigued.

“I’m making a list of transfigurations for my history classes. To make it more interesting for the students.”

““Your history classes?””” Even Narcissa voiced her curiosity.

“Now that I’m only Hogwarts’ Headmaster and that I rediscovered that I like teaching, I thought it would do me some good to get back to it. Since DADA and transfiguration are in good hands with Bellatrix and Minerva I thought that teaching history instead of Cubert would please everyone.”

“No way… Old Binns gone?” Sirius muttered while drinking the awful hangover cured.

“Is he still in the castle or did he pass to the afterlife?” asked Narcissa.

“He passed. He stayed in our plane because there wasn’t any replacement for him. He just waited for one. He was really grateful to be relieved of his post.” Albus answered.

James gulped his remedy in one go and stopped himself from retching. “He was like… part of Hogwarts. How long has he been teaching?”

Albus shrugged. “I don’t know. My predecessors didn’t keep that information. All I know is that he was already teaching as a ghost when I started my schooling.”

“Damn!” Sirius exclaimed, massaging his temple.

“Is Bella dead or…” Remus wondered as she hadn’t moved an inch since he came in.

“What did you even do last night?” Alt-Remus wondered.

James and Sirius grinned in the way that anyone knew they created chaos and that they may have the muggle police or the aurors looking for them.

“We went to a pub to have a few pints in Dublin,” Sirius began.

“Then Sirius said he wanted to go to a strip club and Bella supported him.” James added and Alt-Remus already had his eyebrows almost up to his hairline. Remus, used to Bella's antics, just shook his head.

“That’s where everything begins to be a bit fuzzy.” Sirius said, scrunching his nose then he suddenly grinned. “I do remember a hell of a stripper. All tall and slim with good fat tits, a tight little ass, long black curly hair. It was like she was born with a dancing pole in hand.” Neither Narcissa nor Albus commented on the crude language, they knew better than to try reprimanding Sirius about it.

Remus turned to James who was doing his best to not laugh. “It was Bella?”

“Of course no-”

James interrupted Sirius. ”It was Bella.” He nodded and both men exploded in laughter.

“I think I’d remember by own cousin-”

“She kneed you in the balls when you grabbed her tits then once you were on your knees she kicked you to the side of the head and knocked you out. You woke up ten minutes later.” He didn’t know how he did it but James had told the events with a straight face.

“Huh. That explains why my left nut is sore.”

“Then?” Alt-Remus asked.

“The twins pranked some assholes biker. It started a fight.” James massaged his bruised jaw.

“Oh I remember that.” Sirius interjected. “I insulted them for being Feinian Bitches, no?”

“Yeah. And they took it personally.” James chuckled.

Sirius really tried, “I remember a police car? Vaguely.”

“Someone called the cops and they showed up. Bella knocked two officers out and stole one of the two cars. We all got in.”

“We were chased, no?”

“By the other police car. She entered an underground parking lot and we apparated away.”“I’m amazed that Bellatrix knows how to drive a car.” Alt-Remus was having some difficulty in computing that. Even he didn’t and he was a half-blood so a pureblood from a blood supremacist family like Bellatrix? It was almost like imagining a new color.

“Where are the twins and my husband?” Lily came inside the room and went to check on Bella, letting her fingers run through her curly locks of hair affectionately. She leaned down and kissed her wife’s head.

“The twins are probably crashed inside their room and Rick is…” James blinked and realized he didn’t know. “Sirius?”

The man shook his head. “I have no idea. I thought he would crash with Bella or with you, Lils.”

“He wasn’t with me, no.” she denied.

James and Sirius looked at each other and had a silent conversation.

“Are you telling me you lost my husband?”

“N-no!” Sirius quickly denied as Lily slowly retrieved her wand from its holster. “I’m sure he’s… Eh… Somewhere? Misplaced.”

“I don’t remember… him arriving back here with us.” James was frowning, clearly trying to remember.

“Here’s what is going to happen. You’re going to go out there, find my husband and bring him back to me or God help you, you’ll spend the next month as two little piglets.”

Wand pointed at them and sparking, the threat was real. Immediately they stood up and ran out of the room and the manor to apparate.

“Remus. I’m glad to see the rings-”

A loud crack followed by a yell was heard. Harry, Alt-Ron and Alt-Hermione came barreling in panic.

“Professor Potter fell from the roof!” the bushy haired witch shouted.

“““What?!”””

“Yeah and he got caught by the vines and he’s hanging above the-”

Harry was interrupted when through the window they all saw Rick passed from top to bottom and landed on the ground in a loud thud. Lily quickly opened the window to see her husband’s face against the grass and dirt. She feared for the worst until everyone heard him snore loudly.

They all felt the temperature in the room dropping. Remus conjured a thick wooden wall and dragged his Alternate behind it and signaled the trio to join him. They barely had the time for it when Lily exploded and began to shoot hexes after hexes to her husband who woke up and began to yell loudly in pain.

To the side, Narcissa kept drinking her tea and reading her book, Albus kept working on his notes with an amused chuckle and Bella whined out of fright in her sleep. She felt Lily’s fury and had some nasty flashbacks about it directed at her.