Property plans
darthcourt10
Well worn.
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Harry Leferts
Outside, night had fallen over Spessart. But inside the sitting room of the Fortified House that belonged to the Potters, Harry had barely noticed. At the moment, he was too busy examining his surroundings as a flames crackled in the fireplace. Here and there were touches that lent a homeliness to the room. The furniture, though old fashioned, was comfortable to sit in while on the mantle a beautifully carved clock ticked. It was the sort of room that a person would like to sit in and read a book while soaking in the atmosphere.
A small chuckle though brought Harry back to the present and he turned to where Marie, Johann, and Bartholomew were. The two living members of the trio were sitting in their own seats while the ghost floated around with a bemused look. "It is a rather nice room, is it not?"
Blushing some, Harry nodded with a sheepish grin. "Yeah, it really is. I like it a lot actually."
Simply tilting her head, Marie smiled as she looked around. "Ja, it is a nice room. It was a good thing that it was untouched when Grindlewald's men left." Turning back to Harry, she hummed a bit. "But I think that is not what you wish to speak to us about, is it Junger Herr?"
With a sigh, Harry frowned a little bit, but did nod. "Well, yes, that is not what I asked for you to meet with me here about. It's about the future of the property and since it is your home too, I wanted some input."
There was a small stiffening to the three, but they did not show their inner thoughts. All Johann did though was pull out his pipe and place it between his lips. "Ah, I see. And what are your thoughts on the matter?"
Giving him a look, Harry frowned deeper. "I'm not going to get rid of the property if that is what you think. It's part of my heritage and I will never let it go if I have the choice."
Relaxing, the three nodded at that while Marie glanced at her brother. "That is good to hear, Junger Herr. Very good to hear as is the fact that you wish to include us." At Harry's surprised look at the last bit, she smiled. "It speaks well of you that you are willing to take advice."
Johann hummed at that and gave a small smile. "Ja, meine Schwester is correct in this. Though it does beg the question of what you want to do."
Thoughtful, Harry looked out the window towards the darkened grounds. "I've been giving it a lot of thought. While I love it here, I'll be spending most of my time either in my home in Japan, or in Britain. One day though, I can see one of my family settling here, if I don't spend some of my older days here."
Much to his confusion, none of the three looked surprised with that. Marie gave a small chuckle at the look on his face. "Ah, we understood that as soon as you arrived, Junger Herr. That you were very unlikely to stay here or come back that often, your home is elsewhere. But that you speak of your future kin living here! That, we do look forward to." She then gestured around them. "But this place, it will always be open to you."
Brightly smiling, Harry bowed a little to them. "Danke." If anything, him speaking to them in German made them smile all the more. His expression then shifted to a more serious one. "Now, we did tell you about the war and how the Statute is falling apart and will do so soon. And... what I have been thinking has to do with that."
Eyebrow raised, Bartholomew frowned. "Yes, this was is a rather nasty thing to go along. But... If I may ask, how does that involve us?" Then he blushed a bit and coughed. "Not that we would not help out if we could, mind you."
Chuckling, the black haired boy shook his head. "Well, it has to do with exactly that, helping." At their curious looks, Harry then continued. "Um, from personal experience the fighting is really, really stressful. Even for shipgirls. Which means that they need some place to unwind and such. To just relax and allow for it to, well, wash away."
Already understanding where this was going, Marie smiled a bit. "And you wish to have them come here? To use this place to relax so that when they fight next, they will do so with vigor?"
Slowly, Harry nodded. "Pretty much? I mean, shipgirls go places to relax anyways after all. But with how well known they are? It can be hard for them to unwind without someone bothering them. And here, they don't need to worry, they can just relax in peace. Especially for some of the German shipgirls."
With a thoughtful look, Johann hummed some. Head tilting to the side, he considered Harry for a few moments. "And so you wish to know our thoughts on the matter then? About whether we would have issue with them coming here and staying for a time?" At the black haired wizard's nod, he gave a small smile. "I do not think that it would be as much a problem as you think. Nein, I believe that we would instead enjoy it."
The others nodded in agreement which made Harry give them a relieved look. "So you wouldn't mind me allowing for that to happen? To let them stay here for a time?"
Bemused, Marie shook her head with a chuckle. "I believe that is what mein Bruder just said, Junger Herr." On her face was a far off look she continued. "I think... I think that your ancestors would be pleased with such. To help out in what way we can in a case such as this."
Looking down, Harry had a sad smile on his face. "Yeah... that's what I want to do, you know? To do things that would make my family proud."
A hand on his shoulder caused him to look up and find Marie's kind eyes looking into his own. "And trust me, Junger Herr, Harry. From the short time that we have known you, I can tell such things. Your family, both sides, would be proud of you. Do not doubt that."
Moments later, she felt Harry wrap his arms around her. "Danke..."
For a second, she froze before she placed her own arms around him and hugged him back as memories went through her head of similar actions done many times over the centuries. Many young Potters had needed some comfort in the same way that she was now giving after all. And, she suspected, there would be many more in the years, decades, and centuries to come. Patting him on the back, Marie smiled. "You are very welcome, Junger Herr."
Once he pulled away and wiped at his eyes, Harry returned the smiles that were being given him. "Still, thanks to you I've learned a lot more about my family then I did before. Reading it from a book is not the same as hearing about it from someone who knows."
Briefly, there was a frown on Johann's face at that before he smiled again. "Nein, I would think not. Still, for what time you are here for we will tell you all that you wish to know. It is the least that we can do."
Frowning, Harry glanced around before furrowing his eyebrows in thought. Eventually, he turned back to them. "Um, you know... I might be able to manage an owl box here."
That caused all three servants to blink before Bartholomew answered the question on their minds. "An owl box? And what is that now?"
Lips twitching, Harry explained it and their eyes got a bit wider. When he was done, Marie turned to her brother and nodded. "That would be... very useful actually. Very useful indeed..."
________________________________________________________________________
Flipping the sign in their store window to close, Abeona sighed some as she smiled. 'Another day, another order. Not bad business lately.' Making her way to the back workroom, she smiled as she considered their changed fortunes. Not even two years ago, her sister and herself had been wondering how they could continue to run their shop. While they made some money from their Owl Boxes and repairing Vanishing Cabinets, it was only enough to just keep them afloat. Something that made her sigh as she remembered how it was back in their grandfather's day.
Back then, their shop sold all sorts of ways of magical travel. Their grandfather actually being one of the major importers of flying carpets from the Middle East. Same with their father as well until the sale of such was banned in Britain recently, which meant a drop in what they made. It was something that Abeona and her twin were still rather annoyed at. But they blamed the broom manufacturers for it.
They were not fools in regards to who was ultimately responsible for that fiasco, and it was not the Ministry workers involved.
Other then their Owl Boxes, they made some money working on enchanting various vehicles and the like. Cars were especially popular, though every once in a while you had some muggleborn want a charm on their bike to prevent the chain from slipping off, or to prevent the wheels from going flat. Not that often though for any of that and the families of the Death Eaters they stayed away from. It galled them that their father was murdered by them and his murderers got off free.
Due to that, their business slowly decreased over time. And they had feared that the shop passed down to them would need to be sold. Rent was not cheap in the area of Diagon after all! However, their fortunes changed the year before when Harry Potter wandered into their shop with a number of others. He had bought an Owl Box from them which would have cost them to keep. More then that though, his adoptive mother had then placed an order for three pairs of Vanishing Cabinets with the longest range possible for them.
Just that alone meant that they were no longer in the red for at least four years.
And then what happened just an hour before meant that she was smiling all the more as she walked into the back room where her sister was supervising her daughter. "And how has Rihannon been doing, Adiona? Hopefully well?"
With a glance at her sister, Adiona smiled a bit. "She has actually been doing very well. Extremely so as a matter of fact." Simply nodding at the bicycle there, the woman gave her niece a nod. "She's managed to complete all the enchanting in record time."
Blushing, Rihannon pushed some hair behind her ear. "Thanks, Auntie."
Even as her sister ruffled her daughter's hair, Abeona smiled. "Good to hear, then again she did get high marks on the NEWTs! All Os on her Charms and Enchanting as well! So it is to be expected."
Amused as her niece blushed even more, Adiona turned to her sister who sat down and began to pour some of the Builder's Tea they had around. "And what about you? You certainly do seem rather happy about something."
Unable to help herself, Abeona grinned. "Oh, certainly something at that! You would not believe who just came in with an order." At their confused looks, she grinned even wider. "Percy Weasley."
Furrowing her eyebrows, Adiona frowned a bit. "Arthur Weasley's son? He came in and placed an order?" At the nod, she grimaced a bit. "I see..."
Only sighing, Abeona shook her head. "Oh, relax. We've talked about this before. Arthur may have been one of those pushing for the ban, but he had his reasons. Both of us know that if he had not, then he likely would not have gotten support for the rest of the bill he pushed through because it had protections for Muggles in it as the Broom makers would not have bribed enough officials otherwise to allow it. Yes, I don't like it the same as you. But I will not hold that against the man's family."
Slowly, her twin nodded with a sigh. "Yes, I suppose so. It is still vexing though that he even had to do that!" Then she poured herself a cup of the tea and grumbled. "Still, an order is an order."
Rihannon turned on her stool and looked over at her mother. She never knew who her father was, her mother never told her. Just the same though, Rihannon was pleased to see how happy her mother had been over the past two years. Where before, Rihannon had been considering looking elsewhere for work, the orders given to her mother and aunt meant that she had plenty of work in the family shop. And even now, she was doing quite a bit of work alongside them and learning as she went. "What sort of order?"
Looking up, Abeona blinked for a moment before smiling. "He wanted one of the long range Vanishing Cabinets and mentioned he might want a second pair. In the meantime though, he asked if we had two pairs of long range Owl Boxes. I told him that if he gives us two months, we can finish some off."
Eyebrows raising, Adiona boggled at her for a moment. "That's... but then... how? Doesn't he understand the cost? Arthur is better off now then he was a few years back, yes, but not that well off."
For a moment, Rihannon chewed her lip. "You don't think that he may be up to no good, do you? Something illegal?" At the looks, she shrugged. "Money like that does not just come out of nowhere after all."
Humming as she sipped her tea, Abeona nodded. "Yes, I suppose that it is odd. But! I have my suspicions as to who is the real reason."
It took a few seconds, but Rihannon remembered what she had been told. "Wait, you think that more shipgirls want to buy them? But... why? What possible use could they be? And even then, it will be at least a year if he goes for both."
Just chuckling, Abeona smirked. "I know. However, the shipgirls are magical and it is not our place to ask them why they want them. There is no reason to do so after all, and they are within their right. Let the Ministry deal with it, I say. If they would even bother in the first place.
With a shake of her head as her neice stared, Adiona began walking over to some sheets of parchment. "Well, we should at least get started then. We'll be burning the midnight oil soon enough..."
Outside, night had fallen over Spessart. But inside the sitting room of the Fortified House that belonged to the Potters, Harry had barely noticed. At the moment, he was too busy examining his surroundings as a flames crackled in the fireplace. Here and there were touches that lent a homeliness to the room. The furniture, though old fashioned, was comfortable to sit in while on the mantle a beautifully carved clock ticked. It was the sort of room that a person would like to sit in and read a book while soaking in the atmosphere.
A small chuckle though brought Harry back to the present and he turned to where Marie, Johann, and Bartholomew were. The two living members of the trio were sitting in their own seats while the ghost floated around with a bemused look. "It is a rather nice room, is it not?"
Blushing some, Harry nodded with a sheepish grin. "Yeah, it really is. I like it a lot actually."
Simply tilting her head, Marie smiled as she looked around. "Ja, it is a nice room. It was a good thing that it was untouched when Grindlewald's men left." Turning back to Harry, she hummed a bit. "But I think that is not what you wish to speak to us about, is it Junger Herr?"
With a sigh, Harry frowned a little bit, but did nod. "Well, yes, that is not what I asked for you to meet with me here about. It's about the future of the property and since it is your home too, I wanted some input."
There was a small stiffening to the three, but they did not show their inner thoughts. All Johann did though was pull out his pipe and place it between his lips. "Ah, I see. And what are your thoughts on the matter?"
Giving him a look, Harry frowned deeper. "I'm not going to get rid of the property if that is what you think. It's part of my heritage and I will never let it go if I have the choice."
Relaxing, the three nodded at that while Marie glanced at her brother. "That is good to hear, Junger Herr. Very good to hear as is the fact that you wish to include us." At Harry's surprised look at the last bit, she smiled. "It speaks well of you that you are willing to take advice."
Johann hummed at that and gave a small smile. "Ja, meine Schwester is correct in this. Though it does beg the question of what you want to do."
Thoughtful, Harry looked out the window towards the darkened grounds. "I've been giving it a lot of thought. While I love it here, I'll be spending most of my time either in my home in Japan, or in Britain. One day though, I can see one of my family settling here, if I don't spend some of my older days here."
Much to his confusion, none of the three looked surprised with that. Marie gave a small chuckle at the look on his face. "Ah, we understood that as soon as you arrived, Junger Herr. That you were very unlikely to stay here or come back that often, your home is elsewhere. But that you speak of your future kin living here! That, we do look forward to." She then gestured around them. "But this place, it will always be open to you."
Brightly smiling, Harry bowed a little to them. "Danke." If anything, him speaking to them in German made them smile all the more. His expression then shifted to a more serious one. "Now, we did tell you about the war and how the Statute is falling apart and will do so soon. And... what I have been thinking has to do with that."
Eyebrow raised, Bartholomew frowned. "Yes, this was is a rather nasty thing to go along. But... If I may ask, how does that involve us?" Then he blushed a bit and coughed. "Not that we would not help out if we could, mind you."
Chuckling, the black haired boy shook his head. "Well, it has to do with exactly that, helping." At their curious looks, Harry then continued. "Um, from personal experience the fighting is really, really stressful. Even for shipgirls. Which means that they need some place to unwind and such. To just relax and allow for it to, well, wash away."
Already understanding where this was going, Marie smiled a bit. "And you wish to have them come here? To use this place to relax so that when they fight next, they will do so with vigor?"
Slowly, Harry nodded. "Pretty much? I mean, shipgirls go places to relax anyways after all. But with how well known they are? It can be hard for them to unwind without someone bothering them. And here, they don't need to worry, they can just relax in peace. Especially for some of the German shipgirls."
With a thoughtful look, Johann hummed some. Head tilting to the side, he considered Harry for a few moments. "And so you wish to know our thoughts on the matter then? About whether we would have issue with them coming here and staying for a time?" At the black haired wizard's nod, he gave a small smile. "I do not think that it would be as much a problem as you think. Nein, I believe that we would instead enjoy it."
The others nodded in agreement which made Harry give them a relieved look. "So you wouldn't mind me allowing for that to happen? To let them stay here for a time?"
Bemused, Marie shook her head with a chuckle. "I believe that is what mein Bruder just said, Junger Herr." On her face was a far off look she continued. "I think... I think that your ancestors would be pleased with such. To help out in what way we can in a case such as this."
Looking down, Harry had a sad smile on his face. "Yeah... that's what I want to do, you know? To do things that would make my family proud."
A hand on his shoulder caused him to look up and find Marie's kind eyes looking into his own. "And trust me, Junger Herr, Harry. From the short time that we have known you, I can tell such things. Your family, both sides, would be proud of you. Do not doubt that."
Moments later, she felt Harry wrap his arms around her. "Danke..."
For a second, she froze before she placed her own arms around him and hugged him back as memories went through her head of similar actions done many times over the centuries. Many young Potters had needed some comfort in the same way that she was now giving after all. And, she suspected, there would be many more in the years, decades, and centuries to come. Patting him on the back, Marie smiled. "You are very welcome, Junger Herr."
Once he pulled away and wiped at his eyes, Harry returned the smiles that were being given him. "Still, thanks to you I've learned a lot more about my family then I did before. Reading it from a book is not the same as hearing about it from someone who knows."
Briefly, there was a frown on Johann's face at that before he smiled again. "Nein, I would think not. Still, for what time you are here for we will tell you all that you wish to know. It is the least that we can do."
Frowning, Harry glanced around before furrowing his eyebrows in thought. Eventually, he turned back to them. "Um, you know... I might be able to manage an owl box here."
That caused all three servants to blink before Bartholomew answered the question on their minds. "An owl box? And what is that now?"
Lips twitching, Harry explained it and their eyes got a bit wider. When he was done, Marie turned to her brother and nodded. "That would be... very useful actually. Very useful indeed..."
________________________________________________________________________
Flipping the sign in their store window to close, Abeona sighed some as she smiled. 'Another day, another order. Not bad business lately.' Making her way to the back workroom, she smiled as she considered their changed fortunes. Not even two years ago, her sister and herself had been wondering how they could continue to run their shop. While they made some money from their Owl Boxes and repairing Vanishing Cabinets, it was only enough to just keep them afloat. Something that made her sigh as she remembered how it was back in their grandfather's day.
Back then, their shop sold all sorts of ways of magical travel. Their grandfather actually being one of the major importers of flying carpets from the Middle East. Same with their father as well until the sale of such was banned in Britain recently, which meant a drop in what they made. It was something that Abeona and her twin were still rather annoyed at. But they blamed the broom manufacturers for it.
They were not fools in regards to who was ultimately responsible for that fiasco, and it was not the Ministry workers involved.
Other then their Owl Boxes, they made some money working on enchanting various vehicles and the like. Cars were especially popular, though every once in a while you had some muggleborn want a charm on their bike to prevent the chain from slipping off, or to prevent the wheels from going flat. Not that often though for any of that and the families of the Death Eaters they stayed away from. It galled them that their father was murdered by them and his murderers got off free.
Due to that, their business slowly decreased over time. And they had feared that the shop passed down to them would need to be sold. Rent was not cheap in the area of Diagon after all! However, their fortunes changed the year before when Harry Potter wandered into their shop with a number of others. He had bought an Owl Box from them which would have cost them to keep. More then that though, his adoptive mother had then placed an order for three pairs of Vanishing Cabinets with the longest range possible for them.
Just that alone meant that they were no longer in the red for at least four years.
And then what happened just an hour before meant that she was smiling all the more as she walked into the back room where her sister was supervising her daughter. "And how has Rihannon been doing, Adiona? Hopefully well?"
With a glance at her sister, Adiona smiled a bit. "She has actually been doing very well. Extremely so as a matter of fact." Simply nodding at the bicycle there, the woman gave her niece a nod. "She's managed to complete all the enchanting in record time."
Blushing, Rihannon pushed some hair behind her ear. "Thanks, Auntie."
Even as her sister ruffled her daughter's hair, Abeona smiled. "Good to hear, then again she did get high marks on the NEWTs! All Os on her Charms and Enchanting as well! So it is to be expected."
Amused as her niece blushed even more, Adiona turned to her sister who sat down and began to pour some of the Builder's Tea they had around. "And what about you? You certainly do seem rather happy about something."
Unable to help herself, Abeona grinned. "Oh, certainly something at that! You would not believe who just came in with an order." At their confused looks, she grinned even wider. "Percy Weasley."
Furrowing her eyebrows, Adiona frowned a bit. "Arthur Weasley's son? He came in and placed an order?" At the nod, she grimaced a bit. "I see..."
Only sighing, Abeona shook her head. "Oh, relax. We've talked about this before. Arthur may have been one of those pushing for the ban, but he had his reasons. Both of us know that if he had not, then he likely would not have gotten support for the rest of the bill he pushed through because it had protections for Muggles in it as the Broom makers would not have bribed enough officials otherwise to allow it. Yes, I don't like it the same as you. But I will not hold that against the man's family."
Slowly, her twin nodded with a sigh. "Yes, I suppose so. It is still vexing though that he even had to do that!" Then she poured herself a cup of the tea and grumbled. "Still, an order is an order."
Rihannon turned on her stool and looked over at her mother. She never knew who her father was, her mother never told her. Just the same though, Rihannon was pleased to see how happy her mother had been over the past two years. Where before, Rihannon had been considering looking elsewhere for work, the orders given to her mother and aunt meant that she had plenty of work in the family shop. And even now, she was doing quite a bit of work alongside them and learning as she went. "What sort of order?"
Looking up, Abeona blinked for a moment before smiling. "He wanted one of the long range Vanishing Cabinets and mentioned he might want a second pair. In the meantime though, he asked if we had two pairs of long range Owl Boxes. I told him that if he gives us two months, we can finish some off."
Eyebrows raising, Adiona boggled at her for a moment. "That's... but then... how? Doesn't he understand the cost? Arthur is better off now then he was a few years back, yes, but not that well off."
For a moment, Rihannon chewed her lip. "You don't think that he may be up to no good, do you? Something illegal?" At the looks, she shrugged. "Money like that does not just come out of nowhere after all."
Humming as she sipped her tea, Abeona nodded. "Yes, I suppose that it is odd. But! I have my suspicions as to who is the real reason."
It took a few seconds, but Rihannon remembered what she had been told. "Wait, you think that more shipgirls want to buy them? But... why? What possible use could they be? And even then, it will be at least a year if he goes for both."
Just chuckling, Abeona smirked. "I know. However, the shipgirls are magical and it is not our place to ask them why they want them. There is no reason to do so after all, and they are within their right. Let the Ministry deal with it, I say. If they would even bother in the first place.
With a shake of her head as her neice stared, Adiona began walking over to some sheets of parchment. "Well, we should at least get started then. We'll be burning the midnight oil soon enough..."