"Of course they will and of course we are," he replied. "I'll be the only sitting Lord who is a student and One of the Seven. Besides the troubles I'm having with Dumbledore, why shouldn't I have special treatment regarding travel; at least this once?"
While Hermione appeared about to answer or add something else, Hedwig and a Prophet owl flew in with that morning's copies of the Daily Prophet.
Harry was quick to relieve Hedwig of hers while Wendell relieved the other.
As soon as he had it unfolded, Harry spotted the lead story. It was about how Hogwarts would reopen for classes on Monday, the fourth of January, with the Express making its trip on the Sunday, the day before.
"It's announced," he quietly said, while starting to read the article.
It was full of praise for Headmistress Lady Marchbanks and the School Board working hard to refill all the vacant staff positions; mentioned, yet again, how Dumbledore was now a 'simple' Professor only; included information on the revamped ward scheme, but left out specific details about some of what those wards were, only including general details; and included a warning from Headmistress Lady Marchbanks about how certain 'offences', such as assault, would be treated with the calling-in of the DMLE to deal with the perpetrators.
After Hermione had read it, she asked, "What does that mean for those like Malfoy and his... friends?"
Harry gave an evil little smirk and replied, "As well as coming as a great shock to them? I'm wondering how many of them aren't going to make it through the first week without being dragged off by the DMLE in manacles."
Hermione gave a light laugh and said, "I'll go get parchment, ink and quill so you can write another letter to Headmistress Marchbanks and let her know we'll definitely be two days late."
And left.
As soon as they heard her 'charge' up the stairs, Wendell gave a very direct and pointed look at Harry and asked, "You'll keep her safe?"
"Of course," he just as firmly replied back. "However, me coming down on anyone is going to have to wait until someone does something stupid before I can act. I anticipate that's going to be Draco Malfoy or one of his 'henchmen'.
"As soon as they even start to act against her, though, my wrath will fall upon them as if Odin, himself, had decided to step in. I'll be able to do so as both her betrothed and Heir Tertiary of House Black, of which she's now a formally and publicly recognised daughter.
"That will then let the rest know, without any shadow of a doubt, that messing with Lady Presumptive Hermione Granger is a very... very... bad idea."
A letter handed to him by the aurors was official notice from the school that Hogwarts was reopening, together with dates and times and the notice about how the Hogwarts Express would be departing from Kings Cross at 11.00am on Sunday, 3rd of January for the trip. Hermione received one, too.
It was written on the Hogwarts letterhead parchment in the green ink of the special auto-quill used by the school for mass mailings to students. Accompanying it was a much reduced booklist of items students would need to purchase, with an appended apology for the 'unusual' addition of an amended booklist mid-year.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
About an hour after mail delivery, where she'd read Harry's first note as sent by Hedwig, Marchbanks had just returned to her office when Dobby popped in beside her and offered her another note. "From the Great and Wonderful Master Harry Potter, Sir," he said.
With a small smirk of amusement, Marchbanks accepted the letter and said, "Thank you, dear. You may go."
And Dobby popped away again.
Opening it, she read the 'update' note and learned 'Lord Potter and his Betrothed' would be arriving at the school on the Tuesday morning during breakfast - with apparent family matters to attend to first, wanted it kept secret and wondered if she'd be kind enough to allow them to floo directly to the school.
She had no problem with that. She too saw the wisdom of not informing anyone of their delay, or just when they'd arrive - Dumbledore.
The letter was also a reminder that, as Harry was now a fully invested Lord of the Wizengamot, he was entitled to the use of one of the Lords' Quarters in the Lords' Quarters wing. He asked her to make sure one of the Lords' Quarters was available and 'would be making use of that right upon his return to the castle'.
'Hmmm...' she softly muttered.
Deciding to get the letter out of the way immediately, she drew to herself a small sheet of parchment and plucked up her quill.
Ten minutes later, a letter from her acknowledging the delay and promising to keep silent about it was winging its way back to the Grangers' Residence. She included a portkey, which was timed to activate at 7.30am on Tuesday, the fifth of January. And would transport both teens direct to her office. It was a 'back up'.
House elves would be 'waiting here to take your trunks and other possessions direct to your accommodation'.
When Harry received the note later that day via owl he and Hermione both missed how the 's' was missing off the end of the word 'accommodation'. Their minds were already on the activities of the next day, Christmas Day.
.
.
.
🎉The novel is available in PDF with more than 400 chapters, visit us in our Ko-Fi store🎉
🎉ko-fi.com/sosukeaizen123🎉