The sun hadn't risen but the Potters were up, Ginny took Hermione into her room to get dressed while Harry stood just outside the door. Returning via Neville's room to give her sleeping boyfriend another thank-you kiss. The Potter parents got ready one at a time in their bathroom while Ginny clung to the other outside.
She thought her behaviour was just a touch irrational but didn't care, she felt safe beside her parents and knew no harm could come to her as long as they were by her side so she intended to make sure that happened.
As they walked into the dining room Dobby appeared with some news, "the only other person involved is his younger brother, Aberforth Dumbledore, and they were held in some small cottage. Both Dylan and Freda are fighting the curse but it's draining their magic, and neither wants anyone to help in case it affects their bond. They would rather die together than live apart."
"How long do they have?" asked Hermione.
"A few days! It's different from not having a master; they have one and are disobeying him when he calls."
"Could our magic help without affecting their bond?" pondered Harry.
"I'm not sure but I'll ask if they want to try. Do you need me for anything?"
Harry took a deep breath before answering, "yes, could you ask Minerva if Molly Weasley ever worked as a research assistant to the former Headmaster."
After a slight pause he replied, "Winky is asking her now. Yes she worked until she had to leave due to being pregnant with Ginny."
Dobby watched the extreme reaction of the three Potters to that news, they looked ready to be sick, and suddenly the relentless manipulation towards a Harry/Ginny relationship by Dumbledore made sense, "the bastard!" he whispered.
A sobbing Winky suddenly appeared and wrapped herself round Ginny, "oh my poor girl, don't you worry. You're a Potter now, just like Dobby and me. We all stick together." She then looked at Harry; "if you want to kill him then you better find the prick before I do because I'll rip him limb from limb."
Hermione had her arms round both of them but could clearly be heard saying, "join the queue Winky, Join the queue."
Dobby and Harry prayed they never became the recipients of the looks their wives were wearing.
Harry set the tasks for the day, "the most important thing is to find a counter to that curse. Ginny's protection charm worked brilliantly and allowed her to activate her portkey. Could something like that protect from the curse? Ask Godric's portrait for help and keep us informed about Dylan and Freda, we need to go to Gringotts."
Both Winky and Dobby kissed Ginny on the cheek before leaving. Harry put the pendant round Ginny's neck and, taking her other arm, told her to think of Ragnok's office.
....
Ragnok and Griphook were showing the effects of having a long night. Sitting drinking coffee, going over the few facts they had for what seemed like the hundredth time, when there attention was drawn to the three Potters now standing in Ragnok's office.
Ginny came forward and bowed, removed the pendant and spoke to Ragnok, "what was stolen has been returned."
Both goblins looked at the pendant and then back at Ginny, "how?"
The story was retold, minus the parental issue, and Griphook immediately arranged for the three remaining prisoners to be sent to the goblin medical facility.
"You have done us a great service Ginny Potter, Friend of the Goblin Nation." Ragnok answered formally.
The Potters were delighted and sat to discuss their next moves.
"Is there anyone here how thinks the old man is sane?" asked Hermione.
"Sadly no" answered Ragnok, "what the wizarding world passed off as 'eccentricity' in Dumbledore would have seen anyone else checked into St Mungo's."
Ginny asked quietly, "What does that mean? Are we going to try and capture him?"
"No! While I agree he's not sane that doesn't mean he's not dangerous, quite the opposite in fact. We all acknowledge that he's fixated on my family and will commit any crime to accomplish whatever his goals may be. If a goblin prison cell couldn't hold him then no hospital would stand a chance, and I suspect we will get confirmation that he's manipulated our lives a lot more than we first thought. In the end it comes down to the fact my family will never be safe while he lives, and my family's safety is the most important thing in the world to me." Declared Harry.
No objections to the statement came from the room so they proceeded to process the new information in the hope of throwing up some leads.
Griphook quickly found information on the brother, "it appears that the brother might be a few Knut's short of a Galleon as well. He dropped off the wizarding map after just escaping a term in Azkaban for casting 'inappropriate' charms on a goat. We are currently searching our records for any purchase of a small farm building."
A goblin healer approached Ragnok with some news and was asked to address the group. "The two muggles have had their minds modified to hate anything magical and treat one Harry Potter as a freak of nature. The witch has the worse case of mind meddling I have ever seen or even heard about. She has been fed instructions regularly for many years, over a decade at least, and now has trouble functioning since they have stopped being administered. Her mind has been messed with so much that the poor woman must have been a nightmare to live with, smothering you with love one minute and screaming at you the next."
"Is there anything we can do for them?" asked Harry.
.....
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