"Then two and a half weeks break, just to unwind," he added.
Hermione perked up from where she was reading the paper and asked, "Really? I thought you might have cancelled your break since... you know... I'm here for a lot longer than just the two weeks."
"Not on your Nelly!" declared Wendell. "I've been looking forward to my break for more than two months."
"Just because you're home for longer, dear," said her mother. "Does not mean we still don't need the break."
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
When Neville rose to go down for breakfast, he was surprised to see his parents already up and chatting.
"Good morning," he said. When they both turned to him and smiled he said, "I... didn't think you'd be up, yet."
"While under time dilation, once we were able to get up on our own we also rose early," said Alice. "We were both like that for the first couple of weeks, at least."
His father explained, "When you're stuck in bed for as long as we were, you make the most of the day and get up as soon as you're awake. Besides, we also had a pretty stringent exercise course we were on to get our health and fitness levels back up."
"Gran not coming down?" he tentatively asked.
Both parents immediately frowned, and his father said, "No. Your grandmother is to spend her next couple of days, at least, spending time thinking about her actions over the past near decade and a half. She'll be doing that in her suite."
Neville nodded. While he loved his grandmother, he also understood she didn't do the best by him. That included him desperately wanting to help Harry when he turned up at Hogwarts and her blocking that. Both his parents were pretty upset she'd done that when he told them about it.
"Don't forget we're heading directly back to the DMLE once you've finished breaking your fast, Neville," said his father. "Madam Bones informs me she usually arrives at her office just on 8.00am. We'll be meeting her soon afterwards."
Neville nodded. After talking with his parents about the two incidences, he was no longer so reticent to give a proper statement about what happened.
"After that," added his mother. "Your father and I need to go about getting ourselves back to being recognised as being people of sound mind. That means we'll need to spend some time in various Departments within the Ministry and then on to Gringotts. I think it would be best for you not to be with us for that."
Neville, his mouth full of sausage, gave a slight wince and nodded.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
Over at the Tonkses' place, Sirius was woken by Andi. Ted had already left and she would need to leave soon, too.
As soon as he opened his eyes, she said, "Get up, lazybones!"
"I... am the Lord... of a Noble and Most Ancient House," he declared. "I am also wealthy beyond most people's ken. I do not need to be up before the sun is properly up."
"You've got mail waiting for you," she said. "I think one's from your friend, Lupin; and the other is from the Granger lass's mother, Monica."
"Huh?" he asked, sitting up suddenly.
"The letters are sitting on the kitchen table," she said. "If you want to read them you'll need to get up and go get them. I've also told Benny not to give them to you unless you go in and get them yourself."
He scowled at her as he swung his legs over the side of the bed, "You're an evil woman, you know that?"
"I'm a Healer," she said right back. "Health-wise, it is in your best interests for me to get you up and moving before the crack of noon."
Grumbling about it as Andi walked off, heading for the floo, Sirius got himself ready for the day.
After half an hour of a long soak under the shower, he finally reached the dining room. The letters were sitting before where his 'place' would normally be for meals.
A quick few detection charms that proved both clear of any dangerous charms - he, too, had learned from Harry's almost kidnapping - and he was sitting down to open them.
~ # ~
Sirius Black III
Somewhere in England
Padfoot,
I've only just got back to wizarding Britain from the continent. I hope you've got time to quickly catch up with me. The news I'm getting is amazing. Too amazing to be true.
Can you meet with me in the Leaky Cauldron at 11.00am? Clearly, we have a lot to talk about.
Moony
~ # ~
'You better believe we do, Moons,' he thought. 'You'll be starting with answering questions about why you deliberately kept Harry in the dark about his true heritage.'
Checking the second letter was from Monica, he quickly opened it.
~ # ~
Lord Black,
Can you please stop by tomorrow evening (this evening for you) for a private chat?
I need to speak with you about Harry's education in one specific area where it is clearly lacking, if you get my drift.
I do not want either of the kids or my husband to know about what it is we need to talk about.
Dr Monica Granger
~ # ~
From what she'd written Sirius had a pretty good idea what she wanted to talk to him about. This was a talk he didn't think he'd have to give his godson; but was well prepared to do so.
Checking the time was only just past 8.00am Sirius had thought about going back to bed for a couple hours. However, now that he was up, his stomach was letting him know it was time to feed the savage beast.
With a sigh he called for Benny. He needed to eat and, by the time he was done, he wouldn't have time to get any more to sleep in. Besides, he hated going to bed on a full stomach.
He sighed, 'Well, at least after I eat I'll have time to think about what questions I want to ask Moony before I get there.'
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
At the Burrow, the owl for the Daily Prophet arrived while only Arthur and Molly were up. Therefore, only those two and Percy knew about the happenings within the Wizengamot by the time Arthur and Percy needed to head to work.
"But, what does this mean for you, Arthur," she worriedly asked. "If the Statute has been stripped, what does that mean for your job?"
He sighed and replied, "I don't know, Molly. I guess I'll just have to wait and see when I get into work."
"Try to let me know as soon as you can, will you?" she fretted.
"Of course, I will," he gently replied.
After he and Percy stepped into the floo and were gone, Molly began waking the kids up. As far as she was concerned, it was a school day and they should be up. It mattered not that school was not 'in session', at the moment.
Coming down it was the twins that noticed her emotional state first.
"Something's wrong, Mum," said the first.
"What's up?" said the other.
Then both turned to check the clock. Ron's hand was on 'At Home', so that wasn't it. And no one else's was at 'In Danger' or 'Mortal Peril'. So, that wasn't it either.
"Just some news in the Daily Prophet, is all," said their mother.
"And?" asked one.
"Don't go keeping us in suspense, Mother," said the other.
She hesitated for a moment before she squared her shoulders, looked back at the pair of them and replied, "It's nothing for you to worry about."
Then spun about to organise their breakfasts.
The twins sat staring at each other for a moment before they both turned back to look at their mother's back.
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