The Portkey Solution

Author's Note: I'm mainly posting this chapter for closure's sake. At the time I was writing and posting it, a number of people were enjoying it and giving me wonderful feedback. But canon marched on and my views on the HP universe changed and I ended up abandoning it. This chapter ends on a nice note and mostly ties up one subplot in the story.

After a few months, I intend to delete this fic. I have two reasons: #1 - I'm a bit embarrassed by some of the things I did in this story, especially early on, and feel that my writing has matured a great deal since then. #2 - I have taken my original characters, the Patterson family, and started a story with them that has no relation to any published universe. So should my fortunes go in a sudden and unexpected direction and you read a YA novel in a few years with Staci and her folks, you'll have read the prototype.

Thank you for reading.

Chapter 18 - Thirteen the Hard Way

Harry stirred reluctantly when the little clock-radio began to buzz. But when he heard a muffled yell and the sound of something breaking that cut off the noise, he started upright and groped for his glasses.

Neville was standing in his bed, his wand pointed at the remains of the clock. Harry groaned. "Neville, it was just the alarm. Now we're going to have to clear out before Mafalda Hopkirk sends us a warning for underage magic use!"

Neville looked embarrassed, then waved his wand at the clock with a muttered "Reparo." It flew together once more, reading two minutes after seven in the morning.

"Neville!" Harry cried, astonished. "Leave off! We're going to get caught!"

Neville got off his bed and began rummaging around in his duffel bag. "No, we won't. Don't you know how they trace underage magic?"

"When it happens, of course. I got a warning because a house-elf smashed a pudding in the kitchen with a Hover Charm!" Harry also climbed out of bed, realising when he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror that the Aging Potion had worn off on schedule.

Neville frowned for a moment. "That's odd...I wonder if they have some kind of special wards on your house because it's a Muggle one...or because it's you. Normally the way the Ministry tracks magic is through the wand. All wands bought for students at Ollivander's have a spell on them that monitors if the wand is used outside of Hogwarts and during holidays, set to expire the day one turns seventeen."

"So why--"

"This isn't my wand." Neville said quietly, holding it up. Now that Harry had a chance to take a close look, he could see that the wand was old, though Neville had taken good care of it. "It's my dad's. I haven't had a wand bought for myself yet, so no spell. Great-Aunt Elfrida was supposed to take this one by Ollivander's and have the spell put on it, but that was the week Daedelus Diggle started coming around to see her, and she sort of forgot about it." His lips twitched in a ghost of a smile, and Harry realized that Neville had chosen not to remind anyone of this oversight.

Harry wondered for a wild instant what had happened to his parents' wands. Then he pulled himself together and began searching for a change of clothes. "That could be useful if we run into trouble. Are you up to taking the lead if we have to cast anything?"

Neville looked at him a long moment, considering. "Yes." He looked back down at the pair of flasks he was putting back in his satchel. "I have to be."

*****

They slipped out of the hotel through a side exit. Once on the street, they found an open coffeehouse to grab a spot of breakfast. As they munched through croissants and drank hot chocolate, they studied a pair of maps Harry had picked up from a rack in the foyer of the hotel. Harry pointed to their location. "All right, we're here. Where's the entrance to St. Mungo's?"

"Off Bond Street, near Hanover Square. It's in a shopping district, designed for us to come and go without attracting attention."

"We need to go by the Patterson's office on Guilford. From there, can you find it if we take the Victoria Line and get off at...Green Park?"

Neville looked at the map and nodded. "Not a problem."

Harry pulled his mobile out of a pocket and switched it on. Neville looked at him curiously. As Harry put it back, he shrugged. "Insurance." He dug out the letter he'd written Staci and got up. "Shall we?"

*****

The entrance to St. Mungo's turned out to be a department store, ostensibly closed for renovations. Neville approached the large display windows, filled with sad-looking mannequins dressed in clothing at least ten years out of date. He looked up and told the one nearest the glass, "Visitors for Frank and Alice Longbottom."

The mannequin nodded and Harry blinked. Neville grabbed his arm and led him through what felt like a sheet of cold water. Then they were in a large room, on the fringes of a chaotic scene. There were witches and wizards in various states of distress, with visible maladies like extra noses or wings instead of arms. One wizard was holding firmly to two very young girls; he was scolding one angrily while the other kept changing colours from her hair to her toes: red, purple, orange, green...

Neville continued to lead them, skirting the one cubicle in the room at a distance. Inside it, a blond witch was directing people as they came up to her, an annoyed expression stamped on her features. They started up the stairs, climbing until they reached the fourth floor. At this point Harry fished out and donned the Invisibility Cloak, keeping close behind Neville as he knocked on a closed door. It read Janus Thickey Ward.

A middle-aged witch glanced out and smiled kindly as she opened the door. "Neville, dear, whatever are you doing out of school?"

"My gran arranged for me to meet her here. She said there's a new Healer coming in that may be able to help my parents." Neville walked in, feeling Harry slip into the room behind him.

"That's true. The whole staff has been eager to meet this fellow. But I didn't think there would be results right away." She laid a hand on Neville's shoulder. "Don't get your hopes up yet, dear. Wait until Healer Victor has seen them."

"Yes, Nurse Perks. May I sit with them until Gran arrives?"

"Of course, dear. Of course. I'll draw the curtains for you." As good as her word, she led Neville to a pair of beds in one corner and pulled curtains into place that blocked the rest of the ward from view.

Harry waited until the nurse's footsteps had faded, then pulled the hood of the cloak off his head. Neville sat down next to his mother. Harry had no trouble recognising her; Neville looked very much like her.

"Mum?" Neville whispered. The woman in the bed continued to stare at the ceiling. He reached out and touched her face. "Mum? It's me."

This time she turned to look at him, but the vacant expression in her eyes didn't change. Harry shivered at the emptiness they held.

Neville dug out the two flasks of the memory restorative and set them on the bedside table. He pulled his mother to a sitting position. "I know you've been sick for a very long time, Mum, but I think I know how to help you now. Here, drink this." He uncorked one flask and held it to her lips. "It's kind of sour."

She began drinking, and as they had expected, she fell back onto her bed. Instead of passing out, however, she began to tremble violently. Neville leaned over her. "Mum? Can you hear me? Mum?"

Harry pushed the cloak back and waved at Neville to get his attention. "Remember, the potion took longer with you than it did with me."

Neville bit his lip, then made himself count to a hundred, slowly. By this point Alice Longbottom was thrashing about and moaning. Harry peeked through the curtains, but no one had heard yet.

Neville's mother was jerking now, as if she were trying to sit up but was being forced back to the bed. As her groans increased, she began forming words, slowly at first, then gaining speed and fluency: "No...no, not Neville! Don't...not my son...leave him alone! Don't make me do this!"

Neville was pale as a ghost, listening to his mother speak for the first time in thirteen years. As she continued to plead for her son, unaware of anything around her, he drew out his wand. Harry saw him out of the corner of an eye and hissed, "Neville! What are you doing?"

"The potion isn't enough. She's still trapped in her memories." He paused, frowning as he thought furiously. Then he raised his wand and flicked it. "Ennervate!"

She paused for a second, as if suspended in midair, then resumed her struggles. Neville swore, and Harry moved as if to grab his shoulder. "That can't be right. The Stunner was only one of the curses being used."

Neville looked at him, and Harry felt himself wanting to back away from the pain in Neville's eyes.

Tears were threatening to fall. He was so close...so close to the answer...and from deep in his mind he heard a voice, an echo...Ron's voice. So, what now? Does someone tell them it's safe to wake up?

"The Imperius," Neville whispered.

"What?"

"They took the Imperius Curse. What if they have to be told to wake up?" Neville turned back to his mother and seized her by the shoulders, trying to hold her still as she whimpered and fought. "Mum! Wake up! It's all right, you're safe now! Please wake up!"

Instead of calming down, Alice struggled harder than ever, begging for mercy, and managed to throw Neville off her and back to the foot of the bed. He was crying now, and Harry was biting his lip hard to keep from doing the same. He was having vivid flashbacks of being attacked by Dementors during his third year: hearing his mother plead for his life before dying. Not Harry! Please...have mercy...have mercy...He made himself check the room again. It was still empty save for the other patients; one or two were looking toward the curtains curiously.

"Neville! A Silencer!" He glanced at Neville, who was fingering his wand and staring into space, as if trying to decide something. He stood up, but didn't cast the spell.

"It's the only way. And they'll never permit it unless I go ahead and do it."

"Neville, what are you talking about? We need that Silencer before the nurse comes back!"

"Forgive me, Mum. I have to."

"Neville! What are you doing?" Harry dropped the curtain.

Neville replied in a hollow voice, "In for a penny, in for a pound. Isn't that how the saying goes?" He pointed his wand at his mother, gritting his teeth. "Imperio!" As Harry watched, aghast, Neville's mother hesitated for an instant and then began thrashing around again. Neville took a deep breath, braced his wand in both hands, and screwed up his face in concentration. "Imperio!!"

Alice froze and Neville sat down beside her, grabbing her shoulder. "This is the last time you will ever obey anyone else's order, Mum. Wake up! Please! Wake up and remember! Finite Incantatum!"

She blinked, then shook her head. Harry remembered the feeling of the Imperius Curse and could see the blankness evaporating from her eyes. She looked at Neville, confused.

"Death Eaters! Death Eaters attacked us! They were looking for him--"

"We know, Mum, we know. It's over. It's really over!" Neville beamed at his mother and hugged her, his face wet with fresh tears.

She pulled away from him. "Mum? My son is two years old! Where's Neville? Where's Frank?"

Neville faltered, staring at her in bewildered hurt. Harry shrugged the Invisibility Cloak off completely and stepped forward. "Mrs Longbottom, do you know the name Harry Potter?"

"Of course," she replied impatiently. "Everyone knows that child!"

Harry leaned forward and pushed his fringe away from his forehead. "So you do recognise me?"

She frowned, then focused on his scar before slowly taking in the rest of his appearance. "Oh no...it can't be...but it has to be you. You look exactly like James..." She looked around, seeing her husband, who had ignored the entire scene as he stared at the ceiling. She looked at Neville again, reaching out to touch his face. He seized her hand and pressed it to his cheek. "How long...how long has it been?"

"I'm fifteen, Mum."

"No," she managed before dissolving into tears. Neville pulled her close. "Thirteen years? Thirteen years?"

"It's okay, Mum. It's okay. You're back and that's all that matters!"

Harry heard a murmur of voices and stepped back to the curtains. He could see Nurse Perks coming in the door, and behind her, in smoky grey robes, was Hugo Victor. He was smiling brilliantly at the nurse, who was all but simpering over him.

"Neville! Quick, wake your dad!"

Neville looked up, but all he saw was the curtains falling back into place. Then he heard a voice proclaim with more authority than any fifteen-year-old should be able to muster, "Nurse, get that man out of here. He's an impostor!"

*****

Harry's stomach was twisting into knots at seeing Victor again, but he whipped out his wand and held it steady. For his part, Victor quickly recovered from his shock at seeing Harry and gave the nurse an oily smile. "My word, is this one of your patients, Nurse?"

She looked at Harry uncertainly. He shoved his hair off his face so she could see his scar. "Ma'am, please. Do you know who I am? I'm telling you, this man is not a healer. His name is Hugo Victor, once known as Hubert Vicks, and he's a criminal."

Victor's expression had darkened fleetingly at hearing his original name, but he recovered quickly, "Ah, another delusional case. We have at least three that I know of in our facility that think they're young Mr Potter. He's as popular among insane wizards as Napoleon is among mundanes!" He drew out his wand as he spoke. "Shall I restrain him for you?"

"Expelliarmus!" Harry snapped, and Victor's wand was knocked into the air, falling behind Harry. He thought about using a Stunning Spell, but the patients behind Victor made him hesitate. What if he missed? He could hear what sounded like Neville's father in the throes of the memory potion and raised his voice. "Nurse, the Ministry should be on their way with my casting a spell, but contact them anyway! This man wasn't going to help the Longbottoms, he was going to experiment on them! He isn't who he says he is!"

Nurse Perks started forward, having heard some of what was going on behind the curtain, but Victor grabbed her, snatching her wand out of its pocket. He threw a Stunning Spell at Harry, who ducked and rolled away from it, then turned and ran.

Harry was after him like a shot. He could hear Nurse Perk behind him, distantly, finally screaming an alarm.

*****

Neville's hands were shaking as he got the potion down his father's throat and made himself wait, his wand ready. His mother held his other hand tightly, squeezing it as Frank Longbottom began to stir, then mutter, then shout: "No...don't...no idea...don't touch my wife...leave her...AAARRRRGH...keep away from my son!"

Neville drew a deep breath, praying he'd never have to cast this spell again. "Imperio! Dad, it's Neville. Listen to me, wake up now! You'll never have to obey this spell again after you wake up and remember! Finite Incantatum!"

Frank shook his head as if to clear it, and Alice launched herself at him. "Frank!"

"Alice? What happened? Where are we?" He returned her embrace and looked at Neville in bewilderment.

"You're in St. Mungo's, Dad." Neville sat on the other side of the bed.

"Dad..." he repeated faintly, and focused sharply on his son. "Neville?"

Neville nodded, not bothering to wipe the tears from his eyes. "Yes, Dad."

"It's been...it's been thirteen years," Alice sobbed into Frank's shoulder.

Suddenly a scream rang out from the other side of the curtain. The floating globes above them that provided light turned an angry red. They all looked up and Neville leapt to his feet. "Harry!"

He snatched up the Invisibility Cloak, and ran out of the ward.

*****

Harry followed as Victor tore down several flights of stairs. He tried firing off a Stunner, but Victor dodged into a door on the first floor. Harry raced through the door and pounded down the aisle between two long rows of beds, ignoring the patients and staff as they watched him, bewildered. He had made up some distance but was still several yards behind Victor as they went through another door.

He skidded to a stop as the hallway ended in a T, with passages left and right. The entire area was bathed in a murky red light from the lamps above. He heard footsteps to his right and started in that direction.

As he was moving toward another intersection, the lights around him went out, plunging the area into darkness. Reluctantly, Harry muttered, "Lumos," and moved forward, shining the light from his wand around the hallway.

He heard something move, like a piece of furniture being dragged and lifted, and instinctively dropped flat to the floor. Something large sailed over his head and crashed on the other side. Harry hissed, "Nox!" and crawled to his left until he was no longer in the middle of the hallway. He put his back to a wall and waited as two more missiles were hurled to the spot where he had been.

After about a minute the lights began to come up, but remained dim; just enough for Victor to verify that Harry was no longer in sight. There was a cabinet with glass-front doors across from where Harry sat and he could see a blur of grey approaching and a brighter pinpoint of light coming from a wand. He made himself wait until Victor was about to reach him, then pushed away from the wall and swung his foot around to trip Victor.

Victor fell with a grunt and Harry heard the stolen wand clatter away. He leapt onto Victor and wrestled him back to the ground with his wand in the man's face.

"Now what, Harry?" Victor asked, with an infuriating mocking tone to his voice.

"Now you go to the Ministry, what did you think?" Harry replied, trying to keep his wand steady. He was all too aware that he didn't weigh more than nine stone, despite his summer growth spurt, and he was trying to hold down a full-grown man.

Victor suddenly jerked his head up with a gasp, looking down the shadowy hallway behind Harry. Without thinking, Harry followed his glance.

The second his attention was distracted, Victor grabbed Harry's wrist with one hand, directing his wand away, and punched him with the other. Harry managed to hang onto his wand, but found himself flat on his back with Victor over him. One hand was pinning his wrist to the floor, and the other was on his throat. Fingers pinched cruelly and suddenly Harry couldn't breathe. The pain was excruciating. He thrashed around, trying to break the choking hold with his free hand, and Victor leaned into him harder.

"If only my machine was fully repaired, I'd make you live your worst nightmares before turning you over to Malfoy!"

Harry tried to shout for help, but no sound escaped him. His ears were roaring and his vision was darkening...his throat was on fire...

*****

Neville slipped down the stairs in the Invisibility Cloak, pressing himself flat against the wall to avoid the traffic going up and down. He could hear an uproar in the Dai Lleywellyn Ward and decided that Harry chasing an unknown wizard was enough to cause a stir. He snuck through, seeing Healers and nurses trying to calm several patients.

The hallway on the other side, leading into storage areas, was in near-darkness. Neville went to the end of the hallway and listened hard. Suddenly he heard someone fall to his right, followed by voices. He took off.

And then he saw them: Victor managed to flip Harry off him and gained the upper hand. He was strangling Harry, who couldn't get free.

Neville pulled out his wand and took careful aim. He'd never tried this spell before, only heard about it when Ron and Hermione had talked about helping Harry prepare for the third task of the Triwizard Tournament the previous year. He had to be calm...he had to aim carefully or he could hit Harry...Merlin's everlasting beard, what was he worrying about? He'd just used the bloody Imperius on his own parents! He let fly with the spell.

"Stupefy!"

Victor was flung off Harry and into the wall. He fell to the floor, unconscious.

*****

Harry felt the punishing pressure leave his throat and suddenly Victor was no longer pinning him. He dragged air into his burning lungs in great gulps. He tried to swallow and winced at the stabbing pain it caused. He regretted it even more as a coughing fit seized him, tearing his throat and making him retch. He rolled to his knees and elbows and stopped there, waiting for the dizziness that enveloped him to recede and his breathing to settle.

He felt someone pull him to his feet.

"Who--" His voice was guttural, and speaking caused the agony to flare up all over again.

"It's me." Neville pulled the hood of the Invisibility Cloak away from his face. "That's him, isn't it? The same Victor?"

Harry nodded, his hands on his knees, still trying to catch his breath. "Your...your dad?"

"He's awake, too!"

"Good...nice curse...by the way...Professor Valora...would be...proud." Harry straightened as his vision cleared. His head throbbed and he swallowed painfully, willing himself not to cough again with a supreme effort.

"Thanks." Neville turned his wand to Victor, who was stirring already; he'd aimed a little too high when he fired the Stunner. "Don't move, you son of a hag!" Harry aimed his wand at Victor as well, and Neville took the opportunity to shove the Invisibility Cloak into his bag.

Harry wished he knew the spell to conjure ropes that he'd seen Snape use his third year. He made a mental note to ask Staci for a lesson. He hoped two wands at the ready would be enough to keep Victor cowed. He motioned Victor to precede them back up the hall, croaking "Let's go."

*****

Staci was having a strange dream. In it Harry was with that other boy, not Ron...Neville, that was his name. They were leaning over her parents, making them drink something, casting spells on them. Then a figure in wizarding robes, with a grinning skull for a face, came in and grabbed Harry, carrying him off even as Harry tried to fight him or hex him. She started to pursue them, but the boy Neville held her back, seizing her by the shoulders...

And she came awake in the dark room to find Egg's partner Scott shaking her.

"Sorry, Stace, but this came sailing through the fire a few minutes ago. It's marked 'urgent'." He handed her an envelope and turned on the bedside lamp.

She sat up, pushing her hair off her face and reaching for her glasses. "It's okay, Scott. What time is it?"

"One in the morning. Egg's still over at the party, the idiot."

"He doesn't have to help cook Thanksgiving dinner, so I suppose he can stay as late as he wants," Staci replied, yawning. She looked at the envelope, which had her name on it and, as Scott had said, "urgent" scrawled on it. It looked like Harry's handwriting. She tore it open and began reading.

"Oh, no."

Scott looked at her, puzzled. "Something wrong?"

"Call my dad. Tell him to get to the King's Cross office and Apparate to St. Mungo's. If he doesn't answer his phone, you'll have to use Floo or Cinders and shout into the party until someone sees you."

Scott made a face. He was not a wizard and while he didn't mind benefiting from Egg's abilities, he hated using any of the communications through fire. He never failed to get soot all over himself when he did.

*****

They were through the Dai Lleywellyn Ward and about to start up the stairs. A group of Healers and nurses suddenly burst through from the reception area, working on a stretcher as it zoomed past them in midair. It carried a youngish wizard, bleeding profusely from multiple scratches and bites. Victor took advantage of the confusion and charged into them, scattering some and drawing shouts from others as they tried to maintain control of the stretcher. He darted for the door with yet another stolen wand in his hand.

"Come on!" Harry rasped, and the two boys dashed after him.

Since their arrival at St. Mungo's, the shops had opened and the area had woken up. Victor was attracting quite a few stares as he ran in his robes, while Harry and Neville were only noticed because they were chasing him.

Victor ran for Hanover Square, disappearing into the trees that bordered the parkland there. Harry should have been able to catch up, but the deep breaths through his raw throat slowed him considerably, and Neville was keeping pace with him.

They got to the trees, and Harry heard the spell uttered just in time to drag Neville behind a tree with him. The Stunner hit another tree, blackening the bark. They looked at each other and nodded, then carefully began moving forward again. The next time, Neville shoved Harry out of the way of the Reductor Curse, which tore down another tree behind them.

Sod it. Harry motioned to Neville to stay under cover and Apparated to a spot well behind Victor. He waited until Victor straightened to take aim and was about to fire off his own Stunner when he was seized from behind.

Harry struggled against the arms holding him and the hand over his mouth. Then another figure stepped into his line of sight and he stilled, dumbstruck. Mad-Eye Moody had come up beside whoever was holding him and was taking aim. He conjured black ropes out of the air that shot at Victor, catching him and wrapping him up at the same time that a Disarming Spell was released from the area Neville had been in.

Harry was released, and he turned around to find a tall black wizard looking down at him, one finger to his lips. Harry didn't know what to make of him, but if he was with Moody...

A young woman stepped from the trees on the other side of Victor, pulling Neville with her. She was dressed like a Muggle, in a leather jacket and jeans, and her short and spiky hair was bright green. Neville looked to Harry, who shrugged in confusion.

Moody took immediate charge. "All right, Shacklebolt. I think it's fair to say with the marks on his neck that Potter was defending himself when he let loose with spells. Agreed?" The black wizard nodded. "Tonks, get Longbottom's wand." She smiled at Neville, and he handed over the wand hesitantly. Moody took it and drew the tip of his own wand along the length. "Perpurgio!" The wand let out a long wisp of smoke, and Moody handed it back to Tonks. "Throw a few charms out, things he'd have done at school, to start." Tonks began casting throwaway charms in the air as Neville looked on, confused.

Moody turned to Harry. "Potter, Dumbledore sent us as soon as Granger and Weasley told him what was up. The official report is that you and Longbottom did sneak away from Hogwarts because you got wind of this Victor character's designs on Frank and Alice. You tried to reach Dumbledore but he wasn't available, and your cousins were in transit to their holiday. You only used magic to defend yourselves and if anyone at the Ministry tries Prioi Incantato, the wands won't show anything different." He nodded to Shacklebolt, who produced their bags out of his cloak. "We removed any evidence that you all gave the Longbottoms anything, and all the doctors know is that they've had a miraculous recovery. You'll pass along the instructions for making that potion to Emmeline Vance, a Ministry witch who will be making a stop at Hogwarts next week. Never know what will prove useful. Now, let's get you back--" He was interrupted by a screech from above, and the all saw a large brown bird diving at them. This was followed by shouts as Staci and Neil appeared from different directions, running toward them.

*****

Staci got there first, throwing herself onto Harry and catching him in a fierce embrace. He tried to return it, trembling from the release of his taut nerves. "I'm all right," he managed to gasp out.

Staci put a hand on each side of his face and gave the smallest of frustrated growls, then snickered slightly. "I'm never going to get used to you flinging yourself into trouble, no matter how many times you prove yourself right. Not even when you're fifty." She also hugged Neville, trying not to dissolve into semi-hysterical giggling.

The falcon began to shimmer as it dived, growing larger and longer. It touched down and solidified into Ramona as Neil pounded up. He seized Harry by the shoulders and spun him around. "WHAT DID YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING?" he roared. He was almost shaking Harry and after a few seconds' hesitation in shock, Staci and Ramona stepped in to try and break his grip. Neville and the Aurors stepped back, surprised by the sudden confrontation.

"I did what I had to do!" Harry shouted back, struggling against Neil. "And we've caught Hugo Victor red-handed because I did!"

"You've got no business risking your life like that! You're just a kid, you haven't got the training--"

"YOU CAN'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO! YOU'RE NOT MY FATHER!"

"DAD, STOP IT! HE'S NOT BEN!"

Neil froze for a moment under the double onslaught. Staci took advantage of his sudden silence, acutely aware of her mother stepping back with her hands to her mouth. She tried to make her voice soothing even as she drove the point home.

"Harry isn't your son. It's not fair to try and make him into a replacement for Ben; Harry's been on his own too long to let go of his self-reliance. Believe me, Dad, I understand...the first time Harry pulled something like this with me, I felt like screaming my head off at him as well. But I didn't have time then to react and I did have time to think later. And it doesn't do any of us any good to try and force us to be a family, to force Harry into a role he never had a chance to live."

Ramona swallowed hard and wiped tears from her face. "She's right, Neil." She pulled Harry away from Neil and into a much gentler hug. "I'm sorry, Harry. We were terrified that something would happen to you."

He returned the hug for form's sake, still seething underneath over Neil's reaction. Staci pulled her father away and began hissing at him. Neil in turn gradually shifted from anger to mild shame and Harry felt his own tension recede somewhat. It had been very easy to accept Staci in a big-sister role, but he wasn't so sure about Neil stepping into a father's shoes.

*****

At the hospital, the Aurors gathered everyone who had been involved in the incident into a large meeting room to sort it all out. After a few minutes, Staci noticed her parents' absence and went up to the visitors' tearoom. She found her father at a table, staring at a small printed menu without seeing it. She sat down across from him and plucked the menu out of his hand, startling him.

"Where's Mom?"

"In the bathroom, fixing her face." He looked across the tearoom, not seeing the waitress as she fussed with hot scones.

"What's the matter, Pops?"

He grimaced. "Pops" was what Ben had called him after turning thirteen. But he replied, "I can't understand how Harry was able to use that Portkey. You know how restricted Portkey use is here in Britain."

"I do. It's the same over most of Europe and Asia. Why is it bothering you?"

"If it's so restricted, how is it that an underage wizard can create and use one without anyone saying anything about it? None of those Aurors even raised the point."

"Are you kidding, Dad? You don't see it?"

"See what?"

"That precious document you swear by on a regular basis. The Patterson Global Charter."

"What does the charter have to do with it? That only empowers any Patterson-by-blood to create Portkeys without interference, no matter where they are."

"Exactly. Any Patterson, regardless of age, as long as he or she is taught by another Patterson. I taught Harry how to make Portkeys. And Harry is as much a Patterson as we are Potters. It's all the same blood. We should mention it to him so he won't stress about being caught and--"

"We are not telling him!"

Staci, stopped, eyebrows raised in disbelief. "Care to explain that?"

"If we tell him, he'll keep making them. It'll draw attention to the company and to the charter. We've already been through one legal battle with Fudge's ministry trying to strike it down, and we don't dare take another chance!"

"I don't think Harry would abuse it, Dad--"

"Because he doesn't abuse Dumbledore's trust at all, breaking rules left and right." Neil's voice dripped with sarcasm.

"You know perfectly well Harry doesn't break rules just for the fun of it! He only does it when there's no other way! He tried to contact Dumbledore, he contacted us--"

"And he nearly got himself killed! You saw the marks on his throat!" He waved Staci off as she started to interrupt again. "No, you will not tell him. As your immediate supervisor in the company, I order you to keep silent about this."

Staci's dark eyes smouldered. "I don't think you've been this irrationally unfair since I was twelve, Dad."

"I didn't take the new ceiling out of your allowance, did I?"

*****

For the first time, Harry truly understood the old saying about friends in high places. Kingsley Shacklebolt, the black wizard, was a born diplomat, smoothing over the entire incident with honeyed words and the occasional discreet Memory Charm when Moody provided a distraction with growled questions or barbed observations. The one called Tonks intercepted the Pattersons as they came back into the room. Harry was grateful; he still felt very resentful toward Neil. Watching them, he noticed that Staci seemed angry at him as well and wondered what had happened. The room began emptying out as witnesses were dealt with.

Frank and Alice Longbottom seemed to be handling the entire affair quite well for people who had been out of action for thirteen years. Perhaps the fact that they had Neville between them, receiving praise from all sides, was what kept them steady. Harry added to that praise when he could, mentioning Neville's talents in Herbology and how he'd stood up to bullying Slytherins in the past. Neville himself sat quietly between them, clutching his mother's hand and quietly answering her questions. He offered his wand back to his father, but Frank refused.

"No, you hang onto it for a little longer. I don't think we'll be leaving the hospital for a few days yet and when we do we can take you to Ollivander's and get you your own wand then."

Harry smiled, wondering how Neville would feel having a wand with the proper tracking spell on it. He sensed someone had come up behind him and knew it was Staci before she tapped his shoulder.

"Got a minute?" she asked, and they moved to an unoccupied corner of the room. "I wanted to apologize for Dad, in case he decides to worm out of it. And offer my own apology--I didn't see it coming and if I had I could have done something about it. We do want you to be part of our family, Harry, but we have no business trying to replace your parents. I'm sorry."

Harry shrugged, trying to keep up the coolness in his manner. "I sort of understand, I guess. I just didn't see any other way we could help Neville, without Dumbledore there."

She nodded. "And I understand that. And at least you tried to get in touch with me." Staci handed him his letter with a glint in her eye that Harry couldn't read. He glanced at the letter, then began reading it carefully.

Staci,

I'm writing this from a hotel in London near Kings Cross. I'm with Neville Longbottom. We learnt what happened to his parents, who are kept in St. Mungo's Hospital because they were attacked by Death Eaters thirteen years ago and driven insane by it. Only they aren't insane: Neville's memory potion works and he remembered witnessing the attack. They got hit with a lot of spells at once, including Unforgivables. We were going to wait for Dumbledore and get permission for Neville to talk to the Healers, but Neville got a letter from his gran saying a new Healer was coming from America to try and help them.

Name of Victor. We don't know for sure that it is Hugo Victor, but we can't take the chance. We can't get in touch with Dumbledore or Sirius fast enough--I just hope this message will get to you in time.

When you get this, try to come to St. Mungo's first. I have my mobile phone and the tracking ring Dumbledore gave me, so one way or the other you should be able to find me quickly.

Harry

He looked at her, taken aback.

"That's the letter Mom and Dad saw. That's the only letter they'll ever see. As long as you never, ever pull a stunt like this again."

"Um...er...but what if--"

"You can't get in touch with me with the phone or magical channels? That's what this is for." She dropped a coin in his hand. Harry looked at it, frowning. It was silver, maybe an inch across, with a woman in profile who wasn't the Queen. He looked at her in confusion.

"That's a Susan B. Anthony dollar. Officially, you carry it as a souvenir of your trip to D.C. In reality, that's a Portkey that will take you directly to me when it's activated."

"Wow, er...I didn't know you could do that with Portkeys."

"Well, you can. This one is set for motion activation: tap the edge three times hard against another coin or some hard surface and off you go. It's got ten trips on it; you can see how many are left by the last two numbers of the date."

Harry pocketed the coin. "Thanks."

"I also showed the new version of your letter to Dumbledore, but I don't know what Hermione and Ron told him. I think you and Neville are in for some detentions with McGonagall."

He nodded. He knew he deserved it.

*****

Edwina Longbottom arrived at the entrance to St. Mungo's at precisely eleven o'clock, as she did every morning save Sundays. She wore her green dress and her well-worn fox-fur scarf for the benefit of Muggles on the street, and no one noticed her when she paused to look in the windows of the closed store until she had a moment to slip in.

The waiting room seemed more chaotic than usual this morning, with many of the patients awaiting treatment talking animatedly among themselves. Healer Strout spotted her from across the room and made her way over.

"Mrs Longbottom, I need you to come with me."

Edwina was surprised and a little affronted. "I beg your pardon? Is something the matter? Is the account in arrears? I assure you Gringotts would not fail to transfer the appropriate funds..." She trailed off, irritated that the healer was guiding her up the stairs.

"Nothing like that at all, Mrs Longbottom. But there's been a...change...in the conditions of your son and daughter-in-law and--"

"Change? What sort of change? They're not worse, are they?"

"If you'll just come through here..." Strout stood aside as Edwina rushed into the room.

Frank and Alice were upright, talking animatedly to Alastor Moody, of all people! And Alice had her arms around Neville--who was supposed to be in school--as if she'd never let him go! Frank turned to her with a smile. "Mother!"

Edwina Longbottom fainted dead away.