"You mean Lord Potter, don't you, Albus?" she asked. "Is your mind starting to fail you and you're beginning to forget important details?"
"Yes, I meant Lord Potter," he snapped. "And, no, my mind is as sharp as ever."
"So, you're just being deliberately rude then," she said. "That's grounds for an honour duel, Albus."
When Dumbledore just frowned even more and glared at her, she chuckled back.
When the old man still wouldn't say anything further she stood and said, "Get yourself comfortable, Albus. Since you won't answer my questions, I'm adding a charge of 'Failing to comply with the directions of an auror'."
Moody watched her back for her as she turned her back on Dumbledore and walked out. Once she was out the door, Moody said, "You're no longer in a position to decide what is and is not 'For the Greater Good', Albus. You're no longer protected from due justice by hiding behind the offices of Chief Warlock, Britain's Ambassador to the ICW or Supreme Mugwump. When you refuse to co-operate with a DMLE investigation, you're going to face the consequences for it."
Then he let himself out, making sure to properly lock the door behind himself.
Dumbledore, gave a huff of annoyance, then gave a soft sigh and closed his eyes with a pained expression on his face. 'Damnation!' he thought.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
After Dumbledore's capture and assurances he'd be spending at least the night, probably two, in the DMLE holding cells, Robards was as good as his word by informing Harry and the Grangers the risk was over for the time being.
The extended auror contingent were given a quick ten minute debrief, told to note down their recollections of what happened and then sent away. That left their 'normal' three-auror standing detail.
Once they were gone, Wendell gave a sigh and said to the two teens, "Well, we're back to work tomorrow. So, we're off to bed. If you're going to stay up, don't stay up too late."
A quick cheek-kiss good night where applicable - not Harry and Wendell - the Granger adults headed off to bed.
Once they trooped upstairs, Hermione looked to Harry and said, "I'm too keyed up to sleep. The meditation only helped up until we were sent down to the servants' quarters. Do you know of anything we can do that'll mentally tire me out enough to sleep?"
More comfortable with their relationship now, Harry leered back with a cheesy grin and waggled his eyebrows at her.
Hermione looked back in shock for a long moment before she blushed and stammered a moment.
It took her yet another moment before she suddenly stamped her foot while glaring at him. She loudly whisper-snapped, "Harry! We can't go doing that! What about my parents?"
Harry chuckled at her, letting her know he was teasing her.
When Hermione realised what he'd done, she girl-punched him on the arm and said, "That wasn't nice!"
"Sorry," he said, pretending to cringe away while snickering. "I couldn't help it. It was too funny not to use."
"Just for that," she declared, "You're now definitely responsible for coming up with something for us to do."
He shrugged and said, "Come into the dinette and I'll make us some warm milk. I'm told it can help you feel sleepy."
Surprised, Hermione said, "Yeah. I've heard that too."
The two headed for the kitchen only to find Dobby had overheard and already prepared it. He indicated the dinette and said, "On the dinette table, Master Harry, Miss-tress Herm'nee."
Not bothering about it, they both said, "Thank you, Dobby." And went and sat at the table, picked up their cups of hot milk and talked about what they thought they'd missed at the welcome back feast at Hogwarts.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
After being yet again badgered by his dorm-mates about just when it was that 'Harry' would be returning to Hogwarts, Neville had taken to simply continually repeating the same answer over and over again, word for word.
Then, once up in the Gryffindor Fourth Year boys' dorm, the first thing the four noticed was that there were only four beds. And the others had been better spread out.
"Hey, we're missing a bed!" declared Thomas.
"No, we're not," said Neville. "If or when Harry gets here, he'll be going into the Lords' Quarters.
"Lords' Quarters?" asked Finnegan; muggle-raised, but halfblood.
"Yup," said Neville. "Now that it's public Harry's taken up his Lordship, he's entitled to move into the Lords' Quarters. He'll be doing that."
On hearing Harry would be moving into what he thought would be private and, worst still, luxurious accommodation, without thinking it through first Ron had instantly reacted and snapped. "That'd be right! Bloody Potter! I suppose he's going to have Hermione move in with him, too?"
― ― ―
At that moment, Ron's hand on the Weasley family clock shifted to 'In Danger'. 'Dong!'
Hearing it, Molly rushed downstairs from the main bedroom and hurried into the kitchen. The time was not beyond the time the Burrow would all be in bed and asleep.
She stared at the clock for a few moments, appalled, before she suddenly got quite angry.
Grabbing a sheet of Howler parchment she wrote off a quick message to her youngest son before trying to simultaneously stomp up and quietly climb the stairs to where Errol and Hermes slept.
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