Harry stared at her with a blank expression on his face for a few moments before shaking his head and saying "Sorry Susan, I barely understood any of that."
"Harry, I'm talking about history. Your history," replied Susan "The history of your family."
"Oh," muttered Harry "Well, I don't know anything about that to be honest." "No one has told you anything?" asked Susan.
"You mean beyond a few stories of my parents' schooldays?" asked Harry, to which Susan shook her head "Then no," finished Harry.
Susan shook her head sadly and commented "Well, I don't know too much about your family in general, but I could tell you bits and pieces about the general history of your family, and those few members who married into my family."
Harry smiled at her and replied "I'd like that."
Susan stood up from her chair and led Harry from the kitchen to the staircase and all the family portraits that hung on the wall there. "Well, let's see…" began Susan, her eyes scanning the portraits "Which ones do I know about… Ah."
She pointed to an elderly looking wizard who had lived between 1770 and 1878 "That's Alfred Potter. He and his brother-in-law Jeremiah Bones joined up with Alexander Parkinson and started up a brewery for wizarding drinks. There were several other breweries at the time, such as the one owned by the Ogden family which specialised in brewing their own brand of fire whiskey. Alfred Jeremiah and Alexander were able to compete due to their research into muggle confectionary."
"Our ancestors went into business with the Parkinson family?" Harry questioned.
"Oh yes," replied Susan "Actually Alexander Parkinson was the son of Victoria Meadowes and her Muggleborn husband Richard Parkinson. Richard Parkinson's muggle family contained a few members who specialised in the making and selling of confectionary. Amongst their creations was butterscotch. Alexander than took this and, working with Alfred and Jeremiah, created that oh so addictive wizarding drink Butterbeer."
"Well I'll be damned," said Harry, impressed "I assume that all three families still maintain some kind of control over the brewery?"
"The Bones' and Parkinson's do," replied Susan "I'm not sure how the Potter family is involved anymore, what with you being the last member of the family and not knowing about your family's part in the business until now. At a guess I'd say that the Bones and Parkinson families act as some sort of stand in until you are old enough to get more involved. Aunt Amelia is on the board of directors for the company, and I think that the Parkinson's are represented by Pansy's great uncle or something."
"Huh," said Harry thoughtfully before a grin appeared on his face and he commented "I expect that the next time I have a Butterbeer it'll taste all the sweeter knowing that my family played a part in inventing it."
"Only one way to find out," said Susan before calling out "Blinky?"
With a soft pop a House Elf appeared in front of them "Yes miss?" it asked, bowing slightly.
"Two bottles of Butterbeer, please," Susan requested.
The Elf popped away again, only to reappear a few moments later with two bottles of Butterbeer. Harry and Susan took one each and Harry took a sip.
"Well?" asked Susan.
Harry grinned and replied "I was right. Much more satisfying."
Susan smiled and took a long drink before turning her attention back to the wall of portraits "Let's see, who else have we got? Oh, there were go. That woman there," she pointed a blond haired woman with kind blue eyes "is Hyacinth Bones, though she was a Potter by birth."
"Really?" asked Harry, tilting his head slightly "She looks more like your friend Hannah than she does a Potter."
"That's because her Hyacinth's mother was a member of the Lovegood family," replied Susan "As was Hannah's maternal great grandmother. For some reason whenever a female Lovegood marries into another family, any daughters, granddaughters and great granddaughters are guaranteed to be blond as well. As you can see by the portraits, Hyacinth's two daughters and three granddaughters were all blond."
"Oh yeah," said Harry, looking it over. The process was something that was repeated several times in the Bones family alone.
"Over there," said Susan pointing to another portrait "is Henry Potter, who married Mary Bones. He lived at a time when Magic Carpets were still legal to use in the UK and he made his money importing them from overseas and then selling them on to the general public."
She pointed to someone else "That's Irma Bones, again her maiden name was Potter. She was the person who came up with the Pumpkin Pasty. That one there it Terrence Potter. He was a herbologist of some renown. I think he discovered, named and described about two hundred different magical plant species in his time, including the Whomping Willow, the Bouncing Bulb and the Bubotuber. And over there is Fiona Bones, formerly Potter. She was the potioneer who first came up with Veritaserum, the truth potion."
Harry stood transfixed. His family had contributed so much to the wizarding world, and yet he knew nothing of it.
"I don't know much else, but I'll ask Aunt Amelia how we can learn more. You're the last Potter. It's not right that you don't know." Harry turned to her and asked "Is that expected then?"
"Oh yes," replied Susan "I constantly research members of my family. I have to know it because one day I'll take over from Aunt Amelia as the head of the Bones family."
Harry frowned slightly and asked "But what if your Aunt ever has a child of her own? Surely the laws of inheritance…"
"They don't apply in this situation," replied Susan "My Aunt cannot have children."
"Oh," replied Harry. He shifted uncomfortably for a moment before commenting "Hey, look! The awkwardness came back."
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