Using his wives and family as shields Harry managed to dump the blood pouch in the dark and vanished it. Then he used his own knife to make a small incision in his elbow before applying a poorly cast healing spell. He also asked and received affirmatives if both ladies were invisible during their whole time in the graveyard. They were.
Once in the Infirmary, Madam Pomfrey sealed Pettigrew's stump and, on waking him, gave him a couple of blood replenisher potions. Once it was apparent Pettigrew was no longer in any danger, Madam Bones accepted a vial of Veritaserum off Professor Snape and administered the regulated three drops to the man's tongue.
By the time the questioning finished, even the Minister could no longer doubt that Riddle had been resurrected that night. Or, as it was now morning, the previous night. The soon-to-be ex-Minister was white, sweating and shivering in fear.
He also kept muttering to himself that it was simply not possible; that 'Lord Thingy', as he called him, could be back.
When Harry finally wound up his tale, he looked at his watch and noticed it was already after 3:00am. "Do you folks know how late it is?" he asked.
"Thank you, Mister Potter, we do," replied Madam Bones.
"Well, I've just had a pretty trying day, thank you very much," he snarked from being so tired. "I've just competed in the third task of the stupidity known as the Tri-Wizard Tournament, I was kidnapped and transported to a graveyard where I was assaulted and bound to a grave marker, I had my blood taken via having a knife jabbed into my elbow for a dark ritual that resurrected Riddle, fought the man in a one-on-one duel... during which I managed to tag Pettigrew with a portkey and, I think, blew away two of the Death Eaters that showed up... and then managed to get enough time to activate my second portkey and bring us both back to the school.
"You'll forgive me for being tired and irritable, I'm sure. But, I want to go to bed and cuddle my wives. If Riddle isn't found and dealt with very quickly you're about to find yourselves in part two of the war you had a decade and a half ago, and you've got nowhere near enough people on your side to fight it for you. Now I've, again, got a murderous dark wizard who's not going to stop coming after me, personally, until one of us is dead."
"Thank you, Harry," said Dumbledore. "I think you should take yourself and your wives and go to bed. We'll talk more in the morning." "In our presence," said Sirius, looking to protect his godson and his wives.
Not wiling to argue, Dumbledore nodded and said, "Understood."
"Madam Bones?" asked Harry, ignoring the Headmaster and looking at the stern Head of the DMLE. "As this is not the Headmaster's investigation - but yours - is tomorrow afternoon after lunch alright with you? I don't think I'm going to be waking up any time before lunch, at the earliest."
"I don't blame you, Mister Potter; and I think I'd like to sleep in as well," said Madam Bones, a small smile flitting across her face at how Harry ignored the old man. "I'll see you after lunch. However, before you leave, may I have the memory of the encounter?" "Yes, Ma'am," he sighed. "May I have a memory phial, please?"
One of the aurors drew one from within his robes and stepped forward with it. As Hermione held it open for him, Harry used his holly wand to draw the memory out and dropped it within. The memory ran from him snagging the cup to him portkeying away from the graveyard. He breathed a sigh of relief that his wives' presence would not be picked up by the memory.
The auror took the now capped phial off Hermione and handed it to Madam Bones, who immediately tucked it into her little case she carried on her person for just such phials.
After bidding family and friends goodnight, the three headed up to their apartment to get some much needed sleep. Walking into the apartment, the girls just hustled Harry directly to the bedroom and ordered him to bed. Harry didn't have the energy to complain about being ordered about like a child.
As soon as they had him stripped off and in bed, both girls also stripped and climbed in after him. Tonight, this morning, was just cuddling. Tomorrow they had to start with the next stage of ridding the world of Riddle, for good.
Very late the next morning, the three finally rose when Dobby popped in to inform them they had visitors.
"Who is it?" asked Hermione.
"It's Master Harry's doggyfather and Mistress Daff-knee's parents," replied Dobby. "Let them in to the apartment and let them know we'll be out as soon as we shower and dress," said Daphne.
"They already is," replied the elf.
"Thank you, Dobby," she said. "Make sure they have drinks and such, would you?"
"Yes, Mistress," replied popping away again.
the
elf
before
Hermione was already climbing out of bed and said, "Come on; up!"
With a groan, Harry climbed out of the bed after her while Daphne rose from the other side. And the three walked into the bathroom, together.
Not needing to worry about make-up, or anything, Harry was first out of the bathroom and dressed. Not waiting for the girls he walked out into the living room, closing the door to the bedroom behind him.
"Good morning, Harry," said a grinning Sirius.
"What time is it?" he asked. He saw that Dobby had organised a six-seating dining table and had just loaded it with brunch foods.
"It's a few minutes before noon," said Deece, walking over and giving him a hug.
"Ugh!" muttered Harry. "I feel like I only went to bed about ten minutes ago."
"Well, as you said last night - or earlier this morning - you had a pretty full day yesterday, and you were up for about twenty-one hours straight," said Matthias, walking over and sitting at the table. "Plus, with everything you went through, it's not a surprise you feel you needed to sleep longer."
Taking his own seat at the table, Harry began to build himself a late breakfast cum early lunch. It wasn't until he began to smell all the food laid out that he realised just how hungry he'd become.
"We haven't seen the memory, ourselves, yet," said Matthias. "But, did you get the snake?"
With a snort, Harry replied, "The girls ran their own plan alongside my own; in secret and against my wishes. They went to the graveyard and hid under disillusionment charms. As soon as Riddle popped up out of the cauldron, Daphne… I think it was… killed the snake. And Hermione cut the ropes that bound me to the grave marker. "That meant I was free earlier than when Pettigrew was going to cut me free. It meant I didn't have to suffer the two Cruciatus curses from Riddle in the process. And, it also meant Riddle doesn't know it wasn't my blood used in the ritual or that I'm still protected from his touch.
"But, most importantly, Riddle is now mortal again. No more horcruxes. When he dies, he's dead for good."
While he was talking, the girls walked in.
"It also means he's not aware of the 'brother wands' effect, yet. And he's not yet fully cognizant of just how weak we made him by switching out the ingredients," said Hermione as both girls walked to the table to partake of their own late breakfasts.
"Neither are we," replied Harry. "I know he's much weaker than he would have otherwise been. I saw that when he levitated Pettigrew and threw him into the side of the grave marker I was tied to. But, we don't yet know just how weak."
"You two girls went there?" asked Matthias. The man was clearly a little upset about that.
"We did," said Daphne, staring back at her father. "We were completely safe and we had all our emergency portkeys on ourselves. Both of us were disillusioned and Harry only knew we were there because Hermione cut his binding ropes and told him we were there."
"Still, you placed yourselves in danger," said Deece.
"With Riddle back, we're all in danger," retorted Daphne. "And, this way, we've also protected some knowledge from him; which may be very useful later. That Harry is still protected from him, and he's unaware of the brother wand effect, are just two of those little facts he's now oblivious of this time around."
"They might be only little facts," said Hermione. "But they may very well prove very telling before this is all finished."
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