The first time he saw it, Harry commented he'd seen nothing like it before.
"It's a new product line brought out by Malkin's a couple years ago. It was a design concept she first made for combat troops everyone expected the Ministry to create once it was apparent Riddle truly was back. However, she couldn't get Director Scrimgeour to accept the concept even for his aurors. So, she decided to market the idea for civilian wear. Hammer wouldn't accept it either, once she became Director.
"It's proven quite popular with those witches and wizards who are not so prone to running away and hiding if Death Eaters show up."
Looking it over more carefully, he said, "I guess it would." Looking up at her face, he asked, "How come you didn't recommend something like this for me when we were in Malkin's?"
"Because the fully closed front style doesn't suit you, Love," she replied. "You move like a predator all the time when you're out and about, so it's pointless for you to hide it. Besides, the added cost of the feature would be wasted on you because, as soon as there was a risk, you'd open it so you were ready if need be. And that would be almost every time we stepped out into public."
He thought about that for a few moments before he shrugged and said, "Yeah, I would."
To get to Godric's Hollow wasn't going to be the drama Harry thought it would be. Sirius explained how there was a pub in the Hollow that had a back-room floo connection.
"The floo address is the name of the pub, The Griffon's Claw," he instructed. "There's no password, as it's a popular haunt."
"No problems with Tommy's boys and girls?" asked Harry.
"None so far," replied Sirius. "They've attacked residences in the town, but never a business unless there's a residence above it. And then only at night."
Harry nodded, sighed and said, "Well... wish us luck." Sirius just smirked and said, "Luck. However, I cannot see Luna being rejected by either of your parents if they were of a mind to let you know one way or another."
Harry gave a nod and, after Luna gave Sirius a kiss to his cheek, they were off.
As promised, they stepped out of the floo in a back-room of the pub. And they, after first checking out the street through the windows, quickly made their way outside.
Luna immediately took his left elbow and indicated the right direction. "This way," she quietly said.
Obviously having been there before, Luna led Harry directly to both the cemetery and then to the graves.
Harry stopped about five foot shy of the foot of them and looked the dual grave over. According to the dual-cut headstone, his father was on his left and his mother on his right. However, he found the epitaph quite wrong.
The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death
"Why is that their epitaph?" he asked. He didn't even realise he'd asked it out loud until Luna, who was currently kneeling next to his mother's grave and was busy using her wand to clear away weeds and the like from around them, replied.
"Dumbledore chose it," she replied, not even pausing. "However, that's not what they wanted."
Quietly and frowning, he asked, "Do you know what they did?"
"The Potter family motto; Per Quiescis Mobilitatis Dignitatem - Nobility through Quiet Dignity," she replied, still working. "Together with the Evans family motto; Semper Fortis - Always Steadfast." With something in his mind he drew his wand, aiming it at the headstone. Then he pictured what he wanted, gathered his energy and will and, with intent, cast.
While the details of his parents remained on the stone, the epitaph was vanished and replaced. In its place were two lines:
In noble and quiet dignity, we remain steadfast. Per Quiescis Mobilitatis Dignitatem - Semper Fortis
Harry lowered his wand and looked at his handiwork. After a few moments he gave it a nod and said, "Better."
Luna paused in her work, looked at it, gave it a moment and firmly said, "Much better." Then she headed around the back of the headstone and approached the twin graves from next to his father's grave.
Again, Harry raised his wand and pointed at the headstone. "I, Hardwin James Potter, rightful Head of the House of Potter, call on Magic most Just, to provide me the power to ensure that no magics cast upon this headstone will be able to change the details on this headstone." Then he again gathered his firm intent and will... and cast.
A bolt of pure white magic flew from the tip of his wand and hit the centre of the stone. It glowed gold for a few moments before the glow faded away.
Lowering his wand again, he stated, "If Dumbledore sees that and tries to change it, I hope I've given it enough power he cannot accomplish it; nor will anyone else be able to."
Luna sat back on her haunches for a bit from where she was kneeling next to James's grave and stared off into the distance for a few moments. Then her face slowly adopted a wide smile before she looked back at him. She quietly said, "It worked." Pleased, Harry finally came forward and knelt next to Luna, over his father's grave.
He wrapped his left arm around her shoulders and said, "Mum?.. Dad?.. I've heard you've already met her, but I thought it was the right thing to do to bring my Luna here to let you know... Well... she's consented to be my girlfriend."
With a smile, Luna twisted slightly and kissed him on the nearest cheek.
"The thing is, Mum and Dad, once I've gotten Riddle out of the way... Well... I intend to ask her to marry me. So, this lovely young lady kneeling beside me is very likely to be the next Lady Peverell-Potter.
"I hope that meets with your approval."
As the two knelt there with Harry's arm around Luna's shoulders - her head in the crook of his shoulder and her nearest hand resting on his nearest thigh - they both felt what felt like a warm and gentle embrace.
Harry gave a gasp of shock while Luna slightly twitched in surprise.
It was a few moments after the feeling left again before Luna quietly said, "They approve!"
From the Godric's Hollow Cemetery, the two returned to The Griffon's Claw to floo to Luna's place in Ottery St. Catchpole.
They'd just passed through the main part of the pub and were heading for the back room, after handing over a couple of sickles for the use of floo powder, to use the floo and didn't notice the person sitting at the back of the pub gawk at them in shock.
.
.
.
👓☕️Consider supporting me and enhance your reading experience with the ready-to-read PDFs I have on my Ko-fi.☕️👓
🎯https://ko-fi.com/cmrowling🎯