The Boy Who Lived

With Immediate Effect

'Yes, Miss Granger, I is Ossy, I is in charge of the Hall and all things Potter for many, many years, right back to before Mistress Euphemia and Master Fleamont's time.'

'And Harry, is he okay, is he hurt or in danger?'

'No, Miss... and yes...' The elf frowned. 'Master Harry's magic is being very bad and I is knowing you is researching it with Miss Parkinson. Beaumont Hall is having a very many books, Miss. I is thinking the answer is there. This is happening before with the Potters, long ago. But I is never seeing it. And I is not hearing of it being like this. I is believing it is very bad for Master Harry.' Ossy's voice had dropped to a whisper as he tugged on his ears again.

'You had better go then, Ms Granger,' Kingsley rumbled in his deep velvet voice. He sounded concerned, if not a little bemused, by Ossy's appearance. 'Was there anything else to cover?'

'No, Minister,' she said, standing up and packing away her paperwork. 'The Statute on the De-classification of Magical Creatures can wait until next week.'

'Of course,' he said, smiling. 'Please keep me posted. Perhaps if Harry would arrange the Wards and send me the details, I might call in and see what this is all about. I have no doubts you'll get to the bottom of it all though.' He shooed her away with a dismiss of his hand. 'You'd best hurry, take the time you need. We'll class it as Ministry business, seeing as it's Harry Potter we're talking about. I don't want to be losing my next Head of the Auror Department. Good ones are few and far between.'

'Thank you, Kingsley,' she said with a smile, grateful that her boss was who he was. She imagined Cornelius Fudge would never have been so accommodating. Though she was also aware that Kingsley probably didn't want to be losing the Golden Boy to any sort of mis-adventure while he was Minister. It wouldn't do his reputation or his popularity any favours. 'I believe the Unspeakables were looking into his rogue magic too.'

Kingsley's voice rumbled as he spoke, 'yes, call them in if you need to. Unspeakable Rambures was heading up the investigation.'

She clutched her bag to her chest and took the elf's hand.

'We is also going to get Miss Parkinson too.'

And they whipped away in a smooth twist that was far more fluid and far less gut-wrenching than any Wizarding form of Disapparation.

She was expecting to land in Grimmauld Place so to say she was surprised that Ossy took her to the Lovegoods' strange house outside Ottery St Catchpole would have been an understatement. Not least because the elf Apparated them straight into Luna's bedroom where the two women were in bed, asleep. Luna was spooning Pansy, both in peaceful slumber.

Hermione immediately backed out of the bedroom, knowing like she was intruding on something very personal, but as she reached the door, Luna opened her eyes and smiled welcomingly at Hermione.

'Hello, Hermione,' she said quietly, bringing her hand up to stroke Pansy's normally smooth black hair which tousled and knotting from clearly moving about in her sleep. Luna seemed totally unsurprised that Hermione and a strange House-Elf had just appeared in her bedroom. 'Is it Harry?' she said softly, her Celtic accent giving a beautiful gentle lilt to her words.

'This is Ossy,' Hermione said quietly and the House-Elf bowed.

Luna sat up in bed, the duvet falling away to reveal pretty pale-pink satin pyjamas with a cherry-tree blossom pattern. She patted the bed next to her, indicating that she wanted Hermione to sit there.

Pansy turned over, snuggling in against Luna's lap but didn't open her eyes, Luna continued to card her fingers through Pansy's long hair and the other woman smiled contentedly.