Extended Family

Chapter 132: On the Hunt

Takes place after chapter 104

Happy laughter rang out over Grimmauld.  At least once every other week, if not once a week, people would arrive for a meal and some time visiting and relaxing with one another.  The Potters, the Bells, the Tonkses, and the Grangers were there with the Blacks and Iris was being passed from grandmother to grandmother while Dahlia was enjoying equal amounts of attention.

"You look a little less exhausted," Harry smiled as Amelia sat beside him.

She grinned.  "Been putting in more exercise time at the gym.  Being Director and Head means less field work.  While I didn't put on a lot of weight, my stamina suffered.  I actually started doing more training exercises with trainees from the Academy and team exercises with the Corps.  Been good to stay sharp and prove that I can still kick the arses off of any Auror in the department."

Amelia raised her legs when Dahlia went running past, squealing brightly, chased by Remus and Sirius.  "But your daughter has insane energy.  More than Tonks and that's saying something."

"They can exhaust each other, it's really funny," Harry laughed.  "I can't tell you how many times I see them conked out beside each other."

"Adorable," Amelia smiled.  "Say, question for you.  Are you hosting another Thanksgiving Potterluck this year?"

"Sure.  I mean I was thinking about it and wanted to see who is coming but yeah, probably something of the sort."

"Have you gotten your centerpiece yet?"

"Not yet.  I actually should reach out to Linette and do that soon."  He blinked at Amelia's smile.  "Wait.  Why are you smiling like that?"

"I actually have some good news, sort of," Amelia said, smile still there.  "Did Tonks tell you about that smuggling case we were dealing with?"

"Sort of.  The one where people were using the UK as a middle ground for moving material about?"

"Yeah that.  So the good news is that we managed to bust it.  The whole Corps hit the group in the moors.  Arrested a ton of people and managed to get a lot of stolen things returned and illegal things disposed of."

"Congrats!"

"Thanks!  And as it turns out, more than some of the things being smuggled about were live animals."

"Don't tell me, one was a turkey gigante?" Harry asked, feeling a sense of dread.

"More than one we think.  They escaped the fight and got into the highlands."

"Huh, I bet that'll have an interesting impact on the local wildlife and environment."

"That's what the Department of Magical Creatures thinks.  They want to observe them but in a preserve for closer observations.  Some of the ones we did capture they've taken to one but they also don't want to let the other one or ones run wild."

Amelia sipped her drink.  "Due to my aforementioned lack of field work, I volunteered to go after them and capture them or dispose of them with a team."

The sense of dread rose.  "Let me guess...Alastor is on the team?"

"Hey good assumption," Amelia smiled.