ᵖʳᵒᵘᵈ ᵖᵃʳᵉⁿᵗˢ ; ʰᵃʳᵐⁱᵒⁿᵉ ✓

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter 22 - Planning for the Future

The villa could, and probably should have felt empty.

The orphans had left Italy and taken up residence in their new, refurbished from top to bottom, London home. Their friends all loved holidaying with them, but also had to return back to Britain for the remainder of their summer break. The Potter Institute staff, with the exception of the Grangers, had moved into the almost completed new school. They would all be working flat out to get the Institute ready for the first of September.

The main reason their house didn't feel empty for Harry and Hermione, it actually felt more like a home than ever, was walking down to breakfast between the couple - and of course holding hands with both of them. The changes in Joan since she had found her forever family were nothing short of spectacular. Her confidence seemed to grow by the day, and she'd unleashed such a bubbly personality that it appeared to expand and encompass whatever space or company she happened to be in.

As had become the new norm after their training session, Sirius, Emma and Dan were quicker to the breakfast table - but they also had a visitor that morning. It only took a glance at Amelia's face to determine she was not here as a harbinger of glad tidings. She had brought along multiple copies of today's Prophet for the company to read, Harry and Hermione sat down to share one of Amelia's supplied newspapers between them.

Harry's chin was soon hitting the floor, he just couldn't believe what they were reading here. Hermione suddenly cut through everything with a sharp gasp over their bond, one that clearly wasn't directly related to the latest pile of manure that apparently passed for in-depth journalism in Magical Britain. Hermione was already moving as Harry lifted his eyes to see Joan crawl into a visibly shaken Sirius's lap. As Hermione enveloped his godfather in a hug too, Harry thought it was time to call for reinforcements.

"Dobby, could you ask Francesca to join us for breakfast. Apologise, but say it's urgent." With Emma now joining both girls trying to comfort Sirius, Dobby gave a determined nod before disappearing.

Sirius attempt at cracking a joke let them all know he was trying to recover from the severe shock of reading the front page. "Oh dear, the way Dobby left here, I hope Francesca is not in the shower. He probably won't even give her time to pull a bathrobe on..."

He was proved right on one point, Francesca - though fully clothed - appeared still wearing her slippers barely a minute later. Joan immediately jumped down off Sirius's knee, giving up that place to the person who could do her honorary uncle the most good. She received a kiss to her forehead from the lady most likely to become an honorary aunt for doing so. This drew a wide smile from the little girl. As far as Joan was concerned, you could never have enough family.

Amelia tried to apologise. "I'm sorry, Sirius. I should have realised how much this news would affect you."

Only having both arms around his wonderful girlfriend gave Sirius the strength and courage answer Amelia honestly. "That building should definitely be left untouched, but as a monument to the cruelty of Magical Britain. There would certainly be people locked in those cells who embraced their death as a welcome release from the never ending torture of the dementors. That this fire appears to have wiped most of their tormentors out too would be classed as the ultimate in cosmic justice being served."

He burrowed further into Francesca's embrace before continuing. "That's how I would have felt, until it hit me where my life is now...and I haven't been able to stop shaking since. The very thought that I could have lost all this - all of you - has left me as weak as a kitten. And for a dog, that's not a good feeling."

Dobby then arrived with Poppy, and she wasted no time in providing a mild calming potion for Sirius.

As they all sat around the table, with breakfast once more on the menu, Harry was the one who fired the first broadside into the utter drivel that passed as news in the Prophet. "This supposed account of events has more holes in it than the hull of the Titanic. Can Fudge really get away with this? What about these four missing guards? Didn't anyone learn anything from a body never being found for Voldemort, and one finger of Pettigrew? All these people basically murdered, and they get a burned out memorial instead of an investigation?"