Protection: The Sword and the Shield

The Weekend

...... Potter Castle, Ottery St. Catchpole

Once he was alone with Justine, Harry called for Reggie and asked to be led to the family sitting room and to have all the elves gather so he could meet with them. He would do the tour after he had collected Karli. In the sitting room he was greeted by seven elves, three males and four females. They were all dressed as Reggie was or in the female equivalent.

He was not sure about how elves aged but two of the females looked to be quite young. It wasn't anything in their features as all the elves looked the same age but rather it was the innocent eyes and looks of awe and wonder that betrayed their youth.

Reggie had already been identified as the Head Butler of the property and one of the females, Margaret, called Maggie, the head Matron. Teresa, called Tesa, was the head Chef and her daughter, Jaqueline, called Jackie, helped her manage the kitchens. Barnaby, called Barnie was the Groundskeeper, Mechanic and Blacksmith and Coretta, called Cori, his daughter, was his assistant. The final female elf was named Loretta, called Lori and was the House Keeper.

Harry greeted each elf and thanked them for their service while the family was absent. He told them of the plans he had for the house including all of what he had shared with his newly minted court of advisors and retainers. The Grimoire had not been connected to James so Harry charged Reggie with investigating whether he added anything to the family holdings and providing a report so that they could integrate it into the family properly.

As a Potter elf, he could sense all the things connected to the House. Harry could feel them to a degree but the elf would be more efficient. Reggie told him that the house accounts that all elves can draw from had been reduced to minimum levels for upkeep but if he intended to have the properties at full operation he would need to increase the budget and hire new elves.

Harry nodded at the logic and added that he wanted all properties brought up to full operation. He knew they had a manor in the South of France and another on a mountain in Switzerland somewhere. Reggie nodded in agreement and produced a parchment that would authorize an increase in the operational budget for the properties to be delivered to the goblins.

Harry read it over and increased the figure by 20% before signing it and handing it to Justine for her signature. Harry asked where they would get more elves and Reggie explained that there was a hidden elf city outside the walls but within the greater ward boundary where Potter elves were born and lived hoping that there service would one day be needed.

All of the Prima Potentia families had such villages and it was they who provided elves to the rest of the wizarding world. Elves were actually magical constructs made flesh that fed on the magic that resided where theY served. In generations past the four Prima Potentia families would gift elves to each other, their Vassals and Retainers and any who provided a service. It was a great honor to receive such a gift.

Elves lived for a very long time, Reggie was 200 and only considered middle-aged and they did not breed often. They were indigenous to the British Aisles and Reggie believed there were less than 5000 of them on the planet. Outside of the Prima Potentia, no family had more than 2 and the village contained 30.

There is a population at Hogwarts of 30 or 40 but they are the descendants of the 20 the Prima Potentia Magicae donated at the creation of the school. The practice of gifting elves ended when it was discovered that some of the families were selling them between themselves but that only made the ones already gifted more valuable as they cannot breed anywhere but at the Prima Potentia properties or at Hogwarts.

The Blacks were the last to stop giving out elves and at the end they had started selling them so most House elves floating around were Black elves that were sold. Harry thanked Reggie for the information and instructed him to hire on as many elves as he thought they would need.