Harry Potter: The Witty Wizard

Over at Longbottom Hall, it had now been three days since Frank and Alice had presented themselves to the Wizengamot and proved, beyond any doubt, they were truly Lord Franklin and Lady Alice Longbottom. Over that three days they had managed to get to know their own son; and the depth of the issues relating to and regarding Frank's mother, Dowager Lady Augusta Longbottom.

They had already heard that Algernon Rosier had been arrested before lunch that first day, as Bones had promised. And had been charged with two counts of attempted murder of a Heir Apparent of a Noble and Most Ancient House, Neville. However, after being told he would be charged with the crimes, he immediately offered to make his testimony under Veritaserum; which Bones immediately accepted.

From that testimony it was 'proven' it was not Rosier's intent to kill Neville, only frighten him enough to trigger a burst of accidental magic. However, he was still charged with endangerment of a minor, wilful negligence and wilful child neglect; two counts each. He immediately offered a plea of guilty to all charges.

As he fully co-operated in the investigations, he was released under his own cognisance and ordered to attend court as Defendant when the trial would be held immediately preceding the February sitting of the Wizengamot.

Augusta had also been interviewed and required to explain why she had not made formal complaint about the actions of her brother as they related to the Heir of her House. She was charged with covering up wilful child neglect, two counts, and would stand trial with her brother. However, she refused to plead guilty and would defend herself on the day.

After she was ordered to immediately return to Longbottom Hall, Frank had discussed matters with Bones before he also returned.

On his arrival he went to his office and immediately called his mother to join he and Alice in there.

When she walked in and was told to, yet again, sit on the chair before the desk, Frank stared at her for a few long moments before he said, "Mother, Alice and I have reached a decision regarding you."

That made the old woman sit up straighter. But, she kept her mouth firmly shut.

He said, "It is the decision of Alice and I that you are to move in to the Longbottom Sea Cottage in West Bay on the south coast. You will leave this room, immediately pack and be gone from Longbottom Hall within the hour.

"A house elf will accompany you - one of our choosing. You may not dismiss it and you will not attempt to give it clothes. You are also to keep the floo open so that Alice, Neville and I may enter the property as we see fit. However, the floo here will be blocked to you having direct access. You will only have temporary guest access and it will only be granted on a case-by-case basis.

"I have spoken to Madam Bones about this, concerning your 'house arrest', and she has agreed that the Sea Cottage will be that house. As such you may not leave. If you do, the house elf assigned to you will immediately inform me you have done so. And I will, in turn, immediately inform Madam Bones."

"Y-you can't do this to me!" she practically begged. "I am your mother and Longbottom Hall has been my home for almost forty years!"

"I can and I have," he firmly returned. "Your behaviour in failing to plead guilty to the charges you are clearly guilty of was the last straw. You are no longer welcome in Longbottom Hall unless you are specifically summoned here to attend me. And, even then, it will only be as a visitor.

"You are dismissed."

She was gone through the floo in less than the allowed hour. As soon as she was, the entire Hall breathed a sigh of relief. Frank was quick to alter the wards to deny her immediate access.

_‗_

―==(oIo)==―

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After working further on the House of Potter documents, especially the financials, Harry begged off so that he could make a start on dinner.

It was as he was happily working on whatever gastronomic delight he had planned for that night that Hermione decided to talk to him about sex, contrary to Sirius's order. She knew not to push him, as she was already well aware he would quickly close off when he was uncomfortable about something. And she knew sex was one of those subjects he was both uncomfortable with and clearly embarrassed about.

Walking into the kitchen, she asked, "Can I help?"

Harry looked back at her for a moment before he seemed to give a tiny shrug and asked, "How are you at peeling veggies?"

With a smile she replied, "That's about the only part of cooking I'm not that bad at."

He quickly assembled a pile of mixed vegetables, pulled out a cutting board and peeler, set aside a baking tray, gestured to it and said "You're welcome to have at it, if you would."

Quickly moving to do so, she had the vegetables washed and set aside. Then started peeling.

After the first couple of potatoes she, trying to be nonchalant, asked, "What chapter are you up to in that book Sirius gave you to read?"

Almost tripping over his own two feet as he suddenly moved, he stuttered, "Errrr... Ch-chapter eight, I think."

Hermione stopped for a moment to try and remember what she remembered of the table of contents she saw within the book and asked, "That's the one on the importance of keeping yourself clean, right?" She knew it wasn't.

"Ummm... no," he quietly replied.

When he didn't seem to want to expand any further on his answer, she calmly asked, "If not on cleanliness, what's it on, then?"

It was a bit for her hesitantly replied, "The... ummm... parts of a woman's body."

"Any particular parts?" she asked.

"Ummm... the... ummm," he tried before he stopped.

"Yes?" she asked. "Oh; is it on the woman's sexual parts?"

"Yes?" he almost whined.

"You do not need to be embarrassed about this, Harry," she said, putting the sweet potato she was currently peeling and the peeler down on the cutting board before turning to look at him.

Harry was currently working adding diced onion into the water he was using to slow cook the beef roast he had in the over-sized baking tray within which the roast was simmering. Instead of using 'dripping' as Brits seemed to always use for a roast, he used a single litre of water that covered about a half inch deep in the pan and occasionally topped it up with boiling water. Into that he added the diced onions and would be almost poaching the diced vegetables Hermione was dealing with.

She softly called, "Harry, look at me."

When he finally turned to look her way, she could tell he was blushing again.

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